Jesus prophesied that we would be keeping the Sabbath until He returns in Matthew 24

[HIM]

This is to important for those who profess Christ and such a eye opener not to share repeatedly.

Let's take a look at Matthew. From the KJV Chapter 24 speaks of the tribulation and also the Sabbath. In Matt 24:20-31 Jesus speaks of the Sabbath being kept BY HIS FOLLOWS (US) through the destruction of the Temple in 70AD up to His Second coming.

VERSES 20 THROUGH 31 TALK OF THIS. AND VERSE 20'S WARNING to pray THAT our FLIGHT DUE TO THE PERSECUTION NOT BE IN THE WINTER NOR OR THE SABBATH DAY IS CONNECTED TO THIS.

How do we know?

By His use of the words For, And, Then, For, Behold, Wherefore, For and and in verses 21- 31 where it states the Saints are gathered. All those words are connectives, they connect what is about to be said to what was previously said.

So Are the Apostles around today to experience the tribulation and see the second coming of our Lord?

Have the elect been gathered together?

No, so this warning to pray that our flight not be in the winter nor Sabbath Day IS FOR US ALSO or those who will be blessed to see that glorious day of His return when we the Saints are gathered together to be with the forever more AFTER the tribulation that is said to be like none before.

Matt 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matt 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matt 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
Matt 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matt 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

 

[dqhall]

This is to important for those who profess Christ and such a eye opener not to share repeatedly.

Let's take a look at Matthew. From the KJV Chapter 24 speaks of the tribulation and also the Sabbath. In Matt 24:20-31 Jesus speaks of the Sabbath being kept BY HIS FOLLOWS (US) through the destruction of the Temple in 70AD up to His Second coming.

VERSES 20 THROUGH 31 TALK OF THIS. AND VERSE 20'S WARNING to pray THAT our FLIGHT DUE TO THE PERSECUTION NOT BE IN THE WINTER NOR OR THE SABBATH DAY IS CONNECTED TO THIS.

How do we know?

By His use of the words For, And, Then, For, Behold, Wherefore, For and and in verses 21- 31 where it states the Saints are gathered. All those words are connectives, they connect what is about to be said to what was previously said.

So Are the Apostles around today to experience the tribulation and see the second coming of our Lord?

Have the elect been gathered together?

No, so this warning to pray that our flight not be in the winter nor Sabbath Day IS FOR US ALSO or those who will be blessed to see that glorious day of His return when we the Saints are gathered together to be with the forever more AFTER the tribulation that is said to be like none before.

Matt 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Matt 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Matt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matt 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
Matt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matt 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
Matt 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matt 24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Matt 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Matt 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matt 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

Jesus was in Jerusalem and healed a paralytic by a pool at Bethesda. The Jews accused him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus responded

John 5:16-18 (WEB)
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

 

[BobRyan]

Jesus was in Jerusalem and healed a paralytic by a pool at Bethesda. The Jews accused him of working on the Sabbath. Jesus responded

John 5:16-18 (WEB)
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

No doubt in Jesus' day the Bible Sabbath was being observed.

But in Matt 24 the Sabbath is to be a consideration for the followers of Christ long after Christ's resurrection. In fact it is to be a consideration going right into the "great tribulation" of Matt 24.

 

[Leaf473]

One thing I've noticed about prophecy is it doesn't always turn out as we expect. Jesus says in Revelation that he is coming quickly. And there's something in Jeremiah about Levites always being around. I don't see any Levites.
_____________
That having been said, I wonder what the reason is for not wanting to flee on the Sabbath.

My guess is it's related to A Sabbath Day's journey. But people I've to talked to here seem fine with traveling on the Sabbath, as long as it's not something major.

I'm not sure where people would go in our modern surveillance camera and satellite imagery society. To their bug out location in the hills, I imagine.

If it's okay to take a drive to do a nature hike, then it seems like it would be okay to drive to a bug out location. I'm not mocking, there. If people like to take nature hikes on the Sabbath, cool! Seems like you could combine that with driving to your bug out location.

Just some rambling thoughts. Looking forward to a cheerful discussion!

 

[BobRyan]

One thing I've noticed about prophecy is it doesn't always turn out as we expect. Jesus says in Revelation that he is coming quickly. And there's something in Jeremiah about Levites always being around.

The text you are not quoting does not appear to say that Levites serve in the temple of God at the time of the second coming.

 

[BobRyan]

My guess is it's related to A Sabbath Day's journey.

Jesus never mentions "A Sabbath's day journey" and never comments on disciples abiding by that tradition.

If it's okay to take a drive to do a nature hike, then it seems like it would be okay to drive to a bug out location. I'm not mocking, there.

might be a better idea to stay with the topic.

 

[Clare73]

This is to important for those who profess Christ and such a eye opener not to share repeatedly.

Yes, we keep the Sabbath in the NT according to Hebrews 3-4, i.e., in God's full-time rest (Hebrews 4:3-4)--in Jesus Christ's saving work, and from our own work to save.

 

[Lulav]

I would wonder why when God himself made something special for us that we would not want to receive that gift?

Most societies today think of the week in two parts.

Monday through Friday - called the 'work week' and
Saturday and Sunday - Called the weekend.

Both are misleading but it's one of those things we've heard all our lives so we don't question it.

Look at a calendar. Why do (most) all calendars start the week with Sunday? That means it's the first day of the week and jibes with the Bible.

Calling Saturday and Sunday the 'weekend' is also misleading. It's actually the ending and beginning of the week but that doesn't jive with the 5 day work week.

The LORD was specific. It was important enough to the creator to speak of it __ times.

It is in the 'Ten words' of course:

What to do -------“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Keep it separate from the rest of the week.

When? ----'Six days you shall labor and do all your work",

What is the Sabbath? -- 'but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.'

WHO does this pertain to? --- 'In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.' -- Everyone, including your work animals.

WHY? - For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
EXODUS 20
---------

And again it is written -- Even the land must rest.

10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce,
11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.
12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.​

Exodus 23
-----------

12-17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”​

Exodus 31
--------

21“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. ​

Exodus 34
---------

“These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”​

Ex 35
-----
Reiteration just before entering the promised land

12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.
13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Deut 5
----

 

[BobRyan]

Yes, we keep the Sabbath in the NT according to Hebrews 3-4, i.e., in God's full-time rest (Hebrews 4:3-4)--in Jesus Christ's saving work, and from our own work to save.

Which is not the context Christ gives for it in Matt 24. It is very clear that Jesus and his hearers knew exactly what he meant in Matt 24 -- and so changing the meaning of his term "THE Sabbath day" into "every day be a Christian" would turn the text into the nonsensical "pray that your flight not be on any day at all in the year".

Context matters.

 

[Clare73]

Which is not the context Christ gives for it in Matt 24. It is very clear that Jesus and his hearers knew exactly what he meant in Matt 24 -- and so changing the meaning of his term "THE Sabbath day" into "every day be a Christian" would turn the text into the nonsensical "pray that your flight not be on any day at all in the year".

Context matters.

Indeed!

And the context in which Jesus lived and taught was under the Law, giving the answers of the Law to their questions, that they might see the impossibility of righteousness by law keeping (Gal 3:10).

The NT revelation is given by his apostles, beginning with his atonement, and including Hebrews 3-4.

 

[Clare73]

.

 

[BobRyan]

Yes, we keep the Sabbath in the NT according to Hebrews 3-4, i.e., in God's full-time rest (Hebrews 4:3-4)--in Jesus Christ's saving work, and from our own work to save.

Which is not the context Christ gives for it in Matt 24. It is very clear that Jesus and his hearers knew exactly what he meant in Matt 24 -- and so changing the meaning of his term "THE Sabbath day" into "every day be a Christian" would turn the text into the nonsensical "pray that your flight not be on any day at all in the year".

Context matters.

Indeed!

And the context in which Jesus lived and taught was under the Law.

You appear to agree you are trying to insert a meaning into Matt 24 that Jesus did not give.
Are you doing that on purpose??

 

[dqhall]

That having been said, I wonder what the reason is for not wanting to flee on the Sabbath.

If someone from an Orthodox Jewish family in Israel breaks the Sabbath law, that one might be made an outcast, get divorced, get disinherited, fired from a job, excluded from a synagogue, etc. They are strict about Shabbat (Sabbath), stricter than the SDA church.

It is not only a violation to turn on a light switch on Shabbat, it is illegal to hire a Goy/Gentile servant to turn on a light switch on Shabbat.
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1140867/jewish/The-Myth-of-the-Shabbos-Goy.htm

 

[John Mullally]

This is to important for those who profess Christ and such a eye opener not to share repeatedly.

The Jerusalem Decree (Acts 15:23-29) written to the Gentile believers lists the portions of the Law of Moses the Gentile believers are required to keep and it makes no mention of the Sabbath.

Acts 15:23 They wrote this letter by them:
The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.​

Some may say that taking Jerusalem Decree literally leads to lawlessness. To which I say Jesus commanded his disciples to keep His commandments (John 14:15), not Moses commandments. We are all to keep Jesus's commandments.

Years after the Jerusalem Decree, Paul reiterates the portions of the Law the Gentiles are to keep and nothing has changed - there is still no mention of the Sabbath.

Acts 21:24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”​

 

[Watchman1]

Hebrews 4 teaches that the Sabbath rest does not involve having a requirement that worship should be on a Saturday. Christians do not observe the Jewish Sabbath. Being genuinely converted to Christ means entering into a superior rest than the Saturday Sabbath observance. It is a rest in Christ where our salvation does not depend on works, but in what Jesus keeping the Law for us and being our Substitute when he suffered and died on the Cross. It is the reflection that as God rested from His works (creation of the universe), as those who are converted to Christ also enter into a rest in Him from works.

This ties into the Scripture, "The work of God is that we believe in Christ". Believing in Christ transforms us so that we become totally law abiding Christians who love God with all our heart, mind and strength, and we love our neighbour as we love ourselves. That replaces compliance with the Commandments set in stone.

Therefore the commandment to observe the Saturday Sabbath is fulfilled through faith in Christ as is shown in Hebrews 4:9-10:
"So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His."
Therefore, entering into God's rest through faith in Christ has made the Saturday Sabbath observance obsolete.

 

[Clare73]

Which is not the context Christ gives for it in Matt 24. It is very clear that Jesus and his hearers knew exactly what he meant in Matt 24 -- and so changing the meaning of his term "THE Sabbath day" into "every day be a Christian" would turn the text into the nonsensical "pray that your flight not be on any day at all in the year".

Context matters.



You appear to agree you are trying to insert a meaning into Matt 24 that Jesus did not give.
Are you doing that on purpose??

Previosly addressed. . .

 

[Lulav]

The Jerusalem Decree (Acts 15:23-29) written to the Gentile believers lists the portions of the Law of Moses the Gentile believers are required to keep and it makes no mention of the Sabbath.

Hi John

I'll Have to disagree with that.

Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.​

Where would they meet? At the synagogue, When? on every sabbath day. The Torah, or the law of Moses was parceled out in a cycle as everyone did not have their own copy of the bible back then. So where every one went to learn it all or have a so called 'refresher course' in it yearly was the synagogue. Those few things they started out with were to be able to come among the people in the synagogues and not be doing pagan things, but that isn't all.

An example of this would be you've shared the good news with someone and they believe. Now what is the next thing you do? Bring them to church. But church has some rules too.

In order to be part and take part you can't have them coming in smoking a cigarette or a bong even. Pulling out a bottle in a paper bag and swigging it down. Wearing promiscuous clothing. Making out with anyone (prostitute or not). Acting in a lewd way. Things like that.

Acts 15:23 They wrote this letter by them:
The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.​

​

This starts to cover what is called the negative commandments. It does not include the positive ones. Are those not to be followed by the Gentiles?

The two greatest that Yeshua gave when asked were to 'Love the LORD your GOD and 'to love your neighbor as yourself'.

Only one of those is found in the 'ten commandments', the first but where is the second? It is taught in the torah and would have been learned in synagogue on Shabbat.

Some may say that taking Jerusalem Decree literally leads to lawlessness. To which I say Jesus commanded his disciples to keep His commandments (John 14:15), not Moses commandments. We are all to keep Jesus's commandments.

The commandments Moses gave are the same commandments Yeshua kept as well as his followers.
'IN the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD and the WORD was GOD'. There was nothing created that he wasn't there for and that includes the Commandments.

Years after the Jerusalem Decree, Paul reiterates the portions of the Law the Gentiles are to keep and nothing has changed - there is still no mention of the Sabbath.

Acts 21:24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”​

That was covered above in Acts 15:20 and 21

What is often misunderstood was that the Pharisees (who believed of whom Paul was one of them) thought it was a salvation issue, which it was not. It states in the begining of that chapter what it was all about.

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

 

[Watchman1]

Hi John

I'll Have to disagree with that.

Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.​

Where would they meet? At the synagogue, When? on every sabbath day. The Torah, or the law of Moses was parceled out in a cycle as everyone did not have their own copy of the bible back then. So where every one went to learn it all or have a so called 'refresher course' in it yearly was the synagogue. Those few things they started out with were to be able to come among the people in the synagogues and not be doing pagan things, but that isn't all.

An example of this would be you've shared the good news with someone and they believe. Now what is the next thing you do? Bring them to church. But church has some rules too.

In order to be part and take part you can't have them coming in smoking a cigarette or a bong even. Pulling out a bottle in a paper bag and swigging it down. Wearing promiscuous clothing. Making out with anyone (prostitute or not). Acting in a lewd way. Things like that.

​

This starts to cover what is called the negative commandments. It does not include the positive ones. Are those not to be followed by the Gentiles?

The two greatest that Yeshua gave when asked were to 'Love the LORD your GOD and 'to love your neighbor as yourself'.

Only one of those is found in the 'ten commandments', the first but where is the second? It is taught in the torah and would have been learned in synagogue on Shabbat.



The commandments Moses gave are the same commandments Yeshua kept as well as his followers.
'IN the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD and the WORD was GOD'. There was nothing created that he wasn't there for and that includes the Commandments.



That was covered above in Acts 15:20 and 21

What is often misunderstood was that the Pharisees (who believed of whom Paul was one of them) thought it was a salvation issue, which it was not. It states in the begining of that chapter what it was all about.

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Later in the chapter, it says this:
"But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
So, teaching that modern Christians should keep the Law is repeating what the sect of the Pharisees were saying in the Jerusalem Council. Paul totally opposed this and referred to people who teach this as "false apostles".
Here is the letter sent to the Gentile churches:
"They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment"
The Apostles in the Jerusalem church gave no such commandment that the Gentile Christians should keep the Law. The ones who went to the Gentile churches preaching that converts needed to keep the Law were "unsettling their souls". In other words they were giving false teaching that was distorting the Gospel of Christ and putting blockages in the way of the truth.

In the preaching and obedience to the Gospel, there is no commandment to follow the Law of Moses.

 

[BobRyan]

Where would they meet? At the synagogue, When? on every sabbath day.

Acts 18:4 shows how this happened "every Sabbath" with Gospel preaching to both gentiles and Jews.

 

[Watchman1]

Acts 18:4 shows how this happened "every Sabbath" with Gospel preaching to both gentiles and Jews.

And the Christians had their own worship meetings on the first day of the week in homes, not in the Jewish synagogues.