Hebrews 4 is a continuation of the themes developed by Apostle Paul in chapter 3. He outlines three 'rests' in these 2 beautiful chapters. The first 'rest' is found in Jesus Christ, as our High Priest, when we invite him 'Today' to reign over our hearts. The second 'rest' is the one we long to have, and will only be experienced in the New Jerusalem, when He comes to takes to our heavenly home. The third 'rest' is that of the Seventh day Sabbath, which is a weekly reminder that if we live a victorious life every day of the week, that one day we will enter the heavenly rest of the true Canaan.
Some critics of the abiding obligation of the Sabbath have mistakenly understood the following 2 verses in Hebrews 4 to suggest that the Sabbath obligation has been done away with: (9) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
But in the above verses we are, in fact, enjoined to enter the very 'rest' which God had entered. This rest 'remaineth' (i.e., the weekly Sabbath) as a reminder of the rest we will one day experience with our loving Father. Ironically, the very verses in Hebrews 4 which are taken by some to mean the washing away of the Bible Sabbath obligation for the Christian are here used by Paul to remind us of the continuing obligation of the Sabbath as a weekly reminder of the heavenly 'rest' that awaits if we are faithful and obedient. Sabbath keeping as a way of experiencing the 'rest' He desire for us to have is a concept that has been lived by Christ (Luke 4:16 ), the disciples (Acts 16:13-15 ), and His followers (Luke 23:54-56 ). Sabbath keeping will also be found in the heavenly Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:23 ).
