་

is an indefinite and highly figurative expression for the period during which miraculous powers were exercised by the Church. The loosing of Satan took place under the general persecutions of the Church which followed: after which, the conflict with the great enemies of the Church being over, the establishment of Christianity which followed is represented by "the New Jerusalem," and "a new Heavens and new earth," in the enjoyment of which state we are now and for centuries past, which state of things, moreover, shall continue for ever. The white-throne judgment is, of course, also fulfilled, denoting the Scriptures being opened the law to condemn, and the gospel to save-according to which the doom of all is fixed. In conclusion, the Professor raises the question, 'Whether any particular prophecies still remain to be fulfilled?' To which he answers, 'I believe there are none!' Even the prophecy Isa. xi. 9,-" The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" -he instances as fulfilled, as also that of the Apostle, Rom. xi. 26. "All Israel shall be saved!" both being expressions for the general preaching of the gospel in the Apostolic times and since, and denoting the universal character, not extent, of Christianity. These statements will be allowed by most readers to render a formal confutation of this system unnecessary; and yet, extravagant as it is, I must repeat what I have said in the text-that, in my judgment, it has much better warrant than any of the schemes more generally received, which represent the Apocalypse to be fulfilled, or all but fulfilled, in the past history of the Church: and for the reason there assigned, that the destruction of Jerusalem-by which the first Advent was to the Jewish Church and dispensation the Day of Judgment—is spoken of in the terms, as it was undoubtedly the type, of the Second Advent of the Lord as the Day of Judgment to Gentile Christendom; so that the mistake simply lies in making that the anti-type which is but the type; added to which, in giving the Jewish people their place in the prophecy where expressly mentioned, it has so far done less violence to the inspired language. For this reason, I believe, that on this question the truth lies not in the medium, but in either of the extremes; and that our only alternative is either to maintain, with

the two learned professors just referred to, that the Apocalypse is long since completely fulfilled, or that the fulfilment of the whole is yet future.

(F.) Page 139.

ON THE VARIOUS DATES OF THE SEALS.

FOR an exemplification of the difference of opinion among Expositors on this point, the reader is referred to the valuable work of Mr. Tyso, entitled 'An Elucidation of the Prophecies,' published in 1838, some years subsequent to the first Edition of these Lectures, which has for its object to shew that the prophetic periods of Daniel and the Apocalypse are yet unaccomplished. The work is particularly useful as giving the opinions of a number of the most distinguished writers on Prophecy, which the author does by placing their dates in parallel columns in tabular views, enabling the reader at once to compare them and perceive the discrepancy.

On the Seals the number of Expositors compared by him is 35, exhibiting a difference as to the date of the First Seal of 624 years; and as to the date of the sixth, 1708; thus,—

Earliest assigned date of 1st seal, A.D. 33

Keith.

of which authors the following may suffice as instances of the most

recent and best known:

Cunninghame.

From which it will be seen that where Frere begins Faber ends: and

where agreement nearly exists as to the sixth seal, as between Cunninghame and Frere, there is a difference as to the first of no less than

279 years.

(G.) Page 174.

ON THE DATES OF THE TRUMPETS.

THE same work, quoted in the preceding note, gives the following result from a comparison of the same number of authors' views of the trumpets, viz. :—

Earliest assigned date of 1st trumpet, A.D. 34
Latest

ditto,

Difference,.

437

403 years.

Earliest assigned date of 7th trumpet, A.D. 1516

Latest ditto, (except the Day of Judg

ment by some), .

Difference,.

1927

411 years.

In addition to the expositions noticed in the text, several have contended that the Seventh Trumpet was fulfilled by the Reformation; others (among whom are Cunninghame, Frere, and Faber), by the French Revolution, A.D. 1792; and, strange to say, by only a few is it referred to that with which it is so manifestly identical— the "LAST trumpet," mentioned 1 Cor. xv. 52.

(H.) Page 204.

ON THE TRANSFIGURATION OF MOSES AND ELIAS.

It has been urged as a decisive objection against the return to earth of Moses and Elias in the character of the two witnesses, that they appeared in glory with the Lord on the occasion of his transfiguration, and, therefore, had already passed into the resurrection

state and "put on immortality;" and the objection would indeed hold if this inference from their transfiguration were just. That, however, the glory in which they appeared (and which, I allow, is the glory of the resurrection and of the Second Advent kingdom) was not their then state of being, is proved by the express statement of Scripture that Christ is "the first-fruits" of the resurrection— "the first-begotten from the dead"--and more, "the first who should rise from the dead" (Acts, xxvi. 23), which expressions cannot be explained (as some would suggest) of his being chief in resurrection or the cause of it, for it is with reference to the order of the resurrection that the first title is given him--" But every man (or "each"), "in his own order, Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are "Christ's at his coming;" and the idiom in the last two passages utterly forbids such a construction. As then none entered into the condition of resurrection-glory before Christ," who in all things," not only "hath the pre-eminence," but "the precedence," or "is first," Col. i. 18. Gr.-it follows that the form of that glory was only assumed for the occasion by Moses and Elias, to afford a specimen and earnest, in accordance with the design of the vision, of the Church's future appearing in glory with Christ. In other words, they as well as Jesus were "transfigured:" ("metamorphosed,” μεтаμорpow), for HE is the key to the whole transaction. His then state of being we know was mortal humanity, and the glory in which he was seen was proper to another state; and, though we do not know the manner of being in cases in every respect so singular as those of Moses and Elias, yet that they had not then entered into the condition of resurrection-glory is certain, and if not up to that time, neither, we have reason to conclude, have they now.

Accordingly, in the early ages of the Church, when, as is well known, the received opinion was that the two witnesses were Enoch and Elias, this objection could not have been considered as having any weight; though, in the case of Elias at least, it must have occurred, if it were believed that his appearing in glory on the Mount was evidence of an anticipation of resurrection. But indeed

.

the Prophecy of the return of Elias before the return of Christ is so explicit as, when taken in connexion with the description here, to leave little room for doubt that he is one of the witnesses; while the fact of Moses having appeared with him on the Mount, as the witness with him to the glory, is a strong confirmation of the opinion (of some, though a minority of the ancients), that he, rather than Enoch, is the second witness.

(I.) Page 213.

ON THE TIMES OF ANTICHRIST.

FROM a consideration of Daniel, ix. 27—“ And he" (that is, not "the Messiah," but "the Prince to come who shall destroy the city and sanctuary," ver. 26) "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week," (or "one seven," i. e. of years)" and in the midst of the week "he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the “consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate,” -it would appear that the time of Antichrist's power (of whom I believe this passage speaks) is seven years, which is divided into two periods of "3 years," or "1260" days, each: the difference between which seems to be, that, for the first half week, or 3 years, he is in covenant with the Jews-"working deceitfully after the league made with him," and "corrupting by flatteries" the wicked of them, as said of him ch. xi. 23, 32—but in the last half declares himself, turns against them, and becomes by his persecution of them the accomplisher of the indignation, and at the same time the means of trying and purifying a faithful remnant.*

Moreover, that I am not singular in referring the "one week" of Daniel to the times of Antichrist will be seen from the following

* See Lecture IV. of Lectures on the Second Advent,-On "The Abomination of Desolation:" the exposition of which as there given, (and of the Visions and Periods of Daniel generally), has been adopted and further elucidated and corroborated by Dr. Tregelles in his 'Remarks on the Prophetic Visions in the Book of Daniel.' London: 1852.