Many Christians, when confronted with the obvious proscription concerning the guarding of the Shabbath and the seventh day of rest, respond with the safe harbor they believe exists in the Cepher Ivriym (Book of Hebrews). The Eth CEPHER stakes out an interpretation that is disparate from other interpretations, and this difference is worthy of an explanation. In Chapter 4, there are several discrepancies.
Ivriym (Hebrews) 4:1-10
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. 2 For unto us was the Besorah preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with belief in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: [Tehilliym 95:11]
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise,
And YAHUAH did rest the seventh day from all his works. [Bere’shiyth 2:2]
5 And in this place again,
If they shall enter into my rest. [Tehilliym 95:11b]
6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said,
Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. [Tehilliym 95:7]
8 For if Yahusha (the son of Nun) had given them rest, perchance another would speak again of this day. 9 There remains therefore a Shabbath for the people of YAH. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as YAHUAH did from his.
There are three things we will discuss in this passage. 1) The insets you find in this verse are quotes from the Tanakh; 2) The reference in verse 8 is to Yahusha (the son of Nun) and not to “Jesus”; 3) Verse 9 identifies a “Shabbath” for the people of YAH.
Let’s compare verse 8-9 in a couple of other translations:
KJV
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
NKJV
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
NIV
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
ESV
For if Joshua had given them rest, God[b] would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
NASB
For if [d]Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
1599 Geneva
For if [d]Jesus had given them rest, then would he not after this have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Now let’s take a look at the Greek. In verse 8, we see this:
8 ει γαρ αυτους ιησους . . . [ ei – if gar – for autos – them Iesous - ?]
It is usually a given that Iesous would be interpreted as “Jesus” – although the 1611 KJV-AV and the 1560 Geneva both used the word Iesus instead of “Jesus”. Why, then, would the NKJV, NIV, ESV, and the NASB use the word Joshua?
In the Septuagint (the Greek translations of scriptures from the second century BC) translates the name of Joshua as Ιησοῦς – Iesous. See the Book of Joshua, 1:10, Septuagint online. https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=6
We can see that virtually all modern translators in the 20th Century concluded that the Greek word found in the Stephanus Textus Receptus in Hebrews 4:8 - Ιησοῦς (Iesous) must be properly translated as Joshua (for reasons we will soon understand).
Now, let’s jump into bold print here: If all of these translators understood that the name Ιησοῦς was properly translated as Joshua, then why wouldn’t they translate all occurrences of Ιησοῦς as Joshua, and if they were concerned with the true name of MASHIACH, why wouldn’t they look to the Hebrew name of Joshua (יהושע) and determine that his birth name was actually YAHUSHA?
So, how did they know that this was properly “Joshua” and not “Jesus”? It has to do with the fact that the Cepher Yahusha (Book of Joshua) does not include the word Shabbath anywhere in it. Why not? Take a look at this passage:
Yahusha (Joshua) 1:12-15
And to the Re’uveniym, and to the Gadiym, and to half the tribe of Menashsheh, spoke Yahusha, saying, 13 Remember את eth-the word which Mosheh the servant of YAHUAH commanded you, saying, YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM has given you rest, and has given you את eth-this land. 14 Your women, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Mosheh gave you on this side of the Yardan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them; 15 Until YAHUAH have given your brethren rest, as he has given you, and they also have possessed את eth-the land which YAHUAH ELOHAYKEM gives them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Mosheh YAHUAH’S servant gave you on this side of the Yardan toward the sunrising.
Yahusha – at his own determination – elected to deprive the tribes of Yashar’el of the Shabbath until such a time that they conquered all of the Adamah Qodesh (“Holy Land”).
Ivriym (Hebrews) 4:8
For if Yahusha (the son of Nun) had given them rest, perchance another would speak again of this day.
At no point did HA’MASHIACH take away the Sabbath rest. All of the later translators would so conclude. Part of that which warranted such a conclusion, includes a correct interpretation of the next verse, Verse 9:
There remains therefore a Shabbath for the people of YAH.
The word found here that is interpreted as Shabbath is σαββατισμός sabbatismós. Thayer’s Lexicon tells us sabbatismos means first of all to keep the Sabbath. It is also construed as a keeping sabbath, or the blessed rest from toils and troubles, i.e., a sabbath rest.
There remains therefore a keeping sabbath for the people of YAH.
There remains therefore a blessed rest from toils and troubles, a sabbath rest, for the people of YAH.
Interesting how this passage can explain so much.