Our Bible Reading

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 3, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 34.

Our Bible Reading

The Sabbath the Seal of God

1. Is God's law spoken of as containing a seal? "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." Isa. 8: 16.

2. What is the special use of a seal? To show the authority of the lawmaking power.

3. What are some of the essentials to every seal of an official document? The name of the individual executing the document, his official position, and the territory over which he presides.

4. Does the law of God, the Ten Commandments, contain such a seal right in the very wording of the law itself? The last five commandments do not mention God at all. The first refers to Him; and the second, the third, and the fifth each contain the name of God. But none of these give any sign of His authority, or any clue to the territory over which He rules. Hence none of these nine commandments can be said to lay any claim to containing the seal that God has placed on His law.

5. Does the fourth commandment, in addition to the name of the Lawgiver, make mention of the territory over which He rules, as well as tell the office that He holds as lawmaker? Read carefully the fourth commandment, which follows, and observe that it not only speaks of God, but tells us that He is the Creator of "heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is," and therefore He has authority to give the law. He has expressed the seal of His authority in the very law itself. The fourth commandment reads thus: "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, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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." Ex. 20: 8-11.

6. What two leading features mark the remnant of the seed of the woman, or the last part of the church that shall live just before Christ comes? "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12: 17.

7. What fearful warning is given against those who worship the beast and his image? "And 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 out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." Rev. 14: 9-11.

8. What is peculiar about the people who give this message against the beast and his image? "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14: 12.

NOTE.—The remnant, or the last part, of the church keep the commandments of God, and they are Christians, and not Jews or any other sect of that kind, for they keep also the "faith of Jesus." And those who give this last great warning against the beast and his image are also commandment keepers, and they have the "faith of Jesus." God is the Author of these plain texts that combine the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. To Him, and to Him alone, we will have to answer. Is it not wise to look carefully to see if we are really keeping God's commandments, as well as professing to have faith in His Son? The seal of His power and authority as Creator is in the fourth of His precepts.