Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 17

 The Abomination of Desolation

Matthew 24:17 “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:”

Let him which... Let Israel flee from Judea without taking time for valuables, lest they be overtaken by Antichrist’s.

on the house-top... The roofs of the houses in Eastern countries were made flat, so that they were favorable places for walking and retirement. The meaning here is, that he who should be on the housetop when this calamity came upon the city should flee without delay; He should not even take time to secure any article of apparel from his house. So sudden would be the calamity, that by attempting to do this He would endanger his life.

Him which is on the house-top (ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος)

From roof to roof there might be a regular communication, called by the Rabbis the road of the roofs. Thus a person could make his escape passing from roof to roof, till, at the last house, he would descend the stairs on the outside of the house, but within the exterior court. The urgency of the flight is enhanced by the fact that the stairs lead into this court. Though you must pass by the very door of your room, do not enter to take anything out. Escape for your life.

When that event occurs, those… in Judea should flee to the mountains. They should not be concerned about taking anything with them.

Book of Hosea Chapter 5 Vs. 14

 Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him. Hos. 5:14

For I will... But he cannot heal you, nor dry up your sore. For I, Myself, am like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah.

as a lion... First the trans-Jordanic tribes, then additional provinces, and lastly the whole population, were carried away as in the teeth of a beast of prey (compare Amos 3:6). Assyria is here referred to as represented by Tiglath-pileser. A similar fate overtook Jerusalem (in 587 B.C.), at the hands of Babylonia, in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chron. 36:4-10; 2 Kings 24:10-16; 2 Kings 25:1-11).

and none shall... None shall rescue him: none have courage to attempt or power to affect a rescue, the prey must hopelessly perish; so it will be with Ephraim and Judah, when God appears as a lion against them.

I, will tear... The destruction of Ephraim is actually a little worse than the destruction of Judah. Perhaps that is why God speaks of Himself as being as a lion to Ephraim, and a young lion to Judah. The young lion would not do as much damage as the lion.

I will take... Notice that God tells them of the many battles that will take place, when He says; He will "tear and go away". This is a judgment of God, and no one will be able to stop it.

The moth (Hos. 5:12) is transformed into a raging lion which violently kills its prey. The use of six first-person forms (I) in the Hebrew emphasizes God’s role in this judgment. In the final analysis the Lord Himself would be the attacker and destroyer, even though He would use foreign armies as His instruments.

For Ephraim this prophecy was fulfilled a few years later when Assyria conquered Samaria and carried the people into exile (2Kgs. 17:1-41). Judah was overrun by the Assyrians in 701 B.C, but she experienced a miraculous deliverance after being severely ravaged (cf. Hos. 1:7). The prophecy about Judah’s fall and exile (Hos. 5:14) was eventually fulfilled through Nebuchadnezzar (2Kgs. 25:1-30).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 16

 The Abomination of Desolation

Verses 16-28: The warning to flee into the mountains eschatologically looks beyond the first century to the Jews’ flight from the persecution of the Antichrist (Rev. 12:6-14). The reference to the Sabbath day indicates that these events will occur in a Jewish area where such restrictions would be observed.

Verse 21: “Then shall be great tribulation” makes our Lord’s reference to (Daniel 12:1), clearly evident as taking place just prior to the resurrection (in Daniel 12:2). The terrible days of that time shall be shortened by the sudden return of Christ to destroy the Wicked One (2Thes. 2:8).

Mat. 24:24 phrase if it were possible … shall deceive the very elect, clearly indicates that those who have been truly saved cannot be deceived and fall away. For even if it were humanly possible; the Lord will stop it by hastening His coming.

Mat. 24:25 phrase: The exclamation Behold, I have told you before indicates Jesus’ belief in the predictive nature of this prophecy. The lightning shining from the east … even unto the west refers to the final aspect of Christ’s return (not the Rapture), in judgment upon the earth. In (1Thes. chapter 4), He comes in the clouds for the church. In (2Thes. chapters 1 and 2), He comes to the earth with the church to judge the world.

Matthew 24:16 “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”

Then let them... Then—when Antichrist enters Judea and takes over the temple (Dan. 9:27; 11:40-45). Israel will have to flee from Judea.

into the mountains... Probably a reference to the region southeast of Jerusalem, particularly the Dead Sea area, where there are many caves and places of refuge. David hid from Saul in this area (1Sam. 23:29). This would also include the hills of Moab and Edom.

Into Edom and Moab which escape the Antichrist (Rev. 12:6, 12:14).

And so very little time will elapse between the sign listed above and the event to which it points, that He (Christ) warns them against any delay, and tells them, as soon as it shall appear, to flee at once to the mountains and escape for their lives.

When that event occurs, those… in Judea should flee to the mountains.

Book of Hosea Chapter 5 Vs. 13

 Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah

When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. Hos. 5:13

to king Jareb... Another name for Tiglath-pileser who punished both Ephraim and Judah (2Kgs. 15:27-31; 16:7-10). When the moth and termites had performed their work on both nations of Israel, then God became a lion to Ephraim and destroyed the nation (2Kgs. 17:1-41); later He became a young lion to Judah and destroyed her (2Kgs. 24-25). Jareb means warrior and refers to the king of Assyria, to whom Israel (2Kgs. 15:19-20), and later Judah (2Kgs. 16:5-9), turned to for help.

It appears from the verse above, that Ephraim and Judah became aware they had a problem. The sad thing was that Ephraim did not go to God with the problem, but went to the Assyrians. Neither was willing to admit that their problem was because of their worship of false gods.

could he not... The world has no answers to problems then or now. The worldly king Jareb was no help at all.

And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his sore; and Ephraim went to Asshur and sent to King Jareb-King Combative, King Pick-Quarrel, a nickname for the Assyrian monarch. The verse probably refers to the tribute which Mena-hem sent to Assyria in 738. If so, then Israel has drifted full five years into her thick night. But he cannot heal you, nor dry up your sore.

The nation’s response to its deteriorating condition (like a sickness with sores) was entirely misdirected. Following the path of political expediency, the Northern Kingdom turned to the invader himself, Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria, in an effort to restore national stability. This probably refers to Hoshea’s alliance with Assyria (2Kgs. 17:3) at the time he usurped the throne of Israel (cf. 2Kgs. 15:30). Judah had formed a similar alliance when threatened by Syria and Israel (2Kgs. 16:1-20). Though Hos. 5:13 does not specifically mention Judah, the contextual references to her (Hos. 5:13, 5:14) suggest that she was in Hosea’s mind as well. These efforts to heal the nation’s wounds would be futile. Assyria was a greedy overseer, not a physician. As soon as Hoshea withheld tribute, the Assyrians again invaded the land (2Kgs. 17:3-6).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 15

 The Abomination of Desolation

Matthew 24:15 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”

When ye therefore... When—this marks the starting point of the middle of Daniel’s 70th week when the Antichrist will break his 7-year covenant with Israel and enter Judea to take over Jerusalem as his capital and the Jewish temple as his capital building (Dan. 9:27; 11:40-45; 12:1, 12:7; 2Thes. 2:4; Rev. 11:1-2; 12:1-17; 13:1-18). All this prophecy from Mat. 24:15 on must be fulfilled the last 3 1/2 years of this age.

abomination of desolation... This refers to the Antichrist and his image in the Jewish temple at Jerusalem during the last 3 1/2 years of this age (Dan. 8:9-14; 9:27; 11:45; 12:1, 12:7, 12:11; Rev. 13:1-18; 14:9-11; 20:4-6). The abomination of desolation refers to (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11); where Antiochus Epiphanes’ profanation of the Jewish temple worship would foreshadow a similar and more severe act by the eschatological Antichrist.

This phrase originally referred to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria in the second century B.C. He, Antiochus, invaded Jerusalem (in 168 B.C.), made the altar into a shrine to Zeus, and even sacrificed pigs on it. However, Jesus clearly was looking toward a yet-future abomination of desolation.

The abomination has to do with the evil one who is set up in the temple in the end days. (Daniel 11, verses 36 and 37), spoke of this abominable one.

Dan. 11:36-37 “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that is determined shall be done.” “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.”

The abomination, or the abominable one, truly will set himself up in place of God, in the same place where the temple of God sat. There is a Temple sitting there today that is a Moslem temple. Somehow, sometime, in the future, this temple will be destroyed, and the temple of the true God will be restored.

To say specifically what this exact abomination of desolation is would be presumptuous. It appears to be when the antichrist sets himself up as God at about the middle of the tribulation period, and requires all to bow to him instead of God. (In chapter 12 of Daniel), we read about when this will happen.

Abomination of desolation (βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως)

The cognate verb, βδελύσσομαι, means to feel a nausea or loathing for food: hence used of disgust generally. In a moral sense it denotes an object of moral or religious repugnance. See 2Ch. 15:8; Jer. 13:27; Eze. 11:21; Dan. 9:27; 11:31. It is used as equivalent to idol in 1Kgs. 11:17; Deut. 7:26; 2Kgs. 23:13. It denotes anything in which estrangement from God manifests itself; as the eating of unclean beasts, Lev. 11:11; Deut. 14:3; and, generally, all forms of heathenism. This moral sense must be emphasized in the New Testament use of the word. Compare Luke 16:15; Rev. 17:4, 17:5; 21:27. It does not denote mere physical or aesthetic disgust. The reference here is probably to the occupation of the temple precincts by the idolatrous Romans under Titus, with their standards and ensigns. Josephus says that, after the burning of the temple the Romans brought their ensigns and set them over against the eastern gate, and there they offered sacrifices to them, and declared Titus, with acclamation's, to be emperor.

Dan. 12:6-7 “And [one] said to the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, How long [shall it be to] the end of these wonders?” “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished.”

The one clothed in linen would be the High Priest of God. It is pretty obvious that this “time, times, and half” means three-and one-half years. My own personal belief is that I believe just before the wrath of God occurs, the Christians will be carried away into heaven to meet Jesus in the clouds (see Rev. 3:10).

Rev.3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

This verse presents a promise that Christ will rapture genuine believers out of the world before the Tribulation period begins. The hour of temptation is the period of worldwide testing (Greek peirasmos), which has not yet occurred (compare Dan. 12:1; Mat. 24:21, 29). Christ promises to keep them “from” (Greek ek, out of), the period of the Tribulation. That is, they will not even enter into this period of history. The Tribulation is for the purpose of trying or judging them that dwell upon the earth, those who are connected to the earth and its system.

Believers are not even included in this term (compare Phil. 3:18-20; 1Pet. 2:11; Rev. 6:10; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 17:8).

Some suggest that this prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Titus invaded Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. However, the Apostle Paul saw a still-future fulfillment (2Thes. 2:3-4), as did John (Rev. 13:14-15), when the Antichrist sets up an image in the temple during the future tribulation.

Christ’s words here therefore look beyond the events of A.D. 70 to a time of even greater global cataclysm that will immediately precede His coming (verses 29-31).

Whereas Antiochus offered a pig on the sacred altar of the temple, the Antichrist will present himself (2Thes. 2:4).

The action of desecration by Antiochus, which Daniel had predicted, will now be repeated in the future by the Antichrist as the signal of the beginning of the Great Tribulation and the braking of the covenant in the midst of the week (Dan. 9:27), that is, the Seventieth Week of Daniel’s prophecy, whose length is 42 months (Rev. 11:2), 1260 days (Rev. 12:6), or time, and times, and half a time (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 12:14).

(Mark 13:14-23; Luke 21:20-26) Having given a brief overview of the entire Tribulation period prior to His return, Jesus then spoke of the greatest observable sign within that period, the abomination that causes desolation. This abomination was spoken of by Daniel (Dan. 9:27). It referred to the disruption of the Jewish worship which will be re instituted in the Tribulation temple (Dan. 12:11) and the establishment of the worship of the world dictator, the Antichrist, in the temple. He will make the temple abominable (and therefore desolate) by setting up in the temple an image of himself to be worshiped (2Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:14-15). Such an event will be clearly recognizable by everyone.

Book of Hosea Chapter 5 Vs. 12

 Punishment Coming for Israel and Judah

Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. Hos. 5:12

as a moth... Ten Things God Compared To:

1. A moth (Hos. 5:12)

2. Rottenness, or a worm (Hos. 5:12)

3. An old lion (Hos. 5:14; 11:10)

4. A young lion (Hos. 5:14)

5. The rain (Hos. 6:3)

6. The latter and former rain (Hos. 6:3)

7. A plowman (Hos. 11:4)

8. A leopard (Hos. 13:7)

9. A bear bereaved of her whelps (Hos. 13:8)

10. The dew (Hos. 14:5)

Judah as rottenness... Moths rot a garment, and termites produce rottenness in wood. Both prey upon the substance in which they lie hidden; and they slowly but effectively do a work of destruction. This pictures God bringing judgment upon both Ephraim and Judah. The decay caused by moths and that by termites are both slow, yet that of the termites is slower. The reference is to Judah being destroyed more slowly than Ephraim. The idea is that when men sin God withdraws from them and as they continue in rebellion they become dead to spiritual things.

Hosea used similes to create vivid pictures of God’s wrath toward both kingdoms of sinful Israel (Job 13:28). God’s judgment would slowly but surely bring about the demise of both Israel and Judah, much like moths and rottenness slowly eat away at an object until it is destroyed. The sinner overlooks this erosion of his conscience and character. Only God can awaken him to his condition.

A garment riddled by a moth is ruined. The moth eats away at the material, until it is of no use. Rottenness speaks of decay from within. For a long time, Judah's rottenness will not show. This is saying, their destruction will not come instantaneously, but will be progressive until they are destroyed. We certainly know this to be true with Judah, because Babylon took many years to totally destroy them.

Both kingdoms have begun to fall to pieces, for by this time Uzziah of Judah also is dead, and the weak politicians are in charge whom Isaiah satirized.

The Lord Himself was silently but effectively leading His people toward destruction. To Ephraim He was like a moth, which destroys clothing (cf. Job 13:28; Isa. 50:9; 51:8). To… Judah He was like rot, which progressively causes bones to decay (cf. Pro. 12:4; 14:30; Hab. 3:16). This unusual figurative language means that God was sovereignly in control of the international scene, which He was already manipulating to bring about Israel’s demise.

Hebrews Chapter 10 Part 2

Hebrews Chapter 10 Part 2

Verses 10:19-25: For the second time (8:1-6 for the first), the writer gives a summary of the arguments for the superiority of Christ’s priestly ministry.

The Full Assurance of Faith

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:19

Having therefore, brethren... As on the earlier occasion, the writer addresses his Jewish brethren with an invitation to leave behind the Levitical system and to appropriate the benefits of the New Covenant in Christ.

boldness to enter... Greek: parrhesia, liberty; full access to heaven (see, Acts 4:13). The practical teaching of the epistle begins here (Heb. 10:19-13:25). It is a grand conclusion to the doctrinal arguments of Heb. 1:1-10:18.

An important emphasis in the epistle (see 4:16). Because of the high-priestly ministry of Christ and His finished sacrifice, the Hebrews can enter boldly into the presence of God.

This leaves no doubt what the veil into the Holiest place was symbolic of. It was the flesh of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said it is finished, the veil in the temple was torn open from the top to the bottom, showing that Jesus had opened the way to the Father through Him.

Mat. 27:51 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

into the holiest... The high priest of the law could go only once a year into the holiest place on earth, but by the blood of Christ the least saint can have daily access to the holiest place in heaven.

The fourth warning

In some ways this warning section is the most pointed and stern of all. It is also climactic. It follows the completion of the epistle’s exposition of the high priestly role and service of Jesus Christ, so it gathers up the implications of these truths and drives them home with full force. But as usual, the writer mingled a solemn warning with his words of consolation and encouragement.

The Basic Admonition

The central assertion of these verses is in the words, Therefore, brothers (cf. Heb. 3:1, 3:12)… let us draw near to God. The intervening material, beginning with the word since, gives the basis for the author’s call to approach God. The readers are New-Covenant people (brothers) who should have confidence (parrēsian; cf. Heb. 3:6; 4:16; 10:35) to come into the very presence of God.

Hebrews 10:20 “By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;”

By a new... It is a newly made way and a living way. It is so-called because Christ was newly slain and because He, being the way to God, is alive forevermore (John 14:6; Rev. 1:18). He is now alive within the veil (Heb. 7:25).

new... in Greek, this word originally meant newly slain, but was understood as recent when the epistle was written. The way is new because the covenant is new. It is not a way provided by the Levitical system.

living... though it is the path of eternal life, it was not opened by Christ’s sinless life, it required His death (see 2:17-18; 4:16 again). The Hebrews were invited to embark on this way which is characterized by the eternal life of the Son of God who loved them and gave Himself for them (John 14:6; Gal. 2:20).

The Christian faith was known as the Way among the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 9:2), as well as among the Gentiles (Acts 19:23). Those receiving this epistle understood quite clearly that the writer was inviting them to become Christians, to join those who had been persecuted for their faith.

True believers in their midst were even then suffering persecution, and those who had not committed themselves to the Way were asked to become targets of the same persecution.

through the veil... When Jesus’ flesh was torn at His crucifixion, so was the temple veil that symbolically separated men from God’s presence (Mat. 27:51). When the High-Priest on the Day of Atonement entered the Holy of Holies, the people waited outside for him to return.

When Christ entered the heavenly temple, He did not return. Instead, He opened the curtain and exposed the Holy of Holies so that we could follow Him. Here flesh is used as was body (verse 10), and blood (9:7, 12, 14, 18, 22), to refer to the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the new and living way by which believers have direct access into the very Holy Place of God (4:14; 6:20; 7:25 and John 14:6).

We will see that Jesus opened the way for us into the very throne of God. He is the Door, or our Way.

John 10:7 “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

This leaves no doubt that the only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ. Notice, Jesus said No man cometh to the Father, but by Me.

This idea is enriched by the use of Old-Covenant imagery. God’s presence in the most holy place and the curtain that once was a barrier to man is now no longer so. It symbolized Christ’s body, so the writer may have had in mind the rending of the temple curtain at the time of Christ’s death (Mat. 27:51). At any rate His death gave believers the needed access and route to God, aptly described as new (prosphaton, recent, occurring only here in the NT) and living, that is, partaking of the fresh and vitalizing realities of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 10:21 “And [having] a high priest over the house of God;”

a high priest... This is not speaking of how to be saved (1Cor. 15:2); it means rather that perseverance in faithfulness is proof of real faith.

The person who returns to the rituals of the Levitical system to contribute to his own salvation proves he was never truly part of God’s household, whereas the one who abides in Christ gives evidence of his genuine membership in that household (Mat. 10:22; Luke 8:15; John 8:31; 15:4-6). The promise of God will fulfill this holding fast to our high priest (1Thes. 5:24; Jude 24-25).

over the house... This hope rests in Christ Himself, whose redemptive work has accomplished our salvation (Rom. 5:1-2).

1Cor. 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

2Cor. 6:16 “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

We have seen, that the salvation that Moses brought was for the body here on this earth. This salvation for the people was a shadow of the great salvation to come. Just as the first Adam was a man of the flesh and the second Adam (Jesus Christ), was Spirit; we see these 2 salvation's were flesh and spirit. Let’s look at one more Scripture that should really clear this up for us.

Gal. 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

This leaves no doubt that we Christians are Christ’s abode here on the earth. Realizing this, how could we continue in sin?

But in addition, the call to draw near is appropriate since we have a great Priest over the house of God with all that this entails in the light of the writer’s previous discussions with us.

Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Let us draw... Seven commands for believers:

1. To draw near to God (Heb. 10:22).

2. To have pure conscience (Heb. 10:22).

3. To have clean bodies (Heb. 10:22).

4. To have unwavering faith (Heb. 10:23).

5. To provoke others to good works (Heb. 10:24).

6. To be regular church attendants (Heb. 10:25).

7. To exhort one another daily (Heb. 10:25; 3:13).

near with a... Four ways to draw near to God:

1. By boldness (Heb. 10:19; 4:14-16)

2. By the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19)

3. By a new and living way (Heb. 10:20)

4. By the high priesthood of Christ (Heb. 10:21

Based on what had been written, this was the heart of the invitation to those in the assembly who had not come to Christ. The same invitation is found in the first New Testament book to be written (Jas. 4:8), where James reveals the corollary of drawing near to God: God will draw near to you.

Asaph taught that it is a good thing to draw near to God (Psm. 73:28). The full restoration of Israel to God’s blessing is dependent upon them drawing near to Him (Jer. 30:18-22). In other words, it is an eschatological invitation coming to them in these last days (1:2).

This verse describes the prerequisites for entering the presence of God (Psm. 15): sincerity, security, salvation, and sanctification.

true heart in... An honest, earnest, sincere heart. The Greek term behind True or Sincere, carries the ideas of being true, genuine, and without ulterior motive (Jer. 24:7; Mat. 15:8). This one thing these Hebrews lacked: genuine commitment to Christ.

full assurance of... Greek: plerophoria, full conviction; certain (Heb. 10:22; 6:11; Col. 2:2; 1Thes. 1:5). Utter confidence in the promises of God is intended by the phrase. Such confidence will result in heartfelt assurance or security which will allow them to persevere through the coming trials. This is the first of a familiar triad: faith, hope (verse 23), and love (verse 24).

our hearts sprinkled... Not the body sprinkled by the water of separation, as under the law (Num. 19:2-10), but our hearts—the inner man—sprinkled by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:22; 12:24; 1Pet. 1:2). This is accomplished by faith in the blood (Rom. 3:24-25).

bodies washed with... Our bodies bathed, referring to actual cleanliness of body by the Holy Spirit, rather than to baptism (Lev. 15:8-27; 17:15-16).

with pure water... The imagery in this verse is taken from the sacrificial ceremonies of the Old Covenant, where blood was sprinkled as a sign of cleansing, and the priests were continually washing themselves and the sacred vessels in basins of clear water.

Again, being washed with pure water does not refer to Christian baptism, but to the Holy Spirit’s purifying a person’s life by means of the Word of God. (Eph. 5:25-26; Tit. 3:5). This is purely a New Covenant picture (Jer. 31:33; Eze. 36:25-26).

We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Our faith is counted unto us as righteousness. Sprinkled, means washed in the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Remember from the previous lesson, that the blood of animals could not give them a clear conscience. The blood of Jesus, only, can clear your conscience.

If we truly love God, and have a clear conscience in Him, we will want water baptism. Water baptism symbolizes being buried with Jesus and coming out of that watery grave to live a brand-new life in Him. This is the new birth. Remember, Jesus saying, You must be born again.

1Pet. 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

So the approach of believers should be with a sincere (alēthinēs, true, dependable, from aletheia, truth) heart in full assurance of faith. There ought to be no wavering in regard to these superlative realities. Rather each New-Covenant worshiper should approach God in the conscious enjoyment of freedom from guilt (having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience) and with a sense of the personal holiness that Christ’s sacrifice makes possible (having our bodies washed with pure water). The writer’s words are probably an exhortation to lay hold consciously of the cleansing benefits of Christ’s Cross and to draw near to God in enjoying them, putting away inward guilt and outward impurity. These verses approximate 1Jhn. 1:9.

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of [our] faith without wavering; (for he [is] faithful that promised;)”

Let us hold... Holding on, or the perseverance of the saints, is the human side of eternal security. It is not something done to maintain salvation, but is rather an evidence of salvation.

profession of our... Greek: homologia, agreement; terms of surrender; confession. Translated profession (Heb. 3:1; 4:14; 10:23; 1Tim. 6:12; 2Cor. 9:13) and "confession" (1Tim. 6:13). With affirmation of salvation.

faith without wavering... Jas. 1:4-8; Rom. 4:17; Mark 11:22-24. The idea is not to follow any inclination that leads back to the old covenant. In other ancient literature, the same Greek term is used of enduring torture.

Persecution will come (2Tim. 3:12), but God is faithful. Temptations will abound, but God is faithful to provide an escape (1Cor. 10:13). God’s promises are reliable (1Cor. 10:13; 1Thes. 5:24; Jude 24, 25). With that confidence, the believer can persevere.

So many people believe that once you have been baptized, you can go on about your business and God will save you, even if you get back into a sinful way of life. This can’t be. Once a person gives their life to Christ, they become a new creation and want to live for Him.

2Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

From that point on, their desire is to learn as much as they can by reading their bible and praying. Their desire is to learn more about God and to live to please Him, and not to go back into their old life of sin.

Mat. 10:22 “And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

This Scripture is in red in the Bible, so Jesus is speaking here.

Rev. 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

This is also in red, and is Jesus speaking.

This kind of confident access to God necessarily entails that believers hold unswerving to the hope we profess with full confidence in the reliability of God’s promises. The writer revealed in these verses that his concern for fidelity to the faith is not an abstraction, but a confrontation with real danger.

Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

let us consider... Greek: katanoeo. Translated consider (Heb. 10:24; 3:1; Mat. 7:3; Luke 12:24, 12:27; Acts 11:6; Rom. 4:19); perceive (Luke 6:41; 20:23); discover (Acts 27:39); and behold (Acts 7:31-32; Jas. 1:23-24). The same verb is used about Jesus (in 3:1). The invitation must be responded to individually, but the response also has a corporate side. They are members of a community of Hebrews whose initial attraction to Christ is in danger of eroding.

They have been considering a return to the Levitical system of Judaism to avoid the persecution (John 12:42-43). Mutual encouragement to make full commitment is crucial.

to provoke unto... Greek: paroxusmos, to make keen; urge; prick; provoke (Heb. 10:24) and contention (Acts 15:39). Usually has a negative sense, as is witnessed by its only other New Testament usage (Acts 15:39). The positive connotation which the word has in the present text means to stir up. It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to love and good works.

Two of Paul’s sayings in another book explain this best.

Rom. 11:14 “If by any means I may provoke to emulation [them which are] my flesh, and might save some of them.”

Rom. 12:15 “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”

love and to... An example of such mutual effort in the midst of persecution, was to be found at Corinth (2Cor. 8:1-7).

Brothers and sisters in Christ are like one great big family. Above all else, we should love each other. Paul explains that he tried to live in front of them, to set an example for them.

The writer revealed in these verses that his concern for fidelity to the faith is not an abstraction, but a confrontation with real danger. There was an urgent need for mutual concern and exhortation (toward love and good deeds) within the church he wrote to.

Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

the assembling of... Greek: episunagoge (see, 2Thes. 2:1). This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (Col. 3:12-16).

Collective and corporate worship is a vital part of spiritual life. The warning here is against apostasy in an eschatological context (2Thes. 2:10). The reference is to the approaching day (the second coming of Christ; 1Thes. 5:4).

as the manner... It would seem here that some had forsaken the Christian gatherings, perhaps because of the persecutions referred to in Heb. 10:32-33.

but exhorting one... Encouraging takes the form of comfort, warning, or strengthening. There is an eschatological urgency to the encouraging which requires an increased activity as the coming of Christ approaches (3:13; 1Thes. 4:18).

It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1Cor. 12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.

so much the... Christians should exhort one another to faithfulness, more and more, as the day of Christ draws near (see, 1Cor. 1:8).

This is a problem in our day. People are not going to church regularly. Some of the most used excuses are, I can meet with God anywhere, I don’t need to go to church, and those hypocrites down at that church really turn me off. Some sit at home and watch television, saying they do not have proper clothes to go to church, or they are tired and God will understand.

We see an example of the gathering to share the Word in the next Scripture.

Acts 20:7 “And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

You can see the great interest in learning more of God. He preached until midnight. We find a very good reason to go to church in the next Scripture.

1Cor. 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

His readers were not to abandon meeting together, as some were doing. Already there seemed to have been defections from their ranks, though his words might have applied to other churches where such desertions had occurred. In any case their mutual efforts to spur one another on should increase as they see the Day approaching (cf. Heb. 10:37; a well-known NT trilogy is included in these vv.: faith, Heb. 10:22; hope, Heb. 10:23; love, Heb. 10:24).

In referring again to the Second Advent, the writer left the impression he was concerned that genuine believers might cease to hope for the Lord’s coming and be tempted to defect from their professions of faith in Christ (cf. see 1:13-2:4; and Heb. 6:9). They must treat their future expectations as certainties (since He who promised is faithful). If they would only lift up their eyes, they could “see the Day approaching.”

Verses 26-29: These verses contain the fourth warning passage of Hebrews (2:1-4). The surrounding verses (verses 19-30), contain related exhortations, but the warning itself is limited to these verses They warn of the critical danger of turning from Christ’s once-for-all, perfect sacrifice back to their old ways.

if we sin willfully revels that this act is deliberate. It parallels the sin of (Num. 15:30-31). When one willingly or defiantly disobeyed God, there was no sacrifice for such apostasy. He had to die. This is the nature of the sin (in verse 26; verse 28 seems to allude to Deut. 17:2-7).

These verses record that upon the testimony of two or three witnesses, death by stoning was the punishment for apostasy, going after and serving false gods (Deut. 17:2). Now (in verse 29), the one who would despise the person of Jesus and His ministry as High Priest is worthy of even greater judgment.

(Verse 29; due to the verb and participles used), should not be understood as judgment that has happened because of such apostasy, but as judgment that would happen should such apostasy occur. The author places his recipients and himself (we), under this warning just as he did in the earlier warnings.

By so doing he demonstrates that the author does not say that anyone has committed this sin. He describes what would happen, not what has happened. He is describing a hypothetical situation. The severe admonition of this warning, and all others in Scripture, is God’s means to ensure our perseverance.

Verses 26-39: (See 6:1-8). This warning passage deals with the sin of apostasy; an intentional falling away or defection. Apostates are those who move toward Christ, hear and understand His gospel, and are on the verge of saving belief, but then rebel and turn away.

This warning against apostasy is one of the most serious warnings in all of Scripture. Not all of the Hebrews would respond to the gentle invitation (of verses 19-25). Some were already beyond response.

Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,”

if we sin... Seven Things We Can Do:

1. Sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth (Heb. 10:26).

2. Renounce Christ as the only sacrifice after we have received Him (Heb. 10:26).

3. Despise the gospel after we have received its knowledge (Heb. 10:26, 10:28).

4. Tread under feet the Son of God after knowing Him (Heb. 10:29).

5. Count Christ’s blood that once sanctified us, an unholy thing (Heb. 10:29).

6. Do despite or blaspheme the Holy Spirit of grace that we have received (Heb. 10:29).

7. Become an adversary after knowing the truth (Heb. 10:26-27).

The author is speaking rhetorically. (In verse 39), he excludes himself and genuine believers from this category.

willfully... Greek: hekousios, here, but translated willingly in 1Pet. 5:2. The Greek term carries the idea of deliberate intention that is habitual. The sin is rejecting Christ deliberately. These are not isolated acts.

According to the Mosaic legislation, such acts of deliberate, premeditated sin required exclusion from the congregation of Israel (Num. 15:30-31), and from its worship (Exo. 21:14). Such sins also excluded the individual from sanctuary in the cities of refuge (Deut. 19:11-13).

after that we... Receiving the knowledge of the truth is the same as tasting the good Word of God (Heb. 6:5). The Greek term denotes specific knowledge, not general spiritual knowledge (6:4; 1Tim. 2:4). Though the knowledge was not defective or incomplete, the application of the knowledge was certainly flawed. Judas Iscariot is a good example of a disciple who had no lack of knowledge, but lacked faith and became the arch-apostate.

there remaineth no... The first New Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:26-31). Next, Heb. 12:27. When one rejects Christ as the only sacrifice for sin, there remains no other. He will have to suffer the punishments of that rejection. Such are willful apostates, not ordinary backsliders (see, Heb. 6:4-9). As long as a backslider retains his faith in Christ and His atonement he can be renewed to repentance, but if he totally rejects Christ and His gospel, he becomes hopeless.

The apostate is beyond salvation because he has rejected the only sacrifice that can cleanse him from sin and bring him into God’s presence. To turn away from that sacrifice leaves him with no saving alternative. This is parallel to (Mat. 12:31).

2Pet. 2:20-21 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

We see from this, the seriousness of returning to a sinful way of life, after we have walked in full knowledge of God. When Jesus saved us, we were adopted into the family of God. To turn away from that would be like Esau not regarding his birthright. Our birthright into the family of God provided through Jesus Christ should be our most valued possession.

This is probably not speaking of slipping and unknowingly sinning, this is speaking of willfully going back into a sinful way of life. God is a loving God and a forgiving God. He just wants us to love Him enough that it will not be the desire of our heart to sin.

The Renewed Warning

The KJV translation here, if we sin willfully, is superior to NIV’s if we deliberately keep on sinning, as the words keep on overplay the Greek tense. As the context shows (cf. Heb. 10:23), the author was concerned here, as throughout the epistle, with the danger of defection from the faith. Most sin is deliberate, but the writer was here influenced by the Old Testament’s teaching about sins of presumption (cf. Num. 15:29-31) which lay outside the sacrificial provisions of the Law. Apostasy from the faith would be such a willful act and for those who commit it no sacrifice for sins is left (cf. Heb. 10:18).

Hebrews 10:27 “But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

certain fearful looking... Seven Judgments of Apostates:

There are seven judgments we shall experience if we do the seven things above:

1. Have no other sacrifice for sins

2. Certain fearful judgment (Heb. 10:27)

3. Fiery indignation that will devour all adversaries (Heb. 10:27)

4. Sorer punishment than being stoned to death under the law (Heb. 10:28-29)

5. Vengeance from God (Heb. 10:30)

6. Full judgment and recompense for sins committed (Heb. 10:30-31)

7. Fearful handling by God (31)

fearful... Greek: phoberos. Here; Heb. 10:31; Heb. 12:21. The judgment is certain to happen, so it engenders fear.

and fiery indignation... Jealousy; fervour of fire; or zeal of God in punishing apostates. A Hebraism. See Psm. 79:5; Eze. 36:5; 38:19; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8. The description is like that (in Isa. 26:11 and Zeph. 1:18; 2Thes. 1:7-9). Ultimately, such judgment is that of eternity in the lake of fire (Mat. 13:38-42, 49-50).

which shall devour... Greek: esthio, to consume like an eating disease; to vex. Translated devour (Heb. 10:27); live of (1Cor. 9:13); be eating (Mat. 26:26); and eat 53 times. Here it means eternal punishment for adversaries of God.

adversaries Greek: hupenantios, hostile; op-posers. Translated contrary in Col. 2:14. Actual opposition against God and toward the program of God in salvation (see Phil. 3:18-19).

As we have said so many times in these lessons, God is concerned with the condition of our heart toward Him. If we have a guilty conscience, we probably have sinned. If we do not place our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, we will be like the rest of the world, which the next verse describes very well.

Luke 21:26 “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

The sad thing is, that the things that are coming upon the earth, pale by comparison to the horrible fate of the lost at judgment day.

Rom. 2:15 “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

Bottom line is this; our conscience tells us whether we are saved or not. We need no one else to accuse us; we know in our heart what our true relationship with God is. What if we know in our heart we are lost? I can say one thing, repent and ask God to give you a new life in Him. God will not refuse those who earnestly seek Him.

If the efficacious sacrifice of Christ should be renounced, there remained no other available sacrifice which could shield an apostate from God’s judgment by raging fire. A Christian who abandons the confidence [he] had at first (Heb. 3:14) puts himself on the side of God’s enemies and, as the writer had already said, is in effect crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace (Heb. 6:6). Such reprehensible conduct can scarcely be worthy of anything but God’s flaming indignation and retribution. This, however, as stated earlier (cf. See Heb. 6:8), is not a reference to hell (cf. See Heb. 10:29).

Hebrews 10:28 “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:”

He that despised... He that rejected and denied the divine authority of the law died without mercy (Num. 15:30; Deut. 17:2-6).

Num. 15:36 “And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.”

In Numbers here, and in the Scripture above, we see the swift justice of the Old Testament. It appears to me that if we had some swift justice today, there would be fewer crimes against society. It seems today that sympathy lies with the criminal, in our society.

God’s law dealt with the criminal in the way it would stop crime. People did not get off, without paying a penalty for their crimes.

Under the Old Covenant, if an Israelite spurned the Mosaic Law and at least two or three witnesses verified his actions, he was put to death. This being true, the author then argued from the lesser to the greater. If defiance of an inferior covenant could bring such retribution, what about defiance of the New Covenant which, as he had made clear, is far superior? The answer can only be that the punishment would be substantially greater in such a case.

Hebrews 10:29 “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”

Of how much... Question 14. Next, Heb. 11:32.

sorer punishment, suppose... The offenses against the law were nothing compared to the seven sins of Heb. 10:26 we just went through, and punishment will be proportioned to the offense. There will be degrees of punishment in hell. This is also clearly indicated (in Mat. 11:22-24).

trodden under foot... Greek: katapateo. Translated tread underfoot (Heb. 10:29; Mat. 5:13; Luke 8:5; 12:1); and trample (Mat. 7:6). It means to treat the Son of God with utmost contempt and blasphemy. In the ancient Near East one of the gestures used to show contempt for someone was to lift up the foot against or toward them (Psm. 41:9). To walk on top of someone or something was a more extreme gesture showing utter contempt and scorn (2Kgs. 9:33; Isa. 14:19; Mica 7:10; Zec. 10:5). Such contempt demonstrates a complete rejection of Christ as Savior and Lord.

and hath counted... Greek: hegeomai. Translated count (Heb. 10:29; Phlp. 3:7-8; 2Thes. 3:15; 1Tim. 1:12; 6:1; Jas. 1:2; 2Pet. 2:13; 3:9); account (2Pet. 3:15); esteem (Phlp. 2:3; 1Thes. 5:13; Heb. 11:26); think (Acts 26:2; 2Cor. 9:5; Phlp. 2:6; 2Pet. 1:13); suppose (Phlp. 2:25). If one does this to the blood of Christ he is worthy of eternal punishment. Blood of the covenant (see 9:14-15). Christ’s death inaugurated or ratified the New Covenant.

he was sanctified... He was sanctified—not could have been, but was sanctified. This refers to personal holiness by the blood (Heb. 13:12, 13:20; 1Jhn. 1:7; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5), and proves that sanctified people can apostatize to the point of final rejection of Christ and be lost. This refers to Christ, in that He was set apart unto God (John 17:19).

an unholy thing... Ultimate Sin of Apostates; Greek: koinon, to make common or unclean. Translated an unholy thing (Heb. 10:29); common (Acts 2:44; 4:32; 10:14, 10:28; 11:8; Tit. 1:4; Jude 1:3); unclean (Rom. 14:14); and defiled (Mark 7:2). They count the blood of Christ a common thing, esteeming it of no value as an atonement. Once they did esteem it as the atonement or they could not have been sanctified by it; but later they became apostate, disregarding it altogether as unfit to redeem. To reckon Christ’s blood as something unclean is the same thing as saying that it is defiled and implies that Christ was a sinner and a blemished sacrifice. Such thinking is truly blasphemous.

hath done despite... Greek: enubrizo, insulted. Used only here.

despite unto the... The same title is utilized (in Zec. 12:10). Rejecting Christ insults the Spirit who worked through Him (Mat. 12:31-32), and who testifies of Him (John 15:26; 16:8-11).

In the last few lessons, we have been discussing how the grace of God-covenant was so much better than the law-covenant. The blood of animals could not do away with sin, they could only cover the sin. The blood of the precious Son of God washed the sin away.

We used the word abolished in the last lesson, and that is the best description of exactly what Jesus did, for all who believe in Him. In (verse 29 above), it is explaining just how terrible it is to count this blood sacrifice of the Son of God as nothing of any value. The value that they are regarding it is, in fact, so low that they are trodding it under foot.

To not obey the law of God, which was the lesser covenant, was punishable by death. This would imply that there should be a much worse punishment for the total disregard of the grace-covenant which is greater.

In order to show that this is so, the writer then placed defection from the faith in the harshest possible light. An apostate from the New Covenant has trampled the Son of God underfoot and has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant (cf. blood of the eternal covenant, Heb. 13:20) that sanctified him. The words sanctified him refer to true Christians. Already the writer to the Hebrews has described them as made holy (Gr. sanctified) through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb. 10:10) and as made perfect forever through this sanctifying work (Heb. 10:14). Some seek to evade this conclusion by suggesting that Christ is the One referred to here as sanctified or that the person only claims to be sanctified. But these efforts are foreign to the writer’s thought and are so forced that they carry their own refutation. The author’s whole point lies in the seriousness of the act. To treat the blood of the covenant (which actually sanctifies believers) as though it were an unholy (koinon, common) thing and to renounce its efficacy, is to commit a sin so heinous as to dwarf the fatal infractions of the Old Covenant. To this, an apostate adds the offense of insulting the Spirit of grace who originally wooed him to faith in Christ. This kind of spiritual rebellion clearly calls for a much worse punishment than the capital penalty that was inflicted under the Mosaic setup.

But again the writer was not thinking of hell. Many forms of divine retribution can fall on a human life which are worse than immediate death. In fact, Jeremiah made just such a complaint about the punishment inflicted on Jerusalem (Lam. 4:6, 4:9). One might think also of King Saul, whose last days were burdened with such mental and emotional turmoil that death itself was a kind of release.

Verses 30-31: These verses, along with (verses 27-29), reveal the severity and certainty of God’s judgment. At times, some express the idea that God’s punishment ought to be milder during this age of grace. They entertain the notion that judgment was more severe under the law. These verses should shatter that impression.

This harmonizes with what Jesus often taught. The man who has greater revelation will receive greater judgment (Mat. 11:20-24); and to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

One’s knowledge of God ought to strengthen, not weaken, his awareness of God’s inevitable judgment. His divine character demands justice and holiness; His divine attributes can perform punishment. The fifth warning passage; (12:18-29), further reveals God’s judgment.

Hebrews 10:30 “For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.”

Vengeance belongeth unto... The 22nd Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:30; Deut. 32:35). Next, Heb. 10:30.

The Lord shall... The 23rd Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:30; Deut. 32:36). Next, Heb. 10:37. (Quoted from Deut. 32:35-36; Psm. 135:4; Rom. 12:19).

We have discussed in these lessons before that the Judge of all the world is Jesus Christ. The desire of every Christian, that I know, is to hear the Lord say (Well done thy good and faithful servant). We are cautioned over and over not to judge each other, because we will be judged with the same judgment we dish out.

We see in this next Scripture that Jesus Christ is the Judge of all.

Acts 10:42 “And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God [to be] the Judge of quick and dead.”

I will give one more Scripture to show that there are more than two witnesses to the fact, that Jesus Christ is Judge.

2Cor. 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.”

These Scriptures leave no doubt that Jesus is the Judge.

Rom. 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

We see from this that God will take care of whatever punishment should be done, we have no need to take vengeance.

No one should regard such a warning as an idle threat. God Himself has claimed the right to take vengeance and to judge His people. In saying this, the author quoted twice from Deuteronomy (Deut. 32:35-36), a chapter which most vividly evokes the picture of God’s people suffering His retributive judgments (cf. esp. Deut. 32:19-27).

Hebrews 10:31 “[It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

the living God... A God who can punish eternally for insults from His enemies.

Pharaoh of Egypt was one of many in the Bible who found that it was not good to go against God or God’s people. The 10 plagues that came on Egypt, not only showed that Pharaoh was no match for God, but that all the false gods of Egypt were no match for God either.

Lucifer, who was the most beautiful angel in heaven, found that he was no match for God. God threw him out of heaven when he rebelled against Him. When Moses came down from the mount of God with the 10 Commandments, and found the people practicing idolatry, three thousand people lost their lives in payment for these sins.

Exo. 32:28 “And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.”

Aaron’s 2 sons found that God will severely punish those who disobey Him also. God killed them both for carrying strange fire into the temple.

It is bad for the devil to be attacking you, but you can pray and God will help you if this happens. If you have angered God, and He is punishing you, there is none above Him to call on for help. The best policy is obey God at the beginning and have no problems. I could go on and on, but I believe the point is made.

Those familiar with this text, as well as other descriptions of God’s wrath against “His people,” agree: it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Verses 32-39: In this section, a word of encouragement is presented to counterbalance the preceding grave warning (verses 19-31). The writer points out that the Hebrews’ former experiences should stimulate them, the nearness of reward should strengthen them, and the fear of God displeasure should prevent them from going back to Judaism.

Hebrews 10:32 “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;”

call to remembrance... Carries the idea of carefully thinking back and reconstructing something in one’s mind, not merely remembering (Acts 5:41; 2 Cor. 7:15).

the former days... Remembrance of Former Days:

1. They were illuminated (Heb. 10:32).

2. They endured persecutions (Heb. 10:32; Acts 8:1; 9:1; 12:1).

3. They became a gazingstock (Heb. 10:33). Greek: theatrizo, to be exhibited in theaters. Used only here (cp. 1Cor. 4:9)

4. They became companions of other suffering Christians (Heb. 10:33). Greek: koinonos (see, 2Cor. 1:7).

5. They had compassion on Paul (Heb. 10:34). Greek: sumpatheo. Translated touched with feeling in Heb. 4:15.

6. They took joyfully the spoiling of goods for the gospel’s sake (Heb. 10:34).

7. They knew their reward (Heb. 10:34).

ye were illuminated... knowledge of the truth as we saw in verse 26).

fight of afflictions... The motions of sins acted contrary to the law and were made exceedingly sinful by the law and that condemned them (Rom. 7:13). The law was the means of disclosing how sinful we were. The word is only here in the New Testament. It is a picture of the struggling athlete engaged in a rigorous contest (2Tim. 2:5). After being enlightened, they suffered (verse 33), became offended, and began to fall away.

Perhaps, no one had more afflictions to call to remembrance than Paul. Illuminated; in the verse above means: made to see. This next Scripture gives the meaning even more fully.

2Cor. 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Remember that this Light shone so brightly on Paul that he was blinded for 3 days, until God miraculously opened his eyes. Paul fought the good fight, but look at some of the things he endured along the way.

2Cor. 11:23-28 “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.” “Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one.” “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;” “[In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;” “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

If Jesus suffered, it is reasonable that His followers would suffer. We are no better than our leader.

2Tim. 2:12 “If we suffer, we shall also reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:”

The Renewed Encouragement

But as was his custom after the most severe admonitions, the writer chose to conclude his warning with a distinct note of encouragement.

An effective way to fortify people against future trials is to remind them of the courage they displayed in past ones. This is precisely what the writer did. His readers knew what it was to stand their ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. (The words stood your ground [hypemeinate] render the verb usually translated persevered, as in, e.g., Heb. 10:36).

Hebrews 10:33 “Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.”

made a gazingstock... The theater is alluded to with regard to the actors being placed on a stage where they can be observed by everyone. In the context of this verse, the idea is exposure to disgrace and ridicule, a spectacle (1Cor. 4:9).

both by reproaches... Greek: oneidismos. Here; Heb. 11:26; Heb. 13:13; Rom. 15:3; 1Tim. 3:7.

and afflictions; and... Greek: thlipsis, burdened (2Cor. 8:13); anguish (John 16:21); affliction.

ye became companions... These unconverted Hebrews had been close to persecution when it happened to the believers they associated with. They perhaps had suffered for that identification, including the seizure of their property, but had not yet turned away because they were still interested in the prospects of heaven (verse 34).

In the New Testament, there are examples of those who willingly exposed themselves to possible arrest and harassment because they sought to help those who were persecuted for their faith. Surprisingly, on one occasion, the Pharisees were among them.

The Pharisees warned Jesus about Herod’s pending attempt on Jesus’ life (Luke 13:31). Among genuine believers who might be given as examples of helping the persecuted, there was Onesiphorus (2Tim. 1:16-18).

1Cor. 4:9 “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

2Cor. 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

It was not a popular thing to be a follower of Jesus. Many, like Stephen, lost their life following Jesus. Even today, if you are very serious about following Jesus, you are classified as a fanatic. Christianity is just as unpopular with the world as it was then. We are not stoned yet, but we are criticized.

They knew what it was to be publicly shamed and persecuted, and also to support others who had such experiences (Heb. 10:33). They had shown sympathy for brethren who had been imprisoned, and they had suffered property loss with joy because they had an assurance of possessing heavenly wealth (Heb. 10:34).

Hebrews 10:34 “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.”

in heaven a... An everlasting inheritance (Heb. 9:15; 1Pet. 1:4; Rom. 8:17-18).

in my bonds... This is one of the supposed indicators used for identifying the author of this epistle as the Apostle Paul (Eph. 3:1; 2Tim. 1:8). However, many other Christians were also imprisoned.

Mat. 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

They had shown sympathy for brethren who had been imprisoned, and they had suffered property loss with joy because they had an assurance of possessing heavenly wealth (Heb. 10:34). They would do well to recall now their steadfastness in the past. Whatever they might now be facing — and the writer suggested it might be something similar — they would be helped if they would remember those earlier days after they had received the light (cf. received the knowledge in Heb. 10:26 and enlightened in Heb. 6:4).

Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.”

Cast not away... Greek: Apollo, to throw away; lose. Here and Mark 10:50. The reference is to cowardly soldiers, who throw away their weapons and flee from battle. Your confidence is your shield. So, keep it and use it (Eph. 6:10-18)! Due to their current persecutions, they were tempted to run away from their outward identification with Christ and Christians and to apostatize (verse 23; Deut. 32:15, 18).

therefore your confidence... Greek: parrhesia. (see, Acts 4:13). boldness , outspokenness. Translated:

1. Boldness of speech (2Cor. 7:4)

2. Plainness of speech (2Cor. 3:12)

3. Freely (Acts 2:29)

4. Openly (Mark 8:32; John 7:4, 7:13; 11:54; 18:20; Col. 2:15)

5. Boldly (John 7:26; Eph. 6:19; Heb. 4:16)

6. Boldness (Acts 4:13, 4:29, 4:31; Eph. 3:12; Phlp. 1:20; 1Tim. 3:13; Heb. 10:19; 1Jhn. 4:17)

7. Confidence (Acts 28:31; Heb. 3:6; 10:35; 1Jhn. 2:28; 3:21; 5:14)

recompense of reward... They are closer than ever to the eternal reward. It is no time to turn back.

This was no time for them, then, to throw away their confidence (parrēsia, cf. Heb. 3:6; 4:16; 10:19). As the author’s exposition of the eternal inheritance — the glory of the many sons — had sought to show, that confidence, if retained, will be richly rewarded.

Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

done the will... To trust in Christ fully by living daily in the will of the Father.

receive the promise... If they would remain with the New Covenant and put their trust exclusively in Christ, they would obtain the promise of salvation for themselves.

This is saying; patiently await the coming of the Lord. Do not stop doing the job God has called you to do. Move forward for God. If we do not move forward for God, we will be going backward. We never stay the same.

Christianity involves day to day living. Many people, who put a date on the coming of the Lord, lose their faith when He does not come at that time. Our Bible warns us about people who question the coming of the Lord.

2Pet. 3:3-4 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,” “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.”

Read the rest of 2Peter chapter 3 to get the full impact of this. The promise is of eternal life with Him. When it happens is not our concern.

What the readers needed, therefore, was just what the writer had often said and implied: to persevere (lit., you had need of perseverance, hypomonēs echete chreian) so that by thus doing God’s will (cf. Heb. 10:9) they would receive what God had promised. As much as anything, these words express the central exhortation of the Book of Hebrews.

Verses 37-38 The loose reference to (Hab. 2:3-4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11), is introduced by a phrase taken from (Isa. 26:20). This is the second reference to the Isaiah passage (verse 27), which is part of a song of salvation. The passage (in Isa. 26; or its greater context, Isa 24-27), is perhaps uppermost in the writer’s mind.

The Habakkuk reference is altered considerably so that it is more of an interpretive paraphrase drawing on the other Old Testament concepts and contexts. (Hab. 2:4-5), is descriptive of the proud who do not live by faith. It is the proud who are self-sufficient and who fail to realize the necessity of patient endurance and trust in God.

The proud Jew will be rejected if he does not exercise faith. He will be judged along with the nations.

Hebrews 10:37 “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

For yet a... The 24th Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:37; 2:3). Next, Heb. 10:38. This refers to the coming of Christ (Heb. 9:28; Dan. 7:13-14; Zec. 14:1-5; Rev. 19:11-21).

he that shall... At the time that was established at the foundation of the world, Jesus will come for His bride (Christians). God is not delaying, but is waiting that one more might repent and be saved before Jesus comes.

2Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

If their concern was about the delay of the Second Advent, they should rest assured that in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. These words and those that follow were adapted by the author from the Septuagint of Isa. 26:21 and Hab. 2:3-4. But they were used freely and were not intended as a precise quotation, since no words such as He says introduced them.

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Now the just... The 25th Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 10:38; Hab. 2:4). Next, Heb. 11:18. Faith is the beginning of justification (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9). Faith is also the continuation of justification (Heb. 10:38-39). The opposite of apostasy is faith. This is a preview of the subsequent chapter. It is faith which pleases God. The individual who draws back from the knowledge of the gospel and faith will prove his apostasy.

This is a subject, few can agree on. In my opinion, this Scripture, along with many more in the Bible, states that once we have been saved, we must walk in that salvation.

2Pet. 2:21 “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”

Luke 12:47 “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes].”

man draw back... Greek: hupostello, to let down; shrink back from. Translated draw back (Heb. 10:38); withdraw (Gal. 2:12); shun (Acts 20:27); and keep back (Acts 20:20). If Christians could not do this, these scriptures would mean nothing.

my soul shall... God has a soul. God is a Spirit Being, not the sun, moon, stars; nor an image of wood, stone, or metal; and not beast or man. He is not the air, wind, universal mind, love or some impersonal quality.

He is a person with a personal spirit body, a personal soul, and a personal spirit, like that of angels, and like that of man except His body is of spirit substance instead of flesh and bones (Job 13:8; Heb. 1:3). He has a personal spirit body (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19); shape (John 5:37); form (Phlp. 2:5-7); image and likeness of a man (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; Eze. 1:26-28; 1Cor. 11:7; Jas. 3:9). He has physical parts such as, back parts (Exo. 33:23), heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21), hands and fingers (Psm. 8:3-6; Heb. 1:10; Rev. 5:1-7), mouth (Num. 12:8), lips and tongue (Isa. 30:27), feet (Eze. 1:27; Exo. 24:10), eyes (Psm. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18), ears (Psm. 18:6), hair, head, face, arms (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19; Rev. 5:1-7; 22:4-6), loins (Eze. 1:26-28; 8:1-4), and other physical parts. He has bodily presence (Gen. 3:8; 18:1-22) and goes from place to place in a body like all other persons (Gen. 3:8; 11:5; 18:1-5, 18:22, 18:33; 19:24; 32:24-32; 35:13; Zec. 14:5; Dan. 7:9-14; Tit. 2:13). He has a voice (Psm. 29:1-11; Rev. 10:3-4); breath (Gen. 2:7); and countenance (Psm. 11:7). He wears clothes (Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-19); eats (Gen. 18:1-8; Exo. 24:11); rests (Gen. 2:1-4; Heb. 4:4); dwells in a mansion and in a city located on a material planet called Heaven (John 14:1-3; Heb. 11:10-16; 13:14; Rev. 21:1-27); sits on a throne (Isa. 6:1-13; Dan. 7:9-14; Rev. 4:1-5; 22:3-6); walks (Gen. 3:8; 18:1-8, 18:22, 18:33); rides (Psm. 18:10; 68:17; 104:3; Eze. 1:1-28); and engages in other activities.

He has a personal soul with feelings of grief (Gen. 6:6), anger (1Kgs. 11:9), repentance (Gen. 6:6), jealousy (Exo. 20:5), hate (Pro. 6:16), love (John 3:16), pity (Psm. 103:13), fellowship (1Jhn. 1:1-7), pleasure and delight (Psm. 147:10), and other soul passions like other beings (Gal. 5:22-23).

He has a personal spirit (Psm. 143:10; Isa. 30:1) with mind (Rom. 11:34), intelligence (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 11:33), will (Rom. 8:27; 9:19), power (Eph. 1:19; 3:7, 3:20; Heb. 1:3), truth (Psm. 91:4), faith and hope (Rom. 12:3; 1Cor. 13:13), righteousness (Psm. 45:4), faithfulness (1Cor. 10:13), knowledge and wisdom (Isa. 11:2; 1Tim. 1:17), reason (Isa. 1:18), discernment (Heb. 4:12), immutability (Heb. 6:17), and many other attributes, powers, and spirit faculties.

He has been seen physically many times (Gen. 18:1-33; Gen. 32:24-30; Exo. 24:9-11; Jos. 5:13-15; Isa. 6:1-13; Dan. 7:9-13; Eze. 1:1-28; Acts 7:56-59; Rev. 4-5), and can be understood by the things that are made. Man is the visible image and likeness making the invisible God clearly seen as in Rom. 1:20.

The author employed Paul’s description of a person who is justified by faith. It is likely that the writer of Hebrews understood it similarly. A justified person ought to live by faith, which is what the writer had been urging his readers to do. But, if he shrinks back, that is, if the righteous one commits apostasy, denouncing his Christian profession, God’s favor cannot rest on his life. By understating the serious consequences, the writer softened his words so that he would not distract from his predominant note of encouragement.

Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

draw back unto... The writer expresses confidence that believing readers (we), will not be counted among those who fall away to destruction. Apostates will draw back from Christ but there are some who are near to believing who can be pulled out of the fire (Jude 23).

perdition... destruction, also translated perdition, is commonly used in the New Testament of the everlasting punishment or judgment of unbelievers (Mat. 7:13; Rom. 9:22; Phil. 1:28; 3:19; 1Tim. 6:9). Judas is called the son of perdition (a Semitism meaning perdition bound; John 17:12). That man of lawlessness is referred to as the son of destruction, i.e., destruction bound (2Thes. 2:3).

but of them... This is proof that those who draw back unto perdition lose their souls.

to the saving... Preservation from eschatological destruction is the concept of preserving in this context. In the context of (Isa. 26:20-21; verse 19), the eschatological preservation includes resurrection from the dead. The writer connects faith and resurrection in the example of Abraham (11:19).

Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

The word believeth means to continually believe.

1Jhn. 5:5 “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Overcometh means to continually overcome. Perdition above means ruin or loss. Some of the adjectives that describe that loss are; spiritual, eternal, damnable, destruction, die and perish. This shows the severity of going back into a sinful way of life after you have chosen Christianity as your way of life.

Then he affirmed, But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed. Here the original text has an emphatic we, which the writer might have intended as an editorial we, of which he was quite fond (cf. Heb. 2:5; 5:11; 8:1; etc.). Then he would mean: As far as I am concerned, I am determined not to shrink back and experience the ruin which divine retribution would bring. The words are destroyed reflect the Greek apōleia, which can refer either to temporal or eternal ruin. In this context the former is correct. Instead of the ruin which an apostate invites, the writer intended to be among those who believe and are saved. The NIV rendering should not be misread as a reference to conversion. Though the author’s own normal word for salvation does not occur here, the expression and are saved somewhat freely translates eis peripoiēsin psychēs. A viable rendering of the last half of Heb. 10:39 would be: but [we are] of faith leading to the preservation of the soul (cf. See 1Pet. 2:9). But soul here should be understood in the Hebraic sense of the person himself, or his life, and refers in this context to the way in which persistence in the faith preserves an individual from the calamities that overtake those who shrink back. Even if the writer was speaking primarily of his own purpose of heart, he clearly intended that to be shared by his readers. Thus the concluding statement of his warning passage (Heb. 10:19-39) amounts to a call for determination and perseverance.