Posted on 05/07/2024 7:53:48 AM PDT by Philsworld
Spoiler alert: Sir Isaac Newton says that the Antichrist power, Little Horn, Man of Sin, etc... is the Papacy.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3037&context=dissertations
Did Newton predict the end of the world in 2060, or was that some other scientist of his day?
...so did about a dozen Catholic saints and mystics.
Few if any are going to bother reading through that so why don’t you sum up what he said?
So IMHO Newton's not a credible source for criticism of other Christian beliefs. In some ways, Newton's genius handicapped him from believing Scripture fully because he believed his own wisdom was superior (if he can't perceive what he reads in the Bible, then either the Bible is incorrect or people's interpretation must be incorrect).
——>so why don’t you sum up what he said?
Nope. It would take many hours, and ultimately for what? But, maybe this will help:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... ix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................... x
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... xii
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
Background to the Problem ....................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem........................................................................... 2
Purpose....................................................................................................... 3
Methodology and Delimitations ................................................................ 3
Prior Research............................................................................................ 5
Definition of Terms.................................................................................... 7
Apocalyptic Literature ......................................................................... 7
Hermeneutics ....................................................................................... 9
Historicism........................................................................................... 10
Design of the Study.................................................................................... 12
2. ISAAC NEWTON: THE MAN AND HIS WORK.......................................... 13
Historical Background ............................................................................... 13
An Emerging New Worldview ............................................................ 13
Social and Political Setting .................................................................. 15
Religious and Theological Environment ............................................. 15
Biographical Sketch................................................................................... 16
Youth.................................................................................................... 16
Years at Cambridge.............................................................................. 18
The Mature Man .................................................................................. 24
Final Years........................................................................................... 25
Relationships........................................................................................ 26
Newton’s Influence.............................................................................. 27
Newton’s Writings..................................................................................... 29
Scientific Writings............................................................................... 29
Historical and Religious Writings........................................................ 31
Newton’s Religious Faith .......................................................................... 34
One God............................................................................................... 38
vi
Obedience ............................................................................................ 41
Devotion and Worship ......................................................................... 41
Conditionalism..................................................................................... 42
Anti-Catholicism.................................................................................. 44
Ritualism versus the Biblical Sanctuary .............................................. 45
The Remnant........................................................................................ 46
Prophecy .............................................................................................. 47
The Return of the Jews ........................................................................ 47
Newton’s Approach to Theological Studies.............................................. 48
God, Science, and Religion.................................................................. 49
A Transcendent God ...................................................................... 49
Miracles.......................................................................................... 50
Reason and Empirical Evidence .................................................... 52
Science and Religion Separated..................................................... 53
The Bible is Trustworthy ..................................................................... 56
Church History..................................................................................... 57
Apostasy......................................................................................... 58
Restorationist Theology................................................................. 60
Summary and Conclusion.......................................................................... 62
3. SURVEY OF HISTORICIST PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION FROM
PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMES TO ISAAC NEWTON.......................................... 64
Daniel’s Foundational Hermeneutic .......................................................... 65
Structure of Daniel............................................................................... 66
Daniel 2 and 7 ...................................................................................... 67
Daniel 8 and 9 ...................................................................................... 70
Daniel 10 to 12..................................................................................... 71
Hermeneutical Implications from the Intertestamental Period .................. 72
Hermeneutical Implications from the First Century .................................. 75
The Olivet Discourse in the Synoptics................................................. 75
Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians........................................... 76
Revelation ............................................................................................ 77
Flavius Josephus.................................................................................. 80
Hermeneutical Implications from the Second to the Sixteenth
Centuries.............................................................................................. 82
Prophet-to-Eschaton Visions with Successive and Continuous
Historical Fulfillment..................................................................... 83
Tyconius and Augustine’s Alternative Paradigm .......................... 85
Prophet-to-Eschaton Visions and the Book of Revelation ............ 90
Dichotomy of Christ and Antichrist............................................... 96
Antichrist in the Middle Ages........................................................ 99
The Reformers and the Antichrist........................................................ 106
The Year-Day Principle and Historical Verification ........................... 112
The Jesuit Alternatives......................................................................... 117
Protestant Hermeneutical Implications from the Seventeenth Century..... 122
vii
Joseph Mede......................................................................................... 122
Henry More.......................................................................................... 125
William Whiston.................................................................................. 128
Other Contemporaries of Newton.............................................................. 129
Summary and Conclusion.......................................................................... 131
4. ISAAC NEWTON’S INTERPRETATIONS OF APOCALYPTIC TEXTS ... 134
Newton’s Interpretations of Daniel............................................................ 136
Daniel 2: The Image and Stone............................................................ 137
Daniel 7: The Four Animals ................................................................ 138
Daniel 8: The Ram and the Goat.......................................................... 142
Daniel 9: The Seventy-weeks Prophecy .............................................. 144
Daniel 11: The King of the North and the King of the South.............. 147
The Gospels and Paul................................................................................. 148
The Book of Revelation ............................................................................. 149
Isaac Newton’s Synchronization Scheme and the Structure of
Revelation ...................................................................................... 151
Joseph Mede’s Synchronization Scheme............................................. 151
Henry More’s Synchronization Scheme .............................................. 153
Revelation 2 and 3: The Seven Churches............................................ 156
Revelation 4–8: The Seven Seals......................................................... 157
Revelation 8–11: The Seven Trumpets................................................ 164
Revelation 12: The Woman and the Dragon........................................ 173
Revelation 13: The Two Beasts........................................................... 178
Revelation 15 and 16: The Seven Plagues........................................... 187
Revelation 17 and 18: Babylon............................................................ 189
Impact of Earlier Interpretations................................................................ 192
Summary.................................................................................................... 194
5. ISAAC NEWTON’S HERMENEUTIC OF BIBLICAL APOCALYPTIC..... 196
Scientific and Historical Aspects of Newton’s Approach to
Apocalyptic .......................................................................................... 196
Separation of Science and Religion ..................................................... 198
Scientific Research............................................................................... 199
Historical Studies................................................................................. 202
Newton’s Seven-step Methodological Approach to Apocalyptic.............. 210
Newton’s Fifteen/Sixteen Rules for Decoding Biblical Apocalyptic ........ 214
Synthesis: Nine Foundational Principles of Newton’s Prophetic
Interpretation........................................................................................ 219
Principle #1: Presupposition of Sola Scriptura .................................... 219
Principle #2: Structure ......................................................................... 221
Principle #3: Symbolism and Analogy ................................................ 223
Principle #4: Cultic Background.......................................................... 227
Principle #5: Prophet to Eschaton Vision ............................................ 229
viii
Principle #6: Symbolic Days Represent Literal Years ........................ 231
Principle #7: Prophecy is Confirmed by History................................. 233
Principle #8: War between Christ and Antichrist ................................ 236
Principle #9: Validity of the Historicist Tradition ............................... 242
Newton’s Contribution to Historicism....................................................... 244
Summary and Conclusion.......................................................................... 250
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ............................................................... 252
Summary.................................................................................................... 252
Conclusions................................................................................................ 253
Ranking the Major Sources of Influence on Newton’s Views ............ 253
Identifying Newton’s Overall Contributions to Prophetic
Interpretation.................................................................................. 255
Suggestions for Further Research ........................................................ 255
Appendix
A. ESSAY ON ARCHIVES AND MANUSCRIPTS ........................................... 259
B. TOPICAL TABLES OF MANUSCRIPTS ...................................................... 262
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................ 269
PRIMARY WORKS............................................................................................... 269
SECONDARY WORKS......................................................................................... 275
Incredible mind and pretty unique among scientists, in that he 100% believed in both God and science. Ridiculous volume of publications. The downside is he died a virgin.
I still think it will be AI.
——>Did he name him, Pope Francis, or is it just to be a Pope in general?
Just the Papacy. Not a single man.
Thanks. I still think it’s AI. 😋
It was very common until about 1960.
I believe you neglected to provide a link to that document or book and come to think of it, what was the title too?
I would have stated that for clarity.
Sorry, but I thought it was obvious.
Well, it wasn’t to my dense brain.
In a country where Catholicism was punishable by having your property forfeited to the crown (and/or capital punishment) and to attend University you had to subscribe to the XXXXIX (including abjuring the Pope), and all the country's political enemies were Catholic . . .
——>Well, of course he did.
As did every Protestant Reformer, many of whom where tortured and put to death. All came to the same conclusion, from the bible.
https://www.whitehorsemedia.com/docs/romanism_and_the_reformation.pdf
Well, the Pope sitting on the throne over the world for nearly 2000 years, is a pretty good choice for “instead of Christ”. Which is more properly what antichrist would be translated from Greek.
I will look through the subject matter, thanks for the link.
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