If you would like to
see our beliefs as we understand the scriptures, you may
click on a topic in the table that follows. You will be
taken to the statement with supporting texts. By
clicking on "Back" you will be returned to this outline.
1. |
The Holy Scriptures:
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the
written Word of God, given by divine inspiration
through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God
has committed to man the knowledge necessary for
salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible
revelation of His will. They are the standard of
character, the test of experience, the authoritative
revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of
God's acts in history. (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim.
3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5,6; Isa. 8:20; John
17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12.)
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| 2. |
The Trinity: There
is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity
of three co-eternal Persons. God is immortal,
all-powerful, all-knowing, above all, and ever
present. He is infinite and beyond human
comprehension, yet known through His
self-revelation. He is forever worthy of worship,
adoration, and service by the whole creation.
(Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; 1
Peter 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 14:7.)
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| 3. |
The Father: God the
eternal Father is the Creator, Source, Sustainer,
and Sovereign of all creation. He is just and holy,
merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding
in steadfast love and faithfulness. The qualities
and powers exhibited in the Son and the Holy Spirit
are also revelations of the Father. (Gen. 1:1; Rev.
4:11; 1 Cor. 15:28; John 3:16; 1 John 4:8; 1 Tim.
1:17; Ex. 34:6,7; John 14:9.)
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| 4. |
The Son: God the
eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ.
Through Him all things were created, the character
of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is
accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever
truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the
Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and
born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced
temptation as a human being, but perfectly
exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By
His miracles He manifested God's power and was
attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and
died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in
our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to
minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf.
He will come again in glory for the final
deliverance of His people and the restoration of all
things. (John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:15-19; John 10:30;
14:9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17-19; John 5:22; Luke
1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4;
Heb. 8:1, 2; John 14:1-3.)
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| 5. |
The Holy Spirit.
God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father
and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and
redemption. He inspired the writers of Scripture.
He filled Christ's life with power. He draws and
convicts human beings; and those who respond He
renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent
by the Father and the Son to be always with His
children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church,
empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in
harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all
truth. (Gen. 1:1, 2; Luke 1:35; 4:18; Acts 10:38; 2
Peter 1:21; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:11, 12; Acts 1:8;
John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26, 27; 16:7-13.)
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| 6. |
Creation: God is
Creator of all things, and has revealed in Scripture
the authentic account of His creative activity. In
six days the Lord made "the heaven and the earth"
and all living things upon the earth, and rested on
the seventh day of that first week. Thus He
established the Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of
His completed creative work. The first man and
woman were made in the image of God as the crowning
work of Creation, given dominion over the world, and
charged with responsibility to care for it. When
the world was finished, it was "very good,"
declaring the glory of God. (Gen. 1; 2; Ex.
20:8-11; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; 104; Heb. 11:3.)
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| 7. |
The Nature of Man:
Man and woman were made in the image of God with
individuality, the power and freedom to think and to
do. Though created free beings, each is an
indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit,
dependent upon God for life and breath and all
else. When our first parents disobeyed God, they
denied their dependence upon Him and fell from their
high position under God. The image of God in them
was marred and they became subject to death. Their
descendants share this fallen nature and its
consequences. They are born with weaknesses and
tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled
the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in
penitent mortals the image of their Maker. Created
for the glory of God, they are called to love Him
and one another, and to care for their environment.
(Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7; Ps. 8:4-8; Acts 17:24-28; Gen.
3; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20; Ps.
51:10; 1 John 4:7, 8, 11, 20; Gen. 2:15.)
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| 8. |
The Great
Controversy: All humanity is now involved
in a great controversy between Christ and Satan
regarding the character of God, His law, and His
sovereignty over the universe. This conflict
originated in heaven when a created being, endowed
with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became
Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion a
portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of
rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve
into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion
of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of
the created world, and its eventual devastation at
the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the
whole creation, this world became the arena of the
universal conflict, out of which the God of love
will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people
in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit
and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain
them in the way of salvation. (Rev. 12:4-9; Isa.
14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-18; Gen. 3; Rom. 1:19-32;
5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6-8; 2 Peter 3:6; 1 Cor. 4:9;
Heb. 1:14.)
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| 9. |
The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ:
In Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will,
His suffering, death, and resurrection, God provided
the only means of atonement for human sin, so that
those who by faith accept this atonement may have
eternal life, and the whole creation may better
understand the infinite and holy love of the
Creator. This perfect atonement vindicates the
righteousness of God's law and the graciousness of
His character; for it both condemns our sin and
provides for our forgiveness. The death of Christ
is substitutionary and expiatory, reconciling and
transforming. The resurrection of Christ proclaims
God's triumph over the forces of evil, and for those
who accept the atonement assures their final victory
over sin and death. It declares the Lordship of
Jesus Christ, before whom every knee in heaven and
on earth will bow. (John 3:16; Isa. 53; 1 Peter
2:21, 22; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4, 20-22; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15,
19-21; Rom. 1:4; 3:25; 4:25; 8:3, 4; 1 John 2:2;
4:10; Col. 2:15; Phil. 2:6-11.)
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| 10. |
The
Experience of Salvation: In infinite love
and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be
sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the
righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we
sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent
of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus
as Lord and Christ, as Substitute and Example. This
faith which receives salvation comes through the
divine power of the Word and is the gift of God's
grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as
God's sons and daughters, and delivered from the
lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are born
again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds,
writes God's law of love in our hearts, and we are
given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him
we become partakers of the divine nature and have
the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.
(2 Cor. 5:17-21; John 3:16; Gal. 1:4; 4:4-7; Titus
3:3-7; John 16:8; Gal. 3:13, 14; 1 Peter 2:21, 22;
Rom. 10:17; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:23, 24; Eph. 2:5-10;
Rom. 3:21-26; Col. 1:13, 14; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal.
3:26; John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23; Rom. 12:2; Heb.
8:7-12; Eze. 36:25-27; 2 Peter 1:3, 4; Rom. 8:1-4;
5:6-10.)
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| 11. |
The Church: The
church is the community of believers who confess
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In continuity with
the people of God in Old Testament times, we are
called out from the world; and we join together for
worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the
Word, for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, for
service to all mankind, and for the worldwide
proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its
authority from Christ, who is the incarnate Word,
and from the Scriptures, which are the written
Word. The church is God's family; adopted by Him as
children, its members live on the basis of the new
covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a
community of faith of which Christ Himself is the
Head. The church is the bride for whom Christ died
that He might sanctify and cleanse her. At His
return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a
glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the
purchase of His blood, not having spot or wrinkle,
but holy and without blemish. (Gen. 12:3; Acts
7:38; Eph. 4:11-15; 3:8-11; Matt. 28:19, 20;
16:13-20; 18:18; Eph. 2:19-22; 1:22, 23; 5:23-27;
Col. 1:17, 18.)
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| 12. |
The Remnant
and Its Mission: The universal church is
composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in
the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a
remnant has been called out to keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant
announces the arrival of the judgment hour,
proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the
approach of His second advent. This proclamation is
symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it
coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and
results in a work of repentance and reform on
earth. Every believer is called to have a personal
part in this worldwide witness. (Rev. 12:17;
14:6-12; 18:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:10; Jude 3, 14; 1 Peter
1:16-19; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Rev. 21:1-14.)
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| 13. |
Unity in the
Body of Christ: The church is one body with
many members, called from every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new
creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning,
and nationality, and differences between high and
low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be
divisive among us. We are all equal in Christ, who
by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with
Him and with one another; we are to serve and be
served without partiality or reservation. Through
the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we
share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one
witness to all. This unity has its source in the
oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His
children. (Rom. 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Matt.
28:19, 20; Ps. 133:1; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Acts 17:26,
27; Gal. 3:27, 29; Col. 3:10-15; Eph. 4:14-16;
4:1-6; John 17:20-23.)
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| 14. |
Baptism: By baptism we
confess our faith in the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, and testify of our death to sin and of
our purpose to walk in newness of life. Thus we
acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, become His
people, and are received as members by His church.
Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the
forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the
Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is
contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and
evidence of repentance of sin. It follows
instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of
their teachings. (Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12, 13; Acts
16:30-33; 22:16; 2:38; Matt. 28:19, 20.)
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| 15. |
The Lord's Supper:
The Lord's Supper is a participation in the emblems
of the body and blood of Jesus as an expression of
faith in Him, our Lord and Savior. In this
experience of communion Christ is present to meet
and strengthen His people. As we partake, we
joyfully proclaim the Lord's death until He comes
again. Preparation for the Supper includes
self-examination, repentance, and confession. The
Master ordained the service of foot washing to
signify renewed cleansing, to express a willingness
to serve one another in Christlike humility, and to
unite our hearts in love. The communion service is
open to all believing Christians. (1 Cor. 10:16,
17; 11:23-30; Matt. 26:17-30; Rev. 3:20; John
6:48-63; 13:1-17.)
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| 16. |
Spiritual
Gifts and Ministries: God bestows upon all
members of His church in every age spiritual gifts
which each member is to employ in loving ministry
for the common good of the church and of humanity.
Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who
apportions to each member as He wills, the gifts
provide all abilities and ministries needed by the
church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions.
According to the Scriptures, these gifts include
such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy,
proclamation, teaching, administration,
reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing
service and charity for the help and encouragement
of people. Some members are called of God and
endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by
the church in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and
teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the
members for service, to build up the church to
spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith
and knowledge of God. When members employ these
spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied
grace, the church is protected from the destructive
influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth
that is from God, and is built up in faith and
love. (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:9-11, 27, 28; Eph.
4:8, 11-16; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10,
11.) Back |
| 17. |
The Gift of
Prophecy: One of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying
mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the
ministry of Ellen G. White. As the Lord's
messenger, her writings are a continuing and
authoritative source of truth which provide for the
church comfort, guidance, instruction, and
correction. They also make clear that the Bible is
the standard by which all teaching and experience
must be tested. (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; Heb.
1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)
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| 18. |
The Law of God:
The great principles of God's law are embodied in
the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of
Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes
concerning human conduct and relationships and are
binding upon all people in every age. These
precepts are the basis of God's covenant with His
people and the standard in God's judgment. Through
the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin and
awaken a sense of need for a Savior. Salvation is
all of grace and not of works, but its fruitage is
obedience to the Commandments. This obedience
develops Christian character and results in a sense
of well-being. It is an evidence of our love for
the Lord and our concern for our fellow men. The
obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ
to transform lives, and therefore strengthens
Christian witness. (Ex. 20:1-17; Ps. 40:7, 8; Matt.
22:36-40; Deut. 28:1-14; Matt. 5:17-20; Heb. 8:8-10;
John 15:7-10; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 John 5:3; Rom. 8:3, 4;
Ps. 19:7-14.) Back |
| 19. |
The Sabbath: The
beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation,
rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath
for all people as a memorial of Creation. The
fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law
requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath
as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony
with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of
the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful
communion with God and one another. It is a symbol
of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our
sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a
foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom.
The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal
covenant between Him and His people. Joyful
observance of this holy time from evening to
evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God's
creative and redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex.
20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Matt.
12:1-12; Ex. 31:13-17; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut.
5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32.)
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| 20. |
Stewardship: We are
God's stewards, entrusted by Him with time and
opportunities, abilities and possessions, and the
blessings of the earth and its resources. We are
responsible to Him for their proper use. We
acknowledge God's ownership by faithful service to
Him and our fellow men, and by returning tithes and
giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel
and the support and growth of His church.
Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for
nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and
covetousness. The steward rejoices in the blessings
that come to others as a result of his
faithfulness. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; 1 Chron. 29:14;
Haggai 1:3-11; Mal. 3:8-12; 1 Cor. 9:9-14; Matt.
23:23; 2 Cor. 8:1-15; Rom. 15:26, 27.)
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| 21. |
Christian Behavior:
We are called to be a godly people who think, feel,
and act in harmony with the principles of heaven.
For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of
our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things
which will produce Christlike purity, health, and
joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and
entertainment should meet the highest standards of
Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing
cultural differences, our dress is to be simple,
modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty
does not consist of outward adornment but in the
imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit.
It also means that because our bodies are the
temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them
intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and
rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet
possible and abstain from the unclean foods
identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic
beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of
drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we
are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are
to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies
into the discipline of Christ, who desires our
wholesomeness, joy, and goodness. (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1
John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5;
6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31;
Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)
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| 22. |
Marriage and the
Family: Marriage was divinely established
in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union
between a man and a woman in loving companionship.
For the Christian a marriage commitment is to God as
well as to the spouse, and should be entered into
only between partners who share a common faith.
Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are
the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect
the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the
relationship between Christ and His church.
Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who
divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and
marries another, commits adultery. Although some
family relationships may fall short of the ideal,
marriage partners who fully commit themselves to
each other in Christ may achieve loving unity
through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture
of the church. God blesses the family and intends
that its members shall assist each other toward
complete maturity. Parents are to bring up their
children to love and obey the Lord. By their
example and their words they are to teach them that
Christ is a loving disciplinarian, ever tender and
caring, who wants them to become members of His
body, the family of God. Increasing family
closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel
message. (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:3-9; John 2:1-11;
2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:21-33; Matt. 5:31, 32; Mark
10:11, 12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11; Ex. 20:12;
Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:5-9; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 4:5, 6.)
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| 23. |
Christ's Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary:
There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle
which the Lord set up and not man. In it Christ
ministers on our behalf, making available to
believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice
offered once for all on the cross. He was
inaugurated as our great High Priest and began His
intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension.
In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300
days, He entered the second and last phase of His
atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative
judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition
of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient
Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that
typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the
blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things
are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood
of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to
heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep
in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy
to have part in the first resurrection. It also
makes manifest who among the living are abiding in
Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the
faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for
translation into His everlasting kingdom. This
judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving
those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those
who have remained loyal to God shall receive the
kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ
will mark the close of human probation before the
Second Advent. (Heb. 8:1-5; 4:14-16; 9:11-28;
10:19-22; 1:3; 2:16, 17; Dan. 7:9-27; 8:13, 14;
9:24-27; Num. 14:34; Eze. 4:6; Lev. 16; Rev. 14:6,
7; 20:12; 14:12; 22:12.)
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| 24. |
The Second
Coming of Christ: The second coming of
Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand
climax of the gospel. The Savior's coming will be
literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He
returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and
together with the righteous living will be glorified
and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die.
The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of
prophecy, together with the present condition of the
world, indicates that Christ's coming is imminent.
The time of that event has not been revealed, and we
are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.
(Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11;
Matt. 24:14; Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:43, 44; 1 Thess.
4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Rev.
14:14-20; 19:11-21; Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2
Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Thess. 5:1-6.)
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| 25. |
Death and
Resurrection: The wages of sin is death.
But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal
life to His redeemed. Until that day death is an
unconscious state for all people. When Christ, who
is our life, appears, the resurrected righteous and
the living righteous will be glorified and caught up
to meet their Lord. The second resurrection, the
resurrection of the unrighteous, will take place a
thousand years later. (Rom. 6:23; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16;
Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 146:3, 4; John 11:11-14; Col. 3:4;
1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; John 5:28, 29;
Rev. 20:1-10.)
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| 26. |
The
Millennium and the End of Sin: The
millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with
His saints in heaven between the first and second
resurrections. During this time the wicked dead
will be judged; the earth will be utterly desolate,
without living human inhabitants, but occupied by
Satan and his angels. At its close Christ with His
saints and the Holy City will descend from heaven to
earth. The unrighteous dead will then be
resurrected, and with Satan and his angels will
surround the city; but fire from God will consume
them and cleanse the earth. The universe will thus
be freed of sin and sinners forever. (Rev. 20; 1
Cor. 6:2, 3; Jer. 4:23-26; Rev. 21:1-5; Mal. 4:1;
Eze. 28:18, 19.)
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| 27. |
The New Earth: On
the new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God
will provide an eternal home for the redeemed and a
perfect environment for everlasting life, love, joy,
and learning in His presence. For here God Himself
will dwell with His people, and suffering and death
will have passed away. The great controversy will
be ended, and sin will be no more. All things,
animate and inanimate, will declare that God is
love; and He shall reign forever. Amen. (2 Peter
3:13; Isa. 35; 65:17-25; Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:1-7;
22:1-5; 11:15.)
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