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Clear Word Bible.. Adding On To God’s Word? [Below]
Presently headquartered in Washington D.C. The Seventh day Adventists roots go back to William Miller, a New England Baptist itinerant preacher. They adopted the name of Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1860, and formally incorporated in 1863, with approximately 3,500 members in 125 congregations (Encyclopedia of American Religion, Vol. 2, p. 681).
Some of the outstanding trademarks of virtually all cults who profess themselves to be Christian is 1) The belief that they are the only ones (the ‘remnant’) who will be saved. 2) Total commitment to false prophets. 3) Meddling with Scripture to endorse their teaching. 4) Deviating from essential truths of the Bible such as who Jesus is and how salvation is obtained. Sadly the SDA’s have done much of the above. This is a short summary of their teaching.
Short History
Miller preached that Christ would return in 1844 and the world would come to an end. He had arrived at this date based upon a study of Daniel 8:14 which says, "And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored." He interpreted the 2300 evenings and mornings to be years and counted forward from 457 BC when the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem was given (Dan. 9:24-25). His followers viewed all the churches of the day as apostate and urged Christians to come out of them, which many of them did, heralding the birth and rapid spread of the Adventists. (Melton, J. Gordon, Encyclopedia of American Religions, Vol. 2, pp. 21–22).
When his initial predictions failed, he adjusted his findings to conclude that Jesus would return on March 21, 1844 and then later on October 22, 1844. After these too failed, Miller quit promoting his ideas on Jesus' return and the "Millerites" broke up. On the morning following the "Great Disappointment" of October 22, 1844, a Mr. Hiram Edson claimed to have seen a vision. He said that he saw Jesus standing at the altar of heaven and concluded that Miller had been right about the time, but wrong about the place. In other words, Jesus' return was not to earth, but a move into the heavenly sanctuary as is referenced in Heb 8:1-2.
“Investigative Judgment.”
Mr. Joseph Bates (1792-1872), a retired sea captain and a convert to "Millerism" then began to promote the idea of Jesus moving into the heavenly sanctuary. He published a pamphlet which greatly influenced James (1821-1881) and Ellen White (1827-1915). It is these three who were the driving force behind the SDA movement. Numerous reports state that Ellen G. White (1827-1915) saw visions from an early age. Shortly after the Great Disappointment Mrs. White claimed to see in a vision of a narrow path where an angel was guiding Adventists. Subsequent visions resulted in interpretations of the three angels in Rev 4:6-11, as being 1843-1844 as the hour of God's judgment; the fall of Babylon signified by Adventists leaving various churches, and admonitions against Sunday worship.
“…Our High Priest enters the holy of holies [in 1844]…to perform the work of investigative judgement and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits… [Christ] had kept His Father’s commandments, and there was no sin in Him… this is the condition in which those must be found who shall stand in the time of trouble” (Great Controversy, pp. 480, 623).
“…The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgement should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position [in the Holy of Holies] and work [investigative judgement] of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith, which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs for them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God… All who have received the light on these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths, which God has committed to them. The sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men… It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects… The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon a cross. By His death He began that work which after his resurrection He ascended to complete in Heaven” (Ibid., pp. 488–89; emphasis added).
The following is in answer to request to explain ‘Investigative Judgment’ (Website of Seventh day Adventist Church of UK and Ireland. 2002 British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists).
“... we have always had a healthy interest in Christ’s Second Coming we have done some detailed studies of the events connected with His return. Revelation 22:12 suggests that the rewards have already been decided before the Second Advent, when Jesus comes as King. Even in the Old Testament Daniel 7:9-14 pictures a judgement scene which precedes the Advent. So obviously some kind of investigation and decision-making process takes place before Jesus actually returns. We get extra details from the rituals and symbolism of the Old Testament sanctuary. Here we see the priests working every day in the outer court and the Holy place. However, once every year, there was the special day of judgement, known as the Day of Atonement. We believe the Jewish sacrificial year was an illustration of God’s plan of salvation and that the equivalent of the Day of Atonement has already begun. Thus we believe that Jesus, our High Priest, is now involved in a final judgement phase, the results of which will be seen when He comes again.”
The official SDA website says the following about Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary..
“There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment, which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent. (Heb. 8:1-5; 4:14-16; 9:11-28; 10:19-22; 1:3; 2:16, 17; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14; 9:24-27; Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6; Lev. 16; Rev. 14:6, 7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)
The whole concept of the investigative judgement is adverse to the Gospel. Jesus did not wait until 1844 to enter the Holy of Holies in heaven (Heb. 1:3; 6:19–20; 8:1; 9:6–12, 24; 12:2). He is not still making an atonement in heaven (Heb. 9:25–26; 10:11–14).
The investigative judgement proposes to “vindicate the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus,”. This is striking at the very heart of the Gospel message… Romans 3:24-26 flatly states that we are vindicated by Christ’s dying on the cross.
SDA insists that, like Christ, no sin must be found in those “who will stand in the time of trouble”. So according to Ellen White no one will be forgiven until all sins are eradicated from one’s life. Mormonism teaches the same heresy. Salvation is by grace alone through faith according to the Bible.
Additionally they teach that the 1844 event must be believed in to exercise the proper faith necessary to be saved. Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” (completed, paid in full). Which makes it impossible that there was another salvation event more than 1800 years later, which is just as “essential to salvation as Christ’s death on the cross”, in which one must believe in order to be saved.
Baptism:
“…Christ made it clear that He required baptism of those who wished to become part of his church, His spiritual kingdom.” “In baptism believers enter into the passion experience of our Lord.” “…Baptism also marks a person’s entrance into Christ’s spiritual kingdom.…it unites the new believer to Christ.… Through baptism the Lord adds the new disciples to the body of believers — His body, the church.… Then they are members of God’s family” (SDA’s Believe…, pp. 182, 184, 187).
(See Baptism]
The Sabbath:
“…The divine institution of the Sabbath is to be restored… The delivering of this message will precipitate a conflict that will involve the whole world. The central issue will be obedience to God's law and the observance of the Sabbath. Those who reject it will eventually receive the mark of the beast” (SDA’s Believe, pp. 262–63).
Ellen White wrote that Sabbath observance would be the “line of distinction” in the “final test” that will separate God’s end-time people who “receive the seal of God” and are saved, from those who “receive the mark of the beast” (The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan, p. 605).
Describing a supposed vision direct from God, Ellen White wrote, “I saw that the Holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers” (Early Writings, p. 33;). She also wrote of some Adventists failing to understand that “Sabbath… observance was of sufficient importance to draw a line between the people of God and unbelievers” (Ibid., p. 85).
The website of the Seventh day Adventist church of UK and Ireland does not refute this, but, in my opinion, skirts the issue. When asked why the book SDA’s Believe states that celebrating the Sabbath on a Sunday "had its origins in ‘the mystery of lawlessness’." And that all churches that continue to worship on Sunday will "eventually receive the mark of the beast."… their answer is…
“Seventh-day Adventists believe that the fourth commandment is just as important as the other nine and that God actually wants the people that He has saved to worship on a Saturday. Obviously many other Christians don’t see this in quite the same way as we do, but we believe that some time in the future the Sabbath versus Sunday question will become a key issue in Christianity. When it does then Christians will have to make a choice as to which side they are on. It is this decision, choosing to obey God or not to obey Him, that we think will eventually determine who has the ‘mark of the beast’. We don’t claim to have reached that time yet and we certainly would not say that any truly born again Christian who is currently worshipping on a Sunday has the ‘mark of the beast’ or is under Satan’s influence. However we would ask our fellow Christians to think about the question of the Sabbath. We’ve done a lot of research on the subject and we’re quite happy to discuss it with anyone”.
The SDA therefore teaches that the Sabbath observance will eventually be the dividing line between the saved and the lost and trust in Christ is not sufficient to save anyone. The Old Testament Sabbath was never anything more than a shadow of the substance. The reality of the New Testament Sabbath rest of God, which Paul and the writer of Hebrews make clear, is Christ Himself, and the rest one experiences from one’s own works when one enters into Christ (Heb. 4:1–10). Besides which there is ample evidence in Acts that the early church broke bread on Sunday.
See
Six Facts For Saturday Sabbatarians To Ponder
The Lord's Day.. History and Significance
Jesus and The Law
Who Christ Is.
In answer to the question as to whether SDA’s believe that Jesus is Michael the archangel. The Website of Seventh day Adventist church of UK and Ireland says...
“…apparently the Church discussed this issue some forty years ago and concluded that the precise identification of Michael was not important enough to dwell on at length. (Questions on Doctrine, p.71). The reasoning behind identifying Jesus with Michael probably comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where the voice of the archangel awakens the dead, and John 5:28 where Jesus said that He would arouse the dead.
The name Michael is always used in an apocalyptic context and I don’t think that identifying Michael with Christ in any way implies that the Lord Jesus is less than fully divine. He is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father. Seven times He referred to Himself in the fourth gospel as I AM, a clear indication that He is God and not just an angel. The very expression "arch-angel" implies someone over or above the angels”.
Ellen White.
Ellen White never held official title as the head of the church, but was one of its founders and acknowledged spiritual leader. She claimed to have the “spirit of prophecy,” but did not claim the title of prophet and said that her messages were direct from God for the guidance and instruction of the church. With her knowledge and consent others called her a prophet, and even “the Spirit of Prophecy”
"If others call me by that name [prophetess], I have no controversy with them" (Selected Messages, Book One., p 34); "My work includes much more than this name signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord with messages for His people" Selected Messages, Book One, p 36). (Seventh Day Adventist official website).
“…but in today’s language we would say that she had the spiritual gift of prophecy. Ellen White used this gift from 1844, when she was just 17, to 1915, the year of her death. We believe that the main purpose of her spiritual gift was to build up the Seventh-day Adventist Church in its early stages ….. Her writings are not in any way a substitute for scripture but many Seventh-day Adventists have come to appreciate the Bible better after reading her writings”. (The Seventh day Adventist church of UK and Ireland. 2002 British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists)
Ellen White is considered an inspired prophetess among the SDA, but is she?
See Ellen G. White Fact Sheet
SDA’s view of Catholics.
Seventh-day Adventists regard all men and women as equal in the sight of God. We reject bigotry against any person, regardless of race, nationality, or religious creed. Further, we gladly acknowledge that sincere Christians may be found in other denominations, including Roman Catholicism, and we work in concert with all agencies and bodies that seek to relieve human suffering and to uplift Christ before the world.
Seventh-day Adventists seek to take a positive approach to other faiths. Our primary task is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of Christ's soon return, not to point out flaws in other denominations.
The beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists are rooted in the biblical apostolic teachings and thus share many essential tenets of Christianity in common with the followers of other Christian churches. (Seventh Day Adventist official website).
See Section On Catholicism
The Remnant.
In Revelation 12, John the Revelator identifies the church in the last days as the "remnant . . . which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (verse 17). We believe that in this brief prophetic picture the Revelator is describing the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which not only keeps "the commandments of God" but has "the testimony of Jesus Christ," which is "the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). (Seventh Day Adventist official website).
Clear Word Bible.. Adding On To God’s Word?
The Clear Word Bible alters the statements of Scripture to make it line up with Adventist theology. The Bible is very clear about this... Psalm 138 compares the sacredness of God's Word with His holy name: "Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name." Deuteronomy 4:2 says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it." Proverbs 30:5, 6 reiterates this point: "Every word of God is pure…Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
Adventists teach that observing the seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God and will become the final test of loyalty to Christ for all Christians.
Genesis 2:2–3
KJV — 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. 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.
CW — Then on the seventh day of creation week, God stopped to enjoy what He had made and to rest in the beauty of it all. So He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a day of spiritual refreshment and joy.
Note — The CW makes the seventh day part of "creation week" rather than the celebration of a finished creation.
Exodus 5:5
KJV —And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
CW — You've created enough problems by making them rest every week on your Sabbath.
Note —Moses requested an isolated three-day period in which the Israelites could worship God. (see verse 3 in the KJV).
Exodus 16:5
KJV — And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
CW — On the sixth day they should gather twice as much as on the other days so as to have enough for the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, the day I set aside for worship and rest.
Note The words in italics do not appear in any biblical manuscript.
Exodus 31:13–14, 16
KJV —Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people ...Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
CW — Say to the people, "Most importantly, remember to keep the Sabbath holy because it is a very special day for me, and it's a day of rest for you. It's a sign between you and me for all time to show that you are the people whom I have chosen and set apart. The Sabbath is holy and anyone who desecrates it by working on that day will be put to death, since that would be an act of treason against God's government. My people are to keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a sign that they belong to me."
Note —The Sabbath was intended for Israel but the CW Bible changes "children of Israel" to "people"(v. 13). “Children of Israel" to "My people," and "a perpetual covenant" to "a sign that they belong to Me." (V. 16). "Since that would be treason against God's government” is also an alteration.
Leviticus 23:3
KJV — Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
CW — There has always been the weekly Sabbath.
Note — The CW replaces the biblical institution of the Sabbath with the statement that the Sabbath has always existed.
Ezekiel 45:17
KJV — And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the Sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
CW — It will be his duty to provide these national offerings on all appointed festivals with their special Sabbaths, including the monthly festival of the New Moon. He is to bring grain offerings, whole burnt offerings and peace offerings for an atonement for the nation as a whole.
Note — The "feasts," "new moons," and "sabbaths” has been used in numerous places in the OT both in ascending and descending order to signify the yearly, monthly, and weekly celebrations. In order to prevent the weekly sabbath from being associated with the whole sacrificial system done away with by the New Covenant, the CW destroys the word order to make sabbaths refer to the yearly feasts instead of the weekly.
Acts 20:7
KJV —And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
CW — After sundown on Saturday night, the believers got together for a fellowship meal and to say good-by to Paul. That evening he spoke to them until midnight, after which he hoped to get a few hours sleep before leaving early Sunday morning.
Note — The verse says “break bread” (a term used for communion), not “a fellowship meal”. Again this change has been made to support the SDA’s Sabbath doctrine.
Colossians 2:16
KJV — Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days.
CW — Don't let anyone control you life by giving you a set of ceremonial rules about what to eat, what to drink and what monthly festivals or special Sabbaths to keep. All these rules were given as a shadow of the reality to come and that reality is Jesus Christ.
Note — Studying Colossians 2:16 in it’s context shows that the Saturday Sabbath is only a shadow of Christ. The Old Testament parallel, Ezekiel 45:17 (above) has also been altered.
Hebrews 4:4
KJV — For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
CW — That's why at creation He gave man the seventh-day Sabbath, not only as a reminder of creation week, but also as a symbol of spiritual rest. According to the Scriptures, God Himself rested on the seventh day and enjoyed this special time with man.
Note — "symbol of spiritual rest" and the "special time with man." are additions to the verse.
Hebrews 4:9
KJV —There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
CW — So there still remains the offer of spiritual rest that God intends for each generation to have, of which the Sabbath is a symbol.
Note —Spiritual rest or the Sabbath as a symbol are not mentioned in any biblical manuscripts.
Revelation 1:10
KJV — I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.
CW — On Sabbath morning when I had gone to the rocky island shore to meditate and worship.
Note — Again a deviation from Scripture to shore up the Sabbath practices.
Death and Hell
Adventists, like Jehovah Witnesses, believe in soul sleep and do not believe in hell. [See Footnote]
Isaiah 66:24
KJV — And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
CW — They will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me lying outside the city. It will be an abhorrent sight. But just as worms don't stop until they devour the dead and fire doesn't stop until it destroys, so the fires of the Lord will destroy the wicked and consume them all.
Note — Christ quotes this verse on several occasions and uses it as a description of hell. See Matthew 5:22, 29, 30, where "hell fire" has been changed to "lose eternal life".
Matthew 10:28
KJV —And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
CW — Don't be afraid that you might be killed. They can kill your body but not your spirit or your loyalty to me. Now if there is some thing to be concerned about, it's that you don't lose your faith in God.
Note — What happened to the reference to hell.?
Matthew 18:9
KJV —And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
CW — If, for example, your eye places a wrong value on things, be willing to lose your eye to keep your moral innocence. If you have to make a choice, it's better not to be great in this life and yet live forever than to lose your childlike innocence and have everything end with this life.
Note — Again references to hell have been done away with. Also ‘moral innocence’ and ‘childlike innocence’ are nowhere mentioned in Scripture.
Luke 16:19–30
The CW introduces Christ’s parable about the rich man and Lazarus with these words: "You keep telling people the Jewish fable about a rich man." The revision makes it appear that Christ is refuting a Jewish myth, when in reality it is proclaiming the spiritual truth of the parable. [See The Rich Man and Lazarus]
Comparisons between the Clear Word Bible and the KJV are from ‘The Watchman Expositor’)
Footnote: While “soul sleep” may be a completely made up theory, the fact remains that the traditional view of hell as a place of eternal torment is completely un-Biblical. The importance of the subjects of Heaven and Hell cannot possibly be over stated, since one or the other is the final, unalterable and eternal destination of every one of us. If salvation is deliverance from Hell, then Hell must be thoroughly understood! The study is not an easy one. On the surface there appears to be an enormous amount of conflicting arguments, with both sides presenting seemingly compelling Scriptural evidence… The deeper one delves into the subject the less persuasive the argument in favor of the traditional view become. The doctrine of the duration of Hell has been so strongly held throughout the history of Christianity that few have dared to challenge it. Adding to the reluctance has been the fact that most modern challenges have come from the cults. Thus, a person who dares to question the traditional viewpoint runs the risk of being labeled a cultist. [See What and Where is Hell?]
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