A friend asked me to critique his explanation of why Hebrews is written to and about the Dispensation of Grace. My critique is in blue. --Eli "Hoss" Caldwell
Is
Hebrews a Tribulation Book?
Heb.
2:3, 4 How shall we escape, if we
NEGLECT
so great
a salvation, which AT THE FIRST
BEGAN to
be spoken of BY
THE LORD,
and was CONFIRMED
unto us by them that heard him;
A
dispensational continuity exists concerning salvation
in the Gospels, through the Book of Acts and the Book of Hebrews. We
can find eternal security
(Heb. 7:25), a
new covenant (Heb. 10:9),
the ONE sacrifice
as opposed to animal sacrifices (Heb.
10:8-12), Jesus, the AUTHOR
and FINISHER
OF OUR FAITH (Heb. 12:2),
the Mediator of
the new covenant (Heb. 12:24),
grace
(Heb. 13:9),
the new covenant sacrifice of praise (Heb.
13:15). Can
we assume Paul expected to be with the tribulation saints shortly
(Heb. 13:23-25)
or did he ask the future tribulation
saints to pray for him (Heb.
13:18)? Is salvation in the Book
of Hebrews the same as the salvation previously spoken by Jesus?
--Herb Evans
HOSS'S REFUTATION:
[The
quotation of Hebrews 2:3-4 actually proves the MAD position to be
correct. It shows that the salvation being spoken of in Hebrews is
one that began with the Earthly ministry of Christ, NOT the salvation
message revealed to Paul, which was a "mystery" revealed to
him by the Lord from Heaven (Gal. 1:11-12, 2:7-8, Eph. 6:19, Titus
1:1-3, Rom. 2:16, 16:25, 2 Tim. 2:8, 1 Tim. 1:11-16). The gospel of
the grace of God was committed to Paul and was made the "pattern
to them which should hereafter believe".
Before
going any further, let me remind you that some of the more obvious
reasons that Hebrews is not written about the Dispensation of Grace
(neither Jew nor Gentile) is that it is called "HEBREWS".
It is written to the "LAST DAYS" (1:2) and the "END OF
THE WORLD" (Heb. 9:26). The writer of Hebrews plainly says that
he is speaking about the "WORLD TO COME", the Millennium
(also see Mark 10:30 and Luke 18:30).
Also
before going any further, I would like for you to supply a proof text
that Paul wrote HEBREWS. Saying as he is the apostle of the GENTILES
(Rom. 11:13, Eph. 3:1, 1 Tim. 2:7, 2 Tim. 4:17). Paul and Barnabas
were to "go unto the HEATHEN" and Peter/James/John went to
the circumcision (Gal. 2:9). There is certainly no scriptural
evidence that Paul wrote Hebrews. The first word in every one of
Paul's epistles, Romans-Philemon, is the word "PAUL". Every
epistle begins with that word. 2 Thessalonians 3:17 says, "The
salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every
epistle: so I write." There is no salutation of Paul in Hebrews.
Also, Paul considered his six chapter letter of Galatians to be a
"large letter" (Gal. 6:11), but the writer of Hebrews
considered this 13 chapter epistle to be "few words" (Heb.
13:22). These epistles could not possibly have the same author.
Answering
your first point, there is no eternal
security in Hebrews. The Hebrews are not part of the house of God
unless they hold fast their confidence and rejoicing of hope firm
into the end (Heb. 3:6). Wherefore they must take heed lest any of
them depart from the living God (Heb. 3:7, 12). The Hebrews are made
partakers of Christ IF they hold the beginning of their confidence
stedfast unto the end (Heb. 3:14). If the Hebrews did not hold their
confidence and faith firm and stedfast unto the end, they would not
enter into God's rest, the Millennium/Land (Heb. 3:14-4:1). The
promise of entering into the rest will leave them and they will come
short of it (Heb. 4:1). The Hebrews have to LABOR to enter into that
rest and their works will NOT cease until they enter into it (Heb.
4:10-11). Just as Christ learned obedience by the things which
He suffered, the Hebrews have to "obey" Him in order to
gain eternal salvation.
Hebrews
says that if any "fall away" (from the doctrine of Christ:
6:1-2) then it will be impossible for them to gain their salvation
back and they will be cursed and burned (Heb. 6:3-9). This is what 2
John 9, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." Those that "fall
away" from the doctrine of Christ and abide not in it, they lose
their salvation.
The
Hebrews had works and labors of love which they showed towards God's
name and they ministered to the saints. They needed to shew this same
diligence to
the full assurance of hope unto the end, not being slothful, but
followers of them who through faith
and patience inherit the promises. (Heb. 6:10-12).
Hebrews
9:28 says that the Hebrews have to be LOOKING for the Second Advent
in order to appear without sin unto salvation. That is doctrine for
Daniel's 70th Week according to Matthew 24:42-51, 25:13. Believers in
the Dispensation of Grace won't even see the Second Advent, we will
already be in Heaven. But even for our rapture, we do not have to be
looking for it in order to take part in it (1 Thes. 5:9-10). Also, in
the Dispensation of Grace we are already "without sin" and
have "salvation" (Rom. 4:7-8, 5:11, etc.). It is the
believing Jews in Daniel's 70th Week that get their sins blotted out
at the Second Advent, not us (Acts 3:19-21, Rom. 11:25-28, Matt.
19:28-29, Jer. 23:6, 33:8, etc.).
Hebrews
10:23-27 says that the Hebrews need to hold fast the profession of
their faith without wavering, provoking one another to good works, as
they see the day approaching (Day of the Lord). Why? Because if they
sin wilfully after they received the knowledge of the truth, there is
no more sacrifice for their sins. Only a "a certain fearful
looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries".
Hebrews
10:28-31 says that the Hebrews that were sanctified will receive a
"MUCH SORER PUNISHMENT" than being killed (fiery
indignation, hell vs 27) if they trod underfoot the Son of God and
count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. God will take
"vengeance" on them and judge them. That is not the
Dispensation of Grace where we have "peace with God" and
are not under His wrath (Rom. 5:1, 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10, 5:9).
Hebrews
10:35-39 commands the Hebrews to cast not away their confidence, that
they "need" patience after they have done the will of God
in order to receive the promise. Verse 37 says that the Second Advent
is at hand. Verses 37-38 plainly say that if the Hebrews "draw
back" their faith then they have drawn back unto perdition and
not believed to the saving of the soul.
Hebrews
12:14-17 says that the Hebrews have to follow peace with all men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Looking diligently
lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be
any fornicator, or profane person. If you take that for what it says,
the Hebrews who do not follow peace and holiness will not see God,
they will fail of the grace of God and be defiled. They will be
"rejected" as Esau was.
Hebrews
12:25 says that the Hebrews have to "refuse not him that
speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on
earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that
speaketh from heaven". The Hebrews have to "have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire." Obviously we under Grace
should serve God acceptably, but we are not in danger of being
consumed by fire.
Your
second point is that "we find a new covenant" in the book
of Hebrews. Exactly! That is one of the main reasons Mid-Acts
Dispensationalists understand that it is written to Israel. The New
Covenant with Israel as prophesied of in Jeremiah 31:31-36, 32:36-42,
33:1-18, Ezekiel 11:17-21, 36:12-38, 37:1-28, etc. is made with
ISRAEL. It is done at the end of Daniel's 70th Week at the Second
Advent, when God will pour out His Spirit on Israel and put His "LAW"
in their heart. It includes believing Israel being restored to their
land, rapture and resurrection to their land, receiving a new King,
receiving atonement by the blood of Christ, and receiving the Holy
Spirit with the Law in their hearts. And remember it is at the Second
Advent when He takes away theirs sins and they receive the atonement
as seen in those scriptures above as well as Matthew 19:28-29, Acts
3:19-21, Rom. 11:25-27, and scores of other passages.
This
New Covenant is NOT made with the Gentiles. The people who receive
the NEW Covenant are the same ones that had the OLD Covenant. Which
is obvious by the plain statement, "I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah". "this
is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days" (Hebrews 8:8-10). From the context of the passages listed
above, it is clear that this New Covenant is not made until the end
of Daniel's 70th Week when the Lord gathers Israel and sets them in
their own land. Millennial context of the New Covenant is evidenced
by the fact that the covenant states "they shall not teach every
man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord:
for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest". It is
only in the Millennium when everyone will know the Lord, when He is
physically here on Earth ruling from Jerusalem with the believing
Jews and the remnant of Gentile nations comes up to worship Him (Isa.
2, Micah 4, Zech. 14, Isa. 66, etc). Nobody today keeps the New
Covenant because #1 They are not Jews. #2 They don't keep the Law. #3
They are not in Israel. etc.
As
for your arguments about the author wanting to be with the Hebrews
shortly and wanting them to pray for him (13:18, 13:23-25), that is a
straw man argument. No Mid-Acts Dispensationalist disputes the fact
that Hebrews is a letter to historical people. We believe that
Hebrews, as well as most of James-Revelation, were written between
Acts 1-8 before the Dispensation of Grace was dispensed and when the
Kingdom was being offered to Israel (Acts 1:6-8, 2:30, 3:19-26).
These epistles were written to real, historical people. In particular
they were written to the Hebrews under New Covenant doctrine because
the "little flock" was going to get the Kingdom (Luke
1:32-33, 1:67-79, 12:32, Matt. 19:28-29, Acts 1:6, 2:30, 3:19-26). Of
course, the mystery Dispensation of Grace has been interrupting that
for the past 2,000 years.
Just
because Hebrews-Revelation were books given to people historically
does not mean that they are not prophetic in doctrine. The OT
prophets were written historically to Israel years ago, but their
doctrine is mostly prophetic.
To
dispute that Hebrews is prophetic just because it was written
historically to people 2,000 years ago would be like disputing that
Isa. 53 is about Christ because it was written historically to the
Jews hundreds of years before.
One
final point about Hebrews not being written about the Dispensation of
Grace, look at Hebrews 13:2. "Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Have you followed that verse lately? Because my family never lets
strangers in the house. We always pretend like we're not at home.
Paul wrote in Colossians that we do NOT see angels today. Colossians
2:18 "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary
humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which
he hath not seen,
vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"
--Hoss
