Touching upon this point, it should be noted that in proof of the death of the soul together with the body, Adventists cite the following verses of the Bible: "Blood is the soul" (Deuteronomy 12:23), or: "For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the animals is one, as they die, so do these also die, and all have one breath, and man has no advantage over cattle... Everything goes to one place; all things came from dust, and all things will return to dust" (Eccl. 3:19-20), and also: "The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. And their love, and their hatred, and their jealousy are already gone" (Eccl. 9:5-6). Since blood, say Adventists, as a material substance, decomposes and is destroyed, then the soul ends its existence with it. Hell also does not exist in the sense that orthodox theologians explain it, and hell is just a grave. And this word was borrowed by the Jews, Adventists say, from those peoples where they were in captivity. Since those peoples were pagan, there was a shift from the correct teaching entrusted to the Jews at Sinai from the superimposed one from the pagan culture of Babylon. This spiritual seed must be purified and nourished.

A Practical Guide to the Afterlife of the Soul

In the book of Kings we read that in agony in anticipation of a great calamity, King Saul turned to a sorceress who was engaged in summoning the souls of the dead (which was an abomination to God). We read: "Then the woman asked, Whom then shall you bring out? And he answered, "Bring out Samuel to me" (1 Samuel 28:11), and further: "... An old man comes out of the ground, dressed in a long robe. Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he fell on his face to the ground" (1 Samuel 28:14). Adventists usually object at this point, saying that the sorceress did not show Saul the soul of Samuel, but brought out a demon. Then we will read the next verse: "And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, when the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? One of the forms of persuading the interlocutor is to take a phrase, passage, verse out of context, presenting what is quoted in the desired semantic coloring. the Lord will take the kingdom out of your hands..." (1 Samuel 28:16-17). Another verse speaks of an event on Tabor, where the apostles "appeared... Moses and Elijah" (Matt. 17:3). Whereas it is known from the book of Deuteronomy (32:50) that Moses died on Mount Nebo. The Apostle Paul states: "If our outer man decays, the inner one is renewed from day to day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). Or: "... we desire better to go out of the body and dwell with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8); "I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, because it is incomparably better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you" (Phil. 1:23-24); "... and to the spirits of the righteous who are made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23). The Apostle Peter in his Epistle testifies about the Risen One: "... having been put to death according to the flesh, but having been made alive by the Spirit, by which also to the spirits in prison, He came down to preach" (1 Pet. 3:18-19). The Apostle John, describing his vision on the island of Patmos, also says that: "... he saw under the altar the souls of the slain... and they cried out..." (Rev. 6:9-10). In the book of Acts it is said: "He said before of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, His flesh did not see corruption" (Acts 2:10). 2:31). There is no need to cite an example from the Gospel of Luke (23:43), where the forgiveness of the repentant thief is described, since Adventists will hasten to refer to the fact that in the ancient Greek version there were no punctuation marks, so the semantic emphasis is placed incorrectly by all other Christians: not "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise", but: "Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise". The whole question is when you will be there. Then, say the Adventists, when there will be a general resurrection, when "the sea will give up bones, and the earth dust" (Ezekiel 37:7). It's like in the case: "to execute, you can't pardon", where by moving the comma to the next word, we completely change the meaning of the phrase. The same semantic shift is offered by Adventists in Luke. 23:43. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is also inappropriate; they will explain to you that a parable is a teaching about certain rules, an indication of something more intimate than our direct understanding that Lazarus went to heaven, and the rich man was in hell, and it was not possible for the latter to pass to the former. Comparing this parable with another one about a mustard seed that grew into a lush crown where the birds of the air were hiding, the Seventh-day Adventists explain that mustard seeds are not planted, and they do not germinate. And therefore, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, one should not take the revelation literally, but only see in it the need for charity, simplicity of life, moderation and abstinence, so as not to be punished like a rich man who enjoyed luxury while still alive.

* * *

We, Orthodox Christians, believe that there is no final judgment on the dead yet. Until the dreadful Coming of Christ, sinful souls await punishment, and the righteous are only partially blessed (Rev. 6:10). The full judgment of the dead will be revealed after the Second Coming of Christ, when the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give light... (Matt. 24:29). This terrible Coming of Christ has not yet taken place (whereas Adventists assert that there has already been an invisible coming of Jesus Christ, and since 1844 there has been an "investigative judgment" in heaven – where the term itself is legally illiterate. – Author's note), and therefore sinners are still waiting for the final decision of their fate. Therefore, it is necessary and useful to pray for them. The merit of the Lord was also in the fact that: "... the gospel was preached to the dead" (1 Pet. 4:6). How then can the dead preach the gospel, if there is no soul? The final and perhaps the main dogma in the doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist is the celebration of the Sabbath. On what basis is the fourth Old Testament commandment so zealously observed? What supports are used here by Adventists? The question of the Sabbath is reduced to the question of the Law, they explain. On Mount Sinai, two laws were given: ceremonial and moral. The ceremonial law was proclaimed to the people by Moses (Lev. 1:1; 7:28-38). The moral law was declared by God Himself (Deut. 4:12:13). The Ceremonial Law The Moral Law was written by Moses in a book (Deuteronomy 31:24). The book is placed next to the Ark (Deut. 31:24-26). He brought nothing to perfection (Hebrews 7:19). He was destroyed by the teaching of Christ (Ephesians 2:15). Nailed to the cross (Col. 2:12). Given because of the transgression of the people (Gal. 3:19. Lev. 3:7). This law is against us (Col. 2:14). Given before the coming of the seed (Gal. 3:19). This law is "not according to faith" (Gal. 3:12). This law included burnt offerings, sacrifices for sin from physiological effluents, the human body, and unclean animals. He was declared by God Himself (Deut. 4:12-13). It is written on two tablets (Exodus 24:12). The tablets are placed in the Ark (Exod. 40:20. 3. Hebrew. 9:4). This law is perfect (Ps. 18:8). Not abolished by Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:17). He was exalted and glorified by Christ (Isaiah 42:2). Sin is known by the law (Romans 3:20, 7:7). The law is good and given to man (Rom. 7:12. Eccl. 12:13). The law is eternal (Psalm 110:7-8). The law is established by faith (Romans 3:31). Jesus the Savior says on the basis of which He will receive people into His Kingdom: "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! God! He shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven...", "... And then I will declare to them: ... depart from me, you workers of iniquity" (Matt. 7:23). The Apostle Paul asks, "Do we therefore destroy the Law by faith? By no means, but we establish the law" (Romans 3:31). And if faith, say the Seventh-day Adventists, affirms the Law, it cannot abolish or destroy it. That is why Jesus Christ said: "Verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the law" (Matt. 5:18). "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I shall make, shall always be before me, saith the Lord... then from month to month, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come before me to worship, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 66:23). Proceeding from all of the above, which is taken from a lively controversy and brought into a fairly harmonious system by Adventists, it must be remembered that the skillful arrangement of the necessary passages of Scripture creates the illusion of the correctness of such an interpretation of the text. At the same time, there is a reference to the fact that by breaking any one commandment, we become guilty before the whole Law (James 2:10), therefore, if we do not keep the Sabbath (i.e. the 4 commandments), there is no point in fulfilling the other nine, for we are already lawless.

Sunday Celebration in Polemics with Adventists

If the conversation turns to the Sabbath and, seeing that there is a representative of the Seventh-day Adventists in front of you, it is necessary, anticipating the further development of the topic (for otherwise the dispute will drag on for a considerable time), to ask the question: "Please tell me, why do you, Seventh-day Adventists, violate the Sabbath?" "Excuse me, what do you mean we violate?" We are almost the only Christian denomination that preserves the Sabbath rest. "That's what I'm talking about... After a short pause, you explain: "Tell me, do you agree that Christ not only fulfilled the entire Law, but also magnified it?" You get the answer: "Undoubtedly exalted. "And not only exalted, but glorified?" — Exactly. "Then He also magnified and glorified the 4th commandment in the law?" "Of course he did!" That is why we, Orthodox Christians, accept through the Law the Sabbath, i.e. constant rest in Christ. Since for us Christ Himself became the Sabbath, i.e. rest (Rom. 10:4; Luke 6:5), then, abiding in Christ and His teaching, we remain in constant rest or in the Sabbath. You, the Adventists of the SD, by accepting and keeping the Sabbath not glorified by Christ, deprive the fourth commandment of the glory that the Lord of the Sabbath gave it. That is why it is already said in the New Testament: "... let no one condemn you for food, or drink, or for any feast, or New Moon, or Saturday..." (Col. 2:16). The Apostle, instructing the Gentiles who have accepted the doctrine and believed in the Lord, says: "And write unto them, that they abstain from that which is defiled by idols, and from fornication, from what is strangled, and from blood, and that they do not do to others what they do not desire unto themselves" (Acts 15:20). Note, Not a word about the unglorified Sabbath. Therefore: "He who discerns the days, discerns for the Lord; and he who does not discern the days, for the Lord does not discern..." (Romans 14:6). "Therefore it is possible to do good on the Sabbath" (Matt. 12:12). But after all, according to the Scriptures, evil is never allowed to be done. This means that good works have swallowed up the fourth commandment, and love, the motive force of these good works, consumes all the rest, as the Savior testifies: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:37-38). Therefore, love, which is "the sum total of all perfections", and which "... is not jealous... he is not arrogant, he is not proud, he is not disorderly, he is not irritated..." (1 Cor. 13:4) absorbs the commandment. This is possible because "God Himself is love" (1 John 4:8) and "Love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:10). The question of the Sabbath rests on the question of the Law. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the Holy God could no longer have fellowship with man if sin was with him. Man sought to cure this painful condition himself. On the eve of sin, a commandment is given ("Behold, sin lies at the threshold of thy house, it draws thee, but thou shalt rule over it," Gen. 4). The commandment was broken; then, out of love for man, for the latter to gain freedom, God gave the Law. "But the law came after" (in the Greek original: by the way) and, thus, the crime multiplied. And when sin abounded, grace abounded (Romans 5:20). How to understand this? Should we not sin more, asks the Apostle Paul, so that God's mercy may abound? This is equivalent to if there were no traffic rules, then drivers would not know where they violate these rules. Road signs were hung - it became clear where these rules were violated. As soon as God gave the Law, people began to see how they constantly violated it. They began to see how sinful they were. This was the main purpose of the Lord: to show people through the Law as in a mirror of their condition, in order to help them through grace to be saved from eternal destruction. Since the Law expresses the will of God, it requires absolute righteousness and holiness. But no one can fulfill these requirements. Thus. The law contributes to the knowledge of sin, but does not give life. The law condemns everyone who cannot fulfill his demands. "What shall we say? Is it possible that sin is from the Law? Nohow; but I knew sin only by the Law, for I would not understand the desire if the Law did not say, "Thou shalt not covet." But sin, taking the pretext from the commandment, produced in me every desire; for I once lived without the law, but when the commandment came, sin came to life" (Romans 7:7-11). "And all those who are established in the works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not do all that is written in the book of the Law" (Gal. 3:10). Galatians 3:24 says, "Therefore the Law was our guide to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The Lord Jesus fulfilled this Law in its entirety. It happened. The righteous and holy requirements of the Law have been met and we are no longer troubled (Romans 10:14). Yes, we recognize and confirm, on the one hand, that the requirements of the law (note: the word "law" with a small letter) are absolutely correct, but on the other hand, we also realize that through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who fulfilled this law, we participate in this fulfillment by faith in Him. This is faith, for to believe is to give God the right (Romans 3:4; 4:18-22). If a Christian believes, he recognizes God's view as the only correct one. And he himself stands on it. This is what God imputs to him for righteousness. It is the righteousness that God was compelled to demand of us because of His holiness that He has now given us in Christ. "For He made him who knew no sin for us a sacrifice for sin, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). This means that the law is no longer valid in the sense that it requires something from us. Adventists often speak of the Law in the Law, i.e., of two laws (see above). That is, here again there is an attempt to establish the Sabbath. See: "... and I will give you rest (Shabbat, I will give you the Sabbath literally)... and you will find rest (Shabbat, i.e. Christ, for He is our rest) for your souls" (Matt. 11:28). And so it turns out that the Seventh-day Adventists exchanged the Lord of the Sabbath for the Sabbath itself, the veneration of which in the Old Testament was expressed through ceremonial decrees. These rituals ("burdens unbearable") were inextricably linked with it and had no basis for moral decrees. This was also noted by Christ Himself in the miracles performed on the Sabbath (the healing of a withered man, born blind at the Sheep's font). We, Gentile believers, have never been under the law, and therefore the question should not arise in our minds: does the law still have power in us, since it has never been valid in relation to us, even if the path of spiritual experience for us is: from the law to the freedom of the children of God (Romans 3:30; 4:9-12). Therefore, Ap. Paul testifies, "I do not deny the grace of God. But if justification is by the law, then Christ died in vain" (Gal. 2:20). On the whole, of course, the question of the law is very delicate and is associated for the most part with the study of the Epistle to the Galatians. Galatians 4:21-31 shows what happens to those who come under the law and to those who come under grace. The way of the law is the way of the flesh, of self-help. He is only a guide to Christ. Further, according to the Apostle, we can contrast: Isaac to Ishmael; The heavenly Jerusalem is for the earthly; barren (to the little flock, Luke 12) — fruitful (peace); to the son of a free woman, the son of a servant; to the son of promise, the son of the flesh (of his own works); The New Testament to the Old and so on. Look: the son of a servant girl was born through carnal calculations against the will of God. Isaac, on the other hand, was born in a supernatural way on the basis of God's promise (Romans 4:18-25). Here the difference between the Old and New Testaments appears. Earthly Jerusalem, with its law, sacrifices, and temple, led the Jews, as representatives of the Old Testament, to reject Jesus (1 Cor. 2:8). The heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 9:11-17) is the mother of all the New Testament children of God, therefore the city of which they can become inhabitants is so wondrous and desirable (Rev. 21:9-27). The children of God are free and are not under the law of Sinai, but under the law of the spirit of life (Romans 8:2). For just as the flesh desires that which is contrary to the Spirit (Gal. 5:17), and the carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom. 8:7), so today he who is born according to the flesh persecutes him who is born according to the Spirit (the eternal war of the Arab world with the Jews). There can be no kinship here, although Ishmael and Isaac come from the same father, but they had different mothers (which is why in Judaism the genealogy traditionally goes through the mother). The son of a servant girl (not free) had to be expelled. But here is what is important to highlight in the polemics with Adventism. This is as important as, say, proving to Jehovah's Witnesses that Jesus and Jehovah are one person. So, here it is necessary to point out that the Law and the law are so closely interrelated that the fourth commandment without the ritual side of its component, without the literal fulfillment of all its elements, is violated. If one lives according to the Law (Moral), as it is prescribed for Israel (Exodus 31:12-17), then one must obey the whole Law, not its individual elements (cf. James 2:10 and Lev. 26:14-39). But since the fourth commandment is associated with the ritual side, this interpenetration of the Law into the law creates a prerequisite for the impracticability of everything required and, accordingly, a curse. Thus, the Seventh-day Adventists, trying to observe certain elements of the Fourth Commandment, cutting off, as it seems to them, everything ceremonial (but through the rite the 4th commandment is affirmed!) and burdensome in it, already put themselves under the sentence of death. For it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not do all that is written in the book of the law" (Gal. 3:10). Therefore, it makes no sense to divide the Law in the fourth commandment into a ritual form of service and to speak of the Sabbath as a moral commandment, because the affirmation of the Sabbath is built on the formal ceremonial elements of its retention. Moreover, Rome. 3:19-20 says, "For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him; for sin is known by the law." Sin is known not by the ritual law (not by the sanitary reform: we eat or we do not eat or by sacrifices), but precisely by the Moral law. We see how in the Old Testament Ishmael, born according to the flesh, persecuted Isaac, born according to the spirit (promise). Here are the Adventists today. In trying to fulfill the law of the flesh, they "persecute" spiritually the children of promise (all other Christians), saying, "You are children of perdition if you break the Sabbath." In due time, Israel, which was to be a partaker of the promise, was more willing to remain under the bondage of the law even when Christ came, the end of the law to the righteousness of every believer (Romans 10:4). Thus, because of the law, by which the Jews thought to please the Lord, they became enemies of Christ (John 5). This confrontation between Law and Grace runs like a red thread in the New Testament. Here flesh and spirit, slavery and sonship are opposed, Ishmael is opposed to Isaac, Hagar (Sinai) is opposed to Sarah (Jerusalem), the futility of one's own efforts is a gift from God, and so on (see Epistle to the Galatians). If an Adventist claims to keep the Sabbath in the spirit, he confirms his poor knowledge of the spirit of Scripture (certainly knowing the letter of the Scriptures well). It is impossible to keep the law in the spirit, since the spirit points us to Christ and explains Him to us, leading us away from the law (John 16). Whoever stands on the ground of legality, becomes on the ground of the curse of the law. In this case, the Adventist will immediately open Rome to you. 7:1 and reads: "... the law has power over a person as long as he lives." Ask him the question: Have we not died with Christ? What were we baptized into: you as an Adventist, and I as an Orthodox? Into His death! So you and I must die to sin with Christ. Here is Galatians 2:19-20 and says, "By the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I was crucified with Christ. And it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And that now I live according to the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." Why do you again, knowing Christ, become a "lawyer"? What else do you want to earn from the Lord by these works? But enough about this. Everything is said here exhaustively about the Law (the Sabbath) and grace (the Sabbath). Christ became our Sabbath; while abiding in Him, we continue to abide in the fourth commandment. So, the fourth commandment (and since many prescriptions are not fulfilled in chain dependence on it) is violated by the Seventh-day Adventists. Consequently, they are guilty before the entire Moral Law and put themselves under a curse. It would seem that there is a paradox here. However, by formally holding on to the Sabbath, the Adventist thinks of receiving the additional blessing of the Lord promised to the Jews in the Old Testament. On the other hand, knowing that the entire law, the ceremonial aspect of which predetermines the fulfillment of the fourth commandment of the Moral Law, cannot be observed, the Adventist believes in Jesus Christ and tries to use Him as a plug where the fullness of the fulfillment of the law is not achieved or violated. From this, willingly or unwillingly, comes the violation of the Law and the devaluation of the work of Christ's redemption on Golgotha. And what Adventists cherish, of course, exists in Orthodoxy as well. Saturday is still considered the last day of the week in the liturgical calendar. The week begins counting from Sunday as the first day of the week. Saturdays are not included in the number of days of Great Lent. On Saturday, the penitential prayer of St. St. Ephraim the Syrian, and a festive liturgy is served, the celebration of which is not allowed by the rule on weekdays of Great Lent. As for the "health reform," which prohibits the Adventists from smoking tobacco, eating meat, poultry, eggs, tea, coffee, and categorically alcohol, including during the breaking of bread, because it is believed that the body "defiled" by these products defiles the subtle consciousness as well, a person loses spirituality. And in this regard, this is how the New Testament tells us: "Let no man, therefore, condemn you for eating, or drinking, or for any feast..." (Col. 2:16); "Let no one deceive you with self-willed humility..." (Col. 2:18); "If, therefore, you have died with Christ to the elements of the world, why do you, as those who live in the world, hold fast to the ordinances: 'Thou shalt not touch,' 'Thou shalt not eat,' 'Thou shalt not touch'... This has only the appearance of wisdom in self-willed service, humility and weariness of the body, in a certain neglect of the nourishment of the flesh" (Col. 2:20-23). And therefore: "Food does not bring us closer to God: for if we eat, we gain nothing; if we do not eat, we lose nothing" (1 Cor. 8:8).

History of Adventism

Adventists appeared in the United States at the beginning of the XIX century. Its ancestor was William Miller (1781-1849), who belonged to the Baptist community in New York. A thorough study of the Bible and mathematical calculations according to the prophecies of the book of Daniel led him in 1818 to the conviction of the imminence of the end of the world, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His millennial kingdom. The onset of the Last Judgment was accurately calculated - 1843. According to the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 8:14), the sanctuary of God will be desecrated within 2300 days (read: years), and since these 2300 years began in 457 BC, from the moment of Artaxerxes' decree on the rebuilding of Jerusalem, then, subtracting the figure 457 from 2300, we get 1843. He published a brochure on the Second Coming, in which Miller further developed his eschatological views. Adherents of his teaching were called "Adventists". Soon Miller even gave the exact date – March 21, 1843. But the Lord did not come on this day and year. Then another follower of Miller, Snow, calculated and indicated a more accurate time of the coming of Jesus Christ - October 22, 1844. (Here he added the parable of the ten virgins, where the Bridegroom was late until midnight (Matt. 25:6), and consequently made Himself wait for half a day, i.e. half a year). Everything repeated itself from the beginning - field work was abandoned. Houses and estates were sold (those who still had left), white clothes were bought, in which they were going to meet the Lord. Hopes were disappointed again. After that, many left Adventism; those who remained began to call themselves the "Church of the Faithful Remnant". Only now the Adventists have given up all "calculations," according to the word of the Lord: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons..." (Acts 1:7). At present, the Seventh-day Adventists have a harmonious organization, where their followers are scattered all over the globe. Along with the Bible, the works of Ellen White, one of the founders of this teaching and the spiritual leader of Adventism, are also studied. Her works number several thousand pages. One of its dogmas, taken as a basis in Adventism, is the so-called "Three Angels' Message", where: "The first tidings are about the coming of the hour of judgment in heaven" (Rev. 14:6-7), "The second tidings are about the fall of Babylon" (Rev. 14:8, where by Babylon Adventists mean the Catholic Church), "The third tidings are about the persecution of the latter-time saints" (Rev. 14:6-7). 14:9, where the saints naturally mean Adventists). The Seventh-day Adventist Catholic Church is assigned a special role. According to their ideas, it symbolizes spiritual Babylon, which has already been mentioned above. But Adventists go further; referring to the section of Kabbalah (a mystical religious movement in Judaism), the so-called Gematria, their representatives give a decipherment of the number 666. First of all, it should be explained that Gematria consists in determining the numerical values of the Hebrew letters. The numerical values of the letters in various Hebrew words can be added together in different ways, and a deeper understanding of the content of the Bible text supposedly depends on the sum obtained. The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters, each with numerical values and esoteric content. Many Kabbalists have used this system to prove the inspiration of the Old Testament, pointing to intriguing numerical coincidences whose purpose was to find the hidden allegorical meaning of Scripture. This is the formula by which the Seventh-day Adventist calculated 666 (Rev. 13:18). Latin Greek Hebrew V- 5 30 lateinos 200 romiith 1-1 1 6 C-100 300 40 A-0 5 10 R-0 10 10 I- 1 50 400 U-5 70 666 S - 0 200 112 666 F - 0 I - 1 L - 50 I-1 I-1 53 D - 500 E-0 I- 1 501 Total: 666 E. White in his book "The Great Controversy" gives an explanation. In particular, she explains that this method of reading, known as the Gematria of the rabbis, is that each letter of a name is assigned its usual numerical value, and the sum of these numbers is the equivalent of the name. The Pope of Rome has such a high rank and is so exalted that he is no longer just a man, but a kind of God and the vicar of God. She writes: "The Pope possesses such a majestic title and dignity that, strictly speaking, he is not simply placed among persons of high rank, but is placed on the highest level of all ranks and titles. He is like a divine monarch, supreme emperor and king of all kings, so the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven, earth and hell. On his mitre are inscribed the following letters: VICARIWS FILII DEI, which in Latin means: "Vicar of the Son of God". Ellen White then summarizes: "Now we (Seventh-day Adventists) ask the world: Is it possible to find another name in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin that stands for the same number?" (The Great Controversy, p. 575). The entire Adventist movement after 1846 split into six main branches. Evangelical Adventists are the founders of Adventism, but they adhere to common Christian views on eternal torment. The "Church of Adventist Christians" arose in 1855 and teaches that the soul after death is in a state of non-existence. Salvation is obtained by personal faith. During the millennial Kingdom of Christ on earth, sinners and atheists will be resurrected to bear witness to the truth of Adventism, and then they will be destroyed by God finally and irrevocably. The "society of life" is distinguished by the fact that, in their opinion, those who died in evil and unrighteousness will not even be resurrected, and they die in order never to wake up from the dust again. The "Adventist Church of God" awaits an age of "the fulfillment of prophecy and the restoration of all things." The millennial Kingdom of Christ will be restored on earth, where the saints will rule the world. Jerusalem will be the center of world domination. There is no soul after the death of the body, and therefore they associate their new existence only with the coming of Christ. The reason for the separation was the refusal to recognize Ellen White as a blessed prophetess, and they also advocated the abolition of the sanitary reform and the use of pork, tea, coffee, fish without scales, etc. "Seventh-day Adventists" fulfill the Old Testament commandment to honor the 7th day of the week, deriving this statement from Gen. 2:3 B.C. 66:23. The celebration of the resurrection is a human fantasy, not based on the biblical text; introduced in 331 by the Emperor Constantine in order to sublimate (absorb, dissolve) the pagan day of the sun. This last branch of Adventism is the largest, and in 1855 a compulsory tithe was introduced in it, which made it possible to put this religious movement on a firm material basis. Seventh-day Adventists have printed organs, theological colleges, and missionary organizations scattered throughout the world engaged in charity. The Seventh-day Adventists have a special attraction to medical institutions, nursing homes, hospices, orphanages, where, along with active charity and care for people, parallel missionary work is carried out. The governing international body of Adventists is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; this world association is located in Baitle Creek (USA). Adventist teaching was brought to Russia by German colonists. In November 1883, the first preacher, Johann Pern, arrived in Russia, in the Taurida province. In 1886, there were already 300 followers of this doctrine in this province. Local authorities called Adventist doctrines "heresy of the Judaizers," but on the whole they were lenient towards them. Preachers from Western Europe did not abandon their attention and visits to Russia. These settlements were accompanied by the import of relevant literature, oral sermons and conversations with peasants and artisans, as well as with Baptists in various regions of the Empire. In 1901, there were already 37 Seventh-day Adventist communities in Russia. At present, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists includes all unions (territorial division according to the geographical principle), including the CIS. The General Congress of the Seventh-day Adventist meets every four years, where its members open new unions, admit them to the confederation and appoint a president. In our country, Adventists also have a print organ: they publish newspapers and magazines, and in the Tula region since 1989 there has been a theological seminary of the Seventh-day Adventists, where future preachers and presbyters receive targeted theological education.

Sect of Jehovah's Witnesses

Adventists appeared in the United States at the beginning of the XIX century. Its ancestor was William Miller (1781-1849), who belonged to the Baptist community in New York. A thorough study of the Bible and mathematical calculations according to the prophecies of the book of Daniel led him in 1818 to the conviction of the imminence of the end of the world, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His millennial kingdom. The onset of the Last Judgment was accurately calculated - 1843. According to the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 8:14), the sanctuary of God will be desecrated within 2300 days (read: years), and since these 2300 years began in 457 BC, from the moment of Artaxerxes' decree on the rebuilding of Jerusalem, then, subtracting the figure 457 from 2300, we get 1843. He published a brochure on the Second Coming, in which Miller further developed his eschatological views. Adherents of his teaching were called "Adventists". Soon Miller even gave the exact date – March 21, 1843. But the Lord did not come on this day and year. Then another follower of Miller, Snow, calculated and indicated a more accurate time of the coming of Jesus Christ - October 22, 1844. (Here he added the parable of the ten virgins, where the Bridegroom was late until midnight (Matt. 25:6), and consequently made Himself wait for half a day, i.e. half a year). Everything repeated itself from the beginning - field work was abandoned. Houses and estates were sold (those who still had left), white clothes were bought, in which they were going to meet the Lord. Hopes were disappointed again. After that, many left Adventism; those who remained began to call themselves the "Church of the Faithful Remnant". Only now the Adventists have given up all "calculations," according to the word of the Lord: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons..." (Acts 1:7). At present, the Seventh-day Adventists have a harmonious organization, where their followers are scattered all over the globe. Along with the Bible, the works of Ellen White, one of the founders of this teaching and the spiritual leader of Adventism, are also studied. Her works number several thousand pages. One of its dogmas, taken as a basis in Adventism, is the so-called "Three Angels' Message", where: "The first tidings are about the coming of the hour of judgment in heaven" (Rev. 14:6-7), "The second tidings are about the fall of Babylon" (Rev. 14:8, where by Babylon Adventists mean the Catholic Church), "The third tidings are about the persecution of the latter-time saints" (Rev. 14:6-7). 14:9, where the saints naturally mean Adventists). The Seventh-day Adventist Catholic Church is assigned a special role. According to their ideas, it symbolizes spiritual Babylon, which has already been mentioned above. But Adventists go further; referring to the section of Kabbalah (a mystical religious movement in Judaism), the so-called Gematria, their representatives give a decipherment of the number 666. First of all, it should be explained that Gematria consists in determining the numerical values of the Hebrew letters. The numerical values of the letters in various Hebrew words can be added together in different ways, and a deeper understanding of the content of the Bible text supposedly depends on the sum obtained. The Hebrew alphabet consists of 22 letters, each with numerical values and esoteric content. Many Kabbalists have used this system to prove the inspiration of the Old Testament, pointing to intriguing numerical coincidences whose purpose was to find the hidden allegorical meaning of Scripture. This is the formula by which the Seventh-day Adventist calculated 666 (Rev. 13:18). Latin Greek Hebrew V- 5 30 lateinos 200 romiith 1-1 1 6 C-100 300 40 A-0 5 10 R-0 10 10 I- 1 50 400 U-5 70 666 S - 0 200 112 666 F - 0 I - 1 L - 50 I-1 I-1 53 D - 500 E-0 I- 1 501 Total: 666 E. White in his book "The Great Controversy" gives an explanation. In particular, she explains that this method of reading, known as the Gematria of the rabbis, is that each letter of a name is assigned its usual numerical value, and the sum of these numbers is the equivalent of the name. The Pope of Rome has such a high rank and is so exalted that he is no longer just a man, but a kind of God and the vicar of God. She writes: "The Pope possesses such a majestic title and dignity that, strictly speaking, he is not simply placed among persons of high rank, but is placed on the highest level of all ranks and titles. He is like a divine monarch, supreme emperor and king of all kings, so the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven, earth and hell. On his mitre are inscribed the following letters: VICARIWS FILII DEI, which in Latin means: "Vicar of the Son of God". Ellen White then summarizes: "Now we (Seventh-day Adventists) ask the world: Is it possible to find another name in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin that stands for the same number?" (The Great Controversy, p. 575). The entire Adventist movement after 1846 split into six main branches. Evangelical Adventists are the founders of Adventism, but they adhere to common Christian views on eternal torment. The "Church of Adventist Christians" arose in 1855 and teaches that the soul after death is in a state of non-existence. Salvation is obtained by personal faith. During the millennial Kingdom of Christ on earth, sinners and atheists will be resurrected to bear witness to the truth of Adventism, and then they will be destroyed by God finally and irrevocably. The "society of life" is distinguished by the fact that, in their opinion, those who died in evil and unrighteousness will not even be resurrected, and they die in order never to wake up from the dust again. The "Adventist Church of God" awaits an age of "the fulfillment of prophecy and the restoration of all things." The millennial Kingdom of Christ will be restored on earth, where the saints will rule the world. Jerusalem will be the center of world domination. There is no soul after the death of the body, and therefore they associate their new existence only with the coming of Christ. The reason for the separation was the refusal to recognize Ellen White as a blessed prophetess, and they also advocated the abolition of the sanitary reform and the use of pork, tea, coffee, fish without scales, etc. "Seventh-day Adventists" fulfill the Old Testament commandment to honor the 7th day of the week, deriving this statement from Gen. 2:3 B.C. 66:23. The celebration of the resurrection is a human fantasy, not based on the biblical text; introduced in 331 by the Emperor Constantine in order to sublimate (absorb, dissolve) the pagan day of the sun. This last branch of Adventism is the largest, and in 1855 a compulsory tithe was introduced in it, which made it possible to put this religious movement on a firm material basis. Seventh-day Adventists have printed organs, theological colleges, and missionary organizations scattered throughout the world engaged in charity. The Seventh-day Adventists have a special attraction to medical institutions, nursing homes, hospices, orphanages, where, along with active charity and care for people, parallel missionary work is carried out. The governing international body of Adventists is the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; this world association is located in Baitle Creek (USA). Adventist teaching was brought to Russia by German colonists. In November 1883, the first preacher, Johann Pern, arrived in Russia, in the Taurida province. In 1886, there were already 300 followers of this doctrine in this province. Local authorities called Adventist doctrines "heresy of the Judaizers," but on the whole they were lenient towards them. Preachers from Western Europe did not abandon their attention and visits to Russia. These settlements were accompanied by the import of relevant literature, oral sermons and conversations with peasants and artisans, as well as with Baptists in various regions of the Empire. In 1901, there were already 37 Seventh-day Adventist communities in Russia. At present, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists includes all unions (territorial division according to the geographical principle), including the CIS. The General Congress of the Seventh-day Adventist meets every four years, where its members open new unions, admit them to the confederation and appoint a president. In our country, Adventists also have a print organ: they publish newspapers and magazines, and in the Tula region since 1989 there has been a theological seminary of the Seventh-day Adventists, where future preachers and presbyters receive targeted theological education.

Features of Doctrine

The Jehovah's Witness concept boils down to the following. All Christian churches and secular authorities in their entirety make up the modern pagan satanic Babylon. At the same time, the Christian teaching about the earthly world as God's world is condemned. Instead, a new position is put forward, according to which the entire earthly world is declared to be the world of Satan. However, Jehovah God (hence the name of the sect) had already intervened in the "accursed race of this world" and predetermined its end. Signs of a battle with the forces of Satan are approaching. From now on, the task of Jehovah's Witnesses is to proclaim Jehovah's will to people and to warn them that the only way to save mankind from destruction in the coming battle of Christ with Satan's earthly kingdom is to join the Jehovah's Witness sect now, before Christ enters into battle with Satan. The Jehovah's Witnesses also changed the date of the Second Coming of Christ to earth. Rutterford (more on him below) announced that Christ had invisibly begun to purify the spiritual temple of the earth in the spring of 1918, and that the time had finally begun when the fate of all people would be decided in the holy battle of Armageddon. It was no accident that Rutterford chose 1918. As is known, at that time half the world was captured by the revolutionary movement and the crisis that shook the social and economic foundations. In contrast to the teaching prevailing in the Christian world that the main thing in the Bible is the ideas of human salvation, the Jehovah's Witnesses put forward a different position. They argue that the basic idea of the Bible is to protect and justify God as the Supreme Creator of all things. It is precisely because Satan has challenged God's omnipotence by defying God that Jehovah has outlined in the Bible the basic stages during which people are to become convinced of his omnipotence and Satan's powerlessness to turn people away from God. Only by assimilating this main idea of the Bible, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, will man follow the right path to his salvation and gain the strength to resist the pernicious influence of Satan. Jehovah's Witnesses view the Bible only as a history of events in which Jehovah reveals his will to people. But the Bible is a dramatic work, or literally in their words, a "Great Drama." The drama in the Garden of Eden began with the fall of the first people and will end with Armageddon on the planet. So, according to the teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses, this "drama" consists of a prologue, a beginning, a conflict and a finale. According to their teaching, Jehovah had two spirit sons, Christ and Lucifer. Lucifer was not only the son of the Dawn, the bright archangel, but also had to control the behavior of the first people. Adam and Eve were perfect people. Lucifer was not satisfied with his position and wanted to be equal in power to Jehovah God. Lucifer decided to test his power on the first people, Adam and Eve, instilling in them that eating from the tree of knowledge would not bring death, but the power that God Himself possessed. The first people plunged into the abyss of sin, their eyes were opened, they knew good, but they did not have the strength to do it, and having known evil, they did not have the strength to fight it. However, here their interpretation of the Fall has a significant difference from the biblical one. Eve sinned first, but Adam, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses, seeing that Eve must die, voluntarily decided to share this lot with her. He became so attached to his wife that separation from her, even in the future, was painful for him. He voluntarily accepted the forbidden food and by this conscious act sentenced himself to death. Having managed to seduce the first couple, Lucifer became convinced that Jehovah God was not so omnipotent if he could not prevent the fall of humans, the crown of His creation. And if so, then we can continue to fight against God. Jehovah left Lucifer to exist for 6,000 years in order to prove to him the impossibility of the victory of evil over good. But let's return to the concept of the "Great Drama". As already mentioned, this drama is divided into parts, and we will briefly consider them. Prologue. Jehovah God creates. Like a great Artist, with the Word He creates and builds everything from non-existent. The angels are frozen in amazement, wondrous chorales of unearthly music cut through the subtle world of light, the laws of the Universe, the path of the stars, the orbits of the planets are given, micro- and macrocosms are created, and the statutes of nature are given. The luminous celestials glorify the Creator with harmonious singing, there is complete harmony, and love embraces and permeates everything. The beginning of the action. And now the first people in an innocent state are in the Garden of Eden. Jehovah God allows one of His spirit sons, Lucifer, to approach and tempt the first couple. Eve is the first to eat the fruit, succumbing to Lucifer's persuasion. Adam, having learned that Eve became mortal, hesitates in his choice (to stay with God or die with Eve), but nevertheless chooses the latter and takes the forbidden food. Therefore, the "lust of the flesh" (pleasant to the taste), "the lust of the eyes" (beautiful to look at) and "the pride of life" (to be equal to God) became the dominant tool of Satan's temptation in all subsequent history of mankind. But Jehovah, as our loving Heavenly Father, predestined this sin to be redeemed by Jesus Christ, His second spiritual son, who remained faithful to Him, so the next stage of the "Drama." Conflict. Satan (Lucifer became such after the fall of the first people through his fault) throws down an open challenge to God; wants to turn away all people from Him and to bow down under his own name "nations, peoples, tongues" on that cursed land in Adam, which will give birth to thistles and thorns, but already having a considerable population. And so, in the first century A.D., the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in order to seek and save the lost, i.e. all who would accept His redemptive sacrifice. But this is not enough. Membership in the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses is necessary as an indispensable condition for salvation. After all, Satan, who was expelled from paradise and tempted his spiritual brother (Christ) in the wilderness, has now established a kingdom for himself and is waging an increasingly fierce struggle against Jehovah. This kingdom of Satan is vast: it begins with all the churches of the world without exception to political parties, state structures and organizations, to social, international and informal associations. One of Satan's main strongholds is the United Nations. Christ atoned for the sins of people on the tree (the Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize the cross, claiming that the Savior was simply nailed to a stake), Lucifer was put to shame, but did not give up his positions. The fight against the forces of good is getting tougher. Its forms are different, its scope is great, and the forces involved in it are incalculable. Finale. Jehovah God sends Christ to earth for the second time, but in an invisible form to deal with Lucifer. In Armageddon, the holy war, Christ and His army destroy Lucifer and all his supporters. The thousand-year Kingdom of Christ is established on the planet, which will include 144 thousand leading brothers of the Corporation and the most faithful followers of the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses. (True, the words of the Holy Scriptures do not matter to them at all: "... and 144 thousand... who have not been defiled with their wives", because they do not have the institution of monasticism). Jehovah is justified. Justice has triumphed. All Jehovah's Witnesses will be resurrected in the flesh, and will reign on earth. A true theocratic world state will be restored, headed by Jehovah God and His Angel Son, Jesus. All Christians of other denominations, denominations, sects, representatives of other religions will be destroyed in Armageddon. There is no hell, because hell is literally a "grave", so all non-Jehovah's Witnesses and non-believers will simply disappear into oblivion. These are the basic concepts in the understanding of the Word of God by the sect of "witnesses." Its leaders had the foresight to declare that the Bible could be interpreted only by means of auxiliary literature coming from Brooklyn, the center of Jehovism. Such a prop in the comprehension of God's Word is, in particular, the Watchtower magazine. The title of the magazine reads: "The Watchtower Announces Jehovah's Kingdom." On the back of the title page is the explanation: "The purpose of The Watchtower is to glorify Jehovah God as the sovereign Lord of the universe. She observes the events in the world that fulfill biblical prophecies. It comforts all people with the good news that God's Kingdom will soon destroy those who oppress their neighbors and that it will turn the planet into a paradise. It encourages faith in the now reigning King of God, Jesus Christ, whose shed blood makes it possible for mankind to receive eternal life. The Watchtower, published by Jehovah's Witnesses since 1879, does not take part in the political struggle. She holds to the Bible as her authority. This magazine is published in 111 languages of the world, its average circulation is 1,5290,000 copies. Playing with the concept of the need for auxiliary literature for understanding the Bible, in particular, one of the leaders of the corporation, Rutterford, wrote: "A man will quench his thirst from the well only if there is a tub to get water from the well." That is why The Watchtower is the "spiritual utensil" for Jehovah's Witnesses, with which they draw from the Bible everything that a believer needs to understand it and achieve the ways of salvation. The concept of God. A distinctive feature of the "witnesses" in the doctrine of God is that they deny the dogma of Him as one in essence, but Triune in Persons, i.e. they deny the Holy Trinity. God, in their opinion, is one Almighty God. Christ is not equal to Jehovah, and there are references to the texts of the New Testament: Jn. 14:26; 15:1. Matt. 19:17. Luke. 22:42, etc. But another passage from the Holy Scriptures is not taken into account at all. Scriptures: "... I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me..." (John 14:10) and "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). The meaning of redemption. The redemptive feat of Jesus Christ is seen as a personal sacrifice for the sake of only the sinful ancestors, but not for all. Jehovah God's law required that perfect human life be sacrificed for Adam's sinlessness. But sin has already taken possession of mankind at the genetic level, all are mortal, for it is said: "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous, not one..." (Romans 3:10). Then Jehovah decided to make his second spirit son, Jesus Christ, such a perfect man. By Jehovah's will, Christ was reincarnated from a spiritual being into a human creature, becoming perfect, unlike other humans on earth. He died on the stake as a man, atoning for the sin of Adam, but He was resurrected not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, i.e. already as a spiritual being with a divine nature. Mankind has a chance for salvation because Jehovah has given this right to His spirit Son.

On the Coming of Jesus Christ to Earth