p. 489 | Another Day by Uriah Smith

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 14, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 31.

"Another Day."

By Uriah Smith

WE find these words in Heb. 4:8; and it is strange that any one should attempt to find in them proof for the change of the Sabbath, but so it is. Sunday is indeed "another day" from the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, but it is not the other day of this text, as can in a few words be shown.

The verse reads: "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." The margin reads correctly, Joshua instead of Jesus; and the reference is to the only "rest" which Joshua ever gave to the children of Israel, which was the rest in the land of Canaan to which he brought them. The "other day" is therefore brought in contrast with the rest in Canaan, not with the weekly rest of the Sabbath.

If Joshua had tried to give them the rest of the seventh-day Sabbath and failed, then another day being spoken of it might perhaps refer to the first-day Sabbath. But nothing of this kind is brought to view in the chapter.

The rest which remains, of verse 9, is not the observance

of a weekly Sabbath here upon the earth; but if it did refer to that, even if it was the first-day Sabbath, as some claim, then it was still future in the year 64, when Paul wrote this epistle to the Hebrews; for it still "remained" before them, and Christians were exhorted to beware of unbelief lest they should thereby fail to enter into it.

The teaching of this portion of Scripture, beginning with the seventh verse of the previous chapter, briefly described, is this:—

God has purposed that the human race, after their probation is ended, shall enter into a heavenly rest like the rest into which he entered when he had finished the work of creation.

In Canaan he gave to the people a type of this heavenly rest. The history of the Israelites in journeying to that rest was an example of the spiritual experiences of all who are seeking the heavenly rest. Some of the Israelites failed to enter into the rest of Canaan, through unbelief. Just so, many professing to be Christians will fail to enter into the heavenly rest, the antitypical Canaan, through the same sin.

God's rest which he has promised that his people shall finally enter, dates from the seventh day of the first week of time; and this explains the reference to the seventh day of verse 4 of chapter 4. It simply gives an idea of the nature of God's rest, and the point from which it dates. Into such a rest as God then enjoyed, blissfully contemplating all his works and pronouncing them very good, he has purposed that his people shall enter when they have finished the period of their probation.

And he has waited from generation to generation for the number to be made up which should enter therein; namely, the destined number to inhabit the earth when it shall be redeemed. Isa. 45:18. One generation passed, and the number was not made up, so the invitation went to the next. That passes, a few receive the offers of mercy, the number is not made up, and the invitation is still extended to generations in the future.

If it had been completed under the Mosaic dispensation, and with that people whom God then called, the work would have closed. But so many of them proved apostate, that "after so long a time," another day, or dispensation, is set apart in which we have the privilege of hearing his voice if we harden not our hearts. This is the day that was spoken of by David. It refers to the whole gospel dispensation, in which the invitations of mercy are going to the Gentiles. The heavenly rest is still before us. The "promise is left us" of entering into it on certain conditions. But we are exhorted to fear lest we shall come short of this through unbelief, as the Israelites failed to gain the typical rest in Canaan.

It may be thought that two or three expressions demand more particular notice, to harmonize them with the view here advanced.

Verse 3: "For we which have believed do enter into rest." The entering into rest is after the work of believing is all done. We do not enter into rest until after we "have believed," or have finished our course of belief. Some translate this passage thus: "For we which believe are to enter into rest."

Verse 10: "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

This shows us that no man enters into this rest in this present state. He does not enter it until after his work of probation is done. For here we are constantly engaged in working out our salvation with fear and trembling. But when we enter into the heavenly rest, we shall then have ceased from all this work, as God ceased from his on the seventh day of creation.

Neither the subject nor the language of this chapter has any reference to the weekly Sabbath, except the allusion in verse 4 to the first seventh day of time, which was to show us when God's rest commenced, and the nature of that rest into which we are to enter if we continue faithful to the end.

U. S.