The Sabbath Day

    Here are a few questions I’d like ask the general public. What is the Sabbath day for? Why are we to keep it? When is it? Did Jesus observe it? One thing the Sabbath day isn’t!

    Recently I received e-mail with some Prophecy links in it. I almost added them to our Prophecy Webpage but they contained some very hard criticism of a major denomination, I agreed with most of what they were saying but thought they were to harsh and unloving in the way they presented things. I bookmarked the sites and kept going back to read more. Then I ran across the subject of the Sabbath again, in the last month or two I’ve ran into false teaching on this subject several times so feel that the Lord would like me to write about it.

    The subject of the Sabbath is mentioned 172 times in 147 different verses. I will only quote a few verses here to help answer some of the questions that were posed above. If you do a search of the Bible you will find the first reference made with the word Sabbath in it is in Exodus chapter 16. The following verses, I believe show the first observance of the Sabbath Day by God, and will answer most of the questions that I asked at the start.

(Gen 2:1 KJV) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
(Gen 2:2 KJV) 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.
(Gen 2:3 KJV) 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.

What is the Sabbath day for?

For one thing it is for rest from your labor.

Why are we to keep it? This is what God has said about it.

(Exo 20:8 KJV) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

(Exo 20:10 KJV) 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:
(Exo 20:11 KJV) 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.

(Exo 31:13 KJV) 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.
(Exo 31:14 KJV) Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
(Exo 31:15 KJV) Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
(Exo 31:16 KJV) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

When is it?

The Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week - Saturday

Did Jesus observe it? Yes He did, but with much controversy.

(Mat 12:8 KJV) For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
(Mat 12:9 KJV) And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
(Mat 12:10 KJV) And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
(Mat 12:11 KJV) And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
(Mat 12:12 KJV) How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
(Mat 12:13 KJV) Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

(Mark 1:21 KJV) And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
(Mark 1:22 KJV) And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
(Mark 1:23 KJV) And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
(Mark 1:24 KJV) Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
(Mark 1:25 KJV) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
(Mark 1:26 KJV) And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
(Mark 1:27 KJV) And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.

(Mark 2:23 KJV) And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
(Mark 2:24 KJV) And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
(Mark 2:25 KJV) And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
(Mark 2:26 KJV) How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
(Mark 2:27 KJV) And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
(Mark 2:28 KJV) Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

(Mark 3:4 KJV) And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

So why the change of days? Why did the Church start coming together on the first day of the week instead of the last day? Let’s look at some of the events that occurred on the first day of the week.

(Mat 28:1 KJV) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
(Mat 28:2 KJV) And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
(Mat 28:3 KJV) His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
(Mat 28:4 KJV) And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
(Mat 28:5 KJV) And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
(Mat 28:6 KJV) He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
(Mat 28:7 KJV) And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Now let us look at a few more references to the first day of the week.

(1 Cor 16:2 KJV) 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.

So we see in the passages above that the early Church did, and observed many things on the first day of the week and many Christians consider Sunday the Sabbath day. But as we also have read above, God made Saturday the Sabbath day. So you might ask which day is correct, or which one should I observe?

Time for me to get out my soapbox now! There is a denomination that teaches that if you observe Sunday as the Sabbath day, that you have willing received the Mark of the Beast and your going to the Lake of Fire. That is crazy and totally wrong according to the Scriptures, PERIOD

God’s Word commands us to observe the Sabbath day, right? So when does your Preacher have his? You are suppose to labor for 6 days and rest on the seventh right? So when is the Pastor s Sabbath day? What about the International date line? It is a different day in another part of the world, what do we do with that?

There is a easy answer to this problem, open your Bible and read what it says.

(Col 2:16 KJV) 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:

Actually it is pretty simple once you listen to what God has said, instead of people or Churches.

Now, back to the Mark of the Beast!

    I know I'm not that smart, but how does worshipping God on Sunday equate to receiving the Mark of the Beast??? Why don't we do something really crazy, instead of looking at Church theology we consult the Bible instead.

Revelation 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he 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.
16 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:
17 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.
18 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.

You might not understand all of this passage and that is how false teaches and false prophets exist, and pervert the truths of the Bible, through our ignorance and laziness in studying God's Holy Word. Now take a look again at this simple statement found in verse 16, 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:

        Have you ever gone to Church on Sunday? If you have, did somebody make you take a mark in your hand or forehead? Some translations say on the hand or forehead and that is wrong and this is why.
18 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.
Now let us take a look at underlined in Strong's Concordance, #G5516. chi xi stigma, khee xee stig'-ma; an obsolete letter (G4742 as a cross) of the Greek alphabet. Which has the following meaning, G4742. stigma, stig'-mah; from a prim. stizo (to "stick", i.e. prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), i.e. (fig.) scar of service:--mark.

So let me ask you again, have you ever gone to a Church on Sunday? Did anyone stick, or punch any type of mark into your flesh???????

Why don't we all get really crazy and instead of listening to our Pastor teach us about our denominations theology on a subject like this, we listen to what God's Word the Bible has to say about it! AMEN!

        Bottom line is, THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH THAT PREVAILS,
WITH MANY PROOFS AND NEVER CHANGES.

GOD'S HOLY WORD
THE BIBLE 
READ IT TODAY AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF!