Problem #2 - Just One Misstep: Analyzing Prophecy

Nov 21

According to Seventh-day Adventist’s official position as I noted in my previous post, the official positions of the denomination are:

Scripture is Sufficient and Complete
Ellen White is a prophet
Ellen White corrects interpretation of Scripture

Are these biblical positions?

Scripture being sufficient is foundational and a no-brainer, yes. Then that means we need to analyze the official position of Ellen White.

Ellen White as a prophet and her ‘revelations’ regarding Scripture.

Using Scripture, we need to test the position of Ellen White.

“ What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:26-32).”

The word ‘revelation’ used here by Paul is apokalupsis. The greek meaning, means to reveal something, unveil, to show an aspect of Christ or in regards to Christ. This is something that Ellen White most certainly did, she provided ‘revelation’ to the church in regards to the work of Christ, the character and nature of Christ. Ellen White, and by no means am I supporting her, gave new revelation to the church AND prophecy.

Seventh-day Adventism has a greater responsibility to all Christendom to prove its positions, to engage in scrutiny of it’s own beliefs, and to pursue discussion and discourse with the greater Christian church. Why?

“ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18 -19).””Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error (1 John 4:4-6).”

Jesus makes promises to His church, and through His apostles to the corpus present at that time, that He would guide, grow, and be with His church. If Seventh-day Adventism does not see or accept this responsibility, then as a denomination, it is stating that they believe God has a gap in his promises. Yet, the denomination gets around this by discussing a ‘remnant.’ This idea, which will be elucidated and expounded on in a later article, is that there has always been a faithful remnant of believers throughout the church’s history that God has guided up through to the Seventh-day Adventists. Is this a biblical concept? No.

Remnant is discussed in Scripture. Eighty-four times. Yet the definition, given by Seventh-day Adventists is that the remnant are the believers God is with and that the greater corpus of ‘believers’ are apostate and God is not with them.

The first time we see remnant discussed is in Genesis 45:7 when God is telling Joseph that he is using Him to preserve a remnant. “And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.” Does remnant mean the definition that Seventh-day Adventists have given remnant to mean? No. The term here is referring to Jacob’s descendants as a whole who would stand apart from the greater humanity and serve God. It does not mean, as the Seventh-day Adventist definition states, a body within a body of God’s people. Remnant, in the Old Testament sense, is ONLY defined as those who follow the Messiah whom we know as Jesus, out of Judaism.

“Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he[a] had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land (Jeremiah 23:3-9).”

Per the definition given remnant in Scripture, the early church was the remnant prophesied about and drawn out of Judaism. In the New Testament, remnant is only discussed three times.

“And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old (Acts 12:12-18).’”

Here, remnant is referring back to the prophesy made to Joseph, that it will be a line drawn from humanity at large, not from within the body of Believers. In Romans 9:19-27, Paul enters into a dialogue with himself discussing the validity of gentiles being saved….

“ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people, ’there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah (Romans 9:19-27).”

Again in Romans 11:1-8, Paul uses Remnant in again referring to the church corpus at his time being justified in their views that moved away from the teachings and views of the Jewish faith at that time.

The Seventh-Day Adventist view of the remnant is that the remnant is a body of believers drawn from the world, then drawn from the churches, then drawn from within Seventh-day Adventism itself.

“Many look with horror at the course of the Jews in rejecting and crucifying Christ; and as they read the history of His shameful abuse, they think they love Him, and would not have denied Him as did Peter, or crucified Him as did the Jews. But God who reads the hearts of all, has brought to the test that love for Jesus which they professed to feel. All heaven watched with the deepest interest the reception of the first angel’s message. But many who professed to love Jesus, and who shed tears as they read the story of the cross, derided the good news of His coming. Instead of receiving the message with gladness, they declared it to be a delusion. They hated those who loved His appearing and shut them out of the churches. Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light in the third angel’s message, which shows the way into the most holy place (Early Writings, pg. 261).”

Remember that Ellen White is describing a vision here, that officially has weight theologically and authoritatively. Her message here is based on Revelation 14:6-11. By her vision, Seventh-day Adventist are to interpret the three angels message as three distinct events. The first angel’s message occurred at the cross. The second angel’s message occurred in 1844, and the third angels message is occurring.

“I saw that as the Jews crucified Jesus, so the nominal churches had crucified these messages, and therefore they have no knowledge of the way into the most holy, and they cannot be benefited by the intercession of Jesus there. Like the Jews, who offered their useless sacrifices, they offer up their useless prayers to the apartment which Jesus has left; and Satan, pleased with the deception, assumes a religious character, and leads the minds of these professed Christians to himself, working with his power, his signs and lying wonders, to fasten them in his snare. Some he deceives in one way, and some in another. He has different delusions prepared to affect different minds. Some look with horror upon one deception, while they readily receive another. Satan deceives some with Spiritualism. He also comes as an angel of light and spreads his influence over the land by means of false reformations. The churches are elated, and consider that God is working marvelously for them, when it is the work of another spirit. The excitement will die away and leave the world and the church in a worse condition than before.

I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant (Early Writings, pg. 261).”

Ellen White gives even more elucidation on what the remnant actually is, according to her prophetic authority.

“I saw a throne, and on it sat the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. I gazed on Jesus’ countenance and admired his lovely person. The Fathers person I could not behold for a cloud of glorious light covered him. I asked Jesus if his Father had a form like himself; He said he had, but I could not behold it; for, said he, if you should for once see the glory of his person, you would cease to exist. Before the throne was the Advent people, the Church, and the world. I saw a company bowed down before the throne, deeply interested while most of them stood up disinterested and careless. Those who were bowed before the throne would offer up their prayers and look to Jesus, then he would look to his Father and appeared to be pleading with him. Then a light came from the Father to his Son and from him to the praying company. Then I saw an exceeding bright light come from the Father to the Son and from the Son it waved over the people before the throne. But few would receive this great light. Many came out from under it and immediately resisted it. Others were careless and did not cherish the light and it moved off from them. Some cherished it and went and bowed down before the throne with the little praying company. This company all received the light, and rejoiced in it as their countenances shone with its glory. Then I saw the Father rise from the throne and in a flaming chariot go into the Holy of Holies within the vail, and did sit. There I saw thrones which I had not seen before. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and most of those who were bowed down rose up with him. And I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after he rose up, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who rose up when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on him as he left the throne, and led them out a little way, then he raised his right arm and we heard his lovely voice saying, wait ye, I am going to my Father to receive the Kingdom. Keep your garments spotless and in a little while I will return from the wedding, and receive you to myself. And I saw a cloudy chariot with wheels like flaming fire. Angels were all about the chariot as it came where Jesus was; he stepped into it and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. Then I beheld Jesus as he was before the Father a great High Priest. On the hem of his garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Then Jesus shewed me the difference between faith and feeling. And I saw those who rose up with Jesus send up their faith to Jesus in the Holiest, and praying, Father give us thy spirit. Then Jesus would breathe on them the Holy Ghost. In the breath was light, power and much love, joy and peace. Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne. They did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne and pray, My Father give us thy spirit. Then Satan would breathe on them an unholy influence. In it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children. I saw one after another leave the company who were praying to Jesus in the Holiest, go and join those before the throne and they at once received the unholy influence of Satan (Day Star, March 14, 1846).”

Here we see that Ellen White prophesies through attesting to a revelation she is given that the remnant of God are drawn from the remnant of God, i.e. Christians, because they reject / rejected the truth of 1844 and are also in open apostasy with not observing Sabbath as Saturday. Most Seventh-day Adventists will assume that one is a part of the ‘remnant’ if they belong to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, observe Saturday as Sabbath, and do their best to keep the tenants of faith laid out by Ellen White and Scripture.

Most Seventh-day Adventists are sorely mistaken, or ignorant of the fact, that the remnant are a group within Seventh-day Adventism.

“Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith. They should have commanded their households after them, that by a well-ordered family they might present to the world the influence of the truth upon the human heart.

By their lack of devotion and piety, and their failure to reach a high religious standard, they make other souls contented with their position. Men of finite judgment cannot see that in patterning after these men who have so often opened to them the treasures of God’s word, they will surely endanger their souls. Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.

Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.

We are too easily satisfied with our attainments. We feel rich and increased with goods and know not that we are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Now is the time to heed the admonition of the True Witness: “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

In this life we must meet fiery trials and make costly sacrifices, but the peace of Christ is the reward. There has been so little self-denial, so little suffering for Christ’s sake, that the cross is almost entirely forgotten. We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial, our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming, for they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when anguish will be upon every soul, when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could save neither son nor daughter, for everyone must deliver his soul by his own righteousness.

No one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a Christian. Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul. Jesus is our ever-present help in time of need. Only call upon Him in faith, and He has promised to hear and answer your petitions.

Oh, for a living, active faith! We need it; we must have it, or we shall faint and fail in the day of trial. The darkness that will then rest upon our path must not discourage us or drive us to despair. It is the veil with which God covers His glory when He comes to impart rich blessings. We should know this by our past experience. In that day when God has a controversy with His people this experience will be a source of comfort and hope.

It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” We are in a most trying position, waiting, watching for our Lord’s appearing. The world is in darkness. “But ye, brethren,” says Paul, “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” It is ever God’s purpose to bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and rest out of weariness for the waiting, longing soul.

What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour (Testimonies For The Church, Vol. 5, pg. 213-216).”

Ellen White’s words in the Testimonies are fairly straight forward, however, they directly insinuate that the obeying the truth, as is stated in the above quoted section, is obeying Scripture according to the correct interpretation presented in the writings of Ellen White. In the Great Controversy, Ellen White is even more pointed in her laying out that the remnant of God is a group within Seventh-day Adventism that will perfectly keep God’s law and thus fulfill the requirement for Christ’s return to be presented with a perfect church body.

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing. “Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” Malachi 3:4. Then the church which our Lord at His coming is to receive to Himself will be a “glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.” Ephesians 5:27. Then she will look “forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” Song of Solomon 6:10…Men cannot with impunity reject the warning which God in mercy sends them. A message was sent from heaven to the world in Noah’s day, and their salvation depended upon the manner in which they treated that message. Because they rejected the warning, the Spirit of God was withdrawn from the sinful race, and they perished in the waters of the Flood. In the time of Abraham, mercy ceased to plead with the guilty inhabitants of Sodom, and all but Lot with his wife and two daughters were consumed by the fire sent down from heaven. So in the days of Christ. The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation: “Your house is left unto you desolate.” Matthew 23:38. Looking down to the last days, the same Infinite Power declares, concerning those who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved“: “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. As they reject the teachings of His word, God withdraws His Spirit and leaves them to the deceptions which they love (The Great Controversy, pg. 425 - 430).”

The remnant church lays WITHIN the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and NOT, as is so often stated in Seventh-day Adventist meetings, the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a corpus. For one, it does not follow the biblical pattern, and extends into new revelation what God’s remnant is, solely based on the prophetic revelations and interpretations given through Ellen White.

Is what Ellen White’s statements biblically backed? They have to be and they are often claimed to be, from liberal Adventists to conservative Adventists. Yet, Ellen White leaves us no room to disagree with her.

Let’s work in revers, can we ever be without a mediator and rely on our own works for salvation? Can we purify ourselves through our own diligent effort? Paul hits this firmly on the head in Romans 7:8-25,

“But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

In case Paul was not clear enough, that even he himself struggled with keeping to the course God has laid out, states again in Ephesians 2:8-10, that works have no bearing on are ability to be saved.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 64:6-9, pointing at humanities need for a savior and need for redemption writes,

“We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in[c] the hand of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all your people.”

I know what many argue, works are an expression of faith and salvation. Yes, and yet there is even disagreement among Christians on just exactly that relationship is regarding sanctification and the outward appearance through works equates too. However, this is not at all what Ellen White means. She means that we work with Christ, she is quite clear, “our own diligent effort,” to make ourselves righteous, pure, and clean. She does not imply that the remnant are those who stand before God sanctified and perfect through the work of Christ, and they outwardly demonstrate that through their actions. Ellen White, as can be seen in the passages above, states that A.) we will not have Christ as a mediator and our salvation will be based on our own effort B.) that Christ will only come when that group (remnant) is perfect, through their obedience to God’s law and the teachings of Ellen White.

As we saw in my post regarding Problem #1 - according to Ellen White, you cannot disagree or vary from what she states, or you are an agent of Satan. So what do we do when Scripture is officially sufficient and complete, and yet Ellen White goes beyond and adds to the meaning of Scriptures? When she contrasts the words of the Apostles and the Prophets. Isaiah correlates our righteous works with used feminine hygiene products (Sorry ladies, but back then that was considered unclean and the highest sign of Eve’s choice to bring sin into the world). Let’s continue to unpack what Ellen White has prophetically laid out. It really is of the utmost importance, for it is true and accurate has profound impacts on the lives of the believers.

In the Day Star March 14, 1846 article, Ellen White recounts her first vision, which the Seventh-day Adventist Church upholds as authoritative. I aforementioned a portion of that vision, however we need and will examine a larger portion of the vision with Scripture.

[Here again we see Ellen White setting the prophetic course that it is our own diligent efforts to remain spotless. The greater theological implication is that Christ ascended to heaven in order to receive the earth as his kingdom. Mark 1:14-15, Matt. 4:17, John 3:35, John 18:36 and Revelation 1:4-6 state that Christ had already received the kingdom and established it on earth. In fact Christ directly states why he is ascending to heaven after the crucifixion. For those that argue that this vision encompasses events preceding 1844, so from Christ’s time through her present time in 1846, it does not. Ellen White’s words and intent of vision centers on the Advent people.]

And I saw a cloudy chariot with wheels like flaming fire. Angels were all about the chariot as it came where Jesus was; he stepped into it and was borne to the Holiest where the Father sat. Then I beheld Jesus as he was before the Father a great High Priest. On the hem of his garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Then Jesus shewed me the difference between faith and feeling. And I saw those who rose up with Jesus send up their faith to Jesus in the Holiest, and praying, Father give us thy spirit. Then Jesus would breathe on them the Holy Ghost. In the breath was light, power and much love, joy and peace. Then I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne. They did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne and pray, My Father give us thy spirit. Then Satan would breathe on them an unholy influence. In it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children.

[This statement in regards to not knowing that Jesus had left his throne and was replaced by Satan is troubling and deeply counter to promises made by Christ himself, yet it is also the basis for how Seventh-day Adventists view all other Christians. That view is that everyone else, no matter how genuine, is actually worship, praising, and proclaiming what they think is Jesus and yet is not Jesus. This one aspect deeply invalidates and counters promises by God in Scripture, several times. Isa. 43:11-13, 1 Tim. 4:4-5, Matt. 21:21-22, Mark 11:24, Matt. 7:7-11, Jhn. 12:31-36, Jhn. 16, Rom. 8:38-39]

I saw one after another leave the company who were praying to Jesus in the Holiest, go and join those before the throne and they at once received the unholy influence of Satan.Jesus told me it was the time of Jacob’s trouble, and that we should be delivered out of it by the voice of God. Just before we entered it, we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four Angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion. Then we cried to God for deliverance day and night till we began to hear the bells on Jesus’ garment. And I saw Jesus rise up in the Holiest, and as he came out we heard the tinkling of bells, and knew our High Priest was coming out. Then we heard the voice of God which shook the heavens and earth, and gave the 144,000 the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. Then the saints were free, united and full of the glory of God, for he had turned their captivity. And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe, took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet (Day Star, March 14, 1846).”

Seventh-day Adventism rests on the assumption that the rest of Christianity has been allowed to fall to Satan’s deception while believing that they are following Christ, feeling Christ, seeing Christ, and demonstrating a life lived in submission to Christ and Scripture without recognizing that in an ironic way, Seventh-day Adventists might be the ones who have fallen to the deceptions of something that appears Christian and Christlike. The question that is not asked, that desperately needs to be asked is, “if we have a faith based on a mass scale deception, could we ourselves actually be the ones that have fallen to that deception and not the rest of Christendom.” Remember that all that the serpent spoke to Eve was a lie. It was deep truths twisted in with deceptive lies. This will be the foundation for our next Problem article.

Steven Ferguson