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Eighth Day Sabbath
by Eighth Day Assembly
In the Bible, the Hebrews celebrated a Feast called the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of the Ingathering
(sukkot), which lasted seven days. The Eighth Day Assembly is the "additional day" added to the end of
the Feast of Tabernacles. For seven days the children of Israel dwelt in the enclosure of booths or huts.
Of the Eighth Day Assembly it is spoken:
Leviticus 23:39:
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the
first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
Numbers 29:35:
On the eighth day you shall have a solemn
assembly: you shall do no laborious work, but you shall offer a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasant
odor to God.
For seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles or Ingathering, the Jews were to experience the revelation
of the natural world and make offerings for them. Because they were touching the natural world through their offerings,
they were in need of 'protection,' thus, the booth enclosures. This Feast actually represents the material world.
The material world is made up of fragments, and we assign numbers to these fragments. And through these offerings
for the natural and material world, a connection is made with the fragmented numbers of the seven days. When the
seven days of the Feast are over, everyone leaves their booths, and goes home to their own individual homes to
celebrate the 'solemn assembly' of the Eighth Day Assembly.
The Eighth Day Assembly is beyond the seven natural days. It is not a regular day. It's name in
Hebrew is Shemini Atzeret. It is the assembling of oneself unto God, intimately. Instead
of the revelation of the natural world as in the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, the revelation of the
Eighth Day Assembly is the revelation of the world
to come. Instead of the connection being
made with the fragmented numbers of the seven days of the material world, the connection is of the Divine nature,
one of unity, oneness, and true peace.
The root word of 'solemn assembly' in Hebrew means 'to shut up or enclose' (H6113). Hence the Hebrew
name Shemini Atzeret. The protection or enclosure of the booths during the Feast of
the seven days is different than this private enclosure. The enclosure of the Eighth Day Assembly can be likened
unto a King who has a Feast and invites everyone. After the Feast is over and most everyone goes home, the King
asks only his very close and intimate friends to stay after to share with him his 'private' meal prepared just
for him and them. Thus, the enclosure of the Eighth Day Assembly speaks of the revelation revealed only through
intimacy and usually of a private nature. In this intimacy, what is revealed is not the revelation of the natural
world, but rather the revelation of the world to come.
Because Shemini Atzeret is the last of the year's holidays, it is also referred to as the
'final revelation.' It's numerical value is 21. The number 8 is not an ordinary number, it is a singularity; therefore,
the Eighth Day Assembly unifies all the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles that passed before. If one were
likening this day to the 'days of Noah,' it would correspond to the door of the ark being shut, after all the animals
had been gathered into the ark, and just before the rains came. It is no coincidence that the prayer of the Eighth
Day Assembly is for rain, and that the number of the people on the ark were 8.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead on the Eighth Day (Matthew 28:1). He
came 'when the fullness of time was come...made under the law' (Galatians 4:4). The fullness of time under the
law according to God's time clock is seven days (days 1 - 7), seven meaning 'completion.' The series is complete
in seven. In Biblical gematria, the numerical value of the name 'Jesus' in Greek is 888. The numerical value of
the name Yahweh (YHVH) in Hebrew is 26 or 2 + 6 = 8. A Jewish baby is circumcised unto the Lord 8 days after his
birth. David was the 8th son of Jesse.
Therefore, the Eighth Day Assembly is very special unto God. It symbolizes one's removal from the
ways, struggles, and doctrines of the material world, and encloses one into the intimacy and protection of the
bride chamber prepared by Christ Himself where the Bride and the Bridegroom experience the 'face-to-face' relationship,
above the earthly realm. A day and assembly that is not counted among earthly days or assemblies. In that sense,
it is a "hidden day". Not having place within the boundaries of the earthly seven
days, it is not something you see, but rather something
you experience. And in Christ, it can be
experienced daily, not just on Saturday or Sunday.
The Eighth Day is also a sabbath day of rest that is not referring to the seventh day sabbath. Leviticus
23:39 (above) speaks of 2 sabbaths. The sabbath of the 1st day and the sabbath of the 8th day. God has ordained
not 1 sabbath of rest, but 2. It is not something you enter into just once a week, rather, in Christ, it is a
"daily abode."
The Apostle Paul spoke of the Eighth Day sabbath in Hebrews chapters 3 & 4.
Hebrews 4: 4-9:
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh
day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place AGAIN, If they shall enter
into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached
entered not in because of unbelief: AGAIN, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time;
as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then
would he not afterward have spoken of ANOTHER DAY. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
The rest spoken of above is NOT referring to the seventh day sabbath, it is referring to the Eighth
Day sabbath of Christ. It is His Day, His enclosure, His peace, His rest, His unity. And the way you enter in is
by Faith. Faith in the Grace, Reconciliation, and Love of Christ achieved only through understanding of the Word
and others. And that understanding is NOT the understanding taught by others. In the sabbath of the Eighth Day,
the material world is left behind. There is no room for anything other than Christ and the revelation received
from Him as His intimate gift.
The Eighth Day Assembly is a little different than the Eighth Day ! There are 2
aspects to the Eighth Day! One can be experienced within, in the here and now, and the other will be experienced
globally, in the world to come. Many in Christianity believe that the Eighth Day of Christ refers to his 1,000
year millennial reign. Judaism believes that the Eighth Day refers to the Messianic Era yet to come. Both are referring
to the EXACT SAME EVENT....and both are referring to a future day and not the present. This ministry views this
future event as merely an aspect of the selfsame day! In Israel, celebrated on the same day as Shemini Atzeret, is the holiday, Simchat Torah, which means Rejoicing in Torah ! It's the time that closes out
the old cycle of Torah readings for the previous year, and ushers in the new cycle of Torah readings for the next
year. When this final consummation occurs, we will all certainly be Rejoicing in Christ the Word !
We view this idea of Millennium, and Messianic Era as Simchat
Torah, the closing out of this present reality
cycle and ushering in the new reality cycle of the New Heaven and New Earth!
As this reality was created by the Word, likewise is
the new reality of the New Heaven and New Earth. Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah, is the Word, the Torah, the Aleph-Tav,
and Alpha-Omega! He is Bridegroom and Lord of the Sabbath as well as Lord of the Eighth Day Assembly, and of the
Eighth Day.
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