In the Book of Revelation there is no direct connection between the Seal of God and the Sabbath. Seventh-day Adventists make the connection by piecing together various verses from the Bible. Here are the main points Adventists use to prove the Sabbath is the Seal of God:
1. The Sabbath has always been kept by God's true people throughout history. From Adam to Noah to Abraham to Jesus to the Apostles to the current SDA Church, true believers are distinguished by their day of worship. The prophetess Ellen G. White writes:
"The Sabbath was instituted in Eden and observed by our first parents before the fall. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, and ate of the forbidden fruit, they were expelled from Eden; but they observed the Sabbath after their fall."1
"Hallowed by the Creator's rest and blessing, the Sabbath was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by Adam, fallen yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob."2
Not only does Ellen White tell us that all the good folks kept the Sabbath, she also said the evil ones did not keep it:
"The Sabbath was honored by all the children of Adam that remained loyal to God. But Cain and his descendants did not respect the day upon which God had rested."3
2. The Sabbath was a "sign" between God and the Israelites. (Ex. 31:13, Eze. 20:12,20) Since Adventists believe that they are "spiritual Israel" and the Ten Commandments are still binding, they claim the Sabbath is still a sign, or identifying mark, of God's true people.
3. Isaiah 8:16 reads: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." This verse is used to support the idea that the Seal of God is found inside the "law", which according to Adventists, is the 10 Commandments.
4. According to SDA pioneer Uriah Smith (and Revelation Seminars), ancient seals contained the name/title of the ruler, the extent of his dominion, and his right to rule. These elements are all found in the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8-11). Therefore, the Sabbath is the Seal of God.
The lack of direct Bible evidence linking the Seal of God to Sabbath-keeping is supplied by Adventist prophet Ellen G. White:
"In these things I saw great danger; for if the mind is filled with other things, present truth is shut out, and there is no place in our foreheads for the seal of the living God. This seal is the Sabbath."4
5. The Sabbath is the great dividing issue that will separate the true believers in God from those who are not true Christians. Sabbath observance is the identifying mark of the remnant church (Rev. 12:17). At the end of time, every Christian will be tested upon whether or not they are willing to accept the Sabbath truth. Those who do not accept the Sabbath will receive the Mark of the Beast and go to Hell. Those who accept the Sabbath will receive the Seal of God and go to Heaven. According to Ellen White, the day a Christian chooses to worship upon is what marks the difference between those loyal to God and those disloyal:
"The Sabbath is the great test question. It is the line of demarkation between the loyal and true and the disloyal and transgressor. ... It is the seal of the living God."5
"Thus the distinction is drawn between the loyal and the disloyal. Those who desire to have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Thus they are distinguished from the disloyal, who have accepted a manmade institution in place of the true Sabbath. The observance of God's rest day is a mark of distinction between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not."6
Problems with Adventist Truth about Sabbath as the Seal of God
1. Has Sabbath observance always been a sign of true believers? - Genesis says nothing about Adam and Eve “resting” with God on the first seventh day. It says only that God rested. There is no Biblical evidence that Adam, or Eve, or anyone else was commanded to imitate God's rest on the seventh day of creation until 2,600 years had passed and the Israelites had left Egypt.
God had laws which Abraham obeyed (Gen. 26:5), and most of the Ten Commandments are mentioned in one or more places in Genesis, but the Sabbath is never mentioned after the creation week.
Pastor Sydney Cleveland writes:
Contrary to Sabbatarian assertions, the Bible is completely silent upon the subject of the “Sabbath” until the time of the Exodus. In fact, the word “Sabbath” is not even mentioned in the Bible until 2,600 years after Creation week. Check your Bible Concordance and you will discover the Hebrew word for “rest” (“Shabbat”/Sabbath – in the sense of resting from one’s work) is not mentioned until the Exodus, 2,600 years after Creation!
7
The first recorded Sabbath observance dates from approximately 1450 B.C. at the time when manna was given in the desert of Sinai. Shortly afterwards, God made the Sabbath regulation known to the Israelites when He gave them the Old Covenant:
You came down on Mount Sinai...You made known to them (Israelites) your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. (Neh. 9:13-14)
God would not have needed to "make known" the Sabbath law if they had already "known" about it. The fact that God "made known" the Sabbath to the Israelites implies that a Sabbath law was not heretofore known or followed by them.
There is no historical or anthropological evidence that Noah or his descendents kept a Sabbath or even a weekly cycle. The only ancient culture to observe a seven-day week were the Sumerians, who started the practice in 2,350 BC:
Sargon I, King of Akkad, having conquered Ur and the other cities of Sumeria, then instituted a seven-day week, the first to be recorded. ... They worshipped seven gods whom they could see in the sky. Reverently, they named the days of their week for these seven heavenly bodies.8
The Sumerian institution of a seven-day week had nothing to do with the creation week, but was in honor of their seven gods. Dr. Russell Kelley notes, "The frequency of market days, not an innate call to worship on the seventh-day Sabbath, determined the amount of days in a 'week' for ancient civilizations."9
Some tribes in West Africa adopted four-day intervals between market days.10
The Assyrians adopted five-day intervals.11
Ancient Rome adopted eight-day intervals.12
Ancient Egyptians adopted ten-day intervals.13
The Mayans, Aztecs, and Toltecs used a 13-day or 20-day weekly cycle.14
It was not until the first century B.C. that Rome adopted the seven-day weekly cycle.15
The idea that the followers of God prior to the Exodus kept the Sabbath, or even a weekly cycle, is not found anywhere in Scripture or history. Adventists must make up for the lack of Biblical proof by relying on their inspired prophet, Ellen G. White.
2. Is the Sabbath still a "sign" between God and His People? Under the covenant agreements that God made with Abraham and the Israelites, several practices were instituted by God as signs of obedience which the Israelites were expected to follow for all their generations.
The first was Circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14)....
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This [is] my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.....and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you...and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant....
...and second was the Passover (Ex. 12:13-14)....
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye [are]: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy [you], when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
...and the third was Sabbath observance (Ex. 31:13,17)....
But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, You shall surely observe my sabbaths: for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord that sanctifies you. ...
It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israelfor ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Notice that the Sabbath as a "sign" was given to the children of Israel. Seventh-day Adventists claim that they are "spiritual Israel". If so, then why do they not also practice the other "eternal signs" of obedience between Israel and God?
Notice that the "signs" of Circumcision and the Passover were to be practiced by God's special people forever. So, why don't Adventists celebrate the Passover? The truth is that the signs of obedience given specifically to Israel, such as Sabbath-keeping, Circumcision, and Passover are never described in the New Testament as signs for Christians living under the New Covenant. While there is certainly no harm in keeping Sabbath, Cirumcision, or Passover, there is no statement in the New Testament calling the Sabbath a sign of any sort between God and Christians.
The issue of Circumcision and observance of the laws of the Torah was an issue in the early church. A council was convened in Jerusalem and the Apostles debated over which laws applied to the Gentile converts to Christianity. During that council the brethren settled upon four laws for Gentile converts:
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye [1] abstain from meats offered to idols, and [2] from blood, and [3] from things strangled, and [4] from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. (Acts 15:28,29)
Notice that it was the "Holy Ghost" that made these requirements, and the Apostles were careful to say that "no greater burden" from the law of Moses was to be laid upon the Gentiles than these four requirements. In fact, in the same letter, the Church leaders make it clear that they never placed a burden of keeping the Mosaic law upon the Gentile converts:
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, [Ye must] be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [such] commandment. (Acts. 15:24)
This verse makes it abundantly clear that the Apostles never commanded their followers to "keep the law", meaning the 613 laws of the Torah. In fact, they considered such legalism to be "subverting your souls." None of the three "signs" of Israel (Circumcision, Passover, Sabbath) were enforced upon Gentile converts to Christianity. Could Gentiles keep these signs if they saw some benefit or value in doing so? Of course they could, but they were not considered "signs" of Christianity.16
Obviously, new converts were expected to follow all of the moral teachings of Christ, and some of those teachings, as recorded in the gospels, expanded upon laws in the Torah. However, only these four additional requirements from the law of Moses were carried forward into Christianity by command of the Holy Ghost. If Sabbath was indeed the "sign" of Christianity, then the Jerusalem Council most assuredly would have included Sabbath observance in the list of Mosaic laws to be carried forward into Christianity! To leave out the "sign" of Christianity would have been a major oversight!
3. Is the Seal of God found in the Ten Commandments? Isaiah 8:6 reads: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Some Adventists teach the word "law" refers to the Ten Commandments. In reality, the word "law" means the Torah, which refers to the first five books of the Bible, said to be written by Moses. In the Torah there are 613 laws which the Israelites were expected to follow. As noted above, Christians are not required to keep all of the laws of the Torah. This verse has nothing to do with the Seal of God in Revelation.
4. If the Lord's name, title, and dominion appear in a Bible verse, is that passage the Seal of God? Just because a Bible verse mentions the name (YHWH), title (Elohim or Adonay) and dominion of God does not mean that verse is desribing Revelation's "Seal of God". For example, using SDA logic, one could argue that the Torah is the "Seal of God" because it contains this verse:
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens [is] the LORD'S thy God, the earth [also], with all that therein [is]. (Deut. 10:14)
Or one could claim that the prophetic writings of Isaiah or Jeremiah are the "Seal of God" using SDA logic:
O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou [art] the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. (Isa. 37:16)
Ah LordGOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee. (Jer. 32:17)
In addition to the 10 Commandments, look at all of the other Bible verses that mention God's name (God), His title (Lord), and His dominion (heaven and earth):
Gen. 14:22, Gen. 24:3, Deut. 3:24, Deut. 4:39, Deut. 10:14, Jos. 2:11, 1 Ki. 8:23, 2 Ki. 9:15, 2 Chr. 2:12, 2 Chr. 6:14, Isa. 37:16, Jer. 32:17, Acts 4:24, Acts 17:24
It should now be evident that just because God's name, title, and dominion appear within a Bible verse does not prove that passage has any particular connection with Revelation's "Seal of God".
5. Sabbath a Dividing Issue? - Is the Sabbath the great separating truth that will decide who the true believers are? According to the prophet Ellen White, the Sabbath is what separates real believers from false believers:
"I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God's dear, waiting saints."17
Such a teaching is contrary to the New Testament. Never is the Sabbath described as a dividing issue by Jesus or the Apostles. Paul wrote:
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. (Rom. 14:5,6)
Stop and read Ellen White's quote again, and then read Paul's quote again. The two are completely incompatible!
In Romans 14 Paul goes through a lengthy passage warning Christians not to judge each other on points of minor importance. He concludes by saying, "Let us not therefore judge one another" (Rom. 14:13). If Paul thought the Sabbath was the "dividing wall", he would have fought strenuously for its observance. Throughout the New Testament Paul fights with all his might to establish the important doctrines of the Church: Faith, Hope, Love, Grace, Forgiveness, Salvation, Mercy. Paul also fights against the sins of the flesh. But on the subject of the Sabbath, Paul has little to say, except that brethren should accept each other no matter what day they choose (or choose not) to worship on. How could Paul discuss the Sabbath issue in such a casual manner if it was indeed the great "dividing wall" between true believers and false believers? If it was truly the great "dividing wall", then Paul would have been all over the issue, warning Christians of their duty! Instead, we find the Sabbath rarely even mentioned by any of the authors of the New Testament. If the Sabbath was indeed the "one great truth" that is to divide the true believers from the false ones, then the Apostles would have emphasized its overwhelming importance in their writings.
Bible Truth about Sabbath as the Seal of God
There is nothing wrong with a believer setting aside the Sabbath as a time to worship God. Various Christian groups throughout the Christian era have seen this as an important part of their worship of God. Today, there are over 300 Christian groups and denominations that worship on the Seventh-day Sabbath. Most of these get along very peacefully with their Sunday-keeping brethren. They follow Paul's admonition to never let the observance of days be a reason to separate Christians (see Rom. 14).
However, there is one sect of Sabbath-keepers, the Seventh-day Adventists, that takes an extreme position on the Sabbath. They make it a requirement for salvation. They teach that in order to receive the "seal of God" one must keep the seventh day Sabbath. They teach that churches who do not keep Sabbath are part of "Babylon" or "Apostate Protestantism." This divisive teaching separates believers, familes, and friends. It turns the Sabbath-Sunday debate into a battleground between the "loyal" Sabbath-keepers and the "disloyal" Sunday-keepers. For Adventists, it can lead to an "I'm better than thou" issue of spiritual pride.
Adventists view the Sabbath as a test of their loyalty to their Creator, and a separating wall between true believers and false believers. In effect, they are passing judgment upon other Christians based upon their observance of a day. This is the exact practice which Paul forbid!
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]. (Col. 2:16)
While some Christians look at the New Testament and find evidences to support Sabbath observance, many others read the New Testament and find little or nothing said about the importance of the Sabbath. As Paul said, "let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Rom. 14:5)
1. In the Bible, what is the purpose of a seal?
Est 8:8 - Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.
The purpose of a seal is to prevent the contents of the object being sealed from being changed. A law that was sealed by the king's ring could never be changed. When Daniel was thrown in the Lion's Den, the entrance was "sealed" indicating the king's will could not be undone (Dan. 6:17). The tomb of Christ was "sealed" by Pilate to prevent anyone from touching its contents (Matt. 27:66).
2. What do we know about those who are sealed?
The book of Revelation does not give us many details about what the seal of God is, and it only gives us a few clues about those who sealed:
They are "servants of our God" (Rev. 7:3)
They are 144,000 in number (Rev. 7:4)
They are from the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:4)
They have the "Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev. 14:1; in ancient seals, the king's name was usually found on the seal.)
They "were redeemed from the earth" (Rev. 14:3)
They "are virgins" (Rev. 14:4)
They "follow the Lamb" (Rev. 14:4)
Their speech is pure (Rev. 14:5)
They are "without fault" (Rev. 14:5)
Please note: There is nothing in the description of the 144,000 about Sabbath-keeping. If Sabbath-keeping is indeed the most important and prominent sign that separates true Christians from false ones, then why didn't John at least mention it here?
3. What is the Seal of God?
Revelation does not tell us in precise detail what the seal is or how it is administered, so we must assume it was a well-known concept in the early church. As a matter of fact, the word "seal" appears many times in the New Testament. From studying these verses we can get a good understanding of how the church of the apostle John's day understood the meaning and significance of the "seal".
The Apostle John18 wrote of Jesus:
....him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)
Just as ancient kings sealed objects to make them unchangeable, the King of the Universe sealed Jesus Christ so that evil could not destroy, change, or alter who He was. How was Jesus sealed? John wrote of Jesus....
...for God gives the Spirit without limit. (John 3:34, NIV)
Paul repeatedly talk about the Holy Spirit's presence being the seal of Christianity:
2Cr 1:22 - Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Eph 1:13 - In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.
Eph 4:30 - And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30 make it abundantly clear that God seals us to keep us until the "day of redemption". The Holy Spirit is given to us so that evil can not destroy, alter, or change us.
Conclusion
Not once in the New Testament is the Sabbath ever referred to as a sign or a seal for Christians. Just as the Lord's supper celebration replaced the Jewish Passover celebration, so has the Holy Spirit replaced the Sabbath as the "sign" or evidence that a person is one of God's chosen people.
Consider this carefully. What is the best way to tell whether or not a person is a true Christian? Is it by what day they go to church on? Even Adventists will tell you that going to church on Saturday does not make someone a Christian. There are some people who go to church on Saturday while they deny their Christian faith by their actions. Their hearts are filled with perversion, hatred, adultery, and idolatry. So what is the best way to tell if a person is a true Christian? By their spirit! If they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, they will manifest the fruits of the Spirit in their lives: "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." These fruits of the indwelling Holy Spirit will be evident to all. These fruits are the true sign of a believer. The Sabbath is not the sign of a true Christian. It never has been. It never will be.
Your Questions about Sabbath as the Seal of God
QUESTION: Exodus 31:17 says the Sabbath is to be a sign forever. My SDA Pastor told me that is proof that the Sabbath is still a sign between God and His people today. Is that true?
ANSWER: Just because a sign is called "everlasting" in the Bible does not mean that it was meant to last forever, nor does that sign apply to those living under different covenants. Here are some examples of everlasting things God gave to the Israelites that did not last forever:
1. Possession of Palestine was lost to Babylon, and later Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and British empires. Even today, part of Palestine is possessed by Arabs. Notice how God said the Israelites would possess it forever:
Gen 13:15 - For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Gen. 17:8 - And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
Gen. 48:4 - And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting possession.
Ex. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it] for ever.
2. The various feast days were said to last forever:
Ex. 12:14 - And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Ex. 12:17 - And ye shall observe [the feast of] unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
Ex. 12:24 - And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
Lev 23:41 - And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. [It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
3. The Israelite priesthood ended nearly 2,000 years ago:
Ex. 40:15 - And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
Lev 7:34 - For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel.
Num 25:13 - And he shall have it, and his seed after him, [even] the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
Deu 18:5 - For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.
4. The annual Atonement service ended 2,000 years ago:
Lev 16:31 - It [shall be] a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Lev 16:34 - And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
5. The Sanctuary services ended nearly 2,000 years ago:
Lev 24:3 - Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: [it shall be] a statute for ever in your generations.
Lev 24:8 - Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
6. Kingdom of David ended thousands of years ago:
2Sa 7:13 - He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
2Sa 7:16 - And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
1Ki 2:45 - And king Solomon [shall be] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.
1Ch 17:12 - He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.
1Ch 17:14 - But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
2Ch 13:5 - Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
7. Kingdom of Solomon ended thousands of years ago:
1Ki 9:5 - Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.
8. The Temple of God was destroyed, first by Babylon, and later by the Romans in 70 A.D.:
2Ch 6:2 - But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.
2Ch 7:16 - For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
Just as Circumcision, the Levitcal Priesthood, the Temple, the land of Palestine, the Kingdom of David, and the Feast Days are no longer signs for Christians, the Sabbath is no longer an identifying mark for Gentile believers. This is why Paul let Christians know that Christianity is not about following rules of diet, or keeping holy days, but about being in Christ:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Col. 2:16,17 RSV)
Conclusion: If no one is to pass judgment on you regarding the keeping of the Sabbath, then how can it be the great dividing issue that separates true believers in Christ from false believers?
QUESTION:
My SDA pastor told me Collosians 2:16-17 refers to the annual Sabbath days and not to the weekly Seventh-day Sabbath. Is he correct?
ANSWER: I'm sure your SDA pastor would agree that we should let the Bible interpret itself. In the Bible, when an author wanted to draw attention to the entire set of ceremonial holy days, he would refer to the yearly, monthly and weekly events to represent the entire system. Your Adventist pastor has told you the "Sabbath" of Colossians 2:16 refers to the annual Sabbaths. However, the annual sabbaths were already included in the verse as part of the annual "festivals", so it would make no sense to mention them again.
Notice that the Week-Month-Year pattern is used in Colossians 2:16:
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. (Col. 2:16 RSV)
If we use the Bible to intrepret the Bible, the overwhelming evidence points to Colossians 2:16 as referring to the weekly Sabbath. Now notice how the same pattern occurs repeatedly in Scriptures that make reference to the weekly Sabbath:
1 Chron 23:31
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD.
2 Chron 2:4
Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate [it] to him, [and] to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This [is an ordinance] for ever to Israel.
2 Chron 8:13
Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, [even] in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.
2 Chron 31:3
[He appointed] also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, [to wit], for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as [it is] written in the law of the LORD.
Neh 10:33
For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
Isa 1:13-14
Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them].
Eze 45:17
And it shall be the prince's part [to give] burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
Eze 46:1-9
Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened....Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons....But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts....
Hsa 2:11
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.
Gal 4:10
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
1. Ellen G. White, "The Signs of the Times", February 6, 1879, paragraph 15.
2. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (1888), page 453.
3. Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (1890), page 80.
4. Ellen White, Present Truth, Jan. 31, 1849.
5. Ellen White, Selected Messages Book 3, p. 423.
6. Ellen White, Review & Herald, April 23, 1901. Mrs. White also wrote the following: "The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord's memorial of creation"
(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 117). Also: "...Too late they see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the seal of the living God" (The Great Controversy, p. 640).
7. Sydney Cleveland, "Sabbath Facts", http://www.christiancommunitychurch.us/sabfacts.html.
8. "The Power of Seven", Economist, Dec 20th 2001, http://www.thebirdman.org/Index/Others/Others-OriginsOfThe7DayWeek-PeterMyers.html. The Babylonians later adopted the 7-day week from Sumeria. It should be noted that Abraham is believed to have been born sometime between 1800 BC and 2136 BC. Since Abraham, his father Terah, and his grandfather Haran all lived in Ur, it is possible Abraham and Terah adopted the seven-day week from the Sumerians and brought the concept into Canaan. Since the 7-day week was instituted by a pagan king prior to the birth of Haran, it cannot be said that Haran or his children were the cause of the adoption of the seven-day week. Instead, the Sumerians chose a 7-day week to honor the seven deities they worshipped.
9. Russell Earl Kelley, Ph.D., Exposing Seventh-day Adventism, p. 107. See also comment from Wikipedia:
"Although seven day weeks are common to all modern societies now, anthropologists note that weeks of other durations (varying from three to eight days) are found in many pre-modern societies. They also observe that the name for 'week' is often the same as that for 'market day', suggesting the concept of a week is likely to arise in any agrarian or pre-agrarian society where people have marketplaces or market days." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Week)
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. "The Mayan Calendar", http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-mayan.html, as of Dec. 20, 2008.
15. Ibid.
16. For the Jews, it was considered an offense for a Gentile to attempt to keep the laws of the Torah. The Jews taught that God had given a set of laws especially for Gentile believers, and these laws were called the "Seven Laws of Noah". The Apostles' decision in Acts 15 seems to be consistent with Gentile believers following the "Seven Laws of Noah" instead of the Ten Commandment Covenant.
"The Seven Laws of Noah (Hebrew: Sheva mitzvot B'nei Noach), often referred to as the Noahide Laws, are a set of seven moral imperatives which, according to the Talmud, were given by God to Noah as a binding set of laws for all mankind. According to Judaism any non-Jew who lives according to these laws is regarded as a Righteous Gentile and is assured of a place in the world to come (Olam Haba), the Jewish concept of heaven. Adherents are often called "B'nei Noah" (Children of Noah) or "Noahides" and may often network in Jewish synagogues.
"The Noahide Laws were predated by six laws given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Later at the Revelation at Sinai the Seven Laws of Noah were regiven to humanity and embedded in the 613 Laws given to the Children of Israel along with the Ten Commandments. These laws are mentioned in the Torah. According to Judaism, the 613 mitzvot or 'commandments' given in the written Torah, as well as their reasonings in the oral Torah, were only issued to the Jews and are therefore only binding upon them, having inherited the obligation from their ancestors. At the same time, at Mount Sinai, the Children of Israel were given the obligation to teach other nations the embedded laws. It is actually forbidden by the Talmud for non-Jews on whom the Noahide Laws are still binding, to elevate their observance to the Torah's mitzvot as the Jews do.
"The seven laws listed by the Talmud are
Prohibition of Idolatry: - There is only one God. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
Prohibition of Murder: - You shall not murder.
Prohibition of Theft: - You shall not steal.
Prohibition of Sexual Promiscuity: - You shall not commit adultery.
Prohibition of Blasphemy: - Revere God and do not blaspheme.
Prohibition of Cruelty to Animals: - Do not eat the flesh of an animal while it is still alive.
Requirement to have just Laws: - You shall set up an effective judiciary to fairly judge observance of the preceding six laws.
"... Judaism holds that gentiles (or goyim, non-Jews, [literally "nations"]) are not only not obligated to adhere to all the laws of the Torah (indeed, they are forbidden to fulfill some laws, such as the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath in the exact same manner as Israel)." (Wikipedia, "Seven Laws of Noah", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noahide_Laws)
"Although not mentioning the Noahide Laws directly by name, the Christian convention of Apostles and elders in Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15 appears to validate the idea that all gentiles follow the constraints established by the covenant of Noah. Supporting this idea, the list of constraints to be applied to the gentiles that are converted to Christianity, verse 15:20, is similar to the Noahide laws."(Widipedia, "Halakha", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halakha)
17. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 33.
18. It is believed by many Christians that the same John who wrote the Revelation was also the author or origniator of the the gospel of John.
QUESTION: Exodus 31:17 says the Sabbath is to be a sign forever. My SDA Pastor told me that is proof that the Sabbath is still a sign between God and His people today. Is that true?