CHAPTER VII.

ESCHATOLOGICAL PERIODS OF DANIEL.

A MARKED peculiarity of this book, running like a thread throughout its historico-prophetic visions and distinguishing it not only from the writings of the captivity but from prophetic compositions generally, is what may be called its eschatology: the subject continually pointing to a climax which is to conclude and to wind-up everything. The time of this consummation is defined with a minuteness unknown to the rest of Hebrew prophecy, and is preceded by the destruction of an oppressor whose invasions of the civil and religious liberties of the holy people, it is a principal object of the writer to describe. In accordance with this eschatological tendency Daniel beholds "till the beast is slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame . . . . until the Ancient of Days came. . . . and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom" (vii. 11-22). As the prophecy draws to a close the same features are more clearly developed, and the time of the consummation, previously darkly intimated, becomes accurately, and even chronologically, defined. "How long shall be the vision (asks one saint of another saint) concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

and he said unto me, unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed " (viii. 13, 14). So again to the enquiry, "How long shall

it be to the end of these wonders?

the man

clothed in linen that it shall be for a time, times, and an half, . . . . and a thousand two hundred and ninety days" (xii. 6, 7-11). Angelic beings are further introduced communicating to Daniel "skill and understanding" respecting the arrival of this consummation. Now, the angel Gabriel touches him about the time of the evening oblation; "Understand, O son of man, for at the time of the end shall be the vision behold I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, for at the time appointed the end shall be" (viii. 17-19). Again, "The man Gabriel whom (Daniel) had seen in the vision at the beginning (showing that chap. ix. cannot be separated from chap. viii.), . . . informed me and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding, therefore understand the matter

sware by him that liveth for ever

and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and thy holy city" etc. (ix. 21-24). Further knowledge respecting this eschatological period is conveyed by means of a second angelic colloquy to which Daniel is permitted to listen (xii. 5-9). Blessings moreover of a marked character are attached to the comprehension of the times and the seasons which introduce the end. "None of wicked (it is said) shall understand but the wise shall understand" (xii. 10); "shall instruct many" (xi. 33); and "knowledge shall be increased" (xii. 4). "Blessed is he that waiteth and

cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days, but go thy way till the end (xii. 4-9) be, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days" (xii. 12, 13).

From the passages already cited there can be little doubt that the prophecy uniformly points to a culminating point beyond which, or far beyond which, no vision seems to extend. This consummation would appear to be of speedy accomplishment (xii. 13) and not, according to an absurd theory,' indefinitely prolonged. A further peculiarity in the periods announced by Daniel is that they differ from each other in duration, these differences not being marked by long spaces of time, but only by the excess or diminution of a few days. Similar dis

66

The theory alluded to is known by the name of the Year-day system. Its object would seem to be the prolongation of prophetic epochs beyond their ordinary limits with a view of extending their application to modern times. This is attempted to be done by substituting years for days in the case of those sacred numbers which can be made to square with the required chronology; other prophetic periods, not equally elastic, being interpreted of natural divisions of time. This arbitrary hypothesis has no foundation in Scripture generally or in the book of Daniel. It is true that symbolic periods such as seventy weeks," "threescore and two weeks," " seven weeks," or "the midst, half of the week," are exceptional, but in ordinary cases, years, months, weeks, days, and hours, are employed of natural divisions of time. "By the Year-day theory (says Maitland) the expositor whenever it suits his purpose, understands years instead of days. The result is a multiplication of the prophetic period by 360 in excuse for which they are in the habit of asserting roundly that the prophets said days when they meant years. History by continually falsifying the calculations of this school, signally avenges the cause of Divine prophecy." The only argument adduced in support of this theory is founded on Ezek. iv. 4-6, and Numbers xiv. 33. The prophet is commanded to lie on his left side 390 days and on his right side 40 days; "each day for a year." But it will be noticed that the days are not changed into years. They are only the representatives of years; for how could Ezekiel lie on his left side 390 years and on his right side 40 years? Similarly the spies who go to explore the land of Canaan, return after 40 days' absence with an evil report; and accordingly the Israelites are condemned to wander 40 years in the wilderness; each year corresponding to one of the 40 days. Here, as in the former case, there is no change of the day into the year. They merely represent years; the actions done on those days being expressive of the time during which the punishment was to last.

crepancy' exists between those given by Josephus; the duration of the desolations not being accurately determined either by the prophet or the historian. The utmost that can be alleged against these unimportant variations is that the terms do not exactly correspond with each other, an objection which tells with equal force against both writers: yet no one calls in question the veracity of the latter because of these trifling discrepancies, or supposes the unequal periods which he describes to relate to any other events than the desolations of Antiochus.

Periods of Daniel.

And

"They shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time" (vii. 25).

"In the midst (half) of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease" (ix. 27).

"How long shall it be to the end of these wonders times, and an half" (xii. 6, 7).

it shall be for a time,

"From the time . . . . there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days" (xii. 11). "Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days" (xii. 12).

Periods of Josephus.

"I shall relate that Antiochus . . . . took Jerusalem by force and held it three years and three months." (Bell, Jud. Proemium.)

"He put a stop to the constant practice of offering a daily sacrifice of expiation for three years and six months" (Bell. Jud. i. 1).

....

"Another lesser horn . . . . which should forbid the sacrifices to be offered for one thousand two hundred and ninety six days" (Ant. x. 11).

"Should spoil the temple and forbid the sacrifices to be offered for three years" (Ant. x. 11).

"The temple was made desolate by Antiochus, and so continued for three years" (Ant. xii. 7).

"Now it happened that these things were done on the very same day on which their divine worship had fallen off, and was reduced to a profane and common use after three years' time" (Ant. xii. 7).

On the supposition that the three corresponding symbolical periods of Daniel, "A time, times, and the dividing of a time," "A time, times, and an half," "The midst (half) of the week," are significant not so much of an exact term of 31⁄2 years, as of a time of trouble during which the abomination of desolation was set up, they are met in Josephus by three similar periods of three years, during which the same profanity is said to have been committed; the 1290 days, to which must be added the 1335 days, of the former, also approximating closely to the 1296 days of the latter.

when to this it is added that the city was captured and the holy rites forbidden more than six months before the abomination of desolation was set up, and that there are several points de depart from which the abominations of Autiochus might be reckoned, it need not be a matter of surprise that there should be an uncertain element in the chronology. But whatever may be the starting points from which these periods commence or the exact duration which they comprise, they evidently point to one culminating crisis, terminating in the restoration of the sanctuary and the contemporaneous destruction of the

oppressor.

A chronological period distinct from those already named requires to be noticed. Daniel hears one saint speaking to another saint (comp. Zech. ii. 3) "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot ?" How long shall impure sacrifices usurp the place of the clean offerings of the law? How long the profanation of the temple and the oppression of the saints? It is observable that the desolation spoken of is not that of the temple alone, but also includes the trampling under foot of the "host," the holy people-described (viii. 10) as the "host of heaven," part of whose stars' the little horn (Antiochus) casts to the ground and stamps upon them. In answer to this impatient "How long " (comp. Zech. i. 12, Rev. vi. 10) the certain one Ha Palmoni of whom the question had been asked, "said unto me (Daniel),

1 «Αστέρας δὲ ἀυτοὺς ὠνόμασε διὰ τὸ περιφανὲς καὶ λαμπρὸν τῆς ευσεβείας.” Theodoret (comp. 2 Macc. ix. 10).