VOL UME 4 FIRST QUARTER, 1994 N UMBER 1 ADVENTIST PIONEER LIBRARY "We have nothing tofearfor the future, except as we shallforget the way the Lordhas led us, andHis teaching in ourpast history. " LS 196 The Sabbath andthe Advent Experience uring the formative years of the Sabbatarian [Bates declared,] "...Thatthere will yet be Adventists the Sabbath was integrated into the a mighty struggle about the restoring and keep­ Advent experience through three closely re­ ing the seventh day Sabbath,thatwill test every lated themes: (I) The restoration ofall biblical soul that enters the gates ofthe city, cannot be principles before the Second Coming; (2) the disputed. Itis evident the Devil is making war sanctuary theology; (3) the third angel's mes­ on all such. See Rev. 12:17." [See also Acts sage. 3:20,21; Isaiah 58:12; and Matthew 5:19.] Both James and E. G. White endorsed the 1. The Restoration Theme. restoration theme butplaced it in the context of The first ones to associate the Sabbath with a preparatory workto escape God's final wrath. the Advent experience were Preble and Bates. Later the theme was integrated into the third In 1846 Bates, in addressing himselfto Adven­ angel's message through the Elijah motif. tists, pointed to the necessity ofthe restoration ofthe Sabbath before the Second Advent. He 2. The Sanctuary Theology. said: "I understand that the seventh day Sab­ The sanctuary theology of Edson, E. G. bath is not the leastone, among ALL the things White, and Crosier facilitated the acceptance of that are to be restored before the second advent the Sabbath doctrine and the third angel's mes­ of Jesus Christ, seeing that the Imperial and sage. .. It was felt that Rev. 11:19 was an Papal power of Rome, since the days of the indication that the heavenly sanctuary, like the Apostles have changedthe seventhday Sabbath earthly sanctuary, contained an ark with the to the first day ofthe week!" Decalogue in the most holy place. continued on page two P. G. Damsteegt, Foundations ofthe Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, W. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1977, excerpts from pp. 138-142. *Usedby permission, FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE: RACHEL OAKES PRESTON, the Seventh Day Baptist woman whom God used to direct attention to the Bible Sabbath. PAGE 2 1st Quarter, 1994 LEST WE FORGET TIlE ITIIIQD ANGEL'S MESSAGE I continuedfrom page one his typology provided an argument for ence regarding the typological implications of the perpetuityof'theDecalogue. In 1849 Ezek. 9 for the time just before Christ's return. .[E. G. White] revealed that through Bates related the activities ofEzek. 9:2-4, pic­ the change in Jesus' high-priestly minis­ • turing a man,clothedin linenwitha writingcase Ttry the attention of God's people had in his hand who was commanded to go through beendirectedto the mostholyplace,resulting in God's the city of Jerusalem to put a mark upon the a deeper understanding ofthe relevance ofthe foreheads ofthe righteous, to those ofthe seal­ Decalogue. Becauseofthis additional light, she ingangelofRev.7:2, In another OldTestament said thattheywere "beingtested on the Sabbath Sabbath- reference, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law question"; in fact, it was not until after the among my disciples" (Is. 8:16) he saw a proph­ Disappointment that the Sabbath became a test ecy ofthe sealingmessagewith implications for for God's people. Thus the Sabbath doctrine the remnant describedin Rev. 12:17,who "keep Observing was incorporated into the sanctuary theology the commandments ofGod, and have the.testi­ and, beinga test,it achievedmaj or importancein mony ofJesus Christ. ..." the emerging theology ofmission. people The logical consequence ofinterpreting the Sabbath as "the seal ofthe living God" was to 3. The Third Angel's Message. call the third angel's message, with its emphasis The special message affirming the validity would be on the commandments ofGod (Rev. 14:12),the ofthe Seventh Month movement and proclaim­ sealing message. Although Bates had referred ing the restoration ofthe Sabbathas a test, in the to a relationbetweenRev. 7:2 andRev. 14:6-12, context of the imminent Second Advent and sealed with it was E. G. White who used the term "present, God's wrath, was the message of the third sealing truth" in the contextofan exposition on angel. ... the third angel's message. In more explicit During these formative years the relation­ the seal of terms J. White expressed himself about "the ship between the sanctuary theology and the sealing, separating message-the cutting mes­ third angel's message could be described as sage ofthe 3rd angel ofRev. 14 chapter. This follows: Both had their roots in the Advent the living third angel bears, in its flight, the sealing mark, movement and affirmed the validity ofthe Sev­ the Sabbath, to the saints, while it reaps the enth Month movement and the Decalogue. The awful doom ofthose who receive the opposite sanctuary theology, however, drew attention to God for mark,-the first day ofthe week." The sealing the significance ofthe Decalogue in the context message, being equated with "present truth," ofRev. II:19, while the third angel's message was a sign ofthe times indicatingthatthe believ­ pointed the importance ofthe commandments to protection ers were living in the "sealing time" which was of God in the setting of Rev. 14:12. It was to last until the end ofChrist's sanctuary minis­ especially the preparatory function ofthe sanc­ try whenGod's Sabbath-observingpeoplewould tuary theology for the acceptance ofthe Sabbath during the be sealed with the seal of the living God for that brought about a close association between protection againstthe "burningwrath ofGod, in Christ's ministry and the third angel's the sevenlastplagues." Atthe completionofthe message.... seven last sealing all the sins ofthe believers were consid­ ered to have been blotted out. The Sealing Message. In January 1849, E. G. White identified the plagues. Summary. I Sabbath with the "seal ofthe living God" (Rev. Initially the theological arguments used in 7:2) and Bates explained that this interpretation support ofSabbath observance were somewhat was based on identifying the Sabbath as a sign similarto those employed by Seventh Day Bap­ (Ex. 31: 13, 17) with a seal. ... • tists. .. Soon, however, these Sabbatarian In thecontextofthesealing angel ofRev. 7:2 Bates further developed J. White's 1847 refer- concluded on page seven LEST WE PAGE 3 1111 " 1111111 ,11111111111111 by 9. d1!l. qJubte Shing for the truth on all subjects the Sabbath was given as a sign forever, and connected with Christ's coming, I a perpetual covenant . , how can it be W would present a few thoughts on abolished while there is one Israelite re­ the Sabbath.... maining to claim the promise? You have In speaking of the Sabbath he [Wm. evidently noticed, that all the difficulties on Miller] says, "Its being contained in the ten the Sabbath question among Christianshave commands, written by the finger ofGod, on arisen from the foolish, judaizing notion, both tables of the testimony, graven on that Israel means only the literal Jew. But stone, to be a sign forever, and a perpetual when we understand Israel to mean the covenant, proves, in my opinion, beyond people of God, its difficulties...all vanish the shadow ofa doubt, that it is as binding at once.... The moral law was never given upon the Christian church as upon the Jew­ to the Jews as a people exclusively, but ish, and in the same manner, and for the they were for a season the keepers ofit in same reason." Life and views, p. 157.... charge. And through them the law, oracles, Again, he says, p. 160, in speaking of the and testimony have been handed down to Sabbath as a sign, "It is a sign because God us.... has given it to us expresslyfor the purpose Then, says the objector, we are under .... " "to be a sign between me andthem, " the same obligation to keep the sabbaths of i.e., between God and the children ofIsrael weeks, months, and years, as the Jews were. .... Another question will evidently arise: No, sir; you will observe that these were not Who are the included in the children ofIs­ decalogue; they rael? Ianswer, Jesus Christ brought in a new covenant which were attach­ while the first continued the sign of the Sabbath, and prepared ments, added by covenant was anotherpeople,by writinghis law upontheirhearts. reason of trans- standing they gression, until were the children ofJacob, descendants of the seed should come, to whom the promise the twelve tribes; but that covenant they of one eternal day or Sabbath ofrest, was broke. See Lev. 26:2,15; also Deut. 31:10­ made. "Therefore there remaineth a keep­ 16. This covenantwas broken as Moses had ing ofSabbath to the people ofGod." Only foretoId. ThenJesus Christbroughtin anew one kind ofSabbath was given to Adam,and covenant which continued the sign of the one only remains for us.... All the Jewish Sabbath, and prepared another people, by sabbaths did cease, whenChrist nailedthem writing his law upon their hearts. These to his cross. (see Col. 2:14-17.) now are the true Israel; for the changing of ...There is a clear distinction between the subjects never did, nor ever can, change the creation Sabbath and the ceremonial. the moral law of God. Therefore Paul ar­ The one is perpetual; the others were merely gues the circumcision ofthe heart, and says shadows ofthe good to come, and are lim- that "They are not all Israel which are of ited in Christ. Israel, neither because they are the seed of Ifwe keep the first day as "a sign," I do Abraham, are they all children; but, in Israel not see how we can have our thousand shall thy seed be called; i.