| Author | Message | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2368 Registered: 11-2002 |
Growing up Adventist I always heard that the SDA church was the chosen people of God, the remanent church of Revelation because the SDA church is the only church with the true teaching of The 3 Angel's Message. As best I could ever figure out the teaching of the 3 Angel's Message goes something like this: There are 3 angel's. The first two aren't worth the time of day in a discussion. It is only the last angel, the 3rd angel's message that's worth two-bits and this 3rd angel's message is that SDA's are the final chosen, last day Isreal, the owners of all truth. I would read and reread the passage(s) in Revelation where the SDA's try to get this doctrine and I never could figure out how they got it. First of all, there are sure a lot more angel's in Revelation mentioned than those three. In fact, in that very passage if memory serves me correctly there are at least 7 angel's mentioned. How come the SDA's don't acknowledge more angels in the last day events as important than just that 3rd angel? And, pleeeeeeze tell me how they get that the SDA church is the keeper of all truth from this 3rd angel. (Honest, there is almost nothing in the SDA religion that makes sense to me by my Bible studies.) | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4605 Registered: 12-2003  |
Susan, I've puzzled over the 3 angels' messages over the years, too. And I've also wondered why those first three were picked out over the other angels in Revelation 14! As is often the case, Adventism has interpreted them through their own special lenses instead of in context. Confusion. Colleen | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2369 Registered: 11-2002 |
Again, if memory serves me correctly the SDA church somehow gets the truth of the seventh-day Sabbath in this third angel. I can't make it work though by Bible study. I guess it is something a person just has to take on faith. Faith in Adventism and EGW. Faith in the Bible alone does not cut mustard in trying to figure out SDA doctrines. But still, could someone try to make it make sense. Thank-you. | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 542 Registered: 7-2004  |
It doesn't make sense, but the SDA explanation of how the third angel's message means "keep the Sabbath" goes like this: "Worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters" Rev 14:7 That's actually the first angel. The third angel in verse 9 says "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand..." Then SDA's start using logical steps to reach their speculations. Since the first angel says to worship God as Creator, that somehow points back to the Sabbath as a memorial of Creation. Those who worship the beast must be doing the opposite of those worshiping God as Creator, and worshiping on Sunday is the opposite of worshiping on Sabbath. Then somehow, they decided if Sunday is the mark of the beast, then the Sabbath must be the seal of God, because those who have the seal of God are worshiping on Sabbath and won't get the mark of the beast. They further support this idea by saying the Sabbath must be the seal of God because it is the only commandment that contains the items a seal generally contains, such as Who (God) and jurisdiction (the heavens and earth), and I forget the rest. Don't know that I got that explanation completely accurate, but it is filled with far more speculation and jumps from one conclusion to another than any solid Scripture. | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 543 Registered: 7-2004 |
Sure sounds crazy now. I can't believe I used to "understand" that, but I'm sure it's because I mostly listened to the SDA's reasoning and explanations and spent very little time looking at what the Bible actually says. There's someone on CARM who keeps insisting the SDA explanation has to be correct because they're the only ones with an explanation on what the mark of the beast is. Since no one else can say with conviction and certainty what it is, as the SDA's can, then the SDA's must be right. How logical is that? As Ric_b pointed out over there, that's like saying "I believe Jesus will return on December 4." Then when someone says they don't believe that but they don't know when Jesus will return, the person making the claim will say "since you don't have a better interpretation, then my interpretation must be correct." | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4607 Registered: 12-2003 |
Sigh. You're so right, Raven. None of this makes sense. That reasoning always seemed strained to meóI pretty much ignored that third angel as an AdventistóI tried to base my observances on other texts, like the creation or Exodus or ...well, none of them were too good, actually! The confusion and cognitive dissonance just never went away. And there's really no place to go except to that illogical place you described aboveóof just saying, "If you don't have anything better, then use my explanation!" Colleen | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2371 Registered: 11-2002 |
So, since only those who worship on the true Sabbath will be protected by this third angel then how come there is such hostility among Adventists towards other Sabbath-keeping Christians? The Bible Sabbath association has a list of over 300 congreations in North America that observe the weekly Sabbath that are not SDA. I attended a local Seventh Day Baptist weekly for around six years and actually had a local SDA lady tell me that since I was already on to the truth of the Sabbath I should give myself fully to God and His truth and be SDA. Apparently just having the Sabbath is not enough. Thanks, Raven. You explained it the best I've heard. It's not the way you explained it, it is the doctrine itself that does not add up. | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1496 Registered: 10-2004  |
I've also wondered what makes the Adventists think they are the three angels? It says that angels will proclaim these messages to the world! Jeremy |
