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D4. Resting from Work & Assembling on God's Annual Sabbaths.    [Make a Comment]

We are to rest, refrain from work, and assemble on God's annual Sabbaths; these are (1) the first and (2) seventh day of Unleavened Bread, (3) Shavuot, (4) Yom T'ruah (Rosh HaShanah), (5) Yom Kippur, (6) the first day of Sukkot and (7) Sh'mini Atzeret.

This precept is derived from His Word (blessed be He):

Key Scriptures

FIRST DAY OF MATZAH (UNLEAVENED BREAD) - Pesach

Exodus 12:3
Speak to all the assembly of Isra'el and say, 'On the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb or kid for his family, one per household.'

Exodus 12:16 (Maimonides RP159, RN323; Meir MP25; Chinuch C297-298)
On the first and seventh days, you are to have an assembly set aside for God. On these days no work is to be done, except what each must do to prepare his food; you may do only that.

Exodus 23:14-17 (Maimonides RP52; Chinuch C88)
Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord, ADONAI.

Leviticus 23:5-7 (Maimonides RP159, RN323; Meir MP25, MN147; Chinuch C297-298)
In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for ADONAI. On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don't do any kind of ordinary work.

Numbers 28:17-18
On the fifteenth day of the month is to be a feast. Matzah is to be eaten for seven days. The first day is to be a holy convocation: do not do any kind of ordinary work.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (Maimonides RP53; Chinuch C489)
Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which he will choose - at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu'ot and at the festival of Sukkot.

Matthew 26:26-28
While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to the talmidim and said, "Take! Eat! This is my body!" Also he took a cup of wine, made the b'rakhah, and gave it to them, saying, "All of you, drink from it! For this is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven."

Mark 14:12-25
On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua's talmidim asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?" He sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him; and whichever house he enters, tell him that the Rabbi says, 'Where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?' He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations there." The talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder. When evening came, Yeshua arrived with the Twelve. As they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, "Yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me." They became upset and began asking him, one after the other, "You don't mean me, do you?" "It's one of the Twelve," he said to them, "someone dipping matzah in the dish with me. For the Son of Man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him had he never been born!" While they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, "Take it! This is my body." Also he took a cup of wine, made the b'rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank. He said to them, "This is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people. Yes! I tell you, I will not drink this 'fruit of the vine' again until the day I drink new wine in the Kingdom of God."

Luke 22:7-20
Then came the day of matzah, on which the Passover lamb had to be killed. Yeshua sent Kefa and Yochanan, instructing them, "Go and prepare our Seder, so we can eat." They asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?" He told them, "As you're going into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters, and say to its owner, 'The Rabbi says to you, "Where is the guest room, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?"' He will show you a large room upstairs already furnished; make the preparations there." They went and found things just as Yeshua had told them they would be, and they prepared for the Seder. When the time came, Yeshua and the emissaries reclined at the table, and he said to them, "I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! For I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God." Then, taking a cup of wine, he made the b'rakhah and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the 'fruit of the vine' until the Kingdom of God comes." Also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, "This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me." He did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, "This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you."

John 2:13
It was almost time for the festival of Pesach in Y'hudah, so Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.

SEVENTH DAY OF MATZAH (UNLEAVENED BREAD)

Exodus 12:16 (Maimonides RN324)
On the first and seventh days, you are to have an assembly set aside for God. On these days no work is to be done, except what each must do to prepare his food; you may do only that.

Exodus 23:14-17 (Maimonides RP52; Chinuch C88)
Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord, ADONAI.

Leviticus 23:8 (Maimonides RP160, RN324; Meir MP27, MN148; Chinuch C300-301)
Bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.

Numbers 28:25
On the seventh day you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (Maimonides RP53; Chinuch C489)
Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which he will choose - at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu'ot and at the festival of Sukkot.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder not with leftover hametz, the hametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.

SHAVUOT

Exodus 23:14-17 (Maimonides RP52; Chinuch C88)
Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord, ADONAI.

Leviticus 23:10, 15-16
Tell the people of Isra'el, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen ... From the day after the day of rest - that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving - you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI.'

Leviticus 23:21 (Maimonides RP162, RN325; Meir MP28, MN149; Chinuch C308-309)
On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.

Numbers 28:26
On the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to ADONAI in your feast of Shavuot, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.

Deuteronomy 16:9-10
You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. You are to observe the festival of Shavu'ot [weeks] for ADONAI your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which ADONAI your God has prospered you.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (Maimonides RP53; Chinuch C489)
Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which he will choose - at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu'ot and at the festival of Sukkot.

Luke 24:49
Now I am sending forth upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been equipped with power from above.

Acts 1:3-5
After his death he showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God. At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for "what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!"

Acts 2:1-5
The festival of Shavu'ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven.

YOM T'RUAH (ROSH HASHANAH)

Leviticus 23:24-25 (Maimonides RP163, RN326; Meir MP29, MN150; Chinuch C310-311)
Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'

Numbers 29:1
In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you.

Matthew 3:11
It's true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I - I'm not worthy even to carry his sandals - and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.

Matthew 4:17
From that time on, Yeshua began proclaiming, "Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"

Mark 1:3-4
The voice of someone crying out: 'In the desert prepare the way for ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!' So it was that Yochanan the Immerser appeared in the desert, proclaiming an immersion involving turning to God from sin in order to be forgiven.

John 1:23
He [John] answered in the words of Yesha'yahu the prophet, "I am The voice of someone crying out: 'In the desert make the way of ADONAI straight!'"

Acts 3:19
Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased

YOM KIPPUR

Leviticus 16:1-34 (Maimonides RP49, RP165; Chinuch C15)
ADONAI spoke with Moshe after the death of Aharon's two sons, when they tried to sacrifice before ADONAI and died; ADONAI said to Moshe, "Tell your brother Aharon not to come at just any time into the Holy Place beyond the curtain, in front of the ark-cover which is on the ark, so that he will not die; because I appear in the cloud over the ark-cover. Here is how Aharon is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering. He is to put on the holy linen tunic, have the linen shorts next to his bare flesh, have the linen sash wrapped around him, and be wearing the linen turban- they are the holy garments. He is to bathe his body in water and put them on. He is to take from the community of the people of Isra'el two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Aharon is to present the bull for the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and his household. He is to take the two goats and place them before ADONAI at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aharon is to cast lots for the two goats, one lot for ADONAI and the other for 'Az'azel. Aharon is to present the goat whose lot fell to ADONAI and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat whose lot fell to 'Az'azel is to be presented alive to ADONAI to be used for making atonement over it by sending it away into the desert for 'Az'azel. Aharon is to present the bull of the sin offering for himself; he will make atonement for himself and his household; he is to slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before ADONAI and, with his hands full of ground, fragrant incense, bring it inside the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before ADONAI, so that the cloud from the incense will cover the ark-cover which is over the testimony, in order that he not die. He is to take some of the bull's blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the ark-cover toward the east; and in front of the ark-cover he is to sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. Next, he is to slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, bring its blood inside the curtain and do with its blood as he did with the bull's blood, sprinkling it on the ark-cover and in front of the ark-cover. He will make atonement for the Holy Place because of the uncleannesses of the people of Isra'el and because of their transgressions - all their sins; and he is to do the same for the tent of meeting which is there with them right in the middle of their uncleannesses. No one is to be present in the tent of meeting from the time he enters the Holy Place to make atonement until the time he comes out, having made atonement for himself, for his household and for the entire community of Isra'el. Then he is to go out to the altar that is before ADONAI and make atonement for it; he is to take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, thus purifying it and setting it apart from the uncleannesses of the people of Isra'el. When he has finished atoning for the Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he is to present the live goat. Aharon is to lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the transgressions, crimes and sins of the people of Isra'el; he is to put them on the head of the goat and then send it away into the desert with a man appointed for the purpose. The goat will bear all their transgressions away to some isolated place, and he is to let the goat go in the desert. Aharon is to go back into the tent of meeting, where he is to remove the linen garments he put on when he entered the Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. Then he is to bathe his body in water in a holy place, put on his other clothes, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, thus making atonement for himself and for the people. He is to make the fat of the sin offering go up in smoke on the altar.The man who let go the goat for 'Az'azel is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; afterwards, he may return to the camp. The bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, is to be carried outside the camp; there they are to burn up completely their hides, meat and dung. The person burning them is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; afterwards, he may return to the camp. It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you. For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before ADONAI from all your sins. It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves. This is a permanent regulation. The cohen anointed and consecrated to be cohen in his father's place will make the atonement; he will put on the linen garments, the holy garments; he will make atonement for the Especially Holy Place; he will make atonement for the tent of meeting and the altar; and he will make atonement for the cohanim and for all the people of the community. This is a permanent regulation for you, to make atonement for the people of sra'el because of all their sins once a year." Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him.

Leviticus 23:27-32 (Maimonides RN329; Meir MP31, MN151; Chinuch C315, C317)
The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI. You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people; and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people. You are not to do any kind of work; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live. It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening.

Numbers 29:7
On the tenth day of this seventh month you are to have a holy convocation. You are to deny yourselves, and you are not to do any kind of work.

Romans 12:1
I exhort you, therefore, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer yourselves as a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical "Temple worship" for you.

Hebrews 10:11-14
Now every cohen stands every day doing his service, offering over and over the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this one, after he had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God, from then on to wait until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has brought to the goal for all time those who are being set apart for God and made holy

FIRST DAY OF SUKKOT

Exodus 23:14-17 (Maimonides RP52; Chinuch C88)
Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord, ADONAI.

Leviticus 23:34-39 (Maimonides RP166, RN327; Meir MP34, MN153; Chinuch C318-319)
Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI. On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work. For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work. These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI - a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day - besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI. But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest.'

Numbers 29:12
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you are to have a holy convocation. You are not to do any kind of ordinary work, and you are to observe a feast to ADONAI seven days.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (Maimonides RP53; Chinuch C489)
Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which he will choose - at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu'ot and at the festival of Sukkot.

John 7:1-3
After this, Yeshua traveled around in the Galil, intentionally avoiding Y'hudah because the Judeans were out to kill him. But the festival of Sukkot in Y'hudah was near; so his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go into Y'hudah, so that your talmidim can see the miracles you do"

SH'MINI ATZERET

Exodus 23:14-17 (Maimonides RP52; Chinuch C88)
Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord, ADONAI.

Leviticus 23:34-39 (Maimonides RP167, RN328; Meir MP37, MN154; Chinuch C321, C323)
Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI. On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work. For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work. These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI - a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day - besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI. But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest.'

Numbers 29:35
On the eighth day you are to have a festive assembly: you are not to do any kind of ordinary work.

Deuteronomy 16:16a (Maimonides RP53; Chinuch C489)
Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of ADONAI your God in the place which he will choose - at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu'ot and at the festival of Sukkot.

Commentary

This Mitzvah bestows the term "Annual Sabbath" on seven of the annually-occurring "designated times" listed in Leviticus 23. This is because, as in the case of the weekly Sabbath, we are commanded to rest on them, refrain from work, and assemble. Of these however, only one of them - Yom Kippur - is actually termed a Sabbath in the Scriptures. Each of these days has its unique theme and reason for being, but because they bear a basic similarity to the weekly Sabbath, the related issues of work, rest, and application to Gentiles will be dealt with here only briefly.

The first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread remind us of God's provision and our need to purge leaven (analogized to sin) from our lives (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Of all the feasts, Passover is the one that has most caught the attention of the Christian Church. This is because of the obvious analogy of the Passover lamb sacrifice to Yeshua's sacrifice, where the blood of each of the sacrifices, saved those who applied it.

The next "designated time" listed on the biblical calendar, Shavuot, was historically commanded to the Israelites to commemorate the Spring harvest, but it is relevant to Gentile followers of Yeshua as well, both as an identification with the Jewish People, and also as a memorial of the Shavuot that occurred centuries later, when God made the Holy Spirit available on earth to all of mankind (Acts 2:1-21, 10:45). Christian terminology for this day is "Pentecost"1. Shavuot is unique among the Annual Sabbaths in being the only one that Scripture does not assign a particular date on the lunar calendar. Instead, Leviticus 23:10,15-16 states:

Tell the people of Israel, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf od firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen ... From the day after the day of rest - that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving - you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI.'

This fifty-day count from "the day after the day of rest" (or Sabbath) is known in Jewish practice as "counting the omer", and which one of several possible Sabbaths is "day zero" of the count is a subject of ongoing dispute that involves two different days that Scripture refers to as "firstfruits". The first of these is the one in Leviticus 23:10 which, for clarity, I will refer to as Yom Habbikurim.2 The second occurance is in Numbers 28:26, where the term is again used, but for Shavuot.

Yom T'ruah (day of blowing) is also known as the "Day of Trumpets" or "Shofarot", and as "Rosh Hashanah" (head of the year, i.e. New Year) by the Rabbinic community. It is followed ten days later by Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Although these days were historically commanded to the Israelites, Gentile followers of Yeshua may choose to observe them as well, both to identify with the Jewish People, and also to use as times of personal introspection and repentance that may lead to joining with their Jewish brothers in praying for Israel on Yom Kippur. This is especially appropriate when one considers the elevated position of New Covenant believers (both Jews and non-Jews) as priests under Messiah Yeshua (1 Peter 2:5-10; Revelation 1:4-7).

Finally, Sukkot is particularly significant for Gentiles, because Scripture prophecies the time when all the Gentile nations on earth will be required to join with Israel in keeping the Feast referred to in Zechariah 14:16-19. This appears to be a nation-to-nation mandate and not one directed to individuals.

Although "rest" is not specifically mentioned in the supporting Scriptures for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and for Shavuot, it is strongly implied by the requirement that we not work. Also, although in Hebrews 4:2-11 it is the weekly Sabbath rest that is analogized to resting in Messiah, its application to all of the annual Sabbaths is unmistakable.

I am of the view that complying with these Annual Sabbaths by resting, abstaining from work, and assembling, is mandatory for Jews and K'rovei Yisrael Gentiles but, with the exception of the Feast of Sukkot is not mandatory for Gentiles generally. That notwithstanding, I believe that blessing comes to Gentiles who keep the Annual Sabbaths, analogous to the blessing for keeping the Seventh-day Sabbath that is promised in Isaiah 56:1-7. Keeping the Annual Sabbaths also serves to connect Gentile believers to their Jewish brethren, and enhances understanding of the events in history that led to the Messiah's coming and to the New Covenant.


1. According to Jewish tradition, the day subsequently defined as Shavuot is also the day on which the Torah was given at Mt. Sinai.

2. Hebrew for "Day of Firstfruits."


Commentary by Daniel C. Juster

My view on this is that, without the support of civil law as we have in Israel, it is very difficult for Jews to do all of the Sabbaths (e.g. the seventh day of Passover and the 8th Day of Sh'mini Atzeret) because the number of days are just too difficult in a non-Jewish society. I think Messianic Jews should seek to keep them all as an ideal, but there is, in my view, allowance in the Diaspora for some degree of indulgence.

Regarding Gentiles, there is no requirement for them to embrace the Sabbath days, as is made most clear in Colossians 2, Romans 14, and Galatians 5. Also, although there is no evidence in any historical text that this was ever expected of Gentile believers, they are not relieved from understanding and applying these Sabbath days as their communities and they, as individuals, are led by the Holy Spirit. Of course, even when some level of compliance is decided upon, Gentiles are not called to add extra-biblical rabbinical practices, although they are not prohibited from them either. The literal partaking of the Annual Sabbaths is covenantal to the Jewish people and would seem to have application to Gentile believers in their communities as follows:

  1. There should be teachings regarding the meanings of all the Sabbaths.
  2. It would be good and reasonable to teach on the Sabbaths in the seasons of their actual celebrations in Israel and in the Jewish community. This connects the Christian world to the Jewish people with whom they are joined through Yeshua (Romans 11).
  3. Whenever Christian communities are led to celebrate these Sabbaths, it would be sufficient for them to do so on the weekends closest to their biblically prescribed dates.
  4. Lastly, Christians may choose to abstain from work and rest on these Sabbaths (similar to their Jewish brothers) in identification with the Jewish people.
  5. How the Sabbaths are acknowledged and expressed in each Christian community should be led by the Holy Spirit.

Classical Commentators

Maimonides and Meir loosely refer to the "first day of Passover" when they mean the first day of Unleavened Bread. This is a common Jewish practice, but is at odds with the biblical definition which describes Passover as the period from before sundown on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan 14), to sometime early the next day (Nisan 15), when the Israelites began their exodus from Egypt. HaChinuch specifically refers to Nisan 15, and all three commentators recognize the exception from not doing work when food preparation is needed. HaChinuch considers the first and seventh days of "Passover" to be a single festival, unlike the case of Sh'mini Atzeret.

In their writings, Maimonides, Meir, and HaChinuch assume the common rabbinical practice in the Diaspora of doubling up on each of the Annual Sabbaths except for Yom Kippur. The reason for this duplication is interesting, but will not be explored further here.

NCLA: JMm JFm KMm KFm GMo GFo

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