Further Time-Parallels in the Jewish and Gospel Ages

“In the time-measurements noticed so far, and in a number of others yet to be considered, the Great Pyramid clearly corroborates the duration and parallelism of the Jewish and Gospel Ages. The length of each of these Ages is proved from the Scriptures to be exactly 1845 years, so that any date in the former has its parallel date in the latter 1845 years afterwards

(See diagram, page 102, shown above). It is important to recognize that “time-parallels,” to be of any value, must correspond in events as well as in dates.

In addition to those already indicated there are a number of striking parallels in the two Ages, which help to confirm our understanding of the times and seasons; they correspond so closely that we cannot doubt they were so arranged by our loving heavenly Father, that the faith of his consecrated children might be strengthened in Him, and in His great Plan of the Ages.

In the year 606 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar laid the holy land desolate and took the Jewish king and nation captive to Babylon, where they remained till the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, who, after the overthrow of the Babylonian kingdom, released the Jews from bondage, and at the same time issued an edict allowing them to return to the site of Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (2 Chron. 36:11-23. See Sec. IV). This was in 536 B.C., 70 years after the beginning of the universal empire of Babylonia.

Although Cyrus released the Jewish nation from the yoke of Babylon, this freedom was merely typical of the full liberty which Fleshly Israel shall experience after the end of the “Times of the Gentiles,” when the greater Cyrus, Christ, shall release it from the humiliating bondage of the kingdoms of this world, and from the oppression of the “god of this world,” Satan. This work of Christ, when finished, will be the complete antitypical fulfillment of the work of Cyrus; but during the Gospel Age we can see a partial fulfillment in connection with Spiritual Israel, which was in bondage to the great apostate system of Papacy, denominated in the Scriptures “Babylon the Great,” because its whole ritual is founded upon the iniquitous religious system of Ancient Babylon (Rev. 17:3-6).

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah give a history of the nation of Israel from after the end of its 70 years‘ bondage in Babylon; and from these records we learn that a distinct work of reformation was carried on at that time in this Fleshly House of Israel. When we refer to the pages of Church history, we find that, in the parallel period in the Gospel Age, a corresponding reformatory work was in progress in the Spiritual House. C. T. Russell clearly shows in Vol. 3 of Studies in the Scriptures, pages 69-82, that “Babylon the Great ” was fully set up in power in 539 A.D., having been gradually and stealthily assuming form even since the days of the Apostles (2 Thess. 2:7).

In 1309 A.D., exactly 1845 years after the fall of ancient Babylon, the power of antitypical Babylon the Great was broken; for in that year the Papal See was transferred from Rome to Avignon in the south of France. This exodus of the center of the Apostate Church from Rome, its seat of power (Rev. 17:9), is called in history “The Babylonish captivity of the Papacy,” owing to the fact that it remained in exile for a period of about 70 years, during which time it was under the dictation of the king of France. In consequence of this humiliation and breaking of the power of Babylon the Great in 1309 A.D., the true Church of God, the “Israelite’s indeed,” who had been in bondage in this idolatrous system for 770 years (1309 minus 539=770), were released; even as the Fleshly Israelite’s had been similarly released after their 70 years’ bondage in typical Babylon of old.

Referring to the Scriptural name “Babylon the Great,” and its identification with Papal Rome, the Rev. Alexander Hislop says: “There never has been any difficulty in the mind of any enlightened Protestant in identifying the woman `sitting on seven mountains,’ and having on her forehead the name written, `Mystery, Babylon the Great,’ with the Roman apostasy. No other city in the world has ever been celebrated, as the city of Rome has, for its situation on seven hills. Pagan poets and orators, who had no thought of elucidating prophecy, have alike characterized it as the ‘seven-hilled city.’ Propertius speaks of it as `The lofty city on seven hills, which governs the whole world’ (Lib. III, Eleg. 9, p.721). Its `governing the whole world‘ is just the counterpart of the Divine statement—`which reigns over the kings of the earth‘ (Rev. 17:18). To call Rome the city `of the seven hills‘ was by its citizens held to be as descriptive as to call it by its own proper name. Hence Horace speaks of it by reference to its seven hills alone, when he addresses `The gods, who have set their affections on the seven hills‘  (Carmen Seculare, Vol. VII, p. 497). Martial, in like manner, speaks of `The seven dominating mountains‘ (Lib. IV, Ep. 64, p. 254).

“Now, while this characteristic of Rome has ever been well marked and defined, it has always been easy to show that the Church, which has its seat and headquarters on the seven hills of Rome, might most appropriately be called `Babylon,’ inasmuch as it is the chief seat of idolatry under the new Testament, as the ancient Babylon was the chief seat of idolatry under the old. It has been known all along that Popery was baptized Paganism; but God is now making it manifest that the Paganism which Rome has baptized is, in all its essential elements, the very Paganism which prevailed in the ancient literal Babylon, when Jehovah opened before Cyrus the two-leaved gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron” (The Two Babylon’s).

Just as after its subjection in Babylon for the typical period of 70 years, the Jewish nation was allowed to return to Jerusalem in order that other features of the Lord’s great Plan might be worked out; so “Babylon the Great,” which is to be finally destroyed at the end of the Gospel Age, was allowed to regain a large measure of its power after the end of its typical period of 70 years humiliation in Avignon. Nevertheless, the Reformation movement gained a decided footing in 1309 A.D.; and historians of the middle Ages tell us that our study of the history of the Reformation must begin with Avignon.

Up to that time the head of Papacy had sway over the world, being virtually, “King of kings,” and “lord of lords.” Boniface VIII had been installed in office in 1295 A.D. He was more arrogant than any previous pope; and it was this arrogance which led to Papacy’s humiliation. When the great apostate Church was at the summit of its power, in the very middle of the Papal millennial reign (See diagram No. 5, above), he issued the famous bull called “Unam Sanctam,” in which he claimed not only temporal and spiritual authority, but further, that no man could get eternal salvation except by his sanction.

The king of France, Philip the Fair, was sufficiently enlightened to see the emptiness of this monstrous claim, and he repudiated the bull and was in consequence excommunicated.

Philip then did something which had never before been attempted during the period of Papal supremacy he made the pope prisoner, just as Napoleon did about five hundred years later. Boniface, being an aged man, died from the indignities and injuries received. His successor died within a year. Finally, Clement V, who had sold himself to the king of France, was appointed; but he was afraid to live in Rome. Being the vassal of the French king he transferred the Papal See to Avignon in 1309 A.D., and there began the “Babylon’s Captivity of the Papacy.”

Seven popes in succession ruled in Avignon till 1378 A.D.; and as they were all under the dominion of France, the other kingdoms of Britain, Germany, Switzerland, etc., refused to have the pope act as their umpire and arbitrator as formerly, knowing that his decisions would be the dictates of Philip. It is thus plainly evident that the universal power of “Babylon the Great” was broken in 1309 A.D.; and the captive Spiritual Israelite’s were allowed freedom to lay the foundations of the Reformed Church the Spiritual Temple.

But only the foundations of the Spiritual Temple of the Reformation were laid in 1309 A.D., just as at the parallel date in the Jewish Age, 536 B.C., only the foundations of the House of the Lord were then laid. In both cases enemies stopped the work. It was not until 521-517 B.C. (See Number (1) at bottom of page) that the material temple was completed in the Jewish Age; and in the parallel Gospel Age it was not until the corresponding years, 1324-1328 A.D.,  that the Spiritual Temple was built by Marsiglio, who is sometimes called “the morning star of the Reformation.”

We shall leave the proofs that Marsiglio was in many respects a greater Reformer than any who succeeded him, till we are dealing with the Pyramid’s indication of his outstanding date. For our present purpose we need only mention that Marsiglio was the author of a book, which, when we consider the grossly superstitious day in which it was written, is a truly wonderful production. In this publication, issued in 1324 A.D., he advocated Republicanism, contending that there should be no kings; and that there ought not to be any division between clergy and laity, that the Church should have nothing whatever to do with temporal affairs, and should own no property. He claimed that Saint Peter never had been in Rome, but that even if it could be proved he had been there, it was certain he had not founded the Papal Church; and in any case the holding of the “keys” merely constituted Peter the turn-key, and not the Judge. Christ was the Judge; and the people had the right of freedom of conscience.

By these and many other telling points Marsiglio undoubtedly built the temple of the Reformation. He forged the bolts which were effectively used by succeeding Reformers. His great ambition was to establish Republicanism, but he realized that it could not hold in this early day, for the mass of the people had yet too much reverence for the Divine right of kings and clergy. Only the true Spiritual Israelite’s experienced their freedom of conscience consequent upon the breaking of the power of Babylon the Great.

Marsiglio recognized that the Church should be in subjection to the Gentile powers, and not lord over them, and therefore he aimed at pulling down the Papal supremacy. With this object in view he sought for some king whom he might appoint as Emperor of the West, in imitation of Charles the Great, who would be superior to the pope and thus make the secular power supreme. In the year 1326 A.D., two years after the publication of his epoch-making book, he found what he wanted. King Louis of Bavaria was then quarreling with the pope in Avignon, and Marsiglio took advantage of this quarrel, which was insignificant in itself, to forward his daring scheme.

With a band of enthusiastic followers he approached King Louis and explained his project. Louis was well pleased with the proposal, and accompanied the band to Rome. The people’ of

Rome readily received the king, being angered at the pope’s residence in Avignon. So long as the Papal See was in Avignon, Rome was neglected; the people of other countries, with their money, were now all diverted to Avignon where the pope held his court. The prospect of having the Papal See restored to Rome greatly pleased the inhabitants, and King Louis was received with acclamation.

In the year 1328 A.D. Louis was crowned Emperor of the West. This was the summit of Marsiglio’s reforming work; in that very year he died; and Louis, who was a man of little ability-and full of superstition, being now deprived of his clever counselor, abandoned his post and fled from Rome. The work of Marsiglio was thus finished in four years, just as the work on the material temple in the Jewish Age was completed in about four years. But as the temple, built in four years, was used for the purpose for which it was erected; so the four years’ work of Marsiglio was used for its special purpose, namely, the organization of the great Reformation of the Gospel Age.

The temple being now ready it was necessary to replace in it the holy vessels, that the House of God might be used in accordance with the law. This important phase of the Reformation in the Jewish Age was accomplished under the leadership of Ezra, who in the 7th year of Artaxerxes, Spring of 468 B.C. (See number (2) at bottom of page) left Babylon and restored the vessels to the temple (Ezra 7:6—). We read, also, that Ezra was well informed in the Law of the Lord, and that he instructed the people, who were from all the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezra 6:17; 8:25), and did a great cleansing work among them.

The parallel year in the Gospel Age is 1378 A.D., a very prominent date in the history of the Church Reformation period. It was in 1378 A.D. that the great Reformer Wycliffe left Babylon the Great, and restored to the true Spiritual Temple class many precious truths and doctrines which had for long been misappropriated and hidden in the idolatrous Papal system.

On the 27th of March in the Spring-time of the year 1378 A.D., which was 1845 years after Ezra left Babylon with ‘the vessels for the material temple, the pope in Avignon died; and immediately there arose what is historically known as the “Great Papal Schism.” The people of Rome determined to put an end to the Papal exile, and appointed a pope in Rome as in former times. The king of France, of course, did not want to lose his power over the Papacy, and he appointed another in Avignon, so that there were now two popes in office. These popes naturally quarreled, each claiming that he was the true Vicar of Christ. They called one another blasphemous names, each accusing the other of being the Antichrist (and in this, at least, both were correct).

Wycliffe up to this time had been a Reformer within the Church system; but when the Schism took place his eyes were opened to the true Babylonish character of the Papacy, and he came out as the great Doctrinal Reformer. Beginning an English translation of the Bible, it was not long before he saw that the doctrine of transubstantiation was false.

This error takes away the true doctrine of the Ransom-sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Wycliffe fully realized this he began to instruct the Temple class, and pointed out to them the pure Scriptural teaching on this question. He showed them how Jesus Christ died for sin once and for all, and that therefore sacrifices of the Mass were not only unnecessary, but blasphemous. He also drew attention to the errors of the adoration of the Virgin Mary, of the worship of the dead saints, of the claim that penance would atone for sin, etc. By teaching the Temple class the truth Wycliffe’s cleansing and reforming work was in exact correspondence with the work of Ezra, the great Reformer of the Jewish Age.

It was 13 years after Ezra left Babylon that the next phase of the Jewish Reformation took place. Nehemiah then received his commission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 2), and at the end of the 6th month of that year the walls were finished (Neh. 6:15), and there began the period of “69 weeks,” or 483 years, to the coming of the Messiah (Dan. 9:25). In this work of building the walls of Jerusalem Nehemiah buttressed up the national system of the Fleshly House of Israel.

So, also, 13 years after Wycliffe left Babylon the Great, the Reformer John Huss of Bohemia received his commission to buttress the Reformation walls of Spiritual Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2); for the work of Huss made the Reformation movement of the Gospel Age a national force, and thus helped to protect the true Spiritual Israelite’s.

Though it was in the early years of the 15th century up till his martyrdom in 1415 A.D., that Huss attracted general notice, yet it was in 1391 A.D., exactly 1845 years after Nehemiah, that he might be said to have received his commission to rebuild the walls of Spiritual Jerusalem; for it was in that year that Huss became acquainted with the works of Wycliffe (See Blackie’s Modern Cyclopedia, Vol. IV, page 483). Professor Lodge, in his Close of the Middle Ages, page 207, says: “The systematic teaching of Huss was for the most part derived from the great English teacher, John Wycliffe. It is important to remember that the Hussite movement had a secular as well as an ecclesiastical side.”

In Burnet’s History of the Reformation, page 9, we read: “Before the end of the 14th century Wycliffe had extended his line of attack to some of the special doctrines of the Western theology: but the movement which he began, though its effects were evanescent in his own country, became in the hands of more stimulating advocates [of whom Huss was the leader] a genuine national force in Bohemia.” “Huss condemned Papacy’s worldliness, its right of secular possessions, and objected to the supremacy of the pope. The Bible, according to him, ought to be the sole rule of faith” (See Europe in the Middle Ages, page 539, by Thatcher and Schwill).

By the foregoing it is evident that there was a similarity in the reform work of Nehemiah and Huss, and as both had a national as well as a religious aspect they each formed a good starting-point for the “70 weeks” mentioned by Daniel (Dan. 9:24, 25). This period of 70 weeks is stated as 7 weeks, and 62 weeks, and 1 week. We may not know the exact reason for this peculiar division, but we desire to draw attention to the fact that the 7 weeks, or 49 years, point to 405 B.C., about the time of Malachi the prophet, who did a reforming work by exposing the abuses of his day.

In the Gospel Age the 7 weeks or (49 years) bring us to the parallel date 1440 A.D., the time of the invention of printing, which did almost more than anything else to carry on the great work of the Reformation. Referring to this factor in the Reformation movement, Archbishop Trench in Medieval Church History, page 423, says: “Then while abuses were never rifer, while the lives of the clergy were never fuller of scandal, while the Papal court was never more venal, nor could less endure the beating upon it of that fierce light which leaves nothing hid,—the invention of printing (1440 A.D.) multiplied a thousand fold every voice which was raised to proclaim an abuse or to denounce a corruption. And marching hand in hand with this wondrous invention there was the Revival of Learning.”

Then followed the period of 62 weeks to the coming of Jesus the Messiah in Autumn 29 A.D., this period of the Jewish Age is scripturally a blank, for the historical canon of the Old Testament ends with Ezra and Nehemiah, and the prophetic books with Malachi. Nevertheless we know that toward the end of that period a distinct falling away in the spirit of the Reformation had occurred, and that the Fleshly House of Israel had divided broadly into two parties, one, the Pharisees, holding to the traditions of the elders, and binding themselves faster and faster in those traditions.

The other party the Saducees who were free-thinkers, doubting and criticizing the Bible; they denied the resurrection, and began to interfere more in the world’s politics. Thus when in “due time” the Messiah came to his own, we read that his own received him not (John 1:11-13). To the small remnant who did receive him was given the wonderful privilege of becoming “Sons of God.”

During the corresponding period of 62 weeks in the Gospel Age, from 1440 A.D. to 1874 A.D., a similar movement took place in Nominal Spiritual Israel, misnamed Christendom. At first the good work of reform went on, but toward the end the reforming spirit grew less, and during this interval two general parties were originated. One party held to the Bible, saying that they believed every word of it, though what they really held to was the traditions and creeds of the Dark Ages. The other party, the free-thinkers, began to criticize the Bible, disbelieving great portions of it, and dabbling in the politics of the kingdoms of this world. (Sound familiar?)

Even as the two parties at the end of the Jewish Age continued after our Lord’s first Advent until the great trouble in the year 70 A.D. destroyed the nation; so we have the two main parties with us to-day, the one binding themselves more firmly in the traditions of the Fathers (these are the “tares“); while the other is going more and more into open infidelity (these are the higher critics, evolutionists, etc.).

The result of the falling away from the spirit of the Reformation was that, when our Lord came again at his second Advent in 1874 A. D., his own (the Professing Church) received him not; but again, those few who have received him have had the blessed privilege of becoming Sons of God, and hope soon to be all joined with Christ in spiritual glory.”

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(1) From Ezra 4:24; 6:15, we learn that building operations upon the temple were resumed in the 2nd, and finished in the 6th, year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes king of Persia. Ussher’s chronology gives 520 B.C. as the 2nd year of Darius; but Professor Rawlinson points out in his work Five Great Monarchies,Vol. III, pp. 404, 408, that while Darius mounted the throne on 1st January, 521 B.C., his second year of reign, according to Jewish reckoning, began to count from Spring-time three months after; so that the 6th month of the 2nd year of Darius would still be in the year 521 B.C. (See Ezra 5:2; Haggai 1:14, 15).

(2) Artaxerxes began to reign in the year 474 B.C. His 7th year would therefore be 468 B.C., and his 20th year 455 B.C. See the Section dealing with the proofs which establish this date 455 B.C.

Great Pyramid Passage Page 103-110, par. 235-265