Identifying God's Pattern
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By the time we complete this lesson, we will see that God always, rests after finishing a completed work.
The Genesis Creation....................(Image #1)
Gen 2 (v. 1) Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (v. 2) And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
At the close of the six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made; and He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested from all His work. The Sabbath was instituted in Eden before the fall, and was observed by Adam and Eve, and all the heavenly host. God rested on the seventh day, and blessed and hallowed it. I saw that the Sabbath never will be done away; but that the redeemed saints, and all the angelic host, will observe it in honor of the great Creator to all eternity.[1]
A look at the "root" word in the Hebrew: *****Rested*****
Gen 2: 2 hebrew [ 7673 ] Shabath (shaw-bath’) = to repose or desist from exertion, to keep the Sabbath, to celebrate.[2]
So God rested from all His work, in order to celebrate, a perfect and complete work of creation.
The significance of keeping the Sabbath, is to have a celebration, to dwell on what God has done for you. To remember, every week!!
Celebration on Earth....................(Image #2)
Celebration in Heaven....................(Image #3)
Then, the next great work that was completed:
In ( John 17:4 ), Jesus says: "I have finished the work" and in ( John 19:30 ) He also says: "It is finished!"..........So what was finished? The finished work that Jesus completed was redemption!! And notice the overall significance of what happened next.
In ( Luke 23:50-56 ) the body of Jesus was put in the tomb at the end of the preparation day. And they rested on the Sabbath day (v. 56). Then continuing with the next chapter, ( Luke 24:1-7 ) on the 1st day of the week, the day after the Sabbath, Jesus is risen! (v. 6).
So, Jesus completed a perfect work first, then rested on the Sabbath day.
Preparation Day....................(Image #4)
(Friday)
The Sabbath Day....................(Image #5)
(Saturday)
First Day of Week....................(Image #6)
(Sunday)
All had been laid in order for man to be reconciled to the Creator, and so our Lord said, “It is finished.” ….Thus, just as He rested at the conclusion of creation, He rested at the conclusion of making the way possible for re-creation….His rest in the tomb on the Sabbath was His signature of the finished requirement for whosoever will to be saved….The Sabbath rest of Christ in the tomb gives undeniable evidence of the Fourth Commandment being a vital part of God’s provision for Himself to be honored as Creator and Re-Creator.[3]
Let us look at another account of this in the book of Mark:
In ( Mark 15:42-47 ) Now when evening had come, at the end of the Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath, (v. 46) they put the body of Jesus in the tomb.
Then continuing with the next chapter, ( Mark 16:1-6 ) now when the Sabbath was past (v. 2) on the 1st day of the week, they came to the tomb (v. 6) Jesus is risen!
Just like, when God rested on the Sabbath day in (Gen 2:2), after completing the work of "creation;" Jesus rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, after completing the work of "redemption."
When the crucified Jesus cried out “It is finished”, He was proclaiming to the world that His saving mission had at last been completed.[4]
This took place at the end of the sixth day (Friday). The next day, the Sabbath, He rested in the tomb from all His work, just as He did at the end of the creation week.[4]
Image #7
Do we see a pattern here?
Imagine this: Throughout all eternity God's people will celebrate the Sabbath to honor their Creator and Redeemer. Does it not seem reasonable that if the Sabbath was celebrated before sin came to Earth, and if it will be celebrated when the Earth is made new, God's people should celebrate it now?[5]
In ( Gen 2:1-3 ) God celebrates the Sabbath day by resting, after a completed & perfect Creation.
Then in both ( Luke 23:50-56 ) & ( Mark 15:42-47 ) Jesus celebrates the Sabbath, by resting in the tomb, after “it is finished” from a completed & perfect Redemption.
You will notice that, the celebration is on the same day every time. A day that He has blessed and that He has sanctified ( Gen 2:1-3 ).
What day do you think, that we will keep in celebration of a complete & perfect Restoration?
Isa 66 (v. 22) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make.... (v. 23)....And from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.
The Sabbath was instituted and celebrated before sin reared its head on Planet Earth, and the Sabbath will also be celebrated after sin is forever banished from Earth: (Isa 66:22-23).[5]
Everybody will be worshiping God on the Sabbath day! When will this restoration take place?
Rev 21 (v. 1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Image #8
So, in the past we kept the Sabbath, and in the future all flesh will be keeping the Sabbath. *****Who kept the Sabbath in the past?*****
Perfect consistency: Past ➔ Present ➔ Future
The Sabbath has been there the whole time, since the creation of the Earth, but we have just forgotten about it.
That is why God reminds us about it in Exodus chapter 20:
Exod 20 (v. 8) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy....
It is the only commandment, which God told us to remember!
In the Sabbath, God has given us an “advance” on eternity. Every Sabbath, heaven touches earth....“the Sabbath is a palace in time.” The Sabbath calls us from the things of time to the things of eternity. It calls us to enter into His heavenly rest.[6]
References:
1. E.G. White, Early Writings, p.217, par.2
2. James Strong. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers.
3. Dan Jarrard, (2008). Why I am a Sabbath-keeping Christian, p.34
4. Savior of the world Bible Course, (2000), Lesson 15, “Entering God’s Rest.”
5. Mark Finley, (1995). Beyond Orion's Gates, p.148, Hart Research Center.
6. Mark Finley, (2002). Satisfied: How God can meet your deepest needs, p.77. Pacific Press.
Image #1: The Watchman’s Post, (2017). Jesus created all things. Retrieved from https://e-watchman.com/jesus-created-things/
Image #2: Calling Yisrael, (2011). Celebrating the Sabbath in Israel. Retrieved from https://israelinprophecy.wordpress.com/palestine/
Image #3: Jewels from the Word, (2017). Celebrating the Sabbath in heaven. Retrieved from http://www.jewelsfromtheword.com/devos/traveling-to-heaven/
Image #4: Free Images, (2015). Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. Retrieved from http://www.hdstockphoto.com/freeimages/christian.html
Image #5: Mud Preacher, (2012). Burial of Christ. Retrieved from https://mudpreacher.org/tag/tree-of-life/
Image #6: James Tabor, (2015). Jesus Resurrection. Retrieved from https://jamestabor.com/what-really-happened-easter-morning-the-mystery-solved/
Image #7: Jeff Seevers, (2012). Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2012/november/big-story-of-scripture-creation-fall-redemption.html
Image #8: Andrew Corbett, (2013). Remember the Sabbath commandments. Retrieved from https://www.andrewcorbett.net/articles/theology/what-the-bible-says-about-the-sabbath/
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