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Weimar University

Don Mackintosh

The Sunday Law and Leaving the City

Father in heaven, thank you today for this beautiful day you've given us.

And thank you also that it's the Sabbath day, which is the defining day at the end of time for your people and for you.

So as we enter into it, may we understand more of what that means, and for us individually and for our witness in Christ's name, amen.

In the scriptures that we've been studying in Matthew studying in Matthew chapter 24, we've looked at several of the Passages leading up to what we're going to talk about today.

We talked about Ethnos rising against ethnos or racial tension and that still seems to be Fulminating in many cities Across our land land.

We've talked about lawlessness abounding.

That also is happening if you are looking at the normative law being God's law.

You're looking at it being human-made law, that's no big problem at this point, but you look at God's law, then lawlessness is abounding.

And the Love of many, hearts of many are growing cold.

There's definitely evidence of that if you would look around.

And then we studied this little mini-series also when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, let the reader understand.

And we looked at all of those abominations of desolation and realized we're living in the last 1 that's mentioned in Daniel's prophecy.

But then, the next text, so we did then a series on the abomination of desolation and then on the Sabbath, looking at the importance of the Sabbath and Sabbath observance.

And the next text in our passage is kind of related to that.

It says, When you see the abomination of desolation, this is Matthew 24, 15-22, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads let him understand.

Then after you see that, and we've suggested we're living in that last epoch of desolation that will lead to, or abomination that will lead to desolation, then those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house, let him who is in the field don't go back to get his clothes, but woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days and pray that your flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath, for there'll be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time.

No, nor ever shall be, And unless those days shall be shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the Alexei, those days will be shortened.

So there's this picture, after the abomination of desolation, of a time of fleeing to the mountains and leaving your homes.

Luke 21 adds to it, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her, for these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

And this was looking towards what time period?

And The thing about both these chapters is that they talk not only about the destruction of Jerusalem, but they also then go to the time of the end, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be with the coming of the son of man.

It's not a dual application as some would have you believe, but it is a application 2 times.

It's not reapplying, it already was applied to the end, is what I'm saying.

And speaking of this passage, Ellen White, which Seventh-day Adventist believed had a prophetic voice of authority, had this to say about this particular passage.

The time is not far distant when, like the early disciples, we shall be forced to seek refuge in desolate and solitary places.

Definitely is A little more desolate and solitary than other places, it's good.

And maybe we should not upgrade that much.

As the siege of Jerusalem by the Roman armies was a signal for flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the decree enforcing the papal Sabbath will be a warning to us.

It will then be time to flee the large cities preparatory to leaving the smaller ones for retired homes and secluded places among the mountains." So not that I know of, at least, there is no decree enforcing the Papal Sabbath at this point, but there's a prediction that that will happen.

It is no time now for God's people to be fixing their affections or laying up their treasure in the world.

The time is not far distant when like the early disciples, we'll be forced to seek refuge in desolate and solitary places as the seas of Jerusalem by Roman armies was a signal for flight.

So the assumption of power in the part of our nation is decree enforcing the papal South be a warning, we need time to leave the large cities, preferably leaving the smaller ones for retired homes and secluded places and now, instead of seeking expensive dwellings here, we should be preparing to move to a better country even a heavenly instead of spending our means in self gratification we should be studying to economize so there's an economy statement so this was So this was given in Testaments for the Church, Volume 5.

And just at that time, there was a Sunday law that had been passed in California and it looked like it might be going other places as well.

Now what about leaving the cities, you know?

Americans are leaving large cities right now, suburban areas, for rural towns.

They're leaving big cities for smaller ones.

And this is 5 times, the reason is because The spread of COVID-19 was 5 times more rapid in cities than it was anywhere else, New York City.

San Francisco, the price of housing has gone down 50% in prices, it's a great time to buy in San Francisco, but nobody wants to be there.

Idaho, around this area, 1 of our elders, Kirk Kruger, tells me there's all kinds of people buying all kinds of homes around Tahoe.

They're trying to get out, and they're trying to get out fast.

Millennials are especially doing this as well.

It's almost as if they've been reading these statements.

There are 4 phases of the Sunday Law that we're going to go through today that might give you some ideas about when to flee.

Maybe not in the way you think, but it definitely is time to flee if you have not already fled.

First of all, the refrain from working on Sunday.

This happened, we'll see why, and the Pacific Press, which was not far from here, a place called Heidelberg, there was a time where there was a law passed And the law was that you could not work on Sunday.

White and others, they said, look, we should work because if we don't work, we'll fall behind others.

And This is what Ellen White wrote at that time.

The light given to me to the Lord at a time when we're expecting just such a crisis as you seem to be approaching was that when the people were moved by the power beneath to enforce Sunday observance, Seventh-day Adventists were to show their wisdom by refraining their ordinary work on that day and devoting it to missionary effort.

Shut the presses down and go out and do missionary work.

To defy the Sunday laws will be to strengthen, be but strengthen their persecution.

In their persecution there will be zealots who are seeking to enforce them.

Give them no occasion to call you lawbreakers.

If they're left to reign up men who fear neither God or men, the reigning up will soon lose its novelty for them, and they will see it's not consistent nor convenient for them to be strict in regard to the observance of the Sunday." They don't like to keep Sunday anyway.

And keep right on with your missionary work, with your Bibles in your hands.

The enemy will see that he has worshipped his own cause.

1 does not receive the mark of the beast because he shows that he realizes the wisdom of keeping the peace by refraining from work that gives offense.

This is a law on the land that you don't like, but it's not going against your conscience.

Well, you know, you want to give people a reason to come after you?

What if we got masks that had the message on the mask?

Bible text, maybe have everybody come together and they just come with different masks so that people can screen them.

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The Sunday Law and Leaving the City

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