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Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
holds a unique system of eschatological (or end-times) beliefs. Adventist eschatology, which is based on a
historicist Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying the process or history by which they came about. The term is widely used in philosophy, ant ...
interpretation of prophecy, is characterised principally by the premillennial
Second Coming of Christ The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The ...
. Traditionally, the church has taught that the Second Coming will be preceded by a global crisis with the
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...
as a central issue. At Jesus' return, the righteous will be taken to heaven for one thousand years. After the millennium the unsaved cease to exist as they will be punished by
annihilation In particle physics, annihilation is the process that occurs when a subatomic particle collides with its respective antiparticle to produce other particles, such as an electron colliding with a positron to produce two photons. The total energy a ...
while the saved will live on a recreated Earth for eternity. The foremost sources are the biblical books of Daniel and
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
. Jesus' statements in Matthew 24 for instance, as well as multiple other Bible verses are also used. The classic Adventist commentary on the end-times was Uriah Smith'
''Daniel and the Revelation''
The writings of Ellen G. White have also been highly influential, particularly the last part of her book '' The Great Controversy''. "Prophecy seminars", developed since the mid-20th century, have been a key popular source.


Basis


Fundamental beliefs

The eschatological teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are summarized in the final five of the denomination's 28 fundamental beliefs:Seventh-day Adventist Church. (n.d.). ''Fundamental Beliefs''. Retrieved 24 August 2020, fro
www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental-beliefs/
/ref> :24. Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary :25. Second Coming of Christ :26. Death and Resurrection :27. Millennium and the End of Sin :28. New Earth According to a 1985 survey, 29% of North American Adventist lecturers nominated eschatology as the area of greatest contribution by Adventists to then-current theology. This ranked second only to wholism.


Biblical basis and perspectives

Seventh-day Adventism derives its eschatological teachings in large part from its interpretation of the apocalyptic Bible books of Daniel and
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
, as well as Jesus' end-times sermon found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Mainstream Adventism interprets biblical prophecies using the
historicist Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying the process or history by which they came about. The term is widely used in philosophy, ant ...
method, which utilises the day-year principle; some of the prophecies of Revelation are yet to be fulfilled. A 2004 official statement remarks: Adventists' "sense of identity and calling grows from an understanding of Bible prophecies, especially those concerning the time immediately preceding the return of Jesus."


Hermeneutics

Adventists believe the Christian church is the historical continuation of the Old Testament Israel as God's people, centered around Jesus, and that Old Testament end-time prophecies about Israel will be fulfilled more broadly. (This stands in contrast to
dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a Christian theology, theological framework for Biblical hermeneutics, interpreting the Bible which maintains that history is divided into multiple ages called "dispensations" in which God the Father, God interacts with h ...
, a popular conservative Christian view, which sees a prominent place for the nation of Israel in the end-times). Adventist hermeneutics categorically rejects preterism, futurism and idealism as proper hermeneutical systems of interpretation of Bible prophecy.


Ellen White and SDA pioneers

The writings of Ellen G. White have been highly influential in the formation of Seventh-day Adventist eschatology, particularly the final chapters of her book '' The Great Controversy''. The classic interpretation was Uriah Smith's book, known by its abbreviated title as ''Daniel and the Revelation''. It was affirmed by Ellen White, "and had an unrivaled influence on dventistprophetic teaching." It was based on his earlier works ''Thoughts, Critical and Practical, on the Book of Revelation'' (1867), and ''Thoughts, Critical and Practical, on the Book of Daniel'' (1873). The book was revised several times during Smith's life and afterwards."Uriah Smith". ''Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia'', p1355–1356. Hagerstown, Maryland: Review and Herald, rev edn, 1976. As reproduced on a website The '' Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia'' states, "Although a creative writer, he also borrowed from contemporary and early expositors for his materials, especially in his interpretations of prophecy."


Historicist interpretation of prophecy


Prophecies of Daniel

Adventists teach that
Historicism Historicism is an approach to explaining the existence of phenomena, especially social and cultural practices (including ideas and beliefs), by studying the process or history by which they came about. The term is widely used in philosophy, ant ...
(including the day-year principle) is the correct viewpoint in interpretation, as well as the traditional belief of the almost all Protestant Reformers. Historicism as a method of interpreting prophecy has been challenged by some interpreters.


Image of Daniel 2

The background to Adventist eschatology is found in the
book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and Prophecy, prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish Babylonian captivity, exile in Babylon ...
, which has strong thematic and literary links to
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
. A key passage is the interpretation of king
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar II, also Nebuchadrezzar II, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir", was the second king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from the death of his father Nabopolassar in 605 BC to his own death in 562 BC. Often titled Nebuchadnezzar ...
's vision of a statue in Daniel 2. The sequence of world kingdoms is interpreted by Adventists as representing in turn
Babylonia Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...
, Medo-
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
,
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
(pagan Rome and later papal Rome). The feet of iron and clay in the vision are understood to represent the nations of
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
subsequent to the breakup of the Roman empire. The Seventh-day Adventists follow the Historicist interpretation of the statue. This interpretation is not unique to Adventists and was held by multiple expositors in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since iron and clay are materials that cannot form a durable structure, Adventist scholars interpret this as the multiple short-lived attempts throughout European history to form an empire such as the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleonic France, Nazi Germany, The
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
.


Chapter 7 - The 4 beasts and Judgement

Paraphrase of the prophecy of Daniel 7 by arranging prophecy phrases parallel to given interpretation. ;Survey of prophecy This survey section consists of paraphrases and quotations of the significant texts. During the reign of Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, Daniel experiences a dream or vision. It has been fifty years since the vision of chapter 2.


Comparison of Daniel 2, 7 and 8


Eschatological events

In traditional mainstream Adventist teaching, the end times consists of four distinct episodes: * The Investigative Judgment, beginning in 1844 and ending at the close of probation * The "time of trouble", beginning at the close of probation and ending at the
second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
of
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
* The
millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
* The destruction of sinners and new earth


Events prior to 1844

The
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
was a
world power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power ...
active during the ministry of Jesus. Adventists believe the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 was a partial fulfillment of Jesus' end-times discourse in Matthew 24. The empire continued several centuries into the Christian era, when it was ultimately replaced by the
papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. The papacy is identified with the "man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians, the "
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
" of 1 John and the "little horn" of Daniel chapters 7 and 8. It is believed that the
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
religion grew into a corruption of original, authentic Christianity. Among other things, it is considered to have changed the church's day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. The "1,260 days", "42 months" or "time, times and dividing of time" of apocalyptic prophecy are equated, and are interpreted as 1260 years, based on the day-year principle. This has traditionally been held to be the period AD 538 to 1798, as the era of papal supremacy and oppression as prophesied in Revelation 12:6, 14–16. This period began with the defeat of the
Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...
by the Roman General
Belisarius BelisariusSometimes called Flavia gens#Later use, Flavius Belisarius. The name became a courtesy title by the late 4th century, see (; ; The exact date of his birth is unknown. March 565) was a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under ...
. In Adventist belief, this was the last of three Germanic tribes (including also the
Heruli The Heruli (also Eluri, Eruli, Herules, Herulians) were one of the smaller Germanic peoples of Late Antiquity, known from records in the third to sixth centuries AD. The best recorded group of Heruli established a kingdom north of the Middle Danu ...
and the
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
) to be defeated by Rome (see , and other passages). The period ended with the successes of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
of
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
; specifically, the capture of
Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
by General Louis Alexandre Berthier in 1798, which was a blow to the papacy. This capture of the pope by the French army was understood as the "deadly wound" of . Today a number of Adventist scholars believe the end-points cannot be given precisely, because the history was more of a gradual rise and fall; however the mainstream view does support a period of 1260 years. A minority view by Samuele Bacchiocchi is that the rise to "supremacy" and the "downfall" of the papacy are events spanning a larger time, and cannot be pinned to such points in time. After the end of the 1260 days, and prior to 1844, several significant events took place. In 1755 a massive earthquake hit
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. On May 19, 1780, northeastern America experienced a day of extraordinary darkness followed by a blood-red moon that night. On November 13, 1833, a spectacular
Leonids The Leonids ( ) are a prolific annual meteor shower associated with the comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle, Tempel–Tuttle, and are also known for their spectacular meteor storms that occur about every 33 years. The Leonids get their name from the loca ...
meteor shower occurred. These three events were thought to be a fulfillment of , paving the way for the final events of history.


Three Angels' Messages

During the 1830s and 1840s the Millerite movement proclaimed the soon return of Jesus. Adventists have traditionally interpreted this as the initial proclamation of the three angels' messages.


The Investigative judgment

The investigative judgment commenced in 1844 "at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days". During this time, Jesus Christ is believed to be ministering in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, "blotting out" the sins of all who are found to truly believe in him. Meanwhile, on earth, the
remnant Remnant or remnants may refer to: Religion * Remnant (Bible), a recurring theme in the Bible * Remnant (Seventh-day Adventist belief), the remnant theme in the Seventh-day Adventist Church * ''The Remnant'' (newspaper), a traditional Catholic n ...
church proclaims the " three angels' messages" of Revelation 14; it "announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent." As a result, there is "a work of repentance and reform on earth." The completion of the investigative judgment marks the "close of probation". In Adventist teaching, this is a crucial moment when sinners will no longer be able to repent and be forgiven, because Christ will have ceased his intercessory ministry.


The time of trouble

:''Note: This section describes the traditional view of the church.'' Following the close of probation will be a "time of trouble," a brief but intense period of time immediately preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Adventists believe the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
will return to prominence during the end times, fulfilling the prophecy of the first beast of Revelation 13 (the leopard-like beast from the sea) whose "deadly wound" (i.e. the deposal of the Pope in 1798) will be healed. The
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
, meanwhile, will establish ties with the
Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, in fulfilment of the second beast of Revelation 13 (the lamb-like beast from the earth). Some of the more liberal Adventists do not share these convictions about the Roman Catholic Church, or are more cautious. (J. N. Andrews was the first Adventist to identify America in prophecy, in 1851). Ultimately, the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
churches of America will join the confederation between the beasts, forming the "image to the beast" (). At this time, a conflict will ensue that will "involve the whole world," and in which "the central issue will be obedience to God's law and the observance of the Sabbath." Religious and civil authorities will combine to enact a "Sunday law" which requires all people to observe Sunday as a sacred day. The "Sunday law" is interpreted as the meaning of the " mark of the beast" described in . In contrast to those who choose to obey the "Sunday law," and therefore receive the "mark of the beast," people who observe the
seventh-day Sabbath The seventh-day Sabbath, observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening, is an important part of the beliefs and practices of list of Sabbath-keeping churches, seventh-day churches. These churches emphasize biblical references such as the ancien ...
will receive the "Seal of God" (mentioned in ff.). Sabbath keepers will experience fierce persecution from world governments, which will include economic coercion and ultimately the death penalty. Despite being almost overwhelmed by persecution, the people of God will be delivered by the
second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
of Jesus Christ, when he returns to earth in glory. The "time of trouble" has also been known as the "Time of Jacob's Trouble," described as "a brief period of extreme tribulation" just before the Second Coming, and after the close of probation. It is contemporaneous with the seven last plagues. The term comes from , and is based on the narrative of
Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...
's wrestling with God in , and
Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...
's description of Israel's captivity in Babylonia prior to the predicted liberation in verses 3, 7–9, 11. Recent arguments claim an
allusion Allusion, or alluding, is a figure of speech that makes a reference to someone or something by name (a person, object, location, etc.) without explaining how it relates to the given context, so that the audience must realize the connection in the ...
from Revelation 14:7 in the three angels' messages to Exodus 20:11 in the fourth of the
Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (), or the Decalogue (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , ), are religious and ethical directives, structured as a covenant document, that, according to the Hebrew Bible, were given by YHWH to Moses. The text of the Ten ...
. Thus in the end time, the battle over worship will include the Sabbath.


The Second Coming

Seventh-day Adventists believe the Second Coming of Jesus will be literal, personal, sudden and universally visible. The second coming coincides with the resurrection and translation of the righteous, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. (See fundamental belief number 25.) Adventists reject an
intermediate state Intermediate state may refer to: Science * an intermediate chemical state * Virtual state, a very short-lived, unobservable quantum state * Meissner effect, the expulsion of a magnetic field from a superconductor during its transition to the supe ...
between death and resurrection, and hold that the soul sleeps until the resurrection of the body at Christ's coming. They also reject the doctrine of the pretribulational
rapture The Rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Chr ...
. The
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
holds neither the traditional view of the premillennial nor any of the postmillennial schools of end-time belief. Both of these schools believe that Christ will literally and physically be on the earth at his second coming. In contrast to this, Adventism teaches that the righteous will rise up and meet Christ in the air at His second coming and are taken with Him to Heaven.


The Millennium

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the
Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
, according to Adventist teaching. At the second coming, the righteous dead will be resurrected (the "first resurrection", Revelation 20:5), and both they and the righteous living will be taken to heaven to reign with Christ for 1000 years. The rest of mankind (the wicked, or unrighteous) will be killed at the second coming, leaving the earth devoid of human life. During the millennium,
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
and his angels will occupy the desolate earth; this is how Adventists interpret the "binding" of Satan described in chapter 20 of the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...
. The millennium will be the time when the wicked will be judged. Satan and his angels will be loosed at the end of the millennium when the wicked, or unrighteous are brought back to life to face judgement.


The destruction of sinners and new earth

At the close of the Millennium, Adventists believe that Christ will again return to earth together with the righteous and the "Holy City" (the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:10) to implement His judgment on the wicked. He will then raise the wicked (the "second resurrection"), who will surround the New Jerusalem along with Satan. At this point Satan, his angels, and wicked humanity will suffer
annihilation In particle physics, annihilation is the process that occurs when a subatomic particle collides with its respective antiparticle to produce other particles, such as an electron colliding with a positron to produce two photons. The total energy a ...
in the
Lake of Fire The lake of fire is a concept that appears in both the ancient Egyptian religion, ancient Egyptian and Christianity, Christian religions. In ancient Egypt, it appears as an obstacle on the journey through the underworld which can destroy or refres ...
("the second death", Revelation 20:8). Adventists disagree with the traditional doctrine of hell as a place of conscious eternal punishment. Finally, God will create a new earth where the redeemed will enjoy eternal life free of sin and suffering.


Additional interpretations

Ellen White's book ( The Great Controversy) has been a frequent evangelistic handout. While much of it presents
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
and Adventist church history, the later chapters describe end-time events. Her views expressed in the book represent the mainstream opinion in Adventism. Some alternative views about eschatology have been proposed by individuals and groups in the Adventist church. Critics have written on issues regarding the book The Great Controversy. One critic has stated "There can be little doubt that the Roman church courted much of the antagonism it received." .."incredibly arrogant and contemptuous of democratic principles" in the U.S. "The Roman Catholic Church of those days was a contemptuous and contemptible organization, rightly perceived as a threat to the nation and the world." "But those days are over. The world has changed. The United States has changed. And even the Roman Catholic church has changed, in the second half of our century, having reconciled itself with progress, liberalism and modern civilization. It is no longer the Bible-suppressing, science-resisting, liberty-opposing, Protestant-hating, culture-ignoring, Latin-mumbling, obscurantism-loving ecclesiastical organization of former years, intent on ruling the world from Rome. Vatican Council II transformed all that." However Ellen White stated... Opinions vary in regards to this topic.


Prophetic interpretation of Revelation

Traditionally, Adventists interpret the letters to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3 as fulfilled in consecutive periods of church history. According to mainstream Adventist thought, prophecies usually have only a single fulfillment. For instance Gerhard Hasel argued apocalyptic prophecy has only "one fulfillment for each symbol." "General" or "classical" prophecy may have dual or multiple fulfillments only if Scripture itself points to this, for instance with the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14 / Matthew 1:22–23), and the latter rain (Joel 2 / Acts 2). In contrast, a minority have argued for multiple fulfillments of other prophecies. Some Progressive Adventists advocate multiple diverse possible fulfillments of prophecy, and some try to include
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( 215 BC–November/December 164 BC) was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. Notable events during Antiochus' reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of ...
, the Seleucid king who conquered Israel, as a preliminary fulfillment. Most Adventists disagree with this. The themes of Revelation are heavily grounded in the Old Testament, so Adventist scholarship first looks to this background before attempting interpretation. The context and overall literary structure are important for interpretation. For instance Revelation is not always chronological (e.g. Jesus' death in Revelation 12:10,11 cannot follow 11:15 where He reigns; and Babylon's activities in chapter 17 cannot follow its destruction in chapter 16), but multiple visions are parallel, and progressively illuminate themes. In addition to parallels, there are contrasts such as the Lamb and the beast; and the seal of God and the mark of the beast. Revelation shows a typological connection between ancient Israel's history, and church history.


Cosmic signs

Great cosmic signs have traditionally been interpreted as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and signs of the nearing Second Coming, such as the
1755 Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, All Saints' Day, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In ...
in Portugal, New England's Dark Day of 1780, and a spectacular
meteor shower A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at ext ...
in 1833. This is based on the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12–17) of the "
seven seals The Seven Seals of God from the Bible's Book of Revelation are the seven symbolic seals (, ''sphragida'') that secure the book or scroll that John of Patmos saw in an apocalyptic vision. The opening of the seals of the document occurs in Rev ...
", and Jesus' end-times sermon in Matthew 24:29 and Mark 13:24–25 (see also Luke 21). Adventists had argued the Dark Day was a supernatural sign. Critics claim that it occurred from natural causes due to forest fires. The interpretations are still commonly held by Adventist, although some have challenged the interpretations. Some state there were bigger earthquakes before Lisbon. Still, they remain highly significant events in history. They believe people were led to God, and these are preliminary signs, but not the ultimate cosmic signs bring in the Second Coming.Hans LaRondelle,
Viewpoint: The Application of Cosmic Signs in the Adventist Tradition
. ''Ministry'' 71:9 (September 1998), p25–27
Many believe their occurrence towards the end of papal supremacy (1798) is significant, and that the order of events matches the biblical prediction. Some believe the context of Jesus' end-times sermon indicates the period stretches from the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70) to the seven last plagues prior to the Second Coming. Jon Paulien claims they are signs of the age, not signs of the end; they do instruct us to keep watch. The events are the "day of the Lord" foretold in Old Testament prophecy.


Spiritualism

Ellen White was critical of
spiritualism Spiritualism may refer to: * Spiritual church movement, a group of Spiritualist churches and denominations historically based in the African-American community * Spiritualism (beliefs), a metaphysical belief that the world is made up of at leas ...
(which she believed to be communication with evil spirits). Multiple Adventists see the spreading social acceptance of the belief in evil spirits and their powers such as in witchcraft, the occult, as evidenced in the prominent films, books, and society along with the spread of Spiritual Formation in modern-day churches, and the acceptance of communicating with spirits in modern-day churches in
Montanism Montanism (), known by its adherents as the New Revelation, was an History of Christianity#Early Christianity (c. 31/33–324), early Christian movement of the Christianity in the 2nd century, mid-to-late 2nd century, later referred to by the n ...
style movements which have emerged from the late 19th century as an indication of the fulfillment of the prediction.


World empires

The traditional teaching is that Rome was the last world empire prophesied in Daniel 2 and 7, which divides up into the nations of Europe. On the other hand, one historian claimed several subsequent empires which have been larger, including the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
,
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
and Ottoman empires. Adventists predicted that in WWII,
Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
's forces would not conquer
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, based on Daniel 2:43 which states the toes of the statue nterpreted as the nations of Europewould not remain united.


Ottoman Empire

In 1838, Millerite preacher Josiah Litch had predicted the fall of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
in August 1840, based on Revelation 9. This was regarded as being fulfilled on August 11, 1840, when
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
responded to an ultimatum by European powers, which affirmed the Millerites' beliefs. ote: this occurred during the Millerite movement before the start of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which Litch did not become a member


New World Order

Eschatological expectations have prompted some Adventists to closely observe current
geopolitical Geopolitics () is the study of the effects of Earth's geography on politics and international relations. Geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states: ''de facto'' independen ...
events, in a manner similar to a number of Christian futurists and dispensationalists.
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
pastor A. Jan Marcussen has predicted the imminent rise of a global church-state alliance with the
Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
and U.S. Government as key players, along with other bodies such as the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
and the
International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...
. The resulting New World Order would precipitate the final events of history: the "sealing" of
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...
-keepers, a universal Sunday-law, the seven last plagues and
Armageddon Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
. "Not only does the Bible not predict one world government before the kingdom of God; it denies it. "Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom" (Daniel 2:41). The Bible does however warn of "an alliance between church and state (see Revelation 17:3ff)." "The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause "the earth and them which dwell therein" to worship the papacy—there symbolised by the beast "like unto a leopard." The beast with two horns is also to say "to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast;" and, furthermore, it is to command all, "both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond," to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:11-16. It has been shown that the United States is the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns, and that this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgement of her supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. "I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Verse 3. The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the papacy in 1798. After this, says the prophet, "his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Paul states plainly that the "man of sin" will continue until the second advent. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8. To the very close of time he will carry forward the work of deception. And the revelator declares, also referring to the papacy: "All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life." Revelation 13:8. The papacy will receive homage in the honour paid to the Sunday institution, that rests solely upon the authority of the Roman Church."


Antichrist

For the mainstream view, se
''Day of the Dragon''
by Clifford Goldstein.
Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbat ...
s teach that the office of the papacy is the Antichrist, a belief so widely held by Protestants that it became known as the "Protestant view" of prophetic interpretation. In 1798, the French General Berthier exiled the Pope and took away all his authority, which was later restored in 1929. This is taken as a fulfillment of the prophecy that the Beast of Revelation would receive a deadly wound but that the wound would be healed. Adventists have attributed the wounding and resurgence in to the papacy, referring to General Louis Berthier's capture of
Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...
in 1798 and the pope's subsequent death in 1799. A minority view by Samuele Bacchiocchi has suggested expanding the Antichrist concept to include also
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
. However the majority Adventist view today disagrees and holds to the traditional Adventist view of the papacy as the Antichrist.


Roman Catholicism

Modern "mainstream" Adventist literature continues to express the traditional Adventist teaching that Roman Catholicism, in coalition with other churches, will perpetrate religious oppression during a final end-time crisis, and that the
Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...
will be a key issue.


666: Vicarius Filii Dei

Revelation 13: VERSE 18. “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." Some Adventists have interpreted the number of the beast, 666, as corresponding to the title Vicarius Filii Dei of the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. In 1866, Uriah Smith became the first to propose this interpretation to the
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
.'' Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary'', 223 See '' Review and Herald'
28:196, November 20, 1866
In ''The United States in the Light of Prophecy'', he wrote, :''The pope wears upon his pontifical crown in jeweled letters, this title: "''Vicarius Filii Dei''," "Viceregent of the Son of God;" the numerical value of which title is just six hundred and sixty-six The most plausible supposition we have ever seen on this point is that here we find the number in question. It is the number of the beast, the papacy; it is the number of his name, for he adopts it as his distinctive title; it is the number of a man, for he who bears it is the "man of sin."'' Prominent Adventist scholar J. N. Andrews also adopted this view. Uriah Smith maintained his interpretation in the various editions of ''Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation'', which was influential in the church. The '' Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary'' states, "Whether the inscription Vicarius Filii Dei appears on the tiara or the mitre is really beside the point. The title is admittedly applied to the pope, and that is sufficient for the purposes of prophecy. Various documents from the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
contain wording such as "Adorandi Dei Filii Vicarius, et Procurator quibus numen aeternum summam Ecclesiae sanctae dedit", which translates as is "As the worshipful Son of God's Vicar and Caretaker, to whom the eternal divine will has given the highest rank of the holy Church". Samuele Bacchiocchi an Adventist scholar, and only Adventist to be awarded a gold medal by
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...
for the distinction of ''
summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'' (
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
for "with highest praise"). has documented the pope using such a title. The '' Adult Sabbath School Lesson'' for April–June 2002, principally authored by Ángel Rodríguez, cast doubt on the early interpretation, instead advocating a symbolic interpretation of "intensified rebellion, six used three times, and total independence from God". see ''Adult Sabbath School Lesson'' for April–June 2002. See lesson 10 (June 1–7),
The Dragon Versus the Remnant Part 2
; particularly the studies for Thursday and Friday. The quarterly topic was "Great Apocalyptic Prophecies".


Sunday law

Traditionally, Adventists teach that right at the end times the message of the Ten Commandments and in particular the keeping of the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as Sabbath will be conveyed to the whole world and there will be a reaction from those who hold to Sunday as the day of worship. Adventists have taught that a persecuting " Sunday law" will be enacted at some stage in the future, as part of the final events of earth's history before Jesus returns, as stated in significant publications such as '' Questions on Doctrine'' (1957), ''Seventh-day Adventists Believe…'' (1988), and Ellen White's classic '' The Great Controversy''. Jon Paulien has argued for a parallel between Revelation 14 and the fourth of the Ten Commandments (the Sabbath), in Exodus 20. He hence argues the Bible features Sabbath in the end-times. Some progressive Adventists, including a few scholars, disagree with specific traditional views about the "time of trouble.".


Armageddon

Adventists believe in a future final battle prior to Jesus' return. This battle is termed "Armageddon" in Revelation 16:16, a term which occurs only once in the Bible. It derives from the
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
for "Mountain of Megiddo", and occurs only in Revelation 16:16 in the Bible. Modern Adventist scholarship believes it refers not to a physical battle in the Middle East, but is a metaphor for a spiritual battle. There is no mountain called "Megiddo", but the city Megiddo, now ruined, lies in the
Jezreel Valley The Jezreel Valley (from the ), or Marj Ibn Amir (), also known as the Valley of Megiddo, is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. It is bordered to the north by the highlands o ...
, at the foot of
Mount Carmel Mount Carmel (; ), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias (; ), is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. A number of towns are situat ...
which was the site of
Elijah Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
's conflict with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Based in this imagery, Armageddon is understood as a worldwide 'spiritual' battle – a battle for the mind. Paulien believes it is not literal fire, and not literally on Carmel, but likely false prophets and false Christs performing miracles in the world (Matthew 24:24). The
Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
river is equated with the "many waters" the prostitutes sits on, which the Bible identifies as peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. Thus the drying of the river is the removal of the political powers supporting Babylon. (Earlier, Uriah Smith viewed the drying of the
Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
river (Revelation 16:12) as the shrinking of
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, the nation occupying most of the river; however today this is
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. He saw Armageddon as a literal battle at Megiddo in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
due to its strategic military location, and the three unclean spirits as spiritism.)


Sources


Prophecy Seminars

A "prophecy seminar" is a common form of outreach used by Adventist ministers, in which Bible prophecies such as those in the books of Daniel and Revelation are presented. In 1969 George Knowles developed a small group seminar. He joined '' It Is Written'', and together with George Vandeman prepared a day-long seminar, which developed into the ''It Is Written Revelation Seminar'' by 1975. Soon others ran their own seminars. A resource center founded in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
in 1980 was named Seminars Unlimited in 1986, and by the 1990s was distributing evangelistic materials to Adventists worldwide. Some currently used seminars are: * ''Prophecy Seminar''. USA: Seminars Unlimited, 1989. 32 studies * ''Revelation Seminar''. Review and Herald / Revelation Seminars (by Seminars Unlimited of Keene,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
), 1983. 24 studies * ''Focus on Prophecy''. Voice of Prophecy, 2000. 21 studies, consisting of ''Focus on Daniel'' (studies 1–7) and ''Focus on Revelation'' (studies 8–20); number 21 is a summary, ''The Prophecies of Daniel and Revelation'' * ''Daniel''. Ringwood, Victoria: Australian Union Conference Resource Centre, 2004. 16 studies The seminar ''Revelation: Hope, Meaning, Purpose'' was written primarily by Jon Paulien and Graeme Bradford, and "published under the guidance of the Biblical Research Committee of the South Pacific Division .. in 2010. It consists of 24 sessions, available as printed booklets and also on 12 DVDs.


Daniel and Revelation Committee Series

The Daniel and Revelation Committee Series (DARCOM) is one of the foremost Adventist sources, and consists of the following volumes: * Vol. 1 ''Selected Studies on Prophetic Interpretation'' by William H. Shea
publisher's page
* Vol. 2 ''Symposium on Daniel'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook
publisher's page
) * Vol. 3 ''70 Weeks, Leviticus, and the Nature of Prophecy'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook * Vol. 4 ''Issues in the Book of Hebrews'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook * Vol. 5 ''Doctrine of the Sanctuary'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook * Vol. 6 ''Symposium on Revelation-Book I'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook * Vol. 7 ''Symposium on Revelation-Book II'', edited by Frank B. Holbrook


Evangelists

Adventist evangelists such as Mark Finley, Doug Batchelor, Dwight Nelson, John Carter, John Bradshaw, an
Joey Suarez
form a major popular face of the church, through their ministries at a local level and/or their appearances in public and on Adventist television networks such as 3ABN, It Is Written, and the Hope Channel. 3ABN founder Danny Shelton is comparable.See Danny Shelton and Shelley J. Quinn, ''The Antichrist Agenda: Ten Commandments Twice Removed''. Review and Herald, 2005;


Comparison to other Christian views

The
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sa ...
fits into the premillennial school of end-time belief, although it is taught that the millennial reign of Christ takes place in heaven instead of on Earth. There are several unique aspects of the denomination's teaching, such as the investigative judgment and the idea of a "Sunday law", which are shared by no other Christian denomination. Seventh-day Adventism's eschatological teaching may be contrasted with: * Dispensational Premillennialism, which teaches that a
rapture The Rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Chr ...
of Christians will occur prior to a
Great Tribulation In Christian eschatology, the Great Tribulation () is a period mentioned by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse as a sign that would occur in the time of the end. At , "the Great Tribulation" () is used to indicate the period spoken of by Jesus. us ...
of seven years' duration; this will be followed by a millennial reign of Christ on earth. Dispensational premillennialism is held by a number of evangelicals in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. * Postmillennialism, which teaches that the
second coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
of Christ will occur after the millennium. Postmillennialism has declined in popularity in the twentieth century. *
Amillennialism Amillennialism or amillenarism is a chillegorism, chillegoristic Christian eschatology, eschatological position in Christianity which holds that there will be no Millennialism, millennial reign of the Messianic Age, righteous on Earth. This view ...
, which teaches that the millennium of Revelation 20 is symbolic of the present age (between the first and second comings of Christ), when Christ rules his church from his seat at the right hand of God. Amillennialism is the view essentially held by the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, as well as by a number of conservative and liberal
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
churches and by the
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
,
Oriental Orthodox The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysitism, Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 50 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches adhere to the Nicene Christian ...
and the
Assyrian Church of the East The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE), sometimes called the Church of the East and officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Christianity, Eastern Syriac Christianity, Syriac Christian denomin ...
.


See also

* Biblical Research Institute *
Christian eschatology Christian eschatology is a minor branch of study within Christian theology which deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. The word eschatology derives from two Greek roots meaning "last ...
* Daniel's ''70 Weeks'' prophecy *
William Miller (preacher) William Miller (February 15, 1782 – December 20, 1849) was an American clergyman who is credited with beginning the mid-19th-century North American religious movement known as Millerism. After his proclamation of the Second Coming did not occ ...
*
Millerites The Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller, who in 1831 first shared publicly his belief that the Second Advent of Jesus Christ would occur in roughly the year 1843–1844. Coming during the Second Great Awakening, ...
* Pre-advent judgment * Prophecy in the Seventh-day Adventist Church *
Seventh-day Adventist theology The theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church resembles early Protestant Christianity, combining elements from Lutheran, Wesleyan-Arminian, and Anabaptist branches of Protestantism. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is "one of the fastest-grow ...
* Teachings of Ellen White (End times) * The Pillars of Adventism


Footnotes


References

* * *


Further reading

* Roy Allan Anderson, ''Unfolding Daniel'' and ''Unfolding Revelation''; reprinted as the single volume ''Unveiling Daniel and Revelation''. Pacific Press, 2006; * Reinder Bruinsma, ''Seventh-day Adventist Attitudes Toward Roman Catholicism 1844–1965'', Berrien Springs, Michigan, 1994; * Jacques B. Doukhan, ''Secrets of Daniel''. Review and Herald, 2000; . ''Daniel: Vision of the End''. Andrews University Press
publisher's page
. ''Secrets of Revelation''. Review and Herald, 2002; * Desmond Ford, ''Crisis: A Commentary on the Book of Revelation'' Volumes 1–3, 1982. Daniel commentaries: ''Daniel'', 1978;
Daniel and The Coming King
', 1996; ''In the Heart of Daniel: An Exposition of Daniel 9:24–27'', 2007; and others * Le Roy Froom,
The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers
' (4 volumes), the classic in-depth study * Clifford Goldstein, ''Day of the Dragon''. Pacific Press; * Norman Gulley, ''Satan's Trojan Horse: God's End-Time Victory''. Review and Herald, 2004; * Hans LaRondelle. ''How to Understand the End-Time Prophecies of the Bible'' (Sarasota, Florida: First Impressions, 1997) * Ministerial Association:
Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary
(chapter 23),

(chapter 24),

(chapter 25),

(chapter 26) and " ttp://www.sdanet.org/atissue/books/27/27-27.htm The New Earth (chapter 27) in See the "Prophecy" entry on p390 of th

* V. Norskov Olsen, ed., ''The Advent Hope in Scripture and History''. Review and Herald, 1987 * Jon Paulien's books, articles and
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
posts. Paulien has been considered the leading Adventist scholar on Revelation. For example, ''The Deep Things of God: An Insider's Guide to the Book of Revelation''
publisher's page
. ''Seven Keys: Unlocking the Secrets of Revelation''. Pacific Press, 2009; * Gerhard Pfandl, ''Daniel: The Seer of Babylon''. Review and Herald * Ron du Preez, ed., ''Prophetic Principles''. Review and Herald, 2008; * G. Edward Reid, ''Sunday's Coming''. Fulton, MD: Omega (distributed by Review and Herald), 1994. Rev edn Review and Herald, 2005; . A popular, and conservative perspective * William H. Shea. ''Daniel''
publisher's page
* Uriah Smith, ''Daniel and the Revelation''
reprint
, the classic work on eschatology amongst the Adventist pioneers * Ranko Stefanovic,''Revelation of Jesus Christ''

). Andrews University Press * Zdravko Stefanovic, ''Daniel: Wisdom to the Wise''
publisher's page
* Ellen G. White, ''The Great Controversy''. (See also the compilation: White, ''Last Day Events''. Pacific Press, 2001; ) * Russell Earl Kelly, Exposing Seventh-day Adventism, 0-595-36342-3 ww.tithing-russkelly.com/sdaSee also
Prophecy
" books from AdventistBookCenter.com


External links



from the Biblical Research Institute * ''Ministry'' 73:6/7 (June–July 2000)
special issue

Current Issues in Eschatology
– 2007 Adventist Theological Society Symposium
Traditional Interpretation on Daniel 2

Traditional Understanding Of The Mark Of The Beast for Adventists
*
Traditional Interpretation Of The United States In Bible Prophecy For Adventists

"Eschatology"
an
"End"
articles as cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI) {{DEFAULTSORT:Seventh-Day Adventist Eschatology
Eschatology Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...
Christian eschatology History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church