Having grown up in evangelicalism, I once staunchly defended the Sunday position, but through studying Hebrew, diligently searching the Scriptures, and uncovering historical truths, I have come to a profound realization—one that compels me to proclaim the seventh-day Sabbath as one of the most consistent and foundational truths in Scripture.
I find it so unfortunate that all my life I knew it was established at creation, upheld by Israel (Yahweh’s covenant people), and defended by the Messiah… but what I didn’t know was that it was maintained by His apostles in the New Testament (thanks, translators!) and that Sunday observance wasn’t mainstream until centuries after their deaths.
Where I was once consumed by anger—at the deception, the lies, the cover-ups, and the ignorance—I am now filled with a renewed determination to illuminate the Truth. And, rather than dwelling on frustration, my focus after nearly four years is to help all who claim to worship the Creator understand what He truly desires, so they may honor Him in both spirit and practice.
Did you know that the change to Yahweh’s instructions about His set apart day was prophesied, later fulfilled, and ultimately established through church tradition? When I first began questioning the truth about the Sabbath, I was told that Sunday observance was now acceptable because of the resurrection. But it didn’t take long for Yahweh to reveal to me the flaw in this reasoning. Why? Because I have found that when we earnestly seek His truth, He is always faithful to reveal it. And that He did! So if you find yourself on a similar or same journey, I pray this article brings you clarity and encouragement as we explore:
- Sabbath’s origin
- Israel’s failure to keep it
- Messiah’s defense of it
- The apostles’ observance
- Mistranslations of key texts
- Constantine’s role, and
- How modern Christianity neglects the 4th commandment
The Sabbath Originated With Creation
Not Israel.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made.” (Genesis 2:1-3)
This portion in the very beginning of the Torah establishes the seventh day as unique by stating that Yahweh finished (וַיְכַל – vayekhal) His work, rested (וַיִּשְׁבֹּת – vayishbot), blessed (וַיְבָרֶךְ – vayevarekh), and sanctified (וַיְקַדֵּשׁ – vayekadesh) it. The verb shavat does not imply rest from exhaustion but rather a cessation of creative work, forming the foundation for the Sabbath (שַׁבָּת). Notably, this day was blessed and made holy, distinguishing it from the other six days of creation. This is also the first occurrence of “holiness” in the Torah, emphasizing that the Sabbath was part of Yahweh’s design from the beginning, not a mere later commandment for Israel. The phrase כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת (ki vo shavat, “for in it He rested”) connects the blessing and sanctification directly to Yahweh’s act of ceasing from creation.
The passage also concludes with לַעֲשׂוֹת (la’asot, “to make”), suggesting that Yahweh’s creation was not static but an ongoing pattern for humanity to follow. Jewish commentators view this as an indication that work and rest are divinely designed rhythms of life. Unlike the other days, the seventh day does not end with “evening and morning,” implying that Yahweh’s Sabbath rest remains open-ended. The universal nature of this blessing—established before Abraham, Moses, or Israel—suggests that the Sabbath was meant for all of humanity, not just the Hebrew people. This reinforces the idea that the Sabbath is woven into the very fabric of creation itself, rather than being a later institution.
What Happened With Israel?
The Fourth Commandment, given at Sinai, is explicit:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of Yahweh thy Elohim: in it thou shalt not do any work…” (Exodus 20:8-10)
However despite Yahweh’s clear commandments, Israel repeatedly broke the Sabbath, often disregarding its holiness and the divine provision associated with it. One of the earliest recorded violations occurs in Exodus 16:22-30, when some Israelites attempted to gather manna on the Sabbath, despite Yahweh’s explicit instruction to collect a double portion on the sixth day. This act of disobedience demonstrated a lack of trust in Yahweh’s provision and a failure to recognize the sanctity of the Sabbath. Yahweh responded by rebuking them, saying, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?” (verse 28), reinforcing that the Sabbath was not merely a suggestion but an essential part of Israel’s covenant with Him.
Later in their history, Sabbath-breaking continued, often in more severe ways. In Numbers 15:32-36, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath, and Yahweh commanded that he be put to death. While this may seem extreme, it underscores the gravity of violating a command that was foundational to Israel’s relationship with Yahweh. The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant (Exodus 31:13-17), and breaking it was seen as outright rebellion. The prophets frequently condemned Israel for profaning the Sabbath, linking it to national disobedience and impending judgment. Jeremiah 17:21-27 warns the people that if they continue carrying burdens and doing work on the Sabbath, Jerusalem would be destroyed by fire. This warning highlights how Sabbath-breaking was not just an individual sin but a national transgression with severe consequences.
One of the most devastating results of Israel’s Sabbath violations was their failure to observe the land Sabbaths, leading to their exile. According to Leviticus 26:33-35, if Israel did not allow the land to rest every seven years as commanded in Leviticus 25:1-7, they would be removed from the land so it could enjoy its missed Sabbaths. This prophecy was fulfilled in the Babylonian exile, as stated here-
“The land enjoyed its Sabbaths; all the days of its desolation it rested, until seventy years were completed.” 2 Chronicles 36:21
Israel’s repeated disobedience to Sabbath laws ultimately led to their removal from the land, showing that breaking the Sabbath—whether weekly or for the land—was not just a minor infraction but a direct rejection of Yahweh’s order and provision.
And although Israel broke the Sabbath for multiple reasons, at its very core was a much deeper spiritual issue: idolatry and a lack of trust in Yahweh. Many times, their failure to keep the Sabbath was a result of their pursuit of other mighty ones and their desire to conform to the surrounding nations. Worshiping false elohim often included practices that conflicted with Sabbath observance, such as engaging in commerce, working the land without rest, and participating in pagan rituals.
Going deeper, Israel’s rejection of the Sabbath sadly reflected their lack of faith in Yahweh’s care—they feared scarcity and believed that constant labor, rather than divine blessing, would sustain them. This mindset is evident in passages like Nehemiah 13:15-18, where Israelites engaged in trade on the Sabbath despite Yahweh’s commands. The prophets frequently rebuked Israel for both idolatry and Sabbath-breaking, showing that these sins were deeply interconnected. By abandoning the Sabbath, Israel was not just disregarding a law but rejecting Yahweh’s rule, choosing instead to follow their own ways and the influences of the nations around them.
Now here’s the important part: just as ancient Israel broke the Sabbath due to idolatry, a desire to conform to surrounding nations, and a lack of trust in Yahweh’s provision, modern Christianity has similarly neglected the Sabbath due to cultural pressures and a focus on work and consumerism. In the early centuries, the shift from the biblical Sabbath to Sunday was influenced by pagan customs and Roman traditions, much like Israel’s adoption of foreign practices. Today, many Christians fail to observe the Sabbath, often prioritizing economic gain and personal convenience over rest and worship. This neglect reflects a deeper spiritual issue—replacing Yahweh’s commandments with human traditions—similar to Israel’s abandonment of the Sabbath, which was tied to their disobedience and idolatry. Both examples highlight the danger of drifting from Yahweh’s original design for His people.
Along Comes the Son of Elohim
By the time Yahshua walked the earth, Jewish leaders had added excessive legalistic burdens to the Sabbath (was it overcompensation?) and instead of embracing the Sabbath as a divine gift of rest and renewal, they transformed it into a day burdened with rigid restrictions and legalistic rules. Yahshua never once violated his Father’s Sabbath; rather, He restored its true purpose by correcting its misuse and reminded the people that it was made for their benefit, and was not an oppressive burden.
One has to ask, why is there so much resistance to this commandment all throughout the world, all throughout time?
And with that question, you have the Son of Elohim before you, look at him carefully- even at the end of his ministry and impending death, we see a deep regard for his Father’s Sabbath that extended all the way to His resurrection.
Contrary to the widely accepted belief that He rose on Sunday, the Scriptures reveal a different timeline. Yahshua Himself prophesied that He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), a period that does not fit between a traditional Friday crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection. Instead, when examined carefully, the biblical record is that He was placed in the tomb just before a high Sabbath (John 19:31), and He rose at the end of the weekly Sabbath, not at sunrise on Sunday. This aligns with the consistent biblical theme of the seventh day being set apart, further reinforcing Yahweh’s enduring design for the Sabbath.
The text shows that He rose at the end of the Sabbath:
“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…” (Matthew 28:1)
The phrase “end of the Sabbath” suggests that Yahshua rose before the first day of the week which officially began at sundown, aligning with the sign He gave:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)
What’s vitally important is after Yahshua’s resurrection, the Sabbath remained central to the lives of His followers. The book of Acts records that the apostles and early believers continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath, not only among Jews but also when teaching Gentiles (Acts 13:42-44, Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2).
Nowhere in Scripture is there a command to abandon the Sabbath in favor of Sunday; rather, the disciples upheld it as a day of worship and rest, just as Yahshua did. Even in prophecy concerning the future Messianic Kingdom, the Sabbath is still observed (Isaiah 66:23), further proving that Yahweh’s appointed day of rest will never be abolished. Instead of nullifying the Sabbath, Yahshua’s resurrection reinforced the divine order already set in place, with His followers continuing to walk in obedience to it.
The Apostles Kept the Sabbath
What seems to trouble many modern believers is the undeniable fact that after Yahshua’s resurrection, His followers continued to keep the Sabbath. But why? Didn’t Messiah fulfill the Law? Shouldn’t that mean it was abolished? Here’s the key: “fulfill” does not mean to end or abolish—it means to bring to its fullest expression. This crucial truth is often overlooked in Sunday churches, despite the book of Acts repeatedly confirming that the apostles upheld the Sabbath, demonstrating its ongoing significance:
• Paul taught on the Sabbath in the synagogues (Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2)
• Gentiles also gathered on the Sabbath to hear the Word (Acts 13:42-44)
• No record exists of the apostles instituting Sunday worship
Is this not a direct challenge to the long-standing tradition that Sunday replaced the Sabbath as the primary day of worship? It’s heartbreaking how many believers have been taught that Yahshua’s fulfillment of the Law means its commandments, including the Sabbath, are no longer binding.
If the apostles—who walked with Yahshua and received direct teaching from Him—continued to observe the Sabbath after His resurrection, we have to face the truth that it was never abolished or transferred to Sunday.
I do understand this forces a very uncomfortable realization but it’s critical to know that modern Christianity has embraced a man-made tradition rather than biblical truth. The book of Acts repeatedly affirms Sabbath observance, yet this fact is largely ignored or reinterpreted in Sunday church teachings, leading to confusion and resistance when the topic is brought up.
But here’s the root of the problem…
Mistranslation of “1st Day of the Week”
One of the greatest mistranslations in history concerns the phrase mia sabbaton (μία σαββάτων) in the Greek New Testament. This phrase appears in passages such as: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Mark 16:9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1, John 20:19, Acts 20:71, and Corinthians 16:2.
Most English translations render mia sabbaton as “first day of the week,” but a more accurate translation is “one Sabbath” or “first of the Sabbaths”. The Greek word for “week” (hebdomas) is never used in these passages. Instead, “Sabbaton” always refers to the Sabbath itself.
Why is that?
Because not only is the Greek word “Sabbaton” (Σάββατον) frequently used in the New Testament to refer to the seventh-day Sabbath but also to weekly cycles (e.g., Luke 18:12, where it refers to counting weeks). This linguistic usage is significant because it demonstrates that even in Greek-speaking culture, the Sabbath was deeply ingrained as a timekeeping marker. Unlike pagan societies that followed imperial calendars, the Jewish concept of a continuous seven-day week—anchored by the Sabbath—became so well-known that the Greeks themselves adopted Sabbaton to structure time. This further reinforces the idea that the Sabbath was not only an essential part of biblical faith but also recognized beyond Jewish communities, making its significance undeniable in both Scripture and history.
But why? Why would translators do this?
Because there was a vested interest in upholding Sunday worship, which had been institutionalized by the early Roman Church. By the time biblical translations were being produced in Latin and later in other languages, centuries of tradition had already established Sunday as the primary day of worship. If the Greek text had been accurately rendered—particularly regarding “mia sabbaton” (μία σαββάτων), which refers to “one Sabbath” rather than “the first day of the week”—it would have directly contradicted the Church’s official stance on Sunday observance.
What was at stake was the authority of the Church over biblical interpretation and practice. If people realized that the apostles continued to observe the Sabbath and that Yahshua Himself rose at the end of the Sabbath, it would have undermined the legitimacy of the Church’s decision to change the day of worship. This was not merely a linguistic issue; it was a matter of religious control, political power, and doctrinal uniformity. Preserving Sunday worship was essential to maintaining the authority of the Roman Church and distancing Christianity from its Hebrew roots, which had already been deemed “Judaizing” by early church leaders.
By obscuring the true meaning of these key Sabbath-related texts, translators helped reinforce a tradition that had little biblical basis-
…but immense institutional backing.
Constantine’s Change to Sunday Worship
Constantine was the root of the “translator tree” so to speak in that his actions set in motion the institutional changes that influenced later biblical translations, ensuring that Sunday worship replaced the seventh-day Sabbath in Christian tradition.
As we’ve examined, before Constantine, early believers—both Jewish and Gentile—continued observing the biblical Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44, Acts 17:2). However, with Constantine’s Edict of Milan (313 CE) and later his Sunday Law (321 CE), the shift toward a state-sponsored Christianity took hold.
Constantine, a sun-worshiper, merged elements of pagan traditions with Christianity, officially elevating Sunday—the day associated with Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun”—as the day of Christian worship. This move distanced Christianity from its Hebrew roots and reinforced a new religious structure, one that the Roman Catholic Church later solidified.
As Latin became the dominant language of the Church, early biblical translations (like the Latin Vulgate by Jerome) were produced under the influence of this already-established Sunday tradition. By the time Greek and Hebrew texts were being translated into other languages, the interpretive bias was already embedded. This is why phrases like “mia sabbaton” (μία σαββάτων), which literally means “one Sabbath” or “a Sabbath,” were translated as “the first day of the week,” reinforcing the idea that Sunday was the correct day of worship.
In this way, Constantine was the root that nurtured and grew this translator tree—his political and religious reforms shaped the doctrines that later translators inherited, and rather than translating the biblical text faithfully, they often conformed their work to fit the traditions that had already been established.
“On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.”
The Roman Catholic Church later reinforced this change, stating:
“The Church…transferred the obligation from Saturday to Sunday.” – The Catholic Mirror, Sept. 23, 1893.
Little did they realize this fulfilled Daniel 7:25, which prophesied:
“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…”
The Sunday Church
So here we are. All around us Sunday worship holding the widespread dominant position despite claiming to follow the Bible, while at the same time rejecting the Sabbath (and other Yahweh ordained festivals).
They do this:
• Without biblical support (no command to change the Sabbath exists)
• Despite Yahshua and the apostles keeping it (Luke 4:16, Acts 17:2)
• Even though the Ten Commandments still stand (Matthew 5:17-19)
• Inherited Catholic tradition that openly admits:
“Sunday is our mark of authority…the Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” – Catholic Record, Sept. 1, 1923.
• Fail to study the Greek mia Sabbaton
Now with all of this laid out before you, my hope and prayer is that you examine what I’ve said. If you are beginning to question these truths I highly recommend that you approach your journey with prayer, diligent study, and a willingness to challenge long-held traditions.
Here are some key steps:
1. Seek Yahweh in Prayer – Ask for wisdom and discernment (James 1:5) so that the search for truth is guided by His Spirit, not human reasoning.
2. Study the Scriptures Deeply – Read the Bible without preconceived biases. Use tools like interlinear Bibles, lexicons, and concordances to study the original Hebrew and Greek meanings of key words, especially concerning the Sabbath and Yahshua’s resurrection.
3. Compare Other Translations – Some translations obscure the truth, so comparing multiple versions and referring back to the original languages can clarify certain passages.
4. Examine Historical Evidence – Research how and why the Sabbath was changed, particularly looking into Constantine’s influence, early church councils, and the role of the Roman Catholic Church in shaping Christian doctrine.
5. Test Church Traditions Against Scripture – Many doctrines have been handed down through tradition rather than biblical instruction (Mark 7:7-9). Be willing to question whether common church teachings align with Yahweh’s commands.
6. Find Like-Minded Believers – Connecting with others who are also seeking truth can provide encouragement and deeper insight (Proverbs 27:17).
7. Be Prepared for Resistance – Many will challenge or reject this newfound understanding, sometimes harshly. Yahshua Himself warned that standing for truth often comes with opposition (John 15:18-20).
8. Begin Honoring the Sabbath – As understanding grows, take steps toward obedience by setting apart the seventh day as Yahweh intended, resting from work, worshiping, and studying His Word.
9. Walk in Humility and Love – The goal is not to argue or condemn others but to live out the truth faithfully and share it with those who are willing to listen (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Above all, trust Yahweh to lead the journey. Truth is not something to be feared but embraced, and He is faithful to reveal it to those who seek Him wholeheartedly (Jeremiah 29:13).
May Yahweh bless you deeply as you walk with His Son, Yahshua (Joshua)
Afflicted 4 Messiah 
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