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THE GREAT SECOND ADVENT AWAKENING
As the 18th century began, a great wave of interest in the Bible swept over America. At that time, many godly scholars, in many countries and of many denominations, simultaneously came to the conclusion, from their study of Bible prophecy, that the coming of Christ was near. Between 1820 and 1830, more than 300 clergymen of the Church of England, and twice that number of Nonconformists, were advocating this belief.
In America, a similar advent movement began, supported by 200 leading clergymen~including Presbyterian, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and Methodists. Led by William Miller, a licensed Baptist preacher and former army captain in the War of 1812, between 1831 and 1844, they launched the "great second advent awakening" which eventually spread throughout most of the Christian world. Based on his study of the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, Miller calculated that Jesus would return to earth on October 22, 1844. When Jesus did not appear, Miller's followers experienced what became to be called "the great Disappointment."
William Miller and his followers expected Christ to come in 1844. When that time passed without the appearance of Jesus, disappointment crushed the believers. Many lost heart and gave up the faith. Others, convinced that God was with them, continued their study of the Bible.
Soon they were reminded of something that brought immense comfort and relief. Long ago there had also been a religious movement which had suffered a great disappoinment~the Christian church itself. When Jesus died on the cross, His disciples felt crushed, confused, and utterly defeated. With the scoffing of unbelievers ringing in their ears, they mourned, "We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel." Luke 24:21.
Yet even though the disciples' expectation had failed, God was still with them. He had been leading them all along and planned a bright future for their movement. Likewise, the Adventists had been led by God during their great disappointment. Although many became discouraged and forfeited the "blessed hope", and others became more convinced than ever that God had been leading them and had plans for their future.
Most of the thousands, who had joined the movement, left it, in deep disillusionment. A few, however, went back to their Bibles to find why they had been disappointed. Soon they concluded that the October 22 date had indeed been correct, but that Miller had predicted the wrong event for that day. They became convinced that the Bible prophecy predicted not that Jesus would return to earth in 1844, but that He would begin at that time a special ministry in heaven for His followers. They still looked for Jesus to come soon, however, as do Seventh-day Adventists yet today.
Q: Hasn't the Seventh-day Adventist Church a number of times set a date for the second coming of Christ?
A: Though William Miller's movement did set a time for the return of Christ ~ and while it is true that some who joined Miller in looking for Christ to return in the year 1844 later helped establish the Seventh-day Adventist Church ~ the church has never set a date for the second coming of Christ. We hold to the Bible teaching that no man can know the exact date of Christ's return. Click here: Mark 13:32
Before long, additional light came to an Adventist group in New England through a young Seventh-day Baptist woman, Rachel Oaks Preston. She called their attention to the fourth commandment, showing that God had never withdrawn Sabbath rest from His people. True, the Sabbath had been nearly forgotten during the dark centuries. Yet the seventh day remains an eternal memorial of the work of Jesus. Adventists eagerly accepted this unexpected gem of neglected truth.
From this small group who refused to give up after the "great disappointment" arose several leaders who built the foundation of what would become the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Standing out among these leaders were a young couple--James and Ellen G. White -- and a retired sea captain named Joseph Bates.
This small nucleus of "Adventists" began to grow -- mainly in the New England states of America, where Miller's movement had begun. Ellen G. White, a mere teenager at the time of the "great Disappointment," grew into a gifted author, speaker and administrator, who would become and remain the trusted spiritual counselor of the Adventist family for more than seventy years until her death in 1915. Early Adventists came to believe -- as have Adventists ever since -- that she enjoyed God's special guidance as she wrote her counsels to the growing body of believers.
In 1860, at Battle Creek Michigan, the loosely knit congregations of Adventists chose the name Seventh-day Adventist and in 1863 formally organized a church body with a membership of 3,500. At first, work was largely confined to North America until 1874 when the Church's first missionary, J. N. Andrews, was sent to Switzerland. Africa was penetrated briefly in 1879 when Dr. H. P. Ribton, an early convert in Italy, moved to Egypt and opened a school, but the project ended when riots broke out in the vicinity. The first non-Protestant Christian country entered was Russia, where an Adventist minister went in 1886. On October 20, 1890, the schooner Pitcairn was launched at San Francisco and was soon engaged in carrying missionaries to the Pacific Islands. Seventh-day Adventist workers first entered non-Christian countries in 1894 -- Gold Coast (Ghana), West Africa, and Matabeleland, South Africa. The same year saw missionaries entering South America, and in 1896 there were representatives in Japan. The Church now has established work in 209 countries.
The publication and distribution of literature were major factors in the growth of the Advent movement. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (now the Adventist Review), general church paper, was launched in Paris, Maine, in 1850; the Youth's Instructor in Rochester, New York, in 1852; and the Signs of the Times in Oakland, California, in 1874. The first denominational publishing house at Battle Creek , Michigan, began operating in 1855 and was duly incorporated in 1861 under the name of Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association.
The Health Reform Institute, later known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium, opened its doors in 1866, and missionary society work was organized on a statewide basis in 1870. The first of the Church's worldwide network of schools was established in 1872, and 1877 saw the formation of statewide Sabbath school associations. In 1903, the denominational headquarters was moved from Battle Creek, Michigan, to Washington, D.C.
Today the Second Advent awakening continues, but not through the work of the Conference churches, but through self-supporting ministers and members. The movement did not die when the pioneers died. The great Second Advent awakening is all ours (the independent Adventists). We are doing the work God entrusted to the early believers.
If you are a member of a Conference church…and want to be part of this movement…you will discover this to be impossible…you will be cast out of their churches. Do you want to help us preach earth’s final message? Then become a member of Antioch Ministry…all you have to do to join us is to leave these apostate Adventist congregations. The Conference churches have been taken over by the Jesuits of Rome. Are you willing to step out in faith and continue the reformation, which these Jesuits are trying to stop? Then please contact our ministry, we will tell you more about becoming a true historic Adventist. Remember, the Conference is not preaching the historic Adventist message…God need you…Now is the time of the great awakening ,now is the time of the latter rain.
***Please tell other Adventists who are searching for the pure remnant faith, that we are helping to free God’s people from modern Egypt and Babylon, tell them that they can return God’s money to people who are doing the work, tell them that the celebration movement and the new theology is not part of our worship, tell them to call us…we have a home church…you can become members***