Bereansearching Bible Studies

Introduction

This chapter closes out the Epistle to the Hebrews, which has been largely doctrinal thus far, expounding Jesus out of the Old Testament scriptures, and focusing on the faith of the saints (because of Jesus’ faith). This chapter, however, is more practical in its exhortations, focusing on working out that faith with brotherly love, godliness, unity in doctrine and spirit, and perseverance. We are exhorted to walk the walk of a believer and not just talk the talk.

We are reminded of Philippians 2:12&13, “¶Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.” and James 2:20-24, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and byworks was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.“

The last chapter in Hebrews also provides additional evidence that the Apostle Paul is the anonymous author of this Epistle to the Hebrews.

The Changeless Christ

Hebrews 13:1, “¶Let brotherly love continue.“

The Apostle Paul is not talking about loving all men and even our enemies, but rather that we should have a familial love for fellow believers, who are in a spiritual relationship to one another as also part of the Body of Jesus Christ, His Church

We should pray for each other, bear one another’s burdens, forgive each other, and meet in fellowship together to encourage and exhort one another. This love is to continue (without ceasing) as routine practice and grow as our love for Jesus continues and grows.

Romans 12:10, “[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” and

1 Peter 1:22, “¶Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently:“

Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.“

We are reminded here that a believer should be given to hospitality as we read in

Romans 12:13, “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

1 Timothy 3:2, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;“

Matthew 25:35, “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:”

Remember Abraham, when he met the three angels who were strangers to him, in Genesis 18:3, “And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.“

Remember the “Parable of the Good Samaritan“

Hebrews 13:3, “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; [and] them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.“

Christians have suffered various degrees of persecution since the beginning of the New Testament to this day and that will continue until Judgment Day. All believers are to pray for, and attend (wherever possible) to the needs of such as might be in a “physical prison”, remembering that this is not talking about those arrested for criminal activity, but rather for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We must view them as if we are fellow prisoners with them. Moreover, we are exhorted, if we really love our spiritual brothers and sisters, we should extend the same courtesies to them. These include missionaries, the elderly, the infirm, the unemployed/unemployable within the body of believers.

Matthew 25:36, “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.“

Hebrews 13:4, “¶Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.“

Marriage, only between a man and a women, was first instituted by God in

Genesis 2:22-24, “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ¶And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.“

Marriage was established by God to be a representation of the union between Jesus Christ and His Church in Ephesians 5:22-25, “¶Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ¶Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” and Revelation 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Sexual love between and husband and wife is honorable, holy, and ordained by God. It is encouraged to prevent sin as we read in 1 Corinthians 7:1-5, “¶Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence:and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not powerof his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.“

But God will judge and deal with those who are promiscuous and unchaste. Married believers are to live together in love, compassion and submission, protecting and building their marriages and homes for the glory of God and the good of themselves and for the furthering of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 6:9, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LordJesus, and by the Spirit of our God.“

Hebrews 13:5, “¶[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.“

Here we are all exhorted to have our character and conduct be free from the love of money, free from craving wealth and worldly possessions, free from greed, covetousness, and lust for material things. we are to be content with what God has given us, as well as our present circumstances and station in life.

1 Timothy 6:6-10,”¶But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” and Jesus made clear in Matthew 16:26 (and Mark 8:36 &  Luke 9:25) “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?“

Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”

The Lord’s Prayer in Psalm 23 begins with, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.” We will not lack anything from God that is needful for us.

Jesus gave us these instructions in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 6:19–21, 25–34, reiterated in Luke 11:34–36 , Luke 12:33&34 . More here in Philippians 4:6&7, “¶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” and Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.“

Galatians 5:14, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“

This is reminiscent of Genesis 28:15, when God told Jacob, “And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of.“

Jesus’ last words to the disciples with regard to the Great Commission to preach the Gospel of Salvation: Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

Hebrews 13:6, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.“

The believers can certainly be bold in knowing this Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” We know that God can meet our every need spiritually, materially, and physically and Jesus said above in the Sermon on the Mount.

Psalm 27:1, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?“

Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who [can be] against us?

Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.“

Hebrews 13:7, “¶Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of [their] conversation.“

Jesus Christ is our King, but God put rulers over us in the Word. We have Pastors who are subordinate leaders over us, who instruct us and teach us from the Word of God, the Bible pointing the Way to Jesus, faithfully guiding us to an understanding of the Scriptures. They are responsible for shepherding the flock on an earthly level to ensure that the church remains faithful (and is not led into apostasy) and keep that flock in the Way of Jesus Christ.

To remember them is to respect them, to provide for their materials needs (if such are the needs, as stated in 1 Corinthians 9:9 and 1 Timothy 5:18), and to honor them for Jesus’ sake.

Hebrews 13:17, “¶Obey them that have the rule over (guide) you , and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.“

Hebrews 6:12, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.“

See also: The Christian Credo

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.“

Malachi 3:6, “For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.“

Numbers 23:19, “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?“

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Jesus Is the Great I AM: John 8:58, “¶Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.“

Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God.“

Hebrews 7:24, “But this [man], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.“

Hebrews 13:9, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines.For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.“

Ephesians 4:14, “That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;“

Colossians 2:4, “¶And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.“

Colossians 2:8, “¶Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.“

1 Timothy 4:3, “Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.“

A key part of this verse is “the heart be established with grace“…with three words prominent:

1. heart: Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
2. established: Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
3. grace: Titus 3:5-7, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Hebrews 13:10, “¶We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”

1 Corinthians 9:13, “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?“

Hebrews 13:11, “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.“

Exodus 29:14, “But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it [is] a sin offering.“

Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.“

Stephen also died as the first recorded martyr outside the gate of Jerusalem, Act 7:58, “And cast [him] out of the city, and stoned [him]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.“

Hebrews 13:13, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”

1 Peter 4:14, “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.“

John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it] hated you.“

Hebrews 13:14, “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.“

Micah 2:10, “Arise ye, and depart; for this [is] not [your] rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a sore destruction.“

Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:“

 2 Peter 3:13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”

Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

God-pleasing Sacrifices

Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving (confessing) thanks to his name.“

Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.

Psalm 95:2, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

Hosea 14:2, “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive [us] graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.”

Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;“

Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.“

Hebrews 13:16, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

Romans 12:13, “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.“

2 Corinthians 9:12, “For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for [your] liberal distribution unto them, and unto all [men];

Hebrews 13:17, “¶Obey them that have the rule over (guide) you , and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you.“

Pastors, elders, and teachers in the church are the ones who have rule over the congregation. We obey them by attending to the Word that is faithfully preached by them… by regarding, respecting, and heeding their good counsel, advice and admonitions. We must recognize that they have God given authority and leadership. They bear the greater responsibility and God will hold them the more accountable is they are false teachers. James 3:1, “¶My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”

True Pastors are not concerned with worldly gain, fame, or possessions. They should indeed be watching for the souls of each one in the congregation, and all those who come under their hearing.

1. They must give an account to their own consciences that they remain faithful.
2. They must give an account to the church to whom they minister.
3. They must give account to The LORD, Almighty God, for Whom they speak.

Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.“

Hebrews 13:7, “¶Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of [their] conversation.“

1 Timothy 5:17, “¶Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.“

Paul, in referring to his “fellow soldier” in the Gospel”, Epaphroditus (Ἐπαφρόδιτος (epaphroditos))^G1891 (a visiting Philippian, whose name means “lovely”, previously sick and who almost died), said this to the church at Philippi in Philippians 2:25, “Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, ^G1891 my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.” and moreover, in Philippians 2:29), “Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:“

To refuse to hear the Gospel from true ministers is to refuse to hear Jesus. Hebrews 3:15, “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” and Jeremiah 13:10, “This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.”

Hebrews 13:18, “¶Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.“

Pray for those who minister God’s Word.Pray that God will give the pastor, teacher, or missionary His Word to you in the church. If the pastor is blessed, the people will be blessed. To say “trust we have a good conscience” is to say that the writer believes that the Gospel is being faithfully and honestly preached, as directed by God The Holy Spirit, and is not in anyway being altered or hindered by competing influences.

Ephesians 6:19, “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Acts 23:1, “¶And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men [and] brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.“

Acts 20:25-27, “¶And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I [am] pure from the blood of all [men]. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.“

Hebrews 13:19, “But I beseech [you] the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.“

This is a further petition for prayer on the writer’s behalf that he be freed from his bonds to quickly be returned to them.

Benediction

The Book of Hebrews concludes with a prayer for the Hebrews (likely by the Apostle Paul). The writer asked for prayer from the Hebrews, and is no praying on their behalf in return (by way of example).

Hebrews 13:20, “¶Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant (testament),“

Romans 15:33, “Now the God of peace [be] with you all. Amen.”

Romans 4:24&25, “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.“

Galatians 1:1, “¶Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)“

1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.“

Zechariah 9:11, “As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein [is] no water.“

Hebrews 13:21, “Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.“

1 Peter 5:10, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you].”

Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.“

Galatians 1:5, “To whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:22, “¶And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.“

1 Peter 5:12, “¶By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.“

Hebrews 13:23, “Know ye that [our] brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you.“

This is another one of the indicators that makes it more likely that the Apostle Paul is the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, as Timothy was like a son to Paul. Evidently Timothy has also been in bonds in Italy, and had secured a release from prison.

We first read of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews as being in bonds (hence in prison or at least some form of arrest, without liberty/freedom) in Hebrews 10:34, “For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.“

There are two Epistles from the Apostle Paul wherein he specifically identified himself as being “in bonds” and also in Chain, which provide additional connections to the Epistle to the Hebrews:

1. Philippians 1:7, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.“
2. Philippians 1:13&14, “So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other [places]; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.“
3. The last words of Paul in Colossians 4:18, “¶The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace [be] with you. Amen.“
4. Philemon 1:10, “I beseech thee for my son Onesimus  (Ὀνήσιμος (onēsimos))^G3682, whom I have begotten in my bonds:” Oneismus means “Profitable” or “Useful“
5. It should also be noted that the in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote of “my chain” in Rome…2 Timothy 1:16, “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus (Ὀνησίφορος (onēsiphoros)^G3683; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found [me].” Onesiphorus means “Bringing Profit“

1 Thessalonians 3:12, “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all [men], even as we [do] toward you:“

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

Hebrews 13:24, “¶Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.“

This is another evidence that the author is the Apostle Paul as the last days of his earthly life were spent in Rome, Italy.

References back to Hebrews 13:7 & Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 13:25, “¶Grace [be] with you all. Amen.“

Titus 3:15, “¶All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace [be] with you all. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 12 begins with Jesus as our example and source of faith, and then moves on to discuss our relationship, and the maintaining our relationship, with Jesus, and the fact that Jesus is coming again to save His elect by grace, but also to condemn and destroy the rest of the world by fire on Judgment Day. The admonitions found here are consistent with what this teacher has compiled in a study entitled “The Christian Credo“.

The writer, which all evidence indicates was the Apostle Paul, admonishes the Hebrews (and all believers) to maintain a constant exercise of faith and patience under trial, duress, chastisement, affliction, or whatever tribulation that God, according to His Perfect Purpose and Wisdom, calls upon us to endure.

Hebrews 12:1, “¶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 [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,“

In the preceding chapter of Hebrews, we were confronted with just a portion of that “so great a cloud of witnesses” of faith, bearing their testimony of truth, who had borne various afflictions and remained steadfast in their faith. We also, must, therefore, lay aside everything in this world that encumbers us and hinders us in running the Christian race, such as worldly cares, riches, worldly companions and involvements that take our interest and time away from Jesus. We must patiently endure to the end in active persistence of faith.

Colossians 3:8-10, “¶But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:“

1 Corinthians 9:24&25, “¶Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do [it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.“

Romans 12:12, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

2 Peter 3:11-13, “[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author (ἀρχηγός (archēgos))^G747 and finisher (Perfector) of [our] 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.“

We look away from the cares and distractions of this world to our Lord Jesus Christ, and not with natural eyes, but with spiritual eyes of faith. John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.“

Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.”

The word for “author” (ἀρχηγός (archēgos))^G747 is found four times in the New Testament Greek and it is translated twice as “Prince” (Acts 3:15 and Acts 5:31) and “Captain” (Hebrews 2:10) referring each time to Jesus.

Acts 3:15, “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.” and Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” and Hebrews 2:10, “¶For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.“

Luke 24:26, “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?“

Philippians 2:8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.“

Psalm 110:1, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.“

1 Peter 3:22, “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.”

Now regarding the Atonement and being raised to the Right Hand of God The Father…Jesus Willingly and Joyfully went to the cross to to redeem His people from their sins. He willingly endured the cruel death of the cross, treating the shame and humiliation of it with contempt. We must remember that he was scourged, spit upon, and stripped naked and nailed to the cross where He suffered further suffering and abuse until death and even then there is no question that somehow, someway that we cannot understand or comprehend, Jesus endured the wrath of God in Hell for the equivalent of eternity and yet emerged from death victorious! (for more on this please see the Book of Jonah study) The proof of Jesus’ success is that He now sits at the Right Hand of God The Father in Heaven!

We have it so easy compared to what Jesus endured. Romans 8:18, “¶For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” But Jesus Remains our Example: 1 Peter 5:10, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. To him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.“

Hebrews 12:3, “¶For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.“

Matthew 10:24, “¶The disciple is not above [his] master, nor the servant above his lord.” and John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.“

Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” and 2 Thessalonians 3:13, “But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.“

Our Loving Father’s Discipline

Hebrews 12:4,”Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

The majority of Christians today (but not all) have it very easy when compared to those in the early church who died viciously as Martyrs. They were tortured, fed to the lions, crucified, burned at the stake, etc. When we compare our situations to those, we see that we are without excuse to not endure for the faith.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].“

Hebrews 12:5, “And 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:“

Job 5:17, “Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:“

Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.“

Again we have a clear hearkening back to the Old Testament for the Hebrews…

Psalm 94:12, “Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;” and Proverbs 3:11&12, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.“

But we have additional confirmation in the New Testament:

1 Peter 1:6&7, “¶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:“

Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.“

2 Corinthians 1:7, “And our hope of you [is] stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall ye be] also of the consolation.“

Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.“

Philippians 1:29, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;“

James 1:2-4, “¶My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” and then James 1:12, “¶Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Hebrews 12:7, “¶If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?“

Deuteronomy 8:5&6, “Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. ¶Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.“

Hebrews 12:8, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.“

The Lord corrects, disciplines, and teaches through trials and tribulation and works of correction and providential dealings. These are the actions of a loving Father, and thus He deals with all His children as “sons”. He is working in us the graces of humility, love, patience and faith and weaning us from the enticements of this world. If anyone is without such chastisement from God, then that person is not a child of God.

1 Peter 5:9, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.“

All true believers must take part in and endure God’s discipline, work of correction and providential dealing for God is dealing with us as sons (and daughters). He is working in us the graces of humility, love, patience and faith and is weaning us from the world. He is making us more and more like Jesus. If anyone is without this Godly corrective discipline, then that person is NOT a child of God.

Hebrews 12:9, “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?“

Job 12:9, “Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand [is] the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”

We have been subject to our earthly father’s correction based on his earthly/temporal understanding and respected them, but God corrects his children based upon His Perfect Heavenly/Eternal Wisdom, how much more therefore should we revere and respect Him!

Romans 8:28, “¶And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”

Hebrews 12:10, “For they verily for a few days chastened [us] after their own pleasure (δοκέω (dokeō))^G1380; but he for [our] profit, that [we] might be partakers of his holiness.“

The original Greek word translated here as after own pleasure can also be viewed as “what they thought” or “seemed right to them”. Our earthly fathers were almost always looking at the earthly outcomes, for themselves and/or us, and not necessarily the beneficial eternal spiritual outcomes that our Father in Heaven does.

Hebrews 12:11, “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.“

James 3:18, “And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” Think of Joseph and how he treated his brethren after having endured such suffering because of them in Genesis 50:20.

Romans 8:28, “¶And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”

Hebrews 12:12, “¶Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;“

This is almost a direct quote from Job 4:3&4, “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.” Job helped and encouraged others when they were troubled, just as the Apostle Paul is here encouraging the Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:13, “And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.“

Proverbs 4:26&27, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.“

Proverbs 21:16, “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.”

Matthew 3:3, “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” which hearkens back to Isaiah 40:3, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

For the record, being lame is used by God in the Bible as a “picture” of being dead in trespasses and sins, but God in His Divine mercy and grace saves sinners, and that is the story behind the account of Mephibosheth, who was “lame in his feet.”

Hebrews 12:14, “¶Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

This applies to all relationships, whether it be family, friends, co-workers, strangers or even enemies.

Romans 12:17-21, “¶Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.“

Psalm 34:14, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.“

2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Holiness?

But what about “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”? This is a most significant admonition to us all! God The Father Is Entirely Holy, Jesus Is Entirely Holy, The Holy Spirit’s Name is Holy…

1) We look to God as our example and follow by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. We honor and glorify God by honoring His Beloved Son. Our faith, because of Jesus’ Faith, makes us acceptable and we therefore are made Holy by God. 1 Corinthians 1:30&31, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” Romans 10:4, “For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.“2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin;that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“

2) 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” In following, we must also walk obediently. We should exemplify and manifest this new creation in our life with a new attitude, a new character, and a new form of conduct. If not, then we will not see Jesus in Heaven.

Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled;“

To fall from grace is to not believe that Jesus Is All in All and that His Work Alone provides eternal salvation. It is so easy for professing Christians to fall prey to a grace plus works gospel. It is also easy to fall prey to the enticements of sin, whereby such are saying that Jesus’s Life and Atoning Sacrifice is no longer meaningful to them and fall into unbelief.

Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Hebrews 3:12-14, “¶Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;“

1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.“

The root of bitterness is inborn in the heart of every one of us by nature due to the Fall of Adam. It is apt to spring up in an unexpected manner and time to bear evil fruit in the form of contention, envy, malice, pride, or covetousness which can divide families, friends, churches, and even believers. We must put a watch on our hearts and our tongues lest we fall prey to the evil one. Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.”

Hebrews 12:16, “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

Ephesians 5:3, “¶But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;”

The account of Esau’s giving away his birthright is found here Genesis 25:29–34; 

This verse makes the point that Esau, like anyone lusting after the flesh, despises the promises of God. Esau’s birthright was a “spiritual” position and promise that God would eventually become man via Abraham and Isaac’s seed, and as the first born, Esau would have logically been the vehicle to fulfill that promise, which would have involved spiritual blessings and Divine favor (as were bestowed upon Jacob, the “usurper” (“Supplanter”) of that birthright by God’s Providential Grace). In essence, Esau gave precedence and succumbed to sensual and fleshly lusts rather than hold firm in the faith. He cast aside the promises of God, along with His favor and fellowship. We must never consider anything that this world has to offer in preference to what God provides for the believers in the world to come…never forgetting the price that Jesus had to pay to fulfill God’s promises to make that possible.

We should also stop to think about the difference between the carnal/fleshly view and the Spiritual perspective as we read in Galatians 5:16-18, “[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.“

Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21, “¶Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and suchlike: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.“

Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-24, “¶But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.“

Hebrews 12:17, “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

The account of Esau not receiving the elder son’s blessing and his reaction with tears is found here: Genesis 27:30–40

Godly Sorrow Versus Worldly Sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:10, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Anyone who is foolish enough to allow anything in this life to cause a renunciation of the faith and duty of a child of The Living God, will, like Esau, weep bitter tears of agony, when it is permanently beyond their power to recover what is lost! We must constantly guard against fleshly lusts and apostasy. 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” Remember also

Hebrews 10:35-39, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but [if any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.“

Contrast of Mt Sinai and Mt Zion: The Law Versus Grace by Jesus Christ

Hebrews 12:18, “¶For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,“

The key here is that the believers are no longer under the ceremonial law, with all its washing meats and drinks, sacrifices and sin offerings. Jesus, as Lord God and Savior fulfilled all these. The believers are part of Jesus’ Church of which Jesus Christ is the Head, the Prophet, High Priest, and King. We no longer come to the holy, moral law of God for acceptance and righteousness, but to Jesus our Mediator. What a relief!!! The Law, though holy, like the Holy Mount Sinai, only condemns us for our sins.

The associated terms are clear…”might not be touched” and “burned with fire“. And then the context, blackness, darkness, and tempest as we find in Exodus 19:12, “And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:” and Deuteronomy 4:11, “¶And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.” Those terms indicate God’s wrath against sinful man, because they condemn mankind by requiring perfect obedience without providing any means to perform them. The law given on Mount Sinai revealed mankind sin, but offered no savior.

Galatians 3:10, “¶For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” and

Galatians 4:24-26, “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the motherof us all.

Contrast this verse to what we read concerning the Angels announcing Jesus’ birth, where the light and glory of God shone round about them, because they brought tidings of great joy announcing salvation by Jesus as Savior.

Hebrews 12:19, “And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:“

Exodus 20:19, “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

Deuteronomy 5:5, “(I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,”

Deuteronomy 18:16&17, “According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. ¶And the LORD said unto me, They have well [spoken that] which they have spoken.” and then note also, in both the preceding verse and the following verses, that God says that He will raise up a Prophet (Jesus Christ) from their brethren, and to Him (Jesus Christ) will they hearken.

Hebrews 12:20, “(For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:“

Exodus 19:13, “There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether [it be] beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.“

Hebrews 12:21, “And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)“

Exodus 19:16, “¶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.

Hebrews 12:22, “¶But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,“

Mount Sion

Mount Zion/Sion is the Heavenly abode of the Church of Christ, also referred to above as the New Jerusalem (see below). It alone offers hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was never possible via the words given on Mount Zion.

Psalm 14:7, “Oh that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad.“

Psalm 53:6, “Oh that the salvation of Israel [were come] out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad.“

Heavenly Jerusalem

To see that the “heavenly Jerusalem” is the “new Jerusalem” is a spiritual representation of the kingdom of God that is made up of the body of believers, the church, we just have to turn to Revelation 3:12, where we read, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall no more go out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which] is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches.”

Galatians 4:25&26, “For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” These verses contrast the earthly Jerusalem and her children (the Jews of national Israel), described as being in bondage (to the works of the law), with the heavenly spiritual “Jerusalem which is above is free (through the grace of God), which is the mother of us all (all true believing Christians).”

Ephesians 2:6, “And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:“

Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:“

For more on the New Jerusalem in Heaven please see: the-holy-temple-of-god-will-it-ever-be-rebuilt.

The Innumerable Company of Angels (Messengers)

Deuteronomy 33:2, “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand [went] a fiery law for them.“

Psalm 68:17, “The chariots of God [are] twenty thousand, [even] thousands of angels: the Lord [is] among them, [as in] Sinai, in the holy [place].”

The believer’s sins have already been judged by God and paid for by Jesus. There is therefore no judgment nor condemnation in Christ Jesus (for the believers) as we read in Romans 8:1, “[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

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Hebrews 12:23, “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,“

God the Judge of All

James 1:18, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.“

Psalm 94:2, “Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.“

Philippians 3:12, “¶Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 12:24, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel.“

This hearkens back to both Hebrews 9:15, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.“ and Exodus 24:8, “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.”

Genesis 4:10, “¶And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.“

It has been pointed out by another that Abel’s shed blood cried out for vengeance and wrath while Jesus’ blood cries for pardon and peace with God. Moreover, Abel’s accepted sacrifice of a lamb is the first recorded blood sacrifice mentioned in the Bible. It was offered by faith and pointed to Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God. The difference being that Jesus’ shed blood was effectual, and perfects all for whom it was shed, as we read in 1 Peter 1:18&19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:“

The Unshaken Kingdom

Hebrews 12:25, “¶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:”

This seems to also to be referring back to Deuteronomy 18:15-20.

Hebrews 2:1&2, “¶Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;“

Remember all the way back at the beginning of the Book of Hebrews, where we are explicitly told in Hebrews 1:1&2, “¶God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” It is saying that Jesus is that Prophet spoken of in the Old Testament and we must hear Him, just as we were told by God, The Father, back in Matthew 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.“

Hebrews 12:26, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.“

Exodus 19:18, “And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.“

Haggai 2:6, “¶For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it [is] a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land]; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver [is] mine, and the gold [is] mine, saith the LORD of hosts.The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” Remember Esther 10:3, which provides a prefigurement of that place, to be in Heaven with Jesus!

Hebrews 12:27, “And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

2 Peter 3:10, “¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“

Hebrews 12:28, “¶Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”

Deuteronomy 10:20, “Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.“

Deuteronomy 11:13, “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,“

Deuteronomy 13:4, “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”

Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” and Luke 12:4, “¶And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

And remember that we are told three times in: Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” and Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” and Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.“

Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.“

Hebrews 12:29, “For our God [is] a consuming fire.“

This last verse is referring once again back to the Old Testament scriptures in Deuteronomy 4:24, “For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.”

God will consume His enemies (and the enemies of His people) with an everlasting consuming fire in Hell. Jesus endured the fires of God’s wrath in Hell, paying the price for the sins of all those for whom He came to seek and save. God makes it clear that this creation will be dissolved by fire on the Last Day as we ready in 2 Peter 3:10, “¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“

And, moreover, given that this is the case, the believers are also admonished to heed these subsequent words:

2 Peter 3:11-13, “[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“

We all need to remember these facts…and to love, revere, honor and obey God accordingly.

NOTE to the reader: Some of the insights in this study are built upon the previous work of a former mentor and friend, the late Pastor Henry T Mahan.

The Nature of Faith

In the preceding chapter we read about true persevering faith by which men are united with Jesus and do not draw back but believe to the salvation of their souls. This chapter speaks of the nature, works, and response of faith and proceeds to illustrate it with examples of Old Testament saints with which the Hebrews are all familiar.

This chapter makes clear that where true faith is present, there are two aspects of God’s intercession that are manifest:

1. The Grace of God: Faith is a Gift of God, not the product of the natural heart. Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“
2. The Word of God (Jesus): The Foundation of faith. We can only believe what God has said and has revealed to us from the Bible. Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

Hebrews 11:1, “¶Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This is one of this teacher’s favorite verses in the King James Version of the Bible, because it is so eloquently presents a complex spiritual thought into one short and succinct verse. No other English translation can do justice to this verse that the King James Version affords. 

“Faith Is the Substance“

The word for “substance” is translated from the original Greek word, ὑπόστασις (hypostasis)^G5287, which also means “basis”, “foundation”, or “essence” , but also “person” when pertaining to Jesus as we read in Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person (ὑπόστασις (hypostasis))^G5287, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;“

And we know from Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith;…” (Note that “our” is italicized…please read the verse again with “our” removed to see the reality)

And we know for certain that Jesus Christ Is The Chief Foundation Stone of our faith as we read in Ephesians 2:20, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;“ and 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” and 1 Peter 2:6, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” And this is the scripture reference that the Apostles Paul and Peter were referring to: Isaiah 28:16, “¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner[stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.“

And let us not forget Romans 9:32, where the Apostle Paul explains the problem with the Jews who believed that they were saved by the works of the law, and not having faith in God (Jesus) as their Savior. “Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

So then we could also read Hebrews 11:1 as saying: “¶Now faith is the “Person/Foundation” (hence Jesus) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And using the logic of transitivity (whereby if a relation holds between a first element and a second and between the second element and a third, it also holds between the first and third elements; or algebraically: If A=B, and B=C, then A=C), then we can say that if “faith” is the same as the word translated in this verse as “substance”, and the word “substance” represents “The Person of Jesus”, then “faith” is also the embodiment of Jesus. Faith=Jesus!

“Things Hoped For“

What are the things hoped for? Eternal salvation and deliverance from the just penalty for our sin, perseverance in, and by, the Faith of Jesus Christ, and eternal fellowship with God in Heaven. Because of our confidence in God and His Word, Who Is Jesus, faith gives us possession of these things beforehand in this life. Faith makes them real to us now.

“The Evidence of Things Not Seen“

As we go through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, we will see much more of how faith, based upon the foundation laid by Jesus, lets the believer perceive the things which are not visible (seen) by human eyes. These include

1) the things that were done in eternity: the council, the covenant, and purpose of God;

2) things which done in time past: the incarnation, the Atonement, and resurrection;

3) things which are done now: Intercession, providence and the Work of The Holy Spirit, and

4) things to come in the future; the resurrection of the dead, Judgment Day, and eternal glory with Jesus in Heaven for the saints (as well as what sadly awaits the unsaved of all mankind).

These are all “unseen”, but faith gives the heart proof and evidence of these unseen things. God’s Faith, by His Word and His Spirit enlighten us to perceive these unseen things.

Remember what Jesus said to “doubting” Thomas in John 20:29, “¶Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.“

2 Corinthians 5:7, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Romans 8:24&25, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience ὑπομονή (hypomonē)^G5281 wait for [it].”

2 Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.“

Nonetheless, God’s Glory and power are still manifest and visible in this creation to all mankind as we read in Romans 1:19&20, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:“

Hebrews 11:2, “For by it the elders obtained a good report.“

This points us to the last two verses in this chapter: Hebrews 11:39&40, “¶And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.“

In the following verses we will gain some important spiritual insights regarding the “elders” who “obtained a good report”, who are also commonly referred to as the great men (and women like Sarah and Rahab) of faith, and sometimes even members of the “Faith Hall of Fame”. However, we should not be seeking to glorify the individual people, but rather Jesus Christ, Who is the Faith that is found in those people. This letter to the Hebrews was to make clear that these holy persons of old were justified and accepted by their faith, and not by their deeds. It serves to take away from these Hebrews any esteem for the elders because of who they were or what they did. It is useless to boast of our elders. Romans 3:27&28, “¶Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

Hebrews 11:3, “¶Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.“

Believers have the faith that this world, and all the universe, did not just appear by happenstance in a so-called Big Bang and developed via evolution, but rather it was by the Word of God, Jesus Christ, as the Creator, that everything came into being (and moreover it was not billions of years ago, but almost exactly 13,000 years ago based on the Biblical calendar). Moreover, believers by faith how all things were created. The visible universe was created by God out of nothing.

Genesis 1:1, “¶In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” and Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” and John 1:1-3, “¶In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.“

Colossians 1:16, “For by him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.“

And we also know that there is an end to come, and that it is likely very soon, despite what the scoffers say who believe in the “science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20), as we read in 2 Peter 3:5-7, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.“

Now as we begin to go through the so called “Faith Hall of Fame”, we need to understand that Faith is an outcome of the unmerited gift of Grace from God, and remembering that “Jesus Is The Author and Finisher of Faith“. And Faith will yield the fruit of works, but that all originates with God’s Grace.

We should remember also these verses: Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” and Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

A “Type” of All Believers Throughout Time, Who Are Living Epistles Testifying of Jesus and Made Righteous in Him by Jesus’ Excellent Atoning Sacrifice as the Lamb of God

Hebrews 11:4, “¶By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.“

Abel offered the acceptable sacrifice of blood because he believed God. And that blood of the lamb typified and pointed to the ultimate atoning sacrifice of Jesus, The Lamb of God. Cain’s offering was one of works, which had no reference to Jesus at all. Abel was deemed righteous by his imputed faith of Jesus Christ to whom his offering looked.

Abel is dead, but his faith and example are yet spoken of. These two brothers represent the world’s two religions, Salvation by grace through Jesus’s Atoning Sacrifice or salvation by human works!

Genesis 4:4&5, “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

1 John 3:12, “Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.“

For more on the significance of the difference between Cain (the elder brother) and Abel (the younger brother), please see the study on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

A “Type” of All Believers Throughout Time, Knowing and Warning of Judgment Day to Come, When the Believers (Who Are Still Alive at that Time) Will Be Raptured

Hebrews 11:5, “¶By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

This particular Enoch is interesting because, although he is mentioned in only nine verses in the entire Bible, we have been given enough information by God to know the following about him:

1. Enoch was a great man of faith
2. Enoch was the “seventh from Adam” and begat Methuselah and sons and daughter.
3. “Enoch walked with God”
4. Enoch had this testimony, “that he pleased God”
5. Enoch lived 365 years
6. Enoch prophesied of the coming of Jesus with His saints on Judgment Day to levy Judgment to the ungodly
7. Enoch did not die, because he was “translated”(“God took him”) and he went directly to Heaven and, therefore, Enoch was one of the only two men in the Bible recorded as having received that blessing (Elijah being the only other man).

We first read in Genesis 5:18-21, “¶And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. ¶And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:” and then further in Genesis 5:22-24, “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.” and we should also remember this about Enoch that we read in Jude 14, “¶And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.“

The number “seven” in the Bible is used to pertain to “perfection” and often in reference to “time”. While a descendant of Adam and therefore under the curse of sin and death, because Enoch “pleased God” and the imbued faith of Jesus in him, he lived 365 years and was taken/translated, or as we say today, raptured, into heaven.

The 365 years of Enoch’s life reminds us that there are 365 days in a year. God often refers to the length of this temporal realm as a “year”. Isaiah 61:2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” However, that a temporal “year” can be likened to the span of time allotted to this creation from the beginning until Judgment Day is provided in the Book of Esther, which Reveals God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan Through Jesus Christ…From Beginning to End (and Forever). We see this in Esther 3:7, where we read the following “In the first month, that [is] , the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], that [is], the month Adar.” Judgment Day for the Jews (representing the true believers), the people of Mordecai (who is a “Type” for Jesus), was determined in the beginning of the year to be carried out at the end of the year. However, by God’s mercy and Divine intervention, the Jews (who represent all the believers throughout time) were saved.

Enoch pleased God and walked with God and we know that it is faith that pleases God:

We ought to also take a moment to consider what it means to be took/translated. To be translated means to not taste death, but rather be changed and taken up into Heaven. Is not that exactly what we read in:

1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

1 Thessalonians 4:15, “¶For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go before) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“

So then, can we not say that Enoch can be likened to, or a metaphor/type for all believers (those have the faith of Jesus) but particularly those who are still alive at the end of time at the coming of Jesus on the clouds of Glory, and who will also not taste death, but be translated in like manner?

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

This is a very important statement because, if you do not have faith that God is Who He says He Is, How then can anyone pray honestly and sincerely? How can anyone call our Heavenly Father “our Heavenly Father”? How can we even begin to obey what we read in Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” if we do not have the faith that God is God, and that He hears our prayers when we diligently seek Him and love Jesus for His Atoning Sacrifice. It is impossible, and therefore there must be a deep abiding faith/true belief in every part of our being.

We must believe that God Is, and not only that there is a God, but that God Is…The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, as is revealed to us by God’s Word, the Bible.

Romans 8:6-11, “For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ [be] in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Proverbs 7:15, “Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.” and Proverbs 11:27, “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.” and 1 Peter 1:10, “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you:“

There is but one way to seek God, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ: John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Proverbs 7:15, “Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.”

A “Type” of All Believers Throughout Time, Who, by God’s Grace, Know and Warn of Judgment Day to Come, and Are Heirs of Jesus’ Imputed Righteousness and Will Be Saved

Hebrews 11:7, “¶By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.“

Genesis 6:8&9, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ¶These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.“

Remembering also that God reserves a remnant for Himself even in the worst of times: “Romans 11:5, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.“

Noah and his family were the exceptions to the general apostasy of his day. Noah was not without sin, else why would he need grace? But “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet…” such as the rain, the flood, and the destruction of all having the breath of life apart from those shut in the Ark. Noah Believed God!

Genesis 6:22, “¶Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” and 1 Peter 3:20, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.“

Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” and Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:“

Noah’s faith, represented by his works in the building of the Ark over a period of 100 years, served as a condemnation and passed judgment on the unbelief and wickedness of others, and thereby made their unbelief and rebelliousness more obvious. It is not unlike Lot warning his sons-in-law about the coming destruction of Sodom (and Gomorrah), as we read in Genesis 19:14, “And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.” They thought it was all just a joke. Well, sadly, they were very wrong.

Jesus warned explicitly in Luke 17:26-29, regarding the examples of the days of Noah before the Flood and the days of Lot before Sodom was destroyed, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Unbelief is evil enough, but it appears more evil and deliberate in the presence of faith. This faith made Noah another heir of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ.

We should take a minute to ponder the implications of what Jesus said concerning the end times when Jesus compared them to the time just before the Flood and just before the destruction of Sodom. While not “everyone” in the world of Noah’s day, or in the entire city of Sodom, necessarily heard the warnings implied by the Ark or the words spoken to Lot’s sons-in-law, but the principle of a warning being present was there at the time, just as it is in our day. How many people are paying heed to God’s Word in the Bible today? The answer is…not many. Moreover, the world today is exactly as the world in Noah’s day just before the Flood and in Sodom just before the destruction by fire and brimstone.

This is how God described the scene in Noah’s day, in Genesis 6:11&12, we read, “¶The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

We are also in a day much like that at the end of the days of Judges, as we read in the very last verse of the book of Judges, Judges 21:25, “¶In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.” Jesus is not revered as King in this world today, and hence we are in a lawless time.

A “Type” of All Believers Throughout Time, Who Walk by Faith and Not by Sight Sojourning in Tents

Hebrews 11:8, “¶By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.“

2 Corinthians 5:7, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Genesis 12:1-3, “¶Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.“

Romans 4:1-5, “¶What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God.For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned ofgrace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.“

Romans 4:16, “Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,” All believers are the heirs of the promised Seed, Who Is Jesus, via Abraham.

We should also remember that God changed his name to Abraham 15 years after he left Ur. God leads His people in ways known to Him but not known to them.

Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:”

Genesis 12:8, “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.“

Genesis 15:4, “¶And, behold, the word of the LORD [came] unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. ¶And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.“ 

The martyr, Stephen, recounted this just before he was stoned to death, Acts 7:2-5, “¶And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not [so much as] to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.“

Romans 4:13-20. “¶For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression. ¶Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;“

Hebrews 11:10, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.“

The city was in Heaven, not the temporal earthly city of Jerusalem, but the heavenly Jerusalem, Hebrews 12:22, “¶But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,” that we also read about in Revelation 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.“

This is all the more clear when we read 2 Corinthians 5:1-5, “¶For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.“

A “Type” of All Believers Throughout Time, Who Represents the Church and the Faith of the Saints in the Wilderness of This World

Hebrews 11:11, “¶Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.“

Although we know that both Sarah and Abraham were initially doubtful that Abraham at 100 and Sarah at 90 could have a son (Sarah even laughed at the thought), we know from this verse that they nonetheless were both brought to full belief and Sarah was strengthened enough to conceive and bear Isaac and raise him up with Abraham.

Genesis 17:19, “¶And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him.” Genesis 18:11, “Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.” and Genesis 18:14, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.“

It is reminiscent of Luke 1:36, “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.“

Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.“

Hebrews 11:12, “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”

Note the phrase “and him (Abraham) as good as dead“…God raised up seed from essentially “dead ” Abraham via his wife Sarah (whose womb was also “as good as dead”) which “figuratively” could be viewed as a preview resurrection from the dead, which will be discussed more again when we get to verse 19.

Abraham’s “faith” is further explained and expounded here in Romans 4:17-25, “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. ¶Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.“

It is also interesting how this verse referred to the promise by God to Abraham and its subsequent earthly fulfillment. In Genesis 15:5, “And he (God) brought him (Abraham) forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And later in Deuteronomy 1:10, Moses declared, “The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye [are] this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.”

However there is also a Heavenly fulfillment in view as well, because the believers are likened to “stars”. We see this clearly in Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” And please note also how the words “stars” and “sons of God” are used together in this verse: Job 38:7, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Remember also that Queen Esther, who’s very name means “star”, and that Esther was representative of all believers.

Hebrews 11:13, “¶These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.“

These elders died the normal physical death without seeing either the earthly promises fulfilled or the eternal spiritual promises in Jesus Christ fulfilled, but their faith sustained them to know that they had an eternal life, and an eternal abode (not sojourning in earthly tents) awaiting them because of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would eventually come from Abraham’s seed through Isaac and Jacob.

Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw [it], and was glad.“

Psalm 39:12, “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I [am] a stranger with thee, [and] a sojourner, as all my fathers [were].” and 1 Peter 1:17, “¶And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:“

Hebrews 11:14, “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.“

We, as believers, are all just strangers and pilgrims sojourning in this temporal world awaiting our resurrection on Judgment Day to be with God in Heaven praising and thanking Jesus for evermore.

1 Peter 2:11&11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by [your] good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.“

Hebrews 13:14, “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

It is very clear from John 18:36, that this world is not our eternal home or hope, “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.“

The believers make it clear that they have seen things by faith that the natural man (unbelievers) do not see and cannot see apart from it being given to them. Please see: The Hearing Ear and the Seeing Eye

Hebrews 11:15, “And truly, if they had been mindful of that [country] from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.”

They never turned back, just like Lot did not even look back as his wife did, whereupon she died as result (clearly dying in unbelief).

Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

Matthew 22:32, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.“ and Acts 7:32, “[Saying], I [am] the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.“

John 14:2&3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place foryou. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there ye] may be also.“

Acts 20:32, “¶And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.“

Hebrews 2:11, “For both he (Jesus) that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he (Jesus) is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

Hebrews 11:17, “¶By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten [son],”

Genesis 22:1–14 Provides the context of what is being described. Abraham showed that as much as He loved his son, he was going to be obedient to God trusting that God would later raise his son from the dead. He trusted in the Words of God,

Side note: In James 2:20-24, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” The Key point to takeaway here is that a person is saved by grace through faith, and NOT by works, however, once a person is saved, good works must and will become evident.

Hebrews 11:18, “Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:“

This is referring directly back to Genesis 21:12, “And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad (Ishmael), and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.“

We are reminded of Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

The Apostle Paul clearly had to have been referring to Genesis 22:17 when he wrote Galatians 3:16, which hinged on the Hebrew letter waw (possessive pronoun masculine singular suffix) which we would interpret in English as “his”. In this respect, the Apostle Paul was able to declare that the ultimate promised seed of Abraham was a singular male person based on the plain and normal reading of Genesis 22:17, “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed  (זַרְעֲךָ (zeraʿ ))^H2233 as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed (זַרְעֲךָ  (zeraʿ ))^H2233 shall possess the gate of his enemies;“

And knowing that this reference is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, is it not all the more clear when we read the next verse…Genesis 22:18, “And in thy seed  (זַרְעָ (zeraʿ))^H2233 shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.“

Note that the “enemies” are the devil and his minions, the gate(s) of Jesus’ enemies is the prison house/Hell. Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.“

Isaac was therefore the “Type”, which pointed to that ultimate Seed, or Son, Jesus Christ, Who would be the Sacrifice, and through Whom the blessings of Abraham would flow to the world.

Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed  (זַרְעָהּ  (zeraʿ))^H2233; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Genesis 12:3, we read, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Genesis 13:15&16, “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (זַרְעֲךָ (zeraʿ)^H2233 for ever. And I will make thy seed (זַרְעֲךָ (zeraʿ)^H2233 as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, [then] shall thy seed (זַרְעֲךָ (zeraʿ)^H2233 also be numbered.”

Hebrews 11:19, “Accounting that God [was] able to raise [him] up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

This verse on its surface is saying that, because of Abraham’s faith that God could raise Isaac back from the dead and Abraham was going to go through with the sacrifice (determining in both his mind and his heart), then God stopped Abraham, and so Isaac was in effect raised from the dead “in a figure“. The word for “figure” is in the original Greek, παραβολή (parabolē)^G3850 which means “similitude” or “parable”.

Romans 4:20, “He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”

It can also be interpreted as saying that Isaac was established by God to serve as a “figure”, hence similitude or parable (historically) and therefore also an allegorical “Type”, to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was sacrificed by God as the Lamb of God (God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering). And note also that Jesus was thus also typified by the “ram caught in a thicket by his horns.” Does not this remind us of the “crown of thorns” around Jesus’s head on the cross?

Hebrews 11:20, “¶By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.“

This refers back to the Genesis accounts of Isaac’s blessings, which have been fulfilled, most importantly, the blessing on Jacob that pointed to the coming of the LORD God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Isaac was confident that there would be a future that would come to pass, and he had full faith in God and knew that the blessing, which he gave would also come to pass.

This is the blessing that was given by Isaac to Jacob (instead of his elder brother Esau as a result of Jacob deception) Genesis 27:28&29, “Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.“

While it may seem contrary to normal human understanding how such a deception could yield a blessing from God we must remember what Joseph said to his brothers, who previously wanted to kill him, in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive.”

And we know that Esau was also blessed as we read in Genesis 27:38-40, “¶And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me,[even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. ¶And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.” For more on this, and similar, brotherly enmity, please see: The Prodigal Son

Hebrews 11:21, “¶By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.“

Genesis 48:14&15, “And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid [it] upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh [was] the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,“

Jacob/Israel knew that there would be a future that would come to pass, and he had full faith in God trusting that the blessing would come to pass.

It is therefore all the most significant that the man named Oshea (“Salvation”) was descended from Ephraim as we read in Numbers 13:8, who name was later changed by Moses to Joshua (“Jehovah is Salvation”) as we read in Numbers 13:16, and Joshua was, without doubt, used by God to be a great “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land. And “Jesus” is the same as “Joshua”, but as translated from the Greek. (for more on the meaning of name changes in the Bible please see this post)

Hebrews 11:22, “¶By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention (remembered) of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”

Genesis 50:24&24, “¶And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying,God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.“

Joseph was confident that there would eventually be an exodus back to the promised land of his forefathers and God had promised hence the commandment to bury him not in Egypt but in land of Israel.

Hebrews 11:23, “¶By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw [he was] a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.“

Exodus 2:1–10 provides the details of the account described in this verse. Exodus 1:16-22 details Pharaoh’s commandment to kill Jewish male babies and the efforts of midwives to circumvent that decree.

Hebrews 11:24, “¶By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;“

As we read in the last verse of the preceding reference, Moses was raised up as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses was 40 years old, wealthy, educated and a likely successor to Pharaoh, but he rather identified with the Israelites. He must have believed and desired the eternal promises of God over the temporal advantages he had in the land of Egypt.

Hebrews 11:25, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;“

Psalm 84:10, “For a day in thy courts [is] better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.“

Hebrews 11:26, “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

Two related references: Hebrews 13:13&14, “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” and Hebrews 10:35, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.“

Hebrews 11:27, “¶By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.“

Exodus 10:28, “And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in [that] day thou seest my face thou shalt die. ¶And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.” and remembering what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.“

Hebrews 11:28, “Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”

Exodus 12:21, “¶Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.“

Hebrews 11:29, “¶By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry [land]: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.“

Exodus 14:10-21, ending with Exodus 14:22, “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry [ground]: and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Hebrews 11:30, “¶By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.“

The Israelites who crossed the River Jordan at flood stage compassed the walls of Jericho a total of 13 times and the wall fell at the sound of trumpets’ blast and the people shouted as we read in Joshua 6:20, “¶So the people shouted when [the priests] blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.“

Please note the spiritual correlation between the use of the trumpet and shouting that brought down the walls of Jericho, leading to its total destruction in fire, to what we read of Judgment Day and the end of the world for the unsaved in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“

Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.“

Joshua 2:18, “Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line (תִּקְוָה (tiqvâ))^H8615 of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, [that] whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him.” תִּקְוָה (tiqvâ))^H8615, in the original Hebrew that is translated here as “line”, actually means “hope”, “expectation”, “that which is longed for”. Is not the Lord Jesus Christ, The Hope, Expectation, and Whom the believers long for?

And let us see how Rahab exhibited her faith…Joshua 2:21, “And she said, According unto your words, so [be] it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line (תִּקְוָה (tiqvâ))^H8615 in the window.” Rahab’s faith in the coming earthly redemption was shown by her placement of the scarlet line, but spiritually it exemplifies the spiritual longing and expectation of all believers for our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, coming on the clouds of Glory to save them on Judgment Day.

The “scarlet thread/scarlet line” was another sign pointing to the precious atoning shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as being the only means of anyone’s Salvation.

Joshua Orders Rahab’s Rescue

Joshua 6:22-25, “¶But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. “And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that [was] therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel [even] unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.“

And the reader should be particularly mindful of the fact that Rahab the harlot became a progenitor of Boaz, the man who married Ruth, the Moabitess, and that Boaz was the great-grandfather of King David and hence a progenitor of Jesus through Mary. For more on this please see: Jesus’ Ancestry

Four Named Judges Typify The Lord Jesus Christ as Judge

Hebrews 11:32, “¶And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:“

Each of these has a pertinent detail account that goes beyond this chapter study.

Please see for example: Gideon & Barak. Interestingly, God equated Gideon with Barak in another place in the Old Testament. Psalm 83:9&10 references the exploits of these two men of faith together, 1) with respect to Gideon: “Do unto them as [unto] the Midianites; … then 2) with respect to Barak: “as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: [Which] perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.“

Regarding Samson we have his account in Judges 13:1 to Judges 16:30, And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [they] which he slew in his life.“

For Jephthah: Judges 11:1-40 provides us all we need to know about Jephthah, as well as the seriousness of making a vow to God.

David is too much to address here, but his life account begins with 1 Samuel 16:1. But perhaps the most dramatic and famous evidence of David’s faith is when he slew Goliath as a young shepherd boy in 1 Samuel 17:37-51.

Samuel is also too much to address here, but his life account begins with 1 Samuel 1:1, but we know that even as a youth he was always ready to harken to the Voice of God. Even as an aged man he was valiant in faith towards God. Please see more background in this account from the Book of Esther

There are certainly a number of prophets who walked by faith and died as martyrs, as Jesus stated in

Matthew 23:31, “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.“

Hebrews 11:33, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,“

Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and David defeated kingdoms, Samuel wrought righteousness, David obtained the promises. We also know that Samson killed a lion with his bare hands in Judges 14:5&6, and David, while a young shepherd, also killed a lion in 1 Samuel 17:34&35, but also, by God’s grace, Daniel was present when the lions’ mouths were stopped in Daniel in the Lions’ Den.

Perhaps most importantly these are parables in that we know that the faithful believers can stop the mouth of the devil as we read in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:“

Hebrews 11:34, “Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.“

We know that Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were prophets and by God’s grace they were present when the violence of fire was quenched in the Fiery Furnace account recorded in the Book of Daniel. King Saul continually sought to have David killed by the sword. Barak certainly waxed valiant in the fight and turned to flight the Canaanites.

Hebrews 11:35, “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:“

We have the record of the account in 1 Kings 17:17-24 where Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead and her reaction was what we read in 1 Kings 17:24, “And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou [art] a man of God, [and] that the word of the LORD in thy mouth [is] truth.“

The others strong in faith are not named particularly, but they are representative of all believers throughout time who, when required, were valiant in faith in God, even in the face of torture and death.

Hebrews 11:36, “And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

Hebrews 11:37, “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;“

These are largely unknown martyrs of the faith, but there can be no doubt that over the millennia, thousands, if not millions, have suffered torture and death… and many today are now also suffering similar fates. Communists, along with many other religions that serve the devil rather than Jesus, hate Christians just as they have hated Jesus. The Apostle Paul saw this in his own life, as both a Pharisee perpetrator (he assented to the stoning death of Stephen) before being quickened in The Spirit, as well as a recipient of such abuse once becoming saved by Jesus.

Hebrews 11:38, “(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth.“

Again we do not know the details, beyond what god provides here, as they do not appear to have been documented elsewhere in the Bible, but we do know that sufferings for the faith in Jesus Christ continue to this day, and cannot be expected to stop until Judgment Day.

Hebrews 11:39, “¶And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:“

Jesus Christ is the Promise, for He Is the Fulfillment of All things Promised by God to the Elders of the Old Testament.

We should remember what we find in Luke 24:44&45 “And He (Jesus) said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,”   This point is reiterated in Acts 3:18, “But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”   Again in Acts 10:43, we read where the Apostle Peter declared, “To him (Jesus Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”  In John 1:45 we read where, “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”  Finally, in Romans 1:1-3, we read, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord…” And finally, remember that Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 , “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus Is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament scriptures!

The Old Testament believers rested in and looked for the promise of Jesus Christ and life eternal in Him, though He came to Earth after they all had died. Although Job was not mentioned in this chapter of Hebrews, we know that he said in Job 19:25, “For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:“

Hebrews 11:40, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.“

The great men of faith had Jesus only in Promise, we have Jesus, Himself, in reality. They were looking forward to His first coming, while we look back and know that He has come, but we all still look forward to His Second Coming. They saw in Types and Figures, but, over the past 2000 years, all believers have been able to “see” and “know” Jesus in Person through His Word and by his Spirit.

We can rest assured that while there may have appeared to have been two different dispensations, there is nonetheless only one assembly and only one eternal church. Ephesians 4:4, “[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.“

Colossians 2:6-9, “¶As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ¶Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

The bottom line is that mankind, through its own efforts, will never achieve salvation, because, as we read in Jonah 2:9, ” Salvation [is] of the LORD.”, and Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” and finally Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

In Numbers 24:2, we read about the “soothsayer”, Balaam (Joshua 13:22) and that “the spirit of God came upon him” and directed this Messianic prophesy by Balaam in Numbers 24:17, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” (Side Note: Balaam was hired by the king of the Moabites to curse Israel, but God made Balaam instead pronounce a blessing on Israel [Deuteronomy 23:5] and, because Balaam was a soothsayer, we read that he was later slain by the sword in Joshua 13:22.)

1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:“

Conclusion

We can summarize Hebrews Chapter 11 with some key scripture verses penned by the Apostle Paul (the evident earthly author of the Epistle to the Hebrews):

2 Corinthians 5:7, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Romans 4:1-5, “¶What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.“

Romans 4:16, “Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,”

All believers are the heirs of the promised Seed, Who Is Jesus, via Abraham, by grace through faith.

Hebrews 11:1, “¶Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This is one of this teacher’s favorite verses in the King James Version of the Bible, because it is so eloquently presents a complex spiritual thought into one short and succinct verse. No other English translation can do justice to the verse that this translation affords. 

The word for “substance” is translated from the original Greek word, ὑπόστασις (hypostasis)^G5287, which also means “basis”, “foundation”, or “essence” , but also “person” when pertaining to Jesus as we read in Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person (ὑπόστασις (hypostasis))^G5287, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;“

And we know for certain that Jesus Christ Is The Chief Foundation Stone of our faith as we read in Ephesians 2:20, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;“ and 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” and 1 Peter 2:6, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” And this is the scripture reference that the Apostles Paul and Peter were referring to: Isaiah 28:16, “¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner[stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.“

And let us not forget Romans 9:32, where the Apostle Paul explains the problem with the Jews who believed that they were saved by the works of the law, and not having faith in God (Jesus) as their Savior. “Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

So then we could also read Hebrews 11:1 as saying: “¶Now faith is the “Person/Foundation” (hence Jesus) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And using the logic of transitivity (whereby if a relation holds between a first element and a second and between the second element and a third, it also holds between the first and third elements), then we can say that if “faith” is the same as the word translated in this verse as “substance”, and the word “substance” represents “The Person of Jesus”, then “faith” is also the embodiment of Jesus. Faith=Jesus!

Some other verses that help to expound on Hebrews 11:1 can be found in:

Romans 8:24&25, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience ὑπομονή (hypomonē)^G5281 wait for [it].”

2 Corinthians 4:18, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.“

Nonetheless, God’s Glory and power are still manifest in this creation, which is clearly visible to all mankind, as we read in Romans 1:19&20, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:“

But for the believer, we know this to be true as well… Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] 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.“

NOTE to reader: A full exposition of the entire Hebrews Chapter 11 coming soon, the Lord Willing.

Introduction

In Luke Chapter 15, God gives us three parables with a very similar theme and teaching. Those three parables harmonize to form a larger parable, ending with the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” to teach us one of God’s most important lessons. That lesson, as spoken directly from the Mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, is indeed “a Parable“. So let us proceed to see what that lesson is?

The three related parables concluding with the “Parable of The Prodigal Son” are:

#1) The Lost Sheep: One Out of 100 sheep

#2) The Lost Coin: One Out of Ten pieces of silver

#3) The Lost Son: One Out of Two sons

The Introduction for the Three Parables: The “Sinners” Versus the “Righteous“

Luke chapter 15 begins with these words in the first two verses:

Luke 15:1-2, “¶Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”

Here there is a clear division/distinction of the people in Jesus presence in this given setting. The publicans (tax collectors) and sinners on the one hand, and the Pharisees and the scribes on the other. The publicans and sinners “drew near” “to hear” Jesus, while the Pharisees and the scribes “murmured“, who were the self-righteous ones, saying that Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. That is the set-up for what follows next.

But before we move on, there are two verses to consider in the context of the above, first with respect to “drew” or “drawing” are John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”, and secondly, with respect to “hearing Jesus”, we have the account where God the Father explicitly said regarding Jesus, Matthew 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. and also in Mark 9:7, “¶And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.” And we also know that, according to Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

The publicans* (tax collectors) and sinners were shown to be in the Will of God, being “drawn” by God to “hear” Jesus, but the Pharisees* and scribes refused to hear Jesus, and spoke their own words against Him as well as those who followed Him.

*Given that we are presented with these two specific named groups of people, the “publicans” who “drew near” to “hear” Jesus, over against the “Pharisees“, we cannot help but take a moment to remember another parable of Jesus, the one which addresses the key difference between these two groups of people as seen from God’s perspective. And that lesson also harmonizes well with what we will find below in this study of Luke Chapter 15.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican

In Luke 18:9-14, we read, “¶And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.“ In this parable we see a disconsolate repentant/penitent sinner, who is identified as a “publican”, asking for mercy from God, over against a self-righteous person, who is identified as a “Pharisee” who sees himself as having no need of repentance, and yet is still dead in trespasses and sins. Jesus makes clear who will receive mercy, exaltation, and exultation in Heaven with God, as opposed to condemnation to an eternity in Hell away from God. Please keep that in mind as we proceed to look at the rest of Luke Chapter 15.

Luke 15:3, “And he spake this parable unto them, saying,”

God is telling us that we are about to hear a “parable” (actually three parables that address the same issue), which reflects back to what just occurred in the previous two verses. But going forward, we must remember that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. For more on the purpose of parables please see: “God’s Word is a Mystery“

The Whole Parable Deals with Lost Sinners, Who Are Lost Souls, and the God’s Joy in Saving His People!

#1) The Parable of the Lost Sheep: One Out of 100 Sheep

Luke 15:4-6, “¶What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))^G622 one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)) ^G622, until he find it? And when he hath found [it], he layeth [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together [his] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))^G622.

Jesus then immediately expounded the meaning of that parable in the next verse,

Luke 15:7, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

The Primary Lesson that we must conclude is that we are provided with a clear description of the Joy that God has over the salvation of His Elect…those lost sinners who are recovered by God..

The saving of the soul of one sinner who repents is more valuable to God than all those who without sin and hence need no repentance. The 99 represent those who are self-righteous, and “appear” to be “just”, but are nonetheless still dead in trespasses and sins because all of mankind are sinners and everyone needs to repent. Jesus came to save those who are “lost”, who know that they are lost sinners, and who know that they need a Savior (the Good Shepherd, Jesus) to save them, and they repent of their sins. An unsaved sinner will not do that of his or her own accord, because they think of themselves as being ok as is, and, therefore, are “justified” in his or her own eyes, and not “lost” therefore having no need for repentance.

The original Greek word that is translated as “lost” is ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)^G622, which the King James translators interpreted in the following manner: perish (33x), destroy (26x), lose (22x), be lost (5x), lost (4x), miscellaneous (2x).

This is quite similar to Matthew 18:10&11, where we read,  “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)) ^G622. 

Then, in the verses that immediately follow, we read in Matthew 18:12-15, “¶How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray (πλανάω (planaō)) ^G4105, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray (πλανάω (planaō)) ^G4105? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went (πλανάω (planaō))^G4105 not astray (πλανάω (planaō)) ^G4105. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.“ 

The word for “astray” in the original Greek is πλανάω (planaō)^G4105 , and the King James Translators interpreted that word as following manner: deceive (24x), err (6x), go astray (5x), seduce (2x), wander (1x), be out of the way (1x).

1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astray^G4105; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.“

And let us not forget, Jesus said in both Matthew 12:30, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth (σκορπίζω (skorpizō))^G4650 abroad.” and Luke 11:23, “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth (σκορπίζω (skorpizō))^G4650.” And Jesus makes clear that this scattering is related to the “sheep” as we read in John 10:12, “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth (σκορπίζω (skorpizō))^G4650 the sheep.”

It is also interesting to note that (σκορπίζω (skorpizō))^G4650 is derived from the Greek word for “scorpion” (σκορπίος (skorpios)^G4651, which means “to pierce.”

• Matthew 18:11, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

• Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.“

• Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The “Lost Sheep” Correlates with the “Parable of the Good Shepherd”

The fact that Jesus speaks a parable concerning a “lost” sheep brings to mind other of His parables that relate to sheep and Himself as the Good Shepherd, which provides us with some additional insights on what salvation involves. 

In John 10:1-16, we read the Parable of the Good Shepherd, “¶Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ¶Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whoseown the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

And a bit later in John 10:25-30, “¶Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand. I and [my] Father are one.“

It is clear in the above, that Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, will not lose a single one of His sheep!

And before we leave this analogy, we should remember how God chastised the “shepherds” of Old Testament Israel appointed to protect His Flock, National Israel, in Ezekiel 34:1-10, and, in particular, what we read in Ezekiel 34:6, “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them].

#2) The Parable of the Lost Coin: One Out of Ten Pieces of Silver

Luke 15:8, “¶Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))^G622 one piece, doth not light a candle (λύχνος (lychnos))^G3088 , and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find [it]? And when she hath found [it], she calleth [her] friends and [her] neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost ^G622.“

Here we are reminded of another of Jesus’ teachings regarding another aspect of salvation. In Matthew 5:14-16, we read, “¶Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light (καίω (kaiō))^G2545 a candle (λύχνος (lychnos))^G3088, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.“

And this is similar to what we read in both Luke 8:16, “No man, when he hath lighted (ἅπτω (aptō))^G681 a candle (λύχνος (lychnos))^G3088, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.” and Luke 11:33, “No man, when he hath lighted (ἅπτω (aptō))^G681 a candle (λύχνος (lychnos))^G3088, putteth [it] in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.”

And also in Mark 4:21-23, “¶And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

The souls of the lost sinners who become saved are to glorify God by sharing the Light of Gospel of Salvation so that more lost sinners might be found.

Luke 15:10, “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Again, the Primary Lesson that we must conclude is that we are provided with a clear description of the Joy that God has over the salvation of His Elect.

#3) The Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son: One Out of Two Sons

Luke 15:11-32, “¶And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth [to me]. And he divided unto them [his] living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. ¶And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ¶And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ¶But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. ¶ Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. ¶And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to [his] father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. ¶And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.“

Now this third parable, of the Prodigal Son, is a much larger parable, with many spiritual implications, of which we will proceed to touch on only a few. We will begin by breaking the parable down into a sequence of events, and then see how each event relates to the Gospel of Salvation and to the overall context of this chapter in the book of Luke.

Let’s look at each of element of the Parable from a Biblical perspective, using only scripture to explain scripture:

A wealthy man and father, had two sons, the younger of the two had a rebellious spirit. The younger son assertively requested that he receive his earthly inheritance from his father, to which his father assented.

• God Is our Father in Heaven, as we read in Malachi 2:10, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?“ God allows each of us to have our way, to one degree or another, and that way only leads to death, apart from God’s divine intervention. Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 , “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We are also informed and admonished in James 1:13-15: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” This three-step process ends only in death. Mankind is responsible for the sin (NOT God!), despite the circumstances that led to it as ordained by God, Who Is totally Sovereign.

The younger son then departed his father’s house to a far country where he wasted his inheritance on “riotous living“, which we can only presume involved all manner of sin.

• Every person on this earth is a rebellious soul by nature, due to the original sin of Adam, and by nature we all have a rebellious heart. We want our own way and selfishly want our will to rule our lives and flee far from God. Romans 3:10&11, “¶As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.“

Just at the point after he had spent all, a “mighty famine” “arose” (calamity hit), and the younger son became destitute.

• God sends calamities, typified by the “mighty famine“, as one way to bring us to our knees. We may try to find help and solace from man, and the world, but it will not suffice. We know that God is Sovereign over all creation, as we read in Amos 3:6, “…shall there be evil (רָעָה֙, ra-ah) in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” and in 1 Samuel 2:6-9, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (And regarding the ability of God to cause mighty famines, we read of the worst famine that will ever befall mankind, which is apparently happening now in our day, Amos 8:11, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:“)

The younger son first sought help from a citizen of the far country, who put him to work tending swine.

• God makes it clear that swine/pigs are “unclean”, and that anyone who has anything to do with them are also unclean. So this situation epitomizes the lowest level of depravity to which the younger son had fallen into. Leviticus 11:7 (and also Deuteronomy 14:8), “And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he [is] unclean to you.”

He was so hungry that he would have eaten the pig’s food, and no man would help him.

• There was no help or comfort from man for sin. Psalm 60:11, “Give us help from trouble: for vain [is] the help of man.” (see also Psalm 108:12 and Psalm 146:3)

Upon recognizing his desolate starving state, the younger son came to his senses and saw that he was an unworthy, unclean, wretched sinner, both against Heaven (God) and his father, and he arose to go back to his father to confess his sins and say “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee” and would happily become a slave in his father’s house.

• The younger son remembered (“came to himself“) that there was bread in his father’s house, and he knew that even a slave of his father was better off than he was. Ezekiel 18:27&28, “Again, when the wicked [man] turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” As stated above, the father represents God The Father, and Jesus Is the Bread of life Who Is in The Father’s House, as we read in John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.“
• The younger son “arose” indicating that he was being drawn by God to repentance, because we read that his father had compassion towards him, and thus he had become “resurrected” soul in spirit. God has compassion and love for His elect sons and daughters, even when still dead in trespasses and sins as we read in Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and Colossians 2:13, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;“. And with regard to the younger son being in a “far” country, we know from Acts 2:39, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.” and Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.“and Ephesians 2:17, “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.“ And in Isaiah 43:6&7, God says, “I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; [Even] every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.“
• He also said to himself and his father later, “make me as one of thy hired servants” and I “am no more worthy to be called thy son.” Psalm 84:10, “For a day in thy courts [is] better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.“

When the father saw his younger son coming, he had compassion on him and ran to him and kissed him.

• The father’s having quickly run to prodigal son reminds us of Psalm 34:18, “The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” and Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

The son humbly confessed his sins to his father “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.“

• Upon arrival at his father’s house, likely in smelly filthy rags, the younger son was REPENTANT and confessed in a manner similar to what we read in Psalm 51:4, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.” Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” and perhaps most clearly we see the heart of a repentant sinner in the Psalm 51:1-19.

Whereupon the father then clothed his younger son in the “best robe“, and “put a ring on his hand” and “shoes on [his] feet”

The Best Robe

• The father’s putting of the “best robe” on his younger son (with the ring for his hand and shoes for his feet) together with the rejoicing that accompanied his return, should remind us of Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.” and Psalm 132:9, “Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. and Psalm 132:16, “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.“ We should not forget the “white robes” representing Jesus’ imputed righteous to his saints in Heaven that we read of in Revelation 7:9, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;“

The Ring on His Hand

• We know that in the Bible, rings, are used to make seals on decrees with authority. We are reminded of Pharaoh (a “Type” representing God the Father) granting authority to Joseph (a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ) as we read in Genesis 41:42&43, “And Pharaoh took off his ring (טַבַּעַת (ṭabaʿaṯ)^H2885 from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Egypt.” This was also the case in the Book of Esther, where we read in Esther 8:2, “And the king took off his ring טַבַּעַת (ṭabaʿaṯ) ^H2885, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. as well as in Esther 8:8, “Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal [it] with the king’s ring (טַבַּעַת (ṭabaʿa)) ^H2885: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring טַבַּעַת (ṭabaʿaṯ)^H2885, may no man reverse.” King Ahasuerus (another “Type” representing God the Father) granted Mordecai (another “Type” representing the Lord Jesus Christ) authority by virtue of giving him the king’s ring.

The Shoes on [His] Feet

• As for the shoes put on his feet, we are reminded of Ephesians 6:15, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” whereby the believer (the repentant sinner who is clothed with Christ’s righteousness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is prepared to go forth and preach the Gospel of Salvation to others.

The father ordered a feast involving he killing of a “fatted calf” to be held to rejoice in that “my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.“

• The killing of the “fatted calf” reminds of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice by which God made possible our attendance to the ultimate feast, the joyful wedding feast in Heaven between Jesus and His Bride, the Church. And as for the rejoicing, we are reminded of 1 Thessalonians 2:19&20, “For what [is] our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? [Are] not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.“

The Elder Son

The older brother who had been working in the field of his father, heard the merriment (there was music and singing and dancing) and was told the reason, he became angry and refused to partake of the celebratory feasting for his lost brother’s return. (Reminiscent of Vashti who also would not come to the king’s feast in the Book of Esther) The father then came out of the house to the older brother and requested that he come in, but the elder son said it was not fair to him because he had never left his father’s house, “neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment” and was faithful servant his whole life, but yet he never received such rejoicing. Nonetheless, the father also said, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.“

From an earthly perspective (man’s perspective) the elder son would have had every reason and right to be resentful, but sadly that is an evil perspective. The elder brother refused to enter in to the feast. The earthly father “entreated” him, and made clear why the elder should be rejoicing that who was dead is now alive and who was lost is now found, while promising the elder son he would still receive the entire earthly inheritance.

So then, what about God’s perspective? A believer will have the mind of Christ as is written in 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Note the father had “compassion” on the younger son, but the elder brother did not. The elder brother was “angry” hence neither “compassionate” nor “loving” towards his brother and selfishly thought of himself. We also should note that in discussing his brother with his father, he did not even call him his “brother”, but instead he referred to him as “this thy son”. 

We are told first in Leviticus 19:17, “¶ Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart:…” Then we are told in Matthew 22:37, “¶Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Later also we read in 1 John 4:20, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.“ 

The elder brother was being likened by Jesus to the Pharisees and the scribes, who in their own self-righteousness, resented the sinners and publicans who followed Jesus, and hence did not have love in their hearts for either them or Jesus (Who is God). They represent the unsaved of the world who think that they are fine with God and remain unrepentant (like the Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14).

Finally, the father said that it was appropriate to hold such a celebration because, “for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.“

Again, the Primary Lesson that we must conclude is that we are provided with a clear description of the Joy that God has over the salvation of His Elect.

Epilogue: God’s Economy Is NOT Man’s Economy

We should stop and think about another another pair of brothers, Cain (the elder) and Abel (the younger), and what we are told about them with regard to God’s perspective in 1 John 3:10-15, “¶In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ¶Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.“

Abel offered the acceptable sacrifice of blood because he believed God. And that blood of the lamb typified and pointed to the ultimate atoning sacrifice of Jesus, The Lamb of God. Cain’s offering was one of works, which had no reference to Jesus at all. Abel was deemed righteous by his imputed faith of Jesus Christ to whom his offering looked.

Abel is dead, but his faith and example are yet spoken of. These two brothers represent the world’s two religions, Salvation by grace through Jesus’s Atoning Sacrifice or salvation by human works!

And how can we forget to mention another pair of brothers, Esau (the elder) and Jacob (the younger). Man’s economy would have said that Esau should have gotten all of the inherited benefits, because Esau was the first born, he was a hard worker for his father Isaac, and he was a mighty hunter who put food on the table for the family. Jacob, whose very name means “usurper”, deceived his father and stole his brother’s Esau’s birthright and Patriarchal blessing. And what was the reaction of Jacob’s elder brother Esau? We read in Genesis 27:41, “¶And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.”

In all three cases of the Biblical accounts of three pairs of brothers:

1. The two brothers in the Parable of the Prodigal Son
2. Cain and Abel
3. Esau and Jacob

The elder of each pair of brothers hated the younger, and in each case all three elder brothers were viewed by God as “murderers“. And, therefore, we should also remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 8:44, “Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

And with respect to the latter pair of brothers, God tells us the following in Romans 9:12-16, “It was said unto her (Issac’s wife Rebecca in Genesis 25:23), The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (in Malachi 1:2&3). ¶What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Exodus 33:19). So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.“

God’s Economy is NOT man’s economy. Jesus’ Parable of “The Servants in the Vineyard”, as is presented in Matthew 20:1-16, explains more about God’s Economy, which some might describe as “equal pay for unequal work“. This is because we are saved not by our works, but by the Grace of God alone. Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.“

Matthew 20:10&11, “But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received [it], they murmured against the goodman of the house,” and then we read at the end of the parable in Matthew 20:15&16, where the Master of the Vineyard says, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Notice that in this parable those who “murmured” (like the Pharisees and the scribes) were viewed as having an “evil eye” because they rejected God’s economy. The lesson of this parable as well as those in Luke Chapter 15, is that if we are saved at any point in our lives, we become the servants of God to work in His field to harvest souls, and it does not matter when any believer joins into that work, at the end of the day, all the believers will receive the same wage…and certainly not a “penny” but rather Eternal Life with God in Heaven! And they will definitely not be angry, resentful, or murmuring in their hearts, but rather will be rejoicing in Heaven with God!

Luke 7:40, “¶And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. ¶There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? ¶Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.“Luke 7:47, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.“

A Fourth Pair of Brothers: Ishmael and Isaac

Before moving on we should take a look at one last pair of brothers in the Old Testament, Ishmael and Isaac. In Galatians 4:21-30, we read of these two brothers, and roles that each play when understood in the spiritual context. Paul explains how each are allegorical references to the differences between those who are born of the Spirit, and hence God’s Elect children (the true eternal Israel, which includes Gentiles represented by Isaac) versus the others who remain under condemnation by the works of the Law (typified by the Jews of Jesus’ day represented by Ishmael), “¶Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written (in Genesis 21:8–21), that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written (in Isaiah 54:1 ), Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. ¶Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.“

The Apostle Paul expands his tutorial of the variance between Ishmael and Isaac in Romans 9:6-9, “¶Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed., For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.“

The bottom line is that mankind, through its own efforts, will never achieve salvation, because, as we read in Jonah 2:9, ” Salvation [is] of the LORD.”, and Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” and finally Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

More Corroboration

Matthew 9:11-13, “And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? ¶But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Jesus was referring back to Hosea 6:6, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.“)

Micah 6:6-8, “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or]with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?“

John 9:39, “¶And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.¶And [some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? ¶Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.“

Ishamahel and

Conclusion:

Jesus came to save the lost sinners, who become repentant sinners, and NOT the righteous! And God rejoices in Heaven over every sinner who repents and becomes saved!

The bottom line is stated clearly in Luke 19:10, where Jesus tells us: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  

This is repeated in Matthew 9:10-13, “¶And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? ¶But when Jesus heard [that], he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what [that] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.“

The sinners that God has called to repentance. The sheep of God, for whom the Good Shepherd of the believers’s souls came and died to save, as we read in 1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))^G622, but that all should come to repentance.

Matthew 4:17,”¶From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Finally, let us all remember what God says in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, “¶For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.“

POSTSCRIPT:

The more that this teacher studies and searches the scriptures, the more it becomes apparent what God said by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“ May all who have been given the ears to hear and the eyes to see, say “Praise God!, Hallelujah!, Oh What a Savior we have in Jesus!”

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

Preface: What is a Parable? and What Purpose Does it Serve?

Before going into the details of the Parables of the Ten Virgins and the Marriage Feast, we must come to terms with 1) the meaning of parables and 2) the purpose behind Jesus’ employment of them when speaking to the multitudes. 

Definition of the Word “Parable”

A parable is an earthly temporal story with a heavenly eternal meaning. It is essentially something that is not obvious, and hence hidden from open view, or is concealed. The word parable as found in the original Hebrew is חִידָה (ḥîḏâ) ^H2420 (also used as dark sentences or speech) meaning “hard question, riddle, enigma, or puzzle,” and is synonymous with the word “proverb” or “parable”.  But “parable” itself is derived from Hebrew word מָשָׁל (māšāl)^H4912 which has the meaning of a “metaphorical adage requiring mental action.”  Ezekiel 17:2 tells us that a parable and a riddle are essentially the same, “Son of man, put forth a riddle (חִידָה (ḥîḏâ)), and speak a parable (מָשָׁל (māšāl)) unto the house of Israel;“ 

In the New Testament in the original Greek the word “parable” is παραβολή (parabolē). The word is a composite of “pará“, meaning “alongside”, and “bállō“, meaning “to cast“. A parable is, by interpretation, a familiar thing which is cast, or put alongside, that which is unknown or concealed. and is essentially the same as “similitude” or “likeness” and a “thing serving as a figure of something else“. 

The Purpose of Parables

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus always spoke in “parables”to the multitudes.  Jesus deliberately spoke in parables, so that those who only had carnal ears and eyes, would hear, and not understand and see, and not perceive. In Matthew 13:34 we read that:”All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables;  and without a parable spake he not unto them:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (and this is a reference back to the prophetic statement we find in Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:” and which we also find in Psalm 49:3&4 we read, “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and  the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.”)

But Jesus did expound the parables to His disciples. In Mark 4:34, we read, “But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”

Jesus explained to His disciples WHY He spoke in parables to the multitudes.  In Mark 4:11&12, we read: “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you (the elect) it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (the non-elect), all [these] things are done in parables:  That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.“(God reiterates this explanation in Isaiah 6:9&10, John 9:39&40, and Acts 28:26-28… PLEASE read these verses to see the perfect reinforcement that they provide).

The Great Division and Separation to Come

Many of Jesus’ Parables teach us that there will be Great Division and Separation coming on Judgment Day. They make this point by using illustrations, such as in this one with the separation of five wise virgins from the five foolish virgins, or in the next one with the separation of the faithful servants from the unfaithful servant, or later in the separation of the sheep from the goats, or involving the separation of the people bidden to the Marriage Feast who either have a wedding garment or do not, or the separation of the wheat from the tares. In each of these parables, a clear distinction is made between that which is to be saved, versus that which is to be cast out into outer darkness, destroyed, and burned for eternity. These Parables repeatedly make the point that the end result for all of mankind since creation, come Judgment Day, is a Great Eternal Separation…either entering into Heaven with Jesus or being cast into Hell under the wrath of God for sin. 

The key takeaway is that Jesus did NOT die to save “everyone” from their sins! Jesus only came to save those whom God has chosen to save, who God counts to be among the elect of God and who are otherwise referred to as “the sheep” of the Flock of The Good Shepherd, Jesus. We must carefully consider what we find in Romans chapter 9, and in particular, Romans 9:13, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.“

This study on the hearing ear and seeing eye is helpful as well. For additional information regarding parables please see: “God’s Word is a Mystery“.

Introduction to the Parable of the Ten Virgins

Back in Matthew Chapter 24 (the verses that just precede those which comprise the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Chapter 25), Jesus expounds in great detail upon what we are to expect in the end times leading up to and ending on Judgment Day. Jesus made it very clear the need to be ready against that day (much like in Esther 3:14 and Esther 8:13) where we are told in Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” and in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.“

Then Jesus made a distinction between the faithful and wise servant who was so doing (e.g., “watching” by sharing the Gospel and being ready for Jesus’s soon return), whom God will bless with eternal life at Jesus’ second coming (Matthew 24:46); versus the evil servant, who says in his heart, “My lord delayeth his coming” (Matthew 24:48) whom God will surprise, and destroy, and send to Hell for eternity on Judgment Day.

And is it not interesting that we are told in 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

It is therefore most notable, and quite significant, that the verses immediately following in Matthew chapter 25, which begins with the word “THEN“, that God presents a total of three admonishing discourses in this order:

1. the Parable of the Ten Virgins,
2. the Parable of the Talents, and
3. the Parable of the separation of the Sheep and the Goats (at which time The Lord Jesus Christ Is on His Throne of His Glory and He, as the Shepherd of the saved souls, separates and sets “the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” And, regarding the last parable, Jesus explains, in more plain language, what determines a “sheep” versus a “goat”, as it is presented in the subsequent verses Matthew 25:34-46. 

In all three discourses, Jesus makes very clear what will be a very distinct separation of people of the world on Judgment Day, between those who are saved (the true believers) versus the unsaved (the non- believers), along with their respective eternal destinies, either Heaven or Hell.

As the well-known British theologian of his day (circa 1710), Matthew Henry, said concerning Matthew Chapter 25:

“Now it concerns us to prepare for Christ’s coming;  I. That we may then be ready to attend upon him; and this is shown in the parable of the ten virgins (v. 1-13).  II. That we may then be ready to give our account to him; and this is shown in the parable of the three servants (Talents) (v. 14-30)  III. That we may then be ready to receive from him our final sentence, and that it may be to eternal life; and this is shown in a more plain description of the process of the last judgment (v. 31-46).

Matthew Henry then rightly concluded, regarding the serious implications of this chapter, “These are things of awful consideration, because of everlasting concern to every one of us.”

Exposition of The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Given that context, let us read together the Parable of the Ten Virgins in full:

Matthew 25:1-13, “¶Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ¶And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone (going) out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¶Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¶Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.“

In order for us to begin to understand this parable, we must consider carefully what each of the various terms mean in the greater Biblical context. We cannot presume that we can understand a Biblical passage on face value, or what we think is the “plain sense”, or allow ourselves to be influenced by modern definitions, or by the writings of false teachers, because the result will simply be nonsense versus God-sense. 

God is entirely consistent in His use of words, which we find in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. And we are clearly directed by God to compare scripture with scripture (“spiritual things with spiritual”) as we read in 1 Corinthians 2:13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” Therefore, we should limit our search for the correct definitions by using the Bible, alone, as its own dictionary, because the Bible is the sole source book of truth.

So then, on the basis of what can be found though a diligent search of the Bible Scriptures:

Then Shall the Kingdom of Heaven Be Likened …

The word “Then” tells us that, as a follow-on to the point in time set forth in preceding verses (found in Matthew Chapter 24), that we are discussing Judgment Day, when the True Eternal Church is revealed to be entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus is clearly setting forth a parable, by employing the words “likened“, thus an analogy, via allegory, that, when Judgment Day comes, the Kingdom of Heaven is somehow “likened” to these ten virgins (that are subsequently evenly divided into two groups of five each).

We now need to establish, Who is Who? and What is What? Who is the Bridegroom for Whose marriage the ten virgins are planning to be in attendance? Who do the Five Wise, and the Five Foolish Virgins represent? What are the Lamps? Who, or What, does the Oil represent? Why is having Oil the determining factor in getting inside when the Bridegroom arrives? What about going out to buy the Oil? Let us search out the meaning of each of these illustrations as found in this parable.

1. Jesus Is The Bridegroom

It is clear from the following verses that the Bridegroom in this parable can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus plainly stated that He is the Bridegroom in Matthew 9:15, “¶And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” And we should remember that John the Baptist likened to being the Best Man at the future wedding ceremony of Jesus, Whom John the Baptist confirmed to be The Bridegroom as we read in John 3:27, “¶John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I [must] decrease.“

Jesus is also the Mighty King in Psalm 45:1-8, which is a song to celebrate the King’s Marriage to His Queen with her attending Virgins described in the immediate subsequent verses: Psalm 45:9-17.

Psalm 45:1-8, “¶[[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.]] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness [and] righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows [are] sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; [whereby] the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom [is] a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments [smell] of myrrh, and aloes, [and] cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.“

2. The True Eternal Church is the Bride

Ephesians 5:25, “¶ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”

Psalm 45:9-17, “Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre [shall be there] with a gift; [even] the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. The king’s daughter [is] all glorious within: her clothing [is] of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.“

Revelation 19:7-9, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. ¶And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.“

Revelation 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” and Revelation 21:9&10, “¶And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,“

Hosea 2:19, “And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.“

The Ten Virgins: Five Were Wise and Five Were Foolish

The ten virgins represent all of mankind (men and women) who profess to be part of the true Christian church, preparing for Jesus’ Return on the clouds of Glory, who all outwardly appear to be virtuous (like a virgin), but who are clearly soon separated into two groups. How do we know that these virgins are representative of the broader Christian church, the corporate body that includes both those who are saved (the true Eternal Church), and the unsaved (who nonetheless are professing Christians)?

We can look to the Apostle Paul, who, when writing to the church in Corinth, Greece, compared the church to a “chaste virgin” as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.” But note that in the next verse Paul writes, 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” So then the true church is a virtuous virgin bride but there can be those associated with it that may not be saved and led away by false Gospels.

The Five Wise Virgins “Took Oil in Their Vessels with Their Lamps.”

In attendance with the Queen (The Bride of the King), as we read earlier, were the handmaidens in Psalm 45:9, “Kings’ daughters [were] among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.“

The Apostle Paul, when writing to the church in Corinth, Greece, compared the church as a chaste virgin as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.”

The Five Foolish Virgins “Took Their Lamps, and Took No Oil with Them:” 

The Foolish Virgins are those who profess with their mouths that they are Christians but are really not. They associate with true believers but they themselves are not saved. “Believing” is not just mouthing the words that “I believe”, it is believing with all your heart and soul that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, that Jesus Is The Firstborn from the dead, and He Is The Only Savior for mankind (and for you personally), to Whom all Glory and Honor belongs.

Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” but we are also warned in the following:

Matthew 7:22&23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.“

John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

“While the Bridegroom Tarried, They All Slumbered and Slept”

What does it mean that the Bridegroom tarried? Given the context that we are dealing with in this parable as well the whole of Matthew Chapter 25 and the preceding verses in Matthew Chapter 24, we know that we are dealing with the issue of Jesus’ Second Coming and Judgment Day. We also know that Jesus’ apparent “tarrying” (referred to as “slackness“) is specifically addressed by God in 2 Peter 3:8-10, “¶But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“

Being asleep has two meanings in the Bible. It can mean either earthly sleep (unconsciousness), or death. It is used both ways in the following verses, with the first exemplified by being drunken/unconscious as opposed to being sober/conscious: 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11, “Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ¶Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Again it is clear from this passage that to be “asleep” is to be dead in the grave, 1Thessalonians 4:13, “¶But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.“

The fact is that there has now been almost 2000 years since Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice, Death, Burial, and Resurrection and His Ascension back into Heaven. Both believers and nonbelievers alike have died over those two millennium. Bodies have decayed in the graves, or have dissolved in the sea, or were consumed by any number of disasters (natural and manmade). However, we know that for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8&9, “We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. ¶ Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.“ and Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain.” Moreover we are told in Psalm 115:17, “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.“

In Luke 12:35-40, Jesus said, “¶Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.“

Romans 13:11&12, “¶And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

We should also bear in mind that God never slumbers or sleeps: Psalm 121:3&4, “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

3. The “Oil” Represents God, The Holy Spirit (and the Vessel Is the Believer’s Heart)

The word for “oil” in the original Hebrew is שֶׁמֶן (sheh’-men)^H8081 (a masculine noun) and it is made from the fruit of the olive tree. It is used as the fuel that burns in the lamps to give light.

Remember how this is entirely consistent with what we read of the “Oil” and its purpose in Exodus 25:6, “Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,“. and also in Exodus 27:20, “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.”, which is repeated in Leviticus 24:2, “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.” and finally Exodus 35:14, “The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,”

We also have this verse in Isaiah 62:1, “¶For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp [that] burneth.“ The word translated for “lamp” here in the original Hebrew is לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)^H3940, which is the root word for Lapidoth, the husband of Deborah, who we read about in Judges Chapters 4&5.

And before we go any further we must remember that Jesus Is The Light…John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” and

1 Peter 2:9, “¶But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:“

2 Corinthians 4:3-7, tells us plainly, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”  

Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.

John 3:19-21, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

And just as the physical olive oil is the source of physical light in the physical lamps, so too is the Holy Spirit, Who is the One Who Is The Source of the Spiritual Light in the hearts of every believer.

We should take note of 1 Samuel 16:13, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.“ together with Daniel 5:14, “I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.“

The vessels represent the believers (and their innermost being), who have the God’s Holy Spirit/ Holy Ghost and, therefore, the Light of Jesus Christ shining brightly in their hearts, which is otherwise hidden from the world of the unsaved.

“We should also take a look at Job 32:8, that reads in the King James English translation as, “But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.“ Man is a living being with the spirit of life that goes back to Genesis 2:7, “¶And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.“ The original Hebrew word that is translated into English as both “inspiration” and “breath” is the same word, נְשָׁמָה (nᵊšāmâ)^H5397. So what Job 32:8 is really saying is that man has the spirit of life as a physical living soul, but, and only if, someone is given The Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost from God Almighty can they then also have “Understanding”, and by implication, “Eternal Life”. This also brings to mind what we read in John 20:21, “¶Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:“

Remember also Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.“

NOTE: The first time that the word for “olive” is found in the Bible is in Genesis 8:11, “And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.“ The word for “olive” in the original Hebrew is זַיִת (zayiṯ)^H2132 (a masculine noun). Among the 17 times that the word is translated “olive” into English we find this verse, Judges 9:9, “But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? The word translated as “fatness” is from the Hebrew word דֶּשֶׁן (dešen)^H1880 (a masculine noun) has, somewhat strangely, also been translated in the Bible as “ashes” (as that from a burnt offering). It can also mean “abundance” or “oil”. Given the context here, it would seem to be more appropriate to translate it as “oil”. It is also important to reflect on Zechariah 4:12-14, “And I answered again, and said unto him, What [be these] two olive זַיִת (zayiṯ)^H2132 branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves? ¶And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these [be]? And I said, No, my lord. ¶Then said he, These [are] the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.“ In any case, the “olive” is the source by which the olive “oil” for the light is obtained.

“At Midnight There Was a Cry Made, Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh; Go Ye Out to Meet Him.“

“Midnight“

“Midnight” is literally the middle of the night. It is the point at the end of time when every human being who has ever lived will be resurrected from the dead to come before the Great White Throne of God’s Judgment as is so clearly described in Revelation 20:11-15, “¶And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“

We are reminded that God has used “midnight” in relation to bringing both Salvation and Judgment in the Bible, as we read when the LORD killed all the firstborn in Egypt, while “Passing Over” the children of Israel who had the blood of the Passover lamb on their lintels and side doorposts. Exodus 12:23, “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you]” together with Exodus 12:29, “¶And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.“

Midnight” is clearly representative of the Last Day, Judgment Day, when the Last Trumpet Sounds and Jesus returns on the clouds of Glory.

“Cry”?

The “cry” pertains to the great wake-up call of Judgment Day! Moreover, in the original Greek, it is the word, κραυγή (kraugē)^G2906, which means “an outcry” (in notification, “tumult” or “grief”) or “clamour”. It is used only a few times in the New Testament and in each case is pointing to the judgment and wrath of God for sin, that will most certainly come in the announcement of Judgment Day as we read in Revelation 14:18, “And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry ^G2906 to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.” We also see this word in Hebrews 5:7, “Who (Jesus) in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying ^G2906 and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” and

Note, also, that the above word for “cry” is a different word from what we find for example in Romans 8:15, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ^G2896 Abba, Father.” and Galatians 4:6, where we read, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, ^G2896 Abba, Father.” That word for “cry” (also “crying” or “cried”) is, in the original Greek, κράζω (krazō)^G2896 meaning to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, intreat), which can be more of a petitionary plea, as is also found in John 7:37, “In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, ^G2896 saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and ]remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“

“Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but

“Go Ye Rather to Them That Sell, and Buy for Yourselves“

Isaiah 55:1-3 tells us something that initially sounds at least a bit strange, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.“

How is it be possible to buy anything, if no exchange of money is involved?, or if there is no price to pay? We must consider that something beyond the physical is really in view, particularly given that the word “soul” is mentioned twice, along with the word “everlasting”. The three food elements (wine, milk and bread) cannot be viewed “literally”, but rather they must be viewed “spiritually” as being representative of “spiritual” food for the soul that will provide the necessary eternal sustenance for eternal life. Moreover, the subsequent words make clear that this sustenance for the soul can be obtained through “hearing” with an “ear”, rather than by exchanging money for it. And what is it that must be “heard” that will make a difference and allow anyone to “buy” this eternally satisfying sustenance? For more on the meaning of Isaiah 55:1-3, please see Are You Buying it?

The problem is that there are not many buyers! It is because, although people are desperately dying in need of salvation, they are not seeking salvation or if they are they are not seeking it the right way. It is because so many in this world do not hunger and thirst after righteousness, in reference to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.“

There are many in the world who falsely believe they would/could somehow buy salvation (and hence the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost). Such people are in fact self-willed, who trust in their own works (there own oil) to prepare and ready themselves for Jesus return, by thinking, again falsely, that they have obtained salvation, but who are in fact not saved, and ill prepared, because they do not have God the Holy Spirit indwelling in them. 

We must remember that, to become a believer, one must be “quickened”, meaning to be made spiritually alive, through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. So likewise, the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost, and the power to “give” Him, cannot be bought as we learned in Acts 8:18-20, “¶And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. ¶But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.“

Salvation Is a Free Gift, Bought and Paid for by Jesus Christ Alone!

So then, to “buy” the Bread (of Everlasting Life) without money and without price is to “hear” the Word of God, Who is Jesus, as He Is found in the Bible. This is the ONLY means of Salvation for eternal life in Heaven in the presence of God. Jonah in the belly of the whale declared in Jonah 2:9, “Salvation [is] of the the Lord“. We must both hear, and heed, the Word of God, if we truly desire to be saved from the just penalty for our sins by the Lord Jesus Christ. Either Jesus paid that price in full, through His Atoning Sacrifice to provide the free gift of eternal life, or unsaved mankind will pay the full price individually, which will be an eternity in Hell.  A very high price indeed!

Each person who is truly a child of God (and thus a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as The Savior from God’s just penalty for sin) has the Gift of The Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. The true believer will have been baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost as we read in Mark 1:8, “I (John the Baptist) indeed have baptized you with water: but he (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” and moreover we know this, Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

So then, how is it possible to share The Holy Ghost Who Is The Free Gift from God with anyone else? A Believer cannot write someone else into God’s Will. It is also not possible to share The Holy Spirit with someone else. The five foolish virgins did not have The Holy Spirit and were effectively told to obtain it on their own. However, once death comes, it is too late! 

Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:“

Zephaniah 2:3, “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.“

The Glorious Return of Jesus Marks Both the Wedding Day and Judgment Day

Matthew 24:29-31 (and Mark 13:24–27; Luke 21:25–28 ), “¶Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.“

“The Door Was Shut“

In the last three verses of this parable show the result of the differences between the two groups of five virgins. Matthew 25:10-12, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¶Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Once the five wise virgins entered in (a picture of entering into Heaven with Jesus) “the door was shut.” And when the foolish virgins arrived at the door (picturing those who are unsaved despite their professing to be “Christians”), they could not enter, and then they heard the words of the Bridegroom (a “Figure” of The Lord Jesus Christ) who said that he did not know them. As difficult and horrific it is to realize, for anyone to be shut out of Heaven is the same as being exiled to Hell for eternity! 

God reiterates this conclusion in Luke 13:25-29, “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all [ye] workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and [from] the west, and from the north, and [from] the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.“

And is this not reminiscent of what we read of Noah and his family immediately after they and all the animals entered into the Ark? Genesis 7:16, “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him (Noah): and the LORD shut him in.“

Psalm 5:4, “For thou [art] not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.“

John 9:31, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

In Mark 13:32-37, Jesus raised similar points with regard to Judgment Day, and for the believers (his servants) to stay working, vigilant, and watching, “¶But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.“

Similarly, in Luke 21:34-36, Jesus said, “¶And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

This is all in accordance with God’s plan. That Light will be kept hidden from the world of unbelievers until Judgement Day, when the Judgment that befalls them comes as a “thief in the night”. This is exactly what we are told in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“

The Parable of the Marriage Feast

In Matthew 22:1–14 (See also Luke 14:15–24 ), we find another of Jesus’ Parables regarding the Marriage Feast, “¶And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and [my] fatlings [are] killed, and all things [are] ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of [it], and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated [them] spitefully, and slew [them]. But when the king heard [thereof], he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. ¶And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ¶For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”

And in Luke 14:24, we read, “For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.“

And remember again what we read from the Apostle Paul concerning the church as the Bride of Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.“

Finally, In Revelation 3:18, God provides us with an interesting correlation between what was the five wise virgins said (to the five foolish virgins) with what we read above regarding the man not having a wedding garment in the warning to the Church in Laodicea: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.“

Conclusion

The Bible is clear that there are just two different kinds of people in the world, those who are saved (the sheep) by the blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who are unsaved (the goats, who are the vast majority of mankind) who remain spiritually dead and condemned in their sins.

1 Peter 4:5&6, “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick (living) and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.“

However, the key lesson of the Parable of the Ten Virgins (and the Parable of the Marriage Feast) is that there are also two different kinds of people who profess to be followers and worshipers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The larger corporate body, which constitutes the “corporate church”, includes all those who profess to be Christians, both true believers (those who makeup the “eternal Church”) and those who think that they are Christians, but who really are not, because they are deceived. 

The distinction between those who are the true believers (typified by the five wise virgins) from those who are not true believers (typified by the five foolish virgins) is whether or not they had “oil” in their lamps. Similarly, The Parable of the Marriage Feast makes clear that to enter into the Marriage Feast (of the Lamb, Jesus Christ) one must have on a “wedding garment“, which is the robe of Jesus Christ’s Righteousness imputed to each saved person.

In both parables God is making clear to us that salvation is only a Gift from God, to the elect of God, who are His Chosen people, the sheep. Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”…Note the word is “chosen” and NOT that the few “choose”. 

Dear reader, may God grant you the “ears to hear and the eyes to see” that you too might be granted eternal life with Jesus in Heaven come Judgment Day.

Introduction: The Earthly Priesthood Was Never Intended to Take Away Sin

Hebrews 10:1, “¶For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”

Again we see the word “shadow” and “NOT the very image (or substance) of the things.” They were earthly sacrifices that were themselves ineffectual, but nonetheless pointed to the “Effectual”, Who Is Jesus Christ, The Savior! Again the good things to come are Peace, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Grace and Mercy from God through Jesus Alone.

Colossians 2:17, “Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.“

Hebrews 9:9, “Which [was] a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;“

Hebrews 9:11, “But Christ being [come] an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;“

Hebrews 10:2, “For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.”

The point being that if they were really effectual, then there would be no need for them to be continued.

Hebrews 10:3, “But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year.”

The High Priest had to continue the yearly ritual on Yom Kippur without ceasing until Jesus died on the cross and the veil of the Temple was rent in two, thus exposing the Holy of Holies to outsider view and thus ending the annual sacrifices. 

We should also realize that the law of God does not just serve as a shadow of good things to come, but that it is also our “schoolmaster” as we read in Galatians 3:24&25, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

and Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.”

Hebrews 10:4, “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Micah 6:6&7, “Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and] bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn [for] my transgression, the fruit of my body [for] the sin of my soul?“

The Spiritual Priesthood Was Prophesied to Take Away Sin

Hebrews 10:5, “¶Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:”

Here the Writer (Likely the Apostle Paul) is referring back to Psalm 40:6, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.“

Hebrews 10:6, “In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.”

Isaiah 1:11, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.“

Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

Here the Writer (Likely the Apostle Paul) is referring back to the very next verse, Psalm 40:7&8, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.“

This also reminds us to go to the the Road to Emmaus, as well as John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.“

Hebrews 10:8, “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and [offering] for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure [therein]; which are offered by the law;”

Hebrews 10:9,”Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

The above five verses refer directly back to what is now revealed as a prophecy in Psalm 40:6-8, and expound upon them pointing to Jesus Christ, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.“

Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once [for all].”

In John 17:19, Jesus said while praying to God The Father, “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (And Jesus also prayed to God the Father, in John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Again back to Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].”

Hebrews 10:11, “¶ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:”

Numbers 28:3, “¶And thou shalt say unto them, This [is] the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, [for] a continual burnt offering.“

And again just a few verses back in Hebrews 10:4, “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Hebrews 10:12, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

Colossians 3:1, “¶If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.“

Hebrews 10:13, “From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

This is referring back to Psalm 110:1, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.“

and also in Acts 2:34&35, “¶For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.“

Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Again we go within the Book of Hebrews for corroboration: Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].“

Hebrews 10:15, “¶[Whereof] the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,”

2 Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.“

Hebrews 10:16, “¶This [is] the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”

This is a repetition of what was covered in Hebrews 8:8, “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”,which hearkened back to the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 31:31-34, “¶Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“

Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

See the preceding verse, and also Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.“

Hebrews 10:18, “Now where remission of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin.”

When the Ultimate Sacrifice was accepted, then there is no further need of sacrifices for sin.

Jesus Is The New and Living Way

Hebrews 10:19, “¶Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”

We have the full freedom (liberty) to enter into the very presence of God, by the power and virtue of Jesus’ shed Blood Sacrifice and because of His High Priesthood.

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

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

The physical veil of the earthly temple was rent in two, thereby exposing the Holy of Holies of the physical earthly temple (and making it no longer efficacious for atonement purposes), but the veil that makes it possible for us to spiritually enter into the Heavenly Throne Room of God is only through the Sacrificed Flesh of Jesus.

Jesus Is our Only Means of Access to God the Father in Heaven…

Ephesians 2:18, “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.“

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

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

This brings us back to Hebrews 4:14&15, “¶Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.“

The “house of God” is “the church”, the Body of Believers: 1 Timothy 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.“

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

Ephesians 3:11&12, “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”

Ephesians 5:25, “¶ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?“

Ezekiel 36:25, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.“

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

1 Corinthians 1:9, “God [is] faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Thessalonians 3:3, “¶But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil.”

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

We should always encourage fellow believers in the faith and strengthen each other in love and compassion.

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

Acts 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.“

Romans 13:11, “¶And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

Philippians 4:5, “¶Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.“

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

It is the duty and privilege of believers to meet together for worship, praise, and fellowship…

1. Because of God: Who has appointed it, Who approves of it, Who is Glorified in it, and Who should be worshipped.

2. Because of Ourselves: We need to be edified, instructed, refreshed and comforted.

3. Because of Others: That they may be convinced, convicted, converted and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ as Savior or Judge?

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

This is a difficult verse for a number of reasons, but the key point is that if we claim, profess to be Christians, and yet do not remain committed to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ by our lives in hating all sin, then we are rejecting and despising Christ’s sacrifice, and there is no other way to Heaven than by Jesus Christ. Hence there is no longer hope of salvation.

But there is more here because of who the epistle is originally addressing. The writer is admonishing the Hebrews to not put their faith in sacrifices, or circumcision, or the keeping of feast days to save them or to make them right with God after to claiming a faith in Jesus as their Atoning Sacrifice. It would be a rejection of Jesus and His Work and therefore becoming an enemy of God fit for destruction (as we read next).

Galatians 5:1-4, “¶Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised,Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, thathe is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

Numbers 15:30, “¶But the soul that doeth [ought] presumptuously, [whether he be] born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.“

2 Peter 2:20, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour JesusChrist, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.“

Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.“

1 Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

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

Jesus is coming again to judge the unrighteous. Those that hear the truth and reject The Truth, are condemned already.

Zephaniah 1:18, “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.“

2 Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist:“

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

Hebrews 2:2&3, “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him];”

Jesus said in Matthew 18:16, “But if he will not hear [thee], then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.”

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

It is extremely dreadful to come under the hearing of the true Gospel and claim to be a believer and yet not truly be a child of God and hence not really appreciate the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for His Sheep. 1 Corinthians 11:29, “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Jesus said in Matthew 12:31, “¶Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.“

Hebrews 6:4-6, “¶For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.“

Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

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

Deuteronomy 32:35&36, “To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that [their] power is gone, and [there is] none shut up, or left.“

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

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

Jesus said in Luke 12:5, “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

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

Galatians 3:4, “Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if [it be] yet in vain.”

Philippians 1:29, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;“

Colossians 2:1, “¶For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and [for] them at Laodicea, and [for] as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;”

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

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

Philippians 1:7, “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”

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

More evidence that this epistle is from the Apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 1:16, “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

Jesus said in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.“

Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:“

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

Colossians 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, [and] which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;“

Again as mentioned above, Jesus said in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Hebrews 10:36, “For ye have need of patience (ὑπομονή (hypomonē))^G5281, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.“

Luke 21:19, “In your patience (ὑπομονή (hypomonē))^G5281 possess ye your souls.” The word in the original Greek translated as patience can also be interpreted as “steadfastness” and “endurance.”

Colossians 3:24, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.“

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

Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?“

Habakkuk 2:3, “For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.“

We also know that Jesus’ apparent “tarrying” (also referred to in the Bible as “slackness“) is specifically addressed by God in 2 Peter 3:8-10, “¶But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“

When Jesus Christ returns on the clouds of glory He will put an end to all suffering and death for His sheep.

Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ¶And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.“

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

This verse is referring back to the next verse in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.“

Romans 1:17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.“

Galatians 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.“

Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe (πίστις (pistis))^G4102 to the saving of the soul.” 

The original Greek word that is translated as “them that believe” is translated 239 times elsewhere in the New Testament as simply “faith“.

2 Peter 2:20, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.”

Acts 16:31, “¶And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.“

1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,“

2 Thessalonians 2:14, “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.“

Romans 8:38&39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

Introduction

The Brook Kidron is a relatively insignificant geographical feature that runs south between the eastern wall of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives and begins near the Garden of Gethsemane. While topographically it does not appear to be very significant, it nonetheless has great Biblical significance as this study will show. The Brook Kidron is another example of a Geographical Parable that God provides in the Bible. A Geographical Parable is a real “earthly” physical place, which serves to represent a real “spiritual” place and convey a “spiritual” meaning.

The Brook Kidron is mentioned several times in the Bible, but, in each case, it provides us with a consistent theme. The theme is that the Brook Kidron is used by God in the Bible as a “typological” of “allegorical” reference to “Hell”. Can this claim be documented and proven? Indeed it can!

Taking a Closer Look… at the Kidron Brook

The Setting of the Brook (נַחַל (naḥal))^H5158 Kidron (קִדְרוֹן (qiḏrôn))^H6939

The Brook Kidron is the name of a seasonal stream and valley, technically only now a wadi, as water runs through it only after heavy rains, although in Biblical times likely was also fed by springs, notably the Gihon spring (please see the above map). The brook’s course runs down along the eastern flank of Jerusalem beginning near the Garden of Gethsemane and flowing down through a valley of Kidron, having the Mount of Olives on the east, and ultimately continuing all the way into the “Dead Sea” (or the “Salt Sea”).

Kidron Ominously Means “Darkness“

The name “Kidron” (“Cedron” in the Greek New Testament) in the original Hebrew is קִדְרוֹן (qiḏrôn)^H6939 meaning “dark”, but not just any dark, it means “turbid”or “murky” and “very black” and “full of darkness”.

Kidron is derived from the root word, קָדַר (qāḏar)^H6937 , which in the original Hebrew is most often translated as “mourn” and “black” as in “sackcloth.” So we should first take a closer look at the meaning and use of the root word for “Kidron” as we find in Ezekiel 32:7&8, where God is condemning Pharaoh and Egypt to hell within the context of the entire chapter we read, “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make (קָדַר (qāḏar))^H6937 ➔ the stars thereof dark (קָדַר (qāḏar)) ^H6937; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark (קָדַר (qāḏar))^H6937 over thee, and set darkness (חֹשֶׁךְ (ḥōšeḵ))^H2822 upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.“ What is particularly noteworthy here is that God uses two different words for “dark” and “darkness” together to convey the same meaning.

We can also see this correlation when we look at the use of these two words when we compare Joel 2:10, “The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark (קָדַר (qāḏar)) ^H6937, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:” with Isaiah 13:10, “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened  (חָשַׁךְ (ḥāšaḵ))^H2821 in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.“ The Hebrew word חָשַׁךְ (ḥāšaḵ))^H2821 meaning “to be, or become, dark” or “darkened” and is is the root word for חֹשֶׁךְ (ḥōšeḵ)^H2822, meaning “darkness”.

We should therefore also note that the word חֹשֶׁךְ (ḥōšeḵ)^H2822 is found in a total of 80 instances in the Bible in a consistently ominous way as this example in Job 17:13 shows, “If I wait, the grave (actually “Hell”) [is] mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness (חֹשֶׁךְ (ḥōšeḵ))^H2822.“

It is also notable that while the “Brook Kidron” is not mentioned in the Book of Job explicitly, it is nonetheless implicitly mentioned in Job 6:15&17, where we can see another connection between the words “brook” and the same root word for “Kidron”, “My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook (נַחַל (naḥal))^H5158, [and] as the stream of brooks (נַחַל (naḥal))^H5158 they pass away; Which are blackish (קָדַר (qāḏar))^H6937 by reason of the ice, [and] wherein the snow is hid:“

Jesus Compared Hell to “Outer Darkness”

These three verses, quoting Jesus, make a very clear connection between Kidron (“darkness”) and Hell:

Matthew 8:12, “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 22:13, “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast [him] into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.“

Matthew 25:30, “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.“

Finally, the last reference in the Bible where the sun and the moon and the stars are described as being darkened can be found in Revelation 8:12, where we read, “And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.“ Clearly this is a case where judgment has come into view (and given the number one third it is likely coming upon the corporate church in the Final Tribulation).

Mentions of the Brook Kidron in the Bible

The Brook Kidron is mentioned directly only 11 times in the Bible, but is also alluded to at least two more times as we will see, but in each case there is an unequivocal association with sorrow, death, and judgment. The above ontology of the Hebrew words connected with “Kidron” are at least suggestive that the Brook Kidron might be a reference to Hell in the Bible.  

King David “Passed Over the Brook Kidron“

The first direct reference to the Brook Kidron is found in 2 Samuel 15:23, where we read how King David fled Jerusalem with some faithful servants and his household during Absalom’s rebellion, “And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.” This traumatic event was also accompanied shortly thereafter by a verbal cursing and “casting stones” assault by a man named Shimei (“renowned”). According to 2 Samuel 16:5-24, Shimei was a Benjamite, the son of Gera (“a grain”), of the village of Bahurim (“young men’s village”), and perhaps most significantly, he was also a man of the family of the house of former king Saul. Later, when King David crossed the River Jordan on his way back to regain his throne in Jerusalem after Absalom died in battle, Shimei begged for, and was granted, King David’s forgiveness.

Before we move on the reader should be aware of the significance of Shimei casting stones at King David 2 Samuel 16:6-13, “And he cast stones at David,…” This happened after King David passed over the Brook Kidron with his faithful servants and it correlates well with Jesus going forth over the Brook Kidron (Cedron in Greek) to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went a “stones cast” from his disciples. Please see below under the heading of “A Stone’s Cast”.

The “Valley of the Shadow of Death“

Later, we read in 1 Kings 2:8&9, King David, when nearing his death, instructed Solomon, his son and heir, to ultimately bring Shimei into account such that Shimei would not live to a normal old age. Upon the death of King David, when Solomon ascended the throne of Israel, in 1 Kings 2:36-46, we see the Brook Kidron highlighted in a crucial role involving the ultimate fate of Shimei in fulfillment of King David’s instruction. King Solomon warned Shimei that if he wanted to remain alive, then Shimei had to remain confined within Jerusalem and to never pass over the Brook Kidron, otherwise, according to 1 Kings 2:37, King Solomon told Shimei, “For it shall be, [that] on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.“ 

Although Shimei promised King Solomon that he would remain in Jerusalem, we read next in 1 Kings 2:39, “¶And it came to pass at the end of three years,…“, that, in an effort to retrieve two of his servants who had run away to Gath (which is west of Jerusalem in what was then Philistine, while the Brook Kidron is east), Shimei left his Jerusalem confinement in violation of his word to Solomon (which in all likelihood involved his having crossed over the Brook Kidron). When Shimei’s movement was made known to Solomon, Shimei was put to death in 1 Kings 2:46.

The Brook Kidron Is a Place for Destroyed and Burned Idols and Altars

King Asa and the Brook Kidron

In the Book of 1 Kings, we learn how Asa, King of Judah of the line of King David, removed idols and in particular he dethroned his own mother, and destroyed her idol and burned it by the Brook Kidron. We see this in 1 Kings 15:11-13, “And Asa did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, as [did] David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.” This information is repeated in 2 Chronicles 15:16, “And also [concerning] Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped [it], and burnt [it] at the brook Kidron.“

King Josiah and the Brook Kidron

In 2 Kings 23:1-3, we read where King Josiah gathered all the people of Judah and Jerusalem to hear the Words of God and to renew their commitment to obeying God, “¶And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all [their] heart and all [their] soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.“

Immediately following, we see that King Josiah orders the destruction of all idolatry related articles to be burned at the Brook Kidron and the ashes scattered over graves in the valley of the Brook Kidron. In 2 Kings 23:4-6, “And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped [it] small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.“ So we can also deduce that, in the time of Josiah, the Valley of Kidron served as a cemetery.

King Josiah took similar action with the altars to false gods in 2 Kings 23:12, “And the altars that [were] on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake [them] down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.

King Hezakiah and the Brook Kidron

King Hezakiah also ordered the Levites to cleanse the temple of idolatrous materials and carry them to the Brook Kidron as we read in 2 Chronicles 29:16, “And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse [it], and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took [it], to carry [it] out abroad into the brook Kidron.” and then again in 2 Chronicles 30:13&14, “¶And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast [them] into the brook Kidron.“

The last Old Testament direct reference to the Brook Kidron is in Jeremiah 31:40, “And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, [shall be] holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.” The context seems suggest that once Judgment Day comes and there is the New Jerusalem created, then the place representing by the Brook Kidron and its contents will remain for ever and be considered holy by God. Judgment Day, with the torment in Hell that will follow forever, God likens to a “sacrifice” as indicated by Isaiah 34:6, Jeremiah 46:10, Ezekiel 39:17, Zephaniah 1:7&8 and Revelation 14:11.

Two Indirect References to the Brook Kidron

There are two other instances that the Brook Kidron is mentioned in the Bible, but those are indirect. It is mentioned one time as the “valley” and the other time as the “brook”, as is translated in English from the original Hebrew word, נַחַל (naḥal). In 2 Chronicles 33:14, we read “¶Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley ^H5158, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.” The geographical context (the Gihon spring is in the Kidron valley) indicates it can only be referring to the Brook Kidron. Then in Nehemiah 2:15, “Then went I up in the night by the brook^H5158, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.“ Again, when we look at the setting and geographical context, it is also clear that the “brook” can only be referring to the Brook Kidron. 

Nehemiah and the Brook Kidron

The second time where the Brook Kidron is mentioned indirectly, as described above, is of particular interest, because it has to do with Nehemiah and his three days and three nights sojourn outside the walls of Jerusalem that we read about in Nehemiah chapter 2. The significance and spiritual implications are profound because Nehemiah’s activities, as are described in Chapter 2, clearly point to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as is explained in this other post: https://bereansearching.com/2015/12/28/seeing-the-person-and-work-of-jesus-christ-in-nehemiah-chapter-2/.

Jesus and the Brook Kidron

Jesus must have crossed the Valley of Kidron many times in His travels, but only one time is such a crossing specifically mentioned in the Bible. We should all be aware that the Garden of Gethsemane is just east of Jerusalem at the base of the Mount of Olives by the uppermost part of the valley of the Brook Kidron, and this is where Jesus’ Atonement began on Passover evening/night as we read in John 18:1, ”When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron (“Cedron” is Kidron in Greek), where was a garden (Gethsemane), into the which he entered, and his disciples.” 

The account of Jesus suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane can be also be found in three other places in the Bible, in Matthew 26:36–46, Mark 14:32–42, Luke 22:39–46.  From those three descriptions, we learn that Jesus was in the Garden with the disciples, then Jesus told them to remain, while He went further with Peter, James, and John, and then, alone, a bit farther.  

In the Garden of Gethsemane, after Jesus had separated Himself from His disciples “about a stone’s cast” as we read in Luke 22:41 “¶And he (Jesus) was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,“) and Jesus prayed three times (Matthew 26:44 and e.g., Luke 22:42, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”) The “cup” was the cup of God’s wrath that Jesus had to take in penalty for the sins of God’s elect. Remember also shortly afterward where Jesus reprimanded Peter for trying to protect Him in John 18:11, “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”  Moreover we know that the Garden was where the agony of the Atonement had begun because we read in Luke 22:44, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” 

A Stone’s Cast?

The significance of Luke 22:41 should not be missed by the reader. “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,” The language of “a stone’s cast” is extremely important because the casting of stones has great significance in the Bible.  It is used to condemn someone to death in the Bible.  

The reality is that Jesus was condemned to death on the behalf of all those who would believe on Him as their Lord God and Savior.  Any sin is sufficient to justify death by stoning, not just blasphemy against God or murder. Remember that in Numbers 15:32-36, we read of a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was subsequently taken outside of the camp and stoned to death by God’s command to Moses.

More significantly, there is another case that we should all be aware of regarding “stoning”.  In Deuteronomy 21:18 we read, “If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and [that], when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.¶ And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God), that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.”    

We should all remember that Jesus was accused, falsely, of being a glutton and a drunkard in Luke 7:34, “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”  And following Jesus’s Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was spiritually deemed to have been worthy of stoning on behalf of the elect, Jesus hung on the cross on that same Passover day, and that cross, being hewn of wood, served as a “tree” as we read in Galatians 3:13 , “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:” And Jesus’s body was buried before sun down that day in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea as recorded in Matthew 27:57-60.

The mention of “a stone’s cast” was placed there by God to show that Jesus had at that point come under judgment for the sins of God’s elect. 2 Corinthians 5:21 makes clear that, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“

Jesus was subsequently tormented in every way until His death on the cross, that occurred just outside the walls of Jerusalem on Friday afternoon (the ninth hour, or 3:00 p.m.).  Then Jesus’s body was buried in the tomb and remained there, Friday night (the second night) through Saturday (the sabbath day and the second day), through Saturday night until the resurrection early Sunday morning, which marked the third day.

For more on the significance of the three days and three nights associated with Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice please see the detailed post on the Book of Jonah

Conclusion

Again to review, Kidron (קִדְרוֹן (qiḏrôn)) ^H6939  means “Very Black, Full of Darkness”.  Jesus describes Hell three times as “outer darkness”: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12, Mat 22:13, Matthew 25:30). And remember when king David was fleeing from Absalom, leaving Jerusalem, that he also crossed over the brook Kidron.  Moreover, we also read of the people “weeping” in 2 Samuel 15:23, “And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.“

So then, Spiritually, the Brook Kidron has to be considered representative of the eternal fires of Hell, as the Brook Kidron is where all the refuse was dumped and continually burned from the ancient city of Jerusalem, and which notably empties into the “Dead” Sea.  It is mentioned explicitly in eleven verses in the Bible (ten in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament), and every time, in some form or another, it relates to Hell.  This is because the brook Kidron was where all the false idols were broken, stamped to powder, and then burned (e.g. 1Kings 15:13, 2 Kings 23:6, 2 Kings 23:12 and 2 Chronicles 15:16), and also to where the priests, the Levites, carried out all of the uncleannesses out of the Temple (2 Chronicles  29:16). The Kidron valley is also associated with “dead bodies” and “ashes”, as we read in Jeremiah 31:40 where God declared, “And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, [shall be] holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.”

The bottom line is that the Kidron valley, the valley of the Brook Kidron, is an abominable place where the dust and ashes of false idols belong and an indisputable allegorical picture of Hell.   We can see that two “Types” of the Lord Jesus Christ, King David and Nehemiah, had to each pass over the Brook Kidron in difficult circumstances, and each in there own way pointed to Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice that became reality on Passover evening in 33AD when Jesus went over the Brook Kidron to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus’s suffering began. Jonah, another great “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale foretelling the agony of Jesus who spent the equivalent of an eternity in Hell in the space of the same span of three days and nights, outside the gates of Jerusalem, and beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane. But the Good News is that we know that Jesus also arose from the dead, and that His resurrection proved that the full payment for the sins of His elect had been paid, and therefore Jesus, like Nehemiah, “returned“!   Hallelujah!

Today’s Application: Are You Ready?

            The Bible makes it clear that if God was willing to put His own Son through Hell to save a people for Himself, how much more would He be willing to send the wicked who reject Him to Hell for their sins (please see Romans 8:32).  Jesus is the only Way of escape from the just penalty for our sins. All other ways that man can devise will lead only to Hell.  Have you made peace with God through Jesus Christ? Please pray to God for mercy through Jesus Christ and He will show you mercy.