Seventh-Day Adventism
Paul Wilson
Table of Contents
Seventh-Day Adventism
In our October issue we partially reviewed, and took sharp exception to, Our Hope magazine's acceptance of Seventh-day Adventism's claim to evangelical orthodoxy. We pointed out the inconsistency of the Adventist claim of supporting the truth of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ while at the same time defending false doctrines, which when examined are found to be at variance with the essentials of deity. This may be illustrated by supposing the case of an engineer who claims to follow all orthodox procedure in designing bridges, but when his plans are examined they are found to contain the fundamental weakness that the foundation will not support the structure.
This month we purpose to look briefly into the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine relating to the finished work of the atonement wrought by the Lord Jesus. False doctrines invariably attack either His Person or His work, and not infrequently, both.
First, "What saith the Scripture" on this all-important subject? In John 17, where the Lord Jesus takes His place as beyond the cross, as evidenced by these words, "I am no more in the world,... and I come to Thee" (v. 11), He addresses God and says: "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH THOU GAVEST ME TO DO." V. 4. God was glorified in His Son about the whole question of sin, and the work was finished. And the Holy Ghost testifies that "by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." "But this man, after He had offered ONE sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God," or, "sat down in perpetuity." Heb. 9:12; 10:12. See J.N.D. Trans.
The Seventh-day Adventists claim to believe in the finished work of the Savior ON THE cross, but their doctrine makes it necessary for Him to go to heaven to finish the work. One of their prominent writers of years ago was bold enough to state, "Christ did not make the atonement when He shed His blood upon the cross." (Looking Unto Jesus, by Uriah Smith, p. 237.) Their error is the result of a false teaching regarding the great day of atonement, in Lev. 16, which makes it necessary for Christ to go into heaven to present His blood before God, and there plead before Him on behalf of sinners. Speaking of the type in Lev. 16, Mrs. White says, "Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner's stead; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary." (The Great Controversy, p. 420, 1950.) Many quotations from their writings could be adduced to show that this is their teaching, but we shall give only one more: "The teaching of both Old and New Testaments is that atonement is not made alone by the shedding of the blood of the sacrifice, BUT rather by the shedding of the atoning blood AND the ministration of the shed blood in behalf of penitent sinners by the priest." Quoted by M. E. Kern from The Atoning Work of Christ.
If the Lord Jesus had to do one thing to complete the work of atonement after He went into heaven, other than that which He did on the cross, then the work was not finished when He gave up His life as a sacrifice for sin. The resurrection was the positive proof that the work was done; He "was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father." Rom. 6:4. The whole work of expiation was done, and that forever, on the cross. God was completely glorified about the question of sin, and He was declared righteous in saving every believing sinner. See Rom. 3:25, 26. Jesus never has had to take up the sin question since, and He never will again (see Heb. 9:28).
But Seventh-day Adventists stand by Mrs. White's statement that "in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary."
Thus we see that according to these false teachers the sins were not gone when Christ arose, but that He then bore them into the heavenly sanctuary. Could anything be more foreign to the truth of God? Did not the Lord Jesus make purgation for sins, and then take His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3)? Certainly He did not bring sins up from the tomb and take them to heaven. Speaking reverently—if He, blessed be His name, had one single sin upon Him, He could not have entered heaven. Did not God show His displeasure and holy judgment of sin when He forsook that blessed One in the only time in all history or eternity that He had sins upon Him—the three hours of darkness on the cross? We say unequivocally that if Seventh-day Adventism be true, then the work of Christ was not complete on the cross, and vice versa.
This brings us to another error of Seventh-day Adventism; namely, that there is in heaven a separation between the place of the presence of God (the holy of holies) and an outer sphere (the holy place) as there was in the tabernacle and temple of old.
This is carrying over Judaism with its legal bondage and distance into the heavenly scene. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, was not the veil, which then hung in the temple dividing the holy of holies from the holy place, rent in two from the top to the bottom? As soon as the work of atonement was COMPLETE, God hastened (as it were) to show that the way was now cleared for Him to come out in mercy to man, and for man to approach to Him. There is no veil now, and not one scripture can be produced to prove that such exists in heaven; but Seventh-day Adventism, which cannot lead souls into the knowledge of acceptance before God in the holiest, would gladly put up the veil again. It is typical of their whole system.
Based on this false premise and other grave doctrinal errors, they claim that the Lord Jesus did not go at once into God's immediate presence, and that in spite of these scriptures:
"Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high";
"Within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus";
"The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the HOLIEST OF ALL was not yet
made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:... but Christ being come,... by His own blood He entered in once into the [holy of] HOLIES [see J.N.D. Trans.; R.V.; A.R.V.], having
obtained eternal redemption for us";
"But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God";
"Jesus... who... is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Could Scripture be plainer than that Jesus, the Son of God, after finishing the work of expiation on the cross, entered the very presence of God and sat down on His right hand—in the holy of holies? But they resort to sophistry to get around the plain simple fact. Milton E. Kern, in his book of 1945, says, "In current phraseology we do not limit the expression 'on the throne' to refer to a particular seat or room. At his coronation the king of England is literally there, seated on a throne, which may be viewed in Westminster Abbey. Though there may be a special place, known as the throne room, the ruler may be any where and yet rightfully said to be 'on the throne.' " p. 34. This is an obvious subterfuge.
Not only did "Jesus the Son of God," go at once into the holy of holies, into the very presence of God, but the believer in the finished work of Christ is exhorted to draw near also into "the holiest by the blood of Jesus." Heb. 10:19. This, intelligent believers do by faith, while the Son is there bodily.
Another scripture which will show the folly of their error is found in Heb. 4:14: "Seeing then that we have such a great high priest, that Jesus the Son of God." (See R.V.; A.R.V.; J.N.D. Trans.; and others.) Not merely did He go into heaven, but through the heavens; that is, through the first and second and into the "third heaven"—the immediate presence of God. The three heavens were typified in the tabernacle of old; it had its court, its holy place, and its holy of holies. On the great day of atonement the high priest went from the brazen altar at the gate through the court, through the holy place, and into the holy of holies where was God's dwelling place among the people. Now in the antitype, Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through all spheres into the HOLIEST OF ALL.
Let us yet look at the book of Revelation which these false teachers say proves their point that there is the veil in heaven; in chapter 8:3 (see also 1:4) the golden altar, or altar of incense, is seen "before the throne." Now if there had been a veil as in the tabernacle of old, the golden altar would not have been before the throne, for the veil would have separated between the throne and the altar. Only by the absence of the veil could the golden altar be said to be "before the throne." But need we multiply scriptures? one is sufficient for the subject mind, and no number of them will convince those whose wills are opposed.
Seventh-day Adventists would also have the Lord Jesus working as a "mediator" for sins in the heavenly sanctuary, but the Word of God is plain that He sat down. His work is finished. There was no place in the old system for a priest to sit down, for his work was never done, "But this man... sat down on the right hand of God." A "mediator" is for sinners, but priesthood, properly speaking, is for those in relationship with God.
This "systematized error" (Eph. 4:14; J.N.D. Trans.) says that the Lord Jesus finally, in October 1844, went into the holiest to finish the work of atonement. (This date is arrived at by a most pitiable application of the prophecy of Dan. 8 regarding the earthly sanctuary being defiled during the days of the Maccabees.) For more than 1800 years He had been at work cleansing the heavenly sanctuary-preposterous delusion!
Since 1844, according to this heterodoxy, the Lord Jesus is in the holiest investigating the sins of both the living and the dead, which they call an "investigative judgment." Mrs. White says: "... in 1844. Attended by the heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God [when Paul wrote, he said that He was there "now"] to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment and TO MAKE AN ATONEMENT for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits." (The Great Controversy, p. 480.)
Mrs. White says, and according to the Seventh-day Adventist cult she is God's messenger whom we are to hear, "The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: 'The judgment was set, and the books were opened.' The revelator, describing the same scene, adds: 'Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.' Rev. 20:12." (ibid, p. 480.) (The scenes described by Daniel and the Revelation are not the same, nor are they taking place now, nor are either of them enacted in heaven.) The psalmist said, "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." Psalm 143:2. David knew better than to want to stand in the judgment and be judged according to his works, for no man will stand there and be justified. Condemnation is the only answer for one who faces the bar of God on the basis of his works. How good for the true Christian to know that for him the judgment is passed, for it was borne by his Say four, and he shall NEVER come into judgment (see John 5:24, R.V.; A.R.V.; J.N.D. Trans., and others). His works will pass in review and he will receive a reward or suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:15), but he shall not come into judgment, Seventh-day Adventist's artful twisting of the Scriptures notwithstanding. When the believer's works are reviewed he will be in heaven in a body of glory, with and like Christ. It is utter folly to speak of his being tried then to see if he has a right to be there.
And by what will Mrs. White's "investigative judgment" be measured? by the law, of course: "The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment." According to this, the great test of their characters and lives below will be whether they obeyed the law, not whether they accepted the Savior. And what will be the outcome? Mrs. White says: "Those who in the judgment are 'accounted worthy' will have a part in the resurrection of the just.... As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God.
... Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected [of those who have believed on Jesus, mind you]. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life [of true believers, that is], and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance." (ibid, pp. 482, 483.)
Let Seventh-day Adventists claim, and Our Hope and others concur, that their teachings are sound regarding the work of Christ and the believer's salvation, it simply is not so. Listen further to the voice of their authority: "All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven [sounds good so far, but see]; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ [a statement which is incorrect and not found once in Scripture], AND THEIR CHARACTERS ARE FOUND TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE LAW OF GOD, their sins will be blotted out [notice that not until then will their sins be blotted out], and they themselves accounted worthy of eternal life." Reader, can anything be clearer than that this is a religion based on works and character, with only the hope that the believer's sins MAY be blotted out, and they themselves MAY eventually be accounted worthy of eternal life?
Let us notice a few more quotations on this point: "The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated." (ibid, p. 485.)"All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged 'out of those things which are written in the books, according to their works.' " (ibid, p. 486.) This is contrary to the truth and is folly on the face of it. Only of the wicked dead is it said that they will be "judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works," and this is to take place before the great white throne. Rev. 20 makes it quite clear that this scene will be enacted more than 1000 years after the coming of the Lord for His own. How then can it have a bearing on their so-called "investigative judgment" which is to determine the fate of believers now? But their whole system is one of confusion.
Another nearby quotation is informative about their doctrine: "Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn." (ibid, pp. 486, 487.) This is not the gospel which Paul preached; it is "another gospel: which is not another," for it is a corruption which falsifies grace so that "grace is no more grace." Paul not only condemns it, but also those who preach it: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:6-8. A curse is pronounced upon any who pervert the pure gospel of Christ. Never did Paul preach Christ AND anything else for salvation; never did he allow anything to be mixed with the atoning sacrifice of Christ as a means of salvation. After a thorough perusal of Seventh-day Adventist's literature, we say emphatically, Seventh-day Adventism is the Galatian heresy against which Paul wrote so devastatingly. It is a religion of works if "our acts and words" will have weight in determining our destiny, or in justifying or condemning us. It is a gospel that leads either to confidence in self, and hence to perdition, or to despair. No one indoctrinated with their gospel (which is NOT THE GOSPEL) can have peace with God, know true acceptance, or enjoy access into the holiest, for his sins are still a matter of record against him, his case is still undecided, and he must await the so-called "investigative judgment" to see if he will be accounted worthy.
In the October issue we noticed that the Christ of Seventh-day Adventism was not intrinsically holy as a man; He was afraid that He might fail in accomplishing the work of God; He did not see through the tomb in faith of resurrection. And now we see that He did not finish the work of atonement on the cross; that He took our sins back to heaven with Him; and that He is still working to see if believers are to be saved, while He is finishing the work of atonement. There are also other grave errors connected with their teachings of the mortality of the soul, and the annihilation of the wicked and of Satan, and the sleep of the soul while the body is in the grave. But we shall have to continue this examination of their doctrines, and of the so-called evangelicals' granting them a badge of orthodox respectability in another issue.
We have found the examination of Seventh-day Adventism most distressing, and certainly unprofitable, and we have had to seek grace from on high to keep the cover on the vessel (Numb. 19:15) while doing it. The Scripture says, "I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil."
We advise our readers against tampering with evil, although we have felt called upon before God to make this examination for the sake of keeping souls from being ensnared by the evil through the whitewash 'being applied by men of evangelical prominence.
Seventh-Day Adventism
After the copy for this issue had gone to the printer we received information which we feel should be included, for it points up the character of the days in which we live as they lead up to the great apostasy. It also shows the necessity of being forewarned about the great delusion which has been fostered by Drs. D. G. Barnhouse and E. S. English, and Mr. Walter Martin; namely, that the Seventh-day Adventists are sound in the faith and should be treated as dear brethren in Christ. The campaign of these Adventism apologists is bearing its sad and destructive fruit, which is apt to gather momentum as it rolls. The information was this:
The official organ of the Seventh-day Adventists-Review and Herald-announced that their general headquarters had a telephone call from the Salvation Army headquarters in New York requesting "inspirational literature that could be supplied to their 2000 field leaders across the United States." This was answered by a suggestion that the Salvation Army purchase 2000 books of one kind, and then the Seventh-day Adventists would furnish free 2000 copies of Mrs. 'White's book, Steps to Christ. The transaction was completed, and the books were supplied with all possible speed. The Review and Herald expressed the hope that "this literature will bring inspiration and blessing to every one of these Salvation Army leaders."
Thus the leaven of evil continues to spread with the impetus supplied by misguided (if not deceived) leaders. Now the top echelons of the Salvation Army have been supplied with books that teach a part of the strange "message," and the way is open for further indoctrination with the Christ-dishonoring, bondage-producing, soul-enslaving legal system which denies the existence of the soul and spirit of the departed, and rejects with scorn the eternal punishment of the damned. A great step has been taken which may result in the Salvation Army's becoming a recruiting agent for Adventism deception.
In previous numbers we have taken issue with Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse, Mr. Walter Martin, and Dr. E. Schuyler English for their articles in Eternity, Our Hope, and Christian Life magazines in which they sought to take the Seventh-day Adventists out of the ranks of the cults and to force their reception by sound, orthodox Christians. We pointed out some of the heresies, held by the Adventists, which undermine the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The subjects considered were that the Lord Jesus as a man possessed the nature of man in his fallen estate, that He was liable to sin, that He risked the loss of everything when He thus became a man, that when He arose from the tomb He took our sins back to heaven, that He is at present engaged in an "investigative judgment" to see who are worthy of eternal life, and that when He has finished He will come forth and place the sins of believers on Satan who will be the scapegoat to bear away the sins. We still affirm that these doctrines are held among them and are in the books now being advertised and sold by them, and that they are fundamental errors. They are a part of a system of doctrine which cannot lead souls to deliverance and peace.
As the afore-mentioned heresies are by no means all of the fatal doctrines propounded and tenaciously held by the Seventh-day Adventists, we feel called upon to examine other grave errors. And inasmuch as Dr. E. Schuyler English has said of Mr. Martin's defense of these people that "He is not talking about [Seventh-day Adventism in] the year 1875, or 1900, or 1925, but 1956," we shall be content to refer only to periodicals published by them in 1957, or to books which they have advertised or sold in 1957.
We cannot conceive that the Adventists really wish to have very close relationship with orthodox, evangelical Christians, unless for the purpose of proselytizing; for it is abundantly clear from their current writings that they consider themselves (and themselves only) to be the true "Remnant Church," and to have a special "message" to carry to all the world—a message that is basically different from the plain, simple gospel presented by true, earnest evangelical Christians. Of course they have welcomed the efforts of those who are seeking to remove the stain and stigma of bad doctrine that has followed them from their beginning. Now let us note a few of the many comments in their 1957 periodicals regarding their special "message":
"The borderlands of the Northeast Union are rich with prospects for God's last message"; "One of these insidious leaks is loss of confidence in the message. Ours is a most glorious message, and its truths are very precious"; "For this is God's message and we are His people"; "Seventh-day Adventists are interested in the island [Pitcairn] chiefly because almost all of its 138 inhabitants belong to the remnant church.... Thus thousands of people pass Pitcairn every year and learn something of the great Advent message"; "When the message of the three angels of Revelation [14:6-11.7 took hold of their hearts, many of these Islamic people accepted it, and several whole villages became Seventh-day Adventists"; "That congress filled him with the spirit of our message"; "the spread of our message"; "Songs were sung, attracting more people, then the third angel's message was preached for the first time in this area"; "These young men first heard of our message through the Voice of Prophecy"; "This experience... shows us that there are in every dark county, every city, and every village honest souls who are waiting for God's last saving message"; "The wife of a Hindu doctor accepted the message"; "the truths that make up God's message for this hour"; "giving Bible studies to those not acquainted with the faith of Seventh-day Adventists"; "A promising evangelistic project is found in providing for the fields color sound films on the main points of the Seventh-day Adventist message"; "Seventh-day Adventists have a special message to bear to the world in this generation.... The world needs, most desperately needs, that message."
We could multiply quotations to prove the Adventists feel that theirs is a distinctly different message; but these gathered at random from only a handful of copies of their official organ, the "Review and Herald," should suffice for our purpose. Theirs is different from the message that Paul preached, when he merely pressed repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Then the people "turned to the Lord," and not to some special message. And the same gospel preached by the Apostle Paul is God's only saving message for today.
But let us go to their own publications to find out what we can of their special message, and let us note some of the salient points. We shall first consider what the Adventists call "The Spirit of prophecy." The expression is found only once in the Bible; namely, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19:10. (In this place the meaning is that the Holy Spirit's work will not be confined to the Church and this day, but after the Church has been translated to heaven, He will work in hearts as "the testimony of Jesus.") But this has been appropriated by the Adventists to themselves, and to themselves only, in order to build a doctrine which is used to prove that Mrs. Ellen G. White was endowed with a distinct prophetic gift from God to the remnant church, and that it is connected with their special message. This is not some casual point in their doctrine, as we shall observe, but it may well be called the warp and woof of it. Its threads run through every phase of Adventism, and without it Adventism would fall. Here are some recent quotations regarding "The Spirit of prophecy":
One of their most prominent leaders, Carlyle B. Haynes, in an article entitled: "The Spirit of Prophecy-Should It Be Presented in Our Evangelistic Meetings?" says: "It had been a conviction with me for some time that the presentation of the message was incomplete without a comprehensive setting forth of the Bible teaching concerning the Spirit of prophecy-. I had observed over the years that converts to the faith who became firmly grounded in the clear teaching of Scripture about this ancient and important gift, became church members of the strongest kind. These were the ones who were the most firmly established and least likely to drift away from the message.... I followed the custom of preaching three times on 'The Gift of Prophecy.' " Mr. Haynes then told of a woman whose face glowed with interest and satisfaction when she listened to the story of "the restoration of the gift of prophecy to God's remnant church."—Review and Herald, July 18, 1957.
Eph. 4:8-13 is used by Seventh-day Adventist writers to bolster their contention that Mrs. White possessed a special gift of prophecy. In these verses the Spirit of God says that the ascended Christ gave gifts to His Church—"apostles... PROPHETS... evangelists... pastors and teachers." But in Eph. 2:20 we read that the Church was built on the FOUNDATION of the "apostles and prophets"; that is, New Testament prophets. (Judas and Silas are mentioned as being prophets in Acts 15:32.) The apostles and prophets did not remain after the establishment of the Church; they were the foundation, and the upper structure of a building is not the foundation. Therefore it is evident that these two gifts—apostles and prophets—ceased to exist after the Church's founding; but the "evangelists... pastors and teachers" remained "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." But this is rejected by Mr. Haynes, who says, "As none of these objectives is yet reached, every one of the gifts designed to reach them is still needed. No one can be allowed to depart from the church without their being a real loss.... All these gifts, then, including the gift of prophecy, should still be in the true church of Christ."—Marks of the True Church, pp. 24, 25. Will Mr. Haynes, who contends that the gift of prophecy was continued in Mrs. White, also contend that the Adventists have apostles? (The Mormons have twelve apostles.)
In a pamphlet, "The Testimony of Jesus—The Spirit of Prophecy" by another prominent leader, W. E. Read, purchased from an Adventist book room in 1957, we read: "Through the years they [the Adventist people] have believed and taught, and still believe and teach, that this gift has been exercised among them in the life and works of Mrs. E. G. White, who for several decades received revelations and visions from the Lord.... For seven decades Mrs. E. G. White... gave messages of counsel and warning, which we believe were just as verily from God as were the messages of the prophets in days of old.... The work of Mrs. White closed in 1915,... but her work still lives.
... Near the close of her life she declared: 'Whether or not my life is spared, my writings will constantly speak, and their work will go forward as long as time shall last.'"
Every issue of the official publication of the Seventh-day Adventists—Review and Herald—has quotations from Mrs. White's writings on almost every page. They are the court of last appeal, and from the highest to the lowest among them they feel it necessary to punctuate their statements by references to Mrs. White's writings. From the pen of the president of the organization we read these words: "From various writings of the messenger of the Lord we read these words of admonition."—R. R. Figuhr. Then the editor of this periodical says: "They lead one to the conclusion that Mrs. White was illumined from heaven when she wrote." - F. D. Nichol. And Mr. Frederick Lee, the associate editor, says, "Ponder this message from the messenger of the Lord," and, "The Spirit of prophecy tells us in clear language." Then there is a statement by one who knew Mrs. White: "She attracted them [children] as did Jesus when
He was here on earth... nor have I ever doubted that she was God's messenger to His last church on earth." And from a recently purchased Adventist pamphlet we read: "The divinely inspired writings of Mrs. Ellen G. White should be in every Seventh-day Adventist home. If carefully studied, they will pilot us safely into the heavenly harbor."—J. K. Jones, President, Southern Union Conference. "Next to the Bible, I regard the writings of the Spirit of prophecy as God's most precious visible gift to His remnant church."—A. V. Olson, General Conference Vice-President for Southern Europe. We could go on and on quoting official references to Mrs. White as God's messenger, but all this strikes us as very similar to the place given to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy by the Christian Scientists. With them it is the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's Science and Health; and our observation of Adventism is that with them it is the Bible and Mrs. White's works.
Now the Adventists' apologist, Mr. Walter Martin, in Our Hope, tells us that this group does not place Mrs. White's writings on the level of Scripture, but if they were "as verily from God as were the messages of the prophets in days of old," they are despising God when they place them on a lower level than the prophets. But, let us see if they do not say otherwise. Listen to these words from K. H. Wood, the assistant editor of Review and Herald: "God wants His children to be happy.... So He has warned and counseled"; and then to prove his point Mr. Wood quotes from Mrs. White to the end that early marriages are not to be encouraged, thus linking God's warning and Mrs. White's counsels together. So this Adventist writer calls Mrs. White's counsel God's warning and counsel, and then concludes by saying, "even among us who have been given inspired warnings." If this be true, it is as binding as Scripture. You cannot belittle testimony that would come with the same authority as the Old Testament prophets, nor warnings that are inspired by God.
Another statement from the same issue of Review and Herald says: "The letting down here and there in the way of life we have been taught in the Word of God and the Spirit of prophecy writings weakens us." Here we have the Word of God and Mrs. White's writings placed side by side. Just how much different is this from combining the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's Science and Health?
The Adventists' apologist, Mr. Martin, contends that so long as the Adventists consider Mrs. White's writings only apply to them, it is not within the realm of objection on our part. In other words, it is of no concern to evangelicals as long as they do not try to bind them with it. Is this correct? No, it is not. If God spoke through Mrs. White, then we too are responsible to hear. It cannot be passed off that lightly. And so the Adventists themselves teach that all are responsible when they hear her message. To assume Mr. Martin's indifferent attitude leaves simple souls in the dark when that message is presented.
It is also contended that Mrs. White did not introduce any of the major teachings of the Adventists; but it cannot be denied that she by her dreams and visions and counsels did establish them, and her word is used today to bolster each one of them. She spoke as an authority on practically every point.
There is a special advantage to the Adventists in stressing the point that Mrs. White was a special messenger from God. It enables them to press home on their proselytes their special message with the supposed authority of God. If this "Spirit of prophecy" is accepted, then the way is open for their neophytes to accept anything she said. The deluded ones are now ready to swallow down the camel (Matt. 23:24). This same thing is true with Roman Catholicism; when once the premise is accepted that that corrupt religious system is the Church, and that Christ ordered it to teach, then the dogmas and precepts of men become supposedly divine commands.
In the case of the Adventists this is done in spite of the precise words of Scripture: "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man," and "Let your women keep silence in the churches." Of course they will quickly recall that God spoke through women prophets of old, but nowhere in the Old Testament was it forbidden. The Church did not exist then. The Adventists may also refer to the New Testament where Philip's daughters prophesied; but this they did not do in the church, nor has one statement of theirs ever been recorded.
Another distinctive feature of the Adventist "message" is the emphasis placed upon the ten commandments. It is not generally brought up in their early contact with non-Adventists, nor in the beginning of their proselyte-seeking campaigns, but sooner or later the duty to keep the ten commandments will be stressed. To them it is a vital part of their teachings.
Their Review and Herald for August 1, 1957 quotes approvingly this testimony from a convert: "For the growing betterment of my character I owe to the sermons, lessons, and literature of the Voice of Prophecy [Adventists' principle radio broadcast]. In fact, for my very understanding of the Bible and the message of Salvation I am indebted to the Voice of Prophecy. Yes, it was the Voice of Prophecy that taught me to keep all the ten commandments of God." Where is any of this in the gospel that Paul preached? This convert's character was bettered, and his understanding of the Bible and the message of salvation came through something that taught him to keep the ten commandments.
In a book advertised in the Review and Herald of May 16, 1957, we read: "The church of Jesus Christ must go forth to the world, clothed in the power of the Spirit of God to call men back to the Creator Christ and His commandments."—Christ Forever, by Arthur E. Lickey.
Mr. Francis D. Nichol, in the July 25, 1957 issue of the Review and Herald, says: "Now in these final days of the earth's history God is making one last dramatic endeavor to present the grandeur and the worth of His holy law and to provide exhibits of its worth in the lives of men and women....You have the rare privilege of cooperating with God in this audacious attempt to give the moral standards of heaven a foothold on earth. Don't fail God in this." In another issue, an advertisement for a book by Mr. Nichol, entitled, Making Ready For Heaven, says, among other things, "It reviews in detail the Ten Commandments and the demand they make on the believer."
Mr. Milton E. Kern, who was secretary of the Adventists' General Conference Missionary Volunteer Department from 1907 to 1930, and who is now an honored "82-year-old veteran worker," wrote in reply to Mr. E. B. Jones's book of reasons why one should not be a Seventh-day Adventist: "We are condemned by Mr. Jones for teaching that the 'condition of eternal life is... perfect obedience to the law of God.' [Mrs. White in Steps to Christ.] Yet we are told, in the same connection, that Jesus rendered that perfect obedience. That is right. He says, 'I have kept My Father's commandments.' John 15:10. And Jesus' practice was in harmony with His teaching. We read, 'One came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?' What was Jesus' answer? 'If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.' On being asked which, Jesus quoted five of the Ten Commandments. (Matt. 19:16-19.) Again a lawyer came asking, 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life?' The lawyer quoted the two commandments that sum up the whole Decalogue, and Jesus replied, 'Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live.' (Luke 10:25-28.) The instruction given by Jesus to such inquiry was different from that given by our critic [Mr. E. B. Jones], who declares, 'There is, indeed, no law—no keeping of the law required as a means of salvation,' because now we are 'under grace.' "
In the above quoted paragraph we have followed our practice of putting quotations from Seventh-day Adventist literature in italics, but we have exempted their last sentence which they quoted from Mr. Jones, for it is definitely right, although they quote it to condemn it. And while we find some statements and protestations here and there from the Seventh-day Adventists that they believe in being saved by grace without works, yet, time and time again, the evidence that they are law-keepers for salvation does intrude itself. And Mr. Kern here defends it. He and the rest of their writers, from Mrs. White down to the most recent, quote and requote a verse from Rev. 22, as it is found in the King James Version, thus: "Blessed are THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." v. 14. This exactly suits their religion of works—commandment-keeping as a prerequisite to salvation. And although they are very adept at quoting from various translations of the Bible, especially the new R.S.V., they never once quote this verse from the R.S.V., for there it reads: "Blessed are those WHO WASH THEIR ROBES." Note the difference. The former makes it commandment-keeping, and the latter, the cleansing of the robes-the blood of Christ. And yet practically every other translation supports the latter rendering. We have at hand here the following translations and versions which quote it "wash their robes" or the equivalent: A.R.V.; Douay; R.V.; Ronald Knox; Confraternity; J.N.D.; Wm. Kelly; R. F. Weymouth; and the Berkeley Version. We do not have one that supports the King James, the translators of which obviously made an error, but an error that suits the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of error.
Seventh-Day Adventism
Now to return to the young man who asked the Lord Jesus, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Let us notice what Mr. William Kelly says about this man: "He had not learned the first lesson a Christian knows, what a convicted sinner is learning—that he is LOST. The youth showed that he had never felt his own ruin. He assumed that he was capable of doing good; but the sinner is like the leper in Lev. 13, who could not bring an offering to God, but only remain outside, crying, `Unclean, unclean.' The young man had no sense of sin. He regarded eternal life as the result of a man's doing good. He had been doing the law; and, as far as he knew, he never broke it." The Lord took him up on his own ground and proved that he could not thereby obtain eternal life.
In the other case, that of the lawyer (one who dealt in the ten commandments), he asked, "What shall I DO that I may inherit eternal life?" He had put himself on the ground of the law when he said "do," so the Lord asked him how he read the law. To this he correctly quoted the summary of the commandments. That was the basis of DOING the law. But his great mistake was that he did not know he was spiritually dead; what could he do? The Lord was going to prove to him the utter futility of keeping the law for eternal life. The Lord in His reply said, "This do, and thou shalt live"—note carefully, not have eternal life, but LIVE ON THE EARTH. But he had broken the law, death was his portion. Of what use is it to go to a man condemned to death for murder and tell him, "Keep the law of your state and you will live"? He would rightly ridicule you for your ignorance and stupidity.
Mr. Kelly said of the young man of Matt. 19, that he did not know what sin was. Let us turn aside here for a moment and see if that is not the root matter of the Seventh Day Adventists' legalism.
What is sin? To this the whole body of Adventist writers answer in unison, "Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. Mrs. White wrote that it is "our only definition of sin." This is a proof that they do not know what sin is, for here again the King James Version is defective. Breaking a known law is sin, but sin comprises more than that; it "is lawlessness"—it is the creature's exercise of his own will in independence of his Creator, even when there was no law given. Well may we ask again, Why do not the Adventists quote this verse from the R.S.V. and most other translations? Simply because the verse as found in the King James Version suits their error.
Nor does the correct understanding of this verse depend alone on the translation of the Greek of 1 John 3:4, because the collateral testimony of other scriptures settles the issue. Remember THIS verse, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." You cannot break a law unless you have one, but man may sin against God without breaking any law. God says that the "plowing of the wicked is sin," and "the thought of foolishness is sin." Yet there is no commandment against either. Rom. 5 says, "For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression." vv. 13, 14. From Adam to Moses there was NO LAW. Adam broke a divine command, but no other was given until the time of Moses when the ten commandments were given. But "sin was in the world" during all that time, even though men did not have the ten commandments (regardless of what Seventh-day Adventists say about this, the Word of God is plain); they sinned and they died. Yes, death reigned because of sin. To say that sin is only the breaking of the commandments is grievous and well-nigh fatal error. Those who make such a claim do not know what sin is; therefore their ideas of redemption and what is necessary for eternal life must be wrong, as also what is just retribution for sin.
It is demonstrably clear that the Adventists have never learned the difference between God's dealing with man under the law in Old Testament times to see if he were a recover able sinner (only to prove him hopelessly lost—"without strength," and "dead") and that in the New Testament where God stopped seeking fruit from man in the flesh and gave His beloved Son to be the Savior—to SAVE by His death and blood-shedding, not by His law-keeping. The law served its purpose in condemning man; now God has come out in pure grace. But listen to the Adventists' Mr. Varner J. Johns: "There are those who appropriate the blessings of the new covenant to those alone who have lived since Calvary. Such teaching divides the way of God's dealings with men. It takes grace away from the Old Testament Scriptures and law from the New. It belittles the law and misrepresents the gospel. It takes away the 'law, the prophets and the psalms,' leaving a dissected Bible and a perverted gospel."—Review and Herald, May 9, 1957.
Does anyone need further proof that the Adventists corrupt both the law and the gospel? They try to make an emasculated law without power to destroy, and a gospel with a corrupted grace, be cause law is connected with it and made a part of it. Thus with them law is no more law, and grace is no more grace. This is borne out by a statement to their Bible teachers about being "careful to stress the practical harmony between the law and the gospel."—Review and Herald, June 27, 1957. Thus both the law and the gospel are corrupted. This hybrid system is utterly false and is in principle a denial of the distinctive characters not only of the law and the gospel, but of Judaism and Christianity, of sin and of holiness. This is serious, for the Apostle explains in Rom. 7 that to be under both law and grace is spiritual adultery.
We might add that the Seventh-day Adventists seek to prove that "God's people knew the Ten Commandments and were expected to observe them before Sinai."—Signs of the Times, May, 1957. This is not so. Their contention is based on the fact that in Exod. 16, the people were given instructions about neither receiving nor gathering manna on the Sabbath day. This was just before the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; it is no proof that they had the law before that dreadful day when it was given. But the law was given at Sinai "that the offense might abound"—not that sin might abound, but the offense, "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Man by natural conscience knew it was wrong to steal and murder, etc., but when God expressly forbade it to Israel under the law, it became worse—"exceeding sinful." And the Apostle Paul says the law awakened lust in him, for the very things it forbade, he especially desired to do; therefore, "the strength of sin is the law."
In further evidence of the commandment-keeping character of the Seventh-day Adventist movement, we call on a pamphlet entitled, Marks of the True Church, by Carlyle B. Haynes, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in 1951, and still being sold in 1957. It gives "Two Outstanding Marks" which "This true church of the Lord" will have; namely,
"It is to be a commandment keeping church."
"And it is to possess the Testimony of Jesus."
Mr. Haynes adds: "There is only one movement, one body of people, which meets these specifications today." So the Seventh-day Adventists claim to be the only ones who are "commandment-keepers," and they alone have Mrs. White as their prophetess; that is, have "the Spirit of prophecy."
Now all this strange conglomeration about Mrs. White's "Testimony of Jesus" and law-keeping are worked out of Rev. 12, where the nation of Israel is removed and their place usurped by the Seventh-day Adventists. In this chapter it says, "And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne." vv. 4,5. Now by what method of twisting can the Seventh-day Adventists make out that this woman is the Church? Did the Church bring forth Christ? To even ask such a question is ludicrous. The "woman" from whom Christ was born is Israel, and no one else. This is not only clear to any sober mind, but Isa. 9 proves it conclusively. Let us read: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." The mother here
is the woman mentioned in Rev. 12—Israel—and here she has a child, and it is "a son"—"a man child," as Revelation says. Furthermore, lest there be any mistake as to who this Son is, "... the government shall be upon His [Christ's] shoulder." Does not this fit perfectly with Rev. 12, where this Son is "to rule all nations"? Then in Revelation we learn that He was caught up to God and His throne. (vv. 4, 5.)
But after the Adventists twist this to mean the Church, then they come down to the last verse in the chapter and, calling themselves "The Remnant Church," apply this to themselves: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." HERE, they say, WE ARE-because we keep the ten commandments and have the Spirit of prophecy—Mrs. White.
And so Mr. Arthur S. Maxwell, editor of the Adventists' Signs of the Times, says of the "Advent Movement" that "Everywhere it has called men and women back to the Bible, back to the Ten Commandments, back to the holy Sabbath, until today, scattered in the larger countries of the world and many islands of the sea, there are nearly a million people,... who 'keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' "—Christ and Tomorrow, p. 81. And another Adventist writer has said, "There can be no evasion of our duty to obey the Ten Commandments."—Signs of the Times, May, 1957. Mrs. White wrote: "Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All men will be called to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed."—The Desire of Ages, p. 763. And the Review and Herald of June 6, 1957 quotes one of their new converts as saying, "/ am determined to cast in my lot with those who keep all of God's commandments." Now regardless of what Seventh-day Adventists or their apologists have said, or may yet say to the contrary, we have honestly sought out the facts, and they are irrefutable. The Adventists bring all who come under their sway under the
law. One of their remarks is, "If you know nothing else but the Ten Commandments, follow the gleam."—Review and Herald, May 30, 1957. We may ask, 'What gleam? So terrible was the sight at the giving of the law that "Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake."
Let us now go back to the early days of Adventism, back to 1846. At this time Mrs. White had one of her notable visions (which "gift," according to statements by others, has the same authority as the prophets' writings of old). She says: "But the Lord gave me a view of the heavenly sanctuary. The temple of God was open in heaven, and I was shown the ark of God covered with the mercy seat. Two angels stood one at either end of the ark, with their wings spread over the mercy seat, and their faces turned toward it. This, my accompanying angel informed me, represented all the heavenly host looking with reverential awe toward the law of God, which had been written by the finger of God.
"Jesus raised the cover of the ark, and I beheld the tables of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written. I was amazed as I saw the fourth commandment in the very center of the ten precepts, with a soft halo of light encircling it. Said the angel, 'It is the only one of the ten which defines the living God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that are therein."—Life and Teachings of Ellen G. White, published by Pacific Press Publishing Association in 1953, and sold in 1957. This "testimony" very conveniently backed up the teaching of one of the principle founders of Adventism, Elder Joseph Bates, who had already believed in keeping the Sabbath. Mrs. White's report of a vision given her on April 3, 1847 is much the same - "The fourth commandment shone above them all." Thus, as her apologists state, she did not introduce the doctrine, but notice how she enforces it—by special inspiration. And a new revelation was certainly needed, for she admitted that "The New Testament does not reenact the law of the tithe AS IT DOES NOT THAT OF THE SABBATH [emphasis ours]; for the validity of both is assumed."—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 66, and quoted in Review and Herald, July 4,
1957. It is no longer assumed by them, but enforced as a MUST.
We are told in their writings that the "seal of God" is the keeping of the Sabbath, and that the "mark of the beast" is the enforcement of Sunday observance. And Mr. Arthur S. Maxwell says: "Most important for us is the fact that the hour of decision has come. We have to make up our minds on which side we intend to stand in the closing crisis of the ages. Are we going to give our allegiance to Christ, or Satan? Shall we choose to have the SEAL OF GOD [Sabbath keeping], Or the MARK OF THE BEAST [Sunday keeping]? Today Christ's last threefold message to man is being given to the world. It comes to you now. What will you do with it?" (emphasis ours).—Christ and Tomorrow. This is the issue—either keep the Sabbath or not, the choice is yours, but your destiny hangs on it. As Mrs. White says, "Man's destiny will be determined by his obedience to the whole law."—The Desire of Ages, p. 498. This is Adventism's special message.
To call attention to the centrality of Sabbath-keeping in their gospel (?) message, we shall quote from their Mr. Carlyle B. Haynes: "The reformation began to work, but did not proceed far enough to restore the Sabbath to its rightful place. This was to be done in the final movement and message of the gospel on earth.... The Closing Message of the Gospel [chapter heading]. To bear this message to the world, God had to raise up a new movement and people, separate from the established churches, for they had refused to walk in the advancing light, and had not accepted the Sabbath truth.... Just such a people as are here described as the remnant church have been raised up.... They are called Seventh-day Adventists."—Marks of the True Church, pp. 26, 27. Yes, this is a part of THEIR GOSPEL, but not of the gospel of the grace of God—the gospel that Paul preached and the early church received. Theirs is a perverted gospel, a gospel of works, a gospel that does despite to the Savior and His finished work. The Apostle John said, "No lie is of the truth." 1. John 2:21.
Let us note a few random quotations from their publications regarding the Sabbath:
"After twenty years, with the Lord's blessing, we had two thousand Sabbath-keepers." "Four of these people have already been baptized, and others are keeping the Sabbath or attending church services." "Cities in North America have been entered, and practically all, if not all, cities with a population of twenty-five thousand or more now have one or more Sabbath-keeping churches."—Review and Herald, June 6, 1957. "1 began to read the fourteenth chapter [of John]. 'Let not your heart be troubled.' How I needed peace! I read on. I came to the fifteenth verse, `If ye love me, keep my commandments.' I longed to know God. I longed to know that He loved me. I longed to know that I might love Him. Here in this verse was love, and a recipe for showing it, 'Keep my commandments.' But I knew that this meant keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. This I had resolved never to do.... Still there was restlessness and frustration, and I again turned to the fourteenth chapter of John... read to the fifteenth verse, and then made my decision. I said, 'Lord, I will obey, whatever the cost may be.' The next Sabbath I attended church, and when the pastor made a call for consecration I stood up in response."—Review and Herald, July 25, 1957, article by Frank H. Yost, Associate Secretary Religious Liberty Department General Conference. (Where is the gospel of the grace of God, or salvation, in the above quotation?) "I think of Sinai. Amidst the thunder and lightning God gave the world His law. At its heart was the solemn command, 'Remember the Sabbath day.'... I am glad there is a people who keep the Sabbath.... I believe in the Sabbath."—Signs of the Times, June, 1957.
Under a title, Literature Wins Souls in the Philippines, we read: "Brother Roque Vitin and Brother Cornelio Castelo sold 'The Great Controversy' and 'Lights for Today' to a certain customer some time last year. This person found the light of truth contained in these books. He began to look for Sabbath-keepers, and as a result three new believers were baptized." Then it tells of two others who sold a book, " 'Judy Steps out,' together with other books. Little did they realize that ten would now be observing the Sabbath as a result of these contacts."—Review and Herald, May 9, 1957.
From The Signs of the Times for July, 1957 we read: "In 1886 an American Missionary, John I. Tay, came to the island, and before his departure the entire population was observing the seventh-day as the Sabbath of the Lord. From then on, the Pitcairn Islanders have maintained their adherence to the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church." The following quotations are again from Review and Herald: "The issue today is a decision on the restoration of the true Sabbath. The right day and its proper observance is the great test of this hour. Our decision is not immaterial to God, and we dare not treat it with indifference." June 27, 1957. In the same issue they ask the question, "What serves as special light in these last days? [Answer] A message to restore the true Sabbath." From a word to Juniors: "Did you know that God's kingdom has a flag? This flag has the name, the title, and the dominion of our ruler Jesus Christ inscribed on it.... He is the Lord who created heaven and earth in six days. The seventh-day Sabbath, Saturday, has been set apart since creation week. Do you wave it with enthusiasm by resting every Sabbath, going to church," etc. "He finally felt he must do something. He took a job as a purser on a ship, feeling that he could arrange his work to have his Sabbaths free. After careful thought and preparation he was baptized."—May 16, 1957.
We have now shown by quotations from current Seventh-day Adventist literature (and these might be multiplied many, many times) that they are under the law, the ten commandments, with their gaze centered on the Sabbath commandment, and that they are obsessed with the idea of bringing as many as they can throughout the world into their same fold of bondage and legalism. But in order to consider that they actually keep the law, they lower its standards; for instance, how can they baldly state that they keep the ten commandments when the tenth commandment says, "Thou shalt not covet." This touches the root, the heart of man, for out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, evil doings. If they were honest with themselves, they would feel condemned and guilty before God; for one cannot put himself under the law and not incur its judgment. The scripture says, "As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse," not as many as break the law, but as many as come under it.
The Apostle Paul was brought up under the law, and he says, "I through the law am dead to the law." It killed him. Who ever excelled Paul in outward attainments under Judaism? None! But this model Pharisee found the "good" law was death to him, and any honest mind will find it the same today.
Who gave the Seventh-day Adventists the right to attenuate the law, or mitigate its exactions? For instance, they make their boast of the Sabbath day, but do they keep it as originally required? No. It is written: "Speak thou also UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, saying, Verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you.... Every one that defileth it shall SURELY be put to death; for whosoever doeth ANY work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people." Exod. 31:12-17. The Adventist has no right to kindle a fire, to turn on a gas or electric stove, or start an automobile engine (Exod. 35:3), or do ANY work on the Sabbath. In Numb. 15 a man was ordered stoned to death because he gathered some sticks on the Sabbath day. How many Adventists would be left today if all who violated the express commands connected with the Sabbath had been put to death?
Did the Lord give the Adventists some land? We read that God said to those to whom the ten commandments were given: "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Exod. 20:12. Surely they must be able to fill all the requirements of this verse. Where is their God-given land?
No, their pretensions to keeping the law are vain, and the curse is upon them; for "Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law to do them." Gal. 3:10.
Of course they will reason that the Lord Jesus worked on the Sabbath and that He liberalized the day. True, He worked on the Sabbath, and He said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." He thereby referred to the fact that God's rest in creation was broken by sin, and God had to begin at once to work to clothe guilty Adam and Eve; even so, the Lord Jesus was down here in this defiled place where sin and misery abounded, and He could not cease from work in such a scene. As sin had intruded on God's rest in creation, so the Son could not rest either. But anyone who is under the law must accept the Sabbath commandment as it is with its penal sanctions.
Actually only the Jews were ever under the law. God gave it to that people as a choice sample of the human race to see if man in the flesh could keep it. But alas, they broke it before it came into the camp. God tells us, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law [the Jews]: that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3:19. If the choicest sample of the human race failed so miserably, then no one should dare to speak in self-defense. Every mouth should be stopped. But this has not silenced the Adventists. They make their boast of the law.
Plainly Seventh-day Adventism is the modern counterpart of the Galatian heresy. The people in the Galatian assemblies were not Jews, but had come under the spell of Judaising teachers. They had "fallen from grace." And Paul writes very severely to them. He begins his letter without any commendation for anything. He launches immediately into their removal from the GRACE of Christ unto another gospel. He said to them, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you." Gal. 4:10, 11. They were adding the laws and rules of Judaism to the gospel that Paul preached and they had received, and so Paul calls it "another gospel: which is not another." For when ANYTHING is added to the gospel of the grace of God, it is no longer grace, nor gospel. It is a perversion which will ruin souls.
So strongly did the Apostle feel against the Galatians' adding to the gospel that he had preached, that he said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8. And that verse is strong enough and broad enough to encompass any present-day "Spirit of prophecy." If another gospel, it is contrary to the gospel that Paul preached, and the preacher of it is accursed. And whenever did the Apostle tell ONE person to keep the ten commandments? When did he ever put ONE person under the law of the Sabbath? NEVER! "The Message" of the Adventists is not Paul's gospel; it is not "the truth" which makes men free (John 8:32), but a falsehood which brings them into bondage.
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