IF the sabbath was indeed still in place and to be placed upon the Church , why was that never stated in the NT Epistles, especially when the Apostles met on the gentiles getting saved question in acts?
Hebrews 3-4: Not About Sabbath-Keeping
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Acts 15 shows that the Gentiles who believed were already turning to God (repenting of their sin, transgression of God's law, the Ten Commandments) and keeping sabbath with the Jewish believers:
Act 14:15 - And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:
Exodus 20:11 - For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Act 15:15 - And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
Act 15:16 - After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Act 15:17 - That the residue of men [remnant of Jews] might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Act 15:18 - Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Act 15:19 - Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Act 15:20 - But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 - For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Where is the confusing part about Gentiles keeping sabbath in the New Covenant (Isaiah 56:1,8; John 10:16; Isiah 56:2-7 KJB), even as foretold by God in the OT? Please be specific in these texts.
Act 13:14 - But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
Act 13:27 - For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
Act 13:42 - And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Act 13:44 - And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city [Jews & Gentiles] together to hear the word of God.
Act 15:21 - For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Act 16:13 - And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Act 17:2 - And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Luk 4:16 - And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Act 18:4 - And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Before you can speak of a millennium kingdom that will be set up on earth, you must first establish in the Bible that there be a "millennium king."
If you are pointing to Revelation 20 [like most Christians have], nothing there speaks of a millennium kingdom. In fact, the word "millennium" is a symbolical number like any other numbers written in the Book of Revelation.
Matthew 24:29 reads:
IMMEDIATELY after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Note the language above is describing the collapse of the world, so where in the timeline [before or after the world is destroyed] will you put the millennium kingdom?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 reads:
16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Isaiah 65:17-18 reads:
17) For, behold, I create new heavens ans a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered,nor come into mind.
18) But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem [familiar?] a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
Revelation 21:9-10 ff:
9) "... Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10) And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven God.
Where are you going to put the holy Jerusalem, on earth? At this time the whole universe has been destroyed [2 Peter 3:10].
To God Be The Glory
Greetings, JunChosen.
I stepped away from this thread for a bit, as ReChoired's position would take some going through to fully analyze. Yours would likely be the same, but if you could, post what you interpret Revelation 20 to mean then, and I will try to take a look when I have some time. Also, if you hold to a particular amillennial position, such as that of the SDAs, let me know.
God bless,
- H
Seventh-day Adventists are not 'amillennial'. We are 'millennial (literal 1000 years) in Heaven', not earth, as scripture teaches.
I'm curious and never heard as to the SDAs position of a literal 1,000 years reign of Christ in heaven. Can you elaborate with Scripture?
Thank you
Sure, great question!
Here are the texts of Revelation 20:1-7 cited:
Revelation 20:1 - And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation 20:2 - And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:3 - And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Revelation 20:4 - And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5 - But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:6 - Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:7 - And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Please notice, that in these texts [Revelation 20:1-7], there is no where written that either Jesus, or the “saints” (or “satan” for that matter), shall “reign upon the earth” for 1,000 years, but simply says [vss. 4,6] that Jesus and the saints reigned “a thousand years”. The location of this 1,000 reign is nowhere stated to be “upon the earth” in these, or any passages of scripture [KJB]. Revelation 20:1 refers to Jesus coming “down” from Heaven but not touching the sin polluted earth, which connects to 1 Thessalonians 4:16 in its “descend from Heaven”. Revelation 20:6 speaks of the “first resurrection”, which is connected to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, in its “the dead in Christ shall rise first” and “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”, which ties into John 14:1-4. One should very carefully look for themselves. It also is very clearly written that “satan” himself was not reigning during this “thousand years”, but is “bound” and “shut … up” with a “seal” placed “upon him”.
The phrase “the day of the Lord” [Isaiah 2:12, 13:6,9, 34:8; Jeremiah 46:10; Lamentations 2:22; Ezekiel 13:5, 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1,11,31, 3:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7,8,14,18, 2:2,3; Zechariah 14:1; Malachi 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10], is a direct reference to the “thousand years” [Revelation 20:2,3,4,5,6,7, see also Isaiah 24:22, “many days”], which is the final “day”, the 7th day – the great Sabbath, of the great week “with the Lord” [2 Peter 3:8].
The second Advent of Jesus Christ, wherein the “saints” are “caught up together … in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-6] is but the beginning of the “thousand years” or “the day of the Lord”, while the third Advent of Jesus Christ [Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 20:7-10] is the ending of the “thousand years” or “the day of the Lord”, after which the finally impenitent shall be utterly destroyed in the second death, and finally the “New Heavens” and the “New Earth” are recreated [Isaiah 65:17, 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1] which the “meek shall inherit”.
Revelation 19-22, is parallel to Isaiah 24, and so also connected to Leviticus 16:1-34, 23:26-32
The location of this “reign” of Jesus and the saints, for “a thousand years” is never said to be on the plague wracked, utterly sin polluted and totally cursed and devastated “earth”, wherein even the upper heaven [atmosphere] is burned away by the second Advent [Genesis 3:17, 5:29, 8:21; Isaiah 34:4; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Revelation 6:14; 11:19, 15:1,6,8, 16:9,17-21, 18:4,8 21:9, 22:18]. So likewise for the passages of “Isaiah 2, 11, 65; Amos 9; Zechariah 14”. Read prayerfully and carefully for oneself. Where then is the “thousand year” reign of Jesus and the saints to be? It is to be in Heaven, the “third” [2 Corinthians 12:2].
Notice Isaiah 2:4 in which it speaks of, “... they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” That is the earth “made new”, wherein it is said in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” The earth is not “made new” until after the 1,000 years, not before.
Notice Isaiah 11:4-10, in which the complete destruction of the wicked takes place first (as in Revelation 20:9-10, 11-15), and then follows the statements about the New Heaven and New Earth, which comes after the 1,000 years, see Isaiah 11:9, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” See Isaiah 11:6-8 and compare to Isaiah 65:20-25, 66:22-23. See that Isaiah 66:16 and its events, the destruction of the wicked in entirety, come before those other events, which take place in the earth “made new”.
Notice Amos 9:14-15 in which the events, “... they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them.”, and of the planting and building are in the earth “made new”, after the events of the destruction of the wicked in Amos 9:8, which does not take place until after the 1,000 years as Isaiah 24 and Revelation 20 (and other places) show.
Notice Zechariah 14 carefully, and see that this is not referring to the Second Advent (the beginning of the 1,000 years), wherein the “saints” are “caught up” to “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), as also John 14:3 says, “... I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”, but refers to the Third Advent, wherein the Lord Jesus comes “down” and touches the sin polluted earth, along with the saints and New Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, as in Revelation 20, at the ending of the 1,000 years, and thus metes out judgment, executing all the wicked, and recreating the heavens and earth. See Zechariah 14:12-13,21 in connection to Revelation 20:9-10,11-15.
... to be continued ...
Sure, great question! (continued)
The “reign upon the earth” comes after 1,000 years [Revelation 20:2,3,4,5,6,7], for the “saints” must be both resurrected and/or translated, glorified, and brought back to Heaven [John 14:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17, etc] at the Second Advent and First Great Resurrection, to “reign” in Heaven, for 1,000 years [Revelation 20:4,5a,6] going over the record books of the lost [1 Corinthians 6:2,3; Psalms 149:1-9]:
[1] The “thousand years” reign “in Heaven” [Psalms 50:5; Matthew 5:3,8,10,12, 6:20, 13:30, 24:31; Mark 10:21, 13:27; Luke 6:23, 18:22, 23:43; John 14:2-3, 17:24; Colossians 1:5; Hebrews 10:34; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 7:9, 14:3, 19:1; “Paradise”, Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7] with Christ Jesus [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:6] and
[2] The “reign on earth” [“made new”, not this sin polluted Earth; 2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17, 66:22; Revelation 21:1] that lasts “forever and ever” [Revelation 5:10; “meek inherit earth” [“made new”, not this sin polluted Earth], Psalms 37:9,11,34; Proverbs 11:31; Isaiah 25:8, 65:21; Daniel 7:27; Matthew 5:5; Revelation 5:10].
As for the word "bottomless pit", as found in the GNT TR of Revelation 9:1,2,11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1, it is the Koine Greek "αβυσσου" [abussou, or abyssou], in GNT TR of Revelation 20:3, it is again "αβυσσον" [abusson, or abysson], which in the transliterated English is the word "abyss", which according to the first use in Genesis, means the "deep", being in "darkness", and "without form and void [empty of/having no life]", thus is associated with a dark chaotic wilderness/desert [water or earth], symbolic of death/no life.
In Leviticus 16:10, the scapegoat was to be “alive” and let go “into the wilderness”, bearing the sins of all upon his head, which is symbolic of the devil (the leader of the rebellion against God), being led captive (Revelation 20:1-3; “fit man” (Leviticus 16:21; right on time), the “strong man”; Psalms 19:5; Proverbs 24:5; Luke 11:22), with the sins of all he has ever tempted to commit upon him (Genesis 3:15; Psalms 7:16; Romans 16:20), and held (by chains of circumstances, God’s divine providence; Psalms 73:6; Lamentations 3:7; Ezekiel 7:23; for devils easily break iron chains, Mark 5:3-4; Luke 8:29) upon the desolate earth, the “wilderness” a “land not inhabited”, “a dry land”, a “habitation of dragons” (Isaiah 34:14; Revelation 12:9, 20:2), “a parched ground”, and “thirsty land” (Isaiah 35:7; see also Psalms 68:6; Jeremiah 4:23-29, 25:33, where was once the "fruitful place”), for 1,000 years. While the saints of God are “caught up” “to meet the Lord (Jesus)” in “the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), satan (one time “prince of the power of the air”; Ephesians 2:2) and his angels, are “bought low” (Isaiah 2:2, 25:5). Compare Zechariah 14 ; Psalms 37 also with Jeremiah 4:23-28, 25:15-38; Zephaniah 1:2-3,14-18; Isaiah 2:6-22, 11:14, 24:1-6,17-22, 34:1-17; Ezekiel 38:8.
Compare Isaiah 24:1-20 to Revelation 16:18-21, 19:11-21, ‘world destroyed’.
Compare Leviticus 16:10(a),20 to Isaiah 24:1; Revelation 20:1-2, “host of high ones ... on high”, “Devil and Satan”.
Compare Isaiah 24:21 to Revelation 19:18-19, “kings”.
Compare Leviticus 16:10(b),21-22 to Isaiah 24:22; Revelation 20:1-3, “wilderness”, “prisoners”, “pit”.
Compare Isaiah 24:22 to Revelation 20:2-3, “after many days”, “one thousand years”.
Compare Isaiah 24:18 to Revelation 20:9-10,11-15, “cometh up”.
Compare Isaiah 24:23 to Revelation 20:4, 21:2, “reign”, “Jerusalem” (above).
Compare Isaiah 24:23 to Revelation 21:23, “moon”, ”sun”.
Compare Isaiah 4:3 to Revelation 22:11,14, “Jerusalem”, “city” (above).
At the end of the antitypical day of Atonement, the sins must be cleansed from the Heavenly Sanctuary, and from the hearts of His people (already confessed and forsaken), and finally to be placed back upon the head (Leader and heart) of the instigator of all sin, Satan. Not to pay the penalty of the sins of the saints (Jesus already did that at Calvary, AD 31 Passover), but for his own sins, as Leviticus 16:10 says, ”to make an atonement with him (scapegoat)”.
https://ia904604.us.archive.org/6/i...zel - Satan - Leviticus 16 Nutshell Image.png
Yes, my apologies.
To me I tend to consider them amillennial because they don't believe in a 1,000 year reign on earth, but it's a bit of a misnomer so I shouldn't be using it.
Accepted. You agree that 'amillennial' means 'no thousand years', which generally means an allegorical approach like Catholicism's theology in its 'the church reigns now' approach, or some indefinite time of reign, correct?
Yes.
I'm very likely stepping away from the forums for awhile, but before I go, I found this and thought I would ask you if this summarizes your position on the two Chapters as well. If you have any discrepancies with him, please let me know. Though I have problems with it (too convoluted for my taste), the article is nonetheless well written and gives a surprisingly clear presentation, despite the complexities.
Hebrews 3 and 4: Does “today” replace the seventh day? | Advent Defense League
God bless, and thanks for your cordial replies.
- H
None of the website you gave is anything new or enlightening (been around since the time of DM Canright, who even refuted himself), and is most certainly biased. Did you even read the testimony of Joe Rector? It's pathetic (saddening).
Read Joe Rector's sad testimony. It starts out being blessed with truth, and then as he slowly pushes away that truth, turning away from the Holy Spirit (which caused his depression and anxiety as King Saul), he loses his position in church, his job, his family, friends, brothers and sisters in the faith, loses faith in the messenger of God, loses faith in the message of the movement and finally loses his wife (divorce). Yet as you read all that, he thinks he is on the right track. He's completely blasphemed the Holy Spirit away as King Saul did, and thus, since he no longer hears any convictions pressing, he thinks that is relief and a sign the Holy Spirit is with him. He's self-deluded.
Even if I contact him, which I will probably try to anyway, it will only prove the point I just made here. He's already grieved the Holy Spirit away. He cannot even discern that.
All he does in his testimony is recommend one heretic after another pretending they helped him. They sure did, right to the same place as DM Canright. A very sad ending to which I cry over.
I actually know Edwin M Cotto, even met him when he went through AFCOE (Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism), when I ministered there (at that time I was in the Bible School Dept).
I always recommend his site.
For your info., I just contacted Joe Rector. Let's see what Joe has to say if he responds (I will of course ask permission to share anything he (etal) responds with). If any development occurs, I will let you know.
mailmandan
Well-Known Member
SDA’s remind me of crafty lawyers who are out to win their case at all costs. Whatever it takes. Hopefully that doesn’t sound too mean. Just being honest. ;)
Heard worse. I don't expect the opponents of truth to agree with us, and may state what they will. I find that it is most often the case that we are reported for speaking truth in love (speech), and our opponents call it hate speech. It is to be expected. I don't really care about such statements, I am more interested in the damaging theology in faith and practice, which is the more serious offense or crime.
mailmandan
Well-Known Member
I’m mostly concerned about people who pervert the gospel. Salvation is not by “grace plus law, faith plus works” as SDA’s teach. Here is a statement below from a SDA from a different Christian forum site:
“The counterfeit Gospel is out there. What is the other Gospel? It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's Law (10 commandments) from the Cross. It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's 10 commandments from the plan of salvation. God’s Law has always been part of the true Gospel of Christ. The counterfeit Gospel does not have it. God's forever Law (the 10 commandments) is the foundation of both the Old and the New Covenant and the very foundation and basis of the true Gospel of Christ.“
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Seems like a good writer.
Listen, I'm just checking in for a second, but thought I would give you a response I wrote up yesterday to his/ your position on Hebrews 3 - 4. Respectfully, I think it is a forced interpretation that seeks to establish sabbath-keeping as the dominant teaching of the text, but this contention is not well-substantiated and actually foreign to the source material (the OT texts).
If I can I will respond to your answer when I get back from break, but thought I would at least share what I wrote down on it.
_________________________________
Quoting from your source (Edwin Cotto):
As in the provocation, says the spirit, “harden not your hearts.” That was the day they were to finally enter into the Promised Land. To them, that day was called “today.” Yet because they hardened their hearts and did not believe, they fell to the sword that self same day (Numbers 14:45). They never got to enter into that rest, just like the author of Hebrews explained (Hebrews 4:8 ). We are urged today, “while it is called today,” to exhort one another daily, “lest any of you be hardened though the deceitfulness of sin” – Hebrews 4:13. In other words, today is the day to meet your God, and see the reward of your redemption. Today, if you would only come to Jesus, and believe in him, not hardening your hearts, you will find rest in him, and you will live with the hope that one day you yourself will enter into that true Canaan rest, that land above, called New Jerusalem in the heavens. If only they would have believed his voice, God would have given them restful assurance that they would indeed enter, and conquer every obstacle that would stand in their way. This invitation is not extended for us.
Above he describes the promised land as "the true Canaan rest, that land above, called New Jerusalem in the heavens." In this much we essentially agree, but he then also turns the "rest" Hebrews is referring to into the "restful assurance" that we will some day attain to it, adding the following a few sentences later:
We have therefore gathered two types of rests:
– Rest #1: A rest... we receive when we accept his invitation “today” to believe in his promises.
– Rest #2: A Rest we long to enter into one day when the Lord Jesus comes to take us home, the heavens above, the New Jerusalem (John 14:2-3, Rev. 21:10), simbolized by the earthly land of Canaan.
He then introduces a third interpretation of "rest" a few sentences later; that it refers to sabbath-keeping:
Hebrews 4:4
(4) For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Suddenly we are taken back to creation week, when on the seventh day God ended all his work and “rested.” [Christ]... honored the Seventh Day Sabbath, and taught proper Sabbath keeping (Matthew 12:12)... For this very reason Paul then tell us that the Seventh day Sabbath remains. Notice his exact words: Hebrews 4:9 - There remaineth therefore a rest (greek: sabbatismos) to the people of God. The greek word translated “rest” here is “sabbatismos” meaning “sabbath-keeping.”
My first argument against this exegesis is that it is too convoluted, and turns the "rest" Hebrews is talking about into three different things simultaneously, which is not the way the NT authors wrote. They tended to drive on a single point, and make it abundantly clear through multiple proofs...
My second is that it obscures the entire teaching. This three-fold definition of what God wanted them to enter into is eventually turned into a case for sabbath-keeping, but this is illogical in light of the Old Testament. In Exodus 31, we read the following:
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”
The argument that Sabbath-breaking is somehow the primary thing that kept the Israelites from entering the promised land is foreign to the Old Testament context. Sabbath-breakers did not wander around in the desert for forty years until they perished; they died immediately. Scripture gives record of one such person who profaned the sabbath, and he was put to death right away (Numbers 15:32-36). And as for the argument that some did not keep the Sabbath "by faith", this would be irrelevant. The equation was simple: They either rested from work and lived, or worked on the 7th day and died. Doing so "by faith" made no difference in the matter.
Thus, although Sabbath-breaking led to the deaths of a few, it is not the reason why the Israelites failed to enter the promised land. According to both the Old Testament accounts and our text in Hebrews, the real reasons were two-fold:
1. Through unbelief, they provoking God in the wilderness by insinuating He was a cruel and uncaring, and
2. Some eventually rebelled against Him altogether, which led to their deaths, and not just a few here and there, but by the thousands.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the provocation.” 16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses. 17 But with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.(Hebrews 3:14-19)
The writer used "rebelled," and also the word "corpses" in the plural here. Korah's rebellion and that inspired by Balaam are what he is referring to specifically. Both groups hardened their hearts against Moses and ultimately against God. Supporting material will be provided in the next post, but the important point here is that sabbath-breaking was not what kept the Israelites from entering the promised land, and to teach that this was somehow the focus of Hebrews 3 - 4 is incorrect.
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The following passages establish that rebellion against God in the wilderness after their unbelief in the provocation is what led to the Israelites demise.
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites - Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth - became insolent, and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will have that person come near him... You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers, and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy... Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?” (Numbers 16:1-8)
The anger of the Lord also manifested in a plague that fell upon the Israelites during the rebellion of Korah. God miraculously executed judgment against him, Dathan and Abiram by opening up the earth and swallowing them alive into Hades. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed the 250 leaders who stood with Korah. This did not sit well with many, however, for those who died had been prominent men amongst the families of Israel. Thus, the scripture states:
The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said. But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, and the Lord said to Moses, “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord, and the plague has started.” So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped. (Numbers 16:41-50 NIV)
Balaam meanwhile turned God's people against Him by advising Balak to seduce them into practicing sexual immorality and idolatry so as to turn their own God against them, and this was the same strategy Simon the magician and his disciples were using to seduce New Testament believers away from God and into sin:
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following... "I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:12-14)
The original teachings of Balaam are what led the Israelites into sin in the wilderness. As it states in Numbers:
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to engage in sexual immorality with the women of Moab, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meat and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. (Numbers 25:1-3 NIV)
In context, "the Lord's anger" took the form of a plague which broke out amongst the Israelites, as the rest of the passage makes clear. It was only after Zimri and Cozbi were put to death with a spear that the plague finally ended, yet not before thousands had died:
Then an Israelite man [even] brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (Numbers 25:6-9 NIV)
These are the things the writer of Hebrews was referring to in mentioning how the Israelites "rebelled" against God and that their "corpses" fell in the desert as a result. Their sin was not in breaking the sabbath but in rejecting the God who led them out of Egypt, resulting in the deaths of many thousands.
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites - Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth - became insolent, and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will have that person come near him... You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers, and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy... Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?” (Numbers 16:1-8)
The anger of the Lord also manifested in a plague that fell upon the Israelites during the rebellion of Korah. God miraculously executed judgment against him, Dathan and Abiram by opening up the earth and swallowing them alive into Hades. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed the 250 leaders who stood with Korah. This did not sit well with many, however, for those who died had been prominent men amongst the families of Israel. Thus, the scripture states:
The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said. But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, and the Lord said to Moses, “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord, and the plague has started.” So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped. (Numbers 16:41-50 NIV)
Balaam meanwhile turned God's people against Him by advising Balak to seduce them into practicing sexual immorality and idolatry so as to turn their own God against them, and this was the same strategy Simon the magician and his disciples were using to seduce New Testament believers away from God and into sin:
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following... "I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:12-14)
The original teachings of Balaam are what led the Israelites into sin in the wilderness. As it states in Numbers:
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to engage in sexual immorality with the women of Moab, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meat and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. (Numbers 25:1-3 NIV)
In context, "the Lord's anger" took the form of a plague which broke out amongst the Israelites, as the rest of the passage makes clear. It was only after Zimri and Cozbi were put to death with a spear that the plague finally ended, yet not before thousands had died:
Then an Israelite man [even] brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000. (Numbers 25:6-9 NIV)
These are the things the writer of Hebrews was referring to in mentioning how the Israelites "rebelled" against God and that their "corpses" fell in the desert as a result. Their sin was not in breaking the sabbath but in rejecting the God who led them out of Egypt, resulting in the deaths of many thousands.
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