The Sabbath
The Sabbath
“Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27, 28.
Does this text mean that the Ten-Commandment Sabbath was done away with? No my friend, the Jesus of the Old Testament is the same Jesus in the New Testament. So to understand this text, let’s go back to the Old Testament and lay the foundation for the Sabbath. When we lay the proper foundation, which is Jesus Christ and what He taught, then all the worldly philosophy and traditions will drop off. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Always keep that first and foremost in your thinking. “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.” 1 John 3:7. To begin our study of the Sabbath, we must go right back to the beginning of time. Genesis 2:2, 3 – “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” The seventh day is the only day God blessed and made holy. You will find no text anywhere else in all the Old or New Testaments where God blessed and made holy any other day. Yet, if you look at a calendar, you will find that the majority of the worldly churches do not keep holy His one and only blessed and sanctified seventh day.
On the other side of the coin, nowhere in the Bible does God remove that blessing and holy sacredness from the seventh day. Yet most of the worldly churches bend over backwards in attempting to change the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. But you will never find the change in the Bible. “The seventh day of the Jewish week—from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday — the Sabbath commemorates the seventh day of creation, on which God rested. It is a divinely appointed day of rest (Exodus 20:8), to be devoted to prayer and study, and its observance is a mark of Jewish faith.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia “Christians have generally considered the Sabbath to be fulfilled by Christ’s Sabbath rest in the tomb and celebrate, instead, the Lord’s Day (Sunday) as a weekly day of worship. It is the first day of the new week, symbolic of the unending Day of the Lord, the day of Christ’s resurrection and of his expected return. Some Protestant groups traditionally call Sunday the Sabbath and apply to it the Old Testament Sabbath regulations (Sabbatarianism). In many places these have been given the force of civil law (BLUE LAWS).” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Notice, it calls the week “the Jewish week”. Well, let me ask you, is there any other week? Do you not observe the 7 day week? As far as I have been able to see, every nation on earth keeps a 7 day week, not just the Jews. Why? Because God gave the 7 day week to the world when He created the world. Many claim that the Sabbath was given only to the Jews. That it is a Jewish institution. The rest of the world can make up their own day of worship. It is claimed by many churches that since it was a part of the Ten Commandments given to the Jews on Mount Sinai that we don’t need to keep it. Let us continue with that line of reasoning. Since “Thou shalt not steal” was also given on Mount Sinai to the Jews, then it also is not for you and me. Therefore, I can make up my own rules for what I can and can not steal or take from you. If I like your car, I guess it is OK to take it from you. Right? Or, how about the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not murder.” Is it OK to murder since it was not given to the world, but to the Jews? Evidently God only wanted the Jews to live without murdering, stealing, committing adultery and coveting. Only the Jews were to honor their parents, keep the Sabbath and honor God by not worshiping other gods. None of that applies to you and me, according to the worldly churches. So it is OK for me to rob you, rape and kill your family. Not a problem with the churches. Right? But that is not the case. There were no “Jews” at the time of Moses. They were called “Israel”. (Let’s put the record straight right now. The nation of Israel split into two kingdoms after King Solomon. The 10 Northern Kingdoms and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. But not until the time of the Babylonian captivity, starting about 605 BC, were those from “Judah” called “Jews”.) The same righteous laws that were given on Mount Sinai to the Israelites, were also given to the world. The Israelites, as we learned earlier, were only the depositories for the Law that was to be radiated through them to the world. When you read Genesis you will find that all the Ten Commandments are recorded there in some form. This means that they were known at the time of the Garden of Eden. That is the only way God can be just. What? Is this another “Oops” on God’s part? “Oh dear, I forgot to tell Adam and Eve about what is right and wrong. I am so forgetful in My old age. I guess it is time for Me to hand them down to Moses before I forget.” Is that the kind of God you serve? Not me. No my friend, my God is the same. His salvation has been the same from Adam to now. Let us look at some of the Ten Commandments that were known before the giving of them on stone to Moses.
1st Commandment – Worshiping God: Genesis 26:52nd Commandment – No idols: Genesis 35:23rd Commandment – Honor the Name: Genesis 12:84th Commandment – The Sabbath: Genesis 2:2, 35th Commandment – Honor parents: Genesis 22:3-116th Commandment – No Murder: Genesis 4:10-127th Commandment – No adultery: Genesis 39:98th Commandment – No stealing: Genesis 31:309th Commandment – Shall not lie: Genesis 34:1310th Commandment – No coveting: Genesis 3:6
It is easy to see that the Ten Commandments, all of them, were given to all the world. Not one of them can be taken out. Either they are from God, who is God to the whole earth, or they are not. But you can’t have it both ways: sometimes He is, sometimes He isn’t. The Bible tells us plainly that God is “the Lord of all the earth”. Joshua 3:11.
But that thinking is typical man. We want to change things for our benefit. We don’t want to do what is right. We want to do what is convenient. If the Sabbath isn’t convenient, then we will do our best to try to discredit it, or water it down to soothe our consciences. As you will learn later, it was the Catholic Church that changed the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first. This was in order to accommodate the pagans who worshiped the sun on the first day of the week: sun-day.
But there is no excuse for not keeping the Sabbath. No watering it down. Either it is part of the Ten Commandments or it isn’t. If it is, then we must keep all of them. If it isn’t, then none of the Ten Commandments need to be kept.
Going back to our original text, what does it mean then? Worldly churches take it to mean that the Sabbath was made for man to do with as he pleases. If he wants to keep it, fine. If not, no problem. It was made for you.
But that isn’t what Jesus is saying. He is stressing the point that it was made FOR man. Big difference. Air was made for man. Can you decide not to breathe any longer? Can you choose to replace air with CO2? I don’t think so. Air was made FOR you. What about food? It also was made for man, Genesis 1:29, 30. But you can’t live very long without it. You can’t choose to eat metal instead of food. Food was made FOR you. You cannot live without air or food.
But that thinking is typical man. We want to change things for our benefit. We don’t want to do what is right. We want to do what is convenient. If the Sabbath isn’t convenient, then we will do our best to try to discredit it, or water it down to soothe our consciences. As you will learn later, it was the Catholic Church that changed the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first. This was in order to accommodate the pagans who worshiped the sun on the first day of the week: sun-day.
But there is no excuse for not keeping the Sabbath. No watering it down. Either it is part of the Ten Commandments or it isn’t. If it is, then we must keep all of them. If it isn’t, then none of the Ten Commandments need to be kept.
Going back to our original text, what does it mean then? Worldly churches take it to mean that the Sabbath was made for man to do with as he pleases. If he wants to keep it, fine. If not, no problem. It was made for you.
But that isn’t what Jesus is saying. He is stressing the point that it was made FOR man. Big difference. Air was made for man. Can you decide not to breathe any longer? Can you choose to replace air with CO2? I don’t think so. Air was made FOR you. What about food? It also was made for man, Genesis 1:29, 30. But you can’t live very long without it. You can’t choose to eat metal instead of food. Food was made FOR you. You cannot live without air or food.
If you buy a car and read the manual, you will read where it tells you what fuel to put into it. Fuel was made FOR cars. But what if you decide fuel is too expensive and you want to use water as fuel? After all, fuel was made for cars, not cars for fuel. So you pour water into the tank. What will happen to the car? Oil was also made FOR cars. But you decide that it is too costly to use. You have reasoned that since oil is made for cars and not cars for oil, you will use soap for oil. What will happen to the car?
The Sabbath was made FOR you. You can’t live without it. Just as you can’t live without food and air you can’t live without the Sabbath. Sin is the breaking of the Ten Commandments. If you break the Sabbath you sin. The wages of sin is death. You can’t live without the Sabbath. So God gave it to us to keep us alive. Both eternally and presently. We need a day of rest in our busy lives. The body needs a day to calm down and put things in perspective. God gave that day for us.
However, He didn’t say, “Choose your Sabbath.” He didn’t say, “Pick any day that is convenient to you.” No, He gave us a specific day, the seventh day, to come apart from our weekly activities and to meet with God.
The Sabbath was blessed and made holy by God. It is His gift to us. It is like a birthday. You don’t want people celebrating your birthday whenever they choose. You would like them to honor that day, on that day. That day is when you will be holding your party. So if they hold their party the same day, time and place you do, you all can enjoy each other’s company and companionship together.
Same with God. He comes apart from His busy schedule to meet very specifically on that day with us. But if we have chosen another day as “holy”, we will miss His special blessing and presence. What a shame. But this brings up an even greater concept.
Love. Who do you love? If you love God you will do what He asks of you. He only asks you to take one day off, the seventh day, and meet with Him. One out of seven isn’t so hard. Yet because of our selfishness and love for self, we refuse His invitation and miss His special blessings.
The 1st Commandment is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Yet we make our life, our work, our money, our church, our commitments and our entertainments our gods. We tell God to go take a hike, “We’ll catch you later when it is convenient for us.” Is that love to God?
If anyone: minister, priest, church or friend tells you that you can choose any day you want as your Sabbath, they are not your friends. They are your enemies. Only God is your friend and those who agree with God and do what He commands.
Some worldly churches will tell you that you can keep every day holy. No you can’t! Again, man tries his hardest to change God’s plain statement. Let’s read it again and see what the truth is. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping IT holy. SIX DAYS you shall LABOR AND DO ALL YOUR WORK, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, or your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11.
However, He didn’t say, “Choose your Sabbath.” He didn’t say, “Pick any day that is convenient to you.” No, He gave us a specific day, the seventh day, to come apart from our weekly activities and to meet with God.
The Sabbath was blessed and made holy by God. It is His gift to us. It is like a birthday. You don’t want people celebrating your birthday whenever they choose. You would like them to honor that day, on that day. That day is when you will be holding your party. So if they hold their party the same day, time and place you do, you all can enjoy each other’s company and companionship together.
Same with God. He comes apart from His busy schedule to meet very specifically on that day with us. But if we have chosen another day as “holy”, we will miss His special blessing and presence. What a shame. But this brings up an even greater concept.
Love. Who do you love? If you love God you will do what He asks of you. He only asks you to take one day off, the seventh day, and meet with Him. One out of seven isn’t so hard. Yet because of our selfishness and love for self, we refuse His invitation and miss His special blessings.
The 1st Commandment is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Yet we make our life, our work, our money, our church, our commitments and our entertainments our gods. We tell God to go take a hike, “We’ll catch you later when it is convenient for us.” Is that love to God?
If anyone: minister, priest, church or friend tells you that you can choose any day you want as your Sabbath, they are not your friends. They are your enemies. Only God is your friend and those who agree with God and do what He commands.
Some worldly churches will tell you that you can keep every day holy. No you can’t! Again, man tries his hardest to change God’s plain statement. Let’s read it again and see what the truth is. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping IT holy. SIX DAYS you shall LABOR AND DO ALL YOUR WORK, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do ANY work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, or your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11.
There it is, six days are commanded for us to work, not keep holy. Only the one day, the seventh day, is to be kept holy. What the worldly churches are confusing is a personal holiness and a day of holiness. You are to be holy to God seven days a week. You can be holy doing your work, play, sports and etc. You can do all of those things without sinning. You can do all of those perfectly, just as Jesus did, seven days a week. But on the seventh day, you are to make that one DAY holy. It is the only Sabbath of the Bible, and in the world, that was blessed, sanctified and made holy by God. You must keep it as God directs you to keep it, just as you are to work the other six days just as God directs you.
It is amazing the hoops the worldly churches attempt to jump through to get out from under their obligation to God. They act like little two-year-olds throwing a temper tantrum who don’t want to do what their parents tell them. Take the text in Matthew 12:8 for an example. “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Many use this to imply that since Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath we don’t need to keep it any longer. As if by claiming to be Lord of the Sabbath Jesus no longer expects us to keep it.
What sickness! Jesus was also Lord of the Sabbath in the Old Testament when He gave it to Adam and the world. What has changed? Nothing. “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day.” Deuteronomy 8:11. (An interesting side note: s-ABBA-th “ABBA” means “father”. So, the 7th day Sabbath was the first “Father’s day”. Every 7th day, Saturday, is “Father’s Day”.)
Jesus never broke the Ten Commandments that He commanded us to keep. He couldn’t. If Jesus broke any one of them, or taught us to break them, He could not be our Lord or Savior. The only way He can be our Savior is by keeping all the commandments. And He did. “Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?” John 8:46. Not one of them could.
Jesus is emphatic: “but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.” John 14:31. Isn’t it time for you to love your Father and Jesus, your Lord, and do exactly what they have commanded you? Isn’t it time to stop trying to wiggle out of your responsibility and begin to obey God and keep His Sabbath?
If you have been keeping the pagan, worldly sabbath, the first day of the week, then what is so difficult about changing your allegiance from the pagan god to the God of the Bible? It is so simple. Just obey God.
But you may bring up the text in Revelation 1:10 where “On the Lord’s Day I (John) was in the Spirit.” You may ask, “Wasn’t that Sunday?” No, it wasn’t. The only “Lord’s Day” ever recorded in the Bible is God’s Seventh day Sabbath. He is Lord of the Sabbath. That’s His “Lord’s Day”. “Sunday” is never mentioned in the Bible as the Sabbath. There are only about eight references in the whole Bible to the first day of the week, and none of them command us to keep it holy. None of them show that God changed the blessings from the Sabbath to the first day of the week. Yet there are over 100 texts in the Bible that show the seventh day of the week as God’s Sabbath and how we are to keep it.
“Ignatius is claimed to be the first known Christian writer to argue in favor of Christianity’s replacement of the Sabbath ‘with Sunday’.” (Wikipedia) Ignatius lived between about 50 - 117 AD. He also invented the “church” system and the term “Catholic”. It was Ignatius who basically invented Catholicism. He fell away from God and was what John said of people like him. “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” 1 John 2:18.
The next point is, how do we keep it? The worldly churches will tell you that Jesus worked on the Sabbath, so it is OK for us also to work on the Sabbath. No He didn’t. Jesus CANNOT break His commandments. If He did, you and I would have no salvation. The “work” of the 4th Commandment is a worldly work to support your family and do your own things. The “works” of God do not fall into that category. You are allowed to do the “works” of God on God’s day. Works of God are to heal the sick, visit the prisoners, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, preach the gospel, etc. All of these are just fine to do on the Sabbath. Jesus gave us these examples in His life and ministry. That is what so upset the Pharisees. They hated Him because He was making a mockery of their religious practices.
Jesus never broke the Ten Commandments that He commanded us to keep. He couldn’t. If Jesus broke any one of them, or taught us to break them, He could not be our Lord or Savior. The only way He can be our Savior is by keeping all the commandments. And He did. “Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?” John 8:46. Not one of them could.
Jesus is emphatic: “but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.” John 14:31. Isn’t it time for you to love your Father and Jesus, your Lord, and do exactly what they have commanded you? Isn’t it time to stop trying to wiggle out of your responsibility and begin to obey God and keep His Sabbath?
If you have been keeping the pagan, worldly sabbath, the first day of the week, then what is so difficult about changing your allegiance from the pagan god to the God of the Bible? It is so simple. Just obey God.
But you may bring up the text in Revelation 1:10 where “On the Lord’s Day I (John) was in the Spirit.” You may ask, “Wasn’t that Sunday?” No, it wasn’t. The only “Lord’s Day” ever recorded in the Bible is God’s Seventh day Sabbath. He is Lord of the Sabbath. That’s His “Lord’s Day”. “Sunday” is never mentioned in the Bible as the Sabbath. There are only about eight references in the whole Bible to the first day of the week, and none of them command us to keep it holy. None of them show that God changed the blessings from the Sabbath to the first day of the week. Yet there are over 100 texts in the Bible that show the seventh day of the week as God’s Sabbath and how we are to keep it.
“Ignatius is claimed to be the first known Christian writer to argue in favor of Christianity’s replacement of the Sabbath ‘with Sunday’.” (Wikipedia) Ignatius lived between about 50 - 117 AD. He also invented the “church” system and the term “Catholic”. It was Ignatius who basically invented Catholicism. He fell away from God and was what John said of people like him. “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” 1 John 2:18.
The next point is, how do we keep it? The worldly churches will tell you that Jesus worked on the Sabbath, so it is OK for us also to work on the Sabbath. No He didn’t. Jesus CANNOT break His commandments. If He did, you and I would have no salvation. The “work” of the 4th Commandment is a worldly work to support your family and do your own things. The “works” of God do not fall into that category. You are allowed to do the “works” of God on God’s day. Works of God are to heal the sick, visit the prisoners, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, preach the gospel, etc. All of these are just fine to do on the Sabbath. Jesus gave us these examples in His life and ministry. That is what so upset the Pharisees. They hated Him because He was making a mockery of their religious practices.
But Jesus never broke the Sabbath. He never set up a market shop on Sabbath. Never sold merchandise. Never was involved in a worldly activity or pursuit on that day. Jesus kept the Ten Commandments exactly as He commanded us to keep them. He is our example in all things. Are you following His example of keeping the seventh day holy? If not, He must not be your Lord and definitely He is not your Savior.
“In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing – desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’” Nehemiah 13:15-18.
When the Israelites came back from their Babylonian captivity they attempted to rebuild their nation. But as you can see, they were again breaking the Sabbath. That which caused their destruction and their Babylonian captivity they were doing again. How about you? Are you going to bring wrath upon yourself by refusing to obey God? He has been tolerant (grace) with you until you were able to learn the truth. But from this time on you will see a difference in your life. If you obey the Sabbath you will be blessed. If you disobey the Sabbath you will be cursed. That is what the Bible says. I believe the Bible.
“‘If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’ The mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 58:13, 14.
Please, repent of the hard heart and stiff-necked way you have been living. Confess your sins and turn to Jesus and say you are so sorry for breaking His Commands. Turn from your way and walk in His way.
“The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in His ways, that you will keep His decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey Him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands.” Deuteronomy 26:16-18.
The next question that comes up is, “What day is the seventh day? Has the calendar been changed since the time of Christ?” No! The weekly cycle of our calendar has not been altered since the day of Christ, or the week of creation. God will not allow His week and His Sabbath to be lost or confused.
Please, repent of the hard heart and stiff-necked way you have been living. Confess your sins and turn to Jesus and say you are so sorry for breaking His Commands. Turn from your way and walk in His way.
“The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in His ways, that you will keep His decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey Him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands.” Deuteronomy 26:16-18.
The next question that comes up is, “What day is the seventh day? Has the calendar been changed since the time of Christ?” No! The weekly cycle of our calendar has not been altered since the day of Christ, or the week of creation. God will not allow His week and His Sabbath to be lost or confused.
To help with this aspect, we again go to the Bible. It gives us a very clear picture of what day is the Sabbath. Turn to Luke 23:50-56. Joseph went to Pilot and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilot gave it to him. He took it down and wrapped it and placed it in a tomb. “It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.”
Notice he took it down on the Preparation Day and the Sabbath was about to begin. We know that Jesus died on Friday. The whole world knows this. That is why “Good Friday” is called “Good Friday” and celebrated as the day of Christ’s death. That was the Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The day that begins after Friday is Saturday.
Continuing on we read that the women also came and followed and saw where the body was laid. “But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Even in death Jesus kept His Commandments. The disciples and the women kept the Sabbath. Jesus never changed it. Jesus died on Friday and rested in the tomb over the Sabbath, just as He commands us to rest on the Sabbath.
Luke 24:1 then tells us that the women went back to the tomb after the Sabbath was over. It was the “first day of the week” when they went to see the body of Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t there. After resting over the Sabbath, He got up on the first day of the week and continued His work, just as commanded in the commandments. Jesus never broke the Sabbath, or any of the commandments.
Now, what day is the first day of the week? What day do you celebrate the resurrection of Christ? Don’t you celebrate the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week, Sunday? Why is it so easy to know what days He died and rose on, yet have such a difficult time knowing what day the Sabbath is? The Sabbath comes between the Preparation day and the first day of the week. Between Friday and Sunday.
Not too difficult is it? But the stubborn heart refuses to accept truth. The rebellious always want to do it their way. They will always be searching, but never coming to the truth.
No problem with keeping Sunday. No problem with going to church on Sunday. No problem with accepting what the world says. But when it comes to doing what Jesus says, wow, what a problem we have. We just hate to give up our sins and follow Jesus. That is why only a few will be saved.
If you are going to church that teaches Sunday worship, I suggest that you take them the truth. If they accept the truth, wonderful. The next week you, along with all of them, will be holding services on Sabbath. But if they don’t accept the truth, you must, “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;...” Revelation 18:4.
If you believe in God, you will obey Him. If not, you will receive your reward for working evil. I choose to obey and receive my reward for working righteousness. Your choice. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. Choose you this day whom you will serve.
Many worldly churches teach that Colossians 2:16, 17 did away with the Sabbath. Remember, you can never use Scripture to do away with Scripture. That is from the devil. God doesn’t contradict Himself. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
First, we are not talking about the Ten-Commandment Sabbath. The sabbath mentioned above has to do with eats, drinks, religious festivals and New Moon celebrations which are “shadows of things to come”.
The seventh day Sabbath was never a shadow. Shadows were given after sin to point to the Messiah, as studied earlier. The Sabbath was given before sin, in the Garden of Eden and is not a shadow of anything. It is the reality of Jesus, who is the Ten Commandments in the flesh. (See the chapter: New Covenant.) The seventh day Sabbath was kept before sin, during sin and will be kept after sin in the earth made new. “‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all man-kind will come and bow down before Me,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22, 23.
Only Commandment keeping people will be going to heaven. People who refuse to keep the seventh day Sabbath cannot go. They won’t be happy there. Their lives have been spent in rebellion and they would not fit in. Heaven is where those who love God dwell. Heaven is where those who keep His Commandments will live. Heaven is for Sabbath keepers. It is for “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony (teaching) of Jesus.” “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 12:17; 14:12.
Continuing on we read that the women also came and followed and saw where the body was laid. “But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” Even in death Jesus kept His Commandments. The disciples and the women kept the Sabbath. Jesus never changed it. Jesus died on Friday and rested in the tomb over the Sabbath, just as He commands us to rest on the Sabbath.
Luke 24:1 then tells us that the women went back to the tomb after the Sabbath was over. It was the “first day of the week” when they went to see the body of Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t there. After resting over the Sabbath, He got up on the first day of the week and continued His work, just as commanded in the commandments. Jesus never broke the Sabbath, or any of the commandments.
Now, what day is the first day of the week? What day do you celebrate the resurrection of Christ? Don’t you celebrate the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week, Sunday? Why is it so easy to know what days He died and rose on, yet have such a difficult time knowing what day the Sabbath is? The Sabbath comes between the Preparation day and the first day of the week. Between Friday and Sunday.
Not too difficult is it? But the stubborn heart refuses to accept truth. The rebellious always want to do it their way. They will always be searching, but never coming to the truth.
No problem with keeping Sunday. No problem with going to church on Sunday. No problem with accepting what the world says. But when it comes to doing what Jesus says, wow, what a problem we have. We just hate to give up our sins and follow Jesus. That is why only a few will be saved.
If you are going to church that teaches Sunday worship, I suggest that you take them the truth. If they accept the truth, wonderful. The next week you, along with all of them, will be holding services on Sabbath. But if they don’t accept the truth, you must, “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;...” Revelation 18:4.
If you believe in God, you will obey Him. If not, you will receive your reward for working evil. I choose to obey and receive my reward for working righteousness. Your choice. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:12. Choose you this day whom you will serve.
Many worldly churches teach that Colossians 2:16, 17 did away with the Sabbath. Remember, you can never use Scripture to do away with Scripture. That is from the devil. God doesn’t contradict Himself. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
First, we are not talking about the Ten-Commandment Sabbath. The sabbath mentioned above has to do with eats, drinks, religious festivals and New Moon celebrations which are “shadows of things to come”.
The seventh day Sabbath was never a shadow. Shadows were given after sin to point to the Messiah, as studied earlier. The Sabbath was given before sin, in the Garden of Eden and is not a shadow of anything. It is the reality of Jesus, who is the Ten Commandments in the flesh. (See the chapter: New Covenant.) The seventh day Sabbath was kept before sin, during sin and will be kept after sin in the earth made new. “‘As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all man-kind will come and bow down before Me,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22, 23.
Only Commandment keeping people will be going to heaven. People who refuse to keep the seventh day Sabbath cannot go. They won’t be happy there. Their lives have been spent in rebellion and they would not fit in. Heaven is where those who love God dwell. Heaven is where those who keep His Commandments will live. Heaven is for Sabbath keepers. It is for “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony (teaching) of Jesus.” “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 12:17; 14:12.
So what “sabbaths” is the book of Colossians talking about? He is talking about the sabbaths of Leviticus 23. In Leviticus 23 we find a difference between the seventh day, Ten Commandment Sabbath, and the feast-day sabbaths.
So what “sabbaths” is the book of Colossians talking about? He is talking about the sabbaths of Leviticus 23. In Leviticus 23 we find a difference between the seventh day, Ten Commandment Sabbath, and the feast-day sabbaths.
Three times a year only Israelites were to come before the Lord at Jerusalem and only at Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Trumpets. Each feast had a specific amount of time and place the Israelites were to spend in celebrating. In order to prepare for the feasts the Israelites had to stop their normal work and do the work of getting ready for the feast days. So we read, “On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.” This “sacred” assembly was called a sabbath. Sabbath only means “rest day”. They were to come apart from their normal work and do the work of getting ready for the feast days. These feast-day sabbaths could only be kept by an Israelite at the time of the feasts and only at Jerusalem. They could not be kept anywhere else in the world.
The seventh day Sabbath is also a day of “rest”. But it has a higher calling. It was blessed and made holy by God. It was given to the whole world and was to be kept everywhere in the world by all people. The following texts will help you to understand this principle.
1. What you will find is that these feast day sabbaths, one at the beginning and one at the end of each feast, were called “ordinances”. The seventh day Sabbath was never called an ordinance. That is why we must be very careful when we study the Bible.
2. Also, these feasts were given only to Israel as a nation. They had to do with temple services and ceremonies. They were not given to Adam, and thus were done away with when Israel ceased to be a nation in AD 70.
3. Feast-day sabbaths fell on different days of the week each year.
4. The next point is that these feasts day sabbaths are not the Lord’s Sabbath, but, “Which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.” Verses 2, 4, 37. Get the point, they are not the Lord’s Sabbath, they are man’s sabbaths. In verse 3 we read that the 7th day Sabbath “is a Sabbath to the Lord”. Big difference. Who’s Sabbath are you keeping? The Lord’s 7th day Saturday Sabbath, or man’s sabbath?
We must put all the pieces of the puzzle together in their right places. Blue pieces go with blue; red pieces go with red; yellow pieces with yellow; green pieces with green. If you have ever put a jigsaw puzzle together you will recognize immediately what I am talking about. That is what you do with the pieces of the puzzle, you separate them by color before putting the puzzle together. The worldly churches of today mix the pieces of the Bible all together and call blue, red; orange, green; yellow, gray and white, black. God forbids the calling of good, bad and bad, good. How dare the worldly churches take the plain statements of the Bible and Jesus and then twist them and turn them to your destruction. Listen to Jesus and Jesus only. “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 8, 9.
As an earthly government has a seal of authority, so God has His seal of authority. It is found in Exodus 20:8-11. The seal of an earthly government has the name (George Washington), the title (President), and the territory he governs (USA).
God also has His seal with His authority. His name is Jehovah or Lord. His title is Creator or maker of all things. The territory He rules is the Universe, the earth and everything therein. Those who have this seal will live forever in heaven. This seal is the 4th Commandment, the keeping of the Sabbath. I have an obligation to teach you “to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. I have attempted to fulfill my obligation. I have taught you how to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ. The rest is up to you. If you obey, we will meet in heaven and live eternally with our Lord and Savior. If you disobey, I will miss you. But you made your decision. You will reap what you sow. You will be rewarded fully for your work of wickedness.
God also has His seal with His authority. His name is Jehovah or Lord. His title is Creator or maker of all things. The territory He rules is the Universe, the earth and everything therein. Those who have this seal will live forever in heaven. This seal is the 4th Commandment, the keeping of the Sabbath. I have an obligation to teach you “to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. I have attempted to fulfill my obligation. I have taught you how to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ. The rest is up to you. If you obey, we will meet in heaven and live eternally with our Lord and Savior. If you disobey, I will miss you. But you made your decision. You will reap what you sow. You will be rewarded fully for your work of wickedness.
May God bless you and keep you in His way. May you be obedient unto death. You will be persecuted if you obey and keep THE seventh day Saturday Sabbath holy. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12.
Ever wonder why there is so little persecution in the United States towards Christians? It is because we are not living the Christian life. If we were, we would be persecuted. That is the promise. Try it. Keep the Sabbath and all God’s Ten Commandments for six months. See if you won’t be persecuted. If you are, it is because you have been born again. If you are not being persecuted it is because you are not walking in the way of Jesus.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Look to Him and His truth. Don’t trust anyone, especially a minister or church who does not keep ALL the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath. Let Jesus and Jesus only be your guide. Study for His truth. Then follow it.
You may be wondering about certain “godly” people who claim to love Jesus and yet keep Sunday, and preach Sunday as the Sabbath. You could point to people in “high” positions as Billy Graham, or to Jan and her husband Paul on TBN or Joel Olsteen. You could look at them and think that they were wonderful Christians. Well, let’s take a look at those three examples and see if we can learn something from them. Remember about persecution for living righteously. How much persecution has Billy Graham gone through? Let’s see, with a personal income, salary, of over $200,000 a year, I don’t think he is going through much persecution. Do you?
How about Jan and her husband Paul on TBN? How much persecution are they going through for living the “righteous” life? Well, let’s see, with a personal income between them of over $500,000 a year, I don’t think they are going through much persecution, do you? Joel is worth over $40,000,000. And to think that they ask poor people to give to their greedy and selfish incomes, what wickedness!
I could go on and on naming names. There are preachers out there who are not following in the example of Jesus. They have jets, multi-million dollar mansions and servants to serve them. How very, very unlike Jesus. We are to follow the example of Jesus and Jesus only. Do you think they are going to give up that kind of salary, that kind of income, just for some silly old day that Jesus commands us to keep holy? I don’t think so. In fact, I know so. They have personally rejected the Seventh day Sabbath. They love the things of this world way too much to love God. They can put on a real show, but it is just a show. What do you think? We are not to look to people. Jesus and Jesus only.
Ever wonder why there is so little persecution in the United States towards Christians? It is because we are not living the Christian life. If we were, we would be persecuted. That is the promise. Try it. Keep the Sabbath and all God’s Ten Commandments for six months. See if you won’t be persecuted. If you are, it is because you have been born again. If you are not being persecuted it is because you are not walking in the way of Jesus.
Keep your eyes on Jesus. Look to Him and His truth. Don’t trust anyone, especially a minister or church who does not keep ALL the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath. Let Jesus and Jesus only be your guide. Study for His truth. Then follow it.
You may be wondering about certain “godly” people who claim to love Jesus and yet keep Sunday, and preach Sunday as the Sabbath. You could point to people in “high” positions as Billy Graham, or to Jan and her husband Paul on TBN or Joel Olsteen. You could look at them and think that they were wonderful Christians. Well, let’s take a look at those three examples and see if we can learn something from them. Remember about persecution for living righteously. How much persecution has Billy Graham gone through? Let’s see, with a personal income, salary, of over $200,000 a year, I don’t think he is going through much persecution. Do you?
How about Jan and her husband Paul on TBN? How much persecution are they going through for living the “righteous” life? Well, let’s see, with a personal income between them of over $500,000 a year, I don’t think they are going through much persecution, do you? Joel is worth over $40,000,000. And to think that they ask poor people to give to their greedy and selfish incomes, what wickedness!
I could go on and on naming names. There are preachers out there who are not following in the example of Jesus. They have jets, multi-million dollar mansions and servants to serve them. How very, very unlike Jesus. We are to follow the example of Jesus and Jesus only. Do you think they are going to give up that kind of salary, that kind of income, just for some silly old day that Jesus commands us to keep holy? I don’t think so. In fact, I know so. They have personally rejected the Seventh day Sabbath. They love the things of this world way too much to love God. They can put on a real show, but it is just a show. What do you think? We are not to look to people. Jesus and Jesus only.
Related Texts
Genesis 2:2, 3 Exodus 16:23, 25, 26, 29, 30Exodus 20:8-11 Exodus 23:12Exodus 31:13-17 Exodus 35:2, 3Leviticus 19:3, 30 Leviticus 23:32Leviticus 26:2 Numbers 15:32-36Deuteronomy 5:12-15 Nehemiah 10:31Nehemiah 13:15-22 Isaiah 56:2, 4-7Isaiah 58:13, 14 Isaiah 66:23Jeremiah 17:21-24, 27 Ezekiel 20:11-13,16, 19-21, 24Ezekiel 22:26 Ezekiel 23:38Ezekiel 44:24 Amos 8:5Matthew 12:1-12 Matthew 24:20Matthew 28:1 Mark 1:21Mark 2:27, 28 Mark 3:2-4Mark 6:2 Mark 15:42Mark 16:1, 2 Luke 4:16, 31Luke 6:1, 2, 6-9 Luke 13:10Luke 14:1-5 Luke 23:54-56Luke 24:1 John 5:9, 10, 16, 18John 9:14, 16 John 19:31Acts 13:14, 15, 27, 42, 44 Acts 15:21Acts 16:13 Acts 17:2Hebrews 4:4, 9