Who Has Held This View?
Since the end of the 16th Century, many Protestant scholars and pastors have held to the Historicist method of interpreting prophecy. There has been quite a bit of diversity about the details of some of the conclusions they reached when trying to see how specific details had already been fulfilled. But their method was generally similar: that of comparing prophecy to history to see what had and had not yet happened. Comparing the writings of Historicists from the past 400 years shows that in spite of diversity in the details of their views, a number of elements were found to be commonly held. It is these writers with major points in common with one another that I list here as Historicist writers of the past:
Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Foxe, Thomas Brightman, Joseph Mede, Sir Isaac Newton, Bengel, Matthew Henry, Jonathan Edwards, John Gill, E.B. Elliott, H. Grattan Guinness, Charles Spurgeon, A.J. Gordon, A.B. Simpson, E.P. Cachemaille, Basil Atkinson, LeRoy Froom, Harold Barton, Oral Collins, and many others.
In 2007, Dr. Oral Colins published The Final Prophecy of Jesus. This major, scholarly commentary on Revelation is extremely helpful in giving the reader an understanding of the fulfillment of Revelation, chapter by chapter, in addition to providing scholars with information on advanced exegetical and textual issues. Dr. Colins lived in Massachusets, USA, and died in 2013.
Two other Historicists who were both pastors with what is now the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists of Canada, right here in my home province of British Columbia, were A.J.L. Haynes, my grandfather, and Dr. George Dawe. Samples of their writings on Historicism are listed below. Dr. Dawe also wrote a small commentary on Revelation which I hope to scan and publish to this site eventually.
Dr. George Dawe retired to Glory in 2010 at the age of 104. During their lifetimes, he and my grandfather (below) were friends. Dr. Dawe's obituary is quoted below:
Dr. George Dawe
October 29, 1905 - August 28, 2010
George was born in Golden, BC, and lived most of his life in that province apart from a short time in Los Angeles, where he attended the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and where he met his wife (and also a short time in Alberta). He served as pastor of Baptist churches in Mission, Armstrong, Enderby, Salmon Arm, Edmonton, Kamloops and Prince George, as well as 25 interim pastorates. He co-founded, administered and taught at Western Baptist Bible College in Calgary, which later became part of Northwest Baptist Bible College in Port Coquitlam, now incorporated in Northwest College and Seminary in Langley. He initiated Camp ministry at Mission, and founded Sunnybrae Bible Camp. He also served at Boundary Bay and Qwanoes. In addition, he authored a number of books and pamphlets. At 23 years of age, he was a participant at the very first Annual Meeting of the newly formed Regular Baptist Convention in BC. He was honoured with a Doctor of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1953, and with the award of Merit at the Fellowship Pacific Convention in 1985. Dr. Dawe would have been 105 years of age in October, 2010. Published in THRIVE, The Evangelical Baptist Magazine, Spring 2011.
My grandfather, Rev. A.J.L. Haynes, was the pastor of Maple Ridge Baptist Church, in BC, for over 40 years. He went to be with the Lord in 1983 at the age of 88.
Dr. Dawe and Rev. Haynes were good friends. To quote a letter from Dr. Dawe to myself, "I thank God upon every remembrance of your beloved grandfather, A.J.L. Haynes." Personally, I share that gratitude to God for the legacy He has given me in both of these men.
Historicism.com itself owes its existence to the legacy of my grandfather. My own education in the historicist interpretation and my commitment to the Gospel of Jesus and the mission of the Church are the results of a rich heritage.
The newspaper photo above was taken about 10 years before, at the encouragement of my parents, I began to study the Scriptures and the writings of great men of faith like H. Grattan Guinness.
My grandfather has been with Christ for over 30 years now, but his commitment to the service of his Lord continues to bear fruit today in the lives of his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Most of these continue to serve the Lord, many are missionaries or involved in other Church ministries.
This website is dedicated to continuing the historicist exposition of the Scriptures, taught by Rev. A. J. L. Haynes throughout his pastoral ministry in Maple Ridge, for the glory of God.
- J. L. Haynes (Director of Historicism.com and grandson of A. J. L. Haynes)
