The Sabbath, Constantine, and the Venerable Day of the Sun

The Sabbath is the holy seventh day of the week, which was established by God at the close of creation as a spiritual memorial of His work and a sign of sanctification between Him and His people Genesis 2:2-3+115MR 39.1+2. It is an original institution, made for the benefit of all humanity, that serves as a perpetual witness to the Creator who made the heavens and the earth Mark 2:27+1RRCS 2.3+2.

The Origin and Nature of the Sabbath

The Sabbath did not originate at Mount Sinai but was instituted in Eden before sin entered the world Genesis 2:1-3SOSL 58.3+1. God established it through three distinct acts:

• He Rested: After creating the world in six days, God rested on the seventh day from all His work Genesis 2:2+1.

• He Blessed it: God placed a special blessing upon the seventh day because He had rested upon it Genesis 2:3SOSL 58.3.

• He Sanctified it: To sanctify the day means to set it apart for sacred use, making it the "holy of the Lord" Isaiah 58:13RRCS 2.3+1.

A Sign and Seal of God's Authority

The Sabbath is the "seal" of God's law because it reveals His identity as the Creator and His jurisdiction over the worldGCB/GCDB 1893, page 73.1+2.

• A Sign of Sanctification: It serves as a sign that it is Jehovah who sanctifies His people and makes them holy Exodus 31:1319MR 173.1+1.

• A Distinction of Faith: Loyalty to the fourth commandment, which enjoins the seventh-day Sabbath, is the distinguishing feature of the faith of those who keep the commandments of God Revelation 14:1215MR 39.1+2.

• A Knowledge of God: Hallowing the Sabbath is a means by which people come to know that the Lord is their God Ezekiel 20:20SSP 132.2.

The Sabbath Throughout History

The Sabbath is a permanent institution that has been recognized by the faithful in all ages:

• Before the Law: Traces of the seven-day week appear throughout the patriarchal age, and the Sabbath was clearly enforced before the giving of the Decalogue at Sinai Genesis 7:4+3HSFD 39.1+1.

• Jesus and the Apostles: Christ recognized the perpetuity of the Sabbath and taught that it was lawful to perform acts of mercy and necessity on His holy day Matthew 12:12+1SC1 38.1+1. The apostles and primitive Christians continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath long after the resurrection Acts 13:42-44ChSa 90.3+1.

• The Last Conflict: In the final conflict between truth and error, the observance of the true Sabbath will be the pivot upon which the world's destiny turns3MR 255.4+1. While the Papacy has sought to substitute a "spurious sabbath" (Sunday), God's people will exalt the true memorial of creation15MR 39.1+3.

The Purpose of the Sabbath

The Sabbath is intended to be a delight and a day of spiritual restoration Isaiah 58:13-14SSP 132.2. It is not a day for self-righteousness or mere form, but a day to rest in the perfect works of the Lord and to be refreshed by His presence Exodus 31:17SSP 132.2+1. By setting aside our own works and honor, we find true rest in Him19MR 173.1+2.

Constantine’s profession of Christianity was a calculated move to turn the growing religious power of the church to his own political accountAMS July 12, 1894, page 217.3. While he is often called the "first Christian emperor," his actions were characterized by a desire to make theology a branch of politics to strengthen his imperial authorityAMS July 12, 1894, page 217.3+1.

Political and Military Ambitions

Constantine saw in the expanding Christian movement a force that could be harnessed for the stability of the Roman EmpireAMS July 12, 1894, page 217.3.

• Turning Power to His Account: He conceived the idea of utilizing this new religion, which was rapidly displacing paganism, as a tool for his own governanceAMS July 12, 1894, page 217.3.

• Alliance with Bishops: This was a mutual arrangement, as the bishops of the time were also grasping for civil power, aiming to make politics a branch of theologyAMS July 12, 1894, page 217.3.

• The Milvian Bridge: His victory over Maxentius was portrayed by church leaders like Eusebius as a divine deliverance, likening Constantine to a new Moses leading a new IsraelSLOC 9.1.

The Timing of His Conversion

The historical record shows significant ambiguity regarding when, or even if, a true conversion occurredGEP 424.1.

• Varying Accounts: Different historians date his conversion to 306, 312, 321, 323, or 327, while some believe it only occurred at his deathbed baptism and others suggest he never truly became a ChristianGEP 424.1+1.

• Continued Pagan Practices: Even after his "professed conversion," Constantine continued to support pagan customsSYNPT 108.3+1. For example, the day after enacting his Sunday law in A.D. 321, he issued a law regulating the work of soothsayers who examined the entrails of sacrificed beastsSYNPT 108.3+1.

• Strategic Legislation: His famous Sunday law of A.D. 321 did not even use Christian terminology, but instead referred to "the venerable day of the sun," a name associated with heathen sun worshipTBI 165.2+2.

Religious Compromise and Control

Constantine's support of the church allowed him to exert immense control over its doctrines and practicesHBS 131.10+1.

• Council of Nicea: He convened the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 to resolve the Arian controversy, not necessarily out of spiritual concern, but to maintain unity within his empireBEST September 20, 1897, page 300.22+1.

• Enforcement of Dogma: He confirmed the Nicene Creed and threatened those who would not subscribe to it with exile, elevating ecclesiastical decrees to the position of imperial lawsHBS 131.10.

• Union of Church and State: By uniting the church with the secular arm, Constantine laid the foundation for a system where religious decrees were enforced by civil penaltiesAMS January 1888, page 4.3+2. This union ultimately led to a period of great corruption and the development of the PapacyChSa 112.1+2.

The Bible warns against the corruption that occurs when religious leaders seek worldly honor and power, as the true goal is to follow the faith of Jesus and the commandments of God Revelation 14:12. We are encouraged to remember that the "saints of the Most High" will eventually take the kingdom through God's power, not through political intrigue Daniel 7:16+1.

The "venerable day of the sun" refers to Sunday, an ancient heathen festival day dedicated to the worship of the sun god, which Constantine eventually established as a legal day of rest to harmonize the pagan and Christian religions of the Roman EmpireRCASDA 146.5+2. This title was distinctively religious and pagan, as the sun was the chief object of heathen worship and the first day of the week was seen as an emblem of its generative powerASLD 98.1+2.

The Origin of the Title

The name is deeply rooted in ancient idolatry and solar worship:

• Solar Worship: The sun was considered the bright image of God's benignity and glory by Eastern nations, who performed worship with their faces turned toward its rising beamsPTUK January 16, 1896, page 35.3.

• A Pagan Memorial: Sunday was established as a standing memorial of the sun's veneration by the Egyptians, and later the Greeks and Romans, who conceiving the sun to have a divine body, dedicated the day to its honorARSH July 21, 1859, page 67.2+1.

• Heathen Identification: Because of its ancient and universal observance by the pagan world, Sunday is frequently described as the "wild solar holiday of all pagan times"ChSa 113.3+2.

Constantine’s Famous Edict (A.D. 321)

Constantine used this specific title in the first Sunday law ever enacted to ensure the decree would be acceptable to his pagan subjectsAMS January 28, 1897, page 52.11+1.

• The Language of the Law: The edict of March 7, A.D. 321, commanded that "all judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun"GC 680.5+1.

• Exclusion of Country Labor: Notably, the law permitted country people to continue agricultural pursuits, such as sowing grain and planting vines, so that the "bounty provided by Heaven" would not be lostASLD 98.3+2.

• A Pagan Act: At the time of this edict, Constantine was still a devoted worshiper of Apollo, the sun god, and his decree made no allusion to the day as a Christian institution or the "Lord's day"RCASDA 146.5+2.

The Transformation into a "Christian" Sabbath

Over time, the church adopted this pagan day and attempted to transform its character:

• Union of Sentiment: The retention of the name "Sunday" is due to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment, as Constantine recommended the day to both classes alike to harmonize the discordant religions of the empireSBBS 538.2+1.

• Ecclesiastical Sanction: Later, ambitious bishops and the Church of Rome sanctioned this "venerable day" as a Christian festival, eventually prohibiting the agricultural labor that Constantine had originally allowedSOSL 141.7+1.

• Substitutions in the Law: Advocates of Sunday worship eventually struck the name of the Lawgiver and the seventh-day Sabbath from the fourth commandment, substituting this "venerable day of the sun" in its placeRCASDA 146.5+2.

The Bible warns against turning one's back on the true God to worship the sun, as such idolatry was a primary cause for the captivity of ancient Israel 2 Kings 23:5+2. True worship must be "in spirit and in truth," honoring the Creator on His sanctified seventh-day Sabbath rather than following the commandments of men John 4:24+1. God promises that "them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" 1 Samuel 2:30.