Adventism’s Replacement Theology
I am a “former” who left Adventism about 30 years ago. In a discussion with one of my sisters, the subject of “spiritual Israel” came up.
Would you please remind me what Adventism taught, or may still teach, about that issue? Did/do they teach replacement theology?
It seems to me they did, but I must admit I’ve been out of it for so long (thanks be to God!) I can’t remember.
After years and years of having no church life at all, this one sister just recently became reconnected with the Adventist church and feels quite renewed and invigorated. Because, as you know, Adventism “keeps secret” some of their teachings, I’m not sure she’s really paying attention to what all they actually believe these days.
Thank you so much, Colleen and Nikki, for your wonderful study on the book of Daniel. Another of my sisters, who is also a “former”, and I are really enjoying the weekly podcasts.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: Adventists teach that THEY are spiritual Israel, that they are ones now who “keep the commandments of God” and have the faith of Jesus. They reason that Israel rejected Jesus, so they have been replaced by the “true believers” who keep all the commandments.
Here are a couple of EGW quotes which explain their view:
That which God purposed to do for the world through Israel, the chosen nation, He will finally accomplish through His church on earth today. He has “let out His vineyard unto other husbandmen,” even to His covenant-keeping people, who faithfully “render Him the fruits in their seasons.” Never has the Lord been without true representatives on this earth who have made His interests their own. These witnesses for God are numbered among the spiritual Israel, and to them will be fulfilled all the covenant promises made by Jehovah to His ancient people. (Prophets and Kings p. 713.1)
No longer have the hosts of evil power to keep the church captive; for “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,” which hath “made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication;” and to spiritual Israel is given the message, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Verse 8; 18:4. As the captive exiles heeded the message, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon” (Jeremiah 51:6), and were restored to the Land of Promise, so those who fear God today are heeding the message to withdraw from spiritual Babylon, and soon they are to stand as trophies of divine grace in the earth made new, the heavenly Canaan. (Prophets and Kings p. 715. 1)
So—yes. They teach “spiritual Israel” as their own identity, God’s “true church”.
I am so thankful the podcasts are helpful. We are learning so much!
Sharing Truth
This is just a Thank You for your continued effort to share the truth of Christ.
—BOERNE TX
Really Doctrines of Devils?
Colleen, you sometimes claim in Proclamation! that Adventists or Ellen White teach doctrines of devils. How do you KNOW they are doctrines of devils?
You don’t explain exactly what these doctrines of devils are. That leaves me and others wondering what that means, exactly.
Please send me a list of what you believe are these horrific doctrines of devils and provide specific references (not the typical passage in Jude).
I am working on a project for former Adventists and need clarification.
Thank you.
—Phoenix, AZ
Response: I am surprised that our discussions of Adventist doctrines and its worldview have left you without understanding the unbiblical doctrines that set Adventism apart from biblical Christianity. I will list a few of the unique beliefs that make Adventism a deception.
First, Adventism has a physicalist worldview that more resembles an evolutionary perspective than a creationist one. Adventism both denies that humans have an immaterial spirit separate from the body, and it subtly but persistently teaches/suggests that God Himself has a body. The current book Seventh-day Adventists Believe, pages 93, 94, 95, 98, 99, 100, and 101 have statements that support this claim.
Ellen White herself said that Jesus told her the Father had a form like His, and in 1861 James White wrote a pamphlet called The Personality of God in which he argued that God had a physical body. James’s beliefs heavily influenced Ellen White, and the founding idea that God is physical shaped Adventist doctrines from the beginning.
Jesus, however, said, “God is spirit, and true worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). God does NOT have a body, and we who are true worshipers worship in spirit (not material, not brain-based) and truth (which IS cognitive and brain-based). Our immaterial spirit can know and worship our immaterial God.
Ellen taught that Jesus did not finish the atonement at the cross. The entire NT disproves that notion. She also could never settle on the nature of Christ, but Adventism’s founding anti-trinitarianism never stopped shaping Adventism’s biblical interpretations.
EGW said that Satan is the scapegoat who ultimately carries the sins of the saved out of heaven and thus cleanses the sanctuary. No matter what they say, this scenario makes Satan the final sin-bearer of the saved. We published an article about this very thing last week. This teaching attributes the work of God—the bearing and removal of our sin—to Satan. This very doctrine is an example of what Jesus identified as the unpardonable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: attributing the work of God to Satan (see Matthew 12:22–31 in context).
No matter how Adventism twists and changes its definitions and doctrines, their worldview remains the same: they believe humans are merely physical bodies that breathe. This belief determines what they believe about the nature of Jesus as a man. It determines what they believe about death, about sin, about salvation, and about resurrection. No matter how Adventists talk about these things, they use “slippery” arguments and proof texts, but when one looks up the proof texts and uses other central passages which Adventists fail to use, the nature of Adventism’s deception is revealed.
This quotation from the Adventist history book, Lightbearers to the Remnant, 1979 edition, pp. 68–69, reveals the truth about EGWs lack of biblical understanding, her dependence upon visions, and the founders’ dependence upon her visions—which could not have been from God because her interpretations contradict Scripture:
“The experience at Volney sheds light on the way that the sabbatarian Adventists arrived at their doctrinal positions: they were hammered out as the result of Bible study, discussion, and prayer. Much of the time, Even White testified, she could not understand the texts under discussion and the issues involved. Yet she later remembered that when the brethren who were studying, ‘came to the point…where they said, “We can do nothing more” the Spirit of the Lord would come upon me, I would be taken off in vision, and a clear explanation of the passages we had been studying would be given me, with instruction as to how we were to labor and teach effectively.’ Because the participants ‘knew that when not in vision, I could not understand these matters,…they accepted as light direct from heaven the revelations given.’”
Jesus told the Pharisees:
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
Adventism shaped all of its doctrines—no matter how they speak of them today—on the foundation of a false prophet who revealed her own unbelief in the fact that she couldn’t understand Scripture when not in vision. When a person is born again, the Bible becomes clear, accessible, meaningful—and God Himself teaches us. We know and love the Word. But neither EGW nor the other founders understood Scripture.
She taught a fallible Jesus, a wrong nature of man, an incomplete atonement, and she made the Law an eternal Authority which God Himself has to obey. God, though, is sovereign and eternal. The Law was His creation for Israel and had a beginning and an ending (Gal. 3:17–22). God is not UNDER the law. He GENERATED the law.
Adventism is founded on doctrines of demons which contradict Scripture. If we scratch below the surface, every single doctrinal statement contradicts Scripture and is defined by EGWs unscriptural revelations.
Adventism has a different worldview than does biblical Christianity. It uses the same words, but it denies the apostolic gospel. It entraps people in its doctrines of demons taught by using deceptive words and double-speak.
Scripture corrects us if we are willing to surrender everything we think we know and to submit to God and His word, allowing Him to show us truth and reality.
Changed By Ratzlaff’s Writings
I am 30 years of age. I live in Uganda and am a former Adventist. I was changed by reading the contents of Pastor Dale Ratzlaff and am following Life Assurance Ministries. Uganda is found in East Africa, but I need to fellowship with you people of God. We need you to visit East Africa to save the perishing souls of God.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: Thank you for writing. God is faithful; I praise Him that He has revealed Himself to you!
A visit to Africa is not possible at this time, but we have several online resources for you. I see that you are already subscribed to our weekly Proclamation! email magazine. You may need to add the email address LifeAssuranceMinistries@gmail.com to your contacts in order for the email not to be directed toward your Spam folder. These emails will arrive every Friday. Archived articles are available at ProclamationMagazine.com.
Although we are not currently publishing a printed version of Proclamation! magazine, all our back issues are online here: http://www.lifeassuranceministries.org.
You might also enjoy our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/FormerAdventist/featured
Also, you might like to subscribe to our podcasts here; many say these help them unpack the Adventism hidden in the recesses of their minds: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/former-adventist/id1482887969 I want to encourage you to listen to the podcasts. I believe they will be very helpful to you. Currently we are doing a series looking through the book of Daniel from a non-EGW perspective. You might also enjoy our series on the 28 Fundamental Beliefs here: https://blog.lifeassuranceministries.org/2021/10/04/inspecting-adventisms-fundamental-beliefs/
Please feel free to email anytime with questions.
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