4D Sabbath Framework
The moon goes through 4 stages, approximately 7 days apart (referred to as quarters), so we usually have 4 Sabbaths in a month, following the moon’s weekly quarterly pattern.
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The 4 Sabbaths form a cycle, mirroring the growth stages of the moon’s increasing light (waxing), and the declining stages of the decreasing light (waning). In the midst we come to a full moon climax, flooding our life circle’s darkness with reflected sunlight. They can see clearly in the light from the bright full moon. God wants us to cycle into growing light experiences, bringing people out of darkness. We are cycle through, to bring about born-again births.
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When we look at the last 2 chapters of the book of Revelation we see the crystal-clear intention of New Moon observance. The Tree of Life monthly produces new fruit for the healing of the nations. ‘Nations’ refers to a much larger portion of people than our life circle, a community of life's commonalities.
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Maybe this is meant to follow a purpose-driven monthly weekly Sabbath cycle. As we look at the Sabbath throughout Scripture, we find four core reasons as to why we observe it. There are four obvious real encounters with God that are designed to enhance life on earth.
In Genesis we are informed we observe the Sabbath to commemorate the Creation. In Deuteronomy 5 we are told we observe the Sabbath to commemorate the Exodus from slavery, to enter the liberty of sonship. In the Gospels we are shown that Jesus' resurrection from the dead occurs at the end of the Sabbath, not on the first day of the week (See the note below for more detail). We can be 'resurrected' spiritually, born-again (John 3). And the Epistles inform us the coming kingdom of God to rule the earth ushers in a Sabbath living condition. So, the weekly Sabbath also prophecies the restoration of humanity’s original condition. Paradise will be restored.
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Creation, freedom, resurrection, kingdom life. This is the monthly Sabbath purpose cycle. We can intend to follow it personally, and let the Spirit guide us in its implementation. We can do it as a church and use it as an outline to apply to liberate populations of subcultures from slavery and birth them into new life in Christ.
It's a beautiful story. Our origin and God’s rich intentions. How you were meant to live. Jesus showed us how. But you must rebel against slavery. You need to resist it, stand up to it, and let God guide you out of it. The book of Exodus shows us God partnering with Israel as they rebelled against Egypt's growing movement to slavery. Miriam, whose name means 'rebellious', was honored for her role in the stand up for Israel movement. She courageously followed her floating brother Moses, and brought his mom into the picture. She risked approaching the royal daughter.
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You will have to die to your old way and come alive to the new way of life. Live Christ’s life. Be resurrected from the dead into Christ’s powerful life. Then set your heart on living as a Kingdom-of-God occupant, showing His power to handle everything well. Increasingly live Kingdom-sourced. Become another living walking talking Christ-like person. This completes the Sabbath's monthly cycle.
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A monthly Sabbath cycle. A call-to-action. Integrated with the New Moon observance. Each month we can repeat this cycle. And, as the year progresses, and we are in different Holy Day seasons, we have specific growth cycles to focus on.
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If we follow the weekly creation pattern we culminate in observing a new restoration Sabbath. We can anticipate a personal restoration on the Sabbath, as we launch into a ready for-a-new-week anticipation. The weekly Sabbath can function as a ‘revival’. But this only really works well if we truly 'died' to a dimension of our personal flesh life. We need to become a new creation. That's the only place the Holy Spirit can operate. Jesus made that plain.
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To clarify, I am not suggesting that we need to religiously adhere to this pattern. It is one of several approaches to Sabbath observance. The point is to understand it, appreciate its ramifications, and be ready to walk in it as the Spirit leads. I find the 'Spirit leads' often means I feel like doing something and then later see how it worked with the circumstances so I can put a spiritual context together and plan my follow up growth. Its part of an atmosphere of trust that is not worried about accomplishing observance rules. Maybe your experience of how the 'Spirit leads' differs.
Note about Jesus' Resurrection -
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The weekly Saturday Sabbath also commemorates the Resurrection of Christ. We need to clarify that Scripture differs from tradition about this. In Scripture Jesus stated that He would be buried for 3 days and 3 nights. You can’t squeeze that into Friday night through Sunday morning, it doesn’t fit. And, contrary to the good intentions of people who need to maintain a respect for the status quo of the historical church, wouldn’t living in the truth be so much better?
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Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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History shows us there is an irreverence for facts when it comes to maintaining church traditions. If we honestly look at history we see Christianity matured in an antisemitism phase where ‘anything but Judaism’ was approved. This included whitewashing some pagan practices, and eventually, the theology that supported it. We can see why the need to devalue the Sabbath was a high priority. Grace must be butchered for a works-based salvation to flourish. When you live Sabbath you find grace flourishing in your life.
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Simply put: if Jesus was 3 days and 3 nights in the grave, and He was buried just before sundown (Matthew 27), this time period ends at the end of a day, just before sundown. Since we know the grave was empty already early on the first day of the week, Sunday, Jesus resurrected Saturday night, as the Sabbath ended. This is why the Sabbath also commemorates Jesus’ resurrection.
Matthew 27:55-60
And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar,
among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
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