Ellen White's Sabbath in Eden is Not Biblical

[Dale]

Those who go to church on Saturday, or advocate Sabbath observance, often say that God ordained the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. It is assumed that Christians are obligated to obey the Ten Commandments, although no verse in the New Testament that exactly says so. The Ten Commandments were specifically given to the Jews, to Israel.

Most Christian advocates of Sabbath observance are influenced by Ellen White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance that she put on the Sabbath. She doesn't say that the Sabbath command, or the Sabbath institution, as she sometimes calls it, originated at Sinai. Ellen White says that God gave the command to observe the Sabbath to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She claims that the command was already known to the Israelites and renewed in the Ten Commandments. Further, it is binding on all nations. Yet none of this makes any sense. I will give quotes from Ellen White in my third and fourth posts.

There is no sign in Genesis that Adam or Eve did any work in the Garden of Eden. If they did no work, how could they abstain from work every seventh day? Work or toil isn't mentioned until after the Fall in Genesis Three: [God says,] “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."

Exodus 35:3 prohibits lighting a cooking fire on the Sabbath. Yet Genesis gives the impression that Adam and Eve never used fire until they left Eden. While in Eden, Adam never hunted or killed an animal and Eve never cooked. No crop had ever been planted or harvested. How did they refrain from doing these things on the Sabbath if they never did them? We know that Adam and Eve didn't spend their time making clothes. No, the Sabbath wasn't given in Eden.

If there is any doubt that this is the right way of looking at the Eden story, take a look at God's covenant with Noah in Genesis Nine. In Genesis 9: 1-17, God lays down commandments for Noah and his descendants. Even today, rabbis regard this as the essence of God's law for all nations, for non-Jews, those not obligated to follow the Law of Moses. In Genesis Nine, God strongly condemns the shedding of human blood, in other words, murder. But there is no Sabbath commandment.

Continuing her claims about Genesis, Ellen White says that the children of Cain, the first murderer, chose their own day of worship. The children of Seth continued to worship on the true Sabbath. White comes close to saying that people who go to church on Sunday are hardly better than murderers.

 

[Dale]

Here is one way that we can infer that the Sabbath commandment wasn't known to the Israelites before the Ten Commandments were given at Sinai. The Ten Commandments are given twice, first in Exodus Twenty and later in Deuteronomy Five.

In Exodus Twenty, verses 13-16 cover murder, adultery, theft and false witness. These verses are only twenty-two words, in English. Yet these four verses make very important points for person-to-person behavior. The Sabbath is covered in verses 8-11 and this takes 100 words. The verses on murder, adultery, theft and false witness are concise. The verse on Sabbath observance is verbose.

In Deuteronomy Five, the difference in treatment is even more striking. Murder, adultery, theft and false witness are covered in verses 17-20 and again take only twenty-two words, in English. The observance of the Sabbath is covered in verse twelve and takes 131 words.

Why do the Ten Commandments spend five or six times as many words on Sabbath observance as it does to forbid murder, theft, false witness and adultery? The answer is that the prohibition of murder, etc., were concepts already familiar to the Israelites. They only needed to be mentioned as thou-shalt-nots in one or two words to be understood. The reason that Sabbath observance had to be explained in detail and at length is that it was not a familiar idea.

If Ellen White's notion that the Sabbath was observed by Abraham and the Patriarchs was correct, it would not have been a novel new idea. The Ten Commandments would not have belabored the point if this were true.

 

[Dale]

Ellen White's Sabbath and Eden: Brief Quotes




"Like the Sabbath, the week originated at creation, and it has been preserved and brought down to us through Bible history."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 9: The Literal Week
(Kindle Location 1866-8)



"The Sabbath is not introduced as a new institution but as having been founded at creation."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 27: The Law Given to Israel
(Kindle Location 4899-4900)



"The Sabbath institution, which originated in Eden, is as old as the world itself. It was observed by all the patriarchs, from creation down."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 29: Satan's Enmity Against the Law
(Kindle Location 5379)



[Chapter]29. The Sabbath


"The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Book III: The Desire of Ages, Chapter 29: The Sabbath
(Kindle Location 23709-12)



"The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Book III: The Desire of Ages, Chapter 29: The Sabbath
(Kindle Location 23741-42)



"It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial."

Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Book V: The Great Controversy, Chapter 25: God's Law Immutable
(Kindle Location 45146-47)

 

[Dale]

Ellen White's Sabbath and Eden: More Lengthy Quotes

The last quote deals with Cain's day of rest.



In the circumstances connected with the giving of the manna,we have conclusive evidence that the Sabbath was not instituted, as many claim, when the law was given at Sinai. Before the Israelites came to Sinai they understood the Sabbath to be obligatory upon them.


Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 26: From the Red Sea to Sinai
(Kindle Location 4724-25)



After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God's great work of creation; and that as he should behold the evidences of God's wisdom and goodness, his heart might be filled with love and reverence for his Maker. In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority. Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind. There was nothing in it shadowy or of restricted application to any people.


Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 2:The Creation
(Kindle Location 867-72)


Before the Fall our first parents had kept the Sabbath, which was instituted in Eden; and after their expulsion from Paradise they continued its observance. They had tasted the bitter fruits of disobedience, and had learned what every one that tramples upon God's commandments will sooner or later learn--that the divine precepts are sacred and immutable, and that the penalty of transgression will surely be inflicted. The Sabbath was honored by all the children of Adam that remained loyal to God. But Cain and his descendants did not respect the day upon which God had rested. They chose their own time for labor and for rest, regardless of Jehovah's express command.


Ellen White, Conflict of the Ages, Introduction: Chapter 6: Seth and Enoch
(Kindle Location 1392-97)

 

[Tolworth John]

Most Christian advocates of Sabbath observance are influenced by Ellen White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists.

Of what interest to Christians is the writings of someone whose christianity is suspect.

As for sabeth observance the puritans observed no work on sunday and they predated ellen white by several hundred years.

Your argument is faulty.

 

[eleos1954]

Those who go to church on Saturday, or advocate Sabbath observance, often say that God ordained the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. It is assumed that Christians are obligated to obey the Ten Commandments, although no verse in the New Testament that exactly says so. The Ten Commandments were specifically given to the Jews, to Israel.

Most Christian advocates of Sabbath observance are influenced by Ellen White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance that she put on the Sabbath. She doesn't say that the Sabbath command, or the Sabbath institution, as she sometimes calls it, originated at Sinai. Ellen White says that God gave the command to observe the Sabbath to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She claims that the command was already known to the Israelites and renewed in the Ten Commandments. Further, it is binding on all nations. Yet none of this makes any sense. I will give quotes from Ellen White in my third and fourth posts.

There is no sign in Genesis that Adam or Eve did any work in the Garden of Eden. If they did no work, how could they abstain from work every seventh day? Work or toil isn't mentioned until after the Fall in Genesis Three: [God says,] “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life."

Exodus 35:3 prohibits lighting a cooking fire on the Sabbath. Yet Genesis gives the impression that Adam and Eve never used fire until they left Eden. While in Eden, Adam never hunted or killed an animal and Eve never cooked. No crop had ever been planted or harvested. How did they refrain from doing these things on the Sabbath if they never did them? We know that Adam and Eve didn't spend their time making clothes. No, the Sabbath wasn't given in Eden.

If there is any doubt that this is the right way of looking at the Eden story, take a look at God's covenant with Noah in Genesis Nine. In Genesis 9: 1-17, God lays down commandments for Noah and his descendants. Even today, rabbis regard this as the essence of God's law for all nations, for non-Jews, those not obligated to follow the Law of Moses. In Genesis Nine, God strongly condemns the shedding of human blood, in other words, murder. But there is no Sabbath commandment.

Continuing her claims about Genesis, Ellen White says that the children of Cain, the first murderer, chose their own day of worship. The children of Seth continued to worship on the true Sabbath. White comes close to saying that people who go to church on Sunday are hardly better than murderers.

There is this constant controversy over the 7th day Sabbath of the Lord.

27
Then Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord (master) even of the Sabbath.”

Why would Jesus be Lord (master) of the Sabbath ... if the Sabbath is meaningless?

Jesus kept the Sabbath .... He was God incarnate ... Jesus is my Lord (master) and He is Lord (master) over the Sabbath. Important to Him ... important to me.

Matthew 16:24

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Revelation 14

4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women (they have not accepted the doctrines of the corrupt and apostate churches. they are virgins.) They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

The Lamb kept the 7th day Sabbath ... and so should we out of our Love for Him.

In all things ... Follow the Lamb. Amen

God Bless.

 

[Dale]

Of what interest to Christians is the writings of someone whose christianity is suspect.

As for sabeth observance the puritans observed no work on sunday and they predated ellen white by several hundred years.

Your argument is faulty.

What argument do you think I made?

 

[Dale]

There is this constant controversy over the 7th day Sabbath of the Lord.

27
Then Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord (master) even of the Sabbath.”

Why would Jesus be Lord (master) of the Sabbath ... if the Sabbath is meaningless?

Jesus kept the Sabbath .... He was God incarnate ... Jesus is my Lord (master) and He is Lord (master) over the Sabbath. Important to Him ... important to me.

Matthew 16:24

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Revelation 14

4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women (they have not accepted the doctrines of the corrupt and apostate churches. they are virgins.) They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

The Lamb kept the 7th day Sabbath ... and so should we out of our Love for Him.

In all things ... Follow the Lamb. Amen

God Bless.

Jesus lived in a society that observed a Sabbath. He attended Synagogue on the Sabbath because that is when those meetings were held.




The Sabbath as laid down in the Ten Commandments is a matter of labor law. It was intended to make sure that employees, servants, family members, and women, all get a day off. It wasn't meant to be a way to make a statement about your personal religion.

 

[JesusYeshuaisLord]

With or without Ellen White, the bible clearly states God resting on the 7th day at Creation. Now if we are all honest it just doesn't say if they observed it or not before Sinai. We can only assume what they did, and all of us are just assuming. We only know that Jews observed it because God said so, that's also clear. So can we just be free in worshipping God on which ever day we feel like our conscience is telling us to worship? Paul asks that of us. Not all people are at the same point in their journey. We all have the amount of faith that God has given us by grace.

I commend you for your efforts in wanting to highlight the Bible over Ellen White's words.

It is worth noting that Sunday keeping christians are as passionate to prove that Sunday is THE worship day as Saturday keeping christians are to prove that Saturday is...I was especially baffled by John Piper's take on worship day (I do agree with him on probably all that he says). He talked about what Sabbath was etc to arrive to the conclusion that the day doesn't matter and then says that: "If any of you has a sheep that falls into a pit on the sabbath, will you not reach in and pull it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good—all kinds of good—on Sunday morning." So in the end I'm actually not too sure what he is saying...does the day matter or not? He clearly calls the Sunday, Sabbath in this statement and actually reveal his motives for the exposition. Mind you, his audience is a Sunday keeping church so he probably wanted to reassure them that they are not to be feeling guilty. What I'm saying is that we all have reasons to worship the day we worship and in light of the bible I don't think we have the right to say this person is wrong and this person is right. If we are really honest, we can say Jews worshiped on Saturday and christians with time worshiped on Sunday. Nowhere in the bible it says that the apostles said that Sabbath is Sunday. What we are sure of is that they met on Sundays.

Look, I think most SDAs get it when people say that the day doesn't matter in terms of salvation. They'd probably would chearfuly say that Jesus is the true rest but like Sunday keeping christians think it is good that you go on Sunday, the same way saturday keeping christians think it too for Saturday.

 

[NBB]

Paul writes, that nobody judge you on things like sabbath days etc. enough for me! i know a lot of spirit filled christians and to no one the holy spirit told them that they are sinning because of not keeping the sabbath.

 

[fromtheearth]

I will only comment on one thing I disagree with from your post.

Why were the Israelites directed to gather double the manna on the 6th day and none on the seventh in Exodus.
The commandments had not been given yet. This proves an existence of thet Sabbath prior to Sinai

 

[fromtheearth]

Paul writes, that nobody judge you on things like sabbath days etc. enough for me! i know a lot of spirit filled christians and to no one the holy spirit told them that they are sinning because of not keeping the sabbath.

Paul is talking about Feast days, not the weekly Sabbath. The word Sabbath in Hebrew means ''o Cease' so the word was also used on feast days where they ceased to celebrate or remember.

Try reading it again knowing this context

 

[NBB]

Paul is talking about Feast days, not the weekly Sabbath. The word Sabbath in Hebrew means ''o Cease' so the word was also used on feast days where they ceased to celebrate or remember.

Try reading it again knowing this context

Again, spirit filled pastors say nothing about it, and.... Paul is speaking of sabbath in general i guess in the translation so, it should be more clear if it is a salvation issue which is not.

Also he says one person holds in regard one day as important, other ones does not. But everyone should not judge others because of this things.

 

[NBB]

I received the Holy spirit in a church that does not hold the sabbath, enough evidence for me! if it was the same as murder i would not have received so many blessings. Some people would try to drag you into compliying with the whole law even.

 

[fromtheearth]

Again, spirit filled pastors say nothing about it, and.... Paul is speaking of sabbath in general i guess in the translation so, it should be more clear if it is a salvation issue which is not.

I would not be using "spirit filled pastors say nothing about it" as a way of gauging what is true or not.

Try studying the passage properly. Then also go back to 300AD and study how Sunday worship came to be.

 

[fromtheearth]

I received the Holy spirit in a church that does not hold the sabbath, enough evidence for me! if it was the same as murder i would not have received so many blessings. Some people would try to drag you into compliying with the whole law even.

That's fantastic!
Some of the best Christians I know are Sunday worshippers. But that doesn't change scripture.
We believe that the Sabbath was given as a way to constantly renew our relationship with God. Not as a legalistic checklist item.
I believe the change to Sunday worship is a tool used by the devil to try and separate us from God.

 

[fromtheearth]

Again, spirit filled pastors say nothing about it, and.... Paul is speaking of sabbath in general i guess in the translation so, it should be more clear if it is a salvation issue which is not.

Also he says one person holds in regard one day as important, other ones does not. But everyone should not judge others because of this things.

I agree no-one should judge anyone for any doctrine, doesn't mean we should have good discussion to try and work out God's intentions for us

 

[NBB]

That's fantastic!
Some of the best Christians I know are Sunday worshippers. But that doesn't change scripture.
We believe that the Sabbath was given as a way to constantly renew our relationship with God. Not as a legalistic checklist item.
I believe the change to Sunday worship is a tool used by the devil to try and separate us from God.

From my experience, it does not put us away from Him, so either is irrelevant, or has some truth on it but God is very quiet about it.

 

[fromtheearth]

From my experience, it does not put us away from Him, so either is irrelevant, or has some truth on it but God is very quiet about it.

Have you ever tried to keep the Sabbath? If not, how do you know the difference in your relationship with God?

 

[Dale]

Have you ever tried to keep the Sabbath? If not, how do you know the difference in your relationship with God?

Seventh Day Adventists do not keep the Sabbath. They make no attempt to follow the Old Testament laws on the Sabbath. They carry loads into the church when they hold a church dinner on Saturday, for instance. They will travel any distance to church.

The Old Testament Sabbath is labor law, designed to make sure every employee and every servant gets a day off.

The SDA are inconsistent. They demand that everyone else keep the Sabbath and yet they don't keep it themselves.