The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

VII. Bengel Projects Strange Modification of Year-Day Principle

JOHANN ALBRECHT BENGEL (1687-1752), stalwart German defender of the Historical School of interpretation in the midst of compromises and surrender, was born in Wtirttemberg. Studying first at the gymnasium at Stuttgart, he pursued his theological studies at Tubingen, specializing in the Sacred Text and in philosophy. His bent toward Pietism is disclosed by the fact that his favorite authors were Arndt, Spener, and Francke. PFF2 709.2

In 1713 Bengel was made professor at Denkendorf for the training of candidates for the ministry. And for twenty-eight years he also served there as pastor. He early became convinced that the pope was the predicted Antichrist and that the millennium was yet future. In 1734 Bengel, as Germany’s first reverent textual critic, issued an edition of the Greek New Testament, together with an Apparatus Criticus, which became a standard work. In 1740 appeared his Erkldrte Offenbarung Johannis (Explanation of the Revelation of John), and his Gnomon oder Zeiger des Neuen Testaments (Gnomon or Hand of Time in the New Testament) in 1742, each passing through numerous editions. His books were soon translated into most European languages. PFF2 709.3

In the year 1741 Bengel was made prelate of Herbrechtingen, and in 1749 he became councilor and prelate of Alpirsbach. Conspicuous for his conscientious piety, his thorough education, his sane and rational opinions, he was one of the foremost men of his time. His critics could not accuse him of visionary fanaticism. ⁴⁷ Believing that the world was approaching the termination of a great prophetic period of 666 years, Bengel urged the importance of individual preparation lor the millennial reign of Christ on earth, which he expected to begin in 1836. PFF2 709.4

Twenty years a close student of prophecy, he confirmed the general Protestant Historicist view of the Apocalypse, and stood forth in exegesis as the Continental champion of the future millennium. ⁴⁸ Rejecting the Augustinian theory, and regarding the Apocalypse as chronological like Daniel’s prophcies, he turned the eyes of a multitude of followers to the kingdom of God as a future blessed hope, culminating in the second advent, when man shall be redeemed from dust to immortality. His school of exposition was followed by Prelate Oetinger, Rieger of Ludwigsburg, Prelate Roos, and many others, including Wesley. PFF2 710.1

1. FORMULATES ARBITRARY TIME UNIT FOR PERIODS

Bengel’s millennial view was singular in that it was “double”—a thousand years on earth followed by a thousand years in heaven.” ⁴⁹ In his chronological works he endeavored to fix and blend the number of the Beast with the date of the beginning of the millennium, which he placed in 1836. Bengel’s most characteristic principle of expounding prophetic time-that of a month for approximately fifteen years-was wholly arbitrary and groundless. To deduce his principle, he conjectured that the Beast’s number signified 666 years, and that this must equal the Beast’s numeral period of forty-two months. Thus one prophetic month = 666 divided by 42 = 156/7 years. ⁵⁰ Through such fantastic fractional arithmetic he came to infer that 1836 would begin the first of the two millenniums. Even in this he was followed by Wesley and many others. It was in 1724 that Bengel became convinced that the Beast’s number of 666 is “a period of time,” the same as the forty-two months of the Beast’s blasphemy. ⁵¹ And in 1727 he abandoned the strict year-day reckoning and attempted to correct the time periods by this modified scheme. ⁵² PFF2 710.2

2. BEAST Is PAPACY, WITH SHORTENED TIME PERIOD

The woman of Revelation 12 symbolizes the church, bringing forth Christ, the male child, and the “1260 prophetic days are 657 ordinary years in full. And if you reckon these from 864 to 1521, you will certainly not be far from the truth.” ⁵³ The Beast of Revelation 13 is the “ecclesiastico political power opposed to the kingdom of Christ,” connected with Rome and existing at the present time—the Roman Papacy founded by Hildebrand, or Gregory VII, and to be cast into the lake of fire. ⁵⁴ The Beast considered as to his seven heads is the papal power transmitted through a long succession of popes; but when “the last head,” and especially the Beast himself as “the eighth,” shall rage, he is become a personal individual. The “horns” are ten kings existing in this same last period; the Beast out of the earth is probably Jesuitism, or possibly Freemasonry; the angel messengers of Revelation 14 he presumes to be Arndt and Spener, with the third yet to come. ⁵⁵ PFF2 711.1

The three and a half times, comprehending within its scope the forty-two months and the Beast’s number, 666, is set at 1058 to 1836. This latter year is anticipated as the time of the destruction of the Beast and of the binding of Satan. ⁵⁶ PFF2 711.2

3. CALCULATES THOUSAND YEARS TO BEGIN IN 1836

The woman sitting on the Beast in Revelation 17 is Rome. ⁵⁷ The seven plagues are still future, with the last raging of Antichrist from 1831 to 1836. ⁵⁸ The thousand years’ binding of Satan is concluded by the first resurrection, which introduces the second thousand years. Bengel says: PFF2 712.1

“XIII. Babylon will become desolate followed by the downfall of the Beast. PFF2 712.2

“XIV. At the downfall of the Beast the 1000 years of the captivity of Satan begin. Revelation 19, 20. PFF2 712.3

“XV. After those 1000 years then Satan will be freed for a little time. Revelation 20:3. PFF2 712.4

“XVI. At the beginning of that little time, the souls of those who were killed will come to life and from this time till the resurrection of the remaining dead will be one thousand years.” ⁵⁹ PFF2 712.5

On the idea of a first millennium on earth and a second in heaven, which was Bengel’s basic contribution, he says: PFF2 712.6

“4. The 1000 years of captivity of Satan are still in the future. Babylon is still existing. The beast has not yet perished. As long as the beast continues its activity, Satan is also active. He has been excluded from heaven, but on earth he sustains the third Woe. Only after this he will be thrown into the pit and finally into the lake of fire.... 5. The saints will reign with Christ 1000 years in heaven. The thousand years in which Satan is bound and the thousand years in which the saints rule are differentiated.” ⁶⁰ PFF2 712.7

4. CROSS IN MIDST OF SEVENTIETH WEEK

On the seventy weeks, Bengel earlier followed Clauswitz in part, who held these to be year-weeks-490 years, a complete number commencing with the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Persia, dating from the seventh year of Artaxerxes, with the crucifixion of Christ in the midst of the seventieth week. Later, ⁶¹ however, Bengel abandoned reckoning by whole years, and by applying his curious arithmetical formula, he lengthened the 490 years to 555 years and a fraction, making them reach from the second year of Darius Hystaspes to seven years after the death of Christ. ⁶² PFF2 712.8

5. 2300 DAYS ARE LITERAL YEARS-UNDATED

The 2300days of Daniel are 2300 literal years. ⁶³ Vainly do some try to tie this to Antiochus Epiphancs, he adds, but he offers no terminal date. Such is the strange admixture of ideas disclosed by Bengel. PFF2 713.1

6. COLONIES IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA AND TRANSCAUCASIA

Many of the common people in Germany were greatly moved by the Pietism of Spener and Francke and the teaching of Bengel. Around the end of the century many left their homes in Wurttemberg and settled in southern Russia under the leadership of Christoph. Hoffmann, ⁶⁴ some in anticipation of Bengel’s indications about Russia and his great date, 1836. Others went to Transcaucasia, and again others settled in Hungary and Rumania. ⁶⁵ PFF2 713.2