THE SABBATH AND THE LORD’S DAY

Genesis 1:1-3 “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: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.”

The foregoing texts show that the SABBATH was instituted as a perpetual memorial of God’s work of creation, before there were any Jews. It is not one of the shadows of the sanctuary service which ceased to have any significance after the death of Christ, which foretold in type this event.

"The" day is used in the texts, implying the particular day that God sanctified to be His memorial -- Not "a" or "any" day but the 7th day.

Isaiah 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. 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.”

Exodus 20:10,11 “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.”

Hebrews 4:4 “For He spake in a certain place of the Seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the Seventh day from all His works.”

W H Y_ O B S E R V E_ T H E _F I R S T_ DAY ?

One of the most common reasons given for keeping Sunday (the first day of the week) is "because Christ rose from the grave on that day". This is a man made reason. Nothing in Holy Writ sanctions any change to be made to the Law of God. For man to attempt to change the everlasting Law of the Great Creator God, is an attempt to place himself above the Law Maker. What an insult to our Creator! The created being implying that his Creator did not set aside the correct day to worship Him as the Creator of Heaven and Earth! What better day could be chosen than the day the Creator Himself Rested and Sanctified that mankind might always Remember His Creator.

The Fourth Commandment is the only commandment prefixed by the word "Remember". Most Christians claim to keep the other nine commandments, but balk at the fourth which identifies the Lord as "God", states His Position as the "Creator", and lists His domain as "heaven and earth". This commandment contains all the necessary information to be classified as a Monarch's Seal. God states that the Seventh day Sabbath is a Sign between Himself and His people forever. It is the "sign" of sanctification. Exe 31:17.

Sanctifying the First day (Sunday) in place of the Seventh Day is claimed to be a "Sign" of the authority of the Church of Rome. Rome allowed the "Venerable day of the Sun" to be upheld by it’s heathen converts and eventually, in A.D. 321 Constantine commanded the people to keep Sunday and thus brought in the change of the day of worship. Rome claims that all who keep the first day of the week, are showing their allegiance to her.

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:”

Rev 12:17 “And the dragon was wrath with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” See Rev. chapter. 12-18.

Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great.”

True Seventh day Sabbath keeping is a sign of receiving God's Seal of approval. But keeping the first day - a counterfeit Sabbath which originated in the heathen system of sun-worship, - is foretold in the books of Daniel chapter 7 & Revelation chapter 13. It is a test for all people to see whether they will be loyal to God and keep His commandments, or whether they will worship the Beast Power and receive its Mark and the Seven Last Plagues of Rev.16.

T H E _L O R D ’S _D A Y

Revelation 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.”

This is the only time that the phrase “Lord’s day” is mentioned in scripture, but it does not identify the day of the week in this verse by name.

Luke 6:5 “And he said unto them, that the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.”

So as He is Lord of the Sabbath, it then follows that the Sabbath is His Day. The Lord's Day, The Seventh day Sabbath of the Ten Commandments is the true Memorial of the creation of this world. He never authorized any change from the Seventh day Sabbath.

If God's Law could be changed, so that the Sabbath law of the ten commandments was no longer binding, then the penalty for breaking God's holy law could also be altered and Christ would not have to die for the saving of mankind. God said "I change not". He came not to destroy or change the great moral law which is the basis of His government. Satan's lie to Eve, "thou shalt not surely die" would be vindicated if the penalty for disobedience could be avoided.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Matthew 5:17-18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Romans 2:12 “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

James 2:12 “So speak ye, and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”

A law by which every person will be judged, must be consistent at all times. To change or do away with God's law would result in chaos in the whole universe. The law is a transcript of the character of God. It is as unchangeable as God Himself. As Satan has challenged God’s justice, it is logical that he should attack the foundation of God’s government which is His Law.

John 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.”

This did not sanction the first day of the week as the Sabbath. In fact this gathering together could not be to celebrate or honor the day on which the Lord rose from the grave for the simple reason that at this time they were not convinced that Christ had risen.

John 20:26 “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you.”

This did not sanction the second day of the week. If verse 19 was referring to the first day of the week, verse 26 could not be the first day of the week - it would be the second day of the week. The disciples were not assembled to celebrate the Sabbath but for fear of the Jews. The breaking of bread was a term used commonly for eating a meal. It was not only used for referring to the celebration of the communion service . After the walk to Emmaus, Christ broke bread and gave thanks for the meal. This was not a celebration of the communion service because Christ said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He did so in heaven with His people. Matt. 26:29.

Many historians and theologians of various religions agree that Sunday worship did not come into the Christian church until the Year A.D. 321.

They also agree that none of the apostles ever kept the first day of the week as the weekly Sabbath.

Sunday sanctity has always been connected with pagan religious ceremonies and always will be until the return of Christ, according to prophecy.

Luke 16:17 “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”

Romans 2:13 “For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Romans 6:15 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Romans 7:12 “Wherefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

I John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

I John 2:3, 4 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

II John 1:6 “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

Following are listed the name of the seventh day as seen on a few calendars in various languages which clearly show that the Seventh day is the Lord’s Day and the Sabbath:— English - Saturday; Danish - Lordag; Italian - Sabato; Norwegian - Lordag; Portuguese and Spanish - Sabado; Swedish - Lordag. The German name for the fourth day which is the middle of the week, is Mittwoch.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wrath with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 22:14 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.

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I John 2:7-11 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

II John 1:5,6 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

These texts when read in context make it plain that the Ten Commandments were not fully understood as they should have been. The first four commandments show our love to God, and the last six show our love to our fellow beings.

Matthew 22:36-40 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Two points need to be addressed, namely “Grace” and “Faith”. Both of these gifts are made available by our Lord. It is clearly stated that without these gifts no one could receive salvation, and no one could keep God’s Law. But these gifts must be applied for the development of Christian characters.

The Gospel is given for the purpose of eliminating sin as well as the effects of sin. As the definition of sin is “transgression of the Law”, It follows that no one will be saved who does not keep God’s Holy Law because sin will never enter heaven or the new earth. Sinners could not exist in the presence of God. His glory could not be endured by any one living in sin. The happiness and security of the universe depends on the fact that sin will never again be tolerated.

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

II Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

II Corinthians 9:8 And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may abound to every good work:

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

A definition of “grace” is “unmerited favour”.

Chambers’ Encyclopedia — Article, “Sabbath.” States:- “By none of the Fathers before the fourth century is it [Sunday] identified with the Sabbath, nor is the duty of observing it grounded by them, either on the fourth commandment, or on the precept by Christ or His apostles.”

Dr. Neander, regarded as the leading church historian of the Christian era, says: “The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intent