The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VIII. Davis’ View of Last Things

A brief glance at the other positions set forth in this 1811 book must suffice. He emphasizes his belief that the year 1847 will mark “the downfall of popery, and the dawn of the church’s glory.” He understands that Daniel’s thirty years (to complete the 1290 years) are to be added to 1847, for “extirpating the relicks of Antichrist.” The Papacy had distorted the gospel and its provisions. Then there are 45 years more (the 1335 years) for the calling of the Jews-though not necessarily involving their literal restoration to Palestine-and the spread of the gospel to the world, with the full glory of the millennium by 1922 ⁵² He even put his view into verse: PFF4 221.5

“In forty seven we may hope
To find the world without a Pope;
When thirty more expel the evil,
We’ll find the world without a Devil;
Add three years more and forty two,
We’ll find the world without a Jew:
The Pope, and Devil, known no more;
Until the thousand years are o’er;
And Jew and Gentile now the same,
Rejoice to wear the Christian name:
The glorious dawn of forty seven,
Will introduce new earth and heaven.” ⁵³ PFF4 222.1

Davis understands the fifth vial as operative from the Reformation onward through the French Revolution, and under the sixth vial (now being poured out) he expects the Turks (the kings of the East) to invade Italy and desolate Rome. And the dragon, beast, and false prophet he considers as perhaps the devil (or Napoleon), the pope, and Mohammed. He identifies Apollyon with Napoleon, not yet king of the Mohammedans, but one who soon could be. In any event, he sees Napoleon as ending the fifth vial and beginning the sixth by opening the way for the kings of the East. Davis hopes England and America can escape disastrous entanglement. But in the final crisis, under the seventh vial, the whole kingdom of Satan will be destroyed, along with the total desolation of Rome and Antichrist. With the devil bound, “the gospel will purge away the relicks of popery, and go on to call in the Jews.” ⁵⁴ PFF4 222.2

The Two Witnesses are the remnants of the faithful, preaching the true doctrine during the papal 1260-year reign. But the three-and-one-half year-days of Revelation 11 are yet future, he says, as also the earthquake-revolution when the dead church rises. The first woe, during the Mohammedan empire, was from 622 to 734. And the second woe, he believes, with the prophesied 391 years, extends from 1453 to 1844, or the beginning of 1845. This, it may be recalled, was the view of a number in both Europe and America. The third woe, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh vial, Davis believes, will last two years, climaxing in the bloody and final battle that will cleanse the sanctuary. And the third angel of Revelation 14, he understands, warns against the unfaithful, and offers promises of assurance to those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ⁵⁵ That, in brief, was Davis’ view. PFF4 222.3

In his longer Treatise on the Millennium, issued sixteen years later, Davis repeats many of these points, and refers to his former calculation of the date 1847-48, but deals chiefly with the nature and duration of the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth. Now, arguing at length for the widely held post-millennial view of a spiritual reign and two figurative resurrections, he actually puts the literal, personal, visible second advent and general resurrection with the judgment at the end of 360,000 years. ⁵⁶ PFF4 223.1