A newsletter of weekly mediations on biblical theology and curated resources from The Carson CenterFebruary 4, 2026
 “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Gen. 2:1–3). “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his” (Heb. 4:9–10). 2 Kings 22; Hebrews 4; Joel 1; Psalms 140-141 When we think of heaven, do we realize that we have already begun to step into heaven when we received the gift of faith and believed in Jesus? The moment that we believe is when we take the first step into the new heavens and earth and enter God’s eternal rest, a rest that he began during the creation week in Genesis. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and upon the completion of his labors, he rested from his work. The Bible reveals these truths, but we should stop and contemplate them for a few moments. In historic classic theology, theologians for nearly two millennia have observed that God is pure act, in that he is never passive. They draw this truth from the name of God, “I am” (Ex. 3:14). Or, as the book of Revelation explains the significance of the divine name, God is the God “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). This means that, strictly speaking, God does not need to rest. He is, after all, a God who “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). So, then, why did God rest from his labors on the Sabbath day of the creation week? God rested from his labors because he beckons us to enter his rest. God created us to labor and then to enter his eternal Sabbath-day rest and know great joy and peace as we dwell eternally in the presence of our triune God. We know that Adam and Eve failed to enter God’s rest because of their sin. Likewise, the author of Hebrews explains that the Israelites failed to enter God’s rest because of their unbelief (Heb. 4:1–7). They did not believe in the gospel and salvation that comes through Christ. The author writes, “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day” (Heb. 4:8). In other words, the prospect of entering God’s seventh-day rest still exists. The author of Hebrews calls us to believe in Christ so that we can step into the eternal rest of the seventh day—we rest from our sin, we find rest from our guilt and shame. But we completely and finally enter that eternal rest when God in Christ through the Spirit raises us from the dead and we live eternally in the presence of our triune God. There in God’s presence “he will wipe away every tear . . . and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). We begin to enter the rest of heaven when we first believe and we will consummate that rest when we fully enter the new creation through the resurrection of our bodies. – John Fesko Reflect: Meditate upon Christ’s words, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), and rejoice in the rest you have in Christ and the eternal rest that is yet to come. |
  Finding Satan: The Origins of the Evil One In recent years, interest has resurged in the role of heavenly beings in the Bible, including the “backstory” of God’s adversary (variously known as the Devil, Satan, and the Evil One). Much of what is said and written alludes to a series of key Old Testament texts—but what do those passages actually say? Let’s examine five key texts: Genesis 3, Job 1–2, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, and Zechariah 3. As we do this, it’s important to acknowledge three realities: 1. The Old Testament has no clear “origin story” of the Evil One. Various figures appear unannounced (generally to oppose God), but we aren’t given an explanation of who they are or where they come from. 2. In trying to piece together an understanding of the Evil One, we’re dealing with a small number of difficult texts. There isn’t always agreement on the identity of the various figures referred to or how they relate to Satan in the New Testament. This should encourage humility in our conclusions. 3. Alongside the Old Testament, we do have other ancient documents and Jewish Second Temple literature that touch on these issues. But we should use them with great care. Their view of the world isn’t always the same as that of the inspired Old Testament writers. Of course, the New Testament in particular adds to and sharpens what we know, but even here, no definitive account is given. |
