Hebrews 4:3-4 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;
As God worked on creation for six days and rested on the seventh day, so our seven day week is established on that pattern. If, as the scripture declares, with the Lord one day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years as a day, then the seven-day cycle also finds expression in a great historical “week”. As we approach the 1,000-year reign of the Messiah, this “millennium” as it is called, (described in some detail in Revelation chapter 20), is clearly understood as a time of global rest, peace, and righteousness throughout the Earth.
This “millennial” rest could never come but for its foundation in Yeshua’s cross which was established at the foundation of the world [Revelation 13:8], although it was historically accomplished about 2000 years ago. Our own regular week, itself, with its 7th day of rest gives perpetual testimony to our Lord’s provision for all mankind. This provision is both natural and spiritual; present and future.
Yeshua’s “work” on the cross was the greatest and most difficult labor in history. And He declared it finished, shortly before the Jewish Sabbath began that week, His followers hurrying to remove Him from the cross and bury Him in the tomb before Shabbat began. The Lord’s agonizing work of suffering and death has given rest to all who have believed in Him.
Your weekly day of rest serves a powerful reminder aside from being a day of delight, refreshment, and renewal. You are resting in Yeshua’s finished work, utterly incapable of laboring for your own righteousness, sins forgiven by the shedding of His blood. You also are resting in the hope of the world, the return of the Messiah to establish His peaceable kingdom of righteousness. So this weekend, leave the struggles — the labors — the toil of the week behind you – and enter into His rest, His peace. This is His good will for us who believe.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]This unique passage in Revelation has a warning and a blessing.
The first part of this verse was a warning about the suddenness of the Lord’s return as He is coming as a thief to the world not anticipating His return.
The Hebrew language contains numerous words that have the same root yet vast differences in meaning. On deeper examination however, these words can be related in illuminating ways. For example, the three Hebrew letters --"Lamed", "Chet", and "Mem"-- which spell, "lechem", or "bread" in English, are also the root letters for "fight" (lehilachem) and "war" (milchama). For centuries Rabbis have discussed and debated the connection between these three words.
When the twelve spies were sent out by Moses into the land of Canaan, ten came back with a bad report. Joshua and Caleb, however, returned with a good report, saying in essence, “If God is for us — then who can be against us?” The two courageous spies expressed their confidence in a way that was quite cool: “Do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.” [Numbers 14:9]
In Israel, the celebration of Shavuot took place yesterday. Most Christians would recognize this as the celebration of Pentecost in Acts 2. However, the very first Shavuot took place fifty days after the Israel crossed the Red Sea. It was on this day according to Jewish tradition that the law was given on tablets of stone.
An ancient Hebrew commentator wrote of this verse, "In the words of our teachers of blessed memory and in the Midrash [ancient Hebrew commentaries of the O.T.], it is taught that the 'breaker' is Elijah and 'their King' is the branch of the son of David."
In the Greek olympic games of old, a unique race was run. The winner was not the runner who finished first --- it was the runner who finished with his torch still lit!
“One that sows discord among brothers” is an abomination to God. It’s an amazing passage that is often overlooked when considering offenses which God hates.