Adventist teaching: Yes
Biblical teaching: No
In Seventh-Day Adventist theology, the final dividing line between the true followers of God and those who are following after the Devil will be over what day you worship. They teach that Sunday is the mark of the Roman Papacy and will eventually be associated with the Mark of the Beast once a national-turned international Sunday Worship Law is passed. The flip side of this is that they teach the seventh-day Sabbath is the sign of God’s true day of worship, given as a test of ones loyalty to God, and those that recognize this will be given the seal of God in contrast to the Mark of the Beast. This theory is claimed to be derived from the book of Revelation, but is ultimately from the writings of Ellen G. White who said…
- “If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls ‘My holy day,’ you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God”—Evangelism (EV 235.2)
- “The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”—The Great Controversy, pg. 605 (GC 605.2)
- “The seal of God’s law is found in the fourth commandment…When the Sabbath was changed by the papal power, the seal was taken from the law. The disciples of Jesus are called upon to restore it by exalting the Sabbath of the fourth commandment to its rightful position as the Creator’s memorial and the sign of His authority.”—The Great Controversy, pg. 452 (GC 452.1)
The Bible doesn’t teach this, but explicitly teaches that the Holy Spirit is the seal of God (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:5) and is given to all believers as a down payment of the inheritance that we have in Christ, sealing us for the day of redemption.
Ellen White contradicts what the Bible says. She also claimed that “whatever contradicts God’s Word, we can be sure proceeds from Satan.” We’ll let you connect the dots.