Manuscript Releases, vol. 10 [Nos. 771-850]

MR No. 776—Sabbathkeeping in the Arctic

God rested on the seventh day, and set it apart for man to observe in honor of His creation of the heavens and the earth in six literal days. He blessed and sanctified and made holy the day of rest. When men are so careful to search and dig to see in regard to the precise period of time, we are to say, “God made His Sabbath for a round world: and when the seventh day comes to us in that round world, controlled by the sun that rules the day, it is the time, in all countries and lands, to observe the Sabbath. In the countries where there is no sunset for months, and again no sunrise for months, the period of time will be calculated by records kept.... 10MR 9.1

The Lord accepts all the obedience of every creature He has made, according to the circumstances of time in the sun-rising and sun-setting world. Obedience is the test; and all this ploughing into the intricacy of the precise minutes and hours of the Sabbath—it is the test of man's obedience to honor and glorify God. To sin, or transgression of His law, God will prove a consuming fire. [He says,] The Sabbath observance is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations forever. 10MR 9.2

When Christ, our Redeemer, came to our world, it was His mission to make men partakers of His divine nature, by bringing all men who would receive and believe and practice the obedience of Christ. They would become one with Christ, and thus be in perfect, complete harmony with the principles of the law of heaven. [By] every man and woman who will receive Christ as his personal Saviour, the law is exalted. The apostle inquires, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31). The new covenant promise is “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them” (Hebrews 10:16). 10MR 9.3

The Sabbath was made for a round world, and therefore obedience is required of the people that are in perfect consistency with the Lord's created world.—Letter 167, 1900, pp. 1-3. (To A. G. Irwin, March 23, 1900.) 10MR 10.1

White Estate

Washington, D. C.,

March 3, 1980.