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The question of whether Saturday is the seventh day holds significant theological and historical implications, particularly within the context of Sabbath observance and the biblical calendar. Throughout the Bible, Saturday is commonly recognized as the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, set apart for rest and worship according to God’s moral commandments. In this exploration, we will delve into the biblical references and explanations supporting the identification of Saturday as the seventh day, considering both Old and New Testament perspectives on Sabbath observance.
1. The Creation Account:
The foundation for Sabbath observance is found in the creation narrative of Genesis, where God establishes the pattern of six days of work followed by a seventh day of rest. Genesis 2:2-3 (NKJV) states:
“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.”
In this passage, God sanctifies the seventh day as a day of rest and blessing, setting it apart from the other days of creation. This pattern serves as the basis for Sabbath observance (over 2000 years before the Jews) and provides theological significance for the identification of Saturday as the seventh day of the week.
2. The Fourth Commandment:
The importance of Sabbath observance is reiterated in the fourth commandment given by God. Exodus 20:8-11 (NKJV) states:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
Here, the Israelites are commanded to remember and observe the Sabbath day, following the pattern established in the creation narrative. The Sabbath is designated as a day of rest and worship, honoring God’s creative work and His provision for His people.
3. Sabbath Observance:
According to the Bible, the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening and continues until sundown on Saturday evening. This practice is based on the biblical understanding of a day as beginning and ending at sunset, as reflected in passages such as Genesis 1:5:
“God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
By observing the Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, God’s children commemorate God’s rest on the seventh day of creation and honor the commandment to keep it holy.
The Jewish people have been observing the seventh day from the time of Abraham, and they still keep it today. A whole nation – millions of Jews – who have been counting off time perfectly week after week for thousands of years. There has been no change or loss of the Sabbath since God made it in Genesis.
4. New Testament Confirmation:
Jesus Christ knew which day is the seventh day: He “went into the synagogue on the sabbath day” (Luke 4:16).
In the New Testament, there are references that confirm the identification of Saturday as the Sabbath day. For example, Luke 23:54-56 (NKJV) describes the preparation for Jesus’ burial following His crucifixion:
“That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”
From the Biblical sequence of the crucifixion weekend we can locate the Sabbath: Jesus died on a day we call “Good Friday,” which was the day before the Sabbath (Luke 23:46, 54). And when the sun went down, the woman rested on “the Sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). Jesus rose on Sunday, “the first day of the week” (Luke 24:1, 6).
5. The Apostles’ Practice – Post-Resurrection:
Christ’s disciples kept the Sabbath after the Crucifixion and the Resurrection (Luke 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4). There’s no mention in the New Testament (written up to sixty years after Christ’s death) of changing or eliminating the seventh day Sabbath.
6. Calendar Change:
The calendar changed once, in 1582, from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. Thursday, October 4, was followed by Friday, October 15. This change did not affect the weekly sequence of days.
7. Etymology:
-Webster’s Dictionary states that : “Saturday- (is) the 7th day of the week.” And “Sunday: (is) the first day of the week.”
-The World Book Encyclopedia states that: “Sabbath … It comes on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.”
-There are over one hundred languages of the earth that use the word “Sabbath” for Saturday. For example, the Spanish word for Saturday is “Sabado,” meaning Sabbath. This means that when those hundred languages originated long ago, Saturday was recognized as the Sabbath day and was incorporated into the very name of the day.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Saturday is widely recognized as the seventh day of the week and the traditional day of Sabbath observance in Jewish tradition. This identification is rooted in the creation narrative of Genesis, the fourth commandment of Gods Moral Law. Biblical references confirm Saturday as the Sabbath day, with New Testament accounts aligning with the Old Testament historical accounts of Sabbath observance. Today the identification of Saturday as the seventh day remains consistent with biblical and historical accounts.
A related article: https://bibleask.org/does-the-new-testament-support-the-seventh-day-sabbath/
In His service,
BibleAsk Team