Archive for covenant

WHAT IF THE SABBATH IS FAR MORE THAN A DAY OF REST? -Mark Wilson

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Creation, Mark Wilson, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 21, 2026 by paulthepoke

Again, At this time, I would like to introduce Mark Wilson to the website!

Mark provides outstanding Biblical content on X @ https://x.com/Mark_Wilson_25/

An infographic exploring the significance of the Sabbath through biblical references, with visuals depicting creation, covenant, exile, prophecy, and the kingdom.

What if it is one of the greatest prophetic themes in all of Scripture?

What if the Sabbath is actually a window into:

  • Creation…
  • Covenant…
  • Exile…
  • The Tribulation…
  • And the coming Kingdom of Messiah?

“The Sabbath is woven into the fabric of redemption itself. To profane it was to reject God’s order. To honor it was to trust His provision, His timing, and ultimately His promised rest.” — Arnold Fruchtenbaum

Most people think of the Sabbath as merely a command about resting one day a week. But in Scripture, it becomes much bigger than that. The Sabbath is about God’s order for time itself.

~

The Sabbath was established before Sinai, before Moses, and before Israel even existed.

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy…” Genesis 2:2–3

Notice carefully:
God did not rest because He was tired.

The Creator of heaven and earth does not grow weary.

The Sabbath was a divine pattern.

Work.
Completion.
Rest.

Humanity was created to live under God’s rhythm, not endless striving.

The world belongs to Him.
Time belongs to Him.
History belongs to Him.

~

❖ THE SABBATH BECAME A COVENANT SIGN

When God entered covenant with Israel, the Sabbath became one of the defining signs of that relationship.

“Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations…” Exodus 31:13

The Sabbath separated Israel from the nations.

Egypt never stopped working.
Babylon never stopped striving.
Pagan empires trusted productivity, wealth, and power.

But Israel was commanded to stop.
Every seventh day they declared:
God is our provider.
That required faith.

Imagine refusing to work one full day every week in the ancient world.
Imagine letting farmland rest every seventh year.

That was not economic logic.
That was covenant trust.

~

❖ THE LAND ITSELF WAS TO KEEP SABBATH

This is where the theme becomes even more profound.

The Torah commanded Israel not only to observe weekly Sabbaths, but Sabbath years for the land itself.

“But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land…” Leviticus 25:4

Every seventh year the land was to rest.
No planting.
No harvesting for profit.
Dependence upon God.

But Israel repeatedly violated this command.

And eventually God judged the nation through exile.
“He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword… until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths.” 2 Chronicles 36:20–21

This is astonishing. The land was owed rest.

For centuries Israel ignored God’s Sabbaths, and finally the land “collected” what had been denied. Many believe the 70 years of Babylonian exile corresponded to roughly 490 years of neglected Sabbath years.

One missed Sabbath year every seven years. Seventy missed Sabbath years. Seventy years in exile.

Suddenly the prophecy of Daniel 9 becomes even more fascinating.

~

❖ DANIEL’S SEVENTY WEEKS

While reading Jeremiah’s prophecy about the 70 years of exile, Daniel receives a larger revelation:

“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city…” Daniel 9:24

The word “weeks” literally means “sevens.”

God places Israel back onto a prophetic timetable measured in sacred sevens.

The exile was not random history. It was covenant history.

Time itself was being accounted for. And according to the futurist understanding of prophecy, one final “week” of years still remains: the future Tribulation period.

A final seven-year period connected to Israel, Jerusalem, covenant, desecration, repentance, and ultimately the return of Messiah.

~

❖ THE SABBATH WAS ALWAYS POINTING FORWARD

The Sabbath is not merely about physical rest.
It points toward restoration. Toward completion. Toward the Kingdom.

Scripture repeatedly connects future redemption with rest.
“There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God…” Hebrews 4:9

The prophets describe a future age where Jerusalem is exalted, the nations stream to Zion, war ceases, and Messiah reigns from David’s throne.

That is ultimate Sabbath-rest. Creation itself longs for it. The earth has never truly rested under righteous rule since Eden. But the coming Kingdom changes that.

~

❖ EVEN THE STRUCTURE OF HISTORY REFLECTS THIS PATTERN

Many Bible students throughout history have noticed something remarkable: God often works in patterns of six plus one. Six days of labor. One day of rest.

Some early Jewish and Christian interpreters connected this pattern to human history itself: six thousand years of fallen human rule followed by a thousand-year Messianic Kingdom.

Whether one accepts that framework fully or not, the symbolism is undeniable. The Millennial Kingdom in Book of Revelation 20 looks remarkably like the fulfillment of the Sabbath principle on a global scale.

The King reigns. Creation is restored. Jerusalem is central. The nations come up to worship. The curse is restrained. The earth rests under righteous government.

~

❖ THIS TRUTH SHOULD CHANGE HOW WE LIVE

The modern world glorifies endless striving.
More work.
More noise.
More anxiety.
More control.

But the Sabbath principle reminds us that we are not sustained by frantic human effort.

We are sustained by God.
Sabbath teaches trust.
Dependence.
Worship.
Perspective.

It reminds us that our identity is not found in productivity, achievement, or exhaustion.

And spiritually, it points us to the greatest rest of all: rest in the finished work of Messiah.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

The Sabbath theme begins in Genesis.
It moves through Sinai.
It echoes through exile.
It shapes Daniel’s prophecy.
It points toward the Kingdom.

And one day, under the reign of the Messiah, the world itself will finally enter its promised rest.

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Baptism… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , , on March 25, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 7 of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦

What many people call “getting saved” is actually accepting a marriage proposal from God. We state a willingness to be in covenant with God (the one between the Father and Jesus). At the point we accept that proposal we are engaged, betrothed. The “promissory ring” of the engagement is the gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches us about Jesus. But we aren’t married until the Wedding. The wedding is not in this body, and it’s not on this earth. It’s in Heaven in Revelation 19.

In this body on this earth we’re still in the broken covenant we were born into from Adam. We have to exit that old covenant. That means dying. “Till death do we part.”

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,…

Death and the afterlife is something we will all face. So it’s a good idea to prepare for it by rehearsing your mindset before it happens.

What then is baptism? Is it just a rinse in water to remove some dirt from your body? No, it’s much more than that.

𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 to prepare you for your death, which is the exit from the covenant that Adam broke, and then to resurrection, being “born again” into eternal life in Christ Jesus. It consists of a few simple elements:

* Your declaration of faith

* Your simulated death and burial

* Your simulated resurrection

Depending on your circumstances, declaring your faith moments before you die might not be possible. It may occur suddenly or while you’re unconscious. So it’s a good idea to “bank” your statement of faith. Make it known to yourself so you’re confident. And make it known to others so they can have peace when you’re gone.

The Apostle Peter explains that baptism is so you may be at peace, having a good conscience toward God before you die.

1 Peter 3:21 “…baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”

Jesus Himself referred to His death as a “baptism”.

Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

Luke 9:23 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.”

Jesus wasn’t talking about us wearing a piece of jewelry, He was talking about following Him to our baptism through death and resurrection into eternal life. Not the rehearsal, the real thing. This is why the rehearsal is so important. Because when death comes it will be the ultimate test.

The question of whether or not “the thief on the cross” next to Jesus had to be baptized is simply answered by recognizing that he wasn’t rehearsing.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

It’s not just dying and resurrecting that we rehearse with baptism, from that point on it is a rehearsal of our “walk in the newness of life” for eternity. So that when we cross over into eternity we will be familiar with it because we have rehearsed the walk. Our previous sinful lifestyle simply isn’t appropriate there. We should start getting rid of it now.

Our physical death is the exit from this covenant of sin and death that we are born into from Adam. Our bodies have already been corrupted by sin. We have to shed this mortal existence to be free of it. We wouldn’t want eternal life in a body that continually sins and decays!

1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Through our true baptism of death and resurrection we are “born again” into eternal life.

John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

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In the Beginning… A Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Creation, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 5, 2026 by paulthepoke

Welcome to Part 2 of Phil’s series.

𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓, 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋, 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌

𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠…

God created the Heaven and the Earth. God also created the plants and animals.

Then God created Man and put him in a garden. He called the man Adam. God put a tree in the midst of the Garden and told Adam not to eat from it, because in the day he eats from it he will surely die. This is a covenant between God and Adam: The Covenant of Sin and Death. So long as Adam remained obedient and didn’t eat from that tree he would live.

God brought all the animals to Adam and Adam named them. However, no suitable helper for Adam was found among the animals, so God put Adam into a deep sleep, took from the side of Adam a rib, and formed it into the Woman Eve. Eve was the downstream offspring of Adam and God. Adam said, “this is bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh”. This is why a husband and wife are considered one flesh.

Some time later in the Garden the Serpent asked Eve, “Has God really said you shall not eat of every tree?”

Eve replied, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒕, lest you die.'”

But that is NOT what God said! There was no prohibition on touching it. That was most likely added by Adam. I can imagine Adam saying, “Look Eve, don’t even touch it!” Adam’s added regulation was a misrepresentation of the covenant.

It was this added regulation, the first “religion” through which the deceiver gained a foothold. Eve bundled her answers about eating and touching together.

So the Serpent addressed the two points as if they were one. The unspoken part of the serpent’s reply in parentheses was (if you touch it) “you will not surely die.” It was a very subtle and cunning attack. And it worked.

Eve ate.

~

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐞…𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆!

It wasn’t until she gave it to Adam and he ate then BOTH of their eyes were opened.

Why?

It was Adam’s disobedience of eating that broke his covenant with God. Eve’s disobedience had no power to break that covenant. This is because she was the offspring of God and Adam. She was downstream of the Covenant. She was not a party to the Covenant made before she was created. She was not the Covenant Representative, Adam was.

So long as the Covenant between God and Adam remained intact, even though she transgressed, sinned, it was not accounted to her. After she ate, the Covenant between God and Adam still remained intact. She was protected by Adam’s obedience. His obedience maintained the Covenant. It was one man’s act of disobedience that broke the covenant.

Why did Adam choose to eat knowing it would bring death? It was because seeing nothing happen to Eve caused him to disbelieve God’s word. It’s the result of his choosing to act on his disbelief which led to disobedience resulting in death.

Understanding what happened leads to the realization that Eve is not to be blamed for the fall of mankind. It’s all too common for people, especially men to have animus towards Eve, and women in general. But understand that God placed enmity between her and the serpent. If you find yourself having animosity towards Eve or women in general, then be careful, you’re playing the role of the serpent.

The story of Adam and Eve is the very first model of Christ and the Church. This is a very important model upon which the whole Bible is based.

All who are offspring, downstream of the covenant between God and Adam are now subject to the conditions of a broken covenant. The consequence of that broken covenant is separation from God who is Life Itself and therefore that separation is Death.

Eve is the “mother of all living” our greatest grandmother. In this very first model of Christ she represents us, the Church. We should therefore have forgiveness towards Her and others in the Church. We’re no better than her.

That brief interval between Eve eating and Adam eating which is the unbroken covenant between God and Man in the face of sin is the fulcrum around which all of human history pivots.

When you begin to get your mind around what happened there in the Garden, the entire Bible begins to make sense.

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Covenant, Gospel, Grace, Faith – Phil Kulis Series

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Phil Kulis with tags , , , , on January 28, 2026 by paulthepoke

𝐈𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭… was a strong agreement and commitment between two leaders representing different groups of people. These two are the “covenant representatives”.

In the “cutting of a covenant” there was a ceremony where an animal was cut into two pieces, then the pieces were separated by a short distance on the ground. The covenant representatives would then walk among the pieces getting the animal’s blood on their shoes and clothes while reciting the terms of the covenant to each other. They would also say to each other “If I ever break this covenant by not upholding and remaining faithful to my promise, let what has happened to this animal happen to me.” Death was the penalty for breaking the terms of the covenant.

So long as the representatives kept the covenant, all under them experienced peace. But if the representatives broke the covenant and go to war, all those under them subject to the covenant are also at war. It doesn’t matter what the subjects do, it’s all about what the covenant representatives do.

All who are under their leadership were subject to the representative upholding the terms of the covenant. If the representatives remained at peace with each other, then those represented by them were also at peace. This is where the concept of a “peace treaty” comes from.

A covenant is a lifelong commitment. The terms of the covenant were in effect until the death of one of the representatives. Death was also the penalty for breaking the covenant. Death was the only way to be released from the oath and obligation of the covenant.

There are therefore two paths to the exit from a covenant, breaking it or keeping it. But both paths lead to Death.

~

Two elegant wedding rings, one gold and one silver, resting on a soft background.

𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞… between a man and woman is also recognized as a covenant. A wedding is a covenant ceremony where vows are exchanged, “…forsaking all others, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do we part.”

A marriage covenant should therefore not be entered into lightly. So long as those in covenant remain faithful the covenant remains intact. Sadly, as many as half of marriage covenants are broken.

If a man and woman in a marriage covenant produce offspring and one of their offspring commits a sin, that sin by the offspring has no power to affect the terms of the covenant between the parents. That sin only affects the offspring, the offspring’s spouse, and their descendants. The effects of sin go downstream.

If one of the parents breaks the covenant with the other by not being faithful to their vows then not just the parents, but all the downstream offspring of the parents are forever affected by being under their broken covenant. If the parents remain faithful to each other until one dies “until death do they part” then all involved in the covenant; representatives and downstream, are eternal beneficiaries of that intact covenant. “It is finished.”

If one of the covenant representatives dies while remaining faithful, then the other representative is released, set free from that covenant. They are free to enter into a different covenant if they choose to.

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