Recapping
These Jesus’ followers were new Christians though still identified as Jewish. They were the true people of God as all “who remain confident in their hope in Christ. They were suffering, opposed, persecuted by apostate Jews, who refused to accept Jesus.
Remember, the letters in the New Testament were not written to us today but they can be very important for us. This letter is full of warnings and for today’s Christian this is just as relevant. For “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). So let’s dive into some important passages.
Hebrews 6:2
You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Our author tells his readers to move on from such “basic principles” as the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. These are three elementary matters frequently ignored by believers today. I spent 3 years in a theological college without hearing anything about any of these three matters. Yet the New Testament has much emphasis on these. The “Hebrews” must move on from these to spiritual maturity. How many today ignore these basics let alone moving on to spiritual maturity! Why are so many today still “babes in Christ” (Hebrews 5:12)?
The practice of laying on of hands is generally confined to “charismatic” people, in healing the sick (James 5) or in the giving of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 1:6). But God says it’s basic! It should be everyday practice!
The resurrection of the dead is something no one seems to talk about these days. Maybe people don’t like to talk about death. But this also something very basic—it’s milk for babies! Paul has a very long passage (1 Corinthians 15) and Jesus spoke about it as coming after death (Mat 22:30). “Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back” (1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT). Was Paul thinking that these first-century believers won’t be raised for another 2000 years? Of course not! That’s absurd. At the beginning of this letter he told them “Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.” (1 Cor 1:7-8 NLT)
Rarely do we hear a sermon on eternal judgment. What happens after death and resurrection is important for all believers. Very often one of us will say that the idea of standing before the Lord and having Him evaluate our lives is a very sobering thought. No matter how confident a person may be in this world, it is hard to see how any of us could be confident on that day. But our author, Paul and other apostles said we can have confidence (1 John 2:28)!
Hebrews 6:13-15
. . . . . there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number. Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.
This is a reminder how that promise to Abraham came true for us down to this very day. For we who follow Jesus are the true people of God. We are Abraham’s descendants. Jesus said to unbelieving Jews “I tell you this that many Gentiles will come from all over the world –from east and west–and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites–those for whom the Kingdom was prepared–will be thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12). And Paul wrote: “if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise”. (Galatians 3:29)
Hebrews 8:13
When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.
God made the Old Covenant already obsolete 2000 years ago. Out of date. Why then are so many believers today so focussed on the nation called Israel? There cannot be two Covenants. There can only be one. Only one people of God. We Jesus people are the Israel of God receiving the blessing of God, not today’s nation state called Israel (Galatians 6:16). Christians should not support this Israel state which is no more worthy than any other state.
Be aware that the today’s “Israel” was established with the backing of the atheistic, Ashkenazi-Jewish, Rothschild family that decided to create the country. In 1917, the Rothschild’s used their money, power, and influence to strike a secret deal with the British government for the establishment of the modern state with the name Israel.
The word ‘soon’ is the Greek engys which means imminent, soon to come to pass. For Christians in the first century what was coming soon was in the near future. But for us today we do not live in the Old Covenant. We enjoy the New.
Hebrews 9:26-28
. . . . . But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus was born at “the end of the age.” This “end” was the end of the Jewish age, the Old Covenant age, not the end of the world! As Peter wrote “God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.”(1 Peter 1:20). That age ended after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in AD 70.
Jesus first appearing was but once to put away sin by his offering up of himself. Done! But there was more to do so he must come again—complete salvation to all (then) who were eagerly waiting for him”!
Under the Old Covenant when the Jews saw their high priest enter the sanctuary on their behalf, they waited expectedly for his reappearance. When they saw him emerge alive, that was a welcome sign that he and the sacrifice which he presented had been accepted by God.
In the same way, Jesus’ return was proof that his offering was accepted by God. If you believe that Jesus has not already come, then rejoice for you have received full salvation because he has already come! Now that’s Good News!
Suppose he didn’t come back in his own generation as he promised (Matthew 24:34). That’s what most evangelicals believe—still waiting after 2000 years. If that is so then salvation would not be complete for anyone! Right?
The term “salvation” here is meant Christ’s completed salvation, his finishing of the atonement, the great high-priest of our salvation having appeared victorious in the Heavenly places. Salvation is a multifaceted concept, encompassing deliverance from sin, Satan, death, and God’s wrath, ultimately leading to union with God and glorification.
The Jews believed that the end of the age would be the end of the Jewish economy and the close of their civil and ecclesiastical state. According to Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for a future time; It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” So the Jews were expecting their Messiah “for a future time, at the end” and it will not be delayed. The first believers just had to wait patiently—it would not be delayed. It is absurd to believe they are still waiting after 2000 years.
Ian Thomson 