to the law of God, and their regard for the truth, shall enjoy everlasting fame in this world, and everlusting life in the world to come; but others on account of their sins, shall be held in everlasting contempt by men, and be doomed to everlasting punishment by God. Such as Matthias, Judas, and the woman and her Sons, who stood firm to the law of God, shall obtain everlasting fame, and eternal life at the resurrection: But those who forsook the law and became idolaters, shall suffer everlasting infamy and death.

But still some obscurity was to rest upon and hang over this prophecy though revealed so extensively and particularly Daniel was not perfectly to understand it; for says the Angel, "Thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" (v. 4). But events would unfold the prophecy; and those who lived after its completion would perceive how God had fulfilled it. As if the augel had said: And now O Daniel, I have told thee those things which thou wast anxious to know, and the revelation of which is given in answer to thy fasting and prayer; rest, therefore, contented with what thou hast heard, and treasure it up for the use of God's people against the time of these things being fulfilled: For as these events draw near their accomplishment many shall diligently seek to know when and how they will happen, and knowledge respecting them shall be increased.

We have now traced Antiochus Epiphanes, the great enemy and persecutor of the Jews, from his ascending the throne of Syria to his miserable end; and we have seen this prophecy receive its completion

in him. But still Daniel receives further information as to the TIME, during which the Jews should suffer such heavy calamities. And he receives this information not as before from the Angel Gabriel, but from the man clothed in linen, whom we have already shewn to be the Son of God. "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished" (v. 7). Now this period of "a time, times, and an half” occurs also in Chapter seventh, v. 25: And we have there applied it to the duration of the power of the Popedom; during which time the Popedom should persecute the Saints of the Most High. But in this place we apply this period primarily to the duration of the persecution waged by Epiphanes against the Jews; and ultimately to the duration of the persecution waged by Antichrist-the Popedomagainst the opposers of its idolatries. This method of applying the "time, times, and an half," is not without its difficulties; but from a review of the various methods which have been employed in explaining this prophecy, it appears the most simple and easy; because the "time, times, and an half," evidently form part of the one thousand two hundred and ninety days, and of the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days mentioned in verses the 11th and 12th. But as the "time, times, and an half," is a figurative mode of speech; and the one thousand two hundred and ninety, and the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days a literal mode, I think the most simple method of interpretation is to apply the duration of

these times primarily to Epiphanes, but ultimately to Antichrist-the Popedom.

"One particular mentioned in these prophecies of Daniel, and fulfilled under Antiochus, is especially taken notice of as typifying in him, what was to happen under Antichrist in after times, that is, the profanation of the temple at Jerusalem, and the ceasing of the daily sacrifices in it. This, Daniel said, was to continue for a "time, times, and an half," i. e. three years and an half, a time in that place signifying a year, and times two years, and an half of a time, an half year, as all agree; And so long Josephus tells us the profanation of the temple, and the interruption of the daily sacrifices in it lasted, i. e. from the coming of Apollonius and his profanatiou of the said temple, to the purifying of it, and the new dedication of that and the new altar in it by Judas Maccabæus. This prophecy, therefore, was primarily and typically fulfilled in that profanation and new dedication of the temple and altar at Jerusalem; but its chief and ultimate completion was to be in that profanation of the church of Christ, which it was to suffer under the reign of Antichrist for the space of those one thousand two hundred and sixty days mentioned in the Revelations. For those days there signify so many years, and three years and an half, reckoning them by months of thirty days length, make just one thousand two hundred and sixty days. These days, therefore, literally understood, make the three years and an half, during which the profanation and persecution of Antiochus remained in the church of the Jews; and the same mystically understood make the one thousand two hundred and sixty years during which the profa

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nation and persecution of Antichrist was to remain in the church of Christ, at the end whereof the church of Christ is to be cleansed, and purified of all the profanations, and pollutions of Antichrist, in the same manner as at the end of three years and an half the temple at Jerusalem was cleansed, and purified from all the profanations, and pollutions of Antiochus."t

But in the 11th and 12th verses a further extension of thirty, and of seventy five days, is given to the period of a "time, times, and an half": For "from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days" (v. 11, 12). Now, as he would be blessed who saw the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days, we may infer that the Jews would enjoy still greater prosperity at that time, than at the end of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days: And though we cannot fix upon any particular events, which took place precisely at the expiration of the one thousand two hundred and ninety or the one thousand three hundred and thirty five days, of a very prosperous nature; yet the prophecy evidently received an accomplishment in the success which attended the arms of the Maccabees after the purification of the temple, i. e. after the expiration of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days. It evidently appears most reasonable to connect the taking away of the daily sacrifice, mentioned in Chapter xii, v. 11, with the taking away of the daily sacrifice, mentioned in Chapter xi, v. 31; for they are but one and the

t Prid. v. 2 p. 208. Jos. L. 12. c. 11.

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same prophecy: But the prophecy in Chapter xi. v. 31. was fulfilled in Epiphanes; therefore the prophecy in Chapter xii. v.11. was fulfilled in him. And hence it seems most reasonable to understand also the two numbers one thousand two hundred and ninety and one thousand three hundred and thirty five, as applying to what happened to the Jews in those times of Epiphanes. Namely, whereas in the vision related Ch. viii. it was said v. 13, 14, that the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, &c., should be unto two thousand three hundred days, which is somewhat above six years and a quarter; lest this number of days should be so misunderstood, as that it should be thought, that thereby was foretold that the time, during which the daily sacrifice should be taken away, should be above six years: to prevent, I say, any such mistake, the angel here more plainly informs Daniel, that, from the taking away of the daily sacrifice &c., should be only one thousand two hundred and ninety days, or about three years and an half at the most, to the time that the Jews should be delivered from the said calamities; and that in one thousand three hundred and thirty five days, or forty five days more than afore, the Jews should be restored to so good a posture of affairs, as to be able to defend their temple from their enemies, and so to be freed from any great fear of undergoing the like calamities. And surely this was very material for the Jews to be acquainted with beforehand, as being matter of very great comfort to them, that, the taking away of the daily sacrifice, should be for a less time by half (wanting a very small matter) than they might have apprehended from the other pro