Book overview
First released in 1894, The Coming Prince by Sir Robert Anderson remains a revered literary work among students of biblical prophecy over a century later. As a highly educated Scottish lawyer and investigator who rose to lead Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department under Queen Victoria, Anderson brought analytic rigor to his Christian writings. This book represents his systematic study of the prophetic Book of Daniel in light of contemporary events and End Times theology.
The central figure in Anderson's eschatological exploration is "the coming prince" referenced in Daniel 9:26-27 - a messianic figure whom Bible scholars have long associated with Jesus Christ. Anderson performs an exacting literary and historical analysis of Daniel's text and links it to Persian, Greek, and Roman impacts on the land of Palestine across centuries. He discusses attempts by Antiochus Epiphanes and later Roman leaders to fulfill key verses.
Ultimately Anderson demonstrates how these were partial at best, with complete fulfillment awaiting Christ's Second Advent. His chronological tracings align with dispensationalism though he warns against dogmatic date-setting. While avoiding sensationalism, Anderson stresses the unprecedented progress of his era in transport, communication, scientific knowledge, and globalization as paving the way for prophetic consummation.
Modern readers will appreciate Anderson's restrained and logical exegesis along with his "big picture" global perspective at the zenith of the British Empire. The Coming Prince retains enduring value as a seminal work of history, theology, and apologetics. It provides a thought-provoking possibility that today's breaking news may be setting an ultimate end times drama into motion - with a much-anticipated "coming prince" poised just beyond the horizon in the prophecies of Daniel.
