Adventists sometimes claim that Revelation shows sabbath keeping by Christians.
10 Commandments
There is no mention of the sabbath in the entire book of Revelation. Adventists base their claim on their idea that God’s commandments, for Christians, remain the Old Covenant law, specifically the 10 commandments. I’ve dealt with why this is incorrect elsewhere. Adventists cite Rev 12:17 as an example of sabbath keeping instructed in Revelation:
Rev 12:17 (KJV) – 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.
To Adventists, the “testimony of Jesus Christ” is a synonym for their prophetess, Ellen White.
The only “commandments” they recognise are the 10 commandments. They ignore the fact that there are many laws called “commandments” in the books of Moses outside the 10 commandments, and they ignore passages like 1 Corinthians 14:37, where commandments to Christians are not the 10 commandments.
Jesus gave new commandments. He took the 10 commandments, and expanded on their moral principles in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). And he said:
John 13:34-35 (KJV) – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 15:10-12 (KJV) – If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
The Sermon on the Mount
Ask an Adventist what the greatest law is, and they’ll tell you it’s the sabbath commandment. Ask an Adventist what the sign is that we are Jesus’ disciples, and they’ll tell you it is keeping the sabbath.
That’s not what Jesus said above.
Jesus said that the greatest commandments in the Old Testament were two found outside the 10 commandments, in what Adventists consider to be the ceremonial law – Deut 6:4-5 and Lev 19:18:
Matt 22:35-39 (KJV) – Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Passages like Rev 12:17 need to be interpreted in that light. The law changed (Heb 7:12). Jesus gave a new law. The greatest commandments in the old law were not the in 10 commandments, but in Deut 6:4-5 and Lev 19:18. Jesus gave a new commandment – love one another as I have loved you. We are under a new law, not the old law that ended at the cross. And nowhere in the new law are we told to keep the sabbath, or are we given an example by the Apostles of sabbath keeping.
3 comments
Your information is skewed, and twisted. You obviously have some animosity toward the Sabbath of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Just to clear one of the things up for you and anyone reading this misinformed article, the Bible clearly states what the testimony of Jesus Christ is, but first your quote. “To Adventists, the “testimony of Jesus Christ” is a synonym for their prophetess, Ellen White
Now what the Bible says about it.
Rev_19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for <<>>”
As we can read from the Bible, the testimony of Jesus is Biblical and mentions nothing about dear sister White. This line about the testimony of Jesus Christ from your article is out of whack. The prophecies of the Bible–get ready, here is the big word–testify, give a TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ being who He claims to be–God– because only God knows the future, and that is what the prophecies are about.
Here is the full verse.
Rev_19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Author
I fully agree that Ellen White is not mentioned in the Bible. Your understanding of what the Bible means here is correct. I applaud you for rejecting the view taken by many Adventists, that Ellen, or her writings, are the Spirit of Prophecy.