[World Mission Society Church of God] The Sabbath

The Sabbath of the Bible is Saturday not Sunday.

Only World Mission Society Church of God keeps the Sabbath day, the memorial day of the Creator, as the teachings of the Bible.

Christ Ahnsahnghong restored the Sabbath which Jesus and His Apostles Kept.

The Sabbath is surely the teachings of the early church, but nowadays many churches don’t keep the Sabbath. The worship day is surely the Sabbath. Only World Mission Society Church of God keeps the Sabbath. Let's find out the Origin, sincere meaning and blessing of the Sabbath.

World Mission Society Church of God, that has received the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong, keeps the Sabbath on Saturday, according to the Bible. The seventh-day Sabbath is the day on which God rested from creating the heavens and the earth. Most Christians are mistaken as to what day the seventh-day Sabbath is, believing it to be Sunday, even though the Bible testifies that the Sabbath is Saturday. And they do not keep the Sabbath day, being bound to their customs, even though they realize that the Sabbath is actually Saturday.

The Bible warns us not to add or subtract even the smallest letter from the Bible.

Rev. 22:18~19 『I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.』

The Day to Commemorate God the Creator

The Sabbath day is "a memorial day honoring the Creator who made the heavens and the earth," and is also "a day of rest." God created the heavens and the earth in six days and then rested on the seventh day from all of His work, even blessing this day.

Ge. 2:1~3 『Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.』

In the time of Moses, God commanded His people, in the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments, to "remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." God explained the purpose for keeping the Sabbath by saying, "In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Ex. 20:11). The seventh day was the day that God, the Creator, had blessed and it was the day that God's people were given to commemorate God's authority. God's people, who worshiped the Creator, kept the Sabbath day as their holy day. God gave His people the Sabbath as the sign by which God would recognize them as His people (Ezek. 20:11~17; Isa. 56:1~7).

The Sabbath day is to be a day of worshiping and of offering sacrifices to God, rather than simply a day of rest. God blessed those who kept the Sabbath day and brought great punishment and disaster upon those who did not keep the Sabbath day.

Jer. 17:24-27 『"But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD...keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it,...this city will be inhabited forever.... But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses."』

The Sabbath Day Is Saturday

Today, we refer to the days of the week as 'Sunday, Monday, Tuesday,' and no longer 'the first day, the second day, the third day.' Our present-day system was developed in Rome where people decided to call the first day of the week 'Sunday,' the second day 'Monday,' the third day 'Tuesday,' and the seventh day 'Saturday.'

  

1) A calendar week has seven days; Sunday is the first day and Saturday is the seventh day.

  2) Think about the word. "Weekend." Which day does the 'end' of the 'week' indicate?

  3) Even in the dictionary, Sunday is defined as 'the first day of the week,' and Saturday as       'the seventh day of the week.'

  4) The Bible also testifies that the seventh day, the Sabbath day, is Saturday.

Mk. 16:9 『When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week...』

Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week. No one argues that Jesus resurrected on Sunday-the 'first day of the week'-which is why all Christians now celebrate Resurrection Day on Sunday. In the Good News Bible, this verse is written, 'After Jesus rose from death early on Sunday...' 

Since the first day of the week is Sunday, what day is the seventh day? Through the Bible, we can confirm that the Sabbath day is Saturday.

Jesus and His Apostles Kept the Sabbath

The Old Testament is a shadow and a copy of the New Testament. Thus, the law of the Old Testament was a shadow of the good things that were to come in the New Testament times (Heb. 10:1). The Sabbath day in the Old Testament was called "the Sabbath of Jehovah" (Ex. 31:13; Ezek. 20:12), while the Sabbath day in the New Testament was called "the Sabbath of Jesus" (Mt. 12:8; Lk. 6:5).

The Sabbath day, according to the Old Testament law, was only a copy; the Sabbath day of the new covenant, kept in Christ, is the reality. In the New Testament times, the apostles kept the Sabbath day by worshiping God in spirit and in truth, following Jesus Christ's example. Jesus kept the Sabbath as His custom.

Lk. 4:16 『He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom....』

In the New Testament times, the Sabbath day is referred to as "Jesus' [the Lord's] day" because the true Lord of the Sabbath is Jesus Christ. "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" (Mt. 12:8; Lk. 6:5). The apostles kept the Sabbath day as the "Lord's [Jesus'] day."

Rev. 1:10 『On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit...』

As the times of the Old Testament passed away and the New Testament times began, the way in which God's people were to keep the Sabbath day was changed; however, the day the Sabbath was to be commemorated was never changed. (In the Old Testament times, God's people offered burnt offerings and could not even kindle a fire in their houses, while in New Testament times, people worshipped God in spirit and in truth.) The day itself could not be changed because it was on the seventh day that God had rested from all of His creating work. The apostles kept the Sabbath day as their custom, reasoning from the Scriptures as follows:

Ac. 17:2 『As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures...』

Ac. 18:4 『Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.』

As it is written in the above verses, the apostles kept the Sabbath day.

It is proven throughout the Scriptures that the Sabbath day-the seventh day, Saturday, Jesus' day-was kept until the apostolic age. So why do so many present-day Christians hold services on Sunday [the first day] and not on the Sabbath day? According to history, Sunday service originated from pagan sun-god worship. The Romans had been worshiping the sun god on the first day [Sunday], recognizing it as "the day of the sun," even before the birth of Jesus.

The Sabbath Was Changed to Sunday

After the apostles died, Christianity spread to western regions, including Rome. The gospel was preached to sun-god worshipers, and in the early 4th century, even the Roman emperor had heard the message of Christ. The emperor happened to be a leader of the sun-god worshipers, and when he converted to Christianity, many sun-god worshipers began to attend Church. As time passed, the faith of the Christians weakened, and they began to accept the customs of the sun-god worshipers. During this turn-over, they even began to rest and to worship on the first day of the week [Sunday]. In A.D. 321, Constantine, a Roman emperor, decreed an edict:

"All judges, city-people and craftsmen shall rest on the venerable day of the Sun." 

Some argue that the abolishment of the Sabbath compelled many people to convert to Christianity, but we must not forget that altering God's commandments was Satan's scheme. Satan, the devil, opposes God and has historically harassed God's people, using various methods.

He tried to destroy the Church of God through severe persecution. But, taking a close look at history, the more that God's people were persecuted, the more that they depended on God. When Satan changed his methods of persecution, however, and praised the Church, he tempted the Christians to combine their faiths together. They were given back the properties that had been taken from them, ministers were exempted from military service, and the Church was even given the right to emancipate slaves. Through all of these outwardly positive changes to the Church, the Christians unwittingly fell into Satan's schemes and knelt down before him. They turned their backs away from God, like an ignorant bear who doesn't realize that his gallbladder is going to be stolen, only focusing on the sweet candy he is being tempted with.

God clearly said that only he who does the will of God can enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 7:21~23). Which day should we worship God to please Him, Sunday which most people keep, or the Sabbath, Saturday, which God commanded His people to keep? It is unnecessary to reveal the answer, because the Sabbath day is clearly Saturday.

World Mission Society Church of God Established by God

World Mission Society Church of God Church of God, established by God, does not follow man-made rules, only God's laws. They recognize that no one is able to give salvation except God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Jesus already revealed that those who follow the laws of men cannot be saved.

Mark 7:6~9 『He [Jesus] replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!"』

World Mission Society Church of God was established on the foundation of the apostles who followed the teachings of Jesus Christ, and it has not changed since its inception. The true Church follows the laws which Jesus and the apostles observed. 

No matter how many members a church has, if the church has different doctrines than those of Jesus Christ, it could not have originated from Jesus. We keep the Sabbath day-the memorial day of the Creator-not observing the law of the Old Testament, but following the law of the new covenant which Jesus and the apostles obeyed.

The saints, who will be saved on the last day, the day of God's judgment, are those who follow in Jesus' footsteps. The Sabbath day, one of Christ's footmarks, is a very precious commandment of God.

[World Mission Society Church of God]The Passover of Christ is once a year.

World Mission Society Church of God keeps the Passover of the New Covenant on January 14^th (by sacred calendar) at twilight (sunset).

Christ Ahnsahnghong who brought back the Passover of the New Covenant is Second Coming Christ.

Many people are not familiar with Passover and those who know about call it the Jewish Passover. 3500 years ago Jehovah God commanded the Israelites to keep the Passover by slaughtering a lamb and those who kept it were saved from the destruction.

Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago and he commanded his disciples to keep the Passover, not killing a lamb but by eating his flesh and his blood for he came as the Passover lamb for the forgiveness of sins.

1Co. 5:7 『Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.』

Jesus Christ made this Passover an everlasting covenant for his children; that include us, Christians. Christ kept Passover as an example not only for the disciples but also for us. If we don’t keep the Passover, we can’t receive Eternal Life, therefore we can’t go to Heaven.

Jn. 6:53~54 『Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.』

Only on the night of the Passover Jesus said this bread is my body and this wine is my blood (Mt. 17:26~28). But by the Council of Nicaea in 325A.D. Constantine abolished the Passover, he instituted Communion, but such thing is not in the Bible, is not part of the teachings from Christ but from men. Passover disappeared and that’s when everyone started keeping what they thought it was Passover and keeping it whenever they wanted.

We have 850 denominations and each follows as they please, some keep Communion, others Eucharist or the Holy supper. Some keep it every week, others once a month and others every 6 months. Not only has the name been changed but also a date. God already gave an appointed time to the Passover.

Lev. 23:4~5 『'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.』

By sacred calendar the Passover is to be kept on January 14th at twilight (sunset) not whenever we want for we can’t change Gods commands, it is only once a year. Does it matter the date? YES! GOD SAID! We can’t take his words lightly we have to do as he said.

Ex. 13:10 『You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.』

Please consider the Passover, it’s for our salvation. Nowadays we keep the Passover because of our Father Christ Ahnsahnghong, he is the 2nd Coming Christ who brought back the Passover.

God the Mother calls us back to the Kingdom of Heaven(World Mission Society Church of God)

God the Father, Christ Ahnsahnghong, came to the earth to show us the way to receive eternal life and go back to the Kingdom of heaven.

Christ Ahnsahnghong came with Heavenly Mother as the prophecies of the Bible.

World Mission Society Church of God believes in God the Father and God the Mother who give us eternal life.

Ro. 10:14~15 『How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? ... 』

What is the way in which we as human beings can truly know God?

We cannot fathom Almighty, All powerful God, this is why the world consists of so many religions and other gods. However, the vast universe and this earth were created by the one and only God, then what is the way for us to know who God is?

Heb. 2:14 『Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity ... 』

God our Father came in the flesh 2000 years ago, because we as the children are in the flesh on this earth. In order for him to reveal to us that he is our father in heaven, He came down to this earth in human likeness so that he may help us to understand that we too shall share in the glory of heaven.

Php. 3:20 『But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there ... 』

Php. 2:5~7 『Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.』

God came in the flesh to show us the way to receive eternal life and go back to the Kingdom of heaven. He came as the example for us. If God did not come, we would not even have the slightest idea that heaven exists. For, who would have told us? Who would have shown us if God himself did not come from heaven to reveal the reality of it.

What about now?

2000 years ago was a long time ago and many people today have lost faith in the idea that heaven truly exists. That is why God promised that he would appear a second time.

Heb. 9:28 『So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.』

How can we testify and preach his second coming, without being sent by second coming Christ himself? It wouldn't make sense to be preaching of something we know nothing about.

Today we are living in a very important time period of prophetical fulfillment. We are living in the age of the Holy Spirit in which Christ must appear again and this time, he will reveal to us his bride.

Rev. 21:9~10 『One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.』

In Revelation, the prophecies pertain to the last days in which all of the spiritual creation work will be completed. Here Apostle John is testifying to the bride, the wife of the Lamb (Christ), who is coming down out of heaven from God. Just as Christ came from heaven in AD 30~33, so now, Christ is appearing again along with his bride, the new Jerusalem.

How will God give his children, the gift of eternal life?

Rev. 22:17 『The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty let him come, and whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life.』

God will call us to come to Him. But he won't be alone. As we know God is our Father and eternal life-giver, so the bride, his wife, is our heavenly Mother, the true source of eternal life.

Gal. 4:26 『But the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our Mother.』

Jerusalem has come to this earth in the last days, our Heavenly Mother, to give us the children the chance to go back to the kingdom of heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven and is where we belong. Then, to show us the way back God the Father and God the Mother have appeared on this earth, in human likeness, so that we may have no excuse in understanding the one and only way to go back to the kingdom of heaven.

How else could we preach the ones we have not believed in had they not come themselves to call us.

"THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY "COME!"

[World Mission Society Church of God]What the Heresy is.

The only standard to determine heresy is the Bible.

World Mission Society Church of God is true church which follows teachings of the Bible.

Many people have a misunderstanding of what the heresy is nowadays. Once they find a man practicing doctrines different from their own, they likely think he belongs to a heresy. We are not supposed to judge others by our own thoughts, social standards, or popular opinions. We must understand what heresy is through the Bible.

2Pe. 2:1~3 『But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who brought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.』

The main characteristics of heresy are as follows;

1. It results in destruction.

2. It brings the way of truth into disrepute.

3. It follows man-made teachings, not the teachings of the Bible.

4. It opposes God through the teachings of false prophets.

5. It never leads to salvation.

 

What does the Bible say about heresy? It does not follow teachings of the Bible, but man-made teachings instead.   

1. Heresy does not keep the Sabbath in the Bible.

The Biblical Sabbath is Saturday. Every church must worship God on Saturday, not on Sunday. There are some proofs.

• "… The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday" (The Faith of Our Fathers, pp. 72～73).

• "The first day of the week [Sunday] was proclaimed as a day of rest and of worship … In 321 A.D. Constantine …" (The Story of the Christian Church, pp. 60～61).

Jesus also testifies the Sabbath day is His custom in the Bible. Jesus kept the Sabbath day as an example so that we should do as He did.

Lk. 4:16 『 ... on the Sabbath day he [Jesus] went into the synagogue, as was his custom. ... 』

Jn. 13:15 『I [Jesus] have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.』

2. Heresy does not celebrate the Passover in the Bible.

The Passover is God's truth that gives us the forgiveness of sins and judges all other gods. Those who do not keep it will be cut off from God's people on the last day.

Mt. 26:17~28 『 ... This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.』

Jn. 6:54 『Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.』

Ex. 12:11~13 『 ... it is the LORD’s Passover. “On the same night … I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. ... when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.』

Nu. 9:13 『But if a man fails who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people ... 』

3. Heresy keeps Christmas [Dec. 25th] as Jesus' birthday.

Most contemporary Christians keep Christmas [Dec. 25th] as Jesus' birthday. In fact, Christmas is one of many pagan festivals not in the Bible.

• "The Christian church took over many pagan ideas and images. From sun-worship, for example, came the celebration of Christ's birth on the twenty-fifth of December, the birthday of the Sun” (A LION HANDBOOK / THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY, p. 141).

• "December 25―this was the date of a pagan festival in Rome, chosen in A.D. 274 by the emperor Aurelian as the birthday of the unconquered sun (natalis solis invicti), which at the winter solstice begins again to show an increase of light" (ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, p. 704).

4. Heresy reveres a cross, an idol, from pagan Rome.

Cross is a type of execution tool used for crucifying brutal criminals, and is not the symbol of Jesus Christ.  

The standard of heresy is the Bible only. However most of Christians don't follow it. 2,000 years ago, Jesus and His Church of God were wrongfully accused as a Nazarene sect, one of the heresies (Ac. 24:5). However, most people acknowledge Jesus as their Christ. Likewise, the whole world will acknowledge Christ Ahnsahnghong and the Church of God in the end. Come to the Church of God and receive salvation.