THE TRUE MIDI\ IGHT CRY. BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM COM ETH ; GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM. VOL. I. Edited by S. S. SNOW, and published by E. HUE. Jr.; Haverhill, Mass., Aug. 22. 1s14. \o. 1. OUR blessed Lord and Master has promised that he will come again and receive his people to himself; that where he is, they may be also. The place where he and they are to dwell forever, is the New Jerusalem, that holy city, which God bath prepared for them, and which is to come, down from God out of heaven, and that New Earth, wherein dweileth righteousness. Concerning the time of that coming, he says, in Mark xiii. 32, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." It is thought by many, that this passage proves that men are never to know the time. But if it prove this, it likewise proves that the Son of God himself is never to know the time : for the passage declares precisely the same concerning him. that it does concerning angels and men. But can any person believe that our glorious Lord, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given, is, and will remain, ignorant of the time until the very moment that he comes to judge the world? If not, then certainly this text can never prove that men may not be made to understand the time. An old English version of the passage reads, " But that diy and. hoar no man maketh known, neither the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." This is the correct reading according to several of the ablest critics of the age. The word know is used here in the same•sense as it is by Paul in 1 Cor. ii. 2. Paul well understood many other things, besides Christ and him crucified, but he determined to make known nothing else among them. So in the passage first quoted, it is declared that none hut God the Father maketh known the day and hour, that is, the definite time of the second coming of his Son. And this necessarily implies that God makes the time known. The Old Testament contains the testimony of the Father concerning his Son, and concerning the time of both his first and second comings. Therefore the time is to be understood. See Dan. xii. 10, "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do •wickedly ; and. none of the wicked shall understand ; but the wise shall understand." Rom. xv. 4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." It is by the teaching of his word, as we are led therein by the Holy Spirit, that we are to understand the time of the coming of our Gr.oiuous ICING. As further proof of this, sec Dan. ix. 25, "Know therefore and understand, that from the 7oing- forth of the com- mandment, to restore and build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." Mark i. 14, 15,- " Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God, and saying the time is fulfilled." Luke xis. 43, 44, "For the day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round and.keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time •of thy visitation," 1 Pet. i. 9-11, " Searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the Idory that should follow.". Isa. xl. 1-5 ; Acts xvii. 30, 31, "Ile bath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness." Ece iii. 17, "God shall indge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." Ecc. viii. 5-7, " Whom., keep- eth the • commandment shall feel no evil thing ; and a wise man's heart discernsth both time and judgment." Jer. viii. 6-9, " I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright ; no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battle. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times ; and the turtle, and crane, and the swalloW, observe the time of their coming ; but my people know not the judgment -of the Lord. flow do ye say, we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us ? Lo certainly in vain made he it ; the pen of the scribes is in vein. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken ; 10, they have rejected the word of the Lord ; and what wisdom is in them ? Hosea ix. 7-9, " The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come ; Israel shall know it. The pro- phet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad." Born. xiii. 11-14, "And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. THE Six THOUSAND YEA r.s. The period of time allotted for this world, in its present state, is 6000 years, at the termination of which commences the great millennial Sabbath, spoken of in Rev. xx, and which will be ushered in by the personal appearing of Christ and the first Resurrection ; see 1sa. NIvi. 9, 10 ; Gen. ii. 1-3 ; Heb. iv. 4-9 ; Isa. xi. 10 ; 2 Pet. iii. 8. According to Usher's chronology, which is commonly received, the Christian Era commenced in the year of the world 4001 ; but Usher has lost in the time of the judges 153 years. From the division of the Land of Canaan to the beginning of Samuel's administration, he gives but 295 years: whereas Paul, in Acts xiii. 20, gives us " about the space of 450." From the book of Judges we obtain 430 years, and Josephus gives us 18 more for the elders and anarchy, before any judge ruled; this added to 430 make 448 which agrees with Paul, xupposing him to have spoken in round numbers. The difference between this time and that given by Usher is 153 years, and should be. added to the age of the world, making for the commencement of the Christian era 41.57, or, in other words, 41.5a. and a fraction bad passed at the supposed point wt' the birth. of Christ. Deducting this from 6000 years, the I remainder is 1843 and a fraction. Therefore the period will end within A. D. 1844. Tea SEVEN TIMES OF THE GENTILES. The seven times of Gentile domination over. the church of God, spoken of in Lev. xxvi., began with the breaking of the pride of their power, at the captivity of Manasseh, king of Judah, B. C. 677. See Isa. x. 5- 12 ; Jer. iv. 3-9 ; Jer. 1. 17 ; 2 Citron. xxxiii. 9-11. This is the date assigned by all chronologcrs for that event. The seven prophetic times amount to 2520 years. As proof of this, see Rev. xii 6, 14, where 3 1-2 times are equivalent to 1260 years. A time therefore consists of 360 solar years, which multiplied by 7, make 2520. Had this period commenced with the first day of B. C. 677, it would have terminated with the first day of A. D. 18.14, for 677 full years on one hand. and 1813 on the other, make 2520 complete years. It has been supposed that the period would end in A. D. 19-13. Put as a part of B. C. 677 is left, out, a corres- ponding part of A. D. 1814 must be taken in to make the period complete. It must have been in autuam that Manasseh-was taken captive. As proof of this, see Hosea v. 5 ; Ina. vii. 8 ; Isa x. 11. Hoicea declares that Ephrei in -and Israel shall fall, and that Judah also shall fall with them ; Isaiah represents the Ring of Assyria as threatening to do to Jerusalem as he had done to Samaria; there. fore the final carrying away of the ten tribes was before the invasion of Judah, and in the same year. The prophecy of Isa. vii. 8, is correctly dated B.C. 742 ; 65 years from that point bring us to B. C. 677. In that year was the final breaking of Ephraim, that it should not be a people. The history of this we• find in 2 Kings, xvii. chapt. Kings did not go forth on their warlike expeditions in autumn, or winter, but in spring or summer. Theretbee in spring or summer of B. C. 677, Esarhaddon, and the Assyrians commenced removing the remnant of the ten tribes out of the cities of Samaria : and when they had accomplished this. they brought foreigners and placed them in their stead, to inhabit those cities. Having performed this work, which necessarily occu- i pied some months, they were then ready to invade Judah. So that in the autumn of B. C. 677 they took the city of Jerusalem, and lx and her king with fetters and carried him to Babylon From that time 2520 years reach to the autumn of A. D. 1841. Then the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, the dispensation of the fullness of times will come, the Redeemer will come to Zion, and all Israel shall be saved. THE 2300 DAYS. The 2300 days of Dan. viii. 14, are given as the length of the vision contained in that chapter. The Ram is Medo Persia, the Goat is Grecia, and the little horn which waxed exceetInig great is Rome. From the 2nd and 7th chapters of Dan. we learn that Rome will come to its end when the Ancient of days comes, the judgment is set, the Son of man comes in the el suds of heaven, and the God of - heaven sets up an eternal king- dom. Therefore the 2300 days, which extend to the time when the exceeding great -horn is to be " broken without hands," and to the "last end of the in it-nation" are so many years, and expire at the coining of Jesus iii the Clouds- of Glory. The period commenced with the 70 weeks of Dan. ix. 24, which are deter- mined or cut of, and commute a part of the 2360 days. They must therefore commence together. From verse 25, we learn that they begin at the going forth of the commandment or- decree to restore and to build Jerusalem. The point of time from which to reckon, must be either when the decree was first :"ssued or when it was carried into execution ; it could not be the former, because the decree embraces all that was decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. See Ise.. xliv. '28 ; Isa. xlv. 13; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, 23 ; Ezra i. 1-4 ; Ezra vi. 1-15 ; Ezra vii. The decree embraces three grand objects : the building of the Temple, the restoring of the, Jewish Commonwealth, and the building of the street and wall. Now hail the 7.) weeks, which amount to 490 years, commenced with the first issuing of the decree, B. C. 536, they would have ended B. C. 46 ; but 60 weeks were-to extend to the manifestation of Messiah the Prince, and the 70th, or last week, covers the time of his crucifixion ; we must therefore of necessity reckon from the other point, that is, the promulgation_ and execution of the decree in Judea. From Ezra vii. 8; 9, we. learn that Ezra began to go up on the first day of the first. month, and arrived at Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, in the 7th year of Artaxerxes, B. C. 457. Having arrived at Jerusalem, he appointed magistrates and judges, and restored the Jewish Commonwealth, tinder the_ protection of the king of Persia, as he was fully authorized to do by the decree of Artaxerxes. This necessarily required some little time, and brings us to the point when, the restoring having been effected, the build- ing. of the street and wall commenced. The 70 weeks are divided into three parts : 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week—see Dan. ix. 25. The 'connexion shows that the 7 weeks were allotted for the build- ing of the street and wall. They therefore commenced when they began to build, in the autumn of B. C. 457; from that point 2300 years reach to the autumn of A. D. 181.1. THE SEVENTY Weaas. The 69 weeks extend to the manifesta- tion of the Messiah. It has been thought by many that this wan at his baptism, but this is a mistake ; as fully appears from John i. 19-34. There we learn, that after the baptism of Christ, he was -not known to the Jews as the Messiah ; John says, verse 26, "There standeth one among you whom ye know not ;" and in verse 33, 34, he declares that he knew him not, till he saw the Spirit descending and remaining on him at his baptism, which was pre- vious to his giving this testimony. There is no proof that any one save John saw the Spirit thus descending. This proof there- fore that Jesus was the Messiah, was given to none but John, unless it was given to others in John's testimony. But the testi- mony of John was not sufficient fully to establish the point ; for Jesus declares, John v. 33, 34, "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man." In verse 36, Christ says, " But I have g;reater witness than that of John ; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." The miracles of Christ proved hiM to be the Messiah ; but even his own testimony without those miracles was not stqicient to establish the point, as is evident from verse 31 : " If I bear witness of myself; ray witness is not true." The miracles of Christ publicly wrought, did not commence till after John was pot in prison—see Mat. xi. 2-6 ; Luke vii. 19-23. The prophecy of Dan. ix. 25 concerning the 69 weeks, was intended for the whole Jewish nation ; and they were condemned because they under- rstood it not. In Luke xix. 43, 44, we find our Lord denouncing upon them the most awful judgments because they knew not the TIME of their visitation. The prophecy was plain, and they should have heeded it. Our Saviour, also told them plainly when the period ended, saying, "Tun Time Is FULFILLED." See Mark i; 14, 15 ; Matt. iv. 12, 17 ; Acts x. 37 ; -thus we see that the 69 weeks ended, and the 70th week began. soon after John's imprisonment. John began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberias Ctesar— see Luke iii. 1-3. The administration of Tiberius began, according to the unitedtcstimony of chronologers, in Aug., A. D. 12. Four- teen years from that point, extend to Aug. A. D. 26, when his 15th year began. The ministry of John, therefore, commenced in the latter part of A. D. 26. From Luke iii. 21, we learn that after John had been baptizing for some time, Jesus carne and was.bap- tized ; and verse 23 informs us that at that time he was not far from 30 years of age. It is astronomically proved that our Saviour was born four years beihre the Christian era. The proof is this. About the year 527, Dionysius Exigus, a Roman monk, fixed the beginning of the Christian era M the year of the Julian period 4713. This reckoning has been followed to the present time. But Josephus, in his Antiquities, Book 17, chapt. 6, mentions particularly an eclipse of the moon, which occurred a short time before the death of Herod ; and the astronomical tables prove this eclipse to have been on the 13th of March, in the year of the Julian period 4710. Our Lord was born some months previous to this ; for after his birth Herod sought to destroy his life, and Joseph, being warned by the angel of the Lord in a dream, took the young child and his mother, and went into Egypt, where he remained till after Herod's death—see Mau. ii. 13-15. The latest point, therefore, that we can fix upon for the birth of Christ, is near the close of the year 4709, just four years earlier than the point of time given by Dionysius for the com- mencement of the Christian era. Consequently, Jesus was 30 years of age near the close of A. D. 26, and at his baptism was a little more than 30. Soon after this, as is evident from John ii. 11-13, there was a passover. This, being the first Passover after the beginning of John's baptism, must have been in the spring of A. D. 27. After this Jesus had his interview with Nicodcmus and taught him concerning regeneration—see John iii. 1-21. In verse.22 we are informed that Jesus returned, after these things, into the land of Judea, where he tarried and baptized. As he had previously been in Jerusalem at the Passover—see John ii. 23—and now returned into Judea, he must have been absent from that land between these two points of time. This necessarily brings us down to the summer or autumn of A.D. 27. But " John was not yet cast into prison"—see John iii. 24. We are therefore compelled to place the point of time at which Jesus began the proclamation of the gospel in Galilee, in the autumn of A. D. 27. Here ended the 63 weeks, and here began the week, during which the covenant was confirmed—see Dan. ix. 27. In the midst of the week Jesus caused the sacrifice and the oblation to cease by offering himself as a Lamb, without spot, to God upon the cross. The Hebrew word translated "midst," is by the Lexicon defined, "half, half part, middle, midst." The week was divided into two halves, and the event which was thus to divide it was the death of Christ. This event took place, according to Dr. Hales, one of the ablest and best chronologers, in the spring of A. D. 31. Per- . guson has placed it in A. D. 33 ; but in order to prove :t he' assumes the Rabbinical mode of reckoning the year, which is not correct. They commence the year with the new moon in March ; but the Caraites with the new moon in April. The word Caraite signifies " one perfect in the law." These accuse the Rabbins of having departed from the law, and conformed to the customs of the heathen ; and the charge is just, as they regulate their year by the vernal equinox, in imitation of the Romans ; whereas the law says nothing of the vernal equinox; but required, on the 16th day of the first month, the offering of the first fruits of the barley harvest. But if the year be commenced according to the Rabbins with the new moon in March, the barley harvest could not possi- bly be ripe in 16 days from that time. The Caraites are therefore undoubtedly correct. Now our Lord was crucified on the day of the Passover, as is evident from John xviii. 28. It was likewise the day before the Sabbath, as is proved by John xix. 31. Accord- ing to the Rabbinical reckoning, the Passover occurred on the day before the Sabbath in A. D. 33, and not for several years before and after. But according to the Caraite reckoning, the Passover occurred on that day in A. D. 31. Therefore that was the year of the crucifixion. The covenant was confirmed half a week by Christ, and the other half by his apostles—see Heb. ii. 3, 4 : "how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first BEGAN to be spoken by the Lord, and was CONFIRMED unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will ?" The covenant which was confirmed is the new covenant, i. e. the gospel. To confirm it signifies to establish it on tifirm foundation. The foundation of the gospel, is JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION-see Acts xvii. 18 ; 1 Cor. iii. 9-11 ; Eph. ii. 20. The gospel was established on this foundation by testimony, al ipmpanied by miracles, as those proofs which were indispensably necessary. But John performed no miracles—see John x. 41, therefore John's ministry formed no part of the confirmation. God wrought through Christ in those mighty works, for half the Week, and through the apostles the other half, who had a special work assigned to them, and for which they were duly qualified, and that was to testify concerning the works and Resurrection of our Lord—see Luke i. 2 ; John xv. 27 ; Luke xxiv. 48 ; Acts i. 8, 21, 22 ; ii. 32 ; iii. 15 ; x. 36, 42 ; 1 Johd i. 1, 3. All these witnesses save one were regularly called and qualified, having been with Christ from the beginning of his mm- istry, after the imprisonment of John. But when Paul was con- verted, and received his dispensation of the gospel to the gentiles, a special witness was called upon the stand. These all testified to the one glorious, furn4amental fact, that Jesus Christ had risen feorn the dead. Gal. i. 10-12 ; 1 Cor. xv. 1-9. It was not with the apostles a matter of faith that Christ had risen, but a matter of knowledge. They had seen, handled, and conversed with him, they had eaten and drunken with him after his resurrection, and had received from him a command to testify to these things. By so doing they confirmed the covenant, or, in other words, established the gospel, upon the resurrection el Christ, which is the, foundation of the faith and hope of all God's children. But this testimony alone was not sufficient to establish the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. Therefore we are told,- Mark xvi. 20, " And they went forth, and preached every- where, the Luau Wl1rking with them, and cass1.a:1111C? the weird by igas following." See also Heb. ii. 3, 4. When the last witness, that is Paul, had been called, and had given his testimony, con- firmed by miracles, the gospel as a divine system of faith, hope, and love was established on its true foundation ; in other words, the covenant was confirmed. Paul was converted in the autumn of A. D. 34. As Jesus Christ was crucified in the midst or middle of the week, and on the day of the Passover, which was the four- teenth day of the first month, it follows that the week began in the 7th month of A. P. 27, and ended in the 7th month of A. D. , 34. This was the termination of the seventy weeks. From that point, 1810 years remained to the end of the 2300 days. And from the 7th month of A. D. 3.1, 1810 years extend to the 7th month of A. D. 18.11. Tea TYPES.-The Law of Moses contained a shadow of good things to come ; a system of figures or types pointing, to Christ and his kingdom. See Heb. x. 1 ; Col. ii. 16, 17. Everything contained in t law was to be fulfilled by him. In Matt. v. 17, 18, Jesus say " Think not that I AM come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.'' Our Lord at fits first coming, when he died on the cross, began the fulfilment of those types contained in the law; as our great High Priest he is still fulfilling them ; and when he comes the second time, he will complete their fulfilment. Not the least paint will fail, either in the substance shadowed forth, or in the time so definitely pointed out for the observance of the types. For God is an exact time keeper. See Acts xvii. 26, 31 ; Jobexxiv. 1 ; Lev. xxiih. 4, 07. These passages show that Tessa is an important nosnt in the law of the Lord ; therefore type and antitype must correspond exactly as it regards time. One type fulfilleilin Christ:, was the killing of the Passover lamb. This was slain the 11th day of the first month. See Lev. xxiii. 5. Froim Ex. xii, 6, we learn that the lamb was killed in the evening. The margin gives the literal rendering from the Hebrew, " between, the two evenings." Joseph Frey, a converted Jew, in his work on the Passover, says the afternoon or evening of the day was by them divided into two parts, the lesser or former evening and the greater or latter even- ing. The dividing point between the two was three in the after- noon, the ninth hour of the day. Jesus died on the cross, on the same day, and at the same hour. See mark xv. 33-37. Thus Christ our Passover was sacrificed for Its. Not one point of tote law failed here. Time max most strictly rcganled. Its Lev. 6, 7, we are informed that the day after the Passover was taita'ais special Sabbath ; and in verses 10 and 11, is a command to offer the first fruits of the harvest on the morrow after the Sabbath. .This was a type of the resurrection of Christ. And on the same .•lay, that the day after the Sabbath. he burst the bonds of the toml". and arose triumphant. the sample of the future harvest, the rrurrs of them that slept. fk s 7 (.77. 20 —93. Again, 13, 1e,.we have `-r.I.E` of the fea:t of weeks, or, as the Fente.oc.`. •.he fiftieth day. This 2 • ": 7.: • . . • mannt Sinai at the eiveig•o 1x12 ma. , les:rri from Acts ii. 11-4, when the Holy Spirit descended as a rushing mighty wind, and as cloven tongues of fire, by which the apostles 'wereendued with power from on high, qualifying them to go forth and execute the great commission which the Master had given them, to preach the gospel to every creature. Thus we see that those types that pointed to events connected with our Lord's first coming, were fulfilled exactly at the time of their observance. And every one who is not willingly blind must see, and feel too, that those which remain unfulfilled, will be ful- filled with an equally strict regard to time. Not only so, but Christ himself confirms this argument from analogy by saying that one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Those types which were to be observed in the 7th month, have never yet had their fulfilment in the antitvpe. On the first day of that montn, as we learn from Lev. xxiii. 23-25, was the memorial of blowing of trumpets. See rs. lxxxi. 3 : " Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day." See also Rev. x. 7 : "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when lie shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he 'lath declared to his servants the prophets." On the first day of the 7th month, 6000 years being complete, from the first day of the week of crea- tion, the great millennial Sabbath will be introduced, by the sound- ing of the seventh trumpet. Another type is given in Lev. xxiii. 26-32, that is, the clay of atonement or reconciliation, on the tenth day of the 7th month, in which the high priest went into the most holy place of the tabernacle, presenting the blood of the vie- , tim before the mercy seat, after which on the same dry he came out and blessed the waiting congregation of Israel. See Lev. ix. 7, 22, 23, 24, and Lev. lfith chap.; Ileb. v. 1-6, and ix. 1-12, 27, 28. Now the important point in this type is the completion of the reconciliation at the coming of the high priest out of the holy place. The bighepriest was a type of Jesus our High Priest ; the most holy place a type of heaven itself; and the coming out of the high priest a type of the coming of Jesus the secontleaime to bless Isis waiting people. As this was on the tenth day ofthe 7th month, so on that day Jesus will certainly come, because not a single point of the law is to fail. eV/ must be fulfilled. The feast of tabernacles, which began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, (see Lev. xxiii. 33-43.) was a type of the marriage sup- per of the Lamb; which will be celebrated in the New Jerusalem, the tabernacle of God which is to be with men. In Lev. xxv. 8-13, 23, 24, we find that on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the fiftieth year, the jubilee trumpet was always to be blown, and redemption granted to all the land. Let any man read care- fully the connection of this subject, and he must surely see that this is a most striking type of the glorious deliverance of the peo- ple of God, and of the whole creation which is now groaning under the curse, when the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and accomplish the redemption of the bodies of all his saints, and the redemption of the purchased possession. See Rom. viii. 19-23 Eph. ie 9- 14. Our blessed Lord will therefore come, to the astonishment of all them that dwell upon the earth, and to the salvation of those who truly look for him, on the tenth day of the seventh month of the ycar of jubilee : and that is the present year, 1814. they hear iiiit awe-F-6 said the PROPHETS, neither th be T.,„„„e,d use rose from the dead." May he had at 14 Devonshire St. Breton,-9 Spruce Si. N. Y. an I of E. Hale, Jr. Haverhill, his. at 50 cts.per hundred.