Sabbath Rest #9 - Future Consequences
This study focuses on understanding whether such a weekly Sabbath rest on a Saturday is still important for Christians nowadays.
This section, therefore, looks ahead and how I believe this subject of the Sabbath will affect Christians.
Feedback from Others
The issue is controversial amongst Christians, particularly if you believe either Saturday or Sunday is correct as per God's commandments.
On the other hand, I have found that non-believers do not really care whether you rest or go to a church on either a Saturday or Sunday really.
In actual fact, I have found it easier to witness and explain such Saturday-Sabbath observance to non-believers because of it being so unusual within the Christian world. People easily conclude that this must be from a genuine Christian belief and not just the convenience of regular church-going and tradition.
Friends have also found it funny that there is now a switch to a Saturday after decades of Sunday-church involvement.
Seventh-day Adventists
I haven’t mentioned Seventh-day Adventism in this study too much because of the importance of looking at Scripture and having a personal understating of the issue rather than an accepted practice from a church.
However, it is worth mentioning because this being an obvious option of church attendance and fellowship with Christians who acknowledge the Saturday as the Sabbath to observe (other Christian groups are Messianic Judaism and Seventh-day Baptists).
However, you need to be aware of unique doctrines related to the Sabbath (detailed later).
I also have a post here on the five main doctrinal differences with Seventh-day Adventists and other Christian denominations that I have come to appreciate, as visualised by the five fingers and thumb on your hand, and all beginning with the letter ‘S’.
For myself, they are a genuine Christian church denomination that I agree a lot with, including the Historicist method of interpreting Bible prophecy like in Daniel's book.
Even though I’m not a church member, I know the Lord has led me to fellowship at a wonderful Seventh-day Church in Mansfield Woodhouse.
The Three Consequences
In terms of future consequences of this understanding of the Sabbath, these are the main three that I can identify:
1. Personal Choice
As we live in difficult and uncertain times, I believe the Christian church and believers worldwide are being shaken and challenged to go back to a simple and clear basis of faith.
No matter what or when you think the Second Coming of Christ will be, Revelation certainly paints a crazy world where deception will play a large role against God’s people.
A few years ago, when I realised just how much Catholicism has not only infiltrated Protestant Christianity but is changing it back to pre-Reformation beliefs, this shocked me.
There’s also increased questions on mainstream church and Christianity that is steering away from the true gospel and walk with Christ, a good example being the documentary film called the American Gospel; Christ Alone.
Therefore, all Christians need to truly and genuinely seek God will all their heart, soul, and mind like never before. To go back to scripture and what His Word says, by the power of God’s Spirit in loving obedience to Christ’s ways.
I believe Sabbath-keeping is an essential doctrine that everyone needs to look into and then make a personal choice about.
After I did myself a few years ago, and I look back now, I can see how God has shaped and blessed my life going forwards.
2. Worldly Preference
On a worldwide scale, I believe the principle of a weekly day of rest will become more important, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic.
There will be mixed reasons for this; some clearly religious, but others including everyone’s wellbeing in an ever-busy world and giving the environment and natural world a rest.
Increased awareness and set-aside days will come about, particularly in March 2021 and the 1700’th anniversary of Sunday's celebration as a legal day of rest from Constantine.
Also, the Historicism view of bible prophecy understands that the Papacy and Catholicism are the anti-Christ kingdom against God’s true one as detailed in Daniel’s prophecies.
Therefore, as the Pope takes centre-stage in the church and secular world, then the Catholic’s claim of changing the Sabbath to a Sunday from Saturday will become more prevalent.
3. Marked Compliance
The Seventh-day Adventist church actually goes a stage further to state that the subject of the Sabbath day being on the incorrect day of Sunday, not Saturday, will be the mark of the beast that Christians need to refuse at the end of time.
Therefore, Sunday's continued observance and ignoring Saturday will be the issue at this time (but not now).
I have a detailed post on this here and see where this stems from in scripture. Although I can’t say that this is definitely the 'mark of the beast’, I can now understand how it has been arrived at.
This believes that the Papacy and apostate American Protestant churches are the false, anti-christ gospel in scripture. These are the beasts bringing in the mark just before the Second Coming of Christ.
As this is a mixed-up religious system, I can see how this mark needs to be on a religious and doctrinal position; something that people can easily see and follow in faith.
I am also glad that the subject is being aired, rather than Sunday-keeping Christians taking offence from this claim, which I fully appreciate being a Sunday-church keeper for over forty years.
To put this in perspective, there is no such mark in existence now. It will only come about in this form if there was a law complying with Sunday observance and banning Saturday sabbath keeping – basically a form of anti-Semitism.
