The Commandment by James White

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 14, 1865

"The Commandment."

By James White

THE argument of Bro. Andrews' on the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, needs no commendation from any one, but I can scarcely refrain from expressing the satisfaction with which I have perused it. It possesses a two-fold attraction, from its importance and its clearness.

When "Ptolemy's Canon" was discussed by Stevenson and Thurman in Boston, the Advent Herald said that the "Canon" was triumphantly sustained. As Mr. Thurman argued entirely on the supposed incorrectness of the Canon in his work, to sustain its correctness was to overthrow his theory; but the friends of his theory fell back on Isa. xliv, 28, with the declaration of their belief that Cyrus gave "the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem." This, then, was their last resort—their sole refuge; and, doubtless, to make the first of Cyrus the beginning of the "70 weeks," was the object of Mr. Thurman in attacking the Canon of Ptolemy. The argument of Bro. Andrews' removes this last prop of that error, and makes Mr. Thurman's work as inefficient as a romance.

To every one who examines this point it must be perfectly clear that Cyrus never said "to Jerusalem, thou shalt be built." The decree of Darius was supplementary to that of Cyrus, embracing that and the same object. The decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem as a civil power, also recognized the decree of Cyrus by giving orders respecting the house of God which was built under that decree. And inspiration sums up the whole work as accomplished by the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes.

Our position on the Sanctuary and the 2300 days, the first angel's message, and the judgment work now being fulfilled, depends entirely on the correctness of our chronology, making the seventh of Artaxerxes, B. C. 457, the commencement of the seventy weeks. To establish this fact against the assaults of opposers, is of the very first importance.

Had Mr. Stevenson's vindication of Ptolemy's Canon been published, it could not have fully met the wants of all classes, as it must have been, to a great extent, the statement of scientific research, beyond the reach of many uneducated readers. But the article of Bro. Andrews' removes every difficulty on this important subject, in a manner that all can easily understand. Though it evinces much careful study, it is yet so plain, that, in reading it, we are led to wonder why we did not see the truth it contains before. All who esteem the present truth must feel thankful for the light it sheds on the sacred history, on which our faith in the fulfillment of prophecy rests.

J. H. W.