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Facts and 7th-day Sabbath Worship in Samoa — 3 Comments

  1. There are three main ways to “correctly” determine between Asian and American dates:
    (1) Follow the historical migration pattern.
    (2) Follow the Christians who brought (restored) the 7-day week to a certain place/people.
    (3) Follow the Adventists who brought (restored) the prophetically significant Sabbath to a certain place/people.

    We can debate between (2) and (3). (I personally lean toward (3).) But (1) is simply impracticable in a round world and irreconcileable to the prophetic role of the Adventist movement. Let me question:

    * Native Americans migrated from Asia and Europeans migrated from Europe. Should they keep different days because of how their ancestors migrated? Should churches across NAD (minus GMM), IAD and SAD meet on Friday?

    * The Adventist movement began in North America. Are you saying the whole thing started on a wrong footing?

    So please leave the migratory history (i.e. (1)) alone and keep the debate between (2) and (3).

    • Cecil, thank you for your contribution.

      I agree that migratory history is irrelevant, except that some have referred to an “unbroken cycle” at a particular spot since Eden, and for that purpose it would seem to be necessary to know where a population originated, because we can count “an unbroken cycle in either direction from the landing place of the ark.

      Could you please explain what you see as the issues between view 1 and 2?

      Thanks much.

    • Dear Cecil,

      Thank you for your insight.

      In response to your first point, the context of the Polynesians’ migration as a point of reference is simply to underline the fact that they came from Asia keeping Asian time reckoning. Therefore Samoa, being west of the IDL prior to the 4th July, 1892 time change, were 24 hours in advance of countries east of the IDL.

      In regard to your comment relating to the Adventist movement starting in North America, and having “started off on the wrong footing”, it did not. But in terms of the missionaries coming to the South Pacific and applying American time reckoning when it should have been Asian, yes, they did “get off on the wrong footing,” so to speak.

      God’s rich blessings.

      Ulalei

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