Ellen White Didn’t Speak About the Lunar Sabbath
Lunar Sabbath supporters erroneously present the following quote as evidence that Ellen White talked about the Lunar Sabbath:
“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.”
White E (1847). A Vision. [Read in context]
But if we read the quote in context we will find the Ellen White was not talking about the Lunar Sabbath at all. Instead she was talking the seventh day and the first day of the week (above quote in italic):
And I saw that if God had changed the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day, He would have changed the writing of the Sabbath commandment, written on the tables of stone, which are now in the ark, in the Most Holy Place of the Temple in heaven; [REV. 11:19.] and it would read thus: the first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. But I saw that it read the same as when written on the tables of stone by the finger of God, and delivered to Moses in Sinai, “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” [EX. 20:10.]
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. And if one believed, and kept the Sabbath, and received the blessing attending it, and then gave it up, and broke the holy commandment, they would shut the gates of the Holy City against themselves, as sure as there was a God that rules in heaven above. 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 [HO. 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.
And I saw the sword, famine, pestilence, and great confusion in the land. [EZE. 7:10-19. 2 ESDRAS 15 5-27] The wicked thought that we had brought the judgments down on them. They rose up and took counsel to rid the earth of us, thinking that then the evil would be stayed. [2 ESDRAS 16:68-74.]
White E (1847). A Vision. [Read in context]
Ellen White is very clear throughout the passage that the issue was a Saturday vs. Sunday observance and not the Lunar Sabbath.
“…I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath, for He never changes. [MAL. 3:6.] But the Pope had changed it from the seventh to the first day of the week; for he was to change times and laws… And I saw that if God had changed the Sabbath, from the seventh to the first day, He would have changed the writing of the Sabbath commandment… and it would read thus: the first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God…
I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers… I saw all that “would not receive the mark of the Beast, and of his Image, in their foreheads or in their hands,” could not buy or sell. [REV. 13:15-17.] I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made up; [REV. 13:18.] and that it was the Beast that changed the Sabbath, and the Image Beast had followed on after, and kept the Pope’s, and not God’s Sabbath…”
White E (1847). A Vision. [Read in context]
Ellen White goes on to explain how the Mark of the Beast is to worship on the Pope’s Sabbath, which we know to be Sunday. It is interesting that according to the Lunar Sabbath calendar, there are several Sabbaths of the year that could fall on the “Pope’s Sabbath” or Sunday. In these months will it be okay for Lunar Sabbath keepers to worship on the day the Catholic Church instituted as Sabbath-Sunday?
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
