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Introduction

The Bible reveals that God is not just a single being, but is comprised of two separate beings. These two beings are often referred to as the “Father” and the “Son,” illustrating the fact that God is actually a Family. While the Bible reveals that God is, in fact, a Family, it also shows that God is not a trinity. The Holy Spirit is not God, nor is it a separate being within the God Family. It is literally the power of God through which the God Family works.

When we pray to God, asking that He give His Holy Spirit to us so that we might live more effectively in His way of life, we are asking for God’s power that emanates directly from the Father and from the Son.

We will show in this booklet that the New Testament Scriptures, as well as the Old Testament Scriptures, clearly reveal that God IS a Family, presently comprised of two separate beings. Many who erroneously believe that the Old Testament teaches the existence of only one God being, have glossed over some very revealing passages without realizing the full meaning of what they are reading.

In the very first chapter of the Bible we are introduced to the fact that God is a FAMILY, consisting of more than just one person. We are also taught the mind-boggling truth that God wants to enlarge His Family—through US! It’s an awesome thing to understand that God created man to ultimately make him a part of His very Family!

“Let Us Make Man in Our Image…”

Notice what God says in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…’” Why does God use the plural form when talking about the creation of man? Why does He say, “Let US make man in OUR image, according to OUR likeness…”?

We find the same terminology in Genesis 3:22, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden fruit, “Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold the man has become like one of US, to know good and evil…’”

To whom is God speaking in these passages?

Is God Speaking to Angels?

Some claim that the words “Us” and “Our” in Genesis 1:26 and 3:22 refer to God and His angels. They say that God is speaking here to angels. However, we know from Scripture that many angels do not look like men at all, especially the highest-ranking angels—the cherubim. They don’t look like men, but rather like certain animals; and sometimes their appearance reveals a combination of different animal features. Would God, then, have told those angels to create man in “their” image and according to their “likeness”?

Note, for instance, that Lucifer, a former high-ranking cherub (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:14, 16), who became Satan the devil, looks like a serpent or a dragon (compare Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:3, 9). The book of Ezekiel describes four cherubs or cherubim. First, Ezekiel 1:5 tells us that the “likeness of four living creatures” or cherubs appeared in “the likeness of a man.” The account continues, however, to point out important differences, “As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle” (Ezekiel 1:10).

The predominant facial characteristic of these four cherubs was that of an ox, as Ezekiel 10:14 and 20–21 reveal: “Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle… This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. Each one had four faces and each one four wings.”  Comparing Ezekiel 1:10 with Ezekiel 10:14, we note that the “face of an ox on the left side” is equated with the “face of a cherub.”

We see, then, that the appearance of the four cherubim, described as the “likeness of a man,” only referred to their relative form, but not to their individual characteristics. They showed a combination of human and animal features. They did not reflect the image of a man—therefore, they did not reflect the image of God.

In the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation, four high ranking spirit beings are described before the very throne of God: “The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). Only one of these high-ranking spirit beings is referred to as having the face of a man, implying that his overall appearance does not reflect human features.

We also read about seven spirit beings who are sent out into all the earth (Revelation 5:6). Their appearance is that of horses, as parallel Scriptures in the book of Zechariah reveal (compare Zechariah 1:8–11; 6:1–8).

Wouldn’t it be strange if God had told His angels to create man after their image and according to their likeness, when many of them don’t look like men at all, while others show a combination of animal and human features?

Additionally, consider this: IF God were speaking to angels in Genesis 1:26, then that means that angels would have been participating in the creation of man. Nowhere does the Bible teach that angels participated in the creation of man. In fact, we are told that God created everything through Jesus Christ—not through angels (compare Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1–2). The Bible specifically reveals who created man. We read in Genesis 2:7: “And the LORD GOD [i.e., Jesus Christ—not angels] formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

We also read that God made man a little lower than the angels for the present time, but with the goal to be superior to, and to actually rule over angels (Hebrews 2:5–9). Angels were created by God as “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

Again, wouldn’t it seem strange to assume that God used angels to create man, with man’s ultimate goal and purpose to rule over angels? Keep in mind that what is created is below the creator—not above him. Christ pointed out that the disciple is not over his master (compare Matthew 10:24). At best, the disciple is like his master (Matthew 10:25). Angels, however, will be under man, and man will actually judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Adam Clarke confirms in his “Commentary on the Old Testament,” on pages 38 and 39, that God could not have been speaking to angels in Genesis 1 and 3, because the Bible nowhere says that angels are created in the image and likeness of God. In fact, Adam Clarke emphasizes that no other creature but man was made in God’s image, according to the express testimony of Scripture.

Did God Use “Pluralis Maiestatis”?

Some claim that the statement, “Let Us make man in Our image,” does not reveal a plurality of persons in the Godhead, but that it is like an expression of a king who speaks of himself in the plural form. They point out, for instance, that the queen of England might say something like, “We have decreed…” She is referring to herself, but she says, “we.” This way of speaking is called “pluralis maiestatis” or “pluralis maiestaticus.”

The problem with applying this concept to God’s statements in Genesis 1 and 3 is that God did not use this kind of speaking in His inspired word, the Bible—in fact, the early Hebrews knew nothing about this way of speaking. The concept that a king speaks of himself in a plural form was only developed much later by the Greeks, and then adopted by the Romans, as noted in a German encyclopedia, the dtv-Lexikon: “The pluralis maiestatis was created at Greek courts and reached the kingly titles of modern times through Rome.”

George Knight wrote a book in 1959, published in England, entitled, “A Christian Theology of the Old Testament.” He points out on page 66 that we cannot assume God was speaking by using the grammatical form of pluralis maiestatis, as this would mean to read into the Hebrew a modern way of speaking. He explains that if we look strictly at the Bible, we find that the kings of Israel and Judah are exclusively referred to by others—and exclusively refer to themselves—in the singular form, never in the plural.

God Created Man in His Image

Having ruled out the possibility that God was speaking to angels, or that He was referring to Himself by using a plural form as a manner of speaking, we are left with the understanding that God is, in fact, not just one being.  We might say that the word, “God,” itself is a “name,” rather than just a reference to a single being. In other words, God is a Family. Man was created in God’s image with the very potential of becoming part of His Family. The God Family presently consists of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son (Hebrews 1:1–2, 5; Luke 1:30–33).

The God Family is destined to grow. Once we become converted, we become begotten children of God—to be born into the very God Family at the time of our resurrection or change to immortality. Once we fully understand the fact that God is a Family and that converted Christians are destined to become a part of this Family, we can appreciate why Jesus Christ is called our elder brother—the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29)—and why we are called the children of God (1 John 3:1–2; John 1:12–13). We also understand why we are called sons and daughters of God (2 Corinthians 6:18), and why we are privileged to call God our Father (Romans 8:15–17; Galatians 4:6).

In addition, Christ is referred to as the bridegroom who is to marry His bride—the church (Revelation 19:7–9; Matthew 9:15; 25:1, 5, 6, 10; John 3:22–30). The church is comprised of all those who have God’s Spirit—including those who will be called after Christ’s return. (Note that the new or heavenly Jerusalem, mentioned in Hebrews 12:22 and Revelation 3:12, will descend from heaven to this earth long after Christ’s return. However, it is still associated at that time with the “bride”—the church—in Revelation 21:9. We are told, in Revelation 21:24; 22:14, that all those will be able to enter the holy city, “who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life,” and “who do His commandments.”) The Bible tells us that Christ will actually marry His begotten disciples in whom His Spirit dwells.

The amazing truth is that it is God’s plan and desire to bring all of mankind to salvation (1 Timothy 2:4). In talking about the ancient and modern house of Israel and using it as a symbol for all mankind, Paul makes clear that “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). Christ is the “Savior of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10). He died for “the world”—not only for those who have responded to God’s calling today and who have become His disciples (John 3:16). However, no one can be saved unless he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior (Acts 4:12). Also, “no one can come” to Christ “unless the Father… draws him” (John 6:44). Therefore, God planned that those who have died without having heard the truth prior to their death will have the same potential of becoming God members in His Family in due time.

Revelation 20:5, 11–12 reveals that those people will be resurrected in a “second resurrection” for the purpose of learning and accepting God’s way of life. If they choose to obey God, they, too, will become God beings in the Family of God. After God’s plan will have reached its completion, God says this about all of His children: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7). We also read that all of them “shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). (For more information on God’s awesome plan of salvation for all mankind, please read our free booklets, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” and “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”)

What we can see from all of these statements is that God is a Family, and that He is in the process of enlarging His Family—through man.

Man Looks Like God

The fact that God created man in His image and likeness is to be understood quite literally, showing that man looks like God. Of course, man is a physical being, while God is Spirit (John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Still, when God manifests Himself so that He can be seen with human eyes, His appearance is that of a man, having a head with white hair, a mouth, eyes, chest, arms, hands, waist, legs, and feet. The Bible confirms that God has “form and shape”—although He is Spirit. It is difficult for physical beings to understand that Spirit can have “form and shape”—but it does, and the Bible clearly reveals this truth to us. Notice God’s own testimony in Numbers 12:8: “‘I speak with him [Moses] face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD.’” Indeed, God spoke to Moses “face to face,” that is, “plainly, and not in dark sayings” (compare, too, Deuteronomy 34:10–12), and Moses did quite literally see “the form of the LORD.” We read about that account in Exodus 33:18–23:

“And he [Moses] said, ‘Please, show me your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you…’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’”

God the Father is described in His glorified state in the book of Revelation. The Father is described as the “Lord God Almighty,” sitting on a throne, having a scroll in His “right hand” (Revelation 4:8; 5:1). He is also described in the book of Daniel as the “Ancient of Days,” with the “hair of His head… like pure wool” (Daniel 7:9).

In addition, the Bible contains numerous descriptions of Jesus Christ in His glorified state. As we will prove in this booklet, Jesus Christ is God—the second member of the God Family. He is the image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15). Christ told His disciple Philip in John 14:9, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son look the same—in their outward appearance. Now note how Jesus Christ manifested Himself in His glorified state:

In Revelation 1:13–16, John sees Christ as “One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

We find an almost identical description of God in His glorified state in the book of Ezekiel. As we will see later in this booklet, the personage who manifested Himself in this passage (as well as in the previous passage in Exodus 33) was, in fact, Jesus Christ. We read: “And above the firmament over their heads [the heads of the cherubim] was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around… This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD” (Ezekiel 1:26–28).

God Reproduces Himself Through Man

We read that God created man in His image and after His likeness. We saw that God looks like a man (or more correctly phrased, man looks like God), though God is, of course, a glorified Spirit being, while man is matter, made of the dust of the ground. In addition, Genesis 5:3 explains what it means to be created in the image and likeness of someone else: “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

As Adam’s son Seth looked like Adam, so Adam, when God created him, looked like God. Both God and Adam were “reproducing” themselves in their own likeness, after their image.

Genesis 1 reveals that God began to reproduce Himself through man, by first creating man physically—in His image and after His likeness—and with the potential to become a spirit being and a full member of the God Family.

In reading the entire account of Genesis 1, beginning in verse 3, we find that God created plants and animals according to their own kind. He created great sea creatures according to their kind. He created every winged bird according to their kind. He created cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their kind. However, when it came to the creation of man, God said: “Let Us make man in Our image!” So, God created man according to the God kind. That is why Adam is called the “son of God” in Luke 3:38. Also, mankind is called “the offspring of God” in Acts 17:28–29.

So then, rightly understood, the Bible reveals in the very first chapter that God IS a Family, and that man was created for the purpose of ultimately joining the Family of God.

This truth is confirmed throughout the Bible, including the New Testament. Ephesians 3:14–15 tells us, “For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven [presently God the Father and Jesus Christ] and earth [begotten children of God, to be born into the very Family of God at the time of their resurrection, or change, to immortality] is named.”

At this time, the Family of God in heaven consists of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. In one sense, angels are also called “sons of God” (Job 1:6), since God created them, as He created man. However, angels are not part of the FAMILY of God of which we speak. We read in Hebrews 1:14 that angels are “all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” Angels were not created to inherit salvation—to become members of the Family of God.  In the same way, the passage just quoted in the letter to the Ephesians speaks about those who are already begotten members of the Family of God here on earth—those, who are already “children of God” (1 John 3:2). It describes converted Christians, in whom God’s Spirit dwells, which Spirit is a guarantee, a down payment or an earnest toward their salvation (Ephesians 1:13–14). In a more general sense, though, unconverted people are also “sons of God”—since God created them as well (compare Luke 3:38, calling Adam the “son of God”). However, they are not (yet) begotten members of the God Family. The only distinction between unconverted people and angels is that unconverted people—unlike angels—can become members of the God Family, after they repent, believe, become baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit which is to continue to dwell in them until the time of their death or change (Romans 8:8–11).

Note, too, how the New International Version renders Hebrews 2:11, “Both the one who makes men holy [God] and those who are made holy [God’s chosen disciples] are of the same family.”

Our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” proves from the Bible, in much more detail than we can provide here, man’s incredible potential of becoming a born again member of the God Family.

“Elohim”—Proof that God Is More than One Being

The very Hebrew word translated “God” in Genesis 1:26 reveals that God consists of more than one person. That Hebrew word is “Elohim,” which can be used as a plural word. It can be singular in grammar, but plural in meaning. For example, some English words that are singular in grammar are “church,” “club,” “family,” “school,” “government,” or “nation.” However, these words are all plural in meaning, or at least, the plural meaning is included. It is understood that the unit consists of more than one person. Unless there is more than one person, it is not considered a family, or a nation, or a church, etc.

The same is true for the Hebrew word “Elohim.” Grammatically, it can be a singular word, but it can have a plural meaning. Some reject this understanding, falsely claiming that the word “Elohim,” as used in Genesis 1:26 and translated as “God,” cannot convey a plural meaning. But this objection has been correctly refuted by many commentaries, pointing out that the word “Elohim” does most certainly convey a plural meaning. They explain that the Hebrew word “Elohim” is the plural form of the singular Hebrew words “El” or “Eloah,” concluding that many theologians have understood this to refer to a plurality within the Godhead.

“Elohim”—Singular in Grammar but Plural in Meaning

George Knight writes in his book, cited earlier, that the word “Elohim” is clearly a plural word. He explains that the same is true for the word “Adam.” Normally, “Adam” is translated as “man.” The word “Adam” can refer to the individual; it can refer to both man and woman; and it can even refer to “man-kind.” That the Bible refers to man and woman as “Adam” is remarkable, because the Bible also says that the two are to become “one.” [We might interject here that Jesus said on numerous occasions that the Father and He were “one” (compare John 10:30). In fact, He said that His disciples should also be “one,” as the Father and Christ are “one” (John 17:20–22). Christ was not saying, of course, that the Father and He are one being; neither was He saying that all the members of the Church should become one being. Rather, He was talking about unity, harmony, purpose, goal, and mindset. This will become clearer, as we proceed.]

George Knight goes on to explain that there are several words in the Hebrew, all ending with “-im,” which are derived from a grammatically singular word that conveys plural meaning. One of these words is “Cherubim,” the plural form of “Cherub.” Another word is “Elohim.” Other words are “ne’urim,” meaning “youth,” or “mayim,” meaning “water.” The concept of water, in particular, is very interesting, as it can refer to a single drop of water or to a vast ocean. We understand though that it is the same kind of water in either case, and it is always referred to as “water.” In that sense, water is both singular and plural. Knight goes on to point out that the same is true for the word “Elohim.” When we read that “Elohim,” or “God,” said: “Let US make man in Our image,” we should realize that the word for man, “Adam,” as well as the word for God, “Elohim,” can be singular or plural in meaning, depending on the context.

Some disagree. They claim that when the word “Elohim” refers to the God of Israel, it only conveys singular meaning, stating that the word “Elohim” is allegedly always connected with a singular verb. (We will see later that this statement is false, since the word “Elohim,” when referring to the God of Israel, can very well be connected with a plural verb.) They cite, in particular, Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” In this passage, the verb for “created” is, indeed, in the singular.

“Elohim” Followed by a Singular Verb

The objection that “Elohim” cannot describe more than one God being, since it is followed by a singular verb in Genesis 1:27, is without merit, for several reasons. Let’s take a closer look.

Adam Clarke points out in his Commentary that the singular verb “created” does not necessarily reduce God or “Elohim” to a single person, as it could refer to the unity or oneness of more than one acting person. In other words, there was total harmony between the God beings when they created man. Further, the word for man, “Adam,” is also first referred to in the singular, but it includes both male and female, and the statement ends with the concept that God created “THEM.”

In addition, the fact that a singular verb follows a noun that is plural in meaning is not unusual. This is a question of grammar, not of meaning. We don’t say, “The family ARE big,” but rather we say, “The family IS big.” We still understand, however, that the word “family,” although followed by a singular verb, conveys a plural meaning, because a family must consist of more than one person in order to be called a family.

We also need to remember that the word “Elohim,” or “God,” can refer to either one of the two beings in the Godhead. Each one is called, and referred to as “Elohim,” or “God.” In Genesis 1:26, God, or “Elohim,” says, “Let US make man in OUR image.” One God being speaks to the other God being, referring to both of them as “Us.” When we read in Genesis 1:27 that GOD, or “Elohim,” created man in HIS image, we understand that it was the one God being who actually did the creating, and we already know from the New Testament that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ.

It was God the Father who spoke to the One who is also called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, or the “Word” (John 1:1–3, 14; Revelation 19:11–13). God the Father said to Christ, “Let Us make man in Our image.” [If we were to conclude that Christ spoke these words, rather than the Father, then we would have to say that it was Christ who was in control and who gave command to the Father—a conclusion not supported in Scripture. It was God the Father who created everything THROUGH Jesus Christ.] It was Christ, then, who did the actual work of creating man, and He created man in His image. Remember, though, that Christ is also the image of the Father (compare 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 and Colossians 1:15). Therefore, when Christ created man in His image, He also created man in the image of the Father. Man, then, was created in the image of GOD—in the image of both God the Father and God the Son.

“Elohim” Followed by a Plural Verb

We saw earlier that the word “Elohim,” although singular in grammar, can be plural in meaning. We saw, too, that “Elohim” can be followed by a singular Hebrew verb—as this is a matter of grammar, and not of meaning. Some claim that because of the fact that “Elohim” is often followed by a singular Hebrew verb, this somehow proves that the word “Elohim” cannot have a plural meaning. We have seen the falsity of this argument. However, there are Scriptures where the word “Elohim,” referring to the God of Israel, is accompanied by a plural Hebrew verb, not a singular Hebrew verb. This fact totally rules out the possibility that the word “Elohim,” when referring to the true God, can only have singular meaning.

Note the following examples:

In Genesis 20:13, Abraham states, “And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her [Abraham’s wife, Sarah], This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, He is my brother.” The Hebrew word for “God” here is “Elohim.” The word for “caused” is in the plural in the original Hebrew, not in the singular.

In Genesis 35:6–7, we read, “So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.” The Hebrew word for “God” is “Elohim.” The word for “appeared” is in the plural in the original Hebrew, not in the singular.

In 2 Samuel 7:23, we read this prayer of David: “And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name…” The Hebrew word for “God,” “Elohim,” is followed by a plural Hebrew verb, translated as “went” in the English.

The fact that the word “Elohim,” when referring to the God of Israel, can be accompanied in the Hebrew by a plural word is important, as it rejects the claim that the God of Israel (“Elohim”) can only be one personage. The above-cited examples of plural Hebrew words (the Hebrew expressions for “caused,” “appeared” and “went”) make this very clear. In the Hebrew, the words for “caused,” “appeared” and “went” are distinctively plural, and cannot be understood to be singular. The same can be seen in other languages, for instance in German (a language related to Hebrew), although it might not be all that clear in English. In German, we might say, “Der Hund bellte.” (“The dog barked.”) The word “dog” or “Hund” is clearly accompanied by a singular verb (“barked” or “bellte”). Then, we might say, “Die Hunde bellten.” (“The dogs barked.”) In the English language, it is not clear, strictly judging by the word “barked,” whether the subject is singular or plural, as the verb is “barked” in either case. In German, however, it is clear that the verb (“bellten”) refers to a plural noun (if one wants to refer to a single dog, one would have to say, “bellte”—not “bellten”).  The same is true for Hebrew. The fact that the Hebrew word “Elohim” is at times accompanied by a plural (not a singular) Hebrew verb proves that “Elohim” consists of more than just one being.

Another Lesson in Grammar from the German Language

It is true, however, that in most cases, the Hebrew word “Elohim,” when referring to the God of Israel, is accompanied by a singular verb. This fact—that the word “Elohim” can be either singular or plural, and the verb that follows the noun “Elohim” may be in the singular in either case—should not surprise us. For instance, in German, we can observe the same principle when looking at the word for “police,” which is “Polizei.” One can refer to “Polizei” as conveying a singular or a plural meaning, but the verb in German is always in the singular. As an example, a single policeman could say: “Hier steht die Polizei,” meaning, “Here are the police.” Note that in German, the verb is in the singular. Or, the policeman could say, “Die Polizei befiehlt.” (“The police order you.”) Note again, that in German, the verb is in the singular, although now the single officer who gives the order speaks on behalf of the entire police force. At the same time, a group of police officers could all refer to themselves as “the police.” When they do, the verb associated with “Polizei” is still singular in German.

So now we have clearly established the fact that the Hebrew word for God, “Elohim,” can refer to more than one God being, or it can refer to either one of the two God beings. The verb associated with “Elohim” may be singular. Again, this is a matter of grammar, not of meaning.

Plural Nouns Referring to God—”Elohim”

We also saw, however, that the word “Elohim,” when referring to the God of Israel, does at times associate with a plural verb, showing clearly that God must consist of more than one person. In addition, there are several nouns that refer to and describe the God of Israel that are used in the plural, again showing that the God of Israel must consist of more than one person.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth.” In the original Hebrew, the word for “Creator” is in the plural, which should be translated as “Creators.” Both the Father and the Son are Creators. God the Father created everything, including man, through Jesus Christ.

Notice, too, Isaiah 54:5, “For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name.” Translating literally from the Hebrew, it should read: “For your Makers [are] your husbands.” Both “Maker” and “husband” are plural nouns in the original. There is no verb in the Hebrew, but it needs to be implied as a plural verb, since both the subject and the object are in the plural in the original Hebrew.

We find a similar statement in Job 35:10, “But no one says, Where is God my Maker…?” In the original, it says, “Where is God my Makers?”

In addition, Proverbs 9:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The original says, however: “The fear of the LORD (is) the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy Ones [or: “of the Holies”] (is) understanding.” “Holy” or “Holy One” is a plural noun in the original Hebrew. Similar passages can be found in Proverbs 30:3 and in Hosea 11:12.

These passages provide additional evidence that God is not just one being, but that He is a Family, consisting of the Father and of the Son.

Jesus Christ WAS—and IS—God!

Yes, Jesus Christ WAS—and IS—God! This is a profound statement that many may not have heard before! Some may well believe that God the Father created everything Himself. Many may have been taught that God is only one being, and that Christ is, at best, an angel, or, that He did not even exist before He was born as a human being. You may have heard those who claim that Jesus Christ is not God, therefore God the Father did not create everything through another God being—Jesus Christ.

The Bible clearly reveals, however, that both the Father and Jesus Christ ARE God, and that they have ALWAYS been God throughout eternity!

Reading from John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word [the “Logos” in Greek, meaning “Spokesman”], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We see that it is Jesus Christ—the “Word”—the One who “SPOKE, and it was done” (Psalm 33:9), and the One who later became flesh (John 1:14), who is referred to in John 1:1 as “God.”

Some say that the phrase in John 1:1 should be translated as, “The Word was divine,” in the sense that everything that God says is divine. That proposal is wrong. The Greek word for “divine” is “theios,” while the term for “God,” as used in John 1:1, is “theos.” The term “theos” can only mean “God.” The “Word” was not only “divine”—the “Word” was “God.”

There are many other passages that clearly reveal that Jesus Christ always was, and now is, God. He was God before He was changed into flesh and blood—a human being like us—to live for a short while on this earth. Then after His resurrection, He again became the powerful God being that He had been prior to His human birth.

John 1:18 tells us: “No one has ever seen God [the Father]. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (New Revised Standard Version). Notice the rendering of this passage in the New American Bible: “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.”

Additionally, Romans 9:5 refers to Jesus Christ as “the eternally blessed God.” Philippians 2:5–7 explains that Christ was “equal with God” the Father, but that He took the “form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as “God.”

In John 20:28–29, Thomas calls the resurrected Christ “God,” and Titus 2:13 speaks of Jesus Christ as “our great God and Savior.” Christ is also referred to in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 7:14, as “God with us,” or “Immanuel,” and He is referred to as the “Mighty God” (in Hebrew, “El”), in Isaiah 9:6.

Clearly, it is Jesus Christ who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the second God being in the God Family. It is He who created man, but in doing so, He followed the instruction of God the Father, who is the Highest in the God Family (compare 1 Corinthians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 11: 3; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28; John 14:28).

Jesus Came to Reveal the Father

The Jews at the time of Christ did not know—and most still don’t know today—that God is a Family, presently consisting of two God beings. Christ came to REVEAL the Father to them (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22). The Jews thought they knew the Father, not realizing that the God of the Old Testament, who directly worked with and dealt with Israel, was Jesus Christ—not God the Father.

We have already read in John 1:18 that “no one has seen God at any time.” John 5:37 confirms that “you have neither heard His [the Father’s] voice at any time, nor seen His form.” Again, we read in John 6:46: “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God,” that is, Jesus Christ. Finally, 1 John 4:12 repeats, “No one has seen God at any time.”

Still, we have read that God did appear to the ancient Israelites. They did hear His voice many times. Some even saw the form of God, to an extent, in His glorified state (compare Genesis 32:30; Exodus 33:11, 17–23; 34:6–8; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10; Isaiah 6:1–10; Ezekiel 1:26–28; 3:23; 8:4).

According to Biblical testimony, some did see “God” in Old Testament times, and they did hear His voice.  On the other hand, Christ and the apostles taught that no human has ever seen or heard the voice of “God.” Since God does not contradict Himself in His Word, He is obviously talking about two different personages here. Indeed, the Bible clarifies that no one has ever seen God the Father (compare again John 5:37; 6:46). But some did see “God”—that is, the second being in the God Family—Jesus Christ, in His glorified state.

The Bible confirms that it was Jesus Christ who appeared to people and spoke with them in Old Testament times (compare John 8:56–58; 1 Corinthians 10:4, 9). In doing so, the Bible emphasizes again that Jesus Christ was GOD before He became a man, and that God is a Family, consisting of God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. It was, in fact, Christ who dealt directly with Israel.

Did the Ancients Understand the Duality in the Godhead?

Did Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David, Daniel, and the other prophets understand that God, or “Elohim,” is more than one person? The Bible reveals that they did know.

Acts 3:13 states that the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus.” Abraham, Isaac and Jacob understood that their God was the Father, who would later glorify Jesus Christ, the Son. They also understood—as we will see in a moment—that the God being who directly dealt with and appeared to them, was Jesus Christ—not the Father.

Notice Psalm 45. The sons of Korah wrote this Psalm, but it stands to reason that David knew it. Psalm 45:6–7 reads, “Your throne, O God [“Elohim”], is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God [“Elohim”], Your God [“Elohim”] has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

These verses refer to one of the persons in the Godhead, calling Him God or “Elohim,” and then to a second person in the Godhead, calling Him also God or “Elohim.” We are told here that “Elohim” anointed “Elohim” with the oil of gladness. The one being, “Elohim,” is also identified as God or “Elohim” of the other being, also referred to as “Elohim.” Here we see a reference to the Word or the Son, Jesus Christ—Himself God—and to the Father, who is also God. The Father is above all. He is the Head of Jesus Christ (compare 1 Corinthians 11:3). So we learn from this that God the Father is God of the Son, or the Word, who is also God.

The word “Elohim” is used for both personages in the Godhead. The patriarchs, David, and other Biblical writers did, indeed, understand this duality in the Godhead.

Note, for instance, Isaiah 41:21–26, where God is challenging the futility of idols: “Present your case, says the LORD. Bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth and show US what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That WE may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to US things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, That WE may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That WE may be dismayed and see it TOGETHER… Who has declared from the beginning, that WE may know? And former things, that WE may say, He is righteous?”

God is using the plural in this passage to reveal that God is more than one being. Isaiah is not referring here to God and himself. Note that Isaiah quotes verbatim a statement from God (Note Isaiah 41:21: “Present your case, says the LORD…”). We find a similar statement by Jesus Christ, when He talked to the Pharisee Nicodemus, a “ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1). Nicodemus had visited Christ privately by night. Christ told him: “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, WE speak what WE know and testify what WE have seen, and you do not receive OUR witness’” (John 3:11). Christ was referring to God the Father and Himself (compare verse 16).

The Prophet Daniel Understood

God repeatedly refers to Himself in the plural. It is made very clear in the book of Daniel, who these two God beings are. Notice the vision in Daniel 7:9–10, 13–14: “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days [a reference here to God the Father] was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened… I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man [a reference to the resurrected Jesus Christ, appearing before God the Father in heaven], Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

Jesus Christ—the future King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16)—is described as ruling in the Kingdom of God over man. The Father will give Him the kingdom. Daniel knew and understood that the God Family presently consists of two God beings. He knew that God is not just one being.

The Prophet Zechariah Understood

Reading in Zechariah 4:8–9: “Moreover the word of the LORD [in Hebrew, “Yahweh”] came to me, saying: The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD [in Hebrew, “Yahweh”] of hosts has sent Me [“Yahweh”] to you.”

We see in this passage that the LORD [“Yahweh”] sent the LORD [“Yahweh”]. The expression, “Yahweh,” then is applied to both God beings. As we will see in more detail, both God the Father and Jesus Christ are referred to in Scripture as “Yahweh”—the “I AM” (compare Exodus 3:14)—basically meaning, “the Eternal,” or, “the Ever-living One.” This fact alone proves that both the Father and Jesus Christ have always existed—that they are God beings, and that the Old Testament teaches that there is more than just one God being.

Zechariah 6:9, 12–15 confirms this conclusion: “Then the word of the LORD [“Yahweh”] came to me, saying… (v. 12) Then speak to him, saying, Thus says the LORD [“Yahweh”] of hosts, saying: Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, And He shall build the temple of the LORD [“Yahweh”]; Yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD [“Yahweh”]. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both. Now the elaborate crown shall be for a memorial in the temple of the LORD [“Yahweh”]… Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the LORD [“Yahweh”]. Then you shall know that the LORD [“Yahweh”] of hosts has sent Me to you. And this shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD [“Yahweh”] your God.”

Again, we see, that the God being, referred to as “Yahweh” here, sent the second God being, also referred to as “Yahweh.” It is “Yahweh” who says that “Yahweh” sent Him to the people. This passage does not refer to just a human messenger, or to an angel to convey the “word of the LORD,” while the “LORD” is speaking about Himself. Note that the New King James Bible capitalizes the word “Me” in “…the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.” They convey the intended meaning that the word “Me” refers to one of the two God beings, and not to a human or angelic messenger.

A third passage in the book of Zechariah, proving that the word “Yahweh” applies to both God beings, can be found in chapter 2, verses 8–11. Again, we read what the LORD [“Yahweh”] says, “And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD [“Yahweh”] of hosts has sent Me to you” (verse 11).

The Prophet Jeremiah Understood

Notice in Jeremiah 23:5–6 where the term “Yahweh” is used for both God beings in the same context: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD [“Yahweh”], That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD [“Yahweh”] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Jeremiah shows that the LORD (“Yahweh”—the Father) will raise a “Branch of righteousness,” to also be called the “LORD” (“Yahweh”—Jesus Christ).

The Prophet Micah Understood

Reading from Micah 5:2–4: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting. Therefore He shall give them up, until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the LORD [“Yahweh”], in the majesty of the name of the LORD [“Yahweh”] His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great To the ends of the earth.”

Christ is identified in this passage as the Ruler in Israel, whose “goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” In the original Hebrew it states, “from days of eternity.” Again, we are told that Christ has lived forever—which means, that He is God. Further, He is described as coming “in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.”  This is a reference to God the Father, who is called here LORD or “Yahweh.” The word for “GOD” is “Elohim.” Again, we see the structure within the Godhead—God the Father is the “Most High God” (compare Mark 5:7), and Jesus Christ, although a God being Himself, refers to the Father as His God (notice, too, John 20:17).

The Prophet Isaiah Understood

There are certain passages in the book of Isaiah, which, at first sight, may not seem to reveal the plurality in the Godhead, but they do just that, if we study them carefully.

Isaiah 34:16 reads: “Search from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them.” If this passage were only addressing one God being, we would expect to read: “My mouth has commanded it, and My Spirit has gathered them.” Interestingly, a distinction is made between “My mouth” and “His Spirit.”

Isaiah 45:1 states: “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held.” Again, if the passage were to only speak about one God being, we would expect to read: “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand He has held.” However, God does not say it that way. He makes a distinction between “His anointed” and the fact that “I have held” his hand. In other words, it was the Father who gave Christ a command (“Thus says the LORD”), and it was Christ who quotes this command to Cyrus, and who holds Cyrus’ hand, in obedience of God the Father’s command. (Remember that the word “LORD”—“Yahweh”—can refer to both the Father and to Jesus Christ.)

Once we realize that those changes in reference are not merely “accidental,” we can find many more passages in the Old Testament along the same line that reveal that God is not just one person.

For example, Isaiah 29:22–23 says: “Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, and hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel.” Notice the distinction between “My hands” and “My name” on the one hand, and “the Holy One of Jacob” and the “God of Israel” on the other hand. In the future, the children of Israel will recognize and believe in both the Father and Jesus Christ.

In Isaiah 62:6–7, God reveals that He has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. Notice, what else the LORD is revealing in this passage: “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD [ note that it does not say, “of Me”], do not keep silent, And give Him no rest [ note again, it does not say, “And give Me no rest”] till He [not, “I”] establishes And till He [not, “I”] makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

Does Deuteronomy 6:4 Teach that God Is Only One Being?

Deuteronomy 6:4 reads: “Hear, O Israel, The LORD [“Yahweh”] our God, the LORD [“Yahweh”] is one!” Many perceive that this Scripture teaches monotheism—that is, the existence of only one God. And indeed, it does. There is only one God. But in our thorough study until now, we have learned that God is a Family, consisting of more than one being. Since God does not contradict Himself in His Word, what can we learn from Deuteronomy 6:4? “Yahweh” is one being. The being who dealt directly with Israel was Jesus Christ. He was called “Yahweh”—He was and is one being. So, it is true that “Yahweh”—Jesus Christ—is one being.

In addition, “Yahweh” refers to the Father as well—and the Father is, of course, also one being. Thirdly, since “Yahweh” refers to both the Father and the Son, they are also “one”—one in purpose, goal, mindset, willpower and determination. They are unified. There is no division in the God Family.

Recall that Christ said that the Father and He are ONE. Christ was not saying that the Father and He were one being. In fact, He won a legal argument with the Pharisees by proving that the Father and He were TWO beings (John 8:17–18). Recall, too, that Christ prayed to the Father that His disciples should become “one” (John 17:20–23). We also know that Adam and Eve were to become “one” flesh (Genesis 2:24). We can learn from these examples that the disciples, or Adam and Eve, were not to become one being, but they were to reach, or achieve, oneness in mindset, in purpose, and in action.

Further, many commentaries, including the Jewish Bible or Tanakh, feel that the passage in Deuteronomy 6:4 should be translated, “The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” This would make sense too, given the fact that both God the Father and Jesus Christ are referred to as “LORD” or “Yahweh” in Scripture. In this sense, the prohibition is against worshipping other gods. Deuteronomy 6:4 definitively DOES NOT teach that there is only one God being, as this would contradict all the other Scriptures in the Bible that establish a duality in the Godhead.

Usually, the Term “Yahweh” Applies to Jesus Christ

We should take note of the fact that in most cases, the expression LORD or “Yahweh” does not refer to the Father, but actually refers to Jesus Christ. Notice, for instance, in Hebrews 1:1–12 where God the Father (vv. 1, 5) says to the Son, Jesus Christ (v. 10): “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth…” This is a quote from Psalm 102:25–27, referring to “Yahweh’s” creation of the earth. Paul, in the book of Hebrews, applies this Psalm, and the term LORD or “Yahweh,” to Jesus Christ, again confirming that it was Christ who did the work of creation.

There are a few statements in the Old Testament, however, as we have seen in the books of Zechariah and Jeremiah, which use the expression LORD or “Yahweh” to also describe God the Father. Additional Scriptures that refer to the Father as “Yahweh” are to be found in Psalm 2:2, 7, 11. There, Christ is identified as “Yahweh’s” Anointed, and as “My Son.” We might also note Psalm 110:1, which is quoted by Christ in Matthew 22:42–45, referring to the Father as the LORD or “Yahweh,” while referring to Christ as “Lord” (“adon” in the Hebrew, meaning, “Lord, sir, master”).

Does Isaiah 48:16 Teach a Trinity?

Another passage that proves that there is more than one person in the Godhead is Isaiah 48:16. Some claim, however, that this passage shows that the Holy Spirit is also a God being, and a third member of the Godhead. The passage reads: “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

This translation may give the impression that the Holy Spirit is a separate entity. However, in the original Hebrew, the words “Have sent” are in the singular, as the margin of the New King James Bible points out. As a consequence, the New International Version translates this passage more accurately as: “The Sovereign God has sent Me with His Spirit.” The Jewish Bible or Tanakh renders this passage as follows, “And now the Lord God has sent me, endowed with His spirit.”

Others claim that 1 John 5:7 teaches the Trinity. This passage is quoted as stating that “there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” Although this statement would not teach a Trinity, even if it were genuine, most scholars agree that these words were added by the Catholic Church to “prove” the Trinity, and that these words are not in the original writings. Our free booklet “Is God a Trinity?” discusses this passage in detail and proves from the Bible that the Holy Spirit is not God or a person—but is the power of God through which the God Family works.

Who and What Was Jesus Before His Human Birth?

Some deny that God always has been a Family. They might perhaps admit that God is a Family now, but they state that there was a time when God was not a Family. The Bible is clear, however, that God always has been a Family—and that the Father and the Son existed as members of the God Family throughout all eternity.

Some say that Jesus Christ did not exist prior to His birth as a human being. They teach that there was only one God being—now known as the Father—who created Christ in Mary’s womb. Others admit that Christ did exist prior to His human birth, but teach that He was an angel. Even though some teach that Jesus BECAME a God being upon His resurrection from the dead, they deny that Christ was God PRIOR to His human birth.

As we have seen in this booklet, the Bible teaches clearly that Jesus Christ existed on the God plane BEFORE He gave up His divinity for a short while to become a human being.

In passing, some deny that Christ gave up His divinity, when He became a human being, claiming that He was “fully God and fully man.” This concept is false, too. If Christ had not given up His divinity to become “fully man,” He could not have died (as God cannot die—and neither can we, once we are God beings, compare Luke 20:35–36). If Christ did not die, and if He was not subsequently brought back to life by a resurrection from the dead, then our faith is “empty” and “futile” (compare 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 12–18). In addition, you and I would not have a Savior, as it was necessary for Christ to overcome sin in the flesh (compare Romans 8:3). He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

The truth is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, BECAME a human being. He was not “fully God” and “fully man,” possessing two natures—rather, we read in John 1:14 that “the Word BECAME flesh.” He gave up His divinity and His divine glory. The only way in which He was still the “Son of God” was that He was the person that had been God, BEFORE He became human. A king who becomes a beggar is still the person that had been the king at one time. In other words, Christ knew of His existence prior to His human birth—He knew of the person that He had been. Christ was that person. However, He laid aside His divinity and became FULLY man. When Christ BECAME flesh, He ceased to be what He had been—a divine glorified being. For additional information, please read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Since it is very important to clearly understand that Christ existed prior to His birth as a human being, let us notice some additional proof:

I John 4:9 states: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” WHO was sent into the world? According to this verse, it was the Son—God’s Son! Both the Father and the Son planned for Christ’s coming into the world, as 2 Timothy 1:9 explains: “[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Again, we read in Revelation 13:8, Christ—the Lamb of God—was “…slain from the foundation of the world.”

John 17:5 adds these words of Christ, “‘And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.’” Earlier, Jesus had this to say while instructing His disciples: “’I came forth from the Father and have come into the world.  Again, I leave the world and go to the Father’” (John 16:28).

As we continue to follow the story of Jesus Christ, we find a scene depicted in the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation that actually shows that Jesus Christ was glorified by the Father. The seventh chapter of the book of Daniel also describes the time after Christ’s resurrection when that former glory was restored to Him by the Father. There are many other Scriptures that refer to Christ being glorified (compare John 12:16; John 20:17; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 8:1; Ephesians 1:20).

There is another incontrovertible proof that Jesus was willingly sent into the world—leaving His place as the spiritual Son of God to become a flesh and blood, physical man (begotten in the flesh) who would live a sinless life in order to save all of mankind. No other sacrifice than that of God Himself—the Creator of man—could pay the price for man’s sins and allow man to have access to the gift of eternal life. Yet, in order to be able to die, Christ, the Son of God, had to become flesh and blood.

Philippians 2:6–8, documents this: “…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (New American Standard translation). Notice, too, Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower [or, for a little while lower] than the angels, FOR THE SUFFERING OF DEATH, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, MIGHT TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYONE.”

To believe that Jesus Christ did not exist as a God being before His physical life is to deny the very meaning of the priceless sacrifice both He and the Father made. Alarmingly, at the core of this false belief, there lies the danger of one actually denying the Father and the Son, and that is the belief in and practice of “antichrist” (compare 1 John 2:22–23). The Father and the Son have existed throughout time—even before “time” itself existed.

Jesus Christ spoke of His own pre-existence over and over again. At one time, He stated boldly that He—AS God—had lived before Abraham. The Jews were so outraged that they were willing to stone Jesus. Notice the dialogue and the reaction of the Jews to Christ’s words in John 8:56–58: “[Jesus said,] ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to Him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” When Jesus said, “I AM,” rather than, “I WAS,” the Jews understood that He identified Himself as God—as “Yahweh,” the “I AM” or Eternal of the Old Testament. That is why they “took up stones to throw at Him” (verse 59).

Consider, too, this statement that He made to His disciples very early in His three and one-half year ministry: “’I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’” (Luke 10:18). This event marking Satan’s failed rebellion against the Family of God happened long before even mankind was created. However, deeply rooted in this rebellion was Satan’s attempt to stop the great master plan of God in enlarging His kind to actually stop the future development of the sons and daughters of God. In that struggle, Satan lost—yet he continues to deceive and fight against the will of God. However, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has fulfilled a great step in the plan of God that is only open to mankind. It is not open to Satan and his demons, although they obviously have wanted to attain what was not offered them. Christ has become the firstborn of many brethren. Understanding and acting on this truth will assure that none of us denies either the Father or the Son!

A Spiritual World Before Christ?

In addition, the Bible reveals a very intriguing insight for us to consider. Hebrews 9:11 states: “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, NOT OF THIS CREATION.”  Later, in Hebrews 11:3, we find that “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were NOT made of things which are visible.”  What the Bible states here is that the physical world was formed from the spirit world.  Even science acknowledges that the entire physical creation is winding down, and that—given enough time—would all return to energy.

The book of Hebrews reveals even more in showing that spiritual things exist in addition to physical things.  In the eighth chapter of Hebrews, in verse 5, the ancient earthly tabernacle and priesthood are categorized collectively as “the COPY and SHADOW of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.  For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’”  (Compare, for further proof, Acts 7:44–50.)  Christ is called “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the TRUE TABERNACLE which the LORD ERECTED, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2).

Hebrews 9 continues to explain: “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified (cleansed) with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (verses 23 and 24).

What these verses show us is that there is a spiritual world—and that this spiritual world already existed prior to the birth of Jesus Christ as a human being. Most Biblical “scholars” won’t deny this—yet, paradoxically, some deny that Jesus Christ existed on a spiritual plane prior to His birth as a human being! The Bible is very clear, however, that Christ did exist as a God being prior to His human birth. We read that God (the Father) created everything that was created—including in the spiritual world—by and through Jesus Christ.

Let’s read again Colossians 1:16: “For by Him [Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Jesus Christ is identified, in Revelation 3:14, as the “beginner of the creation of God,” as it should be correctly rendered. The Authorized Version translates this passage as, “the beginning of the creation of God,” falsely implying that Christ had a beginning. Christ, however, had no beginning. He is identified in Hebrews 7:1 as “Melchizedek,” the “priest of the Most High God.” Hebrews 7:3 explains that He had “neither beginning of days nor end of life.” Therefore, Revelation 3:14 is more accurately translated as “beginning” or “source” of God’s creation (compare, for instance, Revised Standard Version; New Revised Standard Version; Revised English Bible; and New American Bible). Christ EXISTED as a God being from all eternity, and it was He—the second member of the God Family—who began the creation of everything.

Was the Father Always the Father—and Was Christ Always the Son?

Some advance another argument in an effort to disprove the Biblical truth that God has always been a Family. Although they might admit that God has always consisted of two beings, they state that God was not a Family before Christ’s human existence, as Christ was allegedly not the Son and the Father was allegedly not the Father prior to Christ’s human existence—hence, God could not have been a Family prior to Christ’s human existence.

Is it true that Christ BECAME the Son, and that the Father BECAME the Father at one given moment in time—or does the Bible teach that the two God beings ALWAYS were the Father and the Son?

Some quote Romans 1:4 as proof of the concept that Jesus Christ—the second being in the Godhead—BECAME the Son of God at the time of His resurrection from the dead.

In Romans 1:3–4, Paul states that God made a promise before “concerning HIS SON Jesus Christ our Lord who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead.” Does this Scripture say that Christ became the Son of God through the resurrection of the dead? Without analyzing the rest of the Scriptures, and focusing on this passage alone, another possible way of understanding Paul’s statement could also be that the Son, who had been flesh, became again a powerful being through the resurrection from the dead. In other words, Romans 1:3–4 is not conclusive proof that Jesus Christ BECAME the Son of God at the time of His resurrection from the dead.

Before we clearly present from the Bible what Romans 1:3–4 is saying, let us note another passage, Hebrews 1:5, which has been used in an attempt to prove that Christ BECAME the Son of God—that He was not the Son of God from all eternity. Hebrews 1:5 states, “For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten you’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son’?”

Does this passage mean that Christ became the Son of God when He came into the world (verse 6), and that God became the Father at that time? Another explanation—again, just looking at this passage alone—could be that God the Father begot the Son, Jesus Christ, as a human being at that time, and that God the Father will be, and has been, to Christ a Father in the truest sense of the word, as Christ showed through obedience in His human life that He was an obedient Son, even while in the flesh.

 When we view the passages in Romans 1 and Hebrews 1 in context with the other Biblical testimony, we must conclude that they cannot be used to validate the concept that Christ BECAME the Son of God at the time of His resurrection. If it were true that Christ became the Son of God through the resurrection, why did God the Father say before Christ’s resurrection, “This is My beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)? When this event occurred, John the Baptist exclaimed, “’And I have seen and testified that this is the SON OF GOD’” (John 1:34). Christ is identified many times in the New Testament as the “Son of God,” prior to His death and resurrection (compare John 1:49; Matthew 4:3, 6; Matthew 8:29; Matthew 14:33).

Notice Christ’s own words in John 3:17, “’For God did not send HIS SON into the world to condemn the world…’” Another remarkable dialogue is recorded between Christ and Peter. Christ asked Peter, “’But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’” (Matthew 16:15–17).

Christ is not saying here that He would BECOME the Son of God at the time of His resurrection. Peter had identified Him as “the Son of the living God,” and Christ told Peter that God the Father had revealed this truth to him. Compare, too, John 6:68–69.

The Jews KNEW that Christ claimed that He WAS the Son of God (compare Matthew 27:40, 43; Luke 22:70; John 9:35–37; John 10:33–36; John 11:4; John 19:7). When Christ died, the centurion recognized that Christ was “the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).

In addition, we find a few Scriptures in the Old Testament that refer to Christ—the second being in the God Family—as the Son (compare Psalm 2:1–2, 7, 11–12; Proverbs 30:4).

Generally, however, this terminology is not used in the Old Testament, as God was not clearly revealed as Father and Son in ancient times.

Christ, as the Son of God, had to come to reveal the Father. The Jews were under the misimpression that they were worshipping “the Father.” They did not understand that the God being functioning as the Messenger or Spokesperson of the Father and the God Family, who had been dealing directly with the ancients, was actually Jesus Christ. (Compare Christ’s words in John 8:54, “’It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.’”)

Still, there are Old Testament passages that speak about God as “the Father.” References to “the Father” in the Old Testament can be found in Isaiah 63:16; Malachi 1:6; 2:10; 2 Samuel 7:13–14; 1 Chronicles 22:10; and Deuteronomy 32:6. In those passages, Christ—the “Word” or Spokesman for the Father—communicated to the people the words of the Father.

Since God created everything through Christ, it is also said in Isaiah 9:6 that Christ will be called in the future—after His Second Coming—the “Everlasting Father.” This statement proves, too, that Christ existed for all eternity. He is referred to here as the “everlasting Father” or “the everlasting Source” of everything—the “beginning of the creation of God.” However, when the Bible speaks of the “Father,” it normally refers strictly and exclusively to the highest God being in the God Family.

We find, then, that God was identified in Scripture as the Father and the Son prior to the human existence of Jesus Christ. God has been a Family for all eternity.

We should also note that Christ spoke, of course, about God as His FATHER. He made repeated statements to this effect PRIOR to His death and subsequent resurrection. We might also recall that He told the Jews that they had never seen the FATHER or heard the FATHER’S voice (John 5:37).

Returning to Romans 1:3–4, Paul is addressing the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. This showed WHO Christ was. Notice again what Romans 1:2–4 really says. God the Father made a promise concerning His Son Jesus Christ. We read that the SON was born of the seed of David according to the flesh. We also read that the SON was declared to be the Son of God WITH POWER according to the Spirit by the resurrection from the dead. Christ was already the SON when He was born as a human being—but He became POWERFUL when He became once again a glorified God being. He came back to His disciples after His resurrection to prove who He was, that God the Father had raised Him back to life, and that all authority or “POWER” had been given to Him by the Father (compare Matthew 28:18 in the Authorized Version; see also Hebrews 1:3).

We also read in Romans 8:3 that God sent “His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Note whom God the Father sent to become a human being. It says, He sent “His own Son.” Notice the same statement in Galatians 4:4: “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth HIS SON, born of a woman, born under the law.” Hebrews 5:8 also emphasizes that Christ had to suffer in the flesh, although He was “a Son.” He was already the Son of God PRIOR to His resurrection.

In light of the foregoing, we understand that Hebrews 1 does not state that Christ was not the Son prior to His human existence. Rather, the Bible teaches consistently that the Son of God came into the world. He became a human being. Thus, He became the Son of Man as well.

In thinking about Jesus in His preincarnate life, it is hard to describe the Father and Son relationship that existed from eternity in physical analogies. It is plain that although Christ was equal to God in one sense, He still said that God the Father was greater than He was (John 14:28). Also, Christ is and always has been the Spokesman for the Father and the Family of God. John 1:1 states: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God.”  What is important to understand from this verse is that Jesus was with God (the Father) at the beginning of creation. Further, Christ will be known again to the nations as the Word of God, when He returns to this earth. Revelation 19:13 describes His Second Coming in this way: “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

God the Father holds a superior position in the God Family in that He represents the final authority. Christ was, always is, and always will be subject to the Father—a structure of relationship that has always existed.

The role in the Family of God between Father and Son not only stretches back through eternity, but it is a role that will continue forever into the future.  Several decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find a statement that was recorded by John, an apostle of Jesus Christ: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which GOD GAVE HIM to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.  And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (Revelation 1:1).  Jesus is not doing this by Himself. Rather, the revelation is received from God the Father, and Christ, as Spokesman for the Family of God, then sends it through His angel to John.

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:24, 27–28, “Then comes the end, when He [Christ] delivers the kingdom to God the Father… For ‘He [the Father] has put all things under His [Christ’s] feet.’ But when He says ‘all things are put under Him,’ it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” The head of Christ is and will be—and always has been—God the Father  (1 Corinthians 11:3).

It may be difficult for us to comprehend that Christ WAS always the Son, and that the Father WAS always the Father. We may not be able to explain how that could have been the case, thinking, in using a human analogy, that God the Father must of necessity have existed prior to the Son’s “birth.” This is not true, however, since the Bible tells us that the Son—Jesus Christ, the Word— did not have a beginning. The Bible teaches us that God the Father was always the Father and that Christ was always the Son. We cannot explain this revelation with our limited human understanding. Neither can we explain how God could have lived from all eternity, or that there were even two God beings from all eternity. However, we know this to be true. The Bible teaches it, and we must accept it “by faith” (Hebrews 11:6), although the human mind might not be able to fully comprehend it (compare Romans 11:33; 1 Corinthians 13:12).

We have also learned from the Bible that God the Father is the highest in the Godhead. The Bible nowhere says that He was NOT the highest from all eternity. In fact, we read that God the Father created everything THROUGH Jesus Christ—so the highest God being created everything, including the spiritual world, through a God being “lower” than He. If we were to speculate, we could imagine, perhaps, that BEFORE anything was created, the two totally “equal” God beings decided between themselves that one should become the highest. However, the Biblical record does not leave room for such speculation. We are clearly taught that the Father always was the highest. We can’t explain or comprehend how that could be. Likewise, we might not understand how Christ could have always been the Son, or how the Father could have always been the Father. Still, the Biblical record is clear in this regard.

Therefore, we must conclude that God HAS ALWAYS BEEN a Family—and that God IS a Family today, presently consisting of the Father and the Son.  The great hidden knowledge—the mystery hidden since the foundation of the world—is that God has begun a process that will lead to the vast increase of His Family!  As we have seen in 1 John 3:2, “now we are children of God.”  We are now begotten—not yet born!  However, a few people throughout the time from the creation of man and leading up to the return of Jesus Christ have already been called, and they have also been chosen, and they have proven themselves faithful (compare Revelation 17:14). These, and yet others still to come, will join the Family of God in the first resurrection.

These are the ones who have received God’s Holy Spirit prior to Christ’s First Coming. We read that the Spirit of Christ was IN the prophets of old (1 Peter 1:11). [This proves, too, that Christ existed at that time, prior to His human existence, and that He gave His Spirit to the prophets.] These prophets were already BEGOTTEN children of the God Family PRIOR to Christ’s First Coming. Again, this shows that God WAS a Family, and that He was already in the process of enlarging His Family, PRIOR to Christ’s birth as a human being.

The Bible also indicates that the vast majority of all of mankind who have ever lived, or who shall ever live, will come up in the second resurrection (compare Revelation 20:5) and will be given an opportunity to enter the Family of God as well (Please read our free booklets, “Do We Have An Immortal Soul?” and, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” which explain the truth of the “second resurrection” in more detail.)

Just as the Father reveals the Son, and the Son reveals the Father, the resounding truth of just who God is can be understood by us!  God has indeed given us a future and a hope.  We, too, can become a part of what God IS—the GOD FAMILY!

Man’s Ultimate Potential and Destiny

In Hebrews 1, verse 2, it says of Jesus Christ that God the Father “…has appointed [Him] heir of all things.” It is further revealed in Hebrews 2:7 that although man was created “for a little while” lower than the angels, as the margin has it correctly, he will ultimately have “’…all things in subjection under his feet’” (verse 8).

 The eighth chapter of the book of Romans presents us with even more astounding proof of the tremendous future God has in store for man. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [correctly translated, “son-ship”] by whom we cry out ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself [Itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (verses 14–17).

Romans 8:18–19 continues: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

These two short verses open up the truth of the vast master plan of God and the very purpose for man’s creation—to increase His Family by having sons and daughters born into His very Family! We are told in 2 Corinthians 6:17–18, “Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’ ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.’”

After explaining that mankind was to become conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, God shows the underlying purpose in His plan in Romans 8:29: Christ was to “be the firstborn among many brethren.” So important is the purpose of God in bringing many sons and daughters to glory that He was willing to give His only begotten Son in fulfillment of His objective (compare John 3:16). Romans 8:32 also clarifies this point: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

“All things” means exactly that—it includes rule over the entire universe AND the unending future of God’s Kingdom. Man is to become a “joint heir” with Christ in “all things”! John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, was fervently aware of man’s tremendous future. In 1 John 3:1–2, he writes: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Paul also addressed this tremendous future transformation: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20–21).

Notice again God’s promise to man in Revelation 21:7: “‘He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 22:5 adds, “And they shall reign forever and ever.” A careful analysis of the entire passage in Revelation 22:3–5 shows that the reference of eternal rulership is indeed to God’s children who will have been made immortal. While “God and the Lamb” are referred to in the singular in this passage—in order to show God the Father’s rule over everything and everybody, including the Lamb, Jesus Christ—the children of God are referred to in the plural. Notice the entire passage in Revelation 21:3–5: “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no light there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”

The Bible reveals that God is a growing Family, currently comprised of God the Father and Jesus Christ. God made man so that man could eventually become part of the God Family. God’s purpose for man is introduced to us in His own words at the very beginning of the Bible: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” The Bible is given to help us understand the reason we exist, and to help us to reach our ultimate potential.

We would like to encourage our readers to read or re-read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” which proves from the Bible that it is indeed the potential of man to enter the kingdom of God—by becoming a member of the Family of God.

The very last book of the Bible tells us the destiny of those who become born again members, that is, Spirit beings—God beings—in the God Family. We read in Revelation 3:12, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God.” They will receive God’s name—they will enter the very Family of God as born again spirit beings. Revelation 22:4 confirms this, “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” At that time, they will be truly “born again”—and not before then. At that time, they will truly have inherited “all things.”

Yes, God IS a Family—and He wants YOU to truly become a born again member of His Family—His spiritual offspring. This is the reason WHY you were born. Just imagine YOUR awesome potential and destiny—to become, and to be named, GOD!

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Are the Weekly Sabbath and Annual Holy Days Still Binding on Us Today?

Why did ancient Israel and  Judah have to go into captivity? Was God angry with them? And why does God warn this modern world that calamity is fast approaching? Is God angry with us?  Is there a correlation?

Could our failure to observe God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Feast Days have anything to do with it? Before we shrug our shoulders and scoff at such an idea, let us review God’s Word—the Bible—to learn what our Maker has to say about our national, collective and individual sins.

To suggest that God still requires man to observe the Seventh-Day Sabbath and His annual Holy Days sounds strange, indeed, to most people. After all, weren’t those days given only to the Jews, ultimately to be replaced by Christians with Sunday and with such festivals as Christmas, Easter, and even Halloween? Wouldn’t the keeping of the Sabbath and the annual Feast Days mean returning to Old Testament rituals that were done away by Christ when He died for us? Weren’t the Sabbath and the annual Festivals just part of the Old Covenant that was replaced by the New Covenant?

Undoubtedly, these are some of the arguments you have heard over the years, intended to convince you that the observance of the original Holy Days, and especially the weekly Sabbath, is no longer required or even permitted. Are these arguments based on Scripture, or are they based on human reasoning and opinion? How can you know the truth of the matter?

We believe this booklet will present the Biblical truth regarding the Sabbath and Holy Day observances. First, though, a word of caution: If we prove to you from the Bible that God requires you to keep the Sabbath and His annual Holy Days, then you are bound to do so and God will hold you accountable if you don’t. If you want to know the truth and you want to obey God, then this booklet is for you.

Throughout both the Old and the New Testaments, the Bible commands the observance of the weekly Sabbath. In fact, God made the Sabbath when He made man. Christ would later explain that the Sabbath was made holy for man (Mark 2:27) and was to be kept holy by man. The Sabbath was made for all of mankind. It was not made exclusively for the Jewish people, as they did not exist at the time God created Adam and Eve. They are the descendants of Judah—one of the sons of Jacob—a grandson of Abraham.

God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day of the week. He finished His work by “resting” on the seventh day. We read in Genesis 2:2–3, “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 Hebrew word for “rested” is “shabath.” It literally means “to cease, rest, keep Sabbath” (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible). God rested, or ceased, from His work of creating in the first six days, and He kept the Sabbath on the seventh day. God did not have to rest from His work. He was not tired or weary. God is never weary (Isaiah 40:28). But He did it for us—for mankind—to give us an example to follow in observing the Sabbath. (Similarly, Christ would later allow John the Baptist to baptize Him though He did not have to be baptized, since He had not sinned and had nothing to repent of. He did it for us—to give us an example to follow in being baptized—in order to “fulfill all righteousness,” Matthew 3:13–15.) In the same manner, then, God showed us how to keep the Sabbath as He did—by resting from our daily work—even though He Himself did not need to rest.

We read in verse 3 of Genesis 2 that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. Now, when someone, or something, is “sanctified,” he, or it, is set apart “for a holy purpose.” The Sabbath was set apart as holy time by God at the creation of man, and God intended it to be kept holy by man. How can man keep it holy unless he learns how and when to do so?

God has revealed in His Word exactly when the Sabbath starts and when it ends. God reckons each day, including the Sabbath, beginning at sunset and continuing through until the following sunset. Today, we would say that the Seventh-Day Sabbath starts Friday evening, when the sun sets, and lasts until Saturday evening, at sunset.

We know from the Jewish people when to keep the Sabbath. It is the Jews to whom God committed His revelations or His “oracles,” as Paul clearly explains in Romans 3:1–2. These “oracles of God” included the Old Testament Scriptures, as well as the knowledge of the week and of the Sacred Calendar. The Jews preserved the knowledge of which day the seventh day of the week is. Without an understanding of when a week begins and ends, we would not have been able to tell, from the Bible alone, which day the seventh day of the week actually is. Today, the Jews keep the Sabbath on Saturday, beginning Friday evening, at sunset. Nobody questions today that the Sabbath, as preserved by the Jews, is the seventh or last day of the week. All understand that Sunday is the first day of the week—although there have been some attempts in Europe to actually change the calendar in order to deceitfully pretend as if Sunday, and not Saturday, was the seventh day of the week.

The Bible reveals that days start and end at sunset, in the evening. Notice Genesis 1:5: “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

Many Scriptures associate the meaning of the word “evening” with “sunset.” For instance, a period of one day regarding a ritualistic, temporary law is noted in Leviticus 22:6–7: “The person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening… And when the sun goes down he shall be clean.” (Note the same definition in 2 Samuel 3:35.) Further, we are told in Leviticus 23:32 to keep God’s Sabbath “from evening to evening.”

Some would argue that God introduced the Sabbath to the “Jews” (erroneously believing that the ancient house of Israel was identical with the “Jews”) at the time of the Old Covenant and, since the Old Covenant is no longer binding, neither is the Sabbath. The Bible shows that this is not a valid argument.

First of all, this argument does not take into account that a covenant and a law are two different things, and that abolishing a covenant does not automatically annul the law(s) on which the covenant is based (For an in-depth study of this important question, write for our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”).

Secondly, the Sabbath command was in effect long before the “Old Covenant.” We have already seen that God instituted the Sabbath at the time He created man. Now notice what happened later—several weeks before the Old Covenant at Mount Sinai was made. God had led Israel out of Egyptian captivity, through the wilderness, and toward their destination of Mount Zion. During their travel, they complained that they did not have anything to eat. Although this was not true—they did have plenty of livestock—God honored their request, telling Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not” (Exodus 16:4).

What law was God concerned about? What was the law by which the people were to walk? Verse 5 gives us part of the answer: “And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Why were they to gather twice as much on the sixth day? Verses 23 through 26 explain, “Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning. So they laid it up until morning… Then Moses said, Eat that today, for today is the Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

Again, these events took place before the Old Covenant was made. God had to reintroduce the people to the Sabbath law because they had been in Egyptian captivity where they were not allowed to keep the Sabbath and ultimately had forgotten about it. At this time, then, God chose to show them—through a miracle—that the extra “bread from heaven” or “manna” that they gathered on the previous day in preparation for the Sabbath, remained fresh on the Sabbath, while on other days it became uneatable when left over (Exodus 16:19–20, 24). In spite of this, some would still go out on the Sabbath to gather manna. Notice God’s response to this conduct (vv. 28–30): “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day [that is, in order to gather manna]. So the people rested [Hebrew, “shabath”] on the seventh day.” They had to learn, from God, how to keep the Sabbath.

There are some principles we can learn from this account. We learn that the Sabbath command was a law that God required to be kept. It had been in force for a long time—in fact, since the creation of man. He asked the people, “HOW LONG do you refuse to keep it?” We also learn that the Sabbath is holy to God. God sanctified the seventh day when He created man. It was set aside for a holy purpose. We learn that God gave the Sabbath to man—the Sabbath is a gift from God. James 1:17 tells us that God only gives us “good and perfect gifts.” Finally, we learn that the people rested—“shabath”—kept the Sabbath on the seventh day by not going out and engaging in the work of gathering bread.

Weeks later, God thundered the Ten Commandments to the people from the holy mountain. He did not, however, just suddenly bring the Ten Commandments into existence at that time. They had been already in existence since the creation of man (for detailed proof, see our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”).  But God found it necessary to remind the people of His law and to impress upon them the absolute need to observe it.

Notice the wording of the Fourth Commandment in Exodus 20:8–11: “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. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

Again, we see that God created the Sabbath when He created man. He blessed the Sabbath day and “hallowed it,” that is, He made it “holy.” That is why He tells His people to remember the Sabbath day to “keep” it holy. We also find that the Sabbath belongs to our God. It is His, but He gave it to us to honor Him on that day. One way to keep the Sabbath day holy is to cease from working, just as God ceased from His work. He expects us to do likewise.

Later, in Exodus 23:12, God repeats this command, but He adds another piece of important information. He says, “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest [Hebrew, “shabath”], that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.”

All of us—be it ourselves or be it any employees or animals under our control—are to rest on the Sabbath day, in order to be refreshed. (Later in this booklet, we will discuss in more detail the fact that the Sabbath is not to be a burden for us, but rather a joy.) While animals are to be refreshed in a physical sense, God’s people are to be refreshed in a spiritual way, as well as being physically refreshed by not working on that day.

It is true, of course, that the Fourth Commandment was part of the Old Covenant. But, the Old Covenant did not bring the Ten Commandments into existence, since they were in force and effect since the creation of man. Rather, the Old Covenant was based on the Ten Commandments. To clarify this, we need to first understand that a covenant is simply a contract that is based on law—it does not create law—and when a contract is annulled, the law on which it is based is not annulled along with it.

Additionally, we are introduced to a separate contract in Exodus 31. The subject matter of that contract is the Sabbath. We read in Exodus 31:14–17: “You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the LORD… Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested [Hebrew, “shabath”] and was refreshed.”

We can glean several important principles from this passage. First of all, we are told that everyone who did not observe the Sabbath in ancient times had to be put to death—physically. Today, the penalty is spiritual death—eternal death—for those who know they must keep the Sabbath but refuse to do so, and deliberately and maliciously refuse to repent from such a transgression. Secondly, the Sabbath law here is incorporated into a separate or special agreement or covenant. It is referred to as a “perpetual” covenant between God and the people of Israel throughout their generations. So then, if you are a physical descendant of the house of Israel, this contract is binding for you. But it also applies to all of us who are spiritual Israelites today (compare Romans 2:28–29), and as such, we are obligated under this contract. The contract has never been abrogated, or nullified. Thirdly, the Sabbath is holy to God, and it must be holy to us. When we work on the Sabbath, we profane, or defile, what God has made holy, in this case the Sabbath. Finally, the Sabbath is considered a “sign” between God and the children of Israel (both physical and spiritual) forever.

Indeed, the keeping of the Sabbath is an identifying sign in several ways:

(1)   It identifies us to God. God made the Sabbath holy for us, and when we keep it, we are showing God that we want to belong to Him. God says in verse 13 of Exodus 31 that the Sabbath is a sign between Him and us, so that we may know that it is He “who sanctifies us.” God sanctified the Sabbath when He created man, and when we keep His Sabbath holy, God is willing to sanctify us as well.

(2)  It identifies us to others as belonging to God. When we keep the Sabbath, it will be noticeable to those with whom we have close relationships—our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Our lack of participation in sports, school or college events that are scheduled on the Sabbath, as well as not going to theaters or working on the Sabbath, will become very obvious, and so these people will come to realize our commitment to God.

(3)  It identifies God to us. When we keep the Sabbath, showing by our actions that it is holy to us, then we “may know that [God is] the LORD” (verse 13).

The Bible can be viewed as a big puzzle. It contains pieces of the puzzle in different places—here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). We must put all the pieces together in the right way in order to get an accurate and complete picture. In studying the Scriptures on the Sabbath that are sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments, we find that they complement each other, shedding more light on certain passages and giving us further explanations, additions, or clarifications.

For instance, we read in Exodus 34:21: “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest [Hebrew, “shabath”]; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest [Hebrew, “shabath”].” Here we find that the Sabbath command, indeed, applies to the time of plowing and harvest. The reason for this is that our focus needs to be on God on the Sabbath day, rather than on our own personal pursuits or our work. We are told in Exodus 35:2, “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.”

God tells us that the Sabbath is holy to Him. That is the reason—and quite frankly, the only reason—why the day is holy to us. Only God can establish anything as holy. Our focus must be on God on that day. It is a Sabbath rest “TO the LORD.” Working on that day would detract from the holy purpose of the Sabbath.

The very next verse, however, has created a problem for some. It reads, “You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Exodus 35:3). Remember, the context of the passage is working or not working on the Sabbath. God instructs us here not to kindle a fire for the purpose of working. He is not talking about kindling a fire to warm ourselves, or to cook a meal, or, as some interpret this today, to turn on a light switch. In the original Hebrew, the thought is conveyed of “kindling a consuming fire.” The context in which this command was given was the work of building the tabernacle (compare Exodus 35:10–19).

This understanding is confirmed when reviewing Exodus 12:16. Here we read: “… No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you.” While this passage deals with an annual Holy Day, we will see later in this booklet that annual Holy Days are also referred to in Scripture as “Sabbaths.” What we find here is a Biblical definition of work that can be done and work that must not be done on a Sabbath. We can do what we must do in order to prepare a meal; this is not considered prohibited work. At the same time, it follows from Exodus 16:23, that baking and boiling should be done on the previous day (Friday). Put together, we find, then, that heavy baking or boiling should be done on Friday, but that it is not prohibited to “kindle a fire” to cook or heat a meal on the Sabbath day.

When we focus on a few pertinent passages in the book of Leviticus, we find that God repeats the theme of the holiness of the Sabbath, while adding further important information and instructions. We read in Leviticus 19:2–3: “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.”

Why the connection between holiness, Sabbath keeping, and respect for our parents? We have already seen that the Sabbath is holy to God. Since we are to become holy, we are to keep the Sabbath holy, thereby showing God that we respect His holiness. The word “Sabbaths” is used here in the plural, showing that God is speaking about the weekly and the annual Sabbaths (more about this later). At the same time, we are to revere our parents, who teach us the holiness of the weekly and annual Sabbaths. The Sabbath command may sound strange to young people. Humanly speaking, it makes no sense to keep the Sabbath holy, as distinguished from Friday, Sunday, or any other day of the week, or to observe certain annual Holy Days. The only reason why we must do so, is because God has decreed it. We are to respect our parents for teaching us God’s word, and accept and learn from them, rather than looking down on them and their “strange religion.”

One of the most famous Old Testament Scriptures relating to the weekly and annual Sabbaths can be found in the 23rd chapter of the book of Leviticus. Notice the important details God gives us, teaching us not only that we are to keep the Sabbath, but also how we must do it. We read in Leviticus 23:2–3: “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. 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.”

God wants us to assemble together on His holy days. The Sabbath assembly is called a holy convocation. Those who are able to attend Church services should do so. (This means they have to leave their house for the purpose of assembling for worship services. The prohibition in Exodus 16:27–30, as discussed earlier, only refers to leaving our home for the purpose of working or pursuing our own pleasures on that day.) Those members who are scattered should do the best they can to assemble with Church members in their minds—whether by participating in live Internet Church services, by listening to sermon tapes, or by reading the Bible or Church literature. God warns us NOT to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as [had become] the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

The Sabbath is a FEAST day. It is GOD’s Feast day. Rather than doing our customary work on that day, we are to reflect on the solemnity and holiness of the day. We should keep the Sabbath as a means of glorifying God by “feasting” with God’s people on His word (compare Matthew 4:4).

Moses and the children of Israel were introduced to a new situation when one of them went out on the Sabbath “gathering sticks” in the wilderness. God instructed the congregation to stone the man (Numbers 15:32–36). Why? This certainly seems to be a harsh penalty, but we must understand the background. The gathering of sticks in the wilderness was obviously a time-consuming and laborious task. It also appears that this man gathered the sticks for the purpose of “kindling a fire” on the Sabbath so that he could work. He apparently was in a hostile and defiant attitude against God, because if he had deeply regretted what he had done and was repentant, then God, who is merciful and compassionate, would not have ordered the execution of the man. God was using this situation to teach the congregation of Israel that He would not allow His holy Sabbath to be defiled. The execution of the violator was to serve as a warning and an example for others.

Although the Bible states very clearly that “no work” must be done on the Sabbath, we are also told that certain types of “work” are permitted. We have seen that it is not wrong to kindle a fire on the Sabbath for the purpose of warming ourselves or to heat a meal. Work that is permitted on the Sabbath is mentioned in Numbers 28. God commands the congregation to bring Him His offerings “at their appointed time” (verse 2). While two lambs had to be offered each day (verse 3), God required the sacrifice of two additional lambs on the Sabbath day (verses 9–10). Later, Jesus Christ commented on this enjoined practice in Matthew 12:5, “Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?”

This means that, even though they worked on the Sabbath, they were blameless because they brought offerings to God, and in doing so they focused on God, not on their own pleasures or selfish pursuits. In the eyes of Pharisaic critics, they “profaned” or “desecrated” the Sabbath (Christ used these words to show the mindset of the Pharisees), but Christ said that they were “blameless” when they brought the sacrifices because it was a directive from God.

Numbers 28:25 explains more about what kind of work cannot be done on the weekly and annual Sabbaths. This Scripture refers specifically to the annual Sabbath of the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, but it can be applied to all weekly and annual Sabbath days. God says: “And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation [as is also the case for the weekly Sabbath]. You shall do no customary work.” (Also compare Numbers 28:26 for the annual Sabbath of Pentecost; Numbers 29:1 for the annual Sabbath of the Feast of Trumpets; Numbers 29:12 for the annual Sabbath of the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles; and Numbers 29:35 for the annual Sabbath of the Last Great Day, the eighth day immediately following the Feast of Tabernacles. We will cover these annual Holy Days in more detail later).

We see, then, that the kind of work prohibited on the Sabbath is “customary work.” This kind of work draws our attention away from the holiness of God and His Sabbaths. “Customary work,” by Biblical definition, does not include kindling a fire to warm oneself or cooking or heating a meal, and it does not include the bringing of sacrifices by the priests. Later in this booklet, when we cover the New Testament Scriptures about the Sabbath, we will discuss how this applies to us today.

Careful consideration of the wording of the Fourth Commandment given in Deuteronomy 5:12–15, as compared with the wording in Exodus 20:8–11, reveals several important distinctions. In the book of Exodus, God emphasizes the sanctity of the Sabbath in view of His rest from work on the seventh day, while in the book of Deuteronomy He gives us an additional reason why we are to keep the Sabbath holy. He says in Deuteronomy: “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy [margin, “to sanctify it”], as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; THEREFORE the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

We see, then, an additional reason why the Israelites were to keep the Sabbath day holy—because God had freed them from slavery. There is a spiritual correlation for us today. We were all, at one time, slaves. We were slaves of Satan the devil, slaves to the world around us, and slaves of our own carnal desires and human nature (compare Hebrews 2:14–15; Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:12–15; 2 Timothy 2:24–26). Most people still live in this kind of slavery today. Only those whom God has called out of this world—to give them His Holy Spirit—has He freed from spiritual captivity. The observance of the weekly Sabbath reminds them continuously of the fact that God has freed them in order to bring them into His very Family. When we keep His Sabbath holy, we tell God by our actions that we
appreciate our freedom and that we thank Him for it.

After Joshua led the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, they began, in due time, to disobey God and forsake His law, including His commandments regarding Sabbath observance. God subsequently sent His prophets to warn them of dire consequences if they did not repent of their transgressions and return to God’s instructions.

The famous prophet Isaiah gave the house of Judah an encouraging, albeit embarrassing, message to the effect that even Gentiles would soon begin to keep the Sabbath. Why then, Isaiah asks, does the very house of Judah refuse to do so? Isaiah’s message is as relevant for us today as it was at the time of ancient Judah. Reading from Isaiah 56:1–7: “Thus says the LORD: Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man [not just the ancient Jews] who does this, And the son of man [not just the modern Jews] who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil. Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, The LORD has utterly separated me from His people; Nor let the eunuch say, Here I am, a dry tree. For thus says the LORD: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants—Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant—Even them I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer.”

How can one read those statements and reject the plain meaning that God intends that everyone keep His Sabbath? God made the Sabbath for man, and He wants all of mankind—not just the Jews—to keep His Sabbath holy. God says that the man—the person—is BLESSED who keeps His Sabbath. He will experience joy and blessings if he does so.

Isaiah was trying to encourage the house of Judah to cease violating the Sabbath, showing them that eventually everyone will keep it. He gave another prophetic admonition in Isaiah 58:13–14: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure [or pursuing your business] on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

So then, we see that we delight in God when we delight in His Sabbath. God instructs us not to do the things that we normally do during the week in order to make a living. It also includes our own pleasurable interests, hobbies, or affairs that have no direct focus on God and His Work and Creation—as all of these things detract from concentrating on God and His holiness on His holy day. These admonitions from Isaiah bring out the fact that the Sabbath is holy to God, that it should be holy to us, and that we must focus on God, His Word and His Work on His Day.

The house of Judah, though, would not listen, even as the house of Israel had not listened. Isaiah tries again in Isaiah 66:23: “And it shall come to pass That… from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the LORD.” What a powerful future message he conveys in these few words, but his audience does not get it! It will happen very soon, God says through his prophet Isaiah, that everyone will keep the Sabbath. He asks why those who are privileged to know about the holiness of the day aren’t already keeping it. The same question is being asked today. What is your response?

The prophet Jeremiah also chided the ancient house of Judah for violating the Sabbath. Notice how he addresses this issue in Jeremiah 17:21–27: “Thus says the LORD: Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow [keep holy] the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction. And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully, says the LORD, to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever… But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”

Viewed in context, Jeremiah specifically addresses the carrying of burdens for the purpose of selling them. The people violated the Sabbath in that they continued to trade their merchandise. This will be discussed in more detail later in this booklet when we look at additional Scriptures in this regard.

Sadly, the house of Judah did not heed God’s warning. They continued violating the Sabbath day, just as they also continued to break the other commandments of God. Since they did not appreciate the gift of the Sabbath and the Holy Days that God had bestowed on them, God took the gift away from them. We read in Lamentations 2:6 that God “has destroyed His place of assembly; The LORD has caused The appointed feasts and Sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion.”

This can be said, to a large extent, to us today. As we will see, the New Testament Church continued to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days for a while, but as time passed, Sabbath-keeping became more and more a thing of the past, or just a Jewish observance. Today only a very few churches claiming to be Christian observe the Sabbath. Most observe Sunday, a day which God NEVER sanctified. And even those Christians who do keep the Sabbath and the annual Festivals must be careful that they appreciate the gift that God has given them. If they observe God’s weekly and annual Holy Days only as a matter of routine—not really from the heart—or if they only do it because they have to, rather than really wanting to, their understanding of the continuing sanctity of the Sabbath and the Holy Days will  gradually slip away and they won’t even realize it.

When Jesus Christ returns to this earth, He will enforce the observance of the weekly and annual Sabbaths, as we will soon see. The Bible predicts, however, that prior to His return, most, who hear the gospel preached to them, will not heed. Even many of those in God’s Church, who—at one time—believed in the sanctity of God’s holy days, might very well let it slip. Sadly, the history in the Church of God shows that this did happen to quite a number of people.

Notice God’s frightening warning for the modern nations of Israel and Judah, as well as His Church today, in Hosea 2:11: “I will cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths—All her appointed feasts.” And in Hosea 9:5–6: “What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the LORD? For indeed they are gone because of destruction” (Hosea 9:5–6).

In addition to containing a warning for God’s end-time Church, these passages also show a repeat of history of the nations of the houses of Israel and Judah. What happened to ancient Israel and Judah has also happened to the modern nations of Judah (falsely called “Israel” today) and of Israel—the United States of America, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth nations. Just as it happened then, the violation of God’s commandments—including those enjoining the observance of His Sabbath and His annual Feast Days—have much to do with the disaster decreed for the modern houses of Israel and Judah. (For a thorough discussion of these frightening times, soon to come upon us, ask for our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”)

We pray that you will not be one of those who are being addressed in these Scriptures. You and I can obey God now by keeping His Sabbath, or we will suffer the consequences.

God led the ancient houses of Israel and Judah into captivity because they had consistently violated God’s laws and refused to properly keep the weekly and annual Sabbaths. The house of Israel never went back to the Promised Land. However, many from the house of Judah did. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah report how the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. In the ninth chapter of the book of Nehemiah we read how the Levites confessed their sins and the sins of the people—sins that led to their captivity—and how they made a covenant or contract with God to never practice these sins again. In Nehemiah 9:13–14 we read, “You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant.”

However, the people had not listened carefully. “They refused to obey” it says in verse 17. Skipping to verse 26: “They were disobedient, And rebelled against you, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets.” Then in verse 34: “Neither our kings nor our princes, Our priests nor our fathers, Have kept Your law, Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies.”

We learn here that the Levites and the people wanted to learn from their mistakes. They were now dedicated to upholding the law. The covenant, or contract, that they made with God included the following provision: “… if the peoples of the land brought wares [merchandise] or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day [an annual Holy Day]” (Nehemiah 10:31).

Human nature being what it is, they initially may have had a desire to keep God’s laws, but the willpower to follow through was lacking and the people soon slipped back into old habits. In Nehemiah 13:15–22 we are told how the Jewish people violated the Sabbath and how they let merchants and strangers enter Jerusalem on the Sabbath to sell their merchandise. Notice the stern condemnation of such practices by Nehemiah: “In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.” [Note: They carried burdens into the city to sell them. The context here is engaging in trading and selling of merchandise.]

Continuing in verse 16: “Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burden would be brought in on the Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you! From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.”

Here we see a description of a very common practice in our Western world today—a farmer’s market being conducted on the Sabbath. People were carrying burdens into the city to sell them there. But God did not—and does not—approve of such practices. If we want to be God’s people, we are not to participate in such activities.

Part of the problem was that the people might have been “keeping” the Sabbath “pro forma” for a while, but they never did it from the heart. If the Sabbath is kept only by not working, yet anxiously waiting until the sun sets so we can pursue our own pleasures and activities, then we have missed the entire purpose of Sabbath-keeping. It’s not really in our heart to keep the Sabbath holy as God made it holy. In addition, when we compromise in one aspect of God’s law, we soon compromise in other aspects, as well.

Notice how the prophet Amos described the attitude of the people in ancient Israel prior to their captivity: “The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore… Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, Saying, When will… the Sabbath [be past], That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals—Even sell the bad wheat?” (Amos 8:2, 5–6).

Although they might have ceased from working and trading merchandise on the Sabbath, their minds were not directed toward the sanctity of the day at all. Rather, they were focused on worldly endeavors. This led to their willingness to cheat and defraud others, making the poor even poorer and forcing them into slavery to pay off their debts. One transgression—one violation—of the spiritual intent of the Sabbath commandment led to the next violation—dishonesty and fraudulent conduct. No wonder God was very angry with His people!

Notice, in contrast, Psalm 92—a psalm for the Sabbath. This psalm focuses on God. It encourages us to thank God for what He does in our lives and it inspires us to meditate over God’s past, present, and future works. It gives us ideas on how to spend our time on the Sabbath day to please God. Rather than thinking or talking about our customary work, we should focus on God and His work, as well as pray to God and read His words for us—the Bible.

Since the Jews were very much aware that their past Sabbath-breaking was a  primary reason why God led them into Babylonian captivity, and since the people who had returned to Jerusalem still fell repeatedly into the trap of breaking the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders wanted to make sure that the Sabbath would not be violated again. By the time of Jesus Christ’s first coming as a human being, they had adopted many Sabbath rules and regulations that were not found in the Bible, but which were meant to protect the heart and core of the Sabbath law. They felt that these additional man-made rules constituted a “fence” to protect the substance of the Sabbath. They reasoned that no one would violate the heart and core of the Sabbath law if they were prevented from breaking certain provisions that “fenced in,” and thereby “protected,” the Fourth Commandment. Although the motives might have been laudable, the net effect was that the Sabbath was no longer a day of joy, but rather a burden and a heavy yoke.

From God’s perspective, the Sabbath is a Feast Day, intended to be a day of joy and happiness, as well as physical and spiritual renewal. We can learn from the mistakes of the Pharisees and avoid repeating them today. By adding humanly devised restrictions to God’s Sabbath commandment, the Pharisees did, in fact, violate God’s law (Matthew 23:4; Mark 7:8–9, 13). The Jewish historian, Moses Hodas, explains in “Hellenistic Culture,” on page 82: “The rabbis were men of faith, and their object was the service of religion, but their method of securing discipline was, like Plato’s, to provide authority for men’s smallest actions.”

The Pharisees totally misinterpreted the prohibition against carrying burdens on the Sabbath. They decreed that a person was guilty of breaking the Sabbath if he carried a sheet of paper, or any food that weighed as much as a dried fig, or if he carried more than one swallow of milk, or enough oil to anoint a small part of the body.

If a fire broke out in a person’s home on the Sabbath, he could carry out only the necessary food to be consumed on the Sabbath. This meant that if the fire broke out at the beginning of the Sabbath—right after sunset—the person could take out enough food for three meals; but if the fire broke out on the afternoon of the Sabbath, he could only take out enough food for one meal. The rest could not be carried out and had to be left behind, to burn with the building. Further, only necessary clothes could be taken out of a burning house on the Sabbath.

Very likely, the Pharisees had been subconsciously influenced by their former Babylonian environment when they devised those Sabbath rules. The Babylonians had set apart the seventh day of the Babylonian week, called “Shabattum,” as “ill omens” or “evil days.” For instance, it was forbidden on those days to eat flesh cooked upon coals. One must wonder whether we find a reason here why some Orthodox Jews have misunderstood the above-described passage in Exodus 35:3 regarding “kindling a fire,” falsely concluding that even turning on a light switch was prohibited. The Babylonians also forbade the change of garments on those days, as well as calling for a physician. As we will see, Christ had to deal with a similar Pharisaic concept. The Pharisees in His day insisted that He should not heal anyone on the Sabbath—that people were not supposed to request healing on that day. Again, the parallel to Babylonian superstition is evident.

We might laugh about those restrictions today, but these were no laughing matter at the time of Christ. He had confrontations with the Pharisees on numerous occasions when He refused to abide by their man-made Sabbath rules.

We must be careful today not to create for ourselves, and others, similar rules on how to keep—or not keep—the Sabbath, when such rules cannot be found in Scripture.

Jesus Christ restored the original intent of the Fourth Commandment, using much of His time to show us how to observe the Sabbath. Since the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes had created many prohibitions, Christ began to show the people all that could be done on the Sabbath. The fact that the Sabbath had to be kept was not in doubt, but Christ had to show—by words and deeds—how to keep it. He also clarified the spiritual intent and purpose of the Sabbath law, which cannot be ascertained by simply saying, “Unless the Bible tells us that we can do a certain thing on the Sabbath, we cannot do it.” Rather, Christ came to “exalt the law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21). A strict set of do’s and don’ts does not exalt the law, nor does it honor God.

The Pharisees were quick to condemn Christ and His disciples because they did not keep the Sabbath in accordance with their own Pharisaic ideas and opinions. Christ showed that their ideas were wrong, and in fact, added insult to injury when condemning those who kept the Sabbath correctly. Let’s notice some individual situations where Christ shows how to correctly observe the Sabbath law.

We read in Matthew 12:1–8: “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath! But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord [even] of the Sabbath.”

This important episode teaches us a great deal about the right attitude toward observing the Sabbath. First of all, Christ points out that it is not the Pharisees—or any human being for that matter, but only God Himself, through His Son Jesus Christ—who is to tell us how to keep the Sabbath as far as what is permitted and what is prohibited. This is not just a matter of pointing at a particular statement in the Bible. One has to focus on the context and on the spiritual application. Christ was chiding the Pharisees for being merciless. They did not allow the disciples to pluck heads of grain on the Sabbath, even though they were hungry. Christ compares this situation with David when he and his men ate from the showbread because they were hungry. The law against eating from the showbread was not given, however, for a situation where someone was hungry and had nothing else to eat. Likewise, as we already discussed, the commandment against work did not apply to the priests who brought sacrifices at that time, nor to God’s ministers today who engage in ministerial functions on the Sabbath.

Christ makes it very clear that He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). [Note that the word “even” in this passage was added by the translator.] God the Father created everything, including the Sabbath, through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; John 1:1–3; 1 Corinthians 8:5–6; Hebrews 1:1–2). God the Father addresses Jesus Christ in this way in Hebrews 1:8–12: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever… You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands… You are the same, And Your years will not fail.” These passages from Hebrews are direct quotes from Psalm 45:6 and Psalm 102:25–27, addressing the “LORD.” These passages apply to Jesus Christ, showing that it was Christ who dealt with the people in the Old Testament as the “LORD.”

Christ is also the “Lord of the Sabbath” because He created the Sabbath and He set it aside as a holy day. In fact, in spite of many wrong ideas to the contrary, it was actually Jesus Christ—not God the Father—who dealt directly with humanity as the God of the Old Testament, as is substantiated in many Scriptures. We read, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 10:4 that it was Christ who accompanied the Israelites when they left Egypt. Paul warns us not to tempt Christ in the same way that ancient Israel did in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:9). He explains in Hebrews 11:26 that Moses esteemed the “reproach of Christ” greater riches than the passing pleasures of Egypt. We are told in 1 Peter 1:10–11 that the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets of old.

Christ said that no one ever heard the Father’s voice nor saw the Father’s form (John 5:37; compare also John 1:18; 6:46 and 1 John 4:12). However, we know that people did see the glorified “form of the LORD” (Numbers 12:8; Exodus 33:18–23; 34:5–8), and they did, of course, hear His voice (Exodus 19:19–21; 20:1). The “LORD” of the Old Testament, then, who dealt directly with the people, was the One who would later become Jesus Christ.

It was Jesus Christ—the LORD of the Sabbath—who created the Sabbath, following the directive and command of God the Father. It is God—both the Father and the Son—who expects man to keep the Sabbath holy. Only God has the right to tell us how to keep the Sabbath holy. In Matthew 12:1–8, Christ tells us that mercy allows for a hungry person to get and eat food on the Sabbath. We see here a very important distinction to the time when God did not provide ancient Israel with manna from heaven on the Sabbath. In Christ’s day, food was available. The disciples could pluck heads of grain from the field. Under the law, the landowners were not allowed to harvest completely all grain, but they had to leave some of it in the field, so that those who were hungry could pluck and eat it.

While this is true, it must be emphasized that the disciples did not “harvest” the field on the Sabbath. They just plucked a few heads of grain to satisfy their hunger. We should also take note of what the Scripture does not address here. Notice that is does not reveal whether the disciples were traveling or whether they were close to home. We are not told why the disciples were hungry to begin with, and why they had not prepared food on the previous day for the Sabbath. The reason we are not told is that it is irrelevant for the point that Christ is making here. The message rings loud and clear: Don’t condemn the innocent as to how they keep the Sabbath. They will have to give account to their own Lord and Master—Jesus Christ (Romans 14: 4, 9–13). Instead, WE are to show mercy and compassion. Mercy teaches us that it is wrong to prohibit a hungry person from getting food for himself and to eat it on the Sabbath.

This is not to say, however, that a Christian should engage in shopping on the Sabbath, except in a real emergency (compare Nehemiah 13:15-22). Nor should this episode be used as justification or an excuse for a refusal to prepare for the Sabbath on the previous day.

Note also that the disciples were in the presence of Christ while they were eating. They were with God—in the person of Jesus Christ—and were focusing on God. They did not profane the Sabbath by forgetting the sanctity of the day when they plucked grain to eat it. If Church members today eat occasionally in a nice, quiet restaurant on the Sabbath or a Holy Day after Church services, for instance, while, at the same time fellowshipping with other brethren and speaking about the things that pertain to God, then we must not condemn them for that. For instance, Church members might be traveling for quite a distance to attend Church services, looking forward to spending additional time with their brethren after services. If, on the other hand, your conscience does not allow you to go to a restaurant on a Sabbath or a Holy Day, then you must not do so, since “whatever is not from faith [or conviction] is sin” (Romans 14:23). It would be advisable, though, to review the Scriptures to see whether your conscience is based on the Bible or merely on man-made traditions. God never accepts our conviction as justification for the violation of His law, and man-made regulations can, as we saw, cloud the intent of God’s commandments in the minds of men.

Following this episode, Christ comes under attack again by the Pharisees because He heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. He explains that His act is lawful by giving them an example. He asks them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11–12).

According to the Pharisees Christ sinned. He “broke” the Sabbath, based on their opinion (compare John 5:18). However, from God’s point of view, He did not break the Sabbath. Christ never sinned—otherwise you and I would not have a Savior (Hebrews 4:15). The religious leaders told the people, “Don’t come on the Sabbath to be healed. You can come to be healed during the remaining six days of the week” (compare Luke 13:14). Christ’s approach was quite different, however. This man was not plagued with a life-threatening disease that needed immediate attention. Still, Christ was willing to heal him on the Sabbath. In the parallel account, in Mark 3:4, He asks the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

Christ emphasized mercy. If it is merciful to lift a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath, or to feed and water our animals on the Sabbath (compare Luke 13:15), then it is much more merciful and proper to heal a sick person on the Sabbath! He “saved” life in the sense that He made life more enjoyable for that person. Rather than focusing on strict literal rules, Christ encouraged us to look at the spiritual meaning behind the rules. God desires mercy—not sacrifice. There was no need for this sick man to stay sick. It pleased Christ to bring joy to the man by healing him—doing something good for him. Christ was grieved “by the hardness of the hearts” of the Pharisees, who were unwilling to consider that they might be wrong with their rigid and legalistic approach.

As we already saw, one reason why we keep the Sabbath is to remind ourselves that God has freed us from the bondage or slavery of Satan, this world, and our own desires and human nature. With this understanding, then, we can see why Christ healed people—even on the Sabbath—who had been sick for a long time because of what Satan inflicted upon them. We need to realize that not every sickness is strictly a “natural” consequence of heredity or of wrong conduct by the sick person or others. As it was true then, so it is also true today that Satan and his demons do afflict persons at times with sickness (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7). Christ freed those persons from that very real form of slavery, and He did so—purposefully—on the Sabbath, which pictures release from captivity (Luke 13:16). Remember, He did it to show mercy.

When we are tempted to condemn others for their Sabbath-keeping because it does not match our ideas and concepts of how to keep or how not to keep the Sabbath, let us remember to show mercy. We may not know all the circumstances prompting the person to do what he or she does, and our understanding of Godly Sabbath-keeping might also be flawed at times. We all need to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ concerning how to live in accordance with the law of God (2 Peter 3:18). Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). God wants us to show mercy to our fellow man. We cannot love God if we don’t love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor if we don’t show him mercy and grant him the benefit of the doubt. We are specifically commanded not to condemn a brother (James 4:11–12).

As we pointed out, Christ taught us by His words and His deeds how to keep the Sabbath. We read that He went to the synagogue to teach on the Sabbath “as was His custom” (Luke 4:16; Mark 1:21). He understood—after all, it was He who gave this commandment to ancient Israel—that the Sabbath is a holy “convocation,” during which time we assemble with others. Today we are to assemble in Church, if this is possible for us, thereby following the custom of Jesus Christ.

In John 5 we find another remarkable example of how some of the Jewish leaders at that time had perverted and misinterpreted the meaning of the Sabbath command. As stated earlier, this was probably due to Babylonian thinking and superstition that had been passed on. We read that, on the Sabbath, Jesus healed a man of an infirmity that he had been afflicted with for 38 years. This man was lying on his bed and when Christ healed him, He told him to “Rise, take up your bed and walk” (verse 8). One would think that the people would have been extremely grateful to God that this man was healed. Far from it! Notice what they told the man, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed” (verse 10).

They grossly misapplied the law against carrying a burden to this particular situation, rather than glorifying God for having worked a mighty miracle. Christ, though, had shown mercy to this man. His bed was apparently all that the man had. Further, the command against carrying burdens applies foremost, as we have seen, to carrying merchandise to be sold. This does not mean, however, that we should engage in the work of moving our belongings from one house to another on the Sabbath, except, of course, in a real emergency.

Christ told the people that His Father and He were “working” on the Sabbath (John 5:17). Christ did not do His customary work as a carpenter—but He did do the work of God, that is, He did do good things on the Sabbath, including healing people.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, His disciples continued to keep the Sabbath. They did not believe, as so many erroneously do today, that Christ’s death and His resurrection made Sabbath-keeping obsolete. Paul taught on the Sabbath in the synagogues “as his custom was” (Acts 17:2), thereby following the example of His Master, and ours, Jesus Christ, who did the same “as His custom was” (compare, again, Luke 4:16. See, too, Acts 13:14, 42–44; Acts 18:4).

Paul did not keep the Sabbath just when he was in the company of Jews. He also kept the Sabbath when he worshipped with the Gentiles. In Acts 13:42 we read: “the Gentiles begged him that thesewords might be preached to them the next Sabbath.”

Yes, Paul kept the Sabbath—as Christ also had done—and he taught the Gentiles to do likewise. He gave them a specific commandment to keep the Sabbath—he commanded them to “imitate” him as he “imitated” Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Paul had not heard—nor would he have followed—the argument that Christians had to observe Sunday instead of the Sabbath because “Christ was resurrected on Sunday.” The reason for Paul’s refusal to accept such a false teaching is twofold:

First, even if Christ had been resurrected on Sunday, there is no statement in the Bible commanding us to keep that day holy.

Also, Christ was not resurrected on Sunday, but rather on the late afternoon of the Sabbath (Saturday), just before sunset. Although we will not discuss this issue in detail here, please realize that Christ prophesied He would be in the grave three days and three nights. He said that this was the only sign He would give to prove that He was the Messiah (Matthew 12:38–40). If He had been crucified on Friday afternoon and resurrected on Sunday morning, He could not have fulfilled that sign. He would have been in the grave for less than two days. He did, however, fulfill the sign. He was laid in the grave on Wednesday afternoon (just prior to the annual Sabbath or “high day”; i.e., the First Day of Unleavened Bread, which fell that year on Thursday; compare John 19:31), and He was resurrected late Saturday afternoon. (Later in this booklet, we will explain in more detail that the reference to the “Sabbath” in John 19:31 applies to an annual Holy Day, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, and not to the weekly Sabbath.)

Notice in John 20:1 that Jesus had already risen on Sunday—the first day of the week—when it was “still dark.” He did not rise Sunday morning. As Matthew 28:1 tells us, the resurrection took place “in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” (Authorized Version). Many commentaries realize that the expression, “as it began to dawn toward the first day,” does refer to the end of the Sabbath, not to Sunday morning. They point out that the phrase, “dawn toward,” is also used, in the Greek, in Luke 23:54 (translated there with “drew near”; the literal meaning is “shining upon”). It does not refer to sunrise, but it refers to the fact that lights were kindled for the evening, as the new day, beginning at sunset, drew near. In Luke 23:54, this phrase can only refer to the evening of the day, and not to the next morning. (Remember that days start with the evening, according to the Hebrew calendar.)  In translating the phrase as, “dawn toward,” the Authorized Version has contributed to the wrong idea that Christ’s resurrection took place on Sunday morning. However, it happened “in the end of the Sabbath”—when the new day drew near at sunset. On the other hand, even the phrase, “dawn toward” does not need to refer to the morning. Webster’s dictionary defines “dawn” with “beginning or rise of anything,“ or with “to begin, open, develop.” In other words, a new day was “dawning”—beginning at sunset, and not in the morning.

The truth that Christ was resurrected on Saturday, just before sunset, rather than Sunday morning, had been clearly understood by the early New Testament Church. In his “Easter Sermons,” Gregory of Nyssa (335–394 AD) expresses the understanding of the New Testament Church, although he himself might have believed in and taught other wrong concepts. He writes, “The only testimony about the time of resurrection is produced by Matthew 28:1, ‘Late on the Sabbath.’ That means…, it was already late in the evening (this evening being the beginning of the night before the first day of the week)…The time of resurrection is Saturday evening according to Matthew 28:1.”

Other New Testament Scriptures that allegedly “prove” that the early disciples held religious worship services on Sunday are likewise without merit. When it says, for instance, that they “broke bread” on the first day of the week, it only means that they had a common meal together on that day. The Bible consistently shows that the early disciples continued to have worship services on the Sabbath.

For a discussion of the false arguments that the Sabbath became obsolete when the Old Covenant was abolished, or that Jesus Christ brought a “new law” that did away with the Fourth Commandment, please read our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…” This booklet also explains, in much more detail than we’ll go into here, that all of the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath commandment, are still the constitutional foundation for every Christian.

Christ even warns the end-time generation of His disciples to pray that their flight from evil things to come would not occur on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20). He expects that His Church will still be keeping the Sabbath up until the time He returns, and He is pointing out in this passage that fleeing in a time of turmoil and oppression is surely not the best way to keep the Sabbath peacefully. It would be almost impossible on such a day to focus on God and His holiness under those circumstances. Of course, God’s people would clearly be permitted to flee on the Sabbath, as this would constitute an “ox-in-the-pit” exception. (Luke 14:5, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”) Fleeing on the Sabbath would, however, not be the most desirable way to keep the Sabbath.

There is a most powerful statement in the New Testament that makes it abundantly clear that God’s people must still keep the Sabbath today. This proof can be found in Hebrews 4, where Paul explains that after God renewed the surface of the earth and created man, He rested from His work on the Seventh Day—the Sabbath (verse 4). This weekly rest also pictured the Millennial rest for all of mankind under the soon-coming rulership of Jesus Christ upon His return to this earth (verses 6–8, 10). Our weekly Sabbath observance today is a reminder that none of us have entered our final rest yet. This is why Paul states in verse 9: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”

In this verse, Paul uses a different Hebrew expression for the word “rest” than he does elsewhere. Normally, he uses the word “katapausis” (in Hebrews 3:11, 18; 4:1, 3, 5, 10, 11). In verse 9 of Chapter 4, though, he uses the word “sabbatismos.” It literally means “Sabbath rest” (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible) and conveys the meaning of “keeping of the Sabbath.” The New International Version reads, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.” Perhaps the clearest rendering is in the Lamsa translation, which reads, “It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath.” If we claim to be God’s people, then it is our duty to keep the Sabbath. When we do so, we look back at the time when God created man, and we look forward to the time when man will finally reach his ultimate potential. Far from being obsolete, keeping the Sabbath holy, as God made it holy, is very relevant for the life of every Christian today.

There is coming a time—very soon now—when all of us will be tested on the issue of Sabbath observance. Immediately prior to Christ’s return, the proverbial “mark of the Beast,” spoken of in the book of Revelation, will be imposed on this world. You need to know what this “mark” of the Beast is, and how it relates to Sabbath observance. God says that if you accept the mark of the Beast, God will punish you severely. If, on the other hand, you refuse the mark of the Beast, you may very well be tortured by men, unless you have God’s protection. For more information, please write for, “Europe in Prophecy: The Unfolding of End-Time Events.” This free booklet also gives you historical evidence of how Sunday worship replaced the seventh day Sabbath observance, including many quotes by Catholic priests and Protestant ministers, who admit that the Bible does not sanction such a change.

The Biblical teaching regarding the Sabbath is consistent from beginning to end. God made the Sabbath, in the beginning, for man, and man is to remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy because God made it holy. God’s people, especially, have a duty to keep the Sabbath holy. The Sabbath has not been abolished. Whenever God’s people—and others who should know better—refuse to keep the Sabbath, they can expect punishment from God for their disobedience. In keeping the Sabbath holy, we are identified to God as His servants and as those who truly seek to please Him. Likewise, others will note that we literally keep the Sabbath in the way God’s Word reveals. Soon, in the very near future, the whole world is destined to observe the Sabbath as God commands. This will be accomplished when Jesus Christ establishes the rule of God’s Kingdom on the earth.

We keep the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset by attending Church services (if possible) and by refraining from secular labor, or customary work, which includes school, college or university attendance. We devote, instead, God’s holy time to worship, spiritual study, prayer, fellowship with Church members, and
physical rest.

When we keep the Sabbath, we are reminded of the Eternal God—the Creator of all there is—who made the Sabbath for man. We are reminded that God freed us from pain and suffering and from the slavery and bondage of sin, just as He freed ancient Israel from Egypt. We look forward to the ultimate Sabbath rest, as pictured by the Millennium—soon to be established on this earth—when Satan’s activities and influences have ceased and all of mankind will finally rest from their unprofitable labors and begin to live God’s way of life.

The Sabbath is a perfect gift from God, full of meaning and instruction in living God’s way. Let us be thankful for it, and let us not treat it lightly.

In addition to the weekly Sabbath, God enacted seven annual Holy Days for His chosen people. Beyond their being kept by the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, they are also to be observed by God’s Church today. Once fully understood, these Holy Days explain in great detail God’s plan for all of mankind. Before we get into a discussion of the necessity of keeping the annual Sabbaths, we offer a brief overview of all seven annual Festivals and what they mean for us today.

As will become fully apparent in this booklet, it is a tremendous blessing to know about, and to keep, God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Holy Days. These special days picture the entire plan of God for all of mankind. They give us hope for the future and an understanding of why this world is in constant turmoil, with problems continually mounting and solutions out of reach.

God originally decreed that angels were to live on this planet, which had been created in a beautiful state. When Lucifer (the “lightbringer”) and his angels rebelled against God—thereby becoming Satan (the “enemy”) and his demons—this earth became void and empty, and God’s government of love, cooperation, justice, peace, and equity was removed from this earth. Satan, the “ruler” of this dark world (compare John 14:30) and the “god of this age” (compare 2 Corinthians 4:4), had replaced it with his government of anger, competition, hate, prejudice, injustice, and war. God subsequently renewed the face of this earth within six days and created Adam and Eve to replace Satan and his rulership, and to restore God’s government on this earth.

When God renewed the earth He set aside the weekly Sabbath (as was discussed in the first part of this booklet), to be kept holy by man (Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:8–11). The Sabbath was established to remind man that GOD is the Creator of everything. It was also established to provide a special time for the development of a personal relationship between God and man, thus constantly reminding man to be subject to God and to resist Satan. Adam and Eve, however, gave in to Satan’s deceptive influence by eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Thus, mankind lost that close relationship with God. Now being cut off from God, mankind also lost the opportunity—at that time—to restore God’s government on this earth.

God, however, had already devised a plan to ultimately replace Satan and to restore happiness and peace on this planet. While this plan would encompass some 7,000 years in developing, the weekly Sabbath would continually point to man’s future of universal happiness (compare Hebrews 4:1–10).

But, the weekly Sabbath is just the beginning of God’s plan for mankind. It is followed by seven annual Feasts or Holy Days, which are listed in numerous places of the Bible, including the 23rd chapter of the book of Leviticus.

Passover

The list starts with Passover. Although Passover is not a Holy Day, per se, it is vitally important that God’s people partake of it once a year. In due time, Jesus Christ—the “Word” or “Logos” in John 1:1—became a flesh and blood human being for the purpose of dying for man’s sins, thereby paying the death penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), and restoring a unique relationship between God and those who would be called by God to repentance (John 6:44), accept Christ’s sacrifice and follow His way of life. As an outward symbol of acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, Christ’s disciples observe the death and sacrifice of Christ as a memorial once a year, during the evening Passover ceremony (Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

Even after one’s past sins have been forgiven, he must strive to live in obedience to God. Therefore, immediately following Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread are to be observed for seven days. The first and the last days of this seven-day period are set aside by God as annual Holy Days. As part of this observance, leavened food is not eaten throughout these seven days, since leaven is used in the Bible as a symbol for sin and false teaching (Matthew 16:6, 12). These days remind us of our commitment to live a sinless and truthful life (compare Acts 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

We know, however, that it is impossible for man to live in obedience to God and His truth without God’s Spirit dwelling in us. God decreed that after man repents and receives forgiveness of his past sins, and after he has shown his willingness to remain obedient to God’s Word, he would receive a Helper to enable him to stay obedient—that Helper being God’s Holy Spirit of power. God founded the New Testament Church on the annual Holy Day of Pentecost by pouring out His Holy Spirit on those whom He had individually called. He also spoke His Holy LAW—the Ten Commandments—to the ancient nation of Israel on the day of Pentecost.

Man will become more and more able, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, to keep God’s law. When, in that process of becoming more and more perfect, man breaks the law—after having received the Holy Spirit—he can again obtain forgiveness, IF he repents of, and confesses his sin, 1 John 1:7–9. He can thereby continue—with the help of the Holy Spirit—to overcome sin in his life. The observance of the Feast of Pentecost is a reminder of God’s precious gift of His Holy Spirit that He bestowed on His church. This is the same Holy Spirit that He bestows on individuals called by God after repentance of their sins, acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, and baptism as an outward sign of their repentance and faith (Acts 2:1–4; 20:16; 1 Corin-
thians 16:8).

However, only very few are chosen at this time to receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit and to prepare for the time when God will replace Satan and restore His government over all the earth. These few who are chosen are called “firstfruits” (James 1:18; Revelation 14:4). They are being taught and trained by God so that they can later teach mankind to reject the rule of Satan and to submit to God’s authority. That time of massive re-education will begin when Jesus Christ returns—in great power and great glory—as the KING of kings and the LORD of lords. He is coming back to restore ALL THINGS on this earth. God wants us to keep the annual Holy Day of the Feast of Trumpets as a reminder of the monumental future event of Christ’s return. Those in Christ still alive when He returns will be changed to immortality, and those who have died in Christ, will be resurrected from the dead to eternal life (1 Corin-thians 15:49–54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; John 3:3–8).

In order to bring perfect peace and happiness to this earth, Satan—who has become the arch enemy of God and man—will have to be removed from his power over this earth (compare Revelation 2:13). Only then can man truly become “at one” with God. God created the annual Holy Day of Atonement to foreshadow the event of Satan’s removal in the near future (Acts 27:9; compare, too, Romans 16:20).

Following the removal of Satan, Christ and His saints will begin the awesome task of restoring all things. Those who qualify, will rule with Christ on this earth for 1,000 years (the “Millennium”) (Revelation 20:4), governing those who survived the incredible time of suffering just prior to Christ’s return, as well as those who will be born during the Millennium. Under Christ’s leadership—and along with Him—we will restore what had been taken away through Satan’s rebellion and what Adam and Eve failed to restore. We celebrate this unique and unparalleled time in the entire history of mankind every year for seven days when we observe the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7:2–14; Daniel 7:27). The first day of that seven-day Festival is to be observed as an annual Holy Day.

God’s plan, as pictured in His weekly Sabbath and His annual Holy Days, will still not have been completed by the end of the Millennium. One tremendous event will still occur. It involves the masses of people who have died without ever having been called by God (John 6:44) or known about Jesus Christ, without whom none can be saved (Acts 4:12). God established that all of those people will be resurrected to physical life after the Millennium and will then have the opportunity to accept Christ and to live a godly life. It is the same opportunity being given to those being called by God today, an opportunity that will also be given to mankind during the Millennium. Virtually no one outside the Church of God understands this vital aspect of God’s plan for mankind, but God has revealed it to His people. God is fair in His dealings with man, and He had to make it possible that EVERYONE would be given an equal opportunity to respond to—accept or reject—God’s calling.

The final annual Holy Day of the Last Great Day, which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles, symbolizes a period of—most likely—100 years (Isaiah 65:20), called the “Great White Throne Judgment” (Revelation 20:11–12). This is that time during which all persons who had not been called before will be resurrected to physical life and, will then be given their first real opportunity to accept or to reject God’s calling (John 7:37).

Those who will have become immortal members in the very Family of God, will rule with God and Christ for all eternity over all things (Revelation 22:5). This will be the KINGDOM OF GOD ruling over creation, with God’s plan for mankind having been completed.

Without the weekly Sabbath and God’s annual Festivals, including His seven annual Holy Days—the First and Last Day of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, First Day of Tabernacles, Last Great Day—we could never understand God’s great plan for mankind. Without obeying God by keeping these days faithfully—in their entirety—we would eventually lose this tremendous knowledge as to what they picture. What a great privilege it is to understand what most people cannot comprehend. What a priceless gift it is to be able to keep God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths in spirit and in truth, realizing the awesome and incredible human potential they portray. What a tragedy it would be to reject this precious knowledge, or, once understood, to lose it again—to just let it drift away. This is the only knowledge that can truly give us hope, comfort, and strength in times of trials and discouragement.

Most professing Christians today claim that one of the Ten Commandments—the keeping of the weekly Sabbath—is not necessary to observe. We have discussed and proved from the Bible the error of that position.

At the same time, most—even some who do keep the weekly Sabbath—claim that God’s annual Sabbaths are no longer binding for Christians. That concept is equally untrue, as will be explained in this part of the booklet.

Many people embrace the erroneous argument that God’s annual Holy Days are no longer binding for us because they allegedly came into being with the so-called Old Covenant, and when the Old Covenant was done away, so were the Holy Days. (We have already touched on this false concept in discussing the keeping of the weekly Sabbath. Again, we would encourage our readers to study our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…,” which addresses the entire concept of the Old and the New Covenants in great detail.) Furthermore, some will say that the Holy Days were not binding prior to the events at Mount Sinai, a statement that is also not true.

Notice, for instance, just when the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread—including the first two of God’s annual Holy Days—were officially instituted. We read in Exodus 12:6 and 11 that the Passover (although not a Holy Day per se, it is a commanded assembly—one of God’s annual Festivals—to be observed annually) became a binding law in Egypt, before Israel was led out of slavery. It was associated with the eating of the Passover lamb, which is specifically called the “LORD’S Passover.” It also refers to the destroyer passing over the houses of the Israelites who had placed the blood of the lambs on their houses (vv. 13, 23, 27). In addition, God instituted the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and with it the first two annual Holy Days, in Egypt at the same time, long before Israel had reached Mount Sinai. Exodus 12:15–16 and Exodus 13:6 inform us that the Israelites had to eat unleavened bread for the seven days of the Festival, and that there were to be holy convocations on the first day and on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as these two days were annual Holy Days.

Exodus 13:7–10 gives us additional instructions pertaining to the Feast of Unleavened Bread: “Unleavened Bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt. It shall be as a SIGN to you on your hand and as a MEMORIAL between your eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was designated as a SIGN, so that God’s law would be remembered—the law of observing God’s Festivals and of keeping His annual Holy Days holy. Recall that the weekly Sabbath is also a SIGN (Exodus 31:16–17). Those who claim that we must keep the weekly Sabbath but we do not have to keep the annual Holy Days, must explain why they make such a distinction, given the fact that BOTH are signs between God and His people, setting them aside for His holy purpose. As we saw earlier in our study of the weekly Sabbath, God brought all of us out of slavery—the slavery of Satan, the world around us, and our own carnal nature. One reason we keep God’s annual Holy Days—in this case the Days of Unleavened Bread—is to show our appreciation for the fact that we were FREED from our spiritual “Egyptian” captivity.

Some claim that we don’t have to keep God’s annual Holy Days anymore because they were supposedly part of the sacrificial system, and when that system was done away, the Holy Days were done away as well. Note the error of that argument in reading Jeremiah 7:22–23: “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.”

God did not command them at the time He brought them out of Egypt to offer sacrifices. The sacrificial system was not in place yet. It was instituted one year after God spoke the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. But God DID command them, when He brought them out of Egypt, to walk in ALL His ways. We have already seen that God commanded them—while they were still in Egypt—to keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread from then on. So, God’s annual commanded convocations and His Holy Days are clearly different from the sacrifices and must still be kept today by God’s people.

However, God’s commandment to observe His annual Festivals does not only apply to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, as we will see shortly. In addition, we need to point out that sacrifices were not given only on the annual Holy Days, but also on the weekly Sabbath, and, as a matter of fact, on every day—in the morning and in the evening. Those who claim that the annual Holy Days don’t have to be kept today because they were part of the sacrificial system [which they were not], yet still keep the weekly Sabbath [although sacrifices were given on that day as well], do have a problem with consistency. So do those who keep Sunday “holy,” as sacrifices were also given on that day.

Our primary focus here is that the weekly Sabbath and all of God’s annual Holy Days stand and fall together. They are all part of the same package. When you understand that you must keep the weekly Sabbath, then you must continue with your understanding and keep the annual Sabbaths as well. It is, in principle, the same concept explained by James, an apostle of Jesus Christ: When you break one of the Ten Commandments, you break all of them (James 2:10–11). The Ten Commandments are also a package that cannot be separated. If you remove one of the commandments from that package, you no longer have a complete package (compare our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”).

In order to see the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days as a complete package, let’s return to the 23rd chapter of the book of Leviticus. We read in verses 1 and 2: “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.”

Note that all the Holy Days that follow (including the annual Passover) are designated as the “feasts of the Lord.” They are ALL holy convocations. The first feast and holy convocation listed is the weekly Sabbath (verse 3). The weekly Sabbath is followed by the feasts and holy convocations of Passover and the First and the Last Days of Unleavened Bread (vv. 4–8); then Pentecost (v. 21); Trumpets (v. 24); Atonement (vv. 27, 32); Tabernacles (vv. 34–35); and the Eighth or Last Great Day (vv. 36, 39). The way this is listed shows us that the weekly Sabbath, Passover, and the annual Holy Days belong together.

In addition, some of the annual Holy Days are specifically called “Sabbath.” In reference to the Feast of Trumpets, God says in Leviticus 23:24: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.”

In the original Hebrew, the word for “sabbath-rest” is “shabbathon,” meaning “Sabbath” (Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible). The Authorized Version translates this word correctly with “sabbath.” The above-cited rendering of the New King James Bible, “sabbath-rest,” does convey, quite accurately, the intended meaning of the word “Sabbath.”

We find that Leviticus 23:27 and 32 also describe the annual Holy Day of Atonement as a “Sabbath.” We read in the Authorized Version: “Also unto the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls… It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.”

God calls the annual Holy Day of Atonement “a Sabbath.” While the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset designates the weekly Sabbath, certain times within the year are annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. We see, then, that the annual Holy Days are called Sabbaths, too. It is inconsistent to keep the weekly Sabbath and then neglect or refuse to keep the annual Sabbaths.

Notice a third example in Leviticus 23:39, which refers to the annual Holy Days of the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last or Eighth Day: “Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath” (Authorized Version). Both annual Holy Days are called “Sabbath” here. They are to be kept holy and holy convocations are to be held on those days.

We already alluded to another example in the New Testament, in John 19:31, where the word “Sabbath” is used for the annual Holy Day of the First Day of Unleavened Bread. It reads: “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”

The reference to the “Sabbath” here is NOT a reference to the weekly Sabbath, but rather to the annual Sabbath at the beginning of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The margin of the New King James Bible points out that John 19:31 is referring to the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, giving as a parallel Scripture, Exodus 12:16, which discusses that very annual Holy Day.

This Holy Day is called both a Sabbath and a high day in this passage, showing thereby that this was not a weekly Sabbath, but an annual Sabbath. It was still a Sabbath, and a very special Sabbath at that. It had to be kept holy in the same manner as a weekly Sabbath.

As was already discussed, there is a clear connection between the weekly Sabbath and the 1000-year Sabbath of the Millennium in the fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews. Most accurately translated in the Lamsa translation, Hebrews 4:9 reads: “It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath.” Note that the remainder of the passage, beginning in verse 1, speaks mainly about the Millennial rest still ahead of us, which is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul is telling us in Hebrews 4 that when we keep the weekly Sabbath, we should also keep the annual Sabbaths—God’s annual Holy Days—as they do reveal to us God’s plan for salvation.

We can conclude from all of these references that the weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbaths belong together. God is serious about us keeping all of them holy—so serious that He gives stern warnings against breaking His Sabbaths.

Let’s look at an interesting passage in Ezekiel 22:8, 26 regarding breaking the Sabbaths: “You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths… Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”

These are powerful words! God was angry with His priests in ancient times because they did not teach His people the sanctity of the Sabbaths. Notice that the word Sabbaths used here is plural, referring to God’s annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. The word “Sabbaths” can refer to the weekly Sabbath as well, but it usually does so exclusively only when another word or reference in the same context relates to the annual Holy Days, such as “feasts” or “festivals.” If used in the plural by itself, as is the case here in Ezekiel 22, the expression “Sabbaths” focuses mainly on the annual Sabbaths, although it would still include the weekly Sabbath. (Remember that the weekly Sabbath is included as a total package with the annual Sabbaths. Remember also from Isaiah 58:13–14 that the weekly Sabbath is described as God’s holy day, showing that both the weekly and annual Sabbaths are described in the same way—as “Sabbath” and as “holy day”—and are inseparable.)

We might also add here that God does not change. As He was angry with the priests of Israel for not teaching His people, He is angry with His ministers of spiritual Israel today who do not powerfully proclaim the continued sanctity of His Holy Days. God blamed the priesthood then, and He blames the ministry now, for the fact that He is profaned among His people.

The time will come, though, when all of God’s ministers will do the job they were given by God to do. Notice Ezekiel 44:23–24: “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.” In the future, this truth will be taught by ALL of God’s ministers to ALL of the people. However, there are, in fact, some few true ministers today, in whose hearts God’s law abides and who are teaching God’s people right from wrong, as God has directed. These few are BOLDLY teaching the holiness of God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths already.

We find another remarkable passage in Exodus 31. We already discussed this chapter in the context of the weekly Sabbath, pointing out that the Sabbath is a sign and a separate perpetual covenant between God and His people. Verses 14 through 16 clearly talk about “the Sabbath,” the weekly Sabbath in this context.

But now notice how this entire passage is introduced in verse 13. God tells Moses: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations…” In this verse, it talks about “Sabbaths” in an unqualified way, therefore addressing—or at least including—the annual Holy Days. The entire passage in Exodus 31, then, speaks about both the weekly and the annual Sabbaths. Recall that not only the weekly Sabbath, but also the annual Sabbaths, are signs between God and His people, as we saw in Exodus 13:7–10 when discussing the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Notice another proof of the fact that God’s annual Holy Days are a sign for true Christians—spiritual Israelites and Jews—in Ezekiel 20:10, 12–13, 19–20. God speaks about the rebellious house of Israel, saying: “Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness… Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments which, if a man does, he shall live by them; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths…I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.”

Both the weekly and the annual Sabbaths are signs. They identify God to us. They identify us to God. They also identify us to the world. They can’t be separated. They stand and fall together. They are all regarded as statutes for all people—not just the Jews.

Those who claim that we do not need to keep the weekly Sabbath, nor the annual Holy Days, should think about the fact that Jesus Christ kept them both. We have already seen that He kept the weekly Sabbath. Let’s notice the fact that He also kept the annual Sabbaths.

We are specifically told in John 2:13 and in Luke 22:1–15 that Christ kept the Passover. We are also told in John 7:2–14 that Christ kept the Feast of Tabernacles. In addition, John 7:37–39 points out that He kept the Last Great Day—“the last day, that great day of the feast.” Since Christ kept these annual Holy Days, in addition to the weekly Sabbath, there is no reason to assume that He did not keep the other Holy Days as well.

After Christ’s death and resurrection, the apostles and the New Testament Church followed Christ’s example and continued to observe the annual Holy Days. We are specifically told that the early Church kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:6–8). We are also told that Luke wrote the book of Acts to Theophilus, a Gentile, who had become a Christian. Luke makes reference, in Acts 12:3–4 and Acts 20:6, to the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When Luke wrote this, he took it for granted that Theophilus—a Christian with a Gentile background—knew about these annual Holy Days. If the Gentiles were not required to keep those days, Luke’s reference to these days in a report to a former Gentile would make little sense. (Imagine, for instance, that you would write to an American about the “Bretzelfest” in Germany. He would not know what you are talking about, since he never kept this local festival. He would understand, however, if you were to write him about the Fourth of July, or Thanksgiving Day.)

We can also clearly see from the Bible that the New Testament Church kept the Feast of Pentecost. Acts 2:1 reports that it was on that day, when the Church was assembling together, that they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We read in Acts 20:16 that Paul wanted to keep the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. He had kept it all the time, whether in Jerusalem or not. He would, of course, still have kept it, even if he had not been able to arrive in Jerusalem on time.

The early Church continued to keep the Day of Atonement as well. In Acts 27:9, we find a reference to “the Fast.” This is describing the Day of Atonement, as the margin of the New King James Bible points out. It also gives parallel Scriptures from Old Testament passages that deal with the Day of Atonement. (The Scriptures quoted in the margin are Leviticus 16:29–31; 23: 27–29; and Numbers 29:7.)

There is another reference to the annual Holy Days in the New Testament, namely in Jude 12: “These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear…” The word “love” in “love feasts” is a translation from the Greek word, “agape,” that is, Godly love. When we keep God’s annual Holy Days, we are expressing God’s love in us by doing what God tells us to do. 1 John 5:3 explains: “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments.”

Looking to the future through God’s Word, we can see that His annual Holy Days will be kept by all of mankind. Isaiah 30:27–29 contains a prophecy for the future that describes the final punishment of end-time Assyria, especially its last king. We read: “Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, Burning with His anger, And His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, And His tongue like a devouring fire. His breath is like an overflowing stream, Which reaches up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of futility; And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, Causing them to err. You shall have a song As in the night when a holy festival is kept.”

We see here that God’s judgment on the king of Assyria (vv. 31, 33) is being compared with a song in the night when a holy festival is kept. This could refer to the Night to be Much Observed at the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:42), or to the Opening Night of the First Day of the Feast of Tabernacles (compare Psalm 134:1).

We find another remarkable prophecy in the 45th chapter of the book of Ezekiel, describing the time after Christ’s return. Notice that man is asked to observe, for instance, the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten” (Ezekiel 45: 21).

We are also told in Ezekiel 46:9 that the “people of the land” are to “come before the LORD on the appointed feast days.”

We might note, in passing, a strong admonition to God’s Church in Nahum 1:15. In addressing the end-time work of God’s Church, God prophesies and warns: “Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace. O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”

God admonishes the modern house of Judah to keep His designated annual Holy Days, showing them that they will be keeping them in the Millennium. Part of the message that is directed toward the people of this world today—including the Jews—is that we are still to be keeping God’s annual Holy Days. Many Jews today don’t keep them at all—physically nor spiritually. Others only keep some of the Holy Days, but not all of them.

Additionally, there is a strong indication in Nahum 1:15 that the “wicked one”—perhaps the “beast” or the “false prophet”—will specifically try to prevent those Jews who want to keep the Holy Days from doing so. Since true Christians are spiritual Jews, this could be a warning for us, as well. We already mentioned the warning in Hosea 9:5–6 in our discussion about the holiness of the weekly Sabbath. Hosea includes in his warning the annual Holy Days: “What will you do in the appointed day, And in the day of the feast of the LORD? For indeed they are gone because of destruction.”

In the Millennium, God will deal with those nations and peoples who refuse to keep His Holy Days. Zechariah 14:16–19 describes, in very vivid terms, the punishment of nations and individuals in the Millennium who refuse to keep the Feast of Tabernacles: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations… shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”

Yes, the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept by everyone—not only by the Jews. When God is so determined that His annual Holy Days will be kept in the Millennium, why would it not matter to Him that they be kept today? The fact of the matter is, they are to be kept today by everyone, and a world oblivious to this fact will soon be shaken up to the reality that God is not mocked, and that man reaps what he sows. God has told us in His Word what we must do. Will you choose to do it?

Some claim that several New Testament Scriptures; i.e., Colossians 2:16–17; Romans 14:5; and Galatians 4:10, clearly prove that the annual Holy Days, as well as the weekly Sabbath, are not commanded to be kept today. In this part of the booklet, we will discuss these arguments in detail, letting the Bible provide the truth of the matter.

Colossians 2:16–17 reads, in the New King James Bible, as follows: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival [margin: “feast day”] or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

Does this passage mean that the Christians in Colossae did not keep the Sabbath or the Holy Days, and that Paul was essentially telling them not to worry about the fact that they didn’t keep them?

First of all, note that “Sabbaths,” “a festival,” and “a new moon” are mentioned. As stated before, the plural word “Sabbaths” can refer to the weekly Sabbath in the same context as the annual Holy Days. That is the case here, as the annual Holy Days are mentioned in the same sentence, being identified as “festival” or “new moon.” It does not say here in the Greek, “new moons,” as some inaccurately quote this passage, but “a new moon,” referring to the Feast of Trumpets—the only annual Holy Day to be celebrated on a new moon. Therefore, Paul is addressing both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days.

Is Paul telling the Colossians that they do not have to keep them anymore? This would be rather strange, as he was so diligent in teaching both the Jews and the Gentiles the continued observance of the weekly Sabbath, as we already saw.

Let’s first look at the phrase, “the substance is of Christ.” The word “is” is not in the Greek. It was added by the translator in an attempt to make the meaning clearer; however, this addition has, to the contrary, confused and perverted the meaning. Without the word “is” in that particular phrase, it simply states, “…but the substance of Christ.” What is the substance of Christ?

If you have a New King James Bible, you might want to check the margin. It says there that the literal meaning for the word “substance” is “body.” That is correct. The Greek word here is “soma,” and it is otherwise translated as “body” throughout the New Testament.

Limiting this discussion just to the letter to the Colossians, the New King James Bible has translated the word “soma” consistently as “body.” Only here, in Colossians 2:17, it is translated as “substance.” Why? Simply because the translators did not, and do not, understand the meaning of the passage.

Notice it for yourself. Notice, too, what is being referred to when the phrase “body of Christ” is used elsewhere in the following passages:

Colossians 1:18: “And He is the head of the body [“soma” in Greek], the church.” Christ is identified here as the Head of the body, which is the Church.

Colossians 1:24: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body [“soma” in the Greek], which is the church.” Again, we see that the body of Christ is identified here as His Church.

Colossians 2:19: “… and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body [“soma”], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Again, the reference is to the spiritual body of Christ, the Church.

Finally, let’s notice Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body [“soma”].” We all belong to that one body—the Church, of which Christ is the Head.

These Scriptures clearly show that the references in that letter to the body of Christ is to the Church of Christ. With that understanding, let us turn again to Colossians 2:16–17, where Paul says: “Let no one judge you… regarding a festival or Sabbaths… but the body of Christ.” In other words, let no one, except the body of Christ—the Church—judge in those matters. The Church, the body of Christ, the preserver of the truth, can and should judge in that regard.

It is interesting that Greek scholars recognize—in simply looking at the Greek structure of the sentence—that the first part of the statement, “Let no one judge you…” requires a second statement to explain who should do the judging.

Professor Troy Martin wrote an article entitled, “But Let Everyone Discern the Body of Christ (Col. 2:17),” which was published in the Journal of Biblical Literature in the Summer of 1995. In that article, he confirms—based on the Greek structure of the sentence—that the second part of the statement in Colossians 2:16–17 explains who is doing the judging.

He first points to a parallel passage in 1 Corinthians 10:24 that states: “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being.” In order to understand this passage correctly, one has to repeat in the second phrase the opposite of the beginning of the first phrase. In other words, the clear and intended meaning of this passage is: “Let no one seek his own, but let each one seek the other’s well being.”

This Scripture is grammatically structured in the same way as Colossians 2:16–17. Therefore, according to Professor Troy in regard to both 1 Corinthians 10:24 and Colossians 2:16–17, “The verb judge determines the action that is forbidden [by the first phrase = let no one judge you…] and then enjoined [or commanded, by the second phrase].”

With this understanding, the sentence in Colossians 2:16–17 has to read this way: “So let no one judge you… regarding a festival or Sabbaths…, but let the body of Christ judge you.”

Professor Troy gives a second example to prove this conclusion, namely Romans 14:13, which reads: “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” In the Greek, the word for “judge” and “resolve” is exactly the same, namely “krino.” This word is used in Colossians 2:16–17 and translated there as “judge.”

Romans 14:13 tells us that we must not judge one another, but that we must judge how not to become a stumbling block for others. This statement in Romans 14:13 is identical in structure with the structure used in Colossians 2:16–17. No one is to judge the Colossians regarding the Sabbath and the Holy Days, except for the body of Christ, the Church. This means, then, that Colossians 2:16–17 says exactly the opposite from what critics of the Sabbath and the Holy Days want us to believe. The Colossians were not criticized for NOT keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days, but rather, they were criticized for KEEPING them.

Comparing Romans 14:13 with Colossians 2:16–17, Dr. Troy concludes that Paul is telling the Colossians in Chapter 2 that they should not let a man judge them for keeping the Holy Days and the Sabbath, but that the Church—the Body of Christ—should judge this matter. The Colossians were criticized by their opponents, not by Paul, when they kept the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Paul is essentially saying to them: I am speaking on behalf of the Church, when I tell you that you should continue keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days, as this is what the Church has judged and resolved to do, based on the Biblical
Scriptures.

The Church has understood the correct meaning of this passage in years past. In 1976, Herbert Armstrong, late Pastor General of the Church of God, wrote a booklet entitled, “Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which?” On page 35 he writes: “So these little-understood verses ought to be translated clearly: ‘Let no man therefore judge you… but [rather let] the body of Christ [determine it].’ Let Christ’s body judge these church matters. Greek scholars recognize that the last clause ‘but [rather] the body of Christ’ demands that a verb be added, but have often not seen that the missing verb should be supplied from the most logical and grammatical parallel clause so as to read properly, ‘Let the body of Christ judge [these matters].’”

Unfortunately, a few years after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986, the wording of this section in the same booklet was changed. A new and unauthorized explanation was given regarding Colossians 2:16, paving the way, of course, for subsequent drastic changes. The revised wording was: “Therefore the Christians at Colossae were not to let themselves be taken to task by heretical teachers concerning matters such as eating, drinking, holy days, new moons and Sabbaths. [In passing, as explained, it does not say in the Greek, “new moons,” but “a new moon,” referring here to the Feast of Trumpets, the only annual Holy Day to be celebrated on a new moon.] After all, how could such matters possibly transcend Christ? He is the body, the substance, the very center of God’s plan of salvation. All else is a mere shadow that holds no value as a replacement for him.”

One can easily see how this “new” explanation, adopted from Protestant and Catholic thinking that wants to do away with God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, clouds the correct
understanding and misinterprets the intended meaning.

What did Paul mean when he described these things as being a shadow of things to come? Let’s review once again the insightful comments of Prof. Troy in the above-mentioned article. He states: “These Christian practices may comprise the shadow, and they are not presented negatively except by the opponents…The tense is present [Note carefully that the text reads, “these ARE,” not “WERE” “a shadow of things to come”], and affirms that these things are now shadows. [Some] commentators translate the past tense and conclude that these stipulations have ended now that the true substance has arrived since they were only shadows… In spite of this…, the text affirms a present… validity to the shadow.”

The weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days have tremendous meaning for us today, foreshadowing events to occur in the future, when the whole world will be ruled by Christ and taught by Him to keep God’s Law—including the weekly and annual Sabbaths—as God’s people already do today.

Rather than doing away with Sabbath and Holy Day keeping, Colossians 2:16–17 teaches the exact opposite. It teaches us not to worry about people who say that we should not do so, but to concern ourselves with the truth, as taught by Christ’s Body—the Church.

Many of us can identify with what Paul is telling the Colossians. When one begins to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days, he or she is open to criticism from relatives and friends.

Paul wrote to Christians in Colossae, which was a predominately Gentile city, although some Jews undoubtedly lived there as well. Paul told the Christians in Colossae who had begun to keep the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days: “Don’t listen to your former friends and your relatives, who try to convince you not to keep those ‘Jewish traditions’—but rather, listen to what the Church is telling you.”

It is very likely that Paul was not only addressing criticism from those opponents who tried to persuade the Colossians NOT to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days at all, but that he was also addressing criticism from those who were not necessarily opposed to Sabbaths keeping per se, but who wanted the Sabbath and the Holy Days to be kept in a very stringent way. Recall how the Pharisees condemned Christ and His disciples for the manner in which they kept the Sabbath. Undoubtedly, the Christians in Colossae found themselves to be objects of similar condemnation.

Since both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are Feast days, the Christians in Colossae kept them of course as FEAST days. They would eat and drink on those days (except, of course, during the “Fast”—on the Day of Atonement). Some, though, apparently criticized them for that, teaching that no eating and drinking should take place on any of those days.

Colossians 2:16, correctly translated from the Greek, states: “Let no one judge you regarding eating and drinking.” Paul is addressing here the ACT of eating and drinking, not the KIND of food and drink being partaken of. Some critics felt, however, that Christians should fast on those days, rather than eating or drinking anything. Notice Paul’s reference to this kind of self-imposed ascetic, or austere, religion in Colossians 2:20–23 (“…why… do you subject yourselves to regulations—‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?”).

Rather than agreeing with these human ideas, Paul states that this kind of philosophy is useless and is a doctrine of man that is derived from the “principles of this world.” He specifically condemns such teaching in Colossians 2:8: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Some were apparently trying to introduce those philosophies into the Church, especially pertaining to how to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Paul, in addressing these attempts, essentially told the Colossians: “Let no one judge you for keeping the Sabbath or the Holy Days with eating and drinking, rather than fasting, but let the Church determine or resolve this.”

In conclusion, Paul told the Colossians to continue keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days in the same way as they were doing it, rather than listening to those who were trying to tell them not to do it at all, or not to keep them as feast days.

Some quote Romans 14:5 to argue that the Sabbath and the Holy Days are no longer mandatory holy convocations. Romans 14:5 reads: “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”

Note carefully the context here. Romans 14:2–3 is addressing the consumption of vegetables and meat (“For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables”). Some thought that they must not eat meat. They had become vegetarians for religious reasons. Part of the reason for their decision might have been that the meat, which could be purchased in the market, was probably offered to idols. Knowing this, some had a conscience problem with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols (compare 1 Corinthians 8:1–13).

The context in Romans 14:5 is the consumption of certain foods. Paul addresses the fact that some esteem a certain day above another. In the very next verse, he shows the connection between the consumption of food and the regard for days. He says in verse 6: “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does notobserve it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.”

What is the connection between eating food and observing days?

The connection here is conscience. Paul talks about new Church members who still had a weak conscience and thought they had to FAST on particular days. That is, they thought they could not just fast on ANY weekday of their choice, but that it could only be done on particular designated days. (Note again verse 6, “… he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat.” The context of the discussion is FASTING.) Others understood that one can fast on ANY day of the week, and that God does not enjoin us, except for the Day of Atonement, to fast on a specific day during the week.

This is the reason Paul says, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.” The context is eating and drinking and fasting. Paul is really saying in verse 6, “He who observes [or better, “regards,” as the Authorized Version has it] the day [as a fast day] observes [or regards] it to the Lord; and he who does not observe [or regard] the day [as a Fast day] observes [regards] it to the Lord, too, because the one who does not eat on that day, does it to the Lord, and the one who does eat on that day does it to the Lord, too, as he thanks God for the food he partakes of.” Paul’s point is to not judge another for the way they worship God, as long as it is done on the basis of Scripture.

Surprising as it may sound to those who read Romans 14:5 with preconceived notions, the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are not even addressed there. By contrast, in Colossians 2:16–17, Paul does seem to address the issue that fasting is not a requirement for Sabbath-keeping. There, he specifically mentions the Sabbaths and a Festival and a new moon, in addition to eating and drinking. In Romans 14:5, however, he does not mention the Sabbaths or a Festival at all, showing that he was not addressing them in that passage.

Certain commentaries agree that Paul did not have the Sabbath or the Holy Days in mind when he wrote Romans 14:5. Both the Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Book 10, page 146), and Hasting’s Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, point out that Jews and Gentiles had set aside specific days on which to fast [we might think of the Pharisee in Luke 18:12, who was proud because he fasted two times a week], and that Paul was only addressing the issue of prescribed fasting in Romans 14:5.

Let’s examine a third passage that is sometimes used to “explain” that the Sabbath and the Holy Days are no longer valid. Galatians 4:10 reads: “You observe days and months and seasons and years.”

The interpretation given by opponents of Sabbath-keeping is that Paul was rebuking the Galatians for still keeping God’s Sabbath and God’s Holy Days. Is that what Paul meant? Again, we need to look at the context in which it was written, and we also need to notice an important principle in order to properly understand Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Whom is Paul addressing?

When Paul addresses Jews, he says, “we,” since he himself is a Jew from the house of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). When Paul talks to Gentiles, he says, “you,” because Paul was not a Gentile. Now notice this distinction in the following examples:

In Galatians 3:23–25, he uses the words “we” and “our” four times, referring to himself and other Jews.

In Galatians 3:26–29, however, he uses the word “you” five times, referring to non-Jews, or Gentiles.

Returning, then, to the fourth chapter of the letter to the Galatians, we notice that the entire passage, beginning with verse 8 and including verse 10, is addressed to non-Jews or Gentiles, as Paul consistently uses the word “you.” In Galatians 4:8–9, Paul reminds the Galatians that prior to their conversion they did not know God, but instead served pagan gods. (By contrast, when Paul addresses the Jews, he makes clear that they did know—to an extent—the true God; compare Galatians 2:15, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles…” Also compare Romans 9:3–5, “…my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain… the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God…”). Paul is clearly not addressing Jews in Galatians 4, but rather Gentiles.

These Gentiles had come to a knowledge of the true God upon conversion, but after that initial understanding, they returned to those “beggarly elements” (compare Galatians 4:9) that they had originally worshipped, by observing again “days and months and seasons and years” (verse 10). This practice cannot refer to God’s Sabbath and Holy Days, as those had not even been known, let alone observed, by the Gentiles before their conversion. Rather, Paul is talking here about pagan festivals, such as Christmas, Easter or Halloween (For an in-depth study of the subject of “Christmas,” you might want to read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”)

In addition, Paul would not be addressing God’s Sabbath and Holy Days here, as those days don’t come from “beggarly elements,” but were, in fact, enacted by GOD. Paul would NEVER have said that the Sabbath or the Holy Days were derived from “beggarly elements.”

Some claim that the converted Gentiles in Galatia had begun to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days only because Jews allegedly induced them to do so, and that Paul was now opposing this practice. This claim is false, however, because we read in verse 9 that the Galatians turned AGAIN to the weak and beggarly elements (“But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?”). The Galatians had RETURNED to what they had done BEFORE they became Christians. Jewish influence on them AFTER their conversion is clearly NOT what Paul is addressing here.

What then, specifically, did Paul have in mind when speaking about the Gentile practice of “observ[ing] days and months and seasons and years”? To answer that question, we need to consider first the meaning of the word “observe.”

The Greek word for “observe” is “paratereo.” [As an aside, this is a different word than the one used in Romans 14:6, where we read that he who observes the day observes it to the Lord]. In our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” it is explained that the Greek word, “paratereo,” is always used in Scripture in a negative way. Some commentators point out that the “observation” that Paul is addressing here, is done in a superstitious way, which just does not fit when talking about God’s Sabbath and the Holy Days. It does, however, fit in connection with astrology and Gnostic speculations. Looking at it from that point of view, we can see that Paul was talking about an observation of times and seasons that were controlled by heavenly bodies and spirits.

Let’s focus in more detail on the observation of seasons, or “times,” as more correctly translated in the Authorized Version (“Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years”). Looking for the Biblical explanation, we’ll read some other Scriptures pertaining to this subject.

In Leviticus 19:26, we read, in the Authorized Version: “Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.”

We find the same prohibition in Deuteronmoy 18:10, in the Authorized Version: “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.”

Finally, in Deuteronomy 18:14, in the Authorized Version, God says: “For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners; but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.”

So then, what is meant by the phrase, “observers of times?” Literally, it means, “to observe the clouds.” This practice is associated with divination by the observation of the clouds. The study of the appearance and motion of the clouds was a common way of foretelling good or bad fortune.

This superstitious observation of times was often accompanied by lighting candles and decorating the doors with garlic. Its connection was clearly demonic. Note 2 Chronicles 33:6, in the Authorized Version: “[Manasseh] caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit [a demon], and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.”

Observation of Days

Remember, Paul also rebuked the Galatians for observing days. The Greeks, for example, did observe days to worship their dead. On those days, no work was to be done. Actually, both the Greek and the Roman calendars designated one-third of all the days as days of misfortune. On those days, one could not perform any political or legal activities and the people were supposed to abstain from any private pleasures. One was not to engage in war on those days, or marry, or travel.

Observation of Months

Paul also addressed the superstitious practice of observing months. The pagan world had set aside certain months for the worship of their gods. Pagan festivals were kept during the months of April and October to honor the goddess Apolla, while the highest Greek god, Zeus, was worshipped during the months of February and June. The month of April was also set aside for the worship of the god Artemis. The wine god, Baccus, was honored during the month of January.

Observation of Years

Finally, Paul rebuked the Galatians for the observance of years. Indeed, certain years had been set aside for worship activities by the Greeks and the Romans. For example, the Olympic Games were already being celebrated at that time in certain yearly intervals, but they were accompanied with pagan worship and rites.

By now, we can clearly see what Paul was addressing in Galatians 4:10. He was not talking about God’s Sabbath and the Holy Days, but rather was concerned about the Galatians returning to pagan worship customs—celebrating again the heathen days, months, seasons and years.

Conclusion

As we have shown you throughout this booklet, God’s weekly Sabbath and His annual Festivals are still to be kept holy today. God wants EVERYONE—including YOU—to observe them. There is no Scripture in the New Testament that does away with God’s requirement to keep His weekly Sabbath and His annual Holy Days holy, as He made them holy. God had to severely punish ancient Israel and Judah for violating His commandments, including profaning His Holy Sabbaths. God is very angry with the world today—especially the modern houses of Israel and Judah, who should know better—for trampling His Sabbaths under foot. His judgment is coming soon on the whole world.

You have now heard the truth. You have read it in this booklet. You now know better. God expects you to choose to “worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (compare John 4:24). Do you really want to know God? Do you want to be known and accepted by Him? You cannot really be part of God’s Family, and God will not be a real part of your life, unless you keep His commandments, including His weekly and annual Sabbaths—ALL of His Holy Days. Jesus Christ, the “Lord of the Sabbath,” tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Remember, too, 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments.” God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He wants everyone to obey Him. Ecclesiastes 12:13 states, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Authorized Version).

If you have never kept God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, NOW is the time to begin (compare Hebrews 3:7–11). Once you start, you will experience a joy and inner peace that you have never felt before. God promises that He will be found “if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). To those of you who once kept God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, but forsook the truth that you first learned, NOW is the time to return and begin again to act on the truth that you once understood (compare Ezekiel 33:14–16). God will accept you back, if you want to return to Him. He says in Zechariah 1:3, “Return to Me… and I will return to you…”

The choice is yours. God wants you to make the right choice, and so do we.

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Introduction

It is amazing how many professing Christians refuse to believe in angels or demons, let alone a spirit world “in heaven.” They consider such ideas as relics or superstitions from the distant past. While many have no problem believing in UFOs or alien life forms, they scoff at the idea of the existence of real angels and real demons. At best, they consider such beings as symbols of good and evil—a figurative way of describing a sense of right and wrong within us. The Bible clearly reveals, however, that angels and demons do exist.

There are others who do profess to believe in angels but swing the pendulum all the way to the other side and actually worship angels. The Bible is very clear that only God is to be worshiped, not angels.

In this booklet, we will present the biblical revelation of the little-understood spirit world. While it is important to believe what God’s Word reveals about the existence of angels and demons, it is even more important to have a true understanding of what these spirit beings are doing today, how they affect us, and what their existence means for us. In looking at the Scriptures and accepting the awesome truth contained therein, the spirit world will become plainly visible before our “spiritual eyes” and we will gain a clearer perception than ever before!

Before the Physical Creation

The Bible reveals to us that there was a time when only God existed. However, that statement is coupled with the biblical understanding that God actually consists of two beings—the Father and the Son. John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning [before anything else was created] was the Word [the Son of God—Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God [God the Father], and the Word was God.” God has always existed. There was never a time when God (both the Father and the Son) did not exist.

The Bible does not tell us what God did before He began creating within the spirit world and then the physical universe. We are told, however, that there was a time when God started His Work of creation. We might speculate that God spent a lot of time in planning His creation. We are not told, however, how long this took nor what God did before He began to plan His creation.

We humans tend to think of creation as referring to the physical universe—the galaxies, the suns, the stars and planets, and our own earth and the life forms on it, including man. God, however, did not start His work of creation by creating physical things. He first created spiritual things. This spirit realm still exists today, but since it is invisible to the human eye, many choose not to believe in it. However, when rightly understood, the spirit world is much more real than the physical world. It is, in fact, permanent, unlike the physical world, which is temporary. The created spirit world has existed much longer than anything physical, and it will continue to exist for all of eternity.

Part 1 – The World of Angels

Introduction

It is revealed to us in God’s Word that God created angels. Angels have not lived forever. Angels did have a beginning. Psalm 148:1–2, 5 tells us: “PRAISE the LORD!… Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!… For He commanded, and they were CREATED.”

Paul confirms in Colossians 1:16 that angels—invisible to the human eye—were created. They have not existed forever. “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible.”

Angels Cannot Die

Angels were created as immortal spirit beings, to live forever. Christ compared the immortality of angels with the POTENTIAL of man to become immortal when He said in Luke 20:36: “… nor can they [man made immortal in the resurrection] die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” This truth is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “… For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Angels are invisible; they are “not seen” by the human eye (compare Colossians 1:16).

Angels Don’t Marry

Angels don’t experience physical marriage in the spirit realm, and resurrected Christians who are changed to Spirit beings won’t marry either. Christ confirmed this in Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”

Angels Enjoy Eating

Angels were created as spirit beings—they are composed of spirit. As such, they are not dependent on physical things, including food. Nevertheless, angels do enjoy eating. In fact, we are told that they have special food. Psalm 78:24–25 tells us: “[God] Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.” Genesis 18:1–8 shows that the two angels (compare Genesis 19:1), accompanying the One identified as the LORD, also ate a meal that Abraham prepared.

Mightier Than Man

As spirit beings, angels are much stronger and mightier than physical man. The Bible confirms in 2 Peter 2:11 the obvious fact that “…angels…are greater in power and might” than humans.

Not As Knowledgeable As God

Angels do not have the same knowledge and understanding that God has. In 1 Peter 1:12, we are told that God reveals spiritual knowledge to His church that even angels do not possess: “…things which angels desire to look into.” In fact, Ephesians 3:10 confirms that the time has come when “…the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church [to which God revealed His wisdom] to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places” [different ranks of angels, see below].”

How Many Angels Exist?

Man has no comprehension of how many angels exist. The revealed number is indeed mind-boggling. In Revelation 5:11, the number of angels that had assembled before the throne of God is given as “…ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Hebrews 12:22 goes even further: “But you have come to… an innumerable company of angels.” The Greek word for “innumerable” is “anarithmethos,” literally meaning, “unnumbered” or “without number.” Certainly God knows how many angels He created but for man, angels are “without number.”

Angels Have Feelings

God did not create angels as robots. Rather, they are individual beings with emotions and feelings. In Job 38:7, angels sang together and shouted for joy when they saw God’s beautiful creation of the earth. Also, they “rejoice” when a sinner repents (compare Luke 15:10).

Angels Have Their Own Language

Angels speak their own language, a language that is different from the languages of man. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, Paul says: “Though I speak with the tongues [languages] of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become [as] sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

Angels Have Their Own Names

As individual beings with feelings and emotions, and with their own language, God also knows them by individual names. The Bible reveals two angelic names to us—Michael and Gabriel. It also talks about a third angel—Lucifer—who became Satan the devil. It appears, however, that all of the other angels have God-given names too. In Hebrews 1:4, we are told that Christ “…obtained a more excellent name than they,” and Ephesians 1:21, in comparing Christ with the angelic world, states that Christ was seated at the right hand of God the Father, “…far above…every name that is named.” (Compare, too, Philippians 2:9.)

God’s Angels Are Not Always in Heaven

Many Scriptures tell us that the abode of God’s angels is in heaven. Revelation 7:11 points out: “All the angels stood around the throne… and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” This does not mean, however, that the angels always stay in heaven. Jacob saw in a dream God’s angels ascending and descending on a ladder reaching heaven. He understood that he had been shown the “gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:12–17). Christ explained to Philip that God’s angels were ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:51). We will also see later in this booklet that angels are sent by God to “…walk to and fro throughout the earth” (Zechariah 6:7).

The Angel of the LORD

The Bible repeatedly makes mention of “the angel of the LORD.” Some claim that this expression always refers to Jesus Christ, as the Messenger of God the Father (see discussion below). However, in most cases, the word “LORD” in the Old Testament refers to Christ, though it can refer to the Father as well. (Refer to our free booklet, “God is a Family.”) We also read in Luke 2:9 that an “angel of the Lord” appeared to the shepherds in the field after Christ was born. In that passage, the term “angel of the Lord” could not possibly refer to Christ Himself, otherwise, He would have been in two different locations at the same time.

It appears that the phrase, “angel of the LORD,” often designates an angel sent by God. For instance, we read in 1 Kings 19:5 that “an angel” touched Elijah. In verse 7, the angel is referred to as “the angel of the LORD.” The New King James Bible arbitrarily capitalizes the word “angel” in some of those passages. Such rendering is simply an interpretation of the translator, and is of course not found in the original.

Other Difficulties with the Word, “Angel”

We read in Hosea 12:3–4 that Jacob “…struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed.” We also read in Genesis 32:28, 30 that Jacob “…struggled with God,” and that he had seen “…God face to face.”

In addition, we are told in Exodus 3:2 that “…the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire.” In verse 4, we are told that Moses was called by God from the midst of the bush. However, in Acts 7:35, Stephen said that “…the Angel… appeared to him in the bush.”

As a third example, Exodus 19:18–21 tells us that “the LORD” and “God” spoke to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai. Stephen said in Acts 7:38 that “the Angel… spoke to him on Mount Sinai.”

How do we explain these apparent contradictions?

In Hebrew, the word for “angel” is “malak” or “malech,” which is derived from the Hebrew, “l’k,” meaning, “to deliver a message,” or “to carry out an assignment.” The word “malak” can be translated as “angel” or as “messenger.” The Greek word for “angel” is “angelos,” which also means “messenger.” The Latin word “angelus” is derived from the Greek word, “angelos,” and means, “angel.” Therefore, the words “malak” and “angelos” can refer to a created angelic being, and they can refer to human messengers. (Compare Genesis 32:3; Haggai 1:13; Matthew 11:10; and James 2:25. In these passages, the words “malak” and “angelos,” referring to human beings, are translated as “messenger.”) These words can also refer to Jesus Christ, the “Messenger” of God the Father, as is the case in Malachi 3:1.

The “angel” or “messenger” who appeared to Moses and Jacob was Jesus Christ. It was Christ who dealt directly with ancient Israel and Judah. (For Biblical proof, please read our free booklet, “God is a Family.”) Therefore, the above-quoted passages in the books of Hosea, Genesis and Exodus identify the Person within the God Family who struggled with Jacob and who spoke with Moses—Jesus Christ, the “messenger” of the Father. In other passages, as we will see, the Bible may say that God did certain things, but the context reveals that He did it through His angels.

Different Orders of Angels

There seem to exist different orders, categories or ranks of angels, with varying degrees of power and authority. When describing the angelic world, Colossians 1:16 speaks about “…thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.” Ephesians 1:20–21 refers to angels as “…principality and power and might and dominion.” In Ephesians 3:10, angels are identified as “…principalities and powers in the heavenly places,” and 1 Peter 3:22 describes the created world of spirit beings as “…angels and authorities and powers.”

In light of these Scriptures, the Swiss Zürcher Bible does refer to ranks among the angels. The Ryrie Study Bible states in an annotation to Ephesians 1:21: “These words (i.e., principality, and power, and might, and dominion) in rabbinical thought of the time, described different orders of angels.”

As will become clearer in the remainder of this booklet, angels have been given varying degrees of power and glory. All of them are powerful and glorious, but not to the same extent. Revelation 5:2 speaks about a “strong angel.” Revelation 10:1 and 18:21 describe “mighty” angels. Revelation 18:1 introduces an angel “…coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.”  Other Scriptures imply that specific angels were given special powers over fire (Revelation 14:18) and water (Revelation 16:5).

The following brief overview will summarize the varying orders or categories of angels, as revealed in Scripture:

(1) Archangels

The Bible talks at times about certain “archangels.” The meaning of this word is, “chief messenger.” Only Michael is specifically referred to in Scripture as an “archangel.” The name “Michael” means, “Who is like God?” Jude 9 identifies him as an “archangel.” He is also referred to as “one of the chief princes,” (Daniel 10:13) showing that there must be additional “chief princes.” He is also described as “the great prince” (Daniel 12:1). He is clearly in charge of other angels, as Revelation 12:7 explains (“Michael and his angels fought…”).

Whether the second named angel in the Bible, Gabriel, is an archangel, is not clearly revealed. The name “Gabriel” means, “God is mighty.” While the Bible nowhere describes the appearance of Michael, the angel Gabriel has the “appearance of a man” (Daniel 8:15; 9:21; see also the detailed discussion later in this booklet). He “stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19) and is sent oftentimes by God to man with positive and important news (Luke 1:26, 31). He was sent several times to Daniel, and he was sent to Zacharias (Luke 1:11–13), and to Mary. Since the meaning of “archangel” is “chief messenger,” and since Gabriel is sent by God with important messages, the assumption is compelling that Gabriel is an archangel. He has been traditionally viewed as one of the other archangels and one of the chief princes.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 speaks of an “archangel” without specifically explaining his identity. We read, “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.” This wording indicates, too, the existence of more than one archangel; otherwise, it would just say, “the archangel.”

(2) Seraphim

The Bible specifically refers to angelic beings as “seraphim” in one place. The word “seraphim” means “burning” or “noble.” These beings are depicted as standing above God’s throne, each having “…six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew” (Isaiah 6:2). The voice of a seraphim is so powerful that “…the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out” (Isaiah 6:4). Isaiah 6:6 describes one of the seraphim as touching a burning coal with his hand.

Whether this passage makes clear that seraphim look like men, is uncertain. The reference to “face,” “feet” and “hand” might suggest this. On the other hand, the Hebrew word for “seraphim,” “saraph,” (compare Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, under “Seraphims” and “Serpent”, Number 8314) is also used in other passages, describing dragons or serpents. We read in Isaiah 14:29, “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.”  The Hebrew word for “fiery serpent” is “saraph.” The New Jerusalem Bible gives the rendering, “a flying dragon.” An additional passage can be found in Isaiah 30:6: “The burden against the beasts of the South. Through a land of trouble and anguish, From which came the lioness and lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent (“saraph” in Hebrew)…”

The Hebrew word “saraph” is also used in Numbers 21:8–9, when God instructed Moses to “‘Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.’ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole…”

Rienecker’s Commentary to the Bible states the following: “Passages such as Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6, describing flying seraphim (plural of saraph, translated by Luther as ‘flying dragon’), as well as Isaiah 6:2, 6, using the word to describe six-winged beings above the throne of God, go beyond the idea of an ordinary snake or serpent, and impress on the reader the concept of dragon-like creatures…”

(3) Cherubim

Perhaps the best-known angelic beings mentioned in the Bible are the “cherubim.” As we will explain in more detail later in this booklet, the common idea as to what cherubim are, or how they look, is totally false. The meaning of “cherub” or “cherubim” is “those grasped, held fast.” God “…placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). God “dwells between the cherubim” (Psalm 99:1; 2 Samuel 6:2), riding “upon a cherub” (Psalm 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11). Moses was instructed to “…make two cherubim of gold… at the two ends of the mercy seat… And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another… and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony” (Exodus 25:18, 20, 22).

We also read that the veil of the tabernacle “…shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim” (Exodus 26:31); that the walls of Solomon’s temple were carved with “…figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers” (1 Kings 6:29); and that “…on the panels [of the carts] that were between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim” (1 Kings 7:29).

A mighty and powerful angel is described in Ezekiel 28:14–16 as the “anointed cherub who covers…You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you… And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.” Other passages, such as Isaiah 14:12, tell us that this cherub was “Lucifer,” who sinned against God and became Satan the devil (much more on this later).

The Bible does not tell us how many cherubs exist. Ezekiel, chapters 1 and 10, mention at least four cherubs, in addition to the former cherub Lucifer, who is now Satan.

Some have speculated whether Michael and Gabriel are not only archangels, but also cherubs. The Bible nowhere identifies these two angels as cherubs.

(4) Four Living Creatures

The Bible speaks about “four living creatures” in the book of Revelation that appear before the throne of God. Although their description is, to an extent, similar to that of seraphim, there are nevertheless distinctions, implying that these angelic beings belong to a separate category or order. Revelation 4:6–9 explains that they have six wings, and that all of them look different. One looks like a lion, one looks like a calf, one looks like a flying eagle, and one has the face of a man. In addition, they have voices of thunder (Revelation 6:1) and they carry out God’s Will by directing other angels (compare Revelation 15:7).

(5) The Twenty-Four Elders

The book of Revelation also speaks about twenty-four high-ranking spirit beings within the angelic realm, called the “twenty-four elders.” They are in heaven, clothed in white robes, wearing crowns of gold on their heads and sitting on twenty-four thrones before the throne of God, whom they worship and serve (Revelation 4:4, 10–11). The high rank of the “four living creatures” and the “twenty-four elders” is expressed in Revelation 5:11: “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne [of God and the Lamb, Jesus Christ], the living creatures, and the elders…” (Compare, too, Revelation 7:11.)

(6) The Seven Spirits of God

As will be discussed later in more detail, the Bible reveals to us the existence of seven special angels of God, referred to as the “Seven Spirits of God,” (Revelation 5:6) whose responsibility it is to walk through the earth to report their observations to God. It is possible that these seven spirit beings are identical with “…the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given [the] seven [last] trumpets… So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound” (Revelation 8:2, 6). These seven spirit beings are perhaps also identical with the “seven thunders” mentioned in Revelation 10:3–4, and with the seven angels of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 1:20, as well as in Revelation 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, and 14.

(7) The Remaining Angels

Many times, the Bible speaks in general terms of angels. We read of the archangel “Michael and his angels” (Revelation 12:7). 1 Peter 3:22 speaks of “angels and authorities and powers.” Angels are also referred to as “sons of God” (compare Job 1:6; 38:7) or as “stars” (compare Isaiah 14:13; Revelation 12:4; Revelation 9:1–2; Revelation 1:20). As each physical star has a name given by God (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 147:4), so it appears, as mentioned before, that God gave each angel his name, too, since “angels” are many times figuratively described as “stars.” High-ranking angels are sometimes referred to as “morning stars,” compare Job 38:7.

Don’t Contact and Worship Angels

The more we study the Scriptures about the world of angels, the more we will be struck by the awesome truth that unfolds in front of our eyes. We will learn about unknown and unheard of powers and abilities that angels possess. Their tremendous strength and might could perhaps motivate us to worship angels in our thoughts. The study of the angelic world might also tempt us to seek to get in contact with angels, and to literally worship them. These actions would be a terrible mistake. The Bible warns us explicitly NOT to do so.

John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, had to overcome the very same temptation that we are speaking of. After a mighty angel had shown John in a vision what would happen in the future, John thought that he had to worship this angel. Revelation 19:10 tells us: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!’”

Human memory is short-lived. A few chapters later, John is about to repeat the same mistake. Revelation 22:8–9 records, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’”

In addition, the Bible warns us not to make contact with angels. When God wants to send an angel with a message to us, He will do that. To attempt to make contact ourselves with angels is very dangerous. As we will see later in this booklet, we might end up making contact with the wrong kind of angel. Colossians 2:18 states: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

Most commentaries and translators point out that the Greek conveys here the meaning of someone who tries to initiate contact with the spirit world. For instance, the New Jerusalem Bible renders this verse as follows: “Do not be cheated of your prize by anyone who chooses to grovel to angels and worship them, pinning every hope on visions received…” The Revised English Bible states: “You are not to be disqualified by the decision of people who go in for self-mortification and angel-worship and access to some visionary world.”

We must keep firmly in mind that angels are created beings and that all worship must be directed toward the Creator, rather than anything or anyone created. Romans 1:25 tells us of pagans who “…exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”

We read that God the Father created everything, including the spirit world of angels, through Jesus Christ (compare again Colossians 1:16). We have seen that God the Father gave Jesus Christ a name which is far above the name of anyone or anything else (compare again Hebrews 1:4; Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9). Only Jesus Christ was worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals (Revelation 5:1–5) in order to show God’s servants “things which must shortly take place” (Revelation 1:1). No angel was worthy enough to do so!

When reading about the mighty deeds of angels, we need to always remember that God gave them such power. Rather than worshiping angels, we must worship the Creator God and stand in awe of His abilities and strength. Likewise, Exodus 20:4 sternly forbids creating any image of anything that is in heaven above for the purpose of worshiping it.

Don’t Disrespect Angels

On the other hand, the fact that we must never worship angels does not mean that we should ever look down on angels or speak evil of them. God would not leave a person unpunished who showed disrespect for angels, as such a person would thereby show disrespect and contempt for God, the Creator of the angelic world.

The Bible condemns those who speak evil of angels. We read in Jude 8 of “dreamers” who “defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.” As the margin of the New King James Bible points out, the Greek word for “dignitaries” means “glories.” Jude is referring here to angelic beings. The New International Version and the Revised English Bible render this word as “celestial beings.” The Revised Standard Version says, “glorious ones,” and the New American Bible states, “glorious beings.”

In addition, 2 Peter 2:10 reiterates that those “who walk according to the flesh” are “not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries.” Again, in the Greek, the meaning is “glories.”

We find an example of a self-willed individual who is not afraid to speak evil of angels, in Revelation 13:6. This human being is also referred to in Scripture as the “beast,” the final leader of a resurrected Roman Empire in Europe. We read, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.”

What Angels Look Like

We know from Scripture that angels, in their created and glorious state, are invisible to the human eye. We also read, however, that angels did manifest themselves at times so as to be seen by humans. It may be surprising to learn HOW angels manifested themselves to humans. Many people have an entirely wrong idea as to what angels look like. When we see pictures of little naked babies with wings and golden trumpets or a bow with arrows, purporting to be angels, we get a totally wrong idea as to how angels really look. In fact, those pictures constitute a violation of the very command not to belittle or disrespect angels.

(1) Some Angels Have Man-like Features

The Bible reveals that some angels, when they appear to man in a physical state or in a vision in their glorious state, actually look like men. They have a body, a head, eyes, arms, hands, and feet. Let’s examine a few Scriptures in that regard.

Daniel 8 gives a description of one mighty and powerful angel, Gabriel, who appeared to Daniel. Although he looked like a man, his appearance was so overwhelming that Daniel was afraid and became sick. We read in Daniel 8:15–18, 27:

“Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, ‘Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.’ So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, ‘Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.’ Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright… And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business.”

What Daniel encountered here was, in fact, a vision, as Daniel 9:20–21 explains: “Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.”

Even in vision, the appearance of the angel Gabriel was so powerful that Daniel was afraid; he fell into a deep sleep; he fainted and became unconscious; and he was sick for several days. Gabriel did not look like just any man, although he had man-like features. We also learn from these verses that Gabriel could fly swiftly, although we don’t find that Gabriel is expressly portrayed with wings.

It is highly likely that Gabriel was sent a third time to Daniel with a message. If so, his glorious appearance is described in detail in Daniel 10:5–9: “I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.”

Some claim that this is not a description of an angel, but of Christ, as the description of Christ in Revelation 1 is similar. However, Daniel could not possibly speak about Christ in that passage. As we will discuss fully in this booklet, the “glorious man,” the angel, reveals to Daniel that he was unable to overcome a demon without the help of another mighty angel, the archangel Michael (compare Daniel 10:13). Since Christ is much more powerful than any angel or demon [after all, He created all those beings in the first place], Daniel was visited by a mighty angel—in all likelihood, Gabriel—and not by Christ Himself. Further descriptions of Gabriel’s appearances can be found in Luke 1:11–19 and 26–38.

There are other passages that tell us more about angels who look like men when they manifest themselves to the human eye. One such encounter with angels is described in Luke 24:4–5, relating the account when the women went to Jesus’ grave, but could not find His body: “And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’”

These two men were angels, as the parallel account in John 20:11–12 reveals. Notice, too, this additional account of one of the two angels, in Mark 16:5, 8: “And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed… So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.” Their appearance was such that the women were afraid. Although having man-like features, they did not look like ordinary men.

The reason for their flight and emotional upheaval was not only because they could not find Christ’s body, it was also caused by the way in which the angel appeared to them. We find a detailed description of his appearance in Matthew 28:1–5, 8: “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid…’ So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy.”

The appearance of this angel, although having man-like features, was like lightning, so that the guards who saw him shook for fear, as did the women, when they saw him. The guards then fainted and became unconscious.

In Ezekiel 40:3, an angel is described in this way, “…there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze.”

John further describes a powerful angel with man-like features in this way, “I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire… and [he] cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars” (Revelation 10:1–3).

(2) Some Angels May Look Like Women

We saw that angels commonly appear with man-like features, and some of them looked like young men. In addition, there is one Scripture that might perhaps indicate that some angels may look like women.  Notice Zechariah 5:9–11: “Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were two women, coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. So I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘Where are they carrying the basket?’ And he said to me, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar [Babylon, Genesis 11:2, 9]; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.”

(3) Unrecognized Angels 

‘Angels have manifested themselves at times to humans without being recognized as angels. This means that they did not appear at those times in their glorified form, but in a different form. Angels can manifest themselves in such a way that they look entirely like ordinary men. Hebrews 13:2 tells us: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” One such example can be found in Genesis 19:1–11, where Lot invited two angels into his house. Lot, as well as the men of Sodom, did not realize that these two strangers were angels. That is the reason why the depraved men of Sodom wanted to deal “carnally” with the strangers, and why Lot wanted to protect the strangers by foolishly offering his daughters to the citizens of Sodom. Nobody realized the power that these two angels possessed (compare verse 11).

Another episode has been recorded for us in Acts 12:13–15 when Peter had been imprisoned and the disciples prayed for his release. Unbeknown to the disciples, Peter had been freed by an angel: “And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, ‘You are beside yourself!’ Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, ‘It is his angel.’”

The disciples thought it was possible that an angel could appear as Peter, speaking with Peter’s voice. After all, they had experienced that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, could also appear in a different form. Christ did not appear to His disciples in His glorified state. He did not appear, prior to His ascension to heaven, with all His power and glory that He has today. We can find a description of His glorious appearance in Revelation 1:10, 12–17. We also find a description of His glory, prior to His human birth, in Ezekiel 1:26–28. When He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He appeared just as an ordinary man, so much so that they did not recognize Him. Accounts of His appearances can be found in John 20:14–16 and John 21:4–7. They only came to recognize Him after He spoke a certain way or performed a certain miracle that He had performed earlier before His death.

We read that the disciples on the road to Emmaus did not recognize the resurrected Christ until He “…took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:30–31). The reason that they did not recognize Him earlier is explained in Mark 16:12: “After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.”

Angels, too, are given the power to manifest themselves “in another form,” looking like ordinary people so that they cannot be recognized by men as angels.

(4) Some Angels Look Like Animals

Not all angels have man-like features. The Bible contains many descriptions of angels that have animal features. For instance, as mentioned before, four very powerful angels—the “four living creatures”—are described in the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation in this way: “Before the throne [of God in heaven] there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’” (Revelation 4:6–8).

Here we are introduced to angelic beings that look like a lion, a calf, and a flying eagle. One angelic being has the face of a man, implying that the rest of his appearance may not resemble that of a man. In addition, all have six wings.

(5) Some Angels Look Like Horses

We find additional accounts in the Bible, describing angels as fiery horses. Note, for example, 2 Kings 2:11–12: “Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!’ So he saw him no more.”

A similar account can be found in 2 Kings 6:15–17: “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Elisha knew that God had sent His angelic army to protect them. His servant Gehazi did not realize it. God “opened his eyes” so that he could see them, that is, God showed him in his mind the angels that had encamped around them. Again, this angelic army is described as “fiery horses.”

We find a similar description of angels as horses in several places in the book of Zechariah. Let’s review some of these accounts: In Zechariah 1:8–11, we are told, “I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, My lord, what are these?’ So the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, ‘These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ So they answered the Angel [better rendered: angel] of the LORD, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.’”

We are specifically told in this passage that God sent “red, sorrel and white horses” to walk to and fro throughout the earth. These horses are angelic beings. Zechariah 6:1–8 confirms this conclusion:  “Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses—strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ And the angel answered and said to me, ‘These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.’ Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, ‘Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.’ So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, ‘See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.’” 

The “Eyes of the Lord”

The angel who spoke directly to Zechariah is described as a man. The horses walking to and fro throughout the earth are called “spirits of heaven.” They are spirit beings, or angelic beings, that look like horses. In Revelation 5:6, some of those spirit beings are described as “seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits [better translated: “spirits” or “spirit beings”] of God sent out into all the earth.” Notice that Zechariah, too, identifies these spirit beings as the “eyes of God,” in Zechariah 3:9 and 4:10: “Upon the stone are seven eyes… They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 adds, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” Proverbs 15:3 goes on to state, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

These spirit beings that look like horses are called “the eyes of God,” or “watchers,” as they “keep watch on the evil and the good.” In Daniel 4:13–14, 17, Nebuchadnezzar told the prophet Daniel one of his dreams, stating, “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus: ‘…This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones…” Daniel interpreted the dream for the king, recognizing that God had shown the king in a vision an angelic being or a watcher—one of the “spirits of heaven” or “eyes of the Lord.” Daniel said in verses 23–24, “And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven… this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king…”

These watchers—“the eyes of the Lord”—are spirit beings, holy angels of God, having the appearance of horses. They run to and fro throughout the earth, keeping watch on the good and the evil.

Many commentaries agree that the term “watchers” in Daniel 4 refers to some of God’s holy angels. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown make these insightful comments to Daniel 4:13, which refers to “…[a] watcher, a holy one”: “Only one angel is intended, and he is not one of the bad, but of the holy angels. Called a ‘watcher,’ because ever on the watch to execute God’s will.”

We are told about another episode in 1 Kings 22:19–23, where God was talking to His angels as to how to bring about a certain outcome: “Then Micaiah said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, “Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?” So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit [perhaps a demon, see discussion below] came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, “I will persuade him.” The LORD said to him, “In what way?” So he said, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.” Therefore look! The LORD has put [allowed] a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.’”

God’s angels watch on the good and the bad, and they report their findings to God. When doing so, they also express their feelings to God, participating thereby in God’s decisions and decrees.

White Horses At Christ’s Return

We find another description of angelic beings that look like horses in the famous passage in Revelation 19:11, 14, describing the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. Notice, however, what the Bible actually says in this little-understood passage: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war… And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”

We are told here that Christ and His armies in heaven will come, riding on white horses. These horses must be spirit beings, because they come from heaven down to this earth. The armies in heaven, riding on white horses, are angelic beings that presumably look like men. As we will see later in this booklet, certain angels are “warriors.” Their main function is to fight the forces of evil. Other angels, like those who look like horses, have different or additional functions, including the task to carry Christ and His warrior angels.

(6) Some Angels Combine Man-like and Animal-like Features

The most spectacular group of angels is those called “cherubs” or “cherubim.” Unfortunately, due to a totally wrong concept conveyed through “art” and “mythology,” this world thinks that “cherubim” look like little naked boys, blowing trumpets, and shootings arrows. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible describes “cherubim” as extremely powerful and awesome-looking spirit beings. Most of them do not look like ordinary human beings at all, let alone little children or babies.

We find a very detailed description of their appearance in the book of Ezekiel. We read in Ezekiel 1:5–14: “Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies… As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.”

We are later told that these four living creatures were “cherubim” (Ezekiel 10:20–22). They were transporting a throne on which the “LORD” sat. Notice Ezekiel 1:26–28: “And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it… This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” We are told, for instance, in Psalm 18:10 that the LORD “rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.”

Ezekiel 10:14 also reveals that the predominant facial features of a cherub are those of an ox. While we had read in Ezekiel 1:10 that the four cherubs had the face of an ox, a man, a lion, and an eagle, Ezekiel 10:14 lists those characteristics as the face a cherub, a man, a lion, and an eagle. Taken together, the Scriptures equate the predominant facial features of a cherub with that of an ox. Some have suggested that cherubs look mainly like oxen. Notice, though, that they are described with the “likeness of a man.” Only their facial features and the soles of their feet are different from the “likeness of a man” (in addition to the fact that they have wings).

In additional passages, cherubs are depicted with “… two faces, so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around” (Ezekiel 41:18–19). We also find in 1 Kings 6:23–27 that Solomon, when building the temple, made cherubs with two wings each.

There are several passages that imply that some of the cherubs might only have one face (as distinguished from the four faces of each cherub in Ezekiel 1). We read, for example, in Exodus 37:9: “The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.” (Compare, too, Exodus 25:20 and 2 Chronicles 3:13.)

Rienecker’s Commentary to the Bible points out that “cherubim appear where God is personally present or where He reveals Himself in His glory… The cherubim are witnesses of the personal presence of God on earth… Today, cherubs are pictured similar to the winged creatures, called ‘kurubu,’ that have been dug out in Mesopotamia, Palestine and Syria.” Some of these “kurubu” look like creatures with a body of a lion, with wings, and with the head of a man, while others have the appearance of a man, with animal heads.

We need to remember that the Bible does not portray cherubs as having a body that resembles an animal. However, the four living creatures, as well as the “seven spirits,” are described in that way. One of the “living creatures” actually has the face of a man, suggesting that the body of that living creature may not look like the body of a man.

As angels that look like horses are associated with chariots, so the cherubs are associated with amazing wheels. Ezekiel 1:15, 19–20 tells us, “Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces… When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up… for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”

Ezekiel mentions at least four cherubs. They are described as powerful angelic beings, having the likeness of a man, with four wings and four faces, three of which have animal features. Ezekiel 10:12 states: “And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around.” There are similarities with the four living creatures described in the book of Revelation (see above), but there are also obvious differences. The cherubs are introduced to us as carrying and transporting the throne of God.

Primary Angelic Functions and Responsibilities

There exists a very special relationship between angels and man, but it is far different than most people think. Yes, angels were created to assist and help people, but we need to understand just how they do that. The Bible shows us that they are assigned by God to help those whom God is calling to salvation.

Hebrews 1:14 says about angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Psalm 34:7 adds: “The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him [that is, “who will inherit salvation”], And delivers them.”

Why does this special relationship exist? Simply put, because it is the potential of man to rule over everything there is, along with, and under, Jesus Christ and the Father. Man, in fact, will rule over angels. Notice Hebrews 2:5–8: “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little lower [or: a little while lower] than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.”

Paul tells us in the above-quoted Scripture that God has decreed to put everything in subjection under man. This has not happened yet, but it will. This is part of man’s salvation. Since everything will be put under man, man will rule over angels. Notice this in 1 Corinthians 6:2–3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”

God sends forth His angels to “minister,” that is, to serve and help man achieve his potential to inherit salvation—eternal life in the Family of God. With this understanding, let’s take note of the particular services that angels are called upon to perform.

(1) God’s Angels Protect Us From Harm

God makes the following promise to us in Psalm 91:9–13: “Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.”

Jacob knew that God had sent a special angel to protect him from harm during his lifetime. He stated in Genesis 48:15–16: “And he blessed Joseph and said, ‘The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has led me all my life long to this day, the angel who had redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads…’” (Revised Standard Version).

Later, God promised Moses that He would send an angel to go with Israel, to protect them and to bring them to the Promised Land. We read in Exodus 23:20–23, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since [My] Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out” (New International Version).

It is possible that this angel, sent by God, was the archangel, Michael. We read about this powerful angel in Daniel 12:1. Daniel is told in this Scripture that Michael “stands watch over the sons of your people.” We also find another reference to this particular angel, used by God to protect Israel, in Exodus 19:4: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” Compare this with Isaiah 63:9: “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old” (Authorized Version).

Let’s take a closer look at some examples of how God uses His angels to protect His people. For instance, when Israel left Egypt, God used His angel to save them from harm: “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night” (Exodus 14:19–20, Authorized Version).

In another instance, two angels were sent to protect Lot and his daughters by striking the evil citizens of Sodom with blindness. God had sent the angels to destroy Sodom, but they were also instructed to protect Lot and to keep him alive. Let’s read this encouraging account, in Genesis 19:15–16: “When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being MERCIFUL to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” When Lot asked for permission to flee to a small city nearby, one of the two angels responded, “Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there” (verse 22).

We see the tremendous responsibility that God assigned to these two angels—they could not destroy Sodom until they had protected Lot and brought him to safety.

Some of the most spectacular examples of angelic protection can be found in the book of Daniel. For instance, we read in Daniel 6:16: “So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, ‘Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.’… Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?’ Then Daniel said to the king, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him, and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.’ Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God” (Daniel 6:16, 19–23).

Daniel was protected by an angel because he served God day and night and because he believed in God’s protection. The vicious nature of the lions had not changed. The only reason that they did not devour Daniel was because an angel had restrained them from doing so. Notice what happened, once the angel ceased from preventing the lions to attack others: “And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den” (verse 24).

New Testament Scriptures relative to the early church contain several spectacular examples of angelic protection. When studying some of the passages, we might ask ourselves why we don’t experience similar incidents today. First of all, it is important to understand that God is the same—He does not change—and His protection of His saints through angels is ongoing. Although angelic protection might not be as spectacular today as it was in the early New Testament Church, we certainly have been saved many times from harm and even death. Who is to say that God’s angels did not protect us in miraculous ways, well beyond human comprehension?

Still, one reason why we don’t experience angelic protection to the same spectacular degree as described in numerous passages in the Bible could be that we don’t believe in such protection anymore. We might believe in it theoretically, but are we really convinced that God could do today what He did so often in times past?

Notice Acts 5:17–21: “Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.’ And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught.”

They obeyed the voice of the angel, just as God had instructed Moses and the Israelites to obey the angel in their time. Believing in God’s protection and obedience to God’s commands are fundamental requirements and prerequisites if we are to count on angelic help.

Later, as recorded in Acts 12:5–11, Peter was again thrown into jail, because he obeyed God and did not cease from preaching the gospel and teaching God’s Way of life. The disciples prayed constantly and persistently for Peter’s deliverance and God sent an angel to rescue and free Peter. “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and tie on your sandals’; and so he did. And he said to him, ‘Put on your garment and follow me.’ So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

God has promised to send His angels to minister to and protect those whom He has called for salvation. When we have such angelic protection, what is there to fear?

The Bible shows that angels may sometimes appear in dreams to people to warn of impending danger. This is another way that angels fulfill their responsibility to minister to the saints.

One such example can be found in Matthew 2:13: “Now when they [the wise men from the East] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’”

If we are obedient to God in our daily lives and honor Him in the way we live, then we can trust that He will provide angelic help and protection. When Jesus Christ was arrested, He knew that His Father could send Him more than twelve legions of angels—more than 72,000 spirit beings—to protect Him from the Romans. He also knew, however, that it was not the WILL of the Father to do so at that particular time, because the very reason Christ had come was for the purpose of being arrested, tortured and killed so that Scripture could be fulfilled (compare Matthew 26:52–54).

Do Guardian Angels Really Exist?

Many have speculated over the years whether or not the Bible teaches the existence of “guardian angels,” that is to say, a specific angel that God has assigned to a particular person. The Bible leaves no room for doubt that guardian angels do exist. We have already quoted Genesis 48:15–16, where Jacob acknowledged the presence of his guardian angel throughout his life. We read in the Revised English Bible, “The god in whose presence my forefathers lived, my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, the god who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who rescued me from all misfortune, may he bless these boys.” Jacob was convinced that God had been with him all of his life, and He was specifically present through a particular angel whom He had assigned to watch over Jacob.

Acts 12:15 shows that the disciples thought that Peter’s angel had appeared, as they believed Peter to be in prison. They specifically said, “It is his angel.” In other words, they thought it was the particular angel whom God had assigned to watch over Peter.

Notice, too, the following remarkable statement of Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:10, in talking about little children that believe in Him, as well as true Christians who must become “as” little children: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”

In addition, Paul makes an interesting comment in 1 Corinthians 11:10. The context is the wearing of long hair for women. We read, “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority [i.e., long hair, compare verse 15] on her head, because of the angels.” Paul’s point is this: A woman is to submit to the authority of her husband (compare verse 3), and her wearing long hair is an outward symbol of such willingness. Paul went on to say that a woman should do so “because of the angels,” implying that in such case, the woman can be assured of angelic protection. Here, angels are referred to in the plural, showing that God may sometimes assign several guardian angels to one person. Notice also Psalm 91:11 where it says God “shall give His angels charge over you.”

We read that a star appeared to the wise men from the East, leading them to the place where Jesus Christ dwelt, after He had been born. We read in Matthew 2:1–2, 9–11:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’… When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”

This star appeared to them in the East and led them to Jerusalem and from there to the place where Christ lived. This was not an ordinary star, but a bright, shining angel. The Bible identifies and compares stars with angels on numerous occasions (compare Revelation 1:20; 9:1–2; 12:4). Note that the wise men from the East refer to this star as “HIS star”—that is, the star, or angel, of the Christ Child. They understood that Christ was the newborn King and they came from the East to worship Him.

If they understood that the star was an angel, then they also knew that this angel was assigned to the Christ Child. This is not to say, of course, that only one angel watched over Christ. On one occasion, He mentioned to Peter that He could ask His Father for “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)—more than 72,000 angels. Remember also that “angels” ministered to Christ after His lengthy fast (Matthew 4:11). Notice, too, Christ’s statement in John 1:51: “…hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Christ knew that He was surrounded by angels. Angels were very real to Him. He did not doubt their existence—after all, it was He who created all of them.

We also saw that God may assign one angel to guard or protect numerous people, or an entire nation. For instance, the archangel Michael is described to Daniel as “The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people” (Daniel 12:1).

(2) God’s Angels Lead Us Toward Salvation

Just as God’s angels protect us from harm, they are also sent to direct, guide and lead us on our path to spiritual salvation. Sometimes God sends His angels to direct His human servants in the Work of preaching the gospel and feeding the flock. In Old Testament times, God gave Israel the sacrificial law system through the hand of angels (Acts 7:53; Hebrews 2:2; Galatians 3:19), while God Himself spoke the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1; Deuteronomy 5:4–5). Even when God gave Israel the spiritual law of the Ten Commandments, He was accompanied by “myriads of holy ones” (Deuteronomy 33:2, New Revised Standard Version; Revised English Bible; New International Version). Later, when Jesus Christ was born as the Savior of mankind, an angel appeared to the shepherds in the field, and “suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God” (Luke 2:9,13).

One striking example of an angel participating in the salvation of a human being is recorded in Acts 8:26–28: “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.” God’s Spirit inspired Philip to begin a communication with the eunuch, and after some time, the eunuch asked Philip to baptize him. We see, then, that an angel of God directed Philip to meet with the eunuch in order to ultimately baptize him.

A similar example has been recorded for us in Acts 10. Again, it is an angel who appeared to Cornelius to send for Peter to baptize him. We read in verses 3–7: “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’ And when he observed him, he was afraid (note, in passing, that the appearance of the angel was not that of just an ordinary man), and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.’ And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.”

While on their way, God sent Peter a vision to instruct him to follow the three men to Cornelius, where he ultimately baptized him and his household. Again, an angel of God was involved in the events that led to the baptism of some loyal people.

Angels are, in fact, intimately involved with our salvation. They are not robots, mechanically obeying God’s Word. They joyfully and eagerly fulfill their task to minister to those who will inherit salvation. Jesus told us in Luke 15:10 that “there is JOY in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Repentance is a requirement for man’s salvation. The angels rejoice when they see that a sinner repents of his sins and turns to God.

Paul also alluded to the involvement of angels in our lives relative to our salvation. He stated in 1 Corinthians 4:9: “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.”

The margin explains that the literal meaning of the Greek word, “theatron,” translated as “spectacle,” is “theater.” The same word is used in Acts 19:29, where it is correctly rendered as, “theater.” The Amplified Bible translates 1 Corinthians 4:9 as follows, “God has made an exhibit of us… a show in the word’s amphitheater—with both men and angels as spectators.”

Paul is viewing himself as standing in the arena of a great amphitheater with both men and angels—the observing audience—looking down on him as a spectacle. Men might watch, perhaps, in order to scoff and malign, while God’s angels observe us with a sincere desire for our success, eager to help us.

Paul instructed and charged Timothy in 1Timothy 5:21: “…before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.”

Paul does not specifically explain who these “elect angels” are, but it is possible that they are chosen angels, specifically assigned in a special way to look after individual Christians, and even entire Church organizations or Church eras.  In Revelation 1:20, we read about seven angels of the seven churches, in other words, individual angels assigned to particular churches.

The involvement of God’s angels in the lives of Christians who are to inherit salvation will find its climax at the time of Christ’s return, when He comes to reward the faithful. We are told in Matthew 24:30–31: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

The angels of God will have the privilege and honor to bring the faithful to Christ so that they may receive from Him their reward. Matthew 16:27 tells us: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”

Christ will send out His angels who accompany Him to bring the resurrected and changed Christians to Him, to be rewarded by Him. He gave us this promise, “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8).

(3) God’s Angels Guide Us in Physical Ways

When Joseph, Mary and Jesus had stayed long enough in Egypt, God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream, directing him what to do next. “Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead’” (Matthew 2:19–20).

When Abraham sent out his servant to find a wife for Isaac, both Abraham and his servant knew that an angel of God would accompany him on his travel and direct him to the right place to find a wife for Isaac. We read the servant’s words in Genesis 24:40: “But he [Abraham] said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.’”

Such angelic guidance and help might even lead to bringing necessary physical sustenance. When Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He was very hungry and obviously very weakened. First, though, He had to overcome Satan, who tried to tempt Him to sin. Christ did not succumb to this temptation and the devil left Him. After that, “…behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:11).  They served Jesus Christ—the firstborn among many brethren destined to inherit salvation—by providing Him with food and drink.

We also find that an angel provided Elijah with food when he was discouraged and was ready and willing to die. We read in 1 Kings 19:5–8: “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’ Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise, and eat, because the journey is too great for you.’ So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food [obviously, this was not just ordinary food] forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.”

We read in John 5:2–4 where an angel of God assisted in the physical healing of people: “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.”

(4) God’s Angels Give Us Encouragement and Strength

When Jesus Christ was facing His arrest, torture and crucifixion, He wished desperately to not have to go through this grievous ordeal. He was human, having laid aside His divine nature. He had become totally human (John 1:14), and as such, it was His HUMAN DESIRE to escape such a violent, physical death. His death, though, was preordained so that mankind could be saved from eternal death. In that hour of trial, He prayed to God the Father, saying, “‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’ Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:42–44). God sent one of His angels to give Jesus Christ encouragement. We don’t know what exactly the angel did, but we are told that he “strengthened” Christ.

A similar episode is recorded in Acts 27, where Paul, who was under arrest, was being transported by ship to Italy. He and his shipmates, as well as the soldiers who were transporting them, were troubled by a violent wind and had lost all hope for survival. Finally, Paul stood up to encourage his friends, the soldiers, and the sailors of the ship with these words: “‘And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me’” (Acts 27:22–25). As happened with Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, God sent an angel to Paul to encourage him so that he could, in turn, encourage others.

(5) God’s Angels Serve Us by Punishing the Unrighteous

God’s people are called out of this world, but they still must live in it. This world is filled with temptation, and many times unrighteous people will try to tempt Christians to sin. The Bible tells us that God uses angels to punish the unrighteous—those who live contrary to God’s Way of life.  He uses angels to help His people and to show them that He is just, and that judgment and condemnation awaits those who rebel against Him.

The terrible and uncompromising revelation of God’s righteousness will begin to take place at the return of Jesus Christ, as Matthew 13:41–42, 49–50 explains: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth… So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

The same future for unrepentant rebellious people is prophesied in 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10: “… it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Note, though, that God’s angels don’t necessarily have to wait until the time of Christ’s return to punish wicked people. They have often intervened in this day and age to punish sinners so that God’s word can be spread without hindrance. A spectacular and frightening account of such punishment can be found in Acts 12:21–24: “So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting. ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied.”

Also, we read in 2 Kings 19:35 a remarkable account of the power and might of just one of God’s angels who punished Assyria for fighting against Israel: “And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead” (compare 2 Chronicles 32:21).

Exodus 12:23 tells us that God destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt through the hands of a mighty angel: “For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you” (compare Hebrews 11:28).

In 1 Corinthians 10:10 we read that an angel killed many of the Israelites in the wilderness, because they murmured against God. They were “destroyed by the destroyer.” God also sent two angels to Sodom to destroy it. We also read that God destroyed it—He did so through His angels (Compare Genesis 19:12–13, 24–25, 29).

A future destruction of the people in this world will occur just prior to the return of Christ, as the sins of man will have reached a climax. Along with them, many of God’s people will also lose their lives because of having lost their “first love” and having become “lukewarm.” They will think that they have need of nothing, that they “have it made,” spiritually speaking. Yet, they will believe lies and fall for spiritual deception and error. They will even hate their fellow brethren and they will betray them, dragging them before courts and worldly powers, as well as religious authorities. God will use His angels to punish everyone who is not specifically marked by Him for protection.

We read in Ezekiel 9:1–11: “Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, ‘Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.’ And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the LORD said to him, ‘Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.’ To the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.’ So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Then He said to them, ‘Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!’ And they went out and killed in the city… Then He said to me, ‘The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, “The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!” And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.’ Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, ‘I have done as You commanded me.’”

Angels will destroy many of the people during the time described as the “Day of the Lord” who have not received, through the hands of angels, God’s seal of protection (Revelation 7:1–4). The book of Revelation describes in great detail how God’s angels will carry out His Will to punish the earth and many of those living on it.

For example, one angel will cause “noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5). Four angels will kill “a third of mankind” (Revelation 9:15). The seven angels with the seven last plagues will kill “every living creature in the sea” (Revelation 16:3) and they will “scorch men with fire” (Revelation 16:8).

(6) God’s Angels Serve Us When They Punish Us for Our Sins

The primary function of God’s angels is to minister to those who are to inherit salvation. We will never obtain eternal life in God’s Kingdom, however, unless we overcome our sins (compare Revelation 3:5). To help us in conquering sin, we must be “chastened” (Hebrews 12:4–11). At times, God’s angels carry out His Will in that regard. We read in Psalm 103:20–21: “Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.”

In carrying out God’s Will, God’s angels serve us, even if this means inflicting punishment upon us for our sins. This is done for our good, so that we can become pure and clean in God’s eyes.

We read about an awesome account regarding one of God’s angels, bringing a plague over Israel. Although the immediate cause was David’s sinful conduct, God also wanted to punish the nation for their sins. 2 Samuel 24:15–17 reports: “So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. And when the angel stretched out His [better translated: his] hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘It is enough; now restrain your hand.’… Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, ‘Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.’”

In the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21:16, 27, and 30, note the following interesting details: “Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem… So the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath… But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.”

Warrior Angels

Angels who punish man for their sins are often times described as “soldiers” or “warriors.” They have a sword in their hand to strike. In Numbers 22:23, God had sent an angel to strike the false prophet Balaam who was asked by king Balak of Moab to curse Israel.  Christ used military language to describe the angels at His disposal, referring to them as more than twelve legions of angels (Matthew 26:53). Jesus Christ appeared to Joshua as the “Commander” of His many warrior angels to give Joshua encouragement for the upcoming battle with Jericho: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped…” (Joshua 5:13–14). As an angel would not permit a man to worship him, the “Commander of the army of the LORD” was none other than Jesus Christ, leading the angelic army of His Father.

As we have seen already, this angelic army will fight against and punish men. Compare Revelation 19:19: “And I saw the beast [end-time military leader], the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His [angelic] army.” Even this angelic war serves God’s people, in that it constitutes punishment of the unrighteous (compare under point (5)).

(7) God’s Angels Serve Us by Fighting Satan and His Demons

The Bible reveals that spiritual warfare is going on right now. We can’t see it, but we can feel and perceive its consequences. Scripture teaches that God’s holy angels fight against Satan and his angels, in order to carry out God’s Will and Purpose, and in order to help and serve God’s people. We are even reminded that we, too, are engaged in spiritual warfare, and that we must resist Satan and his demons (Ephesians 6:12).

The fact that God’s angels serve us when they fight Satan and his demons will be discussed more fully later in the second part of this booklet. First, we need to address the truth that Satan and demons exist, and what exactly they do today.

Introduction

Just as most people don’t believe in the existence of angels, they also doubt that Satan and his demons really exist. The Bible teaches, however, the very real existence of the devil and his fallen angels. Where did they come from? Did God create a devil? If not, how could there be a devil and demons today?

Lucifer and Satan

The Bible reveals that God created all of the angels. They were not created as robots, but as spirit beings with the power to choose and to decide. One high-ranking angel, a cherub by the name of Lucifer, rebelled and sinned against God (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:11–17). Lucifer wanted to “ascend to heaven” to dethrone God (Isaiah 14:13). He wanted to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” (Isaiah 14:14). This shows us that he was here on earth, because he wanted to ascend above the clouds of the earth to go to heaven. When he sinned, he was thrown back to this earth (Isaiah 14:12). He became Satan, which means enemy or adversary. Lucifer, or Satan, was already here on earth when Adam and Eve were created. We are told that the serpent was already here in order to deceive Eve when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden. The serpent is identified as Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9). Since Satan appeared to the first man and his wife as the deceiver, he must have lived on this earth prior to man as Lucifer—when he was not yet the deceiver—before he tried to “ascend to heaven.”

Actually, before he was sent to earth, Lucifer had been trained in heaven before the very throne of God, and he had angels under his command. We read in Ezekiel 28:14 that he was the anointed cherub who covers. Recall that the cherubs covered the throne of God when God appeared to Moses in the Tabernacle. Also, we read in Ezekiel 28:14 that Lucifer was on the holy mountain of God in heaven (compare Hebrews 12:22). When he sinned by trying to ascend from this earth to heaven to dethrone God, he was cast out of the mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:16). Christ later said that He saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

In the Hebrew, the word translated as “Lucifer” in the Authorized Version and in many other translations, is “helel,” or “heylel,” which means “lightbringer,” “shining one,” “morning star,” or “shining star of the dawn.” The word “Lucifer” is the Latin translation of the Hebrew word “helel,” or “heylel,” conveying exactly the same meaning. It is therefore appropriate to use this word in describing the cherub who later became Satan (“sawtwan” in Hebrew).

Satan, the prince of darkness, is still ruling on this earth. Revelation 2:13 tells us expressly that Satan has a “throne” here on earth. He holds the people of this world captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). He has authority over all the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5–7). He is called the “ruler of this world” in John 14:30. He is even called the “god of this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2.

Angels Became Demons

Lucifer was not the only spirit being who rebelled against God. The angels under his control accompanied him and became known as demons thereafter. A reference to that rebellion is made in Revelation 12:4, stating that one-third of the angels (referred to as “stars”) followed Satan and became demons. This indicates that the other two-thirds of the angels stayed loyal to God.

Another attempt by Satan and his demons to fight against God is described in Revelation 12:7–9. This attempt will take place just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. This event is not the same as the event described in Revelation 12:4, but it shows the pattern. In both cases, Satan and his demons are thrown back to earth.

We read in Jude 6 about angels who did not keep their own domain (the earth), but left their own abode in order to go to heaven to dethrone God. They are now reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, that is, they are angels of darkness. They are still ruling this earth under Satan (compare Ephesians 6:12 where demons are called “the RULERS of the darkness of this age”). They are “chained,” or held captive, by their own spiritual perversion. We read in 2 Peter 2:4 that “…God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell [in Greek, tartarus, describing a condition, rather than a place] and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment.”

Satan and his demons are VERY REAL. They are not just symbols or metaphors of some unidentifiable “force” of evil. Satan tempted Christ. Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world if Christ would only fall down and worship Him. Christ cast out many demons when He was here on earth. At one time, he asked a demon, “What is your name?” The demon answered, “Legion,” because Christ was dealing at that moment with many demons (Luke 8:30). As God’s holy angels have individual names, so do demons.

The Power of Satan and His Demons

We must not underestimate the power and influence of Satan and his demons. The Bible tells us that Satan “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). His biggest deception, no doubt, is to convince unsuspecting man that he does not even exist. He deceives others by pretending that he is an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Many preach as “his ministers,” transforming themselves “into ministers of righteousness” (verse 15). John later said that “many deceivers have gone out into the world” (2 John 7), and he warned us in 1 John 4:1 to “…test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Christ prophesied for the end time that “…false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).

Satan and his demons can show great signs and wonders. It is prophesied that Satan will ultimately give his power to a religious leader who will work “signs… by which he deceived” the people (Revelation 19:20). False religious teachers, inspired by demons, might even be able to accurately foretell the future (Deuteronomy 13:1–4; Acts 16:16–19).

Satan has the power to inspire people to go to war (Job 1:9–15; Revelation 16:13–14; Revelation 20:7–10). He has the power to throw down fire to consume man and beast (In Job 1:16, people felt that God brought this fire, but the context shows that Satan was the power behind it). As the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), he can bring destruction through mighty winds.

Though many people don’t believe in the existence of Satan and demons, they are quick to dabble in the occult, being ignorant of the danger therein. Demons are called “familiar spirits” because they want to familiarize themselves with man (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). Haunted houses, poltergeists, séances, communication with the dead, and contacts with “aliens” are all clearly of demonic origin. Satan and demons are destructive. They love to torment people (Luke 6:18). Once we have made “contact” with demons, we can’t get rid of them anymore, barring a miracle from God (Luke 11:24–26).

There are many Scriptures that prove that Satan or demons can possess animals and people, forcing them to do terrible things (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). Demon-possessed people can be extremely violent (Matthew 8:28) and self-destructive (Mark 5:2–5). They lose all sense of decency (Luke 8:27).

The Bible also shows that demons can possess or influence people to make them spiritually, psychologically, and physically sick. Even Paul was sick because “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me” (2 Corinthians 12:7).  Through the influence of demons, people can be mute, deaf and dumb (Mark 9:17, 25), epileptic (Matthew 17:15–18), and infirm (Luke 13:11, 16). When a demon leaves such a person, it may appear as if the person has been healed from a physical sickness.

Satan and demons have the power to transport a human being from one place to another (Matthew 4:5, 8; Luke 4:5, 9). This explains strange encounters with UFOs, where “abducted” people are sometimes found hundreds of miles away from their residence, without knowing how they got there.

Sorcery, witchcraft, hypnosis, and certain meditation practices are further methods of Satan to overpower the mind of a human being and to make him or her into a helpless victim. Whenever we give ourselves “over” to another influence, we have become victims of the powers of darkness.

Satan and Demons Cannot Materialize Themselves

It appears from Scripture that demons cannot materialize themselves the way that angels can. Demons cannot appear as men. They can, however, create an illusion, or an apparition that might look very real to people. Examples of those illusions would include the appearance of “ghosts,” or of a “lady,” claiming to be “Mother Mary.”

We find the following interesting record in Mark 6:47–50: “Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost [Authorized Version: a spirit], and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’”

The disciples thought they saw a ghost or a spirit, that is, a demon. The Greek word for “ghost” is “phantasma,” which has the meaning of “phantasm” or “apparition.”

In Luke 24:36–42 we find another passage that sheds some light on the inability of demons to materialize themselves. We read: “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, ‘Have you any food here?’ So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.”

Christ manifested Himself to the disciples as a being with flesh and bones. He even ate food in their presence to convince the disciples that it was He, not a spirit or a demon. The Greek word for “spirit” is “pneuma” and can refer to demons (compare Matthew 8:16; 10:1; 12:43, 45; Luke 4:33, 36; 6:18; 7:21, etc.). We understand, of course, that Christ is not a being with flesh and bones. Rather, at His resurrection He received a spiritual body and became a life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44–45, 50). He was able to manifest Himself, however, as a person with flesh and bones. We saw earlier that angels can manifest themselves as human beings as well. Demons cannot. Christ used this opportunity to show His disciples that He was not a spirit or a demon, because demons cannot manifest themselves as human beings with flesh and bones.

We read in Job 4:12–16 about Eliphaz’ encounter with a spirit: “Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, When deep sleep falls on men. Fear came upon me, and trembling, Which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair on my body stood up. It stood still, But I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; then I heard a voice…”

Eliphaz saw some kind of a form before his eyes but he could not discern the appearance of the spirit. This indicates that it was a demon, as the Bible does not show that God’s angels appear to man in such a way. It was something like an apparition—a phantasm. It was what the disciples thought they saw, too, when Jesus was walking on the water.

Another encounter with a demon is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 28. This encounter is discussed in detail on pages 38 and 39 of our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”  To summarize here, King Saul consulted a witch to find out his future. During a séance, the witch “saw” a demon, who pretended to be the dead Samuel. Saul could not see the demon. The demon spoke through the witch to Saul. We note again that the demon did not materialize himself as a being with flesh and bones. Rather, it was an illusion.

We should never participate in any séance or “consult” demons. We should never contact fortune-tellers, sorcerers, witches, New Age “prophets” or “mediums” to “learn about” our future. In many cases, we would be contacting frauds. In other cases, we would be listening to demons communicating to us through their human agents. (For further information on the false idea that we can communicate with “departed loved ones,” and who is, in fact, “communicating” with us, please read pages 37 and 38 of our booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?” We also recommend that you read pages 28, 31–33 of our booklet entitled, “Baptism—a Requirement for Salvation?” for the erroneous concept that just any member of God’s Church can cast out demons, and what “speaking in tongues” may have to do with communicating with demons.)

The good news is that God’s people don’t have to be afraid of Satan and his demons, because the One who is with us is more powerful than the god of this world. If we follow God, the demons will be subject to us (Luke 10:17–20).

However, if one rejects the existence of Satan and his demons, then he is rejecting the clear Word of God—the Bible. In addition, he becomes an easy prey for Satan’s devices, of which God’s true disciples must not be ignorant (2 Corinthians 2:11).

How God’s Angels Fight Demons

Scripture contains several accounts of a spiritual warfare between God’s angels and Satan and his demons. For instance, we read in Daniel 12:1: “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”

Michael will “stand up” at that time—at the time of the Great Tribulation—to literally fight against Satan and his demons, in order to protect God’s people. We read in Revelation 12:7–8 that “war broke out in heaven.” This war follows Satan’s original rebellion, described in verse 4, and the birth of Christ, described in verse 5. The Bible tells us in verse 7 that at the beginning of this new spiritual war, “Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought; but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.” This means that until that time, Satan and his demons could continue to appear before God in heaven.

Reading on in verse 9 of Revelation 12: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Satan’s expulsion from heaven will lead to the Great Tribulation, mentioned by Daniel. Revelation 12:13 states, “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman [that part of God’s Church that is counted worthy to escape the terrible times ahead, compare Luke 21:36 and Revelation 3:10] was given two wings of a great eagle [angelic protection], that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [3 ½ years], from the presence of the serpent.”

Verse 17 shows that not everyone in God’s Church will be protected: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Yes, Satan will continue to try to destroy God’s people until Jesus Christ comes to overpower him. That is why the Bible warns us to be on guard and to wear the armor of God.

The Bible reports additional battles between angels and demons. Daniel 10:12–13, 20–21; 11:1 reveal a mind-boggling and awesome fight in the spirit world. A mighty angel—perhaps Gabriel—who had appeared to Daniel twice before, was sent to the prophet with a message. The angel told Daniel: “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia [a powerful demon ruling over Persia] withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings [demons] of Persia… And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece [another powerful demon ruling over Greece] will come… No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince. Also in the first year of Darius the Mede, I, even I, stood up to confirm and strengthen him.”

There are literal, terrible gigantic battles going on in the spirit world. Demons were ruling at the time of Daniel over Persia, Greece and Media. The demon of Persia fought with the angel of God—most likely Gabriel—for twenty-one days, trying to prevent him from reaching Daniel with his message. The archangel Michael had to help Gabriel by fighting in his stead with the demon of Persia, so that Gabriel could appear to Daniel in a vision. This is one way in which God’s angels serve us—they fight demons who want to destroy us.

The Bible tells us that something similar will happen again in the very last days. Revelation 16:13–14 reads: “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [unclean animals] coming out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], out of the mouth of the beast [the final military leader of a united Holy Roman Empire in Europe], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [the final religious leader of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe]. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Satan will use powerful demons to literally possess the “beast” and the “false prophet,” and to inspire all kings of the earth to fight against the returning Christ and His angelic army.

The archangel Michael once fought with words against Satan, as Jude 9 states: “Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”

This, too, was a service for God’s people by the archangel Michael. According to tradition, Satan was apparently trying to display the body of Moses, so that it could be worshiped. The Bible prohibits such conduct, as only God is to be worshiped.

Why Doesn’t God Intervene?

When reading about angelic warfare with demons, we might ask ourselves the question: “Why does God let these spiritual battles go on?”  Since God is the Almighty, He could most certainly intervene at any time to stop Satan and his demons from trying to fight against God and His angels. Yes, He could have cut short Gabriel’s fight with the demon of Persia but He chose not to. Gabriel had to fight the demon for twenty-one days before he could bring a message to Daniel. A related question might be: “Why doesn’t God simply take away Satan’s power over this earth right now, and immediately establish His Kingdom on earth?”

How God Uses Demons

In order to answer these questions, we need to analyze, in detail, the Biblical information pertaining to the roles of angels and demons as revealed in Scripture. For instance, we have read already in 1 Kings 22 that God discussed with the host of heaven how to overtake king Ahab. Why did God consult His angels? Certainly God does not need to obtain counsel from anyone (compare Isaiah 40:13). As the discussion went on, a “spirit” volunteered to lie to all of Israel’s prophets. Although God wanted to cut short Ahab’s life, it was the spirit’s choice. The Bible makes it very clear that God cannot and does not lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). On the other hand, God does not force others not to lie. The spirit decided that he wanted to become “a lying spirit.” He knew that he needed God’s permission. When he received it, he went and became a lying spirit in the mouths of all the prophets. Since God is in ultimate control, and since the spirit could only act with God’s express permission, it would be correct to say that God “sent” the lying spirit to the prophets. Who or what was this spirit? Was this a demon? Or was this an angel of God who decided at that moment to lie, and therefore, to sin? We will come back to these questions later in this booklet.

In a similar way, God will “send” lying spirits to men in the end time. We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion [or, as the New American Bible says, “a deceiving power”], that they should believe the lie…”

Again, we read that God “sends” a strong delusion or a deceiving power so that people believe lies, just as He did in 1 Kings 22. There are several additional Scriptures showing that God allows deceiving spirit beings to do what they want to do. Nothing happens against God’s Will, and God does not allow anything without a reason.

We read in Isaiah 19:14 that God has mingled “a perverse spirit” in the midst of Egypt. Other translations render this as, “a spirit of confusion (Revised Standard Version),” “a spirit of deceit (Lamsa),” “a spirit of dizziness (New American Bible),” or “a spirit that distorts their judgment (Revised English Bible).”

In Isaiah 37:7, we read God’s words: “Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.” God sent an evil spirit to spread a rumor—a false report.

In Judges 9:23, we are told that “God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech.” The Revised Standard Version translates, “an evil spirit,” and the New Jerusalem Bible says, “a spirit of discord.”

There are also indications that God might have allowed evil spirits, or demons, to participate in the destruction of Egypt at the time of the Exodus. Psalm 78:49 reads, in the Authorized Version, “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.” Lamsa states, “He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by the hand of an evil angel.”

A Demon From God?

You may be familiar with the Biblical account of King Saul’s rejection by God. Notice how this rejection is described in 1 Samuel 16:14–16: “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul’s servants said to him, ‘Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.’” Most translations say, “evil spirit.” So we see that an evil spirit—a demon—from God plagued Saul.  Why did God allow this to happen?

Saul had been disobedient to God, by refusing to carry out God’s commandment. God had decreed that David would replace Saul. The demon “from the LORD” was a necessary link in the chain of events that would bring David to Saul’s court. God allowed the demon to do his bidding, so that God’s plan could be carried out. Since the demon could not do anything contrary to God’s Will, it is correct to say—in the ultimate sense and analysis—that the demon “from God” plagued Saul.

We find an additional account in 1 Samuel 18:10–12: “And it happened on the next day that the distressing [evil] spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied [ notice this!] inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, ‘I will pin David to the wall!’ But David escaped his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.”

The demon again played an important role in God’s plan. Saul deteriorated spiritually more and more, until he finally died in war, and David became the next king.

Satan and Job

A very famous example of Satan’s involvement in God’s plan can be seen in the life of Job. Satan appeared before God, telling Him that he had been “going to and fro on the earth,” and that he had been “walking back and forth on it” (Job 1:7). Recall that God’s angels go to and fro on the earth, to serve and to strengthen God’s people. Satan and his demons walk back and forth on the earth, too, but their goal is to destroy God’s people (compare 1 Peter 5:8).  Still, Satan can only do what God permits him to do. Satan told God that Job served God for ulterior motives. God allowed Satan to take away from Job all of his children and material possessions, but he was not permitted—at first—to “lay a hand on his person” (Job 1:8–12). We see that God set the limits of Satan’s actions. Satan the destroyer went out to destroy everything that Job had. Job’s reaction to this calamity is recorded in Job 1:21: “… The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.” Job attributed his calamity to God, and he was not wrong in doing so, as the next verse tells us, “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22).

Although Satan brought this disaster on Job, he did it with God’s express permission. It was not wrong for Job to say that God was ultimately responsible.

In Job 2:1–7, we are told that Satan obtained permission from God to bring terrible sickness upon Job, but he was not allowed to kill him. Again, we see that Satan must act within the limits given to him by God. Again, we are told that Job accepted this adversity from God, and that he did not sin in saying that it was God who had brought calamity upon Job (Job 2:10).

So then, why did God allow Satan to deal in this way with Job? Why didn’t God intervene and stop Satan? Why does God still allow Satan today to rule this world and continue to try to destroy God’s people?

According to James 5:11, God allowed this calamity to come upon Job for a reason—God wanted to show Job how merciful and compassionate He is. Job needed to see a very serious problem that he had, which, if he did not overcome, would have prevented him from entering the Kingdom of God. This problem was Job’s self-righteousness (compare, Job 32:1–2; 27:6; 40:8). Once God opened Job’s eyes to see himself, he confessed his guilt and repented (Job 42:1–6).

Job had to learn—and he did—that every human being sins (compare Romans 3:10; 1 Kings 8:46; 1 John 1:8–10; Ecclesiastes 7:15–20; 3:17–18). This included Job. In comparison with God, he was nothing, although he might have been “blameless” in comparison with other people. This does not mean that Job never sinned. In fact, pride and self-righteousness are sins.

God allowed Satan to plague Job so that Job could see his own self-righteousness and his pride, so that he could overcome these sins and ultimately enter God’s Kingdom. This shows God’s great mercy and compassion for Job.

We note that God used Satan, and in a sense, “sent” him to Job in order to accomplish an important role in God’s plan. However, Satan himself did not realize the role he was playing.

Satan and David

We already read about David’s sin when he numbered his army. In 2 Samuel 24:1 we note that God’s anger was aroused against Israel, and “He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’” When we read the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21:1, we are told that, “Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” Plainly, it was Satan who directly influenced David, but God allowed it because it was part of God’s plan to test David and to punish Israel.

Demons Are Limited in What They Can Do

Satan and his demons know that they can only do what God and Christ allow them to do. James 2:19 tells us that demons believe in God “and tremble.” They believe that God exists and they know that He created them; moreover, they can still see Him. They tremble because they know that God has authority over them. They don’t want to be obedient to God, but they know that they can’t go against God’s Will. They are very aware of the sins they commit, and they don’t want to repent of them. They tremble, though, because they know judgment and condemnation are waiting for them.

One example showing the limitations of demons is when the demons had to ask Christ for permission to possess a herd of swine. Christ told them, “Go” (Matthew 8:32). It was stated as a command, but it was, in fact, Christ’s permission for the demons to do what they wanted to do (compare Mark 5:12–13; Luke 8:30–32).

When God permits demons to do what they want, it does not mean that what the demons want is good or right. Demons are free moral agents. God forces no one to sin or not to sin. He has told both angels and man what sin is, but it is up to them to decide whether or not to sin.

Since God permits demons to do certain things, the Bible sometimes says that God “sends” demons. It might even be worded in such a way that a demon “from God” appeared, or that God commanded the demon to do something. If the action is against God’s Law, however, those statements must be understood exclusively in the way that God permits demons to do what they want to do.  Even then, God allows such demonic activities for a reason.

The Fate of Satan and His Demons

We have already discussed the fact that a full one-third of God’s angels sinned in times past, thus becoming demons. God did not prevent them from sinning. He created them as free moral agents and He knew that they could sin. The angels who sinned are presently in chains of darkness, to be reserved for future judgment (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). They are living today in a state of darkness. They are spiritually imprisoned by their own perversions. Sin has enslaved them. Before God frees us from sin, we, too, are slaves of sin. The same is true for Satan and his demons. They are not literally imprisoned and jailed at a certain place. Rather, they are roaming to and fro on this earth. Satan is compared to a roaring lion, walking about, to see whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Demons are waiting for their judgment. Demons asked Christ whether He had come to “torment” them “before the time” (Matthew 8:29). Luke 8:31 adds that they begged Christ not to command them “to go out into the abyss.” At this point in time, they are not yet in that “abyss.” Satan is not in it either; rather, he will be placed in it at the beginning of the Millennium (Revelation 20:1–3, 7—the word “abyss” is translated there as “bottomless pit”).

What is the “abyss?” The word is used in Romans 10:7, where we read, “Who will descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

In Romans 10, the “abyss” is used as an analogy in association with the dead who are buried. It is also used as an analogy in Luke 8 and in Revelation 20. When Satan and his demons will be placed in the “abyss” at the beginning of the Millennium, they will be as good as dead—unable to influence and deceive the nations any longer during that time period (compare Revelation 20:3). The fact that they won’t be able to destroy others will give them spiritual torment—that is why they asked Christ whether He had come to torment them before “the time.”

Satan’s spiritual torment, and that of his angels, will continue. After a time period called the Great White Throne Judgment, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41). Their torment will be spiritual, as they will see all of their evil works destroyed by fire (compare 2 Peter 3:10–13), and their influence on others will be gone forever. Their final fate might be revealed in Jude 13, referring to “wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Compare, too, 2 Peter 2:17.

God knows what is in store for them, and so do they.

God Is Testing the Spirits

This brings us back to the question asked earlier as to why God does not intervene when angels fight with demons. Why does He not intervene right now and set up the Kingdom of God on earth and dethrone Satan?

God has set aside a time period of about 6,000 years during which He calls certain people to be trained to become kings and priests and to rule in the world to come. During this time of training, Satan must stay on his throne. In fact, our testing today involves our will and determination to resist Satan and to submit to God.

Also, God is the Creator of the spirit world. Angels were created as free moral agents. God wants them to make a final decision as to whether to sin or to live in righteousness. We know that the angels sinned when they followed Satan. What we don’t know is whether all of them committed the unpardonable sin; in other words, whether or not some of them can still repent. We also don’t know whether all of the angels who did not follow Satan thereby made the irrevocable decision to always stay loyal to God. As we will see, this may be the reason why God does not intervene when angels fight with demons.

Could Demons Still Repent?

We are told in 1 Peter 3:19–20: “… by which [the Spirit] also he [Christ] went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (Authorized Version).

The correct understanding of this passage is that Jesus Christ preached to the spirits in prison—the demons—at the time of Noah, when God was about to protect Noah from destruction. Christ used this example to show that the demons who had sinned “sometime”—before the creation of man—were still awaiting their judgment.

Why did Christ preach to the demons? Was the only purpose to announce to them what they already knew, that they would be punished in the future? Or, was it done in order to bring some of them to repentance so that they could be spared from punishment?

Proverbs 16:2 tells us that “the LORD weighs the spirits.” If the fate of all spirit beings—good and bad—is sealed, why would God still weigh the spirits?

We are also told, in 1 Corinthians 6:3, that we will judge angels. This judgment might include demons who are called “angels” in Revelation 12:7. “Judgment” can mean “condemnation.” “Judgment” can also refer to a process of judging, leading, guiding and directing, which requires time, until at the end of the process, the verdict is pronounced. Is the Bible telling us that we are to judge demons, not only in the sense of condemning them for what they did, but also for the purpose of trying to lead some of them to repentance?

What does the Bible tell us about those angels who did not follow Satan? We are to judge them, but how? Did all the angels who refused to follow Satan at the time of his rebellion thereby make the irrevocable decision never to sin? Is it still possible for some of them to sin?

The Bible sometimes refers to the angels who followed God as being “holy.” This does not necessarily mean that they cannot sin. We who are called by God today are considered “holy” (1 Peter 2:9). Still, we do sin from time to time. ONLY God CANNOT sin. The Bible does not say that the angels who did not follow Satan, could not sin anymore. Since God cannot sin, we have to become God, higher than the angels, to guarantee that we, too, will not sin anymore as born-again members of the God Family. This is why God is in the process of reproducing Himself, through man, not through angels. (For more information, please read our free booklet, “God is a Family.”)

Could Angels Still Sin and Become Demons?

Paul makes this alarming comment in Galatians 1:8: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Apparently, Paul felt it might be possible that an “angel from heaven” could sin, by preaching a wrong gospel message.

We also read that “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know” (Genesis 18:20–21).

It appears that God was told by some of His angels how sinful the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were, and that God wanted to see for Himself whether these reports were totally accurate. This would be one way God tests the spirits—to check out the accuracy of their reports.

In reference to the spirit being in 1 Kings 22 who wanted to become a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets so that king Ahab would fall in battle, was this spirit being a demon? It is very possible. We know that Satan has been appearing before God to accuse God’s people day and night (Revelation 12:10). Satan appeared before God twice to accuse Job, as recorded in the book of Job. Also, it appears from Zechariah 3:1–2 that Satan stood before God to accuse the high priest, Joshua.

On the other hand, the spirit being in 1 Kings 22 who is not described as an evil spirit or a demon, could very well have been an angel of God—part of the hosts of heaven—who decided at that moment to become a lying spirit. This would be an example of an angel who had not sinned before, but who decided at that time to sin because of pride about his own intelligence, as no one else came up with a solution as to how to defeat Ahab.

God might have conducted His council with His angels for the very reason to see what the angels would suggest to do in that particular situation—would they stay loyal to God’s Way of Life, even in times of difficulties, or would they be willing to deviate from it for the sake of “easy” solutions?

Does God allow spiritual battles between angels and demons to go on in order to allow character-building, either good or bad? Actions prove where one’s heart is. An angel who consistently and tenaciously fights for God, and against demons, will not be easily persuaded to deny God and to sin, while a demon who consistently and tenaciously fights against God will not easily repent and accept God and His way of life.

God is concerned for all of His created beings, including His angels, both those who stayed loyal to Him and those who fell away from Him. Maybe God lets them continue to do what they want to do—be it good or bad—so that their final judgment will be manifestly righteous without any shadow of doubt. Perhaps God is still testing His angels and the demons to see which of the angels might not yet have made a final commitment never to sin, and which of the demons might not yet have made a final commitment to never repent. God might want us to participate in that process in the future, when we will be called upon to “judge angels.”

Why God Does Not Intervene Right Now

Why does God not replace Satan and his demons right now? After all, God has already decreed that Christ WILL replace Satan’s rule (John 12:31; 16:11) at the time of His return (Revelation 11:15).

The answer is, God wants us to build holy, righteous, godly character. We must develop the will to never sin, as well as the ability to carry out that will to never sin. We are to prove to God that we mean business. That requires time, and it requires the help of God’s Holy Spirit in us. We have to learn to resist the downward pull of Satan and his demons. We must overcome temptations to sin, even in the face of satanic persecution. God wants to see that we will not give in to the “dark side.”

Further, God may not be done yet in determining the ultimate fate of all of His created spirit beings. As free moral agents, they too need to come to the point where their character has been formed and will not change. This has undoubtedly already occurred in many cases, but there might be other cases where God is still testing the spirits to see exactly where they stand.

Introduction

God is Spirit. He has always existed. God created a spirit world after, perhaps, millions or billions of years, as man would count it. (Understand, though, that time is only a measurement for man’s benefit, and that to God, time is irrelevant. The Bible doesn’t reveal God’s timetable for creating non-physical things.) God eventually created a physical world—our physical universe with all of its galaxies, suns and planets, including our galaxy and our sun, the earth and all the planets in our solar system. God’s creation of the physical universe—of physical matter—is described in Genesis 1:1. It is also alluded to in Hebrews 11:3, where the New American Bible states: “By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, so that what is visible came into being through the invisible.” In Job 26:13, we are told that God, through His Spirit, adorned the heavens. We know that God the Father gave the command, and that the Word—Jesus Christ—spoke, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the universe and the earth came into existence.

It is interesting how the German Luther Bible translates Hebrews 11:3: “Through faith we understand that the world has been created by the Word of God, so that everything which one can see came into being out of nothing.”  What is meant here is that what is visible—what human eyes can see—came into being out of nothing visible, that is, out of nothing that the human eyes can see. In other words, it came into being out of Spirit.

In due time, a catastrophe destroyed the surface of our earth. Approximately 6,000 years ago, God renewed the face of this earth. At that time, He created something else, which was physical—modern man. The ultimate purpose of the creation of physical man was not for man to always remain a physical being, but rather, if man would qualify and meet the conditions given to him by His Creator, he was to become a Spirit being, the same as God is a Spirit being. John 4:23–24 tells us that God the Father is a Spirit being. 2 Corinthians 3:17 reveals to us that Jesus Christ is a Spirit being. 1 Corinthians 15:42–44 explains that it is the potential of man to become a Spirit being.

We also know that angels are spirit beings. They were created before anything physical was created. In that sense, God is even called “the Father of spirits” in Hebrews 12:9.

Physical World Patterned After Spirit World

A careful analysis of the Scriptures shows that the created physical world, which we see, has been patterned after the Spirit world, which we can’t see.

We read, for example, in Genesis 1:26 that God created man in the image of God, according to the likeness of God. This is to be understood quite literally. Although man is physical, he nevertheless looks like God, except that God is composed of Spirit. We can understand this from the viewpoint of Genesis 5:3, which tells us that Adam brought forth a son, “in his own likeness, after his image.” As Adam’s son looked like Adam, God’s son and daughter, Adam and Eve, looked like God. We also saw from Scripture that Christ, although a Spirit being, looks like a man. Better put, man looks like God and Christ, since God and Christ existed before the creation of man.

We discussed the appearance of angelic beings. We saw that they sometimes look like men, sometimes look like animals, and sometimes may appear as having combined features of animals and men. So we see again, that both men AND animals were apparently created after the pattern of the Spirit world, that is, God and angels.

Spiritual Objects

The Spirit world is not limited to God and His angels. Revelation 3:5 speaks of a “Book of Life.” Revelation 4:2 mentions a “throne set in heaven.” Revelation 4:4 describes several thrones in heaven. Revelation 4:6 speaks of a “sea of glass” before the throne in heaven.

In addition, Revelation 5:1 mentions a spiritual scroll, sealed with seven spiritual seals. Revelation 5:8 talks about a spiritual harp and golden bowls. Revelation 8:2–5 reveals the existence of a spiritual golden censer, a spiritual golden altar, and even spiritual fire.

We are informed in the book of Hebrews that all of these spiritual objects were used as a pattern for the creation of physical objects at the time of Moses.

We read in Hebrews 9:23–24, in the Living Bible: “That is why the sacred tent down here on earth, and everything in it—all copied from things in heaven—all had to be made pure by Moses in this way…But the REAL things in heaven, of which these down here are copies, were made pure with far more precious offerings… It was not in the earthly place of worship that He did this, for that was merely a copy of the REAL TEMPLE IN HEAVEN.”

So, there is a spiritual temple in heaven (Revelation 11:19; 15:5–6, 8). Further, we read about the temple of the tabernacle. God showed Moses exactly on the mountain how to build the earthly tabernacle. Time and again we read (Exodus 25:9; 25:40; 26:30; and 27:8) that God showed Moses a pattern as to how to build the tabernacle, the altar, the golden lamp stand and the sanctuary. God showed Moses what the real spiritual heavenly things look like. Moses was also instructed to form two cherubim, which were to cover the mercy seat. Again, God showed Moses, if he did not already know, what cherubim look like.

The Bible even tells us that there is a spiritual mountain in heaven. Isaiah 14:13 reports that Satan, formerly Lucifer, said: “I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation.” Ezekiel 28:14 adds what God said about Lucifer: “You were the anointed cherub who covers…You were on the holy mountain of God.” This spiritual mountain of God in heaven is also described in Hebrews 12:18–24.

We read about a city in heaven, the spiritual or heavenly Jerusalem (compare Hebrews 11:9–10; Revelation 3:12). It will come down to this earth in the future (Revelation 21:2–3, 10–21; 22:1–2).

Revelation 2:7 says that the tree of life is in the Paradise of God. Ezekiel 28:13–16 adds that Lucifer, who became Satan, was in the garden of God at the time of his creation, long before there ever was a physical world. So we see that there is a spiritual garden of God, a Paradise, in heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 mentions that “Paradise,” the spiritual garden, is in the third heaven where God dwells [The first two heavens—the physical heavens—can be divided into the earth’s atmosphere and the space beyond our atmosphere—commonly called the universe. In addition, the Bible speaks about another heaven, a heaven composed of spirit—the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2), where God lives (Psalm 11:4; Hebrews 9:24)]. The physical garden of Eden, which God later created for Adam and Eve, was patterned after the spiritual garden that exists in heaven, and in which is a spiritual tree of life. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, the heavenly garden, with the tree of life in it, will come down to this earth as well.

Revelation 21:1 tells us that the heavenly Jerusalem will come down from heaven to this earth, AFTER God has created a new heaven and a new earth. This will take place after all human beings have been changed into immortality, or have been burned up and destroyed in the lake of fire. By that time, as we read in Revelation 20:14, death will no longer exist. We are told that death will have been cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:4–5 confirms that there will be NO MORE DEATH from that time on.

It is true that during the Millennium, certain of the things mentioned in Revelation 21 and 22 will be found on this earth as physical forerunners (Ezekiel 47:1, 7–8, 12). There are differences, however. Ezekiel 47 talks about the existence of a physical temple. When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, after the Millennium, there will be no temple in it, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21:22).

New Heavens and a New Earth

The heavenly Jerusalem will come down from heaven, after the physical earth and the physical heavens are burned up, and after God creates new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:7, 10–13). Isaiah 51:6 adds that “the heavens will vanish away like smoke.” Isaiah 34:4 tells us that “All the host of heaven shall be DISSOLVED,” and that “…the heavens shall be ROLLED UP like a scroll.” God will create new heavens and a new earth, which will remain (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22).

So, just what remains or endures? Does matter last forever? Will our new solar system, if we can call it that, even have a sun and a moon? Apparently not, as we read in passages such as Isaiah 60:19–20 and Revelation 21:23.

We find a description of God’s new creation in Psalm 102:25–26: “Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.”

In what way will God change them? 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us: “…For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Note also in Hebrews 12:25–29: “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

Lamsa renders verse 27 in this way: “And these words, once more, signify the CHANGE of things which may be shaken, because they are made in order that things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

Change into Spirit

Romans 8:18–23 tells us very clearly what those invisible things will be: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption INTO the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [sonship], the redemption of our body.”

We saw in verse 21 that the creation will be delivered from corruption “into” (“eis” in Greek) the glorious liberty of the children of God. Moffat renders verse 21 in this way: “The hope being that creation as well as man would one day be freed from its thralldom [bondage] to decay and gain the glorious freedom of God’s children.”  The Revised Standard Version writes: “…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and OBTAIN the glorious liberty of the children of God.” The Luther Bible states, “The creation, too, will be freed from bondage of temporary existence INTO the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

The Greek word for corruption or decay that is used in verse 21 is “phthora.” It is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 15:42, where we read: “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.” It is also used in Galatians 6:8: “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.”

This physical creation, patterned after God’s spiritual creation, waits to be delivered from corruption to obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. The glorious freedom, which the universe will receive, includes freedom from death. In that new universe, DEATH will be unknown, and so will decay and corruption.

We will be changed into Spirit. Spirit endures. Spirit cannot die or decay. Spirit remains. Spirit is INCORRUPTIBLE. The universe will obtain that same freedom from decay, corruption and death. In order to obtain such freedom from death and corruption, this universe will have to be changed into SPIRIT, as we also will be changed into Spirit beings. In this way, the new heavens and the new earth will remain, for only the things that the human eye cannot see will remain.

When the heavenly Jerusalem comes down to this earth, as a spiritual city, after God has created new heavens and a new earth, it will remain as a spiritual city. It will not be changed into matter, into something physical. Why should it become physical? By that time, all of mankind who have chosen to live God’s way of life will have become Spirit beings. Physical human beings will no longer exist. God will not become a physical being. Angels will not become physical beings. Every physical thing will have been destroyed in the all-encompassing fire that burns up the earth and dissolves the physical universe, as we read in 2 Peter 3:11. This will include those humans who have willfully refused to live God’s way of life. (For further proof for that aspect of God’s Master Plan, request our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”)

It is true that Ecclesiastes 1:4 says that the earth will remain forever. However, this does not necessarily mean that this earth will remain forever in a physical state. We know that ultimately, everything physical will decay and cease to exist. After all, we will remain forever, but we will not remain in this physical body. Rather, we will be changed into Spirit beings.

God will restore a condition that existed at the beginning of His creation when He first created spirit beings and spiritual things. Ultimately, all physical things, which have been patterned after things in the Spirit world, will be changed into spiritual things.

What an awesome potential man has! We, as insignificant, tiny, mortal, physical, temporary human beings, have the potential to become immortal members of God’s Family, actually God beings, sharing in His spiritual world. We need to free ourselves from the bondage of temporary shortcomings and sufferings, step out of the restraint of physical limitations, and climb up, as it were, in our minds, to the real spiritual existence of God’s world, which we can already visualize with our spiritual eyes. Let us keep our focus on those things, which are above, knowing that God will share them with us very soon.