Page 596 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM

see the temporal advantage of compromise with proclaim the truth of the sabbath as a test for mankind.
paganism a foothold, the Roman church in the Council This work will culminate in the Great Tribulation, they
of Laodicea set aside the clear command of God and believe, and in the second coming of Christ. For Bible
decreed the change from the seventh to the first day of proof of this, Adventists point to four major passages:
the week” (George Vandeman, Planet in Rebellion, p. Isaiah 58:12-14; Matthew 24:14; Revelation 14:6-12
290). and 12:17.
What the Bible Says “From the very first, Seventh-day Adventists have
As we have previously noted, there is much evidence boldly proclaimed the three messages of Revelation
in the Bible and in other historical sources that the early 14:6-12 as God’s last appeal to sinners to accept Christ,
Christians, from the days of the apostles, met and and have humbly believed their movement to be the
worshiped on the first day, rather than on the sabbath. one here designated as the ‘remnant.’ No other
[See Sunday.] Since those days, the vast majority of religious body is proclaiming this composite message,
Christians have met to worship on the Lord’s day. They and none other meets the specifications ... Adventists
do this in honor of the resurrection of their Saviour. have recovered these gems of truth and restored them
Christ was in the tomb on the sabbath and rose as the to their rightful setting ... Examples ... the precious
firstborn from the dead on the first day. The sabbath Sabbath truth, as opposed to the papal Sunday.
Particularly is the Sabbath commandment to be
signifies the last day of the old creation (Ge. 2:2). restored to its rightful place in the ten-commandment
Sunday is the first day of the new creation. Law of God. Isaiah declared that God’s remnant people
Sixth Adventist Teaching about the Sabbath: The would repair ‘the breach’ made in God’s law when the
church has changed the sabbath to Sunday without Bible papacy tore the fourth commandment out of the heart
authority. of the decalog...” (Prophetic Guidance Correspondence
“Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, Course, p. 46).
supposing that in so doing they were keeping the Bible What the Bible Says
Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every 1. The verses used by the SDA to support this
church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, doctrine are misused. Neither the Old nor the New
who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of Testament speak of a religious group that is to rise in
divine appointment” (Ellen White, The Great the last days prior to the second coming of Christ to
Controversy, p. 394). proclaim the sabbath. Though Revelation 14:12 does
What the Bible Says say the Great Tribulation remnant will “keep the
Sunday is not the sabbath; it is not even a holy day. commandments of God,” nothing is said about a special
Bible-believing Christians do not observe the sabbath by emphasis upon the sabbath. The interpretation pushed
assembling on Sunday. The New Testament believer, upon this verse by Adventist teachers illustrates their
redeemed from the obligations of the Mosaic Law, is free fearful habit of twisting Scripture. The remnant of
to observe or not to observe holy days as he pleases. (Of Revelation is the Jews. See Revelation 7:1-8.
course no Christian should forsake the assembly, but In Isaiah 56:1-7 and 58:1-13 God is simply
every Christian is free to honor or not to honor days.) admonishing the nation Israel to keep her sabbaths, just
Romans 14:1-13 and Colossians 2:16 clearly state that as He has done throughout Israel’s history. Isaiah 56 and
believers are not to be judged in respect to holy days. 58 speak of national Israel, not the church. “Cry aloud,
The Galatians’ respect of holy days caused the apostle spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my
Paul to fear that they were not even saved! people their transgression, and THE HOUSE OF JACOB
“Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I their sins” (Is. 58:1). That Isaiah would point Israel to
am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour the sabbath law agrees with other passages that teach
in vain. ... I desire to be present with you now, and to that the sabbath was given to national Israel as a special
change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Ga. covenant sign (Is. 66:20-13). Israel will always keep her
4:10-11, 20). covenant sabbath. The church, though, is not the nation
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? day Israel, and the church does not fulfill Israel’s prophecies.
alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own There are three distinct people spoken of in this
mind” (Ro. 14:4-5). dispensation—Israel, the Gentiles, and the Church (1
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, Co. 10:32). God’s plan for national Israel, as foretold in
or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of
the sabbath days” (Col. 2:16). the Old Testament will be literally fulfilled in national
Seventh Adventist Teaching about the Sabbath: Israel, not in the church.
Adventism claims that it is fulfilling prophecy by 2. The real source of this idea is Ellen White’s visions.
proclaiming the sabbath. Adventists believe that God has “...seven months after the Whites commenced keeping
raised them up as the “last days remnant church” to and teaching the Sabbath, the Lord gave a vision

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