How Were Early American Sabbatarians Viewed?

by Joe Beliefeuille

“How were early American Sabbatarians viewed by their fellow Americans? Of course the full, complete answer would involve thousands of interviews with the early colonists/Americans who lived in various states/ colonies who were members of various religious denominations or diverse racial/ethnic groups, age groups, genders, or occupations. Since no one from the 1600s and 1700s is still alive today, we must rely on written accounts that have survived the ravages of time. Many historical records by (or about) early American Sabbatarians still exist. Some of them are even “hidden” in plain sight like the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. From the documents that I have come across, I have narrowed the choices dawn to five. They do not cover the entire gamut of all possible opinions but they do give five diverse—yet interesting and sometimes, unexpected—viewpoints.

The five opinions are offered by Thomas Mumford (who has the same last name as Stephen Mumford — the first known American Sabbatarian), Ben Franklin (one of the founding fathers of the U.S.), John Tobler, Morgan Edwards, and John Asplund. The format of the rest of this article will be: first, a brief introduction of who the writer was: then, second, their opinion(s) of the early Sabbatarian(s); and finally a bibliography…”

(this article is an excerpt from the Nov-Dec 2013 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 18, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/TSS_2013_Nov-Dec_LowRes.pdf

Church of God History. Tending to the Past. Preserving for the Future

By Craig M White

(Version 1.0 2022)

Introduction
Over the years and decades of my dedication to understanding, promulgating and archiving Church of God history, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. There was one incident that a man in a position derided it all and would have liked it all dismantled. Another stated that no one would be interested in all of this. The Scriptures Matt 7:6; Prov 23:9 came to mind when I encountered these attitudes.

It is also disconcerting and even sometimes disheartening that some wish to alter history to suit themselves. To force a different slant on it. Or to so disdain it that they trample and stamp on it like some sort of spiritual savage, destroying the past and having a negative impact on the future. There is no redacting by this author in this or other articles or other information on various subject matter.

But that is not being truthful even though the promulgator of such may feel secure and it may fulfill his or her ambitions. But as posited by myself, the truth must out.

Jealousy has seen members and scholars cast out for this sort of research. Some areas of the world are culturally of that mold and this rubs off into the church, almost unrecognizable to most, but it has a negative impact.

Allow me to quote from Cicero who wrote the following of fifth column traitors within during 42 BC:

“A nation [read Church] can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not traitor! He speaks in the accent familiar to his victims and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation. He works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city [or church]; He infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared”

So, it is with those who wish to ‘white-ant’ the Church of God from within, starting with diminishing our history and trying to get us to disengage from it. It is a sort of spiritual culture wars – rather similar to where the radicals are successfully unhooking the West from its history, heroes and culture (art, dance, music) thereby dismantling the West. Their stated aims are now well on the way to eliminating Western civilisation.

The spiritual radicals within are practicing the same means to eliminate the history of the Church of God and therefore its roots.

Why we need to tend time
What can we do about all of this?

First of all, we need to tend time – that is the history of our spiritual lineage and related topics. But that means not just preserving and increasing the knowledge of our roots, but also fixing incorrect knowledge of the past by reviewing it and refreshing any output on the subject (i.e. books, articles or presentations).

Also, it is essential to preserve an accurate record for the future because in many cases, the record of our history is too shallow and too haphazard. There is much forgotten history and neglect of promoting information about church leaders and pioneers over the centuries. Further, do we not need to give a voice to the past and to those portions of our history overlooked?

Even highlighting problems with the past in governance and policy; or missing detail in doctrines?

In other words, tending to the past.

Tending time!

Lessons learned
Ask yourself this question about our history: “what do we need?”

Answer: “We need a Christian approach to history that provokes a cultural relevance to all today, including the youth.”

Because we need to know the story of our history (‘warts and all’ and not white-washed), we get to know our roots, the torch bearers over the centuries and become thereby part of a rich heritage.

Then we can pose questions as we proceed on this journey of why we have this or that belief; or why we do this or that. Should we know about our ideas and how our beliefs developed? Where did we come from over the centuries? How did various historical developments (e.g. religious persecutions, wars and culture) shape us?

Sure, this may prompt us to having difficult conversations, but is that not part of clarifying our thinking and improving what we have?

By discussing the legacy of the church, we will be able to articulate our roots; how we developed; and what we can do into the future to improve upon what we have built so far. In other words, ongoing quality improvements.

“When a Land [read Church] rejects its legends, Sees but falsehoods in the past, And its People [read some Church members] view their sires [read the pioneers] In the light of fools and liars, ‘Tis a sign of its decline, And its splendours cannot last. Branches that but blight their roots, Yield no sap for lasting fruits [ie growth or a happy environment].” [F.R.A. Glover of England, 1861]

And is that not what has occurred?

Conclusions
Many have lost interest in history and the past as it is presented to them as boring or not important. It is this attitude that affects our spiritual development. They have thereby contributed to an almost crisis in historical understanding of the Church of God.

What is important to many of these? Comfort, entertainment and leisure which makes us less spiritually productive as the Bible, related knowledge (such as Church history) and true Christianity – outgoing concern for others – becomes secondary. Resultingly, the duty of the Christian just becomes something to pull off the shelf after the natural needs of the flesh are met first.

Rather, are we not meant to live as children of God as a community daily, weekly, annually without selfishness? All which breed division and enhance the fruits of the flesh one of which is jealousy (Gal 5:20).

For instance, jealously toward those that try and be productive including by tending to the past to preserve for the future. Tripping up such people to cause them harm and thereby preventing the continuation of this tending to our history.

Instead let us be a new community in fellowship, supporting one another’s gifts and talents. After all, we are not private property or private time. We belong to God and these things belong to Him. We are merely the stewards.

So let us cultivate, tend and keep the past and that helps us with being anchored into the Truth.

If the reader is interested, there is a large amount of research into the history of the Church of God here (CLICK HERE to read more).

Craig M. White

History Research Projects

https://www.historyresearchprojects.org/

A Recent Supreme Court Decision

By Whaid G. Rose

“In case you haven’t already heard, I’m happy to report that the US Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of religious freedom in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. Burwell is secretary of Health and Human Services. Hobby Lobby is one of the nation’s leading arts and crafts retailers, owned and operated by Christians (David and Barbara Green of Oklahoma) who said “no” to a Health and Human Services mandate that requires the provision of insurance coverage for life-terminating drugs and devices. The Greens took their case all the way to the nation’s highest court in defense of their right to operate their family-owned business on the basis of their deeply held religious convictions. And on June 30, the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in a 5–4 vote…”

(this article is an excerpt from the Sept-Oct 2014 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 20, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/TSS_Sept-Oct-2014_569.pdf

Daniel 7:25 and the Sabbath (Part 2 of 2)
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.

As discussed in the first part of this series (click here to view part 1), the little horn of the fourth beast in Daniel chapter 7 best identifies with the pope/Roman Catholic Church. Remember that this little horn arose out of the fourth beast. Said another way, the Roman Empire contributed to the Roman Catholic Church becoming this little horn.

Think to Change the Laws and Times
The first way that the Roman Church became one with fourth beast of Daniel 7 was to accept pagan Roman celebrations. These celebrations were re-labeled with Christian meaning, but the date and type of celebration remained Roman. They also promoted these days in the place of God’s celebrations.

In Daniel 7:25, the little horn was prophesied to “…speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws.”

One aspect of this verse that is often overlooked is that the little horn will “TRY to change the set times and the laws.” Some translations say that he will ‘think’ to change the set times and laws. He will try to affect these things, but he will not be successful. As reviewed in part one of this series, the Aramaic word translated as ‘law’ refers to the Law of God and the word translated as ‘set times’ refers to the mo’adim from Leviticus 23 (the first of which is the Sabbath).

Starting in the second century AD, the Bishops of Rome began to defect from the Ten Commandments and the appointed times. Below, I have a brief timeline of events showing where they gradually defected from truth.

150s AD – Quartodeciman Controversy – At this time, the bishops of Rome abandoned keeping Passover or Pascha in favor of a once-a-year service for the resurrection (CLICK HERE to learn more). They also started to develop their own liturgical Calendar, which led to an alternative Pentecost.
200s AD – By this time, the Church of Rome abandoned the Sabbath in favor of first day of the week services (they still did not keep Sunday as the Sabbath). The Quartodeciman Controversy contributed to this development.
305/306 AD – The Council of Elvira was the first which banned pictures on the walls of Christian buildings to prevent the worship of images (canon 36). This means that the practice occurred in some places.
330s AD – During this decade, Roman Church writers such as Eusebius started to argue that the Sabbath should be transferred from the seventh day to the first day of the week (Commentary on Psalms 92).
350s AD – By this time, the Roman Church adopted the observation of Jesus’ birth on December 25^th, an ancient Roman day (click here to read more about December 25^th).
400s AD – Augustine attests that many Christians worshiped images (On the Morals of the Catholic Church, 34). He attests that Jesus was conceived on March 25^th (Letter 54) and that people celebrated John the Baptist’s birthday on June 24^th (Sermon VIII: De Sancto Joanne Baptista, Sermon: On the Birth of the Lord).

By the fourth century, the Roman Church had developed a liturgical calendar with a focus that mirrored ancient Roman days of worship. Below, we have a list of ancient Roman days and then the corresponding Roman Catholic days.

Ancient Roman Days
December 25 – Originally the day of bruma or the winter solstice in ancient Rome. It was considered the beginning of the year for the sun and called the new sun or birth of the sun.
March 25 – This was the spring equinox. The mother of the gods was honored on this day and even the days around it. Her son was celebrated as resurrected.
June 24 – This was the summer solstice; the ancient festival of Fors Fortuna – the god of luck – was held on this day (Varro, 6.17). Feriae aestivae was honored starting at the summer solstice (Smith’s Dictionary: Feriae).
September 24 – Autumn Equinox – To my knowledge no observances occurred on this day.
Sunday – Starting with the reign of Constantine (321 AD), this became a rest day in honor of the sun.

Roman Church Celebrations:
December 25 – Christmas; at one time this was considered the first day of the liturgical year.
March 25 – Considered a possible date of Christ’s death. Later it became known as the conception of Mary by the Holy Spirit.
June 24 – The birthday of John the Baptist.
September 24 –To my knowledge, no early Christian celebrations were held on this day (but in later centuries it was).
Sunday – Starting in the 330s and onward, Roman Church writers promoted the idea that people should rest on the day because of the resurrection.

These new hybrid celebrations became the celebrations for the ‘Christian’ Roman Empire and its subsequent revivals. Special events, like the coronation of kings or gathering of nobles, were held on these Roman Church days for centuries. We may review this development in a future article.

Consider the following quotes from modern Roman Catholic writers:

John Gibbons, a Catholic Cardinal, wrote: “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify” (Gibbons, pp 72-73).

Consider the 10 commandments of the Roman Catholic Church:”
“1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor thy Father and thy mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”
(taken from Manual of Theology for the Laity by Geiermann [1906], pp 308-309).

Notice that the commandment against idols and images was removed and the tenth commandment against coveting was expanded into two separate commandments. This is one way in which they changed the laws.

Merger of Roman Church and Roman Empire
Starting with the reign of Constantine, the Roman Church gradually interwove itself with the Roman Empire. Below, we have a summary of events pertaining to this development. Below, the acronym CT is used below to refer to the Codex Theodosianus, which is a code of Roman law from this period.

At some point in his reign, Constantine started paying the expenses of Roman Church Councils (Eusebius, Church History, 10.6). In 321, he issued a law which allowed to leave property to the Roman Church at death (CT: 16.2.4). In 326, he decreed that the Roman Church special privileges. All other Christian groups were not allowed these privileges and were bound to public service (CT: 16.5.1).

The same year, he limited the number of clergy in Christianity (CT: 16.2.6). It appears that the wealthy were prevented from serving in the clergy class; only the poor could serve in those positions (ibid). During his reign or that of his sons, the first tax exempt laws were enacted for clergy and their families (CT: 16.2.10 [320, 346, or 353 AD]).

During the reign of Theodosius (379-395), this merger was made more complete. Laws from his reign forward gave more power to the Roman Church and further codified its practices. First, the ‘Catholic’ Church was defined as only those Christians who followed the bishop of Rome (CT: 16.1.2 [380 AD]). The next year, Theodosius enacted a law which banned non-Roman Catholic groups from owning church buildings (CT: 16.1.3 [381 AD]). There were laws which codified the office of deaconess and its qualifications (CT: 16.2.27 [390 AD]).

After the reign of Theodosius, more laws regulated the ordination of clergy (for an example, see CT: 16.2.33 [398 AD]). An entire section of Roman law was devoted to punishments for groups deemed heretical by the Roman Church (book 16, title 5).

The Roman Catholic Church admits that one source of their canon law (meaning church law) is Roman law. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia 1911, article “canon law”:

“The civil law of different nations, and especially the Roman law, may be numbered among the accessory sources of canon law.” The article goes on to state that the Roman Church for centuries did not have any system of law for itself. “Later when the canonists of the twelfth century began to systemize the ecclesiastical law, they found themselves in presence, on the one hand, of a fragmentary canon law, and on the other hand of the complete methodical Roman code; they had recourse to the latter to supply what was wanting in the former, whence the maxim was adopted by the canonists and inserted in the Corpus Juris (of Justinian), that the Church acts according to Roman law when canon is silent.”

These Roman laws created the environment by which the Roman Church could operate as its own Kingdom within the Roman Empire. Their practices were defined and protected by Roman Law. With this merger, they also had goals which coincided with the empire, but they also maintained their own goals.

Another way that the Pope’s authority grew out of the Roman Empire is through the ancient title Pontifex Maximus.

The Title ‘Pontifex Maximus’
In ancient Rome, there was a college of priests. Each priest was called a pontiff; the chief priest was called Pontifex Maximus.  They regulated divine law in ancient Rome. They had supreme authority of all matters of religion, including objects and people connected to public and private worship. They were also considered chief advisors to the king in religious matters. The Pontiffs were not subject to any court of law.

There were seven primary functions of the Pontiffs, but two of them were the regulation of the calendar and sacred law (Encyclopedia Britannica 11^th edition: Pontifex; online Encyclopedia Britannica: Pontifex). These are two of the items mentioned in Daniel 7:25. This further reinforces the identification of the little horn as the papacy.

Roman Emperors held this title starting with Octavian Augustus (about 12 BC). This practice lasted until 380 AD when the Emperor Theodosius bestowed the title upon the Bishop of Rome. As reviewed, this is the same period that Roman Law began to shape and define the Roman Catholic Church as its own kingdom. We have an excerpt from this law below:

“…It is our will that all the peoples whom the government of our clemency rules shall follow

that religion which a pious belief from Peter to the present declares the holy Peter delivered to the Romans, and which it is evident the Pontiff Damascus…”  (CT: 16.1.2; quoted from Ayers, pp 367-368]).

This law made the Roman Church the preferred religion of the Empire. It commanded people to follow the Roman Church; it made their belief system the chief religion of the empire. The bishop of Rome or pope at that time was Damascus. The title and functions of the Pontifex Maximus were transferred from the Roman Emperor to the bishop of Rome.

The little horn grows out of the beast
From Constantine’s time and for centuries into the future, the estates of the church increased greatly. As aforementioned, he allowed people to leave property to the Roman Church at death (CT: 16.2.4 [321 AD]). A document called the “Donation of Constantine”, now proved to be a forgery, was used by the Catholic Church for hundreds of years to justify their ownership of land. During the reign of Theodosius, all church buildings had to be given to the pro-Roman Church party (CT: 16.1.3 [381 AD]).

The pope became the single largest landowner in Italy. This allowed the Roman Church to gain influence over the populace by providing food, housing, and medical needs to others. Any ruler of Italy had to establish some degree of relationship with this leader. After the Western Roman Empire started to disintegrate between 476-534 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire became the main military protector for the Roman Church.

In the early 750s AD, the Lombards threatened Rome. Pope Stephen II appealed to the Eastern Roman Empire for help, but they did not respond. He then appealed to Pepin the Short, king of the Franks, for military assistance. In 754, Pepin agreed to rescue the city of Rome from the invaders and defeated the Lombards. He then donated land in Italy to the Roman Church, which is called the Donation of 754. In 756, Pepin defeated the Lombards again and donated more land to the Roman Church. This was called the Donation of 756.

The pope became the sole temporal and spiritual ruler of these lands in Italy. This explains why Pope Stephen II is called the first pope-king. Even though previous popes acted like kings in that they wielded authority over large amounts of land and people, it was formally recognized at that time. This occurred when the third Germanic tribe was overthrown (which we discussed in part 1 of this series).

From the eight century onwards, the Roman Church increased in political influence, which enabled them to direct political leaders to suppress those groups which did not agree with them, such as the Waldenses, Sabbatarians, Anabaptists, and Protestant groups. They used their authority to harass non-conformist groups.

From these few examples that the little horn is the papacy and it grew OUT OF the fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire. Their new calendar and laws were based upon the pagan Roman worship mixed with the Bible. They mixed themselves with the Roman Empire so that the Roman Church and Roman Empire became inseparable. Roman Law protected their spiritual practices and marginalized all others. The Bishop of Rome utilized the functions of the ancient pagan title Pontifex Maximus to try and change the times and laws of God.

The information in these articles helps us to better understand how the roots of the little horn from Daniel 7:25 were formed within the fourth beast of the Roman Empire. As time passed, this little horn emerged from the Roman Empire with its own authority – yet it was still connected to and part of the fourth beast.

We resist this little horn and the beast by observing the commandments of God. We will be rejected and hated for it. However, in Daniel 7 we learn that the persecuted saints inherit the Kingdom!

God bless!

Kelly McDonald, Jr.
BSA President – www.biblesabbath.org

Bibliography
Augustine. Letter 54 to Januarius. Translated by J.G. Cunningham. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. New York, 1886, p 300. Latin: Migne, J.P. ed. Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Vol. 33. Paris: 1845. p 200. On the Morals of the Catholic Church, 34. Translated by Richard Stothert. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 4. Edited by Philip Schaff. Buffalo, NY: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1887. pp 62. Sermon 190. Latin: Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Vol. 38. Paris: 1863, p 1008. Sermon VIII De Sancto Joanne Baptista. Section 3. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Vol. 46. Paris, 1845, p 996. On the Birth of the Lord. English quoted from: Guéranger, p 11.

Catholic Encyclopedia 1911: canon law, States of the Church, Stephen II (some list him as the III).

Codex Theodosianus. English. Translated by Clyde Pharr. The Theodosian Code and Novels and the Sirmondian Constitutions. Princeton University, 1952.

Codex Theodosianus. English. 16.1.2. Quoted from: Ayer, Joseph Cullen. A Source Book For Ancient Church History. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1913. 367-368.

Council of Elvira. Hefele, Joseph. A History of the Councils of the Church from the

Original Documents. Translated by William R. Clark. Vol. 1. Edinburgh, 1871. p 151

Eusebius. Commentary on Psalms 92. Quoted from: Odom, Robert L. Sabbath and Sunday in Early Christianity. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1977. pp 292.

Encyclopedia Britannica 11^th edition: Pontifex.

Encyclopedia Britannica online: Pontifex.

Geiermann, Peter. A Manual of Theology for the Laity. Benziger Brothers, 1906. pp 308-309.

Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith of Our Fathers. New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 1917. pp 72-73.

Guéranger, Rev. Prosper. Translated by Rev. Dom Laurence Shepherd. The Liturgical Year. Vol. 2: Christmas. Third edition. 1904, Edmund Burke & Co: Dublin, pp 10-11.

Smith, William, Wayte, William, and Marindin, G.E. eds. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. 1890. Articles: Calendarium, Consuls, Hilaria, Feriae, Nundinae, Sacra, Saturnalia, Strenae. Vol 1: pp 336-346, 532-537, 836-839, 961-962. Vol 2: 251-252, 599-601, 578, 720.

Jesus and the Sabbath

By Desmond Ford

“Of whom would you like to inquire regarding your duty as to the Sabbath if given the privilege of choosing. Christ, of course, is the answer. To our joy, there is no dearth of material to find out His mind on this subject. Approximately one chapter in every eight of the Gospel record speaks of Christ’s attitude to the Sabbath.

Our Lord performed many miracles on the holy day and of these, seven are recorded – seven which are amazing in their scope. These miracles include blessings brought to those of varying age and sex and condition, and from each dominant sector of human life – the sacred (in church), the domestic (at home), and in public (along the way). Note the following:

Healing of the demoniac (man) in the synagogue (Mark 1:21-28)

Healing of Simon’s mother-in-law at home (Mark 1:29-31)….”

(this article is an excerpt from the April 1989 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 4, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/tss_384April1989.PDF

Daniel 7:25 and the Sabbath (Part 1 of 2)
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.

“He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25)

Daniel received a night vision of four beasts that arose from the sea. Each of these beasts represents kingdoms that arose from the earth (Daniel 7:17). In particular, the fourth beast prophetically connects us to the Sabbath!

There is an entity – called the little horn – that arises out of this fourth beast which was prophesied to change the “set times and the laws.” The Aramaic word translated as ‘set times’ is zeman and it corresponds to the Hebrew word mo’adim. It refers to the feasts of Leviticus chapter 23, the first of which is the Sabbath. The Aramaic word translated as ‘laws’ refers to the Law of God.

Who is this little horn? How did it try to change the mo’adim and the Law of God?   

Let’s look deeper at this prophecy and dig into its meaning!

Daniel 7:7-8, 19, 23-25
7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully…”

“…19 Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left…He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.”

Who or What is this little horn?
A major key to understanding Daniel chapter 7 is Daniel chapter 2. In that chapter, God showed Nebuchadnezzar a dream. The king saw a huge statue with a head made of gold, arms and chest of silver, thighs and belly of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partially with iron and partially made of clay. In the interpretation, God showed Daniel that the statue represented a succession of Kingdoms beginning with Nebuchadnezzar. They will end with the return of Christ.

These nations, in order of their appearance on the statue and in history are: Babylon (gold), Medes-Persia (silver), Greco-Macedonia (bronze), Rome (iron) and then the Revived Roman Empire (iron and clay).

In Daniel chapter 7, God gave Daniel a very similar dream to Daniel chapter 2. There are a few different details. In this dream, he is given the revelation of four beasts: a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a frightening and terrifying beast.

In the vision and interpretation, we learn that the fourth beast had iron teeth and bronze claws. This beast connects us to the Roman Empire (iron teeth) which retained Greek influence (bronze claws). Since ancient times, Greco-Roman culture, Greco-Roman thought, Greco-Roman architecture, Greco-Roman religion, etc. have existed in some form or fashion.

The fourth beast in Daniel chapter 7 had ten horns. Ten major Germanic tribes displaced the territory of the Western Roman Empire by 476 AD: Heruli, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Burgundians, Franks, Saxons, Visigoths, Vandals, Thuringians, and the Alemanni. These ten Germanic tribes represent the ten horns that grow out of the fourth beast.

They were kingdoms with independent rulers, but they sprang out of the Roman Empire. This means that they all in some way preserved Roman culture and government. In other words, the existence of the Roman Empire caused these Ten Kingdoms to rise to power (rise out of the fourth Beast). For some reason, these Germanic tribes had a desire to plant themselves on Roman-controlled soil and continue Roman ways. Many of them adopted codes of law in Latin that were patterned off Roman law.

In Daniel’s dream, another small horn appeared among these ten horns. Three of these horns were uprooted and this little horn replaced them. Of the ten tribes just referenced, three of them were uprooted from Italy: Heruli (493 AD), Ostrogoths (530s-550s), and Lombards (750s-770s).

During the time that these ten tribes gained prominence, the Roman Catholic Church gradually became a little kingdom among them. The pope gradually increased in influence and authority in Rome and Italy. In the 750s, the Lombards threatened to conquer Rome. The pope reached out to Pepin, king of the Franks, for help. He defeated the Lombards and gave some of their land to the pope for him to rule as both the spiritual and temporal leader.

In the midst of the third horn being uprooted, Pope Stephen (II) became the first “pope-king” in 755 AD (Catholic Encyclopedia: “Pope Stephen (II) III”). The Lombards attacked Rome one more time in the 770s, but Pepin’s son Charlemagne came to protect the papal kingdom.

Not long after this, the second council of Nicaea was held in 787. In it, idols and images were affirmed, which changed the commandments of God (that forbids idols and images). Also, the Sabbath and Holy Days were condemned (changing the Feasts of Leviticus 23).

Thus, all popes are the small horn of Daniel’s dream. It is a man ruling a different kind of kingdom – one that is chiefly religious in purpose.

In part two of this series, we will look at how this little horn grew out of the Roman Empire, how it became a kingdom, and how it started to change the times and the laws long before the 750s AD.

God Bless!

Kelly McDonald, Jr.

BSA President – www.biblesabbath.org

Bibliography

Catholic Encyclopedia 1911: (23) Anglo-Saxon Church, Bavaria, Bohemia, Burgundy, Canon Law, Flanders, The Franks, Lex, Lombardy, Mecklenburg, Ostrogoths, Pontiff, Pope Stephen II (some list him as the III), Pope Simplicitus, Romulus Augustulus, Roman Curia, Saxony, States of the Church, Switzerland, Theodoric the Great, Thuringia, Vandals, Visigoths

Encyclopedia Britannica 11^th edition: (25) Angli, ALAMANNI, Alani, Bavaria, Europe, Helvetii, Heruli, Franks, Frisians, Goths, Jutes, Lombards, Marcomanni, Medieval and Modern History, Moravia, Netherlands, Odoacer, Pavia, Pontiff, Saxons, Slavs, Suebi, Teutonic Peoples, Vandals, Vaud.

What Are We Offering Our Families?

By Sharon Darling

Greetings again from a very beautiful day in the Northeast, U.S. Today I have some questions and thoughts to provoke some deeper thinking. I hope this is as life changing for you as it was for me. If you have already benefited from this perspective, that’s awesome! I am grateful to have changed my approach. Honestly, sometimes I need reminders of this. So, grab your favorite drink and get cozy. For me, I have my favorite Tangerine Tea, YUM!

How we interact with our families is often on my mind. Have you thought about how you behave towards and treat your families as offerings to them? I have made quite a few mistakes over the years. Unlearning bad habits and attitudes can be a long process. How are we doing with the offerings to our families?

The world has lied to us about how we should act towards our families and what behaviors are acceptable. I will share a woman’s perspective on this subject.

First, we are not a “mess” and forever stuck that way. God can transform our lives and understanding into that which pleases Him. We must allow Him to do so.

Secondly, our culture seems to think women should look down on men. I have never agreed with women pushing their husbands around and treating him like a child. I used to joke that my husband was one of my kids. Now whenever I hear that statement it makes me cringe. It is an utterly horrible mentality. It isn’t cute or funny, but disrespectful and demeaning. In marriage, we are living life together. Being bossy and treating husbands like they cannot handle life without us is awful.

Lastly, the world treats children as if they hold women back from their full potential. Our kids are not a burden, but a blessing. A stable home life does not hold us back, but it empowers us to experience the God-given blessing of being a wife and mother.

Everywhere in society, we see the message that wives know best in the home and with the kids. The message and attitude is as if the men are idiots who do not have a clue. Often, we see that what wives and moms want is treated as more important. When she does not get her way in the home or with their children she can get very angry, resentful and mean. Not all of us are like this, but it is out there more than a little bit. Everywhere we turn, whether entertainment, conversations or life in general three is a non-stop bombardment of this. It is not good to see this everywhere.

Yes, we all know there are men and women who hold onto poor ideology that do not value women. We know there is abuse out there. We know we can face hardships and a hard time. Real men do not abuse or mistreat women. A Godly man does not belittle, berate, or raise a hand to his wife. He would not be demanding or demeaning. A woman should be careful who she marries and thoroughly know a man before she marries him. Yes, I know, sometimes people change. These are some of the warning signs of a man who is not behaving in a Godly manner. We also must remember that women can do these things too. We must be able to recognize them for ourselves and teach all our children how to treat their spouses and family. While also equipping them to recognize and avoid the warning signs as well. We should never be doing any of them either. No one should be doing these things.

I daresay most if not almost all of us women struggle at some point when it comes to how we feel at home. Some struggle more than others in this area. It is easy to feel taken for granted or taken advantage of. There are overwhelming seasons, especially when we have small children or a chronic situation in our lives. Having special needs children or medically frail children can be so very taxing. Marital problems can be hard to cope with. Sin in the home can make it unbearable. We do get affected by those things. Much of life we cannot control. It matters, you matter, and I know that it can be quite hard at times. None of what follows invalidates legitimate problems and struggles.

With that being said let’s put all that aside. Why don’t we look at what was a game changer for me and perhaps can be for you too.

None of this means we cannot take time for ourselves. Not at all. That is necessary and I have a three-part series that I have written about on that very topic on my blog under the “Wellness” category (http://www.torahwoman.org). Taking care of ourselves is important. It is also part of how we love and take care of our families as well.

After our relationship with God, the most important aspect of our lives are our families. So here are some things that changed for me some years ago. I never used to think about housework, cooking, training our kids, intimacy and other aspects of life being “offerings.” I did think of it as serving them but not offerings. Some years back my mindset changed when my husband and I were discussing who knows what, we talk about all kinds of things all the time. I do remember though, him asking me to think about it as an offering.

Consider the following questions: What am I offering my family? When I serve them, am I doing it only out of duty? Am I doing it with an irritated attitude? Am I complaining that all I do is serve others? Am I saying, here you go, now go away, be happy I cooked, cleaned or whatever else even though I did not want to right now? Not only in words but perhaps in my attitude or body language as well?

Cain gave his offering, but his attitude was terrible. He got incredibly jealous, and it did not end well. He did the bare minimum and then took his bad attitude way too far. Going through the motions is not enough. Consider our “offerings” in our day-to-day interactions. When I am doing my domestic duties, raising my children, and serving them and my beloved, then what is my attitude? What am I offering them? Am I giving them my leftovers and tromping around accusing them of being ungrateful and taking me for granted? Am I showing them I love them? Am I doing my best, as realistically as possible with a cheerful heart and a smile on my face? Am I serving them and loving them like I would if our Messiah was standing right next to me? Am I treating them and my life in a manner that is consistent with how I should be giving my offerings to our Father? (I know there is a difference, but the principle is the same with attitude and etc.). Am I treating my family like the blessings they are? Am I putting effort into whatever I am doing?

How do we respond when our husbands want and need attention? Guess what? As manly as they are, they have emotions, desires, and wants just like we do even if they don’t say it. Do we engage them, or do we give them a hard time while listing off everything we must do or complain about all the things we want from them? We still want love, affection, and romance whether they are tired or not or have a ton of things they must do. It hurts when we don’t feel like a priority to them or are put last because they want to do other things first.

Engage with them! Play with them! Take that moment of quiet time they desire! That is far, far more important. The other stuff almost 100% of the time can wait. It really can. He will love that his wife wants his attention and that he is important enough to you for you to give him yours. When those times come that he must wait or does need to come last, he will be far more understanding and secure in your relationship and love.

When we are having quiet time or in middle of housework how do we react when our children want some interaction with us? Do we play that game or answer their question? Or do they get shooed away because mommy has things to do? Read them that book, dance with them when they ask you to. Be silly and make that fort with them and by all means – do not tell them you are too busy for them.

Once can easily turn into all the time and soon they will start parroting that you are too busy, or they don’t want to irritate you. In this example, it is awful when you hear your words come out of their mouth. Of course, there are times you really can’t because of things like heading out the door, a baby needs to be changed or fed, or your husband is coming home from work and you are going to meet him at the door with a kiss. You can ask for a rain check and then follow through. Your children will love you even more for that and have some pretty awesome memories. They will know they are a priority to you.

These are some of the different ways to live out loving our family in our day to day. Our actions, reactions and interactions are our offerings to our family. It matters how we approach it and can change the whole atmosphere in the home for good or bad. Why not work at making it good? We have so much influence. Things can wait at times and our family in turn will show their appreciation generally as well when they see and feel that you love them and show them as well. They will be secure in your love and will know that they are important to you and are not a burden.

I know what it feels like to be that child who is treated as a huge burden and that wife and mother who accidentally makes my family feel like they are to me. Yikes and ouch!

It is easy to get caught up in the “I have to do this, that and the other thing” mindset. Our lists can get so long. The season in life you are in dictates so much about how our days will go. Sometimes we must work harder than others to maintain a good attitude. It is unrealistic and fake to be like this every moment of every day. There is always room for improvement and as we change our mindsets and approach; life can feel wonderful. In turn getting easier to see the blessings everywhere. You can look at that mess and instead think “man, my kids had a great time, that was a lot of fun!”

My husband loves us enough to do that project or participate in that activity instead of “UGH NOW THAT MESS HAS TO BE CLEANED UP and I am sick of it!” How we approach those moments will be life changing. Whether it will go wonderfully or poorly can be influenced by us.

When they want our attention, we can engage them or be crabby. When things need to get done we can get frustrated at having more to do or we can try to have a better attitude. It needs to get done anyways, being miserable is no fun and is exhausting. We can be working on what we are able to control. In turn that will bless our families tremendously. We can do all thing through Messiah who strengthens us!

What do you think will reflect the kind of women that is represented in Proverbs 31 that is called blessed by her family? Our interactions are either building up or tearing down like it is described in Proverb 14:1. Who will we choose to be, however imperfectly, yet putting in the effort to strive to do better? Struggle with yelling or want to grow in patience? I have blog posts for improving both. With more topics like this to come in time. Working on things like this is a blessing to you and your family. These are wonderful offerings to them that might create a ripple effect of the behavior and attitudes you might like to see change in them.

When we fall short, we have the gifts of repentance and forgiveness, then apologizing as needed. Followed by getting up, dusting ourselves off and trying to do better the next time. Next times will come. How will we handle them? Doing our best with this is a gift to our children that they hopefully copy. They will be able to learn by living with it. Our examples are important.

As we are striving to bring God glory, we can find all the little areas in our life to live out Matthew 6:33. First above everything in our life we need to be seeking His Kingdom. Seek Him daily, pray to Him constantly, study His Word. The more we do this, the more we can become the daughters of the Most High we were designed to be! What are our offerings? It matters.

Sharon Darling is the founder of Heart of a Torah Woman Ministries. www.torahwoman.org

The Truth About Nehemiah 9:13-14

By George Dellinger

“After my series “The Sabbath from Adam to Moses” appeared in The Sabbath Sentinel (August-November 1979), a question has come up regarding the meaning of Nehemiah 9:13, 14, which says, in part: “Thou [God] camest down also upon Mount Sinai,…and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath.”

The question has been raised as to whether Nehemiah is not saying that God first made His Sabbath known when HE gave the Ten Commandments at Sinai. If this is true, it has a considerable effect upon the Sabbath’s existence prior to the Law.

In the first place, this one reference does not nullify all the Biblical and historical evidence that the Sabbath was known and observed from creation…”

(this article is an excerpt from the May 1980 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 19, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/tss_277May1980.pdf

The Positive Approach to the Ten Commandments

By David Gjesdal

“It is often stated that the Ten Commandments are so negative, “Thou shalt not….” It seems such an infringement on the positive thinkers, who are turned off by such negativism. However, even positive thinkers have to realize that “thou shalt not” and “no” and “never” have an important part in the English language.

Children, for instance, need the concise instructions of a “no” or “do not.” When a parent wants to get across to a toddler not to put his hand on a stove it would do no good to tell him all the places where he could put his hand. When a parent wants to tell him not to go into the street, it does little good to tell him all the places he can go without mentioning not to go into the street.

God made the Ten Commandments very concise, and the best way of getting across the point…”

(this article is an excerpt from the March 1988 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 8, click this link: https://biblesabbath.org/media/tss_371March1988.PDF

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
by Kelly McDonald, Jr.

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14).

Jesus’ ministry focused on the gospel of the Kingdom of God. But what does the term ‘gospel’ mean? Did you know that this word was used before Jesus’ ministry began?

The English word gospel comes from two old German words: god meaning good and spel meaning message. The underlying Greek word translated as gospel is euangelion (pronounced yoo-angelion). It comes from two root words – eu, meaning good, and angelos, meaning messenger (the English word angel derives from this Greek word).

To understand the history of the term gospel, we will look at some Roman history just before the time of Jesus.

In 48 BC, Julius Caesar was serving as Dictator of Rome. He gradually combined the political and religious systems of Rome into his control. He was very popular and was called “the god made manifest, offspring of Ares and Aphrodite, and common saviour of human life” (Deissmann, p 344). Just a few years later, he was assassinated. His death triggered a long civil war which would determine the future of Roman dominions.

In 30 BC, Caesar’s nephew Octavian became the victor of this war and sole ruler of what would be called the Roman Empire. He took the title Augustus and power was gradually centralized into his hands. Because he ended a time of strife and initiated a time of plenty, he was extolled by many contemporary writers.

The poet Horace called him: “Father, and guardian of our race…” (Odes, 1.12)

The writer Virgil wrote: “…Augustus Caesar, son of a god, who will again establish a golden age…he will advance his empire beyond Garamant (modern-day Libya) and India, to a land which lies beyond the stars…” (Aeneid, 6.791-793).

Octavian was called the ‘son of a god’ and later given the title ‘god of god’ (Deissmann, 344-345). An inscription was made during his reign at the ancient city of Pergamum. It reads: “The Emperor, Caesar, son of a god, the god Augustus, of every land and sea the overseer” (ibid, 347).

The idea of the Roman Empire meant the preservation of human life; peace and plenty were promised for all through this leader. Things improved so much from the years of civil war that the birth of Augustus was viewed as an ominous sign for the Roman world.

One archaeological find that illustrates the veneration shown to him is the Priene Calendar Inscription. It was written in Greek about 9 BC. We have a picture of part of it below and an excerpt translated into English.

“…Since Providence…has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus…sending him as a saviour, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things…the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings for the world…” (Deissmann, p 366; Evans).

The underlying Greek word translated as ‘good tidings’ is euangelion. Augustus, like his great uncle, was also called savior. This revolutionizes the way that we read the New Testament!

When Jesus and the early disciples proclaimed the good news or euangelion of the Kingdom of God, it carried political implications! This Good News pointed people away from the Roman kingdom. Instead, the Kingdom of God was the way to bring true peace, prosperity, and order to the world. This message challenges humanity not to look not upon earthly kingdoms to meet our needs, but instead to look upward to God Almighty (Matthew 6:25-34).

As mentioned earlier, Augustus was given the title of lord. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero (54-68 AD), there was an increase in the number of references to the emperor as ‘lord’ or kyrios in Greek. This was especially true in the East. On one marble tablet from Greece, he was called “lord of the whole world…” (Deissmann, p 354-355).  In Acts 25:26, Festus, the Roman proconsul of Judea, called Nero ‘lord’ or kyrio.

It was during Nero’s reign that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: “…If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NIV). Later Jude called Jesus “…our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 4, NIV).

Clashing Kingdoms
The proclamation that the Roman Emperor was lord and the teaching that Jesus is Lord were ideas destined to clash. Already in the late 60s AD, Jewish people were put to death for refusing to confess the emperor as their lord (Josephus, Jewish Wars, 7.10.1).

To my knowledge, Polycarp is the earliest Christian to be persecuted in a similar manner. He was an early Christian leader who was ordained by the Apostle John as the bishop of Smyrna. He was martyred in about 157 AD because he refused to acknowledge Caesar as his lord and offer incense to his image. We have an excerpt from his martyrdom below:

“…there the chief of the police, Herod, and his father, Nicetas, met him and transferred him to their carriage, and tried to persuade him, as they sat beside him, saying, “What harm is there to say ‘Lord Caesar,’ and to offer incense…and to save yourself?”…

Polycarp said: “Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” (Martyrdom of Polycarp)

CLICK here to read an article Polycarp’s life and CLICK here to read a book about his life. There are other examples of this kind of test in the second century, such as the Scillitan Martyrs North Africa (180 AD). At times, people in the empire were forced to confess that Caesar was lord or suffer the consequences.

Finding Balance
While we as Christians belong to a Kingdom that is not of this world, we still live in this world. Most of us are citizens of some country that carries duties and responsibilities. While the Apostle Paul described our citizenship as being in Heaven (Phil. 3:20), he also discussed our responsibility as ambassadors in this present world in 2 Cor. 5:20.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (NIV).

We are ambassadors who represent the Kingdom of God on earth. That carries the weight of responsibility and a duty to share with others the True Gospel message. We show people the Kingdom of God with our lives and point people towards the reconciliation to God that comes through Jesus Christ.

Making the Stand
As part of our balancing act, we must learn to hold to Kingdom principles despite the culture and country around us. There are times when certain subjects come into the public sphere that intersect with our beliefs in God. When this occurs, we are required to make a stand for our Kingdom. Such subjects that have recently arisen include the right to life for the unborn, the Biblical definition of marriage, and others. This requires us to make stands that are not popular. Consider how Daniel stood for God while in Babylon. This is the same kind of stand we must make – but remember that when we stand for God, we never stand alone (Romans 14:4).

How Does the Story End?
The Roman government continued to proclaim itself as the good news for centuries after Augustus. They continued to proclaim themselves lords. In 238 AD, an Egyptian official wrote:

“Forasmuch as I have become aware of the good news (euangeliou) concerning the proclaiming of the Emperor Gaius Julius Verus Maximus Augustus, the son of our lord, most dear to the gods, the Emperor Caesar Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus…it is necessary, O most honorable that the goddesses be celebrated in festal procession” (Deissmann, p 367).

For the first three hundred years of Christian history, there were periodic persecutions in the Roman Empire. While most of these occurred on a local or regional level, some of them occurred on an empire-wide scale.

Countries and empires through the centuries, especially in Europe, have tried to imitate and revive the Roman kingdom from ancient times until now (which we will discuss in a future article). The influence of the good news of the Roman Empire has lasted into modern times through various means, including but not limited to: Roman law, architecture, the Latin language, Greco-Roman gods, and the Roman Catholic Church. Throughout the centuries, non-conformist Christians have been persecuted by these revivals of the Roman power.

The Roman Empire has viewed the Kingdom of God as competition. But make no mistake – there is no competition. God’s Kingdom will triumph over all other Kingdoms, including the remnants of the Roman Empire, at Christ’s return (Daniel 2:40-42).

Remember that Christ’s message about the Kingdom of God had political implications. It challenged the idea that a human government could provide for all our needs. He taught us to seek God’s Kingdom first and His righteousness. This will keep our focus on heavenly things so that we are not distracted by the agendas of earthly kingdoms, which are destined to fail. Christians belong to an unshakable kingdom (Hebrews 12:26-28).

When Jesus returns, He will end this current age and conclude previous ages (see Hebrews 9:26; Matthew chapter 24). He will rule the earth with righteousness and the glorified children of God will rule with Him (Rev. 20:4-6). He will initiate a new age where there will be true peace, prosperity, and plenty for all. This is the true Gospel message that no earthly kingdom could fulfill.

God bless!

Kelly McDonald, Jr.
BSA President – www.biblesabbath.org

Bibliography
Deissmann, Adolf. Light From the Ancient East. Translated by Lionel R. M. Strachan. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1922. pp 344-347, 354-355, 366-367

Evans, Craig. “Mark’s Incipit and the Priene Calendar Inscription: From Jewish Gospel to Greco-Roman Gospel.” Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism, vol. 1, no. 1, 2000. pp 67-81.

“Gospel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gospel. Accessed 25 Oct. 2022.

Horace, Odes, 1.12. Translated by William Hathorn Mills. Berkeley, California: Lederer Street & Zeus Company. 1924. p 21.

Josephus. Wars of the Jews, 7.10.1. Whiston’s Translation revised by Rev. A.R. Shilleto, Vol. 5, London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, 1889. pp 168-169.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 8-9. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1899. pp 39-44.

Virgil, Aeneid. Translated by H. Rushton Fairclough. vol. 1. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 1925. pp 561, 563.