“Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.” Ezekiel 33:4, 5¹

 

 

A Final Word

What is perhaps most intriguing regarding the lunar Sabbath theory is the attempt to use the Spirit of Prophecy to support it. This is demonstrated in the introduction of the TMR article (p.2) where it quotes the following:

“I saw that God had children, who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They had not rejected the light on it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth [Hosea. 6:2, 3.] and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully. This enraged the church, and nominal Adventists, as they could not refute the Sabbath truth. And at this time, God's chosen, all saw clearly that we had the truth, and they came out and endured the persecution with us.” Word to the Little Flock 18.4

The implication is obvious that the lunar Sabbath theory is how the Sabbath will be proclaimed “more fully”. This application seems to lend weight to the theory, but when examined carefully it will be found wanting. Is the lunar Sabbath theory the way to proclaim the Sabbath more fully? Think about it for a minute. To preach something more fully you must have been preaching it to begin with. You cannot do something more fully if you have not already been doing it. It cannot be speaking of the lunar Sabbath at all for it was never preached before by Seventh-day Adventists. Seventh-day Adventists have always taught that the Sabbath falls on Saturday, a teaching that is labelled as error by lunar Sabbath enthusiasts: “The seventh-day Sabbath is neither Saturday nor Sunday.” (TMR article, p.29) Therefore, preaching the lunar Sabbath after preaching the seventh-day Sabbath is not preaching the same thing “more fully.”

Let us allow Ellen White to explain what she means for us. It has nothing to do with lunar Sabbaths at all:

“1. On page 33 is given the following: "I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God's dear, waiting saints. I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully." This view was given in 1847 when there were but very few of the Advent brethren observing the Sabbath, and of these but few supposed that its observance was of sufficient importance to draw a line between the people of God and unbelievers. Now the fulfilment of that view is beginning to be seen.” {Early Writings 85} 

This was early in her experience when there were very few Sabbath keepers at the time, very few people who were proclaiming the message. But with time they began to do it more fully than before, thus beginning the fulfilment of the vision (according to Mrs. White). The Sabbath they preached was the true Sabbath not the lunar Sabbath! Thus, the Sabbath truth formed a solid platform on which the believers were united and will remain united till this same truth is more fully preached under the power of the Latter Rain.

“The subjects of the Sabbath, the nature of man, and the testimony of Jesus are the great and important truths to be understood; these will prove as an anchor to hold God's people in these perilous times.” {Testimonies Vol.1, 300.1}  (Note: This was written in 1862 when the entire church kept the true Sabbath of the 4^th commandment. This truth is an anchor for us in these times!)

 Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

 Our interest, naturally, has been in the facts and not in the multitude of assumptions and suppositions for by these one can never be established in the faith. Unless we are building on the solid rocky foundation we will be found without shelter when the storm comes, yea, it is here already for some. But, alas, who can discern the signs of the times.

The lunar Sabbath idea is not part of the platform of truth built by Jesus Christ. It is dangerous in that it turns people from the true Sabbath of the fourth commandment to a false Sabbath of the moon. Please, brethren, beware lest Satan steal your crown. Let us hold fast to what we have received and heard. The following fearful prophecy is warning to all:

“Then I was shown a company who were howling in agony. On their garments was written in large characters, "Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting." I asked who this company were. The angel said, "These are they who have once kept the Sabbath and have given it up." I heard them cry with a loud voice, "We have believed in Thy coming, and taught it with energy." And while they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their garments and see the writing, and then they would wail aloud. I saw that they had drunk of the deep waters, and fouled the residue with their feet--trodden the Sabbath underfoot-- and that was why they were weighed in the balance and found wanting.”  {Early Writings, 36.2}

 

Dear brethren, please heed the sound of the trumpet and keep the faith. If you have kept the Sabbath don’t give it up! Many are the ways in which the devil will seek to deceive us to abandon the Sabbath of the Lord. Study and pray lest in the end you be found among those who have trodden the Sabbath underfoot.  “In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”  {Life Sketches 196.2}

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.

Nader Mansour

mansour_nader@hotmail.com