27. Once more, we may yet add the consent of others of their masters besides these expositors. Some testimonies out of their doctors are cited by others. I shall only name one or two of them. In the Talmud itself, Tractat. Sanhed., cap. xi., the application of this place of Haggai unto the Messiah is ascribed unto Rabbi Akiba.
304 OTHER TESTIMONIES PROVING [EXERC. XIII
His words, as they report them, are: 7ms 9 Sw pnd pms ma9 by mun xa’ 73;—“ A little glory will I give unto Israel, and then the Messiah shall come.” And this man is of so great repute among them that Rabbi Eliezer affirms that ‘sw ‘psn 53, “all the wise men of Israel were like a little garlic in comparison of that bald rabbi.” This, then, is their own avowed tradition. And the other place of Malachi, concerning the angel of the covenant, is expounded of the Messiah by Rambam in ovo mabn. “In the days,” saith he, “of the Messiah, the children of Israel shall be restored unto their genealogies by the Holy Ghost, that shall rest upon him; as it is said, ‘ Behold, I send my messenger before me, and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall come unto his temple.”
We have found out, then, both from the clear words of both these prophecies and the consent of the Jews themselves, who it is that is here promised in them, that he should come to his temple.
28. This is the glory of the second house promised in Haggai. The end of the temple, and of all the glory of it, and all the worship performed in it, was to prefigure the promised Seed, who was the true and only substantial glory of them all, and of the people to whom they were committed; for he was to be “a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel.” Therefore, in all the worship of the temple, those who believed, and, in the use of the ordinances of it, saw unto the end of their institution, did continually exercise faith on his coming, and earnestly desire the accomplish- ment of the promise concerning it. The great glory, then, of this temple could consist in nothing but this coming of the Lord whom they sought, the desire of all nations, unto it. Now, that he should come whilst the temple stood and continued is here confirmed by this double prophetical testimony; and the temple being utterly and irreparably destroyed now above sixteen hundred years ago, it must be acknowledged that the Messiah is long since come, unless we will say that the word of God is vain, and his promise of none effect.
29. The general exception of the Jews unto this argument, taken from the limitation of the time allotted unto the coming of the Messiah, we shall afterwards consider. In one word, that which they relieve themselves withal against the predictions of Haggai and Malachi, that he should come unto the temple then built amongst them, which they acknowledge, is so truly rediculous that I shall not need to detain the reader with the consideration of it. They say the Messiah was born at the time determined, before the de- struction of the second temple, but that he is kept hid in the sea, or in paradise, or dwells at the gates of Rome among the lepers, waiting for a call from heaven to go and deliver the Jews! With such follies do men please themselves in the great concernments of the glory of God and their own eternal welfare, who are left desti-
SECT. 28, 29.] DANIEL’S PROPHECY VINDICATED. 305
tute of the Spirit of light and truth, and sealed up under the efficacy of their own blindness and unbelief. But hereof we shall treat further in the consideration of their general answer to this whole argument in hand.
EXERCITATION XIV. DANIEL’S PROPHECY VINDICATED.
1, Daniel’s weeks, chap. ix. 24-27, proposed unto consideration. 2. Attempt of a learned man to prove the coming and suffering of the Messiah not to be intended, examined. 3. First reason, from the difficulties of the computa- tion and differences about it, removed. 4. Whether this place be used in the New Testament. 5. Objection from the time of the beginning of this computation answered. 6. Distribution of the seventy weeks into seyen, sixty-two, and one—Reason of it. 7. Objection thence answered. 8. The cutting off of the Messiah and the destruction of the city, not joined in one week. 9. Things mentioned, verse 24, peculiar tothe Messiah. 10. The prophecy owned by all Christians to respect the Messiah. 11. The events mentioned in it not to be accommodated unto any other. 12. No types in the words, but a naked prediction. 13, 14. The prophecies of Daniel not principally intending the churches of the latter days. 15, Straits of times intimated, when they fell out. 16. Coincidence of phrases in this and other predictions considered. 17. Removal of the daily offering, and causing the sacrifice and offering to cease, how they differ. 18. The desolation foretold. 19. Distribution of the seventy weeks accommodated unto the material Jerusalem. 20. Objections removed. 21. Distribution of things contained in this prophecy. 22. Argument from the computation of time warranted. 23. First neglected by the Jews, then cursed; yet used by them vainly. 24. Concurrent expectation and fame of the coming of the Messiah upon the expiration of Daniel’s weeks, 25. Mixture of things good and penal—Abarbanel’s figment rejected. 26, Four hundred and ninety years the time limited—F ancy of Origen and Apollinaris. 27. The true Messiah intended, proved from the context. 28. The names and titles given unto him. 29. The work assigned unto him. 30. That work par- ticularly explained—-The expressions vindicated—To “ make an end of trans- gression,” what. 31. To “seal up sins.” 32. To “reconcile iniquity.” 33. To “bring in everlasting righteousness.” 34. To “seal vision and prophet.” 35. Messiah how cut off. 36. The covenant strengthened. 37. Ceasing of the daily sacrifice. 38. Perplexity of the Jews about these things—Cyrus not intended by “ Messiah.” 39. Opinion of Abarbanel and Manasseh Ben Israel —Not Herod Agrippa. 40. Not magistracy—Africanus, Clemens, and Euse- bius noted. 41. Messiah came before the ceasing of the daily sacrifice, 42. Exact chronological computation not necessary.