| Author | Message | ||
| Jtree |
The great memorial day of the gospel seems to have been clearly prefigured in the law of shadows. 1. The Feast of Harvest. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it" (Lev. 23:10, 11). Notice that this took place "on the morrow after the Sabbath." This was the eighth day, or the first day of the week. The sheaf that the priest waved before the Lord was of the "first fruits of the harvest." What did it typify? Paul gives the answer: "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept" 1 Cor 15:20 That sheaf clearly pointed to the resurrection of Christ. True to the shadow, Christ rose on the first day of the week. So the eighth day on which the wave offering was made, was a part of the shadow as much as the offering. As certain as the sheaf pointed to the resurrection of Christ, so certain did the eighth day on which it took place point to the day on which he aroseóthe Lord's Day. That sheaf was a SAMPLE of the entire crop, so Christ's resurrection is a sample and proof of the future resurrection of all the redeemed. PLEASE see 1 Corinthians 15. 2. The Feast of Pentecost. "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the Lord ' Lev. 23:15, 16, 18. This offering "made by fire" pointed to the baptism of "the Holy Ghost and fire" received on Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost was on the "morrow after the seventh Sabbath," or fifty days from the wave offering. "Pentecost" means fifty. How wonderful is this shadow! The sheaf was waved before the Lord on the first day of the week. It pointed to Christ's resurrection, which took place on the same day. Just seven weeks later came the Feast of Pentecost, an offering by fire. That fell also on the day "after the Sabbath." Just seven weeks after Christ's resurrection the Holy Spirit fire fell on one hundred and twenty, and the church of God was organized. Both took place on the first day of the week. In the law of shadows we read: "And ye shall proclaim on the self same day, that it may be a holy convocation unto you" Lev. 23:21. "Convocation" means assembly. "On the first day shall be an holy convocation.... On the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly" vss. 35, 36. "On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly" Num. 29:35. "On the eighth day they made a solemn assembly" 2 Chron. 7:9. "On the eighth day was a solemn assembly" Neh. 8:18. All this was a shadow. Notice that the eighth day, or first day of the week, stood out in great prominence. The two feasts held on this day pointed to the two great triumphant events in the plan of redemption. the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the type, the eighth day was a day of assembly, a day when sacrifice by fire was offered to the Lord. This foreshadowed the great memorial day of the gospelóthe Lord's Day. From the day on which Christ rose from the dead, the eighth day has been a day of assembling, a day of holy convocation for the church of God, a day when sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving by the Holy Spirit's fire have been given to God. How The Lord's Day Should Be Observed Since the rigorous, severe Sabbatical character of the Jewish Sabbath does not belong to the memorial day of the gospel, some have gone to the opposite extreme, and cast aside all regard for the day, and have taken liberty to do all kinds of temporal work and business. This is both unwise and contrary to the Scriptural teaching. Why is the resurrection day termed "the Lord's day" if no more regard is to be given to it than to the other days of the week? This day should be given to the Lord. Some may say we give every day to the Lord by living a godly life. This is true in the sense that we must serve God in holiness all our days. But there is another sense in which we can set apart one day of the week for the Lord. We can dispense with our temporal affairs and devote this day to spiritual worship, joyfulness, and labor for the salvation of the lost. This is exactly what the primitive church did. All ordinances of God are established either by positive precept or by clear example. We have the sacredness of the resurrection day handed down to us by the example of the primitive church. From the great day of Pentecost until now this has been a day of gospel preaching, a day of salvation work. IT IS A DAY OF SPIRITUAL LABOR! More souls have been won to Christ on this day than on all the other days of the week put together. I am fully convinced that as far as possible all secular work should be put aside, and this memorial Lord's Day should be spent in spiritual work for God. The church of God should make it the day of mighty effort in spreading the saving truth and redeeming the lost. | ||
| Max |
Good work, Joshua, Yes, Paul does indeed prefigure God the Son's resurrection on Sunday with the harvest "firstfruits" (Leviticus 23:10,11,17,20) celebration on Sunday. Following are eight prophecies of Jesus that show that God the Son would be resurrected on Sunday. In this case Sunday was "the third day." For the "first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread" = the 14th day of Nisan (March-April) of the Jewish calendar = "the preparation of the Passover." (NIV Matthew 26:17 and attached text note.) Here are the prophecies: 1. Matthew 16:21ÝFrom that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the THIRD DAY be raised to life. 2. Matthew 17:23ÝThey will kill him, and on the THIRD DAY he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief. 3. Matthew 20:19Ýand will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the THIRD DAY he will be raised to life!" 4. Luke 9:22ÝAnd he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the THIRD DAY be raised to life." 5. Luke 13:32ÝHe replied, "Go tell that fox, `I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the THIRD DAY I will reach my goal.' 6. Luke 18:33ÝOn the THIRD DAY he will rise again." 7. Luke 24:7Ý`The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the THIRD DAY be raised again.'" 8. Luke 24:46ÝHe told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the THIRD DAY. ************************************** DEAR ADVENTIST FRIENDS: What do you have to say in reply? Max of the Cross | ||
| Delstar |
I cannot be counted in the 'Dear Adventist Friends' so this is no 'reply'. I just wanted to say WOW!! and Thank you. | ||
| Cindy |
Dear Joshua, You wrote above: "How The Lord's Day Should Be Observed" "Since the rigorous, severe Sabbatical character of the Jewish Sabbath does not belong to the memorial day of the gospel, some have gone to the opposite extreme, and cast aside all regard for the day, and have taken liberty to do all kinds of temporal work and business. This is both unwise and contrary to the Scriptural teaching. Why is the resurrection day termed "the Lord's day" if no more regard is to be given to it than to the other days of the week? This day should be given to the Lord. Some may say we give every day to the Lord by living a godly life. This is true in the sense that we must serve God in holiness all our days. But there is another sense in which we can set apart one day of the week for the Lord. We can dispense with our temporal affairs and devote this day to spiritual worship, joyfulness, and labor for the salvation of the lost. This is exactly what the primitive church did. All ordinances of God are established either by positive precept or by clear example. We have the sacredness of the resurrection day handed down to us by the example of the primitive church... I am fully convinced that as far as possible all secular work should be put aside, and this memorial Lord's Day should be spent in spiritual work for God." Joshua, Thank-you for bringing out those texts which prefigure the eighth day, the resurrection day of Christ! It really was a day of rejoicing for those early Christians...and can be for us, too. But I must respectfully disagree with you when you write how we "should" observe this day...Talk of dispensing with our "temporal", "secular" affairs seems to again set up that false view of "Sacred" versus "Secular"! When we start making pronouncements on how we "should" observe a day, legalism begins to make inroads on our freedom. My temporal, secular concerns during the week are just as much blessed by God as any observance during a weekend day. My weekly conversations and business at the office are to be surrounded by God's Presence. Yes, we may have a different routine on weekends, but we are at "liberty" to observe, (or not!), these special days. (Romans 14:5&6) I'm not sure we have this "sacredness" of the resurrection day handed down to us... Yes, the primitive church had set times to gather together for worship and giving; but where is it said this was now "sacred" (or holy time) compared with the other days of the week under the fullness and reality of the Gospel message? I like how in Scripture the ultimate focus of time and days is always on Jesus! "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. THIS is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Psalms 118:22-24 The rejected stone has become the capstone... and Today is the day of Salvation! Jesus himself is the day that the Lord has made...that "certain day" talked of in Hebrews that gives us our TRUE REST! "TODAY, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." (Hebrews 3) The "shadows" of both the seventh day and the eighth days find their reality in Christ! Do we hold on to one shadow while rejecting the other? The Sabbath Rest remains; the rejoicing in the Resurrection and Finished work of Christ remains; but in a continual rest and rejoicing, in whatever we do! It is not in the observance of a "day", but in the observance of total abandonment to a "Person", JESUS! As Colossians 3 says, our whole "life" is "now hidden with Christ in God"; and "Christ, who is your life!" Grace always, Cindy | ||
| Sdanswers |
This plausible interpretation of Joshua is designed to justify the "Lord's Day" which is Sunday to be a Biblical day of worship. But I am afraid that this interpretation has full of loopholes: 1. This does not negate the validity of the 7th day weekly Sabbath. This Annual Jewish Festivals are just a type or a shadow which point forward to the Messiah unlike the 7th day Sabbath, it points backward as a memorial of Creation. 2. If that is a valid interpretation then we have to ask as to why the New Testament Apostles or Bible writers are silent about this interpretation? What about the Church Fathers? 3. If that indicates the SUnday worship then Sunday worship is not of Christian ORIGIN it is in fact existing during the time of Moses himself? Notice those cited passages that it was in actual practice in Moses time. SDAnswers | ||
| Chyna |
dear sdanswers, we would love to hear your testimony. whom are you trusting in for your salvation? do you believe that jesus died for all your sins: past/present/future? do you have assurance of your salvation. in Him, Chyna | ||
| Max |
Dear SDAnswers, Thank you so much for answering. You are indeed brave for coming onto this website and I respect you for that. When I get the time I will be happy to answer your three points. Meanwhile, God bless you abundantly all the time. In God's love for you, Max of the Cross | ||
| Valm |
Dear SDAnswers, Ditto on Max's welcome. May you find you discussion with us a spritual blessing. Valerie | ||
| Max |
Dear SDAnswers, Thanks for being patient and waiting for me to respond to your three points. Right now I only have time to respond to the first one. The idea that the annual Jewish festivals are the only shadow pointing forward to the Messiah does not accord with Scripture. Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV) reads: "Do not let anyone judge you ... with regard to a religious festival [annual Jewish Sabbath], a New Moon celebration [monthly Jewish Sabbath] or a Sabbath day [weekly Jewish Sabbath]. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." According to correct exegesis of this text -- including that done by SDA Sabbath scholar Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi (From Sabbath to Sunday, pp.358-360) -- the weekly seventh-day Sabbath IS included in the term shadow. In fact, to interpret the text the other way would render it redundant and therefore nonsensical: Do not let anyone judge you ... with regard to an ANNUAL Jewish Sabbath ... or an ANNUAL Jewish Sabbath. Therefore Paul is saying that each kind of Jewish Sabbath day -- whether annual, monthly, or weekly -- is a mere shadow without substance pointing to Christ who is. Hoping to get to your other points later, Max of the Cross | ||
| Max |
Dear SDAnswers: Point #2 Why is there no "Sabbath controversy" in the New Testament? And what about the "church fathers"? There was a huge controversy involving the Sabbath. It could be called the "circumcision controversy." In Jewish law and tradition of the time one could not separate required circumcision from required seventh-day Sabbath-keeping. So, if required circumcision went so did required Sabbath-keeping, required kosher-eating, required tithe-paying, and all the other requirements of the Jewish law. And in fact, required circumcision did go, and with it went all the other requirements of the Jewish law. All! Reason: A new law had come: The law of God the Son Jesus Christ summed up from him in a single command: Thou shalt love! Christ's love fulfilled the law both then and now. By the time the early church fathers began to write, Christianity had taken such a hold upon the Gentiles that the Jewish element (Judaizers) of the church had become relatively small and un- influential. The church fathers did argue with the Jews over Sabbath-keeping. It was "the Lord's Day" (Sunday) versus required Sabbath-keeping. But by this time it was too late for the Judaizers. It is at this point in church history, contend our friends the Seventh-day Adventists, that the great apostasy occurred. However, for 150 years now they have been unable to support this "great apostasy" theory with historical evidence. For there just is none. In Christ's love for you, Max of the Cross | ||
| Darrell |
As Max showed, Col 2:16 says that the Sabbath is a shadow, but the reality is in Christ. We can learn more about how the Sabbath shadows Christ by looking elsewhere in the Bible. In Exodus 20 the Sabbath looks back to creation, as SDAnswers says, but in Deut. 5 the Sabbath is looking back to redemption from slavery in Egypt. The exodus event is well understood by Christians to be a shadow of redemption from sin, so the Sabbath, by looking back to the exodus, also becomes a shadow of redemption from sin. Here are a few verses to establish the concept of the exodus as a shadow of salvation: John 8:34 'Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."' Gal 4:1-6 "Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba ! Father !" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." Rom 7:14 "For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin." Rom 8:20,21 "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Ga 5:1 "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." The best development in the New Testement of the idea of the Sabbath as a shadow of Christ is found in Hebrews 3 & 4. This passage has been covered elsewhere in this forum (see Patti's study under "Hebrews 4 Revisited"), but I will give a brief outline. The heart of the passage is Heb 4:9,10: "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." Other verses in these chapters offer clues about what "Sabbath rest" means here. (1) This rest can be entered any day ("Today"), not just once a week. (See Heb 3:7,13,15, especially vs. 13 "day after day", also Heb 4:7,8) (2) This rest has to do with believing the gospel or good news. (See Heb 3:12,19 & Heb 4:2,3) (3) This rest has to do with resting from our own works. (See Heb 4:10) (4) If we do not enter this rest we are laid bare before a God who can see even our thoughts and motives. (See Heb 4:11-13) (5) If we do enter this rest we have confidence to approach God's throne through the intercession of our High Priest, Jesus Christ. (See Heb 4:14-16) In summary, this rest means to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ for our only righteousness, not in our own works. This is the true meaning of the Sabbath! | ||
| Max |
Greatings again, SDAnswers, I enthusiastically endorse everything that Darrell has just written. The letter from which he draws his points -- Hebrews -- "was addressed primarily to Jewish converts who were familiar with the Old Testament and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or to Judaize the gospel (cf. Gal 2:14). Some have suggsted that these professing Jewish Christians were thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, such as the one at Qumran near the Dead Sea. It has also been suggested that the recipients were from the 'large number of priests who became obedient to the faith' (Ac 6:7)." --"Introduction: Hebrews," NEB Study Bible, p.1856. Conclusion: Hebrews is especially good learning material for Sabbath-keepers generally and SDAs specifically. I'll address your point #3 next post. Max of the Cross | ||
| Max |
Dear SDAnswers, Your point #3 asks whether Sunday observance has its origin in the Old Testament Hebrew festivals, which were called annual Sabbaths and included some Sundays. Example: The harvest "first fruits" celebration on Sunday (Leviticus 23:10,11,17,20) to which Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept." You asked: ^^3. If that indicates the Sunday worship, then Sunday worship is not of Christian ORIGIN; it [was] in fact existing during the time of Moses himself? Notice those cited passages that it was in actual practice in Moses time.^^ Answer: No, not WEEKLY Sunday observance, only ANNUAL Sunday observance. Some scholars (such as the late SDA Sabbath historian Dr. Kenneth Strand) have convincingly contended for the origin of Easter Sunday in the annual Jewish Passover festival. But to my knowledge no scholar has ever argued for the origin of weekly Sunday observance in Old Testament ceremony. Nor is the origin of Christian weekly Sunday observance to be found in first century pagan weekly Sunday observance. Although there were pagan sun worshippers who worshipped the sun on Sunday, ìthe great day of the sun,î there is no evidence that these folks formed the core of the Sunday-keeping Christian early church. And there is scant evidence that these pagans even so worshipped the sun every week. All good historical and scriptural evidence indicates a desire to honor our Lord and Saviorís resurrection on Sunday as the sole origin of Sunday worship. Good talking with you and hope you continue to respond. In Christ, Max of the Cross | ||
| Colleentinker |
Darrell--Good post! I especially like how you pointed out that the Israelite's Sabbath also pointed back to their release from slavery. I had a major epiphany a couple of weeks ago when I was studying Hebrews 4 for our Friday night FAF meeting. Verse 3 says, "Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, 'So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."' And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world." I always thought of God's work of creation being done since the seventh day of creation week. But the context of Hebrews 4 isn't dealing with the work of creation. It says God's work has been finished since creation, and it also says (v. 7) that "God again set a certain day, calling it Today." If God is now setting aside "Today", the seventh-day Sabbath cannot be in view here. Neither can God's merely finishing his work of creation be the point of the Sabbath. If it were, why would God expand Sabbath rest to "Today" instead of reinforcing the seventh day? Then I found the texts that changed my understanding. Revelation 13:8, "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD." And in Rev. 17:8b it says, "The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come." As I read these texts it struck me: In God's eyes, outside of time--in other words, in eternity, all of salvation was complete at the creation of the world. God already knew his incarnation, his death, his resurrection, his salvation of believers, his coming dwell in the hearts of his church--all this was already an accomplished reality to God in eternity at the moment he finished creating the universe. These things still had to play out inside time for us creatures, but for God, who is not limited by time, all salvation was complete at the same time creation was complete. The whole story of God and humanity was already done in eternity! Understanding that salvation was accomplished when God rested on the seventh day puts a whole new light on the Sabbath. It has ALWAYS been about salvation! It was not about God physically resting from work; it was about God already accomplishing our salvation! Adam and Eve were not asked to rest on the seventh day because they had no need to enter God's rest. God's rest is his salvation. When we enter God's rest, only then can we rest from our own work. We cannot experience rest from our works unless we accept His salvation and enter his rest. Adam and Eve had no need to enter that rest because they were sinless and one with God. Only after their sin did they need to enter God's rest--a rest which was God ceasing from his work of creation and salvation. When Israel received the Sabbath commandment, that seventh day was about the rest of salvation. It was in the form of a day--temporarily--because within time Jesus had not yet come, and the Israelites had no actual understanding of God becoming human and dying for us. Israel could only relate to a foretaste of the reality. They could only rest on a day honoring the certainty of their salvation which they would one day understand more concretely. The Sabbath was never an arbitrary test set up to see if people would do a particular work to demonstrate their obedience. It was Israelite's sign of belonging to God because that day foreshadowed the reality of their salvation which would come in the person of Jesus Christ. I believe Darrell is absolutely right; the Sabbath is not about a holy day. It's about our release from slavery. And our salvation from that slavery has been a reality in eternity from the moment God created the earth. God truly rested on the seventh day because he had finished his work! Praising him for being my Sabbath rest, Colleen | ||
| Cindy |
Darrell, Thank you for your post above! I, too, have been so impressed to see how the Sabbath command pointed back to the Exodus-the great, FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY ACT OF GOD!! The Sabbath "day", being a shadow of our REDEMPTION FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN, foreshadowed our ultimate REDEMPTION AND REST IN CHRIST ALONE... A REST for ALL time!! (It really all fits together so great if you can read Scripture without "EGW glasses" on, doesn't it?) Grace always, Cindy | ||
| Cindy |
Colleen, Hi! :-)) I loved your post; I've thought often about the concept of "time" and how God really exists outside of time. One of Michael Card's songs sings of how "ETERNITY stepped into TIME"... I agree with your thoughts: "Adam and Eve had no need to enter that rest because they were sinless and one with God. Only after their sin did they need to enter God's rest--a rest which was God ceasing from his work of creation and salvation. When Israel received the Sabbath commandment, that seventh day was about the rest of salvation. It was in the form of a day--temporarily--because within time Jesus had not yet come, and the Israelites had no actual understanding of God becoming human and dying for us. Israel could only relate to a foretaste of the reality. They could only rest on a day honoring the certainty of their salvation which they would one day understand more concretely." I love how 2 Timothy 1:8- 12 expresses this truth: "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE. THIS GRACE WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, BUT IT HAS NOW BEEN REVEALED THROUGH THE APPEARING OF OUR SAVIOR, CHRIST JESUS, who has DESTROYED DEATH and has brought LIFE AND IMMORTALITY to light through the gospel. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND AM CONVINCED THAT HE IS ABLE TO GUARD WHAT I HAVE ENTRUSTED TO HIM FOR THAT DAY." Isn't that great?! Grace always, Cindy |
