Last GenerationTheology the historical Adventist view.

Last GenerationTheology the historical Adventist view. By Ron Corson

Mark Finley recently gave a sermon that deals with Last Generation Theology (LGT). He begins with this paragraph:

The Bible makes a stunning prediction. At the end of time, God will have a group of people that are totally completely loyal to him. A people whose hearts are undivided. A people whose lives reflect the character of Christ fully. When that happens, the earth will be lightened with the glory of God. This will be a loyal people, an obedient people right here on this sinful planet. Now, some people call this concept last generation theology. But is it biblical? And what do we mean by that? Can grace so transform us that we live loyal lives? When we use the term perfection, what does that mean? We're going to probe that in this presentation. Let's be honest, it almost sounds like it's impossible to live obedient, godly lives in this sinful world. We look around, we see compromise in the world. We see weakness in the church. We see inconsistency in ourselves. We believe in grace but complete obedience. And then we wonder, can Jesus only pardon our sin? Or can Jesus deliver us from sin? And if he can, can he only deliver us from grosser, larger sins? Or can he deliver us from sins of of attitude and disposition? In Revelation 14:12, we find these words, Revelation the 14th chapter and the 12th verse. And the Bible says, "Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus." So the question isn't will God have such a people? The question really is how will that people be revealed and how will they be enabled to keep the commandments of God? How actually is this going to happen? How can broken people like us reflect the character of Christ? How can a generation raised in weakness become a 2:38 generation that walks in victory? 

This sermon has created a lot of controversy in the SDA church. Is LGT true or not, is it from Ellen White or the Bible. Is it perhaps just the misinterpretation of based upon M.L. Andreason [Milian Lauritz Andreasen (1876-1962) ].

There is however only one answer to the question and that is that it is the historical position of the Adventist denomination. It was set forth by the Adventist pioneers, the followers of William Miller who expected the second coming to occur in 1843 and then 1844. After the great disappointment, the Adventist pioneers followed Ellen White in her belief that the door of salvation had been closed. The key text that Mark Finley used was Revelation 14:12 was one of the key texts that those Adventist pioneers used in their writing after 1844. They thought they were the final generation.

Ellen White writes in her first book Early Writings:

“Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction. God’s people were strengthened by the excellent glory which rested upon them in rich abundance and prepared them to endure the hour of temptation. I heard everywhere a multitude of voices saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” EW 278.2

["This volume is a comprehensive selection of Ellen G. White’s published writings from the 1850s, along with a prologue explaining the historical background of the text. The autobiographical section of the book describes the author’s conversion experience, the Millerite movement of 1840-1844, and the early visions that formed the foundation of her theology and ministry." from the publisher]

What is important to remember is that this was at a time before the Adventist pioneers came to the conclusion that Saturday was the seventh-day sabbath. From the very beginning, many of the Adventist pioneers read their current generation in the book of Revelation. Mark Finley has taken the Adventist history of reading themselves into Revelation, but in this case, he puts a future final generation reading into it. He and Adventists also see themselves as the three angels' messages of the book of Revelation

Adventists have also used the verse above to show that they are the true church because they keep the true sabbath. Finley has simply taken the position that the first use by the Adventists was true for the early pioneers who thought that they were on the narrow path that took them to heaven. Continued to use the same verse to show that the Adventists are the true commandment keepers, and finally used the verse to show that there is a last generation of people who have been perfected by God to lead lives which are pure enough to be called perfect in a final generation.

Again from the book Early Writings: 

“While I was praying at the family altar, the Holy Ghost fell upon me, and I seemed to be rising higher and higher, far above the dark world. I turned to look for the Advent people in the world, but could not find them, when a voice said to me, “Look again, and look a little higher.” At this I raised my eyes, and saw a straight and narrow path, cast up high above the world. On this path the Advent people were traveling to the city, which was at the farther end of the path. They had a bright light set up behind them at the beginning of the path, which an angel told me was the midnight cry. This light shone all along the path and gave light for their feet so that they might not stumble. If they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, who was just before them, leading them to the city, they were safe. But soon some grew weary, and said the city was a great way off, and they expected to have entered it before. Then Jesus would encourage them by raising His glorious right arm, and from His arm came a light which waved over the Advent band, and they shouted, “Alleluia!” Others rashly denied the light behind them and said that it was not God that had led them out so far. The light behind them went out, leaving their feet in perfect darkness, and they stumbled and lost sight of the mark and of Jesus, and fell off the path down into the dark and wicked world below. Soon we [See Appendix.] heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai."

"The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, God, New Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet." (EW 14-15)

The historical Prologue of Early Writings states: 

“James and Ellen White took their stand purely from the scriptural evidence to which their minds had been directed in the Bates tract. Then on the first Sabbath in April, 1847, seven months after they began to keep and teach the Seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord gave a vision to Mrs. White at Topsham, Maine, in which the importance of the Sabbath was stressed. She saw the tables of the law in the ark in the heavenly sanctuary, and a halo of light about the fourth commandment. See pages 32-35 for the account of this vision. The position previously taken from the study of the word of God was confirmed. The vision also helped to broaden the believer’s concept of Sabbath observance. In this revelation, Mrs. White was carried down to the close of time and saw the Sabbath as the great testing truth on which men decide whether to serve God or to serve an apostate power. Looking back in 1874 to this experience, she wrote:

“I believed the truth upon the Sabbath question before I had seen anything in vision in reference to the Sabbath. It was months after I had commenced keeping the Sabbath before I was shown its importance and its place in the third angel’s message.”—E. G. White Letter 2, 1874. (EW xxi.1-xxii.1

This Historical Prologue of the book Early Writings also presents this about the Shut door: 

“Certain references occur in this work, on pages 42-45, to the “open door” and the “shut door.” This is correctly understood only in the light of the background of the experience of our early believers.

Not too long after the Disappointment the pioneers saw that while there were those who through the definite rejection of light had closed the door to their salvation, there were many who had not heard the message and had not rejected it, and these might benefit from the provisions made for man’s salvation. By the early 1850’s these points stood out clearly. Then too, avenues for the presentation of the three angels’ messages were beginning to open up. Prejudice was dying away. Ellen White, looking back to their experience following the Disappointment wrote:

“‘It was then next to impossible to obtain access to unbelievers. The disappointment in 1844 had confused the minds of many, and they would not listen to any explanation of the matter.’”—The Review and Herald, November 20, 1883.

But in 1851 Elder White was able to report: “‘Now the door is open almost everywhere to present the truth, and many are prepared to read the publications who have formerly had no interest to investigate.’”—The Review and Herald, August 19, 1851. (EW xxix.4-xxx.3) See also https://whiteestate.org/about/issues1/unusual/shut-door/

Here is a common example of how Adventism has used Revelation 14:12:

The second angel warns us to watch out for the wine of Babylon, and the third angel warns us that false worship will be introduced by Babylon, and that it will be associated with a specific “mark.” The third message ends with a people who believe God. They are loyal to Him, and they worship Him. Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” These saints endure and keep the commandments of God and keep the faith of Jesus. Both characteristics have meaning. We will look at them separately.

The first defining characteristic is, “those who keep the commandments of God”. At the center of the commandments is the fourth commandment, which is the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy as the ultimate seal of God. We will look at 7 aspects that differentiate the seal of God from the mark of the beast.” The Seal of God and Mark of the Beast: Part 1 

There are other factors to the LGT one of which is the idea that the perfected last generation somehow vindicates God. As this paper states:

“Andreasen’s Great Controversy theme does not differ much from Ellen White’s. In fact, his beliefs were based on White’s concept. The slight difference is in the purpose of the saints and their righteous lives. According to the Spirit of Prophecy, the saints, through their lives, will help vindicate the character of God, while Andreasen went further by teaching that the vindication of God’s character depends on the saints. If they fail, God fails. Satan can still claim victory over God if the saints fail. However, the Spirit of Prophecy teaches that victory over Satan had already been accomplished on Calvary when Jesus cried, “It is finished.” (A Critical Evaluation of The LastGeneration Theology (LGT) of (L) ML Andreasen Through the Lens of TheScriptures and The Writings of Ellen G. White Dr. Koberson Langhu, Assistant Professor, Division of Religious Studies, Spicer Adventist University” 

Earlier in the paper Dr. Koberson Langhu wrote: "

According to Ellen White, Satan has accused God, saying that He cannot forgive the saints because they have committed many sins. And if He forgives them and yet destroys him and his angels, it would be an injustice on His part. To prove Satan wrong and to show that the saints have confessed their sins and have been forgiven, God “permits him to try them to the uttermost” (White 1939, 618). She also points out that God has His people who are “to be the depositories of His holy law and to vindicate His character before the world,” a “distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God” (White 1962, 58). They are to manifest His glory through their lives and character. She teaches that the saints will play a part in vindicating God’s character. However, we do not find any statement where she claims that the vindication of God’s character depends on the faithfulness of the saints.

It should be noted here that if someone has to vindicate someone else, the vindication must be essential to the process or it would not be a vindication. That is the key problem for both Ellen White and Andreasen. We note that Ellen White uses the term "vindicate" or "vindication" but we also note that she says the following and here is the full quote rather than the snippet that is most often used in certain highly edited books put out by the White Estate:

“Christ on the cross not only draws men to repentance toward God for the transgression of His law—for whom God pardons He first makes penitent—but Christ has satisfied Justice; He has proffered Himself as an atonement. His gushing blood, His broken body, satisfy the claims of the broken law, and thus He bridges the gulf which sin has made. He suffered in the flesh, that with His bruised and broken body He might cover the defenseless sinner. The victory gained at His death on Calvary broke forever the accusing power of Satan over the universe and silenced his charges that self-denial was impossible with God and therefore not essential in the human family.

Satan’s position in heaven had been next to the Son of God. He was first among the angels. His power had been debasing, but God could not reveal it in its true light and carry all heaven in harmony with him in removing him with his evil influences. His power was increasing, but [the] evil [was] yet unrecognized. It was a deadly power to the universe, but for the security of the worlds and the government of heaven, it was necessary that it should develop and be revealed in its true light.

In carrying out his enmity to Christ until He hung upon the cross of Calvary, with wounded, bruised body and broken heart, Satan completely uprooted himself from the affections of the universe. It was then seen that God had in His Son denied Himself, giving Himself for the sins of the world, because He loved mankind. The Creator was revealed in the Son of the infinite God. Here the question, “Can there be self-denial with God?” was forever answered. Christ was God, and condescending to be made flesh, He assumed humanity and became obedient unto death, that He might undergo infinite sacrifice.

Whatever sacrifice a human being could undergo Christ endured, notwithstanding Satan put forth every effort to seduce Him with temptations; but the greater the temptation, the more perfect was the sacrifice. All that was possible for man to endure in the conflict with Satan, Christ endured in His human and divine nature combined. Obedient, sinless to the last, He died for man, his substitute and surety, enduring all that men ever endure from the deceiving tempter, that man may overcome by being a partaker of the divine nature.” Letters and Manuscripts Volume 15 1900 March 28 {15LtMs. Ms 50 1900}

This leaves the question of what could possibly be needed to vindicate God.

From Ellen White we have a couple of statements.

1. Let all be careful not to make an outcry against the only people who are fulfilling the description given of the remnant people, who keep the commandments of God and have faith in Jesus.... God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God.... My brother, if you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, you are wrong.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 50, 58, 59 (1893). [The book of Revelation focuses on two sets of God’s people—the visible remnant (12:17) and “My people” in Babylon (18:4). This chapter deals with the former, and chapter 14, “The Loud Cry,” deals with the latter.] (Lde 43.1-3)

2. Of the Spirit Jesus said, “He shall glorify Me.” The Saviour came to glorify the Father by the demonstration of His love; so the Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing His grace to the world. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection of the character of His people. (DA 671.3)
   I have to note here that she had a second paragraph which kind of changes things in the 1904 Review and Herald:
   “At the cost of infinite sacrifice and suffering, Christ has provided for us every essential to success in the Christian warfare. The Holy Spirit brings power that enables man to overcome. It is through the agency of the Spirit that the government of Satan is to be subdued. It is the Spirit that convinces of sin, and, with the consent of the human being, expels sin from the heart. The mind is then brought under a new law,—the royal law of liberty.” (RH May 19. 1904 par 5)

   {{Perfection of character vs. royal law of liberty.]

3. “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” (COL 69.1)

Can these quotes be harmonized to be a vindication of God or of God's law? We will assume, since Ellen White thought that the law of God was a transcript of God's character, that they are one and the same. Is there a reason to vindicate God's law? Biblically, there is nothing that accuses God's law of having any sort of problem. The only problem likely is that people don't like to keep God's law. So if the law is not the problem, then that leaves God Himself as the one who needs to be vindicated. That moves us to number 2 above, the honor of God and Christ is involved in the perfection of Character. This idea is less about vindicating God but about the healing and restoration that God gives to us. It even seems more useful in the context of the Royal law mentioned in the book of James, as you shall love your neighbor as yourself, it is not a burden as God has written on the heart in the new covenant, it is not rule keeping but love and justice where mercy triumphs over judgment, as those who receive mercy show mercy. But the law of liberty is fulfilled in Christ, which is why He says my yoke is easy my burden light (Matt 11:30), and who the Lord has set free is free indeed (John 8:36). As the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and evicts the attraction of sin from the heart of people, the U-turn of the road of life as Hank Hanegraaff would often describe repentance. It is not a vindication that God can do something, the creator of the Universe can, as Paul says, change in an instant death to life and transform those still alive (1 Corinthians 15:52). There is no need for last generation theology; it is very much the conclusion of the plan of salvation. One could argue that the plan of salvation includes this as its last generation theology, but the point here is that it is not needed, and the plan succeeds without any LGT.

Number 3 gives us the idea that Christ has not been manifested in the Christian church and will someday perfectly reproduce His character in both the church and his people. When this character perfection is attained by the remnant people/church, then the harvest occurs. That is perhaps the best statement that comes close to being a vindication. When it occurs, then the harvest at the end of the world can happen. Yet it comes back to this is not even close to being a vindication of God as much as a completion of God's plan of redemption/salvation. In which case, it is only a vindication in that God has finished what He started. To vindicate according to Merriam Webster's dictionary, the first two definitions are: 

a. to free from allegation or blame

b.: confirm, substantiate

The problem is that there are two different presuppositions for Adventists: For many, maybe even most Adventists today, they begin with what is termed the Great Controversy Theme/view, and it is extra-biblical. When you look at Ellen White's quotes with her Great Controversy view, you have to say that there was,  before the earth was created. a claim made by Satan, known to Adventists as Lucifer, that God's government was unfair. That the Law is unjust and cannot be kept. If one uses the extra-biblical worldview of Ellen White than it can become human vindication. By keeping the commandments, humans prove the law is holy, just, and good, and this vindicates the Heavenly Government

So under Ellen Whites view humans can vindicate God by proving to the Universe that God's law can be kept by humans and that by perfecting a final generation, God proves his reputation by getting humans to the spiritually healthy, sinless state proving God power to heal and restore. Adventists who take this route often say something about our mission is vindicate the character of God. So Adventists are at an impasse they want to be Biblical yet want to follow their prophet whom they often refer to as the spirit of prophecy, pen of inspiration, the Lord's Messenger, the Testimonies. But there are two different starting points which necessitates two different ending points.