Days of Vengeance - The Preterist Archive

AUTHOR’S PREFACE
tempted to mutter under his breath:
A time, times, and half a time.
At last, the tribulation has ended.
The book, of course, has vastly outgrown its projected
size and scope. No small part of that is due to the Rev.
James B. Jordan and the Rev. Ray Sutton, pastors of
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tyler, Texas, who
have greatly influenced my understanding of the Bible’s
literary and symbolic connections and liturgical
structures. The Rev. Ned Rutland, of Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Opelousas, Louisiana, read an
early version of some chapters and, with consummate
tact and graciousness, steered me in a more Biblical
direction. James M. Peters, Tyler’s resident historian of
antiquities and computer whiz, was a rich treasury of
information on the ancient world.
There are others who contributed in various ways to
the production of this volume. ICE’s patient and
cheerful secretaries, Mrs. Maureen Peters and Mrs.
Lynn Dwelle, assisted me with many technical details
and secured out-of-print books; they have developed
the virtue of “going the extra mile” into a high art.
Typesetter David Thoburn, a true artist, labored long
hours in works of supererogation, solving unusual
problems and ensuring the high quality and readability
of the book. He has abundantly confirmed my
conviction of his superior craftsmanship. His assistant,
Mrs. Sharon Nelson, was a valuable mediator, making
sure our computers remained on speaking terms.
The indexes were prepared by Mitch Wright and Vern
Crisler. One of the most outstanding Bible scholars of
our day is the British theologian Gordon J. Wenham, of
the College of St. Paul and St. Mary, whose
knowledgeable and well-written commentaries have
made a significant mark throughout the evangelical
world. My first contact with Dr. Wenham was last year,
when, with no advance warning, I sent him a copy of
my book Paradise Restored. To my great surprise and
delight, he wrote back to express his appreciation. This
encouraged me (though not without a degree of fear
and trembling) to solicit his comments on the
uncorrected proofs of the present work. Dr. Wenham
graciously took valuable time to read it, to offer
suggestions, and to write the Foreword. I am grateful for
his kindness. Naturally, he cannot be held responsible
for the numerous shortcomings of this book. The latter
point should perhaps be emphasized. This commentary
makes no claim whatsoever to be the “last word” on the
subject; indeed, if my eschatology is correct, the
Church has many more years left to write many more
words! I am greatly indebted to the important
contributions of many other commentators – especially
Philip Carrington, Austin Farrer, J. Massyngberde Ford,
Meredith G. Kline, J. Stuart Russell, Moses Stuart,
Henry Barclay Swete, and Milton S. Terry – and I hope
I have done justice to them in building on their
foundation. Yet I am painfully aware that the task of
commenting on St. John’s magnificent prophecy far
exceeds my abilities. Where I have failed adequately to
set forth the message of the Revelation, I beg the
indulgence of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and
earnestly desire their comments and corrections.
Letters may be addressed to me at P. O. Box 2314,
Placerville, CA 95667.
My beloved wife, Darlene, has always been my greatest
source of encouragement. Our children (Nathan
David, Jacob Israel, and Abigail Aviva) endured our
collective “exile to Patmos” with true Johannine grace
(mixed, perhaps, with occasional rumblings of
Boanergean thunder as well!); and if their bedtime
stories were somehow filled with more than the usual
quota of cherubs, dragons, flying horses, and flaming
swords, they never complained.
Finally, I am grateful to my parents, the Rev. and Mrs.
Harold B. Chilton. I was immeasurably blessed to grow
up in a home where the Word of God is so highly
honored, so faithfully taught, so truly lived. The
environment they structured was constantly flooded
with musical grandeur and richness, as the atmosphere
was charged with rousing theological discussion, all in
the context of caring for the needy, sheltering the
homeless, feeding the hungry, and bringing to all the
precious message of the Gospel. From the steaming
jungles and rice paddies of the Philippines to the
shaded lawns of Southern California, they set before
me a remarkable and unforgettable example of what it
means to be bondservants of the Lord. Some of my
earliest memories are of seeing my parents’ faith tested
beyond what seemed the limits of human endurance;
and when God had tried them, they came forth as gold.
Holding forth the Testimony of Jesus, suffering the loss
of all things in order to win Christ, they are what St.
John has exhorted us all to be: faithful witnesses.
This book is dedicated to them.
David Chilton
Tyler, Texas
May 8, 1986
Ascension Day
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