The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

II. Prophetic “Evidences” Outlined for Andrus Early in 1831

Little is actually known of these largely silent years. But Miller made notes in what he called a “Text Book,” on the special sermons preached at Hampton by visiting ministers between January and August, 1829. This, fortunately, has been preserved. There were usually two services at the church, one in the “A.M.” and one in the “P.M.” “Elder Andrus” was the preacher most frequently noted. There are also outlines of sermons by “Elder Fuller,” of Poultney, who later was one of the first ministers to accept Miller’s positions on the advent. Some of these outlines are fairly complete. He was thus unconsciously becoming acquainted with the construction of sermons, which was to prove highly helpful to him later. PFF4 478.3

Andrus evidently was one of those to whom Miller candidly expressed his convictions on the second advent, as an eight-page manuscript attests, written to him on February 15, 1831. It bears the heading, “A Few Evidences of the Time of the 2nd Coming of Christ to Eldr. Andrus by Wm. Miller.” It is a somewhat formal presentation of prophetic evidences, made six months before Miller’s first public address. It is highly revealing, as it discloses that Miller’s views had at that time fairly well crystallized into a system of exposition, with each prophecy tied into the other prophecies in balanced relationship. The opening sentence is quite comprehensive and defines the terms under discussion. It reads: PFF4 479.1

“The 1st proof we have, as it respects Christ’s 2nd coming as to time, is in Dan’l, 8.14. ‘unto 2300 days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed’—by days we are to understand years, sanctuary we understand the church; cleansed we may reasonably suppose means that compleat redemption from sin, both soul and body, after the resurrection, when Christ comes the 2nd time ‘without sin unto salvation.’ ² PFF4 479.2

1. REITERATES STANDARD POSITIONS ON Daniel 7 and 8

Then Miller presents a bird’s-eye view of the evidence from Daniel 7 on the four successive world empires-Babylonia, Persia, Grecia, and Rome—which lead on through to the second advent. The Little Horn is declared to be the Antichrist, and the time of his reign, 1260 years, with the judgment day as the climax of the outline. Next follows a discussion of Daniel 8, depicting Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome, and the 2300 years extending to the end of the prophecy. And Daniel 9 is given as the explanatory key to unlock the vision of Daniel 8. Miller is not at this time as positive on the dating of the 2300 years as he became by the time of his first sermon, on August 14. Now, in February, in writing to Andrus he simply places it, approximately, from “about 455” to “about 1845.” ³ PFF4 479.3

2. CHALLENGES POPULAR VIEW OF TEMPORAL MILLENNIUM

Miller turns next to the book of Revelation to “consult the times spoken of there,” which he said were similarly drawing to their close. And the “prevailing opinion of the day,” on the temporal millennium, is vigorously discussed by Miller, who plainly and emphatically declares, “I know of no scripture to warrant such a conclusion.” He then alludes to the “mystical meaning” deduced from the six days of creation week, and avers that the prevalent false millennial theory “has led mankind into more delusion than any other thing or manner of explaining Scripture ever did.” That was always the crux of his difference with the popular theologians of his day, as is clearly noted here. ⁴ PFF4 480.1

3. ENDS 1335 YEARS WITH 2300 IN “1843.”

Miller now surveys the positive New Testament evidences on the second coming of Christ. These he lists as follows: Christ will come when His “mediatorial” work is finished. He will come when Antichrist is destroyed after his 1260-year reign ends; when the earth is under the third woe; when the seventh trumpet sounds and the seventh vial is poured out; when the last great battle between the kings of the earth takes place; and when Daniel’s 1290 year-days have ended. Then he observes: “Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to 1335 days, which is 45 years more [than the 1290 years] and it will bring us down to 1843—the same time of Daniel’s 2300 days.” ⁵ PFF4 480.2

4. ENDS 1260 YEARS IN 1798; 391 YEARS IN 1843

The slaying of the “two witnesses,” which he held to be the Old and New Testaments, was placed from 1793 to 1796, as related to the pope’s loss of power for a time in 1798. Since then the Bible Societies have caused the Bible to arise again, and missionary societies have been formed to distribute and expound it. Miller felt that mankind had entered upon the time of the last woe, and that the 391 years of the sixth trumpet, in Revelation 9:15, were from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to 1843. He thought they were likewise living in the period of the preaching of the special gospel message of Revelation 10:12, when prophetic “time” should be no more. The sixth vial, he felt, had been poured out on the Turks, and their strength was in process of being dried up to make way for the coming of the kings of the East. ⁶ PFF4 480.3

5. LAST GREAT CRISIS EXPECTED IN 1843-1847

The “last woe, the 7th trumpet, and the seventh vial closes the scene of this world,” Miller averred. “Then Christ comes with his saints, and destroys the wicked, burns up the world, and lives and reigns with his people a 1000 years in the new earth and new heavens.” Then he brings his summary of “evidences” to a close with this comprehensive statement: PFF4 481.1

“From the force of the scripture testimony I am led irresistibly to believe that the civil Power of the Pope (antichrist) did end in 1798 since which time she has not trod the Chh [church] under her feet, nor reigned over the Kings of the Earth, and that in 45 years more Daniel vision will end, and Christ will come. One thing only remains to be accomplished, that is the great Battle in which all the Kings of the Earth will be engaged, the Kings, Antichrist—and the Mahomatans are ‘the 3 unclean spirits’ which will be engaged in this war, against those who will contend for Liberty, and the rights of conscience, and 1843 or 1847 at most Christ will come the 2nd time without sin unto salvation.” ⁷ Little did he realize that some of the finest minds in the Old World, as well as in the New, had anticipated his conclusions, and virtually agreed in the time. This he came only gradually to find out. Such were Miller’s views as they were crystallizing, shortly before his first sermon on the prophecies in the summer of 1831. In the main they corresponded with what scores had written and published in the early decades of the nineteenth century, in both the Old World and the New, before Miller had written out his convictions. But writing such a manuscript to a ministerial friend could not free his mind from that impelling sense of duty that he must publicly proclaim his faith. PFF4 481.2