How the earthly Land of Israel symbolised and foreshadowed a Promised Land in Heaven. Also, how the words Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land in certain bible passages point to the same thing.
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The Promises of God are a central matter in the Bible. This has to do with the Promises
Abraham received, the earthly inheritance Israel received, and the saints' Rest
and Inheritance in Heaven. Those things have a connection with each other.
What does the Bible say about inheritance – the one the saints were promised? This essay considers the Promises spoken to Abraham, and the saints' heavenly Rest and Inheritance. It will be shown how the earthly Land of Israel symbolised and foreshadowed a Promised Land in Heaven, and also, how the words Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land in certain bible passages point to the same thing, in a certain context.
Further, it will be explained what the apostle Paul meant when he spoke about "a Rest" that the saints were about to enter (Hebrews 4:9). It will be shown how Deuteronomy 12:9-10, Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1, and a number of passages in the epistle to the Hebrews, when viewed and studied together, make it clear what the apostle Paul was talking about.
Putting that in other words: It will be shown that in a certain context, the words "Promise", "Inheritance", "Rest" and "Land" are in the Bible used more or less as synonyms – different words pointing to the same thing. This goes for both the Old Covenant as well as for the New Covenant (and the Old Testament and the New Testament). The Old Covenant had an earthly Promised Land, which was given as an Inheritance to the Israelites. In the days of Joshua, the Israelites entered that land, and settled down there in (their promised) Rest – see Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1. With the New Covenant, the Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land are instead in Heaven. And again, it will be shown in detail how the above-mentioned passages in Deuteronomy and the book of Joshua explain the real meaning of the "Rest" which is mentioned in Hebrews 4:9. In short: It will be shown how the Old Covenant's earthly Promised Land served as a shadow and type of the New Covenant's heavenly Promised Land.
Regarding the Rest mentioned in Hebrews 4:9: In addition to Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1, there are even other scriptures that make Hebrews 4:9 easier to understand. If one reads the wider context, including Hebrews 3:11, 18 and 19 and Hebrews 4:1, 3, 5, 6, 10 and 11, one will note that in those passages, the apostle Paul spoke about "entering" (that is, entering a place of rest). When one realises that, it will be easier to understand that it was a matter of the saints entering their (heavenly) Promised Rest or Land, just as the ancient Israelites had entered the earthly Promised Rest (Land). There is more on this, later in this essay, and in the essay ex11b.htm.
A note: Sometimes, people use the phrase "spiritual Rest". However, the term "heavenly Rest" is more exact and clear because – as will be explained in this essay – the saints' Rest which is mentioned in Hebrews 4:9 is not some vague, ethereal or merely symbolic "spiritual rest" but rather a literal, tangible and real (place of) Rest in Heaven. Again: The Rest that the apostle Paul referred to (see Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11), was the heavenly counterpart of the earthly place of rest where Joshua took the ancient Israelites (see Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1).
The New Testament talks about "children of Abraham". In his letter to the saints in Galatia, the apostle Paul noted that anyone who belonged to the Anointed (ho Christos), also was "Abraham's seed" and "an heir according to the Promise" (Galatians 3:29). And indeed, one could say that the promise to Abraham, or literally to his Seed, is the basis of the New Covenant. There is more on this, later in this essay.
Here is the first mention of those things in the Bible:
Genesis 12:1 And Jehovah had said to Abram, Go out from your land and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and curse the one despising you. And in you all families of the earth shall be blessed. (LIT)
And also:
Genesis 15:18 On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, I have given this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite, 20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the giants, 21 and the Amorite and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite. (LIT)
That is what was promised to Abraham, on the earthly level. But, that earthly land was and is a shadow of something much greater, in Heaven.
When Abraham had shown that he would even give his only son if the Lord demanded that of him, the Lord promised him this:
Genesis 22:16 And He said, I have sworn by Myself, declares Jehovah, that on account of this thing you have done, and not have withheld your son, your only son, 17 that blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the shore of the sea. And your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies. 18 And in your Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed My voice. (LIT)
Here it is "your Seed", a singular Seed (Genesis 22:17), and just as the translator indicated by the capital letter. That Singular Seed is Jesus. Paul wrote about this, to the saints in Rome and in Galatia:
Romans 9:6 Not, however, that God's word has failed. For not all those of Israel are Israel, 7 nor because they are Abraham's seed are all children, but "In Isaac a Seed shall be called to you." 8 That is: Not the children of flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed. (LIT, highlighting added)
Galatians 3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might be to the nations in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brothers, I speak according to man, a covenant having been ratified, even among mankind, no one sets aside or adds to it. 16 But the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed (it does not say, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," which is Christ). (LIT, highlighting added)
So, Genesis 22:16, Romans 9:7 and Galatians 3:16 refer to a singular Seed among Abraham's descendants – Jesus. Galatians 3:16 points out that it was Jesus who was to receive (inherit) the Promises. How the saints came to share those Promises with Jesus, will be discussed later in this essay.
(A side-note, regarding Genesis 22:17 which was quoted above. Some Anglo-Israelist preachers have claimed that in Genesis 22:17 the word sha'ar, which meant "gate", supposedly refers to "strategic sea sounds". The essay ey03c.htm sorts out that matter.)
The apostle Peter wrote to certain saints and noted that they had been given "exceedingly great and precious promises":
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (NKJV, highlighting added)
Those promises made it possible for the saints to become "partakers of the divine nature" (same verse).
Peter also wrote, to certain saints, regarding their inheritance:
1 Peter 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (NKJV)
An inheritance which was "incorruptible and undefiled" and which "does not fade away", and which was "reserved in Heaven" for the saints.
The apostle Paul, here taken to be the author of the letter to the Jewish saints ("Hebrews"), wrote to the Jewish saints about the Rest which they were promised to receive. He compared that with the Rest which ancient Israel had received (that is, the earthly Promised Land). He wrote:
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterwards have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Paul noted that Joshua's bringing of ancient Israel to a "rest" in the Promised Land, was not the ultimate fulfilment of what had been promised. That rest was only a type of what was in store for the saints, in Heaven. Let us view Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1 which make it clear what the "rest" really was that ancient Israel received in the days of Joshua. That former rest was the earthly Promised Land. We read:
Deuteronomy 12:9 for as yet you have not come to the rest [menuwchah] and the inheritance which Jehovah your God is giving you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety [...] (VW-2006, comment and highlighting added)
Joshua 1:15 [...] until Jehovah has given your brethren rest [nuwach], as He has given you, and they also have taken possession of the land which Jehovah your God is giving them. [...] (VW-2006, comment and highlighting added)
Joshua 22:4 And now Jehovah your God has given rest [nuwach] to your brethren, as He has promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah has given you on the other side of the Jordan. (VW-2006, comment and highlighting added)
Joshua 23:1 Now it came to pass, many days after Jehovah had given rest [nuwach] to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua had grown old and advanced in age. (VW-2006, comment and highlighting added)
Back to Hebrews 4:9 where the apostle Paul was talking about the heavenly counterpart to that earthly Promised Land:
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterwards have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Again, when Paul used that word "rest", he was talking about the saints' promised Inheritance – a heavenly (Place of) Rest, which is to say, a heavenly Land. For understanding Paul's analogy, see Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1 which were quoted above. See even the essay ex11b.htm, in regard to this matter.
Now, just as ancient Israel received the earthly Promised Land as their inheritance, so were the saints promised to receive a heavenly Land as their Inheritance. That was one part of the symbolism of the Promised Land which ancient Israel was given.
Again, the words Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land are central concepts in the Bible. They refer to the saints' Inheritance, the heavenly land which they were to receive just as had been promised. The word "rest" in Hebrews 4:8-9 is Paul's analogy between two places:
In that same letter to the Jewish saints, chapter 11 shows how Paul noted that even the faithful people of old times knew what really was in store for them, what the Promise to Abraham really was all about. Let us first consider verse 1:
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJ-21)
Comment: Just as the Israelites of old had put their trust in the Lord and departed from Egypt towards a new land which the Lord had promised to them but which they had never seen, in the same manner, the saints were looking forward to a heavenly Promised Land, through faith, without having seen that Land.
Paul moved on, and wrote regarding the faithful people of old times, that "they all died in faith, not having received the promises". Then he commented on what those faithful people of old really had looked forward to:
Hebrews 11:16 But now they stretch forth to a better, that is, a heavenly land. Therefore, God is not ashamed of them, for Him to be called their God; for He prepared a city for them. (LIT)
So, the earthly Promised Land was not the "real thing". It served as a type for the better Land in the heavenly sphere.
A note: For some strange reason, the mention of Heaven is almost an offence for the members of certain kinds of churches. And then, in many churches of other kinds, Heaven has been made to look strange, distant, unimportant, unreal, and even laughable.
What do you think – where does all that antipathy and ridicule against the Heavens of God really come from? Could it be that that antipathy comes from beings who used to live in Heaven but were cast out from there? From rebel spirits who do all they can to cause humans to ridicule and reject Heaven; beings who do not want humans to ever come in their place there, as sons of God. (The rebel angels themselves were cast out of Heaven.)
The Bible has only good things to say about Heaven, and several bible passages make it clear that the saints would be there, in the Heavens of God; yes, by his very throne. The essay eb04c.htm has more on what the Bible really says about Heaven. The essay ex11b.htm takes a closer look at Hebrews 4:9 with its context.
A note: Of course, the saints' Inheritance (which they received a share of, by being joined to Jesus who really is the sole Heir of the Promises) did not consist only of the heavenly Promised Land. It included even other things. They also inherited everlasting life, and rulership together with Jesus. And more – because, the Bible says that Jesus inherited "all things" (Hebrews 1:2). When those saints became joined to Jesus, they came to share those things with him.
The saints' inheritance also included the Holy Spirit – or actually, the Holy Spirit was given to them as a "seal" and as a pledge or guarantee that they would receive the (other parts of the) promised inheritance:
Ephesians 1:13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (ESV)
However, this essay concentrates on the four phrases, "the Promise", "the Inheritance, "the Rest" and "the Land", showing that in the Bible, they are in this kind of connection used more or less as synonyms and point to the same thing.
First, it is important to understand the greatness of God. Even though this planet has been (and still is) in the hands of rebellious spirit rulers and their fleshly cronies, God has nevertheless directed things here on Earth, so that in the end, his purpose will be fulfilled. In his greatness and power, God arranged it so that the events which old Israel went through, pictured and symbolised things of the future.
Paul wrote about this, to the saints in Corinth:
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. (DBY)
"Types". So is the Greek, tupos (tupoi). A "type" is something that is not the real, ultimate thing but only pictures and symbolises it. An "antitype", on the other hand, is the "real thing". A lot of things ancient Israel went through, were types (symbols, shadows) of spiritual things, and of things in Heaven.
In his letter to the Jewish saints, the apostle Paul showed that the earthly Promised Land was not the ultimate goal, and that the earthly place of rest (land) where Joshua had taken Israel, was not the real thing either. The saints' ultimate Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land were in Heaven. There is more on this, below.
Now, the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages may not always literally say "promise(d)", when the translations have it that way. But often, when translations use the word "promise(d)", they are correctly showing what the original language text really meant. It is the context which indicates how the old Hebrew and Greek words should be translated into modern languages.
In many translations, the first place where the word "promise" occurs, is here:
Exodus 12:25 "It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. (NKJV)
"The land which the Lord will give you, just as he promised."
The context of that verse spoke about the Old Covenant's rituals, but they were mere shadows and types. What is interesting here is to find out what really was "promised". The actual promise was given here:
Exodus 3:8 And I have come down to take them out of the hands of the Egyptians, guiding them out of that land into a good land and wide, into a land flowing with milk and honey; into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. [...] 17 And I have said, I will take you up out of the sorrows of Egypt into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey. (BBE)
That is what was promised to Israel, here on Earth. And again, the Bible shows that that earthly land was not "the real thing", even though there are still unfulfilled prophecies also regarding that earthly land.
And again, there are preachers who cause their followers to reject Heaven. Because of that, it is important to consider what Paul wrote to the saints in Colosse, that they were to look for the things above:
Colossians 3:1 If then ye have risen with the Messiah, seek the things on high, where the Messiah sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Think of things on high; not of the things on earth (MUR)
Colossians 3:1 If, then, you were raised with the Anointed one, seek the things above, where the Anointed one is sitting at the Right hand of God; 2 Mind the things above, not the things on the Earth. (Dia-BW)
Paul wrote to the saints in Corinth:
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (AKJV)
So, Paul made it clear for the saints that their Inheritance was in Heaven and not here on Earth.
A side-note: Paul often used word-plays – so even here (2 Corinthians 4:17). He wrote, parautika elaphron tês thlipseôs humôn, kath huperbolên eis aiônion baros doxês katergazetai humin – in other words, he used
That is, Paul made the point that even though the saints were severely persecuted, their sufferings were in a way "light", because they would by far be overweighed by the exceeding glory that they were to receive.
Again, Hebrews 11:16 shows that the faithful men of old knew what the real Promise, the ultimate Promised Land, really was:
Hebrews 11:15 And if they had cherished the memory of that land from which they went out, they would have found an opportunity to return; 16 but now they are longing for a better homeland, that is, a heavenly. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; and he has prepared a city for them. (MontNT)
But, many people have been deceived, so that they think that those things are "not really important". They have been told misleading things regarding that Promised Land. Some preachers even cause people to have a deep, intense aversion against that Promised Land, and to vehemently reject it.
Paul wrote to the saints in Corinth:
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood is not able to inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. (VW-2006)
In other words: The saints' Inheritance was not an earthly one; it was located in Heaven.
Paul wrote to the saints in Ephesus:
Ephesians 1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (ESV)
It was in (and through) Jesus, and only in and through him, that the saints could obtain that Inheritance. The saints had been given the Holy Spirit as an "earnest" or "pledge" as some translations have it; in clearer words, as a guarantee that they really would receive that Inheritance.
The apostle Peter wrote to certain saints about their heavenly Inheritance:
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (VW-2006)
And then, it seems that there was more for those saints:
Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (VW-2006)
The words "all things" would seem to refer to the entire universe, and perhaps even more. To understand this, one must understand what the Reign or Kingdom of God really is, what it really encompasses. The essay eo01b.htm has more on that subject.
(The essay ex11b.htm has more on that Rest.)
What did the apostle Paul refer to, when he wrote about a "Rest" which the saints were to enter (Hebrews 4:9, and several other passages in Hebrews)?
A note: Some have claimed that Paul supposedly referred to "sabbath-keeping", but that is not so. The following will make it plain what Paul really was talking about.
Paul was speaking about something very different. Already chapter 3 mentions that entering into a rest; there is more on this later in this essay, but let us right now read the first part of chapter 4, in that letter to the Jewish saints:
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For also the gospel was preached to us, as well as to them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested the seventh day from all His works." 5 And in this place again, "They shall not enter into My rest." 6 Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief, 7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 So then there remains a rest to the people of God. (MKJV)
(Verse 1, "a promise being left to enter into his rest", et cetera – the HCSB has this better, "therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it".)
Regarding Hebrews 4:8 – what kind of "rest" did Joshua lead the Israelites to? Simply: He led them to the earthly Promised Land, a land of their own where they could settle down and find (a place of) rest. Earlier, they had been slaves in Egypt, without a land of their own, and after that, they had lived in a dusty desert for 40 years, as nomads, without a land of their own. But Joshua led them over the river Jordan, to their promised Rest (their promised Inheritance, the Promised Land).
Moses spoke about those things, before they happened:
Deuteronomy 12:9 for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which Jehovah your God is giving you. 10 But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety [...] (VW-2006, highlighting added)
"Rest", "inheritance", "land" – all those words referred to what had been promised: The Promised Land.
On the earthly level, it was the Land (Canaan) which had been promised, that was called the Rest, and also the Inheritance. Again: The promised rest – the promised inheritance – the Promised Land – all those phrases refer to the same thing.
Joshua 1:15 [...] until Jehovah has given your brethren rest, as He has given you, and they also have taken possession of the land which Jehovah your God is giving them. [...] (VW-2006, highlighting added)
Joshua 22:4 And now Jehovah your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave you on the other side of the Jordan. (VW-2006, highlighting added)
Joshua 23:1 Now it came to pass, many days after Jehovah had given rest [nuwach] to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua had grown old and advanced in age. (VW-2006, comment and highlighting added)
"Promise", "Inheritance", "Rest", "Land". In this connection, all those words point to the same thing. And again, those earthly things were only types of things in Heaven. That is so, even though there are still unfulfilled prophecies regarding the earthly Promised Land.
The saints were a "spiritual Israel". Their Promise, Inheritance, Rest and Land were in Heaven. The ancient Israelites had an earthly inheritance (a land). As was shown above, that land was their promised "rest". The saints, however, had a heavenly Inheritance: A heavenly Land, which was their Promised (place of) Rest.
It is important to understand that Hebrews 4:8-9 refer to what Deuteronomy 12:9 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1 talk about, and that that earthly "Rest" (Land) was and is only a type of the ultimate Rest, the heavenly Promised Land.
The apostle Paul wrote about those things, to the Jewish saints. Theoretically, it could be that he wrote to them in Aramaic or Hebrew, but there is no manuscript support for that. Greek was a commonly spoken language among the Jews in those days, and it could well be that because of several reasons, Paul wrote even that letter in Greek.
Let us consider the word "rest" in Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 11. In the Greek text of those verses, the word for "rest" is either the verb katapauô which meant "to make quiet", "to cause to be at rest", "to grant rest" and "to take a rest", or the noun katapausis which meant "a putting to rest", "a place of rest". (There is more on the words katapausis and katapauô, later in this essay.)
The essay ex11b.htm contains a deeper study on that scripture, but here is a short summary:
Even Hebrews 4:9 talks about that same rest. There the noun in the Greek text is a Hebraism, the word-construct sabbatismos whose first part came from the Hebrew verb shabath which meant "to rest"; the second part was the Greek suffix -mos which in this case corresponds to the English suffix -ing. In all simplicity: The literal meaning of the noun sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9 was "a resting" (that is, "a rest") – but it is important to understand that it referred to a place of rest. Read on:
If one carefully studies the above-mentioned passages in the epistle to the Hebrews, one will see that the "Rest" (sabbatismos) of Hebrews 4:9 was to a place of rest – a place the saints were to enter, just as ancient Israel had entered their Rest which was the earthly Promised Land. Let us establish this fact in all clarity. We can do that by studying those other, related passages in that letter. Here they are – read them all with care, and note especially the words "enter", "entering" and "rest":
Hebrews 3:11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter into My rest.' (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Hebrews 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it. (HCSB, highlighting added)
Hebrews 4:3 For we who 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. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Hebrews 4:5 And again in this place: "If they shall enter into My rest"—. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David "today," after so long a time, as it is said, "Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." 8 For if Joshua [A] had given them rest, then He would not afterwards have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest [B] for the people of God. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall [C] according to the same example of unbelief. (KJ-21, highlighting added)
[A] Joshua: The word Iêsous in the Greek text of Hebrews 4:8 does not refer to the Lord Jesus as some translations make it seem, but to Joshua the son of Nun who led the ancient Israelites to their promised Inheritance and Rest which was the earthly Promised Land.
[B] Rest: The Greek text of verse 9 contains the noun sabbatismos, "rest", whose root and meaning was explained earlier in this essay. That word refers to place of rest, a Promised Land.
[C] Fall: The "falling" mentioned in Hebrews 4:11 refers to the fate of those grown-up Israelites who had rejected the Promised Land and wanted to return to Egypt, never were allowed to enter the Promised Land. Their "bodies fell in the wilderness" – that is, they were never allowed to enter the Promised Land but died during the 40-year desert sojourn. (See Numbers 14:4-35 and so on, and even Hebrews 3:17.)
So, the Rest that the apostle Paul was talking about (Hebrews 3 and 4 and so on), was a place of Rest which the saints could enter. In short, the apostle was talking about the heavenly counterpart of the earthly place of Rest where Joshua had taken the Israelites (see Deuteronomy 12:9 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1, quoted above). And, Paul warned those Jewish saints, reminding them of that many of their forefathers had not been allowed to enter the earthly place of rest.
What the entering into that heavenly Place of Rest really meant for the saints on the practical level, is explained elsewhere in this essay.
Read on, for more.
(The essay ex11b.htm has more on this matter.)
Hebrews 3 and 4 which talk about a Rest, were quoted earlier in this essay. Among the many other bible-passages that talk about such a Rest, we find Psalms 95:11:
Psalms 95:11 Unto them I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest [menuwchah]. (KJ-21, comment and highlighting added)
If one looks at that passage in the LXX (the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), one will find that the LXX used the word katapausis as a translation for the Hebrew menuwchah. [D] (A note: The LXX numbers that chapter as 94.)
The LXX wording of that verse is hôs ômosa en tê orgê mou ei eiseleusontai eis tên katapausin mou, where katapausin mou means "my Rest". Those words, in English "so I swore in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my rest", were a reference to those who turned their backs on the Lord in the desert (Numbers 13-14). Those people were not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
As was mentioned earlier, the epistle to the Hebrews contains many references to entering a Promised Land, and also of not being allowed to enter. The noun katapausis and the related verb katapauô are found in the Greek text of Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 and 11. [E]
[D] Regarding the Hebrew word menuwchah in the Hebrew text of Psalms 95:11 – those who are interested, can check its use even in such passages as Numbers 10:33, Deuteronomy 12:9, 1 Kings 8:56 and Isaiah 32:18.
[E] For those who want to study the use of katapausis and katapauô in the LXX, the most relevant passages in this connection are Deuteronomy 3:20, 5:33 and 12:9-10, Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1, 1 Kings 8:56 and Psalms 95:11 (94:11).
So, in the epistle to the Hebrews, there are three Greek words (katapauô, katapausis and the Hebraism sabbatismos) that refer to "the Rest" (read: the heavenly Land) which the saints had been promised as their inheritance. Again, those words refer to a place of rest – a heavenly Promised Land.
Paul used the word sabbatismos (which simply meant "a rest"), as a reference to the heavenly counterpart of the earthly place of rest which is mentioned in Deuteronomy 12:9 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1. Hebrews 4:9, "There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God" (KJ-21). That did not refer to "a day of rest" but to a place of rest. Again, as was shown above, the Rest which the apostle Paul was talking about, was a something the saints were to enter. Several passages in Hebrews mention that entering. Their promised Rest and Inheritance was place of rest – a Promised Land in Heaven. After all their troubles, the saints would come to settle in peace in a "place of their own", but then, that place was located in Heaven. Consider what Jesus said to his disciples:
John 14:2 In my Father's house there are many rooms. [F] If it were not so, would I have told you that I went to prepare a place [F] for you? (MontNT)
Again, the Rest of Hebrews 4:9 was the saints' promised Inheritance. The apostle Peter wrote about to certain saints about that Inheritance:
1 Peter 1:4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven [G] for you (NKJV)
[F] Some anti-Heaven preachers have twisted John 14:2 and claimed that it supposedly talks "offices" and not about lodgings or dwelling places as the Greek text says. But, the Greek word in question, monê (plural monai), had no such meaning as "offices". No translation or lexicon that this writer has seen, has rendered the noun monê as "office". It meant "a staying", "an abiding", "a dwelling", "an abode" – that is, a place to stay and dwell in. (See even the use of monê in John 14:23, and the use of the related verb menô in around 100 NT passages.)
[G] A number of anti-Heaven preachers have twisted even 1 Peter 1:4 and tried to make people believe that the saints' inheritance was "merely stored in Heaven" (symbolically or literally) but that they supposedly were not to receive it there but rather here on Earth. That is total nonsense. The Bible makes it fully clear that the saints were to go to Heaven, and that their promised Inheritance indeed was and is there. There is more on this in the other parts of this present essay; see also the essay eb04c.htm which has more on what the Bible really says about the saints and Heaven.
A note: Even the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest, the Sabbath, was "a type and shadow" and pointed to things that were to come. The essay ex03c.htmhas more on that matter.
Indeed, what kind of a Land was it that the saints were to look for? Again, the faithful people of ancient times knew about that heavenly Land:
Hebrews 11:15 If they had been remembering that land they came from, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But they now aspire to a better land—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (HCSB)
Now, that heavenly City is of course not alone; it is not a thing by itself, hanging in emptiness. No, that heavenly City is obviously located in a heavenly Country – in the heavenly Land which verse 15 mentions.
A note: Some have claimed that that heavenly City supposedly will leave its heavenly Land and be "transported" and planted on the surface of the planet Earth. But, the Bible says nothing of that kind. Let us consider the size of that heavenly City. Revelation 21:16 states that it is 12,000 x 12,000 stadion in size – around 2200 x 2200 kilometres or almost 1400 x 1400 miles – much larger than the whole land of Canaan is. And then: When John in his vision saw that heavenly City "descending from heaven" (coming down from the sky) – where was John standing in that vision, what was his viewpoint? Obviously, he was in that vision in Heaven, and saw that heavenly City that God had prepared, coming down from the skies of that heavenly Land. The essay eb04c.htm has more on this, and on that heavenly City and Heaven in general.
The saints (people of the apostles' day), who had received the Holy Spirit, were no longer a part of this world. They had become citizens of a different Country. Paul wrote to the saints in Philippi:
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (VW-2006)
Philippians 3:20 For our country is in heaven; from where the Saviour for whom we are waiting will come, even the Lord Jesus Christ (BBE)
And, to the saints in Ephesus:
Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (VW-2006)
But that of course means that the saints Paul was writing to, and who had become citizens of Heaven and who through that were no longer "strangers" there, were now "strangers and foreigners" here on Earth instead.
Paul wrote to the Jewish saints:
Hebrews 11:13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (NASB-95)
(A note: Some bible-versions have "pilgrims" in Hebrews 11:13. It is good to know that the word "pilgrim" comes from the Latin pelegrinus, peregrinus, from pereger, peregris which referred to someone who on journey, abroad, away from home. Per, "beyond" and ager or agri, "country" or "land". In short: "Pilgrim" = someone in a foreign country, not in his own land. The Greek word in Hebrews 11:13 was parepidêmoi, parepidêmos, with the same meaning.)
Point: The saints had received the Holy Spirit, and had become citizens of another Reign (Kingdom). Because of that, they now were "foreigners" here on Earth. Their own country (Land) was elsewhere. The apostle Paul wrote to the Jewish saints about their (promised) heavenly Land and their heavenly City (the heavenly Jerusalem):
Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: why God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city. (AKJV)
Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable multitude of angels, 23 to the gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are registered in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made complete, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (VW-2006)
It seems that Hebrews 12:22-23 actually talks about the Wedding Feast (in Heaven). But, that is not the point here. The part which is interesting in this particular context, is found in the words city and registered (verses 22-23, as quoted above). That is related to citizenship. In the Roman empire of those days, all people were required to go to their own city, to be registered:
Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Cyrenius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. (VW-2006)
In regard to the saints: Their City was a heavenly one, and their citizenship was not of any country on this planet but of the heavenly Country (Hebrews 11:16). And yes, it was the same word apographô, referring to registration (of citizens, or similar), which was used both in Luke 2:1 and 3 and Hebrews 12:23.
A note regarding Hebrews 12:23 which was quoted above: The Greek wording is panêgurei kai ekklêsia prôtotokôn en ouranois apogegrammenôn, "the festal gathering and assembly of the first-born ones registered in Heaven". It is clear that that festal gathering and assembly is the New Covenant's Wedding Feast, the one the Father was to arrange in his own House in Heaven, for his son Jesus and his Bride. Jesus referred to that Wedding Feast through parables (see Matthew 22 and 25).
Paul wrote to the saints in Galatia:
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (ASV, highlighting added)
So, if the Promise (of an Inheritance) was only to one person, Jesus, then how could the saints receive an inheritance? The answer to that question is really quite simple. When the saints received the Holy Spirit, they also became betrothed to Jesus. In a marriage, the partners share, become a co-owners of, whatever the other party has or receives. It is in that way the saints could become inheritors.
Paul wrote about this, to the saints in Rome and in Galatia:
Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (VW-2006)
Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (VW-2006)
Yes, that heavenly Inheritance, that Rest, that Promised Land, is for a single Seed of Abraham, Jesus. But that the saints became joined to Jesus, and share the Inheritance with him. So, Paul wrote to the saints in Galatia, "If you belong to the Anointed, then you are Abraham's seed, and inheritors according to the promise."
An important note: The Promise, the Rest, the Land, the Inheritance were promised to the saints. Saints: The First-Fruits, people of the apostles' day. But, even the "later part in God's harvest", the great multitude who will be sealed with the Holy Spirit in the "end time", may come to share a part of those things.
The essay eg03c.htm considers the question, who really is a saint. The essay et03c.htm has more on the difference between the 144,000 "first-fruits", and the great multitude who will be sealed with the Holy Spirit in the "end time". The essay eb01c.htm has more on the distribution of the Holy Spirit. The essay eg02c.htm has some important keys for avoiding certain common mistakes in bible-study, and for better understanding of the Scriptures.
In this connection, the words "Promise", "Inheritance", "Rest" and (promised) "Land" point to the same thing. On the earthly level, on the part of the nation of Israel, those words pointed to the land of Canaan. And, they still do because there remain some unfulfilled prophecies regarding that earthly land. But, when it comes to the saints, those words were connected to a heavenly Land, the one mentioned in Hebrews 11:16.
What about people of our day, and the churches of this world and their members? The essay ea01d.htm has more Matthew 16:18 and the "true church" dogma. The essay ea02d.htm considers Galatians 4:26 and the "church mother" dogma. The essay ea03d.htm looks at the "church eras" dogma. The essay eg06b.htm explains the origin and actual meaning of the word "church". The essays eb01c.htm and eb02c.htm have more on the distribution of the Holy Spirit and on "calling" and "election".
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Additional reading at the Bible Pages, on related as well as other issues:
A clarifying explanation of the short names for the bible-versions quoted or mentioned at this site, such as that NKJV stands for New King James Version, YLT for Young's Literal translation, HCSB for Holman Christian Standard Bible, NRSV for the New Revised Standard Version, and so on. → es09c.htm
For those who are interested:
A clarification of the actual nature of the sabbatismos or Rest of Hebrews 4:9. → ex11b.htm
What does the Bible say about Heaven? What does it look like? Were the saints to go there, and if so, for how long? What about others? → eb04c.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
The symbolism of the Sabbath. What the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest pictured and pointed to. → ex03c.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
Genesis 22:17, "And your Seed shall possess the gate of His enemies". What does that mean? → ey03c.htm
The lost ten tribes of Israel in prophecy. What happened to Israel's northern tribes? Where are they today? Does the Bible give any clues regarding their fate? → ey01b.htm
How to understand the Bible. Easy keys to interpreting and understanding Scripture in a better and deeper way, by avoiding certain fundamental but common mistakes and errors in bible study. These vital keys are really the basics for objective bible study. Knowing these keys will make many things easier to interpret and comprehend, and one will see several central matters in the Bible from a new and different perspective, especially in connection with the Gospels and the Epistles. → eg02c.htm
What is the Kingdom of God? Where is it located? Does it exist already, or is it only going to be established in the future? Or, is it only something "in the hearts of men" as some have claimed, quoting the translation "within you" in Luke 17:21? → eo01b.htm
The concepts "saint" and "sainthood" analysed. Does the Bible define or clarify who is a saint and what sainthood consists of? Also: Are there saints here on Earth, in our day? What do the Scriptures say concerning these things? Further: What is the etymology of the word "saint", and what does it really mean? → eg03c.htm
What happened to the saints, in the first century? Also, some notes on the "early church". → eg04b.htm
Rapture and parousia – are they biblical concepts? → eg05b.htm
The identity and timing of the 144,000 and the great multitude of Revelation 7, and the first-fruits or virgins of Revelation 14:1-4 – who those groups really are, and when they came or come into existence. → et03c.htm
Regarding the timing and sequence of certain "end time" events. → keyw-t2.htm (Look under the heading "Time, times, timings".)
The Holy Spirit – an outline and a no-nonsense synopsis of the matter of the distribution of God's Spirit, in the past, today, and in the coming days of the future. Also: Whose baptism is valid? Churches and preachers baptise people, but they are not notably changed and no obvious signs or fruit of the Spirit are seen in their lives. Why is that? Is the Spirit of God at all given to humans, at this present time? → eb01c.htm
What does the Bible say about calling, election, sanctification and justification? → eb02c.htm
What does the word "faith" mean? What is true faith? On the words and concepts "faith", "faithfulness", "believe" and "believing", in the Bible and especially in the New Testament, and what those things meant in the saints' lives. → eb10b.htm
Gentiles, pagans and heathen or heathens – what do those words mean? This exposition makes it plain and clear what the concepts "gentile", "pagan" and "heathen" actually refer to, in the Bible. → eg01c.htm
On Jesus' teaching regarding "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" or "the keys of the Reign of Heaven". What did the word "keys" depict or symbolise? What is the interpretation of that passage – what was it that Jesus was saying to his disciples? Bible study notes on Matthew 16 verse 19, with context. Also, a general overview and comments on the subject of "binding and loosing". → eb08c.htm
Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you". What did Jesus mean? How were the disciples to go about "seeking the Kingdom"? Also, what did the expression "all these things" really refer to, and when and where were those things to be "added" to those disciples? → eo10d.htm
Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". What was Jesus talking about? What is the immortal assembly or ekklêsia which he said he would form, and where is it located? Is it an earthly religious organisation in this world – a church – or is it a heavenly assembly that has as its members the saints who have become immortals? → ea01d.htm
The origin and meaning of the word "church". → eg06b.htm
The meaning of the words Christ, Christian, Messiah and Messias. Also: Did the saints call themselves "Christians" – christianos or christianoi? → eg07b.htm
What does Galatians 4:26 mean? It talks about the heavenly Jerusalem and is a part of an allegory regarding the two covenants. Why have some preachers then claimed that it refers to some church? This essay finds the facts regarding the allegory of Galatians 4:21-31, and shows what the different things named in it pictured and symbolised. → ea02d.htm
Church eras – do they exist? Are there seven "eras of the Church", as some have claimed – "Sardis era", "Philadelphian era", "Laodicean era" and so on? Is there any biblical basis for that dogma? The question in a nutshell: The seven assemblies mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 – were they contemporary assemblies of saints in the days of John (as the book of Revelation describes them), or are they, as some have claimed, successive "eras of the Church of God" that exist in later times and continue to our day? → ea03d.htm
What does the Bible say about resurrection? How many resurrections do the Scriptures talk about? → eb09c.htm
Predestination. The destiny of humans: Is it already fixed and decided, as some have claimed? Are all people, or some individuals, "predestined"? → eb03d.htm
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