Seventh Day Adventists: Responding To Their Erroneous Doctrine
Foreword
The Seventh Day Adventists are not a
Christian sect, contrary to their claim.
They are an extension of an old heresy that the apostles fought
vehemently, known as the heresy of Judaism. Our teacher Saint Paul pinpoints this heresy
in writing, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a
festival or a new moor or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but
the substance is of Christ” (Col 2: 16-17).
Saturday was the foreshadowing of Sunday, and the sacrifices of the Old
Testament were the foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lord Christ on the
cross. Our teacher Saint Paul wrote a
whole epistle to the Hebrews (the converted Jews), to proclaim to them
that the Christian glory is much greater than the Jewish glory, be that in
terms of sacrifice, Temple, Covenant, Priesthood…etc.
The Seventh Day Adventists believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ resembled us in every aspect: in the possibility of
doing wrong, in sinning, and even in our ancestral sins. This is sufficient to
ultimately destroy the doctrine of redemption, consequently endangering anyone
believing in this heresy of eternal damnation.
Therefore
I thank H. E. Metropolitan Bishoy for authoring this brief
book, which suits the average reader.
His Eminence reveals to us the deceitful basis on which this dangerous
innovation was built, and the fatal errors that it contains.
Furthermore,
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III had warned us frequently in his articles and
sermons regarding this heresy. His
Holiness is also in the process of publishing a special book to refute this
innovation.
We beseech the leaders of this
innovation, along with all their followers, to quickly repent before it is too
late, and the following verse applies to them: “But even if we, or an
angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to
you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8)
May the Lord make the following
pages a blessing to its readers, through the prayers of our beloved shepherd His
Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
May the grace of
the Lord overshadow us all,
H. G. Bishop Moussa
General
Bishop
Introduction
Until the present age many Copts
still do not know who the Seventh Day Adventists are. The Adventists have a formal registered
status in Egypt. The adjective Adventist
is derived from the noun Advent meaning ‘coming’. Their official appellation is Seventh Day
Adventists.
This sect started in the USA in
1831, and was formally registered there in 1861. They came to Egypt in 1932, as a Christian
denomination (a false claim), offering help to the needy; and
establishing orphanages, schools, and hospitals.
Their limited expansion in Egypt was
aided at the time by the innocent knowledge of our Coptic people regarding the
doctrines of this group. The Adventists
were able to register their organizations, hence their activities achieved a
legal status. It might be noticeable
that nowadays they have become even more active, in an extensive financially
aided attempt to convert many of our Coptic Orthodox congregations to their
wrongful doctrine, which is similar to the doctrine of the Jewish
Sadducees.
The priest named Helal Doss
led this group; and Mr. Galal Philip Doss became one of their most
active leaders. Currently, he is the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Family Foods Co.,
previously known as Nutrition Co.
He is also the CEO of Avon Co., for cosmetics.
In the former company are 1000
Christian workers and staff members; while in the latter, 446 Christian.
The two companies have factories in the Tenth
of Ramadan City, as well as many subsidiaries, similar to sales
outlets. These include subsidiaries for Avon
Co., in Alexandria, Aghakhan, Merry Land, Maady, and Garden City.
Mr. Galal Doss conducts daily meetings,
for groups of workers in these companies.
He gives 35 lectures to each group, most of them attacking the Christian
faith and the Orthodox dogma. After the
block of lectures has been delivered, he publicly asks, “who became an
Adventist”? Anyone who was convinced of what he said will then undergo
another set of lectures, to fortify their deviated Adventist dogma.
He
conducts other meetings in his own house, in the Sheraton Towers, every
Saturday. He even assigns special cars
to pick up those living far distances, yet want to attend the meeting. Furthermore, he regularly visits and calls
people persistently and with enticement.
Moreover, he distributes non-Orthodox books and cassette tapes for
free. He also utilizes the companies’
funds to facilitate medical treatment fees for those who attend the
meetings. Further, he accepts the
workers’ children into Adventist language schools.
(It is worth mentioning that the Adventists prevent
their students from attending the exams of the Ministry for Education that come
on Saturdays. Thus, they cannot pass the
Arabic language exam, since it always comes on a Saturday. This results in problems for those who follow
their beliefs in keeping Saturday holy, rather than Sundays, and sticking
absolutely to the letter of the Scriptures in keeping the seventh day of the
week).
The Adventists also organize many seminars, announcing them in the
official newspapers with much propaganda; in order to attract the simple
minded. For example, they once invited a
foreign lecturer to conduct a lecture entitled, “How to overcome the habit
of smoking”? Everyone was invited to
attend.
It has become pertinent to instruct our people, of all education
levels, regarding the dogmatic errors of this cult. The Holy Synod of our Church considers the
Adventists a non-Christian cult.
Accordingly, H. H. Pope Shenouda III published many articles in
El-Keraza magazine, explaining the doctrines of the Seventh Day Adventists,
their dangers, and their errors.
The following is a segment from H. H. Pope Shenouda III writings in El-Keraza
Magazine dated November 20, 1992 issue:
“The Adventist is a dangerous innovation that has many dangerous
errors in common with the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Some of their most famous heresies are:
1.
They believe that the Lord Christ is Archangel
Michael.
2.
They believe that the Lord Christ was born with the
original sin.
3.
They call the Holy Spirit “The vice-head of the Lord’s
hosts”.
4.
They believe that Saturday, rather than Sunday, is the
Lord’s day.
5.
They do not believe in the immortality of the spirit.
6.
They believe in three Comings of the Lord Christ.
7.
They believe in the earthly Kingdom, and that Heaven
will not be for humans.
8.
They believe that the wicked will vanish, and not
suffer.
9.
They do not believe in Priesthood, intercession, or in
many other Church Sacraments.
10. They have other innovations
that we will discuss later, God willing.”
H. H. Pope Shenouda III explained all
these issues in the aforementioned article, and in other articles in the same
magazine. Further, His Holiness
delivered some lectures about this issue to the students of the Theological
College, in Cairo and Alexandria. They
are available on cassette tapes from the administration of El-Keraza, in
the printing house of Anba Ruweis, Cairo.
We shall begin with a historical
account of the heresy of the Seventh day Adventists, and its founder William
Miller. Secondly, we shall talk
about the so-called Adventist prophetess and messenger Ellen White, her
life story, her alleged revelations, and her writings. Finally, leading to a brief talk regarding
some dogmatic errors of the Adventists.
We will refute them until we publish a comprehensive book about the, “The
Seventh Day Adventists”.
At the end of this book, we included
the decision of the Holy Synod of our Church regarding this cult. Also included, is a report of the Patriarchs
and heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Middle East, regarding this
same issue.
I would like to thank H. H. Pope
Shenouda III; and members of the Holy Synod of our Church; H. G. Bishop Moussa,
General Bishop for Youth; members of Synod’s Committee for Faith, Education,
and Legislation; H. G. Bishop Rophael, General Bishop; H. G. Bishop
Yacobos of Zakazik; Rev. Father Bakhom Abdel-Malak, and Rev.
Father Beniamin Guirguis, priests of the Diocese of Zakazik; and Father
Missael Zekry of Saint Mary’s Church in Matarya; for their enthusiasm in
hindering the Adventists’ activities. I
also thank those working in the Youth Bishopric for their diligence in
publishing and distributing the Arabic edition of this research.
September
24, 2000 AD
Commemoration of Saint Aghathon the
stylite, and Commemoration of monastic revival in the Monastery of Saint
Demiana by H. H. Pope Shenouda III in 1978 AD
H. E. Metropolitan Bishoy
Metropolitan
of Damiette, Kafr El-Sheikh;
Head
of the Monastery of Saint Demiana,
And
Secretary of the Holy Synod.
First: A History of
the Seventh Day Adventist Innovation:
1.
William Miller:
The founder of this heresy, William
Miller, was born in Massachusetts (USA) on February 15, 1782. He isolated himself for the study of the
Bible for two years, from 1816 to 1818.
He emerged from this study claiming that the end of the world will occur
in the year 1843. This study was based
on the prophecies of Daniel the prophet (Dan 8:14, 9:24-27)
He
considered the weeks mentioned in chapter 9 of the Book of Daniel to be weeks
of years, (as many commentators believe). Therefore, seven days are actually seven
years, according to their belief. This
makes the period between issuing the order for rebuilding Jerusalem in the year
457 BC, until these mentioned events, 490 years.
It is common knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ was
crucified in 33 AD. Daniel wrote, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the
sanctuary shall be cleansed” (Dan 8:14). Miller considered this period to be 2300
years, so he subtracted 490 years from 2300 years and arrived at 1810
years. He, then, added 33 years, (the
age of our Lord Jesus Christ at His crucifixion). The result of this calculation was 1843. So, he considered this year to be the time of
the Lord Christ’s coming. He was so
convinced of this idea and started discussing it with those around him. In 1831, at the encouragement of one of his
friends he publicly stated his beliefs.
This began the formation of the Seventh Day Adventists’ sect.
When he
began publicizing his beliefs, many people desired to listen to his point of
view. Thus, he became a full-time
Baptist preacher in all the USA.
In the period between 1840-1842, he
went to Portland, Oregon to preach.
Among those listening to him was the family of Robert Gould Harmon,
Ellen White’s father, who joined the sect.
Miller continued spreading his ideas,
until the year 1843 had passed, and the Second Coming had not occurred.
2.
Samuel Snow:
In August of 1844 one of the
followers of William Miller, Samuel Snow, through more accurate calculations,
arrived at the conclusion that the Lord Christ will come on the seventh Jewish
month, on the great Day of Atonement; specifically October 22, 1844.
His
followers sold all their possessions, resigned their jobs, dressed in white,
and went up on mountains singing hymns, awaiting to receive the Lord
Christ. When the Second Coming of the
Lord Christ did not occur at that date, William Miller’s movement experienced a
great disappointment; they called that day ‘The Great Disappointment Day’. As a result, many of Miller’s Adventist
followers abandoned the sect, leaving only a fragment of the original
population.[1]
v
In 1845, at the age of 17, Ellen White
claimed that the Lord had shown her in a dream that He will come in the near
future. Since her claim did not
manifest, another leader of the sect, named Hirman Edson, found an
outlet. He claimed that on the October
22, 1844 the Lord Christ moved from the Heavenly Holy to the Holy of Holies;
and through this move, He started the final probation of sinners. This is where the strange doctrine
concerning the final probation took roots.
3. Joseph Bates and the Sabbath
In the period between 1840-1850 AD
Joseph Bates introduced and convinced the sect of keeping the Jewish
Sabbath. Bates belonged originally to
the Seventh Day Baptists; some of this group’s members do not believe in
keeping Sunday, but keep Saturday. The
Seventh Day Baptists were prior to the Seventh Day Adventists in adopting the
doctrine of keeping the Sabbath. Bates joined the Adventists, bringing with him
some traditions from the Seventh Day Baptists.
4. Ellen White
Ellen White played a
great role in the history of the Seventh Day Adventists’ cult. Ellen Gould Harmon was born on November 26,
1827, into a Methodist family. Her
family joined the Adventist movement due to the teachings of William Miller in
Portland, U.S.A.
One day
in school, a stone hit Ellen on the left forehead. The blow nearly killed her and undoubtedly
left her badly brain damaged, unable to continue her formal schooling.
Ellen
White, the wife of James White, claimed that she had a dream stressing that
Christians must keep the Jewish Sabbath as Saturday. In that dream, she claimed that the fourth
Commandment shone more brightly than the Ten Commandments written on the two
tablets. The Commandment said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”
(Ex 20:8).
William
Miller’s group considered Mrs. White a messenger from God, prophetess, and a
visionary. Accordingly, they considered
all her visions as divine messages to their sect.
Mrs.
White died in 1915 at the age of 87, never having seen the alleged day of the
Second Coming of the Lord Christ that she had long predicted. Regardless, she is very highly esteemed by
the Seventh Day Adventists. She even
replaced the dreams with some alleged visits by angels at three o’clock in the
morning, telling her what to write.
Eyewitness comments on Ellen White’s visions
In the
book, “Prophet of the End”, published by the Adventists, they
describe how she was like during visions.
Mrs. Martha Amadon, who attended these visions on several occasions
says, “As one who has frequently observed her in vision, knowing the company
of people usually present, all deeply observant and believers in her exercises,
I have often wondered why a more vivid description of the scenes which have
transpired had not been given.
In vision her eyes were open. There was no breath,
but there were graceful movements of the shoulders, arms and hands expressive
of what she saw. It was impossible for anyone else to move her hands or arms.
She often uttered words singly, and sometimes sentences which expressed to
those about her the nature of the view she was having, either of heaven or of
earth.”.[2]
5.
George Butler
An eyewitness to Mrs. White’s visions
on several occasions in 1874, George Butler was a member of this cult. He says, “For nearly thirty years past
these visions have been given with greater or less frequency, and have been
witnessed by many, oftentimes by unbelievers as well as those believing them.
They generally, but not always, occur in the midst of earnest seasons of
religious interest while the spirit of God is specially present..”[3]
In
his description he also said, “The time Mrs. White is in this condition
has varied from fifteen minutes to one hundred and eighty (three hours). During
this time the heart and pulse continue to beat, the eyes are always wide open,
and seem to be gazing at some far-distant object, and are never fixed on any
person or thing in the room. They are
always directed upward… The brightest light may be suddenly brought near her
eyes, or feints made as if to thrust something into the eye, and there is never
the slightest wink or change in expression on that account…While she is in
vision her breathing entirely ceases. No breath ever escapes her nostrils or
lips when in this condition.”[4]
Further,
he says, “Often she loses her strength temporarily and reclines or
sits; but at other times she stands up. She moves her arms gracefully”[5].
Her
husband James White comments on her visions saying, “On coming out of
vision, whether in the daytime or a well-lighted room at night, all is total
darkness [for her]. Her power to distinguish even the most brilliant objects,
held within a few inches of the eyes, returns but gradually… She has probably
had, during the past twenty-three years, between one and two hundred visions.
These have been given under almost every variety of circumstances, yet
maintaining a wonderful similarity.”-James White, Life Incidents, page 272,
1868.[6].
Dr.
Bordeaux wanted to confirm the authenticity of these visions, so he visited
Ellen White when she claimed to have been in a state of observing a vision;
this took place in Buck’s Bridge, New York 1857. He says, “June 28, 1857, I saw sister
Ellen G. White in vision for the first time. I was an unbeliever in the
visions; but one circumstance among others that I might mention convinced me
that her visions were of God. To satisfy my mind as to whether she breathed or
not [while in vision]. If first put my hand on her chest sufficiently long to
know that there was no more heavings of the lungs than there would have been
had she been a corpse. I then took my hand and placed it over her mouth,
pinching her nostrils between my thumb and forefinger, so that it was
impossible for her to exhale or inhale air, even if she had desired to do so. I
held her thus with my hand about ten minutes, long enough for her to suffocate
under ordinary circumstances; she was not in the least affected by this ordeal.
Since witnessing this wonderful phenomenon, I have not once been inclines to
doubt the divine origin of her visions”. –Statement by D.T. Bourdeau,
Battle Creek, Michigan, dated February 4, 1891[7].
Writings of Ellen White
Some of
her most influential writings that were translated into Arabic are, “The
Great Controversy”, “The Desire of Ages”, “Patriarchs and
Prophets”, “The Ministry of Healing”, “Living the life of the Lifegiver”,
and “Acts of the Apostles”.
This
person, who could not complete her education, wrote these large volumes. This is Satan’s gift to his followers. Furthermore, in her writings, one finds
interpretations of a brilliant intellect that would never emerge from a non-
educated person with a brain injury. Her
words are those of a person with great knowledge, who wants to destroy the
correct faith. She also has some attractive,
yet deceiving, interpretations of the Holy Bible. How could she have such a great ability?
In most
cases, Mrs. White used to affirm in her visions what the group had already
discussed and decided as doctrine. Her
writings however contained many mistakes, theological errors, and faults about
well-established scientific facts that a rational person would never
accept.
For
example, in her book Spiritual Gifts, she claimed that the main reason
for destroying the world with the Great Flood was the interbreeding or
“amalgamation” (intermarriage), and reproduction, between humans and
animals. Further, she said that the
intermingled species that resulted from this reproduction were not the creation
of God, and thus were not taken into Noah’s Ark: because they are hybrids of
humans and animals. It has been
scientifically proven that humans and animals cannot intermarry and reproduce.
v Wallace Slattery, in his book, “Seventh Day
Adventists - False Prophets?” asks, “Ellen White’s numerous
educational errors caused many problems for the Adventists. Would she then be a prophet?” This is the reaction of a former member of the
Adventists. He later broke up with the group and wrote his
book which was published in 1941, and also reprinted in 1990.
Following is a quotation cited
from Ellen White’s book “Spiritual Gifts”[8]:
“But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruction
of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of man and
beast which defaced the image of God and caused confusion everywhere. God purposed to destroy that powerful
long-lived race that had corrupted, their ways before Him”.
We also quote: “Every
species of animal which God created were preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not
create, which were the result of amalgamation were destroyed by the flood.
Since the flood, there has been amalgamation of man and beast as may be seen in
the almost endless varieties of species of animals and in certain races of men’.
Here are also some excerpts from
her book The Great Controversy[9], as
a simple example of Ellen White’s writings.
v On page 38-39 she writes: “The advancing centuries
witnessed a constant increase of error in the doctrines put forth from Rome.
Even before the establishment of the papacy the teachings of heathen
philosophers had received attention and exerted an influence in the church.
Many who professed conversion still clung to the tenets of their pagan
philosophy, and not only continued its study themselves, but urged it upon
others as a means of extending their influence among the heathen. Serious
errors were thus introduced into the Christian faith. Prominent among these was
the belief in man’s natural immortality and his consciousness in death. This
doctrine laid the foundation upon which Rome established the invocation of
saints and the adoration of the Virgin Mary. From this sprang also the
heresy of eternal torment for the finally impenitent, which was early
incorporated into the papal faith.”
She then continued, “The
Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been supplanted by the idolatrous
sacrifice of the mass. Papal priests pretended, by their senseless mummery,
to convert the simple bread and wine into the actual “body and blood of
Christ”… With blasphemous presumption, they openly claimed the power of
creating God, the Creator of all things.”.
Second: Some Adventist
Dogmatic Errors
First Error:
The spirit dies with the
body
Adventists believe that the spirit dies by the death
of the body, and that the human spirit is not immortal, rather it is like that
of a beast or an animal. Despite what the Lord Christ has said, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living”
(Mat 22:32). The Lord gave this reply to
the Sadducees, when they asked Him about a woman who was married to seven
brothers. They asked, “Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the
seven will she be? For they all had her.
Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, not knowing the
Scriptures nor the power of God. For in
the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like
angels of God in heaven. But concerning
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God,
saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is
not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mat 22:23-33).
Further they misuse the verse mentioned in the Book of
Ecclesiastics, “For what happens to
the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies,
so dies the other. Surely, they all have
one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity”
(Ecc 3:19). The author certainly did not
mean that the human spirit is similar to that of the animal, since in the
preceding verses he writes, “I said
in my heart, Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that
they may see that they themselves are like animals” (Ecc 3:18).
The Lord tests man by the event of death, which occurs to both man and
animals, to see whether or not man would believe in eternal life. Moreover, concerning the death of man he
says, “Then the dust will return to
the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it”(Ecc
12:7). However in the third chapter he
writes, “Who knows the spirit of the
sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down
to the earth?”(Ecc
3:21). The question, “who knows”,
shows that He is testing humans…
The Holy Bible contains many verses
that indicate how dear the human spirit is to God. A few examples are, “The Lord…who forms the spirit of man within him”
(Zec 12:1). Also, “But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of
the Almighty gives him understanding” (Job 32:8), and, “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of
the Almighty gives me life”(Job 33:4). In the Book of Isaiah it is writen, “Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens
and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from
it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it”(Is
42:5).
The Adventists also believe that
there is no eternal judgement for the evildoers, resurrection of their bodies,
nor return of their spirits; rather, God will raise up only the righteous and
revive their bodies and spirits through a special grace. This claim is despite the fact that the Lord
Jesus Christ talked much regarding the resurrection of the righteous to eternal
life (See Matthew 25), and the condemnation of
the evildoers to eternal Hell prepared for Satan and his hosts, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand,
Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil
and his angels”(Mat 25:41).
They even apply this same belief to the Humanity of
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. They
believe that His spirit and body were revived once more through a special
divine grace. With this claim, they clash with the verse said by
Saint Peter the Apostle, “…being put
to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and
preached to the spirits in prison”(1 Pet 3:18,19). They think lightly of the Resurrection, and
seem to have vague concepts regarding the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus
Christ and His Resurrection from the dead.
Second Error:
Jesus
Christ is Archangel Michael
Thos
who believe that Jesus Christ is Archangel Michael either consider that the
Lord Jesus Christ is Archangel Michael, and not the only begotten Son of God,
or that Archangel Michael does not exist, but was one of the apparitions of the
Lord Christ! Both cases are wrong and
are rejected by the Holy Bible.
If we discussed their belief that the Lord Christ is
Archangel Michael as based on the Epistle of our teacher Jude the Apostle who
wrote, “Yet Michael the archangel, in
contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not
bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you!”(Jude
9). How can the Lord Jesus Christ be the
one speaking, and at the same time say to the devil, “The Lord rebuke you”? Christ is the Lord that rebukes the
devil; He is the ‘Lord of Lords’.
“And He, rebuking them, did
not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ”(Lk
4:41). However, Archangel Michael can
say the statement, “The Lord rebuke you.” Besides, the passage says, “Dared not bring against him a reviling accusation”.
Is it logical to say that the Lord Christ “dared not”? It is impossible for such a statement to be
said in a rivalry between the Lord Christ and the devil.
Third Error:
Jesus Christ inherited the possibility of
sinning
They believe that Jesus Christ inherited the natural
tendency for sin, and that the possibility of submitting to sin was in Him, yet He resisted and did not sin. On the other hand, we believe, according to
the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, that the Lord Christ took a human nature
and resembled us in all aspects, except sin, since the fetus formed in the
Virgin’s womb is through the work of the Holy Spirit. This was the angel’s proclamation, “For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit”(Mat 1:20). It is impossible for the Holy Spirit to form
someone containing sin or having the possibility of sinning. Similarly, it is impossible for the Word of
God Himself, who united with this Humanity, or this human nature that He took
from the Virgin Mary, to unite to a nature that has the possibility of sin.
If
there was a possibility of Him submitting to sin, the act of redemption would
have been in danger!! In such a case,
the Savior would have had a choice to either sin or not sin. This means redemption may or may not have
been achieved! This would completely
destroy to the doctrine of redemption in Christianity. Honestly, what they say is considered a
blasphemy against the Lord Christ.
In
the book, “Seventh Day Adventist Believe”, they say, “When Christ
took the human nature that bore the consequences of sin, He became subject to
the infirmities and weaknesses that all experience[10]”. They also say, “Temptation and the
possibility of sinning were real to Christ.
If He could not sin He would have been neither human nor our example[11]”.
This is the same belief that
Nestorius had adopted. Thus there are
similarities between Nestorianism and the Adventists regarding this issue. Nestorians say, “He was a sinless man,
though the possibility of sin was open to him as he was a perfect man[12]”.
Fourth Error:
The Jewish Sabbath is the Lord’s Day
The Adventists claim that the
Jewish Sabbath is the Lord’s day that should be kept by all believers of the
Lord Christ. Thus, in their opinion, all
other Christian denominations violate the most important commandment in the
Holy Bible: keeping the Sabbath. They
believe that the fourth commandment in the first Tablet shone with a special
light, (as Ellen White had seen in her vision), and that Satan’s sin was
not keeping the Sabbath or honoring it.
Consequently, they claim that Satan’s attempts are all to cause man to
breach the commandment of keeping the Sabbath, and that anyone who violates
this commandment is one of Satan’s followers.
This is a form of reverting from Christianity to Judaism. The Seventh Day Adventists are similar to the
Jewish Sadducees in believing that the Lord’s day is Saturday, and also in
rejecting the resurrection. Saint Paul
the Apostle said, “So let no one
judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or
sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ”
(Col 2:16,17). He did not agree that
anyone judge this issue of keeping the Sabbath, because the Church considered
the Lord’s day of the Old Testament (the Sabbath) a symbol of the Lord’s
rest. But when did the Lord have
rest? He had rest through His
Resurrection and after renewing mankind.
Consequently, we notice in the Book of Acts that the Church was
assembled on Sunday, the beginning of the week.
The Scripture says, “Now on
the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread,
Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them”(Act 20:7). Concerning the Adventists’ literal view of
the Sabbath, in relation to collecting alms in the Church; Saint Paul the
Apostle says, “Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia,
so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay
something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections
when I come”(1 Cor 16:1,2).
Therefore, breaking of bread used to take place in the beginning of the
week, as was the case with almsgiving.
The Church in the apostolic era began worshiping on Sunday, in
memorandum of Lord Christ Resurrection from the dead. We say joyfully, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice
and be glad in it” (Ps
118:24).
Fifth Error:
Our Lord Christ’s Second
Coming is in the year 1843 AD
The leaders of this heresy
claimed that the Lord Christ will come, in His Second Coming, in the year 1843
AD. When this prophecy was not
fulfilled, they postponed the date to October 22, 1844 AD. When again it did not occur, they said that
the Lord purified the heavenly holy place on that date, and called
themselves Adventists: those of the Second Coming doctrine.
Sixth Error:
They attack the doctrine
of saints’ intercessions
They
vigorously attack the doctrine of saints’ intercessions, considering it a type
of witchcraft, and calling of spirits, since they believe that spirits of the
saints die with their bodies. (Refer
to the quotation cited from “The Great Controversy”, p. 10).
Seventh Error:
They attack the doctrine
of the Eucharist
They
also viciously attack the doctrine of the Eucharist and call this Sacrament the
idolatrous sacrifice of the mass.
(Refer to the quotation cited from “The Great Controversy”, p. 10).
Eighth Error:
They think that Ellen
White was a prophetess and a messenger
They
think that Ellen White was a prophetess and a messenger who had visions, dreams
and heavenly revelations. They consider
what she had allegedly seen as revelation from God to the “Seventh Day
Adventists”. (This is their formal
registered title in the USA in 1861 AD).
They
think she was a prophetess who was granted heavenly revelations and spiritual
inspirations from the Holy Spirit; and that she was a messenger that should be
added to the twelve disciples of the Lord Christ. They believe that all what she had prophesied
and written sublimes to the level of the holy Scriptures and divine Books; they
call her “Prophet of the End” (the title of one of the books published
about Ellen White; refer to pp.7-9).
Third: The Coptic
Church’s Opinion of the Adventists
1.
Decision of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox
Church
Regarding the Adventists, the Holy
Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, headed by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III,
had officially declared in its session on Saturday June 17, 1989 that both Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists are non-Christian
cults. We do not consider them
Christians; nor do we acknowledge their translations of the Holy Bible. The Holy Synod had warned against attending
their meetings, or receiving them into the homes of Coptic Orthodox Christians
as the case is with the rest of heretics and innovators.[13]
2.
Declaration of the Patriarchs
In the Common Declaration of
the second meeting held between the heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in
the Middle East, at the Monastery of Mar-Ephrem the Syrian in Maarat Sydnaya,
Syria, February 10-12, 1999, and signed by the three Patriarchs, H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and
Patriarch of the Great Sea of St Mark; Patriarch Ignatius Zakka Iwas I,
Patriarch of Antioch and all the East; and Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the
Armenians for the House of Cilicia, under the topic Theological Dialogue
the following was mentioned under the title of Dialogue with the Adventists;
“We received a proposal from the Seventh Day Adventists to start a
theological Dialogue. We did not
consider it appropriate to respond positively to this invitation, because
first, the faith held by the Seventh Day Adventists does not correspond to the
teachings of the Apostolic Church, and second, because of their active
involvement in proselytism”.
3.
The Simplifying Faith Lecture Series
audio tapes:
In response to the
demand and encouragement of the Pastoral Care & Service Sub-Committee
of the Holy Synod, a series of cassette tapes under the category, “Simplifying
Faith Lecture Series” has been distributed at production cost or
less. The first tape is titled, “The
Trinity, the Incarnation, and Redemption”.
The second is titled, “Fulfillment of Prophecies”. The third tape is titled, “The Status of the
Holy Bible and the Impossibility Distorting its Words”. The fourth is titled, “The Sacrament of
Baptism”.
We
settled on devoting the fifth tape of the series to confronting the vicious
attack of the Seventh Day Adventists on our apostolic doctrines; accusing them
of being pagan and Satanic doctrines. We
can wait no longer, but are obliged to respond to them in a simplistic style
that suits all educational levels (including those who are not highly
educated).
God
willing, we hope to produce the sixth tape of this series that would have more
information about the Seventh Day Adventists; as well as that of Jehovah’s
Witnesses, which was conceived in the womb of the Adventists’ sect in the USA
in 1876. To the Adventists’ errors,
Jehovah’s Witnesses added the complete denial of the divinity of Christ, and
rejected the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
They also consider governments as being from Satan, and saluting the
nation’s flag as a type of pagan worship.
Furthermore, they prohibit blood transfusion, believe in angel-human
intermarriage, changed the Holy Bible’s translation, and many more innovations
and strange beliefs.
Finally:
We
strongly advise the Church’s children to be very careful of this deceiving
cult, and of its non-Christian teachings.
Let them fulfill the commandment written by Saint Paul the Apostle, “But even if
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have
preached to you, let him be accursed (excommunicated)“(Gal
1:8).
[1] Antony
A. Hoekema, Seventh Day Adventism, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Comp.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprinted 1990.
[2]Harvestime
Books, Prophet of the End, Altamont, USA, 1988, p. 36
[3] ibid. p.
38
[4] ibid. p.
38
[5] ibid. p.
39
[6] ibid. p.
41-42
[7]ibid.
p.44
[8] Ellen
White, Spiritual Gifts (Battle Greek Mich.: James White 1858), 3:64, 75.
[9] Ellen
G.White, The Great Controversy, Remnant Publications, USA, 1997
[10] Seventh
Day Adventists Believe: a Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines- Seventh
Day Adventists, General Conference Ministerial Association- U.S.A by the Review
and Herald Publishing Association Hagerstown, Maryland, P.47.
[11] Ibid.
[12] “Was
Nestorius a Nestorian” by Mar Aprem G. Mooken Metropolitan of Trichur
of the Assyrian Church of the East in India presented in the 59th
Ecumenical Symposium of the Pro Oriente, Vienna, June 18, 1990, published as an
Annex in the book of the First Syriac Consultation organized by Pro Oriente in
Vienna June 1994 p.222.
[13] Decisions
of the Holy Synod during the Papacy of H.H. Pope Shenouda III (117),
forwarded by H.H. the Pope, and published by the Secretarial Committee of the
Holy Synod, first edition 1996, p. 58.
Foreword by
H. G. Bishop Moussa
General Bishop
By H. E. Metropolitan Bishoy
of Damiette, Kafr El-Sheikh, Barari
Head of the Monastery of Saint Demiana,
And Secretary of the Holy Synod.
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