Bulletin of Prophetic Historicism

2 June 2015                                                                               Editor and Proprietor

                                                                                                   Edwin de Kock

Bulletin # 20

The editor/proprietor assumes responsibility for his own contributions. He is not, however, responsible or liable for the ideas expressed in pieces by other writers, also sometimes mentioned or cited.

                                         Forward to Zion

od willing, we shall soon be flying to Columbus, Ohio. Edwin is due to be one of four speakers at an annual conservative Seventh-day camp meeting, which bears the name that you see above. The theme will be “For Such a Time as This.” The venue will be in Delaware, near Columbus.

     Edwin’s three topics will be “The Lord is coming. Are you ready?” “Three Angels Flying in the Midst of Heaven,” and “To Ripen the Grain for the Harvest.” Underlying his lectures is a Historicist approach to prophetic interpretation, together with what our Church has taught about the Lord’s Return, the Three Angels’ Message, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which Ellen G. White links with the even mightier Fourth Angel described in Revelation 18. These presentations are due to be recorded in both audio and video.

     The speakers will have tables to display and sell their publications on every, except Friday evening and the rest of the Sabbath.

     If you live within striking distance of Delaware, Ohio, please come and meet us at the “Onward to Zion” Camp Meeting on the campus of the Ohio Wesleyan University, 6l Sandusky St, Delaware, Ohio www.forwardtozion.com, on June 3-6. We would love seeing you there!

     After the camp meeting, we hope to venture briefly into Amish and Mennonite country and find out more about these somewhat picturesque communities.

     We will report on these ventures once we are back.

                                         Two More Books

   A More Sure of Prophecy appeared in 2015. Edwin believes it is the capstone to all that he has written about prophecy. In a previous Bulletin, we told about our trip to Cuba in October last year. The four lectures that he presented there gave birth to this book, which has several illustrations in full color. It has also been translated into Spanish by Nestor Rivero of Cuba. Revision was partly undertaken by a retired professor from Mexico and fully executed by Byron Villacorte, an El Salvadorian postdoctoral researcher, who is now in Australia. The translation, titled La Palabra Profética Más Segura, is now also available in digital form. Unfortunately we still lack the funds to have it printed. Perhaps the Lord will soon provide means to turn it into a physical book. In both English and Spanish, it is priced at $10.00, plus shipping and handling. We here attach pictures of their covers. More details are available on our website www.propheticum.com.

     There you can also find a list of Edwin’s publications, which are now eight in number: five printed books and three digital texts.

                                   Edwin’s Magnum Opus

     This, of course, is The Truth About 666 and the Story of the Great Apostasy. Its first edition of 1,000 copies, which appeared in 2011, sold out very satisfactorily. Its hard cover was a great attraction, although the 874 pages made it a physically heavy tome, especially for older readers. Therefore, we republished it in 2013 as three soft-cover volumes at only $35.00 for the whole set, plus shipping and handling. The Lord again, very marvelously, opened the hearts and wallets to pay the printers and the shipping companies.

     But once again the Evil One did his best to hinder the sale and dissemination of this work in various ways. For instance a person, whom we shall not name but whose identity is no secret to us, made it his business to discourage ministries that had previously sold it. In some cases, he has been too successful. One of his arguments was that for the second edition Edwin had eliminated or altered material, had in fact backtracked on his former conclusions. This is a boldfaced lie. Edwin has made only minor changes, mostly to eliminate printing errors.

     On the other hand, the Lord has brought this book to the attention of eminent people, who have written very encouraging recommendations for it. Please look up Readers Say on our website www.propheticum.com. We here repeat the following words that greatly encouraged us in April and May and for which we thank the Lord:

Dear Edwin and Ria,

Thank you for your Bulletins; every time I receive them I devour them. The Lord is using you in a mighty way through your testimony and books. Especially The Truth About 666 and the Story of the Great Apostasy is a tremendous contribution to our Church.

This book on 666 must become known in the whole SDA world and beyond. There is a master deception to undermine the knowledge that the number in Rev. 13:17, 18 refers to vicarius Filii Dei, a papal title, and people ignore it. I am VERY interested for this book to be in Spanish and will move heaven and earth to find a way for it to be translated by the best translator. If I have its PDF files in MS-Word, I will start the translation by myself for free. I can do this on the airplane as I travel for my work from country to country. I have translated many books in the past. I would be delighted to do it to share the light on this issue among Hispanics.

Robert Costa

General Conference Ministerial Associate—Evangelism and Church Growth

and Speaker-Director, It Is Written in Spanish.

    Some readers may not know who this man is. He is Mark Finley’s successor.

    Please support our work for the Lord, especially by acquiring these publications. Friends, they will enrich your experience by clarifying much in the prophecies, and they are also excellent presents for loved ones and friends. Because they promote what the Bible says, they can for some impart the gift of eternal life.

    Also kindly note that we are still trying to find a ministry willing to give our books a little space in Antonio at the General Conference session in July. If you have any idea of anybody potentially willing to help, please drop us an urgent line.

                                     Other Valuable Works

    Pastor Austin Cooke of Australia, who will soon be 98 years of age, has after many, many, many years produced a truly magnificent work: An Enduring Vision—Revelation Revealed—an Historicist and Prophetic Verse-by-verse Exposition of John’s Apocalypse (2015). Filling 720 pages, it is very well written and copiously researched, with one interesting page after the other. Above all, it is a soundly Historicist and deeply spiritual work. We praise and thank God for the work of this godly and amazing retired minister, who we hope will safely reach the goalpost of 100 years and even go beyond it. We highly recommend this book. Published as a beautiful hardcover book, it is available from Teach Services, who have a website on the Internet.  

    Our good friend Jerry A. Stevens has updated Vicarius Filii Dei, An Annotated Timeline, originally printed in 2009. It is available from him as a digital publication. It is a scholarly companion work to The Truth About 666. He also has an interesting website that you may enjoy. Here are his contact details:

Jerry A. Stevens, 252 Lakeview Dr., Fairfield Glade, TN 38558, U.S.A.

(931) 456-9905. E-mail: <jerstevens@frontier.com> Web site: <jerrysnook.net>

                        Important Anniversaries Coming Up

       As Protestants we do not recommend the observance of Halloween. It is a Catholic celebration of the dead and martyrs, with pagan overtones. But it does fall on October 31, which is also Reformation Day. It was then, in 1517, that a monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses against Indulgences to the Castle Church door at Wittenberg. This he intended as an invitation to invite scholars for a debate about these papal documents—and did not even remotely dream that it would unleash the Protestant Reformation. But how many are still protesting and have not ecumenically wandered back toward Rome?

     Let us celebrate Reformation day, and remember that just two years away, in 2017, a full 500 years will have passed.

     Recently we read wonderful words that Luther had written to encourage a young friar: “Lord Jesus, You are my righteousness, just as I am Your sin. You have taken upon Yourself what is mine and have given to me what is Yours. You have taken upon Yourself what You were not and have given to me what I was not” . . .  For why was it necessary for Him to die if we can obtain a good conscience by our own works and afflictions? Accordingly you will find peace only in Him and only when you despair of yourself and your own works. Besides, you will learn from Him that just as He has received you, so He has made your sins His own and has made His righteousness yours.”(Henry T. Hudson: Papal Power—Its Origins and Development, 1981), pp. 63-64).

     Dear friends, please let us hear from you. We greatly need your prayers, orders, and words of encouragement. New material has been posted on our website www.propheticum.com recently. Please take another look and ask your email contacts to do the same.