I wrote the book 1844: Convergence in Prophecy for Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith because I am a descendant of Millerism and the Adventist movement
I wanted to know more about it. My mother’s father, my grandfather, belonged to the Advent Christian Church, an offshoot of Millerism, and raised his family in it. He and other Advent Christians expected the return of Christ any day.
As I started the research, I soon found fascinating aspects of William Miller’s life and the movement named after him. I was intrigued by the larger story that emerged and its meaning for us today. Millerism was a major factor in the subsequent growth of Adventist and evangelical populations who may be ready to accept that the return of the Christ, which they still ardently await, occurred in 1844. He appeared in the East as the prophet Ezekiel had foretold.
Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
(Ezek. 43:1‒5)
And the prophet Daniel foretold the year 1844.
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?”
(Dan. 8:13–14)
He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.”
The starting date for biblical prophetic counting is 457 BCE, the year the Persian king Artaxerxes issued the decree allowing the Jews to return from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and their temple. The number 456 plus 1,844 equaled 2,300 years.
My book gives an extensive history of Millerism, the Great Disappointment, the offshoot Adventist churches, other time prophecies of Daniel, and how the Millerite movement was part of the plan of God.