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The Millerites; The World is Not Over
Topic Started: Apr 14 2010, 07:45 PM (232 Views)
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March 21, 1843

Today's date has prompted much discussion and speculation in religious circles throughout the country, as today marks the beginning of Baptist preacher William Miller's famous prediction of the end of the world.

Miller became convinced that the world would end in 1843 after studying Daniel 8:14, which says, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." He believed that period's starting point came in 457 B.C. with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem by Artaxerxes I of Persia; applying the "day-year principle," which interprets a prophetic day not as a literal 24-hour period, but rather as a calendar year, Miller then calculated that the "cleansing of the sanctuary" -- the return of Christ -- would fall 2,300 years after 457 B.C., or sometime between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.

Miller's prediction has provoked criticism from mainstream religious leaders, but his followers are anxiously awaiting the end of the world. Some have reportedly sold their possessions and quit their jobs in anticipation of the Second Coming.
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March 30, 1844

March 21st passed without incident and the Millerites began seeking an explanation. After some studying a number of leaders arrived at a new date, based on the Karaite Jewish calendar (instead of the Rabbinic calendar), less than a month from now -- April 18, 1844.
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"For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory."
- Zachary Taylor
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April - November 1844

After the failure of the second date to bring about the end of the world many Millerites again turned to the Bible for explanations. Some speculated that the date was "only in error relative to the event which marked its close," perhaps a matter of months off. William Miller himself wrote that in spite of his obvious mistake, "I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door."

In August at a camp-meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, Millerite Samuel S. Snow presented his own interpretation, which became known as the "seventh-month message" or the "true midnight cry." In a complex discussion based on scriptural typology, Snow presented his conclusion (still based on the 2,300-day prophecy in Daniel 8:14), that Christ would return on "the tenth day of the seventh month of the present year, 1844." The precise date was determined to be October 22, 1844, again using the Karaite calendar. This new date "spread with a rapidity unparalleled in the Millerites experience" amongst the general population.

The passing of October 22 without incident greatly disheartened the Millerites and became known as "The Great Disappointment." Many followers were taunted in public and a number of prominent leaders harassed in both the United States and Canada after the passing of three consecutive deadlines seemed to illustrate the absurdity of their predictions. Most Millerites now seem to want to forget the whole affair and get on with rebuilding their lives.
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"For more than half a century, during which kingdoms and empires have fallen, this Union has stood unshaken. The patriots who formed it have long since descended to the grave; yet still it remains, the proudest monument to their memory."
- Zachary Taylor
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