Hebrews 4:9
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“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God.”
What is the “rest” referred to here that “remains…to the people of God”? The answer becomes the plain New Testament command for God’s people to continue Sabbath observance instead of falling into the popular tradition of Sunday-keeping.
The Greek word rendered here as “rest” is incorrectly translated. It is confused with the other “rest” found in Hebrews 3:11; 4:1, 3, 4 and 8, which derives from a different word. In these other verses, the word translated “rest” is katapausis, which literally means to “rest”—as in the millennial rest!
In Heb 4:9, however, the original word is actually Hebrew, with a Greek suffix attached! The Hebrew word is sabbat, and it can only mean the Hebrew Sabbath! The Greeks had no equivalent word, so the fact that Paul used the Hebrew could only have been for the purpose of referring to the seventh-day Sabbath. Paul added ismos (a Greek suffix) to sabbat (forming the word Sabbatismos) because ismos means “a keeping of” or “a doing of.”
Grasp this! What has been demonstrated here is plain instruction that God’s people today must still keep His Sabbath—“There remains therefore a keeping of the Sabbath for the people of God.” The marginal rendering states this directly.
This scripture is a clear New Testament command to Christians that they must keep the weekly Sabbath rest now, in order to enter the millennial rest later! The context reveals that this is something that Israel had always been unwilling to continue. Paul warns Christians to carefully avoid Israel’s pattern of departing from God’s Law and obedience to His Sabbath command! Suggested reading:
• Saturday or Sunday – Which Is the Sabbath?
• The Sabbath – Has Time Been Lost?
• How to Make the Sabbath a Delight