We have studied each Sabbath passage in its own contextual setting. It is now time to review the key findings and to reach a conclusion on this topic.
Review of the key facts of our study
- The Genesis account says nothing about man resting or keeping a Sabbath.
- There is no mention of Sabbath keeping before the time of Moses.
- The Ten Commandments are the very words of the Sinaitic Covenant.
- The Book of the Covenant was an expansion and application of the Ten Commandments to the life of Israel.
- The Sabbath is the sign of the Sinaitic Covenant.
- One purpose of the Sabbath was a reminder of God’s rest at the end of creation’s sixth day.
- One purpose of the Sabbath was a reminder of redemption from Egyptian bondage.
- The Sabbath was given only to the nation of Israel.
- The stipulations of the Sinaitic Covenant were not given to Abraham.
- The Sabbath is mentioned with moral laws of the Sinaitic Covenant two times.
- The Sabbath is mentioned with ritual laws of the Sinaitic Covenant at least a dozen times and is part of the sabbatical system pointing forward to the Jubilee.
- The Sabbath was to be kept by the whole Israelite family, their slaves, their animals and their land.
- The laws for Sabbath observance were stringent and clearly spelled out.
- Violators of the Sabbath were to be put to death and were cut off from the covenant community.
- The Sabbath is inseparably linked with every aspect of the Sinaitic Covenant.
- Jesus is the new covenant center.
- The New Testament defines the old, or first, covenant as including both the Ten Commandments and the other laws of the Torah.
- The new covenant is a more complete and a better revelation of truth than was the old.
- We must allow the new covenant to interpret, transform and apply all old covenant law(s) in a Christ-centered way.
- Jesus always let moral and ethical considerations determine His actions even if his actions violated old covenant ritual law.
- Jesus expanded old covenant moral laws given to Israel into eternal moral principles for all nations.
- By His actions it is clear that Jesus understood the Sabbath laws to be ritual laws.
- Jesus purposely went out of His way to create controversy regarding Sabbath law. In doing so, He was trying to help the people become Christ centered rather than old-covenant-law centered.
- The apostle John states that Jesus was continually breaking or destroying the Sabbath.
- Nowhere in the book of Acts is there record of Christian assemblies being held on the Sabbath. All Sabbath meetings in the book of Acts are in Jewish gatherings.
- The old covenant law was given 430 years after Abraham and was to rule until Christ.
- The old covenant law was given to lead Israel to Christ but when Christ came they were no longer under old covenant law.
- Christians are free from the law and serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
- Christians who try to be “married” to both the law and Christ are committing spiritual adultery.
- Colossians 2:16 is a clear reference to the Seventh-day Sabbath and links it with the other old covenant ritual laws which were a mere shadow of Christ.
- Galatians 4:10 is probably a reference to the holy days of the old covenant and when observed by Christians as a necessary duty pervert the gospel of faith in Christ alone.
- Romans 14:5 probably refers to the Seventh-day Sabbath. Controversy over opinions regarding holy days is not to be a cause for disunity in the church.
- The epistles never give instruction regarding Sabbath keeping.
- The epistles never give a command to keep the Sabbath.
- The epistles never mention Sabbath breaking in any lists of sins.
- The Sabbath is not the seal of God for new covenant believers.
- New covenant believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit at the moment they believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- New covenant righteousness is beyond and above that of old covenant, law-based righteousness.
- In the new covenant the Holy Spirit fills the role that the law served in the old covenant and is the guide to righteous living.
Conclusion:
The epistles, in contextual teaching, state that the Sinaitic Covenant is not binding in any way upon the Christian. This covenant, which was good for its time, has been superseded by the new, better covenant. The new covenant law of love interpreted by the New Testament writings and applied under the guidance of the Holy Spirit far surpasses the laws given to Israel. Scripture makes it clear, however, that the moral principles upon which many of the Sinaitic Covenant laws were based are included in the moral principles of the new covenant. However, in the new covenant there is a different administration of the moral principles, and the new covenant has different signs.
Under the new covenant the emphasis is no longer on sign and symbol, rather it is on reality and relationship. There are no long lists of minutely detailed laws, rather the new covenant is characterized by general principles which have application to all nations and cultures, not just the sons of Israel in the promised land. The epistles teach that Christians can add nothing to the righteousness provided for them in Christ. Those who seek to add their own works of obedience to the perfect, finished work of Christ by keeping any of the ritual observances of the old covenant are in serious danger of falling from grace.1 The new covenant writings show one cannot pick and choose among the old covenant laws. If one is seeking to be under Sinaitic law, he must be under the whole law.2 However, to do this is to fall from grace.3
There is no biblical evidence which proves the Sabbath of the seventh day was transferred to the first day of the week. While there are many important events which transpired on the first day of the week, there is no biblical command to keep it holy. Nevertheless, it appears that the first day of the week did have significance for New Testament believers and the Christians of the Early Church because of the important events which happened on that day. It is necessary that Christians have a time to worship. It is necessary that time be given to pursue the things of God. In harmony with established biblical custom, many Christians in the early Church voluntarily made the first day of the week a special time to celebrate the resurrection, observe the Lord’s Supper and meet for Christian fellowship and teaching. The first day of the week, however, should never be seen in the same light as the Sabbath of the old covenant. Rather, the emphasis is on what happened rather than on when it happened. New covenant worship is a voluntary celebration rather than a legislated duty.
Nearly every ceremony in the old covenant in some way pointed forward to the work of Christ. The writer of Hebrews unequivocally shows that the rest which remains for the Christian is not the seventh-day Sabbath of Sinai, nor is it the “rest” which Israel experienced under the leadership of Joshua or David. Rather, the rest of the new covenant is the “rest” of a restored relationship between man and God similar to the rest of creation’s seventh day which one enters by believing.
All the Sinaitic Sabbathsseventh-day Sabbaths, seasonal sabbaths, sabbatical years and Jubileeseem to have been like small oases in the desert where the sons of Israel pretended they were back in the Garden of Eden. These sabbaths not only pointed back to that seventh-day rest of creation, but they pointed forward to the restored relationship which was to take place within the new covenant: the fellowship of the Holy Spirit indwelling the heart of the believer who is saved by grace. These sabbaths served a very important function in giving roots, purpose, direction and hope to the people of Israel. But like the dozens of other pointers, which were also shadows of good things to come, their value ended in the presence of the Creator. Jesus drew all these old covenant signs and shadows of hope to Himself.
The Pharisees demonstrated the heartbreaking paradox of old covenant Sabbath law. The laws that were designed to point forward to the open fellowship between man and God were the very laws which blinded their eyes to the present reality of the Creator standing in their midst. Jesus said,
You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life (Jn. 5:38,39).
The actions of the Pharisees can be likened to a person driving from the East Coast of the U.S. to visit California’s Yosemite Valley. For thousands of miles the traveler has been following a road map to Yosemite. During this time he becomes so intent on watching the map—lest he make a wrong turn—that when he reaches Yosemite he fails to see the beauty of the country. With one eye on the road and the other eye on the map he drives through Yosemite Valley without ever seeing El Capitan, Half Dome or Yosemite Falls. Finding a parking place, with his eyes still glued to his packet of instructions, he reads about the beautiful park but never leaves the seat of his car to personally walk the trails and never lifts his eyes to the majesty above.
The map and trail guide of the Sabbath served important functions. But upon arrival at the destination it is time to put the map down and look up. So it is with the Sabbath. Rather than seek to keep a day holy let us put the day down and step into the arms of our holy Creator. Let us enter “today” into fellowship, into a “rest” which remains for those who have believed. The Redeemer has come to bring true deliverance from the bondage of guilt and sin.
Jesus was continually seeking those who would come to Him. “Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden” (Mt. 11:28). “Follow Me” was his often-repeated phrase to those who were seeking to obey God.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (Jn. 7:37, 38).
New covenant worship is not concerned with times and places. The woman of Samaria said to Jesus,
“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father…an hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:20−24).
To understand that God is actually seeking people like you and me to worship Him fills us with a sense of both humility and tremendous self-worth!
He jealously desires the spirit which He has made to dwell in us (Jas. 4:5).
The “sabbatismos” (Gr.) rest of the new covenant is better than the “sabbaton” (Gr.) rest of the old covenant, for it deals with the reality to which the old covenant Sabbath only prefigured.
Do This in Remembrance of Me
Jesus developed a close relationship with His disciples during His three-and-a-half-year ministry. They had come to believe in Him as the Messiah. They had learned to trust His wisdom and power in times of sickness and emergency, as well as in everyday life. They had walked with Him, talked with Him, and listened to His teaching.
Just before His death, and the resulting physical separation from His disciples, Jesus chose a ceremony (ritual) by which His disciples could express their continued faith in Him. In the days and years to come this ceremony would also demonstrate the continued presence of Jesus, even though He would be invisible to the gathered assembly.
To express His deep feeling of love to His disciples, Jesus chose a simple meal of bread and wine. Through the ensuing years this has become variously known as the Lord’s Supper, Holy Eucharist, or the communion service. During the Last Supper with His disciples Jesus inaugurated this service using these words, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
And having taken some bread, when He had given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk. 22:19,20).
By partaking in the Lord’s Supper, we demonstrate our contin- ued belief and trust in Jesus Christ as our Covenant Keeper.
Bread and the presence of the Lord
From its very beginning the Lord’s Supper has been associated with the presence of the risen Lord. On Resurrection Sunday two grieving, confused disciples were on their way to Emmaus. As they sorrowfully made their way along the trail they were joined by a fellow traveler. When they arrived at their destination they invited the traveler to eat with them and stay overnight. The traveler accepted their invitation. During the evening meal this traveler picked up the bread and began to break it and suddenly they realized this traveler was none other than the risen Lord. It was during the breaking of the bread that they recognized the presence of the risen Lord, the very symbol He had given to His disciples when He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me”!
And it came about that when He had reclined at table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight (Lk. 24:30,31).
Later, to emphasize the connection between the breaking of the bread and the presence of the risen Lord, Luke records,
And they began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst (Lk. 24:35,36).
Today, during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, the same presence of the living Lord is realized in the heart of the believer as he partakes of the bread and the wine. The bread is a symbol of Christ’s body which He gave for us.
And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Mt. 26:26).
In the eastern world bread is considered the staff of life. Jesus took this well-known necessity of life and made it a symbol of His body, given for the life of the world. In the symbol of the bread we are also to remember the experience of the manna in the wilderness. Jesus said,
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (Jn. 6:48 −51).
Wine, on the other hand, is symbolized in Scripture in two ways. It is both a symbol of joy and a symbol of God’s wrath. The wine of the Lord’s Supper should be seen in both ways.
Wine as joy
In the book of Psalms we read of the Lord’s blessings and care over all His works in these words.
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine which makes man’s heart glad, so that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man’s heart (Ps. 104:14,15).
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus’ public ministry started at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The joy of the celebration was interrupted when the wine ran out. Jesus met this need by miraculously providing some one hundred and twenty gallons of the finest wine (Jn. 2:6−11).
Wine as wrath
And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath (Rev. 16:19).
If any one worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger (Rev. 14:10).
Doubtless the association between wine and the wrath of God sprang from the custom of treading the winepress during the grape crush. People coming from the winepress looked like they had come from a bloody battle.
One truth Jesus communicates in giving us the cup—a symbol of God’s wrath—is that if we partake of the cup now we will escape the coming wrath which will be poured out on those who reject God’s invitation of mercy. It is a symbolic way of teaching,
He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Jn. 5:24).
We are reminded how the blood sprinkled on the doorposts the night of the Passover protected those “under the blood” from the destroying angel. In the same way the blood of Christ, symbolized by the communion wine, will protect us from the coming wrath pictured by the Revelator in these words:
And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles (Rev. 14:19,20).
At the Last Supper Jesus
…took a cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is to be shed on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins” (Mt. 26:27,28).
When Jesus speaks of “My blood of the covenant” it is rich with meaning. At Sinai Moses
…took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold, the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words” (Ex. 24:7,8).
When Jesus speaks of “My blood of the covenant” He under- stands the violent and sacrificial death He is about to undergo as He inaugurates with His people the new covenant. As the Passover Lamb, His blood will soon be “poured out.”4
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus began to feel the weight of sin being placed upon Him.
“My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death…” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Mt. 26:38,39).
Therefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate (Heb. 13:12).
As mentioned before, the Gospel of John is full of details which provide insight into the deeper message of this Gospel. John records the public ministry of Jesus starting with a joyous wedding celebration where He provided the “best” wine. It is no accident that John records the end of Jesus’ ministry with His drinking “sour wine” given to Him on the branch of hyssopthe same instrument used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to the lintel and doorposts.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accom- plished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (Jn. 19:28 −30).
It was the sin of Adam and Eve which brought to an end that perfect “rest” of creation and led them into the bondage of sin. It was because of this sin that God “drove the man out” and placed the cherubim with the flaming sword to guard the gate of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24). It was because of Adam’s sin that the ground was cursed and brought forth thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:17−19) and Adam was forced to eat bread by the sweat of his brow (Gen. 3:19).
At the entrance of sin God began the “work” of redemption. This work came to an end when Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns “suffered outside the gate” in Adam’s place. This work of redemption was complete when Jesus said, “It is finished,” and died for the sins of the world. Contrary to what Seventh-day Adventists teach,5 the book of Hebrews pictures Christ, not standing, pleading his blood, as did the high priest in the old covenant Day of Atonement, but seated, resting, having completed the atonement. For the Christian, celebrating the Lord’s Supper is a time of deep and meaningful reflection. We learn to value ourselves by the price paid for our redemption. While the signs of the covenant are not moral in themselves they are nonetheless invaluable to the covenant community. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper serves as a renewing of the covenant. We express our belief and trust in the risen Lord, who fulfilled the covenant requirements for us. And we rehearse His covenant promises to us. More than that, during the communion service we experience the presence of the risen Lord.
Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is to be shed on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins (Mt. 26:26−28).
For those living in the new covenant the verdict is clear.
It is no longer “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” but
DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.
The Lord’s Supper causes us to look forward to the time when
our Lord will drink it new with us in the Father’s kingdom
(Mt. 26:29).
Evaluation
As we mentioned in Chapter 1, Sabbath understanding can be categorized in three main areas, recognizing that there are varying interpretations within each group: Sunday keeping, which we called transfer/modification, Saturday keeping which we named reformation/continuation, and fulfillment/transformation or just “Sabbath in Christ”. Which one of these understandings best fits the biblical evidence?
Transfer/modification
This is perhaps one of the most popular understandings. It teaches that the seventh-day Sabbath of the Old Testament was transferred to Sunday in the New Testament and the rules for Sabbath keeping have been modified. Even though many Christian interpreters have supported this motif, or some variation of it, it is my judgment that this interpretation has little biblical support. First, there is no command in Scripture which would warrant the transfer of the Sabbath, and all that it stood for, to Sunday. Second, there are few, if any, biblical guidelines for a modification of Sabbath observance. One must, however, recognize that within church history this view is well supported.
Reformation/continuation
This has been a minority view well documented in Christian history. This view holds that the seventh-day Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment is as valid today as it was at Sinai. Supporters of this view believe the Sabbath is one of the most important moral laws, if not the most important commandment in the law.6 Those who hold this view believe that the Sabbath encounters of Jesus were designed to bring reform to the Sabbath and free it from the extra-biblical rules which Jewish tradition had placed upon it. This view holds that the seventh-day Sabbath is to continue into the new covenant and even into the age to come. It has some biblical evidence to support it, but it has several major weaknesses. First, it ignores the evidence that Christ treated the Sabbath like the other ritual laws of the old covenant.
Second, it portrays Paul as a Sabbath keeper and ignores that all of his Sabbath meetings were in Jewish settings.
Third, it cannot explain why Paul never gave any instruction regarding Sabbath observance or listed Sabbath breaking in any of his lists of sins.
Fourth, it does not take seriously the differences between the old and new covenants.
Fifth, it ignores the many clear biblical statements which show that the reign of law started with Moses and ended with Christ.
Sixth, it ignores the many clear biblical statements which teach that Christians are no longer under the law.
Seventh, because it ignores the differences between the covenants, it is faced with the dilemma of Sabbath observance. While it wants to hold many of the Old Testament statements regarding Sabbath as normative for the Christian, it is at a loss to show why all the old covenant statements regarding Sabbath observance—and all the other convocations of the old covenant as well—are not also valid today.
Eighth, history has shown that often those holding this motif struggle with legalism.7
Fulfillment/transformation—or Sabbath in Christ
This view holds that the Sabbath of the old covenant was fulfilled by Jesus. It sees the old covenant Sabbath pointing backward to the rest of God lost in Eden when man sinned, and pointing forward to the rest of Christ which started when, after completing the atonement, He sat down at the Father’s right hand. As the rest of the old covenant is transformed into the rest of the new covenant, so the vehicles of symbolism have also been transformed into other vehicles. While aspects of this view have been supported within the Christian church throughout its history, it seems to have been most clearly articulated in recent times.8
It is my judgment that this motif is the only view which harmonizes with all of Scripture. There were four main streams of symbolism that were carried by the Sabbath: creation rest, redemp- tion from bondage, the sign of the covenant, and the day for worship. Notice how the new covenant takes these ideas and transforms them.
True rest
The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment as recorded in Exodus 20:11 was a symbol of the rest of creation’s seventh day. The new covenant shows that Jesus fulfilled this concept of rest. He is now the one that provides true rest. When we believe we enter into His rest—the rest of the completed atonement. Hebrews 3 and 4 show that in the new covenant God’s rest cannot be the seventh-day Sabbath and must be the rest of grace.
Real redemption
The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment as recorded in Deuteronomy 5:15 was a symbol of redemption from Egyptian bondage. The new covenant shows that Jesus provides the true redemption from the bondage of sin.
Covenant sign
The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment was the “rem- embrance sign” of the Sinaitic Covenant. In the new covenant it is clear that for the Christian the “remembrance sign” is the Lord’s Supper.
Center of worship
The Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment was a day of worship. However, it is important to note that the concept of the Sabbath as day of worship is not in the old covenant Sabbath statements themselves. Rather, the Sabbath was portrayed as a day of physical rest. It was not until after the Babylonian captivity when the synagogue was instituted that the Sabbath became a regular day for worship and religious teaching.9 While there are hints of special Sabbath activities, such as special sacrifices, etc., the concept is in germ form. In like manner the new covenant lacks specific commands for worship on the first day of the week. There are many indicators that the first day of the week held special significance, but the regular practice of Christian worship on Sunday came as a voluntary celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
The following diagram illustrates the fulfillment/transfer motif:
| Old Covenant Concepts | VS | New Covenant Transformation |
|---|---|---|
| Creation Rest | ||
| Physical rest (Ex. 20) | –> | Rest of grace (Heb. 4) |
| Redemption | ||
| Redemption from Egypt (Deut. 5:15) | –> | Redemption from Sin (1 Cor. 1:30) |
| Covenant Sign | ||
| Sabbath (Ex. 31) | –> | Lord’s Supper (Lk. 21) |
| Day of Worship | ||
| Seventh day (History) | –> | First day (History)10 |
Therefore we see that the fulfillment/transformation motif takes seriously all the scriptural evidence regarding the Sabbath and its meaning and shows how this meaning was fulfilled and/or trans- formed by Christ. Yes, our Sabbath is in Christ!
- Christ is our true Rest..11
- Christ is our real Redemption.12
- Christ is our faithful Covenant Keeper.13,14
- Christ is the Seal of God.15
- Christ is our focus of worship.
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped (Rev. 5:13,14).
Yes, Christ is our Sabbath rest!
Endnotes
- “You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain” (Gal. 4:10,11).
- “And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law” (Gal. 5:3).
- “You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4).
- See D. A. Carson, “Commentary on Matthew”, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8, pp. 536,537.
- In contrast to the book of Hebrews where Christ is pictured as having completed His atonement for sin and “sat down” at the right hand of God, Seventh-day Adventists see Jesus as now standing and pleading His blood before the Father. They also do not see a completed atonement as noted in the following quotations by Ellen White, whose “writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth…” (See SDA Fundamental Beliefs No. 18 “The Gift of Prophecy”. Printed in SDA Year books and listed on the SDA official web site at: http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/index.html.
“Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His testament was seen points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 as Christ entered there to perform the closing work of the atonement. Those who by faith followed their great High Priest as He entered upon His ministry in the most holy place, beheld the ark of His testament. As they had studied the subject of the sanctuary they had come to understand the Savior’s change of ministration, and they saw that He was now officiating before the ark of God, pleading His blood in behalf of sinners.” E. G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 433.
“Then again was held up before me those who were not willing to dispose of this world’s goods to save perishing souls by sending them the truth while Jesus stands before the Father pleading His blood…” E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 50 (See also E. G. White, Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 273; Signs of the Times, 1850-64-01; 1890-06-02; Review and Herald, 1870-04-19; 1911-06-29) - “The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God’s holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it.” Ellen. G. White, Early Writings, p. 33.
- Author’s note: Legalism has been a constant battle in many Sabbath keeping churches. This was and is true in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in which I grew up. I have found it true in other Sabbath keeping churches, such as The Church of God, Seventh-day, the Worldwide Church of God, until the recent major change in its theology and also in some Sunday sabbatarian churches.
- For a scholarly and well-footnoted study of this topic see From Sabbath to Lord’s Day, edited by D. A. Carson.
- See C. Rowland, “A Summary of the Sabbath Observance in Judaism at the Beginning of the Christian Era,” in From Sabbath to Lord’s Day, pp. 50,51.
- Author’s note: The first day of the week in the new covenant should not be considered in the same way as was the seventh day of the week in the old covenant. There is nothing wrong with a new covenant church or Christian worshiping on the seventh day as long as it is not done for old covenant reasons.
- “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt.11:28,29).
- “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
- “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon him; He will bring justice to the nations…I am the Lord, I have called you [the Messiah] in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations. To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison…Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things. Sing to the Lord a new song” (Isa. 42:1,6,7,9,10).
- “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (Jn. 19:30).
- “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal” (Jn. 6:27).
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