Bishop Newthis interpre
2. But there is a greater difficulty in regard to the other period — the 1335 days. For (a) that stands wholly de tached from what had been said, (b) The "beginning of that period — the terminus a quo — is not specified. It is true that Prof. Stuart (Hints on Prophecy, p. 95,) supposes that this must be the same as that mentioned in the previous verse, but this is not apparent in the communica tion. It is an isolated statement, and would seem to refer to some momentous and important period in the future which would be characterized as a glorious or ' blessed' period in the world's history, or of such a nature that he ought to re gard himself as peculiarly happy who
Antiochus does not seem to meet the fullness of what is said here. If that were all, it is not easily conceivable why the angel should have made so much a mystery of it, or why he should have been so reluctant to impart what he knew. The whole matter, therefore, appears to have a higher importance than the mere death of Antiochus and the delivery of the Jews from his perse cutions.
II. Another class, and it may be said that Christian interpreters generally, hare supposed that there was here a reference to some higher and more important events in the far distant future. But it ia scarcely needful to say, that the opinions entertained have been almost as numer ous as the writers on the prophecies, and that the judgment of the world has not settled down on any one particular method of the application. It would not be profitable to state the opinions which have been advanced; still less to attempt to refute them — most of them being fan ciful conjectures. These may be seen de tailed in great variety in Poole's Synop sis. It is not commonly pretended, that these opinions are based on any exact in terpretation of the words, or on any cer tain mode of determining their correct ness, and those who hold them admit that it must be reserved to future years — to their fulfillment — to understand the exact meaning of the prophecy. Thus Prideaux, who supposes that this passage refers to Antiochus, frankly says: "Many
things may be said for the probable solv ing of this difficulty [the fact that the angel here refers to an additional thirty days above the three years and an half, which he says can neither be applied to Antiochus nor to Antichrist], but I shall offer none of them. Those that shall live to see the extirpation of Antiochua, which will be at the end of those yeara, will best be able to unfold these matters,
it being of the nature of these prophecies not thoroughly to be understood till they are thoroughly fulfilled." Vol. iii. 283,
284. So Bp. Newton, who supposes that the setting up of the abomination of des olation here refers to the Mohammedans invading and devastating Christendom, and that the religion of Mohammed will prevail in the east for the space of 1260 years, and then a great revolution — "perhaps the restoration of the Jews, perhaps the destruction of Antichrist" — indicated by the 1290 years will occur; and that this will be succeeded by an other still more glorious event — perhaps "the conversion of the Gentiles, and the beginning of the inilleniurn, or reign of the saints on the earth" — indicated by the 1335 years — says, notwithstanding, "What is the precise time of their begin ning, and consequently of their ending, as well as what are the great and signal events which will take place at the end of each period, we can only conjecture; time alone can with certainty discover." Prophecies, p. 321. These expressions indicate the common feeling of those who understand these statements as referring to future events; and the reasonings of those who have attempted to make a more specific application, have been such as to demonstrate the wisdom of this modesty, and to make us wish that it had been im itated by all. At all events, such specu lations on this subject have been so wild and unfounded; so at variance with all just rules of interpretation, so much the fruit of mere fancy, and so incapable of solid support by reasoning, as to admon ish us that no more conjectures should be added to the number.
III. The sum of all that it seems to me can be said on the matter is this: —
(1) That it is probable, for the reasons above stated, that the angel referred to other events than the persecutions and the death of Antiochus, for if that was all, the additional information which he gave by the specification of the period of 1260 days, and 1290 days, and 1335 days, was quite too meagre to be worthy of a formal and solemn revelation from God. In other words, if this was all, there was no correspondence between the importance of the events, and the solemn manner in which the terms of the communication were made. There was no such import ance in these three periods as to make these separate disclosures necessary. If
| this were all, the statements were such indeed as might be made by a iceak man \ attaching importance to trifles, but not ' such as would be made by an inspired! angel professing to communicate great: and momentous truths.
(2) Either by design, or because the language which he would employ to de-
; signate higher events happened to be such j as would note those periods also, the an-: gel employed terms which, in the main, j would be applicable to what would occur under the persecutions of Antiochus, while j at the same time, his eye was on more important and momentous events in the! far distant future. Thus the three years I and a half, would apply with suffi- I cient accuracy to the time between the I taking away the daily sacrifice, and the | destruction of the temple by Judas Mac- | cabeus, and then, also, it so happens! that the thirteen hundred and thirty-Jive | days would designate with sufficient ac- | curacy the death of Antiochus, but there is nothing in the history to which the pe riod of twelve hundred and ninety days I could with particular propriety be api plied, and there is no reason in the his tory why reference should have been made to that.
(3) The angel had his eye on three I great and important epochs lying appa rently far in the future, and constituting important periods in the history of the church and the world. These were, respectively, composed of 1260, 1290, and 1335 prophetic days, that is years, Whether they had the same beginning or point of reckoning — termini a quo — and whether they would, as far as they would respectively extend, 'cover the same space of time, he does not intimate with any certainty, and, of course, if this is the correct view it would be impossible now to determine, and the development is to be left to the times specified. One of them, the 1260 years, or the three years and an half, we can fix, we think, by ap plying it to the Papacy. See Notes on ch. vii. 24 — 28. But in determining even this, it was necessary to wait until the j time and course of events should disclose i its meaning; and in reference to the other two periods, doubtless still future, it may be necessary now to wait until events still to occur, shall disclose what was intended by the angel. The first has been made clear by history; there can be no doubt that the others in the same manner will be made equally clear. That this is the [ the joys of the blessed, and occupying the true interpretation, and that this is the position which would be appropriate to view which the angel desired to convey j him. With this cheering prospect the to the mind of Daniel, seems to be clear from such expressions as these occurring in the prophecy: — " Seal the book, to the time of the end," ver. 4 j " many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be in creased," ver. 4; "the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" ver. 9: " many shall be made wise," ver. 10; "the wise shall understand," ver. 10; "go thou thy way till the end be," ver. 13. This language seems to imply that these things could not then be understood, but that when the events to which they refer should take place they would bo plain to all.
(4) Two of those events or periods — the 1390 days, and the 1335 days— seem to lie still in the future, and the full un derstanding of the prediction is to be re- «^rved for developments yet to bo made In the history of the world. Whether it be by the conversion of the Jews and the srentiles, respectively, as Bp. Newton sup poses, it would be vain to conjecture, and time must determine. That such periods — marked and important periods — are to occur in the future, or in some era now commenced but not yet completed, I am | constrained to believe; and that it will communications of the angel to him are closed. Nothing could be better fitted to comfort his heart in a land of exile; nothing better fitted to elevate his thoughts.
(6) In the same manner it is proper that ice should look onward. All the rev elations of God terminate in this manner; all are designed and adapted to direct the mind to far distant and most glorious scenes in the future. We have all that Daniel had; and we have what Daniel had not — the clear revelation of the Gos pel. In that Gospel are stated in a still more clear manner, those glorious truths respecting the future which are fitted to cheer us in time of trouble, to elevate our mincis amidst the low scenes of earth, and to comfort and sustain us on the bed of death. With much more distinctness than Daniel saw them, we are permitted to contemplate the truths respecting the resurrection of the dead, the scenes of the final judgment, and the future hap piness of the righteous. We have now knowledge of the resurrection of the Re deemer, and, through him, the assurance that all his people will be raised up to honour and glory — and though, in refer- be possible, in time to come, to determine ence to the resurrection of the dead, and what they are, seems to me to be a» un- the future glory of the righteous, there doubted. But where there is nothing cer tain to bo the basis of calculation, it is idle to add other conjectures to those al ready made, and it is wiser to leave the matter, as much of the predictions respect ing the future must of necessity be left to time and to events to make them clear.
Let me add, in the conclusion of the exposition of this remarkable book:
(a) That the mind of Daniel is left at the close of all the divine communica tions to him, looking into the far-distant future, ver. 13. His attention is directed onward. Fragments of great truths had been thrown out, with little apparent con nection, by the angel; hints of momen tous import had been suggested respecting great doctrines to be made clearer in fu ture ages. A time was to occur, perhaps in the far-distant future, when the dead were to be raised; when all that slept in the dust of the earth should awake; when the righteous should shine as the bright ness of the firmament; and when he him self should 'stand in his lot' — sharing is much that is still obscure, yet there is all that is necessary to inspire us with hope, and to stimulate us to endeavour to obtain the crown of life.
(c) It is not improper, therefore, to close the exposition of this book with the expres sion of a wish that what was promised to Daniel may occur to us who read his words — that ' we may stand in our lot at the end of days;' that when all the scenes of earth shall have passed away in regard to us, and the end of the world itself shall have come, it may be our happy portion to occupy a place among the redeemed, and to stand accepted before God. To ourselves, if we are truly righteous through our Redeemer, we may apply the promise made to Daniel; and for his readers an author can express no higher wish than that this lot may be theirs. If the exposition of this book shall be so blessed as to confirm any in the belief of the great truths of revelation, and lead their minds to a more confirmed hope in regard to these future glorious scenes; if
07 dwelling on the firm piety, the con summate wisdom, and the steady confi dence in God evinced by this remarkable man, their souls shall be more established in the pursuit of the same piety, wisdom, and confidence in God; and if it shall lead the minds of any to contemplate with a more steady and enlightened faith the scenes which are yet to occur on our earth, when the saints shall reign, or in heaven, when all the children of God shall be gathered there from all lands, the great object of these studies will have been accomplished, and the labour which has been bestowed upon it will not have been in vain. To these high and holy purposes I now consecrate these reflec tions on the Book of Daniel, with an ear nest prayer that He from whom all bless ings come may be pleased BO to accept this exposition of one of the portions of hit revealed truth, as to make it the means of promoting the interests of truth and piety in the world; with a grateful sense of his goodness in allowing me to complete it, and with thankfulness that I have been permitted for so many hours, in the pre paration of this work, to contemplate the lofty integrity, the profound wisdom, the stern and unyielding virtue, and the humble piety of this distinguished saint and eminent statesman of ancient times. He is under a good influence, and he is likely to have his own piety quickened, and his own purposes of unflinching in tegrity and faithfulness, and of humble devotion to God strengthened, who stu dies the writings and the character of the prophet Daniel.