divided in this way? Why broken into two distinct parts? Why not at once say sixty-nine weeks, without dividing it thus? It surely must be that the Lord meant to accomplish some part of his purpose within this space of time. But as to this, if our common version be right, we are left in uncertainty. It is conjectured, it is true, that these seven weeks were the time set apart for building the city. But this is only conjecture: whereas if the rendering here adopted is right, the question is settled. It is, in this case, made plain that this period was thus severed from the threescore and two weeks, because within this, the shorter space of the two, Nehemiah's restoration and building would be accomplished. And how simple and natural is it that the angel, after having first spoken of the seven and threescore and two weeks together, showing that at the end of this period Messiah would be announced to his people, should then, in due order, turn back to speak of the first of these periods, and say what event was to happen therein; and then proceed to refer again in like manner to the threescore and two weeks; and next to the one week, the last of the seventy.

How perfect the order and structure in this case! which, I venture to say, would not be the case unless these seven weeks were referred to again in the manner I speak of, as well as the threescore and two which succeed them. Here, that I may make my meaning still clearer, and show at the same time how the angel proceeds through the three sections, or parts, which make up the period in question, touching on each in succession with perfect order and consecutiveness, I venture to offer the following paraphrase. The sentence which I desire to mark more especially is here marked with three asterisks.

PARAPHRASE.

"AFTER SEVENTY WEEKS (beginning to count from the going forth of a certain decree to restore and to build Jerusalem) thy prayer shall be heard-thy people forgiven.

"This period the Lord divides into three distinct parts, SEVEN WEEKS--THREESCORE and TWO WEEKS, and ONE

WEEK.

E

"At the close of the SEVEN and THREESCORE AND TWO WEEKS, the coming Messiah shall, by the voice of his prophet, namely, his messenger John, be for the first time announced to his people.

"As to the above SEVEN WEEKS (the shorter space of the two) within this period the aforesaid decree will be fulfilled, the holy city rebuilt. *.*

"While as to the THREESCORE AND TWO WEEKS, the greater

period above named, after this (not immediately after, however) Messiah shall be cut off, and thy people rejected in

consequence.

"Then, lastly, during the ONE WEEK (between which and the two previous periods will intervene an unnoticed space of several centuries, during which Israel will be wholly lost sight of,) thy people will worship a false Messiah set up by themselves. This third and last period will be the great crisis in Israel's history to which all prophecy points, at the termination of which the Lord, the true Messiah, will come to destroy this deceiver with all his associates, and redeem his elect from the hand of the enemy."

The order and distribution of the three periods in question, as given above, is as follows: :

SEVEN and THREESCORE and TWO WEEKS, first and second sections together.

The

threefold division of

the above.

The above seven weeks (the shorter space of the two) referred to again.

The above threescore and two weeks also referred to again.

ONE WEEK, the third and last section.

Analogy between the

and

seventy

weeks.

Then there is another point connected with this, which we will, in the next place, consider. This prophecy gives us to two periods know that the Jews will at length be restored to the favour of seven God, that Jerusalem again will be built, and established for ever as the scene of his presence on earth, never again, as it has been, to be overthrown, or trodden down by the Gentiles. And of this, I believe the restoration and building here foretold by the angel to Daniel, was a sample and pledge. But not only as to the fact, but as to the time, which elapsed ere the work was accomplished, does it appear to have been such. The period here spoken of,-the "strait of times" of this passage, (if the above rendering is right) is a septenary period: so likewise is the great period of which it forms an integral part;-SEVEN WEEKS, or 49 years, the one; SEVENTY WEEKS or 490 years, the other : the completion of the work at the close of the former, being, as I believe, a pledge to his people, that the Lord will yet be true to his promise at the close of the latter. Surely all this is more connected with the interests and destinies of Israel than the past troubles of Nehemiah and his companions could ever have been. True it is they were called to endure much at the hand of their enemies, and the Lord, who surely felt for his people, has, in their due place, (I mean in their history in the Book of Nehemiah,) recorded their sorrows. But this prophecy bears on the hopes of his people in a very large way; and an earnest or pledge such as I speak of, is quite in character with a chapter like this, which treats of the time of Israel's blessing and glory; far more so assuredly than the circumstances in which the builders were placed, which, compared with the great leading events which we are considering at present, were matters of very inferior importance.

Thus by three methods I have tried to establish this point. First, by considering the primary and secondary sense of the word "strait;" secondly, by tracing the order of the three periods in question, together with that of the events connected with each; thirdly, by tracing a likeness and connection between the two septenary periods-seven and seventy weeks, 49 years and 490.*

* See plate 2, figure 5, where the relation of the SEVEN WEEKS, or forty-nine years, (the space between each year of Jubilee) to the full period of SEVENTY WEEKS, of which it forms an integral part, is clearly set forth.

FOURTH DIVISION.

(INCLUDED UNDER THE SECOND HEAD.)

And after (the) threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. THUS having, as I trust, succeeded in proving one or two points which it was needful first to establish, namely, as to the question when the seventy weeks begin and when they will terminate, and also as to the difficulty relating to our textual rendering, "troublous times," I have at length reached that part of our subject which to myself is most interesting, and which will be equally so, I trust, to my reader. Much of what I have hitherto said has related to historical facts; what I shall henceforth advance will bear chiefly a moral complexion, my object being to exhibit, however feebly, the grace of Him with whom our souls have to do in connexion with Israel;-to show, that though seemingly blotted out of the book of his remembrance, the seed of Abraham are still dear to his heart, and that though his eyes for the present refuse to rest on their land from one end of the year to the other, as they would do were his people only true to his love, he yet continues in his own secret mind to behold it as the sphere of his future glory on earth, where his city and sanctuary at length will arise, and be established for ever as the place of His throne who only is worthy -the one whom his people despised and esteemed not. We will now then proceed with our subject.

Having, in the SECOND division, looked at the seven and threescore and two weeks together, then again, in the THIRD division, at the seven weeks singly, which, as we have seen, was the time set apart for rebuilding the city, we proceed in like manner to speak in this FOURTH part of the threescore and two weeks again. This, as we have before seen, was the period at the termination of which John the Baptist appeared as the prophet-the Elias of his day-announcing the coming Messiah. This, then, is the point to which I desire to direct especial and careful attention, as that which will perhaps appear new to my reader. "After threescore and two weeks," we read, "Messiah shall be cut off." On hastily reading this passage, one would naturally suppose

*The article "the" is here introduced, being found in the original. This is important, because it shows that this threescore and two weeks is the same as the period in the foregoing verse.

that the Lord was cut off at the close of this period. On consideration, however, we find that this could not be. For had it been So, what space would be left between his announcement by John and his death? He must, of necessity, in this case, have been slain as soon as he was presented to Israel. But an interval did elapse, as we know, between these events-between the announcement and the cutting off of Messiah. On reading these words, then, we must allow for this space. And if we examine the passage, we shall find that the Spirit of God has left room for it here. How? it will be asked. The answer is simple, namely, by means of the preposition "after,"—" after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off."* Observe the word of the word "after" is indefinite; the precise time of his death is not stated. the above We do not read immediately after, not at the end of the period passage. exactly, like the preaching of John. And now the next question is, what was this period? It was that, I believe, which intervened between the first cry of the voice in the wilderness, and the last dying utterance of our blessed Lord on the cross, namely, seven years, or a week, divided into two equal parts-the first three years and a half being the time of John's mission-the next that of Jesus himself.

But where, it may be said, do we find this week in the prophecy? Nowhere, I answer. The Spirit of God leaves it wholly unnamed and unmeasured. In verse 27 we find a separate week, it is true; but this is distinct from that alluded to here. Though full space is here left, so as to allow for and let in as it were the seven years of John's and the Lord's mission on earth: these years, nevertheless, are passed over in silence, and so far as I

The force

"after" in

*This passage, in order to elucidate the view here presented, might be paraphrased thus: "Seven years, or a week after the termination of the threescore and two weeks, shall Messiah be cut off."*

After I had been led to take the above view of this passage, I found, on referring to Dr. Prideaux's Connection, that while he considers the one week," as I have before said, as already accomplished, namely, at the cutting off of Messiah, he takes exactly the same view with myself of the value of the word "after" in the above passage, as the following extract will show:"But here it may be objected, that my placing the death of Christ at the end of this last period (i. e. the one week), is against the express words of the prophecy: for that placeth the cutting off of the Messiah at the end of the second period, that is, of the sixty-two weeks, for the words of it are (verse 26), 'After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.' To this I answer, the word