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$ $ ¸ ¸ ¸ $ Ü ¸ ¸ ¸ Ü ¸ ¸ ¸ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ÿÿÿÿ Hi! Welcome back
to today’s Devotion from History. On April 23 of 1843 thousands of Millerites put on
white robes, climbed to the highest place they could find and looked up in to the sky
with anticipation waiting for what they believed that they would see. Millerites were disciples
of a man named William Miller, a farmer from New York. William Miller, in his study of
the Bible, believed that he had discovered the date for when Christ would return in his
second coming. By the 1840’s approximately 1 million had attended one of Miller’s campmeetings
and he predicted that the second coming would occur in April of 1843 and that all worthy
people would then ascend to Heaven on October 23 of 1844. 1000’s eagerly awaited the day
and as it approached many of his followers sold all of their earthly possessions. They
dressed in white robes and climbed to the mountains and the hills so they would be that
much closer to Heaven when Jesus returned. Unfortunately for these people the day came
and the day went and they didn’t see Jesus returning in the clouds. Miller looked at
his calculations and confessed that he believed he had made an error and he set a new date
for the return of Christ. Once again, the followers gathered and waited and what happened
then has been called by American church history as the Great Disappointment. Most of Millers
followers abandoned him but a few remained devoted and a couple theories came out about
what had really happened. One theory was the Christ really had returned but it had been
an invisible return and it shut the door to salvation and no one could be saved who wasn’t
prepared on that day. Another explanation was that Christ did return but it was a spiritual
return and it was a return to a new place of heavenly ministry for Christ that changed
what happened in the heavenlies. Miller’s followers stuck together and eventually became
what is known today as the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Seventh Day Adventists of today don’t
make it a practice of setting dates for the return of Christ. But we have a lesson to
learn from this. Many times in church history we have seen hysteria come about because people
believe that they should run after this prophet and this teaching and that doctrine. Jesus
told us in the book of Matthew that no man knows the hour of His coming. And we need
to remember that. It’s very tempting to take books like Daniel and Revelation and
tear them apart and look for secret codes but let me tell you if you will focus on the
things the Scriptures reveal clearly you’ll have enough to do to keep you from hunting
for secret codes. So the point is this – live in a way that you are ready. Let your
robe be white in purity of life not in what you’re wearing. You don’t need to climb
to the tops of hills or mountains or even your rooftop to find God. You can find him
down on your knees. And we need to be careful not to run after new teachings and sensational
stories. Stick to the meat of God’s Word and hold fast to that and when Jesus does
come back, you’ll be ready. We’ll see you next week on Devotions from History.
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