The rest of God

The scriptural expression "the rest of God" parallels in meaning the feast of Tabernacles. The concept of the rest of God is that God created all things in six days and then He rested. Since that time the events of history have been following God’s rest and will continue until the descent to earth of the new Jerusalem. All things were finished at the time of the creation of the world.

What this means to you and me is that our life and our position in the Kingdom of God were mapped out at the time God created the heavens and the earth. Our task now is to enter God’s rest so our predetermined life and position can be achieved. This is the goal that has been set before us.

This does not mean we are to passively sit back and wait for it to happen. It requires the most intense consecration if we are to grasp that for which we have been grasped. We have to labor to enter the rest of God.

The Book of Hebrews is one long exhortation to experienced Jewish Christians to enter the rest of God, that is, into the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament feast of Tabernacles. These Hebrews Christians had been saved and filled with the Spirit. They had suffered persecution in that their property had been confiscated. But now, having been saved and filled with the Spirit of God, they were not pressing into the rest of God, into that place in God where His perfect will was being wrought in their life.

The Apostle warns them that they will not escape if they ignore their salvation by not pressing past the rudimentary principles of the Kingdom. They will not be a partaker of Christ if they do not keep pressing forward toward the land of promise, which is the rest of God.

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (Hebrews 3:18)

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:10)

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