The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

III. Cook-Appeals to Baptist Ministry Through Prophecies

JOHN B. COOK (1804-1874), Baptist minister of Middle-town, Connecticut, had been a skeptic. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was converted in 1826, having been persuaded of the truth of Christianity by the then well-known Leslie’s Short Method, written to prove the authenticity of the Bible. Instead of becoming a junior at Brown University, he was ordained in 1830, and toured the West. Later, in 1833, he was graduated from the Newton Theological Institution in Massachusetts, and became pastor of the First Baptist Church of Cincinnati. But his health failed after a period of service in Covington, Kentucky. In 1842 he was stationed at Middle-town, Connecticut, when he embraced the advent message. He then resigned from the Baptist ministry so as to be free to preach his newborn convictions, and wrote A Solemn Appeal to Ministers and Churches, Especially to Those of the Baptist Denomination, Relative to the Speedy Coming of Christ (1843). PFF4 666.1

In this Cook insisted that the old question, “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed on Him?” is ringing again today. The Jews refused to accept the prophetic evidence, and failed to discern the prophesied signs of the times at Christ’s first advent. Consequently they were totally unprepared to recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He came the first time, though He had appealed directly to the Jewish leaders. There is similar danger, Cook admonished, that religious leaders today shall reject the Glorified One, soon to appear the second time, just as the Jews anciently rejected the Crucified One. And he most earnestly appealed to the Baptist ministry and communion not to follow in their fateful steps. PFF4 667.1

Cook had been impressed to investigate by Litch’s Address to the Clergy, though seven years prior he had begun to investigate the Bible evidence in a systematic way for himself. The falsity of a temporal millennium soon became apparent, the relationship of the two literal resurrections unfolded, and the other events to come at its close. Next, the fallacy of the literal restoration of the Jews became evident, then the identity of the Man of Sin, who is to be destroyed at the second advent. Next, the prophecy of the 2300 years became clear, with the 70 weeks cut off for the Jews, and involving the crucifixion of Christ, and the 2300 years leading to the cleansing of the sanctuary—and the coming of the Ancient of Days, and the judgment, and the 1335 years reaching to the same year, “1843.” The evidence was all so overwhelming that he felt compelled to admit and accept it. ⁸ Listen as he proclaims it publicly: The signs of the times are overwhelming. The scoffers have appeared among the ministers and professors. And the question keeps ringing, “When the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Fellow ministers, he appeals, we must also preach Jesus as the Coming One. Then he warns: PFF4 667.2

“Beware, how you omit to preach the coming of Jesus. By the terrible splendors of the Day of God, I charge you to preach the coming of Jesus. By your past remissness, I charge you to preach the coming of Jesus. By the doom of the unfaithful watchman and the unfaithful servant, I charge you to preach the coming of Jesus. To all, I say, in view of opening judgment, repent, be baptized and believe in Jesus, the coming One.” ⁹ Then follow thirteen pages of exposition of Daniel 7 and the coming kingdom that is to be everlasting, universal, and established in connection with the judgment scenes at the end of the time of earthly kingdoms. Which were these kingdoms of prophecy?—Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome in that succession. The ten horns on the Roman beast were the ten kingdoms that arose out of its division. These had sprung up by A.D. 476. And the Little Horn was the Papacy, appearing among the medieval nations of Europe. No photographic likeness, he asserts, could more accurately portray the Papacy’s rise and career—after the ten horn—kingdoms had appeared, and three kingdoms had been subdued. PFF4 668.1

Then the Papacy was placed in pre-eminence at Rome, the capital, in 538, and the 1260 years began. Croly, King, and others are cited to attest the end of the period, as the aftermath of the French Revolution. But that, he adds, does not mean the extinction of the Papacy, only the end of its time of special power aver the saints. ¹⁰ We therefore live in that PFF4 668.2

“section of the vision which is to be closed up by the ‘CASTING DOWN OF THETHRONES,’—THE SITTING ‘OF THE JUDGMENT,’—THE ‘COMING OF THE SON OF MAN IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN,’—AND THE GIVING OF THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM TO CHRIST AND ‘THE SAINTS OF THE MOST HIGH.’ ¹¹ Having recited the story of a ship that foundered on the rocks off Cape Cod, because the officers would not listen to the warning of one of the sailors aboard, Cook concludes his appeal to his fellow Baptist ministers with— PFF4 668.3

“The great chart of the voyage, and all the landmarks, tell us we are near its end. Friend, if you are on the wrong course, put the ship about while there is time to clear the breakers, and secure a safe harbor before the storm shall break upon us!” ¹² PFF4 668.4