Actually SDA's open the Sabbath on Friday at sundown and close Sabbath on Saturday at Sundown. This is according to the original biblical calender that can be traced all the way back.
In Lev. 23:32 it states "from evening to evening you shall celebrate your sabbath". The Isrealites were instructed on what was considered the 7th day and Jewish people even today continue to observe the Sabbath in the same manner.
Do the Jews recognize Jesus as the savior?
When and how the change from Saturday to Sunday occured?
Jesus did not change the Sabbath.
Matt 5:17-19: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, will all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be call great in the kingdom of heaven. "
I put this post on another thread, I am going to repeat it.
The Sabbath day was changed,
by God.
Unfortunately our translations of the Greek usually doesn’t show this. You have to look AT the Greek.
Young’s Literal Translation and Green’s Literal Translations are the only translations I know of that get this right.
Compare the King James, (and others), with Young’s.
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the
sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the
first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (KJV)
Matthew 28:1 ¶ And on the eve of the
sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the
first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,
Strong’s Concordance doesn’t even do this correctly. Strong’s records ‘sabbath’ and ‘day of the week’ as coming from the word ‘sabbaton’. It is actually a derivative of the word sabbaton, ‘sabbatwn’. The ‘wn’ on the end marks it as a plural word.
Here’s how to check it out yourself.
Go to
http://www.olivetree.com/bible/index.htmlIn the left column click Greek NT.
Next pick “
Interlinear Greek/English New Testament from 1894”.
Under search type Sabbath. I got 55 entries. You’ll notice that different Greek words are given the same Strong’s number (4521).
Go down to Mathew 28:1. Highlight the Geek text that is used as sabbath, and copy it. Then paste the Greek word into the search. When you paste the Greek it will come out as sabbatwn.
This will show you everywhere that Greek word appears in the new testament. You will get 11 entries.
Everything in the bible is important, when it is repeated God is emphasizing it. Three times and it shouldn’t be ignored. The Lords birth only appears in three of the gospels.
This change in the sabbath was so important that God repeated it in ALL FOUR OF THE GOSPELS!
From the YLT:
Matthew 28:1 ¶ And on the eve of the sabbaths, at the dawn, toward the
first of the sabbaths, came Mary the Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre,
Mark 16:1 ¶ And the sabbath having past, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary of James, and Salome, bought spices, that having come, they may anoint him,
Mark 16:2 and early in the morning of the
first of the sabbaths, , they come unto the sepulchre, at the rising of the sun,
Luke 23:56 and having turned back, they made ready spices and ointments, and on the sabbath, indeed, they rested, according to the command.
Luke 24:1 ¶ And on the
first of the sabbaths, , at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices they made ready, and certain others with them,
John 20:1 ¶ And on the
first of the sabbaths, , Mary the Magdalene doth come early (there being yet darkness) to the tomb, and she seeth the stone having been taken away out of the tomb,
The sabbath pointed to the fact that there was nothing that we could contribute to our salvation. There is no work that man could do.
If you are going to follow the 7th day sabbath, you had better follow it completely. The sabbath breaker just picked up a few sticks, God said stone him to death.
Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Numbers 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
Numbers 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
Numbers 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
Numbers 15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
In fact you had better follow all the ceremonial laws. The 7th day sabbath like the new moons and other ceremonial laws were shadows pointing to Christ.
Colossians 2:16 ¶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Colossians 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Once He went to the cross they were fulfilled and no longer are observed. He did not destroy the law He fulfilled it.
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
The 7th day sabbath was a day of rest pointing to Christ. The 1st day sabbath is a day of work, working for God.
It is the day God began the creation, it is the day Jesus rose from the grave. We should be devoting this new sabbath to working for God. Visit the sick and the elderly, worship, teach your children, pray, read the bible, etc.
There are jobs that are necessary, but a Christian should at least try not to work at a job that is not necessary on the sabbath.
We certainly shouldn’t spend the day watching the Super Bowl, going to see the latest undead movie, or drinking with our buddies.
Man instituted the change not God.
Sunday worship started in Rome and spread throughout.
The earliest recognition of Sunday worship by law was made in 321 A.D by the constitution of Constantine (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed,art."Sunday").
The constitution states "On the venerable Day Of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed." (History of the Christian Church by Phillip Scaff 1902 vol 3, pg 380)
http://www.biblestudy.org/godsrest/sunday-how-began.html This is not true. The SDA scholar Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi grew up as a Seventh-day Adventist in Rome, Italy. He did his dissertation on this subject. In his research he found much earlier references to Sunday keeping. It has a decidedly strong SDA viewpoint, I only present it because he is an SDA source that refutes SDA belief.
“The earliest explicit references to Sunday keeping are found in the writings of Barnabas (about 135 A.D.) and Justin Martyr (about 150 A.D.).”
These are the earliest references, it does not mean that is when it started. Sunday keeping would have begun earlier.