Tuesday, May 26, 2009


The Sabbath and The Rapture
Did You Know There is a Connection?
Pre-Trib Ministers know about the connection, but, if the Reader is not a Pre-Trib Minister, or a well versed Pre-Trib layman, what you are about to discover will be a huge surprise, and may bring up some questions you will want to ask your Pre-Trib Pastor. The official position of Pre-Trib says the Sabbath, Saturday, will be the official Worship Day for all Christians living on earth during the Great Tribulation. Also Pre-Trib teaches that the, 7th Day Sabbath will be the official Worship Day throughout a thousand year Millennial Kingdom here on earth, but their proof Scripture text needs a closer look. We'll look at this Millennial Sabbath in a moment.

If you doubt that Pre-Trib teaches seventh day (Saturday) Sabbath observance during the Tribulation and the Millennium, just take a minute and look it up in any Dispensational Pre-Tribulation Rapture Study Bible. Or, look it up in any official Pre-Trib Textbook. This Author has carefully studied Dispensationalism for over 36 years. During this time his personal Study Bible has been, still is, and will always be, a "New Scofield Reference Bible." Future Sabbath Worship is a Pre-Trib teaching that gets very little attention. If the Reader has a Scofield Bible, look at the note under Matthew 12:1. For the Readers that do not have a Scofield Bible, following is the note:

"The Sabbath will be again observed during the Tribulation period (Mt.24:20-21) and in the Kingdom Age (Isa.66:23)."

Does Antichrist Hate the Sabbath?
Pre-Trib says that, just before Christ's Second Coming, Antichrist will focus his most intense hatred and persecution towards the Jews, but seldom, if ever, do the Pre-Trib Ministers mention that Sabbath keeping will be the real issue, even though Bible prophecy is very clear about this. We will look at those prophecies in a moment. Apparently Pre-Trib Ministers would rather we not know about Antichrist's hatred for the Sabbath. The reason for this being quietly hidden should be obvious, but in case our Readers need more information about why, let's continue!

Pre-Trib is Correct!!
Before continuing, it is important that our Readers know that Pre-Trib's teaching about the Sabbath being observed during the Tribulation is absolutely correct!! Bible prophecy is very clear that obeying God's Commandments will cause Satan to be, "Wroth" with God's people (see Rev.12:17). This Author has searched through Pre-Trib Study Bibles and Textbooks, has purchased and seen every available Pre-Trib Movie about end-time events, but so far has found no discussion about Antichrist, "thinking to change the Times and the Laws." This is strange because, "Changing God's Time Law" is the key identifying Bible Prophecy about Antichrist. As a matter of fact, anyone that examines everything prophesied by Jesus, Daniel, Paul, and John, about Antichrist can come to no other conclusion. Paul actually called Antichrist, "The Lawless One." For more on this, see "Antichrist's Name." To see a study showing that Antichrist's Mark of the Beast, can be none other than his tampering with God's Law, see, "Mark of the Beast."  To see where Jesus, on three occasions, identified exactly the false messages of last-day false prophets, see, "Jesus Exposes the Mark of the Beast." We stress that we do not believe worshiping on Sunday is the Mark of the Beast! Of course worshiping God is never a sin, no matter the day. However, the Bible evidence that destroying, distorting, or changing God's Law constitutes the Mark of the Beast is simply too much to ignore. Now let's look more at the Sabbath and Rapture connection.

Why Not Observe the Sabbath Now?
The reason we hear no discussion of Antichrist's, "Time Law Change" could be because bringing this to the attention of Sunday observing Christians might cause these Christians to wonder how it is that the Sabbath will be observed by all Christians during the Tribulation, yet their Pastors tell them it is a sin to observe the Sabbath now. Many Sunday observing Ministers tell us it is a sin to reject Sunday Sacredness and observe the Sabbath instead. Does Jesus really demand we disregard the Sabbath during this present Dispensation? Is it not a shame for Sunday observing Ministers, Pre-Trib or non-Pre-Trib, to declare it a sin to keep the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments?

Sabbath Keeping Tribulation Saints
Although we hear very little about it, Pre-Trib says if you are a non-Jew, and if you miss the Rapture, you must become a Sabbath Keeper. In other words, Pre-Trib says if you want to be sure you survive the Great Tribulation and enter the thousand year (Millennial) Kingdom of God, you'll start observing the 7th Day Sabbath (Saturday) exactly as God's Sabbath Commandment outlines. Pre-Trib says that after the Rapture, God's people will revert back to being, "under the Law," just as they were before Jesus died. Dear Reader, can we wrap our minds around the notion that, at the present time, Sunday is supposed to be the "Lord's Day," but during the Tribulation Sunday will be dropped from the Lord's Day status and be replaced with Saturday? Add to this the fact that Pre-Trib says there will be a Millennial Kingdom here on earth during which time the Sabbath will continue to be observed for a thousand years. How is it that Christ's resurrection deserves a Memorial Day now, but ceases to deserve this honor during the Tribulation and the Millennium? Wouldn't Christ's resurrection be just as important, and maybe even more important then?

Grace Dispensation - Sinners Saved By Grace
Could it be that, starting at the time God promised Adam and Eve the Redeemer would come and bring them everlasting salvation, all humanity has been under Grace? Could it be that we've been living in the Grace Dispensation since Adam and Eve sinned, and could it be we will continue living under Grace forever throughout all eternity?  Are we today really saved by Grace any different than Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, and Daniel? Has any person on this planet ever been saved any other way than by Grace? We know the answer to this because no knowledgeable Pre-Trib Minister, or any Christian Minister ever attempts to teach that people during the so-called "Law Dispensation" were saved by keeping the Law.

The Sabbath and the Millennial Kingdom
Pre-Trib is not quite as secretive about this, but still you'll hear very little about it. Their view is that God will grant the Jews an Earthly Millennial Kingdom in order to fulfill Old Testament promises He gave to them. A careful look at all of the promises made to Israel clearly reveals that such promises and prophecies were conditional, based on their obedience!! Several times during His earthly ministry, Jesus made it very clear to the Jews that the they were on the verge of loosing their opportunity to be His people.
     Pre-Trib claims the following as their proof of Sabbath keeping during the Millennium. Let's look, and we will notice that the prophecy is not about the Millennium, but about the New Earth Jesus will create after the Millennium. "And as the New Heavens and the New Earth which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain" And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one SABBATH to another shall all flesh come together to worship before Me saith the Lord" (Isa.66:23). John says Jesus creates a "New Heaven and New Earth" at the end of the 1000 years (See Rev.20:7 and 21:1-3). Clearly Isaiah is not addressing the Millennium! The most profound part of this prophecy is the fact that the Holy Spirit is instructing Isaiah that the Sabbath will be observed as a worship day throughout ETERNITY!
     The question is, if the Sabbath was instituted in the Garden of Eden, and later written directly with God's hand in the 10 Commandments, required by God from Moses till Jesus, will be required during the Tribulation, will be observed during the Millennium, and then will be kept sacred throughout Eternity, why would God insist, in this present age, that we abolish the Sabbath and substitute another day? Why did Jesus say, "Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least Commandments, and teach men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom" (Matt.5:19)? If Jesus wants us to reject that, "least Commandment" now, and "teach" others to do so also," why would He say this?

Some Pre-Trib promoters offer the following explanation: "The Sermon on the Mount is NOT directed to the present Grace Dispensation, but rather to the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom."

Could it Be?
Could it be that the Sabbath has always been kept forever throughout God's Universe. In other words, if we could look back in time, before our earth was created, billions of years ago, could it be that God has always had the Sabbath? And could it be that God created Adam and Eve on a Friday, and the very next day, the day God "Rested from all His work that He had made" (Gen.2:2), He, along with Adam and Eve, had their very own worship service together? The Bible tells us that on that very first Sabbath here on earth, "God Blessed the seventh day, and Sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all the work that God created and made" (Vs.3)! Is it possible that the Sabbath has been kept by God's people since Creation, and it will be kept forever in the future. Could it be that there has NEVER been a time when God did not have His Holy Sabbath?

Salvation is by Grace, Never by the Law
Calling a time period a, "Grace Dispensation" implies that there are other Dispensations in which people are NOT Saved by Grace. If Israel was required to obey the 10 Commandments from Moses till Jesus, does this mean they were "Saved by the Law," and not by Grace? And, if people are required to obey the 10 Commandments during the Tribulation and the Millennium, does this mean these people are not Saved by Grace? Keeping the Law has never saved anyone in the past, it never saves anyone now, and it will never save anyone in the future, period. So, can we disobey the words of Jesus by making a conscious choice to disobey God's Law and teach others to do so also? Let's look at exactly what Jesus said about this: "Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least Commandments, and teach men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom" (Matt.5:19).  Dear Reader, if you are a Pastor, shouldn't you consider these questions. See Pastors Unwittingly Teaching Anomos.

The Sabbath and the "Bride of Christ"
The point here is, according to Pre-Trib Dispensational Doctrine, people who will become the Bride of Christ will be ONLY those who have lived in the Grace Dispensation, and, according to Dispensational doctrine, the Grace Dispensation is the ONLY Dispensation that REQUIRES the Sabbath Commandment be disregarded!

Any Bible Scholar, or Bible Student, or casual Bible reader knows that the Bride of Christ will be the highest possible position held by any created beings anywhere in God's Universe. Hold that thought and let's go back to the Garden of Eden for just a moment. There is a very close connection.

Eve and the Serpent/Satan
When Satan, the Serpent, tempted Eve, what did he promise would happen if she and Adam chose to disobey God? "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die! For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be AS GODS, knowing good and evil" (Gen.3:4-5)! In other words, Satan told Eve if she'd disobey God, she'd be elevated to the highest position available in God's Universe, "Ye shall become as Gods." What if Satan told us now that to be included within the Bride of Christ, the highest possible position available in God's Universe for created beings, we must disobey God by disregarding His Commandment? For Satan to delude Christians with such a master deception would prove him to be everything the Bible says he is. If Satan came to us with exactly this offer, would we do like Eve and believe him? What Satan would be saying would be, "If you want to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, you must break that least Commandment, and you must teach others to do so also! But, if you want to be least in God's Kingdom, you'll obey that old 10 Commandment Law." Dear Reader, if you are a Pre-Trib Pastor, you know that this is exactly Pre-Trib's position concerning the Bride of Christ. If you are a Pastor, no doubt you have in some form or another, preached this very thing.

Contrast What Jesus Said 
Christ's words are:"Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall DO and TEACH them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt.5:19). 

Bride of Christ
 With Christ's words, "Called Great in the Kingdom of Heaven," did Jesus identify the Bride of Christ? At the same time, did He identify the Mark of the Beast? Is it possible, Dear Reader, that Jesus also rebuked all Doctrines saying we must set aside God's Sabbath for any reason! How Pre-Trib promoters can read these words from Jesus, and then declare that the people making up the Bride of Christ will be the only people from Planet Earth who are instructed by God to disregard a Commandment that they have deemed, "LEAST" is  an Un-Answered and UnAnswerable Question! Is this too clear to miss?!?
Conclusion
Dear Reader, possibly you've been wishing to point out to us how Paul denounced the Sabbath and promoted Sunday in his letters. Colossians 2 for example. We have a Blogsite dealing exclusively with the Sabbath and Colossians 2. There we also discuss Romans 14 and several other passages from Paul used by those attempting to abolish the Sabbath. We'll warn you here, however, that both Colossians 2 and Romans 14 are scathing rebukes against substituting Sunday for the Sabbath!! We also have another Blogsite that explains how the evil Gnostics were the original Sabbath Abolishers within the Early Church. Listed bellow are all of our Blogsites. Thanks for checking them out.

Thank you SO much, Dear Reader, for your time. Please pray about what you have read here. God promised to lead us into all Truth, and He never makes a promise He won't keep!
Your Brother in Christ
Walter C. Martin Jr.
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Check Our Other Blogsites:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Post-Tribulation Second Coming of Jesus
Will We Eat Pigs During the Millennium?

Planet Earth WILL be Destroyed After the 1000 Years!
New Jerusalem - How BIG is It?
Great White Throne Judgment Seat - When and Where
Christ's Kingdom - Millennial or EVERLASTING?

 Hell Fire
Is God Torturing People Now
Did Jesus Suffer ALL of Your Hell?
The Rich Man and Lazarus?
Death
The Dead - Dead or Alive - What is Death?
Did Jesus Die YOUR Death for You?
Will Satan Ever Die - Bible Says "YES!"
Testing Our Doctrine About Death
The Dead Stand Before Great White Throne Judgment Seat

 The Gnostics Attack the Sabbath
Were Gnostics Really Christian?
Were Gnostics Satan's Implants into the Church?
Is Gnosticism Alive and Well in Today's Churches
Church is Israel - Israel is Church
Is the Church Israel and Israel the Church?
Is the Bride of Jesus the 144 Thousand?
Did Jesus Offer the Jews a Millennial Kingdom in His Ministry?
Will New Jerusalem Sit in Israel? How Big is It?
Christ's REAL EVERLASTING Kingdom is for ALL Believers!

The Sabbath
Is it a Sin to Observe the Sabbath?
Is There a Connection Between the Rapture and the Sabbath?
Will the Sabbath Be Observed By God's People During the Tribulation?
Who REALLY Changed the Sabbath in Early Christianity?
Un-Answered and Un-Answerable Sabbath Questions For Popular Preachers
How to Test Your Doctrine Concerning the Sabbath

Heaven
Marriage in Heaven - Millennial Kingdom?
Strange Animal/Demons the Millennium?
Why Jesus Hasn't Come to Take Us To Heaven?
Teachers of Anomia (Law Annulling)
Good Ministers Teaching Against God's 10 Commandments?
Teaching of Anomia - The Reason Jesus Hasn't Come Yet?
Pre-Trib Rapture and Sabbath
Pre-Trib Rapture and the Sabbath?

Walter C. Martin Jr.
Everlasting Gospel Ministries

These are just a few of the questions we examine in our Websites.
Thank you, Dear Reader,  for checking them. Please feel free to give us your comments and feedback if you look at our Sites.  If you send us your questions or comments, we will try to answer and add your question to these Websites. We will Not give your name or E-Mail address to ANY ONE or ANY Church Group or Denomination! Nor will we send you ANY annoying E-Mails!! It is NOT our purpose to get you to withdraw from your present Church, but to invite you to present things you learn here to your Pastor and Friends.
Let's pray that God will continue sending His Holy Spirit to guide as we prepare for Jesus to come. Thank You!
Your Brother in Christ!
Walter C. Martin Jr

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