WHAT IS GOD'S REST OF HEBREWS 3 and HEBREWS 4
?
HEBREWS 4:1-11
[1], LET US
THEREFORE FEAR, LEST, A PROMISE BEING LEFT US OF ENTERING INTO
HIS REST, ANY OF YOU SHOULD SEEM TO COME SHORT OF IT.
[2], FOR TO US WAS THE GOSPEL PREACHED, AS WELL AS TO THEM: BUT THE WORD PREACHED DID NOT PROFIT THEM, NOT BEING MIXED WITH FAITH IN THEM THAT HEARD IT.
[3], For
WE WHICH HAVE BELIEVED DO ENTER INTO REST, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into
MY REST: ALTHOUGH THE WORKS WERE FINISHED FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
[4], For he spoke in a certain place of the
SEVENTH DAY on this wise, And God did rest the
SEVENTH DAY from all his works.
5, And in this place again, If they shall enter into
MY REST.
KEY POINTS FROM THE SCRIPTURES OF HEBREWS 4:1-5 (exegesis)
- Hebrews 4:1 More warnings to fear if we do not enter into "His rest" if we fall short of it.
- Hebrews 4:2 Because unto us was the gospel preached as well us unto them but they did not believe
- Hebrews 4:3 We who believe (present tense) enter into God's rest from the foundation of the world
- Hebrews 4:4 Reference of Hebrews 4:3 is to the Gods' Sabbath rest of the "seventh day"
- Hebrews 4:4-5 God's rest is the seventh day Sabbath of creation that we enter into by faith
- Genesis 2:1-3 Links to Hebrews 4:3-4 defining God's rest as "the seventh day"
NOTE: Context in
Hebrews 4:1-5 is God's Rest from the seventh day Sabbath from the foundation of the world (v4-5) and those who enter Gods rest by and believing and following Gods Word [the gospel] who enter into God's Sabbath rest as God did on the seventh day of the week. The context here defining God’s rest/My rest/His rest is to God’s seventh day Sabbath rest created at the foundation of the world that those who believe or do not believe God's WORD do or do not enter into. The new testament writer of Hebrews is warning us that if we do not believe and follow God's Word (the gospel) and continue in sin and unbelief (
Hebrews 3:10-13; 18-19) we will never enter into God's rest (His Rest/My Rest) which is defined as the "seventh day" Sabbath rest in
Hebrews 4:1-5. There are two rests here. One is to the rest we enter into by believing and following Gods Word which is our rest and the rest we enter into by believing and following God’s Word to God’s rest which is the seventh day Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:3-5 defines God's rest by saying [3], For we which have believed do enter into rest (our rest from or the gospel rest of believing and following God's Word), as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest (God's rest): although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. [4], For he spoke in a certain place of the "
seventh day" on this wise, And God did rest the "
seventh day" from all his works. [5], And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest ("
seventh day").
[6], Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
[7], Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
[8], For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
[9]
SO THEN, IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.
[10], For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. [11], Let us labor therefore to enter that rest, [God’s REST the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH] lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief [rejecting God’s WORD and sin;
Hebrews 3].
KEY POINTS OF HEBREWS 4:9
Now notice
Hebrews 4, verse 9: “SO THEN, IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.” In verses 1, 3, 4 and 8, the Greek word for “rest” is katapausin. It means “rest.” But in verse 9, the Greek word for “rest” is sabbatismos, which is a Hebrew word—Sabbat, which means “the Sabbath”—combined with a Greek suffix—ismos, which means “
a keeping of” or “a doing of.” Put together, sabbatismo means “
a keeping of the Sabbath.” When correctly translated,
Hebrews 4:9 should read, “
There remains therefore a keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God.”
According to the Greek and scripture contexts of
Hebrews 3:7-19 and
Hebrews 4:1-9,
Hebrews 4:9 is in regards to God’s seventh day Sabbath of the 4th commandment which in the context of
Hebrews 4:1-5 which defines God’s rest/My rest/His rest (
Hebrews 3:11; 18-19;
Hebrews 4:1; 3; 5; 10) as the “seventh day” from the foundation of the world *
Hebrews 4:3-4.
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Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Hebrews 4:9 So then, it remains for the people of God to keep the Sabbath.
Lamsa Bible
Hebrews 4:9 It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath.
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For your interest, the Greek word used here for Sabbath is Sabbatismos and means a Sabbath keeping or keeping of the Sabbath or how the Sabbath is kept by resting.
GREEK INTERLINEAR
HEBREWS 4:9 άρα (Then) απολείπεται (there is left) σαββατισμός (
a Sabbath keeping) τω (to the) λαώ (people) του θεού (of God)
GREEK LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, Abbott-Smith - G4520
*† σαββατισμός, - οῦ, ὁ(< σαββατίζω,
to keep the sabbath, Exod 16:30, al.),
a keeping sabbath, a sabbath rest: metaph., as in Mishna (Zorell, s.v.), Heb 4:9.†
LIDDEL/SCOTT/JONES GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON - G4520
σαββατισμός Σαββᾰτ-ισμός, ὁ,
a keeping of days of rest, Ep. Heb 4:9, cf. Plu. 2.166a (codd., βαπτισμούς Bentley).
STRONGS Greek 4520: A keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest. From a derivative of sabbaton; a 'sabbatism', i.e. the repose of Christianity. for the τῷ (
tō) Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. people λαῷ (
laō) Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 2992: Apparently a primary word; a people of God. Θεοῦ (
Theou) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's Greek 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.
STRONGS CONCORDENCE
sabbatismos: a sabbath rest Definition:
a sabbath rest Usage (DOING):
a keeping of the Sabbath, a Sabbath rest.
GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. THAYER - G4520
G4520 — σαββατισμός σαββατισμου, ὁ (σαββατίζω
to keep the sabbath);
W. E. VINE, GREEK DICTIONARY
Sabbath rest (4520) (sabbatismos from sabbatízo =
keep the Sabbath) literally means a keeping of a sabbath or a keeping of days of rest. (Note the rest of Vines comments is not the Greek it is his opinion)
HEBREWS 4:9 [9],
SO THEN IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.
…………..
Hebrews 3:7-19 to
Hebrews 4:1-11 is warning us that if we do not believe and follow God's Word (the gospel) and we continue in sin and unbelief (
Hebrews 3:10-13; 18-19) we will never enter into God's rest (His Rest/My Rest) which is defined as the "seventh day" Sabbath rest in
Hebrews 4:1-5.
Hebrews 4:3-5 defines God's rest by saying [3], For we which have believed do enter into rest (our rest from or the gospel rest of believing and following God's Word), as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest (God's rest): although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. [4], For he spoke in a certain place of the "
seventh day" on this wise, And God did rest the "
seventh day" from all his works. [5], And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest ("seventh day"). There are two rests being described. One is our rest we receive through believing and following God's Word (the gospel) *
Matthew 11:28-30;
Hebrews 4:2-3 and God's rest *
Hebrews 3:11; 18;
Hebrews 4:1; 3; 5-6; 8-9; 10-11.
Hebrews 4:9 THEREFORE IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH. Why? Because the true seventh day Sabbath rest is a sign of God's true people who God sanctifies to keep all the commandments of God through faith in God's Word *
Exodus 31:13;
Exodus 31:17;
Ezekiel 20:12;
Ezekiel 20:20;
Revelation 12:17;
Revelation 22:14.
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SUMMARY: God's rest is the "seventh day Sabbath" of creation. Our rest is that of believing and following Gods' Word. No one enters into God's rest (defined in Hebrews as the "seventh day Sabbath") unless they believe and follow Gods' Word (the gospel rest). Of course God's 4th commandment of the 10 commandments (
Exodus 20:8-11) are a part of God's Word (the gospel) that God's people who enter into Gods rest believe and follow in Gods' Word just like Jesus did and the Apostles and prophets in Gods' Word. Everything provided here are not my words but have been taken directly from the scriptures which are God's Words not mine (exegesis). The warnings here are very clear. Those who do not believe and follow God's Word in order to continue in a life of known unrepentant sin (breaking anyone of God's commandments -
James 2:10-11) just like those in the wilderness do not enter into Gods' rest (seventh day Sabbath) and will be in danger of the judgement to come (
Hebrews 10:26-31)
Hope this is helpful.
