Seventh-day
Adventists Teach That Jesus
is
the Anti-Christ Little Horn Who Defiled the Sanctuary in Heaven
By
Russell Earl Kelly, Ph.D.
September
6, 2021 (end printing)
In their effort to
explain their Seventh-day Adventist Investigative Judgment interpretation of
Daniel 8:14, the most bizarre consequence inadvertently equates the actions of
Jesus Christ as worse than those of the Anti-Christ little horn in 8:9-12.
Seventh-day Adventists
repeated William Miller’s faulty principles of interpretation by disconnecting
Daniel 8:9-12 from 8:14. Re-connecting the context reveals their greatest
error.
HERE’S
HOW THEY DO IT
STEP ONE: Seventh-Day
Adventists teach that pagan Rome (the WHO), the little horn of Daniel 8:9-10
defiled the literal sanctuary on earth by destroying it in A. D. 70 (the HOW)
with its army (the WHAT).
According to the SDA
interpretation of Daniel 8:9-10, the “prince of the host” who was “cast down”
was Jesus Christ” and God’s literal earthly “sanctuary was cast down” by pagan
Rome. Pagan Rome’s destruction of the Temple is called “desolations” in Daniel
9:26.
STEP TWO: Seventh-Day
Adventists very extensively teach that papal Rome (the WHO), the little horn of
Daniel 8:11-12 “cast down” and defiled the heavenly sanctuary (the WHAT) using
its theology and the confessional to replace Christ’s ministry in heaven (the
HOW). This is the most time-consuming portion of SDA evangelists when preaching
on the necessary cleansing of the sanctuary in Daniel 8. According to the SDA
interpretation of Daniel 7:25; 8:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 and Revelation
13:1-9, the little horn of pagan Rome merged into the little horn of papal
Rome. Papal Rome’s defilement of the sanctuary is called the “transgression of
desolation” in Daniel 8:13 and the “overspreading of abominations” in Daniel
9:27. The sanctuary has very definitely been defiled and very definitely
requires cleansing.
VALIDATING
SDA DOCUMENTS
“The little horn of
chapter eight ‘takes away the daily sacrifice and casts down the ‘place of his
sanctuary’ (v11) [papal Rome], but after a period called ‘two thousand and
three hundred days’ (v14), the sanctuary is ‘cleansed” (KJV) or ‘restored to
its rightful state” [by Jesus] (The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, 1960, “little horn,” page 656).
“The two systems [pagan and papal Rome] are mutually exclusive,
since the setting up of the abomination of desolation is accompanied by the
trampling down of the sanctuary (8:13) and by the taking away of the ‘daily’
(11:31; 12:11). This substitute system of worship is abominable, or detestable,
because it stands in implacable opposition to that of the true God. It
desolates the sanctuary by replacing its services with its own. This turn
of events naturally appalls worshipers of the true God. In the symbolic
prophecy of Daniel 8, it is the power represented by the “little horn” that
terminates the worship of the true God in His sanctuary and institutes a false
system of worship in its place (8:9-12). At the end of “two thousand and three
hundred days” the sanctuary was to be cleansed (v 14) by the restoration of the
worship of the true God” (The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary,
1960, “abomination,” p7).
Notice that the “two systems” are pagan and papal Rome. Jesus’
defilement of the literal sanctuary using atoned sins is not mentioned. Notice
also that the “restoration of true worship” appears to be a reference to all
SDA doctrines rather than removing atoned sins from the sanctuary.
THE PIVOTAL TEXT
Dan 8:13 How long
shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of
desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
First, if Daniel 8:13
belongs to 8:9-12, then 8:14 must remain a discussion of the sanctuary which
was defiled by the little horn of 8:9-12 and 8:14 concerns a cleansing of a
sanctuary defiled by the little horn. Second, if 8:13 only belongs to 8:14, then
8:14 is a complete disconnect from 8:9-12 and the sanctuary and cleansing of
8:14 have nothing in common with the little horn of 8:9-12. This is the SDA
application. Third, if 8:13 connects 8:9-12 with 8:14 (as logic dictates) then
8:9-14 is a complete unit and all of it concerns the cleansing of a sanctuary
defiled by the little horn. Fourth, if the defiling of the sanctuary in 8:9-12
has no relevance to the cleansing from defilement in 8:14, the discussion of
8:9-12 has no purpose.
A
FALSE DOCTRINAL FOUNDATION
STEP THREE:
Seventh-day Adventists make exceedingly great proclamation that Jesus Christ is
the wonderful hero who first entered the heavenly Most Holy Place in 1844 to
begin cleaning the heavenly sanctuary.
The SDA
transformation from 8:9-12 to 8:14 is incredible, bizarre and totally
illogical. First, instead of the sanctuary being defiled by pagan and papal
Rome who persecuted believers in 8:9-12, SDAs make an “about face” 180 degree
turn and blame the defilement on the atoned sins of believers in 8:14! See
GC17-422 later.
“WHO brought the
atoned sins of believers into the heavenly sanctuary to defile it?”
This one simple question destroys SDA logic, the Investigative Judgment and the
reason for the existence of Seventh-day Adventism. Since the (SDA) defilement
of 8:14 is literal and has already taken over 170 years to complete, Jesus
Himself MUST be a far worse defiler of the sanctuary than pagan and papal Rome
combined! Like it or not, admit it or not, Seventh-day Adventists inadvertently
teach that Jesus Christ is the WHO, the worst of three defilers of the
sanctuary in Daniel 8:9-14. SDAs teach that Jesus (the WHO) carried
(transferred) atoned sins into the heavenly sanctuary (the WHAT) and defiled it
by sprinkling His blood before the Most Holy Place (the HOW). That is SDA
theology at its very worst. The “transgression of desolation” against the
“sanctuary” in 8:13 must be the context of the question asked in Daniel 8:13
which is answered in 8:14.
Therefore, the
greatest “truth” of Seventh-day Adventism is actually its greatest error. This
error was caused by completely separating Daniel 8:14 from its context. While
most SDAs know WHAT and HOW (SDAs teach) the heavenly sanctuary was defiled,
they have ignored the extremely obvious WHO of Jesus Christ. Jesus is made hero
cleansing the sanctuary, but not villain for defiling it with His same time
sacrificial blood.
THE
EVIDENCE FROM ELLEN G. WHITE
The SDA Bible Commentary, The SDA Bible Dictionary and SDA evangelists
go into great detail describing the
terrible deeds of the pagan and papal Roman little horns who defiled the
sanctuary in Daniel 8:9-12. Next, they even more vigorously hide the fact that
the defiler of Daniel 8:14 must be worse because he literally and physically
defiled heaven itself, the very sanctuary of God. .
The most respected
and deliberately mass-distributed SDA publication is Ellen G. White’s, The Great Controversy. Yet, in 719 pages
their prophetess does not quote or reference Daniel 8:9-13. Although she refers to the papal little horn of Daniel 7:25 four
times, not a word is said about the little horn of Daniel 8:9-13 defiling the
heavenly sanctuary and thus requiring it to be cleansed from the little horn’s
defilement.
I urge all
Seventh-day Adventists to carefully read every word of chapter 23 in The Great Controversy, What is the
sanctuary?, pages 409-422.
GC418: … The blood, representing the forfeited life
of the sinner, whose guilt the victim bore, was carried by the priest into the
holy place, and sprinkled before the veil, behind which was the ark containing
the law that the sinner had transgressed. By this ceremony the sin was,
through the blood, transferred in figure to the sanctuary. … Both
ceremonies alike symbolized the transfer of the sin from the penitent to
the sanctuary.
(1) Sacrificial blood
does NOT represent the “forfeited life of the sinner”; it represents the
substitute life of the sacrifice (Jesus Christ). (2) Sacrificial blood washes
away sins; it does NOT symbolize the transference of SIN “from the penitent to
the sanctuary.” Rather it records the fact that full atonement has been made by
the perfect sinless sacrifice (Jesus Christ).
(3) The phrases
“carried by the priest,” “by this ceremony the sin was through the blood
transferred in figure to the sanctuary” and “transfer of the sin from the penitent
to the sanctuary” should prove SDAs teach that Jesus defiled the heavenly
sanctuary even worse than pagan or papal Rome. And the SDA Jesus qualifies to
be called the Anti-Christ little horn who defiled the sanctuary in heaven which
He has been cleaning since 1844. According to SDAs, Christ blood simultaneously
defiles and cleans.
GC419: Such was the work that went on day by day
throughout the year. The sins of Israel were thus transferred to the
sanctuary, and a special work became necessary for their removal. God
commanded that an atonement be made for each of the sacred apartments. …
(1) If atoned
redeemed forgiven sins of believers defile the sanctuary daily, then the
heavenly sanctuary has been defiled since Adam was forgiven in Genesis 4:21 and
is still being defiled every time a believer is forgiven even today.
(2) The Day of
Atonement ended a year-end final cleansing of confessed residual sins (Lev
23:24-32). Confessed sins were washed away when the blood of the sacrifice was
shed (Lev 4:20).
(3) SDA theology
denies that the Holy Place and the remainder of the sanctuary were also defiled
and required cleansing on the one-day Day of Atonement because Jesus had been
in the Holy Place before 1844 and because it is still defiled by current forgiven
sins (their theory) (Lev 16:20).
(4) The sentence “The
sins of Israel were thus transferred to the sanctuary” proves that SDAs make
Jesus a greater defiler of the heavenly sanctuary than pagan or papal Rome and
a worse Anti-Christ little horn.
GC420: A substitute was accepted in the sinners behalf, but the sin was not canceled by the
blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred
to the sanctuary. … On the Day of Atonement, the high priest, having
taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most holy place with the
blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, directly over the
law to make satisfaction for its claims.
(1) Here Ellen G.
White correctly calls the sacrifice a Substitute; previously she erroneously
said it represented the forfeited life of the sinner.
(2) It is wrong to
teach that the Christ’s blood does not entirely cancel sin; the one price had
been paid at Calvary and a life had been given.
(3) Like the daily
offerings, the Day of Atonement “offering from the congregation” contained the
confessed residual sins of the nation (Lev 23:29). Therefore, if the daily
offerings defiled the sanctuary, so would the yearly.
(4) The sentence “A
means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary” refers to
the “means,” Jesus Christ, via His sinless (yet sin-carrying) blood. E. G. W.
and SDAs dare not say that Jesus is the “means,” the “who” by whom the heavenly
sanctuary was defiled. Such admission would destroy Seventh-day Adventism.
GC421: As anciently the sins of the people were
placed by faith upon the sin offering and through its blood transferred,
in figure, to the earthly sanctuary, so in the new covenant the sins of the
repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred, in fact, to
the heavenly sanctuary.
(1) Again, sin did
not go beyond the door of the tabernacle where the sacrificial victim died.
Only unatoned sins defile. Sacrificial blood “records” that the payment for sin
had been made (Ex 12:13; Jer 17:1; Lev 4:20). (2) The phrase “in the new
covenant the sins of the repentant are by faith placed upon Christ and transferred
in fact to the heavenly sanctuary”
clearly teaches that Jesus is even today (long after 1844), still defiling the
heavenly sanctuary while He is unable as Omniscient God to complete its
cleansing quickly.
(3) Much more than
mere records of sins, E. G. W. makes it absolutely clear the sins ‘in fact’ are
still defiling the heavenly sanctuary. (4) The combined abominations of
desolation by the little horn of pagan and papal Rome do not compare to the
defilement of Jesus Himself. .
GC421: For eighteen centuries this work of
ministration continued in the first apartment of the sanctuary [the
holy place]. The blood of Christ,
pleaded in behalf of penitent believers, secured their pardon and acceptance
with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record.
… there is a work of atonement for the removal of SIN from the sanctuary.
This is the service which began when the 2300 days ended. …
(1) SDAs do not discuss when the first compartment
was cleansed to allow Christ to minister there. If part of the sanctuary was
defiled, all of it was defiled. In Leviticus 16 the Most Holy Place was
cleansed before the Holy Place; SDAs reverse the sequence.
(2) The blood of Christ does not (at the same time)
both “secure pardon” and defile the sanctuary.
(3) Records of sin do not defile.
(4) If the work of atonement was “the removal of sin
from the sanctuary,” Daniel 8:9-13 makes no sense if the sanctuary was not
being cleaned from its defilement by the un-atoned sins of pagan and papal
Rome.
(5) Whether for dedication, re-dedication or Day of
Atonement cleansing, each only lasted one day as Daniel 8:14 teaches – not
“begin to be cleansed” as SDAs teach. Even their “day-for-a-year principle
would only extend to one year --- 1844-1845.
(6) The phrase “there is a work of atonement for the
removal of sin from the sanctuary” credits Jesus with beginning to cleanse the
sanctuary but He is never credited with defiling it.
GC421-422: And as the typical cleansing of the
earthly was accomplished by the removal of the sins by which it had been
polluted, so the actual cleansing of the heavenly is to be accomplished by the
removal, or blotting out, of the sins which are there recorded.
It is utter folly to think that God would allow the
Most Holy Place in the universe to be defiled. The entire Investigative
Judgment doctrine is the result of fatalistic clinging to William Miller’s
false prophecy that Daniel 8:14 pointed to some great event in 1844.
Only unatoned sin
defiles. “Defile” is the same as “casting down” in the context of Daniel
8:9-12. In Exodus 31:14 one who did not keep the Sabbath “defiled” it and was
put to death. In Leviticus 21 priests who touched dead relatives were defiled
and unfit to serve. In Numbers 19:13, 20-21 those who refused to purify
themselves defiled the tabernacle, or sanctuary. In Nehemiah 13:29 those who
marred unbelievers defiled the priesthood. In Revelation 21:27 nothing that
defiles will enter heaven. Run away from any church which teaches that Jesus
has defiled heaven with the atoned sins of believers.
Russell Earl Kelly,
PHD
russkellyphd@yahoo.com
Author of: Exposing Seventh-day Adventism
