MISSIONARY AND ADVENT MOVEMENTS
In 1792 William Carey helped to organize The Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen. Carey was sent to India, and his letters inspired a whole host of mission societies to be formed. The missionary movement of the 1800’s sent wave after wave of teachers, doctors and evangelists to Africa, Asia, South America and the Islands of the Sea, often to a premature death from illness or martyrdom .[1]
One of the last reforms was the advent movement, a worldwide focus on the soon return of Christ. Many people were convinced that a series of unusual events were signs of the soon coming of Christ as prophesied in Revelation 6:12, “There was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth.” In 1755 the Lisbon earthquake caused massive destruction in Portugal, Spain and North Africa, and damage in a much larger area; it was the most destructive earthquake that has ever struck in Europe. Twenty-five years later on May 19, 1780 an unnatural darkness which became known as the “dark day” covered much of New England. Then on November 13, 1833 the most spectacular display of meteorites ever seen took place. These events convinced many that the end of the world was at hand .
Particularly in America the preaching of William Miller stirred up a deep interest in the scriptures related to the Second Advent. One of the key passages of interest to the "Adventists" (believers in the soon coming or advent of Christ) was Daniel 8, which portrays a “little horn” (the medieval papacy) which “exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down” (v. 11). One of the angels who presented the vision to Daniel asked, “How long will the vision be? (v. 13). The Adventists believed that the answer, “For two thousand three hundred days, then the sanctuary shall be cleansed” (v. 14) identified the time of the Second Coming of Christ. Thus attention was directed to the study of the sanctuary and the priestly ministry of Christ, a theme that is central in the message to the Philadelphia Church .
Continue to next section: 3:8, THE KEY OF DAVID, THE OPEN DOOR