Josiah Litch

Dr. Josiah Litch (1809–1886) was a Methodist Episcopal preacher in the New England region of the United States, who was most well-known for his connections with the Millerite movement, and for using Bible prophecy to predict a loss of power for the Ottoman Empire.

Early life and ministry

Josiah Litch was born April 4, 1809 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. His parents' names were John and Jerusha (Lincoln) Litch, and on his mother's side, he was a descendant of Samuel Lincoln. He attended Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham and joined the Methodist Episcopal ministry as an itinerant minister in 1833. He spent his itinerant ministry traveling through Cape Cod and Rhode Island. He left the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1841 to join the Millerites.

Millerism

In 1838, a friend asked Josiah Litch to read the writings of William Miller. Litch at first was hostile to Miller's prediction of the second coming of Jesus, but after reading he was converted into the Millerite movement.

Litch then wrote his own book, The Probability of the Second Coming of Christ About A.D. 1843. In a comment on Revelation 9, Litch predicted that the Ottoman Empire would lose power in August 1840. When on August 11, 1840, the Ottoman Empire accepted guarantees from the Great Powers, it was interpreted as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and Litch's interpretation thereof.

One of Litch's most notable converts was Charles Fitch, who later became one of the foremost preachers in the Millerite movement.

Around 1841, the Millerite movement requested Litch to become the first general agent. Litch was granted release from his pastoral duties, and became the first paid Millerite worker. Litch was successful as a promoter and secretary for the movement.

Another idea that Litch developed was the idea of a pre-advent judgment. According to Litch, "no human tribunal would think of executing judgment on a prisoner until after his trial; much less God." He began to develop the idea in 1840, but didn't publish until 1841. After the Great Disappointment, some Millerites applied Litch's pre-advent judgment to October 22, 1844, the Millerites' predicted date of Jesus' return (the Seventh-day Adventists later developed this into the investigative judgment doctrine).

Litch was among the last of the prominent Millerites to accept the date of October 22, 1844 as the anticipated date of Jesus' return.

Beyond 1844

After the Great Disappointment, Litch first thought there was some misunderstanding with regard to what happened in 1844. He eventually joined the Evangelical Adventists, and abandoned the historicist view of prophecy, in favor of futurism.

See also

• Millerism
• Adventism

Sources

• Knight, George R. (1999). A Brief History of Seventh-day Adventism. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald. ISBN 0-8280-1430-2.
• Knight, George R. (2000). A Search for Identity: The Development of Seventh-day Adventist Beliefs. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association. ISBN 0-8280-1541-4.
• Schwarz, Richard W. (1979). Light Bearers: A History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nampa, ID: Pacific Press. ISBN 0-8163-1795-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• An Address to the Public, and Especially the Clergy, on the Near Approach of the Glorious, Everlasting Kingdom of God on Earth by Josiah Litch (1842)
• Prophetic Expositions by Josiah Litch (1842) (2 vols)
• Letter to Rev. J. Litch, on the Second Coming of Christ by Charles Fitch (1841)
• Judaism Overthrown by Josiah Litch (1843)
• Refutation of "Dowling's Reply to Miller," on the Second Coming of Christ in 1843 by Josiah Litch (1842)
• The Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment The transcript of a debate between Josiah Litch and Miles Grant (1859)
• The Pre-Millennial Advent Vindicated; Being a Review of Rev. Dr. David Brown's Post-Millennial Advent of Christ by Josiah Litch
• Christ Yet to Come: a Review of Dr. I. P. Warren's Parousia of Christ by Josiah Litch (1880)