Lesson 26 -- God's Sign and Seal versus the Mark of the Beast - Part 2

All texts are from The King James Version of the Holy Bible.

An official seal of authority describes three things: (1) the officer's name, (2) the office he occupies, (3) and the territory the office has jurisdiction over. Can the seal of God be found in the fourth commandment?
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 (officer's name) made (office occupied - Creator) heaven and earth, the sea (territory of jurisdiction), and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
You can keep nine commandments and worship the door knob, but when you include the fourth commandment you must worship the Creator.
Is the Sabbath a seal (sign, pledge) between God and His people?
Exodus 31:16-17: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."
Ezekiel 20:12: "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them."
How does Exodus 31:16 describe the Sabbath relationship between God and man?
Exodus 31:16: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."
A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties, according to the dictionary, "theologically, the promises made by God to man, as recorded in the Bible."
How long did God say the Sabbath covenant is binding?
Exodus 31:16: ". . . to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."
If God made this covenant with ancient Israel, why is it binding for Christians today?
Galatians 3:29: "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Abraham's seed became the children of Israel. All the promises to ancient Israel are for the benefit of spiritual Israel today.
What is our part of the Sabbath covenant (agreement)?
Exodus 20:8: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
Exodus 31:13-14: "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: . . ."
[Further Study]
Leviticus 19:30 "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."
Isaiah 56:2 "Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil."
How to keep the Sabbath holy is the subject of another lesson.
Will the Sabbath be kept in heaven and on the earth made new?
Isaiah 66:22-23: "For 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 to worship before me, saith the LORD."
Revelation 22:14: "Blessed are they that keep his commandmemts, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
What did the wisest man on earth (King Solomon) say about the keeping of the commandments?
Proverbs 7:2-3: "Keeo my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."
[Further Study]
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Now that I know what my part of the Sabbath covenant is, what is my responsibility?
Hebrews 2:1: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
James 4:17: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
John 14:15: "lf ye love me, keep my commandments."

IT'S JEWISH! By Uriah Smith

When we present God's holy law And arguments from Scripture draw, Objectors say, to pick a flaw: "It's Jewish!"

Though at first Jehovah blessed And sanctified His day of rest, The same belief is still expressed: "It's Jewish!"

Though with Creation this rest began And thence through all the Scriptures ran, And Jesus said 'twas made for man-- "It's Jewish!"

If from the Bible we present The Sabbath's meaning and intent, This answers every argument: "It's Jewish!"

Though the disciples Luke and Paul Continued still this rest to call The Sabbath day, this answers all: "It's Jewish!"

The Gospel Teacher's plain expression That sin is of the Law transgression Seems not to make the least impression; "It's Jewish!"

They love the day of man's invention, But if Jehovah's rest we mention This puts an end to all contention: "It's Jewish!"

Oh ye who thus God's day abuse Simply because 'twas kept by Jews, The Saviour, too, you must refuse-- "He's Jewish!"

The Scriptures, then, we may expect For the same reason you'll reject. For if you'll stop to recollect, "They're Jewish!"

Thus the apostles, too, must fall, For Andrew, Peter, James and Paul, Thomas, Matthew, John, and all Were Jewish.