Sabbath

we should walk according to His commandments. And this is the commandment even as you heard from the
beginning, that you should walk in it” (2 John 6).
The book of Revelation, divinely inspired by Messiah Yahshua Himself (Revelation 1:1), also upholds
keeping Yahweh’s commandments. In Revelation 12:17, shortly before Messiah Yahshua’s return, Satan
attempts to destroy members of Yahweh’s church, “who keep the commandments of Yahweh and have the
testimony of Messiah Yahshua.”
In Revelation 14:12, the saints are described as “those keeping the commands of Yahweh and have the faith of
Yahshua.” Faith and keeping Yahweh’s commandments go hand in hand, as Paul stated earlier (Romans 3:31).
In the last chapter of the Bible, Messiah Yahshua gave a final message to the church: “’Behold, I am coming
quickly and My reward is with Me, to give to each as His work is…’ Blessed are the ones doing His commands,
that their authority will be over the tree of life and by the gates they may enter into the city” (Revelation
22:12,14).
Clearly Yahweh’s law is not abolished in the New Testament.
Judged for how---not whether---they observed the Sabbath
The Colossians were being judged not for observing festivals, new moons and Sabbaths as such; rather they
were being judged for how they observed those times, apparently in a joyous and festive manner. These days
were, after all, given by Yahweh as festivals and celebrations. This approach was entirely contrary to the
Gnostic approach of stolid self-denial that was so evident in this chapter.
Gnosticism was so concerned with the stars and planets, referred to by Paul as “the basic principles of this
world” (verse 8, NIV). Their perspective would likely have influenced the Gnostics’ observance of the
festivals, new moons and Sabbaths, since the calendar governing those days was determined by movements of
the heavenly bodies.
By cautioning the Colossian members not to let others judge them for how they observed the festivals, newmoon
celebrations and Sabbaths, Paul didn’t question whether they should by kept. The obvious implication of
these verses is that these gentile Christians were in fact observing these days, and in no way did Paul tell them
to desist.
Instead, the issue he addressed is that Christians should not be criticized for observing in a festive manner.
Paul cautioned that members should not let others judge them by those misguided ascetic standards in what they
ate or drank or how they observed the Sabbaths or festivals (verse 16).
The larger context of Colossians 2:16 is asceticism growing out of early Gnosticism, not a discussion of
which laws are binding for Christians.
Shadow of things to come
What about Paul’s statement in Colossians 2:17 that the Sabbath and biblical festivals “which are a shadow of
coming things, but the body is of Messiah”? Did Paul mean that they were irrelevant and obsolete because
Messiah Yahshua was the “body “ of what these days foreshadowed?
Actually, Paul said they “are shadows of coming things,” indicating they have a future fulfillment. The Greek
word translated “to come” is mello, meaning “to be about to do or suffer something, to be at the point of, to be
impending” (Spiros Zodhiateds, The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament, 1992m p. 956).
Mello means “to be about (to do something), often implying the necessity and therefore the certainty of what
is to take place” (Vine, “Come, Came,” p.109).
Paul uses the same word construction in Ephesians 1:21, stating that Messiah Yahshua is “far above all rule
and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the
one to come” (NIV). He contrasts the present age with “one to come,” showing there is clearly a future
fulfillment.
This future fulfillment is also made clear from the phrasing in Colossians 2:17 that these things “are
shadows.” The Greek word esti, translated here as “are,” is in the present-active tense and means “to be” or “is”
24