The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

II. Keith-Establishes Papal Little Horn and Year-Day

ALEXANDER KEITH (1791-1880), Scottish writer on prophecy, and minister of St. Cyrus, Kincardineshire, from 1816 to 1840, was born in Aberdeenshire. He was educated at Marischal College and the University of Aberdeen, from which he received a B.A. in 1809 and a D.D. in 1833. He was licensed by the presbytery in 1813 and ordained in 1816. In 1839 he was sent to Palestine and Eastern Europe as a member of the com mission to inquire into the state of the Jews, and again visited Palestine in 1844. Joining the Free Church secession movement of Scotland, he had his name removed from the roll of the established church in 1843. ¹⁸ PFF3 622.3

Keith was distinguished as an author, writing several books on the fulfillment of prophecy. The first important book was Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion, Derived From the Literal Fulfilment of Prophecy (1828). It was patterned after the work of Bishop Newton. ¹⁹ The popular interest in prophecy at this time may be gauged by the fact that this work ran through forty editions, and was published in a number of other tongues. Keith wrote one of the strong defenses of the year-day principle to meet the spreading fallacies of the Futurist interpretation. In 1826 he penned, in two volumes, The, Signs of the Times, as Denoted by the Fulfilment, of Historical Pre dictions., and later The Harmony of Prophecy; or, Scriptural Illustrations of the Apocalypse (1851). His most elaborate work was History and Destiny of the World and of the Church (1861). PFF3 622.4

1. FIRST VOLUME, ON OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

Keith’s first important book, Evidence of the Truth of the Christian Religion, deals solely with Old Testament prophecies, and is concerned chiefly with the prophecies of the first advent, the destruction of Jerusalem and other cities-such as Babylon and Tyre-and the woes on the Jews. ²⁰ The time of the Messiah’s advent is given on the basis of the seventy weeks, which time period is dated from the seventh of Artaxerxes to the death of Christ. ²¹ Keith’s exposition became a standard in its field. The outline prophecy of Daniel 11 is also noted-covering Persia, Grecia, Rome, Antichrist, and finally the Turk. ²² But on this it is very brief. PFF3 623.1

2. HORN OF Daniel 8 INTERPRETED AS MOHAMMEDANISM

The Signs of the Times ably compasses the visions of Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11. ²³ Then come the seals and trumpets of the Apocalypse, the cloud-clothed, rainbow-crowned angel, the Two Wit nesses, the sun-clothed woman, the two beasts, and lastly the seven vials. ²⁴ The standard position on the four kingdoms is maintained by Keith, together with the year-day principle. ²⁵ The Persian ram, the Grecian goat, and its four horn divisions are given, but with Mohammedanism as the exceeding great horn. ²⁶ In Daniel 11 the Papacy is given a prominent place from verse 35 onward, with Turkey introduced in verse 40. ²⁷ PFF3 623.2

3. DIFFERS ON SEALS; CONCURS ON TRUMPETS

In his ex position of the Apocalypse and its seals, Keith differs from others in applying the second seal to Mohammedanism and the third to “popery” in the Dark Ages, with infidelity for the fourth. The sixth seal is believed not yet fulfilled. ²⁸ He gives the standard interpretations of the trumpets: the first, Alaric and the Goths; the second, Genseric and the Vandals; the third, Attila and the Huns; and the fourth, Theodoric and the Ostrogoths. ²⁹ The fifth trumpet is the Saracens for their allotted time period; ³⁰ and the sixth trumpet, the Turks that were bound in the Euphrates but loosed for 396 years, ³¹ dated from 1057 to 1453. ³² PFF3 624.1

4. 1260 YEARS OF PAPACY 529-33 TO 1789-93

Keith interprets the angel of Revelation 10 as the Reformation, ³³ and the two witnesses are those who testified for God throughout the 1260 years. ³⁴ The woman of Revelation 12 presents the history of the church. ³⁵ The two beasts of Revelation 13 are the commonly interpreted imperial Rome and the papal Rome that succeeded it. ³⁶ And the 1260 years of the papal power are dated from 529-33 to 1789-93. ³⁷ PFF3 624.2

5. JUSTINIAN’S DECREE SELECTED FROM FOUR

Keith distinguishes sharply between the edicts of the emperors Gratian and Valentinian, in 378-79, those of Theodosius and Valentinian III, in 445, and the final authorization by Justinian in his imperial letter of 533 and the confirmations of the Novellae, simply renewed by Phocas in 606. ³⁸ Such is his succinct reasoning and marshaled evidence, drawn much from Croly, in behalf of the be ginning of the 1260 years under Justinian. The vials, extending from 1782 to 1831, are applied to the French Revolution, the fifth vial being directed against the Catholic kingdoms, and the sixth against Turkey, and involving its disintegration. ³⁹ PFF3 624.3

6. 2300 YEARS DATED FROM 480 B.C. TO A.D. 1820

At the very close Keith discusses the ending of the 2300 years and the cleansing of the sanctuary through the related delivery of Jerusalem from Mohammedan tyranny-“the place of which was trodden down by the Turks.” ⁴⁰ He oddly dates the beginning from the invasion of Greece by Xerxes, in 480 B.C., and ends it in A.D. 1820. ⁴¹ The thirty years between the expiration of the 1260 and the 1290 years are taken as an interval leading to the completion of the 2300 years. ⁴² Then follows this meaningful statement: PFF3 625.1

“May we not look again to the times and the seasons that are passed, and see whether the period may not be commenced for the cleansing of the sanctuary as well as of the sitting of the judgment? We have seen how, after a time of previous repose, uninterrupted and accumulating calamities have beset the Turkish empire, ‘melted away’ its armies, ‘drained’ its population, and depopulated its cities, since the year 1820.” ⁴³ PFF3 625.2

7. FINAL EVENTS, ADVENT, AND NEW EARTH

In his The Harmony of Prophecy, Keith emphasizes the fulfillment of the sixth seal at the very end of human affairs—at the time of the second advent, when Babylon comes in remembrance before God.” ⁴⁴ The seventh trump is placed at the same time, together with the harvest and wine press, and the first resurrection. ⁴⁵ Then follows a paralleling of certain prophecies of Christ, Moses, David, Isaiah, and Habakkuk, with those of the Revelation. ⁴⁶ The last part of the work discusses the kingdom, and the two resurrections, separated by the thousand years. ⁴⁷ Then follow the executive judgment and the new earth. ⁴⁸ PFF3 625.3

8. LITTLE HORN’S IDENTITY ESTABLISHED BY EVIDENCE

Keith’s last and most pretentious work, The History and Destiny of the World and of the, Church, deals entirely with the four empires of prophecy in Daniel and the Apocalypse, indentifying Daniel’s fourth power with John’s dragon and beast, and Daniel’s little horn with the two-homed beast of John’s vision- both representing the Roman apostasy and the woman in purple and scarlet. This treatise is thoroughly documented, and illustrated with coins and medallions from Grecia onward. There is much detailed history of great value in critical study. PFF3 625.4

He gives paralleling columns of the texts in Daniel 2 and 7, and Revelation 12, 13, and 17, bearing on Rome, ⁴⁹” and deals similarly with the papal Antichrist, in Daniel 7 and 11, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation 13 and 17. ⁵⁰ Papal medallions illustrate the terms and specifications of the “eyes” of the horn, ⁵¹ and the boastful and blasphemous claims. ⁵² In support of the fearful persecutions there are extensive footnote excerpts from the sources. ⁵³ The time of the Little Horn is still set as from 529-33 to 1789-93. ⁵⁴ PFF3 626.1

9. PAPAL IDENTITY CONFIRMED BY MEDALLIONS

The witness of the Roman Catholics is constantly drawn upon to establish the fulfillment of particular specifications of Daniel 7 and 11, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation 13 and 17. ⁵⁵ The beasts of Revelation are minutely compared with the fourth beast of Daniel, ⁵⁶ in the light of Romish declarations and claims. All through these chapters authentic medallions illustrate the contentions. ⁵⁷ Even the garments of scarlet and purple of Revelation 17 are illustrated in color. ⁵⁸ Altogether it is a scholarly and really classical work establishing beyond peradventure the thesis that the Papacy is the power symbolized by Daniel, Paul, and John. PFF3 626.2