LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
By G. H. Bell
LESSON XIX.—THE TERMINATION OF THE 2300 DAYS.
1. When did the seventy weeks begin? 2. What proof have we of this? 3. How may we know that the beginning of the seventy weeks is the beginning of the 2300 days? 4. How can you show that the seventy weeks constituted the first part of the 2300 days? 5. When did the 2300 days begin? 6. What apparent error is there in this reckoning? 7. How can you show the reckoning to be correct? 8. How do we know that this mode of reckoning is correct? 9. What was the prediction in regard to the building and restoration of Jerusalem? 10. How was this prediction fulfilled? 11. What was predicted concerning the coming of Christ? 12. How was it fulfilled? 13. What leads to the conclusion that the sixty-nine weeks were to reach to the baptism, instead of the birth, of Christ? 14. What prediction was made in regard to the crucifixion of our Saviour? 15. How was this fulfilled? 16. What events marked the termination of the seventy weeks? 17. When did the seventy weeks terminate? 18. Explain your mode of reckoning. 19. At the close of the seventy weeks, how much would still remain of the 2300 days? 20. 1810 years from the autumn of A. D. 34, would reach to what date? 21. What do these considerations enable us to know? We have seen that the seventy weeks begun in the autumn of the year 457 B. C. The seventy weeks constituted the first part of the 2300 days; so the beginning of the seventy weeks was the beginning of the 2300 days. 2300 years from the autumn of B. C. 457 would reach to the autumn of A. D. 1844. At first thought, this reckoning seems to be wrong; for 457 added to 1844 makes 2301. But the Jewish year began with April, and in the autumn of B. C. 457 about one-half of that year had passed, leaving only 456½ years before Christ. This taken from 2300 shows that it would require 1843½ years to complete the 2300. This would reach to the autumn of A. D. 1844. We know that this mode of reckoning is correct by the fulfillment of the prophecy in regard to the events of the seventy weeks. The work of building and restoring Jerusalem was completed in the fifteenth year of Darius Nothus, B. C. 408, just seven weeks (49 years) from the autumn of B. C. 457. Just sixty-two weeks (434 years) later, Christ, at his baptism, was anointed with the Holy Ghost, and began to preach the gospel of his kingdom. Three and a half years later he was crucified,—cut off in the midst of the seventieth week. Three and a half years after the crucifixion, the Jewish Sanhedrim formally rejected Christ; Stephen the martyr was put to death; and Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles, was converted and commissioned for his work. This brings us to the autumn of A. D. 34; for taking 456½ years before Christ from 490, it would require 33½ years after Christ to complete the seventy weeks; and 33½ years after Christ would reach to the autumn of A. D. 34. 490 taken from 2300 shows that the 2300 days would extend 1810 years after the close of the seventy weeks; and 1810 added to A. D. 34 makes 1844, the same as in our former reckoning. By this consideration of the angel’s explanation of Dan. 8:14, we are enabled to know to a certainty that the cleansing of the sanctuary must have begun in the autumn of A. D. 1844. What is meant by the cleansing of the sanctuary must be considered hereafter.