The Sabbath: Our Pledge of Allegiance

"The temple of Yahuwah was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament." Revelation 11:19. The ark of Yahuwah's testament is in the holy of holies, the second apartment of the sanctuary. In the ministration of the earthly tabernacle, which served "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things," this apartment was opened only upon the great Day of Atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore the announcement that the temple of Yahuwah was opened in heaven and the ark of His testament was seen points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.

The ark in the tabernacle on earth contained the two tables of stone, upon which were inscribed the precepts of the law of Yahuwah. The ark was merely a receptacle for the tables of the law, and the presence of these divine precepts gave to it its value and sacredness. When the temple of Yahuwah was opened in heaven, the ark of His testament was seen. Within the holy of holies, in the sanctuary in heaven, the divine law is sacredly enshrined--the law that was spoken by Yahuwah Himself amid the thunders of Sinai and written with His own finger on the tables of stone.

The law of Yahuwah in the sanctuary in heaven is the great original, of which the precepts inscribed upon the tables of stone and recorded by Moses in the Pentateuch were an unerring transcript. Thus, the divine law is sacred and as unchanging as the character of Yahuwah Himself. They saw, as never before, the force of the Saviour's words: "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law." Matthew 5:18. The law of Yahuwah, being a revelation of His will, a transcript of His character, must forever endure, "as a faithful witness in heaven." Not one command has been annulled; not a jot or tittle has been changed. Says the psalmist: "Forever, O Yahuwah, Thy word is settled in heaven." "All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever." Psalms 119:89; 111:7, 8.

In the very bosom of the Decalogue is the fourth commandment, as it was first proclaimed: "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 Yahuwah thy Eloah: 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 Yahuwah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Yahuwah blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.

The Protestant reformation began a work of restoring to the world truths that had been lost under the weight of centuries of paganism, tradition and assumption. As humble students of the Word of Yahuwah studied, the Spirit of Yahuwah impressed their hearts. The conviction was urged upon them that they had ignorantly transgressed this precept by disregarding the Creator's rest day. They began to examine the reasons for observing the first day of the week instead of the day which Yahuwah had sanctified. They could find no evidence in the Scriptures that the fourth commandment had been abolished, or that the Sabbath had been changed; the blessing which first hallowed the seventh day had never been removed. They had been honestly seeking to know and to do Yahuwah's will; now, as they saw themselves transgressors of His law, sorrow filled their hearts, and they manifested their loyalty to Yahuwah by keeping His Sabbath holy.

Many and earnest were the efforts made to overthrow their faith. None could fail to see that if the earthly sanctuary was a figure or pattern of the heavenly, the law deposited in the ark on earth was an exact transcript of the law in the ark in heaven; and that an acceptance of the truth concerning the heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowledgment of the claims of Yahuwah's law and the obligation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Here was the secret of the bitter and determined opposition to the harmonious exposition of the Scriptures that revealed the ministration of Yahushua in the heavenly sanctuary. Men sought to close the door which Yahuwah had opened, and to open the door which He had closed. But "He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth," had declared: "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." Revelation 3:7, 8. Yahushua had opened the door, or ministration, of the most holy place, light was shining from that open door of the sanctuary in heaven, and the fourth commandment was shown to be included in the law which is there enshrined; what Yahuwah had established, no man could overthrow.

Those who had accepted the light concerning the mediation of Yahushua and the perpetuity of the law of Yahuwah found that these were the truths presented in Revelation 14. The messages of this chapter constitute a threefold warning which is to prepare the inhabitants of the earth for the Master's return. The announcement, "The hour of His judgment is come," points to the closing work of Yahushua's ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds a truth which must be proclaimed until the Saviour's intercession shall cease and He shall return to establish Yahuwah's kingdom on earth and reign with His people from its capitol, New Jerusalem. The work of judgment must continue until the cases of all are decided, both of the living and the dead; hence it will extend to the close of human probation. That men may be prepared to stand in the judgment, the message commands them to "fear Yahuwah, and give glory to Him," "and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The result of an acceptance of these messages is given in the word: "Here are they that keep the commandments of Yahuwah, and the faith of Yahushua." In order to be prepared for the judgment, it is necessary that men should keep the law of Yahuwah. That law will be the standard of character in the judgment. The apostle Paul declares: "As many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, . . . in the day when Yahuwah shall judge the secrets of men by Yahushua, the Anointed." And he says that "the doers of the law shall be justified." Romans 2:12-16. Faith is essential in order for the keeping of the law of Yahuwah; for "without faith it is impossible to please Him." And "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." Hebrews 11:6; Romans 14:23.

By the first angel, men are called upon to "fear Yahuwah, and give glory to Him" and to worship Him as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In order to do this, they must obey His law. Says the wise man: "Fear Yahuwah, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Ecclesiastes 12:13. Without obedience to His commandments no worship can be pleasing to Yahuwah. "This is the love of Yahuwah, that we keep His commandments." "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." 1 John 5:3; Proverbs 28:9.

The duty to worship Yahuwah is based upon the fact that He is the Creator and that to Him all other beings owe their existence. And wherever, in the Bible, His claim to reverence and worship, above the deities of the heathen, is presented, there is cited the evidence of His creative power. "All the eloah of the nations are idols: but Yahuwah made the heavens." Psalm 96:5. "To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things." "Thus saith Yahuwah that created the heavens; Elohim Himself that formed the earth and made it: . . . I am Yahuwah; and there is none else." Isaiah 40:25, 26; 45:18. Says the psalmist: "Know ye that Yahuwah He is Elohim: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves." "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before Yahuwah our Maker." Psalms 100:3; 95:6. And the holy beings who worship Yahuwah in heaven state, as the reason why their homage is due to Him: "Thou art worthy, O Sovereign, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things." Revelation 4:11.

In Revelation 14, men are called upon to worship the Creator; and the prophecy brings to view a class that, as the result of the threefold message [the warnings given by angels in Revelation 14], are keeping the commandments of Yahuwah:

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear Yahuwah, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters (Revelation 14:6 & 7).

One of these commandments points directly to Yahuwah as the Creator. The fourth precept declares: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahuwah thy Eloah: . . . for in six days Yahuwah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Yahuwah blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:10, 11. Concerning the Sabbath, Yahuwah says, further, that it is "a sign, . . . that you may know that I am Yahuwah your Elohim." Ezekiel 20:20. And the reason given is: "For in six days Yahuwah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17.

"The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to [Yahuwah]"--because He is the Creator, and we are His creatures. "The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten."--J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath, chapter 27. It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that Yahuwah instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true Eloah, "Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." It follows that the message which commands men to worship Yahuwah and keep His commandments will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment.