Think for a moment. Is Sunday observance reasonable? Would God, without any warning whatsoever, abolish His eternal sacred Sabbath, replacing it with observance of the day of the week honoring the mythical “sun” god, doing so in Jerusalem of all places?
In April of 1865, following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s vice-president assumed the presidency. The Civil War had ended. Now was the time for reconstruction. Now was the time for the rebuilding of the nation, for binding up the wounds of war, for bringing about a more perfect union. Come now, and let us reason together: Let’s say as President Johnson’s first executive order he had issued the following decree, “All southern states that had seceded from the union will henceforth be governed by freed black slaves. All white governors of said states shall surrender their offices and powers to presidentially appointed former slaves beginning at midnight, January 1, 1866.” Now let me ask you a question: Had Andrew Johnson, for whatever reason, issued such a proclamation, do you think it would have been well received by the South, or even by the North? Do you think such an act would have assisted and contributed to a rapid assimilation of the southern states back into an integrated union with the northern states? Or, do you think he would have had a major, far-reaching, gargantuan problem on his hands trying to effect such a drastic change with very little, if any, warning that such a change was coming? I believe the answer is obvious to any thinking person.
Now let me give you a scenario that is even more ridiculous, absolutely ludicrous, a scenario that if enacted would have instantly created a massive, far-reaching problem for the church that was founded shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What if God had issued an unwritten, unspoken decree that following the death and resurrection of His Son His eternal holy Sabbath would be forever abolished, set aside and replaced with Sunday observance, a day that had for centuries been the day of the sun god, a pagan “holy” day? And the observance of this new worship day would be inaugurated in the city of Jerusalem without fanfare, without explanation, without decree! Do you think the church would have had a major, far-reaching, gargantuan problem on its hands trying to effect such a drastic change with very little, if any, warning that such a change was coming? Again, I believe the answer is obvious to any thinking person.
Sunday observers seem to have no conception whatsoever as to why the Pharisees and Sadducees were so zealous about the sacredness of God’s holy Sabbath day and why they were instantly ready to condemn what they viewed as the slightest infraction in keeping that day holy. Any Bible student having but a cursory knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures – the Old Testament – should realize that defilement of the Sabbath day had strirred God’s anger to the point that He used the pagan Babylonians as His instrument to punish Judah, casting down David’s throne, destroying His own temple, and laying waste to the city of Jerusalem! In reference to Sabbath breaking, God said, “the sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond…” (See Jeremiah 17:1). It is the one sin God said, “I will not forget or overlook!” (Read the entire 17th chapter of Jeremiah to see just how God viewed Sabbath breaking).
The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day knew quite well how greatly Israel had been punished for their Sabbath violations. Finally, after many long decades, even centuries, the sacredness of the Sabbath had been instilled once again in the consciousness of the nation. Finally, Israel had been brought to see how zealous God was of His eternal Sabbath day. Anything or anyone that even appeared to lessen the sacredness of that day was absolutely anathema to the people of God. No one, nothing could be allowed to tamper with the Sabbath in any way to the slightest degree.
You who observe Sunday as “the Lord’s Day,” let me ask you a reasonable question: “Have you ever really sought out the truth regarding the Sabbath issue? Or have you merely assumed that God indeed did change His holy Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to Sunday, the first day of the week? Now I know Sunday observers (I was once one myself) have in their minds a few verses of scripture that seemingly do show that this change indeed did occur, but have you ever really looked at all the evidence that closely and been irrevocably convinced that God indeed ordered or approved of such a colossal change? I have, and that is why well over fifty years ago I became absolutely convinced that the prophet Isaiah was definitely inspired of God when he wrote, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another (month in and month out), and FROM ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER shall ALL FLESH (Jew, Gentile – all humanity) come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22-23). And there is your authority for that statement, “saith the Lord!” GOD SAID THAT! And God have mercy on you if you don’t believe it.
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley