For ever and ever

With reference to Daniel 7:12—The Hebrew and Chaldee nouns are derived from the verb !hebrew! ahlam, "to hide, to conceal." Hence an Olahm, in relation to time, is a period hidden or concealed; hidden in the past, or concealed in the future. In prophecy, it designates absolutely a certain period to exist; but without defining its beginning or ending. The kingdom belonging to the Saints of the Most High Ones (elyonin) is to "stand for hidden periods," or olahms, comprised in one hidden period, or Olahm; which  must, therefore, be longer than all of them together. Hence this will be a Hidden Period of Hidden Periods, or an Olahm, even an "Olahm of Olahms." I have a translation of Dan. 8:18 before me which renders the time the Saints are to possess the kingdom by the formula, "for eternity, even for eternity of eternity." This, however, is a mere flourish, and no translation, and bears on the face of it proof that the inventor of the form knew nothing about the nature of the kingdom, nor the purpose for which it is to be established. As I have shown, the kingdom is not to continue eternally; so that the Saints cannot hold it for eternity; and as the scripture is true, they do not use the word here in the sense of ever and eternity.

The duration of the Chaldee formula may be approximated from another direction. Thus, the kingdom the Saints are to take is the dominion of the lion, the bear, and the leopard, three of Daniel's four beasts. They are utterly to destroy the fourth, but the political organizations represented by the other three, are to be continued in existence, but without sovereignty. While in existence, they are under the dominion of the Saints, whose administration will not be superseded by other rulers. The existence of these organizations subjectively to the Saints is defined; and consequently, the duration of their holding of the kingdom is thereby defined likewise. In ch. 7:12, it says, "a prolonging in life was given the three beasts ad-z'man we-iddan, during an appointed time and a set time." This, then, is the duration of the Olahm, or Ahlmah, of the kingdom -- a hidden period containing an appointed time and a set time. The Apocalypse has revealed the number of years contained in these kinds of time, in telling us how long the Saints are to reign with Christ after binding the Dragon; whose dominion at the appearing of Christ covers the territories of the polities symbolized by the three beasts. They are to reign thenceforth with him during a thousand years (Apoc. 20:6). The period consists of "a set time," and "an appointed time." A set time is indicated by iddan, which is equivalent to the Hebrew moaid, the word used in Gen. 17:21, where it is said, "Sarah shall bear unto thee Isaac, at this set time in the next year." This is, then, a period of gestation, which consists of 280 days; a day for a year in symbolic time. This, deducted from 1,000, leaves 720 years for the "appointed time;" or two times of 360 years each. Daniel did not discern "what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in him did signify" by the z'man we-iddan, nor by the ahlmah of ahlmahs; but not so with ourselves, -- for the Father has apocalypsed the solution in the thousand years.