"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Revelation 1:10.

"The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." Matthew 12:8.

"The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." The 4th Commandment, Exodus 20:10.

"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." Mark 16:1,2.
"And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him." Mark 16:5,6.

Note: Everybody knows that Sunday was the resurrection day. The Sabbath was past when it dawned. Thus it is evident that the Sabbath is Saturday, the day before Sunday.

"Do not suppose that I have come to do away with the law or the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to enforce them." Matthew 5:17, Goodspeed Version.

"I tell you, as long as heaven and earth endure, not one dotting of an `i' or crossing of a `t' will be dropped from the law until it is all observed." Matthew 5:18, Goodspeed version.

"The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27 (The Sabbath was made and given to man 1,500 years before the existence of a Jew, Genesis 2:1-3.

"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 23:54-56.

"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures." Acts 17:2.

"And he reasoned in the synagogues every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4.

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His." Hebrews 4:9,10.

"For He spake in a certain place of the Seventh day in this wise. And God did rest the Seventh day from all His works." Hebrews 4:4.

"For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts 20:27.

In the New Testament, there are no less than 59 references to the Sabbath. The book of Acts records 84 Sabbaths on which the Apostle Paul and his associates held religious services. Yet there is not one word in the entire Bible authorizing Sundaykeeping.

"And he (the `little horn' power) shall speak great words against the Most high." Daniel 7:25. (Thus, the Roman Catholic Church is the little horn of Daniel chapter 7.)

"Ask now the priests concerning the law." Haggai 2:11.

"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the Seventh day of the week, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority." [`Doctrinal Catechism,' p. 174.]

"We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (364 A.D.), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday." [This catechism received the pope's blessing on January 25, 1910.]

Congregationalists: "It is quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not keeping the Sabbath."

Methodist: "Sabbath, in the Hebrew language, signifies rest and is the Seventh day of the week. . . and it must be confessed that there is no law in the New Testament concerning the first day." [Buck's `Theological Dictionary']

Baptist: "There was, and is, a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the Seventh to the first day of the week . . Where can the record of such a transfer be found? Not in the New Testament - absolutely not . . Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in Early Christian history . . But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism." [Dr. E.R. Hiscox, author of the `Baptist Manual.']

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16.

Thus we know, every Sabbath is a rest day, but not every rest day is a Sabbath day.

"We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29.

"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your Tradition . . But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matthew 15:6-9.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13,14.

Only a few obeyed God in the days of Noah, in the days of Lot, and in the days of Jesus Christ. The majority were lost.

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." 1.Corinthians 1:26,27.

Note: The great religious teachers, in Christ's day rejected the truth also. His followers were of the common people.

"And the time of this ignorance God winked at: but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." Acts 17:30.

"He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him." 1.John 2:4.

"If ye love Me, keep My Commandments." John 14:15.

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10.

"He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1.John 2:6.

"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.

"I am the Lord, I change not." Malachi 3:6.

"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8.

"And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." Hebrews 5:9.

"If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:17.

"God blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it." Genesis 2:3.

"He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it." Numbers 23:20.

"For thou blesseth, O Lord, and it shall be blessed forever." 1.Chronicles 17:27.

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the wages of death." Proverbs 16:25.

"Spiritual things . . are spiritually discerned." 1.Corinthians 2:13,14.

"Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21.

Moderator: `We can worship God anytime, anywhere; yet, Sabbath is set aside by God Himself to do what?

a) 1.Sam. 1:3, worship to bring sin offering;
b) 1.Chr. 16:29, "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness";
c) Psalm 29:2, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;"
d) Do as Jesus did. - "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." "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? . . . No prophet is accepted in his own country. . . . And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way." Luke 4:16,18,20,22,24,28-30.
They heard His gracious words, yet they cast him out! - Thus the question is, if you go to church on Sunday - fine - but how then is your Sabbath?

"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 66:23.

Note: Considering that the Bible teaches worshiping God on His Sabbath in heaven, and that live on earth is our preparation for heaven, why then give such an answer or ask such a question? We ought to know that in the end time, only those are sealed with the seal of God who do His will. Today which day you worship on becomes more and more a critical issue. We are instructed not to offend the Lord's explicit instructions.

"Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that has joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord has utterly separated me from his people (he will treat me differently) . . . For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant." Isaiah 56:2,4.

"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. . . ." Isaiah 58:13,14.

"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Proverbs 28:9.

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:22,23.

"For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36.

"Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:32,33.

"I have not seen the righteous forsaken, not his seed begging bread." Psalm 37:25.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matthew 5:11,12.

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18.

"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:37,38.

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33.

"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. . . . when I am weak, then am I strong." 2.Corinthians 12:9,10.

"I can do all things through Christ which strentheneth me." Phillipians 4:13.

"For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2.Peter 3:5-7. Therefore, Oh, yes, it is a cause that God cannot take such a one into His kingdom for the love of God is not in him or her, 1.Cor. 2:9.

Hear this child of God and think of it! Toward the end of this earth's history the messages of the three angels are given for the whole world. These are God's last wake up call before Jesus comes again and probation for everyone closes as you can read in Revelation 15, especially in verse 8. And since Revelation chapter 14, verse 7 quotes from the fourth commandment, saying, "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water", we know the Sabbath commandment is upheld and taught, yet what will happen to those who reject God's law? even if its only one law out of ten? - The answer you find in Revelation chapter 16. All law breakers, toward the end of time, will be subject to the seven plagues, That need not be, so choose life, why do you want to choose death for a short season in sin?

"And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting." Luke 18:29,30.

"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.

"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.

"Well done thou good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21.

Let us then spend a few moments reflecting about our precious heritage, the true Sabbath. What is the Sabbath really all about? What is its real significance in the plan of salvation and to us personally? The title of our study points to it.

Let us begin with two familiar and cherished scriptures.

"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.

"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.

Tests and signs are a part of our daily lives. Signs are often associated with, or follow, tests. While we are sitting in the waiting room of the doctors office, we read with interest the signs on the walls, which tell us the doctor has passed certain tests, and is therefore qualified to practice his medical profession.

Many of the things that we use are tested, from the bolts, nuts, and screws to boats, cars, ships, and planes. People are tested too. The purpose of all this testing is prediction and the reduction of risk. What will happen if this boat is put into the water; if this car is put on the road; if this plane is put into the air? What will be the result if this woman goes into a classroom to teach; if this man sets up a practice of medicine? These are the kinds of questions that we try to answer in advance by testing. The obvious purpose of the testing is to reduce, or ideally to eliminate, the element of risk.

Experience teaches us that it is easier to test things than to test people. Our penitentiary parole boards have been struggling with this problem for years, without great success. It is their responsibility to try to predict human behavior in order to decide which prisoners can safely be returned to society. They often make mistakes, not because of insincerity, on their part. Surely they are as concerned about the security of their families as we are. Their problem is simply that they do not have a perfect system for testing.

Our Lord's Test

Our Lord is in a similar situation. He is planning to parole prisoners from planet earth and release them into the society of other worlds where there has never been any sin, and where we may be sure that the inhabitants do not ever want to have any sin. God therefore needs a test for the purpose of predicting human behavior. What kind of test would meet His requirements? There would be at least five essential elements:

1. Such a test would have to be applicable to all people in all places on earth.
   
2. It would have to be applicable to people of all ages.
   
3. It would have to be applicable to people in all conditions of ability, education, talent, and wealth.
   
4. It would have to be reasonable and fair.
   
5. It would have to be unique, so that motivation would be clear.