MERCHANTS OF DESPAIR AND HOPE WILLIAM MILLER JOHN NELSON DARBY The traditional devices for constructing a comprehensive view of history and for retracing the past as a patient and continuous development must be systematically dismantled. Necessarily, we must dismiss those tendencies that encourage the consoling play of recognitions. Knowledge even under the banner of history, does not depend on “rediscovery,” and it emphatically excludes the “rediscovery of ourselves.” History becomes “effective” to the degree that it introduces discontinuity into our very being — as it divides our emotions, dramatizes our instincts, multiplies our body and sets it against itself. Effective history deprives the self of the reassuring stability of life and nature, and it will not permit itself to be transported by a voiceless obstinacy toward a millennial ending. It will uproot traditional foundations and relentlessly disrupt its pretended continuity. This is because knowledge is not made for understanding; it is made for cutting. — Michel Foucault, HOMMAGE A JEAN HYPPOLITE, 1971 HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP Henry Thoreau wrote in “LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE” that he wouldn’t run round a corner to see the world blow up. In order to unpack that remark, in this file I have detailed the agendas of two preachers of his period, one in England and the other in America, for whom the end of the world was the meat and substance of just everything. In order to contextualize the activities of these two preachers, the Reverend Darby in England and the Reverend Miller in America, I have laid in background detail having to do with any number of predictions of the “End Times”: parousia, passion, apocalypse, whatever. During the War of 1812 Captain William Miller had fallen from a wagon, unfortunately landing upon his head. The uncharitable might suspect that such an accident would cause delusions. The charitable would, however, allow that these delusions would arise later and out of a too-close familiarity with the 7th through the 12th chapters of the BOOK OF DANIEL. During the winter of 1826/1827, the Reverend John Nelson Darby had fallen off his horse, unfortunately striking his head upon a doorjamb. The charitable would, however, allow that his delusions would arise during his convalescence and out of a too- close familiarity with the 32d chapter of the BOOK OF ISAIAH. Mundi terminum ruinis crescentibus appropinquantem indicia certa manifestant.1 How novel and original must be each new man’s view of the universe—for though the world is so old—& so many books have been written—each object appears wholly undescribed to our experience—each field of thought wholly unexplored.... The end of the world is not yet.2 1. Markulf, a French monk, shortly before 1000 CE: “World end ruins multiply announce signs testify clearly,” which is to say, “Clear signs announce the end of the world; the ruins multiply.” 2. Henry Thoreau, JOURNAL, April 2,1852 HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP 2,800 BCE In Erech, a dynasty was founded by Meskiaggasher, which would come to rival the city of Kish in Sumer. An Assyrian clay tablet dating to approximately this year bears the words “Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common.” After a “Great Flood” –presumably mythical– Etana of Kish united the Sumerian city-states. (Andre Parrot in his 1954 book “The Flood and Noah’s Ark” indicates significant flood deposits at Kish, Shuurupak, Uruk, and Lagash, centering on and about this timeframe.) HERE COME DA JUDGE! ESSENCE IS BLUR. SPECIFICITY, THE OPPOSITE OF ESSENCE, IS OF THE NATURE OF TRUTH. Future Worship “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP 1,482 BCE The most famous “Battle of Armageddon” was fought in this year in the vicinity of the Mount of Megiddo, a fortifiable hill between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, between the forces of pharaoh Thutmose III of Egypt and local Canaanites. Thutmose, of course, won, and was able to go on and subdue Syria and some of Mesopotamia. This locale would be designated in REVELATION 16:16 as the scene of the final battle between the kings of the earth at the end of the world. (The Reverend Jerry Falwell has visited this site in 1967.) MILLENNIALISM Thutmose III and his brother Thutmose II were the sons of Thutmose I (Thothmes), himself the successor to Amenhotep I in the XVIII Dynasty of Egypt. Thutmose I also had a daughter, Hatshepsut, who became the wife of Thutmose III. Thutmose III had deposed his father in 1501 BCE; Thutmose II had a brief reign; and Hatshepsut ruled as “king” the longest of all. Thutmose IV was the son and successor to Amenhotep II, and would reign circa 1420-1411 BCE. ESSENCES ARE FUZZY, GENERIC, CONCEPTUAL; ARISTOTLE WAS RIGHT WHEN HE INSISTED THAT ALL TRUTH IS SPECIFIC AND PARTICULAR (AND WRONG WHEN HE CHARACTERIZED TRUTH AS A GENERALIZATION). Future Worship “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP 634 BCE According to Damian Thompson’s THE END OF TIME (Hanover, New Hampshire: UP of New England, 1996, page 19), apocalyptic thinking gripped many ancient cultures including that of the Romans. Early in Rome’s history, many citizens feared that their city was going to be destroyed in the 120th year of its founding. There was a myth that 12 eagles had revealed to Romulus a mystical number representing the lifetime of Rome, and some early Romans had hypothesized that each of these eagles had represented a decade. (The Roman calendar began with the founding of Rome, “1 Ab Urbe Condita” equating to “753 BCE.” Thus “634 BCE” equated to “120 AUC” since it equated to 12 times 10.) HERE COME DA JUDGE! “HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE” BEING A VIEW FROM A PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME (JUST AS THE PERSPECTIVE IN A PAINTING IS A VIEW FROM A PARTICULAR POINT IN SPACE), TO “LOOK AT THE COURSE OF HISTORY MORE GENERALLY” WOULD BE TO SACRIFICE PERSPECTIVE ALTOGETHER. THIS IS FANTASY-LAND, YOU’RE FOOLING YOURSELF. THERE CANNOT BE ANY SUCH THINGIE, AS SUCH A PERSPECTIVE. Future Worship “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP 630 BCE The Persian prophet Zarathushtra Spitama founded the 1st huge religion (cf. “Huge Religion”): Zoroastrianism. According to its sacred book, the Zend Avesta, he was born in Azerbaijan (northern Persia) and had a vision from Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), who appointed him to preach the truth. Zoroaster began telling his message of cosmic conflict between Ahura Mazda (God of Light) and Ahriman (principle of evil). According to the Zoroastrian prophecy, man has the power to choose between these personified forces of good and evil. The end of the world will come when the forces of light triumph, and saved souls rejoice in victory. This dualism evolved religion from polytheism (many gods) towards monotheism (one god) in the Middle East. Zoroaster’s preaching became the guiding light of Persian civilization. Once Alexander the Great conquered Persia Zoroastrianism faded in its home country, but survived in India as the basis of the Parsi religion, which is active today. A WEEK: The anecdotes of modern astronomy affect me in the same PEOPLE OF way as do those faint revelations of the Real which are vouchsafed A WEEK to men from time to time, or rather from eternity to eternity. When I remember the history of that faint light in our firmament, which we call Venus, which ancient men regarded, and which most modern men still regard, as a bright spark attached to a hollow sphere revolving about our earth, but which we have discovered to be another world, in itself, — how Copernicus, reasoning long and patiently about the matter, predicted confidently concerning it, before yet the telescope had been invented, that if ever men came to see it more clearly than they did then, they would discover that it had phases like our moon, and that within a century after his death the telescope was invented, and that prediction verified, by Galileo, — I am not without hope that we may, even here and now obtain some accurate information concerning that OTHER WORLD which the instinct of mankind has so long predicted. Indeed, all that we call science, as well as all that we call poetry, is a particle of such information, accurate as far as it goes, though it be but to the confines of the truth. If we can reason so accurately, and with such wonderful confirmation of our reasoning, respecting so-called material objects and events infinitely removed beyond the range of our natural vision, so that the mind hesitates to trust its calculations even when they are confirmed by observation, why may not our speculations penetrate as far into the immaterial starry system, of which the former is but the outward and visible type? Surely, we are provided with senses as well fitted to penetrate the spaces of the real, the substantial, the eternal, as these outward are to penetrate the material universe. Veias, Menu, Zoroaster, Socrates, Christ, ZOROASTER Shakespeare, Swedenborg, — these are some of our astronomers. ASTRONOMY NICOLAS COPERNICUS GALILEO GALILEI VENUS HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP HDT WHAT? INDEX FUTURE WORSHIP FUTURE WORSHIP The sacred book Zend-Avesta of Zoroaster contains a description of TB, and instructions for its treatment with pine oil and rose oil. It seems to be Zoroastrianism that, historically, originated the supremely dangerous weapon of religiosity, purity, according to which those who can think of themselves as “pure” may privilege themselves over those who can in one manner or other be seen to be “impure” — and destroy them relentlessly and ruthlessly.