The Sabbath for Christians today is the seventh day or Saturday, as it always was.
The Sabbath never changed, even though the majority of Christians are keeping Sunday holy.
Yet, the Bible does not teach us that Sunday is a holy day. The Sabbath is, was, and always will be on the seventh day of the week, Saturday.
No matter how hard people try to come up with ideas that it was changed to Sunday, the first day of the week due to Christ’s resurrection, this is not true.
Nowhere in the Bible do we find such a statement.
If we want to follow Jesus and His teachings, we must read and study His Word, and leave aside the doctrines of man.
In this article we’ll explore together the issue of the Sabbath today for Christians, and how important is to know this truth in the last days.
We are warned in Revelation 13 of a power that will force the whole world to worship according to its dictates.
Does the Bible say Saturday is the Sabbath?
Yes, the Bible is clear that Saturday is the Sabbath of God. We do find this in the following verse:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God…
Exodus 20:10 KJV
But when is the seventh day because different calendars have different displays?
Some start the week with Monday, others with Sunday, and so on.
But let’s go to the Bible and see what the Word of God says about which is the seventh day of the week.
In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:1,2,6
According to these verses, Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. The women came to His tomb.
In Christianity, it is a well-known fact that Jesus rose on Sunday, or as we can see here – the first day of the week.
No Church would argue that.
As the verses say, “…in the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…”
So, if Sunday is the first day of the week, what is Saturday then? Saturday is the Sabbath day or the seventh day of the week.
Why is the Sabbath changed from Saturday to Sunday?
The Sabbath “changed” from Saturday to Sunday by misguided man, and not by God.
God is not like us to change like we do, say something, and then retract that and change it with something else.
The Law of God is written in stone for a purpose – to show that it is unchangeable. (Exodus 24:12)
Jesus also declared that He came not to change the Law, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17-18)
The Bible predicted that a little horn power “would think to change times and laws”. (Daniel 7:25)
This happened when the Papacy, in the Council of Laodicea, declared the Sabbath to be transferred to Sunday, instead of Saturday.
The Bible does not support such teaching though!
Did Jesus abolish the Sabbath day?
No, Jesus did not abolish the Sabbath day. Like we mentioned above, we find His statements that He came to fulfill the Law, and not to break it.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew 5:17-18 KJV
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Jesus kept the Sabbath day and also did many good works on this day. He told us that this day was made for man, and not to be a burden like the religious leaders of His time made it to be.
Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Matthew 12:12-13 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Apostles and the Sabbath
After Jesus ascension to Heaven after His resurrection, we also find the apostles continuing to keep the Sabbath as Jesus did. (Acts 13:42,44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4).
Confusion is made when the apostles gather on the first day of the week.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Act 20:7 KJV
Many use this verse to say this is the proof the Sabbath was changed! But the Bible should never be used with single verses taken out of context!
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
Isaiah 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
When we study a subject, we always need to search all the Scriptures. By doing this, we find the Bible is not contradicting itself.
Going back to Acts 20:7, that event did not happen on Sunday, but on what we call today Saturday evening.
Biblically, a day starts at sunset and ends at sunset the next day. (Leviticus 23:32)
The Jews count different days of the week, and for them, the first day of the week started on Saturday evening.
And here where it says that Paul preached until midnight on the first day, that is what we today call midnight on Saturday.
The Good News Translation Bible puts it this way:
On Saturday[a] evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day.
And the apostles were breaking bread every day! (Acts 2:46-47)
Another misunderstood verse is 1 Corinthians 16:2 which is used in support of Sunday.
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:2 KJV
This is not talking about a worship service, but a request from Paul on individual Christians from the Church of Corinth to lay aside some provisions at home.
The Apostle Paul intended to pick those donations up on the way while traveling to Jerusalem.
Wrapping Up
To wrap up, the Sabbath for Christians today is still on the seventh day of the week, known as Saturday.
Even though the majority of Christians are keeping Sunday as holy it still does not make it the Sabbath of the Lord.
God already has His day of rest that He blessed and sanctified. And He tells us that if we truly love Him, then we must keep His commandments. (John 14:15)
The so-called Sunday Sabbath is a false one, and it does not have the approval of God. It is man-made, and behind it is the deceiver of mankind.
Never forget what the Bible says about Satan:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
(Revelation 12:9)
If we want to make sure we are not deceived, then we must test every doctrine with the Word of God.
And even if only a single person on this Earth would keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, the truth is still the truth.
References
My Letter To A Sunday Keeper – Sabbath Documentary
The Days of Noah – Powerful Documentary (Video Format)
Bible Studies – Written Format
