The Gospel Sabbath

Hebrews 4:9-10

All those legal, ceremonial sabbaths of the Old Testament, all those sabbaths required by the law of God in the days of carnal, ceremonial worship, were designed to portray the glorious gospel rest found in Christ and the rest of heaven that shall follow, the sabbath into which Christ has entered and that into which all God’s elect enter when as they trust him. Ours is a sabbath without end.

The Weekly Sabbath

In the Old Testament, the Jews were required to keep a weekly sabbath day (Saturday), as a typical picture of the believer’s rest of faith in Christ (Ex. 31:13). As the Lord God ceased from his works, when he had finished his work of creation, so the Jews were to cease from their works on the seventh day of every week. So, too, we have ceased from our works, when we trust Christ. That is what the law of the seventh day sabbath portrayed: – Rest in Christ!

The Seven Year Sabbath

God also required Israel to keep a seven year sabbath, during which the ground rested from its slavery, curse, and toil, portraying that rest which shall soon come to God’s creation and his people (Ex. 23:9-11; Rom. 8:20-21). It is called “the year of release” because the bondmen were set free every seventh year (Deut. 15:9; 31:10). – The seven year sabbath of the law pictured the new creation. When Christ comes again, he will deliver God’s creation from all the evil affects of sin, all the curse brought upon it by sin.

The Jubilee Sabbath

Then, the law required a seventh seven year sabbath. Every forty-nine years the whole land celebrated a year of jubilee (Ex. 25:8-55). During that time all debts were discharged, all mortgages were canceled, all bondmen were set free, and all that had been lost was restored.

This year of jubilee is called “the year of liberty” (Ezek. 46:17). This Jubilee is that which Christ has both finished and entered into as our Savior, and that which is proclaimed in the gospel (Isa. 61:1-3; Luke 4:16-21). The gospel of Christ proclaims liberty to sinners, perfect, complete, absolute, everlasting liberty! In heavenly glory, God’s elect shall forever enjoy total liberty from all sin and from all the evil consequences of sin (Rev. 21:3-5; 22:3-6). – This is the Gospel Jubilee!