Ellen White on the mark of the beast for those that worship on Sunday

SabbathBlessings · Dec 16, 2025

ViaCrucis said:
So then every jot and tittle of the Torah applies to Christians?

Yes or no.

And don't go back peddling now.

It applies to the Ten Commandments the commandments Jesus quoted from that were written by the Holy Spirit of Truth as if He needed correcting or there is another Authority greater.

Israel is God's son, are we not to be sons and daughters of God?

This of course did not respond to what God said that the Sabbath is for, everyone who wants to serve and join themselves to Him, who loves His name Isa56:6

SabbathBlessings · Dec 16, 2025

ViaCrucis said:
The Torah was only for the Jewish people as part of the Covenant God established them at Mt. Horeb

Psalm 147:19-20

"He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and rules to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know His rules.
Hallelujah!"

The Ten Commandments is God's commandments - His own written and spoken Testimony, they belong to Him and His people want to keep them through love and faith Rev14:12

Mercy Shown · Dec 16, 2025

SabbathBlessings said:
Hebrew 4 is quoting Old Testament. It has 5 OT references in a short passage. Without knowing and understanding these references one will come to the wrong conclusion of this passage.

God already promised He would not change the words of His covenant Psa 88:34 Deut 4:13 Isa 56:6 not a jot or tittle Mat 5:18-so no Scriptures can say otherwise what God promised clearly He would not be altered. The author of Hebrews did not change God’s times and laws, that’s what He warned us about would happen but not by God. Dan7:25 Isa 8:20.

One has to take it in the context of the argument that Hebrews is makeing. At any rate, since you insist that Exodus 20:8-11 is spicifically calendric and must be observed as such and that those who rest in Christ as their sabbath are still disobedient to God then how can you dismiss Exodus 35:1-3. Any argument that you can think of for ignoring God's unchangeable law in this case can also be applied to Exodus 20:8-11. No one gets to have their cake and eat it too.

SabbathBlessings · Dec 16, 2025

Mercy Shown said:
One has to take it in the context of the argument that Hebrews is makeing

Yes exactly, which is OT. This passage is telling us why those who came before us did not enter into their promise land of rest, due to disobedience Heb4:6 and we are told plainly what they disobeyed that kept them out, breaking the Sabbath and God relates to idol worship Eze20:15-16 and Today, if we hear His voice, for us not to harden our hearts Heb4:7 Heb3:7-19 Psa95:7-14 and follow in their same path of disobedience Heb4:11 why this is promoting Sabbath-keeping which remains for the people of God just as God spoke in this way of the seventh day Heb4:4,9,10, this is not promoting Sabbath-breaking or changing God's Sabbath He said He would not Psa89:34 Deut4:13 Mat5:18-19. God's people keep God's commandments the way God said Rev14:12

Mercy Shown said:
. At any rate, since you insist that Exodus 20:8-11 is spicifically calendric and must be observed as such and that those who rest in Christ as their sabbath are still disobedient to God then how can you dismiss Exodus 35:1-3. Any argument that you can think of for ignoring God's unchangeable law in this case can also be applied to Exodus 20:8-11. No one gets to have their cake and eat it too.

I think you might be confusing the law, with the judgment of the law- the wages of sin is death. We are no longer under a theocracy, Judgement is now on the last day. John12:48. There is a death penalty for murder and adultery as well, it doesn't mean we can do these things either, without repenting as we do no want to hear these words on that Great Day Mat7:23 if we continue in that path Heb10:26-30, I think there is a reason why God said Remember- because He knew almost everyone would forget. I believe He always means what He says and in this case He also personally wrote it out for us. Exo31:18

FreeinChrist · Dec 23, 2025

ADVISOR HAT

This thread had a bit of a clean up.

DO NOT alter a quote to make it appear the other member said or was teaching something they were not.

HIM · Dec 25, 2025

Mercy Shown said:
One has to take it in the context of the argument that Hebrews is makeing. At any rate, since you insist that Exodus 20:8-11 is spicifically calendric and must be observed as such and that those who rest in Christ as their sabbath are still disobedient to God then how can you dismiss Exodus 35:1-3. Any argument that you can think of for ignoring God's unchangeable law in this case can also be applied to Exodus 20:8-11. No one gets to have their cake and eat it too.

So you think the judgements have to be part of the New Covenant if the Law is in our heart? Interesting enough Moses addresses this.

HIM · Dec 25, 2025

ViaCrucis said:
The Torah was only for the Jewish people as part of the Covenant God established them at Mt. Horeb

Psalm 147:19-20

"He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and rules to Israel.
He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know His rules.
Hallelujah!"

What about the New Covenant given to Israel before they entered the promised land.

Bob S · Dec 25, 2025

HIM said:
What about the New Covenant given to Israel before they entered the promised land.

I reread the flight out of Egypt and couldn't find a covenant that the people agreed to. Where did you come up with such a covenant?

Mercy Shown · Dec 26, 2025

HIM said:
So you think the judgements have to be part of the New Covenant if the Law is in our heart? Interesting enough Moses addresses this.

I think that whatever standard you apply to the law in Exodus 20 you must apply to Exodus 35 also in order to be consistent and avoid cherry picking.

HIM · Dec 26, 2025

Mercy Shown said:
I think that whatever standard you apply to the law in Exodus 20 you must apply to Exodus 35 also in order to be consistent and avoid cherry picking.

Hearken unto the voice of the Lord, keep His commandments and statutes contained in the Book of the Law.
This commandment to hearken unto the voice of the Lord to keep His commandments and statutes contained in the Book of the Law is nigh unto us, It is in our hearts and in our mouths that we do it. Not the judgements, the commandments and statutes contained in the Book of the Law.

Deut 30:9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
Deut 30:10 If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
Deut 30:11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
Deut 30:12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Deut 30:13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Deut 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Bob S said:
I reread the flight out of Egypt and couldn't find a covenant that the people agreed to.

The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31 does not require the people to agree to it. Nor does this one which was given unto Israel prior to them entering into the promised land.

Bob S said:
Where did you come up with such a covenant?

In Deut 29:1 where God says in Moab the words of the Covenant beside the Covenant He made in Horeb, My Sinai.

The Liturgist · Friday at 5:01 PM

Hentenza said:
The writings of Ellen White, a prophet of the Seventh Day Adventist church, teach that those who worship on Sunday will receive the mark of the beast and will reject the seal of God. In other words, the vast majority of Christians are doomed for worshipping our Lord on Sunday instead of Saturday.

Here are her writings:

Reception of Mark of the Beast Future—The change of the Sabbath is the sign or mark of the authority of the Romish church. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false sabbath in the place of the true, are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. The mark of the beast is the papal sabbath, which has been accepted by the world in the place of the day of God’s appointment. Ev 234.1
No one has yet received the mark of the beast. The testing time has not yet come. There are true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel shall warn men against the worship of the beast and his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still continue in transgression will receive the mark of the beast. Ev 234.2
With rapid steps we are approaching this period. When Protestant churches shall unite with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced by the combined authority of church and state. There will be a national apostasy, which will end only in national ruin.—Manuscript 51, 1899. Ev 235.1
When Seal of God Is Refused—If the light of truth has been presented to you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to keep holy the Sabbath which God calls “My holy day,” you receive the mark of the beast. When does this take place? When you obey the decree that commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God, while you know that there is not a word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God.—The Review and Herald, July 13, 1897. Ev 235.2
As a Result of Disregard of Light—God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them, as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God’s law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us will receive the mark of the beast.—Letter 98, 1900. Ev 235.3
Caution in Presenting the Sunday Question—[We are] not to provoke those who have accepted this spurious sabbath, an institution of the Papacy in the place of God’s holy Sabbath. Their not having the Bible arguments in their favor makes them all the more angry and determined to supply the place of arguments that are wanting in the Word of God by the power of their might. The force of persecution follows the steps of the dragon. Therefore great care should be exercised to give no provocation.—Letter 55, 1886. Ev 235.4
Let the Truth Do the Cutting—Satan’s efforts against the advocates of the truth will wax more bitter and determined to the very close of time. As in Christ’s day the chief priests and rulers stirred up the people against Him, so today the religious leaders will excite bitterness and prejudice against the truth for this time. The people will be led to acts of violence and opposition which they would never have thought of had they not been imbued with the animosity of professed Christians against the truth. Ev 236.1
And what course shall the advocates of truth pursue? They have the unchangeable, eternal Word of God, and they should reveal the fact that they have the truth as it is in Jesus. Their words must not be rugged and sharp. In their presentation of truth they must manifest the love and meekness and gentleness of Christ. Let the truth do the cutting; the Word of God is as a sharp, two-edged sword, and will cut its way to the heart. Those who know that they have the truth should not, by the use of harsh and severe expressions, give Satan one chance to misinterpret their spirit.—The Review and Herald, October 14, 1902. Ev 236.2
A Call to Enlighten the Masses—I have been shown that Satan is stealing a march upon us. The law of God, through the agency of Satan, is to be made void. In our land of boasted freedom, religious liberty will come to an end. The contest will be decided over the Sabbath question, which will agitate the whole world. Ev 236.3
Our time for work is limited, and God calls us as ministers and people to be minutemen. Teachers as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves must come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. There are many who do not understand the prophecies relating to these days, and they must be enlightened.—Letter 1, 1875. Ev 237.1

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Is Ellen White correct? Are those that worship our Lord on Sunday doomed to receive the mark of the beast?

Excellent post, my friend, and no, if she said that, she is completely in error, and such a doctrine is a grave offense to the millions of martyrs of the Turkish genocide of Christians in 1915, the Communist genocides from 1917-1991, and the more recent ethnic cleansing of Christians from the Middle East and Kosovo and genocides in Nigeria, Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Azerbaijani-occupied Ngorno-Karabakh, the latter just recently happening, while the world looked the other way, as is so often the case.

The Liturgist · Friday at 5:04 PM

Studyman said:
While I do not adopt the teaching of Calvin, Wesley, Council of Nicaea, Miller, Russell, Smith or White or any of the "many" preachers credited as founders of this world's many religious sects and businesses,

In what respect do you disagree with the Council of Nicaea?

Tigger Boy · Friday at 7:54 PM

SabbathBlessings said:
A beast is a Kingdom or government agency and only the beast and can tell us what is its mark and they did. It happens to be the opposite of what God’s seal is. Eze20:12 Eze20:20 Exo20:11

I agree with you in that the seventh day sabbath is the seal of God, and is the day He requires us to worship Him should we love Him supremely. It will be a issue of great controversy in closing events and the remnant will come to understand it clearly and worship Him on that day, even on the pain of death. But.........., I do not believe Sunday is the " Mark of the Beast".

To understand the "mark of the beast" correctly one must understand the identity of the first beast from the sea, when and the circumstances that brings it onto the worlds stage. (Rev. 13: 1-10)

Correctly identify the second beast coming out of the earth. (Rev. 13:11)

Understand who gives the second beast it's power.

Understand what the "image to the first beast of Rev.13 is", which the second beast sets up.

Understand that it is the "image of the first beast" that requires people to be killed if they refuse to worship it, and receive it's mark on the right hand or forehead, which is it's name, or number of it's name, which is 666. (Rev. 13: 15-18)

Must understand that Sunday worship does not meet the specifications of being a name, or can it be the literal number 666, while the sabbath remains God's holy day.

Because you do not understand all of this you have been misguided to believe the "mark" is Sunday worship, which it is not.

Studyman · Friday at 9:43 PM

The Liturgist said:
In what respect do you disagree with the Council of Nicaea?

There is a lot. But because this council is a creation of the RCC, some men feel they must defend it. If you were a Calvinist, you would defend the teaching of John Calvin. If you were a Methodist, you would ask me what part of Wesley's teaching I disagree with. JW? You would question my disagreement with Russell, and so on. I know this is true as I have seen it over and over for close to 40 years now.

I could bring up their rejection of the Feasts of the Lord, the very Feasts the First Church of God under His Prophesied High Priest, "After the Order of Melchizedek" observed, like the Christ's Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and how they counted the 7th Day Sabbaths correctly so as to be gathered on the Holy Feast of Weeks, and received God's Holy Spirit that Peter teaches God gives to those who obey Him.

I could point out the creation of religious high days like Lent and Good Friday, or creating a birthday for a God that has no beginning and no end, or changing Passover to an ancient Pagan festival called Easter, and changing the 14 day of the First Month, to Sunday as they somehow believe that the Holy One of Israel, who created the Week in the first place, didn't know what day to Esteem above others when HE sanctified and made Holy, His Sabbath. All behaviors that are taught against and warned against over and over by the Very Word of God who became Flesh.

But these things would not lead us to edification, rather, men would get offended and nothing would change. I could not tell you anything you have not already heard and rejected.

Simply put, I'm not a Catholic, therefore I don't agree with the teaching of the CoN. I believe all things written in the Law and Prophets. I cannot be more honest than that.

SabbathBlessings · Saturday at 4:20 AM

Tigger Boy said:
I agree with you in that the seventh day sabbath is the seal of God, and is the day He requires us to worship Him should we love Him supremely. It will be a issue of great controversy in closing events and the remnant will come to understand it clearly and worship Him on that day, even on the pain of death.

Amen!

Tigger Boy said:
But.........., I do not believe Sunday is the " Mark of the Beast".

To understand the "mark of the beast" correctly one must understand the identity of the first beast from the sea, when and the circumstances that brings it onto the worlds stage. (Rev. 13: 1-10)

Correctly identify the second beast coming out of the earth. (Rev. 13:11)

Understand who gives the second beast it's power.

Understand what the "image to the first beast of Rev.13 is", which the second beast sets up.

Understand that it is the "image of the first beast" that requires people to be killed if they refuse to worship it, and receive it's mark on the right hand or forehead, which is it's name, or number of it's name, which is 666. (Rev. 13: 15-18)

Must understand that Sunday worship does not meet the specifications of being a name, or can it be the literal number 666, while the sabbath remains God's holy day.

Because you do not understand all of this you have been misguided to believe the "mark" is Sunday worship, which it is not.

You are assuming I do not know who the sea beast is. When we operate on assumptions many times our conclusions are wrong. I do not believe "Sunday worship" is the mark of the beast. It becomes the mark when its legally enforced which is in contrast to one of God's commandments. Its not just a day its is a sign of submission to another authority other than God. Much like the decree that went out in Daniel's time that was in contrast to one of God's commandments why this story is in the prophetic book of Daniel.

The mark of the beast is obviously something that contrasts with the seal of God. The beast/government is the only one who can reveal their mark, which they did and it all relates to what they changed Dan7:25 contrary to one of God's commandments Exo20:8-11 that is in contrast to God’s seal, I think you might be confusing the mark with the beast, the mark is of the beast, the beast who implements their mark also comes out to a literal number. The image of the beast is the other government who came up from the earth, who makes an image to the beast combining church and state and implementing the same religious laws which is why it makes an image.

From my understanding you are an SDA, at least have claimed so on other posts and have tried to argue this point with other SDA’s, so not sure if doing so once again will make anyone’s mind change, so I am okay leaving it as agree to disagree. Happy Sabbath!

MarkRohfrietsch · Saturday at 10:41 AM

Studyman said:
There is a lot. But because this council is a creation of the RCC, some men feel they must defend it. If you were a Calvinist, you would defend the teaching of John Calvin. If you were a Methodist, you would ask me what part of Wesley's teaching I disagree with. JW? You would question my disagreement with Russell, and so on. I know this is true as I have seen it over and over for close to 40 years now.

I could bring up their rejection of the Feasts of the Lord, the very Feasts the First Church of God under His Prophesied High Priest, "After the Order of Melchizedek" observed, like the Christ's Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and how they counted the 7th Day Sabbaths correctly so as to be gathered on the Holy Feast of Weeks, and received God's Holy Spirit that Peter teaches God gives to those who obey Him.

I could point out the creation of religious high days like Lent and Good Friday, or creating a birthday for a God that has no beginning and no end, or changing Passover to an ancient Pagan festival called Easter, and changing the 14 day of the First Month, to Sunday as they somehow believe that the Holy One of Israel, who created the Week in the first place, didn't know what day to Esteem above others when HE sanctified and made Holy, His Sabbath. All behaviors that are taught against and warned against over and over by the Very Word of God who became Flesh.

But these things would not lead us to edification, rather, men would get offended and nothing would change. I could not tell you anything you have not already heard and rejected.

Simply put, I'm not a Catholic, therefore I don't agree with the teaching of the CoN. I believe all things written in the Law and Prophets. I cannot be more honest than that.

Even John Calvin and Zwingli agreed with the Nicene Creed.

MarkRohfrietsch · Saturday at 2:56 PM

Studyman said:
There is a lot. But because this council is a creation of the RCC, some men feel they must defend it. If you were a Calvinist, you would defend the teaching of John Calvin. If you were a Methodist, you would ask me what part of Wesley's teaching I disagree with. JW? You would question my disagreement with Russell, and so on. I know this is true as I have seen it over and over for close to 40 years now.

I could bring up their rejection of the Feasts of the Lord, the very Feasts the First Church of God under His Prophesied High Priest, "After the Order of Melchizedek" observed, like the Christ's Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and how they counted the 7th Day Sabbaths correctly so as to be gathered on the Holy Feast of Weeks, and received God's Holy Spirit that Peter teaches God gives to those who obey Him.

I could point out the creation of religious high days like Lent and Good Friday, or creating a birthday for a God that has no beginning and no end, or changing Passover to an ancient Pagan festival called Easter, and changing the 14 day of the First Month, to Sunday as they somehow believe that the Holy One of Israel, who created the Week in the first place, didn't know what day to Esteem above others when HE sanctified and made Holy, His Sabbath. All behaviors that are taught against and warned against over and over by the Very Word of God who became Flesh.

But these things would not lead us to edification, rather, men would get offended and nothing would change. I could not tell you anything you have not already heard and rejected.

Simply put, I'm not a Catholic, therefore I don't agree with the teaching of the CoN. I believe all things written in the Law and Prophets. I cannot be more honest than that.

So, you despise the Catholic Church for what it is; being Catholic.

That begs the question, since there were other heresies represented at Nicaea, where were the SDAs (other than the fact they did not exist at the time)? Pretty much what I expected. Thanks for confirming.

JSRG · Saturday at 3:26 PM

Studyman said:
I could point out the creation of religious high days like Lent and Good Friday,

They appear to have been no more "created" than Hanukkah--which Jesus apparently had no problem with. When Jesus is confronted by the Jews in John 10:22-42, it would have been a perfect time to criticize the practice given (it was occurring at the time, as said in John 10:22-23), yet Jesus said not a word against it.

Studyman said:
or creating a birthday for a God that has no beginning and no end,

Now this one doesn't make much sense to me; I assume this refers to Christmas. Your objection seems to be that because God has no beginning or end, there was no birthday. But Jesus does have a birthday, it's described to us in Matthew and Luke, and Jesus having been born in reiterated in multiple subsequent statements like Galatians 4:4. I do not dispute that Jesus was uncreated, but the fact is Jesus had a birth (Jesus existed prior to the birth--and prior to the conception--what happened with the birth was the actual physical entering of the world). To deny that Jesus had a birthday is to deny what the Bible says.

Studyman said:
or changing Passover to an ancient Pagan festival called Easter,

Well, there is a major lack of evidence there was was any "ancient pagan festival called Easter." Even if there was--and its existence requires some serious speculation--one could really only ascribe the English word Easter to coming from such a festival, but nothing else about it (I know the usual claims about eggs or rabbits somehow dating back to some ancient pagan practice, but they actually arose as Easter traditions way too late for there to be any such connection--the Easter rabbit is first referred to in the 17th century!). And the holiday is not even called Easter in most languages, as one can easily see here by looking at the different words for Easter in different languages. Some other languages have it look like Easter, but those only took it from English (sometimes MUCH later, like the Asian languages), and most look nothing like it, like pascua in Spanish, ùhuó jié in Chinese, pâques in French, or paskha in Russian. Personally, I wish that English had followed the example of so many other languages and derived their word for Easter from pascha (the term for it in Greek and Latin, the same word as is used for Passover in fact), as it better emphasizes the link to Passover and would have cut off so many of these inaccurate "Easter is pagan!" claims.

Studyman said:
and changing the 14 day of the First Month, to Sunday as they somehow believe that the Holy One of Israel, who created the Week in the first place, didn't know what day to Esteem above others when HE sanctified and made Holy, His Sabbath.

The desire to put Easter/Pascha on Sunday presumably comes from the fact the Resurrection was believed to have happened on Sunday. Since it would have been the Sunday after the Jewish Passover, setting it on that date--the Sunday after the proper date of the Jewish Passover--makes some sense. It is true in the modern day one can see the two separated by about a month in some years, but this comes due to a known defect in the calculation of the Jewish Calendar that causes it to sometimes add in an extra month needlessly some years, putting the Jewish Passover later than it should be, and putting it away from the date of Easter.

It is not quite clear whether you are trying to ascribe everything in this list to the Roman Catholic Church, or to the Council of Nicaea specifically. The only thing in here that can be ascribed to the Council of Nicaea would be this last portion, and even that was already the common practice. The main thing the Council of Nicaea was weighing in on was whether to continue the practice of looking at when the Jews had their Passover and having Easter (which they again called Pascha, I don't think any of the people there spoke English) be the Sunday after, or to figure out the date themselves. There was dislike of basing the timing of their holiday on what the decisions of those who rejected Jesus, and there were also accusations that the Jews were doing the calculations wrong and incorrectly having it before the spring equinox. While we can't know for sure whether those accusations were correct, we do know that in the present day the calculation is off.

Mercy Shown · Saturday at 4:04 PM

Tigger Boy said:
I agree with you in that the seventh day sabbath is the seal of God, and is the day He requires us to worship Him should we love Him supremely. It will be a issue of great controversy in closing events and the remnant will come to understand it clearly and worship Him on that day, even on the pain of death. But.........., I do not believe Sunday is the " Mark of the Beast".

To understand the "mark of the beast" correctly one must understand the identity of the first beast from the sea, when and the circumstances that brings it onto the worlds stage. (Rev. 13: 1-10)

Correctly identify the second beast coming out of the earth. (Rev. 13:11)

Understand who gives the second beast it's power.

Understand what the "image to the first beast of Rev.13 is", which the second beast sets up.

Understand that it is the "image of the first beast" that requires people to be killed if they refuse to worship it, and receive it's mark on the right hand or forehead, which is it's name, or number of it's name, which is 666. (Rev. 13: 15-18)

Must understand that Sunday worship does not meet the specifications of being a name, or can it be the literal number 666, while the sabbath remains God's holy day.

Because you do not understand all of this you have been misguided to believe the "mark" is Sunday worship, which it is not.L

I appreciate the thoughtful and serious way you are approaching Revelation and the closing events. It’s clear you have spent time studying these passages, and I agree with you on an important point: Scripture must define its own symbols, and careless claims about the mark of the beast should be avoided.

That said, I would respectfully disagree with the assertion that the seventh-day Sabbath is the seal of God. According to the New Testament, the seal of God is explicitly identified as the Holy Spirit, not a day of worship.

Paul states this plainly:
“Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…”
(Ephesians 1:13–14)

He repeats it again:
“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
(Ephesians 4:30)

And again:
“He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit.”
(2 Corinthians 1:21–22)

In every clear New Testament reference, the seal belongs to God and is applied by the Spirit, not by observance of a particular commandment. The seal is relational and covenantal, not calendrical.

While the Sabbath certainly functioned as a sign of the Mosaic covenant with Israel (Exodus 31:16–17), the New Testament consistently locates covenant identity in union with Christ, not in Torah markers:

“In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What counts is the new creation.”
(Galatians 6:15)

This principle applies equally to Sabbath observance. Paul explicitly warns against making sacred days a boundary of faithfulness:

“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
(Colossians 2:16–17)

Regarding Revelation, it is important to note that Revelation never defines the seal of God as the Sabbath. In Revelation 7 and 14, the seal marks God’s servants as belonging to Him, but Scripture elsewhere tells us how God seals people—by His Spirit.

Likewise, Revelation presents the mark of the beast as a counterfeit allegiance, not merely a worship schedule. Just as God’s seal is inward and spiritual, the beast’s mark signifies loyalty and submission. Reducing either to a single external practice risks missing the deeper biblical meaning.

I appreciate your caution in rejecting simplistic claims that Sunday worship alone fulfills the mark of the beast. On that we agree. However, elevating Sabbath observance to the level of God’s seal risks shifting the focus from Christ’s finished work to human obedience as an identifier of salvation.

Scripture consistently points us back to this truth:

“It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8–9)

Faithfulness matters—obedience matters. But the seal of God, according to Scripture, is not a day—it is the Holy Spirit given to all who belong to Christ.

I offer this respectfully, not to diminish the Sabbath, but to keep the gospel centered where the New Testament places it: in Christ alone, by the Spirit, through faith.

Freth · Saturday at 5:01 PM

(staff edit)

What is the standard for Christians according to scripture?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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