The Sabbath: God’s Eternal Sign — Creation, Covenant, and the Final Conflict

[JesusFollowerForever]

Part 1: The Prophecy About Changing Times and Law​

Introduction​

This study is the result of a long history of people choosing to change what God clearly commanded. One of the biggest changes made by religious leaders was replacing the seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday worship. This change did not come from God or from Jesus, but from man's own decisions, based on misunderstood verses in the book of Acts and later traditions.

Some people claim that Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday), so the Sabbath was changed. Others point to a few verses in Acts where the disciples gathered on the first day—but in truth, those verses never say the Sabbath was changed or canceled. The apostles, especially the original twelve, never taught such a thing.

The only one who ever spoke of changing “times and law” was the prophetic warning in the book of Daniel, which we now examine.

The Prophetic Warning​

In a vision, Daniel saw a power that would rise in the world and act against God’s will. This power would do three things:

1. Speak against God.
2. Persecute God’s people.
3. Try to change God’s set times and law.

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.”
— Daniel 7:25 (NKJV)

This is very serious. God’s law is holy and eternal. It cannot be changed by man. Yet, this prophecy warns that someone would try to change it.

Now look closely—only one part of the Ten Commandments involves time, and that is the Sabbath:

“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… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth… and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
— Exodus 20:8–11 (NKJV)

God Himself created the Sabbath at the very beginning of the world. He rested on the seventh day and blessed it. He did not give this day to a certain people only—it was made for all mankind.
When Jesus came, He confirmed the Sabbath, He kept it, and He taught others how to keep it properly—not with man’s burdens, but with truth and mercy.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
— Matthew 5:17 (NKJV)

“As His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.”
— Luke 4:16 (NKJV)

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
— Mark 2:27–28 (NKJV)

Even when Jesus warned about future dangers, He said:

“And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”
— Matthew 24:20 (NKJV)

After His death, His disciples still kept the Sabbath faithfully:

“And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”
— Luke 23:56 (NKJV)
“On the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made.”
— Acts 16:13 (NKJV)

There is no verse where Jesus or His twelve disciples said the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. Yet, as Daniel warned, a power would try to change God’s time and law.

Part 2: God Does Not Change – The Law Stands Forever​

The reason this change is so dangerous is because God does not change, and His law does not change. He is the same from the beginning to the end.

“For I am the Lord, I do not change.”
— Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above… with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
— James 1:17 (NKJV)

The Ten Commandments are a reflection of God’s character. They were spoken by God, written by His own finger, and placed in the Ark of the Covenant.

“And He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”
— Exodus 31:18 (NKJV)
“There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel.”
— 1 Kings 8:9 (NKJV)

These laws are not temporary. They were written on stone, not parchment, to show they are permanent. They are part of God's everlasting covenant.

In the book of Revelation, we see a vision of heaven, and the Ark of the Covenant appears—after Jesus’ resurrection and at the end of time. This shows God's covenant still exists and still matters:

“Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.”
— Revelation 11:19 (NKJV)

We also see that the people who remain faithful in the end are described this way:

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

They do not follow man’s traditions or changes. They keep God’s commandments and the true faith of Jesus.

Finally, we see that even in the new earth, people will still come to worship God every Sabbath:

“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 (NKJV)

This proves that the Sabbath was not for a time only—it will be part of eternity with God.

Final Words​

The prophecy in Daniel 7:25 has been fulfilled in history by religious systems that tried to replace God’s Sabbath with Sunday worship, based on a misreading of Scripture and a rejection of God’s unchanging law. But God’s word is clear. His Sabbath is holy. His commandments are everlasting. And His people in the end will be those who refuse to follow man’s changes and choose to follow what God said from the beginning.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

Supplemental: The Prophecy of Daniel 7:25 and Its Connection to the Sabbath

This part of the study focuses on the prophecy found in Daniel 7:25, which reveals a power that would rise and seek to change God's law, including the Sabbath commandment. This prophecy has both a historical fulfillment and a future application, and it plays a crucial role in understanding the attack on the Sabbath truth.

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.”
— Daniel 7:25 (NKJV)

This “little horn” power spoken of in Daniel rose from the fourth beast, representing the Roman Empire, and is described as different from the others. It would speak arrogantly against God, persecute His faithful people, and attempt to change both times and law—which most directly points to the Sabbath, the one commandment in the Ten that is both time-based and a part of God's law. This prophecy was fulfilled historically through a religious power that arose from within Rome, which sought to alter the Sabbath commandment by replacing the seventh day with Sunday observance—a tradition not established by Jesus or His apostles.


The phrase “time, times, and half a time” is symbolic and commonly interpreted as 1,260 years, using the prophetic day-for-a-year principle (Ezekiel 4:6). Historically, from 538 AD to 1798 AD, a powerful religious-political system held dominance, persecuted those who kept God’s commandments, and officially promoted Sunday worship over the Sabbath. This was the time when the saints of God were “given into his hand,” just as Daniel had seen in vision.

Yet Daniel 7 does not speak only of the past. This same rebellion appears again in Revelation, which mirrors Daniel's language. In Revelation 13:5-7, a beast power also speaks blasphemies, makes war with the saints, and has global influence. In Revelation 14:6-12, a final call is given to worship the Creator and reject the mark of this beast. The language in Revelation 14:7—“Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water”—directly echoes the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:11, which calls us to remember the Creator. This shows that the Sabbath becomes a central issue in the end-time conflict over worship.

God warns His people in advance that there would be an attempt to change His eternal law. And the clearest target of that change is the Sabbath—the only commandment that begins with the word “Remember,” yet has been forgotten and replaced by many through manmade tradition. Jesus never changed the Sabbath, nor did His disciples. Instead, He taught its proper meaning and declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28).

The prophecy in Daniel 7:25 is therefore a warning across time. It tells us that the Sabbath would come under attack by a power that rises after the Roman Empire, and it alerts us that this struggle will rise again at the end of time. This is not merely about one day over another, but about authority, obedience, and worship. The final choice between the mark of the beast and the seal of God comes down to whom we honor as lawgiver—God or man.

Daniel’s prophecy, fulfilled in history and warning us about the future, invites all who love God to return to His eternal law and keep the Sabbath holy—not as a burden, but as a sign of trust and rest in the Creator. The Sabbath stands as a line of distinction, a sign between God and His people, just as He declared in Exodus 31:13 and Ezekiel 20:20.

This supplement completes the picture of how the Sabbath, as part of God’s unchanging law, was challenged in history and will be again. It reminds us to be among those who, as Revelation says, “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

 

[Clare73]

Supplemental: The Prophecy of Daniel 7:25 and Its Connection to the Sabbath

This part of the study focuses on the prophecy found in Daniel 7:25, which reveals a power that would rise and seek to change God's law, including the Sabbath commandment. This prophecy has both a historical fulfillment and a future application, and it plays a crucial role in understanding the attack on the Sabbath truth.

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,
And shall intend to change times and law.
Then the saints shall be given into his hand
For a time and times and half a time.”
— Daniel 7:25 (NKJV)

This “little horn” power spoken of in Daniel rose from the fourth beast, representing the Roman Empire, and is described as different from the others. It would speak arrogantly against God, persecute His faithful people, and attempt to change both times and law—which most directly points to the Sabbath, the one commandment in the Ten that is both time-based and a part of God's law. This prophecy was fulfilled historically through a religious power that arose from within Rome, which sought to alter the Sabbath commandment by replacing the seventh day with Sunday observance—a tradition not established by Jesus or His apostles.


The phrase “time, times, and half a time” is symbolic and commonly interpreted as 1,260 years, using the prophetic day-for-a-year principle (Ezekiel 4:6). Historically, from 538 AD to 1798 AD, a powerful religious-political system held dominance, persecuted those who kept God’s commandments, and officially promoted Sunday worship over the Sabbath. This was the time when the saints of God were “given into his hand,” just as Daniel had seen in vision.

Yet Daniel 7 does not speak only of the past. This same rebellion appears again in Revelation, which mirrors Daniel's language. In Revelation 13:5-7, a beast power also speaks blasphemies, makes war with the saints, and has global influence. In Revelation 14:6-12, a final call is given to worship the Creator and reject the mark of this beast. The language in Revelation 14:7—“Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water”—directly echoes the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:11, which calls us to remember the Creator. This shows that the Sabbath becomes a central issue in the end-time conflict over worship.

God warns His people in advance that there would be an attempt to change His eternal law. And the clearest target of that change is the Sabbath—the only commandment that begins with the word “Remember,” yet has been forgotten and replaced by many through manmade tradition. Jesus never changed the Sabbath, nor did His disciples. Instead, He taught its proper meaning and declared Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28).

The prophecy in Daniel 7:25 is therefore a warning across time. It tells us that the Sabbath would come under attack by a power that rises after the Roman Empire, and it alerts us that this struggle will rise again at the end of time. This is not merely about one day over another, but about authority, obedience, and worship. The final choice between the mark of the beast and the seal of God comes down to whom we honor as lawgiver—God or man.

Daniel’s prophecy, fulfilled in history and warning us about the future, invites all who love God to return to His eternal law and keep the Sabbath holy—not as a burden, but as a sign of trust and rest in the Creator. The Sabbath stands as a line of distinction, a sign between God and His people, just as He declared in Exodus 31:13 and Ezekiel 20:20.

This supplement completes the picture of how the Sabbath, as part of God’s unchanging law, was challenged in history and will be again. It reminds us to be among those who, as Revelation says, “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

In the authoritative apostolic teaching (Heb 4:8) of Christ (Lk 10:16), there is another Sabbath-rest remaining for the people of God (Heb 4:9) which is entered by faith in his Son, and where we rest from our own works to save and in his work which saves completely.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

In the authoritative apostolic teaching (Heb 4:8) of Christ (Lk 10:16), there is another Sabbath-rest remaining for the people of God (Heb 4:9) which is entered by faith in his Son, and where we rest from our own works to save and in his work which saves completely.

Have a good day Claire.

 

[Clare73]

Have a good day Claire.

This NT Sabbath rest in the work of Christ rather than in our own work is eternal, not just temporal.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

This NT Sabbath rest in the work of Christ rather than in our own work is eternal, not just temporal.

Hi Claire, I explained why I did not want to discuss biblical themes with you already, like I said there is no point, we view things very differently, please refer to this post in case you have forgotten. I am sorry Claire our discussion lead nowhere.

Have good day nonetheless.

 

[Clare73]

Hi Claire, I explained why I did not want to discuss biblical themes with you already, like I said there is no point, we view things very differently, please refer to this post in case you have forgotten. I am sorry Claire our discussion lead nowhere.

Have good day nonetheless.

It's not about view point, it's about NT apostolic teaching (Heb 4:8-9) of Christ (Lk 10:16).

"Today, if you hear his voice (Ps 95:7-8)" spoke later about another day. There remains then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God." (Heb 4:7-9).

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Cutting a Text in the middle of a thought and pasting it to another Text is no longer God's pure Word Pro 30:5-6

What today is…

Psa 95:7 Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the [c]rebellion,
As in the day of [d]trial in the wilderness,

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,

Heb 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

The another day is TODAY- hearing His voice TODAY coming out of rebellion and sin TODAY and entering His rest TODAY free of sin and rebellion. The Sabbath is what many of the Israelites profaned during their trial in the wilderness Eze 20:13 We are told not to follow their same example of disobedience Heb 4:11

Why the Sabbath rest remains (not changed) for the people of God Heb 4:9

And the rest in this verse literal translates into the keeping of the Sabbath

sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.

The Sabbath rest in the NT is according to the commandment Luke 23:56 because God keeps His promises Deut 4:2 Psa 89:34 Mat 5:18-19 and God's people keep God's commandments, His unedited version written personally by God. Exo 31:18

Moses repeated to the Israelites 40 years after God gave them the Ten Commandments to diligently keep and teach their children to diligently keep before entering into Canaan, their promised rest, which included the Sabbath commandment just the way God gave it, so Joshua didn't change God's Sabbath, He was told to keep it and teach everyone else to keep it along with the rest of what God said.

 

[Clare73]

Cutting a Text in the middle of a thought and pasting it to another Text is no longer God's pure Word Pro 30:5-6

What is today about without editing....

Psa 95:7 Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the [c]rebellion,
As in the day of [d]trial in the wilderness,

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,

Heb 4:7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

The another day is TODAY- hearing His voice coming out of rebellion and sin because the Sabbath is what many of the Israelites profaned during their trial of the wilderness Eze 20:13 We are told not to follow their same example Heb 4:11

Why the Sabbath rest remains (not changed) for the people of God Heb 4:9

And the rest in this verse literal translates into the keeping of the Sabbath

sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.

The Sabbath rest in the NT is according to the commandment Luke 23:56 because God keeps His promises Deut 4:2 Psa 89:34 Mat 5:18-19 and God's people keep God's commandments, His unedited version written personally by God. Exo 31:18

Moses repeated to the Israelites 40 years after God gave them the Ten Commandments to diligently keep and teach their children to diligently keep before entering into Canaan, their promised rest, which included the Sabbath commandment just the way God gave it, so Joshua didn't change God's Sabbath, He was told to keep it and teach everyone else to keep it along with the rest of what God said.

The text of the authoritative apostolic teaching (Heb 4:8) of Christ (Lk 10:16) reads: there is another Sabbath-rest remaining for the people of God (Heb 4:9) which is entered by faith in his Son, and where we rest from our own works to save and in his work which saves completely.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

You are adding the word another to the Sabbath, when the Text doesn’t say this. One can’t make this case without cutting and pasting two sentences together when God didn’t. We can make the Bible say anything we want in cutting a sentence off and adding it to another one. We have free will, but are told plainly not to do this Pro 30:5-6 Deut 4:2 Mat 5:18-19 because God said He would not alter His words Psa 89:34

 

[Clare73]

You are adding the word another to the Sabbath, when the Text doesn’t say this. One can’t make this case without cutting and pasting two sentences together when God didn’t. We can make the Bible say anything we want in cutting a sentence off and adding it to another one. We have free will, but are told plainly not to do this Pro 30:5-6 Deut 4:2 Mat 5:18-19 because God said He would not alter His words Psa 89:34

You've got a bad translation.

"Another" Sabbath is found in Heb 4:8-9 in the KJV, NIV, NAS, etc.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

You've got a bad translation.

"Another" Sabbath is found in Heb 4:8-9 in the KJV, NIV, NAS, etc.

No, still not there, its only by cutting and pasting two verses together, which is something we were warned not to do

There is no another Sabbath in verse 8, this is coming off of verse 7 about what David was quoting from the OT, about today and the refence if we go to Joshua see the rest being referred to Jos 1:15 which matches the Greek definition as well

Heb 4:8
New International Version
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

King James Bible
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

New American Standard Bible
For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

The rest in this verse means this, nothing about the Sabbath

katapauó: To cause to rest, to bring to a stop, to quiet
Original Word: καταπαύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: katapauó
Pronunciation: kat-ap-ow'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (kat-ap-ow'-o)
Definition: To cause to rest, to bring to a stop, to quiet
Meaning: (a) trans: I cause to rest, bring to rest; I cause to refrain, (b) intrans: I rest.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cease, give rest.
From kata and pauo; to settle down, i.e. (literally) to colonize, or (figuratively) to (cause to) desist -- cease, (give) rest(-rain).

Hebrews 4:9- Again nothing about another Sabbath and again we are told not to add to God's Word Pro 30:5-6

New International Version
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;

King James Bible
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

New American Standard Bible
Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

Contrast to verse 8, the rest in this verse literally means keeping the Sabbath, which remains for God's people. As there are two rests in Hebrews 4, not one which mean different things as we clearly see from the word that was used in the Greek

sabbatismos: Sabbath rest
Original Word: σαββατισμός
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sabbatismos
Pronunciation: sab-bat-is-mos'
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-bat-is-mos')
Definition: Sabbath rest
Meaning: a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.

Keeping the Sabbath rest is according to the commandment Luke 23:56 where God said to keep the Sabbath day holy Exo 20:8 the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exo 20:10 the holy day of the Lord Isa 58:13 thus saith the Lord.

So no matter how much we want the text to say another Sabbath, its not supported in any of the translations you said it was in, nor in the original Greek. Copying part of a sentence from one verse and adding it to another and trying to make it as doctrine is a serious offensive Pro 30:5-6 Deut 4:2 Rev 22:18-19, especially when it goes against what God wrote and God spoke and said in His own Words, He would not alter, not a jot or tittle. Psa 89:34 Mat 5:18-19 we are not above God, but we have free will to test what we clearly are told not to do.

 

[Clare73]

No, still not there, its only by cutting and pasting two verses together, which is something we were warned not to do

"Cutting and pasting" consecutive verses of Heb 4:8-9 together. . .

I rest my case.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Cutting and pasting Heb 4:8-9 together. . .

I rest my case.

Cutting off the middle of one verse and pasting it to another verse is the only way you make your case, but than its the doctrine of Claire, not God. whoever we obey is who we serve Rom 6:16 You cannot find "another Sabbath" without cutting and pasting and we literally can make the Bible say anything we want by doing so, but God told us not to do this Pro 30:5-6, but if that doesn't bother your conscious, I'll pray for you.

 

[Clare73]

Cutting off the middle of one verse and pasting it to another verse is the only way you make your case, but than its the doctrine of Claire, not God. whoever we obey is who we serve Rom 6:16 You cannot find "another Sabbath" without cutting and pasting and we literally can make the Bible say anything we want by doing so, but God told us not to do this Pro 30:5-6, but if that doesn't bother your conscious, I'll pray for you.

See post #13.

 

[BobRyan]

This study is the result of a long history of people choosing to change what God clearly commanded. One of the biggest changes made by religious leaders was replacing the seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday worship. This change did not come from God or from Jesus, but from man's own decisions,

good point

based on misunderstood verses in the book of Acts and later traditions.

Some people claim that Jesus rose on the first day of the week (Sunday), so the Sabbath was changed. Others point to a few verses in Acts where the disciples gathered on the first day—but in truth, those verses never say the Sabbath was changed or canceled. The apostles, especially the original twelve, never taught such a thing.

true. good point

 

[DamianWarS]

These laws are not temporary. They were written on stone, not parchment, to show they are permanent. They are part of God's everlasting covenant.

I don't advocate for a changed law. The law remains the same (so does the sabbath day) but there our adherence to the law that does change which is irrefutably seen in the sacrafice. It's not that we still don't need a blood sacrafice for the cleansing of our sin, it's that Christ made it so we don't need to repeat the offering over and over and instead we can look to Christ that completes the sacrafical system, so he perfects that which was imperfect.

In terms of everlasting covenants the 10 is not the only one yet the OP hinges upon this word. the Abrahamic covenant is also an everlasting covenant and it's sign is through physical circumcision. if by nature of this word everlasting is used then however we view the ten we should also consistently view the one of the Abrahamic covenant. NT is clear regarding how we should continue to value physical circumcision which is a ritual of flesh, the sabbath I see as the same, a ritual of flesh.

Stone makes it longer lasting and easy to show off but there is no indication that stone was chosen because it was meant to continue across covenants in its "of stone" form. To start they are not indestructible since Moses destroyed the first set that God made, I doubt the second set where Moses had to make the tablets (not the words) were any stronger. Also if they were meant to withstand the ages then where are they today? It really doesn't matter because the "of stone" part is not revealed as a indestructible quality so adding that into the text is just that, an addition.

The sabbath's meaning is spiritual rest. Not just any spiritual rest but through a completed work and by one with authority. These are the aspects of the Sabbath that are universal where ritual is of the temporal. The NC indeed has a focus of this spiritual rest accomplished through Christ so our needs for spiritual rest doesn't change, just like our need for sanctification doesn't change, it's the thing we look to that changes, no longer a day but now competed and obtained through Christ, because he is the one with authority over the Sabbath.

 

[JesusFollowerForever]

I don't advocate for a changed law. The law remains the same (so does the sabbath day) but there our adherence to the law that does change which is irrefutably seen in the sacrafice. It's not that we still don't need a blood sacrafice for the cleansing of our sin, it's that Christ made it so we don't need to repeat the offering over and over and instead we can look to Christ that completes the sacrafical system, so he perfects that which was imperfect.

In terms of everlasting covenants the 10 is not the only one yet the OP hinges upon this word. the Abrahamic covenant is also an everlasting covenant and it's sign is through physical circumcision. if by nature of this word everlasting is used then however we view the ten we should also consistently view the one of the Abrahamic covenant. NT is clear regarding how we should continue to value physical circumcision which is a ritual of flesh, the sabbath I see as the same, a ritual of flesh.

Stone makes it longer lasting and easy to show off but there is no indication that stone was chosen because it was meant to continue across covenants in its "of stone" form. To start they are not indestructible since Moses destroyed the first set that God made, I doubt the second set where Moses had to make the tablets (not the words) were any stronger. Also if they were meant to withstand the ages then where are they today? It really doesn't matter because the "of stone" part is not revealed as a indestructible quality so adding that into the text is just that, an addition.

The sabbath's meaning is spiritual rest. Not just any spiritual rest but through a completed work and by one with authority. These are the aspects of the Sabbath that are universal where ritual is of the temporal. The NC indeed has a focus of this spiritual rest accomplished through Christ so our needs for spiritual rest doesn't change, just like our need for sanctification doesn't change, it's the thing we look to that changes, no longer a day but now competed and obtained through Christ, because he is the one with authority over the Sabbath.

I don’t disagree that Christ brought something greater. However, I don’t believe that this means the law has changed or become irrelevant. The Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, stand apart from the rest of the law in four distinct ways: (1) They were written directly by the finger of God, not dictated or delivered through a prophet. (2) They were inscribed on tablets of stone—a material chosen not for display but for durability through time. (3) They were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, unlike the scrolls of Moses’ laws which were placed beside the Ark. (4) And in Revelation 11:19, we see the Ark of the Covenant in the heavenly temple—pointing to the continued significance of what it holds. These details are not accidental. They show that God Himself set these words apart from other instructions.

Now, regarding sacrifice, yes—Christ is the perfect offering. He does not need to be offered again and again. But it is important to notice that it was God, not men, who ended the earthly sacrificial service. When Jesus died, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. That was God’s own act, showing that the way into His presence was now opened. Jesus never commanded animal offerings to continue under the New Covenant, and He did not include them when He established the new covenant symbols of bread and wine. So while the need for repeated animal offerings ended, that doesn’t mean everything tied to the law ended. Jesus Himself said, “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will by any means pass from the law” (Matthew 5:17–18). Heaven and earth still stand.

You brought up the Abrahamic covenant and circumcision as another everlasting sign. That’s true—it was called everlasting. But so were the Levitical priesthood and the daily offerings (Exodus 29:9, 42), and we know from Scripture—the prophets and Jesus—that these have come to an end. In Jeremiah 31, God announced a new covenant, and in Matthew 26:28, Jesus said, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” When the greater purpose is fulfilled, the physical sign may be completed without God breaking His word. Circumcision was always meant to point to the heart. God said, “Circumcise the foreskin of your heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16). The prophet Jeremiah said the same (Jeremiah 4:4). Even in the Old Testament, what God truly desired was inward transformation.

As for Gentiles, Peter, the one chosen to bring the good news to the nations, said clearly that God gave them the Holy Spirit without requiring circumcision (Acts 15:8–9). And James, the brother of Jesus, ruled that Gentiles turning to God should avoid idolatry, sexual sin, and blood—but did not mention circumcision (Acts 15:19–20). So while circumcision remains part of Jewish identity, it is not required for salvation or for entering into God’s covenant through Jesus. Jesus never taught it, and the apostles who walked with Him did not impose it.

Now, some say that the Sabbath is just a ritual of the flesh, like circumcision. But that isn’t supported by Scripture. The Sabbath is much older than circumcision—it was blessed and sanctified at creation (Genesis 2:3). It was given not just to Israel, but to mankind. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man,” not just for Jews (Mark 2:27). It is a sign between God and His people, pointing to Him as Creator and Sanctifier (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12). Jesus said He is Lord of the Sabbath, not to remove it, but to restore its true meaning.
It’s true the Sabbath points to spiritual rest—rest in God’s completed work—but that does not mean the day itself loses meaning. Just as we still physically baptize to show spiritual rebirth, we still rest on the seventh day as a sign of our trust in God’s work. The Sabbath is not replaced by Christ—it is honored by Him, and through Him, we find its full meaning. He never said to stop keeping it; rather, He kept it and taught how to keep it properly.

So rather than seeing the Sabbath as a replacement for circumcision, it’s better to understand that God gave different signs for different covenants. Circumcision was the sign for Abraham’s descendants. The Sabbath is the sign of God’s eternal covenant of creation and sanctification—a sign that remains holy and meaningful, just as much today as in the beginning.

Blessings

 

[DamianWarS]

I don’t disagree that Christ brought something greater. However, I don’t believe that this means the law has changed or become irrelevant.

Has the sacrafice changed or become irrelevant? The need for sanctification remains the same, the sacrafical system of the law is like a bandaid approach to sanctification, incomplete and not sustainable. Christ is the perfect sacrafice so the mechanism of sanctification is revealed through Christ. So what has changed? The law remains the same, incomplete and imperfect, but Christ is revealed as a better way.

The Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, stand apart from the rest of the law in four distinct ways: (1) They were written directly by the finger of God, not dictated or delivered through a prophet. (2) They were inscribed on tablets of stone—a material chosen not for display but for durability through time. (3) They were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, unlike the scrolls of Moses’ laws which were placed beside the Ark. (4) And in Revelation 11:19, we see the Ark of the Covenant in the heavenly temple—pointing to the continued significance of what it holds. These details are not accidental. They show that God Himself set these words apart from other instructions.

"Finger of God" can be used irresponsibly to bold a text over another. The Abrahamic covenant had a ceremony deep with meaning that passed a commitment over to Abraham for his part. I don't see the language of the finger of God "better" then the language used in the Abrahamic covenat and would protest anyone who would use this to say it is. Christ didn't write in any store, he wrote on the sand with a stick, he mixed his own spit with mud, he was crucified on the cross then rose again in 3 days. Is "the finger of God" still better than these? This is the danger when we use this term as an emphatical over all other covenants. It's from a place of bias not a place of revelation.

Paul contrasts "of stone" with "of spirit" in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians. If Paul emphasizes one over the other it is the spirit over stone. Law written upon our hearts also moves away from stone into spiritual qualities. Moses also destorys the first set to we know stone itself is not of enternal substance, not to mention where are the tablets now? Likely returned to dust.

The ark of the covenant is of a covenant just as the tablets are of covenant law. The veil was torn in two. The ark's contained power was released and unlike in Indiana Jones, if the ark was around today nothing would happen if it were opened but they did get one thing right, likely only dust would be in there. So if the holy of holies is no more contained behind a veil, the ark too looses its power, what do you suppose happens with the authority of the 10 inside the ark?

Now, regarding sacrifice, yes—Christ is the perfect offering. He does not need to be offered again and again. But it is important to notice that it was God, not men, who ended the earthly sacrificial service. When Jesus died, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. That was God’s own act, showing that the way into His presence was now opened. Jesus never commanded animal offerings to continue under the New Covenant, and He did not include them when He established the new covenant symbols of bread and wine. So while the need for repeated animal offerings ended, that doesn’t mean everything tied to the law ended. Jesus Himself said, “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle will by any means pass from the law” (Matthew 5:17–18). Heaven and earth still stand.

The veil is more than God's presence released, also his authority. The ark does not contain the presence or authority of God anymore.

Christ is the perfect sacrafice he is also has completed the work perfectly so that through him we may be called holy (just as the 7th day is Holy) and through him we may have perfect rest. This is the new creation. The sacrafice needed to repeated over and over because it was not perfect. The call to repetition implicitly is a call for one to come who can be the perfect sacrafice. There is also a call for repeated ritual rest on the Sabbath to keep the sabbath holy. Over and over, never complete. Is this too not a call for one to come to be the perfect rest? It's baked in the ritual for someone to come and answer it just as the sacrafice is.

Christ came to fulfill not destroy. When sacrafice is brought up we all amen the fulfilled parts but if I dare call sabbath in the same way I'm accused of destroying it. Where is the logic? Who told you one is fulfilled so that in practice it means it is ended and the another is also fulfilled but in practice it means something completely different. Christ spoke of all the law and the prophets indiscriminately. What do you suppose the least of the laws are outside of a 10 commandment vacuum? Christ came to fulfill all of it in the same way, not a parenthetical note of what he really means is... Moral laws are universal but even in this Christ puts aways the legalism that the law produced even with its moral laws and shows us a better way.

You brought up the Abrahamic covenant and circumcision as another everlasting sign. That’s true—it was called everlasting. But so were the Levitical priesthood and the daily offerings (Exodus 29:9, 42), and we know from Scripture—the prophets and Jesus—that these have come to an end. In Jeremiah 31, God announced a new covenant, and in Matthew 26:28, Jesus said, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” When the greater purpose is fulfilled, the physical sign may be completed without God breaking His word. Circumcision was always meant to point to the heart. God said, “Circumcise the foreskin of your heart” (Deuteronomy 10:16). The prophet Jeremiah said the same (Jeremiah 4:4). Even in the Old Testament, what God truly desired was inward transformation.

So this means "everlasting" cannot be used to elevate a commandment or group of laws as universal and you should discontinue this argument. You said it yourself "when the greater purpose is fulfilled, the physical sign may be completed without God breaking His word" I couldn't have said it better myself. So why cannot sabbath be seen this way? Did not Jesus complete the work? Does he not offer perfect rest? Is he not Lord of the Sabbath? You understand the framework but just refuse to apply it the the 4th commandment. The Grand purpose of circumcision is nothing to do with cutting off foreskin and the Grand purpose of Sabbath has nothing to do with physical rest.

As for Gentiles, Peter, the one chosen to bring the good news to the nations, said clearly that God gave them the Holy Spirit without requiring circumcision (Acts 15:8–9). And James, the brother of Jesus, ruled that Gentiles turning to God should avoid idolatry, sexual sin, and blood—but did not mention circumcision (Acts 15:19–20). So while circumcision remains part of Jewish identity, it is not required for salvation or for entering into God’s covenant through Jesus. Jesus never taught it, and the apostles who walked with Him did not impose it.

They did not mention sabbath requirement too which was an explicit Jewish custom. You've infered circumcision is not needed based on its ommission yet still refuse to apply the same logic to sabbath.

Now, some say that the Sabbath is just a ritual of the flesh, like circumcision. But that isn’t supported by Scripture. The Sabbath is much older than circumcision—it was blessed and sanctified at creation (Genesis 2:3). It was given not just to Israel, but to mankind. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man,” not just for Jews (Mark 2:27). It is a sign between God and His people, pointing to Him as Creator and Sanctifier (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12). Jesus said He is Lord of the Sabbath, not to remove it, but to restore its true meaning.
It’s true the Sabbath points to spiritual rest—rest in God’s completed work—but that does not mean the day itself loses meaning. Just as we still physically baptize to show spiritual rebirth, we still rest on the seventh day as a sign of our trust in God’s work. The Sabbath is not replaced by Christ—it is honored by Him, and through Him, we find its full meaning. He never said to stop keeping it; rather, He kept it and taught how to keep it properly.

Sabbath law is the ritual. But the 7th day of creation is not Sabbath law, there is no need to blurr the two together. The law is in a ritual memorial of the 7th day. It is missing a major component, which is competed work and something we can never accomplish and it is only through Christ. We physically baptised as a outward sign to reflect the inward, even have imperatives to baptise, but baptism is not required for salvation. We know this from the house of Cornelius where Spirit baptism was before water baptism. Christ doesn't say to stop keeping sabbath but he does show us a better way, through goodness, this goodness is a part of the 2 greatest commandments, not in competition with it. Just as all rituals of the law show us a incomplete way that is made complete through Christ, so too is Sabbath. Our acts of pulling sheep out of pits (which indeed is a spiritual metaphor) may be our new sabbath practice. Rather than hoard the rest, we should spread it.

So rather than seeing the Sabbath as a replacement for circumcision, it’s better to understand that God gave different signs for different covenants. Circumcision was the sign for Abraham’s descendants. The Sabbath is the sign of God’s eternal covenant of creation and sanctification—a sign that remains holy and meaningful, just as much today as in the beginning.

The Abrahamic covenant is also God's etnernal covenant and I'm not so sure why you see this so strongly for the 10 but just pass it off with Abraham. to be Jewish was to be a son of Abraham and this identity through Abraham carries into the gospels. Just look at Mat 3:9 "And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." Or look at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Lazarus is embraced as a son, the unnamed rich man is thrown out of his presence. Abraham's descendants are Israel and his eternal covenant is no less eternal or relevant than the 10.

Jesus was circumcision as were all of the apostles. So when was this unbroken chain released? It is upon the new covenant and the same conditions apply over the Sinaic covenant. There is no special exceptions made with the 10.

 

[BobRyan]

I don’t disagree that Christ brought something greater. However, I don’t believe that this means the law has changed or become irrelevant.

Jesus flatly condemns the idea of editing or deleting God's Law - in Matt 5.

The Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath, stand apart from the rest of the law in four distinct ways: (1) They were written directly by the finger of God, not dictated or delivered through a prophet. (2) They were inscribed on tablets of stone—a material chosen not for display but for durability through time. (3) They were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, unlike the scrolls of Moses’ laws which were placed beside the Ark. (4) And in Revelation 11:19, we see the Ark of the Covenant in the heavenly temple—pointing to the continued significance of what it holds. These details are not accidental.

Amen to that

. The Sabbath is much older than circumcision—it was blessed and sanctified at creation (Genesis 2:3).

good point

It was given not just to Israel, but to mankind. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man,” not just for Jews (Mark 2:27). It is a sign between God and His people, pointing to Him as Creator and Sanctifier (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12). Jesus said He is Lord of the Sabbath, not to remove it, but to restore its true meaning.

And of course scripture says Sabbath is to be kept for all eternity after the cross in the New Earth
Is 66:23 "from Sabbath to Sabbath shall ALL mankind come before Me to worship"

The Sabbath is not replaced by Christ—it is honored by Him, and through Him, we find its full meaning. He never said to stop keeping it;

True.

The two Creation mandates/laws are Sabbath and Marriage. Both remain to this very day such that the term "every Sabbath" as found in the NT - is always a reference to the continued Ten-Commmandment-Sabbath day being kept in a weekly worship service on the '7th day"