Almighty God ceased from His work of creation at the commencement of the seventh day. Then He rested and placed a blessing on this day which sanctified, or set it apart from other days,

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ² Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made (Gen. 2:2-3; cf. Ex. 20:8-11; NKJV throughout unless otherwise noted).

God did not rest on the Sabbath day because He was tired. Instead, He rested in order to teach the correct way of living by His own example,

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary (Isa. 40:28a).

As Almighty God’s vocation is Creator, He does not engage in this work periodically. He works continually with the exception of the seventh day of the week as well as His other appointed times (see the studies under: God’s Holy Days),

But Jesus answered them (Jewish religious leaders), ‘My Father has been working until now (God our Father had continued working since His creation in Genesis), and I have been working (because Christ was involved with the creation in Genesis as well) (Jn. 5:17; cf. 17:5; Ed. notes in parentheses).

It is an error to think that spirit-beings are not required to rest on the seventh day of the week (Ac. 10:34; Deut. 10:17). If Almighty God rests, all other obedient spirit-beings would rest also.

It is an assumption that resting from work on the seventh day only applies to those living in the physical realm. God corrected a spirit-being because he was actively trading and conducting other activities that were considered contrary to God’s law. This spirit-being is compared to Pharaoh and all his multitude (Eze. 31:18; see the study: Which Tree Did Eve Eat From?) because, among other sins, Pharaoh of Egypt would not allow ancient Israel to rest on God’s Sabbaths,

You (Satan) were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity (sin; 1Jn. 3:4) was found in you. ¹⁶ By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned (Eze. 28:15-16a; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Then the king of Egypt (a type of Satan) said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.’ ⁵ And Pharaoh said, ‘Look, the people are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!’ (Ex. 5:4-5; Ed. notes in parenthesis; emphasis added)

Satan treats those under his influence in the same manner that Pharaoh of Egypt treated ancient Israel. They are regarded as slaves and prisoners that have to do his bidding, with no rest allowed on God’s appointed times,

Those who see you (Satan – at a future time) will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man (after he has been transformed into a physical being for the purpose of judgment) who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, ¹⁷ who made the world as a wilderness (in contrast to the garden of God) and destroyed its cities, who would not release his prisoners (just as Pharaoh would not release Israel so they could keep God’s Holy Days/Sabbaths)? (Isa. 14:16-17; Ed. notes in parentheses; emphasis added).

In addition to the spirit realm, everyone in the physical realm is to keep God’s Sabbath,

And he (Christ) said to them (Jewish religious leaders), “The Sabbath came into existence on account of man(kind), not man(kind) on account of the Sabbath”(Mk. 2:27; RNT; Ed. notes in parentheses).

In this statement from Christ, it is revealed that the weekly Sabbath was created by Almighty God for the enjoyment and benefit of everyone. It is a time to cease from normal work activities and other forms of labor in order to focus on more important things. It is to be a time of fellowship and instruction in God’s way of life and the apostle Paul warned the body of Christ not to neglect it,

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting (encouraging) one another (Heb. 10:24-25a; cf. Ac. 2:1; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

Ancient Israel was taught the importance of the seventh day Sabbath rest through the miraculous provision of bread from heaven. However, this bread would only sustain them for their short mortal lives whereas the real bread from heaven (Jesus Christ; cf. Jn. 6:32-35) would provide them with everlasting life based on their faith (trust) in God’s word, which included obedience to His law (Ac. 5:32; 1Pe. 1:2),

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather the portion of a day in its day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. ⁵ And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily’ (Ex. 16:4-5; emphasis added).

So each day the people would gather enough for their family and if anything was left over they were to get rid of it. On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much so that they would not be working on the Sabbath day (Ex. 16:22-26),

And Moses said, ‘Let no one leave any of it till (the next) morning.’ ²⁰Notwithstanding they did not listen to Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them (Ex. 16:19-20; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. ²⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?” (Ex. 16:27-28; emphasis added)

Sadly today, this situation has not changed much. Instead of obeying God’s law regarding the weekly Sabbath, many of those who claim to know Almighty God say that He has done away with His law and commandments, and as a consequence they no longer need to follow His Sabbath instructions. This is contrary to scripture, and is tantamount to saying that God has changed, which is the same as saying He is fickle and His word cannot be trusted,

For I am the Lord, I do not change (Mal. 3:6a).

Every good gift and every perfect gift (including God’s law) is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (changing) (Jas. 1:17; Ed. notes in parentheses).

But You (Almighty God) are the same, and Your years have no end (Ps. 102:27; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in heaven (Ps. 119:89).

God’s instruction regarding the weekly Sabbath in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus preceded the law that was given at Mt. Sinai (cf. Ex. 20:8-11). Therefore, the Sabbath law continued to be in effect from Genesis 2:2-3 through to Exodus 20:8-11, and it is still in effect today.

The early church after Christ’s death and resurrection continued to keep the weekly Sabbath, just as Jesus Christ did during his earthly ministry. Among other things, observing the Sabbath included teaching, prayer and fellowship,

The Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them next Sabbath (by Paul and Barnabas) (Ac. 13:42b; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

And on the Sabbath day we (Paul, Timothy and Silas) went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there (Ac. 16:13; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks (Ac. 18:4; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

At this point, it is important to explain that the weekly Sabbath is to be kept on the same day that is called Saturday in the secular calendar used by most countries today. Unfortunately, some calendars that have been introduced recently show Sunday as the seventh day of the week. Sunday is the day of pagan sun-worship and was introduced into one major sect of Christianity late in the second century, well over a hundred years following Christ’s death and resurrection. Biblically, Sunday is always referred to as the first day of the week that follows the seventh day Sabbath,

Then the same day (that Mary Magdalene had seen the resurrected Christ) at evening, being the first day of the week (commencement of Sunday using the current secular calendar, which starts at dark; see the study: How To Determine the Beginning and End of the Day), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled (Jn. 20:19a; Ed. notes in parentheses).

If God’s church after Christ’s resurrection continued to keep the weekly Sabbath, how did Sunday become such a popular day of worship for so many people who claim to be Christian? This process of changing the weekly Sabbath to Sunday continued from its introduction in the late second century and Sunday was officially decreed by the Catholic Church in the fourth century as the weekly Sabbath,

We (Roman Catholics) observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea (AD 364), transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday (Peter Geiermann, C.S.S.R., The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, pg. 50, 3^rd edition, 1957).

Changing the seventh day Sabbath to Sunday is an attempt by the Adversary to mislead people into believing they are doing the right thing when in fact they are breaking God’s law (Rev. 12:9). Some religious authorities assert that the intent of God’s command is that we are to keep at least one day of the week holy regardless of which one we choose. This is incorrect as God’s command and Christ’s example are unambiguous. Setting aside as holy any day other than the seventh-day Sabbath is a breach of God’s law. Jesus Christ addressed a similar problem during his earthly ministry. The Jewish religious authority was teaching, as doctrine, certain things that were not in God’s law. Because people followed this false teaching for a long time, it became a tradition and was not questioned by the masses. They simply went along with it,

And he (Christ) answered (the scribes and Pharisees) and said to them, “For what reason also do you transgress the command of God for the sake of your tradition?⁴ “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him end in death.’ ⁵ “But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to father or mother, “it is a gift, if by it you might have benefitted from me,”’ ⁶ “so that he does not honor his father, also invalidates the word of God through your traditions. ⁷ “Hypocrites! Correctly did Isaiah prophecy concerning you, saying, ⁸ “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. ⁹ And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Mt. 15:3-9; RNT; Ed. notes in parentheses).

If anyone worships Almighty God on Sunday instead of the Sabbath day, they are following the tradition of men and worshipping God in vain. Christ corrected the Jewish religious leadership for misleading those who came into their care,

Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you lead around the sea and the dried out places to make one proselyte (missionary work), and when it happens, you make him a son of Gehenna (a dump outside Jerusalem where everything from garbage to criminals was burned) twofold more than you (Mt. 23:15; RNT).

Even though many people recognize that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) is God’s Sabbath day, they may still break it by not observing it in the prescribed manner. This would also include understanding when the Sabbath commences because many assume incorrectly that it is at sunset (see the study: How to Determine the Beginning and End of the Day),

If you turn away (your foot from the Sabbath) from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways (activities involving work or commerce), nor finding your own pleasure (recreational pursuits or activities not related to spiritual matters), nor speaking your own words (talking mainly about regular daily/weekly concerns rather than focusing on spiritual discussions), ¹⁴then you shall delight yourself in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob (Israel) your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isa. 58:13-14; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Although the blessing for obeying the Sabbath, mentioned in this last scripture, appears to be directed toward the nation of Israel, it is important to bear in mind that all the Gentile nations will be grafted, metaphorically, into the spiritual house of Israel (upon repentance of sin). Therefore, all of mankind is commanded to keep God’s weekly Sabbath as well as His other appointed times because it is God’s intention that all nations receive the blessings that were once offered to Israel, based on obedience to God’s law (Deut. 28:1-14; Lev. 26:2-13),

And if some of the branches (of Israel) were broken off (because of disbelief and disobedience to God’s law), and you (the Gentiles), being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree (symbolic of the spiritual nation of Israel under Jesus Christ’s leadership) (Rom. 11:17; Ed. notes in parentheses).

God explains in even greater detail what keeping His weekly Sabbath means,

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates (Ex. 20:9-10; Deut. 5:14).

So anything associated with a person working is to be avoided, with the exception of an “ox in the ditch,” which will be explained later in this document. This would include having others (man-servants and/or maidservants) work for you as would be the case when going to stores, restaurants, funerals, weddings, movies, sports games, etc. In Exodus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 5:14, even cattle, oxen and donkeys are mentioned because they are working animals. When the book of Exodus was written, many nations used these animals to pull plows and move goods. Today, that would equate to using a motor vehicle to perform various work tasks. Therefore, if someone wanted to borrow your vehicle to run errands, move belongings, or pick up goods, you would tell them they could borrow it on any day of the week except the weekly Sabbath,

In those days, I (Nehemiah) saw in (the nation of) Judah some people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. ¹⁶ Men of Tyre (Gentiles) dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles (leaders) of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?¹⁸ Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God (eventually) bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath’ (Neh. 13:15-18; Ed. notes in parentheses).

As long as the nation of Israel was under the direct leadership of Almighty God through His designated official, the Angel of the Lord (Gen. 16:7, 9-11; 22:11, 15; Nu. 22:22-26, 31-32, 34-35; 25:27; Jgs. 2:1, 4; 5:23; 6:11-12, 21-22; 13:3,16,18, 20; 1Kgs. 19:7; 2Kgs. 1:3, 15; 19:35; 2Sam. 24:16; Isa. 37:36) Israel was punished for breaking God’s weekly Sabbath,

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep (including other appointed times/Holy Days), for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you (consecrates – sets apart for holy purposes). ¹⁴ You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes (defiles) it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. ¹⁵ Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. ¹⁶ Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant (binding agreement between two parties). ¹⁷ It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed’ (Ex. 31:13-17; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³ And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. ³⁴ They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him (exact manner of execution). ³⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp’ (Nu. 15:32-35; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

Because Almighty God is a loving and compassionate Father, He permits some activities to be conducted on His Sabbaths in the event of extenuating circumstances,

And to them (the Pharisees) he (Christ) said, “Which of you will have a son or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately pull him up on the day of the Sabbath?”(Lk. 14:5; RNT; Ed. notes in parentheses).

The above scripture does not mean that a person is to run to work because their boss called pleading with them to come to work because another staff member failed to turn up (Ac. 5:29).

During the time of the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel rejected God’s leadership and demanded that a human king be placed over them. God warned them that their lives would be considerably worse under human rulership. He also made it plain that the human ruler was to be very familiar with His law and follow it (Deut. 17:14, 18-20). As history has shown, human rulership has brought frustration, hardship, sorrow, and war because it rarely follows God’s law (Rom. 8:7),

And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them (1Sam. 8:7).

And he (God) said, ‘This will be the behavior of the king (rulership) who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots (in battle, with all the associated loss of life and grief; not to mention expense of arming and sustaining an army) (1Sam. 8:11; Ed. notes in parentheses).

In 1Samuel 8:12-17, God continues a litany of problems that the nation will experience by placing human leadership over them and concludes with the following statement,

And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day (1Sam. 8:18).

There is no country in the world today that has a leadership following and enforcing the law of God, including the weekly Sabbath. Because Almighty God is patient and longsuffering, He has given mankind plenty of time to learn the hard way that breaking His law brings sorrow (Ex. 34:6; Nu. 14:18; Ps. 86:15; 2Pe. 3:9) . Figuratively speaking, He has given mankind plenty of rope and eventually they will hang themselves as they continue to reject His laws (Deut. 28:15-68).

The weekly Sabbath along with God’s other Holy Days (see the studies under:God’s Holy Days) will be universally restored by Jesus Christ after he returns to replace the current spirit leader of this planet (Rev. 12:9; 2Cor. 4:3-4; Eph. 2:1-3; Mt. 4:8-11). If nations still refuse to obey the weekly Sabbath and other Holy Days, there will be consequences similar to those during the time of Moses,

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days (in the future after Christ’s return as King of kings and Lord of lords; cf. Rev. 19:11-15) that the mountain (symbol of government) of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains (governments of this present world that are under the influence of the Adversary) and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. ² Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain (government/ kingdom) of the Lord. To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways (which will include observance of the weekly Sabbath), and we shall walk in His paths’ (which mankind is currently not walking in). For out of Zion the law (of Almighty God) shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ³ He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Mic. 4:1-3; Ed. notes in parentheses).

It shall be that I (Almighty God) will gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see My glory. ¹⁹ I will set a sign among them (cf. Ex. 31:13); and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan (all Gentile nations), to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. ²⁰ Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels (different modes of transport from different countries around the world), to My holy mountain (government) Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. ²¹ And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites says the Lord (the Levitical priesthood with animal sacrifices will see a temporary revival after Christ’s return; cf. Eze. 40–47; Zech. 14:21). ²² For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain. ²³ And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord (Isa. 66:18-23; Ed. notes in parentheses; emphasis added).

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸ If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16-18; emphasis added, cf. Lev. 23:33-44; see section on this website dealing with God’s Holy Days).

The weekly Sabbath is broken with impunity today as well as God’s other Holy Days. Because all nations are under human leadership which is influenced by the Adversary, they are being allowed to walk in darkness until they come to the point where they cry out for God’s intervention and truth. It is by obedience to the weekly Sabbath and Holy Day sequence that mankind can come to understand the plan of salvation that God is working out,

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! ² Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! ³ They also do no iniquity (1Jn. 3:4); they walk in His ways. ⁴ You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently. ⁵ Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! ⁶ Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments. ⁷ I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. ⁸ I will keep your statutes; oh, do not forsake me utterly! (Ps. 119:1-8; Ed. notes in parentheses).

The weekly Sabbath is a constant reminder that Almighty God is Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He alone is the Sovereign Ruler, although He delegates authority to whomever He wills (Mt. 25:14-30; Col. 1:13-20). The weekly Sabbath is a regular reminder that God loves all those He has created, and wants only the best for them. He commands them to rest from their labors and He will bless them, even though they will miss a twenty-four hour period of time in which they could work and earn money. Therefore, keeping the weekly Sabbath and other Holy Days requires faith that God will keep His promises (Isa. 58:13-14) and that those who obey His commands will not suffer loss, in the long-term. It is only through obedience to God’s law that anyone can know for sure whether they have faith (trust) in God’s word. Ancient Israel failed to obey God’s commands because they did not trust that God would protect and provide for them even though He told them that He would (Heb. 4:2). The weekly Sabbath is a reminder that mankind’s true and everlasting rest can only come as a result of Christ’s sacrifice, because it is the only means through which mankind can come out from under the yoke of sin, which results in death (Rom. 6:23). The weekly Sabbath is also a prophetic aspect of God’s law because it points forward in time to an extended rest that will commence upon Christ’s return to this planet. The book of Hebrews speaks about this Sabbath rest,

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest (everlasting life), let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it (through disobedience due to a lack of faith in God’s word/promises). ² For indeed the gospel (good news) was preached to us as well as to them (ancient Israel); but the word (of Almighty God) which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. ³ For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: ‘So I swore in My wrath, they (ancient Israel) shall not enter My rest,’ although the works were finished from the foundation of the world (Rev.13:8). ⁴ For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all His works’, ⁵ and again in this place: ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ⁶Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, ⁷ again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today,’ after such as long time, as it has been said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.’ ⁸ For if Joshua had given them (ancient Israel) rest (in the Promised Land), then He (Almighty God) would not afterward have spoken of another day (Heb. 4:1-8; Ed. notes in parentheses; emphasis added).

The name translated Joshua in the previous quote is from the Greek name Iesous (Jesus) which is translated from the Hebrew name Yeshua.

Therefore, as Joshua led ancient Israel into a physical Promised Land, Jesus Christ will, at some point in the future, lead spiritual Israel into the kingdom of God (a spiritual Promised Land).

There remains therefore a rest (Gr. Sabbatismos = Sabbath rest) for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His (God’s intended) rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest (everlasting life), lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience (as exhibited by ancient Israel’s rebellious conduct including breaking the law of the weekly Sabbath). ¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow (most inward parts of a person), and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight (cf. Ps. 139:7-12; Mt. 10:29-30), but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Heb. 4:9-13; cf. Rom. 14:11-12).

In light of these scriptures, it should be  plain to see that Almighty God expects His people to obey His weekly Sabbath command. The conduct of His people is under close scrutiny as they are in a position to enter His rest at Christ’s return to rule this planet (Rev. 2:25-29). Therefore, the true followers of Almighty God will be examining themselves to make sure their conduct is in harmony with every aspect of God’s word,

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove (test) yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified (2Cor. 13:5; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

But he (Christ) answered and said, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Mt. 4:4; RNT; Ed. notes in parenthesis).

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1Pe. 4:17; Ed. notes in parentheses; emphasis added).

To those who claim to know Jesus Christ, and teach that he came to do away with his Father’s law and commandments, including observance of the weekly Sabbath, Christ has a stern warning,

Not everyone who says to me (Jesus Christ), ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of the heavens (God’s rest), but he who does the will of my Father, the one in the heavens. ²² “Many will say to me in that day (of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many powerful works?’ ²³ “And then I (Christ) will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from me you workers of  lawlessness!’ (Mt. 7:21-23; RNT, cf. 1Jn. 3:4; Ed. notes in parentheses).

As Christ is the author of our salvation (Heb. 2:10), it is by his sacrifice that we can be brought out of sin and Satan’s system and enter God’s rest,

And remember that you were a slave (spiritually speaking, prior to repentance of sin) in the land of Egypt (symbolically representing Satan’s system), and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand (through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ) and by an outstretched arm: therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day (as a constant reminder of God’s work to redeem sinful beings and grant them rest in His kingdom) (Deut. 5:15; Ed. notes in parentheses).

Jesus Christ kept the weekly Sabbath as did his loyal followers during his earthly ministry, and after his death and resurrection. It is to be kept today by anyone who claims to know Jesus Christ and will be observed by everyone during the millennium (Isa. 66:18-23). To those who refuse to obey the law regarding the weekly Sabbath, Christ says that he does not know them (Mt. 25:1-12).