Seventh Day Adventism

[Garland-Green]

Modern Seventh Day Adventism traces its origins back to the early 1800's to Mr. William Miller (1782-1849) of Low Hampton, New York. Mr. Miller had converted from deism to Christianity in 1816 and became a Baptist. He was an avid reader, dedicated to God's word, and sought to reconcile apparent biblical difficulties raised by deists. He relied heavily on the Cruden's Concordance in his studies and developed a focus on the imminent return of Jesus. He began preaching at the age of 50.

The time was right. America was hot with discussions on the return of Christ. As a result, many thousands (called Millerites) accepted his idea that Jesus would return in the year covering 1843-1844. He had arrived at this date based upon a study of Daniel 8:14 which says, "And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored." He interpreted the 2300 evenings and mornings to be years and counted forward from 457 BC when the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem was given (Dan. 9:24-25).1 When his initial predictions failed, he adjusted his findings to conclude that Jesus would return on March 21, 1844 and then later on October 22, 1844. After these too failed, Miller quit promoting his ideas on Jesus' return and the "Millerites" broke up.

On the morning following the "Great Disappointment" of October 22, 1844, a Mr. Hiram Edson claimed to have seen a vision. He said that he saw Jesus standing at the altar of heaven and concluded that Miller had been right about the time, but wrong about the place. In other words, Jesus' return was not to earth, but a move into the heavenly sanctuary as is referenced in Heb. 8:1-2.

Mr. Joseph Bates (1792-1872), a retired sea captain and a convert to "Millerism" then began to promote the idea of Jesus moving into the heavenly sanctuary. He published a pamphlet which greatly influenced James (1821-1881) and Ellen White (1827-1915). It is these three who were the driving force behind the SDA movement.

Numerous reports state that Ellen G. White (1827-1915) saw visions from an early age. Such was the case shortly after the Great Disappointment. Mrs. White claimed to see in a vision of a narrow path where an angel was guiding Adventists. Subsequent visions resulted in interpretations of the three angels in Rev. 14:6-11 as being 1843-1844 as the hour of God's judgment; the fall of Babylon signified by Adventists leaving various churches, and admonitions against Sunday worship.

1849 - First paper, the Present Truth, was printed in Middletown, Conn.
1850 - First issue of the Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, printed in
Paris, Maine.
1860 - Name of Seventh-day Adventist adopted by the church.
1863 - First General Conference and formation of the SDA church on May 21, 1863.
1871 - First college opened which became Andrews University.
1871 - J. N. Andrews sent to Switzerland as a missionary.
1885 - Missionary work begun in Australia.
1915 - Ellen G. White dies on July 16, at St. Helena, CA.
1941 - Opening of Theological Seminary at Takoma Park.
1942 - Voice of Prophecy radio show begins broadcasting coast to coast.
1950 - Faith for Today TV show begins.
1955 - SDA membership hits 1 million.
1986 - SDA membership hits 5 million.

Today, the SDA church is very evangelical with mission efforts world wide, numerous publications, and many educational facilities. It claims over 8 million members world wide and is growing rapidly with its educational, TV, Radio, and publication based outreaches.3  

[Garland-Green]

Ellen Gould White (born Harmon) The Prophetess of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, formed what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Source: Wikipedia




"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in My name,
which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the
name of other gods, even that prophet will die.
And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the
Lord has not spoken?
When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not,
nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken,
but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously."
Deuteronomy 18:20-22

One False Prophecy Makes For A False Prophet.
" Behold, I am against the prophets, said the Lord,
that use their tongues and say, He said.
Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, said the Lord,
and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies
and by their lightness; yet I send them not, nor commanded them;
therefore they shall not profit this people at all, said the Lord."
Jeremiah 23:31-32

GOD is against the false prophet.
He warns that they cause His people to lie.
If His people lie, then what happens to their salvation?
"They see vain things, and they foretell lies saying,
THE LORD SAID: whereas the Lord has NOT sent them,
AND THEY HAVE PERSISTED
TO CONFIRM WHAT THEY HAVE SAID."
Ezechiel 13:6

"...Because you have spoken vain things, and have seen lies,
therefore behold I come against you, said the Lord GOD.
And My hand shall be upon the prophets that see vain things,
and that divine lies."
Ezechiel 13:8-9

"Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you,
and your diviners deceive you...
for they prophesy falsely to you in My name, and I have NOT sent them,
said the Lord."
Jeremiah 29:8-9

There are many more verses in Scripture which are against the
false prophet, but I think you can see from what I have sampled,
that following the false prophet is deadly for the salvation of your soul.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are of GOD; because many false prophets have gone forth
into the world."
1 John 4:1

So, Holy Scripture has told us to test every professed prophet, and it
has also told us that only one false prophecy, a false prophet makes.
Now, who is the false prophet?
Scripture says it is the one who makes a prophecy
which does not materialize. All it takes is one false prophecy to qualify
them as a false prophet.

Well, lets be more specific...
Ellen Gould White is a prime candidate. She made many false prophecies which did not come true, and she persisted, as have some of her followers,
to confirm what she had said. Many of her writings have been 'edited' by
others at a later date so some of the later writings may not agree with the
earlier versions word for word.
"I also saw that Old Jerusalem would never be built up."
Early Writings Pg 75.
Old Jerusalem has been built up.

Mrs White said she would be alive when Jesus returns...
"Soon our eyes were drawn to the East, for a small black cloud had
appeared, about half as large as a man's hand, which we all knew was the
sign of the Son of Man...we were changed and caught up together with
them to meet the Lord in the air."
Early Writings pg 15-16.

.
Mrs White said in May of 1856 that some of those listening to her will live
to see the return of Jesus...
Some of those that were attending a meeting with her would become food
for worms, and some would live to become subjects of the seven last
plagues, and some others would "remain upon the earth to be translated
at the coming of Jesus."
Testimonies for the Church, vol 1, pg 131-132.
Hmmm, that statement was made over 140 years ago. Has Jesus come yet?
Are any of those at that 1856 meeting still alive?


Great happenings were to come to fruition at the end of the 2300 days,
which was in October of 1844. What were these great events? Why did they
not happen?
The Great Controversy, pg 421-422


There are many more false prophecies that Mrs White has made,
but I think I have made my point.
Not only did Mrs White make false prophecies, but she actually changed,
or added to Holy Scripture to boot...

"Every word of GOD is tried by fire...add not anything to His Words,
lest you be reproved, AND FOUND A LIAR." Proverbs 30:5-6
"Through an angel messenger the divine warning was conveyed: "If thou
doest well, shalt thou not be accepted.""
Patriarchs and Prophets, pg 74

The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry and why are you downcast?"
Genesis 4:6
Hmmm, Mrs White said an angel talked with Cain,
but the Bible says the 'Lord' talked with him.
Read Proverbs 30:5-6 again!
Who is the liar?
Satan is to bear our sins..
"As the priest, in removing the sins from the sanctuary, confessed them
upon the scapegoat, so Christ will place those sins upon Satan..."
The Great Controversy, Pg 422, 485-486
Hmmm, I thought Christ bore our sins...

"So also was Christ offered once to TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF MANY."
Hebrews 9:28.
Show me where Christ will pass the sins onto satan? It is not in Scripture.
Read Proverbs 30:5-6 again!
Who is the liar?
For much more on changes in Scripture, go Here...

I believe there is ample evidence in this short file to show that
Ellen Gould White is a classic model of a
False Prophet.
Now, I ask, Why Would Anyone Not Heed The Many
Warnings of Scripture, And Continue To Follow
The False Prophet?

"God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and
strengthening their faith, or He is not.
This work is of God, or it is not.
God does nothing in partnership with Satan.
My work for the past thirty years bears the stamp of God
or the stamp of the enemy.
There is no halfway work in the matter.
The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil.
In arraying yourself against the servants of God you are doing a work
either for God or for the devil."
-- Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 230.
E.G. White  

[Garland-Green]

Errors of Seventh Day Adventism
by David Cloud

This article is a very partial excerpt from a detailed analysis of Seventh Day Adventism in the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity by David Cloud. Way Of Life Literature offers this excellent resource in both hardcopy and electronic versions. It is an excellent resource for Christians who are taking a faithful stand and contending for the faith. I have found the Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity, based upon the King James Version and written from an uncompromising, Bible believing position, to be an invaluable tool for study, apologetics and helping others in these confusing times. This valuable resource may be obtained from WAY OF LIFE LITERATURE, 1701 Harns Road, Oak Harbor, WA 98277Telephone: (360) 675-8311. Visit http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/ency/index.html.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM - OUTLINE

A Word About the Documentation for This Report
History of Seventh-day Adventism
Seventh-day Adventist Doctrines
Heresy #1: Redefining the Grace of Salvation
Heresy #2: Sabbath-Keeping
Heresy #3: Soul Sleep
Heresy #4: Annihilation of the Wicked
Heresy #5: Ellen White a Prophetess and Inspired Commentator
Heresy #6: Investigative Judgment

Heresy #1--Redefining the grace of salvation to include the works of the law

Seventh-day Adventism plays the same game in salvation as every other false movement of Christendom. They profess to teach salvation by grace through faith, but they redefine this in a way that is contrary to N.T. doctrine.

Though they often deny this, the Adventist denomination teaches that salvation is by grace plus law, faith plus works. Grace, according to Adventist theology, is the power and forgiveness God gives to enable a sinner to keep the law and to thereby build a holy character fit for Heaven. He who fails to build the right character by God's grace will never see Heaven. Faith and works are the two oars by which the believer is propelled to glory. [specific documentation substantiating this assertion is available should you desire to review it].

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES: How does the true gospel of the grace of Christ differ from the SDA gospel?

1. Salvation is by grace ALONE through faith ALONE, without the works of the law in any sense whatsoever. Contrary to Adventist doctrine, grace and faith, law and works are not mutually sympathetic systems and are not to be mixed.

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But TO HIM THAT WORKETH NOT, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Ro. 4:4-5).

"AND IF BY GRACE, THEN IS IT NO MORE OF WORKS: OTHERWISE GRACE IS NO MORE GRACE. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" (Ro. 11:6).

"But now the righteousness of God WITHOUT THE LAW is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Ro. 3:21-25).

"Christ hath REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Ga. 3:13-14).

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM" (2 Co. 5:18-21).

The Good News of Christ is not salvation through grace which produces the works of the law. It is eternal salvation by God's grace alone through faith alone WITHOUT THE LAW. All who will be saved must come on these glorious terms, trusting in the shed blood alone for full salvation.

Those who, after initial faith in Christ, attempt to return to the Mosaic law to perfect their salvation are committing the same error as the Galatians of the first century.

"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham" (Ga. 3:1-7).

Those who persist in placing themselves under the Mosaic law in spite of clear N.T. teaching are outside of true salvation. Seventh-day Adventist leaders are of this number; they are Galatian legalizers.

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain" (Ga. 4:9-11).

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you" (Ga. 4:19-20).

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Ga. 5:1-5).

2. Salvation is secure upon conversion. The true gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ offers perfect security, and ONLY the true gospel can offer security.

Heresy #2--Sabbath-Keeping

Let us investigate exactly what Seventh-day Adventism teaches about the Sabbath. Following is a breakdown of these teachings taken from their own publications.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

The Sabbath is eternally binding upon men from creation. Seventh-day Adventism says the Sabbath was made for mankind in general and was given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Sabbath-keeping, therefore, is a sign of loyalty to God, the Creator.

"God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. ... The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God" (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 386).

"The Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by Adam, fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob." (Ibid., p. 39 cool .

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. The sabbath, though mentioned in Ge. 2:2-3, was not given to man until it was given to Israel in the wilderness (Ne. 9:13-14).

2. The sabbath was given, not to mankind in general, but to Israel alone as a special covenant sign between her and God (Ex. 31:13,17).

3. Ellen White added to Scripture in teaching that Adam and the patriarchs kept the sabbath. The Bible says absolutely nothing about this. In fact, it cannot be true. If the sabbath had been kept by mankind in general from the creation, it could not have been given as a special sign to Israel.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

The Sabbath continues to be binding upon N.T. believers.

"...from this it is evident that all Ten Commandments are binding in the Christian dispensation, and that Christ had no thought of changing any of them. One of these commands is the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath..." (Bible Footlights, p. 37).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. The N.T. is the only infallible guide of what part of the Mosaic law continues to be important for the church age believer. The N.T. plainly teaches the believer today is not bound to the sabbath law! "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (Col. 2:16-17).

2. According to the N.T. epistles, the sabbath question has no relevance to the church. In all the instruction God gave the churches in the epistles, there is only one mention of the sabbath-- Col. 2:16--and that one mention was only to show that it is not binding upon N.T. believers. Is it not strange, in light of the fact that the N.T. epistles mention the sabbath only once and that to show it is not now binding, that Seventh-day Adventism makes such a big deal over sabbath observance? Surely, the SDA denomination has a very different understanding of the sabbath and of the things of God than did the Apostles! The Apostles, in their writings, placed absolutely no importance on the sabbath. The SDA, in their writings, place great importance upon it. With one of their correspondence courses, the SDA sent me a lovely printing of the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. This was printed on expensive gold paper stock, and the sabbath was highlighted, supposedly as it was highlighted in Ellen White's visions. I assume I was supposed to treasure this. No, my friends, I do not glory in the sabbath. The Apostle Paul said the sabbath is not for me.

3. The sabbath was a type of salvation. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his" (He. 4:9,10). Adventists admit that the O.T. types and shadows, such as the Levitical offerings, were fulfilled in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet, they maintain that the weekly sabbath was not a type which was fulfilled by Christ. In Hebrews 4, though, the sabbath is presented as a type of salvation. As God rested on the seventh day from His work of creation, the true believer today rests in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to enter into God's rest, a person must quietly accept God's work. He must cease from his own work. Salvation is God's gift.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

The Sabbath law has been changed, with the harsh demands of the Mosaic system no longer binding. Adventists do not keep the O.T. conditions of the sabbath, but they claim they do not have to because the conditions pertaining to the sabbath have changed in this age. One of Ellen White's visions is offered as proof for this.

"In the most holy place she saw the ark that contains the law, and was amazed to note that `the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name...' There was also shown her the change of the Sabbath, the significance of Sabbath observance..." (Messenger to the Remnant, p. 34).

"The institutions that God has established are for the benefit of mankind. ... The law of Ten Commandments, of which the Sabbath forms a part, God gave to His people as a blessing..." (Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 245-246).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. The sabbath law was severe and rigid. (1) No work, Ex. 20:10; 31:14-15; (2) bear no burden, Je. 17:21; (3) light no fire, Ex. 35:3. Only in warm climates such as that in Israel could this be reasonably observed. The law of the sabbath was so severe that God had an Israelite stoned merely for gathering sticks to build a fire because by this he broke the sabbath law (Nu. 15:32-36). The law was not given to be a blessing. The Apostle Peter had lived under the law all his life until he was converted in his adult years, and he called it a yoke of bondage "which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Ac. 15:10).

Jam. 2:10 informs us that the law cannot be broken. Thus, anyone desiring to observe the sabbath of the Mosaic law must observe it exactly as God demanded in the Old Testament. And such a one must observe every other detail of the law. The O.T. law is not the Christian's standard; Christ is!

By reducing the requirements of the sabbath law, the SDA church destroys the power of the Mosaic law to reveal the need for the Savior. The Mosaic law was never intended as a way of life for the justified man--"knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man..." (1 Ti. 1:9). It was intended solely as a schoolmaster to bring the sinner to the Savior and to His salvation.

2. There is no Bible authority for a change in the sabbath law. The Lord Jesus did not change the law. He simply condemned the traditions of the Pharisees which had been added to the law. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" [Mt. 5:17-18].

3. This is another instance of Ellen White adding to the inspired revelation. Mrs. White saw the sabbath law as more important than all others; it "shone above them all." The inspired Apostles saw no importance in it at all for the N.T. believer.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

Since Jesus and the Apostles kept the Sabbath, Christians should today.

"The example of Jesus is clear and consistent. His custom was a Sabbath-keeping custom. ... Yet in spite of this, we find a strange situation in the world today. For though we have the same Christ as our example, the same Bible as our guide,, yet we find two Sabbath days kept by Christians..." (George Vandeman, Planet in Rebellion, p. 277).

"Christ's followers were careful to keep the Sabbath on which their buried Lord rested from His death struggle with sin" (New Life Bible Correspondence Course, Guide #16).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. Jesus kept the Sabbath because He was born under the law to fulfill the demands of the law. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Ga. 4:4-5). The Lord Jesus willingly made Himself a servant, born under the Mosaic law, that He might redeem sinners from the curse and bondage of the law into the eternal liberty of sonship. In Mt. 5:17-20 Jesus expounded the demands of the law, which is perfection. Christ did indeed come not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, which He did. Jesus was under the law that believers might not be.

2. It cannot be proven that the Apostle Paul and the early churches observed the Sabbath. Adventists teach this as fact, but it is mere conjecture. It is true that Paul met in the synagogues on the Sabbath in order to preach to the Jews assembled there, but this does not mean that he consciously observed the sabbath law of the Mosaic system. Rather, Paul testified concerning the sabbath question, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or the sabbath days" (Col. 2:16).

Thus, the Apostle Paul taught that sabbath keeping was not binding upon N.T. believers. To observe or not to observe holy days is a matter of individual Christian liberty. "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Ro. 14:5). Surely the inspired Apostle would not have acted contrary to his own teaching.

According to the Bible, the reason Paul visited synagogues on the sabbath was to preach the Gospel. Paul's burden after conversion was to preach Christ. He was burdened for his own people, the Jews. So he went where the Jews were to preach Christ to them. Consider Ac. 13:14-44; 16:13-14; 17:2-4; 18:4. "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures."

The fact that Paul went to synagogues on sabbaths does not prove he consciously kept the sabbath law any more than his going to the feasts in Jerusalem proves he believed himself bound to the laws of the feasts. He felt bound to none of these things. He was free in Christ. Yet he went as a soul winner to witness to his kinsmen of the freedom in Christ which he himself enjoyed.

3. There is much evidence in the Bible and in other historical sources that the early Christians, from the days of the Apostles, met and worshipped on the first day rather than on the sabbath. [See Sunday.]

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

The change of the day of worship from Sabbath to Sunday was done by Rome in the fourth century. Adventists contend that the law of the sabbath was kept by Christians until Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, required all men to observe Sunday. Adventist leaders see Constantine as a type of the future Antichrist, whom they believe will make Sunday worship a law binding upon all men.

Constantine was the Roman emperor. He was a sun worshiper, but he was also a keen politician. He wanted to please everybody. It was while still a pagan that he decreed that all government offices should be closed upon the first day of the week--`the venerable day of the sun.'

"The church, which had now been established in Rome, had been quick to see the temporal advantage of compromise with paganism . so it was that after a few brief years, when Sunday had gained a foothold, the Roman church in the Council of Laodicea set aside the clear command of God and decreed the change from the seventh to the first day of the week" (Planet in Rebellion, p. 290).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

There is much evidence in the Bible and in other historical sources that the early Christians, from the days of the Apostles, met and worshipped on the first day, rather than on the sabbath. [See Sunday.]

Since those days the vast majority of Christians have always met to worship on the Lord's day. They do this in honor of the resurrection of their Savior. Christ was in the tomb during the sabbath, and rose as the firstborn from the dead on the first day. The sabbath signifies the last day of the old creation (Ge. 2:2). Sunday has became the first day of the new creation.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

The church has changed the Sabbath to Sunday without Bible authority.

"Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment" (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 394).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

Sunday is not the Sabbath; it is not even a holy day. Christians do not observe a first day sabbath in assembling on Sunday. The N.T. believer, redeemed from the obligations of the Mosaic law, is free to observe or not to observe holy days as he pleases. (Of course no Christian should forsake the assembly, but every Christian is free to honor or not to honor days.) Ro. 14:1-13 and Col. 2:16 clearly state that believers are not to be judged in respect to holy days. The Galatians' respect of holy days caused the Apostle Paul to fear that they were not even saved! "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. ... I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you" (Ga. 4:10-11,20).

"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? . One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Ro. 14:4-5).

"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" (Col. 2:16).

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

Adventism is fulfilling prophecy by proclaiming the Sabbath. Adventists believe that God has raised them up as the last days remnant church to proclaim the truth of the Sabbath as a test for mankind. This work will culminate in the Great Tribulation, they believe, and in the second coming of Christ. For Bible proof of this idea, the Adventists point to four major passages: Is. 58:12-14; Mt. 24:14; Re. 14:6-12; and Re. 12:17.

From the very first, Seventh-day Adventists have boldly proclaimed the three messages of Revelation 14:6-12 as God's last appeal to sinners to accept Christ, and have humbly believed their movement to be the one here designated as the 'remnant.' No other religious body is proclaiming this composite message, and none other meets the specifications ...

Adventists have recovered these gems of truth and restored them to their rightful setting ... Examples ... the precious Sabbath truth, as opposed to the papal Sunday. Particularly is the Sabbath commandment to be restored to its rightful place in the ten-commandment Law of God. Isaiah declared that God's remnant people would repair `the breach' made in God's law when the papacy tore the fourth commandment out of the heart of the decalog... (Prophetic Guidance Correspondence Course, p. 46).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. The verses used by the SDA to support this idea in no way do so. Neither the Old nor the New Testament speaks of a religious group which is to rise in the last days prior to the second coming of Christ to proclaim the sabbath. Though Re. 14:12 does say the Great Tribulation remnant will "keep the commandments of God," absolutely nothing is said of a special emphasis upon the sabbath. The interpretation pushed upon this verse by Adventist teachers illustrates their habit of twisting Scripture.

Again, Is. 56:1-7 and 58:1-13, which are used by Adventists to support the doctrine of a sabbath-preaching last days remnant church, say absolutely nothing about such a thing.

In these verses God is simply admonishing the nation Israel to keep her sabbaths, just as He has throughout Israel's history. Isaiah 56 and 58 speak of national Israel, not the church of this present age. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and THE HOUSE OF JACOB their sins" (Is. 58:1). That Isaiah would point Israel to the sabbath law agrees with other passages which teach that the sabbath was given to national Israel as a special covenant sign (Is. 66:20-13). Israel will always keep her covenant sabbath.

The church, though, is not the nation Israel, and the church does not fulfill Israel's prophecies in Isaiah. There are three distinct people spoken of in the Bible--Israel, the Gentiles, and the Church. The Apostle Paul recognized this when he wrote, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God" (1 Co. 10:32). God's plan for national Israel, as foretold in the O.T., will yet be literally fulfilled in national Israel, not in the church.

2. The real source of this idea is Ellen White's visions, not in the Bible.

"...seven months after the Whites commenced keeping and teaching the Sabbath, the Lord gave a vision stressing its importance . in this vision Mrs. White seemed to be transported to heaven and conducted through the heavenly sanctuary.

"In the most holy place she saw the ark that contains the law, and was amazed to note that `the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name. THE HOLY SABBATH LOOKED GLORIOUS--A HALO OF GLORY WAS ALL AROUND IT...'

"THERE WAS ALSO SHOWN HER THE CHANGE OF THE SABBATH, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE, THE WORK BEFORE THEM IN PROCLAIMING THE SABBATH TRUTH, the relationship of Sabbath observance to the troublous times before the loyal people of God, climaxing in the second coming of Christ bringing final deliverance.

"The relationship of the Sabbath to the third angel's message was also revealed: `I was shown its importance and its place in the third angel's message'" (E.G. White letter 2, 1874).

In spite of Adventist denial, it is clear that these supposed visions of Ellen White are the real authority for the doctrine that they are the remnant church of the last days raised up by God to proclaim sabbath worship to all the world. Here again we find a key doctrine in the Adventist system formed upon the visions of their prophetess.

We repeat: without Ellen White there would be no Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many of their major doctrines simply could not have been derived from the Bible alone, for they are not to be found there, except that one approach the Scriptures with ideas preconceived from an extra-Biblical source--such as from someone's visions. The SDA, as do other heretical cults, look at the Scriptures only through their strangely-ground heretical spectacles. Without the Mary Baker Eddy "Spectacles" there would be no Christian Scientists. Without the Joseph Smith "Spectacles" there would be no Mormonism. Without the Charles Taze Russell "Spectacles" there would be no Jehovah's Witnesses. These various personalities have provided their followers with a set of heretical ideas through which they look at the Bible. The Seventh-day Adventists purchased their heretical eyeglasses from the Ellen White laboratories.

WHAT ADVENTISM TEACHES:

Sabbath keeping will be the test of obedience during the Great Tribulation. Adventism contends that during the Great Tribulation, Sunday observance will be the mark of the beast. They say it was the pope, as a type of the Antichrist, who changed the Sabbath to Sunday. All who observe Sunday worship in the Great Tribulation will be taking the mark of the beast and will, therefore, be lost.

Adventist interpreters understand this mark to be not a literal brand but some sign of allegiance that identifies the bearer as loyal to the power represented by the Beast. The controversy at that time will center on the law of God, and particularly on the fourth command. ... Hence, the observance of Sunday will constitute such a sign." (News From Jesus--part two, p. 28, Adult Sabbath School Lessons, third quarter, 1974).

"...this dispensing with one of the precepts of the Decalogue and substituting in its place a day God never commanded, is claimed by this power as the mark of its authority to bind the consciences of men. However appalling the revelation, this establishment of the first day of the week as a day of worship in spite of God's clear word that the seventh day is His Sabbath--this, by overwhelming evidence and unashamed admission, is the mark so soon to be imposed!" (Planet in Rebellion, p. 386).

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

The idea that Sunday observance will be the mark of the beast is certainly not found in, nor supported by, Scripture. This is an idea conjured up and promulgated by Ellen White, and accepted as dogma by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. True, the Antichrist will "think to change times and laws," yet nowhere does the Bible say this will involve the sabbath or Sunday. The Bible simply does not reveal exactly what laws Antichrist will change.

Whence cometh the Seventh-day Adventist ideas, then? On the back cover of the book The Great Controversy, it is written of its author, Ellen G. White, that "she is considered to have been inspired of God." In this book White brings out in great detail the doctrines she supposedly was taught by angels during several visions. Here it is, among other strange doctrines and additions to God's revelation, that she develops fully the idea of Sunday observance as the mark of the beast. Mrs. White writes:

"Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions ... the Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power

"...It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday sabbath; that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced; and that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday, are troublers of the people. ...

"Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order. ... As Protestant churches reject the clear Scriptural arguments in defense of God's law, they will long to silence those whose faith they cannot overthrow by the Bible. ... The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday ... even in free America" (The Great Controversy, pp. 515, 517-519).

Heresy #3: Soul Sleep

“The heresy of one age becomes the orthodoxy of the next” Helen Keller -- Optimism (1903)

False teachers proclaiming false teachings have always existed in the church and will continue throughout the last days (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 2:1-3). Why they aren’t spotted more often decries the shameful spiritual temperature of far too many Christians that are simply not equipped to discern between “the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6).

Hermeneutics vs. Heresy
Hermeneutics is the fancy name given to the science of Biblical interpretation. In laymen terms, it is formed from consistent Bible principles mandatory to a full and balanced approach to interpreting Scripture through studying: the original setting of both writer and recipient; the original language (to include vocabulary, grammar and style); the original intention of the Book or passage; and the narrower (immediate) and broader (canonical) context of a passage. In short, adhering to sound hermeneutical principles will feed your soul while protecting you from heresy.

Origin of the Soul Sleep Heresy
The phrase “soul sleep” per se is not a Scriptural term. In fact, you never find the soul linked to sleep anywhere in the Bible. It is actually a hybrid heterodoxy contrived from the Biblical euphemism for the sleep-like appearance of the body at death (2 Sam. 7:12; 2 Pet. 3:4) which has been hijacked by heretics.

A study of church history proves soul sleep has no roots in Christian orthodoxy, and no place in sound exegesis. And for the first three centuries of the church the immediate ascendency of the soul to Paradise (aka Heaven) at death (Luke 23:43) was never questioned. Then, according to historian Philip Schaff, soul sleep fomented in the mind of a specious fourth century pantheist named Arnobius. Since that time, poor exegesis has been the main mechanism soul sleepers have employed in the maintenance of their ruse. Today its champions are noteworthy indeed: atheists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphianists, Old school Armstrongism, and Seventh Day Adventists.

Since hermeneutics teaches us to examine historical and contextual settings when interpreting Scripture, we need to first understand the five separate divisions making up the 66 books: the books of law, the books of history, the books of prophecy, the epistles (history and doctrine), and the books of wisdom.

One place soul sleepers love to dance is in the wisdom books including Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes, while fully inspired, is written from an earthly—not an eternal (or Heavenly) perspective. It literally rips the mask off the wisest mortal, who from the opening words admits to being out of fellowship with God (Ecc. 1:1-3, 14). His thoughts often reflect the same fatalistic mindset so prevalent in OT Jewish times:

“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten” (Ecc. 9:4-6). This verse gives hope to souls sleepers and others who ignore the context of Solomon’s opining as Albert Barnes wisely notes:
“The last clause of Ecc. 9:6 indicates that the writer confines his observations on the dead to their portion in, or relation to, this world.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)

Progressive Revelation
Someone once quipped: “The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.” In hermeneutics, this is called “progressive revelation.” Here’s how it works.

While the 39 OT Books and the human penmen were fully inspired, their concept of certain doctrines was somewhat diffused behind types and shadows (Isa. 9:2; 42:16; Mark 4:16) not fully understood until the completion of the New Testament canon (Heb. 8:5). This of course included their knowledge of death. Were they wrong? No, they were merely expressing opinions based upon the light God gave them for disseminating His truth for that particular dispensation.

Death as understood in the Old Testament
As previously stated, by and large, Jews were fatalists believing in a future– albeit general- resurrection: “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise . . . and the earth shall cast out the dead” (Isa. 26:19). To them death was lonely, somber, and somewhat fearful:
David mourned, “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks” (Psa. 6:5).
Job anguished: “Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:20-22).
Even though these men loved the Lord with their entire being, they seem to have been almost smothered in a blanket of despair when contemplating their own death.

Death as revealed in the New Testament
By the time of Christ, the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was a highly debated issue. Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Epicurus had launched circuitous philosophies that diverted focus from God to man, and from eternal to temporal.
As the NT was written- and a new dispensation unfolded– God began unwrapping the precious yet somewhat shadowy secrets stored in the OT (1 Cor. 2:7). Not surprising, this became startling revelation to Old Testament Jews, “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:15).
One person the Holy Spirit chose to reveal these mysteries to was a brilliant OT scholar we know as the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:7; 15:51; Eph. 1:9; 3:3). Interestingly, while Paul’s teachings in some ways mirrored the OT thought regarding bodies falling asleep at death (1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Thess. 4:14), when God revealed as many as 14 Books of the NT to Paul, He also gave him a fresh understanding of what happens to the spirit and soul at death; that it becomes absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21). From that point forward Paul taught that death was not to be dreaded, but looked upon with anticipation and hope somewhat like a graduation (1 Cor. 15:54-55). This of course garnered the ire of his former Sanhedrin associates who now sought to kill him for teaching such things (Acts 9:23; 26:21).

5 Great Truths Refute Soul Sleep
There is an erroneous doctrine known as “general resurrection, general judgment” that teaches one day all the dead throughout history will be awakened from their sleep and summoned to the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15) where they’ll stand before God to enter either Heaven or the Lake of Fire.
If that is true, and Scripture proves that it is not, every saint in history should be asleep somewhere awaiting judgment. And yet, such is not the case as we will see from the testimony of Jesus and several saints that died and yet were very much alive.
Note if you will, the following 5 great Scriptural truths that will easily repudiate the soul sleep heresy:

TRUTH #1: The Bible refutes soul sleep in that God is God of the living, not the dead! Since God is life and the source of all life (Gen. 1:20; Deut. 30:20; John 1:4; 14:6), apart from Him is considered death (Eph. 2:1,5). Toward the end of His physical ministry on earth, Jesus was confronted by the godless liberal Sadducees who had led the Jews to believe there was no future resurrection. Once while trying to trap Him, they disingenuously inquired about the status of marriage in the after life. Of course Jesus spotted the ploy and called them ignorant which not only sewed their mouths shut but no doubt helped seal His fate:
“Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mat 22:31-32).
What does this mean? If you believe in soul sleep, it means nothing. If you believe Jesus, you understand that it means these patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) along with all the saints of history, have been alive– not asleep– all these years (see Luke 16:22-31; Rev. 4:4, etc).

TRUTH #2: Jesus refuted soul sleep by promising we would never die! In a public pledge Jesus promised: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Later Jesus said, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51). Again, Christ’s integrity is at stake here. Every person who heard the Lord utter this promise died, and their bodies were buried. In light of that, if Jesus was referring to the death of the body as soul sleepers are forced to maintain– and in view of the fact that all those disciples bodies eventually died (fell asleep)- wouldn’t that make a liar out of our Savior?

TRUTH #3: Paul refuted soul sleep when he taught that absent from the body is to be present with the Lord! As we have stated previously, Old Testament writers operated under the disadvantage of limited light and therefore viewed the resurrection as a one-time future event.
Paul, a converted rabbi, was given additional revelation, adding light to what had been known regarding the intermediate state of the body and soul at death. Remember, he had experienced a trip to paradise so he knew first hand how real and magnificent it was (1 Cor. 12:2). He taught more about death and resurrection than any other Bible writer. Although he agreed with the Old Testament writers that death brought about the appearance of a body falling asleep (1 Cor. 15:6; 1 Thess. 4:14), he never implied that a sleeping body brought about a sleeping soul or spirit- ever. Please consider God’s Word here:
“Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord [2 Cor. 5:6, 8]. Did you see that reinforcement? So not to confuse his readers, he said it one way, then repeated it another way. In the body, away from the Lord. With the Lord, away from the body. How much clearer can it get? Then, three years later this captivating thought surfaced again in a letter to the Philippians. “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Phil. 1:23-24). Once again, to depart from earth (death) is to be with Christ. No soul sleep, no awaiting a general resurrection, and no confusion for those who are not bound by the fallacious traditions of religious rogues who continue to hold an eerie spell over their duped disciples.

TRUTH #4: Hebrews refutes soul sleep by teaching that the spirits of those who died exist right now in Heaven! “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:22-24).

TRUTH #5: The Bible systematically refutes soul sleep on at least 15 separate occasions which again conclusively proves it to be a poorly concocted, grievous error!

Samuel the Prophet wasn’t sleeping (1 Sam. 28:7-19)
Moses and Elijah weren’t sleeping (Matt. 17:1-4)
The thief on the cross didn’t sleep (Luke 23:43)
When Stephen was stoned, his body slept but the Lord received his spirit (Acts 7:59-60)
The Spirit of Jairus’ daughter was not sleeping (Luke 8:51-54)
Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man were not sleeping (Luke 16:20-31)
The Old Testament saints weren’t sleeping (Matt. 27:52-53)
The souls in Sheol/Hades Christ preached to weren’t sleeping (Eph. 4:8-10)
The Great Cloud of witnesses aren’t sleeping (Heb. 11-12)
The Heavenly Saints are not sleeping at the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:16)
The elders in John’s Revelation aren’t sleeping (Rev. 4:4, 10)
The martyred tribulation souls aren’t sleeping (Rev. 6:9-11; 20:11)
The great multitude redeemed from the great tribulation aren’t sleeping (Rev 7:9, 14)
The returning army of Heavenly saints are not sleeping at the Revelation of Christ (Rev. 19:11-14)
Jesus Christ, the Firstfruits of the resurrection isn’t sleeping

SUMMARY STATEMENT: If soul sleep is true, Jesus was a liar, Matthew was a liar, Luke was a liar, John was a liar, Paul was a liar, Jude was a liar, the Book of Revelation, and in fact the entire Bible is nothing more than a collection of lies written by a prevaricating group of grievous wolves.
On the other hand, if what Jesus taught, John taught, and Paul taught time and again is as true as we believe it is, the clear choice for you will be to refute and reject the soul sleep heresy and embrace God’s Word which clearly promises us that “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” [2 Cor. 5:8].

Heresy #4: Annihilation of the Wicked

Seventh-day Adventism teaches that the unsaved will be burned up in the lake of fire.

“The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abomination of Babylon. ... There will then be no lost souls to blaspheme God as they writhe in never-ending torment; no wretched beings in hell will mingle their shrieks with the songs of the saved” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 470, 477).

They claim that the eternal torment of the wicked cannot be reconciled with God’s love and mercy.

“How repugnant to every emotion of love and mercy, and even to our sense of justice, is the doctrine that the wicked dead are tormented with fire and brimstone in an eternally burning hell” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 469).

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

1. The Bible teaches that the unsaved will endure eternal conscious torment. See Matthew 25:46; Revelation 14:10-11; Revelation 20:10-15. Three times in Mark 9 Christ spoke of hell as “the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched...” [Mk. 9:43-48]. This is the language of eternal suffering.

Adventists argue that though the fire is eternal, the punishment is not. This is an impossible interpretation, because Christ taught that the punishment of the unsaved will be worse than a violent destruction or loss of existence. Mark 9:42 warns that would be better for the wicked to hang a millstone about his neck and to be cast into the sea than to endure God’s judgment. In the very next verse, Jesus began to describe the horrors of Hell. In other words, Hell is going to be worse than any violent destruction. The suffering is eternal in duration. In Matthew 26:24, the Lord said Judas’ punishment will be worse than loss of existence. “... it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

The doctrine of eternal torment might be difficult for us to understand, but God has revealed it and our part is to accept it by faith. Hell is a place of fire, and it is a place where the suffering is eternal. These Scriptures should be a loud warning to every man, woman, and child that life is no game; salvation is not a thing to delay for even an hour. No time should be wasted in finding security in the Saviour whose blood “cleanseth us from all sin.” No effort should be spared in reaching lost souls for Christ. Hell’s torment is as eternal in duration as Heaven’s bliss.

2. God’s mercy does not erase His holy justice. God’s justice was satisfied in the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, but those who reject His great salvation must suffer for their own sins. God has given His Son to die on the cross to redeem men from their sins. Through this atonement, God’s holy justice was satisfied (Isaiah 53:11), and He offers full pardon and eternal life to every sinner that responds in repentance and faith. Those who reject the Savior’s suffering must suffer for their own sin. Adventism claims that God would be unjust to make Christ-rejecters suffer eternally for their sins, but who are we to question God’s justice?

Heresy #5: Ellen White a Prophetess and Inspired Commentator

Seventh-day Adventism believes that Ellen White was a prophetess. Consider some quotes from their writings:

“Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. Ellen G. White exercised the true prophetic gift. They believe that God graciously spoke to her in divine revelations, and that through her He sent inspired messages to His church. ... The Seventh-day Adventist Church is indebted to her as a spiritual leader and a pioneer builder and guide. In most of the soul-winning activities of the church, from its very beginnings, the leaders received guidance from what they believed were the prophetic insights of this servant of God” (D.A. Delafield, Ellen G. White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, pp. 2, 10-11).

“The Holy Spirit that inspired Moses, Paul, and John, also inspired Sister White. The inspiration of the prophets is one thing” (The Spirit of Prophecy Treasure Chest, p. 30).

“The Ellen White books have been likened also to a telescope which greatly enlarges the vision of God’s plans as revealed in His word” (Ellen G. White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 34).

“These messages, we believe, should be faithfully followed by every believer. Next to the Bible, and in connection with it, they should be read and studied. They throw a floodlight upon the Sacred record” (Prophetic Guidance, Lesson 16, p. 60).

“Consistency calls for acceptance of the Spirit of Prophecy writings as a whole. We cannot justify accepting part and rejecting part. For example, to accept one of Mrs. White’s books of a devotional character while questioning what she has written on doctrine, morals, or health standards, is really accepting one part and rejecting another” (Prophetic Guidance, Lesson 18, p. 70).

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

1. Mrs. White taught doctrines that deviate from New Testament Revelation. See Isaiah 8:20; Romans 16:17-18. The fact that a group holds many true doctrines does not mean we are to overlook its heresies. False imitations of Christianity have always been characterized by a mixture of truth and error. The Galatian heretics were apparently orthodox in most of their doctrines. We have no reason to believe they were anything but orthodox about the Trinity, Christ’s Deity, the Resurrection, and Biblical Inspiration, but the fact that they added to Paul’s gospel brought upon them a divine curse (Galatians 1:8-9). In fact, they were all the more dangerous because of their seeming orthodoxy. Rat poison is at least 95% harmless.

Romans 16:17 warns us to mark and avoid those that cause divisions contrary to the doctrine which we have learned. Seventh-day Adventism is guilty of this. They cause divisions contrary to the apostolic doctrine of death, of sabbath-keeping, of Hell, of the ministry of Christ during this present age, of the Mosaic Law, of the woman’s place in the church, and of the apostolic doctrine of the last days, and others.

2. Ellen White contradicted herself and was a hypocrite.

Consider two examples:

She taught that women should abstain from wearing jewelry.

“To dress plainly, abstaining from display of jewelry and ornaments of every kind, is in keeping with our faith” (White, Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 366).

Ellen White did not follow her own teaching. She wore jewelry, including broaches, expensive pins with white stones, and chains. In “Did Ellen White Wear Jewelry?” S. Cleveland and D. Anderson document this fact (http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/contra7.htm).

She taught that photography is idolatry.

“This making and exchanging of photographs is a species of Idolatry. Satan is doing all he can to eclipse heaven from our view. Let us not help him by making picture-idols” (White, Messages to Young People, p. 316).

Mrs. White often sat for pictures, contrary to her own teaching.

3. Women are not to teach nor usurp authority over men. God calls men, not women, to lead the churches (1 Timothy 2:11-12). There were no female apostles, and women are not qualified to be pastor-elders (1 Tim. 3:1-2; Tit. 1:5-6). Ellen White lived in direct opposition to these commands. She was a leading figure in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She addressed large crowds of men.

4. The true prophetic gift was to cease when its purposes for this age were fulfilled.

“Charity never faileth: but WHETHER THERE BE PROPHECIES, THEY SHALL FAIL; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Cor. 13:8-10).

The context of 1 Corinthians 13 pertains to spiritual gifts. The entire section from chapter 12 to 14 deals with this subject. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 refers to the revelation gifts of prophecy, knowledge, and tongues, through which God spoke to the early churches. These gifts were to pass away upon completion of their divine purpose, just as many other elements of God’s program for the ages have passed away.

Since the Bible says that point prophecy will cease, when did this happen? The answer is found in Ephesians 2:20. This verse groups the prophets and the apostles together and says that they laid the foundation for the church. They preached the gospel, established the first churches, and wrote the New Testament Scriptures under divine inspiration. Their job was then complete. The foundation was firmly laid, and they were no longer needed. Just as there are no apostles today, in the early church sense, there are also no prophets in the sense of receiving and imparting revelation. In this sense, “prophecy” has “failed.”

Ellen White could not have had the New Testament gift of prophecy, because that gift ceased with the passing of the apostles and prophets and the completion of the Bible.

The Christian faith was delivered once for all to the saints during the days of the apostles (Jude 3). It is not to be added to or tampered with. Rather, it is to be contended for. The Holy Spirit has given everything necessary to make the “man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This refers to the completed Scriptures, and a seal was placed in the last chapter of the Book, warning all men against claiming to have some new or fresh word from God (Rev. 22:18-19).

Did Mrs. White add to the things contained in the Bible? In just one vision that in the book Early Writings (pages 14-20), she added the following things: She said that Jesus’ hair is curly and shoulder length and that His trumpet is silver. She said that it takes seven days to ascend to heaven. She described tree trunks of transparent gold, fruit that looks like gold mixed with silver, houses that have the appearance of silver supported by pillars set with pearls, and shelves of gold, fields of flowers, “little ones” with wings, tables of stone engraved with the 144,000, and a silver table many miles in length.

She also said that God offered Satan a pardon (The Great Controversy, pp. 495-96), that the serpent had wings (Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, pp. 39-40), that Enoch’s face radiated light (Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, p. 57), and that angels who golden cards that they carry with them (Early Writings, p. 39).

There is no doubt that Ellen White’s visions added to the Bible’s prophecies. Those who refuse to accept the Bible as the final Word of God for this age always receive another word through false visions and prophecies. Seventh-day Adventism is the product of this great error.

5. Ellen White’s prophecies did not come to pass. See Deuteronomy 18:22.

In the book Seventh-day Adventism and the Writings of Ellen White, J. Mark Martin documents many false prophecies that were published by Mrs. White. These include the following:

Old Jerusalem Never Built Up

“I also saw that Old Jerusalem never would be built up; and that Satan was doing his utmost to lead the minds of the children of the Lord into these things now, in the gathering time” (Early Writings, p. 75).

In fact, old Jerusalem has been built up extensively since the birth of the modern state of Israel in 1948.

Adventists Living in 1856 Would See Jesus Return

In May 1865 Ellen White declared in a meeting in Battle Creek, Michigan, that some present would “remain upon the earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 131-132).

England Would Attack the United States

“... when England does declare war, all nations will have an interest of their own to serve, and there will be general war, general confusion. ... this nation [the United States] will ... be humbled into the dust” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 259).

In fact, England did not declare war and the United States was not humbled into the dust.

Heresy # 6: INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT

According to Ellen White, Jesus entered the heavenly holy of holies to begin an investigative judgment of the records (deeds and thoughts) of those that have professed faith in Christ. The judgment is supposedly based on the Ten Commandments, and the character of each person will be tested by the standard of this law to determine his eternal destiny. During this heavenly judgment, God has allegedly raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church to proclaim the gospel to the world. When the judgment is finished, Christ will return to the earth, destroy the wicked, resurrect the saved (who have allegedly been sleeping in the grave), and place all sins upon Satan.

“Every man’s work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered with terrible exactness every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. ... The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. ... Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance. ... All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. ... Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 424-425, 42 cool .

“The righteous dead will not be raised until after the judgment at which they are accounted worthy of ‘the resurrection of life.’ Hence they will not be present in person at the tribunal when their records are examined and their cases decided. ... Everyone must be tested and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. ... When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 431-432).

“When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give every man as his work shall be. ... Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin. The scapegoat, bearing the sins of Israel, was sent away ‘unto a land not inhabited’ (Lev. 16:22); so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall destroy all the wicked” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, p. 427).

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

1. The believer will not be judged by the Ten Commandments and will not lose his salvation if his service is unacceptable. The believer has eternal life (John 3:16). He has already passed from death unto life (John 5:24). He is safe in Christ and stands and rejoices in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2). He has no fear of future wrath, for he is complete in Christ (Romans 5:9). All punishment for his sin fell on Christ, and he is forever free. Christ took the believer’s unrighteousness upon Himself and gave the believer His very righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

2. The believer’s judgment is an examination of his service to Christ to determine whether he will be rewarded or suffer loss of reward. See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:5, 9-10.

Consider some important differences between the judgment described in these passages and the Investigative Judgment of Seventh-day Adventism: (1) Christ’s judgment of believers does not determine their salvation. Those who stand at the judgment of 1 Corinthians 3 will be there because they have already been saved, not in order to determine whether or not they will be saved. The ones judged in 1 Corinthians 3 are those that have established their lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11-12). (2) The believer’s judgment will not result in damnation, torment, or separation from God. Believers whose works fail the test will suffer shame and loss of reward, but not loss of salvation. “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). Words could not be plainer. (3) Notice, too, that the believer shall appear personally before his Lord. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10). According"to Adventist theology, the believer’s judgment occurs in the heavenly holy of holies between 1844 and the Second Coming, while the believer himself is supposedly on earth or sleeping in the grave. This is not what the apostle Paul taught.

3. It is unscriptural to identify Satan with the scapegoat of Leviticus 16. Both goats of the Day of Atonement—the one slain and the one released into the wilderness—represent the Lord Jesus Christ. The slain goat pictures the act of Christ’s atonement: it is a bloody sacrifice. The released goat pictures the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement: it is accomplished once for all and is forever complete. To interpret the scapegoat as a reference to Satan is blasphemous. Adventism finds confirmation of this doctrine, not in Scripture rightly divided, but in the visions of Ellen White, which is yet another example of how they have added to the Bible’s revelation.  

[Garland-Green]

Seventh-day Adventists
Won't Tell You

Seventh-day Adventists won't tell you they are behind the "Revelation Seminars" they sponsor. They act all" interdenominational" if questioned. Watch out for these SDA outreaches as well: Voice of Prophecy, Faith for Today, It is Written, The Quiet Hour, Amazing Facts etc. They also hide behind Heath oriented shows on the networks, and sponsor stop-smoking clinics etc, all as introductions to Seventh-day Adventism.

Often, the only tip-off that what you are reading originates with them is that it is published by "Pacific Press". They produce bright and colorful Children's books, often seen in medical and dental offices, and of course, unsuspecting Church libraries.

They very much want to be perceived as Evangelical Christians, seeking a place on the ministerial fellowships. All this is good PR for them, but what do they really believe?

What facts won't they tell you?

They won't tell you that they consider themselves to be the only, true, remnant Church. Their prophetess, Ellen G. White, whom they revere and believe without question has told them that

"...Satan has taken full possession of the Churches". (Spiritual Gifts V.l,p.189-90) They also believe our prayers are an "abomination" to God. (Spiritual Gifts, V1 p.190).

That is what they think of you and your church, even if they won't say it out loud in public, or to your face.

They revere their founding prophetess, Ellen G. White, and made this statement in their "Ministry" Magazine of Oct. 1981 and have never retracted it:

"We believe the revelation and inspiration of both the Bible and Ellen White's writings to be of equal quality. The superintendence of the Holy Spirit was just as careful and thorough in one case as in the other".

They won't tell you too much about Ellen G. White at their public seminars, but their goal is to bring the person attending to the point of conversion and baptism.

Their 2000 baptismal certificate poses questions to which the candidate must answer "yes". Question 8 says,

"Do you accept the biblical teaching of spiritual gifts and believe that the gift of prophecy is one of the identifying marks of the remnant church".

If the candidate says "yes" and is baptised, they soon learn that the "gift of prophecy" is Ellen G. White's writings. Point 13 has them accepting that the SDA Church is the remnant church of Bible Prophecy. They have been baptized into an exclusive group, but they don't know how exclusive it is, yet!

No doubt they will be urged to avail themselves of a "Clear Word Bible". This publication of theirs has inserted the words and doctrines of Ellen G. White right into the Bible text, insuring that the person studying it will have the mind of Ellen G. White.

Slowly, but surely, the new SDA will come to believe these extra-biblical doctrines that set the SDA church apart from Evangelical Christianity.


Doctrine on Christ

Seventh-day Adventists, in the early days, denied the Trinity, but now they accept it. However, they have "leftovers" from this heresy. Ellen G. White wrote in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 761, "...He (Jesus) was revealed to them as the Angel of Jehovah, the Captain of the Lord's Host, Michael the Archangel".

Adventists, you can't have it both ways! Either Jesus Christ is God, or He is some kind of an Angel. You can't talk out of both sides of your mouth to try to cover up embarrassing statements by Ellen G. White. They won't tell you she was wrong - when its "her or the Bible", she always wins!


Doctrines on Salvation

If you receive Christ as your Saviour through the SDA's, only your past sins, up to that moment are forgiven. Now you must get to work to earn your salvation. Ellen G. White said in the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald of 10-26-1897 this statement,

"...The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined. It is plainly stated that the condition of gaining eternal life is obedience to the commandments of God".

Of course, it is the fourth commandment that is stressed, since Ellen saw this one glowing in one of her visions. Salvation now becomes dependent on which day of the week one observes.

Modern Adventists keep sundown Friday to sundown Saturday as the Sabbath, but earlier in their history they kept 6 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The rest of us "Sunday keepers" are doomed to receive the "mark of the beast" and lose our eternal life. (The Spirit of Prophecy V. 4, p. 505). They sure don't say this at their seminars!

Christ exclaimed "It is finished" when He died for our sins, but it is not finished in Seventh-day Adventism! EGW wrote in "The Faith I Live By" p. 211,

"At the time appointed for the judgement - the close of the 2300 days, in 1844&began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins...both the living and the dead are to be judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works". (Rev. 20:12".

People are never told at Seminars that if they become SDA's and are baptized, a recording angel is watching their every move to determine their salvation eventually. EGW issues this warning in The Faith I Live By, page 210,

"Every man's work passes in review before God...Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel."

It's not much fun being an Adventist and being watched constantly by that recording angel with his "terrible exactness". Prepare to become very uptight.

Christians will say, "sure we slip sometimes into unintentional sin, but we have a mediator in Christ Jesus". No, you don't in Seventh-day Adventism. Be prepared for this SDA doctrine by Ellen G. White:

"...Those who are living on the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil....". (The Great Controversy p. 425).

Obviously they have chosen EGW's doctrine over that stated in the Bible in Hebrews 7:25,

"Wherefore 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".

Where would we all be without Christ as our mediator, EVER making intercession for us?

Christ bore our own sins in his body on the tree according to the Bible. 1 Peter 2:24 says, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree...". Become a SDA, and it will be Satan who will eventually bear your sins! Ellen G. White wrote,

"...so Christ will place all these sins upon Satan, the originator and instigator of sin...so Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which he has caused God's people to commit, will be for a thousand years confined to the earth, which will then be desolate...".(The Great Controversy p. 485).


False Prophecies

You Won't be Told About

Seventh-day Adventism grew despite endorsing a false date for Christ's return. What a dubious beginning!

Ellen G. White endorsed a false prophecy by William Miller that Christ would return, first in 1843 and then 1844. Miller repented when Christ didn't show up on his date but Ellen didn't want to be viewed as a false prophetess for endorsing him through her visions. The idea was concocted by one of her followers that the date was right, but the event was wrong. Ellen eagerly accepted this "out", and this explanation was offered to explain away the false prophecy:

Christ didn't come visibly to earth, but He, invisibly, in heaven, changed compartments from the Holy to the Most Holy in 1844 and began the work of "investigative judgment" that we have discussed previously.

This false date and its failure triggered other heresies on the atonement of Christ which continues to this day. Honest-hearted SDA's who have pointed out the error of the 1844 investigative judgment have been shown the door by their Conference.

Embarrassing false prophecies by EGW have been, altered, covered up, and locked up by the SDA's. You won't be told about them, but here are a couple.

One false prophecy done in the name of the Lord marks that one as a false prophet [See Deut. chapter 18].

Ellen G. White said people alive in 1856 would be translated at the 2nd coming of Jesus. (Testimonies, V1, p 131,132).

She said in Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, p. 259, that the United States would be "...humbled into the dust" by England during the Civil War.

Jesus told us to "Beware of the false prophets". Time is their enemy. These false prophecies will never be mentioned by the SDA's.


Cult Links

You won't be told at the SDA Seminars about the things they have in common with the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.

SDA's share their early history with the Jehovah's Witnesses. An early Adventist, N. H. Barbour co-published with Charles Taze Russell. They had a falling out over (what else?) dates for the end of the world! (1844 and 1874), and parted company.

Both, however, kept heretical doctrines to this day like Jesus being Michael the Archangel, the denial of Hell, and both still advocate soul sleep. Both invented invisible occurrences in heaven for their failed dates for Christ's visible return, investigative judgment for the SDA's and Christ's invisible "presence" for Jehovah's Witnesses.

There is Mormon link also for the SDA's. It is a proven fact that Ellen G. White plagiarized most of her writings. The Church has been challenged by Walter Rea, author of the White Lie to prove that even 20% of her writings are original. They can't. Their weak defense was that there were no copyright laws in Ellen's day, so what she did was legal. You will never be told of her plagiarism by the SDA's.

As Ellen was rising to prominence, Joseph Smith had just died. Her writings contain many phrases used by Joseph Smith. Mind you, he has also been accused of plagiarism. I have a thick file of similarities, but time does not permit details at this time, but it does illustrate just how far her "borrowing" went. You will definitely not be told of her similarities to Joseph Smith at the Seminars!

Consulting the Dead

You really won't be told about Ellen G. White's engaging in necromancy, communication with the dead, expressly forbidden by God in Deuteronomy 18:10-12

"There shall not be found among you anyone...who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord..."

This particular necromancy occurred after the death of her husband James, whom she called "Father". She recounts the experience in a letter to her son published in "The Retirement Years" p. 161 - 163.

She begins her letter by stating that she was seeking God regarding her future,

"A few days since I was pleading with the Lord for light in regard to my duty"...

It is evident she believed this dream was in response to her prayers to God. James (whom she called "Father") appeared beside her as she was in a carriage. She reported he looked "very pale, but calm and composed".

She says,

"...I saw you die; I saw you buried. Has the Lord pitied me and let you come back...?"

We are not to have conversations with the dead, but Ellen and James converse back and forth about church matters and their health. At one point James foretells the future for Ellen,

"...Now, Ellen, calls will be made as they have been, desiring you to attend important meetings...".

James, her dead husband, goes on to tell her she must avoid taxing her strength by going to meetings and retire and write instead. He tells her "...Make this your first business".

Ellen now makes an agreement with her dead husband to stay in touch,

"Well, said I, James you are always to stay with me now and we will work together".

This would involve further communication with the dead. Ellen recounts that she then awoke and took the whole matter as being from the Lord in these words,

"...I feel no duty to go to Battle Creek...I have no duty to stand in General Conference. THE LORD FORBIDS ME. That is enough."

Well, that is enough to conclude, not only the letter, but the fact that Ellen consulted the dead and took it all as coming from the Lord. She indicated she wanted to continue this practice.

Can we trust this dream? No, of course not. How then are we to trust her other 200 or so "inspired by God" dreams and visions that occurred over her lifetime? We can't, if we judge matters by the word of God.
Assorted Silliness

Often, cult research is tedious and boring. I am grateful to EGW for being humorous, ridiculous, and just plain silly. Her writings bearing her name are 17 times as long as the Bible&plagiarized or not.

Many of them have to do with her doctrines on health and food.

As an SDA you will be encouraged to become a vegetarian. Ellen indicated that your salvation could be dependent on giving up meat . No meat-eaters will be "translated" at Christ's coming (Counsels on Diet and Foods p. 380).


She taught in Counsels on Diet ..on p. 390 (some editions) that

"...if we subsist largely upon the flesh of dead animals, we shall partake of their nature".

Partake of their nature? This is against God's creation laws of "kind", and Impossible. Also conveniently forgotten is Paul view, "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake." ( 1 Cor. 10:25).

Most of EGW's concerns over diet were in an effort to control what she considered to be an excessive sex drive in the male. She devoted endless pages to discussing "secret vice" (masturbation) and blamed the practice for a wide range of diseases. Here, in "Solemn Appeal" page 12 are a few of the diseases said to be caused by "secret vice"

"...dyspepsia, spinal complaint, headache, epilepsy, impaired eyesight, palpitation of the heart, pain in the side, bleeding at the lungs, spasms of the heart and lungs, diabetes, incontinence of urine, fluor albus or whites, inflammation of the urinary organs... rheumatism, affected perspiration, consumption, asthma, catarrah, polypus of the heart, affection of the bones, fevers, ..etc. etc.

The cure for secret vice: The perpetrator was to sit in a sitz bath at as low a temperature as possible. At the same time, he was to have a hot foot bath, while applying cold cloths to his forehead. He was also to wear an abdominal bandage or wet girdle at night "to good advantage".

She concludes, "Cool bathing of the parts affected is also beneficial".

To those SDA's who write me that I must be endorsing masturbation by making this public, let me assure you that this is not the case. Why don't they charge their leader with the same accusation? She wrote about it much more than I ever have!

Thanks to Ellen White's influence, the Kellogg brothers were inspired to develop cold corn flakes, as hot porridge could "heat the blood" with undesirable results!

She sternly warned against using feather beds for the same reasons, but I found a letter from her asking someone to send her her featherbed! (EGW Vol 3, p. 341).

She also developed a "reform dress" on instructions from God, which was a bulky affair with pants under a long dress. She gave up on wearing hers finally, and so did the other women, after years of suffering discomfort.

Angels needing golden cards as gate passes to get in and out of heaven. (Early Writings p. 37-39),

She also "travelled" to other planets in her visions, and also claimed to have met Enoch (more necromancy). (EGW: The Early Years Vol.1 p. 114; p.157).

She taught that certain races of men are the result of amalgamation between man and beast. (SG Vol 3, p. 64,75).

She also believed that any woman daring to wear a wig would "...lose their reason and go hopelessly insane". (Christian Mothers, # 2, p. 121).


In conclusion, it is amazing to me that the SDA Church reveres Ellen G. White, choosing her visions, dreams, doctrines and teachings above the Bible. Other women had better run for cover, however, as they wouldn't dream of ordaining a woman in their denomination which is totally male dominated.

Adventists love to quote Walter Martin who was "had" by them as a young man and believed their statements without checking matters out closely, to prove they are not a cult. However, before he died, he made this statement on the John Ankerberg Show:

"I fear that if they continue to progress at this rate, then the classification of a cult can't possibly miss being reapplied to Seventh-day Adventism, because once you have an interpreter of Scripture, a final court of appeal that tells you what Scripture means, as soon as you judge Scripture by that, as soon as you have someone who has made doctrinal errors in the past, even on the deity of Christ and the doctrine of the atonement and other things, and that person is raised to that position or authority, you have polarization around that person".

By their own actions and stubborn clinging to Ellen G. White, her extra-biblical teachings, visions, and doctrines, the Seventh-day Adventists have placed themselves in the category of a cult.  

[Garland-Green]

Beginnings Of The 19th Century Religion Called Seventh-Day-Adventism  

[Garland-Green]

Bible Truth vs Adventist Truth
Identity of the Remnant Church


Adventist Truth about Identity of Remnant Church
Seventh-day Adventists teach that the book of Revelation identifies their church as the "remnant church" of Bible prophecy. The concept of a "remnant" is found in Revelation 12:17:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In the SDA 2009 (1st quarter, lesson #4) adult Sabbath School Quarterly, the author writes:

As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe that we are members of God’s remnant church.
The following points explain how Seventh-day Adventists identify themselves as the "remnant" of Revelation 12:17.

1. The "woman" depicted in Revelation 12 represents the true church of God. The true church "fled into the wilderness" (Rev. 12:6) for a period of 1,260 years. This prophecy was fulfilled when the Waldenses and Albigenses of Europe hid in the mountains during the period of papal supremecy (from 538 AD to 1798 AD) and preserved the truth about the seventh day Sabbath and the Bible for 1,260 years.

2. At the time of the end, Satan makes war with the "remnant." The "remnant" is identified as those who "keep the commandments of God" and have the "testimony of Jesus." According to Adventists, the "commandments of God" are the Ten Commandments given to Israel in Sinai, and the "testimony of Jesus" is their prophet, Ellen G. White.

Ellen White explains:

The law of God and the Spirit of Prophecy go hand in hand to guide and counsel the church, and whenever the church has recognized this by obeying His law, the spirit of prophecy has been sent to guide her in the way of truth. Rev. 12:17: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." This prophecy points out clearly that the remnant church will acknowledge God in His law and will have the prophetic gift. Obedience to the law of God, and the spirit of prophecy has always distinguished the true people of God, and the test is usually given on present manifestations.1
In the same book that contains the above quote, Ellen White refers to herself or her writings as the "spirit of prophecy" more than 30 times. For example,

Brother B.... Study the messages that God has sent to His people for the last sixty years through the Spirit of Prophecy.2
Adventists use an interesting formula to equate Ellen White with the Spirit of Prophecy. They do this by linking the "testimony of Jesus" in Rev. 12:17 to the same phrase found in Rev. 19:10. They claim that Revelation 19:10 unlocks the meaning of the testmimony of Jesus. In Rev. 19:10 is written: "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This provides the first half of the equation: Testimony of Jesus = Spirit of Prophecy. But the question remains, what is the Spirit of Prophecy?

Testimony of Jesus = Spirit of Prophecy = ?

According to Adventist doctrine, the true remnant church must have a prophet. This argument was introduced as early as 1855. After its formation in 1863, the SDA Church recognized Ellen White as having the prophetic gift. For many years the SDA sect boasted that the prophetic gift must be active in the church--in other words, there must be a living prophet in the remnant church. Some of Ellen White's books (the forerunners to the Conflict of the Ages series) were actually entitled Spirit of Prophecy. As noted above, Mrs. White and other sect leaders frequently referred to her testimonies (written and verbal) as the "Spirit of Prophecy." Therefore, since Ellen White was recognized by the sect as having the gift of prophecy, the assumption was made that she was the Spirit of Prophecy.

Testimony of Jesus = Spirit of Prophecy = Ellen G. White

Note carefully from the quote at the top of this page that Ellen White said, "the test is usually given on present manifestations." After Mrs. White's death in 1915, the Adventist church was in a dilemma because they no longer had a living prophet. So, they redefined their previous teachings, and began teaching that Ellen White "lives on" through the writings of her books. Since the sect never had another prophet after Ellen White, that explanation has taken root in the sect, which now seems to be perfectly content without a living prophet.



Problems with Adventist Truth about the Remnant
Let us examine the problems with Adventist teachings regarding the identity of the Remnant Church.

1. Did the Waldenses keep the truth alive for 1,260 years? First, there is no church group that kept the "truth" of the Sabbath alive during the Dark Ages. The Waldenses were not Sabbath-keepers, and they did not move to the mountains until after 1184 AD. Persecution ended by the middle of the 1600s, so this group was in the so-called "wilderness" less than 500 years. (For more facts about the Waldenses, click here)

2. Did the Albigenses keep the truth alive for 1,260 years? In her epic book Great Controversy Mrs. White points to the Albigenses as a group that preserved the "truth" during the era of papal supremecy. However, the Albigenses were a heretical group of fanatics who believed the Old Testament was written by Satan, that Christ had no real body, and that marriage was evil. The group barely survived one century. (For more facts about the Albigenses, Click here)

3. Is the 1,260 days of Revelation 12 a period of years? Adventists apply the year-for-a-day principal to turn the 1,260 days into 1,260 years, but that is an arbritrary and unwarranted application of the year-day principal. Adventists arbitrarily apply the year-day principle to some time periods in Revelation but not to others. Even if the days are indeed years, the dates of 538 AD to 1798 AD are questioned even by SDA scholars. (For more facts about these dates, click here)

4. Who has the Spirit of Prophecy? In 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 the Bible says the Holy Spirit is the source of spiritual gifts. One of those gifts is the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 12:10). Therefore, the phrase "Spirit of Prophecy" would be a reference to the Holy Spirit--the One who gives the gifts--and not to the human recipient of the gift.4 Mrs. White claimed to be (or have) the "spirit of prophecy" but in order to make such a claim, one must first pass the Biblical tests of a prophet. There is significant evidence that Mrs. White failed six of the seven tests of a prophet.

Even if Mrs. White had passed the tests, the SDA Church has not had a living prophet in nearly a century. That puts the sect in the exact same position as all other commandment-keeping Christian churches who do not have a living prophet. Other Christian churches follow the writings of dead prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Apostle John. In fact, the writings of at least 24 deceased prophets appear in the Bible. So, how is the SDA Church now any different from non-SDA denominations in this regard? Is it because Adventists follow the writings of 25 deceased prophets instead of 24?5 Does the fact that SDA's have one more prophet than most other churches prove that they are the only ones who have the Spirit of Prophecy?

Even Ellen White described her writings as a "lesser light" pointing to the writings of the 24 Biblical authors who had the real spirit of prophecy.6 In fact, she admitted that her writings were not even necessary:

If you had made God's word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies.7
So then, how important is that 25th prophet? Mrs. White implies she is not even necessary so long as one follows the writings of the other 24 prophets. That being the case, how can the SDA Church claim to be the sole denomination having the Spirit of Prophecy? They only have 1 more deceased prophet than other churches, AND, that one prophet testified...

Her writings merely pointed to the writings of the other 24 prophets
She was not needed if believers would study the other 24 prophets
5. Is the "Testimony of Jesus" really Ellen White's writings?? In Revelation 12:17, the word, "Testimony" (Greek marturia) comes from a root word which, in its various Greek forms, means "testifying," "testimony," "witness," and "martyr."

The phrase "Of Jesus" could be understood in two ways:

The testimony came from Jesus. This stresses Jesus as the source of the testimony.
The testimony is about Jesus. This stresses Jesus as the subject of the testimony.
Notice how the apostle John understood the meaning of the word "testimony" (marturia):

This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony [marturia] is true. (John 21:24)
What John is telling us in this verse is that his gospel is a testimony about Jesus. Therefore, John's gospel is the "testimony of Jesus."

Now, notice how John uses marturia to describe the testimony of the believer concerning Jesus:

...for this is the witness [marturia] of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness [marturia] in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record [marturia] that God gave of his Son. And this is the record [marturia], that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
(1 John 5:9-11)
In these important verses we find that those who believe on Jesus have the marturia, the witness or testimony of Jesus, in them!

How is the "testimony of Jesus" used in Revelation?

[John] Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony [marturia] of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. (Rev. 1:2)
In this verse John says he bore witness of three things:
The Word of God
The Testimony of Jesus Christ
The things that he saw (in vision)
John goes on to say in verse 9:

I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony [marturia] of Jesus Christ.
Notice the two reasons that John gives for being imprisoned on the isle of Patmos:

The Word of God
The Testimony of Jesus
Clearly it was John's testimony about Jesus that resulted in his being imprisoned.

Notice something else: John had the "Testimony of Jesus" when he was on Patmos. That was somewhere between 65 AD and 100 AD. So, the "Testimony of Jesus" was manifested in the writings of John over 1,700 years before the birth of Ellen [Harmon] White.

Look at Revelation 6:9:

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 [marturia] which they held.
Notice the martyrs were slain for two reasons:

The Word of God
Their testimony [marturia], presumably about Jesus.
The SDA Church teaches that among these martyrs were those who died in the 1,260-year reign of the papacy. Adventists claim this period started in 538 AD and ended in 1798 AD. If this is true, then these martyrs had the "testimony" long before Ellen Harmon was born.

From the context of Revelation chapter 12, the testimony of Jesus clearly refers to the word of testimony of those who "loved not their lives unto the death":

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony [marturia]; and they loved not their lives unto the death. ... And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony [marturia] of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:11, 17)
Notice that the "testimony" in Revelation 12 is "their testimony," once again indicating that the "testimony" was their personal testimony about Jesus, not Ellen White's writings.

In Revelation 19:10 we find that John's "brethren" also had the marturia, or testimony of Jesus:

...I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony [marturia] of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony [marturia] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The marturia is here described as the gift of prophecy, which is given to testify about Jesus Christ. Here are some alternate readings of the last part of Revelation 19:10

The prophetic spirit proves itself by witnessing to Jesus. (New American Bible)
Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy. (Weymouth New Testament)
Those who bear testimony to Jesus are inspired like all the prophets. (New English Bible)
The purpose of all prophecy and of all I have shown you is to tell about Jesus. (Living Bible)
Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The last reference to marturia is found in Revelation 20:4:

...I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness [marturia] of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
This verse parallels Rev. 6:9. Again, the two reasons for martyrdom are given:

The Word of God
The witness [marturia] of Jesus.
Throughout the New Testament we find a pattern of the "testimony of Jesus" referring to the believer's personal witness about Jesus Christ. Rather than being the prophetic utterances received from Jesus, the testimony of Jesus is the believer's personal testimony about Jesus. The "testimony of Jesus" is found in the writings of the New Testament, whose writers personally knew Christ and bore witness to Him. Furthermore, John tells us that the testimony of Jesus is found in the heart of all those who accept and believe in Jesus as the Son of God:

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness [marturia] in himself (1 John 5:10)
Therefore, the "testimony of Jesus" cannot be used to uniquely identify the SDA Church as the remnant church of Bible prophecy. Revelation clearly teaches that John had the "testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9), the martyrs had it (Rev. 6:9), and John's brethren had it (Rev. 19:10). None of these ever knew Ellen White, so it could not refer directly to her.



Bible Truth about the Identity of Remnant Church
The gift of prophecy is available to any church led by the Holy Spirit. However, the era of major prophets has ended. The ultimate revelation of the character of God was manifested in the Son of God and recorded in the gospels:

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." (Heb. 1:1,2)
The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. (Luke 16:16; also Matt. 11:13)
"Christ is the head of the church" in the New Testament era (Eph. 5:23). Prophets are no longer the spiritual leaders of God's people as they were in the days of Samuel, Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the Christian era, prophets are no longer required for God to communicate a message to His people. Jesus taught us that he would communicate directly with his followers:

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)
There is not a single instance in the gospels where Jesus said that He was going to send prophets to His church to guide it. Instead, He warned about "false" prophets many times:

Beware of false prophets... (Matt. 7:15)
And many false prophets shall arise and deceive many... (Matt. 24:11)
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matt. 24:14)
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise... (Mk 13:22)
Jesus established a different order in the Christian church. Instead of speaking to His people indirectly through prophets, Jesus promised to speak to them directly through the Holy Spirit:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. (John 16:13-15)
The gift of prophecy is given to the Christian church for edification (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11). However, in the New Testament, Apostles--not prophets--are the leaders of the church. In the New Testament church, Christians are instructed by the personal presence of God via the indwelling of the Spirit of God:

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27)
Conclusion

A number of churches claim to be the true "remnant of God." While it may be flattering to regard one's church as the true remnant, there is no denomination that has a "corner" on the truth. Denominations are the creation of man. They are useful because they establish a structure, and an organization to further the work of God. However, we only dimly comprehend the truth of God. Because of man's imperfect understanding of God's ways, there are many different interpretations of "truth," resulting in the thousands of different denominations that exist today.

God has His true believers spread out in every Christian denomination. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth" (John 14:6). A denomination can show a person the way, but it is not "the way." Jesus is the way. Likewise, a denomination can teach the truth, but it is not "the truth." Jesus is the truth. Therefore, any true believer who obeys the commandments of God and accepts Jesus as His Savior and Lord, and is baptized in His name for the remission of sins, is part of the remnant church of God.



Your Questions about Identity of Remnant Church
QUESTION: Joel 2:28 talks about the gift of prophecy being poured out in the last days. My Revelation Seminar said this prophecy was fulfilled in Ellen White. Is that true?

ANSWER: Let us take a look at the verse in question:

And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. (Joel 2:28 )
This verse describes a situation where both men and women would prophesy, and that old men would have dreams, while young men would have visions. This could hardly describe the Seventh-day Adventist Church, where in its 150-year history, only a single woman has ever been recognized by the sect as having the gift of prophecy.

As a matter of fact, Joel 2:28 has already been fulfilled. Notice what Peter said on the day of Pentecost:

...Peter...said unto them...this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Act 2:14-21)
The great out-pouring of the "Spirit upon all flesh" was fulfilled 2,000 years ago at Pentecost. There are many passages in the New Testament indicating the gift of prophecy was active among both men and women in the early church. (Acts 11:27, 13:1, 15:32, 21:9; Rom. 12:6, 1 Cor. 11:4, 12:10, 12:28, 14:1-32; Eph. 2:20, 3:5, 4:11, 1 Tim. 4:14).

Furthermore, the signs of the "dark day" and moon of "blood" were also already fulfilled prior to Pentecost. Matthew tells us the earth was darkened on the day that Christ died (Matt. 27:45). Astronomers have also discovered that there was a lunar eclipse over Jerusalem on the day of Christ's crucifixion in 33 AD (for more info on the date and events of Christ's death, click here). Seventh-day Adventists have claimed a "dark day" that occurred in 1780 was somehow a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, but that was a natural event caused by smoke from raging forest fires, and it was local to the Northeastern United States. In fact, these types of dark days occur with some regularity throughout history, and should not be confused with the supernatural event described by Joel.

In conclusion, Joel's prophecy has already been fufilled precisely in 33 AD. There is absolutely no reason to believe the events in Joel 2 have any connection with Ellen White or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  

[jack0076970]

Just curious... you didn't finish off heresy 3-6?  

[Garland-Green]

jack0076970

Just curious... you didn't finish off heresy 3-6?

I didn't pay close enough attention to the topics the article listed. I will deal with the other topics it did not adress. Thank you for pointing it out. ^^  

[jack0076970]

and still working on heresy 7 & 8?
I noticed that you've repeated them in order as per the original article but left of the last 2.  

[Garland-Green]

jack0076970

and still working on heresy 7 & 8?
I noticed that you've repeated them in order as per the original article but left of the last 2.

I am swamped at the moment but I will eventually get around to completing it. ^^ You could help me out with the heresies if you are interested? I would give you crew privileges.  

[jack0076970]

Garland-Green

jack0076970

and still working on heresy 7 & 8?
I noticed that you've repeated them in order as per the original article but left of the last 2.

I am swamped at the moment but I will eventually get around to completing it. ^^ You could help me out with the heresies if you are interested? I would give you crew privileges.

I guessed as much. That's life huh... I don't think I'd be much good on crew - as a single -parent of 3 I'm thankful for what little time I get on here. Are you just copying pasting from the other site? Thought I'd mention it for the sake of completion considering everything else that's come from there.  

[jack0076970]

Just copy & pasted from the site. Haven't personally looked into any of the accuracy.

Your link has expired as well - this is the current one
http://www.wayoflife.org/database/seventh_day_adventism.html

FALSE TEACHING # 7: MISUSING THE LAW OF MOSES

A foundational error of Seventh-day Adventism is its misuse of the Law of Moses. This is the same heresy that many of the Jews of Paul’s day were guilty of. It is the heresy that he confronted in his epistle to the Galatians.

Four Adventist Errors about the Law

1. According to Adventism, law and grace are not opposing systems, but both work together for man’s salvation.

“The fact that all who are redeemed are saved by grace does not dispense with the law of God any more in the one dispensation than in the other. The law is not against grace, and grace is not against the law” (Charles Everson, Saved By Grace, p. 11).

2. The Law of Moses is the standard by which God shall judge believers.

“The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment. ... Those who in the judgment are ‘accounted worthy’ will have a part in the resurrection of the just” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy, pp. 423-425).

3. The Law of Moses is the believer’s rule of life.

“Instead of being free to ignore and break the law because he is saved by grace, he is now doubly obligated to keep it. ... It is very evident, then, that in the new covenant we do not see the law a thing of no consequence, but we find it occupying the center of the covenant” (Charles Everson, Saved By Grace, pp. 23, 36).

“The Ten Commandments are the only perfect rule of conduct in this world today. God gave man the Decalogue as a rule of life” (J.L. Shuler, The Great Judgment Day, pp. 113-114).

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The following is a summary of every major New Testament passage dealing with the law. The reader is encouraged to look up and study each one of the passages. We are confident the Lord will encourage you in the glorious eternal liberty the believer has in Christ Jesus.

1. The Law of Moses has one main purpose, and that is to lead men to Jesus Christ. A man is saved and justified by faith ALONE through grace ALONE, apart from the law. Because of man’s fallen condition, the law can only condemn him. The law is indeed holy and good, but it can do nothing for sinful man except to reveal his wicked condition and lead him to Christ. See Romans 3:19-20; 5:20; Romans 7:7-13; 1 Corinthians 15:56; 2 Corinthians 5:5-13; Galatians 2:16; 3:9-24; 1 Timothy 1:6-11.

“The law demands strength from one that has none, and curses him if he cannot display it. The Gospel gives strength to one that has none, and blesses him in the exhibition of it. The law proposes life as the end of obedience, the Gospel gives life as the only proper ground of obedience” (C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Pentateuch, pp. 232-233).

2. The Law of Moses holds no power over the believer; he is placed in Christ entirely out of the law’s grasp. The law can no more bring condemnation to the believer than it can to Christ Himself, since the believer has been made perfect in Christ. The law has no more power over the believer than the dead husband has over a living wife. The apostles did not teach the Adventist doctrine that the believer is to conform his life to the standard of the law by the power of the resurrected Christ, and that if he fails to do so the law will condemn him in the day of judgment. See Romans 5:1-2, 6-11; 6:3-7; 8:8-10; 10:4; 7:4; Galatians 3:24-29.

3. The Ten Commandments is a covenant of death that is done away with in Christ. Adventist teachers protest that the moral law, represented in the Ten Commandments, was not done away at the cross of Christ and that only the ceremonial law was done away. But the New Testament describes even the Ten Commandments as a covenant of death! The Mosaic Law as a whole had one chief purpose. It was given by God to fallen man in order to show him his sin and his need of the Savior. See 2 Corinthians 3:6-13.

The apostle said that the law written in stone is done away with in Christ, and that refers to the Ten Commandments. Two times the apostle tells us that the Ten Commandments are abolished. Two times he tells us that the Ten Commandments were a ministration of death and condemnation! Words could not be plainer. For the Adventist teacher to come along and point the believer back to the Law of Moses as a rule of life is a great evil.

5. The Law of Moses is not the believer’s rule of life. The believer is told to put on Christ and to follow the Spirit of God. The believer’s objective is not to be conformed to the law, but to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). The Holy Spirit molds and transforms the believer’s life into the image of the Lord Jesus. Romans 8:11-14; 8:29; 13:13-14; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:9-11.

“If the law be indeed the rule of a believer’s life, where are we to find it so presented in the New Testament? The inspired Apostle evidently had no thought of its being the rule when he penned the following words: ‘For in Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and on the Israel of God’ (Gal. 6:15-16). What ‘rule’? The law? No; but the ‘new creation.’ Where shall we find this in Exodus 20? It speaks not a word about ‘new creation.’ On the contrary, it addresses itself to man as he is—in his natural or old-creation state—and puts him to the test as to what he is really able to do. Now if the law were the rule by which believers are to walk, why does the apostle pronounce his benediction on those who walk by another rule altogether? Why does he not say, as many as walk according to rule of the Ten Commandments? Is it not evident, from this one passage, that the Church of God has a higher rule by which to walk?” (C.H. Mackintosh, Notes on the Pentateuch, pp. 232-233).

“I, as a Christian, obey all law that is moral in the Decalogue, not because it is in the Law, but because it is in the Gospel. Worship of God only is enjoined fifty times in the New Testament; idolatry is forbidden twelve times; profanity four times; honor of father and mother is commanded six times; adultery is forbidden twelve; theft six; false witness four; and covetousness, nine times. ‘The Ten Commandments,’ as Luther says, ‘do not apply to us Gentiles and Christians, but only to the Jews.’ So therefore, Paul, in all his fourteen epistles, never once names the Sabbath—except in a single passage where, classing it with the entire law, he declares it has been totally abolished. So the early church held” (William C. Irvine, Heresies Exposed, p. 165).

6. Law and Grace are two different systems that cannot be mixed in salvation. We have already looked at this under the section on the Seventh-day Adventist’s false gospel of grace plus law. See Acts 15:8-11; Romans 3:18-25; 4:4-5; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-10.

7. To point believers back to the Law of Moses as a rule of life is to place them back under legalistic bondage, bringing a curse upon the one who teaches this heresy as well as upon the one who follows it. The apostles condemned in the strongest language those who tried to get believers to return to the Law of Moses as a rule of life. This refutes the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine that the law is a blessing to the justified man. See Galatians 1:7-9; 2:4; 3:1-9; 4:9-11, 19-21; 5:1-9.

Christ came to redeem men from bondage to the law, to remove their condemnation by paying the price the law demanded for man’s sin. Those who try to bring believers back under the law are deceiving men and pointing them away from the finished work of Christ and true Bible freedom in Him. They themselves are cursed because of their false gospel, and they are leading others away from the truth. The goal of salvation is not to bring the believer to the law, but to present him perfect in Christ!

FALSE TEACHING # 8: VEGETARIANISM

Ellen White warned against eating meat and promoted vegetarianism.

“Among those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord, meat eating will eventually be done away; flesh will cease to form a part of their diet. We should ever keep this end in view, and endeavor to work steadily toward it. I cannot think that in the practice of flesh eating we are in harmony with the light which God has been pleased to give us. All who are connected with our health institutions especially should be educating themselves to subsist on fruits, grains, and vegetables” (Ellen White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 380-81).

“Let not any of our ministers set an evil example in the eating of flesh-meat. Let them and their families live up to the light of health reform. Let not our ministers animalize their own nature and the nature of their children” (Ellen White, Spalding and Magan, p. 211).

This teaching was part of White’s health program, which she claimed was given to her by divine revelation in 1863.

Today the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist’s Nutrition Council recommends abstaining from meat, fish, coffee, and tea.

Here we will only deal with the issue of vegetarianism. From Adam to Noah, men were vegetarians, stemming from God’s command in Genesis 1:29-30, but after the flood, men were instructed to eat meat as well as vegetables (Genesis 9:3). Under the Law of Moses, the nation Israel continued to eat meat, and some animals were designated clean and others unclean. The Lord Jesus Christ lived under the law as a Jew and followed the Mosaic dietary system. He was not a vegetarian. We know that He ate fish (Lk. 24:42-43) and He ate lamb, which was required during the Passover [Exodus 12:6-8].

There are only three teachings about diet in the New Testament.

First, Peter was taught that the Old Testament dietary restrictions are no longer in effect for the New Testament believer (Acts 10:9-16). The truth of this was emphasized in that the command to rise, kill, and eat was repeated three times. This passage single-handedly refutes the following claims: that the Mosaic dietary restrictions are in force in the New Testament churches, that the Mosaic dietary restrictions were for health purposes (if that were true, God would have kept them in force), that eating meat is unhealthy, that vegetarianism is a superior program, and that is cruel to kill animals.

Second, we are taught that in the New Testament dispensation diet is entirely a matter of personal liberty (Romans 14:1-6) and we are not to judge others in such matters (Romans 14:13).

Third, we have a warning about those who teach against eating meat (1 Timothy 4:1-6) and we are told that to require a vegetarian diet is a doctrine of devils. This one heresy is sufficient to mark Ellen White as a heretic who was under the control of the Devil.

To go beyond the Bible’s clear teaching in this matter and to create dietary programs that purport to have a scriptural basis and or to be derived from extra-biblical prophecy or otherwise to have divine approval is heresy.

The New Testament plainly states that “every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

Thus, according to Scripture, diet in this dispensation is a personal and individual matter. Each person is different, with his own metabolism, taste, culture, lifestyle, health, and occupation; and diet must be determined on this basis and not on some plan purporting to be from the Bible.

I am not saying that all diets are equally healthy; I am merely saying that there is no one diet that is required by the Bible, and vegetarianism is certainly not upheld by Scripture.

The writer of Hebrews warned:

“Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein” (Heb. 13:9).

Salvation and spirituality are not determined by what you eat but by whether or not you have submitted to the gospel of Christ’s grace. A doctrine of meats or special diet is a strange and unscriptural doctrine!

In spite of her own teaching against eating meat, which she claimed was based on a vision she had in 1863, Ellen White continued eating meat most of her life. This is documented extensively in “Oysters and Herrings” by M. Chugg and D. Anderson, http://www.ellenwhiteexposed.com/contra6.htm.
_________________________  

[Garland-Green]

jack0076970

Garland-Green

jack0076970

and still working on heresy 7 & 8?
I noticed that you've repeated them in order as per the original article but left of the last 2.

I am swamped at the moment but I will eventually get around to completing it. ^^ You could help me out with the heresies if you are interested? I would give you crew privileges.

I guessed as much. That's life huh... I don't think I'd be much good on crew - as a single -parent of 3 I'm thankful for what little time I get on here. Are you just copying pasting from the other site? Thought I'd mention it for the sake of completion considering everything else that's come from there.

That is life, and it can't be helped, and I will always have time later on to complete things I have started. I am in no hurry. It is for the most part copy and past, for the exact reason you pointed out; sites disappear. I am posting these things as much for my own benefit as I am for others who may come across it. Nice having the resources available should the need for it arise. Thank you for continuing the heresies, and for providing me with the link!
I will finish it then, after having read it through. biggrin  

[Meili Kyumee Youichi]

To conclude Seventh-day Adventist Church is not right?