Original text in "black"

My response in "blue"

SDA beliefs in "red"

This is my understanding of SDA history: I wrote this back in 1993 to answer some questions which were brought to me by a young woman I had just recently met. She happened to be your sister _____. It is of necessity brief, with emphasis on only the "high points," and the few references here on the Sabbath are because that was the real subject of our discussions at that time. Later, I used it in my church as a Sunday (!) School lesson.

 

"This cult had its beginnings in the early nineteenth century under a man named William Miller (1782-1849), and later it was propagated by Ellen White, whose writings (The Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, etc.) are revered as "scripture" by "Adventists." They were often called "Millerites" back in the 1800's. Their doctrinal beliefs have been changed several times over the years, as all cults have to adapt themselves to the various environments in which they find themselves.

To call the SDA church a cult is a display of ignorance about the church and its beliefs. The SDA fundamental beliefs are available on the following URL http://www.adventist.org/pages/frameset_belief.html, Any sincere person will agree that these believe do not fit the definition of a cult. But to called a member of a cult does not bother me because I believe that if Jesus was alive today He together with his disciples were going to be called a cult. That’s how the Jews regarded them, so maybe there is virtue in being called a cult.

The original position taught was that no man could be saved unless he kept all ten of the Ten Commandments, including the Jewish Old Testament Sabbath (Friday 6 PM to Saturday 6 PM)*. This was later modified to the teaching that a man was saved by grace through faith in Christ, BUT he must keep the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath or he would lose his salvation. This was altered again to the teaching that a man was saved by grace through faith, BUT he would keep the Old Testament Jewish Sabbath if he really LOVED Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:10-14).

Adventist believes that only God has absolute wisdom and knowledge, and God continues to reveal Himself to us. As an individual I grow each day in his knowledge and love. I personally find it difficult to judge other Christians, because I believe that the essence of Christianity is doing your best in living according the amount of light that you have received. If today I found out that gambling is wrong, I will then change my ways. As the church come together we bring together what God has revealed to us. Unlike other Churches where God only revealed Himself to the founding fathers, we believe that if God reveal something to us today we need to follow God not the founding fathers.

The main publications of the cult come from the Review and Herald Publishing Co. in Washington D.C., the Southern Publishing Co. in Nashville, and the Pacific Publishing Co. in Los Angeles. Their most popular book is called Bible Readings for the Home. In it you are told that the Second Advent has already occurred; you just missed it!

I am sorry to say that that’s very far from the truth, here I quote belief number 24 in the SDA fundamental beliefs. The Second Coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Saviour's coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times. (Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:43, 44; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Rev. 14:14-20; 19:11-21; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Thess. 5:1-6.)

 

The White Throne Judgment is now taking place; you are just not aware of it!

Unfortunately you are taking too many things out of context, the very term ‘White Throne Judgement’ is not found in the Adventist teaching. I suppose you are talking about the ‘Investigative Judgement’ this base on the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, In order to understand this prophecy you need to understand the OT sanctuary setup. It is beyond the scope of this exercise to explain this in detail.

And Christ's Millennial reign (Rev. 20:1-5) will actually BE SATAN REIGNING ON THIS EARTH FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS.

Another misrepresentation of the SDA beliefs: Here is belief number 26 of the Fundamental SDA beliefs: 26. The Millennium and the End of Sin: The millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. During this time the wicked dead will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate, without living human inhabitants, but occupied by Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to earth. The unrighteous dead will then be resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will surround the city; but fire from God will consume them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus be freed of sin and sinners forever. (Rev. 20; 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Jer. 4:23-26; Rev. 21:1-5; Mal. 4:1; Eze. 28:18, 19.)

The Adventists teach soul sleep (as do the Jehovah's Witnesses)

and salvation by faith and works

with no one sure of eternal life until they are dead.

The majority of Adventists come from Southern Baptist Churches whose members were led off into various cults due to lack of Bible knowledge (Gal. 4:17; 5:7-12). Some points on the Sabbath issue:

  1. The Sabbath was a "SIGN" (Ezek. 20:20) given to the Jews because the Jews require a SIGN (1 Cor. 1:22).

  2. Jews require a SIGN because their NATION began with SIGNS (Ex. 4).

  1. The sign of the Sabbath was unknown to every man, woman and child in the book of Genesis for more than 2,000 years, for it was first revealed to Moses on MT. SINAI (1500 B.C.) (See Neh. 9:14). This explains why no one in Genesis ever kept or observed the Sabbath. (Adam, Enoch, Seth, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc.)

  1. That the Sabbath is mentioned as "blessed" and "sanctified" in Genesis 2 means nothing at all, as it overlooks the fact that Moses didn't write Genesis until 400 years after Abraham was DEAD. The Sabbath was given as part of the LAW (Ex. 20), which was done away in Christ (Jn. 1:17; Col. 2).

  1. Christians in the New Testament do not meet on the Jewish Sabbath (6 PM Friday until 6 PM Saturday*). They meet on the FIRST day of the week (Sunday) for the following reasons:

    1. Jesus Christ rose on the FIRST day (Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Lk 24, Jn.20).

    1. They met on the FIRST day (Acts 20).

    1. They gave on the FIRST day (1 Cor. 16).

    1. They preached on the FIRST day (Acts 20:7)

    1. The Holy Spirit came down on the FIRST day (Acts 2:1-6).

I realize that you have a problem of not knowing why you worship on Sunday, given a chance in the future I will give you the real reason why you worship on Sunday. Unfortunately it is not in the Bible. Many years ago a Roman Catholic Bishop offered a $1000.00 for anyone who can give one text from the Bible that says we have to worship on Sunday. As far as I know that money have never been claimed. In many of our outreach efforts we have offered $3000.00, but I am sorry to say not one has ever come to claim it. You can try your luck!

The Adventists wrongly divide the LAW into two -- the "CEREMONIAL LAW," and the "MORAL LAW." They put the Jewish Sabbath as a MORAL LAW instead of a ceremonial law because it is found in the ten "moral" commandments given at Sinai (Ex. 20). This overlooks five Bible facts that deal with sound doctrine. Observe:

  1. There are MORAL LAWS given right in the same list with CEREMONIAL LAWS (see Lev. 19:5-9, 11, 12).

  2. There are CEREMONIAL LAWS given right in the same list with MORAL LAWS (see Lev. 19:17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 30). Notice that the SABBATHS (plural – there are more than one), are ceremonial observances to be kept (Lev. 19:30).

 

  1. The New Testament clearly forbids anyone judging you in respect to the ceremonial observances of ANY day (Col. 2:16), and when giving the "ten MORAL COMMANDMENTS" in the "MORAL LAW," Paul purposely omits the SABBATH or the observing of the SABBATH as a MORAL LAW or a CEREMONIAL LAW (Rom. 13:8-10). According to the Apostle Paul, the Old Testament Sabbath is not a moral commandment for ANY Christian.

  1. Observe that the Old Testament laws on STONE (the "moral law" of the Ten Commandments) were done away with in Christ (2 Cor. 3), and the Christian's reason for observing the real moral commandment in the Ten (Paul omits the Sabbath from them: Rom. 13:8-10) has nothing to do with SALVATION. It has to do with good health, testimony, spiritual success, answered prayer and peace of mind (see Gal. 5, Rom. 6, 7 and Eph. 4, 5). No Christian was ever saved, or was ever kept saved by keeping ANY of the commandments – moral, ceremonial, or otherwise. (Gal. 2:16)

  1. Finally, observe that if any sinner is counting on the law to justify him (moral or ceremonial, in part, or in whole) he is an unsaved man who has "FALLEN FROM GRACE" (Gal. 5:4), and Christ is of "no effect" to him at all.

This then, is why no Bible believer is a 7th Day Adventist. This brief treatise has NOT covered Mrs. White's peculiar teachings on the Blood Atonement, Satan (not Christ) as the sin-bearer, Christ's humanity, or Hell. There are numerous other works available which cover the historical and doctrinal aspects of the cult more deeply."

 

* 6:00 PM is a tongue in cheek. It’s really sundown to sundown.