THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL

AS TIME MARKERS

AfterTHE RESURRECTION

BY AVRAM YEHOSHUAThe SeedofAbrahamnet

TABLE OF CONTENTSTHE FEASTS OF ISRAEL AS TIME MARKERS After THE RESURRECTION helliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL After THE RESURRECTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 21 ACTS 21 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 22 ACTS 123 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 33 ACTS 124 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 34 ACTS 1821 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 45 ACTS 206 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 46 ACTS 2016 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 57 ACTS 279 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 58 FIRST CORINTHIANS 58 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 89 FIRST CORINTHIANS 168 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 10

THE SABBATH DAY After THE RESURRECTIONhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 111 ACTS 112 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 112 ACTS 1314 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 123 ACTS 1327 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 124 ACTS 1342 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 135 ACTS 1344 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 136 ACTS 1521 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 137 ACTS 1613 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 168 ACTS 172 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 169 ACTS 184 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1710 COLOSSIANS 216 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 1711 HEBREWS 49 helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 19

TWO SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 21SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 22

Sunday in Troas helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip23SundaymdashMentioned Only Once From Acts To Revelation helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 25The Resurrection and Sunday helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip25Sunday and the Resurrection in the Didache and Clementhelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip27

CHURCH HISTORY AND MOSAIC LAW helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 29SundaymdashPharisaic Catholicism helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 30

CONCLUSION helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 32APPENDIX CHARTS helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip37

The Feasts of Israel in the Book of Acts helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip37The Feasts of Israel in First Corinthians helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 37The Feasts of Israel in Acts and First Corinthians helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 37The Sabbath Day After the Resurrection helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip38

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL AS TIME MARKERS

After THE RESURRECTION

Avram YehoshuaThe SeedofAbrahamnet

Luke and the Apostle Paul speak of the Feasts of Israel nine times in the Book of Acts and First Corinthi-ans Eight times they use the Feasts as time markers to tell their perspective audience when an event hap-pened or would happen and the other time Paul admonishes his Gentile Corinthians to keep PassoverNowhere do either of them relate time in Roman terms (eg Dies Lunae [Day of the Moon or Moon-dayie Monday]1 or Junius [June]) nor do they speak of Sunday the first day of the week replacing the 7thday Sabbath something of special note since Acts is an historical account of the early ChurchLuke and Paulrsquos use of the Feasts as time markers is extremely significant for two reasons First Lukewrote Acts about 64 AD or 34 years after the resurrection and itrsquos the only divinely inspired history ofApostolic times Today the Church teaches that at the death of Yeshua (Jesus) the Feasts of Israel and the7th day Sabbath gave way to Sunday Easter and Christmas Yet Easter and Christmas arenrsquot written any-where in the New Testament This is a strong biblical indication they are not of God nor for ChristiansNowhere in the New Testament does it speak of Sunday replacing or nullifying the 7th day Sabbath TheSabbath is mentioned 11 times after the resurrection while Sunday (which in the Greek New Testamentis always written in Hebraic terms as the first day of the week) is seen only twice from Acts to Revela-tion and one of those times itrsquos not Sunday at all but Saturday night2 Scripture is Godrsquos Word which re-veals Godrsquos will for us and as Godrsquos only divinely inspired authoritative Book God never intendedChristians to observe Sunday Easter and Xmas (hereafter also known by the acronym illicit SEX ieSunday Easter and Xmas) because the Church has adulterated Godrsquos Word concerning the Feasts of Is-rael and the 7th day Sabbath and therefore the phrase illicit SEX is very appropriateThe second reason why the use of the Feasts of Israel and the 7th day Sabbath are important is becausethe Church teaches that Mosaic Law except for its moral aspects was cancelled for Christians whenChrist was crucified Pastors and theologians will say ldquoThe Law was nailed to the crossrdquo erroneously cit-ing Colossians 2143 and a few other proof texts As will become obvious in the following pages all ofMosaic Law (and not just the Ten Commandments) was still Godrsquos holy standard by which the ApostlePaul and Gentile Luke lived out their lives of faith and taught also Gentile Christians to live by4

1 ldquoThe names of the days of the weekhellipin many languages including English are derived from their being namedafter thehellipplanetsrdquo of Greek astrology which was ldquointroduced in the Roman Empire during Late AntiquityrdquoThe Roman days of the week correspond ldquoto the planets as Roman gods Diana as the moon for Monday Marsfor Tuesday Mercury for Wednesday Jupiter for Thursday Venus for Friday Saturn for Saturday and Apollo asthe sun (god) for Sundayrdquo See Names of the Days of the Week and also The Roman Calendar

2 I address that under the section Sunday in the New Testament p 23 Many scholars believe that Paul beganpreaching on Saturday evening because biblically that begins the first day of the week In Scripture one day endsat darkness and the next day begins in darkness so the first day of the week actually begins on Saturday night atdark For why the biblical day begins at darkness see When Does The Sabbath Begin

3 What was nailed to the cross was not Mosaic Law but the χειρόγραφον kairsquorographon the written record ofour sin-indebtedness to God Paul calls Mosaic Law lsquoholy and spiritualrsquo (Rom 712 14) and Godrsquos standard forhow to determine sin (Rom 320 77) Mosaic Law is Godrsquos will for how to walk out our faith in Jesus (Rom331 725 cf Dt 45-8) Concerning Col 214 ask for the PDF What was Nailed to the Cross

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL AS TIME MARKERS

After THE RESURRECTION

Avram YehoshuaThe SeedofAbrahamnet

Luke and the Apostle Paul speak of the Feasts of Israel nine times in the Book of Acts and First Corinthi-ans Eight times they use the Feasts as time markers to tell their perspective audience when an event hap-pened or would happen and the other time Paul admonishes his Gentile Corinthians to keep PassoverNowhere do either of them relate time in Roman terms (eg Dies Lunae [Day of the Moon or Moon-dayie Monday]1 or Junius [June]) nor do they speak of Sunday the first day of the week replacing the 7thday Sabbath something of special note since Acts is an historical account of the early ChurchLuke and Paulrsquos use of the Feasts as time markers is extremely significant for two reasons First Lukewrote Acts about 64 AD or 34 years after the resurrection and itrsquos the only divinely inspired history ofApostolic times Today the Church teaches that at the death of Yeshua (Jesus) the Feasts of Israel and the7th day Sabbath gave way to Sunday Easter and Christmas Yet Easter and Christmas arenrsquot written any-where in the New Testament This is a strong biblical indication they are not of God nor for ChristiansNowhere in the New Testament does it speak of Sunday replacing or nullifying the 7th day Sabbath TheSabbath is mentioned 11 times after the resurrection while Sunday (which in the Greek New Testamentis always written in Hebraic terms as the first day of the week) is seen only twice from Acts to Revela-tion and one of those times itrsquos not Sunday at all but Saturday night2 Scripture is Godrsquos Word which re-veals Godrsquos will for us and as Godrsquos only divinely inspired authoritative Book God never intendedChristians to observe Sunday Easter and Xmas (hereafter also known by the acronym illicit SEX ieSunday Easter and Xmas) because the Church has adulterated Godrsquos Word concerning the Feasts of Is-rael and the 7th day Sabbath and therefore the phrase illicit SEX is very appropriateThe second reason why the use of the Feasts of Israel and the 7th day Sabbath are important is becausethe Church teaches that Mosaic Law except for its moral aspects was cancelled for Christians whenChrist was crucified Pastors and theologians will say ldquoThe Law was nailed to the crossrdquo erroneously cit-ing Colossians 2143 and a few other proof texts As will become obvious in the following pages all ofMosaic Law (and not just the Ten Commandments) was still Godrsquos holy standard by which the ApostlePaul and Gentile Luke lived out their lives of faith and taught also Gentile Christians to live by4

1 ldquoThe names of the days of the weekhellipin many languages including English are derived from their being namedafter thehellipplanetsrdquo of Greek astrology which was ldquointroduced in the Roman Empire during Late AntiquityrdquoThe Roman days of the week correspond ldquoto the planets as Roman gods Diana as the moon for Monday Marsfor Tuesday Mercury for Wednesday Jupiter for Thursday Venus for Friday Saturn for Saturday and Apollo asthe sun (god) for Sundayrdquo See Names of the Days of the Week and also The Roman Calendar

2 I address that under the section Sunday in the New Testament p 23 Many scholars believe that Paul beganpreaching on Saturday evening because biblically that begins the first day of the week In Scripture one day endsat darkness and the next day begins in darkness so the first day of the week actually begins on Saturday night atdark For why the biblical day begins at darkness see When Does The Sabbath Begin

3 What was nailed to the cross was not Mosaic Law but the χειρόγραφον kairsquorographon the written record ofour sin-indebtedness to God Paul calls Mosaic Law lsquoholy and spiritualrsquo (Rom 712 14) and Godrsquos standard forhow to determine sin (Rom 320 77) Mosaic Law is Godrsquos will for how to walk out our faith in Jesus (Rom331 725 cf Dt 45-8) Concerning Col 214 ask for the PDF What was Nailed to the Cross

THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL After THE RESURRECTION

If Sunday Easter and Xmas were given by the God of Israel we would expect to find them throughout theNew Testament After all if the Feasts of Israel which Israel had kept for 1400 years (since Mt Sinai)had been set aside by the crucifixion of Messiah Yeshua it would have been necessary for God to not onlysay so in the New Testament but to confirm it at least two or three times (Dt 1915 Mt 1816 2nd Cor131 1st Tim 519 Heb 1028) and hopefully to explain why We find nothing of the sort in Acts noranywhere else in the New Testament lsquoshadows notwithstandingrsquo5

The following are the nine places in the New Testament after the resurrection in Acts and First Corin-thians where the annual Feasts of Israel are spoken of by Luke and the Apostle Paul eight of which areused as time markers telling us when an event happened or would happen It will become clear that theFeasts of Israel continued to be kept by Christians for at least the first 34 years of the Apostolic ChurchAlso the keeping of the Feasts of Israel could not have been done if Mosaic Law which the Feasts are apart of was nullified by Yeshuarsquos sacrificial death

1 ACTS 21

ldquoWhen the Day of Pentecost had fully come6 they were all with one heart in one placeAnd suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filledthe whole house where they were sitting Then there appeared to them divided tongues asof Fire and one sat upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit andbegan to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterancerdquo (Acts 21-4)

The Book of Acts was written by Luke in 64 AD but Acts 21f the first Pentecost after the resurrectiontook place in 30 AD There were approximately 1470 Pentecosts before this one dating back to the firstPentecost in the days of Moses at Mt Sinai7 Pentecost is the Greek name for the Hebrew lsquoFeast ofWeeksrsquo As the Old Testament was written in Hebrew we donrsquot find the Greek designation for this Mosaicholy day but the Hebrew to English phrase the Feast of Weeks Luke doesnrsquot write the Roman month Pentecost occurs in but only presents the Holy Spirit coming uponthe Apostles etc at this Mosaic feast of Pentecost The day occurs in early June but with Luke not men-tioning when it occurred it reveals that Theophilus whom Luke wrote Acts to (Acts 11) already knewwhen the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) came during the yearSome might say lsquoWell of course Theophilus would know when Pentecost was because it was such a spe-cial daymdashthe Holy Spirit was givenrsquo As true as that is we have to realize that Pentecost is a holy daywithin Mosaic Law and that this for Luke begins a pattern which runs throughout the Book of Acts (andPaul also uses the Feasts without mentioning when they are) Luke will mention the Feasts of Israel sixmore times but never once does he tell Theophilus when any of them occurred during the year Thismeans that Theophilus a Gentile Christian like Luke8 knew when all the Feasts of Israel were with the

4 1st Cor 111 and also Acts 1521 2124 258 Rom 320 31 77 12 14 22 1st Cor 7195 Ask for the articles on what was nailed to the cross (Col 214) andor the shadow of Col 216-176 Pentecost is logistically and theologically tied into the Sunday of the seven day Feast of Unleavened Both

PassoverFeast of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost denote divine acts of freedom for Israel To find out why thisis and why Luke writes that lsquothe day of Pentecost had fully comersquo see PentecostmdashShavursquoot For why Pentecostis always on a Sunday (Hebrew Shavursquoot English the Feast of Weeks) but not for the traditional Jewish com-munity and the Messianic community (which blindly follows the Rabbis) see First Sheaf

7 Ex 3422 Lev 2315-21 Num 2826 Dt 169-10 16

2

obvious implication being that he kept them This also reveals that Mosaic Law was still valid for Chris-tians 34 years after the resurrection because the Feasts of Israel are found within Mosaic LawExtremely significant is the realization that on the first Pentecost at Mt Sinai all Israel saw and heard Godspeak the Ten Commandments which symbolize all the words that God would give to Moses for Israelknown as Mosaic Law This means that both the Word of God and the Spirit of God were given to Israelon the same Mosaic holy daymdashthe Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)9 Also there werenrsquot any Gentiles at thePentecost of Acts Two Gentiles wouldnrsquot come into the Kingdom of Yeshua until approximately nineyears later with Cornelius amp Co (Acts 101ndash1118) God giving the promised Holy Spirit to Israel (Joel228-29 Ezk 3624-27) on Pentecost doesnrsquot negate His words that He gave on the same day 1400 yearsearlier but with the Spirit Christians can walk as Yeshua didmdashin all Mosaic Law that applies to them

2 ACTS 123

Acts 123 took place in 44 AD or 14 years after the resurrection Luke writes of it being during the sev-en day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 1214f Lev 236f) that Herod arrested Peter The next versecontinues the thought

3 ACTS 1243ldquoAnd because he saw that it pleased the Jewish religious leaders he proceeded further toalso seize Peter Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread 4So when he hadarrested him he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keephim intending to bring him before the people after Passoverrdquo (Acts 123-4)

Luke says that after Passover10 (Ex 121-8f Lev 235) Herod intended to bring Peter lsquobefore the peo-plersquo meaning that Herod was going to murder Peter as he had murdered the Apostle James (Acts 121-2)These verses (3-4) have confused some people because Passover is celebrated on the first night of theFeast of Unleavened Bread and so how could Luke write that it was during the Feast of UnleavenedBread that Peter was arrested but that after Passover Herod would murder Peter This is solved by realiz-ing that in the days of Yeshua the terms Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had become inter-

8 For why Luke was a Gentile see Luke the Jew9 The Ten Commandments picture or symbolize all of Godrsquos words which is known as Mosaic Law (really Gene-

sis through Deuteronomy) For more understanding as to why both the Word of God and the Spirit of God weregiven to Israel on Pentecost see PentecostmdashShavursquootmdashLearning to Walk in Godrsquos Freedom Also interesting isthat at the Pentecost of Acts 2 there were only Jews who received their Messiah and the Holy Spirit The firstGentile doesnrsquot come into Yeshuarsquos Kingdom until Cornelius amp Company in Acts 10 (see Acts 1118 which con-firms this) The point is that the first Pentecost after the resurrection wasnrsquot the beginning of lsquoa new Churchrsquoseparate from Israel but of Israel recognizing Her Messiah and being baptized in His Spirit a promise whichGod had made to Israel more than 600 years earlier (Ezk 3624-27 Joel 228)The Greek word for church eklaysia is first found of Israel at Mt Sinai in the Septuagint (Dt 410 9101816 see also Acts 738 where eklaysia is used by Stephen of Israel and rightly translated by the KJV as theChurch in the Wilderness) The Greek Septuagint was written 280 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem andwas the official lsquoOld Testamentrsquo Bible of the Jewish people living outside Israel whose Greek was better thantheir Hebrew The reason why Paul used lsquochurchrsquo in his letters is not because the Church was separate and dis-tinct from Israel as unfortunately most think today but on the contrary Paul was saying that what God had be-gun at Mt Sinai was continuing through Jesus Christ and now it would include the Gentiles who believed in theJewish Messiah In no way does Paulrsquos use of the word church oppose Israel Sabbath Feasts or Mosaic Law

10 Every English Bible except the KJV has Passover The KJV has Easter instead of Passover but this is a glaringmistake The Greek word is πάσχα paska which is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew פסח pehrsquosach whichin English is Passover

3

changeable11 Thatrsquos how Luke could say it was during the seven days of Unleavened Bread when Peterwas arrested but after Passover (meaning the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) that Herod intendedto murder him The term Passover is synonymous with the Feast of Unleavened Bread and vice-versaBe that as it may Luke uses two Feasts of Israel to convey to Theophilus when Peter was arrested andwhen Herod sought to murder him If Theophilus wasnrsquot aware of the two of them their interchangeabili-ty and when they came during the year he wouldnrsquot have known what time of year this happened

4 ACTS 182118ldquoSo Paul still remained a good whilerdquo (at Corinth Acts 181 11) ldquoThen he took leaveof the brethren and sailed for Syria and Priscilla and Aquila were with him He had hishair cut off at Cenchrea12 for he had taken a vow 19He came to Ephesus and left themthere but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews 20When theyasked him to stay a longer time with them he did not consent 21but took leave of themsaying lsquoI must by all means keep this coming Feast in Jerusalem but I will return againto you God willingrsquo And he sailed from Ephesusrdquo (Acts 1818-21)13

Acts 1821 took place in 49 AD or 19 years after the resurrection Luke doesnrsquot write which feast of theJews it is and so we donrsquot know what time of year it was but obviously when the Apostle Paul spoke itthe Ephesians knew which Jewish feast Paul was going to in Jerusalem An astounding side-note is seenin Lukersquos recording of this in that Paul was in Ephesus in the synagogue of the traditional non-believingJews reasoning with them about Messiah Yeshua and they wanted him to stay and preach Yeshua to them(Acts 1819-20) but Paul declined Who would have ever thought that the Apostle Paul given the oppor-tunity to witness Jesus to his fellow Jews (Rom 91-3) would have declined to do so in order to keep aMosaic Law feast in Jerusalem Obviously the Feasts of Israel were still very important to Paul eventhough they are lsquoonlyrsquo shadows of the Messiah (Col 216-17) but biblical shadows are extremely impor-tant especially if one cannot literally see the Reality that casts the Shadow for then the Shadow presentsa picture of the Reality to us that we wouldnrsquot know of it the Shadow didnrsquot exist

5 ACTS 206

ldquoBut we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread and in five dayswe joined them at Troas where we stayed for seven daysrdquo (Acts 206)

Acts 206 took place in 57 AD or 27 years after the resurrection Luke writes lsquowe sailed away fromPhilippi after the Days of Unleavened Breadrsquo It seems that Paul and those with him observed Passoverand the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread at Philippi Thatrsquos the reason why they only left after theFeast was over For the sake of argument though letrsquos say they didnrsquot celebrate the Feast because it liter-ally doesnrsquot say they did At the very least Luke uses the Feast as a time marker letting Theophilus knowwhen they sailed from Philippi (in the spring) something that many Christians donrsquot know today becauseof Church teaching that nullifies Mosaic Law where the Feasts are found As such because Luke uses itit strongly implies that the Feast of Unleavened Bread was seen as valid by Gentile Luke known by Gen-

11 Mt 2617-20 Mk 1412-18 Lk 221 7-14 Acts 123-412 This is the first Nazarite Vow that Luke records Paul taking Paulrsquos second Nazarite Vow is seen in Acts

2120-24f The reason we know itrsquos the Nazarite Vow is because itrsquos the only vow where the hair is shaved off(Num 618) It also meant that Paul would sacrifice animalsmdashfor himself and the four others who were underthe Vow (Num 614 Acts 2123-24) This too reveals that Mosaic Law was still in effect for Christians Formore on what Paulrsquos Nazarite Vows mean see Law 102 pp 21-23

13 This Feast is written of in the KJV and the NKJV but isnrsquot found in the NASB NIV and NEB etc

4

tile Theophilus and therefore kept by all Gentile Christians during the days of the Apostles14 In terms ofthe Feastrsquos validity it would hardly seem relevant for Luke to use a time marker that had been relegated tothe trash bin of biblical history due to Christrsquos death Paul Luke amp Co kept the Feast at PhilippiThis passage also reveals that the Feasts were kept outside of Israel Every Christian would conceptuallyagree with the ability to celebrate Xmas in their own land After all how many pastors teach that Chris-tians can only celebrate Xmas in Bethlehem Christians keep their holy days wherever they are and so dothe Jewish people and so should we We do not have to be in Jerusalem to keep Passover or the Feast ofTabernacles etc15

6 ACTS 2016

ldquoFor Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time inAsia because he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem if possible on the Day of Pentecostrdquo(Acts 2016)

Acts 2016 also took place in 57 AD Luke writes that Paul was lsquohurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day ofPentecostrsquo (the Feast of WeeksmdashHebrew Shavursquoot) This reference in Acts 2016 to Paul going toJerusalem for Pentecost is not to be confused with the feast that Paul was hurrying to be in Jerusalem forin Acts 1821 because

1 In Acts 1821 Paulrsquos in Ephesus and the Jewish people are asking him to stay but hersquos hurrying tobe in Jerusalem for an unspecified Feast of Israel in 49 AD eight years earlier

2 In Acts 2016 Luke writes of Paul sailing past Ephesus in order to keep Shavursquoot (Pentecost) inJerusalem (57 AD)

Again the Apostle Paul is seen as keeping the Feasts of Israel By 57 AD Paul had already written Gala-tians (5253 AD) and so if these Feasts had been done away with by Paul as the Church teaches we havea very strange Apostle heremdashone who allegedly writes lsquonot to keep the Lawrsquo but who is consistently seenkeeping the Feasts of Israel which are one of the five Pillars of Mosaic Law

7 ACTS 2799ldquoNow when much time had been spent and sailing was now dangerous because the Fastwas already over Paul advised them saying 10lsquoMen I perceive that this voyage will endwith disaster and much loss not only of the cargo and ship but also our livesrsquordquo (Acts279-10)

Acts 279-10 took place in 60 AD or 30 years after the resurrection Luke writes lsquosailing was now dan-gerous because the Fast was already overrsquo What makes this verse significant in our quest to understandGodrsquos will in this matter of the Feasts of Israel and therefore Mosaic Law is that Luke doesnrsquot even tellTheophilus what Feast of Israel it was Instead he speaks of the Fast which is a cryptic Jewish referenceto the Day of Atonement (Lev 161-34 2326-32) On this day all Israel fasts (goes without food and wa-ter for 24 hours) for the forgiveness of their sins for the past year16

14 For how to celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread as well as all the Feasts of Israel and whythey are still valid for Christians today see The Feasts of Israel at The SeedofAbrahamnet Articles6 The Feastsof Israel Yoursquoll also find a calendar for when the Feasts are to be celebrated for the current year

15 Only if one lives in the land of Israel must they go to Jerusalem for the Feasts (Ex 2314-17 1st Kings 11361421 2nd Chron 66 1213 Ezra 612 Jer 317 cf Dt 1616 1st Kings 925 Luke 2447 Rev 312)

16 Scripture states that one must afflict their soul on this day and from ancient times this has been taken to meanthat fasting is a part of the affliction (Lev 1629 31 2327 32 Num 297 Ps 585) as is obvious from Lukersquosspeaking of the Fast Itrsquos a term that is still used today in the Jewish community of the Day of Atonement as part

5

If Gentile Theophilus wasnrsquot intimately aware of the Feasts of Israel and their subtle nuances lsquothe Fastrsquowould have meant absolutely nothing to him and he would not have known what time of year Luke wasspeaking of (late autumn) Unfortunately most Christians today have no idea what Luke was saying letalone when the Fast occurred because the Church has lied to them about Mosaic Law and has instituted afalse feast lifestyle in its place This event happened 30 years after the resurrection when the Churchsays that illicit SEX had already become lsquothe new realityrsquo If thatrsquos so where is it clearly stated as such inScripture If something of this magnitude the change in the celebration of the Feasts were to occur Godwould surely have written it in His Word and explained why the change occurred Only the Feasts of Is-rael are mentioned and Luke uses them as time markers throughout the Book of ActsThe Church doesnrsquot celebrate Godrsquos Feasts but instead the Church teaches Satanrsquos Feasts and yes Sun-day Easter and Christmas are Satanrsquos Feasts kept by idolatrous pagans to their gods and goddesses morethan a thousand years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem Most any Google search on their origin willreveal that The Church has removed the pagan names from the pagan feasts and lsquobaptizedrsquo those feastslsquoin the name of Jesusrsquo but obviously Jesus doesnrsquot approve of them nor has God given the Church theauthority to keep them or to use them lsquoto glorifyrsquo His Son especially as God gave the Feasts to Israel todo that (Dt 1228-32 cf Luke 2215 1st Cor 56-8)Have you ever wondered how bringing a fir tree into a house for Xmas and eating chocolate Easter bun-nies have anything to do with the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ God doesnrsquot want Christianspracticing illicit SEX because those days have nothing to do with His Son The creation of holy days re-mains exclusively within the authority of the God of Israel Christians may have noble reasons for illicitSEX but the Pharisees too had their noble reasons for their traditions that also nullified Godrsquos WordThe sheer biblical force of these seven Feasts of Israel in Acts six of which Luke uses as specific timemarkers reveals that the Feasts of Israel were kept by all Christians in the days of the Apostles for at leastthe first 34 years after the resurrection (which is when the Book of Acts was written) Nowhere doesLuke hint at let alone declare that the Feasts of Israel were outdated nullified or would be replaced buton the contrary with their continual use of the Feasts in the Book of Acts and them as time markers theirsanctity and validity for Christians is established as a biblical factSome have said that the reason Luke used the Feasts of Israel as time markers was because Luke wasJewish and therefore they were familiar to him as if that would stop him from writing to GentileTheophilus about the alleged lsquonew realityrsquo as some Christians call illicit SEX Also Luke lsquobeing Jewishrsquois negated by the fact that Paul places Luke with the Gentiles (Col 410-14)17

of what it means to afflict onersquos soul fasting and humbling oneself before God and repentanceRobert Deffinbaugh writes ldquoThis was a Sabbath dayhellipwhich meant that no work could be done (Lev 2326-32)Anyone who did not observe this Sabbath was to be cut off from his people (Lev 2329) which is a euphemismfor being put to death Beyond this this was a day when the people were to lsquohumble their soulsrsquo (cf Lev 16312327 Num 297) This would thus be the only religious holiday which was characterized by mourning fastingand repentancerdquo Day of Atonement has ldquoJews today still celebrate the annual Day of Atonementhellipwith a 25-hour period of fast-ing and intensive prayerrdquo Bob Theil writes ldquoFasting is historically how the phrase lsquoafflict your soulsrsquo has been interpreted by the Jewishrdquocommunity and ldquo(this is also verified by such passages as Psalm 3513 6910 and Isaiah 585) to mean fastingunless one ishellipill and thus is already afflictedhellipIn the New Testament the Day of Atonement is referred to aslsquothe Fastrsquo (Acts 279) The fact that this day was referred to that way (or even at all) is an indication that it wasobserved by Christians after Christrsquos resurrection The Bible clearly shows thathellipJewish holy dayshellipwere ob-served by Christians after Jesusrsquo resurrectionhellipThe fast to which Luke refers is the Day of Atonement (from TheWycliffe Bible CommentaryhellipIt is reported that early Christians kept the Day of Atonement in Antioch the sametime the Jews observed Yom Kippurrdquo (Hebrew for the Day of Atonement) ldquoin the third and fourth century (BenEzra DS The Impact of Yom Kippur on Early Christianity The Day of Atonement from Second Temple Judaismto the Fifth Centuryhellippp 2 261 277)rdquo

6

The idea of writing anything to anyone is so the person receiving it will understand what is written IfTheophilus didnrsquot know about the Feasts of Israel and when they occurred during the year Lukersquos writingof them and them as time markers whether Luke was Jewish or Gentile would have meant absolutelynothing to Theophilus and he certainly wouldnrsquot have known what lsquothe Fastrsquo was nor when it occurredThe Book of Acts was divinely inspired and so itrsquos clear to see that the Feasts were still being celebratedand that by Gentile Christians This is the early ChurchSome theologians say that Luke was just a poor disoriented writer and so one cannot take any theologyfrom him but credible Christian theologians and scholars see Luke as a great communicator and extreme-ly accurate in his details Highly regarded Christian scholars F F Bruce and I Howard Marshall speak ofLukersquos ability to communicate lsquoin the highest termsrsquo Neither of them uphold the Feasts of Israel or Mosa-ic Law so no one can accuse them of furthering their own theological agenda when they speak of howimportant Acts is Lukersquos accuracy and its reliability F F Bruce states

lsquoLuke has made a great indeed a unique contribution to the record of early Christian ex-pansion His narrative in fact is a sourcebook of the highest value for the history of civi-lizationrsquo18

One reason why Bruce speaks of Acts as unique is because itrsquos the only divinely inspired historical ac-count of the first 34 years of the Spirit-filled Church Marshall speaking of Lukersquos attention to detail inthe Book of Acts states

lsquoOne of the major contributions of Ramsay to Lucan study was his demonstration that onmatters of detailed historical background Luke shows remarkable accuracyrsquo19

Marshall goes on to state that if Luke is so accurate in his historical references the inference is that hersquosaccurate in everything he writes In other words the Book of Acts is extremely reliable It reveals that theApostles actually kept and taught the Feasts of Israel Bruce and Marchall clearly refute anyone whoclaims that we lsquocannot take theologyrsquo from Acts no doubt because it goes against their anti-Law theologyand in this case the Feasts of Israel The Feasts though were being observed by Luke Theophilus and allthe Apostles (Acts 2120-24) etc for the entire period of the early Church which means they should bekept by Christians today They are necessary for any Christian who wants to know more about his Godand to walk in His Truth and obey Him as Yeshua did (Mt 2617 Lk 228 Jn 213 1st Jn 26)Other theologians realizing that Lukersquos writing is above reproach but still wanting to derail what hewrote say that the Jewish Apostles and Luke just didnrsquot realize the full ramifications of what Christ haddone by His death and resurrection but that eventually they would come to understand that lsquoChrist didaway with the Law on the crossrsquo Aside from never seeing that in Acts (nor anywhere else in Scripture)Luke writes that Yeshua was seen by the Apostles (and others) after His resurrection for 40 days off andon and that Yeshua gave them commandments and taught them about the Kingdom of God (Acts 11-3) One would have to argue that Jesus didnrsquot tell His Apostles that the Feasts (and therefore Mosaic Law)had been done away with and also why that the Holy Spirit never alerted any of them including Paul20

to this lsquonew realityrsquo throughout the first 34 years of the Church which Acts deals with Neither of those

17 For why Luke was a Gentile see Luke the Jew18 F F Bruce author Gordon D Fee general editor The New International Commentary on the New Testament

The Book of the Acts (Grand Rapids MI William B Eerdmans Pub Co 1988) p 16 Bruce quotes Tertullian(p 14 note 58) as having said of Acts lsquoThose who do not accept this volume of Scripture can have nothing to dowith the Holy Spirit for they cannot know if the Holy Spirit has yet been sent to the disciplesrsquo (Tertullian Pre-scription against Heretics 23) See also The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21 pp 188ff

19 I Howard Marshall MA BD PhD author Professor RVG Tasker MA BD general editor TyndaleNew Testament Commentaries Acts (Leicester England Inter-Varsity Press 2000) p 36 Italics are Marshallrsquos

20 Paul kept Mosaic Law Acts 2120-24 258 Rom 331 712 14 1st Cor 56-8 719 111 cf Jn 846 1226

7

two positions is spiritually realistic or biblically tenable which means that the reason why Luke uses theFeasts of Israel as time markers is because they were still valid and being celebrated by all the earlyChristians and that the lsquonew realityrsquo of illicit SEX with its the rejection of the Law of Moses had not yetslithered into the Church through what would become the heretical Roman Catholic ChurchSome Christians think they should keep the Ten Commandments (minus the fourth commandment theSabbath day) but not Mosaic Law yet the Feasts are found within Mosaic Law not the Ten This meansthat Mosaic Law is valid for Christians How is it as the Church contends that what was sin for Christ isnot sin for Christians (Rom 320) How is it that if Jesus failed to keep Passover He would have sinnedbut Christians donrsquot have to keep it21 Isnrsquot Jesus the same yesterday today and forever (Heb 138)The Book of Acts is not a teaching on the Feasts of Israel yet seven times in its 28 chapters Luke usesthem Thatrsquos an average of one Feast every four chapters and theyrsquore not only mentioned but Luke usessix of them specifically as time markers to let Theophilus know when an event occurred during the yearLest it be said that the good doctor lsquowas out of his mindrsquo when Luke wrote the Book of Acts his bestbuddy and traveling companion the Apostle Paul the one whom the Church runs to for proof that MosaicLaw was done away with speaks of two Feasts of Israel and that 11 years before Luke wrote Acts InPaulrsquos his first letter to the Corinthians he admonishes the Gentile Corinthians to keep Passoverthe Feastof Unleavened Bread In closing his letter he lets the Corinthians know of his plans to stay in Ephesusuntil the Feast of WeeksmdashPentecost and then travel west towards them (going from Ephesus in what isnow modern day western Turkey to Corinth in Greece)

8 FIRST CORINTHIANS 586ldquoYour glorying is not good Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the wholelump 7Therefore purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump since you trulyare unleavened For indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us 8Therefore let uskeep the Feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness butwith the unleavened bread of sincerity and truthrdquo (1st Corinthians 56-8)

First Corinthians was written about 53 AD or 23 years after the resurrection In 1st Cor 58 the ApostlePaul writes to the Corinthians and says lsquolet us keep the Feastrsquo The Feast is the Mosaic Lawrsquos seven dayFeast of Unleavened Bread (the Passover beginning on the first night) because vv 6-7 speak of unleav-ened bread and Christ as the Passover (Lamb) In verse eight the Apostle encourages and admonishes theCorinthians to keep the Feast in holiness with the lsquounleavened breadrsquo of sincerity and truth Obviously theCorinthians knew when Passover was and the tone of v 8 suggests it was fast approachingPaul speaks in v 7 of purging lsquoout the old leavenrsquo so the Corinthians could be a new loaf of bread unleav-ened as they lsquotrulyrsquo were because lsquoChrist our Passover was sacrificedrsquo Paul is telling them to lsquopurge outthe old leavenrsquo (of sin) and be lsquounleavened breadrsquo (sinless like Christ) The Church has failed the Saviorand its people in the vital area of teaching Godrsquos holy days Leaven (yeast) raises or puffs up bread dough When a man is full of pride (sin) we say that hersquos lsquoallpuffed uprsquo Leaven which can be seen as a good thing (eg Mt 1333) is also seen as sin (Mt 16611-12) Itrsquos in this latter sense that Paul speaks of purging out the old leaven (sin v 7) and being or be-coming an unleavened (sinless) loaf of bread just as Christ was This is why God gave the Feast of Un-leavened Bread where He commands the eating of unleavened bread on each of its seven days (Ex1215) The bread that our Lord Yeshua raised and broke at His last Passover22 was unleavened bread be-

21 See Law 102 The article deals with most of the Churchrsquos proof texts to justify the eating of unclean meats andthe breaking of the Sabbath See also Romans 14 and the Dietary Laws which also deals with Rom 145-6 ver-ses that are typically used by Christians to justify their choosing of lsquoany day of the weekrsquo to assemble on

22 Itrsquos the Passover not the lsquoLast Supperrsquo which is a Catholic phrase designed to strip the event from its Jewish8

cause it was Passover and it pictured His sinless body23 Spiritually eating this bread (Messiahrsquos body) infaith makes one like Yeshua Thatrsquos why He told His Apostles to eat of it and thatrsquos why we need to eat ofit every day during the Feast as God commands24 Yeshua couldnrsquot do that with French or Wonder Breador any other bread that has yeast in it because bread with yeast represents Jesus as full of sinPaul then says to the Gentile Corinthians in v 8 lsquolet us keep the feast not with old leaven nor with theleaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truthrsquo Some Christianswanting to circumvent Paulrsquos clear exhortation to the Corinthians to keep Passover say that he was lsquoonlyspeaking metaphorically not literallyrsquo but the Apostle stating that the Corinthians were now lsquounleavenedbreadrsquo would seem very strange to Gentile ears if they knew nothing of the Feast of Unleavened Breadand werenrsquot to celebrate it Paul was speaking to their hearts as to how they were to keep Passover and theFeast of Unleavened Breadmdashin sincerity and truth not in lsquomalice and wickednessrsquo (ie sin) He wasnrsquotsaying that sincerity and truth were metaphorical substitutes for celebrating Passover anymore than a pas-tor today would tell his flock to keep Xmas with joy and thanksgiving but to only keep it metaphorically(ie not to actually keep Xmas) Besides if Paul was only speaking metaphorically why would he evenbring up Passover and unleavened bread He could have told them to lead lsquogodly livesrsquo without ever men-tioning Passover NomdashPaul was exhorting them to keep Passover in sincerity and truthGod the Father gave Passover to ancient Israel so that His Son could walk into it take the unleavenedbread at the Passover Table and say that it was His (sinless and crucified) body25 The eating of food nour-ishes our bodies and gives us life and the spiritual eating and drinking of the Son of Man nourishes usand gives us His divine Life In this we become like Him for He is the (sinless unleavened) Bread ofLife (John 61f) Truly the adage you are what you eat applies to the unleavened bread of Passover andthe Feast of Unleavened Bread As we eat of our Messiah pictured in the unleavened bread we becomemore and more like He was and ismdashholy The full manifestation of this will happen on Judgment Daywhen we shall become like He is nowmdashthe God-Man26

This is why God used the blood of a lamb in Egypt to free Israel from Egyptian slavery and instituted un-leavened bread to be eaten for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread It pictures His Son as theLamb of God (John 129) and the Bread of Life (Jn 633 35 48) who frees us from the slavery of sinsickness death and eternal Darkness and transforms us into new creatures like He is (2nd Cor 318517) This is one biblical reason why Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread after the resurrec-tion are so important for Christians to observe and in terms of reality much more so than before Hisdeath and resurrection because now we know the greater divine meaning of Passover and the Feast of Un-leavened Bread and why they were given to IsraelThis teaching of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is just the tip of the biblical and spiritualiceberg that are the Feasts of Israel and why they are so important for Christians and why God wants usto celebrate them especially after the resurrection Easter has no divine scriptural nor theological connec-tion to Jesus Itrsquos totally pagan and of the Devil The Church projects the Father and the Son unto theirillicit SEX feasts but those feasts have nothing to do with YeshuamdashGod the Son Inherent within theFeasts of Israel though is what the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit have done for us are doing for usand will do for us and God has authorized them for us You can find them in His Wordmdashboth Old andNew Testaments

moorings23 Ex 128 14-15 Mt 261724 Exodus 1215 136 3418 Lev 236 Num 281725 Having communion with leavened bread pictures Christ as sinful and the person as taking sin into himself See

Passover and Jesus to learn why unleavened bread is a perfect picture of the sinless Jesus crucified26 See SalvationmdashThe Promise

9

9 FIRST CORINTHIANS 1685ldquoNow I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia for I am passing throughMacedonia 6And it may be that I will remain or even spend the winter with you that youmay send me on my journey wherever I go 7For I do not wish to see you now on theway but I hope to stay a while with you if the Lord permits 8I will stay in Ephesus untilPentecost27 9For a great and effective door has opened to me but there are many adver-sariesrdquo (1st Cor 165-9)

At the end of his first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul states that he will soon come to them butfirst he would stay in Ephesus until Pentecost Paul uses Pentecost as a time marker letting the Corinthi-ans know exactly how long he would be in Ephesus By itself one could argue that Christians knew whenPentecost was because of its importance in the Christian calendar but with Paul also writing of the Feastof Unleavened Bread in chapter five it canrsquot be so easily dismissed Thatrsquos why many theologians teachthat Paul was only speaking metaphorically about PassoverUnleavened Bread but as wersquove seen theApostle to the Gentiles really meant for them to keep the Feast with sincerity and truth Their argumentalso doesnrsquot take into account Lukersquos use of seven Feasts of Israel in the Book of Acts five of which havenothing to do with Pentecost (Acts 123-4 1821 206 276)The 9 Feasts of Israel in Acts and First Corinthians 8 of which are used as time markers and one wherethe Apostle Paul admonishes the Corinthians to keep Passover show us that all Christians kept the Feastsof Israel during the days of the Apostles It also reveals that Christians kept Mosaic Law which was thelifestyle of all the Apostles (Acts 2120-24) and all Christians as part of their faith-walk in the Messiah ofIsrael for at least the time that Acts presents the first 34 years after the resurrection28 With the ApostleJohn speaking of walking just like the Lord walked (1st Jn 26) and of keeping the commandments of God(Rev 1217 1412) that time period extends to at least the first 60 years after the resurrectionmdashtheentire time the Apostles were alive This historical scriptural-theological understanding shatters Churchtheology that states neither the Feasts of Israel nor Mosaic Law are valid for Christians todayThere was no keeping of Easter and Christmas in New Testament times at least not by Christians yet theChurch is adamant that Easter and Xmas are good for Christians because they worship Jesus on them Thescriptural and spiritual reality though is that the Church have no authority from Above to do so and thatitrsquos very displeasing to God and sin for them If Jesus wanted Christians to keep Easter and Xmas Hewould have taught His Apostles that and they in turn would have written about it in the New TestamentSince they arenrsquot even mentioned Christians have no authority from God to observe them especiallywhen the New Testament after the resurrection reveals that the Feasts of Israel were being kept Easterand Xmas are traditions of the Roman Church that have nothing to do with Jesus and they were takenfrom paganism Yeshua and His Apostles always kept the Feasts of Israel Shouldnrsquot we also29

27 This is a different reference to Pentecost than the two times that Luke writes of Paul and Ephesus (Acts 18212016) because in First Corinthians Paul speaks of going from Ephesus to Corinth Greece In both instances ofActs Paul is seen going to Jerusalem Israel Also the Feasts took place in different yearsActs 1821 (49 AD) 1st Corinthians 168 (53 AD) Acts 2016 (57 AD)

28 The Church has twisted the Apostle Paulrsquos words on Mosaic Law not realizing that there are two differentstreams to it When Paul speaks of it as an addition to belief in Jesus for salvation (justification) he rightlynegates that as its function because nothing can be added to the finished redemptive work of Yeshua (eg Gal 2ndash5 cf Acts 151-31) When Paul speaks of Mosaic Law as Godrsquos divine lifestyle of instruction for the Christianthough he speaks of it in glorious terms (Rom 331 712 14 1st Cor 719 2nd Tim 310-17)If Paulrsquos Gospel was intrinsically different from Peterrsquos the Church in Jerusalem would never have given Paullsquothe right hand of fellowshiprsquo (Gal 21-2 6-7 9-10) Nor would Peter 34 years after the resurrection have spo-ken of Paul in such glowing terms (eg lsquoour beloved brotherrsquo 2nd Peter 314-18 note well what Peter says aboutthose who are ldquountaught and unstablehellip[who] twist to their own destructionrdquo the words of Paul ldquoas they do therest of the Scripturesrdquo v 16)

10

THE SABBATH DAY After THE RESURRECTION

Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection (Luke ninetimes Paul once and the author of Hebrews once)30 Five of those times biblically support the continuanceof the Sabbath day for Christians Although the other six times are nominal itrsquos significant that none of thewriters who speak of the Sabbath say that Sunday replaced it The validity of the 7th day Sabbath in theNew Testament reinforces the validity of the Feasts of Israel and consequently Mosaic Law

1 ACTS 112

ldquoThen they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olives which is nearJerusalem a Sabbath dayrsquos journeyrdquo (Acts 112)

Luke writes that the distance where Yeshua ascended to Jerusalem was a Sabbath dayrsquos journey Thiswas 40 days after the resurrection and ten days before Pentecost in 30 AD Acts 112 is a nominal entryrelating to the Sabbath because itrsquos not speaking about the Sabbath day but about a unit of measurement(distance) that a Pharisee could walk on the Sabbath without sinning (at least in Pharisaic eyes) Itrsquos onekilometer or about two thirds of a mile and itrsquos still taught in Judaism todayLuke uses the term not to suggest that we are limited in how far we can walk on the Sabbath but to relatethe distance the Apostles actually walked in returning to Jerusalem That itrsquos only the distance hersquos con-cerned about and not something we need to consider living by is seen by the fact that it wasnrsquot the Sab-bath day when they walked back to Jerusalem and also God doesnrsquot seem to be too concerned with thedistance one can walk on the Sabbath This is seen from two biblical passages The first is when God ledIsrael out of Egyptian slavery Israel had just celebrated the First Passover the night before and so it wasstill the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is an annual holy Sabbath (Lev 236-8) whenthey left Egypt31 Therersquos no telling how many miles Israel walked that day when they left Egypt but itwas certainly more than a Sabbath dayrsquos journeyThe second biblical passage is when Joshua led the Army of Israel around Jericho For six days Israelwalked around Jericho once a day but on the seventh day which most likely was the seventh day Sab-bath32 Israel was commanded by God to walk around it seven times (Joshua 61-4) Again this is morethan a Sabbathrsquos day journey according to JudaismWith Yeshua rising from the dead on the Sunday of Passover week33 and being seen by the Apostles and

29 See Zechariah 1416f which states that all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel forthe Feast of Tabernacles during the millennial reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) which hasnrsquot come to passyet If the Feasts of Israel were done away with at the crucifixion God would never has inspired Zechariah towrite this (cf Is 6623)

30 The reason I mention lsquoafter the resurrectionrsquo for both the section on the Feasts of Israel and now the Sabbath isbecause although Sunday or the first day of the week is seen in the Gospels as the day when Yeshua rose fromthe dead no Gospel declares Sunday as lsquothe new day of worshiprsquo because of it Sunday is only mentioned onetime after the resurrection and it has nothing to do with the resurrection (1st Cor 162) Sunday as lsquothe newday of worshiprsquo is never seen in the New Testament

31 The only practical difference between an annual Sabbath and the weekly seventh day Sabbath is that God allowsus to prepare and cook our food on an annual Sabbath (Ex 1214-16)

32 The reason why it was most likely the 7th day Sabbath when the walls of Jericho miraculously fell down is be-cause the Sabbath is a picture of redemption-salvation (Dt 512-15) and as such would be the perfect day forIsrael to begin to redeem the land of Canaan that God had promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob

33 On that Sunday of Passover week some barley grain the first grain of spring was offered up as lsquofirst fruitsrsquo and11

many others for 40 days off and on34 it was a Thursday when the Apostles left Jerusalem with Yeshua togo to the Mt of Olives to see Him ascend into the Heavens This was the Second Ascension The First As-cension happened 40 days earlier after Yeshua saw Mary (John 2011-17) and before He came to theApostles that evening (John 2019-21f) The Sunday during Passover week is known as First Sheaf orFirst Fruits and Paul speaks of Yeshua as the First Fruits to rise from the dead (1st Cor 1520 23) Thepoint is that God had already appointed this day for that divine purpose With no Scripture speaking ofkeeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo Sunday is a tradition of the Churchthat nullifies Godrsquos commandments (cf Mt 151f) To show us that this Sunday wasnrsquot to be singled outand made holy God didnrsquot make it an annual holy day (Sabbath) unlike Pentecost 50 days laterLuke uses lsquoa Sabbath dayrsquos journeyrsquo to let Theophilus know how far it was from Jerusalem to the place onthe mountain where Yeshua ascended Even though this doesnrsquot literally speak of the Sabbath day itselfwith Luke using this Jewish phrase about the Sabbath for distance it becomes the first time in Acts that theterm Sabbath is significant He could just as easily have told Theophilus that the distance was about fivestadia35 a Roman measurement for the same distance Theophilus would certainly have understood itmost likely being a Roman himself36 Or Luke could have omitted the reference to distance without takinganything away from the account but he didnrsquotmdashhe spoke of a Sabbath dayrsquos journey This reveals thateven a non-biblical Jewish term about the Sabbath was understood by Gentile Theophilusmdashsomething wewouldnrsquot expect to see if Sunday had actually replaced the Sabbath after the crucifixion of Jesus Lukewrote Acts in 64 AD 34 years after the resurrection and so Sunday hadnrsquot come into Christianity bythen

2 ACTS 1314

ldquoBut when they departed from Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into thesynagogue on the Sabbath day and sat downrdquo (Acts 1314)

Acts 13 took place in 46 AD This chapter has four references to the Sabbath Luke writes that Paul wentinto the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia (modern day mid-Turkey)37 on the Sabbath day This reference tothe Sabbath does not in and of itself support that the Apostles still met on and kept the seventh day Sab-bath holy because itrsquos a traditional synagogue that normally met on the Sabbath day Paul went to it in or-der to tell his Jewish people and the Gentile lsquoGod-fearersrsquo who also assembled there (Acts 1316 cf102 1326) about the Messiah of Israel

3 ACTS 1327

ldquoFor those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers because they did not know Him noreven the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath have fulfilled them in con-demning Himrdquo (Acts 1327)

known as the Omer which is the amount of grain received about two pounds or 09 kilograms (Ex 2319 Lev214 239-14 1st Cor 1520 23) Counting 40 days inclusive from the Sunday of Passover week brings us to aThursday when Yeshua ascended from the Mount of Olives That means that the Apostles waited in Jerusalemfor ten days until the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them and other Jews

34 Acts 11-3 cf Acts 1326 1st Cor 15635 A Sabbath dayrsquos journey (about 3000 feet or 920 meters) is approximately 5 stadia36 Most scholars believe that Theophilus was a Roman nobleman whom Luke wrote both his Gospel (62 AD) and

Acts (64 AD) for when Luke was in Rome with Paul37 This reference to Antioch in Pisidia is made to contrast it with Antioch on the Orontes River where the first be-

lievers were called Christians (Acts 1126) Antioch Orontes is in modern day Syria about 32 kilometers (20miles) east of the Mediterranean Sea just north of Lebanon

12

Paul in his message to those in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia spoke of the Prophets being read onthe Sabbath day This too is only a passing reference to the Sabbath

4 ACTS 1342

ldquoSo when the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles begged that these wordsmight be preached to them the next Sabbathrdquo (Acts 1342)

The Gentile God-fearers at the synagogue begged Paul to preach to them on the next Sabbath This is thesecond significant use of the Sabbath in Acts because if Sunday had been the day when Christians metPaul would have told them that they could hear him preach the next day on Sunday but he didnrsquot do thatSunday (the first day of the week) is not mentioned as a possible time to meet with those excited Gen-tiles Obviously all Christians were still meeting on the Sabbath day Acts 13 takes place about 16 yearsafter the resurrection and Luke doesnrsquot add a footnote in this chapter nor anywhere else saying thatwhen he wrote Acts in 64 AD the day had changed to Sunday something wersquod expect if Sunday had comeinto Christianity during the time that Acts records from 30 AD to 64 AD

5 ACTS 1344

ldquoOn the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of Godrdquo(Acts 1344)

On the following Sabbath most everyone in Antioch came out to hear Paul preach about Messiah YeshuaThis is the last of the four passages in Acts 13 that refer to the Sabbath day and here as in v 42 itrsquos inter-esting to see that Luke doesnrsquot speak of Paul telling the Gentiles of a weekly Sunday assembly This is thethird significant use of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts

6 ACTS 152120ldquobut that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols from fornicationfrom things strangled and from blood 21For Moses has had throughout many genera-tions those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbathrdquo(Acts 1520-21)

Acts 1521 took place among the Jewish believers in Jerusalem in 48 AD This is the fourth significantuse of the Sabbath after the resurrection The chapter deals with what the Gentiles needed to do in orderto be saved (Acts 151-6f) and then speaks of the Gentiles learning Mosaic Law every Sabbath38 At theend of the discussion James the half brother of Yeshua gave four rules for the Gentiles (v 20) and thenspoke of the Gentiles going to the synagogues to learn lsquoMosesrsquo (ie Mosaic Law)Of course all the Jewish believers at the assembly in Jerusalem knew that Moses had been taught (lsquoreadrsquo)lsquofor many generationshellipin the synagoges every Sabbathrsquo and James as well as most of the Jewish believ-ers there that day knew that the Gentile Christians were learning who their God was and what pleasedHim and didnrsquot please Him (ie sin) at those synagogues both believing and non-believing synagoguesbecause Gentiles were welcomed to come to them to learn of the God of Israel and His waysThe word synagogue also means lsquoa Christian assemblyrsquo39 (as we saw before with the feast in Acts 124)

38 Acts 1520-21 is the theological center of the New Testament concerning Mosaic Law for the Gentile It declaresMosaic Law as the lifestyle for every Christian To fully appreciate this and why the four rules of James havenothing to do with table fellowship as the Church teaches see The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21

39 Wesley J Perschbacher editor The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody MA Hendrickson Publications13

THE SABBATH DAY After THE RESURRECTION

Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection (Luke ninetimes Paul once and the author of Hebrews once)30 Five of those times biblically support the continuanceof the Sabbath day for Christians Although the other six times are nominal itrsquos significant that none of thewriters who speak of the Sabbath say that Sunday replaced it The validity of the 7th day Sabbath in theNew Testament reinforces the validity of the Feasts of Israel and consequently Mosaic Law

1 ACTS 112

ldquoThen they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olives which is nearJerusalem a Sabbath dayrsquos journeyrdquo (Acts 112)

Luke writes that the distance where Yeshua ascended to Jerusalem was a Sabbath dayrsquos journey Thiswas 40 days after the resurrection and ten days before Pentecost in 30 AD Acts 112 is a nominal entryrelating to the Sabbath because itrsquos not speaking about the Sabbath day but about a unit of measurement(distance) that a Pharisee could walk on the Sabbath without sinning (at least in Pharisaic eyes) Itrsquos onekilometer or about two thirds of a mile and itrsquos still taught in Judaism todayLuke uses the term not to suggest that we are limited in how far we can walk on the Sabbath but to relatethe distance the Apostles actually walked in returning to Jerusalem That itrsquos only the distance hersquos con-cerned about and not something we need to consider living by is seen by the fact that it wasnrsquot the Sab-bath day when they walked back to Jerusalem and also God doesnrsquot seem to be too concerned with thedistance one can walk on the Sabbath This is seen from two biblical passages The first is when God ledIsrael out of Egyptian slavery Israel had just celebrated the First Passover the night before and so it wasstill the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is an annual holy Sabbath (Lev 236-8) whenthey left Egypt31 Therersquos no telling how many miles Israel walked that day when they left Egypt but itwas certainly more than a Sabbath dayrsquos journeyThe second biblical passage is when Joshua led the Army of Israel around Jericho For six days Israelwalked around Jericho once a day but on the seventh day which most likely was the seventh day Sab-bath32 Israel was commanded by God to walk around it seven times (Joshua 61-4) Again this is morethan a Sabbathrsquos day journey according to JudaismWith Yeshua rising from the dead on the Sunday of Passover week33 and being seen by the Apostles and

29 See Zechariah 1416f which states that all the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel forthe Feast of Tabernacles during the millennial reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) which hasnrsquot come to passyet If the Feasts of Israel were done away with at the crucifixion God would never has inspired Zechariah towrite this (cf Is 6623)

30 The reason I mention lsquoafter the resurrectionrsquo for both the section on the Feasts of Israel and now the Sabbath isbecause although Sunday or the first day of the week is seen in the Gospels as the day when Yeshua rose fromthe dead no Gospel declares Sunday as lsquothe new day of worshiprsquo because of it Sunday is only mentioned onetime after the resurrection and it has nothing to do with the resurrection (1st Cor 162) Sunday as lsquothe newday of worshiprsquo is never seen in the New Testament

31 The only practical difference between an annual Sabbath and the weekly seventh day Sabbath is that God allowsus to prepare and cook our food on an annual Sabbath (Ex 1214-16)

32 The reason why it was most likely the 7th day Sabbath when the walls of Jericho miraculously fell down is be-cause the Sabbath is a picture of redemption-salvation (Dt 512-15) and as such would be the perfect day forIsrael to begin to redeem the land of Canaan that God had promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob

33 On that Sunday of Passover week some barley grain the first grain of spring was offered up as lsquofirst fruitsrsquo and11

many others for 40 days off and on34 it was a Thursday when the Apostles left Jerusalem with Yeshua togo to the Mt of Olives to see Him ascend into the Heavens This was the Second Ascension The First As-cension happened 40 days earlier after Yeshua saw Mary (John 2011-17) and before He came to theApostles that evening (John 2019-21f) The Sunday during Passover week is known as First Sheaf orFirst Fruits and Paul speaks of Yeshua as the First Fruits to rise from the dead (1st Cor 1520 23) Thepoint is that God had already appointed this day for that divine purpose With no Scripture speaking ofkeeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo Sunday is a tradition of the Churchthat nullifies Godrsquos commandments (cf Mt 151f) To show us that this Sunday wasnrsquot to be singled outand made holy God didnrsquot make it an annual holy day (Sabbath) unlike Pentecost 50 days laterLuke uses lsquoa Sabbath dayrsquos journeyrsquo to let Theophilus know how far it was from Jerusalem to the place onthe mountain where Yeshua ascended Even though this doesnrsquot literally speak of the Sabbath day itselfwith Luke using this Jewish phrase about the Sabbath for distance it becomes the first time in Acts that theterm Sabbath is significant He could just as easily have told Theophilus that the distance was about fivestadia35 a Roman measurement for the same distance Theophilus would certainly have understood itmost likely being a Roman himself36 Or Luke could have omitted the reference to distance without takinganything away from the account but he didnrsquotmdashhe spoke of a Sabbath dayrsquos journey This reveals thateven a non-biblical Jewish term about the Sabbath was understood by Gentile Theophilusmdashsomething wewouldnrsquot expect to see if Sunday had actually replaced the Sabbath after the crucifixion of Jesus Lukewrote Acts in 64 AD 34 years after the resurrection and so Sunday hadnrsquot come into Christianity bythen

2 ACTS 1314

ldquoBut when they departed from Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into thesynagogue on the Sabbath day and sat downrdquo (Acts 1314)

Acts 13 took place in 46 AD This chapter has four references to the Sabbath Luke writes that Paul wentinto the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia (modern day mid-Turkey)37 on the Sabbath day This reference tothe Sabbath does not in and of itself support that the Apostles still met on and kept the seventh day Sab-bath holy because itrsquos a traditional synagogue that normally met on the Sabbath day Paul went to it in or-der to tell his Jewish people and the Gentile lsquoGod-fearersrsquo who also assembled there (Acts 1316 cf102 1326) about the Messiah of Israel

3 ACTS 1327

ldquoFor those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers because they did not know Him noreven the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath have fulfilled them in con-demning Himrdquo (Acts 1327)

known as the Omer which is the amount of grain received about two pounds or 09 kilograms (Ex 2319 Lev214 239-14 1st Cor 1520 23) Counting 40 days inclusive from the Sunday of Passover week brings us to aThursday when Yeshua ascended from the Mount of Olives That means that the Apostles waited in Jerusalemfor ten days until the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them and other Jews

34 Acts 11-3 cf Acts 1326 1st Cor 15635 A Sabbath dayrsquos journey (about 3000 feet or 920 meters) is approximately 5 stadia36 Most scholars believe that Theophilus was a Roman nobleman whom Luke wrote both his Gospel (62 AD) and

Acts (64 AD) for when Luke was in Rome with Paul37 This reference to Antioch in Pisidia is made to contrast it with Antioch on the Orontes River where the first be-

lievers were called Christians (Acts 1126) Antioch Orontes is in modern day Syria about 32 kilometers (20miles) east of the Mediterranean Sea just north of Lebanon

12

Paul in his message to those in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia spoke of the Prophets being read onthe Sabbath day This too is only a passing reference to the Sabbath

4 ACTS 1342

ldquoSo when the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles begged that these wordsmight be preached to them the next Sabbathrdquo (Acts 1342)

The Gentile God-fearers at the synagogue begged Paul to preach to them on the next Sabbath This is thesecond significant use of the Sabbath in Acts because if Sunday had been the day when Christians metPaul would have told them that they could hear him preach the next day on Sunday but he didnrsquot do thatSunday (the first day of the week) is not mentioned as a possible time to meet with those excited Gen-tiles Obviously all Christians were still meeting on the Sabbath day Acts 13 takes place about 16 yearsafter the resurrection and Luke doesnrsquot add a footnote in this chapter nor anywhere else saying thatwhen he wrote Acts in 64 AD the day had changed to Sunday something wersquod expect if Sunday had comeinto Christianity during the time that Acts records from 30 AD to 64 AD

5 ACTS 1344

ldquoOn the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of Godrdquo(Acts 1344)

On the following Sabbath most everyone in Antioch came out to hear Paul preach about Messiah YeshuaThis is the last of the four passages in Acts 13 that refer to the Sabbath day and here as in v 42 itrsquos inter-esting to see that Luke doesnrsquot speak of Paul telling the Gentiles of a weekly Sunday assembly This is thethird significant use of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts

6 ACTS 152120ldquobut that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols from fornicationfrom things strangled and from blood 21For Moses has had throughout many genera-tions those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbathrdquo(Acts 1520-21)

Acts 1521 took place among the Jewish believers in Jerusalem in 48 AD This is the fourth significantuse of the Sabbath after the resurrection The chapter deals with what the Gentiles needed to do in orderto be saved (Acts 151-6f) and then speaks of the Gentiles learning Mosaic Law every Sabbath38 At theend of the discussion James the half brother of Yeshua gave four rules for the Gentiles (v 20) and thenspoke of the Gentiles going to the synagogues to learn lsquoMosesrsquo (ie Mosaic Law)Of course all the Jewish believers at the assembly in Jerusalem knew that Moses had been taught (lsquoreadrsquo)lsquofor many generationshellipin the synagoges every Sabbathrsquo and James as well as most of the Jewish believ-ers there that day knew that the Gentile Christians were learning who their God was and what pleasedHim and didnrsquot please Him (ie sin) at those synagogues both believing and non-believing synagoguesbecause Gentiles were welcomed to come to them to learn of the God of Israel and His waysThe word synagogue also means lsquoa Christian assemblyrsquo39 (as we saw before with the feast in Acts 124)

38 Acts 1520-21 is the theological center of the New Testament concerning Mosaic Law for the Gentile It declaresMosaic Law as the lifestyle for every Christian To fully appreciate this and why the four rules of James havenothing to do with table fellowship as the Church teaches see The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21

39 Wesley J Perschbacher editor The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody MA Hendrickson Publications13

many others for 40 days off and on34 it was a Thursday when the Apostles left Jerusalem with Yeshua togo to the Mt of Olives to see Him ascend into the Heavens This was the Second Ascension The First As-cension happened 40 days earlier after Yeshua saw Mary (John 2011-17) and before He came to theApostles that evening (John 2019-21f) The Sunday during Passover week is known as First Sheaf orFirst Fruits and Paul speaks of Yeshua as the First Fruits to rise from the dead (1st Cor 1520 23) Thepoint is that God had already appointed this day for that divine purpose With no Scripture speaking ofkeeping Sunday instead of the Sabbath lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo Sunday is a tradition of the Churchthat nullifies Godrsquos commandments (cf Mt 151f) To show us that this Sunday wasnrsquot to be singled outand made holy God didnrsquot make it an annual holy day (Sabbath) unlike Pentecost 50 days laterLuke uses lsquoa Sabbath dayrsquos journeyrsquo to let Theophilus know how far it was from Jerusalem to the place onthe mountain where Yeshua ascended Even though this doesnrsquot literally speak of the Sabbath day itselfwith Luke using this Jewish phrase about the Sabbath for distance it becomes the first time in Acts that theterm Sabbath is significant He could just as easily have told Theophilus that the distance was about fivestadia35 a Roman measurement for the same distance Theophilus would certainly have understood itmost likely being a Roman himself36 Or Luke could have omitted the reference to distance without takinganything away from the account but he didnrsquotmdashhe spoke of a Sabbath dayrsquos journey This reveals thateven a non-biblical Jewish term about the Sabbath was understood by Gentile Theophilusmdashsomething wewouldnrsquot expect to see if Sunday had actually replaced the Sabbath after the crucifixion of Jesus Lukewrote Acts in 64 AD 34 years after the resurrection and so Sunday hadnrsquot come into Christianity bythen

2 ACTS 1314

ldquoBut when they departed from Perga they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into thesynagogue on the Sabbath day and sat downrdquo (Acts 1314)

Acts 13 took place in 46 AD This chapter has four references to the Sabbath Luke writes that Paul wentinto the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia (modern day mid-Turkey)37 on the Sabbath day This reference tothe Sabbath does not in and of itself support that the Apostles still met on and kept the seventh day Sab-bath holy because itrsquos a traditional synagogue that normally met on the Sabbath day Paul went to it in or-der to tell his Jewish people and the Gentile lsquoGod-fearersrsquo who also assembled there (Acts 1316 cf102 1326) about the Messiah of Israel

3 ACTS 1327

ldquoFor those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers because they did not know Him noreven the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath have fulfilled them in con-demning Himrdquo (Acts 1327)

known as the Omer which is the amount of grain received about two pounds or 09 kilograms (Ex 2319 Lev214 239-14 1st Cor 1520 23) Counting 40 days inclusive from the Sunday of Passover week brings us to aThursday when Yeshua ascended from the Mount of Olives That means that the Apostles waited in Jerusalemfor ten days until the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them and other Jews

34 Acts 11-3 cf Acts 1326 1st Cor 15635 A Sabbath dayrsquos journey (about 3000 feet or 920 meters) is approximately 5 stadia36 Most scholars believe that Theophilus was a Roman nobleman whom Luke wrote both his Gospel (62 AD) and

Acts (64 AD) for when Luke was in Rome with Paul37 This reference to Antioch in Pisidia is made to contrast it with Antioch on the Orontes River where the first be-

lievers were called Christians (Acts 1126) Antioch Orontes is in modern day Syria about 32 kilometers (20miles) east of the Mediterranean Sea just north of Lebanon

12

Paul in his message to those in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia spoke of the Prophets being read onthe Sabbath day This too is only a passing reference to the Sabbath

4 ACTS 1342

ldquoSo when the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles begged that these wordsmight be preached to them the next Sabbathrdquo (Acts 1342)

The Gentile God-fearers at the synagogue begged Paul to preach to them on the next Sabbath This is thesecond significant use of the Sabbath in Acts because if Sunday had been the day when Christians metPaul would have told them that they could hear him preach the next day on Sunday but he didnrsquot do thatSunday (the first day of the week) is not mentioned as a possible time to meet with those excited Gen-tiles Obviously all Christians were still meeting on the Sabbath day Acts 13 takes place about 16 yearsafter the resurrection and Luke doesnrsquot add a footnote in this chapter nor anywhere else saying thatwhen he wrote Acts in 64 AD the day had changed to Sunday something wersquod expect if Sunday had comeinto Christianity during the time that Acts records from 30 AD to 64 AD

5 ACTS 1344

ldquoOn the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of Godrdquo(Acts 1344)

On the following Sabbath most everyone in Antioch came out to hear Paul preach about Messiah YeshuaThis is the last of the four passages in Acts 13 that refer to the Sabbath day and here as in v 42 itrsquos inter-esting to see that Luke doesnrsquot speak of Paul telling the Gentiles of a weekly Sunday assembly This is thethird significant use of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts

6 ACTS 152120ldquobut that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols from fornicationfrom things strangled and from blood 21For Moses has had throughout many genera-tions those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbathrdquo(Acts 1520-21)

Acts 1521 took place among the Jewish believers in Jerusalem in 48 AD This is the fourth significantuse of the Sabbath after the resurrection The chapter deals with what the Gentiles needed to do in orderto be saved (Acts 151-6f) and then speaks of the Gentiles learning Mosaic Law every Sabbath38 At theend of the discussion James the half brother of Yeshua gave four rules for the Gentiles (v 20) and thenspoke of the Gentiles going to the synagogues to learn lsquoMosesrsquo (ie Mosaic Law)Of course all the Jewish believers at the assembly in Jerusalem knew that Moses had been taught (lsquoreadrsquo)lsquofor many generationshellipin the synagoges every Sabbathrsquo and James as well as most of the Jewish believ-ers there that day knew that the Gentile Christians were learning who their God was and what pleasedHim and didnrsquot please Him (ie sin) at those synagogues both believing and non-believing synagoguesbecause Gentiles were welcomed to come to them to learn of the God of Israel and His waysThe word synagogue also means lsquoa Christian assemblyrsquo39 (as we saw before with the feast in Acts 124)

38 Acts 1520-21 is the theological center of the New Testament concerning Mosaic Law for the Gentile It declaresMosaic Law as the lifestyle for every Christian To fully appreciate this and why the four rules of James havenothing to do with table fellowship as the Church teaches see The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21

39 Wesley J Perschbacher editor The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody MA Hendrickson Publications13

Paul in his message to those in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia spoke of the Prophets being read onthe Sabbath day This too is only a passing reference to the Sabbath

4 ACTS 1342

ldquoSo when the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles begged that these wordsmight be preached to them the next Sabbathrdquo (Acts 1342)

The Gentile God-fearers at the synagogue begged Paul to preach to them on the next Sabbath This is thesecond significant use of the Sabbath in Acts because if Sunday had been the day when Christians metPaul would have told them that they could hear him preach the next day on Sunday but he didnrsquot do thatSunday (the first day of the week) is not mentioned as a possible time to meet with those excited Gen-tiles Obviously all Christians were still meeting on the Sabbath day Acts 13 takes place about 16 yearsafter the resurrection and Luke doesnrsquot add a footnote in this chapter nor anywhere else saying thatwhen he wrote Acts in 64 AD the day had changed to Sunday something wersquod expect if Sunday had comeinto Christianity during the time that Acts records from 30 AD to 64 AD

5 ACTS 1344

ldquoOn the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of Godrdquo(Acts 1344)

On the following Sabbath most everyone in Antioch came out to hear Paul preach about Messiah YeshuaThis is the last of the four passages in Acts 13 that refer to the Sabbath day and here as in v 42 itrsquos inter-esting to see that Luke doesnrsquot speak of Paul telling the Gentiles of a weekly Sunday assembly This is thethird significant use of the Sabbath in the Book of Acts

6 ACTS 152120ldquobut that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols from fornicationfrom things strangled and from blood 21For Moses has had throughout many genera-tions those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogues every Sabbathrdquo(Acts 1520-21)

Acts 1521 took place among the Jewish believers in Jerusalem in 48 AD This is the fourth significantuse of the Sabbath after the resurrection The chapter deals with what the Gentiles needed to do in orderto be saved (Acts 151-6f) and then speaks of the Gentiles learning Mosaic Law every Sabbath38 At theend of the discussion James the half brother of Yeshua gave four rules for the Gentiles (v 20) and thenspoke of the Gentiles going to the synagogues to learn lsquoMosesrsquo (ie Mosaic Law)Of course all the Jewish believers at the assembly in Jerusalem knew that Moses had been taught (lsquoreadrsquo)lsquofor many generationshellipin the synagoges every Sabbathrsquo and James as well as most of the Jewish believ-ers there that day knew that the Gentile Christians were learning who their God was and what pleasedHim and didnrsquot please Him (ie sin) at those synagogues both believing and non-believing synagoguesbecause Gentiles were welcomed to come to them to learn of the God of Israel and His waysThe word synagogue also means lsquoa Christian assemblyrsquo39 (as we saw before with the feast in Acts 124)

38 Acts 1520-21 is the theological center of the New Testament concerning Mosaic Law for the Gentile It declaresMosaic Law as the lifestyle for every Christian To fully appreciate this and why the four rules of James havenothing to do with table fellowship as the Church teaches see The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21

39 Wesley J Perschbacher editor The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody MA Hendrickson Publications13

or what might be called by Jewish Christians a (believing) synagogue James was speaking of both thetraditional non-believing synagogues and the Christian synagogues or assemblies as places for the Gentileto learn Mosaic Law In other words both a synagogue of Jews who didnrsquot believe in Jesus as well as anassembly like Antioch on the Orontes River in modern day Syria made up of only believers (Jewish andGentile) would equally be called a synagogue This understanding is supported when we see James usingthe Greek word for synagogue in his letter (49 AD or just a year after Acts 1521 took place) referring toa Christian congregation as a synagogue (James 2240 cf Acts 91-2 2611) The mention of Moses lsquobe-ing read (ie taught) in the synagogues every Sabbathrsquo meant that both believing and unbelieving syna-gogues were places where Gentile Christian could meet and learn Mosaic Law Also of interest is the factthat the word church as a distinct and separate entity from the Jewish people wasnrsquot known to the Apos-tles including Paul41 In other words the lsquochurchrsquo was part of Israel (John 1016 Rom 1111f Eph211f)In verse 21 James made a statement of observation as well as one of expectation James had already seenthat the Gentile believers had been going to the synagogues to learn Mosaic Law from the days of the firstGentile believer Cornelius a lsquoGod-fearerrsquo (Acts 102 38-40 AD or eight to ten years earlier cf 101ndash1118) and that the Gentiles would continue to go to the synagogues to learn Mosaic Law on the Sabbathday42

Most scholars teach that the four rules of James (v 20) speak of table fellowship (ie what the Gentileneeded to do in order to eat at the same table and fellowship with his Jewish counterpart without offend-ing him) but thatrsquos wrong because none of the four rules tell the Gentile Christian what animals were un-clean for the Jew to eat (Lev 11) If the four rules were for table fellowship as the Church teaches theGentiles would have had to know which animals like the pig were biblically unclean so they wouldnrsquotoffend their Jewish brethren by offering them ham or bacon Therefore the very reason the Church sayswas the purpose of the four rules for table fellowship so as not to offend the Jewish believers falls apartupon simple examination The four rules have nothing to do with table fellowshipThe four rules are actually a unit on sacrificial-sexual idolatry43 which if the Gentile didnrsquot immediately

1990) p 388 Synagogue a lsquocollecting gathering a Christian assembly or congregation James 22rsquo (whereJames speaks of a believing synagogue lsquofor if a man comes into your synagogue with a gold ringrsquo) Walter Bauer augmented by William F Arndt F W Gingrich and Frederick Danker A Greek-English Lexicon ofthe New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature second edition (London The University of ChicagoPress 1979) pp 782-783 a lsquoplace of assemblyhellipa Christian assembly-place can also be meantrsquo (James 22) Alsquomeeting for worship of the JewshellipTransferred to meetings of Christian congregationsrsquo

40 In James 22 the ASV correctly translates the Greek word συναγωγή (sunagogae) as synagogue Most EnglishBibles dontrsquo have that instead opting for words that destroy the Jewish connotation such as meeting or assembly(NIV and KJV respectively)

41 The Greek εκκλησια (eklaysia) translated into English as lsquochurchrsquo means an lsquoassemblyrsquo or congregation butliterally speaks of those lsquocalled outrsquo Originally it pictured the Greek lsquotown meetingsrsquo of free men called out ofthe populace to vote on civic matters The spiritual aspect relates to believers being lsquocalled out of darkness intoHis marvelous Lightrsquo (cf 1st Pet 29) and is one reason why Paul chose to use this word instead of synagogueBelievers are the lsquoCalled Out Onesrsquo the Greek equivalent of the Hebraic lsquoChosen Peoplersquo Where it says lsquoto thechurch at Corinthrsquo it could also read lsquoto the assembly (or congregation) at Corinthrsquo or lsquoto the called out ones ofCorinthrsquo Where Yeshua said lsquoOn this Rock I will build My Churchrsquo it could also be translated as lsquoOn this RockI will build My Assemblyrsquo or lsquoMy Called Out Onesrsquo (Matthew 1618) For more on eklaysia see p 3 note 9The Church didnrsquot begin in Acts 2 on Pentecost (the Mosaic holy day of Shavursquoot Leviticus 2315-21 the Feastof Weeks) Jewish believers in the Messiah of Israel were filled with the promised Holy Spirit on that day (Ezk3627 Joel 228-29 see Acts 246-47 511-12 42 where lsquothe Churchrsquo met in the Jewish Temple) Paulrsquos lsquochur-chesrsquo were lsquohouse assembliesrsquo (1st Cor 1619 Phlm 12 see also Rom 165 10-11 14-15 23) which Jewswould call lsquohouse synagoguesrsquo

42 Believing Gentiles wouldnrsquot be barred from the traditional synagogues until after 90 AD43 See The Lifting of the VeilmdashActs 1520-21 for why the four rules of James deal with sacrificial-sexual idolatry

14

stop would place his very salvation in jeopardy (which is why the Council in Acts 15 met ie to deter-mine what the Gentile had to do in order to be saved Acts 151-2 5) In other words the Gentile couldnrsquotlsquobelieve in Jesusrsquo and continue to worship Diana and Zeus etc Adding lsquoanother godrsquo to their pantheonwas a normal practice for the Gentiles and so lsquoadding Jesusrsquo wouldnrsquot have been seen as wrong by themThis is the reason for the four rules of James and why they donrsquot address table fellowship

These four rules then werenrsquot the lsquoonly rulesrsquo for the Gentile as the Church teaches in order to avoidany more Mosaic rules for the Gentile but these four rules were most important Mosaic rules in terms ofwhat the Gentile needed to do in order to remain in the Kingdom Thatrsquos why they were singled out andgiven first The rest of the rules the Gentiles would learn in the synagogue where Mosaic Law was taughtevery Sabbath day Obviously not only was the Sabbath still in effect for the Gentile believers in 48 ADor 18 years after the resurrection but they were learning to walk out their faith in the Jewish Messiahthrough all the other rules of Mosaic Law that applied to themOnce the Gentile was Born Again and justified by his faith in Messiah Yeshua did it matter if he sinnedThe Apostle Paul succinctly raises that question and answers it by saying ldquoHow shall we who died to sinlive any longer in itrdquo (Rom 62) Every true Christian would lsquoamenrsquo that but the question now is whatconstitutes sin in the days after the resurrection In other words what is Godrsquos New Testament definitionof sin Christians today donrsquot know the full extent of what God considers sin and so they are sinningagainst Him without even realizing it Again the Apostle to the Gentiles answers that for us saying

ldquoTherefore by the deeds of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight for by the Lawis the knowledge of sinrdquo (Romans 320)

At His death Yeshua redeemed Israel which now includes any Gentile who is Born Again44 He didnrsquot doaway with Mosaic Law because it reveals Godrsquos holy lifestyle45 The Law reveals what is sin and conse-quently what is pleasing to God Paul distinctly confirms this as Godrsquos holy standard of what is right andwrong (ie sin) saying

ldquoWhat shall we say then Is the Law sin Certainly not On the contrary I would nothave known sin except through the Law For I would not have known covetousness un-less the Law had said lsquoYou must not covetrsquordquo (Romans 77)ldquoTherefore the Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and goodhellipFor weknow that the Law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sinrdquo (Romans 712 14 NKJV)

Paul emphatically states that Mosaic Law46 is Godrsquos holy standard for determining what is sin and conse-

and not table fellowship and how those verses form the theological foundation for Mosaic Law as the biblicallifestyle for both the Jewish and Gentile Christian

44 Mark 1045 John 31-5f 1149-52 Ps 4915 7123 1308 Is 359 431 4423 523 9 6212 Jer 6310-12Hosea 1314 Luke 168 238 Rom 324 823 1111f Gal 313 45 Eph 17 Titus 214 Hebrews 912 151st Pet 118 Rev 59 Compare Gen 4816 Ex 66 1513 Dt 78 96 135 1515 218 2418 2nd Sam723 Ps 2522 7715 7842 Is 4820 5110 638-9 Micah 410 64

45 Yeshua redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Gal 313) not the Law itself see Mt 517-19 1917 2235-40Lk 1026 1617 29 1st Cor 717-19 111-2 Rom 331 77 12 14 16 22 25 81-7 2nd Thess 215 (tradi-tionscustoms equal the Law see Acts 613 151 5 263 2817) James 28-11 411-12 1st John 26 34 532nd John 16 Rev 1217 1412 cf 2nd Tim 310-17

46 Some Christians say that the term Law means only the Ten Commandments again seeking to steer clear of theentire Mosaic Law but this isnrsquot supported by either the Old or the New Testaments Even the phrase lsquothe Lawof the Lordrsquo means Mosaic Law (Ex 139 2nd Kings 1031 1st Chr 1640 2212 2nd Chr 121 179 313-43414 3526 Ezra 710 Neh 93 Ps 12 197 1191 Is 524 Jer 88 Amos 24 Luke 223-24 39) To seehow the Scriptures use the term law to refer to Mosaic Law see Mosaic Law and the TenMosaic Law is biblically seen as the Word of God Ex 3118 3215-16 Ps 11913 16 43 57 66-67 88 89-9497-104 105-106 129-131 133-136 138-140 157-160 161-165 172 Is 110 23 524 4221 443 Jer 35134423 Dan 910 11 Mic 42 Jn 88-9 913 Acts 738 Also the biblical term commandments speaks of more

15

quently what is pleasing to Him Therefore without the knowledge of Mosaic Law onersquos understandingof sin is biblically lacking and leads to sinning against God in ignorance After all how many Christianskeep the Feasts of Israel the seventh day Sabbath and the Mosaic dietary laws47 By not keeping themChristians are sinning against Jesus themselves and many others including the Jewish people who seeChristianity as a pagan religion devoid of the wisdom and knowledge that God gave to Israel (MosaicLaw Dt 46-8 Psalm 1191-176 2nd Tim 310-17)Christians donrsquot keep the Feasts of Israel that Jesus kept nor do they keep the 7th day Sabbath nor theMosaic dietary laws but rather they do things that Jesus would never do because they would have beensin for Him (eg illicit SEX and the eating of pig [bacon and ham etc] as well as catfish and shrimpetc) Aside from Christian theology presenting a false way to live out a Christianrsquos faith in Jesus itrsquos ademonic stumbling block for the Jewish people who rightly believe that their Messiah would nevernegate Mosaic Law and in fact the biblical Jesus said just that (Mt 517-19 2235-40) How is it thenthat Christians havenrsquot seen this deception (cf Daniel 725) for all these centuriesIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath day therersquos no indication of it in Acts 15 On the contrary just the op-posite is seenmdashChristian Gentiles were going to the synagogues on the Sabbath day to learn Mosaic Lawso they could know what was pleasing in Godrsquos eyes and what He considers sin Acts 15 took place 18years after the resurrection in 48 AD This is the fourth and most significant use of the Sabbath afterthe resurrection in the Book of Acts

7 ACTS 1613

ldquoAnd on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside where prayer was cus-tomarily made and we sat down and spoke to the women who met thererdquo (Acts 1613)

Acts 1613 took place in 49 AD Paul went out of the city of Philippi on the Sabbath day to the riverbanklsquowhere prayer was customarily madersquo Pious Jewish women were meeting there for prayer For our pur-pose of realizing that the 7th day Sabbath didnrsquot give way to Sunday in the days of the Apostles this is anominal cite because the women were obviously Jewish and Gentile God fearers and so gathering on theSabbath would have been normal for them After hearing Paul preach some like Lydia would come tobelieve in Yeshua (Acts 1614-15 she lsquoworshiped Godrsquo being a connotation for a God-fearer a Gentilewho had come to worship the God of Israel and had left her pagan ways but hadnrsquot gone through the arti-ficial conversion of Judaism)48

8 ACTS 172

ldquoThen Paul as his custom was went in to them and for three Sabbaths reasoned withthem from the Scripturesrdquo (Acts 172)

Acts 172 took place in 50 AD Luke writes that Paul ldquofor three Sabbathshellipas was his customrdquo reasonedwith the Thessalonian Jews (and Gentiles) This too is a significant passage because even though it re-flects a traditional Sabbath synagogue meeting if Sunday had replaced the Sabbath wouldnrsquot Paul havetold those Thessalonians to come to his Sunday meetings Wouldnrsquot Luke have written of it Nowhere areeither of them mentioned but Luke writes that as it was his custom Paul spoke to them on the Sabbathday Acts 172 took place 20 years after the resurrection

than just the Ten Commandments (Ex 1526 1628 Lev 2231 Num 1522 Dt 617 and Ex 139-10 whichrefers to the keeping of Passover which isnrsquot found in the Ten Commandments)

47 For why the Mosaic dietary laws are still in effect for Christians see Law 102 p 5f48 See Is the Gentile Now a Jew for why rabbinic conversion of a Gentile into becoming a Jew is both artificial

and non-biblical

16

9 ACTS 1844ldquoAnd he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded both Jews and Greeks5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia Paul was compelled by the Spirit andtestified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah 6but when they opposed him and blas-phemed he shook his garments out and said to them lsquoYour blood be upon your ownheads I am not accountable for your rejection of our Messiah (cf Ezk 318-19 338-9)From now on I will go to the Gentilesrsquordquo (Acts 184-6)

Acts 184 took place in Corinth about 52 AD This is the sixth significant biblical reference to the Sabbathafter the resurrection in Acts Luke writes that Paul lsquoreasoned every Sabbathrsquo in the synagogue persuad-ing lsquoboth Jews and Greeksrsquo but when the remaining Jews opposed him (v 6) he began teaching in thehome of Justus He taught there for a year and a half (Acts 187-11) This is a glaring silence for SundayLuke doesnrsquot mention any Sunday teachings nor meetings in the home of Justus in all that time We wouldcertainly expect to see lsquoSundayrsquo here if in fact it had become lsquothe Christian Sabbathrsquo (as some Christianserroneously call it)49 and so its absence is extremely significantAll we have seen in Acts is the Sabbath There truly is no mention of Sunday Acts 207 notwithstanding50

Therefore itrsquos scripturally reasonable to think that Paul taught on the Sabbath day in the home of Justusand that he worked on the other six days of the week with Priscilla and Aquila making tents (Acts 181-3)There would have been about 80 weekly 7th day Sabbaths during that year and half time period (cf Acts1717) and not once does Luke speak of a Sunday meeting How very strange if Sunday had replaced theSabbath day after the resurrection Acts 184 and following took place about 22 and 23 years after theresurrection of the Lord YeshuaIn the Book of Acts there are nine Sabbath cites Six of them are significant because they reveal that Sun-day had not been a part of a Christianrsquos lifestyle but rather that Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath (Gen 21-3 Mk227-28) was still valid for them the day they met on and also kept holy (Ex 208-11 3112-18)

10 COLOSSIANS 21616ldquoSo let no one judge you in food or in drink or regarding a Festival (a Feast of Israel)or a New Moon or Sabbaths 17which are a shadow of things to come but the substanceis of Messiahrdquo (Colossians 216-17)

The letter to the Colossians was written about 60 AD by the Apostle Paul Many Christians use verse 16to prove that the Sabbath is gone but Paul doesnrsquot say that Just as significant is the fact that he doesnrsquoteven speak of Sunday let alone tell us that itrsquos the new day or that it has replaced the Sabbath either inthis passage or anywhere in any of his letters something we would expect from the Apostle Paul if Sun-day had indeed replaced the Sabbath in his lifetimeThe key word in verse 16 is lsquojudgersquo (κρίνω krino) which Paul uses in a simple way meaning lsquoto pro-nounce an opinion concerning right and wrongrsquo51 Paul didnrsquot want anyone in the congregation to judgeothers wrongly regarding how they kept the Sabbath day (or the Feasts of Israel and New Moons etc)Note well donrsquot let anyone lsquojudge yoursquo concerning the Sabbath etc not ldquodonrsquot keep the Sabbathrdquo etc

49 There is no such biblical thing as Sunday being the Christian Sabbath The weekly biblical 7th day Sabbath is al-ways on the last day of the week not the first day of the week (ie Sunday) The Hebrew word Sabbath means tocease or to conclude and so the 7th day Sabbath concludes a 7 day week which God gave us in Creation Weeka ldquoChristian Sabbathrdquo canrsquot begin a week

50 Acts 207 is discussed on pp 23ff51 κρίνω Joseph Thayer Thayerrsquos Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Accordance Bible Software) np

17

The Sabbath was still the day Paulrsquos Christians kept holy and assembled on So the verse that Christiansuse lsquoto proversquo that the Sabbath has been done away with actually backfires because it supports that Gen-tile Christians were keeping and meeting on the 7th Sabbath dayThis is also seen in the very next verse which speaks of the Feasts and Sabbaths as shadows or pictures ofwhat is to come in the future when we will actually see Messiah Yeshua in all of His Glory Paul doesnrsquotwant anyone (most likely another Christians Colossian) judging the Christian Colossians in how they keptGodrsquos days and ways these Mosaic Law things ldquoWhich are a shadow of things to come but the body(reality) is of Messiahrdquo (Col 217) In other words the shadow pictures reveal things about Messiahrsquoscharacter and Person that we wouldnrsquot know about Him if they didnrsquot existBoth the Textus Receptus and the NU text have δὲ (dae) for v 17 which can be translated as lsquobutrsquo whichcontrasts the two phrases but a better translation would be lsquohoweverrsquo (NIV) because Paul isnrsquot contrast-ing the Sabbath etc with Jesusmdashhersquos teaching that the Sabbath and the Feasts are lsquopicturesrsquo or shadowsthat reflect the Messiah who was not literally present with them As such the Sabbath and the Feasts arepractical divine teaching tools about the Savior in Heaven They instruct us as to who He really is Is Je-sus Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 227-28) or is He Lord of Sunday And if Hersquos the Lord of Sunday wherein Scripture does it say thatAn example of how the Sabbath reveals Messiah Yeshua and how without it wersquod be at a loss to morefully understand Him and some of His sayings is that inherent in the Sabbath day is the theme of redemp-tion (salvation) God made the Sabbath that waymdashto reflect the redemption from Egyptian slavery (Dt512-15) and to also be a reflection or a shadow of the redemption from the slavery in the Kingdom ofSatan Because the Sabbath is impregnated with the theme of redemption Yeshua could lsquobreak the rulesrsquo of thePharisees regarding healing on the Sabbath which they considered forbidden work (for God commands acessation of work and for Israel to rest) Note though how Yeshua chastises the president of the syna-gogue who opposed Him when He healed the Jewish woman who had suffered for so long healing hereespecially on the Sabbath day

ldquoSo ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has boundmdashthinkof itmdashfor 18 years be freed from this bond (slavery) on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Luke1316)

The Pharisees condemned the healings of Yeshua on the Sabbath day because they didnrsquot realize that thework of redemption was lawful Yeshua as the Redeemer of Israel was sent by His Father to do works ofredemption especially on the Sabbath that would culminate in the Work of Redemption (His death)Thatrsquos why Yeshua could heal (work) on the Sabbath and it wouldnrsquot be considered sin in His Fatherrsquoseyes because inherent within the Sabbath is the theme of redemption Therefore the Sabbath is a perfectpicture of Yeshua as the Redeemer of Israel who gives us lsquorestrsquo from our sinful toil by forgiving andcleansing us so that we can walk in lsquorestrsquo (or shalom the Hebrew word for Godrsquos peace) lsquoIn Yeshuarsquo wefind this rest which is the essence of the Sabbath Sunday cannot biblically claim that It was never meanttoPaul in Colossians comes against the pagan Gnostic practice of fasting on the Sabbath day (Col 223)and the Gnostic understanding of lsquohow to attainrsquo to God (to be saved) It seems that some Gnostic Colos-sians became Christians and came into the Colossian congregation with a lot of Gnostic baggage (Col28-10) Most likely they said to their Colossian brothers that one wasnrsquot saved if he didnrsquot fast on theSabbath and didnrsquot keep to their lifestyle Paul comes against such heresy and the new Christian hereticswho judged (condemned) their Colossian brothers The point is that Paul is actually upholding the Sab-bath by saying not to let anyone judge them in how they kept the Sabbath etc That Paul wasnrsquot comingagainst Mosaic Law is seen in his speaking of what was wrong in Colosse as the lsquodoctrines of menrsquo andlsquoself-imposted religionrsquo (Col 222-23) something Paul never says about the Sabbath or Mosaic Law be-

18

cause they are divine instructions and rules from God not from man Also interesting to note is that ifSunday had replaced the Sabbath what is Paul doing writing about the SabbathThis is the seventh significant passage on the issue of Sabbath or Sunday in the New Testament after theresurrection The Colossian letter was written by Paul the Churchrsquos lsquoNo Lawrsquo champion 30 years afterthe resurrection It doesnrsquot speak of Sunday assembly nor the negation of the Sabbath but on the con-trary reveals that the Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and her New Moons were being kept by the ColossianChristians This in turn shows us that Mosaic Law was still being kept by Gentile Christians because theFeasts of Israel and the New Moons unlike the 7th day Sabbath are not found in the Ten Command-ments but in Mosaic Law

11 HEBREWS 49

ldquoThere remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of Godrdquo (Hebrews 49)The Letter to the Hebrews was written about 67 AD Every English Bible has ldquoa Sabbath restrdquo except theKing James and New King James which only have lsquoa restrsquo yet the Textus Receptus which is the basisfor the KJV and to a great extent the NKJV has the Greek word σαββατισμὸς sabbatismos which is aliteral observance of the Sabbath52 This is an insidious translation error for both the KJV and the NKJVwith profound theological meaning for the observance of the Sabbath 37 years after the resurrectionThe NU Greek manuscript has the same Greek word sabbatismos which is why every English Bible ex-cept the KJV and the NKJV has lsquoa Sabbath restrsquo remains for the people of God The KJV and NKJVtranslators were dishonest to Jesus in their translation of Hebrews 49 in the Textus ReceptusThe author of Hebrews literally reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians and also points tothe spiritual rest we experience by faith in Messiah Yeshuarsquos finished work of redemption especially onthe Sabbath day as we strive in the Holy Spirit to enter into the divine presence of Messiah Yeshua whois Shalom (Godrsquos peace and rest) Itrsquos very telling that the author speaks of the Sabbath this way which if it had been replaced by Sundaywould obviously not have been used The Letter to the Hebrews like the Book of Acts and Paulrsquos letter tothe Colossians never speak of Sunday replacing Godrsquos seventh day SabbathGod called Israel to cease from their work on the Sabbath day and rest from their labor to make a livingetc (Ex 208-11) which meant that He wanted them to have faith in Him that He would provide for alltheir needs It seems obvious that if one works seven days a week instead of six that he will have morematerial things like food and clothing etc but God wants His people to trust Him to provide for all theirneedsThe writer of Hebrews speaks of us ceasing from our dead works of trying to earn our salvation by goodor righteous deeds and to enter into the Godrsquos finished work of redemption in Yeshua for them (Heb 61914) The Sabbath is Godrsquos picture of that rest both in the natural and in the spiritual realmsThe Sabbath day allows us once a week to literally and spiritually cease and find Shalom from our striv-ings to earn a living and lsquoto be good enoughrsquo for God and to enter into both physical and spiritual restYes we can enter that spiritual rest every moment of every day of the week but on the Sabbath God com-mands that we donrsquot work nor buy or sell and to keep this day holy for 24 hours not just at the assemblywhich makes Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath different from every other day The Sabbath is Godrsquos practical andspiritual gift to us (Mark 227) and Yeshua spoke of His being Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 228) nevereven hinting at the day changing but on the contrary speaking of it continuing (Mt 2420)On the Sabbath day we cease from our physical work as a natural reminder for ceasing from our carnal

52 σαββατισμὸς Joseph Thayer Thayerrsquos Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Accordance Bible Soft-ware) np ldquoto keep the sabbath a keeping sabbathrdquo

19

anxiety and doubts concerning our standing with God and we learn to truly trust Him for all our needsboth temporal and eternal In this we truly enter into the spiritual rest that He has provides through HisSonrsquos sacrificial deathEvery Sabbath as we learn (again and again) to trust God at this level our faith and joy deepen as we re-alize anew who our Savior is and that our Father is pleased with us because we are trusting in what Hehas done for us This leads to divine rest and Shalom for our souls (Mt 1128-30) which is the essence ofthe Sabbath commandment to rest Sunday doesnrsquot have this theological meaning This is why the authorof Hebrews used the 7th day Sabbath which reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians 37years after the resurrection of Messiah YeshuaThis is the eighth significant biblical witness for the Sabbath in the New Testament after the resurrectionThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection and eight of those 11times have proven significant in our quest of Truth to understand Godrsquos will for our lifestyleAlthough three of those 11 times refer only nominally to the Sabbath as the biblical day of Jewish assem-bly53 the other eight times written by three different New Testament writers54 biblically establish that the7th day Sabbath was still the day that the New Testament Church kept holy and met on Also interestingto realize is that not once after any of those eleven times nor anywhere else in the entire New Testamentdoes anyone state that Sunday replaced the Sabbath or that Sunday was the lsquonew dayrsquo of assembly or thelsquoChristian Sabbathrsquo The Apostle John more than 60 years after the resurrection wrote

ldquoHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walkedrdquo (1st John26)

The Apostles of Yeshua as well as all the Jewish and Gentile Christians kept the 7th day Sabbath and theFeasts of Israel during the time of the Apostles after the resurrection (30 AD to 96 AD which revealsthat they walked out their faith in Jesus through all the rules and statutes of Mosaic Law that applied tothem Shouldnrsquot we also

53 Acts 1314 27 161354 Luke six times (Acts Acts 112 1342 44 1521 172 184) Paul once (Col 216) and the author of Hebrews

once (Heb 49)

20

THREE SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION

The next three passages of Scripture (Is 6623 Ezk 461 Mt 2420) although spoken before the res-urrection apply to times after the resurrection and so they merit our consideration in searching Scripturefor Godrsquos Truth in this matter of Sabbath or Sunday The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of atime which obviously has not yet come when all mankind will worship Him on the Sabbath day

ldquolsquoAnd it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbathto another all flesh shall come to worship before Mersquo says Yahvehrdquo (Isaiah 6623)

This was written about 720 BC It hasnrsquot happened yet but it will happen during the thousand year reignof Yeshua from this earthly Jerusalem (Rev 204-6) In that time the Son of David (2nd Sam 78f Lk130-33) will reign and rule the nations from this earthly Jerusalem with an iron rod (Rev 125 1915)The point is that it speaks of the Sabbath being the day when all mankind not just the Jews will worshipthe God of Israel and it wonrsquot be on Sunday The seventh day Sabbath has been holy and blessed sinceCreation and is for all mankind (Gen 21-3 Mk 227) God has never blessed nor made Sunday a week-ly holy day We would expect Sunday to be given at least those two divine designations if it had indeedsuperseded the SabbathEzekiel prophesied of what many Christians call The Temple of Ezekiel which they see coming about inthe thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) This passage was written about 580 BC

ldquoThus says the Lord Yahveh lsquoThe gateway of the inner court that faces toward the eastshall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened and on the dayof the New Moon it shall be openedrdquo (Ezekiel 461)

The six working days correspond to Sunday through Friday and the gateway will be shut for those daysbut on the Sabbath day it will be open God never intended for Sunday to replace His holy Sabbath dayThe continuance of the Sabbath is also seen when Yeshua in 30 AD prophesied of the destruction ofJerusalem which took place in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman Army 40 years after His resurrectionOut of His concern for His Jewish people He told them to pray that their fleeing from the city wouldnrsquot bein the winter nor on the Sabbath (Mt 2420) The Sabbath isnrsquot a time lsquoto run for your livesrsquo but to enterinto Godrsquos presence to appreciate His creation and the Shalom and freedom (redemption) He gives us (Ex208-11 Dt 512-15 Rom 1111f Rev 59) We are to rest keep the day holy assemble on it if we canand minister to others as Yeshua did (eg Mt 1210f Luke 416 John 51-9) Yeshua spoke this beforethe resurrection but Matthew wrote his Gospel 14 years after the resurrection and never spoke of Sun-day replacing the Sabbath

ldquoAnd pray that your flight may not be in winter nor on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Mt 2420)Neither God through Isaiah Ezekiel or Yeshua spoke of Sunday replacing the seventh day Sabbath butof the Sabbath continuing after the resurrection even into the days of the thousand year reign of Yeshua(Rev 201-7f) The divinely inspired Scriptures diametrically oppose Church teaching about Godrsquos 7thday Sabbath and Sunday As Joshua said to Israel

ldquoAnd if it seems evil to you to serve Jesus choose for yourselves this day whom you willserve whether the gods of Sunday which your Fathers served in their Sunday churchesor the gods who hate the Feasts of Israel but who keep Easter and Xmas instead inwhose land you dwell but as for me and my House we will serve Yeshua His Wayrdquo(Joshua 2415 my rendition for today)

21

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

The Sabbath was still the day Paulrsquos Christians kept holy and assembled on So the verse that Christiansuse lsquoto proversquo that the Sabbath has been done away with actually backfires because it supports that Gen-tile Christians were keeping and meeting on the 7th Sabbath dayThis is also seen in the very next verse which speaks of the Feasts and Sabbaths as shadows or pictures ofwhat is to come in the future when we will actually see Messiah Yeshua in all of His Glory Paul doesnrsquotwant anyone (most likely another Christians Colossian) judging the Christian Colossians in how they keptGodrsquos days and ways these Mosaic Law things ldquoWhich are a shadow of things to come but the body(reality) is of Messiahrdquo (Col 217) In other words the shadow pictures reveal things about Messiahrsquoscharacter and Person that we wouldnrsquot know about Him if they didnrsquot existBoth the Textus Receptus and the NU text have δὲ (dae) for v 17 which can be translated as lsquobutrsquo whichcontrasts the two phrases but a better translation would be lsquohoweverrsquo (NIV) because Paul isnrsquot contrast-ing the Sabbath etc with Jesusmdashhersquos teaching that the Sabbath and the Feasts are lsquopicturesrsquo or shadowsthat reflect the Messiah who was not literally present with them As such the Sabbath and the Feasts arepractical divine teaching tools about the Savior in Heaven They instruct us as to who He really is Is Je-sus Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 227-28) or is He Lord of Sunday And if Hersquos the Lord of Sunday wherein Scripture does it say thatAn example of how the Sabbath reveals Messiah Yeshua and how without it wersquod be at a loss to morefully understand Him and some of His sayings is that inherent in the Sabbath day is the theme of redemp-tion (salvation) God made the Sabbath that waymdashto reflect the redemption from Egyptian slavery (Dt512-15) and to also be a reflection or a shadow of the redemption from the slavery in the Kingdom ofSatan Because the Sabbath is impregnated with the theme of redemption Yeshua could lsquobreak the rulesrsquo of thePharisees regarding healing on the Sabbath which they considered forbidden work (for God commands acessation of work and for Israel to rest) Note though how Yeshua chastises the president of the syna-gogue who opposed Him when He healed the Jewish woman who had suffered for so long healing hereespecially on the Sabbath day

ldquoSo ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has boundmdashthinkof itmdashfor 18 years be freed from this bond (slavery) on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Luke1316)

The Pharisees condemned the healings of Yeshua on the Sabbath day because they didnrsquot realize that thework of redemption was lawful Yeshua as the Redeemer of Israel was sent by His Father to do works ofredemption especially on the Sabbath that would culminate in the Work of Redemption (His death)Thatrsquos why Yeshua could heal (work) on the Sabbath and it wouldnrsquot be considered sin in His Fatherrsquoseyes because inherent within the Sabbath is the theme of redemption Therefore the Sabbath is a perfectpicture of Yeshua as the Redeemer of Israel who gives us lsquorestrsquo from our sinful toil by forgiving andcleansing us so that we can walk in lsquorestrsquo (or shalom the Hebrew word for Godrsquos peace) lsquoIn Yeshuarsquo wefind this rest which is the essence of the Sabbath Sunday cannot biblically claim that It was never meanttoPaul in Colossians comes against the pagan Gnostic practice of fasting on the Sabbath day (Col 223)and the Gnostic understanding of lsquohow to attainrsquo to God (to be saved) It seems that some Gnostic Colos-sians became Christians and came into the Colossian congregation with a lot of Gnostic baggage (Col28-10) Most likely they said to their Colossian brothers that one wasnrsquot saved if he didnrsquot fast on theSabbath and didnrsquot keep to their lifestyle Paul comes against such heresy and the new Christian hereticswho judged (condemned) their Colossian brothers The point is that Paul is actually upholding the Sab-bath by saying not to let anyone judge them in how they kept the Sabbath etc That Paul wasnrsquot comingagainst Mosaic Law is seen in his speaking of what was wrong in Colosse as the lsquodoctrines of menrsquo andlsquoself-imposted religionrsquo (Col 222-23) something Paul never says about the Sabbath or Mosaic Law be-

18

cause they are divine instructions and rules from God not from man Also interesting to note is that ifSunday had replaced the Sabbath what is Paul doing writing about the SabbathThis is the seventh significant passage on the issue of Sabbath or Sunday in the New Testament after theresurrection The Colossian letter was written by Paul the Churchrsquos lsquoNo Lawrsquo champion 30 years afterthe resurrection It doesnrsquot speak of Sunday assembly nor the negation of the Sabbath but on the con-trary reveals that the Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and her New Moons were being kept by the ColossianChristians This in turn shows us that Mosaic Law was still being kept by Gentile Christians because theFeasts of Israel and the New Moons unlike the 7th day Sabbath are not found in the Ten Command-ments but in Mosaic Law

11 HEBREWS 49

ldquoThere remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of Godrdquo (Hebrews 49)The Letter to the Hebrews was written about 67 AD Every English Bible has ldquoa Sabbath restrdquo except theKing James and New King James which only have lsquoa restrsquo yet the Textus Receptus which is the basisfor the KJV and to a great extent the NKJV has the Greek word σαββατισμὸς sabbatismos which is aliteral observance of the Sabbath52 This is an insidious translation error for both the KJV and the NKJVwith profound theological meaning for the observance of the Sabbath 37 years after the resurrectionThe NU Greek manuscript has the same Greek word sabbatismos which is why every English Bible ex-cept the KJV and the NKJV has lsquoa Sabbath restrsquo remains for the people of God The KJV and NKJVtranslators were dishonest to Jesus in their translation of Hebrews 49 in the Textus ReceptusThe author of Hebrews literally reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians and also points tothe spiritual rest we experience by faith in Messiah Yeshuarsquos finished work of redemption especially onthe Sabbath day as we strive in the Holy Spirit to enter into the divine presence of Messiah Yeshua whois Shalom (Godrsquos peace and rest) Itrsquos very telling that the author speaks of the Sabbath this way which if it had been replaced by Sundaywould obviously not have been used The Letter to the Hebrews like the Book of Acts and Paulrsquos letter tothe Colossians never speak of Sunday replacing Godrsquos seventh day SabbathGod called Israel to cease from their work on the Sabbath day and rest from their labor to make a livingetc (Ex 208-11) which meant that He wanted them to have faith in Him that He would provide for alltheir needs It seems obvious that if one works seven days a week instead of six that he will have morematerial things like food and clothing etc but God wants His people to trust Him to provide for all theirneedsThe writer of Hebrews speaks of us ceasing from our dead works of trying to earn our salvation by goodor righteous deeds and to enter into the Godrsquos finished work of redemption in Yeshua for them (Heb 61914) The Sabbath is Godrsquos picture of that rest both in the natural and in the spiritual realmsThe Sabbath day allows us once a week to literally and spiritually cease and find Shalom from our striv-ings to earn a living and lsquoto be good enoughrsquo for God and to enter into both physical and spiritual restYes we can enter that spiritual rest every moment of every day of the week but on the Sabbath God com-mands that we donrsquot work nor buy or sell and to keep this day holy for 24 hours not just at the assemblywhich makes Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath different from every other day The Sabbath is Godrsquos practical andspiritual gift to us (Mark 227) and Yeshua spoke of His being Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 228) nevereven hinting at the day changing but on the contrary speaking of it continuing (Mt 2420)On the Sabbath day we cease from our physical work as a natural reminder for ceasing from our carnal

52 σαββατισμὸς Joseph Thayer Thayerrsquos Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Accordance Bible Soft-ware) np ldquoto keep the sabbath a keeping sabbathrdquo

19

anxiety and doubts concerning our standing with God and we learn to truly trust Him for all our needsboth temporal and eternal In this we truly enter into the spiritual rest that He has provides through HisSonrsquos sacrificial deathEvery Sabbath as we learn (again and again) to trust God at this level our faith and joy deepen as we re-alize anew who our Savior is and that our Father is pleased with us because we are trusting in what Hehas done for us This leads to divine rest and Shalom for our souls (Mt 1128-30) which is the essence ofthe Sabbath commandment to rest Sunday doesnrsquot have this theological meaning This is why the authorof Hebrews used the 7th day Sabbath which reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians 37years after the resurrection of Messiah YeshuaThis is the eighth significant biblical witness for the Sabbath in the New Testament after the resurrectionThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection and eight of those 11times have proven significant in our quest of Truth to understand Godrsquos will for our lifestyleAlthough three of those 11 times refer only nominally to the Sabbath as the biblical day of Jewish assem-bly53 the other eight times written by three different New Testament writers54 biblically establish that the7th day Sabbath was still the day that the New Testament Church kept holy and met on Also interestingto realize is that not once after any of those eleven times nor anywhere else in the entire New Testamentdoes anyone state that Sunday replaced the Sabbath or that Sunday was the lsquonew dayrsquo of assembly or thelsquoChristian Sabbathrsquo The Apostle John more than 60 years after the resurrection wrote

ldquoHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walkedrdquo (1st John26)

The Apostles of Yeshua as well as all the Jewish and Gentile Christians kept the 7th day Sabbath and theFeasts of Israel during the time of the Apostles after the resurrection (30 AD to 96 AD which revealsthat they walked out their faith in Jesus through all the rules and statutes of Mosaic Law that applied tothem Shouldnrsquot we also

53 Acts 1314 27 161354 Luke six times (Acts Acts 112 1342 44 1521 172 184) Paul once (Col 216) and the author of Hebrews

once (Heb 49)

20

THREE SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION

The next three passages of Scripture (Is 6623 Ezk 461 Mt 2420) although spoken before the res-urrection apply to times after the resurrection and so they merit our consideration in searching Scripturefor Godrsquos Truth in this matter of Sabbath or Sunday The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of atime which obviously has not yet come when all mankind will worship Him on the Sabbath day

ldquolsquoAnd it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbathto another all flesh shall come to worship before Mersquo says Yahvehrdquo (Isaiah 6623)

This was written about 720 BC It hasnrsquot happened yet but it will happen during the thousand year reignof Yeshua from this earthly Jerusalem (Rev 204-6) In that time the Son of David (2nd Sam 78f Lk130-33) will reign and rule the nations from this earthly Jerusalem with an iron rod (Rev 125 1915)The point is that it speaks of the Sabbath being the day when all mankind not just the Jews will worshipthe God of Israel and it wonrsquot be on Sunday The seventh day Sabbath has been holy and blessed sinceCreation and is for all mankind (Gen 21-3 Mk 227) God has never blessed nor made Sunday a week-ly holy day We would expect Sunday to be given at least those two divine designations if it had indeedsuperseded the SabbathEzekiel prophesied of what many Christians call The Temple of Ezekiel which they see coming about inthe thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) This passage was written about 580 BC

ldquoThus says the Lord Yahveh lsquoThe gateway of the inner court that faces toward the eastshall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened and on the dayof the New Moon it shall be openedrdquo (Ezekiel 461)

The six working days correspond to Sunday through Friday and the gateway will be shut for those daysbut on the Sabbath day it will be open God never intended for Sunday to replace His holy Sabbath dayThe continuance of the Sabbath is also seen when Yeshua in 30 AD prophesied of the destruction ofJerusalem which took place in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman Army 40 years after His resurrectionOut of His concern for His Jewish people He told them to pray that their fleeing from the city wouldnrsquot bein the winter nor on the Sabbath (Mt 2420) The Sabbath isnrsquot a time lsquoto run for your livesrsquo but to enterinto Godrsquos presence to appreciate His creation and the Shalom and freedom (redemption) He gives us (Ex208-11 Dt 512-15 Rom 1111f Rev 59) We are to rest keep the day holy assemble on it if we canand minister to others as Yeshua did (eg Mt 1210f Luke 416 John 51-9) Yeshua spoke this beforethe resurrection but Matthew wrote his Gospel 14 years after the resurrection and never spoke of Sun-day replacing the Sabbath

ldquoAnd pray that your flight may not be in winter nor on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Mt 2420)Neither God through Isaiah Ezekiel or Yeshua spoke of Sunday replacing the seventh day Sabbath butof the Sabbath continuing after the resurrection even into the days of the thousand year reign of Yeshua(Rev 201-7f) The divinely inspired Scriptures diametrically oppose Church teaching about Godrsquos 7thday Sabbath and Sunday As Joshua said to Israel

ldquoAnd if it seems evil to you to serve Jesus choose for yourselves this day whom you willserve whether the gods of Sunday which your Fathers served in their Sunday churchesor the gods who hate the Feasts of Israel but who keep Easter and Xmas instead inwhose land you dwell but as for me and my House we will serve Yeshua His Wayrdquo(Joshua 2415 my rendition for today)

21

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

cause they are divine instructions and rules from God not from man Also interesting to note is that ifSunday had replaced the Sabbath what is Paul doing writing about the SabbathThis is the seventh significant passage on the issue of Sabbath or Sunday in the New Testament after theresurrection The Colossian letter was written by Paul the Churchrsquos lsquoNo Lawrsquo champion 30 years afterthe resurrection It doesnrsquot speak of Sunday assembly nor the negation of the Sabbath but on the con-trary reveals that the Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and her New Moons were being kept by the ColossianChristians This in turn shows us that Mosaic Law was still being kept by Gentile Christians because theFeasts of Israel and the New Moons unlike the 7th day Sabbath are not found in the Ten Command-ments but in Mosaic Law

11 HEBREWS 49

ldquoThere remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of Godrdquo (Hebrews 49)The Letter to the Hebrews was written about 67 AD Every English Bible has ldquoa Sabbath restrdquo except theKing James and New King James which only have lsquoa restrsquo yet the Textus Receptus which is the basisfor the KJV and to a great extent the NKJV has the Greek word σαββατισμὸς sabbatismos which is aliteral observance of the Sabbath52 This is an insidious translation error for both the KJV and the NKJVwith profound theological meaning for the observance of the Sabbath 37 years after the resurrectionThe NU Greek manuscript has the same Greek word sabbatismos which is why every English Bible ex-cept the KJV and the NKJV has lsquoa Sabbath restrsquo remains for the people of God The KJV and NKJVtranslators were dishonest to Jesus in their translation of Hebrews 49 in the Textus ReceptusThe author of Hebrews literally reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians and also points tothe spiritual rest we experience by faith in Messiah Yeshuarsquos finished work of redemption especially onthe Sabbath day as we strive in the Holy Spirit to enter into the divine presence of Messiah Yeshua whois Shalom (Godrsquos peace and rest) Itrsquos very telling that the author speaks of the Sabbath this way which if it had been replaced by Sundaywould obviously not have been used The Letter to the Hebrews like the Book of Acts and Paulrsquos letter tothe Colossians never speak of Sunday replacing Godrsquos seventh day SabbathGod called Israel to cease from their work on the Sabbath day and rest from their labor to make a livingetc (Ex 208-11) which meant that He wanted them to have faith in Him that He would provide for alltheir needs It seems obvious that if one works seven days a week instead of six that he will have morematerial things like food and clothing etc but God wants His people to trust Him to provide for all theirneedsThe writer of Hebrews speaks of us ceasing from our dead works of trying to earn our salvation by goodor righteous deeds and to enter into the Godrsquos finished work of redemption in Yeshua for them (Heb 61914) The Sabbath is Godrsquos picture of that rest both in the natural and in the spiritual realmsThe Sabbath day allows us once a week to literally and spiritually cease and find Shalom from our striv-ings to earn a living and lsquoto be good enoughrsquo for God and to enter into both physical and spiritual restYes we can enter that spiritual rest every moment of every day of the week but on the Sabbath God com-mands that we donrsquot work nor buy or sell and to keep this day holy for 24 hours not just at the assemblywhich makes Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath different from every other day The Sabbath is Godrsquos practical andspiritual gift to us (Mark 227) and Yeshua spoke of His being Lord of the Sabbath (Mk 228) nevereven hinting at the day changing but on the contrary speaking of it continuing (Mt 2420)On the Sabbath day we cease from our physical work as a natural reminder for ceasing from our carnal

52 σαββατισμὸς Joseph Thayer Thayerrsquos Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Accordance Bible Soft-ware) np ldquoto keep the sabbath a keeping sabbathrdquo

19

anxiety and doubts concerning our standing with God and we learn to truly trust Him for all our needsboth temporal and eternal In this we truly enter into the spiritual rest that He has provides through HisSonrsquos sacrificial deathEvery Sabbath as we learn (again and again) to trust God at this level our faith and joy deepen as we re-alize anew who our Savior is and that our Father is pleased with us because we are trusting in what Hehas done for us This leads to divine rest and Shalom for our souls (Mt 1128-30) which is the essence ofthe Sabbath commandment to rest Sunday doesnrsquot have this theological meaning This is why the authorof Hebrews used the 7th day Sabbath which reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians 37years after the resurrection of Messiah YeshuaThis is the eighth significant biblical witness for the Sabbath in the New Testament after the resurrectionThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection and eight of those 11times have proven significant in our quest of Truth to understand Godrsquos will for our lifestyleAlthough three of those 11 times refer only nominally to the Sabbath as the biblical day of Jewish assem-bly53 the other eight times written by three different New Testament writers54 biblically establish that the7th day Sabbath was still the day that the New Testament Church kept holy and met on Also interestingto realize is that not once after any of those eleven times nor anywhere else in the entire New Testamentdoes anyone state that Sunday replaced the Sabbath or that Sunday was the lsquonew dayrsquo of assembly or thelsquoChristian Sabbathrsquo The Apostle John more than 60 years after the resurrection wrote

ldquoHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walkedrdquo (1st John26)

The Apostles of Yeshua as well as all the Jewish and Gentile Christians kept the 7th day Sabbath and theFeasts of Israel during the time of the Apostles after the resurrection (30 AD to 96 AD which revealsthat they walked out their faith in Jesus through all the rules and statutes of Mosaic Law that applied tothem Shouldnrsquot we also

53 Acts 1314 27 161354 Luke six times (Acts Acts 112 1342 44 1521 172 184) Paul once (Col 216) and the author of Hebrews

once (Heb 49)

20

THREE SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION

The next three passages of Scripture (Is 6623 Ezk 461 Mt 2420) although spoken before the res-urrection apply to times after the resurrection and so they merit our consideration in searching Scripturefor Godrsquos Truth in this matter of Sabbath or Sunday The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of atime which obviously has not yet come when all mankind will worship Him on the Sabbath day

ldquolsquoAnd it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbathto another all flesh shall come to worship before Mersquo says Yahvehrdquo (Isaiah 6623)

This was written about 720 BC It hasnrsquot happened yet but it will happen during the thousand year reignof Yeshua from this earthly Jerusalem (Rev 204-6) In that time the Son of David (2nd Sam 78f Lk130-33) will reign and rule the nations from this earthly Jerusalem with an iron rod (Rev 125 1915)The point is that it speaks of the Sabbath being the day when all mankind not just the Jews will worshipthe God of Israel and it wonrsquot be on Sunday The seventh day Sabbath has been holy and blessed sinceCreation and is for all mankind (Gen 21-3 Mk 227) God has never blessed nor made Sunday a week-ly holy day We would expect Sunday to be given at least those two divine designations if it had indeedsuperseded the SabbathEzekiel prophesied of what many Christians call The Temple of Ezekiel which they see coming about inthe thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) This passage was written about 580 BC

ldquoThus says the Lord Yahveh lsquoThe gateway of the inner court that faces toward the eastshall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened and on the dayof the New Moon it shall be openedrdquo (Ezekiel 461)

The six working days correspond to Sunday through Friday and the gateway will be shut for those daysbut on the Sabbath day it will be open God never intended for Sunday to replace His holy Sabbath dayThe continuance of the Sabbath is also seen when Yeshua in 30 AD prophesied of the destruction ofJerusalem which took place in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman Army 40 years after His resurrectionOut of His concern for His Jewish people He told them to pray that their fleeing from the city wouldnrsquot bein the winter nor on the Sabbath (Mt 2420) The Sabbath isnrsquot a time lsquoto run for your livesrsquo but to enterinto Godrsquos presence to appreciate His creation and the Shalom and freedom (redemption) He gives us (Ex208-11 Dt 512-15 Rom 1111f Rev 59) We are to rest keep the day holy assemble on it if we canand minister to others as Yeshua did (eg Mt 1210f Luke 416 John 51-9) Yeshua spoke this beforethe resurrection but Matthew wrote his Gospel 14 years after the resurrection and never spoke of Sun-day replacing the Sabbath

ldquoAnd pray that your flight may not be in winter nor on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Mt 2420)Neither God through Isaiah Ezekiel or Yeshua spoke of Sunday replacing the seventh day Sabbath butof the Sabbath continuing after the resurrection even into the days of the thousand year reign of Yeshua(Rev 201-7f) The divinely inspired Scriptures diametrically oppose Church teaching about Godrsquos 7thday Sabbath and Sunday As Joshua said to Israel

ldquoAnd if it seems evil to you to serve Jesus choose for yourselves this day whom you willserve whether the gods of Sunday which your Fathers served in their Sunday churchesor the gods who hate the Feasts of Israel but who keep Easter and Xmas instead inwhose land you dwell but as for me and my House we will serve Yeshua His Wayrdquo(Joshua 2415 my rendition for today)

21

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

anxiety and doubts concerning our standing with God and we learn to truly trust Him for all our needsboth temporal and eternal In this we truly enter into the spiritual rest that He has provides through HisSonrsquos sacrificial deathEvery Sabbath as we learn (again and again) to trust God at this level our faith and joy deepen as we re-alize anew who our Savior is and that our Father is pleased with us because we are trusting in what Hehas done for us This leads to divine rest and Shalom for our souls (Mt 1128-30) which is the essence ofthe Sabbath commandment to rest Sunday doesnrsquot have this theological meaning This is why the authorof Hebrews used the 7th day Sabbath which reveals that the Sabbath was still valid for Christians 37years after the resurrection of Messiah YeshuaThis is the eighth significant biblical witness for the Sabbath in the New Testament after the resurrectionThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection and eight of those 11times have proven significant in our quest of Truth to understand Godrsquos will for our lifestyleAlthough three of those 11 times refer only nominally to the Sabbath as the biblical day of Jewish assem-bly53 the other eight times written by three different New Testament writers54 biblically establish that the7th day Sabbath was still the day that the New Testament Church kept holy and met on Also interestingto realize is that not once after any of those eleven times nor anywhere else in the entire New Testamentdoes anyone state that Sunday replaced the Sabbath or that Sunday was the lsquonew dayrsquo of assembly or thelsquoChristian Sabbathrsquo The Apostle John more than 60 years after the resurrection wrote

ldquoHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walkedrdquo (1st John26)

The Apostles of Yeshua as well as all the Jewish and Gentile Christians kept the 7th day Sabbath and theFeasts of Israel during the time of the Apostles after the resurrection (30 AD to 96 AD which revealsthat they walked out their faith in Jesus through all the rules and statutes of Mosaic Law that applied tothem Shouldnrsquot we also

53 Acts 1314 27 161354 Luke six times (Acts Acts 112 1342 44 1521 172 184) Paul once (Col 216) and the author of Hebrews

once (Heb 49)

20

THREE SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION

The next three passages of Scripture (Is 6623 Ezk 461 Mt 2420) although spoken before the res-urrection apply to times after the resurrection and so they merit our consideration in searching Scripturefor Godrsquos Truth in this matter of Sabbath or Sunday The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of atime which obviously has not yet come when all mankind will worship Him on the Sabbath day

ldquolsquoAnd it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbathto another all flesh shall come to worship before Mersquo says Yahvehrdquo (Isaiah 6623)

This was written about 720 BC It hasnrsquot happened yet but it will happen during the thousand year reignof Yeshua from this earthly Jerusalem (Rev 204-6) In that time the Son of David (2nd Sam 78f Lk130-33) will reign and rule the nations from this earthly Jerusalem with an iron rod (Rev 125 1915)The point is that it speaks of the Sabbath being the day when all mankind not just the Jews will worshipthe God of Israel and it wonrsquot be on Sunday The seventh day Sabbath has been holy and blessed sinceCreation and is for all mankind (Gen 21-3 Mk 227) God has never blessed nor made Sunday a week-ly holy day We would expect Sunday to be given at least those two divine designations if it had indeedsuperseded the SabbathEzekiel prophesied of what many Christians call The Temple of Ezekiel which they see coming about inthe thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) This passage was written about 580 BC

ldquoThus says the Lord Yahveh lsquoThe gateway of the inner court that faces toward the eastshall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened and on the dayof the New Moon it shall be openedrdquo (Ezekiel 461)

The six working days correspond to Sunday through Friday and the gateway will be shut for those daysbut on the Sabbath day it will be open God never intended for Sunday to replace His holy Sabbath dayThe continuance of the Sabbath is also seen when Yeshua in 30 AD prophesied of the destruction ofJerusalem which took place in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman Army 40 years after His resurrectionOut of His concern for His Jewish people He told them to pray that their fleeing from the city wouldnrsquot bein the winter nor on the Sabbath (Mt 2420) The Sabbath isnrsquot a time lsquoto run for your livesrsquo but to enterinto Godrsquos presence to appreciate His creation and the Shalom and freedom (redemption) He gives us (Ex208-11 Dt 512-15 Rom 1111f Rev 59) We are to rest keep the day holy assemble on it if we canand minister to others as Yeshua did (eg Mt 1210f Luke 416 John 51-9) Yeshua spoke this beforethe resurrection but Matthew wrote his Gospel 14 years after the resurrection and never spoke of Sun-day replacing the Sabbath

ldquoAnd pray that your flight may not be in winter nor on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Mt 2420)Neither God through Isaiah Ezekiel or Yeshua spoke of Sunday replacing the seventh day Sabbath butof the Sabbath continuing after the resurrection even into the days of the thousand year reign of Yeshua(Rev 201-7f) The divinely inspired Scriptures diametrically oppose Church teaching about Godrsquos 7thday Sabbath and Sunday As Joshua said to Israel

ldquoAnd if it seems evil to you to serve Jesus choose for yourselves this day whom you willserve whether the gods of Sunday which your Fathers served in their Sunday churchesor the gods who hate the Feasts of Israel but who keep Easter and Xmas instead inwhose land you dwell but as for me and my House we will serve Yeshua His Wayrdquo(Joshua 2415 my rendition for today)

21

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

THREE SABBATH SCRIPTURES Before THE RESURRECTION

The next three passages of Scripture (Is 6623 Ezk 461 Mt 2420) although spoken before the res-urrection apply to times after the resurrection and so they merit our consideration in searching Scripturefor Godrsquos Truth in this matter of Sabbath or Sunday The Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah of atime which obviously has not yet come when all mankind will worship Him on the Sabbath day

ldquolsquoAnd it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another and from one Sabbathto another all flesh shall come to worship before Mersquo says Yahvehrdquo (Isaiah 6623)

This was written about 720 BC It hasnrsquot happened yet but it will happen during the thousand year reignof Yeshua from this earthly Jerusalem (Rev 204-6) In that time the Son of David (2nd Sam 78f Lk130-33) will reign and rule the nations from this earthly Jerusalem with an iron rod (Rev 125 1915)The point is that it speaks of the Sabbath being the day when all mankind not just the Jews will worshipthe God of Israel and it wonrsquot be on Sunday The seventh day Sabbath has been holy and blessed sinceCreation and is for all mankind (Gen 21-3 Mk 227) God has never blessed nor made Sunday a week-ly holy day We would expect Sunday to be given at least those two divine designations if it had indeedsuperseded the SabbathEzekiel prophesied of what many Christians call The Temple of Ezekiel which they see coming about inthe thousand year reign of Messiah Yeshua (Rev 201-6) This passage was written about 580 BC

ldquoThus says the Lord Yahveh lsquoThe gateway of the inner court that faces toward the eastshall be shut the six working days but on the Sabbath it shall be opened and on the dayof the New Moon it shall be openedrdquo (Ezekiel 461)

The six working days correspond to Sunday through Friday and the gateway will be shut for those daysbut on the Sabbath day it will be open God never intended for Sunday to replace His holy Sabbath dayThe continuance of the Sabbath is also seen when Yeshua in 30 AD prophesied of the destruction ofJerusalem which took place in 70 AD at the hands of the Roman Army 40 years after His resurrectionOut of His concern for His Jewish people He told them to pray that their fleeing from the city wouldnrsquot bein the winter nor on the Sabbath (Mt 2420) The Sabbath isnrsquot a time lsquoto run for your livesrsquo but to enterinto Godrsquos presence to appreciate His creation and the Shalom and freedom (redemption) He gives us (Ex208-11 Dt 512-15 Rom 1111f Rev 59) We are to rest keep the day holy assemble on it if we canand minister to others as Yeshua did (eg Mt 1210f Luke 416 John 51-9) Yeshua spoke this beforethe resurrection but Matthew wrote his Gospel 14 years after the resurrection and never spoke of Sun-day replacing the Sabbath

ldquoAnd pray that your flight may not be in winter nor on the Sabbath dayrdquo (Mt 2420)Neither God through Isaiah Ezekiel or Yeshua spoke of Sunday replacing the seventh day Sabbath butof the Sabbath continuing after the resurrection even into the days of the thousand year reign of Yeshua(Rev 201-7f) The divinely inspired Scriptures diametrically oppose Church teaching about Godrsquos 7thday Sabbath and Sunday As Joshua said to Israel

ldquoAnd if it seems evil to you to serve Jesus choose for yourselves this day whom you willserve whether the gods of Sunday which your Fathers served in their Sunday churchesor the gods who hate the Feasts of Israel but who keep Easter and Xmas instead inwhose land you dwell but as for me and my House we will serve Yeshua His Wayrdquo(Joshua 2415 my rendition for today)

21

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

SUNDAY IN THE NEW TESTAMENTSunday or rather the first day of the week as the Bible always speaks of it is mentioned eight times inthe New Testament six of which are found in the Gospels55 The six Gospel cites all speak of the first ap-pearances of Yeshua alive from the dead on Sunday with only Mark 169 seeming to say that Jesus wasresurrected on Sunday This Scripture though cannot be used to support Sunday replacing the Sabbathbecause it does not declare that Sunday replaced the Sabbath (because of the resurrection) In other wordseven though Yeshua was raised on Sunday no one anywhere in Scripture says that Sunday replaced the7th day Sabbath because of itAlso Greek scholars realize that grammatically the verse (Mark 169) can equally be translated thatYeshua was only first seen on Sunday In other words the verse is not saying that Yeshua rose from thedead on Sunday but only that He was first seen on Sunday and this lines up with what the other Gospelstell us Herersquos the alternate translation which may be seen as a note in some English Bibles and manyChristian commentaries

ldquoNow when He rose early on the first day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magda-lene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo

Note the comma after He rose It separates the fact of His resurrection with that of His being first seen byMary on Sunday Most English translations donrsquot have the comma after rose and so the sentence readsthat lsquoHe rose early on the first day of the weekrsquo (ie Sunday)Most commentaries agree that Mark 169 was not written by Mark but by a later Christian scribe whocompiled vv 9-18 from the three other Gospels56 Be that as it may Yeshua was first seen on Sunday andHe did rise on Sunday but Scripture seems silent as to the day and the hour When the women get to theTomb the angel says ldquoHe is risenrdquo57 but he doesnrsquot say how long ago it happened nor even the day Inother words itrsquos possible that Yeshua rose on the Sabbath and not SundayThe point here is that none of the six times that lsquoSundayrsquo appears in the Gospels is it spoken of as replac-ing the Sabbath It declares that Yeshua was first seen on Sunday or even with Mark 169 possibly sayingthat He was resurrected on Sunday but no one writes that Sunday has replaced or even would come to re-place the Sabbath The four Gospels were written from 44 to 95 AD and so even though theyrsquore speakingof the crucifixion and resurrection of 30 AD their vantage point is 14 to 65 years after the resurrectionIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lifetime of the Apostles lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo asmany Christians falsely teach or even because Yeshua first appeared alive from the dead on Sunday theGospel writers would certainly have declared such a monumental change as that in their accounts of theresurrection After all the Sabbath had been with Israel for more than 1400 years With nothing beingsaid in any Gospel of a new day of assembly we know that Sunday hadnrsquot replaced the Sabbath in thedays of the Apostles because of Yeshuarsquos first appearances and resurrection on Sunday58

55 Mt 281 Mk 162 9 Lk 241 Jn 201 19 and also Acts 207 1st Cor 162 (John 2026 although not liter-ally speaking of the first day of the week is seen to be one week after his first appearance to the Apostles andthis seems to be Sunday night because John lsquokeeps timersquo in Roman terms)

56 Most Bibles donrsquot have the comma after rose but after week like the NKJV ldquoNow when He rose early on thefirst day of the week He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demonsrdquo (Mark169) For more insight on why this verse speaks of Yeshua only appearing to Mary early on the first day of theweek and how the Christian scribe got his information from the three other Gospels see The Resurrection andMark 169

57 Mt 282-8 Mk 165-8 Lk 245-7 (John doesnrsquot have the angel saying that see Jn 2011-13)58 Yeshua did rise on Sunday as the First Fruits of the resurrection as Paul calls Him in 1st Cor 1520 23 First

Fruits (firstfruits or First Sheaf Lev 2310-12f) is always the Sunday during the seven day Feast of UnleavenedBread commemorating the first grain of spring that was to be lifted up and offered to God as a precondition to

22

Also interesting to realize is that three of the four authors of the Gospels wrote divinely inspired lettersand a lsquobookrsquo during the time of the early Church

1 Peter whom many believe was the lsquovoicersquo behind the Gospel of Mark wrote two letters (1st and2nd Peter) and

2 Luke wrote the Book of Acts and 3 John wrote three letters dating to 90-96 AD (1st 2nd and 3rd John)

Yet none of them nor anyone else in the rest of the New Testament speak of Sunday being lsquothe new dayof assemblyrsquo or replacing the 7th day Sabbath etc Itrsquos impossible to believe that such a dramatic changeas Sabbath to Sunday would not have been spoken of by any of the writers of the New Testament if in-deed such a change had taken place during their lives

Sunday in Troas6ldquoBut we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread and in five daysjoined them at Troas where we stayed seven days 7Now on the first day of the weekwhen the disciples came together to break bread Paul ready to depart the next dayspoke to them and continued his message until midnight 8There were many lamps in theupper room where they were gathered together 9And in a window sat a certain youngman named Eutychus who was sinking into a deep sleep He was overcome by sleep andas Paul continued speaking he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead10But Paul went down fell on him and embracing him said ldquoDo not trouble yourselvesfor his life is in himrdquo 11Now when he had come up had broken bread and eaten andtalked a long while even until daybreak he departed 12And they brought the young manin alive and they were not a little comforted 13Then we went ahead to the ship and sailedto Assos there intending to take Paul on board for so he had given orders intending him-self to go on footrdquo (Acts 206-13)

Even more bleak for Sunday or rather the first day of the week is the fact that from Acts through Revela-tion itrsquos only mentioned twice and one of those times isnrsquot Sunday at all but Saturday night Acts 207states that it was the first day of the week when the disciples in Troas met to break bread59 Paul began topreach in the evening of that first day as the lamps (v 8) and the fact that Paul preached to midnight (v7) and then until daybreak (v 11) testify to Biblically the first day of the week (ie Sunday) begins on Saturday night at darkness when the Sabbath

eating it acknowledging Him as the One who provided all their food for them In Paulrsquos use of applying thisterm to Yeshua we can know for certain that Yeshua was raised from the dead on the first day of the week Formore on this see First Sheaf

59 Samuele Bacchiocchi From Sabbath To Sunday (Rome Italy The Pontifical Gregorian University Press 1977)p 104f Itrsquos p 63f in Avramrsquos PDF of the book From Sabbath to Sunday Roman Catholic teach that this chap-ter speaks of Sunday communion with lsquothe breaking of breadrsquo (Acts 207 11) and so it justifies Sunday for thembut the term was only equated with the Lordrsquos Supper afterApostolic times In Scripture it can mean the LordrsquosSupper or when Yeshua fed the multitude or a fellowship meal etc Kirsopp Lake said v 7 was a common mealwith the meaning lsquohaving supperrsquo Verse 11 using the same term speaks of Paul and only Paul eating food (theGreek verbs in both are in the singular) Itrsquos not the Lordrsquos Supper or lsquoSunday communionrsquo an essential part ofSunday Catholic worship in Acts 207 11Acts 246 is often quoted as the lsquobreaking of breadrsquo equaling the Lordrsquos Supper but it speaks of it happening intheir homes which implies the eating of a regular meal together especially when it writes of eating their foodldquoSo continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread (ie food) from house to house they atetheir food with gladness and simplicity of heartrdquo (NKJV)

23

ends and the first day of the biblical week (lsquoSundayrsquo) begins Saturday late afternoon just before the Sab-bath ends is when Jews get together in synagogues to say lsquofarewellrsquo to the Sabbath and to welcome in(the first day of) the new week60 This is when the Christians got together in Troas It was Saturdayevening not Sunday morning lsquofor churchrsquoMany Christian scholars today realize that Paul began preaching on Saturday night not Sunday night aspreviously had been held Either way though Acts 207 doesnrsquot constitute the lsquoearliest unambiguous evi-dencehellipfor Christians gathering together for worship onrsquo Sunday61 as F F Bruce wrote ldquoUnambiguousevidencerdquo Really How great the Deception that such a scholar as Bruce uses the powerful adjective un-ambiguous to describe Sunday being established which is light years away from being unambiguousLuke mentions nothing of Sunday being a lsquonew dayrsquo to assemble on and being holy something we wouldexpect if Sunday had actually replaced the Sabbath and as we saw in Acts 206 in the section on theFeasts of Israel Luke writes of Paul amp Friends staying at Philippi for the Feast of Unleavened Bread Itwould hardly seem believable that they kept the Mosaic Law Feast of Unleavened Bread and also keptSunday without the least mention of why if not here then somewhere elseSaturday night the first day of the week wasnrsquot a lsquonew Christian timersquo but an old Jewish one (that re-mains to this day in the synagogues) that normally lasts less than an hour as they bid farewell to the Sab-bath and welcome in the new week With special guest Paul being there and needing to leave Troas onSunday morning the Apostle preached all night long until daybreak The only reason though why Lukeeven mentions this meeting in Troas is not because Sunday lsquowas already establishedrsquo as many theologianspathetically teach in their grasping for lsquoany strawrsquo to justify their Sunday assembly but because Paulraised Eutychus from the dead

At midnight Eutychus fell down lsquofrom the third storyrsquo dead and Paul brought him back to life (Acts209-10 12) Luke wants Theophilus and us to realize that the Holy Spirit was working as powerfully inPaul as the Holy Spirit had worked in Peter when God used Peter to raise Tabitha from the dead (Acts940) Thatrsquos why Luke writes of Troas and the meeting that began on the night of the first day of theweek (ie Saturday night) It has absolutely nothing to do with Sunday being the new day of assembly de-spite Brucersquos claim of certainty Acts 207 which took place in 57 AD or 27 years after the resurrection cannot be used lsquoto establishrsquo aweekly Sunday meeting because it was a special meeting in which the disciples of Troas were biddingfarewell to Paul who would leave at daybreak on Sunday morning (v 11) and it was also a traditionalweekly time when the disciples met to bid goodbye to the Sabbath and lsquohellorsquo to the beginning of the newweek Lukersquos reason for writing about the meeting was to reveal that the same power of the Holy SpiritPeter had displayed was also resident within Paul Luke never mentions Sunday meetings either in Acts 20 or anywhere in Acts For Luke the evening ofthe first day of the week is Saturday night because he lsquokept timersquo by biblical means as his continual useof the Feasts of Israel and the Sabbath in Acts reveal Even if one wants to push for it being Sunday nightwhen the meeting began it wouldnrsquot serve as the basis for Sunday assembly because itrsquos not a sin to meeton any day or night of the week but it is a sin to desecrate Godrsquos holy 7th day Sabbath by counting it asjust another day of the week Using this passage lsquoto proversquo weekly Sunday meetings that had replaced theSabbath only reveals how desperate Sunday pastors are to justify their patently unscriptural and RomanCatholic position

60 The church is patterned after the synagoguemdashchurch officials parallel synagogue officials See Synagogue andChurch Officials

61 Bacchiocchi From Sabbath To Sunday p 101 itrsquos p 60 in From Sabbath to Sunday The quote is from F F Bruce Commentary on the Book of the Acts 1954 pp 407-408

24

SundaymdashMentioned Only Once From Acts To RevelationThe only time that Sunday is actually seen in Scripture from Acts to Revelation is in First Corinthians162 and it doesnrsquot have anything to do with a weekly assembling in church Paul is exhorting the Corin-thians to set aside some funds in their homes every Sunday toward a special gift for the poor Jewish be-lievers (lsquosaintsrsquo) in Jerusalem to be collected when Paul came to Corinth This mention of Sunday is nota church service nor is there any mention of them assembling on Sunday nor of tithes and offerings be-ing collected in church on Sunday as most pastors pharisaically teach twisting and distorting Godrsquos Wordto their own traditions that nullify Godrsquos Word

1ldquoNow concerning the collection for the saints as I have given orders to the churches ofGalatia so you must do also 2On the first day of the week let each one of you lay some-thing aside storing up as he may prosper that there be no collections when I come 3Andwhen I come whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jeru-salemrdquo (1st Corinthians 161-3)

Paul desired to take a special love offering from many churches for the poor believers in Jerusalem as asign of Gentile love and unity with the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (2nd Cor 91-5 cf Rom 1526Acts 2417) Here in 1st Cor 162 Paul says to the Corinthians that every Sunday each of them was toldquolay something asiderdquo Each individual was to set some money aside storing it up which means that hewould do it in his home not in a Sunday church meeting Itrsquos obvious that the person wasnrsquot in thechurch putting it in a tithes and offering basketThis cite is not a church service nor even a central place in the church (eg a treasury room) where thepeople could come and place their funds The individual was lsquostoring uprsquo his offering in his own homeevery Sunday the first day of the work week when he would get paid (for they paid people at the end ofeach work day (cf Mt 208f) This way when Paul came to Corinth everyone would bring their fundsthey had saved up to him at the Sabbath church meeting place to give him their gift for Jerusalem This iswhat Paul means when he says at the end of v 2 lsquothat there be no collections when I comersquoThe first day of the week (ie Sunday) is the first day of the (biblical) work week The ancients were usu-ally paid on a daily basis and so Paul was telling them to set some of it aside every Sunday (night) Pauldidnrsquot want to be embarrassed if they failed to have any funds to give him and he didnrsquot want them to beembarrassed either especially as he was bringing Christians from other churches with him and he had al-ready spoken to them about how Corinth had been ready a year earlier (2nd Cor 91-5) Any use of FirstCorinthians 161-3 lsquoto proversquo that Sunday had replaced the Sabbath in the days of the Apostles evaporatesupon a simple reading of the text

The Resurrection and SundayMany Christians argue that Christ being resurrected on Sunday62 warrants or justifies Sunday overturningthe Sabbath and making Sunday lsquothe new Sabbathrsquo but the Kingdom of Heaven is not a democracy Godmakes the rules There is no Scripture that supports Sunday replacing Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath In otherwords Christians may feel very strongly about Sunday replacing lsquothe Jewish Sabbathrsquo but they have nobiblical basis for it including a Sunday resurrection The Church teaching that Sunday has replaced the Sabbath has nullified Godrsquos Sabbath commandmentIf God didnrsquot nullify or replace the Sabbath no one has authority to replace His Sabbath with Sunday Us-ing the resurrection as a basis for the change is a noble Pharisaic idea but itrsquos obviously not Godrsquos idea

62 Mt 281 9 Mk 161-2 9 Lk 241 30-31 36 Jn 201 11f

25

(cf 2nd Sam 71-13f)Other Christians think they ldquocan choose to keep any day as their Sabbathrdquo erroneously citing Romans145-663 where Paul speaks of one man esteeming one day above another while another man esteems alldays alike and that one man fasts while another eats In Romans 14 Paul is dealing with the same prob-lem he dealt with previously in 1st Cor 10mdashthe eating of meats from the pagan marketplace that hadbeen sacrificed to idols but the leftovers were sold to the public marketplace for people to buy SomeGentile Christians in Rome thought they couldnrsquot eat any of the meat because it was associated with idol-atry They were the lsquoveggie onlyrsquo eaters (Rom 142) who also fasted on certain days and hence they es-teemed those days of fasting above others but the meat eaters ate the meat didnrsquot fast and esteemed eachday alike (for eating) Aside from the fact that the Sabbath isnrsquot mentioned in Romans 14 (nor anywhereelse in Romans) Paul isnrsquot saying that one can override Godrsquos Sabbath for any day he chooses as lsquohisSabbathrsquo but rather he can choose which day he wants to fast on thereby esteeming that day lsquoabove theothersrsquo for himselfIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lives of the Apostles we would expect that somewhere inthe New Testament it would have been clearly written as suchmdashat least two or three times because Scrip-ture says that at the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth is established64 yet therersquos nothing writtenabout Sunday being lsquothe new dayrsquo or replacing the Sabbath or Sunday being lsquothe Lordrsquos Dayrsquo65 With notone scriptural witness itrsquos biblically certain that Sunday did not replace the Sabbath in New Testamenttimes (ie 30-96 AD) Therefore Sunday assembly in lieu of Sabbath assembly and holiness is a tradi-tion of the Church that nullifies Godrsquos Word and thatrsquos sin Sunday keeping churches have no authorityfrom God to meet on Sunday66 instead of keeping Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath holy and meeting on itItrsquos also interesting that the biblical Pentecost is always on a Sunday 50 days from the Sunday of FirstSheaf (during Passover week) and that God the Father made the Sunday of Pentecost an annual Sabbath67

but He didnrsquot make First Sheaf an annual Sabbath even through He knew that His Son would rise fromthe dead on First Sheaf This says a lot about how the Father and the Son view the resurrection and alsohow wrong it is for Christians to try and justify Sunday over Sabbath because of the resurrection on Sun-daySunday is seen six times in the Gospels in relation to the resurrection but not once does anyone say it re-placed the Sabbath and nowhere does it speak of Sunday being the new day of assembly Sunday is seenonly one other time in all the New Testament and thatrsquos in First Corinthians but that cite speaks of indi-viduals on Sunday setting aside funds in their own homes for a future gift to the poor Jewish Christiansin Jerusalem It has nothing to do with an lsquoestablished weekly Sunday servicersquo as some Christian pastorswrongly teach

63 For a fuller explanation of why Rom 145-6 canrsquot be used to support making Sunday onersquos Sabbath nor thatPaul has eradicated the Mosaic dietary laws (Rom 1414) see Romans 14 and the Dietary Laws

64 Dt 176 1915 Mt 1816 2nd Cor 131 Heb 1028 Even though these speak of two human witnesses itrsquos anaxiom that also applies to Scripture where two or three Scripture witnesses confirm a biblical truth

65 The term lsquothe Lordrsquos Dayrsquo is mentioned only once in the New Testament (Rev 110) and some Christians seethis as Sunday but Scripture never equates it with Sunday in either the Old or New Testaments John is either re-ferring to the future Day of Judgment (ie the Day of Godrsquos vengeance upon the wicked of mankind cf Is 22136 9 348 Jer 4610 Ezk 135 303 Joel 115 211 31 314 Amos 518 20 Obadiah 115 Zephaniah17-8 14 18 22-3 Malachi 45 Acts 220 1st Cor 55 2nd Cor 114 1st Thess 52 2nd Peter 310) or mostlikely John is simply referring to the 7th day Sabbath as when he was lsquoin the Spirit on the Lordrsquos dayrsquo (Mark228 cf Gen 21-3 Ex 208-11 3112-17)

66 Itrsquos not a sin to meet on Sunday or Monday etc but it is a sin to not keep the Sabbath day holy and substituteSunday for it

67 For why the biblical Pentecost is anchored on Sunday unlike Judaismrsquos lsquoPentecostrsquo which can occur on any dayof the week see First Sheaf

26

(cf 2nd Sam 71-13f)Other Christians think they ldquocan choose to keep any day as their Sabbathrdquo erroneously citing Romans145-663 where Paul speaks of one man esteeming one day above another while another man esteems alldays alike and that one man fasts while another eats In Romans 14 Paul is dealing with the same prob-lem he dealt with previously in 1st Cor 10mdashthe eating of meats from the pagan marketplace that hadbeen sacrificed to idols but the leftovers were sold to the public marketplace for people to buy SomeGentile Christians in Rome thought they couldnrsquot eat any of the meat because it was associated with idol-atry They were the lsquoveggie onlyrsquo eaters (Rom 142) who also fasted on certain days and hence they es-teemed those days of fasting above others but the meat eaters ate the meat didnrsquot fast and esteemed eachday alike (for eating) Aside from the fact that the Sabbath isnrsquot mentioned in Romans 14 (nor anywhereelse in Romans) Paul isnrsquot saying that one can override Godrsquos Sabbath for any day he chooses as lsquohisSabbathrsquo but rather he can choose which day he wants to fast on thereby esteeming that day lsquoabove theothersrsquo for himselfIf Sunday had replaced the Sabbath during the lives of the Apostles we would expect that somewhere inthe New Testament it would have been clearly written as suchmdashat least two or three times because Scrip-ture says that at the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth is established64 yet therersquos nothing writtenabout Sunday being lsquothe new dayrsquo or replacing the Sabbath or Sunday being lsquothe Lordrsquos Dayrsquo65 With notone scriptural witness itrsquos biblically certain that Sunday did not replace the Sabbath in New Testamenttimes (ie 30-96 AD) Therefore Sunday assembly in lieu of Sabbath assembly and holiness is a tradi-tion of the Church that nullifies Godrsquos Word and thatrsquos sin Sunday keeping churches have no authorityfrom God to meet on Sunday66 instead of keeping Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath holy and meeting on itItrsquos also interesting that the biblical Pentecost is always on a Sunday 50 days from the Sunday of FirstSheaf (during Passover week) and that God the Father made the Sunday of Pentecost an annual Sabbath67

but He didnrsquot make First Sheaf an annual Sabbath even through He knew that His Son would rise fromthe dead on First Sheaf This says a lot about how the Father and the Son view the resurrection and alsohow wrong it is for Christians to try and justify Sunday over Sabbath because of the resurrection on Sun-daySunday is seen six times in the Gospels in relation to the resurrection but not once does anyone say it re-placed the Sabbath and nowhere does it speak of Sunday being the new day of assembly Sunday is seenonly one other time in all the New Testament and thatrsquos in First Corinthians but that cite speaks of indi-viduals on Sunday setting aside funds in their own homes for a future gift to the poor Jewish Christiansin Jerusalem It has nothing to do with an lsquoestablished weekly Sunday servicersquo as some Christian pastorswrongly teach

63 For a fuller explanation of why Rom 145-6 canrsquot be used to support making Sunday onersquos Sabbath nor thatPaul has eradicated the Mosaic dietary laws (Rom 1414) see Romans 14 and the Dietary Laws

64 Dt 176 1915 Mt 1816 2nd Cor 131 Heb 1028 Even though these speak of two human witnesses itrsquos anaxiom that also applies to Scripture where two or three Scripture witnesses confirm a biblical truth

65 The term lsquothe Lordrsquos Dayrsquo is mentioned only once in the New Testament (Rev 110) and some Christians seethis as Sunday but Scripture never equates it with Sunday in either the Old or New Testaments John is either re-ferring to the future Day of Judgment (ie the Day of Godrsquos vengeance upon the wicked of mankind cf Is 22136 9 348 Jer 4610 Ezk 135 303 Joel 115 211 31 314 Amos 518 20 Obadiah 115 Zephaniah17-8 14 18 22-3 Malachi 45 Acts 220 1st Cor 55 2nd Cor 114 1st Thess 52 2nd Peter 310) or mostlikely John is simply referring to the 7th day Sabbath as when he was lsquoin the Spirit on the Lordrsquos dayrsquo (Mark228 cf Gen 21-3 Ex 208-11 3112-17)

66 Itrsquos not a sin to meet on Sunday or Monday etc but it is a sin to not keep the Sabbath day holy and substituteSunday for it

67 For why the biblical Pentecost is anchored on Sunday unlike Judaismrsquos lsquoPentecostrsquo which can occur on any dayof the week see First Sheaf

26

It isnrsquot Godrsquos will for Christians to keep Sunday in lieu of the Sabbath68 Add to this the fact that neitherEaster nor Christmas are even mentioned in the New Testament and itrsquos crystal clear that illicit SEX (thekeeping of Sunday Easter and Xmas etc) is not of God but of the Enemy of our soulsThe time span of the New Testament after the resurrection is 30 to 96 AD Sunday began to replaceGodrsquos seventh day Sabbath 24 years later in 120 AD when all the Apostles were dead The Bishop ofRome whose office today is known as the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church orchestrated this diaboli-cal change which happened 90 years after the resurrection but many Christians at that time didnrsquot obeyhim because they knew the Truth The churches of the East (Israel Lebanon Syria and Turkey etc) con-tinued to keep the Sabbath day holy and disregarded Sunday for 200 years until the Roman Churchgained political power under Constantine (320 AD) Then those who didnrsquot bow to Rome were persecutedby the Roman Catholic Church

Sunday and the Resurrection in the Didache and Clement

Samuel Bacchiocchi presents the Didache and Clementrsquos Epistle to the Corinthians two of the earliestChristian documents after the New Testament as proof that the resurrection was not used as a reason toestablish Sunday He writes

ldquoIn the immediate post New Testament literature the resurrection ishellipnot cited as thehellipreason for the celebration of the Lordrsquos Supper or for the observance of Sunday TheDidache regarded as the most ancient source of ecclesiastical legislation (dated between70-150 AD) devotes three brief chapters (9 10 14) to the manner of celebrating theLordrsquos Supper yet in the thanksgiving prayer only lsquolife knowledge church unity faithimmortality creation and food are mentioned (chaps 9 10) No allusion to Christrsquos res-urrection is seenrdquo69

ldquoIn Clementrsquos Epistle to the Corinthians (95 AD) known as lsquothe earliest Christian docu-ment outside of the New Testament four chapters deal with the resurrection (24-27)Seeking to reassure the Christians of Corinth that lsquothere is to be a resurrection of whichhe made the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruitsrsquo (241) Clement uses three different sym-bols the day-night cycle the reproductive cycle of the seed (24) and the legend of thephoenix from whose corpse allegedly another bird arose (25)rdquo70

ldquoThe omission of the Lordrsquos Supper and of Sunday worshipmdashallegedly the most tellingsymbols of allmdashare certainly surprising if indeed as some hold the Eucharist was al-ready (being) celebrated on Sunday and had acquired the commemorative value of theresurrection What more effective way for the Bishop of Rome to reassure the CorinthianChristians of their future resurrection then by reminding them that the Lordrsquos Supper ofwhich they (allegedly) partook every Sunday was their most tangible assurance of theirown resurrection On the contrary not only is this omitted but he specifically speaks oflsquothe sacrifices and the servicesrsquo in Jerusalem as lsquothings the Master has commanded us toperformrsquo (402-4) The reference to the sacrificial system services reflects not only thehigh esteem in which they were held by him but also the continuance of the sacrifices

68 The fashionable term lsquoResurrection Dayrsquo has replaced lsquoEasterrsquo in many churches but that doesnrsquot change itsdate nor its rites Most of the time itrsquos not the Sunday when Yeshua was first seen because the calculation forEaster is the third Sunday after the vernal equinox while 14 days after the new moon after the vernal (spring)equinox determines when the biblical Passover begins and that Sunday in Passover week is First SheafFruits

69 Bacchiocchi From Sabbath To Sunday pp 78-79f In From Sabbath to Sunday itrsquos p 46f70 Ibid p 79 Clement was Bishop of Rome a title that would soon be overshadowed by that of lsquoPopersquo

27

though in a reduced form after 70 ADrdquo71

ldquoClement hardly allows for the radical break with the Jewish laws like the Sabbath andfor the adoption of a new day of worship On the other hand just a few decades laterIgnatius lsquoBarnabasrsquo and Justin not only have the opposite attitude toward Jewish law andsacrifice but also offer the first timid references to the resurrection which is presented asan added or secondary reason for Sunday worshiprdquo72

ldquoNoted Catholic scholar C S Mosna sees this and writes that by the fourth century lsquoanexplicit linkrsquo was made between the resurrection and Sunday observance but that lsquoin thefirst three centuries the memory of the resurrection was hardly mentionedrsquordquo73 in supportof Sunday replacing the Sabbath

These two historical documents and the admission by Mosna prove that commemorating or keeping Sun-day lsquobecause of the resurrectionrsquo was not known in the days immediately after the Apostles who alwayskept the 7th day Sabbath holy and for the first three centuries This means that Sunday assembly overSabbath assembly and holiness is not of the Lord God of Israel The Reformers would have been pleasedto know that74

71 Ibid note 14 See K Clark Worship in the Jerusalem Temple after 70 AD72 Ibid p 8073 Ibid Mosna Storia della domenica p 357 W Rordorf Sabbat (texts) p xvi in spite of his endeavor to defend

an opposite thesis also admits lsquowe can indicate with reasons that the justification for Sunday on the basis of theresurrection of Jesus does not appear until the second century and even then very timidlyrsquo

74 One motto of the Reformers was the Latin phrase Sola Scriptural Only Scripture is divine and therefore author-itative for what we are to believe and what we should put into practice The Reformers saw many things wrongwith the Roman Catholic Church and corrected some of them but unfortunately they didnrsquot see Romersquos illicitSEX Christians who want to please their Lord should be keeping the same day that He kept lsquoas was His customrsquo(Luke 416)

28

CHURCH HISTORY AND MOSAIC LAWChurch history confirms that the seventh day Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and Mosaic Law were stillvalid for Christians in the days of the Apostles and well into the fourth century The ancient Jewish-Chris-tian sect of the Nazarenes were the spiritual descendants of the Apostles75 They were originally based inJerusalem Eusebius (260-340 AD) our first official Roman Catholic witness was a bishop and churchhistorian Writing of the Jewish leadership of the Jerusalem Church in 135 AD Eusebius says it

ldquoconsisted of converted Hebrewsrdquo and was administered by 15 bishops from the ldquocircum-cisionrdquo76 and they were ldquozealous to insist on the literal observance of the Lawrsquordquo77

These Nazarenes 105 years after the resurrection were keeping Mosaic Law which means that theycelebrated the Feasts of Israel and kept the 7th day Sabbath holy etc Interesting to note is that someChristians today argue that lsquowith no Templersquo you canrsquot keep (any) Mosaic Law but obviously the Naza-renes thought otherwise The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 70 AD yet 65 years after thatEusebius writes of the Nazarenes keeping (all) Mosaic Law (that applied to them)Epiphanius (315-403) is our second official Roman Catholic witness He was also a bishop and churchhistorian He writes of the Nazarenes in his time more than 300 years after the resurrection and says

ldquoThe Nazarenes do not differ in any essential thing from themrdquo (ie the Jews) ldquosince theypractice the custom and doctrines prescribed by the Jewish Law except that they believein Christhellipthey fulfill until now Jewish rites ashellipthe Sabbath and othersrdquo78

Epiphanius confirms that well into the fourth century the Nazarenes continued to keep Sabbath Feastsand Mosaic Law Bacchiocchi writes that Easter began in the second century with the Church of Rome indirect opposition to Godrsquos Passover He states

ldquoEaster (was) introduced first in Rome in the early part of the second century to differenti-aterdquo (it from) ldquothehellipPassoverhellipof the Jewsrdquo79

Easter did not originate with the Apostles nor with the New Testament but with the Roman CatholicChurch in 120 AD Before that all Christians kept Passover (and by extension the other Feasts of Israelthe Sabbath and Mosaic Law) Easter is a pagan lsquoholy dayrsquo and has nothing to do with Jesus but honorsthe fertility goddess Ishtar who raised her dead son on Ishtar (Easter)-Sunday as the savior of the worldTwo prominent Catholic historians and a scholar reveal that the Nazarenes for at least 300 years afterthe resurrection kept Mosaic Law the Sabbath and the Feasts of Israel This complements New Testa-ment Scripture and confirms that the Sabbath and the Feasts of Israel etc were kept by the Apostles andall Christians in their day The Lord wants all Christians today to keep His Ways not Romersquos

75 Bacchiocchi From Sabbath to Sunday p 156 p 93 in Avramrsquos PDF ldquothe Nazarenes as most scholars maintainare indeed the lsquodirect descendants of the primitive community of Jerusalemrsquohellip(and) retained the original prac-tice of Jewish Christianityrdquo (Those ancient Jewish Nazarenes are not to be confused with the modern NazareneChurch which only came into existence about a hundred years ago)

76 Ibid p 152 p 91 in Avramrsquos PDF Eusebius HE 4 5 2-11 Epiphanius Adversus haereses 70 10 PG 42355-356

77 Ibid see also p 92 note 398 in the PDF Eusebius HE 3 27 3 trans by Kirsopp Lake Eusebius The Ecclesias-tical History 1949 I p 263 cf Acts 2120-24

78 Ibid p 156 in Avramrsquos PDF p 93 Epiphanius Adversus haereses 29 7 PG 41 402 Circumcision of the eightday old Jewish boy is still required by God because the Jew is literally part of the covenant that God made withFather Abraham (Gen 1710-14 Acts 2120-24) but the Gentile believer never was He and his son must not bephysically covenantally circumcised because God comes against this in the New Covenant and both Jew andGentile come into Messiahrsquos Kingdom through faith in Him For more on this see Gentile Circumcision

79 Ibid p 192 in Avramrsquos PDF p 11429

CHURCH HISTORY AND MOSAIC LAWChurch history confirms that the seventh day Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and Mosaic Law were stillvalid for Christians in the days of the Apostles and well into the fourth century The ancient Jewish-Chris-tian sect of the Nazarenes were the spiritual descendants of the Apostles75 They were originally based inJerusalem Eusebius (260-340 AD) our first official Roman Catholic witness was a bishop and churchhistorian Writing of the Jewish leadership of the Jerusalem Church in 135 AD Eusebius says it

ldquoconsisted of converted Hebrewsrdquo and was administered by 15 bishops from the ldquocircum-cisionrdquo76 and they were ldquozealous to insist on the literal observance of the Lawrsquordquo77

These Nazarenes 105 years after the resurrection were keeping Mosaic Law which means that theycelebrated the Feasts of Israel and kept the 7th day Sabbath holy etc Interesting to note is that someChristians today argue that lsquowith no Templersquo you canrsquot keep (any) Mosaic Law but obviously the Naza-renes thought otherwise The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed in 70 AD yet 65 years after thatEusebius writes of the Nazarenes keeping (all) Mosaic Law (that applied to them)Epiphanius (315-403) is our second official Roman Catholic witness He was also a bishop and churchhistorian He writes of the Nazarenes in his time more than 300 years after the resurrection and says

ldquoThe Nazarenes do not differ in any essential thing from themrdquo (ie the Jews) ldquosince theypractice the custom and doctrines prescribed by the Jewish Law except that they believein Christhellipthey fulfill until now Jewish rites ashellipthe Sabbath and othersrdquo78

Epiphanius confirms that well into the fourth century the Nazarenes continued to keep Sabbath Feastsand Mosaic Law Bacchiocchi writes that Easter began in the second century with the Church of Rome indirect opposition to Godrsquos Passover He states

ldquoEaster (was) introduced first in Rome in the early part of the second century to differenti-aterdquo (it from) ldquothehellipPassoverhellipof the Jewsrdquo79

Easter did not originate with the Apostles nor with the New Testament but with the Roman CatholicChurch in 120 AD Before that all Christians kept Passover (and by extension the other Feasts of Israelthe Sabbath and Mosaic Law) Easter is a pagan lsquoholy dayrsquo and has nothing to do with Jesus but honorsthe fertility goddess Ishtar who raised her dead son on Ishtar (Easter)-Sunday as the savior of the worldTwo prominent Catholic historians and a scholar reveal that the Nazarenes for at least 300 years afterthe resurrection kept Mosaic Law the Sabbath and the Feasts of Israel This complements New Testa-ment Scripture and confirms that the Sabbath and the Feasts of Israel etc were kept by the Apostles andall Christians in their day The Lord wants all Christians today to keep His Ways not Romersquos

75 Bacchiocchi From Sabbath to Sunday p 156 p 93 in Avramrsquos PDF ldquothe Nazarenes as most scholars maintainare indeed the lsquodirect descendants of the primitive community of Jerusalemrsquohellip(and) retained the original prac-tice of Jewish Christianityrdquo (Those ancient Jewish Nazarenes are not to be confused with the modern NazareneChurch which only came into existence about a hundred years ago)

76 Ibid p 152 p 91 in Avramrsquos PDF Eusebius HE 4 5 2-11 Epiphanius Adversus haereses 70 10 PG 42355-356

77 Ibid see also p 92 note 398 in the PDF Eusebius HE 3 27 3 trans by Kirsopp Lake Eusebius The Ecclesias-tical History 1949 I p 263 cf Acts 2120-24

78 Ibid p 156 in Avramrsquos PDF p 93 Epiphanius Adversus haereses 29 7 PG 41 402 Circumcision of the eightday old Jewish boy is still required by God because the Jew is literally part of the covenant that God made withFather Abraham (Gen 1710-14 Acts 2120-24) but the Gentile believer never was He and his son must not bephysically covenantally circumcised because God comes against this in the New Covenant and both Jew andGentile come into Messiahrsquos Kingdom through faith in Him For more on this see Gentile Circumcision

79 Ibid p 192 in Avramrsquos PDF p 11429

SundaymdashPharisaic CatholicismThe Roman Catholic Church changed Godrsquos Sabbath to Sunday in 120 AD (when it also threw out Mosa-ic Law) They didnrsquot have the authority from God (Scripture) to do that but it didnrsquot stop them because abasic tenet of Catholicism is that the Pope andor the teachings of the Catholic Fathers andor the Coun-cils override Scripture They readily acknowledge their heretical change from Sabbath to Sunday Karl Keating (born 1950) writing under the Imprimatur of the Roman Catholic Church is our first offi-cial Catholic witness that Sunday is a Catholic institution not ordained by God He wrote

lsquofundamentalists (ie Protestants) meet for worship on Sunday yet there is no evidence inthe Bible that corporate worship was to be made on SundayshellipIt was the Catholic Churchthat decided Sunday should be the day of worshiprsquo80

Gaspar de Fosso (1496-1592) the Archbishop of Reggio our second official Roman Catholic witnessmocked the Sunday Protestants who claimed that the Bible was their authority for what they believed andtherefore practiced In 1562 he said

lsquoThe Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only They profess to hold theScripture alone as the standard of faith They justify their revolt (against the CatholicChurch) by the plea that the (Roman) Church has apostatized from the written word andfollows tradition Now the Protestant claim that they stand upon the written word only isnot true Their profession of holding the Scripture alone as the standard of faith is falsePROOFmdashThe written word explicitly enjoins the observance of the seventh day as theSabbathrsquolsquoThey do not observe the seventh day but reject it If they do truly hold the Scripturealone as their standard they would be observing the seventh day as is enjoined in theScripture throughout Yet they not only reject the observance of the Sabbath enjoined inthe written word but they have adopted and do practice the observance of Sunday forwhich they have only the tradition of the (Roman) Church Consequently the claim oflsquoScripture alone as the standardrsquo fails and the doctrine of lsquoScripture and traditionrsquo as es-sential (Catholic doctrine) is fully established the Protestants themselves being (practi-tioners and) judgesrsquo81

Such a powerful and clear presentation of the issue Gaspar de Fosso was right Protestants donrsquot haveScripture to justify Sunday In changing Sabbath to Sunday the Roman Catholic Church conceptually fol-lowed their true Fathers the Pharisees who placed the their traditions above Godrsquos Word Yeshua rhetori-cally asked them lsquoWhy do you transgress the commandment of God because of your traditionrdquo (Mt153) Hersquos also asking that of every Sunday keeping Christian today

Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons (1834-1921) is our third official Catholic witness to the change ofSabbath to Sunday by the Roman Catholic Church In 1876 he wrote

lsquois not every Christian obliged to sanctify Sundayhellip But you may read the Bible fromGenesis to Revelation and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification ofSunday The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday a day which we

80 Karl Keating Catholicism and Fundamentalism copyright 1988 by Ignatius Press San Francisco p 38 bearingthe Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur (the official sanction) of the Roman Catholic Church

81 J H Holtzman Canon and Tradition published in Ludwigsburg Germany 1859 p 263 Archbishop of Reg-giorsquos address in the 17th session of the Council of Trent in Mansi SC Vol 33 cols 529 530 The Archbishop ofReggio Gaspar (Ricciulli) de Fosso made this speech at the last opening session of Trent reconvened under thenew Pope (Pius IV) on January 18 1562

30

never sanctifyrsquo82

These three official Catholic witnesses testify that Sunday is not of God but of the Roman CatholicChurch Sunday Christians are following the heretical tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that nulli-fies Godrsquos Word but thatrsquos not all of Catholicism that Sunday Christians followXmas came into the Roman Catholic Church around 350 AD again by decree of the Pope The Pope tookthe pagan Roman feast of Saturnalia where fir trees were set up in homes with silver and gold tinsel giftsexchanged pigs eaten sports and banquets celebrated with uproar and parties abounded and placed thename of Jesus over Saturn and called it Christrsquos Mass (ie Christmas)83 Xmas is just the Catholic way ofcelebrating Saturnrsquos birthday Alexander Hislop writes of Saturnalia how it predates the Messiah of Israel and that the Catholic Churchbrought it into its fold to entice pagans who loved Saturnalia to join the Church

ldquoLong before the fourth century and long before the Christian era itself a festival wascelebrated among the heathen at that precise time of the year (25 Dec) in honour of thebirth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven (aka IshtarEaster) and it may fairlybe presumed that in order to conciliate the heathen and to swell the number of the nomi-nal adherents of Christianity the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church givingit only the name of Christrdquo84

The Roman Catholic Church used Saturnalia (the Roman version of the Babylonian festival) and changedthe name to Christrsquos Mass as a way of drawing pagans into Catholicism just as they had previously donewith Sunday and Easter Most of these new members would remain just as pagan as they had alwaysbeen seeing that the only thing that changed was the name of their feast and the name of the god of theirfeast The Protestant churches walk in the pagan traditions of the Roman Catholic Church (illicit SEX) and thinkthey are of God just as the Pharisees did their traditions In this they are honorary Catholics and donrsquoteven realize itGodrsquos Word is clearmdashthe Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and Mosaic Law were never annulled but intensi-fied and amplified with the death and resurrection of the Messiah of Israel In other words now we knowthat the rules of Mosaic Law reflect God the Son His nature and what He has done and will do for us aswell as His Father and the Holy Spirit

82 James Cardinal Gibbons Archbishop of Baltimore The Faith of Our Fathers originally published in 1876 pp111-112 (63rd edition) p 86 (76th edition) republished and copyright 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers Incpages 72-73 See SundaymdashThe Catholic Sabbath

83 See Christrsquos Mass84 Alexander Hislop The Two Babylons 2nd American edition (Neptune NJ Loizeaux Brothers 1959) p 92 p

71 in The Full Hislop Hislop overwhelmingly proves that the Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian churchat all but the Babylon of the New Testament (Rev 148 175 cf 184) The Two BabylonsmdashThe Full Hislop isAvram Yehoshuarsquos compilation of the entire book with all its illustrations The Two Babylons like BacchiocchirsquosFrom Sabbath to Sunday are Christian classic lsquomust readsrsquo One of the titles of the son of the Queen of Heavenis The Emancipator (ie Savior-god) p 97 note p 74 note 361 in The Full Hislop For the Xmas tree see p97f p 74f in TFH

31

never sanctifyrsquo82

These three official Catholic witnesses testify that Sunday is not of God but of the Roman CatholicChurch Sunday Christians are following the heretical tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that nulli-fies Godrsquos Word but thatrsquos not all of Catholicism that Sunday Christians followXmas came into the Roman Catholic Church around 350 AD again by decree of the Pope The Pope tookthe pagan Roman feast of Saturnalia where fir trees were set up in homes with silver and gold tinsel giftsexchanged pigs eaten sports and banquets celebrated with uproar and parties abounded and placed thename of Jesus over Saturn and called it Christrsquos Mass (ie Christmas)83 Xmas is just the Catholic way ofcelebrating Saturnrsquos birthday Alexander Hislop writes of Saturnalia how it predates the Messiah of Israel and that the Catholic Churchbrought it into its fold to entice pagans who loved Saturnalia to join the Church

ldquoLong before the fourth century and long before the Christian era itself a festival wascelebrated among the heathen at that precise time of the year (25 Dec) in honour of thebirth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven (aka IshtarEaster) and it may fairlybe presumed that in order to conciliate the heathen and to swell the number of the nomi-nal adherents of Christianity the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church givingit only the name of Christrdquo84

The Roman Catholic Church used Saturnalia (the Roman version of the Babylonian festival) and changedthe name to Christrsquos Mass as a way of drawing pagans into Catholicism just as they had previously donewith Sunday and Easter Most of these new members would remain just as pagan as they had alwaysbeen seeing that the only thing that changed was the name of their feast and the name of the god of theirfeast The Protestant churches walk in the pagan traditions of the Roman Catholic Church (illicit SEX) and thinkthey are of God just as the Pharisees did their traditions In this they are honorary Catholics and donrsquoteven realize itGodrsquos Word is clearmdashthe Sabbath the Feasts of Israel and Mosaic Law were never annulled but intensi-fied and amplified with the death and resurrection of the Messiah of Israel In other words now we knowthat the rules of Mosaic Law reflect God the Son His nature and what He has done and will do for us aswell as His Father and the Holy Spirit

82 James Cardinal Gibbons Archbishop of Baltimore The Faith of Our Fathers originally published in 1876 pp111-112 (63rd edition) p 86 (76th edition) republished and copyright 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers Incpages 72-73 See SundaymdashThe Catholic Sabbath

83 See Christrsquos Mass84 Alexander Hislop The Two Babylons 2nd American edition (Neptune NJ Loizeaux Brothers 1959) p 92 p

71 in The Full Hislop Hislop overwhelmingly proves that the Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian churchat all but the Babylon of the New Testament (Rev 148 175 cf 184) The Two BabylonsmdashThe Full Hislop isAvram Yehoshuarsquos compilation of the entire book with all its illustrations The Two Babylons like BacchiocchirsquosFrom Sabbath to Sunday are Christian classic lsquomust readsrsquo One of the titles of the son of the Queen of Heavenis The Emancipator (ie Savior-god) p 97 note p 74 note 361 in The Full Hislop For the Xmas tree see p97f p 74f in TFH

31

CONCLUSIONWith Luke and the Apostle Paul using eight Feasts of Israel as time markers after the resurrection andalso Paul exhorting his Gentile Corinthians to keep Passover itrsquos clear that in the days of the Apostles allChristians kept the Feasts of Israel Because the Feasts are part of Mosaic Law it means that Mosaic Lawwas the standard and lifestyle for Christians to walk out their faith in the Jewish Messiah This is support-ed into the fourth century by two Roman Catholic bishop-historians who although they were totallyagainst it presented the Nazarenes the Jewish spiritual descendants of the Apostles as keeping MosaicLawOn the other hand nowhere in the New Testament are Easter or Christmas even mentioned let alonetaught to be observed The Scriptures are Godrsquos authoritative guideline for what we are to believe andtherefore put into practice In other words we know Godrsquos will by His Word and so itrsquos certainly not Hiswill for Christians to keep Easter or Xmas especially as they nullify Godrsquos holy Feasts and are an adulter-ation and profanation of His holy instructions to us (ie Mosaic Law) God doesnrsquot want Christians offer-ing up to Him pagan feast days which have nothing to do with Him or His Son According to Godrsquos Wordit is sin not to keep the Feasts of Israel and conversely it is sin to keep pagan feasts like Easter and Xmas(Dt 1228-32) God has not given man the authority to create holy days God has reserved that for Him-self This also applies to the weekly 7th day SabbathThe Sabbath is seen 11 times in the New Testament after the resurrection with eight of them scripturallyestablishing that the Sabbath day was being observed by Christians The other three times although onlyspeaking of Sabbath assembly at a traditional synagogue or prayers on the Sabbath day by a river indi-rectly confirm the Sabbath was still the day of Christian assembly and holiness because nowhere doesLuke (or anyone else) add that the Church was lsquonowrsquo meeting on Sunday which is the very least wewould expect if the day had changed during the days of the ApostlesThe Book of Acts is the only divinely inspired historical account of the Apostolic Church (30-64 AD) yetit contains nothing about Sunday replacing the 7th day Sabbath nor does the New Testament (whichspans about 4 BCndash96 AD) Also important is that neither Luke nor any other New Testament writer wastrying to prove that the Feasts of Israel and the Sabbath were still valid It was lsquoa givenrsquo The writers whospoke of the Feasts and the Sabbath to let us know when an event happened or would happen (Luke withthe Feasts and the Sabbath and Paul with the Feast of WeeksPentecost 1st Cor 168) or to admonishChristians to keep the PassoverFeast of Unleavened Bread in a holy manner (Paul in 1st Cor 56-8) orspoke of the Sabbath because it was under attack (along with the Feasts and New Moons etc) as to notletting someone judge you as to how to keep them (Paul in Col 216) or to underscore a theological point(the author of Hebrews in 49) etcThe need to prove that the Feasts and the Sabbath were still valid was not why they wrote of the Feastsand the Sabbathmdashthat need is a modern Christian dilemma due to having been deceived about them bythe Roman Catholic Church The writing of the Feasts by Luke and Paul and the Sabbath by Luke Pauland the author of Hebrews without speaking of anything contravening them certainly validates themFurther underscoring the biblical fact of the Sabbath is the glaring theological absence of Sunday Itrsquosmentioned six times in the Gospels concerning Yeshuarsquos resurrection but not one Gospel writer speaks ofit replacing the Sabbath From Acts through Revelation Sunday is only mentioned once in 1st Cor 162and it has nothing to do with Sunday assembly but with Paul telling the Corinthians to set aside in theirown homes (not the church) some of their funds they had made from working on Sunday for a speciallove gift to the poor believers in Jerusalem The Corinthians would bring their love offering to their meet-ing place when Paul came Therersquos no mention of a Sunday church meeting Therefore this lone SundayScripture cannot be used to overthrow Godrsquos 7th day Sabbath that Israel had walked in for 1400 years es-pecially as the various New Testament cites and authors listed above confirm the continuation of the sev-

32

enth day Sabbath The Apostolic Church never met on Sunday in lieu of the SabbathEven if a die-hard Christian believes that 1st Cor 162 lsquoprovesrsquo that Sunday replaced the Sabbath thereisnrsquot a second witness to support it Acts 207 notwithstanding because it doesnrsquot speak of a Sunday meet-ing in Troas but a Saturday night meeting which is when the first day of the week biblically begins Thebelievers got together to say goodbye to the Sabbath (and Paul) and welcome in the new week a standardJewish practice The reason Luke writes of it is not to present Sunday as lsquothe new Sabbath dayrsquo but to re-veal that by the raising of Eutychus the Holy Spirit worked in Paul as powerfully as in Peter Yet even ifone thinks it was a Sunday night meeting it cannot prove that weekly Sunday night meetings were thenorm because nowhere does Luke nor anyone else state that and also this meeting was a special one outof the ordinary since the Apostle Paul had been in Troas for a week and after the meeting he would departat dawn (Acts 206 11) For a change of this magnitude of Sunday replacing Godrsquos Sabbath we wouldcertainly expect to see many crystal clear Scripture witnesses but there isnrsquot even oneYeshua was first seen and rose from the dead on the Sunday of Passover week (First FruitsSheaf) butthere is nothing in Scripture that presents this as the basis for Sunday replacing the Sabbath Therersquos notone biblical witness to a change of days Underscoring this is the fact that Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of theSabbath being observed in a time yet to come and Yeshua spoke to those in Jerusalem saying that theyshould pray that their flight at the destruction of the city (in 70 AD) would not be on the Sabbath andyou there are these three Scriptures that confirm the continuance of Godrsquos holy Sabbath day Neither Isai-ah Ezekiel or Jesus envisioned or even hinted at Sunday replacing Godrsquos seventh day SabbathIf God wanted lsquoresurrection Sundayrsquo to be holy and the prototype of a weekly Sunday assembly Hewould have made the first day of Creation Week (lsquoSundayrsquo) holy and not the seventh day Also Yeshuaspoke of being Lord of the Sabbath ldquoWhat would Jesus dordquo was a saying that was stamped on many aChristianrsquos wrist band years ago so that they could look at it and ask lsquoWhat would Jesus dorsquo in any situ-ation they found themselves in Would He keep Sunday or the Sabbath today Would He keep Easter orPassover Itrsquos obvious from the Gospels that Yeshua kept Sabbath Passover and all Mosaic Law that ap-plied to Him and He would keep it today also because Yeshua is the same yesterday today and forever(Heb 138) In other words if Yeshua didnrsquot keep all the rules of Mosaic Law that applied to Him itwould be sin for Him which means that itrsquos sin for Christians who donrsquot follow Him in these areaslsquoGracersquo is not a license to sin but Godrsquos power from on High that helps us to overcome temptation andsin and to walk like Jesus walked (Rom 61f)God did not change the Sabbath day to Sunday God did not change His holy Feasts for pagan feasts slap-ping the name of Jesus on them God did not negate Mosaic Law lsquoat the crossrsquo even though truly ldquowersquorenot under the Law but under Gracerdquo85

ldquoYeshua said to them lsquoThe Sabbath was made for man and not man for the SabbathTherefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbathrsquordquo (Mark 227-28)ldquoJesus Christ is the same yesterday today and foreverrdquo (Hebrews 138)

With the Roman Catholic Church openly boasting of changing Sabbath to Sunday and Passover to Easterit proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that illicit SEX is not of God but of Satan All Gentile Christianswere keeping Godrsquos holy times and holy ways (Mosaic Law) in the days of the Apostles There wouldhave been no need for Rome to change Sabbath and Passover if that change had already happened lsquoat thedeath of Jesusrsquo or during the time of the Apostles This confirms what Scripture revealed Sabbath andFeasts and therefore Mosaic Law were being kept by all Christians for 70 years after the resurrectionMosaic Law is still Godrsquos holy lifestyle for Christians despite the fact that the Pharisaic Christian Churchvehemently teaches against it86 to their own shame and sin

85 See No Longer Under the Law86 For an article on the Pharisaic Christian Church its hypocrisy and false ways specifically in relation to Mosaic

33

enth day Sabbath The Apostolic Church never met on Sunday in lieu of the SabbathEven if a die-hard Christian believes that 1st Cor 162 lsquoprovesrsquo that Sunday replaced the Sabbath thereisnrsquot a second witness to support it Acts 207 notwithstanding because it doesnrsquot speak of a Sunday meet-ing in Troas but a Saturday night meeting which is when the first day of the week biblically begins Thebelievers got together to say goodbye to the Sabbath (and Paul) and welcome in the new week a standardJewish practice The reason Luke writes of it is not to present Sunday as lsquothe new Sabbath dayrsquo but to re-veal that by the raising of Eutychus the Holy Spirit worked in Paul as powerfully as in Peter Yet even ifone thinks it was a Sunday night meeting it cannot prove that weekly Sunday night meetings were thenorm because nowhere does Luke nor anyone else state that and also this meeting was a special one outof the ordinary since the Apostle Paul had been in Troas for a week and after the meeting he would departat dawn (Acts 206 11) For a change of this magnitude of Sunday replacing Godrsquos Sabbath we wouldcertainly expect to see many crystal clear Scripture witnesses but there isnrsquot even oneYeshua was first seen and rose from the dead on the Sunday of Passover week (First FruitsSheaf) butthere is nothing in Scripture that presents this as the basis for Sunday replacing the Sabbath Therersquos notone biblical witness to a change of days Underscoring this is the fact that Isaiah and Ezekiel speak of theSabbath being observed in a time yet to come and Yeshua spoke to those in Jerusalem saying that theyshould pray that their flight at the destruction of the city (in 70 AD) would not be on the Sabbath andyou there are these three Scriptures that confirm the continuance of Godrsquos holy Sabbath day Neither Isai-ah Ezekiel or Jesus envisioned or even hinted at Sunday replacing Godrsquos seventh day SabbathIf God wanted lsquoresurrection Sundayrsquo to be holy and the prototype of a weekly Sunday assembly Hewould have made the first day of Creation Week (lsquoSundayrsquo) holy and not the seventh day Also Yeshuaspoke of being Lord of the Sabbath ldquoWhat would Jesus dordquo was a saying that was stamped on many aChristianrsquos wrist band years ago so that they could look at it and ask lsquoWhat would Jesus dorsquo in any situ-ation they found themselves in Would He keep Sunday or the Sabbath today Would He keep Easter orPassover Itrsquos obvious from the Gospels that Yeshua kept Sabbath Passover and all Mosaic Law that ap-plied to Him and He would keep it today also because Yeshua is the same yesterday today and forever(Heb 138) In other words if Yeshua didnrsquot keep all the rules of Mosaic Law that applied to Him itwould be sin for Him which means that itrsquos sin for Christians who donrsquot follow Him in these areaslsquoGracersquo is not a license to sin but Godrsquos power from on High that helps us to overcome temptation andsin and to walk like Jesus walked (Rom 61f)God did not change the Sabbath day to Sunday God did not change His holy Feasts for pagan feasts slap-ping the name of Jesus on them God did not negate Mosaic Law lsquoat the crossrsquo even though truly ldquowersquorenot under the Law but under Gracerdquo85

ldquoYeshua said to them lsquoThe Sabbath was made for man and not man for the SabbathTherefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbathrsquordquo (Mark 227-28)ldquoJesus Christ is the same yesterday today and foreverrdquo (Hebrews 138)

With the Roman Catholic Church openly boasting of changing Sabbath to Sunday and Passover to Easterit proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that illicit SEX is not of God but of Satan All Gentile Christianswere keeping Godrsquos holy times and holy ways (Mosaic Law) in the days of the Apostles There wouldhave been no need for Rome to change Sabbath and Passover if that change had already happened lsquoat thedeath of Jesusrsquo or during the time of the Apostles This confirms what Scripture revealed Sabbath andFeasts and therefore Mosaic Law were being kept by all Christians for 70 years after the resurrectionMosaic Law is still Godrsquos holy lifestyle for Christians despite the fact that the Pharisaic Christian Churchvehemently teaches against it86 to their own shame and sin

85 See No Longer Under the Law86 For an article on the Pharisaic Christian Church its hypocrisy and false ways specifically in relation to Mosaic

33

Many pastors have their proof texts and interpretations of Scripture that fortify them against SabbathFeasts and Mosaic Law as did the Catholic Church Fathers before them but those who are looking forGodrsquos truth in these areas will be persuaded by Yeshua through the biblical evidence presented in this arti-cle and prayer Theyrsquoll see how Church history from ancient Roman Catholic bishopndashhistorians to mod-ern Roman Catholic archbishops etc speaks of the Roman Catholic Church changing the days and waysof God and that the Nazarenes the spiritual descendants of the Apostles kept Sabbath Feasts of Israeland Mosaic Law for hundreds of years after the resurrection Theyrsquoll realize that God is right and theChurch is wrong and theyrsquoll begin to order their lives around Godrsquos holy instructions for that is whatMosaic Law is and not the traditions of man that nullify itThe churches teach against Godrsquos Feasts and Sabbaths because they believe that the Law of Moses lsquois notfor Christiansrsquo but fail to see that the New Testament many years after the resurrection teaches other-wise Also most Christians donrsquot realize the full implication of what it means for them to be part of GodrsquosIsrael (Gal 616 cf Rom 1111f Eph 211f) or the Lordrsquos Church (Mt 1618 Acts 247 81 3 1stCor 1032) and the requisite God-ordained lifestyle it implies (2nd Cor 310-17) Because the Feasts ofIsrael are still valid it follows that Mosaic Law is also valid Mosaic Law and not just the Ten Command-ments because the Feasts of Israel are not part of the Ten but as wersquove seen they were in force after theresurrection throughout New Testament times Mosaic Law was Godrsquos standard and guideline that or-dered the life of Yeshua and determined whether He sinned or not and it also determines our lifestyle andwhat is sin for us and and what is pleasing to GodGod set Mosaic Law in motion at Mt Sinai and according to the Lord Yeshua it will continue until thisEarth is no more (Mt 518-19) It doesnrsquot mean itrsquoll end then but on Judgment Day its essence will bewritten on our hearts (Jer 3133 cf Heb 810 1016) because Mosaic Law is the written reflection ofthe heart character and ways of Papa God Messiah Yeshua and the Holy SpiritSatan loves to mesmerize his victims and he has done a stunning job of it for the last 1900 years WithoutMosaic Law as the standard of Godrsquos Truth Christians have been deceived by Satanrsquos counterfeits anddonrsquot even realize it Illicit SEX and anti-Mosaic Law teachings are satanic teaching that keep Christiansfrom walking in Godrsquos lifestyle for them Many Christians canrsquot believe that God would allow the Church to be so wrong for so long but Godspoke of this very thing more than 500 years before Yeshua was born through Daniel who said

21ldquoI was watching and the same horn (the Pope) was making war against the saints andprevailing against them 22until the Ancient of Days came and a judgment was made infavor of the saints of the Most High God and the time came for the saints to possess theKingdomrdquo (Daniel 721-22)25He (the Pope) shall speak blasphemous words against the Most High God (He) shallpersecute the saints (ie Christians) of the Most High God and (he) shall intend tochange times (Sabbath and Feasts of Israel) and (Mosaic) Law Then the saints shall begiven into his hand for a time and times and half a timersquordquo (Daniel 725)

The Popes have persecuted warred against and murdered millions of true Christians for more than 1500years and have twisted and perverted Scripture but judgment is coming for those who love the Messiahof Israel because the time to possess the Kingdom draws near Many Christian eyes are being opened tothis Roman Catholic deception which all Protestant churches have blindly followed and are fleeing fromitThe Roman Catholic Church also teaches lsquosalvation by infant sprinklingrsquo which has no biblical basisprayers to and worship of lsquoMother Maryrsquo87 (a totally pagan non-biblical lsquoMaryrsquo whose characteristics are

Law see Grace Holiness and the Pharisaic Church87 In December 1854 the Roman Catholic Church decreed that

34

that of the Queen of Heaven not the Jewish maiden who bore God the Son) and that the Catholic Marylsquoimpartsrsquo grace to Catholics Add to this the unbiblical Purgatory and the Pope being lsquoChrist on Earthrsquoetc and you have the blasphemous words against God that Daniel spoke of88 The Roman CatholicChurch is not a Christian churchThere are one billion two hundred million Catholics in the world and the vast majority of them think thatby belonging to the Catholic Church they will be saved and eventually go to Heaven (going through Pur-gatory first and then with the help of Mother Mary making it to the Pearly Gates where Saint Peter willlet them in) That is only a part of the heresies the apostate Roman Catholic Church teaches them andthey are going to be in for the shock of their lives on Judgment DayThe Roman Catholic Church has persecuted Godrsquos people both literally and doctrinally for 1900 years89

The heretical doctrines of illicit SEX and anti-Mosaic Law theology began with the Roman CatholicChurch in 120 AD When the Reformers spoke against Rome andor broke away from the Roman Church(beginning in the 15th century) they didnrsquot realize that the teaching against Mosaic Law was hereticaland so they took in their ignorance illicit SEX with them Protestant Christianity believes and rightfully so that Godrsquos Word is the divine standard for what they areto believe and therefore how they are to walk out their faith in Christ Yet they have blindly followedCatholic teachings for the last 500 years against Mosaic Law and teach illicit SEX Christianity teachesthese two heinous Catholic doctrineshellipin the name of Jesus This is a great deception Jesus is the Waythe Truth and the Life (Jn 146) yet these two teachings have nothing to do with Him but pervert Himand His ways In teaching these false doctrines Christian pastors and theologians cause hundreds ofmillions of Christians to sin against Jesus and themselves Great is the power of satanic deception thathonors traditions and pagan feasts over Godrsquos WordGod through His Word and His Spirit is calling every Christian lsquoto come out of Herrsquo meaning to leavethe Roman Catholic Church and every church that teaches those two perverse teachings of Romersquos ThenChristians can learn to walk in Godrsquos holy days and holy ways The Apostle John wrote

ldquoAnd I heard another Voice from Heaven saying ldquoCome out of Her My people lest you

1 Mary was the Mother of God (ie the Holy Spirit incarnate deity herself) that she died and 2 rose from the dead and3 ascended into heaven and4 was to be worshipped as the Immaculate Virgin lsquoconceived and born without sinrsquo (and that she died without

ever sinning) See Mt 1355 Mk 63 for the brothers of Yeshua (James [Jacob or Yakov] Joses [Yosi] Si-mon [Shimon] and Judas [Judah or Yehudah] and the sisters of Jesus Mary was not a virgin all her life butthat is how the Roman Catholic Church presents her

Of course this defies all Scripture about the biblical Mary but these attributes align perfectly with the ancientpagan Queen of Heaven (which is also a title of the Roman Catholic Mary) For an individual to espouse any ofthose four points about Mary wersquod say he was insane or greatly mistaken but for a so-called church to teachthese things proves beyond doubt that Alexander Hisloprsquos thesis is correct the Roman Catholic Church is theBabylon of the New Testament (Rev 175) and not a Christian church at all (The decreersquos four points weretaken from Hislop The Two Babylons 2nd American edition p 267 p 209 in The Two BabylonsmdashThe FullHislop)

88 Ibid p 211 p 166 in The Full Hislop One of the titles of the Pope is the Vicar of Christ which means that thePope is the physical representative of Christ on Earth with all Christrsquos authority concentrated in him

89 See httpwwwmtcorginquishtml and httpwwwend-times-prophecyorgsecret-history-catholic-churchhtmland httpwwweaecorgcultsromancatholichtm which states lsquoIn 431 AD Mary worship became an officialdoctrine of the (Roman Catholic) Church at the Council of EphesusrsquoSee Dave Huntrsquos A Woman Rides the Beast for the atrocities and murders the Roman Catholic Church did lsquointhe name of Jesusrsquo and also httpwwwramsheadpresscommessiahch10html for the persecution and murderof Christians by the Roman Catholic Church

35

share in her sins and receive of Her plaguesrdquo (Rev 184 cf Jer 516-10 19 24)God is warning Christians that they should not have anything to do with the Roman Catholic Church norany church that teaches Her anti-Mosaic Law doctrine and practices illicit SEX The God of Israel is seri-ous about keeping His Sabbath and Feasts etc (Ex 3112-17 Num 913) and although Christians havesinned greatly against their Lord in these areas there is forgiveness As the Apostle Paul said to the sin-laden Athenians

ldquoTruly these times of ignorance God overlooked but now commands all men everywhereto repentrdquo (Acts 1730)

God has provided the way for Christians to be forgiven for not having kept His laws rules and ordinancesuntil nowmdashthrough the forgiveness that is in His Son (Acts 1339) All we have to do is ask Him and or-der our lives arightChristian churches are institutions and more times than not the men in charge of them have vested inter-ests in wanting their institutions to remain the way they are even it it means rejecting Godrsquos Truth (cfJohn 1146-50) ldquoHello Christian Phariseesrdquo As it was in the days of Jesus when He overturned the mon-ey changersrsquo tables in the Temple so it is today (Ecc 19) Yeshua didnrsquot come to start an institution thatfalsely presents Him and His ways but to enable us to be like Him and to follow Him for He is ourExampleAnti-Mosaic Law theology is so engrained into the mindset of most Christians that they believe that keep-ing Mosaic Law is wrong and that keeping illicit SEX is right even though there is no biblical support forit In this they disgrace the Catholic priest Reformer Jan Hus (1369-1415) who died set on fire at thestake by the Roman Catholic Church because he saw that the buying of forgiveness (the sale of indul-gence) was wrong and he wouldnrsquot recant He saw other evils of the Roman Church and spoke out againstit only to give his life for the Light that he saw (justification by faith was seen by him more than ahundred years before Martin Luther spoke of it) These two reasons the Protestant church being an insti-tution that must perpetuate itself even as the expense of Godrsquos Truth and satanic Roman Catholic brain-washing keep millions of Bible believing Christians in spiritual prisonAbraham the Father of our faith (Rom 416) was 75 years old when God called him to leave his homehis friends and his relatives and his countrymdasheverything he knew loved and was familiar with and tojourney to a land he had never seen Itrsquos never too late to start afresh if yoursquore wanting Godrsquos Truth andHis ways over manrsquos heretical ways that nullify your Lordrsquos days and waysIn 1987 a man by the name of Richard Davis told me how he had been challenged about Xmas in 1957He was driving in his car listening to a Christian radio station and the pastor exclaimed lsquoLetrsquos put Christback into Christmasrsquo and Richard said lsquoYesrsquo Then he heard an audible Voice say lsquoHow can you putChrist back into something He was never a part ofrsquo90 Of course he was shocked but that began his jour-ney out of the traditional Protestant church and into the days and ways of the God of IsraelIt never ceases to amaze me that Christianity is the only religion in the world that does not emulate itsFounder but Yeshua is calling us to correct that Letrsquos walk as Yeshua didmdashin all areas of our life

ldquoBe diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to beashamed (before God) rightly dividing the Word of Truthrdquo (2nd Timothy 215)ldquoWhatever I command you be careful to observe You must not add to it nor take awayfrom itrdquo (Deuteronomy 1232)ldquoHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walkedrdquo (1st John26 NKJV)

90 Read Richard Davisrsquo journey in ChristmasmdashIts Origin

36

APPENDIX CHARTS

The Feasts of Israel in the Book of ActsThe next three sections present the Scripture cites for the Feasts of Israel in Acts and First Corinthians inan easy to see one page lsquoat a glancersquo compilation The following are the Feasts of Israel in their chrono-logical order from the Book of Acts1 Acts 21 30 AD The Feast of Weeks (helliphellip ShavursquootmdashPentecost Ex 3422 Dt 169-10)2 Acts 123 44 AD The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 128 15f 2315 3418 Lev 236)helliphellip3 Acts 124 44 AD Passover (Ex 1211 27 Lev 235 Num 95 2816 Dt 161)helliphellip4 Acts 1821 49 AD This coming Feasthellip5 Acts 206 57 AD The Feast of Unleavened Breadhelliphellip6 Acts 2016 57 AD The Feast of Weeks (hellip ShavursquootmdashPentecost)7 Acts 279 60 AD The FastmdashThe Day of Atonement (Lev 161f 2327-28)helliphellip

bull Passover is mentioned once (Acts 124)bull The Feast of Unleavened Bread is mentioned twice (Acts 123 206)bull The Feast of Weeks (ShavursquootmdashPentecost) is mentioned twice (Acts 21 2016)bull The Fast (the Day of Atonement) is mentioned once (Acts 279)bull An unspecified Feast of Israel is mentioned once (Acts 1821 KJV NKJV)

The Feasts of Israel in First CorinthiansThe following are the Feasts of Israel in First Corinthians in their order in Paulrsquos letter to the Corinthians8 1st Cor 58 53 AD The Feast (Passoverthe Feast of Unleavened Bread)helliphelliphelliphellip9 1st Cor 168 53 AD The Feast of Weeks (helliphelliphelliphellip ShavursquootmdashPentecost)

The Feasts of Israel in Acts and First CorinthiansNext the Feasts of Israel in Acts and First Corinthians in the Gregorian month theyrsquore celebrated in andthe number of times these lsquofeasts that were done away withrsquo are found in Acts and First Corinthians1 April Passover Twice Acts 124 1st Cor 58helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip2 April The Feast of Unleavened Bread Twice Acts 123 206helliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip3 June The Feast of WeeksmdashPentecost Three times Acts 21 2016 1st Cor 168helliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip hellip4 Oct The FastmdashThe Day of Atonement Once Acts 279helliphelliphellip helliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip5 An unspecified Feast of Israel Once Acts 1821helliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphelliphellipThe Feasts of Israel are mentioned 9 times in the Book of Acts and First Corinthians The use of these 9feast cites by Luke and Paul 8 of which are time markers and one that speaks of keeping PassovertheFeast of Unleavened Bread should raise bright red flags for every Christian The Church teaches theseFeasts were done away with but the Book of Acts and First Corinthians irrefutably proclaim otherwise

37

The Sabbath Day After the ResurrectionThis page presents the 11 New Testament Scripture cites for the 7th day Sabbath after the resurrection ina concise lsquoone glancersquo manner and notes which Sabbath references are significant in establishing the Sab-bath for Christians today and which are just nominal or passing references to the SabbathEight out of eleven New Testament cites after the resurrection are extremely significant in establishingthe Sabbath as being kept by all Christians in the days of the Apostles Taken together these eight citesform an impressive and overwhelming biblical foundation that reveals that the Sabbath continued for atleast 37 years after the resurrection and nowhere does it say that Sunday replaced the Sabbath whichdismantles the Churchrsquos untenable and unbiblical position on Sunday1 Acts 112 30 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip2 Acts 1342 46 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip3 Acts 1344 46 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip4 Acts 1521 48 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip5 Acts 172 50 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip6 Acts 184 52 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip7 Colossians 216 60 AD Significanthelliphellip helliphelliphellip8 Hebrews 49 67 AD Significanthelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellipThe next three Sabbath cites are nominal or not significant in determining the status of the Sabbath be-cause theyrsquore passing references to synagogue services etc that would normally take place on the Sab-bath day for the traditional Jewish people in the days of the Apostles1 Acts 1314 46 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip2 Acts 1327 46 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip3 Acts 1613 49 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellipThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times after the resurrection Sunday is mentioned only once (1st Cor 162)and it lsquos not a church meeting91

91 This paper was finished on Dec 21 2015 and last revised on Sept 9 2019

38

The Sabbath Day After the ResurrectionThis page presents the 11 New Testament Scripture cites for the 7th day Sabbath after the resurrection ina concise lsquoone glancersquo manner and notes which Sabbath references are significant in establishing the Sab-bath for Christians today and which are just nominal or passing references to the SabbathEight out of eleven New Testament cites after the resurrection are extremely significant in establishingthe Sabbath as being kept by all Christians in the days of the Apostles Taken together these eight citesform an impressive and overwhelming biblical foundation that reveals that the Sabbath continued for atleast 37 years after the resurrection and nowhere does it say that Sunday replaced the Sabbath whichdismantles the Churchrsquos untenable and unbiblical position on Sunday1 Acts 112 30 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip2 Acts 1342 46 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip3 Acts 1344 46 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip4 Acts 1521 48 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip5 Acts 172 50 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip6 Acts 184 52 AD Significanthelliphelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip7 Colossians 216 60 AD Significanthelliphellip helliphelliphellip8 Hebrews 49 67 AD Significanthelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellipThe next three Sabbath cites are nominal or not significant in determining the status of the Sabbath be-cause theyrsquore passing references to synagogue services etc that would normally take place on the Sab-bath day for the traditional Jewish people in the days of the Apostles1 Acts 1314 46 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip2 Acts 1327 46 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellip3 Acts 1613 49 AD Not Significanthelliphelliphelliphellip helliphelliphellipThe Sabbath is mentioned 11 times after the resurrection Sunday is mentioned only once (1st Cor 162)and it lsquos not a church meeting91

91 This paper was finished on Dec 21 2015 and last revised on Sept 9 2019

38