CHAPTER IV.

CYCLICAL CHARACTER OF THE MUNDANE TIMES.

1. The Revolutions of the Heavenly bodies appointed for Cycles—Origin of the cycles of the year and the month—The subject of Enoch’s prophecy—Mr. Cuninghame’s discovery of the cycle from the Creation to the Era of Redemption—Scriptural Cycles of frequent occurrence—The numbers of Jubilee and of Pentecost—of Pilgrimage and Persecution—of Omnipotence, glory, and wisdom; and of mystery, vengeance, and forgiveness—The prophetic numbers of Daniel—Discovery of their connection with the Higher Cycles of Astronomy, by M. de Chesaux and Mr. Cuninghame

The true system of chronology receives its grandest confirmation from the cyclical character of the times appointed by (ὁ πατηρ τῶν ἀιῶνων) the Father of the ages. In Genesis i. 14, the word of God created two luminaries in the firmament of Heaven, for giving light upon the earth, and for separating day and night; and, _for signs, and times, and days and years_! Thus early were the phenomena of the sun and moon appointed to indicate the arrangements of Divine providence, as well as to regulate the ordinary periods of time. Before man, however, could understand the nature of these periods as they were gradually unfolded by the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, or by the still higher cycles of prophecy which were afterwards revealed to God’s chosen people, the _natural_ division of the day, and the _sacred_ division of the week were appointed for his observance. The origin of the year is considered by the learned as involved in obscurity; but we think there is a striking indication of its length in the life of Enoch. This favoured Patriarch lived a year of years on earth, that is, a year of 365 prophetic days; and he himself was a prophet, who, by the Spirit of God, was enabled to see far into the womb of futurity. It is also very remarkable that, according to Mr. Cuninghame’s singular discoveries, the birth of Him, who was the great subject of Enoch’s prophecy, took place at a period of _fifteen_ years of years, or _fifteen_ years of prophetic days from the creation! The origin of the month is referable to the same age; for we recognize the month of _thirty_ days in the account of the year of the Deluge; and, a period of four prophetic months, or 120 prophetic days, is visible in the 120 years of grace before that awful catastrophe. The sacred period of _seven_ days also assumed a prophetic character. In Pharaoh’s dream, the _seven_ years of plenty, and the _seven_ years of famine, were vividly depicted. After _seven_ days previous warning, the Diluvian rain descended in torrents for _forty_ days. After Jericho was encompassed _seven_ days, the last day _seven_ times, by _seven_ priests with _seven_ trumpets, the walls were levelled with the ground. The number _forty_ is prophetic; the Israelites wandered _forty_ prophetic days, that is, _forty_ years, in the wilderness; Moses was in the mount _forty_ days; and, Christ was tempted _forty_ days. In _forty_ days, Nineveh was to be destroyed; Christ was seen of his disciples _forty_ days after his resurrection; and, in _forty_ years, after his baptism, was Jerusalem destroyed. The number of _seven_ days and _seven_ years, with their multiples and higher powers, perpetually recur in the Mosaic institutes; and the period of _seven_ times _seven_, or _forty-nine_ days and _forty-nine_ years, is particularly signalized in the feasts of the Jews. Balaam, who knew the sacredness of the number _seven_, in the divine institutions, at _three_ different times and places, built _seven_ altars, and slew _seven_ oxen and _seven_ rams, in order to propitiate the favour of God. In the land of Canaan, _seven_ nations were destroyed in _seven_ years. Solomon’s temple was _seven_ years in building, and in 430 years after the celebration of the first passover within its walls, it was destroyed. The latter number, as we have seen, is highly prophetic, corresponding to the 430 prophetic days of Ezekiel, and having a mysterious reference to the 430 years of promise to Abraham, the 430 years of Gentile persecution, and the _three_ times 430 days, or 1,290 years of Daniel. But time would fail us to speak of the _seven_ spirits of God, the _seven_ eyes, the _seven_ lamps, the _seven_ stars, the _seven_ golden lamp-stands, the _seven_ churches, the _seven_ angels, the _seven_ seals, the _seven_ vials, the _seven_ plagues, the _seven_ heads, the _seven_ crowns, the _seven_ mountains, and the _seven_ kings; the _seven_ times, yea and the _seventy_ times _seven_—the perfect numbers of omnipotence, glory and wisdom; and, of mystery, vengeance and forgiveness!

We have already seen the prophetic nature of Daniel’s _seventy_ weeks, and it now only remains to notice his other prophetic periods. In Dan. xii. 14, mention is made of “a time, times and half a time,” which should be accomplished, before the wonders he had seen should come to an end. This period is clearly shown by writers on the prophecies, to signify _three and a-half_ prophetic years, _forty-two_ prophetic months, or 1260 prophetic days; and this view is confirmed by the mention of 1290 and 1335 prophetic days, in the context. Again, in Dan. viii. 14, we read of 2300 prophetic days, after the lapse of which, “the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” That these periods are all connected with each other, and that they each signify so many years, has been long known and generally admitted; but, that they are connected with the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, appears to be but a very recent discovery! Mr. Birks, of Trinity College, Cambridge, in his “Elements of Prophecy,” just published, has very properly remarked, in p. 368, that, “It seems to have been first unfolded by M. de Chesaux, a French writer, purely as a curiosity of science; but it is Mr. Cuninghame who has revived attention to this interesting topic.” The fact is, that the original work of M. de Chesaux might have lain for ever on the shelves of the library of the University of Lausanne, had not Mr. Cuninghame searched it out with his wonted industry, and republished the author’s discovery anew in his work on the “Jubilean Chronology.” We shall endeavour to give our readers some idea of this curious discovery.

2. Lengths of the tropical year and the synodical period of the moon, according to Sir John Herschel—Application of the method of _continued fractions_ to the determination of their approximating ratios—Various lunisolar cycles—The Octaëteris of the Greeks—The cycle of nineteen discovered by Meton, but probably known to the Hebrews—The period of Calippus—Proof that the numbers of Daniel are lunisolar cycles—Remarks of Mr. Birks in his “Elements of Prophecy”—Observations of Mr. Cuninghame in his “Scientific Chronology”—Proof that the prophetic month and the jubilean period are lunisolar cycles.

The latest determinations of the lengths of the tropical year, and the lunar month, or synodical period of the moon, are, according to Sir John Herschel, 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 49·7 seconds; and 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 2·87 seconds. “Astronomy,” pp. 205, 224. By the method of _Continued Fractions_,[34] we find that the continually approximating ratios of these periods are represented by the following series of fractions:

Numbers, (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) Ratios, ¹⁄₁₂, ²⁄₂₅, ³⁄₃₇, ⁸⁄₉₉, ¹¹⁄₁₃₆, ¹⁹⁄₂₃₅, ³³⁴⁄₄₁₃₁, ³⁵³⁄₄₃₃₆, ⁶⁸⁷⁄₈₄₉₇, &c.

where the numerators represent the numbers of years, and the denominators the numbers of lunations, necessary to bring the sun and moon again into the same relative position, very nearly at the same point of time in the tropical year. Of these ratios, some have been long known; the _fourth_ is the Greek cycle called _Octaëteris_, discovered B.C. 600, and is a very rude approximation: the _sixth_ is the famous cycle re-discovered by _Meton_ B.C. 432, but probably known to the Hebrews from the earliest ages, as the lives of Seth, Methuselah and Noah are exact multiples of this cycle, as well as the _Antediluvian age_ itself, and is a remarkably near approximation to the truth; _four times_ this ratio gives the period of _Calippus_, which was rectified by the omission of _one_ day in _seventy-six_ years. These approximations, however, are much inferior in accuracy to the higher terms of the series; from which, in fact, any number of approximate ratios may be deduced by the following principle:—If a series of fractions be all equal to each other, the sum or difference of the numerators and denominators of any pair will constitute a new fraction equal to each; and the same is true of fractions whose numerators and denominators are equi-multiples of those of any of the given or derived fractions. Hence, from the terms of the preceding series, we derive the following additional ratios, whose degree of approximation, of course, depends on that of the fractions of which they are composed. From the _eighth_ and _ninth_ ratios, by addition, we obtain the ratio ¹⁰⁴⁰⁄₁₂₈₆₃, which is so remarkably correct, that the approximation is within about _three-quarters of an hour_ of the truth. From the _sixth_ and _seventh_ ratios, by subtraction, we obtain, the ratio ³¹⁵⁄₃₈₉₆ = ¹²⁶⁰⁄₁₅₅₈₄, which shows that the prophetic period of 1260 years is a scientific lunisolar cycle. From the two new ratios thus obtained, by addition, we have a third new ratio ²³⁰⁰⁄₂₈₄₄₇, which proves that the prophetic period of 2300 years is another scientific cycle, in which the approximation is nearly _twelve hours_.

Mr. Birks, in his “Elements of Prophecy,” pp. 368–372, distinctly acknowledges the “Cyclical character of the Prophetic Times,” and gives the numerators of the above series of ratios. He adds a very ingenious explanation of these cycles, and remarks that, “the highest prophetic period, 2300 years, is perhaps the only _secular_ cycle, composed of centuries, known to exist!” The _secular_ cycle of 5200, though not, as far as we are aware, a prophetic period, is “composed of centuries;” and being _five times_ the cycle of 1040 years, is so close an approximation to the truth, that it is within about 3¾ hours, and is therefore considerably more accurate than the cycle of 2300 years! What then does Mr. Birks mean in this passage? Perhaps the following sentence from Mr. Cuninghame’s “Scientific Chronology of the year 1839,” will supply the answer: “Moreover, 2300 years is the only centurial number, which is an original cycle in astronomy; for though we have a cycle of 5200 years, it is only as the multiple of the perfect one of 1040 by 5.” From the _fifth_ and _sixth_ ratios in the series, we obtain those of ³⁰⁄₃₇₁ and ⁴⁹⁄₆₀₆, which shows that _thirty_ years, the prophetic month, and _forty-nine_ years, the jubilean period, are also scientific cycles, but not possessing such close approximation to the truth as the larger cycles. In the same way, it may be easily proved, that the periods of 1290 years and 1078 years are scientific cycles; the former being _three times_ the prophetic period of pilgrimage and trial, namely 430 years, which is also a cycle of an inferior degree of approximation; and the latter being exactly _twenty-two_ jubilees.[35]