The Sabbath purpose was purely symbolic. In the same way that the sacrificial system with all its spotless lambs and slain bullocks and blood sacrifices symbolized the atonement Christ made on the cross, the Sabbath system symbolized the true rest and true worship for the people of God to be found through the Messiah. The Sabbath system pointed to a time when God’s people would unite in holy convocation, a spiritual liberating of captives and setting free of slaves – a real cessation of labor. It looked forward to the coming of the New Covenant.