QUESTIONS FROM A VIEWER ABOUT SABBATISMOS IN HEBREWS 4:9 - Part 2

Dante Gabuya: 

"I have read your answers to find some clarification but I see more confusion than enlightenment." 

Answer:

I’m not surprised, why you became more confused than enlightened. I really expect that you will say that. Of course, because you still hold to your long-cherished Adventist biases and traditions as simple as that! Besides, you are only motivated to defend your church at all costs. I understand where you stand. As you already knew, I used to be a staunch defender of SDA church for many years, also armed with long-cherished Adventist biases and traditions, until one day I decided to challenge my own biases and tried to get out of the box. There is nothing wrong with biases per se. Everyone has their own biases. But as a bit of friendly advice, try to challenge your biases to test their strength and weakness. It will help you to confirm the reliability of your belief.

Dante Gabuya:

"Though I see some significant points but your line of reasoning is contradicting; This is an example: Second paragraph response to question no. 1 you said: “The use of this “Sabbath-Rest” of grace was intended by God since creation to eternity (the reason why no “evening-morning” formula). But when sin entered the scene THIS PERFECT “SABBATH-REST” WAS LOST.” Last paragraph response to question no. 7 “Therefore, the REST OF GRACE since creation (Heb. 4:3-6) DIDN’T LOST. It was the sinners like you and me that was lost.“

Answer:

The truth of the matter is, there is no real contradiction here.  I'm sure that you only misunderstood the context of my statements. So please let me explain further. Notice that I enclosed the word “sabbath-rest” in quotation marks. I'm sure you are aware that quotation marks have many uses.  One of its important use is to “imply alternate meaning”[i]

My use of quotation marks with “sabbath-rest” is to imply an alternate meaning, i.e., the “perfect rest-fellowship that exists once in the Garden of Eden between God and men before sin entered in.” It was, therefore,  the "perfect fellowship rest" that was lost that time in Eden, not the actual “rest of God” itself that was lost. God’s rest is contingent on the nature of God’s eternity itself, not with His created beings. The reason why this “sabbath-rest/sabbatismos” still remains as a fulfillment of the Jewish weekly Sabbath, which is temporary. 

Yes, the rest of grace (sabbath-rest) was never lost since the time of creation. What was lost is the perfect rest-fellowship that exists once in the Garden of Eden between God and men before sin entered the scene. Dale Ratzlaff notes:

"God’s work of creation was completed. Adam and Eve had not yet sinned, so the open fellowship and communion which characterized that first seventh-day rest continued. Therefore, we may conclude that the conditions and characteristics of that first seventh day were designed by God to continue and would have continued had it not been for the sin of Adam and Eve. It was not God’s design or intent that the open, face-to-face communion with man should come to an end. It was not His design that the ground is cursed. No, it was the entrance of sin which interrupted Eden’s perfection... Could this be the reason why the Genesis record omits “and there was evening, and there was morning, a seventh-day”? This does not deny that the first seventh day had an evening and a morning, nor does it deny there was another day that followed the first seventh day. However, the essence of creation’s seventh-day and the conditions that existed on that seventh day were intended to remain. " [ii]

Even the challenge, still remains, to show even a single verse in the New Testament that commands Christians to commemorate these “sabbath-rest/sabbatismos” by keeping the weekly Sabbath in the New Testament. But SDA's remains silent even today. You will never find a verse, even one, that supports this cherished theory. It only exists within the imagination of the SDA who wants to impose it under the authority of Ellen White and the General Conference governing body of the SDA church. It is based merely on tradition not the Word of God. I hope I made myself clear at this point.

David Gabuya:

My question on the why past forms of verbs were used (sanctified, blessed, rested) was not addressed substantially. Here is your answer: First paragraph response to question no.1 you said: ‘The use of verbs in past tense REFERS TO THE CREATIVE ACTIVITY of God in the DURING the 6 days of creation, so He ceased or desisted from His work.” Does this statement tell us that the use of SANCTIFIED, BLESSED AND RESTED past verbs referred to the CREATIVE ACTIVITY of God? Did he rest by doing a creative activity? Where in the Bible is that?

Answer:

Definitely yes! The use of past verbs, sanctified, blessed, and rested refers to God's creative activity that happened on the first seventh-day in the garden of Eden. But it's more than what you think. The nature of God's rest during that first seventh-day did not merely describe His act of ceasing the work of creation. It's more than that. Exodus 31:17 says more:

"It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed. ’” Exodus 31:17 (NIV)

Dale Ratzlaff comments,

"God does not get physically tired and needs rest as we do at the end of a day of work. Rather, God’s seventh day-creation rest more likely relates to His enjoyment of His finished creation. He stepped back to view the world in its primeval beauty, which He characterized as “very good.” What could be more refreshing and restful than for God to be in fellowship with His “very good” creation? " [iii]

Ratzlaff continues,

"What does the Genesis account mean when it says God “sanctified” the seventh day? The basic meaning of sanctify is to set it apart as sacred. In this respect, then, God was setting apart the

seventh day from the first six days for a special purpose. “God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested” (Gen. 2:3). This day was set apart from the first six days because it was the first day after creation was completed. It was a time to celebrate and enjoy the work of His hands. It was a time for fellowship and communion between the Creator and created life. Truly, the conditions of that day were sanctified and blessed."

William Hohmann notes,

"God indeed entered into rest on the seventh day of creation. It should further be noted that it was THAT particular seventh day that was blessed and sanctified. There is no internal evidence to suggest God blessed and sanctified EVERY seventh day, or that Adam and Eve entered into this rest or were even commanded to do so. Again, nothing in the narrative indicates God rested the next seventh day or any seventh day thereafter. On the contrary, God had and does work on the sabbath, as witnessed by the manna Israel gathered on the sixth day that did not spoil on the seventh. God worked on the sabbath, preventing the manna from spoiling. Also, we have the statement of Jesus regarding the Father working on the sabbath, as well as Jesus! (John 5:17)."

As regards your question, "Did he rest by doing a creative activity? Where in the Bible is that?", the answer is definitely yes. His creative activity includes the creation of the first seventh-day rest with men.

Bacchiocchi even agreed with the theologian Karl Barth when he said:

“We read in Genesis 2:2 that on the seventh day God, the Creator, completed His work by ‘resting.’ [v]

Bacchiocchi criticized Ratzlaff when he wrote that on the sixth day, God completed His work of creation while Genesis 2:2 actually said that it was "on the seventh day that God completed His work." Therefore God created the "Sabbath" by resting.

David Gabuya:

"In your response to question no, 2 you quoted EGW commenting on Heb 4:9, 11 where she wrote that the rest here spoken of is the REST OF GRACE. Amen! Well said. But remember that she didn’t make a comment on Heb 4:10. Though the SDA Bible Commentary you quoted did not speak the same way as EGW did, it somehow sounded to second the line of thinking of EGW. Again, Amen! But we should know that these statements do NOT NEGATE the seventh-day Sabbath, they simply IGNORE ITS EXISTENCE in the verses because the emphasis is on the gospel rest.  If EGW simply negated the seventh-day Sabbath because of the gospel rest of grace she would have told the church plainly.

Answer:

Obviously, there is no need for Ellen White to mention verse 10 because it has the same line of thought as verse 9 which is why it didn't end with a period. "God's rest" in verse 10, is identical with the "Sabbath-rest"(Sabbatismos) that remains for God's people. in verse 9. These two verses (verses 9 & 10) are connected by the preposition "For" (verse 9). SDA Bible Commentary notes:

"Rest. Gr. katapausis (see on ch. 3:11). Although the word for “rest” in ch. 4:10 is different from that of v. 9 (sabbatismos), the context makes evident that both refer to the same thing (see on v. 9). The “rest” that remains (v. 9) is obviously the “rest” into which the believing Christian of v. 10 enters. The word “for” of v. 10 makes v. 10 contingent upon, and a conclusion drawn from, v. 9."[vii]

Hence, you cannot enforce your weekly Sabbath assumption here if you have respect for the Scriptures. 

May I ask you, did you read Ellen White's comments regarding Hebrews 4:9? If yes, can you please show me where she includes the weekly Sabbath on this? I will wait for your response on this matter. Otherwise, you give the impression that you are more "inspired" in wisdom than your beloved prophet. Please don't ignore my request bro.

You said,

"But we should know that these statements do NOT NEGATE the seventh-day Sabbath, they simply IGNORE ITS EXISTENCE in the verses because the emphasis is on the gospel rest." 

For me, it is not just about a simple ignorance of its existence in the text. It is, in fact, significant evidence that the author of Hebrews did not really intend to impose the keeping of the weekly Sabbath to his audience. Let's read this candid admission from your trained and learned SDA theologians:

"Certainly, in writing to Jews, the author of Hebrews would not consider it necessary to prove to them that Sabbathkeeping “remaineth.”

I wonder why most of the SDA defenders, including you, often ignore this very important point. You keep on insisting, to the point of twisting, that Hebrews 4:9 supports weekly Sabbath-keeping, while your most learned and educated do not agree with you? 

You said:

"If EGW simply negated the seventh-day Sabbath because of the gospel rest of grace she would have told the church plainly."

I can say in return, that If EGW honestly believes, like the way you do, that the seventh-day Sabbath should be included in Heb. 4:9-10, she would have told the church plainly. Because weekly Sabbath-keeping is one of the essential doctrines that distinctly identifies the SDA church with the rest of the Christian churches. But, surprisingly, she did not. 

Dante Gabuya:

I have sensed that what you really understand about the Sabbath-rest in Genesis was that it was dependent on the relationship of God and man. But when did this relationship start? On the sixth day when man was created? On the next day and onwards? When was really the starting point of your Sabbath-rest reckoning? The truth remains that the sanctity of the Sabbath of the Lord remains intact no matter how man sins. 

Answer:

It does not depend merely on the relationship itself, but the perfect condition and character that exists on that first seventh-day rest in Eden. Yes, the relationship started when God created on the 6th day but, as I explained before, the creative activity of God was completed when He rested, blessed, and sanctify the first seventh-day. 

Endnotes:

[i] https://www.grammarly.com/blog/quotation-marks

[ii] Dale Ratzlaff, Sabbath in Christ, p. 23-24

[iii] ibid.

[iv] William Hohmann, Sabbath Refutations, p. 2

[v] Samuele Bacchiocchi, Sabbath Under Crossfire, p. 71

[vi] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 423

[vii] ibid.