1844: The Great Deception

Adventists are rooted in one of the biggest prophecy scams ever. And we seem to embrace it. We even give it a nice name, The Great Disappointment. It was anything BUT. It was a great deception.

William Miller was not wrong once, but three times. He made three, yes, THREE, false predictions about the Second Coming. Why do we dwell on the third one? Because he tripled down on this on. He was deceived and deceived many. Thousands of people were hurt.

Miller was warned. Many times. Other Christian leaders around the world called him on this. He would not listen.

William Miller claimed he heard the voice of God, and it gave him this false prophecy.

He led people down the garden path, not to some great spiritual awakening.

We even go so far as to praise and complement the people that followed this false preaching, as if doing so was a sign of being a great Christian.

How silly.

Adventists need to distance themselves from such nonsense. And call it what it was:
A Great Deception.

Sure, something good came out of it. The Seventh Day Adventist Church. But that does not in any way, shape, or form, make The Great Deception anything else.

Since we have embraced this "Great Disappointment," we live in a glass house of false prophecies. We had better not throw too many stones. After all, we embrace one of the biggest false prophecies in history of Christiandom.

Will you fall victim to another prophecy scam?

The only way to protect yourselves is to READ THE BIBLE for yourself. Do not take what anyone says as truth until you read the whole passage yourself and study.

A lot of people today are barking out falsehoods in the name of truth, just telling you to believe them. Run to your nearest Bible.

False Things William Miller Said

1. Exact Date of Christ’s Return – Miller originally predicted that Jesus would return between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. When that failed, his followers later fixed the date to October 22, 1844, which also failed. The Bible (Matthew 24:36) states that no one knows the exact time of Christ’s return.

2. Mathematical Proof of the Second Coming – Miller believed he could calculate Jesus’ return based on Daniel 8:14 (“unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”). His interpretation of prophecy was flawed.

3. Christ’s Return Would Be Visible and Earthly – Miller expected a literal and physical return of Jesus to the Earth. After 1844, some of his followers (later forming the Seventh-day Adventist Church) reinterpreted this as a heavenly event instead of a visible Second Coming.

After the Great Disappointment in 1844, Miller admitted that he had made a mistake but still believed Christ’s return was imminent. Of course that was false.

And yet, we have made a shrine out of his home. Shame on us.

Deuteronomy 18:21–22 (NKJV)

"And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’—when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of of him."

This passage provides a clear and practical test for discerning true prophecy: fulfillment matters. God does not speak vaguely or inaccurately, and a message claimed to be from Him must come to pass exactly as spoken. When a prediction fails, it exposes the speaker as presumptuous rather than divinely inspired. Moses reassures God’s people that they need not fear such voices, no matter how confident or authoritative they sound. The principle teaches believers to anchor their trust in God’s proven word, not in bold claims or spiritual charisma.

More: Why do we keep listening to false prophets?

More: False Prophets in the SDA Church