The Sabbath, Creation, and the New Earth
Isaiah 66:23
Genesis tells us that in the beginning God took six days to create the heavens and the earth, and then He ceased His work and rested the seventh day:
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Jesus tells us that this seventh day sabbath was made by Him for the benefit of all mankind:
Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
The apostle Paul confirms that Jesus is the creator God:
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
The apostle Peter tells us that we can look forward to a new heavens and a new earth to come:
2 Pet 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
That promise is found in Isaiah:
Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
John the revelator saw this new creation come to pass in vision:
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
...
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new... .
Isaiah adds the following regarding the new creation:
Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 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.
Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.
Isaiah tells us that with the creation of the new earth, there will be two time periods associated with worshipping the Lord. The first is a monthly period. John the revelator tells us what this is all about:
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The tree of life will produce a different fruit every month, and eating this new fruit on a monthly basis is what will maintain eternal life. It was the denial of access to the tree of life that doomed Adam and Eve to a sure death:
Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
So on the new earth, every month as set by the new moon, everyone will gather in the New Jerusalem to eat from the tree of life and worship God. This is how eternal life will be restored and maintained.
Next, Isaiah says that all humanity will assemble to worship before the Lord from one Sabbath to another. The reason for observing the seventh day Sabbath is clearly explained:
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The seventh day Sabbath is the way that we bring honor and glory to the Lord our creator. We are commanded to remember it by resting from our labor as Jesus rested from his creative labors on the seventh day, it is a memorial to creation. Well, we have seen that the Lord has promised that He will create a new heaven and new earth. The pattern for this we have already noticed in scripture. Since God originally took six days for creation, and then rested the seventh day, this is exactly what can be expected for the new creation. After completing the restoration of heaven and earth to a state of being very good in six days, Jesus will cease His labor and rest the Sabbath day.
There will be one major difference between the original creation and the recreation of the new heaven and earth. Adam and Eve did not witness any of the first creation, they had to trust God when He told them He was the creator. They had to accept this by faith. The creation of the new heaven and earth, however, will be witnessed by all the saved who will be in the New Jerusalem on earth at the time. What a spectacular demonstration of God's creative power that will be!
Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Isa 65:18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
So on the seventh day of the new creation, on that Sabbath and the next, from week to week into eternity, all of humanity will rejoice in worshipping Jesus the Creator, as a memorial, to honor and glorify Him in the New Jerusalem. This is why the seventh day Sabbath is proclaimed to the entire world before the second coming:
Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
You see, the Sabbath was and is a perpetual covenant, and always will be a sign between God and His people:
Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Not just to literal Israel, but to everyone with faith:
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Sunday is NOT the biblical Sabbath day.
Did the Apostles Keep Sunday To Honor The Resurrection?
Offering Strange Fire Before The Lord.
The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast.
The Seal of God in the Old and New Covenants
The Battle of Armageddon.
