"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Yahveh made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:16,17
This is the story about this lost sign. A sign that is so important to God that it sanctifies who the children of God are and who is their God. This is surely not the only sign that you are a child of God, knowing and accepting Jesus, as the Savior, and doing his commandments, are signs as well; but this particular sign has been lost through the years by the very church that proclaims to know His name. What does the word Sabbath mean to you? If your answer is 'the day of worship,' read on and learn why you believe such a statement.
The Sabbath day of God is Saturday; Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, no matter where you are. It is the true day of REST of God. It is not the day of worship, which can be any day. It has not been changed by YWHW. The best way to realize this fact is to read what Jesus did on the Sabbath and what He had to say about it. Being a Jew of the time of Judea (6BC-29AD), He kept the Sabbath as the day of rest, as they do to this day in Israel.
This was learned from Moses circa 1500 BC. From that time period, the Levitical priests have kept track of the days, "religiously" and the days of the week have NEVER been altered; no not once by them; nor by any Roman Emperor or other official government body. Jesus confirmed this day as Sabbath when He was present on the earth, esp. during His three year witnessing. When He spoke (Matthew 12:1-8) of the Sabbath, it was the Sabbath of His day. He went into the synagogues and taught often "on the Sabbath." To our church this man, Jesus, was the first born Son of God, and He KNEW which day was the Sabbath day. He said, "Think not that I have come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18
Jesus kept the Law perfectly and was without sin on the stake, but the prophets have not all be fulfilled and heaven and earth have not passed away yet. Therefore, The law of the Sabbath day still stands. To break this law is to sin. To break this law is to show that you are not a child of God. If you do not keep this sign, but keep another day, you are in Babylon, false worship of God, and you are sinning if you do not keep the correct day, correctly. How did Satan get this day changed, to such a degree that many think they keep another day and yet keep it in another way?
The idea of a Sabbath began with the Israelites and the law of Moses. This was the only religion that I am aware of that kept a Sabbath, until long after the time of Jesus. A few churches began to meet to worship and have brotherhood on the first day of the week, because they stayed home and rested on the Sabbath day. Then along came the first Emperor of Rome to became a Christian, Constantine circa 315 AD, and the law would never again be the same for Christians. In the year 321 AD, with the help of the Pope of Rome, Constantine by decree made Sunday the day of rest and hence it also became the day of worship, and Sunday Sabbath, the "day of worship" was born. This Catholic Sabbath, which was really nothing more than the olden day worship of the sun god, had been transposed onto followers of Jesus Christ, a Jew and an Israelite.
The sign had been painted over and hide from view. As the protestant churches developed in Europe during and after the 1500s, beginning with Martin Luther, they did not go back to the roots of Jesus, but kept on with the assumption that the Sabbath, the "Lord's Day" was correctly Sunday. Why? Because few tend to question what their parents and elders tell them when they are children. Children are told what to believe, and they do it readily, unwittingly, without questioning their teachers. They are given all kinds of excuses when questioned closely. (One of the most common is that Jesus arose on Sunday from the tomb, also another assumption that is false.) Then....... they grow up and read and think for themselves.
You can, and should, worship God the Father any day you wish. This is not Sabbath. Sabbath is resting, praying, reading of God, teaching of God and not buying and selling. It is not the only day of worship or a day of housework, shopping, watching sports on TV, yard-work, etc. It is a holy day and you are to keep it as a commandment of God. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor, and do all thy work: but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of YHWH, thy Elohim: 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: for in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-10.
Look on the Roman calendar on your wall, and count the number of the days. Here is wisdom, the 7th day of the week, is Saturday. "From evening to morning, shall be your Sabbath." Breaking a life-long religious belief is not easy, nevertheless it can be done. We ask you to grow, to read and to think for yourselves. Do your own research into this topic to find the truth. It is important. It has to do with Babylon (Rev. 17). Repent and come out of Babylon and be not partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues. (Rev. 18:4)
We are to keep this sign. We are to keep it correctly. We have been grafted into the natural tree of Israel, by belief in the sacrificial blood of the lamb of the earth, Jesus our Christ. We are therefore Christians Israelites, who are to do the ways of Christ. Christ was an Israelite. Christ taught the ways of Israel, the law of Moses, and He kept it perfectly. Are we to do less? Are the servants greater than the Master? Are we to ignore one of the signs of God? No, to all three. Are we to keep the Sabbath unto salvation? No, again. We are to keep it as YHWH has commanded us because we love Him, and we are to teach others to do so. Matthew 5:19: ".......but whosoever shall do and teach them (the law), the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
These are the end times. Now is the time to seek the truth about God and His ways. Keep the weekly Sabbath and keep the high days, yearly Sabbaths, which also have been lost to many of Christ's followers. (See page on the feasts of God) Keep the sign of God, as true worship of the One true God of heaven and Earth, the Father. God bless your works for His Son, Jesus our Christ. Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above and let Him hear it. Praise Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.