Herald of the Midnight Cry

When personal Bible study led William Miller to the conclusion that Jesus Christ would return to Earth “about the year 1843 or 1844,” he started a movement that shook the world.

Ministers criticized or praised him from the pulpit, newspapers scoffed at his claims or publicly wondered whether he might be right, mobs jeered him and threw stones, and tens of thousands fell to their knees in anticipation of the Second Coming.

Miller’s life, ministry, and conviction serve as a strong reminder to those of us today who might have forgotten what it means to be an Adventist.

Here is the story of William Miller,─the herald of the midnight cry─, and the Great Disappointment of 1844.