I wasn't going to write an exposé about the SDA Church only because I have covered their false doctrine in exposing the doctrine of Annihilationism here and exposing the keeping of The Sabbath here in the expose of Messianics.
So if you want the full doctrinal dispute on those specific issues, please go read those articles. For this article... I am going to dive into exposing the history of the SDA Church, William Miller, Ellen G. White specifically and like my previous article, exposing the false date setting prophesies of this movement. Let us begin...
William Miller is the founder of the religious movement known as the Millerites in the 1930s. The Millerites were formed because of Miller's study through 1818 to 1823 that concluded that the Second-Coming of Christ would between 1843-1844.
He did not publicly declare this conclusion until August, 1831 which we see is the same year that he resigned from being an active Freemason. With regard to his resignation, he stated...
"To avoid fellowship with any practice that may be incompatible with the Word of God among masons."
In 1833 he wrote a letter to friends stating, "Treat Freemasonry as you would any other evil."
Very interesting as it is known that Charles Taze Russell (Founder of Jehovah's Witness) was also a Freemason, which was quite common in those times, but we see how William Miller acknowledged Freemasonry as evil, while Charles Taze Russell never did seeing as his headstone at his grave is that of a Freemason with it's pyramid shape giving glory to the all-seeing eye symbolism that represents Satan. You can read my exposé on Jehovah's Witness, here.
The major differences between the Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses is that the Seventh-Day Adventists obviously believe in keeping The Sabbath, hence their name and Jehovah's Witnesses obviously believe in referring to God using His proper name, Jehovah, hence their name.
With that said, Charles Taze Russel was greatly influenced by William Miller and the Millerites, specifically George Storrs an Adventist writer. Many factions came of the Millerite Adventists such as the Adventist Christian Church and Life and Advent Union to which Russel based many of his doctrinal views off of.
Many Millerites urged William Miller to give a specific date to when The Lord's Second-Coming would be to which after much urging he gave the time-frame between March 21, 1843 to March 21, 1844. This wasn't the Great Disappointment though, as when these dates passed by with no second-coming to be had, William Miller then concluded that April 18, 1844 would be the second-coming as he used the Karaite Jewish Calendar instead of the Rabbinic Calendar that he used in his first time-frame prophesy.
Once again, April 18, 1844 passed by proving the difference of calendar use to be in vain. William Miller wrote to the Second Advent Believers stating, "I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment; yet I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door."
A Millerite known as Samuel S. Snow took on study of his own to prove that Jesus' return would be in 1844 and his conclusion gave the date of October 22, 1844. This date is known as the Great Disappointment.
With much disappointment, to the extent where people were bed-ridden with depression as many had been kicked out of their former churches for accepting Advent doctrine, and many had sold all of their possessions in faith of Christ's coming. With great disappointment came great rioting towards Millerites and their churches.
It is to be believed that William Miller in the Spring of 1845 declared himself in opposition to any arising new prophecies, but it is also to be believed he never gave up his faith in the Second Coming. William Miller drifted to the background in his last years of life with him dying on December 20, 1849.
The Albany Conference of Millerites in 1845 was called together to discuss the future of the Millerite movement as many had lost their faith in the movement or a mass division between the Millerites had ensured. This meeting resulted in the title, "Millerites" being replaced with the name, "Adventists". With the doctrinal disagreements that couldn't be resolved, the meeting resulted in four main factions of Adventists.
These being, The Evangelical Adventists led by Joshua Himes, Advent Christian Church led by Jonathan Cummings, The Life and Advent Union led by John T. Walsh and Sabbatarian Adventists led by Joseph Bates.
Joshua Himes, a prominent leader in the Advent faith tried to reorganize the multiple dividing factions of continually theorizing Millerites, and opposed factions that believed in Sabbatarian Adventism and Conditional Immortality (which is a conclusion for Annihilationism).
Miller along with Himes affiliated themselves with the first faction known as Evangelical Adventists who believed in imminent return of The Lord, the immortality of the soul, and Sunday worship, but Miller never stopped working for there to be unity among Adventists until his death in 1849. In 1863, Joshua Himes accepted Conditional Immortality and joined the Advent Christian Church.
Jonathan Cummings, was a disciple of William Miller, but through his own study determined Christ's Coming would be in 1854 and held the belief of Conditional Immortality which led to the faction of the Advent Christian Church being established.
John T. Walsh, was a Millerite who led a group of Millerites that believed that the Lord Jesus did in fact return on October 22, 1844, but His return was invisible. This group formed as Life and Advent Union in 1848. In 1863, the group formerly organized as The Life and Advent Union in 1863 and later merged with the Advent Christian Church.
Joseph Bates, was the one who co-founded Sabbatarian Adventism when he accepted the belief of keeping the Sabbath in Spring of 1845 after the Great Disappointment. He wrote several books on the topic and was known as, "The apostle of the Sabbath." Joseph Bates is accredited with converting James White and Ellen G. White to Sabbatarian Adventism. Joseph Bates died on March 19, 1872.
Now we may dive into the founding of Seventh-Day Adventists...
James White started the first Sabbatarian Adventist news-magazine in 1849 titled, "The Present Truth" known as the, "Adventist Review" today. While Joseph Bates greatly supported James White for his work, Bates particularly took interest in the prophetic gift of James White's wife, Ellen G. White. Her many visions and spiritual leadership was a great impact on the founding of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It is believed she had approximately 2,000 visions and dreams from 17-years-old until 87-years-old when she died.
Through the 1850s, Joseph Bates and James White worked towards establishing the Seventh-Day Adventist faith that manifested officially on May 21, 1863. John Byington built the first SDA church on his land in Buck's Bridge, N.Y. Byington then became the first President of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist in 1863. James White rejected the position when he was elected.
In 1865, James white became President of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists and in the same year suffered from a stroke. His fragile health made him have to take breaks from ministry and eventually his retirement in 1880 to whom, G.I. Butler replaced him as President of the General Conference. James White died on August 6, 1881.
Of all the Adventist factions that died off, Seventh-Day Adventism is the faction that has survived despite William Miller's embarrassing false prophecies. Seventh-Day Adventism surviving I would accredit to Joseph Turner with his imaginative doctrine known as, "Shut-Door" doctrine. Ellen G. White pioneered this doctrine known as, "Investigative Judgment" officially into the Seventh-Day Adventist fundamental beliefs.
Investigative Judgment...
Ellen G. White writes in her book The Great Controversy Chapter 28, pg. 479-480...
"'And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.' [Daniel 7:13,14.] The coming of Christ here described is not his second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of days in Heaven to receive dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, which will be given him at the close of his work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not his second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days, in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of his ministration in behalf of man,-- to perform the work of investigative Judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits."
It is clear to me this doctrinal was merely created to cover William Miller's butt if I may ever be so blunt. This doctrine is to cover-up the shame of the 1844 failed prophecies. With that said, let's also carefully clarify in the above verse of Daniel 7:13 we see, "Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven."
Mark 13:26 ~ "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
Revelation 1:7 ~ "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
Coming in the clouds is a specific key in the Second Coming of Christ and it honestly is a mockery of what knowledge William Miller did have of Eschatology that he knew well enough that Daniel 7:13-14 is in fact, talking about the Second Coming.
As for the Ancient of Days theory, we see in Revelation 1:7 is clear that all eyes, not just the eyes of the living, but the eyes of those who pierced Him will see Him. If they see Him, which are ancient themselves being in the grave thousands of years already as I type... Then what more of the Prophets Time who were persecuted like Christ or those of Moses' time? Every living, dead, righteous or evil eye... Will see the Lord. Christ's Kingdom, Heaven, His Temple, will be upon the earth (Revelation 21) after He cleanses the earth with His wrath.
I could explain and debunk this from every angle, but this article is already quite lengthy, so I pray with this article, I'd encourage to read other's such as this especially of those from former-SDAs. For now, let us continue onto another false doctrine...
Satan is our scapegoat...
On October 23rd, 1850 Ellen G. White reported a vision...
"He will come to the door of the tabernacle, or door of the first apartment, and confess the sins of Israel upon the head of the scape goat. Then He will put on the garments of vengeance. Then the plagues come upon the wicked, and they do not come until Jesus puts on the garments of vengeance and takes His seat upon the great white cloud. Then while the plagues are falling the scape goat is being led away. He makes a mighty struggle to escape, but he is held fast by the hand that bears him away. If he should effect his escape Israel would be destroyed (or slain). I saw that it would take time to bear him away into the land of forgetfulness after the sins were put upon his head... As Jesus passed through the holy place or first apartment, to the door to confess the sins of Israel on the scape goat, an angel said, This apartment is called the sanctuary."
First of all, this completely doesn't align with Apostle John's Revelation
Second, there is no land of "forgetfulness" and certainly Satan isn't going there. He will burn forever.
Matthew 25:41 ~ "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
Ellen G. White writes in The Great Controversy Chapter 41, pg. 658...
"Now the event takes place foreshadowed in the last solemn service of the Day of Atonement. When the ministration in the holy of holies had been completed, and the sins of Israel had been removed from the sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, then the scapegoat was presented alive before the Lord; and in the presence of the congregation the high priest confessed over him 'all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat.' Leviticus 16:21. In like manner, when the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed, then in the presence of God and heavenly angels and the hosts of the redeemed the sins of God's people will be placed upon Satan; he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he has caused them to commit. And as the scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, so Satan will be banished to the desolate earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness."
It sounds somewhat convincing, and yet such a critical and important event that shouldn't the Bible record such? This is never mentioned in the Bible! Yes, Jesus is our High Priest, (Hebrews 7) so don't you think that anywhere in Revelation this event would be played out before the Apostle John when he foresees Satan being cast into the Lake of Fire? This is no small theory so therefore I dub it extra-Biblical heresy. Jesus died once for sins and He is forever the sacrificial Lamb of God.
Revelation 22:18 ~ "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:"
1 Peter 3:18 ~ "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
Revelation 5:6 ~ "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
John 1:29 ~ "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Case closed for me. And of course, other false doctrines that I have already covered in other articles you can click the links to such as...
-Jesus is Archangel Michael
-Sinless Perfectionism
-Vegetarianism
-Keeping the Sabbath
-Annihilationism/Conditional Immortality
Ellen G. White's Leadership...
It is safe to believe that Ellen G. White was a false prophetess like many Adventists. Not to insult her testimony of being filled with the fear of the Lord after suffering from a head injury after being hit in the face by a rock that could have resulted in her death. I love God bringing people to His salvation by putting fear into them, but perhaps this head injury caused her visions or rather, hallucinations. Nonetheless and either way, she was a false prophetess.
And I must make mention of how much influence and authority she had over the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and their doctrine. Her "prophetic" ability really seems to be the key how members feared/reverenced her, giving no concern that she is in fact leading over them through her visions and dreams. Strange thing for that era.
On April 1, 1880 from Oakland, California Ellen G. White wrote a letter to her husband James White stating...
"I had in the evening, it was stated, the largest congregation that had ever assembled at Arbuckle. The house was full. Many came from five to ten and twelve miles. The Lord gave me special power in speaking. The congregation listened as if spellbound. Not one left the house although I talked above one hour. Before I commenced talking, Elder Haskell had a bit of paper that was handed in, quoting certain texts prohibiting women speaking in public. H took u the matter in a brief manner and very clearly expressed the meaning of the apostle's words. I understand it was a Campbellite who wrote the objection and it had been well circulated before it reached the desk, but Elder Haskell made it all plain before the people."
I wonder what text prohibiting women to speaking was given...
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 ~ "34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
1 Timothy 2:12 ~ "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor ursurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
Ellen G. White received six credentials as an Ordained Minister. Her first credential was on October 1, 1883 in the Michigan Conference. The second credential was on December 6, 1885 in the General Conference which is the one particular credential where "ordained" was crossed out. The third credential was on December 27, 1887 in the General Conference. Her fourth credential was on March 7, 1899 in the General Conference. The fifth credential was on June 14, 1909 in the General Conference. The sixth credential was on June 12, 1913 in the General Conference.
It is very interesting to me that she received all of these credentials after her husband's death. As I already said, she obviously led the Seventh-Day Adventists as she had them all wrapped around her finger with respect for her spiritual "wisdom" and visions from Satan as they were not of God as there is no Biblical foundation for such, quite the contrary. So between Seventh-Day being founded by a false prophet William Miller, then overtaken by a False Prophetess Ellen G. White and her husband in all of their false doctrines, I feel it is safe to say that this is a false church. Be warned and warn those of this denomination, (Leviticus 19:17-18.)
Conclusion...
I must say this is one of the most tiresome articles I have had to write with the research and writing itself, but I am glad I have done it, as Seventh-Day Adventist insanity does need an article to expose it, all to its own, after all.
This will be my last article until the New Year as I said I will be diving into more articles directed towards women, to which, fitting with the subject touched upon in this article (female pastors/leadership) I will be exposing this doctrinal lie that has crept its way into many congregations.
So until then... May the Lord bless you spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially in this coming year of 2018. We do not know when our Lord will return (Matthew 25:13) so we must always be ready, living everyday as if He could come. With that said...
Be Blessed & Stay Sanctified,
