The Book of Hebrews and the 7th Day Shabbat
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The writing in the Book of Hebrews is severely misunderstood by Christian theologians. Unfortunately, most do not understand that this book was written to the Levitical priesthood; not to the general Hebrew population. As a result, theologians surmise that the Torah, along with the covenants, has been abolished; despite the fact the Yeshua taught believers to observe the Torah. (Matt 5:17, Matt 23:1-3)
One doctrinal fallacy rising from theologians being unfamiliar with the Tanakh (O.T.) is that they erroneously teach that the Shabbat has been abolished or transferred to the day of the sun; Sunday. However, when one reads the fourth chapter of the Book of Hebrews the error of this teaching is quite apparent. The author states that those who do not observe the 7th day Shabbat are in direct disobedience to the Father; including all those who claim to follow Yeshua HaMaschiach (the Messiah).
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
The author is referencing the promise of entering into HIS eternal rest by keeping the Shabbat.
2 For indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed with belief in those who heard it.
The ‘Good News’ refers to the TORAH. If we look closely at the author’s words we see that he says that the TORAH was given to BELIEVERS IN MESSIAH AS WELL AS to Adam in the Garden and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai through Moshe.
Apostle Peter confirms that the Torah is the ‘Good News’ or Gospel:
1 Peter 1: 23 having been born again – not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible – through the living TORAH of Elohim, which REMAINS FOREVER, Jas 1:18; 1John 3:9; 24 because “All flesh is as grass, and all the esteem of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, Isa 40:6; 1Cor 7:31; Jas 1:10; Jas 4:14; 1John 2:17; 25 but the TORAH of Elohim REMAINS FOREVER.”2 AND THIS IS THE TORAH, ANNOUNCED AS GOOD NEWS TO YOU.
However, the original Israelites did not benefit because they did not have ‘Faith’; which EQUALS OBEDIENCE in Hebraic thinking. The Hebrew word for faith is emunah. Faith, in western cultures, is usually perceived as believing, while emunah/faith in Hebraic thinking is a firm action. To have faith in G-d is not limited to knowing that G-d exists or knowing that he will act, rather it is that one with ‘emunah’ (faith) will ACT with firmness towards G-d’s will. According the Book of Revelations 14:12 HIS will is for HIS people is to keep the Torah of Moshe with ‘emunah’ (action) in Yeshua the Messiah.
3 For we who have believed do enter into that rest, as He has said, “As I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest...” And yet His works have come into being from the foundation of the world.
Those that believe in the Father and Yeshua DO ENTER THAT (7th DAY SABBATH) REST because HE said that those that enter into HIS rest will reap the benefits associated with it. It has been this way since the beginning and will remain.
4 For somewhere He has said thus about the seventh day, “And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works,”5 and in this again, “If they shall enter into My rest...”
The author directly references the 7th Day Shabbat here and emphasizes the fact that Elohim rested on the 7th Day. HE has expected us to keep the Shabbat since the days of Adam. Nothing has changed. Those who honor HIS Day of Rest, the Shabbat, reap immense benefits. However, those who fail to keep HIS Shabbat will reap curses:
Ezek 20: 23 “Also, I Myself lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, to scatter them among the gentiles and disperse them throughout the lands,24 BECAUSE they had not done My right-rulings, and they REJECTED MY LAWS, AND THEY PROFANED MY SABBATHS, and their eyes were on their fathers’ idols.
6 Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in BECAUSE OF DISOBEDIENCE,
Here the author states that the 7th DAY SABBATH remains for some, or the Remnant, to enter into. Those who formerly received the Torah did not enter into the Sabbath because they disobeyed the Torah. Torah commands HIS people to ‘Assemble’ every 7th Day. Many of the unbelieving Jews were ignoring this command to assemble.
7 He AGAIN defines a certain day, “Today,” saying through Dawiḏ so much later, as it has been said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Yehoshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
The Yehoshua referred to here is the son of Nun; who led the Israelites into the Promised Land after the death of Moshe. Yehoshua did not bring in the Olam Haba; ‘rest’. He was a type and shadow of the Mashiyach ben David. Yehoshua was repeating the Sabbath commandment given at Mt. Sinai just as Yeshua taught us to keep the Sabbath commandment by keeping it HIMSELF:
Luke 4: 16 And He came to Natsareth, where He had been brought up. And ACCORDING TO HIS PRACTICE, He went into the CONGREGATION ON THE SABBATH DAY, and stood up to read.; 17 And the scroll of the prophet Yeshayahu was handed to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written:
9 So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim. 10 For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim rested from His own.
The authors says that the People of Elohim, including believers in Messiah, are to Keep SHABBAT; the 7th DAY SABBATH.
11 Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.
If the people of Adonai do NOT keep the 7th Day Shabbat they are in DISOBEDIENCE to the most HIGH; our FATHER in Shaliyim (heaven).
The Sabbath is a SIGN between HIM and us FOREVER:
Exodus 20: 11 “For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. THEREFORE יהוה BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY AND SET IT APART.
Exodus 31: 12 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, 13 “And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘MY SABBATHS you are to guard, BY ALL MEANS, FOR IT IS A SIGN between Me and you THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart. 14 ‘And you shall GUARD THE SABBATH, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people.15 ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death. 16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall GUARD THE SABBATH, TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS AS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT. 17 ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl IT IS A SIGN FOREVER. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”
18 And when He had ended speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF ELOHIM.
Deut 5: Therefore יהוה your ELOHIM COMMANDED YOU TO OBSERVE THE SABBATH DAY.
Ezek 20: 12 “And I also gave them MY SABBATHS, TO BE A SIGN BETWEEN THEM AND ME, to know that I am יהוה who sets them apart.
