gave　way。　He　could　endure　no　more；　and　the　angel　left　him　for　a　time。　Daniel
  〃fainted；　and　was　sick　certain　days。〃　〃And　I　was　astonished　at　the　vision；〃
  he　says；　〃but　none　understood　it。〃
  Yet　God　had　bidden　His　messenger：　〃Make　this　man　to　understand　the　vision。〃
  That　commission　must　be　fulfilled。　In　obedience　to　it；　the　angel；　some　time
  afterward；　returned　to　Daniel；　saying：　〃I　am　now　come　forth　to　give　thee
  skill　and　understanding；〃　〃therefore　understand　the　matter；　and　consider　the
  vision。〃　Daniel　8：27；　16；　9：22；　23；　25…27。　There　was　one　important　point　in
  the　vision　of　chapter　8　which　had　been　left　unexplained；　namely；　that
  relating　to　timethe　period　of　the　2300　days；　therefore　the　angel；　in
  resuming　his　explanation；　dwells　chiefly　upon　the　subject　of　time：
  326
  〃Seventy　weeks　are　determined　upon　thy　people　and　upon　thy　Holy　City。　。　。　。
  Know　therefore　and　understand；　that　from　the　going　forth　of　the　commandment
  to　restore　and　to　build　Jerusalem　unto　the　Messiah　the　Prince　shall　be　seven
  weeks；　and　threescore　and　two　weeks：　the　street　shall　be　built　again；　and
  the　wall；　even　in　troublous　times。　And　after　threescore　and　two　weeks　shall
  Messiah　be　cut　off；　but　not　for　Himself。　。　。　。　And　He　shall　confirm　the
  covenant　with　many　for　one　week：　and　in　the　midst　of　the　week　He　shall　cause
  the　sacrifice　and　the　oblation　to　cease。〃
  The　angel　had　been　sent　to　Daniel　for　the　express　purpose　of　explaining　to
  him　the　point　which　he　had　failed　to　understand　in　the　vision　of　the　eighth
  chapter；　the　statement　relative　to　time〃unto　two　thousand　and　three
  hundred　days；　then　shall　the　sanctuary　be　cleansed。〃　After　bidding　Daniel
  〃understand　the　matter；　and　consider　the　vision；〃　the　very　first　words　of
  the　angel　are：　〃Seventy　weeks　are　determined　upon　thy　people　and　upon　thy
  Holy　City。〃　The　word　here　translated　〃determined〃　literally　signifies　〃cut
  off。〃　Seventy　weeks；　representing　490　years；　are　declared　by　the　angel　to　be
  cut　off；　as　specially　pertaining　to　the　Jews。　But　from　what　were　they　cut
  off？　As　the　2300　days　was　the　only　period　of　time　mentioned　in　chapter　8；　it
  must　be　the　period　from　which　the　seventy　weeks　were　cut　off；　the　seventy
  weeks　must　therefore　be　a　part　of　the　2300　days；　and　the　two　periods　must
  begin　together。　The　seventy　weeks　were　declared　by　the　angel　to　date　from
  the　going　forth　of　the　commandment　to　restore　and　build　Jerusalem。　If　the
  date　of　this　commandment　could　be　found；　then　the　starting　point　for　the
  great　period　of　the　2300　days　would　be　ascertained。
  In　the　seventh　chapter　of　Ezra　the　decree　is　found。　Verses
  12…26。　In　its　completest　form　it　was　issued　by　Artaxerxes；
  king　of　Persia；　457　B。C。　But　in　Ezra　6：14　the　house　of　the　Lord　at　Jerusalem
  is　said　to　have　been　built　〃according　to　the　commandment　＇〃decree；〃　margin＇
  of　Cyrus；　and　Darius；　and　Artaxerxes　king　of　Persia。〃　These　three　kings；　in
  327
  originating；　reaffirming；　and　completing　the　decree；　brought　it　to　the
  perfection　required　by　the　prophecy　to　mark　the　beginning　of　the　2300　years。
  Taking　457　B。C。；　the　time　when　the　decree　was　completed；　as　the　date　of　the
  commandment；　every　specification　of　the　prophecy　concerning　the　seventy
  weeks　was　seen　to　have　been　fulfilled。
  〃From　the　going　forth　of　the　commandment　to　restore　and　to　build　Jerusalem
  unto　the　Messiah　the　Prince　shall　be　seven　weeks；　and　threescore　and　two
  weeks〃namely；　sixty…nine　weeks；　or　483　years。　The　decree　of　Artaxerxes
  went　into　effect　in　the　autumn　of　457　B。C。　From　this　date；　483　years　extend
  to　the　autumn　of　A。D。　27。　（See　Appendix。）　At　that　time　this　prophecy　was
  fulfilled。　The　word　〃Messiah〃　signifies　〃the　Anointed　One。〃　In　the　autumn　of
  A。D。　27　Christ　was　baptized　by　John　and　received　the　anointing　of　the
  Spirit。　The　apostle　Peter　testifies　that　〃God　anointed　Jesus　of　Nazareth
  with　the　Holy　Ghost　and　with　power。〃　Acts　10：38。　And　the　Saviour　Himself
  declared：　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　is　upon　Me；　because　He　hath　anointed　Me　to
  preach　the　gospel　to　the　poor。〃　Luke　4：18。　After　His　baptism　He　went　into
  Galilee；　〃preaching　the　gospel　of　the　kingdom　of　God；　and　saying；　The　time
  is　fulfilled。〃　Mark　1：14；　15。
  〃And　He　shall　confirm　the　covenant　with　many　for　one　week。〃　The　〃week〃　here
  brought　to　view　is　the　last　one　of　the　seventy；　it　is　the　last　seven　years
  of　the　period　allotted　especially　to　the　Jews。　During　this　time；　extending
  from　A。D。　27　to　A。D。　34；　Christ；　at　first　in　person　and　afterward　by　His
  disciples；　extended　the　gospel　invitation　especially　to　the　Jews。　As　the
  apostles　went　forth　with　the　good　tidings　of　the　kingdom；　the　Saviour's
  direction　was：　〃Go　not　into　the　way　of　the　Gentiles；　and　into　any　city　of
  the　Samaritans　enter　ye　not：　but　go　rather　to　the　lost　sheep　of　the　house　of
  Israel。〃　Matthew　10：5；　6。
  〃In　the　midst　of　the　week　He　shall　cause　the　sacrifice　and　the　oblation　to
  cease。〃　In　A。D。　31；　three　and　a　half　years　after　His　baptism；　our　Lord　was
  crucified。　With　the　great　sacrifice
  328
  offered　upon　Calvary；　ended　that　system　of　offerings　which　for　four　thousand
  years　had　pointed　forward　to　the　Lamb　of　God。　Type　had　met　antitype；　and　all
  the　sacrifices　and　oblations　of　the　ceremonial　system　were　there　to　cease。
  The　seventy　weeks；　or　490　years；　especially　allotted　to　the　Jews；　ended；　as
  we　have　seen；　in　A。D。　34。　At　that　time；　through　the　action　of　the　Jewish
  Sanhedrin；　the　nation　sealed　its　rejection　of　the　gospel　by　the　martyrdom　of
  Stephen　and　the　persecution　of　the　followers　of　Christ。　Then　the　message　of
  salvation；　no　longer　restricted　to　the　chosen　people；　was　given　to　the
  world。　The　disciples；　forced　by　persecution　to　flee　from　Jerusalem；　〃went
  everywhere　preaching　the　word。〃　〃Philip　went　down　to　the　city　of　Samaria；
  and　preached　Christ　unto　them。〃　Peter；　divinely　guided；　opened　the　gospel　to
  the　centurion　of　Caesarea；　the　God…fearing　Cornelius；　and　the　ardent　Paul；
  won　to　the　faith　of　Christ；　was　commissioned　to　carry　the　glad　tidings　〃far
  hence　unto　the　Gentiles。〃　Acts　8：4；　5；　22：21。
  Thus　far　every　specification　of　the　prophecies　is　strikingly　fulfilled；　and
  the　beginning　of　the　seventy　weeks　is　fixed　beyond　question　at　457　B。C。；　and
  their　expiration　in　A。D。　34。　From　this　data　there　is　no　difficulty　in
  finding　the　termination　of　the　2300　days。　The　seventy　weeks490
  dayshaving　been　cut　off　from　the　2300；　there　were　1810　days　remaining。
  After　the　end　of　490　days；　the　1810　days　were　still　to　be　fulfilled。　From
  A。D。　34；　1810　years　extend　to　1844。　Consequently　the　2300　days　of　Daniel
  8：14　terminate　in　1844。　At　the　expiration　of　this　great　prophetic　period；
  upon　the　testimony　of　the　angel　of　God；　〃the　sanctuary　shall　be　cleansed。〃
  Thus　the　time　of　the　cleansing　of　the　sanctuarywhich　was　almost
  universally　believed　to　take　place　at　the　second　adventwas　definitely
  pointed　out。
  Miller　and　his　associates　at　first　believed　that　the　2300　days　would
  terminate　in　the　spring　of　1844；　whereas　the　prophecy
  329
  points　to　the　autumn　of　that　year。　（See　Appendix。）　The　misapprehension　of
  this　point　brought　disappointment　and　perplexity　to　those　who　had　fixed　upon
  the　earlier　date　as　the　time　of　the　Lord's　coming。　But　this　did　not　in　the
  least　affect　the　strength　of　the　argument　showing　that　the　2300　days
  terminated　in　the　year　1844；　and　that　the　great　event　represented　by　the
  cleansing　of　the　sanctuary　must　then　take　place。
  Entering　upon　the　study　of　the　Scriptures　as　he　had　done；　in　order　to　prove
  that　they　were　a　revelation　from　God；　Miller　had　not；　at　the　outset；　the
  slightest　expectation　of　reaching　the　conclusion　at　which　he　had　now
  arrived。　He　himself　could　hardly　credit　the　results　of　his　investigation。
  But　the　Scripture　evidence　was　too　clear　and　forcible　to　be　set　aside。
  He　had　devoted　two　years　to　the　study　of　the　Bible；　when；　in　1818；　he
  reached　the　solemn　conviction　that　in　about　twenty…five　years　Christ　would
  appear　for　the　redemption　of　His　people。　〃I　need　not　speak；〃　says　Miller；
  〃of　the　joy　that　filled　my　heart　in　view　of　the　delightful　prospect；　nor　of
  the　ardent　longings　of　my　soul　for　a　participation　in　the　joys　of　the
  redeemed。　The　Bible　was　now　to　me　a　new　book。　It　was　indeed　a　feast　of
  reason；　all　that　was　dark；　mystical；　or　obscure　to　me　in　its　teachings；　had
  been　dissipated　from　my　mind　before　the　clear　light　that　now　dawned　from　its
  sacred　pages；　and；　oh；　how　bright　and　glorious　the　truth　appeared！　All　the
  contradictions　and　inconsistencies　I　had　before　found　in　the　word　were　gone；
  and　although　there　were　many　portions　of　which　I　was　not　satisfied　I　had　a
  full　understanding；　yet　so　much　light　had　emanated　from　it　to　the
  illumination　of　my　before　darkened　mind；　that　I　felt　a　delight　in　studying
  the　Scripture　which　I　had　not　before　supposed　could　be　derived　from　its
  teachings。〃Bliss；　pages　76；　77。
  〃With　the　solemn　conviction　that　such　momentous　events　were　predicted　in　the
  Scriptures　to　be　fulfilled　in　so　short　a　space　of　time；　the　question　came
  home　to　me　with　mighty
  330
  power　regarding　my　duty　to　the　world；　in　view　of　the　evidence　that　had
  affected　my　own　mind。〃Ibid。；　pa