After the Great Disappointment Seventh Day Adventists rise from the ashes

After the Great Disappointment Seventh Day Adventists rise from the ashes

Jesus did not come to the earth as the waiting, joyful company expected, to cleanse the sanctuary by purifying the earth by fire. The Doomsday cult of Millerites were Greatly Disappointed in not being able to witness fire and brimstone rain down upon their neighbors.

But after our disappointment the Scriptures were carefully searched with prayer and earnest thought, and after a period of suspense, light poured in upon our darkness; doubt and uncertainty were swept away. Instead of the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 referring to the purifying of the earth, it was now plain that it pointed to the closing work of our High Priest in heaven, the finishing of the atonement, and the preparing of the people to abide the day of His coming. How fortunate for us to discover that we were mistaken, not wrong.

THUS THE DOCTRINAL FOUNDATION OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH WAS LAID IN THE FAITHFUL STUDY OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND WHEN THE PIONEERS COULD NOT MAKE HEADWAY, ELLEN WHITE WAS GIVEN LIGHT THAT HELPED TO EXPLAIN THEIR DIFFICULTY AND OPENED THE WAY FOR THE STUDY TO CONTINUE. THE VISIONS ALSO PLACED THE STAMP OF GOD’S APPROVAL UPON CORRECT CONCLUSIONS. THUS THE PROPHETIC GIFT ACTED AS A CORRECTOR OF ERROR AND A CONFIRMER OF TRUTH

IN 1860, IN CONNECTION WITH THE ORGANIZING OF THE PUBLISHING WORK, A NAME WAS CHOSEN. SOME THOUGHT THAT “CHURCH OF GOD” WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, BUT THE SENTIMENT PREVAILED THAT THE NAME SHOULD REFLECT THE DISTINCTIVE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH. THEY ADOPTED “SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST” AS THEIR NAME.

IN MAY, 1863, THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS WAS ORGANIZED.