Written by: Damien Powell
Do Christians have to observe the fourth commandment which says Remember the Sabbath Day or Shabbat (pronounced Sha-bot) to keep it holy? Does it apply for the Jews? Is this day more important to our Creator than we thought? Let us examine further and follow YESHUA, The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
The importance of The Sabbath Day to The Elohim of Yisra’el can be established with His original ancient language The Lashone Hakodesh (The Holy Tongue) that He used to speak the world into existence with. The original form was The Otiot which is pictographs that simplified His language so it could never be distorted. The Sabbath Day spelled using the Otiot spelled (Taw, Beyt, Shin) which in Hebrew is read from right to left.
1. Shin (pronounced sheen) is a picture of two front teeth which is used to separate or to cut.
2. Beyt (pronounced bay-eat) is a picture of a house, family and represents YESHUA.
3. Taw is a picture of two crossed wooden sticks that Christians call a cross. It is used as a sign, signature or mark.
Combining these words in His original language reveals something very important to all creation. The Sabbath is Shin (Those who are SEPARATED from the world), Beyt (Who belong to YESHUA, who are in YHWH’s House and His family) and Taw (Those who have YHWH’s MARK, SIGNATURE and SIGN eternally a monument in time.)
Putting it all together The Sabbath says: Those who have been separated from the world, who belong to YESHUA who are in YHWH’s House and His family, and those who have YHWH’s mark, sign, or signature on them. This shows the importance of this special day as it is a memorial to our Creator forever. Which is why YHWH says this is Exodus.
Exodus 31:13-14 YHWH says
“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘My Sabbath you are to guard, by all means, for this is a SIGN (TAW) between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, YHWH, kadosh (sanctify) you.”
So if The Sabbath is His Set Apart Day that he recognizes as a sign between He and His people, then what does that make Sunday the day that 99% of the world goes to worship? It’s a day that Satan uses to mark his people whether knowingly through tradition or unknowingly. We all know that Satan rebelled against YHWH and he wants believers in YESHUA to rebel against Him just as he and 1/3 of the angels did. He knows the importance of The Sabbath and wants believers to rebel against His fourth commandment. Sabbath is Hebrew for Rest which falls on Saturday (Friday night sunset to Saturday night sunset.) The Hebrew word for Sunday is Yom Reeshone and nowhere in scripture does YHWH or YESHUA say remember the Yom Reeshone to keep it holy. Satan attempts to take the worship away from YHWH on his set apart day and counts on the fact that believers will set it doesn’t matter, I’m saved through grace alone, the law is done away with, once saved always saved theologies that are not scriptural at all. He even tried to get YESHUA to worship him so what is stopping him from getting believers to worship him? Man-kind is created in Elohim’s image and likeness and we as His creation reminds Satan of Elohim and he wants us destroyed. And with his pride wanting to be like Elohim he wants all the worship and is doing that on his day Sunday the sun-god.
But good news is that it’s time to repent to YHWH today because His kindness and mercy endures forever to those who revere Him, but do not delay! Be obedient to the Creator of the universe and be freed from the chains of sin and death through YESHUA.
How does Sunday relate to mark of the beast?
Isiah 14:13 says
“You said in your heart (Satan), “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of Elohim; I will sit enthroned on the mount of congregation, on the sides of the north.”
It’s a known fact that Satan wants to be worshipped as elohim, not only by that passage but by him trying to make YESHUA worship him in the wilderness. So with that said he tries to duplicate everything that YHWH does with enough truth and then the lie to deceive you, but he will always come up short. YHWH is 7 for completion, but Satan is the 6, always falling short. YHWH has Shabbats (Sabbath) Satan mocks him with his Sabbats. YHWH has Passover Satan has Easter, YHWH has Feast of Tabernacles Satan has Thanksgiving, YHWH said don’t sacrifice children yet Satan requires them. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this.
Look at it this way. As I have shown in Exodus 31:13 YHWH said that the Sabbath Day is a SIGN between He and His people, right? Don’t you as followers of YESHUA want to be His people? Yes you do! This is also confirmed in Deuteronomy 6:4-8 which says
“Hear, O Yisra’el: YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one! And you shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart, and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up, and shall BIND THEM AS A SIGN ON YOUR HAND, and they shall be as FRONTLETS BEWTEEN YOUR EYES (foreheads).”
The Hebrew pictograph for hand is Yod which is a picture of an arm and hand and has to do with actions, work, and keeping His Word in front of you and Resh a picture of a man’s head which relates to your thoughts on Elohim or on wickedness and reading His word. This aligns perfectly to what YHWH told Joshua in 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and act wisely.”
So YHWH marks His people who keep the Sabbath and His people bind His commands as a SIGN on their foreheads and hands. How does Satan mock this as he always does? Revelations 13:16-17
“And he causes all, both small and great, and rich and poor, and free and slave, to be given a mark upon their RIGHT HAND or upon THEIR FOREHEADS, and no one should be able to buy or sell except he that has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
So if you don’t have the mark of Satan you will not be able to function without the RFID chip in your right hand and don’t worship on Sunday which is the one world religion that will be implemented. The Roman Catholic Church has admitted that they changed the day from Saturday to Sunday this has happened in history before. Roman Emperor Constantine was a pagan sun deity worshipper who saw a flaming cross in the sky and took that as a cue to convert to Christianity but not leave his pagan roots. He then merged the two religions but kept his Sunday worship intact and believers followed. Also, Antiochus Epiphanies during the destruction of the temple in 70AD put Sabbath Keepers who kept the Torah and commandments of YHWH to death if they did not convert to his false religion or bow down to his false deities. There is a gruesome story of a mother who watched all seven of her children be tortured and killed because they refused to disobey YHWH and neither would she.
So we can see the connection and the importance of this situation that Satan throughout history as persecuted the people of YHWH for keeping His day holy and has gotten his henchmen to enforce it; however, YHWH has always kept a remnant, and I make this point to say that it will happen again with the One world religion the New World Order and Satan knows that the Sabbath Day is the truth. Why else would he keep getting people to persecute the people of YHWH who worship on this day? We know YESHUA is The Way and Satan doesn’t want you knowing The Way, but he wants you to go his way.
Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. Brings back memories of the blue laws when I was growing up where all the stores were closed on Sunday (Ukrops for example) to honor the sun diety. It was illegal to work on that day, if only they kept the proper day of the Sabbath. The One World religion will force this issue before as it has been done in history already because there is nothing new under the sun, I cannot emphasize that enough.
What does YHWH say about it?
Firstly, I would like to point out that most believers would tell you that they believe in the 10 commandments; however, when it comes to the fourth commandment they manage to skip over it. Shouldn’t that set off an alarm? Exodus 20:8 says
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy (Kodesh) Six days shall you labor and do all your work, but the SEVENTH day is a Sabbath of YHWH your Elohim. You do not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore YHWH barak (blessed) the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
YHWH just explained that He blessed the Sabbath (Saturday) the 7th day of the week and set apart from all the other six days, so it’s important. Yet, believers will skip over this commandment and turn the 10 commandments into the 9 commandments! YESHUA said in His closing statements at the end of Revelation 22:19 “And if anyone takes away from this scroll of prophecy, Elohim will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, that are described in this book.” Yet believer keep taking away from His Words and commandments. YESHUA said if you love me you will keep my commandments in John 14:21-24, so I exhort the world to start showing them they love Him, by setting aside this day.
Is the Sabbath just for the Jews?
Leviticus 23:2 YHWH says
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are MY appointed times (appointments to meet with you), the appointed times of YHWH, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.”
Firstly, YHWH says these are MY appointed times (appointments) to meet with His people, He did not say “These are the Jewish appointed times” which is one of the biggest lies Satan has told to get the world to celebrate his pagan satanic days. These Holy Days (appointed times) are for those who say they follow YHWH and YESHUA and are joined one with Israel. And amongst all these appointed times like Passover is the weekly 7th day Sabbath! He wants to meet with us EVERY SATURDAY, so let us keep that appointment!
Even Abraham kept the Torah and commandments before there ever was a Jew around. The Jews came through Jacob who had 12 sons the 12 Tribes of Israel and one of them was named Judah (Jews). Genesis 26:5
“Because Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My Commandments, My Laws, and My Torot (Torah) Instructions.” So as we can see, Abraham kept the commandments well before it was given in Exodus, which means that YHWH’s commandments are eternal, forever! Also in Exodus 16 which is 4 chapters before the Ten Commandments were given in Exodus 20 on Mount Sinai. Exodus 16:28
“Then YHWH said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions (Torah)? In other words His Torah and commandments are FOREVER!
Isaiah 56:6 says
“Also the sons of the foreigner (non-native born Israelite, one grafted in) who join themselves to YHWH, to serve Him, and to love the Name of YHWH, to be His servants, all who guard the Sabbath, and not profane it, and hold fast to My Covenant-them I shall bring to my kodesh (holy) mountain, and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their slaughtering’s are accepted on My altar, for My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
As the prophecy in Isaiah states there are requirements that the foreigner must do to be accepted by YHWH which is not profaning the Sabbath, loving His Name, and keeping His Covenant. There is no such thing as saying you believe in Him and profaning the Sabbath according to this prophecy.
Ephesians 2:11-19
“Therefore remember that you ONCE gentiles in the flesh (non-native born Israelite), who are called ‘the circumcision’ made in the flesh by hands, that at that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’el and strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no expectation and without Elohim in the world. But now in Messiah YESHUA you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of ha’Mashiach. For He is our peace, who has made both one, and having broken down the partition of the barrier, having abolished in His flesh the enmity-the law of the commands in dogma-so as to create in Himself one renewed man from the two, thus making peace, and to completely restore to favor both of them unto Elohim in one body through the stake, having destroyed the enmity by it. And having come, He brought as Good News peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near. Because through Him we both have access to the Father by one Ruach (Spirit). So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizen with the saints and members of the household of Elohim.”
Paul is saying that gentiles were far off from the promise and Covenant but through the blood of YESHUA they are now grafted into the promise and are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens of Israel; therefore, making you an Israelite and not a separate person of Christianity. Being a grafted in member of the Israelites and promises means you must obey His commandments and The Torah.
When we read Genesis 2:2-3 we read that Elohim created the heavens and the earth and then He rested on the Seventh day from all of His work. Then when we read Genesis 2:5 it says
“Now no shrub of the field was yet on the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for YHWH Elohim had not sent rain on the earth, and there was NO MAN to till the ground.”
Then in verse 7 it says
“And YHWH Elohim formed the man out of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath of life. And the man became a living being.”
So based off of those passages along we can see that YHWH created and rested on the seventh day BEFORE He made man. Therefore, no Jew or Gentile even existed. He set aside a day to rest before He even created humans. Plus, if Elohim rested on this day and commands us to rest on this day, then who are we to say no? YESHUA Himself even said in Mark 2:27
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So The Son of Man is also Master of the Sabbath.”
YESHUA is saying that the Sabbath day was created as a gift for all man- kind to rest and get away from the world and that man does not have the authority to place his own theology as to why they don’t keep it, that’s why it is not “man” for the Sabbath. Also, YESHUA goes on to say that He is Master of The Sabbath meaning that He owns the Sabbath day and rules over it. He was there when The Sabbath was instituted at creation. YESHUA is the Word that became flesh John 1:1-3
And He is the living Torah that Moses wrote in the first five books Psalms 40:7; Revelation 19:13, Luke 16:28-31, therefore it would not makes sense for YESHUA who wrote the Word and is the Word to change His own Word. He did not come to abolish Himself, being that He IS The Torah made flesh.
Isaiah 66:22-23
“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make stand before Me,” declares YHWH, “so your seed and your name shall stand. And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,” declares YHWH.
Another question arises amongst believers is did YESHUA keep the Sabbath?
Yes, He did! The debate was never about whether to keep the Sabbath, but “how to keep it.”
We have to remember that when YESHUA walked the earth He was constantly rebuking the religious authorities of His day which were the Pharisees (modern day rabbis) for constantly keeping the traditions of men over the commandments of YHWH. For example the Pharisees asked why YESHUA and His disciples did not keep the “tradition of the elders” of washing their hands before they ate bread. Although, that was a tradition held to a high standard to the Pharisees, YESHUA told them that eating food with unwashed hands does not make you unclean. The Pharisee’s created a tradition which they hold to this day in the Orthodox Jewish sects where they have “ceremonial hand washing” before they eat bread, even if their hands were clean. According to Lex from “Unlearn the lies” he says that one rabbi said “eating bread with unwashed hands is like having sex with a prostitute.” See how they take things to the extreme through their traditions though it’s not based on YHWH’s law? They feel like they can be holier than the Creator in a sense by making these laws, which are all works of the flesh and not the spirit.
They also do things like throw dishes away if the meat comes in contact with dairy and they will bury them in the backyard. According to their traditions you cannot be a “Jew” unless one of your parents is a native-born Jew when Paul says the exact opposite in Romans 2:28 and Ephesians 2:8-19.
So with that said the Pharisees followed man-made traditions known as the “Oral law” which is called the Talmud founded in Babylonian Exile. They believe that Moses was given the written law of the Torah and another set of instructions called the Oral law which the Pharisees and Scribes say has more authority than the Torah, YHWH’s written Word. YESHUA was telling them that their teachings added to the Word of YHWH. So when it comes to the Sabbath Day the Pharisees added 39 prohibitions that believers were not allowed to do on the Sabbath; therefore, making it a burden for people to follow. Which is why YESHUA said in Mathew 11:28-30
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Rabbis had their own “rabbinical yoke” or interpretation of the law/human traditions not commanded by Elohim which made keeping the Sabbath a burden. YESHUA is saying that if you listen to My teachings of YHWH’s original instructions then you will see how easy it is to keep the Sabbath and find rest. You will no longer be burdened by the traditions of men. Paul did not want to put that Pharisee yoke upon the gentiles (Acts 15:10). The Pharisees commanded physical circumcision for salvation when none of us are promised salvation by a commandment. Plus, through YESHUA it is circumcision of the heart to graft all believers into ONE NEW MAN. YHWH wrote the Torah on our hearts as written in Jeremiah 31:31 and Ezekiel 11:11-17.
YESHUA was accused of the Pharisees for plucking heads of grain because one of the Pharisees man-made laws prohibits “winnowing” which is separating chaff from grain, when that is found NO where in scripture. YESHUA pointed to David saying he went a lot further than “winnowing” he ate the consecrated bread in the Holy Place of the Temple and was not guilty because He was hungry. YHWH does not deprive us of sustenance. (Notice how David did not have to bake the bread because it was already made.)
YESHUA also healed on the Sabbath which the Pharisees said was work. They said “Six days you can be healed but not on the seventh.” YESHUA rebuked them again about circumcising the children on the 8th day (Leviticus 12:3). If that 8th day fell on the Sabbath then the Pharisees would go through with the circumcision and not be guilty of breaking the Sabbath; therefore, YESHUA said in John 7:21-24
“I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for HEALING A MAN’S WHOLE BODY ON THE SABBATH?” Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
So as we can see YESHUA guarded/defended the Sabbath Day by rebuking the man-made traditions and showing them how to keep the Sabbath the way YHWH intended for it to be for us. So, yes Yeshua observed the Sabbath Day.
YESHUA healed because He says that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath if it sustains life. For example healing is to feel better, David eating show bread that was unlawful to eat but was innocent because he was hungry, the disciples of YESHUA plucking grains because they were hungry, and the priests working in the Temple doing sacrifices were working on the Sabbath for YHWH but were innocent. If you have time to prepare your food then do so, there is no excuse, but it is not lawful to work for financial gain, going your own way, or indulging in your own interests.
Luke 23:56 says
“And having returned, they prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the Command.”
This shows that even in the New Testament (Renewed Covenant) that the disciples rested on the 7th Day Shabbat according to the Command. They still kept the Sabbath years after YESHUA’s death.
The Sabbath commandment is to:
1. Do no work (producing/production), you or your man/maidservant (Yes going shopping or dining at a restaurant fits in this category because you are causing others to work.)
2. Set the Day apart and Keep it Holy
3. Refrain from your interest (Isaiah 58:13-14)
4. Assemble with believers
5. Refrain from buying or selling commerce (Jeremiah 17:19-27, Amos 8:5, Nehemiah 13:15-22).
6. Rest
Did they really just do that?
The Roman Catholic Church takes credit for changing the day for Saturday to Sunday as well and what’s worse is that they even admit that the Sabbath day is Saturday. However, they say that they observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea (A.A. 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. So the question I pose is do we obey Elohim or man? Acts 5:29 gives us the answer if we were unsure it says:
“And Peter and the other emissaries answering, said “We have to obey Elohim rather than men. “
The Roman Catholic Church in this meeting was asked by what authority did they have to change the day and they said “The Roman Catholic Church says they substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plentitude of the divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her. Also, during the Council of Laodicea, canon 29 says “Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord’s Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema (cursed, disliked, or hated) from Christ.”
So as we can see, nowhere in scripture did Elohim change the day He created and rested on in creation from Saturday to Sunday and nowhere has man be given the authority to change the day himself. So are we going to follow The Hebrew YESHUA or a false Messiah? The one who is leading the world astray known as Satan. Paul warned us about false messiahs and their teachings in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
“For, indeed if he who is coming proclaims another YESHUA, whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different Good News which you have not accepted, you put up with it well enough!”
It was prophesized in Daniel 7:25 that Satan would accomplish changing Elohim’s true days of worship saying
“He will speak against the Most High and oppress His holy people and try to change the appointed times (Leviticus 23).”
Why Sunday worship?
As mentioned in the introduction that Satan knows that The Sabbath Day is a sign between YHWH and His people; therefore, he made a substitute to convince people that the fourth commandment of observing the Sabbath was done away with, moving it to Sunday (sun-god.) Believers will also tell you that they worship on Sunday because YESHUA rose on Sunday. But all this proves is that even while He was in the ground He continued to rest on the Sabbath and rose on first day of week.
Believers will also say “I can worship or esteem Him on any day.” And yes we are to worship Him every day, however, Elohim set apart, blessed, and hallowed and commanded us to rest on the seventh day the Sabbath. We cannot change His command to fit our own philosophy. Which ties in to Colossians 2:16-17 which says
“Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a Festival or a new moon or Sabbaths-which are a shadow of what is to come-but the Body of Messiah.”
Paul is saying do not let a pagan or gnostic non believer judge you for knowing the truth and upholding and obeying YHWH’s law. You know the truth because you know they are a shadow of things to come. Everything we do on earth with the Appointed Times is a dress rehearsal getting ready for the King to return.
Colossians 2:8 says
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”
· The Sabbath was established during creation well before there was “a Jew” which came through the tribe of Judah one of Jacob’s sons (Genesis 2:2-3)
· The Sabbath is a Sign between YHWH and His people and the original ancient language says those who are separated from the world, who belong to YESHUA in His Father YHWH’s House and family, who are marked by a sign or signature.
· Abraham obeyed The Torah (Genesis 26:5) showing the Torah is eternal and pre-existing before given in Exodus. It also correlates with Psalms 119 which talks about the Commands and Laws existing forever. Psalms 119:44, 89
· YHWH was angry with Israel for collecting manna, breaking the Sabbath and being disobedient in Exodus 16:23-29 before the 10 commandments were given in Exodus 20, four chapters later.
· The Israelites received the 10 commandments to reinforce them making a covenant with them
· YESHUA never abolished the Torah which includes the Sabbath (Mathew 5:17-20).
· Paul kept the Sabbath (Acts 13:14, 33, Acts 16:13, Acts 18:4, 11)
· YESHUA said The Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath
Hebrews 4:4-10 says
“For somewhere He has said thus about the seventh day, “And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works,” and in this again “if they shall enter into My rest…” Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of disobedience, He again defines a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so much later, as it has been said, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua established them in rest, he would not have spoken of another day after that. So there REMAIN A SABBATH KEEPING FOR THE PEOPLE OF ELOHIM. For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim from His own.”
That sums it up! If someone preaches to you a doctrine that contradicts the Word of YHWH and doesn’t follow YESHUA’s teachings then run! Repent to YHWH and give your life to YESHUA and do not allow Satan to mark you with the wrong day.