William Miller's Hermeneutics and the Roots of Adventism

Introduction: Miller's Background and Approach to Scripture

Hermeneutics is defined as "the science or study of interpretation," a term derived from the Greek word for interpret (Andrews, 2007). Millerism has been described as "the top root of Adventism," and its founder held that the Bible "is a system of revealed truths, so clearly and simply given, that the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein" (Apology and Defense; as cited in Andrews, 2007).

William Miller (1782–1849) was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on February 15, 1782, to a poor farming family. He was an insatiable reader who had completely exhausted his father's small religious library early in life. McCook (2005) notes that Miller entered the army at the outbreak of war with Britain in 1812 and was named captain of the local militia. McCook observes that war always has the potential to either strengthen or weaken a soldier's faith, and it dramatically altered Miller's religious sentiments. The typical amoral environment of military camps often loosens moral restraint, yet coming face-to-face with death can also turn a soldier's thoughts heavenward.

One night Miller entered the tent of some of his soldiers, still burning their lamps, intending to reprimand them for late carousing. When he learned they were gathered for prayer, he ridiculed them and accused them of gambling — his own vice. The shame he felt from that moment helped move him toward a more orthodox and less humanistic understanding of sin (McCook, 2005).

Miller believed that his own reading of the Bible "was more profitable than hearing it read, or interpreted by some deacon." His approach to biblical study, guided by his systematic rules of interpretation, nonetheless embodied Enlightenment ideals. He attempted to read the Bible with commentaries and his former prejudices set aside, believing the Bible to be its own interpreter. That is, Miller held that all scripture is consistent and in harmony with itself, and that its true interpretation is made clear through a reasoned study of other scripture (McCook, 2005). He embraced the rationalistic principle that all scriptures must be brought together in order to fully understand any doctrinal teaching (McCook, 2005).

The followers of William Miller were a group rejected and mocked by evangelicals after Miller's failed calculation of the return of Christ in 1843. McCook (2005) states that evangelicals "mocked the believers in the imminent advent of Christ and alienated those among them who listened to Miller's predictions." Contemporaries described the Millerites as deluded extremists or even lunatics, reasoning that the only kind of people drawn to such a message were dissenters and outcasts already disinherited by society. Virtually no rumor of Millerite peculiarity seemed too bizarre to be believed. Detractors reveled in stories of Millerites dressed in ascension robes waiting in graveyards for Christ's return, only to find that they had abandoned their worldly possessions too soon (McCook, 2005).

Miller and the Millerites

Miller was believed by many to be motivated by greed, and they accused him of profiting from the fear he created (McCook, 2005). His ultimate cause, which he termed "the reform above all reforms" and which began "the revival to end all revivals," was that of preparing souls for salvation (McCook, 2005). William Miller held that the church "was purer and more prepared for judgment when their standing in the world was most humble and alienated" (McCook, 2005). The Millerites attracted approximately 500,000 people to about 125 camp meetings between the summers of 1842 and 1844, borrowing practically all their revival techniques from the many Methodists within their ranks. Millerite camp meetings were interdenominational, focused on the conversion of sinners, and inspired criticism much like earlier revivals (McCook, 2005).

Miller took for granted that the Bible was morally and literally true. He searched it for absolute truths as an enlightened scientist might search the universe for natural laws, viewing it as a predictor of things to come more reliable, even, than a scientist's predictions based on repeated experimentation. Taking the Bible's validity for granted was not an approach approved by Enlightenment thinkers. His last and most important rule of interpretation also broke from his rationalistic past: he stated that faith was essential to understand the Bible. This acceptance of mysticism, like his acceptance of the Bible's literal truth, was foreign to the younger Miller, but biblical literalism and faith were essential aspects of the prophetic message he would later deliver (McCook, 2005).

The central theme of Miller's message was grounded in his understanding of the prophetic scriptures in the books of Revelation and Daniel. In Miller's view, the world's history was a series of literal fulfillments of these scriptures, which clearly indicated that the end was near. Initially, Miller was drawn to the 2,300 days referenced in Daniel 8:14 — the time that would pass from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the "cleansing" of the temple. Miller reasoned that the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued in 457 BC and that the "cleansing" of the temple could only mean the destruction of the world. Thus, by using the common day-year interpretation of prophecy and subtracting 457 from 2,300, Miller concluded that the world's end would come around 1843. Further investigation of history and scripture convinced him that all signs pointed toward 1843 as the year of the end (McCook, 2005).

Miller became convinced in 1818 that judgment day was only two and a half decades away, but he did not immediately sound the alarm. Instead, he studied for five more years, considering every objection to his views that he could imagine before making them known publicly. Beginning in 1823, Miller began expressing his views in private conversations, but this did not satisfy his conscience. As effective as writing was for reaching a mass audience, it did not discharge what Miller believed was God's call to "go and preach" (McCook, 2005).

Miller's public ministry began in 1831 with a sermon at a Dresden church. His urgent message was an especially effective means of initiating revivals, and many preachers who disagreed with Miller pragmatically invited him to lecture in order to revive their congregations (McCook, 2005). The Millerites, far from being exclusivists, subordinated all doctrinal disputes to the greater purpose of preparing for the Judgment. Most Millerites sought to avoid both radicalism and separatism (McCook, 2005). However, by holding fast to 1843 as the end of time, the Millerites had unwittingly taken separatist steps. Following the General Conference of Christians Expecting the Lord Jesus Christ, the Millerites became separated from other Christians and were no longer welcome in most churches; by necessity they spread their message through the camp-meeting revival technique the Methodists had perfected (McCook, 2005).

William Miller held that specific rules must be applied when interpreting the scriptures. His fourteen rules of interpretation are as follows:

Rule 1: All scripture is necessary and can be comprehended through diligent, applied study (based on 2 Timothy 3:15–17).

Rule 2: Each word must have its proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible (based on Matthew 5:18).

Rule 3: Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If anyone is dependent upon a teacher to instruct them, and that teacher guesses at the meaning, or for some sectarian reason wishes scripture to lean toward a particular belief, then the teacher's "guessing, desire, creed, or wisdom" rules the individual instead of the scriptures.

Miller's Rules for Interpreting Scripture

Rule 4: In attempting to understand doctrine, all scriptures on the subject under research must be brought together, each word must be allowed its proper influence, and only then can a theory be formed without contradiction or error.

Rule 5: Things to come have been revealed by God in the form of parables, figures, and visions, and the same things are often revealed through different visions or differing figures and parables. To gain insight into these, they must all be combined into one.

Rule 6: Visions are always mentioned as being "visions."

Rule 7: To determine when a word is used literally or figuratively: if the word makes good sense as it stands and does not do violence to the simple laws of nature, it must be understood literally; if not, figuratively.

Rule 8: Figures always have a figurative meaning and are used extensively in prophecy to represent future things, times, and events — such as mountains meaning governments.

Rule 9: To learn the meaning of a figure, trace the word through the Bible, and where it is explained, substitute the explanation for the word used; if it makes good sense, no further searching is necessary; if not, look again.

Rule 10: Figures sometimes have two or more different significations — for example, day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of time.

Rule 11: Parables are used as comparisons to illustrate subjects and must be explained in the same way as figures, by the subject and the Bible.

Rule 12: To know whether the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy has been identified: if every word of the prophecy is literally fulfilled, that history is the true event; but if one word lacks fulfillment, another event must be sought, or its future development awaited; for God ensures that history and prophecy agree, so that the true believing children of God need never be ashamed.

Rule 13: The most important rule of all is that you must have faith — a faith that requires sacrifice, and that, if tried, would give up the dearest object on earth: the world and all its desires, including character, livelihood, occupation, friends, home, comforts, and worldly honors. If any of these should hinder belief in any part of God's word, it would show that faith to be vain. We must believe that God will never forfeit his word, and we can have confidence that He who notices the sparrow's fall, and numbers the hairs of our head, will guard the translation of His own word and prevent those who sincerely trust in Him from erring far from the truth, even if they do not understand Hebrew or Greek.

Rule 13b: Nothing revealed in the Scriptures can or will be hidden from those who ask in faith, not wavering.