Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-12-20

Jerusalem, thou shalt De ouit, and TO the
temple, thy foundation shall be laId.n Also
!, xiv, 10: abe shall sbtnld mig city, and he
shall let go my captives, not for price nor
i reward, saith the Lord Of hosts" Compare
\ with Ezra, 1st cbap.-also with Ezra vi, 3.
See also. Jer. XIV, IL, and marginal reading
I-onthat text. THE reader is desired to take
his bible and compare; &c.
I Although Cyrus does not mention build
ing the city in his decree, vet the Jews did
so understand him, for they did build the
city, at least 10 part: see Ezra iv, IL, when
their enemies certify to Artaxerxes, that the
Jews had come to jerusalem, building the
! rebehious and bad city, and have sci up
the walls thereof, and joined the founda-
! tons"
There were number Of DEGREES concern
ing the restoration Of the Jews, and rebuild
ing OF Jerusalem, but all seem TO be con-
Dected with the decree OF Cyrus. The
enemies of the Jews complain to Darius.
but he establishes the decree of-Cyrus; they
complain TO Artaxerxes, and he commands
them TO cease building the rebelEons and
bad city. Afterwards, in the 7tb wear of
his reign, he permits Ezra to go up to Jeru
salem with gold and silver, to buy bullocks,
&c. for sacrifices, and TO "6eautiEv the
house Of the Lord which is in Jerusalem :"
see Ezra vii, 17-27. After this, in the goth
year Of his reign, be permits Nehemiah 10
go up. to finish the work, (already begun,)
which he did in So days. Neh. vi, 15-aIso
Ezra vi, IA. think, therefore, that no per
son who has no prvpossessed opinion to
support, will attempt to date the commence
ment Of the 20 weeks, at any other time.
than at the decree Of Cyrus, about $50 years
before Christ.
Now If the 20 weeks mean 400 years, as
you have stated, then they ended about
Serenty-nine years before Cbrisl's death.
But suppOsing they began with the permis
sion OF Artaxerxes to Nehemiah, (lhe only
thing like decree TO rebuild, except the
one in question, by Cyrus,) to go up and
rebuild the city, then they do not end with
Christ's death, as you state, but thirteen
years after; il being dated the goth of his
reign: Neh. ii, /. But supposing, (though
not admilting,) that they begin as you have
stated, have other reasons for my obiec-
ton, and hence pass TO notice,
Secondly, The language made use Of by
Daniel
Dan. tx, "a: Seventy weeks are deter
mined upon, Tor allowed to, thy people,
lDaniel's people, the Jews and upon thy
holy city, Jcrusalcm.] Now wish to ask,
if there were any more weeks determined
upon the Jew, and jerusalem? If not, let
us put down our finger here, and remember
that God has appointed the Jewish nation
and their boosted city, "their bounds>that
they cannot pass" But for uhat has he
determined 20 weeks" upon them? An
swer: "To finish the transgression, [see
Math. xii, 80, and to make an end OF
sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness;
and TO seal up the vision and prophecy, and
| to anoint the Most Holy" All these are
things to be accomplished rithin the 20
weeks-within the time allotted to the Jews
to remain as a nation, and their city TO sur
vive it's ruins. Verse 25: "Know therefore
and understand, that from the going forth Of
the commencement to restore and to build
Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the PRINCE,
shall be seven weeks and threescore and
two weeks" &C.. I must object to your
explanation Of this verse; image 48.) for,
! l. GU make the unto the Messiah" mean,
to the preaching Of John,-whereas it
strikes me, that Simeon thought he had
lived unto Christ, when he took him up in
his arms, and blessed God and said, "mine
eyes hare seen thy salration." 2. You
! divide the 70 weeks into three parts, and say
"seren being employed in building the streets
and walls in troublous times, which is forty
nine years" Now il you begin the 20
weeks right, these forty-nihe gears can
hold out only thirteen,- you begin with
The 7ih o. Artaxcrxes, and we are expressly
told, that in the Goth year Of this king, Ne
hemlah went up, and in So days finished the
, city. 8. You say, "there were sixty-two
weeks, or 434 years, from the building OF
the city, to the preaching Of John" But
I here again l think you are wrong,-for II
? was, according to your own showing, AT
: years from the finishing of the city, to the
: preaching Of John, instead of 434. 4. You
!, have left one division Of the 20 weeks unex
n Alna.. q - Il nr,c