Bereansearching Bible Studies

Introduction

The Book of Hebrews, Chapter 3, can be divided into three sections:

1. The Glory and Preeminence of Jesus over Moses (Verses 1-6)
2. A Strong Warning Against Unbelief, Harkening Back to the Time of Moses When Almost Everyone Who Came Out of Egypt Died in the Wilderness (Verses 7-12)
3. An Exhortation for Believers to Persevere Versus Unbelief (Verses 13-19)

Jesus Our High Priest

Hebrews 3:1, “¶Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;“

This verse is rich with information. “Consider“, or take a close look at, “Christ Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confess and profess as ours!“

1. Jesus Is the Apostle because He was sent of God to preach the Gospel of Salvation as we read in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” and secured that Salvation through His Obedience and Atoning Sacrifice in death as we read in Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” and Hebrews 9:26, “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.“
2. Jesus Is the High Priest because He Alone can enter into the Holiest of Holies with His Atonement and intercede with the Father on behalf of all believers as we read in Hebrews 9:11&12, “¶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; 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 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” and Hebrews 10:19-22, “¶Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And [having] an high priest over the house of God; 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.”

Malachi 3:1, “¶Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.“

Romans 15:8, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises [made] unto the fathers:” But please also note the next five verses, Romans 15:9-13, which address the ingathering also of the Gentiles.

Jesus is the Master Builder of the Church (the Eternal Israel)

Hebrews 3:2, “Who was faithful to him that appointed (“made” or “created for the purpose”) him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house.“

Numbers 12:7, “My servant Moses [is] not so, who [is] faithful in all mine house.”

Moses was faithful in that he was chosen of God to be entrusted with the care and leadership of whole house of Israel. Likewise Jesus, Who Is Faithful and True Is entrusted with the eternal Household of God, the Elect of God, to bring them all to glory. Jesus will not fail in His Mission as we read in John 6:37-39, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.“

Hebrews 3:3, “For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.“

Moses was a servant of God and lesser in glory, but Jesus is the Master Builder as we read in,

Zechariah 6:12, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.“

and 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.“

Hebrews 3:4, “For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is] God.“

The Planner and Builder of all things is our Lord Jesus Christ. This verse is speaking of the Church, or the body of believers as we read in 1 Peter 2:5-8, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 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. ¶Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” and further down into Ephesians 2:19-22, “¶Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner[stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.“

In 1 Corinthians 3:10, The Apostle Paul writes, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.“

Hebrews 3:5, “And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;“

Exodus 14:31, “And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.“

Deuteronomy 3:24, “O Lord GOD, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God [is there] in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?“

Hebrews 3:6, “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.“

A Son is an Heir and Above a Servant

Is it not interesting that Moses was a “servant”, but Jesus (Christ) is called a “son”? What does this remind you of? Yes, Galatians 4:1-7, “¶Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. ¶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.“

Romans 8:16&17 also tells us, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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.“

Moreover we should also remember again what we read earlier in Hebrews 1:2, “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;” The “Son”, Jesus Christ, Is The “Heir” of all things and above the servant!

The Temple of God

1 Corinthians 3:16, “¶Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (For more on this, please see “The Temple of God“)

Continuing in Faith

Matthew 10:22, “And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” and Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” and 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;”

Remember also that true living stones, installed by God, will endure, while counterfeit/imitation stones will fall away, as we are told in 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.” and Matthew 15:13, “¶But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.“

It is also noteworthy that while 1 Timothy Chapter 2 makes clear that women are not to speak or have authority in church they, as representatives of “the Church” which is the “Bride of Christ” are to continue in childbearing which is saying that spiritually, the body of Christ, the church, is to be the means of bringing new members into that body and to continue in faith. 1 Timothy 2:15, “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.“

The Warning Against Unbelief and Its Perils

Hebrews 3:7, “¶Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,”

Acts 1:16 tells us that it (as is the case for all Bible scripture) was authored by the Holy Ghost, where Peter is hearkening back to Psalm 41:9, even though it was spoken as a Psalm of David, “Men [and] brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.”

Also Romans 5:5, makes clear, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.“

Which leads us to the following four verses…

Hebrews 3:8, “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:“

Hebrews 3:9, “When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.“

Hebrews 3:10, “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways.“

Hebrews 3:11, “So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)“

And the above five verses are specifically recalling what the Jews knew to have been spoken by The Holy Spirit as it is a direct quotation from Psalm 95:7–11 , “For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.“

The Peril of Unbelief

Hebrews 3:12, “¶Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.“

Let us take a closer look at verse 12. “Take heed, brethren.” This warning is written to us (founded upon the Old Testament historical account) as a cautionary example, lest we follow that same erroneous path and miss the eternal “rest” in Jesus Christ in Heaven (which was typified in the Old Testament by the Land of Canaan). Unbelief is a most grievous sin…

1. Unbelief renders the Word unprofitable as we read in 1 John 5:10-13, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
2. Unbelief closes the door to prayer as we read in 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.“
3. Unbelief sets up other gods, such as human wisdom, reasoning, and philosophies.

It is also worth reviewing 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 that also directly addresses the same issues hearkening back to the time of Moses with the same admonition to avoid Israel’s mistakes.

“¶Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.¶Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as [were] some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.¶Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 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].”

A summary verse for those referenced verses together with the above particular section of Hebrews, Chapter 3, can be found in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” and is corroborated by the similarly worded verse: Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” It will not hurt to also remember 2 Timothy 3:16, “¶All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.“

“Departing from the Living God”

And what does it mean to “depart” from the Living God? We can see that “departing” is like “falling away” (in unbelief) and goes back to the original sin of disobedience, hence “unbelief”, of Adam, which we also know as the “Fall” of Adam.

For reference we have this from Jesus’ Parable of the Sower in Luke 8:13, “They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” and

1 Timothy 4:1, “¶Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”

The Need For Believers to Persevere

Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.“

We are to encourage one another by exhorting one another, instructing and teaching one another while we still have life breath in our earthly tabernacles and while the grace of God is still available. How can we do this? We do it “daily“:

1. By worshipping, praying and praising God together as we read in Hebrews 10:24&25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.” [Note that the word “provoke” that is used is more like goading or contending/inciting for good direction, as the word in the original Greek is παροξυσμός (paroxysmos) ^G3948.  It can be compared to like the sharp goads/pricks used to direct oxen under yoke in the fields and to keep them moving forward. If they rebel and kick backward, they get jabbed. That is what God made this charge against Saul (Paul) during Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:5, “And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I amJesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.“
2. By teaching, preaching and studying the Scriptures as we read in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.¶All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.“
3. By talking together about Divine things and less about foolish things of this world
4. By warning and admonishing as appropriate when we see signs of indifference and worldliness.

Hebrews 3:14, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;”

This verse points us back to Verse 6

Faith that saves is God-given, genuine and continues growing in strength and confidence as we read in:

1. Colossians 1:21-23, “¶And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in [your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 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;” and
2. Hebrews 10:38&39, “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; butof them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Note to the reader, please also see Habakkuk 2:4, “…but the just shall live by his faith.”, which prophetically refers to the faith of Jesus Christ.

And let us not forget what the Apostle Peter warns in 2 Peter 3:17&18, “¶Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and forever. Amen.“

Hebrews 3:15, “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.“

This verse points us back to Verse 7

Hebrews 3:16, “¶For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.“

[Note that the original Greek word for “provoke” as is used here is παραπικραίνω (parapikrainō)^G3893, which is indeed the word we know as “provoke” or “to exasperate” or to “rouse to indignation”]

Numbers 14:2, “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!” and

Numbers 14:22&23, “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:“

Deuteronomy 32:20, “And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end [shall be]: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom [is] no faith.“

Psalm 106:24, “Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, [and] hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:”

Hebrews 3:17, “But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?“

Num 14:29, “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,“

Number 14:32&33, “But [as for] you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.”

Hebrews 3:18, “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?“

Numbers 14:30, “Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, [concerning] which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.”

Hebrews 3:19, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.“

Unbelief is perhaps the greatest sin and is akin to pride. And “belief” is having faith in the Word of God. God uses Abraham as an example of such belief/faith as we read in Romans 4:20-25, “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.¶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.“

Finally, Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.“

Introduction: Jesus Is Greater Than the Prophets!

Hebrews 1:1 “¶God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

The word translated as “sundry times” is πολυμερῶς (polymerōs)^G4181 is only used once in the Bible, but means “by many portions”, “by many times”, and “in many ways.”

The word  translated as “divers manners” (diverse) πολυτρόπως (polytropōs) ^G4187 is only used once in the whole Bible but means “many manners”.  We also see another word translated as “divers” (diverse) in Hebrews 2:4, “God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” which is ποικίλος (poikilos)^G4164 meaning “diverse”, “various”, or “manifold.”

This is consistent with Numbers 12:6, “And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, [and] will speak unto him in a dream.”

God’s Used Manifold Means To Convey Truth in the Old Testament

Before the incarnation of God’s Son in the flesh somewhere around 6 BC, Jesus Christ, Who Is also God’s Word made flesh; God spoke to man by various means at various times. It could have been in a dream, in a vision, by an angel (messenger), and the prophets would be used to convey the messages to His people.

What did the messages contain? God spoke to them about mercy and redemption to be completed in the Messiah (the Christ, Who Is Jesus). Each revelation set forth a portion of the complete Truth about Jesus (albeit often in a veiled manner).

1. The Messiah (Jesus) was pointed to in prophecy: Genesis 3:15, Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, the entire chapter of Isaiah 53:1, etc. It should be noted that God told us the time when Jesus would die, 483 years from the time of of the decree to rebuild the temple (Daniel 9:24) in about 450 BC (Jesus died in 33 AD) and the place (Micah 5:2) of the Messiah’s (Jesus’) Birth in Bethlehem. And the Jews knew that this was was the case, because as we read in Matthew 2:3-5, the Jewish priests quoted from Micah 5:2. Remember that we are also explicitly told this in Romans 1:2&3, “(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;“
2. The Messiah (Jesus) was pointed to in sacrifice: Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 16:15-22
3. The Messiah (Jesus) was pointed to in “types“: John 3:14 (e.g., the Brazen Serpent)

The last of these diverse means, mentioned above (#3), requires some additional study. God uses temporal/earthly/carnal “allegory,” “figures,” “shadows, “patterns,” “similitudes,” “examples” and “ensamples” (“typos” in Greek meaning “examples” or “types“) to convey eternal/heavenly/ spiritual truth (albeit many times in a veiled, mysterious, or secretive manner) is, nonetheless, plainly stated in the Bible as we find in:

Galatians 4:22-31, concerning the typology of the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael (born of the bondwoman, Hagar (Agar in Greek), typifying the result of fleshly works under the law) and Isaac (born of the freewoman, Sarah, typifying the result of Heavenly promise under grace).  God is telling us “plainly” that this Old Testament historical account is in fact an “Historical Parable“.

“For it is written, 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. ¶Now we, breth ren, 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.”

Romans 5:14, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.“

Hebrews 8:5, “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, [that] thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.“

Hebrews 9:8&9, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:  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 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:“

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.“

Colossians 2:16-17, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath [days]:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [is] of Christ.“

Hebrews 9:23, “It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.“

In 1 Timothy 1:16 we see how Paul was used of God as a “pattern” for a sinner saved by grace, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

Hosea 12:10, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.”

1 Corinthians 10:6, “¶Now these things were our examples ( which in the original Greek is τύπος (typos)^G5179, meaning ““examples” or “types“), to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.“

1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (τύπος (typos))^G5179: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 

Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.“

Finally, we must all be fully cognizant of the fact that ALL of Holy Scripture is Holy Spirit breathed as we read in 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.“

Proverbs and Parables

Before we move on, it is worthwhile to remember that both the Old Testament prophets and Jesus spoke in Proverbs/parables.

The Book of “Proverbs”, as published by king Solomon, is from the in the original Hebrew is מָשָׁל (māšāl)^H4912 which has been translated variously as proverb (19x), parable (18x), byword (1x), like (1x). 

God specifically told Isaiah, in Isaiah 14:4,  that His pronouncement against the earthly king of Babylon (a real historical figure, king Nebuchadnezzar) was a “proverb“ which was in effect a “parable.”

In the New Testament, we know that Jesus only taught in “parables/proverbs” as we read Matthew 13:34, “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; ^G3850 and without a parable ^G3850 spake he not unto them:” The word translated from the original Greek as “Parables” is παραβολή (parabolē)^G3850 which is found in the King James Version of the Bible 50 times variously as:  parable (46x), figure (2x), comparison (1x), proverb (1x).

Jesus explained why He spoke in parables, in Mark 4:11+12 we read, “And he (Jesus Christ speaking to His disciples) said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables^G3850:  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.” 

In John 10:6, another word for parable /proverb is used, “This parable  spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.” Similarly, in John 16:29, “His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.” The word translated as proverb is from the original Greek word παροιμία (paroimia)^G3942 (proverb (4x), parable (1x)).

Jesus Also Worked Miracles and Gave Good Gifts to Men

Mark 16:19&20, “¶So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.“

Act 2:22, “¶Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:“

1 Corinthians 12:4, “¶Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.“

Ephesians 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Ephesians 1:9, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Hebrews 1:2, “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;“

These Last Days?

This verse immediately raises the question of what is the meaning of “these last days“? But with careful review of where and how the phrase “last days” or “latter days” is used, it can become clear that it is referring to the whole New Testament era right up until Judgment Day. For more on this topic, please see: What are the Last (or Latter) Days?

Jesus Is the Son of God

In Psalm 2:7, we read, “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

Also in Acts 13:33, we are told, “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.“, which refers directly back to Psalm 2:7, “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.“

Remember in the exposition of the Mount of Transfiguration where we read 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.” That exposition also referred back to Jesus’s water baptism that we read about in Matthew 3:16 &17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.“

Ephesians 1:10-15, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ¶In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.“

John 1:14-18, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ¶John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.¶And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].

John 14:10-13 that has as the last verse, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.“

Jesus Is The Heir of All Things

Also, All that the Father has belongs to Jesus, His Son. The Kingdom of nature, providence, and grace, but most importantly the eternal body of believers. It is not only decreed to Him but He bought it on the cross.

Romans 14:9, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.“

Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession.“

Colossians 1:16-18, “For by him 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 he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.”

And regarding the inheritance we should remember how the Apostle Paul, speaking to Agrippa in Acts 26:18, recounted that the Lord Jesus Christ told him that Paul’s mission would be to the Gentiles, “To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.“

Jesus Is The Word of God and The Creator of the Universe

John 1:1-4, “¶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. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.“

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.”

Ephesians 3:9, “And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”

Colossians 1:16, “For by him 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:”

Hebrews 1:3, “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, 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;“

This verse is packed with a lot of key infomation about Jesus. It is also very reminiscent of what we find in Ephesians chapter 1.

Who Jesus Is (#1): The Brightness of His Glory

John 1:14, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.“

Philippians 2:11, “And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

Who Jesus Is (#2): The Express Image of His Person

Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

John 1:1, “¶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.”

John 14:9,””¶Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you,and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?“

John 10:30, “I and [my] Father are one.“

What Jesus DID: Purged Our Sins

Hebrews 7:27&28, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, [maketh] the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.“

Where Jesus Is NOW: Sitting at God the Father’s Right Hand

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.” The fact that Jesus is sitting down means that the Work is Finished!

Mark 16:19&20, “¶So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.“

This is further made clear in Hebrews 10:12-14, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.“

Revelation 4:2-4, “¶And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats:and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.“

The fact that Jesus is now “sitting” on His throne is evidence that the Redemptive Work of God is finished! The Old Testament priests never sat down in the tabernacle, for their work was never done nor effectual. Jesus’ Work is Complete and Accepted and both He and the world awaits it full revelation to the universe. (Note: for more on the significance of the “rainbow about the throne”, please see this post on “The Biblical Meaning of the Rainbow.”)

II. Jesus Is More Excellent than the Angels

Hebrews 1:4, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

This verses is clearly stating that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is above all angels and His name is above all other names, and that He has an inheritance, which they do not. It is resounding what we will find in all of the Book of Hebrews, the excellence, the superiority and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ over all creatures, all covenants, all priests and all sacrifices.

This is entirely consistent with what we read in Philippians 2:9&10, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“

It also dispels the worship and adoration of angels or men.

Revelation 22:8&9, “¶And I John saw these things, and heard [them]. And whenI had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.¶Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.“

Acts 10:25, “And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped [him]. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.“

Hebrews 1:5, “¶For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, Iwill be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?“

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is not by creation as the angels, nor by adoption as we are, but He Is God. Jesus’s Sonship is the foundation of His Office. He Was The Son before He Was The Prophet, Priest, and King.

Matthew 3:16, “¶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.“

John 17:1-4, “¶These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

Hebrews 1:6, “¶And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.“

In many parts of the Bible we find the angels (messengers, which can include believers depending on the context) of God attending to, and glorifying, the eternal incarnate Lord God.

Luke 2:13, “¶And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Mark 1:13, “And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.“

Hebrews 1:7, “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))^G32 spirits, and his ministers (λειτουργός (leitourgos))^G3011 a flame of fire.”

This is a direct reference back to Psalm 104:4, where the Psalmist is praising God “Who maketh his angels (מַלְאָךְ (mal’āḵ))^H4397 spirits; his ministers (שָׁרַת (šāraṯ))^H8334 a flaming fire:“

The angels are created spirits. They are non-material, they do not die, and they are ministers of God. They do God’s bidding. They attend His Presence, and are always ready to do as God commands. They may be referred to as flames of fire because they have been empowered to assist the believers with burning love and zeal, or the fact that they are the means by which God executes His wrath. The “chariot of fire” that carried Elijah to Heaven in  2 Kings 2:11 could have in fact been angels.

But let us step back a moment, are not the believers also messengers (“angels”) and ministers of God in bringing the Word of God to the world? And how does God describe His Word? In Jeremiah 23:29, we read, “[Is] not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer [that] breaketh the rock in pieces?

So then, the believers are also “ministers” (hence “angels”) who are “a flaming fire” in bringing the Word (as messengers, envoys, those who are sent from God).

Hebrews 1:8, “But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom.“

This verse is referring back to Psalm 45:6, “Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom [is] a right sceptre.“

Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].”

Hebrews 1:9, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

This verse, like the one just before it, relates back to Psalm 45, as we read in Psalm 45:7, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.“

Isaiah 61:1, “¶The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;“

Hebrews 1:10, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

The is taken directly from Psalm 102:25, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands.”

Colossians 1:14, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:¶Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him 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 he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.“

Ephesians 1:22, ¶And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Hebrews 1:11&12, “They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.“

Psalm 102:26&27, “They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

Isaiah 34:4, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.”

Isaiah 51:6, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.“

Ezekiel 32:7, “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; 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 over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.“

Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

Amos 9:5, “And the Lord GOD of hosts [is] he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as [by] the flood of Egypt.“

Nahum 1:5, “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.”

Matthew 24:29, “¶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.“

2 Peter 3:10-12, “¶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. [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?“

Revelation 6:12-17, “¶And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?“

Hebrews 1:13, “¶But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

This verse is referring directly 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.”

We are reminded of this again when Jesus expounded upon it to the scribes in Luke 20:41-44, “¶And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?” The implication is that the Psalm was talking the Christ (Messiah) being a descendent of David’s would be the One Whom David calls “Lord”, which Is Jesus Himself. But the scribes could not figure that out and provide Jesus with an answer. This is even more clear in Matthew 22:41–46; with additional information in Mark 12:35–37 .

Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Regarding the angels, Psalm 103:20 tells us, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Please see all of Psalm 103.

Regarding being heirs ministered to by angels we read in 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.“

Jesus Became A Man In Order to Save Men

Hebrews 2:1, “¶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.

The “Therefore” is telling us that given that we have now been spoken to by the Son of God, The Messiah, Jesus Christ Himself, above all who came before in the Old Testament, we must be all the more diligent in our hearing of Him. We must remember His Words and hide them in our hearts. Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Hebrews 2:2, “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;”

The Old Testament that included the Law of Moses was irrefutable and just, and the breaking of them led to swift judgment as we read in Numbers 15:30-32, “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. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity [shall be] upon him.” This is immediately exemplified in the next verses in Num 15:32-36 where the man who gathered sticks on the sabbath was stoned to death.

Hebrews 2:3, “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];

In this verse, we are reminded of the swift and sure punishment for disobedience. In Hebrews 10:28, we read, “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:” And that was in the Old Testament, but now we have Jesus Himself declaring and preaching this great salvation in His Gospel. In Matthew 4:17, we read, “¶From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.“

The confirmation reported in Luke 1:2, “Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;”

And a side note regarding neglect, 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 2:4, “God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Acts 1:3, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:“

Acts 5:32, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.“

In the last verse of the book of Mark, Mark 16:20, we read, “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.“

In Peter’s sermon on Pentecost 33 AD, in Acts 2:22, we read, “¶Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:“

In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, we read about the gifts of the Holy Spirit of God beginning with “¶Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.“

Ephesians 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,“

Ephesians 1:9, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:“

Hebrews 2:5, “¶For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

2 Peter 3:13 reminds us of the world to come, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“

One in a “Certain Place” Testified

In the next three verses, we are again sent back to the Old Testament, specifically to Psalm 8:4-6 which is that “certain place” mentioned below.

Hebrews 2:6, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man,that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalm 8:4, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Note to the reader how similar this is to Job 7:17, “What [is] man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?” And the basis for the question comes in Psalm 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.“

Hebrews 2:7, “Thou madest him a little lower than (a little while inferior to the ) the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

This verse is a direct reference back to Psalm 8:5, “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

NOTE to the Reader: There is one key thing that can be easily missed in the translation when correlating back to the original Hebrew. In the Book of Hebrews, which was written originally in Greek, the word translated into English as “angels” in the King James is the word, ἄγγελος (angelos)^G32 which indeed means “angels”. HOWEVER, the word that is translated as “angels” in Psalm 8:5 was in the original Hebrews as אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm)^H430 which is translated as God 2,346x in the Bible, and as “angels” only this one time! For example, in Genesis 1:1, we read “In the beginning God ^H430 created the heaven and the earth.” אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm)^H430 is the plural form of אֱלוֹהַּ‎ (ʾĔlōah) which means “God”. We get a clearer understanding of this a bit later when we read in Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” The important takeaway for us being that Psalm 8:5 is really telling us that Jesus was made “a little while inferior to God” (plural…as in God in Three Persons).

It should also be noted by the reader that being “made (for) a little (while) lower than the angels, or “a little while inferior to the angels” must be understood in the context of the subsequent verses, Hebrews 2:9&10, which make clear that Jesus Christ had to become man to taste death for sinful creatures. We see this corroborated in Philippians 2:7, where we read, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:“, and which adds this—that Jesus made Himself of no reputation. There we find the Greek word κενόω (kenoō)^G2758, which in 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” is translated to be made of none effect or ineffectual or void. This supports the idea that Christ did not diminish His deity, but rather added to it, His “humanity”, in order to make the atonement effectual (man sinned and therefore man must pay).

Hebrews 2:8, “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.”

This is a direct reference back to Psalm 8:6, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet:”

The last Words of Jesus in the Book of Matthew, after His Resurrection, in Matthew 28:18, we read, “¶And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.“

Also in Ephesians 1:17-23, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ¶And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.“

Moreover, the “not yet” in Hebrews 2:8 is explained here in 1 Corinthians 15 :24-28, “Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed [is] death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

Jesus Briefly Humbled, Died, But Now in Glory and Honor in Heaven

Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.“

Philippians 2:7-9, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:”

Acts 2:32, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.“

Regarding tasting death for “every ‘man'” we think of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” and 2 Corinthians 5:15, “And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” and 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Note to the reader…the first “all” is universal, while the second “all” is particular in that it only pertains to the elect of God.

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.“

Romans 11:36, “¶For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.

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.”

Sons of God

Remember that all the believers are considered to be “sons of God” as we read in John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” And also 1 John 3:1&2, “¶Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

The Believers are also “heirs according to the promise” as we read in Galatians 3:29, “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.“and in Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 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.“

Please see more in the study on Mephibosheth.

Perfected

Luke 13:32, “¶And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected.”

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

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

Acts 17:26, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;“

Called Jesus’ Brethren

Notice how AFTER the resurrection, Jesus refers to the disciples as “my brethren“, in Matthew 28:10, “Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” and John 20:17, “¶Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.“

Another reference is in Matthew 23:8, “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even]”Christ; and all ye are brethren.”

Hebrews 2:12, “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.“

This is a direct reference back to Psalm 22:22, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.”

And note also Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee [is] mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.“

Hebrews 2:13, “And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.“

The Believers Trust in God

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.” and in Psalm 91:2, “I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Agin in Isaiah 12:2, “Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.”

God The Father Gives His Elect to Jesus

The second part of the verse refers directly back to Isaiah 8:18, “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” and John 10:29, “My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand.“

Jesus Triumphed Over Death, the Devil, and Hell

Hebrews 2:14, “¶Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;“

Isaiah 53:12, “Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.“

John 1:14, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” and Philippians 2:7, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Colossians 2:15, “[And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Revelation 1:18, “I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Hebrews 2:15, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.“

Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.“

Luke 1:74, “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,“

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.“

Hebrews 2:16, “For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.

Genesis 22:18, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.“

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.”

Jesus Is Our High Priest

Hebrews 2:17, “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.“

Philippians 2:7, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:“

Hebrews 4:15, “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.“

Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Hebrews 2:18, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.“

Hebrews 4:15, “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.“

Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our]faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Finally, remember what Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” What a Friend we have in Jesus!

Introduction

There is a well worn euphemism that says, “what goes around, comes around.” While not found specifically in the Bible, that euphemism is nonetheless consistent with what the Bible does teach in Galatians 6:7, “¶Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” and in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

So then, if a person wants peace with God, then sow peace; but, if he or she sins against God and man, then those sins will find him or her out. That is why we also read in Hosea 8:7, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.”

Let us look closer at how these and other similar verses play out when we examine the Biblical record of historical events.

1. There are many twists and turns in the historical accounts. God uses them to make clear to us, and to remind us, that nothing is hid from His eyes.

Job 34:21, “For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.“

Psalm 44:21, “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.“

Psalm 90:8, “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy countenance.”

Proverbs 5:21, “For the ways of man [are] before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”

Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

Jeremiah 16:17, “For mine eyes [are] upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.“

Jeremiah 32:19, “Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:”

Jeremiah 23:23, “[Am] I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.“

Mark 4:22, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” (see also Matthew 10:26,  Luke 8:17, and Luke 12:20)

1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.”

2. God in not only watching, but God also makes clear that whatever someone sows, they will also reap.

• Job 4:8, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.”
• Galatians 6:7&8, “¶Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.“
• Hosea 8:7, “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.”
• Jeremiah 17:10, “I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.”

3. Cases in Point from the Bible

A) Jacob killed an animal pretending to be his brother Esau, and lied to his father Isaac in Genesis 27:19, and then, years later, Jacob’s sons killed an animal for its blood, and pretended that their brother was dead and lied to Jacob concerning what they did toJoseph Genesis 37:31&32.

B) Pharaoh ordered that all of the male Israelite babies in Moses’ day were to be killed by drowning Exodus 1:22, but Pharaoh’s male army chasing the Israelites through the Red Sea were all killed by drowning Exodus 14:28.

C) King David secretly committed adultery with his neighbor’s (Uriah’s) wife 2 Samuel 11:4, and later David’s son, Absalom, openly committed adultery with David’s concubines 2 Samuel 16:22.

D) After God’s prophet, Elisha, healed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy, Elisha refused to take any reward from Naaman. However, Elisha’s servant Gehazi, pursued after Naaman to deceitfully seek a reward (a talent of silver) for himself in the name of Elisha. Naaman gave him two talents of silver and two changes of clothing. Upon Gehazi’s return, Elisha perceived Gehazi’s duplicity and asked where he had been? Gehazi lied, saying that he had not gone anywhere. We then read in 2 Kings 5:26&27 that Elisha denounced Gehazi for his sins and said, “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as [white] as snow.“

E) Wicked Haman plotted to hang Mordecai on the gallows that Haman built Esther 5:14, but not long afterward, Haman was subsequently hung on the very same gallows  Esther 7:10 (and before the end of that same year so were Haman’s ten sons also hung on gallows Esther 9:13).

Conclusion

There are other examples that provide similar insights on how such Divinely orchestrated ironies play out in the Bible, but the takeaway for all of us is that these were meant to teach us that no one gets away with anything evil in this world without it ultimately coming back on one’s own head. Nothing is hid from God’s eyes, and God Is completely Sovereign. God Is The One Who ultimately metes out all justice in both this temporal life, and the eternal afterlife, as the above Biblical accounts attest.

The Good News is that there is still eternal hope for the sinner, regardless of the temporal recompences, if only that sinner repents and begs God for mercy in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God will show mercy.

Introduction

Jesus repeatedly warned us of what to expect in the days just prior to Judgment Day (known as the Great Tribulation: Mat 24:15–28, Mark 13:14–23; Luke 17:23, 24, 37; 21:20–24 ) when the devil is loosed for a little season according to Revelation 20:3, Revelation 20:7-10, and 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12). The rest of the Bible gives us plenty of insights and considerable detail on what to expect on that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord itself, Judgment Day, when Jesus will send the devil and the vast majority of mankind to Hell and eternal damnation.

Some Key Pertinent Verses to Know

Matthew 24:36, “¶But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.“

Luke 17:26&27, “And as it was in the days of Noe (Noah), 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 Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.“

Luke 17:28-30, “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. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.“

2 Peter 2:4-14, “¶For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [the man] ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they], selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. ¶But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:“

Jude 1:5-8, “¶ I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. ¶Likewise also these [filthy] dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.“

Mark 13:19 “For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.“

Matthew 24:32-35, “¶Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Mark 13:23, “But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things“.

Hebrews 1:10&11, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;” These verses harken back to the Old Testament here:

Psalm 102:25-27, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands.They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

Isaiah 34:4, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.”

Isaiah 51:6, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.“

Isaiah 13:6-13, “Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as] flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.“

Isaiah 24:21-23, “And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.“

Deuteronomy 32:22, “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.“

Ezekiel 32:7, “And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; 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 over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.“

Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

Amos 9:5, “And the Lord GOD of hosts [is] he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as [by] the flood of Egypt.“

Nahum 1:5, “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.”

Malachi 4:1&2, “¶For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Matthew 24:29-31, “¶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.“

2 Peter 3:10-12, “¶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. [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?“

Revelation 6:12-17, “¶And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?“

Jude 1:14-16, “¶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. ¶These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.” For more detail on how this ties in with Judgment Day please see the exposition of Judges 4&5.

Zephaniah 1:14-18, “The great day of the LORD [is] near, [it is] near, and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day [is] a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole landshall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

Conclusion

The above compilation of Bible verses that describe the advent and coming of Judgment Day are really just a sample, compared to all those that either directly or indirectly point to the very real and soon to come Judgment Day. On that Great and Terrible Day, the Heavens and the Earth will all melt with fervent heat and pass away (2 Peter 3:10 &12), and the Lord Jesus Christ will return, coming on the clouds of glory surrounded by His saints (His Bride, the eternal Church).

For the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as The Savior there is however the glorious promise of eternal peace and bliss with God in Heaven as we are also told in 2 Peter 3:13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (see also Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22)

Are you ready? If not, it may still be possible for you to cry out to God for mercy through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, such that He might show you mercy before that Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, Judgment Day. Jesus Christ is mankind’s ONLY Hope and The ONLY Means of salvation from God’s just penalty for sin. There is only one alternative, and that is to spend an eternity in Hell.

Joel 2:11, “And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?“