Have you ever heard of W. E. Blackstone?
Was he important?
If you’re interested in Christian world evangelism, he was.
The self-educated evangelical’s 1878 book, Jesus is Coming, sold millions of copies in the late-nineteenth century.
Blackstone’s basic facts
Born in 1841 New York, William Eugene Blackstone grew up in a Christian home that stressed devotion and service to God.
Sharing the Gospel and helping others was central to his family’s life.
Physically weak, WEB (his preferred nickname) applied to join the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Authorities turned him down but he volunteered through the U. S. Christian Commission–a group similar to the Red Cross.
Following the war’s end, WEB married and moved to Chicago where he worked as a real estate developer.
Once he achieved financial success, he left his business behind and devoted the rest of his long life to God.
Jesus is Coming
Described as a “veritable reference source of American thought,” Jesus is Coming uses Scripture passages and Blackstone’s enthusiasm to remind readers Jesus is coming back.
Published by Moody’s brother-in-law Fleming Revell, it popularized the idea of premillennial and post-tribulation eschatology.
It was translated into 48 languages. Blackstone gave away the book for free. (Click on the link to read it free yourself).
As one reviewer wrote:
It is a wonderful book which proves by scripture the end time scenario of the rapture of the church and the establishment of the Jewish led Kingdom of God on earth as heaven and earth come together at the end of Revelations.
Amillienialists beware. Dispensationalists rejoice.
Amazon review
WEB had no formal religious training beyond years of personal Bible study and teaching, as well as ministries within a wide variety of churches and para churches.
His friend Dwight L. Moody supported and encouraged him.
One of the hallmarks of Dispensationalism is a belief that God has never abandoned his special relationship with the Jewish people.
Embracing the concept, WEB sought the reintroduction of the Jews to Judea in Palestine.
He also launched the Chicago Hebrew Mission in 1887.
Blackstone Memorial
By 1880, the Ottomans had ruled the Holy Land for more than 300 years.
Blackstone traveled through parts of Europe during this period and after witnessing how Jewish people suffered, decided to do something about it.
(See the movie Fiddler on the Roof to get a sense of how Jews were persecuted in Russia at this time).
An inveterate head of committees and organizations, WEB began to organize as “God’s Little Errand Boy,” to find a solution to the persecutions sweeping the continent.
In 1891, WEB and 413 other notable Americans signed a letter or memorial to then US President Benjamin Harrison. Called the “Blackstone Memorial,” the letter went to all heads of the US government, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
It called for American and world support to create a humanitarian solution to the Jewish suffering in Russia.
He urged the Ottoman Empire to allow Jews to return to Palestine.
Published in the Chicago Tribune, not much came of the memorial, though 25 years later, his work inspired others to consider WEB the “Father of Zionism.”
California and China
WEB traveled the world founding organizations and schools.
Sharing the Gospel with everyone was his goal.
Following a move to California at the turn of the century, he became the first dean of Biola College‘s education program.
He helped develop a “Jewish Department,” and taught missionary classes.
During his travels, WEB often met poor young Christians. He paid for their travel and educations at Biola–specifically for training in Gospel work back home.
He was “all in” for the Gospel.
WEB sailed for China in 1909.
As a trustee of Biola’s Lyman and Milton Stewart Fund, Blackstone and his colleagues gave out Bibles, Bible portions, and Gospel tracts.
He returned home, 70 years-old in 1914. They had handed out 33,000,000 Bibles.
The Oriental Missionary Society
Charles Cowman met Blackstone in either Chicago or Los Angeles, perhaps through Moody’s Church.
He was so taken by the concepts of Jesus is Coming, Cowman took a leave from his job at Western Union to study the book. He wanted to make sure it lined up with the Bible.
As a result of the book, Charles and Lettie Cowman decided to support evangelism as much as possible.
Cowman began to donate the majority of his considerable salary to evangelism. At one point, the couple took in two women boarders so as to donate the rent money to missionaries
In 1916, the Cowmans were in Los Angeles fundraising on behalf of the Japanese Great Village Campaign.
In need of funds, Charles Cowman made an appointment and shared the story with WEB.
Blackstone wrote a check for the 2020 equivalent of $375,000.
Going one step further, he underwrote the travel costs for ten men headed to Japan, thus enabling the Great Village Campaign to complete the project in 1918.
William Eugene Blackstone died in Glendale, California in 1936 at the age of 95.
He didn’t live long enough to witness the creation of Israel in 1948, but by the end of his life, had distributed over $3,000,000 for missions.
Rev. Steve Williams published a biography about him in 2020: Rev. William E. Blackstone: A Trailblazer of the Church.
Tweetables
A remarkable missionary & early Zionist: W. E. Blackstone. Click to Tweet
The “Father of Zionism,” as a Christian dispensationalist. Click to Tweet
Thoughts? Reactions? Lurker?