Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 13, 1896

“Enquire, and make search, and ask diligently.”

No. 262. A Question of Days.

Will you please answer in your columns a question in regard to the following texts?

“One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Rom. 14:5.

“Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” Gal. 4:10, 11.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” Col. 2:16.

May we not very reasonably conclude from the reading of these texts, and their connections, that the observance of the Sabbath is of very little importance, if not wholly unnecessary to salvation? M. D. B.

1. Rom. 14:5 and its connection is not a discussion of a question of days, but a question of judging, or condemning, a brother. To his own master he standeth or falleth, and, despite the judgment of mortals, God is able to hold him up. Even though the text did refer to the Sabbath, it would prove nothing concerning its obligation; it would simply prove that the observer or non-observer was answerable alone to God. But at the bar of God all who have known God’s law shall be judged by the law. Rom. 2:12; James 2:8–12. But the text and context seem to make the reference to matters which of themselves made no difference, ceremonial days of the law, for example. If it should be said that the term “every day” of the text must include the Sabbath, it is sufficient to show that it does not so include in Ex. 16:4. Compare with verse 27. The “every day” meant every day of the common days given to man, of “the six working days.” Eze. 46:1. The Sabbath command is a part of God’s law, of which no jot or tittle shall pass away. See Isa. 51:6, 7; Matt. 5:17–19. The Eternal Spirit of God did not contradict through Paul what it said through Isaiah and Jesus.

2. The days and times of Gal. 4:10, 11 are heathen days and times. Read the text and context:—

“Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” Gal. 4:8–11.

Before they knew God, before the Gospel came to them, whom did they worship or serve? Answer—“Ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.” They were therefore heathen. Compare with 1 Cor. 12:2; 1 Thess. 1:9. See also Acts 14:6–18. Lycaonia was a part of Galatia. In their backsliding, what did the Galatians do? Answer—“How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” What were among the heathen observances? Answer—“Neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.” Lev. 19:26. “He reared up altars for Baal [the sun-god]. . . . He made his son pass through the fire, and observed times.” 1 Kings 21:3–6. See also Eze. 8:15, 16. The oldest and most widespread heathen worship was sun-worship, and the oldest heathen day is the Sunday, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Besides this there were monthly and yearly and other heathen feasts and festivals and holy days. The Saturnalia, from which came the Roman Christmas, the feast of Eostre, from which came our Easter, and the Sunday, are good illustrations of the perpetuity of heathen customs. When, therefore, the Galatians went back to these gods, they doubtless returned to the old feasts and festivals, with their friends. No wonder that the apostle was afraid of their conversion. This shows how early Sunday began to come into the church.

3. The context of Col. 2:16 clearly shows that the meats and drinks and fast days and sabbath days to which the apostle had reference were those which were “a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Verse 17. These yearly days, some seven in number, are mentioned in Leviticus 23, “beside the Sabbaths of the Lord.” Verse 38. All the ceremonial sabbaths pointed forward to Christ, but the eternal Sabbath of the Lord was a constant memorial and sign of Christ’s power to create, uphold, and sanctify. Ex. 20:8–11; Eze. 20:20, 12. God’s moral law is unchangeable and eternal, and his weekly Sabbath is a part of that law.

No. 263. Questions on the Millennium.

1. If the saints are in heaven during the 1,000 years, what nations or where are they that the devil can not deceive them? Do not these nations reign on this earth during the 1,000 years? for Rev. 20:3, 8 speaks of their being, after the first resurrection and before the second.

2. Rev. 2:26 says he that overcometh can have power over the nations. If the saints are in heaven, where are there any nations to rule over?

3. Rev. 5:10. How can you claim that these will reign on the new earth during the 1,000 years, as there is no new earth till the 1,000 years are finished?

4. Is not the book of life that is used after the 1,000 years are finished, of Rev. 20:15, different from the Lamb’s book of life. Rev. 21:27.

5. Are any or all the prophets the promised seed? If they are, please explain Gal. 3:16. And if not, how can they have part in the first resurrection? If they do, please explain 1 Cor. 15:22, 23. F. H. Cox.

We have space to answer the questions but briefly. For further information the reader is referred to “The Great Day of the Lord,” Bible Students’ Library, No. 65, price 5 cents, or “Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,” both published at this office. But, briefly:—

1. The nations, that is, the wicked nations of earth, are in their graves during the thousand years. All are slain at the presence of the Lord, when he shall come the second time. See Rev. 19:21; 2 Thess. 2:8; Jer. 4:23–27; Isa. 24:22. The events of Revelation 20 from beginning to end are not in chronological order. Verses 1–10 include one series; verses 11–15, another series. While the second resurrection is not mentioned, it is implied in verse 5. “The rest of the dead [those besides the righteous] lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” This, in connection with Rev. 19:21, shows that all but the righteous are dead, and implies that at the end of the thousand years (the “many days” of Isa. 24:22) the wicked dead will be raised.

2. The saints rule with Christ in judgment over the wicked dead, who live in God’s purpose till final judgment is executed. That the saints take part in this judgment is evident from 1 Cor. 4:5; 6:2, 3. The wicked come before them in the faithful records kept by angelic scribes. They are judged from the books. Rev. 20:12. The final triumph of all over the nations will be with Christ at the end of the thousand years. This is the executive phase of judgment. Psalm 149; Rev. 20:13. It is confounding the investigative portion of the judgment with the executive that causes so much confusion in respect to the thousand years of Revelation 20. In verses 1–10 we have the following events: The binding of Satan during the thousand years, at the beginning of which the righteous dead are raised, and the living wicked destroyed at Christ’s coming; the reign of the saints with Christ in the New Jerusalem, in the Father’s house; the investigative judgment of the wicked; the resurrection of the wicked; their deception by Satan; the descent of the New Jerusalem, with the saints; the destruction of sin and all allied with it. Some of these events are synchronous, or occur at the same time; some are consecutive. In verses 11–15 we have the investigative judgment in heaven, the dead standing before God in the records of their life and character (verses 11, 12); the resurrection of the wicked, and the final execution of the judgment (verses 13–15).

3. We do not claim that the saints will reign on the new earth a thousand years, but to all eternity. During the thousand years they reign with Christ in the New Jerusalem above, the future capital city of the new earth. Revelation 20 does not speak of the new earth reign. It is Rev. 5:10 which promises this; the promise will be fulfilled at the end of the great day of God’s wrath.

4. We do not understand what it is. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Rev. 20:15, however, does not say that the book of life is used after the thousand years. The fact there mentioned was ascertained previous to the end of that period. The book of life, it would seem reasonable to believe, will contain the names of the faithful to all eternity.

5. All are of the promised seed who have faith. See Gal. 3:26–29; Rom. 11:20. Every prophet who had faith in God to the end was of the promised seed. Christ is the Seed, but this includes all who are Christ’s. 1 Cor. 15:22 simply declares that through Christ all will live, irrespective of character. Death came to man in consequence of Adam’s sin; for this his descendants are not responsible, and the Lord saves from that consequence. The next verse declares that life will be given to the dead at different times, to those who are Christ’s when he comes, at the beginning of the thousand years. It will be given to the rest at the end. To our minds the above is in brief the only harmonious view.