End-Times Wisdom of Sir Isaac Newton


the greatest scientist in human history


a Bible-Believing Christian


an authority on the Bible's Book of Daniel




http://www.historicist.com/Newton/treatise.htm




A Treatise on Revelation


By Sir Isaac Newton




Introduction


Having searched and by the grace of God obtained, after knowledge


in the Prophetic Scriptures, I have thought myself bound to com-


municate it for the benefit of others, remembering the judgment


of him who hid his talent in a napkin. For, I am persuaded that


this will prove of great benefit to those who think it not


enough for a sincere Christian to sit down contented with the


principles of the doctrine of Christ such as the Apostles ac-


counts the doctrine of Baptisms and of laying on of hands and of


the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment, but leaving


these and the like principles desire to go on unto perfection


until they become of full age and by reason of use have their


senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:15




Encouragement to Study


I would not have any discouraged by the difficulty and ill suc-


cess that men have hitherto met with in these attempts. For it


was revealed to Daniel that the prophecies concerning the last


times should be closed up and sealed until the time of the end:


but then, the wise should understand, and knowledge should be


increased. Daniel 12:4,9,10




And therefore the longer they have continued in obscurity, the


more hopes there is that the time is at hand in which they are to


be made manifest. If they are never to be understood, to what end


did God reveal them? Certainly he did it for the edification of


the church; and if so, then it is certain that the church shall


at length attain to the understanding thereof. I mean not all


that call themselves Christians, but a remnant, a few scattered


persons which God hath chosen, such as without being blinded, led


by interest, education, or humane authorities, can set themselves


sincerely and earnestly to search after truth. For as Daniel hath


said that the wise shall understand, so hath he said also that


none of the wicked shall understand.




Let me therefore beg of thee not to trust to the opinion of any


man concerning these things, for so it is great odds but thou


shalt be deceived. Much less oughtest thou to keep to rely upon


the judgment of the multitude, for so thou shalt be deceived. But


search the Scriptures thyself and that by frequent reading and


constant meditation upon what thou readest, and prayer to God to


enlighten thine understanding if thou desirest to find the truth.


Which if thou shalt at length attain thou wilt value above all


other treasures in the world by reason of the assurance and


vigour it will add to thy faith, and steady satisfaction to thy


mind which he can only know how to estimate who shall experience


it.




That the benefit which may by understanding the sacred Prophecies


and the danger by neglecting them is very great and the obliga-


tion to study them is as great may appear by considering the like


case of the Jews at the coming of Christ. For the rules whereby


they were to know the Messiah where the prophecies of the Old


Testament. And these our Savior recommended to their considera-


tion in the very beginning of His preaching and afterward com-


manded the study of them for that end saying




Luke 4:21:


"Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life,


and these are they which testify of Me." And at another time


severely reproached their ignorance herein, saying to them when


they required a sign, "Ye Hypocrites can ye discern the face of


the sky but can ye not discern the signs of the times." And after


His resurrection, he reproved also this ignorance in His dis-


ciples, saying unto them, "O fools and slow of heart to believe


all that the Prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have


suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" And begin-


ning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all


the scriptures the things concerning himself. Thus also the


Apostles and those who in the first ages propagated the gospel


urged chiefly these Prophesies and exhorted their hearers to


search and see whether all things concerning our Savior ought not


to have been as they fell out. And in a word it was the ignorance


of the Jews in these Prophecies which caused them to reject the


Messiah and by consequences to be not only captivates by the


Romans, but to incur eternal damnation. Luke 19:42,44




Danger of Neglect


If then the prophecies which concerned the Apostolique age were


given for the conversion of the men of that age to the truth and


for the establishment of their faith, and if it was their duty to


search diligently into those Prophecies: why should we not think


the Prophecies which concern the latter times into which we are


fallen were in like manner intended for our use in the midst of


Apostasies we might be able to discern the truth and be estab-


lished in the faith thereof, and consequently that it is also our


duty to search with all diligence into these Prophecies. And if


God was so angry with not searching so diligently into those


Prophecies which he given them to know Christ by: why should we


think he shall excuse us for not searching into the Prophecies


concerning Antichrist by? For certainly it must be as dangerous


and easy an error for Christians to adhere to Antichrist as it


was for the Jews to reject Jesus Christ. And therefore it is as


much our duty to endeavor to know him as be able to know him that


we may avoid him, as it was theirs to know Christ that they might


follow him.




Our Duty to Watch


Thou seest therefore that this is no idle speculation, no matter


of indifference but a duty of the greatest moment. Wherefore it


concerns thee to look about narrowly least thou shouldest in so


degenerate an age be dangerously seduced and not know it. Anti-


Christ was to seduce the whole Christian world and therefore he


may easily seduce thee if thou beest not well prepared to discern


him. But if he should not be yet come into the world yet amidst


so many religions of which there can be but one true and perhaps


none of those that thou art be acquainted with it is great odds


but thou mayest be deceived and therefore it concerns thee to be


very circumspect.




Points to Consider




* Teaching in parables


Consider how our Savior taught the Jews in Parables that in hear-


ing they might hear and not understand and in seeing they might


see and not perceive. And as these Parables were spoken to try


the Jews so the mystical scriptures were written to try us.


Therefore beware that of these scriptures will as little excuse


thee as the obscurity of our own Savior's Parables excused the


Jews.




* The fig tree


Consider also the instructions of our Savior concerning these


latter times by the parable of the fig tree. Now learn a parable


of the Fig tree, saith he: "When his branch is yet tender and


putteh forth leaves, ye know summer is nigh. So likewise, when ye


see these things know that it is near even at the doors. Watch


therefore for ye know not how'er your Lord doth come. Wherefore


it is thy duty to learn the signs of the times that thou mayest


know how to watch, and be able to discern what times are coming


on the earth by the things that are already past. If thou doest


watch thou mayest know when it is at the door as a man knows that


by the leaves of a fig tree that Summer is near. But if through


ignorance of the signs thou shall say in thine heart My Lord de-


layeth His coming; And shalt begin to smite thy fellow servants


and eat and drink with the drunken: Thy Lord will come in a day


when thou lookest not for him and in a hour that thou are not


aware of, and cut thee asunder and appoint thy portion with the


Hypocrites, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."


Matthew 24. "If thou doest not watch, how canst thou escape more


than other men? For as a snare shall it come upon all that dwell


upon the face of the whole earth." Luke 21




* The Second Advent


Consider that the same Prophets who foretold our Savior's first


coming foretold also His second coming; and if it was the main


and indispensable duty of the Church before the first coming of


Christ to have searched into and understood those prophecies


aforehand so far as they are yet to be fulfilled? Or how knowest


thou that the Christian church if they continue to neglect, shall


not be punished even in this world as severely as ever were the


Jews? Yea, will not the Jews rise up in judgment against us? For


they had some regard to these prophecies insomuch as to be in


general expectation of our Savior about the time when He came,


only they were not aware of the manner of his two comings; and


were mistaken, they understood the description of his second com-


ing, and were mistaken in applying that to his second coming.


Consider therefore, if the description of his second coming was


so much more plain and perspicuous than that of his first, that


the Jews who could not so much as perceive any thing of the first


could yet understand the second, how shall we escape who under-


stand nothing of the second but have turned the whole description


of it into Allegories. And if the Jews were so severely punished


for not understanding the first more difficult Prophecy, what can


we plead who know nothing of the more perspicuous; and yet have


this advantage above them that the first is a key to the second


and was hidden from them is made manifest to us, and that we have


the second also much further explained in the New Testament.




* Read and study


Again consider also the Blessing which is promised to them that


read and study and keep the things which are written in this


Prophecy. "Blessed is he that read and they that hear the words


of this Prophecy and keep the things that which are written


therein, for the time is at hand," Revelation 1:3. And again to


reinforce the invitation to take these things into consideration,


the same Blessing is repeated in Revelation 22:7 And does God


ever annex his blessings to trifles or things of indifference?


Wherefore be not overwise in thine own conceit, but as thou


desirest to inherit this blessing consider and search into these


Scriptures which God hath given to be a guide in these latter


times, and be not discouraged by the gainsaying which these


things we will meet in the world.




* Contempt from the world


They will call thee it may be a hot headed fellow, a Bigot, a


Fanatic, a Heretic etc: And tell thee of the uncertainty of these


interpretations, and vanity of attending them: Not considering


that prophecies concerning our Savior's first coming were of more


difficult interpretation, yet God rejected the Jews for not


attending better to them. And whither they will believe it or not


there are greater judgments hang over Christians for their re-


missness than the Jews ever felt. But the world loves to be


deceived, they will not understand, they never consider equally,


but are wholly led by prejudice, interest, the praise of men, and


the authority of the Church they live in: as it is plain because


all parties keep close to the Religion they have been brought up


in, and yet in all parties there are wise and learned as well as


fools and ignorant.




There are but a few that seek to understand therein, do it for


worldly ends, or that they may defend it, then for worldly, to


examine whither it be true with a resolution to choose and


profess that which in their judgment appears to be the truest.


And as is their faith, so is their practice. For where there are


men that do never yield to anger nor seek revenge, nor disobey


governors, nor censure or speak evil of them, nor cheat, nor lie,


nor swear, nor use God's name idly in their common talk, nor are


proud, nor ambitious, nor covet, nor unchaste, nor drink immoder-


ately? Where are they that live like primitive Christians, that


love God with all their hearts and with all their souls, and with


all their might, and their neighbors as themselves; and in all


that they do are well are not led by fashions and principles of


gentility than religion, and where those disagree do not account


it rudeness to depart from the former? I fear there are but very


few whose righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes


and Pharisees.




This is the guise of the world, therefore trust it not, nor value


their censures and contempt. But rather consider it that it is


the wisdom of God that His Church should appear despicable to the


world to try the faithful. For this end He made it a curse under


the Law to hang upon a tree that the scandal of the Cross might


be a trial to the Jews; and for a like Trial of the Christians he


hath suffered the Apostasy of the latter times, as is declared in


calling it the hour of temptation which should be upon the world


to try them that dwell upon the earth Revelation 3:10. Be not


therefore scandalized at the reproaches of the world but rather


look upon them as a mark of the true church.




* Stand up for the Truth


And upon thou art contrived be not ashamed to profess the truth.


For otherwise thou mayest become a stumbling block to others and


inherit the lot of those Rulers of the Jews who believed in


Christ but yet were afraid to confess him least they be put out


of the Synagogue. Wherefore when thou art convinced be not


ashamed of the truth but profess it openly and endeavour to


convince thy Brother also that thou mayest inherit at the resur-


rection the promise made in Daniel 12:3 that they who turn many


to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. And


rejoice if thou art counted worthy to suffer in thy reputation or


any other way for the sake of the Gospel for then great is thy


reward.




* Don't Rush to be a Teacher


But yet I would not have thee too forward in becoming a teacher,


like those men who catch a few similitudes and scripture phrases,


and for want of further knowledge make use of them to censure and


reproach superiors and rail at all things that displease them. Be


not heady like them, but first be thoroughly instructed thy self


and not only in the Prophetic Scripture but more especially in


the plain doctrines and delivered therein so as to put them in


practice and make them familiar and habitual to thy self. And


when thou hast thus pulled out the beam from thine own eye then


shalt clearly to pull the mote out of thy Brothers eye. Otherwise


how wilt thou say to thy Brother, "Let me pull out the mote out


of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye".




To Understand it is God's Gift


Some I know will be offended that I propound these things so


earnestly to all men as if they were fit only for the contempla-


tion of the learned. But they should consider that God who best


knows the capacity of men does hide his mysteries from the wise


and prudent of this world and reveal them unto babes. They were


not the Scribes and Pharisees but the inferior people that


believed on Christ and apprehended the true meaning of his


Parables and of the Prophecies in the Old Testament concerning


him. The wise men of the world are often too much entangled in


designs for this life. One has bought a piece of ground, another


has bought five yoke of Oxen, a third has married a wife, and


therefore since they are for the most part otherwise engaged, it


was fit that the halt and poor and maimed and blind and those


that are in the highways and hedges should also be invited. And


God, who intended this Prophecy chiefly for their sake, is able


to fit their understanding to it. And it is the gift of God and


not of human wisdom so to understand it as to believe it.




The Treatise is taken from following source:


The Religion of Sir Isaac Newton, Frank E. Manuel, Oxford Univer-


sity Press, London, 1974 Appendix A, pages 107 - 113.Fragments


from a Treatise on Revelation "These fragments are a part of a


550-page manuscript described in the Sotheby Collection under lot


227. They are from the Newton papers in Jerusalem from the pre-


face on page v."




For additional information see:


http://www.reformation.org/newton.html


http://www.prophecycountdown.com/articles/newton.html