The Seventh-day Adventists & the Differences from Other Denominations

Nowadays, people tend to think and build their relationships in a new way. They try to overcome all kinds of enmity, including on religious grounds, basing their thoughts and actions on the ideas of openness, pluralism and tolerance. The international community condemns any manifestation of intolerance and hostility on ethnic, religious and other grounds. These are the tendencies of modern development, and the Church welcomes everything that leads to open dialogue and tolerance, and ultimately serves the glory of God and a man created in the likeness of the Creator. At the same time, the Church is anxiously watching how tolerance, under the present development of events, turns into indifference, while relativism and pluralism turn into irrelevance and irresponsibility. In such conditions, the Church again asks questions about its mission in this world, correlating its ministry with the great commission of Christ. Thus, the main aims of the assignment are to research historical facts about the Seventh-day Adventists and observe their differences from other denominations.

Beginning with historical observation of the past events, it should be noted that William Miller could be rightly considered the harbinger of the Adventist movement, although he was not directly associated with the most numerous part of this movement – the Seventh-day Adventists. According to Wardin, “it was his prediction of the date of the return of Christ that aroused interest among representatives of various faiths and confessions and contributed to the predilection for “prophetic predictions”, which was widely spread in the middle of the last century”.[1] Thus, the Seventh-day Adventists are the largest independent association within the Advent movement.

To continue, one of the early co-founders of the Seventh-day Adventists was Ellen G. White. She was born in 1827, and died in 1915. She created her teaching, based on more than two thousand prophetic visions different in essence and filling revealed to her, which had a higher divine nature according to her beliefs. All Ellen White’s visions were fixed carefully later and became for the Adventists the same sacred and authoritative sources of faith as the Bible for ordinary Christians.

Exploring the issue with more details, it should be mentioned that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has emerged in the course of the worldwide inter-faith awakening movement that has appeared simultaneously in various countries of the Christian world in the early 19th century. Emphasizing the immediate proximity of the Second Coming of Christ, this movement was based on the interpretation of the biblical prophecies proclaiming the approach of the end of time.[2] Its flowering refers to the period from 1840 to 1844, when it took shape in a special movement in the United States. The Seventh-day Adventists did not agree with the other Adventist groups on the location of the shrine, referred to in the eighth chapter of the Book of Daniel, and the timing of the Second Coming, as predicted in the Revelation of John the Theologian (chapter 20). In 1860, the breakaway group officially adopted the name the Seventh-day Adventists.

It can be said that the Seventh-day Adventists believe in the fast so-called Second Coming of Christ, after which the dead will be resurrected, and the righteous will be rewarded. This is the main and central tenet of this religious direction. Another dogma of the Seventh-day Adventist Church comes from the very name of this denomination, because these Christians are revered the Sabbath on Saturday or the seventh day to the highest degree.

Moreover, the Seventh-day Adventists from the very beginning of their emergence continue to believe in the eternal pre-existence of Christ as the second incarnation of the Divine.[3] They certainly recognize the dogmas of his birth from the Virgin, his sinless life on the earth, his vicarious (for people) and expiatory death. They also acknowledge his bodily resurrection, ascension, heavenly ministry as a great high priest; expect his final return. The Seventh-day Adventists emphasize the directly personal character of this Second Advent, which will take place before the coming of the millennial kingdom of Christ.

This denomination adheres to the representative form of church administration. Local congregations elect deacons and ministers of the church. Communities are grouped in conferences and missions that carry out pastoral activities and evangelization, control territorial centralized funds. Conferences and missions, in turn, are included in the union and the district organizations, which form the supreme administrative body that is General Conference.

In addition, exploring some specific features, it can be said that the Seventh-day Adventist Church actively participates in interfaith and interchurch councils, cooperating with them on issues that are of common interest and do not require a doctrinal compromise.

Moreover, the Seventh-day Adventists demonstrate tolerance for other religions. Adventists are convinced of the right of every person to choose a religion in accordance with his/her conscience without any discrimination, always respecting the equal rights of others. Despite many common values ​​practiced by Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other religions, each of this religions has its own view of God, man, life, death, the universe and the way of man’s salvation. In such a way, the Seventh-day Adventists believe that Christians are called to be peacekeepers, and they are convinced that it is necessary to educate people in tolerance towards representatives of different worldviews in order to achieve peace and harmony in society. Unfortunately, in the course of history, many people suffered from religious intolerance.

Thus, the Seventh-day Adventist Church calls all people to create peace, harmony, tolerance and respect for followers of different religious beliefs, regardless of their worldview. Adventists believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, for His glory. Therefore, all Christians who are motivated by love for God and fellow man are called upon to share the truth about salvation with all people, without offending the religious feelings of others.

In conclusion, we have explored the development of the Seventh-day Adventist movement from historical perspective, and have explained that in a number of doctrinal dogmas, the Seventh-day Adventists moved away from other Christian denominations. In such a way, the Seventh-day Adventists is a Christian world organization, preaching unity in Christ of people of all nationalities, races and different social status, while the purpose of the existence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is to bear the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations through the preaching of the gospel and serving the needs of people.

Bibliography

Bull, Malcolm, and Keith Lockhart. Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-Day Adventism and the American Dream. Indiana University Press, 2007.

Vance, Laura. Women in New Religions. New York University Press, 2015.

Wardin, Albert. “Heirs of the Reformation: The Story of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Europe.” Baptist History and Heritage 34, no. 1, 1999.


[1] Albert Wardin, “Heirs of the Reformation: The Story of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Europe,” Baptist History and Heritage 34, no. 1 (1999).

[2] Laura Vance, Women in New Religions. (New York University Press, 2015).

[3] Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart, Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-Day Adventism and the American Dream. (Indiana University Press, 2007).

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
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