The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3
IV. Richter-Terminates 2300 Years in 1847
Not only in France and Switzerland, but in Germany, the emphasis resounded on the 2300 years as ending about 1847. One important witness was JOHANN HEINRICH RICHTER (1799-1847), secretary of the Rhenish Missionary Society, who was born in Belleben, Germany. The death of his father brought a sudden change to the plans for him to become a forest ranger, as he followed the wish of his mother and studied theology at Halle. There his diligence was recognized by the ministry of culture. After completing his training he served as teacher in several seminaries and other educational institutions. In 1827 Richter was called from the Seminary at Halberstadt to take the leadership of the new Missionary Seminary at Barmen. Here he remained until his untimely death at the age of forty-eight. PFF3 701.1
Plans for a large mission work were laid, and in 1828 the first missionary ministers were sent out from Barmen Seminary to South Africa. Others were soon sent to Borneo, and even to labor for the Indians in North America. This latter plan was soon discontinued, however, and the candidates took up work among German-speaking settlers in the United States and Canada. In Richter’s seminary, missionaries, preachers, and pastors for churches studied side by side for their lifework. Richter was also burdened for the Jews, and organized the Rhenish-Westphalian Society for the Conversion of Israel, with head quarters at Cologne. PFF3 701.2
Richter likewise edited and published several pedagogical and. theological journals. Then he turned to his greatest work- the editing and publishing, with the help of William Richter, of his popular six volume Erklärte. HausBibel (The Family Bible Explained) (1834-1840), which was an exposition of the Old and New Testaments. For the production of this valuable work he was awarded the title of Doctor of Theology by the University of Bonn. Through his extensive travels as well as by his literary activities, his name became well known throughout the Rhine-land and Westphalia. He was esteemed by his students, who always regarded him as their spiritual father and friend. His brilliant career was cut short by a sudden attack of pneumonia 78 PFF3 701.3
1. DANIEL OUTLINES THE CENTURIES
The Old Testament section of Richter’s popular commentary, Erklärte Haus-bibel, shows that he was influenced by Petri’s earlier calculation of the2300 years 79 n his “Introduction to the Book of Daniel,” Richter declares that Daniel not only proclaimed the destruction of Babylon but “also pointed forward to the rise and the development of other great worldly powers until the time when the Messiah would appear and found His kingdom 80 Daniel received information “concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem and also the duration of iniquity until the time of the coming of Christ and the cleansing of a true sanctuary 81 PFF3 702.1
2. PROPHETIC SPAN OF 2300 YEARS
Richter held that Daniel’s prophecies were aimed at the last days, just as was Jesus’ prophecy of Matthew 24. 82 Daniel, as the “Seer of His tory,” gives a history of the people of God comprising about2300 years 83 PFF3 702.2
3. THE PANORAMA OF Daniel 2 and 7
Of Daniel 2, Richter says, the stone is the kingdom of Christ. The golden head of the image is the Babylonian kingdom. Medo-Persia is symbolized by the breast and arms of silver. Alexander the Great follows. The feet and the legs symbolize the fourth world empire, Rome. The ten toes of the image are the ten divisions of the Roman Empire-England, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Sardinia, Austria, Naples, Greece, Turkey-but this order is subject to change 84 PFF3 702.3
4. 2300 YEARS REACH TO 1847
Richter contended that the “the duration of the desecration of the sanctuary 85 Referring to some who see this only as literal days in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, he refers to others who see these prophetic days as so many years, which would come to an end in 1847_ 86 -1817 years alter the thirtieth year of Christ. And this involves the great Roman Antichrist, for this vision belongs to the time of the end. 87 PFF3 702.4
5. DATES ANTICHRIST’S PERIOD: 587-1847
In his comments on Revelation 11:2, Richter dates the forty-two months from 587, when the treading under loot sets in severely. And in Revelation 12:6 he also puts 1847 as the terminus of the 1260years. Of the two beasts of Revelation 13, he applies the first to the secular dominion of Antichrist, and the second to his ecclesiastical phase. 88 A little later he ends the 666 in 1843. 89 PFF3 703.1
6. EARTHLY SANCTUARY TYPE OF HEAVENLY
In this New Testament section Richter discusses the sanctuary further under the seven churches of the Apocalypse. Commenting on Hebrews 9, he recognizes the earthly sanctuary as a type of the heavenly sanctuary, the house or temple which God established, also mentioned in the Revelation, of which Christ is the minister. 90 (Richter’s title page reproduced on page 378.) PFF3 703.2
So, whether heard in Germany, Switzerland, or England, essentially the same witness is borne of prophetic exposition by these earnest heralds of the soon-coming second advent. PFF3 703.3
NOTE.-The translators who aided in the preparation of this chapter were Erna Born, Alfred Richli, and Elvire Roth. PFF3 703.4