A letter to a friende, touching Mardochai his age which helpeth much to holde the trueth, for that chiefe prophecie of our saluation, in Gabriels seuenties, which shew that most exactly 490. yeeres after the angels speech Christ the most holy should be killed to giue life. Dan 9.23.

The Printer to the Reader.

THat the Letter folowing might better be vnderstoode, I requested the Autour, that one speciall Text might be set be∣fore it, as he had translated it. Dan. 9, 24. I heard him affirme, that none, for skill in Hebrew woulde blame that Transla∣tion: and though many differ, it was not for ignorance of the toong: but by their conceite tou∣chyng the matter, drawyng the wordes as they iudged of the whole cause. Thus he translated that poynt, which was Gabriels speeche: who came to Daniel, praying at the time of the euening offering, or three of the clocke, or ninth houre by Scripture phrase: (* 1.1at which houre 490. yeeres after most exactly, our Lorde gaue vp the ghost:) and tolde, that at the beginning of his ‡ 1.2 prayer came foorth the worde (or answere from God) which he came to shew: and saith thus. Seauentie seauens (of yeeres) are cut out, for thy people, and for thy holy Citie: to consume wickednes, and to abo∣lysh sinnes, and to make reconciliation for iniquitie, and to bring righteousnes euerlasting, and to seale Vision and Prophet, and to shew Christ the Holy of Holy. Know & marke: from the out∣going of the Worde, to returne & to buylde Ierusalem, vnto Christ the gouernour, shalbe seauen seauens (of yeeres) and sixtie and two seauens: (in th'other) it shalbe restored and buylded, Streete and Wall, and troublous shall these times be. In that after the sixtie and two seauens Christ shalbe killed: and not for him selfe: there∣vpon the Citie and holy place shall he destroy, the Gouernours owne people to come: and their ende shalbe with a Flood: and at the ende of warre, it shall haue a finall iudgement to desolation. But he shall confirme the Testament for many the last Seauen: when in Halfe that seauen he shall ende the Sacrifice and Oblation. After∣terwardes by an Armie abominable he shall make a desolation: euen tyll vtter destruction and finall iudgement flow vpon the desolate. And this much for the Readers preparation, to vnderstand the Epistle folowing.

Notes

• * 1.1

  For so he vvri∣teth in the Letter.
• ‡ 1.2

  So th'authour taught: that euen the faythles Ievve Aben ezra vpon Dan. 9. beginneth the tyme from the vvorde that came foorth at Daniels prayer, and endeth it vvhen Christ is sealed: And that the Ievv, though he coulde not cast the times particularly, nor knevv Christ to be the most Holy, yet durst not depart from the proprietie of playne vvordes, to peruert the spech of the lyuing GOD, and he vvyshed o∣thers that circum∣spection. Such as begin and ende to that effect may not make here a cer∣taine number for an vncertaine.