AdventistToday: For a few weeks the supermarket close to the apartment building where we live is open on Sundays. Sunday shopping has long been a hotly debated issue in local politics. Until recently the influence of the religious parties was strong enough to frustrate the attempts by the rest of the local council to allow all shops to be open on Sundays, even if the shop owners so desire. At long last, things are changing in our village of some 22,000 inhabitants—as they have been gradually changing in most places in our traditionally Calvinist country.
In the Thursday issue of my daily newspaper (one of the Christian dailies of our country) I found an interesting article about Sunday observance in the United States. For a major percentage of the population in the United States Sunday is rapidly losing its importance. Only a third of all Americans avoid paid work; for only ten percent shopping on Sunday remains taboo; and only six percent feels that Sunday observance is incompatible with visiting an amusement park.
There is an ever-deepening chasm between the reality of Sunday observance in today’s western world and the message that continues to be heard in some quarters of the Adventist Church, namely that we will soon have to face severe Sunday laws, which will force every citizen to keep Sunday and will make life extremely difficult for those who insist on keeping the seventh-day Sabbath sacred.
However the expectation that in the end of time a universal Sunday law will be enforced by the civil authorities, upon the insistence of the public and at the demand of the “apostate” churches, seems to be more and more unrealistic. Admittedly, there are a few groups and organizations that continue to urge legislation to enforce strict Sunday observance, but in reality the overall trend is towards less, rather than more, strict Sunday keeping. In the western world the Sunday of church worship is rapidly being replaced by a Sunday of amusement and shopping, and by a day when people also want to see their packages with their on-line orders delivered.
Adventists must ask themselves: Does the Bible clearly predict a time when merciless Sunday laws will be enforced? We should realize that this Sunday-law scenario is mainly based on the interpretation of the prophecies of the Revelation by Ellen White in her book The Great Controversy. For some this means that, against all present appearances, the Sunday laws are coming, because “she says so!” For others it means that Ellen White was wrong and that she is thereby disqualified as a prophetic beacon for the Adventist believers.
For me, it means that we must revise our concept of inspiration.
Ellen White wrote her book The Great Controversy in the late nineteenth century, against the background of circumstances that prevailed in the United States. Her world was divided between Roman Catholics and Protestants. She belonged to a tiny Adventist sect that was not welcome. She lived in a time when politicians at the state level and the national level were doing all they could to enforce Sunday observance. She experienced how in some states Sabbath keepers were actually put in prison!
However, her world no longer exists. The underlying “grand narrative” of the “great controversy” between the forces of good and evil is as valid as ever. But it plays out in vastly different ways in our secular society that has a totally different religious and cultural composition. It is up to us to discern how this “great controversy” plays out in our twenty-first century western world.
The great challenge for Sabbath-keeping Adventists is not to keep talking about an end-time scenario that is increasingly implausible, but to convince our fellow-citizens that there is an immeasurable religious, social and health benefit in respecting the God-given six plus one rhythm in time. Man has been created with an internal clock, and not to respect that will be to their detriment. The Sabbath remains our best antidote against stress and burn-out and our best channel for regaining moral strength. It is the divinely ordained instrument to charge our spiritual batteries and to (re)connect us with God and the people who are dear to us.
Let us not waste energy on trying to push an unrealistic Sunday-law scenario, but promote and model a life in which the Sabbath-rest, that is part of God’s creation, holds center stage.
Our Comment:
The above article was written by Reinder Bruinsma, the former President of the Netherlands Union of Seventh-day Adventists. He is obviously convinced that Ellen White was wrong about Sunday laws. He believes we must revise our view of inspiration and use a more “realistic” modern approach to the prophecies of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.
Prophetic Link:
“While men are sleeping, Satan is actively arranging matters so that the Lord’s people may not have mercy or justice. The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 452.
“We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise…” Maranatha, page 138.
Comments
Bill Gates
Tuesday January 22nd, 2019 at 02:38 PMWhen Satan appears as Christ and claims he changed the Sabbath to Sunday, overnight the people will want to legislate Sunday.
Plus when the world experiences an economic collapse like none other, they will also agitate for the passing of a National Sunday law to get their wealth back.
I am not surprised at what comes out of Europe regarding the S.O.P. The influence of Canright is still being felt today.
I have supreme confidence in the K.J,V Bible and the S.O.P. Writings.
Keep up the good work.
Bill Gates
Sydney.
Michael Hamblin
Friday January 25th, 2019 at 08:40 AMYes good Comment Brother. I see some Adventists and indeed Clergy trying to Water Down and even dismiss our more Distinctive Beliefs and often not Preached anymore.
Sabbath us tending to become like Sunday…. Some say we are not Protestant anymore but Evangelical….. Certainly no Sharing of Christ’s Last Loving Warning of the Great Harlot and her Daughters…. To encourage more Interdenominational activities….. The. Mark of the Beast is never ever mentioned.
Probably due to Senior Pastors like the Author of this piece and Others i know Personally.
William Flatt
Tuesday January 22nd, 2019 at 02:54 PMMr. Bruinsma overlooks the fact that Ellen White was not the only source that predicts the inevitable introduction of draconian Sunday laws. The primary source is the Bible itself (Rev. 13), which is NEVER wrong. Perhaps what we should be asking is why so many SDA leaders are willing to disregard the plain instruction of God through His Word.
Yes, we should focus on the necessity of the time management plan that God gave us – not merely a single day of rest after 6 days of work, but that the appointed, SANCTIFIED and BLESSED day is the last day of the week (Saturday), from sundown to sundown.
We should also be focused on the fact that the Bible AND the Spirit of Prophecy instructs us the final conflict (Sunday observance) will come SUDDENLY upon us. We don’t know WHEN that time will be, just that Ellen White stressed that the final movements will be RAPID ones. When you consider how short the news cycle is in modern times, and the speed of the internet, this whole matter could evolve in the space of hours, even minutes. It underscores the fact that we must be ready at all times.
All this serves to highlight the vital importance of preaching the undiluted Three Angels’ Messages.
Pastor Gary Jensen
Tuesday January 22nd, 2019 at 08:00 PMBruinsma’s books are published by our denomination and sold in our ABC’s. This just goes to show that you cannot believe every book that we print and sell reflects historical SDA beliefs. Bruisnma forgets that because of the secularization of society Pope Frances is pushing for Sunday closing laws and Sunday rest, as attendance at mass has been dwindling for years and one way to get Catholics back to church is to limit other Sunday activities. And prophecy reveals that the world will follow the Pope’s lead –
Revelation 13:3 (last part). Let’s not be deceived. The Sabbath-Sunday question is to be the deciding question in the last days as a test of loyalty to God or to man.
Rosita Kirshman
Wednesday January 23rd, 2019 at 04:22 PMThis reminds me of what the Lord told Jerusalem in Isaiah 29: 9-14:
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Michael Hamblin
Thursday January 24th, 2019 at 08:28 AMWell i have to agree that many Adventists are Sleeping as well as many Pastors…. Often because Senior Pastors are Downgrading our more Distinctive Beliefs…. The Lord has delayed His Coming so Second Advent is rarely preached cos we have been crying Wolf for too long…… Sabbath is slowly becoming like how Sunday is kept by most Christians……
Pastoral Mantra is now ‘Grace Grace Grace!’.. And of course is Paramount and Amazing Kernel of the Eternal Gospel. They want to get closer to other Christians… Nit wanting to even hear suggested that The Great Harlot and her Daughters are having greater influence over the Adventist Church than we arein them.
If course God has His Remnant in Every Denomination And indeed None.
Nevertheless we soon need to change our Name to match the Logo…. Maybe Seven – day Christians…. Grace through Faith Alone.
Thanks be to God for Pastor Doug and Others mostly Independents and also Adventist Offshoots who Share the Whole Everlasting Gospel including Christ’s Last Loving Warning to Planet Earth.
Giuseppa
Monday September 21st, 2020 at 09:09 AMI love to study prophecies.
My Church has prevented me
to talk about Apocalypse and Daniel.
I left the church.
I continued to study.
I transmitted my studies to a site (www.avventismoprofetico.it).
I shared the prophecies of the end.
Elizabeth Deapen
Saturday February 2nd, 2019 at 01:41 PMI was dismayed to read that article by the man in Netherlands but relieved to find that you have addressed it, Pastor Mayer! Thank you for poking a pin in his balloon. Our church is in such big trouble. Jesus is coming far sooner than pretty much all living humanity, believes. Blessings.
Allas Kasanda
Friday June 21st, 2019 at 03:31 AMGreat news
Allas Kasanda
Friday June 21st, 2019 at 03:37 AMWe need very concerted efforts individually in order to prepare adquately for the forth coming Sunday law. Study the bible like no any other time in our lives.
Colleen Jeffries
Saturday June 22nd, 2019 at 04:57 PMI believe the Second Coming of Christ is at the door. Our time is running out. May we always remain faithful and true to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Until we see Him face to face, God bless each and everyone.