Three Types Of Sabbath

What are the three types of Sabbath?

The term Sabbath is often misunderstood because many people do not realize that there are three types of Sabbath.  This can lead to a wrong understanding in a passage that refers to the Sabbath.

This confusion can be eliminated by understanding that there are three types of Sabbath.  We need to discern this in every passage concerning Sabbaths to come to the right conclusion.

These three types of Sabbath have some similar commandments but also some that apply to only each type.  We must understand the commandments that apply to each type to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

We need to consider the context of the passage to discern which type or types of Sabbath are being referred to and then consider what the rest of the Book of Truth (The Bible) says about those types.  As always, context is king!

The Weekly Sabbath.

In the beginning, the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) set apart the seventh day as a day of rest (Genesis 2:2-3).

Over two thousand years later, the Father of Truth commanded the Congregation of Israel in the wilderness to set apart the seventh day when He gave them manna (Exodus 16:22-26).  The Sabbath was only given to the people of Israel (Exodus 16:29-30). 

Afterwards, the Father of Truth spoke the Ten Commandments to those who came out of Egypt (circumcised and uncircumcised) (Exodus 20:1-2).  He commanded these set apart people to rest on the seventh day that He had set apart by resting on it (Exodus 20:8-11). 

Everyone who lives among the descendants of Israel are to rest on the seventh day as well as their animals (Exodus 23:12).  They are to rest on the seventh day every week of the year – even during busy times like planting season and harvest season (Exodus 34:21).

The Sabbath was given as a holy day to the descendants of Israel as a sign that they had been set apart to the Father of Truth, so anyone who desecrated it by working on it was to be killed (Exodus 31:13-14).  Those who defiled the Sabbath were to be put to death, because they were not keeping the sign that they were set apart by the Father of Truth by resting on the seventh day as He had rested (Exodus 31:15-17).  They were not even to kindle a fire on the Sabbath day because it is to be a holy day to them (Exodus 35:1-3).

The Congregation of Israel was commanded to keep the Sabbath as holy to show that they are holy like the Father of Truth and not idol worshipers (Leviticus 19:1-4).  They were to keep the Sabbath and reverence the Temple instead of giving any regard to psychics and witches (Leviticus 19:30-31).

The Sabbath is a weekly appointment to cease working and congregate together to worship the Father of Truth (Leviticus 23:1-3).  It is a weekly reminder that the Congregation of Israel was delivered from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

So, the Sabbath was given to the circumcised ethnic group of Israel and the command to keep it was given to only the Congregation of Israel in the wilderness.  The only uncircumcised people who were commanded to keep it were those living among the circumcised ethnic group of Israel.

So, the commandments of the weekly Sabbath are part of the conditional commandments that do not apply to all people at all times in all places under all circumstances.  However, we need to consider the entire Book of Truth to discern the way the commandments to rest on the Sabbath are to be carried out by those who they do apply to.

It is not desecrating the Sabbath to guard property and people on the Sabbath (2 Kings 11:4-11).  Law and order can be restored on the Sabbath – even it requires executing criminals (2 Kings 11:12-21).

Restoring true ministers to their office is also allowed on the Sabbath (2 Chronicles 23:4-8).  So is removing all false ministers from the congregation – even if it requires executing them (2 Chronicles 23:16-19).

However, no commerce is allowed to be conducted on the Sabbath with uncircumcised people who are not part of the Congregation of Israel (Nehemiah 10:31).  Neither can those who are part of the Congregation of Israel engage in commerce with each other (Nehemiah 13:15).

So, no commerce can be conducted on the Sabbath by anyone because that is treating it as if it was not set apart as holy (Nehemiah 13:16-18).  However, it is not desecrating the Sabbath to take whatever measures are necessary to keep it from being desecrated by others (Nehemiah 13:19-22).

Not only that, but people are to leave off doing all of their regular business, leave off seeking after their own pleasure, and even leave off speaking about those things on the Sabbath because it is set apart for honoring the Father of Truth (Isaiah 58:13).  The Sabbath is not a day for carry out commerce, but a day for carrying out worship (Jeremiah 17:24-26).  It is certainly not a day for oppressing the poor by cheating them in business (Amos 8:4-6)!

However, people can do whatever is necessary to eat on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-4).  In like manner, ministers can do whatever is necessary to take care of their congregation on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:5-8).

People can also take care of the medical needs of people on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-10).  In fact, people can always take care of others on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11-13).

People can always teach the Word of Truth and cast out demons on the Sabbath (Mark 1:21-27).  The Word of Truth can always be confirmed with signs and wonders on the Sabbath (Mark 6:2-5).

The Word of Truth can always be read on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16-20).  People can always be delivered from the oppression of the Father of Lies (HaShatan aka Satan Aka The Devil) on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17).

People can always do whatever is necessary to be healed of disease on the Sabbath (John 5:8-16).  People can always do the work of the Father of Truth on the Sabbath (John 5:17-19).

Whatever is necessary to keep the commandments of the Law of Truth can be done on the Sabbath (John 7:22-23).  The blind can always be caused to see on the Sabbath (John 9:13-16).

People can congregate together and preach about the Man of Truth on the Sabbath (Acts 13:14-26).  People can be evangelized on the Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44).

The words of the Prophets of Truth can be read on the Sabbath (Acts 13:27).  The words of Moses (the Law of Truth) can be read on the Sabbath (Acts 15:21).

People can meet outdoors to pray and discuss the Word of Truth on the Sabbath (Acts 16:12-13).  They can also meet indoors to discuss the Word of Truth on the Sabbath (Acts 17:1-3).  They can persuade people to come into the House of Truth on the Sabbath (Acts 18:4-5).

So, the Sabbath is set apart for people to worship the Father of Truth.  It is a day to spend reading the Word of Truth and discussing it.

The Sabbath is a day for the Spirit of Truth confirm the Word of Truth with signs and wonders.  It is a day for preaching about the Man of Truth.

People can also do whatever is necessary to keep the other commandments of the Law of Truth on the Sabbath.  They can do whatever is necessary to take care of other people on the Sabbath.

However, the Sabbath is not a day for people to pursue their own interests.  It is not a day for engaging in commerce.

So, there is no need for people to ever be bored on the Sabbath.  People need one day a week to spend time on these things instead of other things.

In summary, the Sabbath is a day for people to reset their focus on what is really important.  It is a day for people to be refreshed, so they can be effective at everything they do until the next Sabbath.

The Annual Sabbaths

The Father of Truth commanded the Congregation of Israel to congregate together and leave off all of their normal work on the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzah) – just like He commanded for the Sabbath (Exodus 12:15-18).  He said that the seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was to be a holiday (chag) to serve as a sign between their eyes and upon their hands to help them keep His commandments (Exodus 13:3-10).  He also commanded that everyone (circumcised and uncircumcised) who lived in the Promise Land to congregate together and do no normal work on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) because it was also a Sabbath (Leviticus 16:29-31). 

In fact, the Father of Truth said that the weekly Sabbath was just one of the appointed times (moedim) for meeting with him (Leviticus 23:1-3).  He said that Passover (Pesach) along with the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread were three of these annual appointments with the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to be treated like the weekly Sabbath (Leviticus 23:4-8). 

The day after the weekly Sabbath (Sunday) that followed Passover was the Feast of Firstfruits (Bikkurim) another annual appointed time when the first sheaves of the barley harvest were to be lifted up to the Father of Truth (Leviticus 23:9-14).  That day began the count to fifty days to reach the day after the seventh Sabbath (Sunday), the day of Pentecost (Shavuot), another annual appointed time, when two loaves of leavened bread would be waved to start the wheat harvest and it also was treated like the weekly Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-22).

The Father of Truth also set up the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) as another annual appointed time that was also called a Sabbath (Leviticus 23:23-25).  The Day of Atonement was the next annual appointed time that was called a Sabbath (Leviticus 23:26-32).  The last annual appointed time was the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that came at the end of the grape harvest with the first and eighth days being called Sabbaths (Leviticus 23:33-42).

The Father of Truth required extra sacrifices for all of the annual appointed times that came in the Spring even though three of them were annual Sabbaths (Numbers 28:16-26).  The same was true for all the annual appointed times that came in the Autumn even though four of them were annual Sabbaths (Numbers 29).

So, we can see that besides the weekly Sabbath there is also seven annual Sabbaths that make up another week of Sabbaths.  This makes almost one in six days a Sabbath over the course of year.

Since the average number of weeks in a year is fifty-two weeks, then an average year has fifty-nine Sabbaths.  That is the number of days in a pair of Biblical months.

It is also worth noting that not every annual appointed day is a Sabbath.  Passover, four or five of the days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (depending upon which day the weekly Sabbath falls on during that week), the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five or six of the days of the Feast of Tabernacles depending upon which day the weekly Sabbath falls on during that those eight days) are not Sabbaths.

So, there can be twelve appointed days each year that are not Sabbaths.  However, their celebration precludes doing some of the normal activities of a regular day, so they can be thought of as half-Sabbaths when people can take part in various relaxing activities.

The Father of Truth has provided on average around seventy days each year for rest and relaxation – almost one in five days.  However, he did not stop there.

The Sabbath Years

The Father of Truth commanded the Congregation of Israel to let their land rest every seventh year, just like they were let their people and animals rest every seventh day (Exodus 23:10-12).  The land was to have a Sabbath year when they were to neither sow nor harvest crops in the seventh year, but they could eat whatever grew up on its own (Leviticus 25:1-7). 

Their land would produce a double crop in the sixth year so they would not need to farm the land on the seventh year - just like a double portion of manna fell on the sixth day so they would not need to gather any on the seventh day (Leviticus 25:20-22).  The Father of Truth also commanded that everyone in the Promise Land congregate to hear the entire Law of Truth - similar to what they were to do every Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).

When the seventh year came, everyone who lived in the Promise Land was to be released from all their financial debts (Deuteronomy 15:1-3).  They were to loan money to those in need in the Promise Land -even if their borrowers would be released from their debt a few days later - because the Father of Truth promised to repay them (Deuteronomy 15:7-11).

After seven Sabbath years, the Father of Truth commanded that the land be given an extra Sabbath year - the Year of Jubilee – the fiftieth year, just like after seven Sabbath days there was an extra Sabbath day - Pentecost – the fiftieth day (Leviticus 25:8-12).  In that year every man received back his inheritance and had to return to live there among his brothers, so land was valued based on how many years were left until the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:13-16).

The land was not to be sold permanently, because the entire Promise Land belonged to the Father of Truth and those who lived in it were His tenants (Leviticus 25:23-28).  In like manner, if any of the circumcised ethnic group of Israel became a servant in the Promise Land, they were to be released from their servitude and return to their inheritance in the Promise Land in the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:39-41).

If those in the Promised Land did not let the land rest on the Sabbath years, then the Father of Truth would send their enemies to destroy their cities and remove them from the Promise Land - so it could get the rest that should have gotten on the Sabbath years (Leviticus 26:31-35).  They would not be brought back into the Promise Land until after the land was given all the rest it should have gotten on the Sabbath years (Leviticus 26:43-45).

So we can see that besides the seventy days for relaxation – including the fifty-nine Sabbath days - on average each year that the Father of Truth provided, He also provided eight Sabbath years out of every fifty years.  So, altogether the Congregation of Israel was given almost fifteen years of rest out of every fifty years.

This means over the course of fifty years they were given about one out of three days off from their regular work.  A little less than half of those were Sabbaths to meet with the Father of Truth and the rest were for them to seek after their own pleasure.

So, how did the Congregation of Israel respond to these three types of Sabbath?

While the Congregation of Israel was still in the wilderness, they polluted the weekly Sabbath that was given as a sign that they were in a special relationship with the Father of Truth (Ezekiel 20:12-17).  Their descendants that went into the Promise Land also polluted the weekly Sabbath, so the Father of Truth said He would remove them from the Promise Land to live among other ethnic groups (Ezekiel 20:18-24).

The Father of Truth warned the Congregation of Israel to stop performing work and carrying burdens on the weekly Sabbath, but they just ignored Him (Jeremiah 17:21-23).  So He warned them that He would destroy the Temple and cause them to be carried out of the Promise Land (Jeremiah 17:27).

Instead, the Congregation of Israel greatly polluted the Sabbaths (weekly and annual) by shedding the blood of innocent children as they worshiped idols and oppressing other people in every manner (Ezekiel 22:3-12)!  Even the priests in the Temple did not keep the Sabbaths as they had been instructed and polluted the Temple with sacrifices of unclean animals (Ezekiel 22:26)!  They even sacrificed their own children to idols in the Temple on the Sabbath (Ezekiel 23:37-38)!

The Congregation of Israel made the weekly Sabbaths and annual Sabbaths (Feasts) an abomination to the Father of Truth by their mistreatment of other people (Isaiah 1:13-17)!  So, the Father of Truth made sure that the Congregation of Israel could not keep them any longer (Lamentations 2:5-7)!  He put an end to their keeping the weekly Sabbaths and feasts (annual Sabbaths) (Hosea 2:11)!

The Congregation of Israel was removed from the Promise Land to live among other ethnic groups for seventy years until the Promise Land rested for all of the Sabbath years that they had not let it rest (2 Chronicles 36:19-23).  The Father of Truth sent them away for seventy years because they refuse to listen to the Prophets of Truth and keep the three types of Sabbath as He had commanded (Jeremiah 25:4-11)!

So, the Congregation of Israel refused to take the rest that the Father of Truth had provided.  They could not live in that rest because they did not have faith in the Father of Truth.

Only those who trust the Father of Truth can truly rest.  As already shown, the weekly Sabbath was only given as a sign to the Congregation of Israel, but everyone needs to trust the Father of Truth enough to rest.

Some of them sought to increase their wealth by adopting a 24/7/365 business model that left no time for weekly and annual appointments with the Father of Truth.  Others did the same thing because they were afraid that their business would fail unless they did what their competitors did.

Others decided to use the weekly Sabbath to pursue their own pleasure instead of resting and spending it with the Father of Truth.  This caused them to soon desire things to carry out those activities.

The annual Sabbaths (feasts) became times to show off what they had to impress other people.  They turned them into a time that shamed the poor instead of helping them.

Their lack of trust in the Father of Truth to take care of them as He had promised caused them to not forgive debts that were owed to them every Sabbath year as He had commanded.  This same lack of trust caused them to not let their land rest every seventh year – even though he had provided a double sized crop in the sixth year, so they could.

Instead, their greed caused them to sell the excess of the sixth year to buy things that they did not need.  Then they were not able to rest in the seventh year.

So, they ended up working all the time to pay off money they had borrowed for things that they did not need to impress people that they did not like.  They were trapped in an endless cycle that left them no time to spend with the Father of Truth or to learn how to keep His commandments.

As a result, they found themselves searching for answers and turned to worthless idols for guidance.  This led them to do things they would never have imagined that they would do – like sacrificing their own children in the very Temple of the Father of Truth!

Their land was also being ruined by not being given the rest that it needed.  The poor, the foreigner, and even the wildlife was starving as a result of ever decreasing crop yields.

Soon the whole Congregation of Israel was so entangled in this system that there was only one remedy – to completely destroy it!  So, the Father of Truth destroyed their idols, the Temple, the weekly Sabbath, and the annual Sabbath, then removed the Congregation of Israel out of the Promise Land until it could return to the fruitfulness it once had.

This was not the end of the three types of Sabbath.

The Father of Truth began bringing back the scattered Congregation of Israel back to the Promise Land after the seventy years of captivity as He had promised (Jeremiah 29:10-14).  However, it will not be until after the Antichrist is destroyed that this processed will be completed (Daniel 9).

The Father of Truth promised to bring salvation and reveal His righteousness to any person (circumcised or uncircumcised) that would keep the commandments of righteousness and also keep the Sabbath according to His instructions (Isaiah 56:1-2).  He will give even uncircumcised people who were not part of the Congregation of Israel a place in His Temple and in His City if they will do these things commanded in the Law of Truth (Isaiah 56:3-5).

These uncircumcised people who were not part of the Congregation of Israel that did these things will also be brought into His Temple so that it will be called a house of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:6-7).  When the Father of Truth gathers the Congregation of Israel back to the Promise Land, He will also gather these other people with them (Isaiah 56:8).

The Father of Truth will first gather the scattered Congregation of Israel to the wilderness where He will destroy everyone among them who will not obey the Law of Truth and only those who will keep the three types of Sabbath as well as all of the other commandments will enter the Promise Land (Ezekiel 20:33-38).  So, the Priest of Truth will once again pronounce the judgements of the Father of Truth found in the Law of Truth and they will treat the Sabbath as holy (Ezekiel 44:24). 

The Congregation of Israel will worship outside of the eastern gate of the Temple on the Sabbath every week (Ezekiel 46:1-3).  They will also worship at the Temple every annual Sabbath (feast) (Ezekiel 46:9-11).  Even those outside of the Promise Land will come to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles every year (Zechariah 14:16-19).

These three types of Sabbath is good in every way and will make our days like Heaven on Earth when we keep them along with the rest of the commandments of the Father of Truth (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).  So, when there is a New Heaven and Earth, everyone on the New Earth will keep these three types of Sabbath (Isaiah 66:22-24).

So, these three types of Sabbath will be restored completely in the future for everyone in the Promise Land.  In fact, everyone on Earth will keep them in the New Earth when the Father of Truth comes to live among them.

So, how about today?

The weekly Sabbath was made for all people and the Man of Truth showed us how to keep it (Mark 2:27-28). He kept the annual Sabbaths (feasts) as well (John 7:2-10).

The Apostles of Truth, including Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka the Apostle Paul), kept the weekly Sabbath as well as did the uncircumcised Gentiles that they won over to the Man of Truth (Acts 13:42-44).  They also kept the annual Sabbaths (feasts) with the uncircumcised Gentiles (Acts 20:6).

Those who follow the Man of Truth do not have to keep any of these three types of Sabbath unless they have obligated themselves to do so by being circumcised (Galatians 5:3).  Those who keep these three types of Sabbath are not to look down upon those who do not and those who do not keep them are not to look down upon those who do, because following the Man of Truth is what matters most (Colossians 2:16-17).

We are called to cause people to keep the commandments of righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).  We are not called to cause people to become obligated or unobligated to keep these three types of Sabbath since keeping the commandments of righteousness is what matters most (1 Corinthians 7:18-20).

However, just because we are not required to keep these three types of Sabbath to be part of the Kingdom of the Father of Truth, does not mean that it is wise for us to not keep them (1 Corinthians 6:12).  Keeping these three types of Sabbath is only a problem when we are doing so to be saved (Galatians 5:4).

We can benefit greatly from keeping these three types of Sabbath as long as we do not rely on keeping them to make us righteous like the scribes and Pharisees did (Matthew 5:20).  It is the will of the Father of Truth that we also keep the commandments of righteousness as well when we keep these three types of Sabbath, because the commandments of righteousness are more important (Matthew 23:23).

So, we can keep these three types of Sabbath not to be saved, but because we are saved and want to be greater in the Kingdom of the Father of Truth (Matthew 5:16-19).  We can keep them to follow the example of the Apostles of Truth (1 Corinthians 11:1-2).  We can keep them to be more like the Man of Truth (1 John 4:16-17).

We can keep the weekly Sabbath like the Man of Truth did (Luke 4:14-16).  We can be in the habit of congregating on the Sabbath every week like the Apostles of Truth were (Acts 17:1-2)

We can still send offerings to help the believers in Israel on the first Sabbaths (feast days when offerings are to be brought to Jerusalem) (1 Corinthians 16:1-3). We can still observe the annual Sabbaths (feasts) in part outside the Promise Land and without the Temple (1 Corinthians 16:8).

(The word for “day” (emera) is not in the original Greek text as indicated by the KJV and other good word-for-word translations by being italicized.  It literally says “first Sabbath” (mian Sabbaton), which were annual Sabbaths that came before the weekly Sabbath in the same week - making them the first Sabbath of that week.  You can see this in plain Greek here:  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+16:1-3&version=KJV .)

We can observe the Sabbath year principles by giving to those in need and loaning to those who ask us (Matthew 5:42).  We can observe them by lending to others in faith that the Father of Truth will reward us and forgiving their debts if they cannot repay us (Luke 6:35-37).

We can observe the year of Jubilee principles by proclaiming liberty to those in bondage and setting them free like the Man of Truth did (Luke 4:18-19).  We can observe them by setting people free from demons and restoring them back to their family (Luke 9:41-42).

However, every effort to observe the three types of Sabbath will not get anyone into the Kingdom of the Father of Truth (Romans 3:19-20).  It is only through faith in the Man of Truth that anyone can be saved (Romans 3:23-30).  It is this faith that makes us able to keep the three types of Sabbath as the Father of Truth intended (Romans 3:31).

So, come into the House of Truth by surrendering your life to the Man of Truth because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead, whether or not you are circumcised (Romans 10:9-13).  It is only by believing the Good News that we can truly experience the rest of the three types of Sabbath (Hebrews 4:2-11).

Come into the House of Truth!