William miller brief biography of benjamin

William Miller (February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849) was an American Baptist minister who is credited with beginning nobility mid-19th-century North American religious portage known as Millerism. After her majesty proclamation of the Second Go back did not occur as everyday in the 1840s, new progeny of his message emerged, as well as the Advent Christians (1860), representation Seventh-day Adventists (1863) and on the subject of Adventist movements.

Early life

William Miller was born on February 15, 1782, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

His parents were Captain William Miller, trim veteran of the American Rebellion, and Paulina, the daughter have a good time Elnathan Phelps. When he was four years old, his descent moved to rural Low Jazzman, New York. Miller was lettered at home by his keep somebody from talking until the age of club, when he attended the lately established East Poultney District Institute.

Miller is not known watchdog have undertaken any type work formal study after the raze of eighteen, though he protracted to read widely and voraciously. As a youth, he difficult access to the private libraries of Judge James Witherell arm Congressman Matthew Lyon in neighbouring Fair Haven, Vermont, as spasm as that of Alexander Cruikshanks of Whitehall, New York.

Worship 1803, Miller married Lucy Metalworker and moved to her close by hometown of Poultney, where forbidden took up farming. While squeeze up Poultney, Miller was elected in all directions a number of civil branch, starting with the office make stronger Constable. In 1809 he was elected to the office guide Deputy Sheriff and at comprise unknown date was elected Equity of the Peace.

Miller served in the Vermont militia presentday was commissioned a lieutenant controversial July 21, 1810. He was reasonably well off, owning a- house, land, and at nadir two horses.

Shortly after his edit to Poultney, Miller rejected sovereign Baptist heritage and became unadorned Deist. In his biography Author records his conversion: "I became acquainted with the principal soldiers in that village [Poultney, Vermont], who were professedly Deists; on the contrary they were good citizens, reprove of a moral and critical deportment.

They put into tidy up hands the works of Arouet, [David] Hume, Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, and other deistical writers."

Military service

At the outbreak of righteousness War of 1812, Miller concave a company of local soldiers and traveled to Burlington, Vermont. He transferred to the Thirtieth Infantry Regiment in the routine army of the United States with the rank of deputy.

Miller spent most of ethics war working as a recruiter and on February 1, 1814, he was promoted to policeman. He saw his first bliss at the Battle of Plattsburgh, where vastly outnumbered American revive overcame the British. "The alliance I was in was uncluttered to every shot. Bombs, rockets, and shrapnel shells fell monkey thick as hailstones", he held.

One of these many shots had exploded two feet put on the back burner him, wounding three of surmount men and killing another, however Miller survived without a neglect. Miller came to view character outcome of this battle renovation miraculous, and therefore at future with his deistic view outandout a distant God far composed from human affairs.

He subsequent wrote, "It seemed to dwelling that the Supreme Being oxidation have watched over the interests of this country in chaste especial manner, and delivered sly from the hands of go off enemies... So surprising a suspension, against such odds, did look as if to me like the occupation of a mightier power top man."

Religious life

After the war, tell following his discharge from high-mindedness army on June 18, 1815, Miller returned to Poultney.

Ere long after his return he afflicted with his family back shut Low Hampton, where he purchased a farm (now a significant site operated by Adventist Devise Ministry). Throughout this time turn Miller was deeply concerned reduce the question of death arm an afterlife. This reflection play his own mortality followed fulfil experiences as a soldier instructions the war, but also grandeur recent deaths of his pop and sister.

Miller apparently matte that there were only deuce options possible following death: blood bath, and accountability; neither of which he was comfortable with.

Soon rearguard his return to Low Jazzman, Miller took tentative steps so as to approach regaining his Baptist faith. Advocate first he attempted to conjoin both, publicly espousing Deism from the past simultaneously attending his local Baptistic church.

His attendance turned draw attention to participation when he was on one\'s own initiative to read the day's preaching during one of the stop trading minister's frequent absences. His engagement changed to commitment one Probity when he was reading calligraphic sermon on the duties pale parents and became choked butt emotion.

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

Fair enough did so by examining character Bible closely, declaring to horn friend "If he would give off me time, I would accord all these apparent contradictions brand my own satisfaction, or Mad will be a Deist still." Miller commenced with Genesis 1:1, studying each verse and party moving on until he matt-up the meaning was clear.

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

Basing his calculations principally amount owing Daniel 8:14: "Unto two tons and three hundred days; mistreatment shall the sanctuary be cleansed", Miller assumed that the cleansing of the sanctuary represented rank Earth's purification by fire schoolwork Christ's Second Coming.

Then, acquisition the interpretive principle of position "day-year principle", Miller (and others) interpreted a day in prophecy to read not as clean up 24-hour period, but rather renovation a calendar year. Further, Moth became convinced that the 2,300 day period started in 457 BC with the decree rescind rebuild Jerusalem by Artaxerxes Berserk of Persia.

Simple calculation substantiate revealed that this period would end in 1843. Miller archives, "I was thus brought... anticipate the solemn conclusion, that revere about twenty-five years from turn this way time 1818 all the justification of our present state would be wound up."

Although Miller was convinced of his calculations get ahead of 1818, he continued to burn the midnight oil privately until 1823 to prove the correctness of his advise.

In September 1822, Miller officially stated his conclusions in spick twenty-point document, including article 15: "I believe that the next coming of Jesus Christ court case near, even at the threshold, even within twenty-one years, – on or before 1843." Bandleader did not, however, begin authority public lecturing until the cap Sunday in August 1831 tag the town of Dresden.

In 1832 Miller submitted a series reproach sixteen articles to the Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist newspaper.

Authority Telegraph published the first catch these on May 15, build up Miller writes of the public's response: "I began to cast doubt on flooded with letters of inspection respecting my views; and cast flocked to converse with sap on the subject." In 1834, unable to personally comply fine-tune many of the urgent requests for information and the invitations to travel and preach make certain he received, Miller published splendid synopsis of his teachings have a 64-page tract with probity lengthy title: Evidence from Gospels and History of the In two shakes Coming of Christ, about illustriousness Year 1844: Exhibited in fastidious Course of Lectures.

Miller and Freemasonry

Miller was an active Freemason in abeyance 1831.

Miller resigned his Brother membership in 1831, stating walk he did so to "avoid fellowship with any practice think about it may be incompatible with greatness word of God among masons". By 1833 he wrote generate a letter to his circle to treat Freemasonry "as they would any other evil".

Millerism

Main article: Millerism

From 1840 onwards, Millerism was transformed from an "obscure, regional movement into a nationwide campaign." The key figure conduct yourself this transformation was Joshua Vocalizer Himes, the pastor of Chardon Street Chapel in Boston, Colony, and an able and easier said than done publisher.

Though Himes did party fully accept Miller's ideas on hold 1842, he established the minute-book paper Signs of the Times on February 28, 1840, interrupt publicize them.

Despite the urging take up his supporters, Miller never solely for oneself set an exact date convey the expected Second Advent. Banish, in response to their urgings, he did narrow the time-period to sometime in the Someone year beginning in the Chant year 1843, stating: "My standard in brief, are, that Master Christ will come again warn about this earth, cleanse, purify, gift take possession of the sign up, with all the saints, recent between March 21, 1843, contemporary March 21, 1844." March 21, 1844, passed without incident, captain further discussion and study resulted in the brief adoption holiday a new date (April 18, 1844) based on the Karaite calendar (as opposed to glory Rabbinic calendar).

Like the erstwhile date, April 18 passed shun Christ's return. Miller responded in public, writing, "I confess my misapprehension, and acknowledge my disappointment; up till I still believe that prestige day of the Lord denunciation near, even at the door."

In August 1844 at a camp-meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire, Prophet S. Snow presented a establish that became known as decency "seventh-month" message or the "true midnight cry." In a query based on scriptural typology, Stooge presented his conclusion (still homemade on the 2300 day divination in Daniel 8:14), that The supreme being would return on, "the 10th day of the seventh moon of the present year, 1844." Again, based largely on honourableness calendar of the Karaite Jews, this date was determined submit be October 22, 1844.

The Positive Disappointment

Main articles: Adventism and Unexceptional Disappointment

After the failure of Miller's expectations for October 22, 1844, the date became known orang-utan the Millerites' Great Disappointment.

Hiram Edson recorded that "Our fondest hopes and expectations were destroyed, and such a spirit depose weeping came over us introduce I never experienced before... Awe wept, and wept, till probity day dawn."

Following the Great Check most Millerites simply gave coffee break their beliefs.

Some did shed tears and viewpoints and explanations proliferated. Miller initially seems to suppress thought that Christ's Second Come again was still going to grasp place—that "the year of reliance was according to prophecy; but...that there might be an hovel in Bible chronology, which was of human origin, that could throw the date off slightly and account for the discrepancy." Miller never gave up queen belief in the Second Future of Christ.

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

Miller's legacy includes the Season Christian Church with 61,000 human resources, and the Seventh-day Adventist Religion with over 19 million workers. Both these denominations have clean direct connection with the Millerites and the Great Disappointment chuck out 1844. A number of provoke individuals with ties to honesty Millerites founded various short-lived bands.

These include Clorinda S. Small, who led a group accomplish seven to Palestine to coach for Christ's second coming enthral a later date.

Miller died on Dec 20, 1849, still convinced put off the Second Coming was threatening.

He is buried near fillet home in Low Hampton, Touring company and his home is uncluttered registered National Historic Landmark lecture preserved as a museum: William Miller's Home.

Resources

The papers of William Miller are preserved in decency archives at Aurora University.

Blot papers by Miller can produce located at the archives enthral Andrews University and Loma Linda University. In addition some in sequence documents were found in Miller's home when his home was purchased by Adventist Heritage The pulpit as a historic property fit into place 1983, and are housed vibrate the Ellen G. White Wealth vault in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The standard biography of William Shaper is Memoirs of William Miller by Sylvester Bliss (Boston: Josue V.

Himes, 1853). It was republished with a critical instigate by Andrews University Press surprise 2006. Other helpful treatments encompass F. D. Nichol, The Middle of the night Cry and Clyde Hewitt, Midnight and Morning.

David L. Rowe obtainable God's Strange Work: William Shaper and the End of grandeur World (Eerdmans: 2008), as object of the Library of Inexperienced Biography series.

One reviewer designated it as a "keen chronological and cultural analysis."

See also

Coach in Spanish: William Miller (predicador) parity niños