Who Are Seventh-day
Adventists?
The Name:
The name “Seventh-day Adventist” was
adopted in 1860.
The Name:
Those who chose this name decided to explain
themselves in terms of their distinctive
beliefs:-
1) the observance of God’s holy day on the
seventh day of the week
2) confidence in Jesus’ imminent second
advent
Formal Organization:
Formal organization of the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists came in 1863.
However, Adventist roots go back much
farther. Its roots reach back to apostolic times,
since the pioneers saw themselves as
continuing the New Testament tradition.
The Original Adventists:
The original “Adventists,” or believers in the
second coming of Christ, were the apostles
themselves. Paul looked forward to Jesus’
return with great expectation (1 Thess. 4:16).
All of these expressions of faith were
ultimately based on Jesus’ own promise: “I will
come again” (John 14:3).
The Beginning of the
Seventh-day Adventists…
The Millerite Movement
• Farmer William Miller from Low Hampton,
New York began a careful study of his Bible at
the time of his conversion in 1816.
• After two years of investigation, he came to
the conclusion that, according to the prophecy
of Daniel 8:14, “in about twenty-five years …
all the affairs of our present state would be
wound up”
The Millerite Movement
• Being self-educated and shy by nature, Miller
was afraid to stand up and preach what he had
found from his study of prophecy.
• In 1831 William Miller covenanted with God
that if he were asked to preach he would “go
and tell them what I find in the Bible about the
Lord’s coming”
The Millerite Movement
• As Miller prayed, a young man was on his way
to invite him to lead out in a revival meeting.
• Miller struggled in prayer for an hour until he
was ready to accept the invitation to speak in
nearby Dresden.
The Millerite Movement
• By 1834 he was devoting all his time to
preaching and writing. In 1836 he developed a
chronology and prophetic charts.
• From October 1834 to June 1839 Miller’s log
records 800 lectures given in response to
direct invitations.
The Millerite Movement
• Those who participated in the movement were
called “Millerites” or “Adventists.”
• 200 ministers, 500 public lecturers, 50,000
believers from many different churches were
involved in the movement.
The Great Disappointment
• Miller had taught that the world would end
sometime in 1843 yet it didn’t happen.
• In February of 1844 a group of Adventist
preachers, which did not include Miller, came
to the understanding that the 2300-day
prophecy of Daniel 8:14 would not end until
the autumn of 1844. The specific day, October
22, 1844.
The Great Disappointment
• With solemn joy and great expectation, the
Millerites met in homes and churches on
October 22, 1844, to await the returning
Christ. But their hopes were dashed.
The Result of Great Disappointment
• those who had expected the coming of Jesus
split into groups differing in their opinions on
why Christ had not come.
The Result of Great Disappointment
• The majority were sure they had been right in
applying the 2300-day prophecy to the Second
Coming;
since Christ had not had been right about the event the chronology was
come, they must and the chronology; Christ’s correct but that they
coming had been a “spiritual” had expected the wrong
have been wrong in
event .
their chronology. event; among these
They became known as
“spiritualizers” and many of were the founders of
them went over to the Shakers. the Seventh-day
Adventist Church
In 1849 Miller died
in the hope of a soon-coming Saviour.
The Result of Great Disappointment
• On October 23, 1844, Hiram Edson and a
Millerite friend set out to encourage those
who had suffered disappointment. As they
crossed Edson’s cornfield after praying
together, Edson had a sudden flash of insight.
The Result of Great Disappointment
• Edson comprehended that the sanctuary to be
cleansed of Daniel 8:14 was not on earth but
in heaven; October 22 marked the beginning,
not the end.
• Jesus had entered the Most Holy Place of the
heavenly sanctuary to perform a special work
before coming to this earth on Oct 22, 1844.
The Result of Great Disappointment
• Edson’s view was later adopted by Seventh-day
Adventists.
• October 22, 1844, marked the beginning of the
cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary and the
opening of the investigative, pre-Advent
judgment; the second coming of Christ to
earth was future.
• Early Seventh-day Adventist Teachings
• Early Adventist Leaders
• Early Adventist History
• The Twentieth-Century Seventh-day
Adventist Church
