Compiled by Brother L. Harrell
While speaking of a future time in the New Covenant administration, our Lord spoke of great tribulation. He instructed the people to pray that their flight / escape would not be in the winter or on a Sabbath.
“But pray that your
flight will
not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not
occurred
since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” (Matthew 24:20-21 [NASB])
If the people of God were to no longer honor the Lord’s sanctification of the seventh day, then why would they be instructed to pray that their flight would not be on that day? Of course, it is difficult to flee from great trouble during winter weather and during a time of consecration to the Lord.
Some have ignorantly said that only the Jews have to reverence the Lord’s Holy Day. But, Jesus, the eleven apostles and apostle Paul were Jews. Them being Sabbath observers and the church being built on their foundation, who then introduced “another gospel” of non-Sabbath observance? (There can be no other gospel! Who initiated Sunday / 1st day weekly worship service?).
“As we have said
before, so I
say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what
you
received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9
[NASB])
“Therefore, holy
brethren,
partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High
Priest of
our confession;” (Hebrews 3:1 [NASB])
“So then you are no
longer
strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and
are of
God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles
and
prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,”
(Ephesians 2:19-20 [NASB])
There is not a gospel for the Jews and another for the rest of the world. (See Colossians 3:11). The Sabbath is for man, not just the Jews.
“So, for my part, I
am eager to
preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:15-16 [NASB])
Jesus said to them,
"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So
the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark
2:27-28 [NASB]
Since the Sabbath was made for man, one must
inquire when it
was made for man. If it was established
under the Levitical administration,
then it can
be done away with when the Levitical administration is omitted.
But, if it was set apart as sacred on the
seventh day of creation (see
Genesis 2:3), and
God has not repented / changed His mind regarding it, it remains Holy
and must be
esteemed as such. To desecrate what God
has declared as holy, appropriated / dedicated for His use, is to
disrespect God.
Thus says the LORD,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My
footstool. Where then is a house you could
build for Me? And
where is a
place that I may rest? For My hand made
all these things, Thus all these things
came into
being,” declares the LORD. “But to this
one I will look, To
him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
(Isaiah
66:1-2 [NASB])
The Lord created heaven and earth.
This includes man, who God gives breath and
spirit to. God is before all things and
by Him all things were created (See Colossians
Being Ancient of days, and full of wisdom, the Lord has set aside time to commemorate (serving as a memorial) His great creation. He knows how to keep things together.
"Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a
sign between
Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies
them."
(Ezekiel
The earth is the
LORD'S, and all
it contains, The world, and those who dwell
in it.
(Psalm 24:1 [NASB])
Revised: 1/16/04
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