1842_William Miller Evidence From Scripture.pdf

EVIDENCE

FROM

SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY

OF THE

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST,

ABOUT

THE YEAR 1843;

EXHIBITED

IN A COURSE OF LECTURES.

_________

B Y WILLIAM MILLER.

_________

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HIMES,

14 Devonshire Street.

1842.

INTRODUCTION.

_________

I N presenting these Lectures to the public, the writer is only complying with the

solicitations of some of his friends, who have requested that his views on the Prophecies

of Daniel and John might be made public. The reader is therefore requested to give the

subject a careful and candid perusal, and compare every part with the standard of Divine

Truth; for if the explanation the writer has given to the scriptures under consideration

should prove correct, the reader will readily perceive that it concerns us all, and becomes

doubly important to us, because we live on the eve of one of the most important events

ever revealed to man by the wisdom of God--the judgment of the great day.

In order that the reader may have an understanding of my manner of studying the

Prophecies, by which I have come to the following result, I have thought proper to give

some of the rules of interpretation which I have adopted to understand prophecy.

Prophetical scripture is very much of it communicated to us by figures and highly

and richly adorned metaphors; by which I mean that figures such as beasts, birds, air or

wind, water, fire, candlesticks, lamps, mountains, islands, &c., are used to represent

things prophesied of--such as kingdoms, warriors, principles, people, judgments,

churches, word of God, large and smaller governments. It is metaphorical also, showing

some peculiar quality of the thing prophesied of, by the most prominent feature or quality

of the figure used, as beasts --if a lion, power and rule; if a leopard, celerity; if a bear,

voracious; an ox, submissive; a man, proud and independent. Fire denotes justice and

judgment in its figure; in the metaphor, denotes the purifying or consuming up the dross

or wickedness; as fire has a cleansing quality, so will the justice or judgments of God.

"For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn

righteousness." Therefore almost all the figures used in prophecy have their literal and

metaphorical meaning; as beasts denote, literally, a kingdom, so metaphorically good or

bad, as the case may be, to be understood by the subject in connection.

To understand the literal meaning of figures used in prophecy, I have pursued the

following method:--I find the word " beast " used in a figurative sense; I take my

concordance, trace the word, and in Daniel vii. 17, it is explained to mean "kings or

kingdoms." Again, I come across the words " bird or fowl, " and in Isa. xlvi. 11, it is used

meaning a conqueror or warrior,--Cyrus. Also, in Ezekiel xxxix. 4-9, denotes armies or

conquerors. Again, the words " air or wind, " as used in Rev. ix. 2, and 16, 17, to

understand which I turn to Eph. ii. 2, and 4-14, and there learn that it is used as a figure to

denote the theories of worldly men or vain philosophy. Again, " water or rivers " are used

as figures in Rev. xvii. 15, it is explained to mean "people or nations." " Rivers " of course

mean the nation or people living on the river mentioned, as in Rev., xvi. 12. " Fire " is

often used in a figurative sense; explained in Num. xxi. 27-28, Deut. xxxii. 22, Psal.

lxxviii. 21, Heb. xii. 29, to mean justice and judgment.

As prophecy is a language somewhat different from other parts of Scripture,

owing to its having been revealed in vision, and that highly figurative, yet God in his

wisdom has so interwoven the several prophecies, that the events foretold are not all told

by one prophet, and although they lived and prophesied in different ages of the world, yet

they tell us the same things; so you take away one, and a link will be wanting. There is a

general connection through the whole; like a well-regulated community they all move in

unison, speaking the same things, observing the same rules, so that a Bible reader may

almost with propriety suppose, let him read in what prophecy he may, that he is reading

the same prophet, the same author. This will appear evident to any one who will compare

scripture with scripture. For example, see Dan. xii. 1, Matt. xxiv. 21. Isa. xlvii. 8. Zeph.

ii. 15, Rev. xviii. 7. There never was a book written that has a better connection and

harmony than the Bible, and yet it has the appearance of a great store-house full of all the

precious commodities heart could desire, thrown in promiscuously; therefore, the biblical

student must select and bring together every part of the subject he wishes to investigate,

from every part of the Bible; then let every word have its own Scripture meaning, every

sentence its proper bearing, and have no contradiction, and your theory will and must of

necessity be correct. Truth is one undeviating path, that grows brighter and brighter the

more it is trodden; it needs no plausible arguments nor pompous dress to make it more

bright, for the more naked and simple the fact, the stronger the truth appears.

Let it be noticed that God has revealed to his prophets the same events in divers

figures and at different times, as he has to Daniel in the second, seventh, and eighth

chapters concerning the four kingdoms; or to Peter, (see Acts x. 16;) also Isaiah and John.

Then, to get the whole truth, all those visions or prophecies must be concentrated and

brought together, that have reference to the subject which we wish to investigate; and

when combined, let every word and sentence have its proper bearing and force in the

grand whole, and the theory or system, as I have before shown, must be correct. I have

likewise noticed that in those events, visions, and prophecies which have had their

fulfilment, every word and every particular has had an exact and literal accomplishment,

and that no two events have ever happened, that I can learn, which will exactly apply or

fulfil the same prophecy. Take, for instance, the prophecies concerning the birth, life,

and crucifixion of our Savior, and in his history we find a literal fulfilment; yet in the

birth, life, or death of any other individual it would be in vain to find a parallel. Again,

take the prophecies which have been admitted, by Protestants at least, to apply to Cyrus,

Alexander, Julius Cæsar, destruction of Jerusalem, and the church of Rome, and I have

never been able to trace even a resemblance to the prophecies in question in any

historical events except the true ones. If this is true, may we not suppose that the

unfulfilled prophecies in their accomplishments will be equally as evident and literal?

There are two important points to which all prophecy seems to centre, like a

cluster of grapes upon its stem--the first and second coming of Christ; the first coming to

proclaim the gospel, set up his kingdom, suffer for sinners, and bring in an everlasting

righteousness. His second coming, to which the ardent faith and pious hope of the tried

and tempted child of God centres, is for complete redemption from sin, for the

justification and glorification promised to all those who look for his appearing, the

destruction of the wicked and mystical Babylon, the abomination of the whole earth.

His first coming was as a man, his human nature being only visible. He comes

first, like the "first man of the earth, earthy;" his second coming is "the Lord from

heaven." His first coming was literally according to the prophecies. And so we may

safely infer will be his second appearance, according to the Scriptures. At his advent, his

forerunner was spoken of--"one crying in the wilderness;" the manner of his birth--"a

child born of a virgin;" the place where--"Bethlehem of Judea;" the time of his death--

"when seventy weeks should be fulfilled;" for what he should suffer--"to make an end of

sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal

up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." The star that appeared, the

stripes he received, the miracles he performed, the tauntings of his foes--all were literally

fulfilled. Then, why not suppose that all the prophecies concerning his second coming

will be as literally accomplished as the former! Can any man show a single reason why it

will not? If this be true, we can obtain much light by reading the Scriptures. We are

there informed of the manner of his second coming--"suddenly, in the clouds, in like

manner as he ascended;" the majesty of his coming--"on a great white throne, with power

and great glory, and all his saints with him;" the object of his coming--"as the Ancient of

Days, to send his angels into the four winds of heaven gather his elect, raise the righteous

dead, change the righteous living, chain Satan, destroy anti-Christ, the wicked, and all

those who destroy the earth, judge, justify and glorify his people, cleanse his church,

present her to his Father, live and reign with her on the new heavens and new earth," the

form of the old having passed away.

The time when these things shall take place is also specified, by some of the

prophets, unto 2300 days, (meaning years;) then shall the sanctuary be cleansed, after the

anti-Christian beast has reigned her "time, times, and a half;" after the two witnesses have

prophesied "a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth;" after the

church captivity in the wilderness, "forty-two months," after the "gospel should be

preached in all the world for a witness, then shall the end come." The signs of the times

are also given, when we may know, he is near, even at the door. When there are many

"lo here's and lo there's;" when the way of truth is evil spoken of; when many seducers

are abroad in the land; when scoffers disbelieve in his coming, and say, "Where is the

promise of his coming;" when the wise and foolish virgins are called to trim their lamps,

and the voice of the friend of the bridegroom is, "Behold, he cometh;" when the city of

the nations is divided into three parts; when the power of the holy people is scattered, and

the kings of the east come up to battle; when there is a time of trouble, such as never was

before, and the church in her Laodicean state; when the seventh seal opens, the seventh

vial is poured out, the last woe pronounced by the angel flying through the midst of

heaven, and the seventh and last trumpet sounds;--then will the mystery of God be

finished, and the door of mercy be closed forever; then shall we be brought to the last

point, his second coming.

Again, prophecy is sometimes typical; that is, partly fulfilled in the type, but

completely only in the antitype. Such was the prophecy concerning Isaac, partly fulfilled

in him, wholly so in Christ; likewise concerning Israel, partly fulfilled in them as a

nation, but never fully accomplished until the final redemption of spiritual Israel.

Likewise the prophecies concerning the Jewish captivity in Babylon, and their return, are

only partly accomplished in the history of past events. The description of those things in

the prophets is so august and magnificent, that if only applicable to the literal captivity of

the Jews and their return, the exposition would be weak and barren; therefore I humbly

believe that the exact fulfilment can only be looked for in the captivity of the church in

the wilderness, under the anti-Christian beast, destruction of mystical Babylon, and

glorification of the saints in the New Jerusalem state.

There are also in the 24th chapter of Matthew many things prophesied of, which

were not fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem; such as the coming of the Son of Man

in the clouds, the gathering his elect from the four winds of heaven, his taking one and

leaving another. This shows a typical meaning in this prophecy, and that it will not all be

fulfilled until the end of the world. Also, the transfiguration of Christ on the mount,

prophesied of by himself eight days before, is noticed by Peter, 2d Epistle, i. 16-18, as

being a type or figure of his second coming.

Who, that has read the prophecies with any degree of attention, will not

acknowledge the great agreement between the Old Testament prophecies and the New?

Almost every prophecy given by Christ and his apostles may be found, in the Old

Testament prophets, represented by figures, which were familiar to the writers and

readers of those times. The foregoing rules are some of the principal ones which I have

observed in attempting to explain the prophecies of Daniel and John, and to give the time

when the mystery of God will be finished, as I humbly believe it is revealed to the

prophets.

If I have erred in my exposition of the prophecies, the time, being so near at hand,

will soon expose my folly; but if I have the truth on the subjects treated on in these pages,

how important the era in which we live! What vast and important events must soon be

realized! and how necessary that every individual be prepared that that day may not come

upon them unawares, while they are surfeited with the cares and riches of this life, and

the day overtake them as a thief! "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day

should overtake you as a thief," 1 Thess. v. 4. In studying these prophecies, I have

endeavored to divest myself of all prepossessed opinions, not warranted by the word of

God, and to weigh well all the objections that might be raised from the Scriptures; and

after fourteen years' study of the prophecies and other parts of the Bible, I have come to

the following conclusions, and do now commit myself into the hands of God as my

Judge, in giving publicity to the sentiments herein contained, conscientiously desiring

that this little book may be the means to incite others to study the Scriptures, and to see

whether these things be so, and that some minds may be led to believe in the word of

God, and find an interest in the offering and sacrifice of the Lamb of God, that their sins

might be forgiven them through the blood of the atonement, "when the refreshing shall

come from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power," "when he comes

to be admired in all them that believe in that day."

And now, my dear readers, I beg of you to lay aside prejudice; examine this

subject candidly and carefully for yourselves. Your belief or unbelief will not affect the

truth. If it is so, whatever you may think or do will not alter the revealed purposes of

God. "Not one jot or tittle of his word will fail;" but you may, by your obedience in the

faith, secure you an interest in the first resurrection, and a glorious admittance into the

New Jerusalem, and an inheritance among the justified in glory, and you may sit down

with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God. May this be your lot--is the

prayer of your servant,

WM. MILLER.

H AMPTON, Washington County, N. Y.

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