Note:

This debate involving Mr. Ratzlaff et al is being translated into Spanish and can be accessed in that language through the following link:

http://foroadventista.com/index.php/topic,48.90.html

Let's see some discussion of a previous editon of Proclamation Magazine:

William Miller Under Ratzlaff’s Scrutiny. Is He Being Fair?

In a previous edition of the Proclamation Magazine a strong case is made against William Miller’s being someone directed by God in his preaching of the Second Advent Message, due to his blunder of setting a date for that event. However, some reflections would fit at this point. Maybe, we could even start asking the critics of that Baptist fervent preacher, who triggered the Advent Movement, some pertinent questions:

* Was Martin Luther a man under God’s guidance when he attached his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg cathedral? Were Luther’s 95 theses a reflection of good theological research in the field of justification/sanctification? Was Luther’s later theological views exempt of errors? Was Luther’s personal conduct as a religious leader always flawless?

* How about the other great Reformer, John Calvin? Was Calvin’s theological views exempt of error? Was Calvin’s attitude towards his fellowmen always in harmony with the highest expectations from someone with his influence and authority? Was someone hurt by his personal conduct?

* And how about the other John, Wesley, who was such a wonderful revivalist in the Seventeenth Century, but his teachings in part are seen as the seed of the Pentecostal movement, due to his idea of “second blessing”, interpreted later on as the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”, manifested through the gift of tongues? Was that a good contribution to the Gospel cause on his part?

* Do you know that even Billy Graham, considered the greatest evangelist of modern times, who won so many souls to Christ, in so many different parts of the world, has been criticized by many people because of certain views he expressed, like considering Pope John Paul II as a real dedicated Christian leader, and other favorable opinions regarding the Catholic Church?

A reading of the Bible shows that time after time God used men and women to accomplish His work who were far from perfect in conduct, and even understanding of their role. Eli, Samson, Elijah, David, Solomon accomplished great things for God, but were so often so much short of His ideals.

Miller was a dedicated Christian and there is no doubt that the movement he launched had the highest and most sincere motivation. He was a man who really loved His Master and looked forward to meeting Him soon, and that was the leitmotif of all his campaign. Nobody can point to any selfish intentions on his part, no interest in acquiring fame and fortune, no plans to even start a new denomination (what for, since the world would soon come to an end?!).

Now, Miller had his blunders, no doubt. His too “optimistic” prophetic studies led him to the error of setting the 1843, later 1844, dates. But if he made mistakes, he also deserves credit for the good things we can glean from his efforts.

Yes, Miller set the date for the Advent, an error, indeed. But how about seeing him under a new perspective? First let’s remember that the apostles of Christ also made mistakes regarding the nature of Christ’s kingdom. They harbored false expectations concerning Jesus’ promised kingdom, as we can see in Luke 24:21 (“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.”) and Acts 1:6 e 7 (“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

Thus, the human founders of the Christian Church also “erred”! And how about the serious Peter’s flaw of conduct, which deserved a severe reprimand from Paul, in Galatians 2:11ff? Do these bad incidents disqualify the Christian religion or put it in jeopardy?

Many think that Miller is someone we have to be ashamed of. How wrong are these people! That farmer without theological training read his Bible correctly and realized that it predicted a premillennial return of Christ. Miller superseded the majority of the Christian scholars of his time. The main Bible commentaries for most of the 19th Century taught the postmillenial coming of Christ, which proved wrong and is a theory mostly abandoned today.

Who would have any enthusiasm with an event at least one thousand years away? Adam Clarke, Bishop Barnes, and, before them, Matthew Henry, made the same mistake. Miller helped to cause a breakthrough in the religious world regarding this vital question that resounds throughout the New Testament text—the thrilling hope of the soon return of our Lord. To harbor this hope is appropriate, either we live in the apostolic age or now.

Following the two world wars, almost the entire religious world has followed the direction set by Miller. The fact that he was wrong in following certain trends of religious people of his time to set “prophetic dates” doesn’t diminish significantly his stature.

How appropriate was the occasion for the essence of the SDA message. For example, Darwin wrote his first sketch for The Origin of Species in 1844 and simultaneously God revived the Sabbath truth to challenge all the atheistic theories regarding the origin of life.

Modern spiritualism also emerged in the 1840’s and was confronted by Adventist emphasis on the conditional immortality. Also it was about that time that Marx and Engels wrote the ‘Communist Manifesto’, stating that “law, morality and religion are only bourgeois prejudices”. Thus, I affirm that God raised the Adventist movement for His purposes in the latter days.

Now, back to Miller, while he proclaimed the neglected message of Christ’s soon coming, the Protestants were expanding their plantations (of cotton and TOBACCO) because their preachers promised 1,000 years of peace and prosperity in anticipation of Jesus’ return. Postmillennialism prevailed at that time, a concept that nowadays is practically abandoned by the religious people who favor premillennialism as more correct. Thus, we conclude that on that point MILLER WAS RIGHT ALL THE TIME, after all. . .

To say nothing of how Miller’s Protestant contemporaries funded the Secession War because of their financial interest in maintaining slavery. And they employed Bible arguments to defend maintenance of slaves! Doesn’t that count as interpretive error?

On the other hand, Mrs. White, at this difficult time, wrote testimonies condemning slavery, which would not be considered a “politically correct” attitude on her part in that cultural and historical milieu.

So, when we put things in the due perspective and cultural and historical context, they acquire a very different logic.

William Miller was a hero of the Christian faith and should be honored as such, not disparaged so unfairly by biased and not well informed people, no doubt about that.
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Note: Some of the material above has inputs from some good points of the polemic SDA theologian Desmond Ford, in an interview he gave to an independent Adventist publication.