(kjv) Revelation 13:7 - And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

(kjv) Revelation 13:11 - And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

(kjv) Revelation 13:16-17 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Well with consideration that the RCC did not start Christianity, but rather Christ did, and the Apostles gave its teachings accordingly in their letters to the churches, I would not put a ‘whole lot of stock�?in what tradition teaches. The RCC has a lot of traditions, and are “OFF�?in many areas but honestly everyone (even the SDA) is “off�?in certain areas also. Some teachings are just more serious than others, granted. But “traditionally�?the RCC has been the ‘whipping boy�?ever since the reformation, and for certain things I would agree, but they are not the source for “everything that’s wrong in the churches today.�?That’s where individual churches have the responsibility to read the bible for themselves for the doctrines of the Christian faith. So, no offence, when the RCC gets “blamed�?for changing the “Sabbath to Sunday�?I just roll my eyes and say ‘give me a break.�?As if, the ‘Pope�?has the authority to do such things. To make any “any claim�?is one thing, but to have the authority to do it is another.

 In other threads, Hero made about the same suggestion, and I just refer to the earliest references we have of the “C”hurch which was the book of Acts, and the NT writings and those writings say that believers meet and gathered, broke bread, listened to the Apostle’s teachings, and took collections on the 1^st day of the week. (And daily at the very beginning, of acts 2) Not on the Sabbath. Also there is not a reference in the NT writings of ‘Sabbath day�?observance of the believers (true “C”hurch) as the ‘time for worship.�?But Sabbath day observance, was kept by the unbelievers and it was a good time for Paul to “go to work�?for evangelism work.

And the apostles even write “some regard a day more than others do, and both of those who regard, and do NOT regard �?I>a day�?are both God’s, and we shouldn’t bicker over such things. And to “not let other judge you for [or for not] the observance of a Sabbath day for “it�?(the Sabbath day) is a shadow or picture that was to point us to Christ, who is the fulfillment, not the continuing observance. *(context) These are documents “well before Constantine�?of the 300’s A.D.

what does 'date dependant mandated religion worship' have to do with 'goods purchached/ sold?'  If we look at these verses we see that receiving the mark is due to another reason, and is in opposition to Gods will.

what does 'date dependant mandated religion worship' " This is a very interesting expression you used, i have no idea what it means or what your trying to imply

I question why you asked ‘what this means�? when you responded to it before. Odd. I would suggest that the suggestion ‘date dependant mandated worship�?[that Sunday has to be the day to ‘worship�?or you cant buy/sell goods.] Really this was an afterthought I had, but the more plausible explanation was from the post before in #3 in regards to the rise of Islam. They DO have a policy of convert or die, and their ‘day of worship�?is Friday, not Sunday. So I can see it being ‘mandated�?to the point of the regulation of entire countries. And even today it is a mandated religion, in certain countries.

I just question the suggestion of the RCC being the “beast�?(commonly portrayed) when literal Babylon still exists, and has not YET become like Sodom and Gomorrah as foretold in Ish. 13:19. “Mystery Babylon most likely is a ‘religious system�?but to automatically label it the RCC is premature. To be suspect, sure,- absolutely. But to be dogmatic, be cautious. There are SERIOUS implications with those who “claim to be apostles/ prophets�?(2corth 11,) and any labeling/ claims should be done with the extreme caution, and suggestion and opinions should be considered as such. Remember Babylon Has not ‘fallen,�?but has been taken over many times, and has been under different names depending on era. Just like Rome, Rome was never ‘conquered�?but collapsed within, *(Daniel’s interpreting of the statue with iron legs/ feet, and mixed toes.) They may be the empire to come, but I would not suggest that Christianity (even RCC) would/could ever be ‘mandated�?*(even the mandating of Sunday worship) but I know of a religious system that DOES MANDATE what its people do and DO NOT do, or they are killed. And that’s not in the future, that’s yesterday, and today.

A blue law, in the United States and Canada, is a type of law designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest. Most have been repealed or are simply unenforced, although prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and occasionally almost all commerce, on Sundays are still enforced in many areas.[1] Blue laws often prohibit an activity only during certain hours and there are usually exceptions to the prohibition of commerce, like grocery and drug stores. In some places blue laws may be enforced due to religious principles, but others are retained as a matter of tradition or out of convenience.[2]

The term blue law may have been first used by the Reverend Samuel Peters (1735-1826) in his book General History of Connecticut, which was first published in 1781, to refer to various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century which prohibited the selling of certain types of merchandise and retail or business activity of any kind on certain days of the week, usually Sunday.

In Texas, for example, blue laws prohibited selling housewares such as pots, pans, and washing machines on Sunday until 1985. In Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday. In some cases these laws were created or retained with the support of those whom they affected, to allow them a day off each week without fear of their competitors still being open.[3]

Many states still prohibit selling alcohol on Sunday, or at least before noon on Sunday, under the rationale that people should be in church on Sunday morning, or at least not drinking. At least one unusual feature of American culture �?the ability to buy groceries, office supplies, and housewares from a drug store �?can be traced to blue laws (under blue laws, drug stores are generally allowed to remain open on Sunday to accommodate emergency medical needs).[citation needed]

Southern and mid-western states also passed numerous laws to protect the Sabbath during the mid to late nineteenth century. Laws targeted numerous groups including saloon owners, Jews, Seventh-day Adventists, and non-religious peoples. These Sabbath laws enacted at the state and local levels would sometimes carry penalties for doing non-religious activities on Sunday as part of an effort to enforce religious observance and church attendance. Numerous people were arrested for playing cards, baseball, and even fixing wagon wheels on Sunday. Some of these laws still exist today.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has always taken a stance against blue laws. Churchmembers keep the Sabbath on Saturday, thus conflicting with Sunday laws. In the early days of the church in the mid 1800s, a number of Adventists in America were imprisoned for a short time for working in their fields on Sunday.

Consequently, in traditional Adventist eschatology (belief about the end-times), it is held that there will be an international Sunday law, with persecution enacted against Saturday-Sabbath keepers such as Adventists. This view is found in the writings of Ellen White and others. This view is still the mainstream church view worldwide. A substantial number of Adventists agree with this prediction.

MANY CHURCH LEADERS and politicians are unified on the hotly debated issue of legislating Sunday as a day of rest. Today, great efforts are being made to gain influence in the executive and legislative circles of the United States federal government in order to enact laws for the observance of Sunday as a national day of rest. The thrust is not overtly religious but is couched in a concern for the welfare of the American family. This activity is being duplicated in other parts of the world as well under the same pretense.

In a recent Catholic church newsletter, it stated, “Perhaps the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century [actually in happened in the fourth century]. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The Day of the Lord�?[Dies Domini] was chosen, not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power.…People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become [Seventh-day] Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.�?Saint Catherine Catholic Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995.

“Question: Which day is the Sabbath?�?/P>

“Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath.�?/P>

Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?�?/P>

“Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.�?The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, by Peter Geiermann, 50.

This book, "National Sunday Law" by A. Jan Marcussen was scanned with the written permission from the author for, and only for the spreading of God's word to all people.

The author can be reached at the following:

Pastor Jan Marcussen
P.O. Box 68
Thompsonville IL 62890
Phone: (618) 627-2009
Fax: (618) 627-2522