One of the SDA Church’s favorite proof texts to try and support their view of the sabbath is Mark 2:27. This is one of the rare instances that they will appeal to the original Greek to say the word used for man is “anthropos” which means “mankind,” not a segmented group of people, such as the Jews.
As a platform that affirms the doctrine of the sabbath (not seventh day sabbatarianism) we agree with this general point of the text. The sabbath was indeed made for man. The issue becomes what does that mean? We have documented this down more thoroughly here.
However, the use of this text actually backfires on the SDA Church quite badly with regards to other areas of their system. They claim that the seventh day sabbath is eternal and that all beings in heaven and beings on other worlds that were created before humanity all observe the seventh day sabbath long before the creation of humanity and the earth.
Jesus says the sabbath was made, not that it is eternal. Not just this, but it was made for man—not angels, heavenly beings, and beings on other supposed worlds. When Adventist apologists and pastors cite this to try and generally support the idea of the sabbath still being applicable today, they end up proving too much from their framework. This is not an issue for Christians who are sabbatarians because we don’t hold to a Great Controversy Worldview that ports all sorts of extra biblical details into the text of scripture from a pre-earth origin story.
Romans 8:20-1 is clear that all of creation was subjected to futility by man’s sin and is awaiting the day that it is no longer subjected to bondage with the curse placed on it in Genesis removed. This is not only relegated to the creation of the earth. The sabbath day is also dependent upon sun and moon—of which there won’t be either in eternity (Revelation 21:22-3). There will be no need for a sabbath day of bodily rest in eternity because our bodies will be glorified and we will be with Jesus, the true substance of the sabbath, in glory forever.
