The Signs of the Times, vol. 13
“The Place of the Sabbath in the Third Angel’s Message” The Signs of the Times 13, 48, pp. 760, 761.
WE have shown that the third Angel’s Message alone presents to the world the truth, the love of which is to save men from being deceived by the lying wonders of Satan; that the truth of this message alone will develop in those who receive the Lord of it, the righteousness which will shield them from the “deceivableness of unrighteousness,” which Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders” in them that receive no the love of it. This message calls upon all men to “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” while Satan’s whole endeavor is by whatever means he may employ, to keep all people from doing this. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.1
Although it is universally true that Satan is engaged always in deceiving men and seducing them from the truth of God on every conceivable point, yet there are in the Third Angel’s Message two main points, above all others, against which all of Satan’s power will be employed, and all his signs and lying wonders will be wrought to deceive men into receiving a counterfeit of each instead of the true, and into believing a lie instead of the truth. These two points are: (1) The Sabbath of the fourth commandment; and (2) the coming of the Lord. Inseparably connected with these main points there are to others; with the first, the obligation of the ten commandments as a whole; and with the second, life and immortality only through faith in Christ. Through opposition to these Satan will largely develop his deceptions, but against the first two points all his power and signs and lying wonders will culminate. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.2
That the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the pivot upon which turns the controversy of the Third Angel’s Message is clear both by the Scripture and by the facts in the case. The three messages of Revelation 14:6-12 are not three distinct and separate messages, so that each one is fully given and past before the next one begins. But rather they are cumulative, the second blending its voice with the first, and the third blending its “loud voice” with the other two, thus making what might be termed a threefold message rather than three distinct messages. Yet they are properly termed first, second, and third, because there is this order in their rise. The first warns of the hour of God’s Judgment come, and calls upon men to worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Then there follows another, announcing the result of the rejection of the first. And then the third angel follows them, warning against the evil which is developed through the “fall” announced by the second, in consequence of the rejection of the first. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.3
The first carries “the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nations, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” When this message, which would have healed Babylon, was rejected, then there followed another, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” etc. Out of this “fall” there grows the image of the beast and the worship of the beast and his image; therefore “the third angel followed them, saying with a loud 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, which is poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” The first angel speaks of the hour of God’s Judgment come. And since “as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:12, 16), therefore the third angel follows close upon this, saying, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will fit men to stand in the Judgment. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.4
The first message calls the attention of all men to the Judgment of God, and tells them that its time is come; and the third message follows, telling all men what to do that they may meet the Judgment in peace, that is, “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.5
The first message calls upon men to worship God. They refuse, and are led to worship the beast and his image instead. Then the third angel follows, not only warning against the worship of the beast and his image, but also telling them what they must do to worship God, that is, “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.6
The First Angel’s Message commands men specifically to “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” The Third Angel’s Message calls men specifically to “keep the commandments of God.” Now is there any part of the commandments of God that points specifically to “Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters”? There is decidedly. Let us read: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, ... 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.” Therefore as the first message commands men specifically to “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters;” and as the third message, following, calls men to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; and as the fourth commandment, through the Sabbath of the Lord, points specifically to “Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters;” therefore it is certain that in the time of the Third Angel’s Message every nation and kindred and tongue and people will be called to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, and so to “worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters,” and escape the worship of the beast and his image. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.7
The keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord—the seventh day—is the sign that those who do so worship the true God. “Hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 20:20. And it is the sign that he is the true God, because it is the sign that he made heaven and earth and all things that are therein. “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Now as the one great question, above every other, of the Third Angel’s Message is whether men will worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters or whether they will worship the beast and his image; and as the keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord is the sign that those who do keep it do worship Him that made heaven and earth; and as the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord; therefore it certainly follows that the keeping of the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord is the one point above every other that distinguishes the worshipers of Him that made heaven and earth from the worshipers of the beast and his image, and is the pivot upon which the Third Angel’s Message turns. SITI December 15, 1887, page 760.8
So much for the Scripture proofs; now for the proofs from the other side of the controversy. SITI December 15, 1887, page 761.1
J.