Video Review: History’s Holy Hoax | Last Day of Prophecy #5

Recently my Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) friend asked me to watch this video “History’s Holy Hoax | Last Day of Prophecy #5” by SDA Pastor Doug Batchelor. I watched the video per his request and felt it was necessary to make a commentary on this video. I would first like to say that my friend from the SDA church is a good Christian and I do not want anyone to think I am diminishing his value as a Christian or a friend. I have known quite a few Seventh Day Adventists and I believe that they are genuine in their beliefs. Unfortunately, no matter how genuine we may be, it is important to uphold truth as apposed to being loyal to a specific denomination.

This commentary on the video is by no means exhaustive; however, I will be touching on the major issues I found with the video. I will touch on doctrines promulgated by the SDA church on the Sabbath, Sunday Worship, the Mark of the Beast, the alleged origins of Sunday worship, and what day the Christian worship service should be on. You can also read Quotes from Early Church Fathers: the Sabbath, Lord’s Day, and Worship.

The claim that Christianity is following “the Devil”

At 6 minutes into the video, Doug Batchelor claims,

A lot of the people have been fooled… Have any of you encountered a Con Artist before? There have been some very creative Con-artist’s through history.

He begins to explain Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Arthur Ferguson, and Victor Lustig and equates them to the Christian church.

Doug Batchelor says 9 minutes in the video,

The devil is a counterfeiter and he has a counterfeit for every truth of God. The Devil has a counterfeit salvation, … Holy Spirit … Baptism … Speaking in Tongues…Love and it shouldn’t surprise us that he has a counterfeit day of rest.

At 30:15 minutes into the video, Doug Batchelor says,

“Much of the Christian world has been bamboozled by the Devil through history’s Holy hoax.”

So it should be pretty clear that the Seventh Day Adventist church believes they are the faithful church and all other churches that worship on Sunday are followers of the devil. I thought that maybe just Doug Batchelor teaches this and the rest of the SDA denomination holds a different view.

What Seventh Day Adventists believe about Sunday worship

After the bombardment of misinformation presented in this video, I looked up what the SDA church teaches about Sunday worship. This is what I found.

SDA Founder Ellen White teaching

Beginning with the founder of Seventh Day Adventism, Ellen White, I discovered that the SDA church believes the United States is the “Image of the Beast.”

“Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast.” Here is clearly presented a form of government in which the legislative power rests with the people, a most striking evidence that the United States is the nation denoted in the prophecy. (Ellen White, The Great Controversy. 25. God’s Law Immutable – 25th paragraph, pg 442 to 443)

She draws the conclusion that, because the U.S. made “blue laws,” laws prohibiting certain activities, such as shopping, on a Sunday, that the change of the Sabbath to Sunday and worshiping on Sunday is receiving the “Mark of the Beast.”

As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite “the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; . . . because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church’s power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin.”–Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine, page 58. What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church–“the mark of the beast”? (Ellen White, The Great Controversy. 25. God’s Law Immutable – 25th paragraph, pg 448)

Therefore, Ellen White taught that keeping the Sabbath or worshiping God on Saturday is the true test of loyalty to God.

The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn
between those who serve God and those who serve Him not. While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God. (Ellen White, The Great Controversy. 38. The Final Warning pg 605)

So faith, repentance, and good works are not the test of a true worshiper of God. Worshiping on Saturday is the test of a true follower of God according to Ellen White. The teachings of Ellen White in the previous quotes are far from Christian; so, I thought maybe the modern SDA church abandoned these doctrines.

Modern SDA Teaching of the Mark of the Beast

Seeing the large deviance from Christian teaching, I checked out the Adventist Review to see if they changed their tune. Unfortunately, they upheld and quoted Ellen White further.

The second animal in this chapter, which represents the United States, creates the image of this beast. A definition of the image is given on page 443 of The Great Controversy. ….
The mark of the beast—observance of a day other than the seventh-day Sabbath—is an institution that clearly sets forth the authority of the beast. One world church boldly boasts that it has changed the seventh-day Sabbath instituted at Creation from Saturday to Sunday. Other churches indicate that they worship on Sunday as a memorial of Christ’s resurrection. Neither assertion is found in Scripture. As a result, the recognition due the Creator is removed.
The Adventist Review Week of Prayer Issue | Adventist Review – The Three Angels’ Messages

They fill the SDA followers with insane myths that the world will hate them and persecute them for worshiping God on Saturday.

Apostate religious leaders will not be able to refute scriptural evidence for the sacredness of Saturday as the Sabbath, and this fills them with anger. As a result, Sabbath keepers will be persecuted and imprisoned. Amid all these events, the proclamation of the third message will have an effect that has not been seen before. People will see that prophecies in Daniel, Matthew, Mark,
Luke, Revelation, and elsewhere in Scripture are being fulfilled exactly as commandment keepers said they would. The formation of the image of the beast and the enactment of the Sunday law will lead to national and international ruin.
The Adventist Review Week of Prayer Issue | Adventist Review – A Powerful Effect

These are scare tactics used to promote fear in order to retain their church membership. After all, if you associate with a Christian or go to a Christian church on Sunday, you will be damned by receiving the “Mark of the Beast” or be associating with followers of the devil.

The claim where Sunday worship “really” came from

Doug Batchelor begins by trying to refute texts provided for first day worship. He mentions Mat 28:1, Mark 16:9, John 20:1,19, and Luke 24:1 where it shows Jesus rose from the dead. Batchelor mentions the Collecting possessions in 1 Cor 16:2. He talks about the breaking of bread on the first day in Act 2:46, 20:7. He says those passages don’t show the Sabbath was changed to Sunday, which most Sunday worshiping Christians would fully agree. Then he claims that the sabbath day was “switched” during Christian time.

35 minutes into the video Batchelor precedes to tell us where Sunday worship really came from. He says. “Man made commandments that sort of became doctrines that they teach.” Batchelor equates the Sunday worship to Matthew 15:,

But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.(Mat 15:9 NAS)

Batchelor further states that, the “Earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday, is a constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D. called the Edict of Milan. They didn’t call it ‘Son Day’ they called it ‘Sun Day.'” This is a typical abuse of resources employed by “Non-Christian” cults where the “Non-Christian” cultist relies on the audience to not look up the reference or search to see if a claim is actually true. At face value, Batchelor seems to have valuable information; but, upon further scrutiny, it is clear that the Edict of Milan had nothing to do with the Sabbath or Christian worship. Read it for yourself.

THE MILAN DECREE 313 A.D.

Part I. I, Constantine Augustus, and I, Licinius Augustus, at a propitious juncture meeting in Milan, and taking under consideration the whole range of public interest and safety, have come to the conclusion, that among all matters conducive to the public weal those ought to be settled in the very first place, by which the reverence due to the Deity is safeguarded (to wit) that we give to the Christians as well as to all (others) free per mission to follow the religion which each one chooses, in order that whatever Deity there is on the heavenly throne may be propitiated and show itself favorable to ourselves and to all that are under our power.

Hence, listening to the demands of both public welfare and sound reason, we have thought it our duty to enact that leave shall be refused to no one whatever who has given his heart either to the teachings of the Christians or to that (other) kind of religion which he himself feels to be the most suitable to him; so that the Supreme Divinity, worshiped by us with full freedom, may be able to show to us in all things its wonted favor and benevolence.

The Lordship will therefore take notice of our pleasure that all the restrictions which are contained in former instructions concerning the Christians (super Christianorum nomine) and which appear to be very ill advised (sinistra) and out of keeping with our clemency, are all and entirely canceled; and that each and everyone desirous to observe the religion of the Christians may do so without any fear, and without any disadvantage to himself. We thought it our duty to express this to thy Lordship in the plainest terms, so that thou knowest we give to the afore said Christians free and unlimited permission to practice their religion. Thy Lordship understands, that for the tranquility of our times the same freedom as to religion and observance is likewise expressly and liberally granted to others, so that every one may enjoy the fullest permission to worship what he chooses. We take this step with the intention of preventing the appearance as if we meant to slight anything deserving of honor or religious veneration.

Part II. As to the Christians we deem it our duty to issue still another enactment, (namely) concerning the places (buildings) in which they formerly were accustomed to assemble, and about which a well-known rule was laid down in the communications sent heretofore to thy Fidelity. Those persons who appear to have bought these identical places either from our treasury or from anybody else shall restore the same to the Christians with out money and without charging any price, setting aside all deception and delay. Likewise those who have received them as presents shall immediately surrender them to the same Christians. If the present owners, however, whether they acquired them by purchase or by gift, shall wish to receive anything (as compensation) from our bounty, let them apply to our representative, so that provision may be made for them also by our clemency. It will be thy duty to see to it that all this property be returned to the community of the Christians without any procrastination.

And since the Christians, as is well known, possessed not only those places where they used to meet, but also others which belonged not to individuals but to them as corporation, that is to the churches, we comprise all these in the aforesaid ordinance (of restitution). And thou wilt cause them to be returned with out hesitancy and without litigation, to the same Christians, that is, to their corporation and communities; observing, however, the above mentioned caution, (to wit) that those who faithful to our order restore them without charging any price may expect indemnity from our benevolence.

(Conclusion). In all these affairs thou shalt be obliged to yield to the body of the Christians thy most efficacious assistance, to the end that our ordinance be carried out as speedily as possible, and that at the same time through our clemency care be taken of the maintenance of public order. In this way the divine favor towards us, which as expressed above we have experienced on the most momentous occasions, will forever prosper our future enterprises and the happiness of our people. But in order that the tenor of this our gracious rescript may come to the knowledge of all, thou shalt have copies of it certified by thy signature, posted up everywhere, and shalt promulgate it broadcast; so that the firm determination of our clemency may not remain in obscurity. Translation of the Milan Decree 313 A.D. – The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Jul., 1922), pp. 191-197

Clearly this Edict by both Constantine and Licinius was for all religions. The Edict gave freedom of religion to all and demanded return of confiscated property to Christians.

Batchelor then quotes “History of the Christian Church, Volume III page 326,”

On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed” (75. The Civil and Religious Sunday. page 325 Cod. Just. l. iii., Tit. 12, 3))

The quote which Batchelor cites is a civil enactment for all the people in general and has nothing to do with the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day. The explanation is found in the same pages he quotes.

The observance of Sunday originated in the time of the apostles, and ever since forms the basis of public worship, with its ennobling, sanctifying, and cheering influences, in all Christian lands.
…
The ancient church viewed the Sunday mainly, we may say, one-sidedly and exclusively, from its Christian aspect as a new institution, and not in any way as a continuation of the Jewish Sabbath. It observed it as the day of the commemoration of the resurrection or of the now spiritual creation, and hence as a day of sacred joy and thanksgiving, standing in bold contrast to the days of humiliation and fasting, as the Easter festival contrasts with Good Friday. (History of the Christian Church, Volume III: Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity. A.D. 311-600. CHAPTER VII. PUBLIC WORSHIP AND RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS AND CEREMONIES§ 75. The Civil and Religious Sunday. page 325)

So again, Batchelor sources do not support his Sabbath changed to Sunday view. Batchelor clearly relies on the fact that his listeners will not look up his sources to see if they do in fact support his view.

Batchelor continues his loosely drafted idea that Christianity is pagan. He makes a series of allegations of which none are substantiated by any evidence, He says,

“For years Satan tried to destroy Christianity through plan A. Plan A was extermination, persecution. They burnt them at the stake, they stoned them, They fed them to Lions…Finally a very clever Emperor came along by the name of Constantine the great…He claimed to have a vision…He legalized Christianity… becoming a Christian became very Vogue and the screening process on how to become a Christian completely went out the window…Pagans came into the church and said we want to keep our idols … So they better rename them… take Jupiter, Mercury and Apollos and call them Peter James and John and call the statues of Diana Mary… Christians kept both days Saturday and Sunday to distance themselves from Jews. Which would you prefer fasting Saturday or Feasting Sunday.”

He quotes the encyclopedia and a bunch of denominations that say Sunday is not the Sabbath, of which most Christians who worship on Sunday would agree. Making that point is irrelevant. Batchelor continues the scare tactic of quoting verses that teach if you don’t keep God’s commandments (he means the Sabbath on Saturday) then you do not love God and are not saved.

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Rev 12:17 NAS)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14 NAS)

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Heb 5:9 NAS)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (Mat 7:21 NAS)

I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart.” (Psa 40:8 NAS)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (Joh 14:15 NAS)

The previous list of verses are irrelevant to the day of worship. So by now, you can see that Doug Batchelor’s video is basically a threat to his audience that if you don’t worship at the SDA church and you associate with “Sunday worshipers” then you are partaking the number of the Beast, are a follower of the Devil and will not be saved. Attending church on the Sabbath for Doug Batchelor is the way you know a true worshiper of God from a false worshiper. This is about as heretical and Non-Christian as you can get. Paul said,

But shun foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. (Tit 3:9-11 NAS)

Doug Batchelor is condemning himself and needs to repent. The Church is God’s building, the temple of God. Those who destroy the temple of God will be destroyed by God.

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. (1Co 3:9-17 NAS)

The SDA church would say that drinking alcohol, eating meat, doing drugs is destroying the temple; however, the fact is that, dividing the church into factions is destroying the temple of God. In fact, Doug Batchelor is actually dividing and destroying the Temple of God.

The claim that the “Sabbath” and the “Lord’s Day” are the same

Doug Batchelor then tries to prove that the “Sabbath” and the “Lord’s Day” are the same. He quotes the following verses as evidence.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, (Rev 1:10 NAS)

And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Luk 6:5 NAS)

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure, And speaking your own word, (Isa 58:13 NAS)

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. (Exo 20:9-10 NAS)

The problem with this evidence is that the verses do not support Doug Batchelor’s conclusion that the “Lord’s Day” and the Sabbath are the same.

1. In Rev 1:10, the term “Lord’s Day” is only used once in Revelation 1:10 and no where else in the entire Bible. The verse says nothing about which day John is referring to. Also, If John was referring to the Sabbath, John would have said “Sabbath” and not “Lord’s Day.”
2. In Luke 6:5, the Pharisees were complaining that the disciples were harvesting food to eat on the Sabbath (a clear violation of the Mosaic Sabbath Law. Exo 16:5, 16:21-28, 31:14, Num 15:32-36) and Jesus’ response is that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. This verse teaches that Jesus is claiming to be God., The verse states nothing about the “Sabbath” being called the “Lord’s Day” for God is the Lord of ALL days.
3. Isa 58:13 calls the Sabbath “the holy day of the LORD honorable;” however, this saying is similar to Exo 35:2 stating “on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD.” It Exo 35:2 it says that the sabbath is your holy day. That’s why Jesus said “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mar 2:27 NAS)” The sabbath is also man’s holy day.; therefore, Isa 58:13 does not support the notion that the statement “Lord’s Day” in Rev 1:10 is specifically referring to the sabbath.
4. Exo 20:9-10 clearly states that the seventh day is called the “Sabbath” and not the “Lord’s Day.”

The word “Sabbath” is used to mean the seventh day of the week or rest day. The verses in the Old Testament are referring to not doing any labor. There is no definitive correlation between Sabbath and the “Lord’s Day.” John’s reference to the “Lord’s Day” is similar to Paul’s reference to “Lord’s Supper (1Co 11:20 NAS).” One could incorrectly conclude that Paul is referring to “the feast of the LORD (Lev 23:39 NAS).” In Rev 1:10, John could be referring to “the day that the Son of Man is revealed. (Luk 17:30 NAS)” which would make more sense since the book is called Revelation. Or it could just refer to the day in which Christ rose from the dead.(Luk 24:1, Mar 16:2, Mat 28:1)

The claim that God “winked” at ignorance

Doug Batchelor tries to prove that people in heaven are people who were horrible sinners, so too Christians (the church followers, not the church leaders) may be similar horrible sinners in heaven. At 11:50 of the video Doug Batchelor says,

There are gonna be people in heaven that had too many wives… but they lived back in a day when God winked at their ignorance you read in Acts 17 verse 30 at the time of this ignorance God winked at…If the sabbath is the Lord’s Day why do so many people observe Sunday? “He said so them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.'”Mar 7:19

First off, God does not “wink” at peoples ignorance. This is a dated translation in the King James version Bible. The NASB translates this as,

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, (Act 17:30 NAS)

This verse is talking about the Gentiles and how God overlooked them in the giving His Word to them. Now God expects all nations to repent and hear His Word. It has nothing to do with disobedient Israelite’s or followers of God being sinful and going to heaven.

Doug Batchelor is making the argument that Sunday became the day of worship because of a tradition. He equates it to Jesus’ statement in Mar 7:9 where Jesus says, “You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition;” But, what tradition was Jesus talking about? Jesus was talking about the Sabbath tradition promulgated by the Jewish elders (Mar 7:5). This ties into the later verses where Jesus declares all foods clean, which is against another “tradition” of the Jewish elders. Of course the Mar 7:18-20 is completely ignored by Doug Batchelor since the fact that Jesus “declared all foods clean” does not fit the Seventh Day Adventist “health message.”

Then Doug Batchelor interprets Luk 6:46-49 to mean a “Wise man builds on the rock (sabbath worship) and the fool builds on the sand (Sunday worship)” and that “The devil (The Church) tries to get God’s people to break His laws (the sabbath).” So Luke 6 which clearly teaches not to hate your neighbor, to love your enemies, to not be a hypocrite, and to not judge your brother is changed by Doug Batchelor to mean, keep the sabbath and to judge everyone that doesn’t keep the sabbath. Maybe God is “winking at Doug Batchelor’s ignorance”…Wink…Wink.

The claim that the Sabbath is never said to be “done away with”

I have noticed Seventh Day Adventists skip key verses that go against their doctrine. Doug Batchelor states 14 minutes into the video “Never in the New Testament is it said the sabbath is done away with. There are disputes about how to keep it; but never whether you should keep it.” The Apostle Paul stated,

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Col 2:16-17 KJV)

Paul calls observing days, times, and years bondage.

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.(Gal 4:9-11 KJV)

The writer of Hebrews explains that the disobedient Israelites would not enter His rest.

Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; And they did not know My ways’;
As I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.'” (Heb 3:10-11 NAS)

That, those who believe in Christ firm until the end (at death) will enter His rest.

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end (Heb 3:14 NAS)

Unbelievers will not enter His rest.

And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (Heb 3:18-19 NAS)

Therefore, we should fear of not entering His rest because of unbelief and be diligent to enter that rest (the final Sabbath at death).

Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. (Heb 4:1 NAS)
…
For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience. (Heb 4:8-11 NAS)

Clearly the apostles believed that the Sabbaths, new moons, times, years and so forth were shadows of what is to come, which means, after we persevere through life and keep the faith till death, we enter the final eternal rest in heaven with Christ. (Rev 19:9, Mat 6:21, 8:11, Joh 14:2)

What day is worship according to the Bible?

Offerings in the Old Testament were daily

Offerings, worship, and sacrifices were a daily activity in the Old Testament. The Israelites would not only have feasts and festivals on specific days, the Israelites would go to the temple and offer a sacrifices and worship any day of the week.

After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. (Num 28:24,see also 29:6 KJV)

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts– the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded.(2Ch 8:12-14 NAS)

And whatever is needed, both young bulls, rams, and lambs for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail, that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. (Ezr 6:9-10 NAS)

“Thus they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.” (Eze 46:15 NAS)

Besides the daily offerings and worship, the Old Testament had scheduled Festivals and Feasts. These can be found in Leviticus.

Feasts and Festivals in Leviticus were scheduled

Below is a table of Feasts and Festivals found in Leviticus.

These festivals were called “holy convocations” and were a specific covenant with the people of Israel through Moses. (Exo 12:16, Num 28:18-19, Neh 9:13-14) So this begs the question. If the SDA church believes they are to keep “Shabat,” why do they not keep all of the festivals? Picking and chosing which verses to follow ehile casting out other verses is not an acceptable way to follow Scripture.

The Bible teaches that the daily sacrifices would cease

Moses set up the Festivals according to specific times; however, God never intended to keep those festivals permanently.

It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. And on account of transgression the host will be given over to the horn along with the regular sacrifice; and it will fling truth to the ground and perform its will and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?” (Dan 8:11-13 NAS)

And forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. (Dan 11:31 NAS)

And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days (Dan 12:11 NAS)

I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, And all her festal assemblies. (Hos 2:11 NAS)

Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. (Isa 1:13-14 NAS)

I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amo 5:21-24 NAS)

Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law in His first coming

Jesus plainly said that He was to fulfill all things spoken of Him by the Law of Moses, Prophets, and Psalms.

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luk 24:44 NAS)

Jesus also said He was not abolishing the Law but fulfilling it.

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. (Mat 5:17 NAS)

The writer of Hebrews explains this perfectly. He says,

For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. (Heb 7:12 NAS)

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever
(Heb 7:26-28 NAS)

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (Heb 8:13 NAS)

And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
(Heb 10:11-14 NAS)

So the Old Mosaic Law was not abolished; but, fulfilled. Now the Law is kept by the person and work of Christ in His first coming, dying, raising from the dead, ascending to heaven and sitting at the right hand of God to intercede as our mediator. This is why Paul says,

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. (Rom 7:6 NAS)

This means Christ is keeping the Law in our place as our Prophet, Priest, and King. Now that we see the Old testament festivals and Sabbaths are now fulfilled in Christ, what day do we worship?

Jesus and the Apostles taught in the temple daily

The Bible clearly teaches that we worship God every day of the week. There is no designated day for worship.

Jesus was in the temple daily

The gospel writers clearly showed Jesus taught in the temple everyday. He did not designate a single day like the sabbath to teach and worship. He worshiped daily.

At that time Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. (Mat 26:55 NAS)

“Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has happened that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.” (Mar 14:49 NAS)

And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, (Luk 19:47 NAS)

“While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.” (Luk 22:53 NAS)

This was equally true for the Apostles.

The Apostles were in the temple daily

Throughout Acts, we can see that the Apostles did not designate a specific day for worship and Scripture reading; but, they worshiped and searched the Scriptures every day.

And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Act 2:46-47 NAS)

And a certain man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. (Act 3:2 NAS)

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. (Act 6:1 NAS)

So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. (Act 16:5 NAS)

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so. (Act 17:11 NAS)

So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. (Act 17:17 NAS)

But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. (Act 19:9 NAS)

So the conclusion then is that you should go to church and worship whenever you can and as often as you can. For more information on what the early Church Fathers taught, see my article on Quotes from Early Church Fathers: the Sabbath, Lord’s Day, and Worship.