14 REASONS WHY THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST DOCTRINE OF DEATH IS WRONG

 by Russell Earl Kelly, PHD

May 12, 2017

 

While most Christians believe that the soul is immortal and returns to God at death in a conscious state, Seventh-day Adventists (and Jehovah Witnesses) do not. While calling death "unconscious nothingness" or "soul sleep," they really teach annihilation of the soul at death. They teach that nobody is in heaven yet. All souls cease to exist at death and await recreation at the resurrection of the dead for both the righteous and the unrighteous. However, with very few exceptions, it is very evident that the soul [O. T. nephesh] survives without the body after death.

 

"Sheol," Strong's #7585, is the Hebrew word most often translated as "hell" (31x) and "grave" (30x) in the KJV Old Testament. It is also translated as "pit" (3x). Sheol is the "realm of the dead" and includes the concepts of death, souls and bodies for both the righteous and the unrighteous before Calvary.

 

1. NOT UNCONSCIOUS NOTHINGNESS: Sheol is very far from the S. D. A. definition of "unconscious nothingness." Not one of the 64 Sheol texts describe non-existence or nothingness. Therefore, since "unconscious" is not the same as "nothingness," SDAs lack a single verifying Sheol text for their doctrinal statement.

 

2. MORE THAN THE GRAVE: Sheol is much more than the grave. Since none of the 64 Sheol texts contain the Hebrew article "the" as would be expected before the word "grave," this suggests that Sheol, of Hell, the realm of the dead is the more accurate meaning. Most importantly, the most common O.T. words for "grave" and "sepulcher" are "qabar" (132x), "qeber" (70x)" and "qeburah" (15x).

 

3. DEEP DOWN: Sheol is located down. This cannot be true if Sheol were "nothingness" which has no location or direction. Something nonexistent cannot be "deep" and none of the following texts make sense if Sheol is "nothingness."

Job 17:16 down to the bars of the pit; 21:13 down; Numb 16:30 down quick into the pit; 16:33 down alive into the pit; Deut 32:22 fire shall burn unto the lowest hell; Ps 86:13 thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell; Prov 9:18  her guests are in the depths of hell; Isa 7:11 ask a sign; make it deep in Sheol; Isa 14:11 pomp is brought down to the grave [Sheol], and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [Sheol], to the sides [caves] of the pit [bor]; Ezek 31:15 down to the grave [Sheol]; Ezek 31:16 cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit: … in the nether parts of the earth; Ezek 31:17 down into hell [Sheol]; Ezek 36:21 down; Jonah 2:2 he heard me out of the belly of hell.

 

4. AS FAR DOWN AS HEAVEN IS HIGH: Sheol is a place which is as far down as heaven is up. God is there. Again this cannot be true of "nothingness."

Job 11:8 as high as heaven … deeper than hell; Ps 139:8 if I make my bed in hell, thou art there; Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit; Amos 9:2 Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.

 

5. PLACE: Not only is Sheol in a down direction, it is also a distinct place. Yet it cannot be both a place and nothingness."

Job 17:13 house, bed; 26:6 Sheol is naked  before God; Ps 49:14 … death shall feed on them … and their beauty shall consume in the grave [Sheol] from their dwelling; Ps 141:7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's [Sheol]  mouth; Prov 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell [Sheol]; Prov 7:27 Her house is the way to hell [Sheol], going down to the chambers of death; Prov 9:18 the dead are there and her guests are in the depths of hell Prov 23:14 beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell [Sheol]; Prov 27:20 Hell [Sheol] and destruction [Abaddon] are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Prov 30:16 The grave [Sheol]; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough; Isa 5:14 Therefore hell [Sheol] hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it; Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [Sheol], to the sides of the pit [bor]; Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [Sheol], to the sides of the pit [bor]; Isa 38:10 I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave [Sheol]: I am deprived of the residue of my years; Isa 38:11 I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world; Isa 57:9 debase thyself even unto hell [Sheol].

 

6. THE RIGHTEOUS GO THERE.

As early as Job, the righteous expected to go to Sheol at death and nothing is said about ceasing to exist.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep; Job 14:13-15 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me; (v14) If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come; (v15) Thou shalt call [me in Sheol], and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands; in Genesis 37:35; 42:38; 44:29 and 44:31 Jacob kept repeating that he would go "down" to "Sheol" in sorrow If death ended his sorrow, he would look forward to it. However he expected to continue in sorrow for Joseph after death; Ps 49:15 But God will redeem my soul [nephesh] from the power of the grave [Sheol]: for he shall receive me; Ps 88:3 For my soul [nephesh] is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave [Sheol]; Ps 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul [nephesh] from the hand of the grave [Sheol]?; Prov 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell [Sheol] beneath; Jonah 2:2 I cried … and he heard me out of the belly of hell [Sheol].

 

7. SHEOL IS A PIT -- NOT NOTHINGNESS

As a pit with caves, Sheol is not a description of nothingness. If the grave is "nothingness," what is the "lowest" grave?

Ps 30:3 thou hast brought up my soul from the grave [Sheol]: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit [bor]; Ps 88:3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave; Ps 88:4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength; Ps 88:5-6 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand (v6) Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps; Prov 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave [Sheol]; and whole, as those that go down into the pit [bor]; Ezek 31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell [Sheol] with them that descend into the pit … comforted in the nether parts of the earth; Ezek 32:18 … cast them down … unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit; Ezek 32:21 The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell [Sheol] with them that help him: they are gone down …; Ezek 32:23 Whose graves [qeburah]  are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave [qeburah] …; Ezek 32:24 gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth … with them that go down to the pit; Ezek 32:29  … with them that go down to the pit; Ezek 32:30 gone down with the slain … that go down to the pit.

 

8. THE WICKED GO THERE IN CONSCIOUSNESS

Sheol is a place where conscious souls cannot return to earth. It is a place of darkness, suffering, sorrows, pain and trouble. It "moves to meet" lost souls and "stirs up" others to "greet" them. It is a cruel place with "coals of fire" from a "most vehement flame." Some will "speak" to Pharaoh out of the midst of hell when he arrives and Pharaoh will "see" them.

1 Samuel 22:6 is it a place of sorrows; Job 26:5 dead things [Rephaim] are formed [tremble: NAS] from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof; Psalm 18:5 hell [Sheol] is a place of sorrows; Ps 116:3 the sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell [Sheol] gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow; Prov 1:12 let us swallow them up alive as the grave [Sheol]; and whole, as those that go down into the pit [bor]; Isa 14:9 hell [Sheol] from beneath is moved to meet thee: it stirreth up the dead [Rephaim] for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up all the kings of the nations; Isa 26:14-15, 19 they are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish; (v19) Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead [Rephaim]; Song 8:6 love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave [Sheol]: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame; Ezek 32:21 mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell [Sheol]; Ezek 32:24 yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit; Ezek 32:27 … which are gone down to hell [Sheol] with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads;  Ezek 32:31 Pharaoh shall see them …

 

9. REPHAIM/SPIRITS OF THE DEAD/ SHADES ARE THERE

The Rephaim (Strong's #7496) are mentioned eight (8) times in the Hebrew Old Testament. They are most likely the souls of the dead. Regardless of whom they are, their existence disproves the SDA teaching that the grave/Sheol is an "unconscious nonexistence."

Job 26:5 Dead things [Rephaim] are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

Ps 88:10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead [moot]? shall the dead [Rephaim] arise and praise thee?

Prov 2:18 For her house inclineth unto death [moot], and her paths unto the dead [Rephaim].

Prov 9:18 But he knoweth not that the dead [Rephaim] are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell [Sheol].

Prov 21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead [Rephaim].

Isa 14:9 Hell [Sheol] from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead [Rephaim] for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Isa 26:14 They are dead [moot], they shall not live; they are deceased [Rephaim], they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

Isa 26:19 Thy dead [moot] men shall live, together with my dead body [nebelah; bloat?] shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead [Rephaim].

 

10. NECROMANCY/WORSHIP OF THE DEAD

God's stern prohibition against attempting to conjure up the dead proves that Old Testament man believed that death did not end existence.

Lev 19:26 … neither shall ye use enchantment …; Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards …; Lev 20:6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people; Deut 18:10 There shall not be found among you any …  that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch; 1 Chron 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; Isa 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?; Isa 29:4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

 

11. SHEOL AND ABADDON

"Abaddon," destruction, the lowest part of Sheol, only occurs 7 times in the Hebrew Old Testament --- 6 times with Sheol. Souls cannot hide from God because He sees them. This cannot be true of they were "unconscious nothingness." Again, Abaddon is lowest" Sheol; if Sheol were "nothingness," what would "lowest Sheol" be?

Job 26:6 Hell [Sheol] is naked before him, and destruction [Abaddon] hath no covering; Job 28:22 Destruction [Abaddon] and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears; Job 31:12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction [Abaddon], and would root out all mine increase; Ps 88:11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave [qeber]? or thy faithfulness in destruction [Abaddon]?; Prov 15:11 Hell [Sheol] and destruction [Abaddon] are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?; Prov 27:20 Hell [Sheol] and destruction [Abaddon] are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

 

12. PSALM 16:10 AND ACTS 2:27, 31

Ps 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul [nephesh] in hell [Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul [psuchee] in hell [Hades], neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

Since Jesus' soul (O.T. nephesh; N.T. psyche) did not cease to exist in hell (O.T. Sheol; N.T. Hades), this is very strong evidence that Sheol/Hades is not a state of "unconscious non-existence" as taught by Seventh-day Adventists. Ephesians 4:9 teaches that Christ's soul "descended first into the lower parts of the earth." (It did not cease to exist.) Many believe that He did so in order to relocate Paradise from upper Sheol/Hades into heaven itself. Compare the movement from Luke 23:43 to 2 Corinthians 12:4 and Revelation 2:7.

 

13. RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT:

Old Testament man believed in a future time when the soul would be resurrected from sleep in Sheol to meet God in the judgment. Again, there is no suggestion that non-existence occurs at death; rather it is a hiding place.

Job 14:10-15 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost [expires], and where is he? (v11) As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, (v12) So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. (v13) O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave [Sheol], that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! (v14) If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. (v15) Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands; 1 Sam 2:6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave [Sheol], and bringeth up; Prov 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell [Sheol] beneath; Isa 28:18 [28:15-19] no escape of death and hell; Hos 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave [Sheol]; I will redeem them from death [moot]: O death [moot], I will be thy plagues; O grave [Sheol], I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

…………………………………….

 

 

 SDA TEXTS FOR SOUL NON-EXISTENCE

 

The following texts are used by Seventh-day Adventists to promote their doctrine that the grave is an unconscious nonexistence.

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Though Job is often more correct than his accusers, his conclusions are still only those of "vain" unenlightened man "under the sun." God tells him so in Job 38:2 "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" Even so, Job did not consider death to be an "unconscious nonexistence." In Job 2:18; 9:18 and 21:16 the Rephaim (dead spirits) are "there" with the "congregation of the dead" in the depths of Sheol. In 14:13-15 Job did not describe non-existence; he asked God to "hide me in the grave [Sheol]" and "keep me secret" "until thy wrath be past," "appoint me a set time," "remember me" and he would "wait til my change come" when God would "call" and he would "answer." In 17:13 Sheol is called a house and bed. In 17:16 and 21:13 Sheol located down to "the bars of the pit." In 26:6 Sheol is "naked" before God.

Ps 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

If Psalm 146:4 is contrasting life on earth with the soul's inability to communicate with living mankind, the text makes sense. Otherwise it is in contrast with many other Psalms. Referring to Jesus, Psalm 16:10 states that Jesus' soul would spend time in Sheol but not remain there; 18:5 describes Sheol as a place of sorrows; 30:3 describes either resurrection or resuscitation from Sheol; 49:15 God will redeem my soul [nephesh] from the power of the grave [Sheol]: for he shall receive me; 55:15 describes a place where men go down quickly and wickedness is inn their dwelling; 88:3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave [Sheol]; 86:13 Thou hast delivered my soul [nephesh] from the lowest hell [Sheol]; 88:4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength; 88:5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave [qeber], whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand; 88:6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps; 88:10 departed spirits [Rephaim] are there; 89:48 shall he deliver his soul [nephesh] from the hand of the grave [Sheol]; 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell [Sheol] gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow; 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell [Sheol], behold, thou art there; 141:7 Our bones are scattered at the grave's [Sheol]  mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. Surely all of the other Psalms' texts must be included in an accurate description of what happens at death.

Eccl 9: 5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Eccl 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Like Job, most of Ecclesiastes is not a book to base doctrine. Like Job, Ecclesiastes is a picture of how "vain" unenlightened man "under the sun" saw life perhaps 3000 years ago -- much of it is correct and much of it is wrong. Except for the final two verses (12:13-14), all of it is "vanity" "under the sun." For example 9:2 is only true if 12:14 is not true. According to 9:3, 9:2 is "evil" because there is no final spiritual understanding "under the sun" 9:4 is partially true because hope of grasping spiritual knowledge only resides with the living. Verses 8-9 are tongue-in-cheek as "all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun." The mockery of unenlightened man continues in 9:11 "I returned, and saw under the sun." Therefore it is wrong for SDAs to pull Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6 and 10 out of their context of "vanity under the sun."

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Dan 12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.   

Daniel 12:2 and 12:13 do not teach unconscious non-existence; instead, they teach a continuing existence of "rest" similar to "sleep."

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 25:8 does not teach non-existence of the soul at death. The chapter is about the restoration of national Israel in its own land, "in this mountain" (v6, 7, 10) --- a doctrine rejected by SDAs. Its context is the celebration of national Israel (v9).

John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

It is dishonest to quote 5:28-29 and ignore its context in 5:24-27. The souls of the living who "hear" and "believe" have already "passed [over] from death into [everlasting] life" and "condemnation" of a future "judgment" is also already passed (5:27). When Jesus said "and now is" in 5:25, He was referring to the spiritually dead among the living. Since Jesus has "life in himself" (5:26), He does not need to wait to conquer death. At the very least, 5:28-29 do not teach the non-existence of the soul because (at the very least) the bodies of dead saints "hear his voice" (5:28). When balanced with the "everlasting life" statement of 4:14, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" of 11:26, and Christ "bringing" the souls of believing saints back with him of 1 Thess 4:14, one sees the immortal soul awaiting the resurrection of the body in 1 Thess 4:16.

John 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

John 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

John 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

When Seventh-day Adventists quote John 11:11-14 to prove that the soul ceases to exist at death, they make the same mistake as Martha in 11:24. Again, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" of 11:26 refers to the immortal soul not experiencing spiritual death.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is an odd text to use to prove the non-existence of the soul at death. "Death" here must refer to the soul's separation from God at the moment one sins as it did with Adam and Eve; they did not die physically but their immortal soul died in an instantaneous separation from God (Gen 2:17; 3:7-8).

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1 Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

These texts are not even discussing what happens at death -- much less nonexistence of the soul. They are discussing what happens to the bodies of Christians who are alive when Jesus returns. The soul, being in the image of God, is already immortal. The body becomes immortal because it will not be separated from God --- it will not suffer either the first or second death ( 1 Cor 15:55-56; 1 Thess 4:13-16; Rev 20:6, 14; 21:8).

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

By lifting 3:4 out of is context of 3:1-3 SDAs attempt to make 3:4 say that Christians will not be with Christ until He returns. However verses 1-3 do not agree. The more important spiritual reality is that believers have already "risen with Christ" and are already "sitting" with Him "on the right hand of God" (3:1). They are already "dead" to sin and the things of this world and their lives are already "hid with Christ in God" (3:3). It is incredible how SDAs can ignore the very clear teaching of 3:1-3 and teach that souls cease to exist at death.

1 Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thess 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Incredibly, SDAs have taken some of the strongest texts in the Bible which prove that souls do NOT cease to exist at death and have attempted to make them say exactly the opposite! The Christians in Thessalonia thought that their loved ones who had recently died would not be included when Christ returned for His Church (4:13). Instead of "ceasing to exist," they were "sleeping in Jesus" (4:14)! Much more, Jesus would "bring" the souls of sleeping saints back with him (4:14)--- thus proving the SDA logic to be wrong! The souls of sleeping saints will be reunited with their bodies before the living saints will be caught up body and soul (4:15-17).  There is no "comfort" in telling mourners that their loved ones have ceased to exist (4:18); that is why SDAs use the term "sleep" instead of the harsh terms they really teach -- "unconscious nonexistence" and "annihilation."

1 Tim 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

1 Tim 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

SDAs quote First Timothy 6:16 to argue that only God is immortal. If this were true, the text would have several internal problems: (1) If it only refers to the Father, it disallows Christ and the Holy Spirit and (2) if Christ is included, it probably refers to inherent immortality (Jn 1:3). If man does not have immortality as part of the "image of God," terms such as "never die" and "everlasting life" have no special meaning.

         Rev. 20:1-10

The final texts submitted by Seventh-day Adventists to prove the non-immortality of the soul is Revelation 20:1-10. In Revelation 20:4 John saw "the souls of them that were beheaded" for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. There is no indication that this "first resurrection" involved the re-creation of these souls from nothingness. In 20:5 the text does not say that the souls of "the rest of the dead" continued to cease to exist." Such a statement would contradict all of the O. T. texts on consciousness in Sheol.

 

The SDA and EGW sequence of events from Revelation 20 to 21:2 is extremely out of order. GC656-675 contains many O. T. texts and little from Revelation 20:7-15.

In GC656-657 EGW states that none of mankind is alive at the beginning of the Millennium; this contradicts scores of unconditional O. T. prophecies to the contrary. In GC660 EGW says the wicked will be judged during the 1000 years while John 3:16-18 says they are judged as they reject the gospel. [Revelation 20:11-14 is the execution of the judgment.] Contrary to SDA doctrine, GC662-664 describes the wicked dead as "arising" out of the grave with the same physical features they died with; this means God would re-create them that way. This re-creation of the wicked dead from 20:13 occurs out of sequence in 20:8 to avoid admitting a populated earth during the Millennium. In GC662 EGW has Christ descending to the Mount of Olives per Zechariah 14; thus the SDA-conditional prophecy of literal Israel is re-instated only for Christ's literal return. In GC663-664 EGW has the saints in the New Jerusalem which (SDAs claim) is the "beloved city" of 20:9. This is odd because they SDAs a literal Mount of Olives for His return but deny a literal Jerusalem on earth during the Millennium because it contradicts their Millennium doctrine. On GC665 EGW inserts Christ appearing above the New Jerusalem while it is being attacked in Revelation 20:9. On GC666 the destruction of the wicked from 20:9 is equated with 20:11-12. Therefore, SDAs insert 20:11-15 and 21:1 before 20:9-10. Since "death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them" (20:13), the idea that death and hell are non-existence makes no sense -- they will give up the existing souls of unbelievers. Finally, Revelation 20:10's "shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" repeats the Third Angel's message of 14:10-11 which SDAs totally ignore. Whatever one might chose to call it, "something" will be tormented forever and ever. 

 

Russell Earl Kelly

russkellyphd@yahoo.com

The Sabbath Has Benn Changed Many Times

1. From GENESIS 2:1-3 to EXODUS 16:23-30 God changed the LENGTH of the creation Sabbath rest from an indefinite time into a 24-hour day in Exodus 16:23-30.

 

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Gen 2:4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

The Bible specifically states that the first six (6) days all had boundaries of "evening and morning" (Gen 1:5-31). However, the inspired Word does not state this about the first Sabbath day which demands the question “Why?”

There is an obvious break between Genesis 1:31 and 2:1. The word “day” in Genesis 2:2 is followed in 2:4 where the word “day” does not refer to a 24 hour period. SDAs claim an invented principle exists in which “days preceded by numbers are always 24 hour days.” However nowhere is this principle stated in Scripture, plus they do not apply this “rule” to numbered prophetic days (such as 1260)!

The Creation Sabbath rest was a period of time when both God and man rested in sinless harmony. We are not told how long that first sinless Sabbath rest lasted. Since "the wages of sin is death," the countdown days of Adam's life would begin when he sinned. Therefore the first “Sabbath rest” may have lasted thousands of years until sin entered.

In fact many believe that we are still living in the original creation Sabbath rest day because God has ceased creating new basic KINDS (allowing speciation) and is still resting from the creative beginnings of the universe.

Since Seventh-day Adventists cannot prove that their viewpoint is the only acceptable possibility, it is, therefore, questionable and most likely outright wrong.

2. From GENESIS 2:1-3 to EXODUS 16:23-30, God changed the Sabbath from an indefinite sinless creation rest in the Garden with Adam into weekly rest inside tents with one's family.

 

Ex 16:23-30 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and 1seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

 

3. From GENESIS 2:1-3 to EXODUS 16:29, God changed the FOCUS of the Sabbath from sinless Adam into national Israel.

 

Ex 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

4.  From EXODUS 16:23-30 to EXODUS 20:10, God modified the Sabbath from staying at home in the family tent into now causing any person or animal to work.

Ex 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

5. From EXODUS 16:23-30 to EXODUS 20:10, God permitted Israelites to own bond slaves. Seventh-day Adventists have changed the literal wording of the Sabbath commandment when they (correctly) describe slavery as a sin.

6. From EXODUS 23:32 to MATTHEW 28:19-20 God reversed His prohibition of Hebrews sharing their covenant with uncircumcised

  

Ex 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

 

Deut 7:2 And when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you; you shall smite them, and utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them.

7.  From EXODUS 31:15 and NUMBERS 15:32 either God or Israel removed the death penalty for Sabbath-breaking; it is never seen again in Scripture and SDA congressmen do not attempt to sponsor legislation to restore it.  Yet God's penalty for Sabbath-breaking should remain attached to the Sabbath.

 

Ex 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever does any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 

8. From EXODUS 20:8-11 to EXODUS 31:17, God changed the weekly Sabbath from a memorial of creation into a unique covenant sign only for Israel. Contrary to what SDAs teach, it is never called a "seal".

 

Ex 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.

 

9. From EXODUS 16:23; 20:8-11 and 31:13-17 to an unknown date God must have changed the Sabbath from a day of total rest into a day of worship and much activity. Contrary to Exodus 16:23-30, very soon it was no longer a sin to move around on the Sabbath outside one's home. Jesus walked to the synagogue to worship on the Sabbath; He and His disciples gleaned in the fields (Mt 12:1); He healed on the Sabbath (Jn 9:14) and He approved pulling animals out of the ditch on the Sabbath (Lk 14:5). This was a change from Exodus 16.

In SDA communities the Sabbath is the busiest day of the week... Traffic is heavy as cars leave for churches many miles away. Contrary to the literal explicit wording of the commandment, SDAs cause others to work when they use roadways, telephones, electricity, natural gas, water, sewage systems, etc.

10. Ignoring EXODUS 31:13-17, Seventh-day Adventists (not God) have changed the Sabbath from a unique cultic covenant sign only for national Israel into an eternal moral principle required from all mankind. This is a serious change. Important: it cannot be for both a unique only for national Israel and also for all mankind.

The Sabbath for Israel is very clear in Exodus 16:23; 20:2, 8-11; 31:13-17; Deut 5:1-3, 12-15. Yet it cannot be an eternal moral principle unless it is discernible by all mankind through nature, conscience and common sense. While 9 of the Ten Commandments are found in remote tribes around the globe, a specific day to worship is not. Mankind living in frigid regions could not keep warm by starting and maintaining fires. The necessary International Date Line in the middle of the Pacific has the possibility of making the Sabbath either a few seconds long to almost 48 hours long. The weekly 7th day Sabbath was not observed by Gentiles and only came via special revelation to national Israel (Rom 1:18-20; 2:14-16; John 1:9).

11. LEVITICUS 23:10-11, JUBILEE: Jesus elevated the IMPORTANCE of the Jubilee Sabbath rest above that of the weekly Sabbath rest when He chose the Jubilee Sabbath as the shadow and type of His gospel message in Luke 4:17-21. (See also Leviticus 25:10-11 and Isa 61:1). Whereas the weekly Sabbath was only a memorial of rest, the Jubilee Sabbath was a shadow of healing, deliverance, recovery and freedom (Lk 4:18).

 

Lk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, [Isaiah 61:1]

Lk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Lk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Lk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

Lk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

12. NUMBERS 28:9-22: MORE IMPORTANT SABBATHS: God lessened the IMPORTANCE of the seventh-day Sabbath when He added more important Sabbaths requiring far more sacrifices. With the lone exception of the new moon Sabbath, every other Sabbath in the Law required more sacrifices than the weekly Sabbath; this must mean less importance.

 

Numbers 28:9--22 details the animal sacrifices required for the monthly, weekly and seasonal Sabbaths.

13. Comparing EXODUS 20:8-11 with DEUTERONOMY 5:15, God changed the purpose of the weekly Sabbath from a memorial of creation rest (Ex 20:8-11) into a memorial of freedom from Egyptian bondage Deuteronomy 5:15. It is strange that Christians quote the earlier version from Exodus and not the latest from Deuteronomy 5.

 

Deut 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

14. ISAIAH 66: By teaching that Isaiah 66:23 proves that the weekly Sabbath will be kept throughout eternity, Seventh-day Adventists err by not teaching the same about the new moon Sabbaths. They ignore the context of Isaiah 66.

66:1-3 destroys the SDA doctrine that God lives in a literal temple patterned after that given to Moses for Israel.

6:10-14 destroys the SDA doctrine that literal Israel and Jerusalem are no longer involved in future prophecy and special God's love.

6:17 refers to unsaved persons attempting to save (sanctify) themselves using methods opposite to that what God teaches.

6:19-21 prophesizes a final gathering of all nations to Jerusalem which is totally ignored in SDA prophecy.

6:22 describes the literal Messianic reign of Christ on earth in terms of "new heavens and the new earth."  This is more of a problem text for SDAs than others because they deny a literal Messianic reign of Christ on earth.

6:23 means "every day of the month" and "every day of the week" -- from one month to another; from one week to the next. If (as SDAs insist) 6:23 proves that the weekly Sabbath will be observed throughout eternity, it proves too much because it would also prove that the monthly Sabbath will be also (and SDAs do not teach that).

6:24 disproves the SDA doctrine of annihilation. It also places the events of Isaiah 66 during the Messianic reign on earth (the Millennium) and not following Revelation 21:4.

Rev 21:25 suggests that there will be no days and nights in the new Jerusalem --therefore no divisions of days

SDAs quote none of the texts surrounding 66:23 because their own theology denies both a literal restoration of Israel in the last days and/or any attempt to reconcile the texts in their own eschatological context. While quoting it to convince others, none of it makes sense in their own eschatology. 

15. MATTHEW 5:17-19: SDAs change the meaning of Matthew 5:17-19 when they use them to teach the Sabbath. They argue that, since the law is still in force, then so is the Sabbath day.

 

Matt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Mt 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mt 5:19 Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Using Matthew 5:17-19 to support weekly Sabbath observance changes God's Word and is self-defeating. The texts correctly literally teach that we are either under all of the Law or none of it. Yet any beginning Bible student can discover that verses 20-48 include examples from the whole law of commandments, judgments, and statutes. Therefore, the texts cannot be used to argue that the law here only refers to the Ten Commandments.

16. MATTHEW 19:16-17: SDAs argue that Sabbath-keeping is essential for salvation by quoting Matthew 19:17.

 

Matt 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Mt 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enters into life, keep the commandments.

A. This encounter occurred before Calvary when Jews were under the full jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law. Obedience to the entire Mosaic Law, not merely the Ten Commandments is in view here. Proof that one was a true Hebrew was exhibited by obedience to all of the law and not merely the Sabbath.

B. Neither Jesus, His disciples nor the rich young ruler would have interpreted “the commandments” here as only the Ten Commandments. Yet Seventh-day Adventists want people to conclude such.

C. Either Jesus was teaching salvation by works, or else He was testing the rich young ruler whom He knew lied when he claimed to have obeyed God from his youth (V20).

D. Also, neither Jesus, Paul, Peter nor James would have made such a statement after Calvary. The words “the commandments” are not the same as the words “my commandments” and “commandments” as used by the Apostle in any of his epistles. 

E. By "commandments" Jesus meant "What I tell you to do." That which was “Jesus’ commandments” and “my commandments” changed according to Jesus’ audience. He commanded his Jewish disciples to obey the Mosaic Law in Matthew 5:23-24 and 8:4. However, Jesus never commanded Gentiles whom he healed to observe the Mosaic Law.

17. MATTHEW 24:20: SDAs change the Sabbath of Matthew 24:20 by removing it from its biblical context of Judea, Jerusalem and the temple on earth.

 

Matt 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.

A.  Mathew 24:20 does not say that Christians were observing the Sabbath day; it merely states that Sabbath observance would hinder their escape if gates were locked and shops were closed.

B. The context of Matthew 24 is last-day events concerning Judea, Jerusalem and the temple in Jerusalem. Since SDAs teach that Judea, Jerusalem and the temple on earth are not involved in last-day prophecy and make no effort to explain Matthew 24, they have no grounds to pull the Sabbath reference of Matthew 24:20 out of context.

C. The Dispensational interpretation of Matthew 24 best explains the mention of the Sabbath. These events occur during the future 70th week of Daniel when unconverted Hebrews have (wrongly) re-instituted the Old Covenant Law and are observing the weekly Sabbath.

D. If Matthew 24:20 “proves” that the Sabbath was still being observed by Jewish Christians, then, with Acts 21:20-21, it also “proves” that the whole Mosaic Law was still being observed (though ignorantly) by Jewish Christians. Post biblical church history reveals that this church soon rejected Paul, became much more legalistic, became known as Ebionites and Ekiasites, and drifted away from orthodox Christianity before disappearing as an offshoot sect several centuries later.

 

Acts 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

 

18. MARK 2:27-28 (Mt 12:8): SDAs change the purpose of the Sabbath when they insist that Mark 2:27 can only be interpreted to include all mankind.

 

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

 

A. SDAs only allow the Greek words, ho anthropos, to mean “mankind” although a different word, phusei, is translated as “race,” “species” or “mankind” in James 3:7. They insist that ho Anthropos can ONLY mean “man in general” or “all mankind.” However, this is far from conclusive.

B. God gave the Sabbath to national Israel as their special old covenant sign and commanded them NOT to share their covenant. This is clear in Ex 23:32; 31:13-17; Deut 7:2 and Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

C. The “men (Anthropos)” in the context are Hebrew men under the jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law. Thus Jesus might have been saying “The Sabbath was made for the Hebrew man [who is under the law] and the Hebrew man was not made for the Sabbath.”

D. Because of the Greek definite article ho meaning “the”,” THE “man” could easily refer to Jesus. This is true in 13 of 21 uses in Mark’s Greek text. Thus Jesus could have been saying “The Sabbath exists for THE man, THE Messiah, THE Son of man, and Messiah does not exist FOR the Sabbath.” In other words, Jesus the Messianic “Son of man” did not come to serve the Sabbath, but the Sabbath day was to serve His needs in Israel. 

E. As discussed earlier, it is impossible for the Sabbath day to be at the same time “for all mankind” and also be a unique sign of the God’s old covenant with national Israel in Exodus 31:13-17.

19. JOHN 15:11-20, COMMANDMENTS: While Seventh-day Adventists themselves pick and choose when determining which of Jesus’ “commandments” they think still apply to the church, they accuse others of being commandment breakers.

A. No Jewish follower would have subdivided the Mosaic Law into three divisions in an attempt to only observe the Ten Commandments and ignore the remainder of it. Second, when Jesus told his Jewish disciples who were still under the full jurisdiction of the Mosaic Law to “keep his commandments” he was certainly not instructing the post-Calvary mysterious body called the “ekklesia” about sanctification after Calvary. Third, if the SDA viewpoint were true, then they would have little need for the epistles.

B. The only consistent hermeneutic is the one which says that “Only that which is either repeated after Calvary in terms of grace or that which is universally knowable through natural law can be brought forward out of the Mosaic Law into the New Covenant.” That compares to what the U.S. government did when it discarded all of the British law and began completely anew writing their own U.S. Constitution.

20. ACTS 15:10: SDAs change the Sabbath by including it into Acts 15:10 when the context clearly rejects it for Gentle Christians.

 

Acts 15:10 [Peter said] Now, therefore, why tempt ye, God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

21. ACTS AND PAUL: SDAs change the reason for Paul's Sabbath preaching to prove he kept the Sabbath.

In Acts 13:14 they do not point out that Paul’s pattern was always a) first to the Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath because he had an open free pulpit as a Jew and especially as a highly educated rabbi and b) usually to the Gentiles DAILY after he had been rejected from the synagogues.

In Acts 13:42-44 SDAs conveniently OMIT 13:39 “And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” They quote verses 42 and 44 and ignore verse 43 which points out the Gentiles who asked Paul to preach on the following Sabbath wee Jewish God-fearing proselytes who had already been persuaded to observe the Sabbath!  They did not turn to the non-proselyte Gentiles who did not worship on the Sabbath until verse 46!

 

Before quoting Acts 16:13 SDAs also conveniently skip over the very important first Jerusalem church council in Acts 15.

 

Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.

 

Acts 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

 

Paul was opposed by Christian Pharisees who wanted Gentile converts to observe all the Mosaic Law, including Sabbath-keeping.

 

Acts 15:8-10 And God, which knows the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

 

Peter had witnessed how God saved Gentiles by faith who had not observed the Mosaic Law. He knew that the Pharisees’ insistence on circumcision and Sabbath-keeping had lost its value.

 

Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [Jews] shall be saved, even as they [Gentiles].

 

After his experience in Acts 10-11 Peter realized that salvation by faith alone also saved the Jews.

 

Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, You must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.

 

James confirmed that the church in Jerusalem had no intention of expecting the Gentile converts to observe the Mosaic Law, including Sabbath-keeping. He called such action “subverting your souls.”

 

Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.

 

The Holy Spirit even confirmed that Gentile Christians were not obligated to observe the Mosaic Law; the “necessary things” do not include Sabbath-keeping. Seventh-day Adventists ignore these texts as they progress through the book of Acts to teach Sabbath-keeping out of context.

 

Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

SDAs also ignore the texts which indicate that Paul preached on every day of the week when he had no strictly Jewish or Jewish proselyte audience.

 

The “decrees” ordained by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem were those from chapter 15 which are ignored by SDAs.

 

SDAs quote:

Acts 16:13 And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was expected to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women which resorted there.

There was probably no synagogue in Philippi so Paul wisely went to where Jews and proselytes were known to gather for prayer on the Sabbath.

SDAs OMIT the following verses which describe the woman who followed them “many days” while Paul was preaching on other days of the week (Acts 16:18). The sequence of events is repeated in Berea where Paul first went to the synagogue on the Sabbath (17:10) which was followed by the Bereans searching the scriptures “daily” in 17:11. Again while in Athens scripture shows us that Paul did the same thing. In Acts 17:17 “he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews (on Sabbath) and with the devout persons (Gentile God-fearer proselytes) and in the market DAILY with them that met with him.”

 

SDAs quote:

Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Again the Corinthian Greeks in 18:4 are the God-fearer proselytes. Afterwards (18:7) Paul left the synagogue and preached (daily) in the house of Crispus where many believed and were baptized (18:8). Paul stayed in Corinth for eighteen months (18:11) and he was not in the synagogue.

  God and Seventh-day Adventists Have Changed the Sabbath

While in Ephesus the Bible tells us that Paul disputed with the Jews in the synagogue for three months (19:8). “But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning DAILY in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9).

It is amazing how SDAs forget to tell how all of their Sabbath day illustrations end with Paul going to the Gentiles and preaching to them DAILY.

22. ACTS 21:20-21, EARLY CHURCH: Seventh-day Adventists misinterpret and change the Word of God to make it appear that the entire early church worshipped on Saturday Sabbath. Yet history affirms that only the Eastern Roman Empire worshipped on the Saturday Sabbath for several centuries. They did so because they misunderstood the Law (Acts 21:20-21). However, God's Word affirms that Gentiles in the East were not required to worship on Saturday (Acts 15:28 and 21:25).

SDAs do not want others to know that the Western Roman Empire very early worshipped on Sunday. All church historians except SDAs state this correctly. Although Catholics claim to have changed the Sabbath, they distort the truth that Constantine made the decision apart from pressure from the Western papacy. Still unbaptized, Constantine did NOT do this to obey the papacy; he did it to bring unity to his empire.

23. ROMANS 14:5: SDAs change God's Word by twisting the very obvious Sabbath-day reference in Romans 14:5 into something different.

 

Rom 14:5 One man regards one day above another: another regards every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Unfortunately for the SDA “missing text´ argument, Paul never taught that Sunday replaced the Saturday Sabbath. Instead, he taught that there were no longer holy days; all days were equal opportunities to preach the gospel. In Galatians 4:10-11, he opposed any holy day.

Again Paul’s pattern was clear: a) To Jewish synagogue on Sabbaths where he had an open pulpit until chased out and, then, b) to Gentiles every day of the week. The SDA claim that Paul always observed the Sabbath is unbiblical.

24. EPHESIANS 1:13, THE SEAL OF GOD: SDAs change God's Word for Christians when they teach that the seal of God in Revelation 9:4 is the unique sign of God's Old Covenant with Israel (Ex 31:13). In fact, the Sabbath is never called a "seal" in the Bible. Yet SDAs ignore the two things which are called "seals" -- circumcision and the Holy Spirit. Oddly, they do not refer to circumcision as a sign and seal of righteousness by faith (Romans 4:11). The Bible clearly teaches that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit in 2nd Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, and 4:30.

25. CONCLUSION: Who changed the Sabbath? First, God changed it often. Second, SDAs changed it very often. Your comments are appreciated.

Source: Russell Earl Kelly, PHD