The nineteenth saw a host of diverse readings of prophecy alongside unprecedented societal shifts. From the Millerites to patriotic interpreters who saw America as God’s city on a hill—speculation over an imminent apocalypse was perhaps never more intense. These classic commentaries and studies gather some of the most significant historical examinations of the apocalyptic visions in Daniel and Revelation. These diverse volumes include applications of prophecy to historic events, defenses of the Bible against textual and historical criticism, practical commentaries, and detailed examinations of individual passages.

Baptist minister Isaac Taylor Hinton illustrates a historicist view of how the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation are representative of five empires: the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Catholic Church, and the true church. Hinton attempts to remain faithful to Scripture, while avoiding the superstition that pervaded the church regarding prophecy in the nineteenth century. He also summarizes the views of other nineteenth-century scholars, providing a glimpse into the landscape of bib...