William Miller’s Dream

I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.  {EW 81.2}
I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.  {EW 81.3}
The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.  {EW 82.1}
I began to think that the owner would require the casket and the jewels again at my hand; and if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never place them in their places in the casket again as before; and felt I should never be able to meet the accountability, for it would be immense. I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on every piece of furniture in the room.  {EW 82.2}
I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.  {EW 82.3}
I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept.  {EW 82.4}
While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.  {EW 83.1}
Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the people all left it; and he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.  {EW 83.2}
I cried to him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish.  {EW 83.3}
He told me to “fear not,” for he would “take care of them”.  {EW 83.4}
Then, while he brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over the room.  {EW 83.5}
He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin.  {EW 83.6}
He then called upon me to “come and see.”  {EW 83.7}
I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory. I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy, and that shout awoke me.  {EW 83.8}

Can we interpret this dream in the same manner we can interpret the Bible?  What do these jewels and coins represent?

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.  For the price of wisdom is above rubies.  The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.  How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!  Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.  The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.  KJV Proverbs 8:10-11, Job 28:18, Psalms 12:6-7, Proverbs 2:3-5, Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 3:13-14, Psalms 119:72

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.  1 Corinthians 2:12-16

If the original jewels, gold and silver coins represented the word of God, the countrified pieces must represent deceptions that were arranged to draw people away from the word of God.  The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.  The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.  Proverbs 10:20-21

The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.  They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;  They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.  They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and maddest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,  Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.  KJV Psalms 135:15-18, Ezekiel 16:17, Ezekiel 22:18

In the dream the counterfeit jewels and coins are removed from the room and the original items are returned to the chest in a state that was even more brilliant than the first.  The Bible also explains this.

The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.  Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.  For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.  Proverbs 17:3, Proverbs 25:4, Isaiah 48:10, Psalms 66:10

Word studies are the key that opened the chest.  The treasure was shared with others just as the message declaring the return of Christ was shared with the world by William Miller. Even though William Miller and his followers are widely known for teaching an error, the Bible has ample examples supporting the evidence that God’s followers, prophets and disciples were not chosen because they were perfect.  Being error free has never been a criteria for following God or delivering His message.

The dream shows that the method of Bible study used by William Miller will be lost for a time.  This has occurred just as predicted.  For many years Adventist institutions have neglected to teach the method of word studies taught by William Miller and used by the early Adventists.  It is very difficult to find a pastor that can explain how to interpret the Bible using word studies.  Many conference leaders have rejected word studies because they are unfamiliar with the method and do not want to take a chance of creating any type of contentions by introducing change.  Just as predicted, Satan has been busy supplying Adventists with every type of counterfeit imaginable in an effort occupy their time and lead their minds away from the word of God.

In William Miller’s dream the counterfeit pieces were removed from the room and the original jewels were returned to a condition better than their original state.  This shows that the studies of William Miller and the early pioneers will once again be discovered and appreciated.  The same study method used to break down interdenominational barriers, bringing these messengers of God together and taking them through the trial of the great disappointment, guiding them through a new movement that forever changed the world will one day be accepted by those chosen to carry on Adventist movement.