Josiah Litch
| Josiah Litch | |
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Josiah Litch
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| Born | April 4, 1809 Lunenburg, Massachusetts |
| Died |
January 31, 1886 (aged 76) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Occupation | Minister, Periodical Editor, Physician |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Barstow |
| Children | Wilbur Fisk Litch, Josiah Lincoln Litch |
Dr. Josiah Litch (April 4, 1809 – January 31, 1886) was a Methodist Episcopal preacher in the New England region of the United States, who was best known for his connections with the Millerite movement, and for using Bible prophecy to predict a loss of power for the Ottoman Empire.
Josiah Litch was born April 4, 1809 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. His parents' names were John and Jerusha (Lincoln) Litch, and on his mother's side, he was a descendant of Samuel Lincoln. He attended Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham and joined the Methodist Episcopal ministry as an itinerant minister in 1833.
Litch spent his itinerant ministry traveling through Cape Cod and Rhode Island. He left the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1841 to join the Millerites.
Litch intended to marry Sarah Barstow on April 25, 1836. Sarah's father, William Barstow, was a fellow minister with the New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. Josiah and Sarah had two children who survived to adulthood, Wilbur Fisk Litch, and Josiah Lincoln Litch.
In 1838, a friend asked Josiah Litch to read the writings of William Miller. Litch at first was hostile to Miller's prediction of the second coming of Jesus, but after reading he was converted into the Millerite movement.
Litch then wrote his own book, The Probability of the Second Coming of Christ About A.D. 1843. In a comment on Revelation 9, Litch predicted that the Ottoman Empire would lose power in August 1840. When on August 11, 1840, the Ottoman Empire accepted guarantees from the Great Powers, it was interpreted as a fulfillment of Bible prophecy and Litch's interpretation thereof.
Litch was responsible for inviting Charles Fitch to reconsider his rejection of Miller's teachings. Fitch later became one of the foremost preachers in the Millerite movement.
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