O Fim do Historicismo (Apostila de Estudos)
...'.
THE END OF HISTORICISM
Millerite Hermeneutic of Time Prophecies
in the Old Testament
by
Kai Arasola
w
Copyright 1990 Kai Arasola
Revised edition of an earlier mimeographed dissertation
submitted to the Theological Faculty of the University of
Uppsala for the degree of Doctor of Theology, publicly
examined on May 24, 1989.
Abstract
Arasola, K.J., 1989. The End of Historicism. Millerite
Hermeneutic of Time Prophecies m the Old
IlX
Testament. 226 pp.
6//5
Uppsala. A7J../
ISBN
91-630-0105-5 '.
<::
1 o
This dissertation shows that William Miller' ,' i ,"( ;jl
-"V
tl"
had several ways of counting the time of the parousia. Many or
his interpretations have long been forgotten and overlooked by
literature and research on Millerism.
Miller had fifteen "proofs" of the second Advent in 1843. These
proofs were found 1D various parts of the Bible from Genesis to
the book of Revelation. Miller's proofs included the "prophecy
of Moses," seven prophetic years or 2520 literal years. He found
this prophecy in Lev 26, Deut 15, Dan 4, and Eze 39. He also
counted the time of the end by 6000 years from the creation.
These views may have affected the later doctrines of Jehovah's
Witnesses. Miller also had other imaginative prophetic
interpretations like the Jubilees or the two days of Hos 6:2.
However, the backbone of Miller's fifteen proofs was a complex
system of interlinked prophecies from the books of Daniel and
Revelation which in turn shaped the teachings of Seventh-day
Adventism.
This study describes Miller's historicist hermeneutic.
It
also
shows that because of the disappointment at the end of the
revival the popular historical method of prophetic interpretation
changed. HIStoricism was replaced by Darbyan futurism
and
by
preterism. Few outside the denominations that stem from
Millerism dared keep on using the traditional historical method.
Kai Arasola, Department of Theology, Uppsala University, Box
1604, S-751 46 Uppsala, Sweden.
Printed in Sweden by DATEM PUBLISHING, Sigtuna, 1990.
The Millennium was supposed to
be very near. I fully
entered
into
the enthusiasm of the time . -- My
heart was fixed on the Millennium
and I resolved to live or
die
for it.
Noyes, Confessions
of
Religious Experience
IV
ABBREVIATIONS
ABU
AH
AHer
AM
AMDZ
ANF
ASR
diss.
DS
DSE
EOTH
EvT
IDB
ICC
IEP
JW
KJV
LS
LW
MC
MEA
MIN
MS
n.d.
n.p.
N&PNF
OT
NT
PFF
PT
RD
ROA
SAL
SAM
SDA
SDABC
Aid
to Bible Understanding
Advent Herald
Adventist Heritage
The American Monitor
Advent Message to the Daughters
of
Zion
Roberts & Donaldson eds. Ante-Nicene Fathers 6
vols.
Advent Shield and Review
dissertation
Day Star
Day Star Extra
Westermann ed . Essays on Old Testament
Hermeneutics
Evangelische Teologie
The Interpreter's Dictionary
of
the Bible
The International Critical Commentary
The Investigator or monthly Expositor and Register
of
Prophecy
Jehovah's Wittness
James Version
Wafch ed .
Dr. Martin Luthers Werke 67 vols.
Hilton ed.
Luther's Works
Midnight Cry
Hoornstra ed. The Millerites and Early
Ad
ventists
A Microfilm collection of
Rare
Books and
Manuscripts
Ministry
Manuscript
no date
no place
Roberts
& Donaldson eds.
Nicene
and Post
Nicene Fathers, 4vols
Old Testament
New Testament
Froom, The
Prophetic Faith
of
Our Fathers, 4vols
Present Truth
Reader's Digest
Sandeen ed. Rise
of
Adventism
Second Advent Library
Hale, Second Advent Manual
Seventh-day Adventist(s)
Nichol ed . The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary
SDABD
SDAE
SEA
SMV
ST
TGC
TMC
VOP
VI'
WA
Horn
ed. The Seventh-day Adven
Dictionary
Neufeld ed. The Seventh-day
Encyclopedia
Svensk Eksegetisk Arsbok
Miller 1842i Synopsis
of
Miller's Views
Signs
of
the Times
The Great Crisis
of
1843
True Midnight Cry
Miller 1842j Views
of
the Prophecies ant
Chronology-
Vetus Testamentum
D. Martin Luthers Werke.
Gesammtausgabe. Weimar 1883-1948
vi
V11
1. Introduction
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2. Background
2.1 William Miller
2.1.1 Miller and the prophecies
2.1.2 Miller
begins to preach
2.2 Millerite message
2.3 Mass meetings and publications
2.3.1
The
organization and spread of Millerism
2.4 Millerism and American religiousity
2.4.1 Popularity of Millennarianism
2.5 A significant change in Millerism
2.5.1
The
seventh-month movement
2.6
The
aftermath of the disappointment
2.7 Miller 's heritage
2.8 Summary
3. The historical method
4. Miller's
view of prophecy
and
history
84
86
88
89
90
92
94
95
45
46
47
48
49
Year-day method
Other methods of counting time
The
scope of Miller 's exegesis -
problem of literature
The
scope of Miller's exegesis - 15 proofs
The
scope of Miller's exegesis -
an analysis of periodicals
Synopsis of Miller's chronology
The
prophecy of Moses
The
basic premise of Miller's exegesis 49
Rules of interpretation
50
Observations on Miller's rules 53
Scriptural analogy 54
Iml?0rtance of words 55
Unilateralism and literalism 56
Millerite view on Biblical languages 57
Resistance to historical critical influence 58
Lack of Christocentricity 59
The influence and function of hermeneutical
rules 60
Millerite confession of faith 62
Return of the Jews 64
Miller 's argument on the promises 66
Millerite support 66
Literal fulfillment 67
The
importance of prophecies concerning Israel 68
Premillennialism 68
The
Day of the Lord 70
The
importance of premillennialism 72
Historical application of the book of Daniel 73
Sequencial fulfilment 75
Details 75
The
Horns 76
The
hom
of Daniel 8 78
Daniel chapter eleven and twelve 80
The
book of Revelation 82
Summary 83
American contribution
Some features of American literature
Miller's relationship to other historicists
Summary
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.4
5. Miller's chronological exegesis
3.12
3.12.1
3.13
3.14
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.3.4
4.3.5
4.3.6
4.3.7
4.4
4.5
4.5.1
4.5.2
4.5.3
4.5.4
4.6
4.6.1
4.6.2
4.7
4.7.1
4.7.2
4.7.3
4.7.4
4.7.5
4.8
, 4.9
23
23
24
25
27
28
29
30
32
33
35
37
40
40
41
43
1
2
2
3
4
5
6
6
7
8
8
9
11
11
13
14
16
17
19
21
Protestant apocalypticism
From Reformation to American biblicism
Reformation hermeneutic
The
rise of biblicism
Definition of historicism
An
excursus - early background of
historicism
The
church fathers
The
year-day theory and papal antichrist
Joseph
Mede
Sir Isaac Newton
Thomas Newton
John Gill
George Stanley Faber
Historicism in popular commentaries
Contemporary British premillennialism
The
problem
The scope of the research
Comments on Methodology
An overview of the contents
Literature
3.1
3.2
3
.2.1
3.2.2
3 .3
3.4
3.4.1
3.4.2
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
3.10
3.11
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5