TO CORRESPONDENTS

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 25, 1879

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

40.—THE 2300 DAYS.

An Episcopalian minister here [Lindleytown, N. Y.] who claims to be a Hebrew scholar, in an opposition discourse on the Sabbath question, referred to our view of Dan. 8:14, and remarked with a great flourish of triumph that there was nothing in the original answering to two thousand, but that it was simply three hundred evening morning. In a private conversation he admitted that there was a word in the original answering to the numeral two, but that the first shade of the meaning of the next word, or the word to which it relates, was that of ox or cow, the next myriads, and then came the words three hundred evening morning. Will you give a criticism on this point? J. W. K.

Ans. We are surprised at the modesty of that minister's claim; for if a person takes the liberty to deny that the words two thousand are in the text, we do not see why he should not deny that the words three hundred are there; in fact we do not see why he should not deny that the text itself is there; for he might just as well deny the one as the other. We have long wondered where the denials of our opponents would stop. Each one denies the point best suiting his purpose; and if we put them all together, we have a clean sweep of most of the important doctrines of the Bible.

As to Dan. 8:14, such commentators as Clarke, Scott, Henry, Jenkins, Bagster and Cobbins, give us no intimation that the words two thousand are wanting in the text, but comment upon them just as though they were there. We know of no commentator who omits them. Secondly, we know of no writer on chronology who omits them. Such writers as Hales, Bliss, Archbishop Usher, etc., recognize them as a part of the text. We have never before heard the suggestion by any one that those words were wanting in the text. Thirdly, we turn to the Septuagint version on this text, and there we find the word δισχίλιαι, two thousand. We turn to the Englishman's Hebrew Concordance, and there find the word אֶלֶף, eh-leph, thousand, and Dan. 8:14 cited as an instance of its use. We turn to Bagster's Hebrew Lexicon and find the word and its definition as follows: “אֶלֶף m., a thousand; dual אַלְפַּיִם two thousand; pl. אֲלָפִים thousands.” We turn to the Hebrew Bible, and there we find the word, not in the singular or plural number, but in the dual number as given above, meaning two thousand, no more, no less!

As to our friend's ox definition, he would give us a sublime rendering, would he not? “Unto two oxen and three hundred days.” But some men are seemingly willing to make nonsense of any part of God's word, if they think they can thereby make a point against Adventism. It is true that the word in a certain form means oxen; but how it has come to have this meaning the lexicons tell us so plainly that no one need go astray in the matter. Thus Gesenius gives the word אלף, and defines thus: “To join together, to associate; whence אלף a thousand, a family; kindred senses are: to be accustomed, wonted, to learn. Hence אלוף, אלף ox.”

Gesenius further says that this word meaning oxen is found only in the plural. The singular is found only in the name of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, aleph. But, as we have seen, the word in Dan. 8:14 is neither singular nor plural, but dual, meaning two thousand. The word first means a thousand; a derived definition bringing out a kindred sense gives to the word in a particular form the meaning of oxen. But any criticism that would try to make out that the word is not found in Dan. 8:14, or that it there means an ox or cow, is a fraud.

41.—JEREMIAH 3:16.

Please explain Jer. 3:16, which reads: “And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.” J. S. T.

Ans. The next verse says that Jerusalem shall be called “the throne of the Lord; and all nations shall be gathered into it.” Commentators endeavor to apply this to the Christian dispensation. But it evidently refers to the future; for all nations are not gathered into any Jerusalem now. We do read of a time, however, when all nations, “the nations of the saved,” shall walk in the light of the New Jerusalem, when it shall have been established here upon earth. Rev. 21:24. Again, the time never comes in this dispensation when we are not to think upon the ark of the covenant; for under the sounding of the last one of the seven trumpets, the “temple of God is opened in Heaven and there is seen in his temple the ark of his testament,” or covenant. But in the future new city John saw no temple. Rev. 21:22. For all mediatorial service such as has been, and is still, connected with the ark of the covenant, will forever have passed away. The expression, “when ye be multiplied and increased,” doubtless refers to the completing of the number of those who are to be saved.