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| − | The '''Great Disappointment''' was a period in the early history of certain [[Christian denomination|Christian denominations]] in the United States, which began when [[Jesus]] failed to [[Second Coming|reappear]] on the appointed day of [[October 22]], [[1844]] as some Christians had expected.
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| − | [[Image:William_Miller.jpg|thumb|right|''William Miller'']]
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| − | Between [[1831]] and [[1844]], [[William Miller (preacher)|William Miller]], a [[Baptist]] preacher, launched what has been called by historians as [[Second Great Awakening]], of which the [[Millerites|Millerite movement]] was a major part. Miller preached a set of fourteen rules for the interpretation of the [[Bible]].<ref>[http://www.earlysda.com/miller/views1.html#Rules%20of%20Scriptural%20Interpretation Miller's Rules of Scriptural Interpretation] </ref> Based on his study of the prophecy of {{bibleverse||Daniel|8:14|NKJV}}, Miller calculated that Jesus would return to Earth sometime between [[21 March]] [[1843]] and [[21 March]] [[1844]].<ref>[http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2001/10/daily-10-22-2001.shtml Miller Mistakenly Set a Date for Christ's Return]</ref> After the latter date came and went, the date was revised and set as [[October 22]], [[1844]] based on the yearly [[Yom_Kippur|Day of Atonement]] in [[Karaite Judaism]].
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| − | When Jesus did not appear, Miller's followers experienced what came to be called "the Great Disappointment". Most of the thousands of followers left the movement. A few, however, went back to their Bibles to find out why they had been disappointed. A group of the remaining followers concluded that the prophecy predicted not that Jesus would return to [[earth]] in 1844, but that investigative judgement in [[heaven]] would begin in that year.
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| − | But almost all of the other christian denominitions don't share the same belief in an investigative judgement - as the christian God is aclaimed to be omnisciencent and therefor aren't "in need of knowledge gathering". However this is not a central part of the christian belief so many other christians afer not to call this denomination a sect, though some do.
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| − | 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."<ref name="sears">{{cite book
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| − | |first=William
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| − | |last=Sears
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| − | |title=Thief in the Night
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| − | |authorlink=William Sears (Bahá'í)
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| − | |year=1961
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| − | |id=ISBN 085398008X
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| − | |publisher=George Ronald
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| − | |location=London
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| − | }}</ref> Miller continued to wait for the second coming until his death in [[1849]].
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| − | ==Repercussions==
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| − | ===Seventh-day Adventists===
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| − | When [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]] historians write about the morning of October 23 they refer to a vision said to have been received by [[Hiram Edson]] (1806-1882), an early Adventist. Edson's saw in vision that the date that Miller had predicted was in fact correct. Later Bible study and visions led to the belief by the early Seventh-day Adventists that Christ went into the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 to begin the investigative judgment of both righteous and wicked to see who is worthy of going to heaven.<ref name="sdafundamentals">[http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html 28 Fundamental SDA beliefs] #24</ref> This investigative judgment is said to take place prior to his second coming, which they believe to be very soon. A number of issues related to the doctrine of this investigative judgement were raised by Adventist theologian [[Desmond Ford]] in the 1970s.
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| − | ===Charles Taze Russell and Jehovah's Witnesses===
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| − | [[Jonas Wendell]], an [[adventist]] preacher, experienced periods of weak faith after 1844. After studying bible chronology, he came to the conclusion that the [[Second Coming]] would be in 1868, and in 1870 published a booklet concluding it was to be in 1873.
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| − | [[Charles Taze Russell]] was in turn influenced by Jonas Wendell (as well as by the [[Millerites]] in general), and predicted the [[Second Coming]] for 1874. One-time Millerite ministers [[George Storrs]] [[(1796]]-[[1879)]] and [[George Stetson]] proved to be a great assistance and guide to the development and growth of his worldwide ministry, the [[Bible Student movement]]. A schism in that movement occurred in 1933, where the leadership changed the date of the Second Coming to 1914. The main branch of that movement came to be known as the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], while many members refused the change; [[Bible Students]] today still hold that the [[Second Coming]] was in [[1874]].
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| − | ===Religious Studies===
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| − | The Great Disappointment is viewed as an example of how the psychological phenomenon of [[cognitive dissonance]] manifests itself in a diversity of religious perspectives.{{citationneeded}} The cognitive tension between belief in the failed prediction of Jesus' reappearance in 1844 and belief that such an appearance would occur led quickly to a variety of explanations. The various solutions to this individual struggle of faith form a part of the teachings of the different groups that outlived the disappointment.
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| − | ==Other references==
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| − | ===Bahá'í===
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| − | Members of the [[Bahá'í Faith]] believe that Miller's interpretation of signs and dates of the coming of Jesus were, for the most part, correct. They believe that the fulfillment of biblical prophecies of the coming of Christ were fulfilled by the fore-runner of their own religion, the [[Báb]], who declared himself on May 23, 1844, and began openly teaching in [[Persian Empire|Persia]] in October 1844 that he was the Promised One. Several Bahá'í books and pamphlets make mention of the Millerites and the prophecies used by Miller, most notably [[William Sears (Bahá'í)|William Sears]]' ''Thief in the Night''. <ref name="sears" />
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references />
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| − | *Stone, Jon R. (2000). ''Expecting Armageddon: Essential Readings in Failed Prophecy''. Routledge. ISBN 041592331X.
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| − | [[Category:Adventist]]
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| − | [[pl:Wielkie rozczarowanie]]
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| − | [[pt:O Grande Desapontamento]]
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