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IN THE BEGINNING, GOD GAVE MAN THE
SABBATH AS A DAY OF REST
HE
RESTORED ITS OBSERVANCE
IN THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI
IT WAS
RESTORED BEFORE HE GAVE ISRAEL
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
WHY IS IT THAT MOST OF THE CHRISTIAN
WORLD IGNORES THE SABBATH AND OBSERVES SUNDAY AS GOD 'S
APPOINTED DAY OF REST?
Almost all of Christianity accepts Sunday
as their day of worship. Some believe that Sunday is the
"Lord's Day". They believe that Jesus Christ was
resurrected on Sunday morning, and thats where they get
the term "Lords Day."
Others
believe that the Apostle Paul set us an example by
observing the first day of the week as holy. And still
others believe that it simply does not matter which day
is acknowledged because they believe all of God's laws
have been replaced by grace.
But there
are a few that insist the seventh-day Sabbath is still
binding, and failure to keep it holy is to sin. To do it
regularly, is to live in a state of sin.
This is a
very important subject because the Bibles says that God
must be worshiped in truth.(John 4:24)
As
Christians, we must from time to time reprove what we
have come to believe it true and allow God's Word to
correct us when necessary. Notice:
2 Corinthians 13:5 -"Test yourselves to SEE IF YOU ARE
IN THE FAITH; EXAMINE YOURSELVES! Or do you not
recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in
you -unless indeed you fail the test?" Its
not only the Christian himself that must be examined,
but his beliefs and practices as well.
Notice:The
Apostle Pauls meeting with the Bereans in
Acts 17:11 - "Now these were more noble-minded than
those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with
great eagerness, EXAMINING THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, TO SEE
WHETHER THESE THINGS WERE SO."
The
Bereans did not just blindly accept Pauls teachings.
No,they put them to the test by examining the
scriptures. And Luke, the writer of Acts calls them more
noble-minded than their brethren in Thessalonica because
of this attitude.
The
Bereans wanted truth not error. Do you want truth as the
Bereans did? Are you willing to search Gods inspired
book, the holy Bible to find it? Before you answer yes I
caution you to count the cost. Notice:
Luke 14:27-28 -"Whoever does not
carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My
disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a
tower, does not first sit down and COUNT THE COST, to
see if he has enough to complete it?"
It is
better to not search for truth unless youre willing to
count the cost of finding it. Notice:
Hebrews 10:26-27 -"For if we go on sinning willfully
after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain
terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a
fire which will consume the adversaries."
Judgment
is on those who have been enlightened and have received
the gift of the holy spirit. As the Apostle Paul says in
Hebrews 6:4-6 -for those who fail away from the truth
after coming to the knowledge of it, it is impossible to
renew them again to repentance. "Repentance" means to
"have another mind" - the very mind of God and of our
Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not submit to Cods word then
we have not repented from following our own logic and
will. If we have repented saying -"not my will Father
but yours", then we must not fail to follow through with
that commitment. We must diligently search the
scriptures, seeking Gods will, instruction and yes,
correction. The bible does reprove and correct us.(2
Timothy 3:16). So lets look at the common arguments
given to vindicate the rejection of the Sabbath and the
observance of Sunday.
It is
claimed that Jesus Christ was crucified on Friday and
resurrected on Sunday morning. Many claim that this was
Cods way of rejecting the Jews and their day of worship
and transferring Gods holy day to Sunday.
The first fact that must be established
is that the weekly Sabbath is not a JEWISH INSTITUTION.
It was made 2,300 years before the birth of Judah, the
father of the Jews. The bible never calls it the "Jewish
Sabbath", but always "the Sabbath of THE LORD YOUR GOD."
When the
Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign to prove
that He was sent from God, -Jesus answered
"For just as Jonah was THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS in
the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of man be
THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth."
(Matthew 12:40)
Jesus
said, not only three days but also three nights. That is
72 hours in the heart of the earth.
Why do so
many Christians claim that Jesus was killed and buried
on Friday? Because Friday was often referred to as the
"day of preparation". It was a day that was used to
prepare for the holy Sabbath. While in the wilderness of
Sinai, the children of Israel were told to gather twice
as much Manna on Friday because God would not provide it
on the Sabbath. They were to gather enough for both days
on Friday, the weekly preparation day.
Most of
the Christian world today claims that Jesus was killed
on Friday because scripture reveals He was buried on the
day of preparation. Notice:
Luke 23:50-56 -"And behold, a man named Joseph, who was
a member of the Council, a good and righteous man, a man
from Arlmathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for
the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked
for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped
it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the
rock, where no one had ever lain. And it was the
PREPARATION DAY, and the SABBATH WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. Now
the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed
after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. And
they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. AND ON
THE SABBATH THEY RESTED ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT."
We can
read the same account in the other gospels as well, so
it is very clear that ~Jesus was killed and buried on
the day of preparation. But how can we get THREE DAYS
AND THPEE NIGHTS from near sundown Friday to Sunday
morning? Friday night would be one night, Saturday would
be one day. Saturday night would be two nights and
Sunday morning would not even count as a day. That would
be ONE DAY and TWO NIGHTS, not the THREE DAYS AND THREE
NIGHTS Jesus gave as a sign
Jesus is
no liar, so what could possibly be the answer to this
problem? The answer can only be found when we understand
which Sabbath is being prepared for observance. Thats
right, there are more Sabbaths than just the WEEKLY one.
They are called ANNUAL SABBATHS or HIGH DAYS. These are
a part of the annual festivals commanded by God in
Leviticus23. And as they are appointed times on Gods
calendar and they may fall on any day of the week in any
given year. All of them, except the feast of Pentecost,
which always falls on a Sunday. God commanded the
Israelites to count 50 days after the weekly Sabbath to
find Pentecost, which is always a Sunday.
The ANNUAL
SABBATHS are (l).First Day of the feast of Unleavened
Bread. (2).Seventh Day of the feast of Unleavened Bread.
(3).Feast of Pentecost. (4).Feast of Trumpets. (5).Day
of Atonement. (6).First I)ay of the feast of
Tabernacles. (7).Last Creat Day.
Now with
this understanding Notice:
Leviticus 23:5-7"In the first month, on the fourteenth
day of the month at TWILIGHT is the Lords Passover. Then
on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the
Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days
you shall eat unleavened bread. On the FIRST DAY you
shall have a HOLY CONVOCATION; you SHALL NOT DO ANY
LABORIOUS WORK."
Did you
notice that this ANNUAL SABBATH followed the Lords
PASSOVER? Now Notice Luke 22:15
-Jesus said to His disciples -"I
have earnestly desired to eat this PASSOVER with you
BEFORE I SUFFER." So they were partaking of
the PASSOVER which is the 14th day of the 1st month.
After this
they departed to the Mount of Oiives.(Luke 22:39). In
verse 47 we find Jesus betrayed by Judas, and in verse
54 arrested. All of this happening on the PASSOVER, the
14th of Nissan.
The
following morning,(still the Passover), -Jesus was
sentenced to death by crucifixion. We find in Matthew
27:50 -that Jesus cried out with a loud voice and died.
Verse 46 tells us it was at the ninth hour of the day,
which is 3 in the afternoon. All of this, from the
eating of the Passover to His death and burial took
place on the 14th of Nissan, the Passover.
Joseph,
who asked Pilate for His body, had until sundown to
prepare the body with spices and place Him in His tomb.
Days began and ended at sundown, so at sundown would
begin the Sabbath. Not a WEEKLY Sabbath, but an ANNUAL
Sabbath, the 15th of Nissan, the first day of Unleavened
Bread.(Leviticus 23:6).
This day
of preparation mentioned in Luke 23:54 was not to
prepare for the WEEKLY Sabbath but the FIRST DAY OF
UNLEAVENED BREAD which is a ANNUAL Sabbath.
It is
believed by most all scholars that Jesus was killed in
30AD or 31AD. Passover fell on Wednesday in both of
these years. The truth is, Jesus was crucified on
Wednesday and was buried at the end of the Passover just
before sundown which would begin the next day,-
Thursday.
Thursday
was the 15th of Nissan, and an Annual Sabbath. THREE
DAYS and THREE NIGHTS later near the end of the WEEKLY
SABBATH,- Saturday, He arose from the dead. Notice:
Luke 24:1-3 -"But on the first day of the week, at early
dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which
they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away
from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find
the body of the Lord Jesus."
It was
early Sunday morning and ~Jesus was already gone. He was
not resurrected on Sunday morning, the tomb was already
empty.
He was in
the grave Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night,
Friday, Friday night and Saturday until near sundown.
That is THREE DAYS and THREE NIGHTS.
If He
arose on Sunday morning that would be another night, and
thus would be THREE DAYS and FOUR NIGHTS. But Jesus
plainly said that He would be in the grave "THREE DAYS
and THREE NIGHTS", and this was the only sign He would
give that He was the Messiah.
Sunday
is not the LORDS DAY as many claim. In Mark 2:28 -Jesus
said that He was the Lord of the Sabbath day and we find
in John Chapter 1 that this same Jesus existed as the
"WORD" in the beginning. John reveals that the WORD was
with GOD and WAS GOD and that all things came into
existence THROUGH HIM.
Jesus
was the LORD mentioned in the Old Testament scriptures,
and the very Being that created Adam and Eve. It was Him
as God the Son, who gave them the Sabbath day as a holy
day of rest and worship in the very beginning. He is the
creator of the Sabbath; and it was, and is today, the
LORDS DAY. However, in Scripture the term "Lord's Day"
is the same as the "Day of the Lord" referring to the
time of Christ's return in Glory to judge the world.
There
are many who hold the belief that the Apostle Paul
authorized the observance of Sunday instead of the
Sabbath.
But
when we examine Gods Word, we find that the first day of
the week is mentioned only eight times in the entire New
Testament. (Matthew 28:1) (Mark 16:2) (Luke 24:1) (John
20:1,19) (Acts 20:7) (1 Corinthians 16:2). SIX of these
are parallel accounts of finding the empty tomb in the
gospels. ONE is where Paul directed the members of the
Church at Corinth to set aside food collections for the
poor in Jerusalem who were suffering from famine. THIS
WAS WORK and not to be done on the Sabbath. (1
Corinthians 16:2)
Notice:
Acts 11:28-29 -"Agabus stood up and began to indicate by
the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine
all over the world. And this took place in the reign of
Claudius. And in the proportion that any of the
disciples had means, each of them determined to send a
contribution for the relief of the brethren living in
Judea."
So the
members set aside portions of what they gathered on the
first day of the week for the needy brethren in
Jerusalem. This indicates that they were working on this
day.
And
finally the eighth and final place Sunday is mentioned
in in Acts 20. Lets take a close look.
Paul
stayed in Philippi to observe the days of Unleavened
Bread. Then sailed from Philippi to Troas meeting his
disciples who had gone ahead. And they stayed at Troas
seven days. He was intending to depart on MONDAY MORNING
which would be the end of seven days. So near the END of
the FIRST DAY they gathered together to break bread.(eat
dinner).
Notice:
Acts 20:7 -"And on the first day of the week, when we
were gathered together TO BREAK BREAD (not for worship
services), Paul began talking to them, intending to
depart the next day (Monday), and he prolonged his
message until midnight."
Verse 8
says there were MANY LAMPS in the upper room where they
were. This suggests that the reason Paul could CONTINUE
HIS FAREWELL MESSAGE, was that there were enough lamps
to last all night at their disposal. And also suggests
that the meal started BEFORE lamps were necessary, being
still light. Otherwise, there is no reason to mention
lamps in context with Pauls extended message.
In
verse 9 a young man fell off the window sill and died.
In verse 10 Paul went downstairs and restored his life.
Then in verse 11 we find Paul sitting at table with the
brethren eating and talking until dawn. This could
hardly be considered a church service. It was simply a
farewell meeting with a group of elders.
Some
may claim that the mentioning of the lamps is purely
incidental, and that they were meeting just AFTER
sundown as the first day BEGAN. If this is so, then the
following morning was Sunday morning. Now if Sunday is
the LORDS DAY and HOLY, then Paul would surely rest on
it.
Notice:
Verse 13 -"But we (disciples), going ahead to the ship,
SET SAIL for ASSOS, intending from there to take Paul on
board; for thus he had arranged it, INTENDING HIMSELF TO
GO BY LAND."
The
King James translation says he traveled by foot. So Paul
had to walk from TROAS to ASSOS to meet the disciples
and board the ship. THIS IS A DISTANCE OF OVER 19 MILES!
The Apostle Paul had kept the Sabbath since his
childhood and walked a SABBATH DAYS ,JOURNEY many times.
This was a distance of just over 1/2 of a mile. If
Sunday was now a holy day he would not have walked
almost 20 MILES across treacherous terrain.
Also,
the book of Acts records Brethren breaking bread
together on the "FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK". This was years
after Christ's resurrection, so why didn't they refer to
it as "THE LORDS DAY?" Why didn't the text read "They
came together to break bread on the THE LORDS DAY?"
Although we find the first day of the week mentioned
only eight times in the New Testament, we find the book
of Acts alone gives record of the Apostle Paul holding
EIGHTY-FOUR meetings on the Sabbath! (Acts 13:14,44)
(Acts 16:13)
(Acts
17:2) (Acts 18:4,11). WHAT A STRIKING CONTRAST!
Although the Apostle Paul was accused by the Jews, of
teaching the Gentile converts against the law. He was
never accused of teaching against the observance of the
Sabbath.
Jesus
said in
Matthew 5:17-19 -"DO NOT THINK that I came to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but
to fulfill. For truly I say to you, UNTIL HEAVEN AND
EARTH PASS AWAY, not the smallest letter or stroke shall
pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished.
Whoever then annuls one of the least of these
commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called
least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps and
teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of
heaven."
Do you
want to be called LEAST in the kingdom?
Those
who break Gods Commandments and teach others to will be.
Jesus
Himself, said heaven and earth would pass away before
even the smallest letter of the Law. Heaven and earth
has not passed away, and neither has the Law of God.
Still
there are those that insist that the only thing that
really matters in a Christians life is love, not what
day he observes.
This
may sound pleasing to the ear, but didn't we just read
where the Lord Jesus Christ said that
"WHOEVER ANNULS ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE COMMANDMENTS,
AND SO TEACHES OTHERS, SHALL BE CALLED LEAST IN THE
KINGDOM"?
All of
Gods commandments are based on LOVE. Jesus summed them
up as LOVE TOWARD GOD, AND LOVE TOWARD FELLOW-MAN.(Matthew
22:36-40) But Jesus was not referring to those two
commandments of love only - Notice verse 21 of Matthew
5, Jesus mentions the command to NOT COMMIT MURDER. And
in verse 27, He mentions the commandment against
COMMITTING ADULTERY. Clearly, Jesus was speaking of the
TEN COMMANDMENTS in verse 18.
Which
one of these commandments do you think is LEAST? Is it
the Sabbath? If so, and you ignore Gods instruction and
break this commandment, and teach others to do so as
well, "YOU WILL BE CALLED LEAST IN THE KINGDOM." And
Jesus didnt say these would even be in the kingdom, but
called least by those who are. Certainly if they refused
to repent after coming to the knowledge of this truth,
then they would nc)t be accounted worthy to enter into
the kingdom.
REPENTANCE must come BEFORE GRACE AND SALVATION. Jesus
said "REPENT (turn around, or change), for the kingdom
of heaven is near." Grace and salvation are for those
who are convicted of their past evil deeds; convicted
enough to REPENT (l live by the Law according to THE WAY
Paul referred to in Acts 24:14, and Jesus instructed in
Matthew Chapters 5,6,& 7.
Notice
John 14:6 -"I am THE WAY, and THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE."
Jesus
Christ is our LORD, He is our WAY. And He set us an
example while on earth that we might follow. What
example did He set for us concerning the observance of
the Sabbath?
Luke 4:16
"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up;
and AS WAS HIS CUSTOM, HE ENTERED THE SYNAGOGUE ON THE
SABBATH, and stood up to read."
John 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide
in My love; just as I HAVE KEPT MY FATHERS COMMANDMENTS,
and abide in His love."
Jesus kept the commandments, and He kept the SABBATH.
Mark 3:4 "And Jesus said to them, 'Is it lawful on the
Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to
kill?"
Jesus here explains that it is not breaking the Sabbath
to do good, or to save a life on this day. lie had told
them in Matthew 23:23 that they had neglected the
WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW, JUDGMENT, MERCY AND FAITH.
He had told them that if it was permissible to pull ones
animal out of a ditch on the Sabbath, then to heal a man
on the Sabbath was not breaking the commandment.
(Matthew 12:10-12).
Jesus
disciples asked in
Matthew 24:3 -"Tell us, WHEN WILL THESE THINGS BE (time
of the end), and what will be the SIGN OF YOUR COMING,
and the END OF THE AGE?"
In a
parallel account in Luke 21:36 -Christians are
instructed to pray that they would be accounted WORTHY
to ESCAPE THE TRIBULATION and be protected.
Back in
Matthew 24, notice verse 15 -"Therefore when you see the
ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through
Daniel the prophet, STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE, then let
those (Christians) who are in Judea FLEE TO THE
MOUNTAINS."
This will be the BEAST POWER RULER and the great FALSE
PROPHET standing in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem,
most probably. Jesus says to His followers in Judea to
escape to the mountains to a place where they would be
safe.
By now
youre probably wondering what this END-TIME SCENE has to
do with the observance of the Sabbath.
Notice
verse 20 -"PRAY THAT YOUR FLIGHT may not be in winter,
OR ON A SABBATH."
So we find that the Sabbath would still be important to
Jesus and His followers even at the time of the end.
Jesus
was not resurrected on Sunday, but at the end of the
weekly Sabbath.
The
first day of the week is never called the LORDS DAY, hut
Jesus is called the LORD OF THE SABBATH.
It was
Jesus CUSTOM to attend services, and stand and read from
the scriptures on the Sabbath.
Jesus
taught that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath;
meaning, there are things it would not be lawful to do.
Instead
of abolishing the Sabbath, Jesus carefully taught how it
should be observed,- as a delight rather than a burden.
He
instructed His apostles that the Sabbath should he
prayfully regarded even in the END-TIME. And told his
future followers in the time of the great tribulation to
PRAY THAT THEIR FLIGHT NOT BE ON THE SABBATH. Surely we
are living in the last days. I know that most of my
Christian brothers and sister are not praying this
prayer. Are you praying that you may escape the trouble
to come? Are you praying that your escape would not fall
on a Sabbath as Jesus instructed you to?
The
Apostle Paul broke bread on the first day in Acts 20:7
but it was not called the "LORDS DAY." And there is no
indication that it was a weekly worship service. They
were sitting at table eating and discussing. And there
is no mention of singing hymns.
If that
evening was Sunday night, then Paul walked over 19 miles
Sunday morning (days began at sundown) after staying up
all night. Quite a contrast, when you consider Jesus
saying to pray that our flight would not fall on the
Sabbath. If it was Sunday morning when Paul walked from
Troas to Assos, then he had little regard for it being a
special day, or holy in any way.
If that
evening was the beginning of Monday, then Paul preaching
and discussing all night would not have been on Sunday.
This Scripture cannot honestly be used to justify a
transfer of the observance of Saturday to Sunday.
Another
note of interest,- Paul had observed the feast of
Unleavened Bread at Philippi just prior to his arrival
at Troas. If they were still keeping the Feast, then it
stands to reason they were still observing the weekly
Sabbaths as well since they are all mentioned together
in Leviticus 23 as the "Lord's appointed times."
The
book of Acts alone gives record of Paul holding
EIGHTY-FOUR MEETINGS on the SABBATH. The entire New
Testament mentions the FIRST DAY (Sunday) only EIGHT
TIMES, and SIX of those are parallel accounts in the
Gospels.
It does
matter. Jesus said that ANYONE WHO ANNULS EVEN THE LEAST
OF THE COMMANDMENTS AND TEACHES others to WILL BE CALLED
LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
The
observance of Sunday came into "Christianity" through
the Catholic church at the council of Laodicea in the
4th century officially. But notice what the Catholic
church says about it. "Is not every Christian obliged to
sanctify SUNDAY, and to abstain on that day from
unnecessary servile work? Is not the observance of this
law among the most prominent of our sacred duties? BUT
YOU MAY READ THE BIBLE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION, AND
YOU WILL NOT FIND A SINGLE LINE AUTHORIZING THE
SANCTIFICATION OF SUNDAY. The Scriptures enforce the
religious observance of SATURDAY, a day WE never
sanctify."("Faith Of Our Fathers" By Cardinal Gibbon).
No, the Catholics never sanctify the Sabbath, but God
does. It was this week day alone that He sanctified
(set-apart) and made holy. It is the only Commandment
which God which begins with- "Remember." How is it that
most all of Christianity has failed to Remember this
holy day and to "keep it holy?"
Yes, it
is clear that the Sabbath is a tradition of God, and the
observance of Sunday is a tradition of men.
One can
worship God in vain Notice:
Mark 7:7-9 "But in VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, teaching as
doctrines the PRECEPTS OF MEN, NEGLECTING THE
COMMANDMENT OF GOD, you hold to the TRADITION OF MEN.
You nicely SET ASIDE the commandment of God in order to
keep YOUR tradition."
God
instructs His people to assemble for a HOLY CONVOCATION
on His Sabbaths.(Leviticus 23:2) To come before God as
the fellowship of the faithful. Are you coming before
God on His commanded day of assembly? If you are healthy
and able, that is where God wants you. Notice
Hebrews 10:23-25 -"Let us hold fast the confession of
our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one
another to love and good deeds, NOT FORSAKING OUR OWN
ASSEMBLING TOGETHER, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see
the day drawing near."
There
is no biblical authority for the omission of the
Sabbath, or to replace it Sunday. As the Church that
instituted its observance, the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH,
freely admits,- it does not come from the holy
Scriptures but from their own TRADITION. And the
Catholic Church believes that they have the authority to
change Commandments if they so desire.
Does the Bible teach Sunday? Yes, as the
first work day of the week and No, as God's appointed
day of assembly and worship.
In
closing lets remember the words of Joshua. In
Joshua 24:14 he says -"Now therefore, fear the Lord and
serve Him in sincerity and TRUTH; verse 15 -"As for me
and my house, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."
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