Chapter 6—Responsible until Christ returns

Some day soon the prophecy of Daniel 2 will meet its fulfillment in the return of Jesus, and “the God of heaven” will “set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed,” a kingdom that “shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.” It will be a kingdom that “shall stand for ever” (verse 44). But until that time, Christ’s followers continue to have a responsibility to “Caesar.”RVSE 7.7

In summary we quote a portion of an editorial appearing in the The Review and Herald, September 13, 1928. Elder F. M. Wilcox, longtime church leader and editor, wrote:RVSE 7.8

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church does not seek to dictate to its members as to how they shall vote or whether or not they should vote at all. It is left for each one to act on his own judgment in the fear of God. We have been told by the servant of the Lord that we should not link up with political parties, that we should not agitate political questions in our schools or institutions. On the other hand, we have been instructed by the same authority that when certain moral issues, such as prohibition, are involved, the ‘advocates of temperance fail to do their whole duty unless they exert their influence by precept and example—by voice and pen and vote—in favor of ... total abstinence.’ This instruction is not mandatory, it is still left for each one to determine for himself what he shall do.

“While an individual member of the church has a right, if he so likes, to cast his vote, the church as such should hold itself entirely aloof from politics. It is one thing for the individual members of the church to vote, and another thing for these same individuals in their church capacities to endeavor to influence political measures.”RVSE 7.9

Reprinted from Adventist Review, September 18, 25, 1980

Paul A. Gordon served as undersecretary of the Ellen G. White Estate.