The message was based on the preaching of William Miller and predicted that Christ would return about the year 1843, which was later refined to October 22, 1844.

This belief was based on the day-year principle and an interpretation of the 2300 days mentioned in Daniel 8:14 which predicted that "the sanctuary would be cleansed".

[1] That same night Edson believed that the Lord told him to begin preaching the Advent message to his friends and neighbors.

On the morning of October 23, 1844 they walked through Edson's cornfield to avoid the mocking jeers of the neighbors who had refused to believe the Advent message.

Accordingly, Edson came to understand that "the cleansing of the sanctuary" meant that Jesus was moving from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary, and not to the Second Coming of Jesus to earth: Edson shared his new understanding with many of the local Adventists who were greatly encouraged by his account.

As a result, Edson began studying the Bible with two of the other believers in the area, O. R. L. Crosier and Franklin B. Hahn, who published their findings in a paper called the Day-Dawn.

This paper explored the biblical parable of the Ten Virgins, which describes a group of women waiting at a wedding for the bridegroom to arrive.

[5] For many years after the "Great Disappointment" when Jesus did not come as expected, he continued as a lay preacher, working with Joseph Bates, J. N. Andrews, and J. N. Loughborough.