Comparison of Adventism

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By Colleen Tinker, editor, Proclamation! magazine

WRITINGS

Adventism

The Bible, including Adventist paraphrase The Clear Word. Over 600 published titles with divine revelations and counsel by prophetess Ellen G. White (1827–1915), including The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy.

Christianity

The Bible, both Old and New Testaments

GOD

Adventism

God is comprised of a unity of three co-eternal Persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—who are one in motive and purpose but not substance. God the Father is generally understood to possess a physical body. Both trinitarianism and Arian anti-trinitarianism are believed among active Seventh-day Adventists.

Christianity

The triune God: one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is Spirit.

JESUS

Adventism

Ellen G. White says God the Father exalted Jesus to be His Son, thus provoking Lucifer’s jealousy and a war in heaven. Jesus is our example to prove we can live sinlessly. His sacrifice on the cross did not complete the atonement; since 1844 He has been applying His blood in heaven in an ongoing “investigative judgment” after which He will return. Also identified as Michael the Archangel; most Adventist founders denied His deity.

Christianity

The second Person of the Trinity. As God the Son, He has always existed and was never created. He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and is fully God and man. He died on a cross as full sacrifice and atonement for our sin and rose from death on the third day. He is our Substitute in taking the guilt, punishment, and death for our sin.

HOLY SPIRIT

Adventism

Originally thought to be a force or power from God, today the Holy Spirit is understood to be the third Person of the Godhead.

Christianity

The third Person of the Trinity.

SALVATION

Adventism

Salvation by grace through faith, but maintained by commandment-keeping and repentance. Seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observance is the sign of the seal of God; Sunday worship is the mark of the beast.

Christianity

Salvation is by God’s grace, not by an individual’s good works. It must be received by faith. Salvation is maintained by God’s grace and by His life which He grants when believers are born again by His Spirit.

JUDGMENT

Adventism

The “investigative judgment” doctrine is unique to Adventism. Also called the “pre-Advent judgment” (or “sanctuary doctrine”), it is patterned after the details of the Israelite Day of Atonement described in Leviticus. It began in October 1844 when Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary, where he is investigating the records of professing believers. All sins which have been specifically confessed are finally pardoned; all which have been forgotten or otherwise unconfessed are placed back on the persons who committed them.

Jesus’ blood carries these sins of the saved into the Most Holy Place where they are held until the end of the investigative judgment. All confessed sins will be removed from heaven when Jesus completes His investigation and places them on Satan the scapegoat.

The years between 1844 and the end of the judgment, culminating in the Time of Trouble, are the “anti-typical Day of Atonement” in which we are currently living. Salvation is not determined until the end of the judgment.

Christianity

Those who believe in Jesus’ death for their sin and in His resurrection from death do not come into judgment but pass from death to life (John 5:24). Those who believe in Jesus are not judged, because He took God’s judgment for sin in their place. Those who do not believe are judged already (John 3:18).

SCAPEGOAT

Adventism

Satan, who will carry the sins of the saved out of heaven, thus cleansing the sanctuary. He will be punished for being the party responsible for causing the sins of those who are saved.

Christianity

The Lord Jesus

DEATH

Adventism

Like the incarnate Christ, humans have no immaterial spirit, so at death the body goes into the ground and the breath goes to God. Nothing remains except in God’s memory. At judgment the lake of fire annihilates the wicked. The resurrection is essentially a re-creation of the person out of God’s memory.

Christianity

The immaterial spirit of believers goes to be with Jesus. Both saved and lost people will be resurrected. Those who are saved will live with Jesus in Heaven. Those who are lost will suffer the torment of eternal separation from God (hell). Jesus’ resurrection is the promise that believers will receive glorified, resurrection bodies.

ESCHATOLOGY

Adventism

The Time of Trouble will occur at the end of the investigative judgment. God’s Spirit will be withdrawn from the earth, and God’s people will have to have attained perfection so they can withstand the Time of Trouble without a Mediator or Intercessor. Those who worship on Sunday will hunt and kill Sabbath-keepers, God’s true believers. The millennium will be spent in heaven; Satan will be “bound” by being restricted to an unpopulated earth. God will spend the millennium explaining His justice so all human questions will be answered. Those who are saved vindicate the character of God before sinless, created beings who live throughout the universe and observe the cosmic drama unfolding.

Christianity

While specific details about the timing of the second coming and the rapture of believers varies, Christianity is united in believing that the issue of faith in Jesus will be the final test between those who are saved and those who are not. God is sovereign, and He owes no creation explanations for His justice and mercy. Jesus lives forever as the intercessor for believers; they never have to live without Him on the basis of their own perfection. Humans never vindicate God’s character to the universe; rather, the cross demonstrated God’s justice for all eternity (Romans 3:26).

OTHER BELIEFS

Adventism

The Adventist Church is God’s one, special, end-time remnant church. Old Testament clean/unclean meat laws observed. Adventist “health message” includes abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine and advocates veganism. Traditionalist Adventists believe wearing jewelry is sinful. Massive missionary programs, which target nonbelievers as well as professing evangelicals, include “Revelation seminars,” health outreach. Ellen G. White found to have committed extensive plagiarism throughout her prophetic writings.

Christianity

Other beliefs: There is only one church, and it is composed of all who have been born of the Spirit from the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) onward. Diet and health do not play a role in holiness or salvation. Jesus is God’s final word to mankind (Hebrews 1:1-3).