Dedicated to Truth

Continued from above:

13. The reckoning of time at the commencement of the course of day must therefore be twenty-four hours in advance of its computation where that course ends. Those, therefore, who cross this line from east to west, or from west to east, have to recognize this fact by dropping one day from their computation, or by adding one day to it.

14. It is a remarkable fact that this line of transition or division between the beginning and the termination of the course of day is found in crossing the Pacific Ocean.

For we may start from California and proceed eastward to the eastern coast of Asia, and we shall at erery meridian we cross be in perfect harmony, as to our count of the days, with all the people living upon that meridian, and when we reach China we shall have exactly the same count of the days that they have in China. Again, if we start from China and reverse this journey, making our way westward to San Francisco, our days will correspond exactly to those of the countries we cross; and when we reach that city we shall have the same day that the people of that place have. This journey takes us fully two-thirds around the world, yet does not change our count of the days of the week. But take notice: if we cross the Pacific Ocean either westward to China, or eastward from China to CalifQrnia, we find in the one case that we are one day behind the people of China; and in the other case that we are one day in adrance of the people of California.

15. The dividing line between the commencement and the end of the course of day in its circuit round the world is, therefore, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Now let us put together several facts.

(1) The day comes westward from Asia.

(2.) It may be traced back eastward from America to the farthest verge of Asia on the west side of Behring's Straits and no change take place in the count of the day.

(3.) It is manifestly impracticable to ' establish upon the land a line west of which the day is twenty-four hours in advance of that upon the east side of the line. And therefore as the day comes to the American continent westward from Asia, we must in our count follow the course of day westward to the confines of America at the east side of Behring's Straits.

(4.) And so of Asia: we must follow the commencement of the course of day to the eastern verge of Asia, on the west of Behring's Straits.

(5.) And now observe, the commencement and the termination of the course of day are brought near together. And observe farther this remarkable fact, that a line drawn from north to south through Behring's Straits touches no body of land unless possibly some very minute islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

16. It is true that the people of Alaska, having come to that country eastward from Asia, across Behring's Straits, have brought with them the numbering of the days which they had in Asia, making it correspond exactly to that on the other side of the Pacific, and causing, so far as their action can do it, that the day should commence the circuit of the globe from the west side of America.

This is a manifest error; for the day comes in the divine order with the sun from Asia and the American continent receiving the day in this manner, its extreme western verge: should mark the end of the circuit of day, and not the beginning of that circuit. The people ofAlaska stand one day ahead in their count, holding the same relation to our count, of the days, that the people of China do too that of those who go thither westward from America. The day which we carry to Asia, as the seventh, the Alaskans call the first, day, of the week. Let them change the naming of the days, as they manifestly should and let them observe as the Sabbathof the Lord the day they now keep; for it is really such.

17. The case of the inhabitants o£" Pitcairn’s Island, a small body of land some six- miles in length by three in breadth, has long been styled " a nut for Sabbatarians." It is the same thing in principle as the case of the Alaskans. This island is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, and lies east of the eastern meridian of Alaska. It was settled by sailors who came east to it. When, therefore, they were discovered and visited by English sailors who went west to them, the same discrepancy was manifested, as is now seen between ourselves and the Alaskans. The reckoning of the two parties brought the beginning of the course of day, and the end of that course, to one spot, and they were found to be, as they really are, twenty-four hours apart. Now the decision of this is not hard. As Pitcairn's Island lies farther east than Alaska, it should certainly be governed by the same principles as that country. It should conform to the reckoning of day as it comes westward around the world.

18. Australia presents no real difficulty. It lies south of the continent of Asia, and does not extend as far to the east as the eastern extremity of Asia, by about 40 degrees oflongitude, or more than 2000 miles, this is moreover closely connected with the continent of Asia by many islands. Its reckoning of time corresponds with that of Asia ; and this is as it should be. Our day will be found to correspond exactly with that of Australia, if we follow back the track of the sun, by going eastward to it. If, how- ever, we journey to it westward across the Pacific Ocean, we pass from the termination of the circuit of day, to that part of the globe where that circuit commences ; and we must, in order to have the correct reckoning of the week, set our count ahead just one day.

19. But what about the gain or loss of a day in circumnavigating the globe? This change actually takes place only in the act of crossing the Pacific. If we go westward to China, we pass from the end of the circuit of day to its beginning. If we return from China, eastward to America, we pass at once from the beginning of the course of day to the termination of that course. In order, therefore, that we may preserve the proper computation of the week, we must in the one case add a day to our reckoning, and in the other case we must set that reckoning back one day. And this is both reasonable and just. For there must be a point where the first day of each week and month and year commences. To deny it is to throw all dates into confusion; to admit it is to acknowledge that the existence of definite weeks is possible.

20. The wisdom of God has given to our earth a globular form, and has caused it to revolve upon its axis. So far is this from presenting any real difficulty in the way of those who keep the definite seventh day, it is actually that without which such observance would be impossible. For if our earth stood still, one side would have perpetual day, and the other side unending night. There could be in that case no succession of day and night, and no such thing as a seventh day. But by the divine arrangement of a revolving, globular world, the definite seventh day comes to all the inhabitants of the earth, and they can observe it, if they have a heart to obey God. Even the dwellers within the polar circles, where for a season it is all night, and for another season all day, can readily determine the revolution of the earth upon its axis, and can, if they are so disposed, observe the Sabbath of the Lord.

21. When God was laying the foundations of the earth in the establishment of the original order of its existence, and the enactment of those laws which govern its operations, he said

(Gen.1:9,10), " Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so. And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the seas; and GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD." Were there not this great natural barrier, extending from pole to pole, the reckoning of definite days would be quite impossible. The next day after God had formed the sea, he caused the sun to become the ruler of the day, and the dispenser of light. It is evident that as each of the days of creation began with evening, and as each evening since the creation of the sun is marked by sunset, the fourth day began with the sun just disappearing, from that part of the earth from which day begins its course. There has never been a moment since then that the sun has not been in the act of setting as seen from some part of our globe. This does not make the reckoning of time indefinite and uncertain. For when sunset made its first journey around the globe, it carried with it the commencement of the fourth day to each meridian which it passed.

And when it had passed the established division between the commencement and the determination of the circuit of day, and began its second journey from the west side of thatline, it was the commencement of the fifth day of the week which the course of sunset thus carried around the world. And this great fact, which no candid man of any sect or party will deny, really explains why that crossing this line to the east we step back one day in our reckoning, and crossing it to the west we add a day to that reckoning.

It is because the days of the week are really definite and tangible, and not as our opponents represent them, indefinite and uncertain, that this change takes place. Indeed, we point to it as a conclusive evidence to all thoughtful, candid persons that the definite seventh day does come to all the dwellers upon our globe.

22. These facts have a decisive bearing upon the question whether it is a seventh part of our time, or the definite seventh day, which God requires us to observe. They are appealed to by first-day people to prove, in opposition to the express letter of the moral law, that God cannot mean the seventh day, but must simply intend that we observe a seventh part of our time as sacred to him. Now it is remarkable that these very things do prove just the reverse; viz., that the seventh part of time cannot be intended, and that the true seventh day is the very thing which the fourth commandment requires us to hallow.

Those who have to make the change of one day in their reckoning as they pass from the close of the circuit of day to its beginning, or from the beginning of the circuit of day back to its close, do not and cannot observe the seventh part of time. Were that the plain teaching of the commandment, it would forbid their making this change of one day in their count, and would require them to continue to work six days and then to rest one day. 

23. The change of one day in the count is that we may conform to the actual course of the days of the week in their circuit of the globe. The seventh day of the week, the very day of the Creator's rest, is thus secured by this very act which most people suppose renders its observance impossible. As the letter of the fourth commandment expressly enjoins the observance of that day on which God did rest from all his works, the seventh day is not any seventh day after six days of labor ; but it is the seventh day of the week as established at creation. So the fourth commandment gives permission to labor on six days of the week, but forbids this on the seventh day of that cycle. Those do not therefore violate this precept when, at the transition from one day to another, they change the count of the days, in order that they may actually keep the week as God gave it. They do thereby secure the very day hallowed in Paradise, and their action with reference to a prior six days of labor is no more an exception than was that of Adam in his first observance of the Sabbath.

24. Here are two passages of Scripture which we commend to the reader :

(1.) " The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2: 27.

(2.) " God that MADE THE WORLD and all things therein . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men for TO DWELL ON ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH." Acts 17 : 24-26.

25. God, who made our world, made it of a globular form, and made man to dwell on all the face of it. And that the creation of the world might be commemorated, he set apart the seventh day of the week, because he rested upon it from that work, to be observed by the human family as the Sabbath of the Lord. And we have seen from a careful survey of the whole subject, that wherever in the providence of God men are placed, the definite seventh day is to be found, and can be kept by those who are so minded. The observers of the first day of the week have attempted to show, in the things above examined, that the observance of a definite day is impossible, because the days of the week are indefinite and uncertain. The real intent of their action is to excuse themselves for not observing the day enjoined in the commandment. We have shown that the excuse is without foundation in truth; and we close by calling attention to the remarkable fact that, whereas Sunday keepers, who have a definite day to celebrate in their "first day of the week," have much to say concerning the impossibility of keeping a definite day the world over, no observer of the seventh day, wherever situated, whether Hebrew or Christian, ever found any difficulty of this kind in keeping the definite rest-day of the great Creator.

The Seventh Day on the Round World.  

BY ELD. J. N. ANDREWS.

Review and Herald, March 7, 1871 

THE recent article on this subject was called out by the fact that Dr. M. G. Kellogg of Californiahad become troubled with the idea that definite day is not possible to all the inhabitants of theearth. Not that any practical difficulty exists in California in the way of observing the Sabbath asit comes in the westward course of the sun from that land where we know that the Almightyproclaimed it in giving his law, but this brother became perplexed over the supposed difficulty inthe case of the Alaskans, and of those who sail around the globe. Dr. K., in the height of hisperplexity, wrote an article on this subject  for the World's Crisis, which its Editor told him hemeant to issue in tract form. He also sent the substance of that article to me, requesting a reply,which was given in the REVIEW for Feb. 14. After reading this reply, Dr. K. writes requestingfurther notice of his difficulty.

The argument showing the existence of a line dividing between the commencement and thetermination of the course of day, gives occasion to a statement of several objections. He doesnot take his stand to deny such a line; for to do this is really to deny the actual existence of thedefinite first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh days of the week; for there must bea line from which each day begins the circuit of the globe. In other words, as the day does notbegin " all round the world at once," there must be some point at which its course begins, andwith which it terminates that course. It is manifest that each day of the seven begins earlier aswe go eastward. But we can keep going eastward till we complete the circuit of our globe, andthus reach the very point from which we set out. But every one- can see from this fact that theact of tracing the day backward and finding that it begins one hour earlier for each fifteendegrees that we go east, can be continued only for a certain distance ; for there is another sideto that matter. We can circumnavigate the globe in a westerly direction also. And if we do it, weshall find that each day begins later by one hour for each fifteen degrees that we go westward.

But this also can be continued only for a certain distance; for as the day grows earlier and yetearlier as we follow it back eastward toward its source, or starting point, so does it grow laterand yet later when we follow it forward toward the west, to the point where that courseterminates. And when we reach this point, we shall find that one side of the line is necessarilytwenty-four hours distant in time from the other. For if you stand on the west side of that line,you stand at the commencement of the course of day; if you stand on the east of that line, youstand at the termination of that course.  

If any deny this, they must virtually assert that as day begins earlier and still earlier in going east and as you can go east till you arrive at the very point whence you set out, the day begins earliest of all at the very point from which you set out, which is a palpable untruth. Again a the day begins later and still later as you go west and as you can go westward round the world tillyou reach the very point whence you started, you do, from these premises, prove that the day begins here latest of all, which is also a manifest falsehood. As two opposite and palpable falsehoods can thus be proved from the premises of those who deny the fact that each day of the week has a commencement and a termination to its course, those premises are manifestly untruthful and false. There must be, therefore, a line whence the course of day begins, andcandor re quires an acknowledgement of this fact from all men who have their attention calledto the evidence in the case.  

But Dr. K. inquires, " Is the existence of such a line calculated to produce harmony in the settlements through which it may pass, and is it in harmony with the wisdom and justice of God a manifested in all .other of his works?"  

But in this question he overlooks the argument which has been adduced to prove that this line is found in the Pacific Ocean. For it is a fact that the west coast of the Pacific is just one day in advance of the time on its east coast, a plain proof that the line dividing the commencement of the course of day from its termination is found in the Pacific. And it is such a fact, that a line from north to south may be drawn through the Pacific, through the midst of Behring's Straits  and touch no body of land unless, perhaps, some very small islands. Such a line cannot be drawn through the Atlantic. And thus in the providence of God, the line exists in the only place where it is possible that such a line could be established. And the supposed difficulty in its maintenance through the heart of the inhabited continent is entirely obviated.  

Again Dr. K. inquires, " If God intended that the Sabbath should be observed with reference to such a line, would he not in his revealed word and most emphatically in his Sabbath law, have informed men that such a line existed, and have given them directions how to keep the Sabbath in those countries through, which said line might pass ?"  

To this we answer that God has made no revelation in the Bible of the fact that the world is round, or that it revolves on its axis, instead of standing still and having the sun go around it

In due time, men could ascertain these facts for themselves. He did in his Sabbath law give men permission to labor on the six days of the week which he had used in the work of creation, and lie did command them to hallow the day on which be rested. Now each of these days must begin and end at some point. And the providence of God which causes each day to go round the world in the apparent path of the sun from east to west, has also caused the course of empire to compass the earth in this same direction. And thus the course of civilized man has been with thesun from Asia westward across the face of the globe to the western coast of America. And so that providence of God which first made the waters a barrier, has plainly indicated where that line should be, or to speak more accurately, has actually established that line as a matter of fact. And as it passes through no countries, but leaves them all either on one side or the other, there is no such necessity for specific directions as Bro. K. supposes.  

He inquires further, “Would not God have established some natural barrier or way mark in the earth extending from pole to pole, that should plainly indicate that the Sabbath begins its journey from thence around the world westward ?"  

We think he did do this on the third day when he gathered together the waters unto one place,
And when he saw that it was good. Gen. 1.
And it is a fact that this barrier does now exist, and that, in the course of God's providence, day begins twenty-four hours earlier on the west side of that ocean than on the east side of it.  

Bro. K. wishes to know how we can carry the beginning of God's rest from the meridian of Eden to that of Behring's Straits. But in the first place we answer that the site of Eden cannot be determined, and is not therefore entitled to any particular weight as an objection. The standpoint of the Holy Spirit in describing the events of the creation week, or rather in marking the time in that chapter, must be where twilight existed on that morning when light was first created; and where it also existed on the evening of the fourth day when the sun began its rule, which points, by the way, must be identical, as we may show in a future article. The providence of God has established the line of transition from one day to another to be in the Pacific, and even were this some distance to the east of Eden, it would constitute no real difficulty in theway of the definite seventh day in Eden.  

Dr. K. adduces the case of the American Indians. He says that as they came eastward to America from Asia by the way of Behring's Straits, it is important that we should be able to show how they could preserve the correct reckoning of the week, and yet cross the line of transition from the beginning of the course of day to the termination of that course. But we have this to say of the Indians that they are the descendants of those that did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Rom. 1. They preserved no knowledge of the Scriptures, and retainedonly the vaguest idea of the divine Being. The most civilized portion of the native Americans,viz., the inhabitants of Mexico, were at the time of their conquest by the Spaniards, observers ofhuman sacrifices! The American Indians retained neither the Sabbath nor even the division of time into weeks, and so the question of difficulty in the way of their preserving a correctreckoning of the week is of no consequence at all. It is proper to add, however, that it is notabsolutely certain that they did come to America by way of Behring's Straits. But it is certain that civilized man retaining the Bible, the gospel, and the reckoning of the week, has compassed the globe westward with the sun. The providence of God has done for mankind everything that has been necessary, both in preserving to them the knowledge of the true seventh day from creation, and in definitely marking the course of each day around the world.

Bro. K. inquires whether if civilization had compassed the world eastward from Asia instead of westward, the day line would not be found in the Atlantic instead of in the Pacific. 

Unquestionably had the providence of God been instead the reverse of what it has been, theresult would have been the opposite of what it is. But the westward course of day, ofcivilization, and of the gospel, plainly bears the mark of God's power. And as it is certain that time began to be reckoned in Asia, and that the day goes westward around the world and noteastward it is really impossible for us to conceive of the dividing line being found in the Atlantic instead of the Pacific.  

The meridian of 180 degrees east or west from the observatory of Greenwich, England, has only an accidental connection with the fact that the day line actually exists in the Pacific Ocean. It is true that this meridian is but a few degrees to the west of Behring's Straits. But the fact that day on the west coast of the Pacific is twenty-four hours in advance of day on its east coast, is wholly independent of any attempt to reckon longitude by geographers or astronomers.  

Bro. K. seems to think that Moses must have intended to identify the names of rivers and countries before the flood with those after that event. Now nothing is more natural than thatthe sons of Noah, on taking possession of the earth after the flood, should give to the rivers and countries of the New World, names with which they were familiar in the world before the flood.

But a little consideration must show that antediluvian geography cannot be identified with the geography of the world that now is. Take the case of the river Gihon (Gen 2 : 13) whichcompasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. Now Ethiopia or Cush is either the southern part of Arabia, or it is a country of Africa south of Egypt. No river compasseth Arabia, and none of anysize flow through it. If it be said that the Ethiopia intended is in Africa, and that the Nile is the river Gihon, we answer, first, the Nile does not compass this Ethiopia, and second, instead offlowing from the supposed site of the garden to compass this land, it flows in the oppositedirection.   Of the antediluvian world, Peter says: "The world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." 2 Pet. 3. And we think the probabilities very strong that the greater part of the antediluvian world is now beneath the waters of the ocean.

As to the day line in the Pacific Ocean, we accept that providence which has given us this line in the only part of the world where it can possibly exist. And we have shown that there is no proof whatever to indicate that the original day line was located through Western Asia. Certainly no one can show that there is an essential difference between the existing day line and that which was originally established by the Creator.

Bro. Kellogg concludes his letter in the following words:
" I most sincerely regret my rashness in sending anything to the Crisis. May God forgive me." We are satisfied that when the facts are fully appreciated, instead of furnishing an argument as they have long been supposed to do, that the seventh part of time is the real intent of the fourth commandment, they will be found to present an unanswerable argument in vindication of the definite seventh day.

J.N.Andrews suggested the "day line" must run in the Pacific Ocean  from north to south without crossing any major land mass.  Thus the dayline's most logical position is through the Behring Straites.

That would be on longitude 168 decrees W on our present maps.  

Thoughts  on Pr. Hays Paper

“The change of ‘Day’ in Samoa
It’s implication for 7^th day Sabbath Observance

http://adventist.org.au/assets/340130

Firstly, I commend Pr. Hay for his historic depiction of events leading to the acceptance of the Prime Meridian (line “0”)  running through Greenwich, England in the year 1884.   Having the general historic outline as well as the scientific reason why a round world needs a day line, affords a rational platform for constructive dialogue on the implications of Sabbath Observance in Samoa.

There are some things I’d like to add to this historic outline.   Pr. Hays gives a general historical picture that deals mainly with the mathematical dividing of the earth into time zones governed by longitudes.   However, in practice there are two ways this dividing of the earth into time zones is practiced.

1)   The Nautical (Sea) time zones

2)   The Terrestrial (Land) Time zones

The establishment of nautical standard times, nautical standard time zones and the nautical date line took place at the  Anglo-French Conference on Time-keeping at Sea held in London in June 1917.  It is the nautical time system that changes the hour at each longitude placed 15 degrees apart. It is also the nautical time system that looks to the 180^th meridian as the “dateline”.   This system is used by ships on high seas when they communicate their position and time.

Terrestrial Time zones follow the nautical time zones only in approximation, not with mathematical precision, as Terrestrial Time can vary by several hours from the mathematical “guide” of the  longitudes.   For example, China spans five longitudes but the whole country observes the same time,  UTC+08:00, or eight hours ahead of Greenwich.

Another example—even though the Prime Meridian (0°) passes through Spain and France, they use time 15 degrees east (Central European Time)  or one hour earlier than Greenwich.  As we look at any time zone map we see a lot of variations from the nautical time zones all around the world; each country determining for themselves how they will count time within an approximation of their position to the longitudes.

Ships, when they are in harbor accept the terrestrial time Zone. 

The 180^th longitude is just another longitude that is bent to accommodate the countries near it.    There is nothing wrong with choosing to be UTC+13:00, or thirteen hours ahead of Greenwich (which is only one hour variation from their position to the longitudes)  yet holds them to the same day as observed by most of their larger neighbors.

The 180 Degree Meridian – It’s Consistency as a Base for Future Time

Pr. Hays wrote:

It seemed remote that the Prime Meridian of Greenwich would be altered or even transferred to another location, having been well supported by the nations.  Obviously this would mean that the 180^th meridian, halfway round the world would also be a steady and reliable reference line of longitude in the pacific sphere in matters relating to the organization and function of time.”

This assumption concerning the 180^th’s function of time may be correct for ships at sea, but it is totally incorrect for terrestrial time zones.  These Islands in the Pacific are NOT naturally connected with America.  Their “natural connection” is with the Islands in the eastern hemisphere.   (i.e.New Zealand, Australia, Fuji, etc.)  The original migration to these islands came from the east;  the first missionaries came from the east, why even our Seventh-day Adventist Conference places them under the direction of  Australia and New Zealand.   Why should these Islands be divided by a day line?  This is a question the governments in these Islands have been struggling with since the 180^th was imposed on them back in the 1890’s.

Pr. Hays gave the history of the moving dateline for Samoa.   The first switch in 1892 came due to the pressure of Americans and other colonialists wanting to establish the newly devised time zones.  Samoa (along with other Islands east of the 180^th) complied, but the Tonga islands resisted and refused the change.   By 1922 Samoa already wanted to return to the original terrestrial time zone, but America interfered.   In the last few years we’ve seen a number of these Islands return to their original time zone.

So the obvious conclusion is that the 180^th meridian has never been steady or reliable in defining the dateline.  It disrupted and divided the Pacific Islands from each other, and now these islands are one by one returning to the same time zone.   

Establishing the International Dateline

Dr Hays wrote:

“It is interesting that no actual forthright statement was made, or official report enacted by delegates attending the 1884 IMC, declaring the 180^th meridian as the date line all countries were to observe.  No binding agreement took place and even up to the present time (2011) none has been enacted by the nations of the world.  In the absence of such Pacific nations affected by the path of the 180^th meridian line of day change, may make changes in its direction to suit their needs.”

Exactly!   Yet, Colonialists put pressure on these Islands to change.   Why?   Somehow the false idea spread that the islands MUST align themselves to this new situation.  We can observe this in the letters of Adventist visitors and missionaries who came to these islands around the 1890’s (at the height of this agitation) as they report back home that everyone on these Islands kept the right Sabbath but called it Sunday.   Yet, those London Society Missionaries and Wesleyan Missionaries  who taught people to worship on Sunday, were operating on eastern time, and Sunday was truly Sunday.  The next day was Monday.   The eastern time zone had been established by Protestant missionaries in these Islands some 60-80 years previous to 1884.   They didn’t make a “mistake”, nor did they “fail to realize they crossed the dateline” eighty years prior to the IMC meeting.  Coming via Australia they naturally kept the same day on all the Islands they evangelised.  When Adventists came in the 1890’s they wrote their mission reports based on their belief in something that was never enacted by any nation.

Had they understood the above quote from Pr. Hays, we might never have had the precedent of Sunday keeping Adventists in Tonga. 

The Inevitable Seventh-day Sabbath choice facing Adventists lying well to the East of the 180^th Meridian

Was the choice “inevitable”?  

Pr. Hay wrote:

“Early church employees such as the George Tenney family on travelling to Australia and then NZ noticed on 19 May 1888 people in Samoa observing Sunday worship on the seventh day Sabbath.  This occurred because following the resolutions of the IMC in 1884, the 180^th meridian had become the line where ‘day’ change had taken place and as Samoa lay well to the east of this line the people naturally observed Western Hemisphere Day Sequence.”

In 1888 people in Samoa were still “naturally” following the Eastern Hemisphere time, not western.   They didn’t switch to western time till 1892 when two 4^th of July’s were celebrated to bring about the switch.  There was really nothing “natural” for Adventists to observe Western Day count when everyone else on the Island were observing eastern day count.   They were ASSUMING, probably because America and other colonialists were putting on the pressure for the change, that change would come.

Pr. Hay quotes Ellen White’s experience:

“Between Samoa and Auckland we crossed the day line and for the first time in our lives had a week of six days. Tuesday, 1 December was dropped from our reckoning and we passed from Monday to Wednesday. RH 9 Feb. 1892

Ellen White is simply recording her experience, not writing a prophetic message.  She was sailing on an American ship that accepted the embryonic nautical dateline.   They were on “high sea” and the nautical dateline is at the 180^th.   But the terrestrial dateline at that point in time was still east of Samoa.   .

Pr. Hay quotes Robert Leo Odom

When the Alameda stopped at Apia in the Samoan islands, the date according to the time count on the ship as Mrs. White’s record indicates was ‘Friday, November 27, 1891...But according to the time count ashore it was Saturday, November 28, 1891...the skipper of the Alameda ignored the erroneous time count and waited three more days—until he reached the 180^th meridian – to make the necessary adjustment. (p.221)

Again, the nautical dateline should not be confused with the terrestrial dateline.  According to the account the ship  stopped at Apia for just a few hours, arriving in the morning and leaving at 1:00 p.m. (BEcho, January 1, 1892 par. 12.)     Ellen White only viewed the island from the ship, she didn’t go ashore.  There is no problem with the ship remaining on nautical time.

Pr. Hay presents a few more people who felt the 180^th was  officially enacted, thus ignoring the local time.   But this is only shows the bias that was present in America at the time, not the true time of the islands.

Observing the Seventh-day Sabbath in the Samoan Islands – Choices and Consequences

Pr. Hay presents some “consequences” should Samoan worship on Saturday.

1.       Adventist Identity Kept in Tact
Worshipping on the 7^th day of Eastern hemisphere ‘day’ reckoning would keep the Adventist identity clearly before the people and provide an attractive Biblical alternative to first day Sabbath observers.

Comment:
Yes, this is a key consideration and I’m thankful Pr. Hay brought it out.
To worship on Sunday diminishes the Adventist identity and prophetic message.  The first day of the week is given the honor belonging to the Sabbath.  And Sunday is recognized as the first day of the week by the population of Samoa.

2.       Further possible ‘day’ change.  In changing to Eastern Hemisphere Day sequence so as to maintain their distinctive Saturday/Sabbath witness, Adventists are throwing in their lot with government and by doing so are virtually making it difficult for themselves if another ‘day’ change were to occur sometime in the future.

Comment:
This is excusing Sunday worship on a mere supposition.   Samoa has returned to the time zone it was in originally.   It is the more “natural” time zone for them,  when we consider their heritage and the majority of her neighbors.   The first change was imposed on them by colonialists (even if the chief of the islands agreed).  The second switch was by the nations own choice.   The chances of Independent Samoan  switching once more are remote.   Indeed the chances of American Samoa switching may be greater.

3.       Adventists Regarded as loyal and useful citizens

Comment:
That’s a good thing.  Why should they live in a confused world setting their own terrestrial dateline, unrecognized by the country they live in or by any other country? 

4.       Exalting Saturday above the Biblical seventh-day in deciding on which day to observe the Sabbath. One could be persuaded that determining the day for Sabbath is made according to the use of the name Saturday on the calendar rather than according to the Biblical principle of the seventh day as it relates to its position to the longitude emanating from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich.

Comment:

To base Sabbath keeping on the longitude is looking to an imaginary line marked off by man in the last couple centuries of earth’s history as the divine authorization of Biblical time.    The Bible does not deal with longitudes.   Even the established, recognized terrestrial dateline does not follow the 180^th.

However,  the name “Saturday” or it’s equivalent in other languages,  can be traced and linked to the Biblical “seventh day” clear back to the days of Christ.    The name “Sunday” can be traced back to the Biblical “first day” and to Constantine’s “venerable day of the Sun”.

Saturday in Samoa is the same day that Seventh-day Adventists observe in Fiji, New Guinea,  New Zealand and Australia.  The same sacred hours they observe, Samoa may honestly observe unto the Lord as well.

Many calendars now have Monday in the first space, and Sunday in the seventh space.   But Sunday is still not the seventh day.  We know the Sabbath by the common name the whole world attached to the Biblical seventh-day, and that name (in the English language) is Saturday.

5.       A united witness for the same 7^th day Sabbath observance east of the 180^th meridian would be weakened.   For more than 100 years Samoa has been observing the Seventh-day Sabbath of western ‘day’ reckoning, along with the kingdom of Tonga located at almost the same longitude.  Samoa would now observe Sabbath one day earlier being part of Eastern ‘day’ reckoning.  The past united witness of observing the same 7^th day Sabbath by all island groups located east of the 180^th meridian would be weakened.   Onlookers and even critics could cite this changed situation as evidence of Adventists confusion over their day of worship.

Comments:

The real problem is now identified by Pr. Hay.  The kingdom of Tonga is the problem.  They set the precedent and the precedent is very difficult to change.  The question should be – is this precedent correct?  The  Tongan islands  have AWAYS (since the week was introduced to them in 1797)  maintained the eastern ‘day’ count, but Adventists have been keeping Sunday there these last 120 years.  Tonga has never switched the day line, resisting the pressure of the colonialists back in the 1890’s.    True, Adventists back in those days thought Tonga should and would switch, so they ignored the local time and followed American time,  but the fact remains Tonga NEVER changed their time zone from eastern to western.

And now, because of this mix up in the 1890’s,  Island after island in the Pacific is being led into Sunday worship as they too return to the eastern time zone.

Many already have seen Adventists confused over their day of worship because of the practice in Tonga.  It is a fact that people laugh at us asking if we’ll all flee to Tonga or Samoa when the Sunday laws are enforced in our countries during the last day crises; because there it will be “OK” to keep Sunday instead of Saturday.    It seems far more reasonable to have all Seventh-day Adventists worshipping on Saturday in a consistent worldwide unity.

What will we, in the rest of the world, say when we refuse to observe Sunday as the Sabbath in the last day crises when over in the Pacific it’s not only perfectly alright to do so, but authorized by the church itself?    Especially since the world has never officially recognized or enacted the 180^th as the terrestrial dateline.

6.       Facing up to Samoan luma  Possible embarrassment (luma) cultural to a degree, experienced by local Adventists who would need to explain after more than 100 years, apart from calling Saturday the Sabbath, why there was a need to embrace Eastern days.  Later on, if government found it convenient to again modify the course of the IDL would Adventists return to their former practice....  

Comment:
Admitting a mistake always brings the fear of embarrassment.   But that would pass in time.  It will be far harder for Tongan Adventists, than for Samoan Adventists to change.   But the question should be – what day does God want me to uphold?   It shouldn’t be any harder than for a newly converted Adventist to change to Sabbath (Saturday) observance.   They too often face ridicule and embarrasment.

Also – this shouldn’t be based on a future unknown – the chances of Samoa switching again are very remote.  

Pr. Hay presents some “consequences” should Samoan worship on Sunday
(the 180^th Perspective).

1.       Although God did not state the exact location for “day’ change, He does give guidance to nations.  For just as he counselled Israel, the Psalmist say in Ps. 67:4 that he will guide the nations of the earth.  Even in modern times God’s guidance could have assisted the nations to establish the Prime Meridian with its consequential establishment of the 180^th meridian as the location for ‘day’ change.  He also blesses when there are many advisors involved in making plans.  (Pr. 15:22)

Comment:

Pr. Hay is correct that God did not state the exact location for ‘day’ change, though some Adventist Pioneers like J.N.Andrews and a writer with intials (N.A.D.)  have looked at texts like Job 38:12 to show that the day begins at the furtherst tip of habitable land east of Palistine.

I also agree that God has his hand in guiding nations.  Though nations tend to do their own thing and God patiently works through their waywardness.   I personally firmly believe the “day line” is in the Pacific Ocean.  However, the nations have never established the 180^th as the official terrestial day line.  These nations all recognize the day line is not fixed on any arbitrary straight line, but adjusts to the nations relationships to each other in the Pacific.  Thus the logic presented in the above  “consequence” should be to accept the officially recognized dateline that places all these Islands in the Eastern Time Zone.  The “multitude of advisors” (world wide) is on the officially recognized terrestial dateline, not the 180^th meridian.

2.       The 180^th a firm foundation for Sabbath Change
Now the Sabbath sunset arrives at each meridian in succession, and changes ‘day’ at a well anchored 180^th...

Comment:

Looking at my map I see the dateline being pushed further and further east, away from the 180^th  in the whole south of the equator region.  The 180^th never was “an anchor for day change in this region and most certainly is not an anchor today., though colonists did try to make it such in the 1890’s.

As to sunset arriving at each meridian in succession, that is unscientific.   Clock time can be regulated by longitude, but not sunsets.   The precise moments of sunrise and sunset vary not only with longitude but also with latitude north or south of the equator.     Thus on a Friday around June 21^st  along the 180^th longitude, those living at the equator would welcome the Sabbath at 6:00 p.m,  while those in the antiacrtic would have welcomed the Sabbath shortly after the noon hour, and those living in Siberia would have to wait till 11:00 oclock at night before the Sabbath reached them.   Yet all are along the 180^th longitude.

3.       All Islands on or near the 180^th  keep the same day.

In actuality this was true prior to the 1890’s when all the Islands were on Eastern Time.  The 180^th disrupted this situations causing Islands close to each other (like Fiji and Samoa)  to be on different days.  If all the Islands now west of the terrestrial dateline would accept this official line, there would be far more unity amongst the Islands “keeping the same day” than having some keeping Saturday (west of the 180^th) some keeping a day later on Sunday (east of the 180^th) and some keeping Saturday where the nautical and terrestrial day lines match.

4.       Fastening the Sabbath to an unchanging Meridian

This is the same argument as #2.   Though the longitude itself has not changed, it has never been the official terrestrial dateline (even Pr Hay has noted exceptions which even the Adventist church accepts)

5.       Observing the same Sabbath presents a united witness. Adventists east of the 180^th meridian are providing a united witness by observing the same seventh day Sabbath as the western day sequence...

But it’s not the same Sabbath in the South Pacific.   Fiji  Adventists observe Saturday, Tongan Adventists, though just an hour away, observe their Sabbath a day later on Sunday.   Samoa, instead of now  keeping the same day as Fiji which for them is now the world recognized seventh day Saturday, keep Sunday a day later with Tonga.

Yes, I realize this is explained by nautical date line, but that is internationally unrecognized as a terrestrial date line, thus the practice is not really a “united witness”.   The reason Adventists from other lands see this is because they have the advantage of seeing how the world reacts to this “witness”.   It’s an illusion to think the world is impressed by Seventh-day Adventists sticking to western time in defiance of the officially recognized dateline.   It would be a more powerful witness if all the countries west of the official dateline worshipped on Saturday.

It would be a more powerful witness if all Adventists the world over observed the seventh-day on the official seventh day.

6.       Western 7^th day Sabbath observed for over 100 years....In 1922 when new Zealand wanted Samoa to revert to eastern day sequence, the executive committee...advised Sabbath observers thus:

“To make no change whatever in the observance of the Sabbath as it recurs in the weekly cycle, notwithstanding that the official name of the day may be changed by the Government from Saturday to Sunday.”
..An accompanying letter by Pastor A.W.Anderson...
“The Sabbath keepers in Samoa will simply continue to observe the day they have been observing as the Sabbath without any reference whatsoever to the name which is given officially to that day by the government....the fact that men call Sunday the Sabbath does not make it the Sabbath.”

Yes, the issue goes back a long time.  It is “tradition” due to the Tongan precedent.   But isn’t that the same argument the Sunday observers around the world make?   First day observance goes back a long time, thus it must be correct to observe Sunday, they reason.  Remember Sunday was observed by Sunday keeping Protestants in Samoa for about 75 years before Samoa was pulled into the western hemisphere.  Protestants in Samoa have simply returned to their original Sunday.  Protestants in Tonga have been keeping their FIRST day Sunday for 220 years, with Adventists joining them for the last 120 years.

I had to read the last sentence of A.W.Anderson’s quote several times for it struck me as a complete contradiction to his previous recommendation.

“The fact that men call Sunday the Sabbath does not make it the Sabbath.”
I can only say “AMEN: to that sentence.