The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

IV. Scope, Limitations, and Procedures

This investigation follows the orderly sequence of the major outline and time prophecies of the books of Daniel and the Revelation, usually in combination. The quest compasses the essential features of Daniel 2, 7, 8, 9, 11-12. And in the Revelation we trace the understanding of the seven churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, the two witnesses, the earthquake and tenth part of the city, the great dragon and the woman in white of chapter 12, the two beasts of Revelation 13, the angelic messengers of chapter 14, the seven vials of Revelation 16, Babylon, the beast, and the woman in scarlet of Revelation 17, the thousand years of chapter 20, and the new earth of Revelation 21, 22. PFF3 15.2

Because of these clearly defined limitations, little note will be taken of agitation over the restoration of the Jews that permeates many of the writings of the centuries traversed. We shall not go into these for the simple reason that such views are based chiefly upon scriptures outside the two books of prophecy we are tracing. Failure to include this other line is not due, therefore, to lack of acquaintance with these paralleling views, or a desire to avoid them, but to the allotted scope of this work. Our field of research is thus clear and consistent. PFF3 15.3

Throughout the chapters to follow, a succession of statements from the numerous witnesses cited will appear. That the reader may have assurance of having before him the thought, intent, and phrasing of the author quoted, these verified extracts are reproduced verbatim et literatim. The oft times quaint spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and italic and full-capital emphasis have been preserved-and even the obvious typographical errors of the original printing. Obvious corrections are occasionally inserted in brackets. PFF3 15.4

Through this procedure the reader can be assured of the precise thought of the various expositors whose testimony is constantly introduced. Extracts translated from languages other than English lean to the literal rather than the literary rendering. These have been made by competent linguists, whose names appear in the acknowledgment on pages 753-755. PFF3 16.1

The date of publication, if known, will usually be placed in parentheses following the first mention of a book title. And if the volume title is in some language other than English, the English equivalent will likewise appear in parentheses, or at least in the footnote credit. PFF3 16.2

A summarizing table appears at the close of Part I, covering the leading Colonial American and Early National Expositors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a similar table at the end of Part II on the Old World Nineteenth-Century Advent Awakening. These epitomize the basic interpretations of the principal writers examined throughout the two sections of this volume. Thus is brought before the investigator at a glance the over-all picture of the similarities and dissimilarities of exposition, as well as the cumulative evidence of the period surveyed. The convenient page citation provides easy reference to the complete presentation in the body of the text. The usefulness of these tables will be at once apparent. PFF3 16.3

Picture 1: ROGER WILLIAMS PREMISED HIS PLEA ON PROPHECY
The monument of this apostle of religious liberty, and founder of rhode island, stands in providence. His Impressive Bloudy Tenent, Published in 1644, Dedicated to the British Parliament, Was Based on the Bible Prophecies
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