Which Day is the Sabbath?
THE SABBATH DAY
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
The word “Sabbath” in Hebrew comes from the Chaldean word “Sabattu,” which means “a day of rest for the soul.” This shows us that the divine institution of a 7th day was known by the ancestors of Abraham, all the way back to Adam through the lineage of Seth.
CALENDAR CONTROVERSY
Which day is the Sabbath day? Do we know the original days going all the way back to the Garden of Eden? The answer is no! The current Jewish calendar is a development of the Babylonian calendar, which dates back to the Sumerians around 5000 B.C. King Solomon developed a calendar for Israel around 930 B.C., which was called the “Gezer calendar.” With the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., the Jewish leadership adopted the Babylonian calendar, including the names of the months.
At the time of Moses, when the people of Israel lived in Egypt, they were subjected to the Egyptian calendar. Each calendar used by the different nations contained errors and days had to be added at certain intervals of years in order to keep up with the turning of the sun from the south to the north (summer and winter).
When the Roman Empire had conquered all the nations in the Middle East, Julius Caesar, around 50 B.C., reformed the Roman calendar, abandoning the lunar calendar completely, and went to a tropical solar year, with a length of 365.25 days in a year. In order to get in step with the sun, two corrections were made in 46 B.C. On February 23, another 23 days were inserted, and at the end of November and the beginning of December another 67 days were added. This made the year 46 B.C. to have 445 days.
By 1545, the vernal equinox had moved 10 days from its proper date. But it was not until 1572 that Pope Gregory XIII issued a bull (decree) for a new calendar.
In order to bring the calendar back to line up with the sun, and bring the vernal equinox back to March 21, ten days were omitted from that year. In order to keep it accurate in the future, leap years were introduced, when one extra day would be added.
Most nations in the world today have adopted the Gregorian calendar, while the Jews have their own calendar. The Chinese are one of a number of nations that have their own calendar.
It is noteworthy that there is a proposed International Fixed Calendar, but this does not properly divide into quarters for the business community, so instead there will be a World Calendar, divided into four quarters, each having 91 days with an additional day at the end of the year.
In each quarter, the first month is of 31 days and the second and third of 30 days each. The extra day comes after December 30 and bears no month or weekday designation, nor does the intercalated leap year day that follows June 30. In the World Calendar January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 are all Sundays. Critics point out that each month extends over part of five weeks, and each month within a given quarter begins on a different day. Nevertheless, both these proposed reforms seem to be improvements over the present system that contains so many variables. (C.A.R.)
To the Jews, the day we now know as Saturday is the Sabbath for them, for most Christians, Sunday is the Sabbath day, and to the Muslims, Friday is the Sabbath day. The principle God has given His people is this: Work six days and the seventh is the Sabbath day. Since God did not specify any specific day of the week for the Sabbath day, this principle works for all people around the world regardless of which calendar they follow.
God used the Apostle Paul to settle this issue once and for all:
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
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.
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man:
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
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.
Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
The Sabbath day is a day of rest, worship, fellowship with the believers and a time to reach out to the lost!
The Sabbath day is not a day to do business, paint your house, wash your car, go shopping, etc. God has given you six days to do all your work!
Instead of arguing if the Sabbath day is Saturday or Sunday, let us unite in love, respect one another, and live out our Christian life in love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
| Seventh Day Adventist Sabbath Day | Regarding the seventh day of the week being the Sabbath day, let me ask you a question, which day does a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor take as his Sabbath day? It certainly cannot be on Saturday for this is a work day, in which he preaches and counsels people. The dilemma with the SDA’s is that their own pastor works on the very day they declare to be the only true Sabbath day and therefore their pastor is guilty of transgressing the fourth commandment. There is no way he can keep this commandment, unless he were to step down. The SDA’s fall on their own sword when their pastor is not able to observe Saturday as the one true Sabbath day. |
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