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Review and Herald, Vol. 37, No. 24.

The Day Line

Review and Herald

May 30, 1871

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 30, 1871

The Day Line.

By John Nevins Andrews

BY ELD. J. N. ANDREWS.
It has not pleased the Creator of the world that the alternations of darkness and of light should happen at the same instant to all the inhabitants of the globe. Darkness, which is ushered in by the setting of the sun, and which forms the first division of each day of the week, does not commence as early to some of the earth’s inhabitants as to others. And indeed the difference between the extreme points must be twenty-four hours, the space of time requisite for sunset to accomplish the circuit of the globe. Our reckoning of time may thus be called relative, for the commencement of each day in any place is actually governed by its distance from the point where it is sunset earliest of all.
That we have relative time, i. e., time which varies in the commencement of the days, and not absolute time, i. e., time marked by the commencement of day at the same instant the world over, is very manifest. And the existence of relative time very plainly testifies to us that there must be somewhere a day line, i. e., a line whence each day sets out on its circuit of the globe, and also where it terminates that circuit. Those who go round the world must therefore observe these remarkable things:
1. If they go east, they find that each day begins earlier, for they are traveling back on the track of day.
2. That when they have gone east to where day begins earliest of all, if they still continue their eastward course, it is necessary that they drop one day from their count, in order to be in harmony with those who live where the course of day ends.
3. If they go west, they find that each day begins later, for they are traveling forward on the track of day, and all the time increasing their distance from its source.
4. But when they have gone westward to the end of that circuit, if they still continue their journey, they strike the commencement of the course of day; and to be in harmony with those who live where day begins earliest of all, they must add one day to their count. There is therefore a day line somewhere, on one side of which each day sets out, and on the other terminates its course. The commencement of day does therefore vary as sunset journeys westward from that point; and the two sides of this day line are of necessity twenty-four hours apart, for that is the time necessary for sunset to go round our world. It is the crossing of this line alone that changes our count of the days of the week, for we may encompass all the rest of the globe without doing it. Where, then, is this line?
To answer this properly, requires that we consider all the facts which bear upon this case: 1. It must be where the east and the west come together; for it is really true that what we must recognize as the east and the west on our globe do actually meet. 2. Or to state the case in different language, it must be where the old world and the new come together, i. e., where the extreme eastern verge of the old world makes its nearest approach to the utmost western extension of the new. These propositions are reasonable in themselves, yet their force may not be apparent to all. Let us therefore examine their grounds:
1. There is somewhere in the circuit of our globe from east to west a meridian or line where each day begins its course, and at which that course ends. This has been fully shown.
2. As the daylight and the darkness, which fill up the period of each twenty-four hours, make the apparent circuit of the globe in a westward course, the circuit of day begins on the west side of that line, and terminates on its east side.
3. The west side of that meridian must therefore stand in time twenty-four hours in advance of the east side.
4. Though the existence of this line is a necessity from the method of reckoning time which God has ordained, yet the establishment of this line through an inhabited land is an impossibility. For even were such a line laid down by the express revelation of the Almighty, through an inhabited land, as it must pass through cities, villages, towns, and hamlets, and between neighbors separated only by a street, and even through houses, the perplexity and confusion from the derangement of dates would be absolutely beyond remedy. No seventh-part-of-time theory could mend the matter, even by compromise. Nor would the difficulty be confined to those who wish to keep a definite day as the Sabbath. It would involve in hopeless confusion all observance of dates in these countries through which it should pass.
5. The wisdom of God made provision for all this in the original establishment of the ocean. The waters did at first cover the whole face of the earth. But on the third day, when he caused the dry land to appear, instead of separating the waters into many bodies upon the face of the earth, he said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto ONE PLACE.” Gen. 1:9. This great gathering together of waters he called seas. “And God saw that it was good.” So the vast ocean, with its subdivisions or lesser bodies, existed as one result of the third day’s work. The mighty barrier of the ocean makes the existence of the day line possible without causing any necessary confusion in the computation of time.
6. Asia is the cradle of the human race, for there man was first placed, and after the flood the family of man had its first seat in that part of the globe. Asia, therefore, with the other divisions of the eastern continent, is justly entitled to be called the old world; and America, which has been inhabited by civilized men only a few hundred years, must be counted the new world. This distinction is not to be attributed to the will of man, but exists in the providence of God.
7. As the day line cannot be established through a continent without involving such confusion that God would disclaim it as his work (see 1 Cor. 14:33), we may be certain that it was not placed by him in the eastern continent, nor yet in the western. Such a line does exist, but as it cannot be established upon the land, and can only be drawn through a body of water, we are shut up to the conclusion that it must be found either in the Pacific Ocean, to the east of the old world, or in the Atlantic Ocean, to the west of it.
8. But to place it in the Atlantic Ocean, to the west of the old world, is to make the old world twenty-four hours behind the new world in the reckoning of the days of the week. Because each day making the circuit of the world westward must start from the west side of the day line. And it is manifestly absurd to have day begin with the new world and go thence to the old.
9. We are, therefore, necessarily brought to the conclusion that the day line must be found in the Pacific Ocean, to the east of the old world and to the west of the new. And thus the new world would receive its days as they come to it from the old world, and not the old world take the days from the new.
10. And this causes us to call attention to the remarkable fact that there is but one portion of the entire circumference of the globe, and that a very narrow strip indeed, through which a line can be drawn from north to south, and strike no habitable land. A line from north to south through the Atlantic must strike through western Africa, or through Iceland. But a line may be drawn through the Pacific Ocean, between the old world and the new, i. e., through Behring’s Straits, that does not appear to cross even a small island from the frozen regions of the north to the equally frozen regions of the south.
11. And thus it appears that the only place in nature where this day line is possible, is the very place where every reason for its existence demands that it should be located.
But do scientific men recognize the fact that there must be such a line in existence? Here are the words of an English astronomical writer:—
“If the world were habitable all round, and not divided by the Pacific Ocean, which is opposite to Europe, it would be impossible to avoid a sudden break of time somewhere, which would make the same day March 20 on one side of the boundary, and March 21 on the other side. For the days begin and end later as you go west, and earlier as you go east; and if a man could sail round the earth westward, he would find that he had lost a day in his reckoning by the sun when he came home, and that he had gained one by sailing round the world eastward, as the earth turns from west to east.”—Denison’s Astronomy, p. 36.
If day begins earlier as we go eastward, and later as we go westward, it is inevitable that if this eastward and this westward course are followed to their utmost limit, there the break of twenty-four hours must occur. And as Mr. D. indicates, this boundary line must be found in the Pacific, which ocean, in the providence of God, saves mankind from the absolute and irremediable confusion that would exist were this line to be established upon the land, as it must be “if the world were habitable all round.” It is true that the circumnavigation of the globe involves a change of one day in our numbering of the days of the week. But it is very worthy of notice that we may make this entire circuit of the globe either east or west, with the exception of crossing that part of the Pacific through which this boundary line is drawn, and our count of the days remain unchanged. Though day will begin to us earlier or later, according as we go east or west, i. e., according as we follow back on the track of day toward its source, or forward on that track toward its end; yet we shall at every meridian have the correct reckoning of the day, and be in harmony with the people across whose countries we may travel. But when we come to where the beginning and the end of the course of day meet, we must recognize that fact by changing our numbering of the days.
The west shore of the Pacific, i. e., the east coast of Asia, is universally recognized as one day in advance of the east shore of the Pacific, i. e., the west coast of America. Yet it seems that this has hardly been carried to its legitimate result in determining the day line; for this would of necessity place it in the longitude of Behring’s Straits; but English navigators seem to have been governed, in part at least, in the determination of this line by the purpose to place it just opposite (i. e., just half way round the world from) the observatory at Greenwich, England, from which longitude east and west is very generally reckoned. Though the location of Greenwich has nothing to do in authoritatively settling this question, yet it so happens that one-half way round the world, either east or west from G., or longitude 180° east or west from G., does not vary very far from the meridian of the day line drawn through Behring’s Straits. So that practically the navigator in changing at the meridian does not involve himself in a mistake that affects his subsequent reckoning. For the line which we urge as that from which the day sets out on its westward circuit of the globe is about 168 degrees west from Greenwich, while that adopted by English navigators, and by sea-faring men in general, is the meridian of 180 degrees either east or west from G., being exactly half way round the globe from G. Navigators are constrained to acknowledge the existence of this day line in the Pacific, because of one most palpable fact; viz., that the people of eastern Asia are one day in advance of those in western America. The day line does, therefore, divide the Pacific ocean from north to south somewhere between the shores of Asia and America. But though the meridian of 180 degrees from Greenwich is convenient to the navigator because it is just half way round the world from the royal observatory at G., from which longitude by a very general custom is reckoned, and though this comes within a few degrees of that meridian which the Creator manifestly designed for the day line, and in most respects answers the seaman’s purpose, yet we cannot but call attention to the facts which show that this is not the true line. This line of 180 would cause the day line to cross the eastern part of Asia, from north to south, for several hundred miles. But such a line cannot be established through a habitable land. We cannot therefore rightly draw it through eastern Asia, nor through western America. But we can draw it from north to south between them, and here is where it should be, for here the old world and the new, or the east and the west, come together. And it is a fact, which the choice of man has had nothing to do in causing, that the east shore of Asia is one day in advance of the west shore of America. This difference of one day between these two shores is not in consequence of the act of navigators who change one day in crossing that ocean which intervenes, but the navigators make this change because these two shores do thus differ. It is the providence of God that planted mankind in Asia, and that caused civilization and the light of the gospel to go thence westward with the course of day around the world. And such being the course of day and of civilized man, it is not accident but the hand of God that causes the west shore of the Pacific to stand twenty-four hours in advance of its east shore, and that thus plainly indicates the existence and location of the day line between them. We next call attention to some facts and queries relating to this subject.

WATCHING AND WAITING.

By L. D. SANTEE

Oh! the days are passing, fading, and the years glide slow away, And our hearts are aching, yearning, longing for the coming day When the warfare will be ended, and the weary rest in peace, When our Lord from Heaven descended gives from pain a long release.
Day by day our loved ones perish, sparkling eyes grow dim with pain, Fair forms stiffen into silence, all our tender care is vain; Sadly and with tears we lay them low beneath the sod to rest; Free are they from all earth’s troubles and the storms that sweep its breast.
Seek we o’er the rolling water some fair spot to sin unknown, Vain our search, for dread disaster reigns upon the ocean’s throne. Men go shuddering down to silence ne’er to wake while surges roar; Waves are moaning for redemption, sobbing on the trembling shore.
Oh! the weary, weary ages! oh! the years so filled with woe! Still there follow in their seasons summer’s heat and winter’s snow. Patience, patience, ye despairing; soon will come the King sublime, And eternal hands are weaving off the measured thread of time. L. D. SANTEE. Dixon, Mo.

How to Conduct Meetings.

By Ellen G. White

I recently received a letter from a brother I highly respect, making inquiries in regard to meetings, how they should be conducted. He inquires if there should be many prayers offered in succession, and then a relief of a few moments, and quite a number of prayers again.
From the light I have had upon the subject, I have decided that God does not require us, as we assemble for his worship, to make these seasons tedious and wearisome, by being obliged to remain bowed quite a length of time, listening to several lengthy prayers. Those in feeble health cannot endure this taxation without extreme weariness and exhaustion. The body is weary by remaining bowed down so long. And that which is worse still, the mind becomes so wearied by the continuous exercise of prayer that no spiritual refreshment is realized, and the meeting to them is worse than a loss. They have become wearied mentally and physically, and they have obtained no spiritual strength. Meetings for conference and prayer should not be made tedious. All should, if possible, be prompt to the hour appointed; and if there are dilatory ones, who are half an hour or fifteen minutes even behind the time, there should be no waiting. If there are but two present, they can claim the promise. The meeting should open at the appointed hour, if possible, be there few or many present. Formality and cold stiffness should be laid aside, and all be prompt to duty. There should not be, upon any common occasion, prayer of more than ten minutes' duration. If any feel the burden of prayer, after there has been a change of position, and the exercise of singing, or exhortation has relieved the sameness, then let them pray.
All should feel it a Christian duty to pray short. Tell the Lord just what you want without going all over the world. In private prayer, all have the privilege of praying as long as they desire, and of being as explicit as they please. They can pray for all their relatives and friends. The closet is the place to tell all their private difficulties, and trials, and temptations. A common meeting to worship God is not the place to open the privacies of the heart.
What is the object of assembling together? Is it to inform God? or to instruct him by telling him all we know in prayer? We meet together to edify one another by a mutual interchange of thoughts and feelings, thus making one another acquainted with our aspirations, our hopes, and gathering strength, and light, and courage, from one another. By our earnest, heart-felt prayers, offered up in faith, we receive refreshment and vigor from the Source of our strength. These meetings should be most precious seasons, and made interesting to all who have any relish for religious things.
There are some who I fear do not take their troubles to God in private prayer, but reserve them for the prayer-meeting, and then do up their praying for several days in these meetings. Such may be named social conference and prayer-meeting killers. Their cold, frozen prayers and lengthy, backslidden testimonies cast a shadow. They emit no light. They edify no one. All are glad when they get through, and it is almost impossible to throw off the chill and darkness their prayers and exhortations have brought into the meetings. From the light which I have received, our meetings should be spiritual and social, and not too long. Reserve, pride, vanity, and fear of man, should be left at home. Little differences and prejudices should not be taken with us to these meetings. Like a united family, simplicity, meekness, mutual confidence, and love, should exist in the hearts of brethren and sisters who meet to be refreshed and invigorated by bringing their lights together.
Ye are the light of the world, says the heavenly Teacher. All have not the same experience, and the same exercises in their religious life. But those of diverse experiences come together, and with simplicity and humbleness of mind, talk out their experience. All should have, and will have, an experience that is living, that is new and interesting, if they are pursuing the onward Christian course. A living experience is made up of daily trials, conflicts, and temptations, strong efforts and victories, and great peace and joy gained through Jesus. A simple relation of such experiences gives light, strength, and knowledge, that will aid others in their advancement in the divine life. The worship of God should be both interesting and instructive to those who have any love for divine and heavenly things.
Jesus, the heavenly teacher, when he was upon the earth, among the children of men, did not hold himself aloof from them, but in order to benefit them, he came from Heaven to earth where they were, that the purity and holiness of his life might shine upon the pathway of all, and light the way to Heaven.
The Redeemer of the world sought to make his lessons of instruction plain and simple, that all might comprehend them. He generally chose the open air for his discourses. There were no walls which could inclose the multitude which followed him. But he had special reasons for choosing the groves and the seaside to give his lessons of instruction, for he could have a commanding view of the landscape and scenery, and make use of objects and scenes with which those in humble life were familiar, to illustrate the important truths he made known to them. The works of God in nature, he associated with his lessons of instruction. He made use of the birds which were caroling forth their songs without a care, and the flowers of the valley growing in their beauty, and the lily that reposed in its purity upon the bosom of the lake, the lofty trees, the cultivated lands, the waving grains, the barren soil, the tree that bore no fruit, the everlasting hills, the bubbling stream, the setting sun, tinting and gilding the heavens, to impress his hearers with divine truth. He connected the works of God's finger in the heavens and upon the earth with the words of life he wished to impress upon their minds, that as they should look upon the wonderful works of God in nature, his lessons would be fresh in their memories.
Christ, in all his efforts, sought to make his teachings interesting. He knew that a tired, hungry throng could not receive spiritual benefit, and he did not forget their bodily needs. He wrought a miracle to feed five thousand, who had gathered together to listen to the words of life which fell from his lips. Jesus regarded his surroundings, when giving his precious truth to the multitude. The scenery was such as would attract the eye, and awake admiration in the breasts of the lovers of the beautiful. He could extol the wisdom of God in his creative works, and could bind up his sacred lessons by directing their minds through nature up to nature's God.
The landscape, the trees, the birds, the flowers of the valley, the hills, the lake, and the beautiful heavens, were associated in their minds with sacred truths, which would make them hallowed in memory, as they should look upon them after Christ's ascension to Heaven.
When Christ taught the people, he did not devote the time to prayer. He did not enforce upon them, as did the Pharisees, long, tedious ceremonies, and lengthy prayers. He taught his disciples how to pray: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray use not vain repetition, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye.”
Christ impressed upon his disciples the idea that their prayers should be short, expressing just what they wanted, and no more. He gives the length and substance of their prayers, expressing their desires for temporal and spiritual blessings, and gratitude for the same. This sample prayer, how comprehensive! It covers the actual need of all. One or two minutes is long enough for any ordinary prayer. There may be instances where prayer, in a special manner, is indited by the Spirit of God, and where supplication is made in the Spirit. The yearning soul becomes agonized, and groans after God. The spirit wrestles as did Jacob, and will not be at rest without special manifestations of the power of God. This is as God would have it.
But there are many prayers offered in a dry, sermonizing manner. These pray to men, not to God. If they were praying to God, and really understood what they were doing, they would be alarmed at their audacity; for they delivered a discourse to the Lord in the mode of prayer, as though the Creator of the universe needed special information upon general questions in relation to the things that were transpiring in the world. All such prayers are as sounding brass, and tinkling cymbal. They are made no account of in Heaven. Angels of God are wearied with them, as well as mortals who are compelled to listen to them.
Jesus was often found in prayer. He resorted to the lonely groves, or to the mountains, to make his requests known to his Father. When the business and cares of the day were ended, and the weary were seeking rest, Jesus devoted the time to prayer. We would not discourage prayer; for there is far too little praying and watching thereunto. And there is still less praying with the Spirit and the understanding also. Fervent and effectual prayer is always in place, and will never weary. Such prayer interests and refreshes all who have a love for devotion.
Secret prayer is neglected, and this is the reason why many offer such long, tedious, backslidden prayers, when assembled to worship God. They go over in their prayers a week of neglected duties, and pray round and round, hoping to make up for their neglect, and pacify their condemned consciences, which are scourging them. They hope to pray themselves into the favor of God. But frequently these prayers result in bringing other minds down to their own low level in spiritual darkness. If Christians would take home the teachings of Christ in regard to watching and praying, they would become more intelligent in their worship of God.
E. G. W.

How Shall We Keep the Sabbath?

By Ellen G. White

God is merciful. His requirements are reasonable, in accordance with the goodness and benevolence of his character. The object of the Sabbath was that all mankind might be benefited. Man was not made to fit the Sabbath; for the Sabbath was made after the creation of man, to meet his necessities. God rested, after he had made the world in six days. He sanctified and blessed the day upon which he rested from all his work which he had created and made. He set apart that special day for man to rest from his labor, and reflect, as he should look upon the earth beneath, and the heavens above, that God made all these in six days, and rested upon the seventh; and that his heart might be filled with love and reverence to his Maker, as he should behold the tangible proofs of his infinite wisdom.
In order to keep the Sabbath holy, it is not necessary that we inclose ourselves in walls, shut away from the beautiful scenes of nature, and also deprive ourselves of the free, invigorating air of heaven. We should in no case allow burdens and business transactions to divert our minds upon the Sabbath of the Lord which he has sanctified. We should not allow even our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. The mind cannot be refreshed, enlivened, and elevated, by being confined nearly all the Sabbath hours within walls, listening to long sermons and tedious, formal prayers. The Sabbath of the Lord has been put to a wrong use, if thus celebrated. The object is not attained for which the Sabbath was instituted. The Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him, by calling his mind from secular labor, to contemplate the goodness and glory of God. It is necessary that the people of God assemble to talk of him, to interchange thoughts and ideas in regard to the truths contained in the word of God, and to devote a portion of time to appropriate prayer. But these seasons, even upon the Sabbath, should not be made tedious by their length and lack of interest. During a portion of the day, all should have an opportunity to be out of doors.
How can the minds of children become better impressed, and receive a more correct knowledge of God, than in spending a portion of their time out of doors; not in play, but in company with their parents? Surrounded with nature's beautiful scenery, as their minds are associated with God in nature, by their attention being called to the tokens of God's love to man in his creative works, their young minds will be attracted and interested. They will not be in danger of associating the character of God with everything that is stern and severe. But as they view the beautiful things he has created for the happiness of man, they will be led to regard him as a tender, loving Father. They will see that his prohibitions and injunctions are not made merely to show his power and authority, but that he has the happiness of his children in view. As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love him. You can direct their minds to the lovely birds making the air musical with their happy songs, the spires of grass, and the gloriously tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air. All these proclaim the love and skill of the heavenly Artist, and show forth the glory of God. Parents, why not make use of the precious lessons God has given us in the book of nature to give our children the correct idea of his character? Those who sacrifice simplicity to fashion, and shut themselves away from the beauties of nature, cannot be spiritually minded. They cannot understand the skill and power of God as revealed in his creative works, therefore their hearts do not quicken and throb with new love and interest, and are not filled with awe and reverence as they see God in nature.
All who love God should do what they can to make the Sabbath a delight, holy and honorable. They cannot do this by seeking their own pleasure in sinful, forbidden amusements. They can do much to exalt the Sabbath in their families, and make it the most interesting day of the week. We should devote time to interest our children. We can walk out with them in the open air. A change will have a happy influence upon them. We can sit with them in the groves, and in the bright sunshine, and give their restless minds something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the works of God, and inspire them with love and reverence by calling their attention to the beautiful objects in nature. The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly return will be hailed with joy. In no better way can parents exalt and honor the Sabbath than to devise means to impart proper instruction to their families, and to interest them in spiritual things, giving them correct views of the character of God, and what he requires of us, in order to perfect Christian characters and to attain to eternal life. Parents, make the Sabbath a delight, that your children shall look forward to it, and have a welcome in their hearts for it. E. G. W.
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