Benjamin Marshall
Rector of Naunton in Gloucestershite ; Scholar in Latin and Arabic Studies“Second Generation Modern Preterist”
 |
A Chronological Treatise on Daniel’s Seventy Weeks (1725)
At Google Books – Search “Seventy Weeks are Determined”
A chronological treatise upon the seventy weeks of Daniel: wherein is evidently shewn the accomplishment of the predicted events, as especially Of the Cutting Off of the Messiah after the predicted VII Weeks and LXII Weeks, according to the Express Letter of the Prophecy, and in most exact agreement with Ptolemy’s Canon; So Also, Of the Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, in the LXXXth, or separate One Week, In the Literal, Obvious, and Primary Sense; in a particular disquisition upon the three latest hypotheses of these weeks published among us, viz. that of the late learned Bishop Lloyd; that of the late learned Dr. Prideaux; and that of the Reverend Mr. Lancaster. All which Hypotheses are here fully considered; And the late Bishop Lloyd’s is generally supported and established with Chronological Tables.
Printed for J. Knapton, 1725 – 280 pages
“the Romans meant this to be a FINAL DESTRUCTION, such as was foretold in this Prophecy”
“the Messiah’s future People the Romans were to be the immediate Instruments of God’s Vengeance upon Jerusalem”
“And it is hard to say what Times Christ should mean here but those two times that are mentioned in this prophecy: namely, first the time of the Messiah’s being cut off, which was to be After the 69 weeks ; and secondly the time of the single week, the week that was appointed of God for the destroying of the City, and Temple at Jerusalem, and the dissolving of the Jewish Church.” (p. 209)
“Therefore in few words, and to sum up the whole, do we read in general this Prophecy that the Messiah’s future People the Romans were to be the immediate Instruments of God’s Vengeance upon Jerusalem, when the Day, or Season of her Visitation was come for it, even the time therein determined for the destroying of the City, and Sanctuary – The matter of fact in full accomplishment evidently proves that they were accordingly the effectual Executioners of the divine displeasure against that People, and Nation.” (p 265)
“As therefore the determined Restoration of Jerusalem in the beginning of these Weeks was literally predicted, and fulfilled in the first Period of them, so no less her final Destruction in the end of them, in the accomplishment of the express Characters of the last Period of them, or the One Week, and more distinguished HALF PART of it.” (p. 260)
“Consequently, the Half Week there spoken of, can be no other than a more distinguished Half Part thereof, even of the latter Half Part, as the exact Accomplishment of its predicted Events in that Destruction of Jerusalem which was by the Romans (as it will appear hereafter) doth evidently demonstrate.” (p. xv)
CLIMAX OF THE ENTIRE BOOK: “Then all was thrown down to the Ground, excepting only a part of the western Wall, and two or three Towers reserv’d as Monuments of Victory. And the Plough was drawn over the ground on which the City and Temple had stood, to shew that the Romans meant this to be a FINAL DESTRUCTION, such as was foretold in this Prophecy ; and to shew also, and more particularly that there was not now ONE STONE left upon another, according to our blessed Saviour’s Prophecies of the City and of the Temple.” (p. 280)
“There is consequently a yet remaining one week, as it is called in v. 27 of this prophecy ; a week of years this, not current in reckoning with the rest, but a week by it self, a separate or single week, having therefore necessarily a different beginning from those preceding it; a distinguished week, whose grand event as we shall see particularly hereafter, was the utter or final Destruction of Jerusalem, the City and the Sanctuary, as in v. 26 of this prophecy.” (pp. 12-13)
“This at present taken for granted, I urge it as an unanswerable argument against any current reckoning whatsoever of all these seventy weeks”
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID
Martin Anstey
“Marshall was the literary executor of Bishop Lloyd, whom he closely followed.” (Romance of Bible Chronology)
Michel de La Roche “The very learned Mr. Benjamin Marshall, Rector of Naunton in Glocestershire, has lately publissh’d three Letters in vindication of the late Bishop Lloyd’s hypothesis of Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy Weeks. One to the Rev. Mr. Lancaster, Vicar of Bowden in Cheshire ; in answer to his remarks on the said hypothesis. Another to Mr. Whiston, occasioned by his latter hypothesis of the said Weeks. The third to the Author of the Scheme of Literal Prophecy considered: Wherein are examined and refuted the said Author’s pretences for referring this prophecy of the Weeks, to the person and times of Antiochus Epiphanes : And it is proved, that the said prophecy, in its literal sense, is applicable wholly, and only to the Messias of the Christians, and the times of their Meffias.” (The Present state of the republick of letters)
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY
Pupil of John Postlethwayt ; Chaplain of Bishop William Lloyd ; Matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1700
1715: The names of the persons who took the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to His Majesty King George and the Abjuration Oath, pursuant to the statute made in the first year of his said Majesty’s reign, Intitled “An Act for the further Security of His Majesty’s Person and Government, etc.” at the Michaelmas Sessions, 1715
1739: From the Revd Benjamin Marshall, Naunton; livings; health will not permit him to vote at Gloucester; ‘The great respect I ever bore towards Sir John Dutton will not let me appear against his friend, tho’ I have been strongly solicited by Mr Berkeley [Norborne Berkeley of Stoke Gifford, MP, later 4th Baron Botetourt] and Mr Snell’; 2 January 1739/40. (Sir John Dutton, 2nd Baronet: political and other correspondence and accounts )