Eighty years have elapsed since Dr John Thomas ceased his expositions of prophecy, and the intervening years have witnessed greater changes to the face of the world than the preceding four hundred years since the epochal fall of Constantinople to the Turks. It would be vain to attempt to evaluate these changes; they have been too dramatic, too revolutionary, too vast. And, since they are still operating, the historical effect of them cannot be truly measured. The popular epigram about not being able to “see the forest for the trees” is particularly apt in this connection.
It is small wonder, therefore, that the course of events has provoked a spate of further expositions to develop the theme the Doctor left unfinished; some are close to his exposition and some are almost completely at variance. Students of the Word want to peer behind the veil and see the developing purpose of God; they want to discover the end of Gog, to see if the King of the North aligns thereto; or the time and fashion in which the Ten Horned Beasts will make war with the Lamb and be overcome; or the events that will raise Nebuchadnezzar’s Image on its latter day feet, and so on.
The latest of these attempts to add light to the picture is an eighty page booklet -The Day Approaching—A reappraisal of the prophetic viewpoint of Dr. John Thomas and its impact upon our world horizon . The author is Bro. P. O. Barnard, who combats “the tendency to swing away from Dr.Thomas’ exposition”. For this reason his work has more appeal and is more satisfying than many others, because Bro. Thomas had a more comprehensive view of history and prophecy than his successors have displayed. But for our modern needs he finished too soon, on the note of the importance of the French Revolution and the end of Papal Temporal Power. In the light of subsequent revolutions these great events have been overshadowed by still greater, whose significance appears to conflict with what Bro. Thomas wrote. But, as Bro. Barnard protests, we should not conclude on that account that the present position of world affairs is irreversible, for there is still time for Bro. Thomas’ words to prove true.
It seems inevitable that all expositors of prophecy should be impelled to speculate about future developments by their strong subjective impressions about world events, presumably because purely objective impressions appear cold and formal. And so this booklet also adds its quota to the speculations, which far from satisfying the enquiring mind, leave some further confusion.
This raises the question whether it would not be better to suppress all speculations—which has been advocated by not a few. A moment’s reflection, however, will indicate how impossible it would be to eliminate this element from all anticipations about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to subdue a turbulent world to his judgments and bring in the age of God’s glory in his kingdom.
In our present state it seems that what is more required than suppression is discipline—the sort of disciplined thinking that will minimise the subjective impressions and in the place of them magnify the objective view of the Apocalypse by setting forth the facts to be observed and co-ordinated as the world passes through each of its phases.
Disciplined thinking will provide grounds for further reappraisals than of the work of Dr. Thomas. We need an objective reappraisal of prophecy itself, of the Apocalypse and its intention, to say nothing of a reappraisal of our own individual competence and eligibility to expound upon these matters. Such a reappraisal would lead to a salutary restraint in speculation.
In the simple sense prophecy is teaching, mostly about God’s intentions with his chosen people. The prophecies were written by men who were keenly aware of the affairs of their own day, and they wrote not according to their inclinations but under divine direction. They wrote primarily for the people of their own day to warn and correct, but at the same time they injected into their message the vision of future redemption. It is the discrimination between the immediate and the future applications of the prophecies that is difficult and requires a better knowledge of history than is usual. Knowledge would obviate the common mistake of lifting out of their works parts that had a contemporary significance and applying them to the future for no better reason than that they “sound right”. The Apocalypse is prophecy with a special bearing. It is the unveiling of the working out of God’s purpose. It is the prerogative of God to lift the veil. Men cannot peer behind it, they cannot “beat the gun”.
The past is hidden from view in the obscurity and dust of the centuries. But there is no reason why we should remain ignorant of it. Archaeology and historical research can clear the air to us so that much of the prophetical past can become a clear history which, while telling how God has dealt with his people in the past, can also give a sure guide to the eternal principles of truth upon which God always works.
The future is equally unknown to us except in visions and oracles. And these two words should be rightly understood because they tell us of the nature of the revelation. They are the medium which God has chosen so that only men of spiritual minds, in tune with him, should understand the broad significance of the message.
Vision and oracle both will speak at the appointed time. The unexpected twist to current historical developments will open them to the enquiring mind, and incidentally will most likely falsify the best of the speculations about how things are to be done.
“The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Jacob’s Prophecy in Gen 49 and Other Discussion Questions