A Research of Seventh-Day Adventism

This research came for review and comment. The "Cephas Notes" are our input. One of the tests of a prophet is not leading Gods people to follow other gods. The quotes below are from E. J. Waggoners Christ Our Righteousness. Since, his online book does not give page numbers ( these quotes are between pages 9 to 23 ), I am supplying the section headings. The online version of this book is at: http://www.smyrna.org/Books/COR/christ_our_righteousness.htm (under the heading ) How Shall We Consider Christ? ". . . The Word was "in the beginning." The mind of man cannot grasp the ages that are spanned in this phrase. It is not given to men to know when or how the Son was begotten; but we know that he was the Divine Word, not simply before He came to this earth to die, but even before the world was created. . . . We know that Christ "proceeded forth and came from God" (John 8:42), but it was so far back in the ages of eternity as to be far beyond the grasp of the mind of man. " (under the heading) Is Christ God? " . . . This name was not given to Christ in consequence of some great achievement, but it is His by right of inheritance. Speaking of the power and greatness of Christ, the writer to the Hebrews says that He is made so much better than the angels, because "He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." Heb. 1:4. A son always rightfully takes the name of the father; and Christ, as "the only begotten Son of God," has rightfully the same name. A son, also, is, to a greater or less degree, a reproduction of the father; he has to some extent the features and personal characteristics of his father; not perfectly, because there is no perfect reproduction among mankind. But there is no imperfection in God, or in any of His works, and so Christ is the "express image" of the Father's person. Heb. 1:3. As the Son of the self- existent God, He has by nature all the attributes of Deity. ... It is true that there are many sons of God, but Christ is the "only begotten Son of God," and therefore the Son of God in a sense in which no other being ever was or ever can be. The angels are sons of God, as was Adam (Job 38:7; Luke 3:38), by creation; Christians are the sons of God by adoption (Rom. 8:14, 15), but Christ is the Son of God by birth. ..." (under the heading ) Is Christ a Created Being " ... The Scriptures declare that Christ is "the only begotten son of God." He is begotten, not created. As to when He was begotten, it is not for us to inquire, nor could our minds grasp it if we were told. The prophet Micah tells us all that we can know about it in these words, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2, margin. There was a time when Christ proceeded forth and came from God, from the bosom of the Father (John 8:42; 1:18), but that time was so far back in the days of eternity that to finite comprehension it is practically without beginning. But the point is that Christ is a begotten Son and not a created subject. He has by inheritance a more excellent name than the angels; He is "a Son over His own house." Heb. 1:4; 3:6. And since He is the only-begotten son of God, He is of the very substance and nature of God and possesses by birth all the attributes of God, for the Father was pleased that His Son should be the express image of His Person, the brightness of His glory, and filled with all the fullness of the Godhead. So He has "life in Himself." He possesses immortality in His own right and can confer immortality upon others. ..." In Short, E. J. Waggoner, taught in this work that Jesus was begotten, offspring of God the Father, sometime before creation. Does Ellen White agree with Waggoners teaching concerning Christ? "And the Devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the Devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." He presented the world to Christ as a most dazzling, enchanting spectacle. But Christ saw that which Satan tried to veil from his eyes, and that which he flattered himself he had done. Christ had not exchanged his divinity for humanity; but he had clothed his divinity in humanity, and he gave Satan the evidence for which he had asked,--showed him that he was the Son of God. Divinity flashed through humanity, and the evil one could not resist the authority of the divine voice, as Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 29, 1895, Satan's Malignity Against Christ and His People ) "Some few in every generation from Adam resisted his every artifice and stood forth as noble representatives of what it was in the power of man to do and to be--Christ working with human efforts, helping man in overcoming the power of Satan. Enoch and Elijah are the correct representatives of what the race might be through faith in Jesus Christ if they chose to be. Satan was greatly disturbed because these noble, holy men stood untainted amid the moral pollution surrounding them, perfected righteous characters, and were accounted worthy for translation to Heaven. As they had stood forth in moral power in noble uprightness, overcoming Satan's temptations, he could not bring them under the dominion of death. He triumphed that he had power to overcome Moses with his temptations, and that he could mar his illustrious character and lead him to the sin of taking glory to himself before the people which belonged to God. Christ resurrected Moses and took him to heaven. This enraged Satan, and he accused the Son of God of invading his dominion by robbing the grave of his lawful prey. Jude says of the resurrection of Moses, "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." (Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 3, 1874, Article Title: Redemption, No. 2 ) ______________________________ Cephas NOTE: The Bible does not state that Christ resurrected Moses and took him to heaven. See Jude 1:9 "Yet Michael the archangel when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses.. " The first resurrection begins with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and ends just before Armageddon. _______________________________ "AGAIN: CHRIST IS CALLED THE WORD OF GOD. JOHN 1:1-3. HE IS SO CALLED BECAUSE GOD GAVE HIS REVELATIONS TO MAN IN ALL AGES THROUGH CHRIST. IT WAS HIS SPIRIT THAT INSPIRED THE PROPHETS. 1 PETER 1:10, 11. HE WAS REVEALED TO THEM AS THE ANGEL OF JEHOVAH, THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST, MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL." (Patriarchs and Prophets, page 761, Appendix, Caps in original ) ________________________________ Cephas NOTE: What Ellen White implies is that Michael had the resurrection power because he represented Jesus Christ. If that were true Michael would be God's Priest, which is what the Melchisedec Priesthood represents. There is no way God would give an angel such power. Jesus Himself is the only one who has the power to resurrect and give eternal life in heaven. "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the priesthood [Note: the Aaronic Priesthood was of the tribe of Levites]. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests [Aaronic Priesthood] were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." (Hebrews 7:14-22) "But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Where he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens.." (Hebrews 7:24-26) 1 Peter 1:11 describes the Spirit in the prophets: "Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." This Scripture does not include resurrection power. It includes the anointing and / or gifts of the Holy Spirit. __________________________________ "Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one as he was one with his Father. This prayer did not contemplate one disciple with twelve heads, but twelve disciples, made one in object and effort in the cause of their master. Neither are the Father and the Son parts of the "three-one God." They are two distinct beings, yet one in the design and accomplishment of redemption. The redeemed, from the first who shares in the great redemption, to the last, all ascribe the honor, and glory, and praise, of their salvation, to both God and the Lamb." (Life Incidents, p. 343 by James White ) _________________________________ Cephas NOTE: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1,2) "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) Mark 12:29 ".. the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Mark 12:32 ".. You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him." Ephesians 4:6 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Essential Elements of the Trinity 1. God is One. 2. Each of the persons within the Godhead is Deity. 3. The oneness of God and the threeness of God are not contradictory. 4. The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eternal. 5. Each of the persons of God is of the same essence and is not inferior or superior to the others in essence. 6. The Trinity is a mystery which we will never be able to understand fully. God is not described anywhere in the Bible as "two entities." "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16) _________________________________ "The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?" Hebrews 1:1-5. God is the Father of Christ; Christ is the Son of God. To Christ has been given an exalted position. He has been made equal with the Father. All the counsels of God are opened to His Son. Jesus said to the Jews: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. . . . The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth." John 5:17-20. Here again is brought to view the personality of the Father and the Son, showing the unity that exists between them." (Testimonies for the Church Volume Eight, page 268-9) "Before the entrance of evil, there was peace and joy throughout the universe. All was in perfect harmony with the Creator's will. Love for God was supreme, love for one another impartial. Christ the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father,--one in nature, in character, and in purpose,--the only being in all the universe that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. By Christ, the Father wrought in the creation of all heavenly beings. "By him were all things created, that are in Heaven, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers;"[1 COL. 1:16.] and to Christ, equally with the Father, all Heaven gave allegiance. Pride in his own glory nourished the desire for supremacy. The high honors conferred upon Lucifer were not appreciated as the gift of God, and called forth no gratitude to the Creator. He gloried in his brightness and exaltation, and aspired to be equal with God. He was beloved and reverenced by the heavenly host. Angels delighted to execute his commands, and he was clothed with wisdom and glory above them all. Yet the Son of God was the acknowledged sovereign of Heaven, one in power and authority with the Father. In all the counsels of God, Christ was a participant, while Lucifer was not permitted thus to enter into the divine purposes. "Why," questioned this mighty angel, "should Christ have the supremacy? Why is he thus honored above Lucifer?" (The Great Controversy [1888 edition], page 493, The Origin of Evil ) "Satan in Heaven, before his rebellion, was a high and exalted angel, next in honor to God's dear Son. His countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing a powerful intellect. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance, and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Jesus, God's dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created. Satan was envious of Christ, and gradually assumed command which devolved on Christ alone. The great Creator assembled the heavenly host, that he might in the presence of all the angels confer special honor upon his Son. The Son was seated on the throne with the Father, and the heavenly throng of holy angels was gathered around them. The Father then made known that it was ordained by himself that Christ, his Son, should be equal with himself; so that wherever was the presence of his Son, it was as his own presence. The word of the Son was to be obeyed as readily as the word of the Father. His Son he had invested with authority to command the heavenly host. Especially was his Son to work in union with himself in the anticipated creation of the earth and every living thing that should exist upon the earth. His Son would carry out his will and his purposes, but would do nothing of himself alone. The Father's will would be fulfilled in him. Satan was envious and jealous of Jesus Christ. Yet when all the angels bowed to Jesus to acknowledge his supremacy and high authority and rightful rule, Satan bowed with them; but his heart was filled with envy and hatred. Christ had been taken into the special counsel of God in regard to his plans, while Satan was unacquainted with them. He did not understand, neither was he permitted to know, the purposes of God. But Christ was acknowledged sovereign of Heaven, his power and authority to be the same as that of God himself. Satan thought that he was himself a favorite in Heaven among the angels. He had been highly exalted; but this did not call forth from him gratitude and praise to his Creator. He aspired to the height of God himself." (The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 1, page 17-19, Fall of Satan) ____________________ Cephas NOTE: Ellen White implies here that she has seen Satan who is a spirit. Angels are spirits. Psalm 104:4 "Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" Hebrew 1:7 "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." The Bible describes God's case against Lucifer in Ezekiel. Satan was the power behind the pagan King of Tyre: "Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tablets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou was created. Thou art anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou was perfect in ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire, thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." (Ezekiel 28:11-19) This Scripture is a prophecy still to come during the Tribulation. Lucifer, another name for Satan, has not fallen from heaven to earth out of God's presence till then. Satan still has to account to God for his actions. Ellen White is parallel to Mormon teachings where the fall of Satan is concerned. Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" Note: "didst weaken the nations is past tense." This Scripture is a prophecy of Satan's future. The fall comes in Revelation 12:7 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angel fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Notice this event is placed in the Book of Revelation after the event of the Two Prophets of God prophesy for 1260 days in sackcloth in Jerusalem. _________________________________________ "The only way in which the fallen race could be restored was through the gift of his Son, equal with himself, possessing the attributes of God. Though so highly exalted, Christ consented to assume human nature, that he might work in behalf of man and reconcile to God his disloyal subject. When man rebelled, Christ pleaded his merit in his behalf, and became man's substitute and surety. He undertook to combat the powers of darkness in man's behalf, and he prevailed, conquering the enemy of our souls, and presenting to man the cup of salvation." (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 8, 1892, Imperative Necessity of Searching for Truth ) "Christ, equal with God, the brightness of the Father's "glory, and the express image of his person" (Heb. 1:3), clothed His divinity with humanity, and came to this earth to suffer and die for sinners. The only-begotten Son of God humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. By bearing in His body the curse of sin, He placed happiness and immortality within the reach of all." (Selected Messages Book 1, page 308, A Divine Sin Bearer ) "The Sovereign of the universe was not alone in His work of beneficence. He had an associate--a co-worker who could appreciate His purposes, and could share His joy in giving happiness to created beings. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." John 1:1, 2. Christ, the Word, the only begotten of God, was one with the eternal Father--one in nature, in character, in purpose--the only being that could enter into all the counsels and purposes of God. "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6. His "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. And the Son of God declares concerning Himself: "The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting. . . . When He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." Proverbs 8:22-30. The Father wrought by His Son in the creation of all heavenly beings. "By Him were all things created, . . . whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him." Colossians 1:16. Angels are God's ministers, radiant with the light ever flowing from His presence and speeding on rapid wing to execute His will. But the Son, the anointed of God, the "express image of His person," "the brightness of His glory," "upholding all things by the word of His power," holds supremacy over them all. Hebrews 1:3. "A glorious high throne from the beginning," was the place of His sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12); "a scepter of righteousness," the scepter of His kingdom. Hebrews 1:8. "Honor and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." Psalm 96:6. Mercy and truth go before His face. Psalm 89:14." ( Patriarchs and Prophets page 34) "His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us." "The light of the knowledge of the glory of God" is seen "in the face of Jesus Christ." From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was "the image of God," the image of His greatness and majesty, "the outshining of His glory." It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God's love,--to be "God with us." Therefore it was prophesied of Him, "His name shall be called Immanuel." By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to angels. He was the Word of God,--God's thought made audible. ____________________________ Cephas NOTE Matthews 2:5, 4:4, 4:6, 4:7, 4:10, 11:10, 21:13, 26:24, 26:31, Mark 1:2, 7:6, 9:12, 9:13, 11:17, 14:21, 14:27, Luke 2:23, 3:4, 4:4, 4:8, 4:10, 7:27, 19:46, 24:46 John 6:31, 6:45, 8:17, 10:34, 12:14.. ect. are Scriptures that contain "It is written", why distort that phrase to "thought being audible." ____________________________ In His prayer for His disciples He says, "I have declared unto them Thy name,"--"merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"--"that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." But not alone for His earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little world is the lesson book of the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which "angels desire to look," and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed "(The Desire of Ages "God With Us" page 19) "After the baptism of Jesus in Jordan, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the evil. When he had come up out of the water, he bowed upon Jordan's banks, and plead with the great Eternal for strength to endure the conflict with the fallen foe. The opening of the heavens and the descent of the excellent glory attested his divine character. The voice from the Father declared the close relation of Christ to his Infinite Majesty: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The mission of Christ was soon to begin. But he must first withdraw from the busy scenes of life to a desolate wilderness for the express purpose of bearing the three-fold test of temptation in behalf of those he had come to redeem. Satan, who was once an honored angel in Heaven, had been ambitious for the more exalted honors which God had bestowed upon his Son. He became envious of Christ, and represented to the angels, who honored him as covering cherub, that he had not the honor conferred upon him which his position demanded. He asserted that he should be exalted equal in honor with Christ. Satan obtained sympathizers. Angels in Heaven joined him in his rebellion, and fell with their leader from their high and holy estate, and were therefore expelled from Heaven with him. God, in counsel with his Son, formed the plan of creating man in his own image. Man was to be placed upon probation. He was to be tested and proved; if he should bear the test of God, and remain loyal and true through the first trial, he was not to be beset with continual temptations, but was to be exalted equal with the angels, and made, thenceforth, immortal. ____________________________ Cephas NOTE: We referred to the Biblical description of what happened between Satan and God earlier. There is no reference in the Bible to Jesus Christ with respect to Satan in heaven. Again it reminds us of Mormonism. They teach that Satan and Jesus were spirit brothers and competed for God's love. Cults make every effort to place Satan and Jesus Christ on equal ground when Jesus Christ is God and Satan is a cherub, an angel. Satan is subservient to Jesus Christ in all respects. ____________________________ " (Redemption; or the Temptation of Christ --in-- The Wilderness, page 5, The Temptation of Christ. also The Spirit of Prophecy Volume Two, page 85, Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 24, 1874 ) "In the 13th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, 46th verse, we find that if we put God's work from us, and judge ourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we have no reason to expect an entrance into the kingdom. The 24th verse of the 14th chapter of Luke informs us that "none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper." The great eternal Father has prepared a marriage feast for His Son. Will we give heed to His servants who have been and are being sent forth to proclaim unto us the solemn invitation? Or shall we make light of it? Oh, why refuse to make ready for the marriage of the Son of God? There is room for all who will accept the invitation. None can say [that] those things were not duly represented. Remember, when the good man returns, those who are ready will go in to the feast and the door will be shut, and there will be no further entrance, for we read that when "the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door" (Luke 13:25), then those who would find admittance will hear the answer, "I know you not. . . ; depart from Me." May we heed well the solemn warning and make ready to enter into the wedding, that His house may be filled. God's Word informs us, "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" (Rev. 22:14). May we be found faithful, and give diligence to our calling, and possess the promised reward of the faithful, is my prayer.--Ms 8, 1874. (MR 900.56) "(Sermons and Talks Volume One, page 8-9 Called to the Wedding Feast ) _____________________________ Cephas NOTE: Interesting that the wedding is discussed by Ellen White which can only be consummated by the Resurrection / Rapture of the Lord's Church. We spoke to a Seventh-day Adventist recently and he insisted that there is no Rapture, that he is waiting for the final "White Throne Judgment," which takes place after the 1,000 year Millennium during which time Christ Jesus reigns from Jerusalem, Israel. For Christians it is impossible to believe that, since Jesus has not been physically present since His Resurrection and later Return to His Father. Joel 2:25 "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you." 2:27 "And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed." To reference time: "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." (Joel 2:32) The remnant is not called until the tribulation. Joel 3:1,2 "For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into he Valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." We are at the threshold of this prophecy today. Armageddon is not an event of the past but of the future. Describing the Millennium: Micah 4:2 "And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of this ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." __________________________ "It is in this time of probation that we are to prepare either for eternal life in glory, or for perdition. It is here that we are engaged in the work of character-building; and if we succeed, we shall merit from the Master the welcome, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Christ has gone into the most holy department, and has left us word to watch and pray, lest he return suddenly and find us sleeping. The character which we are now making will come in review before God before Christ leaves the sanctuary. Here God will see what characters we have been building for time and eternity. How shall we stand before the great Eternal? How many sheaves will we have brought to the Master through our earnest efforts? To every man is given his work, and that work is not to be looking for faults in others, nor to be seeking to imitate the world. Says the apostle, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." This means more than we think it does; dead to worldly interests, dead to worldly ambitions. What a position is this! Christ died that all heaven might be brought within our reach, that we might through such a divine provision be able to form characters for the future immortal life. We now have it our work to climb the ladder of progress, and urge our ways into the kingdom of heaven. We are to go on from strength to strength, and make it our first consideration to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, pursuing such a course as will stimulate others to do the same. " (Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, August 18, 1885, Article Title: Our Lord's Command to Watch ) _____________________________ Cephas NOTE: "It is here that we are engaged in the work of character-building, and if we succeed, we shall merit from the Master the welcome... " Here we have more error.. What does the Bible have to say about that? Are we on a ladder of progress? Here is what Jesus said: "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Why does He want us to try to keep the commandments? Because they convict us of our sinfulness. Just a thought of sin is a transgression. If we commit one sin, we commit them all. We cannot save ourselves or progress while we are in the flesh. Jesus being 100% God and 100% man, could not sin but the flesh was under the sin factor and He took all sin for all time upon Himself on the cross because God in Him was the only one capable of becoming the perfect sacrifice once and for all. It is finished. Zephanias 2:3 "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Romans 3:22-24 "Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is not difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" Speaking of Abraham as an example of just simply believing God's Word and trusting Him it is written : Romans 4:22 "Therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4:24,25) God only sees Jesus's righteousness and sees us through Jesus. "Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God." "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:18) Here is why we can't change, we have to do away with ourselves: Ephesians 4:24 "And ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 5:9 "(For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)" Philippians 3:9 "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Relative to the Bride of Christ: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness (#1345) of saints." (Revelation 19:8) Lexical Aids to the New Testament: #1345 Dikaioma; the product or result of being justified by God. The rights or claims which one has before God when he becomes His child by faith through Christ. In Revelation 19:8 where the translation is the righteousness of saints, it is actually the legal rights of saints.Many pastors teach that we can produce righteousness which is wrong. ________________________________ "Although our Lord ascended from earth to heaven, the Holy Spirit was appointed as His representative among men. "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless" [John 14:15-18]. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall [although unseen by you],[* THIS PHRASE WAS ADDED BY ELLEN WHITE.] teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" [John 14:26]. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will come not unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you" [John 16:7]. It is not in the order of God that any man, or any class of men, should assume that God has made them conscience for their brethren, or put forth the finite hand in a patronizing manner to control the Lord's delegated workers, thus endangering the safety of the Lord's heritage as well as their own, and retarding the work of God. God does not confine Himself to one man, or to a set of men, through whom to accomplish His work, but says of all, Ye "are laborers together with God." This means that every believing soul should have a part to act in His sacred work, and every individual believer in Jesus Christ is to manifest to the world a symbol of Christ's sufficiency, to represent to His church the higher laws of the future immortal world, and an obedience to the mandate of Heaven that is without a parallel. They should reveal a depth of knowledge independent of human inventions." (Manuscript Releases Volume Fourteen, page 23, Individual Responsibility to Accept Truth; Christ, the Great "I Am" ) ________________ Cephas NOTE: The Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 12:3 proves that without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." When we are saved we do His bidding. He guides us and expresses through us. How can we take credit for the work of the Holy Spirit? ________________ "The Scriptures clearly indicate the relation between God and Christ, and they bring to view as clearly the personality and individuality of each. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son; . . . who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said He at any time. "Thou art My Son, This day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son?" Hebrews 1:1-5. The personality of the Father and the Son, also the unity that exists between Them, are presented in the seventeenth chapter of John, in the prayer of Christ for His disciples: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." John 17:20, 21. The unity that exists between Christ and His disciples does not destroy the personality of either. They are one in purpose, in mind, in character, but not in person. It is thus that God and Christ are one." (The Ministry of Healing pages 421, 422 ) "Before Abraham was, I am." Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God. The message He gave to Moses to give to the children of Israel was, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." The prophet Micah writes of Him, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, tho thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of Thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Through Solomon Christ declared: "The Lord possessed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. . . . When He gave to the sea His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment; when He appointed the foundations of the earth; then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. He to whose voice the Jews were then listening had been with God as one brought up with Him." ( The Signs of the Times, August 29, 1900 Resistance to Light, No. 3 ) "But while God's Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding his pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with his Father. From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if thy accepted him, were to be blessed. "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God. The world was made by him, "and without him was not anything made that was made." If Christ made all things, he existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by him as his right. This was no robbery of God. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way," he declares, "before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth." There are light and glory in the truth that Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. This truth, infinitely mysterious in itself, explains other mysterious and otherwise unexplainable truths, while it is enshrined in light, unapproachable and incomprehensible. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." "The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." Here the pre-existence of Christ and the purpose of his manifestation to our world are presented as living beams of light from the eternal throne. "Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." "We preach Christ crucified," declares Paul, "unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." ( Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, April 5, 1906, The Word Made Flesh ) "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was . John 17:5. Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory. Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God. . . . In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God. . . . His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures. Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right. He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent." (The Faith I Live By, page 46, Chapter Title: The Three Dignitaries of Heaven, His Eternal Pre-existence) "Men need to understand that Deity suffered and sank under the agonies of Calvary" (Manuscript 44, 1898, and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 907). "The Deity did not sink under the agonizing torture of Calvary" (Letter: 1899, quoted in the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, page 1129). ________________ Cephas NOTE: Contradictions there are quite a few which is customary when people try to add to the "Written Word." ________________ "The meeting was opened at once. I spoke from John 14, dwelling particularly upon that portion which refers to the commandments of God, verses 15, 21-26. The Lord strengthened and blessed me in speaking to the people. I presented before them the fact that the Lord had graciously given to man a probation to try and test us, to see if we will prove loyal and true to the laws that govern His kingdom. Satan proved disloyal and was expelled from heaven, with the disloyal angels. There were quite a number of the First-day Adventists present. They are believers in the age to come, and disbelievers in the pre-existence of Christ before He came to our world. Although I had not the slightest knowledge of the faith of those present, being a stranger to the people, yet the remarks were so fitting to those present that Brother Jones, elder of the church, said he thought they would accuse him of telling me; but we came directly into the meeting without one word of conversation with anyone. I dwelt particularly upon the divine character of Jesus Christ. Oh, eagerly the men watched to catch something from my lips they could take advantage of. Some deny the divinity of Christ, and refuse to believe His pre-existence before the world was made." ( The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, page 784 Diary Entries ) "There is but one way of escape for the sinner. There is but one agency whereby he may be cleansed from sin. He must accept the propitiation that has been made by the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. The shed blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." A complete offering has been made; for "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,"-- not a son by creation, as were the angels, nor a son by adoption, as is the forgiven sinner, but a Son begotten in the express image of the Father's person, and in all the brightness of his majesty and glory, one equal with God in authority, dignity, and divine perfection. In him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. " ( The Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895 Christ Our Complete Salvation. ) "The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God's holy and sanctified day.-- TM 61. " (Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library Vol. 1, page 52, paragraph 2 Chapter Title: Babylon and the Remnant Church ) ________________________ Cephas NOTE: There are many Scriptures about the sabbath day and "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on sabbath day. (John 5:16) "Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day..." (John 9:16) "The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (Luke 6:5) "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:10-14) One of the major marks of a cult is the fact that they call themselves "the only true church." Their reason for doing that is to retain their flock. Relative to the fallen denominations : Proverb 30:10 "Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty." _________________________ "But while God's Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding His pre-existence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with His Father. From everlasting He was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted Him, were to be blessed. "The Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God. " (Selected Messages Book 1, page 247 Chapter Title: The Word Made Flesh Christ's Pre-existence ) "Some may suppose that these grand things in the natural world are God. They are not God. All these wonders in the heavens are only doing the work appointed them. They are the Lord's agencies. God is the superintendent, as well as the Creator, of all things. The Divine Being is engaged in upholding the things that He has created. The same hand that holds the mountains and balances them in position, guides the worlds in their mysterious march around the sun." (Selected Messages Book 1, page 293, The Revelation of God ) "Who is working faithfully for the Master in this age of the world, when the corruption of the earth is even as the corruption of Sodom and Gomorrah? Who is helping those around him to win eternal life? Are we cleansed and sanctified, fit to be used by the Lord as vessels unto honor? Will every church member now remember that deformity is not from God? The Divine Being is to be worshiped in the beauty of holiness; for He is excellent in majesty and power. . . . God desires His people to show by their lives the advantage of Christianity over worldliness. We are to live so that God can use us in His work of converting men and women and leading them to wash their garments of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. We are His workmanship, "created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Eph. 2:10). Through us God desires to reveal His manifold wisdom. Therefore He bids us let our light shine forth in good works.--Manuscript 73a, 1900. " ( Selected Messages Book 2, page 156-157 Christ's Lifework and Ours ) "But while God's Word speaks of the humanity of Christ when upon this earth, it also speaks decidedly regarding his preexistence. The Word existed as a divine being, even as the eternal Son of God, in union and oneness with his Father. From everlasting he was the Mediator of the covenant, the one in whom all nations of the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, if they accepted him, were to be blessed. "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Before men or angels were created, the Word was with God, and was God.-- The Review and Herald, April 5, 1906. " ( S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 7A, page 441, Christ's Place in the Godhead ) "The divine Being is engaged in upholding the things which he has created. God has laws which he has instituted; but they are only his servants, through which he effects results. It is God who calls everything into order, and keeps all things in motion." ( The Christian Educator, April 1, 1899 ) "Before the world was created, infinite Wisdom provided for the terrible possibility of man's disloyalty. Though man transgressed God's law, yet the law was not weakened in the slightest particular. It stands fast forever and ever as his eternal throne. No hope could be found for man through the alteration of God's law, but God so loved the world the he gave himself in Christ to the world to bear the penalty of man's transgression. God suffered with his Son, as the divine Being alone could suffer, in order that the world might become reconciled to him. From the moment that Christ entered the world, the whole confederacy of Satanic agencies was set at work to deceive and overthrow him as Adam had been deceived and overthrown. Could he win the victory over Christ, the world that God had created would become his empire. " ( Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, October 22, 1895, Article Title: Satan's Malignity Against Christ and His People ) "These words of Holy Writ say nothing of the independent laws of nature. God is the superintendent as well as the creator of all things. The divine Being is engaged in upholding the things which He has created. God has laws which He has instituted, but they are only His servants through which He effects results. It is God who calls everything in order and keeps all things in motion.--Ms 92, 1898, p. 5." ("The Revelation of God," typed July 6, 1898.) __________ Cephas NOTE: The expression "Divine Being" is not represented in the Bible. There is not much available about the Seventh-day Adventists Movement. It came into existence around the same time as the Mormon Church and Jehovah's Witnesses. In the beginning there was much similarity between the Watchtower and SDA which have been corrected. It is obvious from this research that the church still applies the law and people have to go up the ladder of progression like Mormons. They will not be liberated from the curse as you can see from the Scriptures presented. Error has to be renounced to prove one's faith is solely in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. __________ For further study of the Seventh-day Adventist Church here are a few links: http://www.adventist.org/ http://www.sdanet.org/ http://www.ellen-white.com/  BACK  NEWSLETTERS