A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME
The Bible uses analogies so that we can understand deep principles. For example, our body is compared to a "tent." This is taught in the Bible. The Feast of Tabernacles means Feast of Booths or "tents". This physical body of ours is certainly very temporary. In 2 Peter 1:13-14, Peter refers to his weak physical body as a tabernacle. "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shown me." KJV
Why do most people think that we are immortal already? It is because Satan told Eve "ye shall not die." And she believed him over God. The Bible teaches that we can achieve immortality, but it is not automatic, else why would Romans 2:7 say that we must "seek" immortality. Since the Bible says that we must SEEK immortality, it is obvious that no one seeks for what they already have in hand. Aside from that, the scriptures say that only God "has immortality." l Timothy 6:16
There are other analogies in the Bible...analogies are "shadows of things to come." For example, Colossians 2:16-17 says, "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, which are a shadow of things to come..." A "shadow" is an analogy or "a type" of something coming in the future. What is the Sabbath a type of? Did you know that the Bible
teaches that there is a clear connection between keeping the Sabbath and eternal life? We will find out later why...
"...Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that lays hold on it; that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. (It's over for me) For thus says the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant, (10 commandments) Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. (eternal life) Isaiah 56:1-5
Did you catch that? God says to the eunuchs...hey, you may think that you are a "dry tree" but IF YOU KEEP THE SABBATH, I'll give you a name better than of sons and daughters, I WILL GIVE YOU AN EVERLASTING NAME THAT SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF. Why is the Sabbath connected to Eternal life? It's very simple to understand...every Sabbath, when we rest from our physical human labors, it is an analogy of resting from being a physical human being! Let's go to the New Testament now to the book of Hebrews to see what it says about the connection between the Sabbath and eternal life. Don't forget that the book of Hebrews is written to the first fruits...the first ones in God's plan to rest from being physical human beings. Hebrews 4:1 says, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (entering eternal life) "vs3...For we which have believed do enter into rest, (eternal life) as He said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day (The Sabbath) on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my (God's) rest....
Verse 9 continues this thought..."There remains therefore a rest ("A keeping of the Sabbath") to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his (God's) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."Even the physical works of God...the earth and the heavens are not eternal. Everything physical will eventually cease to exist and will not come to mind anymore. "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Isaiah 65:17
EVERYTHING THAT IS PHYSICAL WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD, EVEN THE EARTH AND STARS. Now, take a close look at this word concerning the Sabbath. "From one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, (Paniym..."to face" me.) Clearly, keeping the SABBATH REPRESENTS COMING FACE TO FACE WITH AN ETERNAL GOD....IMMORTAL BEINGS WILL BE THE ONLY THINGS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO REMAIN BEFORE GOD'S FACE FOREVER.
"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, (Paniym..."to face" me) says the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain (a promise of eternal life!) 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, ("to face" me) says the LORD. Not only during the millennial reign of Christ, but throughout eternity! Isaiah 66:22-23
WE SEE HERE AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SABBATH AND IMMORTALITY. The Sabbath and the Holy Days are when ETERNAL BEINGS will come to appear before God's face and we will do it forever and ever.
It is possible that later in God's plan, when we are all spirit beings that we will be spread across the universe, but every Sabbath, we will all come back to appear before God's face to worship him and to congregate together. That makes sense. God beings are not constrained by space or time, they can travel instantly across the universe.
Throughout eternity, the spiritual nations will come every Sabbath to appear before God. The millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment are a time of rulership over physical fleshly nations, but when those things are over, and the new heavens and the new earth come, then, there will be a time of God's eternal rulership over spiritual nations. The Sabbath will be eternally kept.
Psalms 22:27-28 says, "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. ("to face thee") For the kingdom is the Lord's: and he is the governor among the nations." The physical Sabbath is type of something great to come. In the future, there will be no need for a physical earth anymore. A spiritual one will replace it. The earth and the universe as we know it, are very, very old, it may soon be time for God to fold them up like a garment. In conclusion, Revelation 21:4-6 speaks of our future rest from the HARDSHIPS OF BEING HUMAN..."And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former (human) things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (eternal life) This is the "rest" that will come from God...that we picture every Sabbath.
Copyrighted by the Churches of God
2005