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"The Moral Sabbath and the Levitical Sabbathare the Same Sabbath"Yet another doctrine promoted to avoid our accountability of obeying Yahweh's Sabbaths (plural: One in Seven Rest Day plus Holy Days) given for the benefit of racial Israel, is that of the fundamentalist theological viewpoint that Christ nailed the "Levitical Sabbath" to the cross, and supposedly thus ended our duty to hallow a specific day as The Sabbath Day. This is classic "jewdao Christianity" doctrine in action. Fundamentalists hypothesize that Yahweh's "general Sabbath" of creation in Genesis was a "moral Sabbath" requiring one day in seven as a rest period, regardless of what day of the week a person chooses. Furthermore this position claims that later, under Moses and the Levites at Mt. Sinai and in The Wilderness, Yahweh gave a different Sabbath to Israel, a specific national Sabbath Day of Rest, but Christ now has nailed that separate Sabbath to the cross. To recap this faulty viewpoint, it primarily teaches that the Levitical Sabbath, held on a certain day, is done away with, but the moral Sabbath of any "one in seven days"still remains. This is a real stretch, and there is no such teaching in the Bible. Nowhere do we find two different sets of Sabbaths mentioned in Scripture. This teaching arises out of the misunderstanding that none of the Laws given at Mt. Sinai, including the Laws for set times of formal assembling, were observed before they were given to the nation of Israel through Moses. It is not difficult to search the Scriptures to see that the so called "Levitical Sabbath" IS IN FACT the same Sabbath as the method of time keeping in Genesis, and that the laws of Yahweh were honored by the pre-Sinai patriarchs from the beginning. At Mt. Sinai Yahweh had merely restated the divine laws and solar time keeping calendar which was already in use by His faithful ones centuries before. Below are a list of some divine laws that existed before the days of Moses and the Levitical priests, which laws were reintroduced and codified at Sinai: (Same laws, including Sabbath, same people, same God) The law of the Sabbath (Gen.2.3). Ex. 16.23; 20.10; 31.13-17. Deut. 5.14. The law of the place to worship (Gen.3.24; 4.3,4,16; 9.26,27). Ex. 25.8. Deut.12.5-7. Lev.17.3,4. The law of the acceptance of sacrifice by fire from heaven (Gen.4.4,5). Cp. Strange fire, Ex.30.9. Lev.6.9; 10.1. The law of sacrifices (Gen 4.4; 15.9; 22.2,3,13). Ex. 29.36. Lev.1.2-5. The law of clean and unclean (Gen. 7.2; 8.20). Lev.11. Deut.14.3-20. The law of the altar (Gen.8.20; 12.7,8; 13.4,18; 22.9; 26.25). Ex. 20.24. The law of eating flesh (Gen.9.3). Deut 12.20. The law against eating blood (Gen 9.4). Lev.7.26; 17.10-14. The law against murder (Gen.9.5,6). Ex. 20.12 Deut.5.17. The law of parental authority (Gen.9.25; 18.19; 22; 37.13). Ex. 20.12. Lev.19.3. Deut.5.16. The law of monogamy as the ideal (Gen 12.18; 16.1). Deut 24.1,2. The law against "adultery" (Gen. 12.18; 20.3,9; 26.10,11; 38; 39.9; 49.4). Lev. 20.10. The law as to (1) priesthood (Gen 14.18) Ex. 28.1 (2) priestly garments (Gen.27.15; 37.3). Ex.28.4. The law of tithes (Gen. 14.20; 28.22). Lev.27.30-32. The law as to covenant-making (Gen. 15.10,18; 21.27,32). Ex.34.27; 19.5. The law of intercession (Gen. 17; 18; 20.17; 24). The law of righteousness (Gen.17.1). Deut.18.13. The law of circumcision (Gen. 17.9,10). Lev.12.3. The law of hospitality (Gen.18). Lev. 19.33,34. Deut. 10.18,19. The law against licentiousness (Gen. 18.20). Lev.18. The law against fornication (Gen. 34.7). Deut.23:17 The law as to oaths (Gen. 21.23; 24.41; 26.28). Ex.22.11. Num 5.19. The law of biding sacrifices (Gen.22.9). Ps. 118.27. The law of the birthright (Gen. 25.33). Deut.21.16,17. The law of anointing with oil (Gen.28.18; 31.13). Ex. 40.15. The obligation of vows (Gen.28. 20-22; 31.13). Deut. 23.12. Num 30.2. The law of uncleanness (Gen. 31.35). Lev.15. The law against unlawful marriage (Gen. 34.14). Deut. 7.3. The law of cermonial cleansing for worship (Gen. 35.2). Ex.19.10. The law of drink offerings (Gen.35.14). Ex.29.40. Lev.23.18. The law of marrying the brother's widow (Gen. 38.8). Deut. 25.5-10. The law of preaching (2 Pet.2.5). Lev.10.11. Deut 33.10. The law of dowry (Gen. 34.12). Ex. 22.16. To claim that all the above laws were re-given at Sinai except for the original Sabbath, and that the Sinai Sabbath given to the nation was somehow different than the previous Sabbath of Genesis is simply not correct and follows no Scriptural pattern set forth in the first five books of the Bible. The command to honor Yahweh's Sabbath was the same in Genesis, as it was at Sinai, as it is today. The "set times" for certain required assembling to worship were also known in the pre-Sinai era, as they were in the days of Moses under the Levites. As far back as Genesis 4:3 we see that a specific time was noted by Adam's family as Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices before Yahweh. "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Yahweh".(Gen.4:3) Again, the poor translation of the KJV does harm to this verse. In the Hebrew text the phrase "in process of time" is literally "at the end of days"and refers to either the Feast of Ingathering repeated by the Levitical nation, or the regular Sabbath, also reinstituted with the Levites. That this refers to a set calendric time, Bible language scholars are in agreement: Notes of John Wesley, Gen.4:3 "3. In process of time - At the end of days, either at the end of the year when they kept their feast of in-gathering, or at the end of the days of the week, the seventh day; at some set time Cain and Abel brought to Adam, as the priest of the family, each of them an offering to the Lord; for which we have reason to think there was a divine appointment given to Adam, as a token of God's favour notwithstanding their apostacy."
MHC [Matthew Henry Commentary] Gen.4:3 "The devotions of Cain and Abel. In process of time, when they had made some improvement in their respective callings (Heb. 'At the end of days', either at the end of the year, when they kept their Feast of in-gathering or perhaps an annual fast in remembrance of the fall, or at the end of the days of the week, the seventh day, which was the sabbath)" Along with the many other laws of Genesis that were repeated at Sinai we also see this in comparison to Cain and Abel appearing before Yahweh: (From Exodus 27) 14 "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. (Cain & Abel, Gen. 4:3) 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before Yahweh GOD." Was the calendar of time keeping used by the Genesis patriarchs the same as used by Moses for national Israel for their Sabbath and Feast days? We see every evidence that it was, and no evidence that it was not. Let's compare examples: Time reckoned in Moses' day: "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even." (Ex.12:18) "And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up." (Ex. 40:17) "And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:" (Lev. 16:29) Now, -- as time was reckoned in Noah's day: "And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat." (Genesis 8:4) "And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen." (Genesis 8:5) "And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry". (Genesis 8:13) "And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried." (Genesis 8:14) It is obvious that the accounting of sacred Israel time, whether it is for sacrifices, or Sabbaths, or notable events, is the same in Genesis as in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, or the rest of the Bible. This would include both Genesis and Ex/Lev/Deut Sabbath keeping. Fundamentalists also misunderstand the fact that the Sabbaths and Feast Days were not in themselves sacrifices which were "nailed to the cross". As we have already seen, these days were in effect before the Levitical law was given at Mt. Sinai. They are MEMORIALS that attest to the works and grace of Yahweh Almighty and they are perpetual. The altar sacrifices were only added to these days temporarily until Messiah would come as the "Lamb of God". This was the "law that was added" and mentioned in Galatians 3:19. It was the animal altar sacrifices that were done away with, not the memorial Sabbath days. A memorial is not a sacrifice. "And this day (Passover) shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by a 'statute' for ever." (Exodus 12:14) "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation" (Leviticus 23:24) "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (Exodus 31:16) "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." ( Acts 2:1 --- Pentecost is the Hebrew "Feast of Weeks" Lev.23:15,16,21 and the N.T. disciples were assembled for it after Christ has ascended on high) If you are an Israelite today, you keep the Sabbaths because you love Jesus/Yahshua. "If you love me, keep my commandments". (Jn.14:15) Jesus did not do away with a perpetual covenant of His Genesis/Levitical/Forever Sabbath for Israel by nailing it to the cross! Jesus IS the God of Israel, Yahweh Almighty, come in the flesh! Read the paragraph concerning Colossians 2:16 & 17 in the article "Jesus Christ Did Not do Away With The Sabbath Day" and you will see that the N.T. assembly of saints was observing and honoring the Holy Days and O.T. Sabbath long after the Crucifixion. (use your "back arrow "to return here) Scripture examination shows that the true and only Sabbath of Yahweh is based on the Hebrew solar calendar. The Bible teaches that this Sabbath as well as the appointed set assembly times were hallowed long before Mt. Sinai, as well as during the Mosaic period, during Christ's time, during the early N.T. days, and still to be hallowed in the future! "Neither let the son of the stranger (traveler), that hath joined himself to Yahweh, speak, saying, Yahweh hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith Yahweh 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." (Isaiah 56:3-5) "But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:" (Jn.1:12)
"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Yahweh, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new month to another, and from one (O.T.)Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahweh. (Isaiah 66:22,23; Rev.21:1 in the Christian Kingdom)
"And Yahweh shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Master, and his name one. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem (North America) to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith Yahweh will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zech.14:9,17,18,19) -- (the above is to gather tribute from the heathen, vs. 14 -- "and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.") Another misconstrued notion is that acknowledging and observing Yahweh's true Sabbath and Feast Days (which is not difficult to grasp) is somehow "legalism", and that the "Spirit of the law" only requires one day in seven to be kept as a Sabbath no matter which day it is. However, Paul himself, whom the fundamentalists quote as the source of their "grace only" doctrine, said that "the law is spiritual". (Rom. 7:14). To live in the "spirit of the law" does not mean to violate the law itself. With respect to the Sabbath, being in the "spirit of the law" means that we certainly can do good on the Sabbath Day in an emergency or in necessity. (Mat.12:11,12; Lk.13:15) It does not mean to arbitrarily throw the perpetual Sabbath for Israel out the door, and just pick an arbitrary day of the week for the Sabbath. The "legalism" that Christ rebuked was that of the Pharisees for their "Tradition of the Elders", which embodied all manner of trivial rules and regulations which they applied to the laws of Moses. It was a "legalism" of hypocrites and false Israelites that were never called by the Holy Spirit in the first placed. Gaining knowledge by seeking Yahweh in prayer and study is not that category of "legalism". On the contrary, we are to grow in the faith by asking our Heavenly Father for direction in His laws. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3) The Bible never cites any distinction between a so called "moral Sabbath" and the "Sabbath in Moses' Days". There is one Sabbath in the Bible, just as there is one revelation of Scripture writing (The Bible is not two books), one people of the faith (Israel), and one unchanging God (Yahweh Almighty). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8). "For I am Yahweh, I change not." (Malachi 3:6) "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a SIGN between me and them (Israel), that they might know that I am Yahweh that sanctify them --- "And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a SIGN between me and you, that ye may know that I am Yahweh your God." (Ezek:20:12,20) "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you." (Ex:31:13) Yahweh's SIGN is His signature in His Sabbaths (plural). We are seeing that this is more than just the "weekly" Sabbath. If one wishes to just have Yahweh's initials imprinted on their self, then they would hold to His Solar Sabbath Day and stop there. But the entire story of redemption is told by ALL THE SABBATHS accumulatively, and a study into their meaning never ends, as within are profound spiritual truths and light. To obtain Father Yah's complete signature within the mind, one must honor all of the seven annual Sabbaths/FeastDays. Preparation of the body, soul, spirit is the Passover. Then the Feasts are Unleavened 'Bread', Pentecost, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles, Last Great Day. All these Sabbaths construct THE SIGN, the Written Signature of Yahweh Elohim -- Father, Son, Holy Spirit -- all ONE. Nobody has to believe this as He never forces His will on anyone. But this is what His Word teaches. The Remnant of Israel in these last days absolutely must get a handle on this!! Judgment is eminent and America is overdue for chastisement. When the brothers and sisters assemble for the Sabbaths and Feasts there is unity and good things will happen. It is not enough to be in unity being "white" or "N.T. Advocates" or "Church Goers" or "Conservative" or "Bible Students". If a person is not written upon by the Holy Spirit of Yahweh in the heartfelt knowledge of the Sabbaths/Feast days, the Bible says that person has sold himself short in his own pride. Humbleness to Yahweh's plan in His Sabbaths is what is needed in the fullness of the Spirit!! It is His WRITTEN PLAN, SIGNED IN HIS NAME! "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads." (Revelation 14:1) "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads (minds)." (Revelation 7:3)
"And Yahweh said unto him (messengers), Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house." (Ezek.9:4-6) "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths (plural) ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN (signature) between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahweh that doth sanctify you." (Ex:31:13) May the remnant of Israel continue to search out the truth and continue to grow from conversion at the Cross to fullness in sanctification of the Holy Spirit. As Paul says, "The law is Spiritual". Wherever the remnant is, keep on seeking! -- end.
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