The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2
IX. Thomas Newton-Representative of Protestant Historical Positions
THOMAS NEWTON (1704-1782), bishop of Bristol, was born at Litchfield and educated at Christ’s Church, with A.B. and A.M. degrees. Ordained in 1730, he became curate to Dr. Treback at St. George, whose daughter he later married. He rose through a series of preferments from morning preacher in Spring Garden Chapel (1738) to lecturer at St. Georges (1747), chaplain to the princess of Wales (1751), then prebend in Westminster Abbey (1757), and precentor of York (1759), until finally he was made bishop of Bristol (1761), and dean of St. Paul’s (1768). PFF2 684.3
In 1754 Newton lost both his father and his wife. He distracted his mind from his grief by composing his Dissertations on the Prophecies, which ran through eighteen editions, and was translated into German and Danish. This deservedly popular work compares the prophecies with the historical events fulfilling them. It contends that nothing is more self-evident than that the prophecy of the millennium and first resurrection is not yet fulfilled, and that Satan was not bound in the Middle Ages. PFF2 684.4
1. FOURTH EMPIRE Is ROME, NOT SELEUCIDAE
Dissertation 13 is a comprehensive exposition of the four empires of Daniel 2, with the fourth as Rome and not the Seleucidae, then the divisions, and the coming kingdom. The witnesses of the early centuries are summoned and the attacks of Porphyry duly noted. Dissertation 14 treats of Daniel 7 in a similarly thorough way. It gives various lists of the ten-horn divisions, including Eberhard’s (1240) exposition and other early and later writers, contends that the Little Horn is Western Rome, and denies the Antiochus Epiphanes distortion by Porphyry. 61 PFF2 685.1
2. END OF 1260 YEARS WILL REVEAL BEGINNING
Newton notes both Justinian’s decree of 533 and Phocas’ decree of 606, from which some date the 1260-year period. 62 Concerning this and related periods, he says: PFF2 685.2
“Here are then those different periods assigned, 1260 years, 1290 years and 1335 years: and what is the precise time of their beginning and consequently of their ending, as well as what are the great and signal events, which will take place at the end of each period, we can only conjecture, time alone can with certainty discover.” 63 PFF2 685.3
3. END OF 2300 YEARS LIKEWISE FUTURE
Dissertation 15 compasses the Persian ram, the Grecian goat, and the Roman horn. Of the 2300 days, Newton declares: PFF2 685.4
“These two thousand and three hundred days denote the whole time from the beginning of the vision to the cleansing of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is not yet cleansed, and consequently these years are not yet expired. When these years shall be expired, then their end will clearly show from whence their beginning is to be dated, whether from the vision of the ram, or of the he-goat, or of the little horn. It is difficult to fix the precise time, when the prophetic dates begin, and when they end, till the prophecies are fulfilled, and the event declares the certainty of them. 64 PFF2 685.5
Dissertations 16 and 17 deal with Daniel 11—between the seas being the Holy Land—and are made the climax, with the Turkish power going forth with fury to fight the Russians. 65 Dissertations 22 and 23 present Paul’s Man of Sin as the Roman Papacy. PFF2 685.6
4. 150- AND 391-YEAR TIME PERIODS OF TRUMPETS
Passing to the Apocalypse, Dissertation 24 deals with the seven churches, seven seals, and seven trumpets. The first four trumpets depict the barbarian scourges on Western Rome, and the fifth and sixth describe the Saracens and Turks and the down fall of Eastern Rome. Mohammed is the fallen star, and the five months, or 150 years, extend from 612 to 762. 66 The four angels of the sixth trumpet are the “four sultans” of the Turks. On the time period of this second woe Newton makes this impressive statement in 1754: PFF2 686.1
“If it be taken mystically, and the hour, and day, and month, and year be a prophetic hour, and day, and month, and year, then a year (ac cording to St. John’s, who follows herein Daniel’s, computation) consisting of 360 days is 860 years, and a month consisting of 30 days is 30 years, and a day is a year, and an hour in the same proportion is 15 days; so that the whole period of the Othmans slaying the third part of men, or subduing the Christian states in the Greek or Roman empire, amounts to 391 years and 15 days. Now it is wonderfully remarkable, that the first conquest mentioned in history, of the Othmans over the Christians, was in the year of the Hegira 680 and the year of Christ 1281. For Ortogrul ‘in that year (according to the accurate historian Saadi,) crowned his victories with the conquests of the famous city of Kutahi upon the Greeks.’ Compute 391 years from that time, and they will terminate in the year 1672: and in that year, as it was hinted before, Mohammed the Fourth took Cameniec from the Poles, ‘and forty-eight towns and villages in the territory of Cameniec were delivered up’ to the sultan upon the treaty of peace. Whereupon Prince Cantemir hath made this memorable reflection, ‘This was the last victory by which any advantage accrued to the Othman state, or any city or province was annexed to the ancient bounds of the empire.’ 67 PFF2 686.2
“Here then the prophecy and the event agree exactly in the period of 391 years; and if more accurate and authentic histories of the Othmans were brought to light, and we knew the very day wherein Kutahi was taken, as certainly as we know that wherein Cameniec was taken, the like exactness might also be found in the 15 days. 68 PFF2 686.3
5. SEVEN VIALS AND MILLENNIUM YET FUTURE
Dissertation 25 discusses the pagan Roman dragon, the papal Beast of Revelation 13, with the two-horned beast as the Roman clergy. 69 The seven vials are held as still future. 70 Spiritual Babylon of Revelation 17 is the Papacy. And the millennium and resurrection are literal and yet future, at the close of which will come the general resurrection and the loosing of Satan—followed by the earth made new. 71 PFF2 686.4