Biblical Sabbath
Encyclopedia
Sabbath
in the Bible
is usually a weekly day of rest
and time of worship
. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity
and informs a similar occasion in several other faiths. It is regarded as having been instituted as a "perpetual covenant
[for] the people of Israel" and proselytes .
In , Sabbath is affirmed as a perpetual sign and covenant
, and Sabbath-breakers
are to be cut off from the assembly or killed. In , lighting fire on Sabbath is forbidden.
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Based on one interpretation of Luke 23:52-56 Jesus died on Friday (the preparation day also Good Friday) and rested the next day on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Here some see no change in God's law, in fact his Jewish disciples are keeping the Sabbath. Based on Luke 23 the Sabbath was not nailed to the cross, as the Jewish disciples kept it after Jesus died on the cross.
as an historical origin of Sabbath-keeping.
Seventh-day Sabbatarians rest on the seventh Hebrew day. Jewish Shabbat
is observed from sundown on Friday
until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday
night; it is also observed by a minority of Christians. Thirty-nine activities prohibited on Shabbat are listed in Tractate Shabbat
(Talmud
). Customarily, Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candle
s shortly before sunset, at halakhically calculated times that change from week to week and from place to place. Shabbat ends approximately one hour after sunset by rabbinical ordinance to extend the Tanakh's sunset-to-sunset Sabbath into the first day of the week. The Jewish interpretation usually states that the New Covenant refers to the future Messianic Kingdom.
Several Christian denominations (such as Seventh Day Baptist
, Seventh-day Adventist, and Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
) observe Sabbath in similar manner as in Judaism, but observance ends at Saturday sunset instead of Saturday nightfall. Like the Jews with Shabbat, they believe that keeping seventh-day Sabbath is a moral responsibility, equal to that of any of the Ten Commandments
, that honors God as Creator and Deliverer. The Christian seventh-day interpretation usually states that Sabbath belongs inherently to all nations and remains part of the New Covenant after the crucifixion of Jesus
, Heb 8:10. Many seventh-day Sabbatarians also use "Lord's Day
" to mean the seventh day, based on Scriptures in which God calls the day "my Sabbath" and "to the " ).
The Seventh-day Adventist official 28 fundamental beliefs (at 20) state:
The Doctrinal Points of the Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
states:
s, the Seventh-day Adventist church in particular has traditionally taught that in the end time a coalition of religious and secular authorities will enfoce an international Sunday law; church pioneers saw observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as a "mark" or "seal" or test of God's people that seals them, even as those who do not observe Sunday rest will be persecuted and killed. Ellen G. White
interpreted , , , , and in this way, where the subject of persecution in prophecy is thought to be about Sabbath commandments.
First-day assembly generally states that because Jesus rose on Sunday, the Sabbath should be changed. Yet no scripture stating spells out or requires such a change. (Jesus stated "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."(Matthew 5:17-18).)
In Troas
the early believers in the Messiah met to break bread and to listen to preaching . Most English translations state that the day this meeting was held on the first day of the week; however, the Good News Bible translation states that they met on Saturday evening. Therefore, since there is a discrepancy in the English translation we must turn to the Greek text for Acts 20:7.
Looking at the Greek for Acts chapter twenty and verse seven we find the following: "ἐν δὲ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων συνηγμένων ἡμῶν κλάσαι ἄρτον ὁ Παῦλος διελέγετο αὐτοῖς μέλλων ἐξιέναι τῇ ἐπαύριον παρέτεινέν τε τὸν λόγον μέχρι μεσονυκτίου" . In Textus Receptus: Ἐν δὲ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων συνηγμένων τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ κλάσαι ἄρτον ὁ Παῦλος διελέγετο αὐτοῖς μέλλων ἐξιέναι τῇ ἐπαύριον παρέτεινέν τε τὸν λόγον μέχρι μεσονυκτίου . Even if you do not read Greek you can recognize the word: σαββάτων. Any English reader can read almost all letters of the word: αββάτ =aBBaT. One can easily add the understandings of the other Greek letters from Google translate: σ=S, ω=long O, v=N. With this information the Greek word in the text becomes even more obvious: Sabbaton, which bears a striking resemblance to the English word Sabbath and to the Spanish word Sábado; both which mean the seventh day of the week and the holy day of rest.
However, to fully understand the Biblical meaning of the Greek word σαββάτων (Sabbaton) it is needful to review every single time this word is used in the Greek New Testament . In doing so we find this word to be used 68 times in 62 verses. When translating the Greek text into English the translators chose to translate this word sometimes as Sabbath and sometimes as first day of the week. Why is it translated this way? The answer lies in understanding this Greek word σαββάτων (Sabbaton) was transliterated (borrowed) from Hebrew.
A look back at the Hebrew root word shows absolutely no confusion between the word for Sabbath: שַׁבָּת and the word for week: shabuwa: שָׁבוּעַ שָׁבו Sabbath in Hebrew is a root word carrying the meaning rest. The word for week in Hebrew שָׁבוּעַ shabuwa comes from a completely different root word: שבע derived from the cardinal number seven.
James Cardinal Gibbons, a Roman Catholic, states “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." The Roman Catholic church claims authority to change times and laws through papal infallibility. "For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible."
Sabbath
Sabbath in Christianity is a weekly day of rest or religious observance, derived from the Biblical Sabbath.Seventh-day Sabbath observance, i.e. resting from labor from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is practiced by seventh-day Sabbatarians...
in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
is usually a weekly day of rest
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
and time of worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity
Judaism and Christianity
Although Christianity and Judaism share historical roots in the Second Temple period, these two religions diverged profoundly in the first centuries CE. Christendom places emphasis on correct belief , focusing primarily on response to the New Covenant that the Christian Triune God made through Jesus...
and informs a similar occasion in several other faiths. It is regarded as having been instituted as a "perpetual covenant
Covenant (biblical)
A biblical covenant is an agreement found in the Bible between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. It is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith. It it is used in the Tanakh 286 times . All Abrahamic religions consider the Biblical covenant...
[for] the people of Israel" and proselytes .
Textual tradition
Law
- Book of Genesis: In , God creates the heavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
s and earth in six days (each day is defined as evening and morning) and restsLeisureLeisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
on the seventh day, which he thus confers with special status.So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in Creation. —
- Book of Exodus: In , immediately after the Exodus from Egypt, Sabbath is revealed as the day upon which mannaMannaManna or Manna wa Salwa , sometimes or archaically spelled mana, is the name of an edible substance that God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert according to the Bible.It was said to be sweet to the taste, like honey....
and manna gathering is to cease weekly; the first of many Sabbath commands is given, in both positive and negative forms.Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none .... Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day. —,
InRemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the your God. On it you shall not do any work .... For in six days the made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. —
In , Sabbath is affirmed as a perpetual sign and covenant
Covenant (biblical)
A biblical covenant is an agreement found in the Bible between God and His people in which God makes specific promises and demands. It is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith. It it is used in the Tanakh 286 times . All Abrahamic religions consider the Biblical covenant...
, and Sabbath-breakers
Sabbath breaking
Sabbath desecration is the failure to observe the Biblical Sabbath, and is usually considered a sin and a breach of a holy day in relation to Jewish Sabbath , the Sabbath in seventh-day churches, and in some other Christian traditions in relation to the Lord's Day, Sunday, traditionally seen as the...
are to be cut off from the assembly or killed. In , lighting fire on Sabbath is forbidden.
- Book of Leviticus: In , Yom KippurYom KippurYom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
is stated to be "Sabbath of Sabbaths". In , many of the Ten Commandments are repeated, including Sabbath . In , weekly Sabbath, new moonNew moonIn astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
, and seven annual High SabbathsHigh SabbathsThe term High Sabbaths is used by some Christians to refer to the Jewish High Holy Days. There are seven annual Biblical festivals specified in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy.-Biblical rest days:...
(which do not necessarily occur on weekly Sabbath) are defined. One High Sabbath, Day of AtonementDay of AtonementDay of Atonement may refer to:*Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement* Day of Atonement , a national day established in 1995 by the Nation of Islam...
, is specifically defined as occurring from the evening of the prior day until the following evening. In , the showbreadShowbreadShowbread , in the King James Version: shewbread, in a biblical or Jewish context, refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present on a specially dedicated table, in the Temple in Jerusalem as an offering to God...
is to be laid out in the tabernacleTabernacleThe Tabernacle , according to the Hebrew Torah/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built to specifications revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, it accompanied the Israelites...
every Sabbath. In , Shmita is given as a year of rest for land every seven years. In , , , Sabbath is again enjoined, and Moses warns of the curse that if Israel disobeys, it will go into exile while the land enjoys Sabbaths denied to it during the time of rebellion. - Book of NumbersBook of NumbersThe Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
: In , a man gathering firewood on Sabbath is put to death; the potential punishment for desecrating SabbathSabbath breakingSabbath desecration is the failure to observe the Biblical Sabbath, and is usually considered a sin and a breach of a holy day in relation to Jewish Sabbath , the Sabbath in seventh-day churches, and in some other Christian traditions in relation to the Lord's Day, Sunday, traditionally seen as the...
(stoning) is the most severe in Jewish law. In , the offeringsKorbanThe term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
for Sabbath, new moons, and High Sabbaths are enjoined.
- Book of Deuteronomy: In
Prophets
- 2 Kings: In , when ElishaElishaElisha is a prophet mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, Eliseus via Greek and Latin, or Alyasa via Arabic.-Biblical biography:...
's patroness goes away suddenly to seek him, her husband questions why, since it was neither new moon nor Sabbath. In , JoashJehoash of JudahJehoash or Joas , sometimes written Joash or Joás , was the eighth king of the southern Kingdom of Judah, and the sole surviving son of Ahaziah. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba ....
becomes king, protected from usurper AthaliahAthaliahAthaliah was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for six years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842–837 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele's dates, as taken from the third edition of his magnum opus, were 842/841 to 836/835 BC...
by the additional troops present for changing of duty on Sabbath. In , the colonnade built for Sabbath use and its royal entranceway are removed from the temple by King AhazAhazAhaz was king of Judah, and the son and successor of Jotham. He is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew....
. - Book of IsaiahBook of IsaiahThe Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
: In and , Isaiah commends honoring the holiness of Sabbath, rather than using it to go one's own way or to do idly as one pleases. In - Book of JeremiahBook of JeremiahThe Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
: In , Jeremiah declaims against carrying burdens out of houses or out of the city gates on Sabbath, as was commonly done by merchants in his day. Jeremiah also prophesies that Israel will be a desolation for seventy years , interpreted later as land Sabbaths as also prophesied by Moses. - Book of EzekielBook of EzekielThe Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
: In , Ezekiel records God's giving of laws, precepts, and Sabbaths, and Israel's rejecting them; Sabbaths are explicitly called a sign between God and Israel. In , , , he states that Israel has profaned and hidden its eyes from Sabbath. In , Ezekiel foresees a Messianic Temple, in which the priests keep Sabbath as truly holy. In , , he sees the east gate shut on the "six working days" and open on Sabbath and new moon, and a prince making burnt offerings on those festivals as well. - Book of HoseaBook of HoseaThe Book of Hosea is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It stands first in order among what are known as the twelve Minor Prophets.-Background and Content:...
: In - Book of AmosBook of AmosThe Book of Amos is a prophetic book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets. Amos, an older contemporary of Hosea and Isaiah, was active c. 750 BCE during the reign of Jeroboam II, making the Book of Amos the first biblical prophetic book written. Amos lived in the kingdom of Judah...
: In , Amos objects to those who inquire when Sabbath or new moon will be over so that marketing can begin again, classifying this practice as comparable to that of dishonest weights.
Writings
- Book of Psalms: is a song specifically for Sabbath.
- Book of LamentationsBook of LamentationsThe Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
: In , Israel's enemies gloat over its "cessation" (mishbath), after the destruction of the first temple. In , this destruction and Israel's rejection is linked to Israel forgetting its appointed times and Sabbaths. - Book of NehemiahBook of NehemiahThe Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible. Told largely in the form of a first-person memoir, it concerns the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by Nehemiah, a Jew who is a high official at the Persian court, and the dedication of the city and its people to God's laws...
: In , the Levites, who have called a public fast, thank God for Sabbath, the mitzvoth (commandments), and the Torah. In , the people respond by swearing not to buy on Sabbath or holy day. In , Nehemiah observes many kinds of business transacted on Sabbath, rejects it as profanation, locks the city gates for the whole of Sabbath and has them guarded, and threatens force against merchants who spend the night outside. - 1 Chronicles: In , the task of preparing Sabbath showbread is shown to have been assigned to kinsmen of KorahKorahKorah or Kórach Some older English translations, as well as the Douay Bible), spell the name Core, and many Eastern European translations have Korak...
from the clan of KohathKohathAccording to the Torah, Kohath was one of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Kohathites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in Biblical times; in some apocryphal texts such as the Testament of Levi, and the Book of Jubilees, Levi's wife, Kohath's mother, is named as...
. In , King David assigns Levites to stand and sing thanks and praise whenever the burnt offerings are given for Sabbath, new moon, and the other designated days. - 2 Chronicles: In (2:3, Hebrew) and , Solomon dedicates the first temple for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual offerings. In , JoashJehoash of JudahJehoash or Joas , sometimes written Joash or Joás , was the eighth king of the southern Kingdom of Judah, and the sole surviving son of Ahaziah. His mother was Zibiah of Beersheba ....
becomes king, protected from usurper AthaliahAthaliahAthaliah was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for six years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842–837 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele's dates, as taken from the third edition of his magnum opus, were 842/841 to 836/835 BC...
by the additional troops present for changing of duty on Sabbath. In , HezekiahHezekiahHezekiah was the son of Ahaz and the 14th king of Judah. Edwin Thiele has concluded that his reign was between c. 715 and 686 BC. He is also one of the most prominent kings of Judah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible....
rededicates the same offerings as Solomon. In the last chapter of the Tanakh in Hebrew order (at ), the prophecies of Moses and Jeremiah are combined as having been fulfilled in seventy years of captivity in BabylonBabylonBabylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
, during which the land kept its Sabbaths.
Gospels
- Exorcism in Capernaum : Jesus makes a practice of teaching in the CapernaumCapernaumCapernaum was a fishing village in the time of the Hasmoneans. Located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other...
synagogue on Sabbath. One Sabbath he exorcises an unclean spiritUnclean spiritIn English translations of the Bible, unclean spirit is a common rendering of Greek pneuma akatharton , which in its single occurrence in the Septuagint translates Hebrew ....
, and also heals Peter's wife's mother. - Lord of the SabbathLord of the SabbathThe Lord of the Sabbath is an episode in the life of Jesus that appears in all three Synoptic Gospels, , and . It relates an encounter between Jesus, his Apostles and the Pharisees and is the first of the "four Sabbath controversies"....
: When his disciples pick heads of wheat and eat them, Jesus tells objectors that, because Sabbath was made for man, the Son of ManSon of manThe phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self. The phrase is also used in Judaism and Christianity. The phrase used in the Greek, translated as Son of man is ὁ υἱὸς τοὺ ἀνθρώπου...
is Lord of the Sabbath. Sabbatarians believe that Sabbath-keeping is central to following Christ, and that he highly regarded Sabbath, while non-Sabbatarians believe that Christ has power to abrogateAbrogation of Old Covenant lawsWhile many Christian theology systems reflect the view that at least some Mosaic laws have been set aside under the New Covenant, there are some theology systems that view the entire Mosaic or Old Covenant as abrogated in that all of the Mosaic laws are set aside for the Law of Christ...
Sabbath, and that he reinterpreted it nonritually. - Healing of the Withered Hand : Knowing he is being watched, Jesus heals a man who had a withered hand, arguing that doing good and saving life is permitted and right on Sabbath. "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. Jesus said this. It was "made" in the Garden of Eden before it was "written" down on Mount Sinai. The Sabbath was "made" for "man," not just Jews.
- Rejection of JesusRejection of JesusThe Canonical Gospels of the New Testament include some accounts of the rejection of Jesus in the course of his ministry. Judaism's view of Jesus, Jesus in Islam, and the view of the Historical Jesus all differ from Christian views of Jesus.-Hometown rejection:...
: As is his custom, Jesus attends the NazarethNazarethNazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
synagogue on Sabbath and stands to readLectionA lection is a reading, in this context, from Scripture.The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on the Sabbath day was a very ancient one. The addition of lections from the prophetic books had been made afterwards and was in existence at the time of Jesus, as may be gathered...
. He preaches against skeptical demands for miracles and states that he is rejected there in his hometown. - Events unique to JohnGospel of JohnThe Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
: In - Events unique to LukeGospel of LukeThe Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
: In , Jesus heals a woman who had been bent over double for 18 years, arguing that setting her free is equivalent to permitted Sabbath activity of loosing one's animals to water them. In , Jesus heals a man with dropsy (swollen with fluid), arguing that this is equivalent to permitted Sabbath activity of rescuing an animal from a well. - Olivet DiscourseOlivet discourseThe Olivet discourse or Olivet prophecy is a biblical passage found in the Synoptic Gospels of Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21. It is known as the "Little Apocalypse" because it includes Jesus' descriptions of the end times, the use of apocalyptic language, and Jesus' warning to his followers that...
, unique to MatthewGospel of MatthewThe Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
: In , describing apocalypses to come, Jesus requests prayer that the coming time, when Judah must escape to the hills, not occur in winter or on Sabbath. Sabbatarians believe that Jesus based on this text expected Sabbath to be kept after his death; non-Sabbatarians believe this is an allegorical reference to generic worship days. - Crucifixion of JesusCrucifixion of JesusThe crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
: Some Christians believe that Jesus died on a Friday (called Good Friday) and rose on a Sunday. It's often referred to as Easter Sunday. The Bible says that after Jesus was crucified the following happened....
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.~ Luke 23:52-24:1-2
Based on one interpretation of Luke 23:52-56 Jesus died on Friday (the preparation day also Good Friday) and rested the next day on the Sabbath according to the commandment. Here some see no change in God's law, in fact his Jewish disciples are keeping the Sabbath. Based on Luke 23 the Sabbath was not nailed to the cross, as the Jewish disciples kept it after Jesus died on the cross.
Epistles
- Book of Acts 1-18: In , the distance from the Mount of OlivesMount of OlivesThe Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
to Jerusalem is called "Sabbath journey", the distance permitted to be walked on Sabbath. In , , , and , as is his custom, Paul preaches on Sabbath to communal gatherings of Jewish and Gentile Christians, usually in synagogue, in Pisidian Antioch, PhilippiPhilippiPhilippi was a city in eastern Macedonia, established by Philip II in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest...
, Thessalonica, and CorinthCorinthCorinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
. Luke traveled with Paul and wrote, "On the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side." Acts 16:13. It was the seventh-day Sabbath, the memorial of the creation (see Ex. 20:11). Both Luke and Paul affirmed the seventh-day (Saturday) to be the Sabbath. - Colossians: In : Refers only to the sabbaths which were "a shadow of things to come" and not to the seventh-day Sabbath. There were seven yearly holy days, or holidays, in ancient Israel which were also called sabbaths. These were in addition to, or "beside the sabbaths of the Lord" (Leviticus 23:38), or seventh-day Sabbath. These all foreshadowed, or pointed to, the cross and ended at the cross. God's seventh-day Sabbath was made before sin entered, and therefore could foreshadow nothing about deliverance from sin. That's why Colossians chapter 2 differentiates and specifically mentions the sabbaths that were "a shadow." These seven yearly sabbaths which were abolished are listed in Leviticus chapter 23. Jesus said "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18)
- Book of Hebrews: In "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." (Hebrews 4:4) "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9) The word rest in verse 9 is sabbatismos (σαββατισμός) which translates as "a keeping sabbath". So the verse literally translates "There remains therefore a keeping of Sabbath for the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9)
Origins
Brueggemann emphasises the ExodusThe Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
as an historical origin of Sabbath-keeping.
Seventh day
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
is observed from sundown on Friday
Friday
Friday is the day between Thursday and Saturday. In countries adopting Monday-first conventions as recommended by the international standard ISO 8601, it is the fifth day of the week. It is the sixth day in countries that adopt a Sunday-first convention as in Abrahamic tradition...
until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
night; it is also observed by a minority of Christians. Thirty-nine activities prohibited on Shabbat are listed in Tractate Shabbat
Shabbat (Talmud)
Shabbat is first tractate in the Order of Moed, of the Mishnah and Talmud. The tractate consists of 24 chapters.The tractate primarily deals with laws relating to Shabbat , and the activities prohibited on Shabbat and distinguishes between Biblical prohibitions and Rabbinic prohibitions...
(Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
). Customarily, Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s shortly before sunset, at halakhically calculated times that change from week to week and from place to place. Shabbat ends approximately one hour after sunset by rabbinical ordinance to extend the Tanakh's sunset-to-sunset Sabbath into the first day of the week. The Jewish interpretation usually states that the New Covenant refers to the future Messianic Kingdom.
Several Christian denominations (such as Seventh Day Baptist
Seventh Day Baptist
Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who observe Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week in accord with their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition...
, Seventh-day Adventist, and Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
The Church of God – Salem Conference is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination. The Church of God observes the seventh-day Sabbath, which is ) the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition.-History:...
) observe Sabbath in similar manner as in Judaism, but observance ends at Saturday sunset instead of Saturday nightfall. Like the Jews with Shabbat, they believe that keeping seventh-day Sabbath is a moral responsibility, equal to that of any of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, that honors God as Creator and Deliverer. The Christian seventh-day interpretation usually states that Sabbath belongs inherently to all nations and remains part of the New Covenant after the crucifixion of Jesus
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
, Heb 8:10. Many seventh-day Sabbatarians also use "Lord's Day
Lord's Day
Lord's Day is a Christian name for Sunday, the day of communal worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament to have been witnessed alive from the dead early on the first day of...
" to mean the seventh day, based on Scriptures in which God calls the day "my Sabbath" and "to the " ).
The Seventh-day Adventist official 28 fundamental beliefs (at 20) state:
The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom. The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Matt. 12:1-12; Ex. 31:13-17; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut. 5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32.)
The Doctrinal Points of the Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
The Church of God – Salem Conference is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination. The Church of God observes the seventh-day Sabbath, which is ) the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition.-History:...
states:
Sunday law
Noticing the rise of blue lawBlue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
s, the Seventh-day Adventist church in particular has traditionally taught that in the end time a coalition of religious and secular authorities will enfoce an international Sunday law; church pioneers saw observance of the seventh-day Sabbath as a "mark" or "seal" or test of God's people that seals them, even as those who do not observe Sunday rest will be persecuted and killed. Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
interpreted , , , , and in this way, where the subject of persecution in prophecy is thought to be about Sabbath commandments.
Sabbath New Testament Assemblies
Various New Testament texts offer insight into Sabbath observance in Christianity. "And he (Paul) reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks."(Acts 18:4) Sabbatarians note that the writer of the book of Acts still saw the seventh day Sabbath as the official Sabbath day for it is clearly stated through the book of Acts. Additional texts include "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God." (Acts 13:44) "But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down." (Acts 13:14) "For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him."(Acts 13:27) The apostle John also saw the Seventh day Sabbath as the Sabbath when He wrote the book of John "Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes." "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." (John 9:14, 19:31).First-day assembly generally states that because Jesus rose on Sunday, the Sabbath should be changed. Yet no scripture stating spells out or requires such a change. (Jesus stated "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."(Matthew 5:17-18).)
In Troas
Troas
The Troad, also known as Troas, is the historical name of the Biga peninsula in the northwestern part of Anatolia, Turkey. This region now is part of the Çanakkale province of Turkey...
the early believers in the Messiah met to break bread and to listen to preaching . Most English translations state that the day this meeting was held on the first day of the week; however, the Good News Bible translation states that they met on Saturday evening. Therefore, since there is a discrepancy in the English translation we must turn to the Greek text for Acts 20:7.
Looking at the Greek for Acts chapter twenty and verse seven we find the following: "ἐν δὲ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων συνηγμένων ἡμῶν κλάσαι ἄρτον ὁ Παῦλος διελέγετο αὐτοῖς μέλλων ἐξιέναι τῇ ἐπαύριον παρέτεινέν τε τὸν λόγον μέχρι μεσονυκτίου" . In Textus Receptus: Ἐν δὲ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων συνηγμένων τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ κλάσαι ἄρτον ὁ Παῦλος διελέγετο αὐτοῖς μέλλων ἐξιέναι τῇ ἐπαύριον παρέτεινέν τε τὸν λόγον μέχρι μεσονυκτίου . Even if you do not read Greek you can recognize the word: σαββάτων. Any English reader can read almost all letters of the word: αββάτ =aBBaT. One can easily add the understandings of the other Greek letters from Google translate: σ=S, ω=long O, v=N. With this information the Greek word in the text becomes even more obvious: Sabbaton, which bears a striking resemblance to the English word Sabbath and to the Spanish word Sábado; both which mean the seventh day of the week and the holy day of rest.
However, to fully understand the Biblical meaning of the Greek word σαββάτων (Sabbaton) it is needful to review every single time this word is used in the Greek New Testament . In doing so we find this word to be used 68 times in 62 verses. When translating the Greek text into English the translators chose to translate this word sometimes as Sabbath and sometimes as first day of the week. Why is it translated this way? The answer lies in understanding this Greek word σαββάτων (Sabbaton) was transliterated (borrowed) from Hebrew.
A look back at the Hebrew root word shows absolutely no confusion between the word for Sabbath: שַׁבָּת and the word for week: shabuwa: שָׁבוּעַ שָׁבו Sabbath in Hebrew is a root word carrying the meaning rest. The word for week in Hebrew שָׁבוּעַ shabuwa comes from a completely different root word: שבע derived from the cardinal number seven.
James Cardinal Gibbons, a Roman Catholic, states “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." The Roman Catholic church claims authority to change times and laws through papal infallibility. "For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the [Roman Catholic] church outside the Bible."
See also
- Sabbath in Judaism
- Sabbath in Christianity
- Sabbath in seventh-day churches
- Remember the Sabbath and keep it holyRemember the Sabbath and keep it holyRemember the Sabbath and keep it holy is one of the Ten Commandments, which are widely understood as moral imperatives by Jewish, Catholic, Reformation and legal scholars. The book of Exodus describes the Ten Commandments as being spoken by God, inscribed on two stone tablets by the finger of God,...