Readers of our site will recall a recent three-part series of articles on Seventh-day Adventists and conspiracy theories [1]. The challenge posed by such diversions from the message and mission of the church has again surfaced in the emergence of the so-called QAnon movement, which alleges the world in general and America in particular to be governed by a cabal of Satan-worshiping, child-sacrificing pedophiles whose purpose was supposedly the overthrow of the now ex-presidency of Donald Trump [2].
As with many such theories, no verifiable evidence has been produced for its support [3]. Fabricated ties between disjointed occurrences, unproved and outrageous allegations, and assumptions rooted in the worst sort of evil surmising regarding alleged societal and political adversaries, form the tapestry of the QAnon worldview. But when the perception of personal helplessness against cultural trends, combined with raging contempt for the perceived “establishment,” is permitted to drive one’s thinking, objective evidence ceases to be necessary. This is one of the most mindless and perverse problems with conspiracy speculation, from whatever source it arises.
What is especially frightening is how, in the recent 2020 U.S. election cycle, at least 81 adherents to the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory have run as candidates for the U.S. House and Senate [4]. Once the primaries ended and the final candidates were known, the total list whittled down to 24—22 Republicans and 2 Democrats [5]. Two of these, in the end, were elected to the U.S. House [6].
One of these, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District—a well-off 43-year-old mother with three children [7]—has suggested that the reason Donald Trump ran for the U.S. presidency in the first place was due to his desire to bring the QAnon cabal to justice, that supposedly Trump “could not stomach the thought of mass murders occurring to satisfy Moloch” [8]. (For those who may have forgotten, Moloch was one of the pagan deities in the Old Testament to whom children were offered as sacrifices (Lev. 18:21; 20:1-5; II Kings 23:10).) Ms. Greene is known for her devotion to other crackpot conspiracy theories, such as the suggestion that the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, was staged by the political Left for the purpose of discrediting conservatives, and that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job” [9].
Hanging around the halls of Congress sometime ago, prior to her election, Ms. Greene demonstrated her contempt for religious freedom in the United States when she tried to force Congresswomen Iban Omar and Rashida Tlaib to retake their oaths of office on the Bible rather than the Koran [10].
Members of the QAnon cult appear to have played a prominent role in the recent violent storming of the U.S. Capitol [11].
A Grotesque Demon? Or an Angel of Light?
The author of the above-referenced article writes of how, among extremists like those drawn to this absurd theory, “the most effective political untruths often end up being the most mind-blowingly implausible ones” [12]. For those whose thinking is driven less by facts than by fear, such consequences are not unexpected. And not only in the realm of politics.
For the premises and outlook held by the Bible-believing Christian, recognition of the world’s evil is a given. The New Testament admonishes us:
Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4).
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (I John 2:15-16).
But as was noted in our earlier series on conspiracy speculation [13], this doesn’t mean anyone who says something evil about the world is therefore telling the truth. The careful assembly of objective facts and rational evidence remains imperative for those who hold honesty and integrity among the highest virtues. Scaring people about established authority by means of outlandish, unsustained allegations should be off-limits for any serious Christian, let alone members of God’s end-time remnant whose banner of identity proclaims obedience to God’s commandments (Rev. 12:17; 14:12).
What is more, the allurement of outrageous conspiracism and the assumption of the worst regarding perceived enemies should be approached with deliberation and caution by the Biblically conscious Christian. In the first place, evil surmising is explicitly condemned in the Bible (I Tim. 6:4), and those cultural and societal leaders Christians choose to despise are not listed as exceptions to this rule. In addition, the Bible does not anticipate grotesque practices like pedophilia, demon worship, and child sacrifice as characterizing the conduct of Satan’s allies, especially in the last days. Indeed, just the opposite is stated:
And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works (II Cor. 11:14-15).
Indeed, our Lord is clear that the witness of Satan’s agents at the end of time, far from being outlandishly wicked and repulsive even to the unconverted, will be such that even the very elect will stand in danger of being deceived (Matt. 24:24). Seventh-day Adventists especially must avoid the urge of looking for what I have called an “easy Antichrist” [14]. Child-eating pedophiles aren’t difficult for even the obviously unconverted to deplore. By contrast, zealous Christians posing as saviors of the family in general and children in particular are much harder for many of their fellow religionists to subject to the scrutiny of the written Word (Isa. 8:20; Acts 17:11).
Gross iniquity is certainly present in our world, likely among some in high places as anywhere. But Christians must beware of making such claims in the absence of verifiable, reasonable evidence and credible sources to buttress such claims. Moreover, the writings of Ellen White are clear that anti-government agitation—and few conspiracy theories do not include such sentiments—is not to be indulged by Seventh-day Adventists. The following dire warning should never be far from the Adventist mind when encountering such speculation:
By some of our brethren many things have been spoken and written that are interpreted as expressing antagonism to government and law. It is a mistake thus to lay ourselves open to misunderstanding. It is not wise to find fault continually with what is done by the rulers of government. It is not our work to attack individuals or institutions. We should exercise great care lest we be understood as putting ourselves in opposition to the civil authorities. . . .
The time will come when unguarded expressions of a denunciatory character, that have been carelessly spoken or written by our brethren, will be used by our enemies to condemn us. These will not be used merely to condemn those who made the statements, but will be charged upon the whole body of Adventists. Our accusers will say that upon such and such a day one of our responsible men said thus and so against the administration of the laws of this government. Many will be astonished to see how many things have been cherished and remembered that will give point to the arguments of our adversaries. Many will be surprised to hear their own words strained into a meaning that they did not intend them to have. Then let our workers be careful to speak guardedly at all times and under all circumstances. Let all beware lest by reckless expressions they bring on a time of trouble before the great crisis which is to try men’s souls [15].
A Baseless Parallel
Many Seventh-day Adventists were rightly appalled by the recent comparison in two mainstream news articles between the QAnon absurdity and the Millerite movement of the 19th century [16]. For more than several reasons, it seems the author and editors of these pieces notably failed to do their homework. Any careful study of the work and ministry of William Miller and his associates couldn’t honestly find in their labors and witness the sort of “seamless blend of Christianity and nationalism” of which one of these articles speaks [17]. Nor did Miller and his followers engage in public attacks on civil government, and certainly none stoked or participated in violent insurrection against the United States of America.
No “America First” political agenda formed a part of William Miller’s message or that of his colleagues. Nor did Miller and his fellow laborers, or significant groups among their followers, trade in the kind of outlandish conspiracy theories or allegations of grotesque misconduct found in today’s QAnon movement and in similar contemporary circles. Wrong as their initial understanding surely was regarding the event to which the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 pointed, only a passion to see Jesus return and take His children home possessed the hearts of those who formed the phenomenon out of which the Seventh-day Adventist Church arose.
Regurgitating an Old Lie
One of the articles drawing this absurd parallel between Millerism and the QAnon conspiracy-mongers resurrected an old falsehood regarding the Old Testament prophecies of Daniel:
Ironically, the prophecies in Daniel that formed the basis for the Millerite (and many other!) prophecies about the end of the world were themselves the product of dashed expectations. Though it is set in the sixth century B.C., Daniel was written during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV (175-164 B.C.). At the time Judeans were wrestling with the Antiochus’s attempts to eradicate Jewish customs and traditions like Sabbath observance, circumcision, and dietary laws. As a response to this crisis the book contains a series of prophecies about what would happen at the end of time [18].
Had the author of this article done a bit more research, it would have been clear to her that any connection between the Maccabean revolt of the second-century B.C. and the prophecies of Daniel is historically untenable. For starters, the Aramaic found in the book of Daniel (chs. 2:4-7:28) happens to be sixth-century Mesopotamian, imperial Aramaic, the language of diplomacy and politics in the Neo-Babylonian court of Nebuchadnezzar II [19]. The likelihood that this version of Aramaic would have been accessible to second-century B.C. Palestinian peasants—those who organized the Maccabean insurrection—is remote to the point of fantastic.
Moreover, the power some wish to identify in Daniel 8 with Antiochus IV Epiphanes is described in Daniel as one that “waxed exceeding great, toward the south, toward the east, and toward the pleasant land” (verse 9). Antiochus waxed “exceeding great” in none of these directions, experiencing defeat wherever he turned [20]. Rome, by contrast, did exactly as the above verse describes.
In addition, the time frame of the prophecy in Daniel 8:14, mistakenly applied by critical scholars to the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanies, doesn’t fit with the time period given in the account of the Maccabean uprising in the Apocryphal book of First Maccabees. According to the author of this history, the restoration of the Temple services following the defeat of Antiochus took place “on the anniversary of the day when the Gentiles had profaned it, on that very day” (I Macc. 4:54, NEB). Whether one literally understands the 2,300 days of Daniel 8:14 to refer to six years and four months, or three years and two months, either way it can’t fit with the historical record.
What is more, Jesus identified the “abomination of desolation” described by Daniel as still future in His day (Matt. 24:15), nearly two centuries after Antiochus Epiphanes was dead and gone. Whatever one’s view of the claims of Jesus, it would hardly make sense for Him to have described as prophetic an event known by His hearers to have already been fulfilled. Thus the identification by classic Protestantism of this power as Rome (first pagan, then papal) is thus congruent both with the overall sweep of prophetic history as outlined in Daniel and Revelation, as well as with this key prediction of our Lord.
Frankly, it would have made far more sense for certain fellow Adventists to have focused on the above historical facts which easily refute the late authorship theory so far as the book of Daniel is concerned, instead of using the media article in question as an excuse for another ill-founded rant against so-called “cultural Marxists” [21]. Seventh-day Adventists do the cause of their Lord no honor by the broad-brush, slap-dash use of labels like these, the history of whose use in the American story is long and discredited. Such sloppy labeling is of the same quality as the cursory assumptions responsible for identifying the prophecies of Daniel with Antiochus Epiphanes. It is best we point honest inquirers—of whom the world still includes many—to the facts, whether the facts of Millerism or those of the Biblical sources which inspired the founders of the great Advent movement.
Conclusion
Appeals to Biblical morality and the Bible-based condemnation of sin cannot rest on wild, unproved speculation. Assuming the worst about people and societal leaders with whom we differ, far from being a Christian trait, is sharply condemned in the Sacred Scriptures as “evil surmising” (I Tim. 6:4). The drawing power of the Biblical message needs no supplementing with such strange fire. Yes, the influence of Satan and his demons is dominant in today’s world, but most of the time it hides under a pious mask.
Ellen White speaks of how, in the lead-up to the final conflict, that “the sins of Babylon will be laid open” [22]. But interestingly, she doesn’t list among these sins such obviously abominable misdeeds as pedophilia or child sacrifice. Rather, the first of these Babylonish transgressions of which she speaks is “the fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority” [23]—an agenda with whom the theocrats of today’s Religious Right in America, and their fantasy-spinning acolytes, have openly associated themselves.
The focus of our message and mission as God’s people has no company with unhinged conspiracism. Our task is to call the world to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Rev. 12:17; 14:12), and to direct the human heart to the sole means whereby genuine love and moral purity can be established—voluntary, uncoerced submission to the Sacred Word.
REFERENCES
1. Kevin Paulson, “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories,” Parts 1-3 http://advindicate.com/articles/2019/9/20/paulson-draft-1-s88fl-6mlnf-tyf95
http://advindicate.com/articles/2019/9/20/paulson-draft-1-s88fl-6mlnf-49y4n-dkr69-dcwee-sxa65-rr6n4
http://advindicate.com/articles/2019/9/20/paulson-draft-1-s88fl-6mlnf-49y4n-dkr69-dcwee
2. “QAnon,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon
3. Ibid.
4. Simon van Zuylen-Wood, “QAnon Goes to Washington,” New York, Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2020, p. 33.
5. Ibid.
6. Katherine Tully-McManus, “QAnon goes to Washington: two supporters win seats in Congress,” Roll Call, Nov. 5, 2020 https://www.rollcall.com/2020/11/05/qanon-goes-to-washington-two-supporters-win-seats-in-congress/
7. Van Zuylen-Wood, “QAnon Goes to Washington,” New York, Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2020, p. 33.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid, p. 71.
10. Ibid.
11. Olivia Rubin, Lucien Bruggeman, and Will Steakin, “QAnon emerges as recurring theme of criminal cases tied to U.S. Capitol siege,” ABC News, Jan. 19, 2021 https://abcnews.go.com/US/qanon-emerges-recurring-theme-criminal-cases-tied-us/story?id=75347445
12. Van Zuylen-Wood, “QAnon Goes to Washington,” New York, Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2020, p. 33, p. 33.
13. Paulson, “Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories,” Part 1 http://advindicate.com/articles/2019/9/20/paulson-draft-1-s88fl-6mlnf-tyf95
14. ----“Seventh-day Adventists and Conspiracy Theories,” Part 2 http://advindicate.com/articles/2019/9/20/paulson-draft-1-s88fl-6mlnf-49y4n-dkr69-dcwee-sxa65-rr6n4
15. Ellen G. White, Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 394-395.
16. Daniel Burke, “How QAnon uses religion to lure unsuspecting Christians,” CNN, Oct. 15, 2020 https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/us/qanon-religion-churches/index.html ; Candita Moss, “How a New Religion Could Rise from the Ashes of QAnon,” Yahoo! News, Jan. 21, 2021 https://news.yahoo.com/religion-could-rise-ashes-qanon-095739615.html
17. Burke, “How QAnon uses religion to lure unsuspecting Christians,” CNN, Oct. 15, 2020 https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/us/qanon-religion-churches/index.html
18. Moss, “How a New Religion Could Rise from the Ashes of QAnon,” Yahoo! News, Jan. 21, 2021 https://news.yahoo.com/religion-could-rise-ashes-qanon-095739615.html
19. Gerhard F. Hasel, “Is the Aramaic of Daniel early or late?” Ministry, January 1980 https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1980/01/is-the-aramaic-of-daniel-early-or-late
20. See Michael Grant, From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellenistic World (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982), pp. 102,279.
21. Gerry Waggoner, “Hit Piece on Adventism Published in Daily Beast,” Fulcrum7, Jan. 22, 2021 http://www.fulcrum7.com/news/2021/1/22/hit-piece-on-adventism-published-in-daily-beast
22. White, The Great Controversy, p. 606.
23. Ibid.
Pastor Kevin Paulson holds a Bachelor’s degree in theology from Pacific Union College, a Master of Arts in systematic theology from Loma Linda University, and a Master of Divinity from the SDA Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He served the Greater New York Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for ten years as a Bible instructor, evangelist, and local pastor. He writes regularly for Liberty magazine and does script writing for various evangelistic ministries within the denomination. He continues to hold evangelistic and revival meetings throughout the North American Division and beyond, and is a sought-after seminar speaker relative to current issues in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He presently resides in Berrien Springs, Michigan