AboutSal Expertise I am privileged to be able to offer an alternative insight into the complicated world of Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) theology. I will rely heavily on the Bible, but will also consider history and use logic in exposing deficiencies in SDA teachings. I would ask anyone who is considering becoming a SDA or if you are already in the SDA church, but are searching for the truth, to please allow me to offer a different explanation for the claims of the SDA. Remember : "The truth will set you free" (John 8:32). I can answer your questions pertaining to the beliefs and history of the SDA. I am not able to answer questions concerning spirituality or church discipline.
Experience I have extensively studied the theology of the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) for a number of years. I have many books and tape sets produced by experts in this field of study. I have debated current members of the SDA church. I have a great desire to help these people see the truth.
Education/Credentials M.S. degree in Food, Nutrition, and Dietetics
Question How do you know that the cross nailed both the Ceremonial and the Moral laws being the 10 Commandments?
When I read Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”, it clearly states that what God has done will last forever. Wasn't the seventh day sabbath instituted at creation, not to mention that God is the author of the 10 commandments?
I was taught that the ceremonial laws were the "Type" for the Messiah, being Jesus which was the "Antitype" and that Jesus would one day "blot out the ordinances and statutes that were against us" as they would become moot - It states nothing about God's commandments?? When I read Colossians 2:17 states “Which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ meaning that the ceremonial (statutes and ordinances)laws such a new moons, feasts and yearly sabbaths were the body of Christ, and not the 10 Commandments of God. Correct?
Doesn't the bible also say in Isaiah 66:22,23 “For as the NEW heavens and the NEW earth, which I will MAKE, shall remain before me, said the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one SABBATH to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, said the LORD.” So, even if you believe that the Commandments of God were abolished, the bible clearly states that the Sabbath will be forever even in the New world which the lord has not made as of yet. Right?
I am confused!
Answer Dear Brother Bill:
Here is a brief biblical history of the commandments of the Old Covenant. First God spoke the Ten Commandments to the people. “Then God spoke all these words…” (Exodus 20:1) then the Ten Commandments are listed. The people became afraid because of God’s display of thunder and lightning. “You speak to us, and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, or we shall die” (Exodus 20:19). Since the Israelites did not want God to speak to them God gave Moses many commandments to relate to the Israelites (chapters 21-23). Moses tells them all that God had said to him and the people agree to obey all the commandments of the LORD (Exodus 24:3). Finally, for the first time Moses writes down all the commands of God (v. 4). Animal sacrifices were offered then Moses took half of the blood and poured it on the altar (v. 6). Then Moses took “the Book of the Covenant” that he had written and read it to the people (v. 7a). Note that the Book of the Covenant contained all the commandments God had spoken including the Ten Commandments along side ceremonial and civil commandments. It contained all the commandments (cf. v. 4). After hearing all the commandments the people agreed to heed and do them (v. 7b). Then Moses sprinkled the people with some of the blood from the sacrifices sealing the covenant between the Israelites and God (v. 8). After God spoke the Ten Commandments, the ceremonial commandments, and the civil commandments and Moses had written them all together in the Book of the Covenant God for the first time promises the stone tablets (v. 12). After God announces that the 7th day Sabbath will be the sign of this covenant between Israel and Himself He gives Moses the two stone tablets (31:16-18). The book that was put in the side the Ark of the Covenant was the Book of the Covenant that contained all the commandments God gave to the Israelites. Therefore, the belief that the Ten Commandments were only inside the ark is fallacious.
I hope that you can see that what was made obsolete was the entire Old Covenant not just some of the commandments, but all of them as recorded in the book. Paul is clear that it was the “covenant” that became obsolete not just part of it, but all of it (Hebrews 8:13). You cannot say biblically that the Old Covenant is obsolete without the covenant document also being obsolete.
In Colossians 2 the Book of the Covenant is what is nailed to the cross (v. 14). The entire Old Covenant is what is taken away because that is what was recorded in the book. The Book of the Covenant was cancelled by being nailed to the cross. “He cancelled the bond that stood against us…” What was against us? “Take this Book of the Law and put it besides the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, that there it may be a witness against you” (Deuteronomy 31:26). Colossians 2 says that the witness against you is taken away. Clearly Jesus took away the covenant document and with it the entire Old Covenant as recorded in the book. So there was not a ceremonial law and a moral law, but only one law--the Old Covenant.
I completely agree that God never changes (Mal. 3:6, cf. Heb. 13:8). However, exactly what does that mean? It cannot mean that if God says something that it must always remain. A simple reading of Scripture disproves that quite easily. For example, God has changed His Laws concerning the Passover, circumcision, and sacrifices. Indeed God has changed the entire Law Covenant of Sinai and replaced it with the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13). God even inspired Paul to write that God does change His Law. “For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law” (Heb. 7:12). So clearly God never changes cannot mean that His Law never changes. Note carefully that Mal. 3:6 doesn’t say God never changes His Law, but that God Himself never changes. In other words, God is and will always be just, trustworthy, all-knowing, etc. that is what God never changing means.
The evidence that the Sabbath was instituted at creation is slim indeed. However, there is much evidence against the Creation Ordinance theory. If you would like to see this evidence just let me know. It would be too long to present that evidence here.
I believe that, like all the Sabbaths, the 7th day Sabbath is ceremonial. I believe this to be the clear teaching of the Bible. I see Leviticus 23 as very strongly teaching that all the Sabbaths are one unit of ceremonial feasts of the Lord God. For example, at the very beginning of the chapter God calls all Sabbaths, “My feast days” (v. 2). Then Moses begins listing all the Sabbaths God gave to the Israelites. Moses makes absolutely no distinction between the 7th day Sabbath and all the other “feast days”. The chapter concludes, “Thus did Moses announce to the Israelites the feasts of the Lord” (v. 44). I find nothing in this chapter to indicate that the 7th day Sabbath is moral and the other Sabbaths ceremonial. I do not find God making any distinction between the Sabbaths that He calls, “My feast days.”
I believe that the 7th day Sabbath is ceremonial because its restrictions are allowed on other days. To me this clearly indicates that the 7th day Sabbath is ceremonial. The very idea that a moral law can be judged valid or invalid based on what day of the week it happens to be is absurd. A moral law is valid no matter what day of the week it is. Can you imagine adultery being judged as allowable because it happens to be Wednesday? What moral law may one violate 85% of the time and that be acceptable to God?
Also the 7th day Sabbath could be set-aside in order to not violate a ceremonial law. Circumcision was given priority over the Sabbath. If a boy’s 8th day of life was on the Sabbath the ceremonial law of circumcision was performed and the Sabbath violated (John 7:22-23). What moral law could be violated in order to keep a ceremonial law?
God continually grouped the 7th day Sabbath with ceremonial feasts in the Old Testament. Please read 2 Kings 4:23; 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:3-4; 8:13; 31:3; Nehemiah 10:33-34; Isaiah 1: 13-14; 66:23; Ezekiel 45:17; 46:1-7; Hosea 2:11; Amos 8:5. In the New Testament St. Paul continued this way of seeing all the feasts as one ceremonial unit. Please read Galatians 4:10 %26 Colossians 2:16. This fact strongly indicates to me that the 7th day Sabbath is ceremonial.
Another strong indicator is that God grouped the 7th day Sabbath with things that could be stopped. “I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days—all her appointed feasts” (Hosea 2:11). What moral law does God ever say He will stop? “Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isaiah 1:14). What moral law does God ever say that He hates?
Just like all the other ceremonial feast days it was absolutely necessary to offer sacrifices in order to properly observe the 7th day Sabbath (Numbers 28:9-10). The 7th day Sabbath was part of the unit or package of ceremonial feast days particular to Israel. Numbers 28 %26 29 lists the necessary sacrifices that Israel was to offer each morning and evening, each Sabbath, each New Moon, each Passover, each Pentecost, each New Year’s Day, each Day of Atonement, and each Feast of Booths. What moral law had sacrifices associated with its validity?
Isaiah 66:22-23 is not saying that all people will keep the 7th day Sabbath in the New Earth. It would make this answer too long to go into it in detail. So if you would like just ask me for the details.
I hope that this clears up some of your confusion.
