“STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES”
In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks’s character Forrest Gump says, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
Is it stupid to close our eyes to the reality of the nearness of Jesus’ second coming?
“Welcome back to what promises to be an epic journey through the unseen. We are looking at a saga, not of this world.
This is the 7th part of a 13-part series unlike any other.
We’re diving into the cosmic war beyond what we cannot see, hear, or imagine.
It is a war between the forces of good and evil. It is a war for our souls. It is designed to strip us of our knowledge of God and his Word.
We’re digging deep into the heart of this cosmic battle, exploring the origins of sin, the nature of evil, the history, and what will lead to the ultimate showdown between Christ and Satan.
This series is about understanding the forces at play and our place within this universal struggle.
Every episode, every moment of this journey matters because, like it or not, this is a war that touches us all.
It is about a God who loves us so much that He is willing to fight for us.
Your view of the universe and our place within it is about to change forever.
If you have not viewed the previous videos, view them at SabbathSchoolDaily.com
Before diving into this conflict, let’s take a moment to invite God’s presence.
Inviting God’s Presence
Heavenly Father, we look to the day when Jesus returns to save us from a world doomed to destruction. Prepare our hearts and minds to meet Him when He returns in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 1 Introduction
The anticipation of Jesus’ return is the central theme of the Bible. As students of the Bible, we do not have to be ignorant of Christ’s Second Coming.
It is highlighted extensively throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament sets the stage for Jesus’s second coming with over 1,845 references to this climactic event.
For instance, Isaiah 25:9, pointing to Christ’s second coming, says: “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’ ” (Isaiah 25:9, NKJV).
Similarly, seeking to encourage the followers of Jesus to remain watchful and stay hopeful for His return, of the 260 chapters of the New Testament, the writers repeat this promise of His return more than 300 times, as in Matthew 24:27.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24:27)
In fact, Bible scholars have discovered that one in every 25 verses mentions Jesus’s second coming.
Of the Twenty-three New Testament Books, 27 refer to the return of Jesus.
Jesus’ return to Earth will be significantly different from his first visit.
He will not come as a baby in Bethlehem nor as He rode in Jerusalem when praised by his disciples.
Instead, He will come in the full glory of the Father, surrounded by a host of angels.
This spectacular event will be the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise. It will be a glorious manifestation that will outshine his past coming.
But only the pure in heart, those who have followed Jesus’s meek and humble example, will proclaim with eager joy as they see Him, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” . . . (Early Writings, p. 110. Paraphrased)
After the stormy Reformation in Europe, marked by division and conflict, the seeds of Protestantism found fertile ground in the United States.
Here, pioneers of faith, undiscouraged by the strife that once divided them, were united by a joint mission to uphold and spread God’s sacred truths, including the vital promise of the Second Coming of Christ.
Among these believers was William Miller, a Baptist farmer whose diligent study of the Scriptures led him to conclude that Jesus’ return was coming soon, perhaps even within his own lifetime.
Compelled by this conviction, Miller began to preach passionately about the nearness of Christ’s return, sparking a movement that, despite facing great disappointment, succeeded in opening up to many people Bible truths that are still relevant today.
In this lesson, we will uncover the reasons why the promise of the Second Coming has continuously filled the hearts of believers with joy and anticipation throughout the ages.
How can we avoid being stupid about Jesus’s second coming and be prepared for this great event?
How can we ensure that when the day comes, we are ready to meet Jesus with joy and open arms?
Continue to Part 2: The Promise of His Return
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 2: The Promise of His Return
The Protestant Reformers and pilgrims left Holland for the new world and a bright future, longing for Jesus’s second coming.
Their anticipation of Jesus’s return was a pivotal event filled with hope and joy.
The Second Coming of Jesus is a divine promise threaded throughout the scriptures.
At his ascension, Jesus promised His disciples that He would return the second time.
Therefore, it is the glorious hope for every true believer in Jesus Christ.
John Wycliffe looked to the second coming of Jesus as the church’s ultimate hope. (Split)
At the same time, Calvin spoke of it as “of all events most auspicious,” echoing the sentiments of all the Reformers.
Today, many view Jesus’s second coming as something to be afraid of, but his return is not something to fear but something to embrace and eagerly anticipate.
John 14:1–3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 are scriptures that provided immense comfort to past generations and continue to inspire us today as we anticipate Christ’s second coming.
They are often repeated at funerals after a loved one’s death to comfort the bereaved.
John 14:1-3
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (Split)
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
And, for those anticipating Jesus coming, Titus 2:11-14 shows us how not to be stupid; it helps us understand how we should live while waiting for His return.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)
The belief in the Second Coming has been a source of comfort, promising an end to sickness, suffering, and death.
It ends poverty, injustice, and oppression. It proclaims a life of peace and the end of wars and conflicts.
It forecasts a future world of eternal happiness and fellowship with Jesus, uniting all the saved from every generation.
Ellen G. White captures this moving picture of hope in her book The Great Controversy, saying: “The coming of the Lord has been in all ages the hope of His true followers. The Saviour’s parting promise upon Olivet, that He would come again, lighted up the future for His disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope that sorrow could not quench nor trials dim. Amid suffering and persecution, the ‘appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ’ was the ‘blessed hope.’
When the Thessalonian Christians were filled with grief as they buried their loved ones, who had hoped to live to witness the coming of the Lord, Paul, their teacher, pointed them to the resurrection, to take place at the Saviour’s advent. Then the dead in Christ should rise, and together with the living be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. ‘And so,’ he said, ‘shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.’ 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 302.
In 1 Corinthians 15:15–18, Paul elaborates on the importance of knowing and having faith in Jesus’ Second Coming. He underscores why the Second Coming should be central to our faith saying: (Split)
15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (I Corinthians 15:15-18)
Many have proclaimed Christ’s coming and have, in fact, set dates only to their disappointment. How can we avoid making the same mistake?
View the next segment of this video, Part 3: Anticipating the Time
The Great Controversy
The War Between Good and Evil
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 3: Anticipating the Time
The Protestant Reformers believed in the literal, visible, audible, and glorious Second Coming of Christ.
They envisioned the day when every person on Earth would witness Jesus’ return.
However, as centuries passed, biblical interpretations gradually changed. By the 1800s, many prominent preachers were proclaiming Jesus’ return, different from the Early reformers who taught that Christ would come to establish His kingdom on earth and usher in 1,000 years of peace.
Unfortunately, this teaching led to spiritual indifference and noncommitment to spiritual values.
However, the misconception on the nature of Christ’s return wasn’t new.
Jesus’ own disciples misunderstood His mission. They expected Him to rise as a military general and liberate them from the power of Roman bondage.
Instead, Jesus came to deliver humanity from condemnation and the chains of sin.
Nevertheless, to their initial disappointment, the disciples overlooked this purpose, expecting a different kind of deliverance. Therefore, they were blinded regarding the manner of Christ’s coming.
However, there is no need to be mistaken about Christ’s second coming. (Split)
Different from Jesus’ quiet first coming, Acts 1:9–11, Revelation 1:7, and Matthew 24:27, 30-31 tell us that His second coming will be visible and audible to everyone.
Acts 1:9-11
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,
11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)
Revelation 1:7
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)
Matthew 24:27,30-31
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:27,30-31)
When Jesus returns, it will be an unmistakable global event. It will be a complete contrast from His humble birth, witnessed by only a few.
The scriptures are clear, detailing a glorious return in which every eye will see Him, and every ear will hear the trumpet blast announcing His return.
Every human being on earth will see Him in His glory. There is no need to be deceived.
The Scriptures have made the events surrounding Jesus’ return very clear.
The Great Controversy highlights the Second Coming as a cornerstone of biblical prophecy and a beacon of hope for believers:
“One of the most solemn and yet most glorious truths revealed in the Bible is that of Christ’s second coming to complete the great work of redemption. To God’s pilgrim people, so long left to sojourn in ‘the region and shadow of death,’ a precious, joy-inspiring hope is given in the promise of His appearing, who is ‘the resurrection and the life,’ to ‘bring home again His banished.’ The doctrine of the second advent is the very keynote of the Sacred Scriptures. From the day when the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden, the children of faith have waited the coming of the Promised One to break the destroyer’s power and bring them again to the lost Paradise.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 299.
Luther Warren, an early Adventist pioneer who pointed to the second coming of Christ, famously advised the youth, “The only way to be ready for the coming of Christ is to get ready and stay ready.”
This is good advice for everyone who anticipates Christ’s return. “Get ready and stay ready.”
Christ’s imminent return should inspire us to examine our lives and ask God to remove anything that separates us from Him.
It should prompt us to strive to be like Jesus in preparation for His return.
To help us avoid being stupid, 1 Thessalonians 5:2–5 and Hebrews 9:28 urge us to be vigilant as we eagerly await Christ’s Return.
I Thessalonians 5:2-5
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (I Thessalonians 5:2-5)
Hebrews 9:28
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
What stupid is in relation to Jesus’ Second Coming and the expressed urgency of readiness is further echoed in the book Testimonies for the Church:
“My Lord delayeth His coming” is not only said in the heart, but expressed in words and most decidedly in works. Stupidity in this watching time is sealing the senses of God’s people as to the signs of the times. The terrible iniquity which abounds calls for the greatest diligence… Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 255.
In the 1800s, William Miller, while studying Bible prophesy, discovered something startling about Jesus’ Second Coming. What was it?
Continue to the next Segment of this video, Part 4: William Miller and the Bible.
The Great Controversy
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 4: William Miller and the Bible
In our previous study, we discovered that God used the Protestant Reformers to revive the truth about being justified by faith in Christ alone.
Like He used the Protestant Reformers, God used William Miller to revive the truth about Christ’s second coming.
William Miller’s journey into the depths of scripture transformed not only his spiritual understanding but also ignited a broader awakening to the Second Coming.
This sparked him to delve deeper into the scriptures. It is said that with a Bible, a pen, and a notebook, he began reading, starting with Genesis; taking his time, he read no faster than he could understand the passage he was reading.
As he thoroughly sifted through the Bible scripture by scripture, comparing scripture with scripture, he allowed the Bible to speak for itself.
With a pen, a notebook, and a heart open to the voice of the Holy Spirit, he experienced an extraordinary closeness to a Savior whose love surpassed all his expectations.
His method aligned with Isaiah 28:9, 10; Proverbs 8:8, 9; John 16:13; and 2 Peter 1:19–21 instructions on the principles of Bible interpretation.
Isaiah 28:9-10
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” (Isaiah 28:9-10)
Proverbs 8:8-9
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. (Proverbs 8:8-9)
John 16:13
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13) (Split)
2 Peter 1:19-21
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21)
These verses underscore the importance of receiving spiritual insight and comparing scripture with scripture, letting the Bible interpret itself.
Miller, in his method of study, comparing scripture with scripture, driven by a relentless quest for truth, similar to searching for hidden treasure, was thoroughly rewarded.
The Holy Spirit opened his understanding of the Word of God, giving him the ability to draw solid images from scripture.
With diligence, he took the same approach he used in studying the other biblical passages for studying Bible Prophecy.
His approach is affirmed in Daniel 1:17; Daniel 2:45; 1 Peter 1:10, 11; and Revelation 1:1–3, which illustrate how prophecy and spiritual insights are given to those who diligently seek knowledge.
For instance,
Daniel 1:17 says:
17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. (Daniel 1:17)
Daniel 2:45
45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” (Daniel 2:45)
I Peter 1:10-11
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (I Peter 1:10-11)
And, Revelation 1:1-3
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3)
The symbols in the prophetic Books of the Bible are not intended to conceal information from us but to clarify and prepare us for the future.
God, in his loving mercy, does not want us to be ignorant of what is going to happen.
He has, therefore, given us His Prophetic Word to prepare us for the events soon to come upon this world.
William Miller realized that the Bible provides the keys to unlocking these symbols. He recognized that the Bible is its own best interpreter.
For example:
Beasts represent kings or kingdoms indicated in Daniel 7:17, 23,
Wind symbolizes destructive forces as expressed Jeremiah 49:36
Waters depict people or nations according to Revelation 17:15, and
A woman often symbolizes the church as expressed in Jeremiah 6:2; Ephesians 5:22–32.
Moreover, the time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are also given in symbolic language, with one prophetic day representing one literal year revealed in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6.
William Miller used these principles to guide his interpretations of the prophetic timelines in Daniel and Revelation.
He was startled at what he discovered regarding what he believed to be the time of Christ’s return.
Understanding the correct meaning of the Bible’s symbols is crucial to preventing ignorance on what is about to happen to our world.
Crucial to this is the understanding of the time prophecy related to the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14. What is its meaning and significance to us?
View the next segment of this video: Part 5: The 2,300 Days of Daniel 8:14
The Great Controversy
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 5: The 2,300 Days of Daniel 8:14
William Miller’s intense search of the scriptures revealed a striking pattern.
He found that God’s promises consistently unfold just as predicted.
And he saw that the events prophesied in the Bible were fulfilled precisely as foretold:
For instance,
Abraham’s descendants endured 400 years in Egypt, as cited in Genesis 15:13,
Israel wandered 40 years in the desert, as cited in Numbers 14:34,
the Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, as cited in Jeremiah 25:11,
and the 70 weeks given to Israel to make a decision for God, as mentioned by Daniel, cited in Daniel 9:24, were fulfilled with exact precision. (Split)
Speaking of Jesus’ first coming, Mark 1:15, Galatians 4:4, and Romans 5:6 show that God operates at set times established by Him.
Mark 1:15
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
Galatians 4:4
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
Romans 5:6
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) (Split)
We can see that God’s promises are not fulfilled haphazardly but at a time that he has pre-established.
We, therefore, do not have to be ignorant because he has provided us with timelines to help us know when the fullness of time is come. (Split)
William Miller, inspired by these insights from studying the prophecies and comparing scripture with scripture, concluded that if God had a divine timetable throughout the Bible, then God must have a divine timetable for Jesus to return.
Thus, he became convinced that God had also appointed a specific time for Jesus’ Second Coming.
Daniel 8:14 addresses the culmination of the 2,300 days, expressing:
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” (Daniel 8:14)
William Miller embraced the prevailing view at the time that “the cleansing of the sanctuary” was the purification of the earth by fire. This idea was crucial to Miller’s conclusions.
Believing that God must have a divine timetable for Jesus’s return, Miller diligently studied the scriptures to understand a critical event about to come upon them.
In his studies, he realized that there was a link between Daniel 8 and 9.
In Daniel 8, the angel was instructed to “make this man understand the vision” (Daniel 8:16).
The unexplained segment of the entire vision that remained was the portion about the 2,300 days.
Daniel 8:27 tells us.
27 And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it. (Daniel 8:27)
Later, the angel returned to Daniel in Daniel 9:22, declaring:
‘I have now come forth to give you the skill to understand’” (Daniel 9:22, see also Daniel 9:23, 25-27).
This was to give Daniel the skill to understand the 2,300 days.
This is confirmed because after telling Daniel to
“ ‘consider the matter, and understand the vision’ ” in Daniel 9:23,
the first words of the angel in Daniel 9:24 were: “
‘Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city’ ” (Daniel. 9:24, NKJV).
The word translated “determined” literally means “cut off.
The term “cut off” implies that these 70 prophetic weeks, or 490 literal years, are cut off from the larger 2,300-day prophecy.
This could be the only conclusion because it is the only part of Daniel 8 that Daniel did not understand.
When was the period of the 70 weeks to start?
This period was set to start according to Daniel 9:25:
“ ‘from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem’ ” (Daniel 9:25, NKJV).
So, it was to start from the command to restore and build Jerusalem.
With this insight, Miller was able to determine the starting point of the 70-week and 2,300-day prophecy.
Understanding the link between these time periods was crucial, as it provided a timeline for what William Miller believed to be Christ’s Second Coming.
When did the timeline for the 2300 days begin? Read Ezra 7:7-13
Then, continue to the next segment of this video, Part 6: The Longest Prophetic Time Line
The Great Controversy
(Lesson 7)
Motivated by Hope
Part 6: The Longest Prophetic Time Line
Ezra 7:7–13 pinpoint when the decree was issued to restore and build Jerusalem.
King Artaxerxes authorized the Jews in Persia to return and rebuild their temple in 457 B.C.
This was the third and most comprehensive command allowing the Jews to restore Jerusalem and their place of worship.
This command triggered the start of the 2,300 days prophetic days or 2,300 literal years outlined in Daniel 8:14.
For clarity on when these 2,300 years began, we turn to Daniel 9:25, 26.
25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. (Daniel 9:25-26)
These verses detail the timeline from the command to rebuild Jerusalem “going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the emergence of the “Messiah.”
The commandment to build and restore Jesus totaled 69 prophetic weeks or 483 literal years.
This decree was put forth in the autumn of 457 B.C. It sets this period in motion, concluding in the autumn of A.D. 27.
In A.D. 27, Jesus, the Messiah, the “anointed one,” was baptized and received the anointing of the Holy Spirit as indicated in Acts 10:38.
As expressed in Mark 1:14, 15, Jesus went into Galilee, beginning His ministry:
“preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled’ ” (Mark 1:14, 15).
The culmination of these prophetic events was in the spring of A.D. 31, which was in the middle of this last prophetic week, three and a half years after His baptism, Jesus was crucified in A.D. 31.
The spring of A.D. 31 marked the middle of the final week of the 70-week prophecy, fulfilling the symbolic representation of all past animal sacrifices.
The Old Testament system of offerings pointed forward to the Lamb of God.
Jesus is the Lamb sacrificed for our sins.
His sacrifice ended the Old Testament sacrificial offerings.
Jesus was crucified in the middle of the final week of the 70 weeks.
Daniel 9:27 points to the end of the 70 weeks, or 490 years, which concluded in A.D. 34.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)
The 70 weeks, or 490 years, especially allotted to the Jews, ended in A.D. 34, when the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin Counsel, rejected the gospel message, as depicted in Acts 6:8–7:60.
Calculating from the end of the 490 years leaves 1,810 years remaining from the original 2,300-year prophecy, which leads us to A.D. 1844.
A.D. 1844 was the year that William Miller and early Adventists believed was the time for the cleansing of the temple.
Look at the following chart for the prophecies of the 70 weeks and the 2,300 days. The prophecies start in 457 B.C. and foretell the events surrounding “Messiah the Prince,” upon whom the 70-week prophecy is grounded. With that solid foundation, the 2,300-day prophecy ends in the year 1844.
At the time, they thought the temple represented the earth. Thus, they expected Jesus to come and purify the earth with fire.
Yet, as expressed in the Great Controversy, “Like the first disciples, William Miller and his associates did not, themselves, fully comprehend the import of the message which they bore. Errors that had been long established in the church prevented them from arriving at a correct interpretation of an important point in the prophecy. Therefore, though they proclaimed the message which God had committed to them to be given to the world, yet through a misapprehension of its meaning they suffered disappointment.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 351, 352.
However, they eventually concluded that the cleansing of the sanctuary in 1844 had a different meaning. View my next video to find out what they discovered.
————————————————
Thank you for watching this video to be notified when my next video comes out, Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, Sabbath School Daily, by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis.
You also may obtain the free study guide at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org
If you enjoyed this video and want to make it available for your friends and family to watch, click Like…..then…..Share.
Thank you for Liking, Sharing, and Subscribing.
Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church
7902 Wheatly Street
Houston, TX 77088
Watch Past and Present Lessons at SabbathSchoolDaily.com
