2. For a similar reason it may be maintained, that the prediction of "a time, times, and a half," as the end of the wonders (Dan. 12: 7), cannot mean 1260 literal days, or the short persecution of Antiochus; for it is added, "and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." But surely, it cannot be pretended, that about 165 years before Christ, "the power of the holy people" ceased to be scattered. Even now the Jews are scattered over the earth, and the anti-Christian power of Rome is little less, than it has been for centuries.

3. In these two passages of Daniel the word days is not used, and the time designated may in strict philological propriety be understood 1260 years. All, that is expressed, is 1260 divisions of time, and those divisions must be regarded as years rather than days, provided there are any considerations, which render it more probable, that the prophet intended years and not days.

In a perfectly similar case, in the same writer, (Dan. 9: 24, "seventy weeks are determined on thy people,") even Mr. Stuart admits, that the meaning is 70 weeks of years, or 490 years, for he says, that the Hebrew word "designates only heptade or heptades [divisions of seven]; and whether these are sevens of years, or sevens of days, must be determined by the context and the nature of the case."

If Daniel, in speaking of the future in his 9th chapter, by the word weeks, or heptades, or divisions of seven, means a week of years, or seven years, is it not to be presumed, that in his 7th and 12th chapters, where he speaks of a division amounting to 1260, he must mean also so many years? If 70 weeks, amounting to 490 days, means 490 years; why, in the same writer, should not 3 1-2 times, amounting to 1260 days, mean also 1260 years? Is it probable, that Daniel in his 7th chapter would adopt one mode of reckoning; a different one in his 9th chapter; and revert in his 12th chapter to his first mode? When he is predicting the future, under the guidance of infinite wisdom and for the instruction of man, may we not rest satisfied, that he uses one and the same method of reckoning?

4. There is a historical difficulty in the application of the prophecy of 3 1-2 years, or 1260 days, to Antiochus. For by comparing Maccabees 1: 54, 50, and 4: 52, it appears that

SECOND SERIES, VOL. IV. NO. I.

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the idol altar remained upon the altar of God precisely three years, and not 3 1-2 years. It appears also from Josephus, Antiq. 12, c. 5, § 4, and c. 7, § 6, that Antiochus held possession of the temple exactly three years, for he "got possession of the city" on the 25th day of the month Chasleu, and on the same day of the same month was the sacrifice reestablished. Here is no use of "round numbers," as Mr. Stuart supposed, confining his attention to the passage of Josephus last referred to and overlooking the first. It may . be, indeed, that Josephus was mistaken, for it is evident from the Maccabees, that the city was captured some time before the idol altar was set up; but whether this time was exactly six months is not mentioned, and may be difficult to be proved. It must be admitted, that Josephus, in his " Wars," states the time during which Antiochus held Jerusalem, at "three years and six months;" but whether he meant to be precise to a day is uncertain. The prophecy is precise,— 1260 days. Nor should it be forgotten, that in his "Antiquities," in which he gives precisely three years, he professes to be exact; for he says in regard to Antiochus, "I will now give a particular account of what concerns this king, how he subdued Judea and the temple; for in my former work I mentioned those things very briefly, and have therefore now thought it necessary to go over that history again, and that with great accuracy." Ant. 12, c. 5, § 2.

5. There is also a historical difficulty in applying to Antiochus the 1290 and 1335 days, mentioned in Daniel 12: 11, 12. It will be remarked, that the period of 1290 exceeds that of 1260 by 30 days. Do these two periods end at the same time? Mr. Stuart supposes, that they do;—that 3 1-2 years or 1260 days are taken as the half of the sacred number seven, and are not designed to be definite, but are used in a popular, general way; but that 1290 days are specific, precise, exact, extending from the capture of Jerusalem by Antiochus to the purification of the temple. Yet there are no notes of time in any ancient historian, by which this number of days can be made out precisely.

Mr. Stuart also supposes, that the 1335 days do not end with the 1290, but relate to the time of the death of Antiochus, 45 days after the purification of the temple. For this exactness also there is no authority derived from the ancient historians. It is a mere supposition. The time of Antio

chus' death is not designated. All, that we know, is, that he had heard, on the borders of Persia, of the defeat of his army in Syria, and was taken sick, and was sick for a considerable time. If this prophecy did relate to Antiochus, and of course has been fulfilled, should we not expect to find a precision and exactness, which would remove all doubt, as in the case of the 70 weeks or 490 years? Moreover, if the 1260 and 1290 days have a common ending, why should not the 1335 days end also at the same time? Why should not all the three periods either be successive, or have a common termination? But in either method, or in that of Mr. Stuart, there is an uncertainty in the application of these periods to Antiochus, not to be expected in an accomplished prophecy.

6. Even Mr. Stuart admits, that sometimes the Hebrew word for days, 2, isused to denote years, as in Judg. 17: 10, 1 Sam. 2: 19, Ex. 3: 10, Is. 32: 10, comp. 29: 1,2 Chron. 21:19. If, then, this word be sometimes thus used in Scripture in places not prophetic, why should it not be thus employed in prophetic passages? It is not enough to say, that prophecy ought to be plain. It may be, that God has designed it to be obscure in a degree until its fulfilment. And it may be added, that this use of the term days does not render prophecy more obscure, than some other parts of Scripture. Besides, the declaration of Jehovah to Ezekiel (Ez. 4: 4-6), "I have appointed thee each day for a year," might lead the careful student of prophecy to consider, that in other instances it might please God, in the communication of his will, to make use of days as symbolical of years.

7. If it should be admitted, that the 8th and 11th chapters of Daniel relate to Antiochus, and also Dan. 12: 11, 12; yet this admission will not necessarily affect the question as to the meaning of the 3 1-2 years, for the reasons assigned in § 3. Let it be, that whenever in Daniel the word days is used, it means literal days, this will decide nothing as to the import of other phrases, or designations of time, which have been considered.

The only specific note of time in Dan. 8th is 2300 days, in our translation; in Hebrew it is 2300 evenings and mornings. Mr. Stuart supposes, that this period extends from the murder at Tyre of three Jewish Deputies by Antiochus, in the year A. Č. 170, to the purification of the temple, A. C. 164.

It is known, that the interval between these events was about six years. As to the 140 (Mr. S. says 14 by mistake) additional days required to make out the 2300, it is hypothesis, not history. The period might have been 2300; or it might have been only 2160 days, or six years.

If this passage relates to Antiochus, the following will perhaps be regarded as a more probable computation. The word days is not used, but evenings and mornings. One saint asked another, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice?" etc. Now, as the sacrifices were twice a day, in the evening and morning, the answer may have respect to the number of sacrifices to be interrupted, and that number being 2300, the number of days thus expressed is 1150, or three years and 70 days. This may be the period, to which Josephus refers in his "Wars," as already quoted, "three years and six months," provided he speaks generally, and not precisely to a day. If we look into the Maccabees, we find, that although it was precisely three years from the offering of sacrifice on the idol altar to the cleansing of the temple; yet that Antiochus, some short time before the establishment of idol worship, sent messengers to Jerusalem to forbid sacrifice in the temple. Mac. 1: 44. Now it is possible, that the interruption of the sacrifice was 70 days before the idol altar was used. Thus would be made out the 1150 days, or 2300 sacrifices interrupted. The 11th chapter of Daniel has no computation of days or note of time.

The difficulty of applying a part of the notes of time in Dan. 12th, to Antiochus and a part to Anti-Christ is perhaps not insurmountable. In v. 5-8, the man on the banks of the river inquired of the man on the waters, how long it should be to "the end of these wonders" referring to all that had been predicted as to the reign of Anti-Christ in the 7th chapter, etc. The answer is, "a time, times, and a half," or 1260 years.

Daniel understood not. But the Lord said to him, "the words are closed and sealed up till the time of the end;"-and then informed him, that there should be "1290 days from the removal of the sacrifice," and that he should be blessed, who should come to the "1335 days." That in these numbers literal days should be intended will depend upon the

application of a part of the prophecy in Daniel to Antiochus; and that a part should be applied to him and a part to AntiChrist, is analogous to the methods of other prophets.

It is not my aim to prove this. But, supposing that Mr. Stuart and others are correct in applying these last numbers and the 8th and 11th chapters to Antiochus. There is nothing in the general character of the prophetical writings, there is nothing in the structure of the prophecy of Daniel to forbid us from regarding very different events as referred to by the different numbers, or expressions for numbers in other passages of the book of Daniel. Particularly, there is nothing to compel us to apply the "3 1-2 times" to Antiochus, but, on the contrary, strong reasons, which have been already assigned, for regarding the termination of that period as yet future.

8. The equivalent numbers in the APOCALYPSE are now to be examined. The passages are Rev. 11: 2, 3, 12: 6, 14, 13: 5, where the same period is expressed by the various terms or notations of "42 months," "1260 days," "a time, and times, and half a time." Surely no one will apply these passages to Antiochus; and as the number and the method of expressing it are the same in Daniel and John, it would seem probable, that the same event is referred to in both,unless we should concur with some of the early Christian fathers in supposing, that Antiochus was designed to be a type of Anti-Christ, and that the literal days of the type are expanded into years in the antitype. But of the passages in the Apocalypse it is necessary to make a more particular examination.

In Rev. 11: 2, it is predicted of the Gentiles, "the holy city shall they tread under foot 42 months," which is equal to 1260 days. Here is a specific time, a precise, exact number; and this precision would seem to compel us to seek for the accomplishment of the prophecy either in 42 months of days, or months of years. The first question is, whether a literal treading under foot of Jerusalem is intended, or figuratively the oppression and persecution of the Christian religion? I cannot doubt, that the latter is intended, for it is more than 42 months of years since Jerusalem has been trodden under foot by the Gentiles.