Doctrinal Relevance

[Gregory Matthews]

The following article challenges us by asking if Adventist doctrines, as we present them, are relevant:

https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2021/does-adventism-have-anything-interesting-say

 

 

[Gustave]

I realize that the article is speaking broadly about distinctive SDA doctrines & specifically mentions the one dealing with death. The Jews today and at the time of Christ (excepting the Sadducees) believe that the dead were in some way aware of their unfortunate state. 

A common apologetic I've heard from SDA's, JW's and Christadelphians is a Scripture out of the Book of Job 14 Verse 18 - 21

"But the mountain falls and crumbles away, and the rock is removed from its place; the waters wear away the stones; the torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so thou destroyest the hope of man. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passes; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
they are brought low, and he perceives it not."

A man dies and his son's come to honor him at  his grave site and he's completely ignorant of it. Sort of dove tails in with the other common Adventist apologetic that "the dead know not anything". 

1st, death was not revealed fully in the Old Covenant, especially at the point Job was written. 

2nd, Ordinally, in the old covenant, someone who died wouldn't know what was going on "under the sun" .

But even so of 1 & 2 -  most importantly the dead man which is above described in Job 18 is definitely aware in some sense as to HIS STATE in death - because verse 22 says;

" He feels only the pain of his own body, and he mourns only for himself.”

If a dead guy still fees pain and has the ability to mourn for himself that would indicate some level of consciousness.