Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources
John Stuart Mill · en
“‘This is the same that John saw in vision after the passing
away of the former heavens and earth; it must necessarily
follow that the various portions of Scripture that refer to
the millennial state must have their fulfillment after the
resurrection of all the saints that sleep in Jesus.[12] I also
found that the promises respecting Israel’s restoration are
applied by the apostle to all who are Christ’s—the putting on
of Christ constituting them Abraham’s seed and heirs according
to the promise.[13].
“‘I was then satisfied, as I saw conclusive evidence to prove
the advent personal and pre-millennial, that all the events
for which the church look to be fulfilled [in the millennium]
before the advent, must be subsequent to it; and that, unless
there were other unfulfilled prophecies, the advent of the
Lord, instead of being looked for only in the distant future,
might be a continually-expected event. In examining the
prophecies on that point, I found that only four universal
monarchies are anywhere predicted, in the Bible, to precede the
setting up of God’s everlasting kingdom; that three of those
had passed away—Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia—and that the
fourth—Rome—had already passed into its last state, the state
in which it is to be when the stone cut out of the mountain
without hands shall smite the image on the feet, and break to
pieces all the kingdoms of this world.
“‘I was unable to find any prediction of events which presented
any clear evidence of their fulfillment before the scenes
that usher in the advent. And finding all the signs of the
times, and the present condition of the world, to compare
harmoniously with the prophetic descriptions of the last days,
I was compelled to believe that this world had about reached
the limits of the period allotted for its continuance. As I
regarded the evidence, I could arrive at no other conclusion.