Please note that some information is repeated in part on a given topic if it is relevant within the topic of a given post. Likewise, the topic may be expanded and additional information provided that was not necessarily given previously. Thank you.
The Bible paints a pretty clear picture of what happens to people that do just whatever they feel like because it seemed right in their own eyes. There are many examples of those who tried out this logic: Adam and Eve, Cain, Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias and Sapphira, who are among the many. It always ends in tragedy. So, it seems clear that this is not a healthy path to walk on.
The ‘little horn’ power, by its own proclaimed authority, deleted a commandment, then moved the remaining commandments up, and divided the last commandment in order to make ten. Here we see this system ‘thinking’ to changing God’s law.
Exodus 20:1-2, “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage…”
| Bible Ten Commandments | Roman Catholic Catechism |
| Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. | 1 I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me. |
| Exodus 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. | Removed |
| Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. | 2 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. |
| Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. | 3 Remember to keep holy the LORD’S Day. |
| Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. | 4 Honor your father and your mother. |
| Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. | 5 You shall not kill. |
| Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. | 6 You shall not commit adultery. |
| Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. | 7 You shall not steal. |
| Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. | 8 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. |
| Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. | 9 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. |
| Note: The first four have to do with our relationship with God. The final six have to do with our relationship with other. Deut. 6:4-7, 10:12-13; 1 Sam 7:3; Prov. 3:4-7; Matt. 22:36-40; Mk 12:29-34; Lk 10:25-37; Rom. 13:8-10; 1 Pe 4:7-101 Jn 3:17-19, 4:7-12. | 10 You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. |
In Exodus 20:3, the Bible states that there are to be ‘no other gods’ and in the revision authored by the Roman Catholic Church to ‘shall not have strange Gods before me’; this leaves room for making men as ‘gods’ or even becoming as Christ Himself . This was exactly what Satan suggested to Eve, ‘you shall be as gods’.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also teaches:
“For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.” “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.” [i]
“Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ.” [ii]
[i] Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York: Image Books, 1995) p. 129.
[ii] Ibid, p. 228.
Exodus 20:4-6 which speaks to ‘graven images’ has been removed. The Roman Catholic Church had to remove these texts because they kneel before images and pray through them to the holy persons who are depicted. These sacred images are purported to help the faithful to focus their minds and hearts when asking for a particular saint’s intercession. According to the Catholic Church, these images are instruments of prayer, not objects of prayer in the strict sense.
We are not to bow to any image…period. An example that we should follow is the faith and courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Jesus Christ is our High Priest…our Mediator, there is no other…it is He who makes intercession for us. This practice is simply not biblical and it is a tragedy that this religious system ‘thinks to change’ the law of God.
Exodus 20:8-11 which identifies God as the Creator of our universe. It provides us with our origins and how we came into existence: on the sixth day God formed man and woman in His own image. It tells us that this act of love took him six days to complete, and His final creative work was a seventh-day which he sanctified, made holy, and ceased (rested) from creative activities. In addition, it is a sign of redemption (Deut. 5).
God set for us an example. He provides us with the weekly Sabbath as a day of rest and worship for all of mankind. The seventh-day is a memorial, a special day when we remember God’s creative power. It is a day God mad holy and sanctified for our benefit. This day was set apart for a holy use. It is a sign of God’s power and love, and that we may know that He is the Lord our God (Eze. 20:20). The Sabbath of God is the sign or mark of distinction by which men and women sow allegiance to the Creator and indicate to the world that He is our God. Thus, scripture tells us that God made the Sabbath for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).
The Roman Catholic Church reduced it to ‘remember, to keep the Lord’s Day’; meaning Sunday – the first day of the week. The implication of this action is horrific which allows for non-biblical practices/beliefs, one of which is a form of evolution. In addition, the Roman Catholic Church proclaims they have the authority to declare such an act and transfer the solemnity from the Sabbath to Sunday (The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic doctrine, 1957, p. 50).
SPECIAL COMMENT: The purpose of this post is not to offend any people or denomination. This is an attempt to make sincere, honest, truth-seeking people aware of the changes. Without question, there are millions of people in this system that are not aware of the changes and that is no reflection on their faith or love for Christ. It is because of love for others that we bring this hard truth to the forefront. It is never an easy task to point out error. At the same time, we point to truth as it is found in His word.
The issue is with the system, the ‘little horn’ power, is that it attacks God’s word and ‘thinks to change times and laws’. We must be aware of the warnings regarding the traditions of men (Deut. 5:32-22; Jer. 10:1-5; Col. 2:8; Matt. 15:3-20, 6; 1 Tim. 1:4, 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:2-2; Mark 7:3-9).
“The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” Decretal De Translant. Espiscop. Cap. Also see: Pope Nicholas, Dist. 96, Quoted in “Facts for the Times.” Pgs. 55,56. 1893.
Not the Creator of the Universe, in Genesis 2:1-3, but the Catholic Church “can claim the honor of having granted man a pause to his work every seven days.” (S.C Mosna, ‘Storia della Domenica, 1969, pp. 366-367)
“Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of One or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible. (The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893)
‘Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act…and the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical poer and authority in religious matters.’ Letter, Oct 28, 1895, From C. F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons
‘Sunday is our mark of authority… The Church is above the Bible and this transference of Sabath observance in proof of that fact.” Catholic Record, Sept 1, 1923
Sunday is founded not on Scripture, but on tradition, and is a distinctly Catholic institution. (Catholic Record, Sept. 17, 1893)
The New Testament makes no explicit mention that the apostles changed the day of worship, but we know it from tradition. (The New Revised Baltimore Catechism (1949), p. 139)
- The First Commandment of The Church: The Observance of Sundays and Holydays
- In the first commandment of the Church the solemn observance of the holy-days is enjoined upon us. There are seven festivals of Our Lord, five of Our Lady, and three of the saints.
In Catholic Christian Instructed,
Q. Has the [Catholic] church power to make any alterations in the commandments of God?
A. …Instead of the seventh day, and other festivals appointed by the old law, the church has prescribed the Sundays and holy days to be set apart for God’s worship; and these we are now obliged to keep in consequence of God’s commandments, instead of the ancient Sabbath.
The Catholic Christian Instructed in the Sacraments, Sacrifices, Ceremonies, and Observances of the Church By Way of Question and Answer. RT Rev. Dr. Challenor, p. 204
Mark 7:7-8, “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.”
Sunday is the mark of the Catholic Churches authority. The Sabbath is God’s mark of authority. The day is NOT the issue, it is the authority behind it. Whose word are you accepting? Who are you going to worship? How are you going to worship?
The Sabbath stands for rest, then it means we rest in the completed works of Christ – then we have appropriated the righteousness of Christ. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb, and any good works are works that He performs in us (sanctification). In contrast, the Catholic Church rejects the righteousness of Christ and work towards their own righteousness. They give remission of punishment in purgatory, which by the way does not exist in the Bible, by appropriating that merit by the saints-Jesus-Mary- and pass it on to others. They have concocted their own plan of salvation and system of worship.
SABBATH
The Sabbath (Time and Law)
In the previous vision (chapter 7) we saw that an attack took place against God’s law, more specifically the ‘little horn’ was “going to think to change times and laws”. The little horn can only “think” to do that because he cannot actually do it. God’s law is unchangeable, and it is the foundation of His government. Even though God’s law cannot be changed, in the minds and hearts of millions of people the ‘little horn’ has thought to change God’s law. This is why people today believe that Sunday is the biblical day of worship, when in fact the Bible actually teaches that Saturday is the Sabbath. Saturday is the seventh-day of the week, which is the day God blessed, made holy, set apart, and sanctified for mankind in the creation account (Gen. 2:3; Luke 23:56). The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). In fact, the sabbath is stated in the law of God, and He tells us to ‘remember’ because he knew it would be forgotten or ignored (Ex. 20:8-10).
Sabbath, A Part of Creation
The sabbath is not just a Jewish custom as some say. The sabbath was a part of creation, just as marriage between a man and a woman is a part of creation (Gen. 2:2-3, 22-25).
Comment by: S. Terry, The very first instance when God made something holy in the Bible is in Genesis. “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3, NIV It is interesting that in the Hebrew, the word (שָׁבַת֙(in English “Sabbath”)) we have often translated as “rest” is more subtly nuanced than we see in the English. It might be more properly rendered as “stood still.” While God actively passed through the other days of creation, on the seventh day He “stood still.” His presence remained with that day, and that presence made that day holy in a unique manner. This is why Hebrews 4 refers to a Sabbath rest yet to be entered into. It is referring to an invitation continually extended by God to enter into His presence.
Jesus Kept the Sabbath
We would be remiss if we failed to mention the sabbath was a custom of: Jesus during his life and in his death, the apostles, and the church. See: Luke 4:16, 6:1-20, 13:10-17, 14:1-6, 23:54-56; Mark 2:28; Matthew 24:20, 5:17-19; Acts 13:14, 16:13, 17:2, 18:4; Heb. 4:9.
Jesus never changes the Sabbath. He kept it and in fact he further defined it in his interaction with those who accused him of NOT keeping it; we will refer to them as Sabbath Rule Enforcers. So, what did Jesus do on the Sabbath: went to the synagogue to teach, fellowshipped, healed physical maladies, delivered people from the possession of demons,
Jesus did not break the Sabbath. He broke the traditions of the Pharisees, of which were placed above the word of God. He very clearly stated he was breaking the tradition of the elders. They taught to respect the traditions of the elders on the same level as scripture, and Jesus was saying they are not the same. What he admitted to was opposing traditions which went against the inspired scriptures. Jesus’ attitude was to fulfill the law of God, not abolish. There is a world of difference between them.
The Pharisees had invented 39 extra rules to the Sabbath, and they are not scripture. They are not inspired by God. They are not part of the Torah. They are what Pharisees added to the Sabbath, because in their opinion more specific details were needed for them. For example, how far you can walk on the Sabbath, how much you can carry on the Sabbath, making a fire, cooking food, and many other things. None of those things were part of the original Sabbath, which he kept to the letter.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath. The scribes and pharisees were upset that he did these things on the Sabbath. He taught that they were missing the whole point of the Sabbath. Healing is an act of mercy, love and compassion – it is not “work”. These attributes they lacked, but should have had. Jesus pointed that out very specifically and clearly. He said he was Lord of the Sabbath. There is only ONE being in the universe who can make that claim.
The Sabbath is to be a Delight
The Sabbath was a time of celebration and happiness, The commandment is clear: work six days, do not work the seventh. Resting from work is exclusive for the Sabbath. Dedicate the day to God, such as participating in corporate worship, studying, praying, enjoying nature, etc. It is a day for renewal and restoration. One can do many other things during the six days – worship, praise, pray, study, have communion, anything. Those things are not exclusive to the Sabbath.
Sunday, The First-Day of the Week
The concept and practice of Sunday worship was not widely introduced in the Christian church until years after Christ’s death and resurrection. As more converts came into the early church, some pagan customs, including the Sunday celebration, crept in. The Emperor Constantine formally gave Sunday worship a platform in the Christian world in 321 A.D. Note that the resurrection story had little if any effect on the ensuing developments, and it has been used more in later years to justify Sunday worship.
Additionally, the Catholic church, with its proclaimed infallibility, has upheld the first day over the seventh day. The Catholic system then leaves its mark on even the Protestants who opposed confessions and salvation by works, so long as they keep Sunday. By replacing the Seventh-day Sabbath with Sunday, Christians effectively combine the worship of God with homage to a pagan practice. Many Protestant churches unknowingly keep themselves tied to the apostate Christian system which they long protested against. The institution of the Sabbath then is no longer a testament to God’s greatness and redemptive power, but rather an insignificant practice which bears resemblance to forms of false worship.
With that being said, most Sunday keepers still mean well, but perhaps they are not taught that God’s Law is indeed still binding. The Sabbath and the other nine commandments were written by the finger of God on tables of stone; but prior to sin entering the world, God ended the creation week with the rest day as a memorial of creation (Genesis 2:1-3). Thus, the Sabbath is not part of the ceremonial Mosaic Law which Christ himself completed (nailed) at the cross, but explicitly God’s own timeless Law. Jesus did not abolish this law, but he confirmed it. Paul asks in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Righteousness by faith still applies to Christians today, just as it did for Enoch, Abraham, and Moses in times before Christ (Hebrews 11). Thank God daily for his grace and mercy, which gives us an opportunity to live the blameless life of Christ. “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Have faith, that your sanctification may be made complete.
Sabbath and the Exodus
The contention that Moses and Aaron had with Pharoah was over letting God’s people go, and in particular to ‘rest’ and worship (Ex. 5:1-5, verse 5 is particularly enlightening; Isaiah 66:23) *. After God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He reminded them of his sabbath (Ex. 16:4-30, especially verses 23-30). This is concrete proof of the Sabbath before Sinai, when God miraculously provided manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness. This 40-year miracle began BEFORE the children of Israel reached Mount Sinai. ** The sabbath is a sign between God and his people (Ex. 31:13-17; Eze. 20:20). Read the post on: Spiritual Israel. The sabbath was to be a delight (Isa. 58:13-14).
*Though there are several words for rest, the verb Pharaoh uses is built on the word for “Sabbath”. The striking language of Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron reads like this, “You make them sabbath from their labor!” a hint, if nothing else, to the reality of the Sabbath rest before Sinai.
**Notice the words of the Lord to Moses in verse 28, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?” (NKJV), a clear indication that God’s laws and commandments existed before the revelation at Sinai, and that among those commandments and laws was the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus, though something monumental happened with the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments themselves obviously were not new.
Note, by no means are these scriptural references exhaustive on the sabbath, please pray and study this out for yourself. This is an important matter and has end-time implications. If you would like to review previous posts regarding the Sabbath, just type ‘Sabbath’ in the search field and it will bring up the relevant posts.
The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDJ) document is hailed by some enthusiasts as an end to the Roman Catholic / Protestant divide. We find in the confession the following:
“Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us unto good works. http://www.cwrc-rz.org/analysisofla.html
Notice, “by grace alone” is not the same as “by faith alone.”
Notice, “not because of any merit on our part” does not exclude merit produced by the Spirit of God.
Notice, “receiving the Holy Spirit” is not defined. Rome believes that the Holy Spirit is called in the waters of infant baptism and imprinted in confirmation. Christians do not.
There is more to this. “By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work…” is not the same as ‘by faith alone in Christ’s atoning (saving) blood’. We can be graceful and we can offer grace, but we cannot offer atonement. This statement of confession is nothing more than gobbley-gook.
This is Catholic doctrine: “Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work…
Then: “not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us unto good works” IS NOT JUSTIFICATION IT IS SANCTIFICATION.
So, this confession is NOT a statement on justification. It is a ‘rewrite’ to seem to appease Protestants, but it is Catholic doctrine in totality. It is a compromise on the part of Protestants, which is a sell-out…Rome did not compromise their position, they only rephrased their merit based plan of salvation. Unfortunately, Protestants look at this joint document between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church as a compromise of the Catholic Church and it is not. Also, the likes of Tony Palmer (now deceased) and other proclaim the same gospel is being preached…THIS IS NOT SO.
Here is Martin Luther’s view on ‘compromise’: “The negotiation about doctrinal agreement displeases me altogether, for this is utterly impossible unless the pope has his papacy abolished. Therefore avoid and flee those who seek the middle of the road. Think of me after I am dead and such middle-of-the-road men arise for nothing good will come of it. There can be no compromise.” (What Luther Says, II: 1019)
Methodist also signed this joint declaration.
World Communion of Reformed Churches signed it (evangelical).
If these Protestants would have understood the meaning of the atonement and its relationship to the law of God, they would have never signed this document.
“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires s struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.” Steps to Christ 43.4.
We CANNOT CONTRIBUTE, we can ONLY SUBMIT. When we submit, then we allow GOD to do the WORK in us.
An Example
Luke 18: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It is not easy for humanity to humble themselves. We can ONLY BE SAVED THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST…THERE IS NOT OTHER WAY.
Catholic doctrine, are exCathedra statements – meaning they come from the Bishop’s seat; therefore, they are infallible which means unchangeable and cannot be retracted.
“If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also not increased before God through good works, but that those works are merely the fruits and signs of justification obtained, but not the cause of its increase, LET HIM BE ANATHEMA” (Sixth Session, Canons Concerning Justification, Canon 24).
This is a negation of scripture. This is the opposite of Protestant doctrine. Rome cannot change their position.
Vatican II even states: “For it is the liturgy through which, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, ‘the work of our redemption is accomplished,’ and it is through the liturgy, especially, that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to other the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church” (Vatican II, Constitution on the sacred Liturgy, Introduction, para. 2)
In the above statement, that which is bolded is blasphemy because there is ‘no divine sacrifice of the Eucharist’ because by one sacrifice He has forever made perfect (Heb. 10:12-14). The liturgy is everything that happens in a service and it is how ‘the work of our redemption is accomplished’. This is simply not biblical, and totally negates the atonement of Jesus Christ.
This is what the ‘little horn’ teaches among much more that the Bible calls the ‘wine of Babylon’. Again, we must say…it is the system that has corrupted the word of God.
The presumption of the ‘little horn’ Daniel 7:25 is to think to change time and law v. 26 if you think you can change God’s law then you will be destroyed.
We can learn from Moses.
Exodus 5:1-2, “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.”
Exodus 5:4-5, “4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
The word for ‘rest’ is Shabath. What the Pharaoh is saying, ‘Moses you are making the people keep the Sabbath, you will not keep the Sabbath, and we will increase your burdens by taking away your straw to make sure you work on the Sabbath day’. Pharaoh made an anti-Sabbath law. God’s answer to the anti-Sabbath law was the falling of the plagues and deliverance of His people. Here are the plagues that fell:
- Blood
- Frogs
- Lice
- Flies
- Cattle
- Boils
- Hail
- Locusts
- Darkness
- First Born
Blood, boils, hail, and darkness also fall in the last seven plagues in the end of time. So, there is a link between the type for deliverance from bondage and a anti-type the deliverance from sin.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (Jn. 14:6). Jesus is telling us there is no other way, but the ‘little horn’ says – my way or the highway.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11L28). We will either get our ‘rest’ from God or from the mark of the beast. How will one know they are receiving rest? By keeping the Sabbath…so, it is a sign.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). The only way to salvation is through Christ, and His ways. May the Lord make it clear to the people who are caught up in this system. The day becomes pivotal because it is the sign of the acceptance or rejection of the entire package of the plan of salvation.
Jesus kept the commandments, so we are to keep the commandments. Jesus kept the Sabbath, so we are to keep the Sabbath. We do this not to be saved, but because we acknowledge we are saved.
Resource for further study: Amazing Facts link to Sabbath Truth blog: https://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/the-sabbath-blog/post/id/27379/t/the-sabbath-commandment-before-mount-sinai
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2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” AND 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”