David Steele's Notes on the Apocalypse (1870) opens with a dedication to John Cunningham, a missionary to Jews in London, in which Steele frames his work as an attempt to read "the signs of the times" through prophecy. The preface declares the Apocalypse a "sublime and wonderful dramatic exhibition" whose internal evidence proves its divine origin. Steele's method is to correlate prophetic symbols with historical events, particularly the relationship between church and state, which he sees as a central theme of Revelation.

A Covenantal Reading of Revelation

Steele, a Reformed Presbyterian pastor, approaches the Apocalypse from a covenantal perspective. In the dedication, he praises Cunningham as a "public witness" for the "Covenanted Reformation," which Steele believes will secure "the rights of God and man in reorganized society." This theological commitment shapes his interpretation: he reads Revelation as a prophecy of the struggle between true and false churches, with the dragon representing earthly powers that usurp Christ's authority. Steele explicitly links the dragon's policy to the "alliance between church and state" that persecuted dissenters. His commentary is not a neutral exegesis but a partisan intervention in 19th-century debates about religion and politics.

The Dragon's Modern Strategy

Steele argues that after the dragon's ejection from heaven (the Reformation), he changed tactics. Instead of "fire and sword," the dragon now uses "voluntary associations" based on the "covenant of works," such as Jesuits, Unitarians, Mormons, Odd Fellows, and Freemasons. Steele warns that these groups, by blending "moral and spiritual" reform with secret oaths, ensnare even "those who fear God." He sees the demand for "separation of church and state" in 1870 as a rejection of Christ's authority as "Prince of the kings of the earth." This reading directly applies Revelation's symbols to contemporary American and British religious controversies.

Structure and Scope of the Commentary

The book contains twenty-two chapters of notes on Revelation, plus an appendix with dissertations on apocalyptic symbols and animadversions on other expositors. Steele engages with "the most learned and approved expositors of Britain and America," though the excerpts do not reveal which scholars he critiques. The preface emphasizes that prophecy and providence "reflect light upon each other," suggesting a historical-typological method. Steele's language is dense and polemical, aimed at an audience familiar with Reformed theology and contemporary church-state issues. The work is substantial, at over 100,000 words, and assumes a reader willing to follow detailed symbolic interpretation.

Readers should note that Steele's commentary is deeply embedded in a specific theological and political context. His identification of the dragon with modern secret societies and his advocacy for a covenantal reformation are not typical of mainstream Revelation interpretation. The excerpts provide only a glimpse of his method; the full work likely contains detailed verse-by-verse analysis. Those interested in 19th-century American Reformed thought or the intersection of prophecy and politics will find this a distinctive primary source.