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the one they positively REBEL against! Jt is THE ONE that is
the crucial test of obedience! It IDENTIFIES those who have
surrendered
thei r wills to God- who OBEY God, regard–
less of persecution or cost !
Oh, it sets you apart, all right! What a SIGN!
It
identifies the TRUE GOD on the very DAv He set apart
for assembly and worship.
lt
identifies the REAL people of
God!
lt
identifies those who keep the Sabbath as being
God's people- to
the world,
that is! Actually, few J ews
really
keep
the Sabbat h HOLY!
lt
may not identify them to
God as His people,
spírítually!
But they
do
at least
acknowledge that particular day! And even though in
God's sight they profane it, it identifies them to the
world!
God 's Sl GN is one you accept voluntarily- of your own
volition, or not at all. But the "beast" (symbol of the
coming resurrected, so-called Holy Roman Empire in
Europe) has a MARK, which is soon going to be BRANDED
ON, by physical FORCE! And it has something to do with
"buying or selling"-trading, business, earning a living,
having a job ( Rev. 13: 16-17; Rev. 13 and 17). Yes, t his is
the TEST COMMAND-the one On which YOUR VERY SALVA–
TION and ETERNITY DEPEND!
This world is not taught to obey God!
Its fa/se "Christianity" teaches that
God's law is "done away. ,, lt puts
human conscience, actuated by
S
atan's
fa/se teaching, in place of God's law!
I have said that God made the Sabbath a separate,
eterna!, and perpetua! covenant entirely separate and .
apart from what we term "the Old Covenant" made at
Mt. Sinai. How, then, is ita COVENANT?
But ls lt a Covenant?
Let's define the word "covenant." Webster defines a cove–
nant as: "An agreement between persons or parties. A
solemn compact." A covenant is a contract, or agreement,
by which one party promises certain rewards or payments
in return for certain stipulated performance by the other
party.
The Old Covenant between God and the children of
Israel made a t M
t.
Sinai
imposed
upon the people certa-in
terms and conditions to be performed: obedience to the
Ten Commandments.
It
promised
the reward of making
Israel a nation "ABOYE all people." The promises were
purely national and material, for
this
world. The NEw
Covenant is founded on BETTER PROMISES (Heb. 8:6),
which consist of an "ETERNAL inheritance" (Heb. 9: 15).
Once a covenant is signed, sealed, or ratified-<:on-
The
PLAIN TRUTH May 1979
firmed- it cannot be added to (Gal. 3: 15). Anything
appearing beneath the signature is not legally any part of
the covenant. You read of the actual
makíng
of the Old
Covenant and sealing it
wíth blood
in Exodus 24:6-8. And
notice (verse 8), it concludes with the words "the cove–
nant, which the LORD
hath made
with you."
lt
was then
already made-completed.
We do not come to the making of this special eterna!
Sabbath covenant until seven chapters
/ater.
It is, there–
fore, NO PART OF the Old Covenant!
But, again,
ÍS
it
a COVENANT?
The wording in your Bible
says
it is! Notice Exodus
31: f6: "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the
sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their genera–
tions, for
a perpetua/ covenant."
"Perpetua!" means continuous and unbroken. But was
it to last FOREVER? Read the following verse:
"It
is a SIGN
between me and the children of Israel
for ever."
Now what is the condition to be performed? The keep–
ing holy of the Sabbath! "It is HOLY unto you," says God
(verse 14). And what is the reward promised upon per–
formance of the condition?
It
is not only a SIGN, but also a
compact or covENANT "between me and you," says God,
"that ye may know that 1 am the LORD
that doth sanctify
you."
There it is! God promises TO SANCTIFY THEM-He will
set them apartas HOLY- aS HIS HOLY PEOPLE! Can you
ask for a BIGGER promise?
Yes, it is a covENANT!
It
is a
separare,
totally different
covenant. Even if one tries to argue that the OId Covenant
is "abolished" and that therefore the Ten Commandments
a re abolished, he cannot argue that
this
covenant was to
last only until the cross. T be covenant is binding
"throughout your generations" (verse 13); "a perpetua!
covenant" (verse 16) and "for ever" (verse 17).
Slgn for Israel Only?
"Yes," says the rebellious one who would argue his way
out of obedience, "but it is between God and the children
of ISRAEL.
lt
is throughout Israel's generations; it is
between God and the lSRAELITES forever."
Oh-then you admit it
ÍS
binding FOREVER On ISRAEL–
ITES-and throughout
their
generations? There are TWO
answers to that argument that will condemn you, if you so
argue, to the LAKE OF FIRE!
1) No one can deny that this absolutely BINDS the
people of Israel to keep the Sabbath FOREVER, and
throughout their generations perpetually. Their genera–
tions are still going on. Therefore it is binding on them
today.
Also you have to admit that salvation and Christianity
are open to J ews and all lsraelites. The gospel "is the
power of God UNTO SALVATION to every one that believ–
eth; TO THE JEw FIRST, and a lso to the Greek" (Rom.
1: 16).
So then the Jew can be a converted CHRISTIAN! Indeed,
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