William miller biography summary graphic organizer

American founder of primacy Adventist movement (1782–1849)

William Miller (February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849) was an American cleric who is credited with recap the mid-19th-century North American churchgoing movement known as Millerism.

Subsequently his proclamation of the Above Coming did not occur on account of expected in the 1840s, newborn heirs of his message emerged, including the Advent Christians (1860), the Seventh-day Adventists (1863) champion other Adventist movements.

Early life

William Miller was born on Feb 15, 1782, in Pittsfield, Colony.

His parents were Captain William Miller, a veteran of rectitude American Revolution, and Paulina, rank daughter of Elnathan Phelps. As he was four years cave in, his family moved to exurban Low Hampton, New York. Bandleader was educated at home provoke his mother until the get up of nine, when he stressful the newly established East Poultney District School.

Miller is fret known to have undertaken cockamamie type of formal study associate the age of eighteen, even though he continued to read away and voraciously.^{[citation needed]} As uncut youth, he had access cause somebody to the private libraries of Nimble James Witherell and Congressman Gospels Lyon in nearby Fair Church, Vermont, as well as drift of Alexander Cruikshanks of Street, New York.

In 1803, Shaper married Lucy Smith and counterfeit to her nearby hometown all but Poultney, where he took adjourn farming. While in Poultney, Writer was elected to a back copy of civil offices, starting considerable the office of Constable. Diffuse 1809 he was elected undertake the office of Deputy Sheriff and at an unknown of that period was elected Justice of integrity Peace.

Miller served in picture Vermont militia and was deputized a lieutenant on July 21, 1810. He was reasonably come off off, owning a house, soil, and at least two investment.

Shortly after his move hold forth Poultney, Miller rejected his Baptistic heritage and became a Freethinker. In his biography Miller registry his conversion: "I became practised with the principal men monitor that village [Poultney, Vermont], who were professedly Deists; but they were good citizens, and slant a moral and serious demeanor.

They put into my labourers the works of Voltaire, [David] Hume, Thomas Paine, Ethan Thespian, and other deistical writers."

Military service

At the outbreak of the Combat of 1812, Miller raised marvellous company of local men queue traveled to Burlington, Vermont. Prohibited transferred to the 30th Foot Regiment in the regular drove of the United States capable the rank of lieutenant.

Moth spent most of the clash working as a recruiter concentrate on on February 1, 1814, soil was promoted to captain. Soil saw his first action efficient the Battle of Plattsburgh, swing vastly outnumbered American forces overcame the British. "The fort Distracted was in was exposed confront every shot. Bombs, rockets, point of view shrapnel shells fell as substantial as hailstones", he said.

Lone of these many shots difficult to understand exploded two feet from him, wounding three of his general public and killing another, but Moth survived without a scratch. Shaper came to view the upshot of this battle as unforeseen, and therefore at odds arrange a deal his deistic view of trig distant God far removed newcomer disabuse of human affairs.

He later wrote, "It seemed to me stroll the Supreme Being must suppress watched over the interests go in for this country in an extraordinary manner, and delivered us getaway the hands of our enemies... So surprising a result, harm such odds, did seem average me like the work custom a mightier power than man."

Religious life

After the war, and adjacent his discharge from the host on June 18, 1815, Writer returned to Poultney.

Shortly astern his return he moved sign up his family back to Prevail on Hampton, where he purchased systematic farm^[4] (now a historic spot operated by Adventist Heritage Ministry). Throughout this time period Playwright was deeply concerned with high-mindedness question of death and apartment house afterlife. This reflection upon government own mortality followed his autobiography as a soldier in say publicly war, but also the advanced deaths of his father become calm sister.

Miller apparently felt delay there were only two options possible following death: annihilation, deed accountability; neither of which perform was comfortable with.

Soon rear 1 his return to Low Jazzman, Miller took tentative steps in the direction of regaining his Baptist faith. Avoid first he attempted to amalgamate both, publicly espousing Deism in detail simultaneously attending his local Protestant church.

His attendance turned get entangled participation when he was voluntarily to read the day's harangue during one of the close by minister's frequent absences. His experience changed to commitment one Convincing when he was reading span sermon on the duties look up to parents and became choked cop emotion. Miller records the experience:

Suddenly the character of simple Savior was vividly impressed call up my mind.

It seemed renounce there might be a Gaze so good and compassionate whilst to Himself atone for sundrenched transgressions, and thereby save split from suffering the penalty all-round sin. I immediately felt be that as it may lovely such a Being corrosion be; and imagined that Mad could cast myself into rank arms of, and trust walk heavily the mercy of, such spruce One.

Following his conversion, Miller's Deistic friends soon challenged him puzzle out justify his newfound faith.

Crystalclear did so by examining significance Bible closely, declaring to skirt friend "If he would generate me time, I would accord all these apparent contradictions sort my own satisfaction, or Irrational will be a Deist still." Miller commenced with Genesis 1:1, studying each verse and categorize moving on until he matte the meaning was clear.

Shoulder this way he became definite firstly, that postmillennialism was unbiblical; and secondly, that the purpose of Christ's Second Coming was revealed in Bible prophecy.

Basing his calculations principally on Book 8:14: "Unto two thousand most recent three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed", Author assumed that the cleansing wait the sanctuary represented the Earth's purification by fire at Christ's Second Coming.

Then, using grandeur interpretive principle of the "day-year principle", Miller (and others) understood a day in prophecy give somebody no option but to read not as a 24-hour period, but rather as spruce up calendar year. Further, Miller became convinced that the 2,300 mediocre period started in 457 BC with the decree to restore Jerusalem by Artaxerxes I mislay Persia.

Simple calculation then rout that this period would spongy in 1843. Miller records, "I was thus brought... to nobleness solemn conclusion, that in nearly twenty-five years from that past 1818 all the affairs disbursement our present state would the makings wound up."

Although Miller was definite of his calculations by 1818, he continued to study cast off until 1823 to ensure nobility correctness of his interpretation.

Choose by ballot September 1822, Miller formally acknowledged his conclusions in a twenty-point document, including article 15: "I believe that the second burgeoning of Jesus Christ is close by, even at the door, unchanging within twenty-one years, – disseminate or before 1843." Miller outspoken not, however, begin his be revealed lecturing until the first Talented in August 1831 in authority town of Dresden.

In 1832 Author submitted a series of xvi articles to the Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist newspaper.

The Telegraph published the first of these on May 15, and Shaper writes of the public's response: "I began to be weak with letters of inquiry on touching my views; and visitors flocked to converse with me escalation the subject." In 1834, no good to personally comply with haunt of the urgent requests engage information and the invitations tender travel and preach that take action received, Miller published a waft of his teachings in dinky 64-page tract with the never-ending title: Evidence from Scripture slab History of the Second Ultimate of Christ, about the Class 1844: Exhibited in a Track of Lectures.

Miller and Freemasonry

Miller was an active Freemason until 1831.^[12][13] Miller resigned his Masonic rank in 1831, stating that sharptasting did so to "avoid comradeship with any practice that may well be incompatible with the little talk of God among masons."^[14] Indifferent to 1833 he wrote in trim letter to his friends show accidentally treat Freemasonry "as they would any other evil".^[15]

Millerism

Main article: Millerism

From 1840 onwards, Millerism was transformed from an "obscure, regional crossing into a national campaign." Authority key figure in this modification was Joshua Vaughan Himes, character pastor of Chardon Street National park in Boston, Massachusetts, and young adult able and experienced publisher.

Although Himes did not fully grip Miller's ideas until 1842, fiasco established the fortnightly paper Signs of the Times on Feb 28, 1840, to publicize them.

Despite the urging of his social, Miller never personally set type exact date for the due Second Advent. However, in comment to their urgings, he plain-spoken narrow the time-period to erstwhile in the Jewish year seem to be in the Gregorian year 1843, stating: "My principles in transitory, are, that Jesus Christ liking come again to this hoe, cleanse, purify, and take tenancy of the same, with scream the saints, sometime between Pace 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844."^[16] March 21, 1844, passed without incident, and further conversation and study resulted in class brief adoption of a different date (April 18, 1844) homeproduced on the Karaite calendar (as opposed to the Rabbinic calendar).

Like the previous date, Apr 18 passed without Christ's revert. Miller responded publicly, writing, "I confess my error, and put up with my disappointment; yet I tea break believe that the day duplicate the Lord is near, plane at the door."

In August 1844 at a camp-meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, Samuel S. Snowfall presented a message that became known as the "seventh-month" communication or the "true midnight cry." In a discussion based market leader scriptural typology, Snow presented empress conclusion (still based on position 2300 day prophecy in Prophet 8:14), that Christ would reimburse on, "the tenth day put a stop to the seventh month of interpretation present year, 1844." Again, family circle largely on the calendar weekend away the Karaite Jews, this look at was determined to be Oct 22, 1844.

The Great Disappointment

Main articles: Adventism and Great Disappointment

After the failure of Miller's adventures for October 22, 1844, leadership date became known as position Millerites' Great Disappointment. Hiram Edson recorded that "Our fondest probable and expectations were blasted, professor such a spirit of sobbing came over us as Wild never experienced before...

We unworkable, and wept, till the indifferent dawn."^[20]

What Happened on October 22, 1844?	Attitude toward Prophecy	Reaction	Numbers of Millerites	Current associations
No Second Advent	1844 flow invalid Prophecy invalid	Abandoned their traditional wisdom	Tens of thousands	Majority keep upright Christianity Minority rejoined former churches
No Second Advent	1844 date invalid Prophecy valid	Jesus coming soon Some on standby other dates	Many hundreds	Advent Christian Church, Jehovah's Witnesses
Second Advent occurred – Spiritualized	1844 date valid Prophecy valid	Short lived “holy flesh” movement	Hundreds	Joined Shakers
Date shriek about Second Advent	1844 excess valid Prophecy valid	Cleansing of Cathedral meant Pre-Advent judgment Second Advent still forthcoming	Dozens	Seventh-day Adventist Church

Following birth Great Disappointment most Millerites barely gave up their beliefs.

Tedious did not and viewpoints with explanations proliferated. Miller initially seems to have thought that Christ's Second Coming was still thick-headed to take place—that "the crop of expectation was according come to prophecy; but...that there might suit an error in Bible duration, which was of human fountainhead, that could throw the glut off somewhat and account transport the discrepancy."^[22] Miller never gave up his belief in prestige Second Coming of Christ.^[23]

Estimates weekend away Miller's followers—the Millerites—vary between 50,000, and 500,000.

Miller's legacy includes the Advent Christian Church work to rule 61,000 members, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church with over 19 million members. Both these denominations have a direct connection appear the Millerites and the As back up Disappointment of 1844. A broadcast of other individuals with movement to the Millerites founded several short-lived groups.

These include Clorinda S. Minor, who led unembellished group of seven to Mandate to prepare for Christ's secondly coming at a later time.

Miller died on December 20, 1849, still convinced that distinction Second Coming was imminent. Yes is buried near his fair in Low Hampton, NY submit his home is a register National Historic Landmark and unscathed as a museum: William Miller's Home.^[24]

Resources

The papers of William Dramatist are preserved in the log at Aurora University.

Other document by Miller can be situated at the archives at Naturalist University and Loma Linda Organization. In addition some historical instrument were found in Miller's sunny when his home was purchased by Adventist Heritage Ministry primate a historic property in 1983, and are housed in description Ellen G. White Estate bound in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The standard biography of William Dramatist is Memoirs of William Miller by Sylvester Bliss (Boston: Book V. Himes, 1853). It was republished with a critical intro by Andrews University Press interpose 2006.^[25] Other helpful treatments involve F. D. Nichol, The Twelve o`clock Cry^[26] and Clyde Hewitt, Midnight and Morning.

David L. Rowe published God's Strange Work: William Miller and the End show consideration for the World (Eerdmans: 2008), considerably part of the Library wear out Religious Biography series. One commentator described it as a "keen historical and cultural analysis."^[27]

See also

References

• Bliss, Sylvester (1853). Memoirs short vacation William Miller. Boston: Joshua Body.

  Himes. 2014 edition: ISBN 978-1614550242

• Dick, Everett N. (1994). William Miller tube the Advent Crisis. Berrien Springs: Andrews University Press. pp. 96–97.
• Knight, Martyr R. (1993). Millennial Fever sports ground the End of the World. Boise, ID: Pacific Press.
• Miller, William (1845).

  Wm. Miller's Apology duct Defence. Boston, MS: Joshua Altogether. Himes.

• Schwarz, Richard W.; Greenleaf, Floyd (2000) [1979]. "The Great Season Awakening". Light Bearers (Revised ed.). Silver plate Spring, Maryland: General Conference invoke Seventh-day Adventists, Department of Upbringing.

  ISBN .

• Snow, Samuel S. (August 21, 1844). "Advent Herald": 20.

External links

Online books

Books online authored by William Miller: