This past week the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) community has been grieving the loss of the adult son of faculty members. As such, this unfortunate occasion provides AIIAS the opportunity to affirm the hope in the soon coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead as well as other beliefs and statements of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
AIIAS is a graduate school and seminary located in Silang, Cavite, Philippines, and operated by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
During this difficult time, counseling was set up for mourning individuals. The AIIAS counselor’s office provided counseling opportunities. The seminary faculty members also set up a grief counseling center where community members could come individual counseling as well as prayer and encouragement from the Bible.
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists provided a professional psychologist, Dr. Ann Hamel, who met with the grieving family and community.
Among the encouraging truths affirmed is that “the second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide.”
“When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die.” The full statement on this topic is found in Adventist belief number 25.
The Adventist church believes in the power of Jesus Christ over Satan and his evil spirits. Note this quotation from the eleventh fundamental Adventist belief: “By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil.”
“He who subjugated the demonic spirits during His earthly ministry has broken their power and made certain their ultimate doom. Jesus’ victory gives us victory over the evil forces that still seek to control us, as we walk with Him in peace, joy, and assurance of His love.” The full statement on this topic is found in Adventist belief number 11.
According to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Health department, “The Adventist Health Message is founded on the Bible, informed by revelation through the inspired writings of Ellen G. White, and consonant with evidence-based, peer-reviewed science.”
“We operate under the conviction that God is the author of all true science. Therefore, we respect evidence which stands up to the rigors of careful examination and analysis according to accepted scientific principles. We believe this is vital in a world filled with misinformation and falsehood.”
The worldwide Adventist health system “operates more than 175 hospitals and 269 clinics, including world renowned institutions such as Loma Linda University Medical Center and Florida Hospital in the USA, through to ‘bare-essentials’ clinics serving the developing world. Via all of these avenues, the mission of the SDA church health ministries is to extend the healing ministry of Christ, caring for the whole person – body, mind and spirit.”
Seventh-day Adventists value the sacredness of life, and during this time of grieving, we look with hope to the Second Coming of Jesus when family and friends anticipate being reunited with loved ones they have lost.
