(Chapter 12)
The practical exhortations (“Let us....”) now resume. The writer says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset [entangles] us, and let us run with patience [endurance] the race that is set before us. Looking [off] unto Jesus the Author [Leader] and Finisher [Completer] of faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” In chapter 11, we have seen various elements of faith exhibited in the lives of the Old Testament saints, but now in chapter 12, the writer turns our attention to Someone who is far greater than all of them put together—Christ Himself. It is like a person passing through a museum of fine art. He examines and appreciates the various paintings as he walks through the halls, but then he comes upon the master-piece that surpasses all of the others. Similarly, the Old Testament saints exhibited certain admirable aspects of faith, but often with some weakness, and even failure. But when we come to Christ, we see all the aspects of faith exhibited perfectly. He is set before us in this chapter as an Object for our faith and as an Example for our feet in our earthly pathway.
Since the Hebrew believers were in danger of growing weary in the path and sinking under the pressure of their trials, the writer is led by the Spirit to speak of two great things that God employs to motivate us to pursue after Christ:
1) We are drawn by the attractiveness of Christ in glory (Vss.1-4).
2) We are driven by the trials of life which God uses as disciplines in the training of His children (Vss. 5-11).
These two things could be distinguished as: wooing and weaning. The first engages our affections and the second chastens our spirits. These are needed things for the pilgrim in the path of faith.
Running the Race With Endurance
Vs. 1—The exhortation in this chapter is to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Thus, the path of faith is viewed as a “race” which we are to “run with endurance.” Running implies spiritual energy and endurance implies perseverance. These are two necessary elements for successful running. If we are believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in the race. However, all who are in the race may not be running, due to the lack of energy and perseverance. Thus, every Christian needs to understand at the outset that the path of faith is not a sprint, but a long distance race which carries on for the duration of our lives.
The writer begins by reminding the Hebrew believers that they were surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” These are the Old Testament saints mentioned in chapter 11. They are not witnesses in the sense of spectators. That is, they are not up in heaven looking down on us, watching what we are doing. The saints who have died and have gone on to heaven are not glorified yet. They are there in their souls and spirits, but not in their bodies, which await resurrection. Hence, they do not see what is transpiring on earth (Job 14:21; Eccl. 9:5). The Old Testament saints are witnesses in the sense that they bear record to the fact that a person can live successfully by faith, on earth, with God’s approval. These witnesses are there to encourage us by their example. They have walked the path of faith before us and have reached the goal. They have faced all kinds of opposition in the way and by faith have overcome those obstacles. Thus, they stand as proof that the path of faith can be walked to the glory of God.
Since there are many hindrances to running the race, we are told to “lay aside” everything that would impede our progress. The two main hindrances the writer mentions are: weights and sins. These must be shed if we wish to run the race with success. Similarly, when a runner prepares for a foot race, he sheds everything superfluous that will impede him. We need to do the same in this spiritual race.
A “weight” is something that is not morally wrong in itself, but nevertheless, it holds us back in the race. The particular weight which the writer likely had in mind here is the trappings of earthly religion in Judaism. But it could be any earthly pursuit that captivates our hearts’ attention and demands our time and energy. Even though such a thing may not be sinful, it tends to distract us from Christ in glory and it brings our thoughts and minds down to the earth. Whatever it may be, it needs to be laid aside. Similarly, a runner does not enter a foot race with a heavy pair of boots and a knapsack on his back. It is not because those things are against the rules of the race, but because they will weigh him down. Note: removing weights in our lives is something that God does not do; it is something that He wants us to do.
We might add that the exhortation here is to lay aside “every” weight, because there could be a number of things in our lives that weigh us down. Our tendency is to spare the object that is most dear to us and to lay aside something else, and then, to content ourselves in having done the will of God. But it’s usually the thing that is the dearest to us that is the heaviest weight in our life, and what needs to be dealt with foremost. This exercise challenges us and reveals where our affections really lie. Since our hearts are deceptive (Jer. 17:9), we may not even realize that there is a weight in our life. Similarly, a person may not feel a weight when he is sitting, but when he rises and starts running, it becomes evident. Hence, the simplest way to discover a weight in our life is to run—to put forth energy in following Christ seriously. It has been suggested that there are three tell-tale signs that indicate the presence of a weight in our life:
We are uneasy about the thing and lack peace concerning it.
We find ourselves defending it and arguing for it when it comes up in conversation.
We go around looking for people—particularly older, so-called “spiritual” brethren—who will tell us that it’s not wrong to have it.
The writer also mentions that “sin” must be laid aside. The “sin which doth so easily beset us,” which he speaks of here, is not a certain besetting sin which we may have that often defeats us, but the principle of sin (which is lawlessness or doing our own will) at work in our lives. Nothing will hinder us more quickly than self-will; it must be judged. The great sin in the epistle to the Hebrews is “unbelief,” which if not judged by a person who is a mere professing believer, will lead to apostasy (Heb. 3:12).
Vs. 2—To overcome these hindrances and have the energy needed to run the race with endurance, the writer points us to Christ in glory as the Object of our faith. The laying aside of weights and sin are not enough to ensure success in the path of faith. Though such exercises are necessary, they are negative things that will not sustain the believer in the path. Faith must have an Object to pursue. Hence, the writer says, “Looking off unto Jesus.” The J. N. Darby Translation footnote says, “It means, looking away from other things and fixing the eye exclusively on One.” Looking at Christ where He is on high fills the heart with things which belong to that sphere. This, in turn, acts as a positive power in our lives and energizes us to pursue those things, rather than what is merely earthly. Thus, while Old Testament saints are an encouragement to us in the path, they are not our object. Note: he does not say, “Look to the witnesses.” We have them as examples behind us, but Christ is the Object that God sets before us and to whom we are to look. In this, we have a distinct advantage over the Old Testament saints. They didn’t have Christ on high as an Object, as we do. He had not yet come in their day, and therefore, was not sitting at God’s right hand for them to look to and pursue in faith.
As to Christ being our Example, He walked the path of faith perfectly, from the beginning to the end of His life, and thus, He is truly “the Author and Finisher of faith.” What motivated Him in the path was “the joy that was set before Him.” His joy was twofold: Firstly, it was His joy to do the will of God for the glory of God (Psa. 40:8; John 4:34). This He did to perfection. As a result, and as a mark of His approval, God raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right hand (Psa. 110:1; Phil. 2:9-11). Secondly, the Lord looked on to the moment when He would be united with the Church (His body and bride), for which He gave Himself in death (Eph. 5:25-27), and this also filled His heart with joy. This prospect sustained Him in the path and enabled Him to endure “the cross” and despise the “shame.” It is unlikely that the writer would be referring to Christ’s work on the cross to make atonement, because he is setting Him before us as our Example, and we surely cannot follow Him in making atonement. His death on the cross here is more in connection with Him being a righteous Martyr. In this, He is an example of endurance. He persevered in obedience to God’s will in spite of all the opposition and completed His course, and is now “set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Vss. 3-4—The writer says, “Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving [wrestling] against sin.” He would have us to contemplate the incredibly difficult circumstances which the Lord endured at the hands of sinners. He went to the limit in doing the will of God. He “resisted unto blood.” That is, He refused to turn away from doing God’s will, and it cost Him His life! He would rather die than disobey! What a Model He is for us!
The Hebrew believers were to “consider Him” in this, because they hadn’t as yet been called to go that far. Similarly, in following the Lord’s example, we are to live and serve God with the thought of pleasing Him (Heb. 13:21), and one day hearing the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21). We need to have this kind of commitment to the will of God, even if it means that our life ends in martyrdom.
The Disciplines of a Loving Father
Vss. 5-11—The other means that God uses to keep our feet in the path is the trials that we encounter in life. The trials of life are used by Him to produce a twofold effect in us; both have the glory of God and our blessing in view.
On the one side, God takes the trials of life, and with marvellous wisdom, love, and skill, weaves them into His training of our spirits. It has been rightly said that God has more to do in us than through us (in service). He uses those trying and difficult things to bring to light certain aspects of the flesh that might be working in us which we are not conscious of. Thus, we are given an opportunity to judge these things, and as a result, to become “partakers of His holiness” (vs. 10). On the other side, God uses the same trials to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). Through the heat of trials He produces Christ-likeness in us. Thus, the moral features of Christ—compassion, gentleness, meekness, humility, etc.—are formed in us.
God has purposed to fill heaven with persons who are just like His Son, and thus this work of moral conformity is necessary. Like the sculptor, who at the unveiling of one of his works (a statue of a lion) was asked how he produced such a magnificent piece of art; he replied, “I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like a lion!” Similarly, God is working in each of His children with the image of His Son before His eye, and He is chipping away everything in them that does not resemble His Son. Thus, the sufferings and the trials that we go through in the way are being used by Him to knock the rough edges off of us, and at times this can be painful. However, if the finished product is that we are made more like Christ, then these sufferings that are “for a little while” are worth it (1 Peter 5:10).
The side of things that is particularly before us in this chapter is the former—the removing of fleshly things in our spirits and our ways, whereby we become practically more holy. Bible teachers call this “Practical or Progressive Sanctification.” We need to keep in mind that we are in the school of God, and as such, we are under His divine training—just as a loving father trains his child (Job 36:22). His objective with us is to make us into suitable companions for His Son. He loves us so much that He will not leave us in the moral state in which He first saved us. Thus, His school has a lot to do with effecting moral change in believers. Moreover, God wants us to participate with Him in this work. If we are willing to cooperate and be exercised about our walk and ways, the process will be successful.
This being the case, the writer explains the divine purpose behind this work. He says, “Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (vss. 5-11). Thus, we see that God is seeking to produce “the peaceable fruit of (practical) righteousness” in us.
Two Ways Not to React
Vs. 5—He begins by speaking of two ways in which we are not to react when a trial comes into our life, for if we react wrongly, we will not profit from it. Firstly, we shouldn’t “despise” it (vs. 5a). This refers to making light of the trouble and dismissing it as being nothing at all. We may shrug off the trial and say, “It happens to a lot of people; it’s no big deal,” but in doing this we will miss what God has for us in it. Then secondly, we shouldn’t “faint” under it (vs. 5b). This refers to getting downcast and losing heart, and consequently, giving up. This reaction will often result in complaining, which, in essence, is questioning the wisdom of God’s ways with us—and this is never a good thing.
The Corrective Dealings of God
Vs. 6—God uses both chastening and scourging in His divine training. These are slightly different things. Chastening is correction connected with the removal of character faults that we might have; it has not to do with any particular sin in our life. Scourging, on the other hand, is correction connected with positive sins that we may be going on with in self-will. It is a direct governmental judgment which God appoints to bring us to repentance, which when reached may be lifted (See Collected Writings of J. N. Darby, vol. 26, p. 261-262.).
Three Necessary Things in Order to Profit From Trials
Vss. 6-11—The writer proceeds to touch on three things that are necessary to “profit” from our trials.
Firstly, we need to understand that divine love is behind everything that comes into our lives. Hence, he says, “Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth” (vs. 6). Let us never forget that the hand that holds the rod of correction has a nail-print in it! We might not understand the why and the wherefore of what is happening in our life, but we can be sure that the hand that smites is moved by a heart that loves. Truly God has our good in view in all that He allows in our lives, for “His way is perfect” (Psa. 18:30). We can be assured, therefore, that He hasn’t made a mistake in what He has allowed to happen to us. Without this confidence in God, it is unlikely that we will profit much from our trials.
Secondly, he says that we need to be “in subjection to the Father of spirits” (vs. 9). This refers to a spirit of submission that bows under the mighty hand that has “appointed” the trial in our life (Job 23:14). It is willingness on our part that allows Him to do His work in us, as clay in a potter’s hand. Having a submissive spirit is our way of acknowledging that His wisdom and His ways with us are right and good, and that we accept that He knows what is best for us. Struggling against a trial manifests an unjudged spirit which will not profit from the trial. Note: He is called “the Father of spirits.” This means that He is the divine Trainer of our spirits, and as such, He is seeking to form a right spirit in us. This shows that He is not just interested in what we do, as far as right or wrong is concerned; He is also interested in our attitude. This is what we see in Daniel—he had “an excellent spirit” (Dan. 5:12; 6:3).
Thirdly, we need to be “exercised” about what transpires in our life. When a trial comes our way, we should not say, “How can I get out of this?” But rather, “What can I get out of this?” In times of trial we need to search our hearts and review our lives, and ask the Lord to show us what He is seeking to teach us (vs. 11). Elihu encouraged Job to do this in his trial. He besought him to say to the Lord, “That which I see not teach Thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more” (Job 34:32). If the Lord shows us something in our lives that is inconsistent with His holiness, we are to judge it and carry on in the path of faith (1 Cor. 11:31). In this way, we become “partakers of His holiness” (vs. 10).
Encouragement to Go On in the Path of Faith
Vss. 12-15—With Christ before our souls (vss. 1-4) and God working for our good behind the scenes in all that comes into our lives (vss. 5-11), the writer goes on to give some simple encouragements to go with his foregoing remarks. He says, “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.” “Hands hanging down, etc.,” is a description of someone who is discouraged. This was evidently the state of some of the Hebrew saints at that time. His remedy is simple; lift up the hands that hang down. Lifting up “hands” (figuratively speaking) has to do with prayer (1 Tim. 2:8). “Knees” are also associated with prayer (Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5; Eph. 3:14). Hence, he encourages them to pray. James speaks similarly: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13). Getting into God’s presence in this way re-vitalizes our spiritual power and helps us to beat discouragement. We re-charge our spiritual batteries there and get renewed energy to go on in the path.
Vs. 13—Then he says, “Make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.” This shows that in times of discouragement we need to be especially careful of what we do and where we go, because if our feet wander, even a little bit, our bad example could stumble others. Thus, we need to keep our feet in the path more now than ever. We cannot make “straight paths” for other people’s feet, but we can look after where our feet go, and thus, be careful not to discourage others. Evidently, there were some among these Hebrew believers who were clearly having difficulty in their walk, whom he styles as “lame” (figuratively speaking). These were especially vulnerable. His desire for them was that they would not be turned out of the way, but rather, be “healed.” If the stronger ones walked in a straight path after the Lord Jesus, it would be an encouragement to the weaker ones, and perhaps, it would lead to their healing.
Vs. 14—They were to “follow peace with all men, and holiness [sanctification], without which no man shall see the Lord” (vs. 14). This, again, is practical sanctification. The context of chapter 12 indicates that seeing the Lord in the way he speaks of it here is with the eye of faith, as mentioned in verse 2. (See also chapter 2:9.) Thus, if we are not careful to follow practical holiness in our lives, we will lose sight of Christ above and will surely drift in our souls. Practical sanctification is one of three indispensable things mentioned in the epistle. They are:
Without “the shedding of blood” there is no remission of sins (chap. 9:22).
Without “faith” it is impossible to please God (chap. 11:6).
Without “holiness” no man shall see the Lord (chap. 12:14).
Note: “peace” and “holiness” are found together here. If they are separated, it will be a false peace, because we cannot (rightly) have peace at the expense of holiness.
Vs. 15—He adds, “Looking [watching] diligently lest any man fail [lack] of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” This shows that if we lose our enjoyment of the things that the grace of God has brought to us, and get into a bad state of soul, we will likely cause trouble by spreading our unhappiness among our brethren. A “root of bitterness” is some complaint or dissatisfaction that grows underground (so to speak) in a person’s soul. But then after some time, it comes out and affects others. A person who is bitter in this way will usually go around looking for those who are of a kindred spirit, and he will pour his complaints into them. The result is that “many” are “defiled.” Judas Iscariot is an example of this. His complaint of Mary anointing the Lord with a pound of spikenard (which he thought was a waste) was a root of bitterness that affected the other apostles, and they got carried away with it by criticizing her too (John 12:3-8). This being the case, the writer counsels the Hebrew believers to watch diligently against such a thing rising up in their midst and to be careful not to allow themselves to be influenced by it.
Fifth Warning Against Apostasy
(Chapter 12:16-27)
The Danger of Not Hearing God’s Voice From Heaven
Vss. 16-27—The writer digresses one last time to warn against apostasy again. This time it is in connection with refusing to hear God’s voice from heaven.
He has spoken of the “lame,” now he turns to speak of the “profane.” This is a different class of persons. As we have already mentioned, one who is lame is a spiritually weak believer whose walk is impaired in some way, whereas a profane person is merely a professing believer who will eventually apostatize. He shows here that an apostate will usually be known by immorality and/or profanity in his life. He mentions Esau as an example of the latter. It is not said that Esau was a fornicator, but it does say that he was a profane person. J. Flanigan said, “It is neither implied nor proven here that Esau was a fornicator” (What the Bible Teaches, Hebrews, p. 265). W. Kelly said, “It might take a variety of forms; and here we have specified carnal impurity and profanity, both intolerable where God is and is known: Of the latter evil Esau is the instance, who for one meal sold his birthright” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, pp. 245-246).
Profanity is treating divine and sacred things as though they were common. Esau proved his profanity by trading his birthright for a common meal! (Gen. 25:29-34) He was willing to barter away his blessing in exchange for a moment of gratification! It shows us what he thought of his birthright. The writer then says, “For ye know how that afterward, when he would [desired to] have inherited the blessing, he was rejected (for he found no place of [for] repentance), though he sought it carefully [earnestly] with tears.” The word “afterward” in this verse refers to a time later in Esau’s life when his father Isaac was an old man and wanted to bless his sons before he died. As we know, his brother Jacob snuck in and deceived his father and stole the blessing from him (Gen. 27). When Esau realized what had been done, he tried, but could not find a way to bring about “repentance”—that is, a change of mind (the meaning of repentance) in what his father had pronounced concerning the blessing. Even though Esau “sought it earnestly with tears,” he could not reverse the outcome; the blessing had been invoked upon his brother Jacob (Gen. 27:38). His tears were over the missed blessing; they were not because he was a repentant man in regard to his sinful life. He wept, not because he was a sinner, but because he was a loser. W. Kelly said, “It was not repentance that Esau earnestly sought with tears, but the blessing which his father had wished away wrongly” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 246).
The implications here are obvious. If the merely professing believers among the Hebrews yielded to the temptation of getting momentary relief from the suffering that they were experiencing by going back to Judaism, they would forfeit privileges which they would never get back—even if they were to seek them again with tears! This, as the writer has taught several times in the epistle, is because it is impossible to renew to repentance an apostate who turns back in this way. If they apostatized, they would become losers like Esau.
The Two Systems Contrasted—Law and Grace
Finally, the writer sets the two systems of Law and grace side by side and asks the Hebrews to contemplate which one they would rather have. These systems could be summarized by two mountains—Mount Sinai (vss. 18-21) and Mount Zion (vss. 22-24).
Vss. 18-21—The legal covenant is described first. Mount Sinai is where the Law was given, and it represents the whole system of Judaism given by God through Moses. The writer rehearses the solemn scene of its inauguration, surrounded with darkness, fire, lightning, thunder, smoke, trumpets signalling warning, etc. These things symbolized the fact that the God with whom they were entering into a covenant relationship with was unapproachable on mere human terms. If either man or beast accidently touched the mountain, they would have to be stoned to death! (Ex. 19:13) (The KJV adds that all such would be “thrust through with a dart,” but this phrase has very little support from the Greek manuscripts and really shouldn’t be in the text.) The people stood before God in fear. Presenting Himself in this legal character, they were absolutely terrified of meeting Him. Even the mediator (Moses) was afraid, and said, “I exceedingly fear and quake!” The whole scene was something that would strike terror in the heart of the sturdiest warrior.
The God of the old covenant was a God to be feared—a God of judgment. The terms of this legal relationship with Him were: “Do this and do that, or you’ll be judged!” He demanded obedience, and if the people failed to obey, it meant condemnation and death for them. Accordingly, Paul called the old covenant a “ministration of death” and a “ministration of condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:7-9). Needless to say, a relationship with God on these terms is not very inviting. Being confronted with this visible display of God’s power and majesty, the people backed off and asked Moses to go to Him in their stead, which Moses did (Ex. 20:21).
Again, the implications here are obvious. In reminding the Hebrews of the severity of the legal system, without actually saying it in words, the writer was asking them whether they really wanted to go back to that. Did they really want to have a relationship with God on those terms? It’s similar to what Paul said to the Galatians who were wanting to be under the Law. He asked them, “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the Law?” (Gal. 4:21) Clearly, they were not seeing the legal system as it truly was, and it shows that they were getting blinded by the governmental judgment that was over that system (Psa. 69:23; 2 Cor. 3:14-15). Thankfully, since these Hebrew believers had taken Christian ground by professing to believe on the Lord Jesus, the writer could say, “Ye are not come unto the mount” Sinai.
What They Have “Come unto” Through Grace
Vss. 22-24—He then proceeds to recount what they have “come unto” through what grace has wrought in Christ. It is a vast system of blessing, not just for Christians, but for all the children of God—some of which will have an earthly portion of blessing and others heavenly blessings (Eph. 3:15). He mentions eight things here. Eight is a number that suggests a new beginning. Thus, there will be a whole new order of things for the heavens and the earth in the Millennium (Isa. 65:17; 66:22). The J. N. Darby Translation footnote states: “The words ‘and’ give the division of the subjects very distinctly here.”
1) “Zion”
This is earthly Jerusalem under the influence of the grace of God, when the Lord arises to restore and bless the believing remnant of Israel. Psalm 132:13-14, says that the Lord has chosen Zion as His resting place on earth. In that coming millennial day, He will dwell there, and it will be the administrative center of the earth (Psa. 48:1-3; Jer. 3:17; Ezek. 48:35; Zeph. 3:5). It will also be the center for moral and spiritual teaching (Isa. 2:1-3; Mic. 4:1-2) and the center of worship for all nations (Psa. 99:1-9; Isa. 56:7; Zech. 14:16).
2) “The City of the Living God, Heavenly Jerusalem”
This takes us to the heavenly side of things. It is the city where the heavenly saints from Old and New Testament times will dwell. It is not the city that the Apostle John describes in Revelation 21:9–22:5, which he calls “new Jerusalem” (Rev. 3:12; 21:2, 10). New Jerusalem is symbolic of the Church in its administrative role in the world to come. This city (“heavenly Jerusalem”) is that which Abraham looked for “whose Builder and Maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). W. Scott said, “We beg the reader’s careful attention to the distinction between the “new Jerusalem” of the Apocalypse, which is the glorified Church, and “heavenly Jerusalem” spoken of by Paul (Heb. 12:22). This latter, unlike the former, does not refer to people, but is the city of the living God, an actual city, the location of all the heavenly saints. It is the same [city] that is referred to in the previous chapter, for which saints and patriarchs looked (Heb. 11:10-16)” (Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 421). Concerning heavenly Jerusalem, W. Kelly comments, “We now leave earth behind and by faith behold the city for which Abraham looked, as God prepared it for such as were pilgrims and strangers on earth, the city which hath the foundations, whose maker and builder is God. It is the seat of glory in the heavenly places for the holy sufferers with Christ who shall also be glorified together.” (The Epistle to the Hebrews, p. 249)
3) “The Myriads of Angels, a General Assemblage”
“The myriads of angels, a general assemblage.” (W. Kelly Trans.)—This refers to the “ingathering” (KJV) of the angels, at which time they will be placed under the administrative ordering of the heavenly saints who will be glorified. Scripture indicates that the government of “the world to come” (the Millennium) will be in the hands of men (Heb. 2:5). Presently, the earth is under the jurisdiction of angels, who act for God directly in the execution of His providential dealings with men. But after the present dispensation of grace comes to a close and the Church is called away to heaven, the angels will be gathered in and dismissed from their present position and role. At that time, the government of the earth will be placed in the hands of the heavenly saints. Angels will still carry out God’s providential dealings on earth, but in that day, it will be through the administrative ordering of the glorified heavenly saints, with the Church having a special role in it.
This is depicted in Revelation 4-5. The “four living creatures” represent (symbolically) the attributes of providential power in the execution of judgment on the earth. These are not actual creatures, but emblems of God’s infinite ability to govern the earth providentially. They are described as “a lion” (power), “a calf” (firmness), “a face of a man” (intelligence), and “a flying eagle” (rapidity of execution). In Revelation 4, these living creatures are seen merged with the angels, and are viewed as one in acting for God in His government of the earth. But in Revelation 5, when the Lamb takes the book, “the four living creatures” are seen separated from the angels and merged with the “elders” (redeemed glorified men), and they function as one company. This change indicates that the administration of the earth will be transferred into the hands of glorified men (Luke 19:16-19; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 2:5; Rev. 21:9–22:5).
4) “The Assembly of Firstborns”
“The assembly of firstborns [or firstborn ones] enrolled in heaven” (W. Kelly Trans.)—This is the Church of God in its final dwelling place in the heavens. The way in which the KJV translates this verse, one could easily conclude that “the firstborn” spoken of here is Christ. Many hymn writers have made this mistake. Christ is certainly referred to as the “Firstborn” in Scripture (Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15, 18; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5), but this passage is not referring to Him. The word in the Greek is in the plural and denotes a company of “firstborns,” and thus, could be translated “firstborn ones.” As mentioned above, it is the Church, which Christ loved and gave Himself for (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 5:25-27). Those who compose the Church are called firstborns because they have a place of preeminence above the other blessed persons in God’s family. (In Scripture, “firstborn” signifies one who is first in rank having the preeminence over all others – Exodus 4:22; Psalm 87:27; Jeremiah 31:9.)
Paul’s epistles disclose the special blessings that the Church has which the other children in God’s family do not have. They alone have the blessing of Sonship in relation to the Father (Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 1:1-7; Eph. 1:4-5), and they alone are members of the body of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 3:6). This special company has been singled out by God’s sovereign grace, not because they are better than the others in His family, but because God has purposed to display “the glory of His grace” and “the riches of His grace” before all in the world to come (Eph. 1:6; 2:7). He is going to show the world what His grace can do. To demonstrate it, He has taken the worst sinners from among the Gentiles, and through redemption, has put them into the highest possible place of blessing and favour that His love could provide! In the coming day of display (the Millennium) all the world will wonder at such marvellous grace; and the world will “praise the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). (The writer has mentioned two assemblies in this passage: a general assembly of angels, and the specially called out assembly of believers on the Lord Jesus Christ – the Church of God).
5) “God the Judge of All”
This refers to God’s judicial glory being publicly displayed in the Millennium. In that day, God will not only be known in grace but He will also be known in judgment, for He will “judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:31; Psa. 72:1-2; Psa. 99:4; Isa. 11:1-4; 32:1).
6) “The Spirits of Just Men Made Perfect”
These are the Old Testament saints. The fact that they are said to be “perfect,” which is the result of being resurrected and glorified, shows that the writer is viewing things as they will be in the Millennium. These saints will also have a heavenly place in the kingdom (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27 – J. N. Darby Trans.).
7) “Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant”
This brings us back down to the earth; it shows again that the writer has the Millennium in view, for the new covenant will not be made with Israel until then. The fact that he uses the Lord’s manhood name “Jesus,” and not other names such as Jehovah, etc., shows that in that day Israel will acknowledge that that lowly Man whom they rejected and crucified long ago is their Messiah. And, in doing so, they will be restored and will enjoy the new covenant blessings (Jer. 31:31-34).
8) “The Blood of Sprinkling”
This refers to Christ’s blood. It is the basis for all blessing in the world to come—both in heaven and on earth. He mentions it in contrast to Abel’s blood, who was murdered by his brother (Gen. 4). Abel’s blood was sprinkled on the earth and cried aloud to God for judgment to be executed on the offender—Cain. In contrast, the blood of Christ has been sprinkled (symbolically) on the “mercy seat” above (Rom. 3:25), and instead of crying for vengeance, it cries for pardon for those who shed it! The implications here are again obvious. Like Cain, who was guilty of killing his brother, the Jews are guilty of killing Christ (Acts 3:14-15). But even though they have killed Him, God has long before devised a way to forgive the guilty nation through the very blood which they shed! (1 John 1:7) Thus, the Jews can have their national sin “blotted out,” if they will but “repent” and be “converted” (Acts 3:19), which many will do in a coming day.
In describing these eight things, the writer has taken us up a mountain (so to speak), from the earth to the heavens and back down to the earth again. “God the Judge of all,” being the summit.
His point in presenting this vivid picture of the two systems side by side is that if any Jew who had taken Christian ground was really thinking of returning to Judaism, he needed to weigh what he would be giving up under God’s grace, and also, what he would be returning to under the Law. If these things were understood properly, any desire that one might have of returning to Judaism would surely be abandoned. Sinai, confronts us with legal commandments, judgment, and condemnation. Zion, on the other hand, presents us with grace that has secured heavenly and earthly blessing for all who believe, which far outreaches anything Israel ever had under the first covenant. The decision as to which of these one would want to live under ought to be simple and straightforward.
A Final Appeal
Vss. 25-27—The conclusion he draws for the Hebrews is clear—don’t refuse the voice that was speaking from heaven. The writer says, “See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven.” If there was no escape from judgment for those who disobeyed the voice of God who spoke on earth in the giving of the Law (Ex. 20), how much less would anyone escape the judgment that will fall on those who refuse God’s voice that was speaking to them from heaven!
The holiness of God’s judgment, symbolized in the shaking of Mount Sinai, will be nothing in comparison to the shaking that is coming. The coming shaking will be of everything in earth and in heaven! He quotes from Haggai 2:6 to confirm this: “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” This will occur when the Lord causes the material creation to pass away after the Millennium has run its course (Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Peter 3:10). Thus, there is going to be a removal of all things made in this present creation—a dissolution of everything that the flesh could lean upon. The writer’s point in stating this is that since Judaism is of the first creation, it too will be removed. Thus, for those clinging to that earthly religion, they needed to realize that it is all going to be dissolved some day, because the material creation will not continue. But even before that, in the very near future from the time when the epistle was written (63 A.D.), the Romans were going to come in and destroy the city and the temple (70 A.D.). Many thousands of Jews would be killed and thousands more would be taken captive. There would be no way to carry on with Judaism then because it would all be wiped out! On the other hand, the spiritual things which grace has brought in through Christ “cannot be shaken,” and thus will “remain.”