Dd-11. Is KEEPING THE TRUE SABBATH MANDATORY? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. Dd-11. Is KEEPING the TRUE SABBATH MANDATORY?
In other words, is RESTING on the seventh DAY of the WEEK a SIN. The word Sabbath means REST. So then, is keeping the RESTING on a DAY mandatory? To say that another way, is KEEPING the Sabbath DAY by RESTING on the seventh DAY of the WEEK a matter of SALVATION. And if so, is NOT RESTING on the seventh DAY of the WEEK something that will cause NON resting on a DAY of the WEEK Christians to NOT inherit eternal life in the world to come. And what about Christians who REST on SUNDAY, the FIRST DAY of the week? Will they also lose their eternal life as well seeing that they ARE RESTING on a DAY of the WEEK? The main question that I am asking is, “Is resting on a DAY of the WEEK a matter of salvation?” Or, “Is resting on a DAY of the week a SHADOW pointing to the TRUE REST that God desires us to rest in? In other words, is the TRUE Sabbath the keeping of a DAY Holy? Or is the TRUE Sabbath our RESTING in Jesus for righteousness? There are basically four groups of Christians when considering this subject of what day of the week to keep as a Sabbath rest.
#1. There are Christians who keep Saturday, the seventh day of the week as their DAY of REST. #2. There are Christians who keep Sunday, the first day of the week as their DAY of REST. #3. There are Christians who keep both Saturday and Sunday as their DAYS of REST just in case. #4. And there are Christians who do NOT observe or keep either DAY as a MANDATORY DAY of REST lest they SIN because they know the TRUTH that resting on a DAY was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as our TRUE Sabbath REST!
So then, the first question raised is as follows. Is it a matter of SALVATION to REST on a DAY of the WEEK?
In other words, some, if not most Christians in group number one, who KEEP the Sabbath day of resting on the SEVENTH day, dogmatically demand that if Christians do NOT KEEP the Sabbath day ON the SEVENTH day by RESTING on they SPECIFIC DAY of the week then they are SINNING. And, therefore, they must repent of their sin of NOT keeping the Sabbath day of REST ON the SEVENTH day ONLY. And if they do NOT repent of their SIN of NOT keeping the Sabbath day ON the EXACT SEVENTH day, then those Christians will lose their salvation and NOT obtain eternal life in the world to come. And it ONLY seems to be the Saturday, the SEVENTH DAY Sabbath-keeping Christians who sincerely believe it is a matter of SALVATION to REST only on the seventh DAY of the week lest a Christians SINS. The Sunday keeping Christians seem to rest on Sunday as being a good thing to do but not so much as a matter of salvation. The few Christians that keep both days simply live in fear of losing their salvation, and thus, they have no true understanding of the Scriptures. And the Christians who do NOT REST on ANY DAY of the week STRONGLY believe that resting on a DAY of the week is a SHADOW pointing to our TRUE Sabbath REST in Jesus in order to be SAVED under the New Covenant. And we believe that Yahweh no longer ACCEPTS the keeping of the Old Covenant and that the keeping of the Old Covenant is DISPLEASING to God. And in some circumstances, the keeping of the Old Covenant is a SIN. In other words, the Sunday resting Christians and the NON resting on ANY DAY of the week Christians teach that we are saved by grace through FAITH and NOT of WORKS lest any man should boast. And they quote Ephesians 2:8-10 as their Biblical proof text. They conclude that keeping ANY of the commandments of God in ANY form or WAY is NOT a requirement for salvation, as in, to INITIALLY be saved. But both of these groups of Christians do believe that it is a SIN to break any of the MORAL commandments of God taught in the New Testament under the New Covenant. But to be saved INITIALLY, God does NOT require ANY works of the Law of God except for FAITH in Jesus as the atonement for sins. And thus, the keeping of the commandments to BE SAVED is doing WORKS of the LAW as a requirement is actually BREAKING the New Covenant.For you see, Ephesians 2:8-15 CLEARLY teaches us that we are NOT saved BY WORKS of the LAW of Moses contained in ORDINANCES. Some Christians miss this truth because they only read verses 8-10 out of its CONTEXT. Ephesians 2:8-10.
“For BY grace are you saved THROUGH faith; and THAT (Speaking of both the grace of Almighty God and the faith that comes from hearing His word that brings salvation are) NOT of yourselves: IT (All three things, grace, faith, and salvation are gifts from God. Or more precisely, salvation that is obtained by grace through faith that is NOT of ourselves, but rather, SALVATION ITSELF) is the GIFT of God: 9. NOT of WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Now when some Christians read these TWO verses alone and apart from the rest of God's word, they certainly do teach us that NO WORKS are a REQUIREMENT of being INITIALLY saved. But Paul is talking to Christians who are ALREADY initially saved. And SOME Christians wrongly interpret these two verses of Scripture to mean that NONE of the commandments of God are mandatory to be kept lest we sin. And I highly DISAGREE with their extreme “interpretation” of these two verses of Scripture that they have taken OUT of their CONTEXT. These Christians are called by several names such as the grace alone Christians, the Reformed Theology Christians, and the four point Calvinism believing Christians. And if you are a Christian who believes that you can never lose your salvation no matter what you do or do not do then I implore you to read the study F-1. CAN A CHRISTIAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION?
So then, what does the Bible ITSELF teach us?
Certainly, every true born-again Christian has a KNOWING deep in their heart that it is WRONG to break any of the MORAL commandments of God. Even unsaved people know from their CONSCIENCE right from wrong. So then, “the once saved always saved” Christians may have HEAD knowledge that tells them that it is NOT a matter of salvation to break the MORAL commandments of God, but their HEART tells them that they MUST obey the moral commandments of God lest the SIN. And even unsaved people know this truth from what is right and what is wrong by their conscience which they reason away at times. But it is much DEEPER knowing with true born-again Christians when they sin. For you see, God has written His MORAL laws on every heart of every true born-again believer. And thus, we as Christians can NOT sin. That does not mean that we are unable to sin. But rather, it most certainly means that all true born-again Christians know deep in their heart that it is WRONG to SIN and that breaking any MORAL commandment of God is SIN. So then, it is the MORAL commandments that are God's law written upon our HEARTS. It is the LEADING of the Holy Spirit leading us NOT to SIN. And if we do give in to the temptation to sin, then the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. And this CONDEMNATION that comes from NOT walking after the Spirit is what leads us to confess and repent of our sin. This WITNESS of the Holy Spirit is KNOWN in the HEART of every true born-again believer. And this HEART knowledge AGREES with the whole word of God that clearly teaches us that if we do NOT keep the MORAL commandments of God, then we will NOT be granted the right to eat from the tree of eternal life in the world to come. And, therefore, we know deep inside that we could LOSE our salvation if we allow ourselves to slip back into the bondage of living in a lifestyle of sin. Please read the in depth studies called F-2. Is ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED BIBLICAL, and Dd-5. What Does Contained in ORDINANCES Mean? plus all the related studies on this subject of can a Christian lose their salvation under the heading >>>F-0. Can we LOSE ETERNAL LIFE?<<<. But for now, let us finish reading the CONTEXT of Ephesians 2:8,9 to learn the true sound Biblical meaning of the word “WORKS” in verse 9.
Please read Ephesians 2:8-15.
“For BY grace are you saved THROUGH faith; and THAT (Speaking of both the grace of Almighty God and the faith that comes from hearing His word that brings salvation are) NOT of yourselves: IT (All three things, grace, faith, and salvation are gifts from God. Or more precisely, salvation that is obtained by grace through faith that is NOT of ourselves, but rather, SALVATION ITSELF) is the GIFT of God: (God loved us while we were yet sinners. It was God who chose to save us IN Jesus as His GIFT and) 9. NOT of WORKS, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (So the whole purpose of God saving us is to do GOOD WORKS and NOT do ANY of the WORKS that Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross to maintain our salvation. How do we know that the OTHER WORKS that do NOT save us is speaking of the works of the LAW that Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross? We know this truth by reading the CONTEXT of NOT doing WORKS to be saved to do GOOD WORKS. Simply ask yourself the question, “what works does the Apostle Paul teach against besides the breaking of the MORAL commandments?” That is right! Paul teaches against doing the WORKS of the LAW of Moses all through his writings and this writing of the Apostle Paul is no different. But in this passage of Scripture we learn what Paul actually MEANS by no man being justified by the LAW. We learn that it is the ORDINANCES contained in the Law of God have been ABOLISHED and nailed to the cross, according to Ephesians 2:8-15 and Colossians 2:13-17,20-22) 11. Wherefore, remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (Paul is speaking to the Gentile Christians who were being SUBVERTED by the Jewish Judaizing Christians to keep the Law of Moses to be saved. And Paul says NO! We are NOT saved by the works of the Law of Moses, we are saved by grace through faith and NOT by the works of the Law of Moses lest men should boast that they are keeping the weekly Sabbath DAY as a DAY of REST and you are not. They are forgetting that salvation is a GIFT from God to do GOOD WORKS and to also CEASE from the works of the Law of Moses) 12. That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (The covenants of promise are the covenant that God made with Abraham and the New Covenant that God made with only the children of Israel at FIRST. But then God turned to the Gentiles to offer them His New Covenant which the majority of the Jews rejected and will reject for the most part UNTIL the coming of Jesus. For you see, God promised Israel that He would turn again a SECOND time to deliver a REMNANT of Israel, according to Isaiah 11:11,12) 13. But now IN Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (In other words, NOW after your faith IN Jesus you are entered into God’s New Covenant to REST IN Jesus for holiness and righteousness. For Jesus is the END of the LAW for RIGHTEOUSNESS, according to Romans 10:4) 14. For he is our PEACE, (Or Jesus is our REST) who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having ABOLISHED in his flesh the ENMITY, even the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”
The ORDINANCES are the instructions on HOW to keep the commandments of God. The ordinances CONTAINED in the commandments of God are authoritative commands of God but they are NOT the very commandment ITSELF. In other words, Jesus did NOT abolish ANY commandment ITSELF. But rather, what Jesus ABOLISHED were the OLD instructions on HOW to keep the LETTER of the law of commandments under the Old Covenant so that we can NOW KEEP the commandments of God in the NEWNESS of the SPIRIT and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the law contained in ORDINANCES under the Old Covenant that Jesus ABOLISHED on the cross.
Please read Romans 7:6,7.
“But NOW we are DELIVERED FROM law, that being dead wherein we were held; THAT we should serve in newness of spirit, and NOT in the oldness of the letter. 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet.”
Notice that Paul said that we are DELIVERED from the LAW and then turns right around and says that the LAW helps us to know what is SIN. But also notice that Paul uses a MORAL commandment of God that teaches us not to COVET. Paul does NOT say we would not know that it is a SIN except the law said you shall not break the FOURTH commandment. But rather, Paul always used the MORAL commandments to define what is SIN. Please read the study Dd-5. What Does Contained in ORDINANCES Mean? But for now, please read the words of Jesus himself in Revelation 22:11-15 where the word “COMMANDMENTS” is used.
Revelation 22:11-15.
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: (Or let them REMAIN condemned in their sins who have rejected God’s gift of salvation by faith and not by works of the Law of Moses) and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.(Or and let all the RIGHTEOUS created holy IN Jesus Christ receive their reward of eternal life) 12. And, behold, I come quickly; (Meaning that the coming of Jesus will be like a FLASH of LIGHTNING in a moment and in a twinkling of an eye leaving no time to repent when Jesus come again) and my REWARD is with me, to give every man ACCORDING as his WORK shall be. (Obviously, those living in a lifestyle of sin breaking a MORAL commandment of God or who have died while living in sin shall receive the REWARD of DEATH for their unrighteous WORKS. And those of us who have remained faithful servants of RIGHTEOUSNESS shall receive our REWARD of ETERNAL LIFE at the second coming of Jesus. Plus, those who repent of their sins after SEEING Jesus in the air and call on Jesus will be saved ALIVE in the MORTAL bodies and go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus to be taught of the Lord in the MORTAL bodies. It will be too late to repent to receive eternal life AT the second coming of Jesus. TODAY is the day of salvation, so if you want eternal life to rule and reign WITH Jesus, then you MUST believe in Jesus NOW in this present world and be found his good and faithful servant when you die or when he comes again. But the deeper meaning of this verse of Scripture is the WORKS, as in, our WORK is RESTING in Jesus for RIGHTEOUSNESS and NOT the keeping of the WORKS of the Law of Moses for righteous under the Old Covenant) 13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14. Blessed are they that do HIS COMMANDMENTS (WHY? Why are we, who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God called BLESSED?) THAT (or so that) THEY (Speaking of ONLY those Christians, who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of Almighty God that He gave to Jesus under the New Covenant) may have RIGHT to the tree of LIFE, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (The LITERAL translation says, the ones doing the DIRECTIONS or the INSTRUCTIONS of him, speaking of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus under the New Covenant written in the New Testament. And another paraphrased translation says, blessed are they who have WASHED their garments. So the word commandments does NOT mean the keeping of the LETTER of the commandments under the Old Covenant. That interpretation must be read into this verse of Scripture) 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.”
Please notice that those who are cast out and not allowed to enter into the city of God DURING the 1000 year reign of Jesus are breakers of the MORAL commandments of Almighty God by not keeping the TWO commandments of Jesus under the New Covenant. There is not one hint of the word “COMMANDMENTS” to mean the Law of Moses. And that verse does NOT say blessed are they that keep the TEN Commandments. The word “commandments” in the New Testament that we must KEEP to receive eternal life in the world to come are the TWO commandments of Jesus. For you see, Jesus said “If you love me then you will keep MY commandments.” Jesus did NOT say, “If you love me you will keep the commandment in the Law of Moses.” And Jesus did NOT say, “If you love me then you will keep the TEN Commandments.” But rather, Jesus said. “If you love me then you will keep MY commandments.” And under the New Covenant written in the New Testament Jesus gave us just TWO commandments to KEEP. And those TWO commandments are NOT an OPTION if we want to receive eternal life in the world to come. You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, when we put ALL the pieces of God's word TOGETHER like a jigsaw puzzle being CORRECTLY put together without FORCING pieces together, then it becomes quite clear that we MUST obey the MORAL commandments of God IF SO BE we want to obtain the END of our salvation, which is ETERNAL LIFE in the world to come. So again, please I implore you to read the studies on how to be saved along with the above mentioned study F-1. CAN A CHRISTIAN LOSE THEIR SALVATION? But for now, back to the primary purpose of this particular study in God's word which is focused upon which of the above four groups of Christians as to WHICH group of Christians have the SOUND Biblical teaching on the subject of keeping a DAY of the WEEK.
So again, is it a matter of SALVATION that Christians MUST keep a DAY of the WEEK as a DAY of REST lest they SIN and lose their salvation?
Group #1.
MUST Christians keep the Sabbath day as a DAY of rest ON the SEVENTH day of the week each and every week, without fail, in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come? And if so, then MUST they also keep the Sabbath day ACCORDING to the letter of the LAW of Moses keeping every jot and tittle of the TORAH?
Group #2.
MUST Christians observe Sunday, the Lord's day as their day of worship in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come? And if so, then MUST they keep Sunday, the Lord's day as a day of REST to not do any work on Sunday?
Group #3.
MUST Christians keep BOTH days in order to obtain eternal life in the world to come just to be in the safe side? And if so, then MUST they keep the SEVENTH day as the Sabbath day according to the letter of the Law of Moses and also keep Sunday as a day of REST with no work just in case?
Group #4.
Does it truly matter in the eyes of God if NEITHER DAY is kept as a DAY of REST by Christians as a MATTER of SALVATION? And if the Bible ITSELF teaches us that neither the keeping of Saturday, the Sabbath day as a day of REST, NOR the keeping of Sunday, the Lord's day as a day of REST is MANDATORY, then is it a SIN to neglect the assembling of ourselves together on a consistent regular weekly basis?
Again, the Christians in group #1 are called the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keepers by other Christians. For you see, they dogmatically demand that Christians MUST, without fail, KEEP the SABBATH DAY ON the SEVENTH day, and ONLY on the seventh day of the week each and every week lest a Christians SINS. They argue that the keeping of the Sabbath day as a DAY of REST is the FOURTH COMMANDMENT and God does NOT CHANGE. Here is how the controversy goes between Sabbath-keeping Christians and Sunday worshiping Christians. Now “Protestant” Christians in group #2, group #3, and group #4 for the most part do NOT dogmatically demand that it is a SIN if a Christians misses going to church on Sunday now and then. But all three groups of Christians do stress that it is BEST if Christians attend church on a regular basis to and NOT neglect their assembling of themselves together on Sunday, the Lord's day, based on the teachings of the disciples of Jesus in the New Testament.
Please read Hebrews 10:25.
“NOT forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”
Exhorting one another to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together is NOT “commanding” that we MUST gather together every single week lest we SIN. And “forsaking” means to quit assembling all together, as in, to quit going to church all together and never attending church ever again as is the manner of SOME Christians. However, many Roman Catholic Christians do, indeed, dogmatically demand that it is a MORTAL SIN worthy of hell to miss even ONE Sunday mass willingly. And, therefore, to THEM, not keeping the Lord's day holy is a SIN that must be confessed to the priest as soon as possible lest they be found guilty of a MORTAL sin. And to Catholics, a mortal sin means that they go straight to hell with no chance of going to “purgatory”. To a Catholic, the doctrine of purgatory is a place for them to suffer for their sins for only time and then be admitted to heaven. They believe that through their OWN suffering for their sins that THEY can erase the penalty of the second death by their OWN works of suffering themselves in flames of fire. And to me, that is a doctrine of DEVILS. Please read the study Ee-12. Is the DOCTRINE of PURGATORY BIBLICAL? And then there are some Christians, which may be considered a part of the group mentioned in Hebrews 10:25 “as the manner of some is”, who do neglect the assembling of themselves together by not attending church on a regular weekly basis, or even not attending church anymore at all. So then, another question arises.
Should we judge those Christians, who do not attend church on a regular weekly basis as being SINNERS?
Now, the reasons for why some Christians do NOT attend church on a regular basis can be many. My father for instance recommitted himself to the Lord a few years before his death and he never attended one day in church those last few years of his life. But he did read his Bible every night and I heard him many times sitting on the patio talking to God. So I have absolutely no doubt that he is in heaven now awaiting to receive his reward of eternal life at the second coming of Jesus. Also, I myself must confess that presently while writing this particular study that I also am a part of this group of Christians who are neglecting the assembling of ourselves together. My reason for not regularly attending church is not so much by MY own choice. Let me explain what I mean by my own choice. ALL of the mainstream church denomination churches refuse to hear or truly listen to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. Let me explain a little of what I mean by this. To make a long story short, I love to teach God's word, so in every church I have ever attended I have always been a teacher, to some degree. Basically, six months after I became a born-again believer filled with the Holy Spirit I began teaching the kids and I have been teaching Sunday school and Bible studies ever since. I have always had a hunger for God's word and have studied the Bible on my own from the day of my new birth in Jesus Christ. And my beliefs have changed over the years to conform with what the Bible ITSELF clearly and plainly teaches us which goes against what the mainstream church denominations teach. Now those of you, who have read some of my other studies, then you know that I do not share the same beliefs as many of the mainstream churches. But as a teacher in those different denominations, I always RESPECTED their doctrines to not cause division in their church denomination. Meaning that I never used my platform as a teacher in those churches that I was given the privilege to teach to push my own beliefs on my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. But while sitting under another teacher, I always stood fast in what the Holy Spirit has taught me when I was asked what a verse of Scripture means to ME. But I was never one to challenge a fellow brother or sister in our Lord Jesus Christ to a DEBATE. However, when I was asked point blank while I was teaching a Bible study on the book of Revelation as to how I myself personally believed on the subject of the doctrine of the Trinity that somehow came up to be discussed. So I said, “the CHURCH believes, and before I was able to say another word, a brother in the Lord that I did not know said, “I do not care what the church believes, I want to know who YOU believe.” Then I said within myself that I must stand true to God's word and speak the TRUTH as to what the Holy Spirit has taught me to believe directly from the Bible. I should have known that it was a trap, for you see, a spy sent from the big mega church that bought our small assembly a new church building. But I did not perceive that he was a spy at the time. So I simply shared my own personal belief concerning the doctrine of the Trinity which I no longer can believe because it contradicts what the Bible ITSELF teaches us. Now any of you who have experienced speaking out the TRUTH of God's word that does not agree with what your particular church denomination teaches then you know what happens. You are asked to keep quiet or there is the door, do not let the door hit you on the way out so to speak. Now, I myself was not asked to LEAVE the church, but I was asked to step down from teaching unless I signed a document stating that I believe and will teach ALL the doctrines of the “church”. And signing that doctrine would be a LIE to me because the doctrine of the Trinity was listed in that document as being an ESSENTIAL teaching that MUST, WITHOUT FAIL, be believed and taught as a MATTER of SALVATION. So then, as a matter of conscience between me and my maker, I could NOT sign such a document. And, basically, I was forced to step down from teaching in that particular church. Now, I did stay in fellowship for awhile, but it was not the same. I felt being judged even though no one actually said to my face that I needed to repent and believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. My pastor did send me all the studies on the Internet that teach the doctrine of the Trinity which I had already studied IN-DEPTH for over fifteen years. I tried to explain to him the ERRORS being made in those teaching on the doctrine of the Trinity but he was so focused on what he had been taught that he was afraid he would lose his salvation if he even QUESTIONED the doctrine of the Trinity. I did NOT leave because of hurt feelings or being treated that I was sinning for not believing the doctrine of the Trinity. But rather, I left mostly because I no longer had the joy I received from teaching and it was this lack of joy from NOT being able to TEACH that led me to stop attending that church. And my “intention” was to find another church so that I could teach what the Holy Spirit has taught to me. So I sought to find another church, but as many of you know, most churches, denominational and non denominational alike, are all pretty much the same when it comes to THEIR dogmatic denominational doctrines. What I mean by this is that almost ALL church denominations leave absolutely no room for anyone, who believes differently from what they dogmatically teach. And any Christian that is bold enough to stand up for the TRUTH of the whole word of God to teach the truth that goes against what THEY teach, then they are asked to keep quiet or they will be thrown out of the church. And I can understand that the leaders of these different church denominations do not want their flock to be deceived by false teaching. But KEEPING their flock in the DARK as to WHY other Christians believe what they believe is NOT the answer to keep the flock given to them by God to be under their care from being deceived by false teaching. To ME, the answer to keep Christians from being deceived is to TEACH the Christians under your care the WHOLE word of God. And that means giving them ALL of the evidence from all sides of any given controversial subject or doctrine and the TRUTH will always prevail. And if that is done by seeking only what is the TRUTH then some of the leaders in church denominations would SEE that what they have been teaching does NOT AGREE with what the Bible ITSELF teaches. So then, I myself having this kind of heart that does not want to see my fellow brothers and sisters being deceived by false teaching, I have turned my focus to writing more studies in God's word to share with my readers on the Internet. It is such a blessing to teach the TRUTH of the whole word of God having only to answer to God as to what I teach and do not teach. And God is answering my prayers bringing many pastors to AMatterOfTruth.com asking if they can print out the studies that God gave to me to use to teach their flock. Absolutely! Please feel free to use any of the studies I have written to teach the TRUTH of the whole word of God. My only stipulation is that you do NOT SELL any of my teachings for personal gain. I am a firm believer that freely we have received the truth, so freely we must give the truth. Well enough on this side journey. Let us get back to the study at hand. Now the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians teach their followers and other Christians that all Christians MUST keep the seventh DAY of the WEEK as a DAY of REST lest a Christian SINS. And one of their main arguments of having so-called “concrete evidence” from God's word that the keeping of a DAY ITSELF as being HOLY is that God does NOT CHANGE. And they quote Malachi 3:6 as their proof text.
Malachi 3:6.
“For I am the LORD, I CHANGE NOT; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
First of all, they use this verse taken OUT of context, but I am not even going to address that ERROR of interpretation in this particular study of God's word just yet. Then they conclude that since God does NOT CHANGE that this means that the keeping of the Sabbath day has NOT CHANGED either, because God cannot CHANGE His mind from giving His COMMANDMENT to later ABOLISH His COMMANDMENT.
Now here is the ERROR in that line of reasoning.
It is NOT God CHANGING His mind so to speak relating to the SHADOWS in prophecy? Are we to still keep the SHADOWS when we KNOW that the SHADOWS point to Jesus as being the TRUE? And also, what about when God PROPHESIES what He is going to do from the very beginning before it comes to pass? And if MORE than just ONE thing is being prophesied such as the TWO comings of Jesus? Is not ALL of what God prophesied must come to pass? Let me explain what I mean by this. When God gave commandment in the garden of Eden for Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge with the penalty of death IF they disobeyed His commandment, then did Almighty God CHANGE His mind. NO! But rather, God knew that Adam and Eve would listen to Satan to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And thus, God did NOT say to himself AFTER Adam sinned, “I must come up with a plan of salvation to save mankind”. NO! Many thousands of times no! God knows the end FROM the beginning, because God PROPHESIED the end FROM the beginning. And it was the PLAN of God that His sacrificial lamb, which He Himself would provide was already SLAIN in the MIND and plan of God before Adam and Eve sinned. Let me say that again, was the Lamb was slain in God's mind and plan from or before the foundation of the world? NO! But rather, as God was re-creation the earth to be habitable once again, He devised a plan of salvation that would take 7000 years to be totally completed. And after those 7000 years have ended. then Yahweh could destroy Satan and the fallen angels in the lake of fire being JUDGED by the LIFE of the MAN, Jesus. But, consequently, God will also have to destroy WHOSOEVER does NOT choose LIFE under His terms in the New Testament. God never intended His first covenant with the children of Israel to be an eternal covenant. For IF he did then God CHANGED His mind by giving us His New Covenant that is NOT LIKE the Old Covenant. And if you can not SEE the CHANGES for the old Covenant to the New Covenant then I implore you to pray to god and ask Him to show you His TRUTH. So in TRUTH, what Malachi 3:6 is saying in today's words is, “You children of Israel should be thanking Yahweh who does NOT change from keeping His PROMISE to you to DELIVER you. Because IF God changed His mind then the children of Israel would be CONSUMED.” Read the verse again so you can see the ERROR of “interpretation” made by seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians who WRONGLY use this verse of Scripture out of its context to try and prove that God would never change His MIND to abolish the ETERNAL fourth commandment
Please read Malachi 3:6 again.
“For I am the LORD, I changed not; THEREFORE, (Or for this very reason that I change NOT) you sons of Jacob are NOT CONSUMED.”
According to Exodus 32:9-14, God wanted to destroy all of the children of Israel at Mount Horeb but Moses interceded for them and God changed His mind and REPENTED of His wrath that He desired to do. And thus, the children of Israel being DELIVERED is PROPHESIED in God’s word in Isaiah 11:11,12. And, therefore, God MUST bring His word to come to pass even though it may APPEAR to some Christians that God has CHANGED the way that He Himself chose to save mankind from the very beginning. Therefore, God does NOT CHANGE, but what APPEARS to be changes, in truth, was PROPHESIED to be all along.
Please read Isaiah 43:18,19.
“Remember you NOT the FORMER THINGS, neither CONSIDER the THINGS of OLD. (Meaning forget about what God commanded under the OLD Covenant! WHY? Why does Almighty God HIMSELF teach us in His word to NOT REMEMBER the FORMER THINGS under the OLD Covenant? Keep reading and you will see the answer for yourself PROPHESIED in God's word which MUST be FULFILLED) 19. Behold, I will do a NEW THING; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Now the NEW THING that God has PROPHESIED all along is that He will blot out the sins of mankind beginning with the house of Israel or to the Jews first and then God would turn to the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy for rejecting His so great a salvation. But God also prophesied that he would turn AGAIN a SECOND time to his people the Jews in the last days. So the Christians that teach the so-called “replacement theology” or that the church has replaced Israel are NOT teaching sound Biblical doctrine. Please read the study Dd-60. ARE CHRISTIANS GRAFTED INTO ISRAEL? In other words, do Christians become Jews inwardly to live as the Jews and keep the Law of Moses? NO! Read the study for sound Biblical proof we are NOT grafted into ISRAEL. Anyway, for now, here is the NEW THING that God has prophesied in His word all along. So then, God Himself is NOT CHANGING what He PROPHESIED He would do. But rather, His Son, Jesus, FULFILLED the SHADOWS of the FOURTH commandment so that NOW, under the New Covenant we are to keep the fourth commandment in the NEWNESS of SPIRIT and NOT in the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the fourth commandment.
Isaiah 43:25.
“I, even I, am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember your sins.”
We know that no man is justified by the Law of Moses, according to Acts 13:39, Romans 3:20, and Galatians 2:16; 3:11. And we know that God’s end goal is that all mankind be saved in Jesus because there is no other name given among men whereby we MUST be saved. And that is what the Apostle Paul teaches us that the Law of Moses was added UNTIL Jesus came. And after faith in Jesus comes to a Jew then they are no longer UNDER the Law of Moses. But rather, they are NOW under the New Covenant that is also called the Law of LIBERTY. With that being said, let us go back to the previous chapter of Isaiah and read a broader CONTEXT to see HOW God is going to do this NEW THING of redeeming mankind to Himself by faith IN Jesus.
Please read Isaiah 42:1-10.
“Behold my servant, (Or hey children of Israel, look and see my servant Jesus) whom I uphold; my elect, (Or my chosen one to be your Messiah) in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5. Thus says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which comes out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6. I the LORD have called you (Speaking to God’s human Son Jesus in prophecy teaching Jesus that the Scriptures speak of him as Jesus read these words to KNOW and understand that his God has and Father is calling him, saying, I the LORD have called YOU) in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give YOU for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; (God's human SON Jesus was given by Almighty God Himself as a NEW COVENANT, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. and the New Covenant is a PERPETUAL Covenant. Jesus is the FULFILLMENT of the SIGN of the FOURTH commandment that was given to the children of Israel as a SIGN for a PERPETUAL COVENANT, according to Exodus 31:16. So God did NOT CHANGE, but rather, God prophesied His NEW COVENANT all along the way. When God said let there be light that was a PROPHECY of God bringing Jesus into existence to be the light of the world who would eventually divide the children of the night from the children of the day. So again, the Law of Moses was ADDED UNTIL the promise of the seed came. WHAT law? Was it the moral law that was added? NO! For how could the MORAL law be added BECAUSE of transgressions? What would the children of Israel be transgressing if so be that there was NO moral law before the law was ADDED? When Adam and Eve ate of the tree of KNOWLEDGE of good and evil every human being inherited a CONSCIENCE to KNOW right from wrong. So what the children of Israel transgressed was the CONSCIENCE. And thus, God added the CEREMONIAL laws of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin UNTIL the TRUE sacrifice for sins came. So then, it was all the CEREMONIAL laws that were added until Jesus came. And the ORDINANCES in all the ceremonial laws were the SCHOOLMASTER or a SHADOW to teach the children of Israel about their coming Messiah) 7. To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (Now, while it is true that Jesus healed the blind, this is actually a prophecy that relates to the second coming of Jesus when the “spiritual eyes” of the remnant of Israel will be opened to know that Jesus is their Messiah. Many Jews will be in captivity by the Islamic Muslim armies when Jesus returns) 8. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (Before the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Almighty God shared His glory with NO ONE in the Old Testament times. But the NEW THINGS that God has PROPHESIED in His word to do is to SHARE His glory with no other that His ELECT. And His Son Jesus that is being prophesied to come in this passage of Scripture is the FIRST of God's ELECT ones. Who else did God give as a COVENANT to the Gentiles?) 9. Behold, the FORMER THINGS are come to PASS, and NEW THINGS do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
So then, it is not that God CHANGES anything, but rather, it is that God has PROPHESIED all along the CHANGES in the WAY that He Himself chose to redeem mankind to Himself FROM or BEFORE the foundation of the world. God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve. God saved Noah and his family. God made a covenant of promise with Abraham. And in each step of God's plan of salvation are SHADOWS pointing to Jesus. Let us read one more passage of Scripture that clearly teaches us that BOTH the FORMER things and the NEW THINGS were PROPHESIED from the BEGINNING before they came to pass, and then we will move on to the NEW Testament which REVEALS to us what the OLD Testament was all about and WHY the OLD Covenant was given and WHY a NEW Covenant was established.
Please read Isaiah 48:2-7.
“I have declared the FORMER things FROM the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. 4. Because I knew that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your brow brass; 5. I have EVEN FROM from the beginning declared it to you; BEFORE it came to pass I showed it to you: lest you should say, Mine idol has done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, has commanded them. 6. You have heard, see all this; and will not you declare it? I have showed you NEW THINGS from this time, even HIDDEN things, and you did not know them. 7. They are created now, and NOT from the beginning; even BEFORE the DAY when you HEARD them NOT; lest you should say, Behold, I knew them.”
Here in verse 7, which to some Christians may sound confusing if you do not understand that God calls or speaks things into existence in such a manner as if it APPEARS that they already ARE in existence. And this is why it SEEMS at times when we read the Old Testament that God already had a SON living WITH Him up in heaven at His side from all the eternity past. And thus, some of the Scriptures in the New Testament seem that God sent down His already existing Son from out of heaven to the earth to become a man. But please notice the wording here says NOT from the beginning BEFORE the DAY when you HEARD them NOT. This teaches us that God's SON has not yet been brought into existence to be created NOW, as in, God's Son being begotten in the beginning BEFORE these PROPHESIES of God were ever HEARD by any of mankind. Please read the study U-6. What does God INCARNATE TRULY Mean? for a deeper understanding on this subject of the word being made flesh. Also, read the three part study O-14. When did Jesus Become God's Son? Part 1 So then, from the very BEGINNING God PROPHESIED both the FORMER things that would come to pass and END or be fulfilled and then NEW THINGS that would take the place of the FORMER things to be the NEW WAY to keep the Law of God that God has PROPHESIED all along to be salvation IN Jesus. And one of those CHANGES is that Almighty God HIMSELF prophesied in His word to make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
Please read Jeremiah 31:31-34.
“Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32. NOT according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they break, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD: 33. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their INWARD parts, and write it in their HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The phrase “AFTER those days” is speaking of yet a future time when the house of Israel will recognize Jesus AT his second coming and call upon his name to be saved alive in their MORTAL bodies to go into the 1000 year reign of Jesus in their MORTAL bodies. The gospel was FIRST preached to the JEWS and ONLY those Jews, who BELIEVED the gospel became NEW CREATURES in Jesus Christ to have the Law of God written upon the HEART and the INWARD parts where God gave and still yet gives Jews a WITNESS that they are truly saved and placed back into a RIGHT relationship with God having all their past sins forgiven them never to be remembered again by God. Now let us read from the NEW Testament, which is the REVELATION of the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit EXPLAINS the FULFILLMENT of the Old Testament prophesies in the New Testament.
Please read Hebrews 8:6,7.
“But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a BETTER covenant, which was established upon BETTER promises. 7. FOR (Or because) IF that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. (This does not mean that God made a faulty covenant, but rather, it means that God never intended the FIRST covenant to save anyone. The Bible teaches us in Ephesian 1:4 that God chose BEFORE the foundation of the world for His salvation to be IN His SON Jesus and NOT in the keeping of the Law of Moses. So again, God did NOT CHANGE His mind, but rather, prophesied all along to establish a NEW Covenant in the shed blood of His SON Jesus. And those is the Old Testament SOUGHT to see this day of salvation of the Messiah) 8. For finding fault with them, (For breaking the Old Covenant that was a YOKE of BONDAGE that they were not ABLE to BEAR, according to Acts 15:10) he says, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, when I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9. NOT ACCORDING to the covenant (Or NOT ACCORDING to the OLD covenant) that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, says the Lord. 10. For THIS is the covenant that I WILL make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their MIND, and write them in their HEARTS: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Now this part of the prophecy for unsaved ISRAEL has not yet been fulfilled and will be fulfilled in the 1000 year reign of Jesus. But it is being fulfilled now in the church age for both Jews and Gentiles, who BELIEVE on the SON OF God, who died for their sins and that God raised His Son Jesus from the dead never more to die again. Every true born again Christian does NOT have to be taught by MAN as to what is right and what is wrong. For you see, God Himself through His very own self same Spirit who DWELLS IN us as believers, teaches us leading and guiding us into all truth. The Holy Spirit Himself convicts us the moment we do anything that does not please Him. Even before we do wrong the Holy Spirit in us is saying, do not do that. But when we fall into sin by not obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit, then mercy is given to us and the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin prompting us to ask forgiveness and repent of our sin, And every time we repent and confess our sins we are made PERFECT in the eyes of God once again. So BE or REMAIN perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect through being CLEANSED by the blood of Jesus Christ from ALL unrighteousness) 12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Speaking of all our PAST sins and all the sins that we commit after we are forgiven of all our past sins. And also speaking of any sins we commit after we are initially saved when we repent and confess our sins. So then, under the New Covenant all are sins are washed away never to be remember by God again) 13. IN THAT he says, A NEW covenant, HE (Almighty God HIMSELF) has made the FIRST OLD. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.”
The last part of this verse 13 means that not ALL has been completely FULFILLED as yet with the FIRST coming of Jesus. But much of the OLD covenant has indeed been FULFILLED in Jesus Christ at his FIRST coming IN THAT all of the animal sacrifices and offerings have been FULFILLED in Jesus Christ now becoming our PASSOVER Lamb. We ARE keeping the law of circumcision by our FAITH IN Jesus as our TRUE circumcision made without hands. And we ARE KEEPING the FOURTH commandment by our RESTING in Jesus by FAITH that we are made the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God IN Jesus. Also, this means that the animal sacrifices were not completely done away with until 70 AD, when the Roman army destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. Now one of the NEW things that Jesus has FULFILLED and is yet presently fulfilling is the SHADOW of the seventh day of REST, the Sabbath day, the fourth COMMANDMENT of God. For an in-depth study on the Sabbath day being fulfilled in Jesus Christ becoming our REST or our Sabbath please read the studies Dd-13. Is JESUS OUR TRUE SABBATH REST?, Dd-21. SABBATH-Saturday, Sunday, or NEITHER!, Dd-15. THE WEEKLY SABBATH REST is a SIGN!, and Dd-12. Why Only NINE of the TEN Commandments And in those studies I give all the verses showing why Christians are no longer commanded to keep the Sabbath day REST as a PHYSICAL DAY of REST as the Jews. But we are indeed clearly and plainly taught to keep the other NINE commandments of God as a matter of SALVATION in order to be granted the right to receive eternal life in the world to come. But for now, please read Hebrews chapter 3 and chapter 4 to get a clear understanding that we as Christians have entered and are entering into our Sabbath rest being IN Jesus Christ. Hebrews 3:1-19 where the writer of Hebrews is speaking to true born again Jewish Christians who are turning away from God's so great a salvation to be justified UNDER the LAW and not by FAITH in the NEW covenant established in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the SON OF the living God.
Hebrews 3:1-19.
“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, (Jesus was faithful to do all that his God and Father appointed or commissioned him to do) as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3. For this MAN was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house. 4. For every house is built by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a TESTIMONY of those THINGS which were to be spoken AFTER; (It has been said by some Jewish scholars that every JOT and TITTLE of Torah itself TESTIFIES of the coming of the Messiah being HIDDEN in the text a little hear and a little there. And, in truth, this is what Jesus means in Matthew that not one jot or tittle of the law and the prophets will pass away till all are fulfilled. “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.” Jesus is simply saying that there is MORE yet to be fulfilled and NOT that he did not fulfill anything of the law and the prophets at his FIRST coming. For a deeper in-depth sound Biblical teaching on this passage of Scripture in Matthew 5:17-19, please read the four part study Dd-49. Has God's LAW BEEN ABOLISHED? PART 1 But for now, please know that Moses TESTIFIED or PROPHESIED of the coming of CHRIST and that the LAW was never meant or intended by God Himself to SAVE mankind from their sins) 6. But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, IF we HOLD FAST the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope FIRM unto the END. (This teaches us along with the whole word of God that a Christian FALLS from grace when they go UNDER the LAW of Moses) 7. Wherefore, (as the Holy Ghost says, TODAY if you will hear his voice, 8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: (In other words, Paul is speaking to the Hebrew Jewish Christians saying, do not be like the children of Israel in the wilderness who were not allowed to enter into the rest in the land flowing with milk and honey because of their UNBELIEF) 9. When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works for forty years. (And all of the seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are TEMPTING God in this generation by trying to place a YOKE on Christians that even the very Apostles of Jesus were NOT ABLE to BEAR, according to Acts 15:10. And in Acts 15:24 the whole church in Jerusalem sent out letters WARNING Christians about the Judaizing Jewish Christians who were compelling Christ to keep the Law of Moses saying, “Whom WE gave NO SUCH COMMANDMENT”) 10. Wherefore, I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always ERR in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11. So I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in ANY of YOU an EVIL heart of UNBELIEF, in DEPARTING from the living God. (The writer of Hebrews is using this analogy of the fathers of the Jews NOT having FAITH in God where God did NOT allow to enter into his REST because of their UNBELIEF comparing it to the Jews of his day who were NOT believing the gospel of Jesus Christ to enter into his REST by NO LONGER KEEPING ALL the LAW of Moses. And REMAIN steadfast in their FAITH in Jesus to NOT be subverted to go UNDER the LAW of Moses) 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called TODAY; lest ANY of YOU be hardened through the deceitfulness of SIN. (Speaking of the SIN of going BACK UNDER the LAW of Moses to be saved, as in, to be in a RIGHT or correct relationship that is pleasing to God in HIS eyes as to what HE himself desires) 14. For (Or because) we are made partakers of Christ, IF we HOLD the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the END; 15. While it is said, TODAY if you will hear HIS voice, harden NOT your hearts, as in the provocation. (TODAY under the NEW covenant the VOICE of Almighty God Yahweh IS the VOICE of his SON Jesus saying HEAR YOU HIM) 16. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (Meaning that ONLY some provoked God while others believed. And, therefore, those who believed did indeed enter into the promised land. And that was a SHADOW of entering into eternal life in the world to come which is the full complete REST of the SEVENTH 1000 year long Sabbath DAY of the Lord) 17. But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had SINNED, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? (The SIN being spoken of here is the SIN of UNBELIEF. For you see, their unbelief is the one sin that will indeed keep those who are in UNBELIEF from entering into God's full complete REST in the world to come just as unbelief kept God's people under the OLD Covenant from entering into His REST in the promised land. Please read Revelation 21:7,8 “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8. But the FEARFUL, and UNBELIEVING, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” You see my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, those Israelites who were FEARFUL and in UNBELIEF were not allowed to possess the land that God freely gave them to possess. They had their chance to BELIEVE and they would not believe) 18. And to whom He swore that they should NOT enter into His REST, but to THEM that believed NOT? 19. So we see that they could NOT enter in because of UNBELIEF.”
And ALL of the seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians are in UNBELIEF that the ORDINANCES contained in the FOURTH commandment were ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross so that NOW, under the New Covenant we are to keep the NEWNESS of the SPIRIT of the FOURTH commandment and NOT the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the fourth commandment. Now let us continue with the rest of the context found in Hebrews 4:1-11 where we are clearly shown that God's SABBATH of REST is IN His SON Jesus on ANOTHER DAY for the children of Israel. BUT we who DO BELIEVE have already ENTER into RESTING IN Jesus. And thus, we have an ENTRANCE into the REST, also called the SABBATH of God in the world to come. For you see, being in Jesus Christ as our PEACE is RESTING in Jesus our TRUE SABBATH REST in the same manner that Jesus has become our TRUE PASSOVER Lamb. Jesus is the DOOR of the sheep as the entrance into eternal life in the world to come. And as long as we REMAIN resting in Jesus for holiness and righteousness we will receive eternal life. And HOW we remain resting in Jesus is to CEASE from the works of the law that Jesus ABOLISHED and NAILED to the cross. Now, no Christian in their “right mind” would ever offer an animal sacrifice to God for forgiveness of their sins. And no Christian in their “right mind” would be DECEIVED by Satan would be circumcised in the flesh made with hands as a SIGN that they are in the New Covenant. And likewise, no Christian who is NOT DECEIVED will keep ANY of the yearly feast day Sabbaths because they KNOW that they were SHADOWS pointing to Jesus. And that is why Christians who know the TRUTH do NOT keep the feast of the PASSOVER because we know that Jesus FULFILLED that part of the law and Jesus has become our TRUE Passover Lamb. And in the same way, we as Christians do NOT keep the WEEKLY Sabbath DAY as being holy because we know the TRUTH that the resting on a DAY was a SHADOW pointing to our TRUE Sabbath REST in Jesus FOR HOLINESS. And thus, the resting on a PHYSICAL DAY of rest has been ABOLISHED because Jesus has become our TRUE Sabbath REST or our SPIRITUAL REST to our SOULS. It is NOT that Jesus kept the feast FOR us in our stead, but rather, Jesus FULFILLED the feast to become the TRUE Passover Lamb. And in the same way, Jesus has become our SPIRITUAL circumcision made WITHOUT physical hands. And we ARE keeping the commandment of circumcision but in a NEW WAY under the New Covenant. And we ARE keeping the TRUE Sabbath rest in a NEW WAY under the New Covenant by RESTING in Jesus as our deliverer from the bondage of sin. The PHYSICAL keeping of a physical DAY of rest was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus our TRUE SPIRITUAL REST. Here is Hebrews 4:1-11 where the writer implores us as Christians to NOT follow the example of UNBELIEF that does NOT allow us to enter into the REST of God. This passage of Scripture does NOT teach us that the WEEKLY Sabbath rest REMAINS to be kept by Christians under the New Covenant. The rest that REMAINS for the “people of God” is speaking of a FUTURE rest for the unsaved children of Israel on ANOTHER DAY in the world to come, the 1000 year long DAY of the reign of Jesus. When we read Hebrews 4:1-11 one or two verses at a time this truth will become obvious to you.
Hebrew 4:1.
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a PROMISE being left us of entering into His REST, ANY of YOU should seem to come short of it.”
The first thing that I want you to see is that the Apostle Paul is speaking of a FUTURE REST and NOT the WEEKLY Sabbath rest on the seventh day of the week that supposedly REMAINS for Christians to keep under the New Covenant. Paul is saying, therefore, lest us who are true born-again Christians FEAR lest we fall short of receiving the PROMISE of entering into Yahweh’s REST. Why would any Christian FEAR RESTING on the seventh DAY of the week? So to me, His REST is speaking of Yahweh’s Seventh 1000 year long day of rest in the world to come that is called ANOTHER DAY in Hebrews 4:8.
Hebrew 4:2,3.
“2. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did NOT profit them, NOT being mixed with FAITH in them that heard it. (The pronoun “them” here is speaking of the unsaved Jesus who HEARD the gospel of Jesus Christ but the gospel of salvation did not profit the UNBELIEVING Jews who reject Jesus as their Messiah) 3. For WE which have believed (Or more precisely, we who are BELIEVING, as in, CONTINUALLY believing unto the end) DO ENTER into REST, (This is speaking of RESTING IN Jesus as being the Messiah prophesied to come which is a FULFILLMENT of the SHADOW of resting on the seventh DAY of the week. And thus, we are in the process of entering into the REST in the world to come on Yahweh’s Seventh 1000 year long day from creation. Please read the study Dd-22. Was the Sabbath GIVEN at CREATION Week But for now, please know that Genesis 2:1-3 is a PROPHECY of God future rest on His Seventh day of creation in which He is FINISHING His creation of new creature created in Jesus Christ) as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
Meaning that God prophesied in the beginning a Seventh day of His REST. So again, it is NOT that God ABOLISHED the FOURTH commandment ITSELF, but rather, what Jesus abolished was the ORDINANCES contained IN the fourth commandment. And those ordinances were SHADOWS pointing to Jesus and the New PERPETUAL COVENANT established in the shed blood of Jesus. And Jesus FULFILLED those SHADOWS of the FOURTH commandment just like he fulfilled the SHADOW of the Passover lamb. So in truth, we ARE KEEPING the commandment of the feast of Passover by our FAITH IN Jesus as the TRUE Passover Lamb. And in the same way, we ARE KEEPING the FOURTH commandment BY our FAITH in Jesus as our TRUE REST to be SANCTIFIED and made holy in Jesus. The keeping of the weekly Sabbath DAY was a SHADOW of the TRUE which was prophesied to come speaking of Jesus. The Scriptures speak of Jesus. This same is true of being CIRCUMCISED as a sign of belonging to God. It is NOT that God ABOLISHED the law of circumcision, but rather, the circumcision of the cutting away of the flesh was a SHADOW of the TRUE circumcision of the heart where sin has been cut away or removed by the NEW covenant in the shed blood of Jesus. In other words, Jesus is the TRUE circumcision and now the ONLY WAY to be circumcised in the eyes of Almighty God is by FAITH in his SON Jesus. The law of circumcision has not been ABOLISHED, but rather, it has been FULFILLED in Jesus who has become our circumcision. The Sabbath REST itself has not been ABOLISHED, but rather, Jesus has become our Sabbath of REST. The Passover has not been ABOLISHED, but rather, Jesus has become our Passover. We celebrate JESUS now. The feast days and the Sabbath days were SHADOWS of the TRUE pointing to when the TRUE would come. The Scriptures speak of JESUS as the way to eternal life. You can REST in this TRUTH taught to us throughout the WHOLE word of God.
Hebrews 4:4.
“4. For he spoke in a certain place of the SEVENTH DAY (Again, Genesis 2:1-3 is a PROPHECY of a future Seventh day of Yahweh’s REST in the world to come. The seventh day is prophetically referring to the Day of the Lord, the SEVENTH 1000 year long day of Yahweh's REST when Jesus will rule FOR Yahweh for 1000 years) on this wise, And God did REST the SEVENTH DAY from all His works.”
Actually, the word of truth in the LITERAL teaches us that God SHALL rest IN the seventh day and NOT that God has already rested on the seventh day at creation week. You see, the first six days it says the evening and the morning on each of the first six days but there is no evening and morning on the seventh day during creation week. And that is because God is still yet FINISHING His creation and He WILL yet in the future finish His creation IN or during the SEVENTH day. Now, God did cease from the word that He already DID but that does not mean that God LITERALLY rested on the seventh day some 6000 year ago. So vere 4 here should read, “And God is RESTING IN the seventh day from all His works.
Hebrews 4:5,6..
“5. And in this place again, If they shall enter into MY REST. (Again, speaking of Yahweh’s REST on the seventh 1000 year long day during the world to come) 6. Seeing, therefore, it REMAINS that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered NOT in because of UNBELIEF:”
In other words, the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to the UNSAVED Jews FIRST. And many thousands of unsaved Jews believed and entered into rest IN Jesus. But most of the unsaved Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah. And thus, THEY to whom it was first preached did NOT enter into rest in Jesus for holiness because of their UNBELIEF. However, God is NOT finished saving the Jews. And thus, there REMAINS the SOME of the Jews at the coming of Jesus who MUST enter into Yahweh’s 1000 year long day of rest in the world to come because God PROPHESIED that He would turn AGAIN a SECOND time to deliver a REMNANT or SOME of His people, the children of Israel in Isaiah 11:11,12 which we already read in the study above.
Hebrews 4:7.
“7. Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, TODAY, after so long a time; (Speaking of ANOTHER DAY called the SEVENTH DAY at the COMING of Jesus) as it is said, TODAY if you will hear HIS voice, (Speaking of the voice of God's Son Jesus at his COMING) harden not your hearts.”
Hebrews 4:8.
“8, For if Jesus had given THEM rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of ANOTHER DAY.”
So who is the THEM that the writer of Hebrews is referring to? The pronoun “them” is referring to the SOME of them who did NOT believe when the gospel was first preached to THEM. Not them in the wilderness. but preached to the Jews who rejected Jesus as their Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus Sabbath REST.
Let us go ahead and read Hebrew 4:6,7 as well.
“And in this place again, If they shall enter into MY rest. 6. Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, (Referring to the SPIRITUAL rest IN Jesus FIRST) and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7. Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
And TODAY, in this present world, it is only those of us who are truly RESTING in the SPIRITUAL rest of the Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus Sabbath rest will enter into ANOTHER DAY, the literal 1000 year long Seventh DAY of Yahweh’s Sabbath rest to rest from all our physical labor. And ANOTHER DAY is speaking ONLY of the SOME who MUST enter into the true spiritual rest DURING ANOTHER DAY which are the REMNANT of the Jews that God will turn to a SECOND time at the coming of Jesus. And then DURING another DAY, the Seventh 1000 year reign of Jesus, God IS FINISHING work of Him IN the SEVENTH DAY. Now do you understand the true sound Biblical meaning of Hebrews 4:1-11 that ANOTHER DAY remains for SOME. And that SOME is REMNANT of the children of Israel who are ALIVE and remain unto the coming of Jesus to ENTER INTO the true SPIRITUAL rest IN Jesus. So then, the MEANING of why the physical DAY of NATURAL rest was given to the children of Israel for in the first place for them to OBSERVE or DISCERN the Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus REST so that they could be saved BEFORE the coming of Jesus to rule as God during ANOTHER DAY, the world to come.
Hebrews 4:9.
“9. There REMAINS, therefore, a rest to the people of God.”
Speaking of SOME of the Jews or REMNANT of the children of Israel IN ANOTHER DAY, the Seventh 1000 year long day of the Millennial reign of Jesus in the world to come. That is when the unsaved Jews who are alive at the coming of Jesus will LEARN the TRUE gospel of RESTING IN Jesus for salvation to CEASE from ALL the ceremonial works of the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES which are a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as their TRUE SPIRITUAL REST for holiness and righteousness.
Hebrews 4:10,11.
“10. For (Or for you see) he that IS (Already) entered into his rest, (Yahweh’s Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus SPIRITUAL REST to CEASE from the works of the ceremonial law FIRST) he also has CEASED from his own works, as God did from his. 11. Let us labor, therefore, to ENTER INTO that rest, (The rest of ceasing from his own works of self righteousness to rest IN Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus for Holiness and righteousness) lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
You see, the Jews boasted in their OWN self righteousness shaking the FINGER at others. Almighty God has grown weary of ALL their keeping of the Sabbaths. And in the world to come, Jesus will permanently END ALL of the KEEPING of ceremonial commandments. Please read the following prophecies that will be fulfilled at the coming of Jesus.
Isaiah 58:9.
“Then shall you call, and the LORD shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the YOKE, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;” And when you do a word search on the word “YOKE” in the New Testament, the YOKE of BONDAGE is the Law of Moses. So Yahweh will say through His Son Jesus to the REMNANT of Israel at the coming of Jesus, “I will answer you cry for help IF you will put away from you the keeping of the Law of Moses wearing there is BOASTING and the pointing the finger at other speaking VAIN words that will not profit you under the New Covenant that you have rejected.
Hosea 2:11.
“I will also cause ALL her mirth to CEASE, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and ALL her solemn feasts.”
Isaiah 1:9-14.
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very SMALL REMNANT, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 10. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah. (Or open your ear to hear the PURPOSE of WHY the ceremonial Law of Moses was ADDED UNTIL Jesus came) 11. To what PURPOSE is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? says the LORD: (And under the New Covenant we KNOW that the PURPOSE of the sacrifices was a SHADOW pointing to Jesus as our TRUE SACRIFICE for the forgiveness of SINS. And Jesus came Yahweh is no longer pleased with the keeping of the Law of Moses) I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight NOT in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12. When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13. Bring NO MORE vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. (So after the cross, the KEEPING of ALL the Sabbaths including the keeping of the WEEKLY Sabbath by resting on a DAY to keep Saturday or Sunday holy is a SIN. And Yahweh is saying AWAY with the KEEPING of DAYS, months, and years, And that is because they are all SHADOWS pointing to Jesus and the New PERPETUAL COVENANT to keep the SPIRIT of the law and NOT the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the law. Can you not see that KEEPING what Jesus SUFFERED on the cross to FULFILL and ABOLISH is a SIN and DISPLEASING to God?) 14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.”
Now, CORRECTLY interpret Isaiah 58:13 in the LIGHT of Hoses Isaiah 58:13. “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, (Speaking of the Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh's Sabbath REST during the world to come) from doing your pleasure (Or if you TURN AWAY from you own pleasure of keeping the Law of Moses and shaking tour finger of your own righteousness at others) on MY holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, (Speaking of Jesus as being Yahweh's TRUE Sabbath REST) the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor him, (Even as you honor Me by) not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words: (To be teachers of the Law of Moses that you know NOTHING about as to why they were given to you in the first place as being SHADOWS pointing the Jesus as your TRUE Sabbath REST that I made for you) 14. THEN shall you delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth, (Like you see that I have done for those who were faithful to REST in my Son, Jesus in the previous world which you REJECTED) and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.” Again, you do not ENTER INTO obeying the commandments but you do “enter into” THAT REST of the New Covenant by receiving the REST that Jesus gives through FAITH in him for righteousness and Holiness. So then, the rest that remains for the PEOPLE of God is the REMNANT of Jews who are alive at the coming of Jesus. The subject is about the Jews who are in “UNBELIEF” that Jesus is their Aleph Tav Messiah Jesus Sabbath REST. Please read the three part study Dd-16. THE SABBATH AND THE ALEPH TAV! Part 1 Almighty God's desire is that we all will be SAVED and found worthy to ENTER INTO the Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh’s REST. And to enter into the world to come to REST during the 1000 year reign of Jesus we must already be God's new creatures created in Jesus IN this present world. But we know that will NOT happen to the REMNANT of Israel because God PROMISED that He would turn again a SECOND time. And that second time will be DURING ANOTHER DAY which is the world to come. It is then that the remnant of the Jews will be saved alive in their MORTAL bodies to be TAUGHT of the Lord IN the SEVENTH DAY as prophesied in Genesis 2:1-3 and in Isaiah 11:9-12
Isaiah 11:9-12.
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11. And it shall come to pass in that day, (Speaking of the world to come, the Sabbath of the LORD, or ANOTHER DAY) that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the REMNANT of his people, (Or the rest that REMAINS for SOME of the people of God on ANOTHER DAY is speaking of the REMNANT of the children of Israel) which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
So then, the REST that REMAINS for the people of God is NOT the resting on the seventh 24 hour DAY of the WEEK. But rather, the REST that REMAINS for the people of God is the PROMISE of God SAVING the REMNANT of Israel IN Jesus DURING the Seventh 1000 year long day of Yahweh's REST in the world to come on ANOTHER DAY. For you see, a DAY with Yahweh is as a 1000 years and a 1000 years is as a DAY. And thus, I myself conclude that the LETTER of the law of resting on ANY DAY of the WEEK was ABOLISHED at the cross. And to KEEP what Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross as being MANDATORY in order to PLEASE God is actually a slap in the face of God and His Son Jesus. And thus, by resting on either Saturday or Sunday as a day of OBLIGATION to rest is actually DISPLEASING God in my own opinion IF you KNOW the TRUTH. And if you have read this study all the way through then you NOW know the TRUTH. I myself will continue keeping the Law of LIBERTY to be FREE in Jesus to rest if I am tired on ANY day of the week. To continue seeking the truth of the whole word of God on this subject of keeping the fourth commandment by keeping the SPIRIT of the fourth commandment and NOT by keeping the OLDNESS of the LETTER of the fourth commandment contained in ORDINANCES that Jesus abolished and nailed to the cross, Please read ALL the studies under the heading >>>Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?<<< Thanks for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to read ALL the studies that I gave links to throughout this study concerning this subject on Sabbath TRUTH. My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Some Sabbath-keeping Christians CLAIM that the early church kept the Sabbath as the Jews, but I assure you that the early first-century church was accustomed to gathering together BEFORE the light of daybreak on the FIRST day of the week that THEY called the Lord's day. Please read all the studies linked within this study and all the studies linked below. This study was just the TIP of the iceberg of exposing the ERRORS of interpretation made by the Saturday seventh day of the week Sabbath-keeping churches, and the Sunday first day of the week Sabbath-keeping Christians. All of the studies listed under the subject heading >>>Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?<<< And also read Dd-20. Did The Early Church KEEP the Sabbath day to learn the truth of what the early church believed. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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