A Deeper Look: The Heartbeat of Adventism

Special note: If you wish to print this out for personal use it will take at least 7 pages just to be safe as it is a 7 Page Word Doc.

Yesterday I did a general post about the new book on Seventh Day Adventism titled The Heartbeat of Adventism: The Great Controversy in the Writings of Ellen White.

Today we are going to look at the sections of the published book and I’ll reveal a little more of the Adventist thinking in comparison to Evangelical thinking of the matter addressed by each section.

I will be Bolding what Adventists teach and Section Headings of the book and Italicizing what Biblical Christianity teaches for clarity. Sometimes I won’t even mention what Adventists believe because it would take a post all by itself, hence why Adventists need a huge BOOK to explain their Great Controversy Theme (GCT).

Section 1: Introduction: The Great Controversy Theme Is the Grand Central Theme of the Bible

Despite the fact that the main theme of the Bible is Man being created to have an eternal relationship in the grace of God. Man loosing that eternal grace filled relationship with God. And God unfolding His divine plan already in place (no plan B-Z), to bring is back into a right relationship with Him, by His own sacrifice and His own grace.

Section 2: The Great Controversy Theme Explains the Background for the Rise of Sin Suffering and Death

A GCT is not needed to explain what the Bible already clearly explains. This the Bible does and it does it in much fewer pages. In fact after the first three chapters of Genesis God felt He had given us enough information about the origin of sin to get it straight. A few other details followed but none of them change the key points of how Sin and Death entered in Genesis 1-3.

Section 3: The Great Controversy Theme Recognizes “the Change in Man’s Condition, Through the Coming In of a Knowledge of Evil”

So does the Biblical view. Let’s see if I can break it down. Man and woman are in a grace filled eternal right relationship with God. Satan and his 1/3^rd of angels fall from heaven, Satan uses the serpent to con Eve and Adam into being selfish and wanting to become as God. They eat from the wrong tree and everyone post Adam and Eve (bar of course Jesus) is born from the seed of man, and it is to man that God credits the fall. Therefore all people except once again Jesus are born in sin.

Section 4: The Great Controversy Theme Highlights the Charges that Satan Has Made Against God

Why do we need to know the story of the side of the Father of Lies although we are warned in Ephesians that our battle is against Spiritual strongholds and not just what we can see. The Bible at its most basic is about the story of the reconciliation of Man to God.

Section 5: The Great Controversy Theme Illuminates How God Has Told His Side of the Story!

God’s side of the story is very clear and it’s called The Bible, you might want to check it out. I can assure you it has more truth than The Heartbeat of Adventism though I will hastily add that reading said book will reveal how far from Biblical Christianity Adventism is.

Section 6: The Great Controversy Theme Explains Why Jesus Became Man, Not Only To Reveal the Truth About God, But To Identify With Human Beings, Thus Giving Credibility To His Appeal To Us To Overcome, Even as He Did

This section is repugnant. God became man for one reason, He had to, it was after all Plan A the only plan that could ever save humanity. Jesus was the only person ever born of the Spirit and Seed of Woman making Him just like us but full of the Spirit and unable to sin. If He had been just like us (as Adventism MUST state in order to make the Great Controversy Theme work) then we have no hope of Salvation at all. Anyone born in sin is inherently not able to be sinless and a sinless sacrifice is the only one that can save us.

 

We overcome only by being born again, born from Heaven and filled and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Then God sees as being adopted into his family through the death of His Son Jesus for us, through Christ’s perfect sacrifice we are saved and it’s the only way.

 

This section response alone and a proper understanding of the “Adventist Jesus” should be more than enough to make it clear that the Great Controversy Theme is an abhorrent addition to the Bible, and that Adventism is not Christian.

Section 8: The “GCT” [Great Controversy Theme] Unfolds the Glorious Subject of the Atonement

The Gospels unfold the story of Atonement just fine, making clear the pictures of the future Atonement set up in the Old Testament. The Epistles further clarify the Christians’ standing in their Savior and the reality of their full atonement.

Section 9: The GCT Explains the Role of the Holy Spirit

The Bible explains the role of the Holy Spirit just fine; in fact it explains it so well that it needs no other help.

 

However I’d think twice before basing my understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit on a group that thinks the Holy Spirit walks alongside them and helps them in times of trouble.

 

And people that think of God as their co-pilot.

 

God owns your life, He should be in charge.

Section 10: The GCT Reveals the Role of Jesus as our High Priest

The Bible once again reveals that Jesus was a High Priest under the order of Melchizedek. His sacrifice was done on the cross and was perfect, therefore nothing else needs to be done.

 

Jesus now has time to do what He promised to do, build a place for each one of us, so He can return to the atmosphere and call us to always be with Him- and take us to His father’s House sparing us from wrath…because the Bride of Christ is promised not to face wrath.

 

When He’s not working on our new home He spends time at the right hand of God interceding for us, making sure God knows (as if He doesn’t) that we’re fully covered and saved by the blood of His sacrifice.

 

He is not as Adventists teach investigating whether we’ve been saved or not.

 

The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that we ARE saved, and that we are filled and sealed by the Holy Spirit upon our acceptance of Jesus sacrifice on the cross.

 

The thought that Jesus would lie on the cross saying it was finished when it was not is bad enough, saying that Jesus couldn’t see beyond the grave is bad enough, but saying that Jesus has to investigate whether we’re really saved. These are all things that the Adventist Church believes, all of them are NOT traditional Christian beliefs how therefore can we continue the delusion of calling them Christian.

Section 11: The GTY Unfolds What God Intends to Achieve with His Plan for Our Salvation

The Bible did that and I’m pretty certain I’ve covered it quite adequately by itself already. Except that there’s nothing intended at all, Gods’ plan has succeeded, Jesus finished it on the cross and rose on the third day. He added an exclamation point when He ascended to Heaven assuring everyone a resurrection. The only question is when will you hear the Saviors voice, when He comes for His Bride be they alive or dead…or will you face the Great White Throne Judgment.

Section 12: The GCT Directly Informs All Aspects of the Christian’s Life

The entire Bible directly informs on all aspects of Christian Life, people have called the BIBLE Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth but there’s nothing basic about them. The Bible is full of all the knowledge you could possibly need about living the Christian life.

 

From this section you’ll only get more extrabiblical ideas from a “prophet” who couldn’t even pass the prophet test of the Old Testament. One thing wrong, just one thing, and an OT prophet speaking for him/herself and not for God was stoned. Ellen G. White got well more than one incorrect thus she invalidates herself from being a prophet. Not every prophet was led by an angel of light.

Section 13: The GCT Has a Beginning and an End, and Its End Is Clearly Predicted, With Its Participants Plainly Identified

Well the Bible has that too, the main actors in the play if you will are clearly identified at the beginning and end. Where they stand is not in question and neither is what they have done to gain their position.

 

The most amazing thing is that the Bible also has a clear MIDDLE where Jesus work of Salvation was finished. It is only up to us to choose to accept what was done in the middle, on that cross, and we will also know exactly where we are going to end up.

 

The Bible is in fact so clear on this I cannot think of any good reason for this section at all…unless of course you’re trying to support heretical beliefs with extrabiblical teachings. That must be it.

Section 14: The GCT Begins in Heaven, When Satan ATtempted By Deceit and Subterfuge to Overthrow the Law of God—and That Hellish Enmity Continues on Earth,with His Final Attack Being Ratcheted Up In the End Times

There was a war in Heaven but there was never a Great Controversy. While Satan did cause humanity to fall, Jesus death on the cross completed all that is needed to be grasped onto for Salvation.

 

Of course The Great Controversy Theme could easily be a tool of Satan to try and distract Christians who are not grounded Biblically and to suck in people who don’t realize that Seventh Day Adventists are not Christians. That wouldn’t shock me at all.

Section 15: The GCT, in the End Times, Will Develop Into a Perfect Storm, When Satan Will Employ All His Deceptions In Such a Way That Even :The elect” Will Be Challenged (Matt. 24:24).

Satan is already sowing seeds of deception in fact the Spirit of Anitichrist was around in Bible times. Of course the greatest of Satan’s deceptions is the one where he makes people think they’re alive and just fine when in fact they’re dead in their sins.

 

Unless they’re saved by being Born Again which is a gift of God by Grace through Faith.

Section 16: The GC’s Last-Day Issues,Forecasting Satan’s Final Attempts to Conquer This World,Are Outlined in the Bible.

The issues of the Last Days, which in case you were wondering began not very long after Christ died on the cross are clearly outlined in the Bible itself. These issues were outlined in the Bible long before the Great Controversy Theme was ever concocted.

 

You don’t need to read a book on Adventism to clear things up, it will simply muddy the waters.

Section 17: The GCT Describes Two Groups In the Last Days That Define Those Who Honor God and Those Who Represent Satan’s Rebellion

The Bible describes three groups of people those who are Born again, those who are not, and the Nation of Israel.

 

Those who are born again are the only ones who hear Christ call His Bride to be with Him in the Father’s House while He unleashes His wrath on Earth during the 7 year Tribulation.

 

During the Tribulation period the gentile (those that are not saved during the Tribulation Period and not Jews) will be lost. The Nation of Israel (the Jews) according to Revelation have a massive revival and their own people 144,000 of them 12,000 from each tribe go out and make it happen. They save a vast number of people who are either Martyred (Tribulation Saints) or manage to survive until the Glorious Appearing of Christ and His Bride to earth at the end of the Tribulation- these are called The Remnant.

 

To clarify the Born Again are called home to the Father’s House because Jesus took their wrath upon Himself on the cross, and they accepted His free gift of eternal life and were promised they wouldn’t face the wrath of God. Jesus was God in man, literally the God Man.

 

Gentiles who die before they are saved, those that don’t turn to God during the Tribulation Period, are lost. They lived their entire lives dead in their sins and never realized it; many so called Christians will unfortunately be in this group.

 

Nation of Israel (the Jews) have a massive revival around the globe thanks in part to 144,000 of their own sealed by the mark of God. In the end the Jews will call to the Heavens and ask for Jesus their Salvation to rescue them at the end of Armageddon- and come He will with His Bride the Church to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

 

The Remnant are those who come to Christ after the Rapture and before the Glorious Appearing. Many will be Martyred (and go to be with the Lord) for their faith but some will survive to help repopulate the Earth during the Millennial Reign. The number of both Martyred Tribulation Saints and Remnant are said to be incalculable.

Section 18: The GCT Outlines the Final Events That precede Our Lord’s Return

Covered just fine in the Bible thank you very much, no extrabiblical help is needed especially not Adventist “help”.

Section 19: The GCT Provides Satan’s Playbook for Alert, End-time Loyalists

If you’re alert and Biblically sound you won’t need to be around for this time. Oh and in case you were wondering the Bible has this very well covered as well. Don’t forget if you’ve been born again, you’ll be departing before the Tribulation…ready or not. No signs remain before the Rapture of the Church by our Groom Jesus Christ.

Section 20: Preaching the GCT Requires Special Kinds of Preachers and Sermons

Ah yes finally something that this book is being honest about. There is no doubt that it would take special kinds of preachers, to teach special kinds of sermons to make this all sound legit. They are all to be found in Adventist churches of course, and as I’ve pointed out just in this rebuttal of the divisions of the new book, they have distinctly un-Christian and extrabiblical understandings that open a great chasm between Adventism and Christianity.

 

These issues should sound alarm bells through Evangelical Christianity, Adventists are not Christian.

Section 21: The GCT Ended—All Issues Settled, Universe Forever In Harmony

In case you’re wondering what the GC Theme Issues are then read the book, just a reminder that it’s not Biblical at all.

The Bible covers this when it talks extensively about the Millennium. Here’s a hint Adventists think we’ll be staying in Heaven…while the Bible says we’ll be living on, in, and around a New Heavens and a New Earth with the New Jerusalem as its capital city.

 

I think I’ll trust the Bible on that one.

 

The Third related article below is a heads up specifically for my Adventist friends who had no idea about the Adventist stand on abortion. I hope it opens some eyes.

 

Related Articles

• Do you Have the Son? (undercoveradventist.wordpress.com)
• Sold Out to whom? (thebiblerunner.wordpress.com)
• Seventh-Day Adventists Permissive On Abortion (lukeford.net)