Edward Irving and The Albury Conferences

Named after the town in which they were the first Albury Conference 30 November to 8 December 1826 was held in the home of Henry Drummond who lived in Albury, Surrey, Britain. British Protestant clergymen came from all over Britain to study and exchange their understanding of Biblical prophecy in the context of recent and current events. They were to run at the same time every year until 1829 with a final one in the summer of 1830 when they concluded.

The most prominent of the contributors seemed to be Edward Irving. Irving was born in Annan in Scotland on 4 August 1792. He began his working life as a teacher in Scotland where he taught all subjects which included John Milton’s Paradise Lost of which he was very fond. He also studied theology for several years and began to prepare to give sermons in Presbyterian churches. From early on he was known to challenge and stretch those in his congregations talking on subjects such as the Second Advent of Christ and quoting from the books of Daniel and Revelation using his knowledge of Greek and Hebrew in such sermons. In a talk to the British and Foreign School Society in 1826 he showed the importance that printing Bibles and educating people to read at that time. Joseph Wolff was the expert in Hebrew.

The French Revolution in 1789‑1799 was a major event in Europe and some Christians reckoned therefore they were living in the ‘last days’ noting its impact on the Roman Catholic church. Being a protestant country, that had broken with Rome, Britain had a different perspective. Interest in prophecy increased, particularly the study of the books of Daniel and Revelation. The 1260 days in Daniel using the day for a year model Irving and others calculated the end of the 1260 days was in 1793 having commenced in 533 AD. Their studies in Daniel 2 had identified Rome as the 4th world empire and the ten kingdoms of the west were represented the 10 toes in Dan.2:41‑42. They saw Napoleon as fulfilling Dan.11:21‑40.

In Daniel 12:10‑11 there is the 1,290 days which would be thirty more years onto the end of the 1260 days. Depending on your starting point of anywhere between 533 and 539 would end between 1823 and 1829. This is right between the start of the Albury conferences. This ties up with that verse which says, "the wise shall understand." Irving expected the second advent in 1846.

For six days the conference planned to examine one topic per day. The subjects for consideration are notable; they include the Times of the Gentiles, the present and future condition of the Jews, the prophetic vision and numbers in Daniel and Revelation as well as the Second Advent. The other topics concerned the duties that would result from the topics.

Henry Drummond wrote up the conclusions from the first conference as:

1. The present Christian dispensation would be terminated by judgment and pass to the millennial state.
2. There would be a judgment on Christendom, and the Jews would be restored to their land.
3. Judgment would be followed by universal blessedness.
4. The second advent precedes the commencement of the Millennium.
5. The 1260 days terminated at the French Revolution and the vials began to be poured out.

The final full Albury Conference was at the end of 1829 and there was a short conference in the summer of 1830. The benefit seems as much for the spirit of study as for the conclusions it reached. It is thought to have added much to the idea of premillennialism and for the Adventist movement in North America. Also for the church it brought the warning of the Laodicean message in Rev.3 warning against being lukewarm. He has been labelled as a ‘watchman’ which seems appropriate.

For Edward Irving and his wife, children and parents the time would be short, and Irving died on 8 December 1834 at the age of 42.