Understanding the Sabbath and the Mark of the Beast

Jesus fulfilled the law but did not destroy it.

The law was a shadow of something better to come.

Jesus improved on the Ten Commandments.

The Sabbath is not just about a day, but about making every day holy.

Jesus once said, I did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Along the same lines, he said, He that teaches the law shall be great in the kingdom of heaven, and he that does not teach it will be least. Finally, there is this one. Till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle of the law will pass away until it has all been fulfilled. So, how does that fit with Jesus dying as a sacrifice for the sins of the world? What do you mean? Well, Christians don't sacrifice lambs and goats anymore. Has that part of the law passed away? You know, the parts about offering goats and lambs and doves and oxen. Before I answer that, listen to this other teaching from Jesus. It may help you to understand the teachings you've just heard. Huh? Some of you they shall cause to be put to death. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. Wow, another contradiction. So how does that help us understand what he said about Old Testament laws? What Jesus said about us not perishing is only a contradiction if death is the end of all life. But we can die and still not perish if we have everlasting life after death. Can you see that? That's interesting. I can see that. Our bodies are put to death, but our souls don't die. That's amazing. Yeah, good point. And are you saying that it's something like that with the Old Testament laws? Yes. Listen to this from someone who wrote to the Hebrews. The law was just a shadow of something better to come. It was not the actual image and so it would never make anyone perfect though they come year after year to make sacrifices Very true brother the shadow does not disappear when the one being reflected in the shadow arrives The truth behind all those sacrifices is still being experienced now by those who have accepted my sacrifice. So Jesus didn't destroy the law, but he did fulfill it. That makes sense. And when we accept Jesus as our sacrifice, that more than takes the place of the old way of doing it. But has it all been fulfilled? all the holy days and health rules and even the Ten Commandments? Not completely. The ultimate fulfillment will be when Jesus comes back. But we still have to keep the Ten Commandments, don't we? Yes and no. Jesus improved on the Ten Commandments too. You have heard that it's been said by them of old times, Thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment. This replacement includes the spirit of the old rule. It does not contradict the old rule, but it does represent an improvement. What about the Sabbath, the fourth commandment? Has that been replaced? Yes, it has. In the old way of doing things, Jesus broke the Sabbath. He did things that were unlawful, healing people. Praise the Lord! It's the Sabbath day! Letting his disciples glean corn from a field. Grrr! It's the Sabbath day! And telling a man to carry his bed home. Grrr! It's the Sabbath day! He even said it was okay for King David to break the law by eating holy bread when he and his men were hungry. He saw the Sabbath as something which is fairly flexible as long as one has a correct understanding of what it means. He said, My father works on the Sabbath and so do I. The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man. This last statement suggests that the real concern was that slaves and employees needed a rest at least one day each week. All of the religious restrictions that had been placed on it missed the real point of the day So has anything changed as a result of what Jesus taught Oh yes definitely The Bible says that Jesus came to set the slaves free His whole message was one of Sabbath or rest which is the literal meaning of the word Sabbath. Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you Sabbath. God commanded his people to give people rest from the rat race one day a week. Jesus took that command from the Old Testament and fulfilled it, like he did with so many others. Now, he offers wage slaves seven-day-a-week Sabbath. Labor not for the meat that perishes, but for that which lasts unto life eternal. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. Some people say that the Sabbath is linked to the mark of the beast. Is that true? Not in the way that most people think. But it is linked. The mark of the beast is money. Hmm. How can I turn people away from faith in God? Oh, I know. I'll exploit their greed and fear by teaching them to trust in money instead of God. It's brilliant! And mankind's love for money is the root of all evil. Jesus taught his followers to stop working for money and to start working for God. You cannot work for God and money at the same time. You will end up despising one in order to work for the other. Go over there today. Oh, hi, God. Sorry, but I've arranged for someone over there to pay me for my work. Gotta eat, you know? Consider the birds. They don't have jobs, and they don't plant crops. And yet God feeds them. Won't your heavenly Father take care of you if you work for him? Yeah, what he said. Oh, yeah, birds. That sounds great, but birds won't put food on my table. I'll catch up to you this weekend, and we can talk about it then. I'll even put a little something extra in the offering plate. Jesus taught that not working for material needs would be the mark of his kingdom. Take no thought for your life, what you should eat, nor for your body, what you should wear. But all these things do all the nations of the world seek, but you shall not be like them. So what is the mark of the beast The Bible says that it a mark that people will one day need to put in their right hand or in their forehead in order to do any buying or selling. Hi, I'm here for my implant account. Oh, that's great. The technician will help you over there. I don't need to go to a hospital? No, we have our own on-site technician. Everyone is going cashless, so there's a high demand. So true. Thanks. Hi. Hey. Here we go. Okay, all done. Oh, that's it? Yep, you're ready to start buying and selling. That'll be $6.66. It's so easy and convenient. That's the RFID implant. I've heard about that. Did Jesus say anything about the mark of the beast? No, not using that term. He said that we can only work for or serve one or the other. God or money. So when the only way to buy stuff is with a microchip implant, Christians who are using money now are going to starve, aren't they? Maybe. But if we obey Jesus now and stop working for money, we will become part of his kingdom and we'll discover ways that our Heavenly Father can feed us. Anyone order a pizza? Uh, sorry, not us. Man, I'm sick of this job. Praise God. I see. The Sabbath. I mean, the Sabbath the way Jesus taught it. It's not an argument over Sunday or Saturday. it's a choice between making every day holy or spending most of our lives working for money. Is that right? Exactly. The mark of the beast is just the final step in the evolution of money. And it's the last straw in God's patience with a world that chooses five days a week to work for the present day version of that mark, rather than entering into the rest that Jesus offered. And that's how what Jesus says fulfills the fourth commandment. So the fourth commandment is very important, but especially the way Jesus taught it. If people are not prepared to keep his Sabbath, then they are obviously going to take the mark of the beast. In their hearts, they already have. So seek first the kingdom of God, and all these other things will be added unto you. Amen.

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