Nearly every civilized society has one practice in common, even if they have nothing else, that being the observance of a "Day Of Rest", a day set-aside from the normal workweek, wherein no physical labor is done.
The Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant denominations set aside Sunday, the first day of the week, as their "Day of Rest." Some churches call it "The Lord's Day" others, "The Sabbath."
The religion of Islam does not have a day where they totally cease work. Quoting the Holy Quran: "Hence unlike the Jewish and the Christian Sabbaths, it is not necessarily a day of rest." Although Friday is an obligatory day of prayers, they are still allowed to do business and their ordinary work before and after prayer. "But attendance at the Jumu'ah prayers is obligatory, and as soon as the call to prayer is sounded, every Muslim is bound to leave business of every kind and immediately hasten to the Mosque."
The religion of Judaism’s “Day of Rest” is the seventh day of the week. The rest of the world may call this day Saturday, but it is The Sabbath to them, and to others who observe it.
Strangely enough, there are some Christian denominations and non denominational churches that also keep the Seventh day of the week as their “Day of Rest,” although some still refer to it as Saturday.
SO, WHO IS CORRECT? IS THERE A LEGITIMATE, “OFFICIAL” DAY OF REST?
IF SO,WHAT DAY IS IT? WHO CREATED THIS DAY OF REST?
Being a follower of Jesus Christ, which makes me a Christian in the eyes of most of the world, I spent my first thirty years as a Methodist, observing Sunday as my Day of Rest, as did my family and most of my friends.
However in 1957, I was "prodded" by a radio evangelist to look into my Bible and prove which day was the true day of rest. A day that God instituted at Creation. This is the same day his son, Jesus the Messiah, His apostles and the early New Testament Church of God observed as their Day of Rest. A day also referred to as "The Sabbath" or the Seventh Day of the Week.
I can’t explain why Islam observes Friday, but I can explain why over one billion Christians observe Sunday as their Day of Rest. History tells us that the Catholic Church instituted Sunday as their day of worship.
As Luther and the other dissident denominations broke away from the dictatorial reign of the Catholic Church, most continued to observe the Catholic Day of Rest on Sunday, the first day of the week. They also took with them the holidays of the Catholics – Christmas and Easter, which the Catholic Church took from bits and pieces of pagan celebrations and re-introduced them as the day of Christ’s birth, and the day he was resurrected from the dead, thus putting Christian names on pagan holidays.( On our Site Map you'll find many articles detailing the "assimilation" or morphing of pagan festivals into Christian holidays stage-managed by the early Catholic Church in its' fervor for more and more converts. The same holidays celebrated throughout the Christian world today. )
Most Catholic leaders claim the Universal Church had the authority or power to change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, or from the 7th day of the week to the 1st day.
However, the Catholic Church claims that the Protestant churches had no authority for their Sunday observance and though they left the "mother church," they continued to observe her “Day of Rest” and her holidays.
WHAT DAY IS THE CORRECT DAY OF REST? THE FIRST DAY OR THE SEVENTH DAY?
WHERE DO WE GO TO FIND OUT WHICH DAY IS CORRECT?
Why don’t you do what this radio evangelist goaded me (a former Sunday worshipper) into doing? To look into my Bible to prove just how, when and where the 7th Day (Sabbath) originated, and how it continues to flourish to this day, not only with the Jews, but also with some Christian churches.
I’ve found that the best way to prove something is to go to the beginning and see how it originated. So, let's go to the Bible, the written word of God to see how and when the Sabbath day was set apart from the other six days.
In the first chapter of the book of Genesis , we find the story of the days of Creation. We learn that God [Elohim] created the Heavens and the Earth in six days.
In (Genesis 1:1) we read:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Each day he begins with:" The evening and the morning were the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth day." Notice how God places the evening before the morning. He used six literal, 24-hour days to create the Heavens and the Earth (the Sun, Moon and Stars.) Why six days? Why not ten days or eight days? Because #6 is the number of man, #7 is the number of completion.
With that in mind, let's go to Genesis 2 and read where God established the Holy Sabbath Day.
Genesis 2:1 –“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, [brought to perfection] and all the host of them.”
(v. 2 – 3) –“And on the SEVENTH DAY God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”He set it apart from the other six days, because in it he had rested from all his work, which God created and made.
God wasn’t tired, and He didn’t need a day of rest for himself. Then why did God rest on the Seventh Day? Why did God set the seventh day apart from the other six days of creation? Scripture tells us the Sabbath was made for man.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ told the Pharisees (the most powerful religious group of that time in Judea) the true reason for having a day of rest. The Pharisees had made the seventh day a yoke of bondage in their observance of it, having added stipulations, excessive rules and regulations to how one was to observe the Sabbath. Some of these additions made the Sabbath almost impossible to keep.
In (Mark 2:27) – “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:”
So the Sabbath day is not just for Jews alone.
We see that God, by resting on the seventh day, hallowed it and set it apart. Not for himself, but for all of mankind – all colors, nationalities and languages..
(v.28) – “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”
(Matthew 12:8)- “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
The word Sabbath, strangely enough does not mean “seven” or “one” or “six”.
It means “to rest or repose!” Then how can we prove that the Sabbath God instituted is actually the seventh day of the week?
To answer, I will pose another question to you:
How many of you believe there are Ten Commandments?
How many believe that the Lord God wrote the Ten Commandments on two tablets of stone and gave them to Moses, who in turn gave them to the 12 tribes of Israel?
How many believe the 7th Day Sabbath is one of those Commandments? Intended to be kept by all of mankind, along with the other nine.
In the book of Exodus, Chapter 20 -- the 10 Commandments are listed for the first time. You can also find them in Deuteronomy 5.
However, lets read about the 4th Commandment:
(Exodus 20:8) – “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
WHY DID GOD TELL MOSES TO “KEEP IT HOLY?” AND WHAT MADE IT HOLY IN THE FIRST PLACE?
WOULD THAT NOT INDICATE THE 7TH DAY SABBATH HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE THE SEVENTH DAY OF CREATION? AND THAT IT WAS SET APART AS A DAY OF REST BY THE LORD GOD?
Notice in (Exodus 20):
(v.9)- “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
(v. 10) – “ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates”(v. 12) - “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY, AND HALLOWED IT.”
So, the Sabbath is a Holy Time. Holy because the Creator God made it Holy -- not mankind, and not a church.
However, a church has claimed they were given power to change times and seasons. Its leader claims to be “The Vicar of Christ.” Can this be true? Can man change something that God himself set apart? You might want to read what the Greek word for "vicar" stands for.
In Deuteronomy 5, we find Moses once again giving the Israelites instructions on the 10 Commandments, after coming into the Promised Land.
[Again, what did Moses tell Israel about the 4th one?]
(Deuteronomy 5:12) –“Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.”
(v. 13)- “Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:”
Some claim any order of six days is an option. However, if we go back to the beginning (Genesis 1: 1-31) we find the Creation covered days 1 through 6, and (Genesis 2: 1-3) on the 7th day God rested from his work.This would indicate the same seven day week progression that is kept today by most of the world.
(Deuteronomy 5: 14) – “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.”
The next verse is very interesting, as this verse is written for the all of the 12 tribes of Israel, NOT just for the Jews, because all 12 tribes of Israel were in Egypt.
(v. 15) – “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
So God commanded Israel to observe the 7th Day Sabbath that He had made Holy.
Some claim Jesus only kept the 7th Day Sabbath because he was a Jew who practiced Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity did not spring out of Judaism. The term Judeo- Christian roots is a misnomer. The Sabbath was not made only for the Jews. Jesus said the Sabbath was made for Man. Mankind observed the 7th Day Sabbath long before Judah, the son of (Israel or Jacob) was even born. Adam and Eve observed the 7th Day Sabbath. Today, those who practice Judaism have placed additional “do’s and don’t’s” upon the Sabbath Day. Things that God never spoke about to Moses.
In the Jewish code of law, one can find over 600 additions to the law that are NOT specified by God. The additions are the “Yoke of Bondage” that James and Peter referred to in (Acts 15) and Jesus talked about in (Matthew 23: 4).
HAD GOD GIVEN MAN INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH DAY? HOW DID GOD TELL ISRAEL TO OBSERVE THIS DAY?
In (Isaiah 58:13)- “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:”
What God is telling us, is that he wants mankind's undivided attention on the Sabbath Day.
Because it is Holy Time, made Holy by God himself. Only God can make something Holy, not man, not a church.
What He is telling us is that we are not to do those things on the Sabbath that we normally do on the other six days of the week.
However, if we read about Jesus and Paul’s lives, we can see what they did on the Sabbath. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, and notice what he said to the Pharisees:
(Luke 13: 10, 14-15)- “And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.”
v. 14- “And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
v. 15- The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?”Notice in:
(Luke 14: 1-6) – “And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
v 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
v 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
v 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
v 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
v 6 And they could not answer him again to these things.”And we read in:
(Mark 3: 1-4) – “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
v 2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
v 3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
v 4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.”WHAT DID JESUS USUALLY DO ON THE SABBATH DAY?
(Luke 4: 14-16) – “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
v 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
v 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”(Mark 6: 1-2) – “And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples followed him.
And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?”WHAT ABOUT THE APOSTLE PAUL? DID HE OBSERVE THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH?
IF SO, WHAT WAS HIS CUSTOM?
(Acts 17: 1-3) – “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
v 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
v 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.”[Messiah](Acts 18: 4-5) – “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
v 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.”Notice Paul’s words to the Colossians:
(Colossians 2: 16) – “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days;” referring both to the weekly and annual Sabbaths.
Notice what Paul did on one occasion on the Sabbath:
(Acts 17:1-3) – And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
However, we shouldn't go out of our way to do physical things on the Sabbath.
HOW MANY SABBATHS WILL AN OX HAVE TO BE PULLED FROM A DITCH?
HOW MANY TIMES DID JESUS HEAL ON THE SABBATH?
The explanation is “Do Good on the Sabbath, but DON'T CREATE THINGS TO DO ON THE SABBATH! (Don’t shove the ox into the ditch.)
Remember, the Sabbath is still one of God’s Feast Days and a Holy Convocation. A commanded assembly to appear before him. (Lev. 23:3)
Years ago, many states had what were called “Blue Laws, ” which were enforced to make sure businesses closed on the Sabbath and that people did not buy and sell on the Sabbath Day.
The problem was, they were forced to close on Sunday, the first day of the week, while they broke the 7th Day Commandment on a weekly basis.
We often find the Jews doing similar things. In a city where I lived, a Jewish family owned a furniture store. On the Sabbath, they were at the synagogue, but they had Gentiles running their business on the 7th Day Sabbath.
In the Old Testament we can read about people who came to the gates of cities where the Sabbath was being observed in order to buy and sell their wares, waiting for the sun to set to end the day.
We can read about this in:
(Nehemiah 10: 28-30) – “And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levite's, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
v 29 They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
v 30 And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:”v 31 – “And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.”
(Nehemiah 13: 15-20) – Nehemiah said:
“In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
v 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
v 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
v 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
v 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
v 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.v 21 “Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.”
Notice in :
(Jeremiah 17:21-27)- “Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
v 22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
v 23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.”v 24 “And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
v 25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.
v 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.
v 27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.We read in the Old Testament:
(Malachi 3:6) - “ For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
In the New Testament we read:
(Hebrews 13: 8) – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
So, the 7th Day Sabbath has never been changed by the Creator God, who became Jesus Christ of Nazareth. (John 1:14)
In the New Testament, Jesus and his followers observed the Sabbath in the same manner that he insisted in Genesis! (Genesis 2: 1-2)
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PROPHECY,
WILL THE SABBATH STILL BE OBSERVED IN THE MILLENIUM --- AFTER CHRIST’S RETURN TO EARTH?
(Isaiah 66:22) – “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.”
(V. 23) – “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”
Lets notice how the Lord God referred to the Sabbath, in respect to those who observed the Seventh Day.
(Exodus 31: 13) – “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: FOR IT IS A SIGN between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”
How important was the Sabbath to ancient Israel? Notice:
v. 14 –“Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.”
v 15-17 – “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.
v 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
v 17 IT IS A SIGN between me and the children of Israel for ever: [This meant all 12 tribes – not just Judah or the Jews.](v. 17, cont.) – “for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”
We read in Ezekiel these same words:
(Ezekial 20: 1-13) – “And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
v 2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
v 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
v 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
v 5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God;
v 6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:
v 7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
v 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
v 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
v 10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
v 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
v 12 MOREOVER ALSO I GAVE THEM MY SABBATHS, TO BE A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND THEM, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
v 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.”v 16– “Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.”
v 20 – “And hallow my sabbaths;AND THEY SHALL BE A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU , that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
v 21– “Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.”
About a year ago, I watched a famous TV evangelist give a sermon on how the 7th Day Sabbath was changed to Sunday, without using the Catholic influence as a reason! In his sermon, he explained that it was changed because Jesus was resurrected from the dead on Sunday. It was a pathetic attempt to prove something that God had not instituted in the first place.
First of all, Jesus was NOT resurrected on Sunday, nor was he crucified on Friday. If the minister would have researched history, and the calendar, he would have known that Christ was crucified on late Wednesday afternoon and entombed before sundown. Because the first annual Holy Day that year was to start on Thursday, the 5th day of the week, which would have been the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, an annual Holy Day.
Jesus gave a specific sign as to how long he would be dead and buried in the tomb by referring to the time Jonah was in the great fishes belly. In:
(Matthew 12:40) - (KJV)"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (NIV) "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Jesus was quoting (Jonah 1:17) -"Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
It's pretty difficult to get 3 days and 3 nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning at sunrise. Especially after reading Jesus' own statement.
Then, you ask, what about the scripture in :
(Luke 24:21)-"But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done."
This was on a Sunday morning. So can we refute a Sunday resurrection?
Let's go back to verse 1:
Luke 24: 1- "Now upon the first day of the week, ["day" is in italics added by translators] very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
v 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
v 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
v 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
v 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
v 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
v 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."In (John 2:19-22)- " Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
v 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
v 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
v 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."(Matthew 16:21) - "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Did Jesus mean Sunday is the third day? Well if the crucifixion in 30 A.D. happened on late Wednesday afternoon, and he was in the tomb at sundown of that day, we would have to count late Thursday #1, late Friday #2, and late Sabbath (Saturday) #3 with each day being 'an evening and and a morning' as in (Genesis 1:5) - "Evening and Morning"
(Mark 8:31)- " And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [This would require three 24-hour days.]
Again. we must use Jesus' own words about Jonah, the Great Fish, and how Jonah was three days and 3 nights in the fish's belly. So he would be in the heart of the earth. [Entombed]
Let's turn again to:
(Luke 24:13-16) - " And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
v 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
v 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
v 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
v 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
v 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
v 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
v 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
v 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
In the King James Version, translators have deliberately mistranslated the Greek to back up their doctrine of an Easter Sunday Resurrection.In Fred Coulter's book Harmony of the Gospels in Modern English, (Part VII, pages 308-325), he goes deep into the correct Greek translation. He also shows there are translators that correctly show the true meaning of the Greek words.
On page 320 he lists those correct translations of Luke 24:21 in the new translation by James Moffett.
Verse 21 reads as: "Our own hope was that He would be the Redeemer of Israel: But he is dead and that is three days ago."
In the "Berkeley Translation", it reads: "Three days have already passed."
[Which means the three days and three nights that Jesus was to be in the tomb were already completed. This then would be the fourth day, or Sunday. On the first day of the week. Because they were talking to the already resurrected Jesus.]
In the "Phillips Translation" it reads: "And were hoping he was the one who was to come and set Israel free . . . Yes, and as if that were not enough, it's getting on three days since all this happened."
In the Living Bible, it reads: " And now besides all this which happened three days ago." [This being the 4th day since the crucifixion took place.]
In Mr. Coulter's Translation of the New Testament: "And we were hoping that he was the one who would redeem Israel; but besides all these things, as of today, the third day had already passed since these things took place."
There simply is no way to prove a "Sunday Day of Rest" by using the day they say Jesus was resurrected. There is no way we can arrive at that three days and three nights from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. When Jesus referred to three days and three nights, he used the measurement for a day from (Genesis 1: 5):
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." God begins each day at sunset --- not at midnight.
The majority of Seventh Day Sabbath keepers also measure the day from sunset to sunset, including the Jews. Unfortunately there are some false teachers who claim the Sabbath begins at noon, others claim it begins at sunrise. If they would go to their Bibles, they would find that throughout Genesis One, that God used the words "and the evening and the morning were the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days. It is ludicrous to believe he would change that format when measuring the Seventh Day.
The Seventh Day was set apart by God as he rested on the 7th day, after using the previous six, 24-hour days to create the Heavens and the Earth. By His resting on that day He sanctified it, set it apart and made it Holy Time.
This same God who created these things was the one who became Jesus Christ, the son of God.
In John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
v 2 The same was in the beginning with God.
v 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
v 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men."And then notice in :
Verse 14 - " And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
Verse 18- "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom [likeness]of the Father, he hath declared him."
We can verify John's words with the Epistles of the Apostle Paul in the Book of Colossians.
(Colossians 1: 12 - 19)- " Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
v 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
v 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
v 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
v 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
v 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
v 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;"We have additional proof of Jesus being the Creator God, the Lord God throughout the Old Testament in the book of Hebrews.
(Hebrews 1: 1-5) - "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
v 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
v 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
v 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
v 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"Also, let's notice again what Mark writes in his book in regards to the Sabbath:
(Mark 2: 27-28) - "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
v 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."This is repeated in the book of Matthew:
(Matthew 12:8) - " For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."
Earlier in this article, we asked if the reader believes in the 10 Commandments, which were written by the Lord God, The Word. The One who was made flesh and dwelt among us. This was Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God.
If the reader affirms that they believe the 10 Commandments, then we must ask, does this include commandment #4?
(Exodus 20:8)- "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
v 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
v 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"So God decides what day to worship Him, not man!
The Bible states in six days The Lord made Heaven and Earth -- and He rested on the Seventh Day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it.
Perhaps it's time to do like the Bereans did in the book of Acts. They didn't just take it for granted that what the minister was preaching was always correct. On the contrary, in:
(Acts 17:10-11) -"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
v 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."I want to challenge you to ask the minister of your church to tell you where in the Bible it can be found that mankind is to observe Sunday, the first day of the week as the Sabbath Day, the Day of Rest that God sanctified and blessed.
Today mainstream Christianity keeps the same day of the week that many pagan religions used to observe their god, that being the Sun! I'm sure no Christian believes this is what they are doing. But Sunday was named after the venerable "Day of the Sun."
As a former Sunday keeping Christian, I never felt or knew that I was not observing the day that God sanctified and made holy. But once I read the Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New, it was then that I realized that I had to begin to worship God on the day He had chosen if I was truly worshipping Him in truth and in spirit.
In reading the New Testament, we see how false ministers crept into the early New Testament Church of God, and immediately spread false doctrine about Sunday worship that Sunday keeping denominations feel are from God. Why? Because their ministers told them. But unlike the Bereans, they (including me for 30 years) did not search the Scriptures to see if those things were true.
Perhaps in time you will do like I did. Blow the dust off our bibles and see what the Scriptures really tell us. Again, maybe we should do what the Apostle Paul told Timothy to do in:
(II Timothy2:15) -" Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Paul told the Church of God in Thessalonica in:
( I Thessalonians 5:21) -"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
In closing, perhaps we should read what God told the Israelites about how they were to worship Him.
In (Deuteronomy 12:29-32) -"When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
v 30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
v 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
v 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
So, with this in mind, who has the right to change the Day of Rest that the Lord God blessed and sanctified? Certainly not any church, and most certainly not any man.
Let me end by asking another question, Do you know why you observe certain mainstream Christian holidays such as Christmas (the mass of Christ) and Easter (Ishtar, the goddess of Fertility)?
Perhaps it's time to look into this as well.
