The concept of the Sabbath was first introduced by God following the six day period of restoration that is documented in Genesis 1: 2-31.
As we will see shortly, it was during this six day period of restoration that God prepared the earth for its next inhabitants, the Human Race. This restoration and preparation was necessary becasue the surface of the Earth \ whose creation is documented in Gen. 1: 1 had become empty and void (Gen. 1: 2).
Man was created at the end of the six day period of restoration for the primary purpose of glorifying God in the midst of an ongoing conflict in the spiritual realm. This conflict began before the creation of Man. It will run concurrently with all of human history. It will end at its appointed time (Rev. 20: 10) when the devil and his allies are tossed into what the Bible calls the lake of fire. They will not be there alone.
At the appointed time (Rev. 20: 13: 15), the devil and his allies will be accompanied by every human soul that departed this world in the capacity of an unbeliever.
Until then, to the extent that God allows, the devil (1Pet. 5: 8) and his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil will engage in the spiritual combat (Eph. 6) that is associated with this ongoing conflict.
Let’s begin our study by taking a look at what had taken place on planet Earth before the six day period of restoration that led up to the implementation of the Sabbath.
It is difficult for Man, being the self-centered creature that he is, to even consider that there was a time in eternity past when neither the physical universe, planet Earth, nor the human race even existed, let alone be the center or focus of universal attention..
When Gen. 1: 1 NASB says, “In the beginning…,” it is NOT referring to the start of eternity, as eternity, like God, never had a beginning and will never have an end.
The beginning spoken of in Gen. 1: 1 is speaking of the start of series of events that would later have a connection with the human race that had not yet been created.
The Earth, in its created form (Gen. 1:1), was spoken into existence (Psalms 33: 9/Hebrews 11: 3). God does not create anything that could be described as formless and void (Gen. 1: 2 NASB). In its created form, the earth was complete and perfect. What God, the devil, or Man does with what God initially creates is another story.
Man had not yet been created, and therefore did not live on Earth when it's surface was devastated in the catastrophic event recorded in (Gen. 1: 2/Jer. 4: 26). It was this event that caused the surface of the Earth to become "formless and void". This catastrophic event was the result of God destroying the cities of the angels that were a part of the kingdom that the devil attempted to establish during Phase One of the Angelic Conflict.
We are NOT told how long a period of time that the earth and/or these cities of angels existed before being destroyed by God. This could have been a relatively short period of time or could have taken billions of years. Their destruction, however, was instantaneous and complete.
If advancing disciples are going to understand what took place during this period of time (between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1: 2), he/she must familiarize him/hjerelf with what theologians refer to asPhase One of the Angelic Conflict. It is by having such knowledge that one learns such things as the primary purpose for which the human race, as a whole, and each individual soul were created and placed on planet Earth at the time it was.
Scripture (Ezekiel 28: 14) teach that the individual that we now refer to as the devil or Satan was created as a cherub who served in the throne room of God. In his created form, he had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty (Ezek. 28: 12). He held this guarding/protecting function of a cherub in the throne room of heaven until the day that unrighteousness was found in him (Ezek. 12: 17). There is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that the devil lost any of his overt appearance.
It was on the day that unrighteousness was found in him (Ezek. 12: 17) that he announced his desire to establish a kingdom independent of God in which he would be the focus of worship (Isa. 13: 14).
At that time at least 1/3 of the angels of Heaven (Rev. 12: 4) followed him in what would prove to be a failed rebellion in an attempt to establish the devil’s kingdom. Some scholars interpret Scripture to teach that all of the angels initially rebelled, but some of them later repented and returned to God. Either way, from that point in eternity past forward, the angelic realm was divided between the elect and the fallen angels. The elect remained faithful (or repented and returned) to God, whereas the fallen angels chose to side with the devil in his attempt to establish his own kingdom, independent of God.
God does not want robotic/automatic worship in which the worshipers are programed to worship and serve God with no choice in the matter. The angels, and later on Man, were given free will in which they could choose in favor of God or the devil.
One of the results of Phase One of the Angelic Conflict was the destruction of the angelic cities (Jer. 4: 26) that had been constructed on the Earth. This destruction was what caused the surface of the Earth that had been created in Gen.1: 1 to become formless and void (Gen. 1: 2).
Another result of this failed rebellion, was that the devil lost his status and position as a guarding cherub in the throne room of Heaven. He did not , lose his access to Heaven (Job 1: 6/Rev. 12: 10).
The devil will spend all of eternity future in what the Bible calls the lake of fire once the event recorded in Rev. 20: 10) takes place. He has NOT been confined there, as of yet. The devil is not (presently) in Hell waiting for all the "bad" people to join him.
The devil does not have the divine attribute of omnipresence, that being the ability to be in more than one location at the same time. Accordingly, his plan is dependent on the participation of his Eph. 6: 12 spiritual forces of evil and the human souls that he has deceived to do much of his bidding. No one with an ounce of spiritual discernment is likely to listen to the devil when he/she is aware that it is the devil speaking or what the end result will be.
This is why he usually makes use of third parties to accomplish his goals. Only on specific occasions, when the stakes ran high enough, did the devil choose to directly involve himself (Matt. 4/John 13: 27).
Within the parameters of the Angelic Conflict that God has established, Satan has had different primary targets throughout the various dispensations (periods of time) of human history. Adam and Eve, Old Testament believers, Old Testament prophets, the Jews, the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and born again believers of the Church Age have all been targets that the devil has attacked in the course of the ongoing Angelic Conflict. With the exception of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil has had varying degrees of success with all of his targets in the realm of spiritual warfare (Eph. 6: 12). The one we face in the mirror each day is no exception.
Being able to deceive the opposition concerning one's location and capability provides one with a tremendous strategic advantage in the realm of combat. To the extent that God permits, the devil and his (Eph. 6: 12) forces of evil are “alive and well” and are here in this world on a “seek and destroy” mission (1Pet. 5: 8).
Human souls making the right or wrong choices is what the spiritual combat (Eph. 6) is all about. When human souls make the right choices, God is glorified. When human souls make the wrong choices, God is denied the glory that He would have otherwise received.
The spiritual combat (Eph. 6: 12) of this ongoing conflict is not going to come to an end during the dispensation of the Church Age. The Church was NOT primarily established to make the devil's world a better place to live in preparation for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The mission and purpose of the Church is to preserve and proclaim the Gospel Message and to make disciples out of those who are born again (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
Furthermore, the period of human history that immediately precedes the return of Christ is going to be the worst period of time in all of human history. It is going to be so bad that if it had not been cut short by divine intervention, no human life of the planet would survive (Matt. 24: 22/Mark 13: 20). T
To the extent that God permits, demonic activity and spiritual combat will only intensify as the end of the Church Age (not the end of the world) draws near (1Timothy 4: 1).
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Commentators have attributed such verses as Isa. 14: 13 to various human personalities throughout the course of human history. While there are many who have made similar statements, none of these human personalities were created as cherubs. None of these human personalities were anointed to serve in the throne room of Heaven (Ezek. 28: 14), and none of these nor were ever in the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28: 13/Gen. 3). Scripture teach that such things were all true of the devil.
Secular scientist concur that there was a time that they refer to as the Ice Age . During this "Ice Age", the Earth, without the benefits of light and heat, was covered with ice. Secular scientists offer several scientific explanations or assumptions as to what caused this ice cap, and what caused it to melt. Secular scientists have also uncovered dinosaur fossils that indicate they died instantaneously with food in their mouths, and not as a result of long term starvation. Advancing disciples do not take their lead from what the ever-changing realm of secular science has to say, but one would be amazed to learn just how much secular science and the Word of God are in agreement! Many scientists who have set out to disprove the existence and or the significance of God has become people of faith in the process.
Scripture teach that the initial creation (Gen. 1: 1), the devastation (Gen. 1:2/Jer. 4: 26) of the Earth’s surface, and the restoration of the Earth in preparation for the creation of the human race were all acts of God. The timing and the manifestation of each one of the events were in accordance with the plan of God.
When the time came for the human race to be created, in order to take part in this ongoing conflict, Scripture records that the surface of the Earth was covered with water with the Spirit of God hovering or moving over the surface (Gen. 1: 2). Beginning with Gen. 1: 2- 31 we have as record of what had taken place during each day of the six day period of restoration.
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Obedience and true worship go hand in hand. True obedience and worship can only take place when the individual exercises his/her free will, choosing to engage in it without threats or coercion. True obedience and worship comes from a heart that chooses to do so because it is his/her desire, as well as it being the right thing to do.
True obedience and worship can only take place when there are choices to be made. In order for a choice to be presented, there has to be two or more options available. Among other reasons, this is why God permits the devil and his forces to engineer and promote alternatives to what the Word of God has to say.
When one becomes aware of what God commands and desires, he/she then chooses between obedience or disobedience. Anything short of obedience, is disobedience. STOP signs along the roadside are NOT a suggestions. They do not say SLOW DOWN or PAUSE. They clearly state say STOP. Anything short of STOPPING violates this law of traffic that the signs represent.
Regarding what God commands and desires concerning the Sabbath, Scripture is just as clear.
"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20: 8)." One remembers it by bringing it to mind each week. This holiness is not referring to divine nature. This holiness means being sanctified, which means to set something apart with a divine objective in mind. The seventh day of the week is to be set apart, distinguishing it from the preceding six days. It is kept holy (separated for God) from ceasing from one's labor that he/she engages in on the other six days of the week. Accordingly, It is not so much what one does, but what one doesn't do that fulfills the purpose of the Sabbath.
The concept of complying with the principle of rest on the Sabbath, as it was originally intended, is actually quite simple to understand.
On the seventh day of the week, one is to rest from the labor that he/she normally engages in during the preceding six days of the week. This labor includes the labor associated with earning a living, and the labor involved with keeping house. In the ancient world, for each Sabbath Day, there was a day of preparation that preceded the Sabbath Day. On the day of preparation, one would do such things as prepare enough food to be consumed so that there would be no need to engage in that type of labor on the Sabbath Day.
On the Biblical Sabbath (Friday sundown through Saturday sundown) one either chooses obedience by ceasing to engage in such labor, or one chooses disobedience and engages in labor. What part of ceasing from labor is it that Man can"t (or doesn't want to) understand?
Just as there are legitimate exceptions to the STOP SIGN traffic laws, there are are legitimate exceptions to the ceasing from labor principle of the weekly Sabbath.
The Lord Jesus Christ used the example of rescuing an animal (Matt. 12: 11), and to the disapproval of the religious Pharisees, He "labored" by healing people more than once on the weekly Sabbath (Luke 13: 10/ Matt. 12:10/ Mark 3: 1-6).
There are Church Age believers who labor in the medical field, law enforcement, fire/rescue service, military, on the weekly Sabbaths. When it is a legitimate exception in view, the "doing good" exception of Matt. 12 must be acknowledged. Accordingly, "...no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day (Col. 2: 16 NASB)." The Book of Colossians is New Testament, Church Age, Scripture.
Some would argue that Church Age believers are not under The Law of the Old Testament. As far as keeping The Law in order to be saved is concerned, this is true. At the same time there are many commands, such as those listen in the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament that apply to the believers of al dispensations. Salvation is NOT a license to sin.
Those who come under the umbrella of legitimate exceptions would never-the-less benefit from establishing another weekly day of rest. There is Old Testament precedent that allowed believers who were unable to celebrate the Passover on the prescribed day to do so on a different day (Numbers 9).
Many centuries passed from the seventh day following the six day restoration to the time that the ancient Hebrews were to be liberated from Egyptian slavery and establish themselves as an independent nation in the “Promised Land.”
It was at that time that what we now refer to as the Ten Commandments, were given to the ancient Hebrews through Moses.
Among these Ten Commandments was one that mandated that the weekly Sabbath day of rest be “remembered” and “kept holy" (Exodus 20: 8-10)."
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep in holy. Six (preceding) days (of each week) you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day (of each week) is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter (under your roof), your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner (traveling guest) who stays with you (Exodus 20: 8-10 NASB).
It is important to note that in accordance with the Jewish perspective, each “day” begins at sunset, and not sunrise, or after midnight as the most of us are accustomed to thinking. The seventh day of the week (the Sabbath) begins at sunset on what we commonly think of as Friday evening and continues on until sunset on what we think of as Saturday evening.
Keeping or breaking these commandments and the rules and regulations of “The Law” of the Old Testament was what would determine if the nation of Israel would receive the national blessings or national discipline from God. There are several levels of national discipline, with the consequences of each one being more severe than the former, with the final one being the removal of a nation from among the international community (Lev. 2 6: 14-39).
On a individual level, violating “The Law” could result in harsh punishment, and is some cases, capital punishment.
Accordingly, what activities were required and what activities were not to take place on the Sabbath was the focus of much attention and scrutiny. Perhaps with the best of intentions in mind, by the time the Lord Jesus Christ walked among us, the Pharisees had enacted and enforced many restrictions that went beyond what the initial Commandment (Exodus 20: 8-10) required.
As the plan of God unfolded during the Old Testament dispensation, there were weeks throughout the course of the calendar year when more than one Sabbath took place during the course of a single week. These Sabbaths had their own requirements and activities, and are in addition to and not in place of the weekly Sabbath of rest. In addition to the w-e-e-k-l-y Sabbath (sun set on Friday to sunset on Saturday) there were other Sabbaths (e.g. Passover) that could take place. The rituals and activity associated with these additional Sabbaths established did not cancel out the requirement to rest on the weekly Sabbath.
At no time was either the one weekly Sabbath or any one of the additional Sabbaths to be understood to be"the" one and/or the only day on which one could, should, or would W-O-R-S-H-I-P God.
While participating in the required activities during each weekly Sabbath and on each one of the additional Sabbaths during the Old Testament dispensation, there were d-a-i-l-y activities taking place every day of the week in both the Temple, the Temple courts, and in the local synagogues where individuals and groups of believers gathered together.
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Discipleship is a a post salvation undertaking. This means that it takes place after one has already been born gain and has already determined where he/she will be spending all of eternity future.
Worshiping God is a part of post salvation discipleship.
Discipleship is a seven day, twenty-four hours lifestyle of bring glory to God. Regularly gathering together (Heb. 10: 25) to engage in corporate worship, either in the traditional face to face manner or via one of the many means of communication available today, is one of the primary ways that one glorifies God. In order to engage in the type of worship that God desires (John 4: 23), one must learn to distinguish between what God desires and requires and what all the Man made and devil promoted alternatives that were established and are promoted by religion "authority."
So when and how did Sunday become "the" day for weekly rest and "the" primary day to worship?
Different sources cite slightly different dates, different personalities, and different motivations, but all seem to agree that early in the 4th century (prior to 350 AD), the Roman emperor made Sunday a day of rest throughout the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Pope declared the first day of the week (Sunday) to be "The Lord's Day." The Roman Empire and the Christian Community were initially mortal enemies. Early in the 4th Century AD, Christianity was acknowledged as a legitimate religion and gained the support of the Roman Empire. The leadership on both sides saw the value of promoting each other, but for different reasons. The Church in Rome saw this as an opportunity to be free from oppression and one that offered self-promotion. The Roman Empire saw this as an opportunity to bring a sense of unity within the diverse peoples that made up the Roman Empire. There is no greater human power on Earth than when church and state become mutual partners. As the old saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
It was after this alliance was formed that many of the pagan religious practices were adopted by the Church of Rome, after having put a "Christian" spin on them.
This set the stage for the disregarding one of The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) that established the concept of rest that was to take place on the seventh day Sabbath. As we have already noted, the Sabbath being addressed in the Ten Commandments began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. Although the weekly Sabbath was the only day designated by God as a day of rest, it was never the one and only day that one could, should, or would worship God.
Such teachings and practices are among the many " traditions of men" that have come along, taken root, and are practiced by many within the Christian Community at large to this very day.
For the first 300 years of the Church Age, the apostles and the earliest generations of the Church Age gathered together (Heb. 10: 25) on a daily basis (Acts 2: 46, 47) in such places as in the Temple courts (Acts 2: 46), in the synagogues (Acts 17: 16), in the market places (Acts 17: 1, 2), in halls (), in private homes and in times of persecution, in secret hiding places. The worship of God could (and did) take place on every day of the week by converted Jews and Gentiles alike, as well as on the weekly Sabbath by those who were of the Jewish background.
The worship of God always involves bringing glory to Him.
God is glorified when souls praise Him and make choices that promote God and/or the things of God. We can conclude that they were worshiping God in such gatherings, because He was being praised, and souls were being saved (Acts 2: 46, 46).
When Paul went out on his missions, he went from city to city and made it his practice to go to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles who gathered together in the synagogues, honoring the weekly Sabbaths. These weekly Sabbaths began on Friday evening and continued on until Saturday evening. Paul also taught daily in the market places and in private homes, and anywhere else he could find an audience. For the first three centuries of the Church Age, there were no "holy" buildings, no altars, and no need for the services of an "officiating" priest in order for believers to celebrate the Lord's Supper as the ritual of remembrance (1Cor. 11: 14, 15) that it was intended to be.
As any advancing disciple of the Church Age can tell you, the work of the Reformers is not complete. There were many who contributed to the Protestant Reformation who did so for their own personal and political reasons. However, but the true Reformers did not desire to start a "new" Church. The true Reformers wanted to rid the existing Church of all the products and practices of Man-made religion that had made its way into the Christian Community. Since this would have turned large portion of the Christian Community on its head, it was not to be. Such reformation would have required the one's in positions of religious authority to concede the errors of their ways.
The various Protestant denominations and non-denominational organizations that evolved continued on with some of the Man-made customs and practices that Roman Catholicism had brought into the Christian Community. Some of the Protestant churches have added a few more of their own making. Be it of the Pagan, Catholic, Protestant, or Non-denominational variety, religion is religion. Religion, as opposed to Christianity, consists of all that Man has engineered to take the place of the true God of the Bible, and/or what the God of Bible has established.
There is nothing new about Man engineering, teaching, and practicing "traditions of men" in the place of what God has ordained for the believers of the various dispensations (Matthew 15: 9). The dispensation of the Church Age is no exception.
Scripture (1John 2: 19) teach that there were many Antichrists here in the devil's world (Luke 4: 6). It would not take much spiritual discernment to see that there are many antichrists in the world today. One of the characteristics of an Antichrist involves anyone or anything that is elevated by Man to take place the place of God or the things of God. There are several religious institutions that claim to be the true representative and spokesman for God who that have elevated themselves (and those they ordain) to take the place and the function of God.
Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 7: 25 says, "He will intend to make alternations in times and in the law."
Would not changing the day of the Sabbath be such an alteration? Decide for yourself.
Unless one is under the umbrella of legitimate exceptions, obedience to the commandment to remember the weekly Sabbath as the day of rest requires that one cease from his/her regular labor from Friday at sundown through Saturday until sundown. Rather or not one chooses to gather together for corporate worship during this time period does not have anything to do with ceasing from labor.
The (Heb. 10: 25) command to gather together for corporate worship can and should take place on any day of the week. Celebrating, on a regular basis, the Lord's Supper (Communion) as God desires it to be celebrated, and learning (1Pet. 3: 18) and applying (James 1: 22 ) His Word 24-7 is the highest form of worship that a Church Age believer can embrace. While gathering together to engage in corporate worship of the Church Age can take place within the time frame of the weekly Sabbath of rest, it can also take place on any other day or night of the week, as well.
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As we will see shortly, it was during this six day period of restoration that God prepared the earth for its next inhabitants, the Human Race. This restoration and preparation was necessary becasue the surface of the Earth \ whose creation is documented in Gen. 1: 1 had become empty and void (Gen. 1: 2).
Man was created at the end of the six day period of restoration for the primary purpose of glorifying God in the midst of an ongoing conflict in the spiritual realm. This conflict began before the creation of Man. It will run concurrently with all of human history. It will end at its appointed time (Rev. 20: 10) when the devil and his allies are tossed into what the Bible calls the lake of fire. They will not be there alone.
At the appointed time (Rev. 20: 13: 15), the devil and his allies will be accompanied by every human soul that departed this world in the capacity of an unbeliever.
Until then, to the extent that God allows, the devil (1Pet. 5: 8) and his Eph. 6: 12 forces of evil will engage in the spiritual combat (Eph. 6) that is associated with this ongoing conflict.
Let’s begin our study by taking a look at what had taken place on planet Earth before the six day period of restoration that led up to the implementation of the Sabbath.
It is difficult for Man, being the self-centered creature that he is, to even consider that there was a time in eternity past when neither the physical universe, planet Earth, nor the human race even existed, let alone be the center or focus of universal attention..
When Gen. 1: 1 NASB says, “In the beginning…,” it is NOT referring to the start of eternity, as eternity, like God, never had a beginning and will never have an end.
The beginning spoken of in Gen. 1: 1 is speaking of the start of series of events that would later have a connection with the human race that had not yet been created.
The Earth, in its created form (Gen. 1:1), was spoken into existence (Psalms 33: 9/Hebrews 11: 3). God does not create anything that could be described as formless and void (Gen. 1: 2 NASB). In its created form, the earth was complete and perfect. What God, the devil, or Man does with what God initially creates is another story.
Man had not yet been created, and therefore did not live on Earth when it's surface was devastated in the catastrophic event recorded in (Gen. 1: 2/Jer. 4: 26). It was this event that caused the surface of the Earth to become "formless and void". This catastrophic event was the result of God destroying the cities of the angels that were a part of the kingdom that the devil attempted to establish during Phase One of the Angelic Conflict.
We are NOT told how long a period of time that the earth and/or these cities of angels existed before being destroyed by God. This could have been a relatively short period of time or could have taken billions of years. Their destruction, however, was instantaneous and complete.
If advancing disciples are going to understand what took place during this period of time (between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1: 2), he/she must familiarize him/hjerelf with what theologians refer to asPhase One of the Angelic Conflict. It is by having such knowledge that one learns such things as the primary purpose for which the human race, as a whole, and each individual soul were created and placed on planet Earth at the time it was.
Scripture (Ezekiel 28: 14) teach that the individual that we now refer to as the devil or Satan was created as a cherub who served in the throne room of God. In his created form, he had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty (Ezek. 28: 12). He held this guarding/protecting function of a cherub in the throne room of heaven until the day that unrighteousness was found in him (Ezek. 12: 17). There is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that the devil lost any of his overt appearance.
It was on the day that unrighteousness was found in him (Ezek. 12: 17) that he announced his desire to establish a kingdom independent of God in which he would be the focus of worship (Isa. 13: 14).
At that time at least 1/3 of the angels of Heaven (Rev. 12: 4) followed him in what would prove to be a failed rebellion in an attempt to establish the devil’s kingdom. Some scholars interpret Scripture to teach that all of the angels initially rebelled, but some of them later repented and returned to God. Either way, from that point in eternity past forward, the angelic realm was divided between the elect and the fallen angels. The elect remained faithful (or repented and returned) to God, whereas the fallen angels chose to side with the devil in his attempt to establish his own kingdom, independent of God.
God does not want robotic/automatic worship in which the worshipers are programed to worship and serve God with no choice in the matter. The angels, and later on Man, were given free will in which they could choose in favor of God or the devil.
One of the results of Phase One of the Angelic Conflict was the destruction of the angelic cities (Jer. 4: 26) that had been constructed on the Earth. This destruction was what caused the surface of the Earth that had been created in Gen.1: 1 to become formless and void (Gen. 1: 2).
Another result of this failed rebellion, was that the devil lost his status and position as a guarding cherub in the throne room of Heaven. He did not , lose his access to Heaven (Job 1: 6/Rev. 12: 10).
The devil will spend all of eternity future in what the Bible calls the lake of fire once the event recorded in Rev. 20: 10) takes place. He has NOT been confined there, as of yet. The devil is not (presently) in Hell waiting for all the "bad" people to join him.
The devil does not have the divine attribute of omnipresence, that being the ability to be in more than one location at the same time. Accordingly, his plan is dependent on the participation of his Eph. 6: 12 spiritual forces of evil and the human souls that he has deceived to do much of his bidding. No one with an ounce of spiritual discernment is likely to listen to the devil when he/she is aware that it is the devil speaking or what the end result will be.
This is why he usually makes use of third parties to accomplish his goals. Only on specific occasions, when the stakes ran high enough, did the devil choose to directly involve himself (Matt. 4/John 13: 27).
Within the parameters of the Angelic Conflict that God has established, Satan has had different primary targets throughout the various dispensations (periods of time) of human history. Adam and Eve, Old Testament believers, Old Testament prophets, the Jews, the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and born again believers of the Church Age have all been targets that the devil has attacked in the course of the ongoing Angelic Conflict. With the exception of the Humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil has had varying degrees of success with all of his targets in the realm of spiritual warfare (Eph. 6: 12). The one we face in the mirror each day is no exception.
Being able to deceive the opposition concerning one's location and capability provides one with a tremendous strategic advantage in the realm of combat. To the extent that God permits, the devil and his (Eph. 6: 12) forces of evil are “alive and well” and are here in this world on a “seek and destroy” mission (1Pet. 5: 8).
Human souls making the right or wrong choices is what the spiritual combat (Eph. 6) is all about. When human souls make the right choices, God is glorified. When human souls make the wrong choices, God is denied the glory that He would have otherwise received.
The spiritual combat (Eph. 6: 12) of this ongoing conflict is not going to come to an end during the dispensation of the Church Age. The Church was NOT primarily established to make the devil's world a better place to live in preparation for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The mission and purpose of the Church is to preserve and proclaim the Gospel Message and to make disciples out of those who are born again (Matt. 28: 19, 20).
Furthermore, the period of human history that immediately precedes the return of Christ is going to be the worst period of time in all of human history. It is going to be so bad that if it had not been cut short by divine intervention, no human life of the planet would survive (Matt. 24: 22/Mark 13: 20). T
To the extent that God permits, demonic activity and spiritual combat will only intensify as the end of the Church Age (not the end of the world) draws near (1Timothy 4: 1).
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Commentators have attributed such verses as Isa. 14: 13 to various human personalities throughout the course of human history. While there are many who have made similar statements, none of these human personalities were created as cherubs. None of these human personalities were anointed to serve in the throne room of Heaven (Ezek. 28: 14), and none of these nor were ever in the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28: 13/Gen. 3). Scripture teach that such things were all true of the devil.
Secular scientist concur that there was a time that they refer to as the Ice Age . During this "Ice Age", the Earth, without the benefits of light and heat, was covered with ice. Secular scientists offer several scientific explanations or assumptions as to what caused this ice cap, and what caused it to melt. Secular scientists have also uncovered dinosaur fossils that indicate they died instantaneously with food in their mouths, and not as a result of long term starvation. Advancing disciples do not take their lead from what the ever-changing realm of secular science has to say, but one would be amazed to learn just how much secular science and the Word of God are in agreement! Many scientists who have set out to disprove the existence and or the significance of God has become people of faith in the process.
Scripture teach that the initial creation (Gen. 1: 1), the devastation (Gen. 1:2/Jer. 4: 26) of the Earth’s surface, and the restoration of the Earth in preparation for the creation of the human race were all acts of God. The timing and the manifestation of each one of the events were in accordance with the plan of God.
When the time came for the human race to be created, in order to take part in this ongoing conflict, Scripture records that the surface of the Earth was covered with water with the Spirit of God hovering or moving over the surface (Gen. 1: 2). Beginning with Gen. 1: 2- 31 we have as record of what had taken place during each day of the six day period of restoration.
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Obedience and true worship go hand in hand. True obedience and worship can only take place when the individual exercises his/her free will, choosing to engage in it without threats or coercion. True obedience and worship comes from a heart that chooses to do so because it is his/her desire, as well as it being the right thing to do.
True obedience and worship can only take place when there are choices to be made. In order for a choice to be presented, there has to be two or more options available. Among other reasons, this is why God permits the devil and his forces to engineer and promote alternatives to what the Word of God has to say.
When one becomes aware of what God commands and desires, he/she then chooses between obedience or disobedience. Anything short of obedience, is disobedience. STOP signs along the roadside are NOT a suggestions. They do not say SLOW DOWN or PAUSE. They clearly state say STOP. Anything short of STOPPING violates this law of traffic that the signs represent.
Regarding what God commands and desires concerning the Sabbath, Scripture is just as clear.
"Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20: 8)." One remembers it by bringing it to mind each week. This holiness is not referring to divine nature. This holiness means being sanctified, which means to set something apart with a divine objective in mind. The seventh day of the week is to be set apart, distinguishing it from the preceding six days. It is kept holy (separated for God) from ceasing from one's labor that he/she engages in on the other six days of the week. Accordingly, It is not so much what one does, but what one doesn't do that fulfills the purpose of the Sabbath.
The concept of complying with the principle of rest on the Sabbath, as it was originally intended, is actually quite simple to understand.
On the seventh day of the week, one is to rest from the labor that he/she normally engages in during the preceding six days of the week. This labor includes the labor associated with earning a living, and the labor involved with keeping house. In the ancient world, for each Sabbath Day, there was a day of preparation that preceded the Sabbath Day. On the day of preparation, one would do such things as prepare enough food to be consumed so that there would be no need to engage in that type of labor on the Sabbath Day.
On the Biblical Sabbath (Friday sundown through Saturday sundown) one either chooses obedience by ceasing to engage in such labor, or one chooses disobedience and engages in labor. What part of ceasing from labor is it that Man can"t (or doesn't want to) understand?
Just as there are legitimate exceptions to the STOP SIGN traffic laws, there are are legitimate exceptions to the ceasing from labor principle of the weekly Sabbath.
The Lord Jesus Christ used the example of rescuing an animal (Matt. 12: 11), and to the disapproval of the religious Pharisees, He "labored" by healing people more than once on the weekly Sabbath (Luke 13: 10/ Matt. 12:10/ Mark 3: 1-6).
There are Church Age believers who labor in the medical field, law enforcement, fire/rescue service, military, on the weekly Sabbaths. When it is a legitimate exception in view, the "doing good" exception of Matt. 12 must be acknowledged. Accordingly, "...no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day (Col. 2: 16 NASB)." The Book of Colossians is New Testament, Church Age, Scripture.
Some would argue that Church Age believers are not under The Law of the Old Testament. As far as keeping The Law in order to be saved is concerned, this is true. At the same time there are many commands, such as those listen in the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament that apply to the believers of al dispensations. Salvation is NOT a license to sin.
Those who come under the umbrella of legitimate exceptions would never-the-less benefit from establishing another weekly day of rest. There is Old Testament precedent that allowed believers who were unable to celebrate the Passover on the prescribed day to do so on a different day (Numbers 9).
Many centuries passed from the seventh day following the six day restoration to the time that the ancient Hebrews were to be liberated from Egyptian slavery and establish themselves as an independent nation in the “Promised Land.”
It was at that time that what we now refer to as the Ten Commandments, were given to the ancient Hebrews through Moses.
Among these Ten Commandments was one that mandated that the weekly Sabbath day of rest be “remembered” and “kept holy" (Exodus 20: 8-10)."
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep in holy. Six (preceding) days (of each week) you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day (of each week) is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter (under your roof), your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner (traveling guest) who stays with you (Exodus 20: 8-10 NASB).
It is important to note that in accordance with the Jewish perspective, each “day” begins at sunset, and not sunrise, or after midnight as the most of us are accustomed to thinking. The seventh day of the week (the Sabbath) begins at sunset on what we commonly think of as Friday evening and continues on until sunset on what we think of as Saturday evening.
Keeping or breaking these commandments and the rules and regulations of “The Law” of the Old Testament was what would determine if the nation of Israel would receive the national blessings or national discipline from God. There are several levels of national discipline, with the consequences of each one being more severe than the former, with the final one being the removal of a nation from among the international community (Lev. 2 6: 14-39).
On a individual level, violating “The Law” could result in harsh punishment, and is some cases, capital punishment.
Accordingly, what activities were required and what activities were not to take place on the Sabbath was the focus of much attention and scrutiny. Perhaps with the best of intentions in mind, by the time the Lord Jesus Christ walked among us, the Pharisees had enacted and enforced many restrictions that went beyond what the initial Commandment (Exodus 20: 8-10) required.
As the plan of God unfolded during the Old Testament dispensation, there were weeks throughout the course of the calendar year when more than one Sabbath took place during the course of a single week. These Sabbaths had their own requirements and activities, and are in addition to and not in place of the weekly Sabbath of rest. In addition to the w-e-e-k-l-y Sabbath (sun set on Friday to sunset on Saturday) there were other Sabbaths (e.g. Passover) that could take place. The rituals and activity associated with these additional Sabbaths established did not cancel out the requirement to rest on the weekly Sabbath.
At no time was either the one weekly Sabbath or any one of the additional Sabbaths to be understood to be"the" one and/or the only day on which one could, should, or would W-O-R-S-H-I-P God.
While participating in the required activities during each weekly Sabbath and on each one of the additional Sabbaths during the Old Testament dispensation, there were d-a-i-l-y activities taking place every day of the week in both the Temple, the Temple courts, and in the local synagogues where individuals and groups of believers gathered together.
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Discipleship is a a post salvation undertaking. This means that it takes place after one has already been born gain and has already determined where he/she will be spending all of eternity future.
Worshiping God is a part of post salvation discipleship.
Discipleship is a seven day, twenty-four hours lifestyle of bring glory to God. Regularly gathering together (Heb. 10: 25) to engage in corporate worship, either in the traditional face to face manner or via one of the many means of communication available today, is one of the primary ways that one glorifies God. In order to engage in the type of worship that God desires (John 4: 23), one must learn to distinguish between what God desires and requires and what all the Man made and devil promoted alternatives that were established and are promoted by religion "authority."
So when and how did Sunday become "the" day for weekly rest and "the" primary day to worship?
Different sources cite slightly different dates, different personalities, and different motivations, but all seem to agree that early in the 4th century (prior to 350 AD), the Roman emperor made Sunday a day of rest throughout the Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Pope declared the first day of the week (Sunday) to be "The Lord's Day." The Roman Empire and the Christian Community were initially mortal enemies. Early in the 4th Century AD, Christianity was acknowledged as a legitimate religion and gained the support of the Roman Empire. The leadership on both sides saw the value of promoting each other, but for different reasons. The Church in Rome saw this as an opportunity to be free from oppression and one that offered self-promotion. The Roman Empire saw this as an opportunity to bring a sense of unity within the diverse peoples that made up the Roman Empire. There is no greater human power on Earth than when church and state become mutual partners. As the old saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
It was after this alliance was formed that many of the pagan religious practices were adopted by the Church of Rome, after having put a "Christian" spin on them.
This set the stage for the disregarding one of The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) that established the concept of rest that was to take place on the seventh day Sabbath. As we have already noted, the Sabbath being addressed in the Ten Commandments began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. Although the weekly Sabbath was the only day designated by God as a day of rest, it was never the one and only day that one could, should, or would worship God.
Such teachings and practices are among the many " traditions of men" that have come along, taken root, and are practiced by many within the Christian Community at large to this very day.
For the first 300 years of the Church Age, the apostles and the earliest generations of the Church Age gathered together (Heb. 10: 25) on a daily basis (Acts 2: 46, 47) in such places as in the Temple courts (Acts 2: 46), in the synagogues (Acts 17: 16), in the market places (Acts 17: 1, 2), in halls (), in private homes and in times of persecution, in secret hiding places. The worship of God could (and did) take place on every day of the week by converted Jews and Gentiles alike, as well as on the weekly Sabbath by those who were of the Jewish background.
The worship of God always involves bringing glory to Him.
God is glorified when souls praise Him and make choices that promote God and/or the things of God. We can conclude that they were worshiping God in such gatherings, because He was being praised, and souls were being saved (Acts 2: 46, 46).
When Paul went out on his missions, he went from city to city and made it his practice to go to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles who gathered together in the synagogues, honoring the weekly Sabbaths. These weekly Sabbaths began on Friday evening and continued on until Saturday evening. Paul also taught daily in the market places and in private homes, and anywhere else he could find an audience. For the first three centuries of the Church Age, there were no "holy" buildings, no altars, and no need for the services of an "officiating" priest in order for believers to celebrate the Lord's Supper as the ritual of remembrance (1Cor. 11: 14, 15) that it was intended to be.
As any advancing disciple of the Church Age can tell you, the work of the Reformers is not complete. There were many who contributed to the Protestant Reformation who did so for their own personal and political reasons. However, but the true Reformers did not desire to start a "new" Church. The true Reformers wanted to rid the existing Church of all the products and practices of Man-made religion that had made its way into the Christian Community. Since this would have turned large portion of the Christian Community on its head, it was not to be. Such reformation would have required the one's in positions of religious authority to concede the errors of their ways.
The various Protestant denominations and non-denominational organizations that evolved continued on with some of the Man-made customs and practices that Roman Catholicism had brought into the Christian Community. Some of the Protestant churches have added a few more of their own making. Be it of the Pagan, Catholic, Protestant, or Non-denominational variety, religion is religion. Religion, as opposed to Christianity, consists of all that Man has engineered to take the place of the true God of the Bible, and/or what the God of Bible has established.
There is nothing new about Man engineering, teaching, and practicing "traditions of men" in the place of what God has ordained for the believers of the various dispensations (Matthew 15: 9). The dispensation of the Church Age is no exception.
Scripture (1John 2: 19) teach that there were many Antichrists here in the devil's world (Luke 4: 6). It would not take much spiritual discernment to see that there are many antichrists in the world today. One of the characteristics of an Antichrist involves anyone or anything that is elevated by Man to take place the place of God or the things of God. There are several religious institutions that claim to be the true representative and spokesman for God who that have elevated themselves (and those they ordain) to take the place and the function of God.
Speaking of the Antichrist, Daniel 7: 25 says, "He will intend to make alternations in times and in the law."
Would not changing the day of the Sabbath be such an alteration? Decide for yourself.
Unless one is under the umbrella of legitimate exceptions, obedience to the commandment to remember the weekly Sabbath as the day of rest requires that one cease from his/her regular labor from Friday at sundown through Saturday until sundown. Rather or not one chooses to gather together for corporate worship during this time period does not have anything to do with ceasing from labor.
The (Heb. 10: 25) command to gather together for corporate worship can and should take place on any day of the week. Celebrating, on a regular basis, the Lord's Supper (Communion) as God desires it to be celebrated, and learning (1Pet. 3: 18) and applying (James 1: 22 ) His Word 24-7 is the highest form of worship that a Church Age believer can embrace. While gathering together to engage in corporate worship of the Church Age can take place within the time frame of the weekly Sabbath of rest, it can also take place on any other day or night of the week, as well.
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