The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

III. Revises Terminus of 2300 Years to 1843

The aggressive promotion of the particular interpretation of Edward Irving, popularizing the positions of his teacher, James Hatley Frere, led Cuninghame to issue The Scheme of Prophetic Arrangement of the Rev. Edward Irving and Mr. Frere in 1826. In a footnote at the close of the preface, Cuninghame says significantly, “Perhaps our Continental Societies are preparing the way for the accomplishment of the Prophetic warnings in Revelation 14:9-11.” ⁷⁸ And in chapter one he insists that, despite the “jarring and contending systems of the various interpreters of sacred prophecy,” nevertheless “prophetic knowledge itself is evidently making rapid advances.” ⁷⁹ PFF3 376.3

1. LITTLE HORN OF Daniel 8 ROMAN (NOT MOHAMMEDAN)

Cuninghame takes Irving to task chiefly for making the beast of Revelation 17, from the bottomless pit, to be infidel France, and for rendering Daniel 8:14, 2400 instead of 2300. ⁸⁰ To show the unsoundness of this and related positions, he pays particular attention to the power of Daniel 8, asserting that though respectable authorities apply the little horn of Daniel 8 to Mohammedanism, names of equal weight counterbalance that position. ⁸¹ He shows that the acknowledged “theatre of the whole vision of Daniel 8,” lies “wholly within the territories of the second and third empires of Daniel.” ⁸² But the kingdom of Mohammed sprang up in Arabia, “which was never included in the empire of Alexander, and could not become a horn of the goat” until it had obtained possession of some of its territory. ⁸³ This argument he pursues with clear reasoning and strong evidence. ⁸⁴ PFF3 376.4

2. “DAILY” REMOVED BEFORE MOHAMMEDANISM AROSE

Moreover, he holds that the little horn of Daniel 8 took away the daily sacrifice. But, he continues, “the daily sacrifice of the Eastern churches was taken away nearly a century before the appearance of Mahomed, and the abomination of desolation placed in them by the acts of the Roman emperors, in establishing the spiritual authority of the papal little horn and the idolatrous veneration of the virgin Mary and the saints.” ⁸⁵ PFF3 377.1

3. FALLACY OF THE 2400 YEARS ARGUMENT

He next examines Irving’s argument for the 2400 years-as from the time of the vision, supposedly in A.D. 553. Irving contends that 2300 years from this date would lead only to 1747, when nothing-occurred, and that therefore the 2400 of the Septuagint, which would lead to 1847, is the true number, at which time the true worship will be restored in Jerusalem. ⁸⁶ To this contention Cuninghame replies that such “calculation rests upon sand, for the number 2400 is not the reading of the Septuagint, as he supposes.” ⁸⁷ He then cites an array of authorities-including Prideau and Home-showing that 2300 was the original Septuagint rendering. Only the Vatican edition of the later Theodotian translation of the Septuagint of Daniel so reads. On the contrary, the Complutensian (1514), the Aldine (1518), the Alexandrian (c. 1707 or 1720), and the Chisian all agree with the Hebrew text of 2300. ⁸⁸ For these cogent reasons Cuninghame rejects the 2400 rendering. ⁸⁹ PFF3 377.2

Picture 1: PROPHETIC EMPHASIS APPEARS IN VARIOUS LANDS AND LANGUAGES
Joshua brooks’ remarkable dictionary of writers on the prophecies (left, with Inset), tabulating some 2100 items; title page of a noted irving discourse (Center); and two well known German treatises on prophecy by Kelber and richter (Right)
page 379

The same argument was urged by Cuninghame at one of the Albury Park Prophetic Conferences, as reported in Dialogue* on Prophecy (1828). ⁹⁰ After Philalethes [Lord Mandeville] ⁹¹ asks, “Does not Mr. Frere say that it ought to be 2400, and that, it is so in the Septuagint?” Cuninghame gives this impressive answer at the Council table: PFF3 379.1

“Sophron.-Yes, he does, but his position is quite untenable; and he has subsequently abandoned it; p. 259. The fact is, that our common editions of the Greek Septuagint Bibles are printed after a copy in which there was this typographical error; an error acknowledged to be such, and what no scholar has dreamed of calling in question. The edition of the Greek Bible which is commonly used, is printed, as you will find it stated in Prideaux, and Home, not after that of the 70, but after that of Theodotion, made about the end of the second century. There are three principal standard editions of the Septuagint Bible, all containing the version of Daniel by Theodotion; vi/. the Complutensian, published in 1514; the Aldine, 1518; and the Vatican, 1587, from which the last English editions of the 70 have been chiefly taken; to these three we may add a fourth, being that of the Alexandrian text, published between 1707 and 1720. Besides these, there is one called the Chisian, 1772, which contains the Greek text both of Theodotion and of the 70. Of all these six copies the Vatican alone reads 2400, all the rest agreeing with the Hebrew and our English Bibles. Moreover, the manuscript itself, in (he Vatican, from which the edition was printed, has 2300, and not 2400, and therefore it is indisputable that the number 2400 is nothing but •A misprint. ⁹² PFF3 379.2

Six years later the scholarly editor of The Investigator, or Monthly Expositor and Register, on Prophecy, Joshua W. Brooks, answering an inquiry from “W. G.” in “The Septuagint Version of the 2300 years,” strongly supported Cuninghame’s position: PFF3 379.3

“There is not a single manuscript known to be extant, whether Hebrew or Greek, that sanctions the reading of 2400 days. It rests entirely upon a manifest typographical error of the Vatican EDITION, taken from the Vatican manuscript; which the Chisian edition of Daniel notices, and says, that the Vatican manuscript reads 2300. W. G. will find this point fully discussed in ‘The scheme of prophetic arrangement of the Rev. E. Irving and Mr. Frere critically examined, &c. by W. Cuninghame, Esq.’ a small work, well worthy of a perusal.” ⁹³ PFF3 379.4

Still later, SAMUEL P. TREGELLES (1813-1875), eminent Greek scholar, critic, and author, ⁹⁴ added a really final word.” ⁹⁵ PFF3 380.1

4. CLEANSING OF SANCTUARY AT TIME OF JUDGMENT

Contending that “the abomination of desolation was placed in the sanctuary when the papal supremacy was established, together with the creature-worship of the virgin Mary and the saints, “Cuninghame defines the cleansing as the execution of judgments upon the Gentiles and “the reestablishment in it [the sanctuary, or church] of the pure and spiritual worship of Jehovah. ⁹⁶ And this would commence when “the time of the Judgment of Daniel 7:26 begins to sit for the destruction of the papal power.” ⁹⁷ PFF3 380.2

5. REVISES END OF 2300 TO 1843

Then comes a manly revision by Cuninghame of his early position in dating the 2300 years, which had been “from the pushing of the Persian ram in the prosperous reign of Darius Hystaspes,” to a terminus in 1792, at the close of the 1260 years. He now says, “It is very possible I may have been mistaken; for it is in itself equally probable that the 2300 years may terminate at the complete cleansing of the sanctuary in the day of Armageddon; and, in this case, the period must evidently commence at a later date than I have chosen.” ⁹⁸ He adds that if such should be the case- PFF3 380.3

“I am not aware of any more probable era which can be selected for their commencement than that which has been chosen by some recent writers who suppose this period to have begun at the same time with the seventy weeks of Daniel, or in the year A.C. ⁹⁹ 457, and, consequently, that it will terminate in the year 1843.” ¹⁰⁰ PFF3 380.4

Cuninghame recommends to the reader the “Mason of Wishawton” pamphlet “wherein he will find the subject treated more at large,” and cites Mason’s Two Essays on Daniel’s Prophetic Number of Two Thousand Three Hundred Days (1820). ¹⁰¹ This was one of the earliest clear arguments in behalf of 1843. Cuninghame ends the chapter by observing: PFF3 381.1

“It does not appear to me that we can arrive at certainty on this point till the event shall make it clear.... An important end is in the mean while served, if by means of this and other prophetic numbers the attention of the church of God is kept awake, and in the position of earnest prayer, in the expectation of the stupendous events which are approaching.” ¹⁰² PFF3 381.2

6. SYNCHRONIZES Matthew 24:14 AND Revelation 14:6

Still uncertain about the event to mark the close of the 1290 years, thirty years beyond the end of the 1260 years, ¹⁰³ Cuninghame continues to hold that the final end will come forty-five years beyond that, or in 1792 + 30 + 45 = 1867. That “end,” he notes, is the same as of Matthew 24:14 when the witness of the preaching of the “gospel of the kingdom” shall be finished. Then the glorious advent of Christ shall take place in the clouds of heaven, to redeem His church and take the kingdom. And with this Cuninghame again tics in Revelation 14:6: PFF3 381.3

“Of this end, our Lord’s words lead us to see that the immediate forerunner is to be an universal promulgation of the gospel, typified, also, by the flight of the Apocalyptical angel, Revelation 14:6. having the everlasting gospel to preach to all nations.” ¹⁰⁴ PFF3 381.4

This emphasis was now becoming a distinctive part of the prophetic and second advent emphasis. PFF3 381.5