The Jews' Epistle

[Olde Tymer]

.
Hello;

Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this one
in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around the
Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the Old
Testament usually always experience a bit of difficulty with his letter.

The letter is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his countrymen
once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel 9:25-26,
Messiah should've been here and gone before foreigners destroyed the second
Temple.

The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua -
was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.

Buen Camino
Pleasant Journey
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 1:1-2a . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at
many times and in various ways,

The author-- unknown by either name or gender --was apparently a Jew because
the pronoun "our" associates him with the people to whom the prophets spoke.

● Heb 1:2b . . but in these last days he has spoken to us, by His son.

Well-versed Jews will recognize this particular son from the second Psalm whom,
according to the Talmud (Sukkah 52) is Messiah, a.k.a. Mashiyach (maw-shee'-akh)

This "spoken to us by His son" wasn't unexpected; for example:

● Deut 18:15-19 . . .The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of The
Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said; Let us not hear
the voice of The Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.

. . .The Lord said to me: What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet
like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will
tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that
the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

● John 1:44-45 . . Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
Philip found Nathanael and told him: We have found the one Moses wrote about in
the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote

● John 4:25 . . The woman said: I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming.
When he comes, he will explain everything to us.

* The title "son of God" is commonly believed by Christians to be an indication of
deity; and it is, but not in the way they think. All messianic kings were sons of God
in their own turn; beginning with David (Ps 89:20-27) then Solomon (1Kings 1:13-
-39, 1Chron 22:9-10) Zerubbabel (Hab 2:21-23) and finally Messiah, the chiefest of
them all. (Ps 45:1-17)

● Heb 1:2c . .whom He has appointed heir of all things,

In the Bible, a man's eldest son is usually his principle heir. The rank of eldest
however isn't restricted to the son born first; but can be conferred upon a younger
sibling, for example: Ishmael to Isaac (Gen 21:10-12) Esau to Jacob (Gen 25:23)
Reuben to Joseph (Gen 49:3-4, 1Chr 5:1) and Manasseh to Ephraim. (Gen 48:13-14)

The eldest can also be demoted due to conduct unbecoming, e.g. Rueben's position
was transferred to Joseph due to Reuben's affair with one of his father Jacob's
women. (Gen 49:3-4, 1Chr 5:1)

Also, a father's superiority can be superseded by one of his sons when the son is
elevated to a position higher than his father's. For example David is God's firstborn
among kings on earth, but one of David's men is far more superior due to his
position above the earth. (Dan 7:13-14, Ps 110:1 cf. Matt 22:41-45, and Phil 2:6-11)
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 1:2d . . and through whom He made the worlds.

The Son hasn't always existed as a human being. He previously existed as a
powerful supernatural being called The Word in John 1:1-3 before existing as the
flesh per John 1:14.

When reading the first chapter of Genesis, one characteristic of God that stands out
is His voice, to wit: "God said" at least eight times in that chapter. Well; I think we
can safely deduce that the Son (a.k.a. The Word) was active in creation as God's
voice, viz: he was the vocal element in that chapter. Just exactly how God's voice
exists as a supernatural being is beyond the limits of my comprehension to
understand.

There's quite a bit of on-going controversy over the Greek word translated "worlds"
probably because it's somewhat ambiguous. We can keep it simple by just letting it
pertain to an aggregate consisting of the human world, the beast world, the bug
world, the bird world, the water world, the vegetation world, the microscopic world,
viz: the overworld and the netherworld. Plus; there's the larger world, to wit: the
entire realm of nature, i.e. the cosmos; which includes everything terrestrial and
celestial.

● Heb 1:3a …The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of
his being,

The Greek word translated "radiance" speaks of luminosity; but not a source of
illumination, rather, it's the glow produced by a source, i.e. the shine; sort of like
early morning twilight in the east. We see the sun's glow in the sky at that time of
day, but the sun itself remains secluded below the horizon. (cf. John 1:4-10)

* Unfortunately this is the only place in the entire New Testament where that Greek
word is used so we can't compare its application in other places.

Anyway; that verse depicts the Son as a tangible representation of something
and/or someone intangible, and its ramifications are as disturbing as they are
astounding because it means that whenever, wherever, and however the Supreme
Being interacted with human life, He did so via the Son rather than Himself in
person.

"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son-- who is in the bosom of
the Father --he has declared Him." (John 1:18)

"You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form." (John 5:37)

Compare those to this:

"And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden." (Gen 3:8)

And this:

"Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of
Israel: and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a
paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw
God, and did eat and drink." (Ex 24:9-11)

Ancient rabbis were baffled by what seemed to them as two Jehovahs in the
Tanakh; especially during the Akida (a.k.a. the offering of Isaac) wherein a Jehovah
on earth speaks for, speaks about, and speaks as, a Jehovah in heaven. So they
gave this mysterious person names like Metatron: basically a celestial being whose
name is his master's.

The rabbis were somehow unaware that the Supreme Being interacts with His
creatures by means of a divine proxy; thus working closely with Man while at the
same time keeping Himself isolated from Man.

Point being; Jesus' claims in John's epistle seemed blasphemous to certain Jews at
least partially because he seemed to them saying he was someone like Metatron,
which is practically all the same as claiming to be Jehovah, i.e. God.
_

 

[EclipseEventSigns]

.
Hello;

Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this one
in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around the
Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the Old
Testament usually always experience a bit of difficulty with his letter.

The letter is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his countrymen
once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel 9:25-26,
Messiah should've been here and gone before foreigners destroyed the second
Temple.

The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua -
was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.

Buen Camino
Pleasant Journey
_

Actually it's a common misconception that the New Testament letters were addressed to Gentiles. An examination of the language used very clearly shows that they are addressing believers of a Jewish origin (but include those Gentiles who had come to believe). Even the Book of Romans, which you would assume would be to Gentiles, is very clearly talking to Jewish believers.

[Romans 2:14-23 ESV] 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.

Paul is contrasting the Gentiles who live according to the Law of God in ignorance with those Jewish believers who were still incorrectly living as slaves to the law. And this was addressed to believers in Rome.

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 1:3b . . sustaining all things by his powerful word,

The Son's power as God's word is utterly baffling. The Son has a sentience all his
own as a person instead of only a voice, viz: the Son is God's right hand man, so to
speak; attuned to his master's mind and getting God's things done for Him the way
He wants them done. For example:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without
watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the
sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that goes out from my mouth: It will
not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose
for which I sent it." (Isa 55:10-11)

In the beginning, the voice of God said: Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth:" (Gen 1:11) and Voila! it was so because His sayings aren't just
noise, rather, they're dynamite, so to speak.

Why did God even bother to speak during creation? Why didn't the architect just do
His work silently without utterance or sound? To whom, or for whom, was He
speaking?

There's a creative, dynamic force in The Almighty's speech, a power and energy in
His words, a tangible release of divine life. His voice is an extension of His nature, a
movement of His will-- alive, powerful, and effective --not just letters, syllables,
and sounds. There is vigor and activity in God's speech extending far beyond the
applications of thought and communication.

● Heb 1:3c . . After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty in heaven.

NOTE: The name "Jesus" is absent from the letter to Hebrews until the ninth verse
of the second chapter. Till then, all focus is upon this mysterious person called the
Son: a divine being who obviously preceded his human alter ego by a good many
thousands of years.

Anyway; the Son fulfilled Isaiah 53:5-6, and also the prophet's prediction that he
would be highly exalted (Isa 52:13-15). Today, right now, the Son isn't standing,
nor bowing, nor groveling, but seated at God's right hand per Psalm 110:1 which
says:

"Yahweh said unto my master: Seat yourself at my right hand, until I make your
enemies your footstool." (cf. Matt 22:42-45)

● Heb 1:4 . . So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has
inherited is superior to theirs.

The angels are classified as sons of God (Job 38:4-7). However, angels and God
aren't kinfolk; whereas the Son is. So his name merits a whole lots more respect.

● Heb 1:5a . . For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son; today I
have become your Father?

That's a reference to the 2nd Psalm. The great rabbi Rashi admitted that: "Our
rabbis expound it as relating to Messiah." So it is proper Jewish thinking to regard
the Son as God's kin-- His proper kin.

Well; if you were truly God's proper kin, then your name-- your family name -
would be God; just as my son is my proper kin, so his family name is the same as
mine, ergo: the Son is entitled to be addressed as God because he obtained the
God name legitimately, i.e. from father to son.

● Heb 1:5b . . Or again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?

That's taken from 2Sam 7:14 which at first glance pertains to Solomon; which it
does, but it's not limited to Solomon. It actually pertains to every messianic king in
David's line.

Now, those guys were all God's sons by means of their royalty, whereas the Son is
God's son due to the fact that God is his progenitor, i.e. the Son is an actual
descendant: in point of fact, he's God's one and only descendant; which is repeated
at least five times in the New Testament at John 1:14, John 1:18, John 3:16, John
3:18, and 1John 4:9.

* The phrase "I have become your Father" actually reads in the Greek: "I have
begotten you." The Greek verb there is gegénneeká which refers to procreation;
which may be, or may not be, literal seeing as how we've been discussing the Son
from a perspective that helps us to understand something supernatural that we
would likely not understand any other way except by explaining it in terms familiar
to us in the natural world.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 1:6 . . And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says: Let
all God's angels worship him.

The Greek word translated "worship" basically refers to homage and reverence, i.e.
acknowledging one's inferiority to a superior. For example the wise men's obeisance
to young Jesus as a monarch superior to themselves. (Matt 2:11)

● Heb 1:7-9 . . In speaking of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, his
servants flames of fire." But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last
for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have
loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you
above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."

That's a reference to Psalm 45. (The Son's "companions" probably refers to his
peers, i.e. fellow messianic kings all down the line.)

The angels that wait on God hand and foot are superior to humans, but they are
neither intrinsically divine nor are they ranked in Heaven as divine beings. Whereas
the Son was born divine, and his divinity is intrinsic, i.e. inherited.

At the very least, the Son is ranked as a divine being, and occupies a position in
Heaven equal to a divine being; so the Son's power and authority definitely trumps
the angels' power and authority-- every angel; including the arch angels.
(According to Dan 10:13, there's more than one arch angel. Exactly how many
more is thus far uncertain.)

* The Hebrew version of the first half of Ps 45:6 is Kis'aka 'elohim 'olam wa'ed
which means: Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever. However, the Hebrew word
for "God", is 'elohim, which is somewhat ambiguous because it can refer to other
dignitaries as well. It can mean judge, magistrate, and ruler. So the Hebrew could
legitimately be translated: Your throne, O ruler, will last for ever and ever. That
rendering seems the sensible choice seeing as how that Psalm doesn't actually
address God, but addresses a human being of Davidic royalty.

However, despite the fact that Psalm 45 obviously speaks of a human being, there
is yet no consensus opinion among Jewish Bible scholars how best to translate that
passage. The 1917 JPS version renders it: "Your throne, given of God,." The 1985
JPS changed it to: "Your divine throne is everlasting." The Stone Tanach renders it:
"Your throne is from God."

The author of Hebrews, on the other hand, is much less ambiguous. In the New
Testament, whenever the Greek word for "god" is preceded by the definite article
"ho"-- as in ho theos; which means "the god" --theos usually means The Almighty.
The interlinear of Heb 1:8 is Ho thrónos sou ho Theós which means, literally, "the
throne of yours, the god."

But why would the New Testament label a human being God? Well . . because
obviously the Son isn't only a human being; he's also a divine being who wields the
power and authority of the highest of all beings.

There's more:

● Heb 1:10-12 . . He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations
of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you
remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like
a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will
never end."

That's a reference to Psalm 102, where the Hebrew for "O Lord" is Jehovah, a.k.a.
Yahweh.

If true that the Son's identity is Yahweh, then he is a most surprising personage
because the very first of the Ten Commandments requires the Jews to afford him
their undivided loyalty.
_

 

[jeremiah1five]

.
Hello;

Whereas many of the New Testament's letters were addressed to Gentiles, this one
in particular is addressed to Jews; especially those who know their way around the
Old Testament. Folks who've spent little or no time at all getting to know the Old
Testament usually always experience a bit of difficulty with his letter.

The letter is premised upon the assumption that Messiah has visited his countrymen
once already. The assumption is plausible because according to Daniel 9:25-26,
Messiah should've been here and gone before foreigners destroyed the second
Temple.

The letter also goes on the assumption that Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua -
was, and is, the Messiah. That's plausible too seeing as how Jesus' life and times
coincided with Daniel's time element. Also that he was a sin offering per Isa 53:6,
his death was due to a miscarriage of justice per Isa 53:8, and he was buried in a
rich man's grave per Isa 53:9.

Buen Camino
Pleasant Journey
_

The whole of Scripture of both Old and New Testament writings was written to Israel.
He was prophesied to and for Israel
He came to Israel.
He taught Israel.
He sent His apostles to herald to the twelve tribes scattered throughout the then-known world that their Messiah had come (and gone.)
Until the Temple was destroyed it was all Israel at the forefront of their Messiah had come.
But on 70 AD with the Temple destroyed the "ism" of Judaism ended and the world entered the Times of the Gentiles.
When this era ends God will turn all His attention back to Israel in full glory and deal with the children of Israel.
The two witnesses are "Jew" and sent to herald the Old Testament prophecies of Israel's Messiah and then they will turn to their Lord and His Christ.
The Bride of Christ is Israel.
The epistles were written to the Church comprised of "Jews" and Gentiles. Paul addresses many Judaic issues in his epistles covering many Judaic issues and concerns over the Law of Moses.
Jesus Christ is a "Jewish" Messiah to sit on the throne of David in Israel.
Everything about the sacred writings of the Old and New Testament have "Jew" written all over it.
For hte most part it began with the Abrahamic Covenant, and it will end with the Abrahamic Covenant.

 

[civic]

The whole of Scripture of both Old and New Testament writings was written to Israel.
He was prophesied to and for Israel
He came to Israel.
He taught Israel.
He sent His apostles to herald to the twelve tribes scattered throughout the then-known world that their Messiah had come (and gone.)
Until the Temple was destroyed it was all Israel at the forefront of their Messiah had come.
But on 70 AD with the Temple destroyed the "ism" of Judaism ended and the world entered the Times of the Gentiles.
When this era ends God will turn all His attention back to Israel in full glory and deal with the children of Israel.
The two witnesses are "Jew" and sent to herald the Old Testament prophecies of Israel's Messiah and then they will turn to their Lord and His Christ.
The Bride of Christ is Israel.
The epistles were written to the Church comprised of "Jews" and Gentiles. Paul addresses many Judaic issues in his epistles covering many Judaic issues and concerns over the Law of Moses.
Jesus Christ is a "Jewish" Messiah to sit on the throne of David in Israel.
Everything about the sacred writings of the Old and New Testament have "Jew" written all over it.
For hte most part it began with the Abrahamic Covenant, and it will end with the Abrahamic Covenant.

Can you point me to a verse in the N.T. where it says " the bride of Christ is Israel " ?

Thanks !

 

[jeremiah1five]

Can you point me to a verse in the N.T. where it says " the bride of Christ is Israel " ?

Thanks !

What is Christianity but completed Judaism.
The bride is Israel.
And the Church of believers from the race of Gentiles are grafted in.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Rom. 11:19–21.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. Jn 1:30–31.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. Jn 3:29.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Rev. 21:9.

Speaking to Israel:
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: Jer. 3:14.

The Abrahamic Covenant is with Israel. It went from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and to Jacob's twelve sons who were also known as the children of Israel. Paul speaking on this in Romans:

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Rom. 11:25–29.

The Times of the Gentiles is only a blip on God's radar. His Covenant people are Israel His true bride. They are the true olive tree and for the purposes of God Gentile believers who are saved are grafted in.
Christ died for His Church and His Church is Israel.

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

 

[civic]

What is Christianity but completed Judaism.
The bride is Israel.
And the Church of believers from the race of Gentiles are grafted in.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Rom. 11:19–21.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. Jn 1:30–31.

29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. Jn 3:29.

9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Rev. 21:9.

Speaking to Israel:
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: Jer. 3:14.

The Abrahamic Covenant is with Israel. It went from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and to Jacob's twelve sons who were also known as the children of Israel. Paul speaking on this in Romans:

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Rom. 11:25–29.

The Times of the Gentiles is only a blip on God's radar. His Covenant people are Israel His true bride. They are the true olive tree and for the purposes of God Gentile believers who are saved are grafted in.
Christ died for His Church and His Church is Israel.

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Except there are millions more gentile believers in Christ since Pentecost until now. So His bride has many more gentiles that are saved than Jews who still reject Him.

 

[jeremiah1five]

Except there are millions more gentile believers in Christ since Pentecost until now. So His bride has many more gentiles that are saved than Jews who still reject Him.

Disagree.
But we don't have the numbers.
Still, the idea of the olive tree has greater meaning than the birds that perch on its branches.
Or even branches that are grafted in.
Grafting in more Gentile branches than the total amount of branches on the Israeli olive tree will kill it.
So, taking this as guide the olive tree branches are majority.

 

[civic]

Disagree.
But we don't have the numbers.
Still, the idea of the olive tree has greater meaning than the birds that perch on its branches.
Or even branches that are grafted in.
Grafting in more Gentile branches than the total amount of branches on the Israeli olive tree will kill it.
So, taking this as guide the olive tree branches are majority.

Are you claiming there are more born again jews than gentiles since Pentecost.

What does a remnant mean to you ?

the majority or minority ?

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 1:10-12 . . He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations
of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you
remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like
a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will
never end."

That's a reference to Psalm 102, where the Hebrew for "O Lord" is Jehovah, a.k.a.
Yahweh.

If true that the Son's identity is Yahweh, then he is a most surprising personage
because the very first of the Ten Commandments requires the Jews to afford him
their undivided loyalty.

● Heb 1:13 . .To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

Well; the answer "to which" is none that I know of.

● Heb 1:14 …Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the
sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Point being, angels are merely go-fers. They share neither God's throne nor His
name; nor are any of them His kin, nor His heir apparent, nor have any of them
been entrusted to rule the four corners of the earth with a rod of iron.

● Heb 2:1 . .We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have
heard, so that we do not drift away.

Drifting away suggests a curious crowd that gathers around a soap box to hear a
speech, and little by little, one by one, boredom sets in: the audience begins
dispersing and people move on to find something else to do. That would be akin to
attending a Billy Graham crusade, and a month later totally forgetting everything
he talked about because we never gave his remarks a second thought.

● Heb 2:2-3a . . For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every
violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we
ignore such a great salvation?

Where were these angels about whom he speaks? Well; from Ps 104:4 we know
wind and fire can be made to serve as angels, i.e. something and/or someone that
coveys information and/or sights and sounds meant to leave an impression. Those
kinds of angels were very involved with Moses' people, e.g. the burning bush, the
parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the law from Mt. Sinai, the earthquakes, the
trumpets, the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Ignoring an angel is serious enough because they represent an extremely high
power, and they communicate for that power straight from His presidential palace;
for example:

"I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the
place that I have made ready. Pay heed to him and obey him. Do not defy him, for
he will not pardon your offenses, since My name is in him; but if you obey him and
do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes." (Ex
23:20-22)

That particular angel was deputized to stand in for God, to speak for God, to speak
in the first person as God, and to be obeyed as God.

Anyway, the Jews' rescue from Egypt's oppression was pretty amazing, but the
rescue heralded by the Son is much more.

● Heb 2:3b-4 . .This salvation, which was first announced by The Lord, was
confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders
and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

"The Lord" referred to in that passage is of course Jesus of Nazareth-- a.k.a. Y'shua
--about whom it was said:

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish
ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said: Rabbi, we know you are a
teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs
you are doing if God were not with him." (John 3:1-2)

But the thing is: the Son is God's heir apparent. So if ignoring angels is bad, then
ignoring Jesus has to be even worse because the Son's position in the divine
hierarchy is much superior to any and all positions in the angelic hierarchy.
_

 

[jeremiah1five]

Are you claiming there are more born again jews than gentiles since Pentecost.

Since the Temple was destroyed in 70AD the "ism" of Judaism ended and the Times of the Gentiles began in earnest. The Times of the Gentiles is the bringing in of Gentiles is a larger scale. However, it's only been 2000 years and the Covenant of God beginning with Abraham was predominantly a family matter that eventually went through Jacob to his twelve children. You and I don't have the numbers but as I explained to you in the analogy of the olive tree if the branches grafted in is in excess of the natural branches the tree will die. This analogy is not unreasonable and is sound.

What does a remnant mean to you ?

Remnant of what total?

the majority or minority ?

The children of Israel will be the majority.
On what basis do you say they will be a minority?

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 2:5 . . It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about
which we are speaking.

The very next "world" to come will be situated here on the current Earth for a
thousand years and completely governed by humans; with of course one human in
particular as its absolute monarch.

The angels won't share in the next world's supervision and management. It still
belongs to Man to dominate the Earth. So if Christ were an arch angel, as some are
saying, then he would not be permitted to rule in the future but would become
Man's servant right along with the other angels.

● Heb 2:6-8 . . But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that
you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little
lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything
under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not
subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

God gave mankind control over everything in this universe, even some things that
we don't even know about yet, and even things in space that the new James Webb
telescope has yet to detect.

● Heb 2:9 . . But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now
crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of
God he might taste death for everyone.

The person of Jesus is difficult to explain because he started out as the Son, viz:
the creator of the cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (Heb 1:1
2). In other words: though the Son has existed from the very beginning, Jesus
didn't exist till he was conceived and born of a woman a mere 2,000 years ago;
which is but a moment in time compared to the earth. In other words: the Son
hasn't always worn two hats. There was a time when he was only a spirit being, but
now he's a spirit being and a human being simultaneously.

* Most Christians will readily attest that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully Man;
while in reality a number of them aren't quite sure that he isn't some sort of divine
hominid rather than a real human being. But if we can accept him as a real human
being-- a real Jew --then we can easily understand why he was "crowned" with
glory and honor. In other words: Jesus was born entitled to a slot in the Messianic
line, but he wasn't born entitled to a seat at the right hand of God. That's a position
he had to earn by enduring the cross per Isa 53:5-6 & Phil 2:6-11.

● Heb 2:10 . . In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and
through whom everything exists, make the captain of their salvation perfect
through sufferings.

The Greek word translated "salvation" basically speaks of rescue and/or safety.

The Son was superior to Moses as a savior in every way except that his personal
experience as a human being was lacking.

● Heb 2:11 . . For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified, are all from
one; for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Had God shielded the Son from all the normal slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune that befalls humanity, he would've been a cheeky bloke to identify himself
as a fellow Jew after all they've been through. I mean; he was literally born in a
barn instead of a cushy palace, so that looked good on his résumé right off the bat.

● Heb 2:12-13 . . saying: I will proclaim Thy name to my brethren, In the midst of
the congregation I will sing Thy praise. And again: Behold, I and the children whom
God has given me.

Jesus was predicted to die and leave behind no posterity. (Isa 53:8) Yet it was also
predicted that he'd live to see offspring. (Isa 53:10) This had led some to suggest
he might get married during the millennium and raise a family of his own. But it's
highly unlikely that Isa 53:10 is speaking of biological reproduction seeing as how
Matt 22:30 predicts resurrected folks will be celibate.

But there are other ways to obtain children-- for example adoption. (Eph 1:5 & Gal
4:4-6) God's children are Jesus' children too because he's God's firstborn son, i.e.
God's heir apparent. (John 3:35, John 17:10, and 1Cor 3:23)
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 2:12-13 . . saying: I will proclaim Thy name to my brethren, In the midst of
the congregation I will sing Thy praise. And again: Behold, I and the children whom
God has given me.

Jesus was predicted to die and leave behind no posterity. (Isa 53:8) Yet it was also
predicted that he'd live to see offspring. (Isa 53:10) This had led some to suggest
he might get married during the millennium and raise a family of his own. But it's
highly unlikely that Isa 53:10 is speaking of biological reproduction seeing as how
Matt 22:30 predicts resurrected folks will be celibate.

But there are other ways to obtain children-- for example adoption. (Eph 1:5 & Gal
4:4-6) God's children are Jesus' children too because he's God's firstborn son, i.e.
God's heir apparent. (John 3:35, John 17:10, and 1Cor 3:23)

● Heb 2:14-15 . . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--
that is, the devil --and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their
fear of death.

The Devil once said-- in so many words --that people will sell their souls to stay
alive. (Job 2:4) The drive to survive-- self-preservation --has driven a pretty good
number of ordinarily decent folks to do unconscionable things; which they would
never do if they weren't scared of dying.

Fear of death implies a fear of the unknown. People often fear death because they
don't know where they're off to next. They've banked their future on the here and
now, not the later on. For the Jews confident that Jesus' crucifixion will protect
them from the wrath of God; death is a passage to a better life. To the lost, death
holds no promises of anything else.

● Ps 146:2-5 . . I will praise The Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God
even with my dying breath. Don't put your confidence in powerful people; there is
no help for you there. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in
a moment all their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of
Israel as their helper, whose hope is in The Lord their God.

* Heb 2:14 reveals that it required a human sacrifice to enable God to work out an
effective plan of salvation powerful enough to smash the Devil's dominance; a
dominance that began all the way back in the garden of Eden when Adam tasted
the forbidden fruit.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 2:16 . . For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

We Gentiles should never, ever forget that the Son came into the world primarily
for Messiah's countrymen-- not for us. We are very fortunate to be allowed to tag
along and beg for handouts. Fortunately, God decreed that Messiah would benefit
us too.

● Isa 49:6 ...For He has said: “It is too little that you should be My servant in that I
raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel: I will also make you
a light of nations, that My salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

In that is fulfilled God's promise to Abraham per Gen 12:2-3, wherein is said:

"All peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

● Heb 2:17-18 . . For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way,
in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself
suffered when he was tempted, he is competent to assist those who are being
tempted.

A high priest who lives a sheltered life, wouldn't be inclined to be sympathetic
towards the problems of everyday living encountered by his constituents. His
experience would be so limited that he couldn't identify with their struggles and
failures and certainly wouldn't be much of a shoulder to cry on.

Jesus wasn't like that. He lived on this planet in an insignificant town in the land of
Israel for +/- 30 years, right in the grit of real life and worked for a living with his
own hands in a blue collar trade. He wasn't insulated, secluded, and provided for in
some monastery, nor hidden away in the inner sanctum of a forbidden city.

Jesus knows what it's like to be depressed, to be low-income, to be unattractive,
and to be ignored and marginalized.

● Isa 53:2-3 . . He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his
appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a
man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

● Isa 53:4 . . Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we
considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

Additionally, Jesus knows what it's like to live in a world of prejudice where much of
the globe would be quite pleased if every Jew on earth were exterminated.

The Jews just can't go wrong with a mediator standing in for them with God like
Jesus of Nazareth. The captain of their salvation is a Jewish man sensitive to their
weaknesses, and sympathizes with their lot in life. Not only that but he has even
taken upon himself the guilt of their sins and trespasses: and all with nary a
complaint or a protest.

● Isa 53:5-6 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds
we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

● Isa 53:7 . . He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he
was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 3:1-2 …Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your
thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to
the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.

* That's a shout-out from Num 12:5-7

Jesus claimed to be 100% faithful.

● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please Him.

Personally I would hesitate to give Moses a 10.0 because of that one act of his that
cost him a home in the promised land. (Num 20:12)

Jesus-- a.k.a. Y'shua --is an apostle per Heb 1:1-2 wherein is stated: In the past
God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us, by His son. The "heavenly calling"
then, pertains to the gospel per Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Judaism's high priesthood began with Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Herein we'll be
examining Jesus, of the tribe of Judah; therefore: Jewish partakers of the gospel
should not be thinking of themselves as Orthodox-- they've become what's known
today as Messianic because a change of priesthood requires a change of ideology;
and the change is pretty significant because it pertains to the atonement systems
represented by the two priests.

This is now the second time in the letter to Hebrews that Jesus is referred to as a
high priest. The first was 2:17. The office of the high priest is extremely important
because they act as mediators between God and His people. In the old days, the
patriarchs acted as priests for their own clans up until the official Aaronic priesthood
was established. Aaron's priests aren't perfect however because they don't have a
permanent one-on-one access to God. In point of fact, they were allowed in the
inner sanctum beyond the veil but once a year, and that was only a ritual access to
God; i.e. He wasn't actually in there.

However-- and this needs to be emphasized --neither Moses nor Jesus appointed
themselves to shepherd God's people, nor was their appointments by a committee
or a church board. Each was hand-picked and appointed by God himself personally.

The Greek word translated house pertains to both a dwelling and to those who
dwell there, i.e. the family circle; for example Luke 11:17.

* As a people, the Jews are situated as God's firstborn son. (Ex 4:522-23)

● Heb 3:3-4 …Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as
the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is
built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

We pointed out in the first chapter that the Son, as God's voice, created everything
related to the cosmos; which would of course include creating Moses: obviously
then he can't possibly be equal to Jesus any more than shingle nails can compare to
the roofers who hammer them in. The difference in status is beyond measure.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
● Heb 3:5-6 . . Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what
would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we
are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

A portion of the Jews today are not God's house even though they're Moses' people.
(Hos 1:9) but they can become God's house if they switch from Moses to Jesus and
not drift away.

The "hope" of which we boast isn't a cross-your-fingers hope. The Greek word
pertains to anticipation; defined by Webster's as expectation; which for God's
people means looking forward to resurrection into their homeland free from foreign
domination, and blessed with peace, prosperity, and long life. (Isa 11:1-16, Isa
65:17-25, Heb 11:8-10)

The average Gentile doesn't know what to expect. Most are wishing for the best,
while in the back of their mind dreading the worst, viz: God's people have a solid
future to look forward to, whereas the average Gentile has nothing solid to look
forward to.

● Hos 1:10-11 . .Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a
great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the seashore--too many
to count! Then, at the place where they were told: "You are not my people" it will
be said: "You are children of the living God." Then the people of Judah and Israel
will unite under one leader, and they will return from exile together. What a day
that will be-- the day of Jezreel --when God will again plant his people in his land.

* As we progress farther and farther in the letter to Hebrews, and discover even
more about The Son; warnings for resisting him become ever more severe; for
example:

● Heb 3:7-11 …So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not
harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the
desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always
going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my
anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'"

When Moses' people realized their mistake, they changed their minds and decided
to get with the program, but it was too late.

● Heb 3:12-14 ...See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving
heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long
as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Messiah if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we
had at first.

If the repercussions were serious when the Jews ignored angels, and were serious
when they ignored Moses, then just think how much more serious the repercussions
will be for toughening their resolve and ignoring God's son; especially now that they
have been made aware that The Son is in charge of God's house and of the entire
world of the future.

● Heb 3:15-19 …As has just been said: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden
your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Who were they who heard and rebelled?
Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was He angry for
forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And
to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who
disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief

From the divine perspective: God didn't ask the people to take a leap of faith, so to
speak. He had proven Himself both capable and reliable by means of a variety of
miracles in Egypt, along with the parting of the Red Sea and the subsequent
drowning of Pharaoh and his army. The people had no sensible reason to doubt
they could conquer Canaan with God on their side.

God promised them the land. It was theirs, and all they had to do was move in and
begin taking it away from the local inhabitants. And He promised them they would
win. But no; they listened to the scouts and balked. They didn't listen to God, nor
did they even listen to Moses when he tried to urge them to saddle up and get
going.

Today, God is making available to His, and their, best religious leader: the prophet,
whom Moses foretold in Deut 18:15-19. If they would but let the Son take charge
and manage their future, they are certain to succeed. But whoever ignores him,
and goes off in some other direction like their ancestors, following someone else
and/or some other ideology; then I'm afraid there's nothing for them to expect but
loss.
_

 

[Olde Tymer]

.
There's a number of sabbaths in Scripture, e.g. the routine week-end, plus the first
and final days of the seven-day Feast Of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:5-8), Yom
Kippur (Lev 16:29-31) the Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:23-25) and the first and
eighth day of the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. (Lev 23:34-36)

The word "sabbath" is sometimes construed to indicate a quantity equal to seven
and/or the numeral 7, but it really only means intermission, i.e. a pause; for
example in music when the performers encounter a rest symbol on the page, it
indicates a specified moment of silence.

Here in the fourth chapter of the letter to Hebrews, two sabbaths are in view; the
Lord's creation rest (Gen 2:1-3) and the Jews' promised-land rest.

● Heb 4:1 . .Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be
careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

The promised land was supposed to provide a rest for God's people, but only on
condition that they take it when Moses gave them orders to advance. Had they
acted on Moses' orders right then, in a timely manner, then they would've entered
into a rest that God had prepared for them, which apparently was off the table
when Joshua was in command. (Heb 4:8)

What we're getting at here is a window of opportunity that Jews should not take for
granted will always be available to them if and/or whenever they choose-- on their
own terms --to take advantage of it.

● Heb 4:2 . . For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but
the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not
combine it with faith.

That's a little misleading. In the phrase "the gospel preached" the article the isn't in
the Greek text but was inserted by editors because they thought it might improve
readability. It actually reads nearer to this: "For we also have had gospel preached
to us, just as they did."

We can enhance it even more by rendering the literal meaning of the Greek in that
whole phrase so that it reads this way: "For we are having good news preached [to
us], even as those also."

The good news that Moses preached to his people concerned the original Israel;
which was once described as a land of milk and honey: apparently a figure of
speech in that day depicting regions of very high quality in matters related to
agriculture, fresh water, weather, and forest products. It was to be the Jews'
homeland in very favorable conditions that they have yet to experience due to the
fact that their degree of confidence in both God and Moses was unsatisfactory.

Today, in our time, they are again hearing a gospel message pertaining to the
promised land, but again, it is of no value to many of them because their degree of
confidence in God and His son Jesus is unsatisfactory; so of course they are in
danger of missing the boat all over again just as their ancestors did. In other
words; the land of milk and honey is still an option for them, but for a limited time
only. In other words: this is an opportunity that they have to take while it's on the
table, instead of wanting to take when it's off the table.

NOTE: Were I to pick one of the four New Testament gospels just for the Jews, it
would be Matthew's because so much in it pertains to them and their homeland.
_