Historicism is a method of interpretation, in Christian eschatology, by associating biblical prophecies with actual historical events as well as identifying symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. In prophetic theology, the main texts of interest are apocalyptic literature such as the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation. The historicist paradigm has evolved almost 2000 years, where historicist methods have been applied to ancient Jewish history, the Roman Empire, Mohammedism, the Papacy, the Modern era and even into the End of Days.
One of the most influential aspects of the Protestant's historicist paradigm was the view that the Pope was the Antichrist. This view really popularized in the eighteenth century. In response to the historicist approach, Catholicism developed the preterist and futurist approaches to apocalyptic literature. All of these approaches, in Christianity, have been designed to suit their own ends, whether Protestant or Catholic.[1]
The historicist approach was also used to predict the end of the world. Some examples of this pursuit is seen with post-Reformation Britain, in the works of Charles Wesley who predicted that the end of the world would occur in 1794, as based on his analysis of the Book of Revelation. In nineteenth century America, William Miller proposed that the end of the world would occur on the 22nd of October, 1844, based on a historicist model used with Daniel 8:14. Miller’s historicist approach on the Book of Daniel spawned a national movement, in the United States, known as Millerism. Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was born.[2] This denomination continues to maintain a historicist reading of biblical prophecy as essential to its eschatology.[3]
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Prophetic commentaries in the early church were often partial or incomplete, usually interpreting individual passages rather than entire books. The earliest complete commentary on the book of Revelation was carried out by Victorinus in 300 AD, considered to be one of the earliest Historicist commentators.[4][5] An overview of the various prophetic expositions from the third century to the fifth centuries demonstrates that prophecies were uniformly interpreted within a Historicist framework by the Latin (later Catholic) writers.[6][7][8]
Looking to the future fulfillment of certain prophetic passages, Christian theologians concluded that the events of Biblical prophecy (especially as contained in the books of Daniel and Revelation) encompassed the entire Church Age from the ascension of Christ to his second advent.[9]
Throughout the medieval era the Historicist interpretation became increasingly modified and developed by the expositions of Andreas, Primasius (both 6th century), Bede (730 AD), Anspert, Arethas, Haymo, and Berengaud (all of the ninth century).[10]
This broad form of Historicism held sway in Christianity from the 4th Century until the Reformation. Prefiguring the revolt that was about to come, the 10th century Catholic bishop Arnulf of Orleans was the first to apply the 'man of sin' prophecy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9 to the papacy.[10][11] The same interpretation was given by the Catholic abbot Joachim of Floris in 1190[10] and the archbishop Eberhard II in 1240.
Out of the Reformation and Counter Reformation, Reformers and Catholics devised different schemes of interpretation, which they each used to claim that the other was the apostate church. From the Reformers arose the historicist paradigm. As such, the Pro-Catholic positions took root when the Jesuit Doctor of Theology, Francisco Ribera[12] proposed Futurism in 1590, as well as the Spanish Jesuit Luis de Alcazar who proposed Preterism.[13][14][15][16]
The Protestant reformation was born of the rediscovery of Christ's salvation and identifying the papacy as the Antichrist.[17] Protestant historicists saw prophecy fulfilled down through the centuries and into the modern era. Rather than expecting a single Antichrist to rule the earth during a future Tribulation period, Martin Luther, John Calvin and other Protestant Reformers saw the Antichrist as a present feature in the world of their time, fulfilled in the papacy. They were unanimous in this interpretation lending emphasis to their reformation. It led them to protest against Rome and it became their rally and battle cry.[18]
Controversial features of the Reformationist Historicist interpretations is the identification of the Antichrist (1 and 2 John), the Beasts of Revelation 13, the Man of Sin or Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2, the "Little horn" of Daniel 7 and 8, and the Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17) with the Roman Catholic Church, the Papacy and Papal States, and each successive Pope himself.
The 19th century was a significant watershed in the history of prophetic thought. While the historicist paradigm--together with its pre- or post-millennialism, the year-day principle, and the view of the papal Antichrist—was dominant in English Protestant scholarship during much of the period from the Reformation to the middle of the nineteenth century (and continues to find expression in some groups today), it was not the only one on offer in the broader pre- or non-critical marketplace.[19] Arising in Great Britain and Scotland, William Kelly and other Brethren became the leading exponents of dispensationalist premillennial eschatology.[20] By 1826 literalist interpretation of prophecy took hold and dispensationalism saw the light of day[21] The dispensationalist mode of interpretation derived from the historicist model of interpreting Daniel and Revelation and the theory that there was a gap in prophetic fulfillment of prophecy proposed by Futurism, but dispensationalism took a decidedly anti-Catholic position.
Notable advocates and influential expositors of the historicist method in prophetic theology, are as follows:
The Protestant historicist interpretation of the four kingdoms, in the Book of Daniel, is the following traditional view: Neo-Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the Roman Empire.[33] Additionally, the "little horn" in Daniel 7:8 and 8:9 was viewed by historicists as the Papacy.
According to Seventh-day Adventists, the reference to changing "times and law" (Daniel 7:25) refers to the change of the Christian sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, and the attack on the sanctuary (Daniel 8:11) to the mediatorial ministry of Roman Catholic priests.[34] The "time, times and half a time" (Daniel 7:25) represents a period of 1260 years spanning 538 CE and 1798 CE, when the Roman Catholic Church dominated the Christian world.[35] The feet of the statue in Daniel 2, made of mixed iron and clay, represent modern Europe.[36] The "cleansing" of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 (KJV) and judgment scene in Daniel 7:9-10 refer to an investigative judgment beginning in 1844.
The historicist view of Adventists on the prophecy of seventy weeks, in Daniel 9, stretches from 457 BCE to 34 CE, and that the final "week" of the prophecy refers to the events of Jesus Christ's ministry.[37]
The historicist view of Jehovah's Witnesses on the prophecy of seventy weeks is that the timeframe spanned from 455 BCE to 29 CE, with the final "week" being fulfilled by 36 CE.[38][39][40]
Historicists see Matthew's reference to "great tribulation" (Matthew 24:29) as parallel to Revelation 6:12-13, having ended when the signs and wonders began in the late 18th century.[41]
Historicists believe that mankind has always been in the Tribulation. This view is also called Classical Posttribulationism, an original theory of the Post-tribulation rapture view which holds the position that the church has always been in the tribulation because, during its entire existence, it has always suffered persecution and trouble. They believe that the tribulation is not a literal future event.[42][43]
Historicist have also applied the Tribulation to the period known as "persecution of the saints" as related to Daniel 7 and Revelation 13.
Notable and influential commentaries by Protestant scholars having historicist views of the Book of Revelation, were:
The non-separatist Puritan, Thomas Brightman, was the first to propose a historicist interpretation of the Seven Churches of Revelation 2-3.[51] He outlined how the seven Churches represent the seven ages of the Church of Christ.[29] A typical historicist view of the Church of Christ spans several periods of church history, each similar to the original church, as follows:
The age of Laodicea is typically identified as occurring in the same time period as the expositor. Examples of this is how Brightman viewed the age of Laodicea as the England of his day. In the Millerite movement, each church represented a dateable period of ecclesiastical history. Thus, William Miller dated the age of Laodicea from 1798–1843, followed by the End of days in 1844.[29]
The traditional historicist view of the Seven Seals spanned the time period from John of Patmos to Early Christendom. Protestant scholars such as, Campegius Vitringa,[52] Alexander Keith, and Christopher Wordsworth did not limit the timeframe to the 4th Century. Some have even viewed the opening of the Seals right into the early modern period.[53]
Seventh-day Adventists view the first six seals as representing events that took place during the Christian era up until 1844.[54] Contemporary-historicists view all of Revelation as it relates to John’s own time (with the allowance of making some guesses as to the future).[55]
The Adventist historicist view of the first four trumpets are identified with the pagan invasions of Western Christendom in the 5th century CE (by the Visigoths, Vandals and Huns), while the fifth and sixth trumpets have been identified with the assault on Eastern Christendom by the Muslim armies and Ottoman Turks during the Middle Ages.[56] The symbolism of Revelation 6:12-13 are said to have been fulfilled in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the dark day of May 19, 1780, and the Leonids meteor shower of November 13, 1833.[54]
The Adventist historicist view of the vision of the angel with the little book, in Revelation 10, represents the Millerite movement; the "bitterness" of the book (Rev 10:10) represents the Great Disappointment.[56]
The Adventist historicist view of the vision of the two witnesses in Revelation 11, correspond to the events of the French revolution.[56]
The Adventist historicist view of Revelation 12-13 concerns a prophecy about the forces of evil viewed to have occurred in the middle ages and End of times. The first beast of Revelation 13 (from the sea) is considered to be the Papacy, and the second beast (from the earth) symbolizes the United States of America. The "image of the beast" represents Protestant churches who form an alliance with the Papacy, and the "mark of the beast" refers to a future universal Sunday law.[57] Seventh-Day adventists view the Great whore of Babylon, in Revelation 17-18, as Roman Catholicism[58]
The Rastafarians also share a historicist view of the Book of Revelation, relating it both to 20th-century events such as the cr owning of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, and also to future events such as the second coming of Selassie on the day of judgment.
Historicist interpretations have been criticized for inconstancies, conjectures, and speculations due to the complete lack of agreement about various outlines of church history. This is because the historicist readings of Revelation have constantly been revised as new events occur and new figures emerge on the world scene.[59]