Hebrews 4:1

The writer expressed concern in this verse that some of his readers might conclude that they had missed entering into their rest (i.e., their full spiritual inheritance). Apparently some of the original readers had doubts because the Lord had not yet returned. They expected Him to return soon after He ascended into heaven (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Later the writer urged his readers to wait patiently for the Lord to return (Hebrews 10:36-37). None of the original readers had failed to enter their rest (inheritance) because they had missed the Lord’s return.

Some people interpret this verse to mean that the readers should fear that they would not go to heaven if they proved unfaithful. This cannot be the meaning because God has promised heaven to every believer regardless of our faithfulness to Him (Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3-6; et al.).

"To equate the inheritance [only] with heaven [cf. Matthew 11:28] results in a glaring inconsistency. It would mean that believers, by entering the church, are already heirs of the kingdom. Why then are they uniformly exhorted to become heirs by faithful labor when they are already heirs?" [Note: Dillow, p. 83.]

Teaching that compares crossing the Jordan with the believer’s death has clouded divine revelation concerning the Christian’s future rest (e.g., the hymn, "I’m Just a Poor Wayfaring Stranger"). Crossing the Jordan marked the beginning of God’s testing of the new Israelite generation. He had previously tested the former generation during the wilderness wanderings. Each succeeding generation throughout the history of Israel faced its own tests. The people’s responses to these tests determined the amount of rest they experienced. Likewise the Christian’s response to his tests (whether he will trust and obey God faithfully or depart from God’s will) determines how much rest he or she will enjoy.

Another view is that rest refers to the present life of the believer who rests in the Lord: the "faith rest" life. [Note: Pentecost, pp. 80-81; Wiersbe, 2:289.] Having been saved, we enter into our rest as believers by surrendering our lives to Him and enjoying peace with God. This view seems unlikely because of how the writer equated rest and inheritance after the pattern of Old Testament usage, namely, as a future possession. Furthermore, if rest equals enjoying our spiritual blessings now, the writer should have warned his readers about losing their rest if they departed from God (Hebrews 3:12). The writer himself could have done this. Instead he warned them about failing to enter into their rest.

The writer used the term "rest" as Moses did, as an equivalent to entering into all the inheritance that God promised His people (Deuteronomy 3:18-20; Deuteronomy 12:9-11; cf. Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 3:11; Hebrews 3:18; Hebrews 4:3-5; Hebrews 4:10-11; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 6:17). For the Christian this inheritance is everything that God desires to bestow on us when we see Him. [Note: See Joe L. Wall, Going for the Gold, p. 84.] It is an eschatological rest, not a present rest. We enter into our rest after we cease from our labors in this life. We then enter into our "Sabbath rest," the rest that follows a full period of work (i.e., a lifetime; cf. Hebrews 4:9-11). I believe this is the correct view.

"An eschatological understanding of ’my rest’ in Psalms 95:11 is presupposed in Hebrews 4:1 and is fundamental to the exhortation to diligence to enter God’s rest in Hebrews 4:1-11." [Note: Lane, p. 98. Cf. Hodges, "Hebrews," p. 788.]

The readers might fail to enter their rest, in the sense of losing part of their inheritance, if they apostatized. Losing part of one’s inheritance probably involves losing the privilege of reigning with Christ in a position of significant responsibility in the future, at least (cf. Matthew 25:14-30). As it is possible to receive a greater or a lesser inheritance (reward), it is also possible to enter into more or less rest. The generation of Israelites that crossed the Jordan with Joshua only entered into partial rest in the land due to their failure to trust and obey God completely. Israel’s compromises with the Canaanites mitigated their rest. Subsequent generations of Israelites experienced the same partial rest, as the Book of Judges reveals. They apostatized, God disciplined them, they repented, and then they experienced rest until they (usually the next generation) apostatized again.

It also seems better to identify rest with our full future inheritance rather than solely with participation in the Millennium [Note: G. H. Lang, The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 73.] or with our "heavenly husband" [Note: Bruce, p, 78.] or with some other particular blessing in the future. One writer assumed this meant the right to worship before the personal presence of Yahweh. [Note: Gleason, p. 297.] God has assured all Christians of enjoying the millennial kingdom and our "heavenly husband" (i.e., Jesus Christ). The New Testament links receiving other particular blessings (crowns, rewards) with specified conditions (e.g., 1 Corinthians 9:25; Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:11).

This passage is not talking about living a peaceful life here and now either. That is not the rest that is in view. This should be clear from the context. Throughout this epistle the writer used the terms "rest" and "inheritance" as the Old Testament used them when speaking of what the Israelites in the wilderness anticipated. These terms refer to blessings that God’s people could anticipate in the next stage of their lives if they followed Him faithfully in the present stage of their lives. For the Israelites in the wilderness, this meant enjoying the peace and prosperity of the Promised Land to the full. For Christians, it means enjoying all the blessings that God has promised that faithful believers will experience in heaven.