THE 1844 INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT DOCTRINE: COMMENTS AND COMMENTARIES—PART 11
Ervin Taylor, Series Editor

“The Gospel, 1844, and Judgment” is the topic of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Third Quarter Adult Bible Study Guide, published by the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The study guide states that one purpose of this series of lessons is to “establish the biblical basis for the 1844 judgment [doctrine].” This doctrine teaches that a pre-Advent judgment—the investigative judgment—was begun by God in 1844.

The Adventist Today web site, www.atoday.org is hosting a series of varied and contrasting commentaries and discussions designed to illuminate the nature of the arguments supporting and opposing the only unique doctrinal position taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Some Adventist scholars and pastors understand and teach that this doctrine constitutes the central core of Adventism. Other Adventist scholars and pastors believe that this doctrine, as traditionally taught, has no unambiguous biblical support. And still others view this doctrine as fundamentally flawed

To clarify questions raised by some readers, Adventist Today wishes to state that the opinions and points of view expressed in the materials presented in ATNewsbreak are those of the individual authors and may or may not be shared by any member of the Adventist Today board or editorial staff. The purpose of ATNewsbreak is to advance one of the goals of Adventist Today which is to promote a sense of connection among people who treasure both their Adventist heritage and the continuing quest for “present truth” by fostering creative conversations about how to preserve and promote the best of Adventism.

Another source of constructive commentaries on these lessons can be found at the web site of the PROBE comments from the School of Theology at Walla Walla College edited by Dr. Alden Thompson. They can be found at www.wwc.edu/probe. Other interesting commentaries and blogs on this topic can be found at the Spectrum web site, www.spectrummagazine.org. The web site, www.ATomorrow.com also contains some interesting comments on this topic.

Excerpts from Week 11 Comments and Commentaries
Title: The Sanctuary and the Little Horn

Comments on Lesson Eleven: The Sanctuary and the Little Horn Desmond Ford

The first four passages mentioned in the Quarterly are helpful in illuminating the nature of the continual emblems of worship connected with the sanctuary. The key Hebrew word used in such passages as Ex 29:42 is variously translated as “continual.” “regular.” “daily” etc and it carries the basic idea of perpetuity. Thus it is the equivalent of “everlasting” found in Revelation 14:6, descriptive of Christ’s gospel.

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The Sanctuary Doctrine – Asset or Liability? Part 11 Raymond F. Cottrell

11. Obscurantism and the Sanctuary Doctrine

Webster defines obscurantism as "depreciation of or positive opposition to enlightenment or the spread of knowledge, esp. a policy…of deliberately making something obscure or withholding knowledge from the general public." Here, the word "obscurantism" is used in the specific sense of making presumably authoritative decisions and/or statements with respect to the sanctuary doctrine on the basis of untested, preconceived opinions and/or without first weighing all of the available evidence on the basis of sound, recognized principles of exegesis and basing conclusions exclusively on the weight of all the evidence.

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1844: Embattled Yet Enduring Kevin D. Paulsen

Adventist Today Comment: GreatControversy.org granted Adventist Today permission to reprint this article in our email newsletter and post on our web site. The article was originally posted at www.greatcontroversy.org/gco/rar/pau-1844.php on August 12, 2006. A comment by Desmond Ford follows this article.

It was a conflict destined to divide conferences, campuses, and congregations. And it is with us yet today.

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Comments on “1844: Embattled Yet Enduring” Desmond Ford

Kevin D. Paulsen has given an excellent title to his article: “1844: Embattled Yet Enduring”. This truly sets out the present state of affairs.

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Comments from Readers

Adventist Today Comment: We have received a number of comments, both supporting and disagreeing with earlier postings. Adventist Today will attempt to post at various times throughout the quarter as many of these comments as possible, subject to editing for length and appropriate language. The date of receipt of a reader comment and the posting may be from one to five weeks apart.

Gabriel in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Dear Editor:
 
In reading Desmond Ford's article "Comments on Lesson Six, Daniel 9," he says that Gabriel came and strengthened Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and used Luke 1:26 for his reference. 

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God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Dear Fellow True Believer:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law.

I need some advice from you, regarding some elements of God's laws and how to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

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Quotations submitted by a reader from Brisbane Australia.

Reform in An Institutional Church?

“The words are not alive. They are not at the service of living minds, but in slavery to a fixed unalterable pattern…Any suggestion of questioning…or a humble searching after truth not yet possessed is carefully avoided. Above all, there is never an admission of past error or a frank avowal that presents statements contradict past teaching…teaching with specious claims to continuity with illustrious predecessors.

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Receipt and Web Site Posting Schedule

The dates for the receipt of comments and commentaries and posting target dates on the Adventist Today web site for the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study for July-August-September 2006, “The Gospel, 1844, and Judgment”

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