The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-25
The Great Year 1887.


from the Lexington Gazeuel
An article circulating through the news
papers recently processes TO give predictions
| OF Professor Grimmer, OF Kingston, ia.
maica, that the Sar Of Bethlehem, in it,
| periodic revolution OF about thiee hundred
and fifteen years, will reappear rs a bright
! star in 1887, and that the earth will then
undergo cOnvulsions, physical and moral,
with civil strife, notably in North America.
Taking the literal account In the second
chapter OF st. Mathew, it is questionable
whether the star which guided the vie men
OF the East can be identified with any since
appearing. For we are told that Z" the star
went before them till it came and stood over
where The young child was Under ordi-
nary natural laws oly meteor, such as d
comet, could answer t) this description. A
planetary orb might indeed pass apparently
| from the eastern horizon 10 the zenith in the
course OF several months; but such is not
! Professor Grimmer's star, which i located.
aS quasi liked, in the constellation Cassie
pea. Iiersche'> work on astronomy infOimS
us that Sin the years 9i5. 1864. and 1jl2
| brilliant stars appeared in the region OF the
! heavens between CepheuS and Ca>siOpeia
! and from the imperfect account we have OF
! the places OF the two earlier. as compared
with that Of the last, which was well deter
mined. rs well rs from the tolerably near co.
| incidence Of the intervals of their appear
ance, we may suspect them to be one and
the same star, with a period OF about 800,
or, rs GOodricke Supp0Ses. $50 years. The
appearance OF the star of 1872 was so sudden
that Tycho Brake, celebrated Danish as
tronomer. returning one evening 0he 1lth
OF NOyember) from his laboratory 10 his
nxRal limo. bnnSp SlITnriSn1 n t,,l a
group Of country people gazing At star
which he was sure did not exist half am hour
before. This was the star IN question. II
was then a. bright A. Sirius. aud continued
to increase TILL II surpassed Jupiter when
brightest, and was visible at midday. 1t
soon diminished, and in March, 1914. bad
entirely disappeared. Altogether the Scrip.
ture narrative seems irrecOnciabie with Pro-
fessor Grimmer's Star Of Bethlehem.
However, the general idea OF great physi-
cal commissions, at least IN 1887, does not
wear an air Of improbability. Tie magnetic
condition OF the sun is affected by the posi-
tiOn Of the greater planets and by ultra
planetary influences, and each magnetic
change in the sun finds immediate response
in this earth, a. one may learn from Rich
ard ProctOr's "Other Worlds Than Ours"
As to the year 1887 specially, this is not
the first time that IL has been pointed out as
a momentous epoch. In the early part OF
this century there lived in Tennessee an
unpreteniiOuS but learned Presbyterian di.
vine, Abel Person by name. TO his tbco.
logic lore be added no mean attainments in
practical astronomy. He calculated for him
self the astronomical cycles TO determine the
tunes Of the wonders OF the prophet Daniel.
Publishing a work on theology, after the
SOcratic method, which those skilled in
Pauline, Augustinan formula OF faith, pro-
nounce 10 be Of great ability, he appended
thereto a mOdeSl dissertation Oh the inter
pretation Of prophecy. He makes "fbe
cleansing Of the sanctuary" Daniel viii,
14l to commence on April 20, 1913, and says
that the one year in which the plaques came
and overturned the beast was the first year
OF cleansing the sanctuary; that the sane
tuary would be cleansed slowly during the
first thirty prophetic years, from April 10,
1913, but every ear more than the preceding
year; that the l ,290 years OF Daniel xii: ii
lthe davs of Daniel are years.. begin with
be 1900 aud end with the 80 years after
them. Those 80 prophetic wears we're out 4
little before the 1911 day OF November, 1912.
In 45 prophetic years more from that date
the Millennium is TO begin. For the 1885
Yeas of Daniel XII, t., begin with the 1860
and eud 40 years after the 1890, aud - years.
after the 1860. which end the Beasts reign.
The 1860. the 1890 and the 1885 years al be-
gln together, $50 prophetic years after and
from tue SaviOr's death. The Millennium
is TO begin at the end of the 1885 years Ct
Daniel XIl.. II. which will he about the PIN
Of March, 1885, and this will be - prophe-
tic years from April 20th, 1913, during
which period The Sanctuary must~ be
cleaused, slowly for lhe first 80 years, and
much faster for The next 45 prophetic years.
This - years is that curious day that shall
be neither clear nor dark (Zechariah xiv,
so. IL will be kind OF twilight between
the darkness Of the Beasts reign and the
light Of The Millennium. becoming more and
more light aS il comes nearer to HE Aillen-
alum.
Such is Tie brief analysis from another
pen than the resent writer's Of Mr.. Pier
sens views ile is the only Interpreter OF
it is believed, who has fixed
1pon the year 1887 as the milenniai dawn;
and this be did 20 years ago.
A remarkable fact is related OF him.
FOuched for by persons OF great intelligence
as well authenticated. lie identified NapO-
leon the Great in some manner with the
reign Of the Beast, anu predicted his fall at
a specific time. One morning he salnted his |
friends on the street OF his village home |
vita congratulations, because. tk0t day !
81 the tyrant would fan" Wheu sufficient |
IinSe had elapsed for news 10 travel from |
FrzOee 10 Tennessee, II was found that on |
he day designated by Mr.. Pier>0n. Na2o-
eos tbe @ reat had signed his abdcstion at |
siaguiar coincidence shall. we say |
Rather as Thomas Carlyle hath it of That
,ther wonder, Sans Cuotti,m, let us say OF
he historic fact atFontainebleau and OF the
lumbke parSon's yaticnation thereof. "One
hing tAoE magest understand Of il: that IL.
90, caase fro;g God; for has it not been?
from ot old, as it is wg.tien, are His going5
orth; in the srtat Deep Of things; fearfully
nd wOndaTfui new is the beginning: in the
;hirlwind also H. speaks and the wrath O.
len is made to praise Him. But 10 gauge
nd measure Gbis jpmeasutable Thing, and
hat is called 0ec0l<,t for ii. aud reduce it T.
n dead logic fornuls, attempt not. AS
. actually existing son Of TiIbe, look. with
n peakable manifold Interest, oftcnost In | I
leace, at what Time did bring; Herewith !
iKy. instruct, nonrish tbyself, or were il r
IL 10 smuse and crafty thyseif. as 1t is {
ven Ahee." DELTA. +
1.hse Planetary tOUjunciiOB.
Providence Journal, 21stl