The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

V. Pym-70 Weeks Begin the 2300 Years (453-1847)

The second at this time to stress the same 2300-year prophecy is WILLIAM W. PYM (1792-1852), who was educated at St. Johns, Cambridge, and received a B.A. in 1813 and an M.A. in 1816. From 1816 until his death he was vicar of Willian, Herts. ¹⁰³ He wrote several small works, occupying a column in the British Museum catalogue. Their scope is evident from the titles: Thoughts on Millenarianism (1829), ¹⁰⁴ Inquiry Concerning Spiritual Gifts (1832), and A Word of Warning in the Last Days (1835), which had two American editions, in 1837 and 1839. Then came The Restitution of all Things (1843), The Doctrine of the New Testament on the Time of the Second Advent (1843), The Judgment and Kingdom of Christ (1843), and Watch: a Call to Every Man (1848). He wrote the Introduction to Good Things to Come, the 1847 collection of Bloomsbury lectures by twelve clergymen. Finally, in 1851, he wrote The City of Confusion to be Contrasted with the Heavenly Zion. PFF3 570.2

Pym affords an interesting example of progressive change in prophetic interpretation. According to the Preface of his Word of Warning, he reached a time, several years prior, “when it pleased God to incline mine heart to receive these doctrines.” Then, in 1829, he felt constrained to send forth his Thoughts on Millenarianism, to help “warn the world” of the “speedy appear ing” of Christ. But at that time his emphasis was upon the 1335-year time prophecy, which he then thought would terminate in 1867. But by 1835 his mind had been directed to the 2300 years, as beginning synchronously with the seventy weeks and terminating in 1847, by which time he expected the advent. Pym’s Word of Warning was one of the British works publicized in the earliest issues of the American Millerite Signs of the Times, in 1840. ¹⁰⁵ PFF3 570.3

1. LITTLE HORN, PAPACY; 1260 YEARS, 533-1793

In his treatise on the millennium, which brings into small compass pertinent extracts from the Fathers, Pym taught the standard positions on Daniel 2 and 7. The little horn of chapter 7 is the Papacy, to be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s second advent. According to his reckoning the 1260 years date from Justinian’s imperial edict in 533, and thus reach to 1793 and the French Revolution, which gave the Papacy a blow from which it had not then recovered. ¹⁰⁶ PFF3 571.1

2. 1335 YEARS EXTENDED SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS BEYOND

Pym then deals with the three prophetic time periods of Daniel 12-each based on the year-day principle. Beginning the three numbers synchronously, he extends the 1290 and 1335 years thirty and seventy-five years, respectively, beyond the terminus of the 1260 years in 1793-thus ending the 1335 in 1867. ¹⁰⁷ Referring to entirely different calculations by others, he says, “The predicted events, which are to take place as the ushering in of the Millennium, are nearer than is commonly supposed, and that in very deed the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” ¹⁰⁸ He then tabulates a prophetic “time” as a year, a prophetic “day” as fulfilled in a natural year, a prophetic “year” of twelve prophetic months as twelve prophetic months of thirty prophetic days ¹⁰⁹ -therefore a prophetic year stands for 360 natural years. PFF3 571.2

3. DISCOVERS ONE KEY DATE FOR SECOND ADVENT

His Word of Warning, with three scriptures on the advent appearing on the title page, was widely quoted in both Britain and America. In the Preface he states that for twenty years (or beginning in 1815) he had been connected with the British and Foreign Bible Society. But since he had accepted the doctrine of the second advent-which in no wav diminished his activities in the British and Foreign Bible Society-he felt it to be his duty to warn the world by the preaching of the “everlasting gospel” concerning the speedy appearing of Christ. PFF3 571.3

He frankly states that his “views respecting the Scripture dates were not so clear, at the time of writing the former work, as they now are.” ¹¹⁰ That which clarified it all was the new understanding of Daniel 8 in the light of Daniel 9. Here he found the key date that would unlock or govern the advent. For this he is indebted to another who wished his name withheld. PFF3 572.1

“One date may be ascertained correctly; and by means of this one correct date we are enabled to ascertain the year, in which the restoration of the seed of Abraham shall be accomplished; and by that the time. before which the Second Advent of the Lord must have taken place.” ¹¹¹ PFF3 572.2

4. SEVENTY WEEKS BEGIN SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH 2300

The persecuting horn of chapter 8 is so similar to the Roman, or papal, Little Horn of chapter 7 that he is led “to connect them both in time and character.” Gabriel is sent to Daniel in chapter 9, verse 23, to explain the mysterious time vision of chapter 8. The seventy weeks, or 490 years, were to be separated from the 2300, thus: PFF3 572.3

“To enable Daniel to understand the vision, he is told first to separate seventy weeks, or 490 days, as a portion of the 2300 days of the preceding chapter, ‘determined on his people,’ during which time the Jews should remain in possession of the favour of God, after their return from Babylon. He then tells him what would be clone for the Jewish people during these seventy weeks, or 490 days: the sum of which is to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy, ver. 24.” ¹¹² PFF3 572.4

And from the fact that the angel made known the dating of the seventy weeks from the “commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,” Pym concludes: PFF3 572.5

“The seventy weeks commencing with the giving forth of this commandment, the 2300 days of the vision in the preceding chapter commence also at the same time. For it is to be remembered that what is here stated is avowedly an explanation of a preceding vision.” ¹¹³ PFF3 572.6

5. OVERSPREADING ABOMINATIONS FOLLOW SEVENTY WEEKS

Pym then discusses the component divisions of the seventy weeks-seven weeks (or forty-nine years), for the rebuilding of Jerusalem; and before the close of the next sixty-two weeks (or 434 years) Messiah would have come; with the last week (of seven years) characterized by the cutting off of Messiah” some time in that week,” along with the cessation of the sacrifices pointing forward to the Messiah. Then comes this impressive statement: PFF3 573.1

“Then, by the overspreading of abominations the sanctuary is again made desolate, until the consummation of the remainder of the 2300 days, when that determined shall be poured upon the desolator [9:27], and he shall then be broken without hand, (7:25)” ¹¹⁴ PFF3 573.2

6. 2300 CANNOT BE LITERAL DAYS

He next buttresses the principle that in these numbers days must be “put for years, “citing Ezekiel 4. He observes that as literal days do not agree with the demands of the seventy weeks, neither will they with the 2300, for this reason: PFF3 573.3

“For the first events of that vision, which consist only of the fightings between the Ram and the Goat, occupy five reigns of the kings of Persia, down to Alexander, king of Grecia: a period much too long to be included in 2300 days. It is moreover declared that the events of this vision should continue until the cleansing of the sanctuary [8:14], which is declared to be the last end of the indignation [via. 17-19] But as the Jews are still scattered over the earth, and their city and temple are not yet rebuilt, we know that the last end of the indignation is not yet come; and therefore that the 2300 days or years are not yet fulfilled. The time of fulfilment is evidently that time spoken of in all the prophets, when God will cleanse both his people and his sanctuary.” ¹¹⁵ PFF3 573.4

7. COMMENCEMENT FIXED BY MIDWEEK CRUCIFIXION

To determine the common commencement, Pym says: PFF3 573.5

“But these numbers in both chapters of Daniel being thus proved by internal evidence to be years, and both having the same commencement, as being one vision, it remains to fix, by internal evidence also what was this commencement. For as there were manifestly three commandments by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes [Ezra 6:4], so we cannot, by external evidence, ascertain which of these commandments is the one to which the seventy weeks apply.” ¹¹⁶ PFF3 573.6

The “fixed point” by which to determine the correct date is “the cutting off of Messiah in the midst of the last week.” ¹¹⁷ PFF3 574.1

8. SEVENTIETH WEEK DATED A.D. 30 TO 37

Taking the position that Christ began preaching when He was thirty years of age, and preached three and a half years; and the disciples preached to the Jews for three and a half years more, he dates the seventieth week thus: PFF3 574.2

“The covenant therefore is the Gospel covenant, and the last week of the seventy are those seven years which began when Christ was thirty years old, and finished A.D. 37, at the conversion of Cornelius. Sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, have therefore to be reckoned back from the 30th year of Christ for the commencement of the seventy weeks, which deducting 30 from 483, makes before Christ 453; or, which is the same thing. 490 years, i.e. 70 weeks from A.D. 37.” ¹¹⁸ PFF3 574.3

9. 2300 YEARS FROM 453 TO 1847

Coming now to the vital relationship between the seventy weeks and the terminus of the 2300 years and the event involved, he says: PFF3 574.4

“But if the seventy weeks begin 453 years before the incarnation of Christ, the 2300 beginning at the same time, we ascertain their termination merely by deducting the years before the incarnation: which leaves A.D. 1847 as the time when the sanctuary shall be cleansed, and the vision be accomplished: the last end of the indignation. PFF3 574.5

“And this last end shall be the consequence of the second coming of Christ, as we have already seen; therefore before the end, i.e. A.D. 1847, Christ shall have come.” ¹¹⁹ PFF3 574.6

10. SECOND ADVENT EXPECTED BY 1847

While the day and hour is not made known, writes Pym, the completion of the work Christ came to do “is declared in these numbers,” which lead to the time of trouble, the first resurrection, the scattering of the holy people, and the breaking of the last kingdom by the “stone cut out without hand,” as stated in Daniel 2. ¹²⁰ Then comes this clear-cut conclusion: PFF3 574.7

“From the data, furnished entirely by this prophecy, we have ascertained, That the year of our Lord 1847 is the time appointed by Jehovah for the restoration and re-establishment of the seed of Abraham in the land, which he sware unto their fathers. From various passages of holy writ the next advent of the Lord must precede that restoration: from which it follows, That the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ must have taken place before the year 18-17. This is a calculation which a child may comprehend: it rests upon no uncertainty of human speculations. or upon corrupted or doubtful chronology, but upon one scriptural date connected with our own reckoning of time.” ¹²¹ PFF3 574.8

Pym closes chapter 3 with an appeal to the Christian church to be “warned of their Lord’s approach, ‘lest coming suddenly he find them sleeping.’” ¹²² Chapter 4 summarizes the various prophecies concerning Christ’s first advent, showing how they were all fulfilled in the first advent. His conclusion and summation come in chapter 6. Appealing to the reader to allow these arguments to have their due weight, he reminds him that this is “present truth“: PFF3 575.1

“That the coming of our Lord draws nigh; and so nigh, that before the year 1847, the Scripture leads us to conclude, it will have taken place. We speak not of the day or hour of that event; but, this we say, that by one unquestioned and unquestionable part of the chronology of the Bible, which has been placed beyond the power of man to corrupt, or in any way alter, (see Chap. III.) we are taught the time, when one predicted event shall occur, which event, the same Scriptures teach us, shall take place after the Lord be come,” ¹²³ PFF3 575.2

11. CONNECTS RETURN OF JEWS WITH 1847

Pym connects the standing up of Michael with the cleansing of the sanctuary from its pollutions, for the “seed of Abraham” shall be “restored to their own land.” This, he reiterates- PFF3 575.3

“will take place in 1810 years from the end of the seventy weeks, or from three years and a half after Messiah shall have been cut off, in other words, from A.D. 37: for 1810, added to 490, i.e. to 70 weeks of years, equals 2300: and 1810 years from the year of our Lord 37 brings us to A.D. 1847.” ¹²⁴ PFF3 575.4

He deliberately refrains from stressing those aspects of “millenarian” doctrine “at which the finger of scorn is pointed” -the personal reign, the descent of the New Jerusalem, the many mansions, and even the doctrine of the new heaven and new earth-but stresses the one point “that the national conversion of Israel and Judah are to be brought about only by the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ.” ¹²⁵ PFF3 575.5

12. RETURN OF LORD EXPECTED WITHIN TWELVE YEARS

Referring to “much opposition, both from without and from within,” Pym makes this appeal: PFF3 576.1

“That the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to our earth, whenever it take place, shall have for one of its objects to judge the world, every believer in the Bible will confess. If then we have the slightest reason to suspect, that this judgment may take place before twelve short years have completed their course [1835-47], ‘what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?’ (2 Peter 3:11.) But what manner of persons are we? That is the important question. Are we living as if we believed so awful an event to be at hand?” ¹²⁶ PFF3 576.2

13. SEVEN TIMES OF GENTILES (673 B.C.-A.D. 1847)

Finally, with an allusion to Habershon’s and Cuninghame’s works, Pym speaks of the “seven times,” or 2520 years of Leviticus 26, as embracing the 2300 and having the same termination. PFF3 576.3

“In other words, the judgments threatened by Moses, which should last during the seven times, or 2520 years; and the judgments revealed to Daniel, which should come to an end by the cleansing of the sanctuary after 2300 years, must have one and the same termination. The 2300 years being a portion of the greater number 2520. It has been already stated, and that statement was drawn from the vision, and explanation of the vision given to Daniel by Gabriel, that, according to the vulgar computation, the period of 2300 years will expire in A.D. 1847.” ¹²⁷ PFF3 576.4

In his search for the beginning of the 2520 years Pym notes the dates of Home, Usher, Calmet, Prideaux, Hales, Cuninghame, and Bell, which all come within the space of four years. Taking Hales’ 673 B.C. date, he concludes: “For 1847 + 673 = 2520 years, or 7 times.” ¹²⁸ To Pym it appeared as “clear as if written with a sunbeam,” that the 2300 and 2520 years end together with the expiration of the “times of the Gentiles.” ¹²⁹ He declares himself “much strengthened” by reading Cuninghame’s strictures on the Irving and Frere fallacious scheme of Prophetic Arrangement. PFF3 576.5

14. INCLINES TO 2300 YEARS FROM 457 B.C. TO A.D. 1843

Pym is impressed by the argument that would begin the 2300 years in 457 B.C., and end them in 1843-four years earlier than 1847. To this he was now leaning, as we lose sight of him. PFF3 576.6

“Now, should it turn out to be as I have now supposed, that the 2300 years end at the complete cleansing of the sanctuary, in the day of Armageddon, I am not aware of any more probable era, which tan 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 B.C. 457, and, consequently, that it will terminate in the year 1843.” ¹³⁰ PFF3 577.1