The Ark of The Covenant

[herald]

Jerusalem housed the temple, which, housed The Ark, which, housed God's Covenant with man. The Ark was the place where God's presence and glory dwelt. The Ark of the Covenant was carried for decades through the wilderness, in search of a resting place. Num 10:33-35. It was overlaid with pure gold, and was called, "holy." 2 Chron 35:3. It was, also, called The Ark of the Testimony. Rev 19:10 tells us, that, "...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

The Lord spoke and communed with Moses from the Mercy Seat, atop The Ark. Ex 25:22; Num 7:89; 8:1.

As God had instructed, Joshua told the priests to stand in the middle of the Jordan River, bearing the Ark, and the water parted. Josh 3:8; 4:7. After, The Ark was removed, the waters receded. Josh 4:18.

At Jericho, seven priests bearing The Ark with seven trumpets, on the seventh day encompassed Jericho seven times. Jericho fell. Joshua cried out to the Lord before The Ark and God spoke to Joshua from The Ark. Josh 7:6,10.

The children of Israel wept, fasted and offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. Jud 20:26,27.

God spoke to Samuel from The Ark. 1 Sam 3:3,4.

When Eli heard that The Ark was taken, he fell backward and died. 1 Sam 4:18.

Phineas's wife named her child, "Ichabod," saying, "The glory is departed from Israel; for The Ark of God is taken." 1 Sam 4:19-22.

The Philistines put The Ark in the house of their god, Dagon. Dagon fell before The Ark, his head and palms broken off. 1 Sam 5:1-5.

Uzzah touched the Ark and was struck dead. 2 Sam 6:6,7.

God blessed the household of Obed Edom, while, The Ark was there. 2 Sam 6:11.

When The Ark was brought to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might. 2 Sam 6:12-15.

Solomon offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. 1 Ki 3:15.

The chief function of the temple was to house The Ark. When The Ark was placed in The Most Holy Place, nothing was in it, but, the Ten Commandments. 1 Ki 8:9; 2 Chron 4:10. And the glory of the Lord filled the house. 1 Ki 8:11. David called the temple, a house of rest for the Ark. 1 Chron 6:31; 28:2.

When The Ark was brought up from Kirjath Jearim, David and all of Israel "...played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets." 1 Chron 13:5-8; 15:28.

The Ten Commandments are God's eternal Covenant with man. Deut 4:13; 2 Chron 6:11; Ps 111:7,8. The Lord wrote this Covenant, with His own finger in tablets of stone, which, were placed inside The Ark of the Covenant. The people had said, that, they would keep God's law in their own strength, but failed. Ex 24:7.

The New Covenant is God engraving this Covenant in our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10. He gives us a new heart and His Spirit and "CAUSES US" to walk in His law. Ezek 36:26,27. It is the same Covenant in a different place. Now, if we are born-again believers, His Covenant is within us. He enables us, by His Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29) to walk with Him in loving obedience to His Covenant.

The Ten Commandments = One Covenant. James 2:10,11 tells us, that, if we break one of the commandments, we become transgressors of His law and are guilty of breaking all of them.

The fourth commandment is the mark of God's authority as Creator and Redeemer. Deut 5:15. Our Creator (Jesus: John 1:3) calls the seventh day, "My holy day." Isa 58:13.

The fourth commandment is a sign of the Lord that sanctifies. Ex 31:13.

Christians were, still, keeping the Sabbath when Constantine instituted the first Sunday law in 321 A.D., and in 364 A.D., when the Sabbath was "changed" to Sunday. The penalty for worshipping on the Sabbath was death! As a consequence, many Sabbath-keepers were martyred. One of the marks of The Antichrist is "...he thinks to change times and laws." Dan 7:25. He, only, "thinks to change," because, no man/institution can change God's law.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God...For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Ex 20:8-11. Our Creator sanctified and blessed the seventh day, because it was the day in which He rested from His work of Creation.

In Revelation 14:6,7 we read, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God 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 water."

The everlasting gospel is revealed in the fourth commandment, in which, we are contained the three components of a seal:

1. His NAME: Lord God. Isa 42:8.
2. His AUTHORITY: Creator of all. Isa 40:25,26; Jer 10:10-12; Rev 4:11.
3. His DOMAIN: Heaven and earth. Gen 2:1-4; Ex 20:8-11.

The fourth commandment is God's SEAL upon the Covenant. The everlasting gospel is calling us back to the one commandment, that, He told us to "remember." He is calling us to sanctify Him as Creator and Redeemer - Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath." Mk 2:28.

The Ark is symbolic of Jesus Christ. The wood speaks of His humanity, overlaid with gold - His deity. It, also, is symbolic of the New Covenant believer, who has His Covenant written within. When we walk with Him in loving obedience, it is an expression of a converted heart, and evidence of a Spirit-filled life.

"Know ye not that YE are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor 3:16.

Does His Covenant find in you a resting place?

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple The Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." Rev 11:19.

The Apostle John wrote, "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." Rev 22:14.

[CoreIssue]

You are in error.

Christians began meeting on Sunday almost immediately.

The NT tells you that.

And it tells you there is no specific Sabbath day in the Church. Each man is set his own.

The majority hold that to be Sunday.

Nor is the Sabbath Law upon the Church. The Sabbath, as stated, is complete within Christ, and we are dead to the Law.

[kay-gee]

I agree with Core this time! Sunday is the Lords day. It is not a sabbath. Sunday was the day the first Christians assembled for worship and fellowship. Either before or after the assembling , people worked, traded, farmed whatever like any other day. What we in North America refer to as the "week-end" is an invention of only a few centuries ago. All the best....

[herald]

Sunday was called, "the Lord's Day," in Pagan sun worship. Jesus is, only, called, "the Lord of the Sabbath."

Although, the N.T. christians worshipped in each other's homes on a daily basis, they kept the Sabbath.

Jesus prophesied, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For THEN shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, NOR EVER SHALL BE..." Mt 24:20,21.

This passage referred to the plunder of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and the Great Tribulation, and we are not there, yet.

Our Creator, Jesus (John 1:3) instituted the Sabbath at Creation. In the Ten Commandments, He made the keeping of the Sabbath a law. He is the, only, One who could change it, and He never did.

Are you saying, that, mortal man could over-rule Him and change His law?

Jesus said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt 15:6.

When Jesus gave us the "Two Greatest Commandments," He was quoting the law:

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5

"...thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Leviticus 19:18.

These two are a summation of the Ten. If you love the Lord, supremely, you will not worship other gods, bow down to graven images, take His name in vain, or, profane His holy day.

If you love your neighbour as yourself, you will honor your parents, do no murder, nor adultery, steal, bear false witness, or, covet.

"By THIS we know that we love the children of God (#2), when we love God (#1) and keep his commandments. For THIS is the love of God, THAT we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:2,3.

Keepiing His commandments, is not grievous to those under the New Covenant, who have His law written in their hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10.

[CoreIssue]

Sunday was called, "the Lord's Day," in Pagan sun worship. Jesus is, only, called, "the Lord of the Sabbath."

Although, the N.T. christians worshipped in each other's homes on a daily basis, they kept the Sabbath.
You are simply Biblically wrong.

The Apostles taught every commandment but Sabbath keeping. Justin Martyr, a cotemporary of the Apostles said:
"But Sunday is the day which we hold our common assembly, because it is the first day of the week, and Jesus our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead".

Collosians 2;16-17
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

They taught in the synagogues, not Christian gatherings, on the Sabbath, to convert Jews.

Show me where the Apostles EVER taught Sabbath keeping. You cannot.

The Sabbath is a Holy Day. All such days are complete in Christ.

So, a person can hold any day holy for worshipping they wish. Sunday is the most popular.

Jesus prophesied, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For THEN shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, NOR EVER SHALL BE..." Mt 24:20,21.

Yep. And where you fail here is that is during the 70th Week of Daniel, which is Israel restored, not Church. So Law is back in place then.

This passage referred to the plunder of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., and the Great Tribulation, and we are not there, yet.

Which you are completely misunderstanding.

In 70 AD the Church had read this warning and fled BEFORE Rome got there. That left the Jews, to read this warning.

They were STILL observing Mosaic Law.

Most of them died.

As well as in the Trib. The 144,000 and Woman are REMOVED before the AC army enters Israel.

You need to get the to whom the Sabbath mattered and when correct when reading here.

The saints were already gone and will be gone before these situations became or will become fact.

Again, that leaves non-Christian Jews in Israel. 2/3 of them will die by being there.

Our Creator, Jesus (John 1:3) instituted the Sabbath at Creation. In the Ten Commandments, He made the keeping of the Sabbath a law. He is the, only, One who could change it, and He never did.

The Sabbath was never kept until Abraham. It was never laid upon the Gentiles in the OT, only Israel.

It is not upon the Church.
Are you saying, that, mortal man could over-rule Him and change His law?
I am saying you are wrong in how you are reading and disregarding such as Collosians, the fact that the early Christians began meeting on Sunday almost immediately and the Apostles never taught Sabbath keeping.

You can find teaching and instruction on every other Commandment, but you find Collosians in regard to Sabbath keeping.
Jesus said, "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt 15:6.
Spoken under Mosaic Law to the Apostate Israel. Not to Church.

When Jesus gave us the "Two Greatest Commandments," He was quoting the law:

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5

"...thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Leviticus 19:18.

But you fail to complete this. God wants the INTENT of the Law kept, not the letter. And this is a summary of the intent.

These two are a summation of the Ten. If you love the Lord, supremely, you will not worship other gods, bow down to graven images, take His name in vain, or, profane His holy day.

If you love your neighbour as yourself, you will honor your parents, do no murder, nor adultery, steal, bear false witness, or, covet.

You forget intent and dwell on law.

"By THIS we know that we love the children of God (#2), when we love God (#1) and keep his commandments. For THIS is the love of God, THAT we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:2,3.

Where is intent statement? You keep declaring legalisms.
His commandments, is not grievous to those under the New Covenant, who have His law written in their hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10.
Letter or intent?

[kay-gee]

My 2 cents worth: The Church came into being on the first day of the week. Pentecost(derived from Pent, the root word of 5) was celebrated on the 50th day following the passover sabbath. Simple math says 7x7=49 + 1 day =50,the first day of the week, so
why would it not follow that the first day was the weekly day for assembling after that?
The central event of the Chritian assembly was (is) the breaking of bread what we call the Lords supper. A read ofActs20:7 shows us that was on the first day of the week. Paul and Luke made a point of attending in Troas.
1COR16:2 the Corinthian church was instruted to make its collection on the first day of the week. Why do you suppose that was? Because the church assembled on the first day! Biblical and historical secular documentation is beyond a shadow of doubt that the earliest Christians held their assemblies on the first day of the week. Some how there seems to be confusion between the holy day of Sabbath and the day of assembly for the NT Church. Hope this helps!.......All the best.........

[herald]

Our Creator: Jesus (John 1:3) instituted the Sabbath on the seventh day, and He never changed it. Man did. So, are we following the traditions of men, or, the Word of God - Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath?

It' amazing to me, how that, Christians claim to keep the Ten Commandments, except the fourth - the only one, that, He told us to "remember."

A holy life is evidence of the law being written in our hearts and minds. "...for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

"What shall we say then? Shall we CONTINUE in sin (the transgression of the law) that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Rom 6:1.

The law condemns the old man of sin, to set free the new man, created in Christ Jesus.

In Acts 20:7, Paul was bidding farewell to the saints, and preached past sun down on the Sabbath into Sunday, the first day of the week:

In the Greek, "And the one of the sabbaths, having been assembled the disciples - to break bread, Paul reasoned to them, being about to depart on the morrow: he continued and the discourse until midnight."

PRESBYTERIAN: "The Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is not in the Scripture, and was not by the primitive church called the Sabbath." - Dwight's theology, vol.4, p.401.

CONGREGATIONAL: "There is no command in the Bible requiring us to observe the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath." - Fowler, Mode and Subjects of Baptism.

LUTHERAN: "The observance of the Lord's day (Sunday) is founded not on any command of God, but on the authority of the church." - Augsburg Confession of Faith.

EPISCOPALIAN: "The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect, far from them and from the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday." - Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church, p. 186.

METHODIST: "It is true there is no positive command for infant baptism...Nor is there any for keeping holy the first day of the week." - Rev. Amos Binney, Theological Compend, pp. 180,181, 1902 ed.

BAPTIST: Dr Edward T. Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual, before a group of ministers said, "There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said, however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all it's duties, privleges, and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week.

"Of course," he continues, "I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!" From a paper read before a New York Ministers' Conference, Nov 13, 1893.

www.sabbathtruth.com

[CTZonEdit]

Warning for Preaching!

herald,

You need to answer the questions that Core asked you specifically about the intent of the Law verses following the letter of the Law.

Not follow up with cut and paste responses.

[herald]

(I do not, "cut and paste," these are my answers.)

Actually, I have answered that question.

The intent of the law was to expose our sin, so that, we would see our need of a Saviour. As we look into the Ten Commandments, we see our lack of God's character, and our need to press into Him. He gives us a new heart and His Spirit and "CAUSES US" to walk in His law. Ezek 36:26,27. The Holy Spirit uses the commandments in our on-going work of sanctification - a process, which, will continue unto the end of all things.

The Scripture tells us, that, the New Covenant is God writing His law in our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10. If God was done with the law, why would He write it in our hearts and minds?

Why would there be so many verses saying, to keep His commandments?

Again, Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God...MANY will say...have we not in thy name done many wonderful works ("Christians" do works in His name)? And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (lawlessness) Matt 7:21-23. This is the same Lord Jesus, who said, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Lu 6:46.

John said, "He that saith I KNOW HIM, and keepeth not his commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we do know that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." 1 John 2:4-6. Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath," kept the Sabbath.

Jesus prophesied the Great Apostasy: "And because INIQUITY (lawlessness) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Matt 24:12.

Jesus, also, said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15. And, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." John 14:21. Jesus told us, over and over again, that, those who love Him, keep His commandments.

"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments..." 2 John 6

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is BORN OF GOD overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:3,4.

"By faith Abraham...obeyed." Heb 11:8

The work of faith is obedience. Read Hebrews 11. Were they commended for disobedience or obedience?

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; 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 God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2.

The devils believe and tremble, but, they do not believe as the Greek word is defined - they do not "abandon for, cling to, and follow after." When Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock twice, God charged him with unbelief. Num 20:11,12. And God did not allow him to enter the Promised Land. Also, when the children of Israel disobeyed, they did not enter the Promised Land, because, of unbelief. Heb 3:19. Jesus could not do many works in Nazareth because of unbelief. Matt 13:58. Hebrews says, that, unbelief comes out of an EVIL heart. Heb 3:12. Why? John said, "...he that believeth not God hath made him a liar..." 1 John 5:10. God links disobedience to unbelief, and obedience to faith.

"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom 3:31.

The Bride of Christ is a commandment-keeping people:

"And the dragon (Satan) was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:17

"Here is the patience of the SAINTS: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.

And at the very end of the Book of books, the Apostle John makes a connection between keeping the commandments, and entering Heaven: "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." Rev 22:14.

"And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation, unto all them that obey Him." Heb 5:9.

[CoreIssue]

No. You did not answer me.

Where did the Apostles EVER teach Sabbath keeping?

Where does the Church verses of the NT EVER say Christians met on Saturday?

Quoting verses that were under Mosaic Law, before the Church, is not talking about what was placed upon the Church.

You have claimed history says the kept the Sabbath. I gave a solid quote that said they did not. And the verses says they met on Sunday.

You claim the requirement is upon the Church, but the Apostles never taught Sabbath keeping. Taught everything else, but not that.

I don't want verses with your interpretation on it. I want verses that state we they taught Sabbath keeping.

Referencing verses talking about Law keeping goes way beyond the Ten Commandments. It includes sacrifices, offerings and such in a Temple in Jerusalem. We are not bound by such and you know it.

[kay-gee]

If a Christian, feels that he wants to observe the Sabbath, then he is at liberty to do so. That is his prerogative. He can not bind that on fellow Christians. All the holy days are like that. Some celebrate Christmas, others do not. It's a matter of ones conscience. There are to be no days esteemed above another. Colossians 2:16.
And another thing!, if you are going to bind yourself to "the law" then you had better be prepared to keep the WHOLE LAW! If you go more than 1/2 a mile from your house or even flip a light-switch from Friday night to sunset on Saturday night, you are guilty of sin. Check out the OT for what Sabbath actually entails.........all the best.........

[herald]

The disciples did not keep Sunday, they kept the Sabbath and modeled it for the church. Please read the book of Acts.

We are to keep the law, except, the ceremonial law, which was nailed to the cross.

Ezekiel 36:26,27, says, that when we receive a new heart and His Spirit, He "causes us" to walk in His law. The New Covenant is His law written in our hearts and minds. A holy life gives evidence, that, we are under the New Covenant.

I have presented the information. What each one does with it, is between them and the Lord.

Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

www.sabbathtruth.com

[CoreIssue]

The disciples did not keep Sunday, they kept the Sabbath and modeled it for the church. Please read the book of Acts.

EDITED OUT BY COREISSUE.

You are NOT here to preach.


Post the verses you claim state the Apostles kept the Sabbath. I want to see it stated.

And post the verses where they TAUGHT Sabbath keeping. Actually SAID it.

Discussion means declarations based on proof.

No more posting anything else until you answer me directly.