Agreed. This fact really should be conceded by any honest and scholarly Sabbath-keeper. Just my opinion.
Rest. Gr. sabbatismos, “a resting [from previous activity],” “a cessation [from
previous activity],” later “a Sabbathkeeping,” from the verb sabbatizos̄ , “to rest,” “to
cease,” “to keep Sabbath.” Sabbatismos appears elsewhere neither in the Bible nor in
ancient literature until the 2d and 3d centuries, with the possible exception of a single
occurrence in Plutarch Moralia 166A. Consequently, some have concluded that the writer of
Hebrews coined the word as he wrote this passage (see Moulton and Milligan,
Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament).
Sabbatismos and sabbatizō are Greek renderings of the Hebrew noun shabbath and
its related verb shabath, respectively, and the meaning of the latter may be expected to
cast light on the meaning of the former. Shabbath occurs 101 times in the OT, where it
generally means “Sabbath,”—the seventh day of the week—or “week,” a period of seven
days marked off by successive Sabbaths. It is also used of the sabbatical year (Lev. 25:6;
26:34, 43; 2 Chron. 36:21). The verb shabath occurs 70 times, 7 times with reference to
the Sabbath rest and 63 times with reference to other kinds of rest. For instances of the
latter usage see Gen. 8:22; Joshua 5:12; Neh. 6:3; Lam. 5:14; Isa. 14:4; 24:8; 33:8. The
root meaning of the verb shabath is “to cease,” “to rest.” The word sometimes denotes
the weekly Sabbath rest. But the noun shabbath, derived from shabath, commonly
denotes the weekly Sabbath rest, and also the space of time marked off by successive
Sabbaths, the week (Lev. 23:15), and the sabbatical years (ch. 26:35; etc.). It may be
noted also that shabbathon, which is simply shabbath with the ending –on, is used of the
Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:31; 23:32), of the sabbatical year (Lev. 25:4, 5), of the Feast
of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24), and of the first and last days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev.
23:39)—as well as of the seventh-day Sabbath.
Sabbatizō is used seven times in the LXX, once of the literal seventh-day Sabbath
(Ex. 16:30), once of other sabbaths (Lev. 23:32), and five times of the land’s resting in
the sabbatical year (Lev. 26:34, 35; 2 Chron. 36:21). In the LXX of Ex. 16:30; Lev.
23:32; 26:34, 35 sabbatizō is from the Hebrew shabath. Accordingly, the fundamental
idea expressed by sabbatizo in the LXX is that of resting or ceasing from labor or other
activity. Hence usage of the related Greek and Hebrew words implies that the noun
sabbatismos may denote either the literal Sabbath “rest” or simply “rest” or “cessation”
in a more general sense. Thus, a linguistic study of the word sabbatismos in Heb. 4:9
leaves it uncertain whether the weekly Sabbath “rest” is here referred to, or simply “rest”
or “cessation” in a general sense. Context alone can decide the matter.
The writer of Hebrews appears to use katapusis and sabbatismos more or less
synonymously:
1. Because Joshua could not lead Israel into spiritual “rest” (katapausis, v. 8), a
sabbatismos (v. 9) remains for Christians. Consistency seems to require that what
remains be the same as what was there to begin with. Because Joshua did not lead literal
Israel into spiritual “rest” would be no reason for the Christian to observe the Sabbath.
2. From vs. 1, 6 it is clear that what remains for the people of God in NT times is a
katapausis; in v. 9 it is said that a sabbatismos remains. To declare that what remains for
“the people of God” is the weekly Sabbath, is to declare that what Joshua failed to lead
Israel into was the weekly Sabbath.
3. The fact that in the LXX, the Bible of the NT church, katapauō (Gen. 2:2, 3); Ex.
20:11) and sabbatizō (Ex. 16:30; Lev. 23:32) are used interchangeably to denote the
seventh-day Sabbath, would tend to preclude the suggestion that the writer of Hebrews
intended to make a distinction between the noun forms of these words in Heb. 3; 4.
It may be noted, further, that the Jews of Paul’s time, whether Christian or non-
Christian, were punctilious in their observance of the fourth commandment. Certainly, in
writing to Jews, the author of Hebrews would not consider it necessary to prove to them
that Sabbathkeeping “remaineth.” If the conclusion of the extended argument beginning
with ch. 3:7 is that Sabbathkeeping remains for the people of God, it would seem that the
writer of Hebrews is guilty of a non sequitur, for the conclusion does not follow logically
from the argument. There would have been no point in so labored an effort to persuade
the Jews to do what they were already doing—observing the seventh-day Sabbath.
Furthermore, in apostolic times the seventh-day Sabbath was observed by all Christians,
Jew and Gentile alike, and any argument to prove the validity of the Sabbath in those
early Christian times would have been pointless. Furthermore, it may be observed that the
section of the book of Hebrews consisting of chs. 3 and 4 opens with an invitation to
“consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (ch. 3:1), and
closes with an earnest plea to “come boldly” before Him in order to “obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need” (ch. 4:16). What relationship a protracted argument
designed to prove that Sabbath observance remains as an obligation to the Christian
church might have to the declared theme of chs. 3 and 4—the ministry of Christ as our
great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary—is obscure indeed.
The rest here spoken of is the rest of grace. It is the true rest of faith.
We enter into God’s “rest” when we “consider” Jesus (ch. 3:1) and listen to His voice
(chs. 3:7, 15; 4:7), when we exercise faith in Him (ch. 4:2, 3), when we cease from our
own efforts to earn salvation (v. 10), when we “hold fast our profession” (v. 14), and
when we draw near to the throne of grace (v. 16). Those who would enter into this
experience must beware of “an evil heart of unbelief” (ch. 3:12), of hardening their hearts
(chs. 3:8, 15; 4:7). They must strive to enter into God’s “rest” (ch. 4:11).
Those who enter into God’s “rest” will “hold fast” their “profession” (v. 14). They
will “come boldly unto the throne of grace” to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need” (v. 16).
