Gods 7th Day Sabbath

God's 7^th Day Sabbath

Truth oftentimes, to many seems stranger then fiction. Such is the case when it comes, to the observance of God=s 7^th Day Sabbath. Each Sunday millions of people attend church services for the purpose of worshiping the Lord. This is second nature to most requiring no thought. They are simply following the tradition that has been set forth by man. Many believe that New Testament Christians worshiped on Sunday the 1^st day of the week. And that the 7^th day Sabbath is a Jewish institution which started with Moses.

People reply on their pastors for guidance and think that they like the early theologians of the Roman Catholic Church are relying on some biblical scripture for justification of observing Sunday as God=s Holy Day. These assumptions can not be further from the truth. We will let the scriptures speak on the day which God blessed, sanctified and made Holy. God=s Sabbath the 7^th day of the week. In addition, we will see where the observance of Sunday as God=s Holy Day came from.

ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH

The Sabbath did not start with Moses and it was intended to be recognized by all of man. It=s origin goes back to the creation of the world and of mankind.

(Genesis 2:1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 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.

3 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.

The above scriptures clearly show that God blessed, sanctified and made Holy the 7^th Day at the beginning of the world. God chose to cease from His labor not because He was tired. He chose to cease and rest because he was finished with His creation. The Lord had completed the heavens and the earth along with the creation of man.

TO WHOM THE SABBATH BELONGS

Now concerning whether the 7^th Day Sabbath belongs only to those of the so-called Jewish faith consider the following scriptures.

(Leviticus 23:1) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons

Notice it was the Lord was speaking. Verse 2 and verse 4 show clearly that these holy days belong to the Lord not Moses or any particular group of people. If a ruler makes a decree and has, a subject voice that commandment to the other subjects does the decree or commandment then belong to the individual who was the spokesperson no! There is no such thing as Moses=s commandments in the possessive sense. Moses was simply the vehicle God chose to convey His commandments to His people. If one is still inclined to feel that God was speaking only to Israel through Moses, consider the following scriptures.

The Lord has only revealed himself through Israel.

(Amos 3:2) You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.

The word of God came through Israel and only Israel.

(Romans 3:1) What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Israel was supposed to reveal God and his will to the rest of the families of the earth.

(Exodus 19:6) And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Everyone is to follow the commandments which were first given to Israel, again God did not reveal his word to anyone but Israel.

(Exodus 12:49) One law shall be to him that is home born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

God operates using the following protocol, the Father gives the message to the Son, the Son gives the message to the angels, the angels give the message to Israel. Israel then is to give the message to the rest of the world.

(Revelation 1:1) The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come o pass; and he sent and signified it by his servant John:

Everyone must follow the laws given to Israel because unto them was given the way of salvation. This is way Jesus made the following statement.

(John 4:22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

WHO OBSERVED THE SABBATH ?

Now all who profess to being a Christian claim to follow Jesus. Note that Jesus observed the 7^th Day Sabbath.

(Luke 4:14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

16 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.

Jesus did not go into the house of worship and teach on Sunday. Jesus observed the 7^th Day Sabbath. Paul whom many ministers like to quote also observed the 7^th Day Sabbath.

(Acts 17:2) And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

During the days of the apostles, the Gentiles recognized that they had to worship on the Sabbath

(Acts 13:42) And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

ORIGIN OF THE SUNDAY SABBATH

The following will show how the observance of the Sabbath went from the 7^th day of the week as God commanded to the 1^st day of the week. As the story goes Roman Emperor

Constantine who was about to send his troops into battle received a vision of the sun with a cross in it. This signified to him that he would be victorious. His ultimate victory prompted his conversion to Christianity.

This article comes from the Encyclopedia Britannica 7th edition. "It was Roman Emperor Constantine (AD 306-337) who first made a law of the proper observance of Sunday; and who, according to Eusebius, appointed that it should be regularly celebrated throughout the Roman Empire.@ should be noted that Constantine was a Sun Worshiper before his conversion to Christianity. To show the influence of this practice of worshiping the Sun, I'll refer you to an article written in the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, "Sunday ( Dies Solis of the Roman calendar the 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". The Sun of Latin adoration, they interpreted as the Sun of Righteousness. Note it was a man who issued in the law in 321 AD to change the day in which to observe Gods sabbath not God!

OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY SABBATH

Some ministers use the following scriptures to support their teaching that the Sabbath changed. Paul=s preaching, breaking bread and gathering collections on the 1^st day of the week ( Acts 20:7) does not change the Sabbath. Any minister today will preach, eat with friends and receive donations on any day of the week. Peter and the apostles were fellow shipping, praying and breaking bread on Pentecost (Acts2:42). Now Pentecost is one of God=s Holy Days which is a high sabbath. Minister somehow ignored this. And it just goes to show that the sabbath cannot be changed simply because someone is breaking bread or fellow shipping. Furthermore calling Sunday The Lord=s Day@ does not change the Sabbath either. Actually A The Lord=s Day@ is not Sunday or Saturday, but a period of time following the Great Tribulation.@. As far as changing the 7^th Day sabbath to Sunday because Jesus supposedly rose early Sunday morning look at the following. (Mark 16:1-2) tells you that Mary Magdalene and the others arrived at Jesus grave site when the sabbath was already past early in the morning. (John 20:1) states that when Mary Magdalene and the others arrived at the sepulcher it was yet dark. (Luke 24:5-6) informs you that an angel told Mary and the others that Jesus had already risen. Jesus resurrection had occurred before they arrived at his grave site. He did not rise early Sunday morning as is taught. There are no scriptures to support doing away with God=s 7^th Day Sabbath. God would have told us plainly if His Sabbath had changed just as plainly as He told us to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy.

WHEN THE SABBATH STARTS

The Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and lasts until Saturday evening. Each day starts in the evening instead of midnight.

(Genesis 1:5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

8) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

13) And the evening and the morning were the third day.

19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

23) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Contrary to belief it does matter what day you observe as the Lord=s Sabbath. In order to be very specific God numbered the days and named the 7^th day, the last day of the week the Sabbath.

(Matthew 15:9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Honoring the Sabbath on the 7^th day is a commandment from God given from the beginning of the creation, while honoring Sunday is a commandment and tradition of man.

Peace to all who seek the truth and understanding in Jesus name.

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