The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

IV. Lord Napier-First Scottish Expositor of the Revelation

JOHN NAPIER (Neper) (1550-1617), lord of Merchiston, distinguished Scottish mathematician and devoted adherent of the Protestant cause, was born near Edinburgh. Son of the master of the mint (Sir Archibald), he entered the University of St. Andrews in 1563. From St. Andrews he apparently went to the University of Paris, to prosecute his studies. Later he traveled in France, Italy, and Germany. PFF2 455.7

Picture 2: DISTINGUISHED EXPOSITORS IN THREE GENERATIONS
Sir John Oldcastle (Left), Wyclifite Knight, Martyred for Maintaining That the Pope is Antichrist; Lord John Napier (Center), Scottish Mathematician, Writer of First Important Scottish Work on Prophecy; Johann Bengel (RIght), Professor at Denkendorf, Witnessed as Living Protest Against Surrender to Rationalistic Preterism
Page 456

Napier is celebrated as the inventor of logarithms. His famous work, Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio (Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms), was published in 1614. He also devised certain formulas in trigonometry, and introduced the present use of the decimal point. Napier was one of the first English writers to make any valuable contribution to mathematics, his discoveries marking an epoch. He also invented a mechanical device known as “Napier’s bones,” for the performance of multiplications and divisions and the extraction of square and cube roots. ⁴⁰ PFF2 456.1

In 1588 Napier was one of the Edinburgh commissioners to the General Assembly, and in 1593 was made a member of the committee appointed to ensure the safety of the church. After five years of study, in 1593, Napier completed his Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of Saint Iohn, ⁴¹ which he dedicated to King James VI. He prayed the king to deal justly with his godly Protestant subjects. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says, “This book ... is the first important Scottish work on the interpretation of scripture.” ⁴² Napier calculated that the day of judgment would probably come not later than 1700. Com mending his piety and erudition, Adam Clarke says: PFF2 456.2

“So very plausible were the reasoning’s and calculations of Lord Napier, that there was scarcely a Protestant in Europe, who read his work, that was not of the same opinion.” ⁴³ PFF2 457.1

1. EVERY PROPHETIC DAY TO BE TAKEN FOR YEAR

Napier’s work on the Revelation is in the form of a series of propositions, with elucidations, the first of which reads: “In prophetion call dates of daies, weekes, monethes, and years, everie common propheticall day is taken for a yeare.” ⁴⁴ PFF2 457.2

Contending that a prophetic week is a “weeke of yeares,” and a Jewish or Greek common year is a year of “360 daies” (as was commonly supposed at that time by many expositors, disregarding the Jewish luni-solar year), he quotes Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:5, 6 for the year-day principle, ⁴⁵ and cites the seventy weeks as evidence of fulfillment, in these quaint words and the odd spelling of the day: PFF2 457.3

“In the seventie weekes of Daniel, a day to be taken for a yeare, ex tending in the whole to 490 yeares; otherwise, that prophecie of the Messias comming, would not fall upon the just time of Christs comming, as necessarilie it ought to doe. So then, a propheticall day is a yeare, the week seven yeres, the moneth thirtie yeares (because the Hebrew and Grecian moneth hath thirtie daies) and consequentlie the prophetical yeare is 360 years.” ⁴⁶ PFF2 457.4

2. FIFTH AND SIXTH TRUMPETS MOHAMMEDANS AND TURKS

Propositions 3 and 4, on the fifth and sixth trumpets, are applied to the Mohammedans and the Ottoman Turks, with Mohammed as the fallen star. Napier suggests the 150 years involved may possibly be from Zadok, in 1051, to “Changius Chan,” in 1201, and touches hazily upon the year 1296. ⁴⁷ PFF2 457.5

3. NAPIER LOOKS FOR JUDGMENT ABOUT A.D. 1700

Napier looked for the day of judgment about the year 1700, and believed the latter day “beginneth to approch.” This view he based on the six-thousand-year premise, and on the fact that God had given the time prophecies of Daniel and of Revelation by which the approach of the judgment might be known. Citing the 1290 and 1335 year-days, and remarking on the short space between their endings, Napier thought the 1335-year period might begin with the taking away of the Jewish ceremonies in A.D. 365, under Julian, and therefore extend to 1700.” ⁴⁸ PFF2 458.1

4. 1260 DAYS, 42 MONTHS, AND 3 1/2 TIMES IDENTICAL

Proposition 15 applies the three great time periods—of the Little Horn, the Witnesses, and the Beast—to one and the same period. PFF2 458.2

“The 42. moneths, a thousand two hundred and threescore propheticall dales, three greate daies and a halfe, and a time, times, and a halfe a time mentioned in Daniel, and in the Revelation, are all one date.” ⁴⁹ PFF2 458.3

Expounding the woman of Revelation 12, Napier makes her “signifie the Church of Christ fled into the wildernes” for 1260 days. But as verse 14 says this is three and a half times (“a time, and times, and half a time”), the periods must be identical. And the same as “the raigne of the Antichrist, is blaspheming of God, and oppression of Gods Sainctes, the treading of spirituall Jerusalem under feet.” ⁵⁰ This period, he thought, began about A.D. 300 or 316, according to Proposition 36. ⁵¹ PFF2 458.4

5. PROPHETIC DAYS FULFILLED IN JULIAN CALENDAR TIME. -

In Proposition 16 Napier asserts that the 1260 prophetical days, the 42 months, or the three and a half times signify “everie one of them, 1260 luliane yeares,” that is, solar years, approximately. He says that they cannot be natural or common days, and gives his reasons therefor. He does not, however, include the 2300 evening-mornings of Daniel 8:14 in this category, but regards them as literal days. ⁵² PFF2 458.5

6. TWO WITNESSES ARE THE TWO TESTAMENTS

Proposition 21 declares, “The two witnesses mentioned (Revelation 11) are the two Testaments,” and remarks, “In that language of Latine, wherein they have bene used most, these 1200. years & more, they are called Testamenta from the word Testis, which is to say a Witnesse.” ⁵³ PFF2 459.1

7. WOMAN OF Revelation 12 REPRESENTS TRUE CHURCH

Proposition 22 states, “The Woman clad with the Sunne (chap. 12.) is the true Church of God.” Expanding, Napier adds, “Spirituall Hierusalem, which is Christes Church by diverse Scriptures, is also called Christes Spouse in the Revelation.” And referring to the symbol of marriage, he remarks, “Idolatrie being called spiritual whordome, necessarily the true worshipping of God is represented by perfect Spousage.” ⁵⁴ PFF2 459.2

8. CALLS ROME THE MYSTICAL BABYLON

Proposition 23 declares that “the whoore, who in the Revelation is stiled spirituall Babylon, is not reallie Babylon, but the verie present Citie of Rome.” Napier then develops these contrasts: PFF2 459.3

“In the former proposition was described the holie Spouse of Christ, here is to bee described the filthie Whoore of Sathan, there that Ladie, who is adorned with the Sunne, Starres, and heavenlie vertues: here that Adultresse, who glories in golde, silver, precious stones, and worldlie pleasures: there shee, who is persecuted by the Dragon, here she unto whome the Dragon doeth give authoritie: There she, who is chaced into the will dernes, and hath no lodge to hide her in; here she who impireth above all people, and is the Metropolitane citie of the world. And finallie, seeing in al things this Whoore, or whoorish Babylon, is contrarious to Christes holie Spouse, lette us, and all Christians trie her out, as our detestable and deadlie enemie, and see what Babylon she is. We say then, that this Babylon, is not that reall Babylon of Chaldee, but Rome, for these reasons. First, for that this Babylon is called mysterium Babylon, that is to say, mysticall or figurative Babylon: Therefore, it is not Babylon it self in Chaldee.” ⁵⁵ PFF2 459.4

9. SEVEN HILLS: SEVEN FORMS OF ROMAN GOVERNMENT

In support of seven-hilled Rome as Babylon, Napier cites Virgil, Propertius, Tertullian, Jerome, Eutropius, and others. And he concludes, “And so for assured certenty, this whorish & mystical Babylon, is verilie Rome.” ⁵⁶ The seven hills are interpreted as “seven sorts of royal governments; ... Kinges, Consulles, Dictators, Triumvires, Tribuns, Emperours, and Popes.” The popes were “not come to government” until after the reign of the emperors. ⁵⁷ PFF2 460.1

10. TEN-HORNED BEAST Is LATIN EMPIRE

Proposition 24 asserts, “The great ten-horned beast, is the whole bodie of the Latine Empire, whereof the Antichrist is a part,” ⁵⁸ and Napier sets forth the following as proof: PFF2 460.2

“For firste (saieth the Text) the Woman that sate upon this Beast, is the great Citie, that sitteth over the Kinges of the earth: So the chiefe seate and citie of the Latine or Romans Empire, is that great citie Rome, that had Empire over all the kingdomes of the earth. Secondly, saith Daniel, there shall foure cheif kingdomes arise upon earth, under the figure of foure beastes: Whereof (by plaine interpretation hee saith) the fourth beast that had these ten horns, is the fourth kingdome of the earth: And so it is, that the firste greate kingdome or Monarchie being of the Babylonians: The seconde, of the Medes and Persians: The thirde, of the Graecians. The fourth and laste, is certainlie the Monarchic of the Latines or Romanes: and therefore, that fourth beaste which both there in Daniel, & here in Iohns Revelation, hath ten homes, must necessarilie be the Romane or Latine Empire.” ⁵⁹ PFF2 460.3

The ten kingdoms were “Spaine, France, Lombardie, Eng land, Scotland, Denmarke, Siveden, The kingdome of the Gothes in Italie, and of the Hunnes in Pannonia or Hungary, and the Exarchat of Ravenna.” ⁶⁰ PFF2 460.4

11. TWO-HORNED BEAST LIKEWISE ANTICHRIST

Proposition 25 reads, “The two Jiorned Beast, is the Antichrist and his kingdoms, it alone.” Citing Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2, where the Man of Sin seeks to be as God and assumes temporal power, Napier believes the horns signify spiritual and temporal power. Commenting further, he says: PFF2 461.1

“So in Panic, he came with power, and signes, and lying wonders, and in all deceaveahlenesse of unrighteousnesse. Whereby (doubtlesse) that man of sinne, and sonne of perdition, even the verie Antichriste, whome Paule there described, is this very same two-horned beast, mentioned here by lohn. And for confirmation hereof, the properties of this two-horned beast (cap. 13) are the selfe same properties of the false Antichristian Prophete (cap. 19.).” ⁶¹ PFF2 461.2

12. THE POPE, NOT A TURK OR A JEW, IS ANTICHRIST

Proposition 26 declares, “The Pope is that only Antichrist, prophecied of, in particular.” He must operate “under the name of a Christian,” and “must sit, saith Paul, in the Church of God.” Denying he can be a Turk or a Jew, Napier says: PFF2 461.3

“There is one particular Apostatik kingdome, who is the chief and principall of al Antichrists, and is that great Antichrist, whom Paul calles the man of sinne, and sonne of perdition, adversary to God, and an extoller of himselfe above all that is called God, with divers other epithets conteined 2. The. 2. Leaving therefore al other smaller Antichrists, this great Antichrist and chiefe heade of all Antichrists, is he whome here we have to trie out, whom (for remooving of all doubts) wee say cannot be the Ma homet, neither any Turk, lewe, or Ethnick.” ⁶² PFF2 461.4

13. 666 IS NUMBER OF NAME, NOT YEARS

Proposition 29 states, “The name of the beast expressed by the number of 666 (cap. 13) is the name Check Check.” This is confirmed by Irenaeus. Napier insists that this is the number of the name of the first or ten-horned beast, and not the number of years, as some interpret it. ⁶³ PFF2 461.5

14. MARK OF BEAST IS PROFESSION OF OBEDIENCE

In Proposition 30 Napier defines the mark of the Beast thus: PFF2 461.6

“The marks of the Romane beast, is that invisible profession of seruitude and obedience, that his subiects hath professed to his Empire, since the first beginning therof, noted afterward by the Pope, with divers visible markes.” ⁶⁴ PFF2 461.7

15. STILL HOLDS AUGUSTINIAN THEORY OF MILLENNIUM

On the thousand years of Revelation 20, however, Napier, still held to the Augustinian theory, in modified form, thus: “The thousand yeares that Sathan was bound (Revel. 20.) began in Anno Christi 300. or thereabout,” that is, from the time of Sylvester I. Napier’s reason for choosing A.D. 300, or its approximate, follows: PFF2 462.1

“For proofe hereof, it is evident by histories, that after the continual and successive tyrannic of Ethnick Emperours, and last of Diocletian, (who in one moneth made seventecne thousand Martyrs) there arose about this 300. year of Christ, Constantine the greate, a Christian and baptized Emperour, who, and whose successors (except a few of short raign) maintained Christianisme and true religion, to the abolishing of Sathans publique kingdome: and therefore, say wee, this yeare Sathan is bound.” ⁶⁵ PFF2 462.2

As to the loosing, Napier refers to the armies of Gog and Magog under the sixth trumpet as “loosed about the yeare of God 1296, or rather (as histories preciselie report) about the yeare of God 1300.” ⁶⁶ For the space of the thousand years “the Devil and his raging tyrantes of this world, were restrayned from that high degree of universall tyrannie, that they both before and after used.” ⁶⁷ And, conformable to Augustinianism, the first resurrection is understood as spiritual-which is the resurrection from antichristian errors, ⁶⁸ and the second, the general or bodily resurrection. PFF2 462.3