Beyond the Days

by Aubrey L. Duncan

“Perhaps the best known and most quoted passage of Scripture of the entire Bible is John 3:16-17. It reads: “…For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life…For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved….” This passage is so simple, yet so profound, but grossly misunderstood. Most people, particularly Christians, misinterpret this passage to make it relate to people that came into the world after the birth of Jesus Christ. They somehow believe and teach that salvation since Jesus’ first advent is obtained differently than salvation before Jesus came to earth. This is a grave misunderstanding of Holy Writ. It is from this perspective of salvation that most of the conflict and confusion in Christendom, including that of the true Sabbath, arises.

The apostles and members of the early church (the Way) had no such conflict or confusion about the Sabbath or about Christ and His mission. They understood clearly who He was and what His mission was about, i.e. God in the flesh, stooping to save all mankind, before and after His earthly sojourn. Jesus repeatedly pointed to the Old Testament Scriptures to help His followers and His enemies understand who He was and what His mission entailed. Here are two classic examples: “…Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me…” (John 5:39). “…And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself…” (Luke 24:27).

But how could Jesus save all humanity when He only appeared on earth some 2,000 years ago? Simply, because He is fully God and fully man. The learned apostle Paul calls it a great mystery (1 Timothy 3:16). The prophet Micah prophesied that He is from everlasting to everlasting: “…But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting…” (Micah 5:2)

(this article is an excerpt from the Jan-Feb 2013 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 6, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/TSS_2013_Jan-Feb_LowResProof2.pdf