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A|n| short accompt how \Interpretation of/ the Prophesy of Daniels weeks may be interpreted by Iewish years.

In this short Prophesy are predicted the all the main periods \of time/ relating to ye coming of the {sic} Messiah, that of his death, those of both his comings & that of the ceasing of the dayly sacrifice & setting up ye Abomination.

|1.| The death of the Messiah is thus predicted. While I was speaking in prayer the man Gabriel touched me & informed me by talking with me & said, O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill & understanding [about thy people for whose restauration thou prayest.] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth [from God] and I am come to shew it thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore observe well the speech & consider the Vision. Seventy weeks [of years] are a[1] numbred upon thy people & upon thy Holy City [viz from the time that it shall be reincorporated into a people & City] \in the end of that time]/ to finish transgression & to b[2] blot out sinns & to make reconciliation for iniquity & to bring in everlasting righteousness & to c[3] seal the Vision & Prophesy [that Book opened in the Apocalyps] and to annoint the most Holy [or consecrate the great High Priest, that is by baptism wth water unction wth the spirit & sprinkling wth blood his own blood. For the High Priest was consecrated by water oyle & blood Exod. 29.4 7 21

2. The double coming of the Messiah is in ye next words thus predicted. Know also & understand that from the going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again untill the Messiah the Prince [that is, untill his coming to reign as Prince] shall be seven weeks.

Also [that you may not mistake ye commandment know also that untill the Messiah] threescore & two weeks the street shall be built again and the wall, but [this shall be] in troublesome times and after the threscore & two weeks the Messiah shall [not reign as Prince but] be cut off and |it| [the people or kingdom \City/] \shall/ not be his but the people of a Prince that shall come shall destroy the City & the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a flood and at the end of the war [untill God's wrath against thy people shall be fulfilled & they shall return from captivity & rebuild Ierusalem] desolations are decreed.

3. The time of the ceasing of the dayly sacrifice is thus predicted. And he [that other Prince \or People/] shall make a firm convenant wth many for <1v> a week and in half ye week [the latter half] he shall make the sacrifice & Oblation to {illeg}ase cease & d[4] |upon the wing of \are the/ Abominations \wch/ make it desolate| [set up] the Abomination of desolation & b[5] untill the consummation \[of the [{illeg}|{prophesy}| on ye verge [of the Temple]/ even that wch is decreed shall be poured upon ye desolate.

This is the Prophesy & the Interpretation is as follows. In the first part of the Prophesy seventy weeks of years are recconed for the duration of the People & Holy City unto the death of Christ. For they recconed unto the finishing of transgression & blotting out of sins & making reconciliation for iniquity & bringing in everlasting righteousness all wch was accomplished by the death of Christ, & unto the sealing of for the book of \Vision &/ Prophesy, \that book/ opened in ye Apocalyps the last part of wch may be justly accounted the prophesies of Christ \Christ/ the great\est of/ Prophets not Christ untill his death, \he being the greatest of ye Prophets/ and lastly unto the annointing of ye most Holy or consecrating the great High Priest that is wch was also accomplisht at his death. For as the High Priest under the law was consecrated wth water oyle & blood (Exod. 29.4, 7, 21) so Christ was consecrated an eternall High Priest by baptism wth water unction with the Holy Ghost & sprinkling with his own blood. Now the duration of the People & Holy City began when they first returned from captivity so as to become again a people & Holy City. There were but two returns from Captivity Zerubbabell's & Ezra's. In Zerubbabel's they had only a Commission to build the Temple, in Ezra's they first became reincorporated into a policy or City by a government of their own. For Ezra not only revived the worship but alsoa[6] by the Kings Commission set up Magistrates & Iudges in all the land to judge & govern the people according to ye law of God & the King & punish offenders with death banishment confiscation & imprisonment & hereby was the sanhedrim restored & the scattered Iewsb[7] in the language of the Scripture became reunited into a people or city. Now Ezra returned in thec[8] seventh year of Artaxerxes And the years of Artaxerxes began about two or three months after the summer solstice and his seventh year fell in with ye third year of the 80th Olympiad, & the latter part thereof wherein Ezra went up to Ierusalem was in the 4257th year of the Iulian Period. Count the time from thence to ye death of Christ & you will find it just 490 years, or 70 weeks of years. If you count in Iudaic \civil/ years commencing in Autumn & date the recconing from the first Autumn after Ezra's coming to Ierusalem when he put the Kings decree in Execution: the death of Christ will fall on the year of the Iulian Period 4747 anno Domini 34 & the weeks will be Iudaic weeks ending with sabbatical years. And this I take to be the truth. But if you had rather place the death of Christ in the year before as is commonly done you may include the year of Ezras Iourney in the recconing.

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By the next part of the Prophesy the street & the wall were to be built sixty & two weeks of years or 434 years untill the Messiah that is untill the first coming. Now |Ezra & they that came up wth him from Ierusalem Artaxerxes to Ierusalem \that is Ezra & his companions/ attempted to rebuild Iersualem & the wall but were prohibited (Ezra 4.12, 21, 23) &| Nehemiah came to Ierusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes while Ezra still continued there (Nehem 12.36) & found the City lying wast & the houses & wall unbuilt (Nehem. 2.17 & 7.4) and finished the wall in the 25t day of the month Elul (Nehem 6.17) in the 28th year of the King (Ioseph.            ) that is \in September/ in the end of the Iewish year or about the {boin} September \either/ in ye year of the Iulian period 4278 or in ye year before accordingly as the{illeg} \25t of Elul/ fell on ye end of ye 28th year of the King or on the beginning of that year. Count now \434 years/ from this September anno I.P. 4278, & the recconing will end in September anno I.P. 4712, the last year of wch recconing is the year in wch Christ was born according to Clemens Alexandrinus Irenæus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Ierom Orosius Cassiodorus & other ancients. For this was the general opinion of the Ancients till Dionysius Exiguus invented the vulgar accompt in wch Christs birth is placed two years later. It will And it is observable that in this recconing \the years are Iewish years beginning in September & ending in autumn &/ the sixty two ye weeks \like the 70 {illeg}/ are Iewish weeks ending with sabbatical years wch makes the Prophesy more elegant. {illeg} If wth some you reccon that Christ was born 3 or 4 years before the vulgar accompt yet his birth will fall in the latter part of the last week wch is enough. How after these weeks Christ was cut off & the city & sanctuary destroyed by ye Romans is well known.

By the last part of the Prophesy the Romans who captivated the Iews were to make a firm league wth many for a week and in half the week to take away the dayly sacrifice & set up the abomination and so it fell out. For ye Romans made a firm peace wth the eastern Princes of the Medes Parthians & Armenians A.D. 63 towards the end of summer upon wch the Temple of Ianus was shut and (as the learned Bp of Worchester has shewed), & towards the end of winter in the beginning of the year 67 they {illeg} \in spring or towards the end of winter/ under ye conduct of Vespasian & Titus they began the war upon the Iews & \made/ the sacrifice & Oblation to cease Iuly 17 A.D. 70, & set fire on the Temple Aug 10 ensuing, & while the Temple was burning set up their ensignes, wch were the Images of their Gods, in the Close or border of the Temple over against the eastern gate and sacrificed to them according to their Idolatrous manner, & soon after burnt ye Temple lower city and on Sept 7th ensuing took ye upper city, & by these & other ensuing warrs the land was emptied of Iews & remains desolate to this day.

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An Interpretation of the Prophesy of Daniel's weeks by Iewish years

In this short Prophesy \(according to ye following interpretation/ are predicted all the main periods of time relating to the Messiah, that of his death, those of both his comings and that of the ceasing of the dayly sacrifice, {sic} |the period \ceasing/ of his acting as a Prophet & commencemt of his High-Priesthood; the commencemt of his reign as Prince, the time of his birth \or coming as a Prophet/ & the time of taking away the dayly sacrifice & setting up the abomination:| and setting up the Abomination of desolation. so that the interpretation is full. |It renders ye whole prophesy very significant wthout defect or superfluity.|

1. The death of the Messiah \period of his acting as Prophet & commencement of his High priesthood/ is thus predicted. While I was speaking in prayer the man Gabriel touched me & informed me by talking with me & said, O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill & understanding [about thy People for whose restauration \after 70 years captivity/ thou prayest.] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth [from God] and I ame come to shew it thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore observe well the speech & consider the Vision. Seventy weeks [of years] are a[9] numbred upon thy people & upon thy holy City [in the end of that time] to finish transgression & to b[10] blot out sins & to make reconciliation for iniquity & to bring in everlasting righteousness \[by ye attonement of ye great High Priest]/ & to c[11] seal \[or finish]/ the \[book of]/ Vision & Prophesy [that book opened in the Apocalyps,] \[by the death of the {great} \expected/ Prophet]/ & to annoint the most Holy [or consecrate the \great/ High Priest,] who makes ye attonemt]

2. The double coming of the Messiah \commencement of his reign/ is in the next words, thus predicted. Know also and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again untill the Messiah the Prince [that is, untill his coming to reign as Prince] \be Prince or untill the beginning of his reign/ shall be seven weeks.

3 \Then follows the birth of the Messiah & state of the Iews consequent thereto in these words/ Also [untill the Messiah] that you may not mistake the commandment,] know that] \|there shall prece|by|de| vertue of another commandment by means of th \for to build {illeg} Ierusalem/ & thereby/] threescore & two weeks the street shall be built again & the wall, \[untill the Messiah] the Prophet]/ but [this shall be] in troublesome times, and after the threscore & two weeks the Messiah shall [not reign as Prince but \comes \only/ as a Prophet & shall/] be cut off and it [the people or City] shall not be his, but the people of a Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a flood and untill \at/ the end of the war [untill Gods wrath against thy people shall be fulfilled & they shall return from captivity & rebuild Ierusalem] \the \{illeg}/ commandment shall go forth to build Ierusalem again]/ desolations are decreed.

4. In the last place the time of the ceasing of the daily sacrifice is thus predicted. And he [that other Prince or people] shall make a firm covenant wth many for a week, and in half the week [the latter half] he shall \[destroy the City & sanctuary. ]|&|]/ make the sacrifice & Oblation to cease & on the Verge [of the Temple set <3v> up] the abomination of desolation, ande[12] untill the consummation even that wch is decreed shall be poured upon ye desolate.

This is the Prophesy, and the Interpretation is as follows.

In the first part of the Prophesy seventy weeks of years are recconed for the duration of the People & Holy City unto ye death of Christ \whereby he ceased to act as a Prophet & was consecrated an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck./ For they are recconed unto the finishing of Transgression & blotting out of sins & making reconciliation for iniquity & bringing in everlasting righteousness (all wch were accomplished by the death of Christ \who as a more perfect High Priest then those under the Law offered himself once for all a sacrifice for sin Heb. 7.27 & 9.12, 14, 26./) & unto the sealing of the book of Vision & Prophesy \that book/ opened in ye Apocalyps, part of wch may be justly accounted the prophesies of Christ untill his death he being the \Prophet predicted by Moses the last &/ greatest of the Prophets \under the law/, & lastly unto the annointing of the most Holy or consecrating the great High Priest, wch also was accomplisht at his death. For as the High Priest under the law was consecrated wth water oyle & blood (Exod. 29.4, 7, 21) so Christ was consecrated an eternal High Priest by baptism with water, unction wth the Holy Ghost & sprinkling with his own blood. Now the duration of the People & Holy City began when they first returned from captivity so as to become again a people & Holy City, & this was under Ezra. There were but two returns from captivity Zerubbabel's & Ezra's. In Zerubbabel's they had only a commission to build the Temple, in Ezra's they first became reincorporated into a City or polity or people by people or polity by a government of their own. For Ezra not only revived the worship but also by the Kings commission [13] (Ezra 7) set up Magistrates & Iudges in all the land to judge & governe the people according to ye law of God & the King & punish offenders wth death banishment confiscation of goods & imprisonment \(Ezra 7)/ & hereby was the Sanhedrim restored & the scattered Iews, (in the language of the scripture (Isa. 23.13 & 7.8 & Ier. 48.42, 46, 47) became reunited into a people or city. Now it \This return of Ezra from captivity/ was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes that Ezra returned from captivity (Ezra 7.7, 8, 9) & the years of Artaxerxes began about two or three months after the summer solstice \in autumn (Ezra 7.7, 8, 9. Nehem. 1.1 & 2.1 & 5.14)/ & his seventh year fell in wth the third year of ye 80th Olympiad & the latter part thereof wherein Ezra went up to Ierusalem was in ye 4257th year of ye Iulian Period{.} Count the time from thence to ye death of Christ & you will find it just 490 years, or 70 y|w|eeks of years. If you count in Iudaic civil years commencing in Autumn & date the recconing from the first Autumn after Ezra's coming to Ierusalem when he put the Kings Decree in execution: <4r> the death of Christ will fall on the year of the Iulian Period 4747 anno dom & year of or Lord 34, & the weeks will be Iudaic weeks ending with sabbatical years. And this I take to be ye truth. But if you had rather place the death of Christ in the year before as is commonly done, you may include yee year of Ezra's Iourney in the recconing.

By The next part of the Prophesy \\concering ye coming of ye Messiah as Prince/ is not yet fulfilled. B|b|y that \part/ which follows. By ye 3d ꝑt thereof/ the street & the wall were to be build sixty & two weeks of years or 434 years untill the Messiah, that is untill his first coming \his other coming when he should not reign but be cut off/. Now before the Iews attempted to rebuild the wall they rebuilt the Temple in the reign of Cyrus & Darius. Then they that came up with from Artaxerxes, (that is Ezra & his companions,) having a larger Commission then Zerubbabel's, attempted to rebuild also the City & the wall but were opposed & prohibited (Ezra 4.12, 21, 23) & in the 20th year of the King Nehemiah came to Ierusalem while Ezra still continued there (Nehem. 12.36) & found the City lying wast & the houses & wall unbuilt (Nehem 2.17 & 7.4) and rebuilt them by the Kings commission and finished the wall in the 25th day of the Month Elul (Nehem. 6.17) in the 28th year of the King (Ioseph.            ) that is in September in ye end of the Iewish civil year, either in the end year of the Iulian Period 4278 or \perhaps/ in the year before accordingly if ye 25t of Elul fell on the end \beginning/ of the 28th year of the King. or on the beginning of that year. Count now 434 years from September anno I.P. 4278 & ye recconing will \end/ in september anno I.P. 4712, the last year of wch recconing is the year in wch Christ was born according to Clemens Alexandrinus, Irenæus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Ierome, Orosius, Cassiodorus & other ancients. For this was the general opinion of the Ancients till Dionysius Exiguus invented the vulgar accopmt in wch Christs birth is placed two years later. And it is observable that in this recconing the sixty two weeks (as well as the seventy) are Iewish weeks ending with sabbatical years; wch makes the Prophesy more elegant. If wth some you reccon that Christ was born three or four years before the vulgar accompt, yet his birth will fall in the latter part of the last week, wch is enough. How after these weeks Christ was cut off & the city & sanctuary destroyed by the Romans is well known.

By the last part of the Prophesy the Romans who captivated the Iews were to make a firm league with the I many for a week, and in half the week to take away the daily sacrifice & set up the abomination, and so it fell out. The Romans made a firm peace wth many the eastern Princes of the Medes Parthians & Armenians A.D. 63 towards ye end of summer \A.D. 63/ upon wch the Temple of Ianus was shut (as the learned Bp of Worcester has explained) and in the beginning of the year 67 in spring or towards the end of winter, under the conduct of Vespasian & Titus they <4v> began the war upon the Iews & made ye sacrifice & Oblation to cease Iuly 17, A.D. 70, & set fire on the Temple Aug. 10 ensuing, & while the Temple was burning set up their ensignes, wch were the Images of their Gods, in the Close or border of the Temple over against the eastern Gate & sacrificed to them according to their idolatrous manner & soon after burnt the lower City & on Sept 7th ensuing took the upper City & by these & other ensuing wars the land was emptied of Iews & remains desolate to this day.

The seven weeks from the going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again unto the Messiah the Prince remain to be interpreted \because not yet fulfilled/. In dating them from that \a/ commandment wch \shall /is to\/ ends the great captivity & ushers in the reign of the Messiah the Prince, I beleive the Iews \who express such a coming \his future reign/,/ will readily be on my side, & perhaps not without reason \not much oppose me/. For all Daniels Prophesies reach to those times & there is scarce a Prophesy in the old Testament concerning Christ wch doth not in something or other relate to his second coming. If divers of the Ancients as Irenæus (l. 5 Hær. c. 25) Iulius Africanus (apud Hieron. in h. l.) Hippolitus the Martyr & Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea \(apud Hieron. in h. l.)/, applied the half week to the times of Antichrist, why may not we by the same liberty of Interpretation apply the seven weeks to ye time when Antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christs coming. The Israelites in the days of the ancient Prophets \when the ten Tribes were led into captivity/ expected a double return from Captivity & that at ye first return the Iews should build a new Temple but not like \inferior to/ Solomon's untill the time of that age should be fulfilled and afterwards they should return from all places of their captivity & build Ierusalem and the Temple gloriously (Tobit 14.4, 5, 6) And to express the glory & excellence of this City tis figuratively said to be built of precious stones (Tobit 13.16, 17, 18. Isa 54.11, 12. Apoc 21) & called the new Ierusalem, the heavenly Ierusalem, the holy City, the Lambs wife, the City of the great King, the City into wch the Kings of the earth do bring their glory & honour. And while such a return from captivity was the expectation of Israel even before the times of Daniel, I know not why Daniel should omit it in this Prophesy. This part of the Prophesy therefore being not yet fulfilled I attempt not to interpret it, but shall only \content my self with/ observe|i|ng, that as the 70 weeks & the 62 weeks were Iewish weeks ending wth sabbatical years so the seven weeks are the compass of a Iubile & begins & end with actions \proper for a Iubile &/ of the highest nature for wch a Iubile can be kept; and that since ye Commandment \to rebuild Ierusalem/ precedes the Messiah ye Prince 49 years, it may \perhaps/ come forth not from the Iews themselves but from some other Kingdom friendly to them before they \& precede their/ return from captivity, & give occasion to |i|their return & lastly that this return from captivity & coming of the Messiah & his Kingdom are described in Dan. 7 Apoc 19. Act. 1 Matt. 24 Ioel 3. Ezek 36, 37. Isa. 60, 62, 63, 65, 66 & many other places of scripture. \The answer I know not./ Let Time be the Interpreter.

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An Exposition of \the Prophesy of/ Daniel's Weeks. Dan. 9
How it may be possible to interpret Daniels weeks by Iewish years.

In this short Prophesy are predicted the birth & death & second \times of ye death of the Messiah & of \both/ his two/ comings of Christ & \the Messiah also that of/ the destruction of Ierusalem. For all Daniel's Prophesies extend to Christ's second coming. His death is thus predicted.

\1. The death of ye Messiah is thus predicted./ While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel touched me & informed me by talking with me & said, O Daniel I am now come forth to give the {sic} skill & understanding [about thy people for whom|se| \restauration/ thou prayest] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth [from God] & I am come to shew it thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore observe well the speech & consider the Vision. Seventy weeks [of years] are a[14] numbred upon [or concerning] thy people & upon [or concerning] thy Holy City [vizt from the time that it shall be reincorporated into a people & Holy City] to finish transgression & to \seal up [or/ b[15] blot out{illeg} sinns & to make reconciliation for iniquity & to bring in everlasting righteousness & to seal up the Vision & Prophet [or the [\whole/ book of] Vision & Prophesy \[that book/ under the Law [wth the seven seals opened in ye Apocalyps] & to annoint the most Holy [or consecrate the great High Priest, vizt \that is/ |by baptism wth water unction wth ye spirit & sprinkling wth his own blood. For the High Priest was consecrated by water oyle & blood Exod 29.4, 7, 21.]|

|2.| The double coming |is| thus predicted of ye Messiah is \in the next words/ thus predicted.

Know also & understand that from ye going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again untill the Messiah the Prince [that is untill his coming \to reign/ as Prince] shall be seven weeks [vizt |he shall \is to/ come on ye year of Iubile counted from ye \issuing of that/ commandmt & its {illeg} that a Iubile should be \then/ keep {sic} in memory thereof|

Also \[that you may not mistake the Commandment know also that untill the Messiah]/ threescore & two weeks the street shall be built again & the wall{illeg} [untill the Messiah] but [this \shall be/] in troublesome times & after the threscore and two weeks the Messiah shall [not reign as Prince but] be cut off and [the People or Kingdom] not be his, but the people of a Prince that shall come shall destroy the City & the Sanctuary & the end thereof shall be with a flood & at the end of the war [untill God's wrath against thy people shall be fulfilled & they shall return from captivity & rebuild Ierusalem] desolations are decreed.

\3. The time of the destruction of Ierusalem is thus predicted./ And he [that other Prince] shall make a firm covenant with many for a week & in half tha|e|t week [the latter half] he shall make the Sacrifice & Oblation to cease & with a wing of abominations he shall make it \cause/ desolation & untill the consummation even that wch is decreed shall be poured upon the desolate

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Now \This is the Prophesy, &/ the first part of this Prophesy \thereof/ was thus fulfilled. From \In/ ye seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus when Ezra returns wth a body of Ie returned from Babylon wth a body of Iews & a commission not only to restore \revive/ ye Iewish worship but also to set Magistrates & Iudges over the Land & who might judge the people \according to ye laws of their God & of ye King/ & punish /Offenders\ with death |or| banishment &|or| confiscation of goods &|or| imprisonment & by this And by this commission was the Sanhedrim \& Iewish Polity or Government/ restored & ye Iews reincorporated into a Nation & h|H|oly City: Now from this year to ye death of Christ are 70 A.C. 33 are just 490 \solar/ years or 70 weeks of years, as Daniel predicted

By ye next part of ye Prophesy the City & street & the wall of Ierusalem were to \continue/ |be| be built 62 weeks of years or 434 years untill the first coming of the Messiah: & so many \solar/ years there are from the 28th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus when Iosephus tells us the wall was built \finished/, unto ye Nativity of Christ two years before ye vulgar Æra.

In|By| ye last part of the Prophysy the Prince Romans who destroyed the captivated ye Iews were to make a firm league wth many for a week & in ye latter half of ye week to take away the dayly sacrifice & oblation \& place the abomination/ & so it fell out as the Bp learned Bp of LLoyd has explained. For Nero \the Romans/ made \a firm/ peace wth the Eastern Princes of the Medes, Parthicans & Armenians A.C. 63 a little after ye end of Iune \towards the end of summer/: upon wch the Temple of Ianus was shut & a little after mid \towards the end of/ winter in ye beginning of the year 67 \of Christ the Romans under/ Vespasian & Titus began the warr upon the Iews wch ended is put an end to ye Sacrifice & Oblation by the burning of the Temple Iuly 17 A.C. 70, & taking of ye City Sep 7 following |& caused the sacrifice & oblation to cease|d| Iuly 17 A.C. 70 & the Temple was burnt \set on fire/ Aug 10 following & the lower city burnt pre\sently/ after & the upper City taken Sept 7 following|

It remains that ye coming of the Messiah the \as/ Prince \(as he is/ expected by ye Iews) fall at ye end of ye seven weeks fall upon ye year of Iubile counted from ye going forth of ye commandmt to rebuild Ierusalem at the return of the present captivity \of ye Iews/. But when that captivity \of ye Iews shall return {illeg} of ye Iews/ shall return & Ierusalem be rebuilt is not here predicted

When & how the present captivity of ye Iews shall return & Ierusalem be rebuilt is not here predicted nor after what manner the Messiah shall come as Prince. But if the Iews are to continue as Prince But comes as he is to come at \in/ ye end of seven weeks of years \or in the year of Iubile/ counted from ye going forth of ye commandment to rebuild Ierusalem so its reasonable that so long as the Nation of ye Iews shall continue a Iubile may be kept in memory of that return & of fit that a Iubile should be then kept as well \for the day of the Messiah as/ in memory of ye commandmt to rebuild Ierusalem. For as for the com day of the Messiah |For {sic} this is the new Ierusalem \the {Citadel}/ wch for its glory & dominion is figuratively said to be in heaven & to be rebuilt wth pretious stones Tobit 14.5, 6 & 13.16, 17 Isa. 54.11, 12. Apoc. 21.| the ancient Iubiles sabbattick years & Iubiles beeing kept by ye Iews as a type of that day. The manner of his coming you have described in other Prophesies Dan 7.13, 14 Mattt 24.27, 30. Acts 1.11 Apoc 19.15, 16

I enter not into ye disputes about ye years of Christs birth & death. The Prophesy runs by weeks of years: & as in recconing by days we neglect ye odd hours & in recconing by weeks we neglect the odd days so in <6r> by weeks of years it may not be necessary to regard a year \or two/ over or under

I use solar years because the Iews used Lunisolar years from ye time of time of Moses & ye Babylonians solar years of 365 days in ye æra of Nabonassar.

Daniel in recconing by weeks of years uses ye Iewish \Lunisolar/ years wch ran by sevens, every seventh year being a sabbatical one. And accordingly For the birth & death of Christ & destruction of Ierusalem fell on sabbatical years & therefore all Daniels weeks \already past/ end in Sabbatical years. Which makes it highly probable that tha|e|t ye {sic} seven weeks to come shall be of the same kind, especially since they contein ye space of a Iubile. For why should not the year of the in wch the commandmt \shal/ goes forth to rebuild Ierusalem & the yeare in wch the Messiah \shall/ comes to be Prince be celebrated by ye Iews wth a Iubile. For this \City/ is the new Ierusalem wch \the heavenly Ierusalem ye Holy City/ the Lambs wife wch for its glory & dominion is figuratively said to come down from heaven & be built of precious stones (Apoc 21. Isa 54.11, 12 & Tobit 13.16, 17 {compared} & 14.5, 6.) & therefore its Encœnia deserves ye greatest of solemmities And \except/ the day of the Messiah \the Prince to be celebrated/ 49 years after. is that year wch in propsect of wch the Iews kept the last day of the feast of Tabernacles wth ye highest degrees of rejoycing.



b Heb. And [from thence forward] the abominations wch make it desolates are upon the wing, that is begin to advance & flow into ye land

b \Heb./ And upon ye wing [are] ye abominations wch make it desolate, that is in opposition to ye dayly worship he shall set up the abomination worship of abominations \or Idols/ by wch the Iews with their religion shall become odious to ye inhabitants of the land & be persecuted & driven out of it \untill the consummation/ & from ye time of \this war & the/ taking away the daily sacrifice these abominations are upon the wing that is begin to advance & come into the land. Some by the wing understand \metaphorically/ the Pinnacle or battlements of ye Temple as if the Ido abominations were placed upon it there



and caused the daily sacrifice & oblation to cease Iuly 17 A.C. 70 & set fire on the Temple Aug. 10 ensuing and while ye Temple was burning set up their ensignes wch were the Images of their Gods, in ye Close of ye Temple over agt the eastern gate & sacrificed to them according their Idolatrous manner. & soon after burnt ye lower City & on Sept 7 ensuing took ye upper City.

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By the next part of ye Prophesy the street & ye wall were to be built sixty & two weeks of years or 434 years untill ye Messiah, that is untill ye Messiah his first coming. Now \after the Temple was finished in ye reign of Darius, before before {sic}/ they that came up first from Artaxerxes that is Ezra & his companions attempted to rebuild Ierusalem & its wall but were opposed & prohibited (Ezra 4.12, 21, 23) Then came Nehemiah to Ierusalem

Now before ye Iews attempted to rebuild ye wall of ye City they rebuilt ye Temple in ye reign of Cyrus & Darius. Then they that came up from Artaxerxes that is Ezra & his companions attempted to rebuild ye City & ye wall but were opposed & prohibited (Ezra 4.12, 21, 23) & in ye 20th year of the King Nehemiah came to Ierusalem while Ezra still contiued {sic} there (Nehem 12.36) & found the City lying wast & the houses & wall unbuilt (Nehem 2.17, & 7.4) & rebuilt them by ye Kings commission & finished the wall in ye 28th year of ye King 25t day of the month Elul (Nehe 6.17) in ye 28th year of the King (Ioseph.     ) that is

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An Interpretation of the Prophesy of Daniel's weeks by Iewish years.

Let the Messiah be considered as a Prophet during his life \in his lifetime/, as an High Priest making intercession for us in the Heavens from ye time of his death resurrection & ascention & as a King after his return or second coming: and in this short Prophesy according to ye following interpretation will be predicted all the main periods of time relating to him & his kingdom, so that ye interpretation is full. It determins the beginning of his High-priesthood, the beginning of \his/ reign as Prince, the time of his birth or coming as a Prophet & the time of destroying the city & sanctuary taking away the dayly sacrifice & setting up ye abomination: & by doing all this it renders the whole Prophesy very significant wthout defect or superfluity.

1. The beginning of his Highpriesthood is thus predicted. While I was speaking in prayer the man Gabriel touched me & informed me by talking with me & said, O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill & understanding [about thy people for whose restauration thou p after seventy years captivity thou prayest.] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth [from God] & I am come to shew it thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore observe well ye speech & consider the Vision. Seventy weeks [of years] are a[16] numbred upon thy people & upon thy Holy City [in the end of that time] to finish transgression & to b[17] blot out sins & to make reconciliation \for iniquity/ & to bring in everlasting righteousness [by the attonement of the great High Priest] and to seal [or c[18] finish] the [book of] Vision & Prophesy [by the death of the great Prophet] & to annoint the most Holy [or consecrate the great High Priest who makes ye attonement.]

2. The beginning of his reign is in ye next words thus predicted. Know also & understand that from the going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again unto the Messiah the Prince [that is untill his coming to be Prince or untill the beginning of his reign] shall be seven weeks.

3. Then follows the birth of the Messiah & \consequent/ state of the Iews consequent thereto in these words. Also [that you may not mistake ye commandment know that there shall precede another commandment to build Ierusalem & thereby\upon/] threscore & two weeks the street shall be built again & the wall [untill the Messiah] but [this shall be] in troublesome times & after the threscore & two weeks the Messiah shall [not reign as Prince but coming only as a Prophet & \shall/] be cut off & it [the people or city] shall not be his but the \[idolatrous]/ People of a Prince that shall come & <7v> shall destroy the City & ye Sanctuary & the end thereof shall be wth a flood & at the end of the warr [untill the commandment shall go forth to build Ierusalem again] desolations are decreed.

4. Lastly the ceasing of ye daily sacrifice is thus predicted. And he [that other Prince or people] shall make a firm covenant wth many for a week & in half the week [the latter half] he shall [|in| destroying the city & Sanctuary &] make the sacrifice & Oblation to cease & on the verge [of the Temple set up] the Abomination d[19] of desolation & e[20] untill the consummation even that wch is decreed shall be poured upon the desolate.

This is the Prophesy and the Interpretation is as follows.

In the first part of the Prophesy seventy weeks of years are recconed for the duration of the People & Holy City unto ye death of Christ whereby he ceased to act as a Prophet & was consecrated an High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck. For they are recconed unto the finishing of transgression & blotting out of sins & making reconciliation for iniquity & bringing in ever lasting righteousness (all wch was accomplished by ye death of Christ who as a more perfect High Priest then those under the law offered himself once for all a sacrifice for \putting away/ sin. Heb. 7.27 & 9.12, 14, 26) & unto the sealing \or finishing/ of the book of Vision & Prophesy that book opened in the Apocalyps, part of wch may be justly accompted the prophesies of Christ untill his death he being the Prophet predicted by Moses, the last & greatest of the Prophets under the law; and lastly unto the annointing of the most Holy or consecrating the great High Priest, wch was also accomplished at his death. For as the High Priest under the Law was consecrated wth water oyle & blood (Exod. 29.4, 7, 21) so Christ was consecrated an eternal High Priest by baptism wth water, unction with the Holy ghost & sprinkling wth his own blood. Now the duration of the People & Holy City began when they first returned from captivity so as to become again a people & {Ho} City & this was under Ezra. There were but two returns from captivity Zerubbabel's & Ezra's. In Zerubbabel's they had only a commission to build the Temple, in Ezra's they first became reincorporated into a people or polity by a government of their own. For Ezra not only revived the worship but also by the Kings commission set up Magistrates & Iudges in all the Land to judge & govern the people according to the law of God & the King & punish offenders with death banishment confiscation of good {sic} & imprisonment (Ezra 7) & hereby was the Sanhedrim restored & the scattered Iews (in the language of the scripture Isa. 23.13 & 7.8 & Ier 48.42, 46, 47) became reunited into a People or City. This return of Ezra from captivity was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7.7, 8, 9) & ye years of Artaxerxes began in autumn (Ezra 7.7, 8, 9. Nehem 1.1 & 2.1 & 5.14) & his seventh year fell in with the third year of the 80th Olympiad & the latter part thereof wherein Ezra went up to Ierusalem was in the 4257th year of the Iulian Period. Count the time from thence to the death of Christ & you will find it just 490 years or 70 weeks of years. If you count in Iudaic civil years commencing in Autumn & date the recconing from the first autumn after Ezra's coming to Ierusalem when he put the King's decree in execution: the death of Christ will fall on the year of the <8r> Iulian Period 4747 & year of or Lord 34 & the weeks will be Iudaic weeks ending with sabbatical years. And this I take to be the{illeg} truth. But if you had rather place the death of Christ in the year before as is commonly done, you may include the year of Ezra's journey in the recconing.

The next part of the Prophesy concerns the coming of the Messiah as Prince & is not yet fulfilled. By the third part thereof the street & the wall were to be built threescore & two weeks of years or 434 years untill the Messiah, that is untill his other coming when he should not reign but be cut off. Now before the Iews attempted to \re/build the wall they rebuilt the Temple in the reign of Cyrus & Darius. Then they that came up from Artaxerxes, {(}that is Ezra & his companions) having a larger commission then Zerubbabel's, attempted to rebuild also the City & the wall but were opposed & prohibited (Ezra 4.12, 21, 23) & in the 20th year of the King Nehemiah came to Ierusalem while Ezra still continued there (Nehem. 12.36) & found the City lying wast & the houses & wall unbuilt (Nehem 2.17 & 7.4) & rebuilt them by the Kings commission & finished the wall on the 25th day of the month Elul (Nehem. 6.17) in the 28th year of the King (Ioseph. Antiq. l. 11. c. 5   ) that is in September in the end of the Iewish civil year, in the year of the Iulian Period 4278, or perhaps in the year before if the 25th of Elul fell on the beginning of the 28th year of the King. Count now 434 years from September anno I.P. 4278 and the recconing will end in September anno I.P. 4712, the last year of wch recconing is the year of \in wch/ Christ was born according to Clemens Alexandrinus, Irenæus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, Ierome, Orosius, Cassiodorus & other ancients. For this was the general opinion of the ancients till Dionysius Exiguus invented the vulgar accompt in wch Christs birth is placed two years later. And it is observable that in this recconing the sixty two weeks (as well as the seventy) are Iewish weeks ending with sabbatical years; wch makes the Prophesy more elegant. If with some you reccon that Christ was born three or four years before the vulgar accompt yet his birth will fall in the latter part of the last week, wch is enough. How after these weeks the Messiah was cut off & the City & Sanctuary destroyed by the Romans is well known.

By the last part of the Prophesy the Romans who destroy the City were to make a firm league wth many for a week & in half the week to take away the daily sacrifice & set up the abomination, & so it fell out. The Romans made a firm peace wth ye eastern Princes of the Medes Parthians & Armenians towards the end of summer A.D. 63, upon wch the Temple of Ianus was shut (as the learned Bishop of Worcester has explained) & in the beginning of the year 67 in spring or towards the end of winter under the conduct of Vespasian & Titus they began the war upon the Iews & made the Sacrifice & Oblation to cease Iuly 17, A.D. 70, & set fire on the Temple Aug. 10 ensuing, & while the <8v> Temple was burning set up their ensignes wch were the Images of their Gods in the Close or border of the Temple over against the Eastern Gate & sacrificed to them according to their idolatrous manner & soon after burnt the lower City & on Sept. 7th ensuing took ye upper City & by these warrs the land was emptied of Iews & remains desolate to this day.

The seven weeks from the going forth of the commandment to build Ierusalem again unto the Messiah the Prince, remain to be interpreted. In dating them from a commandment wch is to end the great captivity & usher in the reign of the Messiah I beleive the Iews will not much oppose me. for they expect his future reign & all Daniels prophesies reach to those times and there is scarce a Prophesy in the old Testament concerning Christ wch doth not in something or other relate to his second coming. If divers of the Ancients, as Irenæus (l. 5 Hæres. c. 25) Iulius Africanus, Hippolytus the martyr & Apollonius Bishop of Laodicea (apud Hieron. in h. l.) applied the half week to the times of Antichrist, why may not we by the same liberty of Interpretation apply the seven weeks to the time when Antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. The Israelites in the days of ye ancient Prophets when the ten{illeg} Tribes were led into captivity expected a double return from captivity & that at the first return the Iews should build a new Temple inferior to Solomon's untill the time of that age should be fulfilled & afterwards they should return from all places of their captivity & build Ierusalem & the Temple gloriously (Tobit 14.4, 5, 6) And to express the glory & excellence of this City tis figuratively said to be built of pretious stones (Tobit 13.16, 17, 18. Isa 54.11, 12. Apoc. 21) & called the new Ierusalem the heavenly Ierusalem, the Holy City, the Lamb's wife, the City of the great King, the City into wch the Kings of the earth do bring their glory & honour. And while such a return from Captivity was the expectation of Israel even before the times of Daniel, I know not why Daniel should omit it in this Prophesy. This part of the Prophesy therefore being not yet fulfilled I attempt not to interpret it, but \shal/ content my self with observing, that as the 70 weeks & the 62 weeks were Iewish weeks ending with sabbatical years so the seven weeks are the compass of a Iubile & begin & end with actions proper for a Iubile & of the highest concern nature for wch a Iubile can be kept; & that since the commandment to rebuild Ierusalem precedes the Messiah the Prince 49 years, it may perhaps come forth not from the Iews themselves but from some other Kingdom friendly to them & precede their return from Captivity & give occasion to it, & lastly that this |rebuilding of Ierusalem & the wast places of Iudah is predicted in Mica. 7.11. Amos 9.11, 14. Ezek 36.33, 35, 36, 38. Isa. 54.3, 11, 12, & 58.12 & 61.4 & 65 18, 21, 22 & Tobit 14.5 & the| return from captivity & coming of the Messiah & his Kingdom are described in Dan. 7. Apoc. 19 Act. 1. Math 24. Ioel 3. Ezek 36, 37. Isa. 60, 62, 63, 65 & 66 & many other places of scripture. The manner I know not. Let time be the Interpreter.

<9r>

THow the Prophesy of Daniels weeks may be interpreted.



V{illeg} Daniel I {com} now come forth

He [the Angel Gabriel] informed me by talking with me & said, O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill & understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth [from God] & I am come to shew it thee: for thou art greatly beloved: therefore observe well the speech | Prophesy & consider the Vision. Seventy weeks [of years] are numbred upon [or concerning] thy people & upon \[or concerning]/ thy holy city [|vizt| from ye 7th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus when by the Commission of Ezra not only to return wth the Iews from Babylon & restore the worship in ye Temple but also to set Magistrates & Iudges over the Nation \to judge the people/ wth power of death Banishment confiscation of goods & imprisonmt (Ezra 7.) whereby the Sanhedrim was restored & the Iews became again \incorporated into/ a people & holy city] |vizt from the time that it shall be reincorporated into a people & holy City by a| to finish transgression & seale up \to/ blot out sins & to make reconciliation for iniquity & to bring in everlasting righteousness & to seal up [the book of] |ye| Vision & Prophety [or the book of Vision & Prophesy under the law wth the seven seals opened in ye Apocalyps] & to annoint the most Holy [or consecrate the great High Priest. [All wch \things/ were accomplished \at once/ by the death of Christ.] in the end of those weeks.

Know also & understand that from the going forth of the commandmt to build Ierusalem again unto|i||ll| the Messiah the Prince [or till his coming as Prince \wch is not yet come to pass/] shall be seven weeks.

Also \[till the Messiah]/ threescore & two weeks [\from the 28th of Artaxerxes/ from ye going forth of the {illeg} like commandment] untill the Mess coming or birth of the Messiah] shall the wall shall be built again & the street but [this] in troublesome times & after the threescore & two weeks the Messiah shall be cut off [not reign as Prince but] be cut off & not reign over them the Kingdom \[the people or Kingdom]/ not be his but the people of a Prince that shall come ]after he is cutt of] shall destroy the city & the sanctuary & the end thereof shall be wth a flood & at the end of the war [untill God's wrath against thy people shall be fullfilled \& they shall return from captivity & rebuild Ierusalem/] Desolations are decreed.

And he [that Prince] shall make a firm covenant wth many for a week {&} [vizt \that peace wch/ the Romans \made/ wth the eastern Princes of the Medes Parthians & Armenians {illeg} in ye year of Christ 63 a little after the ye end of Iune upon wch ye Temple of Ianus was shut] & in half that week [the latter half] he shall make ye Sacrifice & Oblation to cease [vizt by the War of Titus Vespasian & Titus wch began a little after mid winter in ye beginning of ye year 67 & ended wth ye bur put an end to ye Sacrifice & Oblation Iul 17 A.C. 70 by the burning of the Temple A Iuly 17 A.C. 70 & in \or upon]/ the sanctuary shall be the abomination of desolation, & untill the consumation shall \even/ that wch is decreed shall be poured upon ye desolate. or at ye consummation that wch is decreed shall be poured upon the desolate.

In this short Prophesy are foretold the death & birth & death & second coming of Christ & ye destruction of ye Ierusalem. For all Daniels Prophesies extend to Christs second coming. But because that part of it|his| \Prophesy/ wch respects Christs \his/ 2d coming is not yet fulfilled it has hitherto gra\ve/lled all \the Christian/ Interpreters It has also gravelled the Iews who expect no other t{illeg}|hen| his second coming and untill that coming be accomplished it has gravelled must remain in the dark. I do not therefore undertake to interpret it (for I know not the <9v> what \times or/ manner \of/ the second coming is to be understood) but only have to shew \in general/ that it may wth better sence be understood of both comings that of either alone & so to leave turn ye eyes of both Iews & Christians \& Iews/ upon the more upon it untill it be fulfilled interpreted by the event. I shall therefore first set down the Prophesy \in four parts/ without ye histor its application to history & then apply it to history so far as 'tis fulfilled.

He [the Angel Gabriel informed me & said

I shall therefore first set down ye Prophesy in four parts & sew {sic}{illeg} the Interpretation so far as they are hitherto fulfilled.

<11r>

3 The years used by Daniel in his Prophesies are Iewish Luni-solar years.

The Chronology of the Kings of Persia is so well stated by Eclipses & other characters \& agreed on by Chronologers/ that I shall not enter upon any discourse about it but take it for granted that \Cyrus dyed &/ Cambyses began his reign in spring Anno Iul. Per. 4185. & \Cambyses/ reigned 8 years including ye five months of Smerdes & then Darius Hy|i|staspis began in spring \(about March) anno/ I.P. 4193 & reigned 36 years. Then succeeded Xerxes in spring or between Sy \anno/ I.P. 4229 & reigned almost 21 years & after him Artabanus seven months & then began Artaxerxes Longimanus in autumn \anno/ I.P. {illeg} 4250, & died in winter in the end of \ye year of/ I.P. 4289. |&| reigned 40 years including ye 9 months of Xerxes & Sogdian & died in winter in ye end of ye year I.P. 4289. seventh year of ye Peloponnesian war, anno I.P. 4289 finiente

But because the Iews

[1] a Heb. cut upon, A|a| phrase taken from the practise of numbring by cutting notches

[2] b Heb. seal, vizt as a book is sealed that is cannot be read.

[3] c To seal is to finish or con a writing is to finish in ye language of ye Iews to finish or consummate it: a figure taken from sealing what is finished. So the Iews compute Ad obsignatum Misna, {illeg} Ad obsignatum Talmud, that is, ad absolutum.

[4] d Heb. Vpon the wing of abominations \he shall/ make it desolate, that is, in opposition to ye dayly worship, he shall bring in the worship \a{ccomo}dation/ of abominations as with a flood \{illeg} wth swiftnes as upon a wing/ by whose worship the land shall \be polluted &/ become desolate of Iews

[4] a Heb. Vpon ye wing of abominations he shall make it desolate, that is in opposition to ye dayly worship he shall bring in a flood of abominations wth swiftness as upon a wing by the worship of wch the Iews with their religion shall become odious to ye inhabitants of the land, & be \persecuted & {illeg}/ driven out \of/ untill the consummation.

[5] b Or, at the consummation \even/ that wch is decreed shall be poured upon the Desolator.

[6] a Ezra

[7] b Isa. 23.13, & 7.8 Ier 48.42, 46, 47.

[8] c Ezra

[9] a Heb. Cut upon a phrase taken from ye practise of numbring by cutting notches.

[10] b. Heb. Seal, viz as a book is sealed yt it cannot be read.

[11] c. To seal a writing is in ye language of ye Iews, to consummate or finish it: a figure taken from sealing wt is finished. So the Iews compute Ad obsignatum Misna, Ab obsignatum Talmud, yt is, ad absolutum.

[12] e Or, at ..........desolator.

[13] Ezra 7

[14] a Heb. cut \upon/: a phrase taken from ye usual practise of numbring by cutting notches lines or notches upon any thing wood.

[15] b Heb. seal up, \vizt/ as a book is sealed that it cannot be read.

[16] a Heb. Cut upon, a phrase \wch may be/ taken from ye practise of numbring by cutting notches.

[17] b. Heb. Seal, viz. as a book is sealed that it cannot be read.

[18] c To seal a writing is in ye language of ye Iews to consummate or finish it, a figure taken from sealing what is finished. So ye Iews compute Ad obsignatum Misna, Ad obsignatum Talmud, that is, ad absolutum.

[19] d Heb. wch maketh desolate.

[20] e at....desolator.

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