The early 1800's were fertile times for prophesy among Christian and Muslim scholars around the world. The West fervently believed that the time of the end-the Return of Christ-was at hand. The East believed equally fervently that the Return of Christ, as foretold by Muhammad, was near. Excited reports spread through the United States, Britain, Canada, Europe, Asia, even to Africa and Australia. People throughout those regions were strongly warned to prepare for the sudden appearance of Christ, the results of whose 'coming' promised to be either delightful or disastrous, depending on the teller.

1844, the Year of The Advent

While the general time frame pictured by the students of the Bible was 1843-45, many chose to further narrow the gap to 1844. Why? This date had been chosen primarily because of three specific promises made by Christ Himself to His disciples. He gave these three promises, saying that when these three things came to pass, He would return to earth:

His Gospel would be preached everywhere on earth.

• The Disciples³ asked, "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" And Christ answered⁴ "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness . . . then shall the end come."
• W.A. Spicer⁵ wrote "the Gospel of his day had been spread to ninety five percent of the inhabitants of the earth." He added that "It was in 1842 that five treaty ports in China were opened to commerce and to missions - advance steps in the opening of all China to the Gospel. In 1844 Turkey was prevailed upon to recognize the right of Muslims to become Christians, reversing all Muslim tradition. In 1844, Allan Gardiner established the South American Mission. In 1842 Livingstone's determination was formed to open the African interior. There were many additional reference which made it clear the Gospel of Christ, and its teachers, had entered every continent by the year 1844, spreading the Word of Jesus Christ throughout the world."
• Christ said⁶ "And the gospel must first be published among all nations." And later warned⁷ that when this takes place "Take ye heed, watch and pray: For ye know not when the time is." When this Gospel is published in all nations, Christ again promises⁸ ". . . then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."

The "Times of the Gentiles" would be fulfilled, and the Jews would return to Israel.

• The Disciples asked⁹ ". . . when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?"¹⁰ by which they could be sure of His own return In answering Christ warned them of false prophets in that day and gave them His second promise "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. ...And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
• Biblical scholars were well aware of the meaning of the term "the times of the Gentiles". This term was used by Christ to foretell the Diaspora of the Jews following the second destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 132 CE and the banishment of the Jews from Israel. The Muslim conquerors of the Holy Land continued the banishment when they took Jerusalem in 637 CE. This is not to say that Jews did not live in Jerusalem during this period - they did, but because their residence within the city was illegal they could be and were expelled at the whim of the governor of the city. On the first day of the Jewish month Nisan in the year 1844 CE, the Sultan of Turkey issued the Edict of Toleration permitting Jews to live in Jerusalem legally for the first time since 132 CE. The "times of the Gentiles" were at an end (the 1st of Nisan corresponds to March 21, 1844).

The eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation had stated "And the Holy City (Jerusalem) shall they tread under foot for forty and two months" (1260 years). Obviously, subtracting 132 (the beginning year) from 1844 (the ending year) is 1,712 years. Far too many for the Biblical 1260 years (42 lunar months). To the Muslims go the honor of fulfilling this prophesy. The year 1844 CE is the year 1260 AH in the Muslim calendar. Muslims had enforced the law against Jewish residence more vigorously than had the Christians.

All mankind would see the 'abomination of desolation' foretold by the Prophet Daniel.

• The third promise of Christ came when the Disciples asked¹¹ "Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming?" And Christ answered¹² "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)."
• Chapters 8-12 of the Book of Daniel deal with this subject inclusively. These chapters are used to foretell the first coming of Christ as well as the second and thus are very important in proving the legitimacy of Christ's claim as the Messiah of His age. In these chapters Daniel prophesies¹³ that from the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the time the Messiah shall be cut off (crucified) there are appointed 70 weeks (490 years).
• Determining when the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued can thus arrive at the first appearance of the Messiah.
• History shows that three different Persian kings issued a total of four decrees. Cyrus issued the first in 536 BCE but it was not fulfilled (1st chapter of Ezra). Darius issued a second in the year 519 BCE. The Temple was rebuilt under this decree but not the city¹⁴.
• Daniel 9:25 specifies "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." Artaxerxes issued a decree in 457 BCE (7th chapter of Ezra) and reissued the same decree in 444 BCE, which was finally fulfilled (2nd chapter of Nehemiah). Biblical scholars regarded the first decree of Artaxerxes as being the decree, which fulfilled the prophecy - the second decree merely extended the validity of the first. Four hundred ninety years subtracted from 457 BCE gives a date of 33 CE, for the year in which the Messiah would be 'cut off'. 33 CE is the traditional year in which Christ was crucified.¹⁵
• The fulfillment of the second half of Daniel's prophesy was to come about at the end of the 'abomination of desolation'. Daniel 8:13-14 says, "How long shall the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the abomination of desolation, to give the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

• The Messiah would return and restore the faith of man at the end of 2,300 years. Taking the same basis as used for computing the time of the first coming, the second can be determined. Since the year 1 BCE and 1 CE are essentially the same (the dividing point is the day of the Birth of Christ - the day before is BCE and the Birthdate is CE) the subtraction of 456 (Artaxerxes' first decree to rebuilt Jerusalem) and 2300 (Daniel's 2,300 days) leaves 1844 as the year of the return.