Hebrews 10
Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted
10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
The Greek word for “shadow” is σκιά (skia), meaning a pale shadow (in contrast to a sharp, distinct shadow). The Mosaic Law was just a pale shadow of what was to come.
The good things to come is the atonement, resurrection, ascension, and return of Christ. The Mosaic Law was a mere shadow of a reality which would come later. The reality was Christ and the fulfillment of his promises.
Since the Yom Kippur annual sacrifice was just a shadow of the real atonement of Christ, then Yom Kippur could never accomplish salvation. It had to be replaced. For this reason the Messianic believers do not need to return to Judaism.
10:2 For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?
The annual repetition of the Yom Kippur sacrifices shows it to be insufficient. The Greek present tense shows that the Yom Kippur sacrifices were still being offered at the time of this writing. This means that Hebrews must have been written before the Temple destruction of 70 A.D.
10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year.
The annual Yom Kippur offerings could not save anyone from their sins, but they did point out that every person was a sinner who needed a Savior.
10:4 For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.
The animal blood of the Levitical offerings only covered the sin of a person for one year. Then, the offering was to be repeated. Therefore, the animal blood could never take away sin. Israel needed a newer and better sacrificial system.
10:5 So when he came into the world, he said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. 10:6 “Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in. 10:7 “Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come – it is written of me in the scroll of the book – to do your will, O God.’”
The author quoted Psalm 40:6-8. According to 1 Samuel 15:22, the only acceptable sacrifice before God is one that comes through perfect obedience and faith. Since animals do not come through perfect obedience and faith, then another sacrifice must come forth. Jesus said, “Here I am. Send me.” However, Jesus was spirit, because He was the second person of the Godhead. Therefore, God had to prepare a body for Jesus so that He could become this perfect sacrifice. Once the body was prepared, Jesus came down to earth to do the perfect will of God.
10:8 When he says above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them” (which are offered according to the law),
Sacrifices and offerings of animals only covered sins for one year, but it did not remove them.
10:9 then he says, “Here I am: I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first to establish the second.
Jesus asked if he could be the willing sacrifice. Therefore, Jesus did away with the old Mosaic Covenant and instigated the new covenant.
10:10 By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Since Jesus was willing to die, then believers have been sanctified once-and-for-all. This is a theological term called positional sanctification. In the Greek text, the author uses a perfect participle with a finite verb that emphasizes believers are living in an eternal state of salvation. They can never lose their eternal life. They have been permanently made holy in the sight of God.
10:11 And every priest stands day after day serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again – sacrifices that can never take away sins.
The priests would offer sacrifices once every morning and once every evening. In addition to the daily sacrifices, they would also offer an additional sacrifice on the sabbath, the new moon, and all holidays. If a holiday fell on a sabbath and a new moon, then five sacrifices would be offered in one day. None of these sacrifices would take away sins. They covered sins temporarily, until the next sacrifice. The priests could never sit down and rest, because they were always working.
10:12 But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Jesus offered a once and for all sacrifice, so he could sit down and rest. He sat down at the right hand of God the Father.
10:13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.
This is a teaching from Psalm 110:1, called Project Footstool. Jesus will remain sitting at the right hand of the Father, until the Father purges all the enemies of Christ from the world. This event will occur on the last day of the Great Tribulation.
10:14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy.
The many sacrifices of the priests only covered sins for a temporary time. The one offering of the blood of Jesus Christ removed sin from all believers, making them perfect and holy in the sight of God.
10:15 And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying, 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,” 10:17 then he says, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer.”
The author quoted Jeremiah 33:31-34. The New Covenant will take place during the 1000- year Millennial Kingdom. On the last day of the Great Tribulation, all of Israel who survives will become believers. God will write His laws in their hearts and minds. They will all follow all these laws, because they will love Christ. Israel does not love Christ now, but those who survive the Great Tribulation will love Him through eternity.
After all of Israel is saved, God will remember the sins of Israel no longer. All of Israel would be those future Messianic believers who survive the Great Tribulation.
10:18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
After Jesus offered Himself once and for all, then all of the other Levitical sacrifices became obsolete and ineffective. They were no longer needed. Therefore, the Messianic Jews do not need to return to a dead system. They need to strive forward and mature in the Word of God.
Drawing Near to God in Enduring Faith
10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,
10:20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
Notice that the author calls his readers “brothers and sisters,” meaning that they were fellow believing Jews. According to the Mosaic Law, the Messianic believers could never enter the Holy of Holies of the earthly tabernacles, unless they were the High Priest. However, just as Christ was from the order of Melchizedek, so were the Messianic believers from the order of Melchizedek (because they were “in Christ”). Therefore, the Messianic believers could enter the Holy of Holies which was in heaven! There was no reason for them to return to Judaism.
There was a curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies of the earthly tabernacle. Only the High Priest could go behind this curtain, and he could only do it once a year on the Day of Atonement. This curtain was torn from top to bottom at the atonement of Christ. Historians wrote that it would take four horses to tear this curtain. At the crucifixion of Christ, God tore the thick fabric of the curtain supernaturally, showing that the Holy of Holies was open to all believers. This curtain was a typology for the flesh of Christ. The flesh of Christ was torn so that all believers could have access to the Holy of Holies in heaven.
10:21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
Jesus is not the High Priest of the earthly tabernacle, because He was not born from the tribe of Levi. Instead, He is the High Priest of the heavenly tabernacle by the order of Melchizedek.
10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
Since the earthly tabernacle is no longer functional, the author commanded the Messianic believers to draw closer to God with a sincere heart. Once the Messianic believers believed in Jesus, then their evil hearts were sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. Their bodies were washed clean, making them ambassadors of Christ who were ready to serve the Kingdom of God.
10:23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.
The Messianic believers possessed the hope that Jesus was truly the Messiah. They were not to be wishy-washy of their belief system because of a lack of knowledge. They were to mature by studying and applying Bible doctrine.
10:24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,
Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” One cannot keep the commandments of Jesus unless they know them. The commandments are Bible doctrine which comes from the entire counsel of the Word of God. Once one knows the commandments, then he can produce divine good works.
10:25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.
Many of the Messianic believers were refusing to meet with each other, because of persecution. The author warned them that they needed to keep meeting. The purpose of meeting was to encourage each other through these persecutions. The day of judgment which was drawing near was the temple destruction of 70 A.D. Those who rejoined Judaism would find themselves in this temple destruction.
Mature believers will rarely miss elder-called church meetings, because mature believers understand the importance of receiving Bible doctrine verbally and in person from a gifted-pastor teacher. Carnal believers are the opposite. They do not understand the importance of church attendance. They have other carnal priorities in their lives. They feel that sleeping late, not feeling good, showing up tardy, working, studying, or missing church for a few raindrops is more important than learning Bible doctrine from a gifted pastor-teacher.
10:26 For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us,
After the Messianic believers read this letter, they will have full understanding of the truth. They will know that Judaism is dead, they must mature, they must continue meeting together, and they must not return to Judaism to escape persecution. If the Messianic believers were not obedient to this warning, and if they returned to Judaism, then they must understand that none of the Levitical sacrifices will do anything for them. Christ was the last and once and for all sacrifice.
10:27 but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God’s enemies.
God’s enemies were the unbelieving Jews who were persecuting the Messianic Jews. The unbelieving Jews will all die during the coming temple destruction of 70 A.D. If the Messianic Jews return to Judaism, then they will not lose their eternal life, but they will lose their physical life in the temple destruction of 70 A.D.
10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Those who turn their back on the One who is greater than Moses will lose their physical death at the temple destruction of 70 A.D.
10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for the Son of God, and profanes the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insults the Spirit of grace?
The Messianic believers were warned not to return to Judaism. If they rejected the One who was greater than Moses, then their punishment will be more severe. Since they were enlightened with more grace and more knowledge, they will receive a heavier judgment. If they returned to Judaism, then they would be showing contempt to the Son of God. They would profane His perfect blood by rejecting it and returning to the blood of animals. The would be insulting the Holy Spirit, who enlightened them with all this divine information.
10:30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
The author quoted Deuteronomy 32:35. Vengeance belongs to God alone. Anyone who attempts revenge on his enemies is playing God. They may find themselves being judged by God as well.
The author also quoted Deuteronomy 32:36. God will judge His people. Since the Messianic believers were God’s people, then if they returned to Judaism and publicly rejected Christ, then they would be judged by God.
10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
If these Messianic believers return to Judaism, then they will be judged by God. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of a living God who desires to judge one for their sins.
10:32 But remember the former days when you endured a harsh conflict of suffering after you were enlightened.
The author asked the Messianic believers to recall their former days immediately after their salvation. They suffered willingly for Christ, proving that they were believers.
10:33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way.
The Greek word for publicly exposed is θεατριζόμενοι (theatrizomenoi), meaning to bring one on stage as a clown and mock them. The Messianic believers had lost their property, their business associates, and their standing in the community. This was the cost for first century Jewish belief in Jesus as the Messiah.
10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession.
Many of the Messianic believers were placed in prison for their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Their belongings were taken away from them. However, they did not mind giving up these earthly material possessions, because they had obtained eternal possession in heaven.
10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward.
At one time, the Messianic believers possessed great confidence in God to take care of their needs. The author reminded them to return back to this state of mind. If they returned back to this state of mind, then they would receive eternal rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Notice that the reward is not eternal salvation, because the author has already established in the Greek perfect tense that the salvation continues forever into eternity.
10:36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
The Arminians misinterpret this verse to teach that salvation is not eternal and one must continue to work for it or he will lose it. This verse has nothing to do with the loss of salvation. The author is actually stating that the Messianic believers need to endure through the suffering so that they can gain spiritual maturity and rewards in heaven.
10:37 For just a little longer and he who is coming will arrive and not delay. 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.
The author quoted Habakuk 2:3-4. Jesus the Messiah will eventually return to earth and establish his literal Millennial Kingdom. The Messianic believers need to live by faith until he returns. They do not need to shrink back and return to Judaism. God will take no pleasure in those who shrink back from Christ and return to Jerusalem.
10:39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls.
The author reminded the Messianic believers that they were all called by God. They were not called to shrink back from their faith and then suffer the sin unto death. They were to remain mature in the faith by growing in Christ. They were not to return to Judaism, because it would cost them their physical lives at the temple destruction of 70 A.D.