THE SABBATH A SIGN by John Matteson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 14, 1869

THE SABBATH A SIGN.

By John Matteson

“I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Eze. xx, 19, 20. “Moreover, also, I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Eze. xx, 12. “Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. . . . 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 forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Ex. xxxi, 13–17.

All will admit that God has given the Sabbath to be a sign. A sign for whom? for the wicked and unbelieving Jews? Look at those children of Abraham, ready to kill Christ. Hear his testimony concerning them: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” John viii, 44. “Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” Matt. xxiii, 32, 33. Was the Sabbath a sign between God and these wicked men, children of the devil, that they might know that God did sanctify them? What an absurdity! None but the father of lies could originate such a lie. God did not sanctify them; for they hated God, and despised his Son. Therefore the Sabbath was not a sign between God and them. To whom, then, was the Sabbath a sign? To every child of God who was sanctified through obedience to the truth.

Has God still an Israel in the earth? “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” Gal. vi, 15, 16. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Chap. iii, 29. Two reasons are given why the Sabbath should be a sign: 1. God rested on the seventh day. 2. God’s people should know that he is the God that sanctifieth them. These reasons still exist. The Israel of God still exists. Therefore the Sabbath is still a sign to God’s Israel. But if an individual should undertake to rest from labor on the seventh day, yet retaining an evil heart of unbelief, the Sabbath would be no sign to him that God did sanctify him. The very nature of this sign is such that none but saints can truly be sealed therewith. See Isa. lviii, 13, 14.

We would farther notice that the Sabbath is given to be a sign throughout their generations, “for a perpetual covenant.” Now a perpetual covenant can only be kept by perpetual generations. How long will perpetual generations last? At least to the end of the world. Proof: “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” Gen. ix, 12, 13.

Well, that is all in the Old Testament. But now if you can show me a text in the New Testament, then will I believe that the rainbow is not done away. All things are become new since Christ came, and consequently there is no rainbow now. That is all Jewish.

Profound reasoning! Do you see yonder rainbow in the cloud? That is a token, or sign, for perpetual generations. But the sign of the Sabbath of the Lord is of as long duration. As the rainbow is a token between God and the earth, so the Sabbath is a token between God and the sanctified ones, or saints, for perpetual generations. As the rainbow still shines with the same beautiful colors that God gave it, so the sanctification and blessing of God still rests upon the seventh day. And all the caviling of Sabbath-despisers, and Sabbath-breakers, has not in the least dimmed the halo of glory which shines about the fourth commandment.

The terms, sign, and seal, are synonymous. Rom. iv, 11. The 144,000 of Rev. xiv, are evidently those who escape from the deception and destruction of the two-horned beast; those who would not worship the beast, nor his image, nor receive the mark. For they are introduced in immediate connection with the same. You will find all through the Revelation two classes of people introduced. In many places the wicked are pictured out with the judgments falling upon them; and immediately thereafter, the other class is introduced, who escape from said judgments, rejoicing in their victory. See Rev. vi, 14–17; vii; Rev. xiii, 11–18; xiv, 1–5; Rev. xiv, 14–20; xv, 2–4; Rev. xviii; xix, 1–9.

We have already proved that the Sabbath is the sign, or seal, of God. This is farther evident because the fourth commandment is the only one in God’s law of ten commandments which brings to view the name, or authority, of God, maker of heaven and earth, and all that in them is. All his intelligent creatures, therefore, are under obligation to obey said commandment, as well as the rest. But most people refuse to obey, because they love the world more than God, and are in rebellion against his government. Yet there is a remnant in the last days, who, warned by the third angel’s message, refuse to worship the beast and receive his mark. They keep the commandments of God. Rev. xiv, 9–12. Hence they observe the Sabbath of the Lord, and consequently have the sign, token, or seal, of God—the name of the Father written in their foreheads.

So likewise are the 144,000 of Rev. vii and xiv, sealed with the seal of the living God, or have the Father’s name written in their foreheads. How came it there? By chance? No, indeed! They remembered the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Will the observance of a few Sabbaths, and then ceasing, bring the name there? No! But every Sabbath lawfully observed in the fear of God, marks the name of God more and more indelibly in the mind; writes his law in the heart. Angels of God encamp round about them that fear him. When the saints of God are carefully watching, sending up earnest petitions, pleading and agonizing with God, the angel, with the seal of the living God, performs his work. Deeper and deeper is the Father’s name engrafted in the mind. Brighter shines the light of truth from the heavenly sanctuary. Higher burns the flame of holy love, kindled by the oil of Heaven, fresh from the warm heart of our compassionate Redeemer. And if we endure unto the end, and finally come off victorious, that holy name will never, never be blotted out from the forehead. It will be ours to fear, worship, and love God to all eternity.

How did God’s name come in their foreheads? By chance? No, indeed! Heartfelt repentance, honest confessions, carefully watching, instant in prayer, careful and daily cultivation of hope, faith, love, obedience, struggles, such as God only knows, brought it there. Yet all these graces we obtained through the free gift and infinite love of our Heavenly Father, through the awful sufferings and spotless life of our blessed Redeemer. God is good. God is love. Struggle on, dear brother, sister. Do not give up the warfare before the seal of the living God shines with heavenly luster in your foreheads, at the coming of Jesus.

The 144,000 are living contemporary with the remnant who keep the commandments. They are living when there are many corrupt churches, for they were not defiled with women. This cannot mean literal women, for literal virgins cannot be defiled with literal women. Therefore they must be symbolic. A virgin is a symbol of a pure church. 2 Cor. xi, 2. A corrupt woman is a symbol of a fallen church. Rev. xvii. These virgins, then, are God’s people, who leave the fallen churches, and are purified from their sins. They cannot be individuals who never sinned, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. iii, 23. They must, therefore, be the very ones who hearken to the call, “Come out of her, my people,” and consequently identical with the remnant who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” They are the living saints at the second coming of Christ, for they are “redeemed from the earth,” and “from among men.” The Scriptures recognize twelve tribes in the Israel of God. James i, 1; Rev. xxi, 12. They sing before the throne of God with mighty voices, harping on their harps. Chap. xiv, 2, 3. The very place where the saints, who gain the victory over the beast and his mark, stand on the sea of glass before the throne of God, having the harps of God. Chap. iv, 6; xv, 2. They sit on thrones with Christ, and with the martyrs, who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, during the 1000 years’ Judgment. Rev. xx, 4.

Thus we see that the Sabbath as a sign or seal of God, continues, even to the last generation. It is God’s name or memorial, that his saints may remember God, and know that he doth sanctify them. “This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all

generations.” Ex. iii, 15. What is his name? “I am that I am”—the self-existing God, the Creator of all things—the name brought to view in the fourth commandment. “Thy name, O Lord, endureth forever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.” Ps. cxxxv, 13. How long is that? As long as God’s dominion shall endure. “Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.” Ps. cxlv, 13.

May the Lord help you, dear reader, to remember God’s memorial, walking in the fear of God and the love of Jesus; and may you secure to yourself the seal of the living God, that you may live forever under his dominion, and be honored with an everlasting name in the kingdom of our God.

JOHN MATTESON.