THE MAGNIFICAT:

THE SONG OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
AS GIVEN IN THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

CHAPTER TWELVE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Does the Written Word support the doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary? Some teach that an immaculate mother had to be provided, alleging that Christ would not consent to become incarnate in flesh defiled by sin. Such teaching strikes at the very heart of the gospel.

If Mary was immaculately conceived, she would not have given Christa body "in the likeness of sinful flesh"  (Romans 8:3).—Yet Scripture says that is exactly the kind of body that Christ was born with!

Furthermore, if the Church teaching is true, Christ could not have been tempted as we are by Satan; and therefore He could not sympathize fully with us. Let us consider what the Holy Scriptures have to say on this vital subject:

The virgin Mary was a beautiful character. She was the woman entrusted to give birth to our blessed Saviour. She was the one who reared Him and taught Him the Holy Scriptures. She is a model for all womanhood. But was she to be venerated, worshiped, and esteemed as a sinless being? The Catholic believes that Mary never sinned, nor could she have sinned, because, as the Church teaches, she had an immaculate conception. The answer can be found only in the Bible. We must approach this subject with an open mind and in the spirit of prayer.

The Church teaches that the virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. Being thus born without sin, or any tendency toward sinning, places her in a class by herself, superior to the rest of the human family. In fact, the Church declares that she remained without one stain of sin throughout her life.

Here is a brief resume, or abridgment, of the history which led to her veneration and worship. Here were the gradual steps, which led to the Beatification of Mary:

About the close of the third century and the beginning of the fourth, two schools of thought arose over the origin of Christ. These schools were known as Arianism and Orthodoxy.

Arius and his followers believed that Christ had a beginning. The Orthodox believed Christ existed from eternity and was coequal with the Father.

It became apparent that a council would have to decide the matter. In A.D. 325 the Nicaean Council, the first of a series of general councils, was held. The question of Christ's beginning was considered. Was He, while in human flesh, still the Son of God? Was He begotten or was He self-existing?

Arianism was condemned, and the Orthodox beliefs were adopted. The Council took the position that because Christ had two natures—human and divine—the virgin Mary, in a certain sense, could be said to be the mother of God. She was called, in the Greek, the "Theotokos." The title means "God-bearing," that is, the "Mother of God." (Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 578).

It was far from the intentions of the Council to beatify, or glorify, Mary. Nothing in authentic church history teaches that, at that time, the title "Mother of God" had any official encyclical confirming the new title of Mary. However, in Egypt, a school of thought developed concerning the mystery of the Incarnation of Christ. Consequently discussions arose regarding the virgin Mary as the "Mother of God."

During the latter part of the fourth century and the first part of the fifth, violent disputes arose about the nature of Christ. Patriarchal rivalries played an important part, and these could be settled only by political intervention. Cyril and Nestorius were two leading churchmen involved in the much-disputed question on the nature of Christ and over Mary, who gave Christ His human nature.

Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, took the position that the two natures of Christ before their union were distinct entities, but after the union they became one nature only. It would therefore be accurate to say that the virgin Mary should be given the title, "Mother of God." The archbishop had quite a following and many loyal supporters.

Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, refused to accept the formula of the Nicaean Council regarding Mary as the "Mother of God." Finally both parties made an appeal to Emperor Theodosius ll, to settle the dispute.

In A.D. 431 the emperor called the Council of Ephesus. The delegates from Egypt and Asia Minor arrived quickly, as they did not have far to come. The Antioch delegates, who were favorable toward Nestorius, were delayed. Even the Roman delegates did not arrive on time. The result was that Cyril opened the Council without the full delegated body present. For the most part, the opponents of the "Mother of God" concept were not present.

Nestorius refused to appear at the Council and was excommunicated and deposed from his clerical status. The Council lasted only one day. The virgin Mary was honored as the "Mother of God" by the Cyril delegates. A great celebration followed; torches were lighted; and, amid great acclamation, Mary was hailed as the "Mother of God."

It will be remembered that, in this same city of Ephesus, the Apostle Paul had difficulty with the worshipers of the goddess Diana (Acts 19:23-28). The world worshiped Diana as a goddess, in Paul's day; but now the virgin Mary was classified as the "Mother of God. "This means she was the mother of her Creator. What higher claims could be made for a mortal human being?

Shortly after the Council of Ephesus ended, the opposition delegation arrived. They learned that, under Cyril's leadership, Nestorius had been excommunicated and Mary had been proclaimed the "Mother of God. "

When John, the Patriarch of Antioch, with his delegation learned what had been done by the Council, he proceeded to call for a counter-council. He stated that the work done by the former Council was illegal, inasmuch as some of the involved parties were absent.

John's wish was granted, and another Council convened with all delegates present, including the Roman delegates who were too late for the first Council. The emperor's representative were also in attendance. The Council excommunicated Cyril; but the papal delegates had the first Council reconvene, to reconsider the action relative to the virgin Mary. The first Council's decision was approved, and Mary was declared to be the Theotokos, that is, "The Mother of God." This date, A.D. 431, marks the time when the worship of Mary became much more widespread.

Many erroneous claims were made over the years regarding the life of Mary. According to Jerome, Augustine, Gregory, Epiphanius, and others, about the middle of the fourth century, stories were spread about virgins who had taken the vows of sanctity and chastity and who devoted their lives to the service of the Temple at Jerusalem.

It was said that, among these virgins, was Mary. The claim was made that she had consecrated her life to God by taking the vow of perpetual virginity. To this was added the theory that her marriage to Joseph was formal, and that she had continued a virgin until her death. The theory was that actual marriage would somehow have been defiling to Mary. This was the new teaching, and it caused long debated arguments as to whether Mary actually had been a perpetual virgin.

This led to the promulgation of a canon law, which said that all marriage was a low, vile state and best avoided:

"Whoever shall affirm that the conjugal [married] state is to be preferred to a life of virginity or celibacy, and that it is not better and more conducive to happiness to remain in virginity or celibacy, than to be married, let him be accursed."—Roman Catholic Canon Law 10.

The other phase of the new teaching was that Mary was the "Mother of God" and therefore entitled to devotion and honor above all other human beings. These extravagant honors conferred on Mary led to the development of a sect called Collyridian, derived from the word collyridae, the cakes which were offered to the virgin. This sect re­gards Mary as worthy of divine worship. This accelerated the movement to accord her full, divine adulation.

Yet, for centuries, there was an ongoing controversy over the matter before her Immaculate Conception and her Assumption to heaven finally became official dogmas of the Church.

On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed Mary immaculately conceived. This is now accepted as an authentic dogma of the Church.

Not until November 1, 1950, did Pope Pius XII declare her Assumption into heaven a dogma. It means that soon after her death, her resurrection took place and united her body with her soul in heaven.

Of course these doctrines had been taught, to one extent or another, for centuries, but one did not have to believe them. However, after they were proclaimed as dogmas, it would be heresy to disbelieve them.

The Holy Scriptures declare that Jesus is our only Saviour. Christ, the One who died on our behalf, is the only one who can forgive our sins, deliver us from them, and redeem our souls.

Under the Inspiration of God, St. Peter said this: "Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."— Acts 4:12.

The Apostle Paul declared that Christ was the only Saviour: "For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus."—l Timothy 2:5.

The Apostle John said our Advocate with the Father is Jesus Christ: "MY little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just."—1 St. John 2:1.

But uninspired men, in later centuries, have suggested that the only means of salvation is through Mary: " '0 Mary, we poor sinners know no other refuge than thee, for thou art our only hope, and on thee we rely for our salvation. Thou art our only advocate with Jesus Christ; to thee we all turn ourselves."—St. Alphonsus M de Liguori, The Glories of Mary, p. 121.

It is said that God only punishes sinners; but Mary alone can help them:

"Mary. . although a Queen, is not a queen of justice, intent on the punishment of the wicked, but a queen of mercy, intent only on commiserating and pardoning sinners. And this is the reason for which the Church requires that we should expressly call her 'the Queen of Mercy'. .

"The kingdom of justice He [God] reserves for Himself, and that of mercy He yielded to Mary, ordaining at the same time that all mercies that are dispensed to men should pass through the hands of Mary, and be disposed of by her at will . .

" 'The kingdom of God consists in power and mercy; reserving power to Himself, He, in some way; yielded the empire of mercy to his Mother'. . 'When the Blessed Virgin conceived the eternal Word in her womb, and brought Him forth, she obtained half the kingdom of God; so that she is Queen of Mercy, as Jesus Christ is King of Justice.' "—St. Aiphonsus M de Liguori, The Glories of Mary, pp. 37-38.

" 'Of the church militant thou art the empress, queen, mistress, protectress, advocate and mother. Thou shalt be the friend, patroness and protectress of all Our friends, the just. Console them, fortify and fill them with every good, if by their devotion they render themselves worthy.

"Thou art the depository of all Our divine benefits, the treasury of all Our graces. Into thy hands We remit the help and favor of Our grace, so that thou mayest dispense them; for We will grant nothing to the world but what shall pass through thy hands, and We will refuse nothing which thou mayest desire to grant.

"Grace shall be spread abroad on thy lips, for all that thou shalt wish and ordain in heaven and on earth; angels and men shall obey thee in all places, because all that is Ours belongs to thee, as thou hast always belonged to Us, and thou shalt reign with Us for all eternity." Boullan, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pp. 431­432.

Our only safety is remaining with the Word of God: the Sacred Scriptures, as found in the Old and New Testaments.

 PART EIGHT­—REMEMBERING THE BLESSED DAY OF WORSHIP

HOW TO DEEPEN YOUR WORSHIP—MORE LESSONS FROM THE MOST HOLY GOD, THROUGH THE HOLY SAINTS OF OLD. 

HOW TO DEEPEN YOUR WORSHIP OF THE MOST HOLY GOD AND OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR

It is the earnest cry of every child of God to draw closer to his God, and to know how to worship more deeply. In order to do this, we must open the Holy . Scriptures, for only those writings can safely lead us I into right paths of holiness.

Oh, our souls cry out: How can we draw closer to our precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ?

INTRODUCTION

All Scripture passages quoted in this chapter have been approved by the Church. Unless other Wise stated, all quotations are from the Rheims-Douai.

It is a basic teaching of Holy Scripture that the Bible is the fundamental authority, and takes precedence over the sayings of church leaders or church councils. Those church leaders may be ever so good, yet their teachings do not have the authority that the Inspired Word of God has. The commandments of God rank higher than the commandments of men.

"And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. . Peter and the other apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God, rather than men." —Acts 5:27, 29.

"In vain do they worship Me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men."—St. Matthew 15:9.

"For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: and will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables."—2 Timothy 4: 3-4.

"But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves."—St. Luke 7:30.

"And He said to them, Well do you make void the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition."—St. Mark 7:9 (Acts 4:19-20).

"But prove all things; hold fast that which is good."­ 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

 "To the law rather, and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this Word, they shall not have the morning light."—Isaias 8:20.

"All Scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct injustice, that the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work."—2 Timothy 3:16-17.

"Embracing that faithful Word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers."—Titus 1 :9.

How thankful we can be that we have the Holy Scriptures—the precious Word of God! What would we do without the Bible! We dare not leave it for the words of men—especially when those words teach disobedience to the Inspired Word of God. Cling to Jesus and to your Bible all your life, and obey all that it tells you—and you will be safe.

"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” —1 Timothy 2:4.

"They receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."—2 Thessalonians 2:10.

"He hath called you by our gospel, unto the purchasing of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."—2 Thessalonians 2:13 (1 St. Peter 1:2).

"Purifying your souls in the obedience of charity."­ 1 St. Peter 1:22.

"If you continue in My Word, you shall be My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."—St. John 8:31-32.

"Sanctify them in truth. Thy Word is truth."—St. John 17:17.

"Open ye the gates, and let the just nation, that keepeth the truth, enter in."—lsaias 20:2.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. . Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city."—The Apocalypse 21:1; 22:14: .

Here are fourteen Bible facts about God's holy day of worship. It is quite clear that, according to Scripture, the Bible Sabbath is the only weekly rest day you and I should keep today:

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP Of GOD—1

The Sabbath was given to all mankind at the Creation of this world. The seventh-day Sabbath was given to mankind on the seventh day of Creation Week.

"So the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the furniture of them. 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 done.

"And He blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." —Genesis 2:1-3.

God Himself rested upon the Bible Sabbath. What an honor that is to any day! Second, He blessed it. How many things—all through the Bible—did God bless? Not very many. But He blessed the seventh day. And He made it a rest day. Do we dare do our common labor on a day that He blessed and set aside for rest? Third, He sanctified, or hallowed it. How many things did God hallow in the Bible? Very, very few things. How many things did He bless and I hallow? Hardly any. Let no man tell you that the seventh-day Bible Sabbath is unimportant. It is important to your Creator; it ought to be important to you also.

The Bible Sabbath was the first divine institution for mankind in the history of the world; and, along with marriage, it is one of the only institutions to come down, past Eden, into human history. The Sabbath is as sacred as is marriage and is to be as sacredly guarded.

God dedicated and set aside the Sabbath as a rest day—2,000 years before the first Jew. Abraham is considered by all to have been the first Jew. He lived about 2000 B.C. Biblical records indicate that the. Creation of this world took place about 4000 B.C. So the Bible Sabbath is not Jewish! It is for mankind; it is for all the world.

 "The Sabbath was made for man."—St. Mark 2:27.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP Of GOD—2

The Sabbath is a memorial of Creation and our salvation.

First, it is a memorial of Creation.

"It is an everlasting covenant between Me and the children of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the seventh He ceased from work."—Exodus 31:16-17.

As a memorial of the Creation of this world, the Sabbath cannot pass away without first having this world pass away and creating a new one! Our planet could not have a new or different Sabbath day, without having it first hurled into oblivion—and then a new planet created from nothing again. But no such event has occurred.

Second, the Sabbath is a symbol of our salvation. When we keep it, we tell all the world that we belong to God and that we serve and obey Him. The seventh-day Sabbath is a sign of our conversion, sanctification, and salvation:

"See that thou keep My Sabbath: because it is a sign between Me and you in your generations: that you may know that I am the Lord, who sanctify you."—Exodus 31:13.

"Moreover I gave them also My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them: that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them."—Ezechiel 20: 12.

"And sanctify My Sabbaths, that they may be a sign between Me and you: and that you may know that I am the Lord your God."—Ezechiel 20:20.

But what about Christ's resurrection? Nowhere in Scripture were we told to keep any day in honor of Christ's resurrection. To do so is unscriptural. On the contrary, to set aside the Creation and sanctification Sabbath of the Bible—for another day of the week—and excuse it by saying that we do so "in honor of Christ' s resurrection,"—is indeed to do a very daring thing. Who dare presume to set aside the Memorial of Creation and salvation for any reason! To knowingly do so, flies in the face of repeated, direct, Biblical commands by the God of heaven. To do so denies that He is our Creator and Redeemer.

If we abandon the Bible Sabbath and keep another day holy, in the Judgment what excuse can we offer? There is no Bible reason for keeping the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh day.

The seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord’s day.

On the Lord's Day, John the Revelator saw Christ in vision. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet."—The Apocalypse 1:10.

There is nothing in the above passage which says the "Lord's Day" is Sunday. So we must look elsewhere in the Bible—and, as we do, we find that God consistently tells us what it is.

The seventh day Sabbath is the Day of the Lord. It is the day unto the Lord (Exodus 16:23,25; 31:15; 35:2), the day of the Lord (Exodus 20: 10; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12-14), and His own day (Isaias 58:13).

"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure in My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath t delightful, and the holy of the Lord glorious and glorify I Him, while thou dost not thy own ways, and thy own will is not found to speak a word. Then shalt thou be delighted in the Lord, and I will lift thee up above the high places of the earth, and will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken It.''—Isaias 58:13-14.I

Jesus is the Creator who gave us the Sabbath (Ephesians3:9; St. John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2; Genesis 2:1-3), and John heard Him call Himself, "the LORD of the Sabbath day" (St. Matthew 12:8; St. Mark 2:28).

"The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath also."—Mark 2:28.

John the Revelator well-knew which day was the Lord ‘s Day, This day is the Memorial Day of the Creator (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 31:17), the Memorial Day of Christ's redemption of His people (Ezechiel 20: 12,20).

"Keep holy My Sabbaths, as a sign between Me and you to show that I am the Lord, your God."—Ezekiel 20:20 (The Catholic Bible; e.g. New American).

The Bible Sabbath is the Lord's Day—a day that God wants to share with you. He plans to keep it with you through all eternity to come (Isa 66:22-23). Worship Him on the Best Day—His Day—the only weekly day of worship your God ever gave you.

  DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—4

The people of God kept the Bible Sabbath before the Ten Commandments were given at Mount Sinai.

The Sabbath Truth was first given to our race in Eden before the fall of man. It was given before sin existed, and apart from it. It was given to every man to link him to his God. And if Adam needed the Sabbath, we need it all the more today.

When Moses initially returned to Egypt, he told his enslaved people that they must begin keeping the Sabbath again. God was about to do great things for them, and they must identify themselves as His worshipers.

"The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens. And Pharaoh said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?"—Exodus 5:4-5.

Moses had not told them to stop working; But he had told them to keep the weekly Sabbath rest. Pharaoh was angry about this.

And then, four chapters before the Ten Commandments were given on Mount Sinai, the God of heaven spoke in such a way that it is obvious that the seventh-day Sab­bath was already well-known by the people of God—but not always well-kept:

"The Lord said to Moses: Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you: let the people go forth, and gather what is sufficient for every day: that I may prove them whether they will walk in My law, or not. But the sixth day let them provide for to bring in: and let it be double to that they were wont to gather every day.

"But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much. . And he [Moses] said to them: This is that what the Lord hath spoken: To morrow is the rest of the Sabbath sanctified to the Lord. . Gather it six days: but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, therefore it shall not be found. And the seventh day came and some of the people going forth to gather, found none. And the Lord said unto Moses: How long will you refuse to keep My command­ments and My law? . . And the people kept the Sabbath on the seventh day."—Exodus 16:4-5, 22-23, 26-28, 30.

There are those who say that the seventh-day Sabbath was not commanded by God, nor kept by man before it was spoken from Mount Sinai in Exodus 20. But Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 16 prove otherwise.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—5

The seventh-day Sabbath Commandment lies in the very heart of the Moral Law of Ten Commandments. "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works. But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates,

"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it."—Exodus 20: 11.

Here are more Bible facts about this:

(1) The Sabbath Commandment is part of the Moral Law of Ten Commandments. The Apostle James tells us that if we break any part of this law; we have broken it all (James 2:10-12). We can not tear out the Fourth Commandment without setting aside all the others as well. They all stand together, because the God of Heaven put them all together.

(2) This "Sabbath commandment" is not an any-one­day-a-week holy commandment, but the seventh-day holy commandment. We do not obey this commandment by keeping holy the third day of the week or the first. We only obey the commandment by keeping the seventh day—the Bible Sabbath.

Adam and Eve could not select at random any tree in the garden and call it the "tree of life." They had to go to the one that God had appointed as the Tree of Life. And the same for the "tree of knowledge of good and evil." God made the decision as to which tree was which. And this He did with the weekly Sabbath;—He chose the seventh day, and not any other day with it or in place of it. We do not decide which day of the week is to be kept holy unto God; He alone is to do this. It is for Him to command; it is for us to obey.

(3) Some say that Genesis 2:1-3 is not a command for man to keep the Sabbath, and therefore we do not obey it. But Exodus 16 and 20 clearly show that man is commanded to keep it holy. And who dare say that the Ten Commandments were only for the Jewish race? Are the rest of us permitted to lie, steal, cheat, and commit adultery. Are only the Hebrews to observe these ten moral principles?

(4) The reason for the commandment is the Creation of this world: "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth." This is not something local, merely for a Semitic race;—it is a commandment for all in the entire world who shall bow down and worship their Creator in humble thankfulness for His plan to save them, through the life and death of Jesus Christ. It was given at the Creation of this world, and was given to every man, woman, and child who shall live on this planet.

(5) The commandment says to "remember." The people of God were not being told of some new concept. They were to keep in mind that which they already knew.

(6) God wrote these ten commandments with His own finger (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10). He wrote them on the most enduring thing in the world, and that is. rock (Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 9:10). And He wishes to write them also on our hearts.

"This is the testament which I will make unto them after those days, saith the Lord. I will give My laws in their hearts, and on their minds will I write them."—Hebrews 10:16 (Hebrews 8:10; Jeremiah 31:33).

And, if we will let Him, through the New Covenant He will write His holy law upon our hearts. To have the Ten Commandments written on our hearts means two things:

First, a willingness to obey them, and, second, letting God enable us to do so by the grace of Jesus, His Son. Obedience to God's law is to become an integral part of our lives.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—6

The weekly seventh-day Sabbath is part of the Moral Law contained in the Ten Commandments. It will stand forever. The yearly sabbaths were part of the ceremonial laws that prefigured, or foreshadowed, the death and ministry of Christ.

These "shadow laws," such as Passover and the Wave Sheaf, which were a part of the ceremonial or sacrificial law, would not endure past the death of Christ.

"For the[ ceremonial] law having a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things; by the selfsame sacrifices which they offer continually every year, can never make the comers thereunto perfect. For then they would have ceased to be offered. . But in them there is made a commemoration of sins every year. For it is impossible that with the blood of oxen and goats sin should be taken away."—Hebrews 10:1-4.

These ceremonial laws were not written on rock, but were contained in ordinances, written on parchment. The rock was to endure, but the ordinances that foreshadowed the death of Christ were to pass away at His death. It is for this reason that we do not, today, observe the yearly sabbaths of the Passover and the Wave Sheaf.

"Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the cross. . Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a festival day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." —Colossians 2:14,16-17.

In the Greek it says, "or of the sabbaths." There is one weekly Sabbath; it comes down to us from the Creation of this world and will be kept in the New Earth (Isaias 66:22,­23). But the yearly sabbaths did not begin until Moses. They foreshadowed and explained the coming death of Christ till it happened; and, at His death, they were nailed to His cross.

If the ordinances containing the yearly sabbaths had not been set aside at Calvary, we would need now to sacrifice animals on various occasions throughout the year. But we are not now to slay lambs, for Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

"Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world."—St. John 1:29

“For Christ our pasch is sacrificed."—1 Corinthians 5:7.

"You were not redeemed with corruptible things as gold or silver, from your vain. conversation of the tradition of your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled. "—1 St. Peter 1:18-19.

In the Bible, God repeatedly gave warnings of serious consequences if those who professed to worship Him did not keep His holy Sabbath.

Examples of this can be found in Numbers 15:32-36; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; Jeremias 17:19-27; 52:7-14.

God also warned against professed Sabbath observers who, at the same time, were engaging in falsehood and wrongdoing. An example of this is given in Isaias 1:2-20. An example of the solution is to be found in Isaias 58: 1-14.

The answers are clear, aren't they? If we will seek God with all our heart and by the grace of Christ put away our darling sins, He will remold us into loving, obedient children. He will place His Holy Spirit within us and write His laws upon our heart. And then it will be heart-work to obey Him—an act of genuine, unfeigned love.  

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—8

Throughout His earthly life, Jesus always kept the Ten Commandments. By so doing, He gave us an example to follow. We are told to follow His example.

"It is written of Me, that I should do Thy will: 0 My God, I have desired it, and Thy law in the midst of my heart"—Psalm 39:8-9.

"[He ] who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth."—1 St. Peter 2:22.

"[He was] tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin."—Hebrews 4:15.

"Wherefore it behoved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren, that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God, that He might be a propitiation for the sins of the people."—Hebrews 2: 17.

"Because I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me."—St; John 6:38.

"For unto this are you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example that you should follow His steps."—1 St. Peter 2:21.

"He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also to walk, even as He walked."—St. John 2:6.

"As therefore you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk in Him."—Colossians 2:6.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."—Philippians 2:5.

"I seek not My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me."—St. John 5:30 (6:38).

There were those who feared that Jesus intended to overthrow the Law of God. But He definitely stated His belief in its eternity. The Law of God will never pass away. Its moral precepts are for all men through all time to come. And would we want it any other way?

"Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. . till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled."—St; Mat­thew 5:17-18.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—9

Christ's disciples faithfully kept the Bible Sabbath, not Sunday. The disciples had been with Jesus for three and a half years, and had listened closely to His teachings. What they did at the time of .His death on Calvary shows what He taught them. The sacred importance of the seventh-day Sabbath was of such concern to them that they would not even prepare the body of Jesus properly for burial on Friday, lest they transgress the Fourth Commandment.

"And when evening was now come, (because it was the parasceve, that is, the day before the Sabbath). . Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of Joseph, beheld where He was laid.

"And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?"—St. Mark 15:42,47-16:1­3.

"And taking Him down, he wrapped Him in fine linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre that was hewed in stone, wherein never yet man had been laid. . And the women that were come with Him from Galilee, following after, saw the sepulchre, and how His body was laid. .

"And on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre."—St. Luke 23:53,55-24:1-2.

There were others who did not regard the Bible Sabbath sacredly. But we would not wish to be reckoned among that company. Those were the murderers of Jesus, who cared neither for His life of obedience to the Ten Commandments, nor for His teachings to obey the Ten Commandments:

"And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.

 "And the next day [Sabbath], which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying: Sir, we have remembered, that seducer said, while He was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps His disciples come and steal Him away, and say to the people: He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate saith to them: You have a guard [of Roman guards]; go, guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulchre, sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards.

"And in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary, to seethe sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it."—St. Matthew 27:61-28:1-2.

On Friday, in the presence of the people, the Jewish rulers refused to enter Pilate's Judgment Hall, lest they be "defiled." And so Pilate had to come outside and speak with them (St. John 18:28-29,33, 38). But on the Holy Sabbath, they secretly did business on the Sabbath—and went into the Judgment Hall of Pilate to conduct it! While the evil priests and scribes did weekday business upon the hours of the Sabbath, those who had daily listened to the teachings of Jesus, and loved and obeyed His beliefs, were careful not to work on those holy hours—-even though it would lead them to the impossible situation of how to anoint His body two days later—after the tomb had been closed and sealed.

And what did Jesus do during those holy hours of that Sabbath? This is also very revealing. God, in His great time clock, had arranged for the exact time when Christ should be born and when He should die. His death took place in AD. 31, in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel 9:25­27. And it came in the spring of the year—at the Passover time when the lamb prefiguring His death was to be slain. And when did the death come? On a Friday afternoon, so that He could keep the Sabbath rest, free from enemies, in the tomb all through those sacred hours.

And then, on the first day of the week, He arose and began working again: He went all the way to heaven and presented His great sacrifice to His Father and received assurance that it had been accepted on behalf of His faithful ones on earth. Prior to this, He asked Mary not to touch Him, for He had not yet ascended to the Father (St. John 20: 17). When He returned to earth that evening, He walked with two disciples to Emmaus (St. Luke 24: 13-31) and, then, spoke with many of the others in the upper room (St. John 20: 19; St. Luke 24:36). And now He invited them to touch and handle Him, that they might be assured that it was He (St. Luke 24:39-43; St. John 20:20). That was a busy first day. But then, it was just another working day, as Scripture tells us:

At the Creation, God used the first day of the week as a working day (Genesis 1:3-5) On Mount Sinai, He commanded that it be nothing more than a working day (Exodus 20:8-9). At the resurrection, it was another working day. Christ went to heaven and came back on that day (St. John 20: 17; St. Luke 24: 13-31; St. John 20: 19-20). Our God considers it nothing more than a "working day" (Ezechiel 46:1).

Should we consider it anything more than this?

There is no example of Sunday keeping by the Apostles. The talk that Paul gave on the first day of the week at Troas was on Saturday night because a night meeting on the first day would have to be on Saturday night, since according to the Biblical pattern the day begins and ends at sunset); and the next day—Sunday—he chose to walk 28 miles to Assos while his companions journeyed by ship. This was not Sabbathkeeping (Acts 20:6-14).

That "first day passage" in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 is only a statement by Paul, that the faithful set aside at home each Sunday morning, as they do their weekly accounts and budget-keeping, a donation for the poor in Jerusalem. Paul wanted to obtain it when he later passed through town. They were to set it aside "without gatherings:” Modern translations show that this means to set aside the money at home.

It is highly significant that Acts 20:6-14 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 are the only two first-day passages mentioned in Paul's travels or writings.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—10

According to the New Testament, the Apostles of Jesus always kept the Bible Sabbath..

"But they passing through Perge [Perga], came to Antioch in Pisidia: and entering into .the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down."—Acts 13:14.

"And as they went out, they desired them, that on the next Sabbath, they would speak unto them these words."—Acts 13:42.

"And upon the Sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer; and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled."—Acts 16:13.

"They came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, according to his custom, went in unto them; and for three Sabbath days he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures."—Acts 17:1-2.

Paul supported himself by tentmaking; and then, on the Sabbath, he would preach the gospel.

"And because he was of the same trade, he remained with them, and wrought (now they were tentmakers by trade). And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, bringing in the name of the Lord Jesus: and he persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. . He stayed there a year and six months, teaching among them the Words of God."—Acts 18:3-4,11.

Paul's manner was the same as Christ's custom: to keep the Bible Sabbath (Acts 17:1-2; St. Luke 4:16). Paul never taught that the Moral Law was, or could be, set aside. Ever will it govern the conduct of mankind.

"Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: yea, but we establish the law."—Romans 3:31.

"What shall we say, then? shall We continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. For we that are dead to sin, how shall we live any longer therein?"—Romans 6:1 -2.

"What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid. But I do not know sin, but by the law; for I had, not known concupiscence, if the law did not say: Thou shalt not covet."—Romans 7:7.

Paul clearly saw that the problem was that we needed to obey the law; there was nothing wrong with the requirements of the law itself.

"Wherefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good."—Romans 7:12.

 "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but (that which is important is) the observance of the commandments of God."—1 Corinthians 7:19.

The moral standard that governs mankind was not relaxed or destroyed by the death of Christ; for, indeed, it is through the merits of Christ's sacrifice that we can be empowered to keep that law.

"Thou shalt call His name Jesus. For He shall save His people from their sins."—St. Matthew 1:21.

Jesus saves us from our sins, not in our sins. And since sin is the breaking of the Ten Commandments, it is obvious that He saves us by enabling—strengthening—us to keep that law.

"Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity; and sin is iniquity."—1 St. John 3:4.

The other Apostles saw this same great truth, that the moral standard that governs mankind was not relaxed or destroyed by the death of Christ: "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he shall be compared to a beholding his own countenance in a glass. For he beheld himself, and went his way, and presently forgot what manner of man he was.

"But he that hath looked into the perfect law of liberty, and hath continued therein, not becoming a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the Word; this man shall be blessed in his deed. . And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all. For He that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill, Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shall kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty. . Faith also, if it have not works, is dead, in itself. But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith."—St. James 1:22-25; 2:10-12, 17-18.

"In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the charity, of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not heavy."—1 St. John 5:2-3.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—11

Sunday sacredness is not in the Bible.

Elsewhere in this study, we have considered most of the Bible passages, which mention the first day of the week. If God transferred the sacredness from the seventh to the first day, we would find a clear statement to that effect in one of these "first day texts." Yet we search for it in vain. Sunday is never called sacred or holy anywhere in the Bible is never called the Sabbath or the Lord's Day. Indeed, Sunday is only mentioned eight times in the Bible: The first time is Genesis 1:5, where the first day of Creation Week is spoken of. The next five times refer to the women taking spices to the sepulcher, to embalm Jesus, and Jesus' appearances on Sunday to His disciples after His rest in the tomb oil the Sabbath (St. Matthew 28:1; St. Mark 16:1-2,9; St. Luke 24:1; St. John 20:1, 19). Jesus went and told them the good news that He was alive. Nothing here about Sunday sacredness.

The seventh time is in Acts 20:7-8, where Paul speaks to the Ephesian leaders. A few verses later (Acts 20:15­38), he speaks to another group in the middle of the week, but that does not make that day any more sacred than the Sunday (actually Saturday night) preceding it. For only a direct command of God can make a day holy.

Repeatedly, in Acts, Paul kept the Sabbath holy (Acts 13:14-16; 40-46; 16:12-15; 17:1-4), just as His Master had done before him. Acts is silent on Sunday sanctity as is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The eighth and last text is found in 1 Corinthians 16:1­2, where Paul instructs the believers to do their bookkeeping at home" on Sunday mornings. The first working day of the week was a good day for this, since Friday they were busy preparing for the Sabbath. This is the only mention in all Paul's writings of the first day of the week.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—12

God predicted in Scripture that men would later try to change the Law of God—and especially the "time law."

The Bible Sabbath is very important—for it is the very center of God!  If men were later to try to change it to another day, we should surely expect a Bible prophecy saying that it would happen.

"And he [the little horn power] shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and a half or a time."—Daniel 7:25.

The church of the Dark Ages was to rule the world 1260 years; and, during this time, they would try to tear out God's holy Time Law and put a counterfeit in its place. Oh, what blasphemy men can dream up, when they are tempted by Satan to gain religious control of their fellow men!

"Let no man deceive you by any means, for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself as if he were God.”—2 Thessalonians 2:3-4."

"And sanctify My Sabbaths; that they may be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God."—Ezechiel 20:20.

But, after the New Testament was finished and the Apostles had died, the Church thought it had the authority to change what God had repeatedly commanded. It tried to transfer the sacredness from the seventh to the first day of the week. This was the predicted attempt to change God's "time law" (Daniel 7:25).

"Ques.—Have you any other way of proving that the [Roman Catholic] Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

"Ans.—Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modem religionists. agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority. "—Stevenan Keenan, A Doctrinal Catechism, 1846 edition, p. 174.

"Ques.—Which is the Sabbath day? "Ans.—Saturday is the Sabbath day. "Ques.—Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? "Ans.—We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."—Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1957 edition, p.50.

How important it is that we obey the commandments of God rather than the commandments of men, even the most respected ones!

"Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey?"—Romans 6:16.

"It is written, The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve."—-St. Matthew 4:10.

"And in vain do they worship Me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men." St. Matthew 15:9.

"How long do you halt between two sides? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him."—3 Kings 18:21.

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD—13

The seventh-day Sabbath, instituted by God at the Creation of this world is the seal of His governmental authority.

God's basic governmental code for mankind is the Ten Commandments. Of those ten, only the Sabbath commandment reveals the name of our Creator and Lawgiver.

Of all the commandments in the Decalogue, only the Fourth Commandment reveals the (1) name, (2) authority, and (3) dominion of the Author of this Law:

In six days, (1)the Lord (name) (2)made (office-the Creator) (3) heaven and earth (dominion or territory over which He rules). This commandment alone contains the seal of God.

Examine the notary seal of a notary public or any other legal seal. Each seal will always contain the above three identifying marks.

"Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works. "But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, or the stranger that is within thy gates.

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

The Sabbath commandment contains the seal of God, and the Sabbath itself—given in this commandment—is inseparably connected with this seal. For the Sabbath is the basis of all true worship of our Creator. And this worship lies at the heart of all our acknowledgment of His authority as our Creator and our God. The Sabbath is ever to be kept as a sign that we belong to Him. And the keeping of it brings us within the circle of this seal.

The seal is impressed in order that all may know the authority from whence it comes—and that all may know that it is not to be changed. The seventh-day Sabbath comes from God. Let no man dare to tamper with it—for the seal of God is upon it.

"Now, therefore, 0 king, confirm the sentence, and sign the decree: that which is decreed by the Medes and Persians may not be altered nor any man be allowed to transgress it."—DanieI 6:8.

"Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples."—Isaias 8:16.

"It [the Sabbath] is an everlasting covenant between Me and the children of Israel, and a perpetual sign. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and in the sev­enth He ceased from His work."—Exodus 31:16-17.

"And sanctify My Sabbaths, that they may be a sign between Me and you: and that you may know that I am the Lord your God."—Ezechiel 20:20.

The Sabbath is a vivid sign of God's creative power—not only of this earth, but in our lives as well It requires the same power to clean our lives and redeem us as it did to create us in the first place.

"Create a clean heart in me, 0 God."—Psalm 50: 12.

"We are. . created in Christ Jesus in good works."—­Ephesians 2:10.

But there is to be a special sealing work in these last days, just before the return of Jesus in the clouds of heaven: "And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels. . saying: Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads?" —The Apocalypse 7:2-3 (Ezechiel 9:1-6).

"And I beheld, and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having the name of His Father, written on their foreheads.”—The Apocalypse 14: 1.

The name of the Father is expressive of His character. When Moses asked to see the glory of God, the Lord passed by and told His name—that which He was like: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and of much compassion, and true" (Exodus 34:6). And as we look at God's holy law, we see another view of His character. It is a transcript of that character—God's characteristics written out.

When God writes His name on your forehead and right hand—He has written His law on your heart. This is the work of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16; Jeremias 31 :33), and that work reaches its climax when God "seals in" His own just before He returns the second time in the clouds of heaven. What are those sealed ones like? They are fully obedient to the Law of God:

"And in their mouth there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God."—The Apocalypse 14:5.

But in the final crisis before His return, there will be those who will yield obedience to the beast instead of to God.

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand; he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God."—The Apocalypse 14:9-10.

"And he [the beast] shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or in their foreheads."—The Apocalypse 13:1:6­

In contrast with those who serve the beast and receive his mark, are those who in the last days will serve God and receive His seal. How can they be identified? God has told us in His Word. Here is a description of God's remnant people at the end of time:

"And the dragon [Satan, working through his agents] was angry against the woman [the true church]: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the com­mandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."—The Apocalypse 12:17.

And the third angel of The Apocalypse 14, which warns men not to receive the mark of the beast, at the same time tells them how to avoid receiving it—by keeping the com­mandments of God through the faith of Jesus Christ:

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. . Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." —The Apocalypse 14:9-10,12.

The final crisis will be caused by a decree by the beast, that all men must disobey a commandment of the law of God. The nations and churches of the world will not require men to steal or lie or commit adultery. The growing movement toward national Sunday laws is growing stronger every passing year. It is seen that in this point, and in this alone, will be found the heart of the crisis of The Apocalypse 13 and 14.

The first angel of The Apocalypse 14 calls on all men every where, today, to reverence God—by returning to the worship of the Creator of all things.

"And I saw another angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the eternal gospel, to preach unto them that sit upon the earth, and over every nation, and tribe, and kindred, and tongue, and people:

"Saying with a loud voice: Fear the Lord, and give Him honour; because the hour of His judgment is come; and adore ye Him, that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."—The Apocalypse 14:6-7.

As the crisis nears, we must prepare for it.

"The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is a homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church."—Monsignor Louis Segur, "Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today. page 213.

Already we are facing Sunday closing laws on local levels. Men are prohibited from doing business on the first working day of the week, lest they be fined or imprisoned. And the situation will grow worse in the days just ahead.

"That the image of the beast should speak; and should cause [decree], that whosoever will not adore the image of the beast, should be slain. And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or in their foreheads. And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character."—The Apocalypse 13: 15-17.

But there is victory for those who will stand true to the God of heaven. There is overcoming power for those who will "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus" (The Apocalypse 14: 12).

"And I saw. . them that had overcome the beast, and his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God:"—The Apocalypse 15:2.

How can we know there is overcoming power in Christ? Read again the promise given to the Virgin:

“Thou shalt call His name Jesus. For He shall save His people from their sins."—St. Matthew 1:21.

Jesus Christ came to our world to take away our sins. He does this by His forgiving and enabling grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ not only forgives the sins of the sincerely repentant,—but empowers us to put away our sins, resist temptation, and obey the Ten Commandments—­all ten of them, including the Sabbath Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11).

DEEPENING OUR WORSHIP OF GOD —14

God's remnant people will keep the Bible Sabbath, and that holy day Will be kept throughout eternity.

Even though there are over two thousand denominations today, the remnant people of God, living at the end of time, can be identified. God has identified them for us. After speaking about how the anti-christ power, in the Dark Ages tried for centuries to destroy the people of God, we are told how to identify them in these last days, just before Christ returns in the clouds for His own:

"And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."—The Apocalypse 12:17.

And the third angel, after warning all men against receiving the mark of the beast, tells us clearly who will be the little group that will stand apart from this almost universal apostasy.

"Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." —The Apocalypse 14:12.

And it will be an almost universal apostasy. All around us can be seen a rising tide of rebellion against the Ten Commandments. The colleges and universities teach that man is but an animal descended from worms and amoeba.

The churches teach that God destroyed the Ten Commandments at Calvary, and that Jesus died to take sinners to heaven just as they are. Governmental agencies are relaxing moral restrictions and permitting gambling, abortion, homosexuality, and other vices.

This world is becoming a curse, but soon God will intervene. Prophecy tells us that, before the end, there will be a small company who will stand true to the commandments of God, by faith in Jesus Christ. And soon this present evil world will be ended suddenly by the return of Jesus Christ—and heaven will begin for the faithful. And in that heaven the seventh-day Sabbath will be kept forever. God's people suffered and died for it down here, and they will worship God on that holy day through all ages to come.

The Apocalypse 21 and 22 tells us about this new life with Jesus, when sin has come to an end and the wicked are no longer alive.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth was gone, and the sea is now no more. . And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb." —The Apocalypse 21:1; 22:1.

And then we are told who will enter that beautiful new world:

"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the lamb: that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."—The Apocalypse 22:14.

But more: There is the promise that they will keep the holy Sabbath through all eternity:

"For, behold, I create a new heavens, and a new earth: and the former things shall not be in remembrance, and they shall not come upon the heart. . And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruits of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree, so shall the days of My people, and the works of their hands shall be of long continuance. Mine elect shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth in trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their posterity with them. . The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion and the ox shall eat straw; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor kill in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord. .

"For as the new heavens, and the new earth, which I will make to stand before Me, saith the Lord: so shall your seed stand, and your name. And there shall be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath."—Isaias 65:11, 21-22, 25; 66:22-23.

Now you have seen God's plan for His people. And it is a wonderful one. It can begin for you right now. And it will continue on throughout eternity. Why not begin to­day—this very week? Ask God to forgive you for the past, and tell Him that, by His grace, you will worship your Creator on His day! This is the best decision you can make. Go to Him just now. He will help you make it.

And next Sabbath—begin that holy walk with God on His day, the holy day of Isaias 58: Read that chapter and see the blessings He will add, if you will but let Him take over your life.

But think not that there will be no problems or trials. Satan will bring many upon you. He hates the Sabbath and all who will stand loyal to it. Yet if you will determine to be true to God and His Word, you win have strength from above to go through all that  lies ahead.

And one day soon, if faithful to the end, you with the redeemed of all ages will rejoice on the sea of glass and will receive from the hand of Jesus the overcomer's crown. And you will be given that new name, expressive of a new character. And you will begin a walk with Jesus that will last through all eternity to come.

"And one of the ancients answered, and said to me: These that are clothed in white robes, who are they? and whence came they?

"And I said unto Him: My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me: These are they who carne out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb:

"Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell over them.

"They shall no more hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat.

"For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them, and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."—The Apocalypse 7:13-17.  

SUPPLEMENT- OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Church leaders acknowledge that the seventh-day Sabbath is the only true Sabbath which God gave to mankind, and that it was the Church (the Roman Catholic Church) which attempted to transfer the sacredness to Sunday.

In the Fourth Commandment, the God of heaven gave a direct command to mankind. It is recorded 'in Exodus 20:8-11.

"Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labour; and shalt do all thy works.

"But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maid­servant, nor thy beast, or the stranger that is within thy gates.

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

Here are several additional statements confirming the unfortunate fact that an attempt was made to change the commandment,—to cancel the sacredness which God applied to the seventh-day, and, in its place, make the first day of the week sacred.

"It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic Church."—Priest Brady, in an address at Elizabeth, N J., March 17, 1903, reported in the Elizabeth, 'N.J. News of March 18, 1903.

"You may search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.— James Cardinal Gibbon; The Faith of Our Fathers, chapter 8.

"Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible."—The Catholic Mirror, Dec. 23, 1893.

"The observance of Sunday by the Protestants is a homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the [Catholic] Church."—Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk About the Protestantism of Today, 1868, p. 213.

"Ques.-How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holydays?

"Ans.-By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of [by observing it]; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same Church."—Henry Tuberville, An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine (1833 papal approbation), p. 58.

"The Catholic Church. . . by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday."—Catholic Mirror, official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, September 23, 1893.

"The Pope Can Modify [change] the Divine Law."—Ferraris, Ecclesiastical Dictionary.

"We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty." ­Pope Leo XlII in an encyclical letter, dated June 20, 1894, The Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XlII p. 304.

"If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath day. In keeping the Sunday they are following a law of the Catholic Church."—Albert' Smith, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, replying for the Cardinal, in a letter of February 10, 1920.

 "Prove to me from the Bible alone that l am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the holy Catholic Church alone. The Bible says 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Catholic Church says, No. By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lot The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church."—Priest Thomas Enright, CSSR, President of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, Mo., in a lecture at Hartford, Kansas Weekly Call, February 22, 1884, and the American Sentinel, a New York Roman Catholic journal, in June 1893, p. 173.

"Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. . AND THE ACT IS A MARK of her ecclesiastical power."—From the office of cardinal Gibbons, through Chancellor H.F. Thomas, November 11, 1895.

"And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. . Peter and the other apostles answering, said: We ought to obey God, rather than men."—Acts 5:27, 29.