George N. H. Peters was a relatively unknown Lutheran minister born in 1825. What he is regarded for, however, is his three-volume treatise entitled, “The Theocratic Kingdom,” in which he spent much of his entire life researching. Despite his views conflicting with the majority of his own Lutheran denomination, his monumental work is considered one of the single greatest expositions on the Kingdom of God ever written.
Here is an excerpt from Peter’s biography:
George Peters is remembered primarily because of his three volume work The Theocratic Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus, the Christ, as Covenanted in the Old Testament and Presented in the New Testament. The title is often shortened to simply The Theocratic Kingdom. His references indicate he was well read in theology, history, science and literature. He spent years researching and compiling this study of eschatology, which includes over four thousand quotes from authors ranging from the second century to his own era. The work was first published in 1884 by Funk and Wagnalls. (Isaac Kauffman Funk had graduated from Wittenberg College in 1860 and from its seminary in 1861.) Kregel republished The Theocratic Kingdom in 1952 and 1972, and it was still in print in May 2006. In his preface to the 1952 edition, Wilbur M. Smith wrote “One does not need to agree with all of his [Peters’] statements, nor even with all of his interpretations, to recognize the greatness of this work that must have cost him a lifetime of research, prayer, investigation, and laborious writing – these were the days before typewriters.” Surviving manuscripts indicate Peters wrote many books, but The Theocratic Kingdom may have been the only one published, because that is the only title by Peters in bibliographic records in WorldCat. On the handwritten title page of an unpublished work, Peters described himself as an “evangelical Lutheran Minister.” (Source)
In the preface of the 1952 edition, theologian Dr. Wilbur Smith calls it “the most exhaustive, thoroughly annotated and logically arranged study of Biblical prophecy that appeared in our country during the nineteenth century.” Having understood that his views would not be well received by his colleagues, Peters made a striking prediction: “These exegetical notes will find acceptance with but few, & will only be appreciated when the future persecution of the church takes place.”
The humility of the author and the sincerity of his desire to uncover Biblical truths on the subject of the Kingdom cannot be overstated. The following is taken from the Introduction to his work:
Many shrink from investigation when they find that things which they fondly believed, incorporated in their prayers and hopes, and portrayed with eloquence, are subject to the suspicion of being built upon a sandy foundation. It is a trite saying that “truth never dies” however great the opposition ; and we may rest assured that any opinion that we may individually entertain, can never alter or seriously affect the truth of God. It is folly to shelter ourselves behind the fear that, peradventure, inquiry and scrutiny may lead to a revolution of our views. This may indeed be an amiable weakness, but it is one as fatal to the student as Delilah’s hands were to Samson. If in earnest search after the truth, such a result, should it occur under clear apprehension and decided conviction of Scriptural authority, must be accepted as alone honorable. It is to the credit of some of the greatest writers … that opinions once strongly advocated were subsequently discarded under the persuasion that truth, honesty, and integrity required the change.
May the author add: after many years of labor—as the following pages indicate—and the cold fraternization of “brethren” who had no sympathy for Chiliastic study, it would be a personal gratification to the writer to learn from students who have investigated the subjects presented in this work, that the perusal of this book has given them pleasure and strengthened them in “the blessed hope.”
Book Study of The Theocratic Kingdom
These three volumes are a rich source of knowledge, especially in the areas that this blog endeavors to discuss. Because of this, this blog will also serve as a book study/discussion of “The Theocratic Kingdom” across the various related posts. The entire contents of volumes 1-3 can be found on this website. In addition to the unaltered original text of the 3-volumes, there’s detailed summaries created for all 200+ propositions. Use these summaries to get a concise breakdown as to what the proposition deals with and how it contributes to a premillennial doctrine.
To make finding the references easier, any passages cited from The Theocratic Kingdom will be done using the same Proposition/Observation format that the author uses to organize the volumes. Example: Prop. 1, Obs. 2 — the citation will be linked directly to appropriate proposition in the document on this website. Since these volumes will be cited throughout this blog, any citations of passages will be be formatted differently than other sources. Passages from “The Theocratic Kingdom” will be cited in the following format:
Theologians generally, either unable to reconcile this with their church theories, or deeming it unimportant while acknowledging the fact, pass it by in silence, or give us some apologetics to account for it, which are derogatory to the age, to the believers then living, and to the Word. (Prop. 19, Obs. 1)