Seventh-day Adventist

Adventism began in Massachusetts in 1831, under the leadership of William Miller. In 1833, in Low Hampton, New York, he began to preach that the end of the world was at hand, publishing a pamphlet entitled, “Evidences from Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ about the year 1843, and of His Personal Reign of One Thousand Years.”

When this prophecy failed, he declared that he had erred in his calculation and set the time in 1844. This likewise failing, he set 1845 as the year. The third failure divided his followers and out of the fragments Seventh-Day Adventism was constructed. Adding some new doctrine, the principle one of which was Sabbath-keeping, that is, Saturday, - for to this time all the followers of Miller had kept Sunday – Elder James White and his wife, in 1846, became the leaders of the Seventh-Day branch of Adventism.

As a result of various divisions, there are now six bodies of Adventists (Advents Christians, Church of God, Churches of God in Jesus Christ, Evangelical Adventists, Life and Advent Union and Seventh-Day Adventists). As a rule, all these divisions now simply wait for the second coming of Christ without making any attempt to set the date. Three things characterize all Adventist teaching: Prophecy, Sabbath and Sleep of the Soul.

(L. G. Tomlinson, Churches of Today, 1927, page 76)
 

Some of the important teachings of the Seventh-Day Adventists are the following:
 

SDA teach: There are two separate laws given at Sinai

They teach that there are two separate laws given at Mt. Sinai. The table below shows the terms they use for each.

Written on Stone	Written on scrolls
Moral	Ceremonial
Law of the Lord	Law of Moses
Eternal	Temporary
Spiritual	Civil
10 Commandments	Book of the law

1. The “book of the law” contained all five books of the Pentateuch.

2. The book of the law quotes the 10 commandments – twice.
   Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5

3. Luke 2:22-23 – Law of the Lord and law of Moses – Lev. 12

4. 2 Chronicles 31:3 – offerings, sacrifices, Sabbaths – Law of the Lord

5. Nehemiah 8:1, 8, 14, 18

6. There is just one law – Malachi 4:4

SDA teach: Only the “ceremonial law” was nailed to the cross

SDA teach: The 10 Commandments are still binding

1. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 – Key phrases

   1. Written and engraved on stones (7)

   2. Was passing away (7)

   3. Is passing away (11)

   4. The end of what was passing away (13)

   5. The veil is taken away in Christ (14)

   6. The veil is taken away (16)

2. Amos 8:5, 9-10

   1. Question: When will the Sabbath be gone?

   2. Answer: It will come to pass in that day -
      Sun will go down at noon
      Turn your feast into mourning
      Mourning for an only son

3. Colossians 2:14-17

   1. Nailed to the cross (died when Jesus died) 14

   2. We are not judged by those laws – meat, holy days, Sabbath

   3. They were a shadow; Christ is the substance. 17

4. Ephesians 2:13-18

   1. Abolished the law of commandments

   2. Contained in ordinances

   3. Took away both (law of Moses and patriarchal law)

   4. Now all are to be part of one body, the church of Christ.

5. Jeremiah 31:31-34

   1. God promises a NEW covenant.

   2. This law will be different
      Written in the hearts
      Personal relationship with God
      God will forgive their sins and remember them no more

6. Hosea 2:11

   1. All these will cease – feast days, new moons, Sabbaths, appointed feasts

   2. Some are in the 10 commandments, others in the ceremonial law.

SDA teach: We are to keep the Sabbath Day.

1. Colossians 2:16 – do not judge others on their observance of the Sabbath

2. Amos 8:5, 9-10 – Sabbath restrictions ended when Jesus died

3. Hosea 2:11 – Sabbath days will cease

4. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 – Sabbath is part of the law written on stone

SDA teach: The soul sleeps after death

1. The spirit does not die with the body

   1. Ecclesiastes 3:21

   2. Ecclesiastes 12:7

   3. Matthew 10:28

   4. Luke 23:42-43, 46; Acts 7:59

   5. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2. Departed spirits are conscious

   1. Matthew 17:3

   2. Revelation 6:9-11

   3. Luke 16:19-31

3. It is the body that “sleeps” until the resurrection.

   1. Matthew 27:52

   2. John 11:11-14

   3. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

SDA teach: 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth and make predictions of when the 2^nd Coming will take place

1. The Adventists set many dates for the return of Christ (1843, 44, 45,47, 50, 52, 55, 63, 66, 68, 77)

2. They teach the doctrine of Pre-Millennialism.
   I will not take the space here to discuss this teaching.