Adventist
Encyclopedia
Adventism is a Christian
movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening
revival in the United States
. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming (or "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller
, whose followers became known as Millerites. Today, the largest church within the movement is the Seventh-day Adventist Church
.
The Adventist family of churches is regarded today as conservative Protestants. Although these churches hold much in common, their theology
differs on whether the intermediate state
is unconscious sleep or consciousness, whether the ultimate punishment of the wicked is annihilation
or eternal torment, the nature of immortality, whether or not the wicked are resurrected after the millennium, and whether the sanctuary of refers to the one in heaven
or one on earth. The movement has encouraged the examination of the New Testament
, leading them to observe the Sabbath
.
" of October 22, 1844 many people in the movement gave up on Adventism. Of those remaining Adventist, the majority gave up believing in any prophetic (biblical) significance for the October 22 date, yet they remained expectant of the near Advent (second coming
of Jesus). Of those who retained the October 22 date, many maintained that Jesus had come not literally but "spiritually", and consequently were known as "spiritualizers". A small minority held that something concrete had indeed happened on October 22, but this event had been misinterpreted. This viewpoint later emerged and crystallized with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the largest remaining body today.
, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church
.
The largest group organized as the American Millennial Association, a portion of which was later known as the Evangelical Adventist Church. Unique among the Adventists, they believed in an eternal hell and consciousness in death. They declined in numbers, and by 1916 their name did not appear in the United States Census of Religious Bodies. It has diminished to almost non-existence today. Their main publication was the Advent Herald, of which Sylvester Bliss
was the editor until his death in 1863. It was later called the Messiah’s Herald.
The Life and Advent Union was founded by George Storrs
in the year of 1863. He had established The Bible Examiner in 1842. It merged with the Adventist Christian Church in 1964.
The Advent Christian Church
officially formed in 1861, and grew rapidly at first. It declined a little over the 20th century. The Advent Christians publish the four magazines The Advent Christian Witness, Advent Christian News, Advent Christian Missions and Maranatha. They also operate a liberal arts college at Aurora, Illinois; and a Bible College at Lennox, Massachusetts. The Primitive Advent Christian Church later separated from a few congregations in West Virginia.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
officially formed in 1863. It believes in the sanctity of the seventh-day Sabbath as a holy day for worship. It published the Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald. It has grown to a large worldwide denomination and has a significant network of medical and educational institutions.
Miller did not join any of the movements, and spent the last few years of his life working for unity, before dying in 1849.
formed the "Advent Christian Association" in Salem, Massachusetts
in 1860.
and is the appropriate day for worship.
.
, in 1929.
The Branch Davidian
s were a split ("branch") from the Davidians. Many of them perished in the infamous Waco Siege
of 1993.
splintered from this. The Church of God (7th Day) split off in 1933.
The Church of God General Conference was founded in 1921 and had 7,634 members in 162 churches in 2004 in America. It is an Adventist Christian body which is also known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith and the Church of God General Conference (Morrow, GA).
In 1947, several individuals and two independent congregations within the Church of God Adventist movement formed the United Seventh-Day Brethren, seeking to increase fellowship and to combine their efforts in evangelism, publications, and other ministries.
founded in 1995 is the largest such offshoot.
founded by Charles Taze Russell
had in its early development close connections with the Millerite movement and stalwarts of the Adventist faith, including George Storrs and Joseph Seiss
. The various groupings of Bible Students currently have a cumulative membership of less than 20,000 worldwide. Although the Jehovah's Witnesses (who emerged in 1931 following a schism
in the Bible Students movement that began in 1917) and remaining Bible Students are not generally regarded as part of the Millerite Adventist movement, Russell attended and eventually led an Adventist oriented Bible study church from 1870–74. Avowing his indebtedness to Adventism, he "was deeply influenced by Adventist thought." As of December 2008 there were approximately 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
revival in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming (or "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller
William Miller (preacher)
William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
, whose followers became known as Millerites. Today, the largest church within the movement is the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
.
The Adventist family of churches is regarded today as conservative Protestants. Although these churches hold much in common, their theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
differs on whether the intermediate state
Intermediate state
In Christian eschatology, the intermediate state or interim state refers to a person's "intermediate" existence between one's death and one's resurrection from the dead...
is unconscious sleep or consciousness, whether the ultimate punishment of the wicked is annihilation
Annihilationism
Annihilationism is a Christian belief that apart from salvation the death of human beings results in their total destruction rather than their everlasting torment. It is directly related to the doctrine of conditional immortality, the idea that a human soul is not immortal unless it is given...
or eternal torment, the nature of immortality, whether or not the wicked are resurrected after the millennium, and whether the sanctuary of refers to the one in heaven
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
or one on earth. The movement has encouraged the examination of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, leading them to observe the Sabbath
Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism
Sabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
.
History
Adventism began as an inter-denominational movement. Its most vocal leader was William Miller. Between 50,000 and 100,000 people in the United States supported Miller's predictions of Christ's return. After the "Great DisappointmentGreat Disappointment
The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
" of October 22, 1844 many people in the movement gave up on Adventism. Of those remaining Adventist, the majority gave up believing in any prophetic (biblical) significance for the October 22 date, yet they remained expectant of the near Advent (second coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus). Of those who retained the October 22 date, many maintained that Jesus had come not literally but "spiritually", and consequently were known as "spiritualizers". A small minority held that something concrete had indeed happened on October 22, but this event had been misinterpreted. This viewpoint later emerged and crystallized with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the largest remaining body today.
Albany Conference
The Albany Conference in 1845, attended by 61 delegates, was called to attempt to determine the future course and meaning of the Millerite movement. Following this meeting, the "Millerites" then became known as "Adventists" or "Second Adventists". However, the delegates disagreed on several theological points. Four groups emerged from the conference: The Evangelical Adventists, The Life and Advent Union, the Advent Christian ChurchAdvent Christian Church
The Advent Christian Church is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller.- William Miller :Though the first Advent Christian Association was founded in Salem, Massachusetts in 1860, the church's formation is rooted in the adventist teachings began by...
, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
.
The largest group organized as the American Millennial Association, a portion of which was later known as the Evangelical Adventist Church. Unique among the Adventists, they believed in an eternal hell and consciousness in death. They declined in numbers, and by 1916 their name did not appear in the United States Census of Religious Bodies. It has diminished to almost non-existence today. Their main publication was the Advent Herald, of which Sylvester Bliss
Sylvester Bliss
Sylvester Bliss was a Millerite minister and editor. He served first as assistant editor, then editor, of the Millerite journal, The Signs of the Times. Originally a Congregationalist from Hartford, Connecticut, he obtained a liberal education and was a member of the Historical Society of Boston...
was the editor until his death in 1863. It was later called the Messiah’s Herald.
The Life and Advent Union was founded by George Storrs
George Storrs
George Storrs was a Christian teacher and writer in the United States.- Biography :George Storrs was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire on December 13, 1796, son to Colonel Constant Storrs and the former Lucinda Howe...
in the year of 1863. He had established The Bible Examiner in 1842. It merged with the Adventist Christian Church in 1964.
The Advent Christian Church
Advent Christian Church
The Advent Christian Church is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller.- William Miller :Though the first Advent Christian Association was founded in Salem, Massachusetts in 1860, the church's formation is rooted in the adventist teachings began by...
officially formed in 1861, and grew rapidly at first. It declined a little over the 20th century. The Advent Christians publish the four magazines The Advent Christian Witness, Advent Christian News, Advent Christian Missions and Maranatha. They also operate a liberal arts college at Aurora, Illinois; and a Bible College at Lennox, Massachusetts. The Primitive Advent Christian Church later separated from a few congregations in West Virginia.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
officially formed in 1863. It believes in the sanctity of the seventh-day Sabbath as a holy day for worship. It published the Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald. It has grown to a large worldwide denomination and has a significant network of medical and educational institutions.
Miller did not join any of the movements, and spent the last few years of his life working for unity, before dying in 1849.
Denominations
The Handbook of Denominations in the United States, 12th edn., describes the following churches as "Adventist and Sabbatarian (Hebraic) Churches":Christadelphians
The Christadelphians, were founded in 1844 and had an estimated 25,000 members in 170 ecclesias, or churches in 2000 in America.Advent Christian Church
The Advent Christian Church was founded in 1860 and had 25,277 members in 302 churches in 2002 in America. It is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller. They adopted the "conditional immortality" views of Charles F. Hudson and George StorrsGeorge Storrs
George Storrs was a Christian teacher and writer in the United States.- Biography :George Storrs was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire on December 13, 1796, son to Colonel Constant Storrs and the former Lucinda Howe...
formed the "Advent Christian Association" in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
in 1860.
Primitive Advent Christian Church
The Primitive Advent Christian Church is a small group which separated from the Advent Christian Church. They differ from the parent body mainly in two points. They observe feet washing as a rite of the church, and they teach that reclaimed backsliders should be baptized (even though they had formerly been baptized). This is sometimes referred to as rebaptism.Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, founded in 1863, and had 16,600,000 baptized members (not counting children of members) worldwide as of 2010 is best known for its teaching that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the SabbathSabbath in Seventh-day Adventism
Sabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
and is the appropriate day for worship.
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
The Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement is a small offshoot with an unknown number of members from the Seventh-day Adventist Church caused by disagreement over military service on the Sabbath day during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Association
The Davidians (originally named Shepherd's Rod) is a small offshoot with an unknown number of members made up primarily of voluntarily disfellowshipped members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They were originally known as the Shepherd's Rod and are still referred to as such. The group derives its name from two books on Bible doctrine written by their founder, Victor HouteffVictor Houteff
Victor Tasho Houteff was a religious reformer and author.Houteff was born in Raicovo, Bulgaria, and as a child baptised as a member of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. As a young man, he was engaged in the mercantile trade...
, in 1929.
Branch Davidians
The Branch Davidian
Branch Davidian
The Branch Davidians are a Protestant sect that originated in 1955 from a schism in the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists , a reform movement that began within the Seventh-day Adventist Church around 1930...
s were a split ("branch") from the Davidians. Many of them perished in the infamous Waco Siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
of 1993.
Church of God (Seventh Day)
The Church of God (Seventh-Day) founded 1863 with an estimated 11,000 members in 185 churches in 1999 in America. They separated in 1858 from those Adventists associated with Ellen White who later organized as Seventh-day Adventists in 1863. The Worldwide Church of GodWorldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
splintered from this. The Church of God (7th Day) split off in 1933.
Church of God and Saints of Christ
The Church of God and Saints of Christ was founded 1896 and had an estimated 40,000 members in approximately 200 congregations in 1999 in America.Church of God General Conference
Many denominations known as "Church of God" have Adventist origins.The Church of God General Conference was founded in 1921 and had 7,634 members in 162 churches in 2004 in America. It is an Adventist Christian body which is also known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith and the Church of God General Conference (Morrow, GA).
United Seventh-Day Brethren
The United Seventh-Day Brethren is a small Sabbatarian Adventist body.In 1947, several individuals and two independent congregations within the Church of God Adventist movement formed the United Seventh-Day Brethren, seeking to increase fellowship and to combine their efforts in evangelism, publications, and other ministries.
Worldwide Church of God
The Worldwide Church of God was founded 1933 and had an estimated 63,000 members worldwide in 2004.United Church of God
Following massive doctrinal changes in the Worldwide Church of God, numerous groups split off to retain a more traditional system. The United Church of GodUnited Church of God
The United Church of God, an International Association is a Christian denomination based in the United States with members in various countries around the world...
founded in 1995 is the largest such offshoot.
Other minor Adventist groups
- True and Free Adventists, a Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
offshoot - At least two denominations and numerous individual churches with a charismaticCharismatic movementThe term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
or PentecostalPentecostalismPentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
-type bent have been influenced by or were offshoots from Seventh-day Adventists – see charismatic AdventismCharismatic AdventismCharismatic Adventists are a segment of Seventh-day Adventist Church that is closely related to "Progressive Adventism", a liberal movement within the church.- Music :...
generally - United Sabbath-Day Adventist ChurchUnited Sabbath-Day Adventist ChurchThe United Sabbath-Day Adventist Church is a small African American Christian denomination founded by James K. Humphrey.- History :It formed in New York City as a breakaway from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1929–1930 over racial tensions between black and white people. Its beliefs remained...
, an African-American offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... - Celestia, a Christian communal town near LaporteLaporte, PennsylvaniaLaporte is a borough in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 316 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sullivan County. Laporte is surrounded by Laporte Township. It was named for John Laporte...
in Sullivan CountySullivan County, PennsylvaniaSullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population is 6,428. Sullivan County was created on March 15, 1847, from part of Lycoming County and named for Charles Sullivan, leader of the Pennsylvania Senate...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, founded by Millerite Peter E. Armstrong. It disintegrated before the end of the 19th century
Other relationships
The Bible Students movementBible Student movement
The Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Millennialist Restorationist Christian movement that emerged from the teachings and ministry of Charles Taze Russell, also known as Pastor Russell...
founded by Charles Taze Russell
Charles Taze Russell
Charles Taze Russell , or Pastor Russell, was a prominent early 20th century Christian restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement, from which Jehovah's Witnesses and numerous independent Bible Student groups emerged...
had in its early development close connections with the Millerite movement and stalwarts of the Adventist faith, including George Storrs and Joseph Seiss
Joseph Seiss
Joseph Augustus Seiss was an American theologian and Lutheran minister known for his religion writings on pyramidology and dispensationalism.-Life:...
. The various groupings of Bible Students currently have a cumulative membership of less than 20,000 worldwide. Although the Jehovah's Witnesses (who emerged in 1931 following a schism
Schism (religion)
A schism , from Greek σχίσμα, skhísma , is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization or movement religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a break of communion between two sections of Christianity that were previously a single body, or to a division within...
in the Bible Students movement that began in 1917) and remaining Bible Students are not generally regarded as part of the Millerite Adventist movement, Russell attended and eventually led an Adventist oriented Bible study church from 1870–74. Avowing his indebtedness to Adventism, he "was deeply influenced by Adventist thought." As of December 2008 there were approximately 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide.
See also
- Advent Christian ChurchAdvent Christian ChurchThe Advent Christian Church is a "first-day" body of Adventist Christians founded on the teachings of William Miller.- William Miller :Though the first Advent Christian Association was founded in Salem, Massachusetts in 1860, the church's formation is rooted in the adventist teachings began by...
- Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
- Christian revivalChristian revivalChristian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally...
- Christianity in the 19th centuryChristianity in the 19th centuryCharacteristic of Christianity in the 19th century were Evangelical revivals in some largely Protestant countries and later the effects of modern scientific theories such as Darwinism on the churches; Modernist theology was one consequence of this. In Europe, the Roman Catholic Church suffered a...
- List of religions and religious denominations#Adventist and related churches
- List of Christian denominations#Millerites and comparable groups
- Other movements in :Category:Adventism
- Great DisappointmentGreat DisappointmentThe Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...
- MilleritesMilleritesThe Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller who, in 1833, first shared publicly his belief in the coming Second Advent of Jesus Christ in roughly the year 1843.-Origins:...
- William Miller (preacher)William Miller (preacher)William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
- MillennialismMillennialismMillennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
- Second Great AwakeningSecond Great AwakeningThe Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
External links
- History of the Millerite Movement, a reprint from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia 10:892–898, 1976.
- Graphical timeline of major Millerite groups from the Worldwide Church of GodWorldwide Church of GodGrace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
official website