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We see examples in the word of God of dividing the sanctity of commandments either in two or three categories or levels.
1. First greatest commandment
2 Second greatest commandment
The sanctuary from
1. Most holy
2. Holy
3. Outer court
PRIORITY:
1. The spiritual significance of the 7th Day Sabbath weighs heavier than the literal meaning of the 7th Day Sabbath.
2. The letter of the 7th day Sabbath still have importance. The letter of the 7th Day Sabbath, the 4th commandment, weighs heavier than the
3. Dietary laws. Laws concerning the physical, external and temporal.
Priority does not equal exclusion unless there is a dilemma in which you need to choose between one or the other.
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If you have a look at the sanctuary, which is also a figure of the way of Christ, there are 3 compartments with different priorities in terms of what is holier and less holy:
1. Most Holy place
2. Holy place
3. Outer court
We also see the same pattern of 3, when it comes to main interpretations of end time prophecies. From shallower to deeper/spiritual. From outer (court) to holy, to most holy.
As for the letter (day) of the 7th Day Sabbath, it still belongs inside the ark of the covenant, inside the Most Holy Place. It is part of the everlasting law written with the finger of God, not temporal laws like the civil laws (handwritings of Moses).
Another way of seeing that there is a priority when it comes to the shallower, more literal/apparant to the deeper, inner, spiritual is the two greatest commandments where the priority is:
1. Love for God, the Creator and His spiritual kingdom.
(Sums up of the first 4 of the 10 commandments that deals with our relationship to God, the Creator)
2. Love for mankind, Creation and the physical kingdom.
(Sum up of the last 6 of the 10 commandments that deals with our relationship to mankind, Creation)
There is a significant priority in terms of greater and lesser importance. Which is why we are to choose obedience to God over man. There is a good reason why Jesus divides the two main commandments that sum up the ten into two categories, and calls the commandments that deal with our relationship to God, the first and greatest.
The second great commandment, that deals with our relationship to mankind/creation, is in second place, it does not have as much weight or same holiness. If it had, one could have equated the Creator with creation. God's word in its entirety is very clear that the Creator has the highest authority, over creation. The abomination and the sins of Israel constantly deal with the great sin of putting creation and what it represents, over the creator (God) and what God represents. It was also Lucifer's sin in heaven, which is in the category of creation, not creator.
Matthew 22:36-40:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38
*This is the FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT*
39 And THE SECOND is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus Christ who is both the begotten Son of God (and in the cateory, Creator) sacrificed Himself and became both the begotten Son of God and the Son of Man. It is in 4th commandment of the 7th Day sabbath, as well as on the cross, that we see the perfect union of the Creator (God) and Creation. While still not sacrificing the authority of the Creator and His spiritual kingdom by loving and worshiping God and His kingdom above creation and the physical kingdom.
So the 4th commandment bridges or unite the Creator with creation, but also the letter and the spirit. Without sacrificing the authority of the Creator and the spiritual.
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Quote by Ellen White that I found now (February 8th 2022) that shows that she taught the 4th, among the first 4, summing up the first greatest, dealing with our relationship to our creator, was more holy than all the rest. I only see now that she also believed the first 4 was above the last 6.
I had no idea she taught that until now.
I teach it due to my understanding of the word of God and using reason. I have never heard someone else who teach this and I have been teaching it for over a year without knowing that also Ellen White support me on this.
"I saw the ten commandments written on them [the tables of stone] with the finger of God.
On one table were four, and on the other six.
*The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. *
But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it.
From Maranatha - Page 245
So, even if all the 10 commandments are placed inside the Ark of the covenant, in the Most holy place, the 10 commandments are also seperated in levels of priority in terms of sanctity.
We just saw evidence that Ellen White divides the 10 commandments first into two main commandments with greater sanctity of the first four than the last six. Christ do the same in Matthew 22:37-39.
In addition to that again, she exalts the fourth of the first four as even holier than the other three of the first four.
So she divides the 10 commandments with 3 distinct levels of holiness. From lesser to more holy.
Which is why, if the 3 Angel's message will advance and grow deeper and fuller, it means that the fuller, deeper meaning of the 7th Day Sabbath is in fact holier than to just keep the day, the letter of that commandment. The fuller, deeper represent the new, everlasting law of Christ, and the deeper significance of the 7th Day Sabbath is to advance forward to the fuller, without discarding the letter IF the letter and spirit are in harmony. The way it is in the 4th commandment of the 7th Day Sabbath.
1 Cor 2:10 :
"these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God."
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