Sabbath in Christianity

The term Shabbateans (also Sabbatarians or Sabbatarians ) denotes not a closed group, but several partly historical, partly still existing Christian communities special, who kept or observe the Sabbath.

Historical Special Groups

Moravian Sabbatarians

In order founded in 1528 Oswald Glait, student of the Baptist leader Hans Hut, in Moravia and Silesia, the group of Sabbatarians that the Sabbath as a sign of the promise of the " World Sabbath " - ritually einhielt - the last expected aeon. Glait taught with reference to Hebrews 4, LUT EU and Ex 31,16 f LUT, the Sabbath commandment was consistently valid because the believers came only after Jesus returns to the rest of God. Through its compliance will be "sealed" and kept in order to survive in the final judgment. The group would therefore anticipate their future election and constantly update. The Baptist Andreas Fischer sparked Glait after 1532 from a group leader. Until 1573 several sub-groups existed in Moravia. Against it wrote Martin Luther 1538 Scripture Against the Sabbatarians (WA 50.309 ff ), in which he attributed the doctrine Glaits to Jewish propaganda. However, this is not detectable.

Transylvanian Sabbath Aryans

For Jewish Christian type etine group founded in 1588 belonged to the former Unitarian Andreas Eössi in Transylvania. He called for the observance of the Sabbath, the rest of the Jewish festivals and dietary laws for Christians, but not circumcision. For Christ did not abolish the Torah, but want to lead the Gentiles to her. Therefore, until his coming again, the conditions mentioned in the Torah for the fulfillment of the prophetic promises are still valid. This doctrine continued Eössis student Simon Pechi continued from 1621 and spread them even in the higher nobility. Prince Gabriel Bethlen allowed the group to proselytize. 1638 separated the Unitarians of this area of ​​the Sabbath Aryans; the latter were then often condemned or converted to glow to the Reformed.

Some of these Sabbath Aryans talking, though persecuted, until the 19th century and were referred to as soul Jews. One of the centers was the place Székelykeresztúr. The last remnant of the community, which at that time still consisted of about 30 families, entered 1868 fully to Judaism. One of the last sabbath Aryan communities in Transylvania was in Bözödújfalu ( German: Neudorf, Romanian: Bezidu Nou ). The persecuted under National Socialism church lost its center finally, as Bözödújfalu had to make way for a reservoir in the last years of the communist Ceausescu regime. The last surviving successor of the Transylvanian Sabbath Aryans were murdered in the Holocaust.

Russian Subbotniki

Around 1640 came on the Sabbath or Subbotniki Niki in Russia. They took influences of Jewish humanism and the Kabbalah, denied Jesus' divinity and resurrection, rejected the veneration of icons, celebrated the Passover and followed the Toragebote, initially without circumcision. Like the Jews, they awaited the arrival of the Messiah, when all men shall keep the whole Torah. From 1760 they were part of the Molokans who opposed the Russian Orthodox Church, and held it on the Sabbath.

Siebentägner - Tunker

In the 18th century was based in North America, the group of Siebentägner - Tunker, which was formerly under the leadership of Johann Conrad Beissel of the Anabaptist- Pietist movement of the Tunker (also Schwarzenau Brethren ) had separated. The Siebentägner - founded in 1732 the Ephrata Cloister Tunker. Remains of the group joined in the 19th century, the Seventh-day Baptists.

Followers of Messiah candidates

Even the followers of the self-proclaimed Messiah Shabbetaj Zvi called Shabbateans or Dönme. In Turkey, real or perceived members of this Shabbateans are often the subject of conspiracy theories. The same name also lead the followers of Joanna Southcott.

Today's Sabbath-keeping groups

The Sabbath from one end expectation keep out the 1650 incurred in England Seventh-day Baptists, and was founded in 1863 Seventh- day Adventist Church - two evangelical free churches - as well as the community of the free Bible Students.