Last night (March 6, 2022), I again considered what happened in 1844, the year that William Miller (the initiator of the Millerite movement) misinterpreted the year and the date for the second coming of Jesus. I do not doubt that the year was correct, but correct for what?
At the time, William Miller’s prediction was a big deal. Bible believers worldwide were aware of his findings with the book of Daniel chapter 8, featuring the elegant way he arrived at his time point—the end of the 2300 prophetic days. But of course, our Lord didn’t come as scheduled, moving historians to brand the prediction an embarrassment, keeping what happened low-key on the Christian historical timeline.
Searching for an updated interpretation of 1844, I am not satisfied with a mystical explanation that doesn’t have an observable connection with the goings-on of humanity on earth. The update needs to point to something we can see and talk about. After the disappointment, there wasn’t much context with a post-1844 time as the clock continued ticking. However, the context did not stay scant.
The year became significant in various spiritual attentions. Mary Baker Eddy (Christion Science) lost her husband that year. Joseph Smith (Mormons, LDS church) died defending himself that year. William Booth (Salvation Army) converted to Christianity that year, and George Williams (YMCA) started a retreat for city workers that year. Even Charles Darwin presented his essay on evolution in that year. With the Millerite movement, all these events—I believe—have a surprising significance together, but that’s for another discussion.
The year-riddle (what did the year 1844 point to?) bounced back and forth in my head for a long time. I’ve pondered the two angels’ conversation in Daniel 8: 13, 14. Today’s Bible translations present these verses in a readable but cryptic fashion. Impressive they are, but I want to know what they mean. When you consider prophecy, you’re filling in the blanks, extraordinary blanks in Scripture, answers that will come only at their appointed time. If the message comes from God, this dynamic maturity is sensible.
Many people agree that Scripture is the key to unlocking Scripture; in my opinion, this attitude is not 100% correct. Prophecy and time contributing to Biblical interpretations reveal upgrades to prophetic understanding. First, however, the investigator must discover where the Bible initially points, enabling an event to make its additions. Unfortunately, word choices of Bible translators stiffen meaning-flexibility with their chosen words. So I got out my literal Hebrew-to-English translator to open that flexibility. Repeatedly, I read verses 5 to 14 to help me understand the angelic conversation.
Bumping over the more accurate phrases, I finally formed an idea. The goat’s horn that grew all over the place did what Revelation’s dragon did in Revelation 12: 9, dropping hosts of heaven (stars) to the earth. The horn and the dragon speak of the serpent in the tree in Genesis 3, so we must join puzzle pieces. Also, not distracted by the fantastic creatures in Daniel, we can add the fact much of his book deals with nations and heads of state. So then, our answer is in the context of nations! ‘Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”’ Revelation 10: 11.
Elsewhere in Daniel 8, the text speaks of the truth thrown to the ground, and that act brought prosperity to the horn-monster. This particular prosperity or benefit is what appears to have ended at the date derived from the 2300 days, switching actuality around, finding God’s home in the right, the house of freedom, proving that it is the place that prospers. 1844 marks a verdict! The prosperity in playing God by the ruling class is actually poverty to them and everyone else. So I tried out this explanation:
The track of prosperity changed with “the government, of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This ideal dream spread all over the world at our time point. The abolishment of slavery and the statue of liberty assembled in New York Harbor completes the time pinned-down, sited by our date. Sorry to be brief, but I hope you get the “point.”
From then on, the King of Rebellion, the one that brought into reality the desire to rise above the heights of the stars—co-desired by human minions—will find the larger citizenry noncompliant. All the stars will not fall in line to prosper such desires. Individuals have tasted the wondrous opportunity of being free. 1844 was the prophesied date scheduling the dragon’s mortal wound. The dragon—revealed through his minions—confirmed the time of his weakened state and resulting frustration, massacring millions to regain his god-height position.
So our year is a pin marking a time that had some historical duration before and after it. It’s like putting a pin on a map, like identifying Washington State on the greater United States. The pin only marks; it doesn’t cover all the territory like 1844 doesn’t cover all the time of the change. It’s more or less pins the beginning of the bottom third of that transitional history of 90 years. This explanation is the best interpretation I have to explain the significance of our year, and it is not an isolated interpretation; it connects with other items of prophecy. Again, I’m sorry for being so brief.
1844 marked the time for spiritual change within the powers and principalities, above and on the earth. A solid hit to the dragon, our year is the point where throwing the truth to the ground will not prosper until the dragon comes out from the pit for “a little while,” when his 6th head heals.
I’m seeing something I’m going to stick my neck out to say. At this appointed time, the privileged ruling class will no longer have clear sailing like before our famous year. Any global movement coming from any nation from 1844 to the Second Coming will drive into a quagmire. The people yearning for freedom will continually humiliate these old-style strong-men leaders, delegating such rulers as a footstool for the Lord through God’s providence. Yes, we are talking about the feet of iron and clay, a foundation footing unsettled, weakening kingdoms and nations with their dragon god. (Is this true?—we shall see.)
With concrete effects since 1844, the change has not been pleasant but has continued with the world’s cruelty. Efforts moving forward by this ruling class will stay in disarray. Confiscation of freedom will be their road to paranoia. The populations of people will be a formidable yet impossible challenge to these power mongers holding fast to their positions of power. This situation will be the providential condition, a tangled struggle, locked in a clash, falling consistently downward until our Lords’ mysterious date of His coming.
The vision of love and peace will not bring what is required to wash the robes for all people. Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” No logic will convince and deal with all human difficulties because the main problem is of the heart. The solution can only come from the direct hands-on leadership of the King of Kings, the only one worthy of doing so. Our King’s work will commence the middle time (the second time)—uncovering the liars and exposing the murderers and their disgusting aims.
God’s way had always been vulnerable, but evil feeds on vulnerability. However, the male side of the image of God, the aspect revealed in the creation of humanity, will immediately take charge of the human race at once. It will be a disciplining time, the time of the iron rod, so prophesied, a leadership like no other time in human history.
However, those who accept and understand the divine King’s administration will be as pre-disciplined. Those pre-disciplined will be ready for the appointed time of the end, a point in time coming after the millennial chastisement, revealing those on our Lord’s right side and those on his left. This kingship happens at His second coming, not through a manger but as an undeniable conquering king as the hill of Zion prophesies.
To me, the understanding of our year is of the highest context. The sixth trumpet blew in 1844: it continues to echo over the world until the appointed end, which commences after the King of Kings and his 144,000 rules the nations for a thousand years.
Beyond the mystical explanation holdover, how could people, shortly after 1844, understand the year mark? The scroll that John consumed making his stomach sour is true, but we have missed the command to prophesy again, this time “about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.” Prophecy from that year points forward, not backward.
So now, in 2022, we have more contexts from our time point—1844. The year is an anchor point to everything in Daniel and Revelation. From my view, to disregard the event, both books will stay sealed, and the One like a thief will be upon us any day.
