Elpis Israel

An excerpt from the Preface: Great excitement was produced in the United States by the news of what was going on in Europe. Many who had for years before been predicting “the end of all things” were now persuaded that it had come at last. Others came to a different conclusion, and rejoiced in the supposition that the kingdoms of the world were about to become republics, after the model of the United States. Both these imaginations, however, serve to show how little the “sure word of prophecy” was understood or heeded by the people. The author endeavoured, as far as he could obtain the ears of the public, to disabuse it of these vain conceits. He opposed to them “the testimony of God”, which testifies the continuance of “the times of the Gentiles” until Nebuchadnezzar’s Image be broken to pieces upon the mountains of Israel; and the perpetuity of the kingdoms until after this event, when Christ shall encounter their kings in battle, and annex their realms to his kingdom by conquest; for, by his kingdom, and not by popular violence, will he break in pieces and consume them all. But the author was as one that spoke parables in the ears of the deaf. Time, however, has verified his interpretation in part. Though terribly shaken, the kingdoms still exist, and republics are at a discount and the “Order”, in which God’s enemies rejoice, has been provisionally re-established. The events in 1848 caused many in the United States to revisit their native lands. Among these was the author of this volume. Believing he could irradiate the light of the prophetic word upon the political tragedies of the time, and, by so doing, be of use to those who desire to know the truth, he determined to intermit his labours in America, where he had been operating for about sixteen years in the same vocation, and to see if “a door of utterance” might not be opened in England for the same purpose. He was the more induced to take this step by a desire to be nearer the scene of action, that he might avail himself of the more frequent and copious details furnished by the British than the American Press, to the end that he might as speedily as possible obtain a comprehensive view of the crisis; which is the most important that has yet happened to the world, because it is pregnant of consequences for good and evil, which will leave their mark upon society for a thousand years.