Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Revelation 14 and Adventism

7 comments:

Arik said...

It is incorrect to separate the third angel's message from the first two messages given (and for that matter the context of Rev. 12-14). The first angel has the everlasting Gospel preached to all the world. Meaning that all will make a choice either to receive the gospel or reject it. The second angel warns those to come out of babylon and her false gospel that has made the nations drunk (confused)cf Rev. 18. The third angel gives the final judgment to those who do not come out of babylon.

Rev. 14:12 is a huge hint as to those that do not worship the beast and receive its mark. "...here are those that keep the commandments of God....."

There can be no doubt that these final scenes will include the law of God. Revelation draws much from the OT, therefore it is beneficial to compare Scripture with Scripture. Taking from Ex. 13:16, Deut 6:8, and Deut. 11:18 we can easily discern that God's law was to be written into the foreheads of those that are followers of God. After God gave the Ten Commandments He said "Oh that they had such a HEART in them and FEAR me, AND ALWAYS KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS...." Deut. 5:29(reminiscent of the first angel in Rev. 14) and also Deut 6:6 God also said "And speak these words (Ten Commandments)...SHALL BE IN YOUR"E HEART."

This is the same message that goes out to all the world, it is the everlasting Gospel. To have God's law written into our heart is to have Christ's character in our heart (mind, frontlets between our eyes).

So to be clear-the final message proclaimed to all the world is the "everlating Gospel" (Rev 14:6) and those who receive it will "keep the commandments of God" (Rev 14:12) vs. those that receive the mark of the beast (Rev 14:9) or those that receive a false goepel that does NOT keep the commandments of God (cf Rev 13:8,12,16, 17:2,6, 18:3).

Scripture is also very clear that those that reject the everlasting Gospel will kill those that "keep the commandments of God" (Rev 13:15). Now you may ask how is this possible but it should be no surprise to anyone-for even the so-called religious leaders of Christ's day sought to kill Him. Why? Quite clearly righteousness brings out the worst in those that reject it. History even records the persecution of many people by "the church" because of the threat and challenge to the church's authority (same with the Pharisees)they posed by not capitulating to the "church's" false gospel.

This final showdown is nothing more or less than what we have seen in the past, from Cain killing Abel, to the religious leaders killing Christ to "the church" killing those in the middle ages, to those that receive the mark of the beast killing those that "keep the commandments of God."




Teresa Beem said...

You do realize, Arik, that the commandments are more than the SAbbath.

Can your church, the one that teaches one can break the commandment of "thou shall not murder" by having an abortion and has church sponsored hospitals that do abortions REALLY tell us that they teach against THAT commandment? Nope.

Can your church who continues to slander the Catholic Church as well as other Christians REALLY authentically claim that they teach "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor?" Well, not so much....

When all is said and done, Arik, the SDA church emphasizes only ONE of the Ten Commandments. They have NO annual seminars on being faithful to your spouse, they do not canvas the neighborhoods inviting people to programs on how to honor your parents or how to keep from taking the Lord's name in vain.

In the end, Adventists are a one commandment church. So to claim remnanthood status and say that your church alone is the church that "keeps the commandments of God" is really not looking fairly at your own church.

NO church KEEPS the commandments of God. It is only individuals. The remnant isn't a church but a people who not just TEACH but actually KEEP them. Can your church really claim that they KEEP all ten?

No, so assuming because your church teaches the Sabbath , that somehow points to them fulfilling the "keeping the commandments" is a huge and faulty stretch.

Arik said...

"You do realize, Arik, that the commandments are more than the SAbbath."

Absolutely! Breaking one of the commandments breaks the law of God. Rev. 14:12 says "commandments" plural, not singular. But lets be honest most Christians today recognize 9 of the Ten Commandments, The 4th Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day has been forgotten despite God specifically says "Remember". So how will those Christians be recognized from those who profess God with their lips and those who have been sealed with the Seal of God? Again Rev. 14:12. Be honest Sabbath keeping is a distinguishing mark even now today. But more importantly as you say it is all the commandments. So yes when the Everlasting Gospel goes out some will depart from the faith (those that arbitrarily "kept" the Sabbath and/ or those that continue to break the other commandments) and there will be those that will be sanctified by the Gospel and will "keep the Commandments of God."

Despite what you say in your'e video getting dressed up nicely on Sunday morning, and singing praises to Jesus is NOT the distinguishing "mark" that God is looking for to seal His true followers. He is looking for those that "Keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus" Rev 14:12.

What you fail to realize is those that "keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" are those that are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13), It is impossible to keep God's law in our own strength (Romans 7)even knowing it and acknowledging it is not enough. So those that are keeping the Commandments are living with Christ in them, dying daily (1 Cor 15:31). This is being sealed by the Holy Spirit! This is the power of the everlasting Gospel, it not only recognizes Christ's sacrifice from the penalty of sin (death) but also gives them power to overcome sin. Jesus warned of those that professed Him with their lips (getting dressed up, singing His praises) yet He never knew them because they do not die to self and gain the power of the Gospel to overcome sin! This is in part due to apostacy that entered into the early church. By changing the law of God the "church" has redefined sin "the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4).
You can call Adventist slandeous all day long, but it is you who continue to misrepresent what is taught. To phrase this final conflict to those who worship on Sunday compared to those who worship on Saturday is false. I worship God everyday, Sunday included. But Scripture is clear all Ten Commandments are still binding and that means not just 9 commandments but all ten, including the 4th Commandment Sabbath! Make no mistake about it though we see today a church that claims to keep His commandments yet they really do not! Rev 14 is the final warning, take heed Teresa and stop deceiving yourself and better yet stop trying to deceive others.


Teresa Beem said...

Arik,
You are asking me to agree to and "honestly" recognize something that is simply wrong. Christians do not ignore the 4th commandment. That comes from a complete and profound misunderstanding of Christian history.

I know how you think Arik, I was SDA for forty years. I understand Adventism and its doctrines. Christians outside of Adventism do try and keep (with God's grace) the commandments. But we keep the commandments of Christ which are the New Covenant commandments.

The Sabbath in the New Covenant is rest in Christ. It has been taken from one day to everyday--from flesh only to spirit and flesh--both. The SDA church teaches the fleshly sabbath of the Jews.

But you fail to answer the real problem. Adventist cannot claim the remnant hood of Revelation 14 because it is not a group who teaches one of ten or two of ten... or even TEN of ten. It is a group who KEEP the commandments (whether it is the Jewish Ten or the Christian New Covenant laws expressed by Jesus.)

Adventists as a group do not teach nor keep the Ten. The teach ONE commandment and don't even keep it the way it is supposed to be kept. They make up their own rules about how it is supposed to be kept rather than how God commanded it to be kept.

So, Arik, rather than be consumed by a Sabbath day, which Paul told us not to judge others about. Let us join together in love, let us unite as true children of Christ and respect one another. Let go of the false prophecies and the twisted history that pits Christian against Christian.


Arik said...

"Christians do not ignore the 4th commandment. That comes from a complete and profound misunderstanding of Christian history."

"Christian history"?, sorry I do not prop up the tradition of "Christian history" but rather Scripture. I find it to be more complete and profound.

"I know how you think Arik, I was SDA for forty years. I understand Adventism and its doctrines. Christians outside of Adventism do try and keep (with God's grace) the commandments. But we keep the commandments of Christ which are the New Covenant commandments"

I wish it was true that you understand Adventism, then maybe you would not misrepresent it as much as you do. You do not know the first thing about Covenants, if you did you'd know the basics that a covenant can NOT change one the Testator is dead. And since Sunday as a holy day did not come by Christ or the Apostles before the Covenant was ratified by Christ's blood on the cross, it is a change that took place well after the Cross! Nothing can be added to or taken away from the New Covenant that was ratified by Christ. Sunday as a holy day is noT part of the New Covenant, it came way to late.

"The Sabbath in the New Covenant is rest in Christ. It has been taken from one day to everyday--from flesh only to spirit and flesh--both. The SDA church teaches the fleshly sabbath of the Jews."

The Sabbath in the New Covenant is the same Sabbath in the Old Covenant. It has always been spiritual. That is the whole idea of the law of God being written into the frontlets of our eyes (see previous posts). Into our mind! That's spritual, thats having the character of God or Christ in us! This is the what Rev. 14 is all about. Those that have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, there works are in harmony with the law. They will be known by there works, "Here are they that keep the Commandments of God".

"But you fail to answer the real problem. Adventist cannot claim the remnant hood of Revelation 14 because it is not a group who teaches one of ten or two of ten... or even TEN of ten. It is a group who KEEP the commandments (whether it is the Jewish Ten or the Christian New Covenant laws expressed by Jesus.)"

Whether it be the Jewish Ten or the Christian Ten? Tell me where did Christ command Sunday to be kept as a holy day? Jesus did not give us a new law, He magnified the law. The command to keep Sunday is not by Christ but by a church influenced by political, religious and cultural influences. This is not a complete and profound misunderstanding ofhistory but rather the truth your'e church and many in it with much more authority than you have easily admitted! Besides please note the three Angels message is for the entire world, including Adventist, we are not immune to the judgments of God by merely keeping the Sabbath, but by being sealed by the Spirit that produces in us works of obedience to the law.

"So, Arik, rather than be consumed by a Sabbath day, which Paul told us not to judge others about. Let us join together in love, let us unite as true children of Christ and respect one another. Let go of the false prophecies and the twisted history that pits Christian against Christian."

The imperative is to be united in truth, that is what it means to be in Christ. Truth sanctifies us, and only Truth sets us free. The prophecies are not false, Rev 14 is clear only those that are sealed will be keeping the Commandments and the faith of Jesus.

Teresa Beem said...

Arik,

I think we can assume at this point that we simply disagree and will continue to disagree. At this point we are starting to go around in circles. You accept a different source of interpretation of scripture than I do, so I don't see a way we can come to terms with this.

I hope all the best for you Arik and God bless you.

Mr. Mcgranor said...

What is inviting to many of the Seventh Day Adventists is the marketing of seemingly at least -- Protestantism. I think there is more demand for Protestantism then institutional churches would like to 'market'.
Such a denial and lack of representation will be a contribution to Protestantism's demise--in a Western context.