AboutDr Don Howe Expertise I welcome questions that deal with theological issues, relationship issues, church history, world religions, current events from a Christian worldview, "gray areas" that are present today, church growth movements, false prophets, spiritual abuse issues, end time events, prophecy, medical ethical issues, hermeneutical questions, and how Israel fits into God's economy today. I will answer all questions in a grammatical/historical normative interpretation of God's Word. If I can not answer a question, I will do the research and find the answer if available. If you are looking for a liberal theological answer or agrument, do not ask. I am not an expert on church planting or evangelism.
Experience I have over 27 years of experience doing ministry as a bivocational minster/professional nurse. I do ministry as a volunteer with ministries that are nonprofit and not able to pay for ministers. I have experience working with youth, children, elderly in different placement settings, mentally ill and mentally challenged in different settings, felons in state prison and county jails, hospital chaplancy, choir ministry, and deacon ministry. I am an ordained SBC minister. I am a Professional Chaplain. I am currently doing hospital minstry, ministry to shut-ins, and a chaplain with Victim Relief Ministry working with victims of diasters and domestic violence. I work as psychiatric nurse in large county jail system.
Organizations American Association of Christian Counselors, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, Nurses Christian Fellowship, Therpon Institute, Victim Chaplain & Counselor Association of America, International Board of Christian Counselors, American Society of Christian Therapists.
Publications N/A
Education/Credentials PhD, Therapon University, USVI, 12/07 in Biblical Counseling,
DCC, Southwest Bible College & Seminary, Jenning, LA 04/05 in Christian Psychology and Counseling.
ThD, Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 02/04
D.D., Slidell Baptist Seminary, Slidell, LA 07/03
Tyndale Seminary, Fort Worth, TX 2001-2003
BSN, Univ. of Texas in Arlington, Tx 05/93
ADN, Midwestern State Univ., Wichitia Falls, TX 5/77
Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Externship 08/04-12/05, 4 units of CPE earned.
Awards and Honors Board Certified Christian Counselor by International Board of Christian Counselors. Issued 01/24/06.
Expert: Dr Don Howe Date: 6/23/2008 Subject: Sabbath
Question QUESTION: Hello Dr. Howe,
I noticed you answered a question recently regarding the Ten Commandments. You answered by providing several verses that show that "we are to keep God’s commandments which include the ten commandments." You even mention that "one jot or one tittle in no way shall pass from the law..." But what of the Sabbath command which states to "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy..."?
ANSWER: Good evening Eddie. Thanks for your question. The verse about the jot and tittle is Matthew 5:17-18 which states “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Jesus stated “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil,” here Jesus wants to make it clear that He does not oppose the Law of Moses, but He will free it from the way the Pharisees and Scribes wrongly interpreted the law. He came to fulfil the law perfectly. He never broke the Law.
In reference to the jot and tittle, Jesus goes on and states “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Again, Jesus fulfils the law perfectly in that he fulfilled it three ways: (1) he fulfilled the doctrinal teachings of the law in that He brought full revelation (2) He fulfilled the predictive prophecy of the law in that He is the Promised One, showing the reality behind the shadows, and finally (3) He fulfilled the ethical precepts of the law in that He fully obeyed them and He reinterpreted them in their truth. I hope this helps you understand how Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly every jot and tittle.
The Ten Commandments is also referred to as the Decalogue. The commandment about the Sabbath comes from Ex. 20:8 which states “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy.” It is the fourth commandment in the Decalogue. Eddie, we are to keep the Sabbath Day and keep it holy, but it is hard to to keep something holy if you do not understand what it is, where it came from, or why you are to remember it. The word ‘Sabbath’ comes from Hebrew word Sabbat which means day of rest. God tells us about this day of rest (Sabbath) in full text in Exodus 20:8-11 which states “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” So on the Sabbath Day (the seventh day of the week) we are to rest and be hallowed. The word hallowed is qadash in Hebrew which means to be set apart, be treated as sacred or to be holy. The Sabbath Day is to be a day of rest, set apart, made holy as God is Holy, because God rested on the seventh day of creation. Gen. 2:2-3 states “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
If the Sabbath is to be a day of rest, no work, and day to be holy or set apart as God is holy, what went wrong? Besides His claim as being the Messiah, there is no subject on which our Lord came into such sharp conflict with the religious leaders of the Jews as in the matter of Sabbath observance. Why was Jesus in such sharp conflict with the Pharisees?
Eddie, here is what happened. With the development of the synagogue the Sabbath became a day of worship and of study of the Law, as well as a day of cessation from all secular employment. But during the period between Ezra and the Christian era that the spirit of Jewish legalism flourished. Innumerable restrictions and rules were formulated for the conduct of life under the Law. Great principles were lost to sight in the mass of petty details. The Pharisees’ legalism placed all these restrictions on the Sabbath. God only said to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, rest, and do not labor on the seventh day. God did not put these restrictions upon the Sabbath, but the Pharisees did.
It was all these Pharisaical restrictions and legalism about the Sabbath day that caused the Lord Jesus to be in such sharp conflict with the Pharisees. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matt. 23:23 that they were so eat up with their legalism and restrictions that you “have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done.”
Jesus set Himself squarely against the current rabbinic restrictions as contrary to the spirit of the original law of the Sabbath. The rabbis seemed to think that the Sabbath was an end in itself, an institution to which the pious Israelite must subject all his personal interests; in other words, that man was made for the Sabbath: man might suffer hardship, but the institution must be preserved inviolate. Jesus, on the contrary, taught that the Sabbath was made for man’s benefit. If there should arise a conflict between man’s needs and the letter of the Law, man’s higher interests and needs must take precedence over the law of the Sabbath. This is shown no better than in Matt. 12:1-14. Jesus even told the Pharisees in 12:8 “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
Jesus did not discredit the Sabbath in fact it was his custom to come to the synagogue on the Sabbath (Lk. 4:16). Jesus held the Sabbath in high regard. As the Messiah, He was not subject to its restrictions; He could at any moment assert His lordship over the Sabbath (Mt 2:28). Jesus pushed the great moral precepts of the Sabbath. He remembered the Sabbath as “was his custom” (Lk. 4:16) and kept it holy or set apart as He was the God in the Flesh, the Messiah.
Blessing.
Dr. Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dear Dr. Howe,
It appears that we are in agreement about the everlasting importance of the Sabbath. You took me by surprise. Are you Seventh-Day Baptist? If so, do happen to know the differences in doctrinal beliefs of SDB's and Seventh-Day Adventists? I am an SDA and am curious to know the main differences, other than the obvious belief in the God-inspired writings of Ellen White. Anyways, thank you for a beautiful answer on the importance of keeping the Sabbath out of faith and love for our Savior, rather than out of begrudging obligation.
God Bless!
Eddie
ANSWER: Good Evening Eddie.
I glad we agree on the Sabbath Day as the seventh day of week and is deemed by God to be a day of rest, and to “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it Holy.” God did not say we were to worship on the seventh day, but to rest on the seventh day and keep it holy by keeping our mind on God. I also told you that “during the period between Ezra and the Christian era that the spirit of Jewish legalism flourished. Innumerable restrictions and rules were formulated for the conduct of life under the Law. Great principles were lost to sight in the mass of petty details. The Pharisees’ legalism placed all these restrictions on the Sabbath. God only said to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, rest, and do not labor on the seventh day. God did not put these restrictions upon the Sabbath, but the Pharisees did.
It was all these Pharisaical restrictions and legalism about the Sabbath day that caused the Lord Jesus to be in such sharp conflict with the Pharisees. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matt. 23:23 that they were so eat up with their legalism and restrictions that you “have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done.”
I also stated “ Jesus set Himself squarely against the current rabbinic restrictions as contrary to the spirit of the original law of the Sabbath. The rabbis seemed to think that the Sabbath was an end in itself, an institution to which the pious Israelite must subject all his personal interests; in other words, that man was made for the Sabbath: man might suffer hardship, but the institution must be preserved inviolate. Jesus, on the contrary, taught that the Sabbath was made for man’s benefit. If there should arise a conflict between man’s needs and the letter of the Law, man’s higher interests and needs must take precedence over the law of the Sabbath. This is shown no better than in Matt. 12:1-14. Jesus even told the Pharisees in 12:8 “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
Jesus did not discredit the Sabbath in fact it was his custom to come to the synagogue on the Sabbath (Lk. 4:16). Jesus held the Sabbath in high regard. As the Messiah, He was not subject to its restrictions; He could at any moment assert His lordship over the Sabbath (Mt 2:28). Jesus pushed the great moral precepts of the Sabbath. He remembered the Sabbath as “was his custom” (Lk. 4:16) and kept it holy or set apart as He was the God in the Flesh, the Messiah.”
Eddie, the early church fathers did teach universally that Sunday was for worship, because the Lord Jesus was resurrected on the Sunday. In 364 A.D., the Council of Laodicea had taught this very doctrine. But authors of From Sabbath to the Lord’s Day shows that Sunday worship was a universal practice of all churches outside the land of Israel by the beginning of the second century. Even Pauline churches in the first century were observing the first day of the week a day of worship. This is apparent in Acts 20:7-8, 11: “And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.” It is clearly pointed out in the first and second century churches, Sunday was only referred as a day of worship, and was not viewed as a Sabbath, which is a day of rest. The New Testament never calls Sunday the Sabbath (a day of rest) but is always the first day of the week and this shown in Acts 20:7-8 as an example.
But according to Church history, later church councils started applying Sabbath rules from the Old Testament to Sunday, and this has lead us to where we are today. The Old Testament day of rest (Sabbath) has been applied to Sunday. Our way of life in America is a result of this in which we worship on Sunday and rest on Sunday. Look at the Blue Laws that were passed in the 1950’s and 1960’s in which stores had to close on Sunday because it was a day of rest and worship. It is incorrect to call Sunday the “Christian Sabbath” as some have called it. The Bible is very exact and does not change, Sunday is called the first day of the week for worship, and the seventh day of the week is called the Sabbath and a day of rest. The bible does not say WE HAVE TO WORSHIP ON SUNCAY, REST ON THE SEVENTH DAY OR VICE VERSA. But the bible tells us that we need to be not deceived by false doctrines concerning the day of worship, false teaching or philosophies concerning the day of worship or Sabbath, and do not follow the traditions of men. God gives us the freedom to worship what day we want but besure it is not according to the traditions of men, principalities of the world, or false prophets, but according to Christ.
Look at Colossians 2:8 which states, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Paul is saying do not be spoiled or esomai which means deceived by things that are not real through strange philosophy, and empty deceit. And do not follow empty philosophies which are based on the traditions of men, or elements of the world because they are not based on Christ. Next look at Col. 2:16 to put this all together which states, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days].” So we are not follow no false teaching, false prophets, false religions, philosophies, empty deceit which are based on the traditions of men, but keep our focus on teaching based on Christ as given in His Holy Word. Let no man judge you based what you eat, what you drink, festival, or of the new moon refers to a new Jewish holiday or could mean a new month, and do not let any man judge of the Sabbath days. No one is tell you that have to worship on first day week, or the last day of week (Sabbath), or that you have to rest on the last day of the week, and that you can not rest on the first day of the week. Because if they do these teachings are based on false religions, false teaching, false prophets, philosophies, legalism, and traditions of men. But you do have to worship whatever day you want based on Christ, and not the traditions of men or false teaching. Eddie you are a SDA and you worship on the Sabbath which is Saturday, but I worship on Sunday which both are okay because “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]” (Col. 2:16). We are not to judge any man based on what day he worships God but we need to besure our worship is based on Christ and His finishing work on the Cross. I hope this explains how Sunday became the day of worship in the Early Church and even today.
Eddie, I am not a Seventh Day Baptist, but I am a biblical Evangelical Southern Baptist who believes in the inspired word of God, and that all expository preaching and teaching should be from the inspired word of God, and nothing else for the New Testament Church. The churches today are being deceived by the Emerging Church, liberalism, feminism, relativism, post-modernism, secular psychology, self-actualization, self-esteem fascination, and getting away of expository teaching, expository preaching, and good grammatical-historical bible interpretation.
Eddie, if I get into the explaining differences between Seventh Day Baptist and SDA, I would have to expose Ellen White as a heretic and false prophet, which she is both. Some of the teaching of SDA and SDB are not biblical at all. I do not want to hurt your feelings. So I will avoid explaining these teachings. Keep on loving the Lord Jesus as your Savior, grow in your relationship in Christ, and keep on serving God in your church and community.
May God Richly Bless You
Dr. Don Howe, RN, PhD, ThD
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Dr. Howe,
I won't get to deep into a discussion about the Sabbath. I agree that we are not to judge man regarding the Sabbath day. In fact, man should not judge others, lest he be judged. I 100% agree that ALL days are good for worship. I strive to worship God everyday. However, it is undeniable that the Sabbath is set apart from the rest. It is a day to keep Holy, a Holy day of convocation. We'll leave it at that.
Oh dear. I was simply asking for some basic differences in doctrinal beliefs between Baptist and Adventism, other than the clash about Ellen White. My friend, you do not hurt my feelings for I am well aware of the criticisms of Ellen White. But you know what, for SDAs salvation is not based on agreeing with Ellen White's writings. We must test all things with the Bible. But I am curious, why do you personally render her as a heretic and false prophet? Heretic is a strong word. What makes her a heretic? I am reading one of her books right now, you may have heard of it: Steps to Christ. I find her writings do not in anyway glorify herself, but rather points readers toward the Holy Scriptures. It's really a beautiful book, and the title describes it perfectly! It's all about how to take the steps toward a relationship with Jesus. But please, in now way think that I value her writings above the Bible, nor hold them comparable. She is a mere human, just like all of us, just like all the prophets of the Bible were as well.
Please do not be afraid to hurt my feelings. However, let's keep in mind our common love, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's not argue, but rather discuss. Let's do all to the glory of God. I pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to BOTH our hearts, and leads us in the way of the truth, in His way.
Answer Good Evening Eddie. I appreciate the spiritual maturity that you possess, but not everyone is that fortunate. Everyone is on a different spiritual maturity level as they walk their own spiritual journey that God has them on in this life. We can differ on how we worship, we can differ on the type of music we play in our worship service, we can differ on how to have Sunday school, we can differ in the style we preach or teach, we can differ on some doctrinal issues, but we can compromise the Word of God and that Jesus is the way, truth, and life. We can not change the Word of God. Paul address this in Romans 3:4 “let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written.” Eddie this means anytime a man preaches or teaches something that is not in the Word of God he is always a liar and God is always true because he does not lie. Senator Obama is in this dilemma as we speak with his there is more than one way to Heaven. If that is true Obama needs to give the Biblical Chapter and verse to prove it.
Eddie, the church is absolutely sick today. It is anemic because it has lost its first love which is Jesus Christ. The Church has jumped on every church growth gimmick that someone has written, the Emerging Church is coming on the seen to take the place of the New Testament Church. The Church has allowed secular psychology, self-esteem, self-actualization, humanism, and feminism to come into the Church House, and it has poisoned our churches. Paul told us about this also in 1 Tim. 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” There will be a time they will not listen to sound doctrine such as Jesus is the “way, truth, and life, no one comes to the father except by me.” But after their own lusts which has been around since Adam and Eve. The lust is not just sexual immorality like you see with the practicing gay bishop Gene Robinson in the Anglican Church but also when man wants to be like God so he exalt himself equal to God which is through humanism, feminism, self-actualization, and self-esteem. They will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. These teachers are represented by the Emerging Church and New Age Church that we see today, which is empty of expository preaching and teaching based on God’s Word and not some new age idiot. You can find them everywhere on TV, for example, with the word of faith preachers, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Benny Hinn, etc. People have itching ears because they want to hear this feel good type of Emerging Church. They turn away from the truth of God’s Word, and they listen to fables which is the same humanism, feminism, self-actualization, etc. Eddie, it is amazing how all this can be seen today if you know God’s Word and have a Christian Worldview of things that are happening today.
DIFFERENCES IN SDB AND SDA
BAPTISM
What the SDA believe on Baptism:
Christ made it clear that He required baptism of those who wished to become part of his church, His spiritual kingdom." "In baptism believers enter into the passion experience of our Lord." ". . .[Baptism also marks [a] person's entrance into Christ's spiritual kingdom. . .it unites the new believer to Christ. . .Through baptism the Lord adds the new disciples to the body of believers - His body, the church. . .then they are members of God's family" (SDA's Believe. . ., pp. 182, 184, 187).
This is totally wrong. Baptism will not save anyone. Baptism is not required to be saved.
What the SDB believe on Baptism:
At least the SDB has this right. Eph. 2:8-9 state “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Paul is telling us the work of salvation is God’s gift to man through what Jesus did on the Cross, not baptism. Paul goes on to say “Not of works, least any man should boast” means we are not saved by our works which nullifies any work salvation, and we can not boast. If salvation was the accomplishment of man in any way, we could boast about it. But under God’s plan of salvation, God alone receives the glory and not man with his idea that baptism will saves.
Or to put it another way no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainment in morality however high, no culture however attractive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is absolutely essential to salvation, and only those thus saved are sons of God.
What the SDA believe about Investigative Judgment:
Eddie. this nothing but false doctrine to the max. I am going to give you a little history which may already know, but bear with me because it will help to explain this investigative judgment. Thousands of people from all denominations took part in the "Advent Movement" also known as "The Millerite Movement" and also "The Great Disappointment". These misguided people believed that Christ would return to earth and save them and destroy the wicked including those that rejected William Miller's "date setting" with hell fire raining down from heaven. The first date set for the "end of the world" was in the fall of 1843, then the spring of 1844 and finally they settled on October 22, 1844.
Needless to say all these failure dates passed without the Savior's return. Hence the term, "The Great Disappointment". The failure of Christ not returning to earth divided the Millerites into two groups. The largest group was led by Wm. Miller who renounced his belief of anything prophetically happening in 1844 and also renounced the SHUT DOOR DOCTRINE. The Millerites went back to holding evangelistic meetings and winning souls for Christ.
The splinter group led by Ellen G. Harmon (later the wife of James White), James White, Captain Joseph Bates and others held on to the SHUT DOOR DOCTRINE, that the door of salvation to the world was closed. They called themselves, "The Little Flock".
There was a rift between the Millerites and the Whites/Bates group. "The Little Flock" were trying to prove to the Millerites that they were not mistaken about the 1844 date and THE SHUT DOOR and that something happened. Ellen White blamed God for the failure for Christ not returning, as she claimed that God put his hand over the figures of the chart and they could not see their mistake. EGW claimed the figures were correct, but the event was wrong. She went on to say that instead of Christ coming to earth to cleanse the Sanctuary on earth, he move from the holy to the most holy apartment in 1844 to begin an Investigative Judgment to cleanse the Sanctuary in Heaven.
It was shortly after the October 22, 1844 DISAPPOINTMENT that the Investigative Judgment theory developed. The I J is not an ancient doctrine from the Bible but is of modern origin.
In The Great Controversy (1950 Edition, p. 480), Ellen White stated "Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies, and there appears in the presence of God, to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man - to perform the work of investigative judgment, and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.
"...So in the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment, the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, at a later period"
As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected". (The Great Controversy, 1950 edition, page 483). "At the time appointed for the judgment –the close of the 2300 days, in 1844– began the work of investigation and blotting out of sins. All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass Its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are judged 'out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works ". (The Great Controversy, 1950 edition, page 486).
Though all nations are to pass in judgment before God, yet He will examine the cases of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if there were not another being upon the earth. Every one must be tested, and found without spot or wrinkle or any such thing". (The Great Controversy, 1950 edition, page 490).
The Judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. Forty years has this work been in progress. Soon – none know how soon – it will pass to the cases of the living." (The Great Controversy, 1884 edition, page 315).
Eddie, one of the biggest mistake false prophets do is they like to set dates, and they have no clue what or when God is going to do something that is prophetic. No one knows when the Father will do things be it either the Rapture, start of the Tribulation, or the Return of the Lord (Second Coming), not even Jesus himself. Look what Jesus said in Matt. 24:36-39 “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Only the Father knows when the Second Coming of Jesus will take place. So Ellen White certainly does not know anything about God’s timetable.
What the SDB believe about Investigative Judgment:
Jesus did not wait until 1844 to enter the Holy of Holies in heaven as the High Priest (Heb 1:3;6:19-20;8:1;9:6-12,24;12:2). Neither is he still making atonement in heaven (Heb. 9:25-26; 10:11-14). The investigative judgement proposes to "vindicate the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus," by showing they were "loyal," "penitent," and "faithful" commandment keepers. This is an outrage. God's justice in saving sinners is vindicated by Christ's death on the cross (Rom. 3:24-26).
When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished, " i.e. completed, paid in full, it cannot be that there is yet another salvation event more than 1800 years later, just as essential to salvation as Christ's death on the cross, in which one must believe in order to be saved. This is clearly "another gospel) as stated in Gal. 1:6-9 and is “accursed.”
What the SDA believe about soul sleep:
The doctrine of soul sleep is based on the belief that human beings don't have immortal souls, that their souls are their physical existence, and that when their bodies die, their souls go to the graves. From there, those who are righteous are said to arise at the resurrection, and those who are evil are said to be annihilated.
Eddie it is to my understanding that SDA also teaches that there is no such thing as Hell. This is the concept of “soul sleep,” which says that there is no punishment for sin and that those found unworthy will simply cease to exist.
This doctrine denies the teachings of Jesus himself on this subject. Jesus spoke more about Hell than he did about Heaven. Jesus described Hell (Hades as well as Gehenna) as a place of torment and agony in a fire that does not go out. All of these teachings are denied in lieu of a doctrine of eternal sleep and a cessation of existence.
The “righteous are said to arise at the resurrection” is speaking of the Second Coming of Christ. The SDA does not mention anything about the Rapture which will take place at the end of this church age, and then the tribulation period will take place. We have to keep our events in right order.
What the SDB believe about soul sleep:
The clear teaching of scripture is that eternal life is the present possession of the believer as stated in 1 John 5:11-13 which states “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” Though the body dies, the believer will never be separated from the Father; nor will he experience spiritual death as stated in John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 tells us is for believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and it states “Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent: the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
In Philippians 1:23 Paul states “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” Paul thought being with the Lord was better than living.
For unbelievers, death means everlasting punishment in Hell (Luke 16:22-23). The moment we die, we face the judgment of God (Hebrews 9:27).
So Eddie, soul sleep is not biblical.
These are a few of the differences between the SDA and SDB, but there are others, so I hope this helps to answer some of your questions.
