Evidence from Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ
by William Miller [1842]
This is a collection of lectures by William Miller (1782-1849), a 19th century preacher who managed to convince himself and thousands of others that Jesus would return in 1844. Born a Baptist, he became a Deist and Freemason. After he fought in the war of 1812, he had a spiritual epiphany, and was called back to Baptism. After much study, Miller became convinced that Biblical chronology pointed to the immiment end of the world, and in 1832, was confident enough to publicize his beliefs.
As the deadline approached, his followers grew into a huge movement. The calculations were refined by his disciples, and October 22, 1844 was determined to be the day. As that date approached, Millerites sold their homes and business, and flocked to the hills to await the last judgement. Of course, nothing out of the ordinary occurred, and most of Miller’s followers melted away as quickly as they had joined. This became known as ‘the Great Disappointment.’ However, the concept of the imminent return of Jesus has been a major component of evangelical Christian thought for the past century. Few have been so bold as to set an actual date certain for the end of the world. Most millennialists today simply point to various signs and portents to suggest that the end is near. Continue reading
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