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The Official SDA brief explanation of this topic


20. Sabbath:
"The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom. The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Matt. 12:1-12; Ex. 31:13-17; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut. 5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32.)

Let's examine the above conclusions in the light of the Scriptures given plus others which expand upon this subject of a specific day which some have deemed as "just another DAY".

The rest of the Holy Sabbath of the Lord

At the end of Creation week, God--made up of the Godhead as seen in another study, set aside a specific day as "Sanctified" and "Blessed". Gen.2:1-3
John 1:1-3, declares the the main force of that creation was Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is the LORD of the SABBATH as HE declared in Mark 2:28.
That Day and all days begin and end with the setting of the sun.(No matter what location on this earth one finds him/herself.)

Notice, also, that the Sabbath Day was made for ALL mankind and not for any specific group (i.e.)Jews as some claim.
However, God called it HIS DAY.
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words":

Exd 16:23, "And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning".

The Sabbath and all things were made for HIS pleasure.

Rev 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
And part of that pleasure was in meeting with and communing with those who were made in HIS IMAGE.
That was the plan in the beginning as seen be Jesus' remarks in Mark 2:27-28, "And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath."; and will continue in as seen in Isa.66:22-23, "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.
23 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."

That "All flesh" referred just as well to Adam and his descendants in the beginning.


The Sabbath a sign

The Sabbath was to be a sign of Sanctification for those who Believed because they would be Obedient to God's Commandments. Notice:
Exd 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it [is] a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that [ye] may know that I [am] the LORD that doth sanctify you."
The keeping of the Sabbaths doesn't sanctify one; it is the acknowledging of GOD through OBEDIENCE to HIS Commandments which allows GOD to Sanctify one.

Eze 20:12 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".

The Sabbath was, also, a test of Obedience as seen in Ex.16:4, "Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.....
27 And it came to pass, [that] there went out [some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?"

God is not a respecter of persons

(Act 10:34, "Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:"
Deut.10:17, "For the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:"

The Sabbath was for All who would accept GOD as their GOD

When that "mixed multitude" came out of Egypt, one law was for all(Ex.12:49; Deut.31:12)--All that God spoke from Mt. Sinai was applicable for all who heard and that included that "mixed multitude".

Just as Paul stated in Eph.2:19,"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"

That Law included the Sabbath.

Paul, at the end of his missionary journeys and on the way to prison, assures one that he is worshiping the GOD of his fathers; and that which he is teaching and has been teaching as his beliefs are "all things written in the law and in the prophets"(Acts 24:14; 22:3; 23:11--Jesus speaking)
That would also include the TRUE Seventh Day Sabbath.

The writing of Luke's Gospel wasn't until approx. A.D. 60 and there was no disclaimer for any change in the Sabbath Day observance.
Luke 23:56,"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment."

Our Creator God clearly indicated which day HE DECLARED TO BE HIS DAY AND THE DAY HE SET ASIDE AS HOLY AND BLESSED FOR MANKIND TO REMEMBER AND WORSHIP HIM BOTH IN THIS EARTH AND ON THE ONE HE HAS PROMISED TO MAKE NEW.
Let us rejoice and be glad in/on HIS HOLY SABBATH DAY.

We will continue by looking into those "Claims for Changing GOD'S SABBATH".

A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS CLAIMS AND MEANS FOR CHANGING GOD'S HOLY SABBATH DAY.

Luke (24:1)continues(from 23:56) with the first day of the week and the resurrection. Again, there is no claim of a change in the Sabbath which modern first day--Sunday--keepers claim happened.

That change came about gradually over a 300 year span.
Emperor Constantine--converted to Christianity---made the first decree to the effect that Sunday should replace GOD'S SABBATH.
Eusebius a close worker with Constantine made this statement in his "Commentary on the Psalsms, Eusebius; cited in the Commentary on the Apocalypse, Moses Stuart, vol. II, 9, 40. Andover: Allen, Morrill, and Wardwell, 1845. "All things whatsoever that it was duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord's day."

In the following, you will not see the boldness which Eusebius, an "early church father" expressed; such, has in recent times been purged from the Catechisms. A change is admitted, but no longer by "the councils of men". Except as seen in:
1125 For this reason no sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community. Even the supreme authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily, but only in the obedience of faith and with religious respect for the mystery of the liturgy.
And:
1973 Besides its precepts, the New Law also includes the evangelical counsels. The traditional distinction between God's commandments and the evangelical counsels is drawn in relation to charity, the perfection of Christian life. The precepts are intended to remove whatever is incompatible with charity. The aim of the counsels is to remove whatever might hinder the development of charity, even if it is not contrary to it.32

Notice those and these teachings From the Catholic Catechism:
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#2168

"2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:

[Did you notice the subtle insinuations?? That's the same tactic used by Satan in the Garden of Eden with Eve. "False reasoning" is the name of Satan's game and all who accept his lies.]


"We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.106"

[Or the sixth day before the GOD'S SABBATH;; and man was "separated" from the "dust" on the sixth day. Also, on the sixth day, Christ died for our sins. However, on the Seventh day, Jesus Christ "rested in the grave from HIS "RE-CREATIVE/REDEMPTIVE work as HE DID when HE created all things.
It is the only day of the seven which was BLESSED AND SANCTIFIED.]

Sunday - fulfillment of the sabbath
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107

[Sunday/the first day of the week didn't figure into the "Passover" of that crucifixion period. Passover began at sunset on what we call Thursday night---it was the "day of Preparation". Christ was our "passover"/"lamb". The "festival Sabbath" of the "passover" fell on the WEEKLY SABBATH WHICH GOD SAID WAS HOLY AND BLESSED and was known as a HIGH SABBATH.
The morrow AFTER THE SABBATH for the waving of the sheaves of the new harvest was a sign/pre-figuring of the Resurrection, but did not "Replace the Sabbath".]

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108 "

[EMPHASIS ADDED---As a TRUE SEEKER can see, Sunday observance fulfills Dan.7:25, "And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

and 2Thess.2:3-4."Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."

The usurper has established a different day and the world has mostly decided to follow him in disobedience.]

More concerning the Change of the Sabbath---to Sunday.

There has been a change in the tactics of explaining the change from just trying to make verses justify the change to a not so subtle declaration that Sunday has replaced all the functions of the God Given Blessed and Sanctified Seventh Day Sabbath.

But first let's look at the decree for the initial change by Emperor Constantine in 321 A.D.
[Emphasis added]
"Let all the judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades rest on the venerable day of the sun; 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 the sowing of corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by heaven."---Corpus Juris Civilis Cod.: lib. 3, tit. 12, 3.

[There was no reason by GOD or Christ or the Scriptures as to the Change for the people of the Towns to "Rest on the venerable day of the sun"(and excuse the "country people")[God had designated the First day of the week as a work day---why shouldn't HE make it a favorable day for those Obedient activities which HE was to Bless?]

The reasons which were used in defense of that Sabbath Change has been "fine tuned" and "updated" with newer "theories" which can be used by those who left the "Catholic Church" during the Reformation. Because they also continue to hold to the erroneous "counterfeit sabbath" which was adopted in place of God's TRUE SABBATH.

Pope John Paul II's "Dies Domini" is incorporated in the "Catechism" of the Catholic Church which will be posted next. [From http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc already sited.]

We will start off with God's Sabbath as that is the way this is laid out---Truth and then the error---as one can see by their erroneous subtle twistings of the scriptures to a Sunday(First day of the week) Change.

[my Emphasis added to their statements]
""""""""ARTICLE 3
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work.90
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.91

[True to scripture]

* I. THE SABBATH DAY
2168 The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92

2169 In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93
[still on target.]

2170 Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day."94

[Here begins the slippage away from GOD"S TRUTH.
Jesus is LORD OF THE SABBATH, but watch where this takes us.
The Sabbath was not a memorial of the release from Egyptian bondage. The "Remembrance was back to the Creation and "Thy shall not work nor thy "servants"".---which was conveniently left out. {40}

And the "Therefore" seen in that Deut.5:15 verse really refers back to the vs.6, "I am the LORD thy GOD, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. I am the Creator GOD; keep the seventh day Sabbath as I commanded thee--vs.12

The reason for the giving of the Sabbath as a "sign" is further seen/explained in Ex.31:13, "...That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you". It had nothing to do with a "memorial for leading the People from Egypt
The Keeping of the Sabbath was also a test to prove if they would "Obey God's Commandments and laws". Ex.16
Also,did you notice the transposition of "Lord's Day" for Sabbath??]

2171 God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

[As we have seen the scriptures/Jesus said the Sabbath was given to man before there was a "Jew"/Israel".
It is an irrevocable covenant as seen--that one's OBEDIENCE to it shows who one believes "Sanctifies" that one.
And the praise and worship of GOD on HIS HOLY DAY shows that one is an "heir of the kingdom and seed of abraham"---"Israel". Gal.3:27-29. Rom.2:28-29; Rom.9:6-8
Also, Notice here the equating of the Sabbath with the Covenant. The Sabbath was a part of the Decalogue--which was a part of the "ALL the Lord God says, we will do". Also, What happened to, "The sabbath was made for man"???(See the beginning of the Sabbath above.) It was Made for man to come before the LORD to Worship HIM; it was made for man to "Remember that GOD is the Creator of ALL THINGS; it ,also, was made for man to acknowledge that GOD is the "Re-creator and Gracious GOD who "saves ALL" who are repentant and submissive."]

2172 God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97

[ALL have sinned and are "poor in spirit". ALL need to come to the living water and partake of the "bread of Life". ALL need to come unto HIM for the refreshing/rest from the load of sin.
"God is not a respecter of persons".]

2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102

[Yes, and He, also, Kept the Seventh Day Sabbath from sunset to sunset. Not just a few hours on that holy day. This next section shows the further departure and the so-called rational for the change]

II. THE LORD'S DAY
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation

[It is "This is the day" which has been misapplied to a man made decree which is at fault. Ps.118:24, Is concerning Salvation, and the entering in through the heavenly gates. Yes, God's final "rest", but not the weekly Sabbath Day. And God made all seven of the weekly days which are expanded into months and years.
HE gives us a "new day" every day.]
(End of Catholic Catechism excerpts, with my comments in []. Next we will look at those "First day of the week" texts/scriptures.)


DID THE APOSTLES CHANGE THE SABBATH WITH THOSE "FIRST DAY MEETINGS"??

Here are the verses which are in question.
Jhn 20:19 "Then the same day at evening, being the first [day] of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you."

That wasn't a "worship meeting", but as clearly stated the "door was shut" and they were in fear of receiving the same death which Jesus had undergone two days prior.
Yes, Jesus did meet with them, to strengthen their belief that HE, indeed, was the promised Messiah and all that HE had taught was true. That the Resurrection was real and that the mission he had laid out previously was to be carried to all the world.
Luke attests to that fact in 24:27,44-49.

Act 20:7 "And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."

Paul had spent a week with them, the Sabbath had just passed and Paul was preparing to leave them the next morning.
That "first day" began at sunset". Now a meal could be prepared and Paul gave a farewell Sermon/teaching while that meal was being prepared---The "breaking of bread/meal" was not eaten until after midnight.
The "days of unleavened bread"/"passover" had been spent at Philippi. This "farewell address" at Troas was not referring to "the communion" as spoken of in 1Cor.10:16-17; in fact, nothing of the specific teachings of that occasion is recorded---The resurrection of Eutychus was more memorable that what Paul had taught.

1Cr 16:2, "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."

Paul had been gathering "goods" for the relief of the famine stricken brethern in Jerusalem from all areas which he had been and to which he would pass through on his way back to Jerusalem.
Instead of being a positive in the argument for a change in GOD'S SABBATH DAY, this actually is a positive in the continuation of the SABBATH being Sacred and observed in all the churches where Paul had preached. The "collection was to be done prior to Paul's arrival and not on the SABBATH.

Remember, Paul attests to Believing "all things written in the law and in the prophets". Acts.24:14. Again, that would include the SABBATH.

Now, what about that "LORD'S DAY" verse in Rev.1:10:
""">u>I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,"

NO specific numerical Day is mentioned.
Jesus' declaration of being "The LORD ALSO OF THE SABBATH" would indicate the seventh day Sabbath as that day.
"This is the day which the Lord has made".----was referring to the "Day of Salvation."---Not to a day of worship. And John was already "beloved of the Lord".

There is no scriptural basis for a Change of the SABBATH to the First day of the week.
As we have seen, The "Change came by way of man's decrees, Councils, edicts, and "commands". NOT FROM SCRIPTURES.
The "reasons" given sound feasible on the surface, but in depth are Contrary to GOD'S LAWS and prophets.
That is the subtlety of Satan.

Next we will Look at those other textural verses which are used as excuses for not honoring GOD'S SABBATH.

More inappropriate arguments applied to the Sabbath change

NAILED TO THE CROSS

There are no scriptures which claim to void the Seventh Day Sabbath of God, however, there is one which speaks of "Blotting out of Ordinances and nailing those to the cross; but the "Sabbath's" spoken of there are the ceremonial Sabbaths associated with the three annual convocations required of the Jewish nation and pointed to Christ's Crucifixion; the waving of sheaves which pointed to the first-fruits of harvest--Resurrection(Matt.27:53); and the Day of Atonement which will occur at the end of the millennium. More about these in other studies.

Paul, at the end of his missionary journeys and on the way to prison, assures one that he is worshiping the GOD of his fathers and has been teaching as his beliefs "all things written in the law and in the prophets"(Acts 24:14; 22:3; 23:11--Jesus speaking)
That would also include the TRUE Sabbath DAY.

So what is Paul speaking of here in Col.2:14-17,"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;

[If one thinks this referred to "voiding the Decalogue", then one is saying that GOD NOW CONDONES THAT WHICH HE PREVIOUSLY DETESTED SO MUCH THAT HE SENT HIS SON TO REDEEM THOSE WHO HAD SHOWN DISOBEDIENCE TO HIS LAWS and were guilty.
Paul in Rom.7:12,14, says the Law(Decalogue) is holy, just, good and spiritual.
What is charged against our names in the "Lamb's book of life"???----SINS---those "transgressions of the law" I John3:4
Act 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
Paul, in Rom.3:31, says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Anyone who claims the Decalogue "voided" by Paul in that verse is not listening to Paul, but has made Paul a liar.
Now, by what means were those "SINS" blotted out?? We find the answer in the preceding verses, 11-13, by the blood of Christ who died for us and in whom we were buried and with whom we arise to newness of life---"being forgiven of our trespasses". And those were "nailed to HIS cross".(Christ died in our place.)]

15 ["And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 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]:

[Before Christ came and died on the cross, what method was given by God to atone for disobedience/sin??
God set up a program which was a pattern of that heavenly sanctuary. We see in Heb.9 these "ordinances" which governed the Sanctuary(vs.9-10), "Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;"

0 [Which stood] only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed [on them] until the time of reformation."

The "Passover" and the "waving of the sheaves" had "special Sabbaths associated with them"--NOT THE WEEKLY SABBATH, these were Annual events and "Christ is our "Passover""(1Cor.5:7) Christ is also our Resurrection which is seen in the "waving of the sheaves." the bringing of the "first fruits".
All the "divine services"(Heb.9:1) of the "Earthly Sanctuary" were completed by Christ upon the Cross.
Those Sacrificial/Ceremonial Laws which governed the sanctuary.

Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ".
[See previous comment.]

What is the message of Romans 14:5-6??? Does it really Contradict GOD'S REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY??

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6 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.

[As seen in the preceding page, there were Sabbaths associated with those annual sacrificial/Ceremonial laws.
Paul is addressing Jews and Gentiles in that Roman assemblage of believers---The "weaker" and "stronger" of those brethren in the "faith of Jesus".
There were many of the Jewish believers who could not accept that those "annual festivals with their special Sabbaths" were completed in Christ's sacrifice upon the Cross. They wished to continue in those things---just as there were factions which desired to continue with "Circumcision". Was it a "sin" to observe such---NO, but it was a growing/maturing process and also, accepting Jesus as the fulfillment of them.

The Eating is another topic and will be discussed under that topic.

The JUDGING in this and the Colossian verse are the same.
No brother can "judge another brother in their walk/level of understanding of GOD's principles".

This has nothing to do with seeing and evaluating the "fruit" one produces. Or else how could one ever know when one was "at fault" to give encouragement and correction??(Matt.18:15) Or Isa.8:20,"To the Law and to the testimony". Or If one "abides not". Or "from such turn away".

These are EXCUSES/errors of "understanding" based on faulty interpretation or listening to those who have "justified their own false beliefs" with such.

Thank you for studying this subject with us.


This was a study compiled by members of the Beliefnet Community.

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