As Christians Seventh-day Adventists believe that with the rejection of Christ, that the promises and "status" as God's chosen people transferred and transitioned from the Jewish nation to the Christian believers. This is understood from the writings of Paul in Galatians 3:29 (And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.). The stoning of Stephen signifies a final rejection of Christ.
This is not to say that Jews cannot be saved, but merely that their status as God's chosen people no longer exists. Everyone is saved by trusting in Jesus and accepting Him as their personal Savior.
2007-11-06 08:27:55
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answer #1
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answered by texaskelt 5
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I couldn't speak for Jehovah's Witnesses, but I've spent quite a bit of time talking with Adventists. Adventists teach that the "chosenness" of the Jews as God's special people ended with the stoning of Stephen. As far as I can tell, the reason for this is that the stoning of Stephen was a final rejection of Jesus as the Messiah by the Jews.
When Jesus came, the majority of the Jews rejected him as the Messiah. Then, after Jesus' death, Stephen was preaching that Jesus was the Messiah and the Jews killed him for it. Adventists typically see this as being the "last straw."
2007-11-06 15:22:19
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answer #2
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answered by JWrightus 2
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No.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe the bible to teach that all 144,000 resurrected to heaven to serve as governmental administrators of God's Messianic Kingdom could have been natural Jews if only sufficient numbers had embraced Christianity.
Jesus gave Peter three keys to the Kingdom, enabling the way to be opened to Jews first, Samaritans chronologically second, and thirdly to Gentiles (all other non-Jews).
(John 1:11-13) He came to his own home [that is, Israel], but his own people did not take him in. However, as many as did receive him, to them he gave authority to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith in his name; and they were born, not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God.
(Acts 8:14-17) When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they dispatched Peter and John to them; and these went down and prayed for them to get holy spirit. For it had not yet fallen upon any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they went laying their hands upon them, and they began to receive holy spirit.
2007-11-06 18:26:33
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answer #3
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answered by achtung_heiss 7
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I was raised an Adventist and this is the first I've heard of it.
2007-11-06 15:16:30
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answer #4
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answered by STFU Dude 6
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I think they believe everyone is done away with but them ?
2007-11-06 15:17:21
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answer #5
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answered by hghostinme 6
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