Does the time element called the “week” occupy a significant status in God’s plan for man’s existence?  Does the 7th (final) day of the week (Saturday) occupy a significant status in God’s week?  Why is the week comprised of seven days?  Who determined that the year should be divided into seven day segments?  Considering the Lord’s statements concerning the 7th day, its significance cannot be overstated.

If asked to identify the primary characteristic that marks an individual as a self-professed Christian, the answer would be the universal observance of the Sunday Sabbath.  No matter how much Catholicism and Protestantism differ, no matter how the hundreds of different Protestant groups differ, the one thing they agree on is that Sunday is the day God set aside for church people to congregate according to their doctrinal preferences.  All agree that Sunday, the first day of the week, is God’s chosen Sabbath.  There are a minutely few who believe that He doesn’t care which day church people choose as their Sabbath.

It is also agreed that, once the congregating requirement has been satisfied, the rest of the day is theirs to do whatever pleases them, which often includes game-watching, recreating, game-playing, etc.  Sunday, all church people have been taught from day one, is special because it is the “Lord’s day.”  Is it?  Let us consult the ONLY source of spiritual Truth in order to answer that question.

A careful study of the Holy Scriptures reveals that in Biblical times, both Old and New Testament people worshiped the Lord, not on the first day of the week (Sunday), but on the last day of the week (Saturday).  Where did this custom originate?  Who proclaimed it so adamantly that many generations later the 7th day of the week (Saturday) was still being observed as the “Lord’s day?”  We find the answer in Genesis 2:3: “And God blessed the 7th day (of creation) and sanctified it because in it (the 7th day) He rested (was “refreshed”–Exo. 31:17) from all His work which He had done.”  Note that God BLESSED that day.  And not just any day, but THE 7th day of creation WEEK.  Note that He BLESSED THAT SPECIFIC DAY (proclaimed it special) AND SANCTIFIED IT (set it aside for holy use).  In Exodus 20:10 Moses reminded Israel that “The seventh day (of the week) is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.”  Note the use of the word “THE,” meaning “the only” day that His people would ever observe as His (and their) Sabbath.  Many centuries later Jesus Christ would call Himself “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mk. 2:28).  Note again the use of the word “THE” in reference to Himself and His Sabbath–“THE Lord of THE Sabbath.”  In Exodus 16:23 God calls His Sabbath “holy” (hallowed).  If the holy Sabbath can be changed to another day, then the holy Lord can be changed to another Lord, which the Apostle Paul warned could happen in 2 Corinthians 11:4.  It not only could happen–it did happen.  THE JESUS THE CHURCH WORSHIPS AND SERVES IS NOT THE BIBLICAL JESUS, AS THIS WEBSITE HAS REPEATEDLY PROVEN.

At the time of Christ’s earthly tenure, only pagans worshiped on Sunday.  Throughout the Roman Empire–in which Jesus lived–those who worshiped the myriad of Babylonian gods–the sun, moon, planets, stars, star formations, etc.–did so on Sunday–the 1st day of the week.  Meanwhile, true Christians worshiped the true God on His Sabbath–the 7th day of His week (Saturday).  After Christ’s death, His apostles continued to worship and minister to believers on the 7th day (Acts 13:42).  True believers continued to obey God’s command to keep the 7th day Sabbath as “the Sabbath of the Lord your God” in accordance to Moses’ command.

Let us return to the time when God used Moses to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.  He then reminded them of His time designations and the importance of observing them.  As we will see, the Israelites were not the only ones under the Lord’s time Law.  The night before they were to leave Egypt the Lord proclaimed through Moses that those who would be set free must observe what became known as “Passover” (Exo. 12:27).  At that time the Egyptians had many slaves other than the Israelites.  These were Gentiles from nations Egypt had conquered who, along with God’s people, had witnessed the plagues the Lord had poured out on the Egyptians.  They had also heard Moses’ proclaim that any family which did not observe the Passover would suffer the death the firstborn of its children and its livestock (Exo. 11:4,5).  As we are told in Exodus 12:38, “a mixed multitude came out (of Egypt) WITH them (Israel).”  These Gentiles had been converted to Israel’s God and had partaken of the Passover observance.  In Exodus 13:3 Moses told the people (including the Gentiles) to “Remember THIS DAY in which you came out of Egypt …  THIS DAY you came out in the month Abib.”  Here we find the Lord referring to a MONTH–a unit of time.  The first mention of a MONTH is found in Genesis 7:11.  Therefore, we know that the Israelites were familiar with the concept of a month.  The word “month” in the Hebrew language is “moon.”  The first sighting of the new moon–a crescent-shaped sliver of the moon marks the beginning of each of the Lord’s months.  Moses told the people that they would keep “this service,” meaning the Passover observation, “from year to year” (Exo. 13:5,10).  Note that the service included a blood sacrifice, which would serve as their sin-eraser until the Messiah came.  At the Last Supper Jesus declared that He would do away with all animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.  This “handwriting of ordinances” recorded by Moses was later “nailed to the cross” of Christ at His death.  Note that the 10 Commandments does not mention blood sacrifice and was not included in the “handwriting of ordinances.”

As mentioned earlier, the Israelites were not alone in their escape from Egyptian slavery.  The Lord had allowed a  “mixed multitude” of Gentiles from various conquered nations to join them in worship of and service to Him.

Notice that in order for them to become spiritual Israelites and be absorbed into the 12 tribes they had to obey Israel’s God, which included partaking of the Passover observance “from year to year”–evert year–which God’s people continue to do to this day.

In Exodus 12:2 we find the Lord marking the first month of the year.  In verses 3-11,18 He tells Israel how and when to observe her annual Passover festival.  This day is a “memorial ” for the people of God (vs 14), which included Gentile converts.  At that time He reminded the people of His 7th day Sabbath (Exo. 16:23,25,26,29).  Both the Passover and the 7th day Sabbath were to be observed by both Israelites and Gentile converts (spiritual Israelites).

Later, as recorded in Exodus 20, the Lord emphasized the importance of His weekly Sabbath by recording it in stone with His finger.  He would later emphasize it again by making a separate 7th day Sabbath Law for Israel which would forever serve as a “sign” that they, including Gentile converts, are His people (Exo. 31:12-16).  God’s spiritual Israelites (including biological Gentiles) comprise the New Testament Church today.  Read Who and Where is Israel Today?  Key word–Today.  L.J.