Tag Archives: True Israel

Gleanings from The Letter to the Hebrews: The Final Days—Part 1

Posted on 28/11/2024 | Leave a comment

Recapping: the author was a Hebrew Jesus follower, a leader or apostle in the new Jesus movement created about AD 33. 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”. It was written to suffering Jewish Hebrews, opposed, persecuted by those apostate Jews, Israelites, who refused to accept Jesus (see Hebrews 10:32-36 ). 

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).

Looking at Hebrews 1:2-4.

And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

This letter was written in “these final days”, sometime around AD 62-66, when the recipients were new believers in Christ though still identifying as Jewish. They referred to this time in which they were living as the ‘final days’. For them this was the final days of national Israel—‘the end’ of the whole Mosaic period of law, temple worship and sacrifice because he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the right hand of God.

The ‘final days’ was a period of transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. John called it ‘the last hour’ (1 John 2:18). Another term for this period was ‘the end’ or ‘the end of the age.’ (see Matthew 24:3).

Then our author goes on to talk about the importance of these final days Hebrews 2:2-4: 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.  So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

These readers were expecting Jesus’ soon, second-coming—the Kingdom of God. They saw God at work in their midst doing ‘signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit’. It was a critical time, a most significant time, so the readers must pay close attention to the truth and not listen to the lies of the apostate Jews, and not ‘drift away’ from the truth of the Gospel.

Hebrews 2:16-18.

 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Notice ‘to help the descendants of Abraham.’ It does not say he came to help ‘the Jews.’ For the believing readers were all descendants of Abraham (see Galatians 4) just as we believers are today. How privileged we are that he should call us his brothers and sisters and he is able to help us when we are being tested. We are the true Israel, the chosen, the people of God.

Hebrews 3:6

But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

They are the people of God, not the apostate Israelites, as they maintain courage and remain confident in the Lord Jesus, and not in dead works. And as we also today! Courage is required and trust in the great hope of Jesus. Again let us remember this fact that today many are idolatoriosly focussing on fake Israel instead of Jesus. People living in today’s Palestine are not necessarily the chosen people of God.

Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:2-3

And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.. . . . . .  God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”

It is always the glorious good news that brings rest and peace. So important is this that God takes an oath—no one will enter his rest with unbelief. Unbelief is disobedience. Do we tremble with fear that some of our friends and family might fail to experience it? Mere announcement of the gospel will not benefit them. They must experience the reality or they will not enter in.

Hebrews 4:10-13

So let us be diligent to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. . . . .. .For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

They are told to do due diligence about entering their rest. That’s so critical. They are reminded of the word of God—it is alive, not dead. It is powerful and finely discerning. By His Word the worlds were created. There can be no hiding from God for them nor for us today. So Hebrews 3:7-8:

“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”

            

To be continued next time.

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Gleanings from Hebrews: Meeting Together

Posted on 04/11/2024 | Leave a comment

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews was a Hebrew Jesus follower, a leader or apostle in the new Jesus movement that was created in the Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit in about AD 33 (Acts 2).

The letter was written sometime around AD 62-66. Hebrews 1:2 calls it “the last days”, an expression meaning the End Times, that is the last days of Israel as the people of God. 

It was written when Jesus’ followers were new Christians though still identified as Jewish. They were the true people of God, people “who remain confident in their hope in Christ” (Hebrews 3:6). These believers were opposed and persecuted by those fake Israelites, who refused to accept Jesus (Hebrews 10:32-36) and as a consequence were under the judgment of God.

Please note, Hebrews was not written to us but it can be useful for us, it can be very important for us.  The letter is full of warnings not to fall away—important for us today.

Many passages in this letter affirm that the recipients were the real people of God who met together and not those who rejected Christ

But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ”. (Hebrews 3:4-6) Thus God says all who remain confident in our hope in Christ are the true people of God! This is true for us today despite those who hold the ridiculous myth that Israelites are “the people of God”.

See also Hebrews 3:13-14:  You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 

These readers were expecting his soon, second-coming Kingdom. See Hebrews 9:27-28: . . . . after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.

It’s important to see this letter was not written to us. Though not to us, it can be very important for us.  The letter is full of warnings not to fall away. For today’s Christian this is just as important.  For “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb 13:8).

Now looking at Hebrews 3:13-14:  You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 

For those first believers, it was still “today” because “tomorrow” they expected Jesus’ return, and the age to come! But for us today, the Word of God still insists that we warn each other every day.

Now let’s look at Hebrews 10:24-25.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Our author here emphasizes the importance of community and mutual encouragement among those Century 1 believers, and especially because the Lord’s coming for them was imminent.

For us today, we may not be expecting the Lord’s soon coming as they did, yet what God says here is critical to be applied.

Ask yourself.

Do you, does anyone, today seriously consider ways to motivate fellow believers to such acts when gathered together? No, hardly ever. People leave that up to their pastor or minister. You may legalistically attend “church”. But the Lord wants us to meet together (Grk ekklesia) rather than attend a ‘service’ or organisation. In church services how can we possibly encourage one another, sitting in pews and relying on a minister? Satan has convinced today’s churchgoers to be inactive—many waiting for some mythical soon ‘rapture’ event.  Many churchgoers just sit, observe or go to sleep in church services. Whereas these first century believers were to be salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus taught and eagerly awaited his imminent return.

This is the main, if not the only, passage in scripture that clergy use to urge people to “come to church”. The sole one! And then what to pastors do? They do everything and the people do nothing.

Again see Hebrews 12:15. Here’s another ‘each other’ just one of about 100 :  Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.

God’s word commands us to act and make arrangements to care for one another in our believing community. How do we do that? Certainly not by relying on the gifting of some overworked pastor.

So how can we today obey God’s word and actually do as he says?

There is no better way than to meet together in an informal setting of fellowship and community and allow the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be present.

You can start meeting with one other believer and Jesus promises to be with the two or three! Matthew 18:20

You can start or join a home church—look up www.oikos.org.au, people who “see a movement of God where simple churches are started in houses, cafes, work places, clubs, parks, markets, schools – making Jesus accessible to every Aussie and impacting every corner of our nation”.

We can use the phone to exhort and pray. We also can use email posts and social media, ‘Zoom’ sessions as many believers do.

But let’s do it!

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First Peter-Chapter 2

Posted on 10/08/2023 | 1 comment

As we look at Peter’s first letter to people in various places we see how he was encouraging them, preparing them. Preparing them for what?

A most important, earth-shattering event was to take place. Terrible judgment was about to come on many back there in Jerusalem and Judea. The fabulous temple there and the Jewish religion as known for centuries, would be destroyed and replaced by a new creation (Mat 21:43-46). This would impact them and many Jews where they lived. Here we look at the first half of chapter 2.

In this part of his letter, Peter calls on his readers to thirst for the “pure milk of the word like newborn babies, if they have tasted the kindness of the Lord” and put aside all malice, envy, slander, hypocrisy etc.

Think how much the Lord has blessed us all abundantly! There’s much more. So let’s keep thirsting after the pure milk of God’s word to grow our salvation!  So important to long for the word of God. Look, it doesn’t matter how mature we think we are. The Lord’s blessing is inexhaustible. He wants us!

Yes, grow up in your salvation. Salvation is not merely getting newborn, started. There’s a big future idea, a whole of life growth of our salvation, as Peter reminded them several times in his letter.

So where to go? Peter says go to Jesus. Where else? Jesus is the One to come to—his open arms. He is the “chosen and precious.” Quoting from Isaiah 28, Peter identifies Jesus as like the most important stone in a building. That’s the cornerstone. It has to be laid exactly, in line, dead level, plumb. Then the building will follow the right design.

“Look, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone and who believes in him shall not be disappointed”.

Jesus said if you don’t gather with him, you are scattering (Luke 11:23). Do you want to be building for God? Well, you have to strictly follow the playbook! Jesus is “the living stone that was rejected by men but chosen by God”. You have to build on the true rock, His words. Anything else is on sand. Anything else is useless. What God has not planted will be pulled up by the roots (Mat 15:13). This is serious.

This building design called for these newborns to be stones too—living stones! Each was being built up into a spiritual house for a special role of offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus.

And so are we today—part of the house that He is building, against which the gates of hell will not stand.

Peter wrote (v7) this precious situation belongs to the followers of Jesus. Quoting Psalm 118:22, he showed that the stone which rejected, actually became the very head of the corner! Then he added that others stumble because they are disobedient to the word not following the designer. For these, Jesus the precious stone was “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” (Isa 8:14) and doom awaits them.

These “builders”—the disobedient, were the unbelieving Jews of that generation and their system, those who rejected their messiah, that wicked generation.

He goes on to tell his readers (v9) “you are a chosen race, you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, you are the people of God’s own possession! Peter used those very same terms as did Moses (Deut 7:6) applying them to these newborn Gentiles and Jews. There was a whole new creation being formed here, a whole new nation with the bad tenants, Jewish elites and their fleshly system will be destroyed as Jesus had foretold in Mat 21:43 and Mat 23, and a new spiritual one will be formed.

Why are his readers new-born? That they “may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” That is our role, our privilege today.

We are the Israel of God (Gal 6:16).

Peter recalls what the prophet Hosea wrote prophetically “once you were not a people but now you are the people of God. You once had not received mercy but now you have received mercy” (Hosea 1:10). This points to a mostly Gentile readership. These newbies are the true people of God! And so are we who believe today.

Applause!

All this came from the pen of Peter, a Jewish born fisherman, but now since born from above through the resurrection of Jesus with whom he had walked for 3 years, a mere 30 years had past.

Only 30 years previously Peter could never forget when they nailed Jesus to the cross and then God raised Him up 3 days later as He had foretold.

We struggle to grasp the reality, to feel, to enter in to those historic scenes—it all happened so long ago.

Peter’s readers were the forerunners of a totally new society having great responsibility, never seen before. So Peter urges them, aliens and strangers, to keep their behavior excellent among the outsiders. They may be slandered as evil by others but will see their good deeds and glorify God in the day of visitation that is coming soon.

This phrase ‘day of visitation’ is fascinating. Peter had in mind an ‘end-times’ event (see 1 Pet 4:7).

The glorious light of God’s people show that God’s judgments are righteous and this will be acknowledged in the coming judgment.

So their behaviour would be very important.

Let’s talk more about that next time.

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Peter’s First Letter-2

Posted on 27/09/2021 | Leave a comment

Once a week we look together at Peter’s first letter to people in various places. We see how he was encouraging them, preparing them. A most important, earth-shattering event was to take place. Terrible judgment was about to come on many back there in Jerusalem and Judea. The fabulous temple there and the Jewish religion as known for centuries, would be destroyed and replaced by a new creation (Mat 21:43-46). This would impact them and many Jews where they lived. Here we look at the first half of chapter 2.

In this part of his letter, Peter calls on his readers to thirst for the “pure milk of the word like newborn babies, if they have tasted the kindness of the Lord” and put aside all malice, envy, slander, hypocrisy etc.

Think how much the Lord has blessed us all abundantly! There’s much more. So let’s keep thirsting after the pure milk of God’s word to grow our salvation!  So important to long for the word of God. Look, it doesn’t matter how mature we think we are. The Lord’s blessing is inexhaustible. He wants us!

Yes, grow up in your salvation. Salvation is not merely getting newborn, started. There’s a big future idea, a whole of life growth of our salvation, as Peter reminded them several times in his letter.

So where to go? Peter says go to Jesus. Where else? Jesus is the One to come to—his open arms. He is the “chosen and precious.” Quoting from Isaiah 28, Peter identifies Jesus as like the most important stone in a building. That’s the cornerstone. It has to be laid exactly, in line, dead level, plumb. Then the building will follow the right design.

“Look, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone and who believes in him shall not be disappointed”.

Jesus said if you don’t gather with him, you are scattering (Luke 11:23). Do you want to be building for God? Well, you have to strictly follow the playbook! Jesus is “the living stone that was rejected by men but chosen by God”. You have to build on the true rock, His words. Anything else is on sand. Anything else is useless. What God has not planted will be pulled up by the roots (Mat 15:13). This is serious.

This building design called for these newborns to be stones too—living stones! Each was being built up into a spiritual house for a special role of offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus.

And so are we today—part of the house that He is building, against which the gates of hell will not stand.

Peter wrote (v7) this precious situation belongs to the followers of Jesus. Quoting Ps 118:22, he showed that the stone which rejected, actually became the very head of the corner! Then he added that others stumble because they are disobedient to the word not following the designer. For these, Jesus the precious stone was “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence” (Isa 8:14) and doom awaits them.

These “builders”—the disobedient, were the Jews of that generation and their system, those who rejected their messiah, that wicked generation.

He goes on to tell his readers (v9) “you are a chosen race, you are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, you are the people of God’s own possession! Peter used those very same terms from Moses (Deut 7:6) applying them to these newborn Gentiles and Jews. There’s a whole new creation being formed here, a whole new nation. with the bad tenants, Jewish elites and their fleshly system will be destroyed as Jesus had foretold in Mat 21:43 and a new spiritual one will be formed.

Why are his readers new-born? That they “may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” That is our role, our privilege today. We are the Israel of God (Gal 6:16).

He recalls what the prophet Hosea wrote “once you were not a people but now you are the people of God. You once had not received mercy but now you have received mercy (Hosea 1:10). This points to a mostly Gentile readership. These newbies are the true people of God! And so are we who believe today.

Applause!

All this came from the pen of a Jewish born fisherman, but now since born from above through the resurrection of Jesus with whom he had walked for 3 years, a mere 30 years had past. Amazing.

Only 30 years previously! He could never forget when they nailed Jesus to the cross and then God raised Him up as He had foretold.

We struggle to grasp the reality, to feel, to enter in to those historic scenes—it all happened so long ago.

Peter’s readers are the forerunners of a totally new society and they have great responsibility, never seen before. So Peter urges them, aliens and strangers, to keep their behavior excellent among the outsiders. They may be slandered as evil by others but will see their good deeds and glorify God in the day of visitation.

This phrase ‘day of visitation’ is fascinating. It seems Peter had in mind an ‘end-times’ event (see 1 Pet 4:7).

The glorious light of God’s people show that God’s judgments are righteous and this will be acknowledged in the coming judgment.

So their behaviour would be very important. Let’s talk more about that next time.

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Believers After 70 AD

Posted on 26/11/2020 | Leave a comment

Were there any ORIGINAL disciples who survived 70 AD?

Preterist Jack Pelham says there were no believers left on the earth after 70 AD—they had been raptured! First, he quotes Matthew 28:20 I will be with you till the end of the age (aion) saying this would leave survivors of 70 AD out of this promise. But Jesus was assuring His audience, that He would be with them till the end of the age. He is not addressing believers 40 years hence, but those around 33 AD who will be His witnesses. That passage does not say anything about disciples after 70. Most believers by then would be Gentiles living well clear of Judea.

Believing Jews having escaped to Pella heeded Jesus’ warnings. Why would Jesus warn them to flee Jerusalem if they were going to be raptured outside Judea? You would expect Jesus to have said something quite different.

Then there are the remarks in John 21:21-24 regarding the beloved disciple being alive “until I come”. Note the discernment here about what Jesus actually said! Note the expectancy of the disciples about an imminent coming!

Paul at 1 Cor 11:26 says “we proclaim the Lord’s death” in the Lord’s supper “till he comes again”. Again there is nothing to suggest that disciples would cease this practice after 70 AD, is there? Paul expected a soon coming.

John 17:20.  “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message.” Jesus prayer goes a lot further than for the 12 apostles but applies to all who will believe through them.

What changes did the disciples experience who lived after AD70?

In Mark 16:15 we read that He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation—to go to everyone not just to Jews or to the current generation, and that He would work with them with signs following.

Some argue that the miraculous signs and wonders and gifts of the Holy Spirit were withdrawn sometime between 68 AD and 70. There is no evidence for this. This would mean that the apostles and believers alive at that time suddenly lost their power and authority of the Holy Spirit. That is unproven and ridiculous. Mark 16:17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages. . . . . . .  lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.

It is unreasonable to believe Jesus would give us so many teachings and commands that these would only apply to ‘original’ disciples! Then there are all the passages in the Gospel of John where Jesus uses the Greek word kosmos, world. His teachings words apply to the world not just to Judea: e.g., John 1:29, 3:16, 16:8.

See also Romans 1:20, 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:2; Revelation 11:15, 17:8.

How did the events of 68-70 AD affect his disciples who were still alive?

  • It embolden them to see they were the true Israel, the Israel of God e.g., 1 Peter 2:4-10.
  • The great cleavage follows with ‘the Way’ now separate from the apostate Jews
  • Jesus’ people suffered horrific persecutions from apostate Jews—see numerous Acts passages.
  • Jewish Talmudic writers wrote against the rapidly multiplying Christians, cursing them.
  • John saw Israel as ‘the synagogue of Satan’ (Revelation 2:9) with no temple or priesthood.

There were reports of great earthquakes in the lead up to 70 AD. Scholar, John Gill comments that “at Crete, and in divers cities in Asia in the times of Nero: particularly the three cities of Phrygia, Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae; which were near to each other, and are all said to perish this way, in his reign”[i]

There were wars, kingdoms against kingdoms during this time. See Josephus[ii] Jewish Wars, b. 6 chapter 9, section 3. Coffman[iii] concludes “Such things as famines, wars, and earthquakes seem to have been multiplied during that period”. Also see Albert Barnes Commentary[iv].

[i] Gill, John. The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/matthew-24.html. 1999.

[ii] Josephus, Jewish Wars, Chapter 9, section 3                                                                                                                                  

[iii] Coffman, James BCoffman Commentaries on Old and New Testament. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, USA. 1983-1999.

[iv] Barnes, Albert. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. 1870.

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