William Miller (1782 - 1849) was an American Baptist preacher, whose followers have been termed Millerites or Millerists. He is credited with the beginning of the Adventist movement of the 1830s and 1840s in North America. Among his spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations including Seventh-day Adventists, Bible Students/Russellites, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

William Miller was born on February 15,1782 in Pittsfield, MA. At age 4 his family moved to rural Low Hampton, New York. Country education was far below Miller's abilities and at a young age Miller proved to be wise beyond his years. With a voracious appetite for reading, Miller spent most of his free time reading books borrowed from neighbors. Miller's mother and grandmother were devout Baptists and an uncle and grandfather were ministers of the denomination. These relations instilled in young Miller a reverence for the Bible.

In 1803, Miller became married to a lady from Poultney, Vermont and enjoyed reading from the local town library. During this time, Miller worked hard as a farmer, and his wife did extra work so that he could continue to read his books. On one occasion, leading up to Independence Day celebrations, Miller wrote a hymn to the tune of Delight, which he anonymously submitted to the local organiser of the celebrations. The hymn proved quite popular, and upon his discovery and confession of authorship, Miller became quite popular among the local community.

Miller became acquainted with a number of skeptics living in Poultney who challenged his belief in the Bible and introduced him to the French philosopher, Voltaire. Upon studying Voltaire's work, Miller gave up his belief in the Bible, which he found far too contradictory, and became a deist in 1804. Miller served his local community as a constable, justice of the peace and deputy sheriff. He was also a lieutenant in the local militia. Upon the outbreak of the War of 1812, Miller became a captain in the national army. During the war, Miller witnessed the deaths of many soldiers and began to question the possibility of an afterlife. Miller was also inspired the courage of many of the Christians in his encampment. Miller was a respected captain, such that even after the war had finished, some of his soldiers consulted him upon a matter that had come between them. At the Battle of Plattsburg, Miller was amazed by how the US forces overcame the British, who outnumbered the US forces three to one, and pondered whether this was due to divine intervention.

Miller began to preach in 1831. Based on Daniel 8-9, Miller believed that 2,300 years would pass from the time of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the Second Coming of Jesus. The commandment was given to the scribe Ezra by Artaxerxes I of Persia in the seventh year of his reign (i.e. 457 B.C.), and is detailed in Ezra 7:12-26. Thus, 1843 became the year of Christ's return. As the appointed year grew closer, Miller first specified 21 March 1843 as the date. After that date passed, further study revealed that there was no year zero in the Gregorian calendar, and October 22, 1844 was the actual date.

The absence of Christ's Second Coming in 1844 has come to be known as the Great Disappointment. Miller recorded his personal disappointment in his memoirs: "Were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God and man, I should have to do as I have done. I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment." (Memoirs of William Miller, Sylvester Bliss, p. 256).

The Millerite movement spread rapidly through mass communication. Joshua Vaughan Himes used technological advances, including advances in printing technology, to spread literature to the masses. Estimates of the Millerite revival number between 50,000, conservatively, to 500,000, at the peak of the movement.

William Miller died on December 20, 1849 and is buried near his home in Low Hampton, New York. William Miller's home is a registered National Historic Landmark and is preserved as a historic museumWilliam Miller's Home.

External links

• Sketches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller Biography by Elder James White.
• Evidence From Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ, About the Year 1843 Lectures by Miller.
• Signs of the Times DJVU scans of Millerite journal (1840-1841)
• Midnight Cry PDF scans of Millerite journal (1842)
• William Miller: The End of Time and the Adventist Sects by John H. Martin
• Miller Overthrown Contemporary Critique of Miller.

1782 births | 1849 deaths

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