According to the Presbyterian minister William Sherwin ‘no one subject contained in the whole Bible, that respecteth Jesus Christ, or his Religion in any other branch thereof … hath so much, and with greater strength and evidence set down therein for it, then [than] the things relating to Christs Kingdom on earth’ in the prophecies in the Book of Revelation. That Sherwin confirmed the importance of apocalyptic prophecy in England during the seventeenth century will not strike many historians as unusual; that he made this statement in 1671 might be regarded as more exceptional.

From the times of the early Church, apocalyptic visions provided solace to Christians, assuring them of the triumph of their convictions. The enigmatic imagery of Revelation, as well as corresponding images in the Book of Daniel, described a series of kingdoms, beasts, horns, seals, trumpets, and vials which supplied a mystical account of the events leading up to the ultimate promise of Christ's return to the world and the salvation of true believers. These symbols enhanced the moral messages and assurance of faith found in the Gospels by furnishing a key to unlock the spiritual meaning of historical events of the past, present, and future. The arrival of the Reformation further enhanced the importance of such prophetic messages, providing a scriptural affirmation of perceptions of the battle between contending Christian doctrines and forms across Europe.