Who were the Millerites?
The Millerites were members of a religious sect who became famous in 19th century America for fervently believing the world was about to end. The name came from William Miller, an Adventist preacher from New York State who gained an enormous following for asserting, in fiery sermons, that Christ’s return was imminent.
Was there a Millerite movement in the Bible Student Movement?
Miller himself believed this for a short time, though he later changed and repudiated it. The Bible Student movement had connections at the very beginning (in the early 2nd half of 19th century) with the Millerite movement. Charles Taze Russell later stated that "I confess indebtedness to Adventists as well as to other denominations".
What happened to the Millerites in the Bible?
The vast majority of Millerites were devastated, and some impoverished, by the failure of the prophecy. A remnant continued to believe. They reinterpreted the meaning of the prophecy and came to see October 22, 1844, as the day of Christ's cleansing of his heavenly, rather than earthly, sanctuary.
How did John Miller get so many followers?
As Miller and some of his followers preached at hundreds of meetings in the early 1840s, newspapers naturally covered the popularity of the movement. And converts to Miller’s thinking began to attract attention by preparing themselves, in public ways, for the world to end and for the faithful to enter heaven.
What do the Millerites believe?
Millerites self-righteously believed that they had interpreted the Bible accurately. Convinced Millerism was the only path to salvation, they thought that anything opposed to it was sinful.
What denomination was William Miller?
William Miller (February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849) was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-19th-century North American religious movement known as Millerism.
Are Jehovah's Witnesses Millerites?
Changing its name to the Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1930s, it became the second successful group to emerge from the original Millerite movement.
Where did the Millerites live?
Most of these "Millerites"— between 50,000 and 100,000 in 1844 — lived in central and eastern Massachusetts. Their religious meetings had all the emotional passion of tent revivals.
Do Seventh-Day Adventists read the Bible?
The Bible. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, like all Christian churches, puts the Bible at the centre of its faith.
What happened to the Millerites?
Many sources claim that the Millerites, dressed in white robes, climbed the highest mountains and hills that they could find so that they would be closer to heaven. Unfortunately for these people, they did not ascend to heaven on the appointed day.
Who created the Jehovah Witness religion?
Charles Taze RussellJehovah's Witnesses / FounderThe Jehovah's Witnesses are an outgrowth of the International Bible Students Association, which was founded in 1872 in Pittsburgh by Charles Taze Russell.
Who started the Millerites?
William MillerThe Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller, who in 1831 first shared publicly his belief that the Second Advent of Jesus Christ would occur in roughly the year 1843–1844.
How did the Jehovah Witness religion start?
Jehovah's Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which developed in the United States in the 1870s among followers of Christian restorationist minister Charles Taze Russell. Bible Student missionaries were sent to England in 1881 and the first overseas branch was opened in London in 1900.
What do Seventh Day Adventist believe?
Beliefs and practices Seventh-day Adventists share many of the basic beliefs of Protestant Christianity, including acceptance of the authority of the Bible, recognition of the existence of human sin and the need for salvation, and belief in the atoning work of Christ.
Who founded Seventh Day Adventist?
Ellen G. WhiteJames Springer WhiteJoseph BatesJ. N. AndrewsSeventh-day Adventist Church/Founders
What is a second Adventist?
Second Adventist (plural Second Adventists) (Christianity) One who lives in expectation of a second coming of Christ to establish a personal kingdom on earth.
What was Arthur Miller's religion?
Miller was Jewish and of Polish-Jewish descent.
How long did William Miller study the Bible?
two yearsBible Study. But Miller had approached the Bible with the same rational mind that had once made him a skeptic. In the course of two years of intense study he had scrutinized the Bible word by word, seeking to prove the truth of its contents by demonstrating its internal consistency.
Who started the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
Ellen G. WhiteJames Springer WhiteJoseph BatesJ. N. AndrewsSeventh-day Adventist Church/Founders
What is a second Adventist?
Second Adventist (plural Second Adventists) (Christianity) One who lives in expectation of a second coming of Christ to establish a personal kingdom on earth.
Why were the Millerites so famous?
The Millerites were members of a religious sect who became famous in 19th century America for fervently believing the world was about to end. The name came from William Miller, an Adventist preacher from New York State who gained an enormous following for asserting, in fiery sermons, that Christ’s return was imminent.
When were the Millerites considered an unusual fad?
By the 1850s the Millerites were considered an unusual fad which had come and gone.
What was the name of the sect that was bestowed upon the sect by detractors?
As the various dates passed and the end of the world did not occur, the movement began to be ridiculed in the press. In fact, the name Millerite was originally bestowed upon the sect by detractors before coming into common usage in newspaper reports.
How did Himes help Miller?
He encouraged Miller’s work and used a considerable organizational ability to spread Miller’s prophecies. Himes arranged to have an enormous tent made, and organized a tour so Miller could preach to hundreds of people at a time. Himes also arranged for Miller’s works to be published, in the form of books, handbills, and newsletters.
What did Miller preach?
As Miller and some of his followers preached at hundreds of meetings in the early 1840s, newspapers naturally covered the popularity of the movement. And converts to Miller’s thinking began to attract attention by preparing themselves, in public ways, for the world to end and for the faithful to enter heaven.
Why did Miller's calculations produce an unreliable result?
And even after the world did not end in October 1844, some disciples still clung to their beliefs. A common explanation was that Biblical chronology was inaccurate, therefore Miller’s calculations produced an unreliable result.
Where was William Miller born?
Life of William Miller. William Miller was born February 15, 1782, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He grew up in New York State and received a spotty education, which would have been typical for the time. However, he read books from a local library and essentially educated himself. He married in 1803 and became a farmer.
What did the Millerites believe?
Other Americans believed that many people were sinners and that only the true believers, the Millerites, would escape punishment. God wanted the deserving to assist their unworthy neighbors through various reform movements, such as the temperance and abolition movements.
When did Miller reach his belief?
Miller reached this belief in the 1820s but did not begin to share it with other people until the 1830s. By the early 1840s, approximately one million people had attended camp meetings and heard Miller's message. Perhaps ten percent of those people actually believed Miller.
What did the Millerites believe about the Second Coming?
As October 23, 1844 approached, some Millerites went so far as to sell their earthly possessions in preparation for the second coming of Christ.
When did Miller predict the second coming of Christ?
Miller predicted that Christ's second coming would occur in April 1843 and that all worthy people would ascend to heaven on October 23, 1844. Thousands of people across the United States, including in Ohio, eagerly anticipated the event.
Who were the Millerites?
v. t. e. The Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller, who in 1831 first shared publicly his belief that the Second Advent of Jesus Christ would occur in roughly the year 1843–1844.
What was the Millerite movement's survival?
Knight states, the movement's survival was a result of the fact that, "the Millerite leaders had been ‘soft’ on the time…. They allowed for the possibility of small errors in their calculations and even in some of their historic dates." 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."
What were the Millerite papers?
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. 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.
What was the Bible student movement?
The Bible Student movement had connections at the very beginning (in the early 2nd half of 19th century) with the Millerite movement . Charles Taze Russell later stated that "I confess indebtedness to Adventists as well as to other denominations". In light of this, the Bible Student Movement was influenced by Adventists roots, but did not emerge from the Millerism movement.
How many Millerite periodicals were there?
There were at least 48 Millerite periodicals that circulated in the period leading up to the Great Disappointment. The majority of these, however, were quite short-lived—often a new paper was started whenever a Millerite evangelistic campaign entered a new area.
What was the Seventh Month message?
Snow presented a message of earth-shattering proportions—what became known as the "seventh-month" message or the "true midnight cry.".
How many days did Daniel prophesy?
He spent years of intensive study of symbolic meaning of the prophecies of Daniel, especially Daniel 8:14 (Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed), the 2,300-day prophecy.
What did the Millerites do in 1844?
Many "Millerites" sold all their possessions to prepare for the day when Christ would return to earth, gather them up to heaven, and purify the rest of the world in an all-consuming fire. As the date approached, a great comet blazed across the Massachusetts sky, and the number of believers grew. On October 22 nd, the Millerites donned white robes and climbed mountains or trees to speed their ascension into heaven. When the prophecy failed, most abandoned Miller's apocalyptical teachings and returned to their original churches.
How many followers did Miller have?
By 1840 Miller had gathered a sizable following. Most of these "Millerites"— between 50,000 and 100,000 in 1844 — lived in central and eastern Massachusetts. Their religious meetings had all the emotional passion of tent revivals.
What did the people of Groton do on October 22nd?
On October 22 nd, believers donned their robes. A large gathering lived in or around Groton. Believing that Christ would return on a mountaintop, they climbed up Mt. Wachusett to await the coming of the Lord. One respectable but arthritic old man from Harvard who could not make it up the mountain stationed himself at the very top of the tallest apple tree in his orchard and waited out the night. In New Bedford, a whole family perched on the branches of an apple tree dressed in their white robes. According to one story, a man accosted Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Reverend Theodore Parker on a Concord road and excitedly asked if they realized that the world was going to end that day. "Mr. Parker said: 'It does not concern me, for I live in Boston.' And Mr. Emerson said: 'The end of the world does not affect me; I can get along without it.'"
How did William Miller calculate the end of the world?
In 1818 he calculated a date for the end of the world by using a strictly literal reading of the first chapters of Genesis and other prophetic events in the Bible. He aligned these events with the prophetic numbering systems in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelations. He became convinced that he could use this system to determine the exact period of time between the birth of Jesus, the fall of Jerusalem, and the return of the Messiah. Jesus, Miller predicted, would make his millennial return and the world would end on October 22, 1844. After publishing a book about his theory in 1831, he set off on a speaking tour of the Northeast.
Why did one man sell his cows at great sacrifice?
In the town of Harvard, one man sold his cows at great sacrifice because there would be no one to care for them when he was "gone up. As the year of the expected apocalypse neared, believers in the prophecy began to give away their belongings, abandon their crops, and sell their land.
Is William Miller a deceiver?
Many deceivers have crept under the sacred mantle of religion, and Mr. William Miller is one of them. Whether he has been first himself deceived, or whether he is wittingly practising a pious fraud, is known to the Searcher of hearts. I have but to point out sundry errors and weak places in his book; sufficient, however to destroy his credibility, but not to prove that the end of the word is distant; for "of that day knoweth no man" and we are told that it is even hidden from the angels. . . .
What did the Millerite doctrine lead to?
As early as 1842 papers began to claim that Millerite doctrine led to increased insanity and suicide. Millerite leaders, however, were just too busy spreading the truth to have the time or the care to respond to or even be fazed by these claims.
What was the relationship between the Millerite Adventists and the established Protestant denominations?
By the summer of 1843, the relationship between Millerite Adventists and the established Protestant denominations was terse. Many Adventists wondered if they should withdraw from their denomination but an announcement in the “The Signs of the Time” encouraged them to stay put. They were also encouraged to share their faith among those they were associated with.
Why did the Millerites believe Jesus would return on April 14th?
Like the belief that Jesus would return on the 14th of April, 1843 because it was the anniversary of crucifixion. However, as each date came and went some of the Millerite Adventists lost their faith and left the movement but not enough to cause any significant dent in the overall numbers of Millerites.
What did Marsh say about the separation of the Adventists?
As 1843 progressed into 1844 Marsh’s voice was the most prominent in calling Adventists to separate from their churches, stating that it was wrong to continue to financially support organisations that had rejected the truth of Christ’s soon return. In the early fall of 1844, Himes became an open though somewhat reluctant proponent of this branch of the movement as well though Miller could not bring himself to call for a distinct separation. Later when Miller’s own Low Hampton Baptist congregation expelled him and his followers he accepted the action without bitterness or resentment but showed genuine sadness at the decision.
Why didn't Miller travel much in 1843?
Miller was plagued with ill health and didn’t travel much during 1843 but interest in the Second Advent continued to snowball as the year progressed.
Who called for separation of the church?
Fitch’s call for separation was greeted somewhat coolly by most Millerite leaders but some like George Storrs and Joseph Marsh embraced it heartily. Storrs, however, warned Adventists who separated from their old churches to be careful that they did not manufacture a new church because in his mind any movement that was organised by man’s invention would become Babylon the moment it was organised.
Who were the antislavery publishers?
As it turned out, Dow and Jackson, the antislavery publishers whom Himes engaged to print the paper were willing to bank on the project. They believed that interest in the Second Advent had grown so much that a regular newspaper devoted to the subject would sell and sell in spades. They offered to assume financial responsibility for keeping the paper alive and publishing it semi-monthly if Himes was willing to produce content for the periodical and work on a subscription list. Hime was willing to take on the job as a volunteer and so the enterprise was begun.
Who taught the Atonement and the Millennium?
Books by Mary Martha Sherwood, for example, though including the belief in the Trinity and Eternal Torment, also taught openly and abundantly teachings like the Atonement and the Millennium, which Russell would hold all his life. You can check also the Anglican Richard Newton, or Charlotte Elizabeth Tona.
Who said that each of the creeds contain some elements of truth?
Charles Taze Russell wrote that ‘each of the creeds contain some elements of truth’. He went as far as saying:
What beliefs did the Adventists reject?
Adventists themselves rejected most of Russell’s beliefs (about the object and manner of Christ’s return, second probation, ransom and atonement, parousia, restitution, restoration of the Jews, baptism, resurrection, Church ordinances, even chronology). Quoting the man himself:
What did Russell do as a child?
As a child in Pittsburgh, Russell was exposed to Millennialist ideas that were very common back then and had nothing to do with Adventists . He was impressed by Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, since he referred to it all his life; but also, British Literalists’ Millennialist views found their way into young people’s books, and Russell tells us he read a lot of them. Books by Mary Martha Sherwood, for example, though including the belief in the Trinity and Eternal Torment, also taught openly and abundantly teachings like the Atonement and the Millennium, which Russell would hold all his life. You can check also the Anglican Richard Newton, or Charlotte Elizabeth Tona.
Who were the two main influences of Russell?
In Great Britain it was The Rainbow. Russell’s two main personal influences were George Storrs and George Stetson. Both had long abandoned Millerism when Russell was born. Stetson became an Age-to-Come believer, and Storrs, though more independent (he had his own magazine, The Bible Examiner ), often wrote for The Restitution and even The Rainbow and expressed strong disagreements with Adventists. Adventists themselves rejected most of Russell’s beliefs (about the object and manner of Christ’s return, second probation, ransom and atonement, parousia, restitution, restoration of the Jews, baptism, resurrection, Church ordinances, even chronology).
Who was the pastor of the Congregationalist church in Pittsburgh?
Even in Pittsburgh Calvinist community, Russell was exposed to premillenialist Literalist ideas that were present at least since the 1820s, with people such as Henry D. Moore or William James Reid. The pastor of the Congregationalist church Russell attended wrote and preached on Christ’s return, with zero influence from Miller, but from Literalism.
Was Russell influenced by Miller?
Was Russell influenced by Miller? Perhaps, even if only by an increased interest in the scriptures. Surely, his observations of the American Civil War taught him that so called christian preachers had little use for the words of their Redeemer, blessing cannons and warships while conscripting huge graveyards of blue and grey.