What is God’s “Rest” to Which He Invites Us? Hebrews 3–4 John Hepp, Jr This paper deals with a difficult subject in a difficult book. It includes some notes by Stanley D. Toussaint, as I revised them for a study course on the Book of Hebrews (see www.kingdominbible.com). Unless otherwise indi- cated, Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB). In that version words in all-capital letters are quoted by one Bible book from another. The words the LORD substitute for God’s name. KJV means King James Version. Distinguish “Hebrews” (the New Testament book, written in Greek) from “Hebrew” (the main Old Testament language). On the first Sabbath God joyfully rested after completing a marvelous creation (Gen. 1:31; 2:3). He separated His day of rest from the other days. Later He invited human beings to join Him in His rest! One evidence of such an invitation is what He said in Psalm 95:11. This is repeatedly quoted—in whole or in part—in Hebrews 3:11; 4:3; and 4:5: “AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” This quotation is the main basis of the argument in Hebrews 3:7 to 4:13. Notice the bolded words, which give the correct sense of the originals in the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Book of Psalms. The original words are literally “if they shall enter my rest” (as the KJV mis- takenly translates them in 4:3 and 4:5). But in this case the if-clause does not express doubt but certainty. It is a divine oath.1 By thus vowing that some would not enter His rest, God made it evident that others will indeed enter it (Heb. 4:6). Therefore, Psalm 95 in effect gives an invita- tion to enter God’s rest. Such a privilege must be great, but what does it mean? This paper offers a meaning that is consistent throughout the Hebrews passage. Along with each explana- tion below, read the Scripture it refers to. The Context in Hebrews for God’s Invitation To properly understand this invitation, it will help to see the train of thought in the Book of Hebrews. Hebrews begins with a Prologue (1:1–4), which (a) states the theme of the book— “God has spoken…in His Son”—and (b) magnifies God’s Son in seven short statements. Read that Prologue. 1 Psalm 95:11 was written in the Hebrew language. The Book of Hebrews quotes that verse in Greek, each time using the same words. KJV translates those words two different ways: (a) In Hebrews 4:3, 5 it correctly says, “they shall not enter.” (b) In 3:11 it translates the same words “if they shall enter.” The latter translation is literal but misleading, because the “if” clause for an oath does not express doubt but strong certainty. The same idiom is used in Genesis 21:23, which literally begins, “swear…if you will deal falsely.” NASB correctly translates, “swear …that you will not deal falsely.” Similarly, Numbers 14:23 literally begins, “if they shall see”; but NASB cor- rectly translates, “[they] shall by no means see.” (In both passages KJV is equivalent to NASB.) In this idiom the Hebrew “if” implies a missing clause calling for judgment on the one who swears. That clause is occasionally given, as in Ruth 1:17: “Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” (See also 1 Sam. 3, where v. 17 expresses that other clause but v. 14 does not.) When that clause is not given, as in Psalm 95:11 and Hebrews 4, the if-clause should not be translated as a condition. God’s Rest in Hebrews 3–4 2 The last verse of the Prologue (v. 4) also makes a bridge to the main body of the book. That body consists of two main divisions (I and II below): I. The Superiority of the Son, 1:4 to 10:18 A. Superior to the angels, 1:4 to 2:18 B. Superior to Moses, 3:1 to 4:13 C. Superior to Aaron, 4:14 to 10:18 II. Our Response, Persevering Faith, 10:19 to 13:17 The first main division of Hebrews consists of three sections that compare Jesus to outstand- ing agents of the old covenant. In each case He is shown to be superior (1) in His person and (2) in His work. After each comparison has started, there is a warning to the readers. Consider, for example, section I.A. This shows that Jesus is superior to the angels in His person (1:4–14) and in His work (2:5–18). In the middle of this comparison is the first warning (2:1–4). Section I.A begins by proving Jesus’ personal superiority to the angels. It does so by quoting seven passages from the Old Testament. Before the first quotation and the last quotation, it asks the same question: “To which of the angels did He ever say?” (1:5, 13). The quotations show His following superiorities in person: • God has made Him His Son (1:4–6, that is, His Heir, as clearly seen in Ps. 2:7, 8; cf. Rom. 8:17) and His Firstborn (that is, chief of many heirs, 1:6). • God has promised Him an eternal kingdom (briefly described in 1:8–12)—for which He is now waiting at God’s right hand (1:13). • When He again comes to the world, all angels will worship Him (1:6). Unlike the Son, angels have no fixed condition nor inheritance (1:7). Their work is on behalf of those who will be the Son’s “companions” (that is, co-heirs, 1:9) in His coming kingdom. Angels are “sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation” (1:14) in that kingdom. That is the future and fullest aspect of salvation. Now, read Hebrews 1:4–14, noticing the points just mentioned. Next follows the book’s first warning (2:1–4). Note its position as seen in Chart 1, then read it. Chart 1 Section I.A: Jesus is Superior to the Angels, Hebrews 1:4 to 2:18 Superior in His person First Warning of Hebrews Superior in His work 1:4–14 2:1–4 2:5–18 The Danger of Drifting (He is Royal Heir—to rule.) (By neglect we can miss (He leads “many sons” to salvation.) glory in the“world to come.”) Among its elements this first warning includes the following: • It begins with the words “for this reason” (2:1), looking back to Jesus’ personal superior- ity to the angels (1:4–14). • It continues with a “much more” argument: If disobeying the angels brought calamity, how much more will disobeying the Son bring calamity! God’s Rest in Hebrews 3–4 3 • It comes to an immediate conclusion—what we should do: “we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away” (2:1). This warning, like the entire book, is written to people who have heard God’s message through the Son but are in danger of drifting away from Him (2:1, 3). If they drift away, they will miss the “salvation” He announced (2:3). What salvation is that? There is no need to guess. The author himself identifies it as “the world to come, concerning which we are speaking” (2:5). “The world to come” will be the coming kingdom in which the Son will rule with His “companions” (1:9). Then salvation will be full and complete, not partial and incomplete as it is now. Thus, the “salvation” of 2:3 means the same future salvation as in 1:14.2 In fact, “the world to come” is an essential point of 2:5–18, which shows the superiority of the Son’s work. That section begins by proving that dominion in “the world to come” is not for angels but for men (2:5–9). It proves it by quoting (in vv. 6–8) Psalm 8 to show that man is destined to be “crowned” with the “glory” of ruling over “all things” in God’s creation. “Not yet” has that happened (v. 8); only one man, Jesus, has so far attained such glory (v. 9). He attained it after suffering and death, which capacitated Him to lead “many sons” to the same glory in the future kingdom (2:10). Leading us to that glory is the Son’s superior work. Other passages in New Testament books also point to that future world—Messiah’s coming kingdom—as our goal.3 Missing that kingdom would be a great loss indeed! Read Hebrews 2:5–18, observing what we have just pointed out. Now let us move from the first section and warning of Hebrews to the second section (3:1 to 4:13; see I.B in the outline given earlier.). This section compares the Son to Moses, in His per- son (3:1–6) and in His work (4:1–13). Between those two parts is the second warning, which includes God’s vow about His rest (see Chart 2). Read 3:1–6, which shows how the Son is superior in His person to Moses. You will notice that both are faithful to God. The Son, how- ever, is (a) over (not “in”) the house He built, (b) “Son” (not “servant”), and (c) the fulfiller of Moses’ ministry.