55 The third trumpet relates to the
religious feuds of the east.
56 The fourth trumpet describes the
decline and long eclipse of the
eastern empire after Justinian.
57 The opening of ch. x. relates to
the revival of learning and light
from the fall of the eastern em-
pire to the reformation.
58 The re-prophesying, and the re-
surrection of the witnesses both
refer to the reformation.

59 The ascension of the witnesses re-
lates to the era of missions.

60 The attendant earthquake is the first shock of the French Revolution.

73

later, like the two dates of the 70 years captivity.

The 1290 and 1335 days of Dan. both commence with the 1260 days of Revelation, or time, times, and a half, of both prophecies.

61 The four first Seals relate to four 72 The 42 months have a date rather steps of imperial change, and four states of the visible church; Apostolic, Nicene Orthodox, Superstitious, and Papal, the last in the climax of corruption. 62 The fifth seal relates to the height of Papal power before the reformation, and a time xpovos intervenes before the sixth, while from the time of the oath, ch. x. 7, a time does not intervene. 63 The sixth seal describes the French revolution.

64 The holding of the winds, ch. vii. 1, is the same with the silence of half a season, and answers to the time since the general peace.

65 The harvest and vintage are future and near at hand.

66 The vials relate to the French revolution.

74

75

76

77

The 7 times of the Gentiles begin Iwith the subjection of Israel under Shalmanezar.

The three and a half times begin with Justinian's eternal code, A. D. 532-3.

The 42 months close nearly with the 1335 days.

The 42 months begin a. D. 604 or A. D. 607-8, with the reunion of the ten kingdoms or the public establishment of idolatry.

78 The 1335 days end in A. D. 1867-8.

II.

SCRIPTURE CHRONOLOGY.

[367] The six days of creation, have, from early ages, been supposed to be typical of the history of the world for 6000 years. The Jews, the Christian Fathers, and later writers might be enumerated at considerable length, who have concurred in this view, and some scriptural evidence bearing this tendency might be adduced. But without dwelling upon this view, or urging its importance, the following table (which was prepared at the author's request by the friend mentioned in the preface) may be very useful in helping the memory to retain dates of great events, from its coming under that simple arrangement of six evenings and six mornings with corresponding remarkable

æras in the history of the world. It will tend also to furnish a key to prophecy by connecting the events with the prediction, and a key to history, by shewing the scriptural character of those events.

Most affecting is the fact that nearly six thousand years of God's revealed mercy have passed by, and eighteen centuries of its last and highest form, in the gospel of Christ; and twothirds of mankind, perhaps three-fourths, are still almost strangers to its very sound. Even in those countries where it is outwardly received, that gospel once so mighty, seems as though it had lost its glory and power; and on every side the truth is forgotten that men are prisoners under a sentence of death, and a proclamation of mercy has been brought by God's own eternal Son to a perishing world.

In the midst of this darkness, the light of prophecy cheers our paths, and its chronological statements are especially designed for our meditation and our comfort, and they lead us to the conviction that a far happier state of things is rapidly approaching.

The works of creation are doubtless designed, as we see manifested through the scriptures, to be visible and sensible pictures of the deeper and more important works of grace, that by the outward senses we may be led to the full knowledge of spiritual objects. The lights in the firmament were fixed there to be for [368] signs and for seasons, as well as for days and for years. But at present our insight into these things is very feeble, limited, and indistinct, and we may mistake. even the appearances of things, and count that which is still darkness to be as the dawn. How different a light will the day of tribulation bring into our fallen world! open and actual judgments inflicted by the immediate hand of God upon his enemies, and his manifested deliverance of his people, and their visible glory will fully shew the real character of all things, and the supreme excellence of righteousness and grace. Of that day it is predicted, Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Isa. xxx. 26. What wisdom, forbearance, loving-kindness, righteousness, and holiness, constantly at work in the last 6000 years, but yet hidden from us, will the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God openly display to all intelligent 'beings!

up

The chronological table, before our Lord's coming, is founded on the Hebrew as settled by Usher, while considerable use has been made of that truly valuable work, Clinton's Fasti Hellenici. The author, though he has considered what has

been stated by Mr. Hales and Mr. Cuninghame, sees not adequate evidence to convince his mind that the Hebrew dates are corrupted, and believes that the Jews, to whom the oracles of God were committed, have really been faithful to that important trust. The variations in their present chronology from ours, arise not from differences connected with the sacred text, but from differences of reckoning the periods subsequent to the close of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. The eventful character of the present time as hastening to the close of the sixth Millennium of the world, and the promised sabbatism, (Heb. iv. 9.) on the principles of the Hebrew chronology as here given, will be very obvious.

According to the order of the first chapter of Genesis, the evening comes first, and then the morning: (b.) points out the birth, and (d.) the death of those named; (æt.) the age; (pr.) prophecies; and (jub.) jubilee. References are also occasionally given to that remarkable illustrator of prophecy, the historian Gibbon, who, though he meant not so, has furnished the most striking developement of the book of Revelation.

The years of the world are given down to the Christian era, the years of that era afterward. To reduce the year A. M. to B. C., we must subtract them from 4006. To reduce years A.D. to A.M. we must add 4005. The varieties of chronology, if we adopt Mr. Clinton's number for the interval of the Judges, affect the dates after the dedication, only by a constant addition, which in his chronology is 133 years.

A few eras which are cycles from the creation are noticed; and where doubt was particularly felt, a query is put at the end of the word or sentence.*

*

* As Mr. Clinton's work is less likely to fall into the hands of common readers, and his extent of research and accuracy of statement are very peculiar, and his dates bring us now (in 1836) to within twenty-six years of the termination of the 6000th year of the world, some of the principal are here subjoined.

Violence, Gen. vi. 11. Curse, 2050 Serug d.

3120? Elijah rapt? cycle

887?

Deut. xi.

2513 Exodus, B C 1494

2553 Entrance to land

Earth yielding fruit? Lev. xxvi; 3121 Ahaziah 1 year

2559 First year of tillage, Lev. xix, 23. Josh. xiii, xiv, B C 1448 Division, date of jubilees

886

3122 Athaliah-Jehu 28 years

885

2593? Othniel d.

3168 Amaziah 29 years

839

2672? Ehud. Second rest ends. Judges

Elisha d.

iii, 30

2712? Barak and Deborah. Third rest,

3197

Uzziah 52 years

810

Judges V,

Joel pr.?

802

2751? Gideon. Fourth rest ends, Judg

3218

Amos pr.?

789

es viii, 28, 32

3231 Era of Olympiads

776

Abimelech rules

3235

Shallum Menahem

772

2889 Eli d. Ark at Kirjath, 1 Sam. 3281 Hezekiah

726

3286

Samaria taken

721

3294 Sennacherib's invasion

713

Overthrow, Jubilee xv.

Nahum, Isaiah

3310 Manasseh

697

3331 Second captivity, Is. vii, 8

676

3365 Amon r.

642

3367 Josiah

640