Sabbath, Commandments, and Worship in Heaven

The Sabbath is a holy institution that originated in Eden and will continue to be celebrated by the redeemed in heaven and the new earth for all eternityGOSC 173.2+1.

The Sabbath as a Fragment of Paradise

The Sabbath was instituted by God at the close of the creation week, when He rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it Genesis 2:1-323LtMs, Ms 103, 1908, par. 28. It serves as a perpetual memorial of His creative power, intended to keep the knowledge of the true God alive in the hearts of all created intelligences8LtMs, Ms 67, 1893, par. 10+1. Because it was given in Eden before the fall, it is considered a piece of Paradise that has survived the curse of sin to bridge the gap between Eden lost and Eden restoredGOSC 173.2+1.

Evidence of Sabbath Keeping in the New Earth

The Scriptures provide definitive proof that the seventh-day Sabbath will be observed in the future kingdom:

• The Prophet's Testimony: The word of God explicitly declares that in the new heavens and the new earth, "from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me" Isaiah 66:23ChSa 77.1.

• A Continuous Celebration: This worship is not described as a single, indefinite period of rest, but as a recurring gathering that happens "from one Sabbath to another," mirroring the weekly cycle established at creationDSQ69 111.2+1.

• Unity in Worship: All of the redeemed host, along with every creature in heaven and on earth, will unite in perfection to praise the Lamb and Him who sits upon the throne Revelation 5:12-13GOSC 173.2.

The Character of Heavenly Rest

Resting on the Sabbath is far from a listless or idle activityCCh 267.3. Even now, all of heaven keeps the Sabbath in a way that is vibrant and full of energy4MR 104.3+1.

• Spiritual Energy: On the holy Sabbath, every energy of the soul should be awake to meet with God and ChristCCh 267.3+1.

• Eternal Delight: The Sabbath is identical to the rest that the saints will enjoy throughout eternity; it is a day of gladness and rapture at the feet of the CreatorGOSC 173.2+1.

• The Pledge of Restoration: Keeping the Sabbath in spirit today is a pledge of the second Eden and a sign that those who honor it are destined for a place in ParadiseGOSC 173.2+1.

By hallowing the seventh day here on earth, believers are participating in an atmosphere of heaven and ripening for the eternal Sabbath in the kingdom of GodARSH May 1, 1856, page 21.17+1.

Heavenly rest is a state of spiritual activity, joy, and constant worship that begins in the heart today and reaches its full fruition in the new earth. 🌿

The Bible provides beautiful evidence that the rest God offers—both now and in eternity—is not a state of idle listlessness, but a vibrant connection with the Creator. Let us explore these truths through a Bible study format.

🌟 Sabbath Rest is a Spiritual Experience

The Sabbath is much more than a cessation of physical labor; it is a spiritual rest found through faith in Jesus Christ. This rest is a prerequisite for the peace we will experience in heaven.

• Rest in Christ: Jesus invites us to find true rest by coming to Him, especially when we are weary and heavy laden Matthew 11:28.

• The Power of the Word: God’s rest is connected to His Word. When He finished His work, He rested on the seventh day Genesis 2:2. Today, we enter that same rest by believing and trusting in His creative power Hebrews 4:3.

• Quietness and Confidence: True spiritual energy comes from a quiet trust in God's strength. As it is written, "In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" Isaiah 30:15.

🕊️ The Vibrant Activity of Heaven

Heavenly rest is characterized by an outpouring of praise and the active use of all our faculties to glorify God. It is a state of being "awake" to the presence of the Almighty.

• Continuous Worship: In the visions of the future state, there is no "night" or period of darkness to interrupt the joy; instead, the redeemed reign and serve in the light of the Lord God Revelation 22:5.

• Universal Harmony: Every creature in heaven and on earth will participate in a loud, vibrant anthem of praise, saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be to him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever" Revelation 5:13.

• Healing and Strength: Those who wait upon the Lord and enter His rest find their strength renewed. They "shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" Isaiah 40:31.

🌈 The Pledge of the New Earth

Keeping the Sabbath is a "sign" or a pledge. It points back to a perfect creation and forward to the restoration of all things in the new Eden.

• A Sign of Sanctification: God gave the Sabbath to be a sign between Him and His people, that they might know He is the Lord who sanctifies them Ezekiel 20:12. This sanctification is the process of being "ripened" for heaven.

• The Everlasting Sign: The Sabbath is a "perpetual covenant" and a sign "for ever" Exodus 31:16-17. Since it is an eternal sign, it naturally continues into the new creation.

• Worship in the New Earth: The most direct evidence of future Sabbath-keeping is found in the promise that "from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the LORD" in the new heavens and new earth Isaiah 66:22-23.

💎 Delight in the Lord

Heavenly rest is a "delight," a time of high honor and joy at the feet of our Creator.

• Finding Delight: If we turn from our own ways and call the Sabbath a "delight" and "honorable," God promises we will "delight [ourselves] in the LORD" and ride upon the high places of the earth Isaiah 58:13-14.

• Fullness of Joy: In God's presence, there is "fullness of joy" and "pleasures for evermore" Psalm 16:11. The Sabbath is the weekly appointment that trains our hearts for this eternal joy.

• Seeing His Face: The ultimate experience of heavenly rest is the promise that His servants "shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads" Revelation 22:4.

By hallowing the Sabbath today, we are simply practicing for the atmosphere of heaven, where the knowledge of God's love and power fills every heart with eternal energy and peace. ✨

It is a solemn truth that while we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ, persistent and willful disobedience to the Ten Commandments will exclude a person from the kingdom of heaven. 🕊️

Being "saved by Jesus" is not a license to continue in sin, which the Bible defines as the transgression of the law 1 John 3:4. The sacrifice of Christ was not intended to abolish the law, but to redeem us from the penalty of its violation and to restore us to a life of holy obedience.

📜 The Standard of the Judgment

The Bible is clear that the Ten Commandments remain the standard by which every soul will be judged.

• The Law of Liberty: We are instructed to speak and act as those who will be judged by the "law of liberty," which is the Ten Commandments James 2:10-12.

• A Perfect Chain: To "miss" one point of the law is to be guilty of all, because the law is a reflection of God’s character. If we willfully break even the "least" of these commandments and teach others to do so, we are called the least in the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:19+1.

• The Destination of the Obedient: The final book of the Bible gives a specific promise about who enters the city: "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" Revelation 22:14.

✝️ What was "Nailed to the Cross"?

There is often a misunderstanding about what Christ ended at the cross. It is vital to distinguish between the moral law (Ten Commandments) and the ceremonial law (ordinances).

• The Ceremonial Law: The "handwriting of ordinances" that was contrary to us—the system of sacrifices and feast days that pointed forward to Christ—was indeed blotted out and nailed to the cross Colossians 2:14-17. These were "shadows" that met their reality in Jesus Hebrews 10:1.

• The Moral Law is Immutable: Jesus explicitly warned, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law... I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill" Matthew 5:17. He lived a life of perfect obedience to show that through His strength, we can do the same John 15:10+1.

• Establishing the Law: Faith does not make the law void; on the contrary, true faith "establishes" the law in the heart of the believer Romans 3:31.

⚠️ The Danger of "Believe Only"

A faith that does not result in obedience is described in Scripture as "dead."

• Not Everyone Entering: Jesus warned that not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" will enter heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father Matthew 7:21.

• The Testimony of Works: While works cannot save us, they are the evidence of a living faith. If we claim to know Him but do not keep His commandments, the Scripture says we are not speaking the truth 1 John 2:4+1.

• Willful Sin: If we sin "willfully" after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment Hebrews 10:26-27.

💖 The Purpose of Redemption

Christ died to bring us back to our allegiance to God's government.

• Power to Overcome: Jesus took human nature to provide us with "moral power" so that the "righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us" as we walk after the Spirit Romans 8:3-4.

• The New Covenant: The promise of the New Covenant is not the removal of the law, but that God will put His laws into our minds and write them upon our hearts Hebrews 8:10.

• True Love: Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" John 14:15. Keeping the commandments is the very definition of the love of God 1 John 5:3.

In conclusion, the remnant people who are ready for Christ's return are specifically identified by two characteristics: they "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" Revelation 14:12. We cannot separate the Savior from His law; to reject the law is to reject the authority of the Lawgiver. ✨

Worship through music is a sacred act of devotion, intended to be as solemn and holy as prayer itself. 🎶 The Bible provides clear evidence that music should be conducted with order, reverence, and a focus on God’s glory rather than human display.

🕊️ The Nature of Sacred Music

Music is a precious gift from God designed to uplift the thoughts to high and noble themes. It is as much a part of religious service as prayer, and the heart must feel the spirit of the song to give it right expression.

• Harmony and Order: God is not pleased with jargon or discord. We are encouraged to approach the harmony of the heavenly choirs as nearly as possible. "The singers... were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; and... with psalteries on Alamoth; and... with harps on the Sheminith to excel" (** 1 Chronicles 15:19-21**).

• Melody in the Heart: The most important "instrument" is a heart made humble. True worship involves "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (** Ephesians 5:19**).

• Reverence vs. Noise: There is a distinction between sacred melody and a "bedlam of noise." While the Bible speaks of joyous praise, it also warns against "the noise of your songs" when the heart is not right with God (** Amos 5:23**).

🎻 Musical Instruments in the Bible

The use of musical instruments in worship is supported by extensive biblical history. They are to be "skillfully handled" to add interest and power to the service.

• Instruments of the Sanctuary: In ancient times, the worshipers used a variety of instruments to praise God. "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs" (** Psalm 150:3-4**).

• Accompaniment to Praise: David, the "sweet psalmist of Israel," composed many songs intended for instrumental accompaniment to free the mind from earthly cares and direct it toward God (** 1 Chronicles 25:3**).

• Solemn Assemblies: At the dedication of the temple, "the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord... and the priests sounded trumpets before them" (** 2 Chronicles 7:6**).

⚠️ Warning Against Worldly Display

While music is a blessing, it can be perverted. When music is used for theatrical display, to exalt self, or to create a "carnival" atmosphere, it loses its sacred character.

• Not for Entertainment: Worship should never have a "theatrical nature." When Nebuchadnezzar used "all kinds of music" to dazzle the senses and compel worship of his image, it was a perversion of the gift of music (** Daniel 3:5-7**).

• Avoiding Confusion: God is not the author of confusion. A "bedlam of noise" that shocks the senses does not represent the working of the Holy Spirit. We are told to "let all things be done decently and in order" (** 1 Corinthians 14:40**).

• Singing with Understanding: Singing should be done "with the spirit, and... with the understanding also" (** 1 Corinthians 14:15**). If singing is merely a physical exercise or a display of vocal power, it fails to reach the ear of God.

🌈 Worship in the New Earth

The style of worship we cultivate now is a preparation for the eternal songs of the redeemed.

• The Harps of God: The overcomers will one day "stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God," singing the song of Moses and the Lamb (** Revelation 15:2-3**).

• Universal Praise: All heaven will eventually be filled with rich music as every creature joins in saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be to him that sits on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever" (** Revelation 5:13**).

In our churches today, the singing should not be done by a few only; all present should be encouraged to join in the song service (** Psalm 142:7**). When the heart is cleansed and sanctified, the music we produce—whether vocal or instrumental—will be a sweet oblation to God. ✨