THE SABBATH - A MEMORIAL AND A PROMISE

The Sabbath was made for man, Mark 2:27. The Creator in His wisdom knew that all men desperately need a regular time of rest and renewal each week. Observing the Sabbath–especially with others in fellowship–provides great spiritual and moral strength to enable one to remain in the proper relationship with the Heavenly Father* the other six days of the week. Just as necessary as regular sleep at night, the Sabbath is a natural law without which man spiritually deteriorates.

   *The true names of the Heavenly Father, Yahweh and His Son, Yahshua the Messiah, are restored in these pages. Superstitious scribes and misguided Bible translators took away these true names and substituted the titles God, Lord and Adonai. The sacred Name is easily proved in good encyclopedias and dictionaries under the headings "Yahweh," "Jehovah," "God," or "Tetragrammaton."  Request our free booklets or read online, "The Heavenly Father’s Great Name" and/or "The Missing J," which prove the Names conclusively from secular and religious authorities, as well as Scripture.

   Salvation has always been "by grace through faith." In the Old Testament, men were saved by grace through faith. It was Yahweh's grace that gave man the sacrificial system so that their transgressions of His moral law could be covered. But grace was not fully revealed until the death of the Messiah.

   Just as the moral law leads us to the Messiah by showing us our sin and our need for a Savior, the ceremonial law through sacrifices is intended to teach us of the coming Messiah and His atoning work. What is thought to be Yahshua's doing away with the entire law is merely replacing the ceremonial ordinances with His own sacrifice. The moral and civil laws still remain in effect. These principles were not changed.

The Sabbath Is Necessary in Spiritual Development

   Yahshua said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive...neither knows," John 14:15-17. The Holy Spirit is quenched by Sabbath desecration just as it is quenched by murder or any other disobedience.

   The principle is not, "Give us the Comforter and then we will keep the commandments." You must first keep the commandments and then the Holy Spirit will do its work in you. Yahshua commanded the lepers to go and show themselves to the priest, and they were fully healed—after they obeyed, not before.

   Proper Sabbath observance means religious training of our children. Neglecting the Sabbath in the home means that the children are not trained. When the Sabbath is ignored, so is Bible reading and study, as well as prayer and spiritual instruction. Sabbath keeping is Yahweh's will. Man has devised many substitute activities for obedience to Sabbath keeping, but substitutes are unacceptable.

   Clearly those who use the Sabbath as a holiday, by putting themselves before Yahweh in search of pleasure or profit, are not developing righteous character. Other attractions such as baseball games, movies, and television have no relationship with the sacred uses of the Sabbath day. They contain essentially nothing for moral or religious training. When the Fourth Commandment is violated by such pastimes, the Holy Spirit is quenched and interest in religious matters dies out. Can we wonder that those who use the Sabbath as a day for personal gratification or gain do not develop righteous character?

No Sabbath, No Spiritual Growth

   Usually, the Sabbath is rejected after one turns from Yahweh. Just as breaking a law of physics can have adverse results, when the Sabbath is violated, worship is perverted and peculiar beliefs are sure to follow. Personal drives overtake biblical direction as intellectual reasoning supersedes spiritual drive.

   Note the spiritual derailment that resulted in Israel, following the righteous reign of King David, when one sin led to another.  David's son, Solomon, married the princess of Egypt to secure the influence of the Egyptians. He then married other wives. Next, he built places of worship, not in harmony with Yahweh's commandments, but to meet seemingly necessary conditions. Then Jeroboam thought it was necessary to set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel to meet a specific condition, and to be popular with the people.

   It was not long until Israel was found worshipping idols with the surrounding heathen people. It was not such a large step between the sincere worship of Israel in the days of David and the idol worship of Jeroboam and Ahab. Ezekiel tells us that the degeneracy of Israel was "...because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths," Ezekiel 20:16. Any individual, family, community or nation that does not keep the Sabbath will soon degenerate.

   There is no growth in spiritual life where there is no Sabbath that brings the mind and heart to reflect upon the sacred truths of Scripture. Human nature is prone to follow the baser thoughts and motives even on the Sabbath day.  "...not finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words," referred to in Isaiah 58:13, means that on His holy day, we are to turn aside from pleasures, profit-seeking, and conversations that we would naturally choose.

   For those who continue to reject the Sabbath, listen to John's assessment:  "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that says, 'I know him,' and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him," 1 John 2:3-4.

Why the Sabbath Was Established

    The purpose for the Sabbath was stated clearly by the handwriting of Yahweh Himself (Exodus 31:18) and preserved for us through His Holy Scriptures.

   Yahweh again spoke the commandment to Moses, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'Concerning the feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of Yahweh in all your dwellings,' " Leviticus 23:2-3.

   Yahweh has created the seventh day holy to Him. He rested on the seventh day. Why? Do you think He was tired? No, Yahweh created, blessed, and sanctified the seventh day to give mankind a special time for rest and worship. "But, we must worship Yahweh every day of our lives, not just once a week," you might be saying. You are absolutely correct. We are to keep Yahweh foremost in our daily lives.

   Yahweh has given us six days for ourselves, but the Sabbath has been set aside exclusively for a special communion between Yahweh and man. Nothing must interfere in this weekly relationship. This is how Yahweh intended it to be from creation and that is how it will be in the Kingdom. " '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,' says Yahweh," Isaiah 66:23.

The Sabbath Signifies a Holy Bond with Yahweh

   Yahweh established the Sabbath by resting on it after the creation. He intended that all people do the same when He made rest on the seventh day one of the royal commandments. The Sabbath was to be a sign between the Creator and His creation.

   Read Exodus 31:13-14, "Speak you also unto the children of Israel, saying, 'Verily My Sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations: that you may know that I am Yahweh that does sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defiles it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.' "

   Notice first that the Sabbath is a special sign "throughout all your generations." Anyone that works on that day will be cut off from Yahweh's true people. The Sabbath, therefore, identifies the true worshippers of Yahweh. Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is the difference between worshipping the Creator of this universe and worshipping a false, man-made mighty one.  The pagans worshipped the sun god on "Sun"-day. Here, "sign" in the Hebrew means a monument, token or evidence. The Sabbath is a lasting memorial, evidence that those observing it are worshipping the true Creator.

   But some say, "I keep every day holy, not any one special day." Notice verse 15, "Six days may work be done; but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest..." We are commanded to work six of the seven days of the week and rest on the seventh.

   More proof that the Sabbath is to be kept forever is found in verses 16-17:  "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 forever." Perpetual means "permanent, lasting indefinitely."

   Is the Sabbath merely for Old Testament Israelites—"Jews"? "Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham..." "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham..." "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Messiah Yahshua. And if you be Messiah's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:7, 9, 28-29).

   Israel was given the promise that, if they would be obedient to Yahweh's Sabbath, they would be treasured and blessed by Yahweh, Isaiah 58:13-14. The promise is exactly the same for us as spiritual Israelites.

   "Remember the Sabbath" is as important as "Thou shalt not steal," or "Thou shalt do no murder," Exodus 20.

   The relationships between man and Yahweh never change. Yahweh blessed and sanctified the seventh day, thus making it His Sabbath. He did not do this for any other day, nor did He undo it for the seventh. What Yahweh does is for all time. He does not change, Malachi 3:6.

Our Days Named After Planet Deities

   None of the seven days of the week are named in the Bible, except the seventh—the Sabbath. The other six days are merely numbered. The fact that the days of the week are named today is one obvious indication that our calendar is not in harmony with Scripture.

   The Jewish Encyclopedia tells us that the present names for the days of the week are derived from the Sabeans and Babylonians. Sabaism (from "tsaba," heavenly hosts) is the earliest form of false worship, according to Jamieson, Faussel and Brown Commentary.

   In Babylonia, the worship of the planets became popular. Stars were divided into two classes:  stationary or fixed, and those that moved or wandered. Those that were thought to wander were the sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn. These planetary deities were believed to be the principle rulers of the visible universe.  They also were thought to rule the days of the week. "The first hours of seven successive days were thus ruled in turn by the celestial bodies...(Saturn, sun, moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus)...after which the cycle repeated itself. Each day was named after the planet that ruled its first hour," Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Week" Vol. 12, p. 587.

   The ancient pagans worshipped the planetary deities in succession. Thus, our Sunday (sun's day) was named for the sun god; Monday (moon's day), moon god. The days Tuesday through Friday were named after northern European deities that corresponded to Roman planet gods, which also coincided with Babylonian gods (see chart below).

   Is there a connection between the Bible's seven-day week and Babylon's seven planetary deities? The Jewish Encyclopedia says, "The biblical writings contain no trace of any custom of naming the days of the week after the seven planets; nor had this custom, found among the Babylonians and the Sabeans, any bearing originally on the division of the week into seven days, since it was a mere numerical coincidence that seven planets were assumed in these primitive astrological conceits," Vol. 12, p. 482.

   The names for the seven days of the week are actually the names of heathen deities.  Pagan to the core, the calendar and the planetary week of the world mask and preclude the true sacred calendar Yahweh wants us to follow, keeping in mind HIS Sabbath, feast days and new moons.

   Is it a light thing in the sight of Yahweh to so worship the sun, moon and host of heaven? Ezekiel 8:16-18. Does Yahweh want us to remain in an observance of such days, months, times and years? Galatians 4:8-11.  What instead does Yahweh want us to observe? Leviticus 23:2. Does Yahweh begin His year with January 1 (Exodus 12:2, 13:4)?

   Acts 20:7: "And upon the first (day) of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight."  Because the disciples came together to break bread on the first of the week ("day" is in italics and was added), the proper day of worship must be Sunday, or so say those who use this verse to do away with the Sabbath commandment.

   Answer:  Note that the disciples came together to break bread. This was a common meal, and not the Memorial Supper. Verse 6 plainly says they sailed away from Philippi AFTER the Days of Unleavened Bread. These Days of Unleavened Bread always follow the Passover, Leviticus 23:5-6. Therefore, Paul had already kept the Passover. (He was preparing to keep Pentecost [verse 16], another of Yahweh's seven annual holy days.) Verse 11 shows that Paul ate bread, but no cup is mentioned. This was a fellowship meal, and Paul had preached late (Saturday night) until midnight.  Verse 8 tells us that there were many lamps in the upper chambers. Breaking bread is a Hebraism for eating a meal, Acts 2:42, 46. The disciples had not gathered to partake of the Passover, but to have a fellowship meal following the Sabbath.

   A number of Bible versions translate Acts 20:7 as Sabbath day or Saturday night:

— "On Saturday night, in our assembly for the breaking of bread..." (New English Bible)

— "Now on one of the Sabbath days, at our having gathered to break bread..." (Concordant Version)

— "On the Saturday evening we met for our common meal..." (The New Testament, by William Barclay)

— "On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal..." (Good News for Modern Man)

— "In the first of the Sabbaths, having been assembled of us to break bread..." (the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

   NOTE: These also show that no Memorial Supper was observed, but only a "common meal" to "break bread."

   Romans 14:5: "One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Many believe this verse authorizes man to choose his own day of worship and rest.

   Answer: The context of this chapter is about eating and/or abstaining from food, not about keeping the Sabbath. Paul talks about eating flesh or vegetables; about eating or fasting (verses 2, 3, 6, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 23).  Paul was saying in verse 5 that fasting on a certain day is the choice of the individual, as brought out in verse 6. You may esteem one day more than another; another person may have a different day of fasting more meaningful to him. Since there is no law prescribing a particular day to fast (except Day of Atonement), let each man decide for himself. Nothing in the entire chapter speaks of or implies a day of worship.

   Galatians 4:10-11: "You observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.'' Some believe these verses abolish all commanded days of the Old Testament, including the Sabbath.

   Answer: As noted in the Acts 20:7 explanation above, why would Paul keep holy days like Unleavened Bread and Pentecost and then turn and teach the Galatians not to observe them? Or why would he tell them these days were not necessary? Further, why would Paul himself repeatedly worship on the Sabbath (Acts 17:2) and then say it was unnecessary to keep?

   The answer to Galatians 4:10-11 is found in the context. Verses 8-9 read, "Howbeit then, when you knew not Yahweh, you did service unto them which are by nature not deities. But now, after that you have known Yahweh, or rather are known of Yahweh, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto you desire to be in bondage?" Even after Paul taught these former heathens to worship the true Creator, they were reverting to heathen days and times. Paul says "Turn you AGAIN..." Israelites were warned in Deuteronomy 18:9-14 not to learn the ways of their pagan neighbors, which included "observers of time" in the fashion of the pagans.

   Colossians 2:16-17: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath (days); which are a shadow of things to come; but the body (is) of the Messiah."

   Answer: The words "days" and "is" are in italics in the King James, meaning, again, that they were not in the original. Take out the word "is" and an entirely new meaning emerges. The verse really says to let no outsider judge you in keeping these laws because Yahweh is the final authority. When we let opinions of the unconverted influence us, we could be swayed into disobedience.

   The body of Messiah, the true worshippers of Yahweh, will rightfully discern the Scriptures in these matters. Guided by the Holy Spirit, their righteous behavior will be examples for the seeker of truth.

   These observances are called a "shadow of things to come." A shadow is cast by the real object, and can arrive before the actual object. We are in the shadow of these laws now, knowing only the outline of their importance. Their full meaning will be revealed in the future Kingdom. Rather than refuting the observance of the laws and statutes of Yahweh, this passage shows that they will be even more significant when the Kingdom is established and they will be observed in their full glory and purpose.

   So how did Sunday worship come about?  To learn the answer and more about the Sabbath, continue with Page 2.