Letter to the Hebrews Volume 28

 The Eternal Rest for All of God the Father's Adopted Children Part 1

Hebrews 4:1 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. KJV

As we saw at the conclusion of the last Chapter, unbelief kept out an entire generation of Israelite people (who came out of Egypt with Moses) from the land of Canaan. The things they did like building the golden calf (Exodus 32:1-35) was a product of their untrust, unfaithfulness, and ultimately their unbelief. Therefore, having ourselves reminded of what happened to those Hebrews who were brought out of bondage, out of slavery in the land of Egypt, we find now the writer of the Book of Hebrews warning those Hebrew converts to remember what happened to them and fear, as it is written here, "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) (KJV). According to the outcome of many of those Hebrews that came out of Egypt, the writer now wants the Hebrews (at the time of this letter) (this also applies to us now and to every generation of professing Christians) to 'fear' and this English word is translated by the Greek word phobeō meaning (as used here) to frighten, that is, (passively) to be alarmed; be sore afraid, fear (exceedingly). Why so dramatic is the writer of Hebrews here? Answer: He is concerned for the hearers eternal destiny or eternal dwelling place. There is no coming back from death, despite what you may hear or read from the many spiritual antagonist who oppose the Bible and the One True God of the Bible our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Every soul when spend their eternity in one of two places, heaven (with Christ and by way of Christ only) or hell/lake of fire (where their is only weeping, whaling, and nashing of teeth and the worm never dies), as it is written in the 'Parable of the Net', "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:47-50) (KJV). Right now the Gospel Net is gathering in a large quantity of vessels and all appear to be converted or born again by virtue of the myriad, multiple, and many Denominational and Non-Denominational Visible Churches around the world declaring to know God and Jesus, however, all that are caught in the general call of the Gospel are not adopted sons and daughters of God the Father, some are like the Hebrews who came out of Egypt, yet their hearts/inner man/inner woman worship the golden calf (symbolic of false religion) i.e. what we declared in Volume 27 regarding the occult practitioners bringing their witchcraft into many visible churches and calling it Christianity or those who worship the universe as God or those who deny the Virgin birth of Christ or His physical bodily resurrection from the dead or the health, wealth, and prosperity hustlers/hucksters and many other falsehoods masquerading itself and themselves as Christ followers. This is why the witer of Hebrews warns them and those of every generation of coming short of God's rest in heaven by virtue of being a false convert as it is written with bluntness by our Lord Jesus Christ with these words, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:21-24) (KJV).

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of this verse, "Not with a fear of wrath and damnation; nor with a fear of diffidence and distrust of the power, grace, and goodness of God; but with a cautious fear, a godly jealousy, a careful circumspection, and watchfulness: lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest; not the land of Canaan, the type of heaven, but rather heaven itself, the ultimate glory: there is a rest of the body in the grave, from work, service, and labour, and from distempers and diseases, where it rests under the guardianship of the Spirit, until the resurrection morn; and there is a rest of the soul before the resurrection, in the arms of Christ, with whom it immediately is, upon its departure from the body; and there is a rest both of soul and body after the resurrection, from sin, from afflictions, from Satan's temptations, from unbelief, doubts, and fears, and from all enemies: and this may be called the rest of God, because He is the author and giver of it; and it will lie much in communion with Him; and besides, heaven is the place of God's rest, Isaiah 66:1 and the possession and enjoyment of the heavenly glory is often signified by an entering into it: and there is a promise of this, which is left in Christ's hands, and shall never fail; though some who have hoped for it may come short of it, or at least seem to do so: but rather a rest under the Gospel dispensation is here intended, since it is a rest believers enter into now, Hebrews 4:3 and since the Gospel Church is represented as a state of peace and rest, Isaiah 11:6 and which lies in a more clear and comfortable application of the blood and righteousness of Christ to the saints; in a freedom from a spirit of bondage to fear, and from the yoke of carnal ordinances, and in the enjoyment of Gospel privileges and ordinances; and this is God's rest, which He has provided for New Testament saints, and into which they enter by faith, and a profession of it; and the Gospel is the promise or declaration which was left among these Hebrews, and in the world, to encourage them so to do: lest any of you should seem to come short of it; either of the promise, or the rest promised; which if understood of the heavenly glory, the sense is, that though true believers shall not come short of that, yet they may 'seem' to others to do so; and therefore should be careful of their lives and conversations, that they might not seem to come short; and this they should do, for the glory of God, the honour of Christ and His Gospel, and the good of others; but if the rest, and the promise of it, intend the Gospel and its dispensation, the meaning is, that saints should be concerned so to behave, that they might not seem to fail of the doctrine of the grace of God, and to be disappointed of that rest and peace promised in it."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…