read all about it. read all about christ’s return. i’d like to see the view fromhigh up in those clouds. you will soon enough. we all will. come get your paper. read allabout it. i’ll take a copy, lad. so people find intrigue in thenews of the lord’s return? well people wanna hear about theend of the world, sir.
captain. sir! captain! captain! we've got no morerounds! captain! captain miller! but how conceive a god supremely good, who heaps his favours on the sons he loves, yet scatters evil with as large a hand? a god came down to lift our stricken race: he visited the earth and changed it not. the children have asked for you. will you take them bread withbutter and cheese? yes, my dear.
and what are you thinking abouttoday, mr. miller? voltaire believes there is a supreme power, but he does not accept that god has anything to do with us personally. i survived that battle inplattsburgh, lucy. i have to know why. voltaire’s words provide noanswers then? god reached down to thebattlefield to meddle in thelives of men? it goes against reason, william. it’s not logical.
if you had seen the shells and blood that day, you would know the only logical explanation for our victory was some sort ofintervention. and what of the men and boys whodied around you? was it the hand of god that putthem to the grave? i do not have the answer to that abner; all i know is i should be dead but i am not. perhaps the bible has an answer. come now, mr. miller! the bible is an ancient fairy tale. you have no proof of its validity.
and you don’t have proof to the contrary. both views require a leap of faith. surely one demands as muchattention as the other? so now an ancient text is yourauthority on all things? it may just have the answers i seek. well, i tell you what i seek:another pint. abner has fallen ill. i’ve been asked to read the sermon. and your response was...?
this is what i get for speakingin front of mother. i told her i’d next read thesermon when next elihu was away. she must have told one of the elders. “indeed, all parental instruction unless enforced bybecoming examples, will expose not only the truths taught, butthe parents themselves. many remained hardened, thoughtless of god who created them, and jesus who bled to redeem them.“be not deceived, beloved parents, if you would train up your children in the way they should go you must not merely instruct, but your actions must … corres… coresp …. correspond to god’s calling on your heart.â€
for god so loved the world thathave gave hisonly begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. i have loved thee with an everlasting love. therefore with loving…. i am the lord your god your savior ….. so christ, was once offered to bury the sins of many... and unto them who look for him and if i go, i will come again little one? what is it? the baby bird is dead.
oh my sweet child. there now. it’s going to be alright. no... it’s not. come, let us lay this gentle creature to rest. papa, i don’t want to die. my precious one, you will yetlive for many years, but each of us must one day pass from this earth.
aren’t you afraid of that? no. not anymore, for i have found afriend in jesus. august 16th, 1818. now after two years of study, i am satisfied that many of the prophetic promises in the bible have been fulfilled. i must wonder then: why not thepromise of his second coming? back to daniel’s vision, are we? well, speak up so that the wholefamily can hear.
“then i heard one saintspeaking, how long shall be thevision concerning the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? and he said unto me, unto twothousand and three hundred days;then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.†-a long time to waitin daniel’s day. yes, but more than that, ithink. if the sanctuary here refers tothe earth, and if the sanctuaryhere refers to the earth, then the cleansing must be thecleansing of the earth after thesecond coming of christ. if each day represents oneyear... william?
what is it? christ is coming. the glorious appearing. someday. our blessed hope. no, lucy, you don’t understand. if each of daniel’s days is ayear, and the 2300 will be 2300years until the second coming of christ. and the time period begins in457 b.c, as indicated in daniel9, and confirmed by historians,
then that brings us to rightabout 1843... christ is coming. my savior is coming. 1843. william, my love, come to bed. the bible holds the answer tothe timing of our saviour’sreturn... god’s word has lasted these manycenturies. it will still be there in themorning. can you believe what the lordhas shown us?
indeed. i shall never again doubt thefaithfulness of scripture. thy word is a lamp unto my feet,and a light unto my path. what have they hit? i am unsure. whatever it is, it will notmove. the ground is as stubborn as theman who holds the title. lucy, i have explained myposition. but the baptists, themethodists, the presbyterians --they all believe christ will
return at the end of themillennium foretold inrevelation. as if we could usher in athousand years of peace on ourown? if these many years studying thebible have shown me anything,it’s that christ will return to cleanse the earth at thebeginning of the thousand years,not at their end. this must go beyond just ourfamily. you must tell others, william. i’m no theologian. nor has anyone asked me to bethe watchman. is that so?
lucy, i’m a gentleman farmer. i shall soon be fifty. i’m too old to take on such achallenge. how then shall they call on himin whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe inhim of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear withouta preacher? i shall make a covenant withgod. i shall speak if i am asked. well, it’s your choice.
are you the rock? or are you the plough? how long will it be beforesomeone steps forward and asksto hear your wisdom? come in! irving... aunt lucy. to what do we owe thisunexpected visit? the pastor of our baptist churchhas been called away. so mother and father were hopingyou would speak tomorrow in hisplace.
they thought you could ministeron the prophecies you have beenstudying in the bible. “i’m not a theologian. are you the rock or are you theplough? and how must it take… i shallmake a covenant. i am speak if i am asked†no, god. no! i cannot preach. i am not qualified nor am i awatchman. i beg you do not put this burdenupon my shoulder.
send someone else. and yet i have made you apromise. how can i do any less now? can i deny the only one who hasever truly forgiven my failings,who has saved me from myself? i cannot. as we know, there is muchevidence daniel’s vision thatthe cleansing of the sanctuary is symbolic of christ’s returnto cleanse our suffering earth,which we have ravaged with war, and sullied with sin. but the proof is strong thatdaniel’s vision begins 457 yearsbefore christ.
now take 457 from 2300, and youare left with 1,843 years afterchrist when the vision will be fulfilled. the conclusion must be thatsometime about 1843, oursaviour, jesus christ will come to take us home. i think your brother-in-law hasgone mad. my dear friends and family, areyou prepared for this great andimportant event? are you ready for jesus toreturn? here. here is strong evidence that thetime is not far off.
remember the old world; theythought noah was a maniac, butthe flood came! be warned. fly to the ark, take refuge inthe beautiful promise of jesuschrist, who said i will come again. must you really be off againtomorrow? yes. to exeter. when will you be back? i will pack provisions.
but i want you to rest. and take proper care. it will be so. are you disappointed in me? how could i be? you are answering your calling. i sometimes wish things weredifferent. soon our savior will return. how different heaven willfeel...
if we have the correctunderstanding of the seventyweeks--that a day represents a year--and the vast majority ofchristian expositors agree onthis point, including the great physicist sir isaac newton--thenthe conclusion is unavoidable:the vision of daniel’s 2300 years will be fulfilled about1843. we cannot serve two masters; wecannot love the present evilworld, and at the same time serve god. while we may flatter ourselvesthat we are righteous we maysoon learn to our everlasting shame, that we are wretched,poor and blind... brother miller!
joshua himes. i sent a letter last monthinviting you to my church inboston. hello, brother... himes. i’ve preached temperance fromliquor, and abolition ofslavery, but never has my flock heard a message like yours. how soon can you make it toboston? two weeks? boston?
very well, we’ll make it three! the good pastor here knows mybackground. you want me to come down toboston...? chardon street. the 8th. deliver the message you preachedhere today. -but i’m just a farmer-- a farmer with a message thatmust be heard! we will await your arrival onthe 8th! who was that gentleman?
that’s joshua v. he’s a force to be reckonedwith. he found his voice lobbying fortemperance and has almostsingle- handedly organized the abolitionists of boston. and you know his church? aye, the chardon street chapel. it’s a sight to see. there’s calvinists and dunkers,muggletonians and agrarians. quakers mix with unitarians andphilosophers.
they all come to seize theirmoment. it’s a place where folks preachand pray and protest. looks like you’re going to thebig city bother miller. and therefore, if all ofthese events have come to pass,should we not also expect the fulfillment of his greatestpromise? and so conclusion, i believe thebible is clear: jesus willreturn in but four short years. you were even better than themorning service, brother miller! good! you rest.
tomorrow they’ll be back againto hear more. the power of your message cannotbe denied. it is not my power, joshua, normy message. this is god’s truth, deliveredthrough a humble mouthpiece. yet how thrilling the messagethat comes out of that mouth. papa says you fought in the warof 1812. a shell exploded no further fromme than your mother. i thought certainly it was myend. kerpow!
aye, but when the smoke hadcleared, i was spared by thepower of a loving god. did that really happen? the apple doesn’t fall far fromthe tree i’m afraid. forgive my daughter herimpertinence. it’s as true as i sit herebefore you. and the next truth you shallhear is that bedtime has come. say good night to father andyour papa. good night! -so you really believe thisdoctrine which you preach?
- i was lost and now i’m found. if he can save me, joshua, hecan save anyone. then why hide your light underthe bushel of tiny hamlets? must baltimore, rochester,philadelphia, and even newyork--indeed the seventeen million souls of these unitedstates--not be inspired with thesame hope? and what of the rest of theworld? i have labored hard these pastyears and have seen manyconverted to god’s truth. but i’m looking for help. i want help.
on the strength of yourconviction, i am willing to layall i have upon the altar of god to help you. only answer me this: will youstand right at my side if i takethis on? indeed, i will. then prepare for the campaign. if christ is to come in a fewshort years there is no time tolose in spreading the word. we shall speak in thundertones. doors will open in every city,and the good news will spread tothe ends of the earth, for it is here, brother miller, that ibegin to help.
the time till christ’sreturn is very short. know him first. seek him first. let us love one another! god shall wipe away all tears. nor shall there be any morepain. mr. miller and those wholisten to him suffer from agrand delusion! please forgive my iniquitiesagainst your name and rescue mefrom evil.. we’ll announce they’reremoval from fellowship nextsunday.
go free. go free ellen. trust in jesus. for he will not turn his backfrom any true seeker. subtitles by the amara.org community