The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VII. Prophetic Exposition on the “1843” Broadside

The large “End of the World in 1843” broadside was evidently brought out by some printer to meet a public demand to have Miller’s teaching in condensed, over-all form—and at the same time to profit from the venture. But regardless of whoever produced it, it presented a fair picture. “Daniel’s Visions” are given in the left third of the upper half. Down the left-hand margin appear the customary dates of leading events, from 670 B.C. down to A.D. 1843. Then the fourfold metallic image of Daniel 2, the four beasts of Daniel 7, and the different beasts of Daniel 8 appear in their paralleling positions, as God’s graphic cartoons of the nations. PFF4 730.1

The dating of the kingdoms of Babylonia (lasting 139 years), Medo-Persia (207 years), Grecia (173 years), and Rome (“Pagan and papal, 2,001 years”) appears—pagan Rome being from 158 B.C. to A.D. 508 and 538, from which point the legs are labeled “Papal Rome.” The description of Babylon is: “In its glory, it was like a lion, soaring with wings as an eagle.” Medo-Persia was “two arms meeting on one breast,—the bear raising up one side ... the greatest robbers and spoilers that ever oppressed the nations.” And the Persian “ram with two horns was its well-known national emblem.” ¹³ PFF4 730.2

The Grecian leopard’s four wings indicated that it was to be “more rapid in its conquests than Babylon,” and the “goat was the known emblem of Greece.” The ten horn-kingdoms springing out of Rome, with dates, read: (1) A.D. 355 Huns, (2) 377 Ostrogoths, (3) 378 Visigoths, (4) 407 Franks, (5) 407 Vandals, (6) 407 Sueves, (7) 407 Burgundians, (8) 476 Saxons, (9) 476 Heruli, and (10) 483 Lombards. The three “horns” that were plucked up to make way for the “Papacy” were the Heruli (493), the Vandals (534), and the Ostrogoths (538). ¹⁴ PFF4 730.3

In chapter 8, Babylonia is not mentioned, because it had already become history, arid was no longer prophecy. The “Grecian empire was at first united,” but after Alexander’s death it was divided into four parts. Rome, as the legs of iron in chapter 2 and the ten-horned beast in chapter 7, is in chapter 8 symbolized as “an EXCEEDING great horn,” springing up in the latter part of Grecia’s divisions, and Sir Isaac Newton’s observation is noted that it starts in “the northwest corner of the Goat’s dominion, i.e., in Italy,—which points directly to the Romans.” The magnifying of itself to the Prince of the host is “when the Pope became the ‘head of all the churches.’” PFF4 731.1

Next, the right-hand third of the upper half is given over to John’s visions, in three vertical, paralleling columns. In the first column are the dragon (ch. 12), or “Pagan Rome,” the ten-horned beast (ch. 13), or “Papal Rome,” and the two-horned beast from the earth (ch. 13:11-18), which is here identified as the “infidel French government,” which came out of the ten kingdoms. And its two horns are interpreted as “France and Italy.” PFF4 731.2

The center column deals with the “Prophetic Periods” down to Christ’s second coming, to “judgment.” Daniel’s four outline prophecies, in chapters 2, 7, 8, and 12, lead down to “the end,” and Daniel 12:2, 3 discusses the resurrection. The great prophetic period of the Apocalypse is the 1260 years—“the semi-circle of the full-orbed period of the Gentiles, 2520 years,” or “seven times,” with the “middle point” as the “edict of Justinian, granting to the pope civil power, A.D. 538.” The full 2520 years reach from 677 B.C. on to A.D. 1843. And the oppressive papal rule of 1260 years, beginning in A.D. 538, brings us down to 1798, when the pontiff was taken captive by Berthier—with the remaining forty-five years extending to 1843. PFF4 731.3

The 2300 years are located as from 457 B.C., with the 70 weeks (490 years) “cut off” for the Jews, and Messiah “cut off” at the “end” of the 490 years, which was “fulfilled to a day.” And then, after the 1260 years of papal oppression, which began under authorization of Justinian the emperor, the pope finally was taken captive in 1798. The “‘daily’ [sacrifice is not in the original],” taken away for 1290 years, is from the time the daily pagan abomination is taken away to open the way for the “setting up of the Papacy.” And from 508 to the “fall of the Papacy” are 1290 years, or from 508 to 1798. Then, the forty-five years more—of the 1335 years—reach to 1843, when Daniel stands in his lot through the resurrection. PFF4 732.1

The third column deals with the last three woe trumpets of the seven, the fifth extending from July 27, 1299, to 1449, and the sixth from July 27, 1449, to August 11, 1840, at the ceasing of the Turkish supremacy, with the seventh trumpet bringing in the kingdom of God, when the last trump sounds and the dead will rise. PFF4 732.2

In the lower half of the broadside the first three columns at the left give a “Synopsis of Miller’s Views,” under fourteen points. These are: (1) Christ will come again to earth. (2) He will come in the clouds of heaven, and in all the glory of the Father. (3) He will then receive His eternal kingdom. (4) The saints will then possess the kingdom forever. (5) Every sleeping saint will be raised with a glorious body. (6) All saints will be presented to God without spot. (7) Christ, at His second advent, will finish the great controversy with man’s last enemy. (8) He will then destroy the bodies of the living wicked by fire, and the rest shut up unto the resurrection of damnation. (9) The earth will then be cleansed by fire, and the saints given possession of the earth made new. (10) All these things will be accomplished at the time appointed. (11) God has revealed that time. (12) Many professing Christians will never know or sense that time. (13) The wise will understand. (14) Some time between March 21st, 1843, and March 21st, 1844, according to the Jewish mode of computation of time, Christ will come, and bring all His saints with Him; and then give every man his reward. This dates this broadside chart as prior to the spring of 1844, when this view obtained. PFF4 732.3

Then follows the evidence, customarily supplied, for the seven times, or 2520 years, from 677 B.C. to A.D. 1843; the 6,000 years from creation to 1843, and the beginning of the millennial sabbath of 1,000 years. Next, are the 2450 years of the jubilee of jubilees from 607 B.C. to 1843; and the 1260, 1290, and finally the 1335 ending in 1843; the trumpets, with the sixth ending in 1840, followed by the seventh trump; the Two Witnesses, clothed in sackcloth from 538-1798; the woman in the wilderness 1260 years, ending in 1798, with salvation soon to come; the great blasphemy of the Papacy is from 538-1798, or from Justinian to the pope’s captivity. And finally, the “666 years” of Roman “Paganism” from 158 B.C., then understood time of the league, and from which point the 1335 years begin, leading to 1843, when the Beast and his image will be destroyed. PFF4 733.1

The broadside closes with the sentence, “These several ways of prophetic chronology, proves the end in 1843.” It was a popular presentation, stated in generalities. PFF4 733.2