The Sabbath

God does not change, and nor do His commandments.

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
– Malachi 3:6 (KJV)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
– Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)

This goes for all of God’s commandments, but especially the Ten Commandments which God wrote with His own finger in two tablets of stone.

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 (KJV)

The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments.

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 (KJV)

Note that it says “Remember”. The Sabbath commandment was already in place from the very start. It wasn’t something new.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
– Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)

The Sabbath therefore is forever.

Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
– Exodus 31:16-17 (KJV)

God is perfect and doesn’t change, so when He issues a commandment it is for all of eternity.

Overview

If the Sabbath was in place in Genesis, and God doesn’t change, we should see the Sabbath all throughout the Bible (from Genesis to Revelation).

Here is a brief overview of the Sabbath commandment throughout the Bible.

Genesis
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
– Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)

Adam and Eve
Before the Fall our first parents had kept the Sabbath, which was instituted in Eden; and after their expulsion from Paradise they continued its observance.
– Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 80

Abraham
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
– Genesis 26:4-5 (KJV)

Exodus
And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.
– Exodus 16:23-30 (KJV)

Mount Sinai – Ten Commandments
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 (KJV)

A Sign Forever
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
– Exodus 31:16-17 (KJV)

The Whole Duty of Man
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 (KJV)

Jesus
And 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 for to read.
– Luke 4:16 (KJV)

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
– Mark 2:27-28 (KJV)

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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.
– Matthew 5:17-18 (KJV)

At last Jesus was at rest. The long day of shame and torture was ended. As the last rays of the setting sun ushered in the Sabbath, the Son of God lay in quietude in Joseph’s tomb. His work completed, His hands folded in peace, He rested through the sacred hours of the Sabbath day.
– Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, p. 769

The Sabbath Has Not Been Changed
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
– Hebrews 4:8-10 (KJV)

Revelation
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
– Revelation 12:17 (KJV)

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
– Revelation 14:12 (KJV)

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
– Revelation 22:14 (KJV)

New Heaven and New Earth
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
– Isaiah 66:22-23 (KJV)

Conclusion

Jesus clearly went to “church” on the Sabbath, so what happened? Why are we not keeping the Sabbath today?

Well. The antichrist changed it in AD 321, and now people think it no longer matters. It’s just a day right?

Well, no actually. Not to God. The Sabbath was always intended to be quality time with God on the seventh day. Sunday is not the seventh day, and it’s just not good enough. Sunday is satan’s day in fact.

God will never change the Sabbath commandment. Why would He? It’s us that are in error.

So now it becomes a matter of obedience again. We either obey God (and receive the seal of God), or we disobey God (and receive the mark of the beast).

God will test us on this in the last days.

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
– Revelation 3:10 (KJV)

By the way, the attempt to change the Sabbath commandment was prophesied.

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
– Daniel 7:25 (KJV)

The Sabbath commandment is the only commandment that is both “time” and “law”.

The Sabbath is an appointment with God. Don’t be late!