Chapter 8—In Defense of the Truth
Chapter 8—In Defense of the Truth
The duty to worship God is based on the fact that He is the Creator. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6; see Psalm 96:5; Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 40:25, 26; 45:18).
Revelation 14 calls people to worship the Creator and keep the commandments of God. One of these commandments points to God as the Creator: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:10, 11). The Sabbath, the Lord says, is a “sign ... that you may know that I am the Lord your God” (Ezekiel 20:20). If everyone had kept the Sabbath, it would have led them to the Creator as the object of their worship. There would never have been an idol worshiper, atheist, or unbeliever. Keeping the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to “Him that made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” The message that commands people to worship God and keep His commandments will especially call them to keep the fourth commandment.
Restoration of the Truth
Isaiah predicted Sabbath reform in the last days: “Thus says the Lord, ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.... Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:1, 2, 6, 7).
These words apply in the Christian age, as the context shows: “The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, ‘Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him’” (verse 8). This passage foreshadows the gospel’s gathering in of the Gentiles, when His servants preach the good news to all nations.
The Lord commands, “Seal the law among my disciples” (Isaiah 8:16). The fourth commandment contains the seal of God’s law. Only this commandment, of all the ten, includes both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. When the papal power tried to change the Sabbath,* this seal was removed from the law. God calls for the disciples of Jesus to restore it by exalting the Sabbath as the Creator’s memorial and sign of His authority.
Protestants now claim that Christ’s resurrection on Sunday made it the Christian Sabbath. But neither Christ nor His apostles gave any such honor to the day. Sunday observance had its origin in that “mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7) that had begun its work even in Paul’s day. What reason can anyone give for a change that the Scriptures do not authorize?
Protestants admit that “the New Testament is completely silent about any explicit command for the Sabbath [referring here to Sunday, the first day of the week] or definite rules for its observance.”1
“Up to the time of Christ’s death, there had been no change in the day”; and, “so far as the record shows, they [the apostles] did not ... give any explicit command to
*This change is described in chapter 3 of The Great Controversy.
1George Elliott, The Abiding Sabbath, p. 184.
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abandon the seventh day Sabbath, and observe it on the first day of the week.”2
Roman Catholics acknowledge that their church made the change of the Sabbath, and they declare that Protestants recognize her power by observing Sunday. They claim, “During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the Church, instructed by Jesus Christ and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first day, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord.”3
God commands, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). Those whom the Lord calls “My people” need to be told that they are breaking His law, even though they think that they are doing what is right in the service of God. But the solemn rebuke of the One who searches hearts shows that they are trampling on the divine commandments.
Here is how the prophet points out the law they have forsaken: “You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called The Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:12-14).
The “breach” in the law of God was made when the Roman power changed the Sabbath. But the time has come to repair the breach.
Adam kept the Sabbath in his innocence in Eden; he still kept it when, fallen yet repentant, he was driven from the Garden. All the patriarchs from Abel to Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob kept the Sabbath. When the Lord delivered Israel from Egypt, He proclaimed His law to the emerging nation.
True Sabbath Always Kept
From that day to now the Sabbath has been kept. Though the “man of sin” succeeded in trampling God’s holy day underfoot, yet faithful believers hidden in secret places paid it honor. Since the Reformation, some in every generation have kept it.
These truths found in Revelation 14 in connection with “the everlasting gospel” will distinguish the church of Christ at the time of His appearing. “Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
Those who received the light about the sanctuary* and the law of God were filled with joy as they saw the harmony of truth. They wanted all Christians to have the light. But many who claimed to follow Christ did not welcome truths that were out of step with the world.
When they heard the claims of the Sabbath, many said: “We have always kept Sunday, our fathers kept it, and many good Christians have died happy while keeping it. The keeping of a new Sabbath would throw us out of harmony with the world. What can a little group keeping the seventh day accomplish against all the world who are keeping Sunday?” By arguments like these the Jews justified rejecting Christ. Similarly, in the time of Luther, Romanists reasoned that true Christians had died in the Catholic faith, so
2A. E. Waffle, The Lord’s Day, pp. 186-188.
3Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion.
*See chapters 23 and 24 of The Great Controversy.
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that religion was sufficient. Reasoning like this would stand in the way of every move forward in faith.
Many argued that Sundaykeeping had been a widespread custom of the church for centuries. Against this argument others showed that the Sabbath and its observance were older still, even as old as the world itself—established by the Ancient of Days.
When they could find no Bible support, many urged: “Why don’t our great men understand this Sabbath question? Few believe as you do. It cannot be that you are right and all the educated people are wrong.”
To refute arguments like these, it was enough just to quote the Scriptures and show how the Lord had dealt with His people in all ages. The reason why He does not more often choose people of learning and position to lead out in reform is that they trust to their creeds and theological systems and feel no need for God to teach them. God sometimes calls people to preach the truth who have little formal education. He chooses them, not because they are uneducated, but because they are not too self-sufficient for God to teach them. Their humility and obedience make them great.
Faith and Courage
It was not God’s will for Israel to wander forty years in the wilderness. He wanted to lead them directly to Canaan and establish them there as a holy, happy people. But “they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19). In the same way, it was not God’s will to delay the coming of Christ so long and to have His people remain so many years in this world of sin and sorrow. Unbelief separated them from God. In mercy to the world, Jesus delays His coming so that sinners may hear the warning and find shelter before God pours out His wrath.
Now as in earlier ages, presenting the truth will stir up opposition. With evil intent, many attack the character and motives of those who defend unpopular truth. Elijah was called a troubler in Israel, Jeremiah a traitor, Paul a polluter of the temple. From then until now, those who want to be loyal to truth have been denounced as rebellious, heretical, or divisive.
The confession of faith made by true believers and martyrs, those examples of holiness and firm integrity, inspires courage in those who are now called to stand as witnesses for God. The command comes to the servant of God today, “Lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.” (Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 33:7.)
The great obstacle to accepting truth is that it involves inconvenience and criticism. This is the only argument against the truth that those who defend truth have never been able to refute. But true followers of Christ do not wait for truth to become popular. They accept the cross, agreeing with Paul that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”; and with Moses, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (2 Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 11:26).
We should choose the right because it is right, and leave consequences with God. The world is indebted to people of principle, faith, and daring for its great reforms. The work of reform for this time must be carried forward by people like that. [37] [38]