The Letter To Hebews

[Odë:hgöd]

.
The letter to Hebrews is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his
countrymen once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel
9:25-26, Messiah should've been here and gone prior to foreigners destroying the
second Temple.

The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.

Jesus' miracles are useful for validating him too. However, when a miracle-working
prophet appears to the Jews as someone attempting turn them away from Yahweh,
then Deut 13:1-5 requires that the prophet's message be ignored and he be put to
death no matter whether his miracles were for real or not.

* Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this
one in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around
the Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the
Old Testament usually always encounter a bit of difficulty with his letter.

Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 1:1-2a . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at
many times and in various ways,

The author-- unknown by either name or gender --was apparently a Jew because
the pronoun "our" associates him with the people to whom the prophets spoke.

● Heb 1:2b . . but in these last days he has spoken to us, by His son.

Well-versed Jews will recognize this particular son from the second Psalm whom,
according to the Talmud (Sukkah 52) is Messiah, a.k.a. Mashiyach (maw-shee'-akh)

This "spoken to us by His son" wasn't unexpected; for example:

● Deut 18:15-19 . . .The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of The
Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said; Let us not hear
the voice of The Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.

. . .The Lord said to me: What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet
like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will
tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that
the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

● John 1:44-45 . . Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
Philip found Nathanael and told him: We have found the one Moses wrote about in
the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote

● John 4:25 . . The woman said: I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming.
When he comes, he will explain everything to us.

* The title "son of God" is commonly believed by Christians to be an indication of
deity; and it is, but not in the way they think. All messianic kings were sons of God
in their own turn; beginning with David (Ps 89:20-27) then Solomon (1Kings 1:13-
-39, 1Chron 22:9-10) Zerubbabel (Hab 2:21-23) and finally Messiah, the chiefest of
them all. (Ps 45:1-17)

● Heb 1:2c . .whom He has appointed heir of all things,

In the Bible, a man's eldest son is usually his principle heir. The rank of eldest
however isn't restricted to the son born first; but can be conferred upon a younger
sibling, for example: Ishmael to Isaac (Gen 21:10-12) Esau to Jacob (Gen 25:23)
Reuben to Joseph (Gen 49:3-4, 1Chr 5:1) and Manasseh to Ephraim. (Gen 48:13-14)

The eldest can also be demoted due to conduct unbecoming, e.g. Rueben's position
was transferred to Joseph due to Reuben's affair with one of his father Jacob's
women. (Gen 49:3-4, 1Chr 5:1)

Also, a father's superiority can be superseded by one of his sons when the son is
elevated to a position higher than his father's. For example David is God's firstborn
among kings on earth, but one of David's men is far more superior due to his
position above the earth. (Dan 7:13-14, Ps 110:1 cf. Matt 22:41-45, and Phil 2:6-11)
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 1:2d . . and through whom He made the worlds.

The Son hasn't always existed as a human being. He previously existed as a
powerful supernatural being called The Word in John 1:1-3 before existing as the
flesh per John 1:14.

When reading the first chapter of Genesis, one characteristic of God that stands out
is His voice, to wit: "God said" at least eight times in that chapter. Well; I think we
can safely deduce that the Son (a.k.a. The Word) was active in creation as God's
voice, viz: he was the vocal element in that chapter. Just exactly how God's voice
exists as a supernatural being is beyond the limits of my comprehension to
understand.

There's quite a bit of on-going controversy over the Greek word translated "worlds"
probably because it's so ambiguous. We can keep it simple by just letting it pertain
to an aggregate consisting of the human world, the beast world, the bug world, the
bird world, the water world, the vegetation world, the microscopic world, and the
netherworld. Plus; there's the larger world, to wit: the entire realm of nature, i.e.
the cosmos; which includes everything terrestrial and celestial.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 1:3a …The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of
his being,

The Greek word translated "radiance" speaks of luminosity; but not a source of
illumination, rather, it's the glow produced by a source, i.e. the shine; sort of like
early morning twilight in the east. We see the sun's glow in the sky at that time of
day, but the sun itself reains secluded below the horizon. (cf. John 1:4-10)

* Unfortunately this is the only place in the entire New Testament where that Greek
word is used so we can't compare its application in other places.

Anyway; that verse depicts the Son as a tangible representation of something and/or
someone intangible, and its ramifications are as disturbing as they are astounding
because it means that whenever, wherever, and however the Supreme Being
interacted with human life, He did so via the Son rather than Himself in person.

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son-- who is in the bosom of
the Father --he has declared Him." (John 1:18)

"You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." (John 5:37)

Compare those to this:

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden." (Gen 3:8)

And this:

"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of
Israel: and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a
paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw
God, and did eat and drink." (Ex 24:9-11)

Ancient rabbis were baffled by what seemed to them as two Jehovahs in the
Tanakh; especially during the Akida (a.k.a. the offering of Isaac) wherein a Jehovah
on earth speaks for, speaks about, and speaks as, a Jehovah in heaven. So they
gave this mysterious person names like Metatron: basically a celestial being whose
name is his master's.

The rabbis were somehow unaware that the Supreme Being interacts with His
creatures by means of a divine proxy; thus working closely with Man while at the
same time keeping Himself isolated from Man.

Point being; Jesus' claims in John's epistle seemed blasphemous to certain Jews at
least partially because he seemed to them saying he was someone like Metatron,
which is practically all the same as claiming to be Jehovah, i.e. God.
_

 

[Eleanor]

.
The letter to Hebrews is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his
countrymen once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel
9:25-26, Messiah should've been here and gone prior to foreigners destroying the
second Temple.
The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.
Jesus' miracles are useful for validating him too. However, when a miracle-working
prophet appears to the Jews as someone attempting turn them away from Yahweh,
then Deut 13:1-5 requires that the prophet's message be ignored and he be put to
death no matter whether his miracles were for real or not.

* Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this
one in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around
the Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the
Old Testament usually always encounter a bit of difficulty with his letter.

To what difficulty are you referring?

 

[Odë:hgöd]

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● Heb 1:3b . . sustaining all things by His powerful word,

The Son's power as God's word is utterly baffling. The Son has a sentience all his
own as a person instead of only a voice, viz: the Son is God's right hand man, so to
speak; attuned to his master's mind and getting God's things done for Him the way
He wants them done. For example:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the
sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from my mouth: It will
not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it." (Isa 55:10-11)

In the beginning, the voice of God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth:" (Gen 1:11) and Voila! it was so because His sayings aren't just
noise, rather, they're dynamite, so to speak.

Why did God even bother to speak during creation? Why didn't the architect just do
His work silently without utterance or sound? To whom, or for whom, was He
speaking?

There's a creative, dynamic force in The Almighty's speech, a power and energy in
His words, a tangible release of divine life. His voice is an extension of His nature, a
movement of His will-- alive, powerful, and effective --not just letters, syllables,
and sounds. There is vigor and activity in God's speech extending far beyond the
applications of thought and communication.

● Heb 1:3c . . After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty in heaven.

NOTE: The name "Jesus" is absent from the letter to Hebrews until the ninth verse
of the second chapter. Till then, all focus is upon this mysterious person called the
Son: a divine being who obviously pr-existed his fleshly alter ego by a good many
thousands of years.

Anyway; the Son fulfilled Isaiah 53:5-6, and also the prophet's prediction that he
would be highly exalted (Isa 52:13-15). Today, right now, the Son isn't standing,
nor bowing, nor groveling, but seated at God's right hand per Psalm 110:1 which
says:

"Yahweh said unto my master: Seat yourself at my right hand, until I make your
enemies your footstool." (cf. Matt 22:42-45)

● Heb 1:4 . . So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has
inherited is superior to theirs.

The angels are classified as sons of God (Job 38:4-7). However, angels and God
aren't kinfolk; whereas the Son is. So his name merits a whole lots more respect.

● Heb 1:5a . . For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son; today I
have become your Father.

That's a reference to the 2nd Psalm. The great rabbi Rashi admitted that: "Our
rabbis expound it as relating to Messiah." So it is proper Jewish thinking to regard
the Son as God's kin-- His proper kin.

Well; if you were truly God's proper kin, then your name-- your family name -
would be God; just as my son is my proper kin, so his family name is the same as
mine, ergo: the Son is entitled to be addressed as God because he obtained the
God name legitimately, i.e. from father to son.

● Heb 1:5b . . Or again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?

That's taken from 2Sam 7:14 which at first glance pertains to Solomon; which it
does, but it's not limited to Solomon. It actually pertains to every messianic king in
David's line.

Now, those guys were all God's sons by means of their royalty, whereas the Son is
God's son due to the fact that God is his progenitor, i.e. the Son is an actual
descendant: in point of fact, he's God's one and only descendant; which is repeated
at least five times in the New Testament at John 1:14, John 1:18, John 3:16, John
3:18, and 1John 4:9.

* The phrase "I have become your Father" actually reads in the Greek: "I have
begotten you." The Greek verb there is gegénneeká which refers to procreation;
which may be, or may not be, literal seeing as how we've been discussing the Son
from a perspective that helps us to understand something supernatural that we
would likely not understand any other way except by explaining it in terms familiar
to us in the natural world.
_

 

[Eleanor]

.
● Heb 1:3b . . sustaining all things by His powerful word,

The Son's power as God's word is utterly baffling.

The Son is not God's word, nor is he the word of God.
Jesus never referred to himself as either, and nowhere in the NT is he called either.

Jesus is the Word who is God (Jn 1:1), not the word of God.

The Son has a sentience all his
own as a person instead of only a voice, viz: the Son is God's right hand man, so to speak;

The Son is God, the second person of the triune Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three separate persons in the one God.

attuned to his master's mind and getting God's things done for Him the way
He wants them done. For example:
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the
sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from my mouth: It will
not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it." (Isa 55:10-11)
In the beginning, the voice of God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth:" (Gen 1:11) and Voila! it was so because His sayings aren't just
noise, rather, they're dynamite, so to speak.
Why did God even bother to speak during creation? Why didn't the architect just do
His work silently without utterance or sound? To whom, or for whom, was He
speaking?
There's a creative, dynamic force in The Almighty's speech, a power and energy in
His words, a tangible release of divine life. His voice is an extension of His nature, a
movement of His will-- alive, powerful, and effective --not just letters, syllables,
and sounds.

There is vigor and activity in God's speech extending far beyond the
applications of thought and communication.

The Son of God is not the word of God, he is not speech. He is God, the second person of the triune Godhead.

● Heb 1:3c . . After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty in heaven.

The name "Jesus" is absent from the letter to Hebrews until the ninth verse
of the second chapter. Till then, all focus is upon this mysterious person called the
Son: a divine being who obviously pr-existed his fleshly alter ego by a good many
thousands of years.

The Son has existed as long as the Father and Holy Spirit have existed; i.e., always.

Anyway; the Son fulfilled Isaiah 53:5-6, and also the prophet's prediction that he
would be highly exalted (Isa 52:13-15). Today, right now, the Son isn't standing,
nor bowing, nor groveling, but seated at God's right hand per Psalm 110:1 which
says:
"Yahweh said unto my master: Seat yourself at my right hand, until I make your
enemies your footstool." (cf. Matt 22:42-45)
● Heb 1:4 . . So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has
inherited is superior to theirs.
The angels are classified as sons of God (Job 38:4-7). However, angels and God
aren't kinfolk; whereas the Son is. So his name merits a whole lots more respect.
● Heb 1:5a . . For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son; today I
have become your Father.
That's a reference to the 2nd Psalm. The great rabbi Rashi admitted that: "Our
rabbis expound it as relating to Messiah." So it is proper Jewish thinking to regard
the Son as God's kin-- His proper kin.

Well; if you were truly God's proper kin, then your name-- your family name -
would be God; just as my son is my proper kin, so his family name is the same as
mine, ergo: the Son is entitled to be addressed as God because he obtained the
God name legitimately, i.e. from father to son.
● Heb 1:5b . . Or again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?
That's taken from 2Sam 7:14 which at first glance pertains to Solomon; which it
does, but it's not limited to Solomon. It actually pertains to every messianic king in
David's line.
Now, those guys were all God's sons by means of their royalty, whereas the Son is
God's son due to the fact that God is his progenitor, i.e. the Son is an actual
descendant: in point of fact, he's God's one and only descendant; which is repeated
at least five times in the New Testament at John 1:14, John 1:18, John 3:16, John
3:18, and 1John 4:9.

* The phrase "I have become your Father" actually reads in the Greek: "I have
begotten you." The Greek verb there is gegénneeká which refers to procreation;
which may be, or may not be, literal

If it is not literal, then he is not the divine Son of God, which being a person of the Godhead, he necessarily is.

seeing as how we've been discussing the Son
from a perspective that helps us to understand something supernatural

It's not a "perspective," it is spiritual fact from the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16) to be received and believed.

that we would likely not understand any other way except by explaining it in terms familiar
to us in the natural world.

Or that is explained in precisely factual terms breathed out by God.

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 1:6 . . And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says: Let
all God's angels worship him.

The Greek word translated "worship" basically refers to homage and reverence, i.e.
acknowledging one's inferiority to a superior. For example the wise men's obeisance
to young Jesus as a monarch superior to themselves. (Matt 2:11)

● Heb 1:7-9 . . In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his
servants flames of fire." But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last
for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have
loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you
above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

That's a reference to Psalm 45. (The Son's "companions" probably refers to his
peers, i.e. fellow messianic kings all down the line.)

The angels that wait on God hand and foot are superior to humans, but they are
neither intrinsically divine nor are they ranked in Heaven as divine beings. Whereas
the Son is divine, and his divinity is intrinsic, i.e. inherited.

At the very least, the Son is ranked as a divine being, and occupies a position in
Heaven equal to a divine being; so the Son's power and authority definitely trumps
the angels' power and authority-- every angel; including the arch angels.
(According to Dan 10:13, there's more than one arch angel. Exactly how many
more is thus far uncertain.)

* The Hebrew version of the first half of Ps 45:6 is Kis'aka 'elohim 'olam wa'ed
which means: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever. However, the Hebrew word
for "God" is 'elohim, which is somewhat ambiguous because it can refer to other
dignitaries as well. It can mean judge, magistrate, and ruler. So the Hebrew could
legitimately be translated: Your throne, O ruler, will last for ever and ever. That
rendering seems the sensible choice seeing as how that Psalm doesn't actually
address God, but addresses a human being of Davidic royalty.

However, despite the fact that Psalm 45 obviously speaks of a human being, there
is yet no consensus opinion among Jewish Bible scholars how best to translate that
passage. The 1917 JPS version renders it: "Your throne, given of God,." The 1985
JPS changed it to: "Your divine throne is everlasting." The Stone Tanach renders it:
"Your throne is from God."

The author of Hebrews, on the other hand, is much less ambiguous. In the New
Testament, whenever the Greek word for "god" is preceded by the definite article
"ho"-- as in ho theos; which means "the god" --theos usually means The Almighty.
The interlinear of Heb 1:8 is Ho thrónos sou ho Theós which means, literally, "the
throne of yours, the god."

But why would the New Testament label a human being God? Well . . because
obviously the Son isn't only a human being; he's also a divine being who wields the
power and authority of the highest of all beings.

There's more:

● Heb 1:10-12 . . He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations
of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you
remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like
a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will
never end."

That's a reference to Psalm 102, where the Hebrew for "O Lord" is Jehovah, a.k.a.
Yahweh.

If true that the Son's identity is Yahweh, then he is a most surprising personage
because the very first of the Ten Commandments requires the Jews to afford him
their undivided loyalty.

● Ex 20:1-3 . . God spoke all these words, saying: I, Yahweh, am your God who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no
other gods besides Me. (1985 JPS Tanakh)

Now then; since no man has ever heard God's voice nor seen his shape, then the
God who spoke in that passage has to be a characterization of God whom we now
know, beyond even a hint of sensible doubt, to be none other than the Son we've
been examining in this first chapter of the letter to Hebrews.
_

 

[Eleanor]

.
● Heb 1:6 . . And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says: Let
all God's angels worship him.

The Greek word translated "worship" basically refers to homage and reverence, i.e.
acknowledging one's inferiority to a superior. For example the wise men's obeisance
to young Jesus as a monarch superior to themselves. (Matt 2:11)

Would it not in this case refer to the adoration given only to God?

● Heb 1:7-9 . . In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his
servants flames of fire." But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last
for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have
loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you
above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

That's a reference to Psalm 45. (The Son's "companions" probably refers to his
peers, i.e. fellow messianic kings all down the line.)
The angels that wait on God hand and foot are superior to humans, but they are
neither intrinsically divine nor are they ranked in Heaven as divine beings. Whereas
the Son is divine, and his divinity is intrinsic, i.e. inherited.

At the very least, the Son is ranked as a divine being, and occupies a position in
Heaven equal to a divine being; so the Son's power and authority definitely trumps
the angels' power and authority-- every angel; including the arch angels.

(According to Dan 10:13, there's more than one arch angel. Exactly how many
more is thus far uncertain.)

* The Hebrew version of the first half of Ps 45:6 is Kis'aka 'elohim 'olam wa'ed
which means: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever. However, the Hebrew word
for "God" is 'elohim, which is somewhat ambiguous because it can refer to other
dignitaries as well. It can mean judge, magistrate, and ruler. So the Hebrew could
legitimately be translated: Your throne, O ruler, will last for ever and ever. That
rendering seems the sensible choice seeing as how that Psalm doesn't actually
address God, but addresses a human being of Davidic royalty.

However, despite the fact that Psalm 45 obviously speaks of a human being, there
is yet no consensus opinion among Jewish Bible scholars how best to translate that
passage.

Php 2:9 comes to mind: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The 1917 JPS version renders it: "Your throne, given of God,." The 1985
JPS changed it to: "Your divine throne is everlasting." The Stone Tanach renders it:
"Your throne is from God."

The author of Hebrews, on the other hand, is much less ambiguous. In the New
Testament, whenever the Greek word for "god" is preceded by the definite article
"ho"-- as in ho theos; which means "the god" --theos usually means The Almighty.
The interlinear of Heb 1:8 is Ho thrónos sou ho Theós which means, literally, "the
throne of yours, the god."

But why would the New Testament label a human being God? Well . . because
obviously the Son isn't only a human being; he's also a divine being who wields the
power and authority of the highest of all beings.

There is only one divine being, God, in whom are three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are the one Divine Being.

There's more:

● Heb 1:10-12 . . He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations
of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you
remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like
a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will
never end."

That's a reference to Psalm 102, where the Hebrew for "O Lord" is Jehovah, a.k.a.
Yahweh.

If true that the Son's identity is Yahweh, then he is a most surprising personage
because the very first of the Ten Commandments requires the Jews to afford him
their undivided loyalty.

Ex 20:1-3 . . God spoke all these words, saying: I, Yahweh, am your God who
brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no
other gods besides Me.

then; since no man has ever heard God's voice nor seen his shape, then the
God who spoke in that passage has to be a characterization of God whom we now
know, beyond even a hint of sensible doubt, to be none other than the Son we've
been examining in this first chapter of the letter to Hebrews.

But the human son with voice did not exist at that time.
So that voice of Ex 20:1-3 would have been as much a characterization of the Son as it was of God.

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 1:13 . .To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

Well; the answer "to which" is none that I know of.

● Heb 1:14 …Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the
sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Point being, angels are merely gofers, so to speak. They share neither God's
throne nor His name; nor are any of them His direct kin, nor His heir apparent, nor
have any of them been entrusted to rule the four corners of the earth with a rod of
iron.

● Heb 2:1 . .We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have
heard, so that we do not drift away.

Drifting away suggests a curious crowd that gathers around a soap box to hear a
speech, and little by little, one by one, boredom sets in: the audience begins
dispersing and people move on to find something else to do. That would be akin to
attending a Billy Graham crusade, and by a month later totally forgetting
everything he talked about because we never gave his remarks a second thought.

● Heb 2:2-3a . . For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every
violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we
ignore such a great salvation?

Where were these angels about whom he speaks? Well; from Ps 104:4 we know
wind and fire can be made to serve as angels, i.e. something and/or someone that
coveys information and/or sights and sounds meant to leave an impression. Those
kinds of angels were very involved with Moses' people, e.g. the burning bush, the
parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the law from Mt. Sinai, the earthquakes, the
trumpets, the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Ignoring an angel is serious enough because they represent an extremely high
power, and they communicate for that power straight from His presidential palace;
for example:

"I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the
place that I have made ready. Pay heed to him and obey him. Do not defy him, for
he will not pardon your offenses, since My name is in him; but if you obey him and
do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes." (Ex
23:20-22)

That particular angel was deputized to stand in for God, to speak for God, to speak
in the first person as God, and to be obeyed as God.

Anyway, the Jews' rescue from Egypt's oppression was pretty amazing, but the
rescue heralded by Jesus is much more.

● Heb 2:3b-4 …This salvation, which was first announced by The Lord, was
confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders
and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

"the Lord" referred to in that passage is of course Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--about whom it's said:

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish
ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said: Rabbi, we know you are a
teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him." (John 3:1-2)

But the thing is: the Son is God's heir apparent. So if ignoring angels is bad, then
ignoring the Son's alter ego Jesus has to be even worse because the Son's position
in the divine hierarchy is much superior to any and all positions in the angelic hierarchy.
_

 

[Eleanor]

.
● Heb 1:13 . .To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?
Well; the answer "to which" is none that I know of.
● Heb 1:14 …Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the
sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Point being, angels are merely gofers, so to speak. They share neither God's
throne nor His name; nor are any of them His direct kin, nor His heir apparent, nor
have any of them been entrusted to rule the four corners of the earth with a rod of
iron.

● Heb 2:1 . .We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have
heard, so that we do not drift away.

The first of five warnings against apostasy throughout the letter, which indicates there was an issue of apostasy afoot.
Some have suggested that they were thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, such as the one at Qumran near the Dead Sea.
It has also been suggested that the recipients were from the "large number of priests who became obedient to the faith." (Ac 6:7)

Drifting away suggests a curious crowd that gathers around a soap box to hear a
speech, and little by little, one by one, boredom sets in: the audience begins
dispersing and people move on to find something else to do. That would be akin to
attending a Billy Graham crusade, and by a month later totally forgetting
everything he talked about because we never gave his remarks a second thought.
● Heb 2:2-3a . . For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every
violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

There is an issue here with turning from salvation in Jesus Christ.

Where were these angels about whom he speaks? Well; from Ps 104:4 we know
wind and fire can be made to serve as angels,

The word for "angels" also means "messengers." Wind and fire are God's messengers.

i.e. something and/or someone that
coveys information and/or sights and sounds meant to leave an impression. Those
kinds of angels were very involved with Moses' people, e.g. the burning bush, the
parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the law from Mt. Sinai, the earthquakes, the
trumpets, the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Wherein the Angel of the Lord actually appeared to them.

Ignoring an angel is serious enough because they represent an extremely high
power, and they communicate for that power straight from His presidential palace;
for example:

"I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the
place that I have made ready. Pay heed to him and obey him. Do not defy him, for
he will not pardon your offenses, since My name is in him; but if you obey him and
do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes." (Ex
23:20-22)

That particular angel was deputized to stand in for God, to speak for God, to speak
in the first person as God, and to be obeyed as God.

Anyway, the Jews' rescue from Egypt's oppression was pretty amazing, but the
rescue heralded by Jesus is much more.

● Heb 2:3b-4 …This salvation, which was first announced by The Lord, was
confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders
and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

"the Lord" referred to in that passage is of course Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--about whom it's said:

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish
ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said: Rabbi, we know you are a
teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him." (John 3:1-2)

But the thing is: the Son is God's heir apparent. So if ignoring angels is bad, then
ignoring the Son's alter ego Jesus has to be even worse because the Son's position
in the divine hierarchy is much superior to any and all positions in the angelic hierarchy.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 2:5 . . It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about
which we are speaking.

The very next "world" to come will be situated here on the current Earth for a
thousand years and completely governed by humans; with of course one human in
particular as its absolute monarch.

The angels won't share in the next world's supervision and management. It still
belongs to Man to dominate the Earth. So if Christ were an arch angel, as some are
saying, then he would not be permitted to rule in the future but would become
Man's servant right along with the other angels.

● Heb 2:6-8 . . But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that
you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little
lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything
under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not
subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

God gave mankind control over everything in this universe, even some things that
we don't even know about yet, and even things in space that the new James Webb
telescope has yet to detect.

● Heb 2:9 . . But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now
crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of
God he might taste death for everyone.

Jesus is the Son's human alter ego. He came into the world not as a divine man,
but as a Jewish man whose origin can be easily traced all the way back to David,
Abraham, Noah, and to Adam and the dust with which Adam was created. But
Jesus' origin can also be easily traced to the Word, and from thence to the Son, and
from thence to the supreme of all supreme beings.

Jesus' two origins can be a bit confusing, but it's very important that we keep them
separate and distinct lest we find ourselves focused on one while marginalizing
and/or totally disallowing the other.

The person of Jesus is difficult to explain because he started out as the Son, viz:
the creator of the cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (Heb 1:1
2). In other words: though the Son has existed from the very beginning, his flesh
didn't exist till it was conceived and born of a woman a mere 2,000 years ago;
which is but a moment in time compared to the earth. In other words: the Son
hasn't always worn two hats. There was a time when he was only a spirit being, but
now the Son is a spirit being and a human being simultaneously.

* Most Christians will readily attest that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man;
while in reality a number of them aren't quite sure that he isn't some sort of divine
hominid rather than a real human being. But if we can accept him as a real human
being-- a real Jew; from his flesh and bones to the very core of his being --then we
can easily understand why he was "crowned" with glory and honor. In other words:
Jesus was born entitled to a slot in the Messianic line, but he wasn't born entitled to
a seat at the right hand of God. That's a position he had to earn by enduring the
cross per Isa 53:5-6 and Phil 2:6-11.
_

 

[EarlyActs]

.
The letter to Hebrews is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his
countrymen once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel
9:25-26, Messiah should've been here and gone prior to foreigners destroying the
second Temple.

The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.

Jesus' miracles are useful for validating him too. However, when a miracle-working
prophet appears to the Jews as someone attempting turn them away from Yahweh,
then Deut 13:1-5 requires that the prophet's message be ignored and he be put to
death no matter whether his miracles were for real or not.

* Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this
one in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around
the Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the
Old Testament usually always encounter a bit of difficulty with his letter.

Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
_

Good summary, the ‘advancement’ it speaks of should be made clear.

 

[Eleanor]

● Heb 2:5 . . It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about
which we are speaking.
The very next "world" to come will be situated here on the current Earth for a
thousand years and completely governed by humans; with of course one human in
particular as its absolute monarch.
The angels won't share in the next world's supervision and management. It still
belongs to Man to dominate the Earth. So if Christ were an arch angel, as some are
saying, then he would not be permitted to rule in the future but would become
Man's servant right along with the other angels.

This slips out of NT teaching and into personal interpretation of prophetic riddles not spoken clearly (Nu 12:8),
and subject to more than one interpretation, none of them authoritative to the church, the only rule of interpretation being
that it must be in agreement with apostolic teaching authoritative to the church.

The reason Paul is presenting the superiority of the angels and Moses is because these new Hebrew
converts were apparently considering a return to Judaism, Moses and the Law, and leaving the gospel of Christ.
Paul is pointing out the superiority of Christ over the leaders of the Old Covenant, and where in Jewish tradition the
angels were involved in giving the Law at Sinai.
The divine Christ is superior to all of the above--the angels, Moses and the law.

● Heb 2:6-8 . . But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that
you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little
lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything
under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not
subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

God gave mankind control over everything in this universe,

Scripture presents only the earth as under man's dominion.

even some things that we don't even know about yet, and even things in space that
the new James Webb telescope has yet to detect.

● Heb 2:9 . . But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now
crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of
God he might taste death for everyone.

Jesus is the Son's human alter ego.

The man Jesus is not an alter ego of the Son.
The man Jesus possessed two natures, divine and human, in his one person,
as there are three persons in the one being of the Godhead.
The one person Jesus was both divine and human.

He came into the world not as a divine man,

He came into the world as both a human man and the divine Son in his one personhood.

but as a Jewish man whose origin can be easily traced all the way back to David,
Abraham, Noah, and to Adam and the dust with which Adam was created. But
Jesus' origin can also be easily traced to the Word, and from thence to the Son, and
from thence to the supreme of all supreme beings.

Jesus' two origins can be a bit confusing, but it's very important that we keep them
separate and distinct lest we find ourselves focused on one while marginalizing
and/or totally disallowing the other.

However, there was not a complete transfer between them.
There were things only the divine nature knew, to which the human nature did not have access,
as in the time of his return.

The person of Jesus is difficult to explain because he started out as the Son, viz:
the creator of the cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (Heb 1:1
2). In other words: though the Son has existed from the very beginning, his flesh
didn't exist till it was conceived and born of a woman a mere 2,000 years ago;
which is but a moment in time compared to the earth. In other words: the Son
hasn't always worn two hats. There was a time when he was only a spirit being, but
now the Son is a spirit being and a human being simultaneously.

The Son is one being, one person, with two natures, divine and human.

* Most Christians will readily attest that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man;
while in reality a number of them aren't quite sure that he isn't some sort of divine
hominid rather than a real human being. But if we can accept him as a real human
being-- a real Jew; from his flesh and bones to the very core of his being --then we
can easily understand why he was "crowned" with glory and honor. In other words:
Jesus was born entitled to a slot in the Messianic line, but he wasn't born entitled to
a seat at the right hand of God. That's a position he had to earn by enduring the
cross per Isa 53:5-6 and Phil 2:6-11._

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 2:10 . . In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom
and through whom everything exists, make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings.

The Greek word translated "salvation" basically speaks of rescue and/or safety.

The Son was superior to Moses as a savior in every way except that his personal
experience as a human being was lacking.

● Heb 2:11 . . For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, are all from
one; for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Had God shielded the Son from all the normal slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune that befalls humanity, he would've been a cheeky bloke to identify himself
as a fellow Jew after all they've been through. I mean; he was literally born in a
barn instead of a cushy palace, so that looked good on his résumé right off the bat.

● Heb 2:12-13 . . saying: I will proclaim Thy name to my brethren, In the midst of
the congregation I will sing Thy praise. And again: Behold, I and the children whom
God has given me.

Jesus was predicted to die and leave behind no posterity. (Isa 53:8) Yet it was also
predicted that he'd live to see offspring. (Isa 53:10) This had led some to suggest
he might get married during the millennium and raise a family of his own. But it's
highly unlikely that Isa 53:10 is speaking of biological reproduction seeing as how
Matt 22:30 predicts resurrected folks will be celibate.

But there are other ways to obtain children-- for example adoption. (Eph 1:5 & Gal
4:4-6) God's children are Jesus' children too because he's God's firstborn son, i.e.
God's heir apparent. (John 3:35, John 17:10, and 1Cor 3:23)

● Heb 2:14-15 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--
that is, the devil --and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their
fear of death.

The Devil once said-- in so many words --that people will sell their souls to stay
alive. (Job 2:4) The drive to survive-- self-preservation --has driven a pretty good
number of ordinarily decent folks to do unconscionable things; which they would
never do if they weren't scared of dying.

Fear of death implies a fear of the unknown. People often fear death because they
don't know where they're off to next. They've banked their future on the here and
now, not the later on. For the Jews confident that Jesus' crucifixion will protect
them from the wrath of God; death is a passage to a better life. To the lost, death
holds no promises of anything else.

● Ps 146:2-5 . . I will praise The Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God
even with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is
no help for you there. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in
a moment all their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of
Israel as their helper, whose hope is in The Lord their God.

* Heb 2:14 reveals that it required a human sacrifice to enable God to work
out an effective plan of salvation powerful enough to smash the Devil's dominance;
a dominance that began all the way back in the garden of Eden when Adam tasted
the forbidden fruit.
_

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 2:16 . . For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

We Gentiles should never, ever forget that the Son came into the world primarily
for Messiah's countrymen-- not for us. We are very fortunate to be allowed to tag
along and beg for handouts. Fortunately, God decreed that Messiah would benefit
us too.

● Isa 49:6 ...For He has said: “It is too little that you should be My servant in that I
raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel: I will also make you
a light of nations, that My salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

In that is fulfilled God's promise to Abraham per Gen 12:2-3, wherein is said:

"All peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

● Heb 2:17-18 . . For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way,
in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself
suffered when he was tempted, he is competent to assist those who are being
tempted.

A high priest who lives a sheltered life, wouldn't be inclined to be sympathetic
towards the problems of everyday living encountered by his constituents. His
experience would be so limited that he couldn't identify with their struggles and
failures and certainly wouldn't be much of a shoulder to cry on.

Jesus wasn't like that. He lived on this planet in an insignificant town in the land of
Israel for +/- 30 years, right in the grit of real life and worked for a living with his
own hands in a blue collar trade. He wasn't insulated, secluded, and provided for in
some monastery, nor hidden away in the inner sanctum of a forbidden city.

Jesus knows what it's like to be depressed, to be low-income, to be unattractive,
and to be ignored and marginalized.

● Isa 53:2-3 . . He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his
appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a
man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

● Isa 53:4 . . Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we
considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

Additionally, Jesus knows what it's like to live in a world of prejudice where much of
the globe would be quite pleased if every Jew on earth were exterminated.

The Jews just can't go wrong with a mediator standing in for them with God like
Jesus of Nazareth. The captain of their salvation is a Jewish man sensitive to their
weaknesses, and sympathizes with their lot in life. Not only that but he has even
taken upon himself the guilt of their sins and trespasses: and all with nary a
complaint or a protest.

● Isa 53:5-6 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds
we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

● Isa 53:7 . . He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he
was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
_

 

[Eleanor]

● Heb 2:10 . . In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom
and through whom everything exists, make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings.
The Greek word translated "salvation" basically speaks of rescue and/or safety.

That would be salvation from the wrath of God (Ro 5:9) on one's sin.

The Son was superior to Moses as a savior in every way except that his personal
experience as a human being was lacking.
● Heb 2:11 . . For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, are all from
one; for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Had God shielded the Son from all the normal slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune that befalls humanity, he would've been a cheeky bloke to identify himself
as a fellow Jew after all they've been through. I mean; he was literally born in a
barn instead of a cushy palace, so that looked good on his résumé right off the bat.

● Heb 2:12-13 . . saying: I will proclaim Thy name to my brethren, In the midst of
the congregation I will sing Thy praise. And again: Behold, I and the children whom
God has given me.

God gave him his sons to be his brothers.

Jesus was predicted to die and leave behind no posterity. (Isa 53:8) Yet it was also
predicted that he'd live to see offspring. (Isa 53:10)

He did both, he had no physical posterity, but much spiritual posterity; i.e., all those in Christ.

This had led some to suggest
he might get married during the millennium

This slips out of NT teaching and into personal interpretation of prophetic riddles.
The only "millennium" is the prophetic church age of time.

and raise a family of his own. But it's
highly unlikely that Isa 53:10 is speaking of biological reproduction seeing as how
Matt 22:30 predicts resurrected folks will be celibate.

But there are other ways to obtain children-- for example adoption. (Eph 1:5 & Gal
4:4-6) God's children are Jesus' children too because he's God's firstborn son, i.e.
God's heir apparent. (John 3:35, John 17:10, and 1Cor 3:23)

Actually, we are Jesus brethren (Heb 2:11-12, Ro 8:29) and co-heirs in his inheritance. Jesus has no children.

● Heb 2:14-15 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--
that is, the devil --and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their
fear of death.
The Devil once said-- in so many words --that people will sell their souls to stay
alive. (Job 2:4) The drive to survive-- self-preservation --has driven a pretty good
number of ordinarily decent folks to do unconscionable things; which they would
never do if they weren't scared of dying.
Fear of death implies a fear of the unknown. People often fear death because they
don't know where they're off to next. They've banked their future on the here and
now, not the later on. For the Jews confident that Jesus' crucifixion will protect
them from the wrath of God; death is a passage to a better life.

Not only to these Jews, but to the Gentiles also.

To the lost, death holds no promises of anything else.
● Ps 146:2-5 . . I will praise The Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God
even with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is
no help for you there. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in
a moment all their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of
Israel as their helper, whose hope is in The Lord their God.

* Heb 2:14 reveals that it required a human sacrifice to enable God to work
out an effective plan of salvation powerful enough to smash the Devil's dominance;
a dominance that began all the way back in the garden of Eden when Adam tasted
the forbidden fruit._[/B][/B]

Jesus' sacrifice was for the same purpose as the OT sacrifices; i.e., remission of sin.

 

[Odë:hgöd]

.
● Heb 3:1-2 …Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your
thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to
the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.

* That's a shout-out from Num 12:5-7

Jesus claimed to be 100% faithful.

● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

Personally I would hesitate to give Moses a 10.0 because of that one act of his that
cost him a home in the promised land. (Num 20:12)

Jesus-- a.k.a. Y'shua --is an apostle per Heb 1:1-2 wherein is stated: In the past
God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us, by His son. The "heavenly calling"
then, pertains to the gospel per Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Judaism's high priesthood began with Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Herein we'll be
examining Jesus, of the tribe of Judah; therefore: Jewish partakers of the gospel
should not be thinking of themselves as Orthodox-- they've become what's known
today as Messianic because a change of priesthood requires a change of ideology;
and the change is pretty significant because it pertains to the atonement systems
represented by the two priests.

This is now the second time in the letter to Hebrews that Jesus is referred to as a
high priest. The first was 2:17. The office of the high priest is extremely important
because they act as mediators between God and His people. In the old days, the
patriarchs acted as priests for their own clans up until the official Aaronic priesthood
was established. Aaron's priests aren't perfect however because they don't have a
permanent one-on-one access to God. In point of fact, they were allowed in the
inner sanctum beyond the veil but once a year, and that was only a ritual access to
God; i.e. He wasn't actually in there.

However-- and this needs to be emphasized --neither Moses nor Jesus appointed
themselves to shepherd God's people, nor was their appointments by a committee
or a church board. Each was hand-picked and appointed by God himself personally.

The Greek word translated house pertains to both a dwelling and to those who
dwell there, i.e. the family circle; for example Luke 11:17.

* As a people, the Jews are situated as God's firstborn son. (Ex 4:522-23)

● Heb 3:3-4 …Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as
the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is
built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

We pointed out in the first chapter that the Son, as God's voice, created everything
related to the cosmos; which would of course include creating Moses: obviously
then he can't possibly be equal to Jesus any more than shingle nails can compare to
the roofers who hammer them in. The difference in status is beyond measure.
_

 

[Eleanor]

.
● Heb 3:1-2 …Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your
thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to
the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.
* That's a shout-out from Num 12:5-7
Jesus claimed to be 100% faithful.
● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

Personally I would hesitate to give Moses a 10.0 because of that one act of his that
cost him a home in the promised land. (Num 20:12)

Personally, I'm inclined to go with the word of God in Hebrews. Human faithfulness does not mean perfection.

Jesus-- a.k.a. Y'shua --is an apostle per Heb 1:1-2 wherein is stated: In the past
God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us, by His son. The "heavenly calling"
then, pertains to the gospel per Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The heavenly calling is to heaven through salvation in Jesus Christ.

Judaism's high priesthood began with Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Herein we'll be
examining Jesus, of the tribe of Judah; therefore: Jewish partakers of the gospel
should not be thinking of themselves as Orthodox-- they've become what's known
today as Messianic because a change of priesthood requires a change of ideology;

Actually, a change of priesthood requires a change of law (Heb 7:12)

and the change is pretty significant because it pertains to the atonement systems
represented by the two priests.

It likewise pertains to the different laws administered by the different priesthoods (Heb 7:17-19).

This is now the second time in the letter to Hebrews that Jesus is referred to as a
high priest. The first was 2:17. The office of the high priest is extremely important
because they act as mediators between God and His people. In the old days, the
patriarchs acted as priests for their own clans up until the official Aaronic priesthood
was established. Aaron's priests aren't perfect however because they don't have a
permanent one-on-one access to God.

They aren't perfect because of their fallen nature.

In point of fact, they were allowed in the inner sanctum beyond the veil but once a year,
and that was only a ritual access to God; i.e. He wasn't actually in there.

God dwelt with them in the tabernacle (Ex 25:8, 22, Lev 1:1).

However-- and this needs to be emphasized --neither Moses nor Jesus appointed
themselves to shepherd God's people, nor was their appointments by a committee
or a church board. Each was hand-picked and appointed by God himself personally.

The Greek word translated house pertains to both a dwelling and to those who
dwell there, i.e. the family circle; for example Luke 11:17.

And Moses was faithful in all God's house, while Jesus was the builder of God's house.

* As a people, the Jews are situated as God's firstborn son. (Ex 4:522-23)

● Heb 3:3-4 …Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as
the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is
built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

We pointed out in the first chapter that the Son, as God's voice, created everything

The NT does not present the Son as God's voice nor as God's word, but as God himself.

related to the cosmos; which would of course include creating Moses: obviously
then he can't possibly be equal to Jesus any more than shingle nails can compare to
the roofers who hammer them in. The difference in status is beyond measure.
_

 

[Eleanor]

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