Do You Want to Know the Future?
Thousands believed it to be the end of the world and the judgment of all things. Suddenly Miller’s message was relevant. Maybe Jesus was coming back. Maybe the world would soon end!
Dear Reader, you might think these people of yesteryear were naive, and that the falling of the stars coincidental, but the Bible predicted it.
In His prophetic sermon, Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” Matthew 24:29.
This period of tribulation is the horrific persecution under the papal little horn when 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 men, women and children were slain for their faith.
(The sun and moon went dark in 1780, and although before the end of the 1260 years, it was after the actual murdering had ceased. Jesus said those days would “be shortened”, and it was so. Matthew 24:22. This means the dark day was after the actual tribulation, but before the close of papal dominion. If you would like to read more about the sun and moon darkened and the falling of the stars, ask for extracts from ‘Our First Century’)
AD 1260 years *1833
538 !___________________! 1798
457BC!________!_______________________________! 1843
2300 years to tzadak of sanctuary
In Matthew 24 (Mark 13 and Luke 21) Jesus gave a double prophecy that relates to both aspects of Rome. The disciples had asked, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be (the destruction of the temple); what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world.” Matthew 24:3.
The whole chapter blends these events together, one being a miniature picture of the other.
When we calculate the end of the 1260 years to 1798, and then see the event fulfilled in 1833, we cannot put it aside and say it was just a coincidence. God said it would happen, and even if science had not yet discovered the cause, the fact is – it happened.
Many reports were given in the papers, and wood cuts were made of the observations. The drawing on page 6 is similar to many in the newspapers of the day. As you will see, the ‘stars’ appear to come from one direction. This is different from the 1990s, when ‘stars’ (meteorites) fell in all directions. Perhaps the 1833 event was supernatural.
The falling of the stars (and the dark day) will be repeated before the coming of Christ, and according to the Bible, it too will come from a particular point in the heavens. “And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Revelation 6:12.13. (Isaiah 10:13. Joel 2:31)
Back to the spreading of the message.
Eventually, 200 ministers and 2000 laymen were preaching the coming of Christ, and men and women rejoiced in the nearness of the “blessed hope”. Titus 2:13.
With so many wanting to hear the message, it became necessary to hire huge tents and large auditoriums to accommodate the crowds. It was not unusual for 20,000 to be in attendance, with others unable to get inside.
Of course, opposition was great. So bitter was it in some places, that rocks, spikes and other offensive weapons were thrown at the speakers. Mobs gathered outside the halls to frighten those in attendance. The newspapers printed caricatures of Miller to try and discredit his message.
But God was with the movement, and nothing could stop it.
At the beginning of 1843, a comet appeared in the sky. It passed very near the sun and exhibited an enormous length of tail. As with the falling stars, it aroused the public mind as foretelling the speedy destruction of the world.
It was a wonderful year for those who believed. Joy filled their hearts, for soon they would see Jesus.
William Miller and his associates believed Artaxerxes decree went forth in the Spring of 457 BC, and from the Jewish calendar, they calculated that the prophecy would end on March 21, 1843, which is the close of the Jewish year 1843. (A Jewish year began and ended in the Spring [March], rather than December and January. This date corresponds to March 21, 1844)
But the day came and went -- Christ did not come.
It was a bitter disappointment, but the leaders went back to their study of the book of Daniel. There was no doubt in their minds – the year was right. Perhaps the mistake was in the timing of the decree. Suddenly one of the leaders came across historical information that Artaxerxes wrote his decree in the Autumn of 457, and not the Spring.
The news electrified submissive hearts. To their amazement, they discovered it would fall on the Day of Atonement according to the Jewish Karaite calendar! This would parallel October 22 in our modern calendar.
Being a Jewish connection, it became known as the ‘seventh-month movement’, as the Day of Atonement was on the 10th day of the seventh month. (Remember, the Day of Atonement was the cleansing of the sanctuary in type)
Enthusiasm mounted, and again it became a joyful, sweet experience. Many prayers ascended for unbelievers.
Thousands went back to their friends and relatives, to their pastors and church members, with the news that Jesus was really coming back.
But instead of welcoming the message, opposition increased,
and church doors were shut against the believers. Names were dropped from the rolls and thousands withdrew from the churches, either by choice or through the general vote of church boards.
But the believers had peace. Denominational barriers and conflicting creeds did not matter now. False views of the second Advent were corrected, and pride was swept away. Hope and courage animated their hearts.
Thousands of papers and tracts were printed and scattered abroad. Besides books, pamphlets and tracts, periodicals had a combined circulation of 17,000,000. The demand was great and presses were kept running twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Prophetic Faith of our Fathers. Vol 4. p624.
Prayer meetings continued, discourses, discussions, Bible studies. Praise to God and the singing of hymns could be heard in the night air as men and women left the meetings and made their way home. Joy filled their hearts – Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming.
But October 22 passed like any other day.
It was a bitter disappointment, a similar experience to the disciples when they saw Jesus being condemned by their own leaders. Although heart-breaking for the Advent believers, it was probably not as traumatic as when the disciples saw Jesus hanging upon the cross. They had expected Him to be crowned king in Jerusalem; they expected Him to destroy the Romans; and they expected him to make Jerusalem the “head and not the tail”. Deuteronomy 28:13.
After all, Moses had said Israel would be above all other nations. (And didn’t Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey in fulfilment of the prophecy that Messiah would be crowned king? Nehemiah 9:9)
But they were wrong. If only they had studied the Bible diligently like the Bereans. Instead they had relied on the traditions of the elders, and were disappointed.
So it was with William and the Millerite preachers. It was a bitter experience. The year 1843 had been so sweet; 1844, although mingled with joy, had been heart-breaking twice over.
Now the false professors were revealed. ‘We never really believed it’, they said, and either went back to their churches or left Christianity altogether.
The date of the prophecy was right, for the Bible had made it absolutely clear. But the identification of the sanctuary was wrong, and it made a big difference.
In their disappointment, two brethren decided to visit believers not far from where they had waited for Jesus. It was after midnight, but they knew no one would be sleeping. As they walked through the cornfield, Hiram Edson suddenly had a thought enter his mind – the heavenly sanctuary. He had never thought of it before.
As soon as he could organise it, Edson brought together other leaders of the movement and they began to study the subject of the sanctuary.
It was not long before they realised that the earth was not the sanctuary. Christ had entered the heavenly sanctuary as our high priest. How thrilling it was to understand the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.
Their studies continued for some months until they understood the work of their high priest. They also realised that on October 22, 1844, Christ had entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin the judgment of those who had confessed their sins and sent them to the sanctuary.
This was new light. They must share it with all the brethren.
As they continued studying, they realised more and more how far the Christian church had fallen. Rome’s dogmas were still in the Protestant churches. Certainly many Catholic errors had been known for centuries, but that it was a complete counterfeit of Christ’s heavenly ministry in the sanctuary above was something not understood before.
However, the devil was on their trail.
Instead of the whole body of believers accepting the truth of the heavenly sanctuary, many opposed. Finally there was a split and 50,000 rejected it. This left a mere handful. The larger group said God had not led them, and they went on to set new dates.
The smaller group, or ‘little flock’ as they called themselves, stood firm in the belief that God had led them, in spite of their mistake. Now that the truth of the sanctuary was understood, not one was willing to turn back.
No longer did they own printing presses. These belonged to the larger group. But with their meagre means they sacrificed to pay for the printing of tracts and pamphlets. Although it was a small beginning, the few believers determined not to fail their Lord.
Dear Reader, this is the history of the climax to the 2300 days, and I am sure you are wondering why it ended up with just a little remnant. Why did it not remain a large group and continue to grow to many more? Why was it not made more public so every Christian could see its fulfilment? Why isn’t every church preaching it?
There are reasons:
(a) the sinfulness of man.
(b) the subtletly of the devil.
(c) truth is always on the scaffold and must be searched out.
Rejection always brings opposition, and now it came from the churches that had scorned the heavenly message. Men and women were led to ask: ‘Why have our leaders not accepted it?’
This question is not new, for whenever God does a work by an insignificant group or a humble obscure person, men and women enquire, ‘Which of our leaders believe it?’
Instead our question must be – Is it the truth?
Another question asked is, ‘Why did it happen in America?’ But does it really matter where it happened, so long as God said it would happen? When we see it taking place, we can know prophecy has been fulfilled.
Yes, it was centred in America, and when we come to Revelation you will understand why. However, it wasn’t only in the United States.
In Holland, the keeper of the museum had a dream about the second coming of Christ. He printed a paper and spread it far and wide. Men in England and Scotland believed Jesus was coming in power – George Mueller, Charlotte Elizabeth, Henry Drummond and others. Many were studying the prophecies and believed the Antichrist to be the Papal power.
In Scandinavia and Norway, where adults were forbidden to present anything contrary to the beliefs of the established church, little children took their stand and preached the soon-coming of Christ with power. Nothing could stop them.
Joseph Wolfe, a Messianic Jew travelled the world preparing men and women to meet Jesus in peace. His travels were extensive and his message with power.
In 1811, William Cunninghame noticed a reference to 18th century Swiss astronomer Jean-Philippe Loys de Cheseaux who, while trying to fix the date of Christ’s crucifixion, began to examine the prophecies of Daniel. He discovered that all the major prophetic time periods – 2300, 1260, 1290, 1335 and others – were heavenly cycles. Cunninghame publicised this material in England, and in 1833 wrote to ‘The Investigator’, further describing the original work of de Cheseaux. Professor Birks of Cambridge became much interested and wrote about it in 1843. Later, H. Grattan Guinness made a full examination of it, which was checked by Professor Adams of Cambridge.
As has been said in a previous booklet, God has always had His witnesses. In every age, dedicated men have discovered truth and they held it forth with conviction. But by and large, the truth remained in obscurity until God’s timing brought it out in the open. Then it did the work He designed it to do.
Just prior to 1844 was God’s appointed time to make known that Jesus would return in power and glory. Although it was not the message relevant to the close of the 2300-day prophecy, it is the glorious event to take place when the judgment ends.
In spite of their small numbers and lack of funds, the few Advent believers did begin to circulate the truth of Christ’s heavenly ministry, and in time it went all over the world. In fact, it has gone to almost every nation upon the face of the earth.
Of course by that time the numbers of the ‘little flock’ had grown, and they were able to print large amounts of literature on the ministration of Christ, His imminent return, the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, the papal Antichrist, and much more.
Perhaps this is the first time it has come your way. If so, God has indeed blessed you.
Contents The 2300 Days Next Study
Others began to share the message, giving the date 1843 as the coming of Christ. William did not do this. He believed the date to be correct, but was hesitant to state the year because of Jesus’ words, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36. (The believers referred to the Jewish calendar, which made their expected date 1843, corresponding to 1844 as shown further on)
All denominations were involved in this wonderful experience, but not all rejoiced. The majority of the ministers became very much against it, although their membership did not diminish. Advent meetings, as they were often called, were not held during the hour of divine service, and congregations continued to support their pastors.
Some felt the enthusiasm was fanaticism, but in reality, they loved the world and did not want to see Jesus. To Miller, the coming of Christ meant the judgment, and these worldly professors of religion were not ready for it. Still others were unbelieving, but afraid. They felt that if they went along to the meetings, they might be spared if Jesus really did come.
Much discussion took place between William Miller and the clergy. He was willing to hear their objections. Most accepted the date as 1843, but “no man knoweth the day or the hour”, was repeated over and over. Discussions were sincere and genial, and the majority acknowledged that his arguments were solid. Few of the ministers accepted the message, but those who did rejoiced in the sweetness of the thought that soon they would be with Jesus.
Two years after Miller had begun preaching, there was an amazing celestial display of falling ‘stars’. We now know more about this type of phenomenon, having seen it in the 1990s. However, in 1833, it was believed to be a ‘sign’ from Heaven.
No.8.
In this study we will bring together the 2300 days and the 70 weeks in order that we might see the fulfilment of the text: “Unto 2300 days; then shall the sanctuary be tzadak.” Daniel 8:14.
The Hebrew word tzadak would be fulfilled in three ways:
(a) Christ and His heavenly ministration would be restored to its rightful place in the understanding of the people.
(b) The counterfeit system would be revealed.
(c )The investigative judgment of God’s people would begin in the heavenly sanctuary.
The conclusion of the 70 weeks (490 years) puts a seal on the 2300 days (years). This means we can be certain the longer prophecy would be fulfilled.
2300 days - years
457BC !________________________________________! 1844
457BC !___________!Ad34
70 week-490 yrs
When the dominion of the little horn came to a close in 1798, there was a worldwide awakening among the Protestant churches. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation were being studied and missionary societies arose to take the gospel far and wide. It seemed a new era was beginning to dawn in Protestantism.
With the impetus on outreach through missionary societies, we would expect the great truths of the sanctuary to unfold before the eyes of the Christian community, but no one said anything about it. Much activity was taking place, but as for understanding Christ’s ministration in the heavenly sanctuary, it was not a message given by gospel preachers.
Did the prophecy fail?
No, never.
This booklet will reveal what did take place during those early years. At first it may seem irrelevant, but as you progress, you will see how it is related.
In 1816, William Miller, a farmer in the eastern part of the United States, began studying the book of Daniel. Although a Calvinist Baptist, he was a Deist, believing in the existence of a god, but not as the supreme God of the universe. He had a great thirst for knowledge and loved to read. As a result, his studies were thorough and detailed.
As William studied Daniel 8 and 9, he became convinced that Christ would return to the earth at the end of the 2300 days. He understood the day-for-a-year principle, and realised the prophecy extended down to his day. It meant Jesus would return in about thirteen years!
This was challenging enough, but with further study he realised that Christ’s Advent would be dramatic and not the quiet event as spoken by the ministry of the day.
‘No’, he mused, ‘when Jesus returns, it will be the end of the world!’ No one had ever said that before.
Shocked and humbled, he committed his life to Christ.
Although having spent two years in intense study from Genesis to Revelation, he continued studying another four years until he was absolutely certain of his conclusions.
The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout; the trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will rise first; then living Christians will rise to meet them in the air. 2 Thessalonians 4:16.17. This would be around 1843-1844.
At the return of Christ, His people will leave the earth and go to the mansions Christ had prepared for them. John 1:1-4.
The heavens will depart as a scroll and every mountain and island will be moved out of their place. Revelation 6:14. They will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with ferment heat. The earth and everything in it will be burnt up. 2 Peter 3:10.
‘Mmm’, he thought. ‘This must be how God will cleanse the earth at the end of the 2300 years.’
But William Miller was mistaken – the earth was not the sanctuary. It was something he did not consider checking, after all, everyone believed the earth was the sanctuary.
You must remember that back in the early 1800s, Christians were still in the process of stripping from their beliefs errors passed down from Catholicism. Martin Luther had taken them as far as God had shown him. Huss, Jerome, Calvin, Knox, Whitefield, the Wesleys and others, had all brought the people to a certain point, but they had not seen all the light. It was slow work.
God had said through the apostle Paul that there would be a “falling away” in the Christian Church, and when one examines the teachings of Rome against the Bible, we can see that it has fallen far from the truths of God’s Word. 2 Thessalonians 2:2. Not one single truth has been maintained; all its teachings are pagan. This might seem hard to believe, nevertheless, it is true. The whole system is a counterfeit of God’s truth.
(Remember, the church at Rome was Christian at the beginning, having Bible truth, but the devil infiltrated it completely, and made it the spokesperson for the rest of Christianity. Read the book ‘Two Babylons’ by Alexander Hyslop and you will not doubt it. Available on the Internet)
So when the Protestant churches studied the Word, it was essential they re-examine every single belief.
Sadly, instead of Luther’s followers continuing to reform their own beliefs, they stopped. Eventually someone discovered an error in the creed and the process began again. Protestantism should have remained one communion, but each time separations took place, a new denomination was born. So it continues today.
In the days of William Miller, virtually no one believed Jesus would return visibly and in great majesty to this earth. They were ignorant of the truth that “ the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him….” Matthew 25:31. Nor did they know that “he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:31. (The dead will be resurrected from one end of the earth to the other; the winds are an analogy to show the direction and scope)
Some believed Jesus had already come spiritually to the heart of the believer. Others promoted the secret rapture. Still others put their hopes in a glorious millennium of peace, many believing it would begin in 1843-44.
Miller believed strongly that the visible and glorious return of Christ was the grand and focal point of all prophecy.
But, as a simple farmer, what could he do? How could he spread the message? He began to share his findings with his Deist friends, his Baptist friends, and whoever else would listen. Most were not interested, but wherever he found a spiritually hungry soul, he rejoiced and taught them the Word of God.
For nine years he continued this type of witnessing, but the conviction began to grow that he must work in a wider field. It became so strong he made a covenant with God that if He organised it, the farmer would obey.
Half an hour later, his nephew arrived. ‘Uncle William, our pastor will be away on Sunday, would you take the sermon?’
Oh dear. God didn’t delay to answer his prayer. It was not an easy decision, but he had made a deal and knew he must keep his part of the bargain.
That Sunday evening of 1831, the Baptist Church in Dresden New York heard William’s startling message. It was not long before other Baptist churches began calling for the farmer-turned-preacher to give his message.
Soon William became known as the Doomsday preacher.