The Journey

What Does it Mean to be a Follower of Yeshua

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

From the beginning of His ministry on earth, Yeshua warned that following Him and remaining with Him would be difficult.

“Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”–Matthew 7:13-14

 “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. –Luke 9:23-26

Harmony Between G-d and Man

The Sabbath points mankind towards freedom­­ from bondage to works. It brings man closer to the goal of having perfect harmony between G-d and His creation during a future day that will be All Sabbath. The Sabbath also prefigured a spiritual freedom from works. Those individuals that attain to this spiritual freedom will be those who inherit the day known in Rabbinical teaching as the Sabbath Day of Rest or the Sabbath Day of Eternity.

The Bible calls the Sabbath a "Feast of the L-rd" and is listed first among the Feasts, to be treated as a holy convocation which is a prophetic ritual or 'rehearsal'. In reality, the Sabbath was established at the creation long before G-d gave the Israelites His commandments:

           "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis 2:3)

The Sabbath also holds the distinction of being the only Feast mentioned in the Ten Commandments:

In Rabbinical  teaching, each Sabbath is to be regarded as the day the Messiah could come. In preparation, the Sabbath table is set with one's finest china, two candlesticks, two loaves of challah bread, and a white tablecloth symbolizing the dew that covered the ground when G-d rained down manna to feed the Israelites. No knives are placed on the table or the knives are covered to demonstrate the peace that will exist during the Messiah's reign which will be All Sabbath:

The two candlesticks and two loaves of challah represent the double portion of manna allotted to the Israelites in the wilderness before each Sabbath. Manna was given for six days only. On the sixth day, they received a double portion, one portion to be reserved for the Sabbath. The candlesticks also stand for the light of creation and the light of redemption. The challah loaves are covered, like a bride is veiled before her wedding. When the blessing is said over the meal, the challah is uncovered, just as the bride is unveiled after a blessing is recited. Each Sabbath symbolically pictures the wedding day of G-d to His covenant people.