In this issue:
The Certainty of Adventism
David Clayton
Some time ago I received a letter
from a man, which stated that of the 2000 Christian groups in the world,
1999 do not believe, what Adventists believe. Adventists believe that
there is an end time atonement, they believe in an investigative
judgment and believe that something special happened in 1844. The other
1999 Christian groups have not believed this for one hundred and fifty
years, and this brother asked, “do you believe that you are the only
people in the world who understand the truth?”
It is easy for us to blind our eyes and to deceive ourselves. We grow
up secure in our insularity. We believe, “well, my parents taught me the
truth, I grew up in the truth and I am safe.” We often don’t examine or
think about what other people believe, and because of this we can
easily deceive ourselves. Therefore it is critical that we often go to
the Bible and carefully reexamine our foundations, because we dare not
be wrong. In this matter we are dealing with the most vital issues of
life. Nobody dies for something that he is not fully convinced about. We
cannot afford to wait until a crisis breaks at some future time to
discover that our foundation wasn’t really founded on the word of God.
If we think about what this brother wrote, we can see right away some
elements of imbalance in his way of thinking. 1999 don’t believe as we
believe. Our group alone believes what we believe. Now suppose one of
the 1999 accepts what we believe, what happens then? Do we now have two
versus 1998? No what we have is still 1998 versus one. Why? Because the
one that accepts, now becomes a part of the Advent movement. There is
still only one Advent movement. If three join, there is still only one
Advent movement versus the rest, so it will always be Adventism versus
the rest. The brother’s representation doesn’t give a true picture. Many
who used to be a part of the 1999 other groups, thought Adventism made
sense, and what did they do? They joined the Advent movement. His way of
looking at it would make it look like nobody from these other groups
ever thought that Adventism made any sense. But the fact is that many
did, and many of them are now a part of Adventism.
The question is not whether or not Adventism has some faults; the
question is not whether or not Adventism is perfect. Adventism has many
problems and many faults and we cannot deny that. There are some of our
beliefs that need to be properly stated that need to be adjusted, only
the blindest will refuse to accept that. Some of our interpretations of
prophecy need to be looked at closely. But the critical question is
this: did the Almighty God of heaven raise up the Advent movement? The
answer must either be yes or no. If it is yes, then we have a destiny,
we have a purpose. If it is no, then none of us have any justification
in belonging to this movement.
The main doctrine of Adventism which nobody else in the world
believes, is the doctrine of the end time atonement, the doctrine which
teaches that in the end of time just before Jesus comes back to the
earth, God is going to do a special work in heaven which will have an
effect on God’s people in the earth. A work, which will result in sin
being totally removed from God’s people.
God directed the Advent movement to this doctrine. That is what
Adventism was raised up for. It was a movement to prepare Christendom
and the entire world for the coming of Jesus by revealing the purpose of
God that His people should, in cooperation with Jesus Christ reach the
place where sin is no longer a part of their experience. This is the
critical doctrine of seventh-day Adventism. This is the teaching, which
we believe that nobody else in the world believes.
Does this sound like an evil doctrine? It is hard to understand why
people fight against this because it is not only a desirable thing; but
also a reasonable thing. Why should it be so bad to think that before
Jesus comes again he is going to bring us to the place where we do not
commit sin anymore? Something inside me cries out for that kind of
experience, because I am a Christian. Something inside me wishes that I
could reach the place where I no longer dishonor my Creator; something
inside me says that it is only right and reasonable.
The Adventist movement began upon the belief that God was calling us
to help to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. It was called to
proclaim to the world that Jesus was coming again soon and He was not
coming for a church that was rotten and pitchy-patchy, and half way in
and half way out; but He was coming for a people who were ready for the
coming of Jesus. The mission of the Advent movement was to get these
people ready. In fact it was a work such as John the Baptist did. It was
a work of saying to the world; “prepare to meet thy God.”
Does the Bible really teach such a doctrine? The issue is not whether
or not we can avoid committing sin sometimes. Many Christians believe
this. We are not talking about this present day experience of living a
victorious life. What Adventists believe, is something that goes a step
further. What Adventism teaches is that just before Jesus comes again,
in the final moments of time, on this earth, God is going to do a
special work that will bring us to the place where we will never commit
sin again as long as we live, while we are still in this life. God will
bring a group of people to the place where they are without spot, or
wrinkle, blemish or any such thing. Other Christians say it is
impossible. They say that as long as we live in this flesh we cannot
stop committing sin. God will wink at our failures because the blood of
Jesus Christ covers our sins, but, they say, we cannot overcome sin
entirely while we are still in the flesh..
EVIDENCE IN LEVITICUS
In the Jewish calendar there were seven festivals, which were
celebrated every year. They started with the Passover in the first
month, which was followed by unleavened bread, then the wave sheaf two
days later, which was followed by the feast of Pentecost fifty days
later. Then in the seventh month later in the year they had three more
festivals, one of them was the Blowing of Trumpets, one was the Day of
Atonement and the other was called The Feast of Tabernacles.
The Passover represented the death of Christ; the Wave Sheaf two days
after the Passover represented when Christ rose from the dead, went up
in heaven to His Father; and was accepted as the first part of the
harvest of earth. Fifty days later the feast of Pentecost was fulfilled
when the Holy Spirit came.
The Bible clearly teaches that in the end of time during the seventh
month, (seven symbolizing perfection or completeness); there are to be
other events in that calendar. While we have clearly seen the
fulfillment of the Passover, the wave sheaf and Pentecost, the other
three events very obviously did not receive a fulfillment during the
first era of the Christian Church and have their fulfillment during the
final stages of this earth’s history.
Most Christians will not dispute
the fact that The Feast of Tabernacles represents the time when God’s
people are in heaven, after the harvest is gathered in. As we look at
the sequence of these Jewish festivals, we see that just before the
harvest time, there is to be something called The Day of Atonement. The
only people in the world who have an explanation of such an event
occurring just before Christ returns for his people (the harvest), are
Seventh-Day Adventists; yet the Bible clearly teaches it. In Leviticus
16:29, 33 it says,
“And this shall be a statute forever unto you that in the seventh month;
on the tenth day of the month ye shall afflict your souls and do no
work at all. Whether it be one of your own country or a stranger that
sojourneth among you, for on that day shall the priest make an atonement
for you to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before
the Lord. And it shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you and you shall
afflict your souls by a statute forever. And he shall make an atonement
for the holy Sanctuary and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle
of the congregation and for the altar and he shall make an atonement
for the priest and for all the people of the congregation.”
God stated very clearly that, “on that day shall the priest make an
atonement to cleanse you that you may be clean from all your sins before
the Lord.”
The priest was to make an atonement for them, but while the priest was
making this atonement they were to be afflicting their souls. These two
simultaneous events were deeply significant.
Purification of the Church
The Bible over and over makes it clear that there is to be an end-time
work of purification. What is equally clear is that we will never
experience it unless we cooperate with God. Do we need to know this in
order to be saved?’ Perhaps not, but we will never be what God wants us
to be in the end-time if we don’t know. There can be no faith without
knowledge, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God
(Romans 10:17). If we don’t know how are we going to cooperate? In that
upper room on the day of Pentecost one hundred and twenty disciples
knew they were saved. They knew that they had salvation that Jesus had
died for them; yet they were in the upper room agonizing before God. For
what? For salvation? Crying for what they already had? Not at all. They
were crying because they wanted to be in harmony with God’s plan, they
wanted what He had to give, and God’s people in the end of time are in
the same position.
Why do we afflict our souls before God? Why do we seek Him with all
our hearts? Why do we seek for a higher standard of holy living than
seems to concern other Christians? Why do we seek God with more
earnestness, Or why should we? It is because we recognize that God wants
to do something for His people in the end of time; He wants to show the
world something through us.
Over and over God tells us of this plan which He has for His church,
to be fulfilled in the final moments of time before Jesus returns.
Ephesians 5:25-27 Jesus will present the church to himself, a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish.”
Again Paul says in Ephesians 4:11 “And He gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers
for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Here he says that
there is going to come a time when the church is perfect, it is going
to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and until
that day there will be apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers in the
church because God put them there for the specific purpose of helping
the Church towards perfection.
In Revelation 14:4 speaking of the 144,000 it says, “These are they
which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their
mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne
of God.” These are the people that God is trying to produce. This is
what the atonement is about.
The point is, you and I will never experience this unless we recognize
what heaven is trying to do for us and cooperate with heaven.
The Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement occurred once each year, in the seventh month.
God in the Bible to signify perfection or completeness, of course, has
always used the number seven. On the tenth day of this month God told
the people that every single Israelite was to gather around the
sanctuary in prayer and affliction of soul. They fasted, and agonized
before God trying to remember all the sins that they had committed in
order to confess these sins. On this day; they were to get two goats for
whom they were to cast lots. One of these goats was chosen as the Goat
of the Lord and the other goat was chosen to be Azazel. The Jews
recognized Azazel as a symbol of the evil one.
So on this day when God was going to cleanse Israel of all its sins,
the priest took the Lord’s goat and killed it. He then collected the
blood and took it into the sanctuary. The sanctuary had two apartments
but he didn’t stop in the first apartment. He only paused there in order
to take a thing called a censer which was a vessel that was used to
burn incense, and to fill the censer with live coals from the golden
altar which was just before the curtain which separated the first from
the second apartment. He then filled his hands with finely beaten
incense and proceeded to the second apartment, into the presence of God
for the first and only time during the year.
The priest would then pour the incense on the coals and the sweet
smelling incense would rise up before God. The Bible says that when God
smelled the incense it would be a pleasing smell to him. Then the priest
would take the blood and sprinkle it on top of the box called the Ark
of the Covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments. The top of the
ark was made of a slab of pure gold, which was called the Mercy Seat. He
also sprinkled the blood in front of it seven times. Then he came back
out and put the blood on the horns of the altar. After this he would go
out into the courtyard, take Azazel, the other goat; lay his hands on
this goat and confess the sins of all the people upon him, then a strong
man would take that goat and lead him away from the camp of Israel into
the wilderness where he would perish.
Symbolically, this goat, Azazel, carried the sins of Israel upon its
head, far away, where the sins would never return to the camp of Israel.
Because it was only a symbol, they had to repeat this ceremony every
year. Sin was never actually removed by this ritual. This symbol clearly
pointed to some future reality. It pointed to a time when the sins of
God’s people would, not just in symbol, but in reality be removed from
Israel and placed upon the head of Satan, who would bear punishment for
the sins of God’s people, as the one who was ultimately responsible for
these sins.
Interpreting the Symbols
Now again, Adventists are the only people in the world who see an
end-of-the-age meaning in this service. The other churches say that this
other goat, Azazel, represents Christ! So who is represented by the
goat, which was sacrificed as the Lord’s goat? They say it represents
Christ as well. The claim is made that both goats represent Christ,
using two different symbols, one to show how He pays for sin and the
other to show how He takes away sin. This interpretation stretches the
imagination. It really doesn’t make much sense.
Christ represents the goat that was killed. His is the blood that is
sprinkled in heaven to cleanse us down here. But who was it that took
the blood of the lamb into the sanctuary? It was the High Priest, and
Jesus is the true High Priest. Could Jesus have been the High Priest
while He was on earth? Hebrews tells us that if He was on earth He could
not be a priest (Heb. 8:4). First of all He had to die on earth as the
sacrifice, then He went back to heaven now to be our High Priest, to
offer His blood in the heavenly sanctuary. But when are the sins of
Israel placed on the head of Azazel? Who places them there? It is the
High Priest.
If we are to follow the line of reasoning of these other religious
groups, what it would mean is that Christ died as the lamb, went to
heaven to minister as the High Priest, then when He is finished
ministering as the High Priest He comes out of the sanctuary, lays the
sins upon himself, and removes Himself from the camp of Israel into a
place where He will never be seen again.
The truth is that these two goats represented Jesus and Satan. How is
it that the same symbol used to represent Christ is also used to
represent Satan? Most often a lamb was used to represent Christ, not a
goat. Why is it that at this point a goat is used? The reason is that at
this point, Jesus was being asked to bear all the sins of the world.
The Bible says that God made Him to become sin! He made Him to be sin
for us who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore the symbol of
sinfulness, representing Satan, was the same symbol that was used to
represent Christ, that is, a goat.
So the sacrificed goat represented Christ whose blood was shed at
Calvary. Jesus ascended into heaven where he now ministers as our High
Priest. As the priests on earth offered the blood of bulls and goats, so
also Christ had to have something to offer (Hebrews 8:3), and what He
offered was His own blood. He went to heaven where He ministers in the
heavenly sanctuary, offering His own merits before God. When the work of
atonement is finished and sins have been removed from His people
entirely, He will lay the penalty upon the head of Satan who will be
removed to a place where he will never again be able to provoke and
harass or tempt God’s people. First he is to be bound in the “bottomless
pit” for a thousand years and then finally he is to be destroyed by
fire. The picture is as clear as day and it is hard to understand why
only Adventists understand this.
Sin is not just a philosophical idea or an abstract concept. It is
something, which has substance, and as we study the Bible we learn that
when a person expresses sorrow for sin and asks to be forgiven, the sin
does not come to an end there? No! Somebody has to pay for that sin!
Adam could have gone to God and said, “I’m sorry I ate the fruit,” God
would have said, “I forgive you, but somebody has to die.” It doesn’t
end because I say, “I’m sorry.” Somebody dies. This is why Jesus had to
die, but did it stop there? No, It still doesn’t end there, because at
the end of the Day of Atonement that same sin reemerges to be placed on
the head of Satan, the one who is really guilty of all sin. These are
the facts, which become obvious as we examine the Jewish economy with an
honest heart. As stated before, the only people who have recognized
these truths are Seventh-Day Adventists.
EVIDENCE IN REVELATION
Careful reading of the book of Revelation uncovers a great deal of
evidence that this “peculiar” doctrine of Seventh-day Adventism is
solidly rooted in the teaching of Scripture. Revelation 4:1 says,
“After this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be
hereafter.”
The book of Revelation was written in about A.D. 95, approximately
sixty-four years after Jesus died. The words of the angel, “I will show
thee things which must be hereafter.” Must apply to some time subsequent
to AD 95, and in fact, there is every reason to believe that it applies
primarily to the end of time.
“And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:
and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are
the seven Spirits of God.” (Rev. 4:5)
These seven lamps of fire are reminiscent of the candlestick, which
was a part of the furniture in the Jewish tabernacle that had seven
branches.
Just on the basis of this alone we might suggest that Revelation is
pointing us to the sanctuary in heaven, but let us examine some
additional evidence before we come to any final conclusions. In
Revelation 6:6 we read,
“and I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been
slain.”
What service are we being reminded of here? There is little room for
misunderstanding. The slain lamb was predominantly associated with the
sanctuary service.
So we have a candlestick with seven branches, then we have the lamb
that was slain. Let us see if we can find anything else. In chapter 6:5
we read,
“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 which
they held.”
So here we see that there is an altar in heaven. Then as we go to chapter 8:3,4 we read,
“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer.
And there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with
the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the
throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.”
Why it is that in the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible,
the book that talks about the end of time, the messages are given to us
in the imagery of the sanctuary? Why the sanctuary? What is there about
the sanctuary that is to be fulfilled in the end of time? Some would
have us believe that it was all done at Calvary. That’s what the other
churches say. That’s what the other one thousand nine hundred and ninety
nine groups say; “it was all done at Calvary.” They say that when
Christ died on Calvary, everything in the sanctuary came to an end. They
say the veil was ripped in two from top to bottom showing that God had
nothing more to do in the sanctuary. But strangely, in the last book of
the Bible, which deals with the end of time, over and over again we find
the sanctuary coming up.
Revelation 11:19 says, “And the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” The ark of
the testament was located in the holiest place of the sanctuary.
Whatever is happening in Revelation is happening in the heavenly
sanctuary. It is happening in the setting of one of the feasts of
Israel.
Now let us think carefully. At this time when John received this
vision the Passover was long gone, the Wave sheaf was gone, the day of
Pentecost was gone, the feast of Tabernacles had not yet taken place.
What other feast was there that was not yet fulfilled? The only other
event, which was based on, the sanctuary services and not yet fulfilled
at the time when Revelation was written, was the Day of Atonement.
Let us not miss the significance of this. Many do not feel that the
service of the Day of Atonement represented an important end-time event,
but strangely, the last book in the Bible is all about it. The last
message that God has recorded in the Bible for mankind is set in the
context of this Day of Atonement!
THE BOOK OF SEVEN SEALS
The importance of this event is emphasized as we read through Revelation chapter 5. In verse 1 John says,
“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.”
What kind of information do we usually find in books? Usually a book
will contain some kind of history (whether future or past) or it might
contain instructions. It seems obvious that the contents of this book
are either instructions concerning things, which God’s people are to do,
or else they relate to some history, whether future or past.
The popular opinion is that as each of these seals is opened, there
will be some future corresponding event affecting the earth. In other
words, the opening of the seals of the little book will initiate some
disaster upon this planet. Others feel that the book is simply a
revelation of the history of the Christian Church from the time of
Christ until the end of time. However, the first suggestion is totally
wrong, while the second idea is only partially correct.
When we compare Revelation chapters 4 and 5 with Daniel chapter
7:9,10, we recognize that this scene is the same as that which Daniel
saw when he declared, “The judgment was set and the books were opened
(Daniel 7:10)” This makes it clear that this is the book of judgment and
as such, it must contain history, in the form of accurate records of
the life history of each human being. This book is closed; in fact it is
sealed with seven seals.
In the entire universe, the only being who is capable of opening this
book is the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ (Rev. 6:6,7). Please remember that
all of this is happening in the sanctuary. The interesting thing is
that as soon as Jesus steps up to the Father and takes the book out of
His hand something extraordinary and tremendous takes place:
“And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the
throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands . . . . And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I
saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the
four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and
worshipped him that liveth forever and ever.”(Rev. 5:11,13)
When the Lamb takes the book every creature in the universe bursts out
praising God and the Lamb. What does this book contain? What is this
event, which is so important that when it takes place every creature in
the universe bursts out in praise to God? Whatever it is, the only
people in the world who have half a clue of what is going on here are
those who belong to the Advent movement.
We should not look at these events in isolation. All of these events
are related and in fact are dependent on each other. Before tying them
together let us look at one other crucial event, which helps us to not
only understands, but to clearly identify what each of these events
mean.
“And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer;
and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with
the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the
throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” (Rev. 8:3)
In the system of worship based on the Old Testament sanctuary service,
there was only one day on which much incense was offered. This was the
Day of Atonement. How is it possible that the vast majority of
Christians in the world (according to my correspondent, 1999
denominations) denies totally that the Day of Atonement had any
application to the end-time, and condemns Adventism for suggesting such a
thing? It is evident that as we approach the study of the book of
Revelation, God intends that we should approach it from the perspective
that it is dealing with the antitypical day of atonement which is
described by various names in the Bible including, “the day of the
Lord,” “The great and terrible day of the Lord,” The day of Judgment”
etc.
In Revelation chapter 4 John is taken into heaven and sees all heaven
assembled for this tremendously important event. Included in this event
is the opening of the book of seven seals, which Daniel describes as the
books, which are opened when the judgment begins. While this is
happening in heaven what is happening on earth? There is a group of
people who are washing their robes and making them white in the blood of
the Lamb (Rev. 7:13). These people have come out of “Great Tribulation
(the great tribulation according to the Greek).” What event is there on
the Day of Atonement corresponding to this? The parallel was the
instruction given to the Hebrews that, “Upon that day you shall afflict
your souls (Lev. 16:29,31).”
Let us think about this. What is it that makes these people white?
What is it that makes them clean? What is it that brings them into such a
condition that they are enabled to cooperate with God in washing their
robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb? It is the
affliction that they pass through. This is what the Day of Atonement was
trying to teach them. On that day when the priest was in the sanctuary
making an atonement the people on the outside had to be afflicting their
souls so that they could be in harmony with what the priest was doing
inside.
In reality Jesus is doing something in heaven that is to have an
effect upon our lives on earth but how will He do it? He is going to
take us through Great Tribulation. In the purification of character,
there is no purging without fire. Christ is the One who is responsible
for purging and purifying His people, but He is not doing it without our
involvement. The fact that I have to suffer blood, sweat and tears does
not mean that I am the one who is doing the purifying. It simply means
that Jesus is not leaving me out of the process. I don’t need to worry
about the fact that I am going to suffer; I don’t need to worry about
the fact that I go through hard trials. The One who is taking me through
is able to see me through to the end and if I trust in Him I will make
it. I do not need to worry about the fact that the process is going to
be hard. The question is, who is my guide? Who is it that is responsible
for taking me through the process? So on the great Day of Atonement,
the day of the Lord, Jesus takes His people through the affliction of
great tribulation and uses this as a means of purifying and perfecting
their characters.
The Investigative Judgment
“When the Lamb opened one of the
seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four
beasts saying, Come and see.” (Rev. 6:1)
Who is being instructed to “come and see?” It might have been John,
but in the context of chapters 4-6 of Revelation, it is more probable
that it is an invitation to the assembled multitudes of heaven to
examine the contents of the seals. Once again, let us remember what the
setting was. All the inhabitants of heaven are assembled for some highly
significant event. God is there, Jesus is there, all the angels are
there, the 24 elders are there, all assembled for this event. Then John
is invited to “come up hither,” to be given a view of this event. What
is the event? Obviously, it is the opening of the books.
What we need to recognize and to remember is that John is viewing an
event, which is taking place in heaven sometime after the apostolic
period. To clarify the point, the voice that John heard at the beginning
was really saying to him, “come up hither and I will shew thee things
which must be hereafter in heaven.” What he was called upon to witness
was a heavenly event. He was not called up to heaven, as is commonly
believed, to get a view of events to take place on earth. What he saw in
heaven was the actual scene of the end-time Day of Atonement which
included the pre-advent investigative judgment, when the books (the book
of the seven seals) were opened. The events, which took place as each
seal was opened, were representations of the evidence which was
revealed, and subsequently examined by the heavenly court as the
judgment progressed, moving from events of the past to events of the
present and the future.
The opening of seal number five is of particular interest. Revelation 6:9-10 says,
“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 which
they held, and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them;
and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little
season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should
be killed as they were, should be fulfilled”
Which altar is this? It is the golden altar of incense in heaven.
There can be no question then that the events of this seal take place
entirely in heaven. Now we know that dead people cannot talk, yet
something about the lives of these dead people demand justice. When they
are examined their cases demand vengeance because their cases have
apparently been pending for a long time. But what happens in this event?
They are given white robes! Sometime in heaven, near the end of time
when books are opened, dead people are given white robes.
These are the plain facts of the matter. What does this mean? How can a
white robe be given to a dead person? Normally, we take a white robe to
represent the righteousness of Christ. The problem is that, as all
Christians agree, the robe of Christ’s righteousness is imputed to each
Christian at the moment of conversion, and not after they are dead. In
fact, in the normal interpretation of the “white robe,” it is impossible
for a dead person to receive this white robe, since there is no
repentance in the grave. Those that go down into the pit cannot hope for
the truth (Isa. 38:18).
So what is the meaning of this event? We find meaning in it only as we
accept the Adventist doctrine of the Investigative Judgment. Clearly,
what we are seeing is that as the lives of these persons are examined,
the record demonstrates that they were truly followers of Christ. Though
they died accused as criminals and enemies of society, here in the
Investigative Judgment they are proven to have been genuine Christians
and their names are cleared. It is shown that they were man and women of
pure and righteous characters. Their lives are examined in the
judgment, and in this time of the atonement they are given white robes.
Finally, let us look at Revelation 3:10 where it says,
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth.”
God is permitting something to come, to make us or to break us. Many
of us like Mrs. Lot will find ourselves unable to face this hour of
temptation. The same choices will come upon us with striking force as
came upon her, where we have to choose between the things that make life
so comfortable and so easy, or going with God on a road that seems
terribly uncomfortable, dangerous and uncertain.
We are going to have the same choices. This is what Jesus is saying
when He speaks of the hour of temptation that shall come to test those
who dwell upon the earth.
The crisis will confirm us, either for Him, or against Him. It is
coming, and our work is to tell the world, and to awaken to the reality
that we must be ready for what is coming. “Prepare to meet thy God,” in
every sense of the word. if we compromise with sin now and make it a
small matter to trifle with God and to trifle with the appeals of the
Holy Spirit, our actions will become habits, our habits will become our
lifestyle and our lifestyle will become our destiny.
Ellen White and the Comforter
By Martin Bledsoe
The writings of Ellen White, who
was one of the founding members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, are
the most influential words {outside of the Bible} used in establishing
the doctrines of the church. Many have attempted to misconstrue these
writings in an attempt to prove false theories and to bring false
doctrines into the Adventist Church. No greater attempt was made than
that which ensued soon after her death when a few powerful men, gathered
together several of her statements out of their context and began to
preach the Trinity doctrine. The demand was soon sounded, “Accept the
Trinity or reject Sister White as a messenger of God”. Many of these
theologians accused Sister White of being a ‘closet Trinitarian’, others
have suggested that she was at first an Arian, then in her latter years
accepted the Trinity.
History clearly testifies that the Seventh Day Adventist Church was
established upon a non-Trinitarian statement of faith, and every pioneer
of the church held to this view. I have put together a small booklet
that looks at the beliefs of the Pioneers, and documents the change the
church made after the death of Ellen White concerning the Godhead, it is
called “The Landmarks Abandoned” and is available upon request.
Those who suggest that Sister White was a Trinitarian expect us to
believe that she joined a church, in fact helped form a church that
believed blasphemous errors concerning God, for if the Trinity was or is
truth then, the SDA church surely blasphemed when they preached the
Trinity doctrine was “1. …contrary to common sense. 2. It is contrary to
Scripture. 3. It’s origin is Pagan and fabulous. Review and Herald,
XVIII (November 5, 1861), 184
James White the husband of Ellen, stated that the Trinity was one of
the “unscriptural errors” of Rome, a part of the “Mystery of Iniquity”
(James White, February 7, 1856, Review & Herald, vol. 7, no. 19,
page 148, par. 26). Why would a prophet of God not rebuke her own
husband for speaking evil of her precious Trinity, in an attempt to save
his soul? Why did not Ellen White meet the errors of the pioneers’
head-on like she did every other error that crept into the church during
her lifetime? If the Trinity doctrine is true then Ellen White did not
possess the prophetic gift and the SDA church was truly Babylon for the
first one hundred years of its existence. But I find a more faithful
answer when studying the evidence at hand. Simply put, the answer is,
She was in full agreement with the Pioneers, and they were all united
against the Trinity doctrine.
“The leading points of our faith as we hold them today were firmly
established. Point after point was clearly defined, and all the brethren
came into harmony. The whole company of believers were united in the
truth. There were those who came in with strange doctrines, but we were
never afraid to meet them. Our experience was wonderfully established by
the revelation of the Holy Spirit”.-MS 135, 1903. (Ellen G. White, The
Early Years Volume 1 – 1827-1862, page 145)
It seems that because Ellen White spoke of a ‘trio’ on occasions, and
sometimes three persons of the Godhead, that some have taken this to
mean that she believed in a Trinity. The fact is that Ellen White was
always very careful never to use the term Trinity. She believed that the
One True GOD was the Father, and that Jesus Christ was his only
begotten Son, divine by nature; that these were the only beings to be
exalted. The following quotes will prove this point.
“In order that the human family might have no excuse because of
temptation, Christ became one with them. The only being who was one with
God lived the law in humanity, descended to the lowly life of a common
laborer, and toiled at the carpenter’s bench with his earthly parent”.
(Signs of the Times, Oct. 14, 1897)
“Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none
but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His
purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of
His will.” PP – 36
“Christ the Word, the Only Begotten of God, was one with the eternal
Father,- one in nature, in character, and in purpose, – the only being
in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes
of God.” GC – 493
(These teachings are verified by the following Bible verse: Zec 6:12-13
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying,
Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his
place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build
the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and
rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the
counsel of peace shall be between them both (both means ‘two’).
“In the controversy between Christ and Satan, the character of God was
now fully vindicated in his act of banishing from Heaven the fallen
angel, who had once been exalted next to Christ.” (Spirit of Prophecy,
Vol. 3, p. 184)
“He [Satan] was next to Christ in exaltation and character.” (R&H, Oct. 22, 1895)
Clearly Sister White is teaching that GOD and Christ are the only TWO
divine beings, in fact she clearly declares Lucifer to have been third
in the heavenly rank. This is blatantly contrary to the Trinity, for it
holds that there is only ONE DIVINE BEING, which exists in three parts
(Father, Son, Holy Spirit). These statements are also contrary to the
current SDA doctrines, for they teach that the Holy Spirit is a BEING
just like the Father and Son. They also hold to an independent Christ,
whom did the Father not beget, but whose sonship is only a role. This is
also contrary to Ellen White as we can see from the above statements
and is also contrary to the Trinitarian doctrine, which holds to the
eternal generation of the son from the Father. Thus if the holy Spirit
is not a separate being, then what would it be? We will answer this in a
moment.
Many modern Adventist scholars quote the following statement from
Ellen White as proof of the Trinity. “There are three living
personalities of the heavenly trio” (Special Testimonies, Series B,
No.7, pg 63 original handwritten manuscript.) Though in every other
place this statement is misquoted as “three living persons”. The modern
Adventist Church would have us believe on the basis of this statement
that Sister White believed in three co-equal, co-eternal beings, but we
have already established that she did not believe the holy Spirit to be a
being separate from the Father and Son. So if there are only Two Divine
beings, how can there be three personalities? Ellen White’s son Willie
answered this question in this manner. “My perplexities were lessened a
little when I learned from the dictionary that one of the meanings of
personality was characteristics. It is stated in such a way that I
concluded that there might be personality without a bodily form, which
is possessed by the Father and Son. (Letter of W.C. White to H.W.Carr,
April 30, 1935).
A simple study of the writings of Ellen White reveals that she held to
the same belief asall the other pioneers concerning the holy Spirit.
The following quote from Uriah Smith sets forth the common belief of the
Advent Church. “But respecting this Spirit, the Bible uses expressions
which cannot be harmonized with the idea that it is a person like the
Father and the Son. Rather it is shown to be a divine influence from
them both, the medium which represents their presence and by which they
have knowledge and power through all the universe, when not personally
present”. Uriah Smith, “In the Question Chair,” Review and Herald, LXVII
(October 28, 1890), 664.
Thus the Church held that God and Christ are personally present in
Heaven, yet their presence is in the entire world, even in the very
hearts of the believer through the Spirit. With this we see three
personal attributes of the Godhead, the visible presence of God and
Christ in heaven, and their invisible spiritual presence here on earth.
This is confirmed in the writings of Ellen White.
“What saith our Saviour? “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come
to you.” “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will
love him and will manifest myself to him” When trials overshadow the
soul, remember the words of Christ, remember that He is an unseen
presence in the person of the Holy Spirit, and He will be the peace and
comfort given you, manifesting to you that He is with you, the Sun of
Righteousness, chasing away your darkness. “If a man love me,” Christ
said, “he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him” Be of good cheer; light will
come, and your soul will rejoice greatly in the Lord”.-Letter 124, 1897
(Daughters of God p.185).
The above quote clearly tells us to remember that the “person of the
holy Spirit” is the “unseen presence” of Christ with Bible quotes to
prove that the Spirit is Christ manifesting himself to his disciples in
an unseen way. In the following quote Ellen reaffirms this fact, and
helps us to understand a little more about her use of the word
‘personality’.
“Cumbered with humanity Christ could not be in every place personally,
therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave
them to go to His Father and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on
earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself, divested of the personality of
humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present
in all places by His Holy Spirit.” Manuscript Release #1084
Here we see that the holy Spirit is the invisible omnipresence of
Christ, it is Jesus “divested of humanity and independent thereof”. It
is Christ’s personal presence without the ‘personality of humanity’. Let
us not forget as we look at the holy Spirit that it originates with the
Father. Ultimately it is the Spirit of the Father, and both the Father
and Son are present with us through its influence.
Jesus answered and said unto him, if a man loves me, he will keep my
words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him. – John 14:23
“It is His purpose that the highest influence in the universe, emanating
from the source of all power, shall be theirs. They are to have power
to resist evil, power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can
master, power that will enable them to overcome as Christ overcame.” DA –
679
“Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at
His baptism, and they were solicitous to be the bearers of the message
from the Father to His Son. But, no! Direct from the Father issues the
light of His glory. The heavens were opened and beams of glory rested
upon the Son of God and assumed the form of a dove, in appearance like
burnished gold. That I May Know Him- 31
The Father has given the Son his Spirit without measure and has glorified him with it.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal Luke 4:18
John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Thus by the holy Spirit, Christ is now present in all the earth.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne… stood a Lamb as it
had been slain, having…seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God
sent forth into all the earth. – Revelation 5:6
It is this great truth that Satan has hid from the Christian world,
and in so doing has replaced Christ with a false ‘Comforter’.
“The reason why the churches are weak and sickly and ready to die is
that the enemy has brought influences of a discouraging nature to bear
upon trembling souls. He has sought to shut Jesus from their view as the
Comforter, as one who reproves, who warns, who admonishes them, saying,
“This is the way, walk ye in it.” Christ has all power in heaven and in
earth, and he can strengthen the wavering, and set right the erring. He
can inspire with confidence, with hope in God; and confidence in God
always results in creating confidence in one another”. (R& H, August
26, 1890)
“The work of the Holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this
source that power and efficiency come to the worker for God; and the
holy Spirit is the Comforter, as the personal presence of Christ to the
soul.” (HM, Nov 1 1893)
The term Comforter in the Greek is “parakletos”. It means an
intercessor or an advocate. The Bible teaches us that there is only one
intercessor or mediator between God and man, and that is Christ Jesus (1
Timothy 2:5). It also declares Christ to be our only Advocate with the
Father. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous” 1 John 2:1. Here the term Advocate is the same Greek word
that was translated ‘Comforter’ earlier (parakletos). Thus the
Comforter, our Advocate, and our Mediator is no other than Jesus
Christ.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” 2 Corinthians 3:17.
If we believe the ‘Spirit’ is a third being other than God and His
Son, and we look to ‘him’ to be our Comforter, then we believe in a
false god and we are truly without help. No wonder the church is so
sick, or even dead today. Some use the following verse to teach that
God’s blood was shed for our redemption, which is totally unjustified;
the rules of grammar and biblical logic force us to accept the facts
that the holy Spirit is the invisible presence of Christ, the one who
purchased the Church of God.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock,
over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to
take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and
hast redeemed (purchased) us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation;
1Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
(purchased) with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Today the Seventh Day Adventist Church professes to be Trinitarian,
but they are really tritheists (believers in three gods – See Gordon
Jensen’s and Spangler’s quotes below). Then they misapply statements of
Ellen White to fit these ungodly doctrines, while classifying the
Pioneers of the church as “In error” and “Arians”.
The only truthful conclusion is that:
#1. Ellen White was decidedly non-Trinitarian, especially with her
clear statements that God and Christ are two separate beings. We must
also admit that Ellen White did not see the holy Spirit as a ‘being’
separate from the Father and Son, but rather the invisible presence of
them both. Thus, if the Trinity is true, then Ellen White was a false
prophet.
#2. If the pioneers were Arians, then there is no link between the
Modern Church and the one that came out of the great disappointment.
Thus if the Trinity is true then the SDA church is not the remnant, and
if the Trinity is not truth, then the SDA Church of today is a part of
Babylon.
George Knight, Andrews University Seminary professor made the
following statement in Ministry, the official Seventh-day Adventist
journal for ministers:
“Most of the founders of Seventh-day Adventism would not be able to join
the church today if they had to subscribe to the denomination’s
Fundamental Beliefs. More specifically, most would not be able to agree
to belief number 2, which deals with the doctrine of the Trinity.” –
Ministry, October 1993, p. 10.
Gordon Jensen wrote:
“A plan of salvation was encompassed in the covenant made by the Three
Persons of the Godhead, who possessed the attributes of Deity equally.
In order to eradicate sin and rebellion from the universe and to restore
harmony and peace, one of the divine Beings accepted, and entered into,
the role of the Father, another the role of the Son. The remaining
divine Being, the Holy Spirit, was also to participate in effecting the
plan of salvation. All of this took place before sin and rebellion
transpired in heaven. By accepting the roles that the plan entailed, the
divine Beings lost none of the powers of Deity. With regard to their
eternal existence and other attributes, they were one and equal. But
with regard to the plan of salvation, there was, in a sense, a
submission on the part of the Son to the Father.” Adventist Review,
October 31, 1996, p.12 (Week of Prayer readings)
J. R. Spangler stated:
To me this signifies the interchangeableness of the members of the
Godhead since they are on in action and purpose.” – Review & Herald,
Oct. 21, 1971
The Mystery Demystified
A new booklet of 70 pages dealing with the subject of God. Mostly a compilation from edited articles previously published in Open Face Newsletter. A simple biblical examination of the subject of God.
Supplies Limited. Order from Restoration Ministries
What Did Arius Believe?
Brother Wilbur Hargreaves has objected quite strongly to the suggestion that Arius believed that Christ was a created being, as implied in the article by brother Lloyd Martin entitled, “The Orthodox Trinity and Adventism, published in the April 2002 issue of Open Face. We have published his objection here, and also included a short response.
In the issue of “Open Face” with the
lead article on “The Orthodox Trinity and Adventism,” Brother Lloyd
Martin strongly advocates to your readers that Arius taught that Christ
was “created,” and that he was created “from nothing.” I don’t know
where Br. Martin gets his information. If it was from the historian
Philip Schaff, it is my understanding that Philip Schaff was a Roman
Catholic historian, and therefore set forth historical data in a biased
way to justify his religion. Many years ago now, I read a book
(published in the 1800s I believe) called “Arius the Libyan,” by Nathan
Kuhn. This book very graphically sets forth the proceedings of the
Nicean Council and of Constantine’s demands that Arius answer charges
that the youthful Athanasius was bringing against him on behalf of
Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria. He (Arius) was being charged of the
very thing Br. Martin asserts in his article. But in this book Arius
strongly denies this false charge brought against him by Athanasius,and
eloquently states the truth that he had ever believed and taught that
the Son was “begotten” of the Father. Since you chose to publish Br.
Martin’s article under your editorship, it is to be readily believed
that you are in full agreement with him, as there is set forth no
disclaimer on your part. Please share my letter with Br. Martin. I
believe the Roman Catholic Church has grossly maligned Arius down
through the ages in a supreme effort to destroy his testimony and
influence. Br. Martin also strongly denies that the SDA’s were “Arian”
in belief, and they of course could not be, in the “Romanized” version
of arianism. I believe Arius was the last defender of the true faith
before the rise of the Papacy. What other conclusion can one come to in
view of the fact that Constantine issued a decree that all Arius’
writings be “consigned to the flames,” and that “anyone being detected
in concealing a book compiled by Arius and not instantly bring it
forward and burn it, the penalty for this offence shall be death.” You
can verify this decree in “Fathers of the Catholic Church” by E.J.
Waggoner, last chapter, “The Great Apostasy,” p.344. Why would
Constantine vent such hatred toward Arius’ writings if they were not
stating the truth?
By publishing this article in “Open Face” are you brethren siding
with Constantine, the Great, the amalgamator of church and state? Are
you voting for Roman Catholicism under the banner of Historical
Adventism? This is confusion compounded! I challenge both of you to dig
deeper into ancient history and find the true facts! Why else is this
book, Arius the Libyan as “rare as hen’s teeth”? And so very, very
difficult to find? A dear, close friend of mine loaned me his copy 30
years ago, which had been given to him by an Adventist centenarian. But
the vengeful decree by Constantine against Arius and his writings, and
against anyone concealing them, to the point of a death sentence, should
be evidence enough to the honest in heart. Constantine was no friend of
the truth! He used the back-slidden church in apostasy to further his
own political ambitions of self-aggrandizement and expediency. He was
uniting an apostasizing church with the empire, which in turn paved the
way for that most marvelous invention of anti-Christian genius – the
Papacy.
I believe once you find the truth about Arius, True Arianism and true
Roman Catholicism, you will owe your readers an apology and a true
confession of faith, the faith once delivered to the saints by Jesus and
His apostles.
Sincerely, Wilbur Hargreaves.
A Quick Response
I wonder just how critical it is
to know exactly what Arius believed. I do not have the evidence, which
you presented in your letter. I do not have a copy of the book, “Arius
the Libyan,” and as you said, it is obviously a very rare book. Our main
purpose is not to justify Arius. This is the work of the historian.
What we are intent on doing is defending the truth of the Bible. If this
is what Arius believed then we are Arians, but you see, the words,
which we use, are only as meaningful as the concepts, which people have
in mind when they hear them. If I say I am an Arian, what will people
understand me to mean? Would this affect the way people react to the
doctrine, which I believe? To the world, today, an Arian is a person who
believes in a created Christ. In order for the word to take on a
different meaning, the whole world would have to be reeducated.
While I was in Europe I discovered that, generally speaking, the
people there regard a cult as a good thing, while a sect is regarded as a
bad thing. What I had to do was to adjust my terminology to suit the
understanding of the people. It did not make sense to set about
reeducating the whole population everywhere I went. I simply adjusted my
vocabulary.
Maybe, already Arius has received his white robe in the judgment, if
he truly was a faithful follower of Christ, but the world will never
regard him as such. You and I may, but at the same time, we have to
speak to people using terms according to their understanding, or else
our message will be confusing to them.
Editor
Open Face is published bi-monthly and is sent free to all who desire to receive it.
David Clayton: Editor and Publisher
P. O. Box 23 Knockpatrick
Manchester, Jamaica W.I.
Phone: (876) 904-7392
email: david@restorationministry.com
