This book consists of eight sermons that were preached at various times during his ministry. It is not an attempt to settle the order of things that are yet to come. There's nothing Ryle dislikes more in prophetic inquiry than dogmatism or positiveness. It is not his belief that you cannot be saved unless you agree with him. What follows are the chief articles of his personal prophetic creed:
1. This present world will never be completely converted to Christianity. Wheat and tares will grow together.
2. The widespread unbelief, indifference, formalism and wickedness we see in the world is precisely what we should expect because of what God's Word says.
3. The grand purpose of this present dispensation is to gather out of the world an elect people--and not to convert all mankind.
4. The second coming of our Lord is the great event which will wind up this present dispensation.
5. The second coming of our Lord will be a real, literal, personal bodily coming.
6. After Christ comes again, this earth shall be renewed, and the curse removed; the devil shall be bound, the godly shall be rewarded, the wicked shall be punished.
7. The Jews will ultimately be gathered again together as a separate nation, restored to their own land, converted to Christ after going through much tribulation.
8. There is a literal sense to the Old Testament and it has been neglected by the church at large.
9. Revelation does not present a preterists or futurism scheme. The truth of Revelation is somewhere in between the two.
10. The Roman Catholic Church is the great predicted apostasy from the faith and is Babylon and Antichrist. It is probably that a more complete development of Antichrist will yet be exhibited to the world.
11. For the safety, happiness and comfort of all true Christians, we should expect as little as possible from Churches or Governments under this present dispensation. We should be ready for tremendous convulsions and only should only expect eternally good things from Christ as His second coming.
Ryle knows these views appear to be gloomy. His concern is not whether they are gloomy or not, but whether they are Scriptural. When Christ comes back and the tabernacle of God is with men, then all be will perfect. To sit idly waiting for Christ is not Christianity, but fanaticism. Happy is he who has learned to expect little from Parliaments or Convocations, from Statemen or from Bishops--and to look steadily for Christ's appearing. He is the man who will not be disappointed.
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