191—THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH
Can you explain why Seventh-day Adventists take Saturday for the Sabbath, instead of Sunday? What proof have you that the day Seventh-day Adventists take for their Sabbath is the same specified day designed by the Lord in Exodus 20? H. M. First, Seventh-day Adventists do not take Saturday for the Sabbath, because Saturday and Sabbath are not identical. Saturday begins at midnight, and closes at midnight. The Sabbath begins at sunset of Friday, and closes with sunset of Saturday. Seventh-day Adventists do not take any day for their Sabbath, but for the Lord's Sabbath; and they take the seventh day because the Lord specifically commanded it. They know that to be the seventh day, for these reasons: (a) It is not reasonable to believe that the Lord would set apart a Sabbath, and then hide from His people the knowledge of the day. In other words, He is not so unjust as to ask them to observe a day, and then leave them without the means of knowing whether they are observing the right day or not. Consequently, He set apart the day in Eden. From that to Exodus, according to the original Bible chronology, is about twenty-five hundred years. The Sabbath may have been lost to God's people during this time, although we do not believe that it was. But we will admit that it may have been. God's people may have become confused concerning the day. But when the Lord called them out of Egypt, He did not leave that day to their own guesswork or conjecture. He revealed to them that day by the threefold weekly miracle of the fall of the manna for forty years. See the sixteenth chapter of Exodus. The manna fell six days in the week. A double portion fell on the sixth day, and none fell on the seventh day. That which fell on the sixth day would keep over the Sabbath. That which fell on another day would not keep over until the next day, but bred worms, and became corrupt. Thus God wrought this threefold miracle every week. If any went out to gather manna on the Sabbath, they found none. If they tried to keep it over from one day to another, it spoiled. If they kept it over, according to God's commandment, from the sixth day to the seventh day, it was fresh. For forty years, God marked the seventh day. Man could not at that time make any mistake concerning it. (b) From that time to our Lord's first advent is a period of about fifteen hundred years. When Jesus came, He kept the Sabbath. He found the people keeping the Sabbath; and it is said of His own disciples that when Jesus died, they kept "the Sabbath day according to the commandment." See Luke 23: 56. The commandment teaches the seventh day. It declares the seventh day to be "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." If the disciples in the time of Jesus kept the Sabbath "according to the commandment," they kept the day according to the threefold miracle of the manna for forty years. So whether man knew the correct day or not, Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, did know. He observed the day, and He left His disciples observing it. (c) From that time on to this, there has been no question among scholars of various nations regarding the day of the week. The Jews, who have been scattered in all parts of the world, are agreed as touching the seventh day. Apostasy came into the church very early, and some began to keep the heathen day of the sun, the first day of the week. That day came just after the seventh day. There has been no question in reference to this day. We have records of eclipses as far back as five hundred years B. C. Those records, compared with present astronomical records, agree there has been no loss of time, no upsetting of the days of the week. The months have been changed, the days of the month have been changed, but the week has not been changed. For instance, Russia reckons by old style, and there is about fifteen days' difference in Russia's months and our months in the date, but there is no difference so far as the day of the week is concerned. Everything indicates that we have the same reckoning. If you wish to see this amplified, send for the tract No. 114, Bible Students' Library, "The Identical Seventh Day," three cents; or the fuller representation of the Sabbath question, No. 134, "The Lord's Day the Test of the Ages," ten cents. In the first place, the Pentecost of Acts 2: 1 is a disputed point. Some scholars contend that it fell on Sunday, others that it fell on Sabbath, while others seem to think it may have fallen on Monday. It depends on the time from which one begins to count the fifty days, and there is disagreement over this. The day of the week was not the point emphasized by Inspiration. If it had been, the day of the week would have been given. Pentecost was named simply because it was the fulfillment of the type in our Lord Jesus Christ. The fact that Paul met with the disciples on the first day of the week, does not indicate that he observed the day. 1 Cor. 16: 8 has no reference to the observation of the day of Pentecost. Paul seems to have expected to go to Jerusalem and be there at Pentecost, because at that time great companies of the Jewish people would be gathered together. He did not observe Pentecost as a holy day; and the Pentecost to which he refers, in all probability fell on some other day than Sunday. The chances are about one to seven of its falling on Sunday. It fell sometimes on one day of the week, and sometimes on another day. There is absolutely nothing in the New Testament which would indicate that either the Pentecost or the first day of the week should be observed. The words of Jesus are, "Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" On the other hand, when Israel multiplied fasts and feasts themselves, and neglected the commandments of God, His word to them was, "Who hath required this at your hand?" Please explain, through the Question Corner, the dial of Ahaz in Isa. 38: 8. What is the dial of Ahaz, and how much is ten degrees? C. F. C. The dial is the first time-measuring instrument we have in the Scriptures. It may have marked off the hours. At least the day was divided into different periods, and the dial itself marked them. It seems to have come from Assyria or Babylon. We cannot tell just what shape the dial was in the days of Ahaz; but dials have been found in other places, as for instance in Hindustan, or India, the construction of which would meet the circumstances of the dial of Ahaz, so the "Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia" tells us. It was a building erected in triangular form, of some elevation at its greatest height, and with a gradual slope to the ground. At the top of this was a gnomon, or pillar, the shadow of which was cast on a circular coping, which was graduated to mark, by the shadow of the pillar above, the sun's progress both before and after noon. This was also indicated seemingly on certain steps, translated "degrees" in our Common Version — literally "steps" — in the account of the dial of Ahaz. The shadow falling one way would go down the steps of the coping; and the other way, would seemingly ascend them. The exact construction of that we do not know. The one thing we do know,—it was an instrument for measuring time. The phenomenon which then took place was doubtless miraculous, as the work above referred to says: "The phenomenon on the dial of Ahaz, however, was doubtless of a miraculous nature, even should such a medium of the miracle be admitted. Nothing less than a divine communication could have enabled Isaiah to predict its occurrence at that time and place. Besides, he gave the king his own choice whether the shadow should advance or retire ten degrees. There seems, however, to be no necessity for seeking any medium for this miracle, and certainly no necessity for supposing any actual interference with the revolution of the earth or the position of the sun." In 2 Kings 20: 11 we read that the Lord, at the prayer of Isaiah, brought the shadow ten degrees backward. To quote again: "The miracle, from all the accounts of it, might consist only of the retrogression of the shadow ten degrees by a simple act of almighty power, without any medium, or, at most, by that of refracting those rays only which fell upon the dial. It is not said that any time was lost to the inhabitants of the world at large. It was not even observed by the astronomers of Babylon, for the deputation came to inquire concerning the wonder that was done in the land. [That is, the land of Judea.] It was temporary, local, and confined to the observation of Hezekiah and his court, being designed chiefly for the satisfaction of that monarch." Just how much ten degrees are we do not know. As before remarked, it is ten degrees on that dial. Is there any statement in the Bible denying baptism to any confessing their sins, and repenting, and acknowledging Jesus the Son of God, who died and rose again for our salvation, and who is coming at His second advent to take His waiting people home? W. J. B. We know of no statement that demands more than this. "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," are the conditions laid down in God's word again and again. Acts 20: 21; Mark 1: 15. If we meet those conditions, we meet all God asks of us. Repentance means sorrow for sin, and turning from sin, as set forth in 2 Cor. 7: 10, 11; and the acceptance of Jesus Christ means the acceptance of all that He stands for — Christ the way, the truth, and the life. John 14: 6. His word is our guide, our companion. His Spirit is our power. His life is our life. More than this cannot be asked of any one. See the little tract on "Bible Baptism." 195—AMBASSADORS TO THE VATICAN
Has Germany an envoy to the Vatican? If so, what is his name? Germany did have an ambassador to the Vatican before the war broke out. We believe, however, that he left after that, not that diplomatic relations are broken with the Vatican, but on account of safety. His name we do not recall. Germany doubtless has some one there yet who looks after her affairs. We believe that at the present time, all European countries have ambassadors or representatives at the Vatican, unless it is France. While she has no regular ambassador there, she has some one there who is looking after her interests. How is the mark of the beast to be received in the hand, as mentioned in Rev. 14: 9? L. A. V. N. To be received in the forehead would evidently indicate the assent of the mind. One who would yield to the mark of the beast would be agreed in mind to it. He would accept it because he was in harmony with it. Receiving it in the hand, however, might indicate that the assent of the mind was not given, but the service was.