William Miller seemed an unlikely striker of panic. He tended a farm in Vermont, fought in the War of 1812, and served as a justice of the peace. His religious life, however, had not been so steady.

Early in life, Miller followed Deism, the rationalistic faith of many American intellectuals (and several founding fathers). He converted to Christianity in 1816, then began assiduous study of the Scriptures. ...

How do you react when people talk about the end of the world, or about Christ returning to earth? Here is how one columnist felt about it:

During a taxi ride one day in February, a driver in Baltimore asked how I was doing. I told him my plans for the near future.

He turned around, gave me a very strange look, and said: "I don't want to scare you, but the world is gonna end in seven months."

Hundreds ...

Since 9/11 our nation has been on high alert. Although for several years nothing as catastrophic has happened in this country since that day, terrorists have struck elsewhere. On March 11, 2004, terrorists exploded 10 bombs in Madrid, Spain, killing almost 200, wounding another 1,800.

Two months later there was a scare in Philadelphia. It was May 5th, and a conductor for Pennsylvania's transit authority ...

There were two important steps to a Jewish marriage: the betrothal (the promised agreement to marry) and the actual wedding ceremony. These two events were often separated by an extended period of time during which the couple remained faithful to one another though the wedding ceremony was not yet finalized.

Our betrothal to Christ takes place at the point of salvation. But the wedding ceremony occurs ...

When asked about the most disheartening thing that had happened to him, Marilyn Manson answered, "I think that the world's been ending since the day I was born, and it keeps beating toward that every day. One half of me wishes that it would get it over with; the other half of me has this optimism that I can contribute something worthwhile."

How the news media would announce the end of the world:

Sports Illustrated: "Game's Over!"

Ladies' Home Journal: "Lose 10 Pounds by Judgment Day with Our New Armageddon Diet!"

Inc. Magazine: "Ten Ways You Can Profit from the Apocalypse."

CNN: "World Ends; Women and Children Most Affected."

AOL: "System Temporarily Down. Try Calling Back in 15 Minutes."

It seems some people in Afghanistan are preparing for peacetime, as weapons are going for bargain prices these days. According to Time magazine, prices on knives, Kalashnikov rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades have dropped 50 percent since December:

One dealer tried to interest a Time reporter in a Kalashnikov for the bargain price of $200, with 100 rounds thrown in "to close the sale." The man, ...

The weekend following September 11th, syndicated columnist and former presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan drove to Lower Manhattan to witness the relief effort taking place at Ground Zero. She found herself focusing on the convoy of trucks filled with rescue workers coming off their 12-hour shifts. The men in the trucks were construction and electrical workers, police, emergency medical workers, ...

Theologian Dale Bruner writes:

David Peterson, former pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington, told about a time when he was preparing his sermon. His little daughter came in and said, "Daddy, can we play?"

He answered, "I'm awfully sorry, Sweetheart, but I'm right in the middle of preparing this sermon. In about an hour I can play."

She said, "Okay, when you're finished, Daddy, ...

The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ.