SABBATH was not a sign for the church, but a sign for Israel, and never has been changed (Exodus 31:13-17, Ezekiel 20:12). There are two systems of worship in the Bible, the Jewish religion in the Old Testament and the Christian religion in the New Testament. Both have salvation by faith (Romans 4:3-6), but there are major differences that cannot be mixed.
Jewish religion. Christian religion.
1) Animal sacrifices. 1) Christ is our sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2).
2) Temple at Jerusalem. 2) Our bodies are the temple of God (I Corinthians 6:19).
3) Synagogues. 3) Churches (Matthew 16:18).
4) Circumcision. 4) Baptism (Matthew 28:19, Galatians 5:6, 11).
5) A man as high priest. 5) Christ is high priest. (Hebrews 5:10)
6) Sabbath (Saturday). 6) Sunday (Acts 20:7).
We do not want to mix these two systems of worship and pick and choose which parts to keep. The Sabbath is Saturday (Deuteronomy 5:14) and is for Israel. It has never been changed, as it is a “perpetual covenant,” and it is a “sign” between Israel and God. “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” (Exodus 31:13). “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” (Exodus 31:16–17). The Sabbath was not a sign between God and the church or for all men everywhere, for how could it then be a “sign” between God and the children of Israel?
Christ and the apostles went into synagogues to teach on Saturday (Sabbath), as that was the day the Jews met to worship. Sunday was not established till Christ arose on the first day of the week (Sunday). “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week…” (Mark 16:9). The apostles took advantage of witnessing to the Jews in their synagogues as long as possible, until they were forced out. But Paul instructed the churches to keep Sunday (the first day of week). “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week [Sunday] let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:1–2). The words “given order” are found 15 more times in the Greek New Testament, and they are translated into English, one time “set in order”; three times “ordain”; four times “appoint”; and seven times “command.” The point is, the apostle Paul was not giving them just a suggestion but was giving the churches a command: “the first day of the week”--not the Sabbath, which is the seventh day, or last day of the week.
The Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments: “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee” (Deuteronomy 5:12). But attached to this fourth commandment was something that the other commandments do not mention: “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 5:15). The Sabbath was instituted during their Exodus deliverance, but the church was delivered from bondage by Christ (Galatians 5:1). The Sabbath is only one of a number of things that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection has done away with (Colossians 2:16–17).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church keeps the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) and teaches that if we do not keep it that we have the mark of the Beast. It would be good for them to meditate on Romans 14:1, 5–6: “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations…One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 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.”
God the Father is married to Israel and Christ is married to the church. The moral laws we keep but not laws that were a sign between God and Israel. There were things that Christ changed, such as what food we could eat (Acts 10:9–16; see PORK), the day of worship (Colossians 2:16–17), circumcision (Galatians 5:2–3), and many other things. Gentiles who keep the Sabbath do not keep all the laws in the Old Testament but pick and choose which they like. For example, the Old Testament said, “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together” (Deuteronomy 22:11). But Gentiles who keep the Sabbath will wear clothes with cotton, linen, silk, nylon, polyester, rayon, etc. The problem is not that they wear clothing of different material but that they pretend to obey all the Old Testament when they do not and thus are partial in their application. They do not even keep the Sabbath as given in the Bible: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day” (Exodus 35:2–3). They certainly do not keep this, and in fact it would have been impossible for someone living in the northern parts of Russia, Alaska, Sweden, Iceland, and such places where in wintertime one-night can last for months. So, were they to freeze all during this time? The Jewish Sabbath was obviously meant for Israel in a warmer climate, such as in the land God gave them.
Christ arose the first day of the week (Mark 16:9) and, immediately after this, met with His apostles on the first day of the week (John 20:19). Sunday was the day the disciples gathered together to “break bread.” They would have had to have known in advance of this day in order to meet to do this, and therefore it was an established day. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7). Paul and Christ went to synagogues on the Sabbath to use them as a place to preach the gospel. But Christ started the church, not a synagogue. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a commanded to keep the Sabbath. And in the many lists of sins that are given in the New Testament, never is Sabbath breaking given as a sin. The only commandment in the New Testament about the Sabbath is that it is wrong for others to judge us when we do not keep it. “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” (Colossians 2:16).
Jewish religion. Christian religion.
1) Animal sacrifices. 1) Christ is our sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2).
2) Temple at Jerusalem. 2) Our bodies are the temple of God (I Corinthians 6:19).
3) Synagogues. 3) Churches (Matthew 16:18).
4) Circumcision. 4) Baptism (Matthew 28:19, Galatians 5:6, 11).
5) A man as high priest. 5) Christ is high priest. (Hebrews 5:10)
6) Sabbath (Saturday). 6) Sunday (Acts 20:7).
We do not want to mix these two systems of worship and pick and choose which parts to keep. The Sabbath is Saturday (Deuteronomy 5:14) and is for Israel. It has never been changed, as it is a “perpetual covenant,” and it is a “sign” between Israel and God. “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” (Exodus 31:13). “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” (Exodus 31:16–17). The Sabbath was not a sign between God and the church or for all men everywhere, for how could it then be a “sign” between God and the children of Israel?
Christ and the apostles went into synagogues to teach on Saturday (Sabbath), as that was the day the Jews met to worship. Sunday was not established till Christ arose on the first day of the week (Sunday). “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week…” (Mark 16:9). The apostles took advantage of witnessing to the Jews in their synagogues as long as possible, until they were forced out. But Paul instructed the churches to keep Sunday (the first day of week). “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week [Sunday] let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:1–2). The words “given order” are found 15 more times in the Greek New Testament, and they are translated into English, one time “set in order”; three times “ordain”; four times “appoint”; and seven times “command.” The point is, the apostle Paul was not giving them just a suggestion but was giving the churches a command: “the first day of the week”--not the Sabbath, which is the seventh day, or last day of the week.
The Sabbath was one of the Ten Commandments: “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee” (Deuteronomy 5:12). But attached to this fourth commandment was something that the other commandments do not mention: “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 5:15). The Sabbath was instituted during their Exodus deliverance, but the church was delivered from bondage by Christ (Galatians 5:1). The Sabbath is only one of a number of things that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection has done away with (Colossians 2:16–17).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church keeps the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) and teaches that if we do not keep it that we have the mark of the Beast. It would be good for them to meditate on Romans 14:1, 5–6: “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations…One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 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.”
God the Father is married to Israel and Christ is married to the church. The moral laws we keep but not laws that were a sign between God and Israel. There were things that Christ changed, such as what food we could eat (Acts 10:9–16; see PORK), the day of worship (Colossians 2:16–17), circumcision (Galatians 5:2–3), and many other things. Gentiles who keep the Sabbath do not keep all the laws in the Old Testament but pick and choose which they like. For example, the Old Testament said, “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together” (Deuteronomy 22:11). But Gentiles who keep the Sabbath will wear clothes with cotton, linen, silk, nylon, polyester, rayon, etc. The problem is not that they wear clothing of different material but that they pretend to obey all the Old Testament when they do not and thus are partial in their application. They do not even keep the Sabbath as given in the Bible: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day” (Exodus 35:2–3). They certainly do not keep this, and in fact it would have been impossible for someone living in the northern parts of Russia, Alaska, Sweden, Iceland, and such places where in wintertime one-night can last for months. So, were they to freeze all during this time? The Jewish Sabbath was obviously meant for Israel in a warmer climate, such as in the land God gave them.
Christ arose the first day of the week (Mark 16:9) and, immediately after this, met with His apostles on the first day of the week (John 20:19). Sunday was the day the disciples gathered together to “break bread.” They would have had to have known in advance of this day in order to meet to do this, and therefore it was an established day. “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7). Paul and Christ went to synagogues on the Sabbath to use them as a place to preach the gospel. But Christ started the church, not a synagogue. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a commanded to keep the Sabbath. And in the many lists of sins that are given in the New Testament, never is Sabbath breaking given as a sin. The only commandment in the New Testament about the Sabbath is that it is wrong for others to judge us when we do not keep it. “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” (Colossians 2:16).
