REST AND CREATION

(A) BACKGROUND
Two portions of the scriptures seem contradictory. There are:-
1) Genesis 2:2 says God RESTED on the 7th day after the creation.
2) However, Jesus answered those who persecuted Him for healing on Sabbath by saying “My Father has been WORKING until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:16-17)

Before that, the entire study of “Sabbath Rest” can be found on:-
Part 1: Rest (Psalm 95/ Hebrews 3)
Part 2:- Rest And Creation
Part 3:- Rest And Canaan
Part 4:- Rest And Double Edged Sword

(B) QUESTIONS

The questions Christians have to ask are that:-
1) Is God rested ever since creation or “has been working until now” as quoted by the Book of John?
2)If God is already RESTED, who is working, recreating for the New Heavens and Earth in time to come?

(C) MAIN OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to know the true meaning of the CREATION and the SABBATH REST.
To determine the true meaning of Creation and Rest, It is good to examine the opening verses of the Book of Genesis chapter 1.
Let’s take a look at the account of the Book of Genesis 1:1-7 below:-

Genesis 1:1-7 NASB (1995)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was FORMLESS and VOID, and DARKNESS was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God SEPARATED the light from the darkness.
5 God CALLED the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it SEPARATE the waters from the waters.”
7 God made the expanse, and SEPARATED the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.

Genesis 1:1-7 NASB (1995) |amenbible.com

(D) MORE QUESTIONS
There are a few questions believers have to ask further:-
1) In the presence of God, why is it that the creation was subject to “Formless And Desolate And Engulfed With Total Darkness” as described with GNT translation on Genesis 1:2?
Of course, some of the translations describe it as “The earth was FORMLESS and VOID, and DARKNESS was over the surface of the deep…”

2) Christians are told that Jesus is light. In the presence of God, why is the creation in total darkness? (verses 1-2)

3) God separated “LIGHT AND DARKNESS” in verse 4. God did not say that He “CREATED” light and darkness. Who created light and darkness, if it is not by Almighty God then?

4) Besides, does it suggest that there wasn’t any Separation between “LIGHT and DARKNESS” initially that God had to separate subsequently in verse 4?

5) God only names “Day and Night”. God does not say He “CREATE” “DAY AND NIGHT” in verse 5.

6) God SEPARATED “Water”. God does not say He “CREATE” the water (verses 6-7). Who is the true Creator then?

(E) WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
I mean there is a BIG TIME GAP between verses 1 and 2 of the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

In most of the translations, verse 1 ends with a full stop. It would be God created the heavens and earth perfectly, without “Darkness and formless” in verse 2 until rebellion took place in verse 2.

Satan would be the one who rebelled and created havoc that caused the engulfment of Heaven and Earth with great darkness in Genesis 1:2.

If Satan had not created that havoc in Genesis 1:2, the Almighty God is not the true creator on this planet earth then. He was just a God “Separating Water, Separating Light And Darkness”.

There again, this is how 7000 years of theologists create a great divide with scientists/ archeologists advocating the planet has already lasted for more than ten thousand upon thousands of years.

Scientifically, it is not true to say that this planet Earth only lasts for slightly more than 6,000 years.

Frankly, this Earth shall still be the same Earth when the new Heaven and Earth all things are being renewed (Revelation 21:1). Briefly, but scripturally, the planet is not around for just 6,000 or 7,000 years.

Praise God, in time to come, there shall be no night in the NEW RE-CREATION. There shall be no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light (Revelation 22:5).

Exactly, before Satan messed up with the devastation of darkness in Genesis 1:2, the heavenly state should have been full of lightness and perfection because God is light in verse 1.

(F) MEANING OF SABBATH REST
Coming with these perspectives, God was rested on the 7th day, from recreating, and resetting, after cleaning up destruction, sin, darkness, and devastation works by Satan.

That means Sabbath Rest is rest from corruptive living and circumstances. It does not mean “REST” from doing any physical work. The meaning of REST is to rest from sinful living and environment.

However, John 5:16-17 is talking about physical work. It has no contradiction that God rested on the restoration of spiritual darkness, and destruction in the account of Genesis.

In fact, from Jesus’ teachings, those physical works of picking and eating the grains (Matthew 12), and healing of the sick are not the works that are mentioned in Genesis.

It means believers have to clean up and get rid of living in sinfulness and enter into Sabbath Rest of the perfection of His Holy of Holies on the 7th day.

Compare and contrast, Jesus did not violate the Law. Jesus upheld the true meaning of physical work. It can not be mistaken as “Work in ceasing from sin”.

Yes, believers can say God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. Nevertheless, scripturally, He wants believers to enter into the Sabbath Rest of the Holy of Holies where the four creatures keep calling “Holy, Holy”(Revelation 4:8) to find rest from an immoral lifestyle.

I am not making a case out of nothing. Rather, it is about ceasing from sin, rest in Him. It is to live a holy life to enter or come to His Holy of Holies. For He is holy. Indeed, this is the entire bible message and calling

(G) CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Sabbath Rest, certainly, is not about resting and lounging about and doing nothing. It is not a gathering for just prayer, spending time with God-word, or even purely worshiping Him. Not just symbolic observation either. It is about consecrating, ceasing, and restoring from spiritual darkness and sinful acts. It is about keeping the day HOLY

The day of Sabbath Rest is the day blessed by the Lord. Without entering into His rest shall not be receiving His blessings. Rather, they shall be put to death (Spiritually).

This study also establishes that Satan didn’t fall once. At least Satan fell five times. It speaks for the mercy of the Almighty. But this posting is not on “Creation and the fall of the devil”. More discussion about the CREATION in time to come.

God is not rested after creating this Planet Earth. Rather He rested from clearing, restored from the devastation of darkness, formless and void is the message in Genesis’ account.

Planet Earth was supposed to have been created before “Darkness engulfed it. God rested from the restored order of the Planet Earth. He created mankind to worship Him, in place of one of the archangels that was in charge of worshiping Lucifer. Amenbible

CONTINUE READING ON SABBATH REST:-
Part 1:- Rest (Psalm 95/ Hebrews 3)
Part 2:- Rest And Creation
Part 3:- Rest And Canaan
Part 4:- Rest And Double Edged Sword

STUDIES ON FULL ARMOR OF GOD
Full Armor Of God Part 1
Full Armor Of God – Part 2
Full Armor Of God – Part 3

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