The Carpenter's Apprentice Archives

Volume 7, Number 6                                                                                                                  June  2006

Hebrews Review: The Time of The End Had Come

Last month we completed our brief look at the letter to the Hebrews. We=ve spent the last year considering the subject of imminency of Christ=s coming as it is taught in the text. Taken a point or two at a time, the things we=ve examined are often minimized by those who insist that scripture doesn=t mean what it says.

However, if we take the time to see the bigger picture, the imminency of Christ=s coming becomes undeniable to those who are willing to deal honestly with the text. Those who object are forced to develop complex constructs to explain why Athe end@ failed to come as promised (in their opinion), but they readily concede the text teaches its nearness.

With those thoughts in view, I want us to do a quick review of some of the key points we=ve considered over the last year so as to see them as an integrated whole, just as the recipients of this letter would have seen them.

The author wastes no time in coming to the point, AGod, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world@ (Heb 1:1-2). From the outset, we see the timing he has in mind, Athese last days@

That he speaks of the Aend of time@ is generally accepted by biblical scholars. With the rise of covenant eschatology, there are those who attempt to limit Athese last days@ to the end of old covenant Judaism and posit another end in which all the calamities taught by modern prophets of doom insist could befall us any day.

The problem with that is that the scripture does not teach two ends! Indeed, the Mosaic kingdom had two ends, a beginning end, and a terminating end. As we=ve seen in Hebrews, the terminating end would coincide with the consummation of the Messianic kingdom.

That kingdom was inaugurated when Christ entered our human experience in the form of a man. Consequently, it was that first century generation which Paul described as the one, Aupon whom the ends of the ages have come@ (1 Cor. 10:11). The Messianic kingdom has no terminating end (Eph. 3:20)!

The message was clear, God HAS spoken. His last Word is The Christ in the flesh to reveal His glory. His earthly ministry had been completed and the stage was set for the consummation of all things. As the Hebrews coming out of Egypt had required 40 years to purge them of unbelief, so spiritual Israel would be purified and refined in the testing of their faith for 40 years prior to inheriting the Acity whose builder and maker is God.@ The author is writing near the end of that 40 years and entrance into the promised land had to follow it in fulfillment of the type of which the author writes.

We won=t spend as much time on every reference, in fact we don=t even have the space to note them all. Nevertheless, I hope that what we are able present in the following will encourage you to consider this study at length.

Skipping to Hebrews 3:5-6, we see the comparison between Moses and Jesus developed further, ANow Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.@

Isn=t it obvious they had placed their trust in Christ and that they were expecting their hope to arrive in their lifetime? Are they still holding to that hope after almost 2,000 years? If not, would they still be confident of its promise? AHope deferred makes the heart sick@ (Proverbs 13:12). If they were not expecting the imminent return of the Christ, their hope was ridiculous and the price they paid to maintain it was a foolish waste of the life God granted them.

The Hebrews were God=s chosen instrument for bringing Messiah into the world. They had special promises to be sure, but those promises were not for them alone. They pre-figured a new covenant in which all flesh would inherit the blessings promised to Abraham. It is particularly sad that the people God chose rejected Him as their King. God made that announcement to Samuel and Christ affirmed it as He wept over Jerusalem.

The author warns of the consequences of going back to the old covenant, AFor in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame@ (Hebrews 6:4-6).

In our discussion of this text, we observed that the translators have been less than faithful with the text. The bolded Ato come@ above is from the Greek mello which is properly rendered Aabout to come@. This is just one of a number of places in the new testament where we encounter this problem. The anticipated age of Messiah wasn=t simply future to them, it was imminent and they rightly expected it in their lifetime.

Hebrews 7:18-19 speaks of the Asetting aside@ of the former covenant reminding the reader that Athe Law made nothing perfect@. The transition that was in progress is obvious as the better covenant is to replace the one being removed. This idea is stated plainly in Hebrews 8:13, A When He said, >A new covenant,= He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.@ Remember, that Ais ready@ was written almost 2,000 years ago and that tells us at least three things, 1) the old covenant had not completely passed as this was written, 2) if it hasn=t disappeared, it wasn=t ready to disappear at that time, and 3) if it has disappeared then Christ came in majesty and glory.

The letter to the Hebrews is a marvelous comparison and contrast of the old and new covenants. The ninth chapter tells us that, at that time, Athe way into the holy place [had] not yet been disclosed@ because Athe outer tabernacle [was] still standing@ (vs. 8). If it was removed shortly thereafter, and it was, then entrance into the holy place is available (as most Christians teach). As we have previously discussed, this would happen at the parousia of Christ.

The most telling contrast is that of the two priesthoods: ABut when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation@ (vs. 11). Note the use of mello here, Athe good things about to come@. Again, the emphatic imminency of this statement is compromised by the bias of the translators.

This is as good a place as any to remind us that Athis creation@ is not a reference to the physical planet and all it contains. It is a reference to the old covenant creation as seen in Isaiah 51:16 and elsewhere. The old physical system was a shadow or copy of the eternal spiritual kingdom which was about to be revealed.

For me, the climax of Hebrews has to be verses 24-28 of the ninth chapter. Let=s revisit them: AFor Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.@ Pardon my exuberance but, AThem=s shoutin= words!@

Remember our discussion of nuni de, Abut now@? That is a phrase of eschatological significance which must not be missed. The author is saying that under the old covenant things were one way, but the order was changing - right then! We hear lots of talk about the coming consummation. We even sing about it and yet, the text makes it clear that the consummation of the ages was in the first century. Emphatically then, it is not in our future!

Though imminency is established in the verses above, the point is driven home in chapter 10. In the very first verse we again encounter Athe good things about to come@ which, in contrast to the old sacrifices, do Aperfect those who draw near.@

The author=s confidence should be set in what today=s press calls Asecond coming type@ (really bold headlines reserved for major events). He parades his confidence in Christ regarding the Anew and living way@ which Christ Ainaugurated...through..His flesh@ (v. 19). He gloriously boasts in the salvation that is theirs in Christ. He knows the faithfulness of their High Priest and he encourages his readers to faithfulness as they Asee the day of the Lord drawing near@ (v. 25). They were expecting that day and every new testament author urged their readers to Awalk worthy of [their] calling@(as Paul put it in Ephesians). In verse 35 he reminds them of their coming reward and admonishes them to endure and receive what was promised. How empty that admonition would be if is Christ=s coming was still far in the future; but the text makes it very clear that was not the case. AFOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY@ (Heb. 10:37).

AA very little while@ is an emphatic statement of the nearness of Christ=s coming and it is a lot more emphatic in the Greek. In addition to that, the author is clear, Christ Awill not delay.@ Today, most Christians profess He has indeed delayed His coming. The reasons given vary but the most common I hear has to do with God giving men time to repent and turn to him. The simple truth is that He gave the Jews 40 years to repent and exalt Him as King (like he wanted from the beginning); then, He executed judgment on them just as He promised. In doing so, He put down His enemies and demonstrated to all the world that Jesus is AKing of kings, and Lord of lords.@

What they were about to experience was the hope of all the ages. In speaking of the heros of faith, the author reminds them that A All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return...And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect@ (Heb. 11:13-15, 39-40).

Their=s was the hope of the ages. We enjoy the blessings of the consummation they experienced but we have moved beyond hope to the reality of the unseen things in Christ. The writer correctly observed at the time, AFor here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is [mello - about] to come@ (Heb. 13:14), but today we inhabit that city even as we live out our lives in our mortal bodies day by day.

In this brief summary, we haven=t begun to rehearse all that we considered in our study, but I hope putting things together this way helps you to better understand how the intended audience would have received the message.

It is rare to find a Hollywood insider who will step up to the plate and take a Ano holds barred@ approach to the tyranny that has become our federal government.

Russo produced AThe Rose@ and ATrading Spaces@ but has since charted a collision course with the beast our abused federal system has become. It started with a serious curiosity about the federal tax system and a sincere desire to know the truth about what the law says and doesn=t say.

That investigation was the beginning of an eye opening experience that all of us who have taken a serious look at our government know all too well. AFreedom to Fascism@ is a documentary which reports his findings in a compelling exposition including testimony from sitting congressional representatives, former IRS agents, tax attorneys, accountants, and numerous individuals from watchdog groups which have been challenging the rise of big government for decades.

In short, the movie is a virtual AWho=s Who@ of courageous people who dared to proclaim that the government is wrong. I have a sweatshirt that reads, AIt=s dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.@ The lives of several of the people in this movie are a testimony to that fact.

Much like Mel Gibson=s, The Passion of the Christ, this movie is being produced largely at the expense of Russo and numerous Americans who have contributed to the project. It is not likely to receive the kind of attention Gibson=s movie did, at least in the beginning. It is however my nomination for the sleeper of the summer and I plan to be there when it opens in Houston on August 4. I guess we=ll use that to celebrate Sharon=s birthday!

If you have Internet access, you can read much more about the project at www.freedomtofascism.com . I encourage you to visit the site and look at the trailers for the movie. Some of what you will see are things I have reported to you from time to time but you need to see it first hand.

Happy Father=s Day

My belated best wishes to all the fathers who read The Carpernter=s Apprentice! The role you play in your family is crucial and the conditions in our country are evidence enough that many fathers are failing their duty. Indeed, many homes do not even have a father present. Mothers can be many things, but they can=t be fathers. They may do the things fathers do, but they can=t be fathers.

At the same time, just being present at the conception of one=s child does not make a man a father. It is not enough to simply make a living an provide for the physical needs of our children. Real fathers nurture their children and instill righteous values in them. Real fathers model righteous living for their children because actions speak louder than words.

Father=s who fail at this task are likely to raise children who contribute to the problems we face. The streets of our communities teem which such children. We should not think for a moment that because our children are smart, or talented, or raised in a home professing Christ they are immune from the culture which surrounds them. Their seemingly mature fathers and mothers fall prey to that culture and so can they.

It is always true, but it is especially true when a society is in a state of collapse, we need godly fathers and mothers. So, my prayer is that our men will be men who are up to the task; men who are unwilling to compromise on principle; men who expect the very best from themselves and can be honest with themselves, and God, when they don=t deliver.

The Apprentice=s Journal

Sharon and I had a wonderful time on the anniversary trip I mentioned last time. It was great to see old friends again and reminisce about days gone by. Our first stop was at the home of one of the elders of our childhood congregation. It was one of those bittersweet memories because his memory is failing and he just couldn=t remember who we were. A grandson now provides care for him on the property he bought when he retired.

Just a few miles away, we spent the night with friends from the same congregation who are our parents age. If you know anything about First Monday in Canton, Texas, you can appreciate the fact that they have a bed and breakfast nearby in Van, Texas. The home is filled with treasures they=ve picked up from the antique vendors that have put Canton on the map.

Just driving through the town without the crowd causes me to break out in a cold sweat and I can=t imagine paying money to be engulfed by a throng of people all looking for the deal of a lifetime. Maybe I could be interested if they had a AMen=s Section@ with all the tools, sporting goods, etc. with its own parking, and easy access removed from the rest of the chaos. For the time being I=ll do my hunting online.

After that first night we made the short trip over to Tyler, Texas where we spent two nights at a bed and breakfast which served as home base for weekends activities. We enjoyed a couple=s massage on Friday afternoon, and dinner at a place called Mansion on the Hill. The setting was nice and overall the meal was fine but the house salad was pitiful: a little lettuce with a couple of spinach leaves and that was about it. My house serves a better salad!

©Copyright 2006 ~ Permission to reprint for personal, non-profit use is hereby granted, providing that the context of the quote is maintained and credit is given to The Carpenter's Apprentice.

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