The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

I. Davis of America-Seventy Weeks Grand Clue to 2300 Years

WILLIAM C. DAVIS, or Davies (1760-1831), Presbyterian minister of South Carolina, was trained for the ministry at Mt. Zion College, Winnsborough, South Carolina. Licensed to preach in 1787, he was ordained in 1789, and served the churches of Nazareth and Milford until 1792. For a time, following 1803, he was a stated missionary among the Catawba Indians. In 1806 he became pastor of Bullock’s Creek church. ¹ During that year he wrote The Gospel Plan; or, A Systematical Treatise on the Leading Doctrines of Salvation (1809), which drew upon him the charge of holding erroneous doctrine. Complaint was carried to the synod. The book was-condemned in 1809, after a series of trials and hearings by the Presbyterian Church courts having jurisdiction. PFF3 391.2

Davis voluntarily withdrew from the Presbyterian Church in 1810, and organized the Independent Presbyterian Church, though he was formally deposed by the Concord Presbytery in 1811. ² Thenceforth he labored diligently to build this Independent church in the Carolinas and in Tennessee, which was largely congregational in form of government. His followers perpetuated their separate church life until 1863, when this body was received into the Southern Presbyterian Church. ³ He wrote A Solemn Appeal to the Impartial Public (1812), and Lectures on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (published posthumously in 1858), as well as a Catechism, PFF3 392.1

Davis was the first American to set forth the proposition of the simultaneous beginning of the 2300 years and the seventy weeks of years. Published first in South Carolina, about 1808, while Davis was still pastor of Bullock’s Creek, The Millennium, or a Short Sketch of the Rise and Fall of Antichrist, was later reprinted in England (1818), where it exerted a telling influence. It was noted by William Miller, in 1836, ⁴ as one of five key voices exemplifying the world-wide awakening on this prophetic time period, and in substantial agreement as to its time placement. Still later Davis issued another Treatise on the Millennium (1827), in which he reaffirmed in his declining years: “I am still in the lull belief, that my calculation from Daniel is correct; and therefore I expect the Millennium to commence about the year 1847 or 1848.” ⁵ He added that he often climbed to Pisgah’s height to view the landscape, and rest contented, like Daniel, to go his way, hoping to stand in his lot at the end of days. (Facsimile reproduction appears on page 290.) PFF3 392.2

1. ANTICHRIST’S 1260 YEARS END AT ADVENT

Davis’ earlier pamphlet was obviously written between 1806 and 1810 probably in 1808-as it was while he was still pastor of Bullock’s Creek. It deals with the prophecies of Daniel, Paul, and John concerning the papal Antichrist, the vials as fulfilled in the Reformation, and the French Revolution. He avers “the Pope, the man of sin, will be destroyed by the brightness and glory of his [Christ’s] coming.” ⁶ The length of the “reign of popery” is 1260 years, for “according to prophetic computation, we are to count a day for a year.” ⁷ For this he cites Ezekiel 4, and then the three and a half times, the forty-two months, and the 1260 days as referring to the same period. PFF3 392.3

2. SEVENTY WEEKS FIRST PART OF 2300 YEARS

Davis next turns to the 2300 years of Daniel 8:13, 14, declaring that the “cleansing of the sanctuary” means the restoration of the true worship of God to the church, or the beginning of the millennium. Here is his full statement: PFF3 393.1

“It must be evident that ‘to the cleansing of the sanctuary,’ means, to the commencement of the Millennium, when the true worship of God will be restored to the church. It is also evident that the 2300 days, are 2300 years, and consequently the end of these 2300 years must close the reign of popery.” ⁸ PFF3 393.2

“Here we are to take special notice, that these 70 weeks are the first part of the 2300 years. Also, we are to notice that these 70 weeks were to be fulfilled on the Jews, before the Gentiles were connected with the church; therefore they relate solely to the Jewish nation, exclusively of the Gentiles.” ⁹ PFF3 393.3

3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF HIE SEVENTY WEEKS

The reconciliation effected under the seventy weeks is the “atonement of the cross,” the everlasting righteousness brought in is through the gospel dispensation, and the anointing of the most holy is Christ’s ascension to heaven after the cross, “to sprinkle the most holy place with his own blood.” ¹⁰ He again notes that the year-day principle for the seventy weeks means 490 years to Christ in the gospel dispensation. Remarking on the three divisions of the period, he points out that, the sixty-second week will reach to “the time when he [Christ] should be publicly inaugurated,” at. His baptism, when thirty years of age. ¹¹ The 1 last week of years, embracing His three and a hall’ years of ministry, was marked by the cross in the midst, putting an end to all typical worship from Pentecost onward. ¹² The remaining portion of the seventieth week was devoted to the preaching to the jews. ¹³ PFF3 393.4

4. BASKS CALCULATIONS FROM A.D. 30

Basing his argument on A.D. 30 as the year when Christ was “30 years of age,“and His crucifixion therefore in His “34th year,” Davis calculates backward from the seventieth week (as from A.D. 30 to 37), instead of forward from a decree, and secures 453 B.C. as the beginning date. PFF3 394.1

“Christ was baptized when he was thirty years of age, and that he was crucified in his 34th year. So that when we add three years and a half, the remainder of the 70th week, we evidently see that Daniel’s 70 weeks, or •190 years, come exactly to the thirty-seventh year of Christ. So that Daniel’s 490 years, overrun the Christian era 37 years. We must therefore take the 37 years from 490, and the remainder is 453, and will coincide exactly with the birth of Christ.” ¹⁴ PFF3 394.2

5. POSSIBLE FOUR-YEAR ERROR IN DATING VULGAR ERA

He declares that there can be no mistake in this calculation-note this-“unless the Christian era be not exactly to the true date of the birth of Christ.” ¹⁵ This point he repeats: PFF3 394.3

“It there be an error in my future calculation, it must be an error in the vulgar aera, not being correctly fixed to the time of the real birth of our Saviour. I know that it is generally thought that the vulgar aera is four years too late. If so, it will only bring on the Millennium four years sooner than I calculate, because I have to calculate by the vulgar aera, when the Scripture date ends, and I will of course be just so far wrong as the vulgar date differs from the true Scripture date.” ¹⁶ PFF3 394.4

6. 2300 YEARS EMBRACE PERSIA, GREECE, ROME

If the 1260 years of papal power date from 587 or 588, the addition of 1260 years equals 1848. ¹⁷ As to the soundness of the seventy weeks being the first part of the 2300 years, Davis says the seventy weeks are the angelic explanation of the dating of the 2300 years. ¹⁸ He reviews the symbols of Daniel 8-the Medo-Persian ram, the Grecian he-goat, Alexander as the notable horn, the four succeeding horns as the first divisions, and the exceeding great horn as the Roman Empire. The “vision of the Romans is carried on through the kingdom of popery until it is destroyed. It is evident that this vision comprehends the 2300 years, beginning in the reign of the Medes and Persians, and extending to the downfall of popery.” ¹⁹ PFF3 394.5

7. SEVENTY WEEKS AT BEGINNING OF LONGER VISION

When Gabriel came, Davis contends, it was to explain the longer vision. He therefore concludes: PFF3 395.1

“It must therefore appear that this second explanation, is an explanation of the same vision which contains the 2300 years, and where can we place these 490 years, but at the beginning of the vision.” ²⁰ PFF3 395.2

Holding that the 490 years, ending three and a half years after Pentecost, begin in 153 B.C., in the reign of the Persians, and comprehend the reign of the Persians from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem-and on through the Grecian and Roman kingdoms-he states: PFF3 395.3

“But it is plain that the 2300 years also must begin at the same time, and extend through all those empires, to the close of the empire of popery; because the state of those very kingdoms is explained by the Angel under this very vision, the duration of which was proclaimed to be 2300 days, so that the very design of the 70 weeks was evidently to designate that first part of the vision, which would last until the calling of the Gentiles.” ²¹ PFF3 395.4

8. GRAND CLUE:LIKE COLUMBUS’S TAPPED EGG

This joint beginning Davis denominates as the “grand clue, on which the whole calculation is founded.” ²² Asserting that if an absolutely accurate date for the beginning could be ascertained, then the exact ending could be known, ²³ he tabulates his calculations and adds that it is not the vain venture of a productive imagination or bold conjecture. Referring to Columbus and the egg, Davis makes a unique point about his “clue.” PFF3 395.5

“None of the gentlemen around the table could make it stand on its end, till Christopher gave it a tap on the table and shewed them how, and then they could all do it easily.” ²⁴ PFF3 396.1

“The only reason why divines have been so bewildered on this subject. is, because they have totally overlooked Daniel’s 70th week, so accurately stated, and consequently had no number to direct their calculations.” ²⁵ PFF3 396.2

The influence exerted upon Mason by Davis will next lie noted. PFF3 396.3