Is it Blindness? by John H. Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 8, 1870

Is it Blindness?

By John H. Waggoner

I once heard a Methodist minister in Illinois, speaking against the observance of the Sabbath in the present dispensation, say that the direction in Matt. 24:20, proved no more in favor of observing the Sabbath, or of its sanctity, than of winter! This, I supposed, was said on the spur of the moment, but did not suppose any one would ever risk his reputation for candor or good common sense by saying it deliberately, or leaving it on record as his settled conviction. But I was mistaken. In the “North-Western Christian Proclamation,” a Disciple monthly published at Buchanan, Mich., of September, 1869, is No. 4 of a series of articles entitled, “Abolition of the Jewish Sabbath.” In answer to the objection to the writer’s view raised on the above text, he says:

“Christians were exhorted to pray that their flight from Jerusalem be not on the Sabbath-day. (Matt. 24:20.) We do not perceive that this passage demonstrates the sanctity of the Jewish Sabbath in this dispensation, more than the sanctification of the winter; for the command is that they should pray that their flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath-day.”

It is barely possible that the writer was so deeply prejudiced that he supposed the above remark was an answer to the objection; yet it does not seem probable, inasmuch as we can hardly imagine that a writer for a monthly religious journal could be so ignorant as to suppose there was a parallel between the Sabbath, and winter, in respect to sanctification. Every one who has read the Bible knows that the following presentation of facts and contrasts is correct:

God rested the seventh day from the work of creation, and adopted it as the memorial of his work. No such fact is recorded concerning winter.

God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. He did not sanctify the winter.

He commanded that we keep holy the seventh day. He surely did not command that we should so keep the winter!

He pronounced blessings on them that keep, and curses on them do not keep, the seventh day. * Nothing of the kind was ever spoken concerning winter, or any other part of the year. All these facts belong exclusively to the Sabbath, or seventh day. All are aware that the Sabbath was recognized as an existing institution in the days of our Saviour, and by our Saviour himself.

And to pass it by as parallel in respect to the above facts with winter, is merely to slur over important Scripture truth to sustain a feeble theory. Such a course may meet the approval of fellow-mortals as deeply prejudiced as themselves, but when “God shall bring every work into judgment” on the authority of “his commandments,” Eccl. 12:13, 14, such perversions of his sacred word will appear in their true light. J. H. WAGGONER.