The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

III. Causes of Old World Witness Breakdown

Five major factors made for the ultimate collapse of the Old World witness. These were: PFF3 743.2

1. The growing diversity of view over the integrity of the number 2300, of Daniel 8:14-whether 2300 or 2400. While the majority advocated the 2300 years and began the period synchronously with the seventy weeks of years, usually from the time of Artaxerxes, the militant adherents of the 2400-year position dated their longer span from the giving of the vision itself, without regard to, or certification from, the seventy weeks as the first segment-though they ended them approximately with the 2300-year advocates, namely, in 1847. This diversity led to in creasing friction and variance. PFF3 743.3

2. The increasing division of view as to whether the last prophetic time period ended in 1844, or whether the 1335 year-days extended seventy-five years beyond the close of the 1260years, or to about 1867. This was on the premise that the three related periods (the 1260, 1290, and 1335) began simultaneously in 533. With such proponents of the ending of the 1335 years about 1867, the 2300 years was not the grand terminal point, but only a way mark midway between the ending of the 1260and the 1335 years, and came to lose its former significance under(his emphasis of an accommodating “continuationism.” PFF3 743.4

3. The wide diversity of view as to the nature of the cleansing of the sanctuary. To many, the cleansing of Jerusalem from Mohammedanism’s polutions seemed involved, as well as the restoration of the Jews. One of the most pronounced chracteristics of the Old World Advent Awakening was belief in the restorarion and convertion of the Jews. In this they differed sharply from their fellow heralds of the advent in America. This belief was tied inextricably into their prophetic concepts and expositions. Palestine must be reclaimed from Mohammedan rule, and that opposing power was regarded as variously portrayed by the horn of Daniel 8, the latter power of Daniel 11, the sixth trumpet of Revelation 9, and the vanishing Euphrates of Revelation 16. The eyes of such were increasingly fixed upon this Mohammedan concept. PFF3 743.5

Picture 1: LEADING POSITIONS OF PRINCIPAL EXPOSITORS OF PROPHECY IN 19th CENTURY ADVENT AWAKENING
Like the tabulation of “Leading Views of Principal American Writers on Prophecy” at the close of Part I, this summary of Old World Exposition epitomizes the principal positions of the nineteenth-century systematic interpreters covered in Part II. Read horizontally, and the teaching of each interpreter tabulated can be followed through, first on the prophecies of Daniel and then on Revelation. Read vertically, in the various columns, and a comprehensive view is afforded of their unity or variation of view upon each major point. The cumulative evidence is at once apparent. A study of this table, which is based on the text—with initial page noted, following each name—reveals the over-all exposition of the times.
Many minor expositors, not listed here, dealt with a few features only. Their testimony merely augments the sum total of evidence and strengthens recognized principles of interpretation—the four empires followed by the division of Rome, and these by the papal Antichrist, as Little Horn, Beast, Babylon, and Harlot, the year-day principle for all symbolic time periods, France the tenth part of the city, the 391 (or 396) years for the Turkish woe. the 2300 year-days as ending in 1843, 184f, or 1847, and the like. The angelic messengers of Revelation 11 is an added feature. And the “7 Times,” in the last column is likewise a new feature in prophetic exposition.
Here is a key to the abbreviations employed: “B-P-G-R” indicates Babylon, Persia, Grecia, Rome; “Standard” means these same four powers are taught; “Kgdm.” equals kingdom; “H-O-L” means Heruli, Ostrogoths, Lombards, and “EX-L-R” indicates Exarchate of Ravenna, Lombardy, and the Principality of Rome; “Listed” means the author names the ten kingdoms; “P-G-R” or “P-G-M” under Daniel 8, indicates Persia, Grecia, Rome, or Persia, Grecia, Mohammedanism—the last letter indicating the power symbolized by the exceeding Great Horn. Where period figures occur, under “Fifth Trumpet” and “Sixth Trumpet,” these are always for Saracenic and Turkish Periods; “Tests.” means Testaments, and “Wit.” stands for Witnesses; “Ch.” indicates Church, under Revelation 12; and “Chr.” indicates Christian; “Pre-M” or “Post-M” stands for premillennialist or postmillennialist. The term Papacy is here used as a general equivalent for the Roman Catholic Church, or papal system, and not in the strict historical sense of the government of the church. Minor detail had, of course, to be omitted. Similar tabulations can easily be developed for these features.
page 746

4. The view of some that the threatened “judgments” of God upon the Papacy and Mohammedanism are the intent of the “judgment” to be heralded. Consequently their expectations now centered more upon the material transactions on earth than upon the second advent, with its attendant or preceding transcendent scenes. PFF3 746.1

5. The Catholic Futurist and Preterist counterinterpretations which broke the unity of Protestantism’s interpretation that had existed upon the basic identification of Antichrist and the year-day principle. They effectively blunted her witness, as numerous Protestants of influence began to deny the very principles that made the Reformation possible and powerful. PFF3 746.2

These divisive factors, which prevented the essential unification, paved the way for growing misconceptions and disastrous variance. They proved the undoing of prophetic interpretation in the Old World Advent Awakening by the close of the first half of the nineteenth century. For centuries the Papacy and Mohammedanism had held sway, but with the awaited ending of the 1260-, 391-, and 2300-year prophecies past, their power diminished to the point where their former dominance was no longer possible. Mighty movements, motivated by the advent hope and based upon the prophecies, appeared and gave the warning message. PFF3 746.3

Then, when the earlier expectations did not materialize rationalistic theologians waxed bold and again denied that these had been inspired prophecies. They repeated the ancient argument of Porphyry that the book of Daniel had been written by some Jew in the time of the exile-with the little horn as Antiochus Epiphanes-and the quibble that the Apocalypse was produced by some presbyter named John. Thus the baleful effects of rationalistic higher criticism were added to the apathy and reaction following upon the breakdown of the Historical School of interpretation in the Old World. PFF3 746.4