In the early part of the nineteenth century a farmer by the name of William Miller began reading his Bible with an eye to the book of Revelation. He came to the conclusion in 1818 that in 25 years or so, probably in March, the second advent of the Lord would come. He got ordained, started preaching, and many followed him especially in the area of upstate New York he came from which was dubbed the "burned over district" since the fires of revival had burned there so often. March of 1843 and of 1844 came and went, "the great disappointment," and the great exodus of many who were waiting for Christ to come back some having even sold all they had. Miller and a small group of followers came to the conclusion that a purification had occurred, in heaven, and that they should be keeping the Sabbath day on Saturday here. Thus, the Seventh Day Adventists were born. Later the prophetess Ellen White, Miller's spiritual successor, would move her headquarters to Battle Creek, Michigan. There her protégé, Dr. John H. Kellogg, a vegetarian, would develop the corn flake, partially because of a desire to use Old Testament dietary laws, and make the city the cereal capital of the world.

An out-of-work men's clothing salesman from the north side of Pittsburgh had a religious experience that made him look to Christ's second coming. Charles Taze Russell studied the Bible for the "signs of the times" and decided that the second advent had occurred in 1874 and everything would come to an end in 1914. World War I almost gave some credence to Russell's "millennial dawn " and imminent Battle of Armageddon, but his claim that "millions now living will never die" just didn't hold. Russell died in 1916. His successors, now calling themselves Jehovah's Witnesses, have not been quite so specific about the end, but they'll still talk to you about it. By the way, they're also still convinced that the Watch Tower Society will someday rule the world.

Over the last twenty years the writings of Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth and MANY spin-offs) have had the Second Coming on many people's minds. Lindsey bases his views on the writings of two late nineteenth century writers, John Nelson Darby and C. I. Scofield (of reference Bible fame), which espouses a very particular view of the end. It's called 'dispensational premillennialism' which means that there are a series of dispensations, ala Joachim of Flora, which will come to pass and then the Church will be taken to heaven (raptured), there will be the "great tribulation" and then the thousand year reign of Christ (the millennium) will occur. There are other schools of thought, post-millennialism, amillennialism, and so forth. I have come to the conclusion that I am an "aha-millennialist." When it happens, I'll say "Aha! Jesus is Here!"