Some seem to confuse it with Preterism, thinking Historicists put all the prophecy of Daniel and Revelation into the ages past, but it is NOT preterism.
So what is HISTORICISM?
Historicists see prophecy as being fulfilled throughout the course of human history beginning at the time of the prophet who wrote them and continuing on until the end which is still future.
Preterists, on the other hand see prophecy as being in the past, fulfilled basically by the time of Christ and the final fall of Jerusalem.
Futurists place the major emphasis of prophecy in the future. It is usually connected with Dispensationalism that teaches there is a great gap during the Christian dispensation during which the prophecies say nothing, then during the last seven years of earth's history all these prophecies will be fulfilled.
Both Preterists and Futurists skip almost ALL of the "church age", touching only somewhat the beginning and end, but not the almost 2000 years in between.
The Reformers were all basically Historicists in their prophetic interpretations. Thus they clearly saw the Papal religious tyranny over the people as the "Little Horn" of Daniel 7 and the harlot woman of Rev. 17. Though the reformers had their differences on various points of theology, they were united in declaring the Papacy the anti-christ revealed in prophecy. But the Counter Reformation steered people away from that method of interpretation and brought in the preterist and futurist methods to draw attention away from itself.
Well, one might say, couldn't there be truth in historicist and futurist intepretations? Can't we combine the two. No, not without bringing in confusion and undermining the principles that define the method.
So we need to choose one of these three methods in our study. It's important to choose the RIGHT method to understand what God is telling His people in these prophecies.
The best place to determine which method is correct is within the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation themselves. Let's look at Daniel. Historicists begin in Daniel 2 and see an image depicting the progression of kingdoms, Babylon the head, followed by Media Persia, followed by Greece, followed by Rome. followed by a mixture with the iron of Rome and clay (Divided Europe) and the prophecy ends with the coming of Christ as the great stone that smashes the worldly image.
They then move on to chapter 7 and find verification for their method of interpretation, where more details of those kingdoms are given, the prophecies taking us through to the end when the saints inherit the kingdom. Chapter 8 again goes through world empires, starting this time with Media Persia, moving on to Greece and than the Great horn of Rome, adding more details, taking us to the cleansing. Finally in chapter 11 we again start with Persia, and cover in considerable detail events clear to the end of time when the saints are resurrected and God's people delivered.
Another point in support of Historicist interpetation is that it reveals a God Who outlines history for all ages, not just for certain points.
The other methods have nothing to say to the Christian era that lies between Christ and the apostles and the final events of earth's history. Doesn't God speak in the Christian era?
The historicist says, yes! There is much in the prophecies in Daniel, Matthew 24-25 and 2 Thessalonians and especially in the book of Revelation concerning the Christian Era!
Especially the book of Revelation lays out in symbols the war Satan wages against the church and God's faithful people. It reveals God's involvement in preserving a remnant and dealing with the adversary.
