Rome, Turkey and Jerusalem

In Short

Edward Hoare’s Rome, Turkey and Jerusalem is a work of nineteenth-century prophetic theology that examines contemporary geopolitical events through the lens of biblical books such as Daniel and Revelation. The book traces a historical argument that the decline of the Papacy and the weakening of the Ottoman Empire represent the unfolding of divine judgment and the approach of the Second Advent. It has endured as an artifact of historicist interpretation, capturing how nineteenth-century believers mapped unfolding European and Middle Eastern crises onto ancient scriptural frameworks.

The Story

The book begins by establishing a framework for reading history through biblical prophecy, comparing the vision of the great image given to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel with the vision of the four beasts given to the prophet Daniel. These visions set forth a succession of four great political empires leading down to the modern era. The narrative argument then turns to the religious history of Europe, identifying the Papacy as the little horn of prophecy and tracking its historical rise and subsequent political decline. Hoare points to concrete historical events, such as the loss of the Papal States and the dissolution of Roman convents, as evidence of a divinely ordained consuming process at work upon the Church of Rome.

From Europe, the argument moves eastward to examine the condition of the Ottoman Empire, which is likened to the overflowing and subsequent drying up of the river Euphrates under the sixth vial of Revelation. The text details the historical expansion of the Ottoman power across south-east Europe, Asia, and North Africa, followed by its steady decay, bankruptcy, and military contraction during the nineteenth century. This geopolitical decline serves as a warning against subtle spiritual dangers and acts as a signal for the nearness of the Lord's return.

Finally, the focus shifts to Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Hoare examines Christ’s prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple and the period during which Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles. With one major oppressor already fallen and the Ottoman Empire rapidly weakening, the argument reaches its climax: the long period of desolation is drawing to a close, and the times of the Gentiles are nearing completion. The book concludes with the expectation that the removal of these historic powers will open the way for the restoration of Jerusalem and the triumphant advent of Christ.

How It Unfolds

• The prophetic framework — The opening lectures establish the method of interpreting historical empires through the parallel visions of Daniel, laying out a sequence of four universal kingdoms that culminate in the modern age.
• The consuming of Rome — The argument turns to the Church of Rome, identifying the Papacy with prophetic symbols and detailing how nineteenth-century political changes in Italy stripped the Pope of his temporal throne and landed property.
• The drying up of the Euphrates — Hoare analyzes the Ottoman Empire as the fulfillment of the sixth vial, tracing its historical expansion as an overflow and its contemporary financial and political decay as a drying up.
• The warning of subtle spirits — Addressing his congregation, the author pauses to warn against the unseen and seductive spiritual dangers of the latter days, urging watchfulness against various forms of error.
• The signs of the Advent — The decay of Turkey is explicitly connected to the parable of the ten virgins and the approach of the Second Advent, reassuring believers that they may discern the signs of the times.
• The liberation of Jerusalem — The final section examines the long desolation of Jerusalem under Gentile powers, concluding that the collapse of these oppressive empires signals the end of the times of the Gentiles and the restoration of the Holy City.

The People

Because this is a work of theological exposition and historical interpretation rather than fiction, its central figures are biblical prophets, historical empires, and theological concepts rather than traditional characters.

• Nebuchadnezzar — The proud monarch of Babylon who receives the vision of the great image, representing the secular world's view of political glory as a golden head. He wants earthly supremacy and stability, but his empire is ultimately superseded by the succeeding kingdoms of prophecy.
• Daniel — The captive prophet who views the same succession of empires not as glorious metals, but as savage beasts devouring the earth. He wants understanding of God's plan and records the timelines that future believers use to measure the distance to the Advent.
• The Papacy — Represented in the text as the little horn and the woman riding the beast, this power seeks religious and political dominance over Europe. It stands against the freedom of the saints, but ultimately encounters a gradual consuming process that strips away its temporal dominion and property.
• The Ottoman Empire — Referred to as the Euphratian horsemen or the "Sick Man," this empire expands vastly across three continents through conquest. It stands as an obstacle on the neck of Jerusalem and over the religious liberty of its subjects, but its power steadily wanes through bankruptcy and decay, bringing its historic dominance to an end.
• The Believing Christian — The attentive student of Scripture and watcher for the Lord's return. Facing subtle spiritual dangers and a sleeping world, the believer looks to the fulfillment of prophecy on the map to remain watchful and ready for the Second Advent.

In Its Own Voice

"The world regards Babylon as the head of gold, the summit of glory and greatness, while God looks on it as a savage beast, to be dreaded by His saints!"

This contrast between secular ambition and divine judgment sets the foundational interpretive tone for how history is evaluated throughout the book.

"The power has been steadily on the wane ever since, till now the crisis of bankruptcy has arrived, and 'the Sick Man,' as the Turkish empire has been called, appears on the very point of his dissolution."

This observation captures the contemporary nineteenth-century geopolitical anxiety that forms the backbone of the author's argument regarding the sixth vial.

"If one of those two oppressors is already fallen, and the other falling so fast that all the powers of Europe seem unable to keep him in his place, there is surely good reason to hope that before long the captive will be free."

Here, the author summarizes his central political and prophetic conclusion concerning the removal of Gentile dominion over Jerusalem.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book is an exercise in historicist prophecy, attempting to demonstrate that the Bible accurately maps out the entire course of human history from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Hoare explores the relationship between divine sovereignty and human political turmoil, arguing that European wars, Ottoman decline, and Italian unification are not random occurrences, but precise ticks of a divine clock. The underlying question is how the Christian believer should maintain faith and vigilance in a changing world. By anchoring spiritual hope to visible geographical and political markers—such as the borders of empires and the condition of Jerusalem—the text seeks to prove the divine inspiration of Scripture and encourage moral and spiritual preparedness for the end of the age.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of Christian eschatology, Victorian religious thought, or the intellectual history of biblical interpretation will find this book a fascinating primary document. It offers a direct window into how nineteenth-century evangelicals experienced and interpreted current events, reading morning newspapers alongside the books of Daniel and Revelation. Modern readers must navigate the period attitudes, eurocentric perspectives, and confident chronological predictions characteristic of Victorian prophetic tracts, which can feel remote from contemporary theological sensibilities. Yet, reading it provides a palpable sense of the urgency, piety, and earnest longing that characterized nineteenth-century millenarian expectation. What stays with the reader is the striking earnestness of a pastor trying to read the headlines of his day as the direct handwriting of God.

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