IS THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A CULT?

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST
Amid the great wave of eschatological fervor of the mid 1800’s Seventh Day Adventism was born. One of the early leaders of the movement was William Miller. Miller was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in February 1782. As a young man he was a farmer with a fine reputation, a captain during the war of 1812, and an overall outstanding citizen. Religiously, at first he was a member of a local Baptist church. However, some more skeptical friends lead him into a form of frigid deism. After recapturing his Christianity, he applied himself to a much deeper, more earnest and honest study of the Bible. For a sixteen year period, with only his bible and a concordance, and with no formal church teaching, he fell into what some would characterize as some extreme notions in the area of Bible prophecy. He then set out to spread these notions to any who would listen.
By 1840 Adventism was becoming a significant movement. This was especially true with the publication of the influential periodical, The Sign of the Times. With it the message of the imminent return of Christ began to spread. Based on his study and calculations Miller announced his expectation of Christ’s return to occur between March 21, 1842 to March 21, 1843. Of course this did not occur and six weeks later Miller wrote to his disillusioned followers the following, “Were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with god and man I should have to do as I have done. Although the opposition said it would not come, they produced no weighty arguments. It was evidently guesswork with them; and I then thought, and do now, that their denial was based more on unwillingness for the Lord to come than on any arguments leading to such a conclusion… I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment; yet I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door; and I exhort you, my brethren, to be watchful, and not let that day come upon you unaware.”[1] Later predictions of Christ’s return included October 20 to 22, 1944. October 22 was declared to be the date for the “End of the World”. Five years after the failure of Christ to return, Miller went to be with him. His tombstone reads, “At the time appointed, the end shall be.”[2]
Succeeding Miller as the identified prophet and leader of the Adventist movement is Ellen G. White. Where Miller based his predictions on his exposition of the Bible, White based her’s on numerous “revelations”. A subsequent difference which needs to be noted is the fact the when confronted by his errors Miller admitted them, White would not. Her revelations began in 1844 and proceeded until her death in 1915.. E. G. White still holds a great deal of power in the Seventh day Adventist Church of today. When asked if the Adventist’s considered White to be inspired, in the sense the Scriptures are inspired, one SDA pastor’s description more fit the idea of illumination than actual inspiration. Ellen Whites writings are not considered a substitute for the Scriptures, and Scripture should be used to judge her writings.

The Seventh-day Adventists and the Scriptures
The Seventh-day Adventists do believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures. However, they do not seem to go so far as to believe in the Verbal / plenary inspiration of the Bible. The following information is taken from a book entitled, Seventh-day Adventists Believe – A Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines. They say, “Divine revelation was given by inspiration of God to ’holy men of God’ who were ‘moved by the Holy Spirit’ (2 Peter 1:21). These revelations were embodied in human language with all its limitations and imperfections, yet they remained God’s testimony. God inspired men – not words…God instructed them to describe to the best of there ability what they saw or heard.”.[3] Ellen G. White has written in her book Selected Messages, “God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen.” [4] White also writes in the same work, “Inspiration acts not on the man’s words or his expressions but on the man himself, who under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts…The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will, thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.”[5] Based on this thinking it is said, “A parallel exists between the incarnate Jesus and the Bible. Jesus was God and man combined, the divine and the human in one. So the Bible is the divine and human combined…This divine-human combination makes the Bible unique among literature.”[6]
Based on their view of inspiration the Seventh-day Adventists believe the Scriptures to be accurate. They allow for the variance of ancient manuscripts by holding that the essential truths have been preserved. They hold that the alleged errors of the copyists and translators were really more misunderstandings. At the root of these misunderstandings is the fact that the Bible was being read through western eyes. Perceived discrepancies should not erode our confidence in the Scriptures, but should be recognized as the product of our inaccurate perceptions.
They also consider the Bible to be authoritative, but this to is tied to inspiration.
Damsteegt writes, “If we perceive the Bible as being merely a collection of human testimonies or if the authority we grant it in some way depends on how it moves our feelings or emotions, we sap its authority in our lives. But when we discern God’s voice speaking through the writers, no matter how weak and human they may have been, the Scriptures be come absolute authority in matters of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).”[7] The Adventists hold that all human wisdom must be subject to the authority of scripture. They see the Bible as the norm by which all other ideas are to be tested. Damsteegt says, “Judging the Word of God by finite human standards is like trying to measure the stars with a yardstick.”[8]

The Seventh-day Adventists and the Trinity
The Seventh-day Adventists do believe in the triune God or Trinity made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is one God and only one God in both the Old and New Testaments, but He is a godhead made up of three individuals, a unity of three co-equal and co-eternal persons having a unique and mysterious relationship. There is no distance between the three persons of the Trinity. All three are divine, and they share certain powers and qualities. As in human organizations there is a final authority, in the case of the Godhead this final authority rests in all three members of the Trinity. The three together express an excellent working relationship with the Father acting as the source, the Son the mediator, and the Holy Spirit acting as the actualizer.
Seventh-day Adventists believe the Father to be, “…the Eternal Father is the
Creator, Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy, merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities and powers exhibited in the Son and Holy Spirit are also revelations of the Father.”[9] Their belief about Jesus is, “God the Eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God’s power and was attested as god’s promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things.”[10] They believe the Spirit to be,”…active with the Father and the Son in creation, incarnation, and redemption. He inspired the writers of scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth.”[11]

The Seventh-day Adventist and Salvation
The need for salvation is seen as the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan. Their Fundamental Beliefs include the following statement, “This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God’s adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity.”[12]
In response to this the Adventists believe the death of Christ to be the only means of atonement, and acceptance of this atonement brings eternal life. They believe, “This perfect atonement vindicates the righteousness of God’s law and the graciousness of His character; for it both condemns our sin and provides our forgiveness. The death of Christ is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and transforming.”[13] Our contact with salvation comes by being led by the Holy Spirit to sense our need for salvation, acknowledge our sinful state, and then exercise faith in Jesus Christ as our substitute and example. Also through the Spirit we are born again, sanctified, renewed, and we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.[14]

The Seventh-day Adventist and the Sacraments
In Adventism baptism is seen as part of our confession of faith in Christ. In it the participant testifies to the their death to sin and their new purpose of walking in newness of life. It represents our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sin, and the reception of the Holy Spirit. Adventists practice baptism by immersion after one has affirmed their faith in Jesus Christ. It is seen as evidence of their repentance.[15]
In the Seventh-day Adventist church communion is open to all believers. It is a proclamation of Christ’s sacrificial death. The Adventists believe that communion needs to be preceded by a period of self-examination, repentance, and confession. When communion is celebrated a service of foot washing is done as well. Adventist belief says, “The Master ordained the service of foot washing to signify renewed cleansing, to express a willingness to serve one another in Christlike humility, and to unite our hearts in love.”[16]

The Seventh-day Adventist and the Sabbath
The most stark difference between the seventh-day Adventists and mainline Christianity is their adherence to the Sabbath. They consider the Sabbath to be from Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset. Before it begins it is customary to make preparations for the Sabbath observance so nothing can spoil its sacredness. This includes the preparation of food for the Sabbath day. Before sunset Friday it is suggested that each family gather for a time of worship, prayer, and Bible reading. It is advised that this be repeated at the close of the Sabbath as well. Based on Christ’s example Adventists gather for their corporate worship on Saturday. They see the change from Saturday to Sunday worship as the influx of Roman paganism into Christianity.

MY CONCLUSION
Unlike the other groups in this study, I personally struggle with branding the Seventh Day Adventist a cult. They believe in the inspiration of the scriptures, and they do not add or remove from the Scriptures. They believe in the Trinity and the Sacraments as do orthodox, conservative Christians. The attempts made a setting a definite date for Christ's second advent were admitted to be in error by those who made the predictions.

[1] Gerstner, John H., The Teachings of Seventh-day Adventism, (Grand rapids, MI., Baker Book House, 1960) pp. 8 and 9
[2] Ibid., p. 9
[3] Damsteegt, P. G. , Seventh-day Adventists Believe – A Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines, (Hagerstown, Maryland, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988), p.8
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid. p. 8 and 9
[7] Ibid. p. 13
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid. p. 28
[10] Ibid. p. 36
[11] Ibid. p. 58
[12] Ibid. p. 97
[13] Ibid. p. 107
[14] Ibid. p. 118
[15] Ibid. p. 179
[16] Ibid. p. 193