[Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: You, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it] (Ex. 20:8-11).
(1)The Foundation Day of the Universe
The Sabbath day is the foundation day of the universe in which He rested after He had made all things in heaven and on earth. Thus, it is the birthday of all His creation.
[Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because in it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made] (Gen. 2:1~3).
Every nation in the world has its own foundation day, independence day, or birthday. This vital day of importance cannot be removed or changed as long as the nation stands undestroyed. In the same way, the seventh day of the week is the Foundation Day of the universe that the Creator God has established in the beginning, which cannot be replaced nor abolished as long as the universe continues its existence.
That is why Jesus said, [Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled] (Matt. 5:17, 18). [For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it] (Ex. 20:11).
(2) The Sacred Identification (Sign) of Heavenly People
Every nation has its own unique identification card for every citizen. It is the unique sign that distinguishes her people from other people wherever they are in the world. Likewise, God in heaven has imparted to His people, His children, a unique identification sign that the people of the world do not have; it is the holy Sabbath, a sign between God and His people.
[The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbath you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you ... Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed] (Ex. 31: 12, 13, 16, 17).
[Hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God] (Ezek. 20:20).
[Moreover I also gave them My Sabbath, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them] (Ezek 20:12).
(3) The Day that God, Jesus and Angels Keep
* God Keeps It
Our heavenly Father has not only hallowed the seventh day to be the holy Sabbath but keeps it holy Himself.
[And on the seventh day God ended His work ... and He rested on the seventh day ... in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made] (Gen. 2:2, 3).
[For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed] (Ex. 31:17).
He calls it [My Sabbaths] (Lev. 19:30), [My Sabbaths] that I keep (Ex. 31:13). He makes it clear that this holy Sabbath is outside our authority and solely within His power, saying, "It is [My holy day] (Isa. 58:13), the [holy Sabbath to the Lord] (Ex 16:23) that I have established."
Today also in heaven, He keeps it with His angelic host. He is truly (the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last,] [with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning] (Rev. 22:13, James 1:17).
[For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His] (Heb. 4:10).
[Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest] (Heb. 4:11).
* Jesus Keeps It
Our Lord Jesus, the Son of God kept it and still keeps it today with His Father in heaven. He says, [This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome] (1 John 5:3), [If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love] (John 15:10). [Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill] (Matt. 5:17).
In His life on earth, He kept the Sabbath day holy [as His custom was (in) the synagogue] (Luke 4:16). The Scripture says that He kept the Sabbath day always "as His custom was," and after He had been crucified He rested on the Sabbath day in His tomb and rose up [very early in the morning on the first day of the week] (Mark 16:2).
He still keeps it in heaven with His Father and angels, for [Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever] (Heb. 13:8). [Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest] (Heb. 4:11).
(4) The Disciples Kept It
As we look into the lives of the disciples after the crucifixion of their Master, we can see how thoroughly He had instructed them to keep the holy Sabbath as well as setting an example for them.
[That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment] (Luke 24:54-56).
[Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared ... But they did not find the body] (Luke 24:1, 3).
[Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, 'Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"] (Mark 16:1-3).
Even in hours of such deep sorrow, they kept the Sabbath as thoroughly as Jesus had taught them.
[Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ] (1 Cor. 11:1), said the Apostle Paul who also kept the Sabbath [as his custom was] (Acts 17:2), as Jesus kept it [as his custom was] (acts 17:2), as Jesus kept it [as His custom was] (Luke 4:16).
(5) The Disciples in the Last Days Keep It
Jesus [the Lord of the Sabbath] (Matt. 12:8) who had established the Sabbath in the beginning with His Father commands us, His last disciples, to keep His holy Sabbath to the end of the world: [Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath] (Matt. 24:20).
[For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be] (Matt. 24:21). [Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life] (Rev. 2:10).
[Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus] (Rev. 14:12).
(6) The Only Identification Card for Re-Entry to Heaven
[Thus says the Lord: 'Take heed for the sake of your lives... hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers'] (Jer. 17:21, 22).
[If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth (heaven), and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken] (Isa. 58:13, 14).
[Thus says the Lord: 'Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil ... then I will bring them to My holy mountain (heaven), and make them joyful in My house of prayer'] (Isa. 56:1, 2, 7).
Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, :The Lord has utterly separated me from His people,' nor let the eunuch say, 'Here I am, a dry tree.' For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbath, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house (heaven) and with in My walls (new Jerusalem) a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off] (Isa. 56:3-5).
In ['the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make ... from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the Lord] (Isa. 66:22, 23).
Dear brothers and sisters! What makes us hesitate? Let us join the holy day that God and Jesus, all angels and all heavenly beings observe in heaven. It is a festival day of heaven that God has kept from the beginning and Jesus kept on earth and that we will keep forever with everlasting joy and happiness in the new paradise. Today, He says that those who keep it holy and honorable on earth will enter heaven's eternal rest. I hope that you all enter and experience that eternal rest of heaven beforehand here on earth.
[Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it] (Heb. 4:1).
[For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience] (Heb. 4:10, 11).
[Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts] (Heb. 4:7).
Praise the Lord! Glory to our real Father who has given us His everlasting holy Sabbath so that we might enter His rest first here on earth! Praise the Lord!
< Question >
Hey brother Park!
You seem to assume an air of intelligence on various subjects of the Bible, so then what do you say about these verses:
[Therefore, let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths] (Col. 2:16).
[The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it] (Luke 16:16).
He [abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances] (Eph. 2:15).
[Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes] (Rom. 10:4).
[For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God] (Heb. 7:18, 19).
[One person esteems one day above another, another esteems everyday alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind] (Rom. 14:5).
The above verses confirm that the law and the Sabbath were abolished completely in the time of Jesus and John the Baptist, so we need not argue about it any longer but just pick any day that we are convinced of and make it honorable. Why do you then brother Park, still argue about the Sabbath question as the Pharisees and hypocrites do?
< Answer >
I am grateful to my heavenly Father and all respected faithful elders for providing someone so petty as me such a precious opportunity to make a brief answer to such an important question.
First of all, I pray that God will look into our hearts at this time and lead us to the true and only way of life; for He said His [word is truth] (John 17:17), and those who add to or subtract from it, distort or teach it falsely to others will be cursed (Rev. 22:18, Peter 3:16).
There appears not one but six kinds of Sabbath days in the Old and New Testaments. These Sabbath days have been abolished in His (Jesus') flesh (Eph. 2:15) and become useless since the crucifixion of Jesus the Son of God, except for one, which is the "Sabbath of the Lord," the Foundation Day of the universe that can neither be abolished nor removed as long as God and the universe exist.
Since then we have a [better hope] (Heb. 7:19), for the various inconvenient Sabbath days that had been observed until then become useless, and through the grace and merits of the blood of Jesus on the cross, we are able to draw near to God. Therefore the "law of ordinances" (ceremonial law) and the words of the prophets of whom are written in the book, had availed until the time of John the Baptist who came just before Jesus' First Advent, and from then on, a new law (covenant) that teaches salvation through faith in Christ has begun to be engraved on the tables of the human heart (Jer. 31:33, Heb. 10:16).
Now let me tell you more about the laws that are abolished and those that are not abolished, about the abolished Sabbaths and the changeless and eternal Sabbath.
The abolished laws are written in Moses' five books: the numerous ordinances pertaining to offering burnt sacrifices are the [ceremonial law,] [the custom of Moses] (Eph. 2:15, Acts 15:1), that has been abolished. This ritual law with its sacrifices and ordinances was to be performed until the death of Christ. [The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!] (John 1:29). In order to reveal the symbolic meaning of the sacrificial rites and ceremonies of Christ's mission in God's plan for redemption, Jesus Christ, the sacrificial offering as the Lamb of God, came and shed His blood. From then on, all the complicated ceremonial laws were abolished along with their various Sabbaths. The various Sabbaths that have been abolished are as follows:
Passover Sabbath (Lev. 23:5, 7, 8) ... the 15th and 21st day of the first month (Jewish calendar)
• Pentecost Sabbath (Lev. 23:15, 16, 21) ... One day after the seventh Sabbath (50th day) from Jan. 16 (a day after the Passover Sabbath)
Feast of trumpets (Lev. 23:24, 25) ... the first day of the seventh month (Jewish calendar)
Atonement Day Sabbath (Lev. 23:27-32) ... the tenth day of the seventh month (Jewish calendar)
Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:34-36) ... the 15th and 22nd day of the seventh month (Jewish calendar)
These are the Sabbaths of which it is written, [Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival, or a new moon or sabbaths] (Col. 2:16) which were observed until the days of John the Baptist (Luke 16:16) and abolished by the sacrifice of Christ. On these Sabbath days long ago, God's people killed lambs and offered sacrifices to Him. These seven Sabbath days had been valid from the fall of man until the crucifixion of Christ, and had been temporarily given through a human agent (Moses), to be strictly observed by the Jews seven times every year.
But the "Sabbath of the Lord" contained in His Ten Commandments is not that which He has given for a time but as an everlasting monument, that which He Himself established in the beginning and keeps always, written not by human hand but by God Himself, engraved upon [the tables of the Testimony, tables of stone] (Ex. 31:18). It is "the Holy Sabbath of the Lord," the Foundation Day of the Universe, a commemoration day of His vast creation that has nothing to do with the blood of the lamb, the fall of man, nor the crucifixion. It is given to all inhabitants of the universe, that all fallen men will always keep with joy and gladness in heaven with God, Jesus, the host of angles, and all heavenly beings; and day that everyone in the universe will gladly and joyfully observe.
I, Myung Ho, bow down to pray with my whole heart that all of my respecting seniors should have a clear understanding of this plain truth and join the great joy and glory of the heavenly kingdom.
I am thankful to you all for listening to the brief account of this unworthy person.
[Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it] (Ex. 20:8-11).
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