What Day is the Sabbath in the Bible? Saturday or Sunday? 

Are you wondering what day is the Sabbath? The Sabbath is on the seventh day of the week – (Exodus 20:10). The seventh day of the week is Saturday according to the Bible! (Luke 23:53-56).

Then why do the majority of Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday?

Is there any commandment in the Bible that makes Sunday a holy day? And who changed the commandment of God that relates to the day of worship?

Has the Law of God done away with at the cross including the 4th commandment, the Sabbath day? Or is it still mandatory today for Christians?

In this post, we aim to bring clarity to this controversial and often misunderstood subject from the Bible – the Sabbath day.

The truth regarding the law of God is always to be found in the Bible. Thus, if you are willing to know what the Bible says about the Sabbath day, continue reading this post!

By the end of it, we hope you will have enough evidence from the Word of God and you will be able to build your faith by evidence from His Word and not from what the majority are doing and saying!

Jesus said that narrow is the way that leads to life, and broad is the way that leads to destruction! (Matthew 7:14).

When is the Sabbath day according to the Bible?

According to the Bible, the Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week.

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:

Exodus 20:10 KJV

Is Saturday the 7th day of the week or Sunday?

Calendars are subject to change. Different nations have different orders of the days of the week. In some nations, the first day of the week starts on Sunday.

The Middle East begins on Saturday, and most of Europe has Monday as their first day of the week.

What about dictionaries? What are they declaring as being the seventh-day of the week?

We know that when God created the Earth, He did not name the days. He numbered them.

On the first day of creation, He made the light (Genesis 1:2-5).

On the second day of creation, He made heaven (Genesis 1:6-8).

On the third day, He made the earth. (Genesis 1:9-13)

On the 4th day, the Sun, the Moon, and the stars. (Genesis 1:14-19)

On the 5th day of creation, He made the sea creatures. (Genesis 1:20-23)

On the 6th day, the creatures of the earth and man as well. 

On the 7th day, He rested and blessed this day because in it He finished all the work of creation. (Genesis 2:1-3)

The naming of the days of the week

So, if we find that God numbered the days of the week, where does the naming of the weekdays come from?

Man, in his vast imagination, started giving names to the weekdays after the celestial bodies, and other “gods”.

• Sunday – named after the Sun
• Monday – named after the Moon
• Tuesday – Tiw’s day
• Wednesday – Woden’s day
• Thursday – Thor’s day
• Friday – Freya’s day
• Saturday – named after the planet Saturn

Does the Bible speak of what day is the Sabbath? Is it Saturday or Sunday?

The Bible declares that Jesus died on Friday on the cross.

He rested on the tomb on Saturday and was resurrected on Sunday.

The Bible mentions that Joseph went to Pilat, and asked for His body. 

Soon after, we find the following:

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Luke 23:53-56 KJV

The day that Jesus died was preparation day or Friday. 

The women prepared spices and ointments but rested on the sabbath day, Saturday. (The seventh-day)

The Resurrection of Christ 

The Bible mentions that Christ’s resurrection took place on the first day of the week.

Luke 24:1-3 KJV

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

Mark 16:9 KJV

Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

So, the women, on the first day of the week or Sunday, came unto the sepulcher or the tomb with the spices they had prepared. 

Now, if the Bible says that Sunday is the first day of the week and Saturday is the 7th day of the week or the Sabbath, who then changed the Holy day of God from Saturday to Sunday? We will find out later on.

Sunday Observance | Biblical Support or Tradition of Man?

Today, we know that the majority of Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday.

This is not to criticize anyone or anything like that. 

I am sure that many people will be in Heaven who kept Sunday because they knew no better.

God is good and just, and He does not condemn if you don’t know better. (Acts 17:30 KJV)

We know that God has faithful-believing Christians in every Church, and they worship and do according to their light. 

The Seventh Day Sabbath In Other Languages

When Was The Sabbath Day Established?

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Genesis 2:1-3 KJV

The Sabbath was established and given after the 6 literal creation days when only Adam and Eve existed.

The Israelites were not even in existence when the Lord gave and sanctified the 7th day of the week, the Sabbath.

The Sabbath Existed Before Sinai

Another myth is that the Sabbath was created at Mount Sinai when Moses received the 10 commandments.

Before Moses received the law written on stone in Exodus 20, let’s take a look at Exodus 16.

The children of Israel came out of Egypt, and before they ever came to Mount Sinai, they ran out of food. 

They were told to gather Mana. God gave them manna from heaven every day, and on the 6th day, they were to gather enough manna for two days.

Exodus 16:25-26 KJV

And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Exodus 16:27-30 KJV

And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

So the people rested on the seventh day.

Before they ever got to Mount Sinai, God said that the Sabbath was holy, and they were to keep it holy. 

The Sabbath at Mount Sinai

Later, in Exodus chapter 20, we find that the 10 commandments, including the Sabbath, which is the 4th commandment, were given to Moses written in stone.

So, is the Sabbath of the Lord, and not of Moses. 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 20:8-11 KJV

Have the 10 commandments been changed? Do We Still Need To Keep the Sabbath?

There is also this misunderstanding that the commandments have changed or they are not available today anymore.

The one commandment that begins with the word “remember” changed? Not so, friends! The Bible does not support this claim!

This is a very dangerous doctrine from the enemy of souls.

How can it be possible for the 10 commandments to not be available today when Jesus declared:

Luke 16:17 KJV

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Matthew 5:17-19 KJV

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

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.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven

1 John 2:4 KJV

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

James 2:10 KJV

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

John 14:15 KJV

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Psalm 89:34 KJV 

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

Yes, there were some laws done away with at the cross, but those were the ceremonial laws from Leviticus chapter 23.

They were a foreshadowing of Christ who was to come, and when He came they were fulfilled. 

There was no point anymore to keep those ceremonial laws that involved food, drinks, and sacrifices.

The Lamb of God, Jesus is the supreme sacrifice.

No point in doing offerings, and animal sacrifices if Jesus came and made the supreme sacrifice for us all. 

Those were only a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sins!

The 10 commandments are for eternity, they are the government of God. 

Jesus warning in Matthew 24 and the Sabbath Day

In Matthew 24 we find that Jesus is warning about the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem which took place in 70 A.D, almost 40 years after His death and resurrection.

He tells them to pray to not have to flee on the Sabbath day.

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Matthew 24:20 KJV

If the Sabbath was done away with, how come Jesus, foreseeing the future, warned His people to pray to not have to flee on this Holy day?

First Day of The Week – Sunday In Honor of Resurrection?

Jesus rose on Sunday, and some think that this day is the new Sabbath. But the Bible never mentioned any commandment of such a thing.

He also died on Friday, which is equally important. Nonetheless, He did not command anything for these normal days. 

Jesus established baptism, and not the Sunday keeping in honor of His death, burial & resurrection.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 6:3-6 KJV

Not under the Law, but under grace in the New Testament?

Another popular doctrine is that we are not under the Law but under grace and that we don’t need to keep the commandments anymore.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 6:14 KJV 

What is Paul trying to say here? That we are not under the law, and we are free to sin? God forbid.

That is not what is referring to! 

He is saying to us that we are not under condemnation because that’s what the breaking of the Law of God leads to!

However, because Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, and if we believe in Him and accept His sacrifice on our behalf, we are under grace! No longer under condemnation! Plus the Holy Spirit gives us the power to keep the commandments because we cannot keep them by our power!

If we read a verse further:

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Romans 6:15 KJV

So, whoever says that you can freely sin because you are not under the law anymore, is not in alignment with the Scriptures!

Keeping the commandments of God is a sign that we are born again and we love Him for what He has done for us, and thus obey Him.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 KJV

Whoever tells you that the Ten Commandments are not important and that you can sin and be saved anyway, beware! This teaching is not biblical.

Jesus and the Biblical Sabbath

When Jesus was on Earth, what was the day when He worshipped?

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.

Luke 4:16 KJV

Jesus Healing On the Sabbath

Jesus did many good works and helped people on the Sabbath too. 

Unfortunately, the Pharisees have made the Sabbath a burden for people. 

A whole set of do’s and don’ts, but God never intended the Sabbath to be this way.

It was made for us to rest, to be a blessing, and to help the needy, and the sick and poor as well when needed. (Mark 3:1-6) KJV

Did the Apostles observe the Sabbath on the 7th day?

Acts 17:2 KJV

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Acts 18:4 KJV

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Acts 16:13 KJV

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

What about the Gentiles? Did they also worship on the Sabbath?

Acts 13:42,44 KJV

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

Apostles gather on the first day of the week

What about the gathering of the apostles from Acts 20:7? Doesn’t that mean that the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday?

Acts 20:7 KJV

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.

Here is talking about Saturday evening, after the sunset, when the first day of the week started. 

Luke counts the time in the classic Jewish style of the Bible. 

The day always starts in the evening, at sunset. (Genesis 1:5,), (Leviticus 23:32).

The apostles were breaking bread every day. (Acts 2:46)

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Acts 2:46 KJV

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find a law that the Sabbath was changed.

God does not change. (Hebrews 13:8)

Lord’s Day – The Sabbath of the Lord

But isn’t Sunday the Lord’s Day?

We find the phrase “Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10 

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Revelation 1:10 KJV

There is no single piece of evidence in the Bible to sustain this claim.

Instead, we can find in Isaiah 58:13 the definition of the Lord’s day.

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isaiah 58:13 KJV

The Sabbath, the 7th day is Lord’s Day, and not Sunday, the 1st day of the week.

Praise God for the Bible, it explains itself, we can find all the answers in it.

Who Changed The Sabbath Day to Sunday?

“The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday, is a constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D, enacting that all courts of justice, inhabitants of towns, and workshops were to be at rest on Sunday”.

Vol XIII, Encyclopedia Britannica page 654

What About The Catholic Church? Do They Have Any Involvement In Sunday Worship?

“The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday.”

CATHOLIC MIRROR, SEPTEMBER 23, 1894

Did God Predict The Change of the Sabbath Day?

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 7:25 KJV

God’s Feedback on The Changing of His Holy Law

Matthew 15:9 KJV

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 7:9 KJV

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Ezekiel 22:26, 31 KJV

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.

Luke 6:46 KJV

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

What About the Sabbath Days from Colossians 2:16?

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Colossians 2:16

What Sabbath days is this verse talking about? 

Note that it refers to the “sabbath days”, and not the Sabbath Day.

There are 2 sets of laws:

• The Moral Law (the 10 commandments – which includes the Sabbath)
• The Ceremonial Laws

2 Chronicles 33:8 KJV

Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.

Deuteronomy 31:26 KJV 

Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee

The ceremonial laws were nailed on the cross. That’s what Paul is talking about in Colossians. 

Notice that it mentions meat, drinks, the new moon, and sabbath days. 

These were all having to do with the ceremonial laws or annual sabbaths.

They are described in detail in Leviticus chapter 23. 

What About Romans 14:5-6?

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Romans 14:5-6 KJV

Here, like in Colossians 2:16, is referring to the Ceremonial Laws, and not to the 7th Day Sabbath. 

The Sabbath Day is a Sign Between God and His People

Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.

Ezekiel 20:12 KJV

The Sabbath Day is a sign of God’s sanctifying power! 

Every Sabbath Day is a sign of His creative power! It’s a memorial of its creation! 

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God

Ezekiel 20:20 KJV

The Sabbath is a sign between God and His true followers. 

By worshipping on the 7th day of the week, and not on the 1st day of the week you acknowledge that you belong to God, the Creator of all things!

Sabbath, Day Of Rest → A Blessing For Us

The Sabbath is a blessing for all of us friends. 

God called us, we have an appointment with Him on that day.

If we come to the meeting, He wants us to enter His rest. 

To renew our hearts and minds, and by keeping it we show our respect and love for Him for all that He has done for us.

Don’t you want to enter His rest? We are all tired from this modern-day life and work.

Why don’t we come to Him, to give us new strength and power for the new struggles that life throws at us?

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 58:13-14 KJV

God is good friends! He wants us to be blessed, He wants to heal us and give us peace, joy, and rest!

The Sabbath Worship In The Last Days

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Revelation 14:6-7 KJV

The first angel’s message from Revelation 14 is to return to worshipping the true God, the Creator, the One who made heaven, earth, and the sea, and everything there is.

The language found in these verses is the same as the Sabbath commandment found in Exodus that acknowledges God as the Creator of all things! (Exodus 20:11)

Revelation 13 talks about the mark of the beast, and it is very much related to worship.

In that chapter, the word “worship” is mentioned 5 times. 

Do you think it has to do anything with the Sabbath? 

It does, friends! 

In the Earth’s last days and in the last act of the Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan, worship will be the main issue.

When we worship determines who we serve!

Everyone will need to make a decision!

The Sabbath Will Be Celebrated For Eternity

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

Isaiah 66:22-23 KJV

Conclusion on What Day Is The Sabbath

We hope that after this study you don’t have any more doubts about what day is the Sabbath.

We have learned that the seventh-day Sabbath is Saturday, and not Sunday – with evidence from both the Bible and dictionary and more.

The Sabbath was given at creation before the Jewish people even existed.

The Sabbath is for everyone, and not for only a particular nation. (Mark 2:27)

Christ has not given any new commandment to keep Sunday holy in memorial of His resurrection.

Baptism has been given to commemorate the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. 

Jesus has kept the Sabbath while on Earth, and the apostles as well. 

The Lord’s day is Saturday and not Sunday.

The Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday by man, and not by God.

The truth will never be popular! If it’s in the Bible, and if we listen to God’s law we will be safe!

Each one of us must make a decision – who do we listen to? God’s law or man’s teachings?

It’s your choice, friend – I hope you will make the right decision! 

May God bless you and your walk with Him! 

FAQ

References

The Sabbath History’s Greatest Hoax – by Doug Batchelor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week

https://www.indifferentlanguages.com/words/sabbath

https://www.cgi.org/who-changed-the-sabbath-to-sunday

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Bible Studies – (Written Format)