In our October issue we partially reviewed, and took sharp exception to, Our Hope magazine's acceptance of Seventh-day Adventism's claim to evangelical orthodoxy. We pointed out the inconsistency of the Adventist claim of supporting the truth of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ while at the same time defending false doctrines, which when examined are found to be at variance with the essentials of deity. This may be illustrated by supposing the case of an engineer who claims to follow all orthodox procedure in designing bridges, but when his plans are examined they are found to contain the fundamental weakness that the foundation will not support the structure.
This month we purpose to look briefly into the Seventh-day Adventist doctrine relating to the finished work of the atonement wrought by the Lord Jesus. False doctrines invariably attack either His Person or His work, and not infrequently, both.
First, "What saith the Scripture" on this all-important subject? In John 17, where the Lord Jesus takes His place as beyond the cross, as evidenced by these words, "I am no more in the world,... and I come to Thee" (v. 11), He addresses God and says: "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK WHICH THOU GAVEST ME TO DO." V. 4. God was glorified in His Son about the whole question of sin, and the work was finished. And the Holy Ghost testifies that "by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." "But this man, after He had offered ONE sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God," or, "sat down in perpetuity." Heb. 9:12; 10:1212Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)
12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:12). See J.N.D. Trans.
The Seventh-day Adventists claim to believe in the finished work of the Savior ON THE cross, but their doctrine makes it necessary for Him to go to heaven to finish the work. One of their prominent writers of years ago was bold enough to state, "Christ did not make the atonement when He shed His blood upon the cross." (Looking Unto Jesus, by Uriah Smith, p. 237.) Their error is the result of a false teaching regarding the great day of atonement, in Lev. 16, which makes it necessary for Christ to go into heaven to present His blood before God, and there plead before Him on behalf of sinners. Speaking of the type in Lev. 16, Mrs. White says, "Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner's stead; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary." (The Great Controversy, p. 420, 1950.) Many quotations from their writings could be adduced to show that this is their teaching, but we shall give only one more: "The teaching of both Old and New Testaments is that atonement is not made alone by the shedding of the blood of the sacrifice, BUT rather by the shedding of the atoning blood AND the ministration of the shed blood in behalf of penitent sinners by the priest." Quoted by M. E. Kern from The Atoning Work of Christ.
If the Lord Jesus had to do one thing to complete the work of atonement after He went into heaven, other than that which He did on the cross, then the work was not finished when He gave up His life as a sacrifice for sin. The resurrection was the positive proof that the work was done; He "was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father." Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4). The whole work of expiation was done, and that forever, on the cross. God was completely glorified about the question of sin, and He was declared righteous in saving every believing sinner. See Rom. 3:25, 2625Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:25‑26). Jesus never has had to take up the sin question since, and He never will again (see Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)).
But Seventh-day Adventists stand by Mrs. White's statement that "in the new covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary."
Thus we see that according to these false teachers the sins were not gone when Christ arose, but that He then bore them into the heavenly sanctuary. Could anything be more foreign to the truth of God? Did not the Lord Jesus make purgation for sins, and then take His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3))? Certainly He did not bring sins up from the tomb and take them to heaven. Speaking reverently—if He, blessed be His name, had one single sin upon Him, He could not have entered heaven. Did not God show His displeasure and holy judgment of sin when He forsook that blessed One in the only time in all history or eternity that He had sins upon Him—the three hours of darkness on the cross? We say unequivocally that if Seventh-day Adventism be true, then the work of Christ was not complete on the cross, and vice versa.
This brings us to another error of Seventh-day Adventism; namely, that there is in heaven a separation between the place of the presence of God (the holy of holies) and an outer sphere (the holy place) as there was in the tabernacle and temple of old.
This is carrying over Judaism with its legal bondage and distance into the heavenly scene. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, was not the veil, which then hung in the temple dividing the holy of holies from the holy place, rent in two from the top to the bottom? As soon as the work of atonement was COMPLETE, God hastened (as it were) to show that the way was now cleared for Him to come out in mercy to man, and for man to approach to Him. There is no veil now, and not one scripture can be produced to prove that such exists in heaven; but Seventh-day Adventism, which cannot lead souls into the knowledge of acceptance before God in the holiest, would gladly put up the veil again. It is typical of their whole system.
Based on this false premise and other grave doctrinal errors, they claim that the Lord Jesus did not go at once into God's immediate presence, and that in spite of these scriptures:
"Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high";
"Within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus";
"The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the HOLIEST OF ALL was not yet
made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:... but Christ being come,... by His own blood He entered in once into the [holy of] HOLIES [see J.N.D. Trans.; R.V.; A.R.V.], having
obtained eternal redemption for us";
"But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God";
"Jesus... who... is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Could Scripture be plainer than that Jesus, the Son of God, after finishing the work of expiation on the cross, entered the very presence of God and sat down on His right hand—in the holy of holies? But they resort to sophistry to get around the plain simple fact. Milton E. Kern, in his book of 1945, says, "In current phraseology we do not limit the expression 'on the throne' to refer to a particular seat or room. At his coronation the king of England is literally there, seated on a throne, which may be viewed in Westminster Abbey. Though there may be a special place, known as the throne room, the ruler may be any where and yet rightfully said to be 'on the throne.' " p. 34. This is an obvious subterfuge.
Not only did "Jesus the Son of God," go at once into the holy of holies, into the very presence of God, but the believer in the finished work of Christ is exhorted to draw near also into "the holiest by the blood of Jesus." Heb. 10:1919Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19). This, intelligent believers do by faith, while the Son is there bodily.
Another scripture which will show the folly of their error is found in Heb. 4:1414Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14): "Seeing then that we have such a great high priest, that Jesus the Son of God." (See R.V.; A.R.V.; J.N.D. Trans.; and others.) Not merely did He go into heaven, but through the heavens; that is, through the first and second and into the "third heaven"—the immediate presence of God. The three heavens were typified in the tabernacle of old; it had its court, its holy place, and its holy of holies. On the great day of atonement the high priest went from the brazen altar at the gate through the court, through the holy place, and into the holy of holies where was God's dwelling place among the people. Now in the antitype, Jesus, the Son of God, has passed through all spheres into the HOLIEST OF ALL.
Let us yet look at the book of Revelation which these false teachers say proves their point that there is the veil in heaven; in chapter 8:3 (see also 1:4) the golden altar, or altar of incense, is seen "before the throne." Now if there had been a veil as in the tabernacle of old, the golden altar would not have been before the throne, for the veil would have separated between the throne and the altar. Only by the absence of the veil could the golden altar be said to be "before the throne." But need we multiply scriptures? one is sufficient for the subject mind, and no number of them will convince those whose wills are opposed.
Seventh-day Adventists would also have the Lord Jesus working as a "mediator" for sins in the heavenly sanctuary, but the Word of God is plain that He sat down. His work is finished. There was no place in the old system for a priest to sit down, for his work was never done, "But this man... sat down on the right hand of God." A "mediator" is for sinners, but priesthood, properly speaking, is for those in relationship with God.
This "systematized error" (Eph. 4:1414That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14); J.N.D. Trans.) says that the Lord Jesus finally, in October 1844, went into the holiest to finish the work of atonement. (This date is arrived at by a most pitiable application of the prophecy of Dan. 8 regarding the earthly sanctuary being defiled during the days of the Maccabees.) For more than 1800 years He had been at work cleansing the heavenly sanctuary-preposterous delusion!
Since 1844, according to this heterodoxy, the Lord Jesus is in the holiest investigating the sins of both the living and the dead, which they call an "investigative judgment." Mrs. White says: "... in 1844. Attended by the heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God [when Paul wrote, he said that He was there "now"] 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." (The Great Controversy, p. 480.)
Mrs. White says, and according to the Seventh-day Adventist cult she is God's messenger whom we are to hear, "The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. Says the prophet Daniel: 'The judgment was set, and the books were opened.' The revelator, describing the same scene, adds: 'Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.' Rev. 20:1212And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)." (ibid, p. 480.) (The scenes described by Daniel and the Revelation are not the same, nor are they taking place now, nor are either of them enacted in heaven.) The psalmist said, "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." Psalm 143:22And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (Psalm 143:2). David knew better than to want to stand in the judgment and be judged according to his works, for no man will stand there and be justified. Condemnation is the only answer for one who faces the bar of God on the basis of his works. How good for the true Christian to know that for him the judgment is passed, for it was borne by his Say four, and he shall NEVER come into judgment (see John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24), R.V.; A.R.V.; J.N.D. Trans., and others). His works will pass in review and he will receive a reward or suffer loss (1 Cor. 3:1515If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15)), but he shall not come into judgment, Seventh-day Adventist's artful twisting of the Scriptures notwithstanding. When the believer's works are reviewed he will be in heaven in a body of glory, with and like Christ. It is utter folly to speak of his being tried then to see if he has a right to be there.
And by what will Mrs. White's "investigative judgment" be measured? by the law, of course: "The law of God is the standard by which the characters and the lives of men will be tested in the judgment." According to this, the great test of their characters and lives below will be whether they obeyed the law, not whether they accepted the Savior. And what will be the outcome? Mrs. White says: "Those who in the judgment are 'accounted worthy' will have a part in the resurrection of the just.... As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God.
... Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected [of those who have believed on Jesus, mind you]. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life [of true believers, that is], and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance." (ibid, pp. 482, 483.)
Let Seventh-day Adventists claim, and Our Hope and others concur, that their teachings are sound regarding the work of Christ and the believer's salvation, it simply is not so. Listen further to the voice of their authority: "All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven [sounds good so far, but see]; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ [a statement which is incorrect and not found once in Scripture], AND THEIR CHARACTERS ARE FOUND TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE LAW OF GOD, their sins will be blotted out [notice that not until then will their sins be blotted out], and they themselves accounted worthy of eternal life." Reader, can anything be clearer than that this is a religion based on works and character, with only the hope that the believer's sins MAY be blotted out, and they themselves MAY eventually be accounted worthy of eternal life?
Let us notice a few more quotations on this point: "The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated." (ibid, p. 485.)"All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged 'out of those things which are written in the books, according to their works.' " (ibid, p. 486.) This is contrary to the truth and is folly on the face of it. Only of the wicked dead is it said that they will be "judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works," and this is to take place before the great white throne. Rev. 20 makes it quite clear that this scene will be enacted more than 1000 years after the coming of the Lord for His own. How then can it have a bearing on their so-called "investigative judgment" which is to determine the fate of believers now? But their whole system is one of confusion.
Another nearby quotation is informative about their doctrine: "Our acts, our words, even our most secret motives, all have their weight in deciding our destiny for weal or woe. Though they may be forgotten by us, they will bear their testimony to justify or to condemn." (ibid, pp. 486, 487.) This is not the gospel which Paul preached; it is "another gospel: which is not another," for it is a corruption which falsifies grace so that "grace is no more grace." Paul not only condemns it, but also those who preach it: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:6-86I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6‑8). A curse is pronounced upon any who pervert the pure gospel of Christ. Never did Paul preach Christ AND anything else for salvation; never did he allow anything to be mixed with the atoning sacrifice of Christ as a means of salvation. After a thorough perusal of Seventh-day Adventist's literature, we say emphatically, Seventh-day Adventism is the Galatian heresy against which Paul wrote so devastatingly. It is a religion of works if "our acts and words" will have weight in determining our destiny, or in justifying or condemning us. It is a gospel that leads either to confidence in self, and hence to perdition, or to despair. No one indoctrinated with their gospel (which is NOT THE GOSPEL) can have peace with God, know true acceptance, or enjoy access into the holiest, for his sins are still a matter of record against him, his case is still undecided, and he must await the so-called "investigative judgment" to see if he will be accounted worthy.
In the October issue we noticed that the Christ of Seventh-day Adventism was not intrinsically holy as a man; He was afraid that He might fail in accomplishing the work of God; He did not see through the tomb in faith of resurrection. And now we see that He did not finish the work of atonement on the cross; that He took our sins back to heaven with Him; and that He is still working to see if believers are to be saved, while He is finishing the work of atonement. There are also other grave errors connected with their teachings of the mortality of the soul, and the annihilation of the wicked and of Satan, and the sleep of the soul while the body is in the grave. But we shall have to continue this examination of their doctrines, and of the so-called evangelicals' granting them a badge of orthodox respectability in another issue.
We have found the examination of Seventh-day Adventism most distressing, and certainly unprofitable, and we have had to seek grace from on high to keep the cover on the vessel (Numb. 19:1515And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean. (Numbers 19:15)) while doing it. The Scripture says, "I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil."
We advise our readers against tampering with evil, although we have felt called upon before God to make this examination for the sake of keeping souls from being ensnared by the evil through the whitewash 'being applied by men of evangelical prominence.