When God Said Remember

By Mark Finley

John was a committed Christian. He and his wife were faithful believers. They wanted

to do God’s will. As they attended a series of meetings I conducted on Bible prophecy,

they were challenged with new truths they had never heard before. Questions loomed

large in their minds. The Bible Sabbath particularly troubled them. They were convicted

it was truth from the Bible, but their pastor raised some serious questions in their minds.

They began to doubt. They seemed confused and needed their questions answered. As

we studied the Bible together, their understanding of truth deepened. They found solid

answers for their questions. Their doubts disappeared and they discovered the true joy

and blessing of Sabbath keeping.

Possibly, you too have some questions regarding the Bible Sabbath. There may be some

Bible passages which are difficult for you to understand. The Bible provides clear

answers to our questions. In fact, throughout the Bible, our Lord invites us to ask

questions, and He provides solid answers in His Word. Jesus declared, “Sanctify them

through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17, KJV). Peter adds, “But sanctify the

Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks

you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

The apostle Paul counsels Timothy to be someone who is “Rightly dividing the word of

truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, asks, “Whom will he teach

knowledge? . . . For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon

line, line upon line” (Isaiah 28:9, 10).

In other words, be sure to see the scope of the Bible’s teaching on a particular topic. Do

not build your understanding on one obscure text. If you want to truly understand what

the Bible says on a particular topic, study that topic from Genesis to Revelation. Let the

Holy Spirit speak to your mind throughout the teachings of Scripture.

Ask yourself, Where is the weight of evidence on this topic? What do the majority of

passages teach? Never let something which is not as clear to you, overshadow what is

clear. If there is a text you do not understand, let the plain passages in the Bible explain

it. Do not disregard texts and passages of Scripture which are abundantly plain in order

to cling to something that is not as clear, simply to defend a doctrine you have

previously been taught.

Here are four principles in discovering truth:

1. Approach the Bible with an open mind, willing to do whatever Christ asks you (John

7:17).

2. Ask God to send His Holy Spirit to your mind to reveal truth (Matthew 7:7; John

16:13).

3. Compare each relevant passage of Scripture on a given topic (1 Corinthians 2:13).

4. Act on the truth God reveals, and He will reveal more truth. Do not wait for all the

truth to act on the truth you know (John 12:35).

As we approach His Word with sincere hearts, He will reveal His truth. He will

enlighten our minds. He will impress us by His Holy Spirit. You may have questions,

but God has answers. As you read through some of the most commonly asked questions

in the next few pages, and the biblical answers I have provided, pray God will give you

wisdom and understanding. You are not alone in your search for truth. Tens of

thousands of others have asked similar questions and found solid answers in God’s

Word. So read on.

Commonly asked questions regarding the law of God

Didn’t Jesus come to do away with the Ten Commandments and establish a new

commandment of love? What about Matthew 22:37–40, “ ‘ “You shall love the Lord

your God with all your heart, . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself” ’ ”? Isn’t love to God

and our neighbors all Jesus requires? These are the new commandments.

It may surprise you to discover the Jesus was summarizing the law as given in the Old

Testament. Deuteronomy 6:5 declares “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart.’"

Leviticus 19:18 adds, “ ‘ “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ’ ” The God of the Old

Testament is a God of everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). In Matthew 22:40, Jesus

declared, “ ‘On these two commandments [love to God and our fellow man] hang all the

Law and the Prophets.’ ” The first four commandments reveal how human beings

tangibly demonstrate their love to God. The last six commandments show how they

demonstrate their love to their fellow man. Jesus did not come to “ ‘destroy the Law . . .

but to fulfill’ ” it (Matthew 5:17). He revealed how to lovingly keep the law. He came to

magnify the meaning of the law (Isaiah 42:21). Jesus reveals how love is the fulfilling

of the law (Romans 13:10). He adds, “ ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’ ”

(John 14:15).

Does Paul teach that Christians saved by faith do not have to keep the law?

Paul teaches that Christians are saved not by faith, but by grace through faith. Faith is

the hand that takes the salvation freely offered by Jesus. Faith does not lead to

disobedience but to obedience. Paul states in no uncertain terms, “Do we then make

void the law through faith? God forbid” (Romans 3:31, KJV). Romans 6:1, 14, 15 adds,

“Shall we continue in sin [breaking the law], that grace may abound? . . . God forbid”

(KJV).

Is it true that in the Old Testament people were saved by keeping the law, while in the

New Testament salvation is by grace?

In both the Old and New Testaments, salvation is by grace through faith. God does not

have two methods of salvation. Titus 2:11 affirms, “For the grace of God which

bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men” (KJV). In the Old Testament, men and

women were saved by the Christ that was to come. Each lamb sacrificed pointed

forward to the coming of the Messiah (Genesis 3:21; 22:9–13). In the New Testament,

men and women are saved by the Christ who has come. Jesus is the only means of

salvation (Acts 4:12).

Since we are under the new covenant, is it really necessary to keep God’s law?

The new covenant is actually older than the old covenant. It was given by God Himself

in the Garden of Eden when He promised that the Messiah would come to break the

deadly hold of Satan upon the human race. The new covenant contains the promise of

redemption from sin through Jesus Christ. He saves us! He writes the principles of the

law in our hearts. Love becomes the motivation for obedience. There is a new power in

the life (Hebrews 8:10; Ezekiel 36:26; Psalm 40:8). Under the old covenant, Israel

promised to obey God’s commandments in their own strength. They declared, “All that

God says, we will do” (see Exodus 19:8; 24:3, 7). All attempts at external conformity to

God’s law lead to frustrated defeat. The law which we cannot keep in our own strength

condemns us (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Under the new covenant, we belong to a new

Master—Jesus Christ. We have a new heart and a new standing before God (John

1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1).

Since Paul declares, “Let no one judge you regarding the Bible Sabbath,” isn’t Sabbath

keeping unnecessary (see Colossians 2:16, 17)?

This passage, Colossians 2:16, 17, is one of the most misunderstood passages in the

Bible. One principle of Bible interpretation is that you do not allow what may be

somewhat unclear to keep you from doing what you understand. The Bible teaching on

the Sabbath is plain. It was given at Creation (Genesis 2:1–3). Jesus observed it (Luke

4:16). Paul observed it (Acts 13:42–44), and it will be observed in heaven (Isaiah

66:22, 23). The Bible mentions two kinds of sabbaths: the seventh-day Sabbath and the

yearly sabbaths. The seventh-day Sabbath, instituted at Creation and part of the Ten

Commandment law, is a weekly reminder of the loving, all-powerful Creator.

The yearly sabbath relates specifically to the history of Israel. Colossians

2:16, 17 specifically states, “Let no one judge you . . . regarding . . . sabbaths, which are

a shadow of things to come.” Hebrews 10:1 connects the law of shadows with animal

sacrifice. Ezekiel 45:17 uses the exact same expressions in the exact same order

as Colossians 2:16, 17, and connects it all with the ceremonial systems of feasts and

sacrifices (meat offerings, drink offerings, feasts, new moons, and sabbaths, to make

reconciliation for the house of Israel. Leviticus 23:5–32 discusses the ceremonial

sabbaths (Passover, verse 5; unleavened bread, verse 6; sheaf of first fruits, verse 10;

first fruits, verse 17; trumpets, verse 24; tabernacles, verse 24; and the Day of

Atonement, verses 27–32; these are all specifically called sabbaths.)

These annual sabbaths were intimately connected to events foreshadowing Christ’s

death and His second coming. They were designed by God to be shadows or pointers to

the coming Messiah. Leviticus 23:37 uses the language of Colossians 2:16, 17 to

describe these ceremonial sabbaths. Leviticus 23:38 distinguishes the ceremonial

sabbaths from the seventh-day Sabbaths by using the expression, “ ‘Beside the sabbaths

of the Lord.’ ” Since Christ has come, the shadowy sabbaths of the ceremonial law have

found their fulfillment in Him. The seventh-day Sabbath continues to lead us back to the

Creator God who made us. God’s people will keep it as a distinguishing sign of their

relationship to Him (Revelation 14:12; Ezekiel 20:12, 20).

What about Romans 14:5? “One man esteemeth one day above another: another

esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (KJV).

Really, what difference does a day make?

Sometimes it’s helpful to carefully notice what a Bible text does not say, as well as what

it does say. Verses 5 and 6 say nothing about the worship of the Sabbath. They simply

talk about regarding a day. To say this particular day is the Sabbath, is an unwarranted

assumption. Romans 14:1 sets the tone for the entire passage, indicating that the

discussion focuses on “doubtful disputations” (KJV), or disputes on doubtful matters. Is

the seventh-day Sabbath set apart by God at Creation (Genesis 2:1–3), placed within the

heart of the moral law (Exodus 20:8–11), a doubtful matter?

Certainly not! The key to our passage is found in Romans 14:6, which states, “He that

regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the

Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks;

and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks” (KJV). The

issue revolved around fast days, not Sabbath days. Some Jewish Christians believed

there was particular merit in fasting on certain days. They judged others by their own

standards. The Pharisees fasted at least twice a week and boasted about it (Luke 18:12).

In Romans 14, Paul is pointing out that to fast or not to fast on a certain day is a matter

of individual conscience, not a matter of God’s command.

Didn’t the disciples meet on the first day of the week? See Acts 20:7.

The reason this meeting is mentioned in the narrative is because Paul was leaving the

next day and worked a mighty miracle in raising Eutychus from the dead. It is clear that

the meeting is a night meeting. It is the dark part of the first day of the week (verse 8).

In Bible times, the dark part of the day preceded the light part (Genesis 1:5).

The Sabbath was observed from Friday night at sunset to Saturday night at sunset

(Leviticus 23:32; Mark 1:32). If this meeting is on the dark part of the first day of the

week, it is in fact a Saturday night meeting. Paul has met with the believers all Sabbath.

He will depart the next day, Sunday, so the meeting continues late into Saturday night.

The next day, Sunday, Paul traveled by foot to Assos, then sailed to Mitylene. The New

English Bible reading of Acts 20:7 also confirms this as a Saturday night meeting, with

Paul traveling on Sunday. If Paul considered Sunday sacred in honor of the

Resurrection, why would he spend the entire day traveling and not worshiping? The

record indicates that Paul was a Sabbath keeper (Acts 13:42–44; 16:12, 13; 17:2; 18:4).

Can we really tell which day the seventh day is?

There are at least four ways which we can tell for certain that Saturday is the seventh

day.

1. The Bible: It clearly reveals that Jesus was crucified on the Preparation day (Luke

23:54). His closest followers rested as commanded on the Sabbath day (Luke

23:56; Mark 16:1). Most Christians recognize Jesus died on Friday, the Preparation day;

He rested the next day, and rose the first day, Sunday. The Sabbath is the day between

Friday and Sunday, or the seventh day—Saturday.

2. Language: In more than one hundred and forty languages in the world, the word for

the seventh day, which we call Saturday, is the word Sabbath. Language testifies to the

Sabbath’s preservation through the centuries.

3. Astronomy: The leading astronomers in the world testify to the fact that the weekly

cycle has never changed. Centers such as the Royal Naval Observatory in the U.S. and

The Royal Greenwich Observatory in England affirm the fact of a constant weekly

cycle.

4. History: The Jewish people have kept an accurate record of the Sabbath. For more

than four thousand years, they have preserved the true Sabbath on Saturday.

I keep Sunday in honor of the Resurrection. What’s wrong with that? Didn’t Jesus rise

from the dead on Sunday?

Yes, Jesus certainly rose on Sunday! But He never commanded us to worship in honor

of the Resurrection. Just as the Communion service symbolizes His death (1 Corinthians

11:24, 26), baptism symbolizes His resurrection (Romans 6:1–6). The symbol of Jesus’

resurrection is not worship on the day of the sun, which was adopted into Christianity

from pagan Rome’s sun worship, but a beautiful ceremony of baptism as a symbol of a

new life transformed by the wonder-working power of the Holy Spirit. In the watery

grave of baptism, the old person symbolically dies and is buried, while a new life is

resurrected with Christ.

Isn’t one day in seven good enough? Why do you put so much emphasis on the

Sabbath?

The issue is more than a matter of days. It is a matter of masters. Through a master

stroke of deception, Satan has worked through apostate religion to change God’s law

(Daniel 7:25). He has cast the truth to the ground (8:12). He has made a break in God’s

wall of truth. God calls us to repair the breach by keeping His Sabbath (Isaiah

58:12, 13). We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). To worship on the

seventh day, is to accept the authority of your Creator Lord, who commanded the day be

kept (Exodus 20:8–11). To knowingly accept a counterfeit day of worship, is to accept

an institution initiated and established solely by man in the apostasy. The real question,

then, is, Whose servants are we—God’s or man’s? (Romans 6:16). All the celebrations

the day before or the day after my birthday do not make these days my birthday. The

world’s birthday is the Bible Sabbath, the seventh day. It is a memorial to our loving

Creator. No other day will do.

Was Peter the first pope? What did Jesus mean when He said to Peter, “Upon this rock I

will build my church” (Matthew 16:18, KJV)?

Cesarea Philippi was a center of Greek philosophy, Roman logic, and Jewish traditional

religion. Jesus set Himself against the back- drop of the world’s great religious and

philosophical systems asking, “ ‘Who do men say that I . . . am?’ ” (verse 13). After

they answered, “ ‘John the Baptist, . . . Elijah, . . . Jeremiah’ ” (verse 14), He asks, “

‘Who do you say that I am?’ ” (verse 15). Jesus longed to deepen their faith. He desired

to draw out a Messianic confession. Peter instantly responds, “ ‘You are Christ, the Son

of the living God’ ” (verse 16). This thought could be inspired only by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus affirms Peter’s faith by declaring, “Thou art [Petros, a moveable stone], and upon

this rock [this immovable foundation—that I am the Christ] I will build my church; and

the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (verse 18, KJV). The church is built upon

Jesus Christ. He is the Cornerstone rejected by the builders (1 Peter 2:4–8). Peter clearly

understood that the Rock was Jesus.

Paul clarifies the issue in 1 Corinthians 10:4 by proclaiming, “That Rock was Christ.”

David declares, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He

only is my rock and salvation” (Psalm 62:1, 2, KJV). There is no other foundation (1

Corinthians 3:11) except Jesus. The gates of hell will never triumph over His church.

Peter misunderstood Jesus’ mission. Jesus said, “Get thee behind me Satan” (Matthew

16:23, KJV), meaning Satan was influencing him. No, the church was not built upon

Peter’s weakness, but upon Jesus’ strengths. Peter discovered the marvelous truth for

himself. Jesus became the Source of his strength, the Center of his life, and the

Foundation upon which he stood.

What are the “keys of the kingdom” that Jesus gave Peter and the rest of the disciples

(Matthew 16:19)?

Keys open and shut doors. Jesus said, “I am the way, . . . no man cometh unto the

Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV).

“There is none other name under heaven . . . whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12,

KJV). All the Scriptures testify of Jesus (John 5:39). The scribes and Pharisees took

away the “key of knowledge,” regarding the Messiah (Luke 11:52). They shut up

heaven. The “keys” Jesus gave to Peter were His words, His teachings, regarding how

men and women could have forgiveness for sin, freedom from condemnation, and peace

through His shed blood and death on Calvary’s cross. A knowledge of Jesus, the

promised Messiah, opens heaven (Isaiah 22:22).

Keeping the Sabbath Wholly

Jonathan was perplexed. His final exam was scheduled for Sabbath. To take the exam

would be a violation of his conscience. He made an appointment with his professor,

explained his situation, and asked for the opportunity to take the exam on another date.

His professor flatly refused. He explained that there were no exceptions. If he allowed

Jonathan to take the exam at another time, he might be opening the door for others who

may offer any excuse. Jonathan only had two options: either take the exam and pass the

class, or miss it and fail.

Certainly, Jonathan did not want to waste the whole semester. He did not relish retaking

the course in summer school. He earnestly prayed that God would open the door for him

to take the exam some other day besides the Sabbath.

As the day of the exam dawned, Jonathan calmly walked to church that Sabbath

morning, believing God would honor his trust. There are times when God acts

powerfully and miraculously to demonstrate His greatness. After the exam, as the

professor was walking home from class with the students’ exams securely in his

briefcase, he was robbed. The only thing that was taken was his exam-filled briefcase.

The professor was not harmed, but his briefcase with all of the exams was gone forever.

Since graduation was only a few days away, the principal of the school made a

surprising announcement. Each student in the class would get passing marks on the

exam. Their total score for the class would be their test averages up until the time of the

exam. Jonathan was overwhelmed with gratitude to the God who heard his prayer and

honored his faith.

God blesses faithfulness

God’s promise to His faithful followers in Bible times is just as true today. Our Lord

declares, “ ‘ “For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be

lightly esteemed” ’ ” (1 Samuel 2:30). The words of Scripture echo down through the

centuries. They speak to us with just as much force today. They are no less true than

when they were written millennia ago. “ ‘And all these blessings shall come upon you

and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God’ ” (Deuteronomy

28:2). God promises His richest blessings to those who obey Him. This is especially

true of those who are committed to keep His seventh-day Sabbath each week. At

Creation, God “blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3). Whatever God blesses is blessed

forever

(1 Chronicles 17:27). Since God’s eternal blessing is in the seventh-day Sabbath, we are

richly blessed as we keep it (Isaiah 56:2).

This leads us to some specific questions. How do we keep the Sabbath? Are there some

activities that are incompatible with the Sabbath? Are there some things that will

destroy our Sabbath blessing? What is God’s purpose for the Sabbath?

God does not give us a to-do and not-to-do list of activities for the Sabbath. He does not

define each minute detail of Sabbath keeping. He does give us principles of proper

Sabbath observance. These principles guide us. They shape our Sabbath experience. As

we seek God in prayer, committing our will to Him, the Holy Spirit will guide us into a

rich experience in Sabbath keeping. Let’s examine three biblical principles, which will

guide us in our Sabbath keeping.

Principle 1: The Sabbath is a day dedicated to worshiping our Creator.

The essence of Sabbath keeping is worship. On Sabbath, with all of heaven’s host, we

joyously proclaim,

“You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

We were created by a loving God. Each Sabbath, we thank Him by worshiping Him as

Creator. According to Leviticus 23:3, “ ‘ “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh

day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation.” ’ ” The Sabbath is a “holy

convocation”—a sacred gathering of God’s people for worship and praise.

Throughout the centuries, God’s chosen people, the Jews, worshiped Him each Sabbath.

In the New Testament, Jesus gives us a positive example of Sabbath keeping. The

Gospel writer Luke records Jesus’ Sabbath practices this way: “So He came to

Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the

synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). For Jesus, the

Sabbath was a day of fellowship with God in worship. When the people of God meet

together to sing praises to His name, study His Word, seek Him in prayer, and

fellowship with one another, they are richly blessed. Jesus left His tools in Joseph’s

carpenter shop in Nazareth each Sabbath to attend worship in the synagogue. Sabbath

worship was important to Jesus. His custom, or practice, was to praise His heavenly

Father, absorb His Word, and fellowship with His people each Sabbath.

New Testament Christians met each Sabbath to renew their spiritual strength. They met

together to encourage one another. They followed the counsel of the apostle Paul to the

Hebrews, when he said, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and

good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of

some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day

approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25). Each Sabbath, God invites us to find our deepest

satisfaction in worship. Sabbath is a slice of heaven. In heaven’s plan, God allows us to

experience eternity each week as we enter the joy of Sabbath worship. On Sabbath, we

place priority on worship, not work. The Sabbath liberates us from the grind of daily

toil. On Sabbath, we are free from the burden of earning a living to experience life at its

best.

The fourth commandment is too plain to be misunderstood. God knew that if He simply

gave us good advice, many of us would ignore it, so He gave us a command: “

‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your

work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no

work’ ” (Exodus 20:8–10a). God says, “Remember,” but most of the world has

forgotten. We can only keep holy what God has made holy. No other day can substitute

for the Sabbath because the Sabbath is the only day God made holy. To place priority

on work rather than worship, defiles the day God made holy and dishonors God.

Jesus said, “ ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ ” (John

8:32). The truth about Sabbath worship liberates us from the unceasing burden of

continued work. Every Sabbath, we are reminded by an all-powerful God and loving

Creator that our intrinsic worth does not depend on how much we accomplish. We are

called from work to worship.

Millions of people find their identity in what they do. Their work defines them. The

Sabbath invites us to find our true worth, not in what we do, but in who we are. The

Sabbath is a weekly reminder pointing us to learn of our eternal value in God’s sight.

The French Revolution

During the godless French Revolution, with the dawning of the so-called Age of

Reason, the French adopted what they termed the French “Republican Calendar,” or

“Revolutionary Calendar.” This calendar was used by the French for twelve years, from

1793 to 1805. It eradicated the seven-day week cycle, abolished the day of worship, and

created a ten-day week. All workers worked nine days and on the tenth had a day of rest

and merriment.

Napoleon Bonaparte abolished this Revolutionary Calendar with its ten-day week and

demanded France return to the seven-day week cycle. French workers were not faring

well at all under this new calendar with nine days of work and one day of rest.1 There is

a natural rhythm in the seven-day week cycle that leads us to worship our Creator. To

ignore Eden’s weekly cycle, given at Creation, simply makes us vulnerable to physical,

mental, and emotional breakdowns. God created us for Himself. A commitment to keep

the Sabbath holy makes an enormous difference in our lives.

As I have traveled to more than seventy countries sharing Jesus and the truths of His

Word, I have seen thousands take a stand to follow Him and keep His Sabbath holy.

Some of these people have experienced real tests to keep the Sabbath. Many have been

threatened with the loss of their jobs. Their employers have bluntly told them that if

they failed to show up for work on Sabbath, they would be fired. Time after time, I have

seen God work miracles.

Sabbath-keeping experiences

Sandra was a postal worker in Illinois. Although she had seniority, her supervisor

threatened her with the loss of her job if she did not work on Sabbath. We entered into

earnest prayer for Sandra. We claimed Christ’s promise in Matthew 6:33, 34a, “ ‘Seek

first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to

you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.’ ” Miraculously, Sandra’s supervisor

reversed his initial decision. She kept her job and got Sabbath’s off.

Rodger shut down his retail store on Sabbath. Since he did nearly 30 percent of his

business on that day, his friends felt he was crazy. They really thought he had lost his

mind. He placed a sign in the store window that read, “Closed for the Bible Sabbath.”

The first few weeks were rough. Sales were down, but surprisingly, they gradually

climbed. Rodger claimed God’s promise, “My God shall supply all your need according

to His riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19). He found God to be faithful. The issue

regarding Sabbath work is one of trust. Do we trust God enough to put our lives fully in

His hands? Do we believe He will care for us if we are faithful to Him?

The decision not to work on the Sabbath is extremely difficult for many people. We

have our house mortgage or monthly rent, car payments, credit card bills, and a host of

other expenses that need to be paid. God does not always get us a better, higher paying

job, but when we decide to be faithful to Him, He always meets our needs. He always

fills us with an inner sense of contentment when we do what is right. The honor of His

throne is behind the promises He has made. Since “it is impossible for God to lie”

(Hebrews 6:18), we can be absolutely certain He will take the responsibility to provide

us with the necessities of life if we are faithful to Him.

Sabbath worship is essential for a healthy spiritual life. If we are going to grow in

Christ, weekly Sabbath worship is vital.

Principle 2: The Sabbath is a day exclusively set apart for physical, mental, and spiritual

renewal.

The Israelites drifted away from God when they defiled the Sabbath. In the days of

Nehemiah the prophet, the common activities of life crowded out the sacredness of the

Sabbath. The Israelites were influenced by their heathen neighbors. Nehemiah describes

the scene this way: “In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the

Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs and all

kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned

them about the day on which they were selling provisions” (Nehemiah 13:15).

Nehemiah was concerned. God’s Sabbath became a common, ordinary day. The day our

Creator set aside for spiritual, physical, and mental renewal became a day of exhausting

toil. The day of liberation from the bondage of buying and selling, working and earning,

had deteriorated into a business-as-usual day. Nehemiah could not keep silent. His

words echoed like thunder through the streets of Jerusalem. “Then I contended with the

nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you

profane the Sabbath day?’ ” (verse 17). The principle is plain. When we become so

absorbed in the earthly that we forget the eternal, we defile the Sabbath. The book of

Isaiah adds this insight:

“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,

From doing your pleasure on My holy day,

And call the Sabbath a delight,

The holy day of the Lord honorable,

And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,

Nor finding your own pleasure,

Nor speaking your own words,

Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;

And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth” (58:13, 14).

In other words, we will be abundantly blessed.

A personal testimony

When I became a Christian, I was playing basketball on a YMCA high school sports

team in Norwich, Connecticut. Our team qualified for the New England championship.

This was an exciting thing for a group of teenage boys from a small town. The

tournament was scheduled Thursday through Sunday in Springfield, Massachusetts,

which meant playing basketball all day Sabbath and, of course, missing worship. I had

recently begun to understand the significance of the Bible Sabbath and attend church on

Sabbath. For me to break the Sabbath was to be disobedient to Christ.

The Sabbath was a symbol of my allegiance to the God I served. I faced an extremely

difficult decision. Should I stay home and keep the Sabbath, or travel with the

basketball team and do what I naturally wanted to do? My mind began to rationalize.

What’s wrong with playing just this one time? But deep within the fabric of my being, I

knew that traveling to the basketball tournament and disregarding the Sabbath as the

Lord’s Day would be a violation of my conscience.

I wanted to go badly, but one question continued to echo in my mind: What is more

important, basketball or Jesus? In my anguish, I called a godly Christian woman who

had become sort of a spiritual mentor. When I asked her for her counsel, she put it in

very simple terms: “Mark, be faithful to Jesus.” Based on her advice and my inner

conviction, I made a decision not to go to the tournament. It seemed that I had just

ruined my chances to travel, sleep in a hotel, eat in restaurants, and see the world.

As I look back on this experience, I have to smile. Today I have had the opportunity to

travel to countries around the world sharing God’s love and truth. I have had the

indescribable thrill of seeing people come to Christ from Montreal to Moscow, from

Russia to Rwanda, from Chile to China. God has immeasurably enriched my life since I

made that initial commitment. Giving up my dreams enabled me to follow God’s

dreams for my life. We may think that we are making great sacrifices to follow God, but

He gives us much more in return.

The apostle Peter said to Jesus, “ ‘See, we have left all and followed You’ ” (Mark

10:28). You can almost hear Peter wondering aloud, “What will we receive in return?”

Jesus gives Peter a remarkable response: “ ‘Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who

has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for

My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—

houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—

and in the age to come, eternal life’ ” (Mark 10:29, 30). In other words, Jesus says,

“Yes, there will be challenges if you commit your life to Me, but whatever you give up,

I will give you one hundred times more in blessings.” When we make a decision to

follow Jesus, He pledges to meet our needs and to fill our lives with joy, peace,

satisfaction, and purpose. I can certainly testify that God faithfully fulfills His Word.

One of the great blessings God gives us is Sabbath rest. How can we put a price on the

renewed physical, mental, and spiritual rest Jesus gives us as we keep His Sabbath? I

cannot put a value on the blessing of God’s Sabbath to me. Believe me, this time of

spiritual rest is an essential part of my life. It keeps me going in my hectic schedule. It

has helped to strengthen my bond with my family. This leads to the third great biblical

principle regarding the Sabbath.

Principle 3: The Sabbath is a day of building closer relationships with our family and

friends and blessing those around us in service.

Let your mind drift back over the millennia to the beauty and magnificence of Eden. On

the sixth day, God created Adam and Eve. The Bible records, “Then God saw

everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). There was

no sin, sickness, suffering, or death in the splendor of that Garden. Since God is love

and we are created to love, God gave our first parents a gift of love—the Sabbath (1

John 4:8; Genesis 2:1–3). The first complete day Adam and Eve spent together was the

Sabbath. Their first intimate moments of sharing and communicating were on the

Sabbath. Sabbath is a day for strengthening relationships. It gives us time for our loving

heavenly Father and for one another. It is a day to give time to strengthening our

relationship with God and those we love.

Do you ever feel the week just rushes by and time for family is crowded out? Some

studies indicate that fathers spend less than two hours a week one-on-one with their

children. The Sabbath reminds us every week of what is really important.

Herman Wouk, the Jewish playwright, would not be without the Sabbath in his life. He

describes how the Sabbath is an island of peace in the chaos of Broadway society. At

sundown Friday night, he leaves the stress of the littered theater with the frenzy of

opening night just hours away. As he arrives home to the warm embrace of his wife and

the smiles of his children, he is encircled in loving relationships. The candles are lit.

The table is set. The family eats and shares together. The children ask questions and the

world of show business is forgotten. When Wouk returns to the theater Saturday

evening after sunset, nothing much has changed there, but he has changed. His relaxing,

restorative Sabbath has drawn him closer to his God and his family.2

A colleague remarked to Wouk after he came back to the theater one Saturday night, “

‘I don’t envy you your religion, but I envy you your Sabbath.’ ”3 Who would not want

to spend a day building better relationships with those you love?

For Jesus, Sabbath was about loving relationships. It was about service. This is

precisely why Jesus performed numerous miracles on the Sabbath. On Sabbath, Jesus

revealed the Father’s compassion to suffering humanity. When the Jewish religious

leaders criticized Jesus for performing acts of healing on the Sabbath, He commented, “

‘It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath’ ” (Matthew 12:12). The Sabbath is a day for

doing good. Is a neighbor sick? Bring her a hot bowl of delicious homemade soup. Have

you heard about a friend who is discouraged? Call them on the phone to lift their spirits.

Do you sense the widower down the street is lonely? Invite him over for lunch.

On Sabbath, we remember our Creator. There is no better place to do that than out in

nature. For years, my wife and I spent many Sabbath afternoons hiking when our

children were growing up. Even now, although our children are now grown and

married, my wife and I often spend Sabbaths in nature. We enjoy sharing together in the

beauties of nature. Walking the trails near our home, listening to the birdsongs, seeing

an occasional deer, and smelling the fragrant aroma of the wildflowers relaxes our tired

bodies and lifts our spirits for another week.

The Sabbath is not drudgery. It is life-giving. The Sabbath is not a burden. It is a

blessing. The Sabbath is much more than a duty. It is a delight.

If you have not experienced the exhilarating joy of Sabbath worship, why not begin this

week? If you have not entered into the peace of Sabbath rest, why not start now? If you

would like a closer relationship with your loved ones and friends, the Sabbath

experience awaits you. The Sabbath is not simply something to be debated—it is a joy

to be experienced. Why not experience the blessings of Sabbath for yourself? With arms

wide open, Jesus says, “Come unto Me all you who are burdened, and I will give you

rest.”

Wikipedia contributors, “French Republican Calendar,” Wikipedia.com,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar (accessed March 11, 2009).

Herman Wouk, This Is My God (New York: Back Bay Books, 1992), 45, 46.

Ibid., 46.

The Day of the Sun

One of the strangest omissions in our modern life revolves around the calendar which

hangs on the wall at your house and mine. Astronomy can supply most of the answers

relating to the measurement of time, even when it touches the earliest years of human

history. But even the calendar experts can give us no scientific reason for the division of

time into seven day weekly cycles. Neither the stars, planets nor sun seem to provide

any logical clues as to this arrangement of time. The days and months are based on

predictable laws of planetary movements but why does our calendar today count days

off in units of seven?

Creation and the Seven Day Week

Friends, there is only one answer for this question. The Bible says that God created the

world in seven days and established a divine command for all time to come — that

mankind should so reckon his time by weeks. Here’s the text in Exodus 20:8-11:

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy

work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any

work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor the maidservant, nor they

cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven

and earth, the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day, wherefore

the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

Please notice that God Himself is the author of the calendar week of seven days. It has

passed down to us from time immemorial, and was included in the most ancient forms

of calendars, regardless of race or language. There can be little question that we are

dealing with an arrangement which the Creator established in the very beginning of

human history. And the most amazing thing is, that no time has been lost since the great

God gave His command about keeping the seventh day Sabbath in honor of creation.

What He commanded, He has enabled man to perform. Miraculously the same seven

day weekly cycle has been preserved through the ages so that man might enjoy the

spiritual blessing which was placed upon the seventh day in the beginning.

So Which Day Is It?

Today there is no serious question from either clergy or layman as to which day the

seventh day really is. Astronomers assure us that the seventh day today is the same

seventh day which Jesus kept when He was here over 1900 years ago.

Now we come to that strange omission I mentioned in the beginning. Why do the

majority of Christians break the Commandment of God by refusing to keep the Sabbath

He ordained, blessed, and sanctified? The seventh day, or Saturday, has been made a

day of labor and commerce in direct violation of the law written by the very finger of

God.

Surely every believer knows that the Creator rested on the seventh day and hallowed it

as the Sabbath. And all know that the fourth commandment enjoins the observance of

the seventh-day Sabbath. Most followers of Christ know that He never kept any other

day than the Sabbath day. Yet, in spite of these Bible evidences, the majority of the

Christian world observe Sunday, the first day of the week, and worship on that day.

No change from seventh-day to first day worship is recorded in the Bible. If the change

were catalogued there, it would no longer be so perplexing. But our Creator says, “I am

the Lord, I change not.” Malachi 3:6. The commandment must still stand; for the

Saviour declares that “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law

to fail.” Luke 16:17. Since heaven and earth are still standing and very much in

evidence, the fourth precept of that law must still be obligatory. Jesus said: “Think not

that I am come to destroy the law;” and, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the

commandment.” Matthew 5:17; 19:17.

Who Changed The Day?

Notwithstanding all this, an attempt has been made to change the day of rest. The

majority today are not keeping the day that Jesus kept. And the question is, Who

changed the Sabbath day from the seventh to the first day of the week, and by what

authority? Every Christian who desires to “enter into life” should be concerned about

this. We ought to know how this change came about, and if the greater part of

Christendom is right in observing Sunday instead of the Sabbath day.

There is light on this question in the very etymology of the word “Sunday.” In early

ages, mankind, forgetting the true Creator of the heavens and the earth “and all that in

them is,” and being possessed, as all men are, with that inherent instinct which goes

seeking after an object or being to worship, began to look about for such an object or

being. Their choice rested on the biggest and brightest thing their eyes could see. They

chose the sun as god. With its brightness and welcome warmth, it caused earthly life to

bud, blossom, and bring forth; surely it must be the true god and the author of man’s

being. Thus we find in history sun god’s a-plenty. They are pictured on temples and

monuments of Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Ra, Isis, Osiris,

Baal, Mithras, Hercules, Apollo, and Jupiter all are heathen gods of the sun. Even in the

Bible, sun worship is mentioned. In Job 31:26-28, we read: “If I beheld the sun when it

shined, . . . and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God

that is above.” Again in Ezekiel 8:16: “At the door of the temple of the lord, between

the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the

temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward

the east.”

The pagans had “gods many and lords many.” Besides the sun, they worshiped the

moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. And they bestowed upon the days of the

week the names of their gods. The sun, whence come the first day of the week was

given over to this first and foremost of all gods, and called the sun’s day, or Sunday.

The moon took second place and also the second day; hence Monday. Saturn held

Saturday, the last day. So from antiquity, Sunday has been held as a day of worship.

Paganism was worshiping the sun on Sunday when Christ came. When the gospel from

Judea came to our own ancestors in Europe, it found them paying homage to the sun on

the first day of the week. As the Spirit of God, manifested in Christ, began to work upon

the hearts of men, many left the worship of Apollo, the sun god, and joined the

Christians.

After Christ’s return to heaven, the great majority were still pagans worshiping the sun

on Sunday, while the followers of Jesus worshiped God on the true Sabbath, or seventh

day. With mighty manifestations of God’s Spirit, Christianity mounted, and paganism

began to wane. The Spirit-filled preaching of Paul in Asia, Macedonia, and Italy won

thousands to the ranks of Christ. The church at that time was powerful, because of its

zeal and earnestness and consecrated lives. The worship of the true God and the

following of His commandments spread over the whole world.

Before Paul laid down his life, however, he wrote to the Thessalonians: “Now we

beseech you, brethern, ... that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be

troubled, ... as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any

wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be

revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is

called God or that is worshiped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself

forth as God. ... For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work.” II Thessalonians

2:1-4, 7, R.V.

The Man of Sin

Here is warning of apostasy. Paul saw it working in the church. A “falling away” was to

come “first”. A “mystery of lawlessness,” or a spirit of making void the law of God,

was already at work. A “man of sin” was to be revealed sitting right in the church,

“setting himself forth as God.” It is quite evident that from this one source was to come

the tendency to change the law of God. There can be but little doubt that Paul was

acquainted with the prophecy of Daniel 7:24, 25, regarding that “little horn” which was

to come up out of Rome, with eyes and mouth like a man’s (verse 8) and “speak words

against the Most High,” and “wear out the saints of the Most High,” and “think to

change the times and the law.” The same Bible consistency works here. Daniel had

prophesied of a man of sin that was to “think” to change the law; and Paul, by the same

Spirit, prophesied of the man of sin that had the mystery of lawlessness. Daniel had

prophesied of a man of sin that was to “think” to change the law; and Paul, by the same

Spirit, prophesied of the man of sin that had the mystery of lawlessness. God, who made

eyes, is not blind; and through these two seers, He made known to the people of God the

fact that there was to come into the church a power that would “change the times and

the law.” And true to the prophecy, we find its fulfillment.

Soon after Paul was put to death, there swept over the church, in the midst of its

prosperity, a sharp rivalry among the bishops of the leading churches as to whom should

be the greatest. They became thirsty for more power. They did almost anything to

inflate their membership, increase their bishoprics, and add to their power. They

lowered standards of truth to raise membership. Multitudes joined the church. The white

horse of purity and simplicity that the church had ridden, “conquering and to conquer,”

was exchanged for the red horse of strife and worldliness. She traded her “gold tried in

the fire” for the tinsel of popularity. Paganism stalked into the church without a changed

heart or life. Scarcely a century after his death, Paul’s prophecy was meeting its

fulfillment. There was a “falling away” from purity, and an induction of pagan

principles and philosophies into the church.

Constantine's Influence

In the early dawn of the fourth century, Constantine, a Roman general, ambitious for the

throne, adopted Christianity as a matter of political advantage. He saw paganism

declining. In reality, it was being absorbed by the church. Merely as a measure of

popularity, he proclaimed himself a Christian. The fawning bishops acclaimed him.

Constantine faced this situation: More than half the people worshiped on Sunday—

pagans. The others observed the Sabbath—professed Christians. He conceived the idea

of cementing the two factions. Though professing Christianity, he did not want to

conflict with the prejudices of his pagan subjects. Artfully balancing himself between

the two, he allayed the “fears of his subjects by publishing in the same year two edicts,

the first of which enjoined the solemn observance of Sunday, and the second directed

the regular consultation of the aruspices” —a pagan practice. (Gibbon’s Decline and all

of the Roman Empire,” Chapter 20)

Here we are then, face to face with the first law, human or divine, ever given for the

purpose of making Sunday a day of sacred rest. And it is entirely a man-made law,

uninspired by Divinity. On the seventh day of March, 321, Constantine gave forth his

Sunday law:

“Let all the judges and town people and the occupation of all trades rest on the

venerable day of the sun (Dies Solis); but let those who are situated in the country,

freely and at full liberty, attend to the business of agriculture; because it often happens

that no other day is so fit for sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment

being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by Heaven.” Right there we

find the genesis of Sunday keeping in the Christian Church.

The Council of Laodicea

The church followed the leadership of Constantine, and in the year 364, at the council of

Laodicea, passed a law requiring that Christians must “not Judaize by resting on

Saturday.” Eusebius, a noted bishop of the church, states, “All things whatsoever that it

was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord’s day.” Here, then,

it is plain that a human hand, and not a divine, changed the Sabbath. Eusebius says,

“We have transferred.”

Finally the Sabbath was crushed, and Sunday, the pagan holiday, was instituted.

Henceforth, it was espoused by the church, and supported, as it is in our day. Doctor

Eck, the astute lawyer and champion of the Church in its controversy with Martin

Luther, admits, “The church has changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday on

its own authority, without Scripture, doubtless under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”

______________________________________________________________________

From Joe CrewsvRadio Sermon Library

Rest In God - Keeping the Sabbath Holy

Bible Principles: While this list of Bible principles on keeping the Sabbath holy is not

comprehensive, it should help you as you search the Bible to learn how to be like Jesus

and "do those things that are pleasing in His sight." 1 John 3:22

1. The Sabbath

is a day to cease our creating, working with the creation, and appreciate what God has

done in the world and is doing in us. Genesis 2

2. The Sabbath is a time to lay our burdens down and rest. We should not do any servile

work on the Sabbath. This includes our entire family, even our servants and beasts of

burden and strangers who live among us. Jeremiah 17; Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.

3.The Sabbath is an holy convocation. We should meet and worship with others.

Leviticus 23.

4. We should be reverent and show God that we love, honor, and respect His

authority. Psalm 89:7, Habakkuk 2:20

5. The Sabbath should be a day of delight and rejoicing, a day which we forsake our

thoughts and words for God's thoughts and words. Isaiah 56, 58

6. The Sabbath is a time of healing. Matthew 12, Mark 1, 3, Luke 13, 14

7. We are not to buy or sell on the Sabbath. Nehemiah 13

8. The Sabbath is a time to do good and visit and comfort the sick. We should do

spiritual work on the Sabbath, serving others. John 5

9. The Sabbath is a time of prayer. Acts 16:13

10. The Sabbath is a time to reason with others about spiritual principles, and for

ministers to teach the word of God. Acts 17:2, 18:4, 11

11. Elaborate food preparation is to be done on the day before the Sabbath so that there

is no baking or heavy cooking on the Sabbath. Exodus 16.

12. The Sabbath is a time for Singing. Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:16, Psalms 92 is

called the "Sabbath Psalm"

Separation of Church and State

The question has been raised, and is now much agitated, if a theocracy was good in the

time of Israel, why would not a theocratical form of government be equally good for

this time?

A True Theocracy

A theocracy is a government which derives its power immediately from God. The

government of Israel was a true theocracy. That was really a government of God. At the

burning bush, God commissioned Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. By signs and

wonders and mighty miracles multiplied, God delivered Israel from Egypt and led them

through the wilderness and finally into the promised land. There he ruled them by

judges "until Samuel the prophet," to whom, when he was a child, God spoke, and by

whom He made known His will.

In the days of Samuel the people asked that they might have a king. This was allowed,

and God chose Saul, and Samuel anointed him king of Israel. Saul failed to do the will

of God; and as he rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord rejected him from being king

and sent Samuel to anoint David king of Israel; and David's throne God established

forevermore. When Solomon succeeded to the kingdom in the place of David his father,

the record is: "then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his

father." 1 Chronicles 29:23.

The Throne of the Lord - "Whose Right It Is "

David's throne was the throne of the Lord, and Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as

king over the earthly kingdom of God. The succession to the throne descended in

David's line to Zedekiah, who was made subject to the king of Babylon , and who

entered into a solemn covenant before God that he would loyally render allegiance to

the king of Babylon. But Zedekiah broke his covenant, and then God said to him:

"thou, profane wicked prince of Israel , whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an

end, thus saith the Lord God; remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not

be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn,

overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and i will give it

him." Ezekiel 21:25-27. See also chapter 17:1-21.

The kingdom was then subject to Babylon. When Babylon fell, and Medo-Persia

succeeded, it was overturned the first time. When Medo-Persia fell and was succeeded

by Greece, it was overturned the second time. When the Greek empire gave way to

Rome, it was overturned the third time. And then says the word, "it shall be no more,

until he come whose right it is; and i will give it him."

Who is he whose right it is? "thou . . . Shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and

shall be called the son of the highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne

of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his

kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:31-33.

Thy Kingdom Come

And while He was here as "that prophet," a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,

the night in which He was betrayed He Himself declared, "my kingdom is not of this

world." thus the throne of the Lord has been removed from this world and will "be no

more, until he come whose right it is," and then it will be given him. And that time is

the end of this world, and the beginning of "the world to come."

To the twelve apostles the Saviour said, "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father

hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit

on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." luke 22:29, 30.

From Matthew's account of Christ's promise to the twelve we learn when it will be

fulfilled; "in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye

also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19:28.

The second coming of Jesus preceeds the setting up of His Kingdom.In the parable of

the talents, Christ represents himself under the figure of a nobleman who "went into a

far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." Luke 19:12. And he

himself has told us when he will sit upon the throne of his glory: "when the Son of man

shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the

throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations." Matthew 25:31, 32.

Looking Forward

To this time the revelator looks forward when he says, "the kingdoms of this world are

become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and

ever." Revelation 11:15. The context clearly shows when this will take place: "the

nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be

judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the

saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which

destroy the earth." verse 18.

It is at the time of the final judgment, the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of

the wicked that the kingdom of Christ will be set up. When all who oppose the

sovereignty of Christ have been destroyed, the kingdoms of this world become the

kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

Then Christ will reign, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. " Revelation

19:16. "and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the

whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high." and "the

saints of the most high shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even

forever and ever." Daniel 7:27, 18.

Until that time the kingdom of Christ cannot be established on the earth. His kingdom is

not of this world. His followers are to account themselves "strangers and pilgrims on the

earth." Paul says, "our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we wait for a Saviour,

the Lord Jesus Christ." Hebrews 11:13; Philippians 3:20, R.V.

Since the kingdom of Israel passed away, God has never delegated authority to any man

or body of men to execute his laws as such. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the

Lord." Romans 12:19. Civil governments have to do with the relations of man with

man; but they have nothing whatever to do with the duties that grow out of man's

relation to God.

Except the kingdom of Israel, no government has ever existed on the earth in which

God by inspired men directed the affairs of state. Whenever men have endeavored to

form such a government as that of Israel, they have, of necessity, taken it upon

themselves to interpret and enforce the law of God. They have assumed the right to

control the conscience, and thus have usurped the prerogative of God.

In the former dispensation, while sins against God were visited with temporal penalties,

the judgments executed were not only by divine sanction, but under his direct control,

and by his command. Sorcerers were to be put to death. Idolaters were to be slain.

Profanity and sacrilege were punished with death. Whole nations of idolaters were to be

exterminated. But the infliction of these penalties was directed by him who reads the

hearts of men, who knows the measure of their guilt, and who deals with his creatures in

wisdom and mercy. When men, with human frailties and passions, undertake to do this

work, it needs no argument to show that the door is opened to unrestrained injustice and

cruelty. The most inhuman crimes will be perpetrated, and all in the sacred name of

Christ.

Foundation of Religious Tyranny

From the laws of Israel, which punished offenses against God, arguments have been

drawn to prove the duty of punishing similar sins in this age. All persecutors have

employed them to justify their deeds. The principle that God has delegated to human

authority the right to control the conscience is the very foundation of religious tyranny

and persecution. But all who reason thus lose sight of the fact that we are now living in

a different dispensation, under conditions wholly different from those of Israel; that the

kingdom of Israel was a type of the kingdom of Christ, which will not be set up until his

second coming; and that the duties which pertain to man's relation to God are not to be

regulated or enforced by human authority.

Source: Patriarchs and Prophets, 1890, Appendix Quotes by America's Greatest Leaders

on the Relationship between Church and State

George Washington (First President of the United States of America.)

"Every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone

for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to the

dictates of his own conscience."May 1789

Thomas Jefferson (Third President of the United States of America)

"Almighty God hath created the mind free; all attempts to influence it by temporal

punishments of burdens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of

hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our

religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by

coercions on either, as was in His almighty power to do." Acts for Establishing

Religious Freedom in Virginia, 1785 "I consider the government of the United States as

interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their

doctrines, disciplines or exercises." Words of Thomas Jefferson, Vol 5, pg 236

Abraham Lincoln (Sixteenth President of the United States of America)

"Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us. Our defense is in the

spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere. Destroy

this spirit and you whave planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors. Familiarize

yourself with the chains of bondage, and you prepare your own limbs to wear them.

Accustomed to trample on the rights of others, you have lost the genious of your own

independence and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tryant who rises among

you." Speech at Edwardsville, IL, 1858

Ulysses S. Grant (Eighteenth President of the United States of America)

"Declare church and state forever separate and distinct; but each free within their proper

spheres." Seventh annual message, Congress December 7, 1875. "Leave the matter of

religion to the family altar, the church, and the private school supported entirely by

private contribution. Keep church and state forever separate." Des Moines, IA 1875.

James A. Garfield (Twentieth President of the United States of America)

"Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither

justice nor freedom can be permanently maintained. Its interests are intrusted to the

States and the voluntary action of the people. Whatever help the nation can justly afford

should be generously given to aid the States in supporting common schools; but it

would be unjust to our people and dangerous to our institutions to apply any portion of

the revenues of the nation or of the States to the support of sectarian schools. The

separation of Church and State in everything relating to taxation should be absolute."

Letter of Acceptance of Nomination for the Presidency July 12, 1880

Theodore Roosevelt (Twenty-sixth President of the United States of America)

"I hold that in this country there must be complete severance of Church and State; that

public moneys shall not be used for the purpose of advancing any particular creed; and

therefore that the public schools shall be non-sectarian and no public moneys

appropriated for sectarian schools." New York, October 12, 1915

Benjamin Franklin (Statesman, Inventor, Author)

"When religion is good, it will take care of itself. When it is not able to take care of

itself, and God does not see fit to take care of it, so that it has to appeal to the civil

power for support, it is evidence to my mind that its cause is a bad one."

Seven Facts About The Seventh Day

by Joe Crews.

Part of Satan’s strategy to destroy humanity’s trust in God has been to attack His claim

as the Creator. Obviously, the theory of evolution is part of this deceptive and soul-

destroying effort. With its amoral humanistic emphasis, Darwin’s doctrine has turned

millions into religious skeptics and enshrouded in darkness their need for the Savior.

Yet while many Christians rightly denounce this unscientific belief, ironically, many are

still falling into the devil’s trap of denying God’s sovereignty over the earth. That trap is

the ages-long effort to twist and destroy the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

Through Satan’s false information and man’s trust in traditions over the sure word of

Scripture, millions of Christians have been led to discount or even reject the importance

of observing the Sabbath. “The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord: … in it thou

shalt not do any work” (Exodus 20:10). No one disagrees with the clear meaning of this

text, yet millions are finding ways not to follow it.

Why? The general Bible ignorance of the church and the clever arguments of Satan

have created a climate of prejudice against the holiness of the seventh day in favor of

the observance of Sunday. So in the interest of promoting God’s law over the theories

of men, let’s take a moment to rediscover some amazing facts about the seventh-day

Sabbath.

Fact #1: The Seventh-day Sabbath Establishes God’s Sovereignty

Why does Satan hate the Sabbath so much? Because the Sabbath identifies the true God

and His claim of ultimate sovereignty.

God certainly anticipated the controversy over the Genesis account of Creation. He

knew that after the fall of man, there would be doubts about His claims of

manufacturing all the staggering mass of matter by merely commanding it to exist.

To safeguard His sovereignty, He established a mark that denoted His absolute right to

rule as Lord. He chose to memorialize His display of creative power by setting aside the

seventh day of the Creation week as a holy day of rest and remembering.

God wrote these words: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou

labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it

thou shalt not do any work. … For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea,

and all that in them is: … wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it”

(Exodus 20:8–11).

Once a week, as the earth rotates on its axis through space, the Sabbath reminder travels

around the earth reaching every man, woman, and child with the message of an instant

creation and the one who did the creating.

Why did God say remember? Because to forget the true Sabbath is to forget the true

Creator.

Does it really matter that much? See “The One Unimportant Commandment?” below.

Fact #2: The Seventh-day Sabbath Was Made for Everyone

A multitude of Christians call God’s fourth commandment the “Jewish Sabbath.” But

nowhere is this expression found in the Bible. The seventh day is called “the sabbath of

the Lord,” and it is never called “the sabbath of the Jew” (Exodus 20:10).

Luke, a Gentile writer of the New Testament, often refers to things that were

particularly Jewish. He writes of the “nation of the Jews,” “the people of the Jews,” “the

land of the Jews,” and the “synagogue of the Jews” (Acts 10:22; 12:11; 10:39; 14:1).

But he never refers to the “sabbath of the Jews,” although he mentions the Sabbath

repeatedly.

Christ also taught that “the sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). Adam and Eve

were the only two people who existed when God actually established the Sabbath.

There were no Jews in the world until 2,000 years later, so it was never meant just for

the Jews. Jesus uses the term “man” in the generic sense, referring to all mankind. The

same word is used in connection with the institution of marriage that was also

introduced at creation. Certainly no Christian can believe that marriage was made only

for the Jews.

Fact #3: It’s Not About Just Keeping Any Day

Every word of God’s Ten Commandments was written by His own hand in stone. Every

word is serious and meaningful. No line in them is ambiguous or mysterious. Sinners

and Christians, educated and uneducated, are not confused about the words “seventh

day.” So why do they discount those words if every other word in the commandments is

considered to be ironclad?

Satan wants the world to accept Sunday as the day he has chosen for worship, but any

day will do for him so long as it means we’re breaking God’s command.

Genesis describes the origin of the Sabbath like this: “Thus the heavens and the earth

were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work

which he had made. … And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that

in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made” (Genesis 2:1–3).

Which day did God bless and sanctify? The seventh day. How was it to be kept holy?

By resting. Could any of the other six be kept holy? No. Why? Because God

commanded not to rest those days but to work. Does God’s blessing make a difference?

Of course. Parents pray for God to bless their children because they believe it makes a

difference. The seventh day is different from all the other days because it has God’s

blessing.

Has God ever given man the privilege of choosing his own day of rest? No. In fact, God

confirms in the Bible that the Sabbath is a matter settled and sealed by His own divine

power. Read Exodus 16. For 40 years, God worked three miracles every week to show

Israel which day was holy: (1) No manna fell on the seventh day; (2) they could not

keep manna overnight without spoilage; (3) but when they kept manna over the

Sabbath, it remained sweet and fresh!

But some Israelites had the same idea as many Christians have today. They felt that any

day in seven would be okay to keep holy: “It came to pass, that there went out some of

the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.” What happened?

“And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and

my laws?” (Exodus 16:27, 28).

God met them and accused them of breaking His law by going forth to work on the

seventh day. Would God say the same thing to those who break the Sabbath today? Yes.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

But why the seventh day, exactly? See “Why the Seventh Day?” below.

Fact #4: We Know the True Seventh Day

Some reject the seventh-day Sabbath over the belief that we cannot know which day it

falls on today, so picking any day should be okay. But this is fallacy. Here are four

proofs that identify the true Sabbath.

1. According to Scripture, Christ died on Friday and rose on Sunday, the first day of the

week. Practically all churches acknowledge this by observing Easter Sunday and Good

Friday. “This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down,

and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never

man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. The

women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the

sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and

ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:52–

56).

This is clear evidence that Jesus died the day before the Sabbath! The day of His death

was a “preparation day” because it was the time to get ready for the Sabbath. Notice,

then, that the women rested over the Sabbath “according to the commandment.” The

commandment says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath,” so we know they were resting on

Saturday. The very next verse says, “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in

the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had

prepared. … And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre” (Luke 24:1, 2).

2. The calendar has not been changed so as to confuse the days of the week. Just as we

know that Jesus and His followers observed the same day as Moses, we can be positive

that our seventh day is the same day Jesus observed. Pope Gregory XIII did make a

calendar change in 1582, but it did not interfere with the weekly cycle. What did

Gregory do to the calendar? He changed Friday, October 5, 1582, to be Friday, October

15, 1582. He did not affect the weekly cycle of days.

3. The Jews have observed the seventh day from the time of Abraham, and they still

keep it today. An entire nation of people, all around the world, continue to observe a

Sabbath they have known for more than 4,000 years.

4. Over 100 languages on earth use the word “Sabbath” for Saturday. For example, the

Spanish word for Saturday is “Sabado,” meaning Sabbath. What does this prove? It

proves that when those languages originated long ago, Saturday was recognized as the

Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day.

Fact #5: The Sabbath Is Not a Memorial of Deliverance Out of Egypt

This is a belief taken and twisted out of the Old Testament: “The seventh day is the

sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy

daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any

of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy

maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land

of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and

by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath

day” (Deuteronomy 5:14, 15).

Some people suggest this means that God gave the Sabbath as a memorial of the Exodus

from Egypt. But the Genesis story of the making of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:1–3) and the

wording of the fourth commandment by God (Exodus 20:11) reveals the seventh-day

Sabbath as a memorial of creation.

The key to understanding these two verses rests in the word “servant.” God said,

“Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt.” And in the sentence before,

He reminds them “that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.”

In other words, their experience in Egypt as servants would remind them to deal justly

with their servants by giving them Sabbath rest.

It was not unusual for God to harken back to the Egyptian deliverance as an incentive to

obey other commandments. In Deuteronomy 24:17, 18, the Bible says, “Thou shalt not

pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to

pledge. … Thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence:

therefore I command thee to do this thing.”

Neither the command to be just nor to keep the Sabbath was given to memorialize the

Exodus, but God told them that His goodness in bringing them out of captivity

constituted a strong reason for them to deal kindly with their servants on the Sabbath

and treating justly the strangers and widows.

In the same way, God spoke to them in Leviticus 11:45, “I am the Lord that bringeth

you up out of the land of Egypt … ye shall therefore be holy.” No one would insist that

holiness did not exist before the Exodus or that it would be ever afterwards limited only

to the Jews!

Fact #6: The Sabbath Is Not Meant to Memorialize the Resurrection

It is true that Jesus rose on a Sunday. It is one of the pivotal moments in the history of

the world.

But nowhere does the Bible hint that we should keep Sunday holy. Many other

wonderful events occurred on certain days of the week, but we have no command to

keep them holy either.

There is, of course, a memorial of the resurrection commanded in the Bible, but it is not

to determine a new day of worship. Paul wrote: “Therefore we are buried with him by

baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the

Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Baptism is the

memorial of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. However, the Sabbath is a

memorial of creation.

Still have a question about this? See “The Upper Room” below.

Fact #7: The Sabbath Will Be Celebrated for Eternity

The Sabbath is an arbitrary arrangement of God that serves a powerful purpose. It is His

claim — His seal — over the world and all human life. It is also a sign of the

redemption He offers to every single one of us.

Surely this is why God will preserve Sabbathkeeping throughout eternity. That’s right!

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,

saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that

from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to

worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

The Sabbath is so precious to God that He will have His people observe it throughout

all time in the beautiful new earth to come. If it is so precious to Him, should it not be

precious to us? If we are going to keep it through all eternity, why not keep it now as

our pledge of obedience to Him?

Trust and Obey: There Is No Other Way

It is easy to understand why the devil has waged a continuing, desperate battle against

the seventh-day Sabbath. He has worked through the pride of tradition, misinformation,

and religious bigotry to destroy the sanctity of God’s special sign of authority — the

Sabbath.

But with these Sabbath facts in hand, may God grant every Christian the courage to

honor the Sabbath commandment as His special test of our love and loyalty.

It might be a duty to keep the seventh-day holy. But it should not be a burden. In an age

of false gods and spirituality, of atheistic evolution, and the stubborn traditions of men,

the world needs the Sabbath more than ever. It is more than just a test of our loyalty to

the Creator. It is more than just a sign of our sanctification through His power. It is His

promise of a lasting, eternal gift of restoration.

More Interesting Facts!

The One Unimportant Commandment?

God made it very clear that, regardless of feelings, those who abuse the Sabbath are

guilty of breaking His law. James explains that it is a sin to break even one of the Ten

Commandments: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point,

he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now

if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law”

(James 2:10, 11).

Most of the commandments begin with the same words: ‘‘Thou shalt not.’’ But the

fourth commandment is introduced with the word “Remember.” Why? Because God

was commanding them to call something to memory that already existed but had been

forgotten.

Why the Seventh Day?

Why did God bless the seventh day as a day of worship? Because He had just created

the world in six days. It was a memorial to the birth of the world, a reason to remember

that mighty act.

So could the Sabbath memorial be changed? No. Because it points backward to an

accomplished fact. For instance, July 4 is Independence Day in the United States. Can it

be changed? No. Because the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.

Your birthday cannot be changed either. It is a memorial of your birth, which happened

on a set day. History would have to run through again to change your birthday, to

change Independence Day, or to change the Sabbath day. We can call another day

Independence Day, and we can call another day the Sabbath, but that does not make it

so.

The Upper Room

Those who believe that Sunday worship honors the resurrection of Jesus often cite the

upper room meeting of the disciples on the same day that He rose from the grave. They

argue that this gathering was meant to celebrate His resurrection. But the Bible record

of the event reveals another set of circumstances.

Mark writes that even though the disciples were confronted with the eyewitness story of

Mary, they “believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as

they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue:

neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat,

and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not

them which had seen him after he was risen” (Mark 16:11–14).

Obviously, none of those upper room disciples believed that He was raised from the

dead, so they could not have been joyously celebrating the resurrection. John explains

their reason for being together with these words: “The doors were shut where the

disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19).

The Lost Day of History

Did you know there is a very important day that almost everyone has forgotten about?

It's astounding that only a few people are aware of it, because it's one of the most

significant days in all of human history! It's not only a day in the past, but the present

and future. Furthermore, what happened on this neglected day can have a profound

effect on your life. Want to know more amazing facts about this lost day of history?

Then read over this Study Guide carefully.

When Jesus was here on earth, He worshiped on the Sabbath.

1. On what day did Jesus customarily worship?

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he

went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16.

Answer: Jesus' custom was to worship on the Sabbath.

2. But which day of the week is the Sabbath?

"The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:10. "And when the

sabbath was past, ...very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto

the sepulchre." Mark 16:1, 2.

Answer: The Sabbath is not the first day of the week (Sunday), as many believe, but

the seventh day (Saturday). Notice from the above Scripture that the Sabbath is the day

that comes just before the first day of the week.

3. Who made the Sabbath and when?

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." "And on the seventh day God

ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work

which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it." Genesis

1:1; 2:2, 3.

Answer: God made the Sabbath at the time of Creation, when He made the world. He

rested on the Sabbath and blessed and sanctified it (set it apart for a holy use).

God wrote the Sabbath commandment with His own finger.

4. What does God say about Sabbath-keeping in the Ten Commandments, which He

wrote with His own finger?

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy

work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any

work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy

cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven

and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord

blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11. "And the Lord delivered

unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God." Deuteronomy 9:10.

Answer: In the fourth commandment of the 10, God commands us to observe the

seventh-day Sabbath as His holy day. God knew people would forget His Sabbath, so

He began this commandment with the word "remember." He has never commanded

anyone anywhere to keep any other day as a weekly holy day.

Jesus says: It is easier for heaven to pas away than for God's law to change

5. But haven't the Ten Commandments been changed?

Jesus says: "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to

fail." Luke 16:17. God says: "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is

gone out of my lips." Psalms 89:34. Notice, the Ten Commandments came from His

lips. Exodus 20:1 says, "And God spake all these words, saying ... [the Ten

Commandments follow in verses 2-17]."

Answer: No, indeed! It is utterly impossible for any of God's moral law ever to change.

All Ten Commandments are binding today.

6. Did the apostles keep the Sabbath?

"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with

them out of the scriptures." Acts 17:2. "Paul and his company ... went into the

synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down." Acts 13:13, 14. "And on the sabbath we

went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat

down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts 16:13. "And he [Paul]

reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts

18:4.

Answer: Yes, the book of Acts makes it clear that Paul and the early church kept the

Sabbath.

The apostles taught the Gentiles to keep the Sabbath holy.

7. Did the Gentiles also worship on Sabbath?

God commanded it:

"Blessed is the man ... that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it." "Also the sons of the

stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, ... every one that keepeth the sabbath from

polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant Even them will I bring to my holy

mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer ... for mine house shall be called

an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:2, 6, 7, emphasis added.

Apostles taught it:

"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these

words might be preached to them the next sabbath." "And the next sabbath day came

almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." Acts 13:42, 44, emphasis

added. "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and

the Greeks." Acts 18:4.

Answer: The apostles in the early New Testament church not only obeyed God's

Sabbath command, but they also taught the converted Gentiles to worship on Sabbath.

Never once do they refer to Sunday as a holy day.

The Sabbath was not changed to Sunday at the time of Jesus' resurrection.

8. But wasn't the Sabbath changed to Sunday at Christ's death or resurrection?

Answer: No, there is not the remotest hint that the Sabbath was changed at Christ's

death or resurrection. The Bible teaches just the opposite. Please carefully review the

following evidence:

A. God blessed the Sabbath.

"The Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it." Exodus 20:11. "And God blessed

the seventh day, and sanctified it." Genesis 2:3.

B. Christ expected His people to be still keeping the Sabbath in A.D. 70 when

Jerusalem was destroyed.

Knowing full well that Jerusalem would be destroyed by Rome in A.D. 70, Jesus

warned His followers of that time, saying, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the

winter, neither on the sabbath day." Matthew 24:20, emphasis added. Jesus made it clear

that He intended for the Sabbath to be kept even 40 years after His resurrection. In fact,

there is no intimation anywhere in the Scriptures that Jesus, His Father, or the apostles

ever (at any time, under any circumstances) changed the holy seventh-day Sabbath to

any other day.

C. The women who came to anoint Christ's dead body kept the Sabbath. Jesus died on

"the day before the sabbath" (Mark 15:37, 42), which is now called Good Friday.

The women prepared spices and ointments to anoint His body, then "rested the sabbath

day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56. Only "when the sabbath was past"

(Mark 16:1) did the women come "the first day of the week" (Mark 16:2) to continue

their sad work. They found "Jesus was risen early the first day of the week" (verse 9),

commonly called Easter Sunday. Please note that the Sabbath "according to the

commandment" was the day preceding Easter Sunday, which we now call Saturday.

D. Christ's follower, Luke, wrote two books of the Bible, Luke and Acts.

He says that in the book of Luke he wrote about "all" of Jesus' teachings (Acts 1:1-3).

But he never wrote about Sunday-keeping or a change of the Sabbath.

Everybody in God's eternal kingdom will keep the Sabbath holy.

9. Some people say the Sabbath will be kept in God's new earth. Is this correct?

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me,

saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that

from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to

worship before me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:22, 23.

Answer: Yes, the Bible says the saved people of all ages will keep the Sabbath in the

new earth.

The Lord's day is Sabbath, not Sunday.

10. But isn't Sunday the Lord's day?

"Call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord." Isaiah 58:13. "For the son of man is

Lord even of the sabbath day." Matthew 12:8.

Answer: The Bible speaks of the "Lord's day" in Revelation 1:10, so the Lord does

have a special day. But no verse of Scripture refers to Sunday as the Lord's day. Rather,

the Bible plainly identifies Sabbath as the Lord's day. The only day ever blessed by the

Lord or claimed by Him as His holy day is the seventh-day Sabbath.

Jesus instituted baptism--not Sunday keeping--in honor of His resurrection.

11. Shouldn't I keep Sunday in honor of Christ's resurrection?

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into

his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ

was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in

newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we

shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is

crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should

not serve sin." Romans 6:3-6.

Answer: No! No more than you would keep Friday in honor of the crucifixion. Christ

gave the ordinance of baptism in honor of His death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible

never suggests Sunday-keeping in honor of the resurrection (or for any other reason, for

that matter). We honor Christ by obeying Him (John 14:15)--not by substituting man-

made requirements in place of His.

Misguided men had the audacity to substitute Sunday for the Sabbath of God's law.

12. Well, if Sunday-keeping isn't in the Bible, whose idea was it anyway?

"And he shall think to change the times and the law." Daniel 7:25, RSV.* "Thus have ye

made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." "In vain they do

worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:6, 9. "Her

priests have violated my law." "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered

mortar, ... saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken." Ezekiel

22:26, 28.

Answer: Misguided men of long years past announced that God's holy day was

changed from Sabbath to Sunday. God predicted it would happen, and it did. This error

was passed on to our unsuspecting generation as gospel fact. Sunday-keeping is a

tradition of uninspired men and breaks God's law, which commands Sabbath-keeping.

Only God can make a day holy. God blessed the Sabbath, and when God blesses, no

man can "reverse it." Numbers 23:20.

*The Revised Standard Version of the Bible, (C) 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian

Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Changing Sabbath to Sunday is an insult to God because it attempts to alter His divine

law.

13. But isn't it very dangerous to tamper with God's law?

"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught

from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 4:2.

"Every word of God is pure. ... Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and

thou be found a liar." Proverbs 30:5, 6.

Answer: God has specifically and positively forbidden men to change His law by

deletions or additions. To tamper with God's holy law in any way is one of the most

fearful and dangerous things a person can do.

The Sabbath is a sign of God's power to create and redeem.

14. Why did God make the Sabbath anyway?

A. Sign of Creation.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." "For in six days the Lord made heaven

and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord

blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8, 11.

B. Sign of redemption and sanctification.

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they

might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 20:12.

Answer: God gave the Sabbath as a twofold sign: (1) It is a sign that He created the

world in six literal 24-hour days, and (2) it is also a sign of God's mighty power to

redeem and sanctify men. Surely every Christian will love the Sabbath as God's

precious sign of Creation and redemption (Exodus 31:13, 17; Ezekiel 20:12, 20). It is a

great insult to God for people to trample upon His Sabbath. In Isaiah 58:13, 14, God

says all who would be blessed must first get their feet off His Sabbath.

Breaking any commandment of God's law is sin.

15. How important is Sabbath-keeping?

"Sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. "The wages of sin is death." Romans

6:23. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of

all." James 2:10. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should

follow his steps." 1 Peter 2:21. "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them

that obey him." Hebrews 5:9.

Answer: It is a matter of life and death. Sabbath-keeping is enjoined in the fourth

commandment of God's law. The deliberate breaking of any one of the Ten

Commandments is a sin. Christians will gladly follow Christ's example of Sabbath-

keeping. Our only safety is to diligently study the Bible, "rightly dividing the word of

truth." 2 Timothy 2:15. We must have positive Scripture support for every Christian

practice we follow.

God will pour out His indignation upon religious leaders who knowingly ignore His

Sabbath.

16. How does God feel about religious leaders who ignore the Sabbath?

"Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put

no difference between the holy and profane ... and have hid their eyes from my

sabbaths, and I am profaned among them." "Therefore have I poured out my indignation

upon them." Ezekiel 22:26, 31.

Answer: In hiding their eyes from God's true Sabbath, religious leaders offend the God

of heaven. God promises punishment for such false shepherds. Millions have been

misled on this matter. God cannot treat it lightly. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for

pretending to love God while making void one of the Ten Commandments by their

tradition (Mark 7:7-13).

Everyone who enters heaven and eats from the tree of life will keep God's Sabbath holy.

17. Does Sabbath-keeping really affect me personally?

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. "So then every one of us shall

give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do

good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17. "Blessed are they that do his

commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through

the gates into the city." Revelation 22:14. "Here is the patience of the saints: here are

they that keep the commandments of God." Revelation 14:12.

Answer: Yes, by all means, the Sabbath is your Sabbath. God made it for you, and if

you love Him you will keep it, because it is one of His commandments. Love without

commandment-keeping is no love at all (1 John 2:4). You must make a decision. You

cannot avoid it. No one can excuse you. You yourself will answer before God on this

most important matter. God asks you to love and obey Him now!

18. I am willing to follow Jesus' example of Sabbath-keeping.

Answer:

Thought Questions

1. But isn't the Sabbath for the Jews only?

No. Jesus said, "The sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. It is not for the Jews only,

but for mankind--all men and women everywhere. The Jewish nation did not even exist

until 2,500 years after the Sabbath was made.

2. Isn't Acts 20:7-12 proof that the disciples kept Sunday as a holy day?

According to the Bible, each day begins at sundown and ends at the next sundown

(Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 Leviticus 23:32) and the dark part of the day comes first.

So Sabbath begins Friday night at sundown and ends Saturday night at sundown. This

meeting of Acts 20 was held on the dark part of Sunday, or on what we now call

Saturday night. The New English Bible* begins Acts 20:7 like this: "On the Saturday

night in our assembly ..."

It was a Saturday-night meeting, and it lasted until midnight. Paul was on a farewell

tour and knew he would not see these people again before his death (verse 25). No

wonder he preached so long! (No regular weekly service would have lasted all night.)

Paul was "ready to depart on the morrow." The "breaking of bread" has no "holy day"

significance whatever, because they broke bread daily (Acts 2:46). There is not the

slightest indication in this Scripture passage that the first day is holy, nor that these

early Christians considered it so. Nor is there the remotest evidence that the Sabbath had

been changed. Incidentally, this meeting is probably mentioned in the Scripture only

because of the miracle of raising Eutychus back to life after he fell to his death from a

third-floor window. In Ezekiel 46:1, God refers to Sunday as one of the six "working

days."

*(C) The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press,

1961, 1970. Used by permission.

3. Doesn't 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 speak of Sunday school offerings?

No, there is no reference here to a public meeting. The money was to be laid aside

privately at home. A famine was raging in Judea (Romans 15:26; Acts 11:26-30), and

Paul was writing to ask the churches in Asia Minor to assist their famine-stricken

brethren. These Christians all kept Sabbath holy, so Paul suggested that on Sunday

morning (which was the time they paid bills and settled accounts), after the Sabbath was

over, they put aside something for their needy brethren so it would be on hand when he

came. It was to be done privately or, as La Santa Biblia (a Spanish translation) says, "at

home." Notice also that there is no reference here to Sunday as a holy day. In fact, the

Bible nowhere commands or even suggests Sunday-keeping.

4. But hasn't time been lost and the days of the week changed since the time of Christ?

No! Reliable encyclopedias and reference books make it clear that our seventh day is

the same one that Jesus kept holy. It is a simple matter of research.

5. But isn't John 20:19 the record of the disciples instituting Sundaykeeping in honor of

the resurrection?

On the contrary, the disciples at this time did not believe that the resurrection had taken

place (Mark 16:14). They had met there "for fear of the Jews" and had the doors bolted.

When Jesus appeared in their midst, He rebuked them "because they believed not them

which had seen him after he was risen." There is no implication that they counted

Sunday as a holy day. Only eight texts in the New Testament mention the first day of

the week; none of them imply that it is holy.

6. Doesn't Colossians 2:14-17 do away with the seventh-day Sabbath?

Not at all. It refers only to the sabbaths which were "a shadow of things to come" and

not to the seventh-day Sabbath. There were seven yearly holy days, or holidays, in

ancient Israel which were also called sabbaths. These were in addition to, or "beside the

sabbaths of the Lord" (Leviticus 23:38), or seventh-day Sabbath. These all

foreshadowed, or pointed to, the cross and ended at the cross. God's seventh-day

Sabbath was made before sin entered, and therefore could foreshadow nothing about

deliverance from sin. That's why Colossians chapter 2 differentiates and specifically

mentions the sabbaths that were "a shadow." These seven yearly sabbaths which were

abolished are listed in Leviticus chapter 23.

7. According to Romans 14:5, the day we keep is a matter of personal opinion, isn't it?

Notice that the whole chapter is on judging one another (Verses 4, 10, 13). The issue

here is not over the seventh-day Sabbath, which was a part of the great moral law, but

over the yearly feast days of the ceremonial law. Jewish Christians were judging Gentile

Christians for not observing them. Paul is simply saying, "Don't judge each other. That

ceremonial law is no longer binding."

Quiz Questions

1. Jesus kept (1)

_____ Sunday as a holy day.

_____ The seventh-day Sabbath holy.

_____ Every other day holy.

2. The Lord's day is (1)

_____ Sunday, the first day of the week.

_____ Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.

_____ Any day that we dedicate to the Lord.

3. The Sabbath was made (1)

_____ For the Jews only.

_____ By God at Creation for all men and women everywhere for all time.

_____ Only for people who lived in the Old Testament times.

4. The change from Sabbath to Sunday was made by (1)

_____ Christ.

_____ The apostles.

_____ Misguided men.

5. God's law, which includes the Sabbath commandment, (1)

_____ Is no longer in effect today.

_____ Can never change. It is still binding today.

_____ Ended at the death of Christ.

6. In the New Testament church the converted Gentiles and the apostles (1)

_____ Observed Sunday as a holy day.

_____ Taught that any day will suffice as a holy day if you are sincere.

_____ Observed the Sabbath.

7. The Sabbath (1)

_____ Ended at the cross.

_____ Will end at Jesus' second coming.

_____ Will be kept in God's new eternal kingdom by the redeemed of all ages.

8. Since the Sabbath is part of God's law, breaking the Sabbath is (1)

_____ Nothing to be concerned about since Christ's death.

_____ A dangerous sin because it tramples upon holy things.

_____ Of no importance today.

9. All who really love and follow Jesus will (1)

_____ Observe the Sabbath, as Jesus did.

_____ Keep every other day holy.

_____ Keep Sunday as a holy day.

10. The Sabbath is (1)

_____ Sunday, the first day of the week.

_____ Saturday, the seventh day of the week.

_____ Any day we dedicate to God.

11. Sunday-keeping (1)

_____ Is an invention of men that was predicted in the Bible.

_____ Is God's plan for today.

_____ Originated at Christ's resurrection and was approved at Pentecost.

12. Sabbath-keeping is (1)

_____ A sign of legalism.

_____ Important only to the Jews.

_____ God's twofold sign of Creation and redemption.

Weighing the Evidence

by David Boatwright & Doug Batchelor

An Amazing Fact: One hour of sleep deprivation increases the number of highway

accidents by eight percent and an hour of extra sleep decreases them by eight percent!

It's true-it happens twice a year during the daylight savings time adjustments. Your

efficiency driving after you have been awake for 18 hours is about the same as driving

after drinking two alcoholic drinks. When you have been awake for 24 hours, your

driving efficiency deteriorates to the equivalent of driving under the influence of four to

six drinks! Optimum performance comes with nine hours of sleep each night.

The Scriptures also teach that spiritual and physical rest is so essential for man's

happiness that God set aside a holy day for that purpose during Creation and then

commanded the human race to "remember" it (Exodus 20:8-11).

The Sabbath truth has come under a special attack in recent years because the devil

knows that all love relationships are nurtured in the environment of quality time. The

Sabbath was designed by God to be the ultimate in quality time with our Redeemer and

Maker. By twisting or abolishing that holy time, the devil has sought to erode man's

relationship with his Saviour.

Today there are many intense debates about which day is the correct Bible Sabbath and

whether or not it even matters.

There are only two days of the week that seem to have any modern claim of being the

Christian Sabbath: the seventh day, commonly called Saturday, and the first day,

Sunday. In the Bible all the days of the week were named. The central name was

Sabbath, which means "rest." Then came the first day after the Sabbath, the second day

after the Sabbath, and so on until the sixth day which was called the preparation day

(Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54). Each day was named in relation to the Sabbath.

A Solid Foundation

The establishment of the seventh day as the blessed Sabbath is one of the most firmly

established facts in the Creation account. God emphatically said the "seventh day" three

times in the first three verses of Genesis 2: "Thus the heavens and the earth were

finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he

had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And

God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all

his work which God created and made" (emphasis added).

God's people always kept the Sabbath from sundown on preparation day (Friday) until

sundown on Sabbath (Saturday night) (Leviticus 23:32). The concept of beginning and

ending days at midnight was introduced in modern times with the development of

accurate clocks. The biblical account of the women who were preparing spices for the

burial of Christ tells that they ceased their preparations Friday at sundown "and rested

the sabbath day according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).

The commandment referred to here is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. It states in

part, "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath

of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work" (Exodus 20:9, 10). Note that the

day is called "the sabbath of the Lord thy God"-not "the Sabbath of the Jews" as some

claim.

Jesus Himself told the religious leaders that He was "Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark

2:28). Because Jesus did all of the work of creation (John 1:3), it was He that blessed

the seventh day and rested with Adam on that first Sabbath in Eden.

In fact, Jesus gave the vision of Revelation to the Apostle John on the Sabbath when he

was a prisoner on the lonely isle of Patmos. John simply described it as happening "on

the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10). But which day is the Lord's day? In Isaiah 58:13,

God refers to the Sabbath as "my holy day." Never, not once in the Bible is the first day

called the Lord's day!

So … What About Sunday?

But what biblical claim does the first day of the week have to being called the Sabbath?

History records that Christians didn't generally observe Sunday as a day of rest or

worship until almost 300 years after Christ. Certainly none of the apostles ever observed

the first day as a day of worship in place of the Sabbath.

Some try to use Acts 20:7, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came

together to break bread," as evidence that the disciples were having a communion

service on the first day, thus designating it as the new day of worship. But the New

Testament records that the disciples broke bread from house to house "daily" (Acts

2:46).

Even if the disciples had held a communion service on the first day of the week, that

would not be proof that it designated a new Sabbath day-the Lord's supper was first

instituted on a Thursday night.

Others cite 1 Corinthians 16:2 as an argument against the Saturday Sabbath. "Upon the

first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered

him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Instead of proving that Sunday was kept

as the new Sabbath, this text actually proves the opposite. Paul instructs the Corinthians

to set funds aside at home on the first day so that no offerings need to be taken during

corporate worship on the Sabbath.

The Bible record is clear that the apostles worshiped on the seventh day and taught

others to do the same. The women who followed Jesus kept the Sabbath on the seventh

day (Luke 23:56). Paul kept the seventh-day Sabbath while carrying the gospel to the

Gentiles (Acts 16:13, 17:2, 18:4). John kept it during his exile on the isle of Patmos

(Revelation 1:10).

Jesus, the supreme example for all Christians, kept the Sabbath by consistently

worshiping in the synagogue on Sabbath (Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16). Nowhere did He

command that a different day should be kept or seek to cancel even the smallest of the

commandments (Matthew 5:17-19)! In fact, Scripture clearly records that the redeemed

from all nations will keep the Sabbath in the new earth (Isaiah 66:23).

A Subtle Change

Even in the absence of biblical evidence, much of the Christian world looks to Sunday,

the first day, as the Christian day of rest. When and how did this come about? The

change happened slowly, beginning about 300 years after Jesus returned to heaven.

The pagan Romans called the first day of the week "the venerable day of the sun," or

Sun Day. Gentile Christians and Jews alike were Sabbathkeepers, while all of the

polytheistic (many gods) pagan religions centered on sun worship on the first day of the

week. However, in the Roman Empire the Jews were "a fly in the ointment" because

they constantly rebelled and their monotheistic (one God) religion was at odds with

every other. Because the Jews kept the Sabbath, all Sabbathkeepers became highly

unpopular by association.

In A.D. 313, the Roman Emperor Constantine, who had been a pagan solar worshiper,

nominally accepted Christianity and put into effect the first Sunday-worship law.1

Many of the Gentile Christians quickly accepted this change in an effort to distance

themselves from the odious Jews because of their common day of worship.

Constantine sought to make it easier for the pagans in his realm to embrace his new

politically correct religion. So he encouraged all the Christians to adopt the pagan solar

holidays by renaming them after the Christian God or various Christian saints. Sincere

Christians resisted this compromise, but because the majority was willing to capitulate,

they were soon overpowered. Over a period of several hundred years Sunday gradually

became known as the Christian Sabbath and observed as such.

Common Arguments

When modern Christians discover and embrace the biblical Sabbath truth they usually

encounter a barrage of differing arguments. Typically this opposition comes from other

Christians who feel compelled to the point of obsession to dissuade them from their

biblical position. These contradictory arguments often serve to convince more than

discourage.

One gentleman who worked in a large grocery chain in the Midwest, through study of

the Scriptures, discovered the Sabbath truth. He was so excited with this blessed

revelation that he immediately went to his employers and told them that he would no

longer be available for work from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. During the

following week each worker in his department approached him with a potluck of

arguments to deter him from his new "un-traditional" commitment to Sabbathkeeping.

The first one told him that the Bible says, "One man esteemeth one day above another:

another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind"

(Romans 14:5). The co-worker tried to explain that the text meant he could do whatever

seemed right to him and that he wasn't required to keep any particular day.

"Fine," his friend replied. "I'll take the Sabbath. I'm fully persuaded that that's the day to

keep."

Seeing his cohort's failure, another worker approached the Sabbathkeeper with this

argument. "It doesn't really mean that we have to keep Saturday. What the Bible really

means is that we are to rest every seventh day and it doesn't matter what day we start

counting on as long as we rest one day in a sequence of seven."

"Fine," he replied. "If it doesn't matter, I'll take Saturday as my one day in seven."

The next co-worker told him that in the New Testament there was no specific day set

aside for worship. "You're supposed to keep every day holy," he explained.

The new Sabbathkeeper replied "I do believe I should worship God every day, but if I'm

keeping every day holy and resting from work. That wouldn't be holy; that would be

lazy."

Another worker told him that the Sabbath was only for the Jews. The new

Sabbathkeeper asked, "Then why did Jesus say, 'The sabbath was made for man' (Mark

2:27). That's a funny way to spell 'Jew.' Was Adam a Jew when Jesus spent the first

Sabbath with him in the garden of Eden?"

Still another told him that it was not necessary to keep the Ten Commandments because

we are no longer under the law but under grace. "Are you saying that I can now steal

your money and covet your wife?" he responded.

One night during an evangelistic series I was presenting the Sabbath truth when a

Sunday minister interrupted me. He said I was teaching "legalism." I asked the man

whether or not he believed that God wanted us to keep the Ten Commandments. At first

he said, "No." Then when he realized how ridiculous that sounded, he changed his

answer to, "Yes." But then he quickly added, "Nine of them."

"So," I responded, "are you telling me that the one commandment God wants us to

forget is the only one that begins with the admonition to 'Remember'?" He left the

meeting with a red face and never returned.

Still another pastor embarrassed himself when he said, "The calendar has been changed

several times so we can't really know which day is the seventh day."

"If that were true," I answered, "then I guess you wouldn't know which day was Sunday

either? But the fact remains that no calendar adjustment has ever had any effect on the

weekly cycle."

There is no question about which day is the seventh day. Any dictionary will tell you:

"Sat·ur·day (sàt_er-dê, -dâ´) noun Abbr. S., Sat.1. The seventh day of the week."2

The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus died on Friday, rested in the tomb on the Sabbath

from His work of saving man, then rose Sunday morning to continue His work as our

high priest (Luke 23:54; Hebrews 7:25).

In fact, in more than 145 major languages of the world, the word used for the seventh

day is the equivalent for the word Sabbath or rest day. Such as Spanish, Sabado, or

Russian, Subotah.

Another creative man told me that, "When the sun stood still in the days of Joshua,

Saturday turned into Sunday"!

All these convoluted attempts to dispense with the simple command of God are

compelling evidence that many churches are building on the sand of popular tradition.

Jesus said, "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the

commandments of men. … Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may

keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:7, 9).

Contradictory arguments highlight the big problem associated with getting rid of the

Sabbath. It's impossible to justify abandoning the Sabbath without getting rid of the

whole law-they end up having to throw the baby out with the bath water. James points

out that breaking even one of the Ten Commandments makes us guilty of violating the

whole. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is

guilty of all" (James 2:10).

A Pivotal Verse

Some Christians sincerely believe that the whole law, including the Sabbath, came to an

end with Jesus' death. These people point to the well-worn verses in Colossians 2 as

evidence: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was

contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; … Let no man therefore

judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the

sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come" (verses 14, 16, 17).

However, getting rid of the law is a reckless and dangerous thing to do. The first four

commandments define our responsibility to our Creator. The last six are the foundation

of all human civil law. If the moral law were rescinded, there would be no safe place on

earth for anyone.

Paul says, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law

shall be justified" (Romans 2:13). He also adds, "The law is holy, and the

commandment holy, and just, and good" (7:12).

So what do the verses in Colossians mean? There are two primary laws taught in

Scripture: the moral law of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law contained

in ordinances. One was written by God's finger on stone and the other by the hand of

Moses on parchment.

Notice how Deuteronomy 4 distinguishes between the two:

Moral Law: "And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to

perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone"

(Deuteronomy 4:13).

Ceremonial Law: "And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and

judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it"

(Deuteronomy 4:14).

Colossians 2:14 tells us that the law that was nailed to the cross was the "handwriting of

ordinances," not the finger writing. And which law was that? "They will take heed to do

all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the

ordinances by the hand of Moses" (2 Chronicles 33:8, emphasis added). The law nailed

to the cross in Colossians 2 was written on paper and "against us." (Plus, it is very

difficult to nail stone tablets to anything.)

"Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord

your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee" (Deuteronomy 31:26,

emphasis added). The Ten Commandment law, written by the finger of God on tablets

of stone, was inside the ark; the ceremonial law, written by the hand of Moses, was

placed in a pocket on the side of the ark.

So we can see that Colossians 2 is speaking of the ceremonial laws and annual sabbaths

(feasts) that were nailed to the cross. That's why when Jesus died, the veil in the temple

was torn (Matthew 27:51).

Sadly, most of the Jewish nation was so engrossed in types and shadows that they failed

to see the fulfillment of those Messianic symbols in Jesus. Even the Christian church

had a hard time separating the shadow and the reality. Some Jewish Christians required

all the Gentile converts to observe all the Jewish ceremonies that pointed to the

Messiah. Somehow they didn't yet see the big picture-that the coming of the Messiah

had done away with the need for those types and shadows. This is why the Apostle Paul

exhorts the Colossian Christians to not allow anyone to judge them in respect of the

sabbath days, "which are a shadow of things to come" (Colossians 2:17).

God Does Not Change!

But what if we keep the law and just change the Sabbath commandment from seventh-

day worship to first-day worship? The first roadblock is that such a change simply isn't

biblical. That really makes it impossible for anyone to keep Sunday holy. You see, the

commandment doesn't say to make the Sabbath day holy. It says that God made it holy

and set it apart for holy use (sanctified it). We can find no place in Scripture where God

transferred the sanctity of Sabbath to Sunday. Therefore, there is no way to keep the

first day holy since He didn't make it holy in the first place.

Ultimately one needs to ask the hard question. Since Jesus made the Sabbath before the

entrance of sin, and that which God blesses is blessed forever(1 Chronicles 17:27), why

would He need to change His own eternal law? He declares, "I am the Lord, I change

not" (Malachi 3:6)!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Why would God

write the Sabbath commandment in stone with His own finger, speak it with His own

voice, and than change it with out even producing a vague biblical reference?

The bottom line is to determine why God made the Sabbath and what advantage there

might possibly be in changing it. For one thing, God wanted man and domestic beasts to

enjoy physical rest that day. During the French Revolution, in the backlash against the

church abuse, the atheistic leaders called for doing away with anything religious.

Included in the religious ban was a change in the weekly cycle. They could find no

astronomical reason for the seven-day week, so they concluded that the weekly cycle

was intrinsically religious. They replaced it with a ten-day work cycle but soon found

that, not only were the people dissatisfied because of physical exhaustion, but also the

draft animals were constantly fatigued. It wasn't long before France returned to the

seven-day week.

But physical rest was only a minor part of the full blessing God had in mind for

mankind. God wants to enjoy spiritual fellowship with His created beings. The Bible

gives no indication that there was a week or a Sabbath in heaven before Creation. The

Sabbath was made for man, not for angels. However, God enjoys it so much that He

intends to keep it with us throughout eternity. Someday He is moving His universal

capitol to this earth (Revelation chapter 21), and He invites all the redeemed to meet

with Him for Sabbath each week (Isaiah 66:23).

The Sabbath is, among other things, a memorial of God's creative and redemptive

power. It is also a sign of His re-creative power in our lives. "Moreover also I gave them

my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the

Lord that sanctify them" (Ezekiel 20:12).

The weekly Sabbath rest also points to the eternal rest that God is preparing for the

redeemed (Hebrews 4:1-11). This rest was typified by entering into the promised land

for ancient Israel. Spiritual Israel looks forward to the promise of a new earth "wherein

dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you

should seem to come short of it" (Hebrews 4:1).

Jesus is inviting you now to experience the spiritual and physical rest of this blessed day

in His presence.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take

my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find

rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

______________________________________________________________________ 1 Colliers Encyclopedia, vol. 7, page 212.

2 The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third

Sabbath Observance Through the Centuries

1st Century

"But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day."

Jesus, Matthew 24:20

Institution Of The Sabbath

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the

seventh day God ended his work which he made; and he rested on the seventh day from

all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:

because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Genesis

2:1-3

Jesus

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he

went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do

that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the

commandments." Matthew 19:16-17

"But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day." Matthew

24:20.

Jesus asked his disciples to pray that in the flight from the doomed city of Jerusalem

they would not have to flee on the Sabbath day. This flight took place in 70 A.D. (40

years after the Cross).

His Followers

"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day

according to the commandment." Luke 23:56

Paul

"And Paul, as his manner was went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with

them out of the Scriptures" Acts 17:2

Paul And Gentiles

"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these

words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. And the next Sabbath came almost

the whole city together to hear the Word of God." Acts 13:42, 44.

Here we find Gentiles in a Gentile city gathering on the Sabbath. It was not a synagogue

meeting in verse 44, for it says almost the whole city came together, verse 42 says they

asked to hear the message the "next Sabbath."

John

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev. 1:10 (Mark 2:28, Isa.58:13, Ex.20:10,

Clearly show the Sabbath to be the Lord's day).

Josephus

"There is not any city of the Grecians, nor any of the Barbarians, nor any nation

whatsoever, whither our custom of resting on the seventh day hath not come!"

M'Clatchie, "Notes and Queries on China and Japan" (edited by Dennys), Vol 4, Nos 7,

8, p.100.

Philo

Declares the seventh day to be a festival, not of this or of that city, but of the universe.

M'Clatchie, "Notes and Queries," Vol. 4, 99.

2nd Century

"It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed (together with the

celebration of the Lord's day) by the Christians of the East Church, above three hundred

years after our Saviour's death." - A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath, p. 77

Early Christians

"The primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the day in

devotion and sermons. And it is not to be doubted but they derived this practice from

the Apostles themselves, as appears by several scriptures to the purpose." "Dialogues on

the Lord's Day," p. 189. London: 1701, By Dr. T.H. Morer (A Church of England

divine).

"...The Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people,

and in keeping the Sabbath holy they followed not only the example but also the

command of Jesus." "Geschichte des Sonntags," pp.13, 14

"The primitive Christians did keep the Sabbath of the Jews;...therefore the Christians,

for a long time together, did keep their conventions upon the Sabbath, in which some

portions of the law were read: and this continued till the time of the Laodicean council."

"The Whole Works" of Jeremy Taylor, Vol. IX,p. 416 (R. Heber's Edition, Vol XII, p.

416).

Early Church

"It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed (together with the

celebration of the Lord's day) by the Christians of the East Church, above three hundred

years after our Saviour's death." "A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath," p. 77

Note: By the "Lord's day" here the writer means Sunday and not the true Sabbath,"

which the Bible says is the Sabbath. This quotation shows Sunday coming into use in

the early centuries soon after the death of the Apostles. Paul the Apostle foretold a great

"falling away" from the Truth that would take place soon after his death.

2nd Century Christians

"The Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath," Gieseler's "Church History," Vol.1,

ch. 2, par. 30, 93.

2nd, 3rd, 4th Centuries

"From the apostles' time until the council of Laodicea, which was about the year 364,

the holy observance of the Jews' Sabbath continued, as may be proved out of many

authors: yea, notwithstanding the decree of the council against it." "Sunday a Sabbath."

John Ley, p.163. London: 1640.

3rd Century

"The seventh-day Sabbath was...solemnised by Christ, the Apostles, and primitive

Christians, till the Laodicean Council did in manner quite abolish the observations of

it." "Dissertation on the Lord's Day," pp. 33, 34

Egypt (Oxyrhynchus Papyrus) (200-250 A.D.)

"Except ye make the sabbath a real sabbath (sabbatize the Sabbath," Greek), ye shall not

see the Father." "The oxyrhynchus Papyri," pt,1, p.3, Logion 2, verso 4-11 (London

Offices of the Egypt Exploration Fund, 1898).

Early Christians-C 3rd

"Thou shalt observe the Sabbath, on account of Him who ceased from His work of

creation, but ceased not from His work of providence: it is a rest for meditation of the

law, not for idleness of the hands." "The Anti-Nicene Fathers," Vol 7,p. 413. From

"Constitutions of the Holy Apostles," a document of the 3rd and 4th Centuries.

Africa (Alexandria) Origen

"After the festival of the unceasing sacrifice (the crucifixion) is put the second festival

of the Sabbath, and it is fitting for whoever is righteous among the saints to keep also

the festival of the Sabbath. There remaineth therefore a sabbatismus, that is, a keeping

of the Sabbath, to the people of God (Hebrews 4:9)." "Homily on Numbers 23," par.4,

in Migne, "Patrologia Graeca," Vol. 12,cols. 749, 750.

Palestine to India (Church of the East)

As early as A.D. 225 there existed lallrge bishoprics or conferences of the Church of the

East (Sabbath-keeping) stretching from Palestine to India. Mingana, "Early Spread of

Christianity." Vol.10, p. 460.

India (Buddhist Controversy, 220 A.D.)

The Kushan Dynasty of North India called a famous council of Buddhist priests at

Vaisalia to bring uniformity among the Buddhist monks on the observance of their

weekly Sabbath. Some had been so impressed by the writings of the Old Testament that

they had begun to keep holy the Sabbath. Lloyd, "The Creed of Half Japan," p. 23.

Early Christians

"The seventh-day Sabbath was...solemnised by Christ, the Apostles, and primitive

Christians, till the Laodicean Council did in manner quite abolish the observations of

it." "Dissertation on the Lord's Day," pp. 33, 34.

4th Century

"When you are in Rome, do as Rome does." Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan

gave rise to this proverb by stating that when he was in Milan he observed Saturday, but

when in Rome he observed Sunday. (See page 70 in this Online version of Truth

Triumphant)

Italy AND EAST-C 4th

"It was the practice generally of the Easterne Churches; and some churches of the

west...For in the Church of Millaine (Milan);...it seems the Saturday was held in a farre

esteeme... Not that the Easterne Churches, or any of the rest which observed that day,

were inclined to Iudaisme (Judaism); but that they came together on the Sabbath day, to

worship Iesus (Jesus) Christ the Lord of the Sabbath." "History of the Sabbath" (original

spelling retained), Part 2, par. 5, pp.73, 74. London: 1636. Dr. Heylyn.

Italy - Milan

"Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan, said that when he was in Milan he observed

Saturday, but when in Rome observed Sunday. This gave rise to the proverb, 'When you

are in Rome, do as Rome does.'" Heylyn, "The History of the Sabbath" (1612)

Orient And Most Of World

"The ancient Christians were very careful in the observance of Saturday, or the

seventh day...It is plain that all the Oriental churches, and the greatest part of the world,

observed the Sabbath as a festival...Athanasius likewise tells us that they held religious

assembles on the Sabbath, not because they were infected with Judaism, but to worship

Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, Epiphanius says the same." "Antiquities of the Christian

Church," Vol.II Book XX, chap. 3, sec.1, 66. 1137,1138.

Abyssinia - Remnants of Philip's Evangelism

"In the last half of that century St. Ambrose of Milan stated officially that the

Abyssinian bishop, Museus, had 'traveled almost everywhere in the country of the Seres'

(China). For more than seventeen centuries the Abyssinian Church continued to sanctify

Saturday as the holy day of the fourth commandment." Ambrose, DeMoribus,

Brachmanorium Opera Ominia, 1132, found in Migne, Patrologia Latima, Vol.17,

pp.1131,1132.

Arabia, Persia, India, China

"Mingana proves that in 370 A.D. Abyssinian Christianity (a Sabbath keeping church)

was so popular that its famous director, Musacus, travelled extensively in the East

promoting the church in Arabia, Persia, India and China." "Truth Triumphant,"p.308

(Footnote 27). (Page numbers vary in this Online version of Truth Triumphant)

Spain - Council Elvira (A.D.305)

Canon 26 of the Council of Elvira reveals that the Church of Spainat that time kept

Saturday, the seventh day. "As to fasting every Sabbath: Resolved, that the error be

corrected of fasting every Sabbath." This resolution of the council is in direct opposition

to the policy the church at Rome had inaugurated, that of commanding Sabbath as a fast

day in order to humiliate it and make it repugnant to the people.

Spain

It is a point of further interest to note that in north-eastern Spainnear the city of

Barcelona is a city called Sabadell, in a district originaly inhabited. By a people called

both "Valldenses" and Sabbatati."

Persia-A.D. 335-375 (40 Years Persecution Under Shapur II)

The popular complaint against the Christians-"They despise our sungod, they have

divine services on Saturday, they desecrate the sacred the earth by burying their dead in

it." (Truth Triumphant, Online Version p. 261)

Persia-A.D. 335-375

"They despise our sun-god. Did not Zorcaster, the sainted founder of our divine beliefs,

institute Sunday one thousand years ago in honour of the sun and supplant the Sabbath

of the Old Testament. Yet these Christians have divine services on Saturday." O'Leary,

"The Syriac Church and Fathers," pp.83, 84.

Council Laodicea - A.D.365

"Canon 16-On Saturday the Gospels and other portions of the Scripture shall be read

aloud." "Canon 29-Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work

on that day; but the Lord's day they shall especially honor, and as being Christians,

shall, if possible, do no work on that day." Hefele's "Councils," Vol. 2, b. 6.

5th Century

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the

Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at

Rome or at Alexandria." Socrates, "Ecclesiastical History," Book 7, chap.19.

The World

"For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred

mysteries (the Lord's Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of

Allexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this." The

footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word

"Sabbath." It says: "That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is

never called "the Sabbath' by the ancient Fathers and historians." Socrates, "Ecclestical

History," Book 5, chap. 22, p. 289.

Constantinople

"The people of Constantinople, and almost everywhere, assemble together on the

Sabbath, as well as on the first day of the week, which custom is never observed at

Rome or at Alexandria." Sozomen, "Ecclesiastical History," Book 7, chap. 19.

The World - Augustine, Bishop Of Hippo (North Africa)

Augustine shows here that the Sabbath was observed in his day "in the greater part of

the Christian world," and his testimony in this respect is all the more valuable because

he himself was an earnest and consistent Sunday-keeper. See "Nicene and Post-Nicene

Fathers," 1st Series, Vol.1, pp. 353, 354.

Pope Innocent (402-417)

Pope Sylvester (314-335) was the first to order the churches to fast on Saturday, and

Pope Innocent (402-417) made it a binding law in the churches that obeyed him, (In

order to bring the Sabbath into disfavour.) "Innocentius did ordain the Saturday or

Sabbath to be always fasted." Dr. Peter Heylyn, "History of the Sabbath, Part 2, p. 44.

5th Century Christians

Down even to the fifth century the observance of the Jewish Sabbath was continued in

the Christian church. "Ancient Christianity Exemplified," Lyman Coleman, ch. 26, sec.

2, p. 527.

In Jerome's day (420 A.D.) the devoutest Christians did ordinary work on Sunday.

"Treatise of the Sabbath Day," by Dr. White, Lord Bishop of Ely, p. 219.

France

"Wherefore, except Vespers and Nocturns, there are no public services among them in

the day except on Saturday (Sabbath) and Sunday." John Cassian, A French monk,

"Institutes," Book 3, ch. 2.

Africa

"Augustine deplored the fact that in two neighbouring churches in Africa one observes

the seventh-day Sabbath, another fasted on it." Dr. Peter Heylyn, "The History of the

Sabbath." p. 416.

Spain (400 A.D.)

"Ambrose sanctified the seventh day as the Sabbath (as he himself says). Ambrose had

great influence in Spain, which was also observing the Saturday Sabbath." Truth

Triumphant, p. 68.

Sidonius (Speaking Of King Theodoric Of The Goths, A.D. 454-526)

"It is a fact that it was formerly the custom in the East to keep the Sabbath in the same

manner as the Lord's day and to hold sacred assemblies: while on the other hand, the

people of the West, contending for the Lord's day have neglected the celebration of the

Sabbath." "Apollinaries Sidonli Epistolae," lib.1, 2; Migne, 57.

Egypt

"There are several cities and villages in Egypt where, contrary to the usage established

elsewhere, the people meet together on Sabbath evenings, and, although they have dined

previously, partake of the mysteries." Sozomen. "Ecclesiastical History" Book 7, ch. 19

6th Century

Scottish Church

"In this latter instance they seemed to have followed a custom of which we find traces

in the early monastic church of Ireland by which they held Saturday to be the

Sabbath on which they rested from all their labours." W.T. Skene, "Adamnan Llife of

St. Columbs" 1874, p.96.

Scotland, Ireland

"We seem to see here an allusion to the custom, observed in the early monastic Church

of Ireland, of keeping the day of rest on Saturday, or the Sabbath." "History of the

Catholic Church in Scotland," Vol.1, p. 86, by Catholic historian Bellesheim.

Scotland - Columba

"Having continued his labours in Scotland thirty-four years, he clearly and openly

foretold his death, and on Saturday, the month of June, said to his disciple Diermit:

"This day is called the Sabbath, that is the rest day, and such will it truly be to me; for it

will put an end to my labours.'" "Butler's Lives of the Saints," Vol.1, A.D. 597, art. "St.

Columba" p. 762

Columba (Re Dr. Butler's Description Of His Death)

The editor of the best biography of Columbia says in a footnote: "Our Saturday. The

custom to call The Lord's day Sabbath did not commence until a thousand years later."

Adamnan's "Life of Columba" (Dublin, 1857), p. 230.

7th Century

Scotland and Ireland

Professor James C. Moffatt, D.D., Professor of Church History at Princeton, says: "It

seems to have been customary in the Celtic churches of early times, in Ireland as well as

Scotland, to keep Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of rest from labour. They

obeyed the fourth commandment literally upon the seventh day of week." "The Church

in Scotland", p.140.

Scotland and Ireland

"The Celts used a Latin Bible unlike the Vulgate (R.C.) and kept Saturday as a day of

rest, with special religious services on Sunday." Flick, "The Rise of Medieval Church,"

p. 237

Rome

Gregory I (A.D. 590-640) wrote against "Roman citizens (who) forbid any work being

done on the Sabbath day." "Nicene and Post- Nicene Fathers," Second Series, Vol, XIII,

p.13, epist. 1

Rome (Pope Gregory I, A.D.590 TO 604)

"Gregory, bishop by the grace of God to his well-beloved sons, the Roman citizens: It

has come to me that certain men of perverse spirit have disseminated among you things

depraved and opposed to the holy faith, so that they forbid anything to be done on the

day of the Sabbath. What shall I call them except preachers of anti-Christ?" Epistles,

b.13:1

Rome (Pope Gregory I)

Declared that when anti-Christ should come he would keep Saturday as the Sabbath.

"Epistles of Gregory I, "b 13, epist.1. found in "Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers."

"Moreover, this same Pope Gregory had issued an official pronouncement against a

section of the city of Rome itself because the Christian believers there rested and

worshipped on the Sabbath." Same reference.

8th Century

Council Of Friaul, Italy-A.D. 791 (Canon 13)

"We command all Christians to observe the Lord's day to be held not in honour of the

past Sabbath, but on account of that holy night of the first of the week called the Lord's

day. When speaking of that Sabbath which the Jews observe, the last day of the week,

and which also our peasants observe.." Mansi, 13, 851

Persia and Mesopotamia

"The hills of Persia and the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates reechoed their songs of

praise. They reaped their harvests and paid their tithes. They repaired to their churches

on the Sabbath day for the worship of God." "Realencyclopaedie fur Protestatische and

Krche," art. "Nestorianer"; also Yule, "The Book of ser Marco Polo," Vol.2, p.409.

India, China, Persia, ETC

"Widespread and enduring was the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath among the

believers of the Church of the East and the St. Thomas Christians of India, who never

were connected with Rome. It also was maintained among those bodies which broke off

from Rome after the Council of Chalcedon namely, the Abyssinians, the Jacobites, the

Maronites, and the Armenians," Schaff-Herzog, The New Encyclopedia of Religious

Knowledge," art. "Nestorians"; also Real encyclopaedie fur Protestantische Theologie

und Kirche," art. "Nestorianer."

Council Of Liftinae, Belgium - A.D.745 (Attended By Boniface)

"The third allocution of this council warns against the observance of the Sabbath,

referring to the decree of the council of Laodicea." Dr. Hefele, Counciliengfesch, 3,

512, sec. 362

China - A.D.781

In A.D. 781 the famous China Monument was inscribed in marble to tell of the growth

of Christianity in China at that time. The inscription, consisting of 763 words, was

unearthed in 1625 near the city of Changan and now stands in the "Forest of Tablets,"

Changan. The following extract from the stone shows that the Sabbath was observed:

"On the seventh day we offer sacrifices, after having purified our hearts, and received

absolution for our sins. This religion, so perfect and so excellent, is difficult to name,

but it enlightens darkness by its brilliant precepts." Christianity in China, M. I'Abbe

Huc, Vol. I, ch.2, pp. 48, 49.

9th Century

Bulgaria

"Bulgarian the early season of its evangelization had been taught that no work should be

performed on the Sabbath." Responsa Nicolai Papae I and Con-Consulta

Bulllllgarorum, Responsum 10, found in Mansi, Sacrorum Concilorum Nova et

Amplissima Colectio, Vol.15; p. 406; also Hefele, Conciliengeschicte, Vol.4, sec. 478

(Pope Nicholas I, in answer to letter from Bogaris, ruling prince of Bulgaria.) "Ques. 6-

Bathing is allowed on Sunday. Ques. 10-One is to cease from work on Sunday, but not

also on the Sabbath." Hefele, 4,346-352, sec. 478 The Bulgarians had been accustomed

to rest on the Sabbath. Pope Nicholas writes against this practice.

Constantinople

(Photuus, Patriarch of Constantinople {in counter- synod that deposed Nicolas}, thus

accused Papacy). Against the canons, they induced the Bulgarians to fast on the

Sabbath." Photius, vonKard, Hergenrother, 1, 643

Note: The Papacy tried to bring the seventh-day Sabbath into disrepute by insisting that

all should fast on that day. In this manner (she sought to turn people towards Sunday,

the first day, the day that Rome had adopted.

Athingians

Cardinal Hergenrother says that they stood in intimate relation with Emperor Michael II

(821-829) and testifies that they observed the Sabbath. Kirchengeschichte, 1, 527

India, Abyssinia

"Widespread and enduring was the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath among the

believers of the Church of the East and the St. Thomas Christians of India. It was also

maintained by the Abyssinians.

Bulgaria

"Pope Nicholas I, in the ninth century, sent the ruling prince of Bulgaria a long

document saying in it that one is to cease from work on Sunday, but not on the Sabbath.

The head of the Greek Church, offended at the interference of the Papacy, declared the

Pope ex-communicated." Truth Triumphant, p. 223.

10th Century

Scotland

"They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a Sabbatical manner." A history of

Scotland from the Roman Occupation, Vol. I, p.96. Andrew Lang

Church Of The East - Kurdistan

"The Nestorians eat no pork and keep the Sabbath. They believe in neither auricular

confession nor purgatory." Schaff-Herzog, "The New Encyclopaedia of Religious

Knowledge," art. "Nestorians."

Waldenses

"And because they observed no other day of rest but the Sabbath days, they called them

Insabathas, as much as to say, as they observed no Sabbath." Luther's "Fore-Runners"

(original spelling), PP. 7, 8

Roman Catholic writers try to evade the apostolic origin of the Waldenses, so as to

make it appear that the Roman is the only apostolic church, and that all others are later

novelties. And for this reason they try to make out that the Waldenses originated with

Peter Waldo of the twelfth century. Dr. Peter Allix says:

"Some Protestants, on this occasion, have fallen into the snare that was set for them...It

is absolutely false, that these churches were ever found by Peter Waldo...it is a pure

forgery." Ancient Church of Piedmont, pp.192, Oxford: 1821

"It is not true, that Waldo gave this name to the inhabitants of the valleys: they were

called Waldenses, or Vaudes, before his time, from the valleys in which they dwelt."

"Id., p. 182

On the other hand, he "was called Valdus, or Waldo, because he received his religious

notions from the inhabitants of the valleys." History of the Christian Church, William

Jones, Vol II, p.2.

11th Century

Scotland

They held that Saturday was properly the Sabbath on which they abstained from work.

"Celtic Scotland," Vol. 2, p. 350

"They worked on Sunday, but kept Saturday in a sabbatical manner...These things

Margaret abolished." A History of Scotland from the Roman Occupation," Vol.1, p. 96.

"It was another custom of theirs to neglect the reverence due to the Lord's day, by

devoting themselves to every kind of worldly business upon it, just as they did upon

other days. That this was contrary to the law, she (Queen Margaret) proved to them as

well by reason as by authority. 'Let us venerate the Lord's day,' said she, 'because of the

resurrection of our Lord, which happened upon that day, and let us no longer do servile

works upon it; bearing in mind that upon this day we were redeemed from the slavery of

the devil. The blessed Pope Gregory affirms the same.'" Life of Saint Margaret, Turgot,

p. 49 (British Museum Library)

(Historian Skene commenting upon the work of Queen Margaret) "Her next point was

that they did not duly reverence the Lord's day, but in this latter instance they seemed to

have followed a custom of which we find traces in the early Church of Ireland, by

which they held Saturday to be the Sabbath on which they rested from all their labours."

Skene, "Celtic Scotland," Vol.2, p. 349

Scotland And Ireland

"T. Ratcliffe Barnett, in his book on the fervent Catholic queen of Scotland who in 1060

was first to attempt the ruin of Columba's brethren, writes: 'In this matter the Scots had

perhaps kept up the traditional usage of the ancient Irish Church which observed

Saturday instead of Sunday as the day of rest.'" Barnett, "Margaret of Scotland: Queen

and Saint," p.97

Council Of Clermont

"During the first crusade, Pope Urban II decreed at the council of Clermont (A.D.1095)

that the Sabbath be set aside in honour of the Virgin Mary." History of the Sabbath,

p.672

Constantinople

"Because you observe the Sabbath with the Jews and

the Lord's Day

with us, you seem to imitate with such observance the sect of Nazarenes." Migne,

"Patrologia Latina," Vol. 145, p.506; also Hergenroether, "Photius," Vol. 3, p.746. (The

Nazarenes were a Christian denomination.)

Greek Church

"The observance of Saturday is, as everyone knows, the subject of a bitter dispute

between the Greeks and the Latins." Neale, "A History of the Holy Eastern Church,"

Vol 1, p. 731. (Referring to the separation of the Greek Church from the Latin in 1054).

12th Century

Lombardy

"Traces of Sabbath-keepers are found in the times of Gregory I, Gregory VII, and in the

twelfth century in Lombardy." Strong's Cyclopaedia, 1, 660

Spain (Alphonse of Aragon)

"Alphonse, king of Aragon, etc., to all archbishops, bishops and to all others...'We

command you that heretics, to wit, Waldenses and Insabbathi, should be expelled away

from the face of God and from all Catholics and ordered to depart from our kingdom.'"

Marianse, Praefatio in Lucam Tudensem, found in "Macima Gibliotheca Veterum

Patrum," Vol.25, p.190

Hungary France, England, Italy, Germany

(Referring to the Sabbath- keeping Pasagini) "The spread of heresy at this time is almost

incredible. From Gulgaria to the Ebro, from nothern France to the Tiber, everywhere we

meet them. Whole countries are infested, like Hungary and southern France; they

abound in many other countries, in Germany, in Italy, in the Netherlands and even in

England they put forth their efforts." Dr. Hahn, "Gesch. der Ketzer." 1, 13, 14

Waldenses

"Among the documents. we have by the same peoples, an explanation of the Ten

Commandments dated by Boyer 1120. Observance of the Sabbath by ceasing from

worldly labours, is enjoined." Blair, History of the Waldenses, Vol.1, p. 220

"Robinson gives an account of some of the Waldenses of the Alps, who were called

Sabbati, Sabbatati, Insabbatati, but more frequently Inzabbatati. "One says they were so

named from the Hebrew word Sabbath, because they kept the Saturday for the Lord's

day.'" General History of the Baptist Denomination, Vol.II, P. 413

Wales

"There is much evidence that the Sabbath prevailed in Wales university until A.D.1115,

when the first Roman bishop was seated at St. David's. The old Welsh Sabbath-keeping

churches did not even then altogether bow the knee to Rome, but fled to their hiding

places." Lewis, "Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America," Vol.1, p.29

France

"For twenty years Peter de Bruys stirred southern France. He especialy emphasised a

day of worship that was recognized at that time among the Celtic churches of the British

Isles, among the Paulicians, and in the great Church of the East namely, the the seventh

day of the fourth commandment."

Pasagini

The papal author, Bonacursus, wrote the following against the "Pasagaini": "Not a few,

but many know what are the errors of those who are called Pasaagini...First, they teach

that we should obey the Sabbath. Furthermore, to increase their error, they condemn and

reject all the church Fathers, and the whole Roman Church." D'Achery, Spicilegium

I,f.211-214; Muratory, Antiq. med. aevi.5, f.152, Hahn, 3, 209.

13th Century

"The inquisitors...[declare] that the sign of a Vaudois(Waldenses of France), deemed

worthy of death, was that he followed Christ and sought to obey the commandments of

God." History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages," H.C.Les, vol.1

Waldenses

"They say that the blessed Pope Sylvester was the Antichrist of whom mention is made

in the Epistles of St. Paul as having been the son of perdition.[They also say] that the

keeping of the Sabbath ought to take place." Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient

Churches ofPiedmont," p.169 (by prominent Roman Catholic author writing about

Waldenses)

France (Waldenses)

To destroy completely these heretics Pope Innocent III sent Dominican inquistors into

France, and also crusaders, promising "a plenary remission of all sins, to those who took

on them the crusade...against the albigenses." Catholic Encyclopaedia, Vol.XII,

art."Raymond VI," p. 670

France

Thousands of God's people were tortured to death by the Inquisition, buried alive,

burned to death, or hacked to pieces by the crusaders. While devastating the city of

Biterre the soldiers asked the Catholic leaders how they should know who were

heretics; "Slay them all, for the Lord knows who is His." History of the Inquisition,

pp.96

France-King Louis IX,1229

Published the statute "Cupientes" in which he charges himself to clear southern France

from heretics as the Sabbath-keepers were called.

Waldenses Of France

"The heresy of the Vaudois, or poor people of Lyons, is of great antiquity, for some say

that it has been continued down ever since the time of Pope Sylvester; and others, ever

since that of the apostles." The Roman Inquisitor, Reinerus Sacho, writing about 1230

FRANCE-Council Toulouse, 1229

Canons against Sabbath-keepers: "Canon 3.-The lords of the different districts shall

have the villas, houses and woods diligently searched, and the hiding-places of the

heretics destroyed.

"Canon 14-Lay members are not allowed to possess the books of either the Old or the

New Testaments." Hefele, 5, 931, 962

Europe

"The Paulicians, Petrobusinas, Passaginians, Waldenses, Insabbatati were great

Sabbath-keeping bodies of Europe down to 1250 A.D."

Pasaginians

Dr. Hahn says that if the Pasaginians referred to the 4th Commandment to support the

Sabbath, the Roman priests answered, "The Sabbath symbolised the eternal rest of the

saints."

Mongolia

"The Mongolian conquest did not injure the Church of the East. (Sabbath-keeping.) On

the contrary, a number of the Mongolian princes and a larger number of Mongolian

queens were members of this church."

14th Century

"Also the priests have caused the people to keep Saturdays as Sundays." Evangelical

Lutheran Church in Norway (See below), Vol.1, p.184 Oslo

Waldenses

"That we are to worship one only God, who is able to help us, and not the Saints

departed; that we ought to keep holy the Sabbath day." Luther's Fore-runners," p. 38

Insabbati

"For centuries evangelical bodies, especially the Waldenses, were called Insabbati

because of Sabbath-keeping." Gui, Manueld' Inquisiteur Bohemia, 1310 (Modern

Czechoslovakia)

"In 1310, two hundred years before Luther's theses, the Bohemian brethern constituted

onefourth of the population of Bohemia, and that they were in touch with the

Waldenseswho abounded in Austria, Lombardy,. Bohemia, north Germany, Thuringia,

Brandenburg, and Moravia. Erasmus pointed out how strictly Bohemian Waldenseskept

the seventh day Sabbath." Armitage, "A History of the Baptists," p.313; Cox, "The

Literature of the Sabbath Question," vol. 2, pp. 201-202

Norway

Then, too, in the "Catechism" that was used during the fourteenth century, the Sabbath

commandment read thus; "Thou shalt not forget to keep the seventh day." This is quoted

from "Documents and Studies Concerning the History of the Lutheran Catechism in the

Nordish Churches," p.89. Christiania 1893

"Also the priests have caused the people to keep Saturdays as Sundays." Theological

Periodicals for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Norway, Vol.1, p.184 Oslo

England, Holland, Bohemia

"We wrote of the Sabbatarians in Bohemia, Transylvania, England and Holland between

1250 and 1600 A.D." Truth Triumphant, Wilkinson, p.309.

15th Century

"The accused [Sabbath-keepers] were summoned; they openly acknowledged the new

faith, and defended the same. The most eminent of them, the secretary of state,

Kuritzyn, Ivan Maximow, Kassian, archimandrite of the Fury Monastery of Novgorod,

were condemned to death, and burned publicly in cages, at Moscow; Dec. 17,1503."

Geschichte der Juden" (Leipsig, 1873), pp.117-122

Bohemia

"Erasmus testifies that even as late as about 1500 these Bohemians not only kept the

seventh day scrupulously, but also were called Sabbatarians." Cox, "The Literature of

the Sabbath Question," Vol.2, pp.201, 202 "Truth Triumphant," p.264

Norway

(Church Council held at Bergin, August 22,1435) "The first matter concerned a keeping

holy of Saturday. It had come to the earth of the archbishop that people in different

places of the kingdom had ventured the keeping holy of Saturday. It is strictly

forbidden-it is stated-in the Church Law, for any one to keep or to adopt holy-days,

outside of those which the pope, archbishop, or bishops appoint." The History of the

Norwegian Church under Catholicism, R. Keyser, Vol.II, p. 488.Oslo: 1858

Norway, 1435 (Catholic Provincial Council at Bergin)

"We are informed that some people in different districts of the kingdom, have adopted

and observed Saturday-keeping. It is severely forbidden-in holy church canon-one and

all to observe days excepting those which the holy Pope archbishop, or the bishops

command. Saturday-keeping must under no circumstances be permitted hereafter further

than the church canon commands. ,Therefore we ccounsel all the friends of God

throughout all Norway who want to be obedient towards the holy church to let this evil

of Saturday- keeping alone; and the rest we forbid under penalty of sever church

punishment to keep Saturday holy." Dip. Norveg., 7, 397

Norway, 1436

(Church Conference at Oslo) "It is forbidden under the same penalty to keep Saturday

holy by refraining from labour." History of the Norwegian Church, p.401

Russia (Council, Moscow, 1490)

"The accused [Sabbath-keepers] were summoned; they openly acknowledged the new

faith, and defended the same. The most eminent of them, the secretary of state,

Kuritzyn, Ivan Maximow, Kassian, archimandrite of the Fury Monastery of Novgorod,

were condemned to death, and burned publicly in cages, at Moscow; Dec. 17,1503."

H.Sternberfi, "Geschichte der Juden" (Leipsig, 1873), pp.117-122

France - Waldenses

"Louis XII, King of France (1498-1515), being informed by the enemies of the

Waldense inhabiting a part of the province, that several heinous crimes were laid to

their account, sent the Master of Requests, and a certain doctor of the Sorbonne, to

make inquiry into this matter. On their return they reported that they had visited all the

parishes, but could not discover any traces of those crimes with which they were

charged. On the contrary, they kept the Sabbath day, observed the ordinance of baptism,

according to the primitive church, instructed their children in the articles of the

Christian faith, and the commandments of God. The King having heard the report of his

commissioners, said with an oath that they were better men than himself or his people."

History of the Christian Church, Vol.II, pp. 71, 72, third edition. London: 1818

India

"Separated from the Western world for a thousand years, they were naturally ignorant of

many novelties introduced by the councils and decrees of the Lateran. 'We are

Christians, and not idolaters,' was their expressive reply when required to do homage to

the image of the Virgin Mary.'"

16th Century

"The famous Jesuit, Francis Xavier, called for the Inquisition, which was set up in Goa,

India, in 1560, to check the 'Jewish wickedness' (Sabbath-keeping)." Adeney, "The

Greek and Eastern Churches," p.527, 528

England

"In the reign of Elizabeth, it occurred to many conscientious and independent thinkers

(as it previously had done to some Protestants in Bohemia) that the fourth

commandment required of them the observance, not of the first, but of the specified

'seventh' day of the week." Chambers' Cyclopaedia, article "Sabbath," Vol. 8, p. 462,

1537

Sweden

"This zeal for Saturday-keeping continued for a long time: even little things which

might strengthen the practice of keeping Saturday were punished." Bishop Anjou,

"Svenska Kirkans Historia after Motetthiers, Upsala

Lichenstein Family

(estates in Austria, Bohemia, Morovia, Hungary. Lichenstein in the Rhine Valley wasn't

their country until the end of the 7th century). "The Sabbatarians teach that the outward

Sabbath, i.e. Saturday, still must be observed, They say that Sunday is the Pope's

invention." Refutation of Sabbath, by Wolfgang Capito, published 1599

Bohemia (the Bohemian Brethren)

Dr. R. Cox says: "I find from a passage in Erasmus that at the early period of the

Reformantion when he wrote, there were Sabbatarians in Bohemia, who not only kept

the seventh day, but were said to be...scrupulous in resting on it." Literature of the

Sabbath Question, Cox, Vol. II, pp. 201, 202

Historian's List Of Churches (16th Century)

"Sabbatarians, so called because they reject the observance of the Lord's day as not

commanded in Scripture, they consider the Sabbath alone to be holy, as God rested on

that day and commanded to keep it holy and to rest on it." A. Ross

Germany

-Dr. Eck (while refuting the Reformers) "However, the church has transferred the

observance from Saturday to Sunday by virtue of her own power, without Scripture."

Dr. Eck's "Enchiridion," 1533, pp.78,79

Princes Of Lichtenstein (Europe)

About the year 1520 many of these Sabbath-keepers found shelter on the estate of Lord

Leonhardt of Lichtensein held to the observance of the true Sabbath." J.N.Andrews,

History of the Sabbath, p. 649, ed.

India

"The famous Jesuit, Francis Xavier, called for the Inquisition, which was set up in Goa,

India, in 1560, to check the 'Jewish wickedness' (Sabbath-keeping)." Adeney, "The

Greek and Eastern Churches," p.527, 528

Norway - 1544

"Some of you, contrary to the warning, keep Saturday. You ought to be severely

punished. Whoever shall be found keeping Saturday, must pay a fine of ten marks."

History of King Christian the Third," Niels Krag and S. Stephanius

Austria

"Sabatarians now exist in Austria." Luther, "Lectures on Genesis," A.D.1523-27

Abyssinia - A.D. 1534

(Abyssinian legate at court of Lisbon) "It is not therefore, in imitation of the Jews, but

in obedience to Christ and His holy apostles, that we observe the day." Gedde's "Church

History of Ethiopia," pp. 87,8

Martin Luther

"God blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it to Himself. God willed that this command

concerning the Sabbath should remain. He willed that on the seventh day the word

should be preached." Commentary on Genesis, Vol.1, pp.138-140

Baptists

"Some have suffered torture because they would not rest when others kept Sunday, for

they declared it to be the holiday and law of Antichrist." Sebastian Frank (A.D. 1536)

Finland - Dec. 6,1554

(King Gustavus Vasa I, of Sweden's letter to the people of Finland) "Some time ago we

heard that some people in Finland had fallen into a great error and observed the seventh

day, called Saturday." State Library at Helsingfors, Reichsregister, Vom J., 1554, Teil

B.B. leaf 1120, pp.175-180a

Switzerland

"The observance of the Sabbath is a part of the moral law. It has been kept holy since

the beginning of the world." Ref. Noted Swiss writer, R Hospinian, 1592

Holland And Germany

Barbara of Thiers, who was executed in 1529, declared: "God has commanded us to rest

on the seventh day." Another martyr, Christina Tolingerin, is mentioned thus:

"Concerning holy days and Sundays, she said: 'In six days the Lord made the world, on

the seventh day he rested. The other holy days have been instituted by popes, cardinals,

and archbishops.'" Martyrology of the Churches of Christ, commonly called Baptists,

during the era of the Reformation, from the Dutch of T.J. Van Bright, London, 1850,1,

pp.113-4.

17th Century

"A Christian keeping the commandment of God and the faith of Jesus, being baptised

about the year 1648, and keeping the seventh day for the Sabbath above thirty-two

years." Monument over the grave of Dr. Peter Chamberlain.

Hungary, Romania

"But as they rejected Sunday and rested on the Sabbath, Prince Sigmond Bathory

ordered their persecution. Pechi advanced to position of chancellor of state and next in

line to throne of Transylvania. He studied his Bible, and composed a number of hymns,

mostly in honour of the Sabbath. Pechi was arrested and died in 1640.

Sweden And Finland

"We can trace these opinions over almost the whole extent of Sweden of that day-from

Finland and northern Sweden. "In the district of Upsala the farmers kept Saturday in

place of Sunday. "About the year 1625 this religious tendency became so pronounced in

these countries that not only large numbers of the common people began to keep

Saturday as the rest day, but even many priests did the same." History of the Swedish

Church, Vol.I, p.256

Muscovit Russian Church

"They solemnize Saturday (the old Sabbath). Samuel Purchase- "His Pilgrims." Vol. I,

p. 350

India - 1625 (Jacobites)

"They kept Saturday holy. They have solemn service on Saturdays." Pilgrimmes, Part 2,

p.1269

America - 1664

"Stephen Mumford, the first Sabbath-keeper in America come from London in 1664."

History of the Seventh-day Baptist Gen. Conf. by Jas. Bailey, pp. 237, 238

America - 1671 (Seventh-day Baptists)

"Broke from Baptist Church in order to keep Sabbath." See Bailey's History, pp. 9,10

America 1603-1683

“ The pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, ... speaking against the God of

heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition.” Roger

Williams, First Baptist pastor in America (1603-1683) -- The Bloody Tenet of

Persecution, quoted in L. E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3, p.

52. Emphasis supplied.

England

Charles I,1647 (when querying the Parliament Commissioners) "For it will not be found

in Scripture where Saturday is no longer to be kept, or turned into the Sunday wherefore

it must be the Church's authority that changed the one and instituted the other." Cox,

"Sabbath Laws," p.333

England - John Milton

"It will surely be far safer to observe the seventh day, according to express

commandment of God, than on the authority of mere human conjecture to adopt the

first." Sab. Lit. 2, 46-54

England

"Upon the publication of the 'Book of Sports' in 1618 a violent controversy arose among

English divines on two points: first, whether the Sabbath of the fourth commandment

was in force; and, secondly, on what ground the first day of the week was entitled to be

observed as 'the Sabbath.'" Haydn's Dictionary of Dates, art. "Sabbatarians." p.602

England - 1618

"At last for teaching only five days in the week, and resting upon Saturday she was

carried to the new prison in Maiden Lane, a place then appointed for the restraint of

several other persons of different opinions from the Church of England. Mrs. Traske lay

fifteen or sixteen years a prisoner for her opinion about the Saturday Sabbath." Pagitt's

"Heresiography." p.196

England - 1668

"Here in England are about nine or ten churches that keep the Sabbath, besides many

scattered disciples, who have eminently preserved." Stennet's letters, 1668 and 1670.

Cox, Sab.,1, 268

Ethiopia - 1604

Jesuits tried to induce the Abyssinian church to accept Roman Catholicism. They

influenced King Zadenghel to propose to submit to the Papacy (A.D.1604). "Prohibiting

all his subjects, upon severe penalties, to observe Saturday any longer." Gedde's

"Church History of Ethiopia." p.311, also Gibbon's "Decline and Fall," ch. 47

Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland, Germany

"One of the counsellors and lords of the court was John Gerendi, head of the

Sabbatarians, a people who did not keep Sunday, but Saturday." Lamy, "The History of

Socinianism." p. 60

Telegraph Print, Napier

St. Margaret's Chapel in Essex, England, contains the tombstone of Puritan Sabbath

keeper Dr. Peter Chamberlen, a respected, trusted, and much loved physician to three

sets of kings and queens in 17th century England.

The inscription on the tombstone reads as follows:

"The said Peter Chamberlen toock ye degree of Doctor in Physick, in fever all

Universities born att home and abroad and lived such above three score years being

physician in ordinary to three Kings and Queens of England. viz. King James & Queen

Anne; King Charles ye first & Queen Mary; King Charles ye second & Queen

Katherine; & also tosome forraine Princes; having travelled most of partes of Europe

and speaking most of the languages.

As for his religion he was a Christian keeping ye Commandments of God & faith of

Jesus. being baptized about ye year 1648, & keeping ye 7th day for ye saboth above 32

years.

To tell his Learning and his Life to Men: Enough is said by here lyes Chamberlen."

18th Century

"It cannot be shown that Sunday has taken the place of the Sabbath (P.366). the Lord

God has sanctified the last day of the week. Antichrist, on the other hand, has appointed

the first day of the week." Ki Auszug aus Tennhardt's "Schriften," P.49 (printed 1712)

Abyssinia

"The Jacobites assembled on the Sabbath day, before the Domical day, in the temple,

and kept that day, as do also the Abyssinians as we have seen from the confession of

their faith by the Ethiopian king Claudius." Abundacnus, 'Historia Jacobatarum,"p.118-

9 (18th Century)

Romania, 1760

(and what is today) Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia

"Joseph II's edict of tolerance did not apply to the Sabbatarians , some of whom again

lost all of their possessions." Jahrgang 2, 254

"Catholic priests aided by soldiers forcing them to accept Romanism nominally, and

compelling the remainder to labour on the Sabbath and to attend church on Sunday,-

these were the methods employed for two hundred fifty years to turn the Sabbatarians.

Germany-Tennhardt of Nuremberg

"He holds strictly to the doctrine of the Sabbath, because it is one of the ten

commandments." Bengel's "Leban und Wirken," Burk, p.579

He himself says: "It cannot be shown that Sunday has taken the place of the Sabbath

(P.366). the Lord God has sanctified the last day of the week. Antichrist, on the other

hand, has appointed the first day of the week." Ki Auszug aus Tennhardt's "Schriften,"

P.49 (printed 1712)

Bohemia and Moravia (Today Czechoslovakia).

Their history from 1635 to 1867 is thus described by Adolf Dux: "The condition of the

Sabbatarians was dreadful. Their books and writings had to be delivered to the

Karlsburg Consistory to become the spoils of flames." Aus Ungarn, pp. 289-291.

Leipzig, 1850

Holland and Germany

"Dr. Cornelius stated of East Friesland, that when Baptists were numerous, "Sunday and

holidays were not observed," (they were Sabbath-keepers). Der Anteil Ostfrieslands and

Ref. Muenster," 1852, pp l29, 34

Moravia-Count Zinzendorf

In 1738 Zinzendorf wrote of his keeping the Sabbath thus: "That I have employed the

Sabbath for rest many years already, and our Sunday for the proclamation of the

gospel." Budingsche Sammlung, Sec. 8, p. 224. Leipzig, 1742

America - 1741

-Moravian Brethren (after Zinzendorf arrived from Europe). "As a special instance it

deserves to be noticed that he is resolved with the church at Bethlehem to observe the

seventh day as rest day. Id., pp. 5, 1421, 1422

America

But before Zinzendorf and the Moravians at Bethlehem thus began the observance of

the Sabbath and prospered, there was a small body of German Sabbath-keepers in

Pennsylvania. See Rupp's "History of Religious Denominations in the United States,"

pp.109- 123.

19th Century

"But the majority moved to the Crimea and the Caucasus, where they remain true to

their doctrine in spite of persecution until this present time. The people call them

Subotniki, or Sabbatarians, "Sternberg, "Geschichte der Juden in Polen," p.124

China

"At this time Hung prohibited the use of opium, and even tobacco, and all intoxicating

drinks, and the Sabbath was religiously observed." The Ti-Ping Revolution," by Llin-

Le, and officer among them, Vol. 1, pp.36-48, 84

"The seventh day is most religiously and strictly observed. The Taiping Sabbath is kept

upon our Saturday." P. 319

"The Taipings when asked why they observed the seventh day Sabbath, replied that it

was, first, because the Bible taught it, and, second, because their ancestors observed it

as a day of worship." A Critical History of the Sabbath and the Sunday.

India and Persia

"Besides, they maintain the solemn observance of Christian worship throughout our

Empire, on the seventh day." Christian Researches in Asia," p.143

Denmark

"This agitation was not without its effect. Pastor M.A. Sommer began observing

the seventh day, and wrote in his church paper. "Indovet Kristendom" No.5,1875 an

impressive article about the true Sabbath. In a letter to Elder John G.Matteson, he says:

"Among the Baptists here in Denmark there is a great agitation regarding the Sabbath

commandment..However, I am probably the only preacher in Denmark who stands so

near to the Adventists and who for many years has proclaimed Christ's second coming."

Advent Tidente," May, 1875

Russia

"But the majority moved to the Crimea and the Caucasus, where they remain true to

their doctrine in spite of persecution until this present time. The people call them

Subotniki, or Sabbatarians," Sternberg, "Geschichte der Juden in Polen," p.124

Sweden (Baptists)

"We will now endeavour to show that the sanctification of the Sabbath has its

foundation and its origin in a law which God at creation itself established for the whole

world, and as a consequence thereof is binding on all men in all ages." Evangelisten

(The Evangelist). Stockholm, May 30 to August 15,1863 (Swedish Baptist Church)

America - 1845

"Thus we see Dan. 7, 25, fulfilled, the little horn changing 'times and laws. 'Therefore it

appears to me that all who keep the first day for the Sabbath are Pope's Sunday-keepers

and God's Sabbath- breakers." Elder T.M. Preble, Feb.13, 1845

America (Seventh-day Adventists)

In 1844 Seventh-day Adventists arose and had spread to nearly all the world by the

close of the 19th Century. Their name is derived from their teaching of the seventh-day

Sabbath and the Advent of Jesus. In 1874 their work was established in Europe, 1885 -

Australasia, 1887-South Africa, 1888-Asia, 1888-South America. Seventh-day

Adventists uphold the same Sabbath that Jesus and His followers kept. The sacred

Torch of Truth was not extinguished through the long centuries. Adventists are working

today in nearly 1000 languages of earth and have over 27,000 churches. Over ten

million members around the globe welcome the sacred Sabbath hours.

20th Century

Baptist Convention

"The first four commandments set forth man's obligations directly toward God.... But

when we keep the first four commandments, we are likely to keep the other six. . . . The

fourth commandment sets forth God's claim on man's time and thought.... The six days

of labour and the rest on the Sabbath are to be maintained as a witness to God's toil and

rest in the creation. . . . No one of the ten words is of merely racial significance....

The Sabbath was established originally (long before Moses) in no special connection

with the Hebrews, but as an institution for all mankind, in commemoration of God's rest

after the six days of creation. It was designed for all the descendants of Adam."-Adult

Quarterly, Southern Baptist Convention series, Aug. 15, 1937.

Roman Catholic

“It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians,

that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is

an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a

commandment of the Catholic Church.” Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the

Elizabeth, NJ ‘News’ on March 18, 1903.

"The Church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath,

or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday

as the day to be kept holy as the Lord's Day. The Council of Trent (Sess. VI, can. xix)

condemns those who deny that the Ten Commandments are binding on Christians." The

Catholic Encyclopedia, Commandments of God, Volume IV, © 1908 by Robert

Appleton Company - Online Edition © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat - Remy

Lafort, Censor Imprimatur - +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York, page 153.

'Deny the authority of the Church and you have no adequate or reasonable explanation

or justification for the substitution of Sunday for Saturday in the Third - Protestant

Fourth - Commandment of God... The Church is above the Bible, and this transference

of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.'' Catholic Record, September 1, 1923.

“If Protestants would follow the Bible, they would worship God on the Sabbath Day. In

keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church.” Albert Smith,

Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter dated

February 10, 1920.

Episcopal

"The Bible commandment says on the seventh-day thou shalt rest. That is Saturday.

Nowhere in the Bible is it laid down that worship should be done on Sunday." Phillip

Carrington, quoted in Toronto Daily Star, Oct 26, 1949 [Carrington (1892-), Anglican

archbishop of Quebec, spoke the above in a message on this subject delivered to a

packed assembly of clergymen. It was widely reported at the time in the news media].

Lutheran

"We have seen how gradually the impression of the Jewish Sabbath faded from the

mind of the Christian church, and how completely the newer thought underlying the

observance of the first day took possesion of the church. We have seen that the

Christian of the first three centuries never confused one with the other, but for a time

celebrated both." The Sunday Problem, a study book by the Lutheran Church (1923)

p.36

Church of Christ

"But we do not find any direct command from God, or instruction from the risen Christ,

or admonition from the early apostles, that the first day is to be substituted for the

seventh day Sabbath." "Let us be clear on this point. Though to the Christian 'that day,

the first day of the week' is the most memorable of all days ... there is no command or

warrant in the New Testament for observing it as a holy day." "The Roman Church

selected the first day of the week in honour of the resurrection of Christ. ..." Bible

Standard, May, 1916, Auckland, New Zealand.

Church of England

"Nowhere in the Bible is it laid down that worship should be done on Sunday.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. ...! That is Saturday." P. Carrington,

Archbishop of Quebec, Oct. 27, 1949.

Smithsonian Institute

"The evaluation of Sunday, the traditionally accepted day of the resurrection of Christ,

has varied greatly throughout the centuries of the Christian Era. From time to time it has

been confused with the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath. English speaking peoples

have been the most consistent in perpetuating the erroneous assumption that the

obligation of the fourth commandment has passed over to Sunday. In popular speech,

Sunday is frequently, but erroneously, spoken of as the Sabbath."-F. M. SETZLER,

Head Curator, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institute, from a letter dated

Sept. 1, 1949.

How the Sabbath Was Changed

Today I want to answer the question which so many listeners have been concerned

about since our first broadcast on the Sabbath question. How did the change take place,

substituting Sunday for Saturday as the day of worship? This is possibly one of the most

disturbing religious questions among thinking Christians today. Unfortunately, the issue

is not examined publicly very often for reasons that we’ll consider today. But

multitudes have wondered when, how and why the change came about. We have

established in previous broadcasts that the Bible itself speaks with absolute consistency

on this subject.

No Change Documented in the Bible

In both Old and New Testament there is not a shadow of variation in the doctrine of the

Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday , is the only day ever designated by the term

Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a perfect example in observing the

weekly seventh-day Sabbath , but all His disciples followed the same pattern after Jesus

had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any change of the day is made. The

apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser issues of Jewish and Gentile

conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy over the day of worship.

Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs were readily challenged

by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier matter of weekly worship

never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no change was made from the

historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from creation itself. Had there been a

switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, you can be sure the controversy

would have been more explosive than any other to those Jewish Christians.

History Gives Some Clues

If the change did not take place in the Scriptures or through the influence of the

apostles, when and how did it happen? In order to understand this, we must understand

what happened in that early church soon after the apostles passed off the stage of action.

Paul had prophesied that apostasy would take place soon after his departure. He said

there would be a falling away from the truth. One doesn’t have to read very far in early

church history to see just how that prophecy was fulfilled. Gnosticism began to rise up

under the influence of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christianity with

Paganism. At the same time, a strong anti-Jewish sentiment became more widespread.

Very speculative interpretations began to appear regarding some of the great doctrines

of Christ and the apostles.

The Conversion of Constantine

By the time Constantine was established as the emperor of Rome in the early fourth

century, there was a decided division in the church as a result of all these factors. I think

most of you know that Constantine was the first so-called Christian emperor of the

Roman Empire. The story of his conversion has become very well known to students of

ancient history. He was marching forth to fight the battle of Milvian Bridge when he

had some kind of vision, and saw a flaming cross in the sky. Underneath the cross were

the Latin words meaning “In this sign conquer.” Constantine took this as an omen that

he should be a Christian, and his army as well. He declared all his pagan soldiers to be

Christians, and became very zealous to build up the power and prestige of the church.

Through his influence great blocks of pagans were taken into the Christian ranks. But,

friends, they were still pagan at heart, and they brought in much of the paraphernalia of

sun-worship to which they continued to be devoted. We mentioned in a previous

broadcast about the adoption of Christmas and Easter into the church. At the same time,

many other customs were Christianized and appropriated into the practice of the church

as well.

Sun Worship

You see, at that time the cult of Mithraism or sun-worship was the official religion of

the Roman Empire. It stood as the greatest competitor to the new Christian religion. It

had its own organization, temples, priesthood, robes—everything. It also had an official

worship day on which special homage was given to the sun. That day was called “The

Venerable Day of the Sun.” It was the first day of the week, and from it we get our

name Sunday. When Constantine pressed his pagan hordes into the church they were

observing the day of the sun for their adoration of the sun god. It was their special holy

day. In order to make it more convenient for them to make the change to the new

religion, Constantine accepted their day of worship, Sunday, instead of the Christian

Sabbath which had been observed by Jesus and His disciples. Remember that the way

had been prepared for this already by the increasing anti-Jewish feelings against those

who were accused of putting Jesus to death. Those feelings would naturally condition

many Christians to swing away from something which was held religiously by the Jews.

It is therefore easier to understand how the change was imposed on Christianity through

a strong civil law issued by Constantine as the Emperor of Rome. The very wording of

that law, by the way, can be found in any reliable encyclopedia. Those early Christians,

feeling that the Jews should not be followed any more than necessary, were ready to

swing away from the Sabbath which was kept by the Jews.

Historical Accounts

Some of you may be greatly surprised by the explanation I’ve just made, and I’m not

going to ask you to believe it blindly. I have before me a multitude of authorities to

verify what has been said. Here are historians, Catholics and Protestants, speaking in

harmony about what actually took place in the fourth century. After Constantine made

the initial pronouncement and legal decree about the change, the Catholic Church

reinforced that act in one church council after another. For this reason, many, many

official statements from Catholic sources are made, claiming that the church made the

change from Saturday to Sunday. But before I read those statements I shall refer to one

from the Encyclopedia Britannica under the article, Sunday. Notice: “It was Constantine

who first made a law for the proper observance of Sunday and who appointed that it

should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman empire.” Now you can check

these statements in your own encyclopedias or go to the library and look into other

historical sources.

Here is a statement from Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D.Litt., LLD, FBA, Professor of

Greek at Oxford University, who certainly had no ax to grind concerning Christian

thought on the Sabbath question. He wrote: “Now since Mithras was the sun, the

Unconquered, and the sun was the Royal Star, the religion looked for a king whom it

could serve as a representative of Mithras upon earth. The Roman Emperor seemed to

be clearly indicated as the true king. In sharp contrast to Christianity, Mithraism

recognized Caesar as the bearer of divine grace. It had so much acceptance that it was

able to impose on the Christian world its own sun-day in place of the Sabbath; its sun’s

birthday, the 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus.” History of Christianity in the

Light of Modern Knowledge.

Looking a bit further into historical statements, Dr. William Frederick says: “The

Gentiles were an idolatrous people who worshipped the sun, and Sunday was their most

sacred day. Now in order to reach the people in this new field, it seems but natural as

well as necessary to make Sunday the rest day of the church. At this time it was

necessary for the church to either adopt the Gentile’s day or else have the Gentiles

change their day. To change the Gentiles day would have been an offense and stumbling

block to them. The church could naturally reach them better by keeping their day.”

There it is, friends, a clear explanation by Dr. Frederick as to how this change

happened. Another statement very parallel to this one is found in the North British

Review.

But let’s move on to a statement from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 153. “The

church after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath or seventh-day of the

week to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept

holy as the Lord’s day.”

Catholicism Takes Credit for the Change

Now a quote from the Catholic Press newspaper in Sidney, Australia. “Sunday is a

Catholic institution and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic

principles. From the beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that

warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the

first.”

The Catholic Mirror of September 23, 1894, puts it this way: “The Catholic Church for

over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine

mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”

To point up the claims we’re talking about, I want to read from two Catechisms. First,

from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann.

“Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question:

Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead

of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the

solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question:

Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of

precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all

modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of

Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a

change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”

Then from Cardinal Gibbons’ book, The Question Box, p.179, “If the Bible is the only

guide for the Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is right in observing Saturday

with the Jew. Is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should

inconsistently follow in this matter the tradition of the Catholic Church?”

One more statement taken from the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since

Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who

profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe

Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was

made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom

was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the

authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That

observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic

sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a

picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”

That is a most interesting statement, is it not, friends? And it is a very true statement.

There is some inconsistency somewhere along the line, because we have examined the

statements of history, and you can check them for yourself in any library. I’m not

reading anything one-sided here at all. I’ve tried to give you an unbiased picture.

Although we have seen the claims made by the Catholic Church in their publications,

we are not reading them to cast any reflection upon anyone, by any means. We are

simply bringing you a recital of what has been written and what claims have been made.

The Lunar Sabbath - Is it Biblical?

In the last decade several persons have approached me with data that they understood to

promote lunar Sabbath calculation. This new and fascinating theory suggests that the

seven day week was reset after each new moon. (And as a result, the Sabbath would

always fall on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th of a given lunar monthi.) A large electronic

advertising campaign promoting this view has been conducted continuously for years.

And the result is that many persons now keep a Sabbath that happens, generally, on

neither Saturday nor Sunday. I say “generally” because they keep their Sabbath on a

different day of our calendar each month.

Practically, this means that while there are seven days from Sabbath to Sabbath in the

calendars of the whole planet, it isn’t always so for the believers in this theory. They

have eight or nine days between the 29th Sabbath and the next 8th Sabbath. That is

because they have one or two “new moon” days added in between “weeks” each month.

I have concluded that the data in support of this idea is faulty. Various parts of it are

either speculative, strained, inference-based, or uninspired. Whether approached

Biblically or from a historical standpoint, the idea has not stood up to scrutiny.

The Assertions

First, let me summarize the nature of evidence that I have seen so far as given in support

of the idea.

It is suggested that Sabbath falls on the 15th of three Biblical months in a row (the three

months beginning with the Exodus from Egypt). As moon cycles are only 29.5 days

long, the Sabbath could not fall three times in a row on the 15th unless the Sabbath was

lunar based.

It is asserted that no Sabbath in scripture can be shown to occur on any day other than

an 8th, 15th, 22nd, or 29th of a lunar cycle. As only about 15% of Gregorian-style

Sabbaths fall on those days, this is taken as corroborative evidence for lunar Sabbaths.

It is asserted that the lunar calendar was essential to the determination feast days in the

Old Testament. As such, it must be a valid calendar. And if the calendar is right for

calculating feast-day dates, it must be right for calculating Sabbath dates as Sabbaths are

among the feasts.

It is asserted that ancient authorities trace the seven-day week to Babylonian sources

and that the Jews anciently kept the Sabbath on a lunar basis. This Jewish habit was

changed by the Roman power and is the reason that Jews currently honor Saturday as

found on the Gregorian calendar.

Circumstantial evidence, it is asserted, points to Lunar Sabbaths in the time of Joshua,

Solomon, and Hezekiah, and Paul.

The New Moons do not count as “working days” and so there are still 6 working days in

each weekly cycle in the new moon calendar.

While other thoughts have appeared here and there in lunar documentation, these are the

ones that appear repeatedly in the documents I have read. What appears in not one of

the documents is a “thus saith the Lord” teaching that new moons interrupt the weekly

cycle.

The Evidence

The most intriguing argument, to me, in the six listed above was item number two. The

word “Sabbath” appears more 100 passages of scripture. It seems, at first thought, that if

not one of those can be shown to fall on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th,

12th, 13th, 14th, etc., day of the month, that that would be fairly significant evidence in

favor of the lunar Sabbath theory.

Here are the facts:

There are many passages that refer to the Sabbath in a precept in such a way as to

provide no precise and certain information regarding the correlation of days with

months.

See Ex 20:8-11; De 5:12-15; Ex 31:14-16; Ex 35:2-3; Le 24:8; Nu 28:9-10; [Neh 9:14];

[1 Chr 9:32]; Ps 92:1; Amos 8:5; Jer 17:21-27; Is 56:2, 6; Is 58:13; Matthew

24:20; John 7:22-23; Colossians 2:16

There are 20 Stories in scripture that refer to the Sabbath, but without dating it in terms

of a day of the month.

See Nu 15:32; 2Ki 11:5-9, 2Chr 23:4-8; 2Ki 16:18; Neh 10:31; Neh 13:15-22; Matthew

12:1-12, Mark 2:23-3:4, Luke 6:1-9; Mark 1:21; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16; Luke 4:31; Luke

13:10-16; Luke 14:1-5; Acts 1:12; Acts 13:14-44; Acts 15:21; Acts 16:13; Acts

17:2; Acts 18:4; John 5:9-18 ; John 9:14-16 .

There are only two stories in all of scripture that mention Sabbath in a context that can

be certainly dated in relation to a day of the lunar month. These are the first giving of

the manna and the death and resurrection of Jesus.

See Ex 16:23-29 and Mt 28:1; Mr. 15 42; 16:1; Lu 23:54-56; Jo 19:31.

So how many Sabbath stories in scripture are really datable? Two.

This fact neutralizes the first two arguments.

(In the appendix I address other passages that are asserted to be dateable correlations

between the lunar calendar and days of the week.)

Regarding the third point, it is obviously true in scripture the Jewish feast daysii were

calculated based on the Jewish lunar calendar.

But the extrapolation that says “if dates of the year must be calculated on an annual

calendar, therefore days of the week must also be so calculated” is unwarranted. No

prophet says anything of the kind. History does not back it up. Muslims today use a

lunar calendar but keep a weekly day as honored. The argument that a continuous

weekly cycle is Biblically inconsistent is purely speculative. And that is the polite way

to say it.

The fourth point, strictly speaking, is not a Biblical one. But the history is faulty. The

fact is that from Paul’s day (in the book of Acts) there were Jews in “every city” that

read the Torah on Sabbath.

Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in

the synagogues every sabbath day.

Jews had been scattered by Assyria and Babylon, long before the rise of the Romans.

They were important persons in Persia and in Africa in lands not subject to Rome. Now

think this through: There is no way that one million Jews scattered all over the world

could, simultaneously, be convinced to change their method of Sabbath keeping without

abundant historical evidence being left behind to prove it.

But more than this, the gospel was carried to every part of the known world during the

first century.

Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away

from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every

creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Lunar weeks predict that when the apostles traveled to India, Ethiopia, and the British

Isles, that these places began keeping lunar Sabbaths. None of these were under the

influence of Rome by the 3rd century. This is why they kept the Seventh-day Sabbath

so many centuries after Rome had stopped.

And there is no way that Christians around the world, faithful Sabbath keepers, could be

convinced to change their day of worship without it showing up in history. The change

of the Sabbath to Sunday shows up abundantly in history and proves, by this very

appearance, that the other change never occurred.

The fifth point is circumstantial. If someone gathers by complicated reasoning that such

a story must have happened on such a day of the month, their conclusion is suspect. See

the footnote regarding John 9 for example of what I mean.

Further, we do not want to ever turn an observation of practice into a command. We

want plain and direct commands for our practice. And no such command exists for the

lunar Sabbath theory.

And even the observations are faulty as can be seen in the appendix where these stories

are examined. If we were to admit circumstantial evidence we would have to observe

that the first day of the month was not treated as holy in the following passages:

Genesis 8:13 Noah removed the covering of the ark, a great feat.

Numbers 1:1 The men of Israel were counted on the first day of the week.

Ezra 7:9 Ezra was traveling on two new moons.

The sixth point in the short list of lunar Sabbath evidences is based on a single verse in

Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 46:1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward

the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in

the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

The reasoning goes like this: If the gate is shut on the six working days and open on the

new moon, then the new moon can not be one of the six working days. And since it is

not one of the six working days, it must not be part of the week.

The fault lies in the fact that the verse is a perfectly natural way to write even if the new

moons did occur on various days of the week. The inference that lunar Sabbath

proponents make is unwarranted and stretched. It would be similar in character to

reading “God loves a cheerful giver” and concluding that God doesn’t love other

grudging givers.

The Bible is brief and well written. We can not impose on it a demand that enough

details be given to prevent us from making false inferences.

Rather, we should demand a “Thus Saith the Lord” for our articles of belief.

Summary and Settling the Issue

Not one of the six primary lines of evidence for lunar Sabbaths holds up under

investigation. That could settle the issue for me. No evidence for a life-changing idea is

evidence enough that it is false.

But there are some facts that settle the matter more substantially. Let us consider them.

The facts relating to the Mark of the Beast and the Seal of Godiii demand that the issue

be one easy to settle on the basis of scripture. Simple minded persons must be able to

stake their life on the fact that they are right. And simple minded persons the world over

have flocked to the simple truth that showed their willingness to brave opposition to be

faithful. But the Lunar Sabbath theory is not one that can be traced to a command or a

simple statement. It is complex, and this is a sign itself that there is something fishy

about it.

The first week began in Genesis 1 before the moon began shining. This settles the fact

that the week has always been independent of the lunar cycle.

The phrase “seven weeks” should be 49 days by standard calendars. By a lunar-solar

calendar, however, it would be 51-52 days. Leviticus 23 and Daniel 9 both establish that

“seven weeks” are 49 days. And that simply disproves the lunar-Sabbath idea.

The timing of the 1260 year prophecy (538 AD to 1798 AD) is entirely too late for

changing the nature of the week.iv When the papacy was established as a civil ruler of

the Roman empire it began a historically documented assault on Sabbath keeping. That

assault eventually changed the way churches from India to Ethiopia to Ireland related to

the Sabbath. Jews during that same period retained their Sabbath keeping through-out

the papal states.

Conclusion

The week was being counted before the creation of the time-keeping pieces of the sun

and the moon. The Sabbath, like marriage, comes to us from the Garden of Eden. It has

always had faithful observers. When light shown on the Law of God in fulfillment of

Revelation 11, the Sabbath truth was revealed to many of God’s people around the

planet.

The confusion that the lunar Sabbath ideas have created is not sensible. The arguments

regarding “three months in a row” and “all Sabbaths in scripture on the 15th, 22nd, etc.”

are only so much misunderstandings and speculations.

The gifts given to preserve the church from such winds have been despised. And a “thus

Saith the Lord” for lunar-Sabbath keeping should be demanded. It cannot be produced.

One organization has offered a substantive reward for a Biblical refutation of the lunar

Sabbath doctrine. Appended to that offer was a quote of Luther, “By the mercy of God,

I conjure you, . . . to prove from the writings of the prophets and apostles that I have

erred. As soon as I am convinced of this, I will retract every error . . . ."

This is a noble position, and a rare one. May it be the sincere position of those who have

been erroneously carried away with the pseudo-history of the lunar-Sabbath proponents.

Appendix -- Comments on Passages used as Evidence of Lunar Sabbaths in History

If someone came to me and alleged that my wife was guilty of adultery, I would not be

inclined to believe them. Suppose the accuser said something like this, “I have ten

different proofs that she is guilty of the crime!” Well, I would want to see them. Now

imagine that he begins, “First, I saw your wife sitting by David Young in a picture.

Second, I heard a video of your wife saying ‘I love you, Boo-boo’ to someone on the

floor. Third, I saw a text message to one Zachary Harvey saying that she loved him!

Fourth, there are pillows and a bed in the loft of your shed.”

I would stop him. I wouldn’t need to hear any more. If his best and first arguments are

worthless, then his whole case is unconvincing. You see, David Young is her brother.

Zachery is her nephew. Boo-boo is her Yorkie-Chihuahua. And we have a guest bed for

teen-age nephews in our shed.

I am illustrating an idea. The fact that someone has a long list of arguments is not

evidence that they are correct. It may just be evidence that they are determined to make

their point. And if the first of these arguments is weak, there is no need to be troubled

about their conclusion.

Nevertheless, for the sake of being thorough, the follow comments are offered on some

strained arguments made in favor of the lunar-Sabbath falsehood.

Some studies indicate that Exodus 12 is an example of a weekly Sabbath on the 15th.

The argument runs, “The first day of the feast of unleavened bread was on the 15th

which was a Sabbath (SeeLeviticus 23: 4-16). This makes the Sabbaths for the first

month (Abib) to have fallen on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and the 29th.”

But look at the passage quoted, Lev 23:4-16. Specifically note verses 7-8. Not only does

it make the first day a Sabbath, but it also makes the seventh day of the feast a Sabbath.

In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.8

But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh

day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

What verses seven and eight prove is that not all ceremonial holy convocations that

involve rest from work can correlate with weekly Sabbaths. And so the fact that there

are also holy convocation seven days apart in the seventh month (the 15th and the 22nd)

loses its significance in view of the fact that holy convocations are only six days apart in

the first month.

Some studies indicate that Exodus 19 is an example of a month where Sabbaths

correlate well with the lunar calendar. The argument runs like this: “Israel left Egypt the

night of Abib 15. Three months later, on the very same day, the 15th, they rested before

the mount. (See Deuteronomy 16:1; Numbers 33:3;Exodus 19:1-2.)”

But when we read the passage we find that the 15th, and 16th were days of cleaning up

and getting ready for a meeting with the Holy God on the 17th. If one of these three

dates must be chosen for a Sabbath from the narrative, better the 17th.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people

may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words

of the people unto the LORD. 10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people,

and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be

ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of

all the people upon mount Sinai.

But really, there is not enough data to make a Sabbath of any day. The argument, as

worded above, might lead the reader to think that the Bible associates the 15th with

“rest”, but the passage rather associates it with “camping.” As a preparation day, the

15th and 16th do not seem like Sabbaths.

At least one study refers to Leveticus 23:15-16 as evidence of Lunar Sabbaths. This is

the argument: “Leviticus 23:15-16 tells us that Pentecost always takes place on the first

day of the week on the 9th of the third month. . .”

If this was true, namely that the 9th of the month was always a “first day” of the week,

it would be a very strong argument indeed for Lunar Sabbath keeping.

But you may read Leveticus 23:15-16, its context, and even the whole Bible, and you

will find no such idea as is asserted in this argument. There is no passage that says that

the Pentecost fell on the 9th day of the third month. Here is the passage:

And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye

brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto

the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a

new meat offering unto the LORD.

Now consider these two verses carefully. Seven Sabbaths plus one day is “fifty days”

inclusive. That is seven complete weeks (first day through Sabbath) plus an additional

first day. That is exactly 50 days with a continuous cycle of sevens. But interject into

that mix two new moons and you suddenly have 52 days. In truth, Leviticus 23:15-16 is

significant evidence against the Lunar Sabbath idea.

One study finds evidence of Lunar Sabbaths in the fact that the manna stopped falling

on the 16th of the first month. But the passage, Joshua 5:10-12, says nothing about

whether the 15th had been a Sabbath. (Indeed, if the 15th was a Sabbath, then the last

day of manna falling was the 14th rather than the 15th.)

The same study finds evidence of the 8th being a Sabbath is Exodus 40:2, 17. The

argument runs like this: “Aaron and his sons were sanctified for seven days beginning

on New Moon Day (See Exodus 40: 2, 17). On the eighth day (which was also the 8th

of the month), there was an assembly of the congregation. During the preceding seven

days, they were not to leave the tabernacle.”

So the evidence of a Sabbath is found in the “assembly of the congregation” on the 8th

day.

What does Exodus 40:2, 17 really show? It shows that the first day of the week was the

day that the temple was constructed. The remainder of the chapter shows the immense

volume of physical work that Moses did in raising up the temple.

2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the

congregation. 17 And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first

day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

The priests were sanctified for a week. If we have to assign a seventh-day Sabbath to

the story, the best place would be the seventh-day of their temple stay. But even this

would be a stretch. The truth is that the story (Lev 8-9) doesn’t have any information

about when the Seventh-day Sabbath occurred.

The 22nd of the seventh month was always to be a holy convocation, the last day of the

Feast of Tabernacles. So when Solomon kept it that way in 2 Chronicles 7:8-10, it

doesn’t throw any additional light on the question of whether that holy convocation also

coincided with the seventh-day Sabbath.

Some find evidence in Esther 9 for a Sabbath on the 15th of the 12th month. But the

passage indicates that both the 14th and 15th were kept as special days, and so the

passage provides no information about whether the 14th, or the 15th, or neither of those

days, was a seventh-day Sabbath.

The story of Hezekiah describes sixteen days of cleaning the courtyard and temple. On

the eighth day they started on the temple itself. They finished on the 16th. But there is

no evidence here regarding the location of a seventh-day Sabbath. Indeed, it is quite

apparent that if some day was kept holy, it was not the 8th.

The healing of the blind man on Sabbath in John 9 is believed to be evidence for a

Sabbath on the 22nd of the seventh month. The argument runs like this: “Christ attended

the Feast of Tabernacles. (John7:10.) On the last day of the Feast, the 21st of the

seventh month, Christ stood and spoke. (John 7:37.) Christ spent that night on the

Mount of Olives. (John 8:1.) The next morning, the 22nd of the seventh month, Christ

returned to the temple. (John 8:2.) At the temple, Christ healed a blind man. (John 9:6.)

The healing of the blind man caused great anger for it was the seventh-day Sabbath.

(John 9:14.) This places the weekly seventh-day Sabbaths on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and

29th of the month yet again.”

John 8:1 is, very likely, the 21st of the 7th month. Granted. But that it is the same day

as John 9:14 is a great stretch. While Jesus went into the temple in 8:2, he was

wandering in 9:1, fifty-nine verses later. By chapter 11:55 you are already all the way to

Passover. There is no sensible way to know how much time elapsed between 8:2 and

9:1. Even if John 9:6 did say that the man was healed in the temple it would be no

evidence that it was the same day, for:

John 18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the

synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said

nothing.

The fact is that we have no way of knowing the date of John 9, even if we do know the

date of John 8:1-2. And John 9:6…says nothing about the blind man being in the

temple.

Paul’s Journey in Acts 20 is alleged to provide evidence for the lunar-calculation of the

Sabbath. The reasoning goes like this: “The seventh day of their stay at Troas was the

second day of the month which Paul refers to as the first day of the week.” And so if the

first day of the week is the second day of the lunar month, then the month matches

lunar-calendar expectations.

The problem is that the math doesn’t work out right. If you count the days inclusively

(as Jews always did) then they were in Philippi for the 21st. A plain reading of the

passage makes it appear that they traveled on the 22nd (which would be an argument

against the Lunar Sabbath reckoning).

And there are just too many unknowns in the story. “After the days” could mean

“immediately after” or “sometime soon after.” If I said, “after being at my mother’s

home for Thanksgiving we spent the next few weeks at home” I wouldn’t be saying

anything about whether I drove home on Thursday afternoon, Friday morning or even

Sunday noon. It just wouldn’t be clear.

But when I plot the events as they most likely occurred on a lunar calendar, I find the

“first day of the week” happening on the third day of the lunar calendar at earliest.

- Eugene Prewitt

______________________________________________________________________

1 During the Passover trip. The specific day is not specified.

2 Some Lunar Sabbath proponents list John 9 as an example of a 15th of the month

Sabbath. This is based on the Feast of Tabernacles of John 7. The argument goes that

the morning after the feast Jesus went into the temple and found this blind man. John

8:1 is, very likely, the 22nd of the 7th month. Granted. But to say that John 9:14 is the

same day is a great stretch. While Jesus went into the temple in 8:2, he was wandering

in 9:1, fifty-nine verses later. There is no way to say where day divisions are in the

narrative. By chapter 11:55 you are already nearing Passover. The day-break verses just

don’t often show up in the gospels.

i If you are new to the topic of lunar Sabbath theory, there is a short list of time-keeping

jargon that you may need to learn to understand what you are studying. A “lunar

month” means the period between one new moon and another new moon. A “Gregorian

month” means January or February, etc. The Gregorian month and calendar are named

after the pope Gregory who decreed their particulars. A “Gregorian-style Sabbath” is

one found on the seventh-day of the kind of your wall calendar, on Saturday. A “lunar

Sabbath” would be one that falls seven, fourteen, twenty-one or twenty eight days after

the new moon in any given month.

ii Many lunar Sabbatarians are also feast-day keepers. While there is nothing wrong

with keeping Jewish holidays, it is sensible to notice how John introduced them to his

readers. He wrote of “the Passover, a feast of the Jews” and of “the Jews’ Feast of

Tabernacles.” John 6:4 and 7:2. See alsoJohn 2:13 and 11:55.

iii If you have not yet had an opportunity to study Amazing Facts’ materials on

Revelation 13-16, this argument may not be comprehendible. But in Revelation

12:17 and 14:12 God’s people are described as commandment-keepers. The world is

tested over this issue. But God will never test the world over something that simple

people can’t understand.

iv If you are unfamiliar with this interesting prophecy from Daniel 7:25, see Amazing

Facts’ Storacles of Bible Prophecy series. There you will see evidence that the Roman

power would try to change God’s law during the dark ages. This prophecy was fulfilled.

And its fulfillment shows the value of the Sabbath.

What About The Lord's Day?

Sometime ago a friend of mine was driving through Ohio on his way to New York City.

At least he thought he was heading for New York until suddenly he saw a huge bus

speed toward him and past him, plainly marked New York City. It was puzzling to say

the least. Either that bus driver was wrong or he was wrong. So he drove in to the next

service station and asked, “Say, isn’t this the way to New York City?” The attendant

smiled and said, “Yes, if you want to go 25,000 miles.”

Only then did he realize that he had turned the wrong direction after stopping at a

turnpike restaurant. He quickly turned around and headed in the right direction.

This experience of my friend illustrates very clearly what is happening to a lot of people

in their religious life. No matter how sincere a person may be, he might be sincerely

wrong. Something more is needed than sincerity in order to reach the right destination.

Some times Christians discover that they have been mistaken. Sometimes they have

been misled by others and find themselves going in the wrong direction. It is

tremendously important that Christians keep open minds and hearts and be willing to

change directions if necessary to keep in harmony with constantly unfolding truth. After

all, truth cannot be everything. Truth is circumscribed in religion by what is in the

Bible. It doesn’t conform to everything, but it must conform to what is revealed in the

Bible. People may be and will be wrong, but God’s Word never is.

Let’s apply that to a strange situation we find in the world today. Although we have the

same Christ, the same Bible, yet we find two Sabbath days kept by Christians. And the

sincere heart cannot help but ask, “Which is right?”

There are multitudes who have been told, and who honestly believe, that the keeping of

the seventh-day Sabbath was abolished at the cross and that the first day of the week—

the day we now call Sunday—became the Lord’s day in honor of the resurrection. There

is another group of Christians, equally sincere, who believe that the original seventh-

day Sabbath is the true Lord’s day to be observed by all—even this side of the cross.

Friends, if ever I have asked God to help me speak with fairness and honest candor, it is

now. For we all know, multitudes of sincere, devoted men and women are walking

where their forefathers have walked without once thinking to question why they keep

the day that they do. Yet we must learn—and I believe we have learned—one vital

truth. It is this. We must have Scripture support for every Christian practice that we

follow.

God's word reveals the truth on the issue

Now if we are wrong on the Sabbath question —wrong either way—God’s word will

certainly reveal that error. And I believe that every honest man and woman wants to

know the truth, even if the truth turns out to be different from what he expected it to be.

If the Scriptures reveal that I am keeping the wrong day, then I ought to be perfectly

willing to change. Don’t you think?

I know there are those who say it doesn’t make any difference which day you keep, so

long as you keep one day in seven. Ever hear anyone talk like that? Does it make a

difference? Is any day acceptable to God? Let’s turn to the Book, to the Bible in your

hand, and see what we discover. We shall read three simple, clear statements. First will

you turn to Revelations 1:10. “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me

a great voice, as of a trumpet.”

Evidently the Lord has a day. But which day is it? “For the Son of man is Lord even of

the Sabbath day .” Matthew 12:8. There must be something different about the Sabbath.

Through the prophet Isaiah God speaks of the Sabbath and calls it plainly “my holy

day.” Isaiah 58:13. And no where in Scripture does He designate an other day as his.

The Lord, then, has a day. And that day is the Sabbath. But now we ask, which of the

seven days is the Sabbath? We turn for our answer to the very heart of the Ten

Commandments. “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy . Six days shalt thou labor,

and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus

20: 8-10. That is clear, isn’t it? Now we have learned three things. The Lord has a day.

The Sabbath is the Lord’s day. The seventh day is the Sabbath.

And now verse 11. This tells us why God made the Sabbath. “For in six days the Lord

made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:

wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Evidently there is a

mighty strong link between the Sabbath and creation and the Creator.

How does creation fit into the story?

By the way, who made the worlds? Who made this earth? You say, “God did.” Yes. But

let’s turn to Ephesians 3: 9. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the

mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all

things by Jesus Christ.” John 1:10 declares “He was in the world, and the world was

made by Him, and the world knew Him not.” Could any statement be clearer? Yes,

Christ, as He pre-existed before Bethlehem, created this world.

Watch what happened. “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had

made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And

God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all

His work which God created and made.” Genesis 2: 2,3. Do you see it now? The One

who made this earth is the One who made the Sabbath. Jesus had every right to say,

“The Son of man is Lord of the sabbath day.” For He had made it. He had every right to

say, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments .” For it was He Himself, back in Eden,

who first gave commandments to men.

Do we really sense the impact of what we have just discovered? Listen. The Christ of

Calvary is the Creator of Genesis. To reject one is to reject the other! Have you ever

thought of that? To reject one is to reject the other! Oh friends, why do we try to isolate

the Sabbath and put it off somewhere by itself? Why are we so unwilling to leave it just

where God put it—in the very center of His eternal law?

Do you know that if I would go into a city and talk about juvenile delinquency and

community betterment and salvation from sin—if I should point men to the word of

God regarding adultery, stealing, killing, and show how Christ can give victory—every

Christian would stand right back of me and many non-Christians as well. They would

say, “Brother Joe, what a wonderful work you are doing for humanity!” But the moment

we mention the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, eyebrows are lifted. Questions are

raised. Excuses are piled high. Why? I ask you. Why?

It is perfectly all right to talk about the first or second commandment or the sixth or the

seventh or the eighth. But don’t mention the fourth. Why? Let’s be consistent. You can

see that the commandments stand or fall together. Either they are still in force or they

aren’t. Either it’s wrong for me to lie and kill and steal, or it isn’t. We don’t make

excuses for breaking the other commandments. Why the fourth? I have often wondered

how so clear and simple a matter as our relationship to grace and the commandments of

God—I say, I have often wondered how so clear and simple a matter can be made to

appear so confusing. People say, “I’m saved by grace. I don’t need to keep the law.”

Did you ever hear anybody reason like that? But friend, do grace and pardon release us

from obedience to the very law that we have broken? If I am saved, will I pick your

pocket? Will I lie? Will I steal? Will I kill? No. Commandment keeping becomes a

possibility to the heart that loves his Lord. It’s love that makes all the difference.

Do you see? Salvation from the power of sin is a gift from God. He cancels our sin debt

of the past through no good works of our own. And then, when we are forgiven, it is our

delight to do God’s will. Not to merit heaven, you understand. But because we love

Him. Commandment keeping, you see, is not a means of salvation. It is an evidence of

it. Keep that clear distinction in mind, and you will never have any confusion on this

vital point.

Only for the Jews?

Now some, without really thinking it through, have told us that the seventh day Sabbath

is Jewish and therefore is not for us. But Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man

.” And that means all men. The Saviour Himself made the Sabbath two thousand years

before there was a Jew. He gave the Sabbath along with marriage, and the Sabbath is no

more Jewish than is marriage. Woman was made for man. Did you ever hear anyone

say, “I can’t get married because it’s Jewish?” Did you?

The deeper you study into this thing, the more thoroughly you investigate, the greater

will be your conviction that something is wrong somewhere, that in some very vital

issues we have been just slipping along, following the crowd, never thinking to

question. At this point you maybe saying, “I believe you are right. Evidently the seventh

day is the right day to keep. But how can we know that the day we now call Saturday is

the seventh day of Bible times?” Let’s look at the following texts: Luke 23: 52-56; 24:

1. “This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and

wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man

before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. And the

women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the

sepulchre, and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and

ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the

first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing

the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them.”

Do you see how these words settle the matter? Three days are mentioned here—

the preparation day , the Sabbath, and the first day of the week. Notice that two of the

days are given sacred titles. The other is given simply a number—the first day of the

week. Oh, I know it doesn’t say Friday, Saturday, Sunday. But we all know that Jesus

was crucified on the day we now call Friday, and rose from the dead on the day we now

call Sunday. The Sabbath is the day in between. It’s as simple as that!

And keep in mind that these words were not written that weekend and rushed off to

press. No. They were written many years this side of the cross. Yet the inspired writer

still calls the seventh day the Sabbath , and Sunday simply the first day of the week.

Significant, isn’t it? Think it through.

I hope you will not be satisfied with a shallow look at this Sabbath subject, friends. It is

terribly important to understand exactly how you relate to those ten commandments that

God wrote with His own hand.

How the Sabbath Was Changed

Today I want to answer the question which so many listeners have been concerned

about since our first broadcast on the Sabbath question . How did the change take place,

substituting Sunday for Saturday as the day of worship? This is possibly one of the most

disturbing religious questions among thinking Christians today. Unfortunately, the issue

is not examined publicly very often for reasons that we’ll consider today. But

multitudes have wondered when, how and why the change came about. We have

established in previous broadcasts that the Bible itself speaks with absolute consistency

on this subject.

No Change Documented in the Bible. In both Old and New Testament there is not a

shadow of variation in the doctrine of the Sabbath. The seventh day, Saturday, is the

only day ever designated by the term Sabbath in the entire Bible. Not only was Jesus a

perfect example in observing the weekly seventh-day Sabbath, but all His disciples

followed the same pattern after Jesus had gone back to heaven. Yet no intimation of any

change of the day is made. The apostle Paul, who wrote pages of counsel about lesser

issues of Jewish and Gentile conflicts, had not one word to say about any controversy

over the day of worship. Circumcision, foods offered to idols, and other Jewish customs

were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church, but the weightier

matter of weekly worship never was an issue. Why? For the simple reason that no

change was made from the historic seventh day of Old Testament times, and from

creation itself. Had there been a switch from the Sabbath to the first day of the week,

you can be sure the controversy would have been more explosive than any other to

those Jewish Christians.

History Gives Some Clues

If the change did not take place in the Scriptures or through the influence of the

apostles, when and how did it happen? In order to understand this, we must understand

what happened in that early church soon after the apostles passed off the stage of action.

Paul had prophesied that apostasy would take place soon after his departure. He said

there would be a falling away from the truth. One doesn’t have to read very far in early

church history to see just how that prophecy was fulfilled. Gnosticism began to rise up

under the influence of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christianity with aganism.

At the same time, a strong anti-Jewish sentiment became more widespread. Very

eculative interpretations began to appear regarding some of the great doctrines of Christ

and the apostles.

The Conversion of Constantine

By the time Constantine was established as the emperor of Rome in the early fourth

century, there was a decided division in the church as a result of all these factors. I think

most of you know that Constantine was the first so-called Christian emperor of the

Roman Empire. The story of his conversion has become very well known to students of

ancient history. He was marching forth to fight the battle of Milvian Bridge when he

had some kind of vision, and saw a flaming cross in the sky. Underneath the cross were

the Latin words meaning “In this sign conquer.” Constantine took this as an omen that

he should be a Christian, and his army as well. He declared all his pagan soldiers to be

Christians, and became very zealous to build up the power and prestige of the church.

Through his influence great blocks of pagans were taken into the Christian ranks. But,

friends, they were still pagan at heart, and they brought in much of the paraphernalia of

sun-worship to which they continued to be devoted. We mentioned in a previous

broadcast about the adoption of Christmas and Easter into the church. At the same time,

many other customs were Christianized and appropriated into the practice of the church

as well.

Sun Worship

You see, at that time the cult of Mithraism or sun-worship was the official religion of

the Roman Empire. It stood as the greatest competitor to the new Christian religion. It

had its own organization, temples, priesthood, robes—everything. It also had an official

worship day on which special homage was given to the sun. That day was called “

The Venerable Day of the Sun.” It was the first day of the week, and from it we get our

name Sunday. When Constantine pressed his pagan hordes into the church they were

observing the day of the sun for their adoration of the sun god. It was their special holy

day. In order to make it more convenient for them to make the change to the new

religion, Constantine accepted their day of worship, Sunday, instead of the Christian

Sabbath which had been observed by Jesus and His disciples. Remember that the way

had been prepared for this already by the increasing anti-Jewish feelings against those

who were accused of putting Jesus to death. Those feelings would naturally condition

many Christians to swing away from something which was held religiously by the Jews.

It is therefore easier to understand how the change was imposed on Christianity through

a strong civil law issued by Constantine as the Emperor of Rome. The very wording of

that law, by the way, can be found in any reliable encyclopedia. Those early Christians,

feeling that the Jews should not be followed any more than necessary, were ready to

swing away from the Sabbath which was kept by the Jews.

Historical Accounts

Some of you may be greatly surprised by the explanation I’ve just made, and I’m not

going to ask you to believe it blindly. I have before me a multitude of authorities to

verify what has been said. Here are historians, Catholics and Protestants, speaking in

harmony about what actually took place in the fourth century. After Constantine made

the initial pronouncement and legal decree about the change, the Catholic Church

reinforced that act in one church council after another. For this reason, many, many

official statements from Catholic sources are made, claiming that the church made the

change from Saturday to Sunday. But before I read those statements I shall refer to one

from the Encyclopedia Britannica under the article, Sunday. Notice: “It was Constantine

who first made a law for the proper observance of Sunday and who appointed that it

should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman empire.” Now you can check

these statements in your own encyclopedias or go to the library and look into other

historical sources.

Here is a statement from Dr. Gilbert Murray, M.A., D.Litt., LLD, FBA, Professor of

Greek at Oxford University, who certainly had no ax to grind concerning Christian

thought on the Sabbath question. He wrote: “Now since Mithras was the sun, the

Unconquered, and the sun was the Royal Star, the religion looked for a king whom it

could serve as a representative of Mithras upon earth. The Roman Emperor

seemed to be clearly indicated as the true king. In sharp contrast to Christianity,

Mithraism recognized Caesar as the bearer of divine grace. It had so much acceptance

that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own sun-day in place of the

Sabbath; its sun’s birthday, the 25th of December, as the birthday of Jesus.” History of

Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge.

Looking a bit further into historical statements, Dr. William Frederick says: “The

Gentiles were an idolatrous people who worshipped the sun, and Sunday was their most

sacred day. Now in order to reach the people in this new field, it seems but natural as

well as necessary to make Sunday the rest day of the church. At this time it was

necessary for the church to either adopt the Gentile’s day or else have the Gentiles

change their day. To change the Gentiles day would have been an offense and stumbling

block to them. The church could naturally reach them better by keeping their day.”

There it is, friends, a clear explanation by Dr. Frederick as to how this change

happened. Another statement very parallel to this one is found in the North British

Review.

But let’s move on to a statement from the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 153. “The

church after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath or seventh-day of the

week to the first, made the third commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept

holy as the Lord’s day.”

Catholicism Takes Credit for the Change

Now a quote from the Catholic Press newspaper in Sidney, Australia. “Sunday is a

Catholic institution and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic

principles. From the beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that

warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the

first.”

The Catholic Mirror of September 23, 1894, puts it this way: “The Catholic Church for

over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine

mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”

To point up the claims we’re talking about, I want to read from two Catechisms. First,

from the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by Reverend Peter Giermann.

“Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question:

Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead

of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea transferred the

solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.”

Second, from Reverend Steven Keenan’s Doctrinal Catechism we read this: “Question:

Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of

precept? Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all

modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of

Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day; a

change for which there is no Scriptural authority.”

Then from Cardinal Gibbons’ book, The Question Box, p.179, “If the Bible is the only

guide for the Christian, then the Seventh-day Adventist is right in observing Saturday

with the Jew. Is it not strange that those who make the Bible their only teacher should

inconsistently follow in this matter the tradition of the Catholic Church?”

One more statement taken from the book, The Faith of Millions, p. 473. “But since

Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn’t it curious that non-Catholics who

profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe

Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistency but this change was

made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom

was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the

authority of the Catholic Church and not upon an explicit text from the Bible. That

observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic

sects broke away like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a

picture of his mother or a lock of her hair.”

That is a most interesting statement, is it not, friends? And it is a very true statement.

There is some inconsistency somewhere along the line, because we have examined the

statements of history, and you can check them for yourself in any library. I’m not

reading anything one-sided here at all. I’ve tried to give you an unbiased picture.

Although we have seen the claims made by the Catholic Church in their publications,

we are not reading them to cast any reflection upon anyone, by any means. We are

simply bringing you a recital of what has been written and what claims have been made.

The Sabbath and de mark of beast

A tattooed number, a computer chip under the skin, or something more subtle? It's one

of the most misinterpreted prophecies in all of the Bible - yet it is so important to

correctly understand this subject. But in studying the mark of the beast, we must address

some very sensitive issues, naming names and being specific. This is not a popular thing

today, but we must be firm because God loves His people and He wants them to know

the truth. This message is not ours, but Jesus'. And with eternal death facing those who

receive the mark, it would be a crime to not help Him deliver this message. This lesson

should probably be prefaced with a warning: "THE DEVIL DOES NOT WANT YOU

TO READ AND COMPLETE THIS STUDY GUIDE." Please read Revelation 13:1-

8, 14:9-12, and 16-18, and pray for the Holy Spirit to grant you an honest and

understanding heart before embarking on this study adventure. An Urgent Reminder We

learned from Study Guide 2 that a terrible conflict is in progress between God and the

devil. It has raged through the centuries since Lucifer, heaven's most powerful angel,

rebelled against God. With the angels who joined him, he attempted to overcome God

and seize control of the universe. God and the loyal angels had no choice but to eject

Lucifer and his angels from heaven. Lucifer, who became known as the devil and Satan,

was infuriated. His determination to destroy God and control the universe has grown

with every passing year. Amazingly, he has won the support of the vast majority of

earth's people in his rebellion. The Lord also asks for people's loyalty and support, but

He leaves all free to choose. Soon every person on earth will have aligned with either

Satan or God. The final battle between Satan and God is just ahead, and it is described

in the book of Revelation. This book points out that God has an emblem, or mark,

which will identify His people. Satan also has an emblem, or mark, that will identify

those who support him. As usual, Satan will work through an earthly power symbolized

in Revelation by a beast to impose his mark. This Study Guide will reveal the beast's

mark, which every lost person of the end time will receive. Unless you know what his

"mark" is, how will you avoid receiving it?

The papacy is the antichrist.

1. In order to know what the "mark" is, we must first identify the beast. How does the

Bible describe the beast?

Answer: Revelation 13:1-8, 16-18 provides 11 identifying characteristics. They are

listed below:

A. Rises from sea (verse 1).

B. Composite of the four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 (verse 2).

C. Dragon gives it power and authority (verse 2).

D. Receives a deadly wound (verse 3).

E. Deadly wound healed (verse 3).

F. Strong political power (verses 3, 7).

G. Strong religious power (verses 3, 8).

H. Guilty of blasphemy (verses 1, 5, 6).

I. Wars with and overcomes the saints (verse 7).

J. Rules for 42 months (verse 5).

K. Has mysterious number 666 (verse 18).

Do some of these points have a familiar ring? Certainly! We encountered many of them

earlier when we studied about the Antichrist in Daniel chapter 7. The "beast" of

Revelation 13 is simply another name for the "Antichrist," which we learned from

Daniel 7 is the papacy.

Prophecies of Daniel and Revelation often cover the same ground as prior prophecies,

but each time new features are added that help make the prophecies certain. So expect to

learn some new things about the Antichrist from this Study Guide. Now let's consider,

one by one, the 11 points that describe the beast.

A. It would rise from the sea (Revelation 13:1).

The sea (or water) in prophecy refers to people, or a populated area (Revelation 17:15).

So the beast, or Antichrist, would arise from amid the established nations of the then-

known world. The papacy, as we all know, arose in western Europe, so it fits this point.

A Word of Explanation

In harmony with God's command to honor all people (1 Peter 2:17), we pause here to

recognize the papacy for her many good deeds and activities. Her hospitals, orphanages,

care for the poor, homes for unwed mothers, and care for the aged are appreciated

universally. She can honestly be lauded for many things. But, like all other

organizations, she has also made mistakes. God pinpoints some of her errors in

Revelation. The Lord, who blesses and comforts, must sometimes chasten and correct.

Please ask His Spirit to speak to you as you study this crucial topic.

B. It would be a composite of the four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 (Revelation 13:2).

Study the comparison below to see how it all fits together:

Daniel chapter 7 Revelation chapter 13

Babylon Lion-like beast (vs. 4) "Mouth of a lion" (vs. 2)

Medo-Persia Bearlike beast (vs. 5) "Feet of a bear" (vs. 2)

Greece Leopard-like beast (vs. 6) "Like unto a leopard" (vs. 2)

Rome Ten-horned beast (vs. 7) "Having ... ten horns" (vs. 1)

The four beasts of Daniel 7 are depicted as part of Antichrist, or the beast, because the

papacy incorporated pagan beliefs and practices from all four empires. She clothed them

in spiritual garb and spread them to the world as Christian teachings. Here is one of

many supporting statements from history: "In a certain respect, she [the papacy] has

copied her organization from that of the Roman Empire, has preserved and made fruitful

the philosophical intuitions of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, borrowed from both

Barbarians and the Byzantine Roman Empire, but always remains herself, thoroughly

digesting all elements drawn from external sources." 1 This point definitely fits the

papacy.

C. The beast must receive its power, seat (capital), and authority from the dragon

(Revelation 13:2).

To identify the dragon, we go to Revelation chapter 12, where God's end-time church is

pictured as a pure woman. In prophecy, a pure woman represents God's true people or

church (Jeremiah 6:2 Isaiah 51:16). (In Study Guide 23, we will present a detailed study

of God's end-time church of Revelation chapter 12. Study Guide 22 explains Revelation

chapters 17 and 18, where fallen churches are symbolized by a fallen mother and her

fallen daughters.) The pure woman is portrayed as pregnant and about to deliver. The

dragon crouches nearby, hoping to "devour" the baby at birth. However, when the baby

is born He evades the dragon, fulfills His mission, and then ascends to heaven.

Obviously the baby is Jesus, whom Herod tried to destroy by killing all the babies in

Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). So the dragon represents pagan Rome, of which Herod was

a king. The power behind Herod's plot was, of course, the devil (Revelation 12:7-9).

Satan acts through various governments to accomplish his ugly work in this case, pagan

Rome.

We will quote just two supportive references from history, though there are many: (1)

"The Roman Church ... pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of

which it is the actual continuation. ...The Pope ... is Caesar's successor." 2 (2) "The

mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptised. Rome was

transformed as well as converted. The very capital of the old Empire became the capital

of the Christian Empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of

Pope." 3 So this point also fits the papacy. She received her capital city and power from

pagan Rome.

D. It would receive a deadly wound (Revelation 13:3).

The deadly wound was inflicted when Napoleon's general, Alexander Berthier, entered

Rome and took Pope Pius VI captive in February of 1798. Napoleon decreed that at the

death of the pope, the papacy would be discontinued. The pope died in France in August

of 1799. "Half Europe thought ... that without the Pope the Papacy was dead." 4 So this

point also fits the papacy.

E. The deadly wound would be healed, and the entire world would give homage to the

beast (Revelation 13:3).

Since its healing, the strength of the papacy has grown and increased until today she is

one of the most powerful religio-political organizations and influence-centers in the

world. Malachi Martin, consummate Vatican insider and intelligence expert, reveals the

following in his best-selling book The Keys of This Blood 5 (page numbers in

parentheses):

ABOUT THE POPE:

He is as determined to be world ruler as was Constantine in his day (49). He is protected

by four governments (120). He is the best-known person of the 20th century (123). He

is personal friends with the leaders of 91 countries (490). People of the world seem to

him ready for strong worldwide moral government with control (160). Sixteen thousand

journalists covered his American visit (490).

ABOUT THE PAPACY:

The American ambassador says the Vatican is unmatched as a "listening post" (120).

The Vatican knows by Saturday what will happen on Monday anywhere in the world

(439). Papal structure is prepared for worldwide rule now (143).

Obviously, the wound is healed and the eyes of the nations are upon the Vatican, so this

point also fits the papacy.

F. It would become a strong political power (Revelation 13:3, 7).

See item E above.

G. It would become a very powerful religious organization (Revelation 13:3, 8).

See item E above.

H. It would be guilty of blasphemy (Revelation 13:5, 6).

The papacy is guilty of blasphemy because her priests claim to forgive sins and her

popes claim to be Christ.

I. It would war with and persecute the saints (Revelation 13:7).

The papacy did persecute and destroy millions of saints during the Dark Ages.

J. It would reign for 42 months (Revelation 13:5).

The papacy reigned for 42 prophetic months, which equals 1,260 years, from A.D. 538-

1798.

Points H through J also clearly fit the papacy. We touched on them only briefly here

because they were covered thoroughly in Study Guide 15, question 8, items E, G, and

H.

K. It would have the mysterious number 666 (Revelation 13:18).

This verse says, "It is the number of a man," and Revelation 15:2 says it is "the number

of his name." What man do you think of when you think of the papacy? Naturally, we

all think of the pope. What is his official name? Here is a Catholic quote: "The title of

the pope of Rome is "Vicarius Filii Dei" (English: "Vicar of the Son of God").6 Malachi

Martin, in The Keys of This Blood, uses the same title for the pope on pages 114, 122.

A footnote for Revelation 13:18 in some Douay [Catholic] versions of the Bible says,

"The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number."

Again, the papacy fits the identification point. The beast with the "mark" is the papacy.

No other power in history could possibly fit these divine descriptive points. Now that

we have positively identified the beast, we can discover her mark, or symbol of

authority. But first, let's look at God's sign of authority.

1 Andre Retif, The Catholic Spirit, trans. by Dom Aldhelm Dean, Vol. 88 of The

Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Catholicism (New York, Hawthorne Books, 1959),

p. 85.

2 Adolf Harnack, What is Christianity? trans. by Thomas Bailey Saunders (New York:

Putnam, 2nd ed., rev., 1901), p. 270.

3 Alexander Clarence Flick, The Rise of the Mediaeval Church (reprint: New York,

Burt Franklin, 1959), pp. 148, 149.

4 Joseph Rickaby, "The Modern Papacy," Lectures on the History of Religion, Lecture

24, (London: Catholic Truth Society, 1910), p. 1.

5 (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1990)

6 "Answers to Readers' Questions," Our Sunday Visitor, Nov. 15, 1914.

The Sabbath is the sign, or mark, of God's power.

2. What is God's mark, or symbol, of authority?

"I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that

I am the Lord that sanctify them." Ezekiel 20:12. "It is a sign between me and the

children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth." Exodus

31:17.

Answer: God is saying in the texts above that He gave us His Sabbath as a glorious

sign of His power to create and His power to sanctify (convert and save) us. In the

Bible, the words seal, sign, mark, and token are used interchangeably.7 God's sign, the

Sabbath, represents His holy power to rule as Creator and Saviour. Revelation 7:1-

3 says it will be written upon the foreheads (minds, Hebrews 10:16) of His people. It

will signify that they are owned by Him and have His character. Hebrews 4:4-

10 confirms this by saying that when we enter His rest (receive salvation), we should

keep His seventh-day Sabbath holy as a symbol, or mark, of salvation. True Sabbath-

keeping signifies that a person has surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and is willing to

follow wherever Jesus leads.

Since the symbol, or mark, of God's authority and power is His holy Sabbath day, it

seems likely that the symbol, or mark, of God's challenger, the beast, might also involve

a holy day. Let's see if it does.

7 (Compare Genesis 17:11 with Romans 4:11 and Revelation 7:3 with Ezekiel 9:4.)

Sunday as a holy day is the beast's mark, or symbol of authority.

3. What does the papacy say is her symbol, or mark, of authority?

Answer: Notice the following section from a Catholic catechism:

"Question: Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute

festivals of precept?"

"Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern

religionists agree with her - she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the

first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for

which there is no Scriptural authority."8

So the papacy is here saying that it changed Sabbath to Sunday and that virtually all

churches accepted the new holy day. Thus, the papacy claims that Sunday as a holy day

is the mark, or symbol, of her power and authority.

8 Stephen Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism [FRS No. 7.], (3rd American ed., rev.: New

York, Edward Dunigan & Bro., 1876), p. 174.

Changing Sabbath to Sunday involves altering God's law - a very serious matter.

4. Did God predict such a change in Scripture?

Answer: Yes! In describing the Antichrist in Daniel 7:25, God said it would "think to

change times and laws."

A. How has the papacy tried to change God's laws? In three different ways: In her

catechisms she has (1) omitted the second commandment against veneration of images,

and (2) shortened the fourth (Sabbath) commandment from 94 words to just eight. The

Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) clearly specifies Sabbath as the seventh day

of the week. As changed by the papacy, the commandment reads: "Remember that thou

keep holy the Sabbath day." Written thus, it can refer to any day. And, finally, she (3)

divided the tenth commandment into two commandments.

B. How has the papacy attempted to change God's times? In two ways: (1) She has

changed the time of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day. (2) She has also

changed God's "timing" for the beginning and closing hours of the Sabbath. Instead of

counting the Sabbath day from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night as God

mandates (Leviticus 23:32), she adopted the pagan Roman custom of counting the day

from midnight Saturday night to midnight Sunday night. God predicted these "changes"

would be attempted by the beast, or Antichrist.

Notice the following section from a Catholic catechism:

"Question: Which is the Sabbath day?

Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day.

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?

Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church

transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." 9

Here is another Catholic statement: "The Church is above the Bible and this

transference of Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that

fact." 10

The papacy is saying in these references that its successful change of Sabbath

observance to Sunday worship is proof that its authority is greater, or "above,"

Scripture.

9 Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (St. Louis, B. Herder

Book Co., 1957 ed.), p. 50.

10 The Catholic Record (London, Ontario, Canada, Sept. 1, 1923).

The papacy has changed Sabbath to Sunday.

5. How could anyone dare attempt to change God's holy day?

Answer: We ask the papacy, "Did you really change Sabbath to Sunday?"

She replies, "Yes, we did. It is our symbol, or mark, of authority and power."

We ask, "How could you even think of doing that?"

It's a pertinent question. But the question the papacy officially asks Protestants is even

more pertinent. Please read it carefully:

"You will tell me that Saturday was the Jewish Sabbath, but that the Christian Sabbath

has been changed to Sunday. Changed! but by whom? Who has authority to change an

express commandment of Almighty God? When God has spoken and said, Thou shalt

keep holy the seventh day, who shall dare to say, Nay, thou mayest work and do all

manner of worldly business on the seventh day but thou shalt keep holy the first day in

its stead? This is a most important question, which I know not how you can answer.

You are a Protestant, and you profess to go by the Bible and the Bible only and yet in so

important a matter as the observance of one day in seven as a holy day, you go against

the plain letter of the Bible, and put another day in the place of that day which the Bible

has commanded.

The command to keep holy the seventh day is one of the ten commandments you

believe that the other nine are still binding who gave you authority to tamper with the

fourth? If you are consistent with your own principles, if you really follow the Bible and

the Bible only, you ought to be able to produce some portion of the New Testament in

which this fourth commandment is expressly altered." 11

11Library of Christian Doctrine: Why Don't You Keep Holy the Sabbath-

Day? (London: Burns and Oates, Ltd.), pp. 3, 4.

Tragically, both Catholicism and Protestantism stand guilty before the judgment bar of

heaven for rejecting God's holy Sabbath, His sacred sign of identification.

Religious leaders who ignore God's holy Sabbath will face His indignation.

6. What solemn warnings has God given regarding His law and His sign, or mark?

Answer:

A. God warns religious leaders against causing people to stumble by saying that some

commandments do not matter (Malachi 2:7-9). For example, some ministers teach, "It

doesn't matter what day you keep holy."

B. God warns people who want their ministers to preach smooth fables rather than the

truth about His law (Isaiah 30:9, 10).

C. God warns people about hardening their hearts against the truth of His

law (Zechariah 7:12).

D. God warns people who say it would seem "strange" to keep God's lawlike the

Sabbath, for example (Hosea 8:12).

E. God states that the upheaval, tragedy, problems, and woes of earth come because

people refuse to follow His law, and have even tried to change it (Isaiah 24:4-6).

F. God warns religious leaders who refuse to preach the prophecies of the end

time (Isaiah 29:10, 11).

G. God solemnly warns that leaders who teach there is really no difference between

sacred things (such as God's holy Sabbath) and common things (such as Sunday) will

face His indignation (Ezekiel 22:26, 31).

The forehead is a symbol of the mind. People will be marked in their foreheads by

observing Sunday as a holy day.

7. Revelation 13:16 says people will receive the mark of the beast in the forehead or in

the hand. What does this mean?

Answer: The forehead represents the mind (Hebrews 10:16). A person will be marked

in the forehead by a decision to keep Sunday as a holy day. The hand is a symbol of

work (Ecclesiastes 9:10). A person will be marked in the hand by working on God's

holy Sabbath or by going along with Sunday laws for practical reasons (job, family,

etc.). The sign, or mark, for either God or the beast will be invisible to people. You will,

in essence, mark yourself by accepting either God's sign or mark, the Sabbath, or the

beast's mark, Sunday. Though invisible to men, God will know who has which mark (2

Timothy 2:19).

God requires His people to stop trampling upon His holy day.

8. According to Isaiah 58:1, 13, 14, what decisive message does God deliver to His

people in the last days?

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their

transgression." "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on

my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, ... Then shalt thou delight thyself in the

Lord." Isaiah 58:1, 13, 14.

Answer: He says, show "my people" that they are (innocently perhaps) sinning

because they are trampling on My holy day, and ask them to quit breaking My Sabbath

so I can bless them. Speak loudly so they will hear you!

Notice that the third angel of Revelation 14:9-12, who brings the message about the

mark of the beast, speaks with a loud voice also (verse 9). The message is too important

to treat as ordinary. It's a life-or-death issue. Jesus says His sheep, or people, will follow

Him when He calls them. (John 10:16, 27).

When laws are passed forcing Sunday worship, those who comply will receive the

beast's mark.

9. Do people who worship on Sunday (as a holy day) have the mark of the beast now?

Answer: No! No one will have the mark of the beast until Sunday worship becomes an

issue forced by law. At that time (just ahead), those who decide to follow the false

teachings of the beast and worship on Sunday (the beast's counterfeit holy day) will

receive the mark of the beast.

Those who follow Jesus and obey His truth will keep His Sabbath day holy and receive

His mark. Those who expect to refuse the beast's mark in the future must step under

Jesus' Sabbath banner now. His power is available to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32).

Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). With Him, all things are possible (Mark

10:27).

Only those who have God's mark, or sign, in their foreheads will enter heaven.

10. According to the book of Revelation, whom did John specifically see in God's

eternal kingdom?

Answer: The answer is threefold and very clear:

A. Those who have God's mark, or sign (His Sabbath), in their foreheads (Revelation

7:3).

B. Those who refused to identify with the beast or his image and who refused to have

his mark or name in their foreheads (Revelation 15:2).

C. The people who today, and for eternity, follow where Jesus leads, trusting Him fully

in everything (Revelation 14:4). There is no other way.

Following Jesus must include keeping His seventh-day Sabbath holy.

11. What is Jesus saying to people today?

"He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John

8:12.

Answer: What a fantastic promise! If we follow Him, we will not end up in darkness

but will, instead, have glorious truth. Nothing could be more exciting! Further,

following Him and keeping His Sabbath will put God's mark on our foreheads and

protect us from the dreadful plagues (Psalms 91:10) that will fall upon the disobedient

(Revelation chapter 16). It also marks us as ready for translation at Jesus' second

coming. What blessed protection and assurance God has offered us!

An Urgent Alert

You will discover some astounding information as you study the final three Study

Guides of the nine that deal with the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-14.

These Study Guides will explain (1) the role of the United States in earth's final conflict,

(2) how churches and religions of the world will be involved, (3) what world conditions

will precipitate earth's final battle, and (4) Satan's amazing strategy for deceiving

billions.

Perhaps you are wondering what Protestant churches have to say about the papal claim

for changing Sabbath to Sunday. The quotes that appear in the "Your Thought

Questions Answered" section of this lesson will provide the shocking answers.

12. I have now decided to begin keeping His seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as His

holy day and follow Him wherever He leads.

Answer:

Thought Questions

1. What do other preachers and pastors say about the Sabbath and Sunday?

Answer:

Here are a host of comments from churches and other authorities about the Sabbath:

Baptist: "There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that

Sabbath day was not Sunday. ... It will be said, however, and with some show of

triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week.

... Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament --

absolutely not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution

from the seventh to the first day of the week." Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of The

Baptist Manual, in a paper read before a New York ministers' conference held Nov. 13,

1893.

Catholic: "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 which we [Catholics] never sanctify." James Cardinal

Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers, 16th edition, 1880, p. 111.

Church of Christ: "Finally, we have the testimony of Christ on this subject. In Mark

2:27, he says: 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.' From this

passage it is evident that the Sabbath was made not merely for the Israelites, as Paley

and Hengstenberg would have us believe, but for man ... that is, for the race. Hence we

conclude that the Sabbath was sanctified from the beginning, and that it was given to

Adam, even in Eden, as one of those primeval institutions that God ordained for the

happiness of all men." Robert Milligan, Scheme of Redemption, (St. Louis, The

Bethany Press, 1962), p. 165.

Congregationalist: "The Christian Sabbath [Sunday] is not in the Scriptures, and was not

by the primitive church called the Sabbath." Dwight's Theology, Vol. 4, p. 401.

Episcopal: "Sunday (Dies Solis, of the Roman calendar, 'day of the sun', because

dedicated to the sun), the first day of the week, was adopted by the early Christians as a

day of worship. ... No regulations for its observance are laid down in the New

Testament, nor, indeed, is its observance even enjoined." "Sunday," A Religious

Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, (New York, Funk and Wagnalls, 1883) p. 2259.

Lutheran: "The observance of the Lord's day [Sunday] is founded not on any command

of God, but on the authority of the church." Augsburg Confession of Faith, quoted

in Catholic Sabbath Manual, Part 2, Chapter 1, Section 10.

Methodist: "Take the matter of Sunday. There are indications in the New Testament as

to how the church came to keep the first day of the week as its day of worship, but there

is no passage telling Christians to keep that day, or to transfer the Jewish Sabbath to that

day." Harris Franklin Rall, Christian Advocate, July 2, 1942.

Moody Bible Institute: "The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever

since. This fourth commandment begins with the word 'remember,' showing that the

Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How

can men claim that this one commandment has been done away with when they will

admit that the other nine are still binding?" D. L. Moody, Weighed and Wanting, p. 47.

Presbyterian: "Until, therefore, it can be shown that the whole moral law has been

repealed, the Sabbath will stand. ... The teaching of Christ confirms the perpetuity of the

Sabbath." T. C. Blake, D.D., Theology Condensed, pp. 474, 475.

Pentecostal: "'Why do we worship on Sunday? Doesn't the Bible teach us that Saturday

should be the Lord's Day?' ... Apparently we will have to seek the answer from some

other source than the New Testament." David A. Womack, "Is Sunday the Lord's

Day?" The Pentecostal Evangel, Aug. 9, 1959, No. 2361, p. 3.

Encyclopedia: "Sunday was a name given by the heathen to the first day of the week,

because it was the day on which they worshiped the sun, ... the seventh day was blessed

and hallowed by God Himself, and ... He requires His creatures to keep it holy to Him.

This commandment is of universal and perpetual obligation."

Eadie's Biblical Cyclopedia, 1872 ed., p. 561.

Quiz Questions

1. Many people have already received the mark of the beast. (1)

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

2. The mark of the beast is (1)

_____ Your Social Security number.

_____ Sunday as a holy day.

_____ The bar codes for grocery pricing.

3. The beast organization that has the mark is the (1)

_____ United Nations.

_____ Papacy.

_____ European Community of Nations.

_____ Trilateral Commission.

4. The mark is literal and will be seen by all. (1)

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

5. God also has a mark, or symbol, of His power and authority. (1)

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

6. God's mark of authority is (1)

_____ A secret number that is given to each faithful Christian.

_____ Speaking in tongues.

_____ Sabbath-keeping in commemoration of Creation and sanctification.

_____ Baptism.

7. How did the "beast" attempt to change God's law? (2)

_____ Changing Sabbath (of the fourth commandment) to Sunday.

_____ Teaching that it is not a sin to commit adultery.

_____ Removing the commandment against the veneration of images.

8. In Bible prophecy, how long is 42 months? (1)

_____ 420 literal years.

_____ Three and one-half literal years.

_____ 1,260 literal days.

_____ 1,260 literal years.

9. Where will the beast's mark be placed? (2)

_____ In the hand.

_____ On the mouth.

_____ On the cheek.

_____ In the forehead.

10. Where will God's mark be placed? (1)

_____ On the hand.

_____ In the forehead.

_____ On the person's tongue.

11. Which of the three angels' messages is the warning against the mark of the beast?

(1)

_____ First angel's message.

_____ Second angel's message.

_____ Third angel's message.

12. The beast attempted to change God's times by (2)

_____ Celebrating New Year's as a holiday.

_____ Changing God's holy day from the seventh to the first day of the week.

_____ Setting the hours for God's holy day as midnight-to-midnight instead of

sundown-to-sundown.

13. Jesus gave us the warning message regarding the mark of the beast. (1)

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

14. Sign, mark, seal, and token are used interchangeably in Scripture. (1)

_____ Yes.

_____ No.

15. There is no scriptural authorization for observing Sunday as a holy day. (1)

_____ True.

_____ False.

* * *