What Do Seventh-day Adventists Believe?

Seventh-day Adventists are a Protestant Christian denomination who hold the Bible as their only creed, meaning that all their teachings and beliefs come straight from Scripture. They share many of their beliefs with other Christian denominations and look to Jesus Christ as humanity’s only hope.

Though the Church organized as the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 1863, the members didn’t publish an official list of their beliefs because they wanted to remain open to whatever the Bible taught rather than being locked into human methods of expressing those doctrines. They never wanted to grow stagnant or risk closing their minds to further truth.

But in 1872, they decided to publish a collection of statements to explain how they interpret and apply Scripture to their lives—collectively and individually.1

They called these the “Fundamental Beliefs” of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

These published statements are not a checklist of requirements to become an Adventist but rather an informational document that helps understand what it means to be an Adventist.¹ This is helpful because any person wanting to join a church would need to understand the beliefs of that denomination and be able to say that they resonate with the description of that community of believers.

Throughout the Adventist Church’s history and growth, the church kept digging into Scripture in order to learn more. Periodically, it would review and sometimes modify these Fundamental Beliefs to better reflect the church’s most up-to-date understanding of God’s Word.²

Since 2005, the Church holds 28 Fundamental Beliefs. We’ll look at each of them briefly to give you a general idea of what Adventists believe.

1. The Holy Scriptures
2. The Trinity
3. God the Father
4. God the Son
5. God the Holy Spirit
6. Creation
7. The Nature of Humanity
8. The Great Controversy
9. The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ
10. The Experience of Salvation
11. Growing in Christ
12. The Church
13. The Remnant and its Mission
14. Unity in the Body of Christ
15. Baptism
16. The Lord’s Supper
17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries
18. The Gift of Prophecy
19. The Law of God
20. The Sabbath
21. Stewardship
22. Christian Behavior
23. Marriage and the Family
24. Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
25. The Second Coming of Christ
26. Death and Resurrection
27. The Millennium and the End of Sin
28. The New Earth

Let’s take a brief look at each of them.

The Holy Scriptures

Seventh-day Adventists are Bible-believing Christians. We accept both the Old Testament and the New Testament as the Word of God—the final authority on belief, doctrine, morals, and lifestyle (2 Timothy 3:16).

A commonly used Latin phrase for this belief is sola scriptura, which means “the Bible only” or “Scripture alone.”

The Bible provides the framework for the Adventist view of the world and our place in it as humans. It also introduces us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to this world to show us the loving character of God.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the Bible.

The Trinity

Seventh-day Adventists believe in one God consisting of three coeternal persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, NKJV).

The word coeternal means that all three have always existed together as one.

It can be a tricky concept to wrap our minds around. But in our finite efforts to understand an infinite God, we use the Bible as our guide to build a description of what our three-in-one God is like.

This eternal unity is often described as the “Godhead.” The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in harmony for the salvation of all who want to be saved from sin and its consequences.

Adventists believe that this triune God is a personal God. A God who loves every single individual, as if each one of us was the only person alive (1 John 4:8).

Learn more about Adventist beliefs on the Trinity.

God the Father

God is the eternal Father, the King of the universe. Everything that exists comes through Him (Romans 11:36). But more than just creating the universe, He also upholds and sustains it (Genesis 1:1), taking a personal interest in every aspect of it.

The Father is love (1 John 4:8) and every other trait of His—His justice, holiness, mercy, and more—fit into this ultimate quality (Exodus 34:6). He loves us more than we could ever fathom.

His character—what He is really like—was most fully revealed through the life and death of His Son, Jesus (Hebrews 1:3).

Read the full Adventist belief statement and description of God the Father.

God the Son

The eternal God became a human being, just like us, to connect with us and show us who God really is (John 1:14; 3:16).

That is, He took upon Himself human flesh and lived with the same constraints we do. He lived a life just like ours, dealing with the same day-to-day struggles and decisions. And He is known to the world as Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5).

And He revealed His love for humanity by dying on the Cross, taking on our deserved fate, so that each and every one of us can have the promise of eternal life despite our unworthiness (Romans 3:23-24). Though sin and evil separated humans from God (Isaiah 59:1), Christ made it possible to reconnect us.

He did this for each person, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about Jesus.

God the Holy Spirit

God the Holy Spirit exists within the Godhead along with the Father and the Son. And they are all equally God, even though they perform different functions (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11).

After Jesus’ resurrection, He returned to heaven—but as He promised, He left us the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Among other roles, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to show us the difference between right and wrong, to guide us in our prayer lives, and to help us grow to become more like Jesus.

Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit is referred to by many different names that help describe His character and purpose, such as the “Comforter” or “Helper” (John 14:16), or even the “breath of the Almighty” (Job 33:4).

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the Spirit.

Creation

Seventh-day Adventists believe the Genesis account that God is the Creator of everything that exists (John 1:1-4).

Though He created the universe long ago, Genesis 1 and 2 teach that in six literal days, He created our earth and all life on it, including Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity.

Learn more about how Adventists believe the world was created.

The nature of humanity

We believe that God created humans “in His image” (Genesis 1:27).

This image includes the gifts of consciousness and freedom of choice. Humans were also originally created sinless—perfect. However, using the gift of free will, humanity made choices that were short-sighted and self-serving, rather than being in harmony with God’s will and His perfect love.

As a result, all people have been corrupted by sin, meaning our very nature tends toward selfishness. We are unable to save ourselves from this tendency (Romans 3:10-19). And because of this corruption of sin, we are no longer perfect.

For this reason, Jesus came to earth to save us, live as our example, and finally restore us into the image of God. Though this process of restoration is already taking place now, it will be completed when Christ returns to earth at the Second Coming.

Learn more what Adventists believe about human nature and free will.

The “Great Controversy”

Seventh-day Adventists believe that our world is involved in a conflict between good and evil, God and Satan, over the character of God, His law, and His government (Ephesians 6:12). We call this conflict “the Great Controversy.”

It was brought to earth when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). As a result, the situation became exactly that: humanity then began to live among both good and evil, having to choose between them every day.

The Great Controversy is the ultimate battle between perfect love and primitive selfishness. And this earth is the battleground (Revelation 12:12).

But all is not lost! There is still hope for humanity. Thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus (which you’ll read about in the next section), God’s victory is certain, and all who choose to follow Him can claim this victory. One day soon, this controversy will be over forever.

Learn the details of how Adventists see this cosmic conflict.

The life, death, and resurrection of Christ

Just as the Bible tells us in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus, the Son of God, became human and came to earth as a baby. This was also prophesied in several places in the Old Testament.

Jesus lived on this earth to show us what the love of God is truly like, and to give us an example of how to live a life completely dependent on God’s power.

Then, He died as a sacrifice for our selfish choices (known as sin), which ultimately lead to evil, destruction, and complete separation from God. Through His death on the Cross, He paid the penalty for every sinful thing anyone has ever done.

After His death, He was resurrected, showing that by His power, death doesn’t have to be our final fate. All who accept by faith what Jesus has done can have the promise that death won’t hold us in the grave forever—God can restore us, just as Jesus was restored to life.

Thus, through Jesus’ perfect life, all human beings can have the promise of salvation and eternal life in Jesus through faith in Him (John 3:16; Luke 19:10; Hebrews 9:28).

The fact that Jesus did these things is central to the entire plan and experience of salvation, which is what the next section discusses.

Learn more on what Adventists believe about Jesus’ time on earth.

The experience of salvation

Like most Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists believe we can claim God’s promise of eternal life. And this eternal life is not something we can earn with our own abilities or by doing enough good deeds. The only way to be saved is by sincere faith in Jesus Christ, whose perfect life is given to us when we accept Him as our Savior.

Some refer to this concept by the Latin phrase sola fide, which means “by faith alone” (Romans 3:20).

At the moment we accept Him into our lives, we immediately have salvation in Jesus, who then sends us the Holy Spirit to work within us, refining our characters (Galatians 4:19).

Though aware of our sinfulness and our need to repent and confess their sins, Adventists live with the hope and assurance of salvation because of what Christ has done for all humanity on the Cross (Romans 8:1).

Read more about Adventist beliefs on salvation.

Growing in Christ

After we receive by faith the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we begin a journey of growth in Him.

His death allows us to have victory over Satan’s influence and the sinful tendencies that seek to control us in the conflict between good and evil. We have been freed from our past, and now “we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, NKJV). Our lives can then reveal to others the love and character of God (Mark 5:16).

This growth in our lives happens as we spend time in prayer and in the Bible, coming to God with an attitude of humility and surrender.

Learn what Adventists believe about growing in faith.

The church

In the New Testament, there is a lot of talk about “the church.” This refers to those who believe in God and have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Not a specific group of them, but all of them (Matthew 16:18). They are united in worship, ministry, and mission.

And this church has grown and spread. Today, the church covers the entire globe. Not every person in this “church” is a member of a physical congregation, but they are part of God’s body of believers nonetheless.

Believers seek to support each other and together reveal Jesus and His love to the world. Though salvation is not found in church membership, God’s people are called to fellowship with one another for support, encouragement, training, and furthering the mission of the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 28:16-20).

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination, as part of the larger body of God’s people, also stretches across the globe, including local congregations, offices, ministries, schools, hospitals, and more. And we strive to work together with the Christian church to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20.

Read more about what Adventists believe about the church and what it means to be part of it.

The remnant and its mission

The New Testament points to a specific group of Christians near the end of time before Christ’s Second Coming. This group is often referred to as the “remnant” (Revelation 12:17).

This word remnant means something that remains, or that is left over from something larger. The Bible describes the remnant as those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12), even while the rest of the world turns away from God. Despite persecution and challenges, these believers remain faithful.

As a church, Adventists collectively aspire to be part of this remnant and remain faithful to God even as the world may crumble around us. We aspire to follow Jesus’ teachings to the letter, all the way through the end of time.

And together, we support one another in our relationships with God so we can be strong and united under Him even in the most difficult circumstances. We encourage all Christian believers to take this goal to heart.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the remnant.

Unity in the body of Christ

Just as God is one, united in the three persons of the Godhead, His church is one diverse body of believers. It consists of many nationalities, races, cultures, personalities, ages, and talents.

The term “the body of Christ” comes from an analogy used by the apostle Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament.

The idea is that the church has different parts, just like a human body. And each part is essential for the body as a whole, even though it may not do the same thing as another part.

Despite the vast differences found in the body of Christ, all are equal in Him and bonded together by love. They all share a desire to spread the love of Jesus to those who don’t know Him yet, offering them a place among the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23; Galatians 3:28).

Learn more of what Adventists believe about unity in God’s church.

Baptism

Seventh-day Adventists believe in baptism by immersion as a way for individuals to openly confess their faith in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer.

This means the person is completely submerged under the water as a symbol of their total surrender to God (Mark 1:4-5; Acts 16:31-33).

Baptism is an outward expression of our union with Christ, our acceptance of His forgiveness, and our new life in Him and His church (Romans 6:4).

Like Baptists and several others, we believe that only those old enough to make a conscious decision for Christ should be baptized, and not until then. We value informed freedom of choice, just as God did when He created humanity.

Get a deeper understanding of Adventist beliefs on baptism.

The Lord’s Supper

In obedience to Christ’s direct command, Seventh-day Adventists celebrate the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, in which the bread and the wine symbolize Christ’s body broken for us and His blood shed for us (Luke 22:19-20).

Adventists also practice foot washing, following Christ’s example toward His disciples. This is a symbol of our willingness to humble ourselves and serve others (John 13:14-17).

As with all works, these are expressions of faith rather than a means of gaining salvation.

Learn more about Adventist beliefs on the Lord’s Supper.

Spiritual gifts and ministries

God gives spiritual gifts to every member of His church. These gifts include faith, healing, prophecy, teaching, administration, and charity. God intends these gifts to be used in selfless service for others around us (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

Seventh-day Adventists believe that these gifts have continued in the church through the ages and continue to exist today.

We encourage everyone to serve with the gift the Holy Spirit has entrusted them with. No human should try to deny or suppress these gifts, whether in themselves or in someone else.

Learn what Adventists believe about these gifts.

The gift of prophecy

Among the spiritual gifts is the gift of prophecy, which has special regard in the context of the end times. This reference is in the book of Revelation, which talks about “the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 12:17; Revelation 19:10, NKJV). In these verses, this spirit of prophecy is Jesus’ testimony—His gift of salvation and its good news, which will go to the whole world at the end of time.

Though many others can have this gift in many different situations, Seventh-day Adventists believe that this gift has been revealed in the life and ministry of Ellen G. White, who saw herself as a lesser light pointing to the greater light—the Bible.

Through her conscientious use of this gift, she was instrumental in forming the Adventist denomination. And she continues to be a blessing to the church through her writings, which are sometimes referred to as “the Spirit of Prophecy” within the denomination.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about the spirit of prophecy.

The law of God

The Bible teaches that “sin is transgression [breaking] of the law” (1 John 3:4). Though Seventh-day Adventists believe in salvation by faith alone, they also believe that God’s law, a reflection of His character of love (Romans 13:10), is still the guideline for living a fulfilling life (James 2:10-11).

Obeying the law doesn’t arise out of an attempt to be saved. Instead, it’s the loving response to having already been saved by Jesus:

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3, NKJV).

The law, known as the Ten Commandments, is educational because it teaches us how to regard God and how to treat others. It shows us the life that we were designed for so that we would thrive.

Jesus summed it up in the following words during His earthly ministry:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV).

Want to know more about Adventist beliefs on the law?

The Sabbath

Because Seventh-day Adventists believe in keeping the commandments of God, they also keep the seventh-day Sabbath described in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11).

The Sabbath, established by God in Eden before sin entered our world (Genesis 2:2-3), serves as a weekly reminder that God is our Creator. And just as He rested from His work on the seventh day, He offers us that same privilege and blessing (Mark 2:27).

As with the other nine commandments, Adventists don’t keep the Sabbath day to be saved but as an expression of that salvation. They see it as a time of joy and freedom in which they can pause and connect more deeply with God and one another.

Learn more of the beliefs Adventists have about the Sabbath.

Stewardship

The biblical principle of stewardship is based on the idea of careful management or caretaking. It was introduced at Creation when God gave the first humans the job of caring for the earth.

This kind of Christian responsibility, rooted in love for God, acknowledges that He is the true creator, owner, and sustainer of everything. It encompasses how we care for our bodies, our time, our minds, our relationships, our money, our possessions, and much more.

Learn more about what the Adventist Church believes about stewardship.

Christian behavior

The word “Christian” means “to be like Christ.” For this reason, Seventh-day Adventists seek to reflect His character of kindness, love, faithfulness, and self-sacrifice through the way we live our lives.

The life of a Christian is a journey in that direction, as we give Christ permission to work within us. The Bible gives us many principles to guide our lives, relationships, and decisions (Colossians 3:5-17; Micah 6:8; Galatians 5:13; Galatians 5:16-17; Galatians 5:22-26; Proverbs 3:5-6, etc.).

Reflecting God’s character also involves living in a healthful way. The Bible explains that our bodies are “temples” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), meaning that we must take care of them to the best of our abilities.

Learn more Adventist beliefs about striving to be like Christ.

Marriage and the family

Like most Christians, Seventh-day Adventists believe in the sanctity of marriage and family. Marriage (along with the seventh-day Sabbath) was one of the two institutions created in Eden that still exists today (Genesis 2).

For this reason, marriage and family are sacred gifts from God that need to be carefully nourished and cherished (Hebrews 13:4).

Because of the sinful nature of humanity, all families fall short of God’s ideal in one way or another. But we seek God’s help to reveal His love, grace, and mercy in our relationships.

Learn more about what Adventists believe about marriage and family.

Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary

The Bible teaches that there is a sanctuary in heaven, where Jesus, our great high priest, ministers on our behalf (Hebrews 8:1-2).

Just as the earthly sanctuary—a model of the heavenly one—had two phases, Christ’s ministry in heaven also has two phases.

His first phase of ministry deals with the forgiveness of sin and is made possible by His death on the Cross. The second phase involves what’s called the Investigative Judgment and the blotting out of the sins of those who have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and power in their lives.

Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary is an important part of God’s process to eradicate sin once and for all.

Learn more about how Adventists view Christ’s ministry in heaven.

The Second Coming of Christ

By our very name, Seventh-day Adventists show our belief in the Second Advent, or the Second Coming of Jesus, to this earth (Revelation 22:12).

Unlike His first coming, Christ’s second coming will be a worldwide event. At that time, the dead in Christ will rise to eternal life and be taken from this planet to heaven, while those who choose not to accept Christ will die along with Satan and his angels (Revelation 19:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Adventists believe that the Second Coming leads to the fulfillment of everything we hope for as followers of Jesus.

Learn the details of what Adventists believe about the Second Coming.

Death and resurrection

Seventh-day Adventists understand the painful reality of death. But we also understand that at the resurrection, we will all “wake up” from what will seem similar to an unconscious sleep in the grave (Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 146:4). That is, there is no form of conscious existence after a person dies.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV).

The Bible also talks about the second resurrection, which is the resurrection of the people who decided not to follow Christ. This event will occur at another time, after a thousand years (Revelation 20:7)—a period we’ll cover more thoroughly in the next section.

Want to know more Adventist beliefs about this wonderful hope?

The millennium and the end of sin

The millennium is a thousand-year period after Christ returns to the earth at the Second Coming and takes all His followers to heaven with Him.

During this time in heaven, God’s people will be able to see the justice and fairness of God in the way He judged the world. It will be a time of profound learning as we prepare for the New Earth (Revelation 20:6; 1 Corinthians 6:3).

At the end of the millennium, those who chose sin and self over God will be raised from the dead (the second resurrection) and be forever destroyed along with Satan.

After this sad but necessary act, sin will have been finally eradicated from the world.

Learn more about how Adventists view the final eradication of sin.

The New Earth

Seventh-day Adventists teach that after the millennium, God will re-create the earth and restore it to the Eden-like paradise that it was before the entrance of sin and evil (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22).

There, all God’s people will live forever in a world without any of the things that make life so hard now (Revelation 21).

The Great Controversy will be over, along with the pain and suffering it brought. And it will never arise again.

Learn more of what Adventists believe about this wonderful promise.

Seventh-day Adventist beliefs show how we apply biblical principles.

Adventist beliefs are all rooted in Scripture. The Bible is our guide for everything we do.

To see more of this Scriptural basis, you can read about each belief in detail by clicking on the linked pages in each section. These beliefs are also published on the official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

You may have noticed that many of the beliefs are similar to those of other denominations, except a few that are not quite as common in Christian circles. Even so, they are very biblical. They include our beliefs about the Sabbath, death, the heavenly sanctuary, the manner of Jesus’ Second Coming, the spirit of prophecy, and the foot washing aspect of Communion.

The ultimate purpose of these beliefs is to lead us to be Christ-centered, Bible-believing Christians who find their meaning and motivation in Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross.

Seventh-day Adventists desire our beliefs to impact every aspect of our lives. And by God’s grace alone, we seek to experience for ourselves and to share with others this promise from Jesus: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, NKJV).

For a deeper study of all these beliefs, sign up for a free online Bible study.

1. “Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual,” General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, p. 51. [↵]
2. Zinke, Ed. “What Got Changed in Fundamental Beliefs?” Adventist Review, July 8, 2015. [↵]

Authority can be an uncomfortable word.

It may make you feel intimidated or frustrated. You might think of a church leader who seemed to kill all your fun as a kid, or a boss who micromanages your every move at work…or maybe you have an elderly family member who used Bible verses to guilt-trip people.

With these connotations, the idea of the Bible having authority over you might not seem so positive. But what if well-meaning people have misrepresented what it means for the Bible to have authority?

So let’s explore its true meaning.

Seventh-day Adventists uphold the authority of the Bible—but not as a simplistic rulebook of dos and don’ts. Instead, it gives us profound, timeless guiding principles for our lives on spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional levels. Those principles act as guardrails for our decisions without micromanaging our lives.

The Bible is so important to the Adventist faith that our first Fundamental Belief says:

“The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.”

Let’s get into some more detail on what that looks like. Here’s what you can expect to learn:

• What the Bible says about its own authority
• How the Bible is the authority for Adventists
• Why the Bible is our authority
• How to test things by the Bible’s authority

What the Bible says about its own authority

As a book of many books, the Bible doesn’t contain a statement that says, “This book has [this much] authority.” But the words within the Bible, from multiple authors during different time periods, tell us of the One who inspired its words.

The words of the Bible are just that—words on a page. They don’t have inherent authority, but they carry with them the authority of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

He is the One whose “dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. … He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35, NKJV).

This God, by the Holy Spirit, inspired the messages (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21) that the Bible writers wrote down for us (Jeremiah 30:2; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 15:3).

Jesus Christ Himself believed in this authority of the Word of God (which was just the Old Testament at that time).

When He taught the people, He often pointed to it as the basis for His teachings (Luke 10:26). And when the devil tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus turned to the Word of God to resist those temptations (Matthew 4:3-10). The Words of Scripture held weight for Him because He was committed to their Author (John 5:19).

We follow His example in the way we uphold the Bible.

How the Bible is the ultimate authority for Adventists

Adventists accept what the Bible teaches about itself—that it’s inspired by God (“God-breathed,” as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16) and authoritative for our lives.

In fact, that’s a big reason the Advent Movement began in the 1800s.

We embrace the Protestant Christian concept of sola scriptura, which teaches that the Bible has the final say in our decisions. Not only does it guide us in spiritual things, but it also gives us principles of right and wrong for our day-to-day living.

Notice the word principles.

This is different than every single counsel or command. After all, the Bible was written within a specific historical and cultural context to express the story of God’s workings. It’s not meant to be a rulebook but rather a narrative of who God is and how He’s restoring His people from sin.

Yes, some of God’s commands are absolute and timeless (for example, the Ten Commandments or the command to love our enemies). But we have to discern when He was giving specific instructions for a specific context.

For example, when the Israelites came out of Egypt, God gave them many civil laws, which were not on the same level of authority as the Ten Commandments. These civil laws guided the people as a nation since they had been in slavery for so long.

Though many of the principles behind the commands can still benefit us, the specifics may not be prescriptive or applicable to people in the technologically-advanced 21st century.

How, then, do we know what is for us and what isn’t?

How do Adventists interpret the Bible?

Adventists interpret the Bible by first seeking to understand what the original authors intended. Once we find the underlying principle, we can apply it to our lives.

Part of understanding the original authors’ intent involves studying the Bible within its various contexts:

• Historical context
• Cultural context
• Linguistic context (mostly Hebrew and Greek)
• Context of a passage/chapter
• Context of an author’s writings
• Context of the biblical narrative

And that last one is especially important. The Bible isn’t an instruction manual, a list of rules, or even a volume of doctrines. It’s a story from Genesis to Revelation, showing how God created us and this world to be and how He’s restoring human beings to that beautiful, sinless reality. This story shapes everything we find in the Bible.

Once we understand these different levels of context, we’re better equipped to discern the timeless principles for our lives. The Bible is an ancient document, but it also offers so much for the present and gives us insight into the future!

Also, Adventists seek to read translations of the Bible that best communicate the message of the original text. But we don’t limit ourselves to one version of the Bible—we believe many translations of the Bible can provide us with greater insights into what God was trying to communicate to us.

Does sola scriptura mean we can’t get advice or guidance from any other source?

Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash

Accepting the Bible as our authority doesn’t mean we never read other books or seek counsel from others.

Far from it! Instead, the Bible provides the framework to filter all other inputs.

So, when we read other books or a trusted mentor gives us advice, we compare it to the Bible’s principles. The New Testament shows us what this looks like when it describes a group of people who heard Paul preaching about Jesus:

“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11, ESV).

They turned to biblical truth to check what they were learning.

At the same time, though God’s Word guides us (2 Timothy 3:16), it’s not an exhaustive encyclopedia on everything in life. We still have to read and study other books to learn about specific topics.

For example, the Bible teaches us that God created all living things on earth, but it doesn’t go into all the intricacies of those organisms. In those cases, it’s helpful to turn to a biology textbook or talk with a biologist.

The Bible also gives us some important principles for dealing with others, but we may need specific help from a therapist at times.

And though God provides us with some dietary guidelines, you’ll probably turn to a cookbook or Pinterest for help whipping up some pesto pasta tonight.

The Bible doesn’t speak to every specific experience, but it gives us guardrails to live within.

However, you might be wondering, why the Bible? Why not another book?

Why the Bible is the authority for Adventists

The Adventist movement is rooted in Scripture, and all our beliefs come from it because we see it as God’s message to us. We believe there is much evidence for this and for accepting the Bible as trustworthy and accurate. Here are the most important ones:

Its internal consistency

Think about it—if 40 human authors over a span of 1,500 years wrote 66 books in three different languages, what are the chances that the messages of each book would be consistent with one another?

It’s nearly impossible!

And yet they are.

The seeming impossibility of this feat speaks to the divine origins of the Bible. The Holy Spirit had to be guiding each writer.

Seventh-day Adventist apologist and speaker Subodh Pandit, MD, agrees:

“No work of fiction can maintain a single story, while being written in the manner the Bible was written—by scores of writers, over such an extended period—unless it was supervised and directed from beginning to end.”¹

History and archeological evidence

The Bible has repeatedly been verified as a historically authentic document. It discusses nations, rulers, and cultures that secular historians refer to and archaeologists have discovered the remains for.

For example, for a long time, historians objected to the idea that the nation of the Hittites (mentioned in the Bible) existed in antiquity—until, in 1906, archeologists uncovered Hatussa, the Hittite capital. And within six more years, they found 10,000 Hittite clay tablets, again supporting the Bible’s account.²

Another archeological discovery confirmed the existence of King Cyrus of Persia, ruler over the Medo-Persian Empire (Ezra 1).³

And Jesus Himself is a historical figure, written about by the secular Jewish historian Josephus.⁴

Prophecy

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The Bible foretold many future events, sometimes hundreds of years before they occurred. Many of these are prophecies of Jesus in the Old Testament that became a reality in the New Testament:

• Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4; Matthew 2:1-6)
• His anointing to ministry (Daniel 9:24-27; Luke 3:1, 21-22)
• His pierced hands and feet (Psalm 22:16; John 19:37)
• None of His bones were broken (Exodus 12:46; John 19:33, 36)
• Resurrection from the dead (Isaiah 53:10; Mark 16:6)

And then, there are prophecies like the statue of Daniel 2, which prophesied with astounding accuracy the world empires that would arise down through history: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

These fulfilled prophecies are self-authenticating evidence for the Bible.

Its endurance

Christians have experienced severe persecution over the past couple of millennia, and during those times, the Bible was often suppressed, banned, or even burned. Despite attempts to stamp out the Bible, it has endured and remains the #1 bestseller in the world today.

And faithful people have preserved it through the ages so that it comes to us with hardly any changes at all.

The Bible today is consistent with much earlier copies, as evidenced by discoveries like that of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. Some of those scrolls dated back to the second century BC, and yet, 95% of the content matched our Bibles today, with the other 5% being minor errors rather than differences in the actual message.⁵

Adventists see this endurance as evidence of supernatural protection over this book.

Changed lives

The Bible is not just any book. It has impacted countless lives from every culture and time imaginable in history.

Whole tribes of cannibals have become humble and gentle.⁶

Bitter people have found the healing power of forgiveness.

Others have discovered their life purpose in serving and helping others because of what they read in the Bible.

Of course, not all people who claim to follow the Bible have lived out these principles. After all, anyone can misuse anything. But when the Bible’s teachings are understood within their context and followed, they look so different from the selfishness, power, and control that societies have often promoted.

They look like the character of God Himself. Selfless, sacrificial love. Peace. Patience. Integrity. Innocence.

There’s something different about the teachings of the Bible. And when we allow it to be the final authority in our lives, it makes us into something different, too.

How to test things by the Bible’s authority

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Living by the authority of Scripture can start with a simple question: What does the Bible say?

More specifically:

• What does the Bible say about this situation?
• Do my beliefs and thoughts align with its principles?
• Is saying this or acting in this way consistent with biblical principles?

Sometimes, the answer will be simple.

The Bible gives us clear guidance on how to treat one another—with love, respect, courtesy, humility, and more.

But it may not give you exact steps to choose your life calling or make a major financial decision. That’s when you may have to pray, spend time with God, and wrestle with biblical principles to understand how they apply to your situation.

If you don’t find answers right away, don’t be discouraged.

Sometimes, it’ll take time and deep Bible study to understand God’s principles for a specific situation. And that’s okay. They won’t always be black and white. But God wants us to use the wisdom and intellect He’s given us to figure these things out.

And He’s promised that as you seek it, He’ll give you wisdom and lead you to the truth (John 16:13; James 1:5).

Ready to study the Bible this way and find its guidance for your life?

Related Articles

1. Pandit, Subodh, Come Search with Me: The Weight of Evidence, 4th ed., p. 154. [↵]
2. Mark, Joshua, ”The Hittites,” Ancient History Encyclopedia. [↵]
3. Wilson, Clifford, “Does Archeology Support the Bible?” Answers in Genesis. [↵]
4. Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3 §63 (Based on the translation of Louis H. Feldman, The Loeb Classical Library). [↵]
5. The Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library. [↵]
6. Elliott, Jackson, “Yali tribe that once killed missionaries is now sharing the Gospel, celebrating gift of 2,500,” The Christian Post. [↵]

More Answers

In other words, the soul isn’t a separate, spiritual “part” of a person—it describes someone’s entire being. It’s the fullness of a person’s existence and identity:

Body + God’s “Breath of Life” = Living Soul (Genesis 2:7).

And originally, in the Garden of Eden, God created the first humans with access to the “tree of life,” which, according to Genesis 3:22, enabled them to live forever.¹

But everything changed after The Fall, when Adam and Eve chose their own ambitions over God’s loving instruction. Death entered the picture (Genesis 3:19). From then on, the only way for humans to live eternally is through knowing and accepting Jesus Christ (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11).

So immortality is still a possibility for humanity. However, it’s not our current state as living souls in a sinful world.

So then, what does it actually mean to believe in “the immortality of the soul?” Where does the belief come from, and what exactly do Adventists believe?

Let’s dig even deeper. We’ll go through the passages of Scripture that talk about everything having to do with our human mortality and existence as God’s children.

We’ll cover:

• Do Adventists believe in “the immortality of the soul”?
• How the Bible talks about souls
• What the Bible says about immortality
• How all these ideas fit together
• The hope we can find in these biblical teachings

First, let’s establish exactly what Adventists believe when it comes to souls and immortality.

Do Adventists believe in the immortality of the soul?

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No, Adventists do not believe in the immortality of the soul, or the teaching that claims human souls live on forever, even after their bodies die.

The Bible tells us that only the Lord God is inherently immortal (1 Timothy 6:16).

To express how Adventists interpret Scripture regarding our existence and mortality, our 26th Fundamental Belief puts it this way:

“The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed.”²

In other words, we believe that the only time a human soul would have immortality would be if that immortality was given to them by God at the resurrection. And this would be based on that human’s decision to follow Jesus, the source of eternal life, and turn away from sin, the source of death.

Next we’ll get into how we formed this belief from the Word of God.

How the Bible talks about souls

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When the Bible talks about the soul, it’s talking about someone’s entire being. Everything that makes them who they are.

The English word soul was translated from the original Hebrew word nephesh, which means, “a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion.”³

The Bible tells us that souls:

• Can cry (Jeremiah 13:17, NKJV)
• Join households (Genesis 12:5, KJV)
• Experience physical birth (Exodus 1:5, KJV)
• Can be baptized (Acts 2:41, NKJV)

These verses wouldn’t make much sense if we were talking about a merely spiritual existence or form, mainly because all of these descriptions tell us the soul is capable of performing tasks that are associated with having a physical body.

Ángel Manuel Rodríguez of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Biblical Research Institute says:

“‘Soul’ refers to the whole person in need of God, who is the only one who can preserve a human being or extinguish the self forever (Matt. 10:28).”

The Bible uses the word soul to talk about the way David and Jonathan were close friends, describing how Jonathan cared for David as he would himself: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul”⁴ (1 Samuel 18:1, NKJV).

In many other passages, writers use the word soul to refer to their whole being, even to the deepest part of who they fully are.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139: 14, NKJV).

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” (Psalm 42:11, NKJV).

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope” (Psalm 130:5, NKJV).

“Soul” is such a profound, all-encompassing word because it expresses that we’re more than just bodies walking around, fueled solely by instinct and involuntary processes. Our existence is both tangible and intangible, a combination of the physical bodies God created for us and the breath of life He put into all of us, just like the equation at the beginning.

What does the Bible say about the breath of life?

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Now let’s look more closely at the “breath of life,” the very breath of God that can turn a form made of dirt into a living, conscious human being (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Revelation 11:11).

This has also been called “the spirit” (Job 32:8).

As a matter of fact, “the spirit,” was translated from the original Hebrew word ruach, meaning “breath, wind, spirit,”⁵ and the original Greek word pneuma, meaning, “wind, spirit.”⁶

In this way, the breath of life, or spirit, is not a consciousness or spiritual state of being. It’s what God bestows upon us to give us sustained life.

That means there’s no consciousness, spirit, or ghost floating around after we die.

Instead, after we die, the breath of life leaves our body and goes back to God (Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 12:7).

(That’s likely why some people colloquially refer to death as “resting in Jesus” or that someone has “fallen asleep in Jesus.”)

In death, everything stops. Solomon emphasized this when said that “the dead know nothing” and have no further participation in anything (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, NKJV). They have no further awareness, which is why death is compared to resting or sleeping (John 11:11-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:14).

And while this degree of finality in death is indeed sad, we can remember that God has a time for everything.

For those who have died, it’s as if their existence is on pause until Jesus returns. Then there will be the resurrection, when God will restore the breath of life to His people (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).⁷

And that will be the very moment human beings are able to become immortal (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

What does the Bible say about immortality?

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Let’s keep unpacking what Scripture tells us about immortality.

The words “immortal” or “immortality” show up a few times in the New Testament,⁸ and each of those times either refers to God Himself or the gift of eternal life that we can get through being saved by Jesus Christ.

And it’s important to remember that the perfected, eternal state we are given at the resurrection at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:53-54) is conditional—it depends on our choice.

If we accept Jesus and choose to be with God, the source of all existence, we will receive everlasting life (John 3:16).

But if we reject Jesus’ sacrifice, we are subject to sin and the devil’s influence, which leads ultimately to death and destruction (Ezekiel 18:20; John 3:36).

In other words, that choice forfeits the chance of everlasting life.

There is no way any human, in any form, could live eternally without the “corruptible body” being “changed” at the Second Coming, when we’re “clothed with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53, CSB).

So where does the belief of the immortal soul come from?

There are some passages of Scripture that speak allegorically about the afterlife, such as the parable about “The Rich Man and Lazarus” in Luke 16.

And there are passages that talk about the body being destroyed but not the soul, such as Matthew 10:28.

But in that case, Jesus is making the point that humans might be able to threaten and kill one another, but they cannot affect someone’s eternal fate. A human is powerless against whether you accept Jesus and are saved, or if you don’t. So then, who would you respect more…someone who can affect your eternal fate, or someone who only can hurt you in the present moment? That’s what Jesus was asking.

However, other than those and perhaps a few other passages, much of the idea of a separate, indestructible, immortal soul existence comes from the philosophy of Plato. And Plato did end up greatly influencing several early Christian thinkers, such as St. Augustine of Hippo.⁹ And this idea wasn’t widely talked about until the time of the early church fathers.¹⁰

So as we wrap up, let’s put these ideas together in a solid biblical framework.

How do all these ideas fit together?

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In addressing what our souls are, we’ve talked a lot about life, death, and what happens (and doesn’t happen) afterward. Now let’s tie it all together, starting again from the beginning.

Body and soul are one, and God binds them together

Revisiting the earlier equation,

Body + Breath of Life = Living Soul

That’s how God originally created us, and that’s also the form He wants to restore to us.

Immortality was (and still is) God’s ideal for us

Originally, God did want humanity to live forever. He created Adam and Eve in an idyllic paradise with access to the tree of life.

However, since they were created in the image of God and given freedom of choice, there was also the possibility for them to be tempted to go astray from God. And they did (Genesis 1-3).

But sin changed everything (and introduced death)

Sin entered humanity, damaging their relationship with God and each other. God knew that life like this couldn’t and shouldn’t continue forever, so Adam and Eve were cut off from Eden and the tree of life (Genesis 3:22-24).

Living in sin caused humanity to see what life apart from God is like.

Life with God was joyful, peaceful, and loving.

Life without God led to suffering, fear, shame, hate…it wasn’t life at all, really.

And it ultimately leads to death (Romans 6:23).

The plan of salvation is to save our whole souls

That’s why God had a plan to restore humanity from its fall. He sent His Son, Jesus, who was willing to sacrifice Himself for our sins and show us what love really looks like. And this would restore the relationship between God and humanity (John 14:6; 17:3).

While this plan runs its course, “earthly death” or “temporary death” will still be a reality for us until Jesus returns. But if we accept Him as our Savior, we don’t have to worry about death being permanent.

Just like the apostle Paul says, we can look forward to the “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13, NKJV), knowing that even if anyone has “fallen asleep,” they will be awakened with the “voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, NKJV).

Death can be thought of as “soul sleep”

When the breath of life is removed from people at death, so is their consciousness—there is no awareness or ability to know, think, or do (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 10; Job 14:10-12).

We can think of it as though their life force has gone back to God, who is its source. So it isn’t wandering around separately. In that way, the person who died is truly at rest and at peace.

This also means that those who died are incapable of communicating with or appearing to the living. Instead, their bodies have returned to the ground, waiting for the day Jesus will awaken them at the resurrection (Daniel 12:2).

No one goes to heaven until after the resurrection

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What many call the final judgment happens when Jesus returns at the Second Coming. It’s also at the time of the first resurrection, or the “resurrection of life” (Revelation 20:6; John 5:28-29, CSB).

The “dead in Christ” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), or the believers who have died, will be resurrected and instantly given perfected bodies and minds (1 Corinthians 15:52). And they will be lifted up, along with believers who are alive at the time, to meet Jesus in the sky. Then they will be taken to heaven.

But what about people who refused to follow Jesus?

They will be resurrected in the second resurrection, otherwise known as the “resurrection of condemnation” (John 5: 28-29, CSB). This will take place long after the first resurrection, specifically, after God’s followers have been in heaven for 1,000 years, or the Millennium (Revelation 20:5-10).

Then comes the destruction of Satan and all who sided with him (Revelation 19-20). That’s when this sin-corrupted era of our world is over, and the era of our New Earth begins (Revelation 21).

However, there are some beliefs that place the dead followers of God in heaven, waiting until the Second Coming. And at that time their spiritual forms, or souls, would be reunited with their bodies on earth and then taken back to heaven. And on the flip-side, the souls of unbelievers would be waiting in hell for the same occasion.

But from a big-picture view, that’s a perplexing way to look at things in real time. That means that if hell was an actual place of constant torment, some people have been there suffering centuries longer just because they lived at an earlier time than others.

And, though it may seem comforting to think of our loved ones in heaven, that means they’d be aware of what’s been happening on earth all this time. All while being unable to do anything about it.

Would our loved ones really be happy in heaven while they watch all the pain and heartbreak we go through in this world that only grows in its corruption by sin?

This is why Adventists find comfort in the concept of “soul sleep.” We know that our loved ones are indeed at rest. Free from any knowledge of the passage of time, free from the knowledge of the world’s events, and free from any suffering.

And their next moments of awareness will be when they open their eyes to see Jesus beckoning them toward heaven (Psalm 17:15).

There is no eternal torment

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Because of everything we’ve discussed so far, those who chose not to follow Jesus won’t burn in hell forever because they would have also refused Jesus’ gift of eternal life.¹¹

If they got to experience any kind of “forever,” they would have eternal life.

Instead, the Bible tells us their mortal bodies will burn until there’s nothing left (Psalm 37:10; Malachi 4:1, 3; Revelation 21:8).

This helps us understand why Matthew 10:28 says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (NKJV).

It’s not that the soul and body are separate. The distinction is only made to emphasize the finality of the second death.¹²

Adventist Pastor Tim Crosby, D.Min, explains it like this:

“This text implies the same clear contrast between the first death, which is temporary, and the second, which results in the utter extinction of the soul, that may be seen in Revelation 20 (verses 5 and 14, respectively).”¹³

When the Bible describes their “eternal destruction,” it’s describing how they’ll be eternally destroyed—forever gone. Never to rise again (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

This type of fate makes a lot more sense when you consider God’s character.

We’ve seen and heard throughout Scripture that God is just and merciful (Psalm 89:14; Exodus 34:6-7).

But it wouldn’t be very just or merciful to make someone burn forever due to a choice made with the very free will God bestowed upon humanity.

Why would God be cruel to the children He created with love? We read in the Bible that He doesn’t enjoy seeing anyone suffer, and He doesn’t want anyone to be lost (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9). That’s why He sent His Son, part of His very self, part of the Godhead, to die for us and provide us a chance to be redeemed and restored (John 3:16).

He’s making sure everyone has a chance to choose this gift (2 Peter 3:9).

But how unimaginably difficult it will have to be to watch someone He lovingly created be destroyed because they refused to accept the gift of salvation and restoration He offered to them.

But He has to let free will take its course by letting people experience the consequences of choosing sin—death. And if they burned forever, whether as detached souls or as physical people, He wouldn’t be handing them over to the “wages of sin” (Romans 6:23). If sinful people burned forever, sin would live on through them.

But God is prophesied to destroy sin, along with anyone or anything that clings to it. This must happen so that those who chose can experience what was prophesied and promised: getting to live in a world free from sin (1 Corinthians 15:20-26; 2 Peter 3:13: Revelation 21:3-5).

The hope we find in the Bible’s teachings

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Death can be a painful and scary subject.

A lot of people worry about what will happen to their loved ones when they pass away. And who doesn’t have those moments when we’re awake in the middle of the night…wondering how long we might have left, and how or where we might end up?

But Adventists find that the Bible offers ultimate reassurance.

We can be filled with peace when we remember that those who have died are not suffering. It’s like they’re asleep. Completely unaware of the mess the world is in.

We can be comforted amid our grief when we remember that Jesus will come through on His promise—that we can live with Him for eternity in a restored Eden-like paradise of the New Earth (1 Corinthians 2:8-10; Revelation 21:1-3).

This whole model of life and the plan of salvation is framed by a God who alone is innately immortal and the only one capable of granting immortality.

We can trust Him to use this ability for our good, withholding immortality from anyone or anything that would endanger or extinguish life.

With that in mind, we can look forward to His bright and glorious Second Coming, and the resurrection of life.

Bible Verses about Souls and Immortality:

• The dead are asleep until the resurrection (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6; Psalm 146:4; John 11:11-14)
• The breath of life, or spirit, gives life (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Isaiah 42:5; Psalm 146:4; Genesis 7:22; Job 27:3; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Romans 2:6-8; Acts 7:59-60)
• “Souls” refer to people as whole beings (Acts 2:41; Jeremiah 52:28-30; Ezekiel 18:4; Psalm 89:48; James 5:20)
• Eternal life only comes through acceptance of Jesus (1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; John 11:25-26; Titus 3:5-7)
• Sin removed our connection to God, bringing death into the world (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:12; John 10:10)
• The wicked, along with sin and death, are destroyed for good (Psalm 37:10; Revelation 20:9; Revelation 21:4; 2 Peter 3:13; Matthew 10:28; Malachi 4:1, 3; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26)
• The righteous aren’t resurrected and brought to heaven until Jesus’ second coming (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29;1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 2 Peter 3:3-5, 8-9).
• The wicked don’t experience their consequences until the resurrection of condemnation (Daniel 12:2; 2 Peter 3:7)
• The righteous will be given immortal, incorruptible physical bodies at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:52-55; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Related Articles

1. See also Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19. [↵]
2. “Death, the State of the Dead, and Resurrection,” The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
3. “5315. Nephesh,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
4. Rodríguez,Ángel Manuel, “Meaning of the word “soul” in the Bible,” Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
5. “7307. Ruach,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
6.  “4151. Pneuma,” Strong’s Concordance, Bible Hub. [↵]
7. See also Matthew 27:52, as it will likely be similar to this occurrence. This was a foreshadowing event. [↵]
8. Romans 2:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:53-54; 1 Timothy 6:16; 2 Timothy 2:10. [↵]
9. “Saint Augustine,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [↵ ]
10. Nnaemeka, Onyeukaziri Justin, “The Platonic Influence on Early Christian Anthropology: Its Implication on the Theology of the Resurrection of the Dead,” Philosophia: International Journal of Philosophy, vol. 23, no. 1, (January 2022), p. 54. [↵]
11. Ezekiel 18:20; John 3:36; John 17:3. [↵]
12. Crosby, Tim, “Is the hell of the Bible unending?” Ministry Magazine. [↵]
13. Ibid. [↵]

More Answers

It’s a popular topic, especially during tumultuous times. When everything around you feels chaotic, it’s easy to wonder about the end of the world, and topics like the mark of the beast, as mentioned in Revelation 13, can stir up uneasiness.

And speculating about what this “mark” could be is nothing new. When credit cards and microchips first emerged, some thought the mark of the beast might be one of these new technologies that could possibly identify and categorize us.

But as mysterious as technology can be, the Bible gives us a different understanding of the mark of the beast.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, along with many other Christians, believes that the mark of the beast is not an outward sign—or any kind of microchip or implant—but rather an indication of allegiance. It’s a spiritual designation that shows whom we have chosen to worship and be loyal to.

Those who have the mark of the beast in the last days will have chosen to follow and worship human authority over God.

Wanting to unravel this topic in the Bible? Here, we’ll cover:

• What the mark of the beast is (in contrast to God’s mark)
• What the Bible tells us about 666
• How to identify falsehoods about the mark of the beast
• Why the mark of the beast matters today

Because this is a big topic, we’ll walk you through it step by step, pointing out the pertinent Bible principles and helping you reach your own conclusions. At the end, we’ll also connect you to resources for further study.

Ready?

What is the mark of the beast?

The mark of the beast is an indicator of a person’s choice to follow the beast, which is a religious-political power that will have achieved global authority in the last days. This mark won’t be visible. Instead, it’ll be a conviction of the heart.

We find the reference to this mark in Revelation 13:16:

“He [the beast] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads” (NKJV).

Before we can understand more about the mark itself, though, we need to learn about the beast of the mark.

What is the beast of Revelation 13?

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In Bible prophecy, animals (referred to as “beasts”) are used to symbolize kingdoms and political powers.

This idea becomes especially clear in Daniel, a key prophetic book in the Old Testament. In Daniel 7, the prophet Daniel has a vision of numerous “beasts”:

• A lion with eagle’s wings
• A bear
• A four-headed leopard with four wings
• A “terrible” beast with horns

An angel gave Daniel the interpretations of these beasts:

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings [kingdoms] which arise out of the earth” (Daniel 7:17, 23, NKJV).

Revelation 13:1-2 continues with the same symbol. It mentions a beast “rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion” (NKJV).

This is the same beast that will enforce the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:17). And historically, many Bible scholars have connected it to the antichrist power mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.¹

So what political power does it represent?

Though the Bible doesn’t give us a specific answer, it does give us many clues to help us identify it. Let’s look at those:

It comes from a densely populated area

Revelation 13:1 tells us this political power rises “up out of the sea” (NKJV). Again, Bible prophecy helps us unravel the meaning of this symbol. The sea or waters represent “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15, NKJV).

It would have worldwide rulership and authority

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Revelation 13 describes this beast as having horns and crowns. Horns often represent power and authority (Daniel 7:24; Habakkuk 3:4). And throughout the Bible, crowns indicate rulership.

What’s more, this power would have a global influence, as indicated by the fact that “all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3, NKJV).

But it would be more than just a political and secular power.

It would be a religious power

All through Revelation (but particularly chapters 13 and 14), we find an emphasis on worship—worship of the beast and worship of God. The beast is seeking worship for itself (Revelation 13:4), indicating that it’s also a religious power.

It would blaspheme God

We often think of blasphemy as speaking against God or religious things. But it can be more subtle—someone who blasphemes might seek to take the place of God or claim the prerogatives of God (John 10:33).

That’s the reason that first-century religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy. He had claimed to be able to forgive sins, which is something only God can do (Mark 2:7).

However, Jesus could rightly claim this because He is God. But the religious-political power in Revelation 13 claims authority that doesn’t belong to it.

It would receive its power from another political power

According to Revelation 13:2, the beast gets its “power, his throne, and great authority” from the dragon.

Who is the dragon?

To answer this question, it’s important for us to understand the term in the context of not only Revelation 13 but also the chapter before.

Revelation 12:7-9 tells us that the dragon represents Satan.

From the time that Satan deceived Eve by disguising himself as a serpent (Genesis 3:1-5), Satan has often worked through agents. In Revelation 12 and 13, we see a progression of him working through political powers.

For example, Revelation 12:4 speaks about the dragon seeking to “devour” the child, referring to Jesus who was born a human child, who would later “rule all nations” (verse 5). This reference takes us back to King Herod, a vassal of the Roman Empire, who sought to destroy Jesus soon after His birth (Matthew 2). At that time, Satan was working through the Roman Empire to try to accomplish his purposes.

Verses 5-6 and 13-16 continue the story, showing that the dragon was persecuting God’s followers (represented by a woman²) after the time of Jesus. We know that the Roman Empire persecuted faithful Christians during this time.

Thus, we can conclude that the dragon in Revelation 12—Satan working through a political power—is also in Revelation 13 giving power, a throne, and authority to the beast.

It would rule for 1,260 years

Revelation 13:5 tells us that the beast would rule for 42 months, a period equivalent to 1,260 days. In Bible prophecy, a prophetic day equals a literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34), meaning this number refers to 1,260 years.

In short:

42 prophetic months (with 30 days each per the Jewish calendar) = 1,260 prophetic days = 1,260 literal years

During this period—which occurred during the Middle Ages, a time of great persecution of Christians—the beast had great power (Revelation 12:6; 13:7).

It would lose its power for a time but then regain it

A final characteristic tells us that the beast lost its power by suffering a “deadly wound”; its 1,260-year rule ended. However, this deadly wound will be healed, and the beast will regain its power (Revelation 13:3).

Revelation 13:11-16 says that the beast will regain its power and receive the help of a second beast—another political power—to enforce the mark of the beast.

Now that we understand more about the beast, we need one more piece to the puzzle. Throughout Revelation 13 and 14 (as well as other passages), the Scriptures present the seal of God and worship of God in contrast to the mark of the beast (Revelation 7:1; 13:8). By understanding this seal, we can pick up on some clues about the mark.

What is God’s mark?

God’s mark, known as the seal of God, is an end-time sign of loyalty to worshiping Him and following His law of love.

Revelation 7:1 mentions that in the last days, angels are holding back the winds of strife on earth until God’s followers receive the seal on their foreheads.

Then, Revelation 14:1—which presents the worship of God in contrast to the worship of the beast—speaks of a group of people who have the “Father’s name written on their foreheads” (NKJV).

In the Bible, names are reflective of character. And God’s name especially tells us about His character of love, mercy, and justice (Exodus 34:5-7). This leads us to believe that this is not a literal seal or name on the forehead, but rather the character of God written in the hearts and minds of His followers.

After all, that’s what God wants to do: write His law on our hearts and minds so that it becomes part of who we are (Hebrews 8:10).

Here are some more clues. Revelation 14 shows us that the people who have this seal are those who:

• “Follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (verse 4)
• “Were redeemed” (verse 4)
• “Are without fault before the throne of God” (verse 5)
• “Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (verse 12)

Isaiah 8:16 also speaks about God sealing His law among His disciples. This verse takes us back to Deuteronomy, where God instructed His people to “bind” the commandments of God as a sign on their hands and foreheads (Deuteronomy 11:18). But it wasn’t talking about a literal sign—in the same verse, God tells the people to “lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul” (NKJV).

But note, the Bible refers to two types of seals. One is the seal of salvation. Both 2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:13 talk about being sealed by the Holy Spirit for salvation.

On the other hand, the seal we’re discussing is a seal of the last days. Here’s how Adventist theologian Jiří Moskala, ThD, distinguishes the two:

“The first is a seal of salvation, declaring that a person is saved by Christ and is part of God’s family, with that status remaining so long as the person remains faithful to Christ. The second is a seal of protection that guards the faithful ones during the time of persecution that comes in the apocalyptic period.”³

So, if the seal of God in the last days is about loyalty to Him and His commandments, then the mark of the beast must be the opposite. Let’s explore that in the next section.

Learn about one of God’s beautiful commandments that has often been neglected.

In contrast to God’s mark, what does the mark of the beast mean?

Photo by Oliver Hae on Unsplash

Where the seal of God (God’s mark) is a sign of loyalty to God and His commandments, the mark of the beast is a sign of loyalty to the beast and its ways.

And it all comes down to worship, an emphasis we’ve seen in Revelation 13 and 14. Notice the following passages:

“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4, NKJV)

“All who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, NKJV).

“And he [the second beast] exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12, NKJV).

“Fear God and give glory to Him…worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water” (Revelation 14:7, NKJV).

“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9-10, NKJV).

This mark, then, isn’t a physical one.

But what does it mean to receive the mark on the hand or on the forehead?

Those who receive it on the forehead have made a conscious decision based on their convictions to follow the beast rather than God’s commandments. Their hearts and minds are in it.

Pastor Anthony MacPherson, BA, points out that the mark of the beast, then, is really “anti-law.”⁴ It contradicts God’s law of love—which gives us principles for loving one another and loving God (Matthew 22:38-40).

The hand refers to actions (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Some also will choose to follow the beast simply out of convenience. Their conviction may not be in direct opposition to God, but their lack of conviction in that area shows that they have a stronger conviction for temporal security and comfort. They don’t want to lose economic privileges or their lives (Revelation 13:15-16).

But either way, whether out of conviction or convenience, those who receive the mark of the beast are rejecting God’s ways.

Mark Finley, former vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference and an internationally-known preacher, said it this way in an interview:

“Why is the mark of the beast in the forehead or in the hand? The reason is this. The devil doesn’t care whether he convinces you intellectually to follow the beast or whether he forces or coerces you to follow with the symbol of the hand.”⁵

But this is different from God who “never uses force or coercion. He only uses choice.”⁶ That’s why the seal of God must be on the forehead.

But even after understanding the mark of the beast more, you’re probably still wondering, what’s the deal with 666?

What does 666 mean?

The Adventist Church has had a couple of different interpretations for 666, though the Scriptures don’t give us a clear answer, except for the following: “Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18, NKJV).

Numbers are often symbolic in the Bible.

For example, 7 is the number of perfection, reflecting the seventh day of Creation on which God rested and sanctified the Sabbath. It points to His Ten Commandments, particularly the Sabbath commandment, which encourages us to remember God’s work of Creation.

The number 6, as in the verse above, “is the number of a man” (NKJV).

One possible interpretation is that 666 simply symbolizes humanity and human authority. (Humans, after all, were created on the sixth day of the week.)

It makes sense since the mark of the beast is about following human authority over God’s commandments.

But in the end, even if we don’t fully understand what 666 means—or can’t identify it at this time—the Bible writers still wrote it down for our benefit. When it does happen, we’ll recognize it.

Jesus Himself operated on this principle. When warning His disciples that one of them would betray Him, they didn’t understand. But He knew that they would once it happened:

“Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He” (John 13:19, NKJV).

Similarly, we may not completely understand everything in Bible prophecy—such as 666—but the fulfillment will open our eyes to what it means, and it’ll deepen our trust in Jesus.

How do you identify falsehoods or misconceptions about the mark of the beast?

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The best way to identify and avoid falsehoods about the mark of the beast is to make God’s Word our standard. It starts with sound principles of Bible study, allowing the Bible to explain itself rather than using the news to interpret the Bible.

For example, many people over the years have speculated that the mark of the beast will be:

• The internet
• A credit card
• A microchip
• An injection

But as we’ve looked at Revelation 13 and 14, we’ve seen that the central issue in the end times won’t be any of these. Rather, it’ll be worship.

The mark of the beast will have to do with people’s choices.

Not a physical or literal thing.

What’s more, the mark of the beast isn’t something that can be forced on someone against their will. Rather, everyone will have the opportunity to make a clear decision for or against God.

It’s also not something that someone could receive mistakenly, or without any kind of knowledge of what they were choosing. The whole point is that the mark of the beast or the seal of God represents our true decision.

And when decision time comes, this pressure will eventually split humanity into two groups: those who worship the beast and those who don’t. That means the mark of the beast won’t be some kind of secret operation. It will be open to the whole world.

Thankfully, we don’t have to fear. Revelation 14 reminds us that God’s people will follow Jesus and have His faith. He will sustain them through this time of trial and bring them out on the other side.

The Bible has given us this awareness so that today, we can seek a deeper walk with Jesus and be prepared for that time.

Why does the mark of the beast matter to us today?

The mark of the beast is important to us because it’s an upcoming event in the timeline of Bible prophecy. But even more importantly, it reaches down to our very hearts and who we’ll choose to be loyal to.

Revelation 14 identifies three angels with messages of warning for the world in the end times, and the warning about the mark of the beast is the third of those messages.

The mark of the beast is also part of a greater issue in the Great Controversy between good and evil in our world. Pastor Finley says:

“The real significance of the mark of the beast in Bible prophecy is the larger context of a cosmic struggle in the universe between good and evil, and a battle over the issue of worship. The overarching theme of Revelation is Christ’s triumph over the principalities and powers of hell with a central focus on worshiping the Creator.”⁷

By giving us these warnings, God wants to prepare us so we won’t be caught off guard. He wants us to be aware when a religious-political power takes center stage in our world and begins to promote choices that contradict the law of God.

And even more importantly, God’s ways are all about the heart and character. That’s why we can choose today to seek Him and build the kind of character that’ll remain loyal to Him no matter the cost.

It’s not so much about focusing on the mark itself, as Pastor Finley points out:

“Your understanding of the mark of the beast should give you a passion to reach lost people with the gospel of Christ and with the prophetic, unique message of the three angels to prepare the world for our Lord’s soon return. … If my understanding of prophecy doesn’t make me a more loving, kind, compassionate Christian—then I should reevaluate my understanding.”

It’s about coming to know and love Jesus more deeply each day. And then sharing that with others.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

The heart of the matter

The mark of the beast may have been a cryptic idea to you, but we hope this page has given you a new perspective, that it’s really a matter of the heart—of choosing faithfulness to the Word of God or faithfulness to human ways.

But does it make you wonder whether you’ll make the right choice?

The Bible doesn’t warn us about the mark of the beast because we should be worried about it.

Instead, the warning is there for our awareness—so we don’t have to fear it. But more importantly, the Bible invites us to walk with Jesus Christ and choose His ways today. Then, before the Second Coming, when the worship crisis becomes a reality, it’ll only be natural for us to choose His way again.

Wanting to dig more into this topic and learn how to walk with Jesus?

Related Articles

1.  Liu, Rebekah Yi, “The Background and Meaning of the Image of the Beast in Rev. 13:14, 15” (2016). Dissertations, p. 13; Metzger, Bruce, and Michael Coogan, eds. The Oxford Companion to the Bible, p. 651. [↵]
2. he Bible often uses a woman to represent God’s people (Jeremiah 6:2; the book of Hosea; 2 Corinthians 11:2). [↵]
3. Moskala, Jiří, “God’s Two Seals: The Seal of the Gospel and the Apocalyptic Seal,” Ministry. [↵]
4. MacPherson, Anthony, “When ‘the Mark of the Beast’ Was a Biochip!” Ministry. [↵]
5. Finley, Mark, “The Mark of the Beast,” Adventist Review. [↵]
6. Ibid. [↵]
7. Ibid. [↵]

More Answers

If you’ve spent much time in the Bible books of Leviticus or Numbers, you might’ve noticed the word atonement.

Or perhaps you’ve heard a pastor use the term, too.

Seventh-day Adventists believe that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross is the atonement for the sins of the world. In other words, His sacrifice removes the separation between us and God so we can be in close relationship with Him again.

Our Fundamental Belief about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ affirms this:

“In Christ’s life of perfect obedience to God’s will, His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement may have eternal life.”¹

That atonement goes back to the symbols of the ancient sanctuary system in the Old Testament. Let’s go there to understand this topic better and answer some important questions:

• What is “atonement” in the Bible?
• What does atonement have to do with salvation?

What is “atonement” in the Bible?

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Atonement in the Bible, in essence, is something that removes the effects of sin so that human beings can be reunited in their relationship with God. This concept comes up over and over again with the sacrifices of the Old Testament sanctuary systems.

The idea originates from the Hebrew word kippurim, which literally means “a covering.”²

But the word atonement has Anglo-Saxon origins and is a mashing together of the words at + one + meant to mean “a state of being ‘at one’ or in agreement.” The Greek equivalent katallagē is similar; it means “reconciliation.”³

And reconciliation is the whole point.

Biblical references to atonement have a “predominant sanctuary and sacrificial context.”⁴ God provided the sanctuary system to help His people understand how He would reconcile them to Himself (Exodus 25:8), even though their sins had separated them from Him.

But the Israelites knew that these rituals foreshadowed something greater. They were already aware that the earthly sanctuary pointed to a temple in heaven.⁵ And the sacrifices of lambs and goats were a representation of a greater sacrifice.

The sanctuary system was a symbol of how Jesus, through His sacrifice, would become the atonement for our sins.

Let’s look at how atonement was taught on a daily and yearly basis in ancient Israel. Then, we can see how it still applies to us today.

The daily atonement

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Each day in the ancient Israelite sanctuary, animal sacrifices and the work of the priests made atonement for the people.

Leviticus 5 details the procedure for a sacrifice when an individual sinned:

“And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin” (Leviticus 5:5-6, NKJV).

Roy Gane, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages, points out that this sacrifice removed the sin from the sinner, and that individual was “treated as though the sin had not occurred.”⁶

But what made that possible?

Leviticus 17:11 explains:

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (NKJV).

It was a substitution: The animal died so that the human wouldn’t have to pay the penalty of death.⁷

It’s the same as if you committed a crime that deserved lifetime imprisonment, but then someone offered to take your imprisonment so that you could go free.

Justice is still being satisfied—but someone else is taking your place.

Here’s how the sacrificial system illustrated that:

Since all human beings have a fallen nature, sin was of course a daily struggle. And it required regular sacrifices because of this.

So a person would bring an animal to the sanctuary for the sacrifice. There, they would put their hands on the animal, confess their sins, and then slit the throat of the animal themselves. It was a powerful lesson each time.

This ceremony was driving home the idea that the sin of that individual had a cost—life. Sin ultimately results in death.

As they saw the innocent animal bleeding, they realized just how serious their sin was—that it would ultimately cost the life of the Messiah.

Once the animal had been sacrificed, the priest continued the ceremony. They would take the blood of the animal, carry it into the Holy Place of the sanctuary, and sprinkle it before the veil that led into the Most Holy Place (Leviticus 4:6-7). Or, the priest would roast the sacrifice and eat part of it (Leviticus 10:17).

In either case, the priest was taking the place of the sinner and “carrying” the sin into the sanctuary—whether through sprinkling the blood or by bearing it in his body by eating the sacrifice.

Professor Gane explains that the atonement involved both of these parts: the sacrifice of a victim and the priestly substitution. The priest took upon himself the sins of the people, symbolizing how God bears our sins when He forgives them.⁸

But could the animal sacrifices really take away sin?

No. This whole system was taught to the Israelites as the earliest model of the plan of salvation, which would provide understanding not only to them, but for all those who read about it in Scripture.

So, for the time being, God assigned these ceremonies value. In the end, though, they were “massively inadequate when it came to fulfilling the needs of justice. There was a glaring need for a more valuable kind of victim and for a kind of priest who actually suffered for the culpabilities he would bear on behalf of us.”⁹

Jesus Christ was the perfect one to fill the role of both sacrificial victim and priest.

Before we get there, though, we need to cover one other aspect of the atonement in the sanctuary system.

The yearly atonement

Aside from the daily sacrifices that the priests would make in the Israelite sanctuary, a special sacrifice and set of rituals took place once a year—the tenth day of the seventh month in the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 23:27). On this day, called the Day of Atonement or cleansing of the sanctuary, the high priest would make atonement for the whole camp of Israel (Leviticus 16:30).

Here’s how Leviticus 16:32-34 describes it:

“And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father’s place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year” (NKJV).

What made this day unique was that it was the only day of the year that God allowed the high priest to enter the Most Holy Place (the third and smallest compartment of the sanctuary), which represented the throne room of God.

Like visiting someone of royalty, the Israelites didn’t take this occasion lightly. Everyone in the Israelite camp would confess their sins and prepare for the high priest to go into the very presence of God as their representative.

Let’s walk through the whole ceremony as it’s described in Leviticus 16.

Before performing the ceremony, the high priest would prepare himself and offer a bull to make atonement for himself and his family (verse 6). This would make sure he was ceremonially pure before entering God’s presence.

Then, he would take two goats. One goat was “for the Lord” (verse 9), and one was known as “Azazel” or the scapegoat (verse 10).

The high priest would sacrifice the goat for the Lord and take its blood, sprinkling it in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary over the mercy seat, the cover of the ark of the covenant, which contained the Law of God that had been broken (verse 15).

He would then work his way back out of the sanctuary, sprinkling blood in various locations along the way. The purpose was to “cleanse and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel” (Leviticus 16:19, ESV). In essence, the blood of the goat for the Lord symbolically purified the sanctuary of all the sins of the people that had been brought in throughout the year.

And the final part is recorded in verses 20-22:

“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness” (NKJV).

The sins that had been removed from the sanctuary were placed on the scapegoat, which was sent out into the wilderness to die.

As a result, the whole Israelite camp was clean (Leviticus 16:30).

Like the daily sacrifices, though, this ceremony was ultimately inadequate for fully and completely removing sin from the sanctuary. But it looked forward to the “final and complete removal of sin from God’s universe.”¹⁰

We’ll see next how the New Testament writers help connect these rituals with today’s realities.

What does atonement have to do with salvation?

The atonement has everything to do with salvation! The Israelites performed animal sacrifices to symbolize having their sins covered and their relationship with God mended, but these were by no means capable of taking away sins (Hebrews 10:4). All simply pointed to Jesus’ work of atonement, which is fully sufficient (Hebrews 10:5-10).

Writers of the Old Testament recognized that God wasn’t bloodthirsty for animal sacrifices (Psalm 51:16; Isaiah 1:11 Hosea 6:6). The ceremonies were just a way of impressing on the people the need for a greater atonement. David prayed to God:

“As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them” (Psalm 65:3, NKJV).

Isaiah 53 foretold the coming of a suffering Servant who would take upon Himself the sins of the people (Isaiah 53:4-8).

And the New Testament picks up on sanctuary language, identifying Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, NKJV).

The equivalent of atonement in the New Testament is “reconciliation,” and it’s used in a couple of key verses about Jesus:

“We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:11, NKJV).

 

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18, NKJV).

So, how does Jesus provide atonement for us?

Complete atonement through Jesus Christ

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The atonement that comes through Jesus involves both His sacrificial work and priestly work for us. This follows from the sanctuary teaching that the victim of sacrifice and the priest were symbols of Christ and how He bears our sins.

This point is the focus of the apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews. He showed how the Old Testament sanctuary system was inadequate, but Christ is the greater atoning sacrifice and greater priest needed for the plan of salvation.¹¹

Here’s how Hebrews 9:11-12 puts it:

“When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (ESV).

By His death on the Cross, Jesus was the sacrificial victim, becoming the atonement for our sins. And by His ministry in the sanctuary, He applies His blood just as the priests did, making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).

Professor Gane is emphatic: When it comes to Jesus, “you can’t separate His priesthood from His role as the victim.”¹²

In other words, Jesus’ sacrifice was enough for the forgiveness of the whole world (John 3:16). And His priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary applies that forgiveness to each individual specifically.¹³

And as we saw in the Scriptures, the term atonement is also used to refer to the Day of Atonement, which cleansed all the sins of the Israelite people once a year.

How does Jesus fulfill this aspect?

Before the Second Coming, Jesus will perform a work of judgment in the heavenly sanctuary (throne room of God) that cleanses the records there of all the sins His followers have confessed (Daniel 8:14; 7:9-10). It’s sometimes called the blotting out of sin (Acts 3:19; Revelation 3:5) or the investigative judgment in Adventism.

Hebrews 9:23 talks about this event in the context of the Day of Atonement:

“Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” (ESV).

Once this work of Christ is finished, He will return to earth and take His people to be with Him. Sin will be no more, and we will live in a perfect new earth with Him (Revelation 21).

What can atonement look like for me today?

Today, we don’t have to sacrifice animals for atonement. Christ has provided full atonement for us, which we can receive through accepting Him and His sacrifice for us.

And the beautiful thing is, accepting Jesus’ atonement is life-changing. Gane says:

“The book of Hebrews reveals the transforming effect on those who accept Christ’s…sacrifice.”¹⁴

He goes on to mention Hebrews 9:14, which explains how the blood of Christ “[purifies] our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (ESV).

Adventist pastor Ty Gibson affirms this idea:

“The atonement not only deals with the guilt of sin. The atonement of Christ deals with the dominating power that sin has over us. And according to Romans chapter 6, the atonement of Christ has a way of liberating us from the dominion of sin.”¹⁵

Through the atonement, Jesus frees us from the power sin has had over us through the lies of Satan. We are “set free from sin,” as Romans 6:7 says, and we no longer have to live under condemnation (Romans 8:1).

We don’t have to be in bondage to the lies Satan tells us—that we can’t be forgiven, that we aren’t good enough, etc. And we don’t have to be in bondage to anger, bitterness, hatred, fear, or any other sin.

When we have accepted Jesus’ gift by faith, we can have the assurance that He, as our High Priest, will apply His blood on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary. He will blot out our sins so that someday, we can be fully reunited with Him.

Atonement—all about relationships

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The atonement, symbolized by animal sacrifices in the Old Testament and fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament, is critical to the Christian experience. It’s all about God’s plan to end sin so He can be with us again.

Ultimately, it’s “all about relationships,” in the words of Professor Gane.

God is a relational God, and He created this plan out of deep love for us and a desire for us to heal our relationship with Him.

Because He loves us so much, He’ll never force us to take those steps.

But if we’re willing to accept the gift of the atonement, He wants to transform our lives through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:10).

To understand what this looks like practically,

1. “What Adventists Believe About the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ,” Seventh-day Adventist Church. [↵]
2. Horn, Siegfried, Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, Revised Ed., p. 97.[↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. Cairus, Aecio, “Substitutionary Atonement,” Biblical Research Institute.[↵]
5. Ibid. [↵]
6. Gane, Roy, “Legal Substitution and Experiential Transformation in the Typology of Leviticus,” Symposium on Atonement, Adventist Theological Society. [↵]
7. Ibid. [↵]
8. Ibid. [↵]
9. Ibid. [↵]
10. Horn, p. 97-98. [↵]
11. Gane, “Legal Substitution and Experiential Transformation in the Typology of Leviticus.” [↵]
12. Ibid. [↵]
13. Seventh-day Adventists Believe…, Review and Herald, 1988, p. 315-316. [↵]
14. Gane, “Legal Substitution and Experiential Transformation in the Typology of Leviticus.” [↵]
15. “Ty Gibson – Salvation/Atonement,” YouTube. [↵]

More Answers

No, Adventists definitely don’t believe they’re the only ones that will go to heaven. As a matter of fact, we don’t believe admittance into heaven is ever based on which church or denomination we belong to. People all over the world from different Christian denominations, religions, and walks of life will be welcomed by Jesus Christ.

This is because Scripture is clear that salvation is not dependent on fulfilling a certain list of requirements or being part of a certain club. It’s about knowing Jesus in a personal way (Matthew 7:22-23; John 17:3).

Join us as we answer:

• Is it necessary to be a Seventh-day Adventist to go to heaven?
• Do I have to be part of the remnant to go to heaven?
• What does the Bible say about who will go to heaven?

Is it necessary to be a Seventh-day Adventist to go to heaven?

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Church membership, whether in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Baptist Church, or some other denomination, doesn’t determine whether we end up in heaven. This is because our entry into heaven depends on our relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe in Him and receive from Him the gift of eternal life (Acts 16:31).

The tricky thing is, we as human beings tend to put so much emphasis on being part of a specific group that we forget membership in a certain faith community doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We could be part of a community but lack what matters most—a personal connection with God.

We could believe every doctrine of a specific church and follow the Ten Commandments to the letter but not have faith in Jesus, the Son of God—which is the only way to be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Now, you may be wondering, What about being part of the remnant? You may have heard Adventists talk about this, and you’re wondering how that relates to salvation.

Let’s take a look at that next.

Do I have to be part of the remnant to go to heaven?

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Adventists understand that all throughout history, there has always been a remnant—a group of people who choose to be faithful to God when society pressures them to cave. The remnant is not a group or church we “join” but rather a description of people faithful to Jesus. Revelation 14:12 describes a remnant in the end times who will help to warn the world of its final crisis.

One of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs, or foundational teachings of Seventh-day Adventism, summarizes the subject like this:

“The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy [turning away from the truth of God], a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness.”¹

The remnant in the last days

This concept of the remnant in the last days comes from our belief that at that time, the Great Controversy (the battle between good and evil, God and Satan) will come to a head in a crisis of worship. This crisis will divide everyone on earth into two groups—those who remain faithful to God and those who choose to follow human-made rules.

Bible prophecy represents these two groups as the faithful church of God and the unrighteous church of Babylon.

But note:

Church in the Bible doesn’t mean a building or a denomination. It refers to the body of believers in Christ.

The New Testament describes this church with the symbol of a pure woman, protected by God (Revelation 12:1, 6). Meanwhile, Revelation uses an unfaithful, adulterous woman called Babylon to represent the religious confusion through which Satan leads the world astray (Revelation 17:2-6).

Before Jesus comes, what’s left of the true church of God is called the remnant in the King James Version of the Bible (Revelation 12:17).

According to both Revelation 12:17 and 14:12, these people:

• Keep the commandments of God
• Have the testimony of Jesus

They will be a small group of God’s faithful followers who resist the false teachings of Satan’s counterfeit religion by following God’s law and holding onto the testimony and faith of Jesus.

To be clear, though, these followers don’t keep the commandments to earn salvation. Consistent with the rest of the Word of God (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:24), this passage simply describes what they do as a result of receiving Jesus’ salvation.

Although the Bible is clear that a remnant will have a special role at the end of time, the concept of a remnant is hardly new.

The remnant throughout the Bible

Some of the earliest stories in the Bible talk about small groups of people who remained loyal to God and pointed others to His truth.

One example in the Old Testament is the story of Noah and his family.

They were the only people who remained faithful to God in a wicked world. And they had a mission—to warn the people of the Earth of the impending flood (Genesis 6:5–7).

Similarly, the remnant who live right before Jesus comes will have a special warning known as the three angels’ messages (Revelation 14:6–12, 14). It’s a call for people to come out of religious confusion and glorify God as our Creator. It’s also a warning about false systems of worship.

Seventh-day Adventists seek to be part of this group of people, but they understand that the Bible doesn’t consider this group to be exclusive. All who follow Jesus faithfully will be part of it in the end times.

What does the Bible say about who will go to heaven?

One of the most well-known passages in the Bible emphasizes the truth about salvation that we find throughout its pages—“whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV). Belief in Jesus Christ is the prerequisite for heaven (Romans 10:9–13).

This belief isn’t simply a belief in God’s existence, however (James 2:19). It’s about trusting Him and His power to save us through a personal relationship with Him. That’s why John 17:3 tells us that knowing Jesus Christ is the essence of eternal life.

It’s the kind of faith and love for Him that motivates us to follow Jesus—not out of a need to earn His favor but because we already have His favor. And this faith and love are revealed through obedience (John 14:15).

So, being ready for heaven all comes down to the process of justification and sanctification.

We’re justified (forgiven and cleansed) when we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins (Romans 3:38; 1 John 1:9). That begins the process of sanctification—or growth—as we daily surrender our hearts to God. Neither of these stages is about earning heaven. Rather, they both involve a conscious decision to accept Jesus’ payment for the wages of sin and surrender to following His will.

God wants everyone in heaven

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God offers the gift of eternal life to everyone—regardless of denomination. His greatest desire is for all of us to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4–6), and it pains Him when people choose to turn away from His gift (Ezekiel 33:11).

He sees each of us as individuals. He sees the condition of our hearts and where we’re at on our spiritual journeys. And with that in mind, He guides us to a deeper understanding of truth.

We might not all be in the same place on our journeys.

We might not come to the same conclusions on every topic.

But God sees us for who we are, meets us where we’re at, and promises to help us grow into the people He made us to be.

Want to better understand Seventh-day Adventist beliefs about salvation?

1. “What Adventists Believe About the Remnant in the Bible,” Seventh-day Adventist World Church, https://www.adventist.org/remnant-and-its-mission/. [↵]

More Answers

When Adventists talk about “sanctuary doctrine,” they’re referring to the concept that the heavenly sanctuary reveals the plan of salvation—both in our personal walk with Jesus and in the work Jesus continually does as our intercessor in heaven.

The latter concept, known by Adventists as the Investigative Judgment or Pre-Advent Judgment, emerged from the earnest and diligent Bible study of early Advent believers who came out of the Millerite Movement. In the wake of the Great Disappointment of 1844, these Advent believers were looking for answers regarding Miller’s incorrect interpretation of the prophetic “cleansing of the sanctuary” mentioned in Daniel 8.

In their study, they learned that the services of the Israelites’ sanctuary were more than mere rituals. They pointed to the dual roles Jesus would perform as the lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world and as our High Priest and sole intercessor before God the Father.

Every Christian acknowledges Jesus’ role as the sacrificial lamb. But, as the sanctuary service requires both the sacrifice of the lamb and the intercession of a priest, it’s important we understand Jesus’ identity as our High Priest as well.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes our doctrine on the sanctuary helps shed light on this topic and what it has to do with the Investigative Judgment and the heavenly sanctuary.

Most importantly, it helps us understand the plan Jesus has, not just to forgive our sins but to restore and grow our relationship with Him.

Let’s unpack this doctrine and understand how it came about by delving into:

• What the sanctuary is
• What sanctuary doctrine is and how it developed in Adventism
• Whether sanctuary doctrine is unique to Adventism
• How the sanctuary doctrine is relevant today

But first, here’s a quick review of the sanctuary itself.

What is the sanctuary?

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The original sanctuary, as described in Scripture, is God’s dwelling place in heaven (Exodus 15:17; Hebrews 8:2). It’s there that Jesus Christ intercedes on our behalf before God’s throne, or the fullness of God (Hebrews 7:25; 8:1-2).

Often, though, when we think of the sanctuary, we first think of the earthly structure God told the ancient Israelites to build in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:8). However, this structure was really just patterned after the true sanctuary in heaven (Exodus 25:9; Hebrews 8:5).

Instances of counterparts that point to each other exist throughout Scripture (Romans 5:12-15). They are referred to as a “type” and “antitype,” with the “type” being the counterpart that foreshadows, and the “antitype” being the counterpart that is foreshadowed.¹

In this way, the earthly sanctuary is a type that points toward the antitype of the heavenly sanctuary.

It’s kind of like you and your shadow.

Your shadow isn’t really you, but it resembles you and points toward you. In this example, the shadow would be the type pointing to you, the originator or antitype.

Just like shadows, types are only a faint representation of the antitype. The fullness of the type can only be seen in the antitype. Similarly, our shadows provide a form and outline of what we are and what we look like. But who we truly are and what we truly look like can only be observed by seeing and interacting with us.

In the same way, while the Old Testament sanctuary offered the promise of salvation—which was symbolized through the slaughter of lambs and the intercession of mortal priests—the heavenly sanctuary involves the fulfillment of salvation through the death and intercession of Jesus, our High Priest, the Son of God (Hebrews 10:1-22; Hebrews 9:1-28).

What do these sanctuary models tell us about the plan of salvation?

They both tell us it involves:

1) The forgiveness of our sins: In the Old Testament sanctuary, lambs were sacrificed for the sins of Israel. In paying the wages of sin through the death of an innocent creature, they learned how God’s forgiveness works. This pointed to the way Jesus would die on the Cross and suffer sin’s ultimate consequence instead of us, so that we would have the opportunity to accept forgiveness and salvation (Hebrews 9:7-10, 22-23 ).

 

2) The restoration of our relationship with God: In the earthly sanctuary, the sanctuary process did not end with the sacrifice of the lamb. That’s only where it began. From there, the High Priest would continue to symbolically intercede for sinners by bringing the blood of the animal before God.

 

In the same way, because anything with any sin would not survive the presence of the fullness of God, Jesus goes before God the Father in the heavenly sanctuary to intercede for us. His life as a human and death as a sacrifice uniquely qualify Him to be our High Priest (Hebrews 9:7,12, 24-26; Hebrews 4:14-16). So, as Jesus’ sacrifice forgives our sins, His priestly ministry brings us back into communion with God, allowing us to build a relationship. Meanwhile, He is also sanctifying us, restoring our character to reflect His.²

In the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament, we can read about how Jesus fulfilled His role as the sacrificial lamb.

So when did He start His work as our High Priest?

Because the work of the earthly sanctuary points to the work of the heavenly sanctuary, we can find our answer by looking at the work of high priests in the Old Testament.

A brief overview of the ancient Israelite sanctuary

God directed Moses and the people of Israel to build a sanctuary in the wilderness, which became the basis for Solomon’s magnificent temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5-7). God had a couple of purposes in mind with this object lesson.

First and foremost, He wanted His people to be able to feel close to Him (Exodus 25:8). Sin separates us from God, but the sanctuary symbolizes how He removes that separation to be with us.

Second, He wanted to illustrate the plan of salvation.

The Israelites were spiritually “young” when the sanctuary model was given to them. During their slavery to the Egyptians, they lost a lot of the knowledge and practice of their faith. So even after they were liberated, they were slow to understand how God worked and were hesitant to trust in His care. Many of them doubted and disobeyed God at nearly every opportunity, but He was patient with them. He found ways to teach the Israelites on their level of understanding.

When they lacked trust, He taught them to depend on Him for “manna” to eat (Exodus 16). To emphasize that His law of love is unchanging, He wrote the Ten Commandments in stone (Exodus 20). To help them understand that He is always present, He gave them a physical representation of His presence by a cloud pillar during the day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21-22).

In the same way, God taught the Israelites about the plan of salvation by example—through the services conducted at each section of the sanctuary.

The sanctuary had three different sections to it: the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place.

In the courtyard, there was:

• The Altar of Burnt Offering: This was where the Israelites sacrificed animals to receive forgiveness for sins. This represents how sinners accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins to receive forgiveness.³
• The Laver: This was where priests would cleanse themselves after they had sprinkled the blood of the sacrificed animal. This was done to purify their bodies of sin, a symbolic act that prepared them to enter into the Holy Place. In the plan of salvation, this step represents baptism, as it is also a symbol of washing away the old, sinful life and receiving a new, pure one.⁴

Once the priests finished washing, they would enter the tent of the sanctuary, coming into an outer room known as the Holy Place.

In the Holy Place, there was:

• The Table of Shewbread: This was a table with 12 pieces of bread (symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel) that the priest regularly replaced with fresh loaves. In the plan of salvation, this bread represents God and His word as what truly nourishes us (which is confirmed by Jesus Himself in Matthew 4:4).⁵
• The Lampstand: The priest also tended to this 7-pronged candelabra, keeping it lit at all times. The candles’ light represents the good Jesus can do through us, and the oil used to fuel the flame represents the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to do Christ’s work.⁶
• The Altar of Incense: This is where the priest would burn incense to the Lord to fill the sanctuary with sweet fragrance (Exodus 30:7-8). In the plan of salvation, this represents the way our prayers ascend to God (Revelation 5:8).⁷

All of these symbolize how we can grow closer to God, so the things in the Holy Place symbolically prepared the Old Testament priests to enter God’s presence in the Most Holy Place, which was separated from the Holy Place by a heavy curtain.

It contained only one article of furniture—The Ark of the Covenant, where God’s presence resided (Leviticus 16:1-2). This section of the sanctuary, though, was reserved for the high priest, who only entered there once a year during a feast called the Day of Atonement. On this day, the high priest made a special sacrifice on behalf of all the Israelites.

Why?

All through the year, the priests performed the daily sacrifices that represented Jesus’ sacrifice for us as the Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:6-7; John 1:29). They took the blood of the animal sacrifices, carried it into the Holy Place of the sanctuary, and sprinkled it there (Leviticus 4:35).

The result was a sanctuary full of sin.

It needed to be cleansed, and this was the purpose of the Day of Atonement. Here’s how Leviticus describes it:

“Atonement will be made for you on this day to cleanse you, and you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord…. The priest who is anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his father will make atonement. He will put on the linen garments, the holy garments, and make atonement for the most holy place. He will make atonement for the tent of meeting and the altar and will make atonement for the priests and all the people of the assembly. This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement for the Israelites once a year because of all their sins” (Leviticus 16:30, 32-34, CSB).

The high priest would carry the blood of a special sacrifice into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle the blood there. When he finished the ritual, the sanctuary and God’s people were symbolically clean of all sin.

Adventists believe that this event also points to another crucial event in Bible prophecy—the Investigative Judgment that Jesus performs in heaven as our High Priest before He returns in His Second Coming (more on this later). Like the earthly model, this judgment will result in a complete cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary so that Jesus can return and bring His followers to heaven (1 Timothy 2:3-5).

Let’s take a closer look at how these teachings developed in the Adventist Church.

What is the sanctuary doctrine, and how did it develop in Adventism?

As mentioned, the doctrine of the sanctuary sums up what the Bible tells us about how the earthly sanctuary mirrors the heavenly one within the plan of salvation. It helps us understand the investigative judgment that occurs before Jesus’ Second Coming by examining the prophetic significance of the Day of Atonement and Jesus’ role as High Priest.

This doctrine is foundational to the theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, so much so that it’s one of our fundamental beliefs.⁸

To understand how it all started, let’s take a trip back to 1844—a time when sincere Christians from many different denominations thought Jesus would return on October 22nd.

Millerites and the cleansing of the sanctuary

“Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.”

The sanctuary doctrine has its roots in the aftermath of the Great Disappointment of 1844. The Millerites, followers of William Miller, had concluded Jesus would return on October 22 of that year. Their conclusions came from Daniel 8:14, which says “the sanctuary shall be cleansed” after a prophetic time period (NKJV).

The Millerites, based on popular prophetic interpretations of their time, had assumed that the sanctuary refers to the earth and that it would be cleansed by fire when Jesus returned.⁹

They were bitterly disappointed when He didn’t come.

But some Millerites didn’t lose hope. They instead went back to studying the Bible to find out where they’d gotten it wrong. Two of those people were Hiram Edson and his friend, Owen R. L. Crosier. When they set out to visit some friends one day who needed some encouragement in the faith, Edson suddenly stopped as they walked through a field.

Right there, the Holy Spirit impressed on him an epiphany that the cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8:14 was not about Jesus coming to the earth. Instead, Jesus had entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844.¹⁰

Encouraged by this, Edson, Crosier, and another friend, Dr. F. B. Hahn, devoted even more effort into Bible study about the sanctuary. They confirmed that 1844 was a special date—just not the date of Jesus’ second advent.

It was the end of one thing and the beginning of another.

The key is in the interpretation of the word “sanctuary” used in Daniel 8.

Studying to understand the Great Disappointment

When early Adventists realized that Daniel 8:14 wasn’t referring to Jesus’ return, they decided to study what “the cleansing of the sanctuary” really meant.

As we pointed out, the Millerites had thought “sanctuary” referred to the earth. And by interpreting the sanctuary as the earth, the only logical explanation for that phrase was Jesus’ return. He’d come back, take His followers to heaven, and cleanse the earth with fire.

After the Great Disappointment, though, Edson and Crosier reviewed these verses and others. What they learned changed their thinking. The cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel’s vision refers to the cleansing of the heavenly temple.

Just as the priests in ancient Israel symbolically brought the people’s sins into the sanctuary throughout the year, the heavenly sanctuary contains the record of sins forgiven by Jesus’ death on the Cross (Jeremiah 17:1; Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12).

Here’s how the apostle Paul describes it in the New Testament:

“According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these [animal sacrifices]” (Hebrews 9:22–23, CSB).

Jesus, our great High Priest, opens the records of human history and looks over the life of each person. He looks at their heart’s intent—not just their actions—and judges whether they truly believed and accepted Him.

Dr. Angel Rodriguez, an associate director of the Biblical Research Institute, describes it this way:

“The investigative judgment signifies that human decisions and actions have a cosmic
impact. What we are, think, and do is preserved indelibly in the heavenly records.

 

This, far from being a source of stress and fear, should be the very foundation of joy.

 

What we do, what we become is not lost in the vastness of time and space but is preserved within God’s sanctuary. Every good deed, every prayer, every word of encouragement, every expression of love, is preserved as a witness to the manifold wisdom of God, who is able to transform sinful human beings into new and holy creatures.

 

Of course, sin is also recorded there. Human weaknesses, rebellions, errors, and failures are preserved there. But because Christ is the believer’s advocate, forgiveness is available and is granted to those who approach God through Him. During the investigative judgment, sins will not be counted against those who remained in a covenant relationship with Christ, because they were charged to Him on the cross. Then those sins will be blotted out, to be remembered no more. The Christlike character of the believer will be fixed for eternity.”¹¹

This judgment, what we call the Investigative Judgment, began in 1844. And it’s still continuing today.

We can’t see it or feel it, but in heaven, Jesus is performing this work (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14). And thankfully, this judgment doesn’t have to create fear in our hearts because Jesus is our intercessor whose blood covers our sins (1 John 2:1; Hebrews 10:10-14).

Learn why we believe this judgment began in 1844.

What Adventists did with these discoveries

The sanctuary doctrine was important to Adventists because it helped them understand why Jesus hadn’t returned in 1844, and it expanded their understanding of God’s plan to end sin. It showed them that we are living in the time of judgment before Jesus returns.

When the early Advent believers came to these conclusions, Crosier and another Adventist began publishing their findings. They wanted to inform and encourage other Advent believers who were struggling with what happened at the Great Disappointment.

More early Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates, studied these ideas on their own and came to the same conclusions.

Adventists began to see how the sanctuary pointed to God’s beautiful plan of salvation and connected many teachings in the Bible, such as the crucifixion, Christ’s ministry in the sanctuary, the Second Coming, the judgment, and The Ten Commandments (which are contained inside the ark of the covenant).

But is the Adventist Church the only one that teaches the sanctuary doctrine?

Is the sanctuary doctrine unique to Adventism?

“Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.”

The ancient Israelite sanctuary is familiar to many Christian denominations, though the specific sanctuary doctrine we’ve explained here is unique to Adventism. The doctrine stems from the Bible studies of early Adventists as they earnestly sought to understand the Great Disappointment. As God blessed and guided their study, they began to put the pieces together, and it eventually became one of our fundamental beliefs.

Later, Ellen G. White—a young woman whom Adventists believe had the spiritual gift of prophecy—received insights from God that helped confirm what the Advent believers had found in the Bible.

One of the visions coincided with what Edson and Crosier had discovered: that Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place in 1844.¹² In another vision in 1847, she saw more detail of the sanctuary in heaven.¹³

She wrote about this incredible vision:

“After viewing the glory of the holy, Jesus raised the second veil and I passed into the holy of holies. In the holiest I saw an ark; on the top and sides of it was purest gold. On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub, with its wings spread out over it…. Jesus stood by the ark, and as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the incense to His Father.”¹⁴

This vision put together the pieces of her other visions about the sanctuary. The Holy Spirit worked through her spiritual gift to reassure the Adventists that they had, indeed, come to the right conclusions in their study.

So the sanctuary doctrine was incredibly relevant to Adventists as they sought to unravel the Great Disappointment. But does it have anything to do with us today?

How is the sanctuary doctrine relevant to Christians today?

The sanctuary on earth wasn’t only a lesson book for the ancient Israelites. It still helps us understand God’s plan to save us from sin and shows us what Jesus is doing for us even today.

The sanctuary is entwined with Bible prophecy, showing us that Jesus is in heaven as our intercessor right now, helping us and strengthening us. He’s also doing a special work of cleansing the records of our sin in real time, and then He’ll come back for us at His Second Coming and end sin, evil, and suffering once and for all.

Above all, the sanctuary encourages us that God wants to be with us and is doing everything possible to make that happen—through the sacrifice of Jesus and His work of intercession and judgment.

He is bridging the gap that sin created between us and Him. That way, we can one day live with Him forever in a world of peace and joy.

1. “Antitype,” Bible Gateway. [↵]
2. Hebrews 10:10,14,19-22; John 14:6; Hebrews 2:11. [↵]
3. “What Adventists Believe About Christ’s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary,” General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. [↵]
4. Ibid. [↵]
5. “Shewbread,” Britannica. [↵]
6. “Symbolism Behind the Golden Lampstand of the Wilderness Tabernacle,” LearnReligions. [↵]
7. Psalm 141:1-2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4 [↵]
8. Ibid. [↵]
9. Holbrook, Frank B., Doctrine of the Sanctuary: A Historical Survey, p. 9. [↵]
10. “The Advent Movement Beyond the Great Disappointment,” Lineage. [↵]
11. Rodríguez, Ángel Manuel, “The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing,” Adventist Biblical Research, p.18. [↵]
12. White, Ellen, Early Writings, p. 54-56. [↵]
13. Coon, Roger W., The Great Visions of Ellen G. White, p. 41. [↵]
14. White, Ellen, Early Writings, p. 32. [↵]

More Answers

Adventists believe we are saved by faith, which is the belief and trust we have in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. Jesus, then, enables us to live in harmony with God’s commandments and serve others with love—sometimes referred to as “works.”

How does this understanding match up with what the Bible has to say about the relationship between faith and works?

Join us as we investigate:

• What the Bible says about faith and works
• How Adventists interpret and live out these teachings
• How understanding this subject has shaped Adventist history

We’ve covered faith and works in depth in another article, so let’s take just a moment to review that.

What does the Bible say about faith and works?

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The Bible tells us that we are saved by faith, not by works:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8 –9, NKJV).

Because eternal life is a gift, it can’t be earned by any effort of ours (Romans 11:6; Titus 3:5). According to Isaiah 64:6, even our best efforts to do good are like filthy rags—they lead us to become focused on ourselves and what we can do rather than the greater things God wants to do for us.

As Ephesians 2 mentions above, if we could be saved by our own works, we might become proud of our efforts; and some would have an advantage over others when it comes to salvation.

So, do our works matter then?

Well, good works—rather than earning our salvation—are a product of our salvation. When we choose to follow Jesus, He places His Spirit in us, helping us become more like Him in the way we act. We receive His goodness and love and reveal those qualities to others.

Thus, all the goodness in our lives is simply a result of Jesus shining out through us.

The teachings of Jesus and the early church leaders make this clear—both faith and works are an integral part of the Christian journey:

Jesus taught that true faith will produce good works (John 15:1–8)

Jesus compared Himself to a vine and His followers to branches on the vine. Only branches that are connected to the vine can produce fruit.

Think of it like a lamp plugged into the wall. Without being plugged in—connected to the source of power—it won’t produce any light.

Similarly, only by being connected to Jesus—our power source—will we be able to live out the good works He created us for (Ephesians 2:10).

Paul taught that faith is all you need to be saved (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The writings of the apostle Paul emphasize the importance of faith as the only means of salvation.

Many of his readers were Jewish converts to Christianity who felt themselves superior to others because they followed all the rules and regulations (Romans 3:9–20). He cautioned them against falling back into that legalistic thinking—that their works could make them holy in God’s sight.

James taught that faith is revealed through good works (James 2:17–18)

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The book of James in the Bible focuses on what it means to have genuine faith. He shows that true, living faith is revealed through actions (works).

This idea doesn’t contradict Paul’s teaching about being saved by faith alone, though. James simply contrasts dead faith, that is not followed by works, with living faith, which is followed by works (James 2:14–17).

And the point he’s making isn’t all that different from an important concept in human psychology: We tend to live out our deepest beliefs. Think, for example, of a child who has repeatedly heard the sad words that she isn’t capable or good enough. Chances are, that child will take those words in, carrying them into adulthood and allowing them to influence the decisions she makes. She may struggle with believing she’s worth a healthy relationship or a high position at work.

The outside is simply evidence of what’s already on the inside. And the same goes for the Christian life.

Ultimately, Jesus, Paul, and James had the same message about the relationship between faith and works—faith saves us and changes us from the inside out to be like Christ.

Now that we’ve seen what Scripture has to say, let’s look at how Adventists interpret this crucial subject.

How do Adventists interpret and live out the Bible’s teachings about faith and works?

Adventists believe we are saved only by our faith in Jesus—not by anything we do of our own ability. At the same time, we recognize that Christian growth will result in good works in our lives. They flow naturally from our faith in Jesus and the change that takes place in our lives when we choose to follow Him (1 John 2:5).

This understanding is so central to who we are as Adventists that it’s one of our 28 Fundamental Beliefs. Here’s a snippet from that belief statement:

“In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, Substitute and Example. This saving faith comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God’s grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.”¹

So, how does this play out practically in the life of a Seventh-day Adventist?

We believe faith will influence every aspect of our lives, leading us to:

• Honor God: When someone accepts Jesus, the Holy Spirit places in them a desire to honor God in every area of life (1 Corinthians 10:31). They will have the attitude of a learner, seeking to follow God’s will and learning more and more each day what it means to make decisions that honor Him.
• Keep God’s commandments: Seventh-day Adventists recognize the Ten Commandments as a law of love, giving us simple principles for loving God and loving one another (Matthew 22:37–40). With God’s help, we choose to keep His commandments out of love for Him rather than as a way to earn salvation (John 14:15).
• Reveal the fruit of the Spirit: When Christians receive the Holy Spirit in their lives, they will begin growing the fruit of that Spirit, which are various aspects of a Christ-like character, such as love, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
• Serve others: Jesus’ followers serve and uplift the people around them because of the love God has given them (Galatians 5:13–14; 1 John 4:19). One example of this is the humanitarian aid and outreach of Adventist ministries to people in need throughout the world.
• Tell others about Jesus: Those who have received Jesus’ gift of salvation can’t help but tell others about it (Matthew 28:19–20). Adventists share this burden of spreading the gospel so more people can come to know Christ as their personal Savior.

This understanding of faith and works—and how to live it out—has been integral to Adventists from the beginning of our denomination. Let’s look at how it shaped our history.

How the understanding of faith and works has shaped Adventist history

Seventh-day Adventist Pioneer Preachers Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate

Since its very beginning, the Adventist Church has been dedicated to following Jesus by upholding Bible truth. In fact, our doctrines were the result of earnest prayer and intensive Bible study. The early Adventist leaders came from other Christian denominations, so they held to the foundational belief of salvation by faith through Jesus.
However, with discoveries of other doctrines that weren’t as well known, it was easy to lose sight of this important truth.

This became a major point of emphasis during the church’s General Conference session of 1888.

At this conference session, Adventist leaders A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner preached about the centrality of Jesus to Adventism and attempted to revive the truth about faith and works, which they referred to as “righteousness by faith.”²

Some other Adventist leaders were concerned they were trying to de-emphasize the value of God’s law, but many Adventists understood the message Jones and Waggoner gave. In the end, this refreshing message brought life and revival into the Adventist Church and highlighted the importance of faith in and a relationship with Christ.³

One of righteousness by faith’s biggest supporters was the Adventist pioneer Ellen White, who re-affirmed that only faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can save us.⁴ In her well-known book Steps to Christ, she wrote:

“In like manner you are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise,—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed,—God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it.”⁵

She believed that this kind of faith in Jesus would naturally lead to a Christian character that produces good works:

“We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith…. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law.”⁶

The efforts of Ellen White and other early Adventist leaders reignited the truth of faith and works in the Christian journey—a truth that Adventists still embrace today.

Faith and works are both part of the Christian journey

Faith in Jesus is the first step in an incredible journey with Him. Jesus comes into our lives, forgiving us and redeeming us. But He doesn’t stop there!

He wants to completely transform our lives, breaking us free from sin and selfishness and setting us on a new path with Him. All we have to do is receive the gift, trusting Him and faithfully following where He leads us. As we do, we’ll grow into the people He made us to be.

That’s what being a Christian is all about.

We’re not just believers in Christ, but followers—those who respond to the call of our Savior.

Looking to learn more about what it means to grow in Jesus Christ? Take a look at

1.  “What Adventists Believe About the Experience of Salvation,” Seventh-day Adventist Church. [↵]
2.  “The 1888 General Conference Session,” Lineage. [↵]
3. Ibid. [↵]
4. Douglass, Herbert, Messenger of the Lord, pp. 195–197. [↵]
5. White, Ellen, Steps to Christ, p. 51. [↵]
6. Ibid, p. 61. [↵]

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Seventh-day Adventists believe that any human being who accepts God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus will be given eternal life. But what about the eternal fate of those who choose not to accept Jesus?

Our belief about what “hell” really means might be different than you’d expect. First of all, hell is more of an event than a place. And it’s not synonymous with eternal torment—after all, eternal life is only promised to those who accept Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

Rather, hell refers to the ultimate destruction of sin in what’s described as the “lake of fire” in Revelation 20. And as sin is obliterated, so is anything or anyone that holds onto it.

The topic of hell may not be a fun one to discuss, but we can’t deny its involvement in the great controversy between good and evil (God and Satan) that envelops our world. And the way God deals with those who choose against Him tells us a lot about His character.

So let’s not waste any time! Let’s dig into what the Bible tells us about the concept of hell. You’ll learn:

• What the Bible says about hell  
• Myths about hell
• How long hell’s fire burns 
• The purpose of hell 
• If hell is something to worry about

We’ll start by looking at different Bible verses that describe the concept of hell.

What does the Bible say about hell?

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Bible passages about hell, when understood in their context within the Bible and within the original languages, indicate that hell is a fire that leads to complete destruction and death rather than a fire that burns continually throughout eternity.

The tricky thing about answering this question, however, is that the word “hell” can sometimes represent more than one idea. And that’s mostly due to the word choices of early translators who converted the Bible from ancient text into English.

The most descriptive references to hell in the Bible call it a “lake of fire” (Revelation 19:20; 20:10), and Revelation 20:14 and 21:8 tells us that this lake of fire “is the second death” (CSB), or eternal separation from God, who gives humans the breath of life.

But there are also several other passages that refer to hell, even if the exact word isn’t used. That’s because the English word “hell” was often used as a translation for multiple Greek or Hebrew words. And sometimes its use was literal, sometimes it was symbolic.

As with all Bible verses, it depends on the context of the passage.

First, let’s look at some of these words from the original languages and find out what they meant.

We’ll start with sheol, which means “the abode of the dead,”¹ and hades, which was a term used to refer to “the underground abode of the dead” in Greek mythology.²

There was also the word gehenna, which originally meant “a place or state of misery.”³ It was used in Scripture to refer to places of filth and wickedness where corpses were burnt.⁴

These definitions refer to the location of the dead, not necessarily including anything about punishment or torment.

Additionally, the mention of a location (and the indication that it’s underground) aligns with the literal location of the dead—in underground graves.

The Bible writers likely used these words not to describe a location for hell, but to provide a metaphor for what hell is, or what it brings about—nonexistence, after destruction by consuming fire.

But how can we be sure? What about the Bible verses that talk about hell in relation to the fate of the wicked?

Again, it’s all about context. That’s why it’s best to study not just one verse, but a whole chapter. Or to look at different passages throughout Scripture that address the same issue or idea.

Getting deep into the nitty gritty of Scripture helps us debunk some common myths about hell—especially since many of these perceptions actually come from ideas held by ancient philosophies, or from classic literature such as Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost.

So let’s look at some of these myths more closely.

Myths about hell—debunked

The devil rules hell

There isn’t a place in the Bible that describes hell as a place to be ruled by anyone. And Satan’s banishment from heaven landed him on earth, but not to a specific location (Revelation 12:9).

When it comes to who would have control over the flames of hell, that would have to be God Himself (Matthew 10:28). In fact, hell’s flames are to be “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41, CSB). So Satan probably wouldn’t choose to live in a place that is meant to burn him up.

The idea of hell as Satan’s dwelling place was made popular by literature such as Paradise Lost, in which Milton describes hell as a dark, twisted parody of heaven that has a throne for Satan at the center of it.

There are different “levels” of hell

This idea is not found anywhere in the Bible. Instead, it is found in popular literature, such as the Inferno part of Dante’s Divine Comedy. This work also suggests that different types of sinners receive different punishments, which is not supported by the Bible either.

Hell is underground and is actively burning right now

Photo by Ian Stauffer on Unsplash

Every time the Bible mentions hell, it is referring to a state or event in the future. In Revelation 19 and 20, we read about the lake of fire taking place on the surface of a desolate, wicked earth after Jesus’ second coming and after Satan has been “bound…for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2–6, NKJV).

So after someone dies, they go to “sleep” in the grave (1 Thessalonians 4:14) until Jesus resurrects them—either at the time of His Second Coming, or after the Millennium.

Hell is eternal

This is another belief born from tradition and influenced by Greek culture.⁵ It came from a prominent idea among Greek thought leaders that the human soul is immortal.⁶

It wasn’t a belief held by the followers of Jesus or the early Christian church.

Let’s follow this idea to its logical end: If all souls are immortal, then there must be an afterlife destination opposite of heaven to house the souls of those who didn’t repent and accept Jesus. And if they rejected the Savior who would give them eternal peace and joy, then wherever they go must be filled with eternal suffering and sadness.

But looking at Scripture, immortality is only attributed to God (1 Timothy 6:15–16), and the only people who inherit eternal life are those who accept Jesus (John 3:16; 17:3; 1 John 5:11, 20).

While the effects of hell’s flames are eternal and cannot be reversed, the lives of those encountering the flames are not eternal. They will experience the “second death.” Their punishment isn’t continual, but it is “everlasting”—because it’s final (Matthew 25:46). They will forever cease to exist.

Hell is for people—bad people

Hell’s consuming fire is for sin—which would also include anything that is completely corrupted by it. We’re told in Matthew 25:41 that the lake of fire is “prepared for the devil and his angels” (NKJV). It wasn’t intended for the beloved humans that God created.

However, since freedom of choice was allowed, the possibility exists for a human to choose this fate—by not choosing Jesus and opting to hold onto sin.

Sin is destructive. And anything sinful ultimately leads to pain and dissatisfaction. So a person can’t hold onto one “small” sin and expect to be eternally happy in a new earth that has no place for any sin at all.

Satan’s first sin started “small” too—he started to become prideful in his position as a beautiful and powerful angel (Ezekiel 28:17).

And it’s this pride and selfishness that lie at the foundation of every sin—because they are the opposite of the loving spirit of God’s law (Matthew 22:37–40; 25:31–46).

Love is the very essence of who God is, and those who choose to live apart from that love won’t be happy in God’s presence. Destruction will be the natural consequence of the attitude they’ve chosen to live by.

How long will hell burn?

Since hell is more of an event than an underworld, many people wonder—how long will hell burn? The Bible says that hell will only last as long as it takes to destroy the wicked completely (Malachi 4:1).

Everything must burn completely, because after the earth is destroyed by fire, He will re-create the earth just as it was originally supposed to be (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1).

Annihilationism—forever gone, not forever burning

Photo by Mariana Beltrán on Unsplash

The belief in eternal hell typically cites verses about the wicked being eternally destroyed, such as in 2 Thessalonians and Matthew 25.

“They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength” (2 Thessalonians 1:9, CSB).

 

“Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!’” (Matthew 25:41, CSB).

But this is where it’s especially important to use more parts of the Bible to interpret a single passage. Let’s take a look at other verses that mention the word “eternal.”

Several Bible verses explain the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). God sent “punishment of eternal fire” to destroy these cities eternally (Jude 1:7, CSB).

So, if we’re taking “eternal” to mean that they are burning forever, then Sodom and Gomorrah should be continuing to burn today, right?

If you were to look up the present-day locations of these cities on Google Maps, you’d see that they’re not.

Rather, these cities were destroyed “eternally” in the sense that they were completely destroyed, never to rise again. The same is true for the destruction of the wicked—they’re not burning forever, but they are forever burnt up.

This explains why Malachi 4:3 mentions that the ashes of the wicked will be on the earth after the lost are destroyed.

In fact, numerous Bible verses describe this destruction as something permanent (Psalm 37:20; 68:2). Even the word “destruction” suggests that at some point the wicked will cease to exist (Psalm 10:25; 12:7).

This concept is often called annihilationism. And while not every Christian faith group subscribes to this belief, it can certainly be backed up with Scripture—and it aligns with God’s character, as described throughout the whole Bible.

The results of hell’s destruction are eternal—not the process of destruction.

It’s not uncommon to find people who have rejected Christianity because they’ve been taught that “bad people” will burn in hell forever. They wonder how a loving God could be so cruel as to make people burn for all eternity for the sins they’ve committed in their brief lifetime.

Some even wonder if God takes pleasure in the suffering of the wicked.

What an awful picture of humanity’s Creator.

But we’re told in Scripture that God finds no joy in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; Isaiah 28:21).

However, since the possibility is available for people to choose against what God offers us, He had to allow for an alternative fate. And the “second death” of eternal destruction is ultimately the most natural balance between justice and mercy.

So the purpose of hell is…?

God will use hellfire to destroy sin—evil, malice, hate, apathy, cruelty, contempt, jealousy, pride, fear…

That’s the real goal.

Jesus’ entire purpose for coming to earth was to show that there is indeed an alternative to sin and selfishness, freeing us from its damaging influence (Hebrews 9:26). God seeks only the welfare of His creation, which is why He has to ultimately eliminate sin.

Sin has had free rein over the earth because, well, we were curious about it. We wanted knowledge of both good and evil. And God knew that if this choice didn’t present itself, our allegiance to Him couldn’t be full. Because we would never have had to choose between Him and an alternative.

So now we are living with the capacity to fully witness and experience this alternative choice—but we are not subject to it. God’s mercy, and the plan of salvation, means that our first choice wasn’t a final choice…it was a choice to see. To experience. Not to change our allegiance outright.

And now we can see.

Sin, while it can be made to look appealing, ultimately causes pain. We read about how people began to turn against their loved ones (Genesis 4:8). And how sin even corrupted the earth itself, causing plants to grow thorny and die (Genesis 3:17–18).

And things grew exponentially worse. During Noah’s lifetime, humanity became so corrupt that “every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5, CSB). He saw a need to cleanse the earth of its corruption, so He sent the Flood.

This was His way of purifying the earth to create a new home for His believers—Noah and his family.

In the New Testament, we’re told that God first cleansed the world with a flood and that when He comes again He will cleanse the earth with fire (2 Peter 3: 5-7).

Then, that will be that.

Fire will consume sin and everything with sin still in it (Revelation 20). Then our earth will be created anew (Revelation 21).

Do I need to worry about hell?

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It’s never God’s intention for us to worry about anything (Philippians 4:6–7). He’d rather us give our worries to Him (1 Peter 5:7) so we can move on with the life and purpose He gives each of us.

If we choose Jesus, meaning we also choose compassion, love, empathy, humility, mercy, joy, peace, etc., He assures us that His blood covers us and that we can be reconciled to God (Romans 5:8–10).

Then why is there so much scary language in the Bible about wickedness and destruction and the whole thing about the devil “prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8, CSB)?

Because God has to be straight with us about what sin is, who Satan is, and what hell is. Since we deal with sin and tough choices every day, it’d be pretty messed up if He never truly informed us of sin’s consequences, wouldn’t it?

Don’t you hate it when someone’s trying to tell you something you know is important…but they sugarcoat it and dance around the real truth, just because it might be a little uncomfortable or depressing?

Well, we can thank God for not doing that with us. We are given all kinds of descriptions of what sin is and what it does. And what happens when we allow it to overtake us.

He loves us. So He tells us about hellfire because He doesn’t want that for us. Not because He wants us to be worried or fearful.

Pastor Cody Francis, the Ministerial Director of the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, explains that “instead of God receiving some sort of fiendish vindication from hell, the Bible reveals that the fires of hell are a ‘strange act’ that hurts the heart of God more than we can comprehend. Understanding hell for what it is—the last resort of a loving God who is seeking to restore perfection to the universe—gives us an even greater glimpse of the love of God.”

So even when our sins might seem impossible to overcome, know that Jesus is not content to watch us suffer with a “told you so” attitude. He instead promises to help us reject sin—not just to provide us with eternal life in the new earth, but to free us from harmful decisions in the here and now and to bring us closer to Him.

After all, God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

He didn’t create hell as a way to scare sinners into submission. He wants us to choose Him genuinely—not out of fear or guilt or by coercion.

“Knowing that God does not torture people forever illustrates His character in a deeper way,” says Michael Kusarawana, assistant pastor of the Village Adventist Church in Michigan. “It helps me understand that God does not delight in punishing His people, though He has to because of sin. His judgment is woven with love.”

Our God is merciful and just. And even considering His soon judgment, we know that He does all things for our good (Romans 8:28). We can rejoice, knowing that God longs for us to be freed from a life of sin—and we can find peace in that He is willing to offer us that freedom today, simply by choosing to open ourselves up to Him.

Want to learn more about what happens as we draw closer to the end of sin?

1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sheol [↵]
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hades [↵]
3. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gehenna [↵]
4. “Mark 9:28,” https://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/materials/mark-948/. [↵]
5. Mackay, Danielle, “Ancient Greek Theories of the Human Soul”,  thecollector.com, Accessed Sept. 22, 2022, https://www.thecollector.com/ancient-greek-theories-of-the-human-soul/. [↵]
6. “What Jesus Really Said About Heaven and Hell” https://time.com/5822598/jesus-really-said-heaven-hell/[↵]

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Sola scriptura is a term that originated during the Protestant Reformation. It represents the way many Christians view the Bible and its authority.

While the idea is simple enough, there is so much more to sola scriptura than its basic definition.

In this post, we’ll look at

• What is sola scriptura?
• How sola scriptura was born
• How sola scriptura is emphasized in churches today

Let’s start by digging into what sola scriptura means and what it covers.

What is sola scriptura?

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This Latin phrase literally means “by Scripture alone” or “Scripture only.” It was the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517.

Contrary to the teachings of those days (that whatever “the Church” commanded was on the same level as, or more important than, the Bible), sola scriptura teaches that the Bible is the only infallible source Christians can rely on. Other extra-biblical books, such as the Book of Jasher or the Apocrypha, might be useful for study. But the canonical Bible is the ultimate standard for spiritual matters.

To help this concept be defined, understood, and applied, it was divided into 4 areas:

1. The sufficiency of Scripture. The Bible is a divine book; sola scriptura maintains that it is all we need to build our framework of faith.

 

2. The authority of Scripture. The Bible has the last word on spiritual matters and contains the necessary principles to discern right and wrong.

 

3. The clarity of Scripture. The Bible’s essential teachings, such as Jesus, faith, or judgment of the righteous and wicked, are clear and easily understood. But this doesn’t mean everything in the Bible is easy to understand—it’s still a complex collection of different authors and styles of writing. But as far as the big picture goes, it’s clear what ultimately has happened, what we’re up against, and what we’re aiming for in the future.

 

4. The interpretation of Scripture. When we don’t understand something, we can turn to other verses to help us understand it.¹

Sola scriptura is central to Christians’ beliefs and priorities. If other teachings are held higher than the Bible, we can lose sight of what the gospel is really about.

And this concept has been emphasized throughout Scripture itself.

Jesus confirms sola scriptura in Mark 7:5-13, when He calls out the Pharisees for putting their own traditions on the same level as Scripture.

The apostle Paul, in the New Testament, also warns Timothy in his letters that the church members should look to Scripture only, and avoid false doctrines that go against the Bible (1 Timothy 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:13-17).

In his epistles, Paul continuously tells readers to rely on Scripture only—at that time, the Old Testament—and Jesus’ teachings (1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; Colossians 2:8; Ephesians 2:20).

How sola scriptura was born

Photo by Florian Chefai

The concept of sola scriptura was rediscovered during the Protestant Reformation. This began with Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517.

Previously a monk, Martin Luther became convinced that the Catholic Church, the only Christian church at the time, was corrupt. It had gone far astray from the early church and the Bible.

His 95 Theses was a list of disagreements he had with the way the Church had been doing things, and he felt they conflicted with Scripture. Since he went back to the Bible to find the real answers, this was the basis for the belief of sola scriptura.

The 95 Theses were meant to reform the Church, but they turned out to be the spark that grew into the Protestant Reformation.

Luther spread his newfound beliefs around Germany and Europe. This infuriated the Roman Catholic Church at the time. But as he read the Bible further, he came to believe other common truths most Protestants hold today.

He defended sola scriptura at the famous Diet of Worms in 1521:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures, or by evident reason . . . I am bound by the scriptural evidence adduced by me, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot, I will not recant anything, for it is neither safe nor right to act against one’s conscience. God help me. Amen.²

This speech got him excommunicated from—or kicked out of—the Church.

But the Catholic Church could not squelch the Reformation by excommunicating its leader. The revival had already spread. Other religious leaders like John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli soon joined.

And while Luther was the author of the Reformation, he was not the first to spot discrepancies between what the Church said and what the Bible said.

John Wycliffe, called the “morning star” of the Reformation, lived in the 1300s and was a priest of the Church. He came to a similar conclusion as Luther.³

Wycliffe was not excommunicated, but after he died, the Church had his bones dug up and burned, condemning him as a heretic.⁴

Another earlier reformer and sola scriptura believer was Jan Hus. In the late 1300s, he was a philosophy professor at the University of Prague. Here he was introduced to Wycliffe’s beliefs. He began to study the Bible and came to the same conclusion as Luther would over one hundred years later: the Church was corrupt.⁵

The Church didn’t like that and Hus was tried for heresy and eventually burned at the stake.⁶

Then Luther came along.

With the beginning of the Reformation, people threw off the chains of church tradition that had become tainted by human agenda. They sought to make their own churches, based on the Bible alone, or sola scriptura.

These churches were all called Protestant churches, and many denominations exist today, including Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Seventh-day Adventists.

Sola scriptura in churches today

Most Christian churches still firmly support sola scriptura. While the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church hold the Bible equal with their church traditions and doctrines, most Protestant churches uphold the doctrine of sola scriptura.

Adventists and sola scriptura

The first of the Seventh-day Adventists’ Fundamental Beliefs proclaims sola scriptura: “The Holy Scriptures are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.”⁷

While the writings of Ellen White, a co-founder of the Adventist Church, are quoted or emphasized frequently within Adventism, they are not to be held on level with or above the Bible.

Ellen White herself wrote in the Review and Herald:

“The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed, the sole bond of union; all who bow to this Holy Word will be in harmony.”⁸

And quite often throughout her writings she would say things like, “I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice.”⁹ She was most interested in pointing people back toward the Bible if she noticed some tendency to stray from original Scriptural principles.

There are many excellent books available today that can teach us helpful things about life, spirituality, health, relationships, and more. But any of these books, including those by Ellen White, are tested against the principles of the Bible. Alignment with Scripture is key…because the Bible alone is the authority.

(Adventists don’t have their own Bible, either. They use the canonical Bible like most other Christians.)

Sola scriptura in our own lives

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Claiming sola scriptura means we look to the Bible as the supreme authority. But it doesn’t mean we can’t read any other books, or even that we shouldn’t. It just means that as far as our beliefs and salvation are concerned, the Bible is the standard above anything else.

For example, the Bible doesn’t teach us how to fix a car, start a business, or invent the wheel.

The Bible gives us guiding principles to govern our thoughts and actions as we learn how to invent that gadget or start that business.

You might use a cookbook to teach you how to make a fancy meal, but the Bible teaches you to serve it with grace and a heart for others.

You might read a book on how to start a business, but the Bible outlines the proper attitude of honesty and integrity in your business.

The principle of sola scriptura establishes our belief framework. And that helps us appropriately discern what to do with the information we take in from things we experience. Anything we see, read, watch, hear, or feel can be measured within the framework Scripture gives us.

It helps us ask ourselves, Is this idea in harmony with the Bible’s principles for Christian behavior?

“Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NKJV).

Our human minds build frames of reference for everything. It’s how we learn to make sense of the world around us. And when we use the Bible alone, or sola scriptura, as our ultimate frame of reference, that means we seek to align our lives with the priorities God Himself emphasizes—compassion, love, humility, joy, peace, and mercy (Matthew 5; Galatians 5:22-26).

To learn more about the Bible,

1. Geisler, Norman L. and MacKenzie, Ralph E., “What is Sola Scriptura?” Christian Research Institute, https://www.equip.org/articles/what-is-sola-scriptura/. [↵]
2. Wright, Shawn. “Luther’s Battle for Sola Scriptura,” https://equip.sbts.edu/publications/magazine/magazine-issue/fall-2017-vol-85-no-2/luthers-battle-for-sola-scriptura/. [↵]
3. Kilcrease, Jack, “Reformers Prior to the Reformation,” https://lutheranreformation.org/history/reformers-prior-reformation/. [↵]
4. Ibid. [↵]
5. Ibid. [↵]
6. Ibid. [↵]
7. “Official Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” https://www.adventist.org/beliefs/ [↵]
8. White, Ellen G., Selected Messages, Vol. 1, p. 416. [↵]
9. Ibid., p. 78. [↵]

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