The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

III. Eight Progressive Epochs in Millerite Development

The Millerite movement, comprising a succession of some eight rather sharply defined but closely connected phases, was all the while gaining momentum and adherents and making itself increasingly felt as a distinct force and influence in the religious world. It grew in size, and gathered strength as it traveled onward—like a snowball under motion-adding to itself fresh bulk and augmented force as it progressed. PFF4 447.2

These eight epochs were so distinct that they might well be likened to the progressive acts in a mighty drama, with its changing scenes but continuing characters, its groups, its dominant theme, its spotlights, its orchestra and great choruses, its movement and its sequences, its climax and its sequel-only this was a sobering reality, not a figment of someone’s fertile imagination. It was not fiction, but a great historical fact, filled with impressive color, form, and movement. Its leading figures were not actors, saying their lines with simulated fervor, but genuine participants, living out their deep convictions. So it was a living, throbbing drama of the most gripping sort. And its leading actors were conspicuous men of the day. PFF4 447.3

The first of these divisions was the period of Miller’s solitary witness in the small towns and rural communities of New York State, New England, and Eastern Canada, with his book of Lectures at last appearing as the one supporting piece of literature. This was roughly from 1831 to 1838—with Miller as a full-time preacher only from 1834 onward. PFF4 448.1

The second phase (1838-1840) was introduced and accelerated by Miller’s entry into the cities, after he had been joined by a number of ministers of influence of different persuasions, along with the augmentation of various other writings, including Litch’s first book, and the first Millerite periodical, the Signs of the Times. PFF4 448.2

Third, came the period of the General Conferences, sixteen in all (1840 to 1842), with marked extension of the movement, the defining and broadcasting of its message, and the increase of its impress upon the American consciousness and thought. To those ministerial General Conferences of preachers must be added the more than one hundred paralleling local conferences, with effective preaching for the laity and characterized by large audiences. PFF4 448.3

Fourth, came the era of the giant camp meetings—thirty-one in three months’ time, and more than 124 in two years (1842, 1843)—and an impressive succession of additional tent meetings with America’s largest canvas pavilion, and a whole battery of more than a score of Adventist periodicals, an expanding Second Advent Library of books and pamphlets, and able preachers spreading their message ever westward, northward, and southward. PFF4 448.4

Fifth, came the rising tide of opposition, of expulsion of members from the churches and ministers from their former conferences, for believing and teaching, testifying and singing, the advent hope—this extending from the summer of 1843 on into the autumn of 1844. Sixth, and rather within the former phase, came the “tarry time,” or “slumber time” as it was often called, for a few months following the close of the Jewish sacred year “1843,” which ended with the passing of April 18, 1844. It was a time of readjustment. PFF4 449.1

Seventh, came the great climactic seventh-month movement, or true Midnight Cry, with some fifty thousand to one hundred thousand persons withdrawing from the churches, and a host of general adherents in addition. It was a period of marked intensity and tremendous action, along with amazing literature circulation and great advances. Some two hundred ordained ministers and nearly two thousand lay lecturers were in the field, supported by a great battery of periodicals, pamphlets, broadsides, and books, swelling in a crescendo, with quickened tempo and increasing results—and reaching from August on to October 22, 1844. They were held together by the invisible bonds of the advent hope, which proved stronger than any mere articles of incorporation. PFF4 449.2

And the eighth phase was, of course, the great and bitter Disappointment, and its aftermath of frustrated hopes and anticipations, which led to a restudy of the whole field of evidence, in order to ascertain the nature of the mistake and to reconstruct plans for the future. This developed into two distinct major divisions, or groups, of Adventists, which have continued their separate ways unto this day—the majority group at the outset slowly shrinking, and with the other slowly, then rapidly spreading, and finally expanding until it belts the globe. The development of this latter group, now leaving the Millerite movement behind, began on the morning of October 23, 1844, the very day succeeding the fateful day of disappointment, continuing into the rebirth and reconstruction of the great Second Advent Movement assuming world proportions. PFF4 449.3

But none of these progressive phases, it should be added, superseded what had been before. Each expansion, or augmentation, introduced new features or emphases into the movement that simply enlarged its scope and increased its effectiveness. Without setting aside any that had gone before, it simply added to what had been used in the past. And all that had formerly been utilized to advantage continued to be employed. PFF4 450.1

Thus the camp meetings were simply a new and expanded method of reaching a great city or community, while churches, halls, theaters, tent meetings, and tabernacles continued to be utilized to the full. And the conferences likewise continued after the camp meetings were introduced. These various features each augmented and enhanced the influence of the other, and together reached more people and different groups. PFF4 450.2