Sabbath, Purpose of

Revelation 1:5-6 [Washing their clothes was a symbol of a greater washing]
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 7:13-14
And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know". And he said to me, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". [Return to thought].

The true believer, such as Moses, wants to get as close as possible to his loved one, for as long as possible. On the other hand, a characteristic of unbelievers is that they want someone or something between them and the living God. A "priest" or a "Church" does nicely! This is the basis for the old covenant.

Hebrews 8:13; 9:1
In that He says, "A new covenant", He has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away. Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. [Return to thought].

John 4:23-24
All things in worship should be natural. Nothing should be man-made, artificial or forced. "[Jesus said], But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth". [Back to thought].

This is not a sleep type rest! It means resting (or ceasing) from our own works, our own attempts at being righteous, for the end result of that will be death.

It means accepting the Holy Spirit’s advice and power IN OUR LIFE EVERY DAY, and allowing those works to carry on. The end result of such an action will be everlasting life. [Back to thought].

[The Sabbath as God sees it was never observed by the majority of the Jewish church - only by a few individuals].
"Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes [the Ten Commandments], and showed them My judgments [His daily advices], which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

"But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted. Then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them, but [in fact] I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. [because of His desire to save the heathen also.]

"Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them [in solemn warning] in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless My eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

"But I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk you not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

"Notwithstanding [what had happened to their fathers] the children rebelled against Me: they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My Sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew My hand, and wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth. 23 I lifted up My hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, and had polluted My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols." [Return to thought].

Jeremiah 17:9-10
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings". [Return to thought].

"We may be told that which is veritably true, the essential truth of God, and yet, if we doubt it, and so long as we doubt it, we can never know it .... "

"Further, we may be told that which is altogether false, an outright lie; yet, though we believe it, however implicitly, we can never know it."

This, for the simple reason that is is not so; and it is impossible to know what is not so."

Therefore there just two things which are essential to knowing. These two things are truth and faith ..... "

"Truth and faith therefore, working together - the truth believed - is the way to knowledge."

Jesus pleaded, "Come unto Me, all you that labour and are heavy laden [with all your problems], and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of [or be guided by] Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find [Sabbath] rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light". [Return to thought].

Psalm 95:7-11
For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

To day if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, "It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways": to whom I swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest. [Return to thought].

"Labour" to enter rest? This tells us that it will require hard work to give up our own attempts at righteousness and accept it as a gift from Jesus Christ, because of our pride. However, it is not the works that we must give up, but trying in our own strength. We are to accomplish "many mighty works", and for ever, in His strength! [Return to thought].

The "day" of probation (as we call it today) is always present for the individual while he or she is alive. But for the group it is a short period which only comes under certain circumstances, with major ones about 500 years apart (10 generations - stylized in Deuteronomy 23:2-3). This is not God's design, but He is dependent upon His followers. See the messages to the seven churches in the Revelation and note how their "days" of opportunity passed by.

Some of the "days" in history The dates are only approximate – to give an indication The events are our own ideas.
1500BC	There was a choice between the invisible or visible church.
1000BC	Should God or a king be in charge?
500BC	Building to God's plan (Ezekiel 40-48) or their own design?
At the cross	Follow the Lamb or a man?
500AD	God's heavenly sanctuary or Rome's earthly one?
1000AD	The battle between English & Norman beliefs - king or pope?
1500AD	Protest, or follow the system!
2000AD	Where will we go?

"Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [or longer] works than these shall he do; because I go to My Father". [Return to thought].