seventh day

The Rise of Sabbatarian Adventism

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“We now turn to the second distinguishing doctrine of the Sabbatarian Adventists—their acceptance and observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. Prophetic interpretation, as we have seen from the sources, has persisted through the vicissitudes of the passing centuries, despite certain stormy upheavals and periodic setbacks. In a similar way, though not so commonly known, the Christian observance of the seventh-day Sabbath has likewise persisted throughout the Christian era. At times it has been driven underground, into silence and obscurity. But it has inevitably reappeared to bear its witness and urge its message upon mankind. The Sabbath, and its change and restoration, are tied inseparably into the very structure of Bible prophecy, the Sabbatarian Adventists firmly believed.” The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, 906.

Following the death of the apostles, Sabbath observance continued in various parts of the Roman Empire. There were some in the Celtic Church of Scotland that kept the seventh-day Sabbath. The same was true in Ethiopia and Abyssinia as well as in pre-Reformation Norway. During and after the Reformation period, Sabbath-keeping reappeared in Sweden, Finland, Bohemia, England, Poland, France and Germany. These groups developed into the Seventh-Day Baptist communion. Samuel Mumford took this movement from England to America in 1664. The years following saw the establishment of the Seventh-Day Baptists in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“The seventeenth-century revival of the seventh-day Sabbath centered chiefly in England, touched Continental Europe slightly, and was projected into the New World. And we have seen how, in North America, agitation over the seventh-day Sabbath appeared first in the Colonial Era, and then in the early National period, and this among men of British as well as German background. And now, in the early decades of the nineteenth century, simultaneously in Argentina and Scotland, new Sabbatarian voices break forth early in the great revival of prophetic exposition, which appeared at the same time in the different countries of Christendom. Thus the Sabbath message was brought out in connection with the Old World Advent Awakening, and in the New World Second Advent Movement.

“These two doctrines combined—the second-advent and the Sabbath—were proclaimed. . . by two widely separated pioneer advent heralds—Francisco Ramos Mexia, prominent Argentine patriot (with a Scottish Protestant background on his mothers side), and Presbyterian James A. Begg, substantial bookseller, printer, and author of Glasgow, Scotland. Within a few years of each other they began to combine emphasis on the binding obligation of an unchanged seventh-day Sabbath with the heralding of the imminent second advent, planting both doctrines squarely on the foundation of Bible prophecy.” Ibid., 941.

The Sabbath Message Presented to the Adventists

During the years 1843 and 1844, the Seventh-Day Baptists, through fasting and prayer, supplicated God to raise up others that were Sabbathkeepers. In the meantime Rachel Oakes began the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath and proclaimed this truth in Washington, New Hampshire, where two ministers accepted it. One was a Methodist circuit rider named Frederick Wheeler. The other was Thomas M. Preble, the first Adventist to advocate the Sabbath in print. An article that he wrote and published in The Hope of Israel in 1845, introduced the Sabbath to J. N. Andrews and Joseph Bates. (Unfortunately, later Preble turned against the Sabbath truth and wrote against it.) It was by means of a tract, Bates wrote, that the Sabbath was brought to James and Ellen White.

For almost two hundred years the Seventh-Day Baptists were practically the only ones that upheld the seventh day as the Sabbath. The Sunday-keeping churches all rejected the appeals of the Seventh-Day Baptists. This was also the response of the Millerites in general. The leaders and editors of the Adventist journals were highly critical of the agitation among the Adventists about the seventh-day Sabbath.

In August, of 1844, an article appeared that stated: “We feel borne irresistibly to the conclusion that there is no particular portion of time which Christians are required by Law to set apart, as holy time. If the Scriptures, and the considerations presented, do not convince our readers of this, then we think there is another conclusion to which they must come, viz. The particular portion of time which God requires us to observe as holy, is the seventh day of the week, that is, Saturday.

“We regret to leave the argument at this point, but space fails and we must beg our readers to search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. They have learned to bow to no authority but God’s, and having that, to treat the decisions of men as utterly worthless.

“We love the seventh-day brethren and sisters, but we think they are trying to mend the old broken Jewish yoke, and put it on their necks, instead of standing fast in the liberty wherewith Christ makes free.” Ibid., 944.

After Bates heard about the Sabbath through Preble’s article, he met Frederick Wheeler. Bates was so interested in what he had to say that they conversed all night about the Law of God and the neglected Sabbath. Together they went to confer with Cyrus Farnsworth, an early lay pioneer of the Adventists. These three men sealed a pact among them about the Law of God and in particular the most neglected part of it, the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus by the efforts of these three men, New Hampshire became the cradle of the Seventh-day Adventists.

In 1846, Joseph Bates published a forty-eight page tract entitled The Seventh Day Sabbath, A Perpetual Sign. He based his premise upon the fact that the Sabbath was instituted at Creation and was reinforced at Sinai. And since the Ten Commandments are the moral guide for everyone, the Sabbath commandment should be obeyed just like the others.

This tract was followed by another, entitled A Seal of the Living God, January 1849, where he set forth the Sabbath as being the seal of God. Bates concluded that the remnant “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ would number 144,000.”

Prominent Adventist Leaders Accept the Sabbath

At first, Ellen Harmon and James White did not accept the Sabbath truth as presented by Bates. Ellen was brought up a Methodist and believed in “free grace and dying love.” James claimed that Christians are not “under the Law.” They both regarded the Sabbath as Jewish and felt that Bates had placed too much emphasis upon keeping it. However, after their marriage they studied Bates’ tract more closely and, comparing the clear Biblical and historical evidence, shortly began to keep the Sabbath.

John Nevins Andrews was another young man that accepted the Sabbath when Marian Stowell, a fellow Advent believer, who was staying in the Andrew’s home, gave him a copy of Preble’s Hope of Israel. The parents of both these young people, after reading the tract, accepted the seventh-day Sabbath. The Cyprian Stevens family was the next to believe in the seventh-day Sabbath. One of their daughters later became Mrs. J. N. Andrews and the other one Mrs. Uriah Smith.

“Although the seventh-day Sabbath came to the attention of a group of Adventists through the Seventh-Day Baptists, it was the light on the sanctuary and the prophecy of Daniel 7:25 coupled with that of Revelation 14:9–12 that invested it with a significance and an importance that the Sabbath had never had under the Seventh-Day Baptists. They had long held that all the Ten Commandments are moral, not ceremonial; that they are unchangeable, being a revelation of the character of God; and that the change of the Sabbath was made by the papal church without authorization from God. Their position in this was impregnable. But Mrs. Preston (Rachel Oakes), in Washington, New Hampshire, simply urging the claim of the unchanged seventh-day Sabbath, did not have much initial success. Only in the sanctuary setting did it begin to grip hearts. The belief that men were living in the judgment hour, and were to be judged by the great unchanged standard of the judgment, with the coming of Christ drawing near, drove home the conviction that the Lord was calling men to obey all of His commandments.” Ibid., 960.

In 1849, Joseph Bates went to Michigan where he raised up a company of Sabbath-keepers in Jackson. He went to Battle Creek in 1852 and when he arrived he asked the postmaster for the name of the most honest man in that town. He was given the name of David Hewitt. Bates spent all day at the Hewitt home presenting a thorough and systematic study of the Advent Movement, including the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14. The family accepted the entire presentation and soon a group was meeting in their home until a building could be erected for meetings.

And this was Bates’ typical method. When he went where there were no churches, he rented a hall, schoolhouse or a home, hung up his 1843 chart and preached on the new found light. Many churches were established. The success of these churches was always based on the prophecies. In 1860, when the Sabbatarian Adventists decided to organize, Joseph Bates was made the chairman and directed the conference to a successful conclusion.

“So, to the concept of Christ entering the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, on October 22, 1844, for the final work of judgment and the receiving of His kingdom, was added the Sabbath . . . . This concept of the ‘seal’ was likewise built into the message of the Sabbath, as an added prophetic element. And this thought was similarly attested by Ellen White, who wrote, ‘This seal is the Sabbath,’ and described the most holy place in which was the ark (Revelation 11:9), containing the Ten Commandments, with a halo of light surrounding the fourth. Thus the Sabbath and the sanctuary became inseparably tied together.” Ibid., 958.

A Day of Sabbath Rest

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Are you tired? Are you weary of the rat race and busyness of life? Do you wish you could take a break from it all? In the Bible we are told that God took a break from His work. When God created the world, He worked for six days, and then “He rested on the seventh day from all His work, which He had made.” Genesis 2:2. Even the God of heaven and earth stopped His work for a day of refreshment. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:17.

A Day of Rest – Instituted at Creation

God understands our need to rest. He knows our need for a break, and in the very beginning (creation), He instituted a day for us to rest and be refreshed just as He was. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8. When God says to “Remember the Sabbath day,” He is saying to remember the seventh day of creation, because in verse 11 He points us back to creation when the Sabbath was created, His example of rest. “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11.

A Day of Refreshment

The Sabbath was made for man to be a refreshment. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:17.

God’s Gift to “All Mankind”

“And He [Jesus] said unto them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:27. The Sabbath was instituted after the creation of man. It is meant to be a blessing, a gift, for all mankind. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

A Rest from Labor

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” Exodus 20:9–11. “The weekly cycle of seven literal days, six for labor and the seventh for rest, which has been preserved and brought down through Bible history, originated in the great facts of the first seven days.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol.1, 86.

A Day of Holy Thoughts

This day is also given to us as a rest from all our wearisome thoughts. “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:3.

Sabbath is a Day of Holy Worship to God

“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.” Leviticus 23:3.

“Remember” the Seventh-day Sabbath

The Sabbath was not instituted when God gave His law to the Jews. The Lord told the Jews to “remember” the Sabbath. The Sabbath was not a new commandment; it had already been given; it was instituted at creation for all mankind. The Jews were told to “remember” the Sabbath, because when they were in Egypt, they were slaves and had lost the importance of the Sabbath rest. The Lord tells mankind to “remember,” because He knew this was the one commandment the world would tend to forget.

Sabbath is an Everlasting Covenant

“Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.” Exodus 31:16.

God’s Law is for All Mankind

Jesus says to us, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. “Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.” Deuteronomy 5:15. God’s law was given to the Jews, because He was their Saviour from bondage/Egypt. God’s law is given to us, because He is our Creator and our Saviour from bondage/world of sin.

Saturday – the Seventh-day is the Sabbath

When Jesus died for our sins, He hung on the cross and died on the sixth day of the week — Friday. He “rested on the Sabbath,” the seventh day — Saturday. He was raised from the dead on the first day — Sunday. As Creator, Jesus rested on the Sabbath. As Saviour, Jesus rested on the Sabbath. “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. . . . And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath.” Mark 15:37, 42. “And when the Sabbath was past, . . very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.” Mark 16:1, 2. “And he took it [Jesus’ body] down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [Friday], and the Sabbath [Saturday] drew on. And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how His body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. . . . He is not here, but is risen. . . .” Luke 23:53–56; 24:1, 6. “When Jesus . . . said, ‘It is finished:’ and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day. . . .” John 19:30, 31.

Choose Ye This Day — A Blessing or a Curse

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, . . . And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God. . . .” Deuteronomy 11:26-28. “On the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.” Exodus 35:2. “Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it . . . shall be cut off from among his people.” Exodus 31:14.

Sabbath keeping — A Special Blessing Given

“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13, 14. “Blessed is the man. . . that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it. . . .” Isaiah 56:2.

Bible Study Guides – The Sabbath in Eden

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October 1, 2006 – October 7, 2006

Key Text

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Genesis 2:2.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 47–51.

Introduction

“After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 47.

“Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight [is] in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1.

1 According to the creation story as recorded in the Bible, in how many days did God create the earth and all the life in it?

2 Were the days of creation literal days as we know them now? Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; Psalm 33:6, 9.

note: “The Bible recognizes no long ages in which the earth was slowly evolved from chaos. Of each successive day of creation, the sacred record declares that it consisted of the evening and the morning, like all other days that have followed.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 112.

“Inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature have, however, led to supposed conflict between science and revelation; and in the effort to restore harmony, interpretations of Scripture have been adopted that undermine and destroy the force of the word of God. Geology has been thought to contradict the literal interpretation of the Mosaic record of the creation. Millions of years, it is claimed, were required for the evolution of the earth from chaos; and in order to accommodate the Bible to this supposed revelation of science, the days of creation are assumed to have been vast, indefinite periods, covering thousands or even millions of years.

“Such a conclusion is wholly uncalled for. The Bible record is in harmony with itself and with the teaching of nature. Of the first day employed in the work of creation is given the record, ‘The evening and the morning were the first day.’ Genesis 1:5. And the same in substance is said of each of the first six days of creation week. Each of these periods Inspiration declares to have been a day consisting of evening and morning, like every other day since that time. In regard to the work of creation itself the divine testimony is, ‘He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.’ Psalm 33:9. With Him who could thus call into existence unnumbered worlds, how long a time would be required for the evolution of the earth from chaos? In order to account for His works, must we do violence to His word?” Education, 128, 129.

3 What did God do on the seventh day of creation? Genesis 2:1, 2.

note: “The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God ‘rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.’ [Genesis 2:2, 3.] God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 47.

4 What does it mean when the Bible records that God sanctified the seventh day? Leviticus 20:7.

note: “Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, ‘God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,’—set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God’s power and His love. The Scripture says, ‘He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.’ ‘The things that are made,’ declare ‘the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world,’ ‘even His everlasting power and divinity.’ Genesis 2:3; Psalm 111:4; Romans 1:20, R. V.” The Desire of Ages, 281.

“After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God’s great work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 47.

5 Of what was the Sabbath intended to remind us? Exodus 20:11; 31:16, 17.

note: “In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority. Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 48.

“When God created the earth and placed man upon it, he divided time into seven periods. Six he gave to man for his own use, to employ in secular business; one he reserved for himself. Having rested on the seventh day, he blessed and sanctified it. Henceforth, the seventh day was to be regarded as the Lord’s rest-day, and to be sacredly observed as the memorial of his creative work. It was not the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth day that was sanctified, or set apart to a holy use, neither was it a seventh part of time and no day in particular; but it was the seventh day, the day upon which God had rested. We are every day to think of God and live as in his sight; but when the six days’ work is done, we are to ‘remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,’ [Exodus 20:8]—to cease from labor and devote the day exclusively to meditation and worship.” The Signs of the Times, February 28, 1884.

6 In reminding us of creation, how does the Sabbath point to redemption? Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12.

note: “All things were created by the Son of God. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.’ John 1:1–3. And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 281.

7 What work was given to Adam and Eve in the garden? Genesis 2:15.

note: “To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden, ‘to dress it and to keep it.’ Genesis 2:15. Though rich in all that the Owner of the universe could supply, they were not to be idle. Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing, to strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the character.” Education, 21.

8 After working six days, how can we keep the Sabbath as Adam and Eve did?

note: “I [Ellen White] was shown that the law of God would stand fast forever, and exist in the new earth to all eternity. At the creation, when the foundations of the earth were laid, the sons of God looked with admiration upon the work of the Creator, and all the heavenly host shouted for joy. It was then that the foundation of the Sabbath was laid. At the close of the six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made; and He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden before the fall, and was observed by Adam and Eve, and all the heavenly host. God rested on the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. I saw that the Sabbath never will be done away; but that the redeemed saints, and all the angelic host, will observe it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity.” Early Writings, 217.

“The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. Heaven’s work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds.” The Desire of Ages, 207.

9 When Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, what sentence was pronounced upon them? Were they still to be engaged in labor? Genesis 3:23, 24.

note: “When the Lord placed our first parents in the garden of Eden, it was with the injunction that they ‘dress it’ and ‘keep it.’ [Genesis 2:15.] God had finished His work of creation, and had pronounced all things very good. Everything was adapted to the end for which it was made. While Adam and Eve obeyed God, their labors in the garden were a pleasure; the earth yielded of its abundance for their wants. But when man departed from his obedience to God, he was doomed to wrestle with the seeds of Satan’s sowing, and to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. Henceforth he must battle in toil and hardship against the power to which he had yielded his will.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 512, 513.

10 As a token of God’s love and care for Adam and Eve and all mankind, what remained for them to know Him? Ezekiel 20:20.

note: “The Sabbath was instituted in Eden and observed by our first parents before the fall. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, and ate of the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from Eden; but they observed the Sabbath after their fall. They had experienced the bitter fruits of disobedience, and learned what every one who tramples upon God’s commands will sooner or later learn, that God means just what he says, and that he will surely punish the transgressor. Those who venture to lightly esteem the day upon which Jehovah rested, the day which he sanctified and blessed, the day which he has commanded to be kept holy, will yet know that all the precepts of his law are alike sacred, and that death is the penalty of the transgression.” The Signs of the Times, February 6, 1879.

Personal Review

A Memorial of Creation—“But when the claims of the Sabbath are presented, there are many who ask, What difference does it make what day we keep as the Sabbath, so long as we observe one day in seven? We answer, It makes all possible difference whether we obey or disregard the word of God. God has given us the Sabbath as a memorial of the great work of creation. He says: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work; . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ [Exodus 20:8–11.] He declares through Moses, ‘It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever.’ [Exodus 31:17.] And the children of Israel include all who believe in Christ. For ‘if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.’ [Galatians 3:29.] Again, by the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord says, ‘Hallow my Sabbaths; for they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’ [Ezekiel 20:20.] The Sabbath is a sign of God’s creative power; it shows him to be supreme, the Maker and Upholder of the universe, the One from whom we receive ‘life and breath and all things,’ [Acts 17:25] and hence the One to whom our allegiance is due.” The Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893.

Reconciled to God—“ ‘Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.’ [Mark 2:28.] These words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ. For ‘all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.’ John 1:3. Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God.” The Desire of Ages, 288.

Reprinted with permission, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia, 2003.

Question: How do we know that the seventh day of the week today…

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Question:

How do we know that the seventh day of the week today is the same seventh day as when God created this planet?

Answer:

Who is the Author of the weekly cycle? It is certain that if some man figured it out and established it as a way to keep time and days straight, it would be recorded in the history books. But, then, if man did it, how did the weekly cycle become known in every country and tribe in the world? We know about the history of the sundial, about the calendar, and about Augustus Caesar changing the calendar. But the weekly cycle stayed the same through it all.

Considering the development of and changes to the calendar; the addition of months; the addition or subtraction of days due to calendar errors; the addition of “leap years”; the complete change from one calendar to another; changes to the beginning of the year; and many other changes noted in the historical record lead to one inescapable discovery: There is no historical record suggesting that the steady, seven-day week has ever been broken! When Julius Caesar added his 90 days to correct for errors in the Babylonian/Roman calendar, the date changed, not the day of the week. When the Gregorian calendar came into effect in 1582, the date changed, not the day of the week. Considering the supreme power emperors, kings, and rulers have had over the millennia, none have changed the day of the week.

Our best resource is the Bible—even though there are many other evidences. If we believe the Bible, we accept the creation story as it is written. “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” Genesis 2:2.

The fourth commandment says: “For [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:11. Here the Lord Himself acknowledges the seven-day weekly cycle and the creation of the world in six days.

When Jesus was here on earth, He kept the commandments, including the fourth: “And, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4:16. Then, in Revelation we read: “Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14. Therefore, we may come to the conclusion that the best and real source to believe that the seventh day is still the same day as the one at creation is the Bible. If we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, we should have no trouble believing that the Sabbath is still God’s holy day, and it is the same day of the week as when our world was created.

The seventh day was the last day of the cycle, and was the Sabbath set aside for God. Despite a long history since the resurrection of the Messiah where the “Christian Church” has foolishly attempted to change the day of rest to the first day, Sunday, the seven-day cycle still has not been broken. Those who wish to obey God and observe the Sabbath and keep it holy may be comforted to know that if you can determine the number of years which have passed since Adam, and divide the total number of days since then by seven, you will know exactly the number of weeks that have passed and know that the Sabbath you are observing is the same Sabbath observed since the beginning! The fact is that since the dawn of man, by the hand of God, the seven-day period was established, the seventh day declared “set aside” and “holy,” a day of rest, and despite the many opportunities by man to alter it (even still today), it has never been altered!

Questions and Answers – When does the Sabbath Begin?

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When does the Sabbath begin? I have my doubts as to the Sabbath of our God beginning at sunset the previous day. In reading over the record in Genesis, we find God says each day, that the evening and morning constituted the day, until He speaks of the seventh.

—A seeker of the truth

Our correspondent’s doubts do not affect the truth. The seventh day was like all the other days as regards ending or beginning. This must have been the case or it would have altered the day before or the day after, or both; for the sixth day began with the evening and closed at the beginning of the next evening, and the first day following the seventh day began and ended in the same way; therefore the same must have been true of the seventh day. Thus also was the yearly sabbath of the atonement kept. (See Leviticus 23:32). Thus also the Sabbath was observed at the time of our Saviour. Under Pharisaical restriction the Jews would not bring the sick to our Saviour during the hours of the Sabbath, but when it closed, they brought them. An instance is given of this in Mark 1. In verse 21 we are told that Jesus went into the synagogue on the Sabbath. There he healed a man possessed of a demon, and later the same day, in Peter’s house, he healed Peter’s wife’s mother of a fever. The record continues in verse 32: “And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.” (See also Matthew 8:16; Luke 4:31, 40.) Our correspondent quotes the following: “In Him is no darkness at all” [I John 1:5]. “From the rising until the setting of the sun, My name shall be great among the Gentiles” [Malachi 1:11]. But these texts have nothing to do with the beginning of the Sabbath. The darkness of night and light of day are both alike to God. (See Psalms 139:12; 18:11.) The second text (wrongly) quoted from Malachi, simply shows that wherever the sun shines God will have a people to praise him.

The Signs of the Times, September 18, 1893.

There are some questions and answers from the past that never change!

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please write to Steps to Life or e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

The Sabbath

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A clear understanding of the origin and purpose of the seventh-day Sabbath and the part it occupies in the lives of God’s faithful people is necessary in the closing scenes of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

The Sabbath was set apart on the seventh day of creation and is also the fourth commandment, which is evidence that the law of God was given to Adam and Eve on the very day of creation and was in effect at creation. The seventh-day Sabbath has also been a very prominent commandment all through the history of the controversy between Christ and Satan. It says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8–11 NAS.

The sojourner and the Gentile are also advocated to keep the commandments, and if they are in your home, they are to keep the Sabbath with you. All ten commandments are for everybody, not just the Jews.

The Sabbath was introduced at creation. It has been in effect and will be in effect throughout eternity, “from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:23. All will gather from one new moon to another in the new earth, from one Sabbath to another.

The only ones that do not want to keep the Sabbath are the rebellious of this earth who are the minority in this universe. Sabbath keepers belong to the great majority of people in the universe. On this earth it looks like you are the outcasts, but in comparison to the whole universe and with God and with His Son, we are the great majority of Sabbath keepers. So be of good courage.

In Genesis 2:2 we are told that God rested on the seventh day. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.”

In Patriarchs and Prophets, 47, it says, “The great Jehovah had laid the foundations of the earth; He had dressed the whole world in the garb of beauty and had filled it with things useful to man; He had created all the wonders of the land and of the sea. In six days the great work of creation had been accomplished. And God ‘rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made’ (Genesis 2:2, 3). God looked with satisfaction upon the work of His hands. All was perfect, worthy of its divine Author, and He rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.”

This is a very clear statement of where the Sabbath came from and its purpose. So it was on the seventh day of creation that He set aside the Sabbath day as a day of rest.

We are told in Genesis 2:3 there were three things that God did for the seventh-day Sabbath that He did not do for the other six days. It says, “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”

God blessed the seventh day; He sanctified it and then He rested on it.

Often some people will say that they worship every day of the week, or they keep every day holy. Nobody can keep a day holy that God has not sanctified or made holy. But the seventh-day Sabbath He sanctified and therefore you can keep it holy because it is a holy day. The other six days do not have that blessing; they were not made holy. You cannot keep holy something that is not holy.

Many people recognize the association of the seventh day with the seventh-day Sabbath, but to avoid it they worship on Sunday in honor of the resurrection as justification. It is up to us to strive for holiness each and every day of the week, but there is only one Sabbath day. We are preparing for heaven, and in heaven the occupants keep the seventh-day Sabbath, and we want to fit into that heavenly environment. We need to understand the depth of meaning in the Sabbath.

God told us to remember. It is man’s duty to rest on the seventh-day Sabbath; he is to reflect upon God’s great work of creation and to behold the evidences of God’s wisdom and goodness. As we do this, we will be filled with love and reverence for our Maker. By observing the seventh-day Sabbath we acknowledge that God is our Creator and that we are the work of His hands and are subject to His authority.

The fourth commandment points to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and it also gives the law its authenticity and binding force because it contains the seal of God which shows His authority as Creator and His claim to reverence and worship above all others. This seal gives the name of the Lawgiver, which is the Creator, and it identifies His territory, which is the heavens and the earth.

In Patriarchs and Prophets, 307, we are told: “God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. ‘Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and … honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure.’ Nor does the prohibition end here. ‘Nor speaking thine own words’ (Isaiah 58:13), says the prophet. Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day.”

We find specific principles showing us that we are not to get involved in things that involve our worldly needs. We are to turn our thoughts heavenward.

  • We are not to do our own ways.
  • We are not to find our own pleasure; this includes sports and things like that.
  • Man’s own work is not to be done on the seventh-day Sabbath.
  • Unnecessary labor is strictly forbidden.
  • We are not to discuss business matters or lay plans.
  • Our minds are not to dwell upon things of a worldly character.

One of the big snares that Satan has introduced into God’s remnant people is the Saturday night entertainment, because many times the thoughts, especially with young people, are, throughout the Sabbath hours focused on “What is going to happen tonight?” Having parties for children and showing films are the talk of the day, and it is very hard for them to keep their minds upon things of eternal value when those kinds of incentives or plans are made for their entertainment. This does much to desecrate the Sabbath in the lives of the youth and the adults.

Looking at the law of God in a positive manner is a blessing to us. If we followed His commandments we would have a very safe society; we would not need police or jails because society would be living at peace with everybody and respectful toward each other’s needs. The law of God is a blessing to us, and we need to approach it as God would like us to. It is a wonderful blessing for the people of God and to all who observe the seventh-day Sabbath.

In The Desire of Ages, 285, we are told: “Christ would teach His disciples and His enemies that the service of God is first of all. The object of God’s work in this world is the redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself the ‘Lord of the Sabbath’—One above all question and above all law. This infinite Judge acquits the disciples of blame, appealing to the very statutes they are accused of violating.”

Looking at the positive side of the law, this is to be a blessing to the fallen race. The whole purpose of God is to restore man to freedom from sin and to restore him to the kingdom of glory. Anything that can further that objective is appropriate to do on the Sabbath. That is another principle, and God leaves it up to us to decide the actual things we should or shouldn’t do in light of that principle. The things necessary to be done on the Sabbath for the accomplishment of the redemption of man is in accord with the Sabbath law. The law is a positive blessing.

“They were performing those rites that pointed to the redeeming power of Christ, and their labor was in harmony with the object of the Sabbath. But now Christ Himself had come. The disciples, in doing the work of Christ, were engaged in God’s service, and that which was necessary for the accomplishment of this work it was right to do on the Sabbath day.” Ibid., 285.

Isaiah 58:13 tells us, “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.”

There are also several other things that are appropriate to do on the Sabbath.

  • Acts of necessity and mercy. Ask yourself if this is something that is a necessity to help somebody in their physical needs, etc.
  • The sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for.
  • We are to call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and honor Him in His character, doing those things that He would like to see us doing to help in the plan of redemption.
  • All should unite to honor God by willing service.

We do not want to get into the area of making statements for what to do and what not to do. The Jews got into that and became all mixed up and then missed the true meaning of the Sabbath. We need to look at the general principles and ask ourselves if this can help in the plan of redemption or help somebody in their necessity or needs. We need to understand what can be done on the Sabbath, because someday we will be tested. Many are watching us, and we may need to give a reason for the things we do and not do. We need to stand with the principle that it is lawful to do good and to promote the plan of redemption and to work with Jesus in the saving of souls.

God calls the Sabbath a “sign between me and you.” “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:13.

Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is a sign that we believe in the new covenant and that Jesus is ministering in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven. Here is the reason this is true. To keep the Sabbath holy the individual must be holy himself. We are all sinners, unholy. To become holy we must have our sins removed. We can be freed from our sins in one way only. That way is to go to Jesus in the Most Holy Place, confess our sins and plead with our Redeemer to atone for these confessed sins with His blood. Jesus is just and will cleanse us from these sins and also give us strength to keep from committing sin. He then presents this humble one to the Father as if he had never sinned. God the Father now sees him as one “of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 14:12 NIV. The sinner is now free from sin and can keep the Sabbath holy because he is holy.

The Sabbath is a time to spend with the Lord. How are you going to know that He is the Lord and how are you to know that He is holy unless you spend time with Him in His word and keep your thoughts on things of eternal value? You will not know unless you observe the Sabbath.

Maurice Hoppe is Director of the Steps to Life training programs and a member of the Steps to Life Board. The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders is a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as a pastor or Bible worker. Preparing for the Final Conflict is a correspondence course for the laity. Both of these courses teach present truth that will be an anchor for the soul during the storm of opposition and persecution just ahead. He and his wife also have a correspondence course offered through Revelation Ministry. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.