What Does The Bible Say?
30 Minute Discussions Of Bible Subjects
What Does The Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say About the Seventh Day Adventist Church?
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The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a very large, international denomination. It is among 5 other Adventist denominations who grew out of the efforts of William Miller in 1831 In Massachusetts. In 1833 Miller began preaching that the end of the world was at hand and predicted the second coming of Christ to occur in about 1843 and that His personal thousand year reign would begin at that time. , By 1840, Adventism was a significant religious movement By 1843, they had increased to the point they became a loose organization, the sign of a new and developing sect. We discuss some of the things that were occurring at this time including Miller's setting the exact date of the Lord's return. We look at what happened when the Lord failed to return as predicted. We note that in spite of the failed prediction, there was still a sizeable group that formed the American Millerite Association. We talk about how Ellen G White became the leader of the Seventh Day branch of Adventism and the fact that her writings about her dreams formed the basis of Seventh Day Adventism. We conclude this episode by noting some of the doctrines, teachings and views of this denomination. Several others will be looked at in our next podcast. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty a.m. and five thirty pm. We meet for Bible study at nine thirty a.m. on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@yahoo.com, or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com, or to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is what does the Bible say? Brought to you by the church of Christ here in Sumter, church of Christ at the Woodlands, as we call it. And this is what does the Bible say. Fred Gosnell is with me, and and Glenn is here as well. And Glenn, I think we're going to be talking about Seventh Day Adventism today.
Glenn:That's correct. We are are going to be talking about the Seventh Day Adventist Church and those that that profess to be probably similar to the Adventist movement. And we will, as we've been doing recently, the first part of our lesson is going to be just simply talking about the the doctrines, the practices, and the beliefs of this denomination. There are six present-day denominations that that are the fruit of the Adventist movement, inaugurated by William Miller, and they are the the Advent Christian Church, the Church of God, Church of God in Jesus Christ, Evangelical Adventist Life and Advent Union, and the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The two largest are the Seventh Day Adventist Church and the Advent Christian Church. The Seventh Day Adventist denomination should never be considered as a small, insignificant group. It is an international denomination whose institutions and programs of work, in relation to its size, exceed those of most religious bodies today. The very name Seventh Day Adventists defines the two foundational principles of this denomination. Seventh Day refers to the teachings on the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath, an Adventist refers to their views concerning the imminent return of Christ.
Fred Gosnell:Well, let's look at the origin and the history of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Adventism had its origin in Massachusetts in 1831 under the leadership of William Miller, as Glenn pointed out, Miller was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February 15, 1782, and was living in Lowhampton, New York, in 1831. He was a reputable farmer, a good soldier, and captain in the War of 1812. Apparently, an outstanding citizen, and that was John H. Gersner in his work,*The Theology of the Major Sects* on page 19. So, at first, he was a rather earnest, normal member of a local Baptist church. He was influenced by friends who were skeptics, which caused him to become a deist. After he had found his religious faith again, he became a Baptist minister, and he applied himself very earnestly to a study of the Bible, utilizing every spare moment for 16 years with his Bible and concordance. His intense study resulted in his calculations about obscure prophetic predictions, which led him to believe and teach the imminent return of Christ. So, in 1833, Miller began to preach the end of the world was at hand, publishing a pamphlet entitled "Evidences from Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ" about the year 1843, and of his personal reign of 1000 years.
Arnie:You know, by 1840, Adventism had gotten underway as a significant religious movement among the people of the churches. In that year, the influential Adventist periodical. Titled "The Sons of the Time, signs of the times, first appeared to spread the imminency message far and wide. Number of preachers and lecturers of the message that Christ was to return in 1843 had increased to the point that they became a loose organization, which is always the first step toward a new sect. On October 13 of 1840, a conference was held at the Chardon Street Chapel in Boston by the Reverend, and that that word is in quotes, the Reverend Joshua V. Himes. Great camp meetings began to characterize the ever widening reach of the Adventist movement.
Glenn:Well, William Miller set the exact date for the return of Christ to be during the year of March 21, 1842 to March 21, 1843. And I'm going to pause here for for a moment, and there, this is this is a truth that that you can you can count on. If anyone specifies a date to when Christ is going to return, you can know that that is not the date that Christ is going to return, because Christ told us. Christ told us. He said, "No one knows when He will return. Not even Him. Only God knows when that will happen. So, if anyone makes a prediction about a specific date of the end of the world or Christ's return, you can know that that is not going to be the date. Well, people left their farms, businesses unattended, sold their property in anticipation of Christ's coming. When this prophecy failed, he said his mistake was that he followed the Hebrew rather than the Roman chronology. Miller said that he had missed the date by one year, and that Jesus would come on October 22, 1844. When 1844 date failed, he reset it for 1845. The third failure fragmented his followers and left him a disappointed failure. Though some followers deserted the ranks, others made explanations and found loopholes for the failures, while continuing to doggedly embrace the principles of Adventism and follow its leaders.
Fred Gosnell:So, in spite of Miller's failures, there was a sizeable group that met in Albany, New York, on April 29, 1845, and formed the American Millerite Association. So, some later formed the Evangelical Adventist, a group that has dwindled away to this day. So, in 1861, under the leadership of Jonathan Cummings, the Advent Christian Church was organized. So, in 1846, the wife of Elder James White, the former Ellen G. Harmon, became the leader of the Seventh Day Adventist branch of Adventism. She supposedly began to have dreams, which she regarded as as having divine significance. Her first vision came in 1844, where she saw the Adventists marching straight to heaven. She claimed to have such vision visions until her death in 1915.
Arnie:And during none of those dates, the Lord came, as Glenn has pointed out. She interpreted, and this is this is Ellen, there. She interpreted Miller's calculations in order to show that they did in reality come to pass, and that it should not be altered, that the figures were as he wanted wanted them, then his hand was over and hid the mistake in some of the figures, and that's according to a document called Early Writings on page 64. She said, "I saw that God was in the proclamation of the time 1843, and by that point she she had become." Known as Ellen G. White, and it was in her book *Spiritual Gift* Volume One. You could find it on page 133 if you're inclined to look for that. She transferred the fulfillment from Earth, where it clearly did not occur, to Heaven, where she could claim that it did, and who'd be in a position to deny that? Because none of us are there. So while while Miller always attempted to ground his teaching on his exposition of the Bible, she went beyond the Bible, and based most of her teaching on her numerous revelations.
Glenn:Where Miller admitted his mistakes, Ellen G. White denied any error, claiming her teachings were the Word of God. Her writings were called testimonies. It is God and not an erring mortal that is spoken, and that's in the book Testimonies. To oppose her was not fighting against us, but fighting against God. In these letters, which I write in the testimonies that I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me. Not write one article in the paper expressing merely my ideas; they are what God opened before me in vision, the precious rays of light shining from the throne. Also in the book Testimony and number 31, her 31st testimony. If you lessen the confidence of God's people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God, as certainly were Korah, Dathan, and Abraham. That was in her Testimony number 31. Also, her opus work was the great controversy between Christ and Satan.
Fred Gosnell:So, through the efforts of Ellen G. White and her husband, the Seventh Day Adventist Church was organized. The headquarters were set up in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1855. In 1860, the name Seventh Day Adventist was officially adopted. In 1903, the headquarters were moved to Washington, D.C. So Ellen G. White and her husband championed the idea of of observing the Sabbath of the Old Testament. William Miller always taught that the day of worship was the first day of the week. Mrs. White claimed to have had a dream in which she saw a halo around the fourth commandment, which she interpreted as meaning that people were not keeping the Sabbath, and that this was God's way of showing it was to be kept in this age,
Arnie:The history of Seventh Day Adventism, as viewed from their perspective, is something that we can discuss pretty easily because there are a number of quotes in their documentation that reveal that. One of those is is this among those disappointed at that time. One group carefully and prayerfully restudied the prophecies and came to the conclusion that they had indicated another event in the course of Christianity-that was the beginning of the final judgment, and that Christ's coming was still future. Quoting again, this group organized in 1863 as the Seventh Day Adventist denomination. The work is to continue the task begun in Reformation times, to begin to reillumine principles tarnished or forgotten during Christianity's long and tortuous history, basing their faith and practice wholly on the Bible, supposedly, the Adventist Church is a closely knit worldwide Christian organization, or claims to be, with specialized departments, a trained and ordained clergy, and a a sound system of finance, and that and that's according to a book that's titled "A Quick Look at Seventh Day Adventists, and on page five.
Glenn:One of the ones that Arnie missed was in the 1840s, large numbers of people in all religious groups in America and Europe began to deeply absorb in the doctrine of Christ's return. This interest was sparked by prophetic time references in Daniel and elsewhere in Scripture. Followers of William Miller, then a licensed Baptist minister set a definite time for the event, but their predictions soon proved unfounded. So once again, as we mentioned before, if someone predicts a time or date when Christ is going to return, we can know that that that is not going to be the day. Some of the doctrines, teachings, and views of Seventh Day Adventism, and we want to note that all of the following is taken verbatim from a quick look at Seventh Day Adventists, an official publication of the denomination. The second coming, the second coming of Christ, is near according to the Bible. Current conditions on earth are fast fulfilling Bible prophecy. This coming, not man-made forces, will mark the end of the world. But no man can know when this event will be, his coming will be literal, physical, visible to all mankind simultaneously. It is carefully described in the Scripture as well as the signs of its proximity. So, want to look at Matthew 24 verse two, and these these are the the doctrines that we should pay attention to. These scriptures that we should pay attention to when when determining these things. Matthew 24 verse two, and Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down. Well, this is talking not not the end of the time, which many people take Matthew 24 to be, but this is actually talking about the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. Well, Second Timothy two three through five. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier. And then, verse five. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is not crowned except he strive lawfully. And then Revelation. one verse seven. Revelation one verse seven. Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all the kindreds of earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. And then First Thessalonians 4, 16 and 17. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we shall are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. So, so I'll mention something about particularly the last one, and you know we we hear a lot of people talk about Christ coming back and and actually coming to Earth and spend and spending time on Earth and particularly many teach that He's going to be here for 1000 years. But what here's here's a scripture. This is Matthew 24, 35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away, but of that day and hour knoweth no man. No, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. And I mentioned that that passage before. So, all right, what what the scriptures say is when Christ comes, He's going to come with with the the shout of the archangel and the the trump of God is going to be sounded, and where is Christ going to be? He's going to be in the air. The dead in Christ will rise first to meet Him in the air, and those who are who are remaining alive that that are Christians, they will rise to meet Him in the air. Doesn't ever say that Christ is going to step foot on earth again, Fred.
Fred Gosnell:Well, of of Jesus Christ, they say Jesus Christ, Son of God, pre-existed with God the Father for our sake, was born of a virgin, lived as a man among men, died on the cross as a complete atonement for our sins, rose again the third day and ascended into heaven. Well, so far that sounds good, doesn't it? But then they complete that by saying, by His perfect life, man may be saved from eternal death, and they quote John 3, 16 and 17. And of course, there verse 16 begins Jesus saying,"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And of course, we've we've dealt with this passage before. Many take this passage to say that all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ, and then you will be saved. Of course, we've Jesus said, "If you believe not that I am, you'll die in your sins. But then He also said, "If you don't repent, you'll perish. Then He also says that we have to confess Him before men in order to be saved. And then He says in Mark 16 15, and sixteen, and you have to be baptized in order to be saved. And then, of course, we have to be faithful unto death. So, his perfect life certainly saves us from our sins, but he requires us to do certain things in order to be saved. And of course, that's what they leave out when they make that statement.
Arnie:The resurrection of the righteous dead is something that occurs. It'll take place at the coming of of Christ, and these righteous ones who have been asleep in the grave come forth from their resting place with the righteous living are caught up to heaven with Christ. Those who have rejected salvation are destroyed at this time by the brightness of Christ's coming. They and the wicked dead will be resurrected when Christ returns to cleanse the earth at the end of the millennium, they will be forever destroyed by fire when the holy city is established upon the earth and and made new. Unfortunately, we're reading from their document, not from the Word of God. They do cite in at the end of that First Thessalonians chapter four, which Glenn read a part of that there. But we'll we'll read it again, beginning in verse 16. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the the Lord. and Paul concludes that that thought in verse 18. Wherefore, comfort one another with with these words. So what what we what we see is that that there's not actually a a solid verification of the things that that these Adventists are are saying and claiming, they just don't fit with with what they've been teaching. Glenn, we we've got Revelation chapter 20 and 21. Do we want to go into that?
Glenn:I don't think we need to read those those two chapters in in entirety. If anyone that is listening would like to read those, you can. But what we need to keep in mind, particularly about Revelation. Revelation, John told at the beginning of of Revelation that this letter that he was writing, he he told that that these these were things that he was writing were signs, and they were written to those who who were the churches of Asia. He was writing to, and it was saying that these things would shortly come to pass. It was not something that was looking far into future, but he's saying these are things that would shortly come to pass. One of the things we can we can think of, and and if you really study Revelation, I think you will find that most of Revelation and the and the prophecies of Revelation are talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, and that happened in AD 70. It was an actual event, and so most of it is is written towards that and not towards the end times. Well, the next that the Adventists would talk about would be the the 10 Commandments. They say the 10 Commandments are a perpetual law for Christian living, different from the old ceremonial law, which pointed to Christ's death on the cross. The 10 Commandments present man's responsibility to God. The first four, and to his fellow man. The last six. By observing this law, man demonstrates his respect and love for God. So we'll take a look at at some of the the passages that that they've mentioned in John 14, 21, He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Exodus 20, 3 through 17, a long, a long passage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under under the earth. Thou thy shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them, for I the Lord God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy unto the thousands of them who love me and keep my caooandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. That will not hold him guiltless. Remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath unto the Lord. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor their daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor the cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and resteth the seventh day for before the Lord blesseth the seventh day, and hallowed it. Honor thy father and mother, that the days may be long upon the land which the Lord God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. And then, finally, from Revelation 14, 12. Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Well, these these are this is the word of God, and these these are statements that are made. The one thing we have to do, and I'll come back to this in a few moments, but but there's there are passages in the New Testament that let us know that we don't follow the 10 Commandments nor any of the other 613 commandments or laws that were given under the law of Moses. Now the principles that are contained within the 10 Commandments are all still applicable to us today, except keeping the Sabbath. We, as Christians, we worship God on the Lord's Day, and the Lord's Day is Sunday, or the first day of the week. So, if I have time, we'll come, and I don't think I will. We can come back, but but you need to look at Colossians and Ephesians, and you'll find a couple passages, and also in Hebrews, you'll find passages in in those three books particularly that's going to let you know that that Christians are not bound by the law of Moses, which included the 10 Commandments as part of that law. Fred, you got anything to finish up?
Fred Gosnell:Yes, I do. Yes, I can get it here. Here's what Paul or the writer of the Hebrews says. He says there that for this cause he, as Jesus, is the mediator of the New Testament. That by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Verse 16. For where a testament is, there also of necessity be the death of the testator, for a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the tester liveth. So, when Jesus died on the cross, his testament, the New Testament, the New Covenant was put into place, and now we follow that. We don't follow the Old Testament, as you just said,
Glenn:yeah, and one one of the passages I'm mentioning in Colossians is 2, 13 and 14, and it reads, "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all your trespasses, having wiped out the hand written requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them, these handwritten ordinances-that was the old law. That was the the law in the Old Testament that was given to to Moses on Mount Sinai, which included the 10 Commandments. That has been nailed to the cross. It's been wiped out. It's been done away with. We follow Christ's law.
Arnie:We'll we'll pick up with with this next week if you'll turn tune in to us same time same station, and let's examine what the Bible has to say, and compare it to to what the Seventh Day Adventists are teaching. It's regrettable. It's sad that they're mistaken. We would love for them to obey the gospel. Hopefully, some will be listening, and and will consider those things. Have a good week. Lord be with you.