The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

II. Governor Burnet-Makes Terminus of Periods Imminent

WILLIAM BURNET (1688-1729), scholarly governor of New York and New Jersey, and later of Massachusetts, was born at The Hague during the temporary residence there of his father, Gilbert Burnet, bishop of Salisbury, England. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, was an astronomer, and had wide acquaintance with prominent men. Possessor of unusual abilities, he was appointed governor of New York and New Jersey by King William and Queen Mary in 1720, and promptly sailed for the New World. In this office he made an honorable record and helped resolve the Indian question. His successor was appointed in 1728, and he was then made governor of Massachusetts. (Portrait appears on page 34.) PFF3 169.4

1. DATES 1260-YEAR PAPAL PERIOD 455-1715

Though a layman, like Sir Isaac Newton, Burnet was also an earnest student of prophecy. And in 1724, while pressed with the bur dens of high official position, he set forth suggested dates of the three time periods of Daniel 12 in relation to the papal Anti-christ, in An Essay on Scripture-Prophecy. In this he says: PFF3 169.5

“All these passages compared with one another give so full and plain an account of the popes of Rome, from first to last, that a very moderate knowledge of history serves to satisfy us that they are meant of them, and cannot be applied to any other time.” ⁶ PFF3 170.1

The 1260 years (time, times, and half a time), he thought, must on the year-day principle be from 455 to 1715-beginning when the Western Empire ended under Valentinian III. ⁷ The “daily,” he held, pertains to the tabernacle of Christ our High Priest. ⁸ The papists, he taught, have polluted the sanctuary by setting up a man to be worshiped, to be vicar of God, and to dispense with God’s laws. (Daniel 11:37 ff.; 2 Thessalonians 2, etc.) ⁹ The 1290 years are also dated from 455 and expire in 1745. And the 2300 years ending at the same time would begin in 555 B.C. The 1335 years would extend to 1790, when he believed the first resurrection should occur. ¹⁰ Thus he concluded that the kingdom of God was indeed nigh at hand. ¹¹ PFF3 170.2

2. APPLIES YEAR-DAY PRINCIPLE TO PERIODS

In the Introduction, Burnet appeals to the prophecies as the distinguishing proof of the true God, who inspired them. ¹² He bemoans the in difference so apparent on the part of many, and urges St. John’s advice to hear and heed the prophecy. ¹³ Dealing with the three prophetic periods-the 1260, 1290, and 1335 years-he holds that the 1260 days are the same as the forty-two months and three and a half times, and that all stand for years, on the basis of Numbers 14 and Ezekiel 4. ¹⁴ All Catholics, as well as Protestants, recognize the seventy weeks as 490 years. ¹⁵ And the fourth beast of Daniel 7 is to be compared with the Beasts of Revelation 13 and 17. ¹⁶ PFF3 170.3

3. STANDARD INTERPRETATION FOR Daniel 2 and 7

The standard application is given to Daniel 2 and 7, ¹⁷ with the feet and toes as the divided Europe of Western Rome, and the Stone as the coming kingdom of Christ. ¹⁸ The Little Horn is the papal Man of Sin, the Babylonian element of the Beast of Revelation 13. ¹⁹ Burnet also follows the usual interpretation of the ram and he-goat. ²⁰ PFF3 170.4

He interprets the seven heads as forms of government and names the ten horns-Visigoths, Vandals, Francks, Burgundians, Hunns, Alans, Sueves, Herules, Ostrogoths, and Lombards. ²¹ The three horns plucked up were the Herules, Ostrogoths, and Lombards. ²² PFF3 171.1

Such were the scholarly governor’s concepts of prophecy. PFF3 171.2