What does rest mean in Hebrews chapter 4?
Rest in the Greek koine language in which the New Testament was written is καταπαίσίς -katapaisis in the English. This word means sabbath rest and salvation rest in our lives.
Hebrews 3:7-15. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me, tried me, and saw my works forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.” So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.”
The problem in the wilderness wanderings with the Israelites.
- They hardened their hearts.
- They rebelled against God.
- Their fathers tested God.
- They went astray in their hearts.
- They have not known God´s ways.
- They shall not enter God´s rest meaning Canaan´s land and God´s kingdom of salvation.
Hebrews 3:16. (Refers to all the who came out of Egypt). For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?
Hebrews 3:17. (Refers to all who sinned in the wilderness). Now with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
Hebrews 3:18.19. And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
From Hebrews 4:16-19 we can see that rest refers to Gods kingdom that is to be saved. Those who rebelled in the wilderness; those who sinned and whose corpses fell in the wilderness did not enter God´s kingdom. Those who did not obey because of unbelief in the wilderness did not enter God´s rest of salvation or enter the promised land Canaan.
Hebrews 4:2. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
Paul is comparing the Jews in Hebrews to those in the wilderness. They in the wilderness heard the words of the gospel but it did not profit them. They refused to hear the gospel because of the lack of faith. The rebelled, hardened their hearts, went astray and had not known God´s ways. Hebrews 3:7-11.
Therefore, Paul says in Hebrews 4:3. They shall not enter my “rest.” Rest in this text is related to God´s kingdom of salvation and entrance to Canaan’s land.
Hebrews 4:4.5. For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works;” and again in this place; “They shall not enter my rest.”
Paul in this verse compares the rest to the sabbath day of rest. When one enters the kingdom of God, salvation and Canaan´s land, one enters and keeps the sabbath day of rest given to us at the creation of this earth. Genesis 2:1-3.
Hebrews 4:6.7. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached, did not enter because of disobedience, again he designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
These verses talk about a certain day of decision, to follow the Lord and to enter his rest of salvation. Fx. Psalm 95:7.8. Today, if you will hear his voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness.”
Hebrews 4:8. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day.
This verse is talking about the day of decision and not the sabbath day only, e.g. Joshua 24:15. Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Hebrews 4:9.10. There remains therefore a rest (sabbath in the Greek here) for the people of God. For he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his.
The sabbath rest is named in the New Testament and will continue to the end of time.
In the book of Revelation 14:12. Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Revelation 12:17. The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
1 John 2:2.3. Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, “I know him,” and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
James 2:8-11. If you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well: but if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
1 John 3:4. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. (Which law is John talking about?)
Romans 7:7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” (This law is taken from the ten commandments of God in Exodus 20:17.)
Romans 3:20. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. (If there was no law like the ten commandments, then there is no knowledge of sin, and believers can live like the heathen).
Luke 23:56. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Which commandment? Exodus 20:8-10)
This verse is written after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. There are Christians who say that the sabbath and the ten commandments ceased at the cross. But here the disciples continued to observe the sabbath day as expressed in the ten commandments. If the sabbath was changed to another day, then the disciples would have kept another day. But no, they rested on the Sabbath day as stated in the ten commandments of God.
Conclusion
There is nothing in Hebrews 4: that indicates that the sabbath rest or the rest for entering the kingdom of God, the rest of salvation and entering the land of Canaan ceased at the cross.
On the other hand, the whole chapter promotes the entering of Gods rest e.g. God`s kingdom, salvation rest, Canaan´s rest and the sabbath rest outlined in the ten commandments of God.