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I am not Adventist, but I believe in Saturday Sabbath and dietary laws: I am Messianic. So yes, Saturday is the Sabbath, but that doesn't necesserely mean Sunday is the mark of the beast.
But anyway, even though I am not Adventist, let me help you out a little, just as a theoretic possibility. Lets consider a theory of Sunday being the mark of the beast (I am not saying it is, but why not consider a theory). Here is one way in which this can play out, yet Adventists seemed to have totally ignored that scenario. Historically, there have been a lot of antisemitism throughout middle ages. It subsided when people felt bad for the Jews after the holocaust. But now it seems to be coming back, particularly in light of events in middle east. Although of course it doesn't come in nearly as big of a magnitude as it used to be throughout middle ages. But lets say some of the future events would trigger antisemitism to come back full force, to the middle age proportions. Then, whoever is in power, will start arresting people for acting "Jewishly". And then, along with other "Jewish" things that people would be prosecuted for, they would also be prosecuted for keeping Sabbath, because its "Jewish". As a matter of fact, this is exactly how Sabbath got eradicated on the first place. If you look at the time around Constantine, they were labeling it as "Jewish" or "Judaizing" when they were outlawing it. This is exactly what might happen again.
Now, what I don't understand is why none of you Adventists ever considered this scenario. You all are saying as if people will specifically target Adventists. But historically its not something that have happened. Like it or not, Adventists just don't make the news headlines. What DOES have a lot of historical precedents is that they will persecute JEWS, and then Adventists will get persecutted "by association". In fact I read just a few years ago how in Russia someone put antisemitic graffitti on Adventist church and in that graffiti basically told them they are Jews for keeping Saturday. Thats what might happen worldwide. Again, the question is: how come none of the Adventists ever talk about THAT possibility?
To answer my own question, I would say that Adventists might be trying to dissassociate themselves from Jews because they believe in replacement theology. But lets distinguish theology from secular politics. Theologically, Jews are no longer God's chosen people. But, politically, Jews are still targetted. So, from the perspective of secular politics, the most likely "mechanism" Adventists can be targetted is by association with Jews. Theologically you don't like to say this because, again, you don't regard Jews as still chosen. But that doesn't change the fact that this can be a secular mechanism for the prophecy about Adventists to come to fulfillment? So, theologically, Adventists need to be persecutted. From the point of view of secular sociology, Jews tend to be persecutted. Putting the two together, persecution of the Jews can be a "secular" mechanism for the persecution of Adventists to take place, and fulfill the prophecy.
Again, I am not Adventist so I am not saying the prophecy is specifically about Adventists. But, if it is (as a hypothetical), the above can be a way for this to happen. I don't know why you don't consider it.
Side question: since I am on a topic of Adventists avoiding associations with Jews, I was just wondering: do you assume Jews worship on Sunday? I mean, since you say all non-believers will worship on Sunday, do you really think Jews will? If so, how would it supposedly play out?
But anyway, even though I am not Adventist, let me help you out a little, just as a theoretic possibility. Lets consider a theory of Sunday being the mark of the beast (I am not saying it is, but why not consider a theory). Here is one way in which this can play out, yet Adventists seemed to have totally ignored that scenario. Historically, there have been a lot of antisemitism throughout middle ages. It subsided when people felt bad for the Jews after the holocaust. But now it seems to be coming back, particularly in light of events in middle east. Although of course it doesn't come in nearly as big of a magnitude as it used to be throughout middle ages. But lets say some of the future events would trigger antisemitism to come back full force, to the middle age proportions. Then, whoever is in power, will start arresting people for acting "Jewishly". And then, along with other "Jewish" things that people would be prosecuted for, they would also be prosecuted for keeping Sabbath, because its "Jewish". As a matter of fact, this is exactly how Sabbath got eradicated on the first place. If you look at the time around Constantine, they were labeling it as "Jewish" or "Judaizing" when they were outlawing it. This is exactly what might happen again.
Now, what I don't understand is why none of you Adventists ever considered this scenario. You all are saying as if people will specifically target Adventists. But historically its not something that have happened. Like it or not, Adventists just don't make the news headlines. What DOES have a lot of historical precedents is that they will persecute JEWS, and then Adventists will get persecutted "by association". In fact I read just a few years ago how in Russia someone put antisemitic graffitti on Adventist church and in that graffiti basically told them they are Jews for keeping Saturday. Thats what might happen worldwide. Again, the question is: how come none of the Adventists ever talk about THAT possibility?
To answer my own question, I would say that Adventists might be trying to dissassociate themselves from Jews because they believe in replacement theology. But lets distinguish theology from secular politics. Theologically, Jews are no longer God's chosen people. But, politically, Jews are still targetted. So, from the perspective of secular politics, the most likely "mechanism" Adventists can be targetted is by association with Jews. Theologically you don't like to say this because, again, you don't regard Jews as still chosen. But that doesn't change the fact that this can be a secular mechanism for the prophecy about Adventists to come to fulfillment? So, theologically, Adventists need to be persecutted. From the point of view of secular sociology, Jews tend to be persecutted. Putting the two together, persecution of the Jews can be a "secular" mechanism for the persecution of Adventists to take place, and fulfill the prophecy.
Again, I am not Adventist so I am not saying the prophecy is specifically about Adventists. But, if it is (as a hypothetical), the above can be a way for this to happen. I don't know why you don't consider it.
Side question: since I am on a topic of Adventists avoiding associations with Jews, I was just wondering: do you assume Jews worship on Sunday? I mean, since you say all non-believers will worship on Sunday, do you really think Jews will? If so, how would it supposedly play out?
