Jesus Christ Our High-Priest and the Sabbath

I was reading Hebrews 3 and 4 and was struck by the imagery given which I had not seen previously. (I have high lighted the most pertinent passages if you wish to just scan through the text.)

[ch. 2] ... 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. [ch. 3] 1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. [ch. 4] 1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Key Points/Imagery:
 1. our high priest, Jesus Christ (vss. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14,15)
 2. the Sabbath (vs. 4:4)
 3. double edged sword (vs. 4:12)
 4. piercing eyes (vs. 4:13)

Where in all scripture do we have similar imagery... because we do? Revelation 1!

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

The Corresponding Key Points/Imagery
 1. "the Lord's Day" - by the Bibles own definition this is the Sabbath (see Matthew 12:8; Isaiah 58:13).
 2. "in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle" - in commenting upon these verses both the commentators Matthew Henry and Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown say that Christ here appears as our high-priest.
 3. "his eyes were as a flame of fire" - piercing eyes... this fits the description... eyes before which "all things are naked and opened."
 4. "out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword" - an exact correspondence, even placing the Word in Christ's mouth.

So in fact, according to Revelation, the imagery of Hebrews can be boiled down to two: Christ, the Word, our high-priest and the Sabbath, His day. An interesting parallel exists to this scene, this appearance of Christ as our high-priest on His holy Sabbath day, which reinforces the interpretation of the Lord's Day as the Sabbath. This can be seen in Daniel 10.

2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. 4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Corresponding Imagery to Revelation 1
 1. "clothed in linen" vs "clothed with a garment down to the foot"
 2. "loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz" vs "girt about the paps with a golden girdle"
 3. "his face as the appearance of lightning" vs "his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength"
 4. "his eyes as lamps of fire" vs "his eyes were as a flame of fire"
 5. "his feet like in colour to polished brass" vs "his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace"
 6. "the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude" vs "his voice as the sound of many waters"
Where is the Sabbath in this text? According to Shea, the close connection between verses 2-3 and 4 make it highly probable that Daniel's "three full weeks" came to an end on the 24th of the first month when he was at the river. Now full weeks come to an end on the seventh-day of the week, the Sabbath or our present day Saturday, and so from the text it is quite possible that Daniel had his vision of Christ on the Sabbath... however, if we take into account the parallel texts in Revelation and Hebrews (Christ, our High Priest and the Sabbath) it is not only possible that Daniel's vision of Christ occurred on the Sabbath, but it is for certain!!!

This triple occurrence of Christ as our  high-priest in connection with his Sabbath in the books of Daniel, Revelation, and Hebrews begs the question: Why???