HEBREWS – PART ONE – LESSON 3
“God Has Spoken; Oh, Won’t You Listen?”
Kay Arthur, Teacher
Once again we are going to look at Hebrews, and we are going to see what Hebrews is all about. We are going to come at it from several different angles as we spend this last week on our overview. Next week, we will get into those precious truths for us in Chapter 1. I want to give you some information for your horizontal book chart. You might want to take these down, and then later you can add those things that are pertinent to that book chart. As we look at the book of Hebrews, I want to give you the date of the writing of this book. We believe that Hebrews was written (probably) between 65 and 70 A.D., and probably not beyond 70 A.D. The reason that we believe this is because of the internal evidence of the book. Internal evidences are truths that you find written right within the book that give us evidence for those facts about the book that are not clearly stated other places.
Let me give you three reasons that we believe that it was sometime between 65 and 70 A.D. #1. These Christians that received the book of Hebrews seemed to be second generation Christians. Some people object to that, but they are “second hearing” Christians, if you don’t like “generation.” Let me show you this. Look at Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” [And here is the reason we believe that it is not to Christians that heard Christ, but are second generation or second hearing Christians.] (3) “After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard. (4) God also bearing witness with them (those who heard), both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” [So when we look at the book of Hebrews, we realize that, first of all, here is our Lord. We will just draw this diagram by a cross. Here is our Lord, and our Lord spoke. When He spoke, there were those who heard Him. Here are those that heard what Jesus Christ had to say. Now these that heard Him then in turn spoke again, and they spoke to people that had never heard Jesus Christ in person, but they knew that these people were sent from Jesus Christ, and that they were giving them the very words of Jesus Christ, because the people who spoke had their message confirmed by signs and by wonders and by miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit. These five gifts testified to the fact that these were people who had heard Jesus Christ.
Just stop and think. How did Nicodemus know that Jesus was sent from God? He came to Him, and said, “We know that no man could be doing the miracles that you are doing unless God had sent him.” We know from John that the miracles and signs and wonders that Jesus Christ did testified that He was from God. He spoke the message, then we have the apostles, disciples, and others who heard them, and they in turn spoke the message. This is the Hebrew Christian. That is why some refer to them as “second generation” Christians. Those of the first generation heard, were saved, and then gave the message to the second generation—who heard and who were saved. The reason why they would put a date of about 65-70 A.D.(and they would not move the date up here to 29 or even a little bit before 29 A.D.) is because they feel that they are second generation. Some object to the term “second generation”, because they say, “These could have been people who were there at the day of Pentecost, who heard the message from Peter, and therefore, were not second generation in the sense that they were younger chronically. There simply heard the message from Peter, and then went to live in other parts of the Roman Empire, and took the gospel with them. Either way, you understand what I am saying.
The second reason for putting the date close to, but not beyond 70 A.D. is because they believe from the author’s use of the present tense, when he refers to the Temple and the offerings and the sacrifices that, #2.The Temple was standing at that time. They say, “If the temple was not standing at that time, then he would have used the past tense.” Let’s look at several Scriptures. Go to Hebrews 8:4. “Now if He (Christ) were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; (5) who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle.” [So he is talking about offering gifts.]
Now go to Hebrews 10:11, and let me show you one other passage, so that you will understand it. (11) “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;” [He is implying that the temple in Jerusalem was still standing, and therefore, although Christ had offered His sacrifice on Calvary, still the priest were in the temple inside Jerusalem, and they were going through the ritual, offering sacrifices at the altar of bronze, or the altar of brass. They believe that it has to be up until 70 A.D., but it cannot be written after 70 A.D., because in 70 A.D. the temple was destroyed when Titus took Jerusalem. So they believe that the date is between 65 and 70 A.D.
Another reason for a late date, backing right up to 70 A.D., is because, #3. This was a time ofpersecution and it did not seem like it was a time of persecution such as Paul was bringing on the church when he was dragging the people to the synagogues before he was converted, and taking them before the Sanhedrin. They believe that it was a time of persecution under the Roman Empire. The reason they believe that (or the reason I believe it, because I didn’t read this in any commentaries) is because of Hebrews 10:32. “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of suffering, (33) partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. (34) For you showed sympathy to the prisoners (so people were being imprisoned for the gospel), and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property.” [“The seizure of their property…” You know from history that the Romans said, “If you will turn in a Christian, if you find anyone who will not bow the knee to Caesar, and say that Caesar is God, if you will turn them in to us, then we will give you their property.” From this, we would probably assume that the time of persecution broke out in great strength under Nero, in A.D. 64. In A.D. 67. Paul was put to death;he died a martyr’s death.
Also, in Hebrews 13:23, we see thatTimothy is still living, but he has just been released. “Take notice that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I shall see you.” [If Paul died in 67 A.D., we have no record of Timothy being in prison at that time. We have Paul in his final imprisonment in II Timothy, and he is saying to Timothy, “Come to me, my son, before winter.” So we could almost narrow it down to between 67 A.D. and 70 A.D., if Paul had not yet been put to death. Or Paul may still be in prison. Some people believe that Paul wrote the epistle, or this word of exhortation to the Hebrews, but no one really knows who wrote it. So I am not going to even debate the issue. I tell you one reason why I believe that Paul could not have written it, and that is because Paul had the signs of an apostle. He was the one that was directly taught by the Lord, although he never saw the Lord in His physical body on earth. Still, after Paul came to know Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ personally taught Paul, and then Paul went forth with the gospel, and he says (at the end of Romans) that the signs of an apostle were wrought with him with signs and miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. So that is all that I think you need to know.]
I believe Hebrews was written to Hebrew Christians. They say that the word “Hebrews” or “Jews” was tacked on later, but I believe it was written to Hebrew Christians. One of the reasons that I believe that is because there are 86 direct Old Testament references in the book of Hebrews, and they are traceable to 100 Old Testament passages. But listen, every Old Testament quote is a quote from the Septuagint. A way to abbreviate the Septuagint is LXX. The Septuagint was an Old Testament Greek translation. They took the Old Testament (in the Hebrew), and they translated it into the koine Greek. The reason they did this was because, after the Jews were scattered, and before the New Testament days ever began (and they began for us with the coming of Jesus Christ), after the Jews were scattered, many Jews were born in other countries. They were raised with the language around them, rather than knowing the Hebrew. So the Jews were burdened for the Jews that did not know the Hebrew language, so they took the language of the Greek Empire, which was koine Greek, and they translated the Old Testament into the koine Greek, and they called that translation the Septuagint. Therefore, because of this, people believe that this was written, not to Jews who were living in Jerusalem, but rather to Hellenistic Jews. Hellenistic Jews were Jews that had been scattered, Jews of the dispersion that were living in other parts of the Roman Empire.
When you look at Hebrews, I want to show you what its unique possession in the New Testament is, because this is where it is going to get exciting, and, I hope, real practical to you. It is unique because of the emphasis Hebrews places upon Jesus Christ. So I want to show you how you see Jesus in the New Testament. The gospels describe Jesus’ finished work here on earth. You see this, because John closes almost after the resurrection. John closes with Jesus hanging on the cross, and crying, “tetelestai”. (It is finished.) His work has been done; everything that is needed for your salvation and mine has been wrought in the birth, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So that is what the gospels present. The book of Acts shows us His (Christ’s) ongoing ministry through the church. Acts opens up with, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” In Acts, you see Jesus ascending, and the Holy Spirit descending, inhabiting men prominently as a resident within them, as a seal of their salvation, enduing them with power from on high. So you have Jesus’ ongoing ministry as they serve the Lord and take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.
In the general epistles you see Jesus as head over the body. You see the emphasis of Christ as the head of the church in different aspects. When you come to Revelation, you see Him as the coming king. So then, what does Hebrews show us? What is unique about Hebrews? What makes Hebrews almost a gem of the whole New Testament? What makes Hebrews so special, and so vital, and so needed for the church of Jesus Christ in times like this? It is because, while the gospels show us Jesus’ finished work on earth, Hebrews shows us Christ’s ongoing work in heaven, or His ongoing ministry in heaven. I want to ask you, what is that ministry in heaven? Interceding, as a high priest, interceding for us. Isn’t that wonderful?
Emily just went on this trip with me to the Concerned Women of America convention. We were talking about Hebrews, and what God had laid on my heart to say at that convention. She said, “I have always known the truths of Hebrews. I know that Christ is at the right hand of the throne of God. I know that He has been exalted there. I know that He is interceding. But for the first time, it hit me that His one work, His one focus, is interceding for me.” Day in and day out Jesus has only one ministry now. That ministry, precious one, is to intercede for you, and because He is interceding for you, you can make it. Because He is interceding for you, you can be more than a conqueror. Because He is interceding for you, He is not only able to save you from the penalty of sin, but He is able to save you, day by day, from the power of sin. He is able to keep you forever. He is able to sanctify you forever, since “He ever lives to make intercession for you.” The same thing has happened to me—the same wonderful thing has happened to me. Every time I have gone out to speak, to minister, I have been down on my knees, and I have been walking and talking (on my knees, you know) and telling the Lord, “Lord, You are interceding for me.” If you are tempted, He is interceding, and He can understand, no matter where you are, no matter what the situation. If you are being persecuted, He is interceding, and you don’t have to drift away. You don’t have to walk away; you don’t have to give up. He is interceding!
I want to look at the book of Hebrews with you, and I want to go through and look at the emphasis in Hebrews on Christ, our high priest. The word “priest” or “priesthood” is used approximately 35 times. (It really depends on whether you are using the King James Version or the New American Standard.) Therefore, it is a key word. The author of Hebrews states a truth, drops a truth, and almost walks away from it, digresses a little while and gives you a warning, or gives you a word of exhortation. Then he picks up that truth that he dropped, and he takes it and develops it more fully. This is what you see happening in the book of Hebrews.
The first mention of Christ as our priest is in Chapter 2:17. This is the first actual use of the word “priest.” (17) “Therefore,” [The “therefore” goes back to the fact that He gives help to the seed of Abraham.] “He had to be made like His brethren (like you and me) in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” [Listen, he is talking to people that know this Old Testament economy. They know the work of the priesthood. They know that the priest, on the Day of Atonement, would take the blood of a bull for himself, the blood of a goat for the people, and that he would go in, entering three times on that Day of Atonement, first, swinging the incense. Then going in with the blood of the bull for his sins, and then going in with the blood of the goat for the people’s sins. They knew that every year on YomKippur, the Day of Atonement, that he would go in and make propitiation for the sins of the people. He is telling them why Christ became a man. Christ became a man so that He might become a priest, because every priest was chosen from among men. So He became a man that He might become a priest, so that He might make propitiation for the sins of the people.]
As a man He was tempted (the next verse tells you this, and you might want to look at it) in that which He suffered. In other words, this was hard on Him, and He felt the pains of the flesh and the drawing of the flesh. He stood in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He said, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” So He knew these pains, and knew the temptation, and He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. You have a high priest that understands, don’t you?
The last reference to Christ as high priest is not to Christ, but is to the high priest that was living in Old Testament days, and up until the destruction of the Temple. This is Hebrews 13:11. (I want to give you the first and the last, and we are going to hit some of those in between.) (11) “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest” [He keeps referring to the Day of Atonement, because that is the only day that the high priest went into the Holy of Holies.] “as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp.” [Let me show you this quickly, because we won’t get into it until we get to Hebrews, Part Two, but you can appreciate it now.]
This is a diagram of the tabernacle or the temple. It was like a great rectangular tent. It had a door in it (only one door) by with you could get in. That door symbolized the fact that Jesus was the way to God—the only way to God. In John 10, He says, “I am the door.” The first thing that you met as you went into the tabernacle was the altar of brass. They would bring the sacrifice, and they would bind the sacrifice (the animal) whenever they sinned, with cords to the horns of the altar. Then the man that brought the sacrifice would have the priest lay his hands upon his head, and upon the animal’s head. The man would then confess his sin, the priest would hand him a knife, and the man would kill the animal. The blood would come over the man’s hand, to show the man that this animal was dying in his place. This is what they did when they made a sin offering. This went on day in and day out, day in and day out, and the priest ministered right here, offering sacrifices. The Old Testament tells us that offered sacrifices for sin. The New Testament tells us that it could never take away our sins, because they were animal sacrifices.