Bulletin of Prophetic Historicism

7 October 2013                                                                          Editor and Proprietor

                                                                                                   Edwin de Kock

Bulletin # 9

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.

                                                        Wonderful News

aster than we could have imagined, Patterson Printing has finished the printing of Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History (2013). About ten days ago, the first carton of books reached me, and I am very happy.

     The new edition is more appealing, even visually. It is an inch thick. Its other dimensions are six by nine inches. This is partly because of the slightly thicker paper on which it is printed and partly because it now has 423 pages. Its contents have been updated, augmented, and improved. Therefore, it just looks more substantial. And this is right, for it is a major book on prophecy.

     When it first appeared, our local church pastor said I was the Uriah Smith of the twenty-first century. This, I think, was high praise, yet not entirely unmerited; for it covers much of what that excellent writer dealt with in his masterpiece, The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, which is more than a hundred years old. Not everything, since there is now so much more to write about. But in my Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History you can read many interesting things that Smith did not focus on. I suggest that his and my volumes augment each other.

     What is new in Christ and Antichrist? Muchísimo, as our Spanish-speaking friends would put it. Let me briefly mention just five examples.

     First, it convincingly demonstrates how prophecy ought to be studied by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

     Second, it tells of a Greek poet more than a hundred years before Nebuchadnezzar who mentioned the four metals of his dream—the gold, silver, bronze, and iron—as stages of human civilization.

     Third, it mentions a serious Dispensationalist mistake: a calculation error that underlies this popular but false method of interpreting Bible prophecy. In “The History That Never Was,” the book explains conditional prophecy by looking at Old Testament predictions that the Lord gave to his ancient people. These were never fulfilled because those Jews refused to cooperate with his plans. Dispensationalists misapply those Scriptures, confusing events that could have happened in the past (but did not and never will materialize) with what they expect of the future.

     Fourth, a chapter entitled “The Remnant of Israel” reveals why Christianity was a direct continuation of the Chosen People described in the Old Testament. The Church is far more than a “spiritual” Israel. 

     Fifth, my Christ and Antichrist reveals that the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths, represented by the three horns uprooted by the Little Horn, were not really Arians. Instead, they were ancient Sabbathkeepers who had to be liquidated because they would not submit to the papacy.  

     The book sells for only $19.95. The addition of postage and handling bring this to $24.00, in the United States, where media mail can be used. To other countries, however, it can travel only by airmail. The Canadian price, including postage and handling, is $34.30. For countries further afield, the airmail rates are higher, slightly more than the price of the book itself. To both South Africa and New Zealand this raises the total cost to $41.10. To Australia and the United Kingdom it is $41.40. Nevertheless, for a book of this size and quality that remains a bargain. Discounts apply to multiple copies purchased at the same time: 40 percent for 5-21, 50 percent for 22-109, and 60 percent for 110 or above. Plus shipping and handling.

     Christ and Antichrist does not have a printed index. In lieu of it, a digital data copy is available for an extra $10.00, which I can transmit as an e-mail attachment. I can also mail it as a data (text) CD, which also contains thirteen additional items, for $19.95.

                           Republishing The Truth About 666

     Also faster than we could have imagined a month ago, my third book, The Truth About 666 and the Story of the Great Apostasy, in its first edition—as a hard back—is almost out of stock after less than two years since we published it. Apart from six or seven remnant items here at home, the 1,000 copies have all been bought up for resale or use by other ministries. What now? Due to a lack of funds, it seemed impossible to reprint this huge work of 874 pages, but made it a matter of prayer and planning.

     We decided to abandon the hard-cover format and to issue it more cheaply as three soft-cover volumes, with 320, 176, and 368 pages respectively. This is perfectly feasible and it would reflect the structure of the work itself. It was never really a single book, as indicated on the verso (just after the title page) of the previous edition, where it says: “Three volumes in one.” Here is a brief survey of their contents:

     Volume 1: mostly an overview in three parts: “The Basics,” “The Ascent to Papal Power,” and “The Pope Becomes a King.”

     Volume 2: eleven chapters, detailing “The Further Witness of History.” This is a most convincing chronicle of how the papacy has over many centuries used either the Latin title vicarius Filii Dei or its translations into other languages to further its aims.

     Volume 3: “The Seventh-day Adventist Connection.” Its fourteen chapters describe almost two hundred years of conflict between our Church’s Historicist interpretation with views derived from Preterism, Futurism, or Idealism. The last-mentioned school undermines the three angels’ messages by asserting that the 666 of Rev. 13:18 is not vicarius Filii Dei, a papal title, but merely a symbol of human imperfection. Theologians who think so also support this idea with the peculiar assertion that there are 3 sixes in 666. In reality, there are 111! The volume concludes with reference notes and seven insightful appendices.

     Instead of a printed index, a data CD, containing the text of the entire work, was for the 2011 edition adhered into the back of the book. With the new printing, it would be attached to the back of Volume 1. Readers could in this way check the contents and references.

                                     More Wonderful News

     Reprinting 1,000 copies of Volume 1, including the data CD, would require only $2,969. There is even better news about Volumes 2 and 3. They would cost just $1,569 and $2,572 respectively. (Charges for freighting the finished books from the printer to points of sale in America would have to be added. At present, this could cost as much as $1,000.) 

     Even better news was that printing 2,000 copies of Volume 1 would require only $4,706. For Volumes 2 and 3 it would be $2,302 and $3,863 respectively. Why? In the printing industry, as the number of copies printed increases, the unit cost per book goes down. That is because the preparatory work and initial setup remain the same, although extra ink and paper go through the presses.

     We decided tentatively that 2,000 copies of each volume would be our target. After printing the first one, we could partly finance the second one by selling Volume 1 as well as the newly reprinted Christ and Antichrist in Prophecy and History (2013). And then there would be donations that individuals would make. That, we imagined, is how the $10,871 needed could be raised, though only over some length of time.

     Then, suddenly, our gracious and bountiful Lord surprised us with one of his miracles. He impressed a single donor, who is neither very wealthy nor a member of our Church, to give almost everything required for republishing the 2,000 copies. “I cannot think of a more worthy cause!” he said several times. As this is being written, half of the money needed for printing the entire edition is on its way to our printer in Michigan. He has also given most of the rest. We believe we can raise the remaining $1,000 from other sources.   

     For me, it was also a marvelous second birthday present, since it happened on 4 October. That was my thirteenth second birthday, for in ad 2000 I was sworn in as a United States citizen.

     What is still needed, however, is a further $1,000 or so for shipping the books to different points of sale in the United States. We try not to keep too many copies in one place, to prevent their destruction by the Enemy.

     Please also pray with us that denominational journals will consent to reviewing my books, especially The Truth About 666. That would greatly extend their much needed influence and boost their sale. So far, we have been stonewalled, for reasons explained in our previous Prophetic Bulletins.

     Behind it all, I believe, is the mind of Satan himself. He even uses directly physical methods like the other day. I fell from the ramp at our front door, sustaining a hard blow to my head as well as several bad bruises in different parts of my body. By God’s grace, no bones were broken, and the ill-effects are clearing up. This happened less than twenty-four hours after the first carton of the republished Christ and Antichrist had arrived at our gate and I used a wheelbarrow to bring it up to the house. Earlier in the day, a dear brother from a distant state had promised over the telephone to buy 110 copies (5 cartons x 22) at 60 percent discount, and even to pay the shipping costs from Benton Harbor, Michigan. Such a transaction greatly helps to finance the reprinting of The Truth About 666. Perhaps the Lord will impress you to buy a quantity for relatives and friends as Christmas approaches.

     The devil hates my books. Twice he targeted me through my heart. In 2001, as I was completing the manuscript for the first printed edition of Christ and Antichrist, congestive heart failure put me in hospital for a week. It was a very close thing. In 2010, a few days after my eightieth birthday, before I could even complete The Truth About 666, I was suddenly struck down again, with thrombosis, the other kind of heart attack. This led to a long emergency operation and a quadruple bypass. Also, I do not know how much time remains to me. Several other people of our team, including Ria, have also been under attack.

     Why would the Evil One or those who work with him fight against my books? Because they strengthen the Third Angel’s Message and combat the false theories that have infiltrated our ranks. My writing enrages Satan, because it helps to hasten the retribution awaiting him and the other fallen angels.

     Please pray with Ria and me for our protection, as well as the protection of everyone who supports us. You are precious to us, and we often also pray for you.