The author defends the historicist position of eschatology. Historicism teaches that a number of the prophecies of Scripture, and especially those in the book of Revelation, will be seen to be fulfilled throughout history. The specific prophetic fulfillments in question (for example, what does the "beast" or "the mother of harlots" in Revelation 17 refer to?) are not seen to be past (as in the Preterist system) or future (as in the Futurist system); neither are they spiritualized to refer to general ideas (of good versus evil) without specific historic fulfillment (as in the Typico-Spiritual system). These eschatological designations hold true generally speaking, although historicists recognize that certain prophetic portions of scripture (e.g. Matt. 24) contain elements that were fulfilled in the past. The historicist position was ensconced in all the substantial Reformed confessions (including the preamble to the Decrees of Dort [1618-19] and the Westminster Confession of Faith [1647]); and no major Reformed Confession has ever taken the Preterist or Futurist position (which is not surprising, since both of these positions, as systems, originated with the Jesuits). Historicism was the position held by almost all the Reformers including Luther, Calvin and Knox.

Speaking of this book, Newton notes that his purpose "is not to treat of the prophecies in general, not even of those prophecies in particular which were fulfilled in the person and actions of our Saviour; but only of such as relate more immediately to these latter ages, and are in some measure receiving their accomplishment at this time." His hope is that "the work will prove the more generally acceptable, as it will not consist merely of abstract speculative divinity, but will be inlivened with a proper intermixture of history, and will include several of the most material transactions from the beginning of the world to this day." Daniel, of course, receives a good amount of treatment, as well as the man of sin, the great apostasy and "Our Saviour's prophecies relating to the destruction of Jerusalem" (which historicists have always "preterized," or recognized as past). This book also covers the whole book of Revelation. Twelfth edition, indexed, 439 (vol. 1) and 440 pages (vol. 2).

"One of the strongest evidences for the truth of revealed religion is that series of prophecies which is preserved in the Old and New Testament; and a greater service perhaps could not be done to Christianity than to lay together the several predictions of scripture with their completions, to show how particularly things have been foretold, and how exactly fulfilled" (From the Introduction of Dissertations on the Prophecies Which Have Remarkably Been Fulfilled, and at this Time are Fulfilling in the World (Volume 1, 1817) by Thomas Newton).

Volume two of Thomas Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies Which Have Remarkably Been Fulfilled includes dissertations on St. Paul's prophecy of the Man of Sin (Antichrist, 666), St. Paul's prophecy of the apostasy of the latter times, An Analysis of the Revelation, and more.