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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