CHAPTER V.

DISCOVERY OF NEW MUNDANE CYCLES.

1. Mr. Cuninghame’s discovery of the mystical signification of the Seventy years’ Captivity—Its connection with the Era of the French Revolution—Confirmed by the sentiments of the modern Jews—Prediction of Rabbi Joseph Crool—Prediction in the Hebrew Tract, “Explanation of the Times,” published in 1794—The latter prediction not fulfilled—Hope concerning Israel.

Besides developing the original views of M. de Chesaux, and applying them in a very remarkable manner to the great epochs of the Septuagint chronology, Mr. Cuninghame has suggested and confirmed the important discovery, that the period of seventy years’ captivity in Babylon “has a mystical signification,” as well as a literal one, “and probably represents the whole period of the captivities and dispersions of Judah, until the final redemption of the nation.”[36] He has more fully developed his ideas on this subject, in his “Chronology of Israel,” and in his “Fulness of the Times;” in which he shows, that the mystical interpretation is a period of _seventy_ jubilees, or 3430 years in Spiritual Babylon, at the expiration of which “the Redemption of Israel draweth nigh.” Reckoning this period to commence at the epoch of the first Redemption of Israel, the Exodus from Egypt, he finds that it terminates at the era of the French Revolution, A. D. 1792. This opinion is strongly confirmed by the sentiments of the modern Jews. Thus, in a book entitled “_The Restoration of Israel_,” published in 1812, by Rabbi Joseph Crool, Teacher of Hebrew, in the University of Cambridge, the author says, p. 59, “By this calculation we may learn that the _Jubilee_ of the Restoration of Israel has begun already these _twenty_ years back, that is, just when the Revolution began in France; at that very time, the seventy jubilees were at an end.” The following is still more curious, p. 60:—“There are yet _thirty-six_ years to the end of the Jubilee of Israel, _and before the end of these thirty-six years, Israel will be restored, and the Messiah will take possession of his empire_;” that is, in A. D. 1848! Mr. Cuninghame, in his “Chronology of Israel,” p. 69, refers to a Hebrew tract, published in 1794, entitled “Explanation of the Times,” in which the Advent of the Messiah is placed at the end of 112 jubilees from Creation, an epoch which, according to the true chronology, was A.M. 5488, and corresponded exactly to the _fourteenth_ year of Christ, when, according to the law, he first appeared in his own person in the Temple, and was no longer a child. It is also worthy of remark, that, if this period be reckoned according to the curtailed system of Jewish chronology,—which is even shorter than that of the modern Hebrew text, placing the birth of Christ in A. M. 3760,—the advent of their Messiah was expected in A. M. 5600, that is, according to them, in A. D. 1840! The Jews, in this calculation, erroneously reckon the Jubilee at _fifty_ years instead of _forty-nine_; for 50 multiplied by 112, gives the product 5600. The epoch being now past, which, according to the latter computation was to be the era of their Redemption, let us hope that they will no longer look for the _first advent_ of the Messiah, seeing that it has long since taken place; but that, embracing the religion of the New Testament, which is virtually the same as that of the Old, they will turn with their whole heart to seek “the angel of Jehovah’s presence, who saved them;” who, “in his love and pity redeemed them;” and, who “bare them and carried them all the days of old.”

2. Mr. Cuninghame’s discovery of seven streams of time, of seventy jubilees each, in the true system of chronology—This test wholly inapplicable to any other system—His discovery of five streams of time of different jubilean periods—Utility of his “Fulness of the Times,” where these discoveries are developed—Notice of his more recent works.

Mr. Cuninghame proves that the periods of all the great eras in the history of the Israelites and Jews, are measured by great jubilean and astronomical cycles. In his “Fulness of the Times,” he demonstrates the existence of _seven_ streams of jubilean time from the era of the Exodus and establishment in Canaan, each containing a period of seventy jubilees, in the true system of chronology; and that these seven streams are marked at their beginning and end, and at several intermediate points, by great eras in history. He shows also that all other schemes of chronology, particularly those of Usher, Hales, and the Jewish Rabbis, cannot stand this test of accuracy and perfection, and consequently, none of them can be the true system. To these great streams of jubilean time, he adds other five streams, consisting of different periods of jubilees, which he has discovered in the true system, all marked, in like manner, by remarkable historical events. In the course of his laborious investigations, in order to establish these general streams of cyclical time, he touches on many interesting and disputed facts both in sacred and profane history, which renders the work a complete storehouse of information on chronological questions; while the Supplements, Prefaces, Dissertations, and Appendixes, to which we had such frequent occasion to refer, partake so much of the same general character, as to make it a work of universal reference. In the general preface to the second edition, the author announced some new discoveries in regard to the cyclical character of the mundane times. These he has more fully developed and applied with the most extraordinary industry and ingenuity, in the following recent works:—“The Scientific Chronology of the year 1839;” “A Supplement to” the preceding work, “comprising the Arithmetical Solution, and Chronological Application of the Number 666;” “The Season of the End;” “A Chart of Sacred Chronology,” with an “Essay to accompany” it; “A Dissertation on the Apocalypse,” with “A Supplement in two Parts:—I. On the Scientific Chronology, as a Test of Apocalyptical Interpretation;—II. On the Scientific character of the Great Numbers of Daniel;” also “A Discourse on the Scientific Measures of the Mundane Times, and the Reasons for the Greek Chronology;” and, “A Table of the Greek and Hebrew Chronologies from Creation to the end of the Jewish War,” 4th Edition. We shall now endeavour to give a short notice of these discoveries.

3. Various cycles which enter into the true system of chronology—Mr. Cuninghame’s discovery of the _trinal fraction_—Its explanation and application by an Algebraic formula—Original form in which it was discovered—Its superiority to the formulæ of the _figurate numbers_—Remarkable instance of its application to Scriptural and other numbers, and to lunar and solar cyclical numbers—Mr. Cuninghame’s definition of the trinal fraction the most correct—The series deduced from its formula possesses curious properties.

It has been already shown that according to the will of Him, who (τοὺς ἀιῶνας ἐποίησεν) _constructed the ages_, the septenary cycle, with its multiples and higher powers, and the lunisolar cycles, with their sums, differences and multiples, including the Metonic, the Jubilean, the Prophetic and the Secular, enter into the structure of the true chronology. To these, Mr. Cuninghame adds the Duodenary cycle, and its multiples and higher powers; the Undenary cycle, which is also Lunisolar; the Quinary cycle, which is indicated no less than _four_ times in the formation of man; and the _Trinal fraction_, which alone seems to require explanation. The author was led by circumstances detailed in “The Scientific Chronology” pp. 5–8, to give the name of “Trinal fraction” to the general term of a series of numbers of which each is composed of the root, its square, and unity, that is, in Algebraic language, _n_^2 + _n_ + 1; an expression, in which _n_ may be zero, unity, or any whole number whatever, and giving, by the substitution of 0, 1, 2, 3, &c. as roots, the series itself, namely, 1, 3, 7, 13, 21, 31, 43, 57, 73, &c. To the discovery of this series, as _new in mathematics_, of course, he makes no claim; because, a mere tyro in that science could write out a hundred such in as many minutes; see “Dissertation on the Apocalypse,” fourth edition, pp. 522, 523; but, to the discovery of its application to the cyclical character of the mundane times, he has a decided claim, and we think he has fully substantiated it by a reference to chronological facts.

As to the formula itself, its most general form is (_n_^3 + _n_^2 + _n_)/(_n_) as originally discovered by the author; and in this form it is manifestly more simple and general than any of the formulæ of the _figurate numbers_; for, if _n_ be taken equal to zero, in any of the latter, the value of the vanishing fraction is always equal to _zero_; but, in the former, it is equal to _unity_, the first term of the series, and the basis of all numerical calculation. Let us take some other examples of its application: the _sacred_ number 3, is the trinal fraction of unity, and although it includes the higher powers of the root, is only the sum of _three_ units, mysteriously indicating a trinity in unity. The _sacred_ number 7, is the trinal fraction of 2, which is the basis of the binary system of numeration so natural to man. The number 13, is the trinal fraction of 3, and is a lunisolar cycle of years, the hebdomadal measure of the seasons of the year, and the actual number of the tribes of Israel. The number 21 is the trinal fraction of 4, and the product of the sacred numbers 3 and 7, the trinal fractions of 1 and 2. The number 31, is the trinal fraction of 5, the basis of the Quinary scale so incorporated with the human frame, and is the measure of the life of the _first man_. The number 57, is the trinal fraction of the sacred number 7, and three times the Metonic cycle of _nineteen_ years, being an element of the Mundane Times. Lastly, the number 73, is the trinal fraction of 8, a lunisolar cycle of years, and gives, when multiplied by 5, the number of days in the solar cycle.

The trinal fraction has been compared also with the formula _n_^2 − _n_ + 1, which is only a particular case of it, namely, where _n_ is negative. It is true, that if in this formula, −1, −2, −3, &c., be taken for values of _n_, it will still give the series of trinal fractions; but it does not therefore follow that the two formulæ are the same; for, if in the latter, _n_ be taken equal to zero, it will give the same result as when _n_ is taken equal to −1! The definition given by Mr. Cuninghame, is therefore the most accurate, simple, and general, and one which can be easily comprehended without any reference to the formulæ of the _Figurate Numbers_. Moreover, the author has shown in the works last referred to, that the series of trinal fractions possess higher properties of science, mathematically, astronomically, and chronologically, than the triangular numbers, from which it is pretended that they have been derived. To some very curious properties and applications of the trinal fractions, the author has added a “Table of the Trinal Fractions from 1 to 85, showing the sums of the Roots and Fractions at each Pentad,” p. 519 of the “Dissertation;” and he has shown how these numbers enter so extensively and so mysteriously into the whole structure of the Mundane Times!

4. Application of the Theory of the Trinal Fraction to the discovery of the meaning of the _Number of the Beast_ in the Revelation of John—Proof that the number 666 is the number of a Man—Its indication of _Spiritual_ and _Secular_ dominion—Of Tyranny and Persecution—Recent efforts to raise the Beast again to power—A warning to Protestants.

We may just give another example of the application of this theory to the discovery of the meaning of a very much disputed number both in chronology and history. If we look into Mr. Cuninghame’s table, we find that the number 111 is the trinal fraction of 10; and if it be multiplied by the _mathematically perfect_ number 6, the number of blessing and cursing (Deut. xxvii. 12, 13) it will give the product 666, the number of the Beast (Rev. xiii. 18). Now, we have seen that the number 10, or 5 + 5, is a number indicated in the formation of man; it is also the base of the Denary system of numeration employed by all mankind; it is plain, therefore, that the number of the Beast, to which was also given “_a mouth_ speaking great things and blasphemies,” is thus discovered to be “_the number of a man_;” the _two fives_ indicating _both hands_, with which this human beast grasped at both _spiritual_ and _secular_ dominion over the saints of God. But, we know that when he attempted to use a _third_ and a _fourth_ five, by putting his feet upon their necks, and trampling them under him, his wrath was mercifully restrained by a higher Power, and he lost _one five_, that is, _one hand_, even the _secular_ dominion! Nevertheless, we find that _now_ he is endeavouring to use _both hands_, and is making a mighty effort to recover strength in the “withered hand.” He has, however, been compelled to abandon the use of _the foot_, and to declare aloud to Christendom, not only that it is perfectly innocuous at present, but that it shall never be used again! Let Protestants beware; if once he recovers the use of the _lost hand_, he will be sure again to employ the _sleeping foot!_ The solution of the problem is due to the author, the commentary upon it is ours. For an extensive and curious application of this number in the true system of Chronology, see the “Supplement to the Scientific Chronology of 1839.”[37]