One interpretation–many applications
In Bible Translation theory a well-known rule is that there is one interpretation but many applications. Get the interpretation and application mixed up and you are headed for trouble and Hebrews chapter 4 is no exception. Many spiritualise the promised rest that we have ahead of us saying that the interpretation is that the Sabbath-rest promised for the people of God refers to a spiritual rest that we have in Christ. Whilst that is a good application it is not the interpretation required by the historical-grammatical context. The promised Sabbath rest that we have as believers in Christ is coming very soon and it is an eschatological rest as defined by the Gospel Coalition…1
The author of Hebrews sees the Sabbath as foreshadowing the eschatological rest of the people of God. A “Sabbath rest” still awaits God’s people, and it will be fulfilled on the final day when believers rest from earthly labours. The Sabbath, then, points to the final rest of the people of God.
Israel failed the test at Kadesh-Barnea
As I mentioned context is everything and Hebrews chapter 4 is referring to when the Israelites were situated at Kadesh-Barnea on the threshold of the Promised Land some 2500 years after creation. They fell short of entering into the Promised Land because of their unbelief. This of course is talking about when the Israelites chose to believe the negative report of the 10 spies rather than the 2 positive reports by Joshua and Caleb when they had returned from their 40 day spying out the land journey. The 10 spies reported giants in the land and they did not have the faith that God could help them conquer their enemies.
They faced their ultimate test of entering into the land, the place of ultimate rest. They were at Kadesh-Barnea (holy place in the desert)—Petra or Sela as it is also known just like the picture of me above at the highest point in Petra with Israel behind me. This is another common error. Kadesh-Barnea is not located in the traditionally held Ein El-Qudeirat. All Bible maps since 1916 locate Kadesh-Barnea in the Negev region but see here for further information. Also watch this YouTube about the true location of Kadesh-Barnea and why Petra is the best choice…
The Israelites were God’s holy people in the desert but they were about to be God’s holy people in the Land, in His resting place if they passed the test. But instead of being God’s holy people on the threshold of entering in they became an unholy people who instead died on the threshold. The author tells his listeners (Hebrew Christians around AD 65-67.) that the promise of entering into God’s rest is still open for them (and likewise for us today) unlike for the former Israelites. They already had their chance and they blew it. The challenge for us in these end days is that we also are on the threshold of entering into God’s ultimate eschatological rest–the 7th day Sabbath rest. We also are God’s holy people in the desert so to speak, soon to become God’s holy people in the land during the Millennial Kingdom if we pass the test. This is not our resting place, we also are sojourners in the desert at Kadesh-Barnea so to speak on the border looking in and we are being invited to enter in. The question is will we?
When is the future rest coming?
Heb. 4:4 makes it clear that the author is equating the 7th day with a future rest. That future rest for the Jew is that time when Christ will reign for 1000 years on King David’s throne and peace will be reigning on the earth.2 But the fascinating thing is that we too, as Christians, will have rest during that very same time because the promise is that we will be reigning with Christ and be co-heirs with him.3 Where else do you think we will be? In heaven? No! Our home and mansion will be in the new city with our God and Lamb in the New Jerusalem on earth.4
It will be a great time for the earth and that will be exactly 1000 years according to Rev. 20:4. The Hebrews author declares this as being the 7th day. So if the time of rest is 1000 years or the 7th day, how many days come before the 7th day? Six days! And if the 7th day is equal to 1000 years how many years come before the 7th day? 6000 years! This passage is further proof that work on the earth will only equate to 6000 years and then the end will come.
Only some will enter into the future rest
The sad reality is that Heb. 4:6 makes it clear that just like for the former Israelites, only some will enter into that future eschatological 1000 year rest. It all comes down to belief in the gospel that is preached to us. Only some enter into the rest that God has promised. The overwhelming majority of Israelites at Kadesh-Barnea 3500 years ago chose to reject the report of the two faithful spies and preferred to turn back and would rather die in the desert than face the giants in the land. Upon leaving Egypt and up to that point at which the Israelites were tested in their faith, they had all expected to enter into the rest of the Promised Land. They had all left Egypt expecting to enter into the rest that was promised and they were all potentially saved. And that is like us too—we all expect to enter in to God’s promised rest. But we too will soon face a huge faith test. We will see giants in the land during the last seven years of tribulation before we can enter in and the challenge will be to listen to God’s voice not the voice of those who oppose. The problem is that Satan will be active–he has had 6 millennia to get better at his job. He has been refining the process of deceiving human beings.
Bible chronology and history tells us that we are only a decade or so away from the culmination of 6000 years of human history. In other words the 6 days are almost up and the 7th day is upon us. The Sabbath rest for the people of God is coming and we can almost see into the Land at the Kadesh-Barnea border.
The intense warning for us all is to make every effort to enter into the eschatological rest—the Promised Land so to speak and not to follow the example of the generation of Israelites who listened to the report of the giants. It’s going to be extremely hard because the temptation will be to listen to the bad reports and respond also with fear like the Israelites. The Israelites wanted to go back to their old life in Egypt. They didn’t believe God could take care of them and give them victory and so they didn’t enter in because of fear.5
Disobedience meant that they didn’t enter in and disobedience will also mean that many will not enter in when we are at the precipice once again—when we are at the edge of the millennial rest when Jesus is just about to come back.
What will the giants be in the future?
The giants that Israel saw in the land originated before the days of Noah and the flood. They were the so-called Nephilim due to the disturbance in the gene pool when the sons of God (angels) slept with the daughters of men.6 Evil angels and their progeny, the Nephilim, were rampant, causing chaos and the hearts of men were extremely wicked. And so it will be again as in the days of Noah. Evil spirits will be released at the half-way point and there will be a great increase in demonic activity.7 There will be false Messiahs, false miracles and much deception. It will be hard to enter in so to speak because men’s hearts will faint. Entering in will mean enduring to the end, pressing on despite the pressure to conform to Satan’s requests at the end to take the Antichrist’s mark and facing the giants, the evil demonic locusts of Revelation 9.
You can listen to this full message in Hebrews 4 here. Or better still why not listen to the whole “Pressing on to the end series” in Hebrews?
