Hugo Grotius · 89 of 132

SECT. XIV. That he is already come, appears from the time foretold.

DANIEL, a testimony of whose great piety Ezekiel affords us, could neither deceive us, nor be deceived himself by the angel Gabriel: and be, according to the direction of the angel, has left us upon record, chap. ix. that there should not pass above five hundred years between the publication of the edict for rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Messiah. But there are above two thousand years passed, since that time to this day, and he, whom the Jews expect, is not yet come; neither can they name any other to whom that time will agree. But it agrees so well to Jesus, that a Hebrew teacher, Nehemiah, who lived five hundred years before him, said openly then, that the time of the Messiah, signified by Daniel, could not be deferred above five hundred years. There is another mark before hinted at, which agrees with this of the time; and that is, that a government over all nations should be appointed from heaven, after the posterity of Seleucus and Lagus should cease to reign; the latter of which ended in Cleopatra, not long before Jesus was born. A third token is in the fore-mentioned chap. ix. of Daniel; that after the coming of the Messiah, the city of Jerusalem should be razed; which prophecy of the destruction of that city, Josephus himself refers to his own age. From whence it follows, that the time limited for the coming of the Messiah was then past. To this may be referred that of Haggai, chap. ii. where God comforts Zerubbabel, a heathen prince, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high-priest, upon their sorrow because the temple built by them did not answer the greatness of the former temple, with this promise, that there should be greater honour done to that temple, than to the former: which could be said neither of the bigness of the work, nor of the materials, nor of the workmanship, nor of the ornaments, as is very plain from the history of those times in the sacred writings, and in Josephus, compared with that of the temple of Solomon: to which we may add, which is observed by the Hebrew teachers, that there was wanting two very great endowments in the latter temple, which were in the former, viz. a visible light, as a token of the divine Majesty, and a divine inspiration. But wherein this latter temple was to exceed the former, God briefly declares, when he says, that he would establish his peace, that is, his favour and goodwill, in that temple, as it were, by a firm covenant. This is further prosecuted by Malachi, chap. iii. Behold, I will send my messenger, who shall prepare my way; and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, (now Malachi lived after the latter temple was built), even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in. Therefore the Messiah ought to come while the second temple stood; in which account is reckoned by the Hebrews all the time from Zerubbabel to Vespasian; for the temple in the time of Herod the great was not rebuilt from the foundation, but only gradually renewed by parts; notwithstanding which alteration, it might be called the same temple. And, indeed, there was so firm an expectation of the Messiah at that time amongst the Hebrews, and their neighbours, that Herod was thought by some to be the Messiah, Judas Gaulonita by others, and some more by others, who lived about the time of our Saviour.