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(2 Pet. iii. 8.) If taken in this laft fenfe, it intimates, that the Jews, after remaining excluded from the ordinances of the true religion, and continuing ftrangers to the influences of the Spirit of God for 2000 years, shall immediately, as these end, partake of the Spirit of God, and be admitted to the privileges of his children. The unbelief of the Jewish nation commenced about the time of Chrift's perfonal ministry; and he was confiderably advanced in his perfonal ministry, in the 28th year of the common reckoning, which answers to the 32d year of his age. Their unbelief, therefore, ought to end about A. D. 2028.

SECTION VII.

Time of the Battle of Armageddon.

THE battle of Armageddon moft probably will take place forty years after the conversion of the Jews. My reasons for this opinion are,

First, It requires a confiderable time to collect the allies of the beast. The emiffaries dispatched by the dragon, the beaft, and the falfe prophet, go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the "whole world." Thefe kings must be perfuaded by lying wonders," Rev. xvi. 14. 16.

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After they are perfuaded severally, it requires time to concert together, and to bring up their forces to the place of Armageddon.

Secondly, It requires time on the other hand, to inftruct the Jewish church, after their converfion, and previous to their fettlement in Judea, when they are to be the model of the several Chriftian churches fpread over the earth.

Thirdly, I fuppofe these words of the prophet Micah to be applicable to the period which elapfes betwixt the converfion of the Jews, and their settlement in the promised land." Accord

ing to the days of thy coming out of the land "of Egypt will I fhew unto him marvellous "things," (Mic. vii. 15.) As the days alluded to were forty years, and the Jews are again fettled in Judea, in confequence of the battle of Armageddon, I conclude, that the like number of years shall run betwixt their conversion and the time in which the battle is fought. By adding therefore forty to the year 2028, we have 2068, as the year in which the battle shall be fought.

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SECTION VIII.

Time in which the Millennium begins.

THE Jews take poffeffion of the land given their fathers, in confequence of the victory obtained in the battle of Armageddon: But wars follow, in order to deftroy the fyftem of Babylon, and fubdue the remaining power of the kings who fupported it. I fuppose these wars take up five years, which, in conjunction with the former forty, make up the number 1335. At the end of which the Millennium begins, (Dan. xii. 12.); that is 45 years after the converfion of the Jews; 75 years after the close of the 1260 years of Antichrift's reign, or the fall of the Pope's temporal fovereignty; and 1335 prophetic years from the commencement of his reign, in the year 756. At that period the Church being triumphant over the world, and peace univerfally established, the spirit of prophecy begins to reckon the Millennium, A. D. 2073; or, in regard the odd days and hours by which the civil year exceeds the prophetic, amount in 75 years to one whole year, by deducting these, the Millennium will commence A. D. 2072.

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SECTION IX.

Time in which Gog appears.

THE duration of the Millennium is limited to a thousand years, fix feveral times, in the zoth chapter of the Revelation, which induces me to confider it as a definite number. Again, I underftand the number in its plain literal meaning; for though there are obvious reasons for concealing by myftic numbers, a long period of calamity, fuch as that in which Antichrift reigns, thefe cannot apply to a period of confolation, fuch as the Millennium is reprefented to be. The length of the period rather increafes, than diminishes the confolation promised. Further, as the period is meafüred by years only, not by months or days, I take the number to fignify fo many civil, not prophetic years. So the Millennium will end A. D. 3072. A fhort time after the clofe of the Millennium, Gog appears. The exact year I pretend not to determine. At the end of the Millennium, Satan is loofed out of his "prifon, and goes out to deceive the nations," Rev. xx. 7, 8. But fome years will be necessary to give fuccefs to his delufions; and after his artifice has fucceeded, fome years more will be neceffary to collect forces from the "four quar"ters of the earth," to invade the Church.

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After the deftruction of Gog and his army, no event of importance occurs, till the laff judg ment. The whole period that elapfes, from the end of the Millennium to the day of judgment, is exprefsly called "a little feafon," (Rev. xx. 3.) But it may be fo called abfolutely, as including only a few years; or comparatively with the period that preceded it, and fo may include a few centuries. Thus the feventh head of the beaft is faid to continue "a fhort fpace," (Rev. xvii. 10.) that is, compared with the fixth head, though it continued near two centuries.

But the exact number of years that intervened, either betwixt the end of the Millennium and the day of judgment, or betwixt the deftruction of Gog and the day of judgment, I know not; and no number has occurred to me, in the prophecies, by which to discover it! with fatisfying conviction. It would appear that God has been pleased to conceal the length of this last period, to keep the Church watchful, looking

(1) We are told, Ezek. xxxix. 12, and 14. that the people of Ifrael were "feven months" burying the bones of Gog's army. I have no doubt but the perfon mentioned by the prophet, is the fame introduced by the apostle at the clofe of the Millennium; and it is obvious, that burying the bones must be taken in a spiritual, not a literal fenfe. Perhaps, therefore, the feven months

may

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