Suggested Sources to Respond
to Representations Made in the Video
"SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM, THE SPIRIT BEHIND THE CHURCH"
Response prepared by
The Ellen G. White Estate and the Biblical Research Institute
June 1999
1. Ellen G. White was the founder of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Answer: The Seventh-day Adventist church was founded by Joseph Bates,
Ellen G. White, and James White (not Ellen G. White alone).
Resources: Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 10, 1996 ed., p.
170;
vol. 11, pp. 873, 890.
2. Seventh-day Adventists depend on Ellen G. White for their teachings.
She
is "the last word on doctrine."
Answer: The church's statement of "27 Fundamental Beliefs" cites the
Scriptures, not Ellen White, for each of its beliefs. In the
bookSeventh-day
Adventists Believe . . . the church's beliefs are presented and explained
in
the context of the Scriptures, not Ellen White. Neither Ellen White nor
the
church has ever taught that she was the last word on doctrine.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988, see esp. pp. 227-228.
b.. "The Inspiration and Authority of the Ellen G. White Writings,"
Adventist Review, Dec. 23, 1982. (Available on the Internet at:
http://www.WhiteEstate.org/issues/scripsda.html).
c.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 416-425.
d.. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 3, pp. 29-33.
e.. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 663-670.
3. October 22, 1844, was not the correct date for the Jewish Day of
Atonement in 1844.
Answer: There was more than one way of reckoning the Jewish calendar
year.
The Millerites considered the Karaite reckoning to be the closest to the
Biblical reckoning.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 11, 1996 ed., p. 805.
b.. George Knight, Millennial Fever, 1993, pp. 163-164, 189.
c.. LeRoy E. Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4, pp.
799-805,
821-822, with charts on pp. 790-792.
d.. For additional evidence based upon astronomy and calendation, see
William H. Shea, "Day of Atonement and October 22, 1844," in Selected
Studies on Prophetic Interpretation, pp. 132-137. ("Daniel and Revelation
Committee Series," vol. 1.).
4. Millerite meetings were full of fanaticism.
Answer: Contemporary accounts indicate that Millerite meetings overall
were remarkably free from fanaticism.
Resources:
a.. Francis D. Nichol, Midnight Cry, 1944 (Christian Home Library
edition), pp. 339-354.
b.. George Knight, Millennial Fever, 1993, pp. 171-178.
5. Although William Miller admitted his mistake regarding October 22,
1844,
Ellen White never did.
Answer: This is true. After the Great Disappointment, William Miller
admitted his mistake regarding Christ's returning on October 22, 1844, and
he also gave up believing that October 22 had any prophetic significance.
On
the other hand, Ellen White never discarded her belief in the prophetic
significance of the October 22 date, so she had no reason to admit a
mistake
had been made regarding the calculation, beyond the obvious fact that
Christ
had not returned that day. Several references showing her consistent
position are given below.
Resources:
a.. Ellen G. White, Spiritual Gifts, vol. 1, 1858, pp. 148-150.
b.. Ellen G. White, Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 1884, pp. 251-257.
c.. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, 1911, pp. 403-408.
6. Ellen White saw a mistake in the Millerite prophetic chart during her
first vision.
Answer: The vision in which Ellen White saw the Millerite prophetic
chart
was given her on September 23, 1850. Her first vision was in December,
1844.
Resources: Ellen G. White, Early Writings, 1945 (Christian Home Library
edition), p. 74.
7. According to Ellen White, God made the mistake on the Millerite
prophetic
chart referred to in statement 6.
Answer: God, in His providence, permitted events to unfold as they did
for
His own divine purposes.
Resources:
a.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, p. 490.
b.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
342-344.
8. Ellen White's writings are unavailable, "locked away in a vault."
Answer: All of Ellen White's published writings are available on CD-ROM
and on the Internet (http://www.WhiteEstate.org).
All of her unpublished
materials are currently available at the main office of the White Estate
at
the General Conference in Silver Spring, Maryland; at three branch offices
located in the United States: Andrews University, Loma Linda University,
and
Oakwood College; as well as at eleven Research Centers operated throughout
the world. The vault provides fire protection and security for the
original
documents.
Resources: Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp.
483-484.
9. If not all predictions by a prophet come to pass, then the person must
be
a false prophet.
Answer: Whenever humans have a role in the fulfillment of a prophecy, a
conditional element is implicit with the prophecy.
Resources:
a.. Jeremiah 18:7-10.
b.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 29, 30.
c.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
102-111.
10. Ellen White falsely predicted that old Jerusalem would never be
rebuilt.
Answer: This prediction referred to a movement then underway (in 1850)
to
gather believers in the second advent to Jerusalem where a literal kingdom
would be established in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy prior to
Christ's return. Ellen White's predictive warning saved many former
Millerites from this deception.
Resources:
a.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 488-489.
b.. The Gathering of Israel: A Historical Study of Early Writings, pp.
74-76. Available on the Internet at:
http://www.WhiteEstate.org/issues/gather.html
11. Ellen White falsely claimed that time was short, that she would be
living when Christ returned, and still later that some in the audience to
whom she was speaking would be alive when Christ returned.
Answer: Time was always presented to Ellen White in vision as being very
short, so there was no reason why she would not expect to be living when
Christ returned. However, the conditional nature of prophecy when human
response is involved must be kept in mind. See item 9 above. Also
Revelation
22:7, 12, 20.
Resources:
a.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
102-111.
b.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 487-488.
12. During the American Civil War, Ellen White predicted the downfall of
the
United States.
Answer: Ellen White used the phrase "humbled in the dust," which
suggests
something quite different from the literal downfall and destruction of the
United States.
Resources: Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
119-121.
13. Also during the Civil War, Ellen White predicted that Great Britain
would enter the war on the side of the Confederate States.
Answer: A careful reading of the context of what Ellen White actually
wrote leads to a conclusion different from the one given on the video.
Resources:
a.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
122-123.
b.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, p. 487.
14. Ellen White held racist views that certain races of people resulted
from
cohabitation of humans with beasts (amalgamation).
Answer: Both a careful reading of Ellen White's statement in Spiritual
Gifts, vol. 3, p. 75, as well as the whole tenor of her life and teachings
belies the notion that she viewed any race as sub-human. She wrote, "No
distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by
God.
He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and
all are one through redemption."--Christ's Object Lessons, p. 386.
Resources:
a.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
306-322.
b.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 491-492.
c.. Ellen G. White, "The Brotherhood of Mankind," Selected Messages,
bk.
2, pp. 485-488.
15. After the Great Disappointment in 1844, Ellen White was shown in
vision
that salvation had closed for the world (the "Shut Door").
Answer: While Ellen White believed for a time that no sinners would be
converted after 1844, she was never instructed in a vision that the door
of
salvation was shut for the world. For a detailed analysis of the changing
understanding of the expression "Shut Door," see the references given
next.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 11, 1996 ed., pp.
249-252.
b.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
161-252.
c.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 157,
500-509,
549- 550, 554-568.
d.. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, pp. 59-64, 74.
e.. P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist
Message and Mission,1977, 1988, pp. 149-155.
16. When Ellen White's earliest writings were reprinted, certain deletions
were made in order to cover up her teaching regarding the "Shut Door."
Answer: For a detailed analysis of deletions made in subsequent editions
of Ellen White's books, and the reasons why, see the references given
next.
Resources:
a.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
267-285, 619-643.
b.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 557-559.
c.. P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist
Message and Mission,1977, 1988, pp. 149-155.
17. The Adventists' view of "soul sleep" was adopted to allow for their
belief in an investigative judgment.
Answer: The Biblical teaching on the state of the dead was introduced to
the Millerite Adventists prior to the Disappointment in 1844, and thus
prior
to any understanding of the investigative judgment. See also item 27
below.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 10, 1996 ed., pp.
788-792.
b.. Francis D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry, 1944 (Christian Home Library
edition), pp. 204-205.
c.. George Knight, Millennial Fever, 1993, pp. 193-197.
d.. LeRoy E. Froom, Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2, 1965,
pp. 305-314.
18. Ellen White denied the assurance of the gospel by teaching that when a
person's name comes up in the investigative judgment, even one unconfessed
sin will prevent the individual from being saved.
Answer: Ellen White wrote that "no repentance is genuine that does not
work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover
unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms
the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it
is
the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles
of heaven."--The Desire of Ages, pp. 555, 556. While holding on to even
one
sin is sufficient to lose one's salvation, Ellen White believed in the
efficacy of Christ's atonement and intercession to fully restore sinners
to
God's favor, thus providing assurance during the judgment time. She wrote,
"If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come
today."--In Heavenly Places, p. 227. The last words Ellen White spoke to
her
son were, "I know in whom I have believed."--Life Sketches, p. 449.
Resources: Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 483, 484.
19. Seventh-day Adventists have their own version of the Bible (The Clear
Word), including one that contains Ellen White quotations printed in it.
Answer: The cover and title page of J. J. Blanco's The Clear Word
clearly
identify his work as "an expanded paraphrase of the Bible." It is
published
in the author's name, not the name of the church. The first sentence of
the
preface reads, "This is not a new translation but an interpretive
paraphrase
of the Scriptures." Seventh-day Adventists have never produced their own
version of the Bible. In her lifetime, Ellen White made use of the various
translations available.
The Ellen G. White Study Bible brings together relevant statements of
commentary from Ellen White while preserving a format that maintains the
rightful distinction between her words and the Scriptural text (as do the
wide variety of study Bibles prepared by other commentators available in
Christian book stores).
20. Ellen White taught an "incomplete atonement."
Answer: Ellen White never described Christ's atonement as incomplete. On
the contrary, here are two statements representative of her teaching:
"We are to rejoice that the atonement is complete; and believing in
Christ
as our complete Saviour, we may know that the Father loves us, even as He
loves His Son."--Review and Herald, Nov. 11, 1890 (emphasis supplied).
"Do you realize your sinfulness? Do you despise sin? Then remember that
the righteousness of Christ is yours if you will grasp it. Can you not see
what a strong foundation is placed beneath your feet when you accept
Christ?
God has accepted the offering of His Son as a complete atonement for the
sins of the world."--The Youth's Instructor, Sept. 20, 1900 (emphasis
supplied).
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988, pp. 107-117.
b.. Questions on Doctrine, pp. 341-348.
21. Ellen White taught the heresy that Christ is the archangel Michael.
Answer: The archangel Michael's identity has been debated through the
centuries. Both Ellen White and many non-Adventist Bible scholars equate
Michael with Christ. This view does not require any lessening of Christ's
full deity.
Resources: The Biblical evidence and the views of commentators are
summarized in Questions on Doctrine, pp. 71-86. See also many contemporary
evangelical Bible commentaries on such passages as Revelation 12.
22. Jehovah's Witnesses derived from Adventism; their founder Charles T.
Russell co-authored a book with N. H. Barbour, an early Adventist.
Answer: By using the broad term "Adventist" the video leaves the
impression that there is a connection between Jehovah's Witnesses and
Seventh-day Adventists. Nelson H. Barbour was never a Seventh-day
Adventist.
He was an Advent Christian.
23. James White and Uriah Smith denied the deity of Christ.
Answer: These leaders defined Christ's divinity in terms that we view
today to fall short of the Scripture evidence. In the years that followed,
clearer understanding of the Godhead prevailed.
Resources: For development of Seventh-day Adventist understanding of the
deity of Christ, see "Christology" in Seventh-day Encyclopedia, vol. 10,
1996 ed., pp. 352-354.
24. Ellen White's works are largely plagiarized, with one book withdrawn
under the threat of a lawsuit. It cannot be proven that more than 20
percent
of what Ellen White wrote was original with her.
Answer: Research has found that Ellen White enriched her writings with
choice expressions from her reading, but the extent of verbal dependency
that has been documented thus far is a small percentage (less than 2
percent) when measured against her total literary output. No lawsuit was
ever threatened.
Resources:
a.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 458-465.
b.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
429-458.
25. Ellen White reflected popular, erroneous views on health
(masturbation,
wigs, dress reform, no evening meal).
Answer: The video mixes Ellen White's writings with the writings of
others. Five of the six statements presented as representing Ellen White's
views on masturbation were not written by her but by physicians quoted by
James White in A Solemn Appeal, pp. 12, 91, 96, 257, 271. For comments on
each of these issues, see references below.
Resources:
a.. Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, 1998, pp. 493-495
[masturbation, wigs];
b.. Francis D. Nichol, Ellen G. White and Her Critics, 1951, pp.
136-160; SDA Encyclopedia, 1996 ed., vol. 10, "Dress," pp. 475-476; Arthur
L. White, The Progressive Years, pp. 177-184 [dress reform];
c.. Ellen G. White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 173-178; Arthur L.
White, The Progressive Years, Appendix C [2 meals a day].
d.. For a recent analysis of Ellen White's health message, see
Douglass,
Messenger, pp. 278-342; the real reasons for the health message are
summarized on pp. 292-296; the results of the health message as seen in
the
lives of Adventists after more than a century are summarized on pages
320-342.
26. Ellen White denied the assurance given believers in the Gospel. She
taught that one should never say "I am saved."
Answer: In context, Ellen White is not warning against the believer's
certainty of one's present standing with God. She is speaking against the
presumptuous "once saved, always saved" teaching of eternal security by
those who claim "I am saved" while continuing to transgress God's law.
Here
is Ellen White's statement quoted in the video by Mr. Martin, with the
words
he omitted italicized:
"Those who are teaching this doctrine today [the doctrine that "by
'believing' we are released from the necessity of being doers of the
word"]
have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but
they pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare
that we have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is
all-sufficient; that the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner's
credentials; that this imputed righteousness fulfils the law for us, and
that we are under no obligation to obey the law of God. This class claim
that Christ came to save sinners, and that he has saved them. 'I am
saved,'
they will repeat over and over again. But are they saved while
transgressing
the law of Jehovah?--No; for the garments of Christ's righteousness are
not
a cloak for iniquity."--Signs of the Times, February 25, 1897. [The
reference cited on the video (February 8, 1897) is incorrect.]
Resources: Here are additional quotations that show Ellen White's
balance
between assurance and false-confidence:
"Each one of you may know for yourself that you have a living Saviour,
that he is your helper and your God. You need not stand where you say, 'I
do
not know whether I am saved.' Do you believe in Christ as your personal
Saviour? If you do, then rejoice."--General Conference Bulletin, April 10,
1901.
"Peter's fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led
him
to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the
downward path, until he could deny his Master. Never can we safely put
confidence in self or feel, this side of heaven, that we are secure
against
temptation. Those who accept the Saviour, however sincere their
conversion,
should never be taught to say or to feel that they are saved. This is
misleading. Every one should be taught to cherish hope and faith; but even
when we give ourselves to Christ and know that He accepts us, we are not
beyond the reach of temptation. God's word declares, 'Many shall be
purified, and made white, and tried.' Dan. 12:10. Only he who endures the
trial will receive the crown of life. (James 1:12.)"--Christ's Object
Lessons, p. 155. (Emphasis supplied.)
27. The Seventh-day Adventist view of "soul sleep" is contrary to
Scripture.
Resources:
a.. For this doctrine as taught by various individuals through the
Christian era, see LeRoy E. Froom, The Conditionalist Faith of Our
Fathers,
vols. 1-2, 1965, 1966.
b.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988, (see esp. pp.
349-358).
c.. For the most recent publication on this subject by a Seventh-day
Adventist, see Samuele Bacchiocchi, Immortality or Resurrection: A
Biblical
Study on Human Nature and Destiny.
28. Seventh-day Adventist do not believe in a literal hell.
Answer: This statement is correct if by "hell" is meant eternal torment
in
contrast to annihilation.
Resources:
a.. See chapter 6 of the preceding work from S. Bacchiocchi, pp.
193-248.
b.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988, chapter 26, pp.
368-373.
c.. Questions on Doctrine, chapter 42, pp. 533-543.
29. Seventh-day Adventist teachings on the Saturday Sabbath and the seal
of
God are unscriptural.
Resources: For Scriptural evidences of the seventh-day Sabbath and the
transition to Sunday worship, see:
a.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988, 249-266.
b.. K. A. Strand, ed., The Sabbath in Scripture and History, 1982.
c.. Samuele Bacchiocchi, From Sabbath to Sunday, 1977.
d.. Sakae Kubo, God Meets Man: A Theology of the Sabbath and the
Second
Advent, 1978.
e.. N.-E. Andreasen, Rest and Redemption, 1978.
On the seal of God and its relation to the Sabbath, see Seventh-day
Encyclopedia, vol. 11, 1996 ed., pp. 563, 564.
30. Ellen White and Seventh-day Adventists teach that Satan is our
sinbearer.
Answer: Satan's bearing the ultimate responsibility for sin does not
involve him in any way with Christ's complete and full atonement for sin.
See article below and also item 20 above.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, vol. 11, 1996 ed., pp.
547-548.
b.. Questions on Doctrine, pp. 396-401.
31. The Investigative Judgment doctrine has no basis in Scripture.
Answer: On the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the investigative
pre-advent judgment in the heavenly sanctuary, see the following sources.
Resources:
a.. Seventh-day Adventists Believe . . . , 1988. See chapter 23 on
Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, pp. 312-331.
b.. C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares, vol. 1, 1981. See especially the
chapters on Daniel 7 and 8, pp. 107-188.
c.. W. H. Shea, Daniel 7-12, "The Abundant Life Bible Amplifier
Series,"
1996.
d.. Questions on Doctrine, 1957, see sections VI and VII, chapters
22-36, pp. 205-445 on the heavenly sanctuary and the judgment.
e.. "The Daniel and Revelation Committee Series," vols. 1-7 published
by
the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference: vols. 1-3 on
Daniel, vol. 4 on Hebrews, vol. 5 on the history of the doctrine in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, vols. 6-7 on Revelation, 1982-1992. In
volume
5, Doctrine of the Sanctuary: A Historical Survey (1845-1863), ed. Frank
B.
Holbrook, see the excellent section on "The Investigative Judgment: Its
Early Development," by C. Mervyn Maxwell, pp. 119-157.
f.. F. Holbrook, ed., The Sanctuary and the Atonement, abridged,1989.
32. Seventh-day Adventism matches nearly all the criteria for being
classified a "cult."
Answer: Walter Martin, a recognized specialist on cults, made an
extensive
study of Seventh-day Adventists and wrote in his book The Kingdom of the
Cults: "It is my conviction that one cannot be a true Jehovah's Witness,
Mormon, Christian Scientist, Unitarian, Spiritist, etc., and be a
Christian
in the Biblical sense of the term, but it is perfectly possible to be a
Seventh-day Adventist and be a true follower of Jesus Christ despite
certain
heterodox concepts" (p. 359). Today this opinion is widely accepted by
other
Christian scholars.
The video compares Seventh-day Adventists to a list of five criteria
characteristic of cults. These are listed below, along with a brief
response.
A. "Cults or false religions usually have a single powerful human leader
who becomes the cult's 'Messiah.'"
The video portrays Seventh-day Adventists as placing Ellen White in
that
role. However, unlike leaders of cults, Ellen White never held an elected
or
appointed leadership position in the Seventh-day Adventist church. She
wrote
in 1903, "No one has ever heard me claim the position of leader of the
denomination."--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 236.
B. "The cult leader's word, or teaching of the cult, become absolute
truth, overshadowing the teachings of the Bible."
This criterion should be contrasted with the manner in which Ellen
White
(identified on the video with the "cult leader") continually uplifted the
Scriptures as "the standard by which all teaching and experience must be
tested" (The Great Controversy, p. vii). She wrote, "God's Word is the
unerring standard. The Testimonies are not to take the place of the Word.
.
.. . Let all prove their positions from the Scriptures and substantiate
every
point they claim as truth from the revealed Word of God."--Evangelism, p.
256. See also item 2 above.
C. "Cults use pressure tactics to coerce members into submission."
The word "coercion" is defined as "forcible constraint or restraint."
All who possess Christian love toward one another will be motivated to
persuade and try to reclaim those who are drifting away from the tenets of
the faith as understood by the community, but forced submission is
incompatible with kingdom of Christ and is rejected by Seventh-day
Adventists.
D. "Cults deny the central truth of the Gospel, that Jesus is the divine
Son of God without beginning or ending. They deny that His death has
provided salvation for the entire human race. As a result, salvation is
earned by adherence to the teaching of the cult rather than accepting
Christ
and following Him."
Seventh-day Adventist teaching on the deity of Christ and His complete
atonement for sin is summarized in the official statement of "27
Fundamental
Beliefs," numbers four and nine:
"God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. . . . Forever
truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. . . . In Christ's
life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering, death, and
resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so
that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life."
See also items 20 and 23 above.
E. "Cults often urge their converts to leave their families."
As the video correctly states, Seventh-day Adventists do not encourage
new members to abandon or reject their families. Rather, having themselves
experienced the joys of salvation, including the excitement of expecting
the
soon return of Jesus, new converts are urged to work and pray for the
conversion of their relatives so they, too, can experience the same peace
and happiness that comes when one accepts Christ Jesus.
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