Sabbath Questions Answered

Below you will find many of the common sabbath questions answered and clearly explained from the true Word of God.

Wasn't it only after the ten commandments were given that the sabbath day was being observed?

No, and we have Bible proof that the sabbath day was instituted and being observed BEFORE the ten commandments were given. Not only, as we explained on the home page, does the 4th commandment say that the seventh day of creation was the sabbath day, but look also at the following Bible verses from Exodus:

Exodus 16:23,26 ....'And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning ..... Six days ye shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.'

Do you see what God is saying here? The seventh day IS THE SABBATH DAY. It is a holy day and no one is to work on that day, and this is BEFORE the ten commandments. So we can clearly see that the seventh day sabbath was instituted and being observed before the ten commandments were given. It was being observed from creation week.

And think about this. How did Joseph know that getting involved with Potiphar's wife would be a sin? We don't have any written command given before this time in the Bible to say that adultery would be sin. Also, how did Cain commit a sin when there was no recorded written command to say that murder is wrong? You see, many people have a problem, saying that the 7th day Sabbath isn't specifically written down in the Bible as a command before Sinai, even thought we have proved that wrong above. And yet they have no problem with other commands not being written down like adultery, murder etc.

If the Patriarchs were already keeping the Sabbath, why does God give it as a commandment later?

Why does God give the other commandments later also? Was 'do not kill' not a commandment before Sinai? Was 'do not commit adultery' not a commandment before Sinai? What about the command to not have any other gods before Jehovah? If we apply this rule about the Sabbath being confirmed in the ten commandments, then we also have to apply it to all the commandments. So is the command not to kill only for the Jews? Do you see the failed logic of this?

Adam and Eve were created as adults and God spoke to them His ways and laws. So God's law would have been passed from Adam and Eve to their descendants. But due to sin, God's people had fallen from His ways and commands so much that He had to teach them His law again. The fact that the 4th commandment starts with "REMEMBER", shows it was already in place before.

Wasn't the Sabbath given only to commemorate the children of Isreal being taken out of bondage from Egypt?

Well, if we take this logic, then reading in Leviticus 11:45 it tells us ... "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

So is Holiness JUST for the Jews, because God brought them out of Egypt as it says above? Of course not. God brought His chosen people out of bondage and therefore requested that AS HIS PEOPLE, they should keep the sabbath commandment, which was in force right from creation.

Wasn't the Sabbath for the Jews only?

This is a favorite for Sunday keepers. And yet there is clear evidence given in the Bible that shows the sabbath was instituted at creation when there were no Jews, just Adam and Eve. But take a look also at the following Bible verses from Isaiah:

Isaiah 56:1-7 ....'Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.'

Can you see this wonderful promise friend? God here confirms through the prophet Isaiah, that the sabbath is also for "THE STRANGER". Who is a stranger? A NON JEW!! God here is giving a beautiful promise to ANYONE who wants to join unto Him and keep His Holy Seventh Day Sabbath.

And just to confirm. The 7th day Sabbath is NEVER ONCE in the Bible called "the sabbath of the Jews". And yet the Bible does say it is "the Sabbath of the Lord" - Exodus 20:10; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:14; Isaiah 58:13)

But let's take this a step further - Let us just speculate that the Sabbath is 'just for Israel' for a moment. Well, what does Paul say in Romans 11? He says that Gentile believers are 'grafted in' to the Olive tree and have become part of 'Israel', which Paul also confirms in Romans 2, when he said - 'A person isn't a true Jew who is one of the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly', by the Spirit.

So are you a true 'Jew' who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ? Then shouldn't you be keeping the Sabbath?

Didn't Jesus abolish the sabbath at the cross?

Impossible! Why? Because the seventh day sabbath was made and instituted BEFORE sin entered this world. Therefore, the sabbath is not subject to sin and the fallen nature of man and had no need for Jesus to take it out of the way. The only things that were taken away by Jesus at the cross, were those things that were brought in BECAUSE of sin and was a substitute until Jesus came. For example, the sacrificial service, the priestly service, the ceremonial monthly and yearly sabbaths, etc.

There isn't a single verse in the whole Bible that clearly says Jesus WOULD or HAS abolished the sabbath. Also, take a look at the following verse:

Luke 23:56 .....'And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.'

These are the women who followed Jesus each day and heard Him speak. Now don't you think they would have known if Jesus was going to do away with the sabbath by His death? The above verse is AFTER Jesus died, and what did they do? They kept the sabbath AS PER THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

Acts 16:13 ...'And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made.'

Didn't the disciples change the sabbath to the first day (Sunday)?

The argument that the disciples changed the sabbath to the first day in honor of the resurrection is such a weak argument, with no CLEAR Biblical support, it amazes me that people believe this.

Please see our page NEW TESTAMENT SABBATH for the truth.

First of all, what is the first day of the week called in the New Testament, AFTER the death of Christ?

Acts 20:7 - First day of the week.

1 Corinthians 16:2 - First day of the week.

And what is the seventh day sabbath called in the New Testament, AFTER the death of Christ?

Acts 13:4 - the sabbath day.

Acts 13:42 - the sabbath.

Acts 16:13 - the sabbath.

Acts 13:4 - the sabbath day.

Do we see any change here? No, the first day (Sunday) is still called the first day with no added emphasis that it is now any kind of special day, and the seventh day sabbath continues to be called just that, the sabbath day. Why? Because it is STILL the sabbath day and nothing has changed!

But the disciples met on Sunday didn't they?

Again, if you look at our page NEW TESTAMENT SABBATH, you will see Biblical evidence showing that the disciples never changed the Sabbath. And to believe that the disciples even had the authority to change one of God's commandments is nonsense. Now please have a careful think about the following verse:

Acts 23:9 .....'And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, we find no evil in this man.'

Now stop and think. If Paul and the disciples had now changed the sabbath day to Sunday, don't you think the Pharisees would have had something to say about it? Instead they say "we find no evil in this man." Paul MUST have been keeping the seventh day sabbath.

Isn't Jesus now our Sabbath rest?

This is such a common misunderstanding of what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28. Let's take a look:

Matthew 11:28 ...'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

Now show me where in this verse it says that Jesus IS our rest. Because what I read is that Jesus would GIVE rest to all who come to Him. And He does GIVE us rest, every week ... The Seventh Day Sabbath!

It doesn't matter what day we keep does it?

Have a long good think about this fact. When God put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, there were MANY trees that they could eat from, but God told them that they could not eat from ONE PARTICULAR tree. "Oh God doesn't really mind what tree we eat from!" What did God do? He cast them out of Paradise! We have the same situation with the sabbath day. There are seven days in a week, but God has told us to KEEP ONE PARTICULAR day, the seventh day.

YES, it does matter what day we keep. God has COMMANDED us to keep the seventh day. Let's obey our awesome Creator!

John 14:15 .....'If ye love Me, keep My commandments.'

How do we know that the seventh day today (Saturday) is the same one as in Bible times?

Ok, so this is the only question we can't answer directly from the Bible, but we can give clear evidence as to how the seventh day today is the same one as in Bible times. Firstly, the Jews have been meticulously keeping the seventh day sabbath since Bible times, and what day do they keep today? Saturday. How about the majority of Christianity keeping Sunday, the first day of the week, during the past 1700 years in honor of Jesus' resurrection? What day does that follow? Saturday, the seventh day. It has also previously been confirmed by a Naval Observatory that from the alignment of the stars, they can tell that the weekly cycle has not changed and the seventh day today is the same as the seventh day back in Bible times. There is no doubt that the seventh day today (saturday) is the same as the the sabbath in the new testament.

How about an interesting fact. In over 100 languages of the world, the day they call Saturday in their language means "THE SABBATH". For example, in Italy, Satuday is called "Sabbato", which means the sabbath. In France it is called "Samedi", which means the sabbath, etc., etc. And where did this come from? The tower of Babel, before Sinai. When God confused the language, the 7th day Sabbath went with all the scattered people and languages.

If you have any other sabbath questions that need to be explained, then please feel free to email us and we will get back to you and even maybe add them to this page.