Letters to the Churches: To the Church that Lost Its Voice
To read the first letter in this series of letters to the Advent Christian church, click here.
Introduction: A Voice That Once Shook a Nation
In the early 1800s, a farmer-preacher named William Miller ignited a spiritual fire across America. His message was both bold and urgent: Jesus is coming soon! Tens of thousands responded. Revival swept across towns and cities. People repented, reconciled, and reoriented their lives around eternity.
But the date came and went. No trumpet. No clouds. No return.
It became known as The Great Disappointment. And from that moment, a movement that had once stirred the soul of a nation began to retreat from its prophetic voice. We became cautious. Careful. Quiet.
But here’s the truth: William Miller was wrong about the date—but he was right about the urgency.
Scriptural Foundations: The Confidence We've Lost
We were once a movement marked by both conviction and urgency—unashamed to proclaim that Jesus is coming soon. But somewhere along the way, we traded confidence for caution, clarity for complexity, and proclamation for polite silence. We lost the fire that once burned in our pulpits and pews and the unshakable conviction that every soul we encounter is one breath away from either judgment or redemption.
The gospel of the end times is not a lecture—it’s a lifeline. And Revelation 22:6–10 is heaven’s call to the church to unseal the scroll and preach with both confidence and urgency.
Revelation 22:6–10 (NIV) 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.”
We can regain our confidence when we take hold of these truths:
“These words are trustworthy and true”—we don’t need to soften or sideline them.
“I am coming soon”—this is not metaphor, myth, or maybe. It’s a promise.
“Do not seal up the words”—silence is disobedience. Delay is denial.
“The time is near”—every conversation, every sermon, every soul matters.
We are not curators of a forgotten scroll. We are keepers of prophecy, fellow servants, and watchmen on the wall. The time is near. The scroll is open. And the church must speak again.
The Passion That Sparked Revival
William Miller’s mistake was not his passion—it was date prediction. He misread the calendar, but he didn’t misread the times. His preaching stirred repentance. His message awakened a sleeping church and nation. Revelation 14:7 (NIV) “Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come.” was proclaimed from train stop to train stop, and from coast to coast…Today, I fear that we’ve lost that confidence that sparked the Millerite revival of old. We’ve become so afraid of being wrong again that we’ve stopped preaching that the end is near. Yet the signs are everywhere. And the silence is deafening.
What We Can Be Doing Now
Preach with Confidence Will our pulpits once again ring boldly with the message of Christ’s return? Not fear-based hype—but gospel-centered hope. Let us declare, without apology, that the King is coming soon.
Disciple for Urgency Can we help our people lay aside distractions and live with eternal perspective? Let’s raise up believers who understand the times, who expect the trumpet, and who live like it could sound today.
Reclaim Our Prophetic Identity We are not just another denomination. We are the Advent Christian Church—born out of the longing for Christ’s appearing. Can we all stand together and be bold? What would happen if we reclaimed our mission and became loud again about the Second Advent?
Engage the Culture Boldly Can we collectively speak into the shaking of these last days? From wars to weather, from moral collapse to spiritual confusion—the signs are everywhere. Let us interpret them biblically and call all people to repentance.
Conclusion: From Disappointment and Silence, to Awakening the Prophetic Lion
Yes, we cried wolf. But the wolf is real. The storm is coming. The King is near.
Let us not be silenced by past mistakes. Let us be stirred with present-day urgency and stand with bold confidence in our calling and Kingdom-come message. Because when the trumpet sounds, we want to be found faithful—not fearful. Not echoing the world’s noise, but roaring with confidence and Heaven-sent urgency.
The silence is over. The lion is awake. Our prophetic voice must rise.