Apollos Hale was a Methodist Episcopal preacher

Preacher

Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...

 in New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

. He joined the Millerites

Millerites

The Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller who, in 1833, first shared publicly his belief in the coming Second Advent of Jesus Christ in roughly the year 1843.-Origins:...

 and contributed significantly as a lecturer, a writer, and co-designer of the widely disseminated "1843 chart". Following the Great Disappointment

Great Disappointment

The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history of the Millerite movement, a 19th-century American Christian sect that formed out of the Second Great Awakening. Based on his interpretations of the prophecies in the book of Daniel The Great Disappointment was a major event in the history...

, he adopted the shut-door doctrine

Shut-door theology

Shut-door theology was a belief held by the Millerite group from 1844 to approximately 1854, some of whom later formed into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It held that as William Miller had given the final call for salvation, all who did not accept his message were lost. The door of salvation...

 at first, along with Joseph Turner. Later he abandoned this interpretation.

Biography

Hale began his work as a Methodist Episcopal minister in Charleston and Medford, Massachusetts

Medford, Massachusetts

Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...

, in 1833. He married Rebecca Wait in December, 1836. He left the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1842.

Hale spent the last years of his life in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, where he died.

Millerism

Apollos Hale was instrumental in designing and presenting the "1843 chart" that was used extensively by Millerite lecturers. Hale also served as an associate editor for the Signs of the Times, and later when it became the Advent Herald, he continued in the same responsibility. He also authored the first three chapters of William Miller's Memoirs.

In January, 1845, Hale and Joseph Turner published an interpretation of what had happened on October 22, 1844 in which they articulated what became known as the shut-door doctrine

Shut-door theology

Shut-door theology was a belief held by the Millerite group from 1844 to approximately 1854, some of whom later formed into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It held that as William Miller had given the final call for salvation, all who did not accept his message were lost. The door of salvation...

. This was a minority view among the Millerites following the Great Disappointment, and Hale eventually abandoned the shut-door view and joined the majority group.

External links

• The Second Advent Manual by Apollos Hale (1843)
• Herald of the Bridegroom by Apollos Hale (1843)