: Historicism

Historicism

Specific Distinctives:
Christ's return ends history
No distinct future 7 year Tribulation or 1000 year Millennial Kingdom
Prophesies of Daniel and Revelation describe events up until the 2nd Advent of Christ (from the time when the prophecies were each written)
Book of Revelation began to be fulfilled in John's day and continues to this day
Method of interpreting Biblical prophecy by comparing history to the prophecy in question
Prophecy can be understood by looking to the past to discover what has and hasn't been fulfilled
Method of interpretation allows them to continually re-evaluate their opinions as they grow in their understanding of both history and the Bible
Strong belief that the Papacy is the antichrist, not fulfilled in just one person, but rather a dynasty of individuals
The "Year-Day" principle - In prophetic language, a day of symbolic time represents a year of actual, historic time
The 'horn' of Daniel 7:1-28 is the Papacy in the West and the 'horn' of Daniel 8:1-27 is Islam in the East
Believe the 5th trumpet (Revelation 9:1-6) refers to the golden age of the Arabs with the emergence of Islam under Mohammed
Believe the 6th trumpet (Revelation 9:13-15) refers to the Turks
The Two Witnesses are the bare remnant of Gospel believing churches, after persecution, left to protest the apostasy of the Beast

Background:
Developed by expositors such as Andreas, Primasius (6th century African bishop) and the English Benedictine monk Bede (730 AD)
Catholic bishop Arnulf of Orleans was the first to apply the ‗man of sin‘ prophecy to the papacy (10th century)
Catholic abbot Joachim of Floris in 1190 and the archbishop Eberhard II in 1240 also related the papacy to the Antichrist

Works:
H. Grattan Guinness, The Approaching End of the Age (1878)
A.J.L. Haynes, Tomorrow: What do the Prophets Say (1977)
George R. Dawe, The Revelation of Jesus Christ the Lord (1990)
Dr. Oral Edmond Collins, The Final Prophecy of Jesus (2007)
Numerous articles by Dr. Francis Nigel Lee

Theological Persuation:
Most, if not all, are Calvinists adhering to Reformed/Covenant Theology
Reconstructionists also present in the Historicist camp

Churches:
Reformed, Presbyterian, Lutherans, Methodists and some Baptists
Seventh-Day Adventist churches also claim to be Historicist

Past Notables:
John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Matthew Henry, Isaac Newton, Ian Paisley, John Wesley, E. B. Elliott
Even Charles Spurgeon is claimed by some to be Historicist
Luther believed the Pope was the Antichrist and saw the Revelation being fulfilled in his day
Waldensians, Albigenses, Lollards, Lutherans, Calvinists, Hussians and William Tyndale all claimed the papacy was the Antichrist Current Notables:
Richard Gunther, Richard Bennett, Dr. Francis Nigel Lee, Joseph L. Haynes, Oral Edmond Collins Web Sites:
Joseph L. Haynes (www.historicism.com)
Or www.historicism.net
Dr. Francis Nigel Lee (www.dr-fnlee.org)

Quote:
"He who, being a man, a sinful man, makes himself a god as the Pope does, who claims divine powers and prerogatives, is unquestionably a blasphemer, and that antichrist." -- Matthew Henry