In order
for full restoration to come to both the house of Judah (Judaism)
and the house of Israel (Christianity), both houses of Israel
need to come to a more fuller understanding and application of the
weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) rest that the G-d of Israel ordained in
the Bible that His people celebrate. The house of Judah (Judaism)
needs to realize that the fullness of their spiritual Sabbath
(Shabbat) rest is in the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus.
The house of Israel (Christianity) needs to repent (teshuvah)
and realize that the Biblical day of rest that the G-d of Israel gave to
His people is from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. In doing so, the
house of Israel (Christianity) needs to study the spiritual
significance of the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) to learn that the
G-d of Israel gave His people the physical weekly Sabbath (Shabbat)
rest as a prophetic blueprint to understand in a greater degree His
redemptive plan to be accomplished through the Jewish Messiah
(Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus and the rule and reign of the Jewish
Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus during the Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo).
In this
chapter, we will examine these issues so that we can study, learn and
understand that the G-d of Israel gave the physical weekly Sabbath
(Shabbat) rest from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown to establish
the following Biblical truths:
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is the seventh day
of the week and is to be a day of rest (Genesis [Bereishit]
2:1-3).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a sanctified (set
apart made holy/kodesh) day unto the G-d of Israel (Genesis
[Bereishit] 2:3).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is an eternal
covenant between the G-d of Israel and His people and is to be kept
forever as an everlasting ordinance (Exodus [Shemot]
31:16-17).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a festival (mo’ed/appointed
time) of the G-d of Israel which is to be kept on a weekly basis
(Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:1-3).
Spiritually, we experience Sabbath (Shabbat)
rest when we obey the G-d of Israel, keep His commandments
(mitzvot), and believe the promises made by the G-d of Israel to
His people in His Torah/Word of God (Leviticus [Vayikra]
26:1-12, Psalm [Tehillim] 95:6-11, Hebrews 3:7-19, 4:1-12).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a spiritual
picture given to us by the G-d of Israel that is a shadow of the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus (Colossians
2:16-17).
The Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
is the spiritual rest of the believers in the Jewish Messiah
(Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus (Matthew [Mattityahu]
11:28-30).
After the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus finished the work that the G-d of Israel sent
(shaliach) Him to do by dying on the tree/cross as the suffering
Messiah (Mashiach) known as Messiah son of Joseph (Yosef),
He sat down (rested/had Shabbat) at the right hand of the G-d
of Israel (John [Yochanan] 17:1,4, 19:30, Psalm [Tehillim]
110:1 = Hebrews 1:1-3, 10:12-13).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is the day of the
L-rd (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 58:13-14).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is personified as a
bride whose bridegroom is the G-d of Israel and the Jewish Messiah
(Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus and is a spiritual blueprint
of the Messianic Age (Athid Lavo) and the world to come (Olam
Haba/eternity).
The Sabbath (Shabbat) will be kept during
the time of the new heavens and the new earth and for all eternity
(Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 66:22-23, Revelation 21:1-3).
THE SABBATH IS THE SEVENTH DAY
AND IS A DAY OF REST
In
Genesis (Bereishit) 1:1-31, 2:1-3, we have the story of the seven
days of creation. In the creation story, we learn that the Biblical day
begins in the evening and ends in the morning (Genesis [Bereishit]
1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Following the first six days of creation, the
G-d of Israel rested on the seventh day and sanctified it. In Genesis
(Bereishit) 2:1-3, it is written:
"
Thus
the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and
he rested on the seventh day
from all his work which he had made. And
God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it: because that
in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
G-D SANCTIFIED THE SABBATH
AND MADE IT HOLY
When the
G-d of Israel rested on the seventh day of creation, He blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it (Genesis [Bereishit] 2:3).
The Hebrew word for sanctified is the Strong’s word (6942) in the
Strong’s Hebrew dictionary. It is the Hebrew word kadesh which
comes from the Strong’s word (6944) which is the Hebrew word kodesh.
The Hebrew words kadesh/kodesh mean "to make clean,
consecrate, dedicate, purify, set apart, make holy." Therefore, when
the G-d of Israel blessed the Sabbath (Shabbat), He consecrated,
dedicated, set apart and made holy this special day and purposed that
the seventh day of the week (from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) be
a day sanctified, made holy and set apart from every other day of the
week.
THE SABBATH IS AN ETERNAL COVENANT
BETWEEN G-D AND HIS PEOPLE
As we
just stated in the previous section, when the G-d of Israel blessed the
Sabbath (Shabbat) in Genesis (Bereishit) 2:3, He also
sanctified it. The Sabbath (Shabbat) is personified in Jewish
(house of Judah/Judaism) tradition as a bride whose bridegroom is
Israel. 1
The
Hebrew term for the Biblical Jewish marriage ceremony (kiddushin/betrothal)
really means "hallowing/sanctified." The Hebrew word for marriage (kiddushin/betrothal)
comes from the three letter Hebrew root (K = Kaf, D = Dalet, SH = Shin).
The Hebrew word for sanctified (6942 = Kadesh) which comes from
the Hebrew word for holy (6944 = Kodesh) is also derived from the
same three Hebrew root letters (K = Kaf, D = Dalet, SH = Shin).
Therefore, the traditional Jewish rabbis from the house of Judah
(Judaism), interpret the Biblical statement that "God blessed the
sabbath day and hallowed/sanctified(va-yekaddesh) it"
(Genesis [Bereishit] 2:3) as meaning that the G-d of Israel
wedded (kiddushin/betrothal) the Sabbath (Shabbat) to His
people. 2
On the
day of the wedding in the Biblical Jewish (house of Judah/Judaism)
ceremony, the bride is seen as a queen and the groom is seen as a king.
Therefore, "queen" and "bride" are two terms used to
describe the weekly Sabbath day (Talmud, Shabbat 119a). Since the
Sabbath (Shabbat) is seen as being a queen and a bride, it
represents the feminine element of creation. 3
The
Talmud (oral tradition of the rabbi’s from the house of Judah/Judaism)
tells us that on the eve of the Sabbath (Sabbath), the famous
teacher, Rabbi Hanina used to put on his best clothes and say, "Come,
let us go and welcome Queen Sabbath," while Rabbi Yannai used to
rise and declare, "Come, O bride; come, O bride." From this
custom, music was composed for the Sabbath (Shabbat) which
symbolically imitated conventional marriage songs. The most famous of
these is "Lechah Dodi" (Come my Beloved). 4
In
traditional Judaism (house of Judah), the rabbi’s understood that
the G-d of Israel entered into a marriage covenant with the house of
Jacob (both the house of Israel and the house of Judah)
at mount Sinai. In Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 2:1-2, it is written:
"
Moreover
the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of
Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the
kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals
[betrothal/kiddushin],
when thou wentest after me
[the G-d of Israel/the groom]in the wilderness
[mount Sinai],
in a land that was not sown."
However,
in the Biblical/Jewish (house of Judah/Judaism) marriage
ceremony, you must first be sanctified (consecrated/set apart/made holy)
before you can get married. In Exodus (Shemot) 19:10-11, 14, it
is written:
"
And
the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and
sanctify [6942
= consecrate/set apart/make holy]them today and tomorrow, and let
them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the
third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people
upon mount Sinai … and Moses went down from the mount unto the
people, and sanctified
[6942 = consecrate/set apart/made holy]the people; and they washed
their clothes."
In the
traditional Biblical/Jewish (house of Judah/Judaism) wedding
ceremony, the bride becomes sanctified before the marriage by having a
mikvah (water immersion). Mikvah is a Hebrew word which
means "pool or body of water."Mikvah is the ceremonial
act of purification. 5
Every
traditional Biblical/Jewish (house of Judah/Judaism) marriage
will have two witnesses. They are called the friends of the bridegroom.
Their role is to prepare the bride and escort her to meet the groom
underneath the chupah (wedding canopy) where the marriage will
occur. When the G-d of Israel entered into a marriage with the house
of Jacob (both the house of Israel and the house of Judah)
at mount Sinai, Moses (Moshe) was seen as being one of the
friends of the bridegroom of the G-d of Israel. In Exodus (Shemot)
19:17, we can see Moses (Moshe) fulfilling the role of escorting
the bride (the house of Jacob) to meet the G-d of Israel at mount
Sinai (a type of chupah/wedding canopy) as it is written:
"
And
Moses brought forth the people
[the house of Jacob/escorting them]
out of the camp to meet with God; and
they stood at the nether
[underneath/at the foot of]
part of the mount."
When the
marriage took place between the G-d of Israel and the house of Jacob
(both the house of Israel and the house of Judah), mount
Sinai was symbolically seen as being the chupah (wedding canopy).
6
When the
bride and groom are married in a traditional Biblical/Jewish (house
of Judah/Judaism) wedding ceremony, they will have a ketubah
(marriage contract) which states the terms and the conditions of the
marriage. In traditional Judaism (house of Judah), the rabbis saw
that the ketubah (marriage contract) of the marriage between the
G-d of Israel and the house of Jacob (both the house of Israel
and the house of Judah) was the Torah/Word of G-d. The terms
and conditions of the marriage (ketubah/marriage contract)
between the G-d of Israel and the house of Jacob is given in
Deuteronomy (Devarim) 28 and Leviticus (Vayikra) 26. In
these two chapters, the G-d of Israel specifies the blessings to the
house of Jacob (both the house of Israel and the house of
Judah) for being faithful to the G-d of Israel in the marriage and
the curses for being unfaithful to the G-d of Israel in the marriage.
The rite
of betrothal is completed when the groom (the G-d of Israel) gives
something of value to the bride (the house of Jacob) and she
accepts it. The gift most often given today is the ring. The ring is a
token of eternal love and remembrance of the marriage. When the groom
places the ring on the bride’s finger, the rite of betrothal is
completed. The completed rite is known in Hebrew as kiddushin
which means "sanctification."
Symbolically,
the "ring" that was given to the bride (the house of Jacob) by
the groom (the G-d of Israel) was seen as being the Sabbath (Shabbat).
The keeping of the Sabbath (Shabbat) is seen as being a token of
remembrance and eternal love between the groom (the G-d of Israel) and
the bride (the house of Jacob).
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is one of the Ten Commandments given at mount
Sinai to remember the marriage between the G-d of Israel and the
house of Jacob. In Exodus (Shemot) 20:8, it is written:
"
Remember
the sabbath day, to keep it holy
[6942 = sanctified, consecrated, set apart]."
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is an eternal covenant between the G-d of
Israel and the house of Jacob (both the house of Israel
and the house of Judah) which is to be kept forever. In Exodus
(Shemot) 31:12-18, it is written:
"
And
the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak thou also unto the children
of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a
sign [a marriage
ring]between me and
you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord
that doth sanctify
[6942 = consecrate/set apart/make holy]you. Ye shall keep
the sabbath
therefore; for it is holy
unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death:
for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from
among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is
the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in
the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the
children of Israel shall
keep the sabbath, to
observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a
perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he
rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made
an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of
testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."
THE SABBATH IS A FESTIVAL OF THE L-RD
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a festival of the L-rd. In Leviticus
(Vayikra) 23:1-4 it is written:
"
And
the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of
Israel, and say unto them, Concerning
the feasts of the Lord,
which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are
my feasts.
Six days shall work be done: but the
seventh day
is the sabbath of rest,
a holy convocation;
ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all
your dwellings. These are
the feasts of the Lord,
even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons."
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE FEAST
OF THE L-RD AND HOLY CONVOCATION?
There are
two important Hebrew words in Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:1-4 which
are translated as feasts and convocation which explain to
us the importance and significance of the Biblical weekly Sabbath
(Shabbat) from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. In Leviticus
(Vayikra) 23:2, the word translated as feasts is the Hebrew word
mo’ed. The Hebrew word mo’ed is the Strong’s word 4150 in the
Hebrew dictionary and means "an appointment, a fixed time or season,
a cycle, an assembly, an appointed time, a set time or an exact time."
In
Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:2, the Bible tells us that the Sabbath
(Shabbat) is not only a mo’ed but that it is also a holy
convocation. The Hebrew word for holy is the Strong’s word 6944 in
the Hebrew dictionary and is the word kodesh. The Hebrew word
kodesh means "to consecrate, dedicate, hallow, set apart."
The Hebrew word for convocation is the Strong’s word 4744 in the
Strong’s Hebrew dictionary and is the word miqra. The Hebrew word
miqra means, "a public meeting, an assembly, a rehearsal."
Therefore,
the G-d of Israel is telling us in His Holy Word that the Sabbath
(Shabbat) is a mo’ed (an appointed time, a set time) during
the week (from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) which is a kodesh
(holy, consecrated, dedicated and set apart) miqra (a public
meeting, an assembly of people, a rehearsal). The Sabbath (Shabbat)
is a commandment (mitzvah) which the G-d of Israel wants His
people to rehearse (miqra) because it is an appointed time or set
apart time (mo’ed).
If the
Sabbath (Sabbath) is a rehearsal (miqra), what is it that
the G-d of Israel wants His people to rehearse (miqra)? The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a rehearsal of all the things that the G-d
of Israel gave His people regarding the Sabbath (Shabbat) to
teach us/instruct us (Torah) about the ways of His Kingdom,
trusting (emunah) in His written Torah/Word of G-d , the
redemption through the Messiah (Mashiach) and the Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo).
WHO IS THE L-RD?
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a feast of the L-rd. Who is the L-rd? The
Hebrew word for L-rd is the Strong’s word 3068 in the Strong’s Hebrew
dictionary and is the Holy (kodesh) name (YHVH) of the G-d of
Israel. The Bible tells us in Deuteronomy (Devarim) 6:4 that the
G-d of Israel is one (echad). The Hebrew word echad is the
Strong’s word 259 in the Strong’s Hebrew dictionary. The Hebrew word
echad (259) comes from the Hebrew root word achad which is
the Strong’s word 258 in the Hebrew dictionary. The Hebrew word achad
means "to unite, to unify." So, the Shema (Deuteronomy
[Devarim] 6:4) tells us that the G-d of Israel is echad which
comes from the Hebrew root word achad which means "to unify."
Therefore, the G-d of Israel is a compound unity. In Proverbs
(Mishlei) 30:4 it is written:
"…
who
hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and
what is his son’s name,
if thou canst tell?"
The
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus is the G-d of
Israel manifested in the flesh. The holy name (YHVH) of the G-d of
Israel as spoken in Exodus (Shemot) 3:14 means, "I [ever]
shall be [the same] that I am [today]." In Hebrews 13:8 it is
written:
"
Jesus
Christ [Yeshua HaMashiach]
the same yesterday, and today, and
forever."
In I
Corinthians 12:3, it tells us that the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus is L-rd as it is written:
"…
no
man speaking by the Spirit
[Ruach HaKodesh]
of God calls Jesus
[Yeshua]
accursed: and that no man can say
that Jesus [Yeshua]is Lord
[YHVH]
but by the Holy Ghost
[Ruach HaKodesh]."
Philippians
2:8-11 is a Jewish midrash (commentary/explanation) which comes
from the traditional Jewish prayer known as the Aleinu which is
also mentioned in Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 45:23. In Philippians 2:8-11
it tells us that the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
is L-rd as it is written:
"
And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross
[tree].
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus
[Yeshua]
every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
[Yeshua HaMashiach]
is Lord
[YHVH]
to the glory of God the Father."
The mount
of Olives is known in traditional Judaism (house of Judah) as the
mountain of the Messiah (Mashiach). When the Jewish Messiah
(Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus ascended up into heaven (olam
haba) following his resurrection as written in Acts 1:6-12, the
angels said that the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
would come back [in His second coming as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah
ben David)] in like manner (to the mount of Olives). His return to
the mount of Olives as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah ben David) is
recorded in Zechariah (Zecharyah) 14:3-4, 9 as it is written:
"
Then
shall the Lord [YHVH]
go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the
day of battle. And his feet[the
feet of YHVH]shall
stand in that day upon the mount of Olives … and the Lord
[YHVH]
shall be king over all the earth: in
that day shall there be one Lord
[YHVH],
and his name one
[echad]."
YESHUA/JESUS IS L-RD OF THE SABBATH
The
rabbis in traditional Judaism (house of Judah) teach that despite
all the legalistic precision to keep and observe the Sabbath
(Shabbat) that the sages were conscious always that the sabbath was
made for man, not man for the sabbath, and they insisted that any of the
regulations might be — nay, should be — broken immediately in case of a
life-and-death emergency, or of a real danger to health. In support of
this relaxation, they were fond of quoting the Scriptural verse in
Leviticus (Vayikra) 18:5 as it is written: 7
"
Ye
shall therefore keep My statutes and Mine ordinances, which if a man
do, he shall live by them."
The
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus supported this
interpretation as can be seen in Mark 2:23-28, 3:1, 4-5 as it is
written:
"
And
it came to pass, that he
[Yeshua/Jesus]
went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples[talmidim]
began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees
said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is
not lawful [in
violation of the Torah]?
And he[Yeshua/Jesus]
said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need,
and was hungry, he, and they that were with him? How he went into
the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did
eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests,
and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them,
The sabbath was made for
man, and not man for the sabbath:
Therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. And he
entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which
had a withered hand … and he saith unto them, is it lawful to do
good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?
But they held their peace. …And he saith unto the man, Stretch forth
thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole
as the other."
Therefore,
the Sabbath (Sabbath) is a feast of the L-rd (Leviticus
[Vayikra] 23:2). The L-rd is the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus). In addition, the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus is the L-rd of the Sabbath (Shabbat). So, both
the house of Israel (Christianity) and the house of Judah
(Judaism) need to keep and celebrate the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat)
(from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) that the G-d of Israel gave to
His people.
OUR SABBATH REST IS BELIEVING (EMUNAH)
THE WRITTEN WORD OF G-D
Spiritually,
we experience Sabbath (Shabbat) rest when we obey the G-d of
Israel, keep His commandments (mitzvot), and believe the promises
made by the G-d of Israel to His people in His Torah/Word of G-d. The
G-d of Israel promises great blessings to His people for keeping His
weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) (from Friday sundown to Saturday
sundown). In Leviticus (Vayikra) 26:2-12 it is written:
"
Ye
shall keep my sabbaths,
and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep
my commandments, and do them;
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield
her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
And your threshing shall reach into the vintage, and the vintage
shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the
full, and dwell in your land safely. And
I will give peace
[shalom/rest]in the
land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I
will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go
through the land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall
fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an
hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and
your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have
respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and
establish my covenant with you.
And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the
new. And
I will set my tabernacle among you:
and my soul shall not abhor you. And
I will walk among you, and will be
your God, and ye shall be my people."
OBEDIENCE BRINGS THE BLESSINGS OF G-D
The G-d
of Israel blesses His people when we are obedient (shema) to Him.
In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 1:19 it is written:
"
If
ye are willing and obedient
[shema],
ye shall eat the good of the land."
In
Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 17:7-8 it is written:
"
Blessed
is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth
out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but
her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of
drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."
In Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 26:3-4 it is written:
"
Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace
[shalom, shalom],
whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye
in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."
DISOBEDIENCE TO G-D’S WORD
KEEPS US FROM ENTERING
INTO HIS SABBATH REST
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a day of rest. In Genesis (Bereishit)
2:2 it is written:
"
And
on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he
rested
on the seventh day from all the work which he had made."
In the
Bible, the G-d of Israel associates entering into His rest with
believing the written Torah/Word of G-d. In Isaiah (Yeshayahu)
28:9-13 it is written:
"
Whom
shall he teach knowledge?
[which is the Torah/Word of G-d — Hosea 4:6]
and whom shall he make to
understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn
from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a
little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to
this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye
may cause the weary to
rest; and this is the
refreshing: yet they would not hear
[shema]. But the
word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon
precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a
little…"
The first
occurrence of the word rest in Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 28:12 is
the Strong’s word 4496 in the Strong’s Hebrew dictionary and is the
Hebrew word menuchah. The Hebrew word menuchah means,
"an abode, ease, quiet, resting place, a settled spot, peace, home."
The G-d
of Israel associates believing and trusting (emunah) in Him and
being obedient (shema) to His Torah/Word with entering into His
(Sabbath) rest. In Psalm (Tehillim) 95:7-11, it is
written:
"
For
he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep
of his hand.
Today if ye will hear
[shema] his voice, harden not
your heart as in the
provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When
your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years
long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people
that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto
whom I sware in my wrath that they
should not enter into my rest."
In Hebrew
3:7-19, 4:1-12 it is written:
"
Wherefore
as the Holy Ghost
[Ruach HaKodesh] saith,
Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your
fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do
always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I
swore in my wrath, they should not enter into my rest. Take heed,
brethren, lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while
it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ
[Mashiach],
if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;
While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your
hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did
provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with
whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?And to whom swore he that
they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise
being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to
come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as
unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it.
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.
For he spake in a certain
place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh
day
from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter
into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter
therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in
because of unbelief: Again, he limited a certain day, saying in
David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will
hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus
[Joshua]
had given them rest, then would he
not afterward have spoken of another day.
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. Let us
labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the
same example of unbelief. For
the word of God
is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Therefore,
spiritually, we experience the Sabbath (Shabbat) rest of the G-d
of Israel when we obey (shema) and believe (emunah) the
Torah/Word of G-d and put our trust and confidence (emunah) in
the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus.
THE MESSIAH IS OUR SABBATH REST
Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 11:1, 10 speaks about the Messiah (Mashiach) and
the Word of G-d tells us that His rest (menuchah) shall be
glorious (kivod) as it is written:
"
And
there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch
shall grow out of his roots … and in that day there shall be a root
of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall
the Gentiles seek: and
his rest
[menuchah] shall be glorious
[kivod]."
In
Matthew (Mattityahu) 11:28-30 it is written:
"
Come
unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me: for I am meek and lowly of heart: and
ye shall find rest
unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light."
In John
(Yochanan) 14:23 it is written:
"
Jesus
answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our
abode with him."
In
Matthew (Mattityahu) 7:24-27 it is written:
"
Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will
liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a
rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house
upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the
fall of it."
THE SABBATH IS A SHADOW/BLUEPRINT
OF THE MESSIAH
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a spiritual shadow/blueprint given to us by
the G-d of Israel to teach us about the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus and the redemptive plan of the G-d of Israel for His
people. In Colossians 2:16-17 it is written:
"
Let
no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a
holy day, or of the new moon, or of
the sabbath days: which are a
shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ
[Mashiach]."
AFTER THE MESSIAH COMPLETED HIS WORK,
HE RESTED
The
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus came to the earth
at His first coming to be the suffering Messiah (Messiah ben Yosef).
He completed the work that G-d the Father sent (shaliach) him to
do. In John (Yochanan) 17:1, 4, it is written:
"
These
words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may
glorify thee … I have glorified thee on the earth:
I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do."
After the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus completed the work
that G-d the Father sent (shaliach) Him to do by dying on the
tree/cross and coming to the earth to fulfill the role of the suffering
Messiah (Messiah ben Yosef), He sat down (rested) on the right
hand of G-d the Father. In Psalm (Tehillim) 110:1 it is written:
"
The
Lord said unto my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand, until I
make thine enemies thy footstool."
In
Hebrews 1:1-3, 10:12-13 it is written:
"
God,
who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us
by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the
express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of
his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high …But this man,
after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
From henceforth expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool."
BOTH JEWS AND NON-JEWS
ARE COMMANDED TO KEEP THE SABBATH
Both the
house of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel
(Christianity) are commanded by the G-d of Israel to keep His Sabbath
(Shabbat). In fact, the G-d of Israel promises great blessings to
the non-Jew/Christianity (house of Israel) who keeps His Sabbath
(Shabbat) and all those who are grafted into the family of the
G-d of Israel. In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 56:1-8 it is written:
"
Thus
saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation
is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is
the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on
it:
that keepeth the sabbath
from polluting it, and keepeth
his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger,
that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath
utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say,
Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto
the eunuchs that keep my
sabbaths,
and choose the things that please me,
and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine
house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and
of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not
be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that
join themselves to the Lord,
to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants,
every one that keepeth the
sabbath
from polluting it, and taketh hold of
my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make
them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for
mine house shall be called
a house of prayer for all people.
The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will
I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."
THE SABBATH IS PERSONIFIED AS A BRIDE
Earlier
in this chapter, it was seen that the Sabbath (Shabbat) is
personified in Jewish tradition (house of Judah) as a bride. The
G-d of Israel and the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
is the bridegroom of the house of Judah (Judaism) and the
house of Israel (Christianity). Once again, the Hebrew term for the
Biblical / Jewish marriage ceremony (kiddushin/betrothal) really
means "hallowing/sanctified." The Hebrew word for marriage (kiddushin/betrothal)
comes from the three letter Hebrew root (K = Kaf, D = Dalet, SH = Shin).
The Hebrew word for sanctified (6942 = Kadesh) which comes from
the Hebrew word for holy (6944 = Kodesh) is also derived from the
same three Hebrew root letters (K = Kaf, D = Dalet, SH = Shin).
Therefore, the traditional Jewish rabbis from the house of Judah
(Judaism), interpret the Biblical statement that "God blessed the
sabbath day and hallowed/sanctified (va-yekaddesh) it" (Genesis
[Bereishit] 2:3 as meaning that the G-d of Israel wedded (kiddushin/betrothal)
the Sabbath (Shabbat) to His people.
On the
day of the wedding in the Biblical Jewish (house of Judah/Judaism)
ceremony, the bride is seen as a queen and the groom is seen as a king.
Therefore, "queen" and "bride" are two terms used to
describe the weekly Sabbath day (Talmud, Shabbat 119a). Since the
Sabbath (Shabbat) is seen as being a queen and a bride, it
represents the feminine element of creation.
In
traditional Judaism (house of Judah) the Sabbath (Shabbat)
is welcomed by the woman of the house when she lights two Sabbath
(Shabbat) candles. 8 When she lights the candles, she pronounces the
blessing:
"Blessed are you, O L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, who has hallowed [sanctified/consecrated/set apart] us by
your commandments [mitzvot] and commanded us to kindle the lamp." 9
Even as
it is traditional to light two Sabbath (Shabbat) candles, the
traditional Jewish (house of Judah) wedding ceremony will have
two witnesses. 10 These two witnesses are called the friends of the
bridegroom. The two candles which are lit are called the two witnesses.
There are
various interpretations of the meaning of lighting two candles. In one
interpretation, one candle will represent the Torah and the other candle
will represent the Prophets. Moses (Moshe) is personified by the
Torah and Elijah (Eliyahu) is personified by the Prophets.
Obedience (shema) to the Torah and the Prophets will sanctify
(consecrate, dedicated, set apart) and prepare the family of the G-d of
Israel to enter into the second stage of the traditional Jewish
(house of Judah) wedding ceremony when the marriage will be
consummated between the bridegroom (the G-d of Israel) and members from
the house of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel
(Christianity) who believe in the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus and have prepared themselves for the wedding by being
sanctified unto the G-d of Israel by keeping His commandments
(mitzvot). The Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
declared that the Torah and the Prophets were written to speak of Him.
In Luke 24:27, 44-47 it is written:
"
And
beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
[Yeshua/Jesus]expounded unto them in all the
Scriptures [TeNaKh]
the things concerning himself … and
he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms,
concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written,
and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day: and that repentance
[teshuvah]
and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
The
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus prayed that the
family of the G-d of Israel would be sanctified (consecrated, dedicated,
set apart) by keeping His commandments (mitzvot) and the Torah of
the G-d of Israel. In John (Yochanan) 14:15, 17:1-4, 17 it is
written:
"
If ye love
me, keep my commandments [mitzvot] … These words spake Jesus,
and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is
come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou
hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him.
And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent[shaliach].
I have glorified thee
on the earth:
I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do …
sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth."
When the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus prayed in John
(Yochanan) 17:17 that the family of the G-d of Israel would be
sanctified through the Word of G-d which He called truth, the Jewish
Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus was quoting Psalm
(Tehillim) 119:142 as it is written:
"
Thy
righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law
[TORAH]
is
THE TRUTH."
Therefore,
the two candles which are lit on the Sabbath (Shabbat) by the
woman of the house represents the Torah and the Prophets which speak
about the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus. Because
the Sabbath (Shabbat) is personified in traditional Jewish
(house of Judah) interpretation as being personified as a bride, the
two candles spiritually represent both the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus and the marriage of the bride of the Messiah to
Himself. In Revelation 19:7-9 it is written:
"
Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of
the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her
was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
[righteous acts/keeping of the
commandments/mitzvot and sanctification]
of saints
[the righteous/tzaddik]."
THE CANDLE IS THE LAMP OF G-D
The
candles which are lit on the Sabbath (Shabbat) by the woman
of the house are called lamps. When the woman pronounces the
blessing over the candles she says:
"Blessed are you, O L-rd our G-d … who has
commanded us to kindle the lamp."
The
Hebrew word for candle/lamp is the Strong’s word 5216 in the Hebrew
dictionary and is the Hebrew word, "Ner/Nerah." Candle/lamp/light
are very important spiritual pictures in the Bible of the Torah/Word of
G-d, keeping the commandments (mitzvot), the Gospel (basar/good
news), the spirit of man, the Messiah (Mashiach), the believers
in the Messiah (Mashiach), marriage and being wedded to the
Messiah (Mashiach).
The
Torah/Word of G-d is likened unto a candle/lamp. Psalm (Tehillim)
119:105 it is written:
"
Thy
word is a lamp
[5216]unto my feet,
and a light unto my path."
Keeping
the Torah and the commandments (mitzvot) of the G-d of Israel is
likened unto a candle/lamp/light. In Proverbs (Mishlei) 6:23 it
is written:
"
For
the
commandment is a lamp [5216]
and the law
[Torah]
is light;
and reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
The
Gospel (basar/good news) of the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus is light. In II Corinthians 4:3-4, 6 it is written:
"
But
if our gospel
[basar/good news]be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost
[have no light/candle/lamp]:
in whom the god of this world
[HaSatan/Satan/Lucifer who is called the angel of
light — II Corinthians 11:14]
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
[ner]
of the glorious
[kivod]
gospel
[basar/good news]
of Christ
[Mashiach],
who is the image of God, should shine
unto them … For God, who commanded the light
[ner]
to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light
[ner]
of the knowledge
[da’at]
of the glory
[kivod]
of God in the face of Jesus Christ
[Yeshua HaMashiach]."
The
spirit (heart) of man is the candle/lamp of the G-d of Israel. In
Proverbs (Mishlei) 20:27 it is written:
"
The
spirit of man is the
candle [5216]
of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly."
The
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus is the light of the
world. In John (Yochanan) 8:12, 12:35-36, 46 it is written:
"
Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life … Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the
light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come
upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he
goeth. While ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be
the children of light …
I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."
The lives
of the believers in the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus
are to shine as a candle. In Matthew (Mattityahu) 5:14-16 it is
written:
"
Ye are
the light of the world: A
city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it
giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine
before men,
that they may see your good works
[mitzvot],
and glorify your Father which is in
heaven."
The
candle/lamp is associated with the Jewish (house of Judah)
marriage. In Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 25:10 it is written:
"
Moreover
I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness,
the voice of the bridegroom,
and the voice of the bride,
the sound of the millstones, and
the light of the candle
[5216]."
In
Matthew (Mattityahu) 25:1-13, the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus compared His wedding to His bride like unto ten
virgins who took lamps to their wedding. In Matthew (Mattityahu)
25:1, it is written:
"
Then
shall the kingdom of heaven
[malkut shamayim]
be likened unto
ten virgins which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
In
traditional Jewish (house of Judah) thought, the city of
Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) is seen as the city of the bride. In
Revelation 21:2, 9-11, 23 it is written:
"
And
I John saw
the holy city, new Jerusalem
[Yerushalayim],
coming down from God out of heaven
[olam haba],
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
… and there came unto me one
of the seven angels … saying, come hither,
I will show thee the
bride, the Lamb’s wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit
to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the
holy Jerusalem
[Yerushalayim],
descending out of heaven [olam haba]
from God, having the glory
[kivod]
of God:
and
her light [ner]was like unto a stone
most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal … and the
city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory
[kivod]of God did
lighten it, and
the Lamb is the light
thereof."
THE TWO CANDLES REPRESENT
EPHRAIM AND JUDAH AND THEIR REUNITING
In
another interpretation of the symbolic meaning of lighting the two
candles for Sabbath (Shabbat), the one candle represents Judah,
the house of Judah (Judaism) and the other candle represents
Ephraim, the house of Israel, (Christianity) and the
marriage/reunification/restoration and reuniting that is prophesied to
take place in Ezekiel (Yechezekel) 37:15-16, 19 as it is written:
"
The
word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of
man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the
children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and
write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the
house of Israel his companions … Say unto them, thus saith the Lord
God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand
of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them
with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and
they shall be one in mine hand."
In the
traditional Jewish (house of Judah) prayers on the Sabbath
(Shabbat), prayers are said for the G-d of Israel to reunite and
restore the house of Judah with the house of Israel. The
house of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel
(Christianity) are the G-d of Israel’s two witnesses upon the earth.
THE SABBATH IS A BLUEPRINT OF
THE MESSIANIC AGE AND THE WORLD TO COME
In
traditional Jewish (house of Judah) thought, the Sabbath
(Shabbat) is a blueprint of the Messianic Age (Athid Lavo).
It is also a foretaste of the world to come (Olam Haba) (Genesis
R. xvii; Ber, 57b). The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a day which points
toward the future. It is a day of hope and anticipation of the Messianic
fulfillment which the Talmud describes as "Yom shekulo Shabbat,"
a time of eternal Shabbat. 11 (Mishnah Tamid 7.4, Talmud Rosh HaShanah
31a)
THE SABBATH IS THE DAY OF THE L-RD
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) is the day of the L-rd. In Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 58:13-14 it is written:
"
If
thou turn away thy foot from the
sabbath,
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath
a delight,
the holy of the Lord,
honorable; and shalt honor
him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor
speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the
Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob your father: for the
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
THE DAY OF THE L-RD IS A TITLE
FOR THE MESSIANIC AGE
The
day of the L-rd is a major theme in the Bible especially in the
writings of the prophets. The subject of the day of the L-rd in
the writings of the prophets mostly concerns the advent of the coming of
the Messiah (Mashiach), the judgment of the nations, the
tribulation period (Chevlai shel Mashiach/Ya’acov’s trouble) and
the Messianic age (Athid Lavo). Because the Sabbath (Shabbat)
is called the day of the L-rd (Isaiah [Yeshayahu]
58:13-14), it is therefore a foreshadowing of the Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo).
The term,
day of the L-rd, can be found in the following Scripture verses
(Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 2:12, 13:6, 9, Ezekiel [Yechezekel]
13:5, 30:3, Joel [Yo’el] 1:15, 2:1, 11, 3:14, Amos 5: 18, 20,
Obadiah 1:15, Zephaniah 1:7, 14, Zechariah 14:1, Malachi 4:5, I
Thessalonians 5:2, II Peter 3:10).
"
IN THAT DAY"
IS A JEWISH IDIOM
FOR THE DAY OF THE L-RD
The
day of the L-rd is often referred to in the writings of the prophets
with the shortened code form of "in that day." Actually, in
that day is a Jewish idiom for the day of the L-rd. In fact,
a major subject and theme of the book of Isaiah (Yeshayahu) are
the events that will be taking place during the time period known as
the day of the L-rd. In his writings, the prophet Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) most often uses the term "in that day" to refer
to the day of the L-rd. The term "in that day" can be found in
the following verses (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 2:11, 17, 20, 3:7, 18,
4:1-2, 5:30, 7:18, 21, 23, 10:20, 27, 11:10-11, 16, 12:1, 4, 17:4, 9,
19:16, 18-19, 21, 23-24, 20:6, 22:8, 12, 20, 25, 23:15, 24:21, 25:9,
26:1, 27:1-2, 12-13, 28:5, 29:18, 30:23, 25-26, 31:7, 52:6).
"
AT THAT TIME"
IS A JEWISH IDIOM
FOR THE DAY OF THE L-RD
There is
another Jewish idiom which refers to the day of the L-rd. The phrase
"at that time" is another code word (Jewish idiom) for the day of
the L-rd. The term, "at that time" can be found in the
following verses (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 18:7, Jeremiah
[Yerushalayim] 3:17, 4:11, 8:1, 31:1, 50:4, 20, Daniel 12:1, Joel
(Yo’el) 3:1, Zephaniah 1:12, 3:20).
THE BIBLICAL DAY BEGINS
IN THE EVENING AND ENDS IN THE MORNING
The
Biblical day begins in the evening and ends in the morning (Genesis
[Bereishit] 1:1,5,8,13,19,23,31). Likewise, the Sabbath (Shabbat)
begins in the evening and ends in the morning. Each of the seven days of
creation is a spiritual picture of 1,000 years of time. In Psalm
(Tehillim) 90:4 it is written:
"
For
a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past,
and as a watch in the night."
The
seventh day of creation, the Sabbath (Shabbat), is a spiritual
picture of the 1,000-year Messianic Age (Athid Lavo). The Apostle
(Shaliach) Peter (Kefa) associates the day of the L-rd to
the coming of the Messiah (Mashiach) and the Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo) in II Peter 3:7-10 it is written:
"
But
the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept
in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved,
be not ignorant
of this one thing,
that one day is with the
Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up."
THE SABBATH AND BIBLICAL PROPHECY
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) was given to us by the G-d of Israel to
understand end-time Bible prophecy because the Sabbath (Shabbat)
is a foreshadowing of the time known as the day of the L-rd or
the Messianic Age (Athid Lavo). Furthermore, the Biblical day
begins in the EVENING (a time of darkness) and ends in the MORNING (a
time of light). Therefore, is it possible that the day of the
L-rd or the 1,000-year Messianic Age (Athid Lavo) also begins in
the EVENING (the time of the seven year tribulation or birth pangs of
the Messiah (Chevlai shel Mashiach/Ya’acov’s trouble) and ends in
the MORNING (a time of light) or the remaining 993 years ???
In my
book, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, I explain that one of
the themes of Rosh HaShanah (the Feast of Trumpets ��� Leviticus
(Vayikra) 23:23-25) is HaMelech (the king). This is the
Biblical appointed time when the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus will be crowned King (Messiah ben David). Psalm
(Tehillim) 47 is a coronation psalm. This event happens in
Revelation 4-5.
After the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus has His coronation
ceremony, the events of the tribulation (Chevlai shel Mashiach/Ya’acov’s
trouble) and the judgment of the nations are described in Revelation
6-18. The return of the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
as the Kingly Messiah known as Messiah ben David when He sets His
feet down upon the mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) happens also in
Revelation 19. Because traditional corporate Christianity (house of
Israel) has not understood that the Sabbath (Shabbat) was
given by the G-d of Israel as a prophetic foreshadowing of the Messianic
Age (Athid Lavo) and by corporately rejecting that the Biblical
Sabbath (Shabbat) is the seventh day of the week and goes from
Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, is it possible that this has
darkened the understanding of traditional corporate Christianity
(house of Israel) regarding correctly interpreting the events
surrounding the coming of the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah ben David), the tribulation (Chevlai
shel Mashiach/Ya’acov’s trouble) and the Messianic Age (Athid
Lavo)???
TITLES FOR THE DAY OF THE L-RD
There are
many titles for the day of the L-rd. Some of these titles will
indicate a time of trial, trouble, tribulation and darkness (EVENING = a
time of darkness) while other titles will indicate a time of peace and
tranquility (MORNING = a time of light). Some of the titles of the
day of the L-rd that indicate trial, trouble, tribulation, wrath and
darkness are:
1) A day of visitation and desolation (Isaiah
10:3)
2) A day of fierce anger (Isaiah 13:13)
3) The day of grief and desperate sorrow
(Isaiah 17:11)
4) The day of trouble (Isaiah 22:5, Jeremiah
51:2, Zephaniah 1:14-15)
5) The day of the great slaughter (Isaiah
30:25)
6) The day of the Lord’s vengeance (Isaiah
34:8, 61:2, 63:4)
7) The day of His wrath (Zephaniah 1:15,18)
8) The day of darkness and gloominess (Joel
2:1-2, Zephaniah 1:14-15)
9) The day of clouds and thick darkness (Joel
2:1-2, Zephaniah 1:14-15)
10) The great and terrible day of the Lord
(Joel 2:31, Malachi 4:5)
11) The day of battle (Zechariah 14:3)
12) The day of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah
30:7, Daniel 12:1)
13) A day of desolation (Zephaniah 1:15)
14) A day of trumpet and alarm (Zephaniah
1:16)
15) The day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men (II Peter 3:7)
There are
other titles for the day of the L-rd which seem to indicate a
time of peace, rest, comfort, tranquility and victory. Some of the these
titles are:
1) A day the Lord gives you rest (Isaiah
14:3)
2) The day of the EAST wind (Isaiah 27:8)
3) The day of salvation (Isaiah 49:8)
4) A day of clouds (clouds refer to
believers) — (Ezekiel 30:3, Hebrews 12:1)
5) The day that I am glorified (Ezekiel
39:13)
6) The day of His preparation (Nahum 2:3)
7) The day when the Son of Man is revealed
(Luke 17:30)
8) The day of our Lord Jesus (I Corinthians
1:8, II Corinthians 1:14, Philippians 1:6)
9) The day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)
10) The day of Christ (Philippians 1:10,
2:16)
11) The day of G-d (II Peter 3:12)
After the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus returns to the
earth at His second coming as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah ben David),
there will be perpetual peace and harmony on the earth during the
Messianic Age (Athid Lavo). Some of the Scriptures which speak of
this time of peace (shalom) are:
1) The animals will be at peace with each
other and with mankind (Isaiah 11:6-8).
2) The farmland will be prosperous (Ezekiel
34:24-27).
3) G-d’s people shall dwell safely and
peacefully (Ezekiel 34:25, 28).
4) The whole world will be filled with the
knowledge of G-d (Isaiah 11:9, Jeremiah 31:33-34).
5) There will be peace and no wars (Isaiah
2:3-4, Micah 4:3).
6) The Torah will be taught from Jerusalem
(Isaiah 2:2-3, Micah 4:1-2).
7) There will be continual light on the earth
(Zechariah 14:6-8).
8) The Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus will be King over all the earth (Daniel
7:13-14,18,27, Zechariah 14:9, Revelation 2:27, 11:15, 12:5,
19:15-16).
So, the
day of the L-rd is described as being a time of trial, trouble,
tribulation, wrath and darkness and ends with a time of peace,
prosperity, dwelling safely, no wars, universal knowledge of the Torah
and the Messiah (Mashiach) and light. There is no contradiction
that the day of the L-rd is both darkness and light if we
understand the Sabbath (Shabbat) is a term for the day of the
L-rd and that each Biblical day begins in the evening and ends in
the morning.
Therefore,
it seems quite possible that the evening part of the day of the
L-rd and the first seven years of the 1,000-year Messianic Age (Athid
Lavo) is the tribulation or birth pangs of the Messiah (Chevlai
shel Mashiach/Ya’acov’s trouble) and the morning part of the day
of the L-rd is the last 993 years of the 1,000-year Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo) when the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus
who is called the day star (II Peter [Kefa] 1:19) and the bright
and morning star (Revelation 22:16) returns to the earth at His second
coming as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah ben David) and sets His
feet down on the mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
THE SABBATH WILL BE KEPT
FOR ALL ETERNITY
When the
G-d of Israel gave the Sabbath (Shabbat) to His people, He
proclaimed that it was to be an ETERNAL/EVERLASTING ordinance. In Exodus
(Shemot) 31:15-17 it is written:
"
Six
days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest,
holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he
shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall
keep the sabbath, to
observe the sabbath
throughout their
generations, for a
perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between me and
the children of Israel
forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on
the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."
The
Sabbath (Shabbat) will be kept during the days of the new heaven
and the new earth. In Revelation 21:1 it is written:
"
And
I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."
During
the days of the new heaven and the new earth, the G-d of Israel will
REQUIRE that ALL FLESH keep the Sabbath (Shabbat). In Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 66:22-23 it is written:
"
For
as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall
remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name
remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to
another, and
from one sabbath to another, shall
all flesh
come to worship before me, saith the
Lord."
In
conclusion, in order for full restoration to come to both the house
of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel (Christianity),
both houses of Israel need to come to a more fuller understanding and
application of the Biblical Sabbath (Shabbat) that the G-d of
Israel gave His people to celebrate on the seventh day of the week from
Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. For the house of Judah
(Judaism), they need to realize that the fullness of their Sabbath
(Shabbat) rest is in the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus.
For the house of Israel (Christianity), they need to understand
that the Biblical Sabbath (Shabbat) day is from Friday sundown to
Saturday sundown and that the G-d of Israel gave the Sabbath (Shabbat)
as an eternal covenant that is to be kept by His people forever.
Furthermore,
the house of Israel (Christianity) needs to understand that the
G-d of Israel gave the Sabbath (Shabbat) to His people to more
fully reveal His redemptive plan through the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus including the marriage of His bride, the prophetic
events regarding the second coming of the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus as the Kingly Messiah (Messiah ben David) and
the events surrounding His rule and reign during the Messianic Age (Athid
Lavo).
May the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)Yeshua/Jesus come speedily in
our days and set up His Messianic Kingdom bringing eternal peace
(shalom) and teaching the Torah to all nations from the city of
Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) so that both houses of Israel can abide
forever in the Sabbath (Shabbat) rest of the G-d of Israel. Amen
!!!
The Sabbath is a festival of YHVH. Non-Jews receive
a special blessing for observing the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a
remembrance of creation, redemption and restoration. The Sabbath is
linked to sanctification, holiness and marriage. The Sabbath is likened
to a Bride. The Sabbath will be celebrated during the Messianic Era and
during the time of the new heaven and the new earth. Yeshua is our
Sabbath rest.
In order
for full restoration to come to both the house of Judah (Judaism)
and the house of Israel (Christianity), both houses of Israel
need to come to a more fuller understanding and application of the
weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) rest that the G-d of Israel ordained in
the Bible that His people celebrate. The house of Judah (Judaism)
needs to realize that the fullness of their spiritual Sabbath
(Shabbat) rest is in the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus.
The house of Israel (Christianity) needs to repent (teshuvah)
and realize that the Biblical day of rest that the G-d of Israel gave to
His people is from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. In doing so, the
house of Israel (Christianity) needs to study the spiritual
significance of the weekly Sabbath (Shabbat) to learn that the
G-d of Israel gave His people the physical weekly Sabbath (Shabbat)
rest as a prophetic blueprint to understand in a greater degree His
redemptive plan to be accomplished through the Jewish Messiah
(Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus and the rule and reign of the Jewish
Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus during the Messianic Age
(Athid Lavo).