What in the world happened in 1844? Followers of William Miller and the Millerite movement expected the Advent, the Second Coming of Jesus, in 1844. When the Advent did not happen as expected, the Great Disappointment ensued. Miller was wrong. But was he? Did the spirit of Christ return in 1844 in the Middle East? The dawn of God's Prophets of today's major religions had all arisen in the East. After the Great Disappointment, the Millerite movement splintered into many Adventist sects, and the history of the three remaining today--the Advent Christian Church, the Church of God (Seventh-day), and the Seventh-day Adventist Church--is given. In the East, the year 1844 saw the emergence of the Báb, the Herald of Bahá'u'lláh, and the Bábí movement, and then the emergence of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet of the Baha'i Faith. These events are likewise presented. Miller followed biblical guidance as best he could, and he may well have been part of God's plan in the nineteenth century. Miller and other Adventist Bible scholars did accurately pinpoint the year 1844, but events unfolded a world away in Persia and they had no inkling of them. Today the world suffers increasingly from the divisive forces of strife and intolerance, armed with strident ideologies and weapons that could kill countless millions of people. What is the destiny of our global civilization? Has divine light once again risen from the East for our day? Explore the prophecies of Daniel and follow the events in nineteenth century East and West to an amazing conclusion that will affect everyone.
About the Author: Eileen Maddocks was born and raised in Maine. Her mother, who was raised in the Millerite tradition in the Advent Christian Church, studied and pondered Christian history and theology on her own and became a Sunday School teacher in the Universalist Church. The stories of the Advent Christian grandparents and their church's tent meetings were family lore but Eileen was raised in liberal Protestantism. This dual world fostered a need to seek and search spiritual truth. She received a bachelor degree in liberal arts from the University of Kansas and then married and had two children. Soon a single parent, she worked as a secretary and sales representative to raise her children. Always a spiritual seeker, she went to various Christian churches but did not find the answers to her questions. Then she explored New Age concepts for many years. Then in 1989, just when the bottom had seemed to drop out of her life, she discovered the Baha'i Faith and subsequently served at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, for 16 years as a researcher and writer. Upon retirement, she returned to her New England heritage and is now a writer and editor living in exquisitely beautiful Vermont where bill boards are banned. Her best description of herself is that of a curious student, always trying to learn. She endeavors to write in a manner designed to encourage readers to seek and explore for themselves. Her study of the life and mission of William Miller led to a deeply empathic appreciation for him. The author's cerebral lifestyle is balanced with a serious study of ballet and four seasons of performing in Farm to Ballet, a summer production of Ballet Vermont that brings classical ballet to Vermont farm venues. Every year over 5,000 people watch this dance celebration of life on a Vermont farm from spring through fall. Its performances raise money for many nonprofit agricultural organizations.