SABBATH – The most amazing message in all of the Scriptures.
Sabbath tells the whole story of man’s relationship with God from creation to the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah.
The Sabbath message contains every thing we need to know about our Saviour, our salvation, the Kingdom of Heaven, the second coming of Yeshua.
The number seven and the word sabbath are inextricably linked together - they cannot be separated; for one completes the other in telling the story of man's salvation, his purpose in this life and the coming millennial kingdom of God. The message of this seventh day Sabbath (Shabbat in Hebrew) goes all the way back to creation itself. As in all things Torah, this is also a prophetic truth for all generations with future promise.
On the seventh day Y’Hovah ceased (had a Shabbat) from all His work. The number seven means to be complete, as His work of creation was complete, perfect, finished, with nothing else to be done or added. It is called an indefinite number, as indicating completeness. (That is however many times until complete.)
It’s a reoccurring number that tells the story of completeness until it is fully complete. Number seven is connected to day seven. Day seven is called Shabbat, meaning rest. To rest or cease from exertion on every seventh day of the week.
The Elohim (God) of heaven and earth, then “blessed” this seventh day and made it “kadosh”. That is, made it holy or better, sanctified it, or set it apart. The word “blessed” here means to kneel before Elohim in adoration, because it has been sanctified or set apart for worship of Him. That is the purpose of this day. If we understood all that this day stands for and represents prophetically, we would tremble before it.
Isaiah 66:1-2;5. To tremble is to honour and obey it.
The purpose of this message is to explore some of those prophetic connections and how this day connects us to Elohim, to one another and the coming Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. So we need to answer the question: “What is the relevance, the importance and the purpose of this weekly Sabbath day that Y’Hovah has given us?”
We will start with this passage in Exodus 31:1-18.
The importance of the Sabbath cannot be overstated. Yet it is the one that is the most hotly contested, debated and rejected of all the commandments given by Y’Hovah. That should tell us something of its importance, and satan's desire to destroy it and remove it from Christian observance all together. Break that one commandment and you will break the lot. All you will have is an idolatrous system of religion and worship (even if it is Christ centred, it will be Christ rejected on that final day).
The Fourth Commandment Truth:
This commandment - the fourth one, the Sabbath - is the only one mentioned and reminded of over and over again throughout the Torah, and the one most hotly contested by the Jews with Yeshua.
This commandment is also the only one that has the emphasis made consistently that it carries the death penalty if broken.
If not keeping the Sabbath is not a big deal, why is the death penalty attached to it?
As Ezekiel tells us in chapter 46, the only days you can enter through the eastern gate into the Temple is on Shabbat and on New Moon. They are the pathway into the Kingdom of God. If you try and enter on any other day, it will be closed. The death penalty is being applied prophetically.
In Exodus 31:13, Sabbath is a “sign.” That is it is a signal, a flag being flown, evidence of a covenant relationship we have with Y’Hovah. No other day gives that, or is spoken of as giving that or sending that message into the heavenlies.
And what is the message of this Sabbath sign? That I am Y’Hovah who sanctifies you, or more literally, your Sanctifier.
Keeping Sabbath is the sign between Elohim and us that we have been sanctified, set apart, made holy by Him and for Him. If you don’t keep it, you won’t enter its millennial rest.
In verse 17 of the same chapter Y’Hovah also says it’s a sign that we acknowledge Him as the Creator of all life over six days, and that He proclaimed the seventh day as a Sabbath of rest “forever”. Meaning, that from Creation, the seventh day Sabbath, was always a sign that a millennial day of rest was coming as an eternal promise. And as verse 14 says, “Therefore keep the sign.” The word keep means to guard or hedge the Sabbath from all other intrusion.
Y’Hovah goes on to say, “Everyone who profanes it will die.”
To profane the Sabbath is a word that means to defile or dissolve it. It must not be treated as common, to be worked on or to be used like every other day. That is to dishonour it and show no respect for the day and the One it represents. To dissolve it by changing it for another day is to reject its message, purpose and the One it represents. It may be an unintentional sin, or an unrealised sin, but it is still sin, and it will close the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. It still carries the death penalty.
Sabbath And Being Filled with the Ruach HaKodesh:
You will notice in reading Moses’ books of Torah that the message of Sabbath and its associated warnings pop up in the most seemingly inappropriate or unusual places. Here in this passage about the making and providing for the Temple and its furnishings and the priests clothing, this emphasis of Sabbath is once again highlighted before he comes down the mountain.
In Exodus 31:1-3 we have the record of Bezalel from the tribe of Judah being called as the one to be in charge of all the production of everything being made for the Temple and the worship system.
Y’Hovah says to Moses, I have filled Bezalel with Ruach Elohim. I have filled him with the Breath, the life of God.
It’s a prophetic type of what today we call being filled with the Holy Spirit, as on the day of Shavuot or Pentecost. Bezalel is highlighted here with the gifting of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of craftsmanship or abilities to do and guide others in the service of the Temple. Then in verse 6, we find also Elohim has gifted and “anointed” Oholiab, and in many others He has placed skills and abilities in their service of Y’Hovah. They have a calling and anointing to serve the purposes of the Almighty Elohim. Then from verses 7-11 there is a list of things they are called to do with these giftings or skills.
Then out of the blue, Y’Hovah throws in the warning of the Sabbath. Why insert the fourth commandment there? Because it is placed between loving, serving and honouring God, and loving, serving and honouring your brother.
What is the message? The same one given by Yeshua in Matthew 7:12-23.
Yeshua and Scripture, the Torah, is saying: don’t let your gifting and anointing, skills and abilities fool you into thinking that you can do whatever the false prophets and pastors tell you, even when it contradicts the Word.
Gifts don’t trump obedience to the Sabbath command. Even though you have gifts of the Spirit, they don’t guarantee you anything eternal. The most gifted can be the most immoral until Y’Hovah exposes them.
Remember the Parable of the ten virgins as told by Yeshua. A virgin is one who has not compromised their love and betrothal to Yeshua by entering into idolatry and the worship of false gods and religions. That is spiritual adultery. There were five whose oil had burned out, gone; they were no longer being obedient to the Ruach HaKodesh and His guidance in keeping the Torah. Gifted as they may have been, the Ruach wasn’t their guide; the false traditions of men were.
The word Shabbat (Sabbath) and its many messages are parabolic, symbolic; full of types and shadows, hidden messages and truths that only the wise and the hungry seeker of truth, one whose heart and mind is open to the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in the search for truth will see and be given understanding of these hidden mysteries.
Yeshua hides these truths from all others, no matter how much they believe in Him, no matter how religious they are or faithful to their Church. Matthew 13:10-17.
It’s important to understand that Yeshua is not looking for good Christians, Pentecostals or hard working believers. He is looking for faithful, obedient keepers of Torah, which are Y’Hovah’s instructions for all mankind. Matthew 5:17-20.
That’s His Bride, who love and obey. Sabbath is about those who are in covenant with Him. Sabbath is based on a marriage relationship. I will.
If you tell your Christian friends or family that you are keeping the Sabbath and the Feasts as listed in the Scriptures, they will say you are being legalistic, or have become Jewish and that Yeshua (Jesus) did away with the Torah (Law), and will have no interest as to why you keep it and what their Bibles really say about it. But as Yeshua said, the truth of Scripture has been veiled or hidden from those who have no interest in searching the Scriptures, or hearing the truth about the Kingdom of God. Matthew 13:34-35.
Torah, Parables, And The Kingdom Of God:
As I mentioned before, there is no proper understanding of the Kingdom of God without a proper understanding of the Torah and the parables of Yeshua.
Here we have Yeshua referring to His disciples; that they, based on their understanding of His parables and teachings are experts in the Torah or Law, and have therefore been trained or discipled into or for the Kingdom of Heaven. They are those who know how to bring out treasures from what is new information, new truth that has its foundations in what has been there from old. The new is as old as the Torah. It's all hidden in there in plain sight for the one who seeks after truth and the Kingdom. Yeshua’s good news is about the ancient paths. Matthew 23:25-38.
This is what Yeshua said to the religious leaders of His day, and it is as prophetically true from His lips for our day and for our religious leaders in every Christian Denomination.
Disciples, or true learners and followers of Yeshua, have the secrets or mysteries of the Kingdom of God explained to them.
Why is it that those who are so adamant that they are right and you are wrong don’t want to search the Scriptures with you for a Scriptural and not a religious theological answer?
Why would Christians rather argue and debate with you than look at Scripture with an open and prayerful mind for the truth of Scripture, no matter where it takes you?
One of the answers is found in Paul’s writings.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
If truth is continually rejected with a total unwillingness to listen to anything other than our own viewpoint or belief, then Y’Hovah gives them over to their unbelief “and sends them a delusional force, to lead them to believe what is false.”
That word “delusional or deluded” is a word that means to stray from the straight path. Don’t stray from the truth of the Torah (Law) or we will be taking the mark or number of the Lawless one.
So we see that Parables as well as the Torah do two things, they hide truth and they reveal truth. It all depends on the heart attitude, that is, whether we are open to truth or not.
When the true meanings of parabolic teaching, the Kingdom of God and the true meaning of what constitutes salvation and when it is fulfilled (which is the Good News of the Kingdom of God) is not understood, then reactions can be very strong. When people realise that parables are being used to say something about their beliefs and or spiritual condition, which they don’t want to hear or acknowledge - or they have no interest in understanding – it will only get them angry and maybe even hateful. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour. Sometimes, some things are better left unsaid until a better time is available, or they are asking questions themselves. Yeshua always said it, and they wanted to kill Him.
What Is The Sabbath Day All About?
The Commandments as given by Elohim of Israel were ten. The ten Words spoken to the whole nation in verbal form and heard by all, then written by Y’Hovah Himself on tablets of stone to be carried before them in the Ark of the Covenant.
These were not to be tampered with. Death was the consequence. Deuteronomy 4:1-8; James 2:8-13.
Tampering with Torah or the ten commandments and reducing them to nine opens the door to a whole multitude of problems that flow out from that in false doctrines and teachings.
Y’Hovah does not take lightly to changing anything He says!
The fourth Commandment is the Crowning Glory between the first three, loving God, and the last five, loving your neighbour as yourself. Remembering the Sabbath and keeping it ties all ten together and shows our love for God and one another. Torah truth and righteousness is what keeps us safe on the journey and is what we live by in the Promised Land.
Exodus 20:8-11. “He blessed shabbat as kadosh.”
The word “blessed” means to kneel. It’s like a euphemism for honouring, worshipping, obeying and loving Y’Hovah.
This day, this seventh day, has this purpose: to kneel in worship before the Almighty as Creator of heaven and earth. This day was “set apart” for this purpose of honouring Him. We are to remember and keep it as a sign of our love for Him. John 14:15-21.
On the basis of this love which keeps His commandments, He will reveal and make Himself known by the Ruach or Spirit. Which commandments are Yeshua talking about? Matthew 22:34-40.
Sabbath is kadosh (holy). That is, set apart from the common, has a different purpose than the other six days, and must be used for His purposes and not our own.
Without the observance of Sabbath you will never know the greatness of the purpose of man in Father's Kingdom, or the depth of the relationship He wants to have with mankind.
Without the true seventh day of Sabbath, our service to God, our worship and our relationship with God and one another will be based on works, and how well I can serve Him through the Church.
Shabbat or the Sabbath is given as a “sign” between Elohim and His people. Exodus 31:13,17; Ezekiel 20:12, 20.
The word “sign” means evidence, or signal, or a flag flying of our relationship. Elohim says keeping the Sabbath sends the message “We are your people, and You are our God” and vice versa. Keeping the Sabbath is a constant reminder to whom we belong, in whom we put our trust, whom we must obey and who it is that takes care of us. We are in covenant with Him.
Every day is not our Sabbath day in Jesus. There is no such teaching in Scripture. Sunday worship is a “sign” of our disobedience, idolatrous lifestyles and trust in man-made traditions based on false gods and paganism - which is spiritual adultery, which Elohim says He hates. Let's read what Jeremiah and Isaiah say. Jeremiah 17:19-27; Isaiah 56:1-7.
Who says the Sabbath and Feasts are not for the Gentiles?
Sunday worship - along with traditions like Easter and Christmas - closes the door of the Kingdom on us. Because Yeshua says we are Lawless or Torahless. Matthew 7:21-23.
Sabbath And the Number Seven's Amazing Messages:
Shabbat as the seventh day has many messages contained in the command to keep it. The hidden truths within in this injunction by Y’Hovah to keep the Sabbath or die is truly amazing.
The Sabbath is listed with the Feasts as having equal importance. This is the Law or Torah, the instructions of God to us.
Did you know there are seven Festival requirements to observe in Y’Hovah's calendar of appointed times to meet with Him?
Did you know that there are seven special Sabbaths, ie extra Sabbath days, wherein no work is allowed on those days? They are extra days of rest and observance during the Feasts.
Did you know that the Feasts, along with their Sabbath, tells you everything you need to know about Yeshua’s first and second comings, your salvation and the outpouring of the Ruach (Holy Spirit) in between those two comings?
Did you know that the Sabbath represents prophetically the Kingdom of Heaven bringing perfect rest, peace and order into a persons life now and the whole world in a day to come?
Shabbat tells us how Elohim has separated us from our six day work week of life, struggles and toil by the sweat of our brow to bring us into our Kingdom rest of relationship and marriage betrothal to Yeshua. Matthew 22:1-14.
The Temple and the Kingdom are about a marriage to a people devoted to their Husband as King. This is our Sabbath rest.
Six days have given way to our seventh day celebration of a coming wedding feast. Y’Hovah is very choosy about who will marry His son!
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”