History of Historicism

[JM]

Historicism defined , "“that view which regards the prophecy [of Revelation] as a prefiguration of the great events that were to happen in the church, and the world connected with it, from St. John’s time to the consummation; including specially the establishment of Popedom, and reign of Papal Rome, as in some way or other the fulfilment of the types of the Apocalyptic Beast and Babylon” (Horae, Vol. 4, p. 564).

E. B. Elliott claims in Horae Apocalpticae, that historicism was the major view of the church including, "Victorinus (1st century), Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus (3rd century), Origen, Methodius, Lactantius, Eusebius (4th century), Athanasius, Hilary, Jerome, Chrysostom, Augustine, Tichonius, Bede (8th century), Ambrose, Haymo, Andreas, Anselm (12th century), Joachim Abbas (12th century), Jean Pierre d’Olive, Martin Luther (16th century), Bullinger, Bale, John Foxe, Brightman (17th century), Pareus, Franisco Ribera, Alcasar, Mede, Jurieu, Dr. Cressener, Bossuet, Vitringa (18th century), Daubuz, Sir Isaac Newton (18th century), Lacunza, and Gulloway (19th century)."

Any truth to Elliott's claims?

Thanks,

j

 

[RamistThomist]

Kind of. If historicism is understood as the unfolding of history through prophetic lenses, then most of the fathers, possibly excepting Augustine, were historicists. There are some differences, though:

1. Most of the historicist early fathers were also historic premillennialists. (and when modern day historic premils make that claim, they need to qualify it by saying said fathers were also historicist, something today's historic premils are not).
2. I don't see early fathers saying the Papacy is antichrist et al.

 

[JM]

2. I don't see early fathers saying the Papacy is antichrist et al.

Brother Jacob, what have you found concerning antichrist in the early writings of the church? "The mystery of iniquity" was at work and I understand most Hsitoricists believe this was the working of antichrist toward the papacy.

Thanks.

 

[RamistThomist]

2. I don't see early fathers saying the Papacy is antichrist et al.

Brother Jacob, what have you found concerning antichrist in the early writings of the church? "The mystery of iniquity" was at work and I understand most Hsitoricists believe this was the working of antichrist toward the papacy.

Thanks.

Protestant historicists see it as the papacy. Early Church Fathers (premillennial historicists) see it as a variety of things (Jewish leader, Muslim leader, Revived Roman Empire).

 

[nwink]

Jacob and Jason, if you're on Facebook and interested, there's a discussion group for Reformed Christians of the Historicist persuasion: Historicism (Reformed)

 

[JM]

I'm already there! ;-)