Why Nots of Adventism: Prophecy or Fallacy?

Malcolm Salunga Douglas
(Convergence)

Let’s say you were asked to explain why you believe in the Bible; what would you say? Not necessarily what you believe, but why you believe what you believe. Often, within modern Christianity, philosophical ideas and human reasoning try to justify the existence of God. But God seems to have already called us to an initial way and reason for believing the Bible and it must either be prophecy or fallacy (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

Unlike other world religions, Christianity is not just a call to believe, serve, and pray but to act in the world, which means to understand and teach others the message. This means that we must place implicit trust in the words of the Bible because if they are true then we are true, and will forever be secure (Isa. 40:8; 2 Pet. 1:19). It is not simply a call to an emotional encounter but to an intellectually deep-rooted belief that God’s word is sure because history affirms it and no one can deny it.

The question must be asked, “how was every Christians living in the first century able to escape death during the destruction of Jerusalem?” Eusebius, an early church historian remarked that no Christians perished in the siege of Jerusalem—where over 500,000 Jews horrifically died—because they remembered the words of Jesus saying: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance that all things which are written maybe fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-22). Or maybe one can explain the Bible’s ability to predict the exact order of the rise and fall of each empire – Babylon (Dan. 2:38), Medo-Persia (Dan. 2:39; 5:25-31), Greece (Dan. 2:39), Rome (Dan. 2:40); and then the dividing and never uniting of the Roman empire and future Europe (Dan. 2:41-43). So accurate was the Bible’s prediction that a Christian lawyer, Tertullian, exhorted Christians to pray for the continuance of Rome because Rome was to fall soon and once it did, it would be divided into ten parts and then Antichrist would appear (See: Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1, p. 257-8). Interestingly, Tertullian was predicting the fall of Rome 150 years before it happened! He was able to do this not by feeling assurance or looking into a glass ball but by carefully examining the Scriptures. Time would fail me to tell of the converting of King Nebuchadnezzar or how the Bible accurately predicted the exact name of Cyrus, one who reigned in the Persian empire during the time of Daniel, being predicted over 150 years in advance (Isa. 44:28-45:1; Dan. 1:21, 6:28; Dan. 10:1).

Perhaps this is why a former Greek philosopher turned Christian wrote, “There existed, long before this time, certain men more ancient than all who are esteemed philosophers, both righteous and beloved by God, who spoke by the Divine Spirit, and foretold events which take place, and which are now taking place. They are called prophets. These alone both saw and announced the truth to men, neither reverencing nor fearing any man, nor influenced by a desire for glory, but speaking those things alone which they saw and which they heard, being filled by the Holy Spirit. Their writings are still extant, and he who has read them is very much helped in his knowledge of the beginning and end of things” (Justin Marytr, Dialogue with Trypho, vol. 1, p. 198).


People can try to argue it but the word of God still stands sure. The question must be asked, where do you stand? Where do I stand? Are our feet planted on a ground that is made up of philosophical and highly motivated intellectual discussions and reasons? Or is it planted where Christ plans to grow a seed that is rooted in the biblical understanding of prophecy, of the words of truth and life?

Something is arising at an alarming rate among young Adventists. It seems as if there is something that is sweeping through all of Christianity that is probably causing more harm than other people than the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This something is the use of philosophical thinking and reasoning to try to justify the existence of God, something that we are called to beware of (Col. 2:8). But the Bible calls us to preach, teach, and understand the Bible through Christ (Col. 2:8; 1 Cor. 2). It is thus without the intellectual study of prophecy that many Adventists leave the church. Unlike other world religions, Christianity is not just another call to believe and serve but to intellectually believe in the word because of its truthfulness and reliability.

Why not, if this is the way that the Lord has led so many souls in the past, couldn’t it be true for us today? Why not, if Christ planned on this being the case, could we as a people not be living in the last days of earth’s history? Why not, if all the time prophecies of the Bible are complete, why are we not studying daily to gain a deeper experience with Christ today? Why not be planted on something grander, greater than any human can try to philosophize or humanize? Why not grow? Why not?