Smoodock's Blog

In Hebrews 4:4 Paul offered yet another example of the rest of God, according to the New Covenant. What Paul pointed to was the seventh day Sabbath, the rest the Lord had taken from his work of creation (Hebrews 4:4; Genesis 2:1-3). There the Lord rested in man, whom he created to be ruler over all he had made (Genesis 1:26-31). Nevertheless, what does Paul mean by: “although the works were finished from the foundation of the world”?

Nearly every scholar testifies the works were finished from the foundation, that is, from the creation of the world. However, the Greek word katabole (G2602), which is translated “foundation” often doesn’t fit the context of where it is found in the New Covenant text. For example, the word is first found in Matthew 13:35, where it is said that Jesus would declare things kept secret since “the foundation (G2602) of the world.” If katabole (G2602) refers to creation, why would God have kept anything secret from mankind to whom he had given rulership over all he had made? If God was teaching man what he should know, why would God hold back anything he needed to know about creation or his relationship with God? Seen this way the translation doesn’t make sense.

In Luke 11:50 we have another example of the poor logic of such a translation. There we are told that prophets were slain from “the foundation of the world”, but which prophet was slain from Genesis 2 to Genesis 3 or from creation to Adam’s rebellion? Again the translation doesn’t make sense, because no one was slain until after the rebellion in Genesis 3.

The Greek word katabole (G2602) is a noun and is found eleven times in the New Covenant scriptures.[1] All but once it is translated foundation. However, the verb form, kataballo (G2598), is found three times in the New Covenant text and is twice translated cast down (2Corinthians 4:9; Revelation 12:10). The third appearance in Hebrews 6:1 is translated laying, but it, too, is a poor translation, as we shall discover momentarily. In the Septuagint kataballo (G2598) is found thirty times, and is **never** translated laying. It is translated cast down, cut down, throw down or overthrow in each of its thirty occurrences in the Old Covenant scriptures.[2] Therefore, Paul tells us in Hebrews 6:1 that as we leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ, we go on to perfection. This is done not by “casting down” those foundational doctrines, which he goes on to name, but by embracing their full meaning (Hebrews 5:12-14). That is, those doctrines aren’t destroyed in Christ, but fulfilled in him. By embracing Christ, we fulfill the requirements of those basic doctrines.

Understanding, therefore, how the verb is used, should enlighten us how the noun should be translated. If the verb points to destruction of some kind (throwing down walls, cutting down trees, overthrowing a nation etc.), then logic demands a similar meaning from the noun. Therefore, the noun, katabole (G2602), should be translated the overthrow or the casting down of (something) in order to fit the context. If this is done, then Matthew 13:35 makes sense. Jesus revealed things kept secret since the overthrow of the world (Genesis 3). If man rebelled, he no longer believed God, so God was no longer able to teach man in his subsequent condition. Mankind had to be redeemed in order to reveal those things that were secret or held back, since the rebellion. Luke 11:50 also makes sense, if the blood of the prophets (viz. Able in Genesis 4) was shed, not since creation, but since the rebellion of man in Genesis 3.

If man partook of the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9), it would have meant that he believed God. It would have meant that he rested in God, just as God rested in man. However, because man ate of the Tree of Knowledge, it meant he would decide for himself what was good and what was not. It symbolized rebellion and unbelief. Mankind, therefore, refused to rest in God, and God lost his rest in mankind, until man could be redeemed (cf. Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58).

If the rest of God is in man, but man was expelled from God’s presence, then mankind could no longer partake of his own rest, because that rest depended upon belief or faith in God. From that point on, man’s labor was difficult and toilsome, and creation no longer yielded its best to him (cf. Genesis 3:17-19). After his rebellion, man had no rest. Therefore, rest is inextricably tied to belief or faith in God (cp. Hebrews 3:11, 19), so the Garden of Eden, in Paul’s argument (cf. Hebrews 4:3-4), represents man’s rest—i.e. the Presence of God in his life.

[1] Matthew 13:35; 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:34; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; 9:26; 11:11; 1Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; 17:8. Also, see my study: The Overthrow of the World in which I discuss each of these occurrences.

[2] 2Samuel 20:15; 2Kings 3:19, 25; 6:5; 19:7; 2Chronicles 32:21; Job 12:14; 16:9, 14; Psalm 37:14; 73:18; 106:26-27; 140:10; Proverbs 7:26; 18:8; 25:28; Isaiah 16:9; 26:5; Jeremiah 19:7; Ezekiel 6:4; 23:25; 26:4, 12; 29:5; 30:22; 31:12; 32:12; 39:4; Daniel 11:12.