I recently obtained an out-of-print book titled Miller's Church History; the original title was Short Papers on Church History. The author is a nineteenth-century British man named Andrew Miller. The book is a tome of 1204 pages including the index. The front page lists two publishers: Bible Truth Publishers, Addison, Illinois and Bibles & Publications of Montreal, Quebec.

I have typed this unedited excerpt from pages 383-385.

The Supposed End Of The World

No period in church history, or perhaps in any history, or in any country, presents a darker picture than christian Europe at the close of the tenth century. The degradation of the papacy, the corrupt state of the church within, and the number and power of her enemies without, threatened her complete overthrow. Besides the unbelieving Mahometans in the East, and the pagan Northmen in the West, a new enemy  the Hungarians  burst unexpectedly upon Christendom. In the strong language of history, they seemed as hordes of savages, or wild beasts, let loose upon mankind. Their source was unknown, but their numbers appeared inexhaustible. Indiscriminate massacre seemed their only war law: civilization and Christianity withered before their desolating march, and all mankind were panic stricken.

In addition to these appalling calamities, famines prevailed and brought plague and pestilence in their train. The most alarming signs were supposed to be seen in the sun and the moon. The prediction of our Lord seemed to be accomplished: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken," But, though these words fitly describe the state of things then, the prophecy was far from being fulfilled; as our Lord immediately adds, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27.)

But if ever man might be forgiven the dream of believing that the end of the world was come, it was then. The clergy preached it, and people believed it, and it rapidly spread all over Europe. It was boldly promulgated that the world would come to an end when a thousand years from the Savior's birth were expired. From about the year 960 the panic increased, but the year 999 was looked upon as the last which anyone would ever see. This general delusion, through the power of Satan, was founded on a total misunderstanding and false interpretation of the prophesy concerning the millennial reign of the saints with Christ for a thousand years. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Rev. 20:1-7.)

The Year of Terror

The ordinary cares and employments of this life were given up. The land was left untilled; for why plough, why sow, when no one would be left to reap? Houses were allowed to fall into decay; for why build, why repair, why trouble about property, when a few months will put an end to all terrestrial things? History was neglected; for why chronicle events, when no posterity was expected to read the records? The rich, the noble, the princes, and bishops, abandoned their friends and families, and hastened to the shores of Palestine, in the persuasion that Mount Zion would be the throne of Christ when He descended to judge the world. Large sums of money were given to churches and monasteries, as if to secure a more favourable sentence from the supreme Judge. Kings and emperors begged at monastery doors, to be admitted as brethren of the holy order; crowds of the common people slept in the porches of the holy buildings, or at least under their shadow.

But in the meantime the multitudes must be fed. The last day of the thousand years had not yet arrived. But food there was none; corn and cattle were exhausted, and no provision had been made for the future. The most frightful extremities were endured, far too revolting to be repeated here. But the day of doom drew nearer and nearer. The last evening of the thousand years arrived: a sleepless night for all of Europe! Imagination must fill up the doleful picture. But in place of some extraordinary convulsion, which all were tremblingly waiting for, the night passed away as other nights had done, and in the morning the sun shed forth his beams as peacefully as ever. The amazed but now relieved multitudes began to return to their homes, repair their buildings, plough, sow, and resume their former occupations.

Thus closed the first thousand years of the church's history; the darkest day in the reign of Jezebel, and in the annals of Christendom.

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-- Rick (rick7@postmark.net), July 01, 1999

Answers

Wasn't there a group of people from Denver who moved to Isreal in order to instigate another holy war on 1/1/00? I seem to recall they were extradited and sent back home. Just goes to show you what is lurking in the minds of some Christians. I have a feeling this change of the millenium is going to be very reminiscent of the last change. Only now factor in the technology, racism, massive populations, desperation, and fear. Sounds like a powderkeg if you ask me. Who needs Y2K?

-- (AtlantaAS@aol.com), July 01, 1999.

AtlantaAS,

I would recommend you also consider that the coming change in the millennium may be the inverse of the last one:

The people prepared for calamity, and it didn't come. This time the people mostly don't prepare for calamity, and it does come.

-- Rick (rick7@postmark.net), July 01, 1999.

I'm no expert, but as I understand it, the troubles mentioned in the passage of Luke couldn't happen until after Isreal beacame a nation again (1948) and until the jewish people had retaken Jeruselem (1967). It sure does sound like what may come to pass in the not to distant future tho

-- I believe but (dont@practice.com), July 01, 1999.

You might want to read The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger. Their prose is considerably less florid than Mr. Miller's and their scholarship is thorough. By their account, life (at least in England) was very hard back then, what with famine and plague and Norsemen ("Northmen") raiding and occasional weak leadership (e.g., "King Ethelred the Unready") and all, but there wasn't anywhere near the panic that Mr. Miller portrays. Does he cite his sources anywhere?

Fun fact from The Year 1000: "crazy bread" refers to certain baked goods which were mildly hallucinogenic due to aging/fermentation. I wonder if Little Ceasar's knows about this? 8-}]

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), July 01, 1999.

Typo: "Caesar's". *sigh*

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), July 01, 1999.