1Let’s fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. 2For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard. 3For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest;” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works;” 5and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.”
6Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good news was preached before failed to enter in because of disobedience, 7he again defines a certain day, “today”, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said),
“Today if you will hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
8For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. 9There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11Let’s therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
14Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let’s hold tightly to our confession. 15For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. 16Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.
The Apocalypse (unveiling) of John is filled with denotative and connotative language. Most of the book should be interpreted in a plain sense, with occasional figures of speech or symbolic language mixed in.
Fortunately, John in the Revelation, similar to what he does in his letters explains the meaning of the figurative language in the text. For example, in John 7:37-39, John records the words of Jesus that were spoken in symbolic terms, "Jesus stood and cried out, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.'" Here Jesus spoke in connotative terms that could be confusing to the hearer, and were highly symbolic. The denotative language or literal language, is given by John to make the literal meaning of the teaching of Jesus clear to his readers, "But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified."
One observes the same kind of usage in Revelation 1 when using terms like "seven lamp stands" and "seven stars." John provides the literal meaning in Revelation 1:20, by clarifying that the lamp stands are the seven churches to whom he is writing, and the seven stars are the angels over the seven churches to whom he is writing.
The text continues with figurative language in Revelation 1:16 of a two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus that is most likely a statement of judgment by Christ, similar to language found in Isaiah 49:2 and Hebrews 4:12.