Sketches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller

“‘IMPORTANT TRUTHS

“‘1. That the heavens and earth which are now, by the word of God, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. That the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. That the Lord will create new heavens and a new earth, wherein righteousness - that is the righteous - will forever dwell. ¹ And that the kingdom and the dominion under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. ² SLWM 344.3

“‘2. That there are but two advents or appearings of the Saviour to this earth. ³ That both are personal and visible. ⁴ That the first took place in the days of Herod, ⁶ when he was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, went about doing good, suffered on the cross, the just for the unjust, died, was buried, arose again the third day, the first-fruits of them that slept, and ascended into the heavens, which must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things, spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets. That the second coming or appearing will take place when he shall descend from Heaven, at the sounding of the last trump, to give his people rest, being revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel. And that he will judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom. SLWM 345.1

“‘3. That the second coming or appearing is indicated to be now emphatically nigh, even at the doors, ¹⁸ by the chronology of the prophetic periods, ¹⁹ the fulfillment of prophecy, ²⁰ and the signs of the times. ²¹ And that this truth should be preached both to saints and sinners, that the first may rejoice, knowing their redemption draweth nigh, ²² and the last be warned to flee from the wrath to come, ²⁴ before the Master of the house shall rise up and shut to the door. SLWM 345.2

“‘4. That the condition of salvation is repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁵ And that those who have repentance and faith will live soberly, and righteously, and godly, in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. ²⁶ SLWM 346.1

“‘5. That there will be a resurrection of the bodies of all the dead, ²⁷ both of the just and the unjust. ²⁸ That those who are Christ’s will be raised at his coming. ³⁰ That the rest of the dead will not live again until after a thousand years. And that the saints shall not all sleep, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump. SLWM 346.2

“‘6. That the only millennium taught in the word of God is the thousand years which are to intervene between the first resurrection and that of the rest of the dead, as inculcated in the 20th of Revelation. ³² And that the various portions of scripture which refer to the millennial state are to have their fulfillment after the resurrection of all the saints who sleep in Jesus. ³³ SLWM 346.3

“‘7. That the promise, that Abraham should be the heir of the world, was not to him or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ³⁴ That they are not all Israel which are of Israel. ³⁵ That there is no difference, under the gospel dispensation, between Jew and Gentile. ³⁷ That the middle wall of partition that was between them is broken down, no more to be rebuilt. That God will render to every man according to his deeds. That if we are Christ’s, then are we Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. And that the only restoration of Israel, yet future, is the restoration of the saints to the earth, created anew, when God shall open the graves of those descendants of Abraham who died in faith, without receiving the promise, with the believing Gentiles who have been grafted in with them into the same olive tree; and shall cause them to come up out of their graves, and bring them, with the living, who are changed, into the land of Israel. SLWM 346.4

“‘8. That there is no promise of this world’s conversion. ⁴¹ That the horn of papacy will war with the saints, and prevail against them, until the Ancient of Days shall come, and judgment be given to the saints of the Most High, and the time come that the saints possess the kingdom. ⁴² That the children of the kingdom, and the children of the wicked one, will continue together until the end of the world, when all things that offend shall be gathered out of the kingdom, and the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. ⁴³ That the man of sin will only be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. ⁴⁴ And that the nations of those which are saved and redeemed to God by the blood of Christ, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, will be made kings and priests unto God, to reign forever on the earth. ⁴⁵ SLWM 347.1

“‘9. That it is the duty of the ministers of the word to continue in the work of preaching the gospel to every creature, even unto the end, ⁴⁶ calling upon them to repent, in view of the fact that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand; ⁴⁷ that their sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. ⁴⁸ SLWM 348.1

“‘10. That the departed saints do not enter their inheritance, or receive their crowns, at death. ⁴⁹ That they without us cannot be made perfect. ⁵⁰ That their inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, is reserved in Heaven, ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁵² That there are laid up for them and us crowns of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give at the day of Christ to all that love his appearing. That they will only be satisfied when they awake in Christ’s likeness. And that, when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” ⁵⁴ Then they will be equal to the angels, being the children of God and of the resurrection. ⁵⁵ SLWM 348.2