The Sabbath

Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

There are many levels to the meaning of the Sabbath. The first Sabbath was really about seven days and the pattern they established according to the ways of God.

There is a religious controversy concerning Saturday verses Sunday and even Lunar calender verses the Solar calendar. These disputes have often divided people who might otherwise be seeking the truth about the early Church.

First you may need to come into an understanding that Christ and God the Father have always been teaching us a way to live under His grace.

 

The precept of the Sabbath is a way, not a day.

Learning the way of the Sabbath is an end to conflict and the idolatry of counting and observing days and calendars.

Then you may need to come into one accord as to what "religion" is.

Is religion what you think about God or is it your duty to God and your fellowman? Once you come into agreement as to the meaning of the word religion and maybe the word worship too then you can ask:

"What is the true Sabbath and how do we keep it?"

There was the beginning of a shift from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week back when Constantine hired Eusebius to create a uniform doctrine.

"All things whatsoever that it was the duty to do on the Sabbath, these we have transferred to the Lord’s Day." ^[1]

This idea expressed by Eusebius is not the same as what we see being stated by Justin in his apology of the faith more than a century and a half earlier.

“But Sunday is the day on which we hold our common assembly because it is the first day on which God, having wrought change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.”^[2]

Sabbath Blessed

The Sabbath was not a day of common assembly but a day of rest. When Justin's common assemblies were gathered on the first day of the week they came to do the work of the kingdom, not rest from work. Christians in those days did take the Sabbath as their day of rest but they met often on Sunday.

Christians were doing things much different than we see modern Christians. There choice to follow Christ went much deeper, changing their lives in every aspect. The Christians were either cast out of or simply did not partake of the welfare offered by the Pharisees or by Rome or any of the 127 countries that had built the Temple at Ephesus, which operated as a world bank and underwriter of many of these social welfare systems of that day. The leaders of those governments did call themselves benefactors but they exercised authority one over the other. ^[3]

The early Church knew that the welfare offered by the world was a snare and a trap. ^[4]

Their ministers were the good shepherds in those days. Men of faith and service who kept the people from becoming entangled in the bondage of the world. Since the church was in the world but not of it, there was work to be done out of love for one another. The Church's duties to the people included servicing that love of the people for one another.

Christians did not apply for or desire access to the welfare system of Rome, the alimenta. There had been a complex and growing system of welfare for its citizens for centuries, financed by taking from one group or class of people for the benefit of another. By the time of Septimius Severus (193-211) the emperor restored free medical care for everyone in the Roman empire. But the Christians would not apply for they prayed to the Father in heaven not in Rome.

The Christian Church distributed food to the needy of their congregation during shortages, healed the sick and carried the welfare of their eucharist to those who could not make it to the assembly. This was all done through faith, hope and charity. The intimacy of their network made this system far more efficient and nurtured the bonds of love that would sustain them during the decline and fall of the empire.

The modern Church no longer takes care of their needy through faith, hope and charity. Ministers often still want the support of the people but they do not care for the people in the way the early Church did. In fact in this day of socialism they are the first one to send the people to the benefactors who exercise authority. They have watered down the gospel instead of baptizing them as John. ^[5]

There were many new Christians under the command of Constantine who got baptized. Unfortunately these Christians did not repent and get baptized but brought with them many of their ways. Some of these ways included those practiced in the temples of Mithra. "It would seem the Christians adopted Sunday as their chief day of worship instead of the Jewish Sabbath from the Mithraic cult" ^[6]

Two Days

One of the major stumbling blocks of Sabbath vs. Sunday is that no none understand the purpose of either day and how the early church used them. These two days represent a practical message concerning the ways of God. God did not just make up the Ten Commandments to keep us busy or test our religious convictions. God is a God of purpose.

Is the Sabbath a day or a way?

In opposition to a custom creeping into the life of the early Christians who were sometimes neglecting the Sabbath some early Church writers spoke in favor of the practice. Irenaeus who advocated the practice of Sabbath keeping wrote, “For He [Christ] did not make void, but fulfilled the law” referring to the Ten Commandments. ^[7]

Hidden in the ritual or religious rites of working six days and then taking a day of rest afterwards, there is a clue to the ways of God. God is a mystery to those who do not know Him. Those who could see with the eyes of Christ will see the secret of the Sabbath.

Do we rest and then work or work and then rest? Do we earn and then have or have and then owe? There is an order in the universe of cause and effect and if we back the principles of that order we swim against the tide of creation.

It was avarice and sloth as opposed to due diligence that brings us into delinquencies of God's guideposts called the Commandments.

We want what we want now before we have worked to have it, We want to be paid before we deliver or produced, We want the benefit before our own benevolence is manifest. This is contrary to the Sabbath principle and is revealed in our covetousness. It is the covetousness of the people for the people's goods by which the people are brought back into into bondage. ^[8]

The Sabbath of rest is the day after the work is done, not before. To argue or debate which day is the Sabbath without this precept is to unmoor the symbol of God's way from the Spirit of His plan.

“When a symbol unmoors itself from what it symbolizes, it loses meaning. It becomes ineffective”  Albert Einstein 

 

A day of Covetousness

It was man's desire for benefits and advantage at the expense of his neighbor that seduced him into making agreements that became a trap and a snare. ^[9]

The greed, covetousness, and sloth of the people brought men back into an entanglement in the world which does not believe in the ways of Christ. This is done by consent through agreement. ^[10]

Once our greed and sloth has enticed us to strike hands as a surety for debt by our prayer and applications we are soon sealed in debt. Nothing will save us, or our children unless we repent and learn to forgive those owe to provide us with social security and benefits from men who exercise authority by that same agreement. ^[11]

Besides Irenaeus, Tertullian also spoke of Jesus rightly restoring the Sabbath to its proper meaning and function, “Thus Christ did not at all rescind the Sabbath. He kept the law [Ten Commandments] thereof . . . He restored to the Sabbath the works for were proper for it." ^[12]

In 364 the Council of Laodicea added canon to its church by stating that "Christians shall not judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day..." Most Christians continued to keep the Sabbath but this new group was more comfortable with the rituals of their earlier religion.

Constantine's Day

Constantine did not like the Jews at all. He banished their Rabbis and made it illegal for Christians and Jews to marry. He also banished anyone, under threat of death, if they did not believe in his refined form of Christianity. This is so far from what Jesus preached it is amazing that anyone could imagine that he was a Christian at all.

Over 30 years before Christ was born Octavian became Caesar Augustus. He had formed his first army by 19 and won accolades of praise his whole life.

He also gave away billions of sesterces and millions of denarii [Roman silver coins] to the needy over his long career, built many temples, and occasionally fed half of Rome out of his own pocket. As with the generals before him he was expected to contribute part of his spoils and profits to the public welfare by commissioning new building that would serve the people. Through this philanthropy the Caesars were often given the title of Pontifex maximus, the chief priest of the state religion. Constantine assumed that title when he began to form a new Christian Church.

To entice and insure the enthusiasm of his of his faithful he bestowed upon those cooperative souls and churches land, buildings, privileges and thousands of pounds of silver in the form of altars and coin.

Rome was originally a republic.

The population had a keen sense of law, judgment, mercy and even faith. In a government of freemen charity and honor are not only essential elements of society they are esteemed and expected. For centuries Roman poor were cared for by the free will offerings of the people in a network of intimate congregations of what the Romans called hearths.

The rise of leaders of extreme wealth allowed a relatively new element of roman society to be seduced, if not bribed, to relinquish more and more power into the hands of these benevolent leaders. The influx of affluence and foreign laborers and foreign ideals changed the character of Rome itself. With the increase of socialism and sloth amongst the citizenry the ancient centers of their religion became more elaborate and less practical, less moral and more superstitious.

When the people forsook the life blood of a free society, freewill charity, in exchange for welfare schemes enforced by civil government, the nature of their society changed, and with that change their religion also was altered. The charity and hope that had nurtured the love and gratitude of a caring community withered and died. Feast and celebrations that once punctuated the seasons of caring and common welfare became bacchus events of self indulgence and revelry. ^[13]

This path was no different than that of the Jews. The temples, robes and religious objects changed, the names, chants and incantations changed but the precepts were the same. The Corban of the Jews made the word of God to none effect and the Qorban of Rome neutralized their society as it halted. declined and failed. Both words meant the sacrifices of the people but when the sacrifices were no longer free neither could the people be free.

What does all this have to do with the Sabbath?

The Sabbath is as much about working six days as it is about taking that deserved and earned rest. It is the natural order and respect for God and His ways. One does not take his rest before he labors. That is the nature of debt. If one spends his money before he earns it he will become a slave to the lender. The rites and rituals of God's society are compatible with the character of God. To alter the nature of His plan will alter us. The Sabbath was made for man, to teach him the ways of God.

The way of God is to neither become a surety or make others a surety for debt. To do that would bind us on earth and in heaven.

Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

We also know that if we judge it is okay to bind others as a surety for us we are selves can rightfully bound by others.

Luke 6:37"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

The same is true of giving and receiving. If what you receive, in the form of or under the guise of charity, is not freely given then it is not charity blessed by God. In fact it would make the word of God to none effect. It would curse society.

For something to be Sabbath blessed one would have to earn it first. Taking off Saturday or Sunday by itself makes no difference. It is the precepts of God we must adhere to not the names and labels we place on them. ^[14]

Without forgiveness of debt there is no mercy which is a weightier matter according to Christ. Without mercy their is no charity. And without charity there is no love.

If you have gone into debt to earn benefits at the expense of others like all the people of the world have done then how can you be a Sabbath keeper?

If you hold others in debt in application for benefits you obtain from men who call themselves benefactors but who exercise authority over your neighbor to provide those benefits how can you be a man or woman of charity and love obedient to the words of Christ or God himself?

A Sabbath System

The temples not only housed government records, private contracts but were also the place for birth registration. This was to insure your eligibility for benefits from such welfare programs like annona and alimenta. ^[15] The temples of Rome were public buildings offering benefits, first by free will offerings but eventually by compelled offerings

The Pharisees, who were also fond of mindless rituals with great swelling words of vanity delivered the people into systems of forced sacrifice. They lifted the people up with guarantees of salvation through being the children of Abraham and being God's people while they picked the flesh from their bones through systems of Corban that made the word of God to none effect. Modern Christendom is not much different. They profess Christ with their lips but they do not serve one another by faith and charity, much less hope and love.

Taking a Sabbath, a day of rest, can be very beneficial. Wives cook on Friday.... And take a humble rest upon the Sabbath with their family. Some read the Bible, listen to music, fall asleep with a good book on their chest, just take a rest. This can be physically important especially for those who live working lives. A Sabbath allows the body to catch up on its cleansing efforts of the flesh and likely the Spirit.... It is offered to us to restore us after our week of labor and work.

"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" Mark 2:27

But the Sabbath is much more. Resting on the Sabbath by itself does not make the day holy. The ritual of the day will not get you into the Kingdom but there is a message sent to us within the form of the ritual.

First a Hebrew lesson.

Hebrew is very unique in that each letter has a meaning and each root word [3 letters] can be changed by adding another letter. It is a little like Chinese but not superimposed although some letters are actually composed of others. Even the order of the letters adds to the meaning. In Ezekiel the Mark of God in the foreheads was the tav [ t].

"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." Ezekiel 9:4

The taw or tav which during some of the history of the language looked similar to a small n. It has several meaning on several levels as all the letters of the Hebrew alef-beit. It means faith, it stands for the Sabbath, as a day, and has a value of 400. If you put the tav in combination with other letters you get different meanings. Alef mem tav or "emet" [tma] means truth. I am the TRUTH.

The taw is also the last letter of the alef beit, and the alef is the first. If Jesus were to say I am the alef and the taw... the first and the last this could have extensive meaning in the Hebrew far beyond the Greek.

Alef [ a ] is composed of two letters of Hebrew and looks like a fancy N. It is two yods one above and one below [reversed] divided by a vav [w]. This has to do with man created in the image of God. Mem is the letter for water which also means fountain and water has to do with spirit and or with the flow of something. The Hebrew word Emet is telling you how this connection is fulfilled. This is the meaning of the word TRUTH.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

On one level truth is about not lying, but on another it is far more meaningful. Most lies are the result of leaving out a part of the truth rather than stating something that is directly incorrect..

Also Hebrew is read from right to left so depending on where you are at the tav comes first.

I wont go into mem here more than to repeat that it has to do with water, flow, life, gift, and Baptism in a spiritual sense.

See Baptism, The Ritual and The Jurisdiction

FAITH marks the spot.

"And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." 1 John 5:8

This is not pie in the sky good feeling religious mumbo jumbo but a real power that moves in a life. Plutonium doesn't look like much in a small amount but put enough together and in an instant something happen. Pentecost was kind of a spiritual critical mass.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:5

The point is that faith is the key, it is the Sabbath, it is what brings us to rest. All my life there was a splinter in my brain that kept saying that something wasn't right. Most people think the problem is the splinter, but the splinter is what is left of the truth. The rest is the delusion of the world, the Matrix of our own deception. Let go of the delusion and trust in God and things will start to unfold answers will come and the rest or peace of the LORD allows us to walk on the raging seas of this world without being tossed to and fro.

Faith is the door we must pass through. The cross is an ancient tav according to Roman literature. It was some times also written as an X. In the Sanskrit this was also true, but Sanskrit comes from the Asuras who were the traffickers of the Indus Valley, merchants of men, from whom Abram fled when he went to Ur.

The Canaanite are of the same ilk, for that word also means merchants, traffickers [e.g. commerce]. The tav was a door to Abraham but the Asuras blocked the way of faith with their Sanskrit X just as the traveling merchants of men's souls do today. X marks the spot where you sign. And their unholy priest block the door of your minds with a "cross", delivering you into bondage.

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matthew 23:13

The Merchants of Men, Canaan
http://www.hisholychurch.org/study/history/2merchantmen.php

Faith and the tav [ t ] which is its symbol is to be a door, a way. Faith is the rock upon which He shall build the house of the called out, the "oikidomes ekklesia" [oikidomes ekklesia]. It might be interesting to know that some of the New Testament was originally written in a form of Hebrew and there are copies still in existence. At least some of them are still hidden from the public down in the "graves"...? The same is true of an Ark of the Covenant. There is one Ark that has been hidden in the Grave of the ancients. But that is another story.

In Hebrew Truth is emet ...aleph mem tav [tma] , union with God [walk with him], flowing in spirit, faith.

Sabbath in Hebrew is tav beit shinn. ... faith, purpose or household, revelation.

Exodus 20:9 " Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:"

The ways of Babylon were and are to take your rest and then owe thy work, your labor... this is opposed to the Sabbath which is to do the work, do the will of the household and rest therein. You can take every Saturday off and be far from this. You can limit your steps on the Sabbath and never keep it holy. You could count your moons and months and days and never rest in the faith of the Lord or in his way.

"The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute." Proverbs 12:24

A Babylonian is often a workaholic who thinks that by his own will or effort he will succeed according to his own purpose.

"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." Judges 7:2

If we are going to be one with God we must have His purpose and we must have it with humility and service. God is not a rebel and we must conform to His character. It is His will and not our own. It is His will done in His way... we must love that way.

"Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Luke 22:42

The Sabbath includes the idea of faith, which is the mark of God, when it is real faith we live by and not our own knowledge, strength and proud hand then we may have faith in God. Most men have faith in their government or their 401K or their stuff or their pension... These are all works of our own hands. But who has faith in God?

"And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." Ezekiel 9:4

That word mark is the tav [faith] with a vav as a "connection to a realm". You make your day holy more by working the 6 in faith than you do by merely taking the day off.

Do not make days magical in your mind nor think words, incantations and chants will keep you from the wicked or the wicked from you. Seek the Spirit of God ... seek His realm... His Jerusalem [Double Peace]. Let us dwell in the place where God prevails [Israel].

There are two houses in this world, two kingdoms.

It is not about days or mountains or temples of stone, altars of dirt nor is it about holy names or the incantaiton of special words nor the keeping of special days. It is about the precepts and virtue of the creator's character who is a Father to us all.

When we are sons and daughters according to His Character, which is what His Name represents, we will be compelled by the conviction of His presence in us to do as He would do in Spirit and in Truth For we know that the law is spiritual (Romans 7:14) .

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]: Which are a shadow... "

The ritual and the form is but a symbol of His purpose and doctrines. The will and way of God is about the Spirit of God living in you and working through you. It is not about the symbols unmoored from the precept but it is about being according to the law of the Spirit of the Father in Heaven. We are to manifest that spirit and in truth, edifying His kingdom, His realm in this world and not create more religions that bind men to days and words, jurisdictions and doctrines of mere rituals void of the substance of His character.

Galatians 4:9-11 "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you..."

The righteousness of God should follow men as men follow God. If men follow those things they will divide themselves from each other and from God in that pursuit of pride. Do not worship the ritual and the ceremony and forget the weightier things like love and mercy, law and justice For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free...(Romans 8:2) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us... (Romans 8:4)

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Matthew 23:23

Seek first the kingdom of Heaven which is at hand and the righteousness of God which He teaches us in our hearts and in our minds the the revolution of His presence by His Holy Spirit.

The Sabbath day stands for faith, but it is not faith. Faith is the Sabbath realized. If you just keep the day, but don't live your faith then all you have is a day off and you may be far off from God. Faith is the mark of God, placed in your mind by your conformity to His Spirit, but faith alone does not lead you to the alef, a relationship with God. God comes to you by His grace as you turn around and return to serve His purposes. Faith alone maybe in false gods created by false teachers and that will change you in the image of those man created gods. Faith in the God will change you according to His Character. Faith like love, and charity is not something you have and keep. It is an utility. It is in motion like electricity.

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26

One must take his faith to the next level or step e.g. Mem..[m]. water... The flow of the spirit into the world... The word made flesh in you and therefore in the world.... The manifestation of Christ... The anointing of the Holy Spirit..

In History we have come to the time of the tav mem aleph. Again on another level. This is marked in the Heaven as the age of Aquarius, the water bearer. In the Bible they talk of the latter rain. Even Pentecost was a shadow of things to come.

Many things are coming for us all. What we call good or bad depends on us and our true relationship with God. Those are words easy to say but not always easy to understand their depth.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in so much that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24

This is done already.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

Distress in this quote is from sunoche which means to hold together, as in uniting.

Upon earth a union of nations more complete than the Pax Romana.

Seas are people and the people of the world are headed for some rough times and they will need faith to get through and they will need to share their faith with those who do not have as much. In the charity of that sharing more will be provided.

People of the world are in debt because they slothfully wanted their rest without earning it first.

They are in debt and hold one another in debt.

They do not come together in faith, hope and charity but bind one another together in contracts of surety and power.

They covet one another's goods through men of power and force.

They have not followed the example or way of God and been entangled again in the elements of the world.

They have not kept the Sabbath in spirit or truth though they count moons or suns or seven days of the week.

The Sabbath is your day of faith. It is not faith in a day.

Peace be on your house

Sabbath rest and Assemblies BlogTalkRadio 29:10
http://www.hisholychurch.net/audio/BTSabbath1374495.mp3

• Sabbath of Faith on FirstAmendmentRadio 49:10
  http://www.hisholychurch.net/audio/Sabbath.mp3

Sabbath and ways of Faith on Talkshoe 37:43
http://www.hisholychurch.net/audio/TSsabbath.mp3

Networking the Network 25:34
http://www.hisholychurch.net/audio/TSNetwork.mp3

 

This article started partly in relation to someone quoting Isaiah 24 which has nothing to do with the planet being uninhabitable.

Isaiah 24 and More
http://www.hisholychurch.org/sermon/isaiah24.php