This is proof that the Sabbath is for Christians too.

[lostwanderingsoul]

It is interesting that you say there is no mention in Genesis about how long each day was and yet it clearly says an evening and a morning. It sounds like one are doing all you can to prove the Bible does not mean what it says. And again why would Jesus say "if you love me keep the commandments"? It seems like everyone has some explanation as to why He did not really mean it. I would never describe my grandfather"s day as an evening and a morning. Noah"s day was certainly not described as an evening and a morning. I also see no reason why people should not observe all of the annual Sabbaths that God started (and by the way said that they should be observed forever) So the Bible makes clear statements and people see them through their cloudy glasses and decide they do not mean what they say. There is no reason why you cannot love your fellow man and still keep God's eternal commandments, including the Sabbath

 

[james2ko]

By Scriptural authority we can see the Constitution of the Mosaic Law with its Sabbath's keepings was ' blotted out ' according to Colossians 2:14-16.

1. Verse 14 was covered in point 1 of my last post (#18). Context is key to rightly dividing the rest of the passages. The Colossians at the time Paul penned the letter were all uncircumcised gentiles (Col 2:13). As one can imagine, Gentile converts who forsook their pagan religion and worship of Greek gods and goddesses were subject to ridicule and judgment.

When the Colossians converted, they abandoned their past pagan religious practices, forsook the idol temples, and ceased to participate in pagan religious festivals and days of worship. Instead, they observed the seventh-day weekly Sabbath; as Paul taught the gentiles (Act 13:42-44), and were faithful to the holy days and festivals of the true God (1 Co 5:8). This caused those outside the church to make judgments against the Colossian brethren for having abandoned their ascetic, gnostic philosophy (Co 2:21).

With this backdrop, we can rightly divide the passages:

Col:16-17 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the body [is] of Christ.​

In the KJV version and other versions, the verb "is" is italicized which indicates it was not in the original Greek: If it was correctly translated, verse 17 should read: "Which are a shadow of things to come but the body of Christ!"

If we read it in context with verse 16, the exegesis becomes very clear. Here's an accurate paraphrase: "

"Don't let others judge you on what you should eat, drink, and which sabbaths and festivals you should keep, which are a shadow of things to come [The Festivals or Holy Days picture God's plan of salvation] but only allow the body of Christ [church] to judge you on how to observe these things."​

Under the Law people were commanded to observe more than a weekly Sabbath. A system of Sabbaths:- Leviticus 16:29-31; Leviticus 23:4-8; Leviticus 25:4; Leviticus 25:11; Numbers 28:26. So, if one wants to keep the Sabbath keeping law shouldn't one then observe all of them ?

2. That's correct. I try to the best of my ability to observe all of the days mentioned in Leviticus and Numbers. I am not a farmer so I cannot observe the land rest. The whole world will keep the sabbath and holy days when Christ returns (Isa 56:6; Zec 14:16). It is not only biblical but logical that His followers should be keeping these days today, as the resurrected saints will be teaching everyone how to observe these days (Isa 30:20-21).

Who is the ' end of the Law ' according to Romans 10:4 ?

3. It cannot be referring to the end of the 10 commandments. That would allow a Christian to lie, steal, commit adultery, worship idols, work on the sabbath and still be in good standing with God.

The Greek term for "end" [telos-G5056] has several connotations. One in particular means to set out for a definite point or goal. The same word is used in Jam 5:11 which reads "...and have seen the 'end' [telos] of the Lord---that is the aim, purpose, or goal. It certainly cant mean the termination of the Lord for He is immortal. God's law, the ten commandments, is spiritual and hence immortal/eternal.

The very next verse (Rom 10:5) Paul quotes Lev 18:5 telling us the very opposite of your interpretation of vs 4!--"The man who does those things [keeps the law ] shall live by them." Rom 10:4 reveals the law of God expresses God's character. It is the "end" [telos] in that its goal and purpose is to lead us into righteousness.

The "New" commandment Jesus gave us at John 13:34-35 is to have the same self-sacrificing love for others as Jesus had.
That would be the identifying mark, or hallmark, to identifying Christians Not Sabbath keeping.

4. That was not a "new" commandment in the sense that it somehow eliminates everything else. For we see the underlying principle of the same "commandment" in the OT (Lev 19:8). It was new in the sense that we are to love our neighbor enough to die for them. But this command only covers the second "great" commandment--love your neighbor as yourself (Mat 22:36-40).

He also wants us to show love toward Him by keeping the first great commandment--Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, which summarize the last four commandments. We show love toward God by refraining from idolatry, not taking His name in vain, and keeping the Sabbath.

Indicating His people are identified by the keeping of all 10 commandments--not nine.

 

[Ken Brown]

Lostwanderingsoul,
In Genesis 2:3,the Bible tells us that God blessed the seventh day, and made it sacred, or Holy, because on it He rested from all the work that He had created.
God did not make this statement a law for man. The reason is; God did not mean for men to die, He wanted them to live forever. God told His purpose at Genesis 1:26-28, to multiply and fill the earth and have in subjection all the animals. This would take a long time!,
Here is the problem with making the sabbath A holy day. The seventh day is still the seventh day, we are living in that seventh day, today. Notice that all the other creative days had an end but not the seventh day. If we did as you say we would, of necessity hold every day sacred.
You see, God did not want man to disobey Him, and die.
After Adam sinned against God, God made a way to save Adam's offspring. Only later, with the instituting of the Mosaic Law Covenant, did God make the Sabbath a mandatory celebration, Exodus 20:8-11.
There is no place in Genesis where God told Adam to celebrate the Sabbath, because all his life he was living on the Sabbath, or seventh day.
Later God made men to recognize a seven day, 24 hours a day, week, and gave them the seventh day to rest from their work, from the six days.
The days of God's creative week were thousands of years, each. The seventh day in that week would, more than likely be of the same length.
Because we can determine that we are living in the last days of this last day, with the last period of this last day to be the Thousand Year Judgement Day, each of the creative days must have been 7,000 years long. When the Judgement day is over, that will end the creative week and we will celebrate the Jubilee, Leviticus 25:8-17. The Jubilee will be, for us the paradise earth that is called, in the scriptures, The New Heavens and The New Earth, Revelation 21:1-7.

Shalom Josh, again, I like how you will quote Scripture. Have you considered what IS the "work" of sinful man (Romans 7:5)? Anyone who sins is a SLAVE or SERVANT of sin (John 8:34), and SIN is their WORK. Now, IF Elohim requires that we REST for our WORK on the Sabbath, what is He REALLY telling us? You state: "The days of God's creative week were thousands of years, each." And that I agree with that. Each day of the week represents or corresponds to 1000 years. So the 7th day is 1000 years, and this DAY is called "The Day of Yahweh," and if one desires to OBEY Him, they will be RESTING from the work of SIN on that DAY. Does that make any sense at all to you? Blessings in The Name, ImAHebrew.

 

[lostwanderingsoul]

What part of "the evening and the morning were the first day" makes it sound like a thousand years. It clearly sounds like a 24 hour day to me. If I tell someone I am going away for an evening and a morning they surely would not expect me to be gone a thousand years. This is another attempt by people to take a clear statement of the Bible and try to twist it to mean something else. Why can't people just admit that God worked six days and rested on the seventh and He wants people to do the same? That seems to be the clear message of the Bible.

 

[McBell]

What part of "the evening and the morning were the first day" makes it sound like a thousand years. It clearly sounds like a 24 hour day to me. If I tell someone I am going away for an evening and a morning they surely would not expect me to be gone a thousand years. This is another attempt by people to take a clear statement of the Bible and try to twist it to mean something else. Why can't people just admit that God worked six days and rested on the seventh and He wants people to do the same? That seems to be the clear message of the Bible.

Ever been to Alaska?

As the song goes:

"I knew I could be back by morning 'cause the nights are six months long"​

 

[james2ko]

Gen 2:3. "In it [the seventh day] He had rested [Shabath-שׁבת] " The verb is in the qal perfect tense meaning the action has been completed. He blessed the sabbath AFTER He had rested on it.

Heb 4:4. "God did rest the seventh day from all His works." Not "is resting".

Furthermore, if the seventh day has not ended, God should still be resting. Yet scripture indicates He is busy at work:

Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." See also Jer 50:25; Exo 32:16; Jos 24:31.​

For all who believe the days of Genesis were epoch's of time, not only is the scriptural evidence in support of the literal 24hr day, but there is also scientific evidence the creation days were literal 24 hour periods of time and not 1,000 years.

Notice how God followed the laws of science during the creation/renovation week. At dawn the first day, light penetrated the dense clouds. As it grew warmer the clouds rose the second day and an expanse or heaven was formed, the one in which the birds fly. Thus the waters on the earth were separated from the water-laden clouds above. The ocean receded, dry land appeared and grass and herbs were planted the third day. A mist watered them and as the fourth day progressed the sun became visible through the thinning clouds. Toward the evening the moon and stars appeared. Birds and sea life were created the fifth day, the land animals with Adam and Eve the sixth, and a day of rest and worship for the man the seventh.

Consider the plants which were created on the third day. The sun did not appear until the next day. If these "days" were each 1000 years long then these plants would have had to survive 1000 years without sunshine! Or consider this, plants were made the third day, insects on the sixth. How did certain specialized plants continue to exist 3,000 years without their insect partners to pollinate them?

 

[Ken Brown]

Shabbat Shalom lostwanderingsoul, Mestemia, and james2ko, thank you all for your comments. I believe I may have given the wrong impression that I believe that each day was not 24 hours when Elohim, in moving/sending forth His Spirit (Genesis 1:2) RENEWED the face of the earth (Psalms 104:30). The earth, sun, moon and stars all existed prior to this "renewal," at the BEGINNING (Genesis 1:1), and as far as I believe, each day of this "renewal" lasted 24 hours, BUT, those 24 hour days only reflect or shadow the True Spiritual "renewal" process that has each day as a 1000 years (Psalms 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). We are close IN the True Spiritual "renewal" process to the beginning of the 7th Day, the Shabbat, where Elohim will rest for 1000 years from the WORK that He has been doing the last 6000 years (John 5:17). Now, Elohim's work is different (John 6:29) from the work of man, for man does the work of their father (John 8:41, John 8:44). Those who perform that work (iniquity/sin) will depart from Elohim (Psalms 6:8, Luke 13:27), as they refuse to rest from THAT work (iniquity/sin), and they will not be allowed to enter His rest (Hebrews 3:11-12) on the 7th Day Shabbat, the Day of Yahweh (Isaiah 58:13-14). This Shabbat Day is when Satan will be bound a 1000 years, and the Saints will be raised up to reign with Messiah during that 7th Day Shabbat (Revelation 20:2-7). They will come INTO Elohim's rest/Shabbat, and be with Yahweh/Yeshua on His Day (Philippians 1:6, Philippians 1:10, Matthew 12:8), as they have FLED from their sin PRIOR to Shabbat (Matthew 24:20).

I just wanted to clarify this a little better. Blessings in The Name, ImAHebrew.

P.S. And yes Mestemia (I know you meant your comment for lostwanderingsoul), I have been to Alaska, and I have lived in Alaska, and even though days and nights can be extremely short or long, the Shabbat still goes from the setting of the sun at the end of the 6th day, to the setting of the sun at the end of the 7th day, thus making it 24 hours long. But if you do go a little further north, to the arctic circle, or way south to Antarctica, or even to Svalbard, Norway, you can find times where the sun never sets, nor rises. This phenomenon also has a Spiritual meaning.

 

[james2ko]

Shabbat Shalom lostwanderingsoul, Mestemia, and james2ko, thank you all for your comments. I believe I may have given the wrong impression that I believe that each day was not 24 hours when Elohim, in moving/sending forth His Spirit (Genesis 1:2) RENEWED the face of the earth (Psalms 104:30). The earth, sun, moon and stars all existed prior to this "renewal," at the BEGINNING (Genesis 1:1), and as far as I believe, each day of this "renewal" lasted 24 hours, BUT, those 24 hour days only reflect or shadow the True Spiritual "renewal" process that has each day as a 1000 years (Psalms 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). We are close IN the True Spiritual "renewal" process to the beginning of the 7th Day, the Shabbat, where Elohim will rest for 1000 years from the WORK that He has been doing the last 6000 years (John 5:17). Now, Elohim's work is different (John 6:29) from the work of man, for man does the work of their father (John 8:41, John 8:44). Those who perform that work (iniquity/sin) will depart from Elohim (Psalms 6:8, Luke 13:27), as they refuse to rest from THAT work (iniquity/sin), and they will not be allowed to enter His rest (Hebrews 3:11-12) on the 7th Day Shabbat, the Day of Yahweh (Isaiah 58:13-14). This Shabbat Day is when Satan will be bound a 1000 years, and the Saints will be raised up to reign with Messiah during that 7th Day Shabbat (Revelation 20:2-7). They will come INTO Elohim's rest/Shabbat, and be with Yahweh/Yeshua on His Day (Philippians 1:6, Philippians 1:10, Matthew 12:8), as they have FLED from their sin PRIOR to Shabbat (Matthew 24:20).

I just wanted to clarify this a little better. Blessings in The Name, ImAHebrew.

I also agree with the underlying symbolism of the 1,000 yr=a day theory. BTW..I recently found out ImAHebrew too

 

[Ken Brown]

I also agree with the underlying symbolism of the 1,000 yr=a day theory. BTW..I recently found out ImAHebrew too

Shalom james2ko, thank you for replying, and it is good to know that you recognize the symbolism, as it can teach so many things. Blessings in The Name, ImAHebrew.