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Here it was that he most departed from Bengel; as also contradicted his own former opinion, which was, that after the end of the millennial reign, there will be a period of about 164 years, for the war with Gog and Magog; not to mention, that the more his own longing desire for the kingdom of God led him to speak of its arrival as close at hand, the more he thus exposed his system to objections. Doubtless, he would have done better, had he contrived to add nothing more to Bengel's system than what we first mentioned; and had he deduced from thence alone all those forcible, encouraging, and edifying admonitions which he addressed to men's hearts and consciences, at a season of such peculiar exposure to the infection of infidel and revolutionary mania; or if, adopting Pfeiffer's view of the subject, he had considered the revolutionary times to have been foretold in ch. vi. 12-17, which he might easily have done, in strict accordance with his own method of interpretation. (See his "Triumphs of Christianity," p. 209.)

A middle way between Bengel and Stilling was lately tried by the Rev. Fred. Sander, pastor of Wichlingshausen, near Elberfeld, in his work entitled, "An Attempt at Exposition of the Revelation of St. John;" (Stuttg. pub. by J. F. Steinkopf, 1829.) This writer accords with Stilling that the messages to the seven churches foreshow seven periods of church history, but he rejects the notion of a second millennium; and leaving the general system of apocalyptic periods as Bengel had settled it, he briefly states his opinion that the number 666, the duration of the papal power, commenced in the reign of Pope Alexander III., and in that year of his reign when his title became generally acknowledged, namely, A. D. 1177; and that it lasts to A. D. 1843; consequently, that the millennial kingdom may be expected to commence in A. D. 1847, and not before.

He further shows, by what appears to be clear argument, that, considering the present condition of the world, with reference to things ecclesiastical and spiritual, the great change predicted in Scripture must certainly be very near.

One part of Bengel's system was explained in a peculiar manner, by Pastor Friederick, of Wingerhausen.* It was his opinion, that many prophecies of the Old Testament, which are

* This was in an anonymous work, which does not even state where it was printed, but which passed through several editions. It is entitled, "A Look into the Times of Antichrist, which was obtained through Scripture Prophecy, in the year 1800, by, and for the benefit of, the faith and hope of the people of God."

supposed to have been spiritually fulfilled by our Saviour's first coming, refer to a second coming of Christ, just before the beginning of the millennium; and will then be literally fulfilled. His treatise, therefore, relates chiefly to the restoration of the Jews, the establishment of their worship at Jerusalem, and the great blessing which will then be found in the midst of them. Here he decidedly differs from Bengel, who considered that the land of Canaan will, just before the millennium, be no place of refuge, but a very theatre of the severest tribulation; and who did not expect the conversion of the Jews, till after a great earthquake shall have befallen Jerusalem. Friederick further differed from Bengel in practical application; for he says (p. 9), “ Whoever would escape from the darkness (of Europe, &c.), let him follow the two candlesticks, and the light they bear; for where can the church at such a period stand more securely, or more full of light and spirit, than in the land of Canaan, under the government and priesthood of the two witnesses? When, therefore, antichristian ordinances and constitutions shall be set up in European countries, when Babylon itself begins to republicanize, and even to enforce its new constitutions, let men withdraw from such antichristian countries, and not be dazzled by promises of liberty, or the like, so as to stay any longer among them; but let them withdraw, as soon as ever the Lord opens the door, into the land of Israel. But while the lesser Asia, Syria, and Canaan, remain under the Turkish yoke, we have no authority from scripture prophecy to go thither, neither will it be practicable or advisable."

All this is quite contradictory to Bengel, who considered that in Germany the antichristian troubles will be but as a rivulet to the aggregate of their mighty stream; that men will not be able to find earthly refuge anywhere; and that, in seeking it, they may run directly into the midst of the tribulation; that the kings of the East, in particular, by marching toward the Holy Land, will enter blindfold into the midst of the plagues, &c. Neither does Bengel's system at all countenance Friederick's notions concerning Palestine; but it admits that the Jews have reason to expect speedy re-establishment there.

Finally, in confirmation of Bengel's surmise, that "the correct period may, after all, be ascertained upon false principles," (or upon principles which would appear false according to his system,) it may be observed, that the writings of Ph. F. Leutwein,

*

M. A.; those of Augustus Friedmann Rühle von Lilienstern, (in his "Discovery of the very near Appearance of the Personal Antichrist,"-Frankf. 1820,) and several similar writings of others, all quite differing from Bengel in their mode of computation, accord with him in expecting that between a. D. 1830 and 1840, Antichrist will practise his misrule.

"The Nearness of the General Temptation," Tübingen, 1821. "The Beast that was, and is not." Lewisb., 1825.

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In this little volume Bengel attempted to show that there was a real coherence in his progressive scale of apocalyptical periods. As 1 period (chronus) in this scale, amounts to 1111 years, and as he had adopted the conclusion of astronomers in his time, that the mean tropical year consisted of 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds, he inferred that after 252 apocalyptical periods, that is, 252 times 1111 years, or 280,000 years, a cycle of the solar system would be completed; in other words, all the planets would then have returned to the same relative positions to one another and to the fixed stars, from which they set out at the creation. And he conceived, that hereby the calculations of astronomy were verified in a manner which had never before been noticed.* But as more recent astronomers have found the mean tropical year to be 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 44 seconds, † Bengel's cycle can no longer be maintained. He himself, however, was far from insisting upon it as proof, and earnestly invited others to give him their opinion of it; though none ventured to do so. The work is now only of use to show his unwearied diligence upon any subject which he deemed serviceable to the cause of truth: it is also an instance of his great acuteness. Could it have been confirmed by the latest astronomical calculations, it would have very strongly supported his system of apocalyptical chronology; though the two things are not so necessarily connected, as to stand or fall together.

* See also the work of John Gotthold Böhmer, chief assistant minister of St. Peter's, Budissin. It is entitled, " Dr John Albert Bengel's Cyclus; or particular Reflections on the great Year of the Universe." Leipsic; by Ulr. Christ. Saalbach, 1773. Also Privy Councillor "Fein's Introduction" (already mentioned,) chronological part, pp. 135-152, &c. Likewise Stilling's Appendix to "The Triumphs of Christianity," pp. 51-58.

+ Bonnycastle, (in his “Astronomy," 7th edit. 1816), states the tropical year at 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds. Sir John Herschel, in his recent and celebrated work on Astronomy, states it to be 365 days, 5 hours, 49.7 seconds. Here then is still a variation worthy of notice; and deviating less widely from Bengel's datum.-TR.

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CHAPTER XI.

HIS CONTROVERSIAL WRITINGS UPON APOCALYPTICAL

CHRONOLOGY.

I. His "Age of the World," was not (he says,) to be considered as a translation of his "Ordo Temporum." Though some things are repeated from it rather copiously, and others briefly, yet much is entirely new. Neither was his "Age of the World" intended to be a complete refutation of every objection raised by learned persons against his "Ordo Temporum." But it takes occasion, from their objections, to set controverted points in a clearer light. It is in seven chapters. The first discusses the importance of that historical and prophetical line of chronology which pervades the Old and New Testament. Among a variety of matters which we have already adverted to, the work has the following additional thoughts:

"The particular dates mentioned in Scripture, if we look at them merely apart, may seem at first like something we could dispense with; but if we trace them by the clew which Scripture itself furnishes, we find a connected series of proportionate periods conducting us towards their ultimate object, the day of Christ. It is only when we keep close to this method of tracing them, that we perceive why many an important event has no date affixed to it, while others of less importance are accurately dated. All this was evidently from design; and that design was to continue the line of chronology. In like manner, the pervading appearance of this line is one noble proof of the internal, intimate, and indivisible connexion of the Old and New Testament,-à proof which may especially be adduced in refutation of Jewish infidelity."

The second chapter treats of the periods of the world, from the creation to the kings of Persia; and contains a train of argument to prove, that Dean Kohlreiff's computation gives 567 years too

many.

The third relates to the middle periods; and notices the

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