The Sabbath

In recent years we have seen a trend away from the tradition of keeping all stores closed on Sunday. But though it is a sign that commerce is taking precedence over every other aspect of our culture, this a good trend, because it sets the stage for an important transition. Yahweh, our Creator, said He would once more shake everything that can be shaken. (Hebrews 12:26-27) And though many have the highest motives in wishing to honor the Messiah's resurrection, Sunday worship is something that can--and must--be shaken, because it was never Yahweh's idea.

This may come as a surprise to you, so let's look at what Scripture itself actually says.

Which day of the week is the Sabbath?

At Mt. Sinai, Yahweh commanded via Moses:

"Remember the Sabbath day, in order to keep it set apart. Six days shall you labor and accomplish all your work, but the seventh day is a day of ceasing for Yahweh your Elohim; on it you shall do no work." (Exodus 20:8-10)

So there should be no question about which day of the week He considers holy. In fact, this command is repeated more often and in more detail than any other of the Ten Commandments, perhaps because Yahweh knew it would be the one that would most often be neglected. He tells us to "remember" it. So the Sabbath was not something new with Moses; it was already holy. Ever since creation, the seventh day had been established as the day of rest:

"Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on it He had rested from all His workmanship..." (Genesis 2:3)

How important is the Sabbath?

Even before He made the covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai, Yahweh used the Sabbath as a "litmus test" to see whether they would obey His commands. If anyone did not gather enough manna on the day before the Sabbath, they did not have food that day. (Exodus 16:23ff) So you can see how important the Sabbath is in screening out who can move to a higher level in their drawing near to Him.

The first three commandments deal with our relationship with Yahweh Himself; the latter six with how we relate to our fellow man. The Sabbath is a "hinge" tying both of these together, for it allows both us and those who would other-wise have to work for us to have no other responsibility but to focus on Him for that day.

Yahweh says to stop working on the Sabbath even in times of harvest, when it seems the work cannot wait. (Ex. 34:21) This means His commands take precedence over everything else. But He promises to provide for those who honor Him. (1 Sam. 2:30; Ex. 34:24; Lev. 26:3-13)

The gates through which the entrance to the Temple sanctuary could be seen were only open on the Sabbath and the other festivals Yahweh prescribed. This symbolizes how important these days are to accurately understanding Him.

And if we say we are followers of the Messiah, we need to "walk as He walked":

"As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day..." (Luke 4:16)

But wasn't the Sabbath day changed?

In practice it has indeed changed, but it was not instigated by either the Creator or Yahshua the Messiah. The Bible does, however, tell us of someone else who "will think to change the times and seasons..." (Daniel 7:25) He is identified as "the fourth beast"—the fourth dynasty of kings in a series of world powers that oppressed Israel, starting with Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. History shows us clearly that the fourth was Rome.

After Messiah's "Called-Out Community" had been persecuted by the Roman government for three centuries, Emperor Constantine suddenly reversed this trend and decided that everyone under Roman rule would now become "Christian" so that the empire would be unified. However, he made many changes to the historic faith.

The Romans already worshipped the sun on the first day of the week, and, as with many other pagan festivals, Constantine continued to let the public have the day off, and just declared that it had a new significance. It later became mandatory for everyone to stop working on "Sun-day". After all, the public could not stop working for two days per week!

But doesn't Sunday commemorate the Messiah's resurrection?

Yahshua arose sometime before the sun rose on the first day of the week. (John 20:1) In honor of this, in the Russian language, the first day is even known as "Resurrection Day".

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with adding a holiday to commemorate a special act of Yahweh in history; Hanukkah and Purim are examples of such festivals that He did not command but did accept, as evidenced by Yahshua's coming to the Temple during Hanukkah (the "Feast of Dedication", John 10). But He forbids us to worship Him in pagan format. (Lev. 20:23; Deut. 12:2-4) The Roman "day of the sun" was just that.

Some believers may have been remembering the Messiah's resurrection on the first day of each week, but they did not see it as replacing the Sabbath. Nor was it ever commanded in Scripture. Indeed, the popes arrogantly claimed to have made this change in order to prove their authority. But Yahweh clearly says we may not add any universal command to those He has already given. (Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18)

Aren't all days meant to be holy?

"One [man] indeed judges one day to be more important than another day, while another esteems every day..." (Rom. 14:5)

Some take this to mean that all days are equally holy. No Scripture may be interpreted to make it contradict other Scriptures, especially the Torah. (Isaiah 8:20) So this verse must be taken within that framework laid out previously.

The definition of "holy" itself means "set apart", "in a class of its own", or "separate". If every day is "set apart", then in practicality none is, because we cannot stop working every day. We are to be holy every day. But Yahweh has set apart one day of the week to serve as a picture of the thousand-year-long Messianic Kingdom after six "profaned" millennia. It is one day overtly dedicated to nothing else but Him.

Didn't the Apostles meet on the first day of the week?

"And continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their meals with gladness and singleness of heart." (Acts 2:46)

"And daily in the Temple and in every house, they did not cease to teach and proclaim Y'shua the Messiah." (Acts 5:42) Thus their meetings were not limited to the Sabbath, and they did include the first day, but did not single it out as anything special.

"On the first of the week, when the disciples had gathered together to break bread, being about to depart the next morning, Paul conversed with them... until midnight." (Acts 20:7)

Biblically, a day begins at sundown (Gen. 1:5), so a new week begins at sunset on Saturday. Acts 20:8 says there were many lamps in the place, again meaning it could not be a Sabbath, a day when no fire may be kindled. (Ex. 35:3) However, there is a ceremony just after a Sabbath ends, called Havdallah ("making a distinction"), in which lighting lamps does play a prominent part. So this was really in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The only other command regarding the first day of the week was that everyone set aside some money on the first day of the week to prepare for particular collection Paul would take up when he visited. (1 Cor. 16:2) He never says anything about meeting on that day. He probably meant to set it aside as soon as they were paid, in which case it could not have been seen as a Sabbath, since on Sabbath there are to be no financial dealings.

"...My sabbath... is a sign between Me and the descendants of Israel throughout your generations, so that you might know that I am Yahweh who puts you in a separate category." (Exodus 31:13)

There is a significance in Y'shua's rising from the dead on the first day of the week, but it lies in which week it was. The first day of the week following Passover also bears a special significance that no other "Sunday" during the year does.

The day after the Sabbath following Passover is known as "Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest", when the best of the grain was brought as a tribute to its Provider at the Temple before any of the crop could be eaten. (Lev. 23:9ff) That day was already on Yahweh's calendar for every year, and Yahshua gave it a fuller meaning. But just as the bread and wine He told us to remember Him by were part of one particular meal (Passover), and not meant to become a separate ritual, that Sunday's meaning does not necessarily carry over to every Sunday!

The Sabbath is a day to assemble for just one of these many "appointments" that Yahweh has made with Israel. (Lev. 23:3) The church originally followed this same calendar, but when the Jews revolted against Rome, many Gentile believers distanced themselves from "Jewish" practices (though they are commanded by Yahweh). The divergence only became more pronounced as many tried to make Christianity distinct from Judaism. But this was not Yahweh's intent. He wanted all who follow Him to be one community, having the same rules:

"Do not let the son of the foreigner who joins himself to Yahweh say, 'I'm sure Yahweh makes a distinction between me and His people... Everyone who keeps from defiling My Sabbath, and takes hold [and confirms] My covenant, I will even bring him to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer." (Isaiah 56:3, 6-7)

Clearly, Sunday worship has no foot left to stand on, and we have veered from Yahweh's original intent. But He is restoring all things, and keeping the Sabbath is a big part of returning to Him:

"You will rebuild the ancient ruins, raise up the foundations of many generations, and be called 'the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in', IF you turn away... from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy [day] of Yahweh, honorable; and honor him, not paying attention to your own interests..." (Isaiah 58:12, 13)