dominicus dies, velut octavus aeternus, qui Christi resurrectione sacratus est, aeternam non solum spiritus verum etiam corporis requiem praefigurans. Ibi vacabimus et videbimus; videbimus et amabimus; amabimus et laudabimus. Ecce quod erit in fine sine fine. Nam quis alius noster est finis nisi pervenire ad regnum cujus nullus est finis?
The remarks of the Greek fathers are less suggestive: sabbatismo;n wjnovmase th;n tw'n swmatikw'n e[rgwn ajpallaghvn (Theodoret). And Chrysostom: w{sper ga;r ejn tw'/ sabbavtw/ pavntwn me;n tw'n ponhrw'n ajpevcesqai keleuvei, ejkei'na de; movna givnesqai ta; pro;" latreivan tou' qeou', a{per oiJ iJerei'" ejpetevloun, kai; o{sa yuch;n wjfelei' kai; mhde;n e{teron, ou{tw kai; tovte .
The Jewish teachers dwelt much upon the symbolical meaning of the Sabbath as prefiguring the world to come. One passage quoted by Schoettgen and others may be given: The people of Israel said: Lord of the whole world, shew us the world to come. God, blessed be He, answered: Such a pattern is the Sabbath ( Jalk. Rub. p. 95, 4). In this connexion the double ground which is given for the observance of the Sabbath, the rest of God (Ex. 20:11) and the deliverance from Egypt (Deut. 5:15), finds its spiritual confirmation. The final rest of man answers to the idea of Creation realised after the Fall by Redemption. Comp. Schoettgen ad loc. and on Heb. 4:3. tw'/ law'/ tou' qeou' ] Heb. 11:25. Comp. 1 Pet. 2:10 ( lao;" qeou' ). The phrase often occurs by implication (Rom. 9:25 f.; 11:1 f. & c.). Comp. Gal. 6:16 ( ejpi; to;n jIsrah;l tou' qeou' ); and contrast Heb. 2:17 ( tou' laou' ); 13:12 (note); Apoc. 18:4. Israel was the type of the divine commonwealth. Sabbatismus non paucis reservatur sed populo , id est magnae multitudini; nec tamen cuilibet populo, sed populo Dei (Herv.).
10. oJ ga;r eij" .] for he that is entered ( enters ), whoever has once entered, into His rest , the rest of God (Heb. 3:18; 4:1)... The general statement gives the reason for the remarkable title which has been now given to the rest ( sabbatismov" ) by reference to v. 4.
The words may also be understood (though this seems to be less likely) as unfolding the nature of the promised rest.
The form of construction (
eijselqwvn, katevpausen
) marks the perfectness of the issue. The entrance and the rest are coincident and complete. Comp. Matt. 25:21, 23.
kat. ajpo; tw'n e[rgwn
] Comp. Apoc. 14:13.
w{sper ajpo; tw'n ijdivwn oJ q.
]
as God did from His own
works, from the works which, as far as man can conceive, correspond with His Nature, and which are spoken of as works, though wrought without toil. Comp. 1 Cor. 3:8
kata; to;n i[dion kovpon
.
( b ) The responsibility of such as have received the promise of the rest of God (Heb. 4:11-13).
4:11-13. Since the promise remains for Christians they must also heed the warning (v. 11). The Gospel must be received with a devotion which answers to the character of the Power by which it is offered (vv. 12, 13).
11 Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no one fall after the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and quick to judge the feelings and thoughts of the heart. 13 And there is no creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and laid open to the eyes of Him