The Sabbath Day

In the Bible, the word Sabbath is found 155 times in the New King James version. The word rest is found 299 times. The first day or Sunday only appears 48 times in the Bible.

Sabbath in the Old Testament was a day when we as a people would rest from our toil and labor and give thanks to God who supplies all of our needs. It was a day of reflection and praise for the God who created us and provides for us every day. Is it asking so much that we take one day out of seven to thank Him?

God's people, aka the Jews, were the ones who were blessed with God's commandments at Mount Sinai. They followed them to the letter, most of the time, and taught their children to do the same. They were persecuted, mocked, attacked and dispersed time and time again. Yet, as a people, they still survive today thousands of years later. Not even the gods of the Romans made it past 600 years.

October 7, 2023

As I write this, Israel is mourning this day as the second anniversary of the attack by Hamas on October 7. On this day two years ago, Hamas drove into Israel and killed 1,195 civilians, wounded 3,400 and kidnapped 251 people. They fired 4,300 rockets into Israel and then breached the Gaza-Israel border. It was a terrible event as the forces of hate killed, wounded and kidnapped the people of peace. Two years later, the victims kidnaped are still in custody.

As mentioned above, these people have been the focus of evil for centuries. From the Babylonians of old to Hitler's Germany, they have endured torture, ridicule and even death. All they want is a place to call home and observe their relationship with their God. The God of the Bible. Today they have managed to secure 6,522 square miles of land bordering the Mediterranean. This is about the size of the state of New Jersey. They are surrounded by their enemies on all sides.

In Hebrew, the word Shalom means peace and they exchange this word with everyone. They seek peace for themselves and their families as well as peace for their business associations and exchanges with other countries, peoples and tongues. Peace is their mantra and the concept God has been trying to promote since day 1. Even with all of the hate and disdain for them, they still produce some of the best new technology in the world, yield much prosperity for their families and are very welcome to all they come in contact with. So why does the world hate them so much?

These are the people who hold fast to the 7th day Sabbath.

The Devil

The adversary of God has been at work for almost six thousand years trying to separate God from His creation. He did it with Adam and Eve. He did it with Cain and he did it with the people of Israel. All throughout the Old Testament of the Bible, there are numerous examples of God's children defying Him and going against His laws and directives. The people in Moses time saw God part the water so they could escape the Egyptians but fell in fear when the spies brought back a scary report of the people in Canaan. Their lack of faith cost them their lives as they wandered in the desert for forty years until the last fearful person had died. Then God brought them into their new homeland flowing with milk and honey.

Satan has been hard at work separating mankind from God and he has been very successful. Through lies, misconceptions, deception and forgery, he has taken the altered minds of the children of God away from worshipping Him and desiring only for themselves. In a recent survey, only 50% even believe there is a God and only 42% of Americans will admit they attend a Christian or Jewish house of faith. So one could make the argument that the adversary has done a bang up job of separating the children of God from their Creator. He did it in the Garden, he did it with David and he did it with Judas Iscariot. He is still doing it today. We just don't admit it and blame human nature instead. The whole truth is, Satan's one true desire is to mock the God of Heaven and destroy His people. Yet God continues to multiply them on the Earth.

Love for God

Do you love God? You love your parents, your spouse, your children, your pets don't you? In that love would you go out of you way for them? Would you sacrifice anything and everything for them. I am guessing you are saying yes to these questions. I know I would. The fact that you are reading this means you have breath in your lungs, eyes that can see and the ability to read. You did not provide any of these things. God provided the lungs and the eyes and he manifested the written word so the people could understand and gain wisdom from it.

God loves us so much that he created a book about Him detailing the history of a Father who is constantly rejected by His children. Yet He still provides for them and reveals Himself to them time and time again. He blesses them despite their disdain for Him and He offers a future where we will see Him face to face. In the book, He explains how He offered up His only Son as a sacrifice so that we might be cleansed of our abominations to get the opportunity to stand in His presence and be embraced by Him.

John 14:15 Jesus speaking..

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

The New Testament

In the New Testament, the Christians who promoted the love of Jesus stopped celebrating the Sabbath day. The church leaders at the time wanted to distance themselves from the Jews and set themselves apart from the customs and festivals the Jews clung to. A great way to do this was to change the Sabbath day to Sunday. By going to church on Sunday, you would proclaim yourself to be Christian and welcomed into the fold of the "New" church celebrating Jesus as the head and mocking the Jews who killed Him. Supposed saints of the Holy Roman church even justified the killing of Jews. Jews who had no part in the death of Jesus.

The Jews did not kill Jesus. God allowed Satan to influence the people of the time to crucify Him. The Jews of the time could not kill anyone. If anything the Romans are the ones who killed Him. Is it not interesting how the papal seat is now in Rome? The whole truth is that it was not the Romans, the Jews or even the Devil that killed Him. Yes they all played their part but it was you and I who killed Him. The only way for us to be cleansed of our sins and even contemplate eternal life was through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. God offered up His Son as a sacrifice so our sins could be forgiven so we could stand in the presence of God Himself.

I recently did a search in Google on the Sabbath and this is the return I got back:

• The New Testament does not mandate the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath for Christians. 

• Believers are free to observe a special day of rest or worship or to acknowledge every day as sacred. 

• The ultimate goal is not rigid adherence to a day but a spiritual rest and a consistent, loving relationship with God. 

  
  

Another search highlighted four verses in the New Testament that supposedly supported this position.

Colossians 2:16

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality, however, is found in Christ.

This passage is speaking about the other Sabbath festivals the Jews celebrated, not the weekly Sabbath. There was Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, etc. This passage does NOT cancel the weekly Sabbath.

Romans 14:5

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever does not eat with the Lord in mind... does not honor God.

Again, this passage does not eliminate the Sabbath or give permission to not honor the Sabbath day. Christians pray before every meal and give thanks for the food as it is God who supplies it. We pray every day, not just on the Seventh-day Sabbath to honor God, the One who sustains and nourishes our feeble physical bodies. Who provides a day of rest to contemplate His love for us.

Galatians 4:10

You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

Let's look at the preceding passages: 8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

Is this talking about the 7th Day Sabbath? There are two kinds of Holy Days in the Jewish faith. The Ten commandments and the ceremonial laws. The Ten commandments were not nailed to the cross. There are numerous passages in the New Testament that refer to the commandments being valid even after Jesus.

The ceremonial laws like Passover, Rosh Hashana and Purim were observed by the Jews and they tried to impose those on the new Christians being converted. The Jews of that time worshipped these holidays and turned them into spectacles. Once Jesus "the lamb of God" came into the world and died for mankind, these festivals would no longer be necessary. These festivals were not gods and the burdensome elements of them were like bondage to the customs. The lamb of God released the people from this bondage but not the celebrating of the seventh-day Sabbath.

Hebrews 4:9

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

Again, we need to look at the context of these passages. Let's look at the whole chapter.

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,

‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

A lot to dissect here but let's dig in. Paul was addressing people of the Jewish faith. They knew and understood the 7th Day Sabbath. What many had forgotten was why the Sabbath was instituted. God rested on the Seventh day of Creation and called it a Sabbath rest. God does not grow weary does He? His mind and body are faaaar greater than ours and need no physical or mental rest.

But God instituted this to remind the Jewish nation that we participate in this day of rest not only for our physical bodies but to enjoy the rest of God. A rest Adam and Eve would not enjoy due to the fact they disobeyed and were required to till the land to get their food. In the garden God provided them with all they needed in the garden. Had they continued to obey God, they would have rested in Him knowing He would supply all of their needs.

Do these Passages cancel the Seventh-day Sabbath?

God wants to bring that environment back. He wants to provide for us as we lean on Him. The Seventh-day Sabbath is a reminder of the love God has for us and wants us to rest in Him for all of our needs on this planet. Recognizing it, recognizes God as the Creator and provider for all we need. The adversary wants you to forget this. Hence the reminder from Paul to the people in the book of Hebrews.

So, the new Christian church has only four passages from the new Testament that promote the termination or alteration of a custom or commandment that has survived thousands of years? That appears in the Bible 155 times? If you went into court with this defense, would this be enough to win the case? I Kinda doubt it.

So my question is, if Sunday is the new day of rest and worship of God, why are people working in the yard, going to movies and shopping, engaging in sports and watching sports? Should they not be in church and spending the rest of the day resting and thanking God for all they have? The whole idea of Sabbath is resting on faith that God will do the work necessary to provide for us and bless us with what our heart desires. This is the true meaning of Sabbath. Without God, NOTHING is possible.

Mark 2:27

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” 

This did not mean we should stop observing it. It means God knew our physical and mental limitations and carved out a day for us to rest from all the work we are doing to provide for ourselves and our families. The whole truth is that it is God who has done the work of providing for us. When was the last time you were part of keeping the earth spinning or making the corn grow for food or bringing forth rain for the crops..

The Lord of the Sabbath

Yes Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and we honor Him by keeping it every week. When Jesus comes back, would He not go to the various churches on Sabbath to see His people? If He is Lord of the Sabbath and those who choose to honor Him, would they not be congregated together on the Sabbath day? Unfortunately, that would not be the case as the churches he would visit would be empty save the Catholic church which holds mass every day of the week. Guess they are covering their bases. The only other church except for a few small ones like the Seventh Day Adventists, would be the Temple of the Jews and they do not even believe in Him.

Revelation 12:17 states

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

How unfortunate it is that the Lord of the Sabbath who died for our sins so we could live eternally is not celebrated on the Sabbath day. The devil is truly winning here and based on the passage above, those of us who keep the commandments in the end time will be under attack from Satan. But have no fear, our God is greater than he who only wishes to destroy. This passage alone proves everything we have been discussing here. Jesus testimony that He was the true Son of God and that we should continue keeping the commandments that Moses handed down would be under attack shows how important these two aspects of the truth of God really are.

Nowhere in the New Testament did God, Jesus, Peter, Paul or anyone else proclaim that the people were free from the fourth commandment and it was no longer applicable. If that were the case, then the other nine would be null and void as well, No? Do you honor your parents? Do you refrain from stealing and murder? I know lying and coveting have been running rampant in our societies but see what that has resulted in?

If you love Me, keep my commandments, Jesus said. Not nine of them or some of them, ALL of them. This is how we thank God for this life and opportunity to walk about this planet. To observe beauty, to dive into the ocean, to fly above the clouds, to gaze at the stars and to experience love and happiness. Many do not get to do these things so we should be grateful for every breath and new tomorrow we enjoy. The Sabbath day is a blessing and those who keep it are blessed by God. Isaiah 56:2

The End Times

In the End times, the Bible lays out for us what is supposed to happen. The moon will turn red and the Sun will not give it's light. These two celestial objects in the sky bring forth our sustenance and relief from darkness. Yet God will diminish the ability of these two to supply the light we need to navigate the darkness. Because we have been a stiff necked people, God will remove himself from us and leave us to our own faculties. If we do not need Him, then like the people in Moses time, we will wander the Earth in darkness.

Isaiah 24:4

The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish.  The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth.

Those who will be saved are those who cling to God and love Him through their actions and not just words. Those that demonstrate their love for Him will one day, like the Jews in Egypt, be miraculously lifted up to meet the Lord in His second coming. Those who reject God will be eliminated from existence no longer to be seen again.

Yet this curse will not be for forty years. It will only be seven years according to the Bible. It will not be hardship and wandering like the Jews of old but God will protect His faithful servants. They may not enjoy the trappings of this current life in 2025 but they will survive and be protected from the plagues and judgements handed down to those who choose to follow the ways of the adversary.

The church has constantly tried to distance itself from the Jews of Jerusalem. Yet in the book of Revelation, it talks about the New Jerusalem coming down from the clouds.

Revelation 3:12

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.

The Book of Life

Revelation 20:15

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Will your name be found written in the Book of Life? If so, Congratulations! You get Eternal Life with God. But how do we know? Jesus is the Way to salvation so abiding in Jesus and following His ways will get our name written in this infamous book.

I want you to join me in the New Jerusalem, I want you to say to me when we see each other, "Gerritt, I read your post on the Sabbath and was convinced to observe it every week. I was blessed because of it."

This is my goal. That I bring more souls to the altar than lambs to the slaughter. To open the eyes of the blind, reveal the road to redemption and give hope to the hopeless. God the Father is knocking on the door to your heart every day. He wants you to open the door and let Him in. This is one visitor you will not be sorry you let in. You may ignore the knocking but He will not stop until you breathe your last and then it will be too late.

People in their old age who suffer with maladies wonder why they just don't die. Many take it upon themselves to end their suffering. If they would just open the door of the One knocking, they would find true peace. A peace free from suffering.

This subject is not hard to understand but the present day church has done all it can to prevent you from following God's Law. Without the rest of the Sabbath, we do not understand the renewal of the body of man and the renewal of God's covenant with His creation. Look at 2 Peter 3:8 and Revelation 20:6. Reign with Christ for a thousand years. A day to God is like a thousand years.. So God's Sabbath day is a thousand years and we have been wrestling with this existence for thousands of years.. maybe six thousand? It would make sense. Fall of man, six thousand years of turmoil and then God renews us with 1,000 years of rest with Him??? Six days work and then 1 day Sabbath. Sounds Intriguing.

Evict the adversary from your mind. Open His Word, open the door to His knocking and celebrate His Sabbath day. As the Jews desire peace so will you come to know it as I have. The peace that God is in control, loves you very much, will protect you and wants to spend eternity with you. The question is: "Do you love Him?" Prove it...

May God Bless you in your ongoing walk with Him.