Josiah Litch
Encyclopedia
Dr. Josiah Litch was a Methodist Episcopal
preacher
in the New England
region of the United States
, who was best known for his connections with the Millerite
movement, and for using Bible prophecy
to predict a loss of power for the Ottoman Empire
.
. 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.
Litch spent his itinerant ministry traveling through Cape Cod
and Rhode Island
. He left the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1841 to join the Millerites.
. 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 , 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.
Litch was responsible for inviting Charles Fitch
to reconsider his rejection of Miller's teachings. Fitch 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, proposed by Samuel S. Snow
, as the anticipated date of Jesus' return.
met to work out the meaning of the Great Disappointment, and determine the future of the movement.
Litch eventually worked with the Evangelical Adventists, and served as president of the American Millennial Association. He formed his own organization known as the Messianians, and served as president in both Pennsylvania
, and Canada
.
Litch slowly abandoned the historicist
view of prophecy, in favor of futurism
. He attended the Prophetic Conference held at the Church of Holy Trinity, in New York City
, Oct. 30–Nov. 1, 1878.
Litch died January 31, 1886.
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
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 the 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...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, who was best known for his connections with the Millerite
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:...
movement, and for using Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy
Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...
to predict a loss of power for the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Early life and ministry
Josiah Litch was born April 4, 1809 in Lunenburg, MassachusettsLunenburg, Massachusetts
Lunenburg is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,086 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Lunenburg, please see the article Lunenburg , Massachusetts....
. His parents' names were John and Jerusha (Lincoln) Litch, and on his mother's side, he was a descendant of Samuel Lincoln
Samuel Lincoln
Samuel Lincoln , was progenitor of many notable United States political figures, including his great-great-great-great-grandson, President Abraham Lincoln, Maine governor Enoch Lincoln, and Levi Lincoln, Sr...
. He attended Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham
Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy
Wilbraham Wesleyan Academy was one of the oldest educational institutions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was originally established by Methodist clergy of New England, in 1818...
and joined the Methodist Episcopal ministry as an itinerant minister in 1833.
Litch spent his itinerant ministry traveling through Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He left the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1841 to join the Millerites.
Family
Litch intended to marry Sarah Barstow on April 25, 1836. Sarah's father, William Barstow, was a fellow minister with the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. Josiah and Sarah had two children who survived to adulthood, Wilbur Fisk Litch, and Josiah Lincoln Litch.Millerism
In 1838, a friend asked Josiah Litch to read the writings of William MillerWilliam Miller (preacher)
William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
. Litch at first was hostile to Miller's prediction of the second coming
Second Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, 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 , 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.
Litch was responsible for inviting Charles Fitch
Charles Fitch
Charles Fitch was an American preacher in the early 19th century, who rose to prominence for his work with the Millerite movement.-Early years :...
to reconsider his rejection of Miller's teachings. Fitch 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
Pre-advent judgment
In Christian theology, the pre-advent judgment is a belief that the final judgment will occur before the Second Coming of Jesus....
. 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
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...
, some Millerites applied Litch's pre-advent judgment to October 22, 1844, the Millerites' predicted date of Jesus' return. The Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
later developed this into the "investigative judgment
Investigative judgment
The investigative judgment is a unique Seventh-day Adventist doctrine, which asserts that a divine judgment of professed Christians has been in progress since 1844. It is intimately related to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and was described by the church's prophet and pioneer...
" doctrine.
Litch was among the last of the prominent Millerites to accept the date of October 22, 1844, proposed by Samuel S. Snow
Samuel S. Snow
Samuel Sheffield Snow was a skeptic turned Millerite preacher who calculated that the return of Christ was to take place on 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. In 1845, he was present at the Albany Conference where the Millerites who were opposed to the shut-door doctrineShut-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...
met to work out the meaning of the Great Disappointment, and determine the future of the movement.
Litch eventually worked with the Evangelical Adventists, and served as president of the American Millennial Association. He formed his own organization known as the Messianians, and served as president in both Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Litch slowly abandoned the historicist
Historicism (Christian eschatology)
Historicism is a method of interpretation, in Christian eschatology, by associating biblical prophecies with actual historical events as well as identifying symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. In prophetic theology, the main texts of interest are apocalyptic literature such as the...
view of prophecy, in favor of futurism
Futurism (Christian eschatology)
Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets the Book of Revelation, the Book of Daniel, the Olivet discourse and the parable of the Sheep and the Goats as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context...
. He attended the Prophetic Conference held at the Church of Holy Trinity, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Oct. 30–Nov. 1, 1878.
Litch died January 31, 1886.
Sources
- Letter to Rev. J. Litch, on the Second Coming of Christ by Charles Fitch (1841)
- Lest We Forget 4th Quarter, 1993 Adventist Pioneer Library, vol. 3, no. 4
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)
- 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)