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Hebrews 4:1. Therefore, let us beware lest, while the promise of entering His rest remains, any of you may be found to be late. “Let us be afraid, lest when I leave the promise to bring Him into His rest, someone who has been deprived of you will appear.” David, says the Apostle, told us that there is another rest. Therefore, let us try to be worthy of it, so as not to suffer something similar to what the Jews suffered. Hebrews 4:2. For it was announced to us as well as to those; but the word they heard did not benefit them, not being mixed with the faith of those who heard it. “For the gospel was preached to us, even as it was not; but the word of hearing was not mixed with the faith of those who heard.” Hearing words is not enough for salvation; for this must be accepted with faith and firmly preserved. What benefit did God’s promise bring to those who accepted it, but did not accept it with faith, did not rely on God’s power, and were not as if they were lost in God’s words? Hebrews 4:3. And we who believe enter into rest, since He said: “I swore in My wrath that they should not enter My rest,” although His works were accomplished at the beginning of the world. Hebrews 4:4. For nowhere is it said about the seventh day like this: and God rested on the seventh day from all His work. “For we who believe enter into rest, just as it was said: Because you swore in My wrath, if they entered into My rest.” The Apostle intends to show three rests named in the Divine Scripture: the first is the seventh day, on which God completed creation, the second is the Promised Land, and the third is the Kingdom of Heaven. He tries to show this from prophetic testimony, for he says: “If in reality there is no other rest, then why does God command those who have accepted the second rest not to harden their hearts and threaten with punishment, and give a reminder to those who have neglected the second rest?” The Apostle lists them in order and begins from the first to the seventh day. “Also in deed from the creation of the world that was.” “There is nowhere to speak about the seventh day: and God rest on the seventh day from all His works.” What the divine David says about this rest, this, says the Apostle, is obvious to everyone, because this happened many generations before David, since on the seventh day the God of all created creation. Hebrews 4:5. And here again: “they will not enter My rest.” “And this again: if they enter into My rest.” However, the Prophet, knowing this clearly, nevertheless proclaims a different peace. Hebrews 4:6. So, how does it remain for some to enter into it, but those to whom it was first announced did not enter into it because of disobedience? Hebrews 4:7. This also defines a certain day, “today,” speaking through David, after such a long time, as it is said above: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” “Before there was no one to enter into it, and to whom the gospel was first preached, not having been given in for disobedience”: “again, a certain one ordained the day, this day, saying in David, according to the number of years, as it was said before: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in anger.” Then, teaching that the Prophet does not say this about Palestine, the Apostle concludes: Hebrews 4:8. For if Joshua had given them rest, no other day would have been spoken of after that. “If Jesus had given them rest, he would not have spoken of them to this day.” It is not about this land, says the Apostle, that the Prophet spoke, because Joshua led them into this land, and the divine David was also in it when he proclaimed this peace. Then the Apostle continues his conclusion. Hebrews 4:9. Therefore there still remains a Sabbath for the people of God. “For the Sabbath has been abandoned to the people of God.” This should be read not as a question, but as a positive speech. The Apostle called “Sabbath” rest from work, because “on the seventh day God rested from all His works” (Gen. 2:2), which He had done; in the coming century there will be a carefree life, free from labor and worries. Therefore, the Apostle called “Sabbathism” liberation from bodily affairs. The following words also make it clear. Hebrews 4:10. For whoever entered into His rest also rested from his own works, just as God did from His. “For he who entered into His rest, also rested from his works, as from his own” God. Just as the God of all, having completed all creation on the sixth day, rested on the seventh day from the affairs of the universe, so those who departed from this life and entered the next life will be freed from real labor. And the law commanded the Jews to abstain from bodily affairs on the Sabbath, and to take care only of souls. Then the Apostle continues his speech in the form of advice. Hebrews 4:11. So let us try to enter into this rest, so that no one, following the same example, falls into disobedience. “Let us strive to enter into this peace, lest anyone fall into the same parable of rebellion.” Whoever lives in laziness and does not desire to enjoy the promised blessings will be subject to the same accusations as the rebellious Jews. After this, the Apostle points to the awe-inspiring judgment seat. Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword: it pierces to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:13. And there is no creature hidden from Him, but everything is naked and open before His eyes: to Him we will give an account. “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, members and brains, and is judgmental by the mind and thought of the heart.” “And there is no creature revealed before Him, but all naked and declared before His eyes,” a word to Him. No one can hide from this impartial Judge; He knows everything exactly, even the movements of the thoughts themselves. He knows what is done in the dark, he knows what is planned in secret; The evil councils of the soul are not hidden from Him, the hidden things are laid bare before Him. The expression: “everything is declared” (τετραχηλισμέvα - prepared for striking the larynx) “before His eyes”, is used in a figurative sense and is taken from animals slaughtered as a sacrifice, which lie completely silent, because by slaughter life is taken away, and with life the voice. So we, who are judged, says the Apostle, will see everything that we have done wickedly or lawlessly, and we will silently accept the sentence and punishment, as those who know the truthfulness of it. The divine Apostle wrote this not only to the Jews, but to all of us. Therefore, we must constantly have this Divine judgment seat before our eyes, be horrified and tremble at it, carefully preserve the Divine commandments and wait for the promised peace, which we will be worthy of in Christ. To him with the Father, with the All-Holy Spirit, be glory and splendor now and always and unto the ages of ages! Amen. Hebrews 4:14. Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. “Since the Hierarchy is great, having passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the confession.” In what was previously explained, the Apostle makes a comparison of both and showed that the promised rest for us is better than the promised rest for the Jews. For God promised them the promised land, and heaven to us. And now he begins to compare the high priesthood and shows that the Levitical high priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek is much higher and better. He makes a comparison, again using an admonishing image of speech, so that it does not seem to those who love living according to the law that he is rebelling against the law and not defending the truth. He named the Lord Jesus Bishop, as having made a sacrifice for us and having taken upon Himself the sin of the world. That is why the Lord himself is called the Lamb; for it is said: “Behold, Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). But even for those who like to argue, it is clear that these are human names. If others accepted them as names of the Divine, then let them call Him “a curse” (Gal. 3:13), “and the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7), and everything like that. And if none of these names is characteristic of God’s nature, then it remains to understand them as names according to the Economy. For as it is said that he became a man, having assumed human nature, so he is called our Bishop, since He is a man. The apostolic sayings also teach us this. For the Apostle shows that Christ passed through the “heavens”; the Divinity of the Lord Christ has an indescribable nature. It is everywhere and inherent in everyone. The Master Himself taught us this, for he says: “No one ascends into heaven, except the Son of man who came down from heaven, who is in heaven” (John 3:13). So, when he was down and talking with people, he said that He and grief. Therefore, it would behoove us to know that other names belong to theology and others to the doctrine of the Economy. And the divine Apostle, having shown us that our great Bishop was the first to enter into true peace and became above heaven, commands us to hold to the confession, but he called our faith “for we confess that we believe “not only” in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. to the resurrection of the dead, and to eternal life, and to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hebrews 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. “For the Hierarchy is not an imam, unable to suffer with our weaknesses, but tempted in every way in the likeness, perhaps of sin.” The believers were subjected to many troubles and temptations at that time. Therefore, the Apostle consoles them, teaching that our Bishop not only, like God, knows the weakness of our nature, but also, like a man, has experienced our suffering, being innocent of sin alone. Knowing, says the Apostle, this weakness of ours, He gives help corresponding to it, and when He judges us, He will also pronounce a sentence according to this weakness. Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in time of need.” The Lord Christ, as God, by nature has royal dignity, an eternal throne, for it is said: “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Ps. 44:7), and as a man, “both the saint and messenger of our confession” hears: “Sit at my right hand” (Ps. 109:1). The Apostle called this divine throne “the throne of grace.” I think which also implies love for mankind, with which Christ will judge. For he also added this: “let us receive mercy and grace in time of need”; because, approaching Him in this life and demonstrating pure and sincere faith, on the day of Judgment we will receive love for mankind. Then the Apostle declares the reason for the priesthood, why others are worthy of it, and what is appropriate for a bishop. You might be interested in: