ChnMind 1.16 The Sabbath and the Heavenly City

The Sabbath Grows in Power and Glory

The institution of the sabbath has expanded and developed through redemptive history. As with all redemptive history, the greatest change and development occurred with the resurrection and ascension of Messiah Jesus to the right hand of the Father. He, as the head of the new creation and the new human race redeems and re-institutes the sabbath. The classic (but often frightfully misunderstood) text in this regard is Hebrew chapters 3&4.

Here are the key propositions:

1. There has been through all human history one House of God, and Jesus Christ alone is the builder of the House.

2. For many centuries, the Old Covenant manifestation of the House of God was the nation of Israel in the land of Canaan.

3. To be in Israel was to have entered into the rest (sabbath) of God.

4. Some who came out of Egypt did not enter into God's sabbath, because of unbelief.

5. In order to enter into House of God now, and consequently into God's sabbath, we must believe in the Gospel preached to us.

6. The sabbath rest instituted in the land of Israel was anticipatory only: it was not the real sabbath rest which was yet to come, when Jesus Christ completed building the House of God.

7. That House is now established forever, and we are to enter into the rest of that House.

The great mistake many in Jerusalem today make is to take the reference of this text out of history cast its fulfilment up into the enternal realms to come. But the Sabbath rest that Hebrews speaks of is none other than the reconstituted sabbath as it was prior to the Fall, and would have become as the descendants of Adam and Eve carried out the command of God to subdue all the earth. Grace restores Nature to its glorious perfections; Grace does not obliterate Nature. Grace restores the terrestrial constitution of the Creation.

Hebrews makes it very clear that the realm of which the text speaks is the here and now—it is Jerusalem upon earth, now—the city that is being created by Christ out of heaven upon the earth in our time. This is what is meant by the heavenly city—not the city that is in heaven alone (that is, away from the earth), but the city that is both in heaven and upon the earth. That is the city which the patriarchs longed to see and participate in (although they died without seeing it, and saw it in faith only, from afar—Hebrews 11:8—16). If the city which the patriarchs were looking for, the city whose architect and builder is God, was outside of human history and in heaven alone, the text would have said that they entered the city when they died (that is, when they departed human history upon the earth and went to be with the Lord). But, it explicitly says that they died in faith without receiving the promises (Hebrews 11:13)—rather,their whole lives they had been strangers and exiles on the earth. They had not been able to participate in the city of God, the House of God, while upon earth—they had remained as strangers and exiles from it—because the House of God had not yet been established upon the earth.

This experience of being strangers and exiles, of not seeing and participating in the city of God, was common to all believers under the Old Covenant. Thus, at the end of Hebrews 11 which is the great roll of faith of the Old Covenant, we read the explicit statement: “All these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” He does not say, something “better for us and them in the future”, but something better which we now experience, which is the fulfillment of the promise—the city whose maker and builder is God. And what then is the “something better”: it is Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame, and has now sat down at the right hand of the throne of God—thereby establishing the true city of God upon the earth. (Hebrews 12: 2)

This city is the heavenly Jerusalem and it is a city that spans both heaven and earth. When we enter into sabbath worship now, we come to “Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.. (Hebrews 12: 22—24) This city shakes everything upon the earth so that all which is not truly of God upon the earth and can be shaken, will be removed.

There is a real irony here. The pagan notion of the dichotomy between matter and spirit has so infected the Church that many Christians have come to believe their great hope lies in escaping from the earth, in death. In other words, many Christians believe that their great hope is metaphysical in nature and lies in an escape from the material realms. This of course is perverse. It is one of the many lies of Athens. The real hope for the Christian lies in Christ and the complete consummation of all His work—in the heavens and upon earth. Thus, our hope lies not in escaping from the created material realm, but in Christ's shaking of all of heaven and earth, and removing that which does not belong upon earth. That which is removed is that which is evil and not of God. Thus, our great hope is not in being removed from the earth, but in the removal of all evil, all which can be shaken, all which does not truly belong upon the earth. That is the true heavenly city. (Hebrews 12:25—29)

Thus within Jerusalem we are now able to enjoy the great sabbath rest as we engage in our six days of labour, then cease work to rest and come into the presence of God. This is what the patriarchs of old longed to participate in, but could not. The true House and City of God has now been established in Christ, the Head of the new human race, the One who is creating all things new.

If the sabbath was blessed under the Old Covenant, it is many times more blessed now, through the office of Christ Jesus the Lord, who is working to ensure that His will is being done more and more upon the earth as it is in heaven.

There are two cities in the world. One is of the earth, is earthy. It is from the dust, and to dust it shall return. It will be shaken out and removed. Athens is its name, and death is its spirit. The other is of heaven. It is from God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and its course in the world is life. It cannot be shaken. It is bringing, and will bring, cleansing, refreshing, and healing to all the nations. Upon its throne sits the Lamb, the King of all kings. All enemies are being placed under His feet. The creation, which groans under the dead weight of Athens and all it represents, it now being released from its slavery, and is being restored in Christ, to the freedom and glory that it had when God said, so long ago, “It is very good!”