Adventism facts for kids
Adventism is a type of Protestant Christianity. People who follow Adventism believe that Jesus Christ will return to Earth very soon. This return is often called the "Second Coming" or "Second Advent."
Adventism started in the 1830s in the United States. It began during a time of religious excitement called the Second Great Awakening. A Baptist preacher named William Miller shared his belief that Jesus would return between 1843 and 1844. His followers were called Millerites.
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How Adventism Began
After the time Miller predicted, Jesus did not return. This event is known as the Great Disappointment. The Millerite movement then broke into several smaller groups. These groups had different ideas but all came from Miller's teachings. Together, they became known as the Adventist movement.
What Adventists Believe
Adventist churches share many core beliefs. However, they also have some differences in their beliefs. For example, they might have different ideas about:
- What happens to people after they die. Some believe people are in an unconscious sleep until Jesus returns. Others believe people are conscious.
- What happens to bad people in the end. Some believe they will be completely destroyed (annihilation). Others believe they will suffer forever.
- Whether bad people will be brought back to life after a special 1,000-year period mentioned in the Bible.
- Whether a special "sanctuary" mentioned in the Bible's book of Daniel is in heaven or on Earth.
The Adventist movement encourages people to study the entire Bible. Because of this, many Adventists, especially Seventh-day Adventists, observe the Sabbath. This means they keep Saturday as a special day of rest and worship.
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has a list of their main beliefs. These are called the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. They were put together in 1980 and updated in 2005. These beliefs are based on teachings from the Bible.
How Many Adventists Are There?
In 2010, there were about 22 million Adventist believers around the world. They belonged to many different churches. The largest group is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 2015, this church had over 19 million members who had been baptized.
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See also
In Spanish: Adventismo para niños
