Importance of the Eighth Day

     God worked for six days creating the heaven and the earth. On the seventh day God rested. He took a sabbatical from work; it is the Lord's Day and belongs to the Lord, and those faithful to the Lord are commanded to keep it holy. The first six days are for mankind, but the seventh is for God. Certainly, if God is God, and He Is, He can create in six days. He didn't need our assistance and nothing happened by itself. The existence of creation is evidence of God (Rom 1:20). Thus, six days is significant. It's "our time". On the other hand, the seventh day is time for God; on the seventh day God no longer need work.

     Although "days" are the only time a real God would need to create, it has spiritual significance as well. I believe that from the beginning of time at the creation until the end of time is seven days. The first six days are for people, with God working in the world to fight sin, and the seventh day is for God resting from the fight. 

     In spiritual time, according to Peter, one day is as a thousand years, and vice-versa (2 Pet 3:8), and of that Christians should not be ignorant. Peter said that! As a Christian I have knowledge of the significance of that. It is a clue: there is a relationship between the creation days and the longevity of existence. From the beginning until the apocalypse (cosmic cataclysm) is six days. At that time evil is destroyed and Satan is bound for one-thousand years. Theologians call that the Millennial Reign of Christ. It's when God rests from fighting the iniquity of the world, and Satan can no longer taunt Him.

     The Millennial Reign is God's one-thousand year "Sabbath". Therefore, God works wonders for the first six days, keeping his children safe from the evil one, rebuking Satan, building and destroying kingdoms, longsuffering for mankind, and washing the world clean of sin with water and then with fire. It's a magnificent task, and hard work; God deserves a break on His day - the thousand-year reign.

     From sacred literature, Adam was to be reprieved after 5-1/2 days. That is 5500 years, which I assume is from the time of original sin. When will Adam again have a re-genesis? At the rapture of Christians:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first... (1 Thes 4:16).

     Adam is one of the billions of those "dead in Christ". The Word promised Adam reprieve right after he sinned. (Gen 3:15). That covenant came to fruition at the crucifixion when Satan vicariously died and God gave up his worldly flesh as a living sacrifice for Adams. However, the 5500 years is not complete until Adam is re-created at the rapture - "the snatching up" by Christ.

      For now, I won't define all the benchmarks for the six "days". That will take much time and prayer. Some of the benchmarks for time is the creation (the beginning of time), Adam's sin in day one (0 to 930 years), and Adam's rapture (day 5-1/2 or 5500 years). The events of the Book of revelation up to Christ's reign completes the six days of tribulation with the Great Tribulation the sign the end is near. 

     After that the Millennial Reign commences, a new day (succeeding 6000 years or the seventh spiritual day.) After that time, New Jerusalem will come down to its foundation on old Jerusalem and eternity commences. Thus, eternity is the eighth spiritual day, but unlike the other "days" it is never-ending. Eternal life begins on the eighth day, and by plan, the eighth day is at the same location as at the beginning - in Jerusalem whose navel is the foundation stone on the Temple Mount.

     Before time began there was only God, but each and every person had a place. God knew everyone before the foundation of the world (Ephes 4:1). "Time" before the beginning was zero days, a sort of negative eternity. I believe mankinds' souls existed before the first day, and was made flesh sometime before the end of the sixth day. That makes sense scripturally because our "day" ends after 6000 years or the sixth "day." 

     The creation of the heaven and the earth was laid out as the "boilerplate" for the longevity of the world. The zeroth day was before the beginning  and the eight day after the end of the heaven and the earth as we know it.

     Usually, I comment on one verse, and really focus. This time I offer many passages on the significance of the eighth day for your perusal:

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. (Gen 17:12)

The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam (mother); on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. And ye shall be holy men unto me: (Exod 22:29-31)

But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Lev 14:9-11)

Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. (Lev 22:36)

On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Num 29:35)

And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. (2 Chron 7:9)

Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. (Neh 8:18)

Upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord God. (Ezek 43:27)

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 22:21)

And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. (Luke 19:28)

After eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. (John 20:26)

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1 Pet 3:20)

     It is to be noted that seven days are always for mankind, but the eighth day is given to the Lord: it is specifically said it be "holy convocation unto the Lord" and "a solemn assembly."  A convocation is a call to meeting. I contend that commences from salvation from the Devil when the Serpent is physically destroyed.  I use "physically" because Christ's own crucifixion represented the Serpent's death on his own tree. The Devil wasn't on one of the crosses, but the unrepentant thief was his vicarious death. The solemn assembly would be the outcome of the convocation, and would be glorified existence on the eighth day!

     When Jesus was born he came to bring peace on earth, albeit it brought dissension. Because scripture is inerrant, there will be peace on earth. The convocation is on the seventh day and those assembled continue on through the eighth day, or for eternity. After eight days, Jesus came unto the disciples and said (from above)," Peace be unto you." That occurred at the end of the eighth day but the eighth spiritual day never ends.

     In Moses time, eight souls were saved. I believe that those eight "souls" represent eternity because souls are eternal. Souls are saved when the Devil is finally destroyed, although Christians are effectually saved when they can no longer sin. The end of tribulation is when Satan is destroyed because then the havoc ends. That occurs on the end of the seventh day, so salvation is existence on the eight day which is to never perish!

     The eighth day is laid aside for peace offerings as we can read from the passages. Peace cannot exist until the eighth spiritual day after Satan is destroyed. Satan has a pre-existence before time in God's spiritual realm, but he and his demons will cease to exist in the heavenly realm. He will be dying forever in the fiery pit along with his demons. Spiritual existence is before time begins and after it ends,  pre-existence to the eighth day. 

     On the first six days God worked. That represents him dealing with mankind. He rested on the seventh day. Scripture indicates that the eighth day is for our rest (Lev 22:26 and Num 29:35). Those who were born again will, at the time of salvation, rest forever throughout the eighth day.

     Circumcision was commanded on the eighth day. That represents mankinds' cut-off from sin. Christians are baptized to signify the circumcision of the heart. It is a representation of when we are made holy. Holiness is doing God's will in earth as in heaven, according to the Lord's Prayer. That won't happen until New Jerusalem comes down at the end of time. God's will be done for eternity can only be in the eighth day - an eternity without sin which circumcision represents. It seals the perpetual deal with God, and never terminates. I believe circumcision on the eighth day is the eternal covenant and looks to the spiritual eighth day.

     I believe in the six days of creation because that validates God. The seventh day was for God, and the eighth day for Christians. That day will continue as we approach the time of our salvation, being nearer than when we first believed. I think that refers to the eighth "day" after mankind is saved from the cunning of the Devil. The eighth day is Christians' day because it commences the day of salvation.