What is the truth about the Sabbath Day?

One very controversial subject among Christians today is Gods Seventh Day Sabbath. Some Christians are not even aware the Sabbath is Saturday.

The Bible tells us clearly in Daniel that a persecuting power would change God’s laws of which it did – the Seventh Day Sabbath became the first day Sabbath without God’s approval. The book of Daniel also refers to this change of God’s law by this antichrist power as reaching to the host of heaven and trampling the heavenly sanctuary under foot. We find the same expression used in Hebrews chapter ten in reference to wilful sin.

Hebrews 10:26-29 “For if we sin WILFULLY after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth NO more sacrifice for sins, … He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

This verse informs us that there remains no more sacrifice for deliberate sin and to continue in sin is to trample the Son of God under foot and to treat Christ's work on the cross as an unholy thing despite the fact we are now under God’s Grace. This is a warning we should take very seriously.

This change to the Sabbath came about over hundreds of years and by the death of millions and millions of Christians. This is another fact that most Christians are unaware of. Select to watch a short video of a typical true story of the death of a Sabbath keeper by burning.

Why is the Sabbath truth not taught?

If these things are true, why don’t we hear more pastors teaching them? If the Sabbath is Saturday, then why don’t the majority keep the true Sabbath day? How could the majority be wrong anyway? And even more to the point, do we still have to keep the Seventh day Sabbath at all? Revelation 13 tells us that Satan would give his seat, power and authority to this persecuting power described in Daniel that changed God’s law. Why would Satan do this? The change to the Sabbath happened in the fourth century and was done in honour of Sun worship, and since then, this power that persecuted the saints for 1260 dark years murdered anyone found keeping the Seventh day Sabbath according to the Commandment of God. Anyone that had a different view to this persecuting power was considered a heretic and heretics were to be burned at the stake. As a result, the Sabbath truth was nearly murdered out of existence and since most Churches originated from this persecuting power, most Churches now ignorantly keep the wrong day they instituted. Remember that Satan was responsible for this change and he would not do this without a very good reason.

Since the majority grow up with Sunday worship as their custom, it becomes very much a mindset and people are also very reluctant to accept change or alter their lifestyle. Saturday is also a day that is not convenient for most Christians and so sadly, most would rather not know truth and go into denial. Because of these factors, even when a pastor is presented with the Sabbath truth, it becomes difficult to both accept and see. This instantly gives the enemy the upper hand as he now just whispers in your mind, “the day does not matter. If it mattered everyone would know about it and would be keeping Saturday.” Sadly, all too many listen and never investigate and Satan continues to be victorious in keeping Christians ignorantly breaking one of the Commandments of God. Billy Graham was said to have acknowledged the Sabbath truth but stated, “If I were to teach this truth, I would lose most of my listeners.” Jesus said we are to both obey and teach the law and one cannot sacrifice truth at any cost. The enemy has gone to extreme lengths to make sure the Sabbath truth is not taught or believed and continues to go to extreme lengths and deceptions to keep us ignorant of this truth? Knowing he has done this, Christians should realise that it is very relevant and extremely important we know why. For example, how important is sin to God?

Many say the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in honour of the resurrection and others say it was nailed to the cross. Others will tell you any day can be kept as the Sabbath day as long as you keep one. And still others say as long as you do everything to the glory of God the Sabbath is as good as kept. And yet still others will say it is legalism. Worst of all, and this is becoming more popular by the decade, some say the Ten Commandments are gone. Never underestimate the enemy’s ability to slowly and subtly bring heresy into the Church and make those with the most Biblical truth to get labelled falsely as cults or legalists. It should be obvious that Satan will always attack truth the hardest and sadly he has no trouble finding those he can deceive to accomplish his task very convincingly. The fact of the matter is that what is popular is not always truth and what is truth is not always popular.

Since the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments that defines what sin is, why wouldn't Satan attack this one Commandment that is the easiest one to attack and do everything in his power to ensure that it does not get recognized or taught so he can get many to live in lawlessness? If one truly studies this and checks it with unbiased history, you will in fact find that Satan has achieved this goal and because most Christians do not study the Word and tend to rely on what their friends or pastor tells them, the lie continues to perpetuate.

What exactly is the Sabbath day all about anyway?

Our Creator God starts off the fourth Commandment with the word “Remember.” This is because He knew it would be lost and forgotten. God asks that we keep the Sabbath set apart for Holy purposes so we can draw nearer to Him. The Fourth Commandment to remember the Sabbath concludes the section of the Ten Commandments that specifically helps define a proper relationship with God, how we are to love, worship and relate to Him. It explains why and when we need to take special time to draw closer to our Creator. It is also a special sign between us and God forever, that it is Him that sanctifies us Him alone we belong to and worship. The Sabbath, the Seventh day of the week was set apart by God as a time of rest and spiritual rejuvenation. So why is this Commandment so frequently ignored, attacked and explained away by so many Christians? Could it be because the challenges to the Sabbath Commandment are views generated by the ruler of this present evil world? After all, this being wants us to accept these views because he hates God’s law. He does all he can to influence us to ignore, avoid and reason our way around it. On our calendar the Sabbath begins at sunset Friday evening and ends at sunset Saturday evening.

Those that keep the true Sabbath day say that it is a blessing and their favourite day of the week. The Sabbath is quality time with family and relaxing and fellowshipping with God and other Christians. Jesus said we are to not only obey the Ten Commandments but teach them also yet some people are doing the opposite. Why are these people so determined to take this blessing from those who keep the Sabbath properly, and in the way Jesus intended and not like the Pharisees who turned it into a legalistic burden? What spirit is behind this? Why do so many professed Christians try so desperately hard to avoid this special time with their Creator God on His Holy day? The Sabbath should be our favourite day of the week and it is for those who have searched for the Sabbath truth and found it. God says we are to find this day a delight and a blessing. God did not say we should call it legalism or a burden!

Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a DELIGHT, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shall honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shall you delight thyself in the LORD...”

Like all the other nine Commandments, it is a Commandment of love and thus loving God with all your heart includes all the first four Commandments. Our God is not a God of confusion that mixes a law that defines what love and sin is with something that is not love or not sin. Whether we understand it or not, to try and find reasons as to why the Sabbath is changed or ended is no different than trying to find excuses as to why it is now acceptable to worship idols or commit murder etc. There is another law found in the Old Testament that was only for the Jews and had ceremonial sabbaths but God did not place His Sabbath in this law. He placed it in the Ten Commandments because that is where it belongs.

If God sent an Angel to tell you that He loves you and sent His only Son to die for you and that He wants you to spend quality time with Him on a specific day that He blessed and sanctified, would you send the Angel back to God with the message, “sorry God, that day is not convenient for me” or “no God, I can't spend that time with you on your Holy day, that's legalism” or even, “tell God that it does not have to be on His Holy day and I will spend time with Him on that day that was used for Sun worship that He detested instead.” Is that what we would really say? Why is it so hard for us to rest in Jesus on His Holy day?

Many Christians believe that there is only one or two denominations or groups that keep the true Sabbath day when there are in fact over five hundred Sabbath keeping denominations that keep the true Seventh day Sabbath and that number is growing. Whole chains of Churches are changing back after attending Prophecy seminars run by people that have not been deceived by Satan's attempt to keep Christians in the dark on the Sabbath truth or Bible prophecy believing it cannot be understood. Do these hundreds of different Church denominations with millions and millions of members know something that we don’t?

Why is the Sabbath day so important to God?

We have already noted that God intended the Sabbath to be a blessing to us and has asked us to call His Sabbath a DELIGHT, but what else makes the Sabbath so important to God?

Most people understand that it is morally wrong to lie, steal, murder and to worship idols or take the Lord's name in vain etc, but the reason Satan is so successful in keeping so many from the Sabbath truth is because it is easy for him to convince the multitudes it is not important and sadly, most do not see the Sabbath as important as on the surface it does not appear to be morally wrong. The question is; does God see the Sabbath day as being important? If it is important to God then it has to be important to us. Since God made His Sabbath part of the Ten Commandments, it becomes sin to break the Sabbath as sin is breaking any of the Ten Commandments. Sin is the reason Jesus died on the cross for us and it does not get more serious than that. We should know how much God detests sin but what are some other reasons that make the Sabbath so significant?

Exodus 31:13-17 “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 the LORD that does SANCTIFY you. … 15 Six days may work be done; but in the Seventh is the Sabbath of rest, Holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a PERPETUAL covenant. 17 It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel FOR EVER: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the Seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

Ezekiel 20:20 “And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a SIGN between me and you, that you may know that I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.”

The Sabbath is a special SIGN that defines that we are God’s children and He is our God that sanctifies us and makes us Holy. It also defines therefore that it is God that we worship and love and give our allegiance to. It is not a SIGN when we keep a secular day and profane God’s Sabbath. There is a lot more that could be cited but this should be enough to help you understand why this day is important to God and why it is a sin against God for us to not keep His Sabbath day Holy. Is there anyone who does not want to be part of this SIGN?

Some will say that this perpetual covenant that is a SIGN forever, (Exodus 31:13-17) applies only to the Israel of God and this is correct. The question is; who is the Israel of God? Today there is an Israel of the flesh (1 Corinthians 10:18) and an Israel of God, Galatians 6:16. The Israel of the flesh are those that are Jews by birth. The Israel of God is anyone who belongs to Christ and is under the New Covenant. Many do not understand that if we are Christ’s then we are spiritual Jews and the Israel of God. If we reject this truth then we cannot be under the New Covenant. Observe who the New Covenant was ONLY made with. This came into effect when the Jews rejected God’s message from Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60) and stoned him. See also Romans 2:28-29, Romans 9:6-8 and Galatians 3:28-29.

Hebrews 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL after those days, saith 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:”

Since the Sabbath is a SIGN that we are God's children, if we reject His Sabbath, then aren’t we rejecting God as our Father? And since the Sabbath is a SIGN that it is God that sanctifies us, if we reject His Sabbath, then aren’t we also rejecting His sanctification? All God asks from us is one single solitary day in seven. We still have the other six secular days to do as we please. Is one day an unreasonable request from our Creator God? Christians claim to love God with all their heart, might and soul, yet how do most respond? The number seven represents completion and perfection to God and this is the only reason we do have a seven day week. If not for this very special Sabbath day God has given us, we would only have a six day week. If we do not use this Seventh day Sabbath which God blessed and sanctified for this one and only use, what point is there in having this Seventh day of the week? God added this one and only day with this one and only purpose, so we could spend Holy time with our Holy God that is a most beautiful SIGN that He is our God and we are His children. Again, despite this blessing, how do most respond? Believe it or not, I have had enough excuses now to fill an entire book. An appropriate name for this book would be, “The book of excuses for not having to spend time with your Creator God on His Holy day.”

How God must grieve every time someone chooses one of these 1001 excuses. Does God know our heart? If we use one of these excuses will God know? Does God know if we don’t want the truth about His day because it would be an inconvenience to us? If we use one of these 1001 excuses, can we truly say we love God with all our heart, might and soul? If we do not love God with all our heart, will God accept us into His kingdom?

What are the consequences for not keeping the true Sabbath?

The book of James tells us if we break one Commandment we have broken them all. So if the Sabbath is Saturday and if we are supposed to be keeping the true Sabbath day then most Christians are guilty of breaking God’s law. The Bible tells us that only few will find the straight and narrow gate? Was this referring to Christians specifically?

Noah preached for 120 years that a great flood was coming and only 8 were saved. Jesus said that at the time of His second coming it is going to be like in the days of Noah. Why do we only acknowledge what we want to see? God pleads with us as to why we would perish.

Hosea prophesied that God’s people would perish for a lack of knowledge which does not sound fair but then he explains it is because they would reject knowledge in regards to the Commandments of God, so He in return would reject them. Considering how many people have rejected knowledge on the Sabbath Commandment, this sadly makes perfect sense.

Hebrews 10:26-29 says there is no sacrifice to cover wilful sin and it is to trample the Son of God underfoot and count the blood of the New Covenant as an unholy thing despite being under God’s grace. Jesus says to those who practice lawlessness, He will deny access to the kingdom. So if we are supposed to keep the Sabbath day and are ignorant of this fact, how will we be judged? Would God burn someone in Hell for being ignorant? What about denial?

It appears that everyone has a different idea about this issue of the Seventh day Sabbath truth. When there is so much confusion and conflicting information you know that deception reigns and one seriously needs to investigate to find what the truth really is and especially when the consequences for deliberate sin is to be left out of the kingdom.

Are all the Ten Commandments still valid?

If something as important as the Ten Commandments were to change by even the smallest amount we would be told with crystal clear scriptures. Most Christians will not debate that nine of the Ten Commandments need to be obeyed but so many freely sweep one under the carpet that becomes too much of an effort for them. Denial of truth of any of the Ten Commandments has only one outcome as far as God is concerned and we do not want that path. Unless black and white scriptures can be produced that says the day has changed or been abolished, then the Sabbath is just as valid as the other nine Commandments and the consequences are the same for deliberately breaking any one of them. Does anyone believe they can freely murder as they please and still enter the kingdom of God?

So do all the Ten Commandments still stand or does the Bible indicate that we can live in wilful deliberate sin? We certainly are saved by God’s Grace through faith in Christ, but is this a license to continue in sin? Did Jesus die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin or so we could go on living in sin? What does the only source of truth that we can trust have to say on this very important topic that nailed our loving Saviour to the cross? Here are the answers put simply by scripture alone while covering the main areas of confusion.

What is the Bible definition of sin? 1 John 3:4. So where there is sin, there has to be a law. Romans 4:15. If there is no law then there can be no sin and if there is no sin then there is no need for a Saviour.

Did Paul say we can sin now that we are under Grace which would therefore show the law had ended? Romans 6:1-2, Romans 6:14-15.

Paul taught in Galatians chapters 2, 3 and 4 and Romans 3 that no flesh is justified by the works of the law and that righteousness comes by FAITH. Does this therefore mean that the Ten Commandments are made null and void through FAITH? Romans 3:31. So who is justified before God? Romans 2:13.

Did Jesus say He came to do away with the law? Matthew 5:17. Did Jesus say He was going to change the law by even so much as one single letter? Matthew 5:18, Luke 16:17. Did Jesus say we have to teach the law as well as obey it? Matthew 5:19.

Does Jesus say that those who practise lawlessness, which is the breaking of the Ten Commandments, will enter the kingdom? Matthew 7:21-23, 1 John 2:4. So what does Jesus say that one has to do to inherit eternal life? Matthew 19:16-19.

Can we keep just nine of the Ten Commandments and are we judged by obedience to the law? James 2:10-12, Matthew 5:18, Luke 16:17.

So what are the consequences for wilful sin, which is wilfully disobeying even ONE of the Ten Commandments? Hebrews 10:26-29, Ephesians 5:3, 5.

What are the blessings for not living in wilful sin, which is obeying the Ten Commandments in loving obedience? Revelation 22:14.

The passage in Matthew chapter 5 alone proves that not one letter of the law has changed which means that all scriptures used as arguments for ending or changing the Sabbath truth are being abused or misunderstood. The answers are indisputable and any other arguments would be in total contradiction to the words of Jesus, Paul and James just to name a few. I think Solomon summed it up well with his final conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

Did Jesus and the early Church keep the Sabbath?

If the Sabbath is an unchanged Commandment, then we should find Paul and the early Church keeping the Seventh day Sabbath. If this can be demonstrated, this would also prove that the Sabbath was not changed or abolished. So can we demonstrate this? We can of course and do in fact find Paul keeping the Sabbath as his CUSTOM was since childhood in a Jewish Synagogue.

A custom is something you do religiously and without failure. What was Paul’s CUSTOM and EXAMPLE while establishing the early Christian Church? Notice in the following verse that this is a Jewish synagogue and that Jews have all through history, without change, worshipped on Saturday as they still do today. Acts 17:1-2. The Jews and Pharisees which Paul was since CHILDHOOD have ALWAYS kept Saturday as the Sabbath. Acts 26:4-5.

This is proof conclusive of Saturday Sabbath keeping AFTER the cross and undoubtedly applies to both Jews and Gentiles if wondering. Acts 13:42-44; Acts 18:4. It was not only Paul’s custom and example but that of Jesus also and He is our perfect example. Luke 4:16. And unless Jesus is into making meaningless and nonsensical statements, He also clarified beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Sabbath would definitely NOT end at the cross by His reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, when he said, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath” Matthew 24:20.

Who changed the Sabbath to Sunday?

Below are statements from the Roman Catholic Church which give the simple answer as to why most Churches now keep Sunday as the Sabbath. Most Christians have no idea that this even happened or how it happened. Revelation 13 tells us that Satan gave his power and authority to the Catholic Church. Why? It was Satan's plan to have this Church change the Sabbath to Sunday. Why did Satan do this? The Sabbath is about who we give our allegiance to. If we obey God and keep His Sabbath day Holy, we give our allegiance to God. If we obey the Commandment of the Catholic Church and keep their day Holy, who do we give our allegiance to then? The Catholic Church answers this question below with two of their quotes. But looking deeper, who gave this Church power so God’s true day of worship could be changed? Read Catholic Church Statements about the Sabbath for more quotes.

Does the Bible support the change to Sunday?
  “Most Christians assume that Sunday is the biblically approved day of worship. The Catholic Church protests that it transferred Christian worship from the biblical Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday, and that to try to argue that the change was made in the Bible is both dishonest and a denial of Catholic authority. If Protestantism wants to base its teachings only on the Bible, it should worship on Saturday.” Rome’s Challenge
www.immaculateheart.com/maryonline Dec 2003

  “For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible.” Catholic Virginian, October 3, 1947, p. 9, article “To Tell You the Truth.”

Who Made Sunday Holy?
  “Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The day of the Lord’ was chosen, not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the (Catholic) Church’s sense of its own power...People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.” St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995.

  “Question - Which is the Sabbath day?
“Answer - Saturday is the Sabbath day.
“Question - Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
“Answer - We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 364), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, p. 50, 3rd edition, 1957.

Whose Day of Worship is Sunday?
  “They [the Protestants] deem it their duty to keep the Sunday holy. Why? Because the Catholic Church tells them to do so. They have no other reason...The observance of Sunday thus comes to be an ecclesiastical law entirely distinct from the divine law of Sabbath observance...The author of the Sunday law...is the Catholic Church.” Ecclesiastical Review, February 1914.

  “It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” Priest Brady, in an address reported in The News, Elizabeth, New Jersey, March 18, 1903.

Who Do We Reverence by Keeping Sunday Holy?
  “It was the Catholic church which...has transferred this rest to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord. Therefore the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the (Catholic) church.” Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, p. 213.

  “I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to anyone who can prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ The Catholic Church says: ‘No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.’ And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in a reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church.” father T. Enright, C.S.S.R. of the Redemptoral College, Kansas City, in a lecture at Hartford, Kansas, February 18, 1884, printed in History of the Sabbath, p. 802. Hover here for a document clip or select for full original image.

Who was really behind the change to the Sabbath day?

We know the Sabbath was changed by the Roman Catholic Church, but who was really responsible and why? Many of you have probably already worked this out but let’s go through it anyway. Beginning with the early Church, Satan failed in his attempt at stopping the son of God so he turned his attention to the Church. He initially tried to destroy the Church by having all Christians killed, but martyrdom just made the Church grow faster and stronger. Satan soon realised that he could do more damage from within the Church, so he gave the Papacy its power, seat and position. Even though most Christians do not know the importance of the Sabbath day, Satan knows the Sabbath truth all too well and he also knew that it was the easiest of the Ten Commandments to attack, and so put his long term plan into effect. How successful was his plan and who is responsible for his success?

Satan fell from his position because of pride and because he wanted to be worshipped as God. Since no one in their right mind would worship Satan, he knew he could only obtain this worship from within the Church. The Seventh day Sabbath is about whom we worship and it is not a sign that we worship God or belong to Him when we keep the wrong day. Satan’s goal was therefore to have his own day of worship instituted in place of Gods and while achieving the primary goal of getting Christians away from a very significant Commandment and living in lawlessness. Using the Papacy as his agent, Satan changed God’s Seventh day Sabbath to a day in honour of pagan Sun worship, hence the pagan name Sunday. Satan also knew that sun worship was something that God detested and was one of the reasons why God allowed His people to fall into the hands of the Babylonians. Satan no doubt had great pleasure in this accomplishment as he would have Christians breaking God’s law and not fulfilling the sign of the Sabbath, as well as further upsetting God by taking away His day of worship in place of Satan’s and in favour of sun worship which is idolatry. How Satan must clap his hands in glee over this victory that so many people have given him.

Christians now assume that Sunday is the correct day and it becomes a mindset as this is what their custom was growing up, and anything different does not feel right and seems foreign. This was Satan’s plan from the beginning and sadly, he has been very successful. Today the ruler of this world works very hard at feeding our minds with thoughts that this Commandment is insignificant and with Christians not wanting to be inconvenienced by change are all to happy to listen. It’s time for Christians to stop being deceived and wake up to the fact that Satan was responsible and return to all Ten Commandments of God and this precious SIGN that we are His children and it is our Creator God that we worship. Jesus laid down His life for you, how much of a sacrifice is it for you to change your day of worship?

The Sabbath truth from creation to eternity

The Sabbath has existed since creation when God added the Seventh day to the week with the one and only purpose of a Sabbath rest. This is the only reason we have a seven day week today. God also blessed and sanctified this day for Holy use. This was done before sin had entered the World and was part of God’s perfect plan. Most Christians do not know that the word translated “rested” in our English Bibles in Genesis 2:3 is actually “shabath” in the Hebrew and means Sabbath. Here is the word Sabbath right at creation. In reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jesus states in Matthew 24:20, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” This ONE statement alone PROVES that Jesus expected the Sabbath to be kept subsequent to His death. The gospel of Luke states in Luke 23:56 that when the body of Christ was being prepared, “they rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke’s gospel was written 30 to 50 years after the cross and Luke still shows that the Commandment is unchanged. If it were changed, Luke would have undoubtedly told us since it is one of the Commandments. Isaiah also prophesied in Isaiah 66:22-23 that, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make … and from one Sabbath to another, shall ALL flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”

In Genesis 4:3-7, Cain brings an offering from the ground which represented righteousness by works and so God was angry with him but Abel brought the firstborn of his flock as a sin offering which represents righteousness by faith. You cannot have a sin offering unless there is a law. (1 John 3:4) In verse 7, we also see God speak to Cain about sin lying at the door. The Bible also says where there is no law there is no transgression (Romans 4:15) so the Commandments although not yet codified had to exist from the very beginning or Cain could also not have been guilty of murder. See also Genesis 26:5. Besides the Seventh day being called the Sabbath in the Hebrew in Genesis 2:3, God also said the Sabbath “is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” because “in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:17. Here God further confirms that the Sabbath existed from the beginning when it was added as the Seventh day of the week at creation. For even more proof, we also know that the Sabbath existed back in Genesis chapter 11. In over 105 languages in the world where the Sabbath has not taken on the Pagan name Saturday, it is still called the Sabbath in each of these languages as it was named at creation. This proves that when these 105 languages originated at Babel in Genesis 11, Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day. Since the Sabbath was sanctified and made Holy before sin at creation and the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments which is also seen being kept before the giving of the Commandments, it had to be kept by Adam and Eve.

It was also kept by Abraham, it was kept in the exodus from Egypt before the Ten Commandments were given when God tested His children to see if they would keep THE Seventh day as per the Commandment. It was kept by the Jews, it was kept by Jesus, it was kept by Paul, it was kept by the Apostles, it was kept by the early Church by both Jews and Gentiles, and this is also verified by Jesus who showed it would be kept in 70 AD when the temple was destroyed. History also further proves this by the fact that reliable unbiased history sources show that it was still being kept at 120 AD where some Christians first changed to Sunday to avoid persecution for Judaism. History shows the day was finally changed by Constantine in 321 AD in favour of Sun worship. The Sabbath was almost murdered out of existence through the dark ages when the Roman Catholic Church ruled as Church and state for those terrible 1260 dark years, and Revelation 12:17 speaks of a remnant of God’s original Church that would arise after these dark ages that Satan would hate and make war with because it would start keeping all of the Ten Commandments of God once again. To finish this all off, God showed Isaiah that we will still be keeping the Sabbath in the new Heaven and the New Earth. Here is the Sabbath being kept from creation beginning and throughout all eternity. The Sabbath is eternal as the other nine.

We should desire the truth about the Sabbath Day

Would it surprise you to know that Jesus never once even mentioned the first day of the week? As Christians, we should always be seeking after the truth, as Jesus is the truth. If we really love Jesus with all our heart, soul and might, we will always strive to find what the truth is at absolutely any cost.

However, with so many people saying so many different things, how can we possibly know what the truth really is? There is only one guaranteed way, and that is the inspired Word of God – The Holy Bible. The Bible is and should always be our final authority and not the advice of our Pastor or our most trusted friend. If we can find unbiased information on mans knowledge of History on the Seventh day Sabbath truth, that can also be used to help us determine the truth but ultimately, we need to go by the Word of God.

The intention of this web site was not to cover all the excuses and truth about the Sabbath but to point you to a choice of sites that will help you find more on what the truth really is. In the top left column and at the bottom of this page, you will find links too many good web sites, not only on the Sabbath, but also on other topics that relate to the Sabbath day such as the ceremonial law and the Ten Commandments. If you want all the facts on the Sabbath, select Gods Sabbath Truth or Sabbath Truth. Select to find the proof of Who is the Antichrist.

The Top Ten excuses used to avoid the Sabbath truth

It is absolutely incredible how many excuses are given by Christians that claim to truly love God come up with to justify why they do not need to obey one of the Ten Commandments that defines what sin is, and is a precious SIGN and blessing from God. As stated earlier, I have been given enough excuses to write an entire book. This is extremely dangerous and the many Christians that have deliberately sought out an excuse as to why they can disobey God are in for a very rude shock. Jesus says that even those that do miracles in His name and call Him Lord but break any of the Commandments, He will say to them, “depart from me I never knew you.” Can you imagine the shock of so many Christians in the end that thought they could make excuses to disobey one of God’s Commandments and get away with it?

The words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 are all we need to know the Sabbath truth. Jesus said that not even a letter of the Ten Commandments will pass as long as heaven and earth are still here. On the words of Jesus alone it is Ten unchanged Commandments and it is just as serious to worship idols or murder as it is to not keep the Sabbath Holy. This is far too serious an issue not to fully investigate. It is one thing to be ignorant of the truth but to not want to investigate if you are ignorantly living in sin will still condemn you. We must have a love of the truth as Jesus is truth and the Word is truth. Jesus means what He says and says what He means and we are not free to manipulate the words of any of the Ten Commandments to suit ourselves and still enter the kingdom. The Sabbath Commandment says we have six days to do our work but THE Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord and we are to keep THE Seventh day Holy. The other six days are secular and are not Holy and the Commandment is very clear that we cannot choose our own day. See also Exodus 16.

Here are ten of the most popular excuses used that all contradict the words of Jesus. Select each link to find the real Sabbath truth for each excuse or misunderstanding.

1. It was changed in honour of the resurrection.

2. The Calendar was changed.

3. We don't know if we have the true Sabbath day.

4. We can keep any day in seven.

5. The Sabbath was only for the Jews.

6. The Ten Commandments were abolished.

7. We are under Grace and not law.

8. The majority can't be wrong.

9. The Sabbath was abolished.

10. The Sabbath was changed to Sunday. Part two.

The above links are from Sabbath and Antichrist truth revealed for those who would like to read the entire web site. Each of the above links will open in a new window.

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Watch excellent Prophecy Seminars online

If you have a reasonably fast internet connection and would like to watch an online Prophecy Seminar to find out who the little horn of Daniel 7 and the Beast of Revelation 13 is that changed the Sabbath to Sunday, you will find Revelation Reveals the Antichrist very enlightening. You may want to start about 17.5 minutes in to bypass singing items etc. You can also watch Histories Greatest Hoax on the truth about the Sabbath and ideally should be watched first. To watch more from this and other Prophecy Seminars you will find the menus here. Be prepared to discover many mind blowing, lost Bible truths.

Historical video documentary on the Seventh day

If you would like to see an unbiased documentary hosted by TV actor Hal Holbrook on the History of the Sabbath, select the link “The Seventh Day.” This is a five-part television documentary series tracing the remarkable story of those who honoured the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath throughout history. Produced for commercial television, it features beautiful location footage, classic art, illustrative re-enactments, interviews with experts, and solid biblical and historical documentation. There are unbiased interviews with over 50 experts from all walks of life on the History of the Sabbath which have PhD's in their respective fields, mostly history and theology.

1.) Seven minute trailer 2.) Part One Introduction 3.) A Sabbath Miracle 4.) Patrick Escapes 5.) Death in Red Square 6.) Authority and Tradition 7.) Sunday Law Debate

The “The Seventh Day” web site has six sample video clips which you can also access from here to watch on this series online or download for use with Windows Media Player. This is by far one of the best productions ever made on the history of the Sabbath. Below is more information on this excellent series but much more can be found on their web site.

The Seventh Day - Part One Overview

Origins - Views of human beginnings from Babylonian and Aztec myths as well as from the Bible and the Koran.

The Evolution Explanation - Darwin's theory of evolution challenges traditional view of origins.

Beyond chance - A case against blind chance as a logical explanation of human origins.

Intelligent Designer - The Bible's portrayal of Creation and the Creator.

The Architecture of Time - The week and the Sabbath in the structure of human life.

Point of Contact - The weekly Sabbath in man's relationship to God.

A Day for All Mankind - The universal and perpetual purpose for the weekly day of rest.

Unholy Sabbath - National disaster strikes the “chosen people” due, in part to the neglect of the Sabbath.

Sabbath Around the World - Somehow the concept of Sabbath extended into the culture and language of many peoples.

Reform - Revival of Sabbath observance among the Jews who returned from exile results in acts of heroism and tragedy.

The Seventh Day - Part Two Overview

Religion in Rome - A summary view of Roman religions during the time of Jesus.

The Jewish Sabbath - Strict Sabbath-keeping marked the Jews as unique.

The Sabbath Reformer - The Bible portrays Jesus as a revolutionary Sabbath keeper.

Prophecy - Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the continuing Christian observance of the Sabbath.

Christians and Jews - The two groups shared a view of a personal God and of the weekly Sabbath, but Christians found new meaning in the holy day.

The Christian Sabbath - Clear evidence for Christian observance of the seventh-day Sabbath in the first century AD.

Sunday Keepers - Second-century Christians in Alexandria and Rome begin observing the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath.

The Day of the Sun - Roman sun worship and its link to Christian Sunday observance.

Sunday Law - Constantine legalizes Sunday as the weekly day of rest in the Roman Empire.

Sabbath Survives - Proof of seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observance into the middle of the fourth century.

The Seventh Day - Part Three Overview

Celtic Christianity - The religious background to the story of St Patrick.

The Real Patrick - Once a slave in Ireland, Patrick responds to a divine call and returns to the Emeral Isle as a missionary.

Celtic Sabbath - Saturday observed as Sabbath by Celtic Christians.

Margaret of Scotland - Margaret comes from England, marries King Malcolm, and attempts to reform Sunday observance in Scotland.

Assault on the Sabbath - The Church of Rome promotes the Sabbath (Saturday) fast as an expression of anti-Jewish sentiments.

Power Struggle - The Sabbath fast becomes a key issue in the rivalry between church leaders in Rome and Constantinople.

Deceptions - The “letter from heaven” threatens Sunday-breakers.

Fight for Truth - Resistance to church/state authority brings tragedy.

John Wycliffe: Champion of Conscience - An Oxford professor focuses new attention on the Bible as the supreme authority for Christian faith and practice.

The Lollards - They take Wycliffe's views to England and beyond.

The Church vs. the Bible - The church-state establishment opposes the spread of the Bible and the ideas of Wycliffe and the Lollards.

The Seventh Day - Part Four Overview

Russian Reformation - This Sabbath-keeping movement reached to the highest levels of Russian society and led to fiery executions in Moscow's Red Square

Ethiopia: Sabbath Crisis - Jesuit missionaries succeeded in converting the Emperor to Roman Catholicism, but attempts to quash Sabbath-keeping resulted in civil war.

The Inquisition - Civil and religious authorities united to root out “heresy.”

Spain: Heart of Intolerance - The “Catholic Monarchs,” Ferdinand and Isabella, used the Spanish Inquisition to rid their church of Jewish heresies.

Goa: Reign of Terror - Inquisitors carried their campaign of religious persecution to the coast of India, part of Portugal's expanding empire.

Sola Scriptura? - Protestant Reformers insisted on the authority of the sacred Scriptures, while Roman Catholic leaders defended their church's stand on tradition.

Radical Reformation - Persecuted by Protestants and Catholics alike, these radical reformers stood for strict adherence to biblical teachings. Among them were new champions of the seventh-day Sabbath.

Sabbath in the North - Church leaders in Norway and Denmark tried to stamp out Sabbath observance among Catholic and Lutheran church members.

The Seventh-day Men - While many Puritan preachers promoted strict Sunday observance, other prominent Englishmen called for a return to the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments.

The Seventh Day - Part Five Overview

Roger Williams - Champion of religious freedom and strong advocate of separation of church and state paves the way for first Sabbath-keeping settlement in Rhode Island.

Seventh-day Baptists - In 1665, Stephen and Anne Mumford carry the seventh-day Sabbath to the New World.

Beisel and the Ephrata Cloister - Conrad Beisel, a young German refugee arrives in Pennsylvania in 1720 forming a tight-knit spiritual community - the Ephrata Cloister. Beisel's Sabbath-keeping community brought into conflict with the Sunday laws of Pennsylvania.

Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians - Count Zinzendorf, a lifelong Lutheran and observer of the seventh-day Sabbath fosters a spiritual renewal among the Moravians - reviving their faith. In 1741 some of Zinzendorf's missionaries arrive in eastern Pennsylvania to begin work among the native American Indians. Believing them to be the ten lost tribes of Israel, reintroduces them to their Jewish heritage and the seventh day Sabbath.

From Millerites to Seventh-day Adventists - Former agnostic Baptist preacher William Miller preaches imminent return of Jesus in 1844. Millerite preacher Fredrick Wheeler convinced by Seventh-day Baptist lady Rachel Oaks Preston, that Saturday is the Sabbath. Shortly thereafter, retired sea captain Joseph Bates also accepts the Sabbath, becomes principle proponent of the seventh day Sabbath, which leads to beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The Taipings - Hong Xiuchuan, a peasant farmer in China learns about God through a remarkable vision. His religious zeal sweeps through the oppressed peasant class, inspiring the greatest revolutionary movement of the 19th century. The Taiping leaders took the fourth commandment quite literally, requiring the observance of the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.

Maniilaq - Eskimo prophet in the mid 1800's learns about the Sabbath without ever reading a Bible or seeing a missionary. Predicts future changes to the Eskimo people, free's the people from the power of the Shamans various taboos and teaches people to honor the seventh day of the week as a day of rest in honor of “Grandfather” in heaven.

Owkwa - Village chief in Guyana receives an amazing dream in the early 1900's. Told how to be healthy, how to be clean, what to eat. He was taught also songs and prophecies; and yes, was even told about Sabbath being a day of rest and worship.

Africa - Scores of independent churches spring up in Africa after the arrival of Protestant missionaries in the eighteenth century, many of which begin keeping the seventh-day Sabbath - Approximately 20 million members today.

Saving Sunday? - Proper observance of Sunday as a holy day seen as requirement for God’s blessings. Disasters attributed to desecration of Sunday. The secularization of Sunday through professional sports, theatres and amusement parks result in strong and influential voices calling for “Sunday blue laws” to limit commercial and private activity on Sunday. In 1888 a Sunday law aimed at preserving the first day of the week as a day of rest and religious observance was challenged by A.T. Jones representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church as being unconstitional.

Other Sabbatarians - Bible Sabbath Association lists over four hundred Sabbath-keeping churches and denominations that observe the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. There's the True Jesus Church in China, Seventh Day Baptists and scores of Sabbath-keeping groups that share the generic name “Church of God.” Many of the smaller groups grew out of the World Wide Church of God, founded by Herbert Armstrong. Largest among all these groups are the Seventh-day Adventists with membership totaling more than 14 million.

Sabbath Issues - Seventh-day Sabbath keeping seen by many as a rejection of Christian freedom and leading to legalism. But is it really? Old and New Covenants discussed. Sabbath observance seen as “resting in Christ.”

Sabbath of Prophecy - The place of the Sabbath in Bible prophecy, particularly the prophetic book of Revelation - Chapter 11:19 and 14:6,7 and Isaiah 66:22,23.

Summary - Summary of episodes 1-5. Tracing the Sabbath from it's origin at Creation, it's survival through the centuries despite attempts to regulate it, bury it, or ban it. It's revival through the teachings of early Anabaptists and the English Seventh-day men, despite persecution and martyrdom. Restored to worldwide attention through the Seventh-day Adventist Movement and other groups large and small. And finally experienced in the hearts and lives of Sabbath-keeping Christians in the 21st century. It's continued observance into eternity as a memorial of God’s creative and redemptive work.

Sabbath Day Timeline History

The following timeline is for general information only and has been used here with kind permission from LLT Productions. Its primary value is in showing the chronological relationship between various individuals and events. The dating of many historical persons and events, particularly those earlier than 1000 BCE, is subject to ongoing debate and research. Most items on this timeline are directly related to the content of The Seventh Day television documentary series. Others are included for points of reference.

Dates BCE (BC)
? Creation Week
2450 The Flood (see Genesis 7)
1950  — 1775  Abraham keeps God’s commandments, statutes, and laws (Genesis 26)
2000 Seven-day week in Sumerian civilization prior to this date
1450 The Exodus
1011  — 971 David rules Israel
626  — 586 Jeremiah, the prophet - years of ministry
620  — 530 Daniel, the prophet
605  — 536 Jewish nation in exile
600 Birth of Zoroastrianism in Persia
551  — 479 Confucius, Chinese wise man
500 Birth of Buddhism
445 Nehemiah returns to rebuild Jerusalem
331 Alexander the Great overthrows the Persian Empire
170 Antiochus IV persecutes Jews who won't give up their religion
30 Roman Emperor Octavian dedicates Egyptian obelisk to the sun god
4 Birth of Jesus

Dates CE (AD)
31 Crucifixion of Jesus
64 Nero burns Rome, persecutes Christians
70 Jerusalem destroyed by Roman army under Titus
79 Vesuvius erupts
115 Epistle of Barnabas written in Alexandria
120 Christians in Alexandria replace Sabbath observance with Sunday worship
135 Jerusalem destroyed again - Jewish religion banned
144 Marcion, first great “Christian” heretic
150 Justyn Martyr reports on Sunday observance in Rome
218  — 222 Elagabalus, emperor of Rome - brings Syrian sun worship to Rome
270  — 275 Aurelian, emperor of Rome - establishes sun worship as the state religion
284  — 305 Diocletian, emperor of Rome - worships the sun and persecutes Christians
306  — 337 Constantine emperor of Rome - first “Christian” emperor
313 Constantine legalizes Christian religion
314  — 335 Sylvester I is pope - promotes anti-Jewish Sabbath fast
321 Edict of Constantine - first law concerning Sunday observance
343  — 381 Council of Laodicea - condemns Sabbath observance
364 Ambrose (Bishop of Milan) - observes the Sabbath without fasting
389  — 461 Patrick - Celtic Christian missionary to Ireland
521  — 597 Columba - Celtic Christian missionary leader to Scotland
570  — 632 Muhammed, founder of Islam
590  — 604 Pope Gregory I (the Great) identifies Sabbath keepers with the anti-christ
692 Quinisext Council (Council in Trullo) - condemns the Sabbath fast
800 “Epistle of Jesus” arrives in Ireland - warns against desecration of Sunday
867 Patriarch Photius denounces Roman Catholic promotion of Sabbath fast
1054 Roman Catholic - Eastern Orthodox Schism
1070 Margaret becomes queen of Scotland - tries to reform Sunday observance there
1201 Eustace of Flay takes “Epistle of Jesus” to England to reform Sunday keeping
1231 Pope Gregory IX establishes the medieval Inquisition
1350 Strigolniks in Novogorod, Russia, observe the seventh-day Sabbath
1414  — 1418 Council of Constance - orders burning of John Hus
1428 John Wycliffe's bones dug up and burned
1431 Pope Eugenius IV
1431  — 1445 Council of Basel - condemns Sabbath keeping by Jewish converts
1435 Forced conversion of Jews in Spain
1435 Church council in Bergen, Norway, condemns Sabbath observance
1469 Marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella unites Aragon and Castille into one nation
1480  — 1502 Novgorod-Moscow reform movement - includes Sabbath observance
1478 Pope Sixtus IV authorizes Spanish Inquisition
1481 First “auto de fe” (public trial) of Spanish Inquisition
1482 Pope Sixtus IV protests against Spanish Inquisition
1492 Expulsion of Jews from Spain
1492 Christopher Columbus “discovers” America
1497 Forced conversion of Jews in Portugal
1497  — 1499 Vasco da Gama opens the sea route from Europe to India
1504 Ivan Kuritsin and other Russian reformers are burned in cages in Red Square
1517 Luther nails his 95 Theses to chapel door, thus starting the Reformation
1525 Anabaptist Movement begins
1529 Andreas Fischer, Anabaptist Sabbatarian preacher, miraculously survives hanging
1536 Portuguese Inquistion begins
1540 Andreas Fischer is murdered in Slovakia
1542 Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, arrives in Goa
1544 Christian III of Denmark prohibits Sabbath keeping
1545  — 1563 Roman Catholic Council of Trent
1546 Oswald Glaidt, one-time proponent of the Sabbath, is executed in Vienna
1541 Christavao da Gama and 400 Portuguese come to the aid of the Ethiopian Emperor
1551 Russian Orthodox council authorizes Sabbath worship in Russian churches
1560 Branch of the Portuguese Inquistion is established in Goa
1560 Constantino Ponce de la Fuente dies in prison under the Spanish Inquisition
1617 John Traske, an early “Seventh Day Man,” is arrested in London
1628 Theophilus Brabourne publishes first English book promoting seventh-day Sabbath
1622 Emperor Susenyos declares Ethiopia a Catholic country; civil war ensues
1650 Parliament orders burning of Ockford's book advocating the seventh-day Sabbath
1684 Charles Dellon publishes his Account of the Inquisition at Goa
1684 Francis Bamfield, prominent “Seventh Day Man,” dies in his London prison cell
1720 Conrad Beisel, Sabbath-keeping founder of Ephrata Cloister, arrives in Pennsylvania
1722 Count Lugwig von Zinzendorf permits Moravian refugees to settle on his estate in eastern Germany
1742 Count Zinzendorf proposes Sabbath observance to Moravian community in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
1830  — 1895 Life of Maniilaq, the Eskimo prophet who learned about the seventh-day Sabbath from one he called “the Grandfather”
1844 Millerite Adventists disappointed when Christ did not return during this year
1844 A handful of Millerite Adventist preachers and lay people begin to observe the seventh-day Sabbath; this leads to the eventual establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination
1851  — 1864   Taiping Revolution in China; the Ten Commandments and observance of seventh-day Sabbath were at the heart of the movement
1859 Charles Darwin's On the Origin of the Species published
1888 Senator Henry Blair calls for a national Sunday law; his proposal never makes it out of committee for consideration by the US Congress
1896 William Saunders Crowdy founds Church of God and Saints of Christ, a Sabbath-keeping denomination
1900 Owkwa, Amerindian village chief, learns about Sabbath, monogamy, etc., from supernatural messenger
1926 Herbert W. Amstrong accepts the seventh-day Sabbath as authentic biblical doctrine; goes on to found the Worldwide Church of God
1986 Herbert W. Armstrong dies; new leaders of the Worldwide Church of God eventually renounce the seventh-day Sabbath
1988 Pope John Paul II issues apostolic letter, Dies Domini, upholding essential nature of the Sabbath but claiming the Roman Catholic Church's authority for the Saturday-Sunday change

Sabbath and other related links