Heralds Of The Sabbath

When I got to the site I found doctrinal content that seemed mainline Orthodox Christian, though some of it's offerings were vaguely unsettling. I gathered some of their site materiel using cut and paste and, deciding to get another opinion, I wrote another Christian scholar. His reply was short and to the point: "These are Seventh Day Adventists".

Colossians 2:1-23 "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."

Second Introduction 

I am, if anything, a fair minded individual. Having made a number of mistakes in my life (and who hasn't, but Jesus?), I always allow that (1) I could be wrong, or (2) People can and do change. Having said that, let me explain this "Second Introduction".

The research I did on the Seventh Day Adventists (presented on this page) is material that I found in several older reference words dealing with cults and cultic activity. In recent years the Seventh Day Adventists have written me several times objecting to the material presented on this page. All objections were, up to this point, sorely lacking any essence of truth, and were childish at best. However, I recently received a letter from Fred A. Day (you can write him at fred.a.day@intel.com) that was very well researched. He presented his objections in a forthright, clear, and factual manner, and at no time stooped to mud slinging or childish ranting. After reviewing Fred's material I decided to append it to this study in its entirety without comment. Read his comments, pray, search the Scriptures, and form your own conclusions on the Seventh Day Adventists. God Bless - Pastor David

Dear Pastor David, ... I very much enjoy sharing with believers from all denominations the faith in Christ that we hold in common. My goal, whether I am fellowshipping with SDA's or with other brothers and sisters, is to present clearly the wonderful and matchless charms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am stirred every time I think of Paul's words in Romans 5 that while we were His enemies He died for us and reconciled us to God, yet I am convinced that too many (in all denominations) are caught up in subtle forms of legalism, which I define as attempting to work the works of the Spirit in the power of the flesh. You are certainly free to reference my name and e-mail address. I will just say that I do not see it as my place to defend the Adventist church. Denominations are of men and are all flawed. I defend the truth as it is in Christ, for it is only in Him that we have salvation. ... Also, to clarify, what I'm sharing is not a study. I am not defending SDA doctrine below, just making it clear what we actually do believe and correcting some historical data, so you can be accurate in your representation of us. If there is a particular doctrine you want to Yours in Christ, Fred

Daniel 8:12-14 "And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

He came up with the "inspiration" that the 2300 days mentioned in the passage actually represented 2300 years. Since, he reasoned, Daniel was written around 457 BC, if  the sanctuary be cleansed in 2300 years, then by adding the two figures he determined that Jesus would return in the year 1843.

From Fred A. Day: "Actually Miller did not choose the year 457 because he thought Daniel was written at that time. He choose that year as the beginning of the 2300 years because he believed that time period was a longer period from which the 490 years of Daniel 9 were taken. According to Daniel 9:25, those 490 years were to begin when the decree went forth to rebuild Jerusalem."

Miller completely neglected the text where Jesus Himself stated:

Matthew 25:13 "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

Luke 12:40 "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not."

If it were possible for us to know when our Lord would return, I believe Jesus would have said. But He made it clear that we could not know, herein was Miller's error. Christ, of course, did not come back when Miller reckoned, so he figured that the error must have come about because of differences between the Jewish and Roman calendars. So Miller reset the date for Christ's return to October 24, 1844. When Christ failed to return on that date the Miller group broke up in despair.

 

From Fred A. Day: "William Miller never set an actual date for Christ's return. He proclaimed that Jesus would come "about the year A.D. 1843." In January of 1843 he began saying Jesus would return "between March 21st, 1843, and March 21st, 1844." Shortly before the March 21, 1844 date he wrote, "If Christ comes, as we expect, we will sing the song of victory soon; if not, we will watch, and pray, and preach until He comes, for soon our time, and all prophetic days, will have been filled." Adventist Herald, March 6, 1844, p. 39. Others of the Millerite movement set the Oct. 22, 1844 date, and Miller accepted it. When that date passed, Miller believed that some error in his part in the chronology explained the "disappointment" and he continued looking for Christ's return at any time. In the spring of 1845 Miller affirmed that the 1844 movement was not "a fulfillment of prophecy in any sense," and declared his opposition to "any of the new theories" that developed immediately after Oct. 22 in an endeavor to explain the disappointment."

From Fred A. Day: "Several people (named below by you) who had been a part of the Millerite Movement founded the Seventh Day Adventist church. These people called themselves "Adventists," but the seventh day Sabbath was never a part of their belief system. William Miller was never a Seventh Day Adventist and did not found the Seventh Day Adventist church."

This was not the end of the cult. Members that were influenced by Miller's doctrine continued to promote their brand of Christianity. These original members were: Ellen Harmon (later to be Mrs. Ellen G. White), James White, Joseph Bates, Hallen Edson, Fredrick Wheeler, and S.W. Rodes. On October 25, 1844 (the day after Jesus was supposed to have returned) Hallen Edson had a vision. Mrs. White interpreted the vision, and in this interpretation taught that Jesus was not actually going to return to earth. Instead, He was going to return to a Heavenly sanctuary where He would begin an investigatory judgment of earth. They claimed that Miller was right about the date of Christ's return, he was just wrong about where Christ would return to. You see, Jesus came after all!

From Fred A. Day: "Edson's first name was Hiram, and Rodes should be Rhodes." ...... "Ellen White did not interpret what Hiram Edson received. Edson, O. R. L. Crosier and F. B. Hahn further studied the subject and published their conclusions in 1845, and then more fully in early 1846. Ellen White endorsed what they published." ........ "The investigative judgment doctrine was developed as part of the heavenly sanctuary teaching a few years later and was not a part of the original teaching. It is inaccurate to say, "They claimed Miller was right about the date of Christ's return." What they claimed was that Miller was right about the date of the cleansing of the sanctuary, but that he was wrong about what the sanctuary was. They put two beliefs together to reach a third (you know, a + b = c). It was the assumption that the earth was the sanctuary (a) coupled with the belief that when Christ returns to the earth that it would be cleansed of all sin (b), that led them to believe that Christ was returning on that date (c). When they determined that the sanctuary spoken of in Daniel 8:14 was not the earth, the part about Christ's return no longer applied and therefore also had to change. With the belief about the date remaining the same, the understanding changed to the heavenly sanctuary as that being cleansed (a) coupled with Jesus as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary (b), leading to the belief that Jesus began His antitypical Day of Atonement ministry in heaven on that date. Adventists are still looking for the return of Christ today; we do not believe He has already come."

In 1846 Joseph Bates developed a pamphlet that popularized the idea of worship on Saturday as opposed to Sunday. Four years later the movement had grown to the point where they had their own publications called The Advent Review and The Sabbath Herald. As Ellen White was the "prophetess" of the group, she became head of the movement just as Mary Baker Eddy reigned over the Christian Scientists. Mrs. White's work was considered "error free" by the Adventists, as she was supposed to speak only the words that God gave her. She, quite literally, became the cultic parallel to the Roman Catholic Pope.

From Fred A. Day: "Many SDA's do have such a view; but many do not. This general statement does not represent all SDA's."

She held this place of reign, totally disregarding the teachings of Paul:

1 Timothy 2:11-14 "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

As reigning queen of the Adventists she wrote several pamphlets: The Desire of the Ages, Christ's Object Lesson, The Acts Of The Apostles, and Patriarchs and Prophets, Prophets and Kings.

From Fred A. Day: "These are books, not pamphlets, some over 400 pages long, and they represent only a small number of the many she wrote. "Patriarchs and Prophets" and "Prophets and Kings" are two separate books that constitute the first two of what Adventists know as the "Conflict of the Ages" series. The other three are "The Desire of Ages" (the life of Christ), "Acts of the Apostles," and "The Great Controversy." She also wrote many other books and articles for SDA publications." .... "Certainly Ellen White played a prominent role and was/is highly respected in the SDA church; her visions were/are accepted by many SDA's as from God, especially in North America; in many other counties, especially those in Europe, the role of her writings among SDA's is much less prominent. There are those among Adventists who misuse her writings, treating them as a standard by which to determine what the Bible says. But this does not define the Adventist church. I myself rarely use her writings, and when I do it is as another of many respected sources available to me concerning spiritual topics, or as a historical reference regarding the Adventist church and its beliefs. The only book of hers I've ever read in total is Steps To Christ, which I have found to be very uplifting. She did not hold any formal leadership position in the SDA church, though she was invited to. She called herself the Lord's messenger and saw her work as being the same as that of a prophet to the Adventist people, bringing them God's direction, often in the form of warnings for failing to trust in Him. I'm not familiar with how "Mary Baker Eddy reigned over the Christian Scientists," but I do know that many of the early leaders in the SDA church did not heed the counsels of Ellen White and took the organization in directions she thought unwise. Many of her writings were in the form of letters (later published as "Testimonies To The Church") warning the leaders of the consequences of their decisions. Sometimes they headed her counsel; other times they did not."

Soul Sleep

The SDA teaches that, upon physical death, the believers does not immediately go to be with the Lord. Instead the believer's soul actually goes to sleep, and stays in this state of slumber until the resurrection.

From Fred A. Day: "SDA's do not teach "soul sleep"; we do not teach that "the believer's soul actually goes to sleep." This is a term applied to our belief by others. Adventists use "sleep" as the Bible does, metaphorically, to describe the interval between death and the bodily resurrection. The proper term for SDA's belief is conditional immortality. ..."

Though the Bible does describe the death of the believer as "falling asleep", this is a metaphor that describes the gentleness by which the believer enters into the next life. For a believer who's fate is settled in Christ, he doesn't meet death with fear and cringing. Instead he gently "passes into the next life", much like the normal human gently passes into sleep in his bed at night. The Bible is very clear that the soul doesn't sleep after death:

Luke 16:19-23 "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom."

Our Lord Jesus certainly didn't believe in soul sleep. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus when both died there was no transitional sleep period for either. They died, and the rich man was immediately in hell. Lazarus died, and was immediately in Abraham's bosom (a metaphor for Heaven).

Philippians 1:21-23 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:"

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

The Apostle Paul certainly didn't believe in soul sleep, and I take his prophecies over those of Mrs. White's any day. Paul taught that if you were absent from the body then you were present with the Lord. The Greek for the Corinthians text literally reads, "Absent from the body and face to face with the Lord". Again, no transition. You are either here, in your earthly temple, or you are there, in your Heavenly Temple with Christ. There's no in-between.

Psalm 73:24 "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."

King David, who was a man after God's own heart, certainly didn't believe in soul sleep. He believed that the God who guided him in this life would equally guide him immediately into Heaven upon his death.

Revelation 6:9-10 "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

In John the Revelator's divine vision he saw the souls of the martyrs, not asleep in Heaven, but crying with a loud voice demanding justice from the Father. The reality is, there is no such thing as soul sleep. You are either in your earthly tabernacle, or your soul is in another place (either Heaven or hell). The SDA doctrine of soul sleep is unBiblical and therefore cultic.

The SDA teach that the wicked unsaved are not under eternal punishment, but that these souls are utterly destroyed in the Lake of Fire. They look at the words second death as applied to the punishment for the wicked in Revelation:

Revelation 20:11-15 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."



From Fred A. Day: "It is more accurate to say SDA's teach that the wicked unsaved ARE under eternal punishMENT, but NOT under eternal punishING."

But is this what John the Revelator was teaching, that the second death of the Lake of Fire was indeed the annihilation of the wicked? No, absolutely not! Just as those who die in Christ go to everlasting life, those who die without Christ are condemned to the antithesis, eternal death or separation from God. What does Our Lord teach?

Mark 9:43-48 "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Three is a holy number for God, used all throughout Scripture. When Jesus repeated the phrase Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, He was stating this as an absolute doctrinal truth. First, their worm dieth not. You cannot escape the punishment of hell by praying that God will annihilate you, you will not die. As your sin of rejecting Christ was an eternal sin, your punishment will be eternal. Second, the fire is not quenched. You cannot hope that the punishment will be shortened because of some mechanical failure in the Lake of Fire. The Fire will never go out, you shall not die. Jesus taught more about hell than any other New Testament writer, and always referred to the results of hellfire as everlasting punishment. The SDA position on the Doctrine of Hell is cultic. (If you access the Doctrine of Hell study, remember to use your BACK button to return here.)

The SDA teaches a different Atonement than that which is shown in Scripture. They teach that, though the Blood of Christ could release the repentant sinner from his guilt, it would not erase the record of sin in Heaven. The SDA teaches that, in 1844, Jesus entered the Heavenly Holy of Holies to begin His mission of investigative atonement. While in this alleged Holy of Holies Jesus reviewed the records of all who were saved and, based on their works from that point on, told the Father which people were worthy to have their sins erased from the Heavenly records. The SDA took the teachings of Leviticus 16 and said that, to those whom the Heavenly records were erased, Satan became the scapegoat for their sins. The SDA took this system one step further by saying that, unless you believed in the "Heavenly Sanctuary" doctrine, you could not possibly be saved. In other words, unless you were a Seventh Day Adventist who accepted such dogma, you couldn't be saved.

From Fred A. Day: "This statement actually surprises me. I've never run across this error before. SDA's certainly do NOT believe that only they are saved. Consider the follow statement from Ellen White "It is true that we are commanded to 'cry aloud, spare not, lift up the voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.' Isa. 58:1. This message must be given, but while it must be given, we should be careful not to thrust and crowd and condemn those who have not the light that we have. We should not go out of our way to make hard thrusts at the Catholics. Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians, and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf. Those who have had great privileges and opportunities, and who have failed to improve their physical, mental, and moral powers, but who have lived to please themselves, and have refused to bear their responsibility, are in greater danger and in greater condemnation before God than those who are in error upon doctrinal points, yet who seek to live to do good to others. Do not censure others; do not condemn them."-- Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 241-244. (1909) Also consider this statement by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (available at the following web site http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/main_stat42.html ): "Seventh-day Adventists regard all men and women as equal in the sight of God. We reject bigotry against any person, regardless of race, nationality, or religious creed. Further, we gladly acknowledge that sincere Christians may be found in other denominations, including Roman Catholicism, and we work in concert with all agencies and bodies that seek to relieve human suffering and to uplift Christ before the world. Seventh-day Adventists seek to take a positive approach to other faiths. Our primary task is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of Christ's soon return, not to point out flaws in other denominations. The beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists are rooted in the biblical apostolic teachings and thus share many essential tenets of Christianity in common with the followers of other Christian churches. However, we have a specific identity as a movement. Our compelling message for Christians and non-Christians alike is to communicate hope by focusing on the quality of life that is complete in Christ. As Adventists relate to Roman Catholicism in particular, both the past and the future enter into our thinking. We cannot erase or ignore the historical record of serious intolerance and even persecution on the part of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic system of church governance, based on extra-biblical teachings such as papal primacy, resulted in severe abuses of religious freedom as the church was allied with the state. Seventh-day Adventists are convinced of the validity of our prophetic views, according to which humanity now lives close to the end of time. Adventists believe, on the basis of biblical predictions, that just prior to the second coming of Christ this earth will experience a period of unprecedented turmoil, with the seventh-day Sabbath as a focal point. In that context, we expect that world religions-including the major Christian bodies as key players-will align themselves with the forces in opposition to God and to the Sabbath. Once again the union of church and state will result in widespread religious oppression. To blame past violations of Christian principles on one specific denomination is not an accurate representation of either history or the concerns of Bible prophecy. We recognize that at times Protestants, including Seventh-day Adventists, have manifested prejudice and even bigotry. If, in expounding on what the Bible teaches, Seventh-day Adventists fail to express love to those addressed, we do not exhibit authentic Christianity. Adventists seek to be fair in dealing with others. Thus, while we remain aware of the historical record and continue to hold our views regarding end-time events, we recognize some positive changes in recent Catholicism, and stress the conviction that many Roman Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ. ... This statement was recorded on April 15, 1997, by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM) and released by the Office of the President, Robert S. Folkenberg." **" ................"You have actually done a decent job representing our beliefs here. However, I am concerned that others reading this may get the impression that we view Satan as our "sin bearer." There are many who claim this as our belief. The following quote from Ellen White (from Patriarchs and Prophets) explains what we do believe. "Moses made the earthly sanctuary, "according to the fashion that he had seen." Paul declares that "the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry," when completed, were "the patterns of things in the heavens." Acts 7:44; Hebrews 9:21, 23. And John says that he saw the sanctuary in heaven. That sanctuary, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy. {PP 357.1} The heavenly temple, the abiding place of the King of kings, where "thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him" (Daniel 7:10), that temple filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration--no earthly structure could represent its vastness and its glory. Yet important truths concerning the heavenly sanctuary and the great work there carried forward for man's redemption were to be taught by the earthly sanctuary and its services. {PP 357.2} After His ascension, our Savior was to begin His work as our High Priest. Says Paul, "Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." Hebrews 9:24. As Christ's ministration was to consist of two great divisions, each occupying a period of time and having a distinctive place in the heavenly sanctuary, so the typical ministration consisted of two divisions, the daily and the yearly service, and to each a department of the tabernacle was devoted. {PP 357.3} As Christ at His ascension appeared in the presence of God to plead His blood in behalf of penitent believers, so the priest in the daily ministration sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice in the holy place in the sinner's behalf. {PP 357.4} The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin; it would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement; so in the type the blood of the sin offering removed the sin from the penitent, but it rested in the sanctuary until the Day of Atonement. {PP 357.5} In the great day of final award, the dead are to be "judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:12. Then by virtue of the atoning blood of Christ, the sins of all the truly penitent will be blotted from the books of heaven. Thus the sanctuary will be freed, or 358 cleansed, from the record of sin. In the type, this great work of atonement, or blotting out of sins, was represented by the services of the Day of Atonement--the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary, which was accomplished by the removal, by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, of the sins by which it had been polluted. {PP 357.6} As in the final atonement the sins of the truly penitent are to be blotted from the records of heaven, no more to be remembered or come into mind, so in the type they were borne away into the wilderness, forever separated from the congregation. {PP 358.1} Since Satan is the originator of sin, the direct instigator of all the sins that caused the death of the Son of God, justice demands that Satan shall suffer the final punishment. Christ's work for the redemption of men and the purification of the universe from sin will be closed by the removal of sin from the heavenly sanctuary and the placing of these sins upon Satan, who will bear the final penalty. So in the typical service, the yearly round of ministration closed with the purification of the sanctuary, and the confessing of the sins on the head of the scapegoat. {PP 358.2} Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day the great truths relative to Christ's death and ministration, and once each year their minds were carried forward to the closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the final purification of the universe from sin and sinners. {PP 358.3}" We don't use the term "investigative atonement" which you used above (and again below). We do use the term "final atonement," not to say that some work for our atonement is lacking, but to speak of the application of Christ's work at the end of time when all existence of sin is cleansed from the universe. Our view is that Satan is ultimately responsible for the sins committed by believers, and therefore it is natural and moral for him to be punished for them. This we have taught is typified by the placing of the sins on the scapegoat, but only happens AFTER the goat that is "for the LORD" has been sacrificed and all of Israel's sins have been atoned."

Such exclusiveness in itself shows the group to be cultic. The Bible teaches very clearly that the Atonement of Christ not only paid for, but erased the record of our sins from Heaven.

Hebrews 10:12-14 "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

Jesus' one offering was all that God required for our Atonement. That offering on the Cross was perfect, pure, and complete. There was never any need for "another investigatory atonement", nor can you show such a thing to be Biblical! The Bible says:

Colossians 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"

God Blott(ed) out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, that is, He erased our record of sin by nailing it to the Cross of Christ. Jesus, not Satan, was our scapegoat. He was and is our redemption. The SDA doctrine of Atonement is cultic and without Biblical basis.

From Fred A. Day: "I fully agree with you. "Jesus' one offering was all that God required for our Atonement." I think to be very clear, though, we should add that this applies to the provision of Christ for our salvation. In other words, in Christ we are saved. Every human being was delivered "in Christ." But most will not accept this gift of salvation. One could say that there are requirements on our part for salvation. For instance, we must repent; we must have faith. Neither of these merit salvation, but they are required because they have to do with the freedom we have to choose. God does not force Himself upon us. He did all He could through His Son; all that is left for us is to accept what He has given us so freely. Consider this article from the periodical "Signs of the Times" from July 4, 1892: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This message is for the world, for "whosoever" means that any and all who comply with the condition may share the blessing. All who look unto Jesus, believing in him as their personal Savior, shall "not perish, but have everlasting life." Every provision has been made that we may have the everlasting reward. Christ is our sacrifice, our substitute, our surety, our divine intercessor; he is made unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 1} The intercession of Christ in our behalf is that of presenting his divine merits in the offering of himself to the Father as our substitute and surety; for he ascended up on high to make an atonement for our transgressions. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 2} From these scriptures it is evident that it is not God's will that you should be distrustful, and torture your soul with the fear that God will not accept you because you are sinful and unworthy. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Present your case before him, pleading the merits of the blood shed for you upon Calvary's cross. Satan will accuse you of being a great sinner, and you must admit this, but you can say: "I know I am a sinner, and that is the reason I need a Savior Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' I have no merit or goodness whereby I may claim salvation, but I present before God the all-atoning blood of the spotless Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is my only plea. The name of Jesus gives me access to the Father. His ear, his heart, is open to my faintest pleading, and he supplies my deepest necessities." {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 3} It is the righteousness of Christ that makes the penitent sinner acceptable to God and works his justification. However sinful has been his life, if he believes in Jesus as his personal Savior, he stands before God in the spotless robes of Christ's imputed righteousness. {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 4} The sinner so recently dead in trespasses and sins is quickened by faith in Christ. He sees by faith that Jesus is his Savior, and alive forevermore, able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him. In the atonement made for him the believer sees such breadth, and length, and height, and depth of efficiency,--sees such completeness of salvation, purchased at such infinite cost, that his soul is filled with praise and thanksgiving. He sees as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same image as by the Spirit of the Lord. He sees the robe of Christ's righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven, wrought by his obedience, and imputed to the repenting soul through faith in his name. When the sinner has a view of the matchless charms of Jesus, sin no longer looks attractive to him; for he beholds the Chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely. He realizes by a personal experience the power of the gospel, whose vastness of design is equaled only by its preciousness of purpose. {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 5} We have a living Savior He is not in Joseph's new tomb; he is risen from the dead, and has ascended on high as a substitute and surety for every believing soul. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The sinner is justified through the merits of Jesus, and this is God's acknowledgment of the perfection of the ransom paid for man. That Christ was obedient even unto the death of the cross is a pledge of the repenting sinner's acceptance with the Father. Then shall we permit ourselves to have a vacillating experience of doubting and believing, believing and doubting? Jesus is the pledge of our acceptance with God. We stand in favor before God, not because of any merit in ourselves, but because of our faith in "the Lord our righteousness." {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 6} Jesus stands in the holy of holies, now to appear in the presence of God for us. There he ceases not to present his people moment by moment, complete in himself. But because we are thus represented before the Father, we are not to imagine that we are to presume upon his mercy, and become careless, indifferent, and self-indulgent. Christ is not the minister of sin. We are complete in him, accepted in the Beloved, only as we abide in him by faith. {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 7} Perfection through our own good works we can never attain. The soul who sees Jesus by faith, repudiates his own righteousness. He sees himself as incomplete, his repentance insufficient, his strongest faith but feebleness, his most costly sacrifice as meager, and he sinks in humility at the foot of the cross. But a voice speaks to him from the oracles of God's word. In amazement he hears the message, "Ye are complete in him". Now all is at rest in his soul. No longer must he strive to find some worthiness in himself, some meritorious deed by which to gain the favor of God. {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 8} Beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, he finds the peace of Christ; for pardon is written against his name, and he accepts the word of God, "Ye are complete in him." How hard is it for humanity, long accustomed to cherish doubt, to grasp this great truth! But what peace it brings to the soul, what vital life! In looking to ourselves for righteousness, by which to find acceptance with God, we look to the wrong place, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We are to look to Jesus; "for we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory." You are to find your completeness by beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 9} Standing before the broken law of God, the sinner cannot cleanse himself; but, believing in Christ, he is the object of his infinite love and clothed in his spotless righteousness. For those who believe in Christ, Jesus prayed: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth: . . .That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, .That they also may be one in us, .That the world may believe .That thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; .That they may be one, even as we are one." "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee, and these have known .That thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; .That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." {ST, July 4, 1892 par. 10} Who can comprehend the nature of .That righteousness which makes the believing sinner whole, presenting him to God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing? We have the pledged word of God .That Christ is made unto us righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. God grant .That we may rely upon his word with implicit trust, and enjoy his richest blessing. "For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed .That I came out from God." -{ST, July 4, 1892 par. 11} Not all SDA's are fully agreed what the gospel is. Some read Ellen White is the specticals of legalism and their gospel shows it. Others see Jesus as having saved them at the cross...period. ..."

Saturday Worship

Frankly, I don't care what day of the week you get together as Christians to worship the Lord together. Just as long as you get together, for we are commanded to fellowship one with another:

Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Nothing in Scripture specifically demands we meet on Sunday. The early Church started this tradition because it was the day our Lord resurrected, and it continued from .That time on. And the Jewish Sabbath is, quite literally, on Saturday. So if you want to get together on Saturday and worship then I won't judge you. This is not the case with the Seventh Day Adventists.

Mrs. White purportedly had a vision of Heaven, and in .That vision saw the tablets .That the Ten Commandments were written on. When she looked closer she saw .That the fourth commandment (the commandment of the Sabbath) was surrounded by a halo .That was blinking on and off. Mrs. White said .That this was God's way of telling her .That the Saturday Sabbath must be obeyed, and .That Sunday worship was the sign of the mark of the Beast. Those who worshipped God on Sunday were following .That Mark and, were therefore, unsaved. She even went further to state .That Sunday worship was developed by Roman Catholicism, and enacted by decree of the Pope. There is nothing written or oral in Church history to support the claim .That the Papacy enacted Sunday worship.

From Fred A. Day: "It is true .That SDA's teach .That Sunday worship in place of the seventh day Sabbath will be the mark of the beast at the end of time, however this was not revealed in the vision you described.".... "Ellen White did say .That the pope changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day, and she did include .That in the vision you described above. It is only your reference to the mark of the beast which doesn't belong to .That vision."

I agree with the Apostle Paul. You saw his writing at the beginning of this study, and in .That Colossians text wrote: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days. Mrs. White's Satanic vision was no way endorsed by Paul, nor by our Lord, who taught:

Mark 2:24 "And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day .That which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they .That were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath"

God established the Sabbath to give man a day of rest, not to be a day of imprisonment from life. He created the concept of the Sabbath because He loves us, not to restrict us. You can study more about the Biblical doctrine of the Sabbath (a new window will open for this study) at this site. Rest assured, it is nothing like the cultic vision .That Mrs. White through the SDA is trying to push on the world!

From Fred A. Day: "I'm not sure what you mean by this. What you have said above about the Sabbath is just what we would say. It was the Pharisees .That turned the Sabbath from the blessing it was intended to be into a burden. We do not endorse such a view or practice."

 

2 Timothy 3:5-7 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

If you are bound up in Seventh Day Adventism you need to come out, and return to the Christ of our fathers. Return to the one-time Atonement .That Jesus made. For the Bible says:

Romans 10:9-11 ".That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart .That God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

Return to the historic and present Jesus, you shall be saved! God bless you all.

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