Is Seventh-Day Adventism Orthodox?

Adapted from Complete Bible Answer Book by Hank Hanegraaff. 

Over the years I have encountered many Seventh Day Adventists who have told me that to worship on Sunday is to take the mark of the Beast. Far from being monolithic, however, Seventh Day Adventism is multifaceted.

First, there are Adventists who are thoroughly orthodox. As such, they embrace the essentials of the historic Christian faith. While we may vigorously debate secondary issues, we are unified around the essentials for which the martyrs shed their blood.

Furthermore, there are Adventists who are thoroughly liberal. They not only compromise and confuse but consistently contradict essentials of the faith such as the virgin birth, the bodily resurrection, and the infallibility of Scripture.

Finally, there are traditionalists who major on aberrant Adventist doctrines including soul sleep, Sabbatarianism, and the seer status of Ellen G. White. In sharp distinction to soul sleep the Bible provides ample evidence that the soul continues to exist apart from the body (Philippians 1:23–24). Likewise, God himself provided early Christians with a new pattern of worship through Christ’s resurrection on the first day of the week as well as the Spirit’s descent on Pentecost Sunday. Additionally, while Ellen White (1827–1915) claimed divine authority for her prophecies, she was obviously wrong when she prophesied that she would be alive at the second coming of Christ.

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Why do Christians worship on Sunday rather than on the Sabbath day?” and “Is there evidence for life after death?”