christian study

Stephen Bohr says Adam didn’t keep first Sabbath!

Pastor Stephen Bohr (Secrets Unsealed) is usually firm for the truth, altho I have never cared for his long-winded style and for refusing to condemn sins such as abortion in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. So it is with great surprise that I read today where he says:

Now we are ready to answer fully
the question of why God did not
command Adam and Eve to cease
on the seventh day of creation week:
First, as previously indicated,
Adam and Eve could not
cease from work on the seventh day
because they had not worked the first
six. How could they cease from work
if they had not worked?

I blinked, not believing my eyes. Surely he was leading up to an important point that Adam really did keep the first Sabbath, but then he doubled down by saying:

Third, Jesus could not have told
Adam and Eve to keep
the Sabbath of creation week holy
because He did not make it holy
until He had finished resting the
entire seventh day.

Huh?

Then:

Adam and Eve could not
follow God’s example of
Sabbath observance until He had
first given the example. In other
words, Jesus did not merely tell
Adam and Eve to keep it holy but
rather showed them how to keep it!

This is preposterous. Saying that Adam and Eve “Could not follow God’s example of of Sabbath observance” is tantamount to saying that Adam and Eve broke the very first Sabbath. Like what were they doing, Pr. Bohr? Were they wandering around all over the place doing their own pleasure while Jesus was resting?

Pr. Bohr came out with this article Reflections on a Sabbath debate in which he tries to refute the points made by Steve Gregg in his debate about the Sabbath with Doug Batchelor. But by saying that Adam did not keep the first Sabbath, he has basically shot down his position that the Sabbath is for all humans everywhere from the beginning to the end of this earth’s history.

Stephen Bohr, please don’t barge into debates where your input causes more harm to God’s cause than help.

Ted Wilson is not my Brother in Christ

It’s been on my mind for some time now – how am I to relate to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, seeing as how it openly supports killing baby Jesus in the womb.

1987 years ago, the human leader of God’s “church” supported the death of Jesus. Now, in 2018, the human leader of God’s church supports the death of Jesus.

Many people say I overstate the facts of the case, but this can be verified by reading our “Official Guidelines on Abortion”, adopted in 1992:
Adventist’s Official Guidelines on Abortion

Recently, a self-professed “missionary” doing volunteer translation work etc. in some S.E. Asian country told me how he really supported the church’s stance on abortion. I told him that I cannot consider him my Brother in Christ, if he openly supports killing Christ! That seems pretty straight-forward – that anyone who supports killing Jesus, is definitely not following Jesus.

However, telling him that reminded me of my dilemma in how to deal with Ted Wilson, who is the President of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. I’ve sent him 2 letters, asking him to repent for supporting this heinous sin, and both times was referred to the above-mentioned guidelines, which say that it is the woman’s choice. Here is a video where I show how our SDA church is involved in abortion, and give the details about my correspondence with Ted Wilson:
my video on the Adventist church and abortion

So I’ve come to the point where, to be honest with myself and God, I must declare that Ted Wilson is no longer my Brother in Christ. Just as I don’t believe Caiaphas was a “Brother in Christ” to Jesus himself, I don’t recognize Mr. Wilson, or anyone who supports killing Jesus, as my Brother in Christ either.

While I’m still a Seventh-day Adventist, and still believe this is the only church loved of God, I also recognize it is in a terrible Laodicean state, and WILL be spued out if we do not repent.

I call on all those who love Jesus and are SDAs, to consider what their position should be, and to sigh and cry for all the abominations done in Jerusalem. They are the ONLY ones who will ever get the seal of the living God in the forehead.

Desire of Ages doesn’t do away with the Passover

Today, someone quoted Desire of Ages, by Ellen White, to try and show that the Passover is forever abolished, and we must not keep the Feasts of the Lord anymore. That is a serious charge, and contrary to not only Jesus’ example of keeping the Passover himself, but also against the Apostles, who kept the feasts, and the early Christian church, who also kept the feasts, and even contrary to many other places in Ellen White’s writings where she says we will be judged by the Statutes etc. This is my rebuttal:

The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. DA652

We have to remember that the Passover has NOT passed away forever, per:

―And He said unto them, “with desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15, 16)

That is irrefutable evidence that we will observe Passover in heaven!

At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the company passing on to Troas to await him there. The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostle’s converts, and during the eight days of the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them.AA 390, 391

Paul was faithful to keep the feasts.

Acts 20:6 ― And we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and came unto Troas in five days; where we abode seven days

“Obviously, according to the Scriptures and Ellen White, the last thing the Philippians enjoyed with Paul was the honor of keeping the feast with him. What is even more interesting is the statement he made in his letter addressed back to them after he left.”

Philippians 4:9 ―Those things, which we have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you

“What they saw him do they were to keep doing, and the last thing they saw him do was to keep the feasts. So how can we justify Ellen White in her Desire of Ages statement? We must understand that the rituals and ordinances of the Passover sacrifice were often referred to as ―the Passover.”

So after examining the evidence, we find that Desire of Ages does not contradict Christ, Paul, nor herself, as is often implied, and instead, is telling us that Christ – our Passover Lamb, had been slain, so the national festival of the Jews where they were to slay the Passover Lamb was forever abolished.

Adventist Review attacks Trump, but quietly changes article

The following was my comment to an Adventist Review article titled:
The Moral Challenge of Forcing Apart Migrant Families
Adventist Review The Moral Challenge of Forcing Apart Migrant Families

Quoting the article:
“you already know about the Trump administration policy of separating children from apprehended migrant families.”

I commented:

“One problem with that statement – It started under President Obama!!!

It is sad to see our church following Progressive politics more and more.”

The above comment got removed.

But AR DID change their article to:
“ you already know about the U.S. administration policy of separating children from apprehended migrant families. ”

Hypocrites!

It’s really sad to see the flagship paper for God’s remnant church go down the dark road of social justice religious oppression.

8 reasons why SDAs should not believe in the doctrine of “unconditional love”

The following is something I wrote to a fellow Seventh-day Adventist believer, who believes in the unscriptural doctrine of “Unconditional Love”. Since there are many fellow SDAs who believe in this doctrine, I wrote this kind of as a challenge to bring forth your inspired evidence for why you believe as you do.
———–
Here are some reasons I don’t believe in the doctrine of “Unconditional Love”. If I am wrong in any of these, please let me know. If you can show that I’m wrong in all of these, I will naturally repent and believe in “Unconditional Love”. If most of these stay true, then you will need to repent, and quit believing in “Unconditional Love”.
1. UL teaches that the Father loves Satan exactly the same as he loves his only begotten Son.
2. UL teaches that when inspired words say God “hates” some people, it doesn’t mean “hates”.
3. UL teaches that when inspired words say God doesn’t love some some people, it means something else.
4. UL teaches that when inspired words say some human went beyond the bounds of God’s love, it doesn’t mean that they went beyond the bounds of God’s love.
5. UL teaches that large parts of the Bible have really no understandable meaning in the places where it says Jesus “loved” somebody, because he loves everybody exactly the same.
6. UL teaches that we need to love Satan exactly like we love Jesus.
7. UL teaches that ultimately, everyone will go to heaven.
8. UL teaches that God doesn’t have understandable attributes, and eventually, leads to the idea that God is not a person at all – but just some kind of “cosmic consciousness”.
———–
May the Holy Spirit guide you in your studies of God’s holy words.

Mark Howard correct on human and divine nature of Christ

Mark Howard is a SDA pastor who is head of the Emmanuel Institute of Evangelism. Today I listened to his 2 sermons on the Human Nature of Christ, and can wholeheartedly recommend them.

I’ve written on the human/divine nature of Christ several times on this blog, and have often lamented the fact that very few of us SDAs understand this issue properly. I admit I was spoiled as a child by being taken to Robert Brinsmead meetings when he was still straight in his theology, and as an elementary school kid grasped the fact that Jesus was 100% divine, and 100% human, that he wasn’t born with propensities to sin like we are, and this his temptations were much stronger than anything we will ever be called on to face.

But very few fellow SDAs believe that way. Most of the Liberals don’t believe that overcoming sin is possible in this life, so whatever position they hold on anything is basically pointless. Sadly, fellow Conservatives in the church run the gamut from saying we are all born sinless (because Jesus was), to saying that Jesus was born a sinner (because we are). Neither of those positions is true – because – Jesus was not exactly like all of us born humans in everything! Jesus was born in the moral position of Adam, not needing a Saviour. He was born that “sinless” thing.

Many people quote Hebrews 2:17 ” Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren… “. Of course. Notice however, it doesn’t say that he was made in all things like fallen brethren. That’s why there is no contradiction with 1Corinthians 15:45-47 ” And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ”

Jesus was the second Adam (see Testimony for the Church no.14 p.37), whose physical body was degenerated by 4,000 years of sin. But while all of us humans who have ever been born (except Jesus), have been born in sin, needing a Saviour to cleanse us from our sins. Jesus did not need that.

Some say this is a tempest in a teapot, but as Mark Howard rightly quotes from the SOP, Christ’s humanity is everything to us. Wrong theology here can lead to people like David Gates saying it is theoretically possible to earn your way to heaven (!!), and Kevin Paulson saying it is possible to go to heaven without ever needing the cleansing blood of Christ (if we never choose to sin). These positions are basically blasphemy.

Many fellow Conservatives accuse me of saying that if Jesus was born different from us, then it is impossible for us to overcome sin. I really don’t know how they come to that odd conclusion, except that they consider Jesus must have had an advantage over us if he was born sinless. I tell them, as Mark Howard does here too, that it was much more difficult to keep his humanity (in other words – to not use his divinity), as it is for us to rise above our sinful natures and grasp hold of divinity. By way of example, I tell people how it was difficult for me to stay in the crazy, nasty places I’ve been too (especially India), when I know at any moment I can instantly get out of there. Fortunately Jesus chose to fulfill his mission, and be the perfect example for us in everything.

So I’m extremely happy and delighted to see a SDA pastor, even a director of an institute for evangelism, preach the truth on this important subject. I wholeheartedly recommend his 2-part audio sermons:
Mark Howard – Human Nature of Christ part1
Mark Howard – Human Nature of Christ part2

Stephen Bohr conflates God’s statutes with “ceremonies”

The following is a response to Stephen Bohr’s video titled: “Hebrew Religious Calendar 20/24 Must we keep the Feasts?”: https://youtu.be/VVI-QoLsY-w

8:10 Pastor Bohr, perhaps you weren’t aware that God definitely DID tell Eve not to touch the fruit? From Ellen White: Spiritual Gifts. Volume 3 pg: 35 In the midst of the garden, near the tree of life, stood the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of this tree the Lord commanded our first parents not to eat, neither to touch it, lest they die. He told them that they might freely eat of all the trees in the garden except one; but if they ate of that tree they should surely die.

You keep talking about “ceremonial law”, but that is not a biblical term.

Abraham keep the commandments, statutes, and judgments (Genesis 26:5), so there were people keeping the feasts of the Lord before Sinai.

23:00 Trying to make the Statutes of the Lord be something “contrary to us” is unfortunate, as God says they are perfect.

39:23 You talk about “physiology”, meaning that the statutes regarding unclean foods haven’t been done away with, but reject the statutes saying WHEN to have holy convocation days to the Lord?

47:50 “insult to Jehovah” to do the sacrifices and oblations – which were prophesied of in Daniel 9:27 to be done away with. To say it would be an “insult to Jehovah” to keep the feasts after the cross, means that Jehovah insulted himself by pouring out his Holy Spirit exactly on the day of Pentecost!

49:25 You quote where the rites and ceremonies had been going on for 4,000 years, which contradicts what you said earlier that they were started at Sinai…..

Your biggest error seems to be that you have conflated “holy convocations of the Lord” with “rites and ceremonies”, which is unfortunate, as you are calling on people to be lawbreakers.

May you repent, and resolve to keep all of God’s commandments, statutes, and judgments.

Secrets Unsealed, Stephen Bohr, SUMTV

Updated May, 2020: Since this post was written, they now do have a streaming service on many platforms which makes most of my point in this post moot.
—————
While Stephen Bohr is quite a strong conservative Seventh-day Adventist preacher, one to be commended for standing up against most wrongs in the Church (nothing about abortion tho….), I’ve never been a “fan” of his because of his insistence on interpreting nearly all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as being fulfilled in the past (usually called the “historical position).

Recently, his organization, Secrets Unsealed, started a video streaming service called “SUMTV”.
Being interested in what it was about, I clicked on the link to it that came in the email newsletter to which I’m subscribed to.

I was quite surprised to see that it SUMTV is not a project that they do on their own, but is just a live stream on Youtube. Now I understand that there may be more behind their technical processes of making this SUMTV, but the fact that they linked directly to Youtube, makes it look very fishy, like they are trying to pull a quick one. i.e.; they appear to be just having a “live” Youtube channel, and calling it “SUMTV”. That would be deceitful. If they chose to call it “SUMTV Channel”, then that would be truthful. If they said “Watch our Youtube channel”, that would be truthful. But to say “Watch SUMTV” is deceitful, as it is not their own product.

So I wrote several emails to them asking for clarification. Their responses got haughtier and haughtier, until they basically called me “Satan”.

I’ve experienced this before from many, many fellow SDAs – they are completely right about everything, and cannot accept any reproof, no matter how small.

May they repent, and may we all have humble hearts to not only always speak the truth, but to accept reproof where it applies.

Does Colossians 2 do away with the 7th day Sabbath or Feast days?

Many Christians like to point to Colossians 2 (especially verse 16), to try and prove that the 7th day Sabbath is done away.
Strangely, many fellow Seventh-day Adventists point to the same text to try and prove that the holy convocations of the Lord (Feast days) are done away.
Are either of those valid interpretations of this text?

Please read the entire chapter of Colossians 2. You will notice that the phrase “no man” or “any man”, is referred to 4 times.
Someone who will
1. beguile you
2. spoil you
3. judge you (verse 16)
4. beguile you

Don’t you believe it makes sense to take it into context, and understand this as “Don’t worry about what non-christians think of you for following Jesus?

Jesus kept the 7th day Sabbath.
Jesus kept the holy convocations (Feast days).

So what WAS done away with at the cross?
The sacrifices and oblations passed away, per Daniel 9:27.
Nothing else.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

So until “heaven and earth pass”, neither the 7th day Sabbath, nor the holy convocations, are done away.

Let’s follow Jesus’ perfect example, and keep not only his 7th day Sabbath holy, but also his Feast days. 🙂

Seventh-day Adventists should believe words in Bible are from God

In the Spirit of Prophecy (Ellen White’s writings), there are at least 6 instances where it says the exact phrase: “inspired words”, and “words inspired of God” is used once. Thus we see the lone dissenting quote “It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired.” in 1Selected Messages p. 21 is spurious.

The Bible (or portions of it) are said of in the SOP: “The scribes of God wrote as they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, having no control of the work themselves.” and: “He who is the father of lies, blinds and deceives the world by sending his angels forth to speak for the apostles, and make it appear that they contradict what they wrote when on earth, which was dictated by the Holy Ghost.”

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary says:
DICTATE, verb transitive [Latin , to speak.]

1. To tell with authority; to deliver, as an order, command, or direction; as, what God has dictated, it is our duty to believe.

2. To order or instruct what is to be said or written; as, a general dictates orders to his troops.

3. To suggest; to admonish; to direct by impulse on the mind. We say, the spirit of God dictated the messages of the prophets to Israel. Conscience often dictates to men the rules by which they are to govern their conduct.

Of course the Bible itself calls the words in it the “words of God” 6 times. Many times it says “your words”, and “my words” referring to God’s words written in it.

This is basically what it seems to boil down to:
“The effect of inspiration was to move the authors so as to produce the words God wanted. In this view the human writers’ individual backgrounds, personal traits, and literary styles were authentically theirs, but had been providentially prepared by God for use as his instrument in producing Scripture”.

The Holy Bible is not only infallible, but inerrant. It is not only “The Word of God”, but “The Words of God”. It is NOT our uncles’ words, but God’s words, as written by our uncles.

Revelation 13 WILL have a final, FUTURE fulfillment

Many of my fellow Seventh-day Adventists believe Uriah Smith’s interpretations of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation, over what the words themselves say. They often say that putting any of it in the future is “Futurism”, and roundly denounce it. The end result, is that we have a church full of people who think most everything happened in the past, and we are just waiting for the Sunday Law, 7 last plagues, and Jesus’ return in the clouds. And just as the Jews were destroyed for misinterpreting the prophecies for their day, so many of us will be destroyed too, as it is obvious that many things are still to take place before the Great Controversy is ended.

The other day I found this quote of Ellen White, showing clearly that Revelation 13:4-18 will have a final FUTURE fulfillment. Please note that the Revelation quote is as found in the original.

In the last days Satan will appear as an angel of light, with great power and heavenly glory, and claim to be the Lord of the whole earth. He will declare that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week; and as lord of the first day of the week he will present this spurious sabbath as a test of loyalty to him. Then will take place the final fulfillment of the Revelator’s prophecy.
.

Revelation 13:4-18 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
. If any man have an ear, let him hear.
. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
. 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.
.

In connection with this scripture, the entire fourteenth chapter of Revelation should be studied much by God’s people. Verses nine to eleven bring to view the special message of warning against worshiping the beast and his image, and receiving his mark in the forehead or in the hand. This warning is to be given to the world by those who are mentioned in the twelfth verse as keeping “the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

Manuscript Releases Vol.19, No.1403 1902 Ellen White

This makes it VERY CLEAR that there is a 42 month time period at the end, when the false church will basically rule the whole world. Let’s prepare and warn others now!

If any man have an ear, let him hear!!!

The Roman Catholic Church was NOT built on Peter

In talking with Roman Catholics, it invariably comes up that they believe their church was started by Jesus saying he would build his church on Peter. That is mistaken, as the following texts show, with definitions of some Greek words included.

Matthew 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, G4074 and upon this rock G4073 I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Romans 9:33
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock G4073 of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1Corinthians 10:4
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock G4073 that followed them: and that Rock G4073 was Christ.

G4074 Petros
Used 162 times.
Means “a rock or a stone”

G4073 Petra
Used 16 times.
Means “a rock, cliff or ledge”

So we see that Peter is not the rock that Christ will build his church, but Christ is saying he will build his church on himself. Let’s call on all Catholics to repent, and follow Jesus, whose church will always: keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Martin Weber, Adventist “scholar” errors on Ellen White and SDA doctrines

Martin Weber has put up his “95 Theses for Seventh-day Adventists” up on the web. He asked people to read it, so I took a look. I got to about #30 before I couldn’t take any more of his dissing Ellen White and liberal mishmash that waters down our distinctive SDA doctrines, so just skimmed the rest. While I do not write a blog post for everyone dissing Ellen White, what prompted me in this case, is that this man was high up in the General Conference of SDAs!

From his web site on his bio:

Retired from four decades of service for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Martin Weber has taught pastors and ministerial leaders on six continents. While a member of the global SDA Ministerial Association, he was an associate editor of Ministry magazine and supervised its outreach to non-SDA clergy. He served on the General Conference Executive Committee and the President’s Council from 1991 to 1995…. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from a Baptist seminary…. You can read about their escape from cult-like SDA legalism by clicking on the “My Story” button.

So we see that he was a high-ranking officer in the SDA Church who got his DMin from Babylon (so why was he ever put in a high-up position of responsibility in God’s church???) Anyway, we can see that he is against “legalism” from his bio.

Thesis #1 has: “there is no need to enthrone Ellen White as lord over the Bible.”
Hmmm, while agreed, I’ve never met a believer in Ellen White’s writings who put her over the Bible. This is always a fake shot by those who don’t like something about her.

#3 “SDA doctrine is grace-based, yet we typically present truth in the context of law. We do this in ignorance that “the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17)”
We are only on number 3, and already we see that he is dissing the law of Moses.

#4 “Adventist pioneers were woefully deficient in grasping the gospel; it is miraculous evidence of God’s leading that their body of beliefs, born and bred in legalism, can now optimally showcase His grace.”
It is unescapeable now – he is upset with our distinctive SDA doctrines, and is taking pot shots at them.

To avoid boring you, I will just quote/paraphrase some of the more egregious errors: Christ adopted us all at his resurrection. Having communion with non-SDAs is great. “Christian living is not an imitation of Christ’s example (a medieval myth)” “experiencing unity while celebrating diversity of gender, ethnicity, culture, personality and age.” etc. etc.

#77. Ellen White, particularly in her early writings, suffered much of the same legalism as her fellow pioneers. For decades her books and testimonies were deficient in such Christian fundamentals as the personhood of the Holy Spirit and the eternal pre-existence of Jesus.
Wow! Somebody as high up in the SDA Church as Martin Weber was, and saying these terrible words against God’s messenger – it beggars belief that anyone in God’s remnant church would employ him, as he is just tearing down what God has built up.

#78. Anyone who insists that Ellen White’s earlier writings are as theologically orthodox or useful as her later writings is either ignorant or intellectually dishonest.
I am “ignorant” or “intellectually dishonest”. And I will stand on that position.

Will anyone else join me in showing love and reverence for God’s words that he gave his humble messenger – Ellen White?

Please repent, Martin Weber, and turn back to Jesus.

Many Adventists don’t believe in 6 day Creation!

It is entirely a sad day in God’s remnant church, when many of our own members (Conservative members!) openly say that they believe that there was matter here before God started creating this earth. It just boggles the mind that anyone could name the name “Seventh-day Adventist”, and still believe Satan’s lie that God didn’t make everything in 6 days and rest the 7th.

Here are some comments from fellow “Conservative” SDAs:

And I will continue to believe that the Bible is careful with words. God created the Heaven and Earth and the Seas in those six days, just as the fourth commandment indicates. But the land and the waters that He formed into those latter two, and named, were there from the beginning of that week. When He created them, for surely He did, we are not told.

At the beginning of the creation week the Earth was without form and void. Clearly there was something here already, a barren formless void much like Mars. Jeremiah says the Earth again Will be without form and void. Does that mean the planet will cease to exist aka a death star attack? Not only that but he says the Heavens will no light. Perhaps Genesis is written from the perspective of one on Earth and when God says Let there be light, He isn’t creating the Sun ex nihilo but making it visible to an observer from Earth.

I believe the universe is as old as it looks, since God is eternal, and there is no evidence that He did not create worlds and stars billions of years before He created the earth.

Please note that these 3 quotes are all from different authors, and all are generally strong “Conservative” SDAs on most other subjects!!!
Let’s believe God when he says: Exodus 20:11

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Ellen White’s letter to Smith and Amadon saying they are controlled by evil angels!

Letter 3, 1869

To: Smith, Brother; Amadon, Brother

Greenville, Michigan

April 23, 1869

Portions of this letter are published in 5MR 164-168; 2Bio 267-268.

Dear Brethren Smith and Amadon:

I will write to you a faint expression of my feelings at this time as I review the past. Lt3-1869.1

At the camp meeting at Wright, the Lord was with His people. There solemn pledges were made by the brethren of Battle Creek that they would stand by us, and not permit burdens to come upon us. My husband has been so ready to receive any manifestation of confidence and love from those in Battle Creek, and to blot out of his memory the things which transpired in the past (which were cruelly wrong upon the part of those from whom we ought to expect better things), that he was ready to believe all things and to hope all things. With his heart all cheered and softened by the bright view he had of the future, he consented to locate in Battle Creek, and thus comply with the earnest invitation of his brethren and sisters. He fully believed that the lessons of the past had not been learned in vain. Lt3-1869.2

I was reluctant to locate in Battle Creek. I had, as it were, fled to Greenville for quietude of mind and freedom from the harassing trials brought upon us unnecessarily by those who should have stood by us. I had never felt the least dissatisfaction with my home at Greenville. I needed a good copyist, and help that could do my sewing and save me from embarrassment in that line. The Lord blessed us in coming to this place. Lt3-1869.3

I pled with my husband not to comply with the wishes of our brethren in regard to locating in Battle Creek until we should have clear light from God that it was His will that we should move from this place. My husband urged that our trials in Battle Creek were over, and that we could in the hands of God be a blessing to the Office, Institute and church. Lt3-1869.4

When I went to look at the site for the house, I felt as though going to a funeral. I finally put these feelings away, for I saw that they made my husband very unhappy. I yielded my objections, and yet I felt fearful that the burdens we would have to bear in Battle Creek would be too heavy, that my husband could not let alone the business and cares of the Office, and that he would come down again through over-labor, as he had before done. I had suffered so much and seen how little knowledge even those of experience had of the mind and will of God concerning us, while we were passing through the heaviest trials we ever bore, that I did not feel like placing ourselves where there was the least possibility of the same breakdown, fearing the same heartless, cruel work would be acted over again. I am frank to say, I could not feel so cheerful and happy as did my husband to get again among our brethren at Battle Creek. Lt3-1869.5