The SABBATH  
in COLOSSIANS 2: 16-17
(Continued -- Pg2)

Then it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, all at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel. Ezek. 45:17 (NKJV)

 

“Notice the construction. The order of Sabbaths, the new moons, and the festivals is clear and distinct, There can be no mistaking that this refers to the weekly, monthly and the seasonal festivals. Throughout the Old Testament, the same construction is used. The weekly, the monthly, the seasonal, and sometimes the yearly or sabbatical years are included. Sometimes the order is reversed, but the same principle applies.”*

 

“The ‘sabbaths’ being referred to in Colossians 2:16-17 are therefore referring to the seventh-day Sabbaths. It would be redundant and totally out of literary character for this to refer to the appointed feasts. To make it do so would make the passage read, ‘Let no one judge you regarding FESTIVALS, new moons, or FESTIVALS’. That would make no sense. Even Samuele Bacchiocchi (noted sabbatarian author) admits that this is the case. He agrees that the weekly Sabbath is what is being referred to here. (Samuele Bacchiocchi, Sabbath Under Crossfire {Biblical Perspectives, 1998} p.245-248)*

 

To underline his warning against Jewish Judaizers who were telling the Gentile Christians that they must keep the Sabbath and the other feasts, Paul wrote to the young Galatian believers,

 

            But now after you have known God, or rather known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. Gal. 4:9-11 (NKJV)

 

It is significant that when Jesus started His ministry, He went to the synagogue to read from the book of Isaiah the very prophecy about Him: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty (preach deliverance) to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim (preach) the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book… And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

 

Jesus did not only introduce Himself as the Messiah, but He also called Himself the JUBILEE! Jesus called Himself the ULTIMATE SABBATH! The Sabbath  is a Person! His name is JESUS CHRIST!! He is LORD OF ALL!!! ###

 

(All Quotations with * are from “DISCOVERING THE NEW COVENANT by Greg Taylor)

F.S.Hosillos: 6/25/14

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