Many pagan festivals, including Christmas (Saturnalia), Easter (the festival of Ishtar), and worship on the day of the Sun, were observed throughout the Roman Empire long before Christ.
The apostate church (the “woman”) simply adopted them into practice, and enforced them on all citizens in the empire through the civil government.
Actually, the first one to enforce Sunday worship was not a Pope or a church, but was Constantine, the Roman emperor.
Here is what happened next. At the Council of Laodicea, in A.D. 363, the following decree was passed: “Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, resting rather on Sunday.
But, if any be found to be Judaizing, let them be declared anathema from Christ.”
Understand what this decree meant. When one was branded “anathema” (accursed or heretic) by the church, he was arrested by the state, tortured and, unless he recanted, this continued until death.
This was enforced so strictly that people were required to rest on Sunday, and work on Saturday, in order to engage in business or hold a job.
This enforcement governed their “buying and selling.”
Here is what Daniel wrote: “And he [the little horn, the same as the false “woman” church] 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” (Dan. 7:25). [to change the sabbath?]
Here is what Christ said about the popular commandments and traditions of the world—and its churches: “IN VAIN do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.... Full well [these men know exactly what they are doing] you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:7, 9).
The Garden of Gesemine
SABBATH
As the golden orb of sun sets below the distant garden wall
here in Gesemine the soft shadows lengthen as night falls
Yet there is a light here, in perfection does it softly glow
illuminating the soul aching in acceptance of the coming toll
What was given in love’s freedom must be honored true
And there in is the question on when is it given too
The Sabbath of the Lord our God, Saturday so ancient
Or the Sunday of men, the Church in abandonment
1,600 years the lie is taught, souls are lost, and who cares
and yet one must ask will God forgive, will His anger flair
The Fourth Commandment charged us with a single task
will we ever give to Him, the faith He of us has ever ask
Sabbath day was good enough for the Disciples so true
following the acts of the perfect Dove who honored it too
The ever loving Lord has never changed the day asked of us
Yet today, we seek other times as Daniel proclaimed thus
To fail in this, to disregard the true Sabbath has such terrible consequences,
should we not go back to what was asked of by the Law of God, and not the law of man?