William Miller was a farmer in the early 1800s who gave his life to God and began intensely studying his Bible.
William Miller was an American religious leader who gained fame for his interpretation of biblical prophecies, particularly those in the Book of Daniel, leading to his prediction of the Second Coming of Christ in 1843. This belief sparked the Millerite movement, a significant religious phenomenon in 19th-century North America.
Ellen White has written positively about Miller in The Great Controversy and elsewhere. She heard him preach, and accepted his teachings, going through the disappointment at age 16. She believed that his preaching fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture, and saw him being guided by the Lord.
Miller never accepted advancing understanding of the disappointment. Ellen White wrote: "I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump."--Early Writings, p. 258.
William Miller's rules for Bible interpretation emphasize a literal, context-aware approach, seeking to understand scripture as its own expositor, and relying on consistent application of its teachings. Key aspects include interpreting figures and parables, recognizing visions, and prioritizing a faith that requires sacrifice. He also stressed the importance of comparing scripture to scripture to understand doctrine and finding the true historical fulfillment of prophecies.
Here are Miller’s rules in his own words*
In studying the Bible, I have found the following rules to be of great service to myself, and now give them to the public by special request. Every rule should be well studied, in connection with the Scripture references, if the Bible student would be at all benefitted by them.
RULE I
Every word must have its proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible. Matthew 5:18
RULE II
All Scripture is necessary, and may be understood by a diligent application and study. 2 Timothy 3:15-17
RULE III
Nothing revealed in the Scripture can or will be hid from those who ask in faith, not wavering. Deuteronomy 29:29; Matthew 10:26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Philippians 3:15; Isaiah 45:11; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; James 1:5-6; 1 John 5:13-15
RULE IV
To understand doctrine, bring all the Scriptures together on the subject you wish to know; then let every word have its proper influence, and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in error. Isaiah 28:7-29; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 35:8; Proverbs 19:27; Luke 24:27,44-45; Romans 16:26; James 5:19; 2 Peter 1:19-20
RULE V
Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound it to me, and he should guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed or wisdom is my rule, not the Bible. Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:97-105; Matthew 23:8-10; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; Ezekiel 34:18-19; Luke 11:52; Malachi 2:7-8
RULE VI
God has revealed things to come, by visions, in figures and parables, and in this way the same things are often time revealed again and again, by different visions, or in different figures, and parables. If you wish to understand them, you must combine them all in one. Psalm 89:19; Hosea 12:10; Habakkuk 2:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Corinthians 10:6; Hebrews 9:9, 24; Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:13, 34; Genesis 41:1-32; Daniel, chapters 2, 7 & 8; Acts 10:9-16
RULE VII
Visions are always mentioned as such. 2 Corinthians 12:1; Acts 10:9-16; 11:5; Daniel 4:10; 8:2; 9:21; 10:8.
RULE VIII
Figures always have a figurative meaning, and are used much in prophecy, to represent future things, times and events; such as mountains, meaning governments (Daniel 2:35,44); beasts, meaning kingdoms (Daniel 7:8,17); waters, meaning people (Rev 17:1,15); lamp, meaning Word of God (Ps 119:105); day, meaning year (Ezek 4:6).
RULE IX
Parables are used as comparisons to illustrate subjects, and must be explained in the same way as figures by the subject and Bible. Mark 4:13
RULE X
Figures sometimes have two or more different significations, as day is used in a figurative sense to represent three different periods of time.
- Indefinite. Ecclesiastes 7:14
- Definite, a day for a year. Ezekiel 4:6
- Day for a thousand years. 2 Peter 3:8
If you put on the right construction it will harmonize with the Bible and make good sense, otherwise it will not.
RULE XI
How to know when a word is used figuratively: If it makes good sense as it stands, and does no violence to the simple laws of nature, then it must be understood literally, if not, figuratively. Revelation 12:1-2; Revelation 17:3-7
RULE XII
To learn the true meaning of figures, trace your figurative word through your Bible, and where you find it explained, put it on your figure, and if it makes good sense you need look no further, if not, look again.
RULE XIII
To know whether we have the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy: If you find every word of the prophecy (after the figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event. But if one word lacks a fulfillment, then you must look for another event, or wait for its future development. For God takes care that history and prophecy doth agree, so that the true believing children of God may never be ashamed. Psalm 22:5; Isaiah 45:17-19; 1 Peter 2:6; Revelation 17:17; Acts 3:18
RULE XIV
The most important rule of all is, that you must have faith. It must be a faith that requires a sacrifice, and, if tried, would give up the dearest object on earth, the world and all its desires, character, living, occupation, friends, home, comforts, and worldly honours. If any of these should hinder our believing any part of God's Word, it would show our faith to be vain. Nor can we ever believe so long as one of these motives lies lurking in our hearts.
These are some of the most important rules which I find the word of God warrants me to adopt and follow, in order for system and regularity. And if I am not greatly deceived, in so doing, I have found the Bible, as a whole, one of the most simple, plain, and intelligible books ever written, containing proof in itself of its divine origin, and full of all knowledge that our hearts could wish to know or enjoy. I have found it a treasure which the world cannot purchase. It gives a calm peace in believing, and a firm hope in the future. It sustains the mind in adversity, and teaches us to be humble in prosperity. It prepares us to love and do good to others, and to realize the value of the soul. It makes us bold and valiant for the truth, and nerves the arm to oppose error. It gives us a powerful weapon to break down Infidelity, and makes known the only antidote for sin. It instructs us how death will be conquered, and how the bonds of the tomb must be broken. It tells us of future events, and shows the preparation necessary to meet them. It gives us an opportunity to hold conversation with the King of kings, and reveals the best code of laws ever enacted.
This is but a faint view of its value; yet how many perishing souls treat it with neglect, or, what is equally as bad, treat it as a hidden mystery which cannot be known. Oh, my dear reader, make it your chief study. Try it well, and you will find it to be all I have said. Yes, like the Queen of Sheba, you will say the half was not told you.
*Views of the Prophecies and Prophetic Chronology Selected From Manuscripts of William Miller, 1841, ed. Joshua V. Himes. pp. 20-24.
Additional Notes From the Spirit of Prophecy
Though many abandoned their former reckoning of the prophetic periods and denied the correctness of the movement based thereon, others were unwilling to renounce points of faith and experience that were sustained by the Scriptures and by the witness of the Spirit of God. They believed that they had adopted sound principles of interpretation in their study of the prophecies, and that it was their duty to hold fast the truths already gained, and to continue the same course of Biblical research. With earnest prayer they reviewed their position and studied the Scriptures to discover their mistake. As they could see no error in their reckoning of the prophetic periods, they were led to examine more closely the subject of the sanctuary (The Great Controversy, p. 411).
The Bible with its precious gems of truth was not written for the scholar alone. On the contrary, it was designed for the people; and the interpretation given by the common people, when aided by the Holy Spirit, accords best with the truth as it is in Jesus (Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 330, 331).
Those who are engaged in proclaiming the third angel’s message are searching the Scriptures upon the same plan that Father Miller adopted. In the little book entitled Views of the Prophecies and Prophetic Chronology, Father Miller gives the following simple but intelligent and important rules for Bible study and interpretation (Review and Herald, November 25, 1884).
He who rests satisfied with his own present imperfect knowledge of the Scriptures, thinking this sufficient for his salvation, is resting in a fatal deception. There are many who are not thoroughly furnished with Scriptural arguments, that they may be able to discern error, and condemn all the tradition and superstition that has been palmed off as truth . . . . If we would understand the way of salvation, if we would see the beams of the Sun of righteousness, we must study the Scriptures for a purpose, for the promises and prophecies of the Bible shed clear beams of glory upon the divine plan of redemption, which grand truths are not clearly comprehended (The 1888 Materials, pp. 403, 404).
The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen (Selected Messages, vol. 1, p. 21).