THE HISTORICAL AND REDEMPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EIGHTH DAY

By Dennis J. Fischer

• Eighth day was when the wave offering was presented to the Lord (Lev. 23:11).
• Eighth day was when Pentecost was observed (Lev. 23:15-16).
• Eighth day was a holy day of rest during the weeklong festival of booths (Lev. 23:36,39: Num. 29:35).
• Eighth day was when circumcision was performed on Hebrew baby boys.
• Eighth day was the consecration of the firstborn (Ex. 22:30; Lev. 9:1).
• Eighth day was the fulfillment and conclusion of the priestly ordination (Lev. 9:1).
• Eighth day was the day of offering in the cleansing of lepers, Nazarites, and those with a  discharge (Lev. 14:10; 15:14, 29; Num. 6:10).
• Eighth day was when Christ arose as the firstfruit of the dead (1 Cor. 15:20).
• Eighth day was the day the Christian Church was born with the fullness of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2:1).
• Eighth day was worthy of mentioning by the Apostle John as the "Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10).  A day that the early believers clearly understood as the Resurrection Day (the greatest event in redemptive history). Already in about A. D. 100, the Didache confirms the Resurrection Day as being the  corporate day of worship for Christians.

Like a birthday celebration or other special event, Sunday is not another holy day like the festal, weekly Sabbath was, but rather it is a very special day for Christ-followers around the world as a weekly Easter.  Only the first day of the week (historically the Eighth Day) can be the "Lord's day."  Since our Lord's resurrection is a historical and redemptive event  in biblical Christianity, believers honor it with weekly, special assembly and contemplation of the Christ Event.  Truly, not just any day could be this special!

Christians begin every week by honoring their risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Obviously, our awesome and sovereign God predestined (foreordained) the resurrection of our Lord to occur on Sunday.  God's sovereign selection  of Sunday, as the Resurrection Day, had absolutely nothing to do with any religious or political leadership nor any cultural factors. Furthermore, Jesus repeatedly chose to specifically meet with His disciples on the eighth day following His resurrection.  Therefore, it is of monumental importance to understand the historical and redemptive significance of the "eighth day" that culminated into being the Lord's Day  or Resurrection Sunday.