The great period of 2300 days is beyond controversy the most important, if not the most prominent, prophetic period brought to view in the Scriptures. This period has been a source of infinite perplexity to those who have shut their eyes to the daylight of the 1844 movement, and are endeavoring to make their way through these speculative days of error in the light of the sparks of their own kindling. This period must by some means be adjusted. No Advent theory could so much as claim to be looked at, if so important an item as this was ignored, or even did not occupy a prominent place therein. Hence the scores of conjectures, and the incessant tinkering over this period since 1844. The subject is of course again in connection with the new-time movement of 1868. And what do you imagine, reader, is their starting-point this time, and the reasons they give for it? We will state it as recently advocated through the Voice of the West, by Wm. Sheldon, and argued at length by the editor of the World's Crisis, in a late issue of the latter sheet. In the language of the Crisis it is stated thus: "As the 2300 days cover the entire length of the vision, till we arrive to the point where it may be said, 'the sanctuary' is 'cleansed,' it follows, of course, that the period dates from the first event in the vision. The vision begins with the work of 'the ram;' and his first and principal act is expressed in the following language: 'I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward,' &c. Here, then, a point is found in the vision of Dan. viii, for the commencement of the 2300 days. Eld. Grant will argue that it was the subject of time which Daniel did not understand in his eighth chapter; that it was to explain this point that Gabriel was sent to him as recorded in chapter nine; that the seventy weeks are a part of the 2300 days, and that the two periods commence together. But here the matter ends; for Eld. G. holds that the sixty-two weeks, the seven weeks, &c., are no part of the seventy weeks, but different periods entirely. Hence Dan. ix contains no intimation of the commencement of the seventy weeks, and none, consequently, of the commencement of the 2300 days, for that is determined by the seventy weeks; and so it follows that Gabriel, after all, did not give to Daniel the information which he came to give, namely, concerning the 2300 days; and we are compelled, according to this theory, to fall back into the eighth chapter to find the starting-point for that period. This is a little bad, as it assumes that we are able to ascertain the point in question from premises on which Daniel could not, thus making us wiser than Daniel; and it is also rather hard on the angel Gabriel, by virtually representing that he utterly failed in the ninth chapter to give Daniel the information which he was sent to give him. And further, if all needed information is given in the eighth chapter, Gabriel, on his second visit, instead of introducing seventy weeks, and dropping them before giving either commencement or end, and then introducing three other periods that had nothing to do with the subject, should have told Daniel that he need not have been astonished at the vision, nor so void of understanding on the time; for he should know and understand that the days were to commence from the pushing of the ram west, north, and south. But the angel said no such thing, which is to us good presumptive evidence that the pushing of the ram has no connection with the commencement of the days. But what does this new theory make out the pushing of the ram to be? Is it an act that took place at some specific point of time, so as to furnish a definite commencement for a great prophetic period? Yes, we are told, this pushing was against the children of the Lord, the Jews, scattered through the Persian empire, and took place when the decree went out at the instigation of Haman that all the Jews should perish in one day. Esth. iii, 13. And the reason given for applying the pushing to this decree against the Jews, is because "it is not found that the Medo-Persian empire was ever 'pushing westward, northward, and southward' at any one time, so that no government could stand before it." But does the prophecy say that the pushing of the ram was all done at one time? We find no such idea there. Comic writers, to be sure, have indulged in the hyperbolical expression of a man's running seven ways at once; but we very much doubt whether the prophet saw the ram pushing three ways at once! But let us read the prophecy, Dan. viii, 4: "I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand, but he did according to his will, and became great." If this language does not describe the march of a nation up to the hight of universal empire, there is none in the sacred record which does. But suppose we try to apply this to the decree against the Jews, above referred to. At that time king Ahasuerus ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces. Esth. i, 1. We conclude there had already been some "pushing," on the part of the Medo-Persian empire, else those hundred and twenty-seven provinces extending as far westward as Ethiopia, would not have been brought under its jurisdiction. At this time the Jews were a company of trembling captives scattered through all the provinces of the empire. A decree goes forth for their destruction. Was this the pushing of the ram? Daniel represents as the result of that pushing that none could stand before him, none could deliver out of his hand, he did according to his will, and became great. How was it in case of the Jews? Ans. Through the exertions of Mordecai and Esther, the Jews were given permission to defend themselves. And when the day for the execution of the decree arrived, they did defend themselves, and instead of the Persians' accomplishing their desire upon the Jews, the Jews overcame them with a great triumph! To get over this point, we are told that the king did do according to his "will;" that his will was reversed; and hence the triumph of the Jews over their Persian enemies was the ram doing according to his will! What a subterfuge is this! The laws of the Medes and Persians could not be "reversed." We are assured that they changed not. All that could be done was to let that decree stand, and issue a counter one, permitting the Jews to defend themselves. But the "will" of the empire still stood in the decree for their extermination. And when the day arrived, their enemies "hoped" to have power over them. Esth. ix, 1. But God wrought for the Jews. The fear of them fell upon the people. The fear of Mordecai so fell upon the rulers of the provinces, the lieutenants and deputies, that they helped the Jews, and they obtained a complete victory over their Persian enemies, slaying three hundred men at Shushan, the palace, and seventy and five thousand throughout the empire. Chap. ix, 2, 3, 15, 16. And this, according to the new theory, was in fulfillment of the prophecy that no one could stand before the ram! that no one could deliver out of his hand! This was his doing according to his will! and becoming great!! And this is the commencement of the 2300 days! and—perhaps Heaven knows what next! If anything can exceed the folly of such interpretation, we have yet to see it.