Sabbath and the New Covenant

Is literal rest on the seventh day Sabbath a part of the Ònew covenantÓ expe-rience to be enjoyed by Christians today? An answer to this question is reached through biblical exegesis which investigates the SabbathÕs scope of applicabil-ity. The following interrelated sub-questions delineate the main sections of the paper: 1. Is the seventh day Sabbath a universal institution, or was it only for the literal Israelites? 2. Does the seventh day Sabbath have an on-going literal application, or was it a temporary type which lost its literal significance when it met its an-titype? 3. Does the seventh day Sabbath have theological significance for the pre-sent phase of the divine covenant, i.e. the Ònew covenant,Ó or did it only have theological significance as part of the obsolete Òold covenantÓ? Following consideration of these questions in order, I will conclude by formulating an answer to the overall question. Note that English quotations of biblical passages are from the NRSV translation unless otherwise indicated. I do not endorse the NRSV more than any other translation, but it is convenient for me to copy because I have it in my computer. Universal Sabbath or Only for Israelites? This section explores the first sub-question: Is the seventh day Sabbath a universal institution, or was it only for the literal Israelites? My short answer to this question is: The seventh day Sabbath is universal because it was instituted at Creation for the benefit of all human beings, before the nation of Israel existed. This answer is based upon exegesis of Genesis 2:2-3, which reads