50C March, 1973 We have tried just about every- thing now to find fulfillment. We've built vast cities, and we've sent men to the moon. We've put up mighty dams, and we've split the atom. You name it, we've done it. Music. Art. Chess. Dancing. Golf. Gardening. Racing. Foot- ball. Crime. Drinking. Radio. Collecting antiques. Religion. Boxing. Drugs. Sex. TV. PTA meetings. Sunbathing. Gambling. The stock market. Bingo. The list is endless. And yet we're still not satisfied. We still remain restless, incomplete be- ings, ever seeking completion. The difference between rest- lessness and rest is really quite a simple thing, however. An infant lying in a crib can be a very restless creature. Yet cradled in his mother's arms, he quickly becomes content and happy. Secure in the knowledge that he is accepted and loved by another in whom he can trust, the child rests in peace.

The following pages have a simple message. They explain how Jesus Christ came to bring us the rest, the fulfillment, and the acceptance we all need. Cover/Gail R. Hunt Photograph by Randy Dieter/Image

"Come unto me, ... and I will give you rest."—Jesus.

THE INVITATION By Edward Heppenstall JESUS CAME to satisfy the deepest long- which He Himself experienced should man, which Christ wrought on the ings of men's hearts. He came to pro- be experienced by each of us. cross. It teaches that His death is vide a solution to the problem of sin. What is this rest which comes from alone of sufficient value to reconcile He alone offers to all freedom from God? The Book of Hebrews speaks of God and man. All other religions de- fear, anxiety, and unrest. He guaran- it as God's own rest into which He is clare that salvation must be purchased tees peace and rest in the midst of dis- inviting men to enter. The fourth or worked for in some way. God's appointment, trial, temptation, and chapter of Hebrews brings out three method of salvation from the very en- disaster. other important facts about this rest: trance of sin has had only one prin- Long ago He declared, "Come unto First, it can be experienced only by ciple: salvation by faith in the com- me, all ye that labour and are heavy faith (verse 2); second, it is in some pleted work of Christ. "Once . . . laden, and I will give you rest. Take way related to the finished work of hath he appeared to put away sin by my yoke upon you, and learn of me; creation (verse 3); and third, it is sig- the sacrifice of himself." Hebrews for I am meek and lowly in heart: and nified by the Sabbath of creation 9:26. No religious or moral actions of ye shall find rest unto your souls." (verse 4). men can add to Christ's infinite sacri- Matthew 11:28, 29. Verses 9 to 11 sum up the real fice. Salvation is a gift of God. It must The rest which Christ offers is not meaning of this passage: be received by faith alone. that of calm, quiet circumstances, "There remaineth therefore a rest places of ease, or the rest of idleness. [keeping of a sabbath, margin] to the Just before Christ died on the cross It is a rest which belongs to Him, and people of God. For he that is entered that Friday afternoon, He cried out, it can be obtained only by coming to into his rest, he also bath ceased from "It is finished." What had He finished? Him. It is a gift from God to all who his own works, as God did from his. At that moment Christ completed the believe in Him. Let us labour therefore to enter into work of redemption for man. He fin- In His last bequest to His disciples that rest, lest any man fall after the ished the work which His heavenly and to all who follow Him, Jesus said, same example of unbelief." Father had given Him to do. Nothing "Peace I leave with you, my peace I more was left to be done. He then died give unto you: not as the world giveth, Paul emphasizes that God's orig- and rested in the tomb through the give I unto you." John 14:27. inal rest was based upon completed Sabbath until the morning of the first Jesus spoke these words the day be- work. God worked when He created day of the week. On the cross God fore His crucifixion. Wicked men were the world in six days. When He had wrought in Christ a work of redemp- plotting His death. Judas was there. completed that work, He ceased from tion which avails for all the world— He had already sold his Lord for His labors and rested on the seventh past, present, and future. He is the thirty pieces of silver. Soon all Christ's day. "And on the seventh day God "Lamb slain from the foundation of disciples would forsake Him and flee. ended his work which he had made; the world." (Revelation 13:8.) Within a few hours He would go to and he rested on the seventh day from As the first Sabbath of this world is Gethsemane, to trial, and to the terri- all his work which he had made. And the sign of the completed work of ble death of the cross. God blessed the seventh day, and sanc- creation, so the Sabbath when Christ Christ knew all that. Yet He had tified it: because that in it he had rested rested in the tomb is the sign of the perfect peace. from all his work which God created completed work of re-creation. The Jesus was always that way. He ex- and made." Genesis 2:2, 3. Sabbath is God's way of reminding us perienced that poise of soul and peace But what does this have to do with week by week that the rest we human of mind which men and women need Christianity? beings seek and need is His own rest more than anything else—more than One ultimate truth sets off Christian- which He graciously wants to share money, more than pleasure, more than ity from all other religions and tests with us. fame or worldly acclaim. all men. Christianity is based upon the But how are we to enter into God's And it was His desire that the rest completed work of redemption for rest?

THESE TIMES is published monthly (except July and October, when semimonthly) by the Southern Publishing Association of Seventh-day Adventists, 2119 24th Avenue, North, Nashville, Ten- nessee 37202, U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee. Subscription price, $6.00 a year. Copyright, Southern Publishing Association, 1973. Volume 82, No. 3. March, 1973.

4 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Christ's great invitation reaches out to each of us: "Come unto me, . . . and I will give you rest."

Here alone is the answer. We must turn away from every other means of salvation and come to Jesus, who alone can give us the rest we seek. When we look to Him by faith, ac- cepting the fact that He died for our sins, God imputes to us His completed work. He declares that because of Christ's death we deserve eternal life. Whether we believe it or not, the work for our redemption is a completed thing. The moment we seek to add to it, that moment we are looking to our- selves. When we try to do something to be accepted by God, things go wrong, and we feel rejected. And so we try to do something to change our situation. But this is not Christian. It is pagan. Heathen people believe that when the crops fail, the gods are angry with them. The gods must be appeased. They must do something. But the cross of Christ reveals that we are accepted by God just as we are. At the cross we find security in the supreme value that God has placed upon us. Every other method of seek- ing self-worth and security leads to self-centeredness, which in turn leads to tension and unrest. In the cross we can accept the marvelous value God has placed upon us in Christ. Thus we find a true sense of self-worth with- out having to seek for it ourselves. At the same time we find true humility in our understanding of God's love. And thus when we accept Jesus' work on the cross as the all-sufficient means for our salvation, He gives us His own peace, the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

Photograph by Don Skaggs

"We are living like rabbits in a hutch, afraid of the hawks who are waiting outside."—A New Yorker who had been robbed twice on the street within three months.

GOD'S SOLUTION TO MAN'S PROBLEMS By Caleb Rosado

MAN IS A paradoxical creature! On the one hand, he is able to conquer space and achieve great wonders in the area of science, and yet for the little prob- lems that are plaguing mankind—ten- sion, worry, relaxation, stress—man has found no solutions. As a matter of fact, man through his achievements has become more a part of the problem than a part of the solution. Time, with its cohorts—the calendar, the clock, the appointment book—has become the dictator. Man has not only enslaved his environment; he has also become a slave to his en- vironment! God did not intend it to be this way.

Long ago God foresaw our present situation and put into effect a solution that if adhered to would have pre- vented the problems that man is faced with today—a forgotten God, a mean- made man last in order to impress three very good reasons why the Sab- ingless mankind, an exploited environ- upon him the truth that he basically bath was important to man in his ment. The Sabbath hits at the roots of owned nothing. God wanted man to Edenic home. these problems which form the basis look to Him for his existence and not of all the problems man faces today. to "things," for everything that man The first had to do with his relation- A proper understanding of the Sab- would own would eventually own him. ship to God. As a creature man faced bath as taught in the Bible will reveal God could have easily made man the danger of getting caught up in the the fact that God gave man the Sab- first and then invited him to help Him round of all his activities there in the bath to free mankind from all that out in the rest of creation. But He garden and forgetting about God and which would enslave him, so that didn't. God knew that given a chance his relationship to Him. For sure, man's character would become like like that, man would soon take all the Adam and God must have carried on that of his Creator. However, failure credit and pass himself off as God. many a wonderful conversation while to understand this has led man to the Unfortunately, man has arrived at that Adam took care of the garden. But condition where he does not know conclusion anyway. What would it that was not enough. God wanted man who God is, who he himself is, and have been like if God had invited him to stop and take time to get to know what his relationship to his environ- to help Him out in creating? Him as Creator and as the All-sustain- ment should be. The first full day Adam lived was ing God that He was. God did not In order to understand how the Sab- the seventh day of creation week—the create man with a fully developed bath relates to contemporary man and day God rested from His work. Thus character. The Creator wanted man to his problems, we need to go back to man's first experience was to enter into develop a character much like His the beginning of time and creation. God's Sabbath rest. own. But this would take time. Now, When God brought man on the this development of character was not scene, He had already made every- Why did man in a perfect state of to cease during the six working days, thing necessary for his existence. God existence need the Sabbath? There are but so as not to be relegated to that Photography by -4( Spencer Gordon and A Bryan Moss/Image March 1973/THESE TIMES 7 whenever-I-find-time position, God of value and worth to God. thoughts. (Verses 5, 6.) made the Sabbath for man to be used The difference between man and the It is very clear from this point that specifically to learn more about the rest of creation is man's unique rela- the Sabbath destroys the concept of loving Creator-God that had made tionship with God. Man has manhood evolution. him. The heathen religions present a only in relationship to God, because vivid testimony to this truth—they he was made in God's own image. The third involved man's relation- have forgotten who God is. Separate from God, man ceases to be ship to the rest of creation. The Sab- man. He drops down to the level of bath teaches man two important truths Second was man's relationship to the brute creation and behaves and about man's relationship to the cre- himself. By means of the Sabbath, man acts like an animal. This is the point ation about him. First, he is not to would not lose focus as to who he was. the psalmist makes in Psalm 92, the worship it, since he is above it and As long as man kept the Sabbath, he Sabbath psalm. Verse 6 speaks of the since he already has an object of wor- would have no identity crisis! If God "dull man" (R.S.V.), or the "brutish ship—God. The Sabbath truth guards is the Creator, then man is God's cre- man" (K.J.V.). The term man-brute against heathenism, both in its ancient ation. Thus man takes on importance, precisely translates the Hebrew words. form of idol worship and in its present significance, and worth. Man is not a It describes the man who, not taking form of material gods. Second, man is zero. He is not a "cog in the machine," into account God's holy Sabbath day, not to exploit creation, because he is as Francis A. Schaeffer would say. has dropped down to the level of the not the owner but the steward to Somebody knows my name. Because brute creation. Thus, he is no better whom God has given the responsibility He has made me, God knows who I than the animals in regard to his of "dominion." (Genesis 1:28.) am. And thus, I am somebody! I am understanding of God's works and "When we have dominion over na- ture, it is not ours, either. It belongs to God and we are to exercise our dominion over these things not as though entitled to exploit them, but as things borrowed or held in trust, which we are to use realizing that they are not ours intrinsically."—Francis A. Schaeffer, Pollution and the Death of Man, p. 70. Whether one realizes it or not, the Sabbath has much to do with man's present problem of ecology. "By creation man has dominion; but as a fallen creature he has used that dominion wrongly. Because he is fallen, he exploits created things as though they were nothing in them- selves, and as though he has an au- tonomous right to them."—Ibid., p. 71. No wonder Paul says, "For all cre- ation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will res- urrect his children." Romans 8:19, The Living Bible. * Why? Because "we 8 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Photography by A Randy Dieter/Image and A Gail R. Hunt "The world is now confronted by a vast crisis of survival generated by the reckless way in which mankind has used the power of technology. The task of averting this crisis is the most grave issue in human history."— Dr. Barry Commoner. know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sick- ness and death as they await this great event." (Verse 22, L.B.)

The Sabbath also has much to do with man's problems in the area of

given. And remember, it was given to man before he sinned. Now, if it was important to man in his sinless and incorrupt state, how much more im- portant is the Sabbath to man in his sinful and corrupt condition today! The Sabbath is God's six-thousand- year-old solution to the problems of contemporary man. And because the sociology. It teaches that because man Sabbath was given to man before sin is who he is—God's creation in His entered, it will continue to exist even own image—he ought to look upon his after sin has been done away with. fellowman in the same way as he sees (Isaiah 66:22, 23.) himself in his relationship to God. What happened to the Sabbath after This approach will lead man not to sin entered? More than ever before, worship the human element, as is done man now needed the truth about the today with the great emphasis on sex Sabbath, because sin would cut man and the body; but on the other ex- off from its basic tenets and leave him treme, he is not to exploit his fellow standing alone and naked, looking to brother, as we have done today in the himself for answers to his existence. racial crisis, because both stand equal Sin divorced man from the knowl- and are of one blood before God. edge of God as Creator as taught in (Acts 17:26.) the Sabbath truth, and led mankind not All this is why the Sabbath was only to reject God, but also to exploit Photography by A Bryan Moss/Image and A Joe Lippincott/Image March 1973 /THESE TIMES 9 his fellowman and the creation around this, God had His faithful witnesses— Creator, you shall be loyal only to him. This point is what Paul seeks to individuals such as Noah (Genesis Him. And because you are who you get across in Romans 1:21-25: 6:9) and Abraham (Genesis 26:5). are, God's creation, you shall love "For although they knew God they In the course of time, God called your neighbor as you love yourself." did not honor him as God or give Israel out of Egypt because in slavery To Israel, the Sabbath command- thanks to him, but they became futile they had begun to forget Him. Once ment symbolized not only their cre- He redeemed them, He gave them His ation but also their redemption from law, in the heart of which was His slavery and sin. (Deuteronomy 5:15.) holy Sabbath commandment, to re- But they failed to see this wonderful mind them who He is. truth about the Sabbath and began to God could have easily taken Israel transgress it and wander away from right into the land of Canaan, but He God. The end result was slavery again, didn't. Instead, He did the very same this time in Babylon. Upon return thing He did with Adam upon his cre- from captivity, they soon began re- ation—He invited them to rest! peating the same sins, to which Nehe- At Sinai He gave them His holy miah and all the postexilic prophets law, at the heart of which He placed gave their sharpest reproofs. His Sabbath commandment, because Finally, Christ, the Creator (Colos- the Sabbath commandment alone sians 1:16), came to re-create in man unites man's relationship to God and that which he had lost through sin. man's relationship to his fellowman Christ did not come to do away with into one. The Sabbath commandment the Sabbath, as many believe, but says, "Because God is who He is, your more than anything else He came to

in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and ex- changed the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, be- cause they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator." (R.S.V.) Worshiping that which was below him in character, man finally became like that which he worshiped, futile in his thinking, corrupt in his conduct, stonelike in his heart. (Genesis 6:5.) God finally had to destroy most of mankind in the Flood. But through all

10 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Photography by -4 Barry Edmonds/Image and A Jimmy Ellis/Image "Atheism and materialism have swept over the majority of the peo- ple, leaving fully 75 percent of Europe's population pagan. Only 8 percent of the British people are identified with any church. Less than 5 percent attend church."—Dr. Bredahl Peterson.

God's Eternal Memorial

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Work finished The Sabbath Work of Creation Genesis 2:1 .

Li Work finished The Sabbath ork of Redemption John 19:30 W ...M1===n11111i, bring out its full meaning and restore only of creation but also of re-creation It is to this spiritual rest in Christ it to its rightful place. (Matthew 5:17; —redemption in Christ—when Christ that God now calls us in Hebrews Mark 2:27, 28.) When He finished completed His work of saving man, 4:1-11. Israel failed to enter into this His work of re-creation, having ac- and then rested. The cross of Christ spiritual rest because they failed to complished the work that God gave adds this beautiful dimension of spiri- understand the redemptive truths Him to do (John 17:4), He hung on tual rest in the redemptive work of brought to light in the Sabbath. As the cross and cried, "It is finished." God to the Sabbath truth, which di- these truths have been made clearer It is no coincidence that when Jesus mension was partially revealed in the by the cross, the Christian will "strive finished His work of redemption, of Old Testament. See Deuteronomy to enter that rest" and will have all enabling man to be re-created in the 5:15. the more reason to observe the Sab- image of God, He did exactly the same bath in a modern world that knows thing He did when He finished cre- As a redeemed Christian, the Sab- nothing about physical rest, much less ating this world—He rested! He died bath means to me spiritual rest. It spiritual rest in Christ. on Friday, and with His work of re- means that I no longer have to struggle creation completed, He rested in the to work for my salvation, but I can Are you ready to enter into that tomb over the Sabbath. Early Sunday "rest" in the completed work of God rest with Jesus? You can, by receiving morning He arose. Even in His death in Christ. There is nothing more that Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, Jesus kept the Sabbath. I can add or do to what Christ has al- accepting His Sabbath, and then "rest- ready done, in order to be saved. ing" upon His completed work of For the true Christian, the one who When Christ on the cross said, "It is salvation for you. has been redeemed by the blood of finished," it was finished! There is now Christ and in whom God through the nothing more that can be done by man *From The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Holy Spirit has begun the work of re- but to rest and enjoy God's work on Copyright, 1971, by Tyndale House Foun- dation, Wheaton, Illinois. Used by permis- creation, the Sabbath is a sign not his behalf. sion. March 1973 /THESE TIMES 11 "The sabbath was made for man."—Jesus. Mark 2:27. By Robert Haddock

THE MOST important question Now, it doesn't take much insight to created a being He could communicate we can ever ask ourselves is, "Why see that the theory of evolution cannot with and love and who could in turn are we here?" If life has a purpose, answer this basic question—"Why are find his highest joy in returning to his certainly we all want to understand we here?" Anyone who follows this Creator a tide of love. what it is. theory to its logical end must admit Just as a husband and wife comple- Ultimately there are but two pos- that if life is truly an accident, he has ment each other and contribute to sible answers to this question: either no reason for living. And yet no one each other's happiness, so God made we are here because of an accident or can long face life if there is really no the human race to be His own coun- we are here because of a plan. meaning to it. terpart. Intent upon excluding the idea of And just as a husband wants only Is Life an Accident? According to God from the universe, those who be- the best for his wife whom he loves, many philosophers and scientists, the lieve in the theory of evolution have so God wanted only the best for man- fact that we are alive is an accident— robbed man of the dignity which the kind. And so He created a world just we really don't know where we came Bible gives to him as a "son of God." for man, a world where beauty and from, why we're here, or where we're harmony abounded, a world where going. In our day this approach has What the Bible Says. Far more sat- everything was "very good." Thus found its fullest expression in the isfying than the speculations of man, God used His own infinite power, not theory of evolution, which suggests however, is the answer presented in to gratify Himself but to bring happi- that the universe has always existed the Bible. ness to mankind. According to the Bible, an all-wise, all-powerful Creator made man. And The Two Ways. Even a superficial "One cannot be exposed to the He did so with a very definite purpose consideration of the two approaches order and beauty of the in mind. to life mentioned above makes clear universe without conceding there The Bible says that our whole uni- how very different they are. must be a divine intent behind it." verse exists to reveal God's glory. The Biblical idea of creation is far —Wernher von Braun, space Through the prophet Isaiah God de- removed from the idea of evolution. scientist. clared, "I have created him [man] for The way of evolution is to see life my glory." And according to David, as an accident, while the way of cre- and that nature has always operated when God created man, He "crowned ation is to see life as part of a divinely in the same way. Evolutionists believe him with glory and honour." ordained plan. that through the lucky combination of But what does the Bible mean when The way of evolution sees only an certain chemicals and physical forces it says God created man to reveal His impersonal power operating under cer- at some distant point in the past the glory? God's glory, the Bible indicates, tain laws of nature, while the way of first form of life came into existence. is His goodness, His character of love. creation demands a personal Creator As the environment changed, this life God's glory is what leads Him to using His power toward a definite adapted, growing more and more com- freely and spontaneously give of Him- purpose. plex all the time until today man is the self. That is why He created man. And The way of evolution suggests that highest form of life. that is why His one desire is to bring change can be wrought by a power Norbert Wiener, the brilliant mathe- happiness, harmony, and joy to man. within a system, while the way of cre- matician who founded the science of In making man like Himself, God ation declares that change must be cybernetics, expressed the pessimism of many evolutionists when he wrote, CONTENTS "To those of us who are aware of the extremely limited range of physi- A Guide to Understanding the Sabbath 13 cal conditions under which the chemi- cal reactions necessary to life as we The Two Ways—Love and Sin 16 know it can take place, it is a fore- Israel and the Sabbath 18 gone conclusion that the lucky acci- dent which permits the continuation The Sabbath and the Plan of Salvation 23 of life in any form on this earth, even Jesus and the Sabbath 28 without restricting life to something The Sabbath in the Early Church 34 like human life, is bound to come to a complete and disastrous end." The Sabbath and Sunday 36 The Sabbath and God's Answer to Sin 46 Photograph by Ed Cooper/H. Armstrong Roberts March 1973 /THESE TIMES 13 wrought by a power from outside. Creation or evolution—which way are told, was created on the sixth day. Ultimately the way of evolution really explains how life began? For a Clearly, then, he had no part in those leads to unrest, dissatisfaction, and challenging presentation of the case in first six days of work, for he came into rootlessness, while the way of creation favor of creation send for our special being only at their end. God's seventh leads to rest and fulfillment by bring- issue on "How Life Began," advertised day was, in fact, Adam's first. Whereas ing purpose to life. on the inside back cover of this issue. God worked six days and then enjoyed Now all this has a very practical His Sabbath rest, Adam began his life significance. My understanding of how holy day. Not once in the whole Bible with the Sabbath; for God works be- I got here has a very direct effect on is it ever called the Sabbath of the fore He rests, while man must first en- my understanding of why I am here. Jews or any other such term. It is al- ter into God's rest, and then alone can The way I approach the question of ways God's day. he work. Moreover it was because origins ultimately affects my whole The word Sabbath translated into God's work of creation was truly com- life-style. English means simply "rest." plete that Adam's life could begin with Am I an independent being subject In order to understand what the rest."—Watchman Nee. only to what I or other human beings Sabbath is all about we must look at might think is right? the story of creation from two different The Sabbath a Matter of Faith. Or am I a dependent being subject viewpoints—God's and Adam's. Adam was able to rest that first Sab- to a higher standard than myself? bath with God, not because he had It makes a definite difference which God and the Sabbath. One of the worked, but because through faith he of these two approaches I choose to most remarkable pictures described in saw that a God powerful enough to take in life. all the Bible is that of God resting on create a perfect world must also be In a very real sense, then, our atti- the seventh day of creation. powerful enough to sustain His cre- tude toward what the Bible teaches "In six days the Lord made heaven ation and bring to completion His concerning creation is actually a test and earth, the sea, and all that in eternal purpose. Adam was able to them is, and rested the seventh day." rest because God had worked. of our attitude toward God. If we be- Exodus 20:11. lieve in God at all, we must believe in The whole object of the Sabbath, as Him as Creator. Just what was it that caused God to God has revealed it in the Bible, has to But just as surely as our attitude to- rest on the seventh day? The Book of do with faith. Only someone who be- ward creation is a test of our attitude Genesis clearly indicates that God lieves in God and His infinite power toward God, so the Bible teaches that rested because, with the creation of can enter into God's rest. Only he who our attitude toward God's chosen me- man on the sixth day of creation week, first accepts the work of God can enter morial of creation, the Sabbath, is also He had finished that which He had set into the rest of God. a test of our attitude toward God. out to do: to form a being like Himself Thus, had man always kept the Sab- with the ability to think creatively and bath, there would never have been an The Origin of the Sabbath. Many the freedom to choose his own course atheist. people today associate the word Sab- of action. Yet the tragedy of history is that bath with the Jewish people. Although Thus, from God's viewpoint, the man has devised a way other than it is true that for the Jews the seventh seventh day of creation was a day of God's way, a way that attempts to be day of the week has always been a rejoicing, a day of fulfillment. free of God and His plan for man's special day, the Sabbath itself orig- happiness, a way that rejects God's inated long before the Jewish race. The Sabbath and Man. "But what invitation, week after week, to enter Both the Old and New Testaments al- of Adam? Where did he stand in rela- into His rest, to trust in Him and His ways refer to the Sabbath as God's tion to that rest of God? Adam, we infinite power.

"The oldest memorial on earth is spirit can appreciate what was the birth of nations, and as the not made of stone and mortar but intended in the seventh-day Sabbath. language spoken by mortals. An of time. Out of the fabric of the It is easy for men to seek things institution, too, which, notwithstand- universe our Creator God fashioned and pile up material expressions of ing its demands, not only of the an ensign for eternity—the seventh- loyalty and gratitude; it is not easy seventh part of all time, but of the day Sabbath. or natural for self-seeking man to be seventh day in uninterrupted "God knew that men would find loyal and grateful in spirit. God's succession, was celebrated from the it easy to forget. He knew that while simple memorial of the seventh-day creation to the deluge, during the gratitude would ennoble man, scorn Sabbath, a monument in time rather deluge, and after the deluge till the for the past would destroy his spirit. than space, has become the dividing giving of the law."—Alexander He also knew that man needed to line between the truly loyal and Campbell, founder of the look higher than anything made out those who only appear to be." Disciples of Christ Church. of earth if he was to remember —Herbert E. Douglass. who he was and for what he was "In the Bible 'rest' really means created. "Heaven left not this fact, the more than 'having a rest.' It means "So God took time instead of space creation, the basis of a rest after the work is accomplished, with which to make His memorial. thousand volumes, to be gathered it means completion, it means the Man on his own can associate easily from abstract reasonings, vitiated perfection and peace of God in with space and dominate it as he traditions, ingenious analogies, or which the world rests, it means chooses, but time is a dimension plausible conjectures, but from a transformation, it means turning our that man can't manipulate. It can monumental institution which was as eyes absolutely upon God's being only be received. Only the humble in universal as the annals of time, as God and towards worshipping him." —Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

14 THESE TIMES/March 1973 How God Created the Sabbath The Bible says that when God finished His work Fifth Day of creation, it was a "very good" work. All then Event: "And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and existed in perfect harmony. The Creator had pro- fowl." Genesis 1:20. grammed His own character into all things so that Blessing: "And God blessed them, saying, Be fruit- the whole creation revealed His goodness and His ful, and multiply." Verse 22. glory filled the earth. Everything took only to Sixth Day give. Nothing lived unto itself. Everything had Event: "And God said, . . . Let us make man in our a purpose in God's plan. image." Verses 24-26. Then, through three distinct acts, God created Blessing: "And God blessed them, and God said the Sabbath as an eternal memorial of His cre- unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply." Verse 28. ative power and His purpose for man. Seventh Day Event: "And he rested on the seventh day from all 1. He Rested. The first thing God did when his work which he had made." Genesis 2:2. He finished His work was to rest. But why should Blessing: "And God blessed the seventh day." God who is all-powerful need to rest? Verse 3. The Creator of all things did not rest because He was physically tired. "The everlasting God, In blessing the Sabbath God did so that it the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, might benefit man. According to Moses, God fainteth not, neither is weary." Isaiah 40:28. blessed Abraham in order that Abraham might Moses later wrote that "on the seventh day bless others. See Genesis 12:3. In the same way he rested, and was refreshed." (Exodus 31:17.) God blessed the Sabbath that it might bring a On that first Sabbath God did not cease His ac- blessing to all of humanity, for as Jesus Christ tivities (He still had to sustain His creation mo- Himself said, "The sabbath was made for man." ment by moment). Rather, He entered into a "What is this blessing for?—It is for the same pur- new and unique activity by taking time to enjoy pose that all the blessings of God are given. 'Unto you that which He had created, to look with pleasure first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to upon His perfect, finished work. He felt the re- bless you, in turning away every one of you from his freshing satisfaction of knowing He had made a iniquities.' Acts 3:26. God blesses men, not because they are good, but in order that they might become perfect world for man. good. All His blessings are for the purpose of turning The word refreshed in the original Hebrew them away from sin to Himself. If men do know the means literally "to be breathed upon." During Lord, then the blessings that He bestows are for the the first six days of creation God "breathed out," purpose of drawing them still closer to Him. So it is as it were, as He sent forth His Holy Spirit to cre- with the Sabbath. It is to turn men to God, by remind- ate our world and the life upon it. Then on the ing them of His goodness and of His gracious power." —E. J. Waggoner. seventh day, with His work completed, the whole creation joined together to praise Him for His 3. He Sanctified It. goodness and power, returning to Him, the Source God's final act in creating of all, a tide of love. the Sabbath was to sanctify it. The word sanctify The angels of heaven joined Him in His rest, means to "separate," to "set apart for holy use." and as they beheld His goodness, His perfect, "To whose use was the Sabbath set apart and sanc- finished work, the Bible says they "shouted for tified? For whose benefit, by these three distinct acts of joy." Thus they entered into God's own joy. God, was the Sabbath created? Not for His own evi- And so God's rest was not so much a physical dently, for He had used it previous to its sanctification. rest as it was a spiritual experience. "Our Saviour plainly answers this question. He says, `The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath,' Mark 2:27. It was not made for Adam alone, 2. He Blessed It. The angels were able to but for the whole human family, of whom he stood as enter into God's joy that first Sabbath because a representative. God "blessed" the seventh day. Because of His "Most fitting indeed that God should thus give this institution to our first parents. Busied as they were dur- character of love God refused to hoard His joy ing the week with the work to which their Creator had to Himself that first Sabbath, and so He placed assigned them, it was appropriate that they should have a special blessing upon it. a day of rest in which they could turn their minds Before the seventh day God had blessed a more fully to the contemplation of God and His won- drous works. Sharing God's blessings every day, they number of the things which He created. But on could experience in the observance of the Sabbath a the seventh day He actually blessed the day itself. double blessing. This same blessing is in the Sabbath Notice the following quotations: today for all who will observe it."—M. C. Wilcox. 6

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 15

The Two Ways Love and Sin

THE ONLY sure way to tell a late there. From the ocean it evapo- for them awakened within them a good fruit tree from a bad one is to rates and becomes water vapor, some response of love. check the kind of fruit it produces. of which travels back over the land. But one angel named Lucifer chose Good trees bear good fruit. The water vapor eventually condenses to pervert the freedom God had given Bad trees bear bad fruit. into rain, snow, sleet, or hail and falls him. Why he did this, we don't really to the ground, thus beginning the cycle know. God had made Lucifer the high- The Way of Love. Before God cre- all over again. est of the angels, full of wisdom, and ated our world, the Bible says, a con- Condensation exceedingly beautiful. flict broke out in heaven over whether Little by little Lucifer became self- God's way is really the best after all. Rain conscious of the beauty and powers "God is love" and His way is the Snow God had given him. way of love. Now when we think of Sleet Hail "Thine heart was lifted up because love, we tend to think of a certain kind of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy of feeling which love often produces. Evaporation wisdom by reason of thy brightness: But love itself is not a feeling. I will cast thee to the ground, I will God created man in His own image lay thee before kings, that they may It is a principle. to receive, respond to, and return His behold thee." Ezekiel 28:17. And it is extremely important that love. In the beginning God gave Adam "For thou hast said in thine heart, we understand this distinction. A prin- I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt and Eve life, love, and trust, and they my throne above the stars of God: I ciple is something which we can al- responded by returning to Him trust, will sit also upon the mount of the ways trust to hold true to its form. congregation, in the sides of the love, and worship. Each took only to north: I will ascend above the heights For instance, the law of gravity is a give. of the clouds; I will be like the most principle. From our experience with High." Isaiah 14:13, 14. the law of gravity we know that when God we drop an object out of our hand, it In seeking to exalt himself, Lucifer Life 7 Love introduced sin into the universe. Now will go toward the earth, not away Love )11Trust from it. Trust orship sin is not something you can hold in Now love is the basic law of the your hand or look in the eye. Sin is a whole universe. The law of love is the principle opposed to the law of love law of giving. Love by its very nature Man upon which God established the gov- must give of itself to meet the needs ernment of the universe. of another. With man God intended to reveal The way of sin originated by Satan When God created our world (this the excellence of love far more fully seemed to offer a new measure of free- act in itself was an outworking of the than He could through the workings dom and dignity. The "freedom" principle of love), He programmed His of nature. And so He gave to man the offered by the way of sin was freedom character into all that He made so that freedom of will, so that whatever ser- from God's law of love which calls for everything would take only to give. vice man might return to Him would self-renunciation and a life of service, Nothing was to live unto itself. be completely voluntary, based on his of giving to others. The "dignity" sin For instance, God made plants to appreciation of the Creator's love and offered was the dignity of being an take in carbon dioxide and give off not on force. The use of force is con- individual, an entity unto oneself, free oxygen, while He made man and the trary to God's character. He desires to establish one's own standards of various animals to take in oxygen and only the service of love from His crea- what is right and wrong. give off carbon dioxide. tures, and love, by its very nature, So subtle were Lucifer's arguments cannot be commanded. Only the ex- in favor of setting aside God's way of Men and pression of love can awaken a re- love and interdependence for the way Animals ) sponse of love. of sin and independence that the Bible Carbon Dioxide Oxygen tells us he won one third of the angels The Origin of Sin. The Bible says of heaven to his cause. Plants that before God created our world, He Why, most of us wonder at this All nature operates by such cycles had already made other intelligent be- point, did God not simply destroy as this because of the law of life. ings called angels. As long as the Lucifer and his followers and get rid Think, for instance, of the water angels looked to God, perfect har- of the problem then and there? cycle. The water in our rivers flows to mony reigned throughout the universe. Simply because the real problem the oceans, but it does not all accumu- The knowledge of their Creator's love was not just the existence of sinners,

16 THESE TIMES/March 1973 but the existence of sin. Had God de- His love for man. By resting that first disbelieve His goodness. And by sep- stroyed those who introduced sin, He Sabbath, He showed He had finished arating themselves from Him, the sole could have gotten rid of sinners, but His work. Like a loving Father, He source of life in the universe, they had this solution would not have settled had provided for every need of His to accept the inevitable results of sin— the issue as to whether or not the way children. degradation and death. of sin was actually better than the way On the other hand, by inviting man God of love. to rest with Him, God created an op- Life portunity for man to respond to His Trust "Since the service of love can alone love. In order for man to rest with the Love be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a Creator he would have to first accept cm conviction of His justice and benev- His finished work and believe that the Man olence. The inhabitants of heaven and God who had created such a good of other worlds, being unprepared to But though Adam and Eve had re- comprehend the nature or conse- world also has the power and wisdom belled against God, disbelieving His quences of sin, could not then have to sustain it. goodness, He still believed in them. He seen the justice and mercy of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been But all that the Sabbath stood for knew that they did not yet understand immediately blotted from existence, sin opposed. The Sabbath symbolized the full implications of love and sin. they would have served God from God's way, the way of love, the way of And so in His infinite love and fear, rather than from love. The in- fluence of the deceiver would not have trust, the way of harmony, the way of heartbreak He revealed to them a plan been fully destroyed, nor would the rest. And all this sin opposed. that would show them what the con- spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. Evil must be permitted to Lucifer, determined to involve the troversy between good and evil is all come to maturity. For the good of the human race in his rebellion against about, allow them a chance to return entire universe through ceaseless ages, God and His law of love, succeeded in to Him and overthrow Satan's claims Satan must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the tempting Eve to doubt God's good- against the Creator, thus vindicating divine government might be seen in ness. His character and government. their true light by all created beings, When He created Adam and Eve, that the justice and mercy of God and There in the Garden of Eden, as the immutability of His law might for- God made them so that they would Adam and Eve stood trembling before ever be placed beyond all question."— have to eat the fruit from a tree known Him, God prophesied to the serpent Ellen G. White. as the tree of life in order to continue (symbolizing Satan), "I will put en- Like two roots which must develop to live. In this way He taught them mity between you and the woman, and and bear fruit before all can clearly that they had no life in and of them- between your seed and her seed; he tell their character, so love and sin selves. In the garden where they lived, shall bruise your head, and you shall would have to develop and bear their God also placed another tree known as bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15, R.S.V. fruit before their true characters would the tree of the knowledge of good and The serpent crawling on the ground become clear to the universe. evil, from which He told them not to easily strikes the heel of man and eat. In this way God revealed to them wounds him; but when a man crushes The Entrance of Sin Into Our the fact that love has an alternative, the head of a snake, he destroys its World. When God created our world, so they could worship Him voluntar- life and hence its poison. He made man in His own image to re- ily. Thus God revealed His plan to de- veal His goodness. To man God gave a The Book of Genesis tells how Sa- stroy the venomous poison of sin mind with powers similar to those He tan, disguised as a beautiful serpent- through the seed, or offspring, of Eve. Himself possesses, the power to think like creature, tempted Eve to doubt Through man God would yet show the creatively and the power to carry out God's goodness and question His in- superiority of love over sin. its own purposes. tentions. He assured her that she At this point Adam and Eve only Above all, God gave man the free- would lose nothing by disobeying God faintly understood how God would do dom to choose whether he would re- and eating from the forbidden tree. this. It would take time for the prin- spond to the Creator's love or take an Indeed, he said, she would become ciples of love and sin to develop and independent route. more wise. "You will not die," he told bear fruit. When God finished making man, her, assuring her that she had life in The Bible tells the story of what He was satisfied at last, and so He herself. happened after the fall of Adam and rested from His finished work on the In spite of God's clear warning, Eve Eve. A few of their descendants re- seventh day of creation and rejoiced. fell for Satan's lie. Soon after that she sponded to God's love; most did not. In a special way what happened that convinced Adam to join her in eating Again and again God confronted hu- first Sabbath symbolized all that the the forbidden fruit, thus bringing sin manity, inviting all to trust in His law of love stands for. to reign upon the earth. In rebelling goodness. But on the whole, mankind On the one hand God's rest showed against God, Adam and Eve chose to refused to respond to His love.

Love involves giving Love involves serving others Sin involves taking Sin desires to be served by others

Love originated in God's desire to give Love leads us to look to God Sin originated in the desire of a creature to take Sin leads us to look to self

Love must always have an object outside itself Love teaches that life is a gift from God Sin's only concern is with self Sin teaches that life is inherent in man

Love takes only to give Love brings rest Sin takes to keep for itself Sin brings unrest

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 17 Israel and the Sabbath

THE OLD TESTAMENT tells the left the area of Palestine where they But Pharaoh refused and arrogantly story of how God in His wisdom lived and went to Egypt. There they replied, "Who is the Lord, that I chose the people of Israel to represent became slaves to the Egyptians. And should obey his voice to let Israel go? Him in the world and to prepare the there, as time passed, they began to I know not the Lord, neither will I let way for the coming of Jesus Christ— forget about the true God and His Israel go." Exodus 5:2. God's own solution to the problem of way. Thus Pharaoh pitted his authority sin. But then, just when Israel's future against that of the Creator. Now the The nation of Israel originated with seemed hopeless, God acted to rescue sign by which the Creator was then a man named Abraham, a desert no- His people. He selected a man named known, and is ever to be known, is the mad who worshiped the true God. To Moses to lead them out of bondage Sabbath. "Hallow my sabbaths; and Abraham God promised, and to bring them into His rest. For they shall be a sign between me and it was God's purpose with Israel, just you, that ye may know that I am the "I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee.... And in thee as with Adam on the seventh day of Lord your God." Ezekiel 20:20. shall all families of the earth be creation, that they enter into His rest. Upon this very point the real con- blessed." Genesis 12:2, 3. And just as He worked in a super- flict between Pharaoh and God be- Thus from the very first God blessed natural way to create the world, so He came clear. In teaching Israel God's Abraham and His descendants in a worked in a supernatural way to re- will and how they were to serve Him, special way in order that through them deem Israel. * Moses reminded them of the Sabbath. He might bless all mankind. God Through Moses God declared to When the people responded to God's selected one group in order to benefit Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, "Israel is invitation to cease their work and wor- all. Through Abraham's descendants my son. . . . Let my son go, that he ship Him on the Sabbath, Pharaoh, God purposed to show His goodness may serve me." Exodus 4:22, 23. learning what was happening, declared and power in such a way as to draw all to Moses, "Behold, the people of the mankind to Himself. * See Jeremiah 31:2 and compare Psalm 95 and He- land now are many, and ye make them brews 3:7-4:10, which connect God's work in cre- rest from their burdens." Genesis 5:5. ation with His work in redeeming Israel and show God Redeems Israel. In order to es- that in both cases God worked so that man might (In the original Hebrew the word rest cape a famine Abraham's descendants enter into His rest. used here is "Sabbath.")

Did God Create the Sabbath Just for the Jewish People? We have very specific declarations cation for confining the meaning of been given only to the Jews, when it of Scripture to show that the the word "man" to the Jews. If we was made at creation, which was Sabbath was intended of God to should thus confine the word, we long before the days of Abraham, have a worldwide application. Let would soon come into great difficulty. the father of the Jewish race? See us enumerate a few of these: We read that Christ is "the true Genesis 2:2, 3. light, which lighteth every man that 1. The Sabbath commandment cometh into the world." (John 1:9.) 4. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of itself specifically declares that not Did Christ bring light only to such the closing days of earth's history, only were the Jews to rest but also men as are Jews? Furthermore, the when God's "salvation is near to the stranger that was within their Sabbath was given so that men come," talks of the blessing that gates. See Exodus 20:10. The might have the blessing of rest and will come upon "the son of the strangers were those not of the the worship of their Creator. Why stranger" that "keepeth the sabbath." family of Israel; they might belong should God desire that only a See Isaiah 56:1-8. to any other race or people or small fraction of His created beings— nation. for the Jews have ever been a very small part of the world's population— 5. Finally, in the new earth, 2. Christ declared that "the should partake of the happiness of where there will be people of every sabbath was made for man." rest and worship? race and nation, the Sabbath will (Mark 2:27.) He did not say "Jew," be kept. See Isaiah 66:22, 23. but "man," and there is no justifi- 3. How could the Sabbath have —F. D. Nichol.

18 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Angered at the idleness of the For forty years, the Bible says, God Their attitude toward the Sabbath, Israelites, Pharaoh forced upon them continued to give manna to His people. according to God's own word, was a greater work. But God had compas- For forty years He continued to in- test of their attitude toward His whole sion upon His people in their distress, vite Israel to rest with Him on His law and ultimately toward God Him- and through a series of devastating holy Sabbath. self. plagues He punished the Egyptians for For forty years He continued to their cruelty and oppression. Finally teach them the importance of trusting The Law of Love. Two weeks after Pharaoh released the Israelites from in Him for their daily needs and His God tested His people concerning the their bondage, and with Moses leading willingness to supply those needs. Sabbath and His law, He brought them them, they left Egypt to return to The miracle of the manna was a to a place called Mount Sinai. Palestine. test to Israel. It indicated how particu- There God, in terrible majesty and lar God is. The Israelites were not to grandeur, revealed Himself more fully The Miracle of the Manna. Though rest just one day in seven, but on the to Israel. At Sinai God entered into a God had redeemed Israel, they still seventh day, a definite day designated special relationship with Israel. There knew very little about Him. And so, by the Creator Himself. He formed Israel into a church and a before taking them to Palestine, He led them into the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula to teach them impor- tant truths concerning Himself and His plan for their lives. Shortly after they left Egypt, the (--- God's Grace —.I) people began to murmur about their lack of food. Though God had per- And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the Lord formed many miracles to bring about your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the their redemption from bondage, they house of bondage." had no real faith in His ability to sus- tain them. In answer to their unbelief God per- God's Law formed a remarkable miracle. For five "You shall have no other gods before me. days in a row He rained down from heaven a breadlike substance which "You shall not make yourself a graven image, or any like- the people called "manna"—or "bread ness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth from heaven." No matter how much beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not the people gathered or how hard they bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am tried to keep it, they had to use it that a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the chil- day. That which they didn't eat dren to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate spoiled. me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love But on the sixth day God sent a double portion of manna. Remarkably, me and keep my commandments. the part the people then saved over- "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; night remained fresh. And just as re- for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in markably God sent no manna on the vain. seventh day—the Sabbath. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (Sabbath) shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a single double no sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, portion portion portion you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within Just before God began to perform this daily miracle, He told Moses His your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, purpose, "Behold, I will rain bread the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; from heaven for you," He said, "and therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. the people shall go out and gather a "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may certain rate every day, that I may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Exodus 16:4. "You shall not kill. But some of the people, the record tells us, didn't believe God's goodness. "You shall not commit adultery. They went out "You shall not steal. "on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maid- giveth you on the sixth day the bread servant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neigh- of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his Dor's."..__ Exodus 20:1-17, R.S.V. place on the seventh day. So the peo- ple rested on the seventh day." Exo- dus 16:27-30. March 1973 /THESE TIMES 19 nation.* And there, before many thou- sands of witnesses, He proclaimed with His own voice His Ten Com- mandments. God's people had known of His law and His Sabbath before Mount Sinai, t What the Bible Says Abou but during their bondage in Egypt they had lost sight of the lofty claims of the Creator upon His creation. In pro- 1. Moses' first work in bringing Israel 4. Those Israelites to whom God first claiming anew His law in such a dra- out of bondage in Egypt was to remind revealed more fully the meaning of His matic way, God made forever plain them of God's Sabbath. Sabbath failed to take God at His the principles upon which the govern- word, and they never did enter into ment of the universe rests. "And the king of Egypt said unto them, His rest. In order to restore His image in Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the man and disprove Satan's claims re- people from their works? get you unto your "Wherefore I caused them to go forth garding His law, God had to reveal burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the out of the land of Egypt, and brought them people of the land now are many, and ye clearly the holy nature of His law that into the wilderness." "Moreover also I gave make them rest from their burdens." Exo- sin might be seen for what it really is. them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me dus 5:4, 5. (In the original Hebrew the When He proclaimed His law to and them, that they might know that I am word rest used here is "Sabbath.") Israel, God first reminded them of His the Lord that sanctify them. But the house grace in redeeming them from their of Israel rebelled against me in the wilder- bondage in Egypt. Before He asked 2. Shortly after God led His people ness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a from them a response of love, He first into the wilderness of the Sinai Penin- man do, he shall even live in them; and reminded them of His love to them. sula, He began performing a daily my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I Whom God asks to obey He first re- miracle to remind them of His Sab- said, I would pour out my fury upon them deems. Seen only by itself, God's law bath. in the wilderness, to consume them." condemns us, for its requirements are "Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end above our abilities. But when seen as "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, of them in the wilderness." Ezekiel 20:10, God Himself presents it, in the setting I will rain bread from heaven for you; and 12, 13, 17. of His redemptive activity, it brings re- the people shall go out and gather a certain joicing and hope; for all which God rate every day, that I may prove them, "Forty years long was I grieved with this requires of man, He is strong enough whether they will walk in my law, or no. generation, and said, It is a people that do to enable man to do. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth err in their heart, and they have not known day they shall prepare that which they my ways; unto whom I sware in my wrath "The law was not spoken at this bring in; and it shall be twice as much as that they should not enter into my rest." time exclusively for the benefit of the they gather daily." Exodus 16:4, 5. Hebrews. God honored them by mak- Psalm 95:10, 11. ing them the guardians and keepers "And it came to pass, that there went out of His law, but it was to be held as a "But with whom was he grieved forty sacred trust for the whole world. The some of the people on the seventh day for years? was it not with them that had sinned, precepts of the decalogue are adapted to gather, and they found none. And the whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to all mankind, and they were given Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to whom sware he that they should not for the instruction and government of to keep my commandments and my laws? all. Ten precepts, brief, comprehen- enter into his rest, but to them that believed sive, and authoritative, cover the duty See, for that the Lord hath given you the not? So we see that they could not enter in of man to God and to his fellowman; sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the because of unbelief." Hebrews 3:17-19. and all based upon the great funda- sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye mental principle of love. 'Thou shalt every man in his place, let no man go out love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with of his place on the seventh day. So the 5. Later generations of the people of all thy strength, and with all thy people rested on the seventh day." Exodus Israel continued in the way of their mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.' 16:27-30. (Luke 10:27; Deuteronomy 6:4, 5; fathers. Leviticus 19:18.) In the ten command- ments these principles are carried out in detail, and made applicable to the 3. When God revealed His law of love "But I said unto their children in the wil- condition and circumstances of man." more fully to Israel at Mt. Sinai, He derness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your —Ellen G. White. placed in the very heart of His law fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor In the very heart of the law God defile yourselves with their idols: I am the these words: Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and placed His invitation for mankind to keep my judgments, and do them; and hal- enter into His rest. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it low my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all between me and you, that ye may know God's Call to Remember. The thy work: but the seventh day is the sab- that I am the Lord your God. Notwith- fourth commandment, beginning with bath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt standing the children rebelled against me: the words "Remember the sabbath not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor they walked not in my statutes, neither kept day, to keep it holy," sounds a histori- thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid- my judgments to do them, which if a man cal note that echoes back to creation. servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that do, he shall even live in them; they polluted is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out "Remember the sabbath," God said. made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that my fury upon them, to accomplish my No one can forget God who remem- in them is, and rested the seventh day: anger against them in the wilderness. Never- bers the Sabbath. To remember the wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, theless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought Sabbath is to remember the Creator. and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11. for my name's sake, that it should not be To remember the Sabbath is to re- member that His power is sufficient to

*See Exodus 19. See Genesis 26:5; Exodus 16.

20 THESE TIMES/March 1973 srael and the Sabbath

polluted in the sight of the heathen, in 7. God made His promises to Israel among the heathen, and disperse them whose sight I brought them forth." Ezekiel as a people conditional on whether through the countries; because they had not 20:18-22. they would respond to Him and keep executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, His Sabbath. 6. God sent messenger after messen- and their eyes were after their fathers' idols." Ezekiel 20:23, 24. ger to His people as He sought to re- "Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to your- mind them of His glorious purpose for selves, and bear no burden on the sabbath them to enter into His rest. day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jeru- 9. Yet in His compassion God did salem; neither carry forth a burden out of not forsake the people of Israel. "Hear this, 0 ye that swallow up the your houses on the sabbath day, neither do Through His prophets He revealed His needy, even to make the poor of the land ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But plan to once again redeem His people to fail, saying, When will the new moon be out of bondage and extend to them gone, that we may sell corn? and the sab- they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, bath, that we may set forth wheat, making but made their neck stiff, that they might once more His eternal invitation to the ephah small, and the shekel great, and not hear, nor receive instruction. And it enter into His rest. In a partial sense falsifying the balances by deceit? that we shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken God's promises were fulfilled when He may buy the poor for silver, and the needy unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the redeemed some of the people of Israel for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse from their bondage in Babylon. How- of the wheat? The Lord hath sworn by the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never do no work therein; then shall there enter ever, the complete fulfillment of God's forget any of their works." Amos 8:4-7. into the gates of this city kings and princes purpose for His people had to await sitting upon the throne of David, riding in the coming of Jesus Christ. "Blessed is the . . . son of man . . . that chariots and on horses, they, and their keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabi- keepeth his hand from doing any evil." tants of Jerusalem: and this city shall re- "And I will bring you out from the peo- "For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs main for ever." "But if ye will not hearken ple, and will gather you out of the coun- that keep my sabbaths, and choose the unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not tries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty things that please me, and take hold of my to bear a burden, even entering in at the hand, and with a stretched out arm, and covenant; even unto them will I give in gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then with fury poured out. And I will bring you will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and mine house and within my walls a place into the wilderness of the people, and there and a name better than of sons and of it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, will I plead with you face to face. Like as daughters: I will give them an everlasting and it shall not be quenched." Jeremiah I pleaded with your fathers in the wilder- 17:21-25, 27. name, that shall not be cut off. Also the ness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead sons of the stranger, that join themselves with you, saith the Lord God. And I will to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the cause you to pass under the rod, and I will name of the Lord, to be his servants, every 8. Finally, God allowed Israel to be taken into captivity by the people of bring you into the bond of the covenant." one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting "And ye shall know that I am the Lord, it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even Babylon because they had rejected His when I have wrought with you for my them will I bring to my holy mountain, and way. In captivity they reaped the re- name's sake, not according to your wicked make them joyful in my house of prayer: sults of the way of sin they had chosen ways, nor according to your corrupt do- their burnt offerings and their sacrifices for themselves. ings, 0 ye house of Israel, saith the Lord shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine God." Ezekiel 20:34-37, 44. house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:2, 4-7. "Her priests have violated my law, and "And there shall come forth a rod out have profaned mine holy things: they have of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall "And they that shall be of thee shall put no difference between the holy and pro- grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the build the old waste places: thou shalt raise fane, neither have they shewed difference Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wis- up the foundations of many generations; between the unclean and the clean, and dom and understanding, the spirit of coun- and thou shalt be called, The repairer of have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and sel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell I am profaned among them." "And I sought of the fear of the Lord." "And in that day in. If thou turn away thy foot from the for a man among them, that should make there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my up the hedge, and stand in the gap before stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, me for the land, that I should not destroy the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt it: but I found none. Therefore have I glorious. And it shall come to pass in that honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor poured out mine indignation upon them; I day, that the Lord shall set his hand again finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking have consumed them with the fire of my the second time to recover the remnant of thine own words: then shalt thou delight wrath: their own way have I recompensed his people, which shall be left, from As- thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to upon their heads, saith the Lord God." syria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, ride upon the high places of the earth, and Ezekiel 22:26, 30, 31. and from Cush, and from Elam, and from feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the father: for the mouth of the Lord hath "I lifted up mine hand unto them also in islands of the sea." Isaiah 11:1, 2, 10, 11. spoken it." Isaiah 58:12-14. the wilderness, that I would scatter them

IVIarrh 1Q71 Tirki1C meet our every need. Resting in that 1. He presented the Sabbath com- age to sin. That is why God declared power, we can do many mighty things. mand in the very heart of the Ten time and time again through His Apart from that power we can do Commandments. There is a universal prophets, "I gave them my sabbaths, nothing. agreement that all the rest of these to be a sign between me and them, In order to keep the Sabbath holy, commands are good laws. In placing that they might know that I am the men must themselves be holy. Thus the Sabbath in the midst of these other Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel the Sabbath command is a call to holi- laws, in proclaiming it with His own 20:12. ness. voice, and in writing it with His own Thus Moses reminded his people to hand upon tables of stone, God made "keep the sabbath day to sanctify known to future generations that the it, as the Lord thy God hath com- Sabbath was just as moral and un- manded thee. . . . And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of "You can see that the changeable as the other nine com- Egypt, and that the Lord thy God Sabbath was before the law mands. brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out of Moses came, and has "The Sabbath commandment, as arm: therefore the Lord thy God existed from the beginning of the fourth of the Ten Command- commanded thee to keep the sabbath ments, participates in the very nature day." (Deuteronomy 5:12-15.) the world. Especially have of the whole law itself. If the law is the devout, who have moral, the Sabbath is moral. If the law is good, the Sabbath is good. If The Failure of Israel. When God preserved the true faith, met the law is holy, the Sabbath is holy. proclaimed His law to Israel, they re- together and called upon God If the law is just, the Sabbath is just. sponded by promising to obey Him. If the law is immutable, the Sabbath on this day."—Martin Luther. is immutable. But the Old Testament tells the sad "A logical corollary of this is that story of how they failed to keep their the converse is also true, that is, what- ever happens to the Sabbath, happens promise. "Since the required holiness is not to the whole law. Therefore, an attack For forty years, the Bible says, the intrinsic in man, neither can he ac- upon the Sabbath is an attack on the people of Israel wandered in the wil- quire it, it lies beyond his highest at- whole law and upon Him who is its tainments. The Sabbath command Author."—Tom Blincoe. derness. Again and again God per- calls man into a relationship of con- formed miracles in their behalf, but secration to his Creator, in the con- text of which God makes possible the 2. God made the meaning of the again and again they refused to believe fulfillment of His own command by Sabbath more fully known at Sinai in His goodness.* making man holy, a partaker of His own nature. It is little wonder then a second sense. There He revealed it Because of the hardness of their that the Sabbath is expressly stated not only as a memorial of His creative hearts the generation of Israelites to be a sign between God and His power, but also as a sign of His mighty which Moses led into the wilderness people. Yes, a perpetual sign whereby all might know the identity of His power to redeem. The power of God never did enter into God's rest. own. It is the outward sign of the in- in creation is the same power that the "I was grieved with that genera- ward experience of righteousness by tion," God later declared, and further faith."—Tom Blincoe. New Testament calls "the power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1:16.) said, "They do always err in their "Notice that we are to remember heart; and they have not known my the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. It is And the sign of that power, both in holy, and so we are to keep it. We creation and redemption, is the Sab- ways. So I sware in my wrath, They are not to make it holy, for that bath. shall not enter into my rest." Hebrews would be impossible; only God could do that. No act of ours can add to or God's act in redeeming Israel out 3:10, 11. e detract from its holiness. Neither are of Egypt, the Bible says, symbolizes •A complete record of Israel's attitude toward God we to make ourselves holy, so that we the redemption of all God's people and His Sabbath is found in Nehemiah 9. See also may keep it properly. That we could Psalm 95; Hebrews 3:7-4:10; Ezekiel 20:12-24; Jere- not do. But the same power that sanc- through Jesus Christ out of their bond- miah 17:19-27. tified the Sabbath day will sanctify us. That power is the power that made the universe. It is creative power by which we are to be sanctified, for Christ is the Creator, and he is made "The Ten Commandments give a concise statement of God's moral unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. laws, and they have never been set aside. They embody man's responsi- God has given us the Sabbath—the bility to God and his relationship with his fellowmen."—Billy Graham. memorial of his creative power—that we may know that he is the God that sanctifies us."—E. J. Waggoner. "The Ten Commandments are distinguished and honored as the only law code of Scripture spoken by the audible voice of God. They God did not originate the Sabbath alone were penned by the finger of Deity on tables of stone. (Exodus at Sinai as some have suggested. The 31:18.) fourth commandment makes perfectly "The Lawgiver further directed that these tables should be deposited clear the immutable fact that God cre- within the sacred ark, which article of furniture was enshrined in the ated the Sabbath at creation as a me- most hallowed, exalted place in all the realm of Israel, 'the most holy morial for all mankind. place' in the sanctuary. This room was built by divine instruction as a The story of the miracle of the miniature model of God's throneroom in heaven, while the ark itself manna recorded in Exodus 16 shows represented the throne of the Infinite. clearly that the Israelites were observ- "In this way the Most High declared that the law is the foundation of ing the Sabbath at least two weeks be- His throne, the eternal standard of right and wrong, a verbal transcript fore God gave the fourth command- of the divine character, and the constitution of His universal govern- ment. ment."—Roy F. Cottrell. Yet there is a certain sense in which God "made known" the Sabbath to "The law of Ten Commandments has to do with moral principles, and Israel on Sinai. (See Nehemiah 9:13, these are unchanging in any dispensation."—H. A. Ironside. 14.) He did this in two ways:

nn -ruccE TlflC/Nilor-r± 1 c:17q The Sabbath and the Plan of Salvation

EVEN BEFORE the entrance of order that man might not immediately fill His own promise, rested in faith sin, God had formulated a plan to re- die. By volunteering to take upon upon God's word. (Galatians 3:18.) deem man and restore to him all that Himself the penalty of death called for he would forfeit through sin. by the law, Christ became our Substi- God Reveals His Covenant to Israel. There was but one way God could tute. (Romans 6:23; Isaiah 53:6.) God redeemed the people of Israel save man, and that was through Jesus And so, through Christ, God took out of bondage in Egypt in order that Christ, the Son of God, the One upon Himself the responsibility of vin- He might reveal to them the good news through whom God created our world. dicating His way of love, of magnify- of His everlasting covenant and lead ing it and making it honorable once them to rest upon His promises, to "The earth was dark through mis- more. (Isaiah 42:21.) Not only would trust in His work. The covenant He apprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, the death of Christ ransom our world revealed to Israel was the same as that that the world might be brought back from the clutches of the way of sin, which He had revealed to Adam, to God, Satan's deceptive power was Noah, Abraham, and Isaac. to be broken. This could not be done but it would also show the justice of by force. The exercise of force is con- God's way of dealing with Satan's trary to the principles of God's gov- rebellion. It would establish forever "He hath remembered his covenant ernment; He desires only the service for ever, the word which he com- of love; and love cannot be com- the perpetuity of God's law of love and manded to a thousand generations. manded; it cannot be won by force reveal to the universe both the nature Which covenant he made with Abra- or authority. Only by love is love and the results of sin. And it would ham, and his oath unto Isaac; and awakened. To know God is to love confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Him; His character must be mani- answer forever the question of whether law, and to Israel for an everlasting fested in contrast to the character of God Himself is self-sacrificing, willing covenant." Psalm 105:8-10. Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He to deny Himself for the sake of His who knew the height and depth of the creation. God redeemed the people of Israel, love of God could make it known. the Bible indicates, only after He had Upon the world's dark night the Sun Thus the everlasting covenant rests of Righteousness must rise, 'with heal- upon Christ's commitment to His worked several miracles in their behalf ing in His wings.' Malachi 4:2. Father to uphold the law of love as to show them His power and His de- "The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formu- our Substitute, to present a living dem- sire to bless them and bring them lated after the fall of Adam. It was a onstration of the principles of the law, happiness. revelation of 'the mystery which hath When Pharaoh pursued them and been kept in silence through times and to die to meet its penalty. eternal.' Romans 16:25, R.V. It was It was this covenant which God re- tried to destroy them after they left an unfolding of the principles that vealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden Egypt, Moses told the people to "stand from eternal ages have been the still, and see the salvation of the Lord. foundation of God's throne. From the after they sinned. See Genesis 3:15. beginning, God and Christ knew of And it was this covenant which He re- . . . The Lord shall fight for you, and the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus of man through the deceptive power vealed to many of the descendants of of the apostate. God did not ordain Adam, individuals such as Noah and 14:13, 14.) that sin should exist, but He foresaw Abraham. See Genesis 6:8, 18; 9:9- Though they seemed to be in an its existence, and made provision to utterly impossible situation, God mi- meet the terrible emergency. So great 16; 12:3; 15:5, 6, 18; 17:1-21. raculously delivered them from Phar- was His love for the world, that He The Bible clearly states that the cov- covenanted to give His only-begotten aoh. And while He worked for them Son, 'that whosoever believeth in Him enant which He revealed to these men to do that which they would have should not perish, but have everlast- rested upon His mercy and His prom- ing life.' John 3:16."—Ellen G. White, never done for themselves, all that He The Desire of Ages, p. 22. ises. asked them to do was "stand still" and To Abraham God promised "in thee rest by faith in His promise and in His God's Everlasting Covenant. God's shall all families of the earth be work. covenant to give His Son in order to blessed." (Genesis 12:3.) Though When He gave them the manna, the redeem man is actually an agreement Abraham had no children when God same kind of situation existed. They which has existed between the Father promised to bless the whole world had no food. They were ready to and the Son (Christ) from eternity. through his "seed" or offspring, and starve. And so they complained about See Zechariah 6:12, 13; Romans though he was quite old at the time, their situation. But God, in spite of 16:25. he believed God. their unbelief in Him, provided for With the entrance of sin, Christ, And the record says that God ac- them that which they were unable to through whom God had created all cepted Abraham's faith "for righteous- provide for themselves. things in the beginning, stepped into ness." (Genesis 15:6.) Abraham, Soon after that they ran out of wa- the breach between God and man in knowing that God would have to ful- ter, and they began to murmur against

March 1973/THESE TIMES 2q Moses. Again God, despite their un- belief in His ability to provide for them, performed a remarkable miracle The Two Covenants

to give them water to drink. 1. The everlasting covenant 2. The "old covenant" Finally God led His people to the (also called the new or second (also called the first covenant) area near Mount Sinai. The important covenant) events that happened there in the fol- a. Has to do with God's law. a. Has to do with God's law. b. Originated in the "counsel of b. Originated when Israel, failing to lowing months fall into four distinct peace" held between God and comprehend the everlasting cov- scenes. Christ before the creation of our enant offered to them by God at world. In this covenant Christ Mount Sinai (see Psalm 105:8-10 Scene One: God Reveals His Ever- volunteered to stand in the place and Hebrews 6:13-20), declared of fallen man and render per- self-confidently that they would lasting Covenant to Israel, and They fect obedience to the law in his render perfect obedience to Respond. It was at Sinai that God behalf. Zechariah 6:13; Romans God's will. Exodus 19:4-8. chose to reveal to Israel His covenant. 16:25, R.S.V. In all the miracles He had performed, c. Is a "better" covenant because c. Was "faulty" because of man's prin- based on God's promises. He- promises. Exodus 19:8; Hebrews He had already demonstrated the brews 8:6, 10. 8:7. ciple of His covenant, showing His d. Made effective through the blood d. Established with the blood of power to abundantly provide for them of Christ. Hebrews 9:11-15. animals. Exodus 20:24; 24:7, 8. and bless them, despite their sinful- e. Includes full provision for for- e. Included no provision for for- ness. All that He asked for in return giveness of sins. Hebrews 8:12. giveness of sins. Hebrews 10:4. f. Under this arrangement God has f. Under this arrangement God was that they believe in Him and allow promised to write His law upon wrote His law only upon tables Him to do that which they could never the hearts of those who believe of stone. 2 Corinthians 3:6. do in and of themselves. in Him. 2 Corinthians 3:18; He- And so, in the Sinai wilderness, God brews 8:10. told Moses, The Two Sanctuaries

"Ye have seen what I did unto the 1. The heavenly sanctuary. 2. The earthly sanctuary. Egyptians, and how I bare you on a. The "true" tabernacle. Hebrews eagles' wings, and brought you unto a. Patterned after the true taber- myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey 8:2. nacle. Exodus 25:9, 40; Hebrews my voice indeed, and keep my cove- 8:5. nant, then ye shall be a peculiar trea- b. Pitched by God, not man. He- b. Pitched by man. Exodus 25:8. sure unto me above all people: for all brews 8:2. the earth is mine: and ye shall be c. Built without hands. Hebrews c. Made "with hands" of man. He- unto me a kingdom of priests, and an 9:11. brews 9:24. holy nation. These are the words d. The one sacrifice offered by d. The sacrifices offered in connec- which thou shalt speak unto the chil- Christ in connection with this dren of Israel." Exodus 19:4-6. tion with this sanctuary could sanctuary has dealt with sins "never take away sins." Hebrews forever. Hebrews 10:12. 10:11. Notice how before God asked the e. Cleansed from the sins of man e. Cleansed from the sins of Israel Israelites to respond, He pointedly re- by the blood of Jesus. Hebrews by the blood of animals. He- minded them of what He had done for 9:23. brews 9:22, 23. them. f. The sacrifice of Christ is able to f. The sacrifices of animals were But the people still did not under- make the worshipers in this sanc- unable to make the worshipers tuary perfect. Hebrews 10:14. in this sanctuary perfect. He- stand God's holiness and their own brews 10:1. utter inability to meet His requirement of perfect obedience. And so they said, "All that the Lord hath spoken, we The Law Under the Two Covenants

will do." Exodus 19:8. I. The New Covenant. II. The Old Covenant. Their words sounded good. Yes, a. The Ten Commandments. a. The Ten Commandments. they would follow God and do His 1. Written by the Holy Spirit 1. Written by God upon two will. upon the hearts and minds of tables of stone which were all who accept Jesus Christ as placed inside the ark of the But their promises were absolutely their personal Saviour. He- earthly sanctuary by Moses. worthless. Though they promised to brews 8:10. Exodus 31:18; 32:16. Compare obey God, they had already demon- Zechariah 7:12. strated several times their inability to 2. Under the ministry of the 2. Without the Spirit, the form do His will themselves. Spirit the law brings life. 2 or letter of the law can only Corinthians 3:6. Compare Ro- kill. 2 Corinthians 3:6. Though God had actually offered to mans 7:10. Israel His everlasting covenant, the 3. Christ magnified this law and 3. Not knowing the infinite re- response of the people created a differ- made it honorable by living quirements of the law, the ent kind of covenant altogether. its precepts under the power people of Israel thought that of the Holy Spirit. This is the by keeping the letter of the The Bible calls the covenant which law written within His heart. law they might produce a originated at Sinai the "old covenant." Isaiah 42:21; Psalm 40:8. righteousness acceptable to See Galatians 4:24; Hebrews 8:7; 2 God. Romans 10:4. Corinthians 3. b. Under the new covenant there b. Under the old covenant God are no ceremonial laws pointing gave Israel certain ceremonial The covenant God had made with forward to the work of Christ, laws in addition to His law of Abraham asked only for faith and but there are certain ordinances Ten Commandments. These in- trust on the part of man. Abraham be- which point back to His finished cluded various sacrifices and lieved the Lord, and it was counted work on the cross. Among them ceremonies held throughout the are- year, all of which pointed for- unto him for righteousness. In all His dealings with Israel God had endeav-

OA TUCCC TINAFC/hilarrh 1CI7q ored to teach them to place their con- fidence in Him. 1. Baptism, which serves as a ward to Christ, and all of which But Israel responded in self-confi- memorial of Christ's death, were abolished at His death. See dence. Because of this, the covenant burial, and resurrection. Ro- Daniel 9:27; Ephesians 2:15; Co- mans 6:4. lossians 2:14. they entered into with God was utterly 2. The ordinance of humility Even under the old covenant worthless, so far as giving them life (foot washing), which com- God clearly distinguished these was concerned. All they could ever get memorates His humility in be- ceremonial laws from His law of from the old covenant was death. (2 Ten Commandments, which is coming a servant for our Corinthians 3:7.) sakes. John 13:14. eternal and unchangeable in any dispensation. 3. The ordinance of Communion "The fault with the Old Covenant (the Lord's Supper), which was its promises. Man's side was weak commemorates His death. in that he could not do what he had Luke 22:17-20. promised to do. He had not learned Under the new covenant that without Christ he could do noth- the Christian does not practice ing. these ordinances to be saved, "The strength of the New Covenant as compared with the Old is that it is but because they are a way `established upon better promises.' of presenting an outward, (Hebrews 8:6.) Why are the promises visible testimony to that which of the New Covenant better than has already been accom- those of the Old? Because Christ plished in Christ. makes them all. God's side of the agreement stands as before: 'If ye "Question. Are we under obligation "Question. Are we under obligation will obey.' But man's side is changed. to keep the moral law? to keep the ceremonial, or church, law Instead of feeling self-sufficient and of the Jews? boldly declaring, 'I will do,' he now "Answer. Yes; because it is founded "Answer. No; the ordinances which feels his utter helplessness; he turns to on the nature of God, and cannot be it enjoined were only types and shad- Jesus for strength. And Jesus says: 'I will do for you, and through you. I changed; it is of universal application, ows of Christ; and when they were will put my laws into your mind, and which was impossible with respect to fulfilled by His death, and the dis- on your heart also will I write them: the ceremonial and civil laws. Christ tinction between the Jew and Gentile I will be merciful to your iniquities, demands obedience to His law."— was removed, the ceremonial law was and your sins will I remember no Martin Luther, Shorter Catechism. abolished, because it was no longer more.' "—William Henry Branson, necessary."—Martin Luther, Shorter Drama of the Ages, p. 318. Catechism. But God did not give up on Israel. In His love for them He condescended The Two Kinds of Sabbaths to the covenant they made, because He recognized that, though it could 1. The Sabbath of the Lord. 2. The ceremonial sabbaths. a. Kept by both God and man. a. Kept only by man. See Leviticus never bring them life, it could function Genesis 2:1-4; Exodus 20:8-11. 23. as a means to teach them their need of b. A weekly event. b. Yearly events. Him. And so in humility He came to c. Commemorated an event in the c. Pointed forward to the future them where they stood that He might past (creation). work of Christ for our redemp- bring them back to Himself. tion. d. Originated before sin. d. Instituted after sin and as a re- "For he said, Surely they are my sult of sin. people, children that will not lie: so e. Part of Ten Commandment law. e. Part of the ceremonial law. he was their Saviour." Isaiah 63:8. f. Because it is part of God's Ten f. Part of the "handwriting of ordi- Commandment law which Paul nances that was against us." Scene Two: God Presents His Law calls "holy, and just, and good," Only a "shadow of things to to Israel, and They Respond. Because the Sabbath is a good institution. come," and not really the sub- As Christ put it, it was made for stance. Colossians 2:14-17. of the proud response of the people, man. Romans 7:12; Mark 2:27. God proceeded to reveal to them more g. Part of the everlasting covenant. g. Part of the old covenant. Accord- clearly the holiness of His law. According to Old Testament ing to Old Testament prophecy From Mount Sinai, amid thunder prophecy, "The day is to be ob- the Messiah would bring an end and lightning, God spoke His law to served in the Messianic age."— to the sacrifices associated with R. Laird Harris, "Sabbath," these days. Daniel 9:27. Israel. Again, as He had so often done Baker's Dictionary of Theology. before, He first reminded them of His See Isaiah 56:4-8 and compare mercy. John 10:16. "I am the Lord thy God, which Note: God Himself has clearly distinguished between His weekly Sabbaths and the cere- have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." monial or annual sabbaths. The twenty-third chapter of Leviticus, after listing the cere- Exodus 20:2. monial sabbaths, declares:

"These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to Then He gave His law to them. Of offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a course, they had known the principles sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: beside the sabbaths of the Lord." of His law before Sinai (see Exodus Leviticus 23:37, 38. See context. 16), but in presenting His Ten Com- "Notice how the Holy Spirit makes plain the distinction between the yearly sabbaths mandments in such an awesome and and the weekly Sabbath. The yearly sabbaths were to be observed 'beside the sabbaths of the Lord.' We read in the Fourth Commandment that 'the seventh day is the sabbath of the majestic way to the people, God Lord.' This Sabbath, or 'rest of the Lord,' was in the Ten Commandment law. The others sought to show them more clearly His were not. They were not the sabbaths of the Lord because He never rested on these days. holiness and thus lead them to cast But at the close of creation week He did rest on the seventh day from all His work. This themselves upon His mercy. makes it the Sabbath of the Lord. Thus do we see a vast difference."—Allan Walker, The Law and the Sabbath, pp. 169, 170. But the people, still not understand- ing His goodness and mercy, became 41111E+ very fearful.

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 25 "And all the people saw the thun- to teach Israel the folly of trying to land of Egypt, have corrupted them- derings, and the lightnings, and the find life through their own works. Only selves: they have turned aside quickly noise of the trumpet, and the moun- out of the way which I commanded tain smoking: and when the people as the people looked beyond the sym- them: they have made them a molten saw it, they removed, and stood afar bol to the real plan of salvation could calf, and have worshipped it, and off. And they said unto Moses, Speak have sacrificed thereunto, and said, thou with us, and we will hear: but they find true forgiveness and cleans- These be thy gods, 0 Israel, which let not God speak with us, lest we ing from their sins. have brought thee up out of the land die." Exodus 20:18, 19. of Egypt. And the Lord said unto During the long period Moses spent Moses, I have seen this people, and, Then Moses went up into the moun- up on Mount Sinai with God, the peo- behold, it is a stiffnecked people: now ple became restless. After a while they therefore let me alone, that my wrath tain to talk with God. There God gave may wax hot against them, and that him further instructions for the decided to have a "religious" festival. I may consume them: and I will make people. But as it turned out, their festival was of thee a great nation." Exodus When he came back down, Moses 32:7-10. presented all of God's requirements to Under the terms of the old covenant the people. to which the people had so heartily By now, it would seem they would "Under the covenant of and presumptuously agreed, God had have learned a lesson. grace, God requires from man the perfect right to destroy the people. Yet their response was simply re- just what he required in "The wages of sin is death." markable. But Moses knew God, and he knew Eden—perfect obedience. The "All the words which the Lord hath God's everlasting covenant. And so he said will we do." Exodus 24:3. believing sinner, through his appealed to God to Later, Moses repeated God's re- divine Substitute and Surety, quirements to the people. renders obedience to the "remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou Again they declared, "All that the law of God." swarest by thine own self, and saidst Lord hath said will we do, and be unto them, I will multiply your seed obedient." Verse 7. as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I "The provision made for give unto your seed, and they shall Scene Three: God Writes His Law the salvation of men through inherit it for ever." (Exodus 32:13.) on Tables of Stone and Gives Israel the imputed righteousness And God, because of His mercy, the Sanctuary System, and They Re- did not destroy the people. spond. Three times now the people of Christ, does not do away Then Moses went down from the had declared they would do God's will. with the law, or lessen in the mountain with the tables of stone upon Three times now they had refused to least its holy claims; for which God had written His law. As recognize their own sinfulness and Christ came to exalt the law he drew near the camp and saw the pride and inability to do His will in and make it honorable, to wild revelry of the people, his heart and of themselves. Yet in spite of all reveal its exceeding breadth broke as he saw them breaking God's this, God still had compassion upon law so flagrantly. In anger at their His people in their ignorance. and changeless character. The glory of the gospel of folly He dashed into pieces the two And so He called Moses into the tables of stone. mount again. This time He wrote His grace through the imputed law on two tables of stone. God longed righteousness of Christ, Scene Four: God Writes Out His to write His law on the hearts of the provides no other way of Ten Commandments Again, and the people, to change their stony hearts salvation than through Israelites Respond in Fear to Moses. and fill them with life and love. But obedience to the law of God After remonstrating with the people, because the people, through unbelief in the person of Jesus Christ, Moses returned to the mountain with in Him, would not let Him do that, He another set of stones. There God wrote wrote His law on the tables of stone the divine Substitute. In the out again with His own hand His Ten as a witness against them. old dispensation believers Commandments. In addition, God at this time gave were saved through the grace When Moses came down from the to Moses instructions for the Israelites of Christ, as presented in mountain this time, the Bible says, to build Him a sanctuary modeled the gospel, as we are saved "the skin of Moses' face shone" so after the true sanctuary in heaven from brightly that the people could not bear today. The only means of where He rules the universe. (Exodus to look at him. He had been with God, 25:8-28:43.) In connection with this salvation is provided under and beholding God's glory, he had sanctuary He commanded Moses to the Abrahamic covenant." been changed into His image, so that establish a system of sacrifices and —Ellen G. White. he reflected God's glory. offerings, and a daily and yearly round But because of the people's unbelief of ceremonies. (Exodus 29:1-30:38.) and remoteness from God, Moses had All of this—the sanctuary and the anything but religious, for they ended to put a veil over his face. He did this ceremonial laws connected with it— up worshiping an idol and practicing purely as a concession to the people. was exactly in keeping with the cov- immorality. Through their unbelief they had ac- enant the people had chosen—the cov- Under the terms of the agreement tually created a barrier between them- enant of works. There was nothing they had made with God, they were to selves and God. about the whole system that could "obey and live," "disobey and die." A veil between a light and a person bring life to man. But God in His mar- As God saw their actions, He de- subdues the light and causes a shadow. velous humility condescended to use clared to Moses: And yet the very presence of a shadow such weak, inefficient representations proves that light is present. "Go, get thee down; for thy people, of the true way of salvation in order which thou broughtest out of the So, though God desired to give 26 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Israel the "light of the glorious gospel Why Then the Law? Of course, this "The people . . . found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went of Christ," He condescended to give raises a crucial question. Why then did to cause him to rest." Jeremiah 31:2. them in the sanctuary and the cere- God present the whole law system monial laws a veil to teach them, in a (both moral and ceremonial) to Israel But the fact that the law was de- subdued way, of Christ. And though in at Sinai? signed to bring man to seek God's the sanctuary and the ceremonial law "It was added,"* says Paul, "be- grace does not mean that, having re- they got only a shadow of the good cause of transgressions." Galatians ceived God's grace, man is then free things God desired to give them, it was 3:19. In another place, he wrote, to disobey the law. As John Wesley put it: the best God could do for them in their "Moreover the law entered, that the state of ignorance and unbelief. See offence might abound. But where sin Hebrews 8:5, 6; 10:1. abounded, grace did much more "There is no contrariety at all be- abound." Romans 5:20. tween the law and the gospel; . . . there is no need for the law to pass Did God Establish Another Way of God's law is not sin. Rather it is the away, in order to the establishing the great detector of sin. It is the diagnos- gospel. Indeed neither of them super- Salvation at Sinai? Some people, not sedes the other, but they agree per- really understanding the nature of the tic test that reveals the presence of sin. fectly well together. . . . There is, old covenant and the purpose of the Were there no law, there would be therefore, the closest connection that can be conceived, between the law earthly sanctuary and the ceremonial no such thing as sin. and the gospel. On the one hand, the laws, have suggested that God estab- Now, before an individual can re- law continually makes way for, and spond to the good news of Jesus points us to, the gospel; on the other, lished at Sinai a way of salvation for the gospel continually leads us to a the Jewish people based on law and Christ, he must somehow be convicted more exact fulfilling of the law."— that Christ came to establish another of his need of a Saviour. It is the func- Sermons, Vol. I, p. 223. way which would free man from the tion of the law to point out sin, and Thus the law leads to Christ, and obligation of obeying God's law. when used as a tool by the Holy Spirit, Christ, through His Spirit, then leads But the Bible teaches clearly that it convicts of sin, thus leading sinners to Christ. And so the law is an instru- man to truly keep the law. See Psalm there is but one way of salvation, 78:5-7 for a description of this pro- whether for Jews or for non-Jewish ment to lead to Christ. (Galatians 3:24, 25.) cess. people, whether in Old Testament But the people of Israel misunder- times or New Testament times, and Israel's sin consisted of their pride and self-sufficiency. God presented His stood why God revealed His law to that is through Jesus Christ, who died them. When He spoke to them from that we might have eternal life. In law to them in awful majesty from Sinai in order that they might see how Sinai, "they removed, and stood afar other words, man's only hope lies in off." They feared God. the everlasting covenant in which The commandments which God Christ stands in our place as our Sub- ordained to bring them life by leading stitute. "For this is the covenant them to trust in Him, became to them The Apostle Paul dealt with this a minister of cursing and death. (Ro- very question in his letter to the that I will make, . . . saith the mans 7:10.) churches in Galatia. After talking Lord; I will put my laws But Moses said to the people, about how God revealed His everlast- into their mind. . . . For I "Fear not. . . . And Moses drew near ing covenant of grace to Abraham and will be merciful to their unto . . . where God was." Exodus how Abraham responded by believing 20:20, 21. God, he declared, unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I Moses did not draw near to God "Now the promises were made to because he had confidence that he was Abraham and to his offspring. It does remember no more." good enough. No. Moses drew near not say, 'And to offsprings,' referring Hebrews 8:10-12. to many; but, referring to one, 'And because he knew something about God to your offspring,' which is Christ. which the people didn't. He under- This is what I mean: the law, which stood God's everlasting covenant. He came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant seriously He takes sin and turn to Him understood God's goodness and mercy. previously ratified by God, so as to for forgiveness and cleansing. His confidence rested not in himself make the promise void. For if the God gave His law to Israel in love. but in God inheritance is by the law, it is no and in the blood of Jesus. longer by promise; but God gave it to As Moses said, It is only through the blood of Jesus Abraham by a promise." Galatians that any man can draw near to God. 3:16-18, R.S.V. "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he Moses drew near with boldness be- shined forth from mount Paran, and cause he understood that very fact. In other words, God presented one he came with ten thousands of saints: way of salvation to Abraham. And just from his right hand went a fiery law (Hebrews 10:19.) as a will or a contract can't be changed for them. Yea, he loved the people." Moses, with open eyes, beheld the Deuteronomy 33:2, 3. after it is drawn up and signed, so God glory of God, and as He beheld God's could not change His covenant of In revealing the breadth of His holi- goodness, He was transformed into his grace after Abraham's time. Having ness, God sought to show the breadth Creator's image by the Spirit of God, committed Himself to give His Son to also of His grace. The stiffer the de- who wrote the law of love upon his redeem man, God did not change His mands of His law, the more clearly is heart. (2 Corinthians 3:18; Exodus mind halfway through the game and His grace revealed. That is why He 34:29, 30.) create another set of rules. said, And so unbelief found in the proc- lamation of the law condemnation, And so there is but one way to sal- *The word "added" in the original Greek means vation, and that rests upon God's literally "to place alongside." The Bible clearly cursing, and something to fear. teaches that before Sinai there was a knowledge of promise to bless all humanity through God's law. See Genesis 17:9; 18:19; 26:5; Exodus But belief found in the proclamation the offspring of Abraham—that is, 16. But at Sinai God presented His law in more of the law acceptance, liberty, and joy. explicit terms in order to make all the more ex- through Jesus Christ. plicit the nature of sin. (James 1:25.) March 1973 /THESE TIMES 27 Jesus and the Sabbath

THE STORY of Jesus Christ is shall many be made righteous." Ro- Strangely, some have suggested that the good news of how God came seek- mans 5:12, 18, 19. Jesus abrogated or set aside the fourth ing and forgiving sinners in Christ. Jesus became one with us that He commandment. Other religions call upon men to might render perfect obedience to the Such was the position of many of seek after various gods. But the gospel law of love. Where Adam failed, He the religious leaders of Israel in His story explains how the true God who succeeded. And He succeeded in spite day. And such is still the position of created the heavens and the earth of the fact that the humanity He as- many of the religious leaders of our came seeking after us. sumed was not like that possessed by day. But such an idea is certainly not Adam as he came forth from the Cre- based on the Bible. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent ator's hand, but like that of every child his Son to be the propitiation for our of Adam, a humanity weakened by the "As His Custom Was." The New sins." 1 John 4:10. "God was in Christ, reconciling the effects of sin. "In all things it behoved Testament teaches that Jesus always world unto himself, not imputing their him to be made like unto his brethren." honored the Sabbath. trespasses unto them." 2 Corinthians Hebrews 2:17. And yet, in spite of the 5:19. "And they went into Capernaum; limitations He assumed, He lived a and straightway on the sabbath day he According to the everlasting cov- perfect, sinless life. entered into the synagogue, and enant He had made with His Father, taught." Mark 1:21. Just as we express ourselves through "And he came to Nazareth, where the Son of God had to become one our words, so Jesus was the Word of he had been brought up: and, as his with us, to identify Himself with our God, a perfect expression of God's custom was, he went into the syn- weaknesses and our temptations, so agogue on the sabbath day, and stood own thoughts of peace toward us. up for to read." Luke 4:16. that He might stand as our Substitute. In giving Christ to humanity, God "I and my Father are one." John poured out the whole treasury of 10:30. The Lord of the Sabbath. In the "He that hath seen me hath seen time of Christ the real principles of heaven, the accumulated riches of the Father." John 14:9. eternity. He held nothing back. In giv- "The Son can do nothing of him- true religion had become largely ob- self, but what he seeth the Father do." scured in a mass of forms and cere- ing Christ, He gave all. John 5:19. Lucifer had desired to be above "I do always those things that monies based on the traditions of men. Christ. He had sought to "be like the please him." John 8:29. As they departed from God, the "1 seek not mine own glory." John people of Israel had lost sight of the most High." "I will exalt my throne 8:50. above the stars of God," he had said. "The words that I speak unto you I true meaning of the Sabbath, which speak not of myself: but the Father God had intended to continually re- (Isaiah 14:14, 13.) Such is the way that dwelleth in me, he doeth the of sin. works." John 14:10. mind man of His power and love. And But Christ, though He was on an "I have kept my Father's command- as the Israelites did this, they began to ments, and abide in his love." John invent burdensome requirements con- equality with God, 15:10. cerning the Sabbath. "did not count equality with God a In all that He did Jesus upheld the thing to be grasped, but emptied him- "As so often happens with institu- self, taking the form of a servant, be- commandments of His Father. "My tions, there grew a danger also. The ing born in the likeness of men." (Phi- mission," He said, "is [1] to do the form could eclipse the spirit. The lippians 2:6, 7, R.S.V.) will of him that sent me, and [2] to commandment against work, con- ceived at first with living imagination, Such is the way of love. For love is finish his work." (John 4:34.) tended to become a harsh and rigid humble. And so, Jesus, "though he orthodoxy; e.g., see what it had be- was rich, yet for your sakes he became come to the scribes and Pharisees in God's Will Concerning the Sabbath. the days of Jesus. Its prohibitions poor, that ye through his poverty Yes, most everyone agrees that Jesus were so sacrosanct that life was might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9.) cramped within them. To such a point was a good man. But one aspect of did the sabbath regulations against His life bothered many of His con- work or any kind of physical effort The Obedience of One. "Wherefore, temporaries. And that was His attitude go that, as Emil Schiirer describes in as by one man sin entered the world, his History of the Jewish People in toward the Sabbath. the Time of Jesus Christ, rabbis and death by sin; and so death passed What is God's will concerning the solemnly debated whether a cripple upon all men, for that all have sinned." must be condemned as guilty if in Sabbath? case his house caught fire on the sab- "Even so by the righteousness of one bath he should carry out his wooden the free gift came upon all men unto "Remember the sabbath day, to leg."—The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 1, justification of life. For as by one keep it holy." Exodus 20:8. pp. 489, 490. man's disobedience many were made Did Jesus do the will of His Father Against all such man-made require- sinners, so by the obedience of one in this respect? ments Jesus reacted vigorously. He

28 THESE TIMES/March 1973 knew that the only religion which leads "And when he was departed thence, The Finished Work of Jesus. But he went into their synagogue: and, to God is that which comes from God. behold, there was a man which had Jesus came not simply to do the will The inventions of men have no place his hand withered. And they asked of His Father. He also came "to finish in the plan of redemption. him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on his work." (John 4:34.) Jesus not only the sabbath days? that they might had to live a life of perfect obedience, "At that time Jesus went on the accuse him. And he said unto them, sabbath day through the corn; and his What man shall there be among you, He also had to die for us to pay the disciples were an hungred, and began that shall have one sheep, and if it penalty for our sins. to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will But when the Pharisees saw it, they he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? "And being found in fashion as a said unto him, Behold, thy disciples How much then is a man better than man, he humbled himself, and be- do that which is not lawful to do a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do came obedient unto death, even the upon the sabbath day. But he said well on the sabbath days. Then saith death of the cross." Philippians 2:8. unto them, Have ye not read what he to the man, Stretch forth thine David did, when he was an hungred, hand. And he stretched it forth; and Jesus died, the Scriptures teach, be- and they that were with him; how he it was restored whole, like as the entered into the house of God, and other. Then the Pharisees went out, cause He was obedient to the claims did eat the shewbread, which was not and held a council against him, how of the law upon us. they might destroy him." Matthew lawful for him to eat, neither for During His years of ministry Jesus them which were with him, but only 12:9-14. for the priests? Or have ye not read constantly relied on His Father for in the law, how that on the sabbath "It is lawful to do good on the Sab- strength and encouragement. And con- days the priests in the temple profane bath," Jesus said. What a simple, di- stantly the Father blessed Him with the sabbath, and are blameless? But I rect answer to those who accused Him say unto you, That in this place is one power and joy and happiness. (and still do accuse Him) of setting greater than the temple. But if ye had But to finish the work He had set known what this meaneth, I will have aside the Sabbath! out to do, Jesus had to experience the mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not The work of bringing healing to the have condemned the guiltless. For the terrible results of sin so that those who crippled and blind which Jesus so Son of man is Lord even of the sab- would accept His death might not have bath day." Matthew 12:1-8. often did on the Sabbath is perfectly to die, but might have eternal life. in harmony with God's command to Notice how Christ replied to those It is a mystery why anyone should who accused His disciples of breaking keep the Sabbath holy. But Jesus' Sabbathkeeping did not have wanted to kill Jesus. His whole the Sabbath commandment. The com- life had been dedicated to bringing joy mandment, Jesus said, did not forbid satisfy the religious leaders of His day. His mercy and compassion expressed and happiness and healing to others. labor in God's service. Yet He was The Pharisees declared that the dis- God's own thought of true Sabbath- ciples' actions were "not lawful," but keeping (for, as He said, "he that hath "despised and rejected of men; a seen me hath seen the Father"), but it man of sorrows, and acquainted with Jesus, citing Scripture, showed that grief: and we hid as it were our faces His followers were "guiltless" and that was not according to the traditions de- from him; he was despised, and we the principle of -mercy is always in har- vised by the Pharisees. esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:3.) mony with God's law. And so, the record says, "they took Those who arrested Him, those who Finally Jesus crowned His argument: counsel against him, how they might called for His death, those who cruci- destroy him." fied Him, were simply carrying to its "The sabbath was made for man, On this and other occasions when and not man for the sabbath: there- logical conclusion the principle of sin. fore the Son of man is Lord also of Jesus entered into conflict with the re- The spectacle of Jesus' death is a reve- the sabbath." Mark 2:27, 28. ligious leaders of Israel, He never once lation to our dull senses of the length It was Jesus who made the Sabbath questioned the Sabbath command- to which sin will go in its desire for in- in the beginning, for the Bible says ment. What He reacted against was dependence from the Creator. the way in which the Sabbath had been that in the beginning "all things were As Jesus neared the hour of His burdened down by the inventions of made by him" (John 1:3), and since, death, He began to experience a ter- men. as He Himself taught, "the Sabbath rible sense of separation from His And so the Scriptures clearly teach was made for man," it is clear that He Father. The heavy burden of the sins that when Jesus said He came to do originated the Sabbath and that He did of the world weighted Him down as the will of His Father, so for man—that is, for man's benefit. He honored the He prayed for strength in the Garden Sabbath and restored to it the true of Gethsemene that Thursday night "For by him were all things created, meaning God had intended for it. that are in heaven, and that are in nearly two thousand years ago. earth, visible and invisible, whether "Think not that I am come to de- He cried out in agony as He sweated they be thrones, or dominions, or stroy the law, or the prophets: I am principalities, or powers: all things not come to destroy, but to fulfil. great drops of blood. Now He stood were created by him, and for him: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven alone. and he is before all things, and by and earth pass, one jot or one tittle him all things consist." Colossians shall in no wise pass from the law, They came for Him at midnight 1:16, 17. till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17, 18. —the men appointed as religious lead- Thus Jesus is the Lord of the Sab- bath, the One who created it as a "Because the law of the Sabbath is grounded in the order of creation itself memorial of His own infinite power. and pertains to all creatures, the traditional Christian interpretation of the Sab- He, the Judge of all, declared His dis- bath as a ceremony now abolished by Jesus Christ is incorrect." ciples "guiltless" on the basis of the "How often have we heard that Jesus Christ abolishes the Sabbath so that law of Ten Commandments which He men may be truly free! But this suggestion is sheer theological nonsense. The Himself has given to mankind. work of Jesus Christ cannot contradict the purpose for which God created the world. To assert such a contradiction, by explicitly or implicitly opposing the "It Is Lawful to Do Good on the Sabbath, is to reiterate the old Gnostic claim that the God of the Old Testament Sabbath." As Creator and Lord of the and the God of the New Testament are two different 'Gods.'"—Herbert W. Rich- Sabbath Jesus ever sought to restore ardson. it to its original purity and purpose.

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 29 ers of the Jewish people. finished work of Jesus with the Sab- worked, but because He has worked. And they arrested Him like a com- bath. Not only is it the sign of God's And His work is so perfect, so all in- mon criminal. In the following hours power in creation, but it is also the clusive, that we can do nothing to add they and others shuttled Him back sign of that same power exercised to to it. He has paid the penalty you and and forth from one court to another, redeem mankind. I owe because of our sin. abused and spat upon Him, crowned With the cry "It is finished" Jesus You see, God's way in redemption Him with a wreath of thorns, and reconciled forever God and man. At is the same as His way in creation. lashed Him with a whip. that point His identification with sinful Adam was able to rest that first Sab- Yet He took everything without ever humanity became complete, and, as a bath, not because he had worked, but murmuring a single complaint. result, He died the death we deserve. because God and Christ had worked Then they crucified Him, the Lord "For he [God] hath made him to be and had finished their work, making of glory. They hung Him on a cross to sin for us, who knew no sin; that we provision for Adam's every need. die a cruel and inhumane death. might be made the righteousness of So on the cross Jesus made pro- In their blindness and pride they God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. vision for our every need. thought they had triumphed over Him, And so Jesus died as our Represen- What God has done in His gracious the humble Galilean. tative. In His death He included you purpose is to include us in Christ. In But they found no rest in crucifying and He included me. That is why Paul dealing with Christ on the cross, God Him, for the way of sin can never said, we judge that since "one died for dealt with all of humanity. bring rest. all, then were all dead." 2 Corinthians But because love can never use On the cross Jesus experienced the 5 : 14. force, God established the plan of re- wrath of God against sin. The Father, Jesus took your carnal nature and demption in such a way that the final though He suffered with His Son, He took my carnal nature and He so choice is up to us as to whether we looked upon Him now as a sinner. As identified Himself with that that it took will believe God's reckoning (which the Father withdrew His presence from Him to His grave. And when we un- accepts us in Christ) or disbelieve His His Son, Jesus cried out in anguish, derstand that, according to God's own goodness. accounting, we were there in Christ as And so to enter into the rest which "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46. He hung upon the cross, then we un- Christ entered and to come forth with derstand why His death is such good newness of life, even as He came forth Forsaken by man and now forsaken news. from the tomb that Sabbath, we must by God, He stood alone. Now Jesus reckon ourselves dead with Him. had nothing to hope in but the evi- "We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful "Knowing this, that our old man is dences of His Father's love previously body might be destroyed, and we crucified, . . . reckon ye also your- might no longer be enslaved to sin." given Him. Romans 6:6, R.S.V. selves to be dead indeed unto sin." Alone He suffered for the sins of the Romans 6:6-11. world. God does not ask us to crucify our- Accepted by God. But Jesus did not Alone He bore the penalty. selves in order to atone for our sins. remain in the tomb. Early Sunday Finally He cried out those fateful No, He has already taken care of the morning He arose from death. The words, "It is finished," and died. (John debt we owe to sin in the crucifixion death of Jesus demonstrated that 19:30.) of His Son. Our carnal natures were God's hatred of sin is as strong as crucified with Him in A.D. 31. death. But the resurrection of Jesus Rest at Last. At last Jesus rested, True, we are to die daily, but this is demonstrated that God's love for sin- His work in reconciling God to man simply the result of our looking to ners is stronger than death. finished. As He lay in the tomb that Christ's death. Shortly after His resurrection Jesus Sabbath (for He died late Friday after- Now the gospel tells us it is our ascended to heaven. He had fulfilled noon—see John 19:31), His mission privilege to rest, not because we have the commitment which He made to the appeared to have failed. That Sabbath appeared to be a day of shame. Yet in reality it was a day of victory. "I honestly believe that this commandment [the fourth, or Sabbath, com- mandment] Yes, victory. is just as binding to-day as it ever was. I have talked with men At creation Christ and His Father who have said that it has been abrogated, but they have never been able to rested upon the Sabbath after they had point to any place in the Bible where God repealed it. When Christ was on earth, finished their work of creating man He did nothing to set it aside; He freed it from the traces under which the scribes late on Friday afternoon. In the be- and Pharisees had put it, and gave it its true place. 'The sabbath was made for ginning they did not rest until they man, not man for the sabbath.' It is just as practicable and as necessary for men had made provision for man's every to-day as it ever was—in fact, more than ever, because we live in such an intense age. need. Now Jesus rested from the work of "The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. redemption. Just as the finished work This fourth commandment begins with the word 'remember,' showing that the of creation had demonstrated His di- Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. vinity, so now the finished work of How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when reconciling God to man demonstrated they will admit that the other nine are still binding? . . . His divine nature. Just as He died, one "'Sabbath' means 'rest,' and the meaning of the word gives a hint as to the of the Roman soldiers who had helped true way to observe the day. God rested after creation, and ordained the Sab- to crucify Him, cried out, bath as a rest for man. He blessed it and hallowed it. 'Remember the rest-day to keep it holy.' It is the day when the body may be refreshed and strengthened "Truly this was the Son of God." after six days of labor, and the soul drawn into closer fellowship with its Maker." Matthew 27:54. —Dwight L. Moody. And so God has forever linked the

30 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Father in the ages of eternity, to ren- der perfect obedience to the law in God's Eternal Memorial man's place. Yes, He had been obedi- ent even unto death. Now the universe was to witness God's answer to the prayer which Christ had prayed just before His death: Work finished The Sabbath Genesis 2:1 "I have finished the work which • thou gayest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." "I pray for them . . . which thou hast given me; . . . that they may be L_1 Work finished The Sabbath one, as we are." John 19:30 • "Neither pray I for these alone, but Work of Redemption for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may "It is in the cross of Christ that we receive life, and are made new creatures. be one in us: that the world may be- The power of the cross, therefore, is creative power. So when on the cross Jesus lieve that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gayest me I have cried, 'It is finished,' He was simply announcing that in Him, through His cross, given them; that they may be one, could be obtained the perfect works of God, which were finished from the foun- even as we are one: I in them, and dation of the world. Thus the Sabbath—the seventh day rest that commemorates thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world creation completed in the beginning—is a blessed reminder of the fact that in may know that thou hast sent me, the cross of Christ that same creative power is freely offered to deliver us from and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they the curse, and make us in Him as complete as was everything when God saw it also, whom thou hast given me, be and pronounced it 'very good.' The word of life which is proclaimed to us in the with me where I am; that they may Gospel is 'that which was from the beginning.'"—E. J. Waggoner. behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." John But Jesus received the promise of it has cost God to redeem us. 17:4, 5, 9-11, 20-24. the Holy Spirit not for Himself, but "Ye were not redeemed with cor- for His followers. On the day of Pente- ruptible things, as silver and gold, Thus Jesus prayed (1) that He . . . but with the precious blood of might assume once again the position cost, ten days after He ascended to Christ." 1 Peter 1:18, 19. heaven, He shared the Holy Spirit which He had set aside when sin en- Though God's grace has cost us tered so that He might have the glory which He had received from His Father with His followers here on nothing, it has cost Him everything. He had possessed in the beginning. He who understands this will desire earth. In addition He prayed (2) that above all else to turn away from sin The Apostle Peter explained what those who believed in Him might be and live a life of obedience. had happened as he preached that day. exalted with Him and share His glory. Jesus has identified Himself with us, Such is the way of love. Jesus, as one "This Jesus hath God raised up, but for us to truly benefit from this, with us now, desired that we might whereof we all are witnesses. There- fore [1] being by the right hand of we must identify ourselves with Him. share with Him the riches of eternity. God exalted, and [2] having received We must see that we deserved the The Bible says that God accepted of the Father the promise of the Holy death He died. We must know the ab- Jesus back into heaven with joy, and Ghost, [3] he bath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." Acts horrence He has for sin. It is the work in accepting Him, He accepted us in 2:32, 33. of the Holy Spirit to bring us to Him Him. Humanity was exalted to heaven and lead us to identify ourselves with in Jesus. Having "purged our sins," "Come Unto Me and I Will Give Him. the Book of Hebrews tells us, He "sat You Rest." In the gift of Jesus God And so there at the cross we find down on the right hand of the Majesty gave to us the treasures of heaven. the death of self. And only then do we on high." (Hebrews 1:3.) God is not an Indian giver. He does find rest. To sit down is to rest. not give for a short while and then As long as we try to find acceptance Jesus assumed this position of rest take away. The gift of Jesus was an with God through our efforts, through in heaven because He had finished His eternal gift. And it will take eternity our works, we shall never find that work on earth. As a witness to this for God to reveal to us the amazing which we seek. fact the Father gave to His Son the height and depth and width and "Come," He says, "for all things are Holy Spirit. breadth of His love for us in Christ. now ready." Luke 14:17. The bestowal of the Holy Spirit was See Ephesians 3:14-19. The only way we will find rest is by one of the blessings promised by God Jesus said, "Come unto me, . . . and entering into Christ's rest. And to do in His covenant. But He could give it I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. that we must first accept His perfect, to man only on the basis of perfect We shall never find rest where we finished work as ours by faith. obedience. Under the new covenant, are, but only where He is. "Come," This is the way of love. It shows us Jesus, as our Substitute, has met this He says. that only by looking outside ourselves requirement of perfect obedience. And But He is now in heaven. How shall and resting our faith upon the objec- so, the Scripture says, we come to Him there? tive work of Jesus can we find true In simple terms we can come to peace. The peace is not in us, but in "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Him there only by way of the cross. Him. "He is our peace." Ephesians thy God, hath anointed thee with the That is how He got there, and that is 2:14. The rest is not our rest but His. oil of gladness [the Holy Spirit] above how we must get there, too. And yet, the gospel assures us, His rest thy fellows." Hebrews 1:9. Compare Psalm 24:3-5, 7-10. Coming to the cross, we learn what is ours by faith when we abide in Him.

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 31 The Relationship Between the Lay

One of the most important relationships we can ever un- Apart from the gospel the law of God can only condemn derstand is that between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the us. Its lofty claims are an affront to our natural minds. law of God. "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not Throughout the history of Christianity there have been subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." 8 misguided individuals who have pitted the two against But by accepting Christ and His death for us, we can each other, who have suggested the purpose of the gospel once again approach God's law in peace, for as Paul said, was to "do away with" the law. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which Both the law of God and the gospel of God are an are in Christ Jesus." 9 The righteousness or obedience which expression of His character. The New Testament teaches Christ wrought for us on the cross was an infinite righ- that the law of God is "holy, and just, and good," even teousness, sufficient for every sinner, and in accepting this as God Himself is holy, just, and good.' In the same way by faith as our own, we have a right to eternal life. the gospel is also an expression of God's holiness, justice, "Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated and goodness.2 as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He And yet the Scriptures say that we "are not under the had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, law, but under grace." 3 Are we to take this to mean that in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. 'With the Christian is to have nothing to do with God's law? His stripes we are healed.' "—Ellen G. White. Certainly not, for the same writer who made this statement declared a little later, "God sending his own Son in the The response God asks of us is simple: "Look and live," likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the He says."° "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled the sin of the world."" in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 4 As you behold Christ crucified for your sins, He has In order for us to really understand the relationship promised to send His Holy Spirit to draw you unto Him- between God's law and the gospel we need to see it from self. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all two viewpoints—first from God's side and then from ours. men unto me," He declared, and, unless you resist Him, He will do just that.'2 God's Side. God's law requires self-sacrificing, self-re- The first work of the Holy Spirit in leading you to nouncing love. Jesus Christ came to reveal God's love in Christ is to work within you repentance or sorrow for your such an open way that all could plainly see for themselves sins which have brought such anguish and pain to Jesus.13 the amazing willingness of God to give of Himself in order If you will let Him, Jesus will work through His Spirit to to save sinful man from the fate of death. create within you the desire to turn away from the way of Jesus came to "magnify the law, and make it honour- sin. And then He will give you the power to do so. able." 5 One prophecy concerning Him describes His words As His Holy Spirit draws you to Him, He will create within you faith in Himself. Yes, there is hope for you, thus: "I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy law is just as there is for every sinner. And the cause of this within my heart." 6 The death of Jesus on Calvary for our sins did not hope is grounded, not in you or your feelings or attitudes destroy God's law. Rather it upheld it and vindicated it for or in anything you have ever done, but in Him and what eternity. He has done." As you learn this precious fact, you will The law calls for justice. It requires the death of those find assurance and acceptance. "This man receiveth sin- who have broken it. The death of Jesus demonstrated that ners." 15 He, because of His own infinite righteousness, can the claims of justice could be met in such a merciful way accept you just as you are, a poor, erring sinner.'6 as to offer life again to sinners. Finally, as you behold Jesus and begin to comprehend The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of what the value God has placed upon you and His utter desire God did in His Son to bring us back to Himself. "God was that you return to Him, you will find that more than any- in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing thing now you will desire to live a new life, patterned their trespasses unto them." The gospel is thus the out- after Christ, for He alone is worthy of your emulation. working of the divine character of love in response to the You will desire to return to Him a tide of love and service dilemma of sin. in gratitude for His love for you.17 For God, His law (His character of love) is like the And so the gospel vindicates God's law, bringing the root of a tree, while the gospel (how His character led story full circle. Him to respond to sin) is the fruit. "God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righ- teousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not Law Gospel after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 18 Thus, through the gospel we are led to obey God's law And so, in a very real sense, Christ's death on Calvary once again. (the gospel) presented the fullest expression of the law of self-sacrificing love that our universe will ever see. Gospel Law

Our Side. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ the law "We love him, because he first loved us." "If ye love is again placed within our reach. me," said Jesus, "keep my commandments." "For this is the

32 THESE TIMES/March 1973

Ind the Gospel

love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his com- that Friday afternoon nearly two thousand years ago, He mandments are not grievous." 19 cried out, "It is finished." 23 Even before the entrance of sin it was man's privilege And then He rested in death from the work which had to approach God, not on the basis of what he had done, cost Him so much. but solely on the basis of the Creator's love. That this is so we may easily see by substituting the Work Rest words work and rest in the place of law and gospel. In the beginning God's rest on the seventh day of cre- ation came after He had worked and as a direct result of His having finished His work. Thus for God: Now this is the good news: that because Christ rested from His perfect, finished work that Sabbath nearly two thousand years ago, we too may rest-not because we have Work Rest done anything for God, but because of His love for us. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our For man the order was just the opposite. Adam's first sins." 24 day was the Sabbath, God's rest day. On that first Sabbath But just as surely as we may rest because Christ has Adam was able to rest, not because he had worked, but worked for us, so we will respond to His love by working because God had worked. And so, for Adam: for Him. The rest we find in Christ does not lead to com- placency. Rather, it prompts us to work for God in a way no other motivating force could ever do. Rest 1 Work But in working for Him and in keeping His law, we shall, if we truly understand the relationship between the law and the gospel, work and rest, never conclude that what After the entrance of sin God's way remained the same. we do for God will in any way give us merit. "I am the Lord," He says. "I change not." 20 As one writer has put it, "Our acceptance with God is Jesus came to do a work which no man could do. I sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are came, Jesus said, "to do the will of him that sent me, and but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love." to finish his work." 21 Such is the harmony of the law and the gospel. The night before He was crucified, He testified as He prayed to His Father, "I have glorified thee on the earth: ' Romans 7:12, compare Psalm 145:17; Romans 2:4. ' Acts 3:14; John 10:14. ' Romans I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do." "I 6:14. • Romans 8:3, 4. 1 Isaiah 42:21. ° Psalm 40:8. ' 2 Corinthians 5:19. ° Romans 8:7. 1 Romans 8:1. 10 See Isaiah 45:22; Numbers 21:9. " John 1:29. '1 John 12:32. " John have manifested thy name" or character.22 16:8. '• John 3:16; 1 Peter 5:7. '° Luke 15:2. 16 Romans 5:6-9. " John 14:15. Romans 8:3, 4. '" 1 John 4:19; John 14:15; 1 John 5:3. 1° Malachi 3:6. 1' John 4:34. "John 17:4, At last, with His dying breath as He hung on the cross 6. 11 John 19:30. 11 1 John 4:10.

1. What the law is to God: "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it A revelation of (1) His holiness, (2) His jus- is not subject to the law of God." Romans 8:7. tice, and (3) His goodness. "The law is holy, . . . and just and good." Ro- 4. What the law is to the born-again Christian: mans 7:12. Something to rejoice in and honor because Christ has removed its condemnation and made it pos- 2. What the law is to Christ: sible, through His Spirit, to live in harmony with A perfect expression of the Father's will, the its precepts. keeping of which was so important that He died "For what the law could not do, in that it was to uphold its claims upon mankind. weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son "I have kept my Father's commandments, and in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con- abide in his love." John 15:10. demned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of "I do nothing of myself. . . . I do always those the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after things that please him." John 8:28, 29. the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3, 4. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man commandments: and his commandments are not lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. grievous." 1 John 5:3. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 3. What the law is to the sinner: 14:15. Something which exposes sin and brings con- "I delight to do thy will, 0 my God: yea, thy demnation, something to hate. law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8. Compare "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had Hebrews 10:16. not known lust, except the law had said, Thou "Great peace have they which love thy law: and shalt not covet." Romans 7:7. nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165.

March 1973 /THESE TIMES 33 The Sabbath in the Early Church

AFTER THE resurrection and as- group in their ignorance threw out the taught, is actually a test of whether a cension of Jesus, His followers went law. Theirs was the way of license. man is truly abiding in Christ. (1 John forth in power to proclaim the good 5:3; James 5:18.) It is God's purpose news of God's love. The Way of Legalism. Before the to restore man to obedience and not Like the prophet Isaiah, they taught cross many Israelites had become en- to perpetuate disobedience, to save that man can find peace only by rest- snared in the way of legalism. Those man from sin and not to keep him in ing in God's works. who took this path understood cor- sin. rectly that the condition of eternal life "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for is perfect obedience to the law of God. The Way of License. us: for thou also hast wrought all our On the other works for us." That standard has never been lowered. side of the fence from legalism there "Thou wilt keep him in perfect But because of our sinful natures none emerged a group of people who mis- peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah of us, apart from God, can obey the takenly thought that Christ's death re- 26 : 12 (margin), 3. law perfectly. And so any attempt to leased man from the obligation of "Therefore being justified by faith, find life by obedience is doomed from obeying God. But this position is not we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1. the very start. The Apostle Paul spoke faith, but presumption. "By grace are out clearly against this error. And just ye saved through faith." But "faith, if The apostles preached a twofold as clearly he warned against the efforts it hath not works, is dead." Ephesians message: of some to make obedience to the cere- 2:8; James 2:17. 1. They proclaimed the good news monial law a condition of salvation. Paul taught clearly that the kind of of what God had done in Christ. (Romans 10:3, 4; Galatians 2:16.) faith in Christ which brings salvation 2. In addition, they taught that to The way of legalism is actually an out- is a faith which works by love. The all who accept by faith God's work in working of the principle of sin because way of license is, like the way of legal- Christ, God gives His Holy Spirit to it tries to make man his own savior. ism, actually an outworking of sin. make effectual in them the salvation In the beginning Satan warred He has wrought for them in Christ. The Way of Love. The true way of against God's law of love and created The work of the Holy Spirit, the salvation, the apostles taught, is that another law—sin—to oppose it. After apostles taught, is to write God's law only by accepting Christ's perfect righ- the death of Christ, Satan's enmity of love in the hearts and minds of all teousness in place of our sinfulness against God's law (which Christ had who trust in Him. (Hebrews 8:10.) can we meet the requirement of per- died to uphold the claims of) con- "For what the law could not do, in fect obedience. But true faith, they tinued. that it was weak through the flesh, taught, will bear fruit in obedience. By But now with remarkable ingenuity God sending his own Son in the like- beholding Him we become changed he determined to use the very means ness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con- demned sin in the flesh: that the righ- into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18; by which Christ had established the teousness of the law might be fulfilled Romans 12:2; John 15:5, 8, 10; Gala- law to suggest that He had abolished in us, who walk not after the flesh, tians 5:22.) And this spontaneous obe- but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3, 4. the law of love. This would be his dience, given in love, the apostles supreme deception. The Question of the Law. The great question which the early disciples had The Sabbath in the Early Christian Church to face so often as they went forth with the gospel was, "What about the law?" The New Testament clearly teaches that the first Christians worshiped Since both the law of God and the on the same day as did Jesus—the seventh-day Sabbath. In the Book of Acts, gospel of God are an expression of as the following list shows, we find recorded at least 84 times that the God's character, the disciples preached Apostle Paul kept the Sabbath. them both, each in its proper place. But on either side of the track of Texts Church Date Number truth lay error. On the one hand there Acts 13:14, 42-44. Antioch A.D. 45 2 meetings were those who still sought to find Acts 16:12, 13. Philippi A.D. 53 1 meeting righteousness by obedience to the law Acts 17:1, 2. Thessalonica A.D. 53 3 meetings (this is called legalism), while on the Acts 18:1-4, 11. Corinth A.D. 54 78 meetings other hand there were those who mis- On several of these occasions the Bible indicates that Paul worshiped understood what the apostles meant on the Sabbath even when he did not have a Jewish audience when they spoke of no longer being to preach to. See Acts 13:42-44; 16:12, 13. under law, but under grace. This

34 THESE TIMES/March 1973 The Practice of the Apostles. The apostles by their practice upheld God's law of love. What the New Testament Says About Sunday Paul kept the Sabbath. If we would Of Sunday from a Scriptural basis we need only to speak briefly. The Bible expect anyone not to, it would be him, testimony concerning it is simply negative. It may be summed up briefly in the for he spoke eloquently of the liberty following statements of fact, which it is hoped the reader will carefully consider: the Christian has in Christ. But Paul 1. Sunday is not mentioned in the Word of God by any sacred name what- knew the difference between liberty ever. It is simply known as "the first day of the week." and license. He recognized that Christ had set all who believe in Him free, not 2. It is not given any sacred character; it is not called a rest day, a day of from the law, but from sin and all worship, or a holy day. efforts to find righteousness through 3. Neither Christ nor His disciples are said to have shown any religious their own works. Being set free by regard for the day by either precept or example. Christ from his service to sin, the 4. The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in the New Testa- Christian becomes free to "obey from ment, as follows: Matthew 28:1; Mark 16;2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts the heart." Romans 6:17, 18. 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2. The Book of Acts, written by Paul's 5. The first six of these texts refer to the same day, the day on which Christ friend Luke, records at least eighty- appeared to His disciples after His crucifixion. But, so far from its being honored four Sabbaths observed by Paul. (See as a religious day, the greater part of it was spent in anxiety, doubt, and dis- the box on the facing page.) On one couragement. Two of the disciples spent the day in a fifteen-mile walk from occasion Luke wrote, "And Paul, as Jerusalem to Emmaus and return.' Evidently they did not regard the day as in his manner was, went in unto them, any way sacred. Toward the close of the day the ten disciples, disturbed and and three sabbath days reasoned with doubting because of conflicting thoughts and reports, were gathered together them out of the scriptures." Acts 17:2. at the place where they all lived when in Jerusalem.'-' The door was shut "for In the original language the word fear of the Jews." 3 Jesus there met with ten of the eleven for the first time, translated "as his manner was" is Thomas being absent, and gave them His blessing of "peace." ' But that the eithos. Interestingly, in all his writings disciples did not regard the day as in any way consecrated to Christ or to the Luke used this form of the word but memory of His resurrection is clearly shown by the fact that they were terrified twice. The only other time he used it and affrighted when they saw Him, supposing Him to be a spirit,5 for they did not was when he told about Jesus, who, believe that He had risen. He "upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness "as his custom was, . . . went into the of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he had synagogue on the sabbath day, and risen." 6 stood up for to read." Luke 4:16. Paul followed Jesus' example. 6. The next meeting of Jesus with His disciples was on an occasion when Thomas was with them.' The next recorded meeting of Christ with His disciples The Lord's Day. But what about was on a fishing occasion,' which may have been the first day as well as any Sunday? Didn't the early disciples other of the "six working days." The next meeting of which we have any record worship on Sunday? You may look as was the fifth day of the week, at the time of His ascension.'" long as you wish, but there is simply 7. The seventh text is Acts 20:7. If the context is examined, it will be found no record of the disciples or any of that this meeting occurred, according to the Bible mode of reckoning time, on the early Christians worshiping each what would be called by us Saturday night, or the eve of the first day, even week on Sunday. (See the box to the as we speak of New Year's eve; that is, the evening before New Year's day. right for a full discussion of what the This meeting was a farewell meeting at the close of the Sabbath, lasting all night New Testament says about Sunday.) till Sunday morning. The rest of the day was spent by Paul's companions in tak- The New Testament does refer once ing the boat around the promontory from Troas to Assos, about fifty miles, and to the "Lord's day." In the Book of by Paul walking overland, meeting them at the latter place. Thus, in hard labor Revelation, the Apostle John wrote, "I Paul and his companions observed that Sunday. The whole record shows that was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." the day had no characteristics of a Sabbath, and the meeting at Troas would Revelation 1:10. probably not have been mentioned at all were it not for the fact that it was a So, the Lord does have a day. But farewell meeting, and that the notable miracle was wrought on that occasion notice the following scriptures: of raising a young man to life." "The Lord's day." Revelation 1:10. 8. The last instance of first-day mention is in 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2: "The Son of man is Lord even of "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the the sabbath day." Matthew 12:8. Compare Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5. churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one "The seventh day is the sabbath of of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gather- the Lord." Exodus 20:10. ings when I come." The Scriptures are clear: the Lord's It is simply a charge from the apostle to the churches in Corinth and Galatia, day of the New Testament is the day that each member of them should "lay by him in store"; that is, "by himself," which has ever been His special day, "in his own house," as God had prospered him the previous week, that when the Sabbath, and not Sunday. Paul came the offering might be ready. The charge was only to certain churches Thus from Genesis to Revelation for a specific purpose, and the language absolutely precludes a public collection, there is but one way and one day— nor would the text ever have been used in proof of such a thing if the term God's way and God's day. By God's "first day of the week" had not been used in common with the apostle's charge. way, the way of love, we are saved. —M. C. Wilcox. Resting upon God's day, we indicate Luke 24:13-33. Luke 24:36. s John 20:19. John 20:19, 21. c Luke 24:37. a Mark 16:13, 14. a John 20:26. our willingness to set aside our ways John 21; Matthew 28:16. ° Ezekiel 46:1. i° Acts 1:4-13. " Acts 20:7-12. and works for His way and work. g March 1973/THESE TIMES 35 The Sabbath and Sunday

observe the Sabbath after His death 2 Thessalonians 2. "The theologian may indulge the Revelation 13:1-10. pleasing task of describing religion as and resurrection. And the record, of Revelation 17. she descended from heaven, arrayed course, shows that they did. in her native purity. A more melan- Although several other Bible pas- The Mystery of Lawlessness. How choly duty is imposed on the historian. sages refer to this power, these are the then did the change come about? He must discover the inevitable mix- main ones. ture of error and corruption, which she Doesn't the Bible say anything at all about the change from Sabbath to Sun- The prophecies of Daniel describe contracted in a long residence upon the rise, one after another, of four day? earth, among a weak and degenerate great empires. According to Daniel, No, it doesn't. race of beings."—Edward Gibbon, the first three of these were Babylon, "Decline and Fall of the Roman Em- You may read your Bible from Genesis to Revelation, but you will not Medo-Persia, and Greece. Following pire," chapter 15. Greece, he saw the rise of the most find a single line authorizing any powerful empire of all—Rome. Then change from Sabbath to Sunday. out of Rome he saw ten kingdoms de- There is, however, a very clear velop. As he watched in vision, he saw ART OF THE religion which statement found in the Book of Daniel P a strange power emerge in the midst "descended from heaven" is the Sab- that relates to our investigation. It of these ten, supplanting three of them bath. But just as surely as the Bible, reads as follows: from Genesis to Revelation, upholds as it arose. "And he shall speak great words Notice some of the characteristics of the seventh-day Sabbath as the Lord's against the most High, and shall wear day, so we must face the fact that the out the saints of the most High, and this power: vast majority of Christendom today, if think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until 1. Like a Man: it respects any day of the week at all, a time and times and the dividing of "Eyes like the eyes of man." Daniel respects Sunday. time." Daniel 7:25. 7:8. "A mouth speaking great things." Dan- This question opens up one of the Here is the record of a power which iel 7:8; Revelation 13:5. great mysteries of history. How did would think to change times and laws, "Man of sin." 2 Thessalonians 2:3. this change come about? a power which would "speak great 2. Opposed to Truth: It seems only fair that if God meant words against the most High" and per- To "cast down the truth to the to change the Sabbath, He would have secute the saints of God. ground." Daniel 8:12. made things clear enough for the aver- To flourish when a "falling away" "Times and laws." from truth occurs in the church. 2 age person to understand. When He Just what kind of "times" would a Thessalonians 2:3. announced His law of Ten Command- power opposed to God want to 3. Opposed to God and Christ: ments to Israel from Sinai, He did so change? And what "laws" would such "He shall speak great words against in a forthright and open manner. He a power be opposed to? The only time the most High." Daniel 7:25. presented it in such a way that even a "Magnified himself even to the prince God has claimed as His own is the of the host [Christ]." Daniel 8:11; small child could understand. Sabbath. He calls it "my holy day." see 9:25. Of all people certainly Jesus would (Isaiah 58:13.) As the symbol of His "He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes [Christ]." Daniel have known if God were going to power and authority as our Creator 8:25. make some changes in His law. But and Redeemer, the Sabbath has been a "Opposeth and exalteth himself above the only record we have concerning source of constant rebuke to Satan, all that is called God." 2 Thessalo- nians 2:4. Jesus was that He kept the Sabbath. who is utterly opposed to God's way. To blaspheme God and His name. Indeed, one time while explaining to The prophecy of Daniel depicts Satan's Revelation 13:6. His followers about certain things efforts to divert mankind from God's 4. Opposed to Christ's Mediation in the which would happen after His death, day and God's law by "thinking" to Heavenly Sanctuary: He told them that the city of Jerusalem change it. To take away the "daily" or continual mediation in the sanctuary. Daniel would be destroyed. (This actually Daniel gave a number of important 8:11. happened in A.D. 70.) In light of this clues that clearly identify this power To cast down "the place of his He counseled them to flee from the [Christ's] sanctuary." Daniel 8:11. and explain its nature. In addition the To sit "in the temple of God, chewing area when they saw the invading apostles Paul and John both wrote of himself that he is God." 2 Thessalo- armies draw near, and also to pray this very same power. You may read nians 2:4. To blaspheme God's tabernacle. Reve- that their "flight be not in the winter, their comments in the following Bible lation 13:6. neither on the sabbath." (Matthew passages: 24:20.) This text shows clearly that 5. Opposed to God's Law: Daniel 7. He will "think to change times and Jesus expected His true followers to Daniel 8. laws." Daniel 7:25. 36 THESE TIMES/March 1973

"The mystery of lawlessness." 2 Thes- Paul, this revelation must occur before of the Christian rather than the death salonians 2:7, R.S.V. Jesus comes again. of Christ. Christians began looking to 6. A Persecuting Power: themselves rather than to Christ. To make "war with the saints" and The Religion of Man. "The carnal In the Epistle of Barnabas written persecute them for a "time and mind," said Paul, "is enmity against about A.D. 100 we find the remarkable times and the dividing of time," or statement: "By thy hands thou shalt three and one-half times. (A time is God: for it is not subject to the law a year of 360 days, three and one- of God." Romans 8:7. labour for the redemption of thy sins." half times is 1260 days.) Daniel What happened to the Christian —Chapter 19. 7:21, 25. "To make war with the saints, and to church after the time of the apostles The Martyrdom of Polycarp, a work overcome them" for 42 months was simply a revelation of the natural written about A.D. 160, suggested that (1260 days). Revelation 13:5, 7. mind of man. The story of the church those who die for their faith in some There is but one word for all this: in those early years portrays how the way "purchase" everlasting life. apostasy. way of man, even though garbed with Thus very early in the church's his- Speaking to the leaders of the the cloak of Christianity, can never tory the idea of meritorious works church in Ephesus, Paul declared, bring peace. emerged. Of course, these early Chris- Two important things happened in tians believed such works are possible "For I know this, that after my de- parting shall grievous wolves enter in the second century as a result of the only through God's grace. But the among you, not sparing the flock. "falling away" predicted by Paul: emphasis still centered on the role of Also of your own selves shall men 1. The church began to lose sight man's work rather than the work of arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God in Christ. 20:29, 30. 2. The church began to turn away 2. The grace of God became largely associated with the work of the Holy Apostasy in the church. from the Sabbath. These two trends are closely related. Spirit rather than Christ. The apostles A "falling away" from the truth. Had the church remembered the Sab- in their writings presented Jesus as the The records of history show how bath with what it stands for, it would expression of God's grace or unde- correct Paul was. A falling away from have never fallen into apostasy. But served favor toward man. See Romans the truth did occur. Error did creep it is human nature to forget. One fac- 1:4, 5; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 16:23; into the church. The very church which tor which must have definitely con- John 1:17. Christ Himself founded became the tributed to the falling away from the In the New Testament God's grace object of Satan's supreme deception. truth in the church in those early years is associated with the person Jesus It is not pleasant to talk about sin. was the fact that only a few copies of Christ. In the early church it was But the sad story of what happened to the gospels and the other writings of viewed as an imparted dynamic quality. the church of Christ after the time of the apostles then existed. Because of In the New Testament salvation is the apostles must not be ignored. For this, many of the converts to Christian- viewed as rooted in Christ and His what happened then, the Bible indi- ity learned about Christ only through matchless love for us. In the early cates, is now in the process of happen- word of mouth. In this environment church salvation became more a mat- ing again, only this time on a larger numerous traditions emerged—often ter of the Spirit bringing a knowledge scale. at the expense of truth. of God. History is being repeated. Barnabas, writing about the turn of Even in his day Paul saw error Misunderstanding the Gospel. Very the second century, spoke of those who creeping into the church. "The mystery early after the time of the apostles received the "innate grace of the gift of lawlessness is already at work," he there emerged a widespread failure in of the Spirit." See Barnabas, chapter 1. declared. (2 Thessalonians 2:7, R.S.V.) understanding the true import of Thus to these early Christians— But Paul knew that what he saw was Christ's death. In the second century but the beginning. Before it was all three important trends developed: "Grace was the gift of spiritual energy that ranged itself within the over, the principle of sin had to be re- 1. The gospel message became heart of the believer, and delivered vealed for what it truly is: a principle leavened with the heathen idea that him from evil by bringing him under- that must resort to deceit, force, per- man must do certain things to merit standing of truth, power to resist evil and live a holy life. It was a phe- secution, and ultimately murder to salvation. The main emphasis among nomenon, a pneumatic energy im- carry out its aims. And, according to Christians of this era became the life planted in the soul."—Thomas F. Tor- rance, The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers, p. 140.

Paul's Time Second Coming 3. Finally grace became associated with the church or the body of Christ. \\\I Various writers spoke of the church as the depository of God's grace. This, of course, was in harmony with the ten- dency to associate God's grace with the Holy Spirit. THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY The logic ran like this: Since the .0•21•11111111116 body of Christ (that is, the church) is "Already at work" "Revealed" "Destroyed" the temple of the Holy Spirit, and since grace is imparted through the Holy Spirit, the church is thus the channel through which grace is imparted. And further, since the bishop is the leader of the church, grace must particularly reside in him.

March 1973/THESE TIMES 37 Thus Ignatius, who wrote shortly 3. The custom of gathering on Sun- This statement is the first clear state- after the turn of the second century, day mornings for a short worship ser- ment on record referring to Sunday as taught that— vice was merely a human ordinance. the "Lord's day." 4. Those who gathered on Sunday (Clement, by the way, apparently "To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in had no thought of Sunday being an- held both the Sabbath and Sunday in penitence to the unity of God, and other Sabbath. After attending the esteem. In one of his writings he de- to communion with the bishop."— early morning service, most of the peo- Epistle to the Philadelphians, chap- clared, "He [God] gave us the seventh ter 8. ple spent the rest of the day working. day to rest, let us be glad and rejoice." Thus Sunday was not considered a —Stromata 6 :16. ) The Religion of Man. All this goes holy day. In addition, there emerged a ten- to show how very quickly apostasy en- dency to spiritualize the Sabbath into tered the church, pushing the finished a "perpetual rest," as Justin put it. work of Jesus into the background. In Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Augus- the writings of the first century after "'But,' say some, 'it [the tine, Jerome, and Chrysostom all saw the apostles we find little mention or in the Sabbath a spiritual lesson which understanding of Christ's mediatorial Sabbath] was changed they extended to every day of the week. work in the heavenly sanctuary. In- from the seventh to the first Of course, all this tended to emas- stead, the church was exalted as the day.' Where? when? and culate the Sabbath, to minimize its true center of His redemptive activity. by whom? No man can tell. meaning as God's own holy day, a The attention of these early Chris- specific day of the week blessed and tians shifted from Christ to man, sinful No, it never was changed, nor could it be, unless sanctified by Him. man. The changes that this shift of Ultimately, however, no cause can creation was to be gone emphasis brought about were subtle be brought forward for the practice of but exceedingly important. through again: for the turning away from the Sabbath and reason assigned must be assembling on Sunday. The Bible says Turning Away From God's Day. As changed before the that those who killed Jesus hated Him the truth of Christ's death and media- "without a cause." (John 15:25.) Ul- tion was "cast down to the ground" by observance, or respect to the reason can be changed. timately there is no cause for sin—and the "mystery of lawlessness," so was breaking the Sabbath is sin, for sin is It is all old wives' fables the truth of the Sabbath—just as Bible transgression of God's law, part of prophecy had predicted. (Daniel 8:12; to talk of the change of which is the Sabbath. 7:25.) the Sabbath from the Edward T. Hiscox, author of The A work by a man named Justin seventh to the first day. Baptist Manual, once declared to a Martyr, written in Rome about A.D. convention of his fellow Baptist minis- 155, presents the first clear witness to If it be changed, it was that ters: regular Sunday observance among august personage changed Christians. According to Justin: it who changes times and "There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that "On the day called Sunday, all who laws ex officio—I think his Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will live in cities or in the country gather name is Doctor Antichrist."— be said, however, and with some show together to one place, and the mem- of triumph, that the Sabbath was oirs of the apostles or the writings of Alexander Campbell. transferred from the seventh to the the prophets are read. . . . Sunday is first day of the week, with all its the day on which we all hold our duties, privileges, and sanctions. Ear- common assembly, because it is the nestly desiring information on this sub- first day on which God, having ject, which I have studied for many wrought a change in the darkness and Why the Change? The records from years, I ask, Where can the record matter, made the world; and Jesus of such a transaction be found? Not Christ our Saviour on the same day history really give no solid answer to in the New Testament, absolutely not. rose from the dead."—First Apology, the question: Why did the church There is no Scriptural evidence of the chapter 67. change of the Sabbath institution from largely abandon the Sabbath and be- the seventh to the first day of the Of course, an honest appraisal of gin assembling on Sunday mornings? week. I wish to say that this Sabbath One factor which must have con- question, in this aspect of it, is the this statement must recognize that gravest and most perplexing question while Justin cited reasons for assem- tributed something to the downfall of connected with Christian institutions bling on Sunday, he cited no the Sabbath was the remarkable ten- which at present claims attention from authority Christian people." for doing so. dency to spiritualize ideas during this No command from Jesus. era. Barnabas, writing about A.D. 130, The Exaltation of Sunday in Place allegorized the teaching of Genesis 1 No command from the apostles. of the Sabbath. At first no one seemed and 2, suggesting that each day of cre- Indeed, reasons might be brought to have ever thought of Sunday re- ation really represents a thousand forward for worshiping on Friday, placing the Sabbath. But during the years. Barnabas, Justin, and numerous since Christ died on that day. But third and fourth centuries the trend to- other writers referred to Sunday as the Christianity is not based on the reason- ward exalting Sunday continued. "eighth day." Clement, a teacher in ing of man, but on the revelation of About A.D. 195 Victor, the bishop God. Alexandria about A.D. 200, cited the pagan philosopher Plato as an author- of Rome, excommunicated a group The records we have from the sec- of several thousand Christians in Asia ity on the "eighth day" idea: ond and third centuries, though very Minor who taught that the church fragmentary, indicate that "And the Lord's day Plato pro- should observe its yearly spring cele- 1. Some Christians continued to phetically speaks of in the tenth book of the Republic, in these words: 'And bration (Easter) according to the Jew- observe the Sabbath. when seven days have passed to each ish calendar. Victor felt the celebra- But many, for various reasons, of them in the meadow, on the eighth tion should be held only on Sunday. 2. they are to set out and arrive in four did not observe it in any special way. days.' "—Misc., chapter 5. This edict in behalf of Sunday is the

Qa TI-IPCP TIKAFg/March 1973 first recorded attempt by the bishop or and at Rome, on account of some both church and civil authorities to ancient tradition, have ceased to do pope at Rome to assert power over this." exalt the day. other churches. As the years passed, Finally the emperor of the Eastern the position of the pope at Rome be- A few years later another church Roman Empire, Leo (457-474), is- came more and more powerful. historian named Sozomen wrote, sued a law commanding everyone to Tertullian, a prominent Christian "The people of Constantinople, and refrain from work on Sunday and who wrote at the beginning of the third almost everywhere, assemble together reverence it. on the Sabbath, as well as on the first century, taught that Sunday should be day of the week, which custom is a day of at least partial rest. never observed at Rome or at Alexan- The Papal Supremacy. About this Then in A.D. 321 the Roman em- dria." time the Western Empire of Rome be- peror Constantine ordered the first In the beginning Sunday had no gan disintegrating. As this happened, civil Sunday legislation. It read as further authority than "custom" or the pope at Rome largely took over the follows: "tradition." But as the climate of opin- leadership of the people. But standing "The Emperor Constantine to A. ion continued to develop in its favor, in the way of the full supremacy of Helpidius. All judges, townspeople more and more laws were passed by the papal power were three powers— and all occupations (artium officia cunctarum) should rest on the most honourable day of the sun. Farmers indeed should be free and unhindered in their cultivation of the fields, since it frequently occurs that there is no more suitable day for entrusting seeds of corn to the furrows and slips of vine to the holes (prepared for them), lest haply the favourable moment sent by divine providence be lost." What prompted Constantine to make this remarkable law? Willy Ror- dorf, a Swiss church historian, recently presented the following evaluation of Constantine: "Like the majority both of his con- temporaries and also more partic- ularly of his predecessors on the imperial throne, Constantine was warmly disposed towards sun-worship. We have already mentioned that the cult of Mithras was at that time wide- spread, particularly among the sol- diers, and the emperor was their su- preme commander. It is, therefore, possible that Constantine promulgated legislation to make Sunday an obliga- tory day of rest in order to unite the empire under a monotheistic sun-re- ligion. Constantine did, of course, know about the Christian day of worship, and it is possible that by means of this step he wished to win LATIN TEXT for himself the support of the Chris- IMPERATOR CONSTANTINUS AUG. HELPIDIO: OMNES tian minority, which had already JUDICES, URBAN/EQUE PLEBES ET CUNCTARUM AR- grown considerably in size and to TIUM OFFICIA VENERABILI DIE SOLIS QUIESCANT. which he had granted toleration."— RURI TAMEN POSITI AGRORUM CULTUR/E LIBERE Sunday, pp. 163, 164. LICENTERQUE INSERVIANT, QUONIAM FREQUENTER EVENIT, UT NON APTIUS ALIO DIE FRUMENTA SULCIS The Catholic bishop Eusebius, writ- AUT VINEAE SCROBIBUS MANDENTUR, NE OCCASIONE MOMENTI PEREAT COMMODITAS CCELESTI PROVI- ing in A.D. 330, declared, SIONE CONCESSA. "All things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we TRANSLATION [that is, the church] have transferred to the Lord's day." CONSTANTINE, EMPEROR AUGUSTUS, TO HELPIDIUS: ON THE VENERABLE DAY OF THE SUN LET THE MAGISTRATES AND PEOPLE RESIDING IN CITIES REST, About A.D. 360 the Council of Lao- AND LET ALL WORKSHOPS BE CLOSED. IN THE COUN- dicea, an ecumenical council of church TRY, HOWEVER, PERSONS ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURE MAY FREELY AND LAWFULLY CONTINUE THEIR PUR- leaders, urged Christians to rest on SUITS; BECAUSE IT OFTEN HAPPENS THAT ANOTHER Sunday if possible. DAY IS NOT SO SUITABLE FOR GRAIN SOWING OR FOR VINE PLANTING; LEST BY NEGLECTING THE PROPER MOMENT FOR SUCH OPERATIONS, THE BOUNTY OF The Two Days. The records we HEAVEN SHOULD BE LOST. have from the fourth and fifth cen- turies indicate that during this period Latin text and translation from Schaff's "History of the both Sabbath and Sunday were held in Christian Church," Vol. III, sec. 75, par. 5, note 1. esteem in many places. About A.D. 440 a church historian named Socrates wrote, "Although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the Sabbath every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria March 1972 /THFSP TINAPc on the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the For a fuller explanation of the Bible "The Reformation was far more than a mere protest against abuses. Vandals. See Daniel 7:8. Each in turn prophecies discussed on these pages It was an endeavour to deliver the ruled over the city of Rome till finally, send for our special issues on the Christendom of the West from the in 538, Belsarius, a general sent by prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, domination of a system, which had entangled the gospel of salvation in a Justinian, emperor of the Eastern Em- advertised on the inside back cover of rationalised theology and a moralistic pire, drove out the Vandals from this issue. ethic."—Translator's Preface to Rome, leaving the pope the supreme Christus Victor by Gustaf Aulen. ruler in the west. The Reformers presented the truth In essence, then, papal Rome be- of God in clear and simple terms, The Two Minds. The story of what came a continuation of the pagan Ro- rallying the poor and the rich, the ig- happened to Christianity after the time man empire, as James H. Conry, a norant and the learned to the following of the apostles becomes clear only Catholic writer, has pointed out: banners: when seen from a larger perspective. "Long ages ago, when Rome The individuals who wrote the Bible "sola gratia, or salvation is by through the neglect of the Western lived at different times and in different God's grace alone; emperors was left to the mercy of "solo Christo, or our righteousness barbarous hordes, Romans turned to places. Their writings span a period of is not wrought by ourselves but by one figure for aid and protection and some 1,600 years. At least thirty dif- another, by Christ alone, in all that asked him to rule them; and thus . . . ferent individuals wrote the sixty-six He did and bore for us, particularly commenced the temporal sovereignty on His Cross, sola cruce; of the Popes. And meekly stepping to books we have in the Bible. And yet "sola fide, or by faith alone we re- the throne of Caesar, the Vicar of through all this period of time and ceive Christ and His all-sufficient Christ took up the sceptre to which righteousness; the emperors and kings of Europe through the writings of all these indi- "soli Deo gloria, or this faith takes were to bow in reverence through so viduals we find but one story—just as all merit from the believer and gives many ages." if one mind had directed the Bible all the glory of saving the sinner to story from first to last. And indeed one God alone, Father, Son, and Holy During the next 1260 years,* just Spirit; Mind did direct it from the first to the "sola scriptura, or it is only by the as predicted by Bible prophecy, the last. That Mind was God's Mind. In faithful exposition of the written pope was free to exercise civil power Word of God that the Holy Spirit the whole Bible there is but one way brings this Gospel to us."—William to further the aims of the Roman exalted—God's way—and one day up- Childs Robinson, The Reformation: Catholic Church. (Daniel 7:25; Reve- held—God's day, the Sabbath. A Rediscovery of Grace, p. 1. lation 13:5.) In 1798, exactly 1260 But as we read how Sunday came to But while great advances were made years after 538, the French general be exalted in the place of God's holy by the Reformers, all the truths of the Berthier under the orders of Napoleon day, we find another kind of story al- Bible were not restored at once. entered Rome, proclaimed it a repub- together. This story also covers many The champion of the Roman Catho- lic, and took the pope prisoner. Thus hundreds of years, and it, too, was ended the papal supremacy. lic Church in the controversy with written by many individuals. Yet when Luther, Dr. Johann Eck, debated The Book of Revelation amplifies we look at the whole story from first Luther and his associate Andreas Bo- on this loss of power by calling it a to last, we see a continuity. For behind denstein (Carlstadt) in Leipzig in "deadly wound." But according to the whole process is but one mind— Revelation, this wound was to be 1519. the mind of man, carnal man. And this Eck's later published writings indi- "healed," and all the world would yet mind is but the mind of Satan. It was be awed by Rome as it manifested a cate that one of the major arguments no accident that scores of millions died he presented against the Reformers comeback, a resurgence of power. for their beliefs during the Middle (Revelation 13:3.) Thus the 1260 had to do with the change of the Sab- Ages. The use of force is simply the bath to Sunday. years denote only the period of su- outworking of the mystery of lawless- premacy in Rome's long history dur- ness. "The Sabbath is commanded in ing which God allowed this system to various places in the Scriptures. But there is no mention of the cessation demonstrate its principles, policies, A New Beginning. Throughout all of the Sabbath and the institution of and objectives. this time God still had a few faithful Sunday in the Gospels, or in Paul's During its 1260 years of supremacy writings, or in all the Bible; therefore witnesses, people such as the Walden- this has taken place by the apostolic the papal system was truly a marvelous ses who endeavored to remain true to church instituting it without Scrip- system, captivating hundreds of mil- the gospel. A number of these people, ture."—Enchiridion. lions. But those who opposed it were the records indicate, upheld the sev- In his Larger Catechism Luther often sentenced to death and suffered enth day as the Sabbath of the Lord. recognized that Sunday was merely a the cruelest punishment. Literally mil- Then came the Reformation, one of man-made institution, but he argued it lions of people were executed during the most remarkable movements in all was a "harmless" custom. this period for their beliefs. history. Men such as Martin Luther Such is the outcome of the way of and John Calvin discovered the gospel "Seeing that those who preceded us sin. For ultimately sin must resort to chose Sunday, . . . this harmless and message anew. For centuries Roman admitted custom must not be readily force to carry out its aims. Catholicism had built upon the foun- changed; our objects in retaining it And that is exactly what happened dation of tradition. But the Reforma- are the securing of unanimity and during the Dark Ages when supersti- consent of arrangement; and the tion returned to the fountain of the avoidance of the general confusion tion and error abounded as the light Bible. There the Reformers drank which would result from individual of the gospel of Jesus Christ was sup- deeply of the living waters. and unnecessary innovation." pressed and the attention of the people The Reformation was a radical Luther recognized the Bible's si- was directed to sinful man (priests and movement, in a sense, for it struck lence about any change from Sabbath popes) for salvation. right at the very foundation upon to Sunday, but he felt the church had

*A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Ezekiel which Roman Catholicism had built. the right to institute Sunday or any 4:6 and Numbers 14:34. As A. G. Herbert says, other day as a day of worship. In a

40 THESE TIMES/March 1973 sermon which he preached in 1544, he "have one mind, and shall give their those who have supported it. See power and strength unto the beast." declared, (Revelation 17:12, 13.) Revelation 19:19, 20. "Since our Lord has come, we have the liberty, if Sabbath or Sunday does This will occur just before the sec- The "False Prophet." According to not please us, to take Monday or ond coming of Jesus, for at His com- the Book of Revelation, however, the another day of the week and make a Sunday out of it." ing, the Bible says, He will destroy the resurrected Roman Catholic church- whole apostate system, along with state system will not be the only power The Mark of Rome's Authority and the Fatal Flaw in Protestantism. The great paradox of the Reformation was that it claimed to stand on the Word of Rome's Response to the Reformation m God alone, yet it continued to worship TThehe Council of Trent, one of the most important Catholic councils on Sunday, a day instituted only by ever held, convened intermittently for eighteen years, beginning in man. March, 1545. The question before it was this: Could the tradition of the Roman Catholics saw this flaw right church be successfully defended against the powerful witness of the away. Since the time of the Reforma- Reformation, which stood for It tion they have again and again pointed the Bible and the Bible only? was a to the "change" of the Sabbath by the question of authority. church as a mark of the church's au- For years the question was debated. The council tried to find a logi- thority and declared that Protestants, cal argument for condemning the Protestant principle of the Bible only in their observance of Sunday, still give as the rule of faith. Many an influential voice exalted tradition above an unwitting allegiance to Rome. Scripture. . . . Yet a strong segment of the council held tenaciously to the view that History to Be Repeated. The lesson the church ought to take its stand on the Scriptures alone. And the de- of Rome is all too clear: the principle bate continued. It was a speech by the Archbishop of Reggio that finally of sin, when cherished, inevitably leads turned the tide, that supplied the needed argument in favor of tradition. to the use of force and persecution. A He held that tradition must be above Scripture because the church had small acorn hardly looks like some- thing that would produce a mighty changed the Sabbath into Sunday on the authority of tradition alone. oak, but it does. In the same way Here are his words: the early church would have never "Such is the condition of the heretics of this age that on nothing do dreamed that its tampering with God's they rely more than that, under the pretense of the Word of God, they eternal law of love would produce the overthrow the authority of the church; as though the church, His body, Dark Ages and the inquisition, but it could be opposed to the word of Christ, or the head to the body. On the did. contrary, the authority of the church, then, is illustrated most clearly by What happened to Rome must hap- the Scriptures; for while on the one hand she recommends them, declares pen to Protestantism, too. Those Prot- them to be divine, offers them to us to be read, in doubtful matters ex- estants who choose to follow Rome's plains them faithfully, and condemns whatever is contrary to them; on example of lawlessness must inevitably the other hand, the legal precepts in the Scriptures taught by the Lord turn to force. And this is exactly what the Bible have ceased by virtue of the same authority. The Sabbath, the most glori- predicts will happen. History will be ous day in the law, has been changed into the Lord's day. . . . These and repeated just before Jesus comes again other similar matters have not ceased by virtue of Christ's teaching (for as Satan, knowing that his time is He says He has come to fulfill the law, not to destroy it), but they have short, makes his supreme effort to been changed by the authority of the church. Indeed, if she should be bring the world under his control. removed (since there must be heresies), who would set forth truth, and confound the obstinacy of heretics?"—Mansi SC, Vol. 33, cols. 529, The Wound Healed. According to 530. (Italics supplied.) Revelation 13:1-10, the Roman Cath- The question was finally settled. But do you see how it was settled? olic church-state was to receive a Do you see the reason for the position of the council—the reason that "deadly wound." This happened in A.D. carried the day, that finally settled the question for the church as it 1798 when the French general Ber- thier took the pope captive and effec- struggled against the blows of Protestantism's Bible platform? Notice tively destroyed, so it seemed at the how Dr. H. J. Holtzmann, in his book Canon and Tradition, page 263, time, the power of the Papacy to domi- has summarized the speech that turned the tide: nate affairs of state. "Finally at the last opening on the eighteenth of January, 1562, all But John says in the Book of Reve- hesitation was set aside: the Archbishop of Reggio made a speech in lation, which he openly declared that tradition stood above Scripture. The "And I saw one of his heads as it authority of the Church could therefore not be bound to the authority of were wounded to death; and his the Scriptures, because the Church had changed . . . the Sabbath into deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority." (Italics Revelation 13:3. supplied.) The restoration of Rome's power is What carried the day when all hung in the balance? It was the fact explained more fully in Revelation 17. that the church had torn from the law of God one of its precepts—on It will come about through a great in- the authority of tradition! —George E. Vandeman. ternational confederation of powers, symbolized by ten horns, that March 1973/THESE TIMES 41 involved in the final controversy be- not be far off. For he is to appear at 4. Apparent nature of. Throughout the End of the forty-two Months tween good and evil before Jesus [that is, 1798] of the first Beast." the Book of Revelation the figure of comes again. the lamb represents Jesus Christ. The Immediately after describing the Like all the Reformers before him, lamb is an innocent, peaceful animal— resurrected phase of the Roman Cath- Wesley identified the first beast of a sharp contrast to the beasts which olic church-state, John observed, Revelation 13 with the Papacy. represent the powers used by Satan. "And I beheld another beast com- 2. Place of rise. The first beast of The animal from the earth, strangely, ing up out of the earth; and he had has "two horns like a lamb"—it ap- two horns like a lamb, and he spake Revelation 13 and all the beasts men- as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the tioned in Daniel 7 (Babylon, Medo- pears on first sight to be lamblike, in- power of the first beast before him, Persia, Greece, and Rome) arose from nocent, even Christian in appearance. and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first the "sea," which, according to Revela- Those who founded the United States beast, whose deadly wound was tion 17:15, represents "peoples" and based the nation's Constitution on two healed." Revelation 13:11, 12. "nations." In obvious contrast, the sec- great principles, civil and religious lib- Elsewhere John referred to this re- ond beast mentioned in Revelation 13 erty. These two principles are insepa- markable power as a "false prophet." comes up from the earth—a term used rably connected with the republican Compare Revelation 13:13 with in chapter 12 to indicate a sparsely form of government, which allows the 16:13, 14; 19:20. At least four points populated, wilderness region. (Verse people to rule through their chosen identify this power: 11; compare Revelation 12:16.) The representatives, and the Protestant un- 1. Time of rise. The beast from the original Greek word used in verse 11 derstanding of the principle of religious earth must arise at the end of the translated "coming up" indicates that liberty. 1260-year rule of the beast from the John saw this power springing up like sea. (Revelation 13:12.) In addition, a plant. How Protestant America Will Fol- in its final dragonlike stage it is a con- Only one nation, or power, fits these low in the Path of Rome. According to temporary with the resurrected phase first two specifications: the United John's prophecy, the United States will of the sea beast. (Verse 14.) Thus, it States of America. It alone, of all the play a central role in Satan's final at- must begin about 1798 and rule until major world powers, emerged in the tempt to destroy God's people and so Jesus' second coming. (See Revelation late 1700's in a wilderness area. thwart His eternal purpose. To do this 19:20.) 3. Influence. The animal from the it must undergo a change, a remark- In 1754, just forty-four years before earth exercises a worldwide influence. able change. Today Americans enjoy 1798, John Wesley wrote of this The whole world follows its example. a large degree of liberty. But according power: See Revelation 13:12, 16, 17. Again to Revelation 13 there will come a "He is not yet come: tho' he can- the specification fits the United States. time when the majority of Americans

Comments From Roman Catholics About the Sabbath The Catholic Church admits it Catholic authorities confess there is [Catholic] Church outside the Bible." changed God's Sabbath from Saturday no Scriptural support for changing —"To Tell You the Truth," The Cath- to Sunday. God's Sabbath to Sunday. olic Virginian, October 3, 1947, p. 9. "Q. Which is the Sabbath day? "Nowhere in the Bible is it stated "Q. Have you any other way of "A. Saturday is the Sabbath day. that worship should be changed from proving that the [Catholic] Church has "Q. Why do we observe Sunday in- Saturday to Sunday."—Martin J. power to institute festivals of precept? stead of Saturday? Scott, Things Catholics Are Asked "A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all "A. We observe Sunday instead of About, p. 136. modern religionists agree with her; . . . Saturday because the Catholic Church "You may read the Bible from she could not have substituted the ob- transferred the solemnity from Satur- Genesis to Revelation, and you will servance of Sunday the first day of the day to Sunday."—Peter Geiermann, not find a single line authorizing the week, for the observance of Saturday The Convert's Catechism of Catholic sanctification of Sunday. The Scrip- the seventh day, a change for which Doctrine (1957 ed.), p. 50. tures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never there is no Scriptural authority."— "The Catholic Church for over one sanctify."—Cardinal Gibbons (for Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Cate- thousand years before the existence of many years head of the Catholic chism (3d American ed., rev.), p. 174. a Protestant, by virtue of her Divine Church in America), The Faith of Our mission, changed the day [of worship] Fathers (92d ed., rev.), p. 89. Protestants who keep Sunday as a from Saturday to Sunday. . . . The holy day pay homage to the Catholic "Nowhere in the Bible do we find Christian Sabbath is therefore to this Church, since it was the Catholic that Christ or the Apostles ordered day the acknowledged offspring of the Church that turned Sunday into a holy that the Sabbath be changed from Sat- Catholic Church, as Spouse of the day. Holy Ghost, without a word of remon- urday to Sunday. We have the com- strance from the Protestant world." mandment of God given to Moses to "But the Protestant says: How can —Editorial, The Catholic Mirror keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the I receive the teachings of an apostate (Baltimore), September 23, 1893. 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today Church? How, we ask, have you man- most Christians keep Sunday because aged to receive her teachings all your Compiled by Ralph Blodgett. it has been revealed to us by the life, in direct opposition to your recog-

42 THESE TIMES/March 1973 choose to take away the liberty of a bined to form the original beast: the Third, those who receive it are con- small minority whose beliefs differ republic of Rome and the apostate trasted in Revelation 14:9-12 with from theirs. early Christian church. those who keep the commandments of Here is what will happen to the The first beast arose as a union of God. United States. And remember, though church and state. In like manner, when As the box below shows, various the prophecy speaks of the U.S., the the apostate Protestant churches of Roman Catholic authors over a pe- whole world will be involved as it fol- America join forces to secure power riod of many hundreds of years have lows its example. in the civil sphere, the republic of the pointed to the church's institution of 1. It will speak as a dragon. (Verse United States will create an "image" of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath 11.) A country "speaks," or expresses the original beast. as a mark of Rome's authority. itself, through legislative processes. 5. It will create this image through The Bible plainly states that the This prophecy predicts that America legislation, causing all men to worship mark or sign of God's authority is the will enact some law which will support the beast in some way. (Verse 15.) Sabbath. the resurrected first beast, the Roman Ultimately this oppressive legislation Catholic church-state, and in so doing will involve a death penalty for dissent- "Moreover also I gave them my it will manifest the very spirit of Satan, ers. sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I the dragon. 6. It will use economic pressures to am the Lord that sanctify them." 2. Through the use of civil power it force men to identify themselves with Ezekiel 20:12. will require all men to somehow wor- the "mark" of the beast, either by their ship or pay homage to the Roman actions ("in their right hand") or by Opposed to God's sign is Sunday, Catholic church-state. (Verse 12; com- actual mental assent ("in their fore- the mark of Rome's authority. pare verses 2, 5.) heads"). The only religion which leads to 3. It will deceive the inhabitants of God is that which comes from God. the egth through miracles, as it tries The Mark of the Beast. The Book He alone is the source of truth and to get them to make an "image to the of Revelation presents several points light and righteousness. That religion beast." (Verses 13, 14; compare Reve- which identify this important mark and which springs forth from the mind of lation 16:13, 14; Matthew 24:24; 1 its nature. fallen men is sin. It is the very essence Timothy 4:1.) Thus America will be- First, it will involve worship. Those of the man of sin to place himself come the focal point of a great coun- who receive it worship the beast. above God, to exalt the creature over terfeit religious revival in which spiri- (Verse 8; compare Revelation 14:9.) the Creator, to attempt to "improve" tualism is to play a prominent role. Second, it is something upon which the law of self-sacrificing love which 4. It will create an image of the all apostate Christians will agree, represents the character of God. And beast. (Verse 15.) Two powers com- Catholics and Protestants alike. so, the mark of the beast is a creation

nized teacher, the Bible, on the Sab- major Protestant denomination keep- Epistles and the Apocalypse, not the bath question?"—The Christian Sab- ing holy the true Sabbath as taught in vestige of an act canceling the Satur- bath (2nd ed.; Baltimore: The Catho- the Bible. day arrangement can be found."—Edi- lic Mirror, 1893), pp. 29, 30. torial, The Catholic Mirror (Balti- "The [Catholic] Church changed the more), September 2, 1893. "It was the Catholic Church which, observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by the authority of JESUS CHRIST, by right of the divine, infallible author- "What Bible authority is there for has transferred this [Sabbath] rest to ity given to her by her Founder, Jesus changing the Sabbath from the seventh the Sunday in remembrance of the Christ. The Protestant, claiming the to the first day of the week? resurrection of our Lord. Thus the ob- Bible to be the only guide of faith, has "Who gave the Pope the authority servance of Sunday by the Protestants no warrant for observing Sunday. In to change a command of God? is an homage they pay, in spite of this matter the Seventh Day Adventist "If the Bible is the only guide for themselves, to the authority of the is the only consistent Protestant"— the Christian, then the Seventh Day [Catholic] Church."—Louis Gaston de "The Question Box," The Catholic Adventist is right in observing the Sat- Segur, Plain Talk About the Protes- Universe Bulletin, August 14, 1942, urday with the Jew."—Bertrand L. tantism of To-day, p. 225. p. 4. Conway, The Question Box Answers, p. 254. "Protestantism, in discarding the "The Israelite respects the authority authority of the [Catholic] Church, has of the Old Testament only, but the "If you follow the Bible alone there no good reason for its Sunday theory, [Seventh-day] Adventist, who is a can be no question that you are obliged and ought, logically, to keep Saturday Christian, accepts the New Testament to keep Saturday holy, since that is as the Sabbath."—John Gilmary Shae, on the same ground as the Old, viz.: an the day especially prescribed by Al- "The Observance of Sunday and Civil inspired record also. He finds that the mighty God to be kept holy to the Laws for Its Enforcement," The Amer- Bible, his teacher, is consistent in Lord."—F. G. Lentz, The Question Box, ican Catholic Quarterly Review, Janu- both parts; that the Redeemer, during p. 98. ary, 1883, p. 152. His mortal life, never kept any other day than Saturday. The Gospels plainly (All of the above quotations are Catholic authorities claim the Sev- evince to Him this fact; whilst, in the from Catholic authors and/or pub- enth-day Adventist Church is the only pages of the Acts of the Apostles, the lished by Catholic publishing houses.)

March 1973/THESE TIMES 43 of man, fallen man, the man of sin. 1893 would have to close on Sunday (such as the 1900 decision), declared When Sunday observance is en- to obtain federal funds. On August 5, that states have the right to establish a forced by law, then the issues will be 1892, President Harrison signed the particular day (Sunday) as a day of clearly drawn between the religion of measure into law. The act opened a rest. God and that which comes from man. floodgate. During the next half cen- Chief Justice Earl Warren admitted, tury Congress considered nearly a hun- Only then, with the issues thus clearly "We agree with the court below drawn, will Sunday observance be- dred measures designed to honor Sun- that, like the Sunday laws of other come the mark of the beast. Those day. States, the Massachusetts statutes have an unmistakably religious ori- who then accept this mark will also 3. But how can Sunday laws be con- gin." accept the "name" or character of the stitutional? During the 1800's the Su- But somehow Mr. Warren detected beast and the "number of a man." preme Court never dealt with this a change that "came about 1782" This number, 666, is eminently man's question directly. In 1892, the same when a Massachusetts law declared number. Six falls short of seven, the year Congress enacted the first Sunday that "the Observance of the Lord's number of completeness and perfec- law, Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer declared that "this is a Chris- Day" promotes the "Welfare of a tion. While the seventh-day Sabbath is Community." After this time, con- God's own sign of His completed tian nation." In defending his assertion, he pre- cluded the chief justice, "the statute's work, the number six represents that announced purpose was no longer which falls short. sented a variety of evidence, including the fact that the various states had all solely religious." Only those who accept God's mark Justice William 0. Douglas, dissent- and trust fully in the perfect righteous- enacted "laws respecting the observ- ance of the Sabbath [Sunday]." ing from the majority in the 1961 Sun- ness of Jesus Christ will escape the day-law cases, wrote: great delusion connected with the In 1900, the court ruling on a Sun- mark of the beast. day-closing law in Minnesota declared, "Those who fashioned the First Amendment decided that if and when "We have uniformly recognized God is to be served, His service will state laws relating to the observance The Stage Is Now Set. Soon the not be motivated by coercive mea- of Sunday as enacted in the legitimate sures of government." great controversy between love and sin exercise of the police power of the "It seems to me plain that by these will draw to a close. State." laws the States compel one, under 4. After the turn of the century, the sanction of law, to refrain from work Already the stage is set for the final or recreation on Sunday because of drama. The United States of America, Supreme Court, in harmony with the the majority's religious views about though founded upon the principles of that day. The State by law makes Sunday a symbol of respect or adher- civil and religious liberty, will lead out, ence. Refraining from work or recrea- the Bible says, in a worldwide move- "Reason and common tion in deference to the majority's re- ligious feelings about Sunday is within ment to subvert God's law of love by sense demand the acceptance every person's choice. By what author- using civil power to legally establish of one or the other of ity can government compel it? . . . the religious views of the majority at "It is a strange Bill of Rights that these alternatives: either makes it possible for the dominant re- the expense of a minority. ligious group to bring the minority to Does this sound fanciful? Protestantism and the keeping heel because the minority, in the do- Look at the facts. ing of acts which intrinsically are holy of Saturday, or wholesome and not antisocial, does not defer to the majority's religious 1. The first amendment to the Catholicity and the keeping beliefs." United States Constitution, ratified in of Sunday. Compromise is 1791, decreed that "Congress shall But in spite of Justice Douglas' make no law respecting an establish- impossible."—Editorial, opinion the court decided that in this matter the majority did indeed have ment of religion, or prohibiting the free "Catholic Mirror" (official exercise thereof." the right to establish a particular day Catholic paper during the of rest to the detriment of a minority. At that time this remarkable law set And so today the stage is set. The the United States apart from every administration of James legal groundwork has been laid. The other nation in the world. Cardinal Gibbons), December Supreme Court has decreed that Sun- At the same time, however, the var- 23, 1893. day laws are constitutional. ious states which joined together to The Book of Revelation indicates form the United States of America re- Fourteenth Amendment to the Consti- that a "religious" revival will sweep tained various Sunday laws enacted tution, began to rule that the United America. Miracles will be performed. during colonial times. States Constitution governed not only There will be a movement to exalt Here was a paradox. the rights of the United States govern- Sunday as a way of bringing the popu- During the 1800's the states con- ment but also those of state and local lace together. And then other nations tinued to make Sunday laws, but for governments. will follow America's example. many years the issue was not dealt The 1900 decision of the court, The stage is now set. Before it is all with on a national level, though var- coming before this new judicial prac- over the issues will be plain for all ious religious groups such as the Lord's tice, had declared that states had the to see. Day Alliance (an organization estab- right to make Sunday laws. But with But God has an answer to the way lished in 1888 to promote Sunday) did the new viewpoint could state Sunday of man. He will protect those who agitate for a national Sunday law. laws stand up? choose to obey Him rather than accept the way of the majority. 2. Finally in 1892 the Congress of 5. Yes, said the court in 1961. Rul- the United States, after a heated de- ing on a number of cases having to do "When the enemy shall come in like bate, passed a law stipulating that the with state Sunday laws, the court, a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." world's fair to be held in Chicago in based on precedents set by past rulings Isaiah 59:19. 44 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Sunday Laws in the Early Years in Commenting on Sunday laws in the U.S. today the magazine declared, America. Nine years after the Pilgrim stupid Blue Laws of Connecticut Fathers set foot in the land of freedom, make a labor of rest, for they oblige " 'U.S. blue laws are riddled with the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a person to sit still from sunrise to erratic contradictions. In Pennsyl- a decree in 1629 which proclaimed: sunset on a Sabbath-day [Sunday], vania it is legal to sell a bicycle on which is hard work. Fanaticism made Sunday, but not a tricycle; in Massa- those laws, and hypocrisy pretends to "To the end the Saboth may bee chusetts it is against the law to dredge reverence them, for where such laws for oysters, but not to dig for clams; celebrated in a religious manner, we prevail hyprocrisy will prevail also." appoint, that all that inhabite the in Connecticut genuine antiques may plantacon, both for the generall and lawfully be sold, but not reproduc- pticuler imployments, may surcease Sunday Laws During the 1800's. tions. The New York blue law code is their labor every Satterday throughout Toward the end of the nineteenth cen- particularly messy. Bars may open at the yeare at 3 of the clock in the 1 p.m., but baseball games may not afternoone, and that they spend the tury Sunday-law proponents realized begin until 2 p.m. It is legal to sell rest of that day in catechising and that the religious arguments used to fruits but not vegetables, an automo- preparacion for the Saboth as the bile tire but not a tire jack, tobacco minister shall direct." support the laws offered too much but not a pipe. It is unlawful to sell leverage to constitutional arguments butter or cooked meat after 10 a.m., Enforcement proved efficient, for in against it. They therefore turned their except that delicatessens may sell November, 1630, officials whipped these foods between 4 p.m. and 7:30 attention to cultivating the support of p.m.' " John Baker for "shooteing att fowle on the labor movement, explaining that a Though the U.S. Supreme Court de- the Sabboth day." Federal Blue Law would be in the in- fined Sunday laws as civil in nature, Predating the Pilgrims, a Virginia terest of the working man and would G. Vaughn Shedd, spokesman for the Sunday law enacted in 1610 com- serve a public welfare purpose. Lord's Day League of New England, manded Sunday morning attendance at Also at this time the philosophy jubilantly declared: "diuine seruice" and expected citizens concerning Sunday laws changed, pur- to be at church "in the afternoon to porting them to be civil institutions "After many months of cooperative diuine seruice, and Catechising, vpon effort between the office of the Massa- and abandoning their historic religious chusetts attorney general and other paine for the first fault to lose their nature. During the 1800's numerous concerned groups, the Sunday laws prouision, and allowance for the whole individuals were fined and imprisoned have been held constitutional. . . weeke following, for the second to lose "'This decision announced by the for breaking the Sunday laws instituted U.S. Supreme Court on May 29 cul- the said allowance, and also to be by the various states. minated much dedicated work of nu- whipt, and for the third to suffer merous legislators, church groups of death." many beliefs, and the Lord's Day Sunday Laws Today. Lest we reason League. The preservation of Sunday Soon voices were raised in protest. with some degree of sophistication that as a day of rest and relaxation from Roger Williams, father of religious lib- secular business is a welcome assur- Sunday laws are antiquated and that ance to the entire community.' " erty in America and founder of "Prov- they pose no problem today, consider idence," the beginnings of Rhode Is- the ruling of the Supreme Court in How can logical, legal minds over- land, formulated a law which declared, 1961 that such laws are constitutional. look the inescapable fact that the basis "All men may walk as conscience per- Time magazine declared, "Seldom of Sunday laws, in spite of the Justice suade them, every one in the name of has an issue of liberty been argued on Field reasoning that Sunday laws are his God." flabbier grounds." civil, is solely a policy promoted by In 1791, with the incorporating of "concerned groups," "church groups," the first ten amendments to the Con- and "the Lord's Day League"? stitution, Thomas Jefferson said, "I "Congress shall make "Sunday laws have consistently contemplate with sovereign reverence failed to shake their religious over- that act of the whole American people no law respecting an tones. Their essentially sectarian and establishment of religion, oppressive nature will not disappear which declares that their legislature with some kind of blue magic. Colo- should 'make no law respecting an or prohibiting the free exercise nial Sunday-observance laws repre- establishment of religion or prohibiting sented religious establishment and im- thereof; or abridging the paired the free exercise of religion. the free exercise thereof,' thus building freedom of speech, or of the [Today] blue laws still rely on re- a wall of separation between church ligious interests for support and sur- press, or the right of the and state." vival."—Warren L. Johns. But in spite of the high ideal of re- people peaceably to assemble, Throughout American history the ligious liberty proposed in the new and to petition the chief proponents of Sunday legislation Constitution, Sunday laws still re- Government for a redress have continued to be religious groups, mained on the statute books. In 1804 of grievances."—The First while the chief victims have been re- Thomas Paine observed: Amendment to the U. S. ligious minorities. Doesn't this seem more than just coincidence? "The word Sabbath means REST; Constitution. that is, cessation from labor, but the —Derek Mustow.

March 1973/THESE TIMES 45 The Sabbath and God's Answer to Sin

FOR THOUSANDS of years now kingdoms of man to further his own 1. The apostles taught that the judg- the controversy between Christ and aims and ambitions. ment had not yet begun in their time. Satan has raged. But through the prophet Ezekiel They understood it to be something On the one hand Satan has resorted God revealed how He would restore yet future. See Acts 17:31; 2 Corin- to every kind of deceit and force, in- the dominion to man. thians 5:10; James 2:12. cluding murder, to carry out his ob- "Thus saith the Lord God; Remove 2. According to Daniel it would not jectives. From the very beginning he the diadem, and take off the crown: begin until after the 1260-year period has attacked the great principle upon this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is (538-1798) during which the Roman which God's government is based, the high. I will overturn, overturn, over- Catholic church-state system flourished. law of love. turn, it: and it shall be no more, until See Daniel 7:25, 26. At stake in this controversy is the he come whose right it is; and / will give it [to] him." Ezekiel 21:26, 27. sovereignty of God, the question of 3. According to John it would begin whether God can truly rule the uni- True to the prediction, nation after before Jesus' Second Coming. Com- verse without force. In His wisdom nation has come and gone. Great and pare Revelation 14:7 (which portrays God has allowed Satan to demonstrate mighty nations which each seemed in- the proclamation of a message that the outworking of the principle of sin. vincible in their time—Babylon, Medo- "the hour of God's judgment is In contrast to this He has continued to Persia, Greece, Rome—all have de- come"—not will come, but is come) rule the universe in love. By sending clined and fallen. with verses 14 to 16 (which describe His son to die for our sins He has not The whole story of history reveals the Second Coming of Jesus). only maintained His holiness which how the efforts of man have failed to 4. But the most explicit prophecy of calls for the death of sinners, but He bring true peace and lasting security. all is found in Daniel 8 where an angel has also opened up before the universe The way of man is not the way of explains how the powers of evil would His matchless mercy and love for those peace. tread down God's sanctuary for 2300 whom Satan has deceived. days or years. As Daniel 9 shows, this The books of Daniel and Revelation God's Answer to Sin. But God has period began in 457 B.C. Thus we learn open to our view a knowledge of this an answer to man's way. According to that in A.D. 1844 God began to great controversy. In these books we Bible prophecy, He will judge sin and "cleanse his sanctuary" or restore it see the dramatic outworking of the two bring an end to its reign. The books of "to its rightful place." Daniel 8:14.* principles of love and sin. And there Daniel and Revelation both explain we learn about the real issues, the uni- how God, after allowing Satan to dem- The Man Appointed to Judge the versal issues which ultimately affect onstrate what kind of government the World. Not only has God appointed a our whole lives. way of sin produces, will step in and time to judge the world, He has also do two things: (1) He will take away "It is easy to become egotistic in appointed a man to judge the world. one's religion, to believe that the only the dominion of the man of sin and (Acts 17:31.) question is whether God loves me and (2) He will give this dominion to That Man is Jesus Christ. (2 Corin- mine. The real issue is whether God, Jesus Christ, the One whose right it is through His work of salvation and thians 5:10.) judgment, has the power to subdue all to rule the world. See Daniel 7:26, 14. Had Jesus not left heaven to become things to Himself, including our own But when and how will God accom- one with us someone could have raised hearts and minds, and to restore the absolute sovereignty of God through- plish this remarkable change? The doubts about whether God could fairly out the universe, to make His throne Apostle Paul, according to Acts 17:31, judge man. After all, how could He forever secure. We all triumph or per- indicated that both these questions ish by this."—Edward Heppenstall. really know about the things we have have answers when he declared: to face? The Issue in the Conflict Between 1. God has appointed a certain time But God arranged the plan of salva- Christ and Satan. Ultimately one issue to judge the world. tion in such a way as to forever silence must be decided: Who has the right to 2. God has appointed a certain man such questions. In Christ He became rule the world—Christ or Satan? to judge the world. one with us. God created man to rule the world. "In all things it behoved him to be (Genesis 1:26.) But through sin man The Time Appointed to Judge the made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high forfeited his dominion to Satan, who World. The Bible gives us many clues then became the "prince of this world." as to the time when God would begin *This is explained much more fully in the (John 16:11.) judging the world and settling the issue special issues of THESE TIMES on Daniel and Revelation. For information on how to get these Throughout time Satan has used the of sin. issues see the inside back cover of this issue. 46 THESE TIMES/March 1973 priest in things pertaining to God, to ness and restoration opened up to him advocate. If we have placed our case make reconciliation for the sins of the on that day. Those who rejected God's in the hands of Christ we will be people. For in that he himself hath eternally saved. Those hands that suffered being tempted, he is able to wondrous grace in the work of judg- were pierced for us are upraised in the succour them that are tempted." He- ment had to do so out of willful rebel- judgment room of the heavenly courts brews 2:17, 18. as a testimony that Christ died for us. lion. He appears on our behalf; He does What the Judgment Is All About. Understanding this we begin to see even more. He takes our place; and how God will be able to end sin with- when our name is called, He answers When God commanded the Israelites for us. He is both judge and advocate. to build Him a sanctuary He did so in out using force, simply by revealing Every soul who trusts in Him is as- through His work of judgment His re- sured of victory."—W. G. C. Mur- order to teach them important truths doch. concerning the true sanctuary in markable mercy. As individuals learn that God's judg- "None of us can stand before the heaven and the plan of salvation. judgment bar of God alone. We must ment has begun—and according to the In the earthly sanctuary God com- have Jesus Christ as our Advocate. Bible it has—they will respond in one We must be clothed in His righteous- manded the people to conduct various of two ways. Either they will accept ness, redeemed by His blood, so that services every day. But one day a year by faith we are in Him, and God will God's gracious provision for the blot- look upon us as He looks upon our He commanded all the people to par- ting out of sins in the judgment or they Saviour. Then in His righteousness we ticipate in a special ceremony known shall be altogether pure and righteous, will not. God always leaves man free as the Day of Atonement. The services but only in Him."—H. M. S. Richards. to decide his own destiny. on this day symbolized the final judg- Those who are accepted in the judg- ment. The Value of the Blood. The Bible ment are those who have identified Basically three things happened on tells us that it will take nothing less themselves with Christ and accepted the Day of Atonement. than the blood of Jesus to blot out our His forgiveness. Those who have done 1. The high priest, a man selected sins and bring about a complete recon- this will show the evidence in their to represent all the people in their ciliation between us and God. lives of their connection with Christ. worship, first sacrificed an innocent The services on the Day of Atone- Through faith in the merits of Jesus animal in the courtyard of the sanctu- ment in the earthly sanctuary symbol- they will have overcome sin. Looking ary, outside the building itself. ized the true and final work of to Jesus they will have become changed judgment in the heavenly sanctuary into His image. 2. Next he carried the blood of the which Christ "by his own blood" en- When their names come up in the slain animal into the most holy place, tered nearly two thousand years ago. judgment, Jesus will answer for them. the inner of two rooms in the build- (Hebrews 9:12.) Christ is the Lamb With every case one argument alone ing. There he sprinkled the blood be- provided by God to bear our sins. will prevail: the blood of Jesus. Jesus fore the ark, a chest housing the two Himself the Priest, Himself the inno- will blot out the records of the sins tables of stone upon which God had cent victim, He shed His blood for us of those who have come to Him in written the Ten Commandments. And on the cross. faith and repented of their sins. (Acts though the people had broken God's 3:19.) law the priest asked God, on the basis What the Blood Means to God. of the blood, to blot out the records Long ago when God set out to redeem What the Blood Means to Satan. of the people's sins, to give them, as it Israel, the people of Egypt rebelled During the judgment Satan will con- were, a clean slate. against the plain manifestations of His test every case, pointing to the sins 3. Outside the sanctuary the people love for the Israelites. Finally God committed by God's people. The Bible gathered around in prayer to appropri- commanded His people to kill a lamb calls Satan "the accuser of the breth- ate by faith the benefits of the sacrifice. and place its blood on their doorposts. ren." But Then He poured out His wrath against Those who confessed their sins and re- "since God, seeing all our sins in pented, looking in faith to Christ, had the people in Egypt. Only those who the light, can forgive them on the their sins blotted out. had placed blood on their doorposts basis of the Blood, what ground of ac- escaped. God had promised to them, cusation has Satan? Satan may accuse But those who refused this remark- us before Him, but, 'If God is for us, "When I see the blood, / able provision for full restoration and will pass over who is against us?' (Romans 8:31). you." God points him to the Blood of His reconciliation with God, in harmony The blood is thus, first and fore- dear Son. It is the sufficient answer with their own choice, had to bear the against which Satan has no appeal. most, for God. Nothing less than the results of their own sins. `Who shall lay anything to the charge blood of Jesus, poured out for our sins, of God's elect? It is God that justi- Thus the Day of Atonement was a fieth; who is he that shall condemn? could satisfy God's holiness. To God day of judgment, bringing full "at-one- It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, the blood of Jesus has an infinite value. that was raised from the dead, who is ment" or unity between God and those See 1 Peter 1:18, 19. at the right hand of God, who also trusting in the substitute provided by maketh intercession for us' (Romans The blood of Jesus is the foundation Him, but at the same time allowing 8:33, 34). Thus God answers his upon which God's everlasting covenant every challenge."—Watchman Nee. those who refused to trust in Him to stands. See Luke 22:20. The judgment bear the results of their own sins. will demonstrate forever the value of What the Blood Means to Us. It is For full reconciliation to be effected this blood. only as we understand what the blood all three of these things—the sacrifice, In the judgment there will be one means to God and to Satan that we the application of the blood, and the standard by which all will be judged: can truly understand its remarkable appropriation of the sacrifice—were the perfect law of God. Nothing less value for us. necessary. than perfect obedience will pass the If God can accept the blood of Because of the nature of the services judgment. Christ for our sins, then we may rest of the Day of Atonement every indi- assured as to its sufficiency. How often vidual actually judged himself by his "Since all have sinned, no one dares to face the judgment on his own merit. we are tempted to find in ourselves response to the provisions for forgive- God in mercy has provided for us an something to recommend us to God. March 1973/THESE TIMES 47 "No man can look within himself God, and give glory to him; for the And though they may not recognize and find anything in his character that hour of his judgment is come: and their condition, God will. will recommend him to God, or make worship him that made heaven, and his acceptance sure. It is only through earth, and the sea, and the fountains When ancient Babylon rejected God, Jesus, whom the Father gave for the of waters." Revelation 14:6, 7. He announced to its leaders, "You life of the world, that the sinner may find access to God. Jesus alone is our Just as God specified certain things have been weighed in the balances and Redeemer, our Advocate and Medi- for the ancient Israelites to do when found wanting." Daniel 5:27, R.S.V. ator; in Him is our only hope for par- Shortly thereafter the Medes and Per- don, peace, and righteousness. It is by they assembled for the Day of Atone- virtue of the blood of Christ that the ment, so this message calls upon those sians attacked the city of Babylon and sin-stricken soul can be restored to living during the time of the true judg- overthrew its kingdom. soundness."—Ellen G. White. ment to "fear God, and give glory to In John's day the actual city of In addition, if the blood answers him." Those who worship the beast Babylon lay in ruins. But because of Satan's accusations, then it is sufficient described in Revelation 13 will give the special role Babylon had played in to take away our feelings of guilt. And glory to man, but those who under- oppressing His people in Old Testa- so not only does the blood of Jesus stand the everlasting gospel will give ment times, God used the symbol of cleanse the heavenly sanctuary (He- praise and honor and glory to God Babylon to show John how Satan brews 9:23); it also has a subjective alone. would try to destroy His people near value: In addition, the first angel calls upon the close of history through a corrupt church-state system which would fol- "Christ . . . offered himself without those preparing for the judgment to blemish to God, a spiritual and eter- "worship him that made heaven, and low the same principles and practices nal sacrifice; and his blood will as has ancient Babylon and every other cleanse our conscience from the dead- earth, and the sea, and fountains of ness of our former ways and fit us for waters." Since the judgment began in church-state system. See Revelation the service of the living God." He- 1844, almost the entire Christian 17. brews 9:14, N.E.B.* world has abandoned the great foun- As ancient Babylon rejected God, This work of cleansing is effected in dation of Christianity, the truth that so most of the professed Christian all who come to Jesus in faith, trusting God created all things, and that He world is rejecting Him today. When in His perfect righteousness to meet alone is the source of life. the churches of Christendom have their every need. The words "worship him that made united themselves fully with the world, The Book of Revelation teaches that heaven, and earth" are based on the then the fall of Babylon will be com- just before Jesus comes again He will plete. Then God's people will sound send three distinct messages to our the second angel's message with great world presenting the final revelation of "And I saw another angel power. See Revelation 18:1-3. His infinite mercy and compassion for fly in the midst of heaven, The undiscerning will fail to recog- nize Babylon's fall, seeing in the union us. He has made provision for our having the everlasting gospel every need. But for us to benefit from of church and state something good. Jesus' ministry in our behalf we must to preach unto them that But those who have entered by faith appropriate by faith the benefits He dwell on the earth, and to into the most holy place of the heav- has secured for us on the cross. every nation, and kindred, enly sanctuary will realize the nature Only those who do this will be able and tongue, and people, of sin in the light of the cross, and they to greet Him with joy when He comes saying with a loud voice, Fear will speak out with great power against again. Those who reject His mercy will the corruption of Babylon. God, and give glory to him; have to die for their own sins. In particular they will expose Baby- for the hour of his judgment is lon's erroneous teachings, her "wine" "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the come: and worship him that which she induces all nations to drink. truth, there remaineth no more sac- made heaven, and earth, Among other things, this wine includes rifice for sins, but a certain fearful the teaching that Sunday is sacred. looking for of judgment and fiery and the sea, and the fountains indignation, which shall devour the of waters." Revelation 14:6, 7. adversaries. He that despised Moses' The Invitation to Freedom. The law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer eighteenth chapter of Revelation ex- punishment, suppose ye, shall he be fourth commandment of God's eternal pands upon the second message by thought worthy, who hath trodden law of love, which invites men to join presenting Christ's invitation to His under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, the Creator in His Sabbath, or rest. people in bondage in Babylon. wherewith he was sanctified, an un- And so in the first message we find "And after these things I saw an- holy thing, and hath done despite unto the gospel, the judgment, and the Sab- other angel come down from heaven, the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:26- having great power; and the earth was 29. bath. All three of these Bible truths lightened with his glory. And he cried teach us to look to Jesus as our only mightily with a strong voice, saying, The First Message. The first of the hope, to trust in His perfect finished Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, three messages of Revelation 14 an- work, rather than looking to ourselves and the hold of every foul spirit, and nounces that the time of God's judg- and our works or our feelings. Only a cage of every unclean and hateful such a faith will protect God's people bird. For all nations have drunk of the ment has come. wine of the wrath of her fornication, from the tragic delusion connected and the kings of the earth have com- "And I saw another angel fly in the with the mark of the beast. mitted fornication with her, and the midst of heaven, having the everlast- merchants of the earth are waxed rich ing gospel to preach unto them that through the abundance of her deli- dwell on the earth, and to every na- Babylon Is Fallen. The second of cacies. And I heard another voice tion, and kindred, and tongue, and the three messages in Revelation 14 from heaven, saying, Come out of people, saying with a loud voice, Fear her, my people, that ye be not par- follows as a direct result of the first. takers of her sins, and that ye receive *From The New English Bible. Copyright, The Truth is always judgmental; it divides. not of her plagues. For her sins have Delegates of the Oxford University Press and The Those who refuse to accept the first reached unto heaven, and God hath Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1961, remembered her iniquities." Revela- 1970. Reprinted by permission. message will experience a moral fall. tion 18:1-5.

48 THESE TIMES/March 1973 "Come out of her, my people," God who respond to the Redeemer's com- imagery it uses is based on Revelation says. God still has many people in passionate call and those who spurn 13. Whoever worships the beast (the Babylon. As the final crisis approaches His wondrous grace. Roman Catholic church-state) and his He calls out to them in compassion, image (the Protestant church-state) inviting them to come out of Babylon. The Third Message. The third of the and receives the beast's mark (the sign His call is an invitation to freedom— three final messages follows as a direct of his ecclesiastical authority—Sun- freedom from oppression, freedom result of the first two and presents the day) must "drink of the wine of the from the tyranny of man's way, free- full and final revelation of Jesus Christ, wrath of God, which is poured out dom from the bondage of sin with all His perfect justice and mercy. When without mixture." its stifling influences. this message has polarized humanity, But the freedom God offers is not probation will close, and Jesus will only a freedom from, it is also a free- then come again to take His people "When a Religion is good, I dom for. back with Him to heaven. conceive that it will support "But God be thanked, that ye were "And the third angel followed them, itself; and, when it cannot the servants of sin, but ye have saying with a loud voice, If any man obeyed from the heart that form of worship the beast and his image, and support itself, and God does doctrine which was delivered you. Be- receive his mark in his forehead, or in ing then made free from sin, ye be- his hand, the same shall drink of the not take care to support, so came the servants of righteousness." wine of the wrath of God, which is that its Professors are oblig'd Romans 6:17, 18. poured out without mixture into the to call for the help of the Not only is the second message a cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone Civil Power, it is a sign, I call to come out of Babylon; it is also in the presence of the holy angels, and a call to come to Jesus. in the presence of the Lamb: and the apprehend, of its being a smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no bad one."—Benjamin Franklin. rest day nor night, who worship the "And there followed an- beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here So important is this warning that other angel, saying, Babylon is the patience of the saints: here are nearly the whole next section of the is fallen, is fallen, that great they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Revela- Book of Revelation is devoted to ex- city, because she made all tion 14:9-12. plaining it. According to Revelation nations drink of the wine of The third angel presents a startling 15:1, God will send His wrath, in the the wrath of her fornication." message, one designed to arouse men form of seven great devastating Revelation 14:8. to the decisive issues at stake in the plagues, upon those who support the final conflict between Christ and Satan. beast. These will come unmixed with None of us can deliver ourselves It presents the most fearful warning mercy, for those who reject the three from Babylon. But Jesus, who came to ever sounded before mankind. The angels' messages will clearly align "proclaim liberty to the captives," can themselves against Jesus Christ, so that deliver all who are willing to leave He will no longer be able to cover them with His mercy. Babylon behind. See Isaiah 61:1, 2. "And the third angel fol- "Come unto me," He says, ". . . and lowed them, saying with a I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28.) The Final Choice: Either God's Rest The invitation to freedom which He loud voice, If any man worship or God's Wrath. The proclamation of offers is also an invitation to rest. the beast and his image, and the third message will bring everyone "The Spirit and the bride [New Jeru- receive his mark in his fore- living just before Jesus comes again to the point where they will have to de- salem] say, Come." Revelation 22 : 17. head, or in his hand, the cide between entering into God's rest "Come; for all things are now same shall drink of the wine ready." Luke 14:17. or receiving God's wrath or displeasure "Come," Jesus says. of the wrath of God, which is against sin. poured out without mixture "Some Christians think that the God is love. But He is also holy. greatest sin man can commit is the into the cup of his indignation; And His holiness requires Him to transgression of God's moral law. This allow all who choose to separate them- is not so. Through the blood of and he shall be tormented Christ, God is willing to forgive every with fire and brimstone selves from Him and His life-giving violation of His commandments. The power to receive the inevitable conse- greatest sin is refusal of God's grace, in the presence of the holy His mercy, His light, offered through quences of their sin. the Holy Spirit. When man takes the angels, and in the presence of In a number of places the Bible very attitude toward God—`Leave me the Lamb: and the smoke of alone. I don't need Your mercy. I directly relates God's act of pouring am good enough. I do not want more their torment ascendeth up out His wrath with man's rejection of light on the Bible'—then such a man for ever and ever: and they His rest or His Sabbath. becomes unreachable. This was the reaction of the religious people in have no rest day nor night, Ezekiel, describing God's deliver- Jerusalem. Jesus wept over their hard- who worship the beast and ance of Israel from Egypt, quoted God ness of heart. Luke 19:41-44. When as saying, human defiance of God's grace reaches his image, and whosoever such limits, God tells them: 'I have "Moreover I gave them my sab- called, and ye refused; I have stretched receiveth the mark of his baths, as a sign between me and them, out My hand, and no man regardeth.' name. Here is the patience of that they might know that I the Lord `Then shall they call upon Me, but I sanctify them. But the house of Israel will not answer.' Proverbs 1:24, 28." the saints: here are they that rebelled against me in the wilderness; —Emilio Knechtle. they did not walk in my statutes but keep the commandments of rejected my ordinances, by whose ob- Thus the second message of Revela- God, and the faith of Jesus." servance man shall live; and my sab- tion 14 will further divide humanity, baths they greatly profaned. Then I Revelation 14:9-12. thought I would pour out my wrath causing a clear division between those upon them in the wilderness, to make March 1973/THESE TIMES 49 a full end of them. But I acted for and from the wrath of the Lamb: for Under the provisions of the new the sake of my name, that it should the great day of his wrath is come; covenant the Holy Spirit seals those not be profaned in the sight of the and who shall be able to stand?" Rev- nations, in whose sight I had brought elation 6:16, 17. who believe in Christ by writing God's them out." Ezekiel 20:12-14, R.S.V. law of love upon their minds. "Forty years long was I grieved There is no rest in the way of sin. with this generation, and said, It is a "This is the covenant that I will people that do err in their heart, and "There is a way which seemeth right make; . . . I will put my laws into they have not known my ways: unto unto a man, but the end thereof are their mind." Hebrews 8:10. the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12. whom I sware in my wrath that they "Seal the law among my disciples." should not enter into my rest." Psalm "They have no rest day nor night, Isaiah 8:16. 95:10, 11. Compare Hebrews 3:10, who worship the beast and his image, 11; 4:4. and whosoever receiveth the mark of Before Jesus can come again, before his name." Revelation 14:11. Describing the later history of Israel, He can finish His work of intercession Ezekiel again quoted God: in behalf of sinners and receive the The Seal of the Living God. But kingdom which Adam long ago for- "Her priests have violated my law, . . . and have hid their eyes from my while Satan will lead nearly the whole feited through sin, He must demon- sabbaths." world to follow him, a few individuals strate His power to subdue sinful hu- "Therefore have I poured out mine will respond to God's final invitation of man beings to Himself and remake indignation upon them; I have con- sumed them with the fire of my mercy and come out of Babylon to them into His own image. wrath: their own way have I recom- "fear God, and give glory to him." Throughout time He has changed pensed upon their heads, saith the Long ago God made man in His Lord God." Ezekiel 22:26, 31. the lives of sinners, bringing hope own image to bear His likeness. See where despair once held sway, purity But God never did really fully pour Genesis 1:26. Upon the mind of Adam where ugliness once existed, peace out His wrath against Israel. Had He God wrote His law of love, and as long where turmoil and doubt once reigned. done so they would have died. as Adam continued to look to his But just before He receives His king- Maker, trusting in Him for strength, "Their heart was not right with dom, the Bible says that Christ will him, neither were they stedfast in his he reflected the Creator's image. make a final triumphant demonstration covenant. But he, being full of com- But Satan came to Adam and Eve to the universe of the power of His passion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time to deface the image of God in them matchless love. As history draws to its turned he his anger away, and did not and replace it with his own likeness. climax, Christ will reproduce in His stir up all his wrath." Psalm 78:37, Ever since their fall he's been at work 38. people His character of love. to place his mark upon man and thus Throughout time His wrath has been "Christ loved the church and gave thwart God's eternal purpose. himself up for her, that he might mixed with mercy. Under the everlast- But in Christ God once again re- sanctify her, having cleansed her by ing covenant Jesus as our Substitute stored His image in man. Christ was a the washing of water with the word, that the church might be presented bore the wrath we deserve that God perfect representation of God and His before him in splendor, without spot might treat us as Jesus deserves. infinite love. (2 Corinthians 4:4.) And or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." "For God has not destined us for through the gospel plan all who come Ephesians 5:25-27, R.S.V. wrath, but to obtain salvation through to Him in faith are changed into His our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalo- image by the Holy Spirit. (2 Corin- The Book of Revelation describes nians 5:9, R.S.V. God's people at the end of time thus: "For I know the thoughts that I thians 3:18.) think toward you, saith the Lord, This lesson is clearly taught by the "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to Bible's use of the symbol of the seal to stood on the mount Sion, and with give you an expected end." Jeremiah him an hundred forty and four thou- 29 : 11. portray the work of the Holy Spirit in sand, having his Father's name written transforming lives. A seal is a device in their foreheads." "These are they God longs for all to respond to His which reproduces an image in a soft which were not defiled with women; love. He has no pleasure in the death substance such as wax or clay. for they are virgins. These are they of sinners. But He respects each of us. which follow the Lamb whithersoever In ancient times rulers had rings he goeth. These were redeemed from You must decide for yourself which they used as seals. In order to among men, being the firstfruits unto whether you will respond to Him and God and to the Lamb. And in their authenticate various official documents mouth was found no guile: for they accept Jesus' intercession in your be- and laws a ruler would stamp his ring are without fault before the throne of half in the judgment. If you do, God into a piece of wax, making an image God." Revelation 14:1, 4, 5. will treat you just as He treats Jesus. of the information engraved upon the The Early and the Latter Rain of Because of His everlasting covenant ring. Then he would attach the wax to the Holy Spirit. The Bible uses a num- you will have a right to receive every the document to make it official. ber of other illustrations besides the blessing and honor deserved by the Today this custom still exists. The seal to portray the work of the Holy Son of God. President of the United States, for Spirit. As we study these, we learn But if you choose to ignore or re- example, has a seal which he uses on many important lessons about the plan ject Christ's intercession, then God, various official documents. Indeed, of salvation and how God will settle out of respect to you, must finally most legal documents require the seal the problem of sin. allow you to live without that interces- of a notary public to be binding. sion. You will have to face His wrath As wax takes the impression of a In particular God has employed the and its effect upon against sin without Christ. seal, so God desires for us to allow His lesson of the rain to illustrate the work of the When probation closes, God will Spirit to reproduce in us the image of the grain pour out His wrath, unmixed with Christ. Holy Spirit and its effect upon the characters of His people. mercy, upon the world. At that time, Paul, writing to the Christians at the Bible says, the wicked will cry out Ephesus, declared, "For I will pour water upon him to the rocks and mountains, that is thirsty, and floods upon the "After . . . ye believed, ye were dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon "Fall on us, and hide us from the sealed with that holy Spirit of prom- thy seed, and my blessing upon thine face of him that sitteth on the throne, ise." Ephesians 1:13. offspring." Isaiah 44:3.

50 THESE TIMES/March 1973

In Palestine the early or former rain falls at the sowing time, causing the seed to germinate. Then near the close Ultimately there are only two kinds of religion: of the growing season the latter rain falls, causing the grain to mature, thus 1. The religion which comes from God. preparing it for the harvest. 2. The religion which comes from man. In like manner God has given the It makes all the difference in the world which of these two you will follow. early rain of the Holy Spirit to beget No. 1 rests upon the Word of God. new life in sinners and enable them to No. 2 rests upon the word of man. grow in grace. But it is through the Here is a test: In light of these two ways where do you look for truth? latter rain, a great final outpouring of What is your authority in religious matters? His Spirit at the end of time, that God Do you look only to God? Do you search His Word, the Bible, to see will prepare His church for the harvest what is truth? of the earth when Jesus comes again. Or do you look to man—be it yourself or someone else, either an indi- Through the latter rain of the Spirit God will seal His law of love in the vidual (such as a preacher or priest or rabbi) or a group of people (such minds of His true followers. See Isaiah as a church)? 8:16; Hebrews 8:10. * * * * * * Ultimately the only religion which leads to God is that which comes The Latter Rain and the Sabbath. from God. When God finished His work of cre- ation, the Bible says He "rested, and Jesus is the substance of all true religion. He is able to bring men to God was refreshed." (Exodus 31 : 17. ) because He Himself came from God. In His life and teachings He always From the very first, God intended exalted God's way, the way of love, and God's day, the Sabbath. for man to enter into His rest and par- The man who knowingly accepts God's way and worships on God's day take of His refreshing. God established thereby acknowledges Jesus as his Saviour and Lord. the Sabbath not only that He might be Satan exemplifies all false religion. In the beginning he tried to approach refreshed but also that man might be God on his own terms. Since his fall into sin, he has strenuously opposed refreshed. God's way and God's day. The Apostle Peter speaking on the The man who knowingly rejects God's way and endeavors to establish day of Pentecost likened the great out- pouring of God's Spirit just before his own day of worship, though he does so with the best of intentions, thereby Jesus comes again to "times of refresh- acknowledges Satan as his lord. ing . . . from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19. Ultimately every individual must accept one of two views: The way ordained by God for us to enter into His rest is the same way He 1. That Christ came to save men from disobeying God's law. has established for us to receive His 2. That Christ came to save men from obeying God's law. Spirit. In order to enter into God's No. 1 is taught by the Bible. rest we must first accept the perfect, No. 2 is taught by Satan. finished work of Christ. And this is precisely the same way by which we receive the Holy Spirit. Ultimately those to whom the knowledge of the Sabbath comes must react There is rest for us in the most holy in one of two ways: place of the heavenly sanctuary, rest and refreshing. Those who enter within 1. They will honor God's day and God's law, thereby honoring Him. the throne room of the Ruler of the 2. They will reject God's day and God's law, thereby rejecting Him. universe and come boldly before His "The Sabbath stands or falls with the law. If the law is still in force, the throne of grace, trusting in the perfect, Sabbath is still in force. If the law is done away, then the Sabbath is done completed work of Jesus Qn the cross, will find the help they need in their away. The Sabbath is an integral part of the law, and its future is bound up conflict with Satan. As they enter into with it. What happens to one happens to the other." the spirit of the Sabbath, coming hum- "The only way to avoid the Sabbath obligation is to do away with the bly and penitently to participate in whole law. This is rather drastic treatment, but some perform the necessary God's rest, they will receive from Him mental gymnastics. They abolish the whole law, and then re-enact the nine the refreshing power of His Holy Spirit commandments, leaving out the objectionable one. They fail to understand in its fullness to finish the work of that their attitude toward one commandment determines their attitude toward grace in their lives, making them vic- all. They are in reality at war with God and with His law, though they may torious, living witnesses of His good- not so intend it."—M. L. Andreasen. ness before the world. Thus will God seal His followers as * * * * * * they enter into His rest. The Bible Ultimately all must decide in light of the Sabbath which of two ways they teaches that God has particularly des- will choose for their life: ignated the Sabbath commandment as a sign of His relation to His people. 1. Loyalty to God. Of all the ten commandments only the 2. Independence from God. Sabbath command contains the essen- tial elements of an official seal. It alone J March 1973/THESE TIMES 51 brings to view both the name and title On the other side will stand all who "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, of God, showing His right to command accept the sign or seal of God's author- that ye may know that I am the Lord the obedience of mankind. ity, the Sabbath. your God." Ezekiel 20:20. The Book of Revelation says that Name: "The Lord thy God." Satan will try to destroy those who The Restoration of God's Rest. To- Title: "Creator of heaven and place themselves on God's side at the day Satan has succeeded in causing a earth." end of time. breach in God's law through sin. See "And the dragon was wroth with Isaiah 58:12; 59:2; Ezekiel 22:30. In 4 ormiiikyiy, the woman, and went to make war place of God's Sabbath he has brought "THE with the remnant of her seed, which forward a substitute, a counterfeit, a SEVENTH DAY IS keep the commandments of God, and THE SABBATH OF THE new way which he claims is better. LORD THY GOD have the testimony of Jesus Christ." FOR IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, Revelation 12:17. But in the end all will see that the THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IN THEM IS AND RESTED THE original way and the original day are SEVENTH DAY WHEREFORE The faith of God's people will be THE LORD BLESSED THE best after all. Today God is leading SABBATH DAY XkNO tested in the furnace of persecution in HALLOWED IT His people back to the original plan. f1 20 #4" that day. But to those who reject Sa- Ohcii tan's sophistries, God has promised, "I "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old will defend you. Under the banner of paths, where is the good way, and Christ you will triumph." walk therein, and ye shall find rest Under the power of the latter rain for your souls." Jeremiah 6 : 16. the followers of God will go forth to "Knowing this, that the trying of "And they that shall be of thee shall proclaim the message of the everlasting your faith worketh patience [endur- build the old waste places: thou shalt gospel and to warn men against the ance]." James 1:3. raise up the foundations of many gen- counterfeit seal established under the "And all that dwell upon the earth erations; and thou shalt be called, The shall worship him [the beast], whose repairer of the breach, The restorer authority of Satan, the mark of the names are not written in the book of of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away beast. life of the Lamb slain from the foun- thy foot from the sabbath, from doing dation of the world. . . . Here is the thy pleasure on my holy day; and call patience and the faith of the saints." the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Revelation 13:8-10. Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor "Be patient therefore, brethren, finding thine own pleasure, nor speak- unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, 'AUTHORITY TO ing thine own words: then shalt thou SUBSTITUTE THE the husbandman waiteth for the pre- delight thyself in the Lord; and I will OBSERVANCE OF SUN DAY THE FIRST DAY cious fruit of the earth, and hath long cause thee to ride upon the high OF `THEE WEEK FOR patience for it, until he receive the places of the earth, and feed thee THE OBSERVANCE OF SATURDAY, THE early and latter rain. Be ye also pa- with the heritage of Jacob thy father: SEVENTH DAY" tient; stablish your hearts: for the for the mouth of the Lord hath Doc,' e•vo, re ,e.441,, coming of the Lord draweth nigh." spoken it." Isaiah 58:12-14. James 5:7, 8. "For thus saith the Lord God, the "Then shall we know, if we follow Holy One of Israel; in returning and on to know the Lord: his going forth rest shall ye be saved; in quietness is prepared as the morning; and he and in confidence shall be your The Final Test. The formation of shall come unto us as the rain, as the strength." Isaiah 30:15. the image to the beast exalting the law latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6:3. of man above the law of God will soon The Restoration of God's Kingdom. test the whole world, dividing it into Those who endure the test and fol- When Christ has reproduced His char- two clearly distinguishable groups. low on to know the Lord and receive acter in His people, He will come to On one side will stand all who ac- the latter rain will be those who enter take them home with Him. Immedi- cept the mark of Satan's authority, the into God's rest, those who keep His ately following the message of the third civil Sunday. Sabbath. angel, Jesus will come again. "And the third angel followed them, saying, . . . Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. . . . And I looked, and be- hold a white cloud, and upon the "Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, as the sun begins cloud one sat like unto the Son of its downward course in the western sky each sixth day, the mind of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. the redeemed will revert to the scene on Calvary, and all hearts And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to will thrill with love and gratitude toward the King of kings, the him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Lord of the whole earth, and as 'all flesh come to worship' him upon thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest the holy Sabbath, praise and thanksgiving will resound from every of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the lip because the work was finished that sixth day upon the cross of earth; and the earth was reaped." Calvary. Since the Saviour finished his work of redemption on that Revelation 14:9-16. Friday afternoon, and rested in the tomb on the seventh day, the In heaven the people of God will Sabbath has been doubly blessed. It means more to the Christian keep His Sabbath week by week. than it ever meant before. It not only commemorates the creation "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall of a world, but it is also a pledge of the re-creation of a world remain before me, saith the Lord, so sunken in sin and iniquity, and a race redeemed through the life shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from offered upon the cross."—Mrs. S. N. Haskell. one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:22, 23.

52 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Photograph by Don Skaggs Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:17. Matthew 28:1-7. Jesus rested (was dear seventh-day Sabbath. He arose on the which followed the Sabbath.

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Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11. God made the seventh-day Sab- bath at the close of creation week and gave it to Adam and Eve. At that time He made it for all mankind and not for the • Jew only. See Mark 2:27.

Exodus 16:4, 22-30. The children of Israel were instructed to,krii) refrain from gathering manna on the seventh-day Sabbath.: Therefore they knew of and kept the seventh day Sabbath at six least weeks before they came to Mount Sinai, where the • Ten Commandments were given to man in written form. There was no question whatsoever as to which day was the Sabbath.

0

0) • Acts 13:14-16, 42, 44. The disciples of Jesus kept "the sab- bath" for many years after His resurrection. There is no Biblical record that they ever observed any other day as a day of holy omb on the rest. Neither is there any Biblical evidence that the Sababth )f the week, of the fourth commandment was abolished at the cross. The Bible records eighty-four Sabbaths which Paul kept long after the resurrection of Jesus. In Matthew 24:20 Jesus plainly taught His followers to prayerfully keep the Sabbath when Jerusalem should be destroyed. This occurred in A.D. 70—forty years after His resurrection and ascension.

The Change of the Calendar. The Julian calendar has been changed but once since 44 B.C. This change was made in Oc- tober of 1582, by decree of Pope Gregory. Ten days were dropped out of the month to make the vernal equinox fall where it should in the year. There was no change in the weekly cycle. The Sabbath (Saturday) remained the seventh day of the week, and Sunday remained the first clay of the week.

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:13 • e ' 5 23:54-56. Jesus was crucified on the sixth day of th , which was the day before the Sabbath. On this same Revelation 12:17; 14:12. God's true church just before the day, which was also called the preparation clay, His fat- second coming of Jesus will keep all the commandments of God, s s prepared "spices and ointments" to anoint His body for including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment. I, "and rested the sabbath day according to the command.

. uke 4:16, 31. Jesus, "as his custom was," kept the seventh-,• lay Sabbath according to the commandment. See also John 5:10. If time or the Sabbath had been lost, Jesus would have ound it for His followers. Jesus lived under the Julian calendar,' ihich continued as the universal calendar from approximately 4 B.C. to A.D. 1582.

3 Exodus 20:8-11. When God gave the Ten Commandments, He commanded His people, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." One cannot remember that which he has not already known. Obviously the seventh-day Sabbath was known and recognized and hod been observed before the giving of the Ten Commandments. Following the injunction to "remember the sabbath day," God specifically stated, "The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." There was no question as to which was the seventh day of the week. Notice it is "the sob- bath of the Lord," and not of the Jew. It was for all peoples of all nations. Sec Numbers 15:16, 30, 31; Isaiah 56:6, 7; Romans 3:9, 19, 20, 23. 10 Isaiah 66:22, 23. The redeemed of all ages w' bath in the new earth. "I feel as if God had, by giving the Sabbath, given fifty-two Springs in every year."—Samuel Taylor Cole- ridge.

THE SABBATH AS I SEE IT

There's a certain day that is my birthday, and there is ab- solutely no other day in eternity that is my birthday except that day. And the Sabbath can no more be changed than the character can be changed. My situation is different from many others since I have no family. But I remember that my mother said that the Sabbath was a homecoming time, that during the week we had to be out making our living, and we came home on Sab- bath evening. And so in that sense I have a sense of belonging to God and to other people on Friday evening and the Sab- bath day more than any other time of the week. I begin the Sabbath with my own little private imitation of the worship The Sabbath is the memorial of creation. The Sabbath is that we used to have in my home, and that is with singing important to me because Christ kept it. In my life it's always and with Bible study on Friday evening at sunset. On Sabbath been a special day that we've always set aside and done spe- morning church services occupy my time. And then after that cial things on. I couldn't spiritually, emotionally, or physi- if friends invite me, I have a happy home time with other cally get along without the Sabbath. I really would be in bad people. If not, I come home, and I begin the Sabbath School shape without it. lesson for the next week, read good books, study, and if I The Sabbath is a relaxing time that I can have with my have a chance to be outdoors, I covet that experience. I end children and my husband, and we can be closer together. the day the same way as I began it. with worship at sunset. It's a time when I don't feel the pressures of the world at all. I think it makes a difference what day a person observes, because only one was hallowed and sanctified and blessed by the Lord. The Sabbath is fun for me.

Mary Moore Retired writer and teacher Nashville, Tennessee

The Sabbath is important because it is the chief thing in the law of God that identifies the true God. I couldn't get along without the Sabbath because I would lose the knowledge of God. It is a memorial of His power as both a Creator and a Redeemer. It is through the Sab- bath that we get a knowledge of the true God. Observing the Sabbath keeps me close to God, keeps me from wander- ing away from Him, keeps me remembering Him all week long, thinking of Him every day and preparing to meet Him. I know what I was when I didn't keep the Sabbath day faithfully and how much more at rest I have been since I have kept it faithfully. I wandered away from God as a young woman in adolescent rebellion. I wasn't particularly troubled about other forms of wandering and so began to break the Sabbath. And then God got hold of me in a remarkable way and brought me back. The Sabbath can't be any other day except the seventh because the Sabbath is a memorial of an event of the past.

56 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Photograph by Dick Sroda/ Image Darryl Benson Graduate student at UCLA Santa Monica, California

When I think of the Sabbath, the first thing that comes to One feature I enjoy about the Sabbath is that it's a chance mind is creation. The Sabbath is important to me because it for us to get out in nature. We enjoy getting away from was instituted at that time. "civilization." I also enjoy it for the evangelistic possibilities. I could compare the Sabbath to a minivacation; it's a time of re-creation both physically and spiritually. Without For a person who believes the Bible and does not ob- the Sabbath one would tend to drift away from God spiri- serve the Sabbath, I would point out the meaning of the tually. It's a time when you make a special effort to re- Sabbath, at least what it was meant to be in the beginning. establish positive communication. If a person didn't believe the Bible, there wouldn't be much When you don't observe the Sabbath properly, it's much of a reason to observe the Sabbath except as a healthful thing harder through the rest of the week just getting along with to get away from his work, but that really would not be people, getting through the day's work, etc. observing the Sabbath.

Photograph by Audrey Benson March 1973 /THESE TIMES 57 Jerry Pettis U.S. Congressman Representing California's 33rd Congressional District Washington, D.C. The Sabbath to me means a lot of things going back to my When I was assistant to the president of United Airlines. early childhood. Chiefly it's a memorial of God's creation, I remember a whole afternoon talking with him about but that's a kind of technical, dogmatic thing, but more Seventh-day Adventists and about the Sabbath. I explained relevant it means a regular time of spiritual and physical to him when I took my job as his assistant that I was an refreshment, which I think that God knew each one of us Adventist and how I felt about the Sabbath. He apparently needed in the course of the weekly cycle. I am particularly had never run into anyone who felt that strongly about pleased with the Sabbath and the whole concept of the Sab- keeping a day or about observing a day of worship that way. bath, because without it I think I would personally probably He thought that most Christians could take it or leave it as overdo or have a tendency to be intemperate in my lifework, far as Sunday was concerned. It was convenient. They went whatever it was. Not only is the Sabbath one way to memo- to church if they wanted to, and some people were more rialize God's creation and all that that means, but I think just serious about it than others. He apparently had never met as important it's absolutely necessary for mental, physical. anyone before who felt so strongly about his day of rest that and spiritual health. he took it up with his employer before he took his job. And this has been my experience even now in politics. The Sabbath causes me to review my life regularly in It makes a difference to me what day I keep. It doesn't terms of God's standards. Also it gives me an opportunity to to a lot of people. explain my own life-style and my own religious feelings to A couple of Sabbaths ago when I was taking a late after- other people who do not keep the Sabbath that I keep, and noon walk and I ran into Justice Potter Stewart of the Su- it enables me to testify to what I have believed all my life. preme Court, we got to talking about the world situation, and In that I think there's a strengthening of my own experience. he knows I'm a Seventh-day Adventist. Finally he said, "You For example, here in Congress almost everyone, I think, know, I remember hearing a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist knows I'm a Seventh-day Adventist. For one thing it has al- many years ago talking about the Middle East situation. ways appeared in my biographical sketches. It's always been And," he went on. "Adventists believe in prophecy a great a factor in my campaign. My constituency knows very well deal, don't they?" There I had an opportunity to witness for that I'm a Seventh-day Adventist, and except for the first my faith that many church members don't have. time when I ran and a lot of people weren't familiar with My spiritual experience, I think, is deeper and better in what Seventh-day Adventists believe or how carefully they the situation that I'm in right here. Maybe it's a little bit regard the Sabbath in comparison with how many people like Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar's court. He was standing regard their day of rest, I have had no problem. In fact, I alone, and maybe he was a better Christian because of it. think being a Seventh-day Adventist and one who respects I think it does something to you to know that other people the Sabbath as I do has been a plus to my career. are observing how you act, what you say. and what you do.

58 THESE TIMES/March 1973 "Here is a day with no television, no radio, no news- papers, no business with the stores. All secular pursuits are put aside. The mind is at peace. The whole being seeks oneness with Christ. Gone are tensions, forgotten the pressures of everyday life. The world is shut out, and for twenty-four hours a bit of heaven descends. This is what God has intended for all men."—K. J. Holland.

renewing on a periodic basis. It's not just a physical phe- nomenon but also a psychological phenomenon. And if for no other reason, I think a person needs to be concerned about his own physical-mental good health; not even mentioning religious reasons, I think people would find it to their great advantage to set one day aside for spiritual reflection and meditation and time spent with the family.

Mrs. Jayne Brockett Housewife, mother of four children Santa Barbara, California

The Sabbath is God's holy day. It's important to me because When I think of the Sabbath I think of rest and peace of it is a sign of my Creator. mind. By observing the Sabbath, I am spiritually and physically The Sabbath is important to me because during the rest refreshed. If you are refreshed spiritually, you know wherein of the week I work twenty-six hours a day. My full energies your strength lies, and you don't rely on your own strength. and all my thinking and my psychological commitment are Therefore you can call upon God for His strength. really devoted to my work. When I didn't observe the Sabbath, I didn't notice the I definitely could not get along without the Sabbath; it is lack, but now that I am observing it, I notice the blessings. more important to me than most things that I can think about. It's a vital part of my life. In practical, honest terms I enjoy the Sabbath mainly because it's a special time that I have reserved for my family to be together. I think that is of utmost importance. Second, I think the spiritual renewing that comes about every single rs. Lucile Dickson week is very important. Third, I can recharge my batteries Elementary school teacher during that one day and prepare myself spiritually, psycholog- Phoenix, Arizona ically, physically, for the next week. In recommending that someone keep the Sabbath who is When I first think of the Sabbath, I think of personal rest, not now keeping it, I would say that the human body (speak- getting away from the pressures of life. ing now as an industrial psychologist) requires some kind of The Sabbath is important because of our responsibility to God. It's evidence of our following His government rather than a counterfeit. I wouldn't want to get along without the Sabbath. I don't think I could get along without it, because to me it's part of life both spiritual and physical. Observing the Sabbath makes me happy, peaceful, closer to God. I have the feeling of fellowship with Christ that I don't believe I could possibly have without it. I actually didn't begin to live until I learned to observe the Sabbath. I would recommend that the Sabbath be kept by someone who is not now keeping it because it satisfies a need that's inherent in the human heart that God placed there when He created men and ordained the Sabbath. I believe He did it for our good. I've observed people who don't have any day of rest,.and I feel that they have a tremendous lack in their lives, and if they attempt to fill that by keeping some other day, it doesn't appear to give them the same satisfaction that I feel in the Sabbath.

Photograph by Jack Corn/Image March 1973 /THESE TIMES 59 "How should we weigh the difference between the Sabbath and the other days of the week? When a day like Wednesday arrives, the hours are blank, and un- less we lend significance to them, they remain without character. The hours of the seventh day are significant in themselves; their significance and beauty do not de- pend on any work, profit or progress we may achieve. They have the beauty of grandeur."—Abraham Heschel.

and to think of the meaning of your life and about the com- mitments that you need to renew each week. It's a time for a sort of rededication. It's a departure from that weekly routine that if we continued on with would certainly make it less effective. I try not to let the Sabbath become ceremonial. To me it's a rededication of my life and an opportune time to really assess all those things for myself. It brings me close A to my family. I've not been a Seventh-day Adventist all my life. Before I knew much about the Sabbath, my life-style tended to be the same Monday through Sunday. I have found that the I've learned from the Bible that the Sabbath is God's very compensations you get from the Sabbath in terms of mission- special private thing that He is jealous of. And it's a memo- ary work you are able to do, the contributions, and the di- rial of creation, of course, as well as being, I think, a sign of rections that you take in church—the things that are mean- His love to us. The Sabbath also gives a chance for us to ingful—are far more rewarding than anything else I had physically rest and mentally rest which we all need once found in my life in terms of business success or business ac- in a while. complishment. I could in no way get along without the Sabbath. I'd I could tell you stories that are almost like miracles. I probably kill myself overworking if I weren't a Christian. I find that when I stop on Friday and say that's the end of consider it critical to my well-being. A lot of us as Christians work, I can come back on Monday and deal with the prob- work pretty hard doing our Christian work. We don't get a lems that I have and make decisions in a more powerful way. chance to sit down and relax sometimes and just think about I find answers. God. And this is what we use the Sabbath for. I am doing The Sabbath is a day of regenerating yourself, your a lot of religious work on the Sabbath. We go to prisons, for thoughts, your direction, reassessing yourself, your life, and example, but it is still a relaxing departure from the everyday what you're doing. And it gives you an opportunity to sort hustle and bustle. It's a chance to worship. We meet with of rewind your spring. It gives you a day to depart from the about two hundred prisoners every week. normal routine of everyday push, hurry, hurry, etc. And I love the Lord more now that I keep the Sabbath. I'm that helps everyone. still trying to learn to love the Lord, like I would love a woman, a friend, or a family. And still as close as I am to Him now and the many miracles He works for us every day here, I still don't feel close enough to Him. I have discovered that the Lord Himself has His pet thing, that's His Sabbath as a memorial, and He gave it to us as a gift.

The Sabbath to me is a departure from the business routine and the work of the week in order to sort of set yourself in a different perspective. It is a time to put all those things aside

60 THESE TIMES/March 1973 Photograph by Haughan-Smith . - ,s- • 216- .xr 20'

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Reggie Tryon Premed student, Southern Missionary College Collegedale, Tennessee

On Sabbath I get up early in the morning and go out in is the day that I set aside to communicate with God in the nature before the sun comes up. and I sit there and don't most intimate way I possibly can to refresh my own life so say much. If I feel like talking to God, I talk to Him. I get that I can make it through the other six days. That's my out in nature because I find a closer communication with basic approach. Him in nature than in a building. I just sit there and welcome If you keep the Sabbath because you just want a day off, the day in. well you can take any day of the week off. There is some- I go to church, not because I have to, but because it gives thing which is difficult to explain to some people, and that me spiritual fellowship with my brothers. Sometimes you get is that there is an added blessing in the Sabbath, promised the concept, Well, let's go to church because everyone's doing by God, and you really can't know about this blessing unless it. I find I get my battery charged by hearing someone else you experience it. But I've experienced it within myself that say something to me from the pulpit. there is an added blessing. The Sabbath is not just a day of physical rest; it's a day of spiritual refreshing; I'm filled by it. I've found it's really fantastic. After the Sabbath day is The most beautiful kind of religion is spontaneous as far over, refreshed by communion with God in a special way as I've experienced. I've found that the whole day, not just and asking Him for a blessing that He's promised to give to part of the Sabbath, can be a beautiful experience with everyone who asks, I can make it through an entire week. Christ. He'll be with you entirely the whole day, not just I'm taking 16 semester hours of summer school, and it's a when you get up, not just when you go to church, if you wild pace, but I've found that the Sabbath gives me a spiritual walk with Him and communicate with Him. In the Sabbath uplift. I know that when sundown comes Friday night, I day a person can find the strength he needs to sustain him in don't have to worry about studying because I know I life. You can find a special spiritual refreshment on the Sab- shouldn't be. I know this day was set aside for me. bath day. You should be studying your Bible every day, but I'm a premed student, and I'm adopting the philosophy the Sabbath is your time for adding, if you please, the dessert, that six days of the week I'm going to do as much as I can for the special study of God in nature and the Bible. It's to touch as many people's lives as I can. But the seventh day fantastic.

Photograph by Haughan-Smith March 1973 /THESE TIMES 61 "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 65:17; 66:23.