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The work of
Sabbath reform to be accomplished in the last days is foretold in
the prophecy of Isaiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and
do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness
to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of
man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting
it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." "The sons of the
stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to
love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that keepeth
the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even
them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My
house of prayer." Isaiah 56:1, 2, 6, 7.
These words apply in the Christian
age, as shown by the context: "The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts
of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are
gathered unto him." Verse 8. Here is foreshadowed the gathering in of
the Gentiles by the gospel. And upon those who then honor the Sabbath, a
blessing is pronounced. Thus the obligation of the fourth commandment
extends past the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, to
the time when His servants should preach to all nations the message of
glad tidings.
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The Lord commands by the same prophet:
"Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." Isaiah 8:16.
The seal of God's law is found in the fourth commandment. This only, of
all the ten, brings to view both the name and the title of the Lawgiver.
It declares Him to be the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and thus
shows His claim to reverence and worship above all others. Aside from
this precept, there is nothing in the Decalogue to show by whose
authority the law is given. When the Sabbath was changed by the papal
power, the seal was taken from the law. The disciples of Jesus are
called upon to restore it by exalting the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment to its rightful position as the Creator's memorial and the
sign of His authority.
"To the law and to the testimony."
While conflicting doctrines and theories abound, the law of God is the
one unerring rule by which all opinions, doctrines, and theories are to
be tested. Says the prophet: "If they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them." Verse 20.
Again, the command is given: "Cry
aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." It is not the
wicked world, but those whom the Lord designates as "my people," that
are to be reproved for their transgressions. He declares further: "Yet
they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did
righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God." Isaiah 58:1,
2. Here is brought to view a class who think themselves righteous and
appear to manifest great interest in the service of God; but the stern
and solemn rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves them to be trampling
upon the divine precepts.
The prophet thus points out the
ordinance which has been forsaken: "Thou shalt raise up the foundations
of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the
breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away
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thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy
pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor
finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt
thou delight thyself in the Lord." Verses 12-14. This prophecy also
applies in our time. The breach was made in the law of God when the
Sabbath was changed by the Roman power. But the time has come for that
divine institution to be restored. The breach is to be repaired and the
foundation of many generations to be raised up.
Hallowed by the Creator's rest and
blessing, the Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by
Adam, fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It
was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham,
to Jacob. When the chosen people were in bondage in Egypt, many, in the
midst of prevailing idolatry, lost their knowledge of God's law; but
when the Lord delivered Israel, He proclaimed His law in awful grandeur
to the assembled multitude, that they might know His will and fear and
obey Him forever.
From that day to the present the
knowledge of God's law has been preserved in the earth, and the Sabbath
of the fourth commandment has been kept. Though the "man of sin"
succeeded in trampling underfoot God's holy day, yet even in the period
of his supremacy there were, hidden in secret places, faithful souls who
paid it honor. Since the Reformation, there have been some in every
generation to maintain its observance. Though often in the midst of
reproach and persecution, a constant testimony has been borne to the
perpetuity of the law of God and the sacred obligation of the creation
Sabbath.
These truths, as presented in
Revelation 14 in connection with "the everlasting gospel," will
distinguish the church of Christ at the time of His appearing. For as
the result of the
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threefold message it is announced: "Here
are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." And
this message is the last to be given before the coming of the Lord.
Immediately following its proclamation the Son of man is seen by the
prophet, coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth.
Those who received the light
concerning the sanctuary and the immutability of the law of God were
filled with joy and wonder as they saw the beauty and harmony of the
system of truth that opened to their understanding. They desired that
the light which appeared to them so precious might be imparted to all
Christians; and they could not but believe that it would be joyfully
accepted. But truths that would place them at variance with the world
were not welcome to many who claimed to be followers of Christ.
Obedience to the fourth commandment required a sacrifice from which the
majority drew back.
As the claims of the Sabbath were
presented, many reasoned from the worldling's standpoint. Said they: "We
have always kept Sunday, our fathers kept it, and many good and pious
men have died happy while keeping it. If they were right, so are we. The
keeping of this new Sabbath would throw us out of harmony with the
world, and we would have no influence over them. What can a little
company keeping the seventh day hope to accomplish against all the world
who are keeping Sunday?" It was by similar arguments that the Jews
endeavored to justify their rejection of Christ. Their fathers had been
accepted of God in presenting the sacrificial offerings, and why could
not the children find salvation in pursuing the same course? So, in the
time of Luther, papists reasoned that true Christians had died in the
Catholic faith, and therefore that religion was sufficient for
salvation. Such reasoning would prove an effectual barrier to all
advancement in religious faith or practice.
Many urged that Sundaykeeping had been
an established doctrine and a widespread custom of the church for many
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centuries. Against this argument it was
shown that the Sabbath and its observance were more ancient and
widespread, even as old as the world itself, and bearing the sanction
both of angels and of God. When the foundations of the earth were laid,
when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy, then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath. Job 38:6, 7;
Genesis 2:1-3. Well may this institution demand our reverence; it was
ordained by no human authority and rests upon no human traditions; it
was established by the Ancient of Days and commanded by His eternal
word.
As the attention of the people was
called to the subject of Sabbath reform, popular ministers perverted the
word of God, placing such interpretations upon its testimony as would
best quiet inquiring minds. And those who did not search the Scriptures
for themselves were content to accept conclusions that were in
accordance with their desires. By argument, sophistry, the traditions of
the Fathers, and the authority of the church, many endeavored to
overthrow the truth. Its advocates were driven to their Bibles to defend
the validity of the fourth commandment. Humble men, armed with the word
of truth alone, withstood the attacks of men of learning, who, with
surprise and anger, found their eloquent sophistry powerless against the
simple, straightforward reasoning of men who were versed in the
Scriptures rather than in the subtleties of the schools.
In the absence of Bible testimony in
their favor, many with unwearying persistence urged--forgetting how the
same reasoning had been employed against Christ and His apostles: "Why
do not our great men understand this Sabbath question? But few believe
as you do. It cannot be that you are right and that all the men of
learning in the world are wrong."
To refute such arguments it was
needful only to cite the teachings of the Scriptures and the history of
the Lord's dealings with His people in all ages. God works through
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those who hear and obey His voice, those
who will, if need be, speak unpalatable truths, those who do not fear to
reprove popular sins. The reason why He does not oftener choose men of
learning and high position to lead out in reform movements is that they
trust to their creeds, theories, and theological systems, and feel no
need to be taught of God. Only those who have a personal connection with
the Source of wisdom are able to understand or explain the Scriptures.
Men who have little of the learning of the schools are sometimes called
to declare the truth, not because they are unlearned, but because they
are not too self-sufficient to be taught of God. They learn in the
school of Christ, and their humility and obedience make them great. In
committing to them a knowledge of His truth, God confers upon them an
honor, in comparison with which earthly honor and human greatness sink
into insignificance.
The majority of Adventists rejected
the truths concerning the sanctuary and the law of God, and many also
renounced their faith in the advent movement and adopted unsound and
conflicting views of the prophecies which applied to that work. Some
were led into the error of repeatedly fixing upon a definite time for
the coming of Christ. The light which was now shining on the subject of
the sanctuary should have shown them that no prophetic period extends to
the second advent; that the exact time of this advent is not foretold.
But, turning from the light, they continued to set time after time for
the Lord to come, and as often they were disappointed.
When the Thessalonian church received
erroneous views concerning the coming of Christ, the apostle Paul
counseled them to test their hopes and anticipations carefully by the
word of God. He cited them to prophecies revealing the events to take
place before Christ should come, and showed that they had no ground to
expect Him in their day. "Let no man deceive you by any means" (2
Thessalonians 2:3), are his words of warning. Should they indulge
expectations that were not sanctioned by the Scriptures, they would be
led to
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a mistaken course of action;
disappointment would expose them to the derision of unbelievers, and
they would be in danger of yielding to discouragement and would be
tempted to doubt the truths essential for their salvation. The apostle's
admonition to the Thessalonians contains an important lesson for those
who live in the last days. Many Adventists have felt that unless they
could fix their faith upon a definite time for the Lord's coming, they
could not be zealous and diligent in the work of preparation. But as
their hopes are again and again excited, only to be destroyed, their
faith receives such a shock that it becomes well-nigh impossible for
them to be impressed by the great truths of prophecy.
The preaching of a definite time for
the judgment, in the giving of the first message, was ordered by God.
The computation of the prophetic periods on which that message was
based, placing the close of the 2300 days in the autumn of 1844, stands
without impeachment. The repeated efforts to find new dates for the
beginning and close of the prophetic periods, and the unsound reasoning
necessary to sustain these positions, not only lead minds away from the
present truth, but throw contempt upon all efforts to explain the
prophecies. The more frequently a definite time is set for the second
advent, and the more widely it is taught, the better it suits the
purposes of Satan. After the time has passed, he excites ridicule and
contempt of its advocates, and thus casts reproach upon the great advent
movement of 1843 and 1844. Those who persist in this error will at last
fix upon a date too far in the future for the coming of Christ. Thus
they will be led to rest in a false security, and many will not be
undeceived until it is too late.
The history of ancient Israel is a
striking illustration of the past experience of the Adventist body. God
led His people in the advent movement, even as He led the children of
Israel from Egypt. In the great disappointment their faith was tested as
was that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Had they still trusted to the
guiding hand that had been with them in
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their past experience, they would have
seen the salvation of God. If all who had labored unitedly in the work
in 1844, had received the third angel's message and proclaimed it in the
power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord would have wrought mightily with
their efforts. A flood of light would have been shed upon the world.
Years ago the inhabitants of the earth would have been warned, the
closing work completed, and Christ would have come for the redemption of
His people.
It was not the will of God that Israel
should wander forty years in the wilderness; He desired to lead them
directly to the land of Canaan and establish them there, a holy, happy
people. But "they could not enter in because of unbelief." Hebrews 3:19.
Because of their backsliding and apostasy they perished in the desert,
and others were raised up to enter the Promised Land. In like manner, it
was not the will of God that the coming of Christ should be so long
delayed and His people should remain so many years in this world of sin
and sorrow. But unbelief separated them from God. As they refused to do
the work which He had appointed them, others were raised up to proclaim
the message. In mercy to the world, Jesus delays His coming, that
sinners may have an opportunity to hear the warning and find in Him a
shelter before the wrath of God shall be poured out.
Now as in former ages, the
presentation of a truth that reproves the sins and errors of the times
will excite opposition. "Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John
3:20. As men see that they cannot maintain their position by the
Scriptures, many determine to maintain it at all hazards, and with a
malicious spirit they assail the character and motives of those who
stand in defense of unpopular truth. It is the same policy which has
been pursued in all ages. Elijah was declared to be a troubler in
Israel, Jeremiah a traitor, Paul a polluter of the temple. From that day
to this, those who would be loyal to truth have been denounced as
seditious,
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heretical, or schismatic. Multitudes who
are too unbelieving to accept the sure word of prophecy will receive
with unquestioning credulity an accusation against those who dare to
reprove fashionable sins. This spirit will increase more and more. And
the Bible plainly teaches that a time is approaching when the laws of
the state will so conflict with the law of God that whosoever would obey
all the divine precepts must brave reproach and punishment as an
evildoer.
In view of this, what is the duty of
the messenger of truth? Shall he conclude that the truth ought not to be
presented, since often its only effect is to arouse men to evade or
resist its claims? No; he has no more reason for withholding the
testimony of God's word, because it excites opposition, than had earlier
Reformers. The confession of faith made by saints and martyrs was
recorded for the benefit of succeeding generations. Those living
examples of holiness and steadfast integrity have come down to inspire
courage in those who are now called to stand as witnesses for God. They
received grace and truth, not for themselves alone, but that, through
them, the knowledge of God might enlighten the earth. Has God given
light to His servants in this generation? Then they should let it shine
forth to the world.
Anciently the Lord declared to one who
spoke in His name: "The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for
they will not hearken unto Me." Nevertheless He said: "Thou shalt speak
My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will
forbear." Ezekiel 3:7; 2:7. To the servant of God at this time is the
command addressed: "Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people
their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."
So far as his opportunities extend,
everyone who has received the light of truth is under the same solemn
and fearful responsibility as was the prophet of Israel, to whom the
word of the Lord came, saying: "Son of man, I have set thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear
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the word at My mouth, and warn them from
Me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if
thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man
shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he
do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast
delivered thy soul." Ezekiel 33:7-9.
The great obstacle both to the
acceptance and to the promulgation of truth is the fact that it involves
inconvenience and reproach. This is the only argument against the truth
which its advocates have never been able to refute. But this does not
deter the true followers of Christ. These do not wait for truth to
become popular. Being convinced of their duty, they deliberately accept
the cross, with the apostle Paul counting that "our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory;" with one of old, "esteeming the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." 2 Corinthians 4:17;
Hebrews 11:26.
Whatever may be their profession, it
is only those who are world servers at heart that act from policy rather
than principle in religious things. We should choose the right because
it is right, and leave consequences with God. To men of principle,
faith, and daring, the world is indebted for its great reforms. By such
men the work of reform for this time must be carried forward.
Thus saith the Lord: "Hearken unto Me,
ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye
not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For
the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them
like wool: but My righteousness shall be forever, and My salvation from
generation to generation." Isaiah 51:7, 8.
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