I will always wonder if Harold Abrahams knew that Eric Liddel could have run on Sunday, and just decided not to tell him, because he knew he couldn’t beat Liddel.
Do you know what I’m talking about?
In the 1924 Olympics, the two fastest runners in the world were both from Great Britain: Eric Liddel and Harold Abrahams. Their story is masterfully told in the 1981 Movie, Chariots of Fire.
Harold Abrahams was Jewish, and must have certainly known that Liddel had his days confused, and so I wonder if he chose not to tell Liddel that Saturday was actually the Sabbath because then Abrahams could win the 100-meter dash, as in fact he did.
Today, many Christians continue to think that they cannot work on Sunday because it is the Sabbath. I spoke to someone just last week who believed this.
So let’s just clear that up: Sunday is not the Sabbath. Saturday is. Technically, the Sabbath runs from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown.
But just as there are some groups that think Sunday is the Sabbath, there are others who know that it is not, and are intent on making sure that all other Christians practice and observe the Sabbath on Saturday.
National Sunday Law
A while back, one of the churches in town distributed a book to the community by tossing a copy on our lawns. I found it on my lawn on Sunday morning. I imagine they were trying to get all the church-goers as they left for church, because the book was called National Sunday Law
I later read the book, and the basic argument to the book is that the Catholic church, in cooperation with the government, has duped Christians into meeting on Sunday rather than on Saturday. This is to prepare the world for the Catholic Pope to be the false prophet of the anti-Christ, and set up Catholicism as the one-world religion.
The book says that in the end times, businesses will be forced to shut down on Sunday, and people will be forced to go to church on Sunday. If they want to go to church on Saturday, on the traditional Sabbath day, they will be put to death. So if you attend church on Sunday, this is one step in the direction of receiving the Mark of the Beast.
I know I am somewhat mocking the book with that summary, but in reality, the book is fairly readable, interesting, logical, and compelling. It appears to make a lot of sense.
But there were some major flaws in the book, not only with some logical errors, but also with some misunderstandings of Scripture, and a misunderstanding of how and why the early church began to meet on Sunday rather than on Saturday as had been the custom among Jesus and His disciples.
Over the next couple of posts, I will briefly summarize this Saturday-to-Sunday transition. Until then, do you “attend church” on a particular day of the week? Which day? Why? What would you say to someone who said that as followers of Jesus, we have to go to church on Saturday? What would you say to someone who says we have to go to church on Sunday?
This post is based on the Grace Commentary for Luke 6:6-11.
I would say…we do not have to go to church on any day, Sabbath or not.
Swanny,
You are reading my future posts again, I see.
The Church is made up of called-out people, not a building or a meeting. With that in mind, we do not “go to church” at all; we are the Church. As such, we are called to assemble together for fellowship and edification, and we are told not to forsake those gatherings. But those gatherings are not “church,” they’re just one of the things that the Church does.
Chuck,
You also are reading my future posts! Ha! Glad to see there are some kindred minds out there!
Keeping the Sabbath is not about going to church. You do not have to go to church to keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a typically 24 hour period from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset in which true believers, that is those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ devote themselves exclusively to spiritual oneness with God. Their thoughts, actions, speech are devoted to holiness as the fourth commandment asserts. We clear worldliness from our heart, minds and souls and devote ourselves to time with God. We study the Bible, the word of God, we fellowship with other believers, we go out into the community to introduce Jesus Christ to others, we spread the good news of what Jesus had done for us, we do our best to fulfill God’s mission through discipleship. And if someone is in need, we fulfill their need even on the Sabbath.
Yep, I’m with you too on this. I don’t use the word “attend” for being part of the church and participating in meetings of believers. Most recently for us, it has been happening on Wednesdays and Fridays, and not long ago on Saturdays, and sometimes Sundays. Whatever works out for the majority on the scheduling.
Back when America was more religious–something that true Christianity should not be–Sunday was respected and most work schedules revolved around that premise. There was a healthy by-product to this, people actually got at least one day of rest. Okay, maybe the religious services wore them out, but it was a day with family in many cases. Around where we live in Indiana there is a crazy new trend that seems to be ruining family life, where people must work constantly changing schedules, wreaking havoc on their sleep and family time.
So, just pointing out one of the pros among the pros and cons.
The practice of Christians meeting for worship on Sunday has its roots in the Resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week. Because Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week, the early Christians chose to meet for worship on the first day of the week. The practice caught on, and Sunday eventually became known as the “Christian” Sabbath — even though Jesus Himself observed Sabbath on the last day of the week…Saturday.
David,
I agree, which is partly the point of my post. I read a book which said that if you go to church on Sunday, you are one step away from getting the mark of the beast, which I think is just ridiculous.
This will never happen it’s not gonna happen. Tp many jobs like doctors and police are 24/7
Probably from the same folks who say: “If the KJV is good enough for God, then it’s good enough for me.” 🙂
In case you are still following this thread, for the record, National Sunday Law was written by “a” Seventh-day Adventist, not the denomination as a whole. And not all Seventh-day Adventist agree with his arguments or logic. I think it’s important to point that out, as it is not fair to characterize all of us in the Seventh-day Adventist Church by those who are in the fringes.
My intention here is not to debate, or to convince anyone that they’re wrong and I’m right. I assume that you have placed as much study and thought on this issue as I have, and that you have valid reasons for the conclusions you have reached, as do I. But if you are willing to discuss this issue with someone who sees the perspective differently than you do, I would enjoy doing likewise. I have found that I learn more when discussing, in a respectful, Christlike manner, with those with whom I disagree.
So, having said that, I’ve read your other posts, and what I get out of them is that the Sabbath was part of the Mosaic covenant and is no longer relevant for Christians. Is that an accurate understanding?
If so, I would like to ask a couple of questions:
1. Are the ten commandments in Exodus 20 part of the Mosaic covenant that is no longer relevant for Christians?
2. If so, does that the mean that the other commandments, such as the prohibitions against adultery or idolatry or the command to honor one’s parents, are also no longer relevant for Christians?
Please, I really hope you do not get the wrong impression. My intentions are sincere. These are not “gotcha” questions. These are based on a logical inconsistency that I have seen in many making similar arguments to yours, and if you have a solution to that apparent inconsistency, I will gladly consider it seriously. Thank you.
Thank you for the clarification, Fernando. I know many Seventh-day adventists, and value much of their theology and beliefs.
As to your other questions, the law that followers of Jesus are to follow is the Greatest Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And the second greatest is related, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we do these things, we will fulfill all the law and the commandments.
So is adultery loving toward our spouse? No. Is idolatry loving toward God? No. Is dishonoring one’s parents loving toward them? No.
But the reason we obey these commands is NOT because they are part of the Hebrew law, but because such things are good examples of how to love God and love others.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond, and I agree with your underlying premise: Loving God, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, is the fulfillment of the commandments.
In the three commandments that we’ve considered, we have seen how disobeying these commandments is not loving towards God or towards our neighbor. We could go through the other commandments and reach the exact same conclusion. Is bearing false witness against our neighbor loving towards them? No. Is taking God’s name in vain loving toward him? No. And you and I could ask this question of nine of the ten commandments and be in agreement that the answer to each is No.
But then, we come to the fourth commandment. That Saturday is the “Sabbath” that is referred to in this commandment, and which we are commanded “to keep it holy,” is something that you and I agree on, based on your comments in the post above: “So let’s just clear that up: Sunday is not the Sabbath. Saturday is.”
So, is disobeying the command to keep the Sabbath holy, loving toward God? When you ask that question of every single other commandment, the answer is always No. But on this commandment, and only on this commandment, so many Christians answer Yes. Why the inconsistency?
You see, I have heard many strong arguments saying that Christians are no longer obligated to keep the Sabbath holy. These arguments will use texts such as Colossians 2, Romans 14, etc. But none of these arguments ever deal with the inconsistency of saying that disobeying nine of the ten commandments is not loving towards God and one’s neighbor, but disobeying the fourth one is. And failure to address, much less resolve, this inconsistency essentially invalidates any argument that keeping the fourth commandment is no longer relevant to Christians.
On the other hand, because I believe that God is consistent, and because I believe his Word is consistent, I have to believe that just as obeying the other nine commandments is an example of how to love God and others, obeying the fourth one must also be an example of how to love God and others (the “others” aspect is made especially clear in the parallel passage in Dt 5). Or, to look at it from the other side, I have to believe that just as disobeying the other nine commandments is not loving toward God and others, neither is disobeying the fourth commandment.
Therefore, the reason why I obey the command to keep the Sabbath holy is the exact same reason why you obey the other nine: not because it is part of the Hebrew Law, but because keeping the Sabbath holy is a good example of how to love God and love others.
Like I said, my intention here is not to try to convince anyone to keep the Sabbath. My intention was simply to see if perhaps you could explain the inconsistency that keeping nine of the ten commandments is loving toward God and one’s neighbor, but keeping the fourth one isn’t. If you have an explanation, I would love to consider it seriously.
And just for the record, although I would agree with Marcussen that the Sabbath command is still relevant for Christians, there is a lot in his book that I personally disagree with, or at the least, that I understand in a very different way than Marcussen does.
Thank you for your thoughts and for your ministry. I have been blessed by many of your posts on this site, and plan to stop by every now and then. Blessings to you!
we enter into God’s rest everyday through prayer and study…God works everyday he doesn’t not work on a Saturday or Sunday and not hear the prayers in the throne room of God. The Pharisees killed off the lord of the Sabbath.
the orthodox Jews are still waiting for their messiah maybe he will turn up on the sabbath, when the rest of Christian the world knows that the Pharisees killed off the lord of the Sabbath that picked grain and healed on the Sabbath.
you can’t kill off the lord of the Sabbath as the Pharisees did and wanted Barabas and then still say you worship on the Sabbath… it’s worse to kill of the lord of the Sabbath the messiah and deny him as orthodox Jews do… Sunday law will probably incorporate the mark of the beast so the point is that it’s no longer about a day…it will be about whether you take the Mark of the beast or not to buy or sell rev13;16…you will choose to be a child of God or child of devil not a religion…
Although, I would have rarely given this much thought before. I’ve been aware for quite a while that the real sabbath was on Saturday. I just never thought it was a really big deal if we chose to attend church on either day. Lately Ive been feeling that God does not want me to attend church at all.
But whoever thought this up I think might have had way more insight then I or many other people would have given them credit for. The puzzle pieces are starting to come together. Recently, as I have been dragging myself to go to church for my wife; I have felt Extreme spiritual resistance for going. Last time I got chest pains and had to turn around and head back home. I now feel that it is no longer God would prefer I don’t go, but is now commanding me to not go. I feel that it is almost spiritually dangerous to do so.
I’m expecting the antichrist to come from the Vatican as well, and this Sunday forced worship is starting to make a lot more sense then I would have ever given it credit for. We’ll see. But as for me I feel that going to church now is spiritually dangerous and no longer just church burnout. It seems obvious we are living in the end times, and I think many of the things God tells us to do may reveal a much deeper meaning then we would have imagined.
Believing Sunday is sabbath is deceptive but going to church on Sunday is not the mark of the beast. Firstable, The bible says we cannot buy or sell unless we had the mark of the beast. How can you buy or sell something by going to a church on Sunday. It doesen’t make sense. Second, we are not under the old testement laws including the 10 commandments. We are to seek the new laws. We are in fact to worship God every day not just one day. Christians go to church on Sunday because it was the same day Christ rised from the dead. We can go to church on any day or every day but we don’t even have to go to church, we are just to have faith in him. I believe the Catholic Church is wrong, but you people are mixing truth with lies. You are mixing the Catholic Church is wrong, with the lie which is Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is literall, not spritual. You people are simply saying. Lets worship God on Saturday only which is the sabbath, and let’s forget about God on other days. Saturday is sabbath but we are not under the sabbath laws. It is possible emperor conctentine deceived people by changing sabbath Saturday to Sunday within the Catholic Church, but it Is different from worshipping God on Sunday and on every day than believe Sunday is the sabbath.
firstale, What does church mean?
The church means the body of christ. the body of Christ are believers. So this proofs that all believers them selfsame are the church, rather than a building. If the church is all believers instead of a building, all believers would have gotten he mark of the beast, since they are the church daily, including Sunday. This false claim some people teach is not correct, not because they don’t understand scripture but simply because they don’t know the meaning of the church. Now, if you are a member local church, which is the (building were members of the church meet) what do you mean sunday worship is the mark of the beast. This doesn’t make sense, because the book of revelation says ” and no one could buy or sell unless they had they had the number of his name”” the number is 666″ how can you buy or sell going to a local church on a Sunday?
we enter into God’s rest everyday by prayer and study, if a nuclear bomb was to be sent out to destroy a country then God almighty wouldn’t say it’s the Sabbath I’m not going to work today and stop the bomb. He hears prayers everyday he watches over the earth everyday.. he says get out of the empire of false religion so you don’t share in her sins.rev 14:8..
Sunday worship is not the mark of the beast. Keeping any Sabbath day is not a requirement for
salvation. John 3:16, Col. 2:16 and many more Bible verses make this clear. A National Sunday Law would not make a difference since Federal, State, and many business offices are closed on
Sunday anyway. There’s been no plan nor news for a National Sunday Law since 1888. And how
could a Nat’l Sunday Law be passed without changing the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Let’s use common sense over this nonsense. This has been a wake-up call.
Greetings friends,
Although Sunday sabbath isn’t the mark of the beast, keeping the Sabbath (Saturday) is a command Jesus kept and did not abolish but fulfilled. As mentioned previously it’s a commandment, we know Jesus didn’t abolish the law but fulfilled it. The Pharisees profaned the Sabbath by enforcing their own rules. The Mark of the Beast is the RFID chip. Google news RFID chip and see how it’s happening as we speak. Search Charles Babbage whose called the ‘father of computers’ like this: Charles Babbage Satan. He made a blood pact with Satan and shortly after received inspiration for the first functional computer. Research CERN and the LHC (also one of the birthplaces of the internet) and search “the destroyer” next to it. Consider (and research) how www is 666 in hebrew. Read the book of enoch and learn about the watchers (half demon half human). Consider how they are manifesting themselves into technology and men are now becoming cyborgs or better known as half man half machine. Consider how if you accept the rfid your dna will be altered (you will no longer be 100% human). Consider how Jesus Christ died for humanity/ mankind. Consider how nuclear warfare is fast approaching. Consider how the pope is begging for the world not to engage in nuclear warfare. Consider how the pope is calling for a one world government, mark Zuckerberg is calling for a one world government, and stephen hawking is calling for a one world government. Consider this lastly, you are all right to an extent. But it’s much deeper than we give creedence. Keep the Sabbath because God said so. Enough said. If you want to disobey thay command because it pleases you to have Saturday to yourself than take it up with God on the day of judgment. Keep the Sabbath and reject the rfid chip. Move away from city centers or even leave your country, if you stay then make sure you die before you accept the mark. God bless you all.
The mark of the beast is spiritual, and identical to the pledged of allegiance to the flag, because worshipping doesn’t come from a chip, or any technology device, although we are surrounded by human devices…The name of the beast is going to be written in the heart, or in the mind on those who worship the beast, because worshipping is of the heart, or of the mind…When the Germans used their right hand to pledge allegiance to the flag, or to Hitler, there was no physical mark in the right hand, or forehead of the German pledger, because the pledge of allegiance to the flag, or to Hitler, was written in the heart, or in the mind of the German pledger…When the US uses their right hand to pledge allegiance to the flag, there is no physical mark in the right hand, or on the forehead of the pledger, because the pledge of allegiance to the flag, is written in the heart, or in the mind of the pledger…The devil uses Romans 13 to deceive those who are pledging allegiance to the flag, because they do not believe what God said in Ex.20:1-5, and De.4:15-19…When a person pledges allegiance to a man, or to a flag, or to a nation, they are heading for destruction, because God said; “cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and make flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD Jer.17:5 KJV…Whatever happened to the Germans who trusted in Hitler, or on their military power ? Whatever happened to Japan, who trusted in man, or in their military power ? Whatever happened to the Roman empire ? Whatever happened to ancient Babylon the great ? You will by no means stop worshipping your idols, even if God were to declare it to you in details, because you love to serve your idols…Go ahead and pledge allegiance to the star spangled of heaven and to the bald eagle of the earth, fill in your cup…Those who don’t want to believe in the commandments of God are going to worship the beast…To avoid the mark of the beast, or idol worship, and doctrines of devils, we must believe what God said in Ex.20:1-5, and De.4:15-19…The nation idols are high and lifted up on a flag pole, and those who are serving them are called “idol worshippers”.
I would say we all ought to be biblical Christians and not religious Christian…..religion was man made and still is, the Bible on the other hand is God’s inspirational words and is true and pure, so we ought to follow God’s word and not man’s word.
I wonder why, if Paul told us we are not to be judged (or to judge others) concerning “…..days, sabbaths, full moons, feasts….etc” why everyone appears to want to do exactly that. How is that being biblical?
I am a Christian that goes to church on Sunday. I’m a physician and one of my patients is a Seventh-Day Adventist who has expressed to me that by going to church on Sunday I am taking the mark of the beast.
In my heart I believe that I am saved by grace not because I go to church on Sunday or Saturday. I do believe I am in the Lord’s will for my life. I have spent many years praying and listening; asking the Lord to show me His will for my life. I am 64 years old and have many many years of experience in life and as a Christian. At this point I know His voice I really don’t believe it has anything to do with whether I go on Saturday or Sunday. I go because I love Him and believe I am attending the church the Lord wants me to and it happens to be on a Sunday. I pray that I’m doing the right thing. I appreciate your post I’m looking forward to your comments..
Hi, Janet.
I was born and raised in the SDA church, but have left that denomination. I have always thought that they promote Sabbath keeping above the good news of the gospel, which is salvation through the free gift of Jesus’ sacrifice. Some have said that Constantine in Roman times changed the Sabbath to Sunday. This is what their prophet, Ellen G White has said in her writings. However, a well respected SDA scholar, Samuel Bacchiochi got permission to study the old manuscripts of the early church fathers and none of their writings support that claim. They were meeting together on Sunday as early as the first century AD. Also, worship on Sabbath was never made a commandment until the Mosaic Covenant, read Genesis and Exodus. Also, reading in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is our Sabbath rest. No one should pass judgment on whether you keep Sabbath or not. It was a shadow of the rest we now have in Jesus. Colossians 2: 16,17. The fulfillment of the law is loving God and others – Romans 13: 8-14. Don’t let SDAs take away your peace in relying on God’s grace for salvation when they only know law keeping and judge everyone else for not doing as they do.
Blessings on you.
Laura, disobedience creates in one’s heart defiance to God’s word.
SDA’S condemn over a billion Sunday worshippers. They are an abomination.
I would first say that a day does not begin in the evening. On the first day Yahusha created… second day, third day and so on…. A day begins at sunrise till the next day at sunrise. Saturday at sunrise is the Sabbath until sunrise the next day and the sabbath ends. You do not have to go to a church, but you spend the day at home, not cooking and not doing any work but keeping the day holy and learning and getting closer to Yahuah and not practising doctrines of man. Doctrines of man is all you are going to get in any church these days. Half the time they spend in ritual and then spending the rest of the time speaking of their own lives and stuff.
If we read Revelation 13 carefully and analyze the description of the beast from the sea we can see that the Papacy is the only entity fitting that description. They also claim openly that Sunday is their “mark of authority”.
Climate Sunday and many other strategies are being used to raise the “importance” of this day of rest.
What if one day people will be forced to stop working on Sunday worldwide for environmental issues?
And then, when everybody gets into this bandwagon, to push it further so people must worship on this day? To fix all our social, environmental, etc problems everyone must unite and worship on this day.
That is what Revelation 13 is saying – Sunday worship will become the mark of the beast once it is enforced by law.
The devil is very cunning – he is coming always as an angel of light but once he gets everyone mesmerised with his false teachings it will be too late for those who got deceived.
The Bible warns us in Revelation 12:9 (“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…”
I have received that book too. I hear in American politics now that a call for Sunday laws need to be enacted! Not by just one politician but by a number of them. The things spoken of in this book seem to be starting to happen!