TABLE III.

The different dates fixed upon by different authors for the commencement, and termination of the 1260 days, the 42 months, and time, times, and half a time.

REMARKS ON TABLE III.

Fox the martyrologist reckons one month, seven years, so that 42 months are 294 years: this accounts for the apparent error in the termination.

Dr. Hammond and Grotius reckon literal days.

Brightman reckoning by lunar years, says the 1260 years are equal to 1242 Julian years. Joseph Galloway also reckoned by lunar time.

Mitchell and some others reckon solar years of 365 days, which reduces the period about 18 years.

Mr. Pirie reckons the prophetic years shorter than common years by 5 days and a quarter, so that the close of 1260 days, will terminate A. D 2000 or A. M. 6000.

Keith considers the Waldenses and Albigenses to be the two witnesses, and that they began to prophecy about 1198 or 1208. Robert Fleming reckons 1260 days=1278 years.

Bengelius says 42 prophetic months are precisely 6663 common years, but on Rev. xi. 2. 3. 'these 42 months and these 1260 days are to be understood in the usual acceptation, and mean common months and days.' p. [7.]

But on Rev. xii. 6. he says, "these 1260 prophetical days, are 657 years full, and began 864, and end 1521." He says the 42 months began Sep. 25th, 1143, and end June 1st, N. S. 1810. The beast rises out of the Abyss Oct. 14th, 1832. The ten kings give their power to the beast Oct. 22nd, 1832, and the beast is utterly destroyed, and the Millennium commences June 28th, 1836!! page 205. 250. 239.

John Wesley adopted Bengelius's method of reckoning, and says on Rev. xii. "The time, times, and an half are from 1058 to 1836."

Edward Irving and the prophets in his church, reckoned the 1260 days, common days, which commenced Jan. 14th, 1832, and were to end July 14th, 1835. See Morn. Watch, No. xvi. p. 308. 309. and Baxter's Irvingism, p. 22. 23.

Many writers on the prophecies, finding they could not reckon from the commencement of the powers to which they suppose the prophets referred, searched for some remarkable event in their history, as the epoch from which to commence the prophetic period, so as to adapt it to their scheme. Example. The little horn mentioned, Dan. vii. 25. thought to represent the Papacy, has existed several centuries too long, to reckon the 1260 years from its

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commencement. Cunninghame, Bicheno, Frere, Croly, Keith, &c. in order to make the events, and mystic times to correspond, have adopted the year 533, as the commencement of the 1260 years; the time when the saints were given into the hands of the little horn, by a decree of the Emperor Justinian. This important period ended 1793, the time of the French Revolution, as they would have it, though it gives an error of four years, for it is a well known fact that it commenced 1789, but many writers refuse to acknowledge this, because of the visible error it would produce in their calculations. They need not however, be so tenacious of the edict of Justinian, for that part of it which relates to the giving the saints into the hands of the Pope, is now acknowledged to be a forgery.* What a foundation for a prophetic era! Habershon and others adopt the year 583, when the Pope was declared infallible; from which date the 1260 years, will end 1843. Faber dates the commencement of the 1260 days in 604, and the end, 1864. Many others adopt the decree of Phocas, who declared the Pope universal Bishop 606, which will make the the important period end 1866, others adopt 755, when the Pope became a temporal prince, which will carry

See Investigator, Vol. III. p. 263, and Bickersteth's Practical Guide to the Prophecies, p. 82.