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God's Will For Us, The Law of God

JESUS AND THE SABBATH CONNECTION

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The Pharisees and other religious leaders were constantly looking for reasons to condemn Jesus even though Jesus said His mission was the opposite:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:17

Self-righteous judgment and condemnation work this way not only for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day but also for modern church members and leaders who don’t know Jesus. Jesus cut across the traditions of men and religious rules that, ironically, paved the way for additional condemnations from religious people.

A good example is the story of the disciples in the grain field on the Sabbath day.

Jesus’ disciples got caught breaking a tradition (not supported by Scripture) regarding the Sabbath. The condemnation by the Pharisees was picky and petty.

A Misunderstanding About the Sabbath

Here was their crime: The disciples were walking through a grainfield and plucked some of the heads of grain because they were hungry. They were condemned by the church leaders for breaking a Sabbath law; then they made sure Jesus knew it! Of course, this was a man-made law regarding the fourth commandment. Jesus attempted to clarify the Sabbath to these religious leaders.

At that time, Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

Matthew 12: 1-2

Was this stealing, or was it something else that was unlawful to do on the Sabbath? The instruction given to Moses by God in Deuteronomy 23:25 allowed the disciples to take some of the heads of grain to satisfy their hunger.

“ When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.

Deuteronomy 23: 25

During this time period, It was lawful to satisfy your hunger but not harvest it (use of a sickle)—the issue the priests had with the disciples related to their laws about activities allowed on the Lord’s Sabbath. The Pharisees considered their activities with the grain as work (gathering and threshing), which was prohibited by the melakhah, which describes at least 39 CATEGORIES of prohibitions on Shabbat (Sabbath). Again, these were man-made laws and not laws/prohibitions that God made. In fact, God says very little about prohibitions on the Sabbath. The most obvious is ceasing from labor, but after that,, God says very little about how to keep it holy or things that can’t be done on the Sabbath. Of all the commandments, only the fourth and fifth commandments do not start with a “Thou Shalt Not,” but rather an invitation by God to remember, rest, and honor. This is something that is positive for the mind of mankind.

Son Of Man-And Lord

The Pharisees carefully watched the movements of the man of Galilee, who claimed to be “The Son of Man.” A title that Jesus liked to use. It had a nice ring of connecting Himself with mankind. He was one of us! But, He was also God…Immanual (God with us). Paul would later explain it this way:

 For both, He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same.

Hebrews 2: 11,14

Jesus said something about the Sabbath that is very revealing about Himself and the Sabbath:

Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:28

Here is the Sabbath connection with Jesus. He is one of us, but He is also Lord, even of the Sabbath!

Apparently, the Pharisees didn’t appear to catch what He was saying. First of all, He is proclaiming Himself to be Lord, a title given to God the Messiah! He is God, even of the Sabbath!

Some have mistakenly tried to say that Jesus was indicating that the Sabbath didn’t matter or that Jesus “broke the Sabbath” to make a point. That is far from the truth.

Jesus said,

I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

John 15:10b

But Jesus did not keep the commandments according to additions and traditions to the law by the religious leaders.

Additions and Traditions

Using the context of this event, the point Jesus made was about additions and traditions by the priests that had made the Sabbath a burden and were not in the spirit of God’s intention of the Sabbath. The religious people had robbed its joy and turned it into a list of do’s and don’t’s.

But Jesus was also proclaiming His Lordship. Jesus was not breaking His own words given at Creation. He is our Lord, even of the Sabbath. If anyone should know what is good or bad on the Sabbath, it would be its Creator.

Jesus made it clear. The Sabbath was made (just like everything else at creation) for the benefit of mankind. Before He proclaimed His Lordship over the Sabbath, He reminded the religious leaders and anyone who had ears to hear:

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Mark 2:28

By the multitude of non-Scriptural rules, the Sabbath became their master. It became a do-nothing day for fear of breaking a rule. The Sabbath was hallowed at creation, as recorded by Moses in the first and second chapters of Genesis. It was after God had spent six literal days (evenings and mornings) that God said these words:

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Even in the Ten Commandments law, written by the finger of God in stone (Exodus 31:18), is the acknowledgment that God is Lord of the Sabbath.

 “…the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God…”

Exodus 20:10

The Sabbath From The Beginning

It had been an unwritten gift from the time of Adam and Eve. A gift of rest because God rested after His work. This was long before there was a Jew. Therefore, it was an invitation to all mankind to work six days, then rest in Him.


Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Genesis 2:3

He finished His work of Creation and did not add anything else. It was all very good. But it was finished. The Sabbath stands as a memorial in time, repeated every week to teach us to Remember His creative work. What He has blessed cannot be reversed.

Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Numbers 23:20

Jesus Created The Sabbath

Here is another connection between Jesus and the Sabbath. He made it and blessed it! Both John and Paul tell us that Jesus is God and worked with God the Father to create everything we see, including the Sabbath;

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. John 1:1-3

In this passage, John uses another name for Jesus, “the Word” He leaves no doubt as to the identity of “the Word” in the proceeding verses, especially verse 14

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. john 1:14

Who else but Jesus fits this description of “the Word“? It would be very fair to read John 1: 1-3 this way:

In the beginning, was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.

The same (Jesus) was at the beginning with God.

All things were made by Jesus, and without Jesus was not anything made that was made.

John 1:1-3

This one passage eliminates all those who would claim that Jesus was just another prophet or that He was not a member of the preexistent Godhead. Paul agrees with John:

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him ( Jesus) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him (Jesus) and for Him (Jesus). And He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him (Jesus) all things consist. And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

Hebrews 1: 15-18

The writer of Hebrews adds this:

 …in these last days spoken unto us by his Son (Jesus), whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He (Jesus) made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:2

Jesus Himself proclaimed His Divinity by taking the name given to Moses at the burning bush when Moses asked what name he should use when he talked to the children of Israel about their pending release from Egyptian bondage:

God told Moses:

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Exodus 3:14

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

Jesus’ Connection with the Sabbath-Summary:

1.) He is the Creator or Co-Creator, at the least.

2.) He created everything we see or don’t see. and blessed the Sabbath after finishing the work of creation.

3.) He told us He made the Sabbath for us and not us for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not meant to be a burden but rather a delight and a joy (See Isaiah 58: 13-14)

4.) He is Lord of the Seventh-day Sabbath. There is no other Lord’s Day described so well in Scripture. The Lord’s day in these exact words only appears once in Revelation 1:10, but it does not specify which day of the week. But using the plethora of verses connecting the seventh day with the Lord’s Day. It is, therefore, very likely the Sabbath (the seventh day) that John was “in the Spirit.” The only other explanation is that John was “in the Spirit” to describe the events of the coming of Jesus.

Religious People and the Sabbath

The religious people of Jesus day and even some of those who remember the Sabbath today want to put burdens on the Sabbath to make it a day of useless time just sitting around. But this rest is also mental and spiritual rest. Jesus proclaimed the following when He invited us with all our burdens to Him.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11: 28

So the Sabbath is more about coming to Jesus for relief from the mental, physical, and spiritual burdens accumulated during the six days of labor. It was never meant to be a day of does and don’ts or a way to please God.

It encourages time to visit the sick and other acts of mercy. God desires mercy and not sacrifice.

At the end of Jesus’ discourse with the Pharisees, He said,

 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. Matthew 12:7

Worship and the Sabbath

Oddly, nowhere in the fourth commandment does it mention it as a day of worship. In fact, formal corporate worship is not limited to any day of the week, as shown throughout the Bible.

But only the Sabbath was proclaimed “holy” and “sanctified” by Jesus Himself. Jesus’ custom, along with Paul and the disciples, was to be present in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16, Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2). So worship on the Sabbath fits with God’s will by both Jesus’ example and reasons for worship (His Creatorship). Those who worship on Sunday should not be condemned, nor those who worship on Saturday. Either way, it does not take away the sanctity of God nor His word to “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy…”

While formal worship is not described in the fourth commandment, the main reason for worship is there. He is our Creator! He completed His workweek and ended it. He took time, not because He was tired, but because He desired to look at what was “very good.” He invites the same for us today. A day of worship to Jesus and looking to Jesus who is “very good.“

The call to worship Him as Creator becomes a call from a powerful angel (messenger) in Revelation 14 at the end of time. This messenger is one of three angels:

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Revelation 14:6-7

This message of Revelation 14 is pointing back to the fourth Commandment and is connected to the two other powerful messages to the earth, Babylon is fallen and warnings against the beast and its mark. (See Revelation 14: 8-9)

Jesus’ Connection With You

So what do you do with Jesus and the Sabbath? Do you accept both as a gift of love from Jesus the Creator? Do you make the Sabbath a way to please God and make yourself more religious by adding on more additions and traditions? Do you ignore it and claim it was stricken from the table of the Ten Commandments? Or do you embrace God’s command as something to enhance your relationship with Jesus?

Jesus said His law was valid forever.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 17-19

Jesus’ demonstration of mercy, forgiveness, and love extends from the Garden of Eden to the end of time and beyond. The Sabbath is not just another rule but an invitation to be with God in Spirit on His holy day. It is only legalistic if a person puts additional rules on it and thinks that it is a way to gain favor with God or another rule to keep for salvation. It becomes a joy when it is connected with Jesus, and we follow His commandments because of our love and respect for Him…not for just pretentious religious purposes.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 14:15


Worshipping Jesus on the Sabbath will not stop when He creates a new heaven and a new earth for the redeemed.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 6; 22, 23

The Law of God

Did Jesus or The Apostles Modify The Fourth Commandment?

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If they did, we should see clear evidence of a distinct command or example of such a change. To start, let’s review the names of the weeks and their Biblical numbers. After all, the fourth commandment is about a day of the week that God proclaims as holy. God’s words are not arbitrary. He is the Creator, and He wants us to remember that!

Names and Numbers of the Week

The phrase “first day of the week” appears in the New Testament only nine (9) times in eight (8) verses. Of course, the word”Sunday” never appears because it is the pagan designation for the Sun’s day. The Bible refers to the day we now call Sunday as “the first day of the week.” The day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Another question to consider: “Does the Bible call Sunday or the first day of the week, The Lord’s Day?” Sure, a man may make that designation, but does the Bible?

All of our English names of the days of the week are related to planetary gods of regional culture. (See the Appendix for further detail and the origin of these names)

Examples:

Tuesday: Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.

Wednesday is the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.

The Creator God simply numbered the days of the week after the days of creation.

Example:


God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:5

Although the days were number one (1) through seven (7), the seventh day was blessed by the Creator when He ended His creative work. Only this particular day was given a name with meaning. He gave it the name “Sabbath” (Hebrew word: šabāṯ), meaning rest. Our calendar shows the end of the work week to be the seventh day or the Sabbath (pagan name: Saturday).


And on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Genesis 2:2

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Exodus 20 8-10

While the Bible mentions the phrase “first day of the week” only nine (9) times in the New Testament, There are 59 verses in the New Testament about the Sabbath. Further, there is one (1) passage in Hebrews 4:4 that uses the phrase “the seventh day,” which points back to the seventh day of creation and God’s rest (Sabbath). So, there should be no doubt as to which day God designated as the Sabbath. We cannot make a day holy or proclaim any day we wish to be the Sabbath.

For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”

Hebrews 4:4

The first day of the week and the seventh day are not the same days; neither is Sunday and the Sabbath the same.

The Lord’s Day

The one phrase that stands by itself is “The Lord’s Day,” which is found only one (1) time in the Bible (Revelation 1:7)

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” Revelation 1:10

There is no clear designation for which day of the week John refers to, but within its context or the verse and the entire eschatology of Revelation, it appears John is referring to the day of Christ’s return which is accompanied by a loud trumpet.

For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

1 Thessalonians 4:16

While a good case could be made that the Sabbath is called the Lord’s day in the following passage, this is not the purpose of this article. I explore this in detail in the article called Patmos and the Lord’s day.


Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:28

Here Jesus proclaims to own or be the Lord of the Sabbath. Since He was the Co-Creator according to John 1: 1-13, Colossians 1: 15-17, and Hebrews 1: 8-10, He actually participated in the sanctification of the seventh day as a weekly memorial of His creatorship. Jesus claims the Sabbath day as His, for a good reason, but uses a different order of words.

But did the disciples change the First Day of the week into “the Lord’s Day” to refer to the resurrection of Christ? Let’s take a look at all the verses regarding the first day of the week (aka Sunday). On the flip side, was the Sabbath only for the Jews or stricken/changed from the ten (10) commandments? (This last question will be explored in a later article)

New Testament Passages on the First Day of The Week

Of the eight verses about the first day of the week, only three have any indication that the disciples met on the first day of the week for religious reasons. But were they really together to worship, or was it for some other reason?

Click here for all 8 verses. They are described below:

1.) Matthew 28:1 -Matthew recounts the time when the two Marys came to the tomb after the Sabbath, and early on the first day of the week. We know the rest of the story; they found an empty tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead! This resurrection of Christ is what separates the true religion of Christ from all the other false gods. Paul said it is so important that those who do not think it possible that Jesus was resurrected (that it didn’t happen), then all the preaching, including our faith, is empty, futile, and we are, of all men, the most pitiable. It would also mean that the disciples are all liars. Further, those who have died (fallen asleep) have perished.

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have [fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

1 Corinthians 15: 13-19

Did you catch that? If Jesus was not resurrected, then here are the effects on your Christianity:

1.) All the preaching you hear is empty

2.) Your faith in Christ is empty

3.) The eyewitnesses of the resurrection (disciples) are liars (False Witnesses).

4.) Your faith in Christ is futile

5.) Your loved ones who fell asleep (died) in Christ have perished. We have no hope of seeing them again

6.) We are still in our sins. The cross would mean nothing!

7.) We are, of all men, the most pitiable.

But praise God Jesus was resurrected, and this ensures we will be resurrected when He returns:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thess 4: 16-18

If ever there was a reason to make the First Day of the week Holy, it would be the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. But look closely, there is not indication from this verse or any verse on the resurrection that Sunday has become a holy day for worship and that the Sabbath has been done away with.

2.) Mark 16:2 They came to the tomb The next two passages are Mark’s account of the resurrection on the 1st day of the week. Again, no indication of a change or pending change of the fourth commandment. the same for #3-6 below.

3.) In Mark 16:9, Jesus appears to Mary

5.) Luke 24:1 Luke’s account of the resurrection.

6.) John 20:1 John’s Account of the resurrection

If we are going to find an example or command for the change from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, it will be clear in the only two verses remaining:

7.) John 20:19 The disciples gathered together on the first day of the week. It was not for the reason of worship at this point but because of “fear of the Jews.” In the midst of their fear gathering, Jesus appears to them. No indication of a change of the day of worship here.

8.) Acts 20:7 The disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Was it a Sunday morning communion service? There is nothing to indicate it was. The breaking of bread can also refer to eating together. This they did daily.

 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, Acts 2:46

The reason they came together? Paul was preparing to leave the next day. This text is part of a running narrative describing various incidents of Paul’s homeward trip to Jerusalem at the close of his third missionary journey. The whole story requires two chapters.

Notice there is no holy title (Lord’s Day) given to the time they came together. Also, the Lord’s supper is the description of what we often call the communion service of eating bread and wine. This is not limited to any particular day.

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25

No mention as a requirement of each Sunday. It is as “often” or” when”you do this. It is apparent that celebrating the Lord’s supper can be any day of the week.

As you read the verse, you see that this is a night gathering (many lights in the chambers), and Paul preached into the night (midnight). Wow! long sermon! But notice that this was the “dark part” of the first day of the week. This is important because the day (in biblical reckoning) always changed at sunset. See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, Leviticus 23:32

Therefore, the dark part of that “first day of the week” was what we would describe as Saturday night.” This was a Saturday night service!

Conybeare and Howson, in their authoritative work, Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, write as follows concerning the time of the meeting:

“It was the evening which succeeded the Jewis sabbath. On the Sunday morning the vessel was about to sail”

Life and Epistles of the Apostle Paul, Page 520 (1-vol. edition)

Some translations of the Bible rightly translate this late evening meeting as Saturday night.

On Saturday evening, we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight since he was going to leave the next day.

Acts 20: 7 (Good News Translation)

Notice the footnote reference in the Expanded Bible.

On the first day of the week Sunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)],

Acts 20:7 (Expanded Bible)

Whatever the time, there is no evidence that this meeting is an example of the Sabbath being rejected and the first day of the week becoming a holy day. Only one day was proclaimed holy by God Himself, the seventh day Sabbath.

9.) 1 Corinthians 16:2– Paul is instructing the Corinthian church “lay aside or store up something (offerings for the poor in Jerusalem) so that there would be no collections when Paul arrived. So they are not taking up an offering in a church service but storing it up to give to Paul whenever he arrives. This was more of a bookkeeping type of instruction rather than an act of worship. Doing this at the start of the week made since it was after the rest day of the Sabbath.

Speaking of this text, the commentator declares that, as to the practice of Christians to meet on the first day of the week, “we cannot infer it from this passage.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Published by the Cambridge University Press and edited by Church of England clergymen.

This follows the comment on the phrase “lay by him”

i.e. at home, not in the assembly, as is generally supposed….He (Paul) speaks of a custom in his time of placing a small box by the bedside into which an offering was to be put “whenever prayer was made”

The First Epistle to the Corinthians, edited by J. J. Lias, p. 164

So, there is no evidence that Jesus or His apostles ever changed the solemnity of the Sabbath as found in the 10 commandments in favor of a different day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is celebrated as the symbol of baptism and the rebirth experience:

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4

So, Who Made the Change from Sabbath to the Lord’s Day?

 Pope Sylvester officially named Sunday “the Lord’s Day,” and in A.D. 338, Eusebius, the court bishop of Constantine, wrote, “All things whatsoever that it was the duty to do on the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) we (Constantine, Eusebius, and other bishops) have transferred to the Lord’s Day (the first day of the week) as more appropriately belonging to it.”

From the Catholic Catechism of Catholic Doctrine. “We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (336 A.D.) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday…”  “The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plentitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her.” Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., (1946, p. 50.

Wjo is our authority on religious matters? Tradition, Popes? Preachers? Wikipedia? Google? No! It is the infallible word of God.

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Appendix

Brief description of the meaning of the names of the week:

  • Sunday-Sun’s day. The Papacy didn’t like this name, so they attempted to change it to the Lord’s day.
  • Monday-Monandæg, meaning “day of the Moon”
  • Tuesday-Tiwesdæg, meaning “Tyr’s day.” Tyr was the Norse god of combat.
  • Wednesday-Wodnesdæg means the day of the Woden or Odin, the father of the Gods.
  • Thursday Þunresdæg, or Thor’s day. Thor was the Germanic and Norse god of thunder.
  • Friday-Frigg, the Norse goddess of beauty Frigg
  • Saturday-Saturday is the only English day of the week to retain its Roman origin. Saturday “Day of Saturn”
The Law of God

MEMO TO JESUS

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The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 40:8

Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 5:17

________________________________________________________

Memo to:       Jesus

Date:                    May 19, 2001

From:                   Board of Directors for the Church on Earth

RE:                         Management Style

Good Morning Jesus,

I hate to bring this up, but some of us in your church are uncomfortable with a few things you have said and we want to suggest a few changes in your management style.  Below are a few things we have documented (with references) to give you an idea of where we are coming from. Let’s start with your speech at the mountain. Here are your exact words as recorded by Matthew:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19

John also recorded this:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15

“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4

“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.” 1 John 2:7

We understand what you are saying, but we want to be sure your management style is  a little easier  and more in line with what everyone else is doing.  We feel your communications are a little narrow.  As a church, we don’t want to come across to our folks as legalistic and too strict. We want to respect the feelings of everyone.

Also, the board of directors have decided that your “commandments” are old school and actually no longer necessary since the culture of our church is focused on grace and, after all, we are living in the 21st century.  We also feel that since you have kept the commandments, there is no need to follow them as strictly as you did.  We appreciate your example, but we aren’t up to that kind of lifestyle.  Anyway, it is also our understanding that it is impossible to obey your laws and we are living under grace.  Therefore there is no need to obey any longer.

Therefore, please see the recommended changes below.  We will start with the 10 commandments below (in red).  Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

  1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.  No big changes here.  It is OK. I see where you are coming from, but we should be careful to not offend anyone who may give all their time and attention to making money and accumulating things.  Also, their sports, music, and entertainment give them joy.  So we suggest we not be too strict and not make a big deal about it. These people still show up at church for an hour or two on the weekend.  That should be enough.
  2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.  This has already been eliminated in the Catechism,  The church has statues, pictures, and things as part of their worship service.  Again, this commandment does not go along with what a majority are doing.  It’s not that big of a deal, they are not actually worshiping the image anyway.
  3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.  There should be an exception for those people in TV, movies, and people that are angry. We should also allow for people to use the word Jesus as an extension to an exclamation in a sentence.
  4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.  This should read: Go to church and worship every Sunday Everybody is busy on Saturdays to keep it holy even if it is in honor of your creation. Anyway, a majority of the people go to church on the  first day of the week in honor of your resurrection.   Although I can’t find this change in any of your writings, I am certain that tradition carries enough weight to make this change. Most have already changed it anyway.  Their thinking is this is for the Jews only even though the Sabbath was instituted long before there was a Jew.  Isn’t it legalistic to honor a whole day anyway? 
  5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. An exception should be made if they don’t live up to your expectations or hurt you in any way.  Maybe they could donate some money to avoid having to follow this one.  
  6. “You shall not murder.  This is a good one. Again an exception should be made for a child not yet born who is not wanted and is an inconvenience to the mother and father.
  7. “You shall not commit adultery. Of course,  if people are living together this is not applicable because that is what everyone is doing anyway.  Should this apply also to the same-sex couple? Oh yes, we forgot to let you know that we have determined that one woman and one man for marriage doesn’t fit today’s society.  We don’t want to exclude anyone, so we took the liberty to allow marriage between the same-sex.  I am sure you understand.
  8. “You shall not steal. Again a good rule, but let’s allow for situations where stealing is necessary for survival or if they really want something and don’t have enough money to buy it.
  9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Unless the situation calls for it where telling the truth will get someone in trouble. Again, we should consider the situation.
  10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” This is definitely old school. Who has an ox, a donkey, or a servant?  People want what other people have. It gives them the drive to accumulate as much as one can possibly obtain to be happy.

Jesus, we know you will understand.  Thank you for efforts to change our hearts, but some feel very comfortable in their weekly routines of simply showing up for church and being nice to people.

Respectfully Yours,

The church board of directors

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As crazy as this memo sounds, this is exactly what is happening in both the world and, sadly, in many churches.  While we know that faith in the death and resurrection of Christ saves us, it does not give us the authority to change one sentence in His eternal law.  How would Jesus respond to this?  How about Peter James and John?

Jesus: “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. Mark 7:7

Paul: Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. ” Romans 3:31

John: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12

James:  be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ..For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty James 1:22, 2: 10-22

Solomon: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

Faith, Is This True?, The Law of God

IS OBEDIENCE ONLY FOR THE LEGALISTIC? PART 1

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Recently, I heard a radio preacher say, “The Old Testament was about obedience, but the New Testament is about grace.” I don’t want to read too much into this or interpret his statement incorrectly, but I hear this same idea said in different ways.  In almost all cases the implication is there are two methods of salvation:

1.) Obedience for those before the cross and

2.)  Grace and faith after the cross.

Obedience (Old Covenant)    Grace/Faith (New Covenant)

Only a few days later, I heard another speaker talk about Galatians in such a way that it lead me to believe that talking about obedience was “another gospel.” The preacher stated: “nothing can be added to the work of Jesus. To add anything else is “another gospel.”  Without a doubt, no one can add to what Jesus has done for sinful man. and we cannot do enough good works to merit salvation. including obedience.  Here is the proof:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:9, 10

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

Galatians 5:18

“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Romans 3:21-23

All three of the verses above were from Paul.  Paul was a highly educated and dedicated Hebrew.  Before his conversion, he considered himself “blameless” concerning the righteousness that comes by the law.  but then he discovered Jesus and his eyes were opened.

Paul, seemed to be concerned where people would take verses like those above.  He abruptly asks a question at the end of Romans 3 and again at the beginning of Romans 6 to clarify:

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Romans 3:31 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 

Romans 6:1

The established law has a place in the Jesus Journey of the believer, but what is it?

Despite Romans 3:31 and other “obedience” verses we shall see, people continue to quote verses that would seem to say, we can pretty much ignore the 10 commandment law.  Here are a few:

We are not “….under the law, but under grace.”

Romans 6:14

“The law was done away with.”

Colossians 2:14?

“The law has been nailed to the cross.”

Colossians 2:14?

Obedience is “another gospel.”

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel”

Galatians 1:6

Incorrect application of these passage may make it sound like God does not want us to obey and if I want to obey God, I have reverted back to the Old Testament way of salvation and have become legalistic, perhaps even lost.  By choosing to seek to live in obedience, I have left the gospel of grace and faith. So is obedience only for the legalistic?

I have tried to boil this down to 5 important thought questions:

1.)  Has obedience ever been a method of salvation?  Was Moses, the prophets, the people of Israel saved by the works of the law? Has anyone ever been able to save themselves through obedience?

2.)  What is the relationship between obedience and grace?  Are they mutually exclusive of each other?

3.)  What does Salvation mean and what is the purpose of the law?

4.) Does God expect me to live a life in  disobedience to his commandments?  What happens if I start to try to obey?

5.)  Does Obedience have anything to do with the new covenant?

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Now I am certain, I don’t need to get up get dressed and head to the local temple and sacrifice a lamb for the sins I have committed.  This was definitely part of the instructions God gave Moses to give to  God’s people.  I also know that being circumcised is not a prerequisite to being a part of God’s people. But, how do I relate to God’s law?  What is the danger if I ignore it or if I obey it?

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What is God’s law?

Is it just the 10 commandments?

Is it the old sacrificial system given by God to Moses?

Is it some spiritual thing that I keep in my spirit but am careful to not obey the letter?

Here is what I know from God’s word;

The word “law” appears 529 times in the entire Bible.  If you throw in “statute” and “ordinance” we can add another 219 times.  So that brings us to 748 verses.  

Do they all mean the same thing?  This is where many people get confused. 

The three main categories  for these 748 verses are used primarily in 1 of 3 main ways:

A.)  God’s Ten Commandments written with His own finger.

“And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”

Exodus 31:18

B.) The laws given by God to Moses concerning the sanctuary services, sacrifices, feast days. The ceremonial laws contained in ordnances.  Written by Moses and placed in a pouch in the side of the Ark of the Covenant.

“Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”

Deuteronomy 31:26

These ordinances and laws were ceremonial and gave identity and teaching to the chosen people before the cross.  After the cross, God made the Jew and Gentile one.

“And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.”

Exodus 18:20

“….having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.”

Ephesians 2:15

C.) The word of God contained in the “books of the law” a.k.a Torah (First Five books of the Bible)

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Joshua 1:8

 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalm 1: 2, 3

So it is always important to understand which law God is referring to before making any decisions as to what God would have you do.

One last question before we start,  Does the freedom given me by the grace of God give me license to disobey?

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In this post, we will start with questions #1 and #2

1.)  Has obedience ever been a method of salvation?  Was Moses, the prophets, the people of Israel saved by the works of the law? Has anyone ever been able to save themselves through obedience?

The answer is NO!  The Jews of old were saved just like those of the New Testament:  By the grace of God through faith and not of any works.  Listen to Paul:

“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Galatians 2:21

There would have been no need for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins or the sins of those in the Old Testament time if “righteousness” could come through the law.

Through the ceremonial feast of Passover (Exodus 12), the Jews under those laws were taught that the unblemished innocent male sheep had to die for their sins.  They had to believe this in faith.  Merely following the directions of God through Moses was not the point of their forgiveness but led them to understand about the coming Messiah who was the “true lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29

So by faith, the Jews looked forward to the Cross for their salvation not in obeying the law.  But the law was good in that it came from God himself through Moses and it taught (through an object lesson) the cost of sin, the price that had to be paid, and the transference of their sin onto the unblemished Son of God.

When Jesus came, type met anti-type.  There was no longer a need to have ceremonies and laws that pointed forward to Jesus.  Now they had the life and teachings of Jesus and that teacher (using types) ended.

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3:24, 25

All those ceremonial laws pointed forward to Jesus and His death on the cross that they might have faith in Him.  Today, we look back at Jesus and the cross that we might have faith.  Both of us are saved by faith, not by the works of the law of ceremonies.

Those laws had fulfilled their purpose of pointing the OT people to Jesus.  When He died on the cross they ended and we were no longer “under” those sets of laws.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Galatians 3: 23

This faith spoken of by Paul is another word for Jesus.  The faith that is revealed is Jesus.  It is clear from Hebrews 11 (Faith Chapter) that those of the OT lived their lives by faith as we do:

The term “By faith” or “through faith” appears at least 19 times in Hebrews 11!  They are all references to the OT people of faith!

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off…And these all, having obtained a good report through faith.”

Hebrews 11: 13, 39

Please keep in mind, faith is not a thing….a religious thing….It is “trust” in God.  It is made evident by a response.  A person can say they have faith in God, but their works will show it.  Faith is not based on nothing.  It has substance and evidence.  This substance and evidence comes through trusting in God’s word.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

James 2:18

Paul shows the method of salvation i.e., grace through faith not of works.  James tells us that the works (obedience) produced from a believer is the evidence of their faith.  The two go together.

James goes on to say,

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

James 2: 8-12

James uses the term “law of liberty” twice.  Here is the hint that obeying the law gives liberty.  Just ask the murder in prison or the person who is trapped in a web of lies.  There is a blessing in obedience to God’s 10 commandments.  Wouldn’t you agree?  We are not talking about the method of salvation, but rather the results of salvation.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

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2.)  What is the relationship between obedience and grace?  Are they mutually exclusive of each other?

How can anyone claim to be a follower of the only true God and not obey?

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

1 John 2:4

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46

“Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.”

Luke 6: 47-48

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 

Romans 6:1

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 17-19

Heaven and earth remains and so do the 10 commandments.  Anyone who teaches to break the least of the commandments is not doing the will of God.  I don’t want to be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.  Do you?  The best way here is to teach to obey the law of God.

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Conclusion:

The 10 commandments remain as does heaven and earth.  The ceremonial laws taught about Jesus and salvation, but they ended at the cross where type met anti-type.

Obedience does not save you, but a saved person will be obedient.  The thief will stop stealing.  The liar will stop lying.  All of this happens because of the new birth….the new heart God gives the person saved.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people”

Hebrews 8:10

If you are thinking the new covenant spoken of here is for Jews only.  Remember there is neither Jew nor Greek and that if we belong to Christ we are “Abraham’s seed” (Father of Jews) and “heirs according to the promise.”

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Galatians 3:28

 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Galatians 3:29

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“A woman is driving way over the speed limit. Suddenly, she sees in her rear view mirror the flashing red and blue lights of a police car and hears the familiar wail of the siren. She pulls over, grabs her purse, and takes out her driver’s license. The policeman approaches, takes her license, and returns to his car.

She wonders how much the ticket is going to be (she was wayover the limit); she also worries about how she will be able to pay it. A few minutes later the policeman comes back and says, OK, Miss, what we are going to do, so that you don’t have to face the penalty of the law again, is abolish the law. You no longer have to worry about the speed limit.

As ludicrous as that story is, it’s no more so than the theology that teaches that after Jesus died, the law, the Ten Commandments, was abolished.”  Dr. Keith A. Burton,

“Wages of sin is death.”

Romans 6:23

“Sin is the transgression of the law.”

1 John 3:

The definition of sin has never changed.

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“There are two errors against which the children of God–particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace–especially need to guard. The first, already dwelt upon, is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. All that man can do without Christ is polluted with selfishness and sin. It is the grace of Christ alone, through faith, that can make us holy.

The opposite and no less dangerous error is that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption.

But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love.”

Steps To Christ, page 59, 60

Is This True?, The Law of God

ONLY NINE COMMANDMENTS “BROUGHT OVER?”

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Living in the Bible Belt, I hear things that don’t ring true. Statements from the pulpit and the radio compel me to verify from the Bible. I once heard a preacher say, “Jesus taught more about hell than heaven.” After detailed research, I found this to be completely false. The results of the comprehensive work can be found at this link:

Did Jesus Really Teach More About Hell Than Heaven

Luke, the writer of Acts, described a group of people who verified from Scripture statements from Paul and Silas. They were the “Fact Checker” or “Snopes” of the time!

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.. Acts 17:11 (NIV)

The followers of Jesus, as a witness, need more people like this who “live not by bread along but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”. There would likely be less schisms in our midst and we would come to know more truth about Jesus which would lead to more real faith based on the word of God.

Recently I heard a pastor on American Family Radio say these exact words: “Only nine of the commandments were brought over in the New Testament.” I had heard this before and ignored, but I could not let it ride any longer.

First, I had to understand what “brought over” meant? This is a vague statement. It must mean one of the following:

1.) Repeated in the New Testament from the Old Testament with actual verbiage as in a list.

2.) Scattered in the New Testament with exact or verbiage close to what was said in the Old Testament and/or

3.) An example or demonstration through Jesus

A List?

It is true, that the list of the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 can not be found in the New Testament. So in this case, all of the Ten Commandments are not brought over. Does that mean as a New Testament Christian, I am free to break any of them as I desire? Of course not!

Let’s take the first commandment as an example:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7 (KJ).

This commandment does not appear, anywhere in the New Testament. But, there are allusions to it. Example:

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (money).” Luke 16:13 KJ

The same goes for the second commandment:

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20: 4-6 (KJ)

Again this commandment is not repeated in the New Testament. I researched the two main words (image and bow) using Strong’s exhaustive concordances in the King James versions and found that the word” bow” is used four times in the New Testament but not once is it used in reference to the Ten Commandments. However, it is used in reference to bowing to Jesus twice. For example:

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Romans 14:11 (KJ) (Note: the “It is written” phrase points us back to the Old Testament writer Isaiah who originally made this point about Jesus. See Isaiah 45:23.)

Praise God for this fact. The only person who is worthy to have worship through bowing is Jesus Christ. But, the context of making an image and bowing down to it is not found in the New Testament?

Why? Because the habit of making things with their own hands and then bowing down to worship them was the downfall of Israel many times as recorded often in the Old Testament. The golden calf is a great example (See Exodus 32).

A new testament version of violating this commandment can be found in the Catholic church where images of “saints” including Mary are standing while the sinner bows and prays to the image and asks for help or forgiveness. This is a pagan tradition brought into the church hundreds of years ago.

Did you notice in this second commandment the phrase: “showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20: 6 (KJ)

Embedded in this commandment is the reason for obeying ALL of God’s commandments, “love.” The “thousand generations” is not a finite number that ends at one thousand and one, but is a Hebrew’s way of saying “every generation.”

Jesus’ said the same thing about the connection of love for God and obedience to the commandments!

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

Someone will say, “well this is Jesus’ commandments. It is not the ten commandments.”

Without a doubt, Jesus did not negate all the ten commandments, but rather expanded on them to show how sin is from the heart and the letter. A prophecy concerning the coming Messiah said this,

The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Isaiah 42:21 (KJ)

It does not say he came to destroy, but to fulfill (acutally do them). This we will expand more below.

Now let’s move to the third commandment:

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7

Again, this commandment is not repeated in the New Testament verbatim. If fact, the two keywords “name” and “vain” are not found together in the New Testament. The Hebrew word for “vain” is shav’. It is used 53 times in the Old Testament. It means primarily “empty.” In our day, we have translated only part of the true meaning limiting to the phrase God damn (Sorry for the directness). But, whenever, we use God’s in a meaningless empty way, we show great disrespect for our Creation. A perfect example is saying “Jesus” as an exclamation point. Often, you will hear someone say, “Jesus! Why did you do that?” When I watch a movie and someone says that, I turn the channel as well as the traditional curse word using God’s name in a derogatory way.

Now we come to the fourth commandment. This is the one that modern preachers want to say did not come over. Why? Because this commandment cuts across tradition and the convenience of modern society.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20: 8-11

Like the others described above, this one does not appear in the exact words. However, the keyword “Sabbath” is found more in the New Testament than the keywords of the first three commandments: 55 times! By contrast, the 1st Day of the week is found only 9 times. Only two verses about the 1st Day of the week have any semblance to worship and church.

Notice the 4th commandment does not say anything about worship or which day you go to church. It is primarily about resting yourself and your household by treating this blessed day differently. This commandment is not a “thou shalt not,” but a “Remember”

This commandment is a problem for the reader. Most churches can agree that obeying the first three is not legalistic (unless we claim it for righteousness and salvation) and is expected from God. But the fourth commandment is something altogether different. All kinds of attempts to dismiss it through nailing it to the cross, claiming it was for the Jews only, claiming it is not limited to a certain day and making your own day holy and a rest day. Legalism is claimed if you want to follow it even though legalism is not claimed if you want to follow any of the others.

So in conclusion none of the first four commandments can be found in the exact verbiage in the New Testament nor are they actively taught separately but as a whole. Using the assumed logic of the preacher who said “only nine of the ten commandments are brought over in the New Testament” we can say that only six of the commandments are “brought” over. This is without studying the last six commandments. But even that is not true! Why?

The Ten Commandments (as a Group) ARE Taught in the New Testament:

Teachings about the law and commandments as a group are made in many places in the New Testament. There is never an indication that only nine or six are valid or *”binding” on the New Testament Christian. (Note: Be careful in your study that you don’t confuse the eternal Ten Commandments with temporary sacrificial laws and ceremonial laws that ended when Jesus died on the cross. They were a “School Master” meant to teach about the sacrifice and character of Jesus. Always read in the context of the book, chapter, and overall context of the topic).

For example, in James, he cautions us as follows:

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.  James 2: 10-12

Eight of the other ten commandments are left out here. That does not make them any less important. It is reasonable to assume the “whole law” is inclusive of all Ten Commandments.

Jesus grouped all Ten Commandments under two great principals of love for God and love for our neighbor:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22: 36-40

The first four commandments fall under the grouping of love for God. For example: If you love only Him, you will not have any other gods, take His name in vain, et.c

The last six are grouped under “loving your neighbor as yourself.” Again, the example is that if you love your neighbor, you will” do unto them as you would yourself” by not stealing, lying, coveting their wife, etc.

Jesus Did Not Eliminate Even One of the Commandments

The words of Jesus could not be clearer:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 

We still have heaven and earth, so nothing has changed in the law. Some will try to claim by fulfilling, both the Law or the Prophets, that they are no longer meaningful for the New Testament Christian, but let’s let Jesus speak for Himself:

Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5: 17-19

Now I don’t know which of the commandments are “the least,” but it is clear that Jesus didn’t come to change one little letter (jot) or one little stroke of a letter (tittle) from the law contained in the Ten Commandments. So this is the entire Ten Commandments as a group. No indication of only nine being “brought over.”

Jesus’ Disciples Do Not Claim That Any of The Ten Commandments were Eliminated or Changed by Jesus

We have already seen from James that the law is a group, when he refers to the “whole law.” John is even more adamant about the commandments of God:


He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2: 4

Some might be tempted to say these are the commandments of Jesus which is different from the Ten Commandments, but these words from the disciples indicate clearly that Jesus did not have a different set of laws by which the Christian should go by:

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. 1 John 2: 6,7

Paul made it clear that faith does not replace the law. It establishes it:

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. Romans 3:31

This passage comes as a clarification of his Paul’s argument in the previous verses. This argument is very important to understand, lest a person becomes legalistic. Obedience to the Ten Commandments is not a path to salvation. It cannot give a person righteousness. Obedience is a result or evidence of salvation through the faith God provides:

…the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3: 21-23

All of us have sinned (broken the law of God) in the letter and the spirit. So how could we possibly make ourselves righteous by obeying the letter or even the spirit of the law? It is impossible, but this does not eliminate the law as our standard for living the Christian life. It is still sinning to transgress any of God’s Ten Commandment law either by the letter or the spirit of the law.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4

Jesus Lived a Life in Obedience to the Ten Commandments and the Sprit of Them As Our Example.

We cannot go wrong if we “walk” as did Jesus. He set the example whether we are a Jew or Gentile. It was prophesied of Jesus that He would expand the law and make it honorable:

The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable. Isaiah 42:21

How did He do it? First of all, He honored it and lived by its principals and the spirit. But listen how he magnifies or expands on the law:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  Matthew 5:21, 22

Is it not clear that murder begins with anger? Jesus expanded the law to include what goes on in your mind which is the “heart.” The heart is a symbol of feelings and thoughts of the mind.

Jesus expanded the law regarding sex:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  Matthew 5: 27-28

Jesus is not taking away from the law (nor the letter), He is magnifying it. He is making it clear that disobedience starts in the sinful mind. If a person is to live by the letter and the spirit, they must be born again in order to have a spiritual mind. If they do, they obey because they love God not with a legalistic mind, but a spiritual heart.

What if I told my wife I live only by the spirit of the law and not the letter. Then I went out and slept with every woman who was willing? How do you think she and God would feel? It is sin just as much as looking at a woman and wanting to have sex with her! You can’t live by the spirit and ignore the exactness of the commandment.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

One Commandment is the Problem

The preacher who said only nine commandments that came over to the New Testament has a motive that is not Biblical. It is an attempt to rearrange or eliminate the fourth commandment. It is more than changing a jot or a tittle…it is modifying the entire commandment!

Jesus and the disciples set the example for “Remembering the Sabbath.” Sunday or the first day of the week is never described as the Sabbath.

Now let’s talk about The Lord’s day. This exact phrase is mentioned only once in the New Testament:


I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, Revelation 1: 10

This does not connect the first day of the week or Sunday with the phrase “The Lord’s Day.” But Jesus refers to Himself as Lord of the Sabbath! So the Sabbath is the Lord’s day, not Sunday or the first day of the week.


And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Luke 6:5

It can be shown that it was Jesus at the burning bush and the mountain who gave Moses the Ten Commandments which includes the Sabbath commandment. So, yes, Jesus can claim to be Lord of the Sabbath! In that commandment, it is made clear which day belongs to the Lord and is therefore the Lord’s day.

the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. Exodus 20:10

It is here where many will try to claim that we don’t know which day is the seventh day. This has never been proven and is only an excuse. Additionally, there are attempts to show that the disciples changed the holiness of the Sabbath to the first day of the week by honoring the resurrection which occurred on the first day of the week. But the Bible is silent about such a transfer by letter or example.

Jesus example of remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy was not to ignore it but to clarifying what it meant. The Jews had assigned hundreds of rules one could not do on the Sabbath. Otherwise they would be working in violation to the words, “In it you shall do no work:” Exodus 20:10

They focused on work rather than rest in God that the day provides.

Jesus addresses this when he heals on the Sabbath:

 Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him.

 Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”  Matthew 12: 9-12

He didn’t ignore the law, He clarified it and said something that is not in the commandment itself but is spiritual: “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” He should know, He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Examples of Obedience to the Sabbath in the New Testament

Jesus’ custom was to be in the Synagogue on the Sabbath.

:So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” Luke 4;16

Notice it was his custom…his habit…What are our habits? Are they Biblically based or are they based on tradition alone?

Paul had the same custom:


Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, Acts 17:2

If Paul was a “Sunday-keeper,” he missed a great opportunity to demonstrate this when he was in a gentile city (Antioch). Let’s read the story from the Bible:

But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Acts 13: 14-15

Paul then gives a sermon in verses Verses 16-41

When the meeting broke up, the Gentiles wanted (in fact they begged) to hear the same sermon. They were very eager to hear this sermon.

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath Acts 13:42

If Paul and his followers had started to meet on the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection that had occurred many years previously, he could have said, “We are meeting tomorrow. I will repeat the sermon for you then.” But he didn’t say this because Paul’s custom was to honor the sabbath. He was in the routine of ceasing work and being at rest with God for the entire day. He went about preaching and doing good on the Sabbath. Therefore, Paul persuaded them to wait until the next Sabbath.

Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. Acts 13: 43, 44

The whole city surely included Gentiles who were very eager to hear the exact sermon Paul had preached the week before. There was not likely room to meet in the synagogue of the Jews so they l met in the outdoors or a larger venue.

The point is, Paul’s custom was to honor the Sabbath. He didn’t even mention meeting on the first day when He had the perfect opportunity with a group of eager Gentiles.

In another documented example, Paul meets with a group of followers on the first day because he was leaving the next day. But this is not sufficient reason to show this was their normal day of worship or their “custom.’

Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7

This was more like a going-away meeting because Paul had a ship to catch the next day and he had so much to say that he preached even until midnight!

Keep in mind, the fourth commandment does not restrict worship to only the seventh-day. Rather it is asking us to “Remember” the day He rested and to keep it holy because He said it was holy. Sunday does not come with such a designation. True, Jesus was resurrected on the First Day of the week, but He died for our sins on the sixth day of the week. Neither the sixth day nor the first day of the week comes with an indication that the holiness of the seventh day is transferred.

Another time, Paul went to pray on the Sabbath alone with no Jews around and away from the synagoue.

And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Acts 16:13

Prayer and the Sabbath go together even though we are taught to pray all the time. Pay without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Sabbath Was Made For Man….

The Sabbath was not for Jews alone. Jesus said it was “made for man.”

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.: Mark 2:27

Indeed the Sabbath was made for man. The Sabbath was instituted long before there was a Jew or Israelite. Like marriage, the Sabbath was created in the Garden of Eden before the fall and to benefit mankind.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:3


For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:11

Most people who have not entered into the rest of the Sabbath tend to look at this commandment as a burden or through legalistic eyes. Some see the observance of this commandment to be works and therefore not of faith. But this is a commandment that is an invitation to rest from works and find joy in the day God blessed and set aside to recharge our physical and spiritual batteries. Its emphasis on rest and not works is the centerpiece on the table of salvation by faith and not works. The Jews of old made it a burden and legalistic by placing man-made restriction on a day that should have been called a delight


“If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight...Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,…The mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 58: 13-14

The joy of the Sabbath was brought over in the New Testament through the example of Jesus and His disciples. When God makes a new heaven and a new earth, the Sabbath will be the focus of the entire week and we will all come together on that day to worship.


And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:23

In conclusion, the Sabbath is a commandment has not been changed by its Creator and therefore remains as an opportunity to rest in the Lord.

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest (notice “His rest),…For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works… For if  Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”

Hebrews 4:1, 4, 8-10

His rest is the Sabbath! He ceased from his works as God did from His!” How clearer could this be that there is a Sabbath rest (the seventh day) for the people of God? That is me and you!

Jesus sabbatical invitation is found both in the fourth commandment and the words of Jesus who invites us to rest:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Are you weak and heavy laden? Come to Jesus. Jesus also invites you to enter the rest He offers in the ceasing of work on the Sabbath as commanded by God and given as an example by Jesus, the Disciples, and the word of God.

Yes the Sabbath was “brought over” to the New Testament! Probably more than any other commandment through the Word and example.

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*As a side note: I don’t like the word binding. It is a very legalistic, restrictive and negative term not used in the Bible in connection with the ten commandments. Using the Blue Bible exhaustive concordance, I found the word binding is used 5 times in the entire Bible, but not in connection to the Ten Commandments. The same can be said of the word bind, which is used 49 times, but never in connection with God’s law. The words “obedience” and “keep” are often used in connection with God’s law. Both of these are “love” responses to Jesus not a “binding” responsibility for salvation:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15

Prophecies for Our Time, The Law of God

Part 9-Second Coming Predictions-AntiChrist Revealed

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Foreword:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”

John 16:12

In the revelation of truth, Jesus was patient and gentle with the disciples., but often He had to be plain spoken because the times and events dictated such.

I think of this verse and the Savior’s methods of dealing with men, women, and children.  I especially think of it when I approach the topic you are about to read.  For some people, this will not be the right time to hear this; for others, it will be light upon their path and it will make sense to them.  Wherever you are in your Jesus journey,  remember that truth is not dangerous.  It will bring freedom and peace to your soul:

Jesus said,

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 119: 105

I encourage you to prayerfully check to see if what I am writing is true when compared with the scriptures and the historical references.

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One of the reasons I know the Bible is true and that its writers are honest is because they do not try to sugar coat the bad stuff.  We live in a world where the bad stuff is often kept secret.  Advertisers would never talk about the negatives of their product.  If they are forced to do so (medicine for example), it comes in the form of a  palatable soothing monotone voice to minimize the impact.

Being politically correct is no longer an option.  It is a requirement in our society.  But, in the Bible, God tells it like it is; it is not politically correct.  That is why many who would quote the words, even in a caring loving manner are considered uncaring and maybe even a bigot.  Many people don’t like what they hear from God’s word, but that does not change what is true.

Then, there is the matter of rightly handling the word of truth.  Often those who would teach or speak God’s word will do so in error, conjecture, or poor interpretation.  Then, throw in the work of the enemy to pervert truth and we have a world of confusion, anger, and distrust.

Before I begin this difficult study, please read the material with the desire to know the truth and a prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  I try to use as many scriptures as possible to reveal the gems of truth that lies within its pages.  This is a difficult topic, but it is the truth.  Truth is not always found on the main highway but lies along the narrow path.  It is not on the lips of the majority but in the hearts of a few who seek it with all their heart.  Jesus and His word is the “pearl of great price.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Matthew 13:45-46

That said, let’s jump in…

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Daniel saw some things that disturbed him greatly and it caused him to be sick.  I can identify with him.  Truth is not always comfortable, but it will always bring a peace that passes understanding.  Truth will increase your faith and trust in the God who made you and all creation.

“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;  and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

Daniel 7: 19 – 20

Daniel seems to be clear about the three beasts of this chapter and what they represented because his only interest after his vision was to know about the 4th beast and particularly the strange looking little horn that came up out of the 4th beast.

Shouldn’t we want to know the truth about the fourth beast and the horn?  Can we know the truth?  Yes, we can!  How do we know? Because the angel comes back and explains them to Daniel.

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Daniel 7:16

While much of the vision is yet future for Daniel, we can see his future in the interpretation and it will help us understand the basis for interpreting our future!

This 4th beast was different from the others.  What does that mean? First of all, this beast so so different that Daniel could not find anything in nature such as the lion, the bear, and the leopard to represent its appearance nor its character.

If one thinks about it, Daniel could easily understand how the Lion with two wings and the Bear with three ribs could represent Babylon and the Medes/Persian empire because he lived during the fall and rise of Babylon.  He also lived to see the Medes and Persians begin to become a world power. But Greece was yet to appear as was the 4th kingdom of Rome and the little horn power.

Fulfilled prophecy is more clearly understood as one looks back.  Wouldn’t you agree?  The fulfillment of prophecies past is the basis for the principles involved in interpreting those parts of the prophecy yet future. The fulfilled prophecies of Daniel were so accurate that many attempt to put Daniel’s vision at a later point so it becomes history rather than the divine hand of God moving among the powers of the earth.  This is impossible when you consider the time span covered in the prophecy.

Through archaeological discoveries, historians catch up with the word of God and validate its accuracy.  Truly, Daniel saw these visions of 4 great Monarchs before they happened.  He was there personally at the rise and fall of Babylon and the rise of Persia.  But, he was not there for the other powers that were to arise nor the time of judgment and the 2nd coming of Christ as this vision depicts.

Daniel is careful to describe the times of his visions for those in the future who would doubt.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon

Daniel 7:1

This time in the 6th century BC was before the events yet to occur as described in the picture below.

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Daniel 2 and 7 Comparison:

The imagery of the ferocious 4th beast and the cunning and power of the little horn made Daniel sick.  I am sure if we were given a look into the future to see how it all ends, we would be troubled greatly too!  This is what will happen to many who read Daniel and Revelation.  The scripture unfolds the identity of the 4th beast and the little horn power. It also gives us a picture of heavenly things.

“This is the end of the account.  As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

Daniel 7:28

As we saw from the previous study, the fourth kingdom to appear on the world scene was the iron monarchy of Rome.

At this point, let’s see the comparison of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 regarding those powers during Daniel’s time and those yet future.  (Daniel 8 will also add to this chart, but we will fill it in when we study that chapter next.)

ChartsGraphs-5060-Comparing-Statue-and-Beasts-Daniel

Daniel 2 was a simple straightforward prophecy of 4 major kingdoms rising and falling.  The prophecy was a timeline that spoke to the diminishing value of the metals and therefore the value of its countries, particularly in a spiritual sense..  It is finally a mixture of strong and weak as demonstrated by the combining of iron and clay in the feet and 10 toes.

Daniel 7 repeats Daniel 2, but begins to layer in detail and some facts that are difficult to accept.  Daniel 7 fills in some elements of time, but even more obvious is its attention to the power ruling just before God sets up His kingdom.

Daniel 7 does not stop at the 10 divisions (10 horns of the 4th beast), but goes further into Daniel’s future and we will see even more detail of the worlds future events when we compare it with Revelation!

New Detail of Daniel 7:

The new detail about the 4th power (legs of iron with 10 toes or the 4th beast with 10 horns ) is that three of the 10 divisions are uprooted by the little horn that speaks great things and persecutes others after it comes up among the 10 horns.

“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things”

Daniel 7:8

The interpretation of this is clear:

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Daniel 7:24

The horns represent ten kings that shall arise and the little horn is a different type of king that shall subdue three kings.

Since the symbols (metal and animals) are demonstrating a timeline of succession, we have the basis to identify the king that arose during the 10  divisions of Rome.

There are some identifying marks in this chapter that helps us determine who was or is the little horn power.

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 1.) It will come up among the divided kingdom of Rome between the time of 350-500 A.D. (Verse 8)

2. It would be a little Kingdom. As noted by the little horn (Verse 8)

3 . It would have a man speak at the head of it. (Verse 8)

4. It would be “diverse” or different from the other 10 Kingdoms. [(Verse 24)

5. It would “Pluck up” or “subdue” 3 of the 10 divisions. (Verse 8, 24)

6. It would speak great words against God. (Verse 25)

7. It would emerge from Pagan Rom (Verse 7, 8

8. It would wear out the Saints for “time, times, and dividing a time” (Verse 25)

9. It would “THINK” to change times and laws(Verse 25)

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What power in history fits all nine traits?  What power came on the scene as Rome was being divided into the modern countries of Europe today?

It is Papal Rome.  No other power on earth fits all the features of the little horn.

Let’s revisited the 9 identifying markers and see if the papacy fits:

1. (Origin) Comes up among the divided Kingdom (Verse 8)

The Papacy came up in Rome Italy, the heart of the divided Kingdom in 538 AD.

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2.  (Size) It would be a little Kingdom. As noted by little Horn. (Verse 8)


Rome is now known as the smallest country in the world. 

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3. (Communication) It would have a man speak at the head of it. (Verse 8)

The Papacy does have a head.  He is known as the Pope. 

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4.  (Comparative Characteristic) It would be “diverse” or different from the other 10 Kingdoms. (Verse 24)

The Papacy is diverse in that it is a “Religious” power. as compared to the other 10 kingdoms which were “Secular” Powers. 

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5. (Origin actions) It would “Pluck up” or “subdue” 3 of the 10 divisions. (Verse 8, 24)

The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy in its growth and authority.

Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not support the papacy–the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed.

Here is how Dr. Mervyn Maxwell, a theologian and historian, described the results in volume 1, page 129, of his book God Cares: “The Catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538.

Thus were Daniel’s three horns –the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths–‘plucked up by the roots.’ ” It is not difficult to recognize that the papacy fits this point.

It is interesting that the Vatican, home of the pope, sits near what is called the 7 hills of Rome.

Map of the seven hills of Rome.Source: Wikimedia Commons
7 Hills of Rome

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6. (In the place of God) It would speak great words against God. (Verse 25). 

Just as the term anti-Christ does not mean against Christ, but rather in place of Christ, the phrase “speak great words against God is better translated “speak great words concerning God..  The Hebrew word for “against” (tsad) is only used 1 other time  and it is in the previous chapter of Daniel!:

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning (or against) the kingdom;

Daniel 6:4

One of the names of the Pope is “Vicar of Christ.” The term “vicar” comes from the Latin word vicarius, which means “instead of.”  Calling the pope the “Vicar of Christ” implies that he has the same power and authority that Christ had over the church

The Papacy claims to be the voice of God on earth. When the Pope makes a judgement on doctrine, his pronouncements are infallible:

“An infallible pronouncement—whether made by the pope alone or by an ecumenical council—usually is made only when some doctrine has been called into question. Most doctrines have never been doubted by the large majority of Catholics. “

From Catholic Answers website

 “The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him.” Quoted in the New York CatechismThe Catholic book, “My Catholic Faith” which is based on the Baltimore Catechism, on page 251

Further evidence of Roman Catholicism replacing God and His word is in the tradition of seeking a priest to forgive sins.  Only Jesus can forgive sins.  He has attained that right through his sinless life, death, and resurrection.  To think another man can forgive sins is operating “instead” of Christ and is blasphemous.

The Bible defines blasphemy as a man claiming to forgive sins

When He saw their faith, He said to him, 

“Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Luke 5:21

The papacy has set up a non-biblical confessional for people to get their sins forgiven.

The Bible tells us we have direct access to Jesus:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Jesus said, our confession for the forgiveness of sins is tied  directly to God and not another

“If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”

1 John 1:9.

The priest and the one confessing truly believe that sins are being forgiven by the priest:

“Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ.”

Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion (New York: Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, 1924), p. 279.

And he also claims to be God………….

“We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.”

Christopher Marcellus, Oration in the Fifth Lateran Council, Session IV (1512), manuscript SC, Vol. 32, col. 761 (Latin).

“Thou art another God on earth.”

Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter “The Reunion of Christendom,” dated June 20, 1894, trans. in The Great Encyclical letters of Pope Leo XIII (New York: 
Benziger, 1903), p. 304.

“The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.” 

Catholic National, July 1895.

Truly the little horn (the papacy) speaks great words “in place” of God himself.

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7. (Roots in paganism & its practices) It would emerge from Pagan Rome  (Verse, 8)

There is little doubt here, but to let Rome answer for themselves. 

“The mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptized… The very capital of the old Roman Empire became the capital of the Christian empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of the pope.” 

Alexander Clarence Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, pp. 148, 149.

“Whatever Roman elements the barbarians and Arians left … [came] under the protection of the Bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the emperor’s disappearance. The Roman Church in this way privily pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation.” 

Adolf Harnack, What is Christianity? (New York: Putnam, second edition, revised, 1901), pp. 269, 270.

So again we see the Papacy fits the point. 

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8.  (Activity and time span)  It would wear out the Saints for “times, time, and dividing a time” (Verse 25)

I am going to save this time prophecy until next time so I can spend more dedicated time on confirming its accuracy.  We will see that the rule of the papacy started from 538 AD (the last opposing power against the papacy is conquered) and ended in 1798 (The pope is taken into captivity and dies).  A period of 1, 260 years as predicted by God’s word.  The Bible says after this time that the “wound would be healed” and this is the time we now live in.  The time of the healed papacy that is daily ascending in power and recognition.  The news and internet confirm this.

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9. (Attempts to change God’s word) It would “THINK” to change times and laws (Verse 25)

The papacy has made several changes to the Holy Scripture, but most importantly to the eternal law contained in the ten commandments.  More specifically, the 2nd commandment has been eliminated, the 4th commandment changed, and the 10th commandment divided into two commandments.

This is despite warnings from Jesus and many of the writers of the Bible.  Here are just a couple of verses:

From Jesus (the lawgiver)

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 18-19

Even the smallest punctuation mark cannot be changed.  Whoever teaches anything different is in danger.  How can the Pope have authority to change anything regarding the eternal law of God?

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Romans 7:12

The  Roman Catholic church may “think” to change God’s law, but His law is still the same.  It is still a sin to transgress even the smallest of its precepts.

To demonstrate this attempted change, I have listed the 10 commandments (in summary) as described in the Catechism.  This is the official book of the Catholics to teach new converts:

  1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Now, compare the 10 commandments as found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5:

  1.  You shall have no other gods before Me.

  2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. 

  3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

  5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

  6. You shall not murder.

  7. You shall not commit adultery.

  8. You shall not steal.

  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

  10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

A careful comparative review will show that the Roman Catholic church leaders eliminated the 2nd commandment completely and divided the last commandment into two.  Why?

Part of the Roman Catholic worship is to pray to the”saints” and little figurines that represent them.  While this may seem harmless, it is a direct breaking of the 2nd commandment as given directly to mankind through Moses.  It is also against the spirit of worship of praying directly to the Father through the Holy Spirit.  If the practice of praying to saints in front of their image is harmless, then let the Pope reinstate the 2nd commandment

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They have also changed the 4th Commandment as proof of the church’s authority to do so:

If you were to convert to Catholicism, you would be taught the following….not from the Bible, but from the church’s commentary on the Bible:

In the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, we read:
Q. Which is the Sabbath day?

A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea, (AD 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday….
Q. Why did the Catholic Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday, because Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday, and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles on a Sunday.
Q. By what authority did the Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her!
—Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., (1946), p. 50.

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My Friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ.  The little horn power has done more than change a jot (a period) and a title (comma),  which Jesus said was forbidden.  It  has taken a harsh chisel to the immutable law of God.

10 commandments broken

But, those who would go by God’s word alone (Sola Scriptura) are clearly identified as those who oppose the work of the little horn and honor every word of God’s unchanging law.  It is out of love for God and fellow man that they respect the word of God over any power who would speak great things “in place” of God:

And the dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (church), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:17

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

The final conflict between the little horn (Papacy) and those who oppose its work, will be those who honor every word of God’s commandments

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

It is a sad commentary that many Protestant churches today wonder after and follow the little horn power by minimizing the law of God and looking for another power to be the little horn power.  For a more complete study on God’s law, please go to the category “God’s Will For Us.”

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In the next study, we will layer in more detail concerning the time prophecy found in Daniel 7 and then look at Daniel Chapter 8.  We will then bring in the companion verses of Revelation.  The key to unlocking the prophecies of Revelation are found in Daniel.  As we will see, John saw many of the same things as Daniel.

Blessings my friend!  Make it a God day!