A53696:793
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole economy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the ancient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the Messiah wherein the promises concerning him to be a spiritual redeemer of mankind are explained and vindicated, his coming and accomplishment of his work according to the promises is proved and confirmed, the person, or who he is, is declared, the whole oeconomy of the mosaical law, rites, worship, and sacrifice is explained : and in all the doctrine of the person, office, and work of the Messiah is opened, the nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded, the opinions and traditions of the antient and modern Jews are examined, their objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered, the time of the coming of the Messiah is stated, and the great fundamental truths of the Gospel vindicated : with an exposition and discourses on the two first chapters of the said epistle to the Hebrews / by J. Owen ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nathaniel Ponder, 1668
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The most learned Reynolds in his Praelaections on the Apocryphal Books, allowing our account above-mentioned, as to the substance of it, especially that which concerneth the Persian Empire, about which alone there is any considerable difference, resolves yet at length, that the number of seventy Weeks, which is a round complete number, is put for an uncertain number, thereabouts, more or less, over or under, not much varying from it. And on this supposition, he dates the beginning of the Weeks in the Decree of Cyrus. To confirm his opinion, he giveth sundry instances of this kind of computation in the Scripture, and contends that the particular reason of limiting the whole time unto seventy Weeks, was to make it answer unto the seventy years captivity that immediately preceded it. The time to follow being declared to be just seven times as much.
The most learned Reynolds in his Praelaections on the Apocryphal Books, allowing our account above-mentioned, as to the substance of it, especially that which concerneth the Persian Empire, about which alone there is any considerable difference, resolves yet at length, that the number of seventy Weeks, which is a round compleat number, is put for an uncertain number, thereabouts, more or less, over or under, not much varying from it. And on this supposition, he dates the beginning of the Weeks in the Decree of Cyrus. To confirm his opinion, he giveth sundry instances of this kind of computation in the Scripture, and contends that the particular reason of limiting the whole time unto seventy Weeks, was to make it answer unto the seventy years captivity that immediately preceded it. The time to follow being declared to be just seven times as much.
This Interpretation of words, might it be admitted, would, I confess, solve all difficulties, § 12 and entirely preserve the sacred and profane accounts from all appearance of interfering. But there are two reasons, upon the account whereof I cannot assent unto it. The first is, because indeed there is no other instance in the Scripture to give countenance unto it; namely, wherein a number of years coming so far short of the true and exact account, as this doth, is yet put for the whole; especially considering this number is given out for this very purpose, that men might aright compute it, and so come to know the time of its expiration. But to name 490, for 562, seems rather to be a conjecture, then a Prophecy. This may then be the condition of some few odd years, that may be cast in unto a full round number, but of so considerable a part of the whole as 72 is, there is no reason to suppose it so disposed of.