The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

IV. Morning Watch-Stresses Last Events and 2300-Year Terminus

Most voluminous of the periodicals dealing with prophecy was the ponderous “Quarterly Journal on Prophecy and Theo logical Review,” called The Morning Watch, issued from 1829 to 1833. It was edited by John Tudor and financed by Henry Drummond. “Its first volumes contain many valuable essays: the latter volumes were almost exclusively devoted to the doc trines and transactions of the Irvingites.” ¹⁰ Thus the prophetic views of Albury Park were steadily disseminated. PFF3 501.5

The 735 pages of the first volume were a reflector of a large segment of the interpretations of the time. Regrettably, many of the contributors use only initials or pseudonyms that cannot always be identified. In their various styles they exalt prophecy as God’s beacon light to men, and stress sound methods of studying and interpreting prophecy. Such discussions as “The Times and Seasons” superimpose the whole scheme of the Apocalypse upon the Old Testament feasts, from the Passover in the first Jewish month, and its accompanying wave-sheaf, on through the Feast of Weeks, and finally to the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles. The imagery, or scenery, is taken almost wholly from the tabernacle erected by Moses. Thus a framework is formed for the gospel dispensation.” ¹¹ PFF3 502.1

1. HOMAN OUTLINES END IN 1843-44

In the June issue a brief note by PH. HOMAN ¹² ites four prophecies that he believes would terminate about 1843. These are (1) the seven times, or 2.520 years, from the captivity of Israel by Esarhaddon, in the reign of Manasseh in 677 B.C., which “will be found to terminate in A.D. 1843”; (2) the 2300 years to the cleansing of the sanctuary, from “the decree for restoring the civil and ecclesiastical polity of the Jews,” from the seventh year of Artaxerxes, A.I). 457; “consequently, the 2300 days, reckoned from this, terminate in A.D. 1843”; (3) restoration of Israel will take place in the Jubilee, and, according to the computations of many chronologers, the next year of Jubilee will occur in 1843 or 1844; (4) the 391 years of the Ottoman power-an hour, day, month, and year, from the capture of Constantinople in 1453 to 1844 ¹³ The restoration of Israel is anticipated at that time. PFF3 502.2

2. REVELATION14 PICTURES LAST-DAY EVENTS

In the September number the integrity of the Apocalypse, its trans mission through the centuries, and the soundness of pre-millennialism are stressed ¹⁴ Of Revelation 14, Tudor writes that this is “that portion of the Revolution which the slightest inspection shews to be the most important of the whole book. It begins with the visitation on Babylon, and runs on to the overthrow of all the powers of evil, to make way for the kingdom of Christ. All the preceding revelations point onwards to this time; and all the Old-Testament Prophets look forward to it, as ‘the last days.’ ‘the time of the end,’ ‘the day of the Lord,’ etc.” ¹⁵ PFF3 502.3

This, he declares, is the time when prophecy is unsealed, and this time of the unsealing is also the announcement of the coming of Christ previous to His actual coming. ¹⁶ This follows the expiration of the 1260 years. ¹⁷ PFF3 503.1

Earnest dissent from the Futurist S. R. Maitland’s Inquiry on the 1260 years is voiced in the form of a book review. With keen logic and incisive words Maitland’s positions on literal time are analyzed and overthrown. Though it is devoted chiefly to the 1260 year-days, the 2300 year-days are also discussed and defended, and the incongruity of Maitland’s position is exposed. ¹⁸ PFF3 503.2

3. GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION

The December issue presents a comprehensive picture of “the gradual Unfolding of Prophecy.” This traces the growing understanding of prophecy throughout the Christian Era, along with each advancing fulfillment of prophecy. With this are the perversions in the time of Origen and Constantine, and later the fallacy of postmillennialism, from Grotius and Hammond on ward. The early awakening on prophecy, around the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, is portrayed with bold but accurate strokes. The witness of Arnoldus de Nova Villa (1250), Grost-head (1250), Laurence (1260), Petrus Johannis (1290), Militius (1366), Wyclif (1371), Brute (1391), and Wimbledon (1389) is cited ¹⁹ Then John Tudor, editor of The Morning Watch, observes, “These extracts may suffice to shew how truly, in the general, these confessors understood the prophecies of Antichrist.” ²⁰ PFF3 503.3

This is followed by writers like Brightman (1616), Mede, More, Sir Isaac Newton, and Whiston ²¹ Then expositors from the French Revolution onward are listed, including Bicheno, Whitaker, Towers, Faber, Cuninghame, Frere, Way, Bayford, and Irving. Tudor again stresses the “typical application of the set times of the Jewish year to the order of events declared in the prophecies.” ²² This gives to probability the “stamp of certainty.” PFF3 503.4

4. LAST EVENTS IN DAY OF ATONEMENT SETTING

In further “Interpretation of the Apocalypse,” the 1260 years are allocated from Justinian’s Code in 533 to 1793 in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Code ²³ The sealing work of Revelation 7 is described thus: PFF3 504.1

“The sealed ones are gathered when Christ comes from without the veil (Hebrews 9:28) denoting The Day of Atonement, when the high priest came out the last time from the holy of holies. ²⁴ PFF3 504.2

The Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles following are connected with “the remnant of the woman’s seed with whom the dragon went to make war.” PFF3 504.3

These two feasts-of Atonement and Tabernacles-the writer continues, are tied in with the events between the French Revolution and the end. These give notice of the Lord’s coming sufficient to warn the world. The events of the seventh seal Christ shall enact in person-the seventh trumpet, seventh seal, and seventh vial all being fulfilled at the same time. The writer maintains that “all the imagery in this poem was taken from the Day of Atonement”-the golden censer, the incense, the deep affliction, the temple opened, and the ark seen “indicating the opening of the veil on the day of atonement.” ²⁵ This is an impressive emphasis, of which more will be heard later. PFF3 504.4

5. TURK’S WANE FOLLOWING 391-YEAR PERIOD

The trumpets are held to be the invasion of the northern barbarians, with the fifth the Saracens, and the sixth the Turks for “391 years and a fraction”-a time “capable of being fixed with the greatest accuracy.” The wasting away of the Turkish power “we daily behold,” which is preparing the way for the third woe ²⁶ The Two Witnesses are declared to be the two Testaments, and the three and a half years of their slaying began in 1793 ²⁷ with France as the “tenth part of the city.” ²⁸ Revelation 12 is the history of the persecutions of the true church; and Revelation 13, the history of the papal Antichrist, with the usual explanation of the heads and horns ²⁹ And the two-horned beast is thought to be another picture of the same, only in his infidelic form ³⁰ PFF3 504.5

6. SEVEN CHURCHES EXTEND TO ADVENT

In volume 2(1830), the periods of the seven churches are distributed thus:(1) Ephesus, to the persecution by Nero, A.D. 64; (2) Smyrna, till the accession of Constantine, in 324; (3) Pergamos, the interval between elevation of Constantine and the rise of the Little Horn at the beginning of the 1260 years; (4) Thyatira, the testimony against the Papacy during the 1260 years; (5) Sardis, from the end of the 1260 years until the preparation for the coming of the Lord; (6) Philadelphia, the period of the preparation, until the Lord comes in the air and meets His saints, changed and risen; (7) Laoclicea-the “only one yet entirely future”- the church during the great tribulation between the coming of the Lord and the establishment of His throne. ³¹ PFF3 505.1

7. 2300 YEARS END IN 1843 OR 1847

Again treating on the time periods leading to the “time of the end,” The Morning Watch says that the period of the 2300 years “appears to end about the year 1847,” though allusion is made to the extension of the 1290 and 1335 years, with the latter terminating in 1867 ³² In volume 3 (1831) the ending of the 1260 years in 1798, at the “deposition of the Pope,” is mentioned by “F” as the preference of some, with the terminus of the 2300 years in 1843 or 1847, at the re-establishment of true worship at Jerusalem ³³ With it is noted the drying up of Turkey that has long been under way. Still further discussion occurs in volume,5 (1832) on the “Sacred Numbers.” The relation of the 2300 years and the seventy weeks brings this impressive editorial statement:” PFF3 505.2

The first number given is 2300 years (viii.14), which includes the time of both advents; the second number given is 490 years, or 70 weeks (ix.24), which includes the time of the First Advent only. Both these numbers must have the same commencement, for the second is declared to be given to enable Daniel to understand the meaning of the first.” ³⁴ PFF3 506.1

The 1810 years which remain beyond the seventy weeks, end in A.D. 1847. The ending of the 1260-year papal period in 1793 ³⁵ is repeated. PFF3 506.2

8. PROTESTANTISM INCLUDED UNDER “BABYLON”

There is an increasing tendency to place nominal Protestantism within the confines of Babylon. Thus: “Babylon is Christendom, in all its parts, and under all its denominations of Papal, and Protestant, and Dissenter. ³⁶ In the later volumes the nature of Christ, spiritual gifts, speaking with tongues, and the now-developed Irvingism have increasing space and attention. Acrimony comes in to mar the discussions, and the editor ends its issuance. PFF3 506.3