Today, my friends, many people who love Jesus Christ are sadly following traditional Christian dogma which does not have a firm foundation in the Bible. Have you ever wondered how a God who is Love would send people to hell to burn forever and ever? Even after 1 billion years of torment in hell, even Hitler would have his due. But, according to traditional Christian dogma, his torment is just beginning. Have you ever pressed your pastor as to why you attend church on Sunday instead of the Bible Sabbath day (Saturday)? Friend, we are going to find out answers to these questions right now.

Before we start our study of Bible truths, please ask God to send the Holy Spirit down into your heart before you continue. After all, without the Holy Spirit we can not understand "spiritual" things. See 1 Cor 2:14.

1. Punishment after Judgment. Most churches believe that as soon as a person dies, they go to heaven or hell. This is a major mistake, and not found in the Bible. The unsaved do not go to any place of punishment as soon as they die, but are reserved in the grave until the day of judgment to be punished. Christ explicitly taught this truth in the well-know the parable of the wheat and the tares. After the householder had sown the wheat in the field his servant came to report that tares were growing among the grain. His question was whether he should pull up the weeds while they were still very small. The householder's answer was, "Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:29,30. Now follow the words of Christ as he explains the meaning of the parable: "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:37-43. The meaning of this parable is so clear that a child can understand it.

Now turn with me to 2 Peter 2:9, it reads, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." Again quite clear when the punishment takes place.

Next let us look at Revelation 22:12, it says, "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be." Very clear as to when we shall receive our reward. For even more proof of when we receive our rewards, read John 5:28,29 and Matt. 16:27.

Turn with me to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life." Those who don't believe in Jesus will perish, not burn in hell forever. Now turn with me and read Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death' but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Please don't miss the pointed simplicity of these verses. The wicked are never promised life. They are promised death-eternal death. Only the righteous are promised life--eternal life. But there is only one way to get life without end, and that is through faith in Jesus. John describes it this way: "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of god hath not life." 1 John 5:11, 12. Let me ask you a question: Do those wicked ones in the lake of fire have the Son of God? Of course not! Then how could they have life? John says, "Ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15. Will those murderers in hell-fire continue to have life for eternity? Never!! It would be the rankest heresy to believe that eternal life could be obtained from some other source than Jesus. Where would the wicked get it from? Paul declares that Jesus Christ "hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Timothy 1:10. Inspiration reveals no other source of immortality except through the gospel of Christ. Where is a text in the Bible which describes the conferring of immortality upon the wicked? There is none!!!!! Those of us who believe in Christ do not go to heaven right after we die either, see 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.

The Bible plainly tells us what the punishment of the wicked is. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 1:9, "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." Quite plain and quite clear! The wicked will be punished with everlasting destruction, not hell for all eternity. Psalms 92:7 says "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever!" Psalms 104:35 says, Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord." Quite clear again, the Bible is always clear when you allow it to explain itself.

What about the expressions "eternal" and "everlasting" which are used to describe the fires of hell? there is absolutely no confusion or contradiction when we allow the Bible to supply its own definition of terms. Many make the error of applying modern definitions to those biblical words without reference to their ancient contextual usage. This violates one of the most fundamental rules of interpretation. The fact is that eternal fire does not mean a fire that will never go out. The same expression is used in Jude 7 concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha. "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." It is quite obvious that Sodom is not still burning today. The Dead Sea rolls over the place where those ancient cities once stood.

Perhaps the most easily misconstrued text about hell is John's allusion to the smoke ascending "for ever and ever." For those who are unfamiliar with other uses of this phrase in the Bible, it can be very confusing indeed. But a comparison of the verses in both Old and New Testaments reveal the words "for ever" are used 57 times in the Bible in reference to something that has already come to an end. In other words, "for ever" does not always mean "without end." View Jonah 2:6, 1 Samuel 1:22 and Exodus 21:6 for a few examples of this.

Someone may object that this could also limit the life of the righteous in heaven, because they are described as glorifying God forever. The terms are the same for both saved and the lost. But there is one tremendous difference in the circumstances involved. The saints have received the gift of immortality. Their life now measures with the life of God. Immortality means "not subject to death." The words "for ever" used in reference to them could only mean "without end," because they are immortal subjects already. But when "for ever" is used to describe the wicked, we are talking about mortal creatures who can die and must die. Their "for ever" is only as long as their mortal nature can survive in the fire which punishes them according to their works.

The Sabbath day was made at creation. In Gen. 2:2 it says that "and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the SEVENTH DAY from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." NOTE: Sanctify means to set apart as holy for a holy purpose consecrate. NOTE: God rested on the seventh day, not because he needed rest, but to set an example for us. God knew that we would need a day set aside from our hard work in which to rest, worship Him, and to gain spiritual strength. The Sabbath was created to be a blessing and a joy to man. "The Sabbath was created for man." Mark 2:27.

The Sabbath is a memorial to creation. Ex. 20:8-11 says "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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." NOTE: The Lord blessed and hallowed the seventh day Sabbath.

Some of you might be wondering what day is the seventh day? Simply take a dictionary out and look up what day is the seventh day of the week and which day is the first day of the week. Saturday: The seventh day of the week. Sunday: the first day of the week.

1 Peter 2:21 says we should follow the example of Christ and He kept the Sabbath!! see Luke 4:16. Jesus said that the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath, In Luke 6:5, Mark 2:28, and in Matt. 12:8, three times it is recorded in the gospels! I guess God really wanted to leave us with how important the Sabbath really was to him. After all, it is the only commandment that starts with "Remember" and Jesus is also recorded three times in the Bible as saying he is "Lord of the Sabbath" I think God knew we would forget the Sabbath day and even with all these reminders in the Bible, it is sad to say that many have "forgotten" the Sabbath.

The disciples greatly respected the Sabbath. This was evident at the time of Christ's death. When the Sabbath arrived, they interrupted their burial preparations and rested the Sabbath according to the commandment, with plans to continue this work on Sunday, "the first day of the week." Luke 23:56, 24:1 As had Christ, the apostles worshiped on the seventh-day Sabbath. In his evangelistic travels Paul attended the synagogue on the Sabbath and preached Christ, Acts, 13:14, 17:1(notice it was Paul's custom to worship on the Sabbath day too! 18:4. Even the gentiles invited him to preach the word of God on the Sabbath. Acts 13:42. John was in vision on the "Lord's day" in Rev.1:10 which is the Sabbath day. See Mark 2:28 and Isa. 58:13.

I will offer $1000 to anyone who can show me one text that says the Sabbath day was changed from Saturday to Sunday! Sorry, but there is not one! Let's find out the real reason why the Sabbath day was changed to Sunday.

In his best-seller, the faith of millions (1974) The Roman Catholic scholar John A O'Brina came to this compelling conclusion: "Since Saturday, not Sunday is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics who profess to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course it is INCONSISTENT. THE CUSTOM OF SUNDAY OBSERVANCE REMAINS AS A REMINDER OF THE MOTHER CHURCH FROM WHICH THE NON-CATHOLICS BROKE AWAY-FROM HOME BUT SILL CARRYING IN HIS POCKET A PICTURE OF HIS MOTHER OR LOCK OF HER HAIR!" There are plenty of other Catholic statements which say the same thing as well. "If you look to the Bible as an authority for the observance of the day, you will not find it. It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Methodist, Baptists and all other Christians that the BIBLE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS. THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO PROPERLY APPLY THE TERM "SABBATH" BECAUSE THEY OBSERVE THE SEVENTH DAY (SATURDAY) AS THE BIBLE COMMANDS." (Clifton Tracts, vol IVp. 15).

Do other churches admit this as well? Yes they do listen to this statement, "Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not!! There is no such scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh day to the first day of the week!! Dr. Edward Hiscox, author of the Baptist manual, from the New York Examiner, Nov 16.1890).

Acts 20:7. Some people think this was a Sunday "church" service, the NEB describes this event this way, "On the Saturday night in our assembly for the breaking of bread, Paul who was to leave the next day, addressed them and went on speaking until midnight." This meeting was on the dark part of the first day of the week. In both the Old and New Testaments we find that time was reckoned from sunset to sunset. So this meeting was on our Saturday night. All these people were doing is getting together to eat and wish Paul good bye as he took off the next day.

What about Col 2:16? Paul was talking about not the Sabbath in the 4th commandment of God's law, but ceremonial Sabbaths were what Paul was talking about. Were there ever ceremonial Sabbaths, besides the Sabbath of the Lord they God the 4th commandment? Yes, there were. Turn to Lev. 23:3, it says "six days shall work be done: but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of Rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings."

Now turn with me to Lev 23:24, "speak unto the children of Israel saying, in the seventh month, in the first day of the month shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." NOTE This is not the Seventh day Sabbath, this is another form of Sabbath, a ceremonial Sabbath.

Lev. 23:27 "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement; it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord."

Lev. 23:32 "It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month only, at eve, from eve unto eve, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath."

Lev. 23:39 "Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord, seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eight day shall be a Sabbath to You."

Notice these Sabbaths ARE NOT THE SABBATH DAY OF THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT, WHICH GOD WROTE UPON A TABLE OF STONE SHOWING THE DURABILITY OF THE COMMANDMENTS. These "Sabbaths" are NOT THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK SABBATH, THESE ARE CEREMONIAL SABBATHS.

NOTE: In addition to the weekly Sabbath (Verses 3, 11, 15, and 16 of Lev. 23) there were other ceremonial Sabbaths that floated on the calendar and fell on any day of the week. For instance, the 15 day of the seventh month might fall on a Tuesday this year and on a Wednesday next year.

Leviticus 23:37 helps us distinguish between them. It says; These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering, and meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings every thing upon his day. (verse 38) BESIDE THE SABBATHS OF THE LORD, AND BESIDE YOUR GIFTS, AND BESIDE ALL YOUR VOWS, AND BESIDE ALL YOUR FREEWILL OFFERINGS, WHICH YE GIVE UNTO THE LORD. These feasts pointed forward to the coming messiah. When Jesus came they were fulfilled. Thus Paul in essence was saying. . ."do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to Sabbaths which are part of the sacrificial system and point forward to the coming of Christ.

The Sabbath was made only for the Jews!

This falsehood has gained such strength that multitudes of Christians refer to it as the "Jewish Sabbath." But nowhere do we find such an expression in the Bible. It is called the "Sabbath of the Lord," but never "the Sabbath of the Jews" Exodus 20:10. Christ clearly taught that "the Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27 The fact is that Adam was the only man in existence at the time God made the Sabbath. There were no Jews in the world for at least 2000 years after creation. It could never have been made for them. Jesus used the term "man" in the generic sense, referring to mankind. The same word is used in connection with the institution of marriage which was introduced at creation. Woman was made for man and the Sabbath was for mankind. Certainly no one believes that marriage was made only for the Jews.

Romans 14:5,6

Romans 14:5, 6 reads, "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God." Let's notice first what the text does not say. Two questions will aid in our analysis. Does the text say anything about the Sabbath? does it say anything about worship? Clearly the answers are no!

The text is quite plain. It says one man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Paul is writing about how man exalts one day above another. The Sabbath is the command of God, not any man's personal estimate of a day. Therefore, Paul is obviously discussing a matter of human opinion rather than a divine command written with the finger of God on tables of stone. The first verse of the chapter gives us the key. Paul writes: "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters." (Romans 14:1) Paul is writing to those who are weak in the faith. He advises the strong in faith to refrain from passing judgment on "disputable matters" or matter of opinion. One of these matters of opinion was the appropriateness of eating meat offered to idols. (Please see 1 Corinthians 8) Paul's main concern is about individuals who divide the church over matters of human opinion, not matters of divine law. Recall how vigorously he affirmed:. . ."so then, the law is holy and the commandments is holy, righteous and good." Romans 7:12. He states clearly, "through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20. Then he adds in Romans 7:7 "Do we then nullify the law by this faith? God forbid! Rather, we uphold the law! Romans 3:31) Notice Romans chapter 14 talks about matters that are "disputable" and the Sabbath day is not one of them!

My friends Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. Are you willing to follow Jesus? If so ask him to give you the courage and strength to do what is right and follow him!

If you have any questions or need any prayer requests, e-mail me at haffs@river.it.gvsu.edu. God bless you!

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