The Sabbath Trail
tells the story of the history of the Sabbath from creation to the New Earth and
is etched in Granite as a Memorial of the Sabbath of the Lord. This is very,
very good folks. Take the whole tour or read the whole story below; kinda drives
the point home why we should keep the real Saturday Sabbath.
This unique one mile long trail is located in the woods adjacent to the Washington NH Seventh-day Adventist Church and was dedicated on September 12, 1998. Take a virtual tour of this trail here complete with narrative and music, or read what's on the markers below.
1. In a perfect world God Rested on the Sabbath, Blessed it, and made it Holy In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made...And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made. Genesis 1:1; 2:2-3.
2. Sabbath--Eden to the Exodus The Sabbath was kept by God's people until they went into Egypt. During their slavery in Egypt, they were forced by their masters to violate the Sabbath. To a great extent, they lost the knowledge of its sacredness. A revival in Sabbath keeping resulted in Pharaoh accusing them of 'resting' -- {sabbathing}. God said 'Remember' because so many had forgotten His rest day. Exodus 5:1-5; 20:8
3. Sabbath - From the Exodus to Sinai mountain As God's people traveled toward Sinai mountain, God provided "Manna" to eat. Six days each week, this food was sent but not on the 7th day. This miracle reinforced the revival of Sabbath keeping. Some, however, distrusted God and tried to gather the food on the Sabbath. In love the Lord rebuked His people by asking "How long will you refuse to keep my laws?" Finally the people responded by resting on the 7th day. Exodus 16:21-30.
4. Sinai Mountain - Ten Commandments At Sinai mountain, God at first reminded His children of their special relation to Him and that He had saved them. Next He gave them the ten laws which list the principles of His government and describe His character. He asked His people to live according to these principles. Exodus 20:1-17.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind. Deuteronomy 6:5 & Matthew 22:37 & 38
The Ten Commandments
And God spoke all these Words, saying: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
1.You Shall have no other gods before Me.
2.You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3.You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
4.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.
5.Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7.You shall not commit adultery.
8.You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any thing that is your neighbor's.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Lev. 19:18 and Matt. 22:39
God is love and His law proceeds from this one great characteristic. Christians who are motivated by love, will show love to God and love to man. In order for people to understand how love acts, God graciously gave the ten commandments which further delineate the principle of love. 1 Jn 4:8, Matt. 22:37-40
5. A Song for the Sabbath: Psalm 92 The ideal God desires His people to experience in Sabbath keeping is described by King David, a repentant sinner, "a man after God's own heart." This Sabbath song vindicates God against Satan's false accusations. It proclaims the Sabbath as; a day of exquisite delight; a day to adore our Creator; a day to bask in His redeeming love; a day to acknowledge His sanctifying power; a day to anticipate ultimate glory in His presence. I Sam. 13:14 Ps. 92
In the time of the kings, God's people tended toward apostasy which of course, included careless Sabbath keeping. Roots of this downward trend are evident as the people told Samuel to "make us a king". This decision was a rejection of the sovereignty of God. Many years later, fruit of this choice can be seen during the lifetime of the prophet Amos when the Sabbath had degenerated into a once-a-week break from cheating each other. I Sam. 8:1-22, Amos 8:4-6
6. The Sabbath in Decline - The Time of the Kings For the next several centuries, the attitudes and actions of God's people regarding Sabbathkeeping provides an accurate indicator of their relationship to God. Generally, the nation followed the example of their leader...either toward a closer walk with God or into Idolatry and Paganism.
7. The Sabbath Trampled Upon Warnings from prophets regarding apostasy & Sabbath breaking were spurned, so 10 tribes went into captivity. Years later, the remaining tribes ignored similar warnings and trampled, profaned, and labored on the Sabbath day. God desired them to do justice, honor Him, delight in the Sabbath, and keep it holy. By rejecting God's sovereignty, they chose bondage...to be ruled by others. Even after returning from captivity, Sabbath reform was achieved only by threats from Nehemiah. Is. 56&58, Jer. 17:19-27, Neh. 13:14-21
8. The Sabbath - Nehemiah to Jesus During the next 450 years the pendulum of Sabbath keeping swung from careless to rigid, from trampling on it to walling it in. Hundreds of laws were crafted by men to protect the Sabbath from being broken. It became a crushing burden, an external form, and a legalistic means to gain righteousness. At the end of this dark period of time, Christ entered His earthly ministry. For over 3 years He worked to correct people's twisted views about God and His special day of rest. Matt. 12:10-14, Matt. 23, Rom. 10:1-4
9. The Sabbath Restored One Sabbath early in His ministry, Jesus went into the synagogue "as His custom was" and proclaimed that He Himself fulfilled the messianic prophecy of Isaiah. By this, the Sabbath was linked with Christ's mission to preach the gospel, heal broken hearts, deliver captives and open blind eyes. Following this announcement, He began systematically restoring the Sabbath to God's original purpose. Is. 58, 61, Lk. 4:16-21
10. Jesus' miracle of healing the man beside the pool honored God's name as well as the Sabbath. God's character of love in constantly working to uplift and redeem His creation was demonstrated by Christ's actions. He showed that true Sabbath keeping includes, in fact, intends works of redemption, relief of suffering, and bringing people to health and wholeness. Christ began the process of setting the Sabbath free of burdensome man-made rules. Jn. 5:1-47.
11. With Divine authority, Jesus cast the demon out of the man on the Sabbath, showing that Christ, not the devil, is in charge of the Sabbath. As God's word had predicted, "The people which sat in darkness saw great light". The gloom of the captivity of demonic control, became the blazing brightness of deliverance. Jesus turned the Sabbath from a time of bondage to a day of liberty! Matt. 4:13-16, Mk. 1:14-28, Lk. 4:18-21, 31-37
12. Christ's healing of "a great fever" on Sabbath demonstrated the high value which God places on each person. The miracle resulted in a time of joy and service. On another Sabbath as Jesus walked through a cornfield, He showed that people's physical needs are guaranteed, not restricted by proper Sabbath keeping and that works to redeem others are given higher priority not less. Jesus claimed the Sabbath as the Lord's day, declaring His authority to expose practices that pervert its purpose. Lk. 4:38-44, Matt. 12:1-8, Mk. 2:23-28
13. When Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, He restored the dignity of human beings. People, the crown of God's creation, are vastly superior to animals. What is appropriate to do in care for a dumb animal demonstrates how much greater care should be shown for those made in God's image. Saving life, doing good, and acts of compassion are part of what the Sabbath is all about. Matt. 12:9-15, Gen. 1:26-31
14. Jesus described himself as the Divine, light-giving, Messiah. He then illustrated His identity and tied it to true Sabbath keeping by giving sight to the man "born blind". Those who rejected Christ, chose darkness and unbelief. To them, the Sabbath became an empty form, void of meaning. In contrast, the Sabbath was light and life to the healed man who believed, accepted, followed, and worshipped Jesus. Jn. 8-10
15. In His last two Sabbath miracles, Christ healed and released Satan's victims, freeing them to praise and honor God's name. The Sabbath was renewed as a time to know, to fellowship with, and to embrace our Creator. Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath, but in reality, He broke only traditions that perverted the Sabbath. He perfectly kept the Sabbath and restored it to its purity and beauty. Lk. 13:10-17, 14:1-6
16. The Sabbath at the Cross In the beginning, Christ rested on the Sabbath after HIS finished work of creation. Adam and Eve were privileged to rest with Him on that Sabbath in celebration of His finished creative acts. At the cross, Christ again rested on the Sabbath after His finished work of redemption on the earth. We are privileged to rest in both our creator's and our redeemer's finished work on the Sabbath. Mk. 15:40 - 16:2, Jn. 19:29-42
17. Sabbath - From the Cross to about 50 AD Sabbath keeping among Christian believers of the first century surfaces several times. The most prominent was Paul who kept the Sabbath whether in a synagogue or "by a river side". It was a day of prayer, worship, Bible reading, discussion, and "preaching Christ". Sabbath keeping was assumed by both Jews and Christians, any controversy was about Christ's identity or about His being the Messiah. Lk. 23:56, Acts 13:14, 42, 44, 16:13-15, 17:1-5, 18:4
18. Sabbath - From 50 to 100 AD Near the end of his life, Paul appeals for people to cease from their own works and by faith enter into God's works. The Sabbath is seen as the sign of the gospel experience as well as a glimpse of the ultimate Sabbath rest in heaven. Christ himself expected His followers to regard the Sabbath as sacred 40 years after the cross and it was also still evident at the close of the first century. Matt. 24:20, 2 Cor. 5:14-21, Heb. 3 & 4, Rev. 1:10, Mk. 2:28
The pure gospel of Christ, although zealously guarded by the apostles, was attacked even in their lifetime. During the following few centuries, compromise and heresy crept into Christianity. The Sabbath was just one of many doctrines that suffered as a result of these gradual changes. Gal. 1:6-12, 2 Thess. 2:1-10
19. The Sabbath 100 - 300 AD The Sabbath was kept by Christ's followers during the next two centuries but changes slowly crept in. Yearly, a "first fruits" day (became Easter) was observed in honor of Christ's resurrection. Later, a weekly Sunday religious service appeared alongside the Sabbath. Some Christians during this time tried to distance themselves from Judaism as well as the Sabbath due to the social, political, and military policies toward Jews.
20. The Sabbath 300 - 500 AD During the next two hundred years, most Christians observed both Sabbath and Sunday as days for religious services. The only exceptions appear to be in Rome and Alexandria, since these churches had stopped keeping the Sabbath by this time in favor of Sunday. However, civil laws as well as church councils now began to move the Sabbath to a workday and Sunday to a rest day throughout most of the Christian world.
The Sabbath gradually came to be viewed as a relic of Judaism which was subsequently ignored and trampled upon for many centuries. In every age, however, there were those who cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man, who held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the true Sabbath.
21. The Sabbath in Hiding, 500 - 1500 AD For over 1,000 years, the Sabbath was observed by individuals and isolated groups belonging to the church that "fled into the wilderness". Efforts of the Waldenses and other preachers of the Bible bore fruit in many places. During this time, Sabbath keepers can be found in Ethiopia, Ghana, Armenia, France, Italy, Norway, Bohemia, and Russia. Some among these faithful were sought out, persecuted, and even martyred for keeping the Sabbath holy. Rev. 12:1-6, 13 & 14, 13:5-7
22. The Sabbath 1500 - 1600 AD During the Reformation Era, the clarion cry of "by Scripture alone" brought widespread reform and contributed to 7th day Sabbath renewal. Sabbathkeepers sprang up in many places such as Moravia, Austria, Spain, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Transylvania and England. In particular a number of Anabaptists promoted the Sabbath including, Constantino Ponce de la Fuente, Oswald Glait, and Andreas Fischer. Many died as a result of persecution they suffered for refusing to conform to the State church.
23. The Sabbath 1600 - 1700 AD Sabbathkeeping spread during the 17th century. Sometimes it was as a result of persecution, but it was certainly because of renewed access to the Scriptures. In America, Samuel and Tacy Hubbard began keeping the Sabbath as a result of their careful Bible study. They along with Stephen Mumford formed the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in the New World at Newport, Rhode Island in 1671.
24. The Sabbath in America: 1700 - 1800 AD Unfortunately, Sabbathkeepers suffered prejudice from other Christians in the New World as well as the Old. They were subjected to fines and put in prison for their faith. In spite of this, by early in 1800 the Seventh Day Baptist churches reported a total membership of over 1,000 with 12 congregations in 5 states. From these early centers, the Sabbath followed the tide of American migration westward.
25. The Sabbath in America: 1800 - 1844 AD Early in the 19th century, Sabbathkeepers in the New World organized as a body and adopted the name: Seventh Day Baptist. By 1843, membership was 6,000 in 60 churches. Concerted, deliberate steps were taken to spread the Sabbath truth through organizing mission societies and publishing magazines. One member, Rachel Oakes, shared the Sabbath with Frederick Wheeler, a Millerite Adventist pastor at Washington, New Hampshire. He, along with the Farnsworth family, began keeping the Sabbath in 1844.
26. The Sabbath 1844 - 1848 After 19 centuries, the Sabbath was again linked to the Second Advent of Jesus. During the next few years, that link was solidified, broadened and strengthened. Joseph Bates became the chief proponent among Adventists for the Sabbath, but he was soon joined by James and Ellen White, Hiram Edson, Stephen Pierce and others. They saw the Sabbath as directly related to the "seal of God", the Ark of the covenant and the heavenly sanctuary, the 3 angels' messages and the "mark of the beast" of Revelation 7, 11 & 14.
27. The Sabbath 1848 - 1863 The Advent movement was scattered and disjointed after the 1844 disappointment. The Sabbath was the catalyst of "present truth" needed to re-unite them into a coherent, cohesive group. In 1848, seven Sabbath conferences held around the northeast, pulled the believers together and unified their understanding of the Sabbath, the Advent and other doctrines. These 2 major teachings were reflected in the name "Seventh-day Adventist" chosen to identify themselves when they organized in 1863.
28. The Sabbath: Creation to 1998 God has preserved the Sabbath for 6,000 years. First given to mankind through Adam and Eve, then entrusted to Israel, restored by Christ, observed by the apostles, kept by many faithful, and taken by Seventh-day Adventists to all nations. There are now over 10 million Sabbathkeeping Christians in 205 countries circling the globe.
29. The Sabbath in the Near Future As in the past, a crisis is coming relative to Sabbathkeeping. Revelation 14 describes a time just before Christ's Advent of great turmoil. Eternal choices will have to be made regarding what each person will do with Jesus Christ, the promptings of the Holy Spirit, worship of God and loyalty to Him. As matters are defined in this final interval, the authenticity of one's relationship to the saving work of Christ will play itself out on the backdrop of the Sabbath. Dan. 2, 7-9, Rev. 12-14
30. Sabbath at the Advent The Sabbath....a time to worship our Maker and Redeemer; a time for God to liberate and heal; a time to rest by faith in God's finished work; a time to sense our infinite value in God's eyes; a time to know, commune with and delight in our creator...at face, embracing Him who died that we might live, rejoicing as the graves open wide, rising together to meet our Lord in the air...experiencing ultimate Sabbath rest with Him forever. I Thess. 4:13-18
31.The Sabbath in the New Earth "Let us be eager to know this rest for ourselves..." And "we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD." Heb. 4:11, 2 Pet. 3:13, Is. 66:23
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