The True Sabbath

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    Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest

    any man fall after the same example of unbelief".

    Heb. 4: 1, 3, 11.

    May we by Faith, every day, enter more fully into

    "this" Sabbath of the Lord, till Faith becomes sight and

    we come to complete Rest in God's Eternal Sabbath with

    our Lord Jesus Christ.

    May God bless you with His Sabbath Rest!

    For FREE Copy of the Booklet "God's True Sabbath" Contact us:

    Bible Believers Association, Inc

    3 Mockingbird Drive

    Paradise, Newfoundland

    Canad A1L 3K8

    E-MAIL: [email protected] the Ministry and Message ofMalachi 4:5-6.

    The promised prophet of Malachi 4, with the Pillar of Fire vindication

    (Exodus 13:21), has sounded forth his Message in this Age. The Son of Man

    has been Revealed (Luke 17:30). The Seventh Angel has finished the Mystery

    of God (Revelation 10:7).

    http://www.williambranhamhomepage.org/truesabb.htm

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    In this age God has gathered the People of Israel backinto one place again. Now He will fulfill His promise and

    restore the nation of Israel to a position of power andglory in a Thousand Year Sabbath, reign of peace. In this

    Millennium, Israel will be the nation. Our Lord Jesus

    Christ will reign as "Son of David", in the throne

    (position) of David. Of course His Gentile Bride will be

    with Him. According to the promise of Rev. 3:21, the

    Gentile Bride of Christ will sit with Him in His Throne(position of authority). In the Millennium, the Bride

    lives and moves in the Eternal Sabbath Rest of her

    Bridegroom! When the Millennium has passed she

    remains in His Sabbath Rest.

    Conclusion.......

    For all of His New Creatures who have "entered into"and "remain in" His True Sabbath, God has promised a

    "New" Heaven and a "New" Earth.

    "Then, said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He

    taketh away the first

    , that he may establish the

    second."Heb.10:9.

    "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us]

    of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to

    come short of it. For we which have believed do enter

    into rest...

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    that Day and seeing the Judgments of God, John declared,

    "Even so, Come, Lord Jesus"(Rev. 22:20).

    The Sabbath And The Millennium

    Of course the Millennium refers to the reign of athousand years of peace. After thousands of years of sin,

    war and turmoil there is to come a Sabbath of peace.

    Those who observe the Saturday Sabbath feel strongly

    that the Millennium is solid proof that the Christianshould still be observing Saturday as the Sabbath. But as

    it was in Jesus' day so is it today, the people are in error,

    not knowing the Scriptures or the Power of God.

    We must again remember that in the "plan ofRedemption" God deals separately with the Jew

    (Israelites - Abraham's natural seed) and Gentile. Indealing with the Jew, God has allotted a "space of time"

    (Daniel 9); But in dealing with the Gentiles He just

    speaks of"the times of the Gentiles".

    Therefore in considering the Sabbath versus theMillennium, we must remember that the Saturday

    Sabbath was given to the People of Israel as a "sign" or"token" of the covenant between "them" and Jehovah. It

    was given to a people who were "all" in one place at one

    time, so they could all keep a certain day. But in due

    time, the Lord scattered Israel over all the face of the

    earth. BUT not without a hope! The Lord promised

    Israel a "restoration" with power and glory.

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    "special" above another. For the Christian who is

    walking in the Spirit, and living in the Spirit, every

    day is "Holy Unto the Lord".

    Before bringing this study to a conclusion I would like tobriefly mention two other thoughts which may be lingering

    in the minds of the people.....

    The SABBATH And The LORD'S DAY

    Revelation 1:10 states that, "John was in the spiriton the Lord's day". First of all some call the Lord's Day,

    the Sabbath Day, which to them is Saturday. Then there

    are others who call the Lord's Day, Sunday, the first day

    of the week. But how could it be either of these days, or

    even the two put together, for John was "in the Spirit"

    receiving those visions for a period of two years?

    It was "by inspiration" that John came to be "in theLord's Day, "He was "caught up" in the Spirit and

    transported into the Lord's Day, which is yet to come.

    Being caught into that Day of the Lord, John looked

    'back' over the things that 'were' and the things that'would be' in the earth (Rev. 1:19). Paul, in 1st. Thess.

    5:2 and 2nd Thess. 2:2 also speaks of the "Day of the

    Lord".

    Therefore, the Lord's Day, Rev. 1:10, or "the Day of theLord" isn't Sunday or Saturday, but rather it is the Day of

    God's manifested Judgment on the world. Being caught into

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    Saturday Sabbath is a part of the "Progressive

    Revelation" of God's "True" Sabbath. BUT What "part"

    does it play? Is it the Seed, the Stem, the Leaves, orthe blossom? The Bible holds the Answer.

    Some in the Saturday-Sabbath group teach that'observance of the fourth commandment' regarding the

    Seventh-Day Sabbath, is the "SEAL of God". Others refer

    to the fourth commandment as the "Test

    commandment". BUT, does the Bible teach that the

    keeping of a Saturday Sabbath is the "Test" and "Seal" of

    our loyalty to God? Again I repeat that the Bible holds

    the answer.

    In this second group, most believe that observing

    Sunday Sabbath is, or leads to the "Mark of the Beast".Again, Does the Bible teach this? As we go along we

    will endeavor to shed 'more light' on these thoughts to

    enable us to see more clearly the "Truth or Error" of

    these statements.

    Is Saturday really the Christian Sabbath? It isindeed the Sabbath given to the Jewish Nation, but didGod ever intend for the Gentile Believer to observe

    a Saturday Sabbath? Or was it just 'a shadow' pointing

    to the real thing to come? Without a doubt the

    Scriptures will enlighten us.

    The Sabbath "IN CHRIST"

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    submits himself to the righteousness and "Sabbath rest" of

    God. (Note: Romans 10:3 - 13).

    God Himself swore that the "unbelieving anddisobedient" would not be able to enter into "His Rest"

    (Hebrews 3:11; 4:3-12). Many will try to enter "His

    Sabbath Rest" by keeping a day, as do the Jews and

    some Gentiles today, but they still fall short of The

    Sabbath of the Lord (Matthew 7:13-14). There yet

    remains for them the keeping of God's True Sabbath(Heb. 4:6,9).

    The Bible says in Isaiah 28:8-12...

    "For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so

    that there is no place clean. Whom shall He teach

    knowledge? and whom shall He make to understanddoctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and

    drawn from the breasts.

    For precept must be upon precept; line upon line;

    here a little, there a little; For with stammering lips

    and another tongue will He speak to this people.

    To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith yemay cause the weary to rest; and this is the

    refreshing : yet they would not hear."

    Have you experienced the "rest" and "refreshing"found in God's True Sabbath? If you will allow Him, the

    Lord Jesus will, through Acts 2:37-39 guide you into

    His Sabbath Rest. Act on the instructions given to those

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    Let's think again - IF the fourth commandment was so

    all inclusive why is it that neither Jesus, nor Paul, the

    Apostle to the Gentiles mentions it. In fact, aftermentioning the five "personal character"

    commandments, Paul said: "if there be any other

    commandment.....".

    I say again, no where in the New Testament do we findpictures of the fourth commandment leaping from it's

    pages, declaring itself to be the "test" or "seal" of theChristians loyalty to our wonderful Almighty God. Such a

    teaching is a false representation of God's Word. Any man,

    woman or church group which leads individuals to think

    that they have to keep a "seventh-day Sabbath" is mis-

    representing our Lord Jesus and His Truth; and need to

    "Anoint their eyes with the eye salve of the Holy Spirit". Ipray the Lord to give them eyes to see and ears to hear

    Truth.

    CONCLUSION:

    Old Testament Sabbath Versus

    The New Testament SabbathTo conclude our discussion and further establish

    what we're saying about God's True Sabbath - The

    Sabbath of The Lord, let's turn in Our Bibles to

    Hebrews 4:1-11. This portion of Scripture is very

    important to our discussion.

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    get into the New Testament Revelation of "The

    Sabbath". The different Hebrew words used when

    speaking of the Seventh Day Sabbath refer to...1. to cease from (or finish) a particular work (Gen.

    2:2-3);

    2. to come to rest, settle down and "remain"

    (Exodus 20:11).

    In the Old Testament, the seventh day was set aside

    as The Sabbath day - a day of rest (ceasing from

    physical labor). This "rest" ended with the dawning of

    the next day. "Six days shalt thou labor, but rest on

    the seventh day." The Bible doesn't say 'Saturday', it

    just says, "the seventh day."

    The Sabbath: IN THE BEGINNING

    The first reference to the Seventh day Sabbathappears in Genesis...

    And on the seventh day God ended His work whichHe had made; and He rested on the seventh day from

    all His work which He had made. And God blessed theseventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it He

    had rested from all His works which God created and

    made.(Genesis 2:2-3).

    God ended His work of creation in six days; then Godrested on the Seventh day. One thing worth noticing

    here is that the "rest" mentioned is "God's rest", not

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    Take note that the teaching of the New Testamentdoes not point the Gentile Believer to a Mount Sinai

    covenant but rather to the Faith covenant of Abraham.The Bible says that the covenant given from Mount

    Sinai gendereth to 'bondage', like one born of the

    bondwoman, born in sin. But we are the children of the

    freewoman as was Isaac, born according to the

    'unconditional Grace covenant', born after the Spirit. I

    encourage you to read Galatians 4:22-31.QUESTIONS TO PONDER.....

    Whatis the "Seal" of God"?Whatis the "Test" Commandment?

    Whatis the "Greatest" Commandment?

    Then the Scribes asked our Lord Jesus, "What is thegreat commandment in the law?" This is Jesus'

    answer: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all

    thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

    This [is] the first and great commandment. And the

    second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor

    as thyself. On these two commandments hang all thelaw and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40).

    In the gospel of Mark, Jesus said, "THERE IS NONEOTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THEN THESE."

    (Mark 12:31).

    There is nothing said here about the fourthcommandment being the 'greatest' commandment or

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    laboring and burdened under the heavy load of sin,

    how could He manifest Himself as The Sabbath? If there

    was no death how could He manifest Himself as theResurrection and Life?

    Even "before" man fell in the Garden of Eden, Godhad already made provision for man's Redemption.

    In His great Eternal Thoughts, before the foundation

    of the world, the Lamb of God was slain (Rev.13:8), to

    atone for the sin of His Children and bring them "into"His Eternal Sabbath Rest.

    In Genesis, the book of beginnings, we find the beginningof God's plan. And we see that, surely God had more in

    mind than man's physical refreshment when He

    "blessed" and "sanctified" the Seventh day. Like the Lamb"slain from the foundation of the world", it was to

    become a shadow pointing Man to Eternal Sabbath Rest in

    Christ.

    The Sabbath"From Eden To Sinai": (Abrahamic

    Age)"

    In this section we meet "Abraham" - the father of theFaithful. It's important that we get to know him, and

    the basis of His relationship with God, to determine

    whether or not the Seventh day Sabbath had anything

    to do with that relationship.

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    also find that, in the New Testament, the emphasis is

    placed on the keeping of a "Spiritual" Sabbath rest in

    Christ, and NOT a physical Seventh day Sabbath.The Bible says...

    "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee,

    O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou

    hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent,

    and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father;

    for so it seemed good in thy sight...

    ...Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy

    laden, and I will give you "rest". Take my yoke upon

    you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in

    heart, and ye shall find "rest" unto your souls"."Matt.

    11:26-26, 28-29.

    Here, Jesus invites the Jews and all man kind tocome and find their Sabbath "rest" in Him. But the

    Jews refused to accept or enter into God's True

    Sabbath in Christ. They refused to let go of the law

    concerning "natural" circumcision and the "natural"

    Seventh day Sabbath. Therefore, God turned from the

    Jews and began dealing with the Gentiles under the

    "New Covenant" in Christ, fulfilling the "times of the

    Gentiles". They would accept His New Spiritual

    circumcision and His New Spiritual Sabbath In Christ.

    The Sabbath, as we know it from the New Testament,

    is not the keeping of a certain day. In fact no where inthe New Testament, are we commanded to keep a

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    to believe in the Finished work of Calvary for our

    Salvation (John 19:30; Hebrews 12:2).

    "For the promise, that he should be the heir of theworld, [was] not to Abraham, or to His seed, through

    the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

    Romans 4:13

    Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the

    same are the children of Abraham. ...That the

    blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentilesthrough Jesus Christ; that we might receive the

    promise of the Spirit through faith.Galatians 3:7,14

    God is First and foremost, the God of Abraham. Allthrough the New Testament, Abraham is exalted as the

    great example of faith for all believers to follow. Iwould encourage you to get your Bible and read what

    the New Testament has to say about Abraham and the

    spiritual seed of Abraham. Our Lord Jesus Christ was

    declared to be "the Son of David, the Son of Abraham".

    (Matt. 1:1).

    The Sabbath"From Eden To Sinai"Continued.....

    During the long period from Eden to Sinai, nomention is made of the Seventh day Sabbath. Neither

    Abraham or any of the Patriarchs mentions it. They

    walked "by Faith", sanctifying 'every day' to follow

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    after God. At no time does God give Abraham any

    instructions concerning a Seventh day Sabbath.

    Therefore, God entered into an 'unconditional'covenant with Abraham, promising to make his "seed"

    as the stars (spiritual seed) of heaven (Genesis 15:5).

    And God gave Abraham "a sign" of that covenant - NOT

    the Seventh day Sabbath but "circumcision" (Genesis

    17:9-10).

    The "Sign" of circumcision was to Abraham "a Seal"of the righteousness of the Faith which he had.

    (Romans 4:11). The "SIGN" became the "SEAL". Of

    course, this "natural" circumcision was a "shadow" of

    the "spiritual" circumcision which the New Testament

    Believer would receive.

    By Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we become the'Spiritual' seed of Abraham, We also receive "a sign" as did

    Abraham. That sign is "circumcision" - not in the flesh, but

    in the heart, in the spirit. (Romans 2:28-29). This "sign"

    also becomes to us "a SEAL" of the righteousness of our

    Faith which we have in God. It is a circumcision in the spirit,BY the Spirit. "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by

    whom ye are "Sealed" unto the day of redemption"

    (Ephesians 4:30).

    Therefore the keeping of a Seventh day Sabbath(Saturday or Sunday) is not the "Seal of God". Nor is it

    the "test" of our loyalty to God.

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    Judaism, were under obligation to observe physical

    circumcision and the keeping of the Seventh day

    Sabbath. But under Christianity there is no suchobligation.

    After the Mount Sinai experience the Lordendeavored to keep the Sabbath uppermost in the

    minds of the Jews because 'one day' God's True

    Sabbath would be made flesh and dwell among

    them and into 'this' Sabbath they would be called. Godhad promised a "New Covenant" built on better

    promises in Christ(Hebrews 7:22; 8:6-10) . This "New

    Covenant" would surpass the "old covenant" in that

    our righteousness would exceed the righteousness of

    the Scribes and Pharisees.

    GOD'S TRUE SABBATHIn Tthe New Testament

    Indeed, God's True Sabbath was made flesh in theperson of Jesus Christ, and the Jews rejected It (John

    1:14). He came onto His own and they knew Him not.

    He was both "The Lord of the Sabbath" and "TheSabbath of the Lord". He was and is God's "Everlasting

    Sign" to His children; Not a Seventh day Sabbath BUT a

    Sabbath Rest in the Lord of the Sabbath, Our Lord Jesus

    Christ.

    We have already found in our study that, in the New

    Testament , the emphasis is placed, NOT on "physical"circumcision BUT on "Spiritual" circumcision. We will

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    promised land, they still didn't find God's True Sabbath

    "Rest". Joshua couldn't give it to them. He could only

    point them to the "shadow" that God had given to Mosesin the form of the fourth commandment.

    Therefore God used the Law (including the fourthcommandment) as a School-Master (tutors and

    governors) to bring the Children of Isreal to Christ -

    the Royal seed of Abraham. Abraham didn't need a

    School-Master, he believed God.The School-Master, brought with it instructions

    concerning The Sabbath "REST" of God - the fourth

    commandment, pointing to the True Sabbath "rest"

    we would find in Jesus Christ. Abraham could see this.

    Jesus Said, "Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my

    day: and he saw it, and was glad". (John 8:56).

    During the time of the wilderness journey, Godestablished the Seventh day Sabbath as a "sign"

    between "Himself and Israel" (Ex.31:12-14) . It was

    to be (for Israel) a perpetual reminder of their

    separation unto the Lord.

    "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the

    sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their

    generations, [for] a perpetual covenant.

    It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel

    for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and

    earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and wasrefreshed". Exodus 31:16-17

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    The righteousness they profess in the keeping oftheir Sabbath has become unrighteousness (Romans

    2:25). These possess a "form of godliness" but denythe power of spiritual circumcision and the True

    Seal of God. (2nd. Tim. 3:5). But such was not the case

    with Abraham, for Abraham had found "his Sabbath

    rest" in God and God found "HIS Sabbath rest" in

    Abraham.

    "Thus saith the Lord: the heaven is my throne, andthe earth is my footstool. Where is the house that ye

    build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? For

    all those things hath mine hand made. ...but to this

    man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a

    contrite spirit, and trembleth at my Word." Isaiah

    66:1-2.

    Jesus said:

    "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to

    you..... At that day ye shall know that I am in my

    Father, and ye in me, and I in you. ...if a man love me,

    he will keep my words; and my Father will love him,and we will come unto him, and make our ABODE

    with him."John 14:18,20,23.

    Paul said:"Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and

    that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"1st. Cor. 3:16.

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    Now, God finds "His Sabbath Rest" in the Spiritualseed of Abraham.

    Abraham found God to be his "satisfying portion"- even his Sabbath "rest". Every day was "Blessed" and

    "Sanctified" unto the Lord. He was instant 'in season'

    and 'out of season' with his worship and sacrifices. It

    wasn't restricted to one particular day, week or month.

    When God blessed him, Abraham built an altar

    immediately and worshiped, testifying of his spiritual

    "Sabbath rest" in God.

    As Christians, our testimony and worship is 'inseason' and 'out of season', [regardless of the day, week,

    month or year], assembling together and exhorting one

    another, not just once a week or one day a week, butMUCH MORE as we see the evil day upon us now

    (Hebrews 10:25).

    God promised Abraham that he would inherit theland. Abraham asked "HOW" and by what means he

    would inherit it?" The Lord didn't point him to the

    Seventh day Sabbath. God pointed him to a sacrifice.(Genesis 15:7-18). So in this hour God doesn't point us

    to a Seventh day or First day Sabbath but He points us

    to our sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ. By Him and

    through Him we "enter into" and "remain in" God's true

    Sabbath rest.

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    One more thought before we leave this section- If the Lord fully intended for the "spiritual

    seed" of Abraham to observe a physical Seventhday Sabbath, He would have mentioned itsomewhere in His Covenant with Abraham.

    If the "keeping" of a Seventh day Sabbath was as "imperative", and as "all important" for the "Gentiles",

    as some would have us to believe, then God would have

    surely recorded it in the history of Abraham. Especially

    In light of the fact that God was showing in Abraham

    an example of faith for all generations to follow.

    The Sabbath: "From Sinai To JesusChrist"

    From Eden no mention is made of the Seventhday Sabbath till after the Israelite exodus from

    Egypt. During their wilderness journey, at Mount Sinai,

    the Seventh day Sabbath was revealed to Israel and

    included in the Ten commandments. (Exodus 16:23;

    20:8-11; Nehemiah 9:13-14;).

    In the Wilderness God found most of the Israelitesto be a people "in whom is no Faith" (Deut 32:20).

    They didn't believe in the promises of God as Abraham

    had believed. We will show by the Word that the Jews,

    by "the law" kept a seventh day Sabbath, but they were

    not able to "enter into" and "remain in" the True"Sabbath Rest" of God. Even after they entered the