Part of a series on Seventh-day Adventism

Background and history Christianity · Protestantism Anabaptists · Restorationism Pietism · Millerites Great Disappointment Fundamentalism · Evangelicalism

People Ellen G. White James White · Joseph Bates J. N. Andrews · Uriah Smith J. H. Kellogg · M. L. Andreasen Edward Heppenstall

Distinctive teachings Sabbath · Conditional Immortality Historicism · Premillennialism Investigative judgment · Remnant Three Angels' Messages Eschatology

Criticism Criticism of Ellen White

Other Adventists Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement Davidian SDA (Shepherd's Rod) Advent Christian Church Church of God General Conference This box: view • talk • edit

The Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller who in 1833, first shared publicly his belief in the coming Second Advent of Jesus Christ about the year 1843. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830s and 1840s and was officially founded in 1863 Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. Fundamentalist Christianity, also known as Christian Fundamentalism or Fundamentalist Evangelicalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel This is a list of people who have been associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. James Springer White ( August 4, 1821, Palmyra Maine - August 6 1881, Battle Creek Michigan) also known as Elder Joseph Bates (July 8 1792 - March 19 1872 was an American seaman and revivalist minister John Nevins Andrews (1829 in Poland Maine – October 21, 1883 in Basel Switzerland) was a Seventh-day Adventist minister missionary Uriah Smith ( May 2, 1832 - Mar 6, 1903) was a Seventh-day Adventist author and editor who worked for the Review and Herald John Harvey Kellogg ( February 26, 1852 &ndash December 14, 1943) was an American Medical doctor in Battle Creek M L Andreasen (1876–1962 was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian Pastor and Author. Edward Heppenstall (1901 England – 1994 was a leading Bible scholar and theologian of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church largely resembles that of mainstream Protestant Christianity, and in particular The Sabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of Seventh-day Adventists, and is perhaps the defining characteristic of the denomination Conditional immortality, or conditionalism, is the Christian Doctrine that the human Soul is naturally mortal and that Immortality In Christian eschatology, Historicism is a school of interpretation which treats the eschatological prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as finding literal Premillennialism in Christian eschatology is the belief that Christ will literally reign on the earth for 1000 years at his Second coming. The Investigative Judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a judgment of professed Christian believers has been in progress since In Seventh-day Adventist theology, there will be an end time remnant of believers who are faithful to God The Three Angels' messages are the messages given by three Angels in Revelation. The Seventh-day Adventist Church holds a unique system of '''eschatological''' (or end-times) beliefs A number of groups and persons have voiced criticisms of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, some of which are summarized below A number of groups and persons have voiced doubts as to the reliability of Ellen G The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a Protestant Christian Denomination, part of the Sabbatarian Adventist movement and The Davidian Seventh Day Adventists or Shepherd's Rod, is a religion broken off of the Seventh Day Adventists The Advent Christian Church is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller. The Church of God General Conference is an Adventist Christian body which is also known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith and the Church William Miller (1782–1849 was an American Baptist Preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

Contents 1 Origins 2 A National Movement 3 The Great Disappointment 4 Post 'Great Disappointment' Millerism 5 Millerite Doctrine 6 Influences 7 References 8 See also 9 External links

Origins

Miller was a prosperous farmer, a Baptist layman and amateur student of the Bible, living in northern New York, in the region of that state which has come to be known as the Burned-over district. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous " Burned-over district " was a name popularized by historian Whitney Cross in his 1950 book The Burned-over District the social and intellectual history of Through a literal reading of the Bible--particularly the prophecies of Daniel and using the year-day method of prophetic interpretation, Miller became convinced that Christ's Second Coming was revealed in Bible prophecy. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means Daniel (; Persian: دانيال, Dâniyal or Danial, also Dani, داني; Arabic: دانيال The day-year principle, year-day principle or year-for-a-day principle is a method of interpretation of Bible prophecy in which a day in Bible prophecy, or " biblical prophecy " is the belief in prophecies in the Bible. In September 1822, Miller formally stated his conclusions in a twenty-point document, including article 15, “I believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ is near, even at the door, even within twenty-one years,—on or before 1843. ”^[1] This document however, remained private for many years.

Miller did eventually share his views—firstly to a few friends privately, and later to some ministerial acquaintances. Initially he was disappointed at the lack of response from those he spoke to: “To my astonishment, I found very few who listened with any interest. Occasionally, one would see the force of the evidence; but the great majority passed it by as an idle tale. ”^[2]

Miller states that he began his public lecturing in the town of Dresden on “the first Sabbath in August, 1833. In Christianity, the Sabbath is generally a weekly religious Day of rest as ordained by one of the Ten Commandments (the third by Roman Catholic ”^[3] However, as Sylvester Bliss points out, “The printed article from which this is copied was written in 1845. Sylvester Bliss (1814–1863 was a Millerite minister and editor By an examination of his correspondence, it appears that he must have begun to lecture in August, 1831. So that this date is a mistake of the printer or an error in Mr. Miller's memory. ”^[4]

In 1832 Miller submitted a series of sixteen articles to the Vermont Telegraph—a Baptist paper. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. The first of these was published on May 15, and Miller writes of the public’s response: “I began to be flooded with letters of inquiry respecting my views; and visitors flocked to converse with me on the subject. ”^[5] In 1834, unable to personally comply with many of the urgent requests for information and the invitations to travel and preach that he received, Miller published a synopsis of his teachings in a “little tract of 64 pages. ” These he, “scattered, the most of them gratuitously, sending them in reply to letters of inquiry, and to places which I could not visit. ”^[6]

A National Movement

From 1840 onwards, Millerism was transformed from an “obscure, regional movement into a national campaign. ”^[7] The key figure in this transformation was Joshua Vaughan Himes—the pastor of Chardon Street Chapel in Boston, and an able and experienced publisher. Joshua Vaughan Himes (1805–1895 was a Christian leader and publisher Though Himes did not fully accept Miller’s ideas until 1842, he established the fortnightly paper Signs of the Times to publicize them. The first edition was published on February 28, 1840, with Himes as editor. It continues to be published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a monthly evangelistic magazine under the same name. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance

Periodical literature played a very important part in the rapid and widespread dissemination of Millerite beliefs. “From first to last the power of the press, in this particular form, was one of the foremost factors in the success of this now vigorous, expanding movement. ”^[8] In addition to the Signs of the Times based in Boston, Millerite papers were published in numerous cities including New York, Philadelphia, Rochester, Cleveland, and Montreal. The City of New York Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state ^[9] There were at least 48 Millerite periodicals that would circulate in the period leading up to the Great Disappointment. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. The majority of these however, were quite short-lived—often a new paper was started whenever a Millerite evangelistic campaign entered a new area. ^[10]

As well as publications based on geography, the Millerites issued various papers targeting different groups. The Advent Message to the Daughters of Zion focused on female readers, and was first published in May, 1844. The Advent Shield was a more academically orientated paper published in Boston and edited by Joshua Vaughan Himes, Sylvester Bliss, and Apollos Hale. Joshua Vaughan Himes (1805–1895 was a Christian leader and publisher Sylvester Bliss (1814–1863 was a Millerite minister and editor Its announced purpose was to “defend the doctrine from the attacks of the enemies, to exhibit the unscriptural position of the opponents, and furnish the truth to those who were ready to receive it. ” While only three issues were produced: in May 1844, January 1845, and a final issue in April 1845; it was the largest of the Millerite papers, the first two issues each having 144 pages, and the final having 250. ^[11]

As the various dates of Christ’s predicted return approached, Millerite publishing went into high gear. In May, 1843, 21,000 copies of the various Millerite papers were published for distribution each week. In New York alone, in the five month period ending April 1843, 600,000 copies of various publications were distributed. In December 1843, Himes proposed the publication of one million tracts; while in May 1844, he announced that five million copies of Millerite publications had been distributed up to that time. ^[12]

Ruth Alden Doan examined the geographical distribution of correspondents to the Millerite periodical Signs of the Times from 1840 to 1847. Out of a total of 615 correspondents, she found that the 131 correspondents from New York state provided the largest group. Vermont provided another 107; with New England (excluding Vermont) accounting for a further 279. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Outside of these areas, representation was sparse—twenty-three in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland combined; just sixty-five from the west—including twenty from Ohio; and only ten from the Southern states. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive ^[13] While it seems then, that the vast majority of Miller’s followers were of local origin, his message was not limited to his local area—nor even to America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Miller preached across the border in Canada’s Eastern Townships on at least three occasions: in 1835, 1838, and 1840. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Eastern Townships ( French: Cantons de l'Est) is a historical region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of He made a number of converts there and gained the support of some of the local clergy. At least five Millerite papers were published in Canada: the Faithful Watchman—published in Sherbrooke from January 1843; the influential Voice of Elijah, published in Montreal from June 1843; the short-lived Hope of the Church in St. Thomas in 1844; Behold, He Cometh in Hamilton, and the Bridegroom’s Herald in Toronto, both from mid-1844. St Thomas is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gaining its city Charter on Hamilton (ˈhæməltən ( 2006 population 504559 UA population 647634 CMA population ^[14]

Miller also gained converts in Great Britain, though he never travelled there himself. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands From 1841, Millerite evangelists appeared in Great Britain. Many were travellers or emigrants to the United States who had heard the Second Advent message there, and returned to their home districts to preach. Millerite literature also made converts in Great Britain. In addition to the nearly $1000 that Miller and Himes spent supplying literature to enquirers and evangelists in Great Britain; “there is evidence that [in Liverpool, Bristol, and other ports] local Millerite pioneers borrowed copies of Miller’s works and Adventist magazines from visiting American sea captains and merchants. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London ”^[15] As well as utilizing imported American literature, two Millerite papers were published locally in Great Britain: the Second Advent Harbinger in Bristol, and the British Midnight Cry in Liverpool. ^[16] The Millerite message entered Australia through the Canadian paper Voice of Elijah. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Thomas Playford, living in Adelaide, was converted thus. Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a Playford spread the Millerite message in Australia, even publishing a book of his sermons: Discourses on the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. Playford’s preaching apparently resulted in a number of converts. ^[17] An English Millerite, James William Bonham, apparently sent copies of The Midnight Cry to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), though no record remains of their effect. Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass ^[18] In a similar manner, converts were made in Norway and Chile. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the A letter published in The Midnight Cry of October 12, 1843, from a Mrs O. S. Burnham of Kaloa, The Sandwich Islands, (now Hawaii) stated that she and her husband had accepted the Millerite message and were worshipping with a small company of believers. "Sandwich Island" redirects here Sandwich Island is also an early name for the Cook Islands island of Manuae, and for the island of Efate The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the ^[19]

Despite the urging of his supporters, Miller never personally set an exact date for the expected Second Advent. However, in response to their urgings he did narrow the time-period to sometime in the Jewish year 1843, stating: “My principles in brief, are, that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth, cleanse, purify, and take possession of the same, with all the saints, sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844”^[20] (5603 or 5604 in the Hebrew year). The Hebrew calendar (הלוח העברי ha'luach ha'ivri) or Jewish calendar is a Lunisolar calendar used by Jews for predominantly religious Calendar Events Births Deaths Calendar Events Births Deaths March 21, 1844 passed without incident, and the majority of Millerites maintained their faith. On March 25, Miller wrote to Himes, “I am still looking for the Dear Savior…. The time, as I have calculated it, is now filled up; and I expect every moment to see the Savior descend from heaven. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond I have now nothing to look for but this glorious hope. ”^[21] As George R. Knight states, the movement’s survival was a result of the fact that, “the Millerite leaders had been ‘soft’ on the time…. George Raymond Knight (1941— is a Seventh-day Adventist historian and educator They allowed for the possibility of small errors in their calculations and even in some of their historic dates. ”^[22] In fact, on February 28, Miller himself had written, “If Christ comes, as we expect, we will sing the song of victory soon; if not, we will watch, and pray, and preach until he comes, for soon our time, and all prophetic days, will have been filled. ”^[23]

Further discussion and study resulted in the brief adoption of a new date--April 18, 1844, one based on the Karaite Jewish calendar (as opposed to the Rabbinic calendar). Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and Rabbinic Judaism or Rabbinism ( Hebrew: " Yehadut Rabanit " - יהדות רבנית is the mainstream religious system of post- diaspora ^[24] Like the previous date, April 18 passed without Christ’s return. More study led the Millerites to believe that they had entered the “tarrying time”—a time of waiting after which Christ would finally return—spoken of in Matthew 25:5 and Habakkuk 3:2-3. This belief sustained the Millerites through the months of May to July, 1844. As Knight notes however, this period represented a “flatness in Millerite evangelism,” when even the Millerite preachers must have experienced diminished certainty. ^[25]

In August 1844 at a camp-meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, everything changed when Samuel S. Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Snow presented a message of earth-shattering proportions—what became known as the “seventh-month” message or the “true midnight cry. ”^[26] In a complex discussion based on scriptural typology, Snow presented his conclusion (still based on the 2300 day prophecy in Daniel 8:14), that Christ would return on, “the tenth day of the seventh month of the present year, 1844. The Investigative Judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a judgment of professed Christian believers has been in progress since ”^[27] Again using the calendar of the Karaite Jews, this date was determined to be October 22, 1844. Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and This “seventh month message” “spread with a rapidity unparalleled in the Millerite experience” amongst the general population. The situation caught many of the established leaders—including Himes and Miller himself, by surprise. Knight reports that, “There is no evidence that any of the foremost Millerite preachers accepted this grass-roots development until late September. For other meanings see Grass roots (disambiguation. A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a Political movement Most did not accept it until early October. ”^[28]

The Great Disappointment

Main article: Great Disappointment

The sun rose on the morning of October 23 like any other day, and October 22, that day of great hope and promise was for the Millerites, the day of greatest disappointment. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. Both Millerite leaders and followers were left generally bewildered and disillusioned. Responses varied: some Millerites continued to look daily for Christ’s return, others predicted different dates—among them April, July, and October 1845. Some theorized that the world had entered the seventh millennium—the “Great Sabbath,” and that therefore, the saved should not work. Others acted as children, basing their belief on Jesus’ words in Mark 10:15, “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. ” O. J. D. Pickands used Revelation 14:14-16 to teach that Christ was now sitting on a white cloud, and must be prayed down. Probably the majority however, simply gave up their beliefs and attempted to rebuild their lives. ^[29] Some members rejoined their previous denominations while a substantial number joined the Shakers. The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, was a Protestant religious denomination that originated in Manchester ^[30]

Post 'Great Disappointment' Millerism

In the confusion that followed the Great Disappointment it seemed that almost every Millerite had an opinion—all of them different. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. Miller said that in one week he received sixteen different papers advocating different views, all claiming to be Advent papers. ^[31] Much of the responsibility for this proliferation of viewpoints must be shouldered by Miller, whose Rules of Biblical Interpretation outlined a method of biblical study that encouraged each person to read the Bible and to “do theology” for themselves.

By mid-1845, doctrinal lines amongst the various Millerite groups began to solidify, emphasizing their differences—a process Knight terms “sect building. George Raymond Knight (1941— is a Seventh-day Adventist historian and educator In the Sociology of religion a sect is generally a smaller religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group for example from a ”^[32] During this time three main Millerite groups formed—in addition to those who had simply given up their beliefs.

The first major division of the Millerite groups who had not completely given up their belief in Christ’s Second Advent; were those who accepted a shut-door theology. Shut-door theology was a belief held by the group that became the Seventh-day Adventist Church from 1844 to approximately 1854. This belief was popularized by Joseph Turner and was based on that key Millerite passage: Matthew 25:1-13—the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The Parable of the Ten Virgins, or the Wise and Foolish Virgins, is a parable told by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew The shut door mentioned in verses 11-12 was interpreted as the "close of probation". As Knight explains, “After the door was shut, there would be no additional salvation. The wise virgins (true believers) would be in the kingdom, while the foolish virgins and all others would be on the outside. ”^[33] The belief became a major issue upon the publication in January of 1845, of an article by Apollos Hale and Joseph Turner in The Advent Mirror. This article tied the shut-door concept to October 22, 1844, teaching that the work of general salvation was finished at that date—Christ came spiritually as the Bridegroom, the wise virgins had entered into the wedding feast, and the door was then shut on all others. ^[34] This first group is commonly known as either the “shut-door” or “spiritualizer” group.

However, the widespread acceptance of the “shut-door” belief lost ground as doubts were raised about the significance of the October 22, 1844 date—if nothing happened on that date, then there could be no shut door. The opposition to these “shut-door” beliefs was led by Joshua Vaughan Himes and make up the second post-'Great Disappointment' group. Joshua Vaughan Himes (1805–1895 was a Christian leader and publisher This faction soon gained the upper hand, even converting Miller to their point of view. On March 20, 1845, the Morning Watch published a call by Himes for a conference. The Albany Conference was to have three purposes:

1. “to strengthen one another in the faith of the Advent at the door,”
2. “to consult on the best mode of unitedly carrying forth our work, in comforting and preparing the Advent congregations among us for the speedy coming of the Lord,” and
3. “to unite our efforts, for the conversion and salvation of sinners. The Albany Congress, also known as the Albany Conference, was a meeting of representatives of seven of the British North American colonies in 1754 (specifically ”^[35]

Notably, the stated purpose of the conference was not to debate controversial doctrines. In fact the invitation was extended only to those Adventists who “still adhere to the original faith. ” The Shut-door Adventists and others who had developed new doctrines were therefore explicitly excluded. The biggest draw card was to be the presence of Miller. In fact Himes wrote to Miller on March 27, 1845, saying, “all depends upon your being there. ”^[36]

The Albany Conference began on April 29, 1845 and was to be, “one of the most significant Adventist meetings in the history of post-October 1844 Adventism. ” The delegates to the Albany Conference– including prominent Millerite leaders such as Miller, Himes. Elon Galusha, Josiah Litch, and Sylvester Bliss; accomplished three main tasks:

1. The production of a ten-point statement of belief. Dr Josiah Litch (1809–1886 was a Methodist Episcopal Preacher in the New England region of the United States, who was most well-known for Sylvester Bliss (1814–1863 was a Millerite minister and editor
2. The development of a plan for evangelism that involved further organization, including the establishment of Sunday Schools and Bible classes; and the ordination of selected believers as ministers. " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations
3. The passing of a series of resolutions that rejected a number of beliefs and practices seen as extreme; including mixed foot-washing, compulsory salutation kissing, shaving one’s head, and acting childlike. Foot washing or washing of feet is a religious Rite observed as an ordinance by several Christian denominations. The holy kiss is a traditional Christian Greeting. The term comes from the New Testament, where it appears five times

The Albany Conference group of Millerites formed the Evangelical Adventists out of which rose the Advent Christian Church. The Advent Christian Church is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller. The Albany Conference Statement with its narrowing of beliefs was unacceptable to many. Millerism had been founded on Miller’s open, non-restrictive approach to Bible study--“It was the freedom to discover new truths that had drawn so many Christians and Freewill Baptists to the movement. Free Will Baptist Church (or Free Will Baptists) is a group of churches that share a common history name and an acceptance of the Arminian theology of free grace The new restrictive definitions charted a course that was unacceptable to many who had joined the movement. ”^[37]

The third major post-disappointment Millerite group also claimed—like the Hale and Turner led group-- that the October 22 date was correct. Rather than Christ returning invisibly however, they came to view the event that took place on October 22, 1844 as having been quite different. The theology of this third group appears to have had its beginnings as early as October 23, 1844—the day after the Great Disappointment. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. On that day, during a prayer session with a group of Advent believers, Hiram Edson became convicted that “light would be given” and their “disappointment explained. Hiram Edson ( 1806 – 1882) was a pioneer of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, known for introducing the Investigative judgment doctrine to the ” Some years later, Edson reported on his experiences following that meeting: "While passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed open to my view, and I saw distinctly and clearly that instead of our High Priest coming out of the Most Holy of the heavenly sanctuary to come to this earth on the tenth day of the seventh month, at the end of the 2300 days, that He for the first time entered on that day the second apartment of that sanctuary; and that He had a work to perform in the Most Holy before coming to this earth. In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of Heavenly The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which referred to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem which could be entered That he came to the marriage at that time; in other words, to the Ancient of days to receive a kingdom, dominion, and glory; and we must wait for his return from the wedding. Ancient of Days is a name for God in Aramaic Atik Yomin; in the Greek Septuagint: Palaios Hemeron; and in the Vulgate: Antiquus "^[38]

Edson’s experience led him into an extended study on the topic with O. R. L. Crosier and F. B. Hahn. They came to the conclusion that “the sanctuary to be cleansed in Daniel 8:14 was not the earth or the church, but the sanctuary in heaven. ” Therefore, the October 22 date marked not the Second Coming of Christ, but rather a heavenly event. This is the basis for the later Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgement. The theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church largely resembles that of mainstream Protestant Christianity, and in particular The Investigative Judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a judgment of professed Christian believers has been in progress since Their insights were published in early 1845 in the Day Dawn. ^[39] It is out of this third Millerite group that the Seventh-day Adventist Church arose. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance

Millerite Doctrine

The Millerites originally had adherents across denominational lines, especially from Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Campbellite churches, forming distinct denominations only after the Great Disappointment. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Campbellite refers to any of the religious groups historically descended from the Restoration Movement, a religious reform movement in the early 19th century in the United They were united by a belief in the soon return of Jesus Christ--the Second Advent. After the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844, discussion of beliefs began to fragment the once united Millerites. Dunton points out that there were four main divisive doctrines being discussed by Millerites around the time of the Albany Conference:

1. Biblical prophecies relating to the Jews. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The majority of Millerites believed that these prophecies would find a spiritual rather than a literal fulfilment, however the Age to Come Adventists led by Joseph Marsh believed in a literal, physical Jewish return to Palestine prior to the Christ’s return. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
2. Conditional Immortality was not discussed at the Albany Conference, but was a source of controversy soon after. Conditional immortality, or conditionalism, is the Christian Doctrine that the human Soul is naturally mortal and that Immortality
3. The doctrine of the Sabbath was one of the schismatic issues debated at the Albany Conferences. In Christianity, the Sabbath is generally a weekly religious Day of rest as ordained by one of the Ten Commandments (the third by Roman Catholic The seventh-day Sabbath was rejected by delegates at the Albany Conference, who passed a resolution to have "no fellowship with Jewish fables and commandments of man, that turn from the truth. "^[40] Sabbatarianism remained a minority position among the Millerites, however the doctrine received a significant boost when Thomas Preble published a tract on the topic. Thomas M Preble (1810–1907 was a Free Will Baptist minister in New Hampshire and a Millerite preacher The tract, titled, A Tract, Showing that the Seventh Day Should Be Observed as the Sabbath, Instead of the First Day; "According to the Commandment", was widely read by Miller’s followers.
4. Following the disappointment of October 22, there was considerable discussion regarding the continuing possibility of the conversion of sinners. The doctrine that excluded this possibility became known as the shut-door. Miller himself believed this for a short time, though he later repudiated it. ^[41]

Influences

See also: Great Disappointment and Adventist

Charles Taze Russell's Bible Student movement (from which the Jehovah's Witnesses emerged in 1931 following a schism in 1917) had connections at the very beginning with the Millerite movement. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites Charles Taze Russell ( February 16, 1852 &ndash October 31, 1916) also known as Pastor Russell, was a Protestant The Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Protestant religious movement with premillennialist expectations that emerged from the teachings and Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" Bahá'ís also credit Miller's analysis of the time Christ's return. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind ^[42]

References

See also

• Great Disappointment
• Adventist
• Millennialism
• Christian eschatology
• Second Coming
• Second Great Awakening
• William Miller (preacher)

External links

• "History of the Millerite Movement" from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia 10:892–898, 1976. The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th century American Christian sect. The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. Summary of Christian eschatological differencesIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious Beliefs concerning all Future and In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival William Miller (1782–1849 was an American Baptist Preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites. The Seventh-day Adventist Commentary Reference Series is a set of volumes produced primarily by Seventh-day Adventist scholars and designed for both scholarly and
• "The King is Coming, Eventually"
• Graphical timeline of major Millerite groups from the Worldwide Church of God official website
• Signs of the Times DjVu scans of Millerite journal (1840-1841)
• The Midnight Cry PDF scans of Millerite journal (1842)

The Worldwide Church of God (WCG formerly the Radio Church of God, is a Christian church currently based in Glendora California, United States. DjVu (pronounced Déjà vu) is a Computer File format designed primarily to store scanned images especially those containing text and line

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic