A period is herein allotted for the operations of “the Earth” upon the powers of the City. It is indicated by an hour; which, being a twelfth part of a Jewish circle of time, if that circle be a day for a year, would rep
resent a month of days, or thirty days; or if a a year-time of years, a month of years, or thirty years. I believe this is the proportional allotment of time for the earthquake and the events of the first five vials resulting from it.
The court, the nobles, the clergy, and the catholic superstition, were the chief objects of vengeance, and indignation in the earthquake. The epoch from 1789-’90 to A.D. 1794-’5, a period of about four years, was the epoch of this terrible earthquake, in which was demolished the order of things so carefully established in favor of the church by the emperor Justinian, whose Code was the civil law code of the kingdom of France. This code was first promulgated in the epoch between A.D. 529-534. The code was a summary of former laws that still continued in force; the pandects published four years afterwards, of the principles of the Roman jurisprudence; and the novels were Justinian’s additions. These altogether made up the Civil Law of the Great City.
A sixth-century manuscript of Justinian’s Digest published 16 December, 533. It epitomised all previous laws, and laid down a basis for the legal and ecclesiastical constitution of Europe. It was translated into Greek, that being the more general language of the people, but the corpus of law was in Latin, the traditional language of law and administration. Justinian’s code governed European law for 1260 years (Rev. 11:2), at which time it was abandoned in France by the French Revolution in 1793 when “the names” or titles of the aristocracy and religious orders of “the tenth of the city” were overthrown. See Rev. 11:13. —Publishers.
of all the churches, and to be judged by none. In those days, “magistrates were tyrants, and priests were wicked, superstitious, and intolerant, beyond any former age. Numberless laws and regulations were imposed in violation of Christ’s authority, which defaced Christianity, and robbed Christians of their dearest liberties. By Justinian’s Code those powers, privileges, and immunities were secured to the clergy; that union established between things civil and ecclesiastical, and those laws imposed in matters spiritual, which have proved such a hindrance to the truth, and so calamitous to mankind. Through the zeal of the clergy this code has been received, more or less, as the foundation of the jurisprudence of almost every state in Christendom; and that, not only in things civil, but ecclesiastical; and by this means, as some author has observed, the old fancy of the Romans about the eternity of their command, is thus far verified.”
Thus Justinian’s legislation was all devoted to the building up and strengthening of the Catholic Church; while the legislation of the National Assembly was all directed to its destruction. It is a remarkable fact, that these two mutually antagonistic and subversive systems of legislation flourished exactly 1260 years apart from epoch to epoch; and that the one hour of 30 years added to it, or 1290, brings us to the beginning of the outpouring of the Sixth Vial, A.D. 1820, upon “the Great River Euphrates;” the drying up of whose waters prepares the way of the Sun’s Resurrected Kings for the destruction of the Great City, and the redemption of the Holy Land. Is this, indeed, the true ending of Daniel’s 1290? And if so, is A.D. 1865-6 the ending of the 1335, as well as of John’s “forty and two months”? If it be, then there is an epoch upon us of four years, in any day of which Christ may “come as a thief” (Apoc. 16:15): to enter upon a work which will not intermit until it has fully established the kingdom at the end of Micah’s period of forty years, about A.D. 1905§.
This appears to me, at this writing, to be the correct interpretation of the times. It is, of course, impossible to say that the interpretation is without error. The ensuing years will determine this point beyond dispute. While I write, it is the most satisfactory to my own mind. I have thought, that Daniel’s 1290 terminated in 1864; and his 1335 in 1909. But in writing the exposition of this chapter, the fact of the Great Garth- quake-resurrection of the witnesses being exactly 1260 years after the promulgation of the civil law of the City; and the Hour of30 years added, bringing us to the beginning of “the pouring out upon the Desolator of the Holy Land that determined” (Dan. 9:27), or 1290 years afterwards [1]
— I do not feel at liberty to persist in rejecting my original conviction, that the 1290 ends in 1820; and the 1335 forty-five years after, or in the epoch current with 1865-6, or thereabout. Besides that, the same evidence that limits the termination of the Holy City’s “forty and two months,” also confines the 1335 days to the event of the resurrection. John’s symbolical “rising up” measures the continuance of the forty and two months practising (poiesai, to execute, practise, act) of the Beast’s Mouth to the subjection, or trampling, of the Holy City (ch. 11:2; 13:5): even so Daniel’s rising up measures the utmost limit of the 1335 days; concerning which he was told, “thou shalt arise (tiamod) to thine inheritance at the end of the days.” In view, therefore, of all the premises, I submit the following as a
[1] See Vol. 2pg. 110.