Chapter
95
Sabbath Reform
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Speaking of
those who substitute a man made commandment for one of God's commandments, what
kind of worship does Christ say they render?
"But in vain they do worship Me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. 15:9.
Concerning what
commandment did Christ reprove the Pharisees on that occasion?
"For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother; ...but ye say,
Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever
thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he
shall be free." Matt. 15:4-6.
What was the
result of their course?
"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your
tradition." Matt. 15:6.
What question
did the disciples soon afterward ask Christ concerning what He had said?
"Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after
they heard this saying?" Matt. 15:12.
What answer did
the Saviour make?
"But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father hath
not planted, shall be rooted up." Matt. 15:13.
Where and by
whom was the Sabbath of the fourth commandment planted?
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath
day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:11.
Who claims to
have planted the Sunday institution?
"Question - Has the church power to make any alterations in the
commandments of God?
"Answer - Instead of the seventh day, and other festivals appointed by the
old law, the church has prescribed the Sundays and holy days to be set apart for
God's worship; and these we are now obliged to keep in consequence of God's
commandment, instead of the ancient Sabbath." Catholic Christian
Instructed, page 204, ed. Kelly, Piet and Co., Baltimore.
When is
salvation to be brought to the people of God?
"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5 (Isa. 25:9) (Isa.
35:4).
When God's
salvation is near to come, and the advent doctrine is being preached, for what
will God pronounce a blessing on the people?
"My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it;
that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any
evil." Isa. 56:1, 2.
Is this promise
to be confined to the Jews at that time?
"Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to
serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone that
keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them
will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of
prayer." Isa. 56:6, 7.
What other
promise has He given to the Gentiles who will then keep the Sabbath?
"Even unto them will I give in Mine house and within M¥ walls a place
and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting
name, that shall not be cut off." Isa. 56:5.
NOTE. - It is evident from
these scriptures that in the last days, when men are waiting for the Saviour to
appear, there will be a call for those who really love the Lord to separate
themselves from the world by observing the Lord's Sabbath.
What does God
call upon His ministers to say to His professed people at this time?
"Cry aloud, and spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My
people their transgression, and
the house of Jacob their sins." Isa. 58:1.
After speaking
of their lack of devotion in certain directions, and offering a corrective, what
other wrong does He point out and offer a remedy for?
"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing
thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honorable; and
shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor
speaking thine own words." Isa. 58:13.
NOTE. - The Sabbath of
Jehovah is not now, by the majority, called holy and honorable. It is by many
stigmatized as "Jewish." The prophet undoubtedly saw how this would be
in this age, and was moved to speak as he did because of this. "Turn away
thy foot from the Sabbath." This is a strong expression to show that many
would trample upon God's day, and do their own pleasure upon it, instead of
seeking God's honor.
To those who
will have courage to heed the appeal here given, what does the Lord promise?
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to
ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob
thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. 58:14.
And what will
those be called who turn from their transgressions?
"And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of
paths to dwell in." Isa. 58:12.
What does
another prophet say that God's professed teachers will do?
"Her priests have violated My law, and
have profaned Mine holy things; they have put no difference between the holy and
profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean,
and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among
them." Eze. 22:26.
What does He say
they have done to maintain their theories?
"And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar,
seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God,
when the Lord hath not spoken." Eze. 22:28.
What does the
Lord say will become of this wall thus daubed with untempered mortar?
"Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall
fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall
fall; and a stormy wind shall rend." Eze. 13:11.
When are these
hailstones to fall?
"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen
the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
against the day of battle and war?" Job 38:22, 23.
Under which of
the seven last plagues will this battle take place?
"And the seventh angel poured our his vial into the air; ...and the
cities of the nations fell; ...and every island fled away, and the mountains
were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone
about the weight of a talent." Rev. 16:17-21.
In order to
prepare His people for that terrible time, what does God expect His ministers to
do?
"Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for
the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord." Eze.
13:5.
Instead of their
trying to close the breach made in God's law (the loss of the Sabbath), and to
make up the hedge, what will they do?
"They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying The Lord saith: and the
Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would
confirm the word." Eze. 13:6.
During these
closing scenes, what message will God send forth to call attention to His
commandments?
"And the third angel followed them, saying
with aloud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God... Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep
the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:9-12.
How are those of
the remnant church treated?
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with
the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17.
And when the
earth is made new, and God's people are saved therein, how often will they all
come to worship Him?
"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from
one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the
Lord." Isa. 66:23.
Will the tree of
life also be restored to the saints?
"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev.
22:14.
NOTE. - Everything pure and
holy will then be restored, and the obnoxious weed planted by the Roman Church
to take the honor of the plant started by the hand of Jehovah, will then be
rooted up. That time is near. All may now heed the word of God, and accept the
closing message of the third angel to the world, and so be counted among those
who will be called the Repairers of the breach, and the Restorers of paths to
dwell in.
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