The Edict of Milan did not make Christianity the official church of Rome. It simply stopped the persecution of Christians and made it legal. Thessalonius was the Emperor that made Christianity the official religion of Rome, not Constantine. After the Edict of Milan was signed paganism was still allowed to continue until Thessalonius declared Christianity as the official religion of Rome.
Brother, happy Sabbath, starting this Friday June 2, 2023 at 12:40 pm EDT! Satan's master plan to stop God's effort to separate the saved from the lost was to put Rome's imperial aspirations into the church of Jesus through Constantine in the following passage.
Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field (Jesus' church). But that night as the workers slept, his enemy (Satan) came and planted weeds (Constantine sees a sign of a cross in heaven bearing the inscription “By this symbol you will conquer”, which he later understood to mean he would conquer as emperor of Rome if he joins the church of Jesus) among the wheat (Jesus' followers), then slipped away (Satan than distanced himself from the damage he started in the church of Jesus). When the crop began to grow and produce grain (more of Jesus' followers), the weeds also grew (secular human traditions hijacked the church of Jesus). “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed (of obedience to God's word) is full of weeds (the disobedient to God's word)! Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy (Satan) has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds (remove the disobedient to God's word)?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat (those being reached by the church) if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest (on the return of Jesus). Then I will tell the harvesters (angels) to sort out the weeds (separate the disobedient), tie them into bundles, and burn them (the beast and the false prophet where tossed into the lake of fire), and to put the wheat (the obedient together with those that take part in the first resurrection) in the barn (taken to heaven for a thousand years before returning to inherit the earth).’” (Matthew 13:24-30 NLT)
In 1184 Christians were not persecuted by the Roman church it was pagans and Jews who were persecuted until the reformation in the 16th century. That’s when Rome began persecuting Christians of other denominations. Before the 16th century The only thing the Roman church did to other denominations was excommunicate them.
Rome, having hijacked the church, has the blood of martyrs on their hands and Jesus will avenge their blood when He returns.
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them. (Revelation 6:9-11 NLT)
We are told to come out of the church hijacked by Rome so that we are not destroyed with her when God judges her on Jesus' return.
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds. Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her. She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’ Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty. (Revelation 18:4-8 NLT)
The day of rest that is STILL TO COME in Hebrews 4 is not the Saturday Sabbath. The Saturday Sabbath came 1500 years before Hebrews was written. So if it were referring to the Saturday Sabbath it wouldn’t say that it is “still to come” implying that it hasn’t come yet. The day of rest that is to come takes place after Judgement Day.
The following passage tells us that "another day" of rest yet to come was taught to Israel before David during the 40 years in the desert but "it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God". Joshua did not listen to God regarding how God prevented them by an "oath" from entering the day of rest during the 40 years in the desert. God kept them from entering the Sabbath by having them keep with Manna the true seventh day of the week from morning to morning, which is the wrong Sabbath near Jerusalem. Joshua paid no attention to the fact they later entered the correct Sabbath in Jerusalem half a day before the seventh day in Jerusalem, from evening to evening, compared to them having kept for 40 years the seventh day with Manna from morning to morning near Jerusalem, which was correct in Eden but not near Jerusalem. Now the facts are highlighted again in the book of Hebrews after David, as it was taught to Israel before David during the 40 years in the desert. The passage says that keeping the seventh day of the week from morning to morning for 40 years does not enter God's day of rest near Jerusalem, that they later entered half a day before the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem from evening to evening. This passage is not talking about the new day of rest invented by humans on Sunday instead of the Sabbath, but the original day of rest established on the seventh day of creation that was not correctly received by Joshua because Israel "didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God", blinding them to how God had prevented them from entering His rest during the 40 years in the desert with Manna by having them keep the true seventh day of the week that does not enter the Sabbath near Jerusalem. Now we have a second chance through Paul in the book of Hebrews to receive the true day of rest on the seventh day of creation, entered in Jerusalem a half day before the seventh day of the week. The Sabbath was taught to Judaism as not being the same as the seventh day of the week during the 40 years in the desert near Jerusalem. We are asked by Paul in the new covenant to listen to the facts again, to correct the error where Joshua assumed the Sabbath, that falls in Jerusalem a half day before the seventh day, was thought wrongly to be the seventh day of the week, when the Sabbath in Jerusalem falls half a day earlier than the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem. The Sabbath is fixed in the time zone of creation in Eden and entered together by everyone worldwide and not as it is done currently, where it is Sabbath for some and a regular day for others on the other side of the world.
God’s promise of entering his rest (on the Sabbath) still stands (as taught for 40 years in the desert not to be the same as the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem), so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it (by failing to correct the error in Judaism since Joshua). For this good news—that God has prepared this rest (on the Sabbath)—has been announced to us (by Paul in the book of Hebrews) just as it was to them (having been taught for 40 years in the desert that the Sabbath is not the same as the seventh day of the week near Jerusalem). But it did them (like Joshua) no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God (which blinded them to the fact that the Sabbath in Jerusalem is not the same as the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem). For only we who believe (Paul's second chance to correct the Sabbath in the book of Hebrews) can enter his rest (on the true Sabbath worldwide fixed in the time zone of creation in Eden and not just a human tradition in Judaism correct in Jerusalem but nowhere else). As for the others (who perished for 40 years in the desert), God said, “In my anger I took an oath (preventing the removal of the punishment for 40 years even if God forgave them): ‘They will never enter my place of rest (on the Sabbath),’” even though this rest (on the Sabbath) has been ready since he made the world (having been established on the first week of creation in Eden). We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work” (establishing the Sabbath in Eden). But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest” (by "oath" God prevented them with Manna from entering the right Sabbath near Jerusalem). So God’s rest (on the Sabbath) is there for people to enter (when corrected from human error since Joshua), but those who first heard this good news (who died for 40 years in the desert) failed to enter because they disobeyed God (being punished with manna for 40 years to prevent them from entering the correct Sabbath near Jerusalem). So God set another time for entering his rest (on the Sabbath), and that time is today (through Paul's second chance to correct the Sabbath in the book of Hebrews). God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” (when you listen to the facts of the true seventh day of the week from morning to morning found in Genesis and in the story of Manna) Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest (on the Sabbath), God would not have spoken about another day (which is a half a day earlier than the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem) of rest (on the Sabbath) still to come. (when Judaism's human tradition that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week in Jerusalem is corrected from human error recognizing that it falls in Jerusalem a half day before the seventh day of the week). So there is a special rest (where the Sabbath is not the same as the seventh day of the week) still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest (on the Sabbath) have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. (giving us a fixed Sabbath in the time zone of creation in Eden) So let us do our best to enter that rest (on the Sabbath). But if we disobey God (keeping the human tradition in Judaism), as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (because the Sabbath is foundational in the new covenant in giving certainty over many other truths in the Bible that prepare us for Jesus' soon return) (Hebrews 4:1-11 NLT overlaid with commentary)
Except Paul is teaching that both circumcision and the Sabbath along with the dietary laws according to the Mosaic law were but mere shadows of what was to come. That’s why he said
Shadow to reality means it continues better than it was before and does not mean it goes away because you want the Sabbath to go away.
“Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day”
Colossians 2:16 NASB1995
It means that you are not to let Judaism judge you on the reality Jesus brought to the shadows. For example circumcision now being done by Jesus and no longer done by humans.
Observing the Sabbath doesn’t define a Christian.
Paul tells us "we will fall" without the Sabbath made "holy" on the seventh day of creation!
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:1-11 NLT)
Furthermore God never commanded anyone to worship on the Sabbath they were commanded to cease from works, not to worship.
The Sabbath meets our need to rest in God by worshiping Him who created the heavens and the earth on His "holy" day, providing us with everything we need when He made us a home on this planet. Our worship is a reminder that God meets our needs. We are reminded of the one who made the heavens and the earth by resting on the day He made "holy" to celebrate His providing us a home on this planet we call the earth.
One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” (Mark 2:23-28 NLT)
United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge
