Topical Bible: Seven: Days: Week Consists of

◄ Seven: Days: Week Consists of ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of a seven-day week is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and holds significant theological and historical importance. The seven-day week is established in the creation account found in the Book of Genesis, where God creates the world in six days and rests on the seventh. This pattern sets a divine precedent for the structure of time and human activity.

Creation Account

The foundation for the seven-day week is laid out in Genesis 1:1–2:3. The Berean Standard Bible describes the creation process as follows: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Over the course of six days, God systematically brings order to chaos, creating light, sky, land, vegetation, celestial bodies, animals, and finally, humanity. Each day is marked by the phrase, "And there was evening, and there was morning—the [first, second, etc.] day" (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).

On the seventh day, God completes His work and sanctifies it as a day of rest: "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished" (Genesis 2:2-3). This day of rest, known as the Sabbath, becomes a model for human rest and worship.

Theological Significance

The seven-day week, culminating in the Sabbath, is not merely a chronological framework but carries profound theological significance. It reflects God's sovereignty over time and His desire for a rhythm of work and rest in human life. The Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between God and His people, as seen in Exodus 31:16-17 : "The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a permanent covenant for the generations to come. It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."

Cultural and Historical Context

The seven-day week, as established in the Bible, has influenced various cultures and religious practices throughout history. While other ancient cultures had different systems for dividing time, the biblical model has persisted, particularly within Judeo-Christian traditions. The observance of the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship has been a central aspect of Jewish and Christian life, shaping societal norms and legal structures.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the seven-day week continues to hold significance, though the early Christians began to gather for worship on the first day of the week, Sunday, in commemoration of Jesus Christ's resurrection. This shift is noted in passages such as Acts 20:7 : "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." The first day, known as the Lord's Day, became a time for Christian assembly and celebration of the risen Christ, while the principle of rest and worship remained integral to the faith.

Conclusion

The seven-day week, as ordained in the biblical creation account, remains a testament to God's order and purpose in creation. It serves as a continual reminder of the balance between labor and rest, the sanctity of time, and the call to worship the Creator.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: why the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 5:13,14
Six days you shall labor, and do all your work:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... because that in the practice of this commandment the keeping of all the other consists;
which makes God so ... So that as seven days make a week, four weeks a ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

Athanasius' Account of the Deeds of violence Committed at ...
... For in the week after the holy Pentecost, the ... The sealing consists in fastening and
securing the locks and ... situated west of the Nile, seven days' journey from ...
/.../chapter xxviii athanasius account of the.htm

On the Fourth Command in the Decalogue
... But with regard to that day among the seven which followed the six days in ... is by
no means to be distinguished from the rest of the days [of the week]; or if ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation lxxvii on the fourth.htm

Letter Lv. Replies to Questions of Januarius.
... life is of such a nature as consists with lively ... represented by the first day of
the week, which we ... Genesis, you search the record of the seven days, you will ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lv replies to questions.htm

An American Reformer.
... the last one of the seventy; it is the last seven years of ... "In the midst of the week
He shall ... of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /18 an american reformer.htm

An American Reformer
... the last one of the seventy; it is the last seven years of ... "In the midst of the week
He shall ... of the Turks, and that the 391 years, fifteen days, commenced at ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 18 an american reformer.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... author reckons forty-nine jubilees, one year-week, and two ... of feasts, is to make
the year number 364 days. ... was born when his father was sixty-seven (187, Heb ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... are taught that man's final perfection consists in his ... the first was that which was
repeated every week. ... Tents," which was kept for seven days, to commemorate ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of ...
... period of rebellion is stated to be seven years ... 91 b, the days of the Messiah' are
distinguished from the ... Isaiah 63:4); 7000 years = the marriage-week (Isaiah 62 ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vi the evening of.htm

The Form and Spirit of Religion
... went before, when they compassed the city seven days, and at ... the liar, the perjured
man, in the days of Christ ... man who had fasted thrice in the week, and gave ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the form and spirit of.htm