The Seventh-day Adventist Church has rubbished claims that the covid-19 is the mark of the beast which is popularly known as the 666.
The Church says such assertions are not not founded by any biblical explanations and is not supported by the Church.
Public Relations Officer Dr. Solace Asafo speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm said the Church encourages responsible immunisation and has no religious or faith-based reason not to encourage their members not to responsibly participate in protective and preventive immunisation programmes.
She was responding to questions on the statement issued by the Church on the vaccine.
The statement said: “Additionally, in response to the claims that the vaccine is the end time mark of the beast recorded in the book of Revelation, it should be made clear that Seventh-day Adventists do not believe that the “mark of the beast” is a literal mark, but rather a sign of allegiance that identifies the bearer as loyal to the power represented by the beast.”
The statement added: “On the current debates on the COVID-19 vaccine, we wish to inform our members that vaccines have long been used by Adventist church members throughout the world. As we witness the global magnitude of the pandemic, the deaths, disability, and long-term COVID-19 effects that are emerging in all age groups, we encourage our members to consider responsible immunisation.
The stand of the Adventist Church is based on its strong teaching and practices on health and well-being informed by biblical revelation, writings of Ellen G. White (co-founder of the Church), and on peer-reviewed scientific literature.
It is worth noting however that the corporate church is not the conscience of the individual church member, and we recognize individual choices. These are exercised by the individual. The choice by a member not to be immunised is not and should not be seen as the dogma nor the doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
She indicated that the church will further use the pulpit to educate tenor members on the vaccination to defuse their minds on the speculations and misinformation thrown at them.
She said some of the information shared are unfortunate and has the potency to affect the beliefs and values of the Church.
The PRO further stated that the speculative view that vaccines make a person unclean because supposedly, unclean substances are used to produce them is a misrepresentation of the biblical instructions forbidding the consumption of unclean food and blood.
“The instructions in Leviticus 11:1–20; 17:11–12; and Acts 15:20 do not apply to vaccines for the obvious reason that vaccines are produced as medication to save lives, not to serve as food.
Speculations such as these bring the Word of God into disrepute, causes confusion among sincere but less-informed believers, and distracts sincere believers from the real prophetic issues and the Adventist Church’s commitment to proclaim the gospel.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com
