Which Day?

[Tavita]

As Sabbath DAY keepers, what do you say to people who give the reason for keeping Sunday (or any other day beside the seventh day) with the use of these verses....


(Col 2:16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

(Col 2:17) which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.


Also, what 'sabbath day' is Paul talking about in the first verse? If it's the High Sabbath of a feast then what does 'in respect of a feast day' mean?

 

[OntheDL]

As Sabbath DAY keepers, what do you say to people who give the reason for keeping Sunday (or any other day beside the seventh day) with the use of these verses....

(Col 2:16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

(Col 2:17) which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

Also, what 'sabbath day' is Paul talking about in the first verse? If it's the High Sabbath of a feast then what does 'in respect of a feast day' mean?

Col 2:16&17 are talking about the law of Moses. None of the 10 commandments talks about food, feast day or new moon.

The key to understand what Paul was saying is vs17. These are shadows, types of Christ. The meat, drink, new moon, feast days were contained in the ceremonial laws that typified Christ. However the weekly Sabbath is NOT a shadow/type of Christ. Therefore Paul could not have been talking about the 7th day Sabbath.

Some will point to the fact the word used in vs16 for sabbath is the same word for weekly sabbath. Greek made no distinction between annual and week sabbaths.

But if we let the bible interpretes itself, we should have no confusions.

 

[jabechler]

As Sabbath DAY keepers, what do you say to people who give the reason for keeping Sunday (or any other day beside the seventh day) with the use of these verses....


(Col 2:16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

(Col 2:17) which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.


Also, what 'sabbath day' is Paul talking about in the first verse? If it's the High Sabbath of a feast then what does 'in respect of a feast day' mean?

Christ is the head of the church or of Gods people and in Him is all truth not in mans wisdom in regards to what is truth. The Sabbath days referred to in Col. 2:16 is followed by the context "in the shadow of things to come". The Sabbath of the commandment was a weekly remembrance of the creation established by God in Genesis. I was to be a perpetual sign of His people that they honored the true God of creation in distinction from the pagan gods of other peoples. The ten commandsments were not given as a shadow of things to come like the Mosaic Law. The rest we have in Christ is the assurance and the hope of redemption and an everlasting life with God. The Sabbath rest is a day to reflect and honor the God of creation. A day dedicated soley to the God of our restoration begining here and ending with our Glorification at His coming. The Sabbath is a command of God with a blessing. And I can attest to that it is a blessing in a world gone crazy.

 

[Sophia7]

As Sabbath DAY keepers, what do you say to people who give the reason for keeping Sunday (or any other day beside the seventh day) with the use of these verses....

(Col 2:16) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:

(Col 2:17) which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's.

Also, what 'sabbath day' is Paul talking about in the first verse? If it's the High Sabbath of a feast then what does 'in respect of a feast day' mean?

It seems strange to me that those who keep Sunday say that the sanctity of the Sabbath was transferred to Sunday as the new Lord's Day because of Jesus' resurrection, but at the same time many of them say that Sunday is not the new Sabbath but that they just go to church that day because that's when their church meets. In my opinion, they are missing out on the great blessing of having a day of rest--free from all of the distractions that normally keep us from devoting our whole hearts to God--by thinking that going to church is the only important consideration.

I believe that this passage (Colossians 2) is not addressing whether we should keep the Sabbath but rather telling us not to judge each other as to how we keep the Sabbath--and I do think that this refers to the weekly Sabbath. The Greek word Sabbaton (used in the plural form here) refers to the weekly Sabbath, not to ceremonial Sabbaths. Those would be included in the same verse under the categories of the yearly feasts and New Moons.

Another thing to think about--Adventists often quote Isaiah 66 to prove that the Sabbath is eternal and that we will still keep it in heaven/the new earth. Here is what it says in verses 22-23:

"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.

In reconciling these texts, we have a problem if we say that the Sabbath is eternal but that the New Moon is ceremonial and no longer to be observed. We can't have it both ways. If we interpret this text as talking about the new earth, then we have to accept that either both will still be celebrated or neither will.

I don't believe that Colossians 2 says that the "ceremonial law" was nailed to the cross. I believe that, better translated (better translations of this verse would include the ESV or NASB, for example), it says that our certificate of debt was nailed to the cross. In other words, what Jesus destroyed was the record of our sins that stood against us so that the law condemned us. The law was not nailed to the cross. Now, obviously, certain applications of the law, such as the sacrifices, should no longer be observed. However, these were not nailed to the cross either; they were simply fulfilled in Christ.

Thus, I don't really see it as a bad thing if Christians want to keep the feasts in a Christian manner--that is, remembering how they symbolize what Jesus did for us but not offering sacrifices or judging each other for having yeast in our houses during the Feast of Unleavened Bread or whatever. For example, I think that celebrating the Passover as a remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice for us would be much more spiritually beneficial than celebrating Easter the way many people--even many Christians--do, with colored eggs and bunnies and candy.

As a Jewish Christian, Paul himself kept the law much more strictly than the Gentiles were required to. This is apparent in Acts 21:

AC 21:17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

It's pretty clear that Paul was living in obedience to a law that Adventists would say was ceremonial and was thus nailed to the cross. We are so far removed from the Christianity of the first century that we fail to grasp how Jewish it was. Wherever there was a synagogue, Jews and Christians met together every Sabbath and heard the books of Moses. It was the increasing anti-Semitism in the Roman world in the first few centuries A.D. that caused Christians to dissociate themselves from their Jewish brothers and sisters.

My point is that in everything we do, our focus should be on Jesus. If we keep the feasts, we should do it as a reminder of what Jesus did for us. If we keep the Sabbath, we should do it as a memorial of God's rest after creation and as a celebration of the salvation that He has given us. We should not look at it as a way of earning salvation or as an excuse to feel superior to others. We should not make it into a legalistic set of rules like the Pharisees had. And we should not judge each other by what we eat or drink.

I would say that some of the ideas that people have about how the Sabbath should be kept would fall into the category of disputable matters. What I believe is indisputable is the fact that throughout the Bible, even in the New Testament, the Sabbath is presented as an eternal weekly reminder of the salvation that Jesus gives us, not as a sign of "judaizing" or denying God's grace.

 

[OntheDL]

It seems strange to me that those who keep Sunday say that the sanctity of the Sabbath was transferred to Sunday as the new Lord's Day because of Jesus' resurrection, but at the same time many of them say that Sunday is not the new Sabbath but that they just go to church that day because that's when their church meets. In my opinion, they are missing out on the great blessing of having a day of rest--free from all of the distractions that normally keep us from devoting our whole hearts to God--by thinking that going to church is the only important consideration.

I believe that this passage (Colossians 2) is not addressing whether we should keep the Sabbath but rather telling us not to judge each other as to how we keep the Sabbath--and I do think that this refers to the weekly Sabbath. The Greek word Sabbaton (used in the plural form here) refers to the weekly Sabbath, not to ceremonial Sabbaths. Those would be included in the same verse under the categories of the yearly feasts and New Moons.

Another thing to think about--Adventists often quote Isaiah 66 to prove that the Sabbath is eternal and that we will still keep it in heaven/the new earth. Here is what it says in verses 22-23:



In reconciling these texts, we have a problem if we say that the Sabbath is eternal but that the New Moon is ceremonial and no longer to be observed. We can't have it both ways. If we interpret this text as talking about the new earth, then we have to accept that either both will still be celebrated or neither will.

I don't believe that Colossians 2 says that the "ceremonial law" was nailed to the cross. I believe that, better translated (better translations of this verse would include the ESV or NASB, for example), it says that our certificate of debt was nailed to the cross. In other words, what Jesus destroyed was the record of our sins that stood against us so that the law condemned us. The law was not nailed to the cross. Now, obviously, certain applications of the law, such as the sacrifices, should no longer be observed. However, these were not nailed to the cross either; they were simply fulfilled in Christ.

Thus, I don't really see it as a bad thing if Christians want to keep the feasts in a Christian manner--that is, remembering how they symbolize what Jesus did for us but not offering sacrifices or judging each other for having yeast in our houses during the Feast of Unleavened Bread or whatever. For example, I think that celebrating the Passover as a remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice for us would be much more spiritually beneficial than celebrating Easter the way many people--even many Christians--do, with colored eggs and bunnies and candy.

As a Jewish Christian, Paul himself kept the law much more strictly than the Gentiles were required to. This is apparent in Acts 21:



It's pretty clear that Paul was living in obedience to a law that Adventists would say was ceremonial and was thus nailed to the cross. We are so far removed from the Christianity of the first century that we fail to grasp how Jewish it was. Wherever there was a synagogue, Jews and Christians met together every Sabbath and heard the books of Moses. It was the increasing anti-Semitism in the Roman world in the first few centuries A.D. that caused Christians to dissociate themselves from their Jewish brothers and sisters.

My point is that in everything we do, our focus should be on Jesus. If we keep the feasts, we should do it as a reminder of what Jesus did for us. If we keep the Sabbath, we should do it as a memorial of God's rest after creation and as a celebration of the salvation that He has given us. We should not look at it as a way of earning salvation or as an excuse to feel superior to others. We should not make it into a legalistic set of rules like the Pharisees had. And we should not judge each other by what we eat or drink.

I would say that some of the ideas that people have about how the Sabbath should be kept would fall into the category of disputable matters. What I believe is indisputable is the fact that throughout the Bible, even in the New Testament, the Sabbath is presented as an eternal weekly reminder of the salvation that Jesus gives us, not as a sign of "judaizing" or denying God's grace.

Hmmm? Aren't you an adventist? I wouldn't tell tell by this post. It's quite influenced by the HRM.

I'm not going to go into all that and analyze everything. The bottom line is the weekly sabbath is not a shadow of anything, no matter how some might interprete few verses here and there, they simply can not reconcile with vs17.

 

[Sophia7]

Hmmm? Aren't you an adventist? I wouldn't tell tell by this post. It's quite influenced by the HRM.

I'm not going to go into all that and analyze everything. The bottom line is the weekly sabbath is not a shadow of anything, no matter how some might interprete few verses here and there, they simply can not reconcile with vs17.

I would point people to the other thread that I believe you mentioned regarding the feasts:
http://www.christianforums.com/t2462017-ot-feasts.html

These ideas have been discussed at length there. Yes, I am an Adventist, and nothing that I said contradicts Adventist beliefs; what I said is a criticism of the way many Adventist evangelists present our beliefs. There are disputes in Adventist theological circles on some of these issues, even among conservative scholars. People can be Adventists and disagree, you know. I did not say that the Sabbath has been abolished; on the contrary, I affirm it. I just think that the way we sometimes present our arguments on the Sabbath, by mistranslating and taking things out of context and proof-texting, does much harm to our credibility and is less than convincing.

 

[Sophia7]

Here is a quote from Angel Manuel Rodriguez, the head of the Adventist Biblical Research Institute, regarding Colossians 2 and the Sabbath (emphasis mine). You can read his entire article on the Sabbath at http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/documents/sabbath-catholic2002.htm. He takes the view that the term Sabbath in Colossians 2 refers to the weekly Sabbath.
_________________________________________________________________________

B. Col 2:16-17; Gal 3:10: Special Days

Colossians 2:16-23 is exegetically one of the most difficult passages to interpret in the New Testament. Part of the problem is the difficulties one faces in understanding the terminology used there and the extent to which Paul is quoting from his opponents. The other problem is defining the type of false teaching that was being promoted among church members. There is no scholarly consensus on those issues. Those who believe that the polemic is aimed mainly at Judaism find in the passage evidence to argue for the irrelevance of the Sabbath commandment for Christians.[87] But recent studies have supported the more traditional conviction that in Colossians we are not dealing with traditional Judaism but with a syncretistic movement in which Jewish elements are present.[88] The Jewish elements are usually found particularly in the phrase "in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day."

For our purpose one of the key terms in that sentence is "Sabbath day." Is it referring to the seventh day Sabbath of the Old Testament or is it designating something else? Some Adventists have argued that the reference is not to the commandment because the Sabbath could not be described as "shadow of what is to come" (2:17); it was instituted before sin came into the world. It has been common to argue that the Greek term for Sabbath used here is plural in form (sabbaton) and that it is better to apply it to the ceremonial Sabbaths associated with the Israelite festivals.[89] They could properly be described as shadows pointing to the work of the Messiah. More recently Adventist scholars have concluded that the phrase "festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day" seems to describe a yearly, monthly and weekly sequence making it difficult to retain the more common view. This has led to some other interpretational possibilities based on the context and on the use of the phrase "festival, new moon, Sabbath." For some the term "Sabbath" here is referring to the Jewish halakah, the "teachings of men" mentioned in the context (2:22).[90] Others argue that the list is designating the sacrifices offered during those religious occasions and not to the occasions themselves.[91] The sacrifices were a shadow of the sacrificial death of the Messiah.

The reference to the Sabbath is problematic for all interpreters because of the context in which it is found. Although the common tendency is to find in it a reference to the commandment there are still those who, based on the fact that the sequence is yearly, monthly and weekly, consider it possible and probable that the reference is not to the commandment itself but to the week. In other words, the term sabbaton should be translated "week,"[92] a usage found elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. Luke 18:11; Mark 16:9).[93] That possibility "cannot be ruled out completely (in which case the phrase would refer to weekly, monthly, and probably annual festivals)."[94]

But even if the term sabbatton designates the seventh day, the Sabbath, as it probably does, we should be extremely careful concerning the significance we attach to that usage. The term is employed in the context of a syncretistic "heresy" and therefore its original biblical significance has been altered. Paul is reacting to syncretistic practices promoted by the false teachers with respect to eating, drinking and festivals. The use of the verb "to judge" in 2:16 is very important for a correct grasping of the meaning of the passage. When Paul says, "no one is to act as your judge in regard to," he is in fact saying, "Let no one determine or regulate your eating, drinking . . ."[95] In other words the false teachers are not requiring submission to those practices but determining the way they should be performed on the basis of their own teachings. Paul correctly designates those regulations as "commandments and teachings of men" (2:22; cf. 2:8).

Paul is in fact warning "the Colossians not against the observances of these practices as such, but against 'anyone' (tis) who passes judgment on how to eat, to drink, and to observe sacred times. The judge who passed judgment is not Paul but the Colossian false teachers who imposed 'regulations' (Col 2:20) on how to observe these practices in order to achieve 'rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body' (Col 2:23)."[96] What Paul is rejecting is not "the teachings of Moses but their perverted use by the Colossian false teachers."[97] He does not have in view "the Jewish observance of these days as an expression of Israel's obedience to God's law and a token of her election. . . . What moves him here is the wrong motive involved when the observance of holy festivals is made part of the worship advocated at Colossae in recognition of the 'elements of the universe', the astral powers which direct the course of the stars and regulate the calendar."[98]

We can conclude that Paul is simply condemning "not the principle of Sabbath keeping but its perversion" or "superstitious observance."[99] We have already indicated that such type of Sabbath observance may have been quite common outside Jewish circles. Therefore, based on Col 2:16 one cannot theorize that Paul was promoting or teaching the abolition of the Sabbath commandment.[100] He was rejecting the attempt of the false teachers to impose their views on believers concerning how to observe it.[101] They were misusing the commandment but its misuse does not invalidate the commandment itself.[102]

 

[woobadooba]

I believe that this passage (Colossians 2) is not addressing whether we should keep the Sabbath but rather telling us not to judge each other as to how we keep the Sabbath--and I do think that this refers to the weekly Sabbath. The Greek word Sabbaton (used in the plural form here) refers to the weekly Sabbath, not to ceremonial Sabbaths. Those would be included in the same verse under the categories of the yearly feasts and New Moons.

I disagree with the idea that "a sabbath" is referring to the 7th day Sabbath in this text for two reasons:

1. "sabbath" coupled with the indefinite article "a" denotes the idea of a plurality of sabbaths. Whereas, the 7th day Sabbath is always referred to in the Bible in a definite way, and always with greater emphasis than any sabbath that was added as a result of sin. Hence, "a sabbath" here must therefore be referring to the ceremonial sabbaths rather than the 7th day Sabbath.

2. "a sabbath" is spoken of here within the context of "shadows of things to come". And according to the principle of "types", which are a shadow of things to come--"antitype", they were added as a result of sin.

In other words, according to the context of this passage, "a sabbath" can't be referring to the 7th day Sabbath, but can only be referring to those sabbaths that were added as a result of sin, for the simple fact that God never intended that humankind should live in a sinful world. And those laws which are, and were a shadow of things to come were added because God's moral law was transgressed.

"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator." Gal. 3:19

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." 1Jn. 3:4

Notice how these verses show that one law was transgressed; and because that law was transgressed another one was added.

Yet, the 7th day Sabbath can't pertain to what was added as a result of transgression because it wasn't made for that purpose. Rather, it memorialises God's act of creation. Thus it was established prior to the transgression that took place, which resulted in the addition of another law.

Therefore, it can't fall into the same category of those things that were, and are of the law, which were and are a shadow of things to come, because it was made by God for the purpose of giving His people something to remember Him by, but not to foreshadow something that would come within the context of those things that were and are a shadow of things to come as spoken of in Col. 2:16-17.

For, God really never intended for things to be any different as such than what they were in the garden of Eden. And since it was at that time that God made the 7th day Sabbath, it can't fall into the same category of the shadows that are spoken of in Col. 2:16-17.

Another thing to think about--Adventists often quote Isaiah 66 to prove that the Sabbath is eternal and that we will still keep it in heaven/the new earth. Here is what it says in verses 22-23: In reconciling these texts, we have a problem if we say that the Sabbath is eternal but that the New Moon is ceremonial and no longer to be observed. We can't have it both ways. If we interpret this text as talking about the new earth, then we have to accept that either both will still be celebrated or neither will.

I have to disagree with this too, on the grounds that the verses read thus:

"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD." Isa. 66:22-23

Whenever the Bible speaks of "new heavens and the new earth" it is always within an eschatological context. Therefore, to suggest that the Sabbath spoken of in verse 23 is not referring to an eschatological Sabbath, just doesn't stand to reason, since the phrase "the new heavens and the new earth" suggest otherwise.

Furthermore, it can't simply be referring to an eschatological rest that has no end, such as the rest of redemption promised by God in Heb. 4, for the simple fact that the text speaks of this Sabbath within the context of something that will be observed at a specific time, and perpetually nonetheless. Hence, "from one Sabbath to another..."

Moreover, it must be eschatological because it states that all humankind will gather together to worship God at this particular time. Never was there a time in history when all humankind worshipped God at the same time and in the same sense as this. Therefore, we can't say that it applies to something that had already happened, thus being in the past tense.

And it also makes sense that it is referring to the 7th day Sabbath for the simple fact that the 7th day Sabbath was made to be observed perpetually.

"'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant." Ex. 31:14-16

Nevertheless, we do run into the issue of the New Moon that is spoken of in the text. This is something that we should delve into more deeply. At this time I don't have an explanation for what it means.

However, with the evidence given already, I feel that it is safe to say that Isa. 66:22-23 is referring to none other but the 7th day Sabbath, and eschatologically nonetheless.

 

[OntheDL]

About the new moon...

The biblical/jewish calendar begins each month with the new moon. When two people witnessed the new moon, they gave their testamony to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin would in turn declare the new month had begun.

In the case of bad weather, the court would not declare the new month even if they knew from calculations until the witnesses came and reported seeing the new moon elsewhere.

If no witnesses, then the new moon is declared on the 31st day of the previous month.

The OT feast days depended on the new moon. For example the feast of the trumpet is the first day of the 7th month Tishri.

Also the new moon/"Rosh Chodesh" was a "minor" holiday. On the new moon, the gates of the inner court (Holy Place) was opened and sacrifices were made.

Ezekiel 46
1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
2 And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.
3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons.

Here in vs3, the sabbath is clearly the weekly sabbath as introduced in vs1.

Likewise Isaiah 66 says, from month to month and week to week, all shall worship before the LORD. This verse is saying the passing of time. It in no way indicates any part of the ceremonial laws being kept in the new heaven.

 

[OntheDL]

Here is a quote from Angel Manuel Rodriguez, the head of the Adventist Biblical Research Institute regarding Colossians 2 and the Sabbath (emphasis mine). You can read his entire article on the Sabbath at http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/documents/sabbath-catholic2002.htm. He takes the view that the term Sabbath in Colossians 2 refers to the weekly Sabbath.
B. Col 2:16-17; Gal 3:10: Special Days

Actually, there are scholarly consensus on these issues already. The Spirit of Prophecy rarely mentioned the ceremonial law as a whole without saying it had been abolished. I will quote the comment on Col 2. It does not specifically address the 'sabbaths' issue. But I think it is clear.

"After the completion of the tabernacle He communicated with Moses from the cloud of glory above the mercy seat, and gave him full directions concerning the system of offerings and the forms of worship to be maintained in the sanctuary. The ceremonial law was thus given to Moses, and by him written in a book. But the law of Ten Commandments spoken from Sinai had been written by God Himself on the tables of stone, and was sacredly preserved in the ark.

"There are many who try to blend these two systems, using the texts that speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished; but this is a perversion of the Scriptures. The distinction between the two systems is broad and clear. The ceremonial system was made up of symbols pointing to Christ, to His sacrifice and His priesthood. This ritual law, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be performed by the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings were to cease. It is this law that Christ ‘took . . out of the way, nailing it to His cross.’ Colossians 2:14.

"But concerning the law of Ten Commandments the psalmist declares, ‘Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.’ Psalm 119:89 . . The law of God is as immutable as His throne. It will maintain its claims upon mankind in all ages . . While the Saviour’s death brought to an end the law of types and shadows, it did not in the least detract from the obligation of the moral law. On the contrary, the very fact that it was necessary for Christ to die in order to atone for the transgression of that law, proves it to be immutable."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p364-365.

"The ceremonial law was given by Christ. Even after it was no longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator."—Patriarchs and Prophets, p367.

"While the apostles united with the ministers and lay members at Antioch in an earnest effort to win many souls to Christ, certain Jewish believers from Judea ‘of the sect of the Pharisees’ succeeded in introducing a question that soon led to wide-spread controversy in the church and brought consternation to the believing Gentiles. With great assurance these Judaizing teachers asserted that in order to be saved, one must be circumcised and must keep the entire ceremonial law.

"Paul and Barnabas met this false doctrine with promptness and opposed the introduction of the subject to the Gentiles. On the other hand, many of the believing Jews of Antioch favored the position of the brethren recently come from Judea.

"The Jewish converts generally were not inclined to move as rapidly as the providence of God opened the way. From the result of the apostles’ labors among the Gentiles it was evident that the converts among the latter people would far exceed the Jewish converts in number. The Jews feared that if the restrictions and ceremonies of their law were not made obligatory upon the Gentiles as a condition of church fellowship, the national peculiarities of the Jews, which had hitherto kept them distinct from all other people, would finally disappear from among those who received the gospel message.

"The Jews had always prided themselves upon their divinely appointed services, and many of those who had been converted to the faith of Christ still felt that since God had once clearly outlined the Hebrew manner of worship, it was improbable that He would ever authorize a change in any of its specifications. They insisted that the Jewish laws and ceremonies should be incorporated into the rites of the Christian religion. They were slow to discern that all the sacrificial offerings had but prefigured the death of the Son of God, in which type met antitype, and after which the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic dispensation were no longer binding."—Acts of the Apostles, 188-189.

"Once before, Peter had reasoned with his brethren concerning the conversion of Cornelius and his friends, and his fellowship with them. As he on that occasion related how the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles he declared, ‘Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?’ Acts 11:17. Now, with equal fervor and force, he said: ‘God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?’ This yoke was not the law of Ten Commandments, as some who oppose the binding claims of the law assert; Peter here referred to the law of ceremonies, which was made null and void by the crucifixion of Christ.

"Peter’s address brought the assembly to a point where they could listen with patience to Paul and Barnabas, who related their experience in working for the Gentiles. ‘All the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.’

"James also bore his testimony with decision, declaring that it was God’s purpose to bestow upon the Gentiles the same privileges and blessings that had been granted to the Jews.

"The Holy Spirit saw good not to impose the ceremonial law on the Gentile converts, and the mind of the apostles regarding this matter was as the mind of the Spirit of God. James presided at the council, and his final decision was, ‘Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.’ "—Acts of the Apostles, 193-194.

 

[woobadooba]

Here in vs3, the sabbath is clearly the weekly sabbath as introduced in vs1.

Likewise Isaiah 66 says, from month to month and week to week, all shall worship before the LORD. This verse is saying the passing of time. It in no way indicates any part of the ceremonial laws being kept in the new heaven.

So then, perhaps the New Moon spoken of in Isa. 66 symbolizes the perpetuity of the worship of God on the Sabbath day, via week to week throughout every month for all eternity?

In other words, perhaps it was added for emphasis?

 

[OntheDL]

So then, perhaps the New Moon spoken of in Isa. 66 symbolizes the perpetuity of the worship of God on the Sabbath day, via week to week throughout every month for all eternity?

In other words, perhaps it was added for emphasis?

Yes.


"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." "The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people."

So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66:23. --Maranatha p371

In Hebrew mindset, when they wanted to convey something important, they gave multiple parrallels to bring emphassis on it. This pattern is evident throughout the whole bible.

When the bible mentions the feasts, new moon and sabbaths, every single instance is associated with sacrificial ceremonies. When unclear, the practice is that we always go the first instance when it was mentioned in the bible.

1 Chronicles 23:31
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:

2 Chronicles 2:4
Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

2 Chronicles 8:13
Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

2 Chronicles 31:3
He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.

Nehemiah 10:33
For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Ezekiel 45:17
And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.

Hosea 2:11
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.


Notice offerings were made on weekly sabbaths, new moons and feasts and daily continual bases.

Colossians 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

However, regardless which sabbath Col 2:16 was talking about, it was clearly talking about the ceremonies (drink, meat, sacrificial offering) and let no man judge you on ceremonies in respect of (in connection with) feast days, new moon or sabbaths which are shadows of Christ vs17.

 

[Cliff2]

Yes.


"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." "The Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people."

So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66:23. --Maranatha p371

In Hebrew mindset, when they wanted to convey something important, they gave multiple parrallels to bring emphassis on it. This pattern is evident throughout the whole bible.

When the bible mentions the feasts, new moon and sabbaths, every single instance is associated with sacrificial ceremonies. When unclear, the practice is that we always go the first instance when it was mentioned in the bible.

1 Chronicles 23:31
And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:

2 Chronicles 2:4
Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

2 Chronicles 8:13
Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

2 Chronicles 31:3
He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.

Nehemiah 10:33
For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Ezekiel 45:17
And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.

Hosea 2:11
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.


Notice offerings were made on weekly sabbaths, new moons and feasts and daily continual bases.

Colossians 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

However, regardless which sabbath Col 2:16 was talking about, it was clearly talking about the ceremonies (drink, meat, sacrificial offering) and let no man judge you on ceremonies in respect of (in connection with) feast days, new moon or sabbaths which are shadows of Christ vs17.

You have made some good points. Thanks for that.

 

[YeshuamySalvation]

I disagree with the idea that "a sabbath" is referring to the 7th day Sabbath in this text for two reasons:

1. "sabbath" coupled with the indefinite article "a" denotes the idea of a plurality of sabbaths. Whereas, the 7th day Sabbath is always referred to in the Bible in a definite way, and always with greater emphasis than any sabbath that was added as a result of sin. Hence, "a sabbath" here must therefore be referring to the ceremonial sabbaths rather than the 7th day Sabbath.

2. "a sabbath" is spoken of here within the context of "shadows of things to come". And according to the principle of "types", which are a shadow of things to come--"antitype", they were added as a result of sin.

In other words, according to the context of this passage, "a sabbath" can't be referring to the 7th day Sabbath, but can only be referring to those sabbaths that were added as a result of sin, for the simple fact that God never intended that humankind should live in a sinful world. And those laws which are, and were a shadow of things to come were added because God's moral law was transgressed.

"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator." Gal. 3:19

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." 1Jn. 3:4

Notice how these verses show that one law was transgressed; and because that law was transgressed another one was added.

Yet, the 7th day Sabbath can't pertain to what was added as a result of transgression because it wasn't made for that purpose. Rather, it memorialises God's act of creation. Thus it was established prior to the transgression that took place, which resulted in the addition of another law.

Therefore, it can't fall into the same category of those things that were, and are of the law, which were and are a shadow of things to come, because it was made by God for the purpose of giving His people something to remember Him by, but not to foreshadow something that would come within the context of those things that were and are a shadow of things to come as spoken of in Col. 2:16-17.

For, God really never intended for things to be any different as such than what they were in the garden of Eden. And since it was at that time that God made the 7th day Sabbath, it can't fall into the same category of the shadows that are spoken of in Col. 2:16-17.

Take a look for yourself at the orginal text according to James Strong Concordance ...

Yeshua My Salvation > "sabbath," as used in Col 2:16;

sabbaton, Greek 4521, Strong’s
sabbaton, sab'-bat-on; of Hebrew origin [Hebrew 7676 (shabbath)]; the Sabbath (i.e. Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension a se'nnight, i.e. the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications :- sabbath (day), week.

Yeshua My Salvation > Heres what the orginal manuscript say on holy days, new moons, and sabbath days, click on the below resources for yourself and take a look at the evidance...

Yeshua My Salvation > Holydays are the yearly Sabbaths which means festivals, the Greek word is translated as feast or festival in every other verse where it is used. Most translations actually translate it as festival in that verse:

http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/gr...mber=1859&l=en

The new moon is the monthly Sabbaths.


http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/gr...mber=4521&l=en

Yeshua My Salvation > Then we have the Sabbath. This is the weekly Sabbath. When we see this Greek word being used in other verses in scripture it refers to the weekly Sabbath always not yearly Sabbaths as most Adventist claim... Paul does not repeat himself by saying yearly Sabbaths, new moons, and yearly Sabbaths.

Yeshua My Salvation > I know that each and every single time i present the clear biblical evidance from it's orginal language Traditional Adventist get a very sevear case of spiritual diarrhea.. I would agree that no one wants there building to fall "YIKES." And those of us offcourse that have opposed the unsupported Adventist veiw of Yearly Sabbaths in Col 2:16 have knocked the very foundation of Traditional Seventh day Adventism from it's root... Not yet have i met one Traditional Seventh day Adventist that has been able to respond properly to the biblical evidance of Sabbath days in Col 2:16 other then going back to what they have been taught by there organization and/or Adventist Traditions...