The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3
II. Brooks-Champions Historical View and Pre-millennialism
JOSHUA WILLIAM BROOKS (1790-1882), prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral, author, and editor of The Investigator, as well as compiler of A Dictionary of Writers on the Prophecies, was prominent in prophetic exposition circles between 1831 and 1844. Though information is lacking as to his early life and education, we find him rector of East Retford, 1821-27, rector of Grove, 1827-43, and vicar of St. Mary’s, Nottingham, 1843-64, also rural dean 1855-64. Then he was prebendary of the Lincoln Cathedral from 1858 until his death in 1882. 22 PFF3 603.4
One and a half columns are needed to list the works of Brooks in the British Museum catalogue. He compiled A Dictionary of Writers on the Prophecies toward the close of his editorship of The Investigator (1831-36). He wrote the widely read Abdiel’s Essays on the Advent and Kingdom of Christ (1834), as well as Elements of Prophetical Interpretation (1836), The History of the Hebrew Nation (1841), and “The Signs of the Second Advent” (1843) in The Second Coming, the judgment and the Kingdom of Christ, one of the collections of Bloomsbury lectures. He was, moreover, a prominent participant in the Edinburgh Association for Promoting the Study of Prophecy, his contributions thereto, for 1841, being published as its First Series of Lectures on Subjects Connected with Prophecy. PFF3 603.5
1. PREMILLENNIALISM PROPHETIC ISSUE OF THE HOUR
Brooks’ Essays on the Advent and Kingdom of Christ deals with the purpose and propriety of prophecy. After touching upon the prophecies of the first advent, Brooks comes to the vicissitudes that befell the premillennial interpretation through the centuries of the Christian Era-oft thrown into the background and upon other occasions brought into disrepute by fanatical friends, but ultimately firmly and soundly established in the great Reformation bodies. 23 And now, after further diversions by Whitby’s postmillennial theory, it has come again to the fore front in the nineteenth century. He declares the most vital issue of the hour to be the premillennial or postmillennial advent. 24 PFF3 604.1
2. GODDESS OK REASON DEPRIVED OF REASON
Brooks advocated with conviction and force the premise that the French Revolution inaugurated the period of the outpouring of the seven vials, destined to destroy the apocalyptic beast and Babylon. 25 In connection with the excesses of the Revolution he reveals the tragic anticlimax to the infamous episode of “public homage offered to a harlot, who was deified as the goddess of reason.” He writes: PFF3 604.2
“In the Paris papers of August 1st, 1817, is the announcement of the death of this wretched female, the infamous Theroigne de Mericourt in the hospital for pauper lunatics of Saltpetriere, ‘where (say the Journals) she had lived unpieced and unknown.’ Thus, by a striking retribution, this unhappy woman who had received adoration as the goddess of reason, was for the last twenty years of her life deprived of reason; and she who was by the multitude worshipped as a divinity, was abandoned by the same multitude to the contempt and miseries of pauperism!” 26 PFF3 605.1
3. MIDNIGHT CRY RINGING IN NINETEENTH CENTURY
In Elements of Prophetical Interpretation, Brooks traces the fluctuating positions of the church throughout the Christian Era on the fundamental principles of prophetic interpretation. From the generally held premillennial view of the early church, on to the “new allegorizing system,” between the time of Origen and that of Jerome, 27 Brooks gives a systematic discussion of the “Voice of the Church” in those crucial centuries. PFF3 605.2
He then presents an impressive picture of the nineteenth century Advent Awakening as the conviction of a great im pending crisis grips scores of minds “in Great Britain, and the Continent.” It was “unequivocally pre-millennarian,” and resembled the midnight cry of the parable: “Behold the Bride groom cometh.” With but few exceptions, Brooks adds, “there is scarcely to be found a writer on prophecy of any eminence in the present century, who is not looking for the premillennial advent.” 28 A veritable galaxy of premillennial writers had arisen, and at least eight periodicals were exclusively or chiefly devoted to the exposition of prophecy-the Jewish Expositor, The Morning Watch, The Christian Herald, The Investigator, The Christian Witness, The Christian Record, The Watchman, and The Expositor of Prophecy. 29 PFF3 605.3
Many of these writers were in the Established Church, though others were scattered through the Dissenter groups, and many were laymen. 30 The leading ones are named. PFF3 605.4
4. WATCHMAN’S DUTY To HERALD ADVENT
In a chapter on “The Judgment,” Brooks declares: PFF3 606.1
“It is the duty of all to call upon them ‘to fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of his Judgment is come;’ (Revelation 14:7.) but more especially is it the duty of God’s ministers. They are placed as watchmen in Israel to discern the signs of the times, and to look out whether it be a sword coming or peace; and if it be a sword coming, and the watchman ‘blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come and take away any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but-his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.’ (Ezekiel 33:6.)” 31 PFF3 606.2
5. “ANTICHRIST” PREDOMINANTLY APPLIED TO PAPACY
The chapter “On the Antichrist” discusses the essential unanimity of the historical “Protestant application of the Man of Sin to Popery, and of Babylon to Papal Rome.” 32 He alludes to many other expositors who, while applying the little horn of Daniel 7 to the Western Antichrist, or the Papacy, also apply the horn of Daniel 8 to Mohammedanism, or the Eastern antichrist, 33 and those so holding are named. PFF3 606.3
6. YEAR-DAY PRINCIPLE AND 1260 YEARS FROM 533
In the chapter “On Time Mystically Expressed” the development of the year-day principle is discussed, Mede being one of the principal earlier champions. 34 The section “On the Antichrist “most carefully traces the historical position of the church in the past-discussing Joachim, Eberhard, Bernard of Clairvaux, Olivi, and the Reformers. 35 The Western and Eastern Anti christ concept is again touched, 36 and the various attempts to fathom the 666 are noted in “The Name of the Beast,” whether years, a date, or a name. 37 A large list of prophetic expositors completes the volume. 38 PFF3 606.4
On “The Chronological Prophecies,” the evidence in be half of the 1260 year-days, as from 533, is presented, and the adherents are again named. 39 PFF3 606.5