Program 38: The Sabbath from Creation to Sinai

Many Christians believe the Sabbath was instituted at Sinai and only for the Jews. However, Scripture reveals the Sabbath predates Moses by millennia!

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello! Welcome to WLC Radio, bringing truth to you, directly from the Bible. I’m your host, Miles Robey, and with me is Dave Wright.

Dave Wright: Hello! Thank you for joining us. At World’s Last Chance, our goal is to share all the truths we’ve learned with you. We’re not affiliated with any particular church or denomination. We just have a burden to share the truths we’ve learned with others!

Miles: That’s right, Dave. We feel truly blessed with what we’ve learned and we want to pass that on to others. Each one of you has your own sphere of influence: people you know, whose hearts you can reach that we can’t. Each one of us has truth we can share with others.

If you’ve joined us before, you know that at WLC, we prefer to use the original name of God, which is Yahuwah, or Yah. The name of the son is Yahushua.

Dave: If we do use any titles, we use the Biblical titles of el, Elohim, or Adonai.

Miles: Well, I have to say, I was quite, uh … well, does it make me sound like a wuss to say “overwhelmed” by all the responses we got from our program the other day on the Sabbath.

Dave: Well, if being overwhelmed makes you a wuss, I guess I’m one, too. We really got an unusual number of responses on that particular topic.

If you missed that program, you can listen to it on Youtube or on our website at WorldsLastChance.com. It’s entitled “The Sabbath: The eternal privilege of worship.”

Miles: On that program, we demonstrated from Scripture that the Sabbath is still binding since it is part of the eternal divine law that was not, in fact, nailed to the cross. In fact, Scripture reveals that the redeemed will continue to worship Yah on His holy Sabbath throughout all eternity! It’s a prophecy of future Sabbath keeping!

Dave: That’s right, Miles, and the response, as you say, was a bit overwhelming. A lot of listeners asserted that the Sabbath was unheard of before Sinai. Others, that it was an invention of Moses. The idea that the Sabbath was actually established at Creation was, apparently, a new thought to a lot of people.

Miles: But they’ve got a good point. Obviously, if it can be proven that the Sabbath was established well before there was an Israelite nation, then that blows out of the water the argument that the Sabbath was simply for the Jews.

So, today, I’d like to talk about the Sabbath before Sinai. The Sabbath at Creation. Because if it is true that the Sabbath was established at Creation, it’s clearly not linked to the plan of salvation, so it could not be nailed to the cross. And, if it were established prior to the founding of the Israelite nation, then it is equally clear the Sabbath is intended for all peoples. Dave?

Dave: Thanks, Miles, and you’re right. It’s a fair question because the ramifications if this is true, are far reaching. All of the beliefs and practices based on the assumption that the Sabbath was only for the Jews must be reevaluated in this new light.

The main argument against the Sabbath being established at Creation is that it either was founded at Sinai, or was an invention of Moses. So that’s where I’d like to start. Let’s start with Sinai and work our way backward to Creation.

Exodus, chapter 20, opens with the words: “I am Yahuwah thy Eloah, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” From there, it goes on to give the rest of the ten commandments. It is because of this opening declaration that a lot of Christians have assumed the Sabbath was given solely to the Jews.

Now remember: this is chapter 20 of Exodus. If the Sabbath was first introduced at the giving of the ten commandments at Sinai, we won’t be able to find it referred to earlier than this, right?

Miles: Right.

Dave: Okay, turn back to Exodus 16. Read verse one for us, would you please.

Miles: “And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.”

Dave: That’s a date. Now we know from Numbers 33:3, that the Children of Israel left Egypt on the 15^th day of the first month. We know from Deuteronomy 16:1, that they left at night.

So, based on what you just read in Exodus 16, the events of this chapter take place one month after they left Egypt. Are we clear on that?

Miles: Yes.

Dave: Okay, now flip forward to Exodus 19 and read the first verse. This provides the context in which the ten commandments are spoken in chapter 20. What does Exodus 19:1 say?

Miles: “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.”

Dave: So, two months after leaving Egypt, the Children of Israel came to Sinai. That’s the date given in Exodus 19. Working backward, we come to Exodus 16, which is one month after leaving Egypt, so it’s one month before they even set foot in front of Mount Sinai.

Got those dates in mind?

Miles: Yep!

Dave: Okay. Now read verses two and three of Exodus 16 for us.

Miles: “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of Yahuwah in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Dave: Here they’ve been delivered, but their food stores have run out. Instead of expressing faith, they gripe and complain. They accuse Moses of bringing them into the wilderness to starve to death.

Miles: After everything they’d witnessed and experienced, they couldn’t just go to Yah and ask for food? You’d think they’d have learned to trust a little by this time!

Dave: You’d think! But, Yah is a Father. He knows our limitations. He gave a very gracious response. Read the next verse for us.

Miles: “Then said Yahuwah unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the—“

Dave: Stop right there. This is where the manna was given. They people lacked food; Yah provided. But it was provided in a way that would reveal what was in their hearts. Read the rest of that verse now.

Miles: Uh … “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Dave: Now isn’t that interesting? The manna was to be given in such a way that the heart of the individual could be revealed. To see whether they would “walk in His law” or not.

What law? The giving of the 10 commandments wasn’t for another month!

Miles: Well, obviously they would have to know His law already, or they could not be held accountable. The Father doesn’t punish for what is done in ignorance.

Dave: Exactly. So, the Israelites were to gather manna every morning before it melted under the heat of the sun. They were also told not to leave any leftovers. Each day, they were to gather as much as they’d use for just that day. And on the sixth day of the week, they were to gather twice as much because there would be none on the seventh day, the Sabbath.

Now let’s see what happened. Start reading at verse 20. And remember: this was an entire month before Mt. Sinai.

Miles: “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

“And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, … and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

“And he said unto them, This is that which Yahuwah hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto Yahuwah: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

“And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a Sabbath unto Yahuwah: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Dave: Now what is interesting about this, is that it occurred a full month before they arrived at Sinai! Keep reading. See what Yah says when they tried to gather some on the Sabbath.

Miles: “And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And Yahuwah said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that Yahuwah hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”

Dave: And this wasn’t the first time the Israelites encountered the Sabbath. When Moses returned to Egypt after living in Midian for 40 years, he taught the Israelites that to receive Yah’s blessings, they needed to live in compliance with His law. See, the Sabbath was instituted at Creation, but during the years of slavery, they hadn’t been able to keep the Sabbath. But under Moses’ tutelage, the people began keeping it again.

Miles: Where do you get that? Because I don’t remember reading that in the Bible.

Dave: It’s there, but you haven’t noticed it due to how it was translated. Read Exodus 5:4-5.

Miles: “And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.”

I’m not seeing it. So they “rest”. That doesn’t mean they worshipped on the Sabbath.

Dave: That’s how it’s translated into English. It’s quite different in the original Hebrew. The original word isn’t “rest.” The original is “Sabbath.” It actually says: “Ye make them Sabbath from their burdens.”

Miles: Are you serious??

Dave: As a heart attack.

Miles: Wow. Okay. That’s obviously well before Sinai. But it’s not before Moses. We’re going to take a quick break and when we return, I’d like to see any evidence you have that takes it back before Moses.

Dave: Be happy to. It’s there!

Miles: Great! We’ll be right back.

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today we’ve been talking about the Sabbath from Sinai backward to Creation. A lot of people say it only came along with Moses and, therefore, is only for the Jews. Dave, however, has been showing us how it actually appears in Scripture prior to Mt. Sinai!

Dave: That’s right, Miles. And, as we said earlier, if we can establish from Scripture that the Sabbath comes from Creation before there was an Israelite nation, the implications are huge. That means the Sabbath was not just for the Jews. Furthermore, if the Sabbath was instituted before sin, then it could not have been nailed to the cross.

Miles: Now, you were just saying that Pharaoh, in Exodus 5, was accusing Moses and Aaron of keeping the Israelites from their labor by keeping the Sabbath.

Dave: Yes. In the original language, he says: “You cause the people to Sabbath.”

Miles: That’s fascinating. You blew me away with that. But that’s still Moses. Not everyone says the Sabbath was founded at Sinai. Some people simply say Moses. What evidence do you have that the Sabbath was known and observed prior to him? Did the patriarchs keep the Sabbath?

Dave: There is no Bible verse that says Abraham kept the Sabbath, or that Jacob worshipped Yah on the seventh-day. However, there is an extra-Biblical source that contains some fascinating indirect evidence that stretches from Abraham all the way back to Adam.

Miles: What’s that?

Dave: The Book of Jubilees. It’s been called the “Lesser Genesis.” It was well-known to the early Christians. Both the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as Ethiopian Jews accepted it as canonical.

What no one seems to have picked up on, though, is the connection between the Sabbath and how chronology is dated in the Book of Jubilees.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: The patriarchs were very long lived.

Miles: Right. Wasn’t Abraham like 175 when he died? Isaac was 180 or 185 when he died.

Dave: One hundred and eighty. But that’s nothing compared to their ancestors!

Miles: Yeah! Noah lived something like 950 years. And Shem was 600. Then you’ve got all the antediluvians. They were really long lived!

Dave: The Book of Jubilees contains a lot of information about these early, early days of earth’s history. But what is fascinating is that it refers to the dating of the various events by Jubilee cycles.

Miles: Jubilee cycles? Could you explain that a little more?

Dave: Sure! The Jubilee is described by Moses. It was a cycle of 49 years. The 50^th year was known as the year of Jubilee. Slaves were set free. Land that had been sold reverted back to the family lineage that originally owned it. It was a time of rejoicing when the land rested. No crops were planted.

The thing no one seems to pick up on is the fact that without a seventh-day Sabbath, you cannot have a Jubilee cycle, because the Jubilee cycle was an accumulation of seven sabbatical cycles.

These sabbatical cycles were six regular years. The seventh year was a sabbatical where, again, the land rested and no crops were planted.

Miles: I’ve heard about that! There was one farmer in California who decided to do that same thing and his crop yield was astronomical.

Dave: Well, this cycle is itself based on the pattern of six days of labor, followed by the seventh-day Sabbath of rest. You had six years of regular labor, followed by the sabbatical in the seventh year. The Jubilee, then, was the sabbatical of sabbaticals! After seven cycles of seven years each, you had the year of Jubilee in the 50^th year. It was a beautiful thing.

Miles: I can see how, when people lived literally hundreds and hundreds of years, dating by Jubilee cycles would be really useful.

Dave: Oh, it was! For example, listen to this passage from the Book of Jubilees. It’s dating the death of Noah. It says, quote: “And Noah slept with his fathers, and was buried on Mount Lubar in the land of Ararat. Nine hundred and fifty years he completed in his life, nineteen jubilees and two weeks and five years.”

Then, a few verses later, it talks about the Tower of Babel in the same way. Here, read it. Right here …

Miles: Uh … “And in the three and thirtieth jubilee, in the first year in the second week, Peleg took to himself a wife, whose name was Lomna the daughter of Sina'ar, and she bare him a son in the fourth year of this week, and he called his name Reu; for he said: 'Behold the children of men have become evil through the wicked purpose of building for themselves a city and a tower in the land of Shinar.'”

Dave: It’s a fascinating way to calculate long dates. It’s saying, in the 33^rd Jubilee, in the first year of the second “week”, Peleg got married. Now, the first year of the second week, would be the eighth year of the next Jubilee cycle. Then, three years later, in the fourth year of the second week of the next Jubilee cycle, they had a son.

Now read verses 26 and 27. Again, this is Book of Jubilees, chapter 10.

Miles: “And Yahuwah sent a mighty wind against the tower and overthrew it upon the earth, and behold it was between Asshur and Babylon in the land of Shinar, and they called its name 'Overthrow'. In the fourth week in the first year in the beginning thereof in the four and thirtieth jubilee, were they dispersed from the land of Shinar.”

Dave: In other words, in the 28^th year of the 34^th Jubilee cycle, the people were dispersed from the Tower of Babel.

Again, you cannot have a Jubilee cycle, without the sabbatical cycles. And these seven-year sabbatical cycles were based upon a six day work week, followed by a Sabbath rest on the seventh-day.

Miles: That is fascinating. I’ve never heard any of this before.

Dave: There’s one more thing fascinating about the Book of Jubilees and that is a reference to Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost.

Miles: Huh! I thought all these “Jewish” feasts were instituted at the Exodus. But you’re saying even Pentecost predated the Israelites?

Dave: Why don’t you read it for us? It’s talking about Yah’s promise to never again send a flood. Jubilees, chapter 6, starting at verse 15.

Miles: “And He gave to Noah and his sons a sign that there should not again be a flood on the earth. He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the earth to destroy it all the days of the earth. For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to renew the covenant every year.

“And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation till the days of Noah -twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noah's death, and from the day of Noah's death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they eat blood.

“But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain.

“And do thou command the children of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival. For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it, celebrate it.”

Dave: Again, this is referring to Pentecost. “Feast of weeks” is another name for Pentecost. It was celebrated long before there was an Israelite nation.

Miles: I’m really intrigued that it says it was celebrated in Heaven. We forget that Heaven is its own place with its own history, populated by beings who worship Yah, too.

Dave: Right.

Now. For my favorite “proof” that the Sabbath was established at Creation. Let’s go all the way back to Genesis 2, the end of Creation week. Would you please read the first three verses?

Miles: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

And on the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made.”

Dave: When we read the Bible, when we look up words in concordances and Bible dictionaries, we forget that various conjugations of the same word appear in the concordances and Bible dictionaries as two different words. We forget this because that's not how it works in dictionaries of our own language.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Well, for example, take the word “drink.” It is both a noun (a person, place, or thing) as well as a verb: an action. Can you use it both ways in a sentence?

Miles laughs: You enjoy putting me on the spot, don’t you? Let’s see. Uh. “I’m not going to drink—

Dave: Verb!

Miles: –that weird black drink.

Dave: Noun. Very good! There’s lots of examples. Take the word cake. It, too, is both a noun and a verb.

Miles: “Don’t cake (verb) so much frosting on that chocolate cake (noun).

Dave: Right! Now if you look up the word “cake” or the word “drink” in the dictionary, it will only appear there once. It doesn’t appear there as two different words. It appears as the same word, it’s simply a word that can be either a noun or a verb.

That’s how it is with the word “Sabbath.” In the Hebrew, it is both a noun and a verb. The word Sabbath is in the Creation account, but it appears there in its verb form. That’s why it didn’t make it through accurately in translation, because in English, we simply do not have the word Sabbath as a verb!

Now, read this version of Genesis 2. I’ve inserted the word Sabbath as a verb, because that is how it appears in the original. Go ahead.

Miles: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

And on the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made; and he sabbathed on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had sabbathed from all his work which Elohim created and made.”

Wow! That’s really there?

Dave: It really is. But see, “sabbathed” isn’t a word in English. So the translators had to use something else. They stuck in the word “rest.”

In fact, if you look up the word “Sabbath” in a Bible dictionary or a concordance, it will say that the noun, Sabbath, actually comes from the verb form. It’s the same word.

Miles: Well … maybe the Hebrew didn’t have a word for “rest”. Maybe “sabbathed” was they word they used for rest.

Dave: It’s a good point, but no. They had a word that was the equivalent of “rest.” For example, in Genesis 18, Abraham saw what at first to him appeared to be three men, passing by on the road. He ran to them, and invited them to come and sit awhile in the shade. He describes the hospitality he’d like to offer them, saying in verse three, quote: “Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.”

Miles: He didn’t say “sabbath yourselves under the tree”?

Dave: No, it’s a completely different word. A prime root with no connection to the word Sabbath at all.

So, when the author of Genesis was writing down the story of Creation, he didn’t lack for words. He didn’t lack the vocabulary to use the word “rest” if he had wanted to do so, when he said that Elohim sabbathed on the seventh-day, or, in Exodus, that Pharaoh was complaining that Moses and Aaron had the people “sabbath” from their labors.

If it were simply “resting” there was a word available for that, but that’s not what he used. Instead, he used the verb form of the word “Sabbath.” Elohim sabbathed on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And He blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it he sabbathed from all his work!

Sabbath is right there, in Genesis, in the original verb form of the word. It’s there! And the significance for us as Christians today, is that the Sabbath was instituted at Creation before there was ever an Israelite nation. It was not given just to the Jews at Sinai, or even in Egypt at the time of the exodus. It was reinstituted there, but that wasn’t where it originated.

Miles: It originated at Creation. And, of course, that means than, if it wasn’t meant just for the Jews, than it wasn’t nailed to the cross, either.

Dave: Exactly. And that’s why the Sabbath, as a memorial of Creation, was kept all the way down until the Council of Nicea, and, as a memorial of both Creation and our RE-creation from sin, will be celebrated by all the redeemed throughout all eternity.

Miles: That’s beautiful. I like that. A memorial of Creation and re-creation.

Don’t go away folks. When we return, we’ll be answering your questions sent in to our Daily Mailbag. Stay tuned.

* * *

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* * *Advertisement * * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: We’ve got a rather hot topic for our first question from our Daily Mailbag. Niall Donnelly in Ireland says: “My wife and I enjoy listening to your shortwave radio programs. Recently, my brother and I had a rather heated discussion about religion. He insisted that the root cause of all the problems in the world was religion. As a Christian, I, of course, disagreed with him. But it did get me to thinking. What do you say: Is religion the root cause of the world’s problems?”

Dave: It’s an interesting question. Quite frankly, I can see both sides of the argument.

Miles: I think more and more people are blaming religion for the world’s problems today. Recently, U.S. News & World Report organized a study that surveyed over 21,000 people from all over the world. The majority of people responding said that religion was the, quote: "primary source of most global conflict today." Unquote.

Dave: Well, spiritual beliefs certainly do create an Us versus Them mentality and that does have inherent problems. Niall, I can’t give you a straightforward Yes or No answer. The truth is more complex than that. Also, the answer depends somewhat on how you define “religion.”

If you define religion as “Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe” than no, I do not agree with your brother. Rather, the answer to life’s problems, help for life’s problems, is found in religion.

On the other hand, if you define religion as “An institutionalized system grounded in belief and worship” than I would have to agree with your brother.

Miles: Hm. It gets back to that Us versus Them mentality again, doesn’t it?

Dave: It does. And that is where the problem arises. Wisdom, help, healing—the answers and solutions to all of life’s problems can be found in the Bible. And those answers we must find for ourselves in a one-on-one spiritual relationship with our Maker.

Miles: I’ve heard it said that Yah has no grandchildren. He only has sons and daughters.

Dave: An excellent way to put it. Each one of us must have that connection for ourselves. Not through our parents, not through our spouse, or our preacher. We have to have that connection with Yah for ourselves. And there we will find healing for all the problems in the world today.

You see, each religion has some truth.

Miles: Oh, come on! Seriously? There are some pretty screwed up belief systems in the world today!

Dave: No, I am serious. It’s only fair. Each religion has some kernel of truth, however small, whereby the spirit of Yah can reach the heart of the individual. It wouldn’t be fair otherwise.

Miles: Okay. I can see that.

Dave: At the same time, all religions also contain error. And that is where I actually agree with Niall’s brother. People who respond to the drawing of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, regardless of their religion, will do what is right because it is right. Those who want to be good, those who want to do what is right, are drawn to the truths found in each religion.

However, the error that is found in each religion is used by wicked people to justify the wicked deeds they want to do anyway! So, in that sense, Niall’s brother is correct. Organized religion molds the beliefs, and thus the practices, of multitudes. If you can convince people that “God” wants them to do something, you can get them to do things they ordinarily would never do.

Miles: It reminds me of something Steven Weinberg said. Weinberg is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics. He once said, quote: “Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”

I think this quote illustrates your point. With or without organized religion, those who respond to the drawing of the spirit of Yah would still be doing good, while those who want to be evil, would still do bad things.

But the problem with organized religion, and the error that all organized religions contain, is that it can convince otherwise good people to do bad things.

Dave: And that’s where you get otherwise loving parents rejecting a child who is gay. You get otherwise peaceful people going on crusade or joining in jihad.

But let’s bring it down to a more personal level. If you are convinced that you can only learn truth through your priest or your pastor, if you think you have to be taught by some authority figure what is truth—

Miles: Or have them confirm your ideas of truth.

Dave: Yes, that too. If you have to have some spiritual guru to teach you what is truth, then your personal beliefs will be molded by the religious organization that supplies your spiritual guru’s pay cheque.

And we see that: over and over, people reject the feasts of Yahuwah. Not because the Scriptural evidence isn’t there. People reject the feasts and Sabbaths of Yahuwah for no other reason than their denomination’s religious authorities tell them that they are no longer binding.

They reject the privilege of using the divine name as something that is “too Jewish.” And if there’s anything new the spirit of Yah wishes to reveal? Well, they reject that, too, because it either contradicts or is in addition to what they already believe.

Miles: And they assume that what they already believe is sufficient for salvation or their religious authorities would already have taught them. That’s where it crosses over into Laodiceanism.

Dave: Exactly. So, in summary, I would say that the answers to all the world’s problems lies in Scripture and to gain those answers, each believer is to go to Yah for himself, study for herself, ask Yah’s advice for himself, pray for herself. You can trust Yahuwah to lead you into all truth because He’s promised to do so!

But those answers are not to be found in organized religion because organized religions either manipulate the masses for their own agenda at worst, or cling to already accepted error, rejecting new light, at best.

Miles: Okay, then. Next question. Dinesha from Sri Lanka asks: “How do you define legalism? What is it?”

Dave: It’s really easy in spiritual discussions to toss around terms that are never actually defined, isn’t it?

Miles: Yeah, it’s good to have a clear grasp of what these concepts actually mean.

Dave: Legalists set aside Yahuwah’s mercy and grace. The Pharisees were legalists. Legalism teaches that we can, by our own efforts, keep the law and that we’re saved by keeping the law.

Now, acknowledging the importance of keeping Yahuwah’s law is not legalism.

Miles: That’s true. The whole universe is controlled by laws ranging from physical laws to social laws. If the laws of nature suddenly decided to rebel, we’d all be in trouble!

Dave: Wouldn’t we, though? It’s only humans and fallen entities that have decided they can flout the law of Yah.

James sums up the relationship between faith and works, legalism and grace, really well. Would you read it for us, Miles? It’s in James 2, verses 17 to 26.

Miles: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”

Hm. That’s quite profound.

Then he goes on, quote: “Thou believest that there is one Eloah; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of Yahuwah. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Dave: Legalism says: I can save myself by my works. True faith, on the other hand, acknowledges that salvation is a free gift to all who believe. Our obedience, than, is but a natural outflow of a heart that loves and wants to show our love to our heavenly Father in the only way we can: obeying His law.

Miles: Nice distinction there. There is a difference for sure.

That’s all we’ve time for today. Send us a message if you have a question or a comment. We enjoy hearing from our listeners. Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. Again, that’s WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your Daily Promise from Yah’s Word.

During the Napoleonic Wars, one small family found every earthly support cut off. The only thing that stood between them and certain death were the promises of Yah. Would they be enough?

Late one winter afternoon, the people living in one small border village received word that the armies of Napoleon were on a quick march, coming right toward their little town. This was shocking as winter was typically not a time when armies chose to invade and it caught the villagers completely unprepared. In a panic, many of the people grabbed what valuables they could and fled through the mountains to get away from the approaching army.

In one small home, though, the decision was made to stay. With a newborn baby, a toddler, and an elderly grandmother, fleeing on foot through the drifts of snow seemed a surer death sentence then throwing themselves on the dubious mercies of the invading soldiers.

Taking one last look out the door before barring it shut, the father shook his head.

“Most of these people will freeze to death before ever reaching shelter,” he said.

The young mother tried to remain calm for the children, but inside she was petrified. Only the grandmother seemed truly at peace. In her chair next to the fire, with her Bible on her lap, she called the family about her.

“I know this is a frightening time,” she said, smoothing her hand over the little girl’s hair. “But the Father’s promises have never failed me and I do not believe they will fail now, in our hour of emergency.”

Then, turning in her Bible, she read to the family Zechariah 2, verse 5: “For I, saith Yahuwah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

“He is faithful who has promised,” the grandmother stated firmly. “We can trust the Father to keep His word.”

The hours passed slowly. The children eventually fell asleep, but the adults were listening too intensely to sleep. Shortly before midnight, the first strains of martial music reached their listening ears. The young mother sobbed quietly, clinging to her grim-face husband. Grandmother simply clutched her Bible more tightly.

“Be unto us our wall of fire, Father,” she murmured. “Wall us in. Be our protection and our sheltering wall.”

It wasn’t long before terrible, gut-wrenching sounds reached the ears of the listening adults, huddled inside their little home: homes burning, men yelling, women screaming, pleading, children crying.

“The Lord is our wall of fire round about,” the grandmother’s lips moved in a near-silent whisper.”

The dreadful sounds seemed to go on and on until finally, shortly before dawn, an even worse sound reached them: utter and complete silence. Was everyone in the village dead? The family didn’t move. The children roused and wakened, quickly hushed by their mother. Together, they stayed still: listening, listening, listening.

Finally, on silent feet, the father crept to the door. He slowly lifted the bar on the door, careful to remain as quiet as possible. He cracked open the door and peered out.

Suddenly, he threw the door wide and, in a jubilant voice exclaimed, “There is your wall, mother! Look at the wall the Father built around us!”

Completely filling the doorway, from the step, clear up to the lintel and beyond was a glistening wall of white. During the night, snow had completely drifted up and over their small home, completely shielding it from the invading soldiers. The Father had kept His word to them. In the face of certain death, He had been a wall round about, just as He had promised.

In an emergency, it’s normal to be afraid. But let your fear drive you to the Father, not away. Your emergency is Yah’s opportunity. Don’t let your faith fail just because you don’t know how Yah is going to save you. Providing a way of escape from danger and difficulty is His job. Your job is just to trust.

There is no possibility whatsoever that Yah will fail to keep His promises. The true danger is that, in fear, we will allow our faith to lose hold of Him

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: We are out of time, but I just want to close by saying, the Sabbath is of far more importance, than most people realize.

Dave: It really is, Miles. In Revelation 14, John sees three angels commissioned by Yah, to bring three warning messages. The first angel is described as having the everlasting gospel. And yet, his message is: “Fear Yah, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Miles: That’s the language of the fourth commandment! “For in six days Yahuwah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Yahuwah blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Dave: It absolutely is. Right there, in Revelation. And the second angel’s message is the declaration that Babylon is fallen “because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

False religion has, through ignorance, through tradition, through the power of the state, enforced a false day of worship. This is why a couple of chapters later, another angel warns: “Come out of her, My people.”

Miles: And as we’ve said before, the actual word there isn’t an invitation to come, but rather a command to go. “Go out of her, My people.”

Dave: Thank you. That’s right. The third angel of Revelation 14 contains a very dire warning against all who engage in false worship. It says: “If any man worship–” Notice: It’s all about worship. “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Yah, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.”

That’s a horrible fate! And all for refusing to worship Yah. Now, if you’re going to worship Yah, don’t you think you should do it on the day He specified?

Miles: I do. It only makes sense.

In closing, I’d like to read from Isaiah 66. It’s Isaiah 66, verses 22 to 24.

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith Yahuwah, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Yahuwah. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me.”

Dave: The Bible ends with a beautiful description of the New Jerusalem. The Father wants us to know the reward waiting for all who accept the gift of salvation. Like Paul says, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which Yah hath prepared for them that love him.”

Miles: But He gives a glimpse.

Dave: Yes. He wants us to know the joy and wonder of life with Him. So, after this detailed description of the reward waiting the redeemed, He closes by pronouncing a blessing. Revelation 22:14: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

Miles: Please, friends, don’t dismiss the Sabbath as unimportant. It wasn’t just for the Jews, and it wasn’t nailed to the cross.

It was established at Creation. It was kept by patriarchs, prophets, the Saviour, and early Christians. And it will continue to be kept throughout all eternity as the redeemed gather to praise their Creator and Re-Creator.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.