1792–1814

Prophets of the Late 18th Century: Joanna Southcott, Richard Brothers and William Blake

Joanna Southcott and Richard Brothers saw themselves as actors in the visions of Revelation 12: she as the Woman Clothed with the Sun, he as the man-child Shiloh. Southcott died in 1814 expecting to give birth to the Messiah. William Blake also thought of himself as a prophet but looked for change through education rather than violence. The assessments are Christopher Rowland’s.

Key points

• Rowland: from 1792 Joanna Southcott (1750–1814) wrote down visions of what was coming and saw herself as the Woman Clothed with the Sun of Rev 12; she died believing she would bear the Messiah, Shiloh, in 1814, and many followers held that the child was “caught up to Heaven”. Richard Brothers (1757–1824) saw himself as the prophet to lead the Jews to Israel and as the man-child of Rev 12, Shiloh, King of Judah; he held that only he would explain John’s “strange” and “difficult” images, sealed until “the full time”. Blake saw himself as a prophet and traced continuity between his myth and John’s vision; he sought change through education, not violence. In the preface to Milton he wishes all to be prophets and calls for building the New Jerusalem in England’s green and pleasant land

People

• Joanna Southcott
• Richard Brothers
• William Blake

Place

Devon; England

More on the doctrine

• New forms of millennialism: postmillennialism, premillenarianism, the Social Gospel (17th – early 20th century)