Johannes Rothé, or Jan Rothe, de Rothe of Rode, also Mr Roder (

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, 2 December 1628 - 18 March 1702), Lord of Oud-Wulven and Wayen in the Netherlands, was a prophetic preacher and

Fifth Monarchist The Fifth Monarchists, or Fifth Monarchy Men, were a Protestant sect with millennialist views active between 1649 and 1660 in the Commonwealth of England. The group took its name from a prophecy that claimed the four kingdoms of Daniel would p ...

. He was the son of an Amsterdam patrician, Zacharias Rothe, a sugar merchant and administrator at the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

. His mother was Mary Bas. She died in childbirth. His father sent him on foreign trips in preparation for merchant life, where he was introduced to the

pietistic Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life. Although the movement is aligned with Luth ...

ideas of among others. Walking the ''Haagse Bosch'' in 1652 he received a calling as a prophet, stating "God came to me like in a heavy tempest". During the

First Anglo-Dutch War The First Anglo-Dutch War, or First Dutch War, was a naval conflict between the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic. Largely caused by disputes over trade, it began with English attacks on Dutch merchant shipping, but expanded to vast ...

, he served as an

itinerant preacher An itinerant preacher (also known as an itinerant minister) is a Christian evangelist who preaches the basic Christian redemption message while traveling around to different groups of people within a relatively short period of time. The usage of ...

. Through sermons and writings, he sought contact with foreign leaders. In 1654 he was imprisoned in England by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

, as his sermons were seen as a plea for the return of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

. After his release in 1658, he travelled to Denmark and Prussia, before returning to England in 1660. At that time, Charles had been restored to the crown and rewarded his supporters, including Rothé, who was elevated to a

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

. In London, he married Anna (Nan) Hartlib, daughter of the celebrated scholar and "Intelligencer"

Samuel Hartlib Samuel Hartlib or Hartlieb (c. 1600 – 10 March 1662)
M. Greengrass, "Hartlib, Samuel (c. 1600–1662)", ''Oxford D ...

. The diarist

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

wrote an account of the wedding, which took place in Goring House, and was described as a magnificent occasion. Pepys somewhat cynically remarked that Nan was lucky to marry a wealthy man, ("a great fortune she has lit upon"), since her father was almost destitute. Presumably Roder, or his brother-in-law, the German-born chemist

Frederick Clod Frederick Clod (or Clodius) (1625 – after 1661), was a physician and "mystical chemist" of German extraction. He lived in a sizeable house (taxed on eight hearths) in Axe Yard, London, next door to the Hartlibs, whose daughter Mary he married ...

, who had married Nan's sister Mary, paid for the lavish wedding. After returning to the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

, Rothé continued writing pamphlets. He threatened senior people, especially the "stadhouder", declaring that they should do

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of contrition for sins committed, as well as an alternative name for the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession. The word ''penance'' derive ...

. He announced the coming of

Nebuchadnezzar II Nebuchadnezzar II, also Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar ...

, Chaldean king of the

Neo-Babylonian Empire The Neo-Babylonian Empire or Second Babylonian Empire, historically known as the Chaldean Empire, was the last polity ruled by monarchs native to ancient Mesopotamia. Beginning with the coronation of Nabopolassar as the King of Babylon in 626 BC a ...

. In the year 1672 (the Dutch " year of disaster") after the assassination of

Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch statesman and mathematician who was a major political figure during the First Stadtholderless Period, when flourishing global trade in a period of rapid European colonial exp ...

, he foretold the end of the world and with his supporters he moved North to fight the final battle against

Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...

. He arrived in Hamburg in 1677 with his followers, who quickly disbanded after the world's end failed to arrive. Because of another pamphlet aimed at

William III of Orange William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 167 ...

he was arrested in 1676 and imprisoned. Family connections led to his release.

Publications

* Eenige Schriften, tot dienst van alle Inwoonderen van het Triumphante Koninckrijck Jesu Christi. 1664 * Een nieuwe Hemel en Aerde. Amsterdam 1673 * Eenige Prophetien en revelatien Godts, aengaende de Christen Werelt in dese Eeuw. Amsterdam 1673 * Spiegel voor alle Menschen, besonderlijck voor de Leeraren, in dese Eeuw. Amsterdam 1673 * Het leger des Grooten Godts. Amsterdam 1673

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothe, Johannes Dutch religious leaders People from the City of London 1628 births 1702 deaths