seeking the truth
Member
Hello all, I'm curious about how Seventh Day Adventists observe the Sabbath, mainly how do they know what times Sabbath starts and ends?
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How do Seventh Day Adventists observe Sabbath?
- Thread starter seeking the truth
- Start date
From what I recall, it's just the day they go to church and worship together. There's no special observances of hours other than it's observed the same as the Jews, sundown on Friday to sundown on saturday.
Misunderstood
Active Member
Just as Nakosis says; Sunset Friday night to Sunset Saturday evening. They follow the Jewish times and most all customs for observing the Sabbath. No work during the Sabbath, taking time to rest.
seeking the truth
Member
I see, so no issues with using electricity, cooking or reheating food, washing dishes, phone, computer e.t.c as the Jews avoid these things?
Misunderstood
Active Member
There are actually quite a few who do take issue with doing these things. Cooking is considered work, along with washing dishes. Using electricity is causing another person to work on the Sabbath.
seeking the truth
Member
Hmmn, that's a twist, first I am hearing of this, can you explain how please? I had thought the the issue of electricity was essentially lighting a fire when you turn on a switch or start an appliance.
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Misunderstood
Active Member
Hello Seeking the truth,
I am wondering what you are looking for? Are you trying to either trying to prove or disprove SDA teaching? If so I do try to stay out of these types of discussions on religion. I feel it is best not try to get to involved in teaching I feel are not pertinent to a persons salvation, but could possibly hurt someones faith.
However, if you are just looking for information for yourself as you want to know what SDA's believe. I would be happy to continue. But, just so you know I am not SDA, just have a fair knowledge of the subject.
Thanks you.
seeking the truth
Member
Just information and understanding for myself, certainly not to judge or condemn anyone for anything. I am hoping that an SDA can respond.
Misunderstood
Active Member
I'm not sure if there are any Seventh Day Adventists on this forum. So it would probably be best to go to a church to find out their current teachings, as they have reformed quite a bit from the 70's. That is the time period I am most familiar with.
At that time women were not allowed to wear makeup or jewelry (including a wedding ring). That has now all changed and none of it applies as far as I know.
But I am getting off topic. As I said not everyone followed every view on the keeping of the Sabbath. The fourth commandment was the most revered law on the Sabbath.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shall you labour, and do all your work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11
Of course the Creation story has the Sabbath, along with Israels time in the wilderness collecting manna. They collected a double amount on Friday. There are many other areas dealing with the Sabbath, but that should do for now as the Fourth commandment is what I am going to cite.
Even though there is only one SDA Church, there are included in that Fundamentalist and Liberal members. Not all agree on all points. The more Fundamentalist views were that nothing was really allowed to be done on the Sabbath, except Worshiping God, resting, and spending time with family; with a few exceptions, Doctors were allowed to work as Jesus healed on the Sabbath, you could help your neighbor, because helping a cow out of a ditch is mentioned in the Bible as being acceptable. Driving was OK if your tank was filled before the Sabbath. Electricity was not OK in a fundamentalist view (not many held this view), because you are not to make anyone work; people are needed to produce electricity.
I feel a lot of that has changed since the 70's, and that is just a summary of the basics. I will leave it at that for now. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer. Or you can refute what I said. As I am not sure if that is correct any longer.
Just as a curiosity are you SDA or wanting to join?
At that time women were not allowed to wear makeup or jewelry (including a wedding ring). That has now all changed and none of it applies as far as I know.
But I am getting off topic. As I said not everyone followed every view on the keeping of the Sabbath. The fourth commandment was the most revered law on the Sabbath.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shall you labour, and do all your work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11
Of course the Creation story has the Sabbath, along with Israels time in the wilderness collecting manna. They collected a double amount on Friday. There are many other areas dealing with the Sabbath, but that should do for now as the Fourth commandment is what I am going to cite.
Even though there is only one SDA Church, there are included in that Fundamentalist and Liberal members. Not all agree on all points. The more Fundamentalist views were that nothing was really allowed to be done on the Sabbath, except Worshiping God, resting, and spending time with family; with a few exceptions, Doctors were allowed to work as Jesus healed on the Sabbath, you could help your neighbor, because helping a cow out of a ditch is mentioned in the Bible as being acceptable. Driving was OK if your tank was filled before the Sabbath. Electricity was not OK in a fundamentalist view (not many held this view), because you are not to make anyone work; people are needed to produce electricity.
I feel a lot of that has changed since the 70's, and that is just a summary of the basics. I will leave it at that for now. If you have any questions I will be happy to answer. Or you can refute what I said. As I am not sure if that is correct any longer.
Just as a curiosity are you SDA or wanting to join?
Misunderstood
Active Member
Sorry, I wrote what I thought was a good reply and lost it. Not sure where it went, I posted it and it was gone. I will try again tomorrow.
seeking the truth
Member
I appreciate your input and info. No I am not SDA, I don't follow any religion, just trying my best to follow all 10 commandments and looking into the do's and don'ts of Sabbath from both the Jewish and SDA sides.
Mainly electricity is what is confusing me as yes it does take people to produce it but since the electricity is already in the electrical lines on Sabbath I am not seeing where people would be actively working to produce the electricity you would be using on that day?
Anyway, far as I am understanding it's the act of creating a fire when a switch is turned on is the issue but everyone in the cold areas of the US has heating on 24/7 during the winter. Thing is, a heater is constantly turning on and off so starting a fire every time so impossible for any Jew, SDA or anyone observing Sabbath to "fully" observe it accurately is what I am thinking.
sooda
Veteran Member
But the Adventists are not alone. Besides independent creationist ministries, the 403,000-member Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church believes that “the creation happened in the course of six consecutive days of normal length.” The 2.5 million-member Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod defends a strictly literal reading of Genesis history.
Yet at Adventist colleges, according to a 1994 survey of 121 science teachers, only 43 percent agreed with the church’s view that “God created live organisms during six days less than 10,000 years ago.”
Nonetheless, the new policy states that the church expects “all boards and educators at Seventh-day Adventist institutions at all levels to continue upholding and advocating the Church’s position on origins.”
Rodriguez says teachers might harbor private questions but “still support the church in the classroom.” Adventism “is not beginning a witch hunt,” he adds, and lets teachers decide on their own whether they’re comfortable with church policy.
Yet at Adventist colleges, according to a 1994 survey of 121 science teachers, only 43 percent agreed with the church’s view that “God created live organisms during six days less than 10,000 years ago.”
Nonetheless, the new policy states that the church expects “all boards and educators at Seventh-day Adventist institutions at all levels to continue upholding and advocating the Church’s position on origins.”
Rodriguez says teachers might harbor private questions but “still support the church in the classroom.” Adventism “is not beginning a witch hunt,” he adds, and lets teachers decide on their own whether they’re comfortable with church policy.
IndigoChild5559
Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
I'm speaking as a Jew here, formerly Orthodox.
You should know that I'm going to confuse you. For starters, there are differing opinions. I'm only going to give you what I was taught when I was orthodox.
Basically, once you set your thermostat, you are not personally engaged in relighting and extinguishing fire. It is happening on its own. You are not even asking someone else to do it. Automation is not against the Shabbat. Now, what about if you personally do something that triggers the thermostat, such as opening a window and the heater comes on??? Well, if you are opening the window with the specific intent of turning on the thermostat, then you would be breaking the Shabbat. But if you are opening it to call in the children, and the thermostat kicks in by itself, you are fine.
At least, that's how it was taught where I went.
Other shuls may vary.
IndigoChild5559
Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
My curiousity is how do they make it all work in their church when they have no agreement on what you can and can't do on the sabbath? One person is cooking and one isn't. One is doing housework and one isn't. There must be resentments floating around. And the one who is being more observant can't go to the less observant one for support. That's kind of sad. How exactly does it work, in a real life sort of way? I mean, the church does hold together.