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[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Introduction: A Less-Known Holy Day

Trumpets figure prominently in the prophetic language of the Bible. Most people have heard of the seven trumpets of Revelation. These trumpets will signal seven powerful plagues unleashed on the earth during the Day of the Lord. The seventh of these trumpets will signal the beginning of Christ’s reign over the kingdoms of this world. And this trumpet will also announce the resurrection of the saints to glory.

But who has ever heard of the “Feast of Trumpets”? Just what is the “Feast of Trumpets”?

The Feast of Trumpets is one of the seven biblical Feasts that are outlined in Scripture. These are holy days observed annually by a growing number of Christians around the world. These holy days are not just empty rituals, but deeply, meaningful holy days that provide a framework for the plan of salvation. They teach us how God is bringing many sons to glory, as it says in Hebrews 2:10.

If you haven’t heard of the Feast of Trumpets, why not?

Maybe it’s time you did. Because your Bible shows this feast day is a significant day of worship to God. And keeping it can give us a depth of understanding about where we are in prophecy, and where we’re headed.

On today’s program, we’re going to ask the question, “What is the Feast of Trumpets”? We’ll examine how it fits into the overall outline of biblical holy days. And we’ll discover the special significance it has for Christians living in the last days.

Trumpets: A Vital Biblical Symbol

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we bring an understanding of today’s world, through the prophecies of the Bible.

When we speak of trumpets in the Bible, what comes to mind? You might recall that there will be seven trumpets blown during the Day of the Lord, announcing seven powerful plagues. You may also recall that there is a mighty trumpet blown at the resurrection of the saints.

Why do we have these uses of trumpets in prophecy, and what do they mean for us? To answer this question, we must understand that the Bible reveals there are seven biblical holy days. They are annual holy days and occur as regular, annual feasts. One is called “a memorial of blowing of trumpets.” Or, just “the Feast of Trumpets.” But what is it all about?

Perhaps the best way to introduce the Feast of Trumpets is to first take a step back, and outline all of the seven annual feasts. Now, some think the feast days, originally found in the Old Testament, were just for the ancient Israelites, or just for the Jews. But actually, the New Testament church kept the biblical holy days, too. This might be a shock to some. But if you want to see for yourself, be sure to get the study guide we are offering today, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan.

We find the biblical holy days listed in the book of Leviticus. I’ll briefly review them, and explain what they symbolize for Christians.

Let’s turn to Leviticus 23 and we’ll read in verse 1.

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

Now stop just for a moment, and think about this. Who is “the Lord” speaking? Well, that’s the preincarnate Jesus Christ and He says these are His feasts. These feasts He’s going to be talking about. There not the feasts of the Jews, There not the feasts of the Isrealites, they are the Lord’s feasts. And if we understand that this is the preincarnate Jesus Christ talking should we not take notice and think about what does our Lord want us to learn about His feasts?

Going on:

“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.” [v. 3]

So, this is interesting because what we find here is there is a weekly Sabbath, and there are annual Sabbaths. The seventh day, Saturday, is the weekly Sabbath, and the feasts we are going to be talking about here in a moment are the annual Sabbaths. And they are all feasts of the Lord.

Going on in verse 4…

“These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times….”

So this is interesting. In the introduction to a discussion about the feast days, we’re told these are the feasts of the Lord. Who is the Lord? The preincarnate Jesus Christ. And they’re connected to the seventh day Sabbath, and they are to be proclaimed at their appointed times. Now let’s go through a step by step discussion of what these feast days are.

1. First, comes the Passover. This is found in Leviticus 23:4 and 5.

For Christians, Passover is a memorial of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. It signifies the fact that if we have repented of our sins, we can be “passed over” and we can be justified before God through the death of Jesus Christ. We can be freed from the death penalty, which we earned through sin. This is the first and pivotal step in the awesome plan of salvation of Almighty God.

2. The second feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, found in Leviticus 23:6–8.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows Passover. This feast is a time when Christians remove leaven from their homes and sin from their hearts. It’s a seven-day period where we are admonished to examine ourselves and determine: Are we living up to the sacrifice that Christ made for us? Leavening symbolizes sin, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes coming out of sin, through the help of our Savior Jesus Christ.

3. The third feast in the biblical list of holy days is the day of Pentecost. In Leviticus 23:15–21 it is introduced as the “feast of weeks” or the “feast of firstfruits.”

This one you might be more familiar with. You may remember that it was called the Day of Pentecost in the New Testament. That’s just a Greek word for “fiftieth,” as they were to count fifty days in order to calculate the timing of this day. Pentecost was the day the Holy Spirit was poured out on the fledgling New Testament church. Pentecost, or the “Feast of Firstfruits” teaches us that God is calling just a small number of people today, as firstfruits. He’s simply not calling the whole world now. Have you ever wondered why there is so much sin in the world? Why is it such a violent and dangerous place to be, and getting worse? If God really was trying to call all of humanity at this time, don’t you think He’d be more successful? No, God is not calling everyone now. And this is explained in the Day of Pentecost, or Feast of Firstfruits.

4. The next feast often occurs in September and is called a “memorial of blowing of trumpets,” in Leviticus 23:23–25. In short, it’s called the Feast of Trumpets.

But what is the Feast of Trumpets for? Well, this feast teaches us that Jesus Christ’s return will be in a time of great warfare and violence. It also symbolizes Him coming as a warrior, as a conquering king, no longer as a suffering Lamb. We’ll come back to this a little later.

5. Following short on the heels of the Feast of Trumpets is another day called The Day of Atonement. This is found in Leviticus 23:26–32.

The Day of Atonement is a very sobering day because it’s a day of fasting and humbling ourselves. It’s a day when we recognize that Satan the Devil has been given temporary rulership over this world. But he will be removed when Jesus comes back to this earth. And for that reason, it’s a day of great hope and promise for all mankind.

6. The next feast is called the Feast of Tabernacles. That’s found in Leviticus 23:33 through 36.

The Feast of Tabernacles signifies the big harvest which will take place during Christ’s 1,000-year reign on earth. It’s also called the “Feast of Ingathering.” And during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, God’s Spirit will be open to everyone and all will know the truth. Everyone in every nation around the globe will be taught to worship Him and learn His ways. The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day, joyous celebration that reminds us of this coming age of peace and prosperity.

7. The last feast is called the “eighth day” in Leviticus 23:36. It’s also called “the last day, that great day of the feast” in John 7:37.

This Last Great Day comes immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s a one-day feast that teaches us just how just and fair God really is. The Last Great Day teaches us that there will come a time after the millennium when every human being will have a chance at salvation. Those who have lived and died but never even heard the name of Jesus Christ will have an opportunity and God will not consign them to punishment without really giving them a chance. This feast pictures that day when they’ll be given their chance. And what a wonderful picture of a fair and loving God it is.

What we’ve just reviewed is God’s master plan of salvation. In other words, God has a step-by-step plan by which He will give every man and woman a chance at salvation.

So, what does this have to do with you? And why are we talking about the Feast of Trumpets.

True Christians Kept God’s Feasts

In the last segment, we briefly outlined the seven feasts of God that He reveals in the Bible. These are feast days that the early New Testament Church kept in the first century. But don’t take our word for it; do your own research. Check it out for yourself. You’ll find that first-century Christians never kept Christmas, Easter, or Halloween. What they did keep is Pentecost, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Passover, and others. How do we know? Well, we can look at the record of the Bible itself.

Take a look at Acts 2:1:

“When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1)

Isn’t it interesting that the Holy Spirit was given, initiating the New Testament church, on what most people think of as an Old Testament holy day? This is after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Shouldn’t it give us pause before casting aside these holy days?

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church was written in the 50s AD, well over two decades after the New Testament church was founded. And yet, Paul refers to this church as keeping Feast of Unleavened Bread, another of the biblical holy days. We can read it in 1 Corinthians 5:6:

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.” (1 Corinthians 5:6–7)

Leaven was compared to sin. Just like leaven spreads throughout a whole loaf of bread in the leavening process, even so, sin spreads and multiplies in us and has a corrosive effect in our lives. During the feast of Unleavened Bread, we are to eliminate any leavened products from our homes and any of our meals. Paul acknowledges the fact that these members of the Church in Corinth were in fact keeping these days, because he said, “you truly are unleavened.”

The next statement should make it even more clear. In 1 Corinthians 5:8 Paul wrote:

“Therefore let us keep the feast…” (1 Corinthians 5:8)

So, we find the church of God keeping this so-called Old Testament holy day well into the New Testament era. As one step further, Paul explains that we should observe the New Testament Passover in honor of our Lord’s death. Notice in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 5:

“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

In chapter 11 he gives instruction on how to observe the New Testament Passover:

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ … For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–24, 26)

Now, why does this matter? Why go through examples of the New Testament writers explaining how the early church kept the biblical holy days? Because as Christians, we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ and the disciples. And certainly, it’s even more important to be diligent to follow the example of Jesus Christ, as we see the day of His return approaching.

As we mentioned in the last segment, the Feast of Trumpets is the fourth feast in the sequence of annual holy days. But to understand the Feast of Trumpets, we have to understand how trumpets were used in ancient times. Thousands of years ago, before the advent of radio or satellite communication, there had to be a way to convey signals to people separated by great distances. Whether an army in formation, or citizens scattered throughout a walled city, their lives depended on having sentries who could blast a trumpet call to everyone, if danger was approaching.

So, what does this mean for us today? What should we learn from the Feast of Trumpets? This Feast focuses on the return of Christ. But not only that, it warns us that Jesus’ return will occur during a time of great calamity and war. That’s what trumpets were used for in ancient times. To announce danger or an approaching army. So, this holy day, to be kept annually, is designed to teach us about how to be ready in a dangerous and violent world leading up to Christ’s return.

If you’re a long-time viewer of Tomorrow’s World, you know that the prophesied Day of the Lord is a one-year period leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. During that one-year period, seven trumpets will be blown by seven powerful angels. These seven trumpets will announce seven plagues poured out on mankind. These seven plagues are outlined in Revelation 8, 9, and 11. The description in these chapters shows that this will be a time of great devastation and distress on earth. This final year, the Day of the Lord, will be the year of God’s wrath on rebellious mankind. At the end of that period, Jesus Christ will intervene to save humanity from itself. We read of the seventh trumpet blowing and a profound announcement taking place. This is in Revelation 11:15,

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15)

Think about it! What a momentous event that will be. The announcement of our Savior directly taking control of the governments of this world. Can you imagine what a profound shift this will be? In response, Zechariah shows us that the leaders of this world will actually fight against Him. In Zechariah 14:1–2, we read:

“Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem…. [v. 3] Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.” (Zechariah 14:1–4)

Why does Jesus Christ have to take over the kingdoms of this earth when He returns? Have you ever asked yourself that question? The answer is simple. He is NOT the ruler of this world today. Satan the devil is. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says Satan is “the god of this age.” Ephesians 2:2 shows Satan is the “prince of the power of the air.” He rules over this age, with chaos and violence. Is it any wonder why we have so much mayhem and destruction in our world today? It’s because Satan is currently ruling over this earth. But he will be replaced by Jesus Christ, and the Feast of Trumpets teaches us that.

God’s Plan of Salvation—Step by Step

We’re living in very uncertain times. The news is frightening. The trends in society are discouraging. And it’s easy to worry about what’s going to happen next. But we don’t have to wonder or worry, because we’ve been given an outline of the plan.

The holy days reveal the plan of salvation of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. The biblical holy days outline that plan and they show us where we are in history.

They also show us that when Christ returns, in a time of war, another event will happen. This is something God’s servants have waited for, for thousands of years. That is, the resurrection of the saints. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 explains this:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18)

And it is a comfort, isn’t it? To know our Savior is coming back, and when that trumpet blows, those who have died in the faith, as disciples of Christ, will be awakened and given life, spirit life. And we, too, can be part of that group that enters God’s glorious kingdom in that day. A life without pain, without suffering, without death, forever. That’s hard even to imagine, but that is what will happen when that trumpet blows.

But which trumpet is it? 1 Corinthians 15:51 gets more specific:

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52)

Just as Christ will take over the kingdoms of this world at the announcement of the last trumpet, so will the resurrection occur. At the last trumpet. The seventh trumpet of Revelation. The time when saints will enter glory, eternal life with God the Father and Jesus Christ. To live forever and never die. This is what the Feast of Trumpets teaches us—that we can be changed into immortal spirit beings, at the blast of that last, seventh trumpet. What an encouraging and powerful hope we have!

Frankly, we are nearing that time now. We are living in the time leading up to the events symbolized by the Feast of Trumpets. Wouldn’t you want to know more about the Feast of Trumpets if it reveals understanding about the time we’re living in? Wouldn’t you want to keep the Feast of Trumpets if it gives comfort and encouragement in a time of violence and war? This profound observance teaches us about preparing for and being ready for the tumultuous times ahead of us.

Conclusion: The True Gospel

On Tomorrow’s World, we bring you the truth. And truth is so rare, today. We are committed to preaching this message, to accomplish our mission and goal, and that is, of publishing the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God on earth—the same Gospel message Christ preached.

Isaiah 58:1 tells God’s servants:

“Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet.” (Isaiah 58:1)

And that’s what we want to do, with each episode of Tomorrow’s World. Not just perpetuating the world’s traditions and customs, but actually teaching how you can have a relationship with God based on obedience to His laws. Jesus Christ came to die for our sins, and we can have forgiveness through Him. But there is so much more to His message, including the advance warning of how to prepare for the times just ahead.

So, what is the Feast of Trumpets? It’s an annual holy day, among the biblical Holy days of God, which prepares us to be ready for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what could be more important than that?

Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video, and if you would like a copy of our free study guide The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan, go to TWTV.org/Plan or click the link in the description. See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Introduction: More Answers from the Bible

The Bible is God’s word—His mind in print. The truth found within its pages is simple and beautiful. But that doesn’t mean some passages aren’t hard to understand.

On today’s program we’re going to look at three common Bible questions we receive at Tomorrow’s World, and we’re going to teach you how to answer those questions yourself, straight out of God’s word.

So, join us for a new installment of “Your Questions, the Bible’s Answers!”

Interpreting the Bible: Was Jesus Created?

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World!

If you’re a new viewer, welcome! You’ll soon find we’re not like most religious programs you see on television or the Internet. And, as our regular viewers know well, we don’t ask you to simply take our word for the things we say. We ask you to believe your Bible, and to measure everything we tell you against the truth of God’s eternal word.

As King David says of God in Psalm 119 and verse 160, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” But that doesn’t mean that we can’t misunderstand the Bible from time to time. As we’ll see, even the Bible testifies of itself that sometimes its meaning is misunderstood or, frankly, twisted by others. In such cases, the student of the Bible needs to strive to rise to the challenge!

In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle Paul encouraged his young protégé to do just that, telling him,

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

THAT’S what we want to do. To RIGHTLY divide the word of truth.

We enjoyed doing our first “question and answer” program so much, we couldn’t help but do another one! And as we answer the questions, we’ll illustrate the principles you can use in the future to answer Bible questions for yourself.

Our three questions today are:

1. Was Jesus created?
2. Did Paul teach that all creatures are good for food?

and

3. Is the Kingdom of God in your heart?

Let’s jump right in!

Our first question is a common misunderstanding. Some teach that Jesus is divine, but is not actually God, just as His Father is God. They say Jesus is a created being, just like the angels. And one verse that is commonly pointed to for such claims is Revelation 3:14. There, in vision, the Apostle John sees the glorified Christ, who reveals messages to the Church of God, intended to span the centuries that would follow. John writes in Revelation 3:14,

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God….’”

Those words, “the Beginning of the creation of God,” seem to suggest to some that Jesus—even in His divine existence before His life on earth—was created by God.

So, “Was Jesus created?”

One of the principles we’ll use on today’s program to help us answer these questions is a vital tool for biblical understanding. When trying to find out what the Bible really says about something—in this case, the nature of Christ—it is important to “Examine other scriptures on the same topic.” After all, the Bible—every word of it—is inspired by the same God, through the same Spirit. It does not contradict itself.

The Son of God, Himself, Jesus Christ, tells us this in John 10:35, where He says “the Scripture cannot be broken.”

When we want to understand the fullness of God’s mind on a subject, we want to rightly divide His word and look at the whole of that word and what it has to say about that subject. In this case, what does the Bible have to say in other places about Jesus Christ’s existence with God before His incarnation in the flesh?

Was He created by God?

Or did He exist eternally with God, with NO beginning?

There are many places in Scripture where we could turn, but since Revelation is Jesus’ revelation to His servant John, let’s turn to John’s own gospel to see how he understood Jesus’ pre-incarnate nature. Look at the very beginning of the book of John, starting with the very first verse:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

John here refers to Jesus Christ—or, in Greek, the “Logos,” translated “Word” in the New King James Version. He makes this plain in the rest of the chapter, such as in verses 14–18.

And here John plainly says: the Word was with God—and was God—and They were together from the very beginning. More explicitly, John says,

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

How plain! All created things were made through him. This could not be true if Jesus, Himself, were one of the created things! This understanding of Christ as the Creator is taught plainly in many other passages as well, such as Colossians 1:16–17, Ephesians 3:9, Hebrews 1:2, and others.

These and other scriptures in the Bible make it plain that all things were made through, by, and for Jesus Christ. This is why some other English Bibles translate Revelation 3:14 differently, saying Christ is the “origin of God’s creation” like the New Revised Standard Version, or the “source of God’s creation” like the New American Bible.

So, the answer to our question is, No, Jesus was not created. In the beginning He was with God, and He was God—one of the two members of the God family Whom we now call the Father and the Son.

Wisdom About Clean and Unclean Foods NOT Abolished!

Many viewers of Tomorrow’s World and readers of our magazine—our free magazine you will receive in addition to today’s Bible Study Course—have heard us explain the Bible’s teaching in Leviticus 23 concerning clean and unclean animals—clean animals, being those God’s word says it is lawful to eat, and unclean animals, being those we’re told are not lawful to eat. God’s law is plain: Some animals are NOT to be eaten.

That brings us to our second question today: “Does Paul tell Timothy that every animal is good for food?”

Let’s look at 1 Timothy 4:4 and make sure we understand what is being asked.

We read there that Paul wrote to Timothy,

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving….”

So, at first glance, you might think Paul is saying we should throw out God’s laws about what animals are clean or unclean, and many try to use this verse to make that very point—even though Paul said elsewhere that God’s laws and commands in the Old Testament are holy, just, and good Romans 7:12.

Any time someone wants to use the Apostle Paul to make the Bible seem to say God’s laws should be ignored, you should take warning—and not because we are warning you, but because the Bible itself warns you.

We see that warning, written by the Apostle Peter, in 2 Peter 3:15–16:

“… and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

So, Peter encourages us to be careful, lest we fall into the trap of those who twist the Apostle Paul’s comments—which are sometimes hard to understand—to say something lawless they were not meant to say.

And, we have to admit, there are clearly many, many creatures that are not good for food! Animals such as the comb star—an intensely poisonous starfish, whose flesh contains tetrodotoxin [tet-'RO-duh-"TOX-in], a deadly neurotoxin for which there is no known antidote. So, is Paul literally saying here to Timothy that God intended every creature He created to be edible? After all, eating a comb star sandwich may kill you, but the starfish is a “creature of God.”

Let’s read more carefully by “Examin[ing] the context around the verse [or passage]”—another key to understanding the Bible. Here, let’s go up a few verses and begin reading again in 1 Timothy 4:1:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” [vv. 1–3.]

Already, we’ve learned several important facts!

First, Paul isn’t speaking about God’s law, at all, but about “doctrines of demons.” It would be blasphemous to imply God’s own laws originated in the demon world! Interestingly, Paul mentions examples: man-made regulations forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from foods created by God to be eaten.

Using the first tool we’ve discussed, looking at other verses that speak on the same topic, we see that Paul addressed the same problem in Colossians, calling such man-made restrictions the “commandments and doctrines of men” [Colossians 2:22] not commands of God, and “self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body.” [v. 23]

Are there false versions of Christianity that do impose man-made dogmas and doctrines, such as forbidding some to marry and abstaining eating animals God created to be eaten, such as beef from cattle? Yes, there are! (“Fish on Fridays” and so-called “Christian vegetarianism,” I’m looking at you!) Paul is addressing these false beliefs. These are doctrines and restrictions that do not come out of the Bible, but from the traditions of men, and Paul calls them “doctrines of demons”! He is clearly not talking about the instructions of the Bible, where God teaches exactly which animals He created—as it says in verse 3 of 1 Timothy 4—to be received as food.

But let’s get even more context and look at the verse that follows 1 Timothy 4:4.

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; [Why? Verse 5:] for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

To be sanctified is to be set apart by God, and Paul here says he is speaking of food from creatures that have been set apart by the word of God, which, for Paul, was the Old Testament.

Well, what animals have been set apart by the “word of God” as created to be animals we can eat? The clean animals of Leviticus 11!

Animals like the cow or bull, that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, for instance. The word of God sets them apart, as created to be good for food. In fact, no other animals in the world have been set apart by the word of God, other than the animals the Bible declares clean and available for meat. Certainly not our poisonous starfish friend.

Reading the verses around verse 4 helps make Paul’s meaning clear. The answer to our question “Does Paul tell Timothy that every animal you could choose to consume is good for food?” is no, the context and other passages indicate he does not. Paul was fighting against doctrines of demons and self-imposed, man-made restrictions, explaining that all of the creatures God set apart in His word are acceptable, not those animals God did not create to be eaten in the first place.

What Does the Bible Teach About the Kingdom of God?

For our third question, let’s look at Luke 17. There, in verses 20 and 21, we read,

“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Some take note of those last few words and ask the following: “Is the Kingdom of God in your heart?”

The question is whether Jesus meant that the Kingdom of God is something only set up in the hearts of Christians—now—and not a literal, world-ruling Kingdom that is yet to come in the future.

Now, this idea is explicitly reflected in some Bible translations, such as the Contemporary English Version, which translates Jesus’ words of verse 20 as “God’s kingdom isn’t something you can see.” But is this interpretation correct? Is the Kingdom just in your heart?

Well, let’s use the two tools we’ve already discussed. First, let’s consider other verses. Passages such as 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 9 and 10, chapter 15, verse 50, and Galatians 5:21 plainly describe the Kingdom of God as something Christians will inherit in the future and do not yet have, and that it is something flesh and blood, like we are now, cannot inherit.

In many passages, such as Matthew 25:31 to 34 and Mark 14:25, Jesus clearly describes the Kingdom as something Christians will inherit with His future Second Coming, not before. And Revelation 11:15 describes the inauguration of God’s Kingdom as coinciding with Christ’s return, as well, with other verses saying explicitly that Christ will rule over the world alongside His saints.

And the Old Testament is filled with prophetic descriptions of that future world!

Frankly, there are too many verses to refer to them all! But they plainly depict the Kingdom of God as being a very real Kingdom that will rule the world in the age to come.

And let’s use our second tool and look at the context by reading the larger passage in Luke 17, beginning again in verse 20:

“Then He said to the disciples, ‘The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, “Look here!” or “Look there!” Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.’” [vv. 20–24]

Notice that last part: the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will be as when lightning flashes, which fills the entire sky! That’s something very visible—in fact, accompanied by thunder, it can be impossible to miss!

This does not sound like something invisible that exists only within your heart!

Finally, let’s use a third tool for understanding the Bible: “Remember the additive nature of biblical witnesses.”

Luke is not the only biblical writer to describe Jesus’ comments about the Kingdom and its visibility. Look at a related passage as recorded by a different gospel writer, this time Matthew. Let’s read Matthew 24, beginning at verse 23, and see what he adds:

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

This additional witness records additional elements in Jesus’ description. First, He isn’t talking about something that cannot be seen at all, but rather He is warning that He will not return and establish His Kingdom in some secret location somewhere—some location that has to be figured out or hunted down. In fact, the Greek word translated “observation” in Luke 17:20 can mean just that—a close and careful inspection, picking over minute details.

The Weymouth New Testament translates Jesus’ words of verse 20, “The Kingdom of God does not so come that you can stealthily watch for it.” That matches better Jesus’ warnings to avoid those who say, “Hey, Jesus is in this hidden group or that secret place—you just haven’t seen Him!”

He is saying the coming of His Kingdom will be very public and impossible to miss—like lightning filling the entire sky, or, as this passage adds, like a flock of eagles swarming around their dinner. Not secret at all, and extremely visible!

So, what does He mean when He says “the Kingdom is within you”? Many other Bible translations get this verse more accurately than the King James Version and New King James Version—as much as I love them—by translating that phrase more clearly as “the Kingdom is among you” or “the Kingdom is in your midst.”

And that makes far more sense!

Wherever Jesus went in His ministry, the people experienced a foretaste of the great Kingdom to come in tomorrow’s world.

Conclusion: Three Principles for Answering Questions About the Bible

In addressing these common Bible questions, we’ve seen that Jesus was NOT created by God but, instead, existed in eternity past with Him. And that all created things were, in fact made through Him. We’ve seen that the Apostle Paul was not trying to say that you should be willing to eat any and every animal on earth, but those God created to be eaten are fair game. And we’ve seen that the Kingdom of God is not just something set up in your heart, but truly is a world-ruling Kingdom to be brought by Jesus Christ at His return.

And we’ve answered those questions by employing three solid principles that you should always keep in mind when trying to understand a particular verse or passage of the Bible:

1. Examine other scriptures on the same topic.
2. Examine the context around the verse or passage.
3. Remember the additive nature of biblical witnesses.

With these principles in mind, you’ll be well on your way to fulfilling that charge the Apostle Paul laid upon Timothy—and which, centuries later, he lays on all of us:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” [2 Timothy 2:15]

Thanks for watching our program today!

If you’re interested in the 24-lesson Bible Study Course that we offer for free, just click on the link in the description. And if you’re interested in seeing more of this material from Tomorrow’s World where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of your Bible, then click on the “Subscribe” button, and we’d appreciate it if you’d click on that bell so you’re informed when these videos come out.

24 Lesson Bible Study Course by clicking the link in the description.

Thank you very much!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Is the Russia-Ukraine War a Prophetic Event?

What will be the fallout from the war in Ukraine? Some wonder: Will it lead to World War III and Armageddon? The good news is that the short-term answer is no.

Do you realize there is a source you can rely upon to give the answer? People throw about the term Armageddon but forget the word’s source—the biblical book of Revelation. It’s the Bible, and Jesus specifically, that long ago informed us that humanity would come to the place where all life could be wiped off this planet. But the good news is that Christ will intervene, stop our madness, and usher in a time of universal peace.

But for now, what, if anything, does the war in Ukraine mean? Does the Bible mention it?

I’ll be right back.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall Set the Stage for A New World Superpower

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where we bring to life Bible prophecy. On today’s program, I’m going to explain, from the pages of the Bible, the significance of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Many of us grew up during the “Cold War” and lived long enough to see the [fall of the Berlin Wall]. We remember these famous words of President Ronald Reagan, standing before the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, where he challenged the Soviet leader to tear down the wall that divided Berlin and Eastern Europe from the West:

“Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe…. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men…. Today I say as long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind….

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.

Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (“Tear Down This Wall,” National Archives, Archives.gov, 2007).

And he did!

That ugly twelve-foot-high wall that circled West Berlin for 28 years began to be dismantled and the Brandenburg Gate opened five months later.

While many thought this impossible, many of us here at Tomorrow’s World were not caught by surprise. Why?

Here is what a Hendersonville Tennessee reporter for the Free Press wrote on December 7, 1989:

“Like a great many Americans I have been watching the current political situation in East Germany with interest. While many have expressed surprise at the recent events and at East German cries for reunification of East and West Germany, I have to admit I haven’t been too surprised by these events. The reason I haven’t been particularly surprised is that for years I have occasionally read the publications of… the late Herbert W. Armstrong… Armstrong predicted that the Berlin Wall would some day come down and the two German states would once again reunite into a powerful nation” (The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality? pp. 1–2).

How did Mr. Armstrong and those of us here at Tomorrow’s World know this would happen? The short answer is that we understand Bible prophecy. Now there is much detail that we don’t know, but we—and you—can know the outline of what to expect in the days ahead. The God who inspired the Bible has given us a remarkable outline of history, told in advance. And He presents this challenge to mankind:

“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

Bible prophecy predicted in advance the fall of Babylon, the empire of the Medes and Persians, the rapid conquests of Alexander the Great, the rise of the mighty Roman Empire, and so much more.

Bible Prophecy Shows World Empires in Advance

Together, Daniel and Revelation give you an accurate outline that you undoubtedly did not receive in school.

In Daniel 2, we read of an unusual dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. It greatly troubled him until Daniel was given understanding from God to interpret it. This famous dream is more than a Sunday School story for children. It’s an outline of history, given in advance, beginning around 600 B.C. and continuing to this day. Nebuchadnezzar saw a giant image of a man with a head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay.

Two important points are given in verse 28:

#1: There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and

#2: He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days (Daniel 2:28).

Now let’s see how Daniel explained the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. We read the explanation in Daniel 2, beginning in verse 37:

“You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory… you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.”

We see here four great empires, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian, or Chaldean, Empire. One might think this is relatively simple to predict, as empires come and go, but the Bible has specific details revealing the nature of these empires, especially the fourth one.

That kingdom of iron was shown by two legs, but why are the feet and toes made of a mixture of iron and clay? We’ll see the answer in verses 41–43:

“Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.

And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.”

So what does this have to do with your life today?

Everything!

The feet and ten toes reveal the time just ahead of us, as we shall see, beginning in verse 44:

“And in the days of these [10] kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

This is the future Kingdom of God on earth, which will replace mankind’s corrupt kingdoms. That is the good news, the gospel, that Jesus proclaimed for three-and-a-half years prior to His death and resurrection.

Daniel 7 describes these same four empires—again ending with the coming of the Messiah—but this time he describes them as beasts. What they symbolize is partly explained beginning in chapter 7 and verses 17–18:

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever” (Daniel 7:17-18).

The fourth Beast lasts until the coming of Christ. Continuing:

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces…. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him’” (Daniel 7:23, 27).

When Will The Final RomAn Empire Rise—and Fall?

So far, we’ve seen from the prophecies in Daniel that there would be four great empires, starting with the Chaldean Empire and ending with the Roman Empire. And, it is at the time of this last empire that God will smash mankind’s misguided rule and set up His Kingdom.

Revelation fills in details that began in Daniel, chapters 2 and 7. Daniel saw these kingdoms near the beginning of the first kingdom, but John wrote during the time of the fourth, the Roman Empire. That is why we see in Revelation 13 a composite beast, as Rome had absorbed all the others:

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority” (Revelation 13:1-2).

This seven-headed beast represents the seven heads of all four described in Daniel 7:

The Lion = Babylon One head

The Bear = Medo-Persia One head

The Leopard = Greco-Macedonian Four heads

The Fourth Beast = Roman One head

So, Revelation 13 describes a seven-headed beast, but one head had a deadly wound that was healed. Notice it in verses 3–5:

“I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months” (Revelation 13:3-5).

Since the deadly wound is healed, it is evident the head that is wounded is the Roman Empire, as it is the one that continues all the way to the end. A deadly wound would come to the Roman Empire, but it would be healed and continue another 42 months.

Do you realize, dear friends, that this is exactly what history tells us?

The Bible sometimes uses what is called a day for a year principle. In this case, 42 months could either refer to literal months, or prophetic months using the day for a year principle. See Ezekiel 4:6:

“And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.”

This principle is also found in Numbers 14:34. Prophetic months are 30 days as seen by comparisons in Scripture. Therefore, 42 prophetic months equal 1,260 days, or years, depending on the context and by what we see happening. Historians generally agree that 476 AD marks the fall of the western Roman Empire.

We do not see the deadly wound healed 42 months later, but we do see the empire restored under Justinian in 554 AD. Four more kingdoms rule under the banner of Rome with the last being Napoléon’s, which ending in 1814—and that’s exactly 1,260 years from Justinian’s Imperial Restoration.

The End-Time Beast Power IS Rising, Just as Bible Prophecy Foretold.

As we’ve seen today, the biblical prophecy of the Beast begins in the Book of Daniel. Chapter 2 gives the overview of four empires stretching from the time of Nebuchadnezzar all the way to the end of the age when Christ returns and sets up a world-ruling government on earth. Chapter 7 describes these four great empires as beasts, giving added detail. Then we come to Revelation 13, where it speaks of the fourth empire—Rome—and how it would receive a deadly wound, but would come back to life for a period of 1,260 years.

The Apostle John was given more information about this beast in Revelation 17, but this time the prophecy refers to this Roman beast only during the time when it is ridden by a woman. It shows there would be seven restored Roman systems, beginning with the five who ruled during 1,260 years. These were:

• Imperial Restoration Justinian 554 AD
• Carolingian Empire Charlemagne 800 AD
• Holy Roman Empire Charles the Great 962 AD
• Hapsburg Dynasty Charles V 1530 AD
• Napoleon’s Empire Napoleon 1804–1814 AD

After Napoleon, people thought the Roman Empire was to be no more, but the Bible describes two more resurrections, with the seventh being destroyed at the coming of Christ.

Revelation 17 begins by describing a church in the form of an immoral woman.

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication’” (Revelation 17:1-2).

There is much more from this chapter and elsewhere giving specific details regarding this woman, which verse 5 shows is a mother church with harlot daughters, but our focus today is on the Beast and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine plays into these prophecies. The world will be shocked to see this final system suddenly appear. Continuing in verse 8:

“And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is [it is not recognized for what it is]. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen [during 1,260 years], one is [Mussolini/Hitler], and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time” (Revelation 17:8-10).

Why is the beast referred to in such cryptic language?

Many do not realize that Mussolini’s dream was to restore the Roman Empire once again and there was an agreement with the pope—thus the woman once again rode the Beast.

Then we come to the seventh and last resurrection of the beast that refuses to go away. Remember that in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, he saw a man with two iron legs whose feet and ten toes were a mixture of iron and clay.

They exist at Christ’s return. Now we see in Revelation 17 that there are ten kings who will make up this seventh Roman empire and will fight against Christ at His return.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12–14).

You may very well live to see this prophecy come to pass!

So how do Russia and Ukraine fit into all of this? We see that there will be one more resurrection of this empire. Ten nations or groups of nations, described as kings, will form a powerful economic and military force that will rival and surpass the United States. But Europeans have had no interest in building a militarily powerful empire.

Several United States Presidents have pressured Europeans, most especially Germany, to “do their fair share to defend Europe,” but to no avail. However, two recent events have transformed their thinking almost overnight. The first was Afghanistan, as shown by this March 21 statement from DW online:

“The plan for an overhaul of the European Union’s security strategy came in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 14 of last year” (“EU approves security policy for rapid reaction force,” DW.com, March 21, 2022 ).

Then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That event has shaken Europeans to the core. From the Times of Israel comes this March 29, 2022 headline:

“How Germany, shaken by Russia’s Ukraine invasion, plans to rebuild its military”

It goes on to say:

“Europe’s largest economy goes on spending spree to modernize its sagging army; considers buying armed drones and Arrow 3 missile defense system from Israel.

Three days after the attack began, Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a landmark speech pledged a special budget of 100 billion euros [$110 billion, that is] for the military, as well as annual spending of more than two percent of output on defense.

The armaments industry has since been buzzing about the looming spending spree” (TimesOfIsrael.com, March 29, 2022).

The media is also abuzz over the building of the German military. Here’s a quote from Defense News:

“Berlin currently spends upwards of $50 billion, or around 1.5% of GDP, on defense annually. Future German defense spending, Scholz said, would be “more” than 2%.

The chancellor also mentioned a number of big-ticket acquisition programs…. For example, a new atomic weapons-capable aircraft under NATO nuclear-sharing doctrine is on the table—Scholz named the F-35 as a candidate—as a replacement for the Air Force’s aging Tornado jets” (“Scholz proposes 100 billion euro defense fund, vows to exceed NATO spending goal,” DefenseNews.com, February 27, 2022).

From the Times of Israel comes this report:

“Planned purchases part of German shift in defense strategy following Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has shaken Berlin’s sense of security….

The spending boost marks a major reversal for Europe’s top economy, upending its policy of keeping a low military profile in part out of guilt over World War II” (“Germany looks to buy F-35s, Eurofighters as part of army modernization push,” TimesOfIsrael.com, March 14, 2022).

And it’s not Germany alone. Other European countries are boosting military spending. Europe is composed of different peoples who do not naturally cling to one another, just as iron and clay do not mix, but when ten kings, or leaders, give their power over to the Beast, they will have the strength of iron. This prophecy WILL come to pass!

So while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not directly mentioned in scripture, the effects of the invasion are setting the stage for this European beast rising a seventh and final time.

Thank you for watching!

If you found this video helpful, and want to learn more, be sure to order your free copy of The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality? All you have to do is click the link in the description. This resource will help you understand what will happen in Europe, and how it will affect your life, no matter where you live.

And remember to subscribe to our channel so you can continue to learn the plain truth from the pages of the Bible.

See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

A Holy Day for All Time

More than two billion professing Christians observe Sunday as their day of worship.

And yet, millions of others observe Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as their day of worship.

Which day truly is the Christian Sabbath?

Most Christians are familiar with the Ten Commandments. In fact, monuments and plaques of the Ten Commandments were posted in public buildings for centuries until recent years. The Fourth Commandment begins “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). That command was on the tablets God gave to Moses in the fifteenth century B.C. But when did God establish the seventh-day Sabbath that was to be remembered?

We’ll answer that question on today’s program.

When the New Testament Christian Church began on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD, first-century Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath. It was not until the Council of Laodicea in 363 A.D. that the Roman Church forbade seventh-day Sabbath-keeping, making Sunday the official day of worship, following Emperor Constantine’s empire-wide edict in 321 A.D.

So, does God in heaven want you to worship Him on just any day? What does your Bible reveal? Which day is the Christian Sabbath? Saturday or Sunday?

Stay tuned!

The Sabbath is Not Unknown!

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world!

The world is experiencing prophetic end-time disruptions, turmoil, and stress. Jesus of Nazareth foretold these troubles in the Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24. He stated in verse 7, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” But He also provided a way of coping with these stresses when He said in Luke 21:19, “By your patience possess your souls.”

In these turbulent times, many seek peace by worshiping on a special day of the week. Various religions set aside religious holidays or holy days. Muslims worship on Friday and follow the call to prayer five times a day. Jews around the world have worshiped for thousands of years on the Sabbath, the day that begins at sunset every Friday evening, and continues through sunset on Saturday. Hundreds of millions of professing Christians meet for Sunday church services, proclaiming theirs is the true day for worship.

But did you know there are also millions of professing Christians who worship on the seventh-day Sabbath?

Why have they taken Saturday as their day of worship?

The Fourth Commandment in your Bible is God’s command to keep the seventh day of the week as a Sabbath rest.

As it states here in Exodus 20:8, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.”

What day of the week did the first-century Christians observe? The answer is right here in your Bible.

On Tomorrow’s World, we ask you not to just take our word for granted, but to check for yourself what the Bible actually says.

Biblical scholars admit that the first-century Christian Church observed the seventh-day Sabbath. But many incorrectly say that was only because they were Jewish Christians. So, did Gentile Christians of the first century observe Sunday as their day of worship? What does your Bible record as the historic truth?

Consider the Apostle Paul.

Paul was trained as a Pharisee; he knew the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures, very well. In the city of Thessalonica, Paul preached to the Jews in the synagogue three Sabbaths in a row. Turn to Act 17. Notice that this was his custom—he regularly preached on the Sabbath.

ACTS 17:2: “Then Paul, as His custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’”

Paul regularly preached to the Jews on the Sabbath. But, did he also speak to the gentiles on the Sabbath? Notice the next chapter, Acts 18. Here the Apostle Paul is in the Gentile city of Corinth, in Greece.

Acts 18:4: “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks”!

One would think that if Christians were to keep Sunday, rather than the seventh-day Sabbath, the Apostle Paul might speak to the Jews on Saturday and the Gentiles on Sunday.

Is that what your Bible says?

Turn to Acts 13. Paul was in Antioch, in what is now modern Turkey. After Paul’s usual Sabbath sermon in the synagogue to both Jews and Gentiles, notice what happened.

Acts 13:42: “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them…” the next day, Sunday?

No!

The Gentiles begged Paul to preach to them “the next Sabbath.”

If Jesus, or the Apostles, had changed God’s commanded day of worship, here was a perfect opportunity for Paul to tell the Gentiles, “No, you don’t need to wait until next Saturday, we Christians now worship on Sunday. Meet with me tomorrow!”

But no, the Apostle Paul did not do that. What does your Bible say? Acts 13:44: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.”

Paul taught the Gentile Christians on the Sabbath! And he also commanded the gentile Corinthians to follow his example. Remember Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” Or as the New International Version translates it, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Yes, Paul and Jesus set an example for all Christians in observing the seventh-day Sabbath!

Now, when did traditional Christianity begin to observe Sunday as a day of rest rather than the Sabbath? The Catholic Encyclopedia, on the topic of “Sunday,” states this, “Tertullian (202 [AD]) is the first writer who expressly mentions the Sunday rest: ‘We, however (just as tradition has taught us), on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection ought to guard not only against kneeling, but every posture and office of solicitude, deferring even our businesses lest we give any place to the devil.’” That was not until 202 A.D.!

Small groups of true Christians, however, still kept the seventh-day Sabbath, even after the Roman Emperor Constantine enforced Sunday-worship. And in the seventeenth century, when Sabbatarian Christians were persecuted in England, some searched for religious freedom in the new lands, the colonies of North America. The royal charter of 1663 granted by Charles II of England, guaranteed religious freedom to the colony of Rhode Island. That charter can be seen today in the Providence, Rhode Island state house.

Historical Evidence of Sabbath-Keeping

In the first part of our program, we saw that first-century Christians observed the seventh-day Sabbath.

Not only did Jewish Christians observe Saturday as the Sabbath, but so did the Gentile Christians. We also saw that even the earliest Sunday-keepers did not gain control until the third century A.D.

We also saw that it was the Roman Emperor, not the Church, who first enforced Sunday worship throughout the Empire. Finally, the Council of Laodicea declared Sunday the day of worship for the Catholic religion in the fourth century A.D.

Isn’t that amazing?

If Christ established Sunday as His day of worship, why did it take more than 300 years after His death and resurrection for the Church to officially declare Sunday as the day of worship?

Despite persecution, true Sabbath-keepers continued to keep the Fourth Commandment through the centuries. When they were persecuted in seventeenth-century England, some fled to seek religious freedom in North America. In 1663, King Charles II guaranteed religious freedom in the colony of Rhode Island, and seventh-day Sabbath-keepers were found welcome.

Historical records show that a Stephen Mumford and his wife came to Newport, Rhode Island in 1665 in search of religious freedom. They were the first Christian Sabbath-keepers in America. As their congregation grew, they needed a larger meeting hall. The Sabbatarians built a large meeting hall in 1729. It is now preserved by the Newport Historical Society.

If you are ever in Newport, Rhode Island, you will want to visit this historic building.

Interestingly enough, the oldest Jewish synagogue in America is located right next door to the Christian Sabbath meeting hall.

In the Newport Sabbatarian meeting hall is a raised pulpit.

Behind the pulpit are two large plaques inscribed with the Ten Commandments. At the bottom of the second plaque is the Apostle Paul’s bold statement of Romans 3:31 in the King James Version, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Yes, these New Testament Christians affirmed their allegiance to Christ’s statement, “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17). Jesus upheld obedience and observance to the Ten Commandments.

In eighteenth-century Rhode Island, there were other prominent Sabbatarians, including two governors of the Rhode Island colony, Richard Ward and his son Samuel—and even the first president of Brown University, James Manning, was a Sabbatarian. Sabbatarian church records, preserved in the Newport Historical Museum, contain members’ names and contributions. Most significantly, the church describes itself in those records as “keeping the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus, and in particular the Lord’s 7th Day Sabbath.”

Over the centuries, seventh-day Christians have continued to observe the Sabbath. They consider it a wonderful day of rest and worship. Even today, there are many groups that remain faithful to their belief in first-century Christian Sabbath-keeping. Now, let me ask you can you prove from the Bible which day a Christian should keep holy? It’s an extremely important question.

The one Who should answer that question for us is the founder of Christianity Himself, Jesus Christ! If you have your Bible, turn to Mark 2. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for transgressing their added restrictions to the Sabbath. Jesus did not break the Fourth Commandment; otherwise He would have sinned. He did reject the rabbinic Halakhah, the added restrictions. But, at the same time, Jesus affirmed the sanctity of the Sabbath and demonstrated its proper observance. His disciples enjoyed the Sabbath liberty of eating corn from the fields—they were hungry and enjoyed what was truly lawful.

Notice Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. Mark 2:27. Jesus stated, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Also notice what Jesus did not say. He did not say, “The Sabbath was made for the Jews.”

No, the Sabbath was made for all humanity—for every man, woman, and child on planet Earth! That is what Christ proclaimed!

Now, when was the Sabbath made?

Turn in your Bible to Genesis 1. This is the description of what is called “Creation Week.” God created man and woman on the sixth day of the week. Now what happened then on the seventh day? Genesis 2:1–3, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.

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.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

The Sabbath is a memorial of the Creation—and points to the true God and true Creator of the Universe. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament also emphasizes the Sabbath as a foreshadowing of the millennial Sabbath, the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth.

The seventh-day Sabbath has deep meaning for Christians. And Jesus made another amazing claim.

Did He say He was Lord over Sunday—that Sunday was the Lord’s Day? Mark 2:27–28, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

If Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, what day is the Lord’s Day?

Sunday? NO! The Sabbath is the Lord’s Day—Jesus Himself said so! Jesus observed the Sabbath.

In fact, He was the One who proclaimed the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

Remember the plain statement of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4 concerning the spiritual Rock of ancient Israel. Who was that Rock that followed them in the wilderness? 1 Corinthians 10:4. The ancient Israelites, the same ones who heard the Ten Commandments thundered at Mt. Sinai—these ancient Israelites, “… drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

We’ve seen that Jesus taught His followers to keep the Ten Commandments. He Himself observed the seventh-day Sabbath, as did the Apostles.

But is there other New Testament evidence that Christians should observe the Sabbath?

Biblical Evidence for Observing the Sabbath

Turn in your Bible to Hebrews 4. In this chapter, the Sabbath is pictured as a type of the millennial rest, as well as a memorial of God’s rest at creation. Hebrews 4:8. Speaking of the unbelief of the ancient Israelites on their way to the promised land, Hebrews 4:8 states, “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. [Verse 9] There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

Does this mean a symbolic rest—or a literal Sabbath rest?

The Anchor Bible Dictionary cites several secular Greek writings, not dependent on this verse in Hebrews, where “sabbatismos” literally means “Sabbath observance” or “Sabbath celebration.” There is no question that this verse is a New Testament statement on literal Christian observance of the Sabbath. And notice this important statement in verse 10 of Hebrews 4. “For he [the individual Christian] who has entered His rest [symbolically converted] has himself also ceased from his works [notice] as God did from His.”

If we, as converted Christians, are to cease from our works just as God did from His, we simply need to ask one question: how did God cease from His works? Verse 4 (of Hebrews 4) gives us the answer: “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.’” There’s no guessing here. New Testament Christians are supposed to rest just as God rested—on the seventh day!

The Bible is very clear. Both the Old Testament and New Testament give Christians the clear example and instruction to keep the Sabbath Day Holy! As the Anchor Bible Dictionary states: “Physical sabbath-keeping on the part of the New Covenant believer as affirmed by ‘sabbath rest’ epitomizes cessation from ‘works’ (4:10) in commemoration of God’s rest at creation (4:4 = Gen 2:2) and manifests faith in the salvation provided by Christ.” That’s quite a plain statement!

The bottom-line question is: who or what is your authority? Is it the Bible? Or some church and religion apart from the Bible?

The noted Catholic theologian James Cardinal Gibbons wrote this bold statement: “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” That is a quote from Gibbons’ “Faith of Our Fathers” first published in 1876. And here is an admission from Harold Lindsell, editor of Christianity Today magazine and Southern Baptist minister (November 5, 1976): “There is nothing in Scripture that requires us to keep Sunday rather than Saturday as a holy day.”

There are many more such admissions on this point that you can read in our free booklet Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? But let me share one more with you. This statement is from Anglican Isaac William, DD, in his Plain Sermons on the Catechism, volume 1: “Where are we told in Scripture that we are to keep the first day at all? We are commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first day…. The reason why we keep the first day of the week holy instead of the seventh is for the same reason that we observe many other things, not because the Bible, but because the Church, has enjoined it.” These are amazing admissions—and there are more of them.

Again, my friends, I ask: What is your source of belief?

Is it the Bible?

Or is it customs and tradition apart from the Bible?

Jesus gave a very strong warning when traditions conflict with the commandments of God. Turn to Mark 7. Many churches have followed that wrong pathway, just as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Mark 7:7. Jesus said, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…. All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

That is a warning I hope all of us will heed.

Jesus stated He is Lord of the Sabbath. He observed the Sabbath regularly and He did not break the law as some theologians assert. As He said in John 15:10, “I have kept My Father's commandments.”

My friends, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and the instructions of your Bible? Or will you oppose them in order to follow the tradition of men?

A Coming Restoration of True Worship

Turn in your Bible to Isaiah 66:22. Speaking of the world to come, tomorrow’s world, God proclaims this good news: “‘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.

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.”

What a wonderful world that will be.

Verse 18, “It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.”

Believe it or not, all nations on earth will someday come to worship the true God, the Creator of all things, and His Son Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of Lords. And all people will worship Him, as He proclaims, “from one Sabbath to another.”

Thank you for watching!

My friends, did you know there are millions of professing Christians who worship on the seventh-day Sabbath? Why have they taken Saturday as their day of worship? Have you proven to yourself which day is the Christian Sabbath?

If you would like a copy of our free Bible study guide to help you answer these questions, just click the link in the description. It is completely free. It will show you, straight from the pages of the Bible, which Day is the Christian Sabbath. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video. See you next time!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

At War With The Laws of God

Some atheists have waged war against the Ten Commandments in recent decades, forcing monuments off public property wherever they find them. One famous case involved Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who placed a monument of the Ten Commandments in the judicial building rotunda in Montgomery, the state capitol.

This caused no small controversy.

After a lengthy legal battle, the monument was removed from the rotunda and Roy Moore was removed from his judgeship.

In another famous incident, a monument displaying the Ten Commandments at the Arkansas State Capitol was destroyed by a man who deliberately crashed his car into it less than 24 hours after it had been erected.

The same individual destroyed another display by the same method a year earlier in Oklahoma, but was this only an act of one crazed man?

As reported by the Associated Press:

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the removal of a Ten Commandments display from its Capitol in 2015, and the state’s voters in 2016 rejected an initiative aimed at allowing the monument to return (“Arkansas replaces Ten Commandments monument at state Capitol,” Times Record, April 26, 2018).

Some professing Christians are rightfully angered by the assault against this God-given code of law, yet surprisingly, the greatest enemy to the commandments is not atheists.

I’ll show you who that enemy is, and it may surprise you! So, stay tuned!

Is Lawlessness Really God’s Desire?

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program I’ll be revealing who is the greatest enemy of God’s Law and it may not be who you think.

I grew up in mainstream Protestantism and was taught the Ten Commandments as a child.

I was never much good at memorization, but I somehow managed to quote all ten well enough to receive a personal copy of the New Testament.

Imagine how surprised I was a few years later when I was told we no longer need to keep these laws!

Not by my atheist Uncle George, but by two professing Christians!

All that memorization time was wasted!

These were not the exact words they used, but were similar to those found on one website:

The 10 Commandments, the Law, the Blood(old) Covenant, and the Levitical Priesthood were given to the Jews in Exodus 19 through 34. They were not given to Gentiles then or ever (“Law or Grace?,” ClearBibleVerses.com).

The author of the site goes on to quote the pet scriptures that make it appear the law is indeed done away.

So what’s the truth? Is the law of God still in effect? Or has it been replaced by grace. Which is it? Law or grace?

In the remainder of this program, I’ll answer that question with five easy to understand keys that unlock the answer, but before doing so, let’s notice a few scriptures that are used by antinomians—that is, those who are against the law and claim we do not need to keep it.

Romans 3:28: Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Romans 6:14: For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Galatians 2:15–16: We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

When you’re seventeen years old and someone cherry-picks scriptures such as these, and doesn’t explain them, it can be very convincing that there is no longer any need to keep the law of God. To do so sounds like “salvation by works.”

But let’s look a little deeper into the subject.

The first of the five keys to understanding whether or not the Apostle Paul contradicted other apostles, and Christ Himself, is:

Key #1: Paul wrote some things hard to understand

The Apostle Peter warned us that people twist Paul’s writings, and even tells us who the culprits are.

Here is the warning, as found in 2 Peter 3:15–16. Breaking into a thought, he writes that,

… our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

But, who are these people who are untaught, unstable, and who twist Paul’s writings? Let’s continue.

You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked (2 Peter 3:17).

Other versions, such as the Revised Standard, the New English, and the New International, translate wicked as lawless men.

Consider for a moment what lawless means? Whether the translators use the term wicked or lawless, it is evident that those who twist Paul’s letters have a problem with law.

Think about that!

So our first key to understanding the Apostle Paul’s teachings on law and grace is that, according to Peter:

Key #1: Paul wrote some things hard to understand

The subject of law and grace goes further than the Ten Commandments. It is clear from New Testament scriptures that sacrifices, circumcision, and other ritual laws are no longer necessary, but there are statutes in addition to the Ten Commandments that Jesus, the Apostles, and the first century church of God observed, such as the biblical festivals and holy days.

Why is it dear friends that professing Christianity claims it is “salvation by works” to observe the days God spelled out in the scriptures, but not salvation by works to observe days originating and steeped in pagan practices?

Think about it!

And what is being lost by rejecting important biblical holy days?

Christ Forgives but Obedience Must Remain!

Many people think the Apostle Paul explained away the need to keep the law of God. Is that so? As we saw in the previous portion of this telecast, the Apostle Peter warned us that:

Key #1: Paul wrote some things hard to understand

We’ll look in a few minutes at some of those writings that are twisted by lawless men to reject God’s laws, but first, let’s look at:

Key #2: You do not need grace where there is no law

Do you realize that if you do away with law, you do away with the need for God’s forgiveness?

Here is a point that so many fundamentally do not understand, and yet a child can easily understand: If there is no law, there can be no transgression. Let’s read that straight from the writings of Paul:

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression (Romans 4:14–15).

Yes, the law does bring about wrath—the death penalty. But if you do away with the law, you of necessity do away with that penalty.

And if there is no penalty, there is no need for grace. Think about it.

This brings us to the crucial question, “What is sin?”

When was the last time you heard the Bible definition of sin? Here it is in 1 John 3, verse 4:

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (King james Version).

So let’s sum up Key #2 with this simple equation:

No law = no sin

No sin = no need for justification (or forgiveness)

No need for justification = no need for a Savior

So let’s move onto our next key to understanding the subject of law and grace:

Key #3: The parable of the courtroom

This principle is found in the Scriptures, but I’ll put it in a modern parable to make the point.

A certain man went into a bar one evening, and after spending too much time at the bottle, he got into his car heading for home. Along the way he missed a stop light, crashed into another car, and severely injured its occupant.

Six months later he appeared before the judge who asked him, “How do you plead?” Feeling very remorseful, he pleaded, “Guilty as charged, your honor.” The judge then sentenced him to a $1,000,000 fine or one year in prison.

The man thought to himself, “I don’t have a million dollars and if I go to jail, who will care for my wife and children?” So he pleaded with the judge, expressing his deep regrets about what he did and proposed, “Your honor, I promise to never drink and drive again. I will obey all traffic laws, pay every penny I owe in taxes, and keep all laws as perfectly as I am able from this day forward.”

The judge replied, “That is what we expect of all people, but you broke the law and severely injured a man. Your keeping the law from this day forward will not undo what you did six months ago.

The man bargained further: “I’ll also do 10 hours of public service each week for the rest of my life.” The judge replied, “That will not heal the injured man. Choose: one year in prison, or $1,000,000.”

Now there was a man in the back of the courtroom who reasoned, “This man is truly sorry for what he did. I believe he will follow through with obedience to the law from this day forward. I’ll pay the fine for him.”

Do you realize this is what Jesus did for you and for me if we repent of our sins and accept His payment for us?

Now here are a couple questions to ponder.

Do you think the kind gentleman who paid the fine would do so if he thought the man would disregard the law that caused him to be brought before the judge?

And did the fact that the penalty was satisfied somehow do away with the law?

Yet, that is exactly what the “do away with the law” crowd teach—that Jesus did it all for us. Therefore they reason that the law, rather than our sins, was nailed to the cross and we no longer need to keep it.

And this brings us to key number 4.

Getting Right With God

 

So far, I’ve given you three keys.

Key #1: Paul wrote some things hard to understand

Key #2: You do not need grace where there is no law

Key #3: The parable of the courtroom

Now for crucial:

Key #4: The heart of the issue is the meaning of justification

The word justify is grossly misunderstood. Yet, many of us use the word all the time in word processing. We have a command in the menu bar that determines whether a letter or manuscript is left, right, or fully justified.

Left justification means the left side of a column is lined up.

Right justification means the right side is lined up.

And full justification means both sides are lined up.

Similarly, in the Biblical sense, when we are out of line or out of step with God due to sin, we need to be back in line, and Paul points to the only way to get in a right relationship with God. No amount of law-keeping will wipe away past sins.

That’s where the man at the back of the courtroom in the parable I gave earlier is necessary. That is where faith in the sacrifice of Christ comes in. He is that Man who pays the penalty for us.

Now let’s notice how this understanding makes clear what Paul wrote. Paul rightfully declared in Romans 3:28:

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified [had his sins forgiven] by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

All our past law keeping will do nothing to justify our sins, but what those against the law often fail to do is read the context.

Notice this clear statement four verses later where Paul asks a crucial question and answers it.

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law (Romans 3:31)

Yet, that is exactly what some misguided people think—that the law is voided by faith!

Why don’t they believe what Paul wrote?

Now let’s ask the question, how does faith establish the law?

Well, simply put, the fact that we need faith in Christ’s sacrifice means there is a broken law, the penalty of which needs to be satisfied. Let’s notice another passage used by antinomians—that is, those people who are against the law—Romans 6:14:

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Ahh…“not under law, but under grace.” Now, taken out of context this may appear to say we don’t have to keep the law, but is that what Paul is saying? Why don’t people read the next verse?

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:15–16).

How can I fail to mention one more scripture that the “law is done away” crowd loves? Galatians 3:13:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).

The man who seeks justification—seeks to have his past sins forgiven through law keeping—will fail. The law is meant to define sin, not justify past sins. Only faith in the sacrifice of Christ can do that. Now notice that the above passage does not say the law is a curse. Paul even tells us in Romans 7:12:

Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

The curse, as shown in the passage from which Paul quotes Galatians 3:13 is the death penalty.

Read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 21:22–23.

The law is not the curse, but disobedience to it brings a curse—death.

And that is why we need a savior to pay the penalty for us.

A True Change of Heart

There is a fifth key to understanding what the Bible teaches about law and grace.

Key #5: Understand what is behind hostility to the law

Mankind from the beginning has had a hostile attitude to the law of God. Adam and Eve chose to determine for themselves right and wrong rather than listen to their Creator.

And Paul speaks of this hostility in Romans 8:7:

Because the carnal mind [that is the fleshly mind apart from God’s Spirit] is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

But does that mean that we are to remain hostile to the law? Certainly not!

Paul continues:

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Romans 8:8–9).

So what does the Spirit of God do for you?

God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel on what the New Testament refers to as the day of Pentecost. Nearly fifteen centuries later, God poured out the Holy Spirit on His fledgling Church. Is there any connection between those two Pentecosts? We read right after the restatement of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5:29:

Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

Do you realize dear friends, that hostility to the law is the problem the New Covenant is to rectify? A change of heart is what the New Covenant is about.

Read that in Hebrews 8:10:

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

The law was given on Pentecost when Israel came out of Egypt, but they didn’t have the heart to keep it, so God gave the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost after the resurrection to effect a new attitude of heart and mind. Under the New Covenant, not only does the law still exist, but it’s even more difficult to keep, because we are to keep the spirit, or the intent, of the law as well as the letter, and this is shown in Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27–28).

Perhaps you’ve been told that the law of God is burdensome, but is that what the Bible says? Listen to the Apostle John in 1 John 5:3:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Here is the dirty little secret: most rational people are not against ALL of the commandments—just the ones they disagree with, and the one they disagree with the most is:

Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.

They are fine with nine but conclude that God made a mistake with one and sent Christ to correct the error!

In effect, they claim all ten are voided but nine are resurrected in what they call the “law of Christ.” Of course, they also want to get around the biblical holy days so they can substitute holidays that are steeped through and through with pagan customs. Apparently, keeping Sunday and pagan holidays (according to them) is not burdensome, and not trying to save yourself by your works, but resting on the day God chose at Creation—that is—the seventh day, and keeping His holy days IS burdensome and trying to save yourself by your works.

Is that what you think my friends? I hope for much better from you, our Tomorrow’s World followers.

Thank you for watching!

If you found this video helpful and want to understand more about God’s plan for mankind through His Holy Days, order your free copy of The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. All you need to do is click the link in the description, as it is completely free. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you can continue to learn the plain truth from the pages of the Bible. See you next time.