Introduction to Hebrews

What truly is prophecy?  

Rev 19:10  “the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy… See Hosea 12:10…

Trilogy based on Habakkuk 2:4 “The just shall live by faith….”

• Romans:  Who and what are the just?
• Galatians:  How do the “just” live?
• Hebrews:  What exactly is faith?

Date of writing: 67-69 A.D. Timothy had been released from prison (13:23) but temple worship was still going on (see 5:1-4) so it was before 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed by Titus Vespesian.

Focus group:

Hebrews!  Jews.

3 distinct groups of Jews are going to be addressed in this book.

1) Those who had believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior- Saved Jews.

2) Those who had acknowledged the Gospel intellectually, but not embraced the doctrine of Salvation by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  They knew with the head, but had not made the commitment to Him in faith. (returned to the old ways of The Law)

3) Those who had heard about the Gospel, were interested, but had made no commitment yet.

Understanding Hebrews requires a working understanding of the Levitical Priesthood.  We’ll be doing some OT research into this along the way.

Much time is spent in this Epistle comparing the Old Covenant with the New, and there are some dramatic differences!

Much time is spent in this Epistle comparing the Old Covenant with the New, and there are some dramatic differences!

• Temporary vs Eternal
• Limited vs Unlimited
• Conditional vs Unconditional
• Temporal i/e. stand-in priest vs Eternal Priest

We’ll also see a great deal of discussion about angels.  

Relevant to the historical background, the Jewish believers were coming under a great deal of persecution from the Jewish community and many of them had begun to distance themselves from the deity of Jesus to avoid this persecution.

The Jewish community in Qumran had even begun teaching the superiority of Angels over Jesus, going so far as to say that Michael was superior to Messiah.

It’s quite possible this aberrant teaching is in mind as the writer sets forth, in GREAT detail, the superiority of Jesus over EVERY created thing.

Speaking of the author, he is not identified.

There has been much controversy over the years as to who the writer was.  Paul, Apollos, and Luke are the primary candidates, but no one can say for certain.

“Author Unknown” is not an accident…

Content is the key issue.

Read vs 1-3…

Heb 1:1  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 

Starts out “God”….

Heb 1:2  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

Remember Hosea 12:10;

Hos 12:10  I have also spoken by the prophets, And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets.”

Similitudes:

• Adam- 1Cor 15:42-50
• First Adam was morally neutral.  Not indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  
• Second Adam was NOT neutral!  “For in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily” – Col 2:9
• Jesus LEARNED obedience through the things that He suffered- Heb 5:8

The Flood had THREE groups of people!

• Enoch- walked with God, could not be found for God took him!
• Noah- Built an Ark according to the instructions of God.  Jesus IS our ark!  His body was built by God, His faithfulness in fulfilling all things prepared the way, His sacrifice paid for the ticket granting admission to the ark, and His resurrection assured that All who call on His name shall be saved!
• The rest perished in the flood.
• Abraham- Sacrificed his only son, whom he loved, on Mt. Moriah…Gen 22
• David- Had the opportunity to short cut God’s plan by killing Saul, but didn’t.

1Sam 22 and 24, Hosea-

Heb 1:2  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

“Last days”- eschatos hemera-

Historically, the Jews considered the last days to be when the Messiah would come.  (Numbers 24, Jeremiah 33, Micah 5, Zechariah 9)

SEE: Acts 2:16-18, Isaiah 44:1-3, Joel 2:28-29, Zechariah 12:10

When did the “Last Days” begin? Luke 1:11-20,  1:39-41

“Spoken to us by His Son….”

John 15:15  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 

The “Last Days” began when Elizabeth stepped into Jesus’s presence, Jesus being in Mary’s womb, and John, being in Elizabeth’s womb, was filled with the Spirit, as was Elizabeth.

The Last Days have lasted 2000 years so far!

However, the Last Days has a number of time periods within the whole:

• Jesus’ earthly ministry
• Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection
• Jesus’ physical witness AFTER the resurrection
• Birth of the Church- Acts 2: Dawning of the Church Age
• Completion of the Church Age- Jesus returns for His Bride, Fullness of the Gentiles has come in…
• Seventieth Week of Daniel – 7 years
• Times of Jacob’s Troubles – final 3.5 years of Seventieth week.
• Return of Jesus for His people Israel in power, glory, and judgment
• Sheep and Goat Judgement
• Millennial Kingdom – 1000 years
• Final Revolt- satan released
• Great White Throne
• Where are we now?  The Church Age!
• What event are we waiting for? (What’s next?)