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The post is intended for Historicists of the Premill persuasion and is an excerpt from here.
It repeatedly appears that one must look back to discern the fulfillment of prophecy. This is upheld by a good number of expositors such as Sanford Calvin Yoder, who wrote in his book on prophecy: “In the light of everything that has happened to the interpreters, who so minutely interpret the predictive elements of Scripture, the old adage of the fathers still stands—that prophecies are best interpreted after they are fulfilled.”[1] What makes us differ from E.B. Elliott or H. Grattan Guinness is our perspective, that is the advancement of the historical phenomenon that they were not privy to witness. In other words, progressive revelation must be taken into account in evaluating Elliott or Guinness today. One thing that is evident in light of the adage Yoder expressed, their failure to comprehend a good deal of the connections in Revelation and other scripture relegates much of their work to the fire of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. Furthermore, it is hard to deny this fire is what is depicted by the trumpets in Revelation.
Elliott’s failure to connect Revelation 15:1-2 with 11:14-18 resulted in the untenable beliefs that all six vials of God’s wrath were poured out during the time of the French Revolution.
We are awaiting only the fulfillment of the pouring out of the seventh vial in Elliott’s interpretation. Even so, Revelation 11:18 makes it plain that the wrath of God is confined to the time of the seventh and last trumpet, “the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” The vials containing the final seven plagues are all poured out during the time when the dead in Christ are raised, which obviously did not occur during the time of the French Revolution. And since the elect of God are not appointed to wrath (John 3:36 Romans 5:9 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9), there is every indication that the ascent of the two witnesses, “up to heaven in a cloud,” in Revelation 11:12 is the same account depicted in the subsequent verse 18 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Furthermore, it is these events that led directly to the rise of the eighth head, “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” (verse 7). The Greek compels us to equate or identify said beast with the beast in Revelation 17:8, the final head, the restored papacy that makes war with Christ at his return. However, the traditionalists overlook this identity in order to place the two witnesses in our past. Nevertheless, any interpretation that dismisses this connection must produce the historical correspondence concerning the “sealing” that inhibits the locusts from hurting the men with “the seal of God in their foreheads,” without a plethora of assumptions and ad hoc explanations. There is no such explanation by traditionalists that do not have a plethora of assumptions and ad hoc explanations. In recognition of this connection a departure from the “day year” principle is warranted, which also reveals Revelation 11 as an antitype of Yom Kippur, the cleansing of the sanctuary; i.e., “measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein” (verse 1). Nineteenth-century Historicist, author, and editor of Review and Herald, Uriah Smith, revealed that prophetic time ends “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” (Revelation 10:7).
All the events of chapter 11 are confined to the “days of the voice of the seventh angel,” and as such, the 1260 day in 11:3 and five months in 9:5 cannot be determined by the “day year” principle.
[1] Sanford Calvin Yoder, He Gave Some Prophets (Wipf & Stock Pub., October 1, 1998), 73.
[2] Uriah Smith, Daniel and Revelation, (Review and Herald Publishing, 2009), 209.
It repeatedly appears that one must look back to discern the fulfillment of prophecy. This is upheld by a good number of expositors such as Sanford Calvin Yoder, who wrote in his book on prophecy: “In the light of everything that has happened to the interpreters, who so minutely interpret the predictive elements of Scripture, the old adage of the fathers still stands—that prophecies are best interpreted after they are fulfilled.”[1] What makes us differ from E.B. Elliott or H. Grattan Guinness is our perspective, that is the advancement of the historical phenomenon that they were not privy to witness. In other words, progressive revelation must be taken into account in evaluating Elliott or Guinness today. One thing that is evident in light of the adage Yoder expressed, their failure to comprehend a good deal of the connections in Revelation and other scripture relegates much of their work to the fire of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15. Furthermore, it is hard to deny this fire is what is depicted by the trumpets in Revelation.
Elliott’s failure to connect Revelation 15:1-2 with 11:14-18 resulted in the untenable beliefs that all six vials of God’s wrath were poured out during the time of the French Revolution.
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:14-18)
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:1-2)
We are awaiting only the fulfillment of the pouring out of the seventh vial in Elliott’s interpretation. Even so, Revelation 11:18 makes it plain that the wrath of God is confined to the time of the seventh and last trumpet, “the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” The vials containing the final seven plagues are all poured out during the time when the dead in Christ are raised, which obviously did not occur during the time of the French Revolution. And since the elect of God are not appointed to wrath (John 3:36 Romans 5:9 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9), there is every indication that the ascent of the two witnesses, “up to heaven in a cloud,” in Revelation 11:12 is the same account depicted in the subsequent verse 18 and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. Furthermore, it is these events that led directly to the rise of the eighth head, “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” (verse 7). The Greek compels us to equate or identify said beast with the beast in Revelation 17:8, the final head, the restored papacy that makes war with Christ at his return. However, the traditionalists overlook this identity in order to place the two witnesses in our past. Nevertheless, any interpretation that dismisses this connection must produce the historical correspondence concerning the “sealing” that inhibits the locusts from hurting the men with “the seal of God in their foreheads,” without a plethora of assumptions and ad hoc explanations. There is no such explanation by traditionalists that do not have a plethora of assumptions and ad hoc explanations. In recognition of this connection a departure from the “day year” principle is warranted, which also reveals Revelation 11 as an antitype of Yom Kippur, the cleansing of the sanctuary; i.e., “measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein” (verse 1). Nineteenth-century Historicist, author, and editor of Review and Herald, Uriah Smith, revealed that prophetic time ends “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel” (Revelation 10:7).
‘Time No Longer.’ What is the meaning of this most solemn declaration? It cannot mean that with the message of this angel, time, as computed in this world, in comparison with eternity, should end. The next verse speaks of the days of the voice of the seventh angel, and Revelation 11:15–19 gives us some of the events to take place under this trumpet in the present state. It cannot mean probationary time, for that does not cease until Christ closes His work as priest, which is not until after the seventh angel has begun to sound. (Revelation 11:15, 15:5–8.) It must therefore mean prophetic time, for there is no other to which it can refer.[2]
All the events of chapter 11 are confined to the “days of the voice of the seventh angel,” and as such, the 1260 day in 11:3 and five months in 9:5 cannot be determined by the “day year” principle.
[1] Sanford Calvin Yoder, He Gave Some Prophets (Wipf & Stock Pub., October 1, 1998), 73.
[2] Uriah Smith, Daniel and Revelation, (Review and Herald Publishing, 2009), 209.