In A.D. 364 the priest of Rome convened the Council of Laodicea at which time he decreed the following: “Christians (Catholics) must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, resting on Sunday. If any be found Judaizing, let them be declared anathema (a heretic) from Christ.” The rule became so strict that no one could engage in business unless he worked on the Sabbath and rested on Sunday. Refusal to obey the law resulted in the martyrdom of masses of God’s saints. The governmental entity that enforced the law was the Roman Empire. I believe that during the Great Tribulation the same entity will be in power, as will the Catholic Church, which will  at that point be a world church, having absorbed all other religions. The rules that governed man’s economic life following the Sabbath change are prophesied to be in place during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 13 describes the rise of both Beasts at that time–one to rule spiritually, the other to rule militarily. As before, no one will be able to buy or sell unless he obeys the ruling powers, proved by bearing the Mark of the Beast (vs 17) which, as before, will prove that he observes the Sunday Sabbath.

Serious Bible students know that God warned of such a “one” who would come in the latter days. In Daniel 7:25 he told of a “little horn” (Catholicism) that would rise up with the Beast (Rome) and would “… CHANGE TIMES AND LAWS.” It was Catholicism (the “one”) that changed the “time” of the Sabbath, thereby altering the “Laws” (Commandments) of God. The church did more than remove a “jot” or “tittle,” she removed commandment #4 and replaced it with one that satisfied the heathen within her. Was this important to God?

In Exodus 19 God told the Israelites that He would verbally tell them (“My voice”) what He required of them, and that if they obeyed His voice (Words) they would be His people and He would be their God. They agreed. He then spoke the 10 Commandments and wrote them in stone with His own finger. The stone-etched Law was declared to be in force “… unto all generations.”  Approximately 10 months later God established a separate covenant with His people specifically involving the Fourth Commandment. We find this episode recorded in Exodus 31:12-18: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying … Verily MY SABBATHS you (His people) will keep, for it is a SIGN (Mark) between Me and you THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS.” The sign would remain in effect “FOR EVER.” Does this Sign/Mark still identify God’s people? “… that you may know that I am the (your) Lord that sanctifies YOU.” Notice verse 17: “It (His Sabbath) is a SIGN (mark) … for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” God is distinguishable from other so-called gods by His power to create. Having created His Sabbath in the Garden of Eden, He gave it to all of mankind forever as a day for man to refresh/rest himself. He designated His Sabbath as one of the signs that has identified His people throughout history. The other signs involve obedience to Him in all other things.

Though His blessed Sabbath was made FOR man, He retains His Lordship over it (Mat. 12:8). He decided what day it falls on and what can be done on it (Mk. 2:27,28). Notice that the Sabbath was made by the One who would become Jesus Christ of Nazareth–the Rock that was with Israel in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:4). Scripture and history record what happens when a people abandon God’s Sabbath–they go into idolatry, as did Israel (Eze. 20:5,11-14,17-21), as has the Counterfeit Church. Churchman’s idol is the church–his Golden Calf that can be whatever “breed” (denomination) he wants it to be. Only those who, among other things, obey His Sabbath Law and are sanctified (set aside as holy) by Him are His people. He told the Israelites that they were to be a PECULIAR TREASURE UNTO HIM above all other people (Exo. 19:5). He later said through Titus (2:14) that He had PURIFIED UNTO HIMSELF A PECULIAR PEOPLE (His New Covenant Church). In First Peter 2:9 He called His people A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE. Note that Israel and the church are described using the same words–purified, peculiar, holy priests. This does not describe those who defy God by removing His Fourth Commandment and replacing it with a heathen holiday dedicated to the worship of the sun god. In addition to the weekly worship of that god (Tammuz–Eze. 8:24), the church also pays homage to his mother, known Scripturally as Ashtoroth (2 Ki. 22:13), historically known as Ishtar. In English she is called Easter. To be continued.