5. Sunday Observance, the Mark of the Beast

Dale Ratzlaff, Feature, Truth About Adventist "Truth"

One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind

The flip side of Adventists’ teaching that the Sabbath is the seal of God is their teaching that Sunday observance is, or will become, the mark of the beast. Remembering that the writings of Ellen G. White are “a continuing and authoritative source of truth,” consider the following statement:

The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation… The mark of the beast is the opposite—the observance of the first day of the week. This mark distinguishes those who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority of God.1

On one hand, Adventists want Christians to consider them to be within mainstream Christianity. On the other, SDAs condemn all Sunday-keeping mainstream churches. Many evangelicals, not knowing the real teachings of SDAs, consider them as mainstream Christians or even evangelicals. Their mainstream appearance, however, is only a façade.

The Adventist teaching that the Sabbath is the seal of God and Sunday observance is, or will become, the mark of the beast, while completely unbiblical, is one of the most effective levers Adventist preachers have in their evangelistic tool box. Coupled with other distinctive doctrines such as the SDA church being the remnant church of Bible prophecy, it has tremendous emotional drawing power. Adventist evangelists quote the frightening description of those who receive the mark of the beast.

And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”2

Then, with this large lever of fear, they put the squeeze on those attending their Revelation Seminars and other evangelistic programs. Their appeal goes something like this: “You must come out of Babylon (Roman Catholicism) and leave the daughters of Babylon (the fallen Sunday-keeping Protestant churches) in order to avoid the mark of the beast. If you want to receive the seal of God you must begin keeping the seventh-day Sabbath and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church which is God’s only true, remnant church of Bible prophecy.” Thus, SDA doctrine is often the point of decision rather than faith in Jesus Christ. While SDAs do preach Christ,3 the strong pull of their evangelism is their exclusive, unbiblical doctrines. For those who wish to leave Adventism, these doctrines are like a chain which binds them to the “true church” and makes them fearful even to visit churches that worship on Sunday.

The teaching on the mark of the beast is not some sideline teaching in Adventism, even though it is often left out of their public relations or media advertising. It is central to historic Adventism. The three angels’ messages found in Revelation 14:6-11 are the heart of Adventism. Of these, the third angel’s message, quoted above, dealing with the mark of the beast is mentioned by Ellen White some 754 times. However, the message of the first angel, which is the gospel message, is mentioned by comparison only 121 times.4 The term, “third angel’s message” is so central to the proclamation given by Adventists, it is often used synonymously for the Adventist message.5†

Endnotes

  1. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 117.
  2. Rev. 14:9-11.
  3. It is often Christ plus the distinctive doctrines of Adventism.
  4. According to the Chosen Works DC on the writings of Ellen White.
  5. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, p. 208, 232, 323, 333, 486, 553.

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Dale Ratzlaff
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