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"Holy City Forty and Two Months: " and "That Rev. "the Mouth Speaking great things, fhall have XIII, 5: "Power given him to continue Forty and Two

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It is very plain from all these Paffages compared, that, Time, Times, and a half, One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Days, and Forty Two Months, mean all the same thing, and confequently, that the Word Time fignifies a Year, Times, two Years, and half a Time, half a Year; fince three Years and a half, consisting of Three Hundred and Sixty Days each, make juft One Thoufand Two Hundred and Sixty Days, or Forty Two Months; and it is well known, that the most ancient Year among the Chaldeans, was divided in their Kalendar into Twelve Months of just Thirty Days each, which makes just Three Hundred and Sixty Days.

The only thing that has any Difficulty in these places which I have quoted, is, to know what is here meant by a Day. It will be very obvious by confidering the many things that are to be done in the time of One Thoufand Two Hundred ·D 1

and

Lev.
XXIII.3.

and Sixty Days, that they cannot poflibly be done in the space of three natural Years and a half, but it comes then to be inquired, by what it can be certainly known, what they mean, and in this the Books of Mofes and the Prophet Ezekiel, have given all the light that can be defired.

every

First, In the Inftitution of the Sabbath, where it is plain that the Sabbath of Days, which Perfon was to keep, reprefented another Sabbath XXV. 4. of Tears, which the Land was to keep.

Chap.

Numb.

XIV. 34.

Secondly, When Mofes denounces Gods Judgments on the Jews for Murmuring at the Report which the Spys brought back of the Land of Canaan, he tells them "After the Number of "the Days in which ye fearched the Land, even "Forty Days (each Day for a Year) fhall ye "bear your iniquity's, even Forty Years.----" Thirdly, In Ezekiel's Vision concerning the Siege Ezek. of Jerufalem: He is commanded to " Lie on

IV. 4.

"his left Side, and lay the iniquity of the House "of Ifrael upon it, according to the Number of "the Days that thou fhalt lie upon it, thou "fhalt bear their iniquity.

"For

«For I have laid upon thee the Years of their " iniquity, acording to the Number of the Days,

Three Hundred and Ninety Days, fo fhalt "thou bear the iniquity of the House of Ifrael.

"And when thou haft accomplished them, "lie again on thy right Side, and thou fhalt "bear the iniquity of the House of Judah Forty "Days, I have appointed thee each Day for a "Year.

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These paffages feem to be fo full and clear a Proof, that it was a Figure well understood among the Jews, to use a Day to fignifie a Year, that I would not add any thing further on the Subject, if Daniel himself did not furnish an inftance of his ufing it, which may be easily cleared up by History, but is very difficult to be apprehended in any other way of Interpre

tation.

10.

II. 13.

When a Hand touched Daniel, and it was faid Dan. X. to him, Unto thee am I now fent. Gabriel goes on to inform him, that "The Prince of the King"dom of Perfia withstood him One and Twenty "Days; and adds, But lo, Michael, one of the

Chief

Chief Princes came to help me, and I remained "there with the Kings of Perfia.

Now it is known from History, that Cyrus had been One and Twenty Tears chosen Prince or General of the Perfians, who were then a distinct Nation from the Medes, before the destruction of Babylon, in which Cyrus joyned his Uncle Cyaxares, called in Scripture Darius the Mede; and fo it was One and Twenty Years before that Prince was ready to execute the design of Providence in that great Expedition which brought about the Deliverance of the Jews out of the Captivity, whofe Prince was Michael; and ac cordingly it was this Michael, who is likewise, The Lord that stirred upon the Spirit of Cyrus 22. 23. King of Persia, (in the first year of his Reign Ezra, I. 1.2.3.4. in Babylon) "that he made a Proclamation thro’

2 Chron.

XXXVI.

2.

"out all his Kingdom, and put it also in writing,

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"Thus faith Cyrus, King of Perfia, The "Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and he hath charged "me to build him an Houfe an Jerufalem, which "is in Judah. "Who

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"Who is there among you of all his People? Ezra. I.

"His God be with him, and let him go up to Je- 3.
"rufalem, which is in Judah, and build the
House of the Lord God of Ifrael, he is the
"God which is in Jerufalem.

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"And whofoever remaineth in any place where "he fojourneth, let the Men of his Place help "him with Silver, and with Gold, and with "Goods, and with Beafts, befides the Free-will "Offering for the House of God that is in ferufalem.

Ifa.

28.

This may be compared with Ifaiah, where we find, That the Lord "faith of Cyrus, He is my XLIV. Shepherd, and shall perform all my Pleasure, "even saying to Jerufalem, Thou shalt be built, "and to the Temple, Thy Foundation shall be "laid.

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"Thus faith the Lord to his Anointed, to Cyrus, whofe Right Hand I have holden, to "Subdue Nations before him.

XLV. 1.

23.4.

13.

All this feems a natural Explanation of that Dan. X. Verfe in Daniel, and Confirms the Observation, That Days were used in the Figurative Stile to

fignifie

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