There is much confusion as to whether Christians are to keep the Sabbath
and recognize it as a holy day. Let’s
explore scripture to see what God has to say.
Many
people stand on the fact that observance of the Sabbath is for today and claim
it is based on the use of the Hebrew ‘Olam Olam’. ‘olam olam’ is translated to everlasting,
perpetual and forever in various verses many instances of ceremonial laws
including observance of the Sabbath. These verses use the term olam olam:
Exodus
31:16 Sabbath
Genesis
17:13 Circumcision
Leviticus
24:8 Showbread
Leviticus
16:29 No work tenth day Seventh month
Exodus
29:9 Priests office
Exodus
40:15 Anointing of priests
Exodus
31:17 Sign between God and Israel
Exodus
12:14 Feasts
As you can see; these things are indeed eternal having been transformed into "spiritual things" today via the New Testament. (these have all been fulfilled though Christ and are no longer to be practiced today in the OT form once given) So it's obvious that scriptures which speak 'olam olam' for certain rituals show that it is not to be physically practiced as everlasting in their present form but instead as through the fulfillment of Jesus Christ.
For
whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty
of all.
(James 2:10)
Note: the law James is referring to is the law of God ( including the torah, not just the 10 commandments as some claim ) The Greek Word is nomos... law of God
Note: Sabbath Keepers focus on Sat sabbath but often ignore the rest of the law and this is VERY hypocritical!
We
cannot pick and choose which of the Old Testament laws we will obey and which
we will not. If Christians are bound by the Law/ Torah, all Old Testament
law should be obeyed, which includes the animal sacrifices, and all seven
feasts, including the three yearly visits to Jerusalem etc.
What
did Jesus say about the ten commandments?
And
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the
second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is
none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)
Many
will say ‘But Jesus
observed the Sabbath. Yes…
He
also paid tithes, wore tassles, observed feasts and holy days etc.
God’s Word never says Jesus rested and he criticized
people for telling others what could and could not be done on the Sabbath.
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on
the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of
corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they
on the sabbath day that which is not lawful
(Mark 2:23-24)
(Keep in mind Numbers 15:32-36 show how a man was stoned
to death for picking sticks on the Sabbath, is picking corn any different?)
Jesus compared the Sabbath to ceremonial laws, not to
moral laws:
Matthew 12 But he said unto
them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that
were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did
eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which
were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have ye not read
in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the
sabbath, and are blameless? 6 But I say unto you, That in this
place is one greater than the temple. 7 But if ye had known
what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have
condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of
the sabbath day.
It was a ceremonial law not moral
-It
was to be kept from sunset to sunset (Exodus 20:8-11)
-No
burden was to be carried (Jeremiah 17:22)
-No fire kindled (Exodus 35:3)
-No Cooking done (Exodus 16:23)
-No
buying (Nehemiah (10:31)
-The penalty for doing any of these things during the Sabbath was DEATH
(Numbers 15:32-36).
Jesus said that his disciples should pray not to flee on
the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20). Doesn’t this mean that we should be keeping it?
No. It is permissible to flee for your life on the Sabbath. But Jesus said
that people in Judaea (Matthew 24:16) could find it difficult,
just as they would find it difficult but not sinful to flee in winter (Matthew 24:20).
This verse does not say whether the disciples would be keeping the Sabbath or
not—it just recognizes that other people in Judea ( unbelieving Jews ) would be, so it would be
difficult to flee when city gates were closed, shops were
closed, etc. This verse does not command the Sabbath—it only shows that it
would be difficult for people in Judea to flee on the Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:9-10 There remaineth therefore a rest to
the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased
from his own works, as God did from his.
The ancient Israelites, who had the Sabbath, did not enter the rest he is
talking about. God's rest is entered by faith — by believing the gospel
For we which have believed do
enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter
into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
(Hebrews 4:3)
A person who keeps the weekly Sabbath but rejects Christ has not and cannot enter God's rest. We enter God's rest only by believing/ being born of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Just as the bronze snake pointed to Jesus' crucifixion, and the washings
pointed to forgiveness, and the sacrifices pointed to Jesus, similarly, the
weekly Sabbath pointed to something spiritual: our rest through faith in
Christ.
Anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did
from His.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his
own works, as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:10)
God rested from his creative work, but what kind of work do we rest from?
What do we quit doing when we come to have faith in Christ? The work of trying
to earn our salvation. ( OT animal sacrifices ) When we look to Jesus for our salvation, we quit looking
to ourselves then we OBEY and walk in holiness as fruit of good works.
In one way, symbols are obsolete but in another way, they
are still required. Circumcision is a great example. Christians do not have to
be physically circumcised (Romans 2:29) but we must be circumcised in the
heart. We are to keep this law, but not by letter and instead by spirit.
In one way, Christ has made the law obsolete; in another way He has transformed
it and still requires it in its transformed way. Look at Levitical rituals:
although we do not offer animal sacrifices, we are obedient to those laws when
we have faith that Jesus Christ fulfilled those sacrifices.
Since the Sabbath
points toward our salvation, and this salvation is in Christ, we are abiding by
the purpose of the Sabbath commandment as we put our faith and
trust in Christ. It is in Him that we find the rest that we need (Matthew
11:28-30) The requirement for rest has been transformed to focus on Christ
rather than a day of the week. If we have faith in Him, we are entering God’s rest
and we are therefore keeping the spiritual intent of the Sabbath.
Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17)
Fulfil in greek means:
plēroō
play-ro'-o
From G4134; to make replete,
that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or
(figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence),
satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify
(or coincide with a prediction), etc.: - accomplish, X after, (be)
complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach,
perfect, supply.
The following examples of
fulfilled prophesy we see it means to bring to completion.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with
child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,
which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:22-23)
And
was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
(Matthew 2:15)
We see
in the next two veses how plēroō is in
the sense of literally filling:
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was
cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered
the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
(Matthew 13:47-48)
And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)
Continuing
on with the use of plēroō we see
a sense of it being used as completely or entirely
Through mighty signs and
wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round
about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
(Romans 15:19)
These
are just a few of the many versus using plēroo and in all cases it was
used to mean fill to the fullest, complete or
to finish. Jesus fulfilled obedience to the letter of the law, teaching that it
was the principle behind every Mosaic command (spirit of the law) that was in
place for all God’s people regardless of when or where they lived. His teaching did not abolish the Old
Testament revelation but instead carried it forward to it’s intended
fulfillment/consummation.
It is very important to understand that the Old Testament
represents types and foreshadows of God’s plan of redemption
for mankind that would come to be fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Understand
that Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection IS the completion
and the fulfillment of God's plan and the end of our labors to save ourselves
through our works. (Titus
3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9,
Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:11 to name
just a few.) These all explain about the law and salvation not coming through
works.
Jesus makes perfect, fulfills, and completes God’s plan
of redemption for mankind and therefore the Mosaic Covenant (Moses)
that was given at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20) is no longer in effect (ended) under
the New Covenant and Jeremiah confirms this:
Jer
31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer
31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the
land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto
them, saith the LORD:
Jeremiah
31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
The book of Hebrews reconfirms:
Hebrews
8:8 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah:
Hebrews
8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with
their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the
land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them
not, saith the Lord.
Hebrews
8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and
they shall be to me a people
Hebrews 8:13 In that he saith, A new
covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is
ready to vanish away.
Paul reveals a larger concept of types
and foreshadows from the Old Testament and how they are fulfilled
under the New Covenant when he speaks about Jesus as the second Adam.
1
Corinthians 15:46 Howbeit that was not first
which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is
spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord
from heaven.
In other words the natural/physical came first (Old Testament
foreshadow), the spiritual came second (New Covenant/Testament fulfillment.)
Colossians 2 Which are a shadow of things to come;
but the body is of Christ.
The sabbath days were just a shadow of our true rest, Jesus Christ.
Only Christ can save our soul and give us rest.
Jesus Christ has become our sabbath rest and we can have that rest
everyday of the week.
The HOLY SPIRIT chose only those 4
things to pass on to the gentiles:
Acts 15 28For it
seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden
than these necessary things; 29 That
ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do
well. Fare ye well.
Sabbath keeping is never taught in the New Testament as a commandment.
John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees,
This man is not of God, because he keepeth NOT the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man
that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
Though Genesis 2:1-3 says that after
the Lord had ended all His work He rested on the seventh day and blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it, there is not a word about it being given to Adam
and Eve as a commandment. You don't hear another word about the Sabbath in the
entire book of Genesis.
We also do not hear that Abraham,
Isaac, or Jacob kept the Sabbath. It is not until after the redemption of God's
people (Israel) out of Egypt when they are safely on the other side of the Red
Sea that you read in the Book of Exodus that the Sabbath is mentioned.
(Exodus 16:22-30)
So God
didn’t make the Sabbath covenant with the fathers before Moses? There are no
commands for anyone to observe Sabbath prior to Moses. See the following verse:
Deuteronomy 5:1-3 And Moses called all Israel, and said
unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your
ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.The
Lord our God made a covenant with
us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our
fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
Here Paul shows how he becomes all
things to all people. He does not instruct them to follow the Old
Covenant/Testament.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For though I be free from all men, yet
have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became
as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under
the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without
law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to
Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as
weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might
by all means save some. And
this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Paul groups the weekly Sabbath
with the annual festivals, the monthly rituals, and eating and drinking
restrictions of Judaism.
Colossians 2:16
Let no man therefore
judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new
moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things
to come; but the body is of Christ.
Romans 14:5-7
One man esteemeth one day
above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind.He that regardeth the
day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord
he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God
thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God
thanks.For none of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself.
The old is old is gone, the new is
here:
(2 Corinthians 3:3-11) Forasmuch
as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us,
written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of
stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have
we through Christ to God-ward:
Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our
sufficiency is of God; Who
also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but
of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the
glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How
shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of
condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed
in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory
in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For
if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is
glorious.
Ephesians
2 Wherefore remember, that ye
being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that
which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at
that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in
the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our
peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us; Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And
that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain
the enmity thereby
A group most known lately for teaching this error is Hebrew Root cults. They tell you to keep OT torah law today. See them exposed here with many articles:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/search/label/Hebrew%20Roots%20False%20Theology
In summation, we see that the Sabbath
has not been ‘done away with’ but instead; fulfilled and completed in Christ
Jesus. He is now our rest and it is a beautiful thing.
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