The Promise of Rest

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

The Heavenly Hope

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The Faith of the Patriarchs

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”