Adventistische Schriften über: "What had the Millerites overlooked in their initial calculation of the supposed Second Coming of Christ? Had they overlooked that the Jews used a different calendar in which the religious year ended with the Feast of Tabernacles in the month of Tishri?"

The Millerites had, in their initial calculation, overlooked that the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. did not take effect until the autumn, so the 2,300 days could not end in the spring but only in the autumn of 1844. Moreover, the error was not about the end of the religious year at the Feast of Tabernacles, but about the actual starting point in the autumn and a misunderstanding regarding the event itself, since the end of the time period concerned the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary (the investigative judgment) and not directly the Second Coming of Christ.

The Spring Error and the Actual Beginning in the Autumn

»The year 1843, however, was regarded as extending into the spring of 1844. The reason, in short, is as follows: In ancient times the year did not begin in the middle of winter as it does today, but with the first new moon after the spring equinox. Since the period of 2,300 days began in a year calculated by the old method, it was considered necessary to follow that method to its end. Therefore it was calculated that 1843 would end in the spring rather than in the winter. But the 2,300 days cannot be counted from the beginning of the year 457 B.C.; for the decree of Artaxerxes — which is the starting point — did not take effect until the autumn of that year. Consequently, the 2,300 days that begin in the autumn of 457 B.C. must extend to the autumn of 1844 A.D. Because this fact was not initially recognized by Mr. Miller and his associates, they looked for the coming of Christ in 1843 or in the spring of 1844; hence the first disappointment and the apparent delay.«

1 - Ellen Gould White, The Great Controversy (1888 ed.) (GC88 682.1)

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The Misunderstanding About the End Point and the Event

»Miller and his associates initially believed that the 2,300 days would end in the spring of 1844, while the prophecy points to the autumn of that year. This misunderstanding of that point brought disappointment and confusion to those who had set the earlier date as the time of the Lord’s coming. However, this did not in the slightest diminish the strength of the argument, which showed that the 2,300 days ended in 1844 and that the great event represented by the cleansing of the sanctuary had to occur then.«

2 - Ellen Gould White, The Great Controversy (1888 ed.) (GC88 328.3)

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The Misunderstanding Regarding the Predicted Event

»Just as the disciples were mistaken concerning the kingdom that was to be established at the end of the seventy weeks, so the Adventists were mistaken concerning the event that was to take place at the conclusion of the 2,300 days. In both cases there was an assumption—or rather a clinging to popular errors—that blinded the spirit to the truth. Both groups fulfilled God’s will in delivering the message He wanted to proclaim, and both suffered disappointment because of their own misunderstanding of that message.«

3 - Ellen Gould White, The Great Controversy (1888 ed.) (GC88 352.3)

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