Ordinances Against Us?
The Apostolic Letter to Gentiles
The Law of Yahweh & of Moses
The Veil Over Their Minds
Yoke Our Fathers/Unable to Bear
Yahshua: The End of the Law
Yahshua was not a Lawgiver
How to Count to Pentecost
Yahweh's Passover
Yahshua is Coming
Love the Heavenly Father
Salvation & the Sacred Names
The Creator/What is His Name?
The Father's Name
The Importance of the Name
Read & Restore Sacred Names
What is the Messiah's Name?
John 5:18
The Sabbath
Clothing for Men and Women
Feet Washing
Is This Your Ancestor?
Speaking in Tongues
The Plan of Salvation
The Soul of Man
When does the Day Begin?
Wine in the Bible
What Body are the Dead Raised?
Women
Yahweh's Dietary Laws
HEBREWS 10:25
A Reference To Sunday Worship?
By Voy Wilks
5/31/80
" … Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Heb.10:25 RSV).
What is this day which is drawing near? Many believe, and most sincerely, that this is a reference to worship on the first day of the week (Sunday). But is this truly the case? We usually gain a better understanding by noticing the messages in the verses above and below, therefore let us examine other portions of the letter to the Hebrews. First of all, the one overriding reason for writing the letter was to convince the Hebrew people that Yahshua of Nazareth truly is the promised Messiah, making him the central figure in the redemptive plan of Almighty Yahweh. Please notice the first statement in the Letter to the Hebrews:
"In many and various ways Yahweh spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a son ..." (Heb. 1:1, 2 RSV).
This thought continues throughout the book, promoting Yahshua as the Messiah which was promised. This is still the principal thought in Chapter 10. Let us now review a number of these verses, remembering that these were written about the year of 64 C.E. when the Levitical priests were still officiating in the temple service in Jerusalem.
- Heb. 10:11. The priests stand daily offering repeatedly the same sacrifices which cannot take away sins.
- Verse 12. Yahshua offered a single sacrifice (himself), once for all time.
- Verse 14. This sacrifice takes away sins forever.
- Verse 18. Now, sins are actually forgiven, not just rolled forward for another year (Heb. 10:1).
- Verse 19. Please. Have confidence in Yahshua.
- Verse 21. We now have a great priest (Yahshua) over the house of Yahweh.
- Verse 22. Let us in Yahshua's name draw near to Yahweh in true faith and be baptized in pure water [as opposed to sprinkling of water containing the ashes of a heifer (Heb. 9:13)].
- Verse 23. Let us hold fast our confession of faith (in Yahshua as the Messiah).
- Verse 24. Let us encourage one another in doing good works.
Verse 25
" ... not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
We should notice two things especially:
(1) Although some did not, the faithful saints met regularly. This writer does not in any of these verses indicate when (or how often) these regular meetings were held. Most will no doubt agree that they were conducted weekly. However, in other places, Scriptures specify which day of the week is appointed as the day of rest and worship.
(2) In these regular meetings, the faithful saints were instructed to encourage each other “as you see the Day drawing near.”
Once again, please.
(1) Meetings are to be held regularly, and (2) A special day is drawing near. When we carefully notice the wording in Verse 25, we can see that the day drawing near is not the same day as that on which the saints regularly met. It was a different day – a day yet in the future – a day “approaching” (KJV). If it is the same day of the regular meetings, then these people were instructed to encourage each other more and more as the week progressed toward the day of worship, be it Sabbath or Sunday. At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me in the following way show this is not the intended meaning. Monday, encourage. Tuesday, double encourage. Wednesday, three times encourage. Thursday, four times encourage. On Friday, really lay it on.
The point is, the day approaching is not a reference to the day of weekly worship, but a preparation for some future day. There are at least two possibilities as to the identity of the future day which is approaching:
(l) An annual memorial day – a feast day.
(2) The great day of Yahweh, usually called the "day of the L-RD."
An Annual Memorial Day?
The indications for Heb.10:25 being an annual memorial day are not strong, but are nevertheless worth considering, as follows: Verse 26. There is no proper sacrifice for sin except that made by Yahshua. Verse 29. Therefore it is terrible to spurn the Son of Yahweh and profane the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified. It is possible this is referring to the fourteenth of the month Abib, for it was on this day that "the blood of the covenant by which [we] are sanctified" was shed on the tree. The communion (sometimes called the Lord's Supper) is a memorial of this sacrifice. Abib fourteenth is Passover day, so for this reason Yahshua the Messiah is called our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The memorial service is to be observed on Abib fourteenth, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be observed on Abib fifteenth (1 Cor. 11:23-26; 1 Cor. 5:8; Lev. 23:5, 6).
The Day of Yahweh?
The Day of Yahweh (sometimes called the day of the L-RD) is a more likely candidate for the Day approaching, or the day drawing near. Here is the evidence. (1) The translation of the passage. A number of versions refer to it as the end of the age. J. B. Phillips Version: " ... as we see the final day drawing ever nearer." Barclay Version: " ... it will not be long now until the great day comes." Weymouth Version: " ... since you can see the day of Christ drawing near." Good News Bible: " ... the Day of the L- RD is coming near.” Living Bible: " ... now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near." Knox Version: " ... as you see the great day drawing nearer.” (2) Footnotes by the translators. Some translators tell us that the "day drawing near" speaks of the day in which Yahshua returns. Among these are the Anchor Bible, the Williams Version, and the Jerusalem Bible. (3) Capitalized letters. Many versions capitalize the letter D in the word Day which, justified or not, reveals the view of the translators; that is, they believe it is a future day. The RSV can be cited as an example. (4) The message below Verse 25 seems to support a future day; the day of Yahshua's return. Verses 26, 27. For the sinner there is a prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the wicked. Verses 29, 30, 31. There will be punishment for those who spurn the Son of Yahweh. Verses 35, 36. There is great reward for those who "do the will of Yahweh." These verses seem to indicate a final reckoning at the end of the age.
Silent on Sunday
In reading the book of Hebrews, we should notice that no where is Sunday or the first day of the week mentioned. Several times, however, the Sabbath is mentioned. One of these places is Heb. 4:9, 10, which reads as follows:
"It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath” (Lamsa Version).It is interesting to note that Mr. Lamsa was not a Sabbath keeper. In view of the foregoing evidence, it seems reasonable to conclude there is no justification for associating Heb. 10:25 with Sunday worship. Especially is this evident when we realize the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) was still the day of rest and worship when the book of Hebrews was written in 64 C.E. (Heb. 4:9,10). The "approaching day" named in Heb.10:25 surely refers to the end of the age when Yahshua the Messiah will return.
