Eschatology and Grace in the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Today, I want to explore the role of grace in the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of eschatology—by that, I mean the Last Days events. A quick disclaimer: Some of the thoughts I share may seem a little bit controversial or maybe even out there, but my intention isn’t to provoke or challenge anyone’s faith. Instead, I want to reflect on my personal journey. If you’re secure in your beliefs, I don’t want to disturb them because, honestly, I don’t have all the answers myself. But if you’re questioning and seeking to reason, I welcome you to join this discussion. 

My purpose isn’t to critique the church or its theology but to deepen our understanding of grace in the context of the Second Coming. For many years, as a Seventh-day Adventist, I struggled to grasp the role of God’s grace in salvation. My early understanding was that salvation depended on keeping the Ten Commandments, adhering to the 28 fundamental beliefs—though, when I joined, I think it was only 27 or maybe even 24—and accepting the prophetic message of Ellen White and living according to it.

I have to admit that the first book I ever read by Ellen White was The Desire of Ages. A friend gave me a copy of it. It was missing the introductory pages. It was a thin, worn-out book, but it changed me. Alongside Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing and Messages to Young People, it had a profound effect. I’ve read maybe 15 of her books, but these three are the ones I love the most, and they played a significant role in my spiritual journey.

I attended seminary for a year at Spicer Adventist University, earning a diploma in theology. I learned a lot about eschatology and the Last Days’ events. I took higher-level courses on Daniel and Revelation—courses I really immersed myself in for two summer semesters and two regular semesters.

There is much careful interpretation of prophecy in Adventist theology. A lot of it makes sense to me, and I embrace much of it wholeheartedly. There are some gaps here and there, but overall, I think they did a great job explaining everything. By no means am I a theologian, so I’m not trying to question those interpretations. But as my understanding of grace grew and changed, I began to see eschatology through a different lens.

The first point is that Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9: 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. 

Unequivocally, he made sure that nothing you do matters except choosing God. Therefore, my perspective shifted from seeing salvation as dependent on something I do, to recognizing that salvation is something God does—it is a gift.

My second point is about my identity as part of the remnant church—a church or generation chosen in the Last Days and entrusted with carrying God’s final message of the three angels. This once shaped my sense of purpose. When I first came to the church, this felt like a mission, and it revolutionized how I lived my life. It gave my life meaning in profound ways. But over time, I came to a humbling realization: I’m no different from the worst sinner. Paul says in Romans 3:23: 

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

So why would I be any different?

Being part of a chosen people with a special mission was very compelling, but it also fostered an us versus them mindset in me. The thing is, God’s love isn’t limited to a select group—it’s for everyone. The grace given to us must be shared freely with all whom God places in our lives.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-48: 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Through this passage, Jesus conveyed that true discipleship is not about setting ourselves apart from others, but about embracing all with the same grace that God has given us.

My third and final point is that I no longer worry about how I must prepare for the Second Coming of Christ, especially with this unique Adventist doctrine where we have the close of probation and investigative judgment. Every day, I used to make a list and confess my sins. I would wonder: What happens if I have one unconfessed sin before I die? Would that prevent me from going to heaven? But I no longer worry about it, because Paul said in Galatians 2:20: 

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

So if Christ gave Himself for me, and through baptism, I died—was crucified with Him—and rose again, then the life I now live, spiritually speaking, is His. Why should I worry about unforgiven sins? He forgave them all, and He’s taking care of me. He’s transforming me. So, I no longer worry about that.

Recently, I was watching some YouTube videos of people who left the Mormon Church, the Adventist Church, and other churches. I was trying to figure out why they left. These were genuine, heartfelt messages. I neither approve nor disapprove of their leaving the church—I don’t have any strong opinion about it. I was just curious to understand their reasons. I know bits and pieces about these denominations, but I don’t know them as well as I know Adventism. But I found some surprising similarities between the SDA Church and other Restorationist movements.

Restorationist movements aim to restore the church to its original glory. Some of the movements that emerged during this time include Mormonism, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh-day Adventism. Just like Adventists, Mormons believe that they are a chosen people entrusted with God’s oracles and that their church is a restored version of the original. A similar kind of message is also present in Jehovah’s Witnesses. And just like Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize the books of Daniel and Revelation more than any other scripture—or so it seems. You know, I only went to a Kingdom Hall once, and I never heard them talk about Revelation, so I could be wrong. But this is what I gathered from some of these videos.

These movements all emerged during the Second Great Awakening. This was a time period between 1790 and 1840 in the United States—a time when the printing press made the Bible accessible cheaply to everyone, which led a lot of people to read the Bible for themselves. Many of the theologians who emerged during this period were untrained. There’s nothing wrong with being an untrained theologian—I believe the Bible is for everybody—but they all developed their own interpretations of prophecy, scripture, and doctrine. Many of these denominations had founders who claimed special revelations from God through visions and dreams. For example, Ellen White for Adventists and Joseph Smith for Mormonism.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses had no special revelations, relying on intensive study of the Scriptures to develop their own understanding and interpretation, which they called flashes of light from God. Adventists also relied heavily on interpretations of the Bible. So how you interpret it is central. In these churches, it is common to hear: Read the Scriptures for yourself, and you’ll understand.

Why is it that when people read the Scriptures for themselves, one person becomes an Adventist, another becomes a Mormon, and another becomes a Jehovah’s Witness? Shouldn’t they all arrive at the same conclusion? What is it about interpretation that makes them different?

While such revelations—like the visions of Ellen White or Joseph Smith—were widely accepted in the 19th century because it was common at the time, today, if someone comes and says, I have a vision from God, and this is the direction the church should go, we view them with skepticism.  We don’t even give them the time of day.

I do not mean to belittle these churches. They have done tremendous good. They’ve saved a lot of lives. I’m personally thankful for the Adventist Church and what it has done for me. But I want to highlight a common theme that is not exclusive to just these three churches; it’s present in many churches. It’s the belief that they alone possess special knowledge of Scripture and a unique mission to proclaim these truths before Christ’s return. Why is it that all these churches share that mission? Where do these ideas come from?

I wanted to understand how America was during the Second Great Awakening, from 1792 to around 1840, during the rise of the Adventist movement. America was deeply anti-Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church was viewed as an agent of political and spiritual corruption. Many times, I have wondered if these strong anti-Catholic beliefs influenced the theology of the Seventh-day Adventists. Americans often believed that Catholicism was a threat to democracy and spirituality, and because of that, they held strong negative feelings toward it.

I wonder too about how much the early Adventist theologians separated themselves from that sentiment and approached theology with an unbiased view, especially when considering the Adventist interpretation of prophecy, which identifies the papacy as the beast in Revelation 13. How much of this interpretation is actually influenced by anti-Catholic sentiment? When you read the theology and look at all these interpretations—the seven horns, Europe, the small horn with both religious and political power—it fits very well. But I still carry a sense of skepticism in my mind.

Secondly, Americans were very wary of government control, having experienced religious persecution in England—that’s one reason why many came here in the first place. Perhaps this skepticism of centralized authority found its way into Adventist eschatology, particularly in the belief that a Sunday law enforced by global powers would be a sign of the end times. We also have a doctrine that the United States is the second beast of Revelation, found in Revelation 13:11-17. I wonder how much of that fear of government control crept into the theology.

As an Adventist, when I talk about the Sunday law being the end of things, people respond: What? It’s not about grace, it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about any of the core doctrines—it’s about the Sabbath? Why not some other commandment? Why focus solely on that one?

I don’t know how much influence it had on the theology, but during this time, the United States embraced the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that America was exceptional, that it had a divine obligation to occupy all of North America, expanding west and south, and a divine obligation to spread democracy and Protestant Christianity worldwide.

This was widely accepted in American belief. This idea reinforced a notion of American exceptionalism and a belief that certain religious groups were divinely chosen, while others, like Catholics, were viewed less favorably. This led to a mission-oriented theology where various churches felt compelled to spread their message globally. They went through so much struggle—some of them died from tuberculosis, others during shipwrecks while traveling. They took the message to India, China, South America, and all parts of the world, often at great personal sacrifice. I would never seek to belittle what they’ve done. They accomplished great things.

But I sometimes wonder why they not only shared their version of Christianity but also their cultural practices. For example, Seventh-day Adventists around the world read Sabbath School lessons written by Americans. They sing songs in Western styles, not in their traditional music and poetry. They wear suits, ties, and shoes to church, even in 100-degree weather. And they all talk about veggie meat and haystacks. Why? There’s really good vegetarian food in every culture—why do we have to eat veggie meat?

The largest division in the global Seventh-day Adventist Church is the South American Division, with 2 million members. But it has less influence on the global church compared to the third-largest, the North American Division. I can’t help but wonder sometimes: Have I been influenced too much? Did I drink the Kool-Aid? Am I in a bubble? Or, how much of this is actually true?

These cultural influences raise important questions about the development of eschatology in my mind. I’ve heard a little bit about eschatology from other churches. Some of them don’t focus on the Sabbath. They think the end will come when the government declares who you should worship and how you should worship. Others have different views. But if God is truly a global God—who showed grace to the wicked people of Nineveh as well as to the prophet Jonah from His own chosen people of Israel—why does so much of eschatology focus on the West? Where is Africa? Where are Asia, China, and India, which have the two biggest populations? Or South America? Where are they, in the final events of prophecy?

One of the explanations we get is that prophecy only describes the world the prophet knew. But if God knows everything, why would prophecy be limited to the known world at that time? Didn’t Jesus know about India, China, and Japan when He taught?

Furthermore, Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5.) If God calls us to love our enemies, why do some interpretations of prophecy identify certain religious groups—like Catholics or Pentecostals—as enemies of the faith? Sometimes, they’re viewed even more harshly than non-Christians or pagans. Why is that? Don’t they believe in the name of Jesus Christ? If Jesus is the reason for their salvation, and what we do doesn’t matter, why are they treated with such disdain?

The third and final point is about the Second Coming of Christ. It’s often described as a time of unparalleled tribulation—so much struggle, so much pain. But why would the same God, who forgave His executioners during the crucifixion, unleash unprecedented wrath upon the world He came to save? That causes a disconnect in my mind. I don’t deny that there are Bible verses where Jesus Himself talks about tribulation etc. But who is this tribulation focused on? For whom is it meant?

In the end, my exploration of grace has led me to ask difficult but necessary questions on my journey. While I still hold deep respect for my Adventist heritage—and, for that matter, I respect the way Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses lead their churches—I feel compelled to reflect on these things. I have huge respect for all three churches. They all talk about not drinking alcohol, dressing well, and taking care of your body and health. There are so many similarities. They focus on education, too. So, I respect all of them deeply.

But I’m compelled to reflect on whether certain aspects of Seventh-day Adventist eschatology emphasize fear over grace. A lot of our eschatology is fear-mongering. As we await Christ’s return, should our focus be on interpreting signs and ensuring doctrinal correctness? Or should it be on reflecting God’s grace to the whole world? If salvation is truly found in Christ alone, how should that shape our understanding of prophecy?

Perhaps the most important question of all is this: How can we ensure that, in our story of end-time events, we do not lose sight of the heart of the gospel, which is grace, love, and redemption for all people?

Donald: Your thoughts this morning resonate like a familiar language. It’s like being in a group of people who speak a different language, and then suddenly hearing your own tongue. It was wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

I don’t know if we avoid saying it out of respect for the other members here or for the people who tune in every Sabbath morning, but this class came out of Don Weaver’s Sabbath School class, which originally sat around a table at the Oakwood Seventh-day Adventist Church. So, we can’t deny that this is a Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School class. But we tend not to describe it that way, even though some of us feel that it very much is.

Your thoughts, to me, are very important because they reflect the culture and heritage in which I was raised and came to understand the world. As you described things this morning, it was wonderful to hear. But I’m not sure that those who aren’t Seventh-day Adventists would feel the same—they might be wondering, What’s that about? I didn’t know that.That kind of thing.

C-J: I echo that, but I have a question mark because of what’s happening in the United States—politically and globally. There’s this huge upheaval of politics and leadership, and it’s woven with that divine mandate from heaven, this idea of we got it right, you got it wrong. I’m wondering if that was, maybe consciously or subconsciously, something you were looking at in terms of Where are we going? Is this the End Times? And if it is, What should I be doing, and how should I be doing it?

I really appreciated what you said because I think it was very fair, balanced, and accurate. You took note of time, place, and people—how we feed into ideas about what we should look like, what we should be eating, all these rules. But really, it does come down to grace, love, and redemption. There’s no other way to slice and dice it. When you boil it all down, that’s where it is.

I think fear is always a great motivator. People go about their daily lives until they think, This is the End Times, I’m going to die and go to hell, and suddenly they want to get right with God. They want to be on the right team. I think wrapped into this is also a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. I see that with what’s happening in America, especially with the far-right religious narrative: We’ve got to get back to God and do things the way He wants, and This is how we interpret that. But it’s a very dangerous thing because God gives us liberty with love.

You can beat a horse into obedience, but a horse that loves you and feels loved will go much further. That horse will give up its life for you. So, I really appreciate what you said, but I’m wondering—was your motivation the global temperature right now, or was it your own continued exploration of your relationship with the divine in this community?

Kiran: I’ve been having these thoughts for a long time, and I think it was last week when David talked about eschatology. During the discussion, I made some comments, and Dr. Weaver said, Why don’t you talk about them? So here I am. But I’ve been thinking about these things for a while now. Once you start seeing through the lens of grace, a lot of things just don’t matter anymore, and you lose that sense of exclusivity you’ve believed in all your life. Then the question comes: Why? Why am I still here?

I don’t want to leave, but at the same time—how do I say this?—I can’t do the same things I used to. I don’t want to be in the bubble anymore, but I also don’t want to leave the house. I don’t want to disturb anyone else, because I know how much peace, purpose, and meaning this message brought me when I believed it. And I want that to still be there for those who need it. I don’t want to disrupt that, and I want to go along with them. But for me, personally, I don’t see things the same way anymore.

I’m genuinely praying and asking God, Am I wrong? Why am I telling these things to other people? What if I’m wrong? I don’t know. I don’t have an answer. This is a group I trust, so I’m just sharing it with you. I’ve only shared this with one other person—and surprisingly, he was very positive about it. But this is the journey I’m going through. I don’t know what else to say.

David: It sounds to me that you’ve arrived at stage four in your faith journey, and that’s what’s causing your feelings of wonderment.

I absolutely agree with everything Donald said in his opening remarks, and I also agree with what Connie said afterward, on a different topic. As for what Donald said: I myself am not a Seventh-day Adventist, yet I’ve been coming to this class for well over a decade. I was there at the Oakwood Church when I was living in Detroit. I would sit at that table in the church, and mingle with other Adventists there. I had some wonderful talks with the pastor and shared some really meaningful times there.

In that sense, I was an Adventist—attending an Adventist bible study class, enjoying the social life of the church. fraternizing with the people they. They were nice people in general, and in the small group of our class, they were like-minded people too. So, what more can one want than to be a member of a group of nice, like-minded people. There’s no reason to change anything, and I wouldn’t. And I don’t think Kiran needs to, either.

But I do wish more people—not just in the Adventist church, but in all religions—could hear Kiran’s talk. Because I think most people, as Donald was saying, really identify in their hearts with what he is saying. We all recognize the notion of grace. I think if you were to put Jesus in China, India—wherever—they would have no difficulty identifying with Him. And they don’t, in fact. When missionaries went out there, the story of Jesus must have been a great story to listen to. Everyone would’ve said: Our society too recognizes that this is the way things ought to be.

But when you start adding to the stor of Jesus that Oh, by the way, you also need to bow down three times in this direction, you need to wear a suit and tie, and stop singing that way—then things get a little awkward. But in terms of the central message of the grace of God, which is represented by Jesus, that’s universal.

To the extent that churches try to cover that message or divert people’s attention away from it, that’s wrong. But to the extent that churches provide a venue where the notion of grace—exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus—can grow, be understood, and be accepted, then they’re doing exactly the right thing. Personally, I feel like I’m in a place right now—it happens to be an Adventist church— that’s doing exactly that. So, no complaints here.

But Kiran also raised the issue of whether we are living in the End Time. Personally, I think we’re living through an End time that is also a Beginning Time. Alpha and Omega. I think that’s what the book of Revelation tells us, though it’s not often interpreted that way. The New Jerusalem makes it sound like that’s the end of it. I don’t quite see it like that. It’s something worth discussing.

Donald: So, we’ve had this pleasant conversation regarding Adventism, and there’s no problem with that. I know there are warts and flaws among Adventist people. I live in an Adventist community right now that is very broken. But here I sit in Florida, and I am so grateful for the lady next door who wears her faith openly. I mean, it’s right there on her chest—I love Jesus, Not today, Satan, you’re not going to get me. For her, it’s all about Jesus.

I asked her: Does your faith include the concept of ‘once saved, always saved’? She wouldn’t go quite that far, but she was baptized as a young adult, attends church, and it’s the evangelical, non-denominational type of church. She makes it very clear that she was never abused, but… she probably was. As a young adult, someone introduced her to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and she found it provided the structure she needed. The tight organization of the church provides a wonderful pathway forward in a life that comes from chaos.

So, what does it mean to be God’s church or God’s people? I think the neighbor next door is a God person. I have relatives who believe in God sincerely, but they certainly see it through the eyes of God’s Church, and for them, God’s Church is the Seventh-day Adventist Church and no other.

I love the heritage of Adventism. I was listening to Adventist music this morning, and it brings great comfort—it’s very soothing to my soul right now. So, I’m grateful for my parents raising me as an Adventist. But if I were still trapped in those 28 beliefs, I think it would be a totally different thing.

For me, it’s not difficult. But for others who were raised in a very structured, corporate (I’ve used that word many times) church, it might be. Highly organized, yes, and that structure is great for some people at certain points in their lives.

Don: I don’t think you have to apologize for that. It’s not necessarily a question of either/or—it can be both/and. You can view your church affiliation like a language; it’s the way you express your religious fervor and how you speak about God. But as I’ve said before, humility is a good sauce to apply to any of your ideas, because there are other people who have valid perspectives as well.

I think where we’ve gone astray is in taking the end-time events and trying to create a timeline out of them, trying to predict when the end of the world will occur, or when Jesus will come again. I think all this chaos and tribulation spoken of in the book of Revelation, and what Jesus discussed with His disciples at the end of the book of Matthew, isn’t necessarily meant to be a roadmap. It’s more of a validation—a way of Jesus saying, When you see all this chaos, confusion, and difficulty, don’t put a timeline on it, but let it remind you that I am coming again.

So, it’s not about drawing out decades on a timeline until Jesus comes. It’s about being reminded, when we see earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, that these are indications the promise is true. Despite our inability to predict the exact time, we can be confident that He will come again.

I don’t think that Kiran has to give up his Adventist “calling card.” If you feel like doing that, it suggests he might still think being a member of the right church is important for his salvation. Otherwise, it’s just a way for like-minded people to speak the same language about God. And as long as we approach that with humility, I think we’re on safe ground.

Anonymous: I want to comment on the word church. I don’t think there’s any reference in the Bible to the Seventh-day Adventist Church or the Catholic Church or the Baptist Church. The Church is the Body of Believers. Every denomination wants to consider their members as the church—the right church—whereas it was never meant to be that way. There’s one Church, one Christ, one salvation, one Spirit, and one God. It’s the body of all believers.

And to define the word believers doesn’t mean those who belong to this church or that church. No human being can judge, decide, or determine who is a believer and who is not. On the outside, we see one thing, but we can’t see what’s inside a person. Only God can define who the believers are—the ones who form the Body of Believers. It’s to them that all the promises, all the prophecies, and all the good things are given.

Today, I was reading—and, well, it’s a long story—but it’s a good thing I read it in the Bible. All the good things God has prepared, and is still preparing, are working toward the end, which is eternal life. All of these are promised to the Body of Believers, which only God can determine.

This is strange for me to say because I rarely open the magazines we all get from the church—I’ve even forgotten the names of some of them. They come from this church or that church. But something caught my attention. It was a subject about prophecy—something about 1,230 years, 1,290 years, or maybe 1,295 years. I was never really into this subject, even though it’s always been available to me. I mean, I have access to many Seventh-day Adventist networks, and I can hear about this almost every day from someone. But for some reason, it never penetrated my mind.

Then, recently, I saw this subject, and the weird thing was that I felt drawn to it—not attached, but definitely attracted. So I read it, and it took hold of me. This week, I’ve been reading small parts of that essay, trying to really concentrate on the subject, and looking at all the verses from the Bible used to support the idea. I was really impressed with the subject.

But today, something really strange happened to me. I was faithfully studying, admiring the wisdom of God, and seeing how clear His message is—until I came to a completely different conclusion from the one the writers had reached. And I thought to myself, Wow, that’s a big, big, big subject that we need to revitalize the church about.

I agree with Kiran: There’s so much more to this, and I appreciate every word he said. It feels so good to find someone who thinks like you and can be your mouthpiece. It’s like he just pulled my thoughts right out of my head! But there’s a lot more to know, and we need to go deeper in order to humble ourselves. Honestly, we can’t approach this subject without a truly humble heart, asking for forgiveness and changing the roots of the wrong rules of church.

It has to start mostly on an individual level, more than even as an organization or a church called this or that. I don’t know—it’s a vast subject. I don’t even know where to start or how to share all the thoughts I have.

Thank you, Kiran. I really appreciate it so much. We need this. What we really need is revival, because it’s not about the outside. It’s not about times, schedules, timelines, interpretations—those are all external things. What we need to touch on is the heart of the matter—individually, what we know about the Bible. And that knowledge must be based on the Word of God, not on human interpretations.

Reinhard: I agree—it’s not about human interpretation. What Kiran mentioned really resonates with me too. I come from an Adventist background myself, and I’ve learned quite a lot from school and through my own reading over the years. But one question that has always stood out to me is: Why are there so many churches? We all read the same Bible, so why, especially during the Great Awakening periods, did so many new movements emerge?

I know there were several stages of the Great Awakening, starting in the 18th century and continuing into the 19th century with the Adventist movement. My understanding is that these were religious revival movements where people began reading the Bible more intensely and focusing on its teachings. And out of that came all these new movements, including the Seventh-day Adventists.

One of the reasons I believe so many denominations formed is because each founder had their own interpretation. They each claimed some sort of special insight or enlightenment from God. Take Ellen White, for example. I believe a lot of her writings are very encouraging, and that’s part of why I became an Adventist. However, there are aspects of her work—like her writings about the papacy—that I question. For instance, identifying the papacy as the mark of the beast. Some churches agree with the idea that 666 symbolizes the Pope. There’s also the interpretation of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation, mentioning the time, times, and half a time, or the 1,260 days, which are said to span from 538 AD to 1798 AD, when Napoleon put restrictions on the Pope.

I believe a lot of this comes from Mrs. White’s interpretations. But the question now is: If the Antichrist or the mark of the beast keeps being associated with Catholicism, especially the Pope, how do we reconcile that with the fact that there are many sincere, devout Catholic believers? I don’t quite understand. As Adventists, we may not explicitly attack the Catholic Church, but the history is there—like during the Inquisition and the persecution of Jews and others by the Catholic Church. That’s part of history.

But nowadays, if the Antichrist is supposed to come from the Pope, I struggle with that. Because the Catholic Church still teaches about Christ. That’s the question I keep asking: Is the Antichrist really going to come from the Pope? I don’t really believe that’s the case. The Catholic Church has also evolved in some ways. They tend to align more closely with biblical teachings, even though they maintain Sunday worship instead of the Sabbath. We know the history behind that.

Now, regarding Mrs. White’s writings about the Sunday law—I’ve read some discussions where people question whether the Bible really supports the idea of a global Sunday law being enforced. That’s another question I have. As an Adventist, I’m proud of my faith, but there are some teachings I’m not sure about. For example, What does the Sunday law have to do with our faith? Are we really going to be persecuted for worshiping on Saturday? I don’t think so. In this country, the right to worship and religious liberty are protected by the Constitution. I don’t think worshiping on Saturday is going to lead to discrimination. Maybe it could happen someday, but as I see it right now, that’s not the case.

Of course, eschatology brings up a lot of questions, and like Kiran mentioned, we see things that might suggest the end is near. We all agree the end times are coming, but we don’t know when. We might witness it in our lifetime, or we might not. But one thing I have to admit is that, as a Seventh-day Adventist, I’ve gained a lot of enrichment from studying the Bible and from Mrs. White’s writings. Her work has encouraged me and brought my faith closer to God. But that doesn’t mean all of her writings will necessarily be proven true in the end times.

For sure, we all read the Bible, and we understand the core message. I just want to conclude with what Jesus said in John 6:40: Those who believe in Me will have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. I think that’s the key.

David: If there’s still time, I’ll add one quick thing. I want to comment on what Reinhard said. In John, it says “those who believe in Me,” not “those who believe in the Bible.” A lot of what Kiran said this morning, and what Donald followed up with, echoes that fact. The central question here is: Where do we get the Word of God?

If you believe you can only get it from the Bible, then you’re disenfranchising all the Chinese, all the millions of illiterate people—and remember, nearly everyone was illiterate up until a few hundred years ago—who couldn’t read the Bible. You’re cutting all of them off from the Word of God if you say it can only come through the Bible.

I think this is a question for another day, but I believe that’s really where we’re being pointed here. This is the direction we’re heading—toward the question of where the Word of God truly resides.

Donald: Well, this has been a wonderful discussion this morning. I’m really grateful for this conversation, especially at this point in my life and in my journey right now. So, thank you all.

Kiran: Next week, I will focus my remarks on the “righteous” or “divine” violence that we see in the book of Revelation.

* * *