ADVENTISTS CLAIM: SATAN IS SIN-BEARER . . . the other goat (the scape goat), we believe, stood for Satan, who is eventually to have rolled back upon his own head, not only his own sins, but the responsibility for all the sins he has caused others to commit. (Page 399, “ Seventh-day Adventist Answer Questions on Doctrine.” ) From this frank statement the scape goat of Leviticus 16:21,22 therefore represents Satan. To show the blas phemy of this teaching we refer you to the passage in Leviticus 16 dealing with the “ scape goat.” This is what God says: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat (Satan, according to the S.D.A.’s), and confess over him (Satan, according to the S.D.A.’s) all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat (Satan, according to the S.D.A.’s), and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat (Satan, according to the S.D.A.’s) shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness (Lev. 16:21,22). Since the S.D.A.’s teach that the scape goat stands for Satan, and the sins of Israel were laid upon him, Satan then becomes our sinbearer. We have but to contrast this with the words of the Bible through the Apostle Peter: THE BIBLE SAYS: “WHO (CHRIST) HIS OWN SELF BARE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE” (I Pet. 2:24). If this one teaching were the only evil doctrine taught by the S.D.A.’s it would be enough to brand it as a Christ-denying, false religion. In the same book, “ Seventh- day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine” (1957) this teaching is consistently defended on the authority of Mrs. Ellen White. The book contains OVER FOUR HUN DRED QUOTATIONS from her writings alone. There are other strange doctrines of a legalistic nature which could be mentioned: the legal dietary rules, their pork ordinances, their attitude toward members of other denominations, and their proselyting of members of other churches. The above statements of errors as taught by the S.D.A.’s
atonement. In the latest authentic textbook of the Seventh- day Adventists, “ Questions on Doctrine,” page 681, we read the following statement: Our Saviour is in the sanctuary pleading in our behalf. He is our interceding High Priest, MAKING AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR US (capitals ours). On page 682 we read: By His death HE BEGAN that work which after His resurrection He ascended to COMPLETE in heav en (capitals ours). On page 683 we read: He is making intercession and ATONEMENT for His people who believe in Him (capitals ours). On page 685 we read: Today He (Christ) is making an atonement for us before the Father. To all of these things we can only say that “ Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28). See Hebrews 7:27; 9:26; and 10:10. How then can they pos sibly deny that Jesus did not finish His work of Calvary? 5 . 5. They also teach that the soul sleeps, unconscious after death. In the book on “ Questions on Doctrine” page 13 we quote: That the condition of man in death is one of un consciousness. That all men, good and evil alike, remain in the grave from death to the resurrection. 6 . 6. It is also their teaching (though they categorically deny it) that the wicked will not suffer for their sins after death, for there is no literal, conscious suffering in Hell. No punishment for the wicked, but at the judgment they will be immediately annihilated. Again we quote from the same volume, page 14: That the finallv impenitent, including Satan, the author of sin, will, by the fires of the last day, be reduced to a state of nonexistence, becoming as though they had not been, thus purging God’s uni verse of sin and sinners. 7 . 7. They contend that no one can be sure of salvation now, but after one believes, he is placed on probation. Mrs. White says in “ The Great Controversy,” pages 485, 486: 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. According to this clear statement, no. one’s salvation will be absolutely certain and settled until after the judg ment has taken place. 8 . 8. Although the S.D.A.’s will deny this, it is an incon trovertible fact that they teach that Satan, not Christ, was to be the sin-bearer. In the most recent book on Seventh- day Adventist doctrine to which we have referred, the authors declare:
32
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker