Reachout, Newsletter 27, Autumn 1991 THE SABBATH
This emphasis on the outward commandments that we ended with last issue, is further developed in the section on the Sabbath. We are to strictly keep it from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday and not on Sunday. This sets the SDA's apart from most church-going groups. In fact celebrating the sabbath on a Sunday is taking part in something that 'had its origins in "the mystery of lawlessness". All churches that are worshipping on Sunday and do not change before the end will 'eventually receive the mark of the beast'. Once again the SDA is setting itself up as the true church at the present time.
Colossians 2:16-17 tells us that no one is to be our judge regarding 'a Sabbath day'. The SDA's explain this as follows;
'Since the context (of this passage) deals with ritual matters, the sabbaths here referred to are the ceremonial sabbaths of the Jewish festivals "whch are a shadow," or type, of which the fulfillments were to come in Christ.' (SDA Believe, p.254).However Leviticus 23 that lists all these Jewish festivals that have been fulfilled in Christ begins (vv.2&3) with the sabbath. Surely if He fulfilled all the others He fulfilled this one too! Isn't this what the New Testament says in Hebrews 4:9-11? This Sabbath rest is not a day but a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Another interesting point is that Luke uses the phrase 'first day of week.' The first time in Luke 24:1 SDA Believe> agrees that this refers to Sunday (p.254). When therefore he again uses it in Acts 20:7 of gathering to break bread we must believe, here too, he was talking of Sunday. Further, we should note that nowhere in the New Testament are we instructed to keep the Sabbath. We are instructed to meet together but not on any particular day. If the Sabbath was such a necessary part of salvation why is it not mentioned specifically in the New Testament?
Finally, as an aside, the SDA's make quite a point that the worship of the Sun played a major role in changing to Sunday (pp.259/260) but does keeping it on Saturday mean we worship Saturn?
As a conclusion to all the emphasis on the law we need to ask, "Why in the many definitions of salvation in the New Testament is this vital point not made?" 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 and Ephesians 2:8-10 are two good illustrations of this.
DATE SETTING
This last section on The Doctrine of Last Things goes back to the very roots of the Adventist Movement as it concerns date setting.
As they admit on p.324, many, including William Miller, were expecting and prophesying the return of Jesus Christ in 1844. It didn't happen! That can only be described as false prophecy. But now in terminology reminiscent of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, "New light from Christ's sanctuary ministry turned their disappointment into hope and joy" (p.324). Instead of coming to earth, Christ began "His invisible reign", the final phase of His high-priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. No one can prove if an invisible event has taken place or not and so it is very convenient to say this is the fulfillment. However we do have to face what this is - the cover up for a false prophecy.
A key to this date setting is the 'year-day' theory. We are asked to believe that this is a Scriptural policy, however it only appears twice in the whole of the Bible. In Numbers 14:34 a day does indeed represent a year but in Ezekiel $:6 a year is represented by a day, something very different. Believing that something happened in 1844 is not the only type of date setting they go in for, we also see that they date the signs of Christ's return.
'The first signs announcing the Second Advent took place more than 1700 years after Christ's ascension...in fulfillment of this prophecy "the largest known earthquake:, occurred on November 1, 1755. Known as the Lisbon earthquake...Twenty-five years later the net sign mentioned in prophecy took place - the darkening of the sun and moon...in fulfillment of this prophecy, on May 19, 1780, an extraordinary darkness descended upon the northeastern part of the North American continent...At 9.00 that night a full moon rose, but the darkness persisted until after midnight. When the moon became visible, it had the appearance of blood...The great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833 - the most extensive display of falling stars on record - fulfilled this prophecy.' (pp.340-342)The book goes onto show that the signs of the great religious awakening and the preaching of the gospel have been fulfilled within the Adventist movement. And world events show the other signs of famines, wars etc. are also being fulfilled in our days.
I find the explanations of these signs very difficult to accept. They seem to be very mixed up. For instance the signs of the earthquake, famines and wars are all in the first section of Matthew 25. These are to take place before the end will come and will lead on to the tribulation. However the sign of the sun and moon (v.29) is clearly placed immediately after the tribulation and is directly linked with the coming of the Lord Jesus with power and great glory.
Along with this the sign of the stars is intricately linked with the sign of sun and moon. Just as the sun and moon are joined so also is there an 'and' to join the stars. But according to the SDA's the sun and moon sign was fulfilled in 1780 whereas the star sign was not fulfilled till 1883. We have here a similar situation to the Watchtower Society. Wanting to prove that Jesus returned in 1914 they bring 'evidence' to show the signs mentioned in Matthew 24 have had a great fulfillment since that date. Similarly the SDA's wanting to show a significant date in 1844 have looked for events just prior to that date.
Their fulfillment of the Lisbon earthquake is a case in point. In the references at the end of the chapter they talk about 60-100,000 deaths. However a letter from the Seismological Centre, Newbury, Berks stated that the earthquake reputed to have killed most people was in China in 1556, with 850,000 fatalities. This puts the 1755 earthquake in the shade. In the end though I'm not sure any of that is important because it is clear that the verse in Matthew is not talking about one earthquake but, 'in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.'
SATAN AS SCAPEGOAT
Within this section comes one of the most often quoted heresies of the
SDA's, the claim that Satan partly bears our sin. The accusation of heresy
comes because the SDA's claim that the scapegoat (Lev.16:8 - azaze>/Heb)
represents Satan and not Christ. They claim that the scapegoat looks beyond
Calvary (represented by the goat that was slain) and on
Nowhere in the New Testament does it say anything about Satan bearing our
sin even in the sense the SDA's use it. Nowhere in the New Testament does
it say that Jesus transferred our sin to the heavenly sanctuary. And
nowhere in the New Testament does it say that those who have come to know
the full pardon of Jesus in this life will face another judgement with
regard to sin.
What Does The New Testament Say?
Hebrews 1:3 tells us that after He had made purification for our sins He sat
down at God's right hand. He has purged our sins - past tense and there is
no longer need for anything more to happen.
The other significant thing is what the Bible doesn't say about this matter.
These chapters teach other doctrines which we will, in summary form,
investigate as to whether they are Scriptural. These subjects have been
dealt with in more detail elsewhere.
AN IMMORTAL SOUL
SOUL SLEEP AT DEATH
NO HELL ONLY ANNIHILATION
There are one or two other minor points of difference in these last sections
but they need not worry us at this time.
CONCLUSIONS
What then must our conclusions be concerning the SDA's.
Our final word would have to be that we cannot call the SDA's a cult on the
basis of their belief in the person of Jesus and some other major doctrines.
But there are some 'cult-like' tendencies, such as, in the way they claim to
be the remnant church in the last days and that every church that does not
worship on the Sabbath is not the true church.
'to the final end of the sin problem - the banishment of sin and
Satan. The full accountability for sin will be rolled back upon Satan,
its originator and instigator. Satan, and his followers, and all the
effects of sin, will be banished from the universe by destruction.'
(p.319)
Ellen G. White taught and the SDA's teach today that the work of
investigative judgement and the final blotting out of all sins will take
place when the books are opened in the last days, Revelation 20:12. As sin
cannot be blotted out till after this judgement our sins were placed upon
Christ and transferred to the heavenly sanctuary. After the judgement sin
will be transferred onto Satan and he will be banished from the presence of
God and blotted from existence in the final destruction of sin and sinners.
I believe it is important to understand that the SDA's are not doubting that
Jesus 'became sin' at Calvary but they are saying that the final end of sin
will be that Satan takes it away to destruction. They do therefore lay
themselves open to the claim that the atoning work hasn't finished. Yes,
they do teach that Christ has assumed the sins and accountability of a
penitent sinner and he can be forgiven. But they also teach that Christ has
taken the sins to the heavenly sanctuary and not until the final judgement
will they be removed and the heavenly sanctuary cleansed. Is this teaching
Scriptural?
SDA Believe> pp.369-373 outlines their belief that there is no such
place as literal hell but that the wicked will suffer by means of total
destruction. There are other Christians who also hold to this belief
but we believe that the Bible says something very different.
In Revelation 20, which talks about the final banishment of Satan, not once
is sin mentioned. Not once do we see sin transferred to Satan. If not,
what is the meaning of this second goat going into the wilderness? Surely
this too was fulfilled by Christ when even His Father had to turn His back
on Him as He 'took away' our sins and suffered for us 'outside the gate'
(Hebrews 13:12).
SDA Believe> p.351, illustrates the fact that we do not have an
immortal soul by using, 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul says the mortal
will have to put on immortality. These verses however cannot be used
to prove this point because they concern the resurrection of the body
and have nothing to do with the soul. However there are a number of
Scriptures that clearly show this doctrine cannot be true.
SDA Believe>p.352 outlines their belief that death means a 'state of
temporary unconsciousness while the person awaits the
resurrection.'
A number of the verses in the above section are relevant to showing this
point is unscriptural too. However we can also add.
1. Numbers 16:30; Psalm 16:19; Psalm 55:15; Psalm 116:3; Isaiah
14:9-10; Proverbs 23:14 all show that there is life in sheol, after
the person has died physically and gone there.
2. Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 1:23, all show that at
death our soul is separated from the body and goes straight to be with
the Lord.
3. Hebrews 12: 23 shows that the spirits of the dead are already with the
Lord.