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Many people have been caused to misunderstand Hebrews 4:9, where we read the words
"so then, there remains a Rest for God's people". A part of the problem is caused
by misleading translations. This essay gives a clarification of the actual nature
of the sabbatismos or Rest of Hebrews 4:9, and explains what that passage
is really about.
It will be shown that the Rest which is mentioned in Hebrews 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11, is a Rest of the same kind and type that is mentioned in Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and also in Deuteronomy 3:20 and 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1. Those passages talk about entering a rest. It was not a "day of rest" but a place of Rest – a Promised Land. Those passages, and related ones, will be studied later in this treatise.
The story in Hebrews actually begins in chapter 3, but let us first view Hebrews 4:9 in its closest context. Some words in the scripture-quote below are highlighted, for the purpose of showing that the Rest in question was something that people could enter (a place):
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, [A] 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, [A] as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" [A] 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 [B] the seventh day from all His works." 5 And in this place again, "They shall not enter into My rest." [A] 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 [B] them rest, [A] then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 So then there remains a rest [C] to the people of God. 10 For he who has entered into his rest, [A] he also has ceased [B] from his own works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, [A] lest anyone fall [D] after the same example of unbelief. (MKJV, note signs and highlighting added)
Again, many bible-translations contain misleading wordings which confuse people. They create confusion by adding words and changing the wording from "there remains a rest" to "there remains a Sabbath", "there is still a Sabbath-keeping", "there remains a keeping of a Sabbath", "there remains a day of rest", or similar. Especially in some Sabbatarian churches, people have been blinded to the true meaning of Hebrews 4:9. Because of that, this essay goes through the whole matter in detail. Among other things, it will be explained why the above-mentioned passages in Deuteronomy, Joshua and Hebrews talk about entering a Rest. It will be explained what and where that Rest really was and is, both in the case of ancient Israel and Joshua (who is mentioned in Hebrews 4:8) and in the case of the saints who became a new covenantal "spiritual Israel".
The meaning of certain words in the Greek text of Hebrews 3 and 4 (katapausis, katapauô and sabbatismos) will be discussed in more detail later in this essay, but here is a short summary (the note-signs refer to points in the above quote of Hebrews 4):
[A] The Greek noun for "rest" in Hebrews 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 11 (and in Hebrews 3:11 and 18) is katapausis. In that epistle, it is used in same meaning as in the LXX (the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), in such passages as Deuteronomy 3:20, 5:33 and 12:9-10, Joshua 1:13 and 15, 22:4 and 23:1, 1 Kings 8:56 and Psalms 94:11 (95:11), which refer to ancient Israel entering their "Rest" which was the earthly Promised Land. (The translation and meaning of Hebrews 4:1 will be discussed later in this essay.)
[B] In the Greek text of verses 4, 8 and 10, we find the verb katapauô, related to the noun katapausis which was mentioned in the previous note.
[C] In the case of verse 9, the word for "Rest" is the Hebraism sabbatismos with precisely the same meaning as katapausis in the other verses. Explanation: Sabbatismos is a combination of the Hebrew verb shabath, "to rest", and of the Greek suffix -mos which in this case corresponds to the English suffix -ing. So, sabbatismos simply meant "a resting" – that is, "a rest" – the same as the old Greek noun katapausis.
[D] "Fall" (verse 11) – later in this essay, it will be explained what past event the word "fall" in Hebrews 3:17 and 4:11 refers to.
Indeed, as is explained both in the notes above as well as in other parts of this treatise, the Hebraism sabbatismos in the Greek text of verse 9 points to a Rest (katapausis, and also katapauô) of the kind mentioned in Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3-5 and 8-11 and also in the Greek LXX text of for instance Deuteronomy 3:20, 5:33 and 12:9-10, Joshua 1:13 and 15, 22:4 and 23:1 and Psalms 94:11 (95:11).
Again, there is more on this, later in this essay.
It is not easy to write an essay on this subject so that everything is at once made clear and understandable for all. For most people, it is only when they have seen all the different parts of a matter, and then put and weighed them together, that the overall picture becomes clear. Because of this, the reader is asked to read all of this essay, so that she or he will come to see the different aspects and scriptures that are connected to the matter at hand. When one does that, one will get a clarification of the real nature of the sabbatismos or Rest which is mentioned in Hebrews 4:9.
As this essay proceeds to study the nature of the "Rest" of Hebrews 4:9, it will also come to touch the matter of the saints and Heaven. In certain Sabbatarian churches, people have been caused to more or less reject Heaven and turn their backs on it. That is tragic – and, as will be shown in this treatise, that is also what the author of the epistle to the Hebrews was warning about. This writer hopes that those who have been subjected to anti-Heaven teachings, will check things up. The Bible has only good things to say about Heaven, and it makes it very clear that the saints indeed were to go there. The essays eb04c.htm and eb05b.htm have more on this.
Let us begin with the words "while the promise remains of entering his rest" in Hebrews 4:1. What does that refer to? How could those saints "enter" a rest? Indeed, what did Paul [E] mean by his words about those saints being promised "an entrance to a rest"?
Here, it must be noted that many bible-versions make a mess of Hebrews 4:1. These two give a clearer translation:
Hebrews 4:1 Let us be on our guard, then, though there is a promise still standing of being admitted to his rest, lest any one of you should be found to have come short of it. (MontNT)
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it. (HCSB)
This matter is really quite simple and uncomplicated – if one checks the wider context. Let us do that.
The epistle to the Hebrews actually contains several passages that explain what the words "enter" and rest" meant and pointed to, but since Hebrews 4:8 mentions Joshua, [F] let us check the relevant passage in the Old Testament. After that, we can come back to Hebrews.
[E] Here, the apostle Paul is taken to be the author of the letter to the Hebrews.
[F] Some translations have "Jesus" in Hebrews 4:8, but the name Iêsous in the Greek text of that verse refers to Joshua the son of Nun.
Again, Hebrews 4:8-9 refers to Joshua, so let us first look at the book of Joshua. It helps us to understand what is meant by "entering a rest", and what the nature of that "rest" really is.
Joshua 1:12 And Joshua spoke to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh, saying: 13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you saying, The LORD your God has given you rest and has given you this land. 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan. But you shall go armed before your brothers, all the mighty men of valor, and help them 15 until the LORD has given your brothers rest, even as you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God gives them; and you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side Jordan, towards the sunrise. (MKJV, highlighting added)
This was when Israel began to take control of the Promised Land. Some of the Israelites had settled east of the Jordan river, outside the Promised Land "proper". Joshua told them that they were to help their fellow Israelites to take control of the land west of Jordan. The point here is that the "Rest" which Joshua spoke about (Joshua 1:12-15), and which Hebrews 4:8-9 refers to, was a land – the Promised Land which the Lord in the days of Joshua gave to the ancient Israelites. Other bible-passages make this even more clear. Read on, for more on this matter.
Later, when the Israelites had gained control of the Promised Land, Joshua told the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and Manasseh who had assisted in that, that they now could return to their homes east of Jordan. We read:
Joshua 22:4 And now Jehovah your God has given rest 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, highlighting added)
We find a similar wording in Joshua 23:1, "after Jehovah had given rest to Israel", and also in the fifth book of Moses – well, let us read that passage, because it contains the key-words "rest", "inheritance" and "land":
Deuteronomy 12:9 for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which Jehovah your God is giving to you. 10 But when you have crossed over the Jordan and dwelt in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you to inherit, and He has given you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety [...] (VW-2006, highlighting added)
The point here is that the Rest which Hebrews 4:8 refers to, mentioning Joshua, was simply the earthly Promised Land which the ancient Israelites (descendants of Jacob whose other name was Israel) had received a right to, through inheritance.
As you read on, please keep in mind the four key-words promised, rest, inheritance and land. Later in this essay, it will be explained what this has to do with the saints whom the epistle to the Hebrews was written to.
Again, Hebrews 4:8 mentions Joshua. The reason for this is that Joshua led the ancient Israelites to the Promised Land. It was when they came to that land, that they entered their rest. But, as the apostle Paul wrote, there still remained a promise regarding a Rest – another Rest. We read (this is a translation, of course):
Hebrews 4:8 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. 10 For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. (MKJV, highlighting added)
Now that we know that the rest where Joshua had led ancient Israel was in fact a land, things can perhaps begin to become a bit more clear. But there is more to this matter, so let us study even other, related passages.
The apostle wrote an urgent warning to those saints. He used the fate of the ancient Israelites as a type, and urged those (Jewish) saints to see to it that they would not "fall in the wilderness", the way their forefathers had done. The context and several other details will be explained later; let us first read the passage in question:
Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, [G] in the day of temptation in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was grieved with that generation and said, They always err in their heart, and they have not known My ways. 11 So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest." [H] 12 Take heed, brothers, 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 today, 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 steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said, "Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke; however, not all who came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who did not believe? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (MKJV, note signs and highlighting added)
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, [I] let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it. (MKJV, highlighting and note sign added)
[G] Hebrews 3:8, "as in the provocation" – because of the bad report given by the men who had been sent out to spy out the Promised Land (see Numbers 13:1-33), the Israelites were caused to turn their backs on the earthly Promised Land and want to return to Egypt. (Two of the twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb, tried to prevent that madness, but could not, Numbers 14:6-9.) That event, recorded in Numbers 14:1-12, was the provocation in the wilderness. The saints, on their part, were on their way to a heavenly Promised Land, and the apostle was urging them not to turn their backs on it. Later in this essay, there is a bit more on that provocation matter.
[H] Hebrews 3:11, "so I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest" – this refers to what is recorded in Numbers 14:1-12; see even Psalms 95:7-11. Because of the provocation (see Numbers 14:1-12 and note 7 above), the Lord decided that none of the adult Israelites who had left Egypt, would be let into the Promised Land (except for Joshua and Caleb). Had it not been for the interceding by Moses, the Lord would have disinherited and wiped out the whole nation. But because of Moses' intercession (see Numbers 14:13-19), the Lord changed his mind and allowed the Israelites' children to enter the Promised Land (forty years later), and he even nourished the provokers during the forty years in the wilderness, until they died a natural death.
[I] Hebrews 4:1 – the above quoted MKJ version has "a promise being left to enter into his rest", which is a bit confusing. The HCSB renders that verse in a clearer way, "therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it". In short: The apostle was explaining to those Jewish saints that even though a promise regarding entering a Rest was fulfilled in the days of Joshua when the ancient Israelites entered the earthly Promised Land, there nevertheless remained a promise regarding entering a Rest – another Rest, which is to say, the heavenly Promised Land which those saints were to enter.
Earlier, the reader was asked to keep in mind the four key-words promised, rest, inheritance and land. As you now can see, they all point to the same thing, in this context. In the epistle to the Hebrews, they are mentioned as a part of an analogy regarding the earthly Promised Land and the better, heavenly Promised Land which the saints had been promised as their Rest and Inheritance. (The essay eb05b.htm has more on the saints' Inheritance.)
In short: In the saints' case, the "entering a Rest" meant that they were to be taken to Heaven, to their promised inheritance there. And, just as the ancient Israelites' inheritance was a land, even the saints' inheritance was that. But, the saints' Promised Land was better, of the kind mentioned in Hebrews 11:16. Read all of this with thought and with care:
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (NKJV, highlighting added)
If you carefully read that, then you saw that even Abraham knew that the earthly Promised Land was not the ultimate one. Abraham knew of better things to come, and looked forward to a City "whose builder and maker is God" (the City of God in Heaven), and "a better, that is, a heavenly country".
Again, a note: In some Sabbatarian churches, people have been caused to more or less reject Heaven and turn their backs on it, just as the ancient Israelites were caused to reject the earthly Promised Land at the provocation event which led to that the Israelites who at that time were of adult age, were never allowed to enter the land of promise. This writer hopes that those who have been subjected to anti-Heaven teachings, will check things up. Again, the Bible has only good things to say about Heaven and makes it clear that the saints were to go there. The essays eb04c.htm and eb05b.htm have more on this. The essay ex03c.htm studies the symbolism of the Old Covenant's ritual rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath.
In chapter 3, we find this wording (this is a translation, of course):
Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear His voice, 8 do not harden 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. (MKJV, highlighting added)
"Provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me" – what does that refer to?
The epistle "to the Hebrews" was written to saints of Jewish descent. They knew well what the apostle meant. The above-quoted words in verse 9 referred to their forefathers, and what had happened to them.
Verse 7 mentions a provocation. That refers to an event in the days of the Exodus, when the Israelites provoked the Lord – so severely that the Lord said that he would not take them to the Promised Land, after all, but would disinherit them and do away with them through pestilence. We read:
Numbers 14:11 And the LORD said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shown among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and will disinherit them [...] (MKJV)
Why was that? Because the Israelites had just rejected both the Lord as well as the Promised Land which he was about to give them. The background is that when the twelve men whom Moses had sent to spy that land, gave their report, most of them did that in a way that caused the Israelites to turn their backs on that land and also on the Lord. It went so far that they – well, let us read:
Numbers 14:4 So they said to one another, "Let us select a leader and return to Egypt." (NKJV)
Consider this: Moses was not their leader. The Lord was. Shortly before this, the Lord had through many wonders and miracles freed them from slavery in Egypt, led them through the Red Sea and saved them from the Pharaoh's army, nourished them with manna and miraculous waters, and, he was about to lead them to the land which he had promised them. But, as Numbers 14:4 records, despite of that all, those Israelites rejected the Lord and wanted to select another leader (in place of the Lord) – and then, in addition to that, they rejected even the land which the Lord was about to give to them, and wanted to return to Egypt.
No wonder the Lord was angered. However, Moses interceded – read Numbers 14:13-19 – and so, the Lord changed his mind and decided that even though he would not allow those provokers to enter the Promised Land, he would let their children go there. More: He did not strike (kill) those provokers with pestilence as he first had said, but – as things turned out – he actually took care of them and nourished them there in the desert for forty years, so that they instead died of old age.
That was the story of the provocation and temptation in the wilderness. When the Israelites rejected the Lord and also the land which he was giving them, they indeed provoked him greatly. Many bible-translations have also the words "tempted" and "temptation"; even that means "provoked" and "provocation".
What did this have to do with the saints whom Paul was writing to? Why did Paul mention those things? Well, there certainly was an analogy. Those saints' situation was in many ways similar to that of ancient Israel in the days of Moses and Joshua.
Indeed, when Paul wrote that letter to those Jewish saints, they were about to enter the heavenly Promised Land. That is why Paul urgently exhorted and cautioned them, and urged them to keep their eyes on the goal. If they rejected Jesus as their Leader, and if they turned their backs on the heavenly Land of Promise, then they would "fall in the wilderness" just as their forefathers had done. That is why Paul repeated that warning – we read:
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brothers, 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 today, 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 steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said, "Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke; however, not all who came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who did not believe? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. [J] (MKJV, highlighting and note sign added)
[J] Verse 19, "unbelief" – Greek apistia – let us assume that Paul used that word in its meaning "unfaithfulness" (or eventually in the meaning "distrust"). Again, the provocation which Hebrews 4:15 refers to, is recorded in Numbers 14:1-4. The ancient Israelites were not faithful to the Lord but rejected both him and the land which he was about to give them. And yes, there was also an element of distrust in the picture – apparently, because of the report that most of the spies had given (Numbers 13:1-33), those Israelites did not think that the Lord would be able to give that land to them. The end result of their apistia was that they never made it to the Promised Land; they died in the desert, and only their children were allowed to enter that land. Here in the epistle to the Hebrews (Jewish saints), the apostle was warning those saints and told them that they, now when the Lord was about to take them to the heavenly Promised Land, were not to act in the same stupid way as their forefathers had done. That is what he meant, when he reminded those saints about the provocation in the desert.
(The fact that those saints were time-wise close to entering that heavenly Land, is explained in the essays eg04b.htm and eg05b.htm.)
This section takes a closer look at some words in the Greek text of that epistle.
As was shown above, the apostle Paul was not talking about "a day of rest" but about a place of rest. The Greek text of Hebrew 4:9 contains the Hebraism sabbatismos which is combination of the old Hebrew verb shabath, "to rest", and the Greek suffix -mos which in this case corresponds to the English suffix -ing. So, the word-construction sabbatismos simply means "a resting" – "a rest" – the same as the word katapausis which Paul also used in that letter. And again, it is important to remember that the words sabbatismos and katapausis in Hebrews 3 and 4 refer to a place of rest, and not a day or rest. Explanation:
The sabbatismos (rest) of Hebrew 4:9 is a Rest of the kind and type that is mentioned in Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 11. Read all those verses in some translation of the more literal kind and see – all of them talk about "entering a Rest". And, as was explained earlier in this treatise, that referred to entering a Promised Land. Read even Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1 and Deuteronomy 3:20 and 12:9-10 which talk about ancient Israel entering their promised Rest (the earthly Promised Land).
In all simplicity: The "Rest" mentioned in Hebrews 4:9 is a heavenly counterpart of the earthly Promised Land.
For those who want to study the use of katapausis and katapauô in the LXX (the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), the most relevant passages in this connection are Deuteronomy 3:20, 5:33 and 12:9-10, Joshua 1:13 and 15 and 22:4 and 23:1, 1 Kings 8:56 and Psalms 94:11 (95:11). (Some of them – Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:12-14 and 22:4 – were quoted above, in English translation.)
So, the context of Hebrews 4 is that Paul was comparing the events that ancient Israel had gone through on their way to their earthly Promised Land, with the situation of the saints who were headed to a Promised Land in Heaven.
Hebrews 4:8 shows how Paul noted that when Joshua caused the Israelites to settle down in their promised "rest" (that is, in the earthly Promised Land), that event did not fulfil the ultimate, prophetic meaning of the Lord's rest on the seventh day, or the deeper symbolism of the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest. Paul noted that the true and ultimate fulfilment was yet to come. He was talking about the saints' promised Inheritance and Rest in Heaven. He referred to this matter in multiple passages in that epistle. Here are two of them – warnings that he wrote to those (Jewish) saints:
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 4:11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall [K] after the same example of unbelief. (MKJV, highlighting and note sign added)
[K] "Fall" – as was explained earlier, that refers to how the ancient Israelites "fell" (died of old age) in the wilderness, without ever making it to the Promised Land, so that only their children made it there. (See Numbers 14 and onward.)
In this verse, we can read how Paul noted that the earthly Promised Land was not the ultimate thing:
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. [L] (MKJV, highlighting and note sign added)
[L] The phrases "afterward" and "another day" in this verse will be discussed later in this essay.
Point: Joshua did bring ancient Israel to their inheritance and rest (which was the earthly Promised Land), but that was not the ultimate, better Rest (or Promise or Inheritance) which was in store for the saints. So, Paul continued:
Hebrews 4:9 So then there remains a rest to the people of God. (MKJV, highlighting added)
Again, those words do not refer to "a day of rest". As was explained earlier, the apostle was talking about a "rest" of the kind that ancient Israel entered, in and by that they settled down in the Promised Land. (See Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1, as quoted earlier.) However, the saints' "Rest" (their Inheritance and Promised Land) was of a much better kind, of the kind that Paul mentioned a bit later:
Hebrews 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (NKJV, highlighting added)
(The context of that verse was quoted earlier in this essay.)
Once again: The Rest of Hebrews 4:9 was not a day of rest. It was a "Rest" that the saints were to enter – a rest of the kind that is mentioned in Hebrews 3:11 and 18 and 4:1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 11. Read those passages in some more literal translation, along with Deuteronomy 12:9-10 and Joshua 1:15, 22:4 and 23:1.
The essays eb05b.htm and ex03c.htm have more on certain aspects of this matter. The essay eb04c.htm takes a closer look at what the Bible really has to say about the saints and Heaven. (And again, the essays eg04b.htm and eg05b.htm explain why and how those saints were time-wise close to entering that heavenly Land.)
We read:
Hebrews 4:8 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)
Exactly what "speaking" – and by whom and when – did the apostle Paul refer to? The answer is found in the previous chapter, where Paul wrote, "even as the Holy Spirit says". That obviously referred to the Holy Spirit inspiring the psalmist David.
In other words, regarding Hebrews 3:7-11 and 4:3: Paul was quoting Psalm 95. Here is Paul's quote in chapter 3, parallelly with the Psalms passage which he quoted:
| Hebrews 3:7 Because of this, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear His voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, 9 there where your fathers tempted Me, testing Me, and saw My works forty years. 10 Because of this, I was angry with that generation and said, They always go astray in heart; and they did not know My ways; 11 so I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest." (MKJV, highlighting added) | Psalms 95:7 [...] Today if you will hear His voice, 8 harden not your heart, as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the wilderness; 9 when your fathers tempted Me, tested Me, and saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they have not known My ways; 11 to whom I swore in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest. (MKJV, highlighting added) |
A note: The Byzantine Greek text of Hebrews 3:7-11 is almost word for word the same as what the Septuagint has in Psalms 95:7-11 (94:7-11). (The Septuagint, also called LXX, is an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.)
Another note: Even Hebrews 4:3 contains the words "as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest", quoted from Psalms 95:11.
So, we have an explanation for the last part of the sentence "for if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day". Again, Paul was quoting Psalms 95:7-11. Obviously, the words "then he would not afterward have spoken of another day" (Hebrews 4:8), refer to God "speaking", by through his Holy Spirit inspiring king David to write Psalm 95. That "speaking" took place "afterward" – a long time after Joshua had taken the Israelites to their promised Rest. Paul was explaining to those saints that the mention of a Rest in that psalm, and the warning there regarding some not being allowed to enter a Rest, referred to those saints' own day and age.
So, the word "afterward" in Hebrews 4:8 simply meant that Psalm 95 was written a long time after Joshua's day, and, that the warning in that psalm was actually directed to those saints. Thus, the word "today" in Hebrews 3:7, 13, 15 and 4:7 referred to those saints' own day and age. Paul was telling them that they were to heed the warning recorded in Psalm 95, "while it is still called today", Hebrews 3:13 – while the way to the heavenly Land of Promise was still open for them.
Then, still regarding Hebrews 4:8 and the phrase "spoken about another day" – again, he was citing a psalm of David – "today if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted me", Psalms 95:7-9. When Paul wrote that letter to those saints, they were close [M] to entering the Promised Land in Heaven, just as their forefathers had been close to entering the earthly Promised Land when the provocation took place. So, for those saints, the phrases "today" (Hebrews 3:7, 8, 13 and 15 and 4:7) and "another day" (Hebrews 4:8) pointed to the same thing – those saints' own time and day, their own situation.
Paul was exhorting them, and assuring them that Jesus indeed would take them to the heavenly Land which they had been promised. We read:
Hebrews 4:8 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)
Paul's point: The earthly Promised Land (which was the Rest where Joshua had taken the Israelites) was not the "ultimate" thing. The saints' promised Rest and Inheritance was the better land of Hebrews 11:16 – a Promised Land in Heaven. He urged those saints not to turn their backs on that Land, or on the Lord who was about to take them there. That is what Hebrews 4:9 and the words "so then there remains a Rest to the people of God" meant and referred to.
[M] Again, the fact that those saints indeed were time-wise close to entering that heavenly Land, is explained in the essays eg04b.htm and eg05b.htm.
Earlier in this essay, it was made clear that the Rest of Hebrews 4:9 in fact was a place of rest, a Promised Land in Heaven. But, some might nevertheless ask, "But why the mention of the Lord resting on the seventh day, Hebrews 4:4?" In a similar way, some might wonder about Hebrews 4:10.
Let us read those verses (4 and 10), in their immediate context.
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. 10 For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. (MKJV, highlighting added)
(Verse 1, "a promise being left to enter into his rest" – the HCSB makes the meaning more clear: "Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it".)
If you have read this essay with care, then you know that Hebrews 4:1-11 is not about Sabbath-keeping but about the saints entering (being taken to) a Promised Land in Heaven. But still, why the mention of the Lord resting on the seventh day? Well, let us consider, regarding that ritual rest on the seventh day: What was it all about? What did it point to, what did it symbolise, what was it a "type and shadow" of?
It is true that the Bible really does not clearly tell us what the symbolism was – but, there are enough many hints and clues and indications so that one can form the thought that the whole matter (both the Lord's ritual rest as well as the Old Covenant's weekly ritual rest) pointed to how God was planning to save mankind. Look at it this way: The saints were a "first-fruits" group. When they were saved, that was a "first-fruits" salvation, a forerunner of a salvation for mankind at large.
So much is clear.
Having noted that, let us do some speculating. (It is not wrong to speculate – that word comes from the Late Latin speculationem, nominative speculatio, which simply meant "contemplation", "observation". In other words, true and correct speculating means that one looks at the existing evidence and clues, and then considers and weighs them, in an effort to understand what it all might mean or point to.)
So again, let us do some speculating. Let us consider 2 Peter 3:8 and the words "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day". What if we put that in connection with the six plus one days of Genesis? In other words: What if the Lord's meaning with the day when he ritually rested, was to point to a future time when mankind would enter a Rest – say, after six thousand years of toil?
For, as you can see in the scripture-quotes above, it is clear that by the word "Rest", the apostle Paul referred to Promised Lands – an earthly one, and a heavenly one. And again, the salvation of the saints whom Paul wrote to, was only a "firstfruits" fulfilment of God's plan to save mankind.
Reader, can you see what this is saying? If so, then you have a possible explanation as to why Paul mentioned the ritual resting that the Lord did when he created man. But, there is one thing that is solidly clear without any need of speculation: The fact that the words "Rest" in both Hebrews 4:8 and Hebrews 4:9 refer to a Promised Land – in verse 8 an earthly land, in verse 9 a heavenly one.
(Regarding the fact that this world is still in the hands of wicked spirit forces, see the essay eew01b.htm. The essay eo01b.htm considers the matter of the Reign or Kingdom of God.)
Sabbatarian preachers have often taken Hebrews 4:9 out of its context and misapplied it, using it as "proof" for their dogmas about the Sabbath.
Here, those who have carefully read what was written earlier in this essay and have now understood that Hebrews 4:9 refers to a place of rest and not to a day of rest, might perhaps wonder, how is it then with the weekly Sabbath day?
Here, it must be noted that the purpose of this present essay is not to discuss the matter of the Sabbath. The goal of this treatise was merely to make it clear what Hebrews 4:9 with its context actually refers to. The "Sabbath question" is discussed in other essays at this site. However, perhaps it is good to consider certain things, for the purpose of sorting out another misunderstanding created by misleading bible-translations. This is because some might wonder, "Well, if Hebrews 4:9 is not about the Sabbath, what about the weekly day of rest that is mentioned in the Ten Commandments?"
Now, this might surprise some, but the facts are that the phrase "the Ten Commandments" was coined in Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. The Hebrew text talks about "the words of the covenant, the ten words" (Exodus 34:28), or simply "ten words" (Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4). That is also the origin of the word "Decalogue" – the old Greek phrase tous deka logous means "the ten words".
Wycliffe's translation (1395) did not have that invented wording "the Ten Commandments", nor did Coverdale (1535); it was introduced in 1560 in the Geneva bible.
Here are the three passages in question, as the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation has them:
Exodus 34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. (JPS-1917, highlighting added)
Deuteronomy 4:13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded [N] you to perform, even the ten words and He wrote them upon two tables of stone. (JPS-1917, note sign and highlighting added)
Deuteronomy 10:4 And He wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten words, which the LORD spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them unto me. (JPS-1917, highlighting added)
Here, it is important to understand and then remember that that phrase "the words of the covenant, the ten words" had to do with the covenant which was made at Sinai: The Old Covenant. The essay ec06f.htm has more on this.
A note: This matter must not be misunderstood in any way. In other words, it must not be used as a "license for licentiousness". Believers must understand that a much better manner of life was expected of the saints, than what the Old Covenant's rules had demanded of those who had been under it.
The essay ec08c.htm considers where one can find a "writing" for the New Covenant, comparable to the Old Covenant's tables of stone. The essay eg08b.htm takes a closer look at the word righteous, and explains what new covenantal righteousness really is. The essay ex03c.htm studies the symbolism of the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest (what it pictured and pointed to). The essay ex10d.htm considers the question whether believers should keep the Old Covenant's high days (including its the weekly, ritual rest on the seventh day). For more on the matter of the two covenants (old and new), look under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
[N] Deuteronomy 4:13 – some might wonder about the word "commanded" which the 1917 JPS version has in that verse. But, anyone who checks what really happened at Sinai, will find that the Lord was not forcing anything on the Israelites. One does not "command" anyone into a covenant. Three times, the Israelites were asked whether they wanted to make such a covenant with the Lord. It was only after they had, three times, given their consent to the covenant which the Lord was proposing, that they became bound by that covenant and its rules. Concerning the translation of that part of Deuteronomy 4:13 – the meaning probably was something like "and he showed you the covenant which he asked you to make [with him], the ten words, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone". The essay ec06f.htm sorts out the matter of the Decalogue, including Deuteronomy 4:13.
Table of contents – What's new here? – Key-word index – Search function – Goal and purpose – Contact, comment, question
If this page did not contain what you were looking for, see the links below, and the key-word index and the table of contents, or use the search function.
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
The symbolism of the Sabbath. What the Old Covenant's weekly, ritual day of rest pictured and pointed to. → ex03c.htm
Covenant signs, including the sign of the New Covenant which shows who really are God's people. The Old Covenant's sign was the circumcision of males. What is the New Covenant's sign, seal or token? → ec09b.htm
The Old Covenant's high days, those of Leviticus 23, should they be kept in New Covenant times? What about the weekly, ritual rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath? → ex10d.htm
Worshipping God. What does the Bible say about worship, when it comes to New Covenant times? Serving God is something important, for many believers. There is a custom to gather for worship services. Indeed, for many people, worship is the same as going to church or attending church. But, where does the word "worship" really come from, and what does it mean? And, what about praise and giving thanks and "offerings", and so on? In what way and when and where should believers be serving and worshipping God? → ea04c.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
The Promises spoken to Abraham, and the saints' heavenly Rest and Inheritance. 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. → eb05b.htm
Check your bible knowledge. A basic self-test with 15 biblical questions (with answers and commentary). → es04b.htm
The Ten Commandments – that phrase was coined in the Middle Ages and is a mistranslation. The Hebrew text talks about "the words of the covenant, the ten words". On the Decalogue, the "ten words" or eser dabarim as the Hebrew text has it, or tous deka logous as the Greek Septuagint or LXX translated it. → ec06f.htm
Where can one find New Covenant's law or rules, in written form? Also, notes on Jeremiah 31:33 and the Holy Spirit. → ec08c.htm
What does the word "righteous" really mean? What does the Bible say about righteousness? → eg08b.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
Some remarks on the system which regulated the timing or dates of the Old Covenant's high days. Was there an on beforehand calculated, fixed "sacred calendar", in biblical times? → ex09c.htm
Acts 15 and the matter of the covenants. → eo04d.htm
Colossians 2:16-17, "Let no man therefore judge you". What was Paul really talking about? → eo07d.htm
Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
For the other parts in the "high days" series, look under the heading "High days" on the index-page keyw-h3.htm.
For more on the matter of the two covenants (old and new), look under the heading "Covenants" on the index-page keyw-c4.htm.
Regarding the misleading translations "for ever" and "everlasting" in the Old Testament. The actual meaning of the Hebrew word olam (owlam). → eg09b.htm
Is the New Covenant a "renewal" or "modification" of the Old Covenant? → ec11c.htm
Many talk about "the letter of the law" versus "the spirit of the law" – but those expressions are not found in the Bible. A detailed, down to the core study on 2 Corinthians 3:6-8 and Romans 7:6 and what the apostle Paul really meant and referred to when he wrote about the letter as opposed to the Spirit. → ec13c.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
The New Covenant versus the Old Covenant, or the Old Covenant versus the New Covenant. Also, some notes on Matthew 5:17 and 18. → ec01c.htm
Several important points regarding the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. This essay ties in with its companion ec01c.htm (look above) which is about those two covenants and the difference between them. → ec02d.htm
Romans 6:14-15, "For you are not under law but under grace", and Romans 7:6, "We are delivered from the law". What did the apostle mean? → ec12c.htm
Many people wonder, why does God allow evil, sickness, pain, war and suffering? What is the biblical answer – does the Bible explain or clarify that matter, or in some way help one to understand it? → ew01b.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
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
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
What does the Bible say about the Pharisees? Also, why did Jesus call them vipers, snakes and actors? → eo12c.htm
Does God have a "7000-year plan"? → et09b.htm
What all should know about Christmas and the Advent period and what they really symbolise and point to. → ew05c.htm
Info on the goal and purpose of this site, and a contact address.
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