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But as I cannot expect that the Jews, while they continue unconverted to the Chriftian Religion, will give themselves the Trouble of perufing that Treatife; or will give any Credence to thofe Revelations, which are the prophetical Declarations of the best beloved Disciple of that Jefus, whom we Christians fuppofe to have been the Mef hab, when he came in his State of Humiliation; I fhall therefore at prefent confine myself to the Prophecies of the Prophet Daniel, whofe Works the Jews themselves have placed among their Hagiographa, along with the Pfalms of the holy David, and the Proverbs of the wife Salomon, and are acknowledged to have been divinely inspired by the Confent of the most learned Jewish Rabbins, and are by fome of the Authors quoted in the Talmud preferred even before the Prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

And if we confult this Prophet, we shall find fome Hints which may lead us to this Discovery. For, fays he, when defcribing himself as feeing a Vifion, || Then I Daniel looked, and behold there stood other two,

+ Tal. Shanedrim.

(Angels

⇓ Dan. x. 7. xii. 5, 6, 7.

(Angels in the Appearance of Men) the one on this Side of the River, and the other on that Side of the Bank of the River; and one faid to the Man cloathed in Linnen, who was upon the Waters of the River, HOW LONG SHALL IT BE TO THE END OF THESE WONDERS? And I beard the Man cloathed in Linnen, who was upon the Waters of the River, when he held up his Right Hand and bis Left Hand unto Heaven, and fware by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND A HALF* And when He shall have accomplished to Scatter the Power of the Holy People, all thefe Things fhall be finished.

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Here then it is plain that there is a Pe riod of Time fixed for the End of those Wonders of which Daniel had been speaking; which was alfo to take Place, at the fame Time, when the scattering of the Power of the Holy People was to be accomplished, or finished. Which Period of Time is here notified under the Expreffion of a Time, and Times and a Half.

In order therefore to arrive at the true Meaning of this Paffage, it will be proper

to

*In the Hebrew it is a Part, but in another Place, viz. Dan. vii. 25. it is the dividing of Time, i, e. a Half.

to explain what is meant by this Period of a Time, Times, and a Half. In the fe cond Place to confider what thofe Wonders are, and what that End is, which Daniel alludes to. And then it will alfo be proper to find out when it is that this Period of Time, which is here enigmatically couched under the Expreffion of a Time, Times and a Half is to date its Commencement. Which if we can do, it will neceffarily discover to us when it is, that the fcattering of the Power of the Holy People is to be accomplished.

Now the original Word which is here tranflated a Time*, properly fignifies any ftated, fixed, or appointed Time, or Seafon.

4.

It is therefore made ufe of Lev. xxiii. to denote those annual Feasts, which were every Year fixed to one stated periodical Revolution. And therefore may in this Place be understood to fignify the Time of the periodical Revolutions of the annual Feftivals, or a Year. And accordingly the Prophet Daniel makes use of the Expreffion of + Seven Times to denote feven Years.

למועד *

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And

Dan. iv. 13, 20, 22, in the Hebrew Bible; but Dan. iv. 16, 23, 25, in the English.

And alfo in another Place, he, in order to explain this Expreffion more fully, fays, the King of the North shall come at the End of Times, Years; to fhew, that by the Word Times he meant Years. And #Justin Martyr, who lived about 1600, Years ago, remarks that the Rabbins under stood the Word Time often to denote a Year, according to the Language of the Prophets, So that according to this Interpretation the Expreffion of a Time, Times, and Half a Time, or of one Year added to two Years and a Half will make three ** Years and a Half. And as a Jewith Year is according to common Computation fuppofed to confift of twelve Months, and cach Month of thirty Days, these three Times and a Half will be equivalent to 1260 Days.

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↑ Dan. xi. 13. Juft. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 52. **To thofe who believe the Chriftian Religion this Interpretation can be proved to be true to a Demonftration; because this Period of a Time, Times, and Half a Time, is in the Revelations of St. John exprefsly faid to be equivalent to 42 Months, and to 1260 Days. Compare Rev. xii. 6. with Rev. xii. 14. and xiii. 5. And to those who do not believe Chriftianity, it is nevertheless an unconteftable Proof, that above 1700 Years ago this Expreffion of a Time, Times, and Half a Time, was understood by fome of the Jews themfelves to be equivalent to 42 Months, or 1269 Days.

Having thus difcovered what Period of Time is probably denoted by the Expreffion of a Time, Times, and a Half, let us now proceed to find out what these Wonders are to which the Prophet Daniel alludes; the only Way to discover which is to have Recourse to the preceding Part of these Vifions, that were revealed to Daniel; and in particular to enquire whether there are any which have a Reference to this remarkable Period of a Time, Times and a Half, from whence we may be enabled to date its Com

mencement.

And if we look into the second Chapter of that Prophet we shall there find that Nebuchadnezzar the King had dreamed a Dream, which he had forgotten, of which Daniel did not only tell him the Interprețation, but also the Dream itself, as followeth. *Thou, O King, farest and beheld a great Image: This great Image whofe Brightnefs was excellent ftood before thee, and thẻ Form thereof was terrible. This Image's Head was of fine Gold; his Breaft and his. Arms of Silver; his Belly and his Thighs of Brass; his Legs of Iron; bis Feet part of Tron and Part of Clay. Thou faweft till d Stone

* Dan. ii. 31°

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