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The Sabbath

Questions in this section...

How can I be sure that the Sabbath is the day of rest?

How can I be sure that the seventh day is the Sabbath?

Why didn't Jesus include the Sabbath when He spoke of the Ten Commandments?

Must I go to church service on the Sabbath day?

What is prohibited on the Sabbath?

How can I honor the Sabbath in prison?

What do you believe about the Sabbath and feasts?

 

Question: How can I be sure that the Sabbath is the day of rest?

“How can I be sure that the Sabbath is the day of rest?”

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Answer:

This is a good question. A few verses on this subject should settle the question. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

“Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.” (Exodus 31:15)

This question and its answer were printed in the April 2000 issue of Present Truth.

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Question: How can I be sure that the seventh day is the Sabbath?

“How can I be sure that the Sabbath and the seventh day are the same?”

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Answer:

The verses mentioned above should be sufficient to answer this question also. However there may still be some question about whether the day we know of as the seventh day of the week is in reality the same Sabbath day mentioned in the Bible.

There is no scientific reason for the weekly cycle. The second, minute, and hour are divisions of a day. A day is determined by the rotation of the earth. A month is determined by the cycle of the moon. A year is determined by the rotation of the earth around the sun, but there is no scientific reason for the weekly cycle. Yet in virtually every country and language there remains a seven-day week. There is no record that this seven-day weekly cycle has ever changed. The evidence from nearly every language under the sun substantiates this fact. If the weekly cycle had been changed by anyone there would be no way that every language and country would still maintain the same seven-day weekly cycle. In recent years there have been a few countries attempting to use a new calendar that makes it appear as if Sunday is the seventh-day of the week. However the evidence of many languages which still maintain a number as the name of the each day, instead of the Roman names, proves the falsehood of such an attempt. For example many African languages still call Sunday “day one.”

Many languages refer to the seventh day of the week as Sabbath rather than Saturday. In Spanish it is Sabado (Sabbath). There is no Spanish word that could be accurately translated Saturday [which actually means Saturn-day]. The same is true for Russian, Polish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Hungarian, Turkish, Malayan, Malagassy spoken in Madagascar, Swahili, and many other languages. In Russian it is Subbota (Sabbath). In Polish it is Sobota (Sabbath). In French it is Samedi (Sabbath). In Portuguese it is Sabbado (Sabbath). In Italian it is Sabato or Sabbato (Sabbath). In Hungarian it is Szombat (Sabbath). In Turkish it is yom-es-sabt (day the Sabbath). In Arabic it is as-sabt (the Sabbath). In Malayan it is hari-sabtu (the Sabbath). In Malagassy spoken in Madagascar it is alsabotsy (the Sabbath). In Swahili it is as-sabt (the Sabbath).

If there had been a change in the seven-day weekly cycle it would be virtually impossible to have that change implemented in all these countries who speak many different languages. If there had been a change made in the first four thousand years of earth’s history, surely Jesus would have informed us of such a change. Yet it is clear that He made no mention of a change. In fact it was His custom to keep the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. “And he [Jesus] 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.” (Luke 4:16)

From Christ’s day to our day there is no record of any change made in the seven-day weekly cycle. The day that is known alone in many languages as the Sabbath is the same day of the week that we often call Saturday in English. This should be sufficient proof that the seventh-day of the week, known as Saturday, or the Sabbath, is in reality the same Sabbath day that God instituted at the creation of this world.

This question and its answer were printed in the April 2000 issue of Present Truth.

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Question: Why didn't Jesus include the Sabbath when He spoke of the Ten Commandments?

“What about when Jesus told that man which ones [commandments] he was to obey Jesus just gave him a few but did not tell him to obey the Sabbath.”

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Answer:

You brought up a very good point. Let us look at this in context. Jesus said, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 19:17-19)

It is obvious that Jesus was not giving this man a complete list of God’s laws. One obvious point that is very clear is that Jesus did not mention any of the first four commandments which deal with our relationship with God. He only made mention of the second half of the Ten Commandments, and then summed them up by saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus met this man where he was at—pointing out his need. He further stated, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Jesus knew that this young man did not love his neighbor as himself, and therefore pointed out where He needed work. Jesus did not give this man an exhaustive list of the Commandments of God. Please notice that Jesus not only left out all of the first four commandments, He also did not mention the tenth commandment which says, “Thou shalt not covet.”

If the fact that Jesus omitted the Sabbath commandment in His discourse with the rich young ruler, means that the Sabbath is abolished, then it must also be true of the first three commandments and the tenth commandment, because He omitted them also. It is obvious that Jesus was only dealing with the second table of the Ten Commandments which deal with our relationship with our fellow man.

He said in another place, “They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) Here Jesus made a clear distinction between those things which we owe to Caesar and those things which we owe to God. We owe Caesar (all mankind) obedience to the second table of the Ten Commandments, and we owe God obedience to the first table of the Ten Commandments.

There is no earthly government that has a right to require us to render to Caesar those things which belong to God. Or in other words, they have no right to require us to obey any of the first four commandments. For to do so would be forced worship and would require someone to decide in which manner the first four commandments should be kept. This would be nothing more than a man-made religion and as worthless as worshiping Satan himself.

 This is what Nebuchadnezzar did when he required his subjects to bow down and worship an idol. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, knew better than to yield to such a law, for to do so would be to disobey God. God honored their decision to obey God rather than man by protecting them when they were thrown into the fiery furnace.

Jesus understood very clearly the distinction between the first four commandments and the last six commandments. He summed them up in this way, “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 neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

It is clear that Jesus was not teaching that the first four commandments, along with the tenth, are abolished. He upheld these commandments very strictly. He kept the Sabbath over 1500 times in His life. “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.” (Luke 4:16)

I would rather follow Jesus than all the learned men of this world. Peter said it very well, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

This question and its answer were printed in the January 2001 issue of Present Truth.

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Question: Must I go to church service on the Sabbath day?

“I can see how Saturday is the seventh day… I’ve come to realize that in order to fellowship with Christians of other denominations, Sunday is the only day that I can. This is the only day they meet. I’ve come to understand that it’s not worth arguing over a day of the week… Can you show me where it is said that I must go to church service on any Sabbath day? Please do not use ‘let us not forsake the assembly.’ This is too vague.”

Back to Menu                   Top of Page                   New Hampshire

Answer:

You wrote that you do not see the issue as being worth arguing over a day of the week. If it is just an issue of a day of the week, then I would agree with you whole heartedly. However the Bible brings out that it is much more than that. God must be quite concerned about this particular day of the week since He rested on that day from creation. He blessed and hallowed that day and He commanded us to keep it holy. In fact, when a man in Exodus went out to gather sticks on that day, contrary to the commandment, God required that he would be put to death. “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the L (Exodus 31:15) That is very serious. We are not living under a theocracy as they were, and therefore capital punishment for disobedience to the first four commandments is no longer in effect. However, we can see that God is serious about which day we keep. In fact, it is not possible to keep holy the first day of the week, because it was never holy to begin with.

Regarding not having any Christians with which to fellowship on Saturday, it is true that most Christians gather on Sunday rather than Sabbath. However, I am sure if you look around you will find some who worship on Sabbath. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) There are many Sabbath-keeping groups around the country.

You are right that the majority of Christians honor Sunday rather than Sabbath. I do not see that it is a sin to meet with these people on Sunday, which I have done many times. Usually I do so with the intent of sharing the light of the Sabbath with them. It is a sin to work on Sabbath, and that is what the world is trying to get us to do. I believe this issue will become more prominent in the future when the Mark of the Beast will be enforced.

You brought up a very good point regarding the Sabbath. It is very clear in the Bible that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) is the Sabbath, and that this day is a day of rest. However it is not as clear regarding worship.

If the only purpose for the Sabbath is to rest our weary bodies, why not one day in six, or one day in eight. I mean, if one day in seven is good, then one day in six would be just as good, especially if you happen to work harder and need more rest. The yearly cycle is determined by the rotation of the earth around the sun. The monthly cycle is determined by the rotation of the moon around the earth. The daily cycle is determined by the rotation of the earth itself. There is no reason for the weekly cycle other than the fact that God instituted it at the creation of this earth. It is a commemoration of God’s creative power in creating the world.

“It [the Sabbath] is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the L (Exodus 31:17) God was refreshed. How was He refreshed? Was He weary? Certainly not. “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the L (Isaiah 40:28)

God was not refreshed because He was weary. However, He was refreshed on the Sabbath. What refreshed Him? I believe He was refreshed because of His fellowship with His new creation. I also believe He wishes to be refreshed in this way every Sabbath, and He wants us to be refreshed by fellowship with Him as well.

God gave Ezekiel a plan (which was never carried out) for a sanctuary in which God would be more accessible on the Sabbath. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.” (Ezekiel 46:1) In this plan God’s people were expected to worship God on the Sabbath. “Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the L (Ezekiel 46:3) Here we have clear evidence that one of the purposes of the Sabbath was for the worship of God.

In Leviticus 23:3 we read, “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation [arqm “public meeting” or “assembly” (Strong’s)]; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the L The Sabbath is a convocation for public meetings or assemblies.

It was the custom of Jesus to enter into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. “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.” (Luke 4:16) Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath. “And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.” (Mark 1:21) “And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue.” (Mark 6:2) “And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.” (Luke 6:6)

Paul also went into the synagogue on the Sabbath. “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.” (Acts 13:14) Of Paul it is written, “And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.” (Acts 16:13) “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.” (Acts 17:2) “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” (Acts 18:4)

The Scriptures were read on the Sabbath day. “For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” (Acts 15:21) After Paul preached on the Sabbath to the Jews, the Gentiles asked him to preach to them the next Sabbath, “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath... And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13:42, 44) If there was no link between rest, worship of God, and assembling on the Sabbath, then the Gentiles should have asked Paul to preach to them the next day, on Sunday the first day of the week, or on some other day, but they waited a whole week for the next Sabbath day.

God says that the Sabbath is His day, not ours. It is true that the Sabbath was made for man—made for his benefit, but that does not change the fact that it is God’s holy day. “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the L (Exodus 31:15) The Sabbath is holy to the Lord, not holy for ourselves. “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 L (Isaiah 58:13) We are to consider the Sabbath as the holy of the Lord, and honour Him on that day.

“And he said unto them, This is that which the L (Exodus 16:23) You cannot have “the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord” on any other day than the day which He blessed and made holy. You can see here that the rest is unto the Lord, not unto ourselves. There is no other day that will do as a substitute for this holy Sabbath day, no matter how eloquent a man may preach otherwise.

Also, it is clear here that the Sabbath and worship are linked in the fact that we are to participate in “the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord.” If this just meant physical rest for our own bodies alone, then many heathens and pagans have kept the Sabbath just as truly as any Jew or Christian ever did. Yet it is clear that this is not the case. From the testimony of Scripture it is clear that the Sabbath was designed for man to rest from earthly cares and devote himself to honoring, worshiping, and fellowshipping with God. I hope this helps to answer your questions.

This question and its answer were printed in the February 2001 issue of Present Truth.

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Question:  What is prohibited on the Sabbath?

“What about taking a bath on a Sabbath day? …it looks like there are two classes as far as this concept is concerned. What’s your opinion?”

Zimbabwe

“Is it a sin to buy food, drink or anything on the Sabbath? (I am not talking about doing business, thus buying and selling.)”

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(I will answer these two related questions together.    Editor)

Answer:

First of all my opinion is not worth a hill of beans. We must not be concerned about people’s opinions on a given subject, but rather we must be concerned about what God says.

The Bible prohibits working upon the Sabbath day. In the heart of the Ten Commandments, we read,

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

We learn from other Scriptures some of the things this includes, such as: gathering sticks (Exodus 15:32-36), gathering food (Exodus 16:22-28), kindling a fire (Exodus 35:3), buying anything including food (Nehemiah 10:31),  selling anything including food (Nehemiah 13:15), harvesting fields (Nehemiah 13:15), bearing burdens (Jeremiah 17:21), doing your own ways, finding your own pleasure, and speaking your own words (Isaiah 58:13). All manner of secular work is prohibited on the Sabbath day, which begins at sunset Friday evening and ends at sunset Sabbath evening. (Leviticus 23:32; Nehemiah 13:19)

Although these things are prohibited on the Sabbath day, let us not become like the Pharisees and condemn the innocent. We read:

“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.” (Matthew 12:1-7)

The priests were not only permitted, but required, to perform many tasks related to the sanctuary service upon the Sabbath day, which tasks would be a sin if they were performed by anyone else for any other reason. The priests were innocent while performing these tasks for God’s service upon the Sabbath day.

The disciples who were engaged in God’s work were innocent when they plucked and ate “the ears of corn” upon the Sabbath. This was done to nourish their bodies while they were about their Father’s business.

Jesus also demonstrated that acts of mercy to relieve the suffering upon the Sabbath day is in harmony with the commandment. Many times Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:10-13; Luke 13:10-13; 14:1-4, etc.)

Regarding taking a bath on the Sabbath, to my knowledge there is nothing in the Bible that prohibits bathing on the Sabbath. In fact, during the years of the earthly sanctuary service, there were many requirements for God’s people to wash themselves. They were required to wash themselves under many circumstances, including if they had touched a dead man or animal, or if they touched anything that a dead animal had touched. Many of these circumstances that required bathing undoubtedly occurred on the Sabbath, and therefore required bathing upon the Sabbath. God wants us to be clean and presentable upon His holy day, if that can be done by bathing just before the Sabbath, that would probably be better than bathing on the Sabbath, but there is no command prohibiting bathing on the Sabbath. If bathing is a weekly occurrence as was common several years ago, and still may be common in some parts of the world, then it would be best to bathe the day before the Sabbath so you can be clean on the Sabbath.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

This question and its answer were printed in the August 2002 issue of Present Truth.

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Question:  How can I honor the Sabbath in prison?

“Now that I’m aware of the true and correct Sabbath, what would be the best way for me to honor it in this environment of incarceration. I don’t want to miss out on the church worshipping service that’s held on Sunday, but I want to be, in every way, correct in God’s order.
    “Needless to say, the Holy Spirit has confirmed all the reading material you have sent me, but what do I do, here in prison?”

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Answer:

Praise the Lord that He has led you to understand the truth regarding the Sabbath. I am sure there are many struggles ahead for you. Remember that Jesus said, “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) I pray that you will endure unto the end.

You really asked two questions. First you asked, “How can I honor the Sabbath in prison?” There are definitely circumstances in prison that can make it more difficult to honor the Sabbath than if you were on the outside, yet God has promised, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The commandment prohibits us from doing any work on the Sabbath including buying and selling. I have read many stories of people who were in prisons and their captors tried to force them to work upon the Sabbath. Yet, they refused to work on God’s holy day and were persecuted for it. They were faithful to God, however, and after some trials, they were left alone to worship their God on Sabbath in peace.

God requires strict obedience to His laws regardless of circumstances. Some people are fair-weather Christians, choosing to serve God when it suits them, but as soon as troubles arise they get offended and forsake God. Jesus described these people when He spoke of the sower sowing the seed in stony ground. He said, “These are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” (Mark 4:16, 17) Let us take heed that persecution does not turn us away from God.

In prison you must refuse to work upon the Sabbath and cease from any secular activities that you may engage in on other days of the week. God said that on the Sabbath we must “honour him, not doing [our] own ways, nor finding [our] own pleasure, nor speaking [our] own words.” (Isaiah 58:13) God desires us to cease from worldly cares and concerns on the Sabbath and completely devote that time to fellowship with Him by prayer and the study of His Word. This can be done by yourself, or you can share this time with others who are seeking the same communion with God. You can do this no matter where you are.

The second question you asked was regarding attending worship services on Sunday. That is a decision between you and God. In your decision-making consider the following points:

The fourth commandment prohibits work upon the Sabbath day and commands that all work must be done on “the six working days.” This does not mean that all religious services must be avoided on Sunday, just as there is no prohibition against religious services on any other day of the week. Yet, in your religious gathering on Sunday, let nobody suppose that you regard Sunday to be honored above any other day, or that work should be ceased on that day.

From my studies in the Bible and history I have found that Sunday observance will again be used by the governments of this world to persecute God’s people. [For a thorough study on this subject, please contact us and request the booklet entitled “A Time to Choose.”]

The Roman Emperor Constantine enacted the first Sunday law in 321 AD, stating,

“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 sowing corn and planting vines; lest the critical moment being let slip, men should lose the commodities granted by Heaven.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, article Sunday)

This Sunday law was strictly and completely a religious law, and could only be a religious law. Even though this first Sunday law was enacted by a pagan emperor to benefit pagan sun worshipers, Sunday observance as a religious holiday was adopted by Christians.

Notice what one historian has to say about this:

“Centuries of the Christian era passed away before the Sunday was observed by the Christian church as a Sabbath. History does not furnish us with a single proof or indication that it was at any time so observed previous to the Sabbatical edict of Constantine in A.D. 321.” (Sir Wm. Domville, Examination of the Six Texts, page 291 as quoted in History of the Sabbath and First Day of the Week, page 344, by John N. Andrews, Steam Press 1873)

Today, there is a large movement pushing for more Sunday laws. Even today, in the United States, we have many Sunday laws on the books—called blue laws. Have you ever wondered why many businesses are closed or have shorter hours of operation on Sunday? In many cases it is not because of choice, but because laws restrict their businesses on Sunday. In most states it is illegal to buy or sell alcohol until noon on Sunday. In the state of Indiana it is illegal to buy or sell a car on Sunday. There are many other such Sunday laws in effect all over the country. All of these Sunday laws are religious laws and are in direct violation of the First Amendment to our Constitution which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

According to the Bible, Sunday is one of the “six working days.” (Ezekiel 46:1) God said, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work.” (Exodus 20:9) Honoring one day of the week above another is strictly religious in nature, directly relating to our worship of God. There can be no other reason for honoring a day of the week than that of worship. Seeing that Sunday observance can only relate to worship, the government has no right to regulate what I may or may not do on Sunday, if it is lawful any other day of the week. Yet, this is precisely what the government sought to do in the time of Constantine, and it was used to persecute God’s people, and it is what the so-called “Christian Coalition” is seeking to do again.

I speak on behalf of many of my brethren when I say, we are completely opposed to any Sunday law because it is, and can be, only religious in nature, and only relates to worship, which the government has no right to enact. We would be just as opposed to a Sabbath law enacted by a worldly government as we are opposed to a Sunday law.

Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) Here Jesus made a distinction between that which we owe to our fellow man, and that which we owe to God. We must not render to Caesar the things that belong to God, yet that is exactly what the government asks of us when they seek to enact a Sunday law.

The government of Babylon asked their subjects to render to the government that which must be rendered only to God—worship. We read the story in the third chapter of Daniel.

To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:4-6)

This command by the government forced people to worship or face death. In such circumstances God requires His people to continue serving Him as if the law did not exist. This is exactly what the three young Hebrews did when they were faced with this command to worship. The king was furious when he learned of their decision to disobey his command.

“Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchad- nezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:14-17)

God rewarded the faithfulness of these three Hebrews by performing a miracle to protect them in the fiery furnace, thus endorsing their decision and showing that God has no consideration for a man-made law requiring worship. We also must be faithful in the face of a similar crisis if we expect to be found worthy to enter the kingdom of God. God has warned us that, again, a crisis will come upon this earth and, again, it will revolve around worship.

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world… And [the second beast] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” (Revelation 13:8, 15-18)

The mark of the beast crisis will revolve around worship and the government legislation of worship. It is certain that the governments of this world will pass a universal law regarding worship. They will follow the example of Constantine and enforce religious observance of Sunday.

Since Sunday observance is a form of worship, and it is wholly religious in nature, we refuse to honor or respect a man-made law requiring Sunday observance. Because Sunday observance is pagan in origin and religious in nature we have chosen to stay far away from honoring that day, or even letting it appear as if we honor that day. Keep these things in mind when you make the decision of whether or not to fellowship on Sunday.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

This question and its answer were printed in the August 2002 issue of Present Truth.

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Question: What do you believe about the Sabbath and feasts?

“I have been perusing the Present Truth website and reading the articles there. I read the one on the Ten Commandments and it raised a question. Do you believe we need to follow all the Old Testament laws, or are you saying we need only follow the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament. Usually when I read of those who believe in following the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, they usually also go further by believing in keeping the dietary laws, feast days, etc. Just wondering about your beliefs on this.”

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Answer:

This is a good question, and I am glad that you brought it up. First of all, the Old Testament Scriptures was the only Scriptures the New Testament writers had. This was constantly referred to as the Scriptures and never spoken of as being done away with. There are, however, certain changes that took place when Jesus died, such as the ending of the sacrificial system (Daniel 9:27), and the Levitical priesthood being done away with (Hebrews 7). Paul also told us that the feast days were a shadow of things to come that were blotted out when Christ died. (Colossians 2:14-20).

Regarding the health laws, those were laws regarding the human body, and our bodies did not change at the cross, and there is nothing to indicate that these laws were changed. An unclean animal, such as a pig, has never been changed into a clean animal, nor have our bodies changed to make them clean to us. A pig is not suitable for human consumption. It is unhealthful, and even the medical world has recognized the dangers of unclean foods.

The Old Testament forbade the eating of blood and fat. (Leviticus 3:17). The New Testament also forbids the eating of blood (Acts 15:29), and there is not the slightest hint that the prohibition against eating fat has been lifted.

Ceremonial laws, concerning the sanctuary, feast days, the sacrificial system, and the Levitical priesthood have been changed by the death of Christ, but laws concerning every-day conduct and relationships between people, and laws regarding how we should take care of our bodies are still in effect.

I hope this helps answer your question.

This question and its answer were printed in the September 2007 issue of Present Truth.

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