The Greatest Religious Cover-up in History

by Mark Finley

Discoveries In Prophecy lecture #12

Let's pray together. Father in heaven, place that determination within

our hearts tonight. Grant to us willing hearts, willing to follow you.
Even when truth is new. Even when the Bible reveals things we've never
known before. Grant to us a love for you. A determination to serve you.
And father, when we're weak, give us the power to do it. In Christ'
name. Amen. Our topic tonight, is the greatest religious cover-up in
history. A number of years ago, one of the Czars of Russia was walking
through one of the beautiful Russian parks. And as he walked, he noted
in a distant remote corner of that magnificent park, something very
strange and bizarre. He was far away from the castle.

And as he wandered through the park, he noticed a sentry standing guard.

He wondered, why is this sentry standing guard? What is he standing
guard over? So, he said to the sentry, sir, what are you guarding? The
man said, I don't know, czar. I'm a little uncertain. But my superior
told me to come out here and to stand guard. But what are you guarding;
I'm not sure. You're not sure? No. What were you doing yesterday?
Standing guard. What were you doing the day before? Standing guard. And
the day before that? Standing guard. But what are you guarding? I'm not
sure, sir. But I just follow orders and when I'm told to come here and
stand guard, I do that. The czar was a very inquisitive man. So, since
he saw that man standing guard and wondered what he was guarding, he
began to inquire in the court records. And no living person at the court
knew why the guard was

Standing guard there. But they knew this. That this order had been
passed down by their superiors and been passed down by their superiors.
And passed down by their superiors. They began to look back and they saw
that every day in the log, there was this order for somebody to stand
guard. At that point in the garden. As they kept studying this, they
opened the archives. The ancient court records. And to their surprise,
this is what they discovered. About a hundred years before, Katherine
the Great had been given a rose bush as a birthday present. And since it
was a little baby rose bush, just a little tiny rose bush, the court did
not want anybody to step on it and trample it. And so, a hundred years
before, the record went out in the court records, the order went out,
stand guard over the rose bush. Now, that rose bush had long since died.
But since it was on the cord records, that tradition was followed
without anybody looking into it. Without anybody exploring it. Without
anybody investigating it. Because everybody always did it.

Could it be, that in ancient tradition has slipped into the Christian
church. Could it be, that into the Christian church, there has slipped a
regulation from human beings, rather than a regulation from God, that
we've not really studied. We've not really explored. That one generation
has accepted it after the next, thinking that this was a command from
God. Could it be, that Christian churches today are actually guarding in
some of them fighting for an ancient tradition. Wouldn't it be just like
the devil, to get us all confused? Wouldn't it be just like the devil to
substitute a counterfeit for the truth? To bring a tradition into the
Christian church? Jesus in his day, discussed the fact that some
religious leaders had accepted a tradition. In fact, Jesus was concerned
with religious leaders in his day. He said in mark 7:9, he said to them,
and too well you reject the commandment of God. Read with it me please.
That you may keep your tradition. In Jesus' day, it wasn't that they
were wicked men. It's rather in Jesus' day in the first century, they

Rejected the commandment of God because they were deceived. Because

which he were misled. They accepted traditions in the place of God's
word. Could it be, that in the last days of earth's history, Satan wants
to palm off a counterfeit. Kite be in the last days of earth's history,
Satan wants to infiltrate the Christian church with the commandments of
men rather than the commandments of God? With the traditions of men
rather than the commands of God. The Bible makes it very plain. When
Paul said in Timothy, 2 Timothy 2:15. Study to show thyself approved
unto God. God says to you and to me, study to show yourself approved
unto God. God says, open the Bible for yourself. God says, study for
yourself. God says, open the word of God personally. Unless you might be
deceived by a tradition. One of the things that the devil hates, more
than anything else, is when we give our allegiance and worship to the
true God. In fact, the book of revelations says, that the final conflict
will be over worship. Worshipping the lamb, Jesus.

Or worshipping the beast power with his human decrees and revelation.
The devil hates true worship. I want to take you on a journey with me.
We want to go back. Back to the garden of Eden. We begin our journey to
distinguish between truth and tradition. In the garden of Eden. The book
of revelation, we learn about what creator worship means and how to
worship the creator back in the garden of Eden. Adam and eve were
created to experience their greatest joy, worshipping God. Incoming into
contact with God, in finding their refuge and security. Their joy. Their
happiness. Their greatest delight in serving him. After God created the
world in six days, as we studied last evening, the Bible says, and on
the seventh day, God ended his work, which he had done. And he rested on
the 7th day from all his work. Which he had done. God did not rest on
the first day. Or the third day.

But on the seventh day God set aside a sign of his creative activity. He
set aside a memorial of his creative activity. A sign of true worship.
As opposed to counterfeit worship. Then the Bible says, then God blessed
the -- what day did God bless everybody? What was it? The third, the
fifth. He blessed the what? The seventh day. And he sanctified it
because in it, God rested from all his work. Which God created and made,
genesis 2:2, 3. So after God created the world in six days, he set aside
the seventh. God rested on the seventh day. God blessed the seventh day.
God sanctified or set apart the seventh day. The seventh day was a sign
of loyalty. A sign of allegiance. A sign of worship. Of the true genuine
God of the universe. When God gave to Moses the ten commandments law. He
wrote that law with his own finger on tables of stone.

Never to be eradicated. Never to be erased. Never to be changed. One of

those commandments said, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. God
said, remember. But most of the world has forgotten. The one commandment
that has to do with worship. The one commandment that has to do with
allegiance to God. The one commandment that has to do with homage to our
creator. Is the Sabbath commandment. Could it be. That Satan would
attack the Sabbath. Could it be that Satan could slip into the Christian
church a counterfeit. Or slip into the Christian church a tradition of
men to hide the true Sabbath from God's people. Could it be indeed. That
this sign, the seventh day Sabbath, the Bible says in exodus 20:8-10.
The 7th day is the Sabbath of whom? The lord thy God. The seventh day is
the Sabbath of the lord, not the Sabbath of the Jew.

In fact the Bible says in the book of Ezekiel, 20:12. Moreover I also
gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them. God's Sabbath
given to Adam and eve in the garden of Eden, hundreds of years before
the existence of the Jewish race. Some people say the Sabbath is Jewish.
Where Adam and eve Jews? Not at all much the Bible says in fact, that
when God created the human race, he set the Sabbath aside. Were the ten
commandments only given for the juices? Thousand shall not kill, steal,
commit adultery. No, they were given to the entire human race. When the
Bible says, remember the Sabbath, it's for the entire human race. It is
God's memorial of creation. In fact Jesus, the Bible tells us, as is
custom was, Luke 4:16, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath. In fact,
Christ pointed his ears forward, after the cross to 70 a d when
Jerusalem would be destroyed. Christ said, pray that you're flight from
Jerusalem from 70 ad is not on the Sabbath. Why would he ever say that
if his closest followers wouldn't be keeping the Sabbath. Jesus himself
said, mark 2:27, please read it with me. The Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was made for the entire human race. I'd rather accept what
Jesus says than accept what some human being has written. The disciples
kept the Bible Sabbath. They certainly didn't change it. Because in
fact, the scripture says that acts 13, that the apostle Paul when he
went into the synagogue to preach the gospel on the Sabbath, the
gentiles, the non Jews said, Paul, preach to us. He didn't say, come
back tomorrow. The first day, Sunday. He said, you come back next
Sabbath. The Bible says, acts 13:42-44. The next Sabbath day. Almost the
whole city came to hear the word of God. The Bible is very plain. That
the 7th day of the week is the Sabbath. The day we [saul] is Saturday. I
love that piece of prose or verse or poem. What says the Bible. The
blessed Bible to me. The teachings of men, so often misled lead me. But
this my only question be, what says the Bible, the Bible to me. Tonight
I want only what the Bible says, what about you, friends?

Only what God has written. In his word. Prophecy reveals. That Satan
would attempt to change God's law. Come with me tonight. To the ancient
prophecies of the book of Daniel. This matter of the change of Sabbath
is much more than a matter of days. It's a matter of masters. It's a
matter of a controversy between good and evil. It's a matter of
allegiance. It's a matter of loyalty. It's a matter of conflict between
Christ and Satan. There is a master mind deceiver in the universe, who
has attempted to substitute a counterfeit Sabbath to break our
allegiance from God. Daniel the prophet predicted that it would occur.
Let's go back. To the ancient writings of Daniel. One night, Dan yet
went to sleep. As he did, he saw coming up before him. Well let's read
it. I saw in my vision by night and behold, four winds of heaven were
striving upon the great sea. Daniel goes on. And four great beasts came
up from the sea.

Each different from the other. Daniel 7:2, 3. So Daniel says, I saw a
windy seascape. The wind was lashing the waves into fury. Four beasts
came up, one different from the other. Some people have the idea that
you can't understand prophecies. That it's too symbolic. That it's just
a matter of guesswork. But when God gives prophecies, God explains those
prophecies. You remember if you have been attending this series from the
beginning, that in Daniel chapter 2, Daniel described an image with four
medals. The head of gold, breast and arms of silver, the thighs of
brass, the legs of iron. Then feet of iron and clay. God then described
a rock cut out without hands that stuck the image. We studied that in a
previous lecture. That is why it's so important to come every night,
because one presentation is built upon the next. There were four medals.
Gold, silver, brass and iron. Representing four great nations. Babylon,
Media-Persia, Greece and roam.

The ten toes of the image of course as we studied represented the ten
divisions of roam. In Daniel 4 we don't have four medals. We have four
beasts. Saw those beasts rising up out of the sea. What does that mean?
We don't have to interpret it personally. We can rather look to the
Bible. In revelation 17:15, it says, the sea represents peoples. The
waters that you saw represent peoples, nations or tongues. Sometimes we
have an expression in English, we say, the sea of humanity. Or a sea of
faces. So in Bible prophecy, when you read about the sea, you're reading
about humanity. Peoples. Wind. Jeremiah 49:36 and 37 says, that the wind
represents conflict, strive or war. So when you see wind blowing on a
sea in prophecy, you are seeing war, conflict or strive among peoples.
What about the four beasts? Daniel 7:17 says, the four beasts what you
saw are four kings or kingdoms.

So, beasts coming up out of a windy seascape, one nation rising against
another nation, in the context of war or strife. Daniel bee beginnings
to describe these nations. As we study this dream that Daniel had, he
takes us down the stream of time. Again, like the image of Daniel 2,
with the head of gold, breast and arms of silver, thighs of brass, legs
of iron, he takes us down through Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and
Rome. And he takes us to the early days of Christianity where Satan
would try to bring a compromise into the Christian church. And Daniel
predicted a change in the Sabbath would be attempted by man and Daniel
warned us against it. One of the most thrilling, remarkable, one of the
r of the most startling prophecies in the Bible. You can read with it
your own eyes. Let's trace down those prophetic beasts. The first beast,
was like a lion. It had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were
plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth. And made to stand on
two feet like a man. And a man's heart was given to it. Daniel 7:4.

The lion is a fitting symbol of Babylon. In fact, if you look at the

ancient ruins of Babylon, and the archaeological discoveries, you'll
notice that a lion with eagle's wings was a very common symbol of
Babylon. Just as the image of Daniel 2 lad a head of gold, the chief of
medals, so the lion with eagle's wings, the lion the king of the beasts,
the eagle's wings, eagle, chief of the birds, so gold represented
Babylon. The lion with eagle's wings as we see in archaeology, so many
lion's with eagles wings. The basalt that the archaeologist have
discovered. The lion on the walls with eagle's wings. The lion on the
coins. They say, Babylon, you have a lion's roar. So, the prophets
identified Babylon indeed as the lion with the eagle's wings. Babylon
ruled from 605-539 B.C. Some time today don't we label nations as
animals? We have those symbols today, don't we. We talk about varying
animal symbols. That represent nations. Fact in the United States of
America we do that sometimes with our political parties. When you think
of an elephant, what party do you think of?

Sure, the republican party. And you think of political parties that at
times are symbolized by varying animals. It was done in the Bible days,
too. The lion representing Babylon the Bible goes on, it then begins to
describe that second animal that would rise. A bear. With three ribs in
its mouth. It says, that after Babylon, the first beast would come a
second kingdom. A second nation. Daniel 7:5. And suddenly, another
beast. A second, like a bear. It was raised itself up on one side. It
had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it,
arise, and devour much flesh. What nation followed Babylon? Media-
Persia. Well, why would God describe Media-Persia's a bear that raises
itself up on one side with three ribs. God's descriptions are so
accurate. The Medes and Persians ruled together. But the Persians
ascended over the Medes, hence the bear raises itself up on one side.

What about the three ribs? When Media-Persia over came Babylon, and
attacked and dominated the world, it ruled from 539 to 331 B.C. The
bear, with three ribs in his mouth, represents Media-Persia the bear.
Attacking both Babylon, Lydia and Egypt. For Media-Persia to dominate
the middle east, it went northwestward and south. So it attacked
Babylon. It attacked Lydia and Egypt. What an accurate picture. The bear
raises itself up on one side. Persia dominates over Media-Persia. The
three ribs, Babylon, Lydia and Egypt. The nations Media-Persia attacks.
Bible prophecy is plain. Bible prophecy is clear. After the lion with
eagle's wings, Babylon. After the bear, Media-Persia. The Bible says,
that another power would rise. A third beast. A leopard. What do you
know about a leopard? A leopard is fast. But if you want to describe
rapid conquest, you talk about a leopard.

Described rapid conquest, what would do you? Of course, you would put
wings on your leopard. Daniel 7:6. After this I looked. There was
another like a leopard. Which had on its back four wings of the bird.
The beast also had four heads. And dominion was given unit to. What
nation over through Media-Persia. Greece. You're good students. Who was
the Greek general, who was that? Alexander the great. What do you know
about Alexander? He conquered the world quickly. Rapidly. The Bible
says, that like a leopard, Alexander would conquer indeed he did. God
even put wings on the leopard to describe the quickness. What about the
four heads? Alexander died at 33 years old. His four generals Cassander,
Lysimachus, Ptolemy and Seleucus. They divided up the empire. Indeed,
Bible prophecy is so plain, it's so clear.

The beasts, the lion the bear, the leopard, Babylon, Media-Persia,
Greek, Rome. Four divisions. The four heads of the leopard. Just as
gold, silver, brass, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece. So just as three
medals correspond, so the three beasts correspond. Greece ruled. From
331-16 B.C. But then after the fall of Greece, the Bible described
another power that would rise. It says, after this, I saw in the night
visions, and behold a fourth beast dreadful and terrible. And
exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth. It was devouring, breaking
in pieces and trampling with the residue with its feet. The Bible goes
on. It was different from all the beasts that were before it. It had ten
horns. Now remember, in the image of Daniel 2, gold, Babylon. Silver,
Media-Persia. Bronze, the thighs of brass, Greece. Legs of iron with ten
toes.

In Daniel 7, the lion with eagle's wings, Babylon. The bear with three
ribs, Media-Persia. The leopard with four heads and wings, Greece. A
fourth beast that comes up now not with iron legs, but with iron teeth
and iron claws and ten horns. The iron legs have ten toes. The iron
toothed beast, or is it iron teethed beast. Anyway, the beast with iron
teeth. Some English teacher will get me later, I know it. The beast with
iron teeth had ten horns. Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and Rome
described in succession, one right after the other. But here is where
the prophecy becomes so fascinating. Rome ruled from 16 B.C. - 476 A.D.
Then of course, as the roman empire fell apart, iron legs, ten toes.
Iron teethed beast with iron claws. With ten horns. The ten horns are
ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom, Daniel 7:24. So, the ten
horns represent ten divisions of Rome. Rome was not over thrown. By a
fifth world ruling empire. Rome was over thrown by barbarian tribes that
came down from the north. The ten divisions or ten kingdoms of Rome.

And Rome would be divided. Between 351 ad and 476 ad. The Bible said,
Rome would remain divided until the second coming of Christ the
barbarian tribes came down from the north. The Alamanni settled in
Germany. The Burgundian settled in Switzerland. The franks in France.
The Lombards, the Italians. The Saxons the English. The Suivi,
Portuguese. The Visigoths, Spanish. Three of those tribes, file this in
your mind, it will become fascinate knowledge as we go. The Heruli, the
vandals, Ostrogoths were plucked up by the roots. Modern Europe are the
remnants of these barbarian tribes that divided up ancient Europe. In
fact, all the countries of Europe today as we see them, can trace their
origins, their roots, back to Daniel's prophecy. Four beasts, the lion,
Babylon. The bear, Media-Persia. The leopard, Greece. The dragon-like
description of a beast, Rome. The ten horns, divisions of the Roman
Empire.

Now, we are in the early centuries. You see, Rome, pagan Rome was ruling
during the time of Christ. It was a decree of Caesar that brought the
holy family from Nazareth to Bethlehem when all the world to tax. It was
Pilate a roman governor, that tried Christ. Roman soldiers nailed Jesus
to the cross. Roman soldiers stood guard at his tomb. The Romans ruled
from 16 B.C to about 351 ad. But then in those early centuries, the
empire fell apart. The ten toes, and the ten horns. But the Bible says,
as Daniel saw in night visions these early centuries. As he saw early
Christianity. It says, Daniel 7:8. I was considering the horns. And
there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom
three of the first horns were plucked up. By the roots. Daniel said, I
was looking at the horns. I was looking at the divisions of Rome. I was
looking at the roman empire. I was studying roam Rome. There came up
among the ten horns in those early

Centuries, a little horn power. Now, watch this little horn power. The
Bible describes what would happen. And there in this horn, were eyes
like the eyes of a man. A horn is a symbol of power. The ten horns were
symbols of political power. But in this little horn, this new horn, that
is coming up in Europe, out of Rome, after the divisions of the roman
empire in the early centuries. The Bible says, he had eyes like the eyes
of a man. And a mouth speaking pompous or great words. Daniel 7:8. What
does it mean eyes like the eyes of man? In Bible prophecy, a prophet is
sometimes called a what, does anybody know? A what, a seer.
Because a prophet sees the future with God's eyes. So, in the Bible,
eyes are a symbol of wisdom. The prophet has God's eyes or visions from
God, can see the future. So, there for the prophet speaks with divine
wisdom. So, if the prophet has divine eyes seeing the future, this
little horn that grows up out of Rome in the early centuries after the
pagan roman empire, this little horn has the eyes of a man or it is
guided by human wisdom.

Not divine wisdom. It's guided by what man says. Not what God says. It
says, another shall rise after them. That is after the ten. So this
power rises among the ten in western Europe and Rome. It arises after
the break up of the roman empire because it says, after them. So some
time in the early centuries, he will be different from the first ones.
The first ten horns were political powers. But the Bible says, he shall
be -- what does it say there? Different, so this power arising out of
roam must not be a political power. Because it's different. The previous
were political. It must be a religious power. The roman empire is
falling apart. A religious power would grow out of Rome. I wonder, does
history tell us that this happen. This little horn power would arise.
After the ten horns, after Rome's break up. It would be different from
the ten horns. Not just a political power, but indeed it would be a

Religious power. It would displace three of the kingdoms, remember? The

Herruli, the Ostrogoths up rooted, because they did not accept roman
faith. It would have eyes like the eyes of a man. Substitute human
tradition. It would substitute human commandments for the wisdom of God.
Who is this power? What power rose in those early centuries? Let's let
the historians tell us what happened. What does history reveal? Tonight,
we want to go back to history. We've read the Bible. We've read
prophecy. We want to say to history, what happened when Rome was falling
apart? What happened when the barbarian tribes are coming down across
Rome. Let's let history give us the answer. And I quote. Out of the
ruins of the roman empire, there gradually arose a new order of states
whose central point was the papal see. So, as the roman empire fell
apart. The medieval church, the roman church grew to strength.

And power. It says, therefore, inevitably, resulted a position not only

new, but very different from the former. Do you remember the Bible said,
the little horn power would be, what was that word? Diverse or what?
Different. Here, in the church and churches. The monumental history of
Christianity, page 42 and 43. It says that the Roman church would grow
up out of the roman state. And it would be very different than the
former. But what does the Bible go on to say about this little horn
power? This political religious power rising out of Rome? What does the
Bible say it would attempt to do? He shall speak pompous words against
the most eye. Shall persecute the saints of the most high. Shall intend
to change times and law. This power would attempt to change God's law.
This power would intend or think that it had the authority to change
God's law. Then the Bible says, the saints or the people of God, shall
be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time. Daniel 7:25.

During the dark ages, the medieval church would bring substitute
teachings into the church and many tens of thousands would accept the
counterfeit rather than the genuine. Daniel 7:25. Read with it me,
please. He would think to change, what? Times and laws. There is only
one commandment that has to do with time. And that is the Sabbath
commandment. He would change the times in the law. Change the times and
the law, I wonder. How did this occur? How did this occur? Could Satan
have attempted to introduce a counterfeit into the Christian church?
Could Satan have introduced a substitute Sabbath way back there
centuries ago? Could we be guarding a tradition? Similar to that guard
in the czar's day. In ancient Russia. I wonder. How did this occur? The
apostle Paul was very concerned. The apostle Paul warned against a
departure from truth. The apostle Paul warned about the substitute of

Counterfeits for truth. He says, there for take heed to yourselves. To

all the flock among you, which the holy spirit has made me overseers to
shepherd the church ever God which he purchased with his own blood. Now,
Paul said, take heed. Because there is going to come among you, right
among the flock. There's going to come vicious persecution. The Bible
says, savage wolves would come among you. Did that happen? Was the early
Christian church persecuted? They were burned at the steak. They were
thrown to lions. The blood of the Christians was shed. When Satan saw
that he could not destroy the church by persecution, Paul said, I'm not
only concerned about the savage wolves. I'm not only concerned about
persecution from without these are the words of the apostles. Of Paul to
the early Christian leaders. He said, also from among yourselves, Paul
gathered the Christian leaders. And he said, from among yourselves,
right within the Christian church. He said, among yourselves men will
rise speaking --

What? Per verse things. What is per verse mean? Crooked. Counterfeit.
Deceptive. Paul said, I'm not only concerned about what happens without
in persecution. But I'm concerned about what happens among you. When
crooked things are taught in the church. Where counterfeit is accepted
for reality. In fact Daniel the prophet said, in Daniel 8:12. That the
truth of God would be caste to the ground. Again, let's go to history.
Does history tell us that in these centuries, 300, 400, 500 ad that
rights and traditions came into the church. This is what history says.
I'm quoting. In the interval between the days of the apostles and the
conversion of Constantine, rites and ceremonies of which neither Paul
nor peter ever heard, crept silently in to use. And then claimed the
ranks of divine institutions. The ancient church page 6 and 7. So, there
was something that crept silently in the church.

Not many people realized what was going on. Not many people realized it
was occurring. But these traditions crept silently into the church. Then
they claimed the ranks of divine institutions in one generation after
the other. Indeed, accepted them. By the way, how many legs does a
spider have? Do you know that in 350 B.C. Aristotle, the great
philosopher said a spider has six legs. And for 20 centuries, because
Aristotle said it, people believed it. Nobody bothered to count. 20 ken
trees later, Lamark the great biologist in the 1700s bothered to count
and he found spiders weren't in six. He found that they had eight legs.
But you just don't question Aristotle. If Aristotle says it, that's it.
The matter of the Sabbath being changed. It's a matter of counting it's
a matter of loyalty. It's a matter of obedience. Of a counterfeit being
slipped into the church. In the early centuries. Now, Daniel predicted
the change. He said, they shall think to change times and what
everybody?

Laws. Daniel 7:25. Daniel predicted the change. Let's go to the records
of history. The records of the church. Look at the medieval church. Does
the medieval church claimed that it changed the Bible Sabbath. I was
brought up in a lovely roman catholic Rome. I served on the alter with
the priest for the early part of my life. As I began to study these
prophecies, he shall think to change times and laws. I went back to my
catechisms, back to the early teachings of the church. You know one of
the most famous roman authors in America is James Cardinal Gibbons,
lived in the 1800s. This is what he said. You may read the Bible from
genesis to revelation. And you will not find a single line authorizing
the sanctification of Sunday. The cardinal goes on. The scriptures force
the religious observance of Saturday. On that point I agree. The
scriptures do enforce the religious observance of

Satday you can find that in the faith of our father's page 9. The
eminent catholic cardinal stated it. In the converts catechism, it is
Peter Gierman's conference. In 1948. Written. You know, this catechism
was used. For tens of thousands of catholic converts coming into the
catholic church. The question. Which is the Sabbath day? Answer,
Saturday is the Sabbath day. The catechism says Saturday is the Sabbath.
Question, why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? This is what the
catechism says. Answer. Because the catholic church transferred the
solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. For honest hearted people. People who
really want to know the catechism is very plain. The church transferred
the day from Saturday to Sunday. Here is the catholic encyclopedia. You
can look it up in any library. It says this.

The church, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or
the seventh day of the week,, to the first made the third commandment.
Now you know why the church talks about this as the third not the
fourth. Because the one on idol worship is not there. Made the third
command meant refer to the Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the
lord's day. The catholic encyclopedia so the catholic encyclopedia says
the church changed the day. In 1988, Stephen Keeting, one of the
foremost catholic authors in the United States wrote about Protestants.
This is what he said. Fundamentalist meet for worship on Sunday. Yet,
there is no evidence in the Bible that corporate worship was to be made
on Sundays. The Jewish Sabbath or day of rest, was of course, Saturday.
It was the catholic church that decided Sunday should be the day of
worship for Christians. In honor of the resurrection. Carl Keeting,
1988. Page 38. So, Keeting says, yes, it was the church that changed the
day. And then he kind of ads, in honor of the resurrection.

But God has already given us a sign of the resurrection. How do we

celebrate Christ' death? By commune I don't know. You want to celebrate,
you celebrate commune I don't know the Bible says in Rome answer chapter
6 as many as were baptized into Christ, died in Christ but rose in. We
are buried. Then we come up alive. A new in Christ we are resurrected
after Christ to new life. Indeed. Carl Keeting was right. The church
indeed changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Now, here is the
newest catechism, it's called the controversial catechism. That is to
say, the catechism to answer controversy just published. Question, when
Protestants do profane work on Saturday or the 7th day of the week, do
they follow the scripture as their only rule of faith? Now, listen to
what our catholic friends say the answer. On the contrary. They have
only the authority of tradition for this practice. In profaning
Saturday, they violate one of God's

Commandments, which on their principles has never been abrogated.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. You see friends, the church,
the medieval church session we have the authority. We can change the
Sabbath. They claimed that authority. So, they say to Protestants,
indeed. If you are going by the Bible, you really should go back to the
Bible's Sabbath on Saturday. If you accept the authority of the roman
church, then it's to keep Sunday. That's the reasoning. When Martin
Luther, that famous German person, was arguing with Dr. Eck in the
affirmation. The Bible and Bible only, listen to what arguments Dr. Eck
used against Martin Luther. Dr. Eck, that catholic person argued against
Luther. This is what Eck said. I'm quoting from canon and tradition, the
famed historical record of this event. The authority of the church could
there for not be bound to the authority of the scriptures. Because, the
church had changed the Sabbath to Sunday. Not by command of Christ, but
by its own authority. Canon and tradition page 263.

The doctor argued this way. He said, Luther, you cannot say we have to
go back to the Bible and the Bible only. The reason you can't say, that
Luther, is because the church changed the Sabbath so the authority of
the church is above the authority of the Bible. Indeed. Bible believe
Christians are led to these thought provoking words. In Malachi 3:6. For
I am the lord. And I do not -- what? I am the lord and I do not change.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Adam and eve kept
the Bible Sabbath in Eden. The Sabbath was given as part of the ten
commandments, God said, remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. It was a
sign between God and his people. In deed Jesus kept the Sabbath. The
disciples kept it. The book of Daniel reveals that man would try to
change the Bible Sabbath. But how did Sunday worship slip into the
church? John Eadie, page 561 says this. Sabbath. A Hebrew word
signifying rest.

Sunday was the name given by the heathens to the first day of the week.
Because it was the day on which they worshipped the sun. We're really
getting to something now, folk. Satan would change God's law. And he
would lead the Christian church back to accept a symbol of ancient sun
worship while they thought they were accepting a symbol of the
resurrection. What a cunning plot of the evil one. Egyptians,
Babylonians and many ancient cultures, actually worshipped the sun.
These ancient cultures made the sun a prominent place in their worship.
Each morning, they bowed before the sun as it rose. In fact the Romans
had sun day the first day of the week. The sun was the largest luminous
body in the heavens so many pagan cultured worshipped here. Here in
Petra, that ancient city capital of the Edomites. The red rose city of
the sun. You can go to that ancient pagan capital and climb the stairs
to the high alter of the sun. It is an alter of sun worship. The
Edomites followed sun worship. You can leaf Petra and go to Egypt.

And there, the pyramids rising high to the sun. Often you'll see
Egyptians bowing before them in sun worship. In Babylon, with their
circular stair cases worshipping the sun. You go from Babylon. You can
go from there to ancient Rome. To and see the obelisk in the court yard
of Rome. They come from the ancient past. Again, pointing to the sun.
And sun worship. But how did this sun worship. How did this ever slip
into the Christian church? How did Sunday become substituted for the
Bible Sabbath? The roman empire was falling apart. Back there in 300,
400, 500 ad, the empire was crumbling. As the empire was crumbling, many
Jews revolted against the Romans. Many of the Romans thought that
Christianity was just a Jewish sect. Here were the steps much the Jews
were being persecuted. Some Christian leaders wanted to distinguish
themselves from the Jews. Because, both the Jews and the Christians kept
the Bible Sabbath.

So, some of these leaders wanted to distinguish themselves. From the

Jews. So, they began keeping the first day of the week in the second
century just once a year in honor of the resurrection to distinguish
themselves from the Jews. But then, more and more the persecutions
became fierce. More and more, the pagan roman empire was falling apart.
Constantine wanted to unite his empire. Unite both the Jews, the
Christians, he wanted to unite the pagans, and so, with a major attempt
to unite the paying answer and Christian, Constantine, the pagan roman
emperor attempted to unite all that empire when it was falling apart. He
wanted to unite pagan sun worshippers and the Christians. So,
Constantine passed a law. You can read about it in history. Here it is.
He said on the venerable of the sun, let the magistrates and people
residing in the cities rest. And let all the workshops be closed. Edith
of Constantine. The day of the sun. He established a day that would be
common to Christians who had begun to worship on Sunday.

Occasionally to distinguish themselves from the Jews. Who were being

persecuted by the Romans. And to unite those Christians with the pagans
who were over running the empire. It was a political move. It was a
compromised move. And church leaders accepted this tradition. Church
leaders, accepted this compromise to try to bring all the empire
together. In fact, here is what the medieval church council of
Lysimachus said in can on 29... You know what the lord's day is. Not the
day the church council said. Because the Bible says, the sun of man is
lord even of the Sabbath. So, they were trying here to say, yes, we
agree with Constantine. Yes, we agree with the decree passed by
Constantine. Yes, as church leaders, we want to keep a new day and we'll
substitute a day that we claim is the lord's day. Gradually, over the
centuries, Sunday was accepted in the place of the Bible Sabbath. Satan
is a great deceiver. He deceived 1/3 of the angels in heaven. If Satan
could deceive Adam and eve in the garden of Eden.

He certainly has the capacity to deceive men and women down through the
centuries. Nothing wrong with Adam and eve. They were holy and
righteous. But Satan deceived them. And he deceived some well-meaning
church leaders in the early centuries. By bringing in the ancient sign
of pagan sun worship into the church. But Jesus says, read with it me
please. I am the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the truth when we
come to Jesus. We desire to follow the truth. But what about Satan? Read
with it me. He is a liar and the father of it. John:44. So, the
challenge today, is to follow Jesus in his truth. To turn from counter
fits. To turn from the artificial. Jesus says in Matthew 15:3. Please
read with it me. Why do you also transgress the command meant of God by
your tradition? Here is the issue, friends.

The issue is plain. The teachings of the church. Or the teachings of the
Bible. The issue is clear. Accepting a man made substitute or accepting
the clear truth from God's word. The choice is clear. It is the Bible.
Or tradition. It's God's law, or human rules. It is Jesus teaching, or
human thoughts. It is the divine command for human substitute. It is
truth. Or error. The genuine or the counterfeit. God's way or man's way.
This is more than a matter of days. It's a matter of loyalty. It's a
matter of worship. It's a matter of a counterfeit that has been
introduced by Satan who hates God's law. It's a matter of a tradition
that slipped into the church. But Jesus said, read with it me in john
14:15. If you love me, keep my commandments. Do you love him tonight,
friend?

Do you love him with all your heart? The Sabbath may be new to you. You
may have never studied it before. But yet you sense, we're living on the
verge of the kingdom of God. We're living just before Jesus returns to
this earth. And you sense that Jesus is drawing you nearer to him.
Nearer than you've ever been before. You can find in worshipping on the
true Sabbath a rest. You can find in worshipping on the true Sabbath a
refuge. You can find in worshipping on the true Sabbath an allegiance. A
joy in your heart. A happiness in your heart. You can find that sense
that lord, I am yours. Totally and completely. Tonight as we bow our
heads to pray. Would you like to say, Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I really
want to follow you. Jesus, I don't want to go with the traditions of
men. I want to follow Jesus. So, father in heaven, tonight we see that a
counterfeit has slipped into the Christian church in the early days. We
see that well meaning church leaders are compromised. We see the master
mind was the deceiver. He wants to attack the day God gave in the garden
of Eden. He wants to attack the day that in the commandment says,
remember, the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Wants to attack the day Jesus
kept the day the disciples kept. Lord, we want to follow Jesus. We want
to settle it in our hearts to follow the Bible. Tonight, lord, we
determine in our hearts at all cost to follow you. Give us the strength.
Give us the courage this is new to us, lord, make it plain. In Christ'
name, amen. Our ushers have a response card. I'd like them to pass it
now right now. It would be so kind right now to take this response card,
ushers would you pass out the response cards just now. Pass it across.
There in Europe. If in every location you'll pass out your response
card. Here in the United States, Canada, pass out your response card.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is very important response card. That's why I
want it quiet.

That's why ushers I'm going to ask nobody to leave just now. Just a
quiet meditative attitude where the spirit of God speaks to our hearts.
I'd like to go over this response card with you, take response card. If
you need a pencil, just raise your hand just now. This will give you an
opportunity. An opportunity to say, lord, I love you. I love you so much
that I want to serve you. The great religious cover up. The first line
says, since I love Jesus, I desire to obey him. If you love Jesus so
much tonight that you want to obey him. If you love Jesus so much
tonight that you want to serve him. If you have that love for him, check
that first box. Secondly, it says, it's clear to me that the true Bible
Sabbath is Saturday. And I choose to love and obey Him by keeping His
day holy. If you love Him so much, that you say, Lord, it's so clear
that I see that man changed your day. It's written with your finger on
the tablets of stones. You check the second box.

If you have a question about either of those things, just put a question
mark there. If you need more reading material on the Bible Sabbath,
material that will support what the libel really teaches. About the true
Sabbath. Check that third box. Write your name. Your telephone. Your
address. Your city and zip code. If you're a church member, yes or no.
And you know, we have people of all persuasions coming here. Lovely
Baptist Christians and Pentecostal Christians. People of no faith at
all. Just jot it down. It helps me to know something about the audience.
Listen to this special announcement, friend. It may be just for you.
There are thousands of people coming to these meetings. That have never
followed Jesus all the way in baptism. They have never walked into the
water with Christ. Had all their sins cleansed.

Thousands who have accepted Christ in these meetings are going to walk
in the water. If you have been thinking about it. Like to look forward
it to. Take your card. Just write a "b" on the blank side. That is your
way of telling your host that I would like to look forward to be part of
that worldwide baptism. Take your card and fill it out. I love Jesus
want to obey him. I love Jesus want to keep his Sabbath. I want more
reading material. As Matt and Jennifer sing just now. Fill out your card
as they sing this first verse. Nearer my God to thee nearer to thee
nearer to the cross that raiseth me still on my song shall be nearer my
God to thee nearer my God to thee nearer to thee . Mark Finley: we are
drawn nearer to Jesus. As we obey him and love him. Just now the ushers
will pass across the buckets. And you can drop your cards in them.

There in Romania, in Poland, in Norway. In Hungary. Yugoslavia. In

Spain, Portugal. Germany. There in Canada. Here throughout the United
States. Just now, if you'll drop your cards in the bucket. We're saying,
Jesus, we love you. You said if you love me keep my commandments. We're
saying, lord, I love you. I love you, I really want to serve you and
draw closer to you. Than ever before. As they're collecting the cards,
Matt and Jennifer will sing that last verse. And then ushers, just slip
right up here with the cards. So we can pray together. Still on my songs
shall be nearer my God to thee nearer my God to thee nearer to thee .
Mark Finley: ushers, you can just bring the cards up now. When we make
a decision to follow Jesus, even if that decision is different than
anything we've done before,

Christ will give us the strength. He'll give us the power to follow his
word. And to live for him. Let's pray. Oh, Jesus, thousands of people
around the world tonight have heard something new. But they have heard
the voice of Jesus speaking in the Bible. They have heard the voice of
Jesus tugging at their hearts. For some of us it will be a real struggle
to put this into practice. But lord, whatever you ask us to do, you give
us the strength. You give us the power. We want to follow the
commandments of God not the traditions of men. We want to follow what
Jesus teaches, not what man says. Grant to us, lord, that courage. And
grant us to that strength. And I thank you, lord, for the thousands who
tonight have made this decision in Christ' name, amen.