But the speaker showed an error in this calculation. He stated that it would require 457 full years before Christ, and 1843 full years after Christ, to make 2300 full years, so that if the 2300 years commenced with the first day of B. C. 457, they would reach to the first day of A. D. 1844.
2. That this prophetic period did not commence with the year 457, in the spring, but in the autumn of that year. His reasons were—
a. That as the seventy prophetic weeks are the first 490 years of the 2300, and as the first seven weeks of the seventy, mark the time of the work of restoring and building Jerusalem in troublous times, the great period must commence with the commencement of the work of restoring and building, which did not commence in the spring, on the first month, when Ezra started from Babylon, but after he had reached Jerusalem, in the autumn, probably on the seventh month. “For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem.” Ezra vii, 9. This would give more than two months for necessary preparations for the work of restoring and building to commence on the seventh month, immediately after the great day of atonement.
b. That as the words of the angel to the prophet Daniel—“in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,”—mean that in the middle of the last week of the seventy, Christ should be crucified; and as he was crucified in the spring, that prophetic week of seven years must commence and close in the fall. Consequently the seventy weeks commenced and closed in the fall, and, therefore, the 2300 days terminate in the fall.
3. The speaker then introduced the arguments drawn from those types of the law of Moses which point to Christ, to prove that the second advent of Him who was then our High Priest would take place in the autumn, even on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month. He reasoned that as the spring types, pointing to the great events connected with the first advent of Christ, were fulfilled, not only as to their nature and order, but as to time, so would the autumnal types, pointing to the second advent, be fulfilled as to time. See Lev. xxiii. The slaying of the passover lamb was a type of the crucifixion of Christ. Paul says, Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. 1 Cor. v, 7.
The sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest, which was waved before the Lord, was typical of the resurrection of Christ. Paul again says, in speaking of the resurrection of the Lord and all his people, Christ, the first fruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 1 Cor. xv, 23. As this sheaf was like the grain in all the wide harvest-field, only that it was the first ripe grain, so Christ arose from the dead a sample of all the just to be raised at his second coming. Then all the saints will have glorious bodies, like that of their divine Lord. Phil. iii, 21.
The new meat offering was a type of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
The speaker stated that Christ was offered a sacrifice for sinners on the fourteenth day of the first Jewish month, the very day and month on which the passover lamb had been slain for sixteen long centuries. That he was raised from the dead a sample of all the resurrected just on the very day of the month upon which the earliest ripe grain was waved before the Lord. And that the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost,—Pentecost meaning fifty,—was on the day of the month in which the new meat-offering was presented unto the Lord. That new meat-offering was fifty days from the presentation of the wave sheaf. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples was on the day of Pentecost, or fiftieth day from the resurrection of their divine Lord. And, therefore, as the high priest, on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the great day of atonement, came out of the sanctuary and blessed the people, so Christ, our great High Priest, would upon the same day of the same month, come from Heaven to bless his waiting people with immortality. The conclusion seemed irresistible. And what gave it still greater force was the harmony of this position with the proofs presented, that the prophetic period of 2300 days would terminate in the fall.
The deepest solemnity pervaded the entire encampment. But one view was taken of the subject presented, by nearly all present, namely, that in all probability the speaker was correct, and that in a few short weeks human probation would close forever.
But what of the Watertown fanatics? In the intense interest upon the subject of time, taken by the entire crowd, these were forgotten. No one seemed to be affected by them, or troubled about them. In fact, they were quiet till they left the ground, and as dumb as if the special rebuke of the Lord was upon them. This fact, that fanaticism dried up before the solemn and searching time-message of 1844, like the morning dew before the midsummer’s sun, is of importance to those who suppose that that stirring proclamation caused fanaticism.