Hebrews 4:4-11 prove that the Sabbath that remains for Christians is heaven, not the weekly Sabbath!

Another outline to read: The Sabbath is an Old Testament shadow or anti-type of heaven and was never intended endure past the cross.

The texts:

Hebrews 4:4-11 "For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day, "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works" ; and again in this passage, "They shall not enter My rest." [Psalm 95] Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." [Psalm 95] For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. [in Psalm 95] There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience."
Ps 95:7-11 "For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness; "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

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Actual Sabbatarian arguments based upon Hebrews 4

  1. Hebrews 4:9 "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God." This proves that we are to keep the weekly Jewish Sabbath.
  2. The Greek word for rest in Heb 4:10 (sabbatismos) is different from the Greek word for rest used in Heb 4:1,3,5,11 (katapausis) proving we must keep the weekly Sabbath still!

Sabbatarian Argument #1 refuted:

  1. There are three DIFFERENT Sabbaths mentioned in Hebrews 4. The Sabbath for Christians in this text is not the weekly Sabbath but the eternal Sabbath rest in heaven. The common expression "brother Jones crossed the Jordan last night" meaning, that Jones died and has gone into the promised land of heaven. Paul wanted to die and go be with Christ: Phil 1:21-24 The Sabbath rest in the promised land is the type of the true Sabbath rest we will experience at the second coming of Christ.
  2.  

    #1: Weekly Sabbath

    Given to Israel in Ex 16 for first time.
    "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works." Heb 4:4

     

    #2: Promised land physical rest

    Some of those wandering in the wilderness failed to enter the Sabbath rest of the promised land because of disobedience Heb 4:6
    "For if Joshua had given them rest" Heb 4:8

     

    #3: Spiritual fulfillment of land promise

    In heaven at second coming:
    God through David in Ps 95 "would not have spoken of another day after that." Heb 4:7

  3. This is the last place a Sabbatarian would ever want to go to prove that he should keep the weekly Sabbath! First in v4 God spoke of the weekly Sabbath, then he spoke of a different Sabbath. The one of Hebrews 4:10. This verse identifies that a Sabbath remains, but it is not the weekly Sabbath! Moses gave Israel the weekly Sabbath first in Ex 16. Joshua gave Israel the promised land rest.
  4. Notice that the first weekly Sabbath keeping occurred in Ex 16. It was based upon the fact that God rested on the seventh day of creation. The physical land rest when Joshua led them into Palestine was also based upon God resting on the seventh day. Only when we get to heaven, will we truly rest from our labours!
  5.  

    Heb 4:4-11 "For He has thus said somewhere concerning the seventh day,

    "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"

    and again in this passage,

    "They shall not enter My rest."

    The weekly Sabbath and the land Sabbath in Palestine were both based upon this verse

    contrasted with

    the Sabbath that remains, namely our eternal rest in heaven. The attainment of the spiritual land promised to Abraham. (click link)

     

  6. God spoke of another rest after Joshua, through David in Ps 95 "For if Joshua had given them rest (through the weekly Sabbath), He (God through David) would not have spoken of another day (eternal rest in heaven) after that."
  7. Joshua & Jesus were forerunners into the promised lands; Joshua of Palestine; Jesus of Heaven: Heb 6:11-13;19-20 full assurance of hope...inherit the promises...God made the promise to Abraham...this hope we have as ...one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us. Joshua was forerunner into physical promised land, Jesus into spiritual promise land.

3 Parallel verses

Deut 1:34-35

Ps 95:11

Heb 4:3

the LORD was angry and took an oath, saying,

Therefore I swore in My anger

As I swore in My wrath

Not one of these men, this evil generation

truly they

they

shall see the

shall not enter into

shall not enter

good land which I swore to give your fathers

My rest

My rest

It is clear that the land was a type of the rest of heaven that David spoke of which is the spiritual Antitype of the promise made to the fathers. For more information on the spiritual fulfillment of the land promise to Abraham, click here.

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Actual Sabbatarian argument #2

The Greek word for rest in Heb 4:10 (sabbatismos) is different from the Greek word for rest used in Heb 4:1,3,5,11 (katapausis) proving we must keep the weekly Sabbath still!

Sabbatarian Argument #2 refuted:

  1. The argument is that the Greek word "sabbatismos" means that there is Sabbath keeping that remains for the Christian. We totally agree and the Sabbath is the eternal rest of God. This is what the context clearly shows.
  2. Notice that the Greek word "sabbatismos" is used no where else in the Bible! Amazing that Sabbatarians would suggest that this is the word for "keeping the weekly Sabbath" when it is never used anywhere else, in spite of the many references to Jews keeping the weekly Sabbath in the New Testament!
  3. W. E. Vine, Greek Dictionary on "Rest" proves the Sabbatarian argument wrong:
A2. KATAPAUSIS (2663), in classical Greek, denotes a causing to cease or putting to rest; in the N.T., rest, repose; it is used (a) of God's rest, Acts 7:49; Heb. 3:11, 18; 4:1, 3 (twice), R.V. (1st part), "that rest" (the A.V., "rest," is ambiguous), 5, 11; (b) in a general statement, applicable to God and man, 4:10.
A4. SABBATISMOS (4520), a Sabbath-keeping, is used in Heb. 4:9, R.V., "a Sabbath rest," A.V. marg., "a keeping of a Sabbath" (akin to sabbatizoµ, to keep the Sabbath, used, e.g., in Ex. 16:30, not in the N.T.); here the Sabbath-keeping is the perpetual Sabbath rest to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law. Because this Sabbath rest is the rest of God Himself, 4:10, its full fruition is yet future, though believers now enter into it. In whatever way they enter into Divine rest, that which they enjoy is involved in an indissoluble relation with God.
B2. KATAPAUO (2664), akin to A, No. 2, used transitively, signifies to cause to cease, restrain, Acts 14:18; to cause to rest, Heb. 4:8; intransitively, to rest, Heb. 4:4, 10. See Cease, A, No. 6, Restrain.

 

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