V. 51,53,1 54.

Part 2. which is the month Kaflen, in the 148 year, they 1 Macc.c.4. arose betimes in the morning, and offer'd the facrifice, according to the Law, on the new Altar, which was dedicated the fame time, and the fame day, wherein the Nations had prophaned it. This is the day of the dedication. This is the beginning again of the first daily facrifice. We have feen, that from the beginning again of the first daily facrifice, reckoning backwards, we find 2300 facrifices interrupted, i. e. 1150 days, or three years, two months, and ten days; and confequently the ceffation of the first daily facrifice must fall on the 15th day of the feventh month of the 145th year of the Era of the Seleucida. For from the tenth day of the feventh month of the year 145, to the 25th day of the nineth month of the year 148, there is exactly three year, two months and ten days.

The Hiftory of the

first book

We have also seen, that from the dedication of the Temple, which is the fame day with that of the daily facrifice's beginning again, counting backward to the first prophanation of the Temple, there are 1335 days. i. e. three years, eight months and fifteen days. And fince the day of the Dedication falls on the 25th of the ninth month, of the 148th year of the Seleucide, the firft prophanation of the Temple muft fall on the fifth of the first month, of the year 145; and confequently, that the Temple was prophaned fix months and fome days before the ceafing of the daily facrifice. But for the greater clearness, we must relate the History as 'tis in the Macchabees, and fix it to its true times.

Inthe 143 year, Antiochus having overcome Ptoof the Mac- Lomy King of Egypt, paffed by ferufalem, took it, chabees fix- pillag'd it, and carried away the veffels of the ue times. Temple. Now after Antiochus had fmitten Egypt, 1 Macc.c.1. be returned again in the 143 year, and went up against.

ed to its

7.21,22,23.

I Mace. r.

Ifrael and Ierufalem with a great multitude, and Part 2. entred proudly into the Sanctuary, and took away the golden Altar, and the Candlestick, and all the veffels thereof. This is not that which is called the prophanation of the Sanctuary. For 'tis idolatrous and impure worship, that prophane the house of God; 'tis not violence and pillaging it. And after v.3.332. two years fully expired, the King fent his chief Col- 33,34,35. Lector of Tribute, who came to Ierufalem with a great multitude. And spake peaceable words to them, but all was deceit, for when they had given him credence, he fell fuddenly on the City, and fmote it fore, and deftroyed much people of Ifrael, and took the Spoils of the City, and fet it on fire, &c. Then built they the City of David with agreat and strong wall, and made it a strong hold for them. Then it was the prophanation began; after two years fully expired, reckoning from the 143d year inclufively, this falls on the beginning of the year 145 in the first month. 'Twas then, I lay, the Temple was prophaned by the Apoftates of the Jewish Nation. This alfo is what that Author faith exprefly. For it was a place . 36. 37× to lye in wait against the Sanctuary, &c. They shed innocent blood on every fide of the Sanctuary, and defiled it. That is to fay, Menelaus the Apoftate Sacrificer, facrificed together with his fellows in the Temple to the Heathen Gods.

But obferve, the daily facrifice did not yet cease. The Apoftate Menelaus did what Abaz the father of Hezekiah had done, and what Manaffeh had done; he prophaned the Temple by falfe worship; however, without caufing the worship of the true God to ceale. There 'tis Apoftates begin. At first they would fain reconcile God and the Devil, afterwards by degrees they advance to a total Apoftacy,

v.

Part2.

9.54,

Antiochus's men were fix weeks a building the City of David to make a Citadel of it: when that was done, they thought themselves strong enough to undertake every thing. They finifht what they had begun, entirely abolifht the Mofaical wor fhip, & caufed the daily facrifice to cease fix months and five days after the prophanation of the Temple, the tenth day of the feventh month. Two months and five days after they arrived at that height of boldness, as even to put the Idol of Jupiter Olym pius in the Temple of Jerusalem. In the fifteenth day of the month Callen, in the 145th year, they fot up the abomination of defolation on the Altar of the Lord, and built Altars in all the Cities of Judah on every fide. This defolation lafted till the tenth day of the feventh month, of the year 148, the day wherein Macchabaus entred again into ferufalem, vifited the Holy places, and undertook the cleaning of them. 1 Mac. 4. Then faid Iudas and his brethren, our enemies are difconfited, let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the Sanctuary. And all the Army met together, and went up to the Mountain of God, and saw that the holy place was forfaken, and the Altar prophaned, &c. And Iudas chofe Priests of blameless converfation, &c. who cleanfed the Sanctuary, and bare out the defiled ftones into an unclean place.

36. &c.

I fuppofe, I fay, that this work was begun the tenth day of the seventh month of the year 148. And fo from the tenth of the first month of the year 145, there are exactly three years and a half, the very time marked by the Prophet for the duration of the prophaning of the Sanctuary. Then therefore this prophanation of it ceafed.

Afterwards, I fuppofe, they were one entire month in cleanfing the Temple, and carrying away the filth, which the Heathens had laid in it, and

taking away the ftones of the Altars that had been Part 2.1 built, and of the great Altar that had been prophaned by the Idol of Jupiter Olympius.Add one month, i.e. thirty days to 1260 days, you make 1290 days, which is the account we find in the 11th verfe of the 12th Chapter of Daniel. From the time that the abomination of defolation shall be fet up, shall be 1290 days, which are three years and feven months, that is to fay, fince the prophanation of the Temple to the finishing its purification,

But after the finishing this purification, the Tem ple was not yet in a condition to facrifice in. For they were fain to build a new Altar, and make utenfils all new, in the place of those that had been either taken away, or prophaned.

To do this, no lefs than 45 days were neceffary; and these are the 45 days added to 1290, that make the number 1335 days, of which the Prophet faith, Bleffed is be that waiteth, and cometh to the 1335 days. And 'tis at the end of these 1335 days, reckoning from the prophanation in the beginning of the year 148, that the dedication was made in the year 148. on the 25th day of the ninth month. Therefore 'tis the Prophet cries out, Blessed is be,&c. because it was a great feaft, and great rejoycing in Ifrael. See, I lay, both the History and the Chronology, and the duration of the ceffation, of the prophanation of the Temple, and the interruption of the daily facrifice, made to agree with the Prophecy.

At prefent, from the type we must in a few words make our conjectures touching that, which must come to pass in the duration of the Antichriftian Empire. The prophanation of the Mofaical Sanctuary by Antiochus, lafted three years and a balf, to the time that Judas Macchabens drove the

Heathen

Part 2, Heathen out of Ierufalem, and Paganism out of the Temple, the cleanfing of which he began. To the end the truth may anfwer to the figure, the Antichriftian Empire muft endure three years and a half, confifting of 1260 days, which are 12601 years, during which the Sanctuary shall be prophaned by the Heathens, i. e. the fervice of God fhall be polluted by revived Paganism, and the Temple of God poffeffed by a Tyrant. At the end of 1260 days Judas Macchabaus began the purification of the Temple, and spent 30 days about it. The cleanfing of the Church must be begun, the Idol must be caft out, the Tyrant expelled after the 1260 years. But as Judas Macchabaus spent 30 days about purifying the Temple, after he had taken away the Idol thence, and had refcued it out of the hands of the Tyrant; 'tis propable, that after the fall of the Papifm, of its tyranny, and idolatry, 30 years more will be spent in purifying the Church from all fchifms, herefies, divifions and

etrours.

Lafly, as Judas Macchabaus fpent 45 other days to prepare all things for the confecration of the Temple; in like manner after the Church fhall have been cleansed from idolatry, hærefy, fuperftition, fchifm and errours, God will employ yet 45 years more, to prepare all things for the confummation of the Church. At the end of which time will be the dedication, the folemn feast. And 'tis in my opinion in this last Space of 45 years, that God is to call the Gentiles, and all the Nations of the Earth to the knowledge of himself; this is that which the Apostle Saint Paul calls, The fullness of the Gentiles. For fee, as I believe, the degrees by which the Church must arrive at its perfection.

1. Babylon