A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse by Sylvester Bliss

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A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse by Sylvester Bliss

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By Abil Kile Posted on Nov 15, 2025

In Category - Romance

Authors: Bliss, Sylvester, 1814-1863 Published By : Bliss, Sylvester, 1814-1863

Book Language: English

Ever wondered what people thought about the Book of Revelation before modern biblical scholarship? This 19th-century commentary by Sylvester Bliss is a fascinating time capsule. Bliss was a Millerite—part of the movement that famously predicted Christ’s return in 1844. Reading his interpretation of the Apocalypse is like sitting with a passionate believer from another era, trying to decode the end of the world through the lens of his own dramatic, disappointed hope. It’s less about finding ‘the right answer’ and more about understanding the powerful, very human need to make sense of prophecy.

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and epochs, a repetition of scripture is somewhat unavoidable. These pages have resulted from notes prepared in a familiar course of Bible-class instruction, where the study of brevity was necessary. Without designing to speak dogmatically, the didactic was found the more direct and simple mode of expression. In presenting this exposition, merely as the opinion of the writer, it is with the hope that it will give, in a small compass, a common-sense view of the intricacies of this book, and be acceptable to those interested in the study of prophecy. ELEMENTS OF PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION. 1. THE GRAMMAR of any science is a development of the principles by which it is governed. As the science of interpretation must be founded on some fixed and uniform laws, the unfolding of these is the first step in the study of prophecy. 2. BIBLICAL EXEGESIS and SACRED HERMENEUTICS, are terms applied to the science of interpretation, or of learning the meaning of Biblical words and phrases. 3. THE USUS LOQUENDI, is the usual mode of speaking. When applied to the Scriptures, it denotes the general _scriptural use_ of words. 4. To learn the meaning of scriptural terms, their general use must be ascertained, by comparing their contexts in the several places of their occurrence. 5. PROPHECY is the prediction of a future event. The term sometimes denotes a book of prophecies (Rev. 22:18); and sometimes a history.—2 Chron. 9:29. 6. CONSECUTIVE Prophecy gives the succession of future events in the order in which they will transpire. _Examples._—See Dan. 2d, 7th, 8th, 11th, and Rev. 6th and 7th, 9th to the 11th; 12th and 15th, &c. 7. DISCURSIVE Prophecy presents future events, irrespective of the order of their occurrence. _Examples._—ISAIAH and the minor prophets. 8. CONDITIONAL Prophecy is when the fulfilment is dependent on the compliance of those to whom the promise is made, with the conditions on which it is given. _Examples._—“_If_ ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, and do them: then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” Lev. 26:3, 4. “But _if_ ye will _not_ hearken unto me, and will _not_ do all these commandments; and _if_ ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, _but_ that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you, I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain; for your enemies shall eat it.” _Ib._ 14-16. “And it shall come to pass, _if_ thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day: that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, _if_ thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.” Deut. 28:1, 2. “But it shall come to pass, _if_ thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day: that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee,” &c. _Ib._ 15. Predictions of mere national prosperity, or adversity, are usually conditional. When the condition is not expressed, it is implied. _Example._—The Lord said unto Jonah, “Arise, go unto...

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So, this isn't a novel. A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse is exactly what it says: a chapter-by-chapter explanation of the biblical Book of Revelation, written in the 1850s.

The Story

There's no plot, but there is a compelling narrative behind the book. Sylvester Bliss was a devout follower of William Miller, whose calculations led thousands to believe Jesus would return in 1844. After the ‘Great Disappointment’ when that didn't happen, many in the movement, including Bliss, re-examined their beliefs. This commentary is part of that process. He walks through the symbols—the beasts, the seals, the seven churches—and interprets them through historical events and his post-1844 understanding, arguing that the prophecies were still unfolding.

Why You Should Read It

I found this utterly gripping, not for theology, but as a human document. You feel Bliss’s earnestness on every page. He’s not a distant scholar; he’s a man who staked his life on a date, watched it pass, and is now trying to piece his faith back together with this text. Reading it, you get a raw look at how belief works, how people use scripture to explain their present, and the resilience of religious hope even after profound disappointment.

Final Verdict

This is a niche read, but a rewarding one. It’s perfect for history buffs interested in 19th-century American religion, or anyone curious about the roots of modern Adventist beliefs. If you enjoy primary sources that let you peer directly into a past mindset, Bliss’s commentary is a compelling and surprisingly personal window into a pivotal moment of American faith.

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