Notes on Daniel -- Part 1 -- Historicism or Preterism?
By Jay Rogers
I think it would be interesting to debate the book of Daniel as it applies to historicism and preterism.
Historicism was popular among the reformers, but I would say that their fixation on Pope Leo as the Beast of Revelation 13 at that time was actually a form of futurism. We can only call that view "historicism" today.
As a matter of fact, postmillennialism as a distinct theology from amillennialism came about once the Puritans realized that the papacy was actually gaining ground. They formed the idea of "progressive millennialism." This was the idea that eventually the papacy would be defeated. This became known as postmillennialism. The most popular form of this idea was historical postmillennialism.
I am a preterist because I think the book of Revelation has to be interpreted in light of passages in Daniel and the Mount Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24). The book of Daniel definitely points to the Roman Empire at the time of Christ. Jesus points to the fulfillment of timing of the "Fourth Kingdom" prophecy in the book of Daniel (the abomination that causes desolation) as occurring in the first century.
I know that some historicists like to stretch Daniel's "Fourth Kingdom" prophecies to include all of history. So do the futurists and dispensationalists!
But if we let Daniel interpret Daniel, I think the only immediate application is the first century.
Daniel 2:44 "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."
"And in the days of these kings" -- Simply put, in the days of the Roman Empire.
At that time, the kingdom of God will be brought to earth by Jesus Christ and shall never be destroyed but it shall war against the kingdoms of this world and they shall become part of "the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev. 11:15).
While I agree that this is a progressive millennial kingdom, I do not see that the "kings" of Daniel and Revelation can be thought of as being the papacy.
Daniel is not a prophecy given to Protestants to describe the time of the Reformation. It is a prophecy meant for the Jews to prove to them the timing of the coming of Messiah. The context and purpose of the passage point to a first century fulfillment. So do the key timing passages of the prophecy as well as the application of specific characteristics of the "little horn" to describe Caesar Nero.
Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation explain that this prophecy is fulfilled in the time of Jesus. But for now I will deal solely with Daniel.
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