contrary　to　the　teachings　of　Christ　and　His　apostles；　who　declared　that　the
  wheat　and　the　tares　and　to　grow　together　until　the　harvest；　the　end　of　the
  world；　that　〃evil　men　and　seducers　shall　wax　worse　and　worse；〃　that　〃in　the
  last　days　perilous　times　shall　come；〃　and　that　the　kingdom　of　darkness　shall
  continue　until　the　advent　of　the　Lord　and　shall　be　consumed　with　the　spirit
  of　His　mouth　and　be　destroyed　with　the　brightness　of　His　coming。　Matthew
  13：30；　38…41；　2　Timothy　3：13；　1；　2　Thessalonians　2：8。
  The　doctrine　of　the　world's　conversion　and　the　spiritual　reign　of　Christ　was
  not　held　by　the　apostolic　church。　It　was　not　generally　accepted　by
  Christians　until　about　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century。　Like　every
  other　error；　its　results　were　evil。　It　taught　men　to　look　far　in　the　future
  for　the　coming　of　the　Lord　and　prevented　them　from　giving　heed　to　the　signs
  heralding　His　approach。　It　induced　a　feeling　of　confidence　and　security　that
  was　not　well　founded　and　led　many　to　neglect　the　preparation　necessary　in
  order　to　meet　their　Lord。
  Miller　found　the　literal；　personal　coming　of　Christ　to　be　plainly　taught　in
  the　Scriptures。　Says　Paul：　〃The　Lord　Himself　shall　descend　from　heaven　with
  a　shout；　with　the　voice
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  of　the　Archangel；　and　with　the　trump　of　God。〃　1　Thessalonians　4：16。　And　the
  Saviour　declares：　〃They　shall　see　the　Son　of　man　coming　in　the　clouds　of
  heaven　with　power　and　great　glory。〃　〃For　as　the　lightning　cometh　out　of　the
  east；　and　shineth　even　unto　the　west；　so　shall　also　the　coming　of　the　Son　of
  man　be。〃　Matthew　24：30；　27。　He　is　to　be　accompanied　by　all　the　hosts　of
  heaven。　〃The　Son　of　man　shall　come　in　His　glory；　and　all　the　holy　angels
  with　Him。〃　Matthew　25：31。　〃And　He　shall　send　His　angels　with　a　great　sound
  of　a　trumpet；　and　they　shall　gather　together　His　elect。〃　Matthew　24：31。
  At　His　coming　the　righteous　dead　will　be　raised；　and　the　righteous　living
  will　be　changed。　〃We　shall　not　all　sleep；〃　says　Paul；　〃but　we　shall　all　be
  changed；　in　a　moment；　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　at　the　last　trump：　for　the
  trumpet　shall　sound；　and　the　dead　shall　be　raised　incorruptible；　and　we
  shall　be　changed。　For　this　corruptible　must　put　on　incorruption；　and　this
  mortal　must　put　on　immortality。〃　1　Corinthians　15：51…53。　And　in　his　letter
  to　the　Thessalonians；　after　describing　the　coming　of　the　Lord；　he　says：　〃The
  dead　in　Christ　shall　rise　first：　then　we　which　are　alive　and　remain　shall　be
  caught　up　together　with　them　in　the　clouds；　to　meet　the　Lord　in　the　air：　and
  so　shall　we　ever　be　with　the　Lord。〃
  1　Thessalonians　4：16；　17。
  Not　until　the　personal　advent　of　Christ　can　His　people　receive　the　kingdom。
  The　Saviour　said：　〃When　the　Son　of　man　shall　come　in　His　glory；　and　all　the
  holy　angels　with　Him；　then　shall　He　sit　upon　the　throne　of　His　glory：　and
  before　Him　shall　be　gathered　all　nations：　and　He　shall　separate　them　one
  from　another；　as　a　shepherd　divideth　his　sheep　from　the　goats：　and　He　shall
  set　the　sheep　on　His　right　hand；　but　the　goats　on　the　left。　Then　shall　the
  King　say　unto　them　on　His　right　hand；　Come；　ye　blessed　of　My　Father；　inherit
  the　kingdom　prepared　for　you　from　the　foundation　of　the　world。〃　Matthew
  25：31…34。　We　have　seen　by　the　scriptures　just　given　that　when　the　Son　of　man
  comes；　the　dead　are　raised　incorruptible　and　the　living　are　changed。　By　this
  great
  323
  change　they　are　prepared　to　receive　the　kingdom；　for　Paul　says：　〃Flesh　and
  blood　cannot　inherit　the　kingdom　of　God；　neither　doth　corruption　inherit
  incorruption。〃　1　Corinthians　15：50。　Man　in　his　present　state　is　mortal；
  corruptible；　but　the　kingdom　of　God　will　be　incorruptible；　enduring　forever。
  Therefore　man　in　his　present　state　cannot　enter　into　the　kingdom　of　God。　But
  when　Jesus　comes；　He　confers　immortality　upon　His　people；　and　then　He　calls
  them　to　inherit　the　kingdom　of　which　they　have　hitherto　been　only　heirs。
  These　and　other　scriptures　clearly　proved　to　Miller's　mind　that　the　events
  which　were　generally　expected　to　take　place　before　the　coming　of　Christ；
  such　as　the　universal　reign　of　peace　and　the　setting　up　of　the　kingdom　of
  God　upon　the　earth；　were　to　be　subsequent　to　the　second　advent。　Furthermore；
  all　the　signs　of　the　times　and　the　condition　of　the　world　corresponded　to
  the　prophetic　description　of　the　last　days。　He　was　forced　to　the　conclusion；
  from　the　study　of　Scripture　alone；　that　the　period　allotted　for　the
  continuance　of　the　earth　in　its　present　state　was　about　to　close。
  〃Another　kind　of　evidence　that　vitally　affected　my　mind；〃　he　says；　〃was　the
  chronology　of　the　Scriptures。　。　。　。　I　found　that　predicted　events；　which　had
  been　fulfilled　in　the　past；　often　occurred　within　a　given　time。　The　one
  hundred　and　twenty　years　to　the　flood　（Genesis　6：3）；　the　seven　days　that
  were　to　precede　it；　with　forty　days　of　predicted　rain　（Genesis　7：4）；　the
  four　hundred　years　of　the　sojourn　of　Abraham's　seed　（Genesis　15：13）；　the
  three　days　of　the　butler's　and　baker's　dreams　（Genesis　40：12…20）；　the　seven
  years　of　Pharaoh's　（Genesis　41：28…54）；　the　forty　years　in　the　wilderness
  （Numbers　14：34）；　the　three　and　a　half　years　of　famine　（1　Kings　17：1）　＇see
  Luke　4：25；＇　。　。　。　the　seventy　years'　captivity　（Jeremiah　25：11）；
  Nebuchadnezzar's　seven　times　（Daniel　4：13…16）；　and　the　seven　weeks；
  threescore　and　two　weeks；　and　the　one　week；　making　seventy　weeks；　determined
  upon　the　Jews　（Daniel　9：24…27）；the　events　limited　by　these　times　were　all
  once　only　a　matter　of　prophecy；　and　were　fulfilled　in　accordance　with　the
  predictions。〃Bliss；　pages　74；　75。
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  When；　therefore；　he　found；　in　his　study　of　the　Bible；　various　chronological
  periods　that；　according　to　his　understanding　of　them；　extended　to　the　second
  coming　of　Christ；　he　could　not　but　regard　them　as　the　〃times　before
  appointed；〃　which　God　had　revealed　unto　His　servants。　〃The　secret　things；〃
  says　Moses；　〃belong　unto　the　Lord　our　God：　but　those　things　which　are
  revealed　belong　unto　us　and　to　our　children　forever；〃　and　the　Lord　declares
  by　the　prophet　Amos；　that　He　〃will　do　nothing；　but　He　revealeth　His　secret
  unto　His　servants　the　prophets。〃　Deuteronomy　29：29；　Amos　3：7。　The　students
  of　God's　word　may；　then；　confidently　expect　to　find　the　most　stupendous
  event　to　take　place　in　human　history　clearly　pointed　out　in　the　Scriptures
  of　truth。
  〃As　I　was　fully　convinced；〃　says　Miller；　〃that　all　Scripture　given　by
  inspiration　of　God　is　profitable　（2　Timothy　3：16）；　that　it　came　not　at　any
  time　by　the　will　of　man；　but　was　written　as　holy　men　were　moved　by　the　Holy
  Ghost　（2　Peter　1：21）；　and　was　written　'for　our　learning；　that　we　through
  patience　and　comfort　of　the　Scriptures　might　have　hope'　（Romans　15：4）；　I
  could　but　regard　the　chronological　portions　of　the　Bible　as　being　as　much　a
  portion　of　the　word　of　God；　and　as　much　entitled　to　our　serious
  consideration；　as　any　other　portion　of　the　Scriptures。　I　therefore　felt　that
  in　endeavoring　to　comprehend　what　God　had　in　His　mercy　seen　fit　to　reveal　to
  us；　I　had　no　right　to　pass　over　the　prophetic　periods。〃　Bliss；　page　75。
  The　prophecy　which　seemed　most　clearly　to　reveal　the　time　of　the　second
  advent　was　that　of　Daniel　8：14：　〃Unto　two　thousand　and　three　hundred　days；
  then　shall　the　sanctuary　be　cleansed。〃　Following　his　rule　of　making
  Scripture　its　own　interpreter；　Miller　learned　that　a　day　in　symbolic
  prophecy　represents　a　year　（Numbers　14：34；　Ezekiel　4：6）；　he　saw　that　the
  period　of　2300　prophetic　days；　or　literal　years；　would　extend　far　beyond　the
  close　of　the　Jewish　dispensation；　hence　it　could　not　refer　to　the　sanctuary
  of　that　dispensation。　Miller　accepted　the　generally　received　view　that　in
  the　Christian　age
  325
  the　earth　is　the　sanctuary；　and　he　therefore　understood　that　the　cleansing
  of　the　sanctuary　foretold　in　Daniel　8：14　represented　the　purification　of　the
  earth　by　fire　at　the　second　coming　of　Christ。　If；　then；　the　correct　starting
  point　could　be　found　for　the　2300　days；　he　concluded　that　the　time　of　the
  second　advent　could　be　readily　ascertained。　Thus　would　be　revealed　the　time
  of　that　great　consummation；　the　time　when　the　present　state；　with　〃all　its
  pride　and　power；　pomp　and　vanity；　wickedness　and　oppression；　would　come　to
  an　end；〃　when　the　curse　would　be　〃removed　from　off　the　earth；　death　be
  destroyed；　reward　be　given　to　the　servants　of　God；　the　prophets　and　saints；
  and　them　who　fear　His　name；　and　those　be　destroyed　that　destroy　the
  earth。〃Bliss；　page　76。
  With　a　new　and　deeper　earnestness；　Miller　continued　the　examination　of　the
  prophecies；　whole　nights　as　well　as　days　being　devoted　to　the　study　of　what
  now　appeared　of　such　stupendous　importance　and　all…absorbing　interest。　In
  the　eighth　chapter　of　Daniel　he　could　find　no　clue　to　the　starting　point　of
  the　2300　days；　the　angel　Gabriel；　though　commanded　to　make　Daniel　understand
  the　vision；　gave　him　only　a　partial　explanation。　As　the　terrible　persecution
  to　befall　the　church　was　unfolded　to　the　prophet's　vision；　physical　strength
  gave　way。　He　could　endure　no　more；　and　the　angel　left　him　for　a　time。　Daniel
  〃fainted；　and　was　sick　certain　days。〃　〃And