LESSON OBJECTIVES
- Understand the meaning of the term "The Day of the Lord"
- Learn that "The Day of the Lord" is a term which
describes both the Sabbath and the Messianic Age
- Learn that the Sabbath is a prophetic picture of the
Messianic Age
- Learn that the Sabbath is an eternal covenant between
God and His people which is to be kept forever
- Learn that the Sabbath is personified as a bride
- Learn that the Sabbath teaches us about the time when
God will be married to His Bride and the rest that we will have with God
whenever we are ruling and reigning with Him on the earth for all eternity
and dwelling in His presence
- Learn that the Sabbath teaches us about our rest in the
Messiah and our rest in believing God's Torah/Word
- Learn that it is the woman's duty to light the Sabbath
candles
GOD'S PROPHETIC TIMETABLE
("The Day of the Lord")
God gave us a 7,000 year blueprint for time. From Creation
to the end of the millennial (1,000 year) reign of Yeshua/Jesus was
understood to be 7,000 years long. This was based upon tying the 7 days of
creation (Genesis 1:1,5,8,13,19,23,31, Genesis 2:1-3) to Psalm 90:4
and II Peter 3:8.
In Psalm 90:4 and II Peter 3:8, God tells
us that 1 day = 1,000 years. God gave us the creation story to be prophetic of
His plan for time. Each day in Genesis represented 1,000 years. God created the
world in six days and rested on the 7th. The 7th day was referred to as the
Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3).
WHAT WAS THE PLAN OF GOD FOR THE SABBATH?
A. The Sabbath is a festival of God (Leviticus 23:1-3).
The word feast (#4150 in the Strong's Hebrew Lexicon) found in
Leviticus 23:2 is the Hebrew word "Mo'ed." Mo'ed means "An appointment, a
fixed time or season, a set time, an appointed time, or an exact time."
B. The Sabbath is a picture given to us by God which is a
shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17). The Sabbath is a picture
of a future time. This future time is the 1,000 year millennial reign of
Yeshua/Jesus (Revelation 20:4,6 -- in part). The Sabbath is the
7th day (Genesis 2:1-3) and this will correspond to the 7th day, the
last 1,000 years of time. The fullness is all eternity. The Sabbath is a
foretaste of the world to come, known in Hebrew as the "Olam Haba" which means
the world to come (Hebrews 6:5).
===> So, prophetically, the Sabbath is a picture of
the 1,000 year millennium. Man and the earth will labor for six days (6,000
years) but the last day, the 7th day, which lasts for 1,000 years will be a time
of rest for both man and the earth.
C. The Sabbath is an ETERNAL COVENANT between God and His
people to be kept FOREVER (Exodus 31:16-17).
D. God gave the Sabbath as a picture to the believers to
rest in the finished work of God (Genesis 2:1-3). As a consequence of
sin in the Garden of Eden, man has been subject to the devil and the bondages of
sin ever since that time. Because God loves us so much (John 3:16), He
provided a finished work for man to deliver man from his bondage to sin.
Yeshua/Jesus was the finished work of God and the cross was the finished
work of Yeshua/Jesus (Genesis 2:1-3, Hebrews 4:9-12, John 17:1,4,
19:30).
In the mind of God, Yeshua/Jesus was slain
on the cross before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).
Therefore, man's deliverance from the devil and the bondages of sin was already
a finished work in the mind of God before He created man in the Garden of Eden.
The deliverance which the cross provides will cover EVERY area of human
existence. This would include mental, physical, spiritual, financial, social
etc. The finished work of the cross is therefore a "Jubilee" in all areas of our
life to all who would believe and REST in that finished work.
The 7th day is the Sabbath (Exodus 16:26, 20:8-10).
The word Sabbath is #7676 in the Strong's Hebrew Lexicon, which is the Hebrew
word "Shabbat." Shabbat in Hebrew means "to rest." #7676 comes from #7673 = "to
rest."
===> Yeshua/Jesus is the rest of God (Isaiah
11:1-2, 10).
The word rest is #4496 in the Strong's
Hebrew Lexicon, which is the Hebrew word "Menuchah." Menuchah means "an abode."
#4496 is from #4494, which means "a settled spot or a home." Yeshua/Jesus
described that this abode or rest is believing the Word of God or His Words (John
15:7, 14:23).
Some other scriptures which associate the "rest of God" to believing the Word of
God are (Isaiah 28:9-12 = I Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:11-14; Psalm 132:12-14).
===> The believer's rest (Sabbath) is believing what
God has said or promised, trusting in the finished work of Yeshua/Jesus
on the cross for victory in EVERY area of our life.
After Yeshua/Jesus finished his work (John
17:1,4, 19:30), He sat down (rested) on the right hand of God (Hebrews
10:12-13).
E. The Sabbath is personified as a bride. The Sabbath is
the feminine element of creation.
1.
Genesis 2:3 ... God blessed the 7th day (the Sabbath) and sanctified
(#6942) it.
2. A term for marriage in Hebrew is "Kiddushin,"
which is derived from the Hebrew word for Holy (#6944) which is "Kodesh." Kodesh
(#6944) comes from #6942 which is "Kadash," which means "to be made Holy."
Linking the Hebrew term for marriage "Kiddushin"
from #6944, which is "Kodesh" which is from #6942, which is "Kadash" with
Genesis 2:3 ... Sabbath is sanctified (#6942), the Sabbath is personified
as a bride due to both "Kiddushin" and the Sabbath being associated with the
Hebrew word #6942.
===> Since the believer's are the bride of
Yeshua/Jesus (Revelation 21:9, 19:7-9), the Sabbath will teach
about our relationship to God and our marriage to Yeshua/Jesus, our
bridegroom. The marriage will take place during the time of the Sabbath
(marriage is linked with Sabbath) which will be during the 1,000 year
millennium.
===> The Sabbath is welcomed by the woman (a
picture of the believers) lighting two candles. These two candles are called the
two witnesses.
Two candles will be lit during every
Jewish wedding. Every Jewish wedding will have two witnesses. One is called the
friend of the bride, the other the friend of the bridegroom.
===> The two candles will also represent the
Word of God. One candle will represent the Torah (the law or instruction) and
the other candle will represent the prophets. Both the law and the prophets will
be witnesses that Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah of God (Luke 24:27,
44-48).
Therefore, during the time of the
Sabbath (the 1,000 year millennium), the two witnesses will appear (Zechariah
4:1-4, 11-14, Revelation 11:3-6).
F. The Sabbath speaks concerning the believer's
relationship with God. The two candles which are lit on the Sabbath by the women
(a picture of the believers) represents our spirits (Proverbs 20:27).
The word candle (#5216 from the Strong's Hebrew
Lexicon) which is found in (Proverbs 20:27) is the Hebrew word "Nerah."
The Word of God is our Lamp (#5216 = candle). (Psalm 119:105, Proverbs
6:20-23, Psalms 132:12,14-15,17)
1. The believer's life is to shine as a candle (Matthew
5:14-16).
2. The candle is connected to marriage in (Jeremiah 25:10).
3. The wicked (because they do not believe) have no light (Proverbs
24:20).
===> Yeshua/Jesus is the lamp of God (John
1:1, 4-9, 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36, 46)
a. The Gospel is light (II
Corinthians 4:4).
b. The lamp was represented in the tabernacle by a
burning candlestick (Exodus 27:20-21). It was to burn forever.
===> Yeshua/Jesus is the light
of the world (John 12:35-36, 46). His light will burn forever (Revelation
21:23-25, 22:5).
G. The Sabbath is an ETERNAL COVENANT between God and His
people to be kept FOREVER (Exodus 31:16-17).
Yeshua/Jesus was the torch (lamp, light)
that was present when God made the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1-12,
17-18, Galations 3:16,29).
***********************************************************
* *
* Sabbath = Rest = Sanctified = Holy = Marriage = Bride = *
* Two witnesses = Light = Candle = Word of God = Torah = *
* Eternal Covenant that God made with Abraham and *
* Yeshua/Jesus *
* *
***********************************************************
LESSON REVIEW/QUESTIONS
1. In the creation story in Genesis, how is the
Sabbath, the 7th day, understood to be a prophetic picture of the Messianic Age?
2. Is the Sabbath a festival of God?
3. What is the meaning of the word "festival/feast" in
Leviticus 23:1-3?
4. Was the Sabbath given by God to teach about the
work of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus?
5. Is the
Sabbath a covenant between God and His people?
6. How is the Sabbath related to the 'World to
Come/Eternity'?
7. What does the word 'Sabbath' mean in
Hebrew?
8. How is the spiritual understanding of the Sabbath
connected to believing God's Word?
9. Spiritually speaking, who is the Sabbath/rest of
God?
10. How is the Sabbath associated with the Biblical
marriage?
11. What is the spiritual meaning of the two
candles that are lit on the Sabbath?
12. Why is it the woman's duty to light the Sabbath
candles?
13. How is the light of the candle associated with
God's Word, the Messiah, and the believer's in the Messiah?
14. How long is the Sabbath to be kept and observed?
15. Who was the torch (lamp, light) that was present
when God made His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:17-18?