The Millerite Experience Part 2 Before concluding

The Millerite Experience Part 2

“Before concluding the book I became satisfied that the arguments were so clear and that they were so scriptural that it was impossible to disprove the position which Mr. Miller had endeavored to establish. ” {Josiah Litch P 16 church heritage Manuel}

At the very time specified, Turkey, through her ambassadors, accepted the protection to have been of “In the 1840 another remarkable fulfillment "Allowingyear first period, 150 years, of the allied powers of prophecy excited placed herselfinterest. Two throne Europe, and before Deacozes under the control of exactly fulfilledthus widespread ascended the years Christian nations. Litch, one of the leading ministers bybefore, Josiah the Turks, exactly fulfilled the prediction. permission of The event and that the 391 years, (See Appendix. ) When it becameclose of the first were preaching the second at the published an fifteen days, commencedadvent, known, multitudes convincedwillthe. Revelation 9, of August, 1840, fall of the exposition end on the 11 th the principles prophetic period, it of of correctness of predicting theofwhen interpretation power in by Miller andhis may be the Ottoman adopted Constantinople calculations, this Ottoman Empire. According to his associates, and a wonderfulto be broken. giventhis, I believe, movement. Men impetus expectedwas to be was And to the advent 1840, sometime power overthrown "in A. D. will be of learning and position united with Miller, both in found tomonth case. "--Josiah Litch, in Signs of the in the be the of August; " and only a few days preaching and in publishing his views, and from 1840 to Times, andto its accomplishment he wrote: previous Expositor of Prophecy, Aug. 1, 1840… 1844 the work rapidly extended. {GC 335. 1}

“The advent movement of 1840 -44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel’s message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest” {GC 611}

“The message of Revelation 14, proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment is come, is given in the time of the end; and the angel of Revelation 10 is represented as having one foot on the sea and one foot on the land, showing that the message will be carried to distant lands, the ocean will be crossed, and the islands of the sea will hear the proclamation of the last message of warning. . ” {Mar 18. 2}

“The work of God in the earth presents, from age to age, a striking similarity in every great reformation or religious movement. The principles of God’s dealing with men are ever the same. The important movements of the present have their parallel in those of the past, and the experience of the church in former ages has lessons of great value for our own time. ” {The Great Controversy, 343. }

“In June, 1842, Mr. Miller gave his second course of lectures at Casco Street church in Portland [Maine]… with few exceptions, the different denominations closed the doors of the churched against Mr. Miller. ” Testimonies, volume 1, 21.

When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, "Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. " [REV. 14: 8]

“As the churches refused to receive the first angels message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they could not see the light of the second angels message. But the beloved of God who were oppressed, accepted the message, ‘Babylon is fallen, ’ and left the churches. ” EW 237.

Here the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your Brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed. {Isaiah 66: 5}

In many places where the preachers of the Lord's soon coming were thus silenced, God was pleased to send the message, in a miraculous manner, through little children. As they were under age, the law of the state could not restrain them, and they were permitted to speak unmolested. The movement was chiefly among the lower class, and it was in the humble dwellings of the laborers that the people assembled to hear the warning. The child-preachers themselves were mostly poor cottagers. Some of them were not more than six or eight years of age; and while their lives testified that they loved the Saviour, and were trying to live in obedience to God's holy requirements, they ordinarily manifested only the intelligence and ability usually seen in children of that age He put His Spirit upon the children, that the work might be accomplished. …

When Jesus drew near to Jerusalem attended by the rejoicing multitudes that, with shouts of triumph and the waving of palm branches, heralded Him as the Son of David, the jealous Pharisees called upon Him to silence them; but Jesus answered that all this was in fulfillment of prophecy, and if these should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. The people, intimidated by the threats of the priests and rulers, ceased their joyful proclamation as they entered the gates of Jerusalem; but the children in the temple courts afterward took up the refrain, and, waving their branches of palm, they cried: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Matthew 21: 8 -16. When the Pharisees, sorely displeased, said unto Him, "Hearest Thou what these say? " Jesus answered, "Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise? " As God wrought through children at the time of Christ's first advent, so He wrought through them in giving the message of His second advent. God's word must be fulfilled, that the proclamation of the Saviour's coming should be given to all peoples, tongues, and nations. {GC 366 - 367}

“In the summer of 1844, midway between the time when it had been first thought that the 2300 days would end, and the autumn of the same year, to which it was afterward found that they extended, the message was proclaimed in the very words of Scripture: "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!" {GC 398. 3} That which led to this movement was the discovery that the decree of Artaxerxes for the restoration of Jerusalem, which formed the starting point for the period of the 2300 days, went into effect in the autumn of the year 457 B. C. , and not at the beginning of the year, as had been formerly believed. Reckoning from the autumn of 457, the 2300 years terminate in the autumn of 1844. (See Appendix note for page 329. ) {GC 398. 4}

Habbukah 2: 3 -4 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

“God tested and proved His people by the passing of the time in 1843. The mistake made in reckoning the prophetic periods was not at once discovered, even by learned men who opposed the views of those who were looking for Christ's coming. Scholars declared that Mr. Miller was right in his calculation of the time, though they disputed him in regard to the event that would crown that period. But they, and the waiting people of God, were in a common error on the question of time. Those who had been disappointed were not long left in darkness; for in searching the prophetic periods with earnest prayer the error was discovered, and the tracing of the prophetic pencil down through the tarrying time. In the joyful expectation of the coming of Christ, the apparent tarrying of the vision had not been taken into account, and was a sad and unlooked-for surprise. Yet this very trial was necessary to develop and strengthen the sincere believers in the truth. {CET 50. 3

“As in the parable the cry was raised at midnight announcing the approach of the bridegroom, so in the fulfillment, midway between the spring of 1844, when it was first supposed that the 2300 days would close, and the autumn of 1844, at which time it was afterward found that they were really to close, such a cry was raised, in the very words of Scripture: "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him. ” {SR 369. 3}

It produced everywhere the most deep searching of heart and humiliation of soul before the God of high heaven. It caused a weaning of affections from the things of this world, a healing of controversies and animosities, a confession of wrongs, a breaking down before God, and penitent, brokenhearted supplications to Him for pardon and acceptance. It caused self-abasement and prostration of soul, such as we never before witnessed. As God by Joel commanded, when the great day of God should be at hand, it produced a rending of hearts and not of garments, and a turning unto the Lord with fasting, and weeping, and mourning. As God said by Zechariah, a spirit of grace and supplication was poured out upon His children; they looked to Him whom they had pierced, there was a great mourning in the land, . . . and those who were looking for the Lord afflicted their souls before Him.

it passed and the next day it seemed as though all the demons from the bottomless pit were let loose upon us. the same ones and many more who were crying for mercy two days before were now mixed with the rabble and mocking, scoffing and threatening in a most blasphemous manner, words of William miller in a letter dated dec 13 1844

we confidently expected to see Jesus Christ and all the holy angels with him; and that his voice would call up Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the ancient worthies, and dear friends which had been torn from us by death, and that our trials and sufferings, with our earthly pilgrimage would close, and we should be caught up to meet our coming Lord to be forever with him, to inhabit bright golden mansions in the golden home city prepared for the redeemed. Our expectations were raised high, and thus we looked for our coming Lord until the clock tolled 12, at midnight. The day had then passed and our disappointment became a certainty. Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could have been no comparison. …

We wept, and wept, till the day dawn. I mused in my own heart, saying, My advent experience has been the richest and brightest of all my Christian experience. If this had proved a failure, what was the rest of my Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure? Is there no God, no heaven, no golden home city, no paradise? Is all this but a cunningly devised fable? Is there no reality to our fondest hope and expectation of these things? And thus we had something to grieve and weep over, if all our fond hopes were lost. And as I said, we wept till the day dawn. Hiram Edson, manuscript fragment on his "Life and Experience, ” , pp. 4 -5, Ellen G. White Research Center, James White Library, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Mich. 1

Washington Morse of Northfield, Vermont: The day came and passed, and the darkness of another night closed in upon the world. But with that darkness came a pang of disappointment to the advent believers that can find a parallel only in the sorrow of the disciples after the crucifixion of their Lord. The passing of the time was a bitter disappointment. True believers had given up all for Christ, and had shared His presence as never before. The love of Jesus filled every soul; and with inexpressible desire they prayed, "Come, Lord Jesus, and come quickly; " but He did not come. And now, to turn again to the cares, perplexities, and dangers of life, in full view of jeering and reviling unbelievers, who scoffed as never before, was a terrible trial of faith and patience. When Elder Himes visited Waterbury, Vt. , a short time after the passing of the time and stated that the brethren should prepare for another cold winter, my feelings were almost uncontrollable. I left the place of meeting and wept like a child. Washington Morse, "Remembrance of Former Days, " Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 7 May 1901, p. 291, as cited in Nichol, The Midnight Cry, p. 248.

The time of expectation passed, and Christ did not appear for the deliverance of His people. Those who with sincere faith and love had looked for their Saviour, experienced a bitter disappointment. Yet the purposes of God were being accomplished; He was testing the hearts of those professed to be waiting for His appearing. There were among them many who had been actuated by no higher motive than fear. Their profession of faith had not affected their hearts or their lives. When the expected event failed to take place, these persons declared that they were not disappointed; they had never believed that Christ would come. They were among the first to ridicule the sorrow of the true believers. {GC 374. 1}

Matthew 13: 30; “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ” Those repers are the angels

“As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. ” {Early Writings, p. 254}

I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, "Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention. ” {EW 118}

"We started, and while passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed opened 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, 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 Place before coming to the earth The Midnight Cry, 458.

Of all the great religious movements since the days of the apostles, none have been more free from human imperfection and the wiles of Satan than was that of the autumn of 1844. Even now, after the lapse of many years, all who shared in that movement and who have stood firm upon the platform of truth still feel the holy influence of that blessed work and bear witness that it was of God. GC 402

“Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, nations, and tongues and kings. ” {Rev 10: 11}

“Temptations are being brought in by men who have been long in the truth. The truths that we received in 1841, ‘ 42, ‘ 43, and ‘ 44 are now to be studied and proclaimed. The messages of the first, second, and third angels will in the future be proclaimed with a loud voice. They will be given with earnest determination and in the power of the Spirit. ” Manuscript Releases, volume 15, 317.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. Isaiah 22: 20 -23