III. Brightman Confutes Futurism and Stresses Year Day

THOMAS BRIGHTMAN (15621607), Puritan scholar, and one of the fathers of English Presbyterianism, was born in Nottingham. Educated at Cambridge, from which he received his B.A., M.A., and B.D. degrees, he became rector of Hawnes in 1592. A constant student, he always carried his Greek Testament with him, which he read through every two weeks even perusing it while riding, so as to lose no time. His disaffection with the established church became increasingly apparent, and he became one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church in England.” ^{17Dictionary of National Biography, vol. 2, p. 1247.}PFF2 512.1

1. BATTLES POSITIONS OF BELLARMINE AND RIBERA

Deeply stirred by Bellarmine’s promulgation of the Futurist theory of interpretation, Brightman wrote Apocalypsis Apocalypseos (Revelation of the Revelation), dedicated to the Reformed churches of Brittany, Germany, and France, which up to 1644 had run through four editions, with later reprints. ^{18Apocalypsis Apocalypseos... et Refutatio Rob. Bellarmini de antichristo Libro Tertio de Romano Pontifice (A Revelation of the Revelation... and Refutation of Robert Bellarmine Concerning Antichrist in Book Three Concerning the Roman Pontiff). Originally written about 1600, before Queen Elizabeth’s death, it was first printed at Frankfurst (1609), then Heidelberg (1612), with English editions at Amsterdam (1615) and Leyden (1616). It was issued in his collected Workes at London (1644).} This commentary was popular with the Protestant churches of the time because of its vigor of thought and language and its able answer to Cardinal Bellarmine. It sought to set a “clear torchlight” before them. A sixteen chapter section entitled “The Confuting That Counterfeit Antichrist: Whom Bellarmine describeth, and laboureth to prove by arguments with all his might” ^{19Inserted with the running title “Against Bellarmine,” between chapters 17 and 18 of A Revelation of the Apocalyps, in his Workes (1644 ed.), pp. 612-746.} was incorporated into his commentary, following Revelation 17, in which Brightman reviewed thoroughly and effectively the objections urged by Bellarmine. The avowed object of this refutation was likewise to prove that the pope is that Antichrist whose reign is limited to 1260 years, and is foredoomed by God to utter destruction.PFF2 512.2

When Brightman saw, for the first time, a copy of the Jesuit Ribera’s original Futurist exposition, he was aroused to indignation. Of it he says:PFF2 513.1

“For when as I had by chance light upon Ribera, who had made a Commentary upon this same holy Revelation; of it even so (said I) doe the Papists take heart again, so as that book which of a long time before they would scarce suffer any man to touch, they dare now take in hand to intreatfully upon it? What? was it but a vain image or bug, at the sight whereof they were wont to tremble a few years since, even in the dim light, that now they dare be bold to look wishly upon this glasse in this clear sunshine, and dare proclaime to the world, that any other thing rather is poynted at in it than their Pope of Rome? O we sluggish and lazy creatures, if we surfer that! I thought it fit therefore that the croking of these fellowes should be somewhat repressed, thinking it worth my labour to make the lesuites see, how wickedly they rage, how foolishly they trifle, how they understand nothing of the mysteries, how it cannot be possible that they should have any wit or reach at all in this matter.” ^{20Brightman, A Revelation of the Apocalyps Preface, in Workes, sig. B1r.}PFF2 513.2

Brightman takes Ribera to task for his clever effort to shift the pope out of the field of prophecy.PFF2 513.3

“Indeed Francis of Ribera the lesuit, thrust his whole Prophecy almost into these straits, wisely indeed to save his Popes head, but as touching the truth, exceedingly perversly. For why, were men that lived by the space of these 1500. yeres which are now past, since the writing of the Apocalypse, altogether devoyd of this felicity.” ^{21Ibid., chap. 1, p. 8.}PFF2 513.4

Brightman’s other discussion of prophecy—A Most Com fortable Exposition of ... the Prophecie of Daniel (from 11:36 through 12)—was included in his Scholia, and was issued at Basel (1614), Leyden (1616), and again in London in 1644. ^{22Brightman, A Most Comfortable Exposition of the Last and Most Difficult Part of the Prophecie of Daniel, in Workes, pp. 891-970; see pp. 891, 894.} Its avowed purpose was to prove the conversion and restoration of the Jews after the destruction of their last three enemies—the Roman Empire, the Saracens (king of the south), and the Turks (king of the north).PFF2 513.5

2. SEVEN CHURCHES: SEVEN PERIODS, WITH THYATIRA AS ROME

In his commentary on Revelation, Brightmans interprets the seven churches as so many periods, applying the Thyatira church to the Roman Jezebel, Sardis to the Reformed churches of Switzerland, France, Holland, et cetera, and Laodicea to the Church of England ^{23Brwhtman, A Revelation of the Apocalyps, chaps. 2, 3 in Workes, pp. 75 ff., 91 ff., 125.}—with which he is not in sympathy.PFF2 514.1

3. FIFTH TRUMPET—150YEAR PERIOD OF SARACENIC WOE

Brightman places the fulfillment of the seven seals all prior to Constantine, the silence in heaven being the peace procured by Constantine. ^{24Ibid., sig. Biv.} But the early trumpets he expounds as the great heresies which befell the church, and the barbarian woes on the Western Roman Empire, the fourth being the Vandals. The fifth trumpet, darkening a third part of the sun (the church in Africa), he assigns to religious persons in the West and to the Saracens in the East, and the sixth trumpet to the Turks ^25Ibid.—which oppressed by their tyranny not only the false church but also the true church—the latter, Brightman significantly adds, “began to come forth abroad at the year 1300.” ^{26Ibid., chap. 20, p. 816.}PFF2 514.2

Brightman’s prophetic time periods are all determined on the year—day principle. The five months, or 150 days of the locust woe, he allots to the Saracen ravages of Syria, Mesopo tamia, Armenia, and Persia, beginning about A.D. 630, to their overthrow by the Emperor Leo Copronymus, about 780—a view later adopted by Daubuz.PFF2 514.3

“We define this first overrunning of the earth by the Saracens in an hundred and fifty years, not because at the end of these years they were straightwayes cast out of those Countries, which they had conquered, but because they had ill successe afterwards in their battels against the Romans, being often conquered, put to flight and slain, hardly holding that which they had gotten, much less getting any more.” ^{27Ibid., chap. 9, p. 300.}PFF2 514.4

4. SIXTH TRUMPET: TURKISH WOE FROM A.D. 1300

The “hour, day, month, and year” of the Euphratianwoe, Brightman regards as a period of 396 years (365 + 30 + 1), measuring the duration of the Turkish power, dated by their revival under Othman, about A.D. 1300—and thus leading to about 1696 ^{28Ibid., p. 324. Brightman takes the 365 days of the natural year, instead of the 360 days of the “prophetic year,” which would have given a total of 391 years (360 + 30+1), which was followed by certain others.}PFF2 515.1

5. 1260 YEARS OF WITNESSES FROM CONSTANTINE

Bright man expounds Revelation 10 as the revival of study of the Bible and the prophecies in the West at the time of the rise of the Turks under the period of the sixth trumpet—perhaps a refer ence to the Waldenses. He makes the 1260 year days of the Wit nesses date from the time of Constantine until about 1558—the warring against the true church and the Scriptures beginning afresh at the Council of Trent. In Revelation 12 the church was persecuted by the dragon (the barbarians). Constantine the Great, the man child, superseding the heathen emperors, threw the dragon down from heaven, and the pure church fled into the wilderness. ^{29Ibid., sig. B2V.}PFF2 515.2

6. BOTH BEASTS OF Revelation 13 ARE PAPAL

The casting down of Pagan Rome in Revelation 12 is followed by its restoration in new form in Revelation 13. In Revelation 13 Brightman makes both of the two beasts the popes and their empire, only at successive times—the first beginning with Constantine, wounded by the Goths but healed by Justinian and Phocas; the second from Pepinonward. It should also be noted that Brightman was about the first to mention Justinian’s decree as a determining epoch in papal greatness. ^{30Ibid., sig. B’r; chap. 13, p. 433.} He says further:PFF2 515.3

“This beast hath a double place, whence he ariseth, one out of the Sea, and another out of the earth; he hath a double power, also, Civil and spirituall.... Which double tyrannic is most clearly to be seen in the Pope of Rome alone; so that we cannot doubt, but that he is both the beasts.” ^{31Ibid., p. 420; see also chap. 17, pp. 605, 609.}PFF2 515.4

7. SEVEN VIALS ARE JUDGMENTS UPON PAPACY

The seven vials of chapter 16 are the judgments, or retributions, upon the Papacy, begun by the Reformation. ^{32Ibid., sig. B3r, v.} And the Jews are the kings of the East after they embrace the faith of the gospel, against whom the Turk will war. Under the seventh seal the Turkish as well as the popish powers will be destroyed. ^{33Ibid., sig. B3v. In his Exposition ... of Daniel, Brightman defines the king of the north thus: “It is not then to be doubted, but that the King of the North is the Empire of the Turkes.” IHfori”, p. 921).}PFF2 516.1

8. SEVENHILLED ROME SEAT OF ANTICHRIST

Brightman then refers to Revelation 17, which “maketh mention but of one of them only; comprehending both under one.” ^{34Brightman, A Revelation of the Apocalyfs. chap. 13, in Workes. p. 446.} As to the city and seat of Antichrist, he declares emphatically:PFF2 516.2

“Rome is the City where the heads of Antichrist remain fixed, there fore Rome is the seat of Antichrist. You can never escape the dint of this Argument (O ye Papistsl) while you live. It must needs be as fixed, strong, and durable, as the Mountains themselves of your Rome....PFF2 516.3

“The seat of the seven Kings is the seat of Antichrist, Rome the City with seven Hils, is the seat of the seven Kings: For the heads are both the Mountains, and the Kings; Therefore Rome is the seat of Antichrist.” ^{35Ibid., chap. 17, p. 586.}PFF2 516.4

The seven heads Brightman expounds as “seven forms of government”—kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, tribunes—with emperors as the sixth form, and the popes as the seventh. Thus, “the seventh King must govern in the same place, where the seven Hils are.” ^{36Ibid., pp. 586-489.}PFF2 516.5

9. PAPAL PERIOD 1260 YEARS: NEITHER 3 1/2 NOR 3,500

Proving the pope to be Antichrist, and challenging Bellarmine’s suggestion of three and a half times possibly totaling 3,500 years, Brightman says:PFF2 516.6

“I will whisper as low as I can, and will tell you in your eare, that the time of dayes is not one day, but three hundred and threescore dayes, times twice so much; namely, seven hundred and twenty; half a time, an hundred and fourescore: So likewise the time of jeers is three hundred and threescore yeers; times, seven hundred and twenty, half a time an hundred and fourscore. So the time of moneths is twelve moneths, times four and twenty, half a time six; I pray you think of these things when you are awake, and in the mean time sleep sweetly and soundly all those three thousand five hundred yeers, which you have inforced your adversaries to make by your calculation.” ^{37Brightman, “The Confuting That Counterfeit Antichrist,” chap. 8, in A Revelation of the Apocalyps, in Workes, p. 686.}PFF2 516.7

Pressing hard on the year day principle, from Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, Brightman gives the pope, as Antichrist, not three and a half years, but 1260 years. ^{38Ibid., p. 687.} And as evidence that Rome is mystical Babylon, Brightman cites many early writers, such as Jerome and Augustine. ^{39Ibid., chap. 1, pp. 612 ff.}PFF2 517.1

10. ANTICHRIST APPEARED UPON ROME’S BREAKUP

Summoning the earlier witnesses, and ringing the changes on the general historical understanding of Antichrist’s appearing upon the breakup of the Roman Empire, Brightman makes a convincing argument for papal Rome as succeeding pagan Rome, and thus fulfilling 2 Thessalonians 2. Then he adduces the historical testimony of later centuries as contemporary witnesses testifying to Antichrist’s historical appearance in fulfillment of the prophecies. ^{40Ibid., chap. 2, p. 636.} In Daniel 7, Brightman asserts, the Little Horn sprang up together with the ten horns, or kingdoms, into which Rome was divided. ^{41Ibid., p. 626.}PFF2 517.2

11. HOLDS MODIFIED AUGUSTINIAN VIEW OF MILLENNIUM

On the millennium, however, Brightman still clings to a modified, or Protestant, version of Augustinianism, beginning the thousand years with Constantine, in the fourth century, and running on to Wyclif, in the fourteenth, who, with his contemporary preachers against Antichrist, Brightman says, constituted the first angel of Revelation 14, preaching the gospel again. The second angel threatening the fall of Rome represented those ministers who followed Wyclif, chief among them, John Huss and Jerome of Prague, whereas the third angel was Luther. ^{42Brightman, A Revelation of the Apocalyps, sig. B^r, pp. 475-480.}PFF2 517.3

Brightman’s view of the resurrections is also singular. He clings to the spiritual resurrection idea of Augustine, the first being in the fourth century after Constantine’s triumph, as “many from al places in the west, with all theire indeavour seekinge to attayne to the sincere Religion.” Then, “the second resurrection is brought to passe by the second and full callinge of the Jewes.” But in Revelation 21 and 22 Brightman is back on sound ground, for he teaches that this refers to the happiness of the church in the earth renewed, with the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven. ^{43Ibid., sig. B2v.}PFF2 517.4