The Almost

Forgotten Day
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are
all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen."
— Romans 11:36.

Cover Design & Artwork

Mark Decker
Copyright © 1988. 1994 by The Concerned Group, Inc., Siloam Springs, AR 72761.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no
part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written
permission from the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. Quotations from
the King James Version, Copyright 1979 by Holman Bible Publishers. Quotations
from the New King James Version, copyrightl979. 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Quotations from the Revised Standard Version, copyright 1952, 1946, 1971 by
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Dedication
To Mom - whose genuine honesty has led me
to search for truth, and
To Dad - whose firm commitment has led me
to follow it,
this book Is lovingly dedicated.
 Table Of Contents
CHAPTER 1
The Surprising Answer To Tension ------ 1

CHAPTER 2
Truth Exposes A Myth ------------------- 10

CHAPTER 3
History’s Best Kept Secret --------------- 29

CHAPTER 4
The Centuries Bear Witness ------------- 52

CHAPTER 5
The Authorities Testify! ------------------ 93

CHAPTER 6
Your Questions Answered -------------- 106
 The Surprising
Answer To Tension

P erched atop a cliff in the beautiful

country of Portugal sits an ancient

monastery. Visitors to this lofty retreat are
rewarded with a magnificent view of the
countryside. But there is one problem. The
only way to reach the monastery is to be
hoisted by an aged monk up the cliff in a
wicker basket tied to a rope.
One day a guide and a visitor were
leaving the monastery via the basket. As the
grayed monk was lowering them down the
precipice, the basket swung out over the
rocky basin below. The nervous visitor
turned to the guide and in a trembling voice
asked, "Sir, how often do they replace the
rope?" Stone-faced, the guide replied, "each
time the old rope breaks."
It's easy to imagine the tension the
visitor must have felt all the way down the
cliff. Yet thousands of people rush through
life under similar circumstances. Constantly
pushing themselves, the tension mounts.
Anxiety heightens! More and more work is
crammed into less and less time. As each
day closes, people return from work
exhausted. They fall on the couch and flick
on the TV— but that's about all. The cycle
repeats itself— day after day after day— and
chronic fatigue sets in. The rope is about
ready to snap.
Where will it lead? What will cause us to
slow down? When will we leam to relax?
What will it take for us to discover that life's
greatest joys do not come from the posses­
sion of things, but from close, intimate
relationships with our family, our friends,
and our God? Where can we find the peace
of mind and inner spiritual strength
necessary to cope with the stresses of our
times?
These are tough questions. In order to
answer them, let's go back to the beginning
of the human race. Perhaps if we can
discover how we were put together we can
keep from falling apart.
When our loving Creator established
planet earth, He made available to the
human race all the elements essential for life,
health, and the fullest happiness. The air
was clean, the water pure. Healthful fruits,
nuts, and grains grew in abundance. Radiant
sunlight basked our first parents in garments
of light.
Invigorating work was part of their dally
routine. God commanded them to "dress
and keep" the garden. Their health was to
be continually invigorated by the satisfaction
that comes from useful work. In close
communion, they shared life's deepest joys
together. They were designed for happi­
ness— happiness as a result of a loving,
trusting, and obedient relationship with their
Creator.
But did Adam and Eve suffer chronic
fatigue? Did they work seven days a week,
18 hours a day, until they were exhausted?
Did they ever slow down and relax? How did
they deal with stress?
Genesis, chapter 2, verses 1 to 3, tells
part of the story:

Thus the heavens and the earth

were completed in all their vast
array. By the seventh day God had
finished the work he had been
doing; so on the seventh day he
rested from all his work. And God
blessed the seventh day and made
it holy, because on it he rested from
all the work of creating that he had
done.

After carefully fashioning the earth in six

days, God rested on the seventh day. He
took a break from His work. Why? Was He
tired? No! On that first Sabbath God rested
because He had a perfect sense of
fulfillment— He had done everything possible
to ensure Adam and Eve's happiness.
Nothing they needed was left undone. He
rested with the joyful anticipation of an
intimate relationship with the creatures He
had made.
By resting on the seventh day or Sabbath,
God was setting an example for Adam and
Eve. It was His intent that they rest from
their work of dressing and keeping the
garden. (The word "sabbath" means to stop
or rest.) So He planned a special day for
them— a day on which they stopped their
work routine, rested, and worshipped. The
Sabbath was God's answer for Adam and
Eve.
And the Sabbath is God's answer to
the hectic pace of twentieth century
living. It is His remedy for the unceasing
round of toil that drives modem man. It
invites us to stop trying to make more
money so we can buy fancier clothes, live in
more magnificent homes, and drive more
expensive automobiles. It is an invitation by
a living Creator to rest our tired minds and
exhausted bodies by fellowshipping with
Him— to become united with our Creator.
In our modem age of evolution, the Sab­
bath calls us back to the worship of our
Creator. It is a perpetual reminder of a
loving God who is constantly planning for
our happiness. The Sabbath sings a song of
God's personal concern: "You did not evolve!
You are more than bones covered with skin.
You are more than an enlarged protein
molecule. Your origin is not from some dark
and slimy primeval pit. You are not merely a
collection of chemicals combined by chance.
I made you! You are created in My image."
Since the Sabbath was sanctified by God
as a special day, those who keep it holy will
receive a special blessing. It is a day
designed for mental and physical
refreshment. In God's command to
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it
holy," it is interesting to note that the word
"holy" comes from the same root word as
"whole" and "healthy." God's Sabbath
command can be loosely translated,
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it
healthy." The Sabbath says, "Stop! Halt! Life
is more than an endless round of work! It is
a time to rest— to become whole again."
The Sabbath is also a call to spend time
with our families. It is possible to become so
busy during the week that family members
hardly see each other. In some families,
meaningful dialogue is non-existent. One
study indicates that the average American
father spends less than one hour per week
in personal communication alone with his
children. It is even possible for spouses to
become so involved in work, community
projects, and other time-consuming activities
that they hardly know each other.
God's original intent for families was
different. The Sabbath was the first day that
the newly married Adam and Eve spent to­
gether. Undoubtedly, they spent many more
happy Sabbaths. God's original intent was
for the Sabbath to be a special day for rela­
tionships— a day to become reacquainted
with our human family and friends, as well
as our Creator. It is a day to share our joys,
hopes, and ambitions as well as our heart-
aches and disappointments.
My wife and I, along with our children,
often spend Sabbath afternoon hiking in the
forest sharing together the joy of God's
specially created day amidst His magnificent
natural creations. Our entire family looks
forward to the Sabbath as the happiest day
of the week.
The Sabbath also brings a sense of
security to all of life. It provides a reference
point to help us deal with the pressures of
life. A few years ago, I read of a group of
medical researchers who were studying the
effects of stress on the central nervous
system. Their research involved an experi­
ment with twin lambs. For the first part of
their experiment, one of the lambs was
placed in a pen all alone. Electrical pulsing
devices were hooked up at several feeding
locations in the pen. As the lamb wandered
to each feeding station in the enclosure, the
researchers gave the little fellow a short
burst of electrical current. Each time this
happened, the lamb would twitch and scam-
per to another part of the pen. The lamb
never returned to the same location once it
had been shocked. This was repeated at
each feeding station until the frightened
lamb stood in the center of the pen shaking.
He had no place to run. There were shocks
everywhere. Completely overcome and filled
with anxiety and stress, the lamb had a
nervous breakdown.
The second part of the experiment
involved the first little lamb's twin brother.
The researchers took him and put him in the
same pen. Only this time they put his
mother in the pen with him. Presently, they
shocked him. Like his twin brother, he
immediately twitched and ran— only he ran
directly to his mother. He snuggled closely
to her while she grunted softly in his ear. I
don't know what she said, but evidently she
reassured him because the little fellow
promptly returned to the exact spot where
he was shocked the first time. The research­
ers threw the switch again. Again the lamb
ran to his mother. Again she grunted in his
ear and again he returned to the same place.
This happened over and over again, but as
long as there was a reference point for the
lamb to return to after each shock, he could
handle the stress. He was able to cope.
The Sabbath is such a reference point.
Like the little lamb fleeing to his mother, we
can have rest and security in Jesus. The
Sabbath is a palace in time. While most
palaces are magnificent structures built for
royalty in the here and now, the Sabbath is
a palace created in time which descends
from heaven to earth each seventh day.
Retreating to the palace of the King, we can
receive strength to face the tensions of life.
Fellowship with Him on the Sabbath
provides the basis for daily fellowship during
the week. The Sabbath gives us the
confidence to say, "I believe God made me
and that He has an immense concern for my
well-being. I can rest in His love. He is
worthy of my deepest allegiance, my highest
worship. Through His power I can now face
the stresses of life."
Our Creator loves us. He desires to
soothe our frayed nerves. He desires to ease
our restless longings. And He can do all
these things— for He made us. You and I,
friend, matter to Him. We we His children.
Long ago Jesus gave us this beautiful
invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary

and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, . . . and you will find
rest for your souls. (Matthew
11:28-29).

True rest is found in a loving, trusting

relationship with our Creator. Through the
centuries His gentle invitation remains the
same: "Come to me,... and you will find
rest."
The seventh-day Sabbath symbolizes a
life of restful trust in a loving Creator. It is
because Satan desires to destroy this
relationship that he has viciously attacked
the Sabbath. Although God's day has been
almost forgotten, faithful men and women of
God have kept it through the centuries.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Daniel
were all Sabbathkeepers. Peter, James, John
and Paul— they too, were faithful. They did
not forget God's Sabbath. And neither did
Jesus.
In the next chapter, we will explore what
the Bible teaches us about God's Holy Day.
 Truth Exposes A
Myth

M yths are easily accepted as truth if

they have been around a long time. Take

the case of the spider. About 350 B.C., the
great Greek philosopher Aristotle classified
the spider as having six legs. And for the
next 20 centuries everyone believed the
spider had six legs. No one even bothered to
count. After all, who would dare challenge
the great Aristotle?
Well, along came Lamarck, the outstand­
ing biologist and naturalist. He carefully
counted the legs of the spider. And guess
how many legs he counted? Exactly eight!
The myth that had been taught as truth for
centuries was destroyed because Lamarck
bothered to count.
The free-thinking Copernicus, a Pole,
also challenged a "truth" believed by the so
called "scientists" of his day. "The sun, not
the earth, was the center of the solar
system," he declared. The church men
ranted, "It cannot be! You cannot change
God's heavens." But Copernicus was not
changing God's heavens. He was simply
revealing the truth and exposing a myth.
There are many other examples of myths,
both scientific and otherwise. And people
throughout history have believed them.
While it may not seem all that critical to
accept scientific myths, the acceptance of
religious myths could have life and death
consequences. In other words, in matters of
eternal import the ability to distinguish
between fact and fiction, myth and truth
becomes essential.
 But how do we know which religious
beliefs are myth and which are not? How
can we distinguish between religious fact
and religious fiction? What is our authority?
Undoubtedly, God is the final authority.
And the Bible is the record of His word. It
contains unchanging eternal truths. By
studying God's word, religious myths that
have been believed for centuries will be
revealed.
The book of Revelation reveals just such
a myth. The great message to prepare men
and women for our Lord's return is found in
Revelation 14:6-12. We read these words in
verse 7:

. . . Fear God and give him glory,

because the hour of his judgment
has come. Worship him who made
the heavens, the earth, the sea and
the springs of water.

On the first reading, this passage may not

appear to reveal any religious myths. But
let's explore a bit further.
 The message of God's approaching
judgment is so important that God pictures
it as being carried by three angels flying
swiftly from His throne through the heavens
to the whole world. It is to be carried as
rapidly as fire spreading through dry stubble,
to every nation, tribe, language and people
(verse 6). This message is to leap across
geographical boundaries. It is to bridge
cultures and language groups. As heaven's
final judgment approaches. Revelation 14,
verse 7, strongly urges all mankind to return
to Creator worship.
But in order to return to Creator worship,
we must understand what it means. The
very basis of worship is the fact that
we are creature instead of Creator. The
reason God is worthy of our supreme
homage and allegiance is that He made us.
Revelation 4:11 affirms:

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to

receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by
 your will they were created and have
their being.

In an age when the evolutionary

hypothesis has taken the scientific world by
storm, the Bible has sent a message calling
all men to worship the Christ of Creation.
Ephesians 3:9 provides this significant
insight:

... and to make all people see what

is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the ages has
been hidden in God who created all
things through Jesus Christ; (NKJV)
(Please see also Colossians 1:13-17.)

How were all things created? "By Jesus

Christ!" The message that goes forth in the
last days calling all men everywhere to
"worship him who made the heavens and
earth" is a message calling men and women
to worship Jesus Christ as the Creator.
 But how does one worship Christ as
Creator? Has He left a memorial of His
creative work? What is the sign of creation?
Turning back to the book of Exodus, we
find in the very heart of God's law— the Ten
Commandments— a memorial of His creative
power. It is a memorial that, if remembered,
will keep fresh in our minds that He is the
Creator and we are His creatures. This
memorial is described in Exodus 20:8-11:

Remember the Sabbath day by

keeping it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God. On it you shall not
do any work, neither you, nor your
son or daughter, nor your
manservant or maidservant, nor
your animals, nor the alien within
your gates. For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth,
the sea, and all that is in them, but
he rested on the seventh day.
 Therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and made it holy.

God says, "Remember to keep holy the

Sabbath day, for it is a great memorial of My
creative power."
Notice the similarity in the wording of
Revelation 14:7 and Exodus 20:11. The
message for the last generation is:

Worship him who made the heavens,

the earth, the sea and the springs of
water. (Revelation 14:7)

Exodus 20:11 says:

For in six days the Lord made the

heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, . . .

The sacred Sabbath commandment is

enshrined in the heart of God's law as a
perpetual reminder of His supreme authority
and creative power. It is indeed the sign of
Creation.
 Let's go back to the book of beginnings,
the book of Genesis, and explore creation.
The entire first chapter of Genesis is a
description of the process of creation and
the beauty and splendor of Eden. The
second chapter begins:

Thus the heavens and the earth were

completed in all their vast array. By
the seventh day God had finished the
work he had been doing; so on the
seventh day he rested from all his
work. And God blessed the seventh
day and made it holy, because on it
he rested from all the work of
creating that he had done. (Genesis
2:1-3)

After creating this world in six days. God

set the seventh day aside as a memorial of
His creative work.
Notice the three things that went into the
making of this memorial:
—First, God rested (verse 2). Not because
He was weary, but rather as an example to
the human race. It was His intent that every
seventh day human beings should rest from
their work just as the Creator did. The
purpose was to remind us that He made this
world.
—Second, God blessed the seventh day
(verse 3). God took 24 common hours and
put a special blessing on them. By meeting
with Him on this day He will provide a
special blessing— renewed strength, a
peaceful heart, a closer walk with Him.
—Third, God sanctified or made holy
the seventh day. The word "sanctified"
means hallowed or set apart for holy use—
consecrated; it refers to something that is
sacred and not common. God is the only one
who can make things sacred or holy. True
human worship involves homage to
whatever God has made holy— because He,
as God, has made it holy! And according to
Genesis, God has made the seventh day
holy.
So the seventh day Sabbath was created
by God as a memorial to His creative power.
It is His holy day.
 I have met people who have said, "One
day is as good as the next. It really doesn't
make much difference which day you keep,
as long as you keep one in seven." Yet,
notice the clear teaching of the Bible. Which
day did God sanctify? The seventh day.
Nowhere does the Bible say that God rested
upon, blessed, or sanctified the first day or
the third day or the fifth day of the week.
The only day God ever set apart was the
seventh. And it's the only day that could
ever be a memorial to Creation. In six days
God worked— He created His masterpiece.
Then, on the seventh day, He established a
memorial of His great work— the Sabbath—
on which He rested. No other day would fit.
Suppose your birthday is June 25. That's
the day you were born. If someone says,
"Well, what difference does it make? You
can celebrate it June 24 or June 26. It
doesn't really matter, does it?" No doubt you
would reply, "It does matter! My birthday is
on June 25, and no amount of celebrations
on the day before or the day after will
change the fact that I was born on June
25!" Or, suppose you were married on a
certain day. Each year after, on that special
day, you celebrate your commitment to your
spouse. Your wedding anniversary day
reminds you of the marriage commitment
between you and your spouse. It is a special
day to celebrate together.
So it is with the Sabbath. There's only
one day God has set aside and that's the
seventh.
Throughout history the Sabbath has
been kept as a memorial of Christ's creative
power. It has been His sign of loyalty, liberty,
and love in every age. Look at Ezekiel 20:20:

Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they

may be a sign between us. Then
you will know that I am the Lord
your God.

Throughout the Old Testament, the

Sabbath was a sign of allegiance. It distin­
guished God's people from the heathen. It
was established at Creation and observed
before the existence of the Jewish nation. It
was kept by God's people through the entire
Old Testament period.
But what about the New Testament?
What about Jesus Christ? What was His
practice? Since He is our great example, and
"whoever claims to live in him must walk as
Jesus did" (I John 2:6), it is logical for us to
look to His example for guidance.
Let's turn to the New Testament. In Luke
4:16 we find this clear statement:

He went to Nazareth, where he had

been brought up, and on the
Sabbath day he went into the
synagogue, as was his custom. And
he stood up to read.

Christ's custom. His practice, was to

attend church on the Sabbath. If we could
go back in time to the little carpenter shop
where Jesus worked we would probably
hear the sound of the hammer and the
saw— at least on the first day of the week or
the second day of the week or any other
day— except the seventh. Maybe we would
see a little sign, "Open for Business." But on
the seventh day the shop would be vacant.
The hammer and saw would be silent, and
the little sign on the door might read,
"Closed on Sabbath."
Some have suggested, "Well, Jesus was
a Jew and that's why He kept the Sabbath."
What does Exodus 20:10 say? ". . . but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your
God." No, the Sabbath isn't Jewish! It is the
Sabbath of the Lord. It is Christ's day— a
memorial of His creative power. The
Sabbath was established at the creation of
man centuries before the existence of the
Jewish nation. Truly, Jesus was right when
he said in Mark 2:27, 'The sabbath was
made for man."
Others have said that Christ changed the
Sabbath when He came to this earth. Let's
examine this point. Does it make sense? If
Christ had come to change the Sabbath, if
He had come to change the law written by
God's own finger on Mount Sinai, wouldn't
He have changed it while He was living?
Wouldn't He have shown His disciples this
change? I think He would have, don't you?
But instead. He left us a positive example of
Sabbathkeeping. He said:

Do not think that I have come to

abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but
to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17)

Let's explore some of Jesus' comments a

bit further. In Matthew 24, Jesus is dis­
cussing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70
A.D., (approximately forty years after the
crucifixion) and He says:

Pray that your flight will not take

place in winter or on the Sabbath.
(Matthew 24:20)

It is significant that Jesus uttered these

words to His closest followers. This would
suggest that Jesus didn't anticipate any
change in the Sabbath.
But what about after Jesus returned to
heaven? What did His disciples do? Does the
Bible tell us which day the disciples and the
early church considered to be the Sabbath?
Does it tell us what day the New Testament
church kept? Acts 13:14:

From Perga they (Paul and Barnabas)

went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the
Sabbath they entered the synagogue
and sat down.

During the Sabbath morning service, Paul

and Bamabas discovered an opportunity to
preach Christ as the fulfillment of the Old
Testament (verse 15). Although most Jews
were angered, the Gentiles were receptive.
Verse 42 continues:

And when the Jews went out of the

synagogue, the Gentiles begged
that these words might be preached
to them the next Sabbath. (NKJV)

The Gentiles wanted to hear Paul preach

again. But notice how the story continues in
verse 44: "On the next Sabbath almost the
whole city gathered to hear the word of the
Lord." If Paul was keeping Sunday, the first
day of the week, he would have said to
these Gentile Christians, "You don't need to
wait until the next Sabbath. Come back
tomorrow, on Sunday. That is the new day
for Gentile Christians." But Paul didn't say
that. The Bible tells us that the Gentiles
heard Paul on the next Sabbath. This shows
us that fourteen years after the resurrection,
the disciples were still keeping the Sabbath.
So the New Testament church was a
Sabbathkeeping church. Certainly there is no
clear command for keeping any other day.
There is not a single recorded instance in
which the disciples taught that Jesus
changed the Sabbath.
John, the beloved disciple, gives us
another clue. Exiled on the rocky island of
Patmos, John writes:

On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit,

and I heard behind me a loud voice
like a trumpet, . . . (Revelation 1:10)
 John suggests that there was a special
day the disciples worshipped on during the
first century. It was called the "Lord's Day."
But John doesn't tell us which day of the
week the Lord's day is. Some have
speculated about it. However, our only
authority is the word of Christ Himself.
Surely He knows what day He is the Lord ofl
In Matthew 12:8, He says, "For the Son of
Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Here we have a
clear statement. The Sabbath is the Lord's
day. Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath. It is
His day.
Yet some ask, "Can we really tell which
day is the seventh day? It is true God has a
special day. It is the Sabbath. But we can't
really tell which day the seventh day is."
Well, let's look a little deeper. Does it make
sense that Christ would establish a day as a
memorial of His creative power— a special
day when all are to worship Him and rest—
and then not reveal which day it is? No!
That doesn't make sense. There must be
some clues about which day is God's special
day. Let's examine them.
 There are three ways that we can
positively identify the seventh-day Sabbath:

— Biblically.
— Linguistically.
— Astronomically.

Let's look first at the Biblical evidence. The

Bible clearly shows us. In Luke 23 we have
recorded the crucifixion of Christ. Writing
about the day Christ died, Luke declares in
verse 54:
It was Preparation Day (the day
Christ died), and the Sabbath was
about to begin.

Then in verse 56, Luke describes the

activity of the women (followers of Jesus)
the day after Christ's death. He writes:

Then they went home and prepared

spices and perfumes. But they
rested on the Sabbath in obedience
to the commandment.
 So the commandment was still in effect
after the cross, and these women, as
followers of Jesus, observed it. They loved
their Master; therefore they observed His
commandment and rested on Sabbath while
Jesus was in the tomb. The resurrection
scene is described in chapter 24, verse 1:

On the first day of the week, very

early in the morning, the women
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.

Luke writes about three successive days:

First, the preparation day— the day Christ
died. Second, the Sabbath day— the day the
women rested. Third, the first day— the day
of the resurrection.
The Christian world is basically united as
to which day Christ died. We call it Good
Friday/And what about the day Christ arose?
No problem identifying it. Christians all over
the world celebrate Easter Sunday. So the
three days in succession are: the day Christ
died, Friday; the day Christ was in the tomb,
Sabbath; and the day He arose, Sunday.
The Sabbath is the day between Friday and
Sunday, or the day we now call Saturday.
Simple math reveals that if Sunday is the
first day, then Friday is the sixth and
Saturday the seventh. The Bible is
abundantly plain on this matter.
Second, let's look at additional
evidence— language. Consult any common
dictionary. Under the heading "Saturday,"
what do you find? "Saturday is the seventh
day of the week."— Webster's Standard
Dictionary. Since Saturday is the seventh
day of the week, and the Sabbath is the
seventh day, Saturday is clearly the Sabbath.
In fact, 108 languages of the world define
our day Saturday as "Sabbath." In
Portuguese and Spanish, it is "Sabbado"; in
Russian, "Subbata"; in Bulgarian,
"Shubbuta"; and in Arabic, "As-Sabt." The
language of the world testifies to the grand
and glorious fact that the Sabbath is the
seventh day of the week— Saturday.
Third, what about astronomy? What is
the evidence? Have you ever consulted a
calendar to discover which day of the week
is the seventh day? What did you discover?
Sunday is the first day; Monday is the
second; Tuesday is the third; Wednesday,
the fourth; Thursday, the fifth; Friday, the
sixth; and Saturday, the seventh. Has it
always been that way? Where does this
cycle come from? The sun? No— the yearly
cycle is governed by the sun (it's the time it
takes the earth to make a complete orbit
around the sun). Does the moon govern the
weekly cycle? No— the moon coordinates our
monthly cycle (a month is the time it takes
the moon to make one complete revolution).
Well, what about the earth turning on its
axis? Does the weekly cycle come from this?
No— the daily cycle does (a day is the length
of time it takes the earth to make a
complete rotation on its axis).
In an attempt to get concrete evidence
on the origin and continuity of the weekly
cycle, I decided to write to the Astronomer
Royal at the Royal Greenwich Observatory,
London, England. The Greenwich Observa-
tory keeps an accurate record of time for the
entire world. Here is my letter, dated
February 11, 1974:
• • •
"Dear Sir:
"I am currently doing research regarding the
unbroken sequence of the weekly cycle.
Various European astronomers state that the
weekly cycle has come down to us unbroken
from ancient times: in other words, that the
seventh day of our present week,
for example, is identical with the seventh
day of the week of Bible times. My question
is threefold:
1. What does your investigation show
regarding the unbroken antiquity of the
weekly cycle from ancient times?
2. Have our changes in the calendar in
past centuries (Julian to Gregorian, etc.)
affected in any way the cycle of the week?
3. Is the Saturday of our present times
the lineal descent in unbroken cycles of
seven from that Saturday mentioned in the
Bible record of the crucifixion?
 "I greatly appreciate your time in
answering these questions and look forward
to your soon reply.
Sincerely,

Mark Finley"

And this was his reply:

"Dear Sir:
"Your letter to the Astronomer Royal at
Greenwich has been sent on to us here, and
the Director has asked me to reply.
"The continuity of the seven-day week has
been maintained since the earliest days of
the Jewish religion.
"The astronomer may be concerned in the
decisions relating to the time, the calendar
date, and the year number. But since the
week is a civil, social, and religious cycle,
there is no reason why it should be
disturbed by any adjustment of the calendar.
Any attempt to disturb the seven-day cycle
has always aroused most determined oppo­
sition of the Jewish authorities, and we are
quite certain that no such disturbance has
ever been put into effect. The change from
Julian to Gregorian calendar (1582-1927)
has always been made so as to leave the
weekday sequence undisturbed.
Yours faithfully,
R.H. Tucker
Information Officer"
• • •

There is absolutely no question about it!

The evidence from Biblical history, from the
languages of the world, and from astronomy
is abundantly clear. The Bible Sabbath is
Saturday, the seventh day of the week.
When this fact dawns on many people,
they often ask "What about my relatives and
my friends who never understood the
Sabbath? What about all those Christians in
the past ages who were faithful to Jesus but
never knew this truth?" The Bible clearly
states:
 Anyone, then, who knows the good
he ought to do and doesn't do it,
sins. (James 4:17)
It is our responsibility to follow the light
we have. That is all that is required of us.
But today, as the message of the three
angels of Revelation is proclaimed to all the
world— to "every nation, and tribe, and
language, and people" with a loud voice
saying, "Fear God and give him glory,
because the hour of his judgment has come.
Worship him who made the heavens, the
earth, the sea and the springs of water"
(Revelation 14:7)— God is calling us back to
the Sabbath.
Although the group of Sabbathkeepers
may appear small at first, great men of the
ages have kept it. Adam was a Sabbath-
keeper, as were Moses and Elijah, Isaiah
and David. All the great men of the Old
Testament faithfully obeyed God's
commandment and kept the day the Lord
blessed, sanctified, and established at
Creation. And all the apostles were
Sabbathkeepers too.
But towering above them all is the Man,
Christ Jesus. As the great Creator, He rested
on the Sabbath after He created the world.
He blessed it and He made it holy. Then,
hundreds of years later, as the Son of man.
He walked among us for thirty-three-and-
one-half years. It was His custom to rest
and worship upon the day He set aside at
Creation.
And now, today, this same Jesus
stretches out a beckoning hand to you and
to me— a hand that was once nailed to the
cross of Calvary for our sins— and He gently
appeals, "Follow Me." Thousands are gladly
responding year by year to His gracious call.
There are multitudes who now worship Him
on His own appointed rest day— the seventh
day— Saturday. They are represented in
nearly every country of the world. You will
find them on practically every inhabited
island. Their universal testimony is that the
Sabbath has brought a new joy and a great
blessing into their Christian lives.
 What is your choice now? Will you stand
withChristandHisdisciples?Willyou accept the
invitation of a loving Jesus as He appeals, "If
you love me, you will obey what I
command" (John 14:15)?
 History’s Best Kept
Secret

O ne day during the time of Imperial

Russia, the czar was walking through one of

the beautiful parks connected with his
palace. He came upon a sentry standing
guard near a patch of shrubs. Surprised to
find a guard in that place, he inquired,
"What are you doing?" "I don't know,"
answered the sentry, "I am following the
captain's orders." The czar asked the captain,
"Why do you have a sentry standing guard
over a patch of shrubs?" "Regulations have
always been that way," the captain
responded, "but I don't know the reason for
it." After a thorough investigation, the czar
discovered that nobody in his court could
remember a time when it had not been that
way. So the czar turned to the archives
containing the ancient records and, to his
surprise, this is what he discovered. One
hundred years before, Catherine the Great
ordered a rose bush to be planted and had
stationed a sentry nearby so that no one
would trample on the young plant. The plant
had long since died. Now a guard stood
watching. But he didn't know what he was
guarding.
"How incredible!", you might exclaim.
But that, my friend, is what scores of people
in Christian churches are doing— guarding,
believing, and defending a doctrine that has
slipped into the church through tradition— a
doctrine that is a myth and not a command­
ment of God.
In this chapter we'll discover exactly how
tradition has been exalted above God's word.
We will also discover that the word of God
predicted it would happen— that an attempt
would be made to change God's law and
exalt tradition above it. The archives of
history will verify it.
But before exploring this topic, let's
remember one thing: you and I read this
book with varied backgrounds. We have
come from different denominations. Yet one
common thread runs through our experience.
We love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to
follow His truth. That's why we are studying,
isn't it? We have an intense longing to know
truth and an earnest desire to follow it. The
Scriptures give us this admonition:

Study to shew thyself approved

unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15
KJV)

So, in order to understand God's truth

we must study His word. And His word,
though written hundreds of years ago,
reveals timeless truths that we can apply to
our lives today.
 The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation
apply with particular force to the end of the
world. Jesus quoted the prophecies of Daniel
and personally recommended that His
disciples study them. When the disciples
asked, 'Tell us...when will this happen (the
destruction of the temple), and what will be
the sign of your coming and of the end of
the age?" (Matthew 24:3), part of His
answer was:

So when you see standing in the

holy place 'the abomination that
causes desolation,' spoken of
through the prophet Daniel—let the
reader understand—then let those
who are in Judea flee to the
mountains. (Matthew 24:15, 16)
Jesus warned the generation of His day
that the prophecies relating to Jerusalem's
destruction were about to be fulfilled. His
reply to the disciples is filled with predictions
about Jerusalem as well as the end of the
world. And He suggests that the disciples
study the prophecies of Daniel to gain a
better understanding about both events. In
the book of Daniel, the prophet has traced
hundreds of years of history— from Babylon
to our day— with uncanny accuracy. Through
symbolic visions and dreams, God has used
a visual method of communication to share
His truth with us. The ancient Chinese
philosopher Confucius put it well when He
said, "One picture is worth a thousand
words." Let's explore in detail the picture
Daniel gives us.
In Daniel chapter 2, God predicts
hundreds of years of history through the
symbolic figure of a metallic man. In Daniel
7, the same period of history is covered in
more detail, only this time four animals are
used to represent the story of the human
race. Chapters 8 and 11 fill in the picture
even more. Each of these chapters covers
the same time period. Each adds additional
details, some of which apply with special
force to earth's last generation.
Daniel 7 begins in the first year of
Belshazzar, king of Babylon. Daniel has a
dream and faithfully records the entire thing.
Notice Daniel's description of the vision in
verses 2 through 7:

In my vision at night I looked,

and there before me were the four
winds of heaven churning up the
great sea. Four great beasts, each
different from the others, came up
out of the sea.
The first was like a lion, and
it had the wings of an eagle. I
watched until its wings were torn
off and it was lifted from the ground
so that it stood on two feet like a
man, and the heart of a man was
given to it.
And there before me was a
second beast, which looked like a
bear. It was raised up on one of its
sides, and it had three ribs in its
mouth between its teeth. It was
told, 'Get up and eat your fill of
flesh!'
After that, I looked, and there
before me was another beast, one
 that looked like a leopard. And on
its back it had four wings like those
of a bird. This beast had four heads,
and it was given authority to rule.
After that, in my vision at night I
looked, and there before me was a
fourth beast—terrifying and
frightening and very powerful. It
had large iron teeth; it crushed and
devoured its victims and trampled
underfoot whatever was left. It was
different from all the former beasts,
and it had ten horns.
It was a vast seascape on a stormy day
that Daniel saw in his vision. Strong winds
whipped the waves into a fury as the four
curious-looking beasts marched up out of
the surf. Winds, waters, and beasts are
commonly used symbols in Scripture. They
represent seas of people, multitudes,
nations, and languages— the sea of human­
ity through the ages (please see Revelation
17:15). Winds often symbolize war and strife
and all such movements— diplomatic,
military, and political— that shape the history
of the world (see Jeremiah 49:36).
Daniel continues: The four great beasts
are four kingdoms, that will rise from the
earth. (Daniel 7:17) As a result of the wars
among the nations, four great kingdoms
would rise and fall. And the four metals—
gold, silver, brass, and iron— in the image of
Daniel 2 represent these four powers.
History clearly supports this.
There have been only four universal
kingdoms since Daniel's day. Let's notice
briefly the course of history as it was shown
to Daniel in the form of four beasts.
First, a lion with eagle's wings appeared.
Like the gold in the image of Daniel chapter
2, it represents the kingdom of Babylon. The
symbols used to describe Babylon are some
of the most spectacular creations on earth:
gold, the finest of metals; a lion, king of
beasts; and an eagle, lord of the air. Ancient
Babylon was a mighty empire! Recent
archeological discoveries reveal that the
Babylonians used the lion with eagle's wings
as a symbol of their might. They commonly
pictured it on their walls. Jeremiah also
describes the conquering power of Babylon
as similar to a lion.
Second, a bear with three ribs in its
mouth rose up. In the year 539 B.C. Medo-
Persia superseded Babylon. The ribs, no
doubt, stand for the three conquests that
allowed the Persians to gain power: Egypt,
Lydia, and Babylon. This was the second
world empire. It was represented in the
image of Daniel 2 by silver. Medo-Persia is
aptly described as a blood-thirsty bear.
Without a doubt, its armies were ruthlessly
brutal in their savage attacks.
Third, a leopard with four wings on its
back, which represents the third world
empire, overthrew the bear. The Grecians,
under Alexander the Great, literally flew
from conquest to conquest as they
conquered Medo-Persia and the world. The
leopard had four heads. This symbolizes the
fourfold partition of the empire after
Alexander's passing. This kingdom was
represented by the brass in the image of
Daniel 2.
Fourth, the dreadful, terrible indescrib­
able beast, sometimes thought of as the
dragon, crushed everything in its path. This
beast represents the cruel, crushing power
of Rome. She ruled the world for six
centuries, beginning in 168 B.C. In the great
image, this fourth world kingdom of the
Caesars is likened to iron that "breaks and
smashes everything." It would "crush and
devour its victims." And the iron monarchy
of the world did just that!
Fifth, the ten horns, representing ten
kingdoms, came up out of the dreadful
beast. "The ten horns are ten kings who will
come from this kingdom" (Daniel 7:24). No
animal in nature has ten horns. The ten
horns of this symbolic beast were revealed
to Daniel 1,000 years in advance and
accurately forecast the breakup of Rome
into exactly ten parts. The divisions of the
Roman Empire laid the foundations of the
modern European nations. History verifies
this. Rome dominated Western Europe until
the middle of the 4th century when it was
overthrown, not by another nation, but from
within by the warring Barbarian tribes.
Sixth, something new and unusual ap­
peared before Daniel. The next important
development in Europe after the founding of
the ten kingdoms was revealed. Daniel
writes:

While I was thinking about the

horns, there before me was another
horn, a little one, which came up
among them; and three of the first
horns were uprooted before it. This
horn had eyes like the eyes of a
man and a mouth that spoke
boastfully. (Daniel 7:8) After them
(the ten kingdoms) another king
will arise, different from the earlier
ones; he will subdue three kings,
(verse 24)

What is this little horn power Daniel

writes about? What nation is it? How can we
identify it? Let's examine it step by step:
—First, it came up among the ten horns.
This means it arose in Rome out of the head
of the Roman Empire which is the fourth
beast.
—Second, it arose after the ten horns. This
means, chronologically, just after A.D. 476.
—Third, this power would be "different
from the earlier ones" (the ten horns). The
ten horns were political organizations only.
This little hom would draw its authority from
a different source— a religious source as we
shall soon discover.
—Fourth, three of the ten kingdoms would
be displaced in its rise to power. "He will
subdue three kings," the prophet writes.
—Fifth, this little horn would have "eyes like
the eyes of a man." Throughout the Bible
eyes are a symbol of divine intelligence
(please see Ephesians 1:18). A prophet in
Scripture is sometimes called a "seer." He
looks with divine illumination into the future.
He has divine wisdom. He sees with God's
eyes. This horn has "eyes," not of God, but
of man. It is guided by human intelligence,
human leadership, and human authority.
 So the question is, what power fits all
these descriptions? What power rose to
prominence in Western Europe aroundA.D.
476 by subduing three nations? How was
this power different from the four
succeeding kingdoms?
History provides an answer— and only
one answer— to the identity of the little horn
power. Just after Rome fell and the ten
kingdoms of Europe were established, a
religious-political state was also formed. It
steadily expanded its influence over several
centuries and rose to prominence in Western
Europe. It rose to power exactly at the time
the prophecy foretold, in the location the
prophecy predicted, and in the way the
prophecy indicated. Its rise to power was
highlighted by the destruction of the Heruli,
Ostrogoths, and Vandals. These three tribes
were plucked up by the roots as the
prophecy predicted. We can still trace the
roots of seven of these tribes in Europe
today. For example, the Franks settled in
France, the Anglo-Saxons in England, and
the Alemani in Germany. But these three—
the Heruli, the Ostrogoths, and the
Vandals— were completely destroyed by the
rise of the little horn power because of their
differing beliefs. And the little horn, as
defender of the orthodox faith, attempted to
convince these three tribes of their errors.
Unable to do this, the popular church turned
to coercion.
The little horn power is different from
any power ever to rule before. It is a
religious-political power. It is, as the
prophecy so clearly states, "different" from
the other kingdoms. The world has never
before seen such an unusual combination of
spiritual and political power as that
demonstrated by the little horn.
At this point in our study of Daniel's
prophecy, it might be helpful to notice some
parallel predictions from the New Testament
regarding the experience of the early Chris­
tian church. Paul was very concerned about
the future of the church. To the elders of
Ephesus he confided these apprehensions:
 I know that after I leave, savage
wolves will come in among you and
will not spare the flock. Even from
your own number men will arise
and distort the truth in order to
draw away disciples after them. So
be on your guard! Remember that
for three years I never stopped
warning each of you night and day
with tears. (Acts 20:29-31)

To this solemn warning he added in a

letter to theThessalonlans, "For the secret
power of lawlessness is already at work..."
(II Thessalonians 2:7)
Three things troubled Paul about the
future of the early church. First, there
would be opposition from without. Paul
compares external opposition to the damage
wolves do among a flock of sheep. Paul
foresaw the savage persecution by which
Satan would endeavor to destroy the church.
But the external persecution Paul
envisioned here would not be near the
threat to the church as Paul's second
concern— apostasy from within. He declared,
"Even from your own number men will
arise..." (please see Acts 20:28-31). Men
would arise and distort the truth. The word
"distort" means to twist out of true meaning.
Paul pleaded with tears for the preservation
of the purity of the faith but he knew
apostasy would come. And it did. To the
Thessalonians, he wrote:

Don't let anyone deceive you in any

way, for that day (Jesus' second
coming) will not come until the
rebellion occurs and the man of
lawlessness is revealed, the man
doomed to destruction. (II
Thessalonians 2:3)

The third area that concerned Paul was that

the beginnings of apostasy would come
quickly. In other words, it wouldn't be long
until apostasy would penetrate the church.
Let's examine this rebellion in more detail.
In the Greek, Paul uses the word apostasy,
which means literally "a falling away" or a
departure from the purity of the faith. Paul
warns that this falling away will be led by
the "man of lawlessness (or sin)," "the man
doomed to destruction." The term "the man
doomed to destruction" is used in only one
other place in Scripture— to describe Judas
Iscariot. Judas betrayed Jesus while acting
the part of a friend. He displayed outward
signs of love and affection while betraying
his Lord and Saviour.
Paul's use of the same term "the man
doomed to destruction" to describe the
apostasy suggests that this power might
have similar characteristics to those
displayed by Judas Iscariot. In other words,
this power would betray the essentials of the
gospel while maintaining all the outward
forms and professions of fidelity. It would be
led by a "man of lawlessness (or sin),"
professing and believing himself to be the
man of God.
With that background in mind, let's re-
turn to Daniel. In Daniel 8, a figure similar to
the little horn which "grew in power" was
revealed to Daniel. Daniel writes that "...
truth was thrown to the ground" (Daniel
8:12) by this power.
Is the picture becoming clearer? The
great struggle of the centuries would not be
the battle between religion and irrellgion. It
would be a battle between truth and error.
Opposition from without would purify and
strengthen the church. The enemy, the
"man doomed to destruction," would work
most effectively from within to overthrow
the truth and use the very church of God to
spread falsehood. Daniel writes:

He will speak against the Most High

and oppress his saints and try to
change the set times and the laws.
The saints will be handed over to
him for a time, times and half a
time. (Daniel 7:25)

Thus, the apostasy within the Christian

church would in some way attempt to
undermine the authority of God. As we
discovered in previous chapters, God's
authority is based on His position as Creator
and Sustainer of the universe— including
our world. Recall what John the beloved
wrote:

Fear God and give him glory, be-

cause the hour of his Judgment has
come. Worship him who made the
heavens, the earth, the sea and the
springs of water. (Revelation 14:7)

God's right to be worshipped and the

authority of His law are built on the fact that
He made the physical world. He also made
us. Yet Daniel writes that this little horn
power would eventually be so bold as to
usurp God's authority and"... try to change
the set times and the laws." The laws
referred to here cannot be mere human laws.
Human laws change automatically when one
kingdom succeeds another. Therefore the
prophecy must be referring to the eternal
laws of the Most High. To meddle with these
would, in a very real sense, be speaking
against the Most High.
 As previously noted, changing the law
would be contrary to Jesus' words. He said:

Do not think that I have come to

abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill
them. I tell you the truth, until heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest
letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear from the
Law until everything is accomplished.
(Matthew 5:17, 18 Goodspeed)

God's law will stand as long as heaven

and earth exist. Belittling this law,
diminishing its authority, or attempting to
change its precepts is unthinkable. The Bible
makes it clear that the little horn power
would attempt to do exactly this. And it
really did happen.
Of course, not all within the church
accepted the apostasy. Those who refused
were persecuted. "He will . . . oppress his
saints ..." writes the prophet (Daniel 7:25).
This can only refer to the religious persecu­
tion which history verifies did occur.
Notice the rest of verse 25: "He will... try
to change the set times and the laws..."
(Daniel 7:25) This reference to set times is
interesting and important. A moment's
reflection will bring to mind that there is
only one reference to time in the law of
God— the weekly Sabbath day. As we have
already discovered, the Sabbath is God's
holy day, a perpetual reminder of His
creation. God rested on the Sabbath, He
blessed it, and He sanctified it. It was
established in the Garden of Eden and will
be kept in the Eden to come. Isaiah 66:23
says:

From one New Moon to another and

from one Sabbath to another, all
mankind will come and bow down
before me, says the Lord.

The question is, what law did the little

horn power "try to change"? Was the
Sabbath, as established in God's law, ever
changed? If so, how? When?
In the preceding chapter we studied how
the Sabbath day was remembered and
celebrated by early Christians as their
weekly day of rest and worship. John had
his vision on "the Lord's Day" (Revelation
1:10). The church continued worshipping on
the Sabbath until the end of the first century.
But early in the second century some
Christians voluntarily began celebrating the
crucifixion weekend. They centered their cel­
ebrations on the crucifixion day which was
the day of the Jewish Passover. But because
of a series of Jewish revolts against the
Romans, the Jews became more and more
unpopular and Christians began to suffer
because of their origin as a Jewish sect.
Celebration of the Passover in memory of
the crucifixion was seen by many as further
identifying Christianity with Judaism. So,
some of the Christians decided to make a
change.
It was Sixtus, the bishop or "papa" of the
Christian church in Rome, who began the
process that led to a transference of the day
of worship from the Sabbath to Sunday. He
convinced Christians to celebrate the resur­
rection, which occurred on Sunday, instead
of the Crucifixion. At first the celebration
was not a weekly observance but an annual
one. By changing this celebration to Sunday
and applying it to the resurrection, the
Christians in Rome were able to disassociate
themselves from the Jews.
It just so happened this resurrection
celebration concided with a joyous Roman
festival in honor of the sun. The converted
sun worshipper felt very much at home with
the Christian spring festival, held on the
sun's day, to honor the resurrection. Thus
Sixtus, by encouraging Christians to
celebrate the resurrection on the first day,
actually put them in the position of honoring
the sun's day.
The next important act occured in A.D.
200 when Pope Victor sought to enforce the
annual observance of resurrection Sunday.
He ordered all bishops excommunicated who
would not follow the plan of celebrating the
resurrection festival. This decree enforcing
Sunday observance was used by the bishop
of Rome as a tool in his attempt to gain
control of the church. Rome's Socrates, the
skilled church historian, later wrote: "For
although almost all churches throughout the
world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the
sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of
Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some
ancient tradition, have ceased to do this.'
(Italics supplied)"— Jbid., p.651. The
"ancient tradition" was no doubt the
emphasis Sixtus and Victor put upon
honoring Sunday.
The first law actually commanding
Sunday rest was issued by the Emperor
Constantine in March, 321 A.D. His decree
declared, "On the venerable Day of the Sun
let the magistrates and people residing in
cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.
In the country, however, persons engaged
in agriculture may freely and lawfully
continue their pursuits." SDA Source Book, p.
999. But church historian Philip Schaff
makes this significant point: "... the Sunday
law of Constantine must not be overrated ...
There is no reference whatever in his law
either to the fourth commandment or to the
resurrection of Christ. Besides he expressly
exempted the country districts... Christians
and pagans had been accustomed to festival
rests; Constantine made these rests to
synchronize, and gave the preference to
Sunday." — Ibid., pp 999, 1000.
Slowly but surely the movement into
apostasy predicted by Paul and Daniel
gained momentum. In the year 386 A. D.,
Theodosius I forbade litigation on Sunday
and originated another practice still
widespread in the western world: "No
person shall demand payment of either a
public or private debt [on Sunday]."
Theodosius II, in the year 425 A.D., turned
his attention to the sporting activities of his
people and forbade all amusements, both
circuses and theaters, on Sundays. The third
Synod of Orleans, in 538 A.D., forbade all
work in rural areas on Sunday. And so, step
by step, the sun's day was adopted into the
Christian church and made the day of rest
for the majority of Christians. The times
were indeed changed!
(See SDA Source Book. pp. 1001, 1002.)
But what does the Roman Catholic
church have to say about its role in the
change of the Sabbath? Does it agree or
disagree? What is its position?
The Roman Catholic church sees in the
change of the Sabbath a sign of the power
of the church. Statements made by Catholic
church authorities show this clearly:
1. In response to the question, "Have
you any other way of proving that the
church has power to institute festivals of
precept?", Stephen Keenan wrote, "Had she
not such power, she could not have done
that in which all modem religionists agree
with her— she could not have substituted the
observance of Sunday the first day of the
week, for the observance of Saturday the
seventh day, a change for which there is no
Scriptural authority." — Stephen Keenan, A
Doctrinal Catechism, p. 174.
2. Another comment: "You may read the
Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you
will not find a single line authorizing the
sanctiflcation of Sunday. The Scriptures
enforce the religious observance of Saturday,
a day which we never sanctify." — Cardinal
Gibbons, Faith of Our Fathers, p. Ill, 112.
3. And Monsignor Segur wrote, "It was
the Catholic Church which, by the authority
of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest to
Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection
of our Lord. Thus the observance of Sunday
by the Protestants is an homage they pay,
in spite of themselves, to the authority of
the [Catholic] Church." — Plain Talk About
the Protestantism of Today, p. 225.
Father Enright, a Roman Catholic priest,
was reported in the American Sentinel, New
York, as saying, "The Bible says, 'Remember
that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' The
Catholic Church says, 'No! By my divine
power I have abolished the Sabbath day and
command you to keep holy the first day of
the week. And now the entire civilized world
bows down in reverent obedience to the
command of the Holy Catholic Church.'"
 The Roman Church's position is entirely
clear. Daniel predicted the change and the
Catholic church admits it. In fact, she
proudly points to this change as proof of her
power in matters of religious doctrine.
Even reformers during the Protestant
Reformation expressed their concern. Martin
Luther, for example, who was largely
responsible for the compilation of the
Augsburg Confession, said, "They [the popes]
allege the change of the Sabbath into the
Lord's day, contrary, as it seemeth, to the
Decalogue;
and they have no example more in their
mouths than the change of the Sabbath.
They will needs have the church's power to
be very great, because it hath dispensed
with a precept of the Decalogue." — Philip
Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, vol. 3, p.
64.
Yet despite all this evidence, there are
still some who say, "What difference does it
make? A day is a day! Time is time! Do we
really have to be so exact?" I believe we do.
After all, even in our daily appointments
with men we would not dream of showing
up the day after!
But the real issue is not a matter of days.
It is a matter of masters. Let's examine two
simple questions: When we rest on the
seventh day of the week in reverent worship
to God, whom are we obeying? The answer
is quite easy: we are obeying God. When we
work on the seventh day of the week or use
it for secular pleasure or business purposes
and rest and worship on the first day of the
week, whom are we actually obeying? It
cannot possibly be God, since God has never
given any command to do this. Which
master do you plan to obey? The Bible says:

Don't you know that when you offer

yourselves to someone to obey him
as slaves, you are slaves to the one
whom you obey— whether you are
slaves to sin, which leads to death,
or to obedience, which leads to
righteousness? (Romans 6:16)
 Those who have boldly followed the law
of God through the centuries have found
that from time to time the commands of
men and the commandments of God come
into conflict. Peter found himself in just such
a position and came to this conclusion:

Peter and the other apostles replied:

'We must obey God rather than men!'
(Acts 5:29)

Peter and the other apostles did not

hesitate. When a matter of God's law was at
stake, their decision was clearcut. And their
decision is our example. Though the
particular aspect of God's law under
question may change, the principle remains
forever the same: ". .we must obey God
rather than men!"
The matter is before us. We have on the
one hand Jesus Christ who declared Himself
to be the "Lord... of the sabbath." He told
the people plainly that He had not come to
abolish the law of God or to lessen its
authority. In fact. He came to show us how
to keep it. He said:

They worship me in vain; their

teachings are but rules taught by
men." (Matthew 15:9)

It is not the voice of God that calls us to

worship on another day. It is only the voice
of man. No command of God suggests
Sunday sacredness.
As Jesus' soon return approaches and
God's message of truth sweeps on into all
the world, the challenge of Elijah, who long
ago called his wayward people from sun
worship, is before us:

How long will you waver between

two opinions? If the Lord is God,
follow him; but if Baal is God,
follow him. (I Kings 18:21)

There can be no compromise with sin.

The issue in this final conflict is loyalty. The
choice is between the commandments of
God and the tradition of men. Jesus put it
plainly when He said:

'...They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught
by men.' You have let go of the
commands of God and are holding
on to the traditions of men. (Mark
7:7, 8)

My friend, this is Christ's message of love to

you. The Bible clearly points out that the
seventh day Sabbath is the sign of the
Creator's power. It has also revealed that
Jesus Christ planned no change whatever in
His day of worship. With these thoughts in
mind, I challenge you, even as Joshua
challenged the Israelites, to "...choose for
yourselves.. .whom you will serve..."
(Joshua 24:15). Are you ready to say, "I
choose Jesus and the commandments of
God. I will, by His grace from this day on,
'Remember the sabbath day by keeping it
holy'"?
 There have been thousands throughout
the centuries who have loved Jesus enough
to fully obey Him. In the next chapter you
will read some of the most thrilling accounts
ever recorded of faithfulness to God's
Sabbath day.
 The Centuries Bear
Witness

A busy editor developed serious

trouble with his eyes. The long hours of

tediously pouring over detailed manuscripts
had severely strained them. Thinking he
might need a custom-fitted pair of glasses,
he visited an eye specialist. But the
specialist told him his real need was not new
glasses but rest for his eyes. The editor
explained to the specialist that this was
impossible— his work required him to sit all
day bending over a desk, reading and
writing. The specialist then asked where he
lived. The editor replied that he lived within
sight of a high ridge on the majestic
Pyrenees Mountain chain in France. When
the specialist heard this his advice was, "Go
home and do your work as usual, but every
hour leave your desk, go out on your porch
and look at the mountains.
The far away look will rest your eyes after
the long strain of reading manuscripts and
proof sheets." (Quoted from Focus Magazine,
vol. 6, No. 3, p. 8.)
And so it is with the Sabbath. It is an
invitation to rest our eyes from the common
things filling our lives and take the far away
- look at the things of eternity. It is designed
to help us "refocus" our vision on the things
that really matter. Throughout the centuries
faithful Sabbathkeepers have kept their
hearts and minds focused on the things of
true value.
But before we examine this historical
witness, let's briefly review what we have
covered this far. The Sabbath was carefully
observed by the Hebrews throughout the
Old Testament period. Jesus and His
disciples carefully kept the Sabbath in loving
obedience to a gracious heavenly Father.
They looked forward with delight to each
weekly Sabbath. Throughout the first
century, both Jewish and Gentile converts to
Christianity observed the Sabbath.
But several factors combined to induce
Christians to give up the Sabbath in favor of
Sunday in the succeeding centuries. After
the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the
crushing of the Jewish revolt against the
Romans inA.D. 135, the Jews were scattered
throughout the empire. Their name and
religion were strongly opposed. In most
circles, a Jew was considered a "persona
non grata."
One of the most obvious outward marks
of a Jew was the keeping of the Sabbath.
Pagan religions throughout the centuries
have placed special significance on sun
worship. Sun worship was common in Egypt,
Babylon, Persia, and Rome. It is not surpris­
ing that early Christian leaders, attempting
to disassociate themselves from Judaism as
well as make Christianity more acceptable to
Rome, saw in the resurrection of Christ on
the first day of the week such a bridge.
Sun worship gradually grew in
prominence throughout the Roman empire.
Although initially opposed, the third century
Roman ruler, Aurelian, who ruled from A.D.
270 to 275, strongly supported sun worship.
By the early fourth century, Constantine, a
Christian Roman emperor, passed the first
Sunday law on March 7, A.D. 321, entitling
Sunday "the venerable day of the sun."
Church and state leaders gradually united to
shift the emphasis from the true Bible
Sabbath to its substitute day. In a
compromise measure, early church leaders
gradually exalted Sunday in place of the true
Bible Sabbath. However, Sabbath
observance was still practiced. Faithful
champions of God's truth were unwilling to
surrender the claims of God upon their
conscience. To them, the Sabbath was more
than a matter of days. It was an issue of
obedience to God.
 Historical References of Sabbath
Observance Through the Centuries

On the following pages of this chapter,

you will discover that God has always had a
people willing to lovingly obey Him.
Although their numbers have been small at
times, there has always been a faithful
remnant keeping God's commands. The
straight chain of truth spans the centuries.
As you carefully consider these pages, may
the Holy Spirit inspire you to be among
God's faithful commandment keepers.
Stories of God's heroes through the
centuries have been added with the prayer
that they will encourage you to be one of
God's faithful.

The Early Apostate Years

A summary of the historical evidence from

the First to the Fifth centuries.
 A careful study of the existent historical
sources from the First to Fifth centuries
reveals the amazing fact that the
transference of the sacredness of the true
Bible Sabbath to Sunday was a long and
gradual process. Dr. Kenneth Strand,
Professor of Church History at Andrews
University in Berrien Springs, Michigan,
categorically states, "Until the Second
Century there is no concrete evidence of a
Christian weekly Sunday celebration
anywhere. The first specific references
during that century come from Alexandria
and Rome, places that also early rejected
the observance of the seventh-day
Sabbath." {The Sabbath In Scripture and
History, p. 330, Review and Herald
Publishing Association, 1982.)
Why did both Alexandria and Rome
surrender the Sabbath truth earlier than
most cities? The answer can be found in an
understanding of early Christianity. New
Testament Christianity was largely
composed of converted Jews. Later,
thousands of Gentiles flocked into the
church. While the early Christians faithfully
upheld the claims of God's law by observing
the true Sabbath, these new converts,
whose background was tainted with sun
worship, were more likely to surrender the
Sabbath. The centers of Christianity shifted
from Jerusalem to Alexandria and Rome.
Gentile converts who did not have the same
regard for the Sabbath, and who were
strongly influenced by the resurrection of
Christ on Sunday, and their own background
of sun worship, accepted the compromise
measures more easily.
The situation in Alexandria and Rome
was not typical of all cities in the empire. A
fifth century church historian, Socrates
Scholasticus. gives us this significant insight:
"For almost all churches throughout the
world celebrate the sacred mysteries (Lord's
Supper) on the Sabbath of every week.
Yet the Christians at Alexandria and Rome,
on account of some ancient tradition, have
ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the
neighborhood of Alexandria and inhabitants
of Thebais hold their religious assemblies on
the Sabbath. (Italics supplied.) (Socrates
Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, 5.22
(NPNF)/22:132.) "The people of
Constantinople and almost everywhere as­
semble together on the Sabbath, as well as
on the first day of the week, which custom
is never observed at Rome or Alexandria."
(Italics supplied.) (Sozomen, Ecclesiastical
History, 7.19 (NPNF) 2/2:390.)
As we have already discovered, the
attempted change of the Sabbath to Sunday
happened ever so slowly. When Sunday first
emerged in Christian circles it continued to
be a day of work but included a worship
service in honor of the resurrection. It did
not immediately replace the Sabbath as the
above quotations clearly reveal. For 200
years (100-300 A.D.) Sunday observance
existed side by side with true Sabbath
observance. But the trend set by
Constantine eventually led to the change of
Sabbath to Sunday.
Yet faithful men and women of God
resisted the trend. Existing historical
documents reveal a deep interest in Sabbath
worship. God had His faithful and obedient
followers who championed His truth.
Although the candle of Sabbath truth flick­
ered, loyal stalwarts of truth obediently
guarded the flame.

First Century A.D.

Josephus. "There is not any city of the

Grecians, nor any of the barbarians, nor any
nation whatsoever, whither our custom of
resting on the seventh day hath not come!"
(M'Clatchie, Notes and Queries on China and
Japan, edited by Dennys. Vol. 4, Nos. 7, 8, p.
100.)
First Century Christians. "Then the
spiritual seed of Abraham fled to Pella, on
the other side of Jordan, where they found a
safe place of refuge, and could serve their
Master and keep his Sabbath." (Eusebius'
Ecclesiastical History, b, 3, chapter 5.)
Philo. Declares the seventh day to be a
festival, not of this or of that city, but of the
universe. (M'Clatchie, Notes and Queries, Vol.
4, 99.)

Second Century A.D.

Early Christians. "The primitive Christians

had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and
spent the day in devotion and sermons. And
it is not to be doubted but they derived this
practice from the Apostles themselves, as
appears by several scriptures to that
purpose." (Dialogues on the Lord's Day, p.
189. London: 1701, by Dr. T.H. Morer, a
Church of England divine.)

"...The Sabbath was a strong tie which

united them with the life of the whole
people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy
they followed not only the example but also
the command of Jesus." (Geschichte des
Sonntags, pp. 13, 14.)

The Gentile Christians observed also the

Sabbath. (Gieseler's Church History, Vol. 1,
ch. 2, par. 30, p. 93.)

"The primitive Christians did keep the

Sabbath of the Jews...therefore the
Christians, for a long time together, did keep
their conventions upon the Sabbath, in
which some portions of the law were read:
and this continued till the time of the
Laodicean council." [The Whole Works of
Jeremy Taylor, Vol. IX, p. 416, R. Heber's
Edition, Vol. XII, p. 416.)

"It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did

remain and was observed together with the
celebration of the Lord's day by the
Christians of the East Church, about three
hundred years after our Saviour's death." (A
Learned Treatise of the Sabbath^ p. 77.)
NOTE: By the "Lord's Day" here the writer
means Sunday and not the true "Lord's Day"
which the Bible says is the Sabbath. This
quotation shows Sunday coming into use in
the early centuries soon after the death of
the Apostles. Recall that Paul foretold a
great "falling away" from the Truth which
would take place soon after his death.

Third Century A.D.

Egypt. (Oxyrhynchus Papyrus, 200-250 A.D.}

"Except ye make the sabbath a real sabbath
[sabbatize the sabbath — Greek], ye shall
not see the Father." [The Oxyrhynchus
Papyri, pt. 1, p. 3, Logion 2, verso 4-11,
London: Offices of the Egypt Exploration
Fund, 1898.)

Early Christians. "The seventh-day

Sabbath was . . . solemnised by Christ, the
Apostles, and primitive Christians, till the
Laodicean Council did in a manner quite
abolish the observations of it." (Dissertation
on the Lord's Day, pp. 33, 34, 44.)

Palestine to India (Church of the

East).
As early as A.D. 225 there existed large
bishoprics or conferences of the Church of
the East (Sabbath-keeping) stretching from
Palestine to India. (Mingana, Early Spread of
Christianity, Vol. 10, p. 460.)

India (Buddhist Controversy. 220

A.D.).
The Kishan Dynasty of North India called a
famous council of Buddhist priests at
Vaisalia to bring uniformity among the
Buddhist monks on the observance of their
weekly Sabbath. Some had been so
impressed by the writings of the Old
Testament that they had begun to keep holy
the Sabbath. (Lloyd, The Creed of Half
Japan, p. 23.)
Fourth Century A.D.

Italy and East. "It was the practice

generally of the Easteme Churches; and
some churches of the west. . . For in the
Church ofMillaine [Milan];... it seemes the
Saturday was held in a farre esteeme . . .
Not that the Easteme Churches, or any of
the rest which observed that day, were
inclined to ludaisme [Judaism]; but that they
came together on the Sabbath day, to
worship lesus [Jesus] Christ the Lord of the
Sabbath." (History of the Sabbath, [original
spelling retained]. Part 2, par. 5, pp. 73, 74.
London: 1636. Dr. Heylyn.)

Council Laodicea—A.D. 365 "Canon 16—

On Saturday the Gospels and other portions
of the Scripture shall be read aloud." "Canon
29 — Christians shall notJudaize and be idle
on Saturday, but shall work on that day;
but the Lord's day they shall especially
honor, and, as being Christians, shall, if
possible, do no work on that day." (Hefele's
Councils, Vol. 2, b. 6.)
The Council of Laodicea was an eastern
gathering which represented Greek
Orthodox attitudes. An eastern church was
revising the celebration of the Lord's Supper
on the Sabbath at about the time this
Council was held. The Council of Laodicea
attests to the re-establishment of Sabbath
observance in the East. This was one factor
which led to the split in eastern and western
branches of Christianity.

Abyssinia. "In the last half of that century

St. Ambrose of Milan stated officially that
the Abyssinian bishop, Museus, had
'travelled almost everywhere in the country
of the Seres' (China). For more than
seventeen centuries the Abyssinian Church
continued to sanctify Saturday as the holy
day of the fourth commandment." (Ambrose,
De Moribus, Brachmanorium Opera Omnia,
1132, found in Migne, Patrologia Latlna, Vol.
17, pp.1131-1132.)
Orient. "The ancient Christians were very
careful in the observation of Saturday, or
the seventh day... It is plain that all the
Oriental churches, and the greatest part of
the world, observed the Sabbath as a
festival... Athanasius likewise tells us that
they held religious assemblies on the
Sabbath, not because they were infected
with Judaism, but to worship Jesus, the Lord
of the Sabbath, Epiphanius says the same."
(Antiquities of the Christian Church, Vol. II,
Book XX, chap. 3, Sec. 1, 66.1137, 1138.)

Persia 335-375 A.D. (40 years persecution

under Shapur II). The popular complaint
against the Christians — "They despise our
sun-god, they have divine services on
Saturday, they desecrate the sacred earth
by burying their dead in it." (Truth
Triumphant, p. 170.)
Fifth Century A.D.

5th Century Christians. Down even to the

fifth century the observance of the Jewish
Sabbath was continued in the Christian
church. (Ancient Christianity Exemplified,
Lyman Coleman, ch. 26, sec. 2, p. 527.)
In Jerome's day (420) A.D.) the
devoutest Christians did ordinary work on
Sunday. (Treatise o/the Sabbath Day, by Dr.
White, Lord Bishop of Ely. p. 219.)

France. "Wherefore, except Vespers and

Noctums, there are no public services
among them in the day except on Saturday
[Sabbath] and Sunday." (John Cassian, a
French monk, Instituttes, Book 3, ch. 2.)

John Cassian promoted the observance of

both Sabbath and Sunday in his monastery
in the south of France. He taught that the
seventh day was the Sabbath of creation,
written with God's own finger on tables of
stone and given to the human race for all
time. He refused to accept the Roman plan
of observing only Sunday. Although Cassian
attempted to get the practice of observing
Sabbath, as well as Sunday accepted in
France, the Roman church authorities
refused. Consequently, his plan of observing
Sabbath was never fully accepted in France.

Sidonius (speaking of King Tbeodoric of the

Goths, 454-526 A.D.) "It is a fact that it was
formerly the custom in the East to keep the
Sabbath in the same manner as the Lord's
day and to hold sacred assemblies: while on
the other hand, the people of the West,
contending for the Lord's day have
neglected the celebration of the Sabbath."
(ApoUinaris Sidonii Epistolse, lib. 1, 2; Migne,
57.)

Constantinople. "The people of

Constantinople, and almost everywhere,
assemble together on the Sabbath, as well
as on the first day of the week, which
custom is never observed at Rome or
atAlexandria." (Socrates, Ecclesiastical
History, Book 7, chap. 19.)
Egypt. "There are several cities and villages
in Egypt where, contrary to the usage
established elsewhere, the people meet
together on Sabbath evenings, and,
although they have dined previously,
partake of the mysteries." (Sozomen,
Ecclesiastical History, Book 7, ch. 19.)

Pope Innocent 402-417 A.D. Pope

Sylvester (314-335) was the first to order
the churches to fast on Saturday, and Pope
Innocent (401 -417) made it a binding law in
the churches that obeyed him. (In order to
bring the Sabbath into disfavour.)
"Innocentius did ordaine the Saturday or
Sabbath to be alwayes fasted." (Dr. Peter
Heylyn, History of the Sabbath, Part 2, ch. 2,
p. 44.)
Runaway Slave, and Heir to the Throne,
Witness for Bible Truth

The Sabbath truth preserved through the

Sixth to Eleventh centuries.

Seized in the quietness of his country

village, Patrick was beaten and dragged to a
waiting ship. He gained consciousness in
time to recognize that he was being trans-
ported to Ireland as a slave. After serving
there a short time, he discovered a way to
escape. He fled to Gaul where he heard the
preaching of Christ's gospel. He accepted it
and was baptized. Sensing a responsibility to
preach the gospel in the land of his
enslavement, he set sail for Ireland. Here he
preached moving Biblical sermons which led
multitudes to the foot of the Cross. Even the
royal "high kings" of Ireland were impressed
by his deeply spiritual preaching.
Eventually, the king's son, Conall, along
with thousands of others, was baptized by
Patrick. Conall's great-grandson, Columba,
was in line for the throne through the royal
heritage of his mother Eithne. Columba had
accepted the Bible message preached by
Patrick. In fact, it is likely that he went so
far as to give up his throne for the cause of
Christ. Along with Patrick, he upheld the
Bible as the only foundation of faith. He
placed strong emphasis on the necessity of
loving obedience to the Ten Commandments
which he called "Christ's Law."
The Spirit of God wrought mightily
through Columba. He founded a Christian
school and missionary center on the small
island of lona, just off the British coast, in
approximately 563 A.D. It is probable that
he personally hand-copied the New
Testament at least 300 times as well as
large portions of the Old Testament.
According to Dr. Leslie Hardinge in his
outstanding work The Celtic Church in
Britain, one of the distinguishing
characteristics of the Celts was a sacred
regard for the Biblical Sabbath. The last
hours of Columba's life are recorded as
follows: "Having continued his labors in
Scotland for 34 years, he clearly and openly
foretold his death, and on Saturday, the
ninth of June, said to his disciple Diermit:
"This is the day called the Sabbath, that is,
the day of rest, and such will it be to me; for
it will put an end to my labors.' "[The Celtic
Church in Britain, (SPCK) 1972, pp. 80-89.]
Andrew Lang, in writing about the history
of the Celtic church, says, 'They worked on
Sunday but kept Saturday in a Sabbatical
manner." (A History of Scotland, Andrew
Lang, Vol. 1, p. 96.) In his carefully
chronicled Religious History of Scotland,
Moffat adds: "It seems to have been
customary in the Celtic churches of early
times in Ireland, as well as Scotland, to keep
Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of
rest from labor. They obeyed the fourth
commandment literally upon the seventh
day of the week" (page 140).
God's champions, Patrick and Columba—
one a runaway slave and the other the heir
to a throne— kept the light of God's truth
burning in Ireland and Scotland during the
Dark Ages. Truth Triumphant, Pacific Press
Publishing, 1944, p. 108.
Sixth Century A.D.

Scottish Church. "In this latter instance

they seemed to have followed a custom of
which we find traces in the early monastic
church of Ireland by which they held Satur­
day to be the Sabbath on which they rested
from all their labours." (W.T. Skene,
Adamnan Life of St. Columba, 1874, p. 96.)

Scotland, Ireland. "We seem to see here

an allusion to the custom, observed in the
early monastic Church of Ireland, of keeping
the day of rest on Saturday, or the
Sabbath." [History of the Catholic Church in.
Scotland, Vol. 1, p. 86, written by Catholic
historian Bellesheim.)

Seventh Century A.D.

Scotland and Ireland. Professor James C.

Moffatt, D.D., Professor of Church History at
Princeton, says: "It seems to have been
customary in the Celtic churches of early
times, in Ireland as well as Scotland, to keep
Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of
rest from labour. They obeyed the fourth
commandment literally upon the seventh
day of the week." (The Church in. Scotland,
p. 140.) "The Celts used a Latin Bible unlike
the Vulgate (R.C.) and kept Saturday as a
day of rest, with special religious services on
Sunday." (Flick, The Rise of the Medieval
Church, p. 237.)

Rome. Gregory I (A.D. 590-604) wrote

against "Roman citizens [who] forbid any
work being done on the Sabbath day."
(Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second
Series, Vol. XIII, p. 13, epist. 1.)

Pope Gregory I, A.D. 590 to 604.

"Gregory, bishop by the grace of God to his
well-beloved sons, the Roman citizens: It
has come to me that certain men of
perverse spirit have disseminated among
you things depraved and opposed to the
holy faith, so that they forbid anything to be
done on the day of the Sabbath. What shall
I call them except preachers of anti-Christ?"
(Epistles, b. 13:1.)

Eighth Century A.D.

Council ofLiftinae, Belgium—A.D. 745

(attended by Boniface). “The third
allocution of this council warns against the
observance of the Sabbath, referring to the
decree of the council ofLaodicea." (Dr.
Hefele, Conciliengesch, 3, 512, sec. 362.)

India, China, Persia, Etc. "Widespread

and enduring was the observance of the
seventh-day Sabbath among the believers of
the Church of the East and the St. Thomas
Christians of India, who never were
connected with Rome. It also was
maintained among those bodies which broke
off from Rome after the Council ofChalcedon
namely, the Abyssinians, the Jacobites, the
Maronites, and the Armenians." (Schaff-
Herzog, The New Enclopaedia of Religious
Knowledge, art. "Nestorians"; also
Realencyclopaedie fur Protestantische
Theologie und Kirche, art. "Nestorianer.")

China—A.D. 781. In A.D. 781, the famous

China Monument was inscribed in marble to
tell of the growth of Christianity in China at
that time. The inscription, consisting of 763
words, was unearthed in 1625 near the city
of Changan and now stands in the "Forest of
Tablets," Changan. The following extract
from the stone shows that the Sabbath was
observed: "On the seventh day we offer
sacrifices, after having purified our hearts.
and received absolution for our sins. This
religion, so perfect and so excellent, is
difficult to name, but it enlightens darkness
by its brilliant precepts." (Christianity in
China, M. 1'Abbe Hue. Vol. I, ch. 2, pp. 48,
49.)
Ninth Century A.D.

Bulgaria. "Bulgaria in the early season of

its evangelization had been taught that no
work should be performed on the Sabbath."
(Responsa Nicolai Papae I and Consulta
Bulgarorum, Responsum 10, found in Mansi,
Sacrorum Concilorum Nova et Amplissima
Collectio, Vol. 15; p. 406; also Hefele,
Conciliengeschicte, Vol. 4, sec. 478.)
Bulgaria— Pope Nicholas I, in. answer to a
letter from Bogaris. ruling prince of Bulgaria.
"Ques. 6 — Bathing is allowed on Sunday.
Ques. 10 — One is to cease from work on
Sunday, but not also on the Sabbath."
(Hefele, 4 346-352, sec. 478.)
Bulgaria. "Pope Nicholas I, in the ninth
century, sent the ruling prince of Bulgaria a
long document saying in it that one is to
cease from work on Sunday, but not on the
Sabbath. The head of the Greek Church,
offended at the interference of the Papacy,
declared the Pope excommunicated." (Truth
Triumphant, p. 232.)
Tenth and Eleventh Centuries A.D.

Church of the East—Kurdistan. "The

Nestorians eat no pork and keep the
Sabbath. They believe in neither auricular
confession nor purgatory." (Schaff-Herzog,
The New Encyclopaedia of Religious
Knowledge, art. "Nestorians."
Scotland. "It was another custom of theirs
to neglect the reverence due to the Lord's
day, by devoting themselves to every kind of
worldly business upon it, just as they did
upon other days. That this was contrary to
the law, she (Queen Margaret) proved to
them as well by reason as by authority. 'Let
us venerate the Lord's day,' said she,
'because of the resurrection of our Lord,
which happened upon that day, and let us
no longer do servile works upon it; bearing
in mind that upon this day we were
redeemed from the slavery of the devil. The
blessed Pope Gregory affirms the same.'"
[Life of Saint Margaret, Turgot, p. 49 British
Museum Library.)

Scotland—Historian Skene commenting

upon the work of Queen Margaret.
"Her next point was that they did not duly
reverence the Lord's day, but in this latter
instance they seemed to have followed a
custom of which we find traces in the early
Church of Ireland, by which they held
Saturday to be the Sabbath on which they
rested from all their labours." (Skene, Celtic
Scotland, Vol. 2, p. 349.)

Scotland and Ireland. "T. Ratcliffe Bamett,

in his book on the fervent Catholic queen of
Scotland who in 1060 was first to attempt
the ruin of Columba's brethren, writes: 'In
this matter the Scots had perhaps kept up
the traditional usage of the ancient Irish
Church which observed Saturday instead of
Sunday as the day of rest.' " (Bamett,
Margaret of Scotland: Queen and Saint, p.
97.)
Council of Clermont. "During the first
crusade. Pope Urban II decreed at the
council of Clermont (A.D. 1095) that the
Sabbath be set aside in honour of the Virgin
Mary." (History of the Sabbath, p. 672.)

Constantinople. "Because you observe the

Sabbath with the Jews and the Lord's day
with us, you seem to imitate with such
observance the sect of Nazarenes." (Migne,
Patrologia Latino, Vol. 145, p. 506; also
Hergenroether, Photius, Vol. 3, p. 746.)
Note: The Nazarenes were a Christian
denomination.)

Greek Church. 'The observance of

Saturday is, as everyone knows, the subject
of a bitter dispute between the Greeks and
the Latins." (Neale, A History of the Holy
Eastern Church, Vol. 1, p. 731.) Note:
Referring to the separation of the Greek
Church from the Latin in 1054.
 Alpine Mountains Echo the Ring of
Truth

The Sabbath truth preserved in the Twelfth

through Sixteenth centuries.

Even during the height of persecution by

the papal power during the Middle Ages the
Sabbath was not totally forgotten as a day
of rest. Although there is no firm historical
evidence that all of the Waldenses kept the
Bible Sabbath, it is clear that some did. The
Waldenses were a group of Bible-believing
Christians who accepted no other creed
except the Scriptures. They looked to Jesus
as the only head of the church. Because of
this belief, they were often fiercely
persecuted.
From their mountain hideouts in
southern France and Northern Italy, they
descended on the cities of France,
Switzerland, and Italy disguised as
merchants. Constantly alert for sincere
seekers after truth, they often shared, at the
risk of their own lives, precious handwritten
Bible manuscripts which they had carefully
sewn into their long flowing robes.
Dr. Daniel Augsberger of Andrews
University makes this interesting observation
regarding the Waldenses: "...it is interesting
to note that instances of Sabbathkeeping
occur where the Waldenses had preached
with the greatest success." (Daniel
Augsberger, The Sabbath in Scripture and
History, Review and Herald Publishing
Association, 1982, p. 208.) Undoubtedly, the
Waldenses' emphasis on Scripture led to a
deepened understanding of the importance
of Sabbath observance.
On one occasion in northern France, the
secret meetings of a group of Sabbath-
keepers were revealed to the authorities in
1420. Sixteen to eighteen persons were
arrested. Along with their preacher, they
were tried by a church tribunal called the
"Inquisition." Legal documents from this
period record that the group was
condemned for heresy. The charges
included among other things, "keeping
Saturday as their Sabbath." The preacher of
the group, Bertoul Thurin was executed for
his Sabbathkeeping practices. (Daniel
Augsberger, The Sabbath in Scripture and
History, p. 209.)
In his book, Truth or Propaganda, a good
friend of mine. Pastor George Vandeman of
the "It Is Written" television program, tells
this fascinating story: "A few years ago a
pastor led a group of young people on a
guided tour of the Waldensian Valleys of
Piedmont. One evening they were singing
around the campfire and telling mission
stories. Some of the Waldensian people
drifted in and stood listening in the darkness.
Their hearts were touched as they listened
to the testimonies of those young people
and heard them singing about the Second
Coming of Christ.
When the songs and stories were over, a
Waldensian elder stepped into the light of
the campflre and said, 'You must cany on!
We, the Waldensian people, have a proud
heritage behind us. We are proud of the
history of our people as they have fought to
preserve the light of truth high upon these
mountainsides and up and down these
valleys . . . This is our great heritage of the
past. But we really do not have any future.
We have given up the teachings we once
believed in. The sad thing is, we are not
moving forward with courage to face the
future. You must carry on!'
"The cry of the centuries comes ringing
down the corridors of time, echoing in our
ears this very moment. Someone must carry
on. Someone must carry the torch of truth.
Someone must faithfully preserve the truth
He died for. Someone must stand guard till
He comes." (Truth or Propaganda, George
Vandeman, Pacific Press Publishing Associa­
tion, 1986, pp. 164, 165).

Twelfth Century A.D.

Lombardy. "Traces of Sabbathkeepers are

found in the times of Gregory I, Gregory VII,
and in the twelfth century in Lombardy."
(Strorujf's Cyclopaedia, 1, 660.)

Waldenses. "Among the documents, we

have by the same peoples, an explanation of
the Ten Commandments dated by Boyer
1120. Observance of the Sabbath by ceasing
from worldly labours, is enjoined." (Blair,
History of the Waldenses, Vol. 1, p. 220.

Wales. "There is much evidence that the

Sabbath prevailed in Wales universally until
A.D. 1115, when the first Roman bishop was
seated at St. Davis's. The old Welsh
Sabbath-keeping churches did not even then
altogether bow the knee to Rome, but fled
to their hiding places." (Lewis, Seventh Day
Baptists in Europe and America, Vol. 1, p.
29.)

Pasagini. (The papal author, Bonacuisus,

wrote the/allowing against the ''Pasagaini":)
"Not a few, but many know what are the
errors of those who are called Pasagini...
First, they teach that we should obey the
Sabbath. Furthermore, to increase their
error, they condemn and reject all the
church Fathers, and the whole Roman
Church." (D'Achery, Spicilegium I, f. 211-214;
Muratory, Antiq. med. aevi. 5. f. 152, Hahn,
3, 209.)
Hungary, France, England, Italy,
Germany. (Referring to the
Sabbathkeeping Pasagini.) "The spread of
heresy at this time is almost incredible. From
Bulgaria to the Ebro, from northern France
to the Tiber, everywhere we meet them.
Whole countries are infested, like Hungary
and southern France; they abound in many
other countries; in Germany, in Italy, in the
Netherlands
and even in England they put forth their
efforts." (Dr. Hahn, Gesch, derKetzer, 1, 13.)

Thirteenth Century A.D.

Waldenses. "They say that the blessed

Pope Sylvester was the Antichrist of whom
mention is made in the Epistles of St. Paul
as having been the son of perdition. [They
also say] that the keeping of the Sabbath
ought to take place." (Ecclesiastical History
of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, p.
169— by a prominent Roman Catholic
author writing about Waldenses.)
Waldenses of France. "The inquisitors...
[declare] that the sign of a Vaudois, deemed
worthy of death, was that he followed Christ
and sought to obey the commandments of
God." (History of the Inquisition of the
Middle Ages, H.C. Lea, Vol. 1.)

Fourteenth Century A.D.

Waldenses. "That we are to worship one

only God, who is able to help us, and not
the Saints departed; that we ought to keep
holy the Sabbath day." (Luther's Fore-
runners, p. 38.)

England, Holland, Bohemia. "We wrote

of the Sabbatarians in Bohemia,
Transylvania, England and Holland between
1250 and 1600 A.D." (Wilkinson, p. 309.)

Bohemia, 1310 (Modem Czechoslovakia).

"In 1310, two hundred years before Luther's
theses, the Bohemian brethren constituted
one-fourth of the population of Bohemia,
and that they were in touch with the
Waldenses who abounded in Austria,
Lombardy, Bohemia, north Germany,
Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Moravia.
Erasmus pointed out how strictly Bohemian
Waldenses kept the seventh day Sabbath.
(Armitage, A History of the Baptists, p. 318;
Cox, The Literature of the Sabbath Question,
vol. 2, pp. 201-2.)

Norway. Then, too, in the "Catechism" that

was used during the fourteenth century, the
Sabbath commandment read thus: "Thou
shalt not forget to keep the seventh day."
(This is quoted from Documents and Studies
Concerning the History of the Luthema
Catechism in the Nordish Churches, p. 89.
Christiania: 1893.)

Norway. "Also the priests have caused the

people to keep Saturdays as Sundays."
(Theological Periodicals for the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Norway, Vol. 1, p. 184.
Oslo.)
Fifteenth Century A.D.

Bohemia. "Erasmus testifies that even as

late as about 1500 these Bohemians not
only kept the seventh day scrupulously, but
also were called Sabbatarians. (Cox,
TheLiterature of the Sabbath Question, Vol.
2, pp. 201, 202; Truth Triumphant, p. 264.)

Norway, Church Council held at Bergen,

Norway, August 22,1435. "The first
matter concerned a keeping holy of
Saturday. It had come to the attention of
the archbishop that people in different
places of the kingdom had ventured the
keeping holy of Saturday. It is strictly
forbidden — it is stated — in the Church-
Law, for any one to keep or to adopt holy
days, outside of those which the pope,
archbishop, or bishops appoint." (The His-
tory of the Norwegian Church under Catholi­
cism, R. Keyser, Vol. II. p. 488. Oslo: 1858.)
Norway, 1435, Catholic Provincial
Council at Bergen. "We are informed
thatsome people in different districts of the
kingdom, have adopted and observed
Saturdaykeeping. It is severely forbidden— in
holy church canon— one and all to observe
days excepting those which the holy Pope,
archbishop, or the bishops command.
Saturdaykeeping must under no
circumstances be permitted hereafter further
than the church canon commands.
Therefore, we counsel all the friends of God
throughout all Norway who want to be
obedient towards the holy church to let this
evil of Saturdaykeeping alone; and the rest
we forbid under penalty of severe church
punishment to keep Saturday holy." (Dip.
Norveg.,7, 397.)
 Norway, 1436, Church Conference at
Oslo.
"It is forbidden under the same penalty to
keep Saturday holy by refraining from
labour." {History of the Norwegian. Church,
p. 401.)
France—Waldenses. "Louis XII, King of
France (1498-1515), being informed by the
enemies of the Waldenses, inhabiting a part
of the province of Province, that several
heinous crimes were laid to their account,
sent the Master of Requests, and a certain
doctor of the Sorbonne, to make inquiry into
this matter. On their return they reported
that they had visited all the parishes, but
could not discover any traces of those
crimes with which they were charged. On
the contrary, they kept the Sabbath day,
observed the ordinance of baptism,
according to the primitive church, instructed
their children in the articles of the Christian
faith, and the commandments of God. The
King having heard the report of his
commissioners, said with an oath that they
were better men than himself or his people."
(History of the Christian Church, Vol. II, pp.
71, 72, third edition. London: 1818.)

The Lord of the Sabbath— A

Master Worth Dying For

The Sabbath truth preserved from. the

Sixteenth through Twentieth centuries.
Oswald Glait repeatedly risked his life for
the Sabbath truth. He was captured in 1545
while on an evangelistic mission in central
Europe. After a year and six weeks in jail, he
awakened at midnight to the thunderous
footsteps of soldiers marching down the hall
to his cell. These cruel mercenaries bound
him hand and foot, dragged him through the
city and cast him into the Danube. Little did
they realize that the truth he gave his life for,
like the ripples created by a rock thrown into
a clean pond on a tranquil evening, would
rapidly spread throughout central Europe.
This truth spread to Great Britain and
Scandanavia, and was later transferred to
America. For many an early English seventh-
day Sabbathkeeper, the Lord of the Sabbath
was worth dying for.
John James, an English Sabbathkeeping
minister was preaching Sabbath afternoon,
October 19, 1661, when the police entered
his church and demanded, in the name of
King Charles II, that he cease. Not one to be
easily intimidated, he continued preaching.
A commotion arose. James was arrested
and convicted by a rigged jury on false
charges. He was sentenced to be hanged,
dragged through the city by a horse, and
chopped up limb by limb with an axe. In
spite of two brave appeals to the king by his
wife his sentence was carried out. After he
was hanged his body was taken down and
butchered; his heart was drawn out of his
chest and flung into the fire; and his head
was placed on a pole outside his church as a
grim warning to anyone who desired to
keep the seventh-day Sabbath.
John James' witness for truth speaks
eloquently to us today. His courage testifies
of the power of God. His blood symbolically
cries out from the ground, "Don't ever com­
promise truth!" The words of Scripture
speak in trumpet tones to our generation:
 Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out
for us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Friend, embrace the truth and run the

race. The lives of faithful martyrs of the
Middle Ages beckon you on! (Tell It To The
World, Mervyn Maxwell, Pacific Press Pub­
lishing Association, 1976, pp. 71-73.)

Sixteenth Century A.D.

Russia—Council, Moscow, 1503. "The

accused [Sabbathkeepers] were summoned;
they openly acknowledged the new faith,
and defended the same. The most eminent
of them, the secretary of state, Kuritzyn,
Ivan Maximow, Kassian, archimandrite of
the Jury Monastery of Novgorod, were
condemned to death, and burned publicly in
cages, at Moscow, Dec. 27,1503." (H.
Stemberfl, Geschichte derJuden, Leipzig,
1873, pp. 117-122.)

Sweden. "This zeal for Saturdaykeeping

continued for a long time: even little things
which might strengthen the practise of keep­
ing Saturdaywere punished." (Bishop Anjou,
SvenskaKirkans Historia efter Motet i
UpsaLa. ]

Lichenstein. "The Sabbatarians teach that

the outward Sabbath, i.e. Saturday, still
must be observed. They say that Sunday is
the Pope's invention. (Refutation of Sabbath,
by Wolfgang Capito, published 1599.)

Bohemia—the Bohemian Brethren.

Dr. R. Cox says: "I find from a passage
in Erasmus that at the early period of
the Reformation when he wrote, there
were Sabbatarians in Bohemia, who not
only kept the seventh day, but were
said to be ... scrupulous in resting on
it." (Literature of the Sabbath Question,
Cox, Vol. II, pp. 201, 202.)

Historian's List of Churches— 16th

Century. "Sabbatarians, so called because
they reject the observance of the Lord's day
as not commanded in Scripture, they
consider the Sabbath alone to be holy, as
God rested on that day and commanded to
keep it holy and to rest on it." (A. Ross.)

Germany—Dr. Eck, while refuting the

Reformers. "However, the church has
transferred the observance from Saturday to
Sunday by virtue of her own power, without
Scripture." (Dr. Eck's Enchiridion, 1533, pp.
78, 79.)

Europe. About the year 1520 many of these

Sabbathkeepers found shelter on the estate
of Lord Leonhardt of Lichtenstein, "as the
princes of Lichtenstein held to the obser­
vance of the true Sabbath." (History of the
Sabbath, J.N. Andrews, p. 649, ed.)
Norway, 1544. "Some of you, contrary to
the warning, keep Saturday. You ought to
be severely punished. Whoever shall be
found keeping Saturday, must pay a fine of
ten marks." (History of King Christian the
Third, Niels Krag and S. Stephanius.)

Finland, Dec. 6,1554— King Gustavus Vasa

I, of Sweden's letter to the people of Finland.
"Some time ago we heard that some people
in Finland had fallen into a great error and
observed the seventh day, called Saturday."
(State Library at Helsingfors, Reichsregister,
Vom J., 1554, Teil B.B. leaf 1120, pp. 175-
180a.)

Switzerland. "The observance of the Sab­

bath is a part of the moral law. It has been
kept holy since the beginning of the world."
(ref. Noted Swiss writer, R. Hospinian. 1592.)
Holland and Germany. Barbara ofThiers,
who was executed in 1529, declared: "God
has commanded us to rest on the seventh
day." Another martyr, Christina Tolingerin, is
mentioned thus: "Concerning holy days and
Sundays, she said: 'In six days the Lord
made the world, on the seventh day He
rested. The other holy days have been insti­
tuted by popes, cardinals, and archbishops.'
" (Martyrology of the Churches of Christ,
commonly called Baptists, during the era of
the Reformation, from the Dutch ofT.J. Van
Braght, London, 1850, 1, pp. 113-114.)

Seventeenth Century A.D.

England, 1668. "Here in England are about

nine or ten churches that keep the Sabbath,
besides many scattered disciples, who have
been eminently preserved." (Stennet's
letters, 1668 and 1670. Cox, Sab., 1, 268.)

England. Mr. Thomas Bampfleld, who had

been Speaker in one of Cromwell's parlia­
ments, wrote also in behalf of seventh-day
observance, and was imprisoned for his
religious principles in Ilchesterjail. (Calamy,
2, 260.)
Sweden and Finland. "We can trace these
opinions over almost the whole extent of
Sweden of that day — from Finland and
northern Sweden. In the district of Upsala
the farmers kept Saturday in place of
Sunday. About the year 1625 this religious
tendency became so pronounced in these
countries that not only large numbers of the
common people began to keep Saturday as
the rest day, but even many priests did the
same." (History of the Swedish Church, Vol.
I, p. 256.)

America, 1664. "Stephen Mumford, the

first Sabbathkeeper in America came from
London in 1664." (Hist. of Seventh-day Bap­
tist Gen. Conf. byJas. Bailey, pp. 237, 238.)
America, 1671— Seventh-day Baptists.
"Broke from Baptist Church in order to keep
Sabbath." (See Bailey's History, pp. 9, 10.)

England— Charles I, 1647, when querying

the Parliament Commissioners. "For it will
not be found in Scripture where Saturday is
no longer to be kept, or turned into the
Sunday wherefore it must be the Church's
authority that changed the one and
instituted the other." (Cox, Sabbath Laws, p.
333.)

England—John Milton. "It will surely be

far safer to observe the seventh day,
according to express commandment of God,
than on the authority of mere human
conjecture to adopt the first." (Sab. Lit. 2,
46-54).

Eighteenth Century A.D.

Germany, Tennhardt of Nuremberg."He

holds strictly to the doctrine of the Sabbath,
because it is one of the ten
commandments." (Bengel's Leben und
Wirken, Burk, p. 579.)

He himself says: "It cannot be shown that

Sunday has taken the place of the Sabbath
(p. 366). The Lord God has sanctified the
last day of the week. Antichrist, on the other
hand, has appointed the first day of the
week." (Kl. Auszug ausTennhardt's Schnften,
p. 49, printed 1712.)

Bohemia and Moravia—(today

Czechoslovakia.). Their history from 1635
to 1867 is thus described by AdolfDux: "The
condition of the Sabbatarianswas dreadful.
Their books and writings had to be delivered
to the Karlsburg Consistory to become the
spoil of flames." (Aus Ungam, pp. 289-291.
Leipzig, 1880.)

Moravia—Count Zinzendorf. In 1738

Zinzendorf wrote of his keeping the Sabbath
thus: "That I have employed the Sabbath for
rest many years already, and our Sunday for
the proclamation of the gospel."
(Budingsche Sammlung, Sec. 8. p. 224,
Leipzig, 1742.)
America, 1741 {Moravian Brethren— after
Zinzendorfarrivcd^rom Europe). "As a
special instance it deserves to be noticed
that he is resolved with the church at
Bethlehem to observe the seventh day as
rest day. (Id., pp. 5, 1421, 1422.)
America. But before Zinzendorf and the
Moravians at Bethlehem thus began the
observance of the Sabbath and prospered,
there was a small body of German Sabbath-
keepers in Pennsylvania. (See Rupp's History
of Religious Denominations in the United
States, pp. 109-123.)

Nineteenth Century A.D.

China. "At this time Hung prohibited the

use of opium, and even tobacco, and all
intoxicating drinks, and the Sabbath was
religiously observed." (The Ti-Ping
Revolution, by Lin-Le, an officer among
them, Vol. I, pp. 36-48, 84.)
"The seventh day is most religiously and
strictly observed. The Taiping Sabbath is
kept upon our Saturday, (p. 319.)
China. "The Taipings when asked why they
observed the seventh day Sabbath, replied
that it was, first, because the Bible taught it,
and, second, because their ancestors
observed it as a day of worship." (A Critical
History of the Sabbath and the Sunday.)

India and Persia. "Besides, they maintain

the solemn observance of Christian worship
throughout our Empire, on the seventh day."
(Christian Researches in Asia, p. 143.)

Denmark. In 1875, Pastor M.A. Sommer

began by observing the seventh day, and
wrote in his church paper,
IndouetKristendom No. 5, 1875, an
impressive article about the true Sabbath. In
a letter to Elder John G. Matteson, he says:
"Among the Baptists here in Denmark there
is a great agitation regarding the Sabbath
commandment . . . However, I am probably
the only preacher in Denmarkwho stands so
near to theAdventlsts and who for many
years has proclaimed Christ's second
coming." (Aduent Tfdente, May, 1875.)
Sweden, Baptists. "We will now
endeavour to show that the sanctiflcation of
the Sabbath has its foundation and its origin
in a law which God at creation itself
established for the whole world, and as a
consequence thereof is binding on all men in
all ages." (May 30, 1863, p. 169.
Evangelisten (The Evangelist), Stockholm,
May 30 to August 15, 1863, organ of the
Swedish Baptist Church.)

America, 1845. "Thus we see Daniel 7:25,

fulfilled, the little hom changing 'times and
laws.' Therefore it appears to me that all
who keep the first day for the Sabbath are
Pope's Sundaykeepers and God's Sabbath-
breakers." (ElderT.M. Preble, Feb. 13,1845.)

Seventh-day Adventists. A group of

Bible-believing Christians who keep the
Sabbath according to the Ten
Commandment law of God, the Seventh-day
Adventists are a people who continue to
cany the torch held high through the
centuries by the heroes of faith. In fact, the
Seventh-day Adventist Church has over 7
million members in over 200 countries.
Nearly 2000 people each day are baptized
as Sabbathkeeping Adventists.

God's Knock on My Door

As you have just read, the light of God's

truth flashes through the centuries. It
penetrates the remotest corners of the earth
in pursuit of sincere seekers after truth.
Geeta Lall was raised in India. Since both
her parents died when she was young, she
was brought up by a retired college
professor— a staunch Baptist who regularly
took her to Sunday school.
Through the miraculous providence of
God, a SabbathkeepingAdventist book sales-
man began renting a room in their home.
Eventually, this book salesman married
Geeta's cousin. When the Hindu-Moslem war
broke out in 1946, Geeta stayed with her
cousin during school vacation periods. She
describes her experience in her own words:
"One day an Adventist pastor visited my
cousin's home. During this pastor's visit I
was asked to serve him a fruit drink instead
of the customary tea. I wondered about this.
My cousin explained the reason, adding that
Adventists refrain from drinking tea or
alcoholic beverages, eating pork, or smoking.
"I was curious. Edging into the living
room, I began asking the pastor questions
about the Adventist faith. During our
conversation he mentioned the seventh day
as being the hallowed day and the true
Sabbath day. I told him, 'No way. It may
have been in the Old Testament, but when
Christ came to die for us. He changed the
day to Sunday, the day He rose from the
dead.' The pastor was quiet. Finally he said
that if I could find a text in the New
Testament stating that Christ had changed
the day of rest, he would become a Baptist.
However, if I could not find such a text I
would have to take Bible studies from him. I
hastily added that I would become an
Adventist if I could not find a text showing
that Christ changed the seventh-day
Sabbath to Sunday!
"Needless to say, I could not find such a
text although I hunted through the Bible
diligently for hours. Moreover, I was
surprised to find that Christ Himself went to
the synagogue on Sabbath.
"Bible studies followed, and I was
baptized in April, 1946, and joined the
Calcutta Adventist church. In June, I joined
students bound for Spicer College, where I
spent the next six years in study.
"Amid war and turmoil, gloom and
loneliness, God plucked me out of a city of
six million..." (Geeta R. Lall, Ph.D.,
Consultant, Early Childhood and Special
Education. Berrien Springs. Michigan.)
My friend, it is no accident that you are
reading this book. Like Geeta Lall, you, too,
are an honest-hearted man or woman. How
do I know that? The fact that you've read
this book up to this point demonstrates that
God has been speaking to your heart. Now
is the time to decide to fully follow Him. As
you continue to read. pray that God will
enable you to so.

(Author's note: The author is indebted to John Coltheart, former European

evangelist, for much of the original research for the material within this
chapter.)
 The Authorities
Testify

W e have just reviewed the historical

evidence about Sabbathkeepers through the

centuries. In chapter three, we briefly
mentioned the Catholic church's position on
the change of the Sabbath. In this chapter,
we will review the comments by scores of
Protestant and Catholic authors— both
historians and theologians— acknowledging
that the Sabbath was not changed by Christ
or His disciples but by the church in the
early centuries.
 We begin by turning to Augustus
Neander, perhaps the greatest of all church
historians, who says in his General History
of the Christian Religion and Church, Vol. 1,
p. 187: "The festival of Sunday, like all
other festivals, was only a human ordinance,
and it was far from the intentions of the
apostles, and from the early apostolic
church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath
to Sunday."
The Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of
Religious Knowledge further confirms
Neander's contention. "Sunday (dies solis of
the Roman calendar, 'day of the sun'
because it was dedicated to the sun), the
first day of the week, was adopted by the
early Christians as a day of worship. The
'sun' of Latin adoration they interpreted as
the 'Sun of Righteousness'... No regulations
for its observance are laid down in the New
Testament, nor, indeed, is its observance
even enjoined." (Vol. VI, Art. Sunday, p.
2259, 3rd edition.)
One author on the life ofConstantine, in
reference to the compromises made in the
early Christian church, wrote the following:
"This drift into compromise in order to win
the pagans was accented by the first civil
Sunday law in A.D. 321, passed by the
emperor of Rome, Constantine. It was one
of his first official acts following his nominal
acceptance of Christianity, when he put
himself under the spiritual direction of the
Roman Catholic clergy and "made the priests
of God his counselors." (Eusebius, Life of
Constantine, book 1, chap. 32, inNiceneond
Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1, p.
491.)
Note also the paganistic label in the
opening lines of Constantine's first Sunday
law: "On the venerable day of the sun [that
is, Sunday] let the magistrates and people
residing in the cities rest, and let all work-
shops be closed." This is very different from
the Sabbath law of our Lord, which says
nothing of the "venerable" sun, but gives
worship to the Creator of the sun.
The Roman Catholic Church cites the
Council of Laodicea as the official voice
which transferred the "solemnity from
Saturday to Sunday." Note the language of
one catechism:
 "Question— Which is the Sabbath day?
"Answer— Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Question—Why do we observe Sunday
instead of Saturday?
"Answer— We observe Sunday instead
of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in
the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336),
transferred the solemnity from Saturday to
Sunday." — Rev. Peter Geiermann, C. SS. R.,
The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine,
p. 50, 2nd edition, 1910.
Constantine issued at least six decrees
affecting Sunday observance. From his time
forward, both emperors and popes added
other laws that strengthened Sunday
observance. Yet, despite these laws the
Sabbath truth was kept alive during the
Middle Ages by faithful men and women of
God who would not allow their consciences
to be swayed. The Reformation, with its
emphasis on the Bible and the Bible only,
gave rise to some Sabbbathkeeping spiritual
giants.
Andrew Fisher, a one-time Catholic priest,
thought carefully about his decision to
worship on the Sabbath. He argued that the
Sabbath commandment was not a part of
the ceremonial law because it was instituted
at creation, before the sacrificial system was
in place. Quoting Matthew 5:17-18, he
showed that Jesus refused to remove one
iota from the law. Referring to James 2:10-
12, he demonstrated that the disciples didn't
change the Sabbath. He boldly pointed to
the Catholic church as the source of the
apostasy. Sunday worship, he suggested,
was the direct fulfillment of the papacy's
"changing the set times and the laws" as
predicted in Daniel 7:25. And Fisher lost his
life because of his stand. In 1529, Mr. And
Mrs. Andrew Fisher were sentenced to death.
As we studied previously, Protestant
reformers also commented on the Sabbath
change. During the sixteenth century,
Luther's old colleague, Andreas Carlstadt,
accepted the Sabbath. In 1524, two years
after his break with Luther, he wrote a
major treatise entitled. Concerning the
Sabbath and CommandedHoly Days.
Interestingly enough, Luther responded in
the following way to Karlstadt's treatise on
the Sabbath. "Yes, if Karlstadt were to write
more about the Sabbath, even Sunday
would have to give way, and the Sabbath
that is Saturday would be celebrated."
(quoted in Sabbath in Scripture and History,
Review and Herald Publishing Association,
1982, p. 217.)
In his famed Augsburg confession,
Luther penned this powerful statement
indicating his grasp of the significant issues:
"The Catholics allege the Sabbath changed
into Sunday, the Lord's day, contrary to the
decalogue, as it appears. Neither is there
any example more boasted of than the
changing of the Sabbath day. Great, say
they, is the power and authority of the
church, since it dispensed with one of the
Ten Commands." (Luther, Your Augsburg
Confession, quoted in The Creeds of
Christendom, Philip Schaff,
Vol. 3, p. 64.)
During Luther's trial, the Archbishop
Reggio employed the famous Dr. Eck to
challenge Luther. The issue centered around
the authority of the church. The basic
question was "Is the voice of God, speaking
through the Bible, superior to the voice of
God speaking through the church? Where is
the highest authority? What is the final court
of appeal? If there is an apparent contra-
diction between the Bible and the church,
which do you rely on?"
The battle waged for days. Finally Dr.
Eck brought his concluding argument. Since
the Catholic church changed the Sabbath
from Saturday to Sunday, the authority of
the church is superior to the Bible, he
claimed. By accepting Sunday, Protestants
accept the authority of the Catholic church.
Eck's arguments turned the tide of the
Reformation back in favor of the Catholic
church.
But the relevant question for us to
consider is this: "Did the Catholic church
have the authority to change God's law? Is
the church above the Bible? Who is the final
authority?"
As you carefully read the statements
from various denominational clergy which
follow, you must decide the answer to these
questions for yourself.
 The Catholic Testimony

The Roman Catholic clergy clearly

acknowledge the change of the Sabbath
from Saturday to Sunday. In fact, leading
Roman Catholic authorities openly suggest
that the change is a sign of the church's
authority. Note this statement: 'The
observance of Sunday by the Protestants is
an homage they pay, in spite of themselves,
to the authority of the Catholic Church."
(Plain Talk About Protestantism, by Father
Segur, p. 213.)
Note these three comments: "If you look
to the Bible as an authority for the
observance of the day, you will not find it. It
is well to remind the Presbyterians,
Methodists, Baptists, and all other
Christians outside the pale of the Mother
Church, that the Bible does not support
them anywhere in the observance of Sunday.
The Seventh-day Adventists are the only
ones who properly apply the term "Sabbath,'
because they do observe the seventh day,
and not the first day, as the day of rest.'
{Clifton Tracts, Vol. IV, p. 15.)
 "Protestantism, in discarding the
authority of the church, has no good reason
for its Sunday theory, and ought, logically,
to keep Saturday with the Jews.' (American
Catholic Quarterly Review, Jan. 1883.)
"Now, every child in school knows that
the Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh
day of the week; and yet, with the exception
of the Seventh-day Adventists, all
Protestants keep Sunday instead of the
Sabbath day, because the Catholic Church
made this change in the first ages of
Christianity." (Father Gerritsma, in the
Winnipeg Free Press, April 21, 1884.)
The Papacy clearly admits changing the
Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of
the week, to Sunday, the first day of the
week, and declares this change
demonstrates her ecclesiastical authority.
One writer commented, "The Catholic
Church for over one thousand years before
the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of
her divine mission, changed the day from
Saturday to Sunday." (Catholic Mirror, Sept.
1893.)
Other Catholic authors have commented
about the Protestant position on the
Sabbath change. "You are a Protestant, and
profess to go by the Bible only; and yet you
go against the plain letter of the Bible, and
put another day in the place of the Sabbath.
The command to keep holy the seventh day
is one of the Ten Commandments; who
gave you the authority to tamper with the
fourth?" Library of Christian Doctrine, p. 3.)
"Protestants have no Scripture for the
measure of their day of rest — they abolish
the observance of Saturday without warrant
of Scripture — and substitute Sunday in its
place without Scriptural authority —
consequently they have for all this only
traditional authority. — Keenan's Doctrinal
Catechism, p. 354.)
"If the Bible is the only guide for the
Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is
right in observing the Saturday with the Jew.
Is it not strange that those (Protestants)
who make the Bible their only teacher
should inconsistently follow in this matter
the Church?" (The Question Box, by Father
Conway, p. 179.)
"Reason and common sense demand the
acceptance of one or the other of these
alternatives; either Protestantism and the
keeping of Saturday, or Catholicity and the
keeping of Sunday. Compromise is
impossible." (American Catholic Quarterly
Review, Jan., 1883.)

The Baptist Testimony

"There was and is a commandment to

keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath
day was not Sunday. It will be said, however,
and with some show of triumph, that the
Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to
the first day of the week, with all its duties,
privileges, and sanctions. Earnestly desiring
information on this subject, which I have
studied for many years, I ask, where can the
record of such a transaction be found? Not
in the New Testament, absolutely not. There
is no such Scriptural evidence of the change
of the Sabbath institution from the seventh
to the first day of the week.
"I wish to say that this Sabbath question,
in this aspect of it, is the gravest and most
perplexing question connected with Christian
institutions which at present claims attention
from Christian people;
and the only reason that it is not a more
disturbing element in Christian thought and
in religious discussions, is because the
Christian world has settled down content on
the conviction that somehow a transference
has taken place at the beginning of Christian
history.
"To me it seems unaccountable that
Jesus, during three years' intercourse with
His disciples, often conversing with them
upon the Sabbath question, discussing it in
some of its various aspects, freeing it from
false glosses, never alluded to any transfer­
ence of the day; also, that during forty days
of His resurrection life, no such thing was
intimated. Nor, so far as we know, did the
Spirit, which was given to bring to their
remembrance all things whatsoever that He
has said unto them, deal with this question.
Nor yet did the inspired apostles, in
preaching the gospel, founding churches,
counseling and instructing those founded,
discuss or approach this subject.
"Of course, I quite well know that
Sunday did come to use in early Christian
history as a religious day, as we learn from
the Christian Fathers and other sources. But
what a pity that it comes branded with the
mark of paganism, and christened with the
name of the sun god, when adopted and
sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and be­
queathed as a sacred legacy to
Protestantism!" (Dr. Edward T. Hiscox,
author of The Baptist Manual, quoted in The
New York Examiner, Nov. 16, 1890.)

The Methodist Testimony

"It is true there is no positive command

for infant baptism... nor any for keeping holy
the first day of the week." (Dr. Binney, M.E.
Theological Compendium, p. 103.)

The Congregationalist Testimony

"It is quite clear that, however rigidly or

devoutly we may spend Sunday, we are not
keeping the Sabbath...The Sabbath was
founded on a specific, divine command. We
can plead no such command for the
observance of Sunday... There is not a
single sentence in the New Testament to
suggest that we incur any penalty by
violating the supposed sanctity of Sunday."
(The Ten Commandments, R.W. Dale, D.D.)

The Presbyterian Testimony

"The Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is not in

the Scripture, and was not by the primitive
church called the Sabbath." (Dwight's
Theology, Vol. IV, p. 401.)
"God instituted the Sabbath at the
creation of man, setting apart the seventh
day for that purpose, and imposed its
observance, as a universal and perpetual
moral obligation upon the race." (Dr.
Archibald Hodges, in Tract No. 175 of the
Presbyterian Board of Publication.)
 The Church of England

"The seventh day of the week has been

deposed from its title to obligatory religious
observance, and its prerogative has been
carried over to the first, under no direct
precept of Scripture." (William E. Gladstone
in Later Gleanings, p. 342.)
"There is no word, no hint, in the New
Testament about abstaining from work on
Sunday...Into the rest of Sunday no divine
law enters...The observance of Ash
Wednesday or Lent stands on exactly the
same footing as the observance of Sunday."
(Canon Eyton in Ten Commandments, pp.
62, 63, 65.)

The Christian Church

"I do not believe that the Lord's day

came in the room of the Jewish Sabbath, or
that the Sabbath was changed from the
seventh to the first day of the week... Now
there is no testimony in all the oracles of
heaven that the Sabbath was changed, or
that the Lord's day came in the room of it...
there is no divine testimony that the
Sabbath was changed." (Alexander Campbell,
founder of the Christian Church. Washington
Reporter, Oct. 8, 1821.)

Conclusion

You have read the evidence. Historians

through the centuries, as well as Catholic
and Protestant authors, have testified to the
fact that the Catholic church changed God's
holy day of worship in the early centuries.
There is no doubt. But the real issue, as we
have discovered, is not the fact that the
Catholic church changed God's day of
worship. The real issue is more than a
matter of days. It is a matter of masters.
Long ago, a rebel angel, cast out of
heaven after a titanic struggle, declared that
obedience to God's law was unnecessary. He
claimed God's law was unfair. "What sense
did it make," he asked, "to restrict Adam
and Eve's access to the most beautiful tree
in the garden? After all, a tree is a tree and
fruit is fruit. It really won't matter!" Listening
to his voice, our first parents plunged this
world into rebellion against God.
Although at first it might appear that the
real issue at stake in the garden of Eden
was a matter of trees or fruit, it was much
more. The real issue involved a love
relationship with their Creator. This loving
relationship had led Adam and Eve into a
completely unquestioning, trustful obedience
to His law. It was the breaking of this
relationship with their Master that led our
first parents to break God's law.
So it is today, my friend. The real issue
today is more than a matter of days. It is a
matter of trust. It is a matter of a relation-
ship with God.
As each of us leams more about God, His
love compels us to put Him first in our life!
Sometimes, as with Martin Luther, first may
mean before friends, before family, and
even before our church.
You alone know what God's Spirit is
asking you to decide. May your decision be
one that is weighed not only with this life in
mind, but also with eternity in view.
Peter answered, 'We have left
everything to follow you! What
then will there be for us?'
Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the
truth, at the renewal of all things,
when the Son of Man sits on his
glorious throne, you who have
followed me will also sit on twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes
of Israel. And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or
father or mother or children or
fields for my sake will receive a
hundred times as much and will
inherit eternal life.
 Your Questions
Answered

I n the preceeding pages of this book

we have explored the seventh-day Sabbath.

We've discovered that throughout Scripture
the seventh-day Sabbath is a sign— a sign of
loyalty between a loving God and His faithful
followers. It was set aside at creation and
given to all mankind as a symbol of God's
creative power (Genesis 2:1-3; Mark 2:27,
28). And it is to be observed by His people
throughout all generations (Exodus 31:13-18;
Ezekiel 20:12, 20). Jesus kept the Sabbath
as an example of His worship and allegiance
to His Father (Luke 4:16). He predicted His
closest followers would remember this
eternal sign of His love (Matthew 24:20).
And love is always demonstrated by
conduct. God's Ten Commandment law is
codified love. It reveals how the loving man
or woman will respond in his or her relations
to both God and man (Exodus 20:1-17; John
14:15, 1 John 2:1-6). Rather than being a
legalistic requirement symbolizing bondage
to the law. God's seventh-day Sabbath is a
dynamic symbol of loyalty to, and freedom
in. Jesus Christ. It commemorates the fact
of creation. He made us! We did not evolve.
We are His. In an age of evolution, the
Sabbath calls us to our "roots." It speaks
eloquently of our heritage.
We were created by a loving God who is
personally interested in each detail of our
lives. Not only did He create us, but when
our first parents voluntarily chose to rebel
against the wisdom of His law He also set in
motion a plan to deliver the race from the
bondage of sin. Our rest on the Sabbath is a
symbol of our rest in Christ as our deliverer
from the death penalty of sin. Even as God
rested on the seventh-day of creation from
all His work declaring, "It is finished," so on
the cross Jesus triumphantly declared, "It is
finished." Hebrews 4:9 asserts, "There
remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people
of God; ..." The Sabbath is a marvelous
symbol of this redemptive act of Christ.
Resting each Sabbath symbolizes a life of
trust, commitment, and loyalty to the Christ
who has accomplished our salvation. He
redeemed us when we could never redeem
ourselves; therefore we rest in full
assurance of His finished work on the cross.
Through the ceaseless ages of eternity
we shall sing praises of His worthiness each
Sabbath by coming into His presence to
worship. It is written:

'From one New Moon to another and

from one Sabbath to another, all
mankind will come and bow down
before me,* says the Lord.
(Isaiah 66:23)

Sabbath after Sabbath the redeemed

shall enter into the joyous ecstasy of
worshipping their Creator, Redeemer, and
King. Sabbath worship will be their deepest
delight and highest pleasure.

Questions and Answers About

the Sabbath

You may, at this moment, be considering

sincere questions relating to the Sabbath.
The questions which follow are the most
common ones asked. The answers are found
in the Bible. Please examine them with a
prayer on you lips that God's Spirit will lead
in your understanding.

Question #1: Does the New Testament

teach that the disciples worshipped on the
first day of the week?

Answer: It is often stated that the disciples

and the early church kept the first day of the
week holy in honor of the resurrection of
Christ. The Bible teaches clearly, however,
that the disciples observed the seventh-day
Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 42, 44; Acts 17:2, 3;
Acts 18:1-4; Hebrews 4:4-8). In fact, the
first day of the week is mentioned only eight
times in the entire New Testament and six
of these texts refer to the same day. These
texts are listed below:

Matthew 28:1—
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the
first day of the week, Mary Magdal­
ene and the other Mary went to look
at the tomb.

Mark 16:2—
Very early on the first day of the
week, just after sunrise, they were
on their way to the tomb...

Mark 16:9—
When Jesus rose early on the first
day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene, out of whom he
had driven seven demons.
Luke 24:1—
On the first day of the week, very
early in the morning, the women
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.

John 20:1—
Early on the first day of the week,
while it was still dark. Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb and
saw that the stone had been re-
moved from the entrance.

The five texts above refer to the

historical fact that Jesus rose from the dead
on the first day of the week. Obviously,
none of these texts even suggest worship on
that day. In fact, it would appear that the
closest followers of Christ did not consider
the first day of the week a day of worship.
Notice that they embalmed His body on the
first day, after they "...rested on the
Sabbath in obedience to the commandment"
(Luke 23:56). So, it appears that all the
disciples were Sabbathkeepers.
 Let's examine the remaining three texts
in greater detail.

John 20:19—
On the evening of that first day of
the week, when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for
fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood among them and said, 'Peace
be with you!'

Does this passage teach that the

disciples assembled on the first day of the
week? Yes it does! But the point in question
here is: Why did they assemble? What was
the purpose of their gathering? The disciples
had just witnessed the death of their Master.
All their hopes were dashed. Fear and doubt
loomed like a mountain before them. The
Bible says that they".. .were together for
fear of the Jews..." That's why the doors
were locked. Jesus appeared to them to
announce His resurrection and triumph.
Today, we
celebrate this good news through the
baptismal service (I Corinthians 11:24-27;
Romans 6:2-20). But there is no command
to worship on the first day.

1 Corinthians 16:2—
On the first day of every week, each
one of you should set aside a sum
of money in keeping with his
income, saving it up, so that when I
come no collections will have to be
made.

There are some who feel Paul advocated

offerings in church on the first day of the
week. They use this text to support Sunday
observance. A careful analysis of the text
and its context proves otherwise. The
Apostle Paul was promoting a special project
in behalf of needy believers in Jerusalem
(verse 3). Thus he suggested that Corinthian
Christians set aside a specific portion of their
income for believers at Jerusalem on the
first day of each week. The reason for this
was because many people reviewed their
finances from the previous week's business
on Sunday morning in preparation for
another week of business. On Friday
afternoon they would close their shops and
prepare for the Sabbath. Then, on Sunday
morning they would review the previous
week's business activity. Paul was simply
asking them to set some money aside each
week so that when he arrived the gift would
be ready to take to Jerusalem. The phrase
"set aside" means literally "by himself," in
the original Greek manuscript. It is also
equivalent to the English "at home." So Paul
was asking them to do this at home, not, as
some suggest, at a special church gathering.
Rather than establishing Sunday worship,
this text clearly shows that there was no
special significance attached to the first day.

Acts 20:7—
On the first day of the week we
came together to break bread. Paul
spoke to the people and, because he
intended to leave the next day, kept
on talking until midnight.

This text records the only religious

meeting held on the first day of the week in
the New Testament. The author writes that
a religious meeting was called because Paul
intended to leave the next day. Because of
this, Paul called the believers together for an
evening meeting on the dark part of the
first day of the week. (See the answer to
Question #8 for a further explanation of
this point). The New English Bible puts it this
way:

On the Saturday night, in our

assembly for the breaking of bread,
Paul who was to leave next day,
addressed them, and went on
speaking until midnight.

This meeting was on the dark part of the

first day of the week. In both the Old and
New Testaments, time was reckoned from
sunset to sunset. So this meeting was on
our Saturday night. The believers often
celebrated communion together (Acts 2:42-
46). The emblem of Christ's sacrifice meant
everything to them. Thus before Paul
departed, they celebrated communion again.
According to verses 11 through 14 of Acts
20, Paul spent the light part of the first day
traveling to Assos. It is clear that he placed
no special significance on it.
In summary, there is no command
throughout the New Testament to keep Sun-
day holy; and there is no evidence of the
disciples leaving a Sundaykeeping example.

Question #2: Since we're not under law,

but under grace, is it necessary to
keepSabbath?
Answer: The apostle Paul makes it
abundantly plain that the Christian is not
"under law" but "under grace" (Romans
6:14). But what does Paul mean? Let's
explore it.
One thing we know for certain. When
Paul says the Christian is not "under law"
but "under grace" he does not mean that
the Christian can openly, knowingly, and
willingly break God's law. Romans 6:15
emphatically declares:

What then? Shall we sin because we

are not under the law but under grace?
By no means!
 So what does Paul mean by the expres­
sions "under law" and "under grace"? What
was Paul's attitude toward the law? In
Romans 7:12, he declares:

...the law is holy, and the

commandment is holy, righteous
and good.

There is no problem with the law

according to Paul. It is holy and good. But
what is its purpose?
First, the law reveals God's concrete,
objective standard of morality. It reveals the
eternal principles of heaven's government. It
defines right and wrong. Romans 7:7 points
out, "... I would not have known what sin
was except through the law." Romans 3:20
adds, "...through the law we become
conscious of sin." The function of the law is
to reveal God's standard of moral behavior.
It graphically underlines our guilt in not
living up to that standard. Thus, through the
law:
 ...every mouth may be silenced and
the whole world held accountable
to God. (Romans 3:19)

Looking into the perfect righteousness of

the law, every man, woman, and child is
condemned. The law demands perfect
obedience, unblemished righteousness and
unswerving allegiance to the principles of
God's kingdom. For Paul, to be "under law"
meant to attempt, by his own power and
strength and through the merits of his works,
to save himself. This, Paul correctly declares,
is impossible (Romans 3:23-28), To be
under grace means to accept the provisions
made available by Jesus Christ on Calvary
for our salvation. It means by faith to accept
the fact that it is impossible to save
ourselves. Christ died in our behalf! His
sacrifice was for us! Through His death, we
can live.
According to Paul, there were two
systems: the "law system" and the "grace
system". The law system holds up a
standard which human beings, in their own
strength, cannot possibly adhere to. The
grace system provides both pardon for the
past and power for the present through
Jesus Christ. Paul emphatically denies that
Jesus' death does away with the necessity of
obedience. He concludes his magnificent
discussion of grace in Romans 3 by declaring:

Do we, then, nullify the law by this

faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold
the law. (verse 31)

The apostle could not have made it

plainer. He answers our question. But, does
God's grace do away with the law? Human
religious leaders may answer, "yes." The
apostle settles it with these words, "Not at
all!" Does God's grace do away with the
necessity of Sabbath obedience. No more
than it does away with the commandments
which say, "You shall not murder. You shall
not commit adultery. You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against
your neighbor." Logic demands that if the
sinner saved by grace lovingly observes nine
of the ten commandments, he or she will
observe all ten as a sign of obedience to
their Lord.

Question #3: Does the apostle Paul state

that the Ten Commandments were nailed to
the Cross?
Answer: The passage under question is
Ephesians 2:15. Let's read it:

...by abolishing in his flesh the law

with its commandments and
regulations. His purpose was to
create in himself one new man out
of the two, thus making peace...

The specific laws or points under

discussion are the "regulations." The Ten
Commandment law is God's eternal,
unchangeable code of ethics. It is the
foundation of His government. It specifically
defines our relationship to God and our
fellow human beings. In this text, Paul is
concerned that the regulations or ordinances
which God gave to Israel as an identifying
sign foreshadowing the coming of the
Messiah were becoming barriers in the
accomplishment of the church's mission.
These ordinances, such as circumcision, the
ceremonial washing of cups and pots, the
yearly feasts, and the sacrificial system,
were specifically designed by God to prepare
Jewish minds for the coming of the Messiah.
Perverting the meaning of these symbols,
many Jews assumed the symbol itself had
merit. Instead of focusing on the meaning of
the symbol, they looked to the outer
performance of the ritual as virtuous.
Consequently, these ordinances became
barriers between themselves and the
Gentiles who did not participate in them.
When Christ came, the sacrificial system
which foreshadowed His coming was fulfilled.
The Gentiles, who were "separate from
Christ", "excluded from citizenship in Israel,"
and "foreigners to the covenants of the
promise", were brought "near" through
Christ's blood. (Ephesians 2:12,13). The
"dividing wall of hostility," (Ephesians 2:14,
15) or the set of rules and regulations given
exclusively to Israel and designed to point
forward to the coming Messiah, was broken
down. Christ had come! All of the sacrificial
services and ordinances had pointed forward
to the cross. And at the cross, Jews and
Gentiles discovered mercy and forgiveness.
In Christ, all of us find pardon for the past
and power to live righteously in the present.
So, what was done away with at the
cross? Certainly not God's eternal,
immutable, unchangeable standard of
morality. His Ten Commandment law.
Rather, at the cross, the laws contained in
the ordinances given exclusively to the Jews
were done away with. These regulations met
their complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Question #4: Since Jesus declared that the

greatest of all the commandments is love,
do we have to be concerned with keeping
the Ten Commandments as long as we love
God and our fellow human beings?
Answer: A lawyer fired his straight-forward
questions at Jesus. Attempting to ensnare
Him, he skeptically asked 'Teacher, which is
the greatest commandment in the Law?"
(Matthew 22:36). Jesus response, born of
heavenly wisdom, sets the matter straight:
 "Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind' This is the
first and greatest commandment.
And the second... 'Love your neigh­
bor as yourself.' All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two
commandments. (Matt. 22:37-40)

What most people do not recognize

about Jesus' answer is that He is quoting
directly from the Old Testament. The lawyer
who asked Jesus should have known the
answer to his own question. He was a
student, not of civil law, but of sacred divine
law. He had spent his life studying the Old
Testament. Thus, Jesus quoted the
summary of the law as given in
Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Deuteronomy
6:5 succinctly declares:

Love the Lord your God with all your

heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength.
 Leviticus 19:18 adds, "...love your
neighbor as yourself' (last part). Certainly
Jesus was not introducing anything new! If
we were to reduce the law to one word, the
word is love. In two phrases, the law is "love
God" and "love your neighbor."
The Ten Commandment law simply
summarizes how a perfectly loving person
responds. This Is why Jesus concludes the
discussion by declaring in Matthew 22:40,
"All the Law and the Prophets hang on these
two commandments." Love is the fulfilling,
not the annulling, ofthe law (Romans 13:10).
The law reveals how the loving person will
respond in concrete, specific human
situations. Love is not some vague, ethereal,
sentimental emotion. It is obediently
responding to God's will as manifest in His
laws. Love is faithfully accepting God's
principles of life as manifest in the Ten
Commandments. Love always leads to
obedience, never to disobedience. This is
precisely why Jesus instructs, "If you love
me, you will obey what I command" John
14:15.
Question #5: Does the apostle Paul teach
that we shouldn't judge one another regard­
ing the Sabbath and that it is unnecessary to
keep the Sabbath? Isn't it all a matter of
individual conscience and opinion?

Answer: That's certainly a good question.

In answering it, there is an important Biblical
principle to keep in mind. As we study the
no Bible, we should always allow what is
obvious to explain what is not so obvious.
We should not disregard a hundred clear
texts on a specific topic because of one or
two which may be initially difficult to under-
stand.
With that in mind, let's review the text in
question, Colossians 2:13-17. Paul writes:

When you were dead in your sins

and in the uncircumcision of your
sinful nature. God made you alive
with Christ. He forgave us our sins
(verse 13), having canceled the
written code, with its regulations,
that was against us and that stood
opposed to us; he took it away,
nailing it to the cross (verse 14).
 And having disarmed the powers
and authorities, he made a public
spectacle of them, triumphing over
them by the cross (verse 15).
Therefore do not let anyone judge
you by what you eat or drink, or,
with regard to a religious festival, a
New Moon celebration or a Sabbath
day (verse 16). These are a shadow
of the things that were to come; the
reality, however, is found in Christ,
(verse 17)

What does Paul mean when he says,

"...do not let anyone judge you...with regard
to a... Sabbath day" (verse 16)? Let's
explore it. In verse 13 Paul writes that
through Jesus we are raised from spiritual
death to spiritual life. Jesus died so we can
live. Inverse 14, the expression "canceled
the written code, with its regulations" comes
from the Greek expression meaning "bond of
indebtedness." It is the equivalent of our
expression "an I owe you."
If I borrow $500 from you, my I.0.U.
with my signature at the bottom indicates
my debt to you. In the same way, we owe a
debt of perfect rightness to the law of God.
Failure to live up to the high standard of
God's law means death (Romans 6:23). We
"all have sinned" (Romans 3:23); therefore,
we all deserve to die. But Jesus lived a
perfect life— the life we should have lived.
He also died a painful death— the death we
deserve to die. In other words. He paid our
debt. He paid the IOU. So we are free from
the condemnation of the law which we have
broken (Romans 8:1).
The Old Testament sacrificial system,
with its lamb offerings, was a visible
manifestation of this bond of
indebtedness— the path through the
sanctuary was and is a blood-stained path
(Hebrews 9:22; Leviticus 17:11). But Paul
writes that "in Christ" the sacrificial system
met its fulfillment (Colossians 2:16, 17). All
sacrificial regulations pointing forward to the
coming of Christ passed away. Paul
emphatically proclaims that, "These are a
shadow of the things that were to come; . .
" (verse 17).
So, the Sabbath days Paul writes about
In verse 16 must refer to those Sabbath
days which are a shadow of things to come.
The logical question then is, which Sabbath
days is Paul talking about? Are there two
kinds of Sabbaths? Is there a Sabbath which
points forward to something?
As we have already discovered, the
seventh-day Sabbath of God's Ten
Commandment law is not a shadow of
something to come. Rather, it is a memorial
of something which has already occurred—
Creation. The commandment states:

Remember the Sabbath day by

keeping it holy. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the
seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God. (Exodus 20:8-10)

Verse 11 clearly gives the reason for

God's command. It says:

For in six days the Lord made the

heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, but he rested on
the seventh day. Therefore the Lord
 blessed the Sabbath day and made
it holy.

The seventh-day Sabbath is a perpetual

memorial to the truth of creation. It reminds
us that we did not evolve. God created us. It
is because He is Creator and we are
created that He is worthy of our worship.
Since the Sabbath of the Ten Command­
ment law is a memorial of something that
happened previously, what Sabbath could
Paul be writing about?
In Hebrews 10:1, Paul writes:

The law is only a shadow of the

good things that are coming—not
the realities themselves. For this
reason it can never, by the same
sacrifices repeated endlessly year
after year, make perfect those who
draw near to worship.

In this text Paul is writing about the law

of sacrifices. Ezekiel 45:15-18 reveals that
meat offerings, drink offerings, new moon
feasts, holy days, and ceremonial
Sabbaths are part of the sacrificial law
which pointed forward to the coming of the
Messiah. So there is another type of Sabbath
referred to in the Bible.
In Leviticus 23, both types of Sabbaths
are mentioned. Throughout the chapter.
God instructs Moses about the feasts and
sacred assemblies the Israelites are to
observe. In verse 3, God reminds Moses
about the seventh-day Sabbath of God's Ten
Commandment law— it is to be a weekly
Sabbath, a "day of sacred assembly." The
rest of the chapter records the annual
ceremonial feasts God wanted the Israelites
to celebrate. There are seven: Passover,
Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Wave Sheaf,
the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atone­
ment, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Let's briefly examine these feasts. The
Jewish agricultural calendar was divided into
two seasons— spring and fall. Thus, there
were spring feasts and fall feasts. The
Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and
Wave Sheaf were spring feasts. The Feast of
Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the
Feast of Tabernacles were fall feasts. The
spring feasts were designed by God to point
forward to the first coming of Jesus. The fall
feasts pointed foiward to events beyond
Jesus' first coming— His Second Coming.
However, the important point is that
throughout Leviticus 23 there are several
references to these feasts as a "sabbath."
For example, Leviticus 23:4 describes the
Feast of Trumpets as a "sabbath-rest"
(NKJV). More modern translations refer to it
as a day of rest (the original Hebrewword
used is "Shabbath"). Verse 32 commands
that the Day of Atonement "shall be a
sabbath of rest." Since the Feast of
Trumpets was celebrated on the first day of
the seventh month and the Day of
Atonement on the tenth day of the same
month, both days could not possibly be the
seventh-day Sabbath of the Ten
Commandment law.
Leviticus 23:37 helps us distinguish
between them. It says:

These are the Lord's appointed

feasts, which you are to proclaim as
sacred assemblies for bringing
offerings made to the Lord by fire—
the burnt offerings and grain
 offerings, sacrifices and drink of­
ferings required for each day. These
offerings are in addition to those for
the Lord's Sabbaths and in addition
to your gifts and whatever you have
vowed and all the freewill offerings
you give to the Lord.

The Israelites were to observe these

feasts or regulations in addition to the
seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord. These
feasts pointed forward to the coming
Messiah. When Jesus came they were
fulfilled.
Thus, Paul was in essence saying, "...do
not let anyone judge you by what you eat or
drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a
New Moon celebration, or even the seven
annual Sabbaths which all are part of the
sacrificial system and point forward to the
coming of Christ. They are shadows of
things to come. But the body is Christ."
Certainly, he makes no attempt to do away
with the seventh-day Sabbath of God's Ten
Commandment law.
Question #6: If the Sabbath is God's
special day, why don't the great religious
leaders of our world keep it?

Answer: It may surprise you, but this

question has been asked before (at least
one version of it). Let's examine it. In John
7:46-48 the conversation is recorded:

'No one ever spoke the way this

man does/ the guards declared.
'You mean he has deceived you
also?* the Pharisees retorted. 'Has
any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
believed in him?'

Evidently, the officers of the temple were

impressed with Jesus' teachings. In an effort
to squelch their interest, the Pharisees told
them, "Don't be deceived. Walt for the
religious leaders. If Jesus is the Messiah
they will inform you! They will be the first to
know." Yet, it was these religious leaders,
supposed students of Scripture, who
rejected the teachings of Jesus and
ultimately nailed Him to the Cross.
It is interesting to note that there were
three classes of religious leaders in Christ's
day. First, there were those who were
ignorantly blind. These leaders did not reject
the Messiah consciously. At the same time,
they did not fully comprehend who He was
(see especially James 4:17; Acts 17:30).
Second, there were those who were
willingly blind. This group sensed who Jesus
was but were unwilling to make the changes
necessary to follow Him. Jesus did not meet
their selfish expectations of the Messiah
(John 9:41). John writes that "they loved
praise from men more than praise from
God" (John 12:43). Third, there were the
honest-hearted religious leaders who were
seeking the truth. This group worked behind
the scenes to influence the other leaders
favorably towards Jesus. Both Nicodemus
and Joseph of Arimathea belonged to this
group. Many in this group took a bold public
stand for Christ. After His death and the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of
Pentecost, the author of Acts writes:

So the word of God spread. The

number of disciples in Jerusalem
 increased rapidly, and a large
number of priests became obedient
to the faith. (Acts 6:7)

Today there are also three classes of

religious leaders: the ignorantly blind, the
willingly blind and the honest-hearted truth
seekers. Many in this last group are as yet
undecided. But soon, under the influence of
God's Spirit, they will make a decided
response for truth.
However, the important thing to keep in
mind is that God does not ask, "What did
your religious leaders do?" Instead, God
says that "each of us will give an account of
himself to God" (Romans 14:12), and that
"we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ..." (II Corinthians 5:10).
My friend, each of us has a personal
responsibility to God. It matters not what
the religious leaders of our day do. It
matters only how you and I respond to
God's truth. If God has personally convicted
you regarding the truth of His Sabbath, then
it is at the peril of your own soul to hesitate.
When God reveals truth, how will you
respond?
Question #7: Paul writes in Romans,
chapter 14, that the true Christian does not
need to "consider one day more sacred than
another" (Romans 14:5, 6). Is he referring
to the Sabbath? Or some other day?
Answer: This text has been a source of
confusion for many. It doesn't need to be.
Let's examine it in full. Paul writes:

One man considers one day more

sacred than another; another man
considers every day alike. Bach one
should be fully convinced in his own
mind. He who regards one day as
special, does so to the Lord. He who
eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he
gives thanks to God; and he who
abstains, does so to the Lord and
gives thanks to God. (Romans 14:5,
6)

Let's notice first what the text does not

say. Two questions will aid in our analysis.
Does the text say anything about the
Sabbath? Does it say anything about
worship? Clearly the answer is no. The
writer suggests giving thanks to God, but
does not mention the Sabbath, or worship of
God. So, it would be dangerous to assume
this text is referring to the Sabbath. What
then is the text about? What day is it
referring to? Whose value of a day does the
text discuss?
The text is quite plain. It says:

One man considers one day more

sacred than another; another man
considers every day alike.

Paul is writing about how man exalts one

day above another. The passage does not
mention the Sabbath or worship or the
command of God— only man's personal
estimate of a day. Therefore, Paul is
obviously discussing a matter of human
option rather than a divine command written
with the finger of God on tables of stone.
The first verse of the chapter gives us
the key. Paul writes:
 Accept him whose faith is weak,
without passing judgment on dis­
putable matters. (Romans 14:1)

Paul is writing to those who are in the

faith about those who are weak in faith. He
advises the strong in faith to refrain from
passing judgment on "disputable matters" or
matters of opinion.
One of these matters of opinion was the
appropriateness of eating meat offered to
idols (please see I Corinthians 8). Much of
the meat sold in the marketplace had been
offered to the idols worshipped by the seller.
There were some conscientious Jewish
Christians who believed that eating meat
offered to idols was as bad as idolatry itself.
Many became vegetarians, not to protect
their physical health, but to avoid spiritual
defilement. This issue became a point of
contention in the church at Rome.
In addition to the meat issue, some still
believed there was inherent righteousness in
fasting (Luke 18:12). This group fasted on
certain days. Others, who did not fast on
these days, were looked down upon. Paul
writes, "One man considers one day more
sacred than another;.." (Romans 14:5), and
also:

He who regards one day as special,

does so to the Lord. He who eats
meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives
thanks to God; and he who abstains,
does so to the Lord and gives
thanks to God. (verse 6)

Some of the Jewish Christians were

continuing to strictly adhere to their former
fast days. Their "faith was weak." They
judged others by their own standard and it
caused a division in the church. This division
was over human non-essentials, not
doctrinal essentials. The apostle Paul set the
record straight:
"If you decide to fast, fine, but don't judge
everybody else by your choice."
Paul's main concern is about individuals
who divide the church over matters of
human opinion, not matters of divine law.
Recall how he vigorously affirmed:
 ...so then, the law is holy, and the
commandment is holy, righteous and
good. (Romans 7:12)

He states clearly, "through the law we

become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20),
and "I would not have known what sin was
except through the law" (Romans 7:7). Then
he adds:

Do we, then, nullify the law by this

faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold
the law. (Romans 3:31)

Paul's position on the law is clear. And

certainly, in Romans 14, Paul is not contra­
dicting everything he has stated before in
the book of Romans. No amount of human
personal opinions are worth dividing the
church, ever!

Question #8: When does the Sabbath

begin? Does the Bible give us any clues
about how to keep the Sabbath?
Answer: From the earliest times the faithful
people of God have observed the Sabbath
from sundown Friday night to sundown on
Saturday. This practice was followed by the
Israelites throughout the Old Testament It is
rooted in the creation story in Genesis 1.
Describing the day. Genesis declares, "And
there was evening, and there was
morning— the first day" (Genesis 1:5). This
phrase is repeated throughout chapter 1 in
reference to each day of Creation. The
Gospel of Mark affirms:

That evening (after the Sabbath) after

sunset the people brought to Jesus
all the sick and demon-possessed.
(Mark 1:32)

God does not use a Rolex watch to time

the days. Instead, He uses the celestial
bodies He placed in the universe during
Creation.
In the Bible, the dark part of the day
precedes the light part. How wonderful our
God is. He allows us to rest before we work.
It's after the darkness that the light comes.
After rest comes labor. The Bible Sabbath
begins at sunset. What a joy to welcome in
God's Sabbath with prayer and rejoicing
each Friday evening at sunset. It is God's
plan that each of us do this each week.
What clues does the Bible give us about
how to keep the Sabbath? God has designed
the Sabbath to be the happiest day of our
week. Therefore He's given us specific
Biblical guidelines to preserve the sacred­
ness and beauty of the Sabbath.
God's purpose for us on the Sabbath is
threefold. First, He desires that the Sabbath
be a day of spiritual worship and praise
(please see Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:2;
Luke 4:16). Second, He has designed the
Sabbath to be a day of physical rest (see
Exodus 20:8-11). Third, God has intended
for the Sabbath to be a day of fellowship
with one another, especially our families. It
is also to be a day of blessing to other
people (Matthew 12:8). The Bible says that
all secular employment should be finished
before the Sabbath begins (Exodus 20:8-11).
It also declares that all purchases should be
made before the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:15-
18). Anything which would take our minds
from the things of eternity should be set
aside for the deeper joy and greater
pleasure that we find in Christ on the
Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13, 14). We can look
forward to each Sabbath as a special time of
joy and fellowship with Jesus Himself. He is
looking forward and longing for you to have
the experience of worship with Him this very
Sabbath.

Question #9: Since Jesus rose from the

dead on the first day of the week, Sunday,
isn't it proper for Christians to worship on
that day?

Answer: The resurrection is one of the

most sublime and glorious truths of the
entire Christian church. Jesus has risen!
Death is not a long night without a morning.
The grave is not a dark pit with no light at
the end of the tunnel. Christ has conquered
death.
But, the fact that Christ rose from the
dead on Sunday does not hallow it as a day
of worship any more than the fact that His
death on Friday sanctifies Friday as a day of
worship. As we have already discovered,
those who worship on Sunday because
Jesus rose from the dead on that day do so
without any command from Jesus.
However, Jesus did specifically give two
emblems as memorials of His death and
resurrection— communion and baptism.
Communion is a symbol of His death which
occurred on that dark Friday. Paul's words
are too clear to be misunderstood:

For whenever you eat this bread and

drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord's death until he comes.
(I Corinthians 11:26)

The broken bread and unfermented juice

of the grape that are part of communion,
respectively represent the broken body and
spilt blood of our Lord. Thus He commands
that we commemorate His death through
the communion service.
Baptism is a memorial of His resurrection.
Romans 6 affirms:
 We were therefore buried with him
through baptism unto death in
order that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of
the Father, we too may live a new
life. If we have been united with
him like this in his death, we will
certainly also be united with him in
his resurrection. (verses 4 & 5)

Just as Christ died, entered the grave,

and was resurrected to new life, so the
believer is crucified with Christ. Surrendering
the old life of sin, the old self dies. Buried in
the watery grave of baptism, the believer is
resurrected to new life. We commemorate
Christ's resurrection through our baptism.
In both His life and death, Jesus kept the
Sabbath, not Sunday. Luke 4:16 reveals, "...
and on the Sabbath day he went into the
synagogue, as was his custom." As a faithful
obedient son. He worshipped the Father
each Sabbath. In death. He rested upon the
Sabbath, fully trusting His Father to raise
Him up. His closest followers waited until
after the Sabbath to embalm His body. Jesus
never gave any special endorsement to the
first day of the week. He never sanctioned
any change in His law or said one word
about the first day of the week replacing the
Holy Sabbath.
What we must realize is this: the New
Testament is absolutely silent on the change
of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in
honor of the resurrection. It's just not there.
Jesus and each of the disciples were
Sabbathkeepers. His words come echoing
down the centuries, "Now that you know
these things, you will be blessed if you do
them" (John 13:17).

A Personal Appeal

Has your heart been touched as you

have read the pages of this brief book? It is
no accident that you picked it up. The God
of heaven who loves you with an immense
love desires you to know His truth. He has
seen within you a basic honesty. Maybe you
have been a faithful Christian, living up to all
the truth God has shown you. In the
providence of God, you have read this book.
God desires you to take another step. He
desires you to follow Him more fully. Will
you tell Him today that you are willing to do
whatever He asks?
Perhaps you've wondered if it was even
possible to know the truth. Something has
been missing in your life. There has been an
emptiness inside. As you have read these
pages you believe you have discovered truth;
deep within your heart you are willing to
follow it. Whatever you surrender for Jesus,
He will replace it with the joy of His own
presence. You can safely trust Him. He
declares:

'I tell you the truth, ... no one who

has left home or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or
fields for me and the gospel will fail
to receive a hundred times as much
in this present age (homes,
brothers, sisters, mothers, children
and fields—and with them,
persecutions) and in the age to
come, eternal life* (Mark 10:29, 30)
What an investment return! Whatever we
give up for Jesus, He will return a hundred
times more.
The peace, joy and inner fulfillment we
have in following Him is incalculable. Would
you like to commit yourself to following Him
completely today? Would you like to say,
"Jesus, I am yours. My life is totally in your
hands. I am willing to trust you. Whatever
you ask me to do I shall do it"? Friend, why
not bow your head right now and pray this
simple prayer:

Dear Lord, today I surrender my

life to you. I willingly choose to follow
all of your truth. Since you are both
my Creator and Redeemer, I cast
myself at your feet in adoration and
praise.
As a sign of my immense love to you
I choose to keep your seventh-day
Sabbath by worshiping you on the day
you have set aside each week. Thank
you, Lord, for this weekly invitation to
receive directly from your hand new
spiritual power.
Lord, it is with eager anticipation
that I look forward to seeing you face
to face and continue worshiping you
each Sabbath in the earth made new.
In Jesus name. Amen.

If this prayer reflects your personal

commitment, you have just made one of the
most important decisions of your life. And
you are not alone! Millions of others who
have made this same commitment are
rejoicing together in worship each Sabbath.
Why not fellowship with them soon?