- QUESTION:
- Which activities are appropriate or inappropriate on the Sabbath?
Should the Sabbath be viewed and observed primarily as a time of
inactivity?
- ANSWER:
- Some people believe that the best way to keep the Sabbath is to be a
"mummy" for 24 hours. It is hard for me to believe that God is
especially pleased when He sees His children on the Sabbath in a
motionless position. What pleases God is not the action or inaction per
se but the intention behind the action. The Savior spent the Sabbath
not in restful relaxation but in active service. Thus the Sabbath
should be viewed as the day of special activities rather than of
inactivity.
No Standard Formula
No standard formula can be given to determine which activities are
appropriate or inappropriate on the Sabbath. The reasons are at least
two. First, the physical needs of people vary according to age and
profession. A teenager bubbling over with energy has different Sabbath
needs than a middle-aged bricklayer or a farmer who has spent much of
his/her physical energy during the week.
Second, any attempt to classify or specify "legitimate" Sabbath
activities engenders legalistic attitudes which stifle the spirit of
freedom and creativity of the Sabbath. Thus, rather than prescribing a
standard formula, I will submit three simple guidelines that can help in
determining suitable Sabbath recreational activities.
God-Centered
Sabbath activities should be first of all God-centered rather
than self-centered. They should be a means not of doing our own pleasure
but of taking "delight in the Lord" (Is 58:13-14). This means
that any recreational activity on the Sabbath should be viewed not as an
end in itself, but as a means to express delight in the Lord.
It is possible to plan for a Sabbath afternoon hike to see who can
endure the longest or to play a Bible game to see who can score the most
points. When activities such as these are performed for the sake of
competition rather than of communion, for the sake of scoring rather
than of fellowshipping, then they do not fulfill the intent of the
Sabbath which is to teach us how to honor God not by competing but by
communing with one another. The challenge then is not only to choose
appropriate Sabbath activities, but also to engage in them in a way that
will contribute to honoring the Lord, to celebrate His creative and
redemptive love.
Freedom and Joy
A second guideline is that Sabbath activities should ensure the
freedom and joy of everybody. The Sabbath should be a time
to celebrate the redemptive freedom offered by the Savior. Sometimes the
same activity can be an experience of freedom and joy for some and of
restraint and pressure for others.
A Sabbath afternoon picnic with friends, for example, can be a joyful
and free celebration of the goodness of God's creation and recreation in
Christ, if adequate preparations have been made before the beginning of
the Sabbath. On the contrary, if some persons have to spend many
hours during the Sabbath preparing the food for the friends who are to
come, then that picnic becomes inappropriate for the Sabbath, since it
deprives some persons of the freedom and joy of the Sabbath.
On the basis of this principle any activity which deprives a person
of the freedom and joy of the Sabbath, is inappropriate because it
militates against the intended function of the commandment, which is to
ensure freedom and joy for all.
Recreative
A third guideline is that Sabbath activities should contribute to our
mental, emotional, and physical renewal, restoration, and not exhaustion
or dissipation. The renewal experienced on the Sabbath foreshadows in a
sense the fuller restoration to be experienced at Christ's Second
Coming.
It is important to remember that all our Sabbath recreational
activities have a spiritual quality because they represent the
restoration realized and yet to be realized by God in the life of His
people. Thus any Sabbath activity which leaves a person exhausted and
with a "hangover" on the following day fails to conform to God's
intended use of the Sabbath, which is to renew us physically,
mentally, and spiritually, in order to be better equipped to meet the
demands of our week-days' work.
Sports which require intense physical exertion may be good at other
times but they are out of harmony with the Sabbath celebration. First,
because they destroy the spirit of worship and celebration which
characterizes the Sabbath. It is impossible to cultivate the awareness
of God's presence on the Sabbath while intent on scoring points and
beating the other team. Second, because they exhaust rather than renew
the person. Third, because the spirit of competition fostered by sports
undermines the spirit of fellowship and communion of the Sabbath.
No single criterion is per se adequate for determining suitable
Sabbath activities. The combination of the three guidelines suggested
above, namely, God-centered activities, freedom and joy for all, and
recreative nature, should offer a safe guidance in selecting and in
engaging in appropriate Sabbath activities.
- QUESTION:
- How can a pastor "rest unto the Lord" on the Sabbath when his
work load is greater on the Sabbath than on weekdays?
- ANSWER:
- There is no question that for the pastor who ministers to his
congregation, the Sabbath may be the most exhausting day of the week.
Thus in a sense pastors do not generally observe the "rest" aspect of
the Sabbath commandment. Jesus recognized this fact when He said that
"on the sabbath the priests in the temple profane the sabbath"
(Matt 12:5).
On the Sabbath the workload of the priests was intensified, as
additional sacrifices were prescribed for that day (Num 28:9-10; Lev
24:8-9) Yet, though the priests worked more on the Sabbath, Christ said
that they were "guiltless" (Matt 12:5). The reason is not because
they took a day off at another time during the week. No such provision
is contemplated in the Old Testament. Rather, the reason is to be found
in the special redemptive role and ministry performed by the priests on
the Sabbath.
Redemptive Work
The intensification of the ministry of the priests at the temple on
the Sabbath (four lambs were sacrificed instead of two-Num 28:8-9),
pointed to the special provision of forgiveness and salvation which God
offered through the priests to the people on that day. Thus, through the
Sabbath ministry of the priests the people could experience the rest of
God's forgiveness and salvation.
Like the priests of old, pastors today are called upon on the Sabbath
to intensify their redemptive ministry on behalf of God's people. While
this may deprive them of the physical relaxation provided by the
Sabbath, it will refresh their souls with the restful satisfaction that
comes from ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of others.
Rest of Service
It is important to remember that the Savior spent the Sabbath not
relaxing in splendid isolation, but actively involved in offering
a living, loving service to human needs. The teaching and the
example of the Savior suggests that resting unto the Lord on the Sabbath
is accomplished not only by resting physically but also by acting
redemptively on behalf of others.
The Sabbath is linked both to creation (Ex 20:11) and redemption
(Deut 5:15; Heb 4:9). By interrupting our secular activities we remember
the Creator-God and by acting mercifully toward others we imitate the
Redeemer-God who works redemptively on the Sabbath on behalf of His
creatures (John 5:17). The pastor is in a special sense called to work
redemptively on the Sabbath. This work may deprive him of physical rest
(which he can have on other days), but will enrich and renew him with
the restful satisfaction of having served God's people.
- QUESTION:
- Is it proper to conduct church business activities on the
Sabbath, such as church board meetings, community services meetings,
Sabbath School workshops, church school committees, etc.?
- ANSWER:
- All church activities that are of a business nature should be
avoided on the Sabbath, because they detract from the spirit of worship
and celebration of God's creative and redemptive love. Holding church
business meetings on weekdays serves to remind us not only of the
sacredness of the Sabbath, but also of the fact that we serve the church
during all the seven days of the week.
Emergency Meetings
At times it may be necessary for the elders or church officers to
meet on the Sabbath to deal with emergency problems arising from
sickness or accidents. To postpone such meetings could mean to fail to
provide urgent assistance. Christ condemned emphatically the neglect of
human needs on the Sabbath (Matt 12:11-12; Luke 13:15-16).
Ordinary Meetings
Most church business meetings held on the Sabbath do not fall under
the category of "emergency meetings." Meetings held on the Sabbath to
discuss such matters as church finances, appointment of church officers,
ingathering planning, fund raising for special projects, periodical
campaigns, etc., detract from the spirit and ideals of the Sabbath and
should be avoided during its sacred hours. Such meetings are part of the
ordinary administration of the church and should be scheduled for other
days.
There is a tendency to fill the Sabbath with too many meetings and
activities so that little time is left for needed reflection and
meditation. In planning for our Sabbath celebration, let us plan for a
time of meditation which can restore the equilibrium between the
physical and spiritual components of our being. Church meetings and
activities can deprive us of the needed climate of freedom and
tranquility to experience the Sabbath renewal.
- QUESTION:
- Should weddings be celebrated on the Sabbath? Since marriage is a
sacred institution, is it not appropriate to perform its ceremony on the
Sabbath?
- ANSWER:
- Both the Sabbath and marriage are sacred institutions which have
come down to us from Eden. Thus in itself it would not be out of harmony
with the spirit of Sabbathkeeping to celebrate a wedding on the Sabbath.
Wedding ceremonies, however, involve considerable work in preparing
for the services and in holding the receptions. The ultimate result is
that a secular atmosphere can easily develop which disrupts the spirit
of the Sabbath celebration. Thus, to preserve the quiet worshipful
spirit of the Sabbath, the holding of weddings on the Sabbath should be
discouraged.
- QUESTION:
- Should funeral services be conducted on the Sabbath?
- ANSWER:
- In some countries climatic conditions and limited mortuary services
may dictate the holding of funerals without delay on any day including
the Sabbath. In these cases all the possible arrangements ought to be
made in advance to reduce the labor and commotion on the Sabbath.
As a general rule, however, it is advisable to avoid conducting
funerals on the Sabbath, since these disrupt the spirit of rest, joy,
and celebration of the Sabbath. It is noteworthy that in Bible times,
even mourning was interrupted on the Sabbath in order to experience the
Sabbath joy and delight, which were seen as a foretaste of the
blessedness of the world to come.
As Christians we are called upon to comfort the bereaved on the
Sabbath by sharing with them the hope of the resurrection and of the new
world, of which the Sabbath is a symbol. Funeral services, however,
should be avoided on the Sabbath because they require considerable work
in preparing both for the service and for the subsequent interment. In
accordance with the example of the women who followed Jesus, it is well
on the Sabbath to interrupt all funeral preparations and to rest
according to the commandment (Luke 23:55-56).
- QUESTION:
- Should ingathering (soliciting funds) be done on the Sabbath?
- ANSWER:
- Although the solicitation of funds for humanitarian projects at home
and abroad is a worthy endeavor which can bring many spiritual benefits
both to the solicitor and to the donor, it is preferable for several
reasons to engage in ingathering solicitation outside the Sabbath hours.
First, the solicitation of money from house to house, even though for
a good cause, tends to generate a commercial atmosphere which is
contrary to the spirit of the Sabbath.
Second, a person intent to reach the $25 or $50 ingathering goal on
the Sabbath may lose sight of the goal of the Sabbath itself, which is
to offer us the opportunity to reach not financial goals, but closer
communion with God and fellow believers.
Third, it is difficult to keep one's mind on spiritual realities on
the Sabbath, while involved in collecting and handling money. In our
society money has become associated with business and purchasing power.
Thus it is difficult for anyone soliciting funds on the Sabbath not to
think of the business aspect of money.
Fourth, ingathering solicitation on the Sabbath may also give rise to
misconceptions in the minds of donors who may learn about the
Seventh-day Adventist Church for the first time through an ingathering
contact. They may think that Adventists spend their Sabbath raising
money for their church, when they should perceive our Sabbathkeeping as
the time when we celebrate God's creative and redemptive love by seeking
to give rather than to receive. These are some of the reasons why in my
view it is preferable not to engage in ingathering solicitation on the
Sabbath.
- QUESTION:
- How should the Sabbath be observed in Seventh-day Adventist
medical institutions?
- ANSWER:
- Sickness and pain know no distinction between holy and secular days.
Thus the needs of the sick and the suffering must be met without regard
to days. The example of Christ is significant in this regard since He
used the Sabbath to heal the sick, restoring them to physical and
spiritual wholeness. Seventh-day Adventist medical institutions in their
policies and practices ought to reflect Christ's example of
Sabbathkeeping in providing a willing and compassionate medical service
on the Sabbath.
It is the responsibility of each institution to develop and implement
policies that reflect the principles of Sabbathkeeping found in the
Scriptures and exemplified by Christ. The following suggestions
represent in my view an application of the Biblical principles of
Sabbathkeeping.
High Quality of Medical Care
Needed medical care should be given on the Sabbath willingly,
cheerfully, and at the same high level of quality as on the week days.
Patients should not feel neglected on the Sabbath because physicians or
nurses are so busy observing their Sabbath that they can give only
limited attention to their needs. On the contrary, the celebration of
God's creative and redemptive love on the Sabbath ought to motivate
medical personnel to show added personal interest and concern toward
their patients.
Reduced Rates
In the light of the example of Christ who healed people on the
Sabbath not for financial gain but out of love and in view of the fact
that no personal gain or profit is to be sought for services rendered on
the Sabbath, reduced rates could be charged on the Sabbath for
medical services. Such rates should reflect the actual cost of
rendering any needed medical service.
It is customary for non-SDA physicians and medical institutions to
charge a higher weekend fee for services rendered on Saturday and
Sunday. Such a practice ought not to be avoided by SDA medical personnel
and administrators who believe that the Sabbath is a day not for greater
gain, but for greater missionary service.
A reduced Sabbath rate which covers the basic operating costs would
serve as a most powerful testimony to patients and to the community at
large that Sabbathkeeping is truly an occasion for Adventists to follow
the example of Christ in offering an unselfish, loving service to human
needs. Whenever possible voluntary service on the Sabbath should be
encouraged.
Essential Services
All the ordinary activities which are not immediately related to
patient care should be discontinued on the Sabbath. Usually this means
the closing down of certain facilities and departments and the
postponement of elective diagnostic and therapeutic services. Emergency
service should not be interrupted but rendered willingly and cheerfully.
Payment of Bills
The rendering and payment of bills should be avoided on the Sabbath.
Administrative and business offices that do routine business should be
closed on the Sabbath. If it is necessary to admit or discharge a
patient on the Sabbath, it is advisable to make financial arrangements
either before or after the Sabbath.
Relaxed Atmosphere
The suspension of all routine work on the Sabbath should provide a
relaxed atmosphere where the medical staff can more freely and fully
interact with the patients, counseling them and sharing with them their
Christian love and concern. Patients in a Seventh-day Adventist hospital
should perceive the Sabbath as the day when the environment, the
personnel, and the services are more delightful. Such a positive
perception can have a lasting impact upon the patients and eventually
lead some to seek for a continued blessing of the Sabbath celebration in
their personal lives.
Rotating Sabbath Work
Adventist medical institutions should exercise great care in
scheduling all personnel so that the same workers will not have to be on
duty every Sabbath. On the other hand no worker should expect to be
always off duty on the Sabbath. Supervisors should be as fair as
possible in preparing the work schedules so that Sabbath services can be
rendered on a rotating basis by all. The keeping of the Sabbath should
never be made a burden to a few workers but a privilege for all.
- QUESTION:
- Should a Sabbathkeeper employed by a secular or religious
organization which provides essential social services, agree to work
routinely on the Sabbath?
- ANSWER:
- Indispensable humanitarian services are not negated but
contemplated by the Biblical view of the Sabbath. Christ stated
unequivocally that "The sabbath was made for man" (Mark 2:27),
that is, to ensure human well-being. The Sabbath encompasses not only
the cessation from secular work to honor God more freely and fully (Ex
20:8-10; 31:15-16; Is 58:13-14), but also the rendering of needed
services to show concern toward fellow beings (Deut 5:12-15; Matt 12:12;
Luke 13:12).
A Distinction in Essential Services
A distinction must be made between essential services rendered on the
Sabbath in a Seventh-day Adventist institution and those rendered
in a non-SDA institution. In an Adventists fire station, for
example, no routine maintenance work will be done on the Sabbath and the
staff will be reduced to a minimum indispensable. This means that a
person working in such a fire station, when called upon to work on the
Sabbath, will be expected to perform only those services which are
essential to guarantee readiness in case of emergency.
The situation is altogether different in a normal fire station where
the firemen on duty are expected to perform routine maintenance of the
fire trucks and of the station. This does not mean that a Sabbathkeeper
should not accept employment in such organizations as police and fire
stations, hospitals, schools, or social agencies which provide essential
services. In seeking or holding employment in such organizations,
however, a Sabbathkeeper should consider following guidelines such as
these:
- Request Sabbath Exemption. A Sabbathkeeper who accepts
employment in institutions which provide essential social services
should make known at the outset to the employers his or her
Sabbathkeeping principles and courteously request exemption from
Sabbath duties. In exchange for these Sabbath privileges, great
willingness should be shown to work at any other time and to
sacrifice, if necessary, even vacation time. In most cases exemption
from Sabbath duties is granted without major difficulties, especially
because there are other workers who desire to be free on Sunday.
- Explain Type of Essential Work. When because of factors
such as shortage of personnel, it becomes impossible to obtain regular
exemption from work on the Sabbath, Sabbathkeepers should courteously
explain to their supervisors the type of essential work they are
willing to perform on the Sabbath, in harmony with their religious
convictions.
- Rotating Schedule. Sabbathkeepers who are frequently called
upon to perform essential services on the Sabbath should courteously
request their employers to be scheduled for work on a rotating basis
in order to be allowed as often as possible to enter into a fuller
celebration of the Sabbath.
- True to Principle. Where the above conditions cannot be
met, a Sabbathkeeper should be willing to remain true to principle,
even if this involves suffering the loss of a job or of other
benefits.
- Emergency Situations. When emergency situations arise which
threaten life or property, the principles taught by Christ dictate
that one be willing to work on the Sabbath and do all in one's power
to save life (Matt 12:11-12; Luke 13:15-16).
- QUESTION:
- What should a Sabbathkeeper do when he or she is denied the
privilege to observe the Sabbath by military, educational, political,
industrial, or other institutions?
- ANSWER:
-
Stand for Principle
When in spite of the best
efforts a Sabbathkeeper has put forth to clarify his or her religious
convictions, the employing organization persists in denying Sabbath
privileges, the believer should choose to stand by faith for the
principle of Sabbathkeeping, even if such an action may result in the
loss of the job.
Intervention by Church Official
A competent church official should be asked to contact the employing
organization, to clarify to its management why their employee cannot
work on the Sabbath. Great willingness should be shown, however, to work
at any other time and to sacrifice, if necessary, even vacation time to
compensate the company for any possible loss caused by exempting the
worker from the Sabbath duties.
Church Support
The local church should offer spiritual, emotional, and, if
needed, financial support to a member experiencing Sabbath problems.
Such support will serve to strengthen the commitment to the Lord not
only of the individual member facing Sabbath problems but of the church
as a whole.
- QUESTION:
- Should a Sabbathkeeper purchase goods or services on the Sabbath
from persons or places which are doing business anyhow on the Sabbath?
- ANSWER:
- The Fourth Commandment enjoins us to grant freedom to all on the
Sabbath, including the stranger. Any attempt to enjoy the freedom
and joy of the Sabbath at the expense of others represents a denial of
the values of the Sabbath.
The fact that certain persons or businesses do not observe the
Sabbath is not a valid justification for purchasing their goods or
services on the Sabbath. By such an action a Sabbathkeeper would be
sanctioning the business transacted by others on the Sabbath. Moreover
he would himself be transgressing the Sabbath by purchasing goods or
services-an activity which is clearly condemned by the Scriptures (Jer
17:21-23; Neh 13:19-22).
Promotes Secularism
Purchasing goods or services on the Sabbath, such as eating out in
restaurants, will turn the mind of the believer away from the sacredness
of the Sabbath to the secularism and materialism of the world. With
proper planning, adequate provisions can be made in advance for
foreseeable Sabbath needs.
Emergency Situations
In spite of one's best plans and intentions, a situation may arise
when a person may need on the Sabbath, for example, to buy food or hire
a taxi. In such emergency situations, God understands the
intentions of the heart. Care should be taken to avoid the
recurrence of such situations and to maintain at all times the awareness
of the sacredness of the Sabbath.
- QUESTION:
- Should a Sabbathkeeper attend professional meetings on the
Sabbath, especially if they are in the field of Religion?
- ANSWER:
- The attendance of professional meetings on the Sabbath, including
those of theological societies, can hardly be seen as a legitimate
substitute for joining church members in the regular church services.
The very name "professional meetings" suggests that the
aim of such gatherings is to develop professional skills and thus they
must be seen as part of the work performed during the six days.
Attending meetings of theological societies on the Sabbath is no
better than attending any other type of professional meeting. The
technical issues which are generally addressed in such meetings are
designed not to enhance the Sabbath worship experience but to sharpen
one's knowledge and professional competency.
The principle of making the Sabbath experience distinct from the
gainful occupation of the six days will lead Sabbathkeeping Religion
teachers to join fellow believers at church rather than fellow
professionals at "work."
- QUESTION:
- What should be the time for beginning and ending the Sabbath in
the Arctic regions where the sun sets very early, or very late, or not
at all during part of the summer?
- ANSWER:
- Historically, Seventh-day Adventists have endeavored to follow the
principle of sunset reckoning even in the Arctic regions by broadening
the meaning of "sunset" to include, for example, the end of twilight,
the diminishing of light, the moment when the sun is closest to the
horizon.
Sunset Reckoning not Dictated by Commandment
Personally I respect this conviction, but I have difficulty in
accepting it as the only valid Biblical option, for at least three
reasons.
In the first place, the sunset reckoning is not dictated by the
Fourth Commandment, where no instruction is given regarding the time to
begin and end the observance of the Sabbath. The absence of such an
instruction may be indicative of divine wisdom in formulating a
principle adaptable to different geographical locations.
Completion of Six Days of Work
Second, the application of the sunset reckoning in the Arctic regions
when, for example, the sun sets by noon, makes it impossible to observe
the first part of the Fourth Commandment which enjoins: "Six days you
shall labor, and do all your work" (Ex 20:9).
To stop any gainful employment on Friday sometime before noon in
order to be ready to begin the observance of the Sabbath at noon-sunset,
means to reduce the working time of the sixth day, which in Biblical
thought consists of approximately 12 hours from sunrise to sunset (John
11:9; Matt 20:1-8), to only the first two or three hours of the morning.
Moreover, to resume work on Saturday after the noon-sunset means to
fulfill the working time of the sixth day, half during the "daytime" of
the sixth day and half during the "daytime" of the seventh day. Such a
practice can hardly reflect the intent of the Fourth Commandment, which
explicitly enjoins completing one's work in six days and then resting
unto the Lord on the seventh day.
Daytime Defined by the Clock
A third reason why the sunset reckoning is not suitable in or near
the Arctic regions to determine the beginning and end of the Sabbath is
simply because in these areas the daytime is defined by the clock and
not by the sun.
While in Bible lands the time between sunrise and sunset ranges
constantly between 12 and 14 hours during the course of the year, in the
Arctic regions the range can be from less than 3 hours in December to
more than 18 hours in July. What this means is that while in Bible lands
sunrise and sunset provide a logical and balanced division between
daytime and nighttime, or working time and resting time, in the
Arctic regions this division must be defined, not by sunrise and sunset,
but rather by the clock.
Equatorial Sunset Time
In light of the foregoing discussion, the most suitable method of
Sabbath reckoning in the Arctic regions is, in my view, according to the
equatorial sunset time, that is from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Integrity of Sixth Day of Work
My reasons for favoring the equatorial sunset time for the Arctic
regions are essentially three. First, the observance of the Sabbath in
the Arctic regions from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. would preserve the integrity of
the working time of the sixth day which is presupposed in the first part
of the Fourth Commandment: "Six days you shall labor, and do all your
work" (Ex 20:9).
To respect the integrity of the working time of the sixth day,
however, does not imply that one ought to be engaged in gainful
employment until the very end of the day. On the contrary, Friday was
rightly called "Day of Preparation" because part of the work done on
that day was in preparation for the Sabbath.
Compatible with Palestinian Sunset Time
A second reason for favoring the equatorial sunset time for the
Arctic regions is the fact that it is quite compatible with the sunset
time of the Bible lands.
A comparison between the sunset tables at the latitude of Palestine
with those at the equator reveals that on the average there is less than
one hour of difference between the two during the course of the year.
Thus the equatorial sunset time comes very close to that of Bible lands
while providing at the same time a consistent method of day reckoning.
Compatible with Working Schedule
A third reason is suggested by the fact that equatorial sunset time
is compatible with the working schedule of most people living in the
Arctic regions.
Compatibility with the equatorial or Palestinian sunset time per se
is not a determining factor because nowhere does the Bible or even
common sense suggest that the sunset time of Palestine or of the equator
must be the normative time for determining the end of the day and the
beginning of a new day in all the regions of the earth. What makes this
compatibility recommendable, however, is the fact that the sunset time
of Palestine, like the one of the equator, does respect the working
schedule of most people living in such northern countries as Alaska,
Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
In these northern countries, as in most industrialized nations, the
working day of most people terminates between 5 and 6 p.m. This hour of
the day is rightly known as the "rush hour" because it is the hour when
most people are rushing home at the end of their working day.
The equatorial sunset time, then, by being compatible with the
termination of the working day of most people living in the Arctic
regions, offers a rational method for observing the Sabbath from 6 p.m.
to 6 p.m.
My intent in proposing the equatorial sunset time for the Arctic
regions is not to make an already difficult situation worse, but rather
to contribute to the resolution of the complex problem of Sabbath
reckoning in these northern regions.
If differing views should persist on the time for beginning and
ending the Sabbath in the Arctic regions, it is my hope that the spirit
of mutual respect, compassion, and charity will prevail. May we never
forget that Sabbathkeeping expresses obedience to God and, as Ellen
White perceptively writes, "The Lord accepts all the obedience of every
creature He has made, according to the circumstances of time in the
sun-rising and sun-setting world" (Letter 167, March 23, 1900).
- QUESTION:
- Does not the international date line create uncertainty about
which day should be observed as the seventh day?
- ANSWER:
- The international date line creates uncertainty primarily for
travelers who have either to add or to drop a day from their calendar
when crossing such a line in the Pacific Ocean.
It may be helpful to explain that the date line is a north-south line
which runs through the Pacific Ocean, approximately along the 180th
meridian. Meridians are lines which extend from the North to the
South pole and which divide the globe into 360 equally spaced lines.
At the line of the 180th meridian the date changes, so that east of it
is one day earlier and west of it is one day later.
Need for Date Line
The date line is necessary because the earth is divided into 24
one-hour time zones (of 15 degrees longitude each) which make up a full
day upon the earth. Since the earth rotates eastward, when people travel
westward or eastward, they must of necessity either drop a day from or
add a day to their reckoning of time.
In October 1884 the commercial nations of the world agreed to make
the meridian going through the astronomical observatory at Greenwich,
England, as the prime meridian from which all other meridians were to be
numbered. As a result of this decision, the international date line,
which is the 180th meridian, runs from north to south through the
Pacific Ocean. In some places the date line bulges eastward and in other
places westward to enable certain land areas and islands to have the
same day.
Though the date line was established on the basis of geographical,
political, economic, and social considerations, the decision must be
accepted as appropriate, since it has produced order out of that which
would otherwise have been confusion.
Date Line Israel
Some Sabbathkeepers argue that the international date line should
be located at the eastern border of Israel where there is the time zone
line. Their reasoning is that since the Sabbath was first given to
the Jews, then Jerusalem must be the place where the seventh day must
begin and end (Is 2:3; Mic 4:2).
This reasoning, in my view, is faulty. First, because the Sabbath was
given by God not exclusively to the Jews but inclusively to
mankind (Mark 2:27). Second, because nowhere does the Scripture
suggests that the reckoning of the day should begin and end at
Jerusalem. Third, because the Jews themselves never dropped or added a
day when forced to emigrate east or west of Jerusalem.
Lastly, because if the date line had been set at the 35th meridian
crossing Israel, utter confusion would have prevailed in all the
northern and southern countries crossed by this line (Russia, Turkey,
Lebanon, and all the eastern African countries). Millions of people
would have had to constantly add or drop a day whenever crossing the
date line. This problem is largely avoided by the present date line,
which, because of its location mostly in the open waters of the Pacific
Ocean, affects only very few inhabited areas.
Providential Decision
In the absence of any Biblical injunction, it is perfectly right for
human judgment to determine the location of the date line. The fact that
the decision to place the line at the 180th meridian in the Pacific
Ocean has produced order and has met the satisfaction of all the world,
must be seen as an indication of providential guidance on the matter.
The Scriptures teach that political powers are instituted by God (Rom
13:1) and when they exercise their powers legitimately to ensure law and
social order, they are fulfilling a divine mandate. In the case of the
date line, the decision of the international community must be accepted
as divinely sanctioned, because it detracts no honor from God, it exalts
no individual, political, or religious organization, and it benefits all
people.
Adoption of Local Calendar
The travelers who reach the islands of the Pacific from the East or
from the West, should adopt the day of the people who inhabit the
islands, as it is customary to adopt the time of the day of any place
one goes.
It is important to remember that in a round, rotating earth the
seventh-day cannot possibly be observed at the same time
everywhere. When the Sabbath is beginning in Los Angeles, California
(Friday evening), it is already ending in Sydney, Australia (Saturday
evening).
The principle of Sabbathkeeping consists not in observing the seventh
day at the same time everywhere around the globe, but rather in
observing the seventh day when it arrives in the part of the earth where
one lives. This principle applies both to the hour for beginning the
Sabbath and to the day for observing it. Obedience to the Fourth
Commandment demands that we observe the seventh day as it comes to us in
the place where we live.
