Seventh Day Adventists

Adventism is the belief that Christ's personal second coming is imminent and will inaugurate his millennial kingdom at the end of the age. Chiliasm, apocalypticism, and millennialism are cognate theological terms. Adventism in this general sense has been espoused by many diverse groups throughout human history such as the Seventh-Day Baptist, Anabaptists, and Jehovah's Witnesses Seventh-Day Adventists and many more.

Adventism is most commonly used, however, to denote the movement which sprang up in the 1830s from the teachings of William Miller, a Baptist minister in New York. Miller confidently prophesied the imminent return of Christ and set 1843-44 as the time for such event. The Millerite movement spread rapidly among the churches of the Northeast. When the expected return did not occur as Miller originally had predicted, a reinterpretation of the Scripture set Oct. 22, 1844, as the correct date.

The cult met in their local gathering places on the appointed day worshipping and waiting. Their great expectation became the "Great Disappointment" which followed the failure of the prophecy that led many Millerites to forsake the movement and slip back into the churches from which they had never formally dissociated themselves.

Miller himself acknowledged his error and dissociated himself from the movement and all further attempts to redeem it. A series of new signs, visions, and prophecies, however, fed the lagging spirits of those who refused to give up their Adventist hopes.

As early as the day following the Great Disappointment, Hiram Edson, an adventist leader, had a vision which confirmed the prophetic significance of the date: Oct. 22, 1844 but indicated that it marked a heavenly rather than an earthly event. He claimed that on October 22, 1844 Christ had moved into the holy of holies of the heavenly sanctuary to begin a new phase of his ministry of redemption.

That ministry was ultimately defined in the adventist doctrine of investigative judgment; Christ entered the sanctuary to review the deeds of professing Christians (the non-Adventists) to determine whose names should be included in the Book of Life. Other revelations subsequent to the Great Disappointment came to Ellen G. Harmon, a young disciple of Miller in Portland, Maine. She was quickly accepted as a prophetess and her teachings were accepted as authoritative.

The revived movement also adopted sabbatarianism and the belief that the acceptance of the seventh-day sabbath was the mark of the true church. Seventh-day observance and Christ's ministry of investigative judgment, confirmed by the prophetic revelation of Ellen Harmon White, completed the foundations of contemporary adventism.

Most adventist groups also adhere to the belief in soul sleep and annihilation of the wicked. Their strong emphasis on Old Testament teachings also led to a strong traditional concern for diet and health, including their proscription of coffee and tea ant their advocacy of vegetarianism.

Two major Adventist bodies represent the movement today, the Advent Christian Church and the predominant Seventh-day Adventists. They vary somewhat in their adherence to the Adventist doctrines outlined above. The Seventh-day Adventists traditionally have been identified as a cult among Christian churches. Such classification resulted from the contention by Christian theologians that the authority which the church grants to Mrs. White's prophecies compromises the finality of scriptural revelation. They further charged that the doctrine of investigative judgment compromises the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone that led to an assurance of salvation based on perfect obedience rather than faith.

In recent years, however, Seventh-day Adventist theologians have tended to regard Mrs. White's prophecies as subject to judgment by the canonical Scriptures and have put forth a more evangelical understanding of justification by faith. As a result some evangelical leaders, although by no means all, have begun to include the Seventh-day Adventists within the pale of orthodoxy. This division of opinion as to the theological stance of the movement is echoed within the group itself by the intense theological debate of these issues in recent years. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has experienced rapid growth in the post-World War II period. This church, however, still tends to keep to itself among Christian denominations.

The centrality of the events surrounding the return of Christ in the premillennialism context which became so critical in the development of the fundamentalist movement and the contemporary emphasis upon the imminent second coming of Christ in evangelical churches in general show the continuing significance of general adventism in the Christian tradition, and many thought that they are indeed Christians.

Ellen Gould Harmon White (1827-1915) in Maine being brought up in a Methodist family, she with them was influenced by addresses given in Portland by the Adventist William Miller. In 1843 the family was expelled from Methodist membership for doctrinal issues. After joining the Adventists, White claimed to have seen in the first of many "revelations" the triumph and vindication of the Adventists over earthly persecution. Before her death seventy years later she was said to have experienced "two thousand visions and prophetic dreams." Her early followers regarded these visions as partially fulfilling Joel 2:28-32.

The Adventist movement suffered a series of severe setbacks when most of her prediction of Christ*s return failed. White became the leader in 1846, soon after her marriage to James White. The Seventh-day Adventist Church as an official denomination was established at Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1863, with Ellen as leader and her writings and counsels accepted as the "spirit of prophecy". This, according to fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists, is "one of the identifying marks of the remnant church."

Modern Seventh-day Adventism denies that Mrs. White's writings are to be equated with the biblical canon which closed nearly two thousand years ago, though a leading Adventist says that "just as God enlightened Moses... he enlightened Ellen G. White."

Acceptance of her writings is not to be made a matter of church discipline, but Adventists hold that in her life and ministry the "gift of prophecy" was restored in these last days of the Christian church. Through more than sixty works (100,000 handwritten pages) Ellen G. White still dominates the movement 88 years after her death.

Among her publications are the nine-volume Testimonies for the Church (1855-1909) and Steps to Christ, which has sold more than twenty five million copies in more than a hundred languages. Mrs. White committed a thousand and one misinterpretations and deficiencies and yet her followers are willing to die for her doctrines.

Sabbatarianism is the view which insists that one day of each week be reserved for religious observance as prescribed by the OT Sabbath law. It is most important that we note a distinction between strict and liberal sabbatarinism. They contend that God's directive concerning the Old Testament Sabbath law is natural, universal, and moral; consequently the Sabbath requires mankind to abstain from all labor except those tasks necessary for the welfare of society. In this view the seventh day, the literal Sabbath, is the only day on which the requirements of this law can be met. However, the Sabbath was for Israel.

Adventists believe they have been raised for the express purpose of proclaiming that God requires all men to observe the sabbath. Their arguments for the universally binding character of the sabbath law are these: it (1) is part of the moral law, (2) was given at the creation, and (3) was not abrogated in the NT. Some adventists see in Sunday observance a fulfillment of the prophecy (Rev. 14:9) which states that deluded mankind will be forced to accept the mark of the beast (Sunday observance) in order to survive during the days prior to Christ's second advent.

William Hallowes Miller, was the Baptist minister who predicted the Second Advent of Christ would occur in 1844. Many of his followers sold their properties in expectation of the end of the world. Although Miller's movement disbanded soon after, his teachings paved the way for later Adventist sects. Miller disjoined from the group and died in 1849 with a heart filled with remorse. Ellen White his disciple, carried-out and expanded the heretical teachings that became known today as Seventh-Day Adventism.

Miller was expelled from the Baptist and White from the Methodist, both for doctrinal errors. In arrogance and antagonism, they created their own doctrines. Their salvation is by faith plus human good works contrary to biblical salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Therefore, they are not saved and they are not Christians. Salvation is the free gift of God (Romans 6:23) and received through non-meritorious faith of the individual (Eph. 2:8-9).

Bibliography:P. G. Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission; L. E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, W. Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults; F. D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry; G. Paxton, The Shaking of Adventism; Seventh Day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine; A. A. Hoekema, The Four Major Cults.

SDA Emphasis: The SDA church has always taken a special interest in health concerns. They have played a major role in health research into the dangers of smoking and of diets rich in cholesterol and fats. They promote plans to help people quit smoking and consuming alcohol. They sponsor cooking classes, heart disease teams, narcotics education outreaches and disaster teams. There are 155 SDA hospitals and 276 clinics, dispensaries in the world. Many congregations have a Dorcas Society which provide food and supplies to the needy. They currently operate 92 post-secondary institutions, almost 1000 secondary schools and over 4000 elementary schools and kindergartens. The SDA church is a strong supporter of the principle of separation of church and state. They also promote religious liberty, and publish a periodical called Liberty.

SDA Membership: As of mid-2000, the Church has about 11 million baptized members, worldwide, who are "of age" and on the "official" roles. The total number of members and adherents is perhaps double that. They have a growth rate of about 11% per year. "Adventists can now be found in 205 of the 229 countries and areas of the world recognized by the United Nations, with 91.6% of membership living outside of North America." 22

By the middle of 2004, the total world church membership reached 13,663,497. The Adventist News Network reports that: "Six of the church's 13 world regions -- Inter-America, South America, East-Central Africa, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean, Southern Asia Pacific and North America -- have memberships of more than 1 million each. The church regions with the largest membership are: Inter-America, with 2.5 million; South America, with 2.3 million; and East-Central Africa with, 2.1 million." 23

Vegetarianism: Like so many other cults, the doctrine of the SDA church evolved with time. The doctrine of Saturday as the Sabbath was not preached by William Miller, but came in later. Neither did Miller preach and believe in vegetarianism.

With the collapse of Miller's prediction that Christ would return in 1844, the movement needed a cause in order to survive. After the damage control had been completed and the SDA spin doctors had cured the disease, it was time for the SDA leadership to hammer out some kind of "theology" that could be used to attract new converts to their fold.

The teaching of vegetarianism came from the Whites. In1864 Ellen's husband became ill and Ellen nursed him back to health. After his recovery James and Ellen began to think about food and eating habits. Since just a practical experience would not do the job of changing the theology of the SDA church, Ellen had a "convenient" vision from the Lord, and vegetarianism was not introduced tot he church as a "THUS SAYS THE LORD." In 1866 the Western Health Reform Institute was founded at Battle Creek, Michigan. Despite the new vegetarian diet, James White died in1881.

Ellen was always writing for the SDA denominational publications, and wrote a string of books. One well known book and still pushed hard by the SDA members is, "The Great Controversy." It is important to note that Ellen was a proven plagiarist. The explanation of the SDA Church for her plagiarism, that there were no copyright laws back then does not excuse her "borrowing".

SDA's often make every effort to appear "evangelical", joining in with inter-ministry groups and trying to "blend in" with the Christian community. However, make no mistake about it, they believe they are exclusively correct because they recognize and follow Ellen G. White. Among themselves, they mock the Christian's beliefs, calling our concept of salvation, "cheap grace". They privately consider themselves to be spiritually superior to the rest of us.

The SDA Church made this statement in their "Ministry" magazine of October 1981 and has 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."

Cover Up: They won’t tell you that early Adventists expected the literal second coming of Christ in 1843 and 1844 only to be disappointed. They won’t tell you that their 1844 "investigative judgment" teaching was born out of an attempt to cover over this false prophecy. Instead of repenting over this false date, they believe that Christ really came, but invisibly in heaven. As an SDA you now enter a period of "investigative judgment" where every deed you do or don’t do is recorded for judgment day.

[1] In 1782 William Miller was born on the east coast of the United States. As a young man he was a farmer and during the war of 1812, he served as a captain in the American armed forces. In 1833 he was licensed to preach by a Baptist church but was never ordained. After having studied the Bible for two years, in 1818 Miller announced to the world that in 25 years (March 1844) Jesus Christ would return to the earth. At the height of his ministry, Miller had gathered some 50,000 followers, who had also become known as "Adventists." When March 1844 came and went with no sign of Jesus Christ having returned, Miller recalculated the new date to October 22, 1844. When Jesus did not return on October 22, 1844, the entire Millerite movement collapsed and his followers' so-called Christian faith were destroyed.

[2] The Millerite Movement was later changed to Seventh Day Adventists and after the death of Miller in 1849 a new false prophet came on the scene, this time a woman, Ellen G. White. At the age of 13, Ellen was taken to a meeting where William Miller spoke and was converted to the Adventist faith. During the month of December, 1844, Ellen was holding a prayer meeting in which she had a vision and felt that she was transported to heaven and shown that Christ could not come back to the earth until the Great Commission has been fulfilled. This revelation was later going to be mixed in with the teaching that Christ had come back in 1844, but that He stopped in the heaven sanctuary to first clean that up.

Thus, like with so many other false movements, the leaders in the Advents movement had to cover up for the false prophecy of William Miller. On August 30, 1846 Ellen married James White, who had been ordained into the Adventist church in 1843. Her ascension as a "prophetess" in the Seventh Day Adventist Church had now begun. During her years as the "seer" for the SDA church, she prophesied a number of predictions, which did not come true. One of the most blatant false prophecies she made was when she predicted before the American Civil war, that the Union would not be preserved but that the United States would be divided, slavery would not be abolished but England would intervene and declare war on the United States. Any student of history knows differently. But, like so many other false movements, these failed prophecies are swept under the rug and most Seventh Day Adventists today do not even know about them.

[3] Miller revamped his doctrine to say that Christ had indeed returned, but that Miller had not understood that Christ first had to come to the "Heavenly Sanctuary," which He is now busy cleaning. Once Jesus has cleansed things up in heaven, He would be coming back to the earth. The remnant that bought into this lie formed the Advent Church and in 1845 William Miller became its first president.

[4] One of the key texts that he interpreted was in the Book of Daniel: Daniel heard two angels talking; one asked how long it will take until the destruction of the Temple is avenged and it is restored to its rightful state. The other replied in Daniel 8:14 "And he said onto me, unto 2,300 days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Miller believed that the 2,300 days were each of one year duration and that the interval started in 457 BCE. He concluded that the cleansing of the temple (i.e. the Second Coming) would occur sometime between two spring equinoxes: 1843-MAR-21 to 1844-MAR-21.

He found other methods of calculating the end time which also seemed to point to the year 1843 CE. In common with all other predictions of the Second Coming, the end didn't happen on cue. Samuel Snow, a follower of Miller, then interpreted the "tarrying time" referred to in Habakkuk 2:3 as equal to 7 months and 10 days, delaying the end time to 1844-OCT-22. That prophecy also did not come to pass. Many believers left the movement in what has become known as The Great Disappointment. Miller himself gradually withdrew from the leadership of the group and died in 1849. His followers called themselves Adventists; the group was often referred to as Millerites by others.

[5] Ellen Harmon joined with other Adventists, including Joseph Bates, and her husband James White to form a small group of Baptist, Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian believers in Washington NH. The church was formally organized as the Seventh-day Adventist Church. on 1863-MAY-21. She believed that the 1844 prediction was correct, but that it referred to the start of an Investigative Judgment. This is a time when Christ will judge the dead and the living on earth for righteousness. She predicted that this would soon be followed by the second coming of Jesus. Late in her career, the church voted her the credentials of an ordained minister. However, she was never actually ordained.

[6] Seventh-day Adventists follow most of the beliefs of conventional conservative Christianity: creation, the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, original sin; the virgin birth; the divinity of Christ; the nature of the Trinity; belief in Satan as a rebellious created being; the inerrancy of Scriptures as they were originally written; the resurrection of Jesus, salvation by the atonement of Christ, etc. However, they differ on a number of other beliefs:

Writings of Ellen White: Ellen White is recognized by the SDA church as having received the gift of prophecy. The written works by Ellen White , "are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction." 21 This produced some conflict within the Church when research in the 1980's showed that she had borrowed heavily from contemporary writers.

[7] Victor Houteff joined the SDA church in 1919. His beliefs deviated from main-line church doctrine. This became obvious when he wrote his book The Shepherd's Rod in which he outlined errors that he found within the church. He left the church and formed a new sect in 1929 called the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists. This group split further and eventually led to the organization of the the Students of the Seven Seals, popularly known as the Branch Davidians. In 1993, after a long standoff with the FBI, the Branch Davidian's compound burned down with major loss of life.

[8] One of the theories that grew out of the movement was started by an Adventist named Hiram Edson. On October 23, 1844, the day after the scheduled return of Christ.[5] The group headed by Hiram Edson in Western, New York proclaimed the doctrine of the sanctuary “as embracing a special or final ministry of Christ in the Holy of Holies in the heavenly sanctuary,” thus giving a new meaning to the message.(italics his).

The chief expounder of this idea of a heavenly sanctuary was Mrs. Ellen G. White, who with her husband James, had helped Miller set his dates. She taught that in this heavenly sanctuary Christ went to do his “Investigative Judgment” before coming to earth.

03/02/06