Truths From the Book of Hebrews

Biblical Applications For the Church

The Warnings to the Church

Our Security; Holding Fast Until the End.

The Ministry of Melchizedek!

March 27, 2018

With these former documents it should be clear that BOTH Jesus and the Holy Spirit are actively functioning on Earth during the Church Age. Jesus, our High Priest, is actively functioning from the Throne in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, Melchizedek by His Biblical name, the Priest of the Most High God and ministering as the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace, is actively functioning here on earth during the church age. Both are speaking! All those who speak from the heavenly realm are in total agreement. Jesus is speaking by the Spirit of Christ; The Indwelling Living and Abiding World of God.

In John 14-15 and 16 Jesus reveals some of the work the Holy Spirit is actively doing today. However, He is also doing MUCH MORE than that. The Holy Spirit, functioning as King / Priest, opens up many other scriptures and areas of His Authority during His dispensation, called the Church Age! Remember, He is the direct representative of the Most High God and functions among us on the behalf of the MOST HIGH GOD!!

However, in this document our purpose is to show who Jesus really is and to uncover His Eternal Work that has already begun 2000 years ago.

The problem today is this; These things cannot be revealed in document form to each person by listing facts and information but requires a personal revelation. It is in the realm of revelation that the large gap in understanding between believers is revealed. Ten people can hear the same facts, the same words, follow the same scriptures, hear the same message and some will understand and some will not. It is NOT that the Holy Spirit is picking winners and losers but that some can receive Revelation and some cannot. Why? This is a problem within the individual! Probably the easiest and clearest way to define the difference is found in Proverbs 2.

Proverbs 2:1 My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you.

2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;

4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God.

These requirements for revelation are self-explanatory but the summation is this; the casual listener will receive very little and understand even less, even if God speaks.

Preparing the visible church just to be able to hear God’s Wisdom is a big challenge. To then instruct the visible church about receiving that wisdom by faith and obedience is an even greater challenge. This is a daunting task for most pastors and few are able to do it successfully. Why? This is probably because of the diversity of growth within the inner person (the New Man) of each individual. Just preaching and teaching deeper truths to baby Christians is for the most part a waste of time. Knowing how to develop the new inner man to be able to receive deeper truth has been a mystery among most pastors that I know!

Heb 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness,

for he is a babe.

14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ.

2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it.

Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

This problem of "the eternal babyhood of the believer" is epidemic in the visible church and every pastor has been confronted by Christians with this inability to receive revelation understanding since the early church. It is disgraceful that we have not b een able, after 2000 years, to figure out how to solve this problem.

After "trying" for 46 years and in many countries, I am still confused about this problem of developing the New Inner Man through "ministry."

Of course Proverbs 2 is an Old Testament instruction and the visible church has a New Covenant problem involving the receiving of a full New Covenant experience. It is amazing to me that so many men in the pulpit have fallen so far short of the full New Covenant experience, even though they may have titles, diplomas and positions. So many have received a "counterfeit anointing" by the laying on of empty hands or by a fraudulent calling. Many have been "sent out" with no Spiritual calling or "revelation" ability at all. Of course we expect these "less than New Covenant ministers" to be fruitless in their efforts.

Loving and obeying God's Law today (that means His Law within) is a great obstacle that few can fully overcome. Why? The fact is that God's Commandments are most often seen as burdensome, unreasonable and too restrictive. It requires revelation just to understand that God's Commandments are GOOD FOR US and reflect the way God has designed His Creation to function properly. When we resent or are offended by God's Commandments, it locks us out of the realm of revelation. In some sense, if we are locked out of "revelation understanding" we will always be deficient or lacking in our Christian Life. Why? We will always lack that dimension of inner wisdom that is normal and essential for Christian living!

Maybe it will be possible in this document to get around to studying the Book of Hebrews so this "inner realm" where this "revelation understanding" is received as Life. Still, babes in Christ will still misunderstand. What does that mean?

Heb 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, 8 DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

9 WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED Me BY TESTING Me, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.

10 "THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART; AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';

11 AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'"

One of the "Truths and Foundations" of Christianity is this; "MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE." It is assumed that ALL HIS "sheep" will hear His Voice. In actual practice and from a practical and experiential viewpoint, very few Christians really do hear His voice. However, because of the several times this verse is repeated in the Bible, we should be fully convinced that HEARING HIS VOICE IS POSSIBLE AND THE FIRST PRIORITY OF THE CHRISTIAN

LIFE. Why? That is the qualification for being "sheep."

The fact that so few do hear His Voice must have a valid reason. It m ay seem too simplistic to use Proverbs 2 as THE VALID REASON for this failure. Possibly Psalms 95 will make a clearer statement.

Psalm 95:7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice,

8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness; 9 "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

10 "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways.

11 "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

One of the things that drew so many people to the Charismatic and Pentecostal meetings was to see God's Works, His healings and His Miracles. During those times I also wanted to see the signs and wonders and we did. The tragedy was that so many of us saw His WORKS but never learned His WAYS.

The other tragedy was that the many other groups, that denied His Works and did not even want to see His works, never learned His Ways either. Too many Christians, in past church history, never heard His Voice (rhema) and neither have they enter His rest. Now, 40 years later, very little progress into God's Eternal Purpose has been observed.

While HIS REST is called "Sabbath Rest" this does not refer to taking a Saturday Sabbath or to do no work one day each week. (Some still believe that "entering His rest" means to do no work at all and to live like the birds!) Israel was keeping all the various Sabbaths faithfully but failed to enter into His Rest! Why" God forbid them from entering into HIS REST. Why? That is because "His Rest" is directly related to entering into and participating in OUR INHERITANCE!

Exo 15:17 "Thou wilt bring them and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, The place, 0 LORD, which Thou hast made for Thy dwelling, The sanctuary, 0 Lord, which Thy hands have established.

This is referring to Mount Sinai and the Tabernacle along with God's Manifest Presence.

Still, "inheritance" should be seen from other viewpoints also!

Num18:20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

Discerning the two dimensions of inheritance was clearly revealed to Israel. Is our inheritance, then, a place, a person or a Government? Nevertheless, as we saw with Israel, "entering into Our Inheritance and into REST" is not automatic nor is it guaranteed. Is there an "evil enemy" that will attempt to prevent us from occupying our inheritance? Of course! Ignorance and lack of perseverance is another big problem.

Unless we can clearly define "our immediate inheritance" we may never know what we fell short of in our Christian Life! It has been repeated for us many times what the "inheritance of Israel" was. That was Canaan, the Promise Land. Still, AFTER they entered into the land they STILL did not have rest. Why? They never drove the enemy completely out of Canaan so they were NEVER at "rest." Still, Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood was given NO INHERITANCE in Canaan. The reason was this; God shall be your inheritance. This area of inheritance now awaits the Glorious Church!

However, we should understand that HIS REST for us is of another realm that may involve the New Inner Man! It is because of the Book of Hebrews and this GOAL of entering into His Rest that we anticipate that "entering His Rest" may be part of the next restoration. Why? I am speculating that experiencing this "REALM of REST for the church or for the "believers" possessing their inheritance" has not been recorded yet in the experience of the believers in past church history. This problem is also seen as the epicenter of one of the Church's lack of experience today! One reason could be ignorance or unbelief that this experience is for OUR church age.

Heb 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

9 There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.

I am being pressed to record something about the "five or seven warnings" (depending upon how we break them up) in the Book of Hebrews that are directed squarely toward the People of the Church Age. This second warning is about entering into His Rest and enduring in faith and obedience UNTIL THE END!

Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?

19 And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

The first warning has to do with the "SIN" of unbelief. This is directly associated with disobedience or being unresponsive to His Voice! Disobedience and unbelief are directly linked together. Why? That is because disobedience will ultimately result in "unbelief' and vice versa. These two "problems" result in the third problem which is the HARDENING OF OUR HEARTS! The result of that is SIN. Unbelief, then, is the first step into Spiritual and Eternal Disaster. Why? God both swore and made an oath that they would never enter into HIS REST. Why? Because of unbelief. This judgement is final and absolute!

But what has this to do with the New Covenant times of "GRACE?" It may be offensive to some but this was written to the Hebrew Church at the beginning of this period of NEW COVENANT GRACE. It is because of the tremendous provision within the New Covenant that "Christian grace" may be underestimated and misunderstood.

Heb 3:12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God.

13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firmuntil the end;

Once again it may be offensive to some that the Christian Life must be lived until the end. Beginning with a confession and forgiveness of sin and being "born again" is essential but we must hold fast to the beginning of our Christianity firm UNTIL THE END. Why?

We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold on until the end has a connotation of "it is all or nothing." Hold on or be eliminated. This is a "BIG IF" in the light of what is happening now in the visible church.

Heb 3:6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if weholdfast our confidence and the boast of our hope firmuntil the end.

Heb 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firmuntil the end;

Heb 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hopeuntil the end,

Since these "problems" (of beginning but not enduring) are epidemic in the church today, we must constantly be checking ourselves to see if we are walking in the faith, are hearing His Voice and then are we careful to obey? Why? The danger is in ignoring the requirements until there is the HARDING OF OUR HEARTS! That causes us to lose the desire to serve God in any meaningful way. GOING ON to function within the Eternal Priesthood, with our High Priest, is still our universal goal!

Exodus 19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

Identifying the INHERITANCE with the Kingdom of Priests will be included, hopefully, in one of our studies of Hebrews. Why? That is because entering His Rest is directly related to our Inheritance. There is NO REST outside of OUR INHERITANCE! Neglecting to "ENTER INTO HIS REST" though FAITH AND OBEDIENCE, will be one of the warnings we are studying! How do I know that applies to us? The Example God gives us is Israel being prevented from entering Canaan which was their INHERITANCE! They could NEVER enter into His Rest because that generation was prevented, by God, from entering Canaan and was forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. That "wandering" was forced by God's judgement and was not voluntary! They did not just decide to wander for 4o years! They wandered until they died.

We might introduce a theme called "THE WANDERING CHURCH." Why? They have neglected the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and substituted their own Christian philosophy of going to heaven. For that reason many have "wandered" from one "message" to "another irrelevant message" but all outside the realms of His Rest and their predestined inheritance.

WHAT If ENTERING INTO HIS REST IS RELATED TO EACH OF US ENTERING INTO HIS KINGDOM, BY MAINTAINING OUR FAITH ALONG WITH OUR OBEDIENCE

TO HIS GOVERNMENT and always avoiding a HARDNESS OF HEART?

The reason we are prevented from entering into "HIS REST, “is certainly clear, confirmed and apparent by the revelation given in the Book of Hebrews! The importance of this "experience" to the New Covenant believer is quite apparent.

After personally "holding Church" for over 30 years and preaching many irrelevant messages for 48 years it is apparent that holding to faith and obedience firm until the end is no small accomplishment. Encouraging one another daily to "hold on" gives us some indication of how difficult that is. Encouraging one another yearly, at the yearly conference / revival, is more common! The common opinion in the church is this; since "we are already saved" once a year should be enough. Just shake hands with 10 people and say "I ENCOURAGE YOU."

Therefore, let us summarize this next warning. In the last document we introduced the first warning about neglecting so great a salvation by ignoring who God says Jesus is and then by not meeting the basic requirements.

Because so much of the Book of Hebrews is made up of quotations from the Old Covenant, it is profitable to go back to those verses to see what they say and how they define things! At least some understanding can be received from these Scriptures.

In the New American Standard Bible, all the quotations from the Old Testament are CAPITALIZED. This makes it easy to identify these quotations! The margin then gives us the location these verses can be found.

Heb 3:7 Therefore, "just as the Holy Spirit says", TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,

8 DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,

This capitalized portion is quoted from Psalm 95: 6. I will give at least this one example to show how we can accept and study these warnings from both the Old and the New Testaments.

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice,

8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness; 9 "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work.

10 "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways.

11 "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest."

One of the things that is apparent is that Psalms 95 says nothing about the Holy Spirit speaking. However, the writer of Hebrews recorded that the Holy Spirit said this.

Why is this recorded this way? The New Testament writers fully believed that it was the Holy Spirit who spoke what was recorded. It is for that reason that these verses can be transferred to the New Covenant with full authority and full confidence. Therefore, these verses can and should be given as a direct warning to the church today.

Maybe we should remind everybody that the Holy Spirit, by His Biblical name, Melchizedek, was the Priest of the Most High God at that time and EVERY time before and after that time. Why? That is because His Priesthood is and was eternal. There has NEVER been a time when He was not a King / Priest!

The ignorance and error of believing and preaching that the Old Testament is not relevant for us is fully revealed and discredited by this verse. What was said to the Natural People, Israel, can also be applied as relevant for the Spiritual People, the church! It is in the method of application for each people that some error may exists. The writer of Hebrews has made a clear and convincing application of this reality to the Hebrew Church.

The controversy arises over some statements about the Law of Moses and trying to bring Christians back under the Law. The TRUTHS of the Old Testament are still true regardless of the law for the natural man. The biggest problem with the law was that it could NOT impart Life. (ZOE)

Gal 3:21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which wasable to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

It is thisimpartation of LIFE that is the reason the Law was done away with and the New Covenant was essential to the Christian Life and God's Eternal Purpose.

What, then, were the problems that were being identified in the Hebrew Church?

(1) Even Though they were God's People, They didn't hear His voice

(2) They Hardened their hearts.

(3) They put God to the test.

(4) They Saw God's works

(5) Never knew God's ways.

(6) They failed to believe God's Word.

(7) They were disobedient.

What was the result of this failure? God's was VERY angry with Israel and swore in His anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.". This is given as our example.

The fact that it was Israel that made all these mistakes, and are now being applied to the "church," that makes this very offensive to many Evangelical Believers. Why. They have a doctrine that confirms; "We are living under God's grace so nothing is required of us except to believe in Jesus" Remember this; the Hebrew Church was living in the very beginning of NEW COVENANT GRACE and this was required of them. Why? The Book of Hebrews was written about 35 years after Calvary and before the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy andmay find grace to help in time of need.

Since locating the Most Holy Place and the Throne of Grace (the Mercy Seat) may not be so easy to find, finding that Dimension of Grace to help in time of need may not be that easy. Becoming familiar with the WAY to the Throne, before we are in need, may be a better choice!

The Tabernacle of Moses is the PATTERN God gives us to understand "THE WAY." Not only are there so many "patterns of eternal things" given in the Book of Hebrews but I am speculating that the WHOLE BOOK OF HEBREWS is a pattern for the Church in this next restoration. Just observe the "pattern" of the unfolding revelation in each chapter but being aware that the chapter divisions are not always in the right place. Why? These were added by men.

However, to consider grace as "permission" or to define it as "to look over and not see" or that "GRACE blinds God from seeing our sin" or "grace" is "an entitlement for having faith in Jesus," is to misunderstand God's Kingdom, the New Covenant and God's purpose! Why? These point us specifically to the Throne and God's Manifest Presence!

Isa 33:14 Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?"

15 He who walks righteously, and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain, And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;

16 He will dwell on the heights; His refuge will be the impregnable rock; His bread will be given him; His water will be sure.

17Your eves will see the King in His beauty; They will behold a far-distant land.

18 Your heart will meditate on terror: "Where is he who counts? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?"

19 You will no longer see a fierce people, A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends, Of a stammering tongue which no one understands.

20 Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; Your eyes shall see Jerusalem an undisturbed habitation, A tent which shall not be folded, Its stakes shall never be pulled up Nor any of its cords be torn apart.

21 But there the majestic One, the LORD, shall be for us A place of rivers and wide canals, On which no boat with oars shall go, And on which no mighty ship shall pass—

It is for that reason, God's Kingdom and God's Purpose that we will focus upon these severe warnings in the Book of Hebrews. I expect to be severely criticized and condemned for mentioning these warnings as given for the church today.

I may hear; THIS MAN PREACHES LAW AND DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GOD"S GRACE! Even

though I have referred to these areas of life (Zoe) in the first three documents, I was not satisfied that the introduction was clear. I have spoken to other pastors who really have not seen that the Book of Hebrews was written to correct problems occurring in the Hebrew Church. In fact they found it difficult to even summarize the Letter to the Hebrews. It is for that reason that I will review my limited understanding of this Book.

My thesis really begins in Hebrews 2: 1-4. Why was this warning given and what was the meaning of "For this reason we must pay much closer attention." For this reason refers back to what was said in Chapter one.

Heb 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense,

3 how shall we escape if weneglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Hebrews 1 begins with God and His ETERNITY. It establishes Jesus as His Son and IN WHOM GOD IS NOW SPEAKING. Some Bibles label Hebrews 1 as God's LAST WORD. The Greek says that has spoken to us IN HIS SON. HIS SON is His Word to us. All of us who are aware that we must be born again by the indwelling of the Living and Abiding Word of God should be able to relate to that reality. GOD IS SPEAKING TO US IN HIS SON.

However, God reveals HIS SON as "Thy Throne, oh God." Also, that the SON has been appointed as the HEIR OF ALL THINGS. The Most High God reveals that Jesus is HIS BEGOTTEN SON. (Not a created son but one who is born directly from the Father) All of us who are aware of God's SPERMA (Semen), the living and abiding Word of God, will be able to identify with this kind of birth.

The writer of this LETTER now must be very specific and identify the Father of this FIRST BORN SON is the Creator God who "IN THE BEGINNING DIDST LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT THOU REMAINEST; AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD AS A GARMENT, AND AS A MANTLE THOU WILT ROLL THEM UP; AS A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT THOU ART THE SAME, AND THY YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END."

Remember, the New American Standard Bible capitalizes all Old Testament Scriptures that are quoted. This is from Psalm 102:26.

This is the Mighty God who said “But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR THY FEET"?

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?"

Now my thesis begins here; "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." For what reason? That is the revelation of God and His only begotten Son and God's Eternal nature! The revelation is of the Son that has inherited all things and now sits at God's own RIGHT HAND, in the place of ultimate authority.

Now why would the writer of this "letter" be so concerned? It should be obvious that the Hebrew Church had been drifting away from this basic Christian Reality. Therefore, the writer was correcting and warning that Group about the danger of taking that path. Why?

Heb 2:3 how shall we escape if weneglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.

This TRUTH is so basic to the Christian Life that drifting away from this life and experience is considered as "neglecting our salvation."

Now, my thesis continues into "strange territory." The writer is relating "so great a salvation" with God's Eternal Purpose. Not with just forgiveness of sins but to being faithful to our eternal calling! In order to magnify His Purpose the writer reminds us what God purposed in the very beginning in Genesis 1 and 2. We will focus more on this "great salvation" when we explore God's Promise and His Oath in Hebrews 6 dealing with the Priesthood of Melchizedek. In this area we will focus upon "man."

Hebrews 2:6 ----WHAT IS MAN, THAT THOU REMEMBEREST HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT THOU ART CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

7 "THOU HAST MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; THOU HAST CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAST APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS;

8 THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in

subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Now, maybe, we can speculate on the "problems in the Hebrew Church that were being addressed" by this letter. The Hebrew Church HAD "drifted away" from some things that were essential understandings which were related to "so great a salvation." The warning is this; DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE THESE MISTAKES WITHOUT IT AFFECTING YOUR GREAT SALVATION.

They obviously were making a bad mistake because they were treating Moses, the angels, and Jesus as equals. The writer is making an absolute difference and revealing that EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY is inferior to Jesus. Even the blood of bulls and goats, the sacrifices, the priesthood and also the Tabernacle, which was made by men's hands. The Old Covenant is nothing like the New Covenant and the Old Covenant is far inferior. The promises of the Old Covenant cannot be compared to the promises of the New Coven ant.

In fact, as we examine all the things the writer mentions in this Book, it should be obvious that the Hebrew Church had drifted away from nearly all Christian reality but was still practicing a "new religion." So what has all that to do with the church today?

As I implied in the other documents, my concern is that the visible church has likewise drifted away from basic Christianity and should be warned about the consequences. Will the visible church be thankful and respond with joy! THAT is not likely. However, there may be a remnant that will respond. Why? These multitudes are going to church for some reason and with some expectation of receiving something real and eternal. It should be much easier to help them find reality than those who have no interest and God is not drawing.

The Hebrew Church had even begun to fear death. They obviously were departing from something the writer considered normal Christian reality. That is; to complete this life faithfully unto the end, by life or by death. This would be a very offensive doctrine today.

Heb 2:14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

Jesus lived and died and was resurrected on the third day to destroy the fear of death. It is through "receiving His resurrection Life" that the fear of death is removed from the Christian Life. Why? That is because His Life has already passed through death and CANNOT die again. Even today this truth is not well preached or experienced! Since I am reviewing things that were introduced before, we will add this next verse now.

Heb 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Jesus was not God, the Almighty, clothed in a human body but was the Son of the Most High and one of us who have participated in the New Creation, became of the New Species that is called Christian! Jesus had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

This is the first mention of Jesus becoming our High Priest. In Hebrews we learn that He was taken from among men so he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness.

I Cor 15:21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

23 But each in his own order: Christ, the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming.

Our Great High Priest had to be one of us. As Savior He had to be MAN in order to die for mankind and to become the Last Adam. In fact one of us, the Lord Jesus Christ, is already sitting at the Right Hand of God, the Almighty. As "MAN" He made it to the throne of God and is now the Prototype Son who has become our example of the OVERCOMERS! It is for that reason that each of is are to "GROW UP IN ALL THINGS INTO CHRIST." Also; For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that Hemight be the first-born among many brethren;

Why do we "confuse the issue" by adding these verses? That is because we need to understand "WHAT IS MAN" to grasp the significance of this Book of Hebrews! Until we understand and experience the Glory of Mount Zion (Hebrews 12) it will be difficult to understand all these warnings.

If we just understood the BODY OF OUR HIGH PRIEST is made up of a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, the warnings of Hebrews will be seen as justified and significant for this next restoration and advancement for the visible church. It is my opinion that the "Church He is Building" is already moving into these Truths.

If the WHOLE BOOK OF HEBREWS IS THE PATTERN FOR THE END TIME CHURCH AND THE TABERNACLE AND ALL ITS APPOINTMENTS ARE THE PATTERN OF THE WAY, THE BOOK OF HEBREWS WILL BE THE ESSENTIAL REVELATION.

To ignore the Book of Hebrews (as JUST FOR THE HEBREWS and not for the Church) is a grave mistake. This BOOK was written for the Church, He is Building. The examples that are given and the warnings that are given ARE FOR THE CHURCH HE is Building. The failure of Israel is given as a warning for the Church.

Every warning for the Church is a personal warning for each of us. Israel failed to hear or obey the warnings that God gave to them. Therefore, God withheld the blessing from them and refused to give them REST! Their rest was their INHERITANCE