But returning to our representative day, October 14th B.C. 450, we realize that when the first and the second indignation had passed, the time came for "the last end of the indignation" spoken of in the 19th verse, and known as the "2300 days." By the calculations given in NOTE C, we find that 2300 prophetic days exactly fill the interval between Oct. 14th B.C. 450 and May the 4th B.C. 141. Having thus brought out the limitations of the "2300 days" we would add, that Daniel's eleventh chapter gives in outline a complete history of the period under consideration, so that the Jews had it in their power to tell the prophetic time of day at any moment between B.C. 450 and B.C. 141.
End of the October 14, B.C. 450. ----------------------------++------------------------------ DOUBLE INDIGNATION ^ || [Sabbattic year.] Jeremiah XVI. 18. | || | || | || 2300......||.......DAYS. [Dan. VIII. 14.] | || | || TEMPLE CLEANSED; | || National | || Independence Day__v_______||______________May 4, B.C. 141. I Mac. XIII. 51. || ^ || | || | 1290.......||......DAYS. [Dan. XII. 11.] || | "THAT GREAT AND || | NOTABLE DAY OF THE LORD." || | "PENTECOST" __________||________v_____May 24, A.D. 33. Acts II. 20. ^ || | || | || 45......||......DAYS [= 1335 less 1290]. | || [Dan. XII. 12.] The HOLY SPIRIT | || bestowed v || ----------------------------++------------------------------ "ON THE GENTILES ALSO." June 7, A.D. 39. Acts X. 45.
Ezra gives a full account of this great event in his history of the Jews, in the VIIIth and VIIth chapters of his book, where he says, they "began to go from Babylon" on the 1st day of the 1st month in the 7th year of king Artaxerxes, also that they were not fairly under way until the 12th day of the 1st month, which was within two days of the Passover. After a journey of 4 months they arrived at the city of Jerusalem.
In fixing the date of the Exodus from Persia we must determine the boundaries of the 7th year of Artaxerxes. First, as to the year itself, it has been well established that his reign began in B.C. 465. Then as to the month, the statement found in Neh. I. 1. and II. 1. render a commencement impossible between the months of November and March, while the statement made in Ezra VII. 7, 8 and 9 preclude the interval from March to August following. This narrows the field for the commencement of Artaxerxes' reign down to the months of August, September and October. Although there is no possible way of distinguishing between the relative claims of these three months, yet from the wording of Nehemiah I. 1. we shall decide in favor of the last, viz: the month of October.