The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

I. Dublin Christian Herald Proclaims Advent Prophecies

The launching of The Christian Herald in 1830, in the very heart of Roman Catholic Ireland, was quite a venture. Edited by EDWARD NEWENHAM HOARE (1802-1877), ¹ rector of St. Lawrence, Limerick, and minister of the Episcopal Chapel attached to the Blind Asylum, this Irish monthly started without sponsors, capital, or subscribers. It was forthwith attacked by other magazines, but was aided by upwards of one hundred clergy men of the Established Church. It was a venture of faith, and the result of a conviction that the church must be stirred and the truth of the second advent proclaimed. ² The opening editorial stresses the concurrence of conviction, both from the “prophetic numbers” and the “signs of the times,” that the advent is near, even at the doors. ³ (Title page reproduced on page 414.) PFF3 579.2

After rehearsing the story of the advent hope of the early church, and its loss throughout the Dark Ages, when “the abominations of ‘the mother of harlots’ covered all Christendom,” the Herald tells how gleams of advent and prophetic light broke upon the Waldenses and Lollards, and finally burst forth in great fullness during the Reformation, after which it was brought into disrepute by fanatics. But now, once more, the doctrine of the premillennial advent of Christ has been revived, and is again suffering a renewed attack by Satan. ⁴ PFF3 580.1

1. “R.H.” IDENTIFIES TIME AS PHILADELPHIA PERIOD

In volume 1, by means of a diagram, “R.H,” identifies the seven periods of the Christian church as symbolized by the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3; Ephesus is the apostolic age: Smyrna, persecution under pagan Rome; Pergamos, temporal prosperity under Constantine; Thyatira, papal persecution of the martyrs in the Dark Ages; Sardis, the sixteenth-century Reformation; Philadelphia, spiritual emphasis in the early nineteenth century; and Laodicea, the time of great declension prior to the second advent and the judgment of Antichrist. He thus identifies his own time as that of Philadelphia, and believes that the advent is drawing near. ⁵ PFF3 580.2

After denying the spiritual concept of the resurrection as “but the step to a new life,” the Herald sets forth a first literal resurrection of the saints “at the Second Advent of Christ, and the other not for a thousand years after.” ⁶ PFF3 580.3

2. DIVISIONS OF ROME REFUSE TO ADHERE

In the July issue begins a detailed editorial exposition of Daniel 2, with the standard four empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. ⁷ Much attention is given to the divided state of the feet, still existing and destined to “so continue, as we shall presently see, till the second advent.” ⁸ Broken up by the “hordes of barbarians,” the empire “at length came to be divided into TEN kingdoms.” There is stress of the fact that this is all in the “west of Europe; (exclusive of that part which the Romans conquered from the three preceding empires).” ⁹ PFF3 580.4

Despite the admixture of potter’s clay and the “continual jealousies, the endless feuds, the bitter animosities, and the bloody and long protracted wars,” there nevertheless was the strength of iron, as in the reigns of Charlemagne, Charles V, “and we may add, during the late reign of the usurper Bona parte.” ¹⁰ But “these ten kingdoms could never again be made to coalesce, or adhere together, so as to form one united and unbroken body.” PFF3 581.1

“This has been attempted; efforts have been made to this end, and of late years especially, a great attempt was made for this purpose, when Bonaparte established the French INDIVISIBLE empire, as it was called; but see how soon it was crushed to pieces.” ¹¹ PFF3 581.2

The mingling of the seed of men was “the INTERMARRIAGES of the royal families of Europe into one another.” ¹² PFF3 581.3

3. IDENTIFYING MARKS OF PAPAL LITTLE HORN

The August issue continues with Daniel 7. Again the standard his torical interpretation appears, with great detail, such as the sea of nations, the strength and dignity of Babylon symbolized by the king of beasts and the king of birds, the rough and savage bear of the empire of the Medes, with the Persians ascendant. ¹³ In the next number the nondescript fourth empire of Rome, and its ten divisions, continues-the plucking up of the Duchy of Rome, the Exarchate of Ravenna, and the kingdom of Lombardy, to make way for the pope and his successors. PFF3 581.4

Thus did “Popedom become the eighth little horn of the fourth beast,” with the pope wearing the triple crown of the three plucked up. ¹⁴ The papal eyes of cunning are noted, and the “noisy and blustering” mouth thundering forth bulls and anathemas, excommunicating princes, absolving subjects, and boasting supremacy. The great words include the claim of infallibility and the assumption of divine attributes and titles. The special time period of 1260 years is noted. ¹⁵ PFF3 581.5

4. CONTINENTAL SOCIETY GIVING Revelation 14 TO TEN KINGDOMS

Laudatory emphasis is given to the Continental Society, its purpose, needs, and accomplishments, in the light of German neology and French infidelity. Its field of operation is “Babylon; throughout the streets of which (i.e. the various kingdoms into which Christendom is divided)” its message is to be given. To these, the heralds of the society send the cry, “Come out of her my people.” This cry should “resound from hill to hill, throughout the nations of Europe; this is the warning voice, which by the mouth of her heralds she would proclaimat the head of every street of the great city of Babylon.” ¹⁶ These and similar societies are editorially regarded as “the fulfilment of the vision of the angel having the everlasting Gospel to preach, to all nations under heaven (Revelation 14:6), so do were gard the Continental Society as the voice which cried aloud, previous to the downfall of Babylon (Ch. 18:4).” ¹⁷ Here is a paragraph that gives the heart of it all: PFF3 582.1

“Those kingdoms, which constitute the sphere of this society’s operations, are the ten horns of the fourth beast which Daniel saw; the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. Destruction, fearful, sudden and complete awaits them; the stone cut out without hands is ready to fall upon them and to crush them to atoms; their doom is fixed, and soon shall they be made as ‘the chaff of the summer threshing floors;’-the deluge of fire is about to be poured upon them, and their place shall no more be found. Upon their ruins shall be established the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; and then shall the transgressors be rooted out, and the meek shall inherit the earth.” ¹⁸ PFF3 582.2

5. CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH’S PROPHETIC POEM

The September issue closes with a prophetic poem by Charlotte Elizabeth, then living in Ireland. The first twelve lines read: PFF3 582.3

“When from scattered lands afar
Speeds the voice of rumour’d war,
Nations in tumultuous pride
Heav’d like Ocean’s roaring tide When the Solar splendours fail
And the Crescent waxeth pale,
And the pow’rs that starlike reign,
Sink dishonour’d to the plain.
World! do thou the signal dread;
We exalt the drooping head
We uplift th’ expectant eye,
Our redemption draweth nigh.” ¹⁹ PFF3 582.4

The witness of this talented writer will be noted later. PFF3 583.1

6. JUDGMENT PRECEDES ADVENT; 1260 YEARS BEGIN 533

In the October number the exposition of Daniel 7 continues, with the judgment scene as the one that “precedes the second coming of Christ, which is described in verse 13, and therefore cannot be the last judgment which shall be conducted by Him, after that His coming again.” “The judgment here described precedes the millennium,” and it is “followed by the general judgment of all.” ²⁰ The 1260 years that mark “the duration of the power of the little horn” must be dated from some event when “extraordinary power was given to the little horn.” ²¹ Holding that both the grant of the Greek emperor Phocas, in 606, and the grant of Pepin, in 755, came too late, the editor fixes upon the edict of Justinian in 533, as leading 1260 years later to the French Revolution in 1793. ²² The visit of Edward Irving from London to Dublin, and his lectures in large halls, are noted with approval, ²³ and the Scottish J. A. Begg’s new book Christ’s Return in Glory is favorably reviewed. ²⁴ PFF3 583.2

7. DIGBY ON PROPHETIC DATES AND PAPAL REVIVAL

Volume 2, for 1831, begins by stressing the “awful doom” that awaits the horns of the fourth Beast, the “toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image,” and “the judgments about to crush them to dust.” ²⁵ Drummond’s Dialogues on Prophecy is noted, ²⁶ as are also the travels of Joseph Wolff. ²⁷ In July the testimonies of the early church Fathers on the millennium are given, with documentation. ²⁸ One writer, in August, prefers the 2400 of the Septuagint instead of 2300, for Daniel 8:14, and dates the period from 553 B.C. to A.D. 1847, as the time of Mohammedan ism’s triumph over the churches of the East. ²⁹ PFF3 583.3

William Dighy, who had been present at the Powerscourt House meeting for the consideration of prophecy, dates the 490 years from the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and the 1260 years from 533 to 1793, for the “masterpiece Popery.” ³⁰ He remarks that the papal Jezebel, “when she has a new sort of lovers-the children of her former ones-to court, has painted her face to look like a blooming beauty of the XlXth century, and tired her head with the cap of liberty.” ³¹ The times are evil and the people confused-except those who are “instructed by the prophets” from the great “calendar of prophecy,” and who know the times will wax worse until the second advent. ³² PFF3 584.1

8. “H.F.” ON SIGNS OF TIMES AND CHRISTENDOM AS “CITY.”

“H.F.” presents a sketch, in tabulated form, of the signs of the “Last Days”-revolutions, commotion, wars, earthquakes, plagues, famines, increase of wickedness, decay of true religion, gradual wasting away of Turkey, increase of infidelity, anarchy, and popery, general circulation of the Scriptures (Rev. 24:6, 7), increased light on prophecy (Daniel 12:4, 9, 10), renewal of spiritual gifts, despoiling of the Catholic Church, and restoration of the Jews. ³³ The great city of Revelation 16 is the nations of Christendom, since “in the 11th chapter of the Revelation, the Revolution of France is designated as the falling of the tenth part of the city.” ³⁴ PFF3 584.2

9. Two ORGANIZATIONS FOR STUDY OF PROPHECY

Two unique organizations for the study of prophecy are then noted. The first is the Paisley (Scotland) Society for the Investigation of Prophecy, instituted in October, 1830, ³⁵ with its “Regulations” for appointments, and its procedure. ³⁶ Paisley was where James A. Begg resided. The second is the Powerscourt House four- day meeting on prophecy in October, with three sessions daily, under the chairmanship of Robert Daly, rector of Powers-court ³⁷ -one of the leading topics being the 1260 year-days. ³⁸ PFF3 584.3

10. SEVENTY WEEKS AND 2300 DAYS

In volume 3, for 1832, appears an important editorial discussion of the relationship of the 2300 years to the seventy weeks of years. To the question “How long shall be the vision?” the answer is, “Seventy weeks are determined (or ‘cut. off from a larger portion of time).” ³⁹ It is here argued that there arc two parts to the question, and the second-the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot-is the result of the former. Seventy weeks of years are appointed for accomplishing the former part; and that will leave 1810 years for the accomplishment of the rest of the vision. ⁴⁰ Then comes this clear bit of reasoning: PFF3 585.1

“If now the fulfilment of the former portion of 70 weeks has proved to be years, we come to the conclusion that the latter number of 1810 is also years; to be dated from the fulfilment of the former; namely, the crucifixion and ascension of Messiah. Thus 1810 added to A.D. 33, makes A.D. 1843 the date for the cleansing of the sanctuary.” ⁴¹ PFF3 585.2

Discussions by J. H. Frere ⁴² and J. N. Darby ⁴³ appear, and there is notice of a second series of meetings for the discussion of prophecy at Powerscourt House, centering chiefly on the gifts and on Antichrist. ⁴⁴ PFF3 585.3

11. SHRINKING EUPHRATES Is TURKISH DISINTEGRATION

In volume 4, for 1833, the concept of an individual infidel antichrist in the last days is increasingly emphasized by one group of contributors. ⁴⁵ Notice is also given of the 1833 Curry abridgment of Irving’s English translation of Ben-Ezra, published at Dublin. ⁴⁶ But the item of greatest significance in this volume concerns the “drying up of the Euphrates.” ⁴⁷ The horn of Daniel 7 is held to be the Papacy in the Western Empire, and the horn of Daniel 8 is set forth as the Mohammedan, or Turkish, power in the Eastern Empire, destined to “come to an end.” “The glory of the Ottoman empire has long been on the wane. The waters of the great river Euphrates have been gradually drying up.” ⁴⁸ Then follows a list of its losses and retrenchments. PFF3 585.4

12. 1843 ENDING CONNECTED WITH OTTOMAN FALL

By the exhaustion of the Euphratean waters preparation will be made for the gathering together of the confederacy of the beast, the false prophet, and the ten kings of the Latin earth, “to their own destruction at Armageddon.” ⁴⁹ But this is connected by Hoare, the editor, with the return of the Jews, the “kings of the East,” to their own land of Palestine. ⁵⁰ As one of the events connected therewith, the editor places the termination of the 2300-year prophecy, which had its beginning with the seventh of Artaxerxes, in 457 B.C. Then he says: PFF3 586.1

“If we reckon the 2300 days as years, we shall find the period terminates in A.D. 1843. Whether this be the true method of calculation a few years will prove.” ⁵¹ PFF3 586.2

Then he adds that various “learned men” had been led to expect this event at different periods from 1840 to 1847. ⁵² With this he connects the wasting away of the Ottoman Empire. ⁵³ While we may not know the day or hour, the wise know when the coming of the Lord is near. Dissenting note is taken editorially of the supernatural manifestations in Irving’s London church. ⁵⁴ On the other hand, Futurist contributors seek to disparage the papal Antichrist concept and the year-day principle. ⁵⁵ PFF3 586.3

13. CONFLICTS AND APATHY END “HERALD’S” CAREER

Volume 5, for 1834-35, brings this unique journal to a close. Agitation by the Futurists, a waning interest, and a diminishing subscription list brought about its demise. Challenges increased on the year-day principle, ⁵⁶ on the papal Antichrist, ⁵⁷ and on the 533 Justinian edict constituting the pope the “head of all the churches.” ⁵⁸ The editor observes that belief in millenarian doctrines appeared confined at first to men “distinguished for orthodoxy in doctrine, and freedom from the spirit of dissent.” ⁵⁹ But now extremism had arisen with “mutual re criminations.” And “prejudice against the study of prophecy” had increased and had “deterred many inquirers from the consideration of the subject.” As a result there had been a “decrease in circulation of such works as this, treating on Prophecy,” and “these have withdrawn their support.” ⁶⁰ So with a warning that the devil would seek to “divert your minds from the subject of the Lord’s second Advent,” Editor Hoare says, “Finally, brethren, farewell.” ⁶¹ PFF3 586.4