What Day is the Sabbath in the Bible?
The question of what day is the Sabbath in the Bible has been a subject of theological discussion and debate for centuries. For many, the answer is clear: Saturday, the seventh day of the week is the ONLY Sabbath of the Bible. Others say that when Jesus died on the cross, He rose on Sunday, so that became the new Sabbath for Christians. However, if Jesus gave instructions for such a change, it would have been written in the Bible, and no such text can be found. On the contrary, worship on Sabbath, the Seventh day of the week – also known as Saturday – is supported in the Biblical account of Creation and reinforced by the teachings and practices of Jesus and His Disciples throughout the New Testament. Let’s examine the evidence from God’s Word.
Saturday, the Seventh Day: A Memorial of Creation
The Biblical concept of the Sabbath finds its origins in the book of Genesis, specifically in Genesis 2:2-3. “And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which he had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made”. Here, we read that on the seventh day, God “rested from all his work.”
This day of rest, the seventh day, Sabbath, became a memorial of God’s creation—a day set apart for rest and reflection on the Creator’s magnificent work and to spend quality time with our Creator who made us and loves us.
Is the Sabbath just for Jews or for everyone?
The question of what day is the Sabbath in the Bible is often debated in relation to it being a Jewish day of rest, but the Sabbath was not exclusively given to the Jewish people. The Sabbath day of the Bible was instituted long before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, as evidenced in Exodus 20:8-11. In the fourth commandment, God asks His people to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11).” It is noteworthy that the commandment does not specify a particular group but addresses all who acknowledge God as their Creator.
Jesus and the Sabbath
The life of Jesus Christ provides compelling evidence for the sanctity of the Sabbath. Luke 4:16 records that Jesus Himself kept the Sabbath during His earthly ministry. His observance of the Seventh Day of the Bible affirmed its enduring significance.
Disciples’ Sabbath Observance
Furthermore, as Luke 23:54-56 tells us, even at the time of Jesus’s death, His disciples continued to honour the Sabbath. This passage speaks of the “preparation day,” which was the day before the Sabbath. Then, Luke 24:1 designates the following day as the first day of the week, which we know as Sunday—the day of Jesus’s resurrection. The Disciples, including the Apostle Paul, continued to keep the Sabbath. Throughout the book of Acts, we find a consistent pattern of worship on the seventh-day Sabbath. The apostles and early Christians gathered on this day for prayer, teaching, and fellowship. This practice aligns with Jesus’s teachings and affirms the enduring importance of the Sabbath.
“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them and for three Sabbath’s reasoned with them from the Scriptures” Acts 17:1-4. Acts 18:4,11 and Acts 16:13 provide further evidence of Paul keeping the Sabbath, the Sabbath day of the Bible. Even the Gentiles who became Christians worshipped on the Sabbath, “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath” (Acts 13:42-44). Almost 15 years after the resurrection of Christ, the book of Acts references over 80 Sabbaths observed by the apostles, leaving no doubt about what day is the Sabbath in the Bible.
The Transition to Sunday Worship
It’s worth noting that while some Christians later began observing Sunday in honour of the resurrection, this practice was not instituted or endorsed by Jesus Himself or His disciples. Sunday was the day of pagan worship since ancient Babylonian times, not a day of worship for Christians. Sunday which crept into Christianity through a Roman Emperor who was attempting to do away with the command of Jesus and to marry Christianity and paganism together.
Jesus calls His end-time people to rediscover the joy and blessing of the Sabbath, the Sabbath day of the Bible , and to “Worship Him who made the Heavens, the Earth, the Sea and the fountain of waters (Revelation 14: 7).
The Future of the Sabbath
According to Revelation 14:12, in the last days, Jesus’s church will uphold all Ten Commandments, including the observance of the Seventh Day Sabbath. Why? As a love response to Jesus. He told us HOW to love Him in John 14:15: “If you love me, keep my Commandments”. This reaffirms the eternal nature of God’s commandments.
Looking forward, Isaiah 66:23 speaks of the Sabbath, the Sabbath day of the Bible being observed in the New Earth, indicating that this sacred day will endure throughout eternity.
So what day is the Sabbath in the Bible? Biblical evidence overwhelmingly supports Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. It is the memorial of Creation, meant for all believers, and upheld by Jesus, His disciples, and the early Christian community. As we consider the significance of the Sabbath, we are reminded of its enduring importance in our spiritual journey and its promise of rest and renewal in God’s eternal kingdom. If we are going to keep Sabbath in the New Earth, why not start keeping it now?
