The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

I. Doctor Park-391-Year Turkish Woe Ends in 1844

JOHN R. PARK, M.D. (1778-1847), surgeon and theologian, was born in Liverpool. He received his M.D. from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1818, and his F.R.C.S. in 1819. He delivered the Gulstonian Lectures in 1821, and not only wrote numerous works on medical science and the pathology of fever but produced several thoughtful treatises on prophecy. ¹ In 1825 the “much enlarged” second edition of his Concise Exposition of the Apocalypse, So Far as the Prophecies Are Fulfilled appeared, with another edition in 1826. This was followed by his Ami cable Controversy with a Jewish Rabbi on Messiah’s Coming (1832). In his preliminary History of Christianity Doctor Park epitomizes the history of Christianity, century by century, first tracing the rise of Mohammedanism in the East and then the course of the Papacy in the West. PFF3 533.2

1. TRUMPETS INVOLVE MOHAMMEDAN INROADS

Park stresses the “miracle of prophecy,” but is especially concerned with the “three septenaries” of the seals, trumpets, and vials. The seals describe the “gradual corruption, and, at length, almost total extinction of true Christianity.” The trumpets “treat of the rise, progress, and final establishment of the dominion” of the Eastern Antichrist. ² Especially does he emphasize the 150 years of the Saracen and the 391 years of the Turk, established “on the ruins of Christianity in the East.” ³ PFF3 534.1

2. PAPACY IN WEST; MOHAMMEDAN IN EAST

Touching upon the “seventh century,” in the historical section, Park says: PFF3 534.2

“We have now reached an eventful period in the history of our religion, marked by two momentous occurrences, one, the establishment of the Papal hierarchy, and the other, the rise of Mohammedism. As these form the most prominent features in the picture of Antichristian domination, so they are distinguished in the prophetic history, by descriptions more minute and circumstantial than any others that occur.” ⁴ PFF3 534.3

Park calls the alleged “prophet of God” PFF3 534.4

“the most extraordinary enthusiast that had yet appeared upon earth; this was Mahomet, the founder of the religion which bears his name, and of the Saracen empire, which in the short space of 150 years, extended itself over the greater part of Asia, and no inconsiderable portion of Europe and Africa.” ⁵ PFF3 534.5

3. SARACENIC INROADS FROM 612 TO 762

As the prophetic interpretations are more comprehensive in the Concise Exposition section, we will pursue them there. The 150 years, or five prophetical months of the Saracenic fifth trumpet, Park delimits as from 612 to 762. ⁶ Of this woe he says: PFF3 534.6

“The Saracens were alike armed for controversy and for battle, with the Koran and the sword. One was their breastplate in argument, the other gave them victory in war. PFF3 535.1

“The tail, as the noxious part, denotes their poisonous doctrine, by which they prevailed as much as by the sword. Their doctrine and do minion kept pace together for 150 years.” ⁷ PFF3 535.2

He adds that Mohammedanism owed its rise to the “darkness and ignorance which enveloped the Christian world,” and to the “corruptions which disfigured the pure religion of Jesus.” PFF3 535.3

4. TURKISH 391 YEARS FROM 1453 TO 1844

The Saracens paved the way for their Turkish successors. The 391-year period of domination over the Greek Empire, Park placed from 1453 to 1844. While the locusts torment, the horses kill; the gospel was banished; “the Koran alone remained.” ⁸ The comparison of East and West is stated thus: PFF3 535.4

“These 1260 years of impure worship in the West, are cotemporaneous with a similar period already noticed in the East. If computed from the year 606, which seems to be most distinctly marked as the commencement of the papal hierarchy, it will terminate in 1866, by adding 1260 years; whereas the Eastern apostacy appeared destined to prevail from 612 to 1844. Thus the two will be almost exactly cotemporaneous.” ⁹ PFF3 535.5

The Two Witnesses, Park adds incidentally in his comment, “mean the prophets of the Old and New Testament. ¹⁰ PFF3 535.6

5. BEAST’S REIGN PLACED FROM 606 TO 1866

Coming to the ten-horned beast from the sea, Park says: PFF3 535.7

“The sea signifies the Western Gentiles; the beast an idolatrous, tyrannical empire; his horns are the kingdoms composing that empire; his heads are seven successive forms of government ruling over the empire.” ¹¹ PFF3 535.8

With the agility of a leopard, the grasp of a bear, and the bite of a lion, its power is derived from Satan, and Rome is the seat of the beast. The seven heads are kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, military tribunes, emperors, and popes. The horns are the Machiavellian list. The dating of the reign of the beast is again put as 606-1866. ¹² PFF3 535.9

6. Two HORNS OF BEAST: Two ORDERS OF CLERGY

The two-horned beast from the land is similarly dated, and is de fined as “the Romish ecclesiastical empire; nominally Christian, really Antichristian. Supported by two orders of clergy, monks and priests.” ¹³ PFF3 536.1

7. FIFTH VIAL POURED OUT IN FRENCH REVOLUTION

Advancing to the vials, Park dates the fifth vial from 1750 to 1800. He contends that it has fallen directly upon the throne of the beast, and avers it “can be no other than that terrible explosion of the French revolution.” He then adds: PFF3 536.2

“The evils of this great convulsion, moral, political, and religious, have strikingly fulfilled the prophecy, and fallen upon the throne of the beast; for they have been almost exclusively visited upon those countries where the Romish faith predominated, as Italy, Austria, Spain, Portugal, and France.” ¹⁴ PFF3 536.3

8. SIXTH VIAL SPELLS OTTOMAN FALL

The sixth vial is placed from 1800 to 1850, and involved the “downfal of the Ottoman Empire.” PFF3 536.4

“The drying up of the Euphrates, (in evident allusion to the dominion established by the Euphratean horsemen under the Sixth Trumpet), is a metaphor that appears singularly appropriate to the gradual manner in which the Ottoman Empire is now dwindling away. And as the Eastern and Western Apostacy arose at the same time, so it here appears that they are destined to fall together.” ¹⁵ PFF3 536.5

9. WOMAN IN PURPLE Is LATIN CHURCH

The woman of Revelation 17, in “gaudy attire and meretricious or naments, “and in striking contrast to the woman of Revelation 12 adorned with the “heavenly luminaries,” is the “Latin Church.” ¹⁶ The ten horns are the ten kingdoms, which were “not yet in existence” when the prophecy was given. ¹⁷ PFF3 536.6

Such is the comprehensive viewpoint of this prophecy-studying physician in this intensive time. PFF3 536.7