The Hopeful is a new motion picture telling the story of the beginning of the Adventist church. It opens with widower John Nevin Andrews sailing on a ship to Switzerland with his two children, Charles and Mary. To help them sleep, he tells them stories about the pioneers who began the Adventist movement.
Who were the Adventist Pioneers?
The Adventist Pioneers were members of a group known as the Millerites, who joined forces after the Great Disappointment of 1844 (more on that in a moment) to spread the word of God and promote the Adventist Church.
While many people think of these pioneers as staunch figures, with solemn faces and long beards, some of them were actually teenagers when they began their mission.
The Hopeful tells the story of one such missionary, John Nevin Andrews, who was a major leader and evangelist in the Adventist Church. He was the first missionary from the church to be posted overseas.
The movie features other pioneers who gained the spiritual strength to transform the Adventist church from its humble beginnings into the worldwide Christian denomination it is now.
One key figure in the movie is Ellen Harmon, whose life was transformed when she listened to a sermon by Baptist minister William Miller who preached the imminent return of Christ. Miller started the Millerites movement, a group of Christians who believed in the Second Coming of Jesus, but they later disbanded when their Lord and Saviour didn’t return as expected.
Ellen, John, and other Adventist Pioneers continued the work of the Millerites by sharing the message of the Second Coming of Jesus.
What was the Great Disappointment?
As shown in the film, the Millerites believed Jesus would return on October 22, 1844. William Miller, Joseph Bates (a revivalist minister) and the other members of the group poured their hope into Christ’s imminent return.
When Jesus didn’t show up, their hopeful expectancy turned into great sorrow. This period became known as the Great Disappointment.
Following this upsetting turn of events, many people within the Millerite movement became disillusioned and left the group.
But William Miller continued to share his hope that Jesus would one day return. He inspired many believers to look forward to the Second Coming, some of whom became the Adventist Pioneers who helped to develop and grow the Seventh Adventist church.
The Adventism movement still exists today. It is part of a worldwide Christian denomination with millions of church members spread across the globe.
Read More: Who are the main characters in The Hopeful?
What did you think of The Hopeful? Do you think it was reflective of the real-life people who helped to spread the work of the Adventist church? Let us know in the comments below.