El Shaddai Ministries

Pastor Mark Biltz: Okay, are you ready? Fasten your seatbelt. We're look at the book of the Hebrews through Hebrew eyes.

All right, now I want to remind you of this chart. I don't know how many of you have this chart. Let me go up to this. Okay, this is the timeline around Yeshua's ministry. It lists all the different Herods, but I want you to know on the far right, we have 68 AD with Nero.

Last week I talked about the battles that were raging, and I believe the book of Hebrews was written around 68 or 67 CE, current era, or AD. Hebrews was written to both Jewish and Gentile believers, and as I said, it was written when battles were raging. The coming destruction of the temple and the coming destruction of Jerusalem were being clearly foreseen by those who were living in that age.

But think about this: 40 years. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Yeshua was around 30 AD. 40 years have passed since the Messiah has already died and believers were losing any hope that God's kingdom was coming anytime soon. Think about that. Let's say you were alive when Yeshua was ministering, you were one of the disciples, and you're still alive 40 years later. In the book of Acts, they're asking him, "Are you going to restore the kingdom now or what?" Well, I am sure they were all calculating when the Messiah might return. After 40 years and they see the temple is about to be destroyed, how many of you think maybe they thought they had their numbers wrong?

So what happens? Levi Luke pens a letter of exhortation. That's what the book of Hebrews is, encouraging everyone not to focus on a physical temple. Just like I mentioned in 586 BC when the temple was destroyed back then, it is the same thing. They had to realize the physical temple was not the only source of God's presence on earth. Israel had been through this before.

I want you to see the book of Hebrews as a letter of exhortation. Look at Hebrews 13:22. What does he say? "I exhort you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written unto you in a few words." What do you mean by a few words? 13 chapters, that is a few words. But here is the thing: I cannot help but think of Joshua's day also when he is about to enter the Promised Land. Look at Joshua 1:6 and 7. It was a word of exhortation.

"Be strong and of a good courage, for you will cause this people to inherit the land which I sware to their fathers to give them," God says to Joshua. "Just be strong and very courageous to observe to do according to all of the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don't turn to the right or to the left that you may have good success wherever you go."

And so here God is telling Joshua, again, pressing times, they are about to go to battle, they are about to go to war, conquer the Promised Land. God says, "Be strong, be courageous, don't fear, just do what I command you to do." How many of you get frustrated with your kids sometimes when you wish them all the success in the world and you try to tell them, "Just do this," and they won't do it? I think we can relate.

How many of you know Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter? Hebrews 11 is all about the Jewish heroes and overcomers in battle who kept the faith in times of great difficulty. That's what the times of Joshua were. That's what the times of Jeremiah were. That's what the time when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. This is a word of exhortation: Put your hope in God, not in a physical temple, especially during times of great difficulty. Anyone here ever go through trials? Anybody here have times of great difficulty?

Look, that is why Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help us in the time of need." They were all facing times of great need. Now, he did not say just come willy-nilly, come with boldness, but we have to come following protocol also. How many of you know if you go to court and appear before the judge and you have a swimsuit on, that is not a good idea?

Hebrews 12:1 and 2. Look at this: "Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with such a great cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and we are to run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Yeshua, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame." And then it says what did he do? "He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Now, who wrote Hebrews? I believe it was Luke. And who wrote the book of Acts? Luke. In Hebrews we see he sees the Messiah sitting down at the right hand of God. We are going to come back to that in a minute. But let's go back to Ezekiel's day, Jeremiah, Daniel. The temple is being destroyed. It is being invaded by armies. This is what's coming in 70 AD starting around 68.

Go to Ezekiel 11:15 through 16. It says, "Son of man, as for your brethren, even your brethren, the men of your kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them concerning whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said... this is what the inhabitants of Jerusalem said... 'Get you far from the Lord. Unto us is this land given for a possession.'" In other words, the nations are saying, "You guys get out of here. This land belongs to us." That sounds like modern day.

"Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord God, although I have removed them far off among the nations, and although I have scattered the Jews among many countries, yet I have been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they are come.'" In other words, in Ezekiel's day, the physical temple is being destroyed and the Jews are being scattered, but God has said, "No problem, I will become a little sanctuary to every one of them wherever they are scattered."

And so that is what is being repeated what he is saying in the book of Hebrews as, "Look, the temple's about to be destroyed. We're about to be scattered as happened in the last 2,000 years." But basically, he's also saying, "But I will be a little sanctuary to you. My presence isn't totally going away from you."

And then he says, "Thus says the Lord God, 'I will even gather you from the nations and assemble you out of the countries where you've been scattered and I'm still going to give you the land of Israel.'" So he's telling Israel, "Even though you're being scattered among the nations and the temple's being destroyed, I'm going to be with you everywhere you go and I'm going to bring you all back again."

That is the good news. So in Hebrews, Levi Luke is encouraging all the believers that this is going to be the outcome again. Now how many you know Jeremiah was both a prophet and a priest? He's proclaiming judgment is coming, but also he's bringing words of encouragement like the new covenant in Jeremiah 31.

We also find in the book of Acts, I believe Luke was a Levite and a priest, but I believe he also was a prophet much like Jeremiah. He writes about Stephen's testimony. Remember when Stephen was stoned? Back in that day stoned. In Acts 7:51 through 56, look at what it says.

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always do what? You resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed them that showed before of the coming of the righteous one of whom you now have become betrayers and murderers. You who received the law as it was ordained by angels and kept it not."

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth, but he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly to heaven and saw the glory of God and Yeshua standing at the right hand of God. And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God."

Luke is recording that Yeshua is standing on the right hand of God and then in Hebrews he sat down at the right hand of God. Same author. Now look at Hebrews 3:7 and 8. This is what is said over and over. "Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation like in the day of trial in the wilderness.'"

Look how many times in Hebrews he says, "Don't harden your hearts." Chapter 3 it goes on in verse 13 and 15, "But exhort... that's what this book is about... exhort one another day by day as long it is called today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. We are become partakers of the Messiah if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end while it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation."

He's telling you guys, "Look, the battle is raging, but hold fast, be firm, keep your confidence in Yeshua, don't trust in the physical temple, just don't harden your hearts." Look at the next chapter 4:7. He again defines a certain day. "Today, saying in David as long so long a time afterward even as hath been said before, today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

The whole book of Hebrews is what? Don't harden your hearts. We have to have soft pliable hearts toward the Lord. When we look back again at Acts 7:51 through 56, Stephen was saying, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised hearts, you always resist the Holy Ghost." In other words, you have hardened your heart. That's the New Testament. Let's go look at what happens back in 2nd Chronicles at the destruction of Solomon's temple, chapter 36:11 through 14.

It says Zedekiah, he was the last king before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple. He was only 21 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God.

What did he do? He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the officers of the priest and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful following all the abominations of the nations. They polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

This is what was happening when the temple was destroyed in 587 BC. This is what was happening when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. This is what is happening in the body of Messiah. God is not upset at the heathen and the sinners. He's upset at his people that act like the heathen and the sinners. That is who his argument is always with.

Now look at verse 15 and 16. The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people until there was no remedy.

I cannot help but think of the Gospels. I do not have the verse here where the Lord talks about he kept sending his servants and they kept killing them and finally he said, "I'll send my son perhaps they'll reverence him," and then they kill him also and said, "Let us seize the inheritance." That comes from this verse, that whole parable comes from this verse in 2nd Chronicles.

People who mock the messengers of God. But what's amazing, it wasn't the heathen that were mocking the messengers of God, it was the body of Messiah, his people that were mocking the messengers of God. All the prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, they were mocking them.

Now here is the thing: Here is another reason I believe that Luke wrote the book of Hebrews. I believe Luke was not only a Levite, I believe Luke was a priest. Do you know in the entire New Testament the word priest only appears in the book of Hebrews? And it appears 21 times. Hebrews is the only book that refers to Yeshua as our high priest.

In Hebrews 4:14, "Having then a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua the son of God, let us do what? Hold fast." How many of you know in times of trouble you are looking for something to hold on to that is real? God said in these last days everything that can be shaken will be shaken.

How many of you ever been in an earthquake? I mean how many of you felt it was scary? One of the times that we had one of the big earthquakes here, guess where I was? I was in the crawl space under a house right next to the Puget Sound. I was a pest control operator. It had carpenter ants so it had problems anyway, and it's like, "Get me out of here!"

Everyone is looking for solid ground, something to hold fast to. Well, I believe what we are learning from the time of Jeremiah, what we are learning from the time of Yeshua, what we are learning today: We cannot put our faith in anything physical. We have to put our faith in God. We have got to hold on fast firm to the end and do not give up.

Look at Hebrews 1:1 through 4 again. I love this verse. This is a little different version than before. Long ago, at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.

He upholds the whole universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Let's go on now. Look at verse 1 and 5.

"To which of the angels did God ever say, 'You are my son, today I have begotten you'? Or again, 'I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son'?" Well, here is the verse he is quoting. You have it in your notes. He's quoting from Psalms 2:7 through 12. "I will tell the decree, the Lord said to me, 'You are my son, today I have begotten you.'"

So that is what this verse is referring to, and it is referring to Yeshua. Look at the rest of this. "Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You are going to break them with a rod of iron, dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." And then he says, "Now therefore, oh kings, be wise. Be warned, oh rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." I tell you what, I don't know how many of you want to experience the wrath of God. What's fascinating about Yeshua, he is both the lion and the lamb. But in Revelation, it talks about the wrath of the lamb. I think that's fascinating that he would use that term.

Look at this next one in Hebrews 1:8 and 9. It goes on to say, "But of the son he says, 'Your throne, oh God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness, you've hated wickedness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.'"

So here he refers to the son as God. That is very important. Where does this come from? It comes from Psalms chapter 45:6 and 7. It is the exact same phrase, but I just want to give you the reference in case you didn't know where it came from. Look at Hebrews 1:10 and 12.

It goes on, "And you, Lord, have laid the foundations of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They're going to perish, but you're going to remain. They will all wear out like a garment. Like a robe, you're going to roll them up. Like a garment, they will be changed, but you are the same and your years will have no end."

I do not have the reference, but I think that is also in Isaiah 25 in case you want to make a note there. It refers to about the heavens rolling away like a garment and he rolls them up. But the first part of that comes from Psalms 102, one of my favorite chapters. Look at verse 25 through 27. It says, "Of old you laid the foundation of the earth," and then he quotes Hebrews 1:10 through 12. It's all there.

Do you know why I like Psalm 102? It is because of like verses 13 through 18 which all of you are familiar with, but I'll just sum it up. Basically, it says when the Lord will build up Zion, that is when he will appear in his glory. Zion is another name for Jerusalem. Jerusalem was recaptured in '67 and all the political problems our day are because of the settlements where the Lord is building up Zion.

The generation that sees Zion being built up is the generation that will see the Lord appear in his glory. The next verse says these words are being written for the generation to come. The Hebrew word is acharon and it means the last generation, the terminal generation. We are that last generation that is going to see the Lord appear in his glory based on this verse. That's incredible.

Let's go on to Micah chapter 5 verse 2. Look at this. Here it talks about here he laid the foundation of the earth from the very beginning. Look at Micah 5:2 referring to Yeshua. "But you Bethlehem or Beit Lechem Ephrathah, you're little among the thousands of Judah, out of you will come forth unto me the one that's to be the ruler in Israel whose going forth are from old from everlasting."

He that is going to be born, he may be new as a human, but he is God who has been from everlasting. This is incredible. Then look at Hebrews 1:13. It goes on and it says, "To which of the angels has he ever said, 'Sit at my right hand,' which is where Yeshua is, 'until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'?"

Well, that comes from Psalm 110:1 through 4. Again, there's nothing new in the New Testament. The only thing new in the New Testament is new explanations of the Old Testament. It's bringing it clearer every single verse. I can show you, there is not a verse in the New Testament I cannot show you the root of in the Old Testament.

Look at Psalm 110:1 through 4. Here it is. "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.'" And so all of this, it goes on, "The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people... look at this... your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power in holy garments. From the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

That is so important to understand the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. But let's go on and look at Hebrews 5:5 through 6. So also Messiah... see that was Psalm 110 we just read, referring to Hebrews 1:13. But let's jump now to Hebrews 5:5 and 6.

So also Messiah did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, "You are my son, today I have begotten you," as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." So here again, Hebrews keeps talking about the priesthood and keeps talking about the temple. That is what Luke kept talking about in the book of Acts as well.

Look at Hebrews 2:1 through 3. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we heard, lest we drift away. If the word... now here we are, HaDebarim, we're beginning the book of Deuteronomy which is all about what? The words." And here we are reading about if the word spoken through angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how are we going to escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

Which having at the first been spoken through the Lord was confirmed unto us by them that heard. I'm going to talk a little bit more next week about such a great salvation. We are going to break that down and look at that more. Look at Hebrews 2:5 through 8.

"Not unto angels did he subject the world to come, wherefore we speak, but one has somewhere testifies saying, 'What is man that you are mindful of him? Or the son of man that you visit him? You made him a little lower than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor, you set him over the works of your hands, you put all things in subjection under his feet.' In that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him." This comes from Psalms 8:4 through 6.

Look at Hebrews 2:9. "But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Yeshua, Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." I think that is so mind-blowing, especially when you see it says for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross.

I mean how many of you have been through pain and then much joy afterward? How about when you give birth to a kid? But I tell you what, it was for the joy. We need to realize that Yeshua suffered greatly because he saw how great it was going to be when people returned back to him.

Now here comes one of the worst translations of the whole Bible. The problem is English. But let's take a look at this. Hebrews 2, I'm going to give you a horrible translation here. I think it's King James, but that is beside the point. "For it became him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren."

Everyone familiar with that verse? Saying, so he is quoting Psalms 22 here, so let's look at what he says first and then we'll look at Psalm 22. Now remember at the very beginning I was telling you how words are so important and what we do when someone speaks, how many of you know sometimes you see pictures? You're seeing what they're talking about.

Well, I want you to imagine what I'm saying and look at how messed up it is. First let's bring in the wilderness. Here's Moses in the wilderness. That is where we're headed here. Remember he's quoting Psalms and Psalms is written a thousand years before Messiah was even born. Saying, "I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto you." Again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Behold I and the children which God has given me."

So let's go and look at Psalm 22. How many of you believe there was a church in the wilderness? Do you see a church in the wilderness? Here we're reading Hebrews, we read about the church in the wilderness. That's the picture I get. There was no church in the wilderness when Psalm 22 verse 22 was written. Let's look at it. "I will tell of your name to my brothers, and in the midst of the... what? Congregation... I will praise you."

Okay, so that's what the real translation says: congregation. But again here our English translators want to have us imagine a church in the wilderness. But then that paints this horrible picture. This is not true. Look at Isaiah 8 verse 16 through 18. "Bind up the testimony, seal the teaching among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord who is doing what? He's hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I'm going to hope in him. Behold I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion."

That is what he is saying here, but how many of you know sometimes the Lord hides his face? That's why we have got to go searching for him. Well, look at Hebrews 2:14 and 15. "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, which is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

So often we are so afraid of death because we're so consumed with the physical we cannot see the spiritual. How many of you know that this house is going to pass? It is a rental. I can hardly wait for a new body, I do not know about you.

But the thing is we cannot be afraid of death as most of you know around here. I have almost died so many times I have lost count. Guns at my head twice, just me and the gunman and they said they're going to blow my head off and I am still here. Major car accidents where I'm not buckled in flipping over three and a half times, 100 yards, landing upside down in the middle of a ditch on the highway. Malpractice, the doctors almost killed me. I had six female lions like 20 feet away from me in South Africa.

But I am telling you, if it's not your time, it is not your time. And if it is, there is nothing you can do about it anyway. So for me, my greatest fear is not the fear of death, it is the fear of not getting the job done. I want to fulfill the mission and you need to fulfill the mission and do not be afraid. God has created you for such a time as this because you've got a mission to accomplish. And we are fine as long as we are working for the mission.

So let's stand and pray and those that are prayer leaders, team come on up. And if you want prayer, come up for prayer. And if you want to pray on your own, you can pray on your own up here as well. If you want to pray where you are, pray where you are, but at least do what? Pray!

So we need to pray that we have eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand what the Spirit is saying in these last days. We know we are in the last days. Tomorrow could be our last day. So we need to turn to the Lord and not have hard hearts. But that's what the book of Hebrews is all about. It is about getting spiritual eyes, not physical eyes. About not hardening your hearts when the days of trouble are upon us. Amen.

Avinu Malkeinu, our Father our King, we know that salvation comes from the Lord. Your name is salvation. And we just love you and Father, we just want to cling like Velcro to you. Father, let us not forget as Hebrews also says, the forsaking of ourselves together especially as we see the day approach. So Father, I pray each and every one of us would come together more united in heart and in deed in Yeshua's name. Amen.