The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXXII

Joel 3:17-18 "So shall you know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, (and Zion is spiritual New Jerusalem) my holy mountain: (Kingdom) then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, (when this Kingdom is set up, and Christ is ruling and reigning from Jerusalem) that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim." We have this referenced in Revelation 21:6 and 22:1.

Well whenever we see those terms, it’s speaking of the future earthly Kingdom. When we see the reference in Scripture of the milk and honey, the promise of the mountains flowing with milk and honey, remember it’s not that the milk and honey will come flowing down the valleys of the Middle East, but rather everything that is physically necessary to produce milk and honey will be in abundance. Now, in other words, to get honey, what do we have to have? A lot of blossoms! Whether it’s clover or whether it fruit trees, there’s going to be an abundance of blossoms from which the bees can make their honey (or oil, such as olive oil it's clear or pale yellow). Well it’s the same way with milk (means richness, the choice part or fatness). We don’t get milk with cattle running out on bare sand, but rather what do they need? Lush pastures and abundant water, and so this is all implied then when we speak of a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s a land that can be agriculturally productive. Christ is the promised Canaan land of overflowing abundance of New Life in His High Priest-King status in fulfillment of the New Covenant. Now turn to Amos chapter 9 verse 13 for another one. Like we said, we're only hitting a few of them, but we’ll just stop and pick out a few of the more obvious ones.


Amos 9:13-15 "Behold, the days come, (oh it’s still future, but it’s coming. God’s Word says it) said the lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, (in other words, He’s going to bring them in from their dispersion from all the nations of the world) and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; (that has already begun to a degree) and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says the LORD your God." Now go to Zephaniah 3, verses 19 and 20.

Zephaniah 3:19-20 "Behold, at that time (when the Kingdom is set up) I will undo all that afflict you: and I will save her that halts, (walks with a limp) and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame, 20. At that time (when the Kingdom is finally established) will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make (these are all promises to the Nation of Israel) you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, says the LORD."

Over and over we can find these, but let’s look at one more, and that will be in Zechariah chapter 14, we use these verses quite routinely, because again they are so clearly put, and there’s no room for argument. And remember what the Book of Hebrews called it? The world to come. And here, this is His second coming, just exactly like the angels told the eleven in chapter 1. "This same Jesus that you have seen going into heaven, will come again in like manner, as you have seen Him go." Well, here is the Old Testament record of it, prophetically of course.

Zechariah 14:4
"And his feet shall stand in that day (the day of His second coming, and the setting up of this Kingdom) upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, (so there’s no argument here, this is not a figurative Mount of Olive, but rather this is the physical one) and the Mount of Olives shall cleave (split) in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the south." And now go to verse 8.

Zechariah 14:8 "And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, (Mediterranean) and half of them toward the hinder sea: (Dead Sea) in summer and in winter shall it be." That river will never dry up, but now verse 9. again our reference is to Revelation chapter 21.

Zechariah 14:9 "And the LORD (Jesus of Nazareth as we know Him. God the Son as the Epistle of Hebrews put it) shall be king (not over heaven, but) over all the earth: in that day (when He establishes His Kingdom) shall there be one LORD, and his name (name, meaning: the breath of a man is his character) one (Unity: The pictograph h is a picture of a wall. The d is a picture of a door. Combined these mean "wall door". A wall separates the inside from the outside. Only through the door can one enter or exit uniting the inside with the outside. Unite ab: ?: Two or more coming together as a unity. The sharp edge of a blade is the coming together of the two to one point.)."(means taken from the AHLB, LXX)

Now let’s go to Matthew chapter 19 verse 27 - this is Jesus speaking, and it’s in full accord with the prophets. Nothing is out of place. They have just about finished their three years of His earthly ministry, and they have left their fishing businesses and families up on the Galilee.

Matthew 19:27-28 "Then answered Peter and said to him, behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you; what shall we have therefore? (in other words, what’s going to be our reward for doing that? They’ve got their salvation, so don’t worry about that.) 28. And Jesus said to them, Verily I say to you, that you which have followed me, (speaking to the Twelve, because of the secret things) in the regeneration (for Israel as a nation when the curse is lifted, and the planet is reverted back to it’s beautiful original state, for the individual Hebrew and gentile this is when they have passed through both the veil of death and then the second blessing resurrection into new life, two separate actions) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, (that speaks of the Son seated upon His Fathers throne at His right hand, this is His present position. Now here comes what’s in it for the Twelve. Now granted, when this takes place, Judas is out, and Matthias is in) you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." So what does that tell them? Hey! there’s coming a day when these 12 men are finally going to be in places of authority. But when we get to Acts chapter 1, and Jesus is about to leave them, what’s the last question Peter asks on behalf of the rest of them? Remember that Jesus can not yet reveal the secret things as He has not gone to the cross or been resurrected, not returned to glory, so the best that He can do is in shadows and figures of the soon coming truth or in a parable allude to it.

Acts 1:6b "…Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" And although He told them "it is not for you to know the times or the season, …" We know it’s coming!

The Kingdom is on inhabited earth, and we’re going to see that the angels would never fulfill the requirements to be that Ruler and King over that coming Kingdom, because they certainly don’t have the power that the Christ, the Son, has. Now back to Hebrews:

Hebrews 2:6-7 "But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that you are mindful of him? (that’s a quote from the Psalms) or the son of man, that you visit him? (another reference to God the Son)? 7. You mad him a little lower than the angels;…" Now that’s kind of a play on words, as it’s better translated, "He was made lower than the angels for a little while." Only for a “little while” or for a short period of time is He made lower than the angels, and of course we’ll have to go back to Philippians chapter 2 in a moment to see what the purpose of all that was.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXXI

First, go back to Isaiah chapter 2, it just says it so clearly, that the time is coming for that to happen. Now lets begin with verse 2, and this will be when Jerusalem, as the capital of this coming Kingdom on earth, is going to be the very fountainhead of everything.

Isaiah 2:2 "And it shall come to pass (when the Bible says, ‘this is going to come to pass, it’s going to, we don’t care what the theologians say, it’s going to come. So it shall come to pass) in the last days, that the mountain (kingdom. The word mountain and kingdom are synonymous) of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, (or the Kingdoms, spiritual Zion is over all the other kingdoms) and shall be exalted (that’s also the word the Bible uses for Christ’s position as King. He will be exalted) above the hills (nations): and all nations shall flow unto it."

Get the picture? Just like the spokes in a wheel, everything will go to the very vortex of that Kingdom, which will be the New Jerusalem. Now as we come through the Book of Isaiah, there is a constant reference to this coming Kingdom. So as we’re turning, to see one in Isaiah chapter 11. We like this, especially when people ask us if we can have our pets when we get to glory. Well we don’t think we’ll have pets in the heavens of Heaven, but when this earthly Kingdom comes about, every animal is going to be a household pet. The lions and tigers and everything else will be part and parcel of that glorious Kingdom that is coming. And let’s just jump in at verse 6. Now this is just a little preview:

Isaiah 11:6-7 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, (remember at that time, the curse will be lifted. The whole ecology will be made right as it was in the beginning) and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; (or baby goat) and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (or play amongst them) 7. And the cow and the bear shall feed: (they’ll forage in the same meadow) their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox." Now what does that tell us? Come back to Genesis chapter 1 verse 30 and let’s see how it was in the beginning. This is what makes Bible study so interesting, because everything fits. And the reason we’re coming back is because Isaiah says that the lion is going to eat forage much like cattle do. Well here’s the reason, the curse will be lifted, and everything will revert back as it was originally before Adam fell.

Genesis 1:30 "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, (God says) I have given every green herb for meat: (food) and it was so." What does that mean? Everything ate of what grew naturally. Nothing killed something else for its sustenance as in our present day ecology (this was changed after the flood as found in chapter 9 verses 3 and 4). So it’s all going to revert back to this, where everything will feed on the things that grow naturally. Now coming back to Isaiah chapter 11 and continuing on in verse 7.

Isaiah 11:7b-8 "…and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8. (and again the reference to little children) And the sucking (nursing) child shall play on the hole of the asp, (that poisonous snake of the middle east) and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den." All to show that we’re going to have various stages of children, but now verse 9.

Isaiah 11:9 "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: (this 1000-year Kingdom) for the earth (We’re not talking about heaven, it’s going to be here on the earth) shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

Well, we could take verse after verse, coming up through the Old Testament, that are references to this coming glorious Kingdom on earth. But let’s jump all the way up to Daniel chapter 2, where Daniel of course gives several views of this coming Kingdom. The first one is in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we’ll just jump in at verse 35, and it’s from this passage that we understand the Gentile empires that would be the precursor of this glorious Kingdom that is coming upon the earth. The one that the nation of Israel is looking for and expecting as a material manifestation with a king after David's and Solomon's reign in likeness.

Daniel 2:35 "Then (after he sees this huge image in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream) was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floor; and the wind carried them away, (everything that was ever part of these tremendous Gentile empires will disappear) that no place was found for them: and the stone (Christ is the stone here referenced, the second coming of Christ) that smote the image became a great mountain, (Christ's fame is even now filling the whole earth, Kingdom, spiritual Zion) and filled the whole earth."

Let’s move on up to chapter 7. Daniel of course sees these same Gentile empires coming down through the corridors of time, only as animals, as beasts of prey, rather than metals in a statue of a man, but what we want all to see this in verse 13. This is all the same Kingdom where Jesus is the King over all kings (Mountains or the nations). We’re not talking about different ones, but rather about the one and only Kingdom in Scripture, the Zion of God's home.

Daniel 7:13 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days (another name or title of Christ Jesus), and they brought him near before him."

Look at Revelation chapter 5, where we have the same set of circumstances, where God the Son comes before God the Father, and we think we have the same personalities here in verse 13. Now verse 14.

Daniel 7:14 "And there was given him (the Son. The One we’re talking about in our study of Hebrews. And there was given Him) dominion and glory, and a kingdom, (and in this Kingdom) that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: (they’ll be under His domain) His dominion (His power, His government) is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom (that He’s going to set up is one) that which shall not be destroyed."

We understand that He Himself will do it in an interlude leading into eternity, but nevertheless we always maintain that this 1000-year earthly Kingdom will be just the precursor of the eternal state. Now let’s turn to Joel chapter 3. We're just hitting a few of them. Some evening just grab your Bible and start flipping through the Old Testament, and wherever you see these Kingdom references just stop and read them. They’re almost always toward the end of these prophetic Books, and the reason, the first part of these prophecy books will be dealing with Israel’s near-term judgment of one sort or another, whether it’s the Babylonian captivity, or the Syrians or others. But almost in every case, by the time we get to the end of these prophecy books, we have the promises of the Hebrews being restored, and enjoying this earthly Kingdom. And this is what we have here in Joel chapter 3 verses 17 and 18.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXX

Acts 3:1-5 "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 3. Who (this lame man) seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5. And he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something of them."

We always have to think, and we don’t say this with any idea of being funny, but think most of us, if we’ve been in a big city and seen a beggar sitting there on the sidewalk, usually has a tin cup or say one of those people holding a sign at an intersection. What does he expect? From us to drop in a few coins, or dollars and if he can do that all day long, he can gather enough to stay alive. Here something is said that many just read over and it is this “Expecting to receive something of them”. So we think this is what this fellow did. He looked up at Peter and held out his container for a coin or two, and that’s all he expected, but you see, he’s going to have more than that this time. Peter, James, and John or now in a modus operandi like Christ was, and they’re going to perform a miracle. Here's another thing to consider, it says that this was this mans place of being laid. Now that being true Jesus must have passed him during His ministry as we're sure that He had passed this way during His visits to the Temple. Now the scriptures don't tell us how many times Jesus had passed by this very spot and man during His earthly life, but we know that He had to have passed this very spot many times. Now verse 6.

Acts 3:6-8 "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God." When we come all the way down to verse 11, and here’s the effect.

Acts 3:11 "And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering."

What is this healing doing to them? It’s making them think! for it says that they wondered what this all meant. What are these men doing and how are they doing it? So it made them attentive to what the Twelve were proclaiming. Now we know that a lot of people think that’s the only way we can reach people today, but we don’t think so. We don’t think the Holy Spirit needs that today for various reasons, but primarily because we now have the completed Word of God in print form. And we don’t have a manifestation of the miraculous power of God, because the Bible itself is all the manifestation we need of Who God is and His Great Authority and Power. He requires us to live by trusting Him and His Word, now revealed to us by the works of His Spirit within just as those listed in Hebrews chapter 11's fall of fame.

But, nevertheless, remember what Paul is stressing to the Hebrews. This was all done to get this whole system of the old, now rolled up as an old scroll out dated and retired and put away and why because had turned into filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6 and John 11 the meaning and purpose for Lazarus death and the removal of the grave clothes) and of what we now call Christianity off the ground. And it took the miracles, signs and wonders. As we've seen, these caused the people to wonder or think about who Jesus was and is. Now we're not saying that God is through with such things but now He requires us to believe His Word, which we now have in our hands. Now we’ve got one more reference in the Book of Acts. So come to Acts chapter 19.

Acts 19:11-12 "And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: (Paul is already out there now on his missionary journeys) 12. So that from his body were brought to the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them." So all of this again was for the precise purpose of proving to even Paul’s listeners that he was not just another human being, He was the Apostle to the Gentiles, one called out by God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the work of bearing Him witness. The same as a Christ Like One is to be doing in our day and time in the authority of the New Covenant of His Grace in operation as a function of His Body, the bearing witness of Him. We used the word authority instead of power because when people see "power" used they think of the dynamo or dynamic power a supernatural force being used. When in fact God's Word when spoken by an individual through the Spirit exerts supernatural powers which does and can move mountains and breaks up the stony soil in human hearts. Usually when this is seen the individuals effected sense guilt or conviction of sin.

Remember in this Epistle of Hebrews we’re trying to see Hebrew people, some of which were believers, and some were what we call on the fence or fence huggers, and the pull of Judaism was still having it’s effect on these people. So Paul is trying to make the point, that this "Jesus of Nazareth", whom the nation for the most part rejected, was Who He said He was. He was indeed the Christ, He was indeed God the Son, and He was indeed the Creator, and is the coming King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. So this is what we’re really looking at here in chapter 2. And since He is the heart of the plan of redemption and salvation, here is the question we've been asking, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Which began with Christ’s earthly ministry, and was confirmed with the signs and wonders and miracles as we saw. But now verse 5, and we’re looking ahead instead of looking back at what He had accomplished, we’re going to look ahead to what He will accomplish. Our main focus will shift to that of His Blood for it is in the power of an Eternal Life which the Blood has that was also alluded to when the water was turned to wine and His body as the loaves of bread in both teachings on multiplying of Himself through His receptive ones. In the power of the resurrection which is the same power present in an Endless or Everlasting Life, which God's promised New Covenant contains as experienced by those who have passed through it. Also the eating and drinking of His flesh and Blood as part of the New Covenant.

Hebrews 2:5 "For to the angels has He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak." Now, the casual reader would say, "The world to come? That must be heaven, and eternity." No, because the Greek word here spoken of as the world, is the inhabited earth, so just look at it that way and read it in that context.

Hebrews 2:5 "For to the angels has He not put in subjection the world to come, (the inhabited earth that is coming. So what’s he talking about? The Kingdom! The thousand-year reign with Christ over which He is indeed going to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords) whereof we speak." Now let’s read it again.

Hebrews 2:5 "For to the angels has He not put in subjection the world to come, (the inhabited earth, the Kingdom that is coming and that is already in the hearts of those receptive ones) whereof we speak."

"The Kingdom, is the Kingdom, is the Kingdom! There is only one Kingdom, and it’s the Kingdom that Christ will establish on earth, ruling from Jerusalem when He returns at His second coming, and set everything straight. At that time Satan will be taken off the scene and placed out of the way, and it will be heaven on earth as in David and Solomon's day, but it will be on the earth. That’s why the Greek word for world here means the inhabited earth. Not up in Heaven which houses God's Throne, from which God and Christ as our High Priest-King rules in the hearts and lives of those who are His people, (those who have accepted God's terms and conditions and thereby becoming the chosen ones, a called out peoples unto God though God is no respecter of persons so all could become among the numbered ones by faith) but here on the inhabited earth. So we’re going to be looking at various Scriptural connotations concerning this coming earthly Kingdom, and we’ll see the Old Testament is full of it.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXIX

John 4:47-48 "When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and besought Him that He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. (now verse 48. There’s more here than meets the eye. Look what Jesus said) 48. Then said Jesus to him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe." Now that’s what Jesus told them. You see, we think we’ve got some reasoning to do here. We want to remember that at the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry there is as yet no New Testament written. The only thing that they had was the Old Testament, so they didn’t have the advantage that we’ve got. See, we’ve got the advantage of having a whole New Testament now in front of us but they didn’t. Now that may be part of it, as we're trying to cover for them a little bit, because we don’t want to come down too hard on those Hebrew people of Christ’s day, but nevertheless this is what He said. Not only of Christ's day but of our day, there are many who believe that we're to do as Jesus did. What they fail to understand is that we're to walk by faith and not by sight (not by simply trusting in the Faithfulness of God or dependency on our five senses, we're not to focus on the material word as they did, we're to focus on the Better things of promise sworn to by an Oath, we're to trust God just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and those who were before them did), that was all the Hebrews had to depend upon. That is why Jesus had to do physical manifestations of spiritual realities. They were NOT a spiritually awakened people except for a few exceptions and besides their priesthood was based on the external, and material world or of works of self sufficiency. None of which pleased God nor was it His Will for man.

John 4:48-50a "Then said Jesus to him, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 49. The nobleman said to him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50. Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son lives…" And we know the fever left, and the son lived, but the part we wanted to see is in verse 54.

John 4:54a "This is again the second miracle…" Now our own idea is that when the Scripture makes a reference to a particular chronological order, that is telling us, that if this is the second, then what should we look for? The third, the fourth, the fifth, and that’s the admonition.

John 4:54 "This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee." Well if we do follow that through, we’ll see that there are seven of these miracles in John that were all signs. These signs were teaching the Hebrews something. In other words, when He turned the water into wine, it was a miraculous sign that He was the only remedy for their lack of joy. They had a lot of heavy legalism in their religion, but still they were in Spiritually in darkness or dead (separated from God is what that means), and He had come to give them Grace, Truth, Life, and Joy. And so that’s what turning the water into wine showed them. He came to bring us all out of spiritual darkness by renting the veil, not only of the temple, but also His flesh as the way into the presence of God, as the veil was soon to be removed and that not only to the Temple but the one over mans eyes and ears of the heart, which remains even unto today for many, by their own choice. God desired to given man a New heart through which He could have intimacy and fellowship with His creation again established.

Now, when He healed the nobleman’s son, it’s another spiritual lesson for the Hebrews, because spiritually they were sick, and He alone could bring them Spiritual health (1Peter 2:24). And all the way through John’s gospel we have those seven signs and miracles. Then when we get to the last chapter we think it is, come on over to chapter 21 we now come to the 8th miracle or sign. This is so interesting, and here is where we tell people, "How can they scoff at this Book, when it is so intricately put together? Now here is just another good example. Seven of these signs and miracles that had a direct application to the physical, external and the material or natural life of the Hebrews were all registered before He was crucified and resurrected.

This one in chapter 21 then becomes the 8th one and it was after his resurrection. Now when we have an understanding of numbers in Scripture, 7 is the number of completions, and 8 is the number for new beginnings. So this final sign miracle in John’s gospel was a reference to the Nation of Israel’s remnant who will all be saved, the 1/3 of the populace at that time, when Christ returns. So we’ll begin at verse 10.

John 21:10-11 "Jesus said to them, bring of fish which you have now caught, 11. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many yet was not the net broken." Now in every other case in His earthly ministry, when they had a net full of fish, what happened? The net broke. But this time it doesn’t. Well what’s the miracle part? It was an indication that the remnant of the Hebrews that God keeps during the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation, that when Christ returns at His second coming, not a single one will be lost, they will all be kept for God’s purposes an allotted number from each tribe. Such as the one hundred forty-four thousand who will be witness and evangelists for Jesus Christ, twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Now to come in once again to our miracles, signs and wonders, come with us to Acts chapter 2, and this is just to show how the Book of Hebrews says, that we cannot neglect so great a salvation, that begin with the Lord’s ministry, was witnessed by the Twelve, and others, and the Apostle Paul, who of course we still feel is the writer of Hebrews, and then it was all confirmed by the miracles and signs and wonders that Jesus performed. But not only Jesus, it carries on now after He’s ascension back to Glory by the disciples now become His Apostles, and we’re going to see, to a smaller extent to the Apostle Paul himself.


Now for Acts chapter 2 verse 22. This is the other verse where all three of these are mentioned in one place. Here Peter is preaching that sermon at Pentecost, and look what he says:

Acts 2:22a "You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth…." Remember this is what we’re stressing in the Epistle of Hebrews, Jesus of Nazareth, was Who? The Son! And we’re going to be seeing throughout the Epistle of Hebrews how the Son was higher than the host of angels, how that the Son has a greater priesthood than Aaron, so here again this is where we want to see the correlation, that now Peter is proclaiming that:

Acts 2:22b "…Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you (how?) by miracles and wonders and signs,…" Just like we have covered, but in the reverse order. Peter said, He did the dunamis, the miracles, showing the power of God. He did wonders that were to have an impact and an effect upon the people, and He also performed the signs which also had a particular subject to teach the Nation of Israel. So reading the verse again.

Acts 2:22b "…Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know:" Here again we have a word that is skipped over by allot of people and this word is “approved” of God. Jesus in our humanity did nothing that was NOT approved of God first, He was lead by the Holy Spirit the same as we are all now to be as He is our example and Leader, Chief and forerunner. So all the way through now then, we’re going to see that even the Twelve are going to continue on this using the signs and miracles to convince the Hebrew people now, not that Jesus of Nazareth is walking up and down the dusty of roads of the land of Israel as the Messiah, but now the subject is, "The crucified One, not the ascended one." The One that was crucified, and was buried, had been risen from the dead and had ascended back to the Father, NO. But rather since He was risen from the dead, He could still fulfill all those Old Testament covenant promises, because He now lives a Glorified Eternal Life. So look what happens. Peter is just sort of picking up the mantle more or less like Elisha did from Elijah. And Peter continues on with the same ministry.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXVIII

Hebrews 2:4 "God also bearing them witness, (those who had heard the Lord during His earthly ministry to Israel) both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" And there’s our question mark at the end of that verse. So these whole two verses are tied to the word "How." How shall we neglect, and all of this confirms that we have no reason to neglect so great a salvation, and that’s the way we have to look at it. How can we neglect something that has been so meticulously, so miraculously, revealed to the human race? We're making these things so understandable that we’re not just throwing stuff out there expecting people to believe it, but the Scripture meticulously, and intrinsically puts it all together. Now verse 4, and the last half of the question.

Hebrews 2:4 "God also bearing them witness, (those who heard the Lord during His earthly ministry in particular) both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" Now, there are only two places that we're aware of where all three of these words are used in one verse. This is one of them and the other one is back in Acts chapter 2, and we’ll look at that one a little later. These things here listed are proofs of who Jesus was and are the witness of Him being the promised one of the line of David's kingship. They are also of the material and external application of the Levitical Law of Moses for their physical sight as this Law required the testimony of two or more eye witnesses for the proof of any fact. This same Law required a passing of the priesthood by the washing with living water from a high priest to another. This is just what John the Baptist did when he baptized Jesus in accordance to fulfill all righteousness in the presence of witnesses. God then confirmed this action when the Heavens were opened and He said “this is My Son in whom I'm well pleased” Matthew 3:15-17.

Now these three words in the Greek, the first word is "semeion" in the Greek, and is usually translated and should be translated "signs," and signs were given to the Nation of Israel to teach them something in particular. That was the whole idea of these miraculous signs.

Then the next one in the Greek is "teras," which was translated "wonders." These were the wonders we’ve heard of so often in Christ’s earthly ministry, and these were given to have an effect on the Nation of Israel, the Hebrew people.

Then the third one was "dunamis" from which we get our English word, Dynamo, out of which we get a generator, and "dynamos" was for the sake of power, and it, too, was to bring about the work, or as is translated so often, "the miracles." Maybe we should put it the other way around, but whatever, the miracles and works were to show the manifestation of the power of God's presence in Him by the Holy Spirit.

But there not for our working or doing unless of course God chooses to use us in this manor. For those who do so show that they are but a child in their understanding as a beginner or elementary school child and have as yet not been learned of the Holy Spirits training for righteousness unto obedience and that obedience is only unto death in the same fashion as Jesus and Paul. For through Him is revealed our need and desire which alines with God's desire that being our willingness by way of obedience to His perfect Will, death to the world and all self life of sin. Remember Paul in Romans and especially the first five chapter reveals mans, religions, and saved mans true condition of bondage through religions legalism and its weakness to fulfill the required results mans obedience.

Now these three words were used throughout the New Testament, and especially the Four Gospels. But in two verses they’re always used together, here in Hebrews and then in Acts chapter 2. Now in Acts chapter 2, we think they’re reversed in their order, but it’s the same thing. We’re going to be looking at how, during Christ’s earthly ministry, He gave signs, which were to teach a particular lesson to the Nation of Israel and us. These were all for the confirmation of the priesthood that John had conferred on Jesus as he was the son of the high priest Zacharias, of the course of Abia.

But let’s get one thing straight. Whether it’s signs or wonders or miracles, they are all miracles. But not all miracles are signs. Not all miracles were necessarily wonders in order to have an effect on the Hebrew people, but they all played a particular role and, consequently, this is why we have three different words. Otherwise they could have just used one word, and said, miracles.

But as we’re going to see a little later, when we come to the signs, especially in John’s gospel, they taught a particular truth to the Hebrew people that the Lord expected them to understand. So let’s come back for a minute to Matthew chapter 9 verse 35, and pick up just a little bit of this miraculous working of Christ during His earthly ministry. And, as we’ve stressed, what was the basic purpose of Jesus' performing miracle after miracle after miracle. To prove Who He was! That was the whole idea. The Messiah had been promised ever since Genesis 3:15, and the prophets foretold of His coming. But in order for them to understand He was the promised Messiah from the Old Testament promises, covenants, and prophecies, He performed miracle after miracle. But the various categories of miracles had different effects upon the Nation and, consequently, they’re divided. The signs were given to teach, the wonders were to have an effect, and His other miraculous works were to show that He was exercising the power of God. Why? Because they did not know the day or the hour of His first visitation, they were unprepared for Him. Are we prepared for Him now?

Now it takes a little while to sift all of that through, but hopefully, we’ll see what we're trying to say. In Matthew chapter 9, and verse 35, this is more or less at the beginning of His earthly ministry we find:

Matthew 9:35 "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and (not just one now and then, but) every disease among the people." The gospel of the kingdom was that which was foretold of David's reign and the comforts with the Blessings that the nation enjoyed under King David and its being restored, but it was not restored in the fashion that they were looking for. They were looking for the material and external reality as this is all they know and therefore understood. Now that was part and parcel of His earthly ministry. Now come on over a little further in Matthew to chapter 15, and drop down to verse 29. And this was just commonplace in those three years of His earthly ministry. Here it is:

Matthew 15:29-30 "And Jesus departed from thence, (from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, back in verse 21) and came near to the Sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30. And great multitudes came to him, having with them those that were (now look at this) lame, blind, dumb, (unable to speak) maimed, (crippled) and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:" He healed everyone, not just some of them. Now verse 31. What was the effect? Well here it is:

Matthew 15:31a "Insomuch that the multitude wondered,…" He’s got them thinking. You know we were thinking, what we attempt to do when we sometimes may say things that some don’t hear constantly, or traditionally, is to shock people into thinking. People don’t have to go necessarily by what we say, but just think about it and search the Scriptures. Mull these things over, and not just take it blas'e and say, "Well, I’ve heard the Word this weeks, and that’s all I need." Our churches are full of people who merely go to fill an hour of worship and or read their assigned daily scripture verses mindlessly under some sort of ritualistic and religious legalism of bondage. The very yoke He came to break and destroy.

See when the Lord Jesus performed these miracles, it was to make people sit up and take notice of Who He was. He wasn’t just another prophet, He was One Who had power and could perform these miracles without any of them ever failing. He was proving to the stiffnecked, hardhearted and unbelieving Israelite that He was God's sent one, the one of promise.

Now with that, we’ll go to John’s gospel chapter 4, and in John’s gospel we always like to point out the fact that there are miracles, and they are all "semeion (signs)." The word in the original Greek, in all of John’s gospel, all 8 of them are this word here, "semeion." And even though the King James and some of the others translate it as miracles and so forth, it really should have always been, these 8 signs. So let’s begin in John 4:46. Until now, we hadn’t even decided where we were going to start in this passage. We thought we were just going to use one verse, but we’ll also use a few more. Now this is the second sign already in John’s gospel, the first one of course is when He turned the water into wine in chapter 2.

John 4:46 "So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum."

So Christ goes up to Capernaum, and now verse 47:

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXVII

Acts 11:1-2 "And the apostles, and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision (the Jerusalem believing assembly) contended with him," Hey they didn’t slap him on the back and say, "Hey Peter, great Job. My isn’t it great how God is using us Hebrews to go to the Gentiles." NO! But quite the opposite, they contended or opposed him. They probably reprimanded him for breaking their Laws.

Acts 11:3 "Saying, you went in to men uncircumcised, and (horrors of horrors, what did they do?) did eat with them." The Jerusalem leadership were just as baffled. "Peter, you of all people, how could you do that?" Well, then Peter had to rehearse how God had worked both ends to the middle, worked with Cornelius, and worked with him, and brought the two together so that Peter could proclaim Salvation to that Gentile house. Now all this to show them, that when Saul of Tarsus was commissioned in chapter 9 to go to the Gentile world - that, hey, this had never been known before. This is something totally, totally different. How is it that our denominational churches and nondenominational churches don't preach or teach along these lines? But rather some strange or twisted gospel. Because they suffer from the same ailment as the Hebrews a partial hardening of heart and unbelieving heart and the same veil is over them as it is over the Hebrews until this day.

Now, as a result of him being commissioned by the words and deeds of Ananias, (under direction of the Lord in His own words and in the power of the Holy Spirit) let’s look at Paul’s own words and own account of it in the Book of Galatians chapter 1. Now remember, we're just trying to reconstruct this great Redemption and Salvation that began with the Lord Himself. It began way back when the Lord made the promised Seed of the woman back in Genesis 3:15. Then gave the promises and covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that through the Nation of Israel would come a Redeemer. But the Hebrews rejected all of that, and God then turns to the Gentiles through this man, and now he gives the account of it here in Galatians. (Remember that we're under the rule of Grace which is: conscience, the restraint of the Holy Spirit, human government, promises, the special Grace of God.) And the New Covenant of promise based on that Grace and Truth, sealed by the Blood of Christ and in us by the promised Blessing of the Holy Spirit who seals us with the sprinkling of the Blood on our heart with the New Royal Law of God written in our hearts and on our minds, in God's economy. Now just here we should make a distinction between what people are taught and just what it is that the scriptures teach us. That being that just as there are two separate Covenants there are also two separate operations or administrations but the same God.

Galatians 1:11,12 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but (where did Paul get this Gospel that saves us today? We know he didn’t get it from the Twelve, or any of the Old Testament writings, but rather) by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Now when you read Scripture we’ve got to keep everything in perspective. Where is Christ at this time of the revelation? Well, He’s in Glory! And so from that ascended position in Glory He reveals to this apostle these revelations. Now, Paul had a face-to-face confrontation. He received the revelation from the ascended Lord by way of HEARING it spoken to him. Just as Moses HEARD it spoken to him by the same Lord some two thousand years earlier. Now verse 13, Paul writes:

Galatians 1:13-15a "For you have heard of my conversation (manor of living) in time past in the Jews’ religion, (he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees remember) how that beyond measure I persecuted the church (or that assembly) of God, and wasted it: 14. and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 15. But when it pleased God,…" Do you see what that says? God is Sovereign! God is in control of every minute detail, and at the exactly right time. Not only was Christ born of a woman, as we see in chapter 4 of Galatians but this man Saul of Tarsus is as well.

Galatians 4:4a "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman,…" But Paul says the same thing was part and parcel of his birth at just the right time, he was born into that Jewish family in Tarsus so that he was ready to be the Apostle of the Gentiles at the exactly the right moment in human history. But you know what? We are the same way. We were born according to God’s Sovereign timetable. We’re not an accident. Every one of us is in that intrinsic working of a Sovereign God. Now come on down to verse 16. Why did He commission this man, this good Hebrew?

Galatians 1:16-17a "To reveal His Son (the One we’ve been emphasizing in Hebrews) in me (this is positional and for what purpose?) that I might preach Him among the heathen; and immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; (Paul went in the opposite direction) but I went into Arabia,…"

He probably went to Mount Sinai, and then after the revelation of these things of the Gospel of the Grace of God, and the promised New Covenant of God's working in the believer as found in Jeremiah 31:33, and Isaiah and Ezekiel and other places then this apostle is ready to go to the pagan Gentile world. Now back to Hebrews. We’ve got to keep checking with home base.

Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us (Paul is including himself) by them that heard him:" Now let’s come back to I Corinthians chapter 15, and we think these verses just tie it all together, and we’ll start at verse 1.

I Corinthians 1-8 "Moreover brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand; 2. By which also you are saved, (saved and Salvation are synonymous) if you keep in memory, what I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain. 3. For I delivered to you first of all (they had never heard this Gospel before) that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures; (now resurrection was a tough item for a lot of people to believe, so here comes the proof of the resurrection) 5. and that He was seen of Cephas, (Peter) then of the Twelve: 6. after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present, but some are fallen asleep, (died, those who are the Lord's when they pass from this life they are said to be in a sleep state awaiting their calling out or ascension to join the Lord in the air.) 7. after that, He was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8. And last of all He was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (or one born before his time but at the proper time by being born of the Spirit converted from an external priesthood to a spiritual priesthood under the leadership of Christ our High Priest-King. Galatians 2:18-21)


Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which (modifying the word salvation) at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, (a reference back to His earthly ministry) and was confirmed to us by them that heard him;" In other words, not only just the Twelve, but there were other witnesses to His resurrection and teachings. Now continuing on with the question, "How shall we escape." Paul was given the power to be a witness of Jesus Christ, come in the flesh, as are all those who have become Christ like ones again, “so great a salvation” or “Christ in you the hope of glory.” The second estate which entry requires illumination by way of death and receiving of God's New Life imparted into those who have passed through the veil of Christ's flesh (1 Peter 2:24). Which is in fact entry into the promised New Covenant, the Covenant of an Endless Life or an Eternal Life as spoken of by the prophets though they only saw it as being a far off.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXVI

Acts 9:15a "But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he (Saul of Tarsus) is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,…" (to bear is to carry His name as a woman carries her husbands name and as we're to bear His name which is to be in Christ or to have the ability to pray as He would or in His name, reestablished as One with Elohim.) Do we remember when Paul had now been out among the Gentiles, and had a lot of converts, and had started little congregations of believers, but he had always had that heart for the Hebrews. So, he went back and appealed to that great Jewish audience there in Jerusalem. Remember they listened to him until he said one word, and what was that word in Acts 22:22? "Gentile!" When he said Gentile, they just erupted into a mob. They threw dust into the air, and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live."

Well, we see Saul of Tarsus' mentality was the same. They could see nothing good in those pagan Gentiles, but now the Lord says to him, "I’m going to send you far hence to those Gentiles." Well, can you imagine how that struck into the heart of that good Pharisee Hebrew, Saul of Tarsus? But this is what the Lord had commanded, and after the experience he had on the road to Damascus, Saul had no argument with that command. But here in Acts chapter 9, this is what we want us to see, that for the first time in the Scriptures, here in the New Testament we’ve got God showing openly that He’s going to now turn to the Gentiles, He's going the make a break from the norm and remember that was unheard of. My, the Hebrew had no concept of going to the Gentile world. Though the promise given to Abraham was to the nations when the Lord said “that in you shall all the families of the earth will be blessed”. (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4, 28:14; Psalms 72:17) He's placing a parenthetical between verse 7 and 8 of Psalm 2, remember this is God's time line of things to come.

For example, turn with us to chapter 8 and we’ll show what we mean. Many people can’t believe this. They think Jesus ministered to Gentiles, but no He did not! The Scriptures only record that He did that twice. And the Twelve didn’t have a ministry to the Gentiles either. Remember the verse we read in Matthew chapter 10, when the Lord commanded them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans, enter not:" So the Twelve disciples also had nothing to do with Gentiles, to the Hebrew a gentile was a dog worthy of nothing but crumbs.

But we see mankind today seems to think that just as soon as we get into the New Testament, God is dealing with the Hebrew and Gentile, and nothing could be farther from the truth. God’s been dealing with only the Nation of Israel, based on those Old Testament Covenants, with those two exceptions, and if we think the Twelve disciples ran out preaching the Gospel to the whole world, then we're afraid people don’t know their Bible. The Twelve were stuck in Jerusalem, and here’s the proof of it in Acts chapter 8 and verse 1. This is probably 7 or 8 years after Pentecost. We don’t claim that we're right, but that’s when we think the setting for these verses took place.

Acts 8:1 "And Saul was consenting to his (Stephens) death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church (assembly) which was at Jerusalem: (under the persecution of Saul an others) and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." The Hebrews ran away and joined their brothers that were still scattered through the nations around about, if they had family in what we know as Turkey that was where they went or where ever.

See, the apostles don’t flee. Now their life is in danger, but they’re not about to leave Jerusalem. Why? Because Jerusalem is at the hub of the matter, Israel has to be converted, and they’re not about to go out into the Gentile world. Now let me give you another one to prove our point, so turn to Acts chapter 11 verse 19.

Acts 11:19 "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word (now we’ve got to stop for a moment. How much Word was in print at that time? Just the Old Testament. So they went everywhere preaching the Old Testament) to none but to the Hebrews only." Paul had started writing his letters or epistles that we have today to read and study listening closely to hear God's voice in them revealed. As He spoke to the Hebrews through His Son so to He speaks through His Son to us and then through Paul to us also because Paul is speaking by the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that we're to have received at our conversion and by whom we're to be sealed after our resurrection by way of death into the promised New Covenant.

Now just look at that. Underline it, highlight it. They went everywhere in that then-known vicinity on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, North Africa, and up into what is now Turkey, and they were definitely preaching the Old Testament, the record of how that Christ had come, and that He had been crucified, resurrected and ascended back to heaven, but they preached to none but the Hebrews. Isn’t that funny that people can’t see that? They weren’t about to go to Gentiles, but always remember, a Sovereign God is still in control. So when we get down into the very following verses, and my goodness, now what happens? Gentiles are getting interested in Redemption and Salvation, by God’s Sovereign Grace of course. But when the news got back to Jerusalem that Gentiles were getting involved, what do you think the Jerusalem leadership thought? Uh Oh! There’s something wrong here!

They sent people down there pronto to check it out. Are those people really teaching that kind of heresy in one of our churches? Well now that’s just natural to do that, and that’s exactly what the Jerusalem leadership did. Gentiles getting interested? Hey, there’s something wrong with that. We’re not supposed to be going to Gentiles, and so look what happens in verse 22.

Acts 11:22 "Then tidings of these things came to the ears of the church (assembly) which was in Jerusalem: (over which Peter and the eleven were in charge) and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch." Well, for what purpose? To check this rumor out, that these Gentiles were getting interested in the things of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that’s basically what the Scriptures are saying here. Now read on in verse 23, but before we do, isn’t it amazing how God always gets the right man, at the right place, at the right time? We maintain, had any of that Jerusalem leadership except Barnabas gone up to Antioch, they would have squashed it right then and there. But see Barnabas was the right man, in fact he was the perfect right man for that particular time, and verse 23 says it all.

Acts 11:23-25 "Who, when he came, and had seen the Grace of God, (how that God in His goodness was reaching to these pagans.) was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. 24. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost (notice this, pay close attention to this term) and of faith: and much people was added to the Lord. (they’re being saved, Gentiles as well as a sprinkling of Hebrews. And as soon as Barnabas sees what’s going on, again, Sovereignty, by God’s direct leadership, what does Barnabas do? There is a key word often over looked and that word here used is “cleave” they cleaved to the Lord, they drew near to the Lord. To draw near or nigh.) 25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:" The other term is, "of the Holy Ghost" did we catch that? Which is the very breath of God, the same breather which when breathed into the clay form gave God's Life to that clay or earthen vessel at its creation. Interesting thing this is.

Isn’t that amazing? Now if you think we're stretching the point, come back over into chapter 11 verse 1. And this portion of Scriptures follows Peter going up to the house of Cornelius in chapter 10. And remember Peter wasn’t too hot on that idea either, but the Lord forced him to do it. But when Peter saw the evidence of these Gentiles at Cornelius’ house being saved, my, Peter was awestruck. He and the men that were with him were astonished, because they had never seen anything like this before. But now come down to chapter 11 and verse 1 and see what happened when they got back to Jerusalem and shared this with the believers.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXV

Hebrews 2:3a "…which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, (Himself) and was confirmed to us by them that heard him:" Remember when God confronted Satan, and then how that He then turned to the Abrahamic Covenant and brought everything up through the Nation of Israel to bring about the coming of the Messiah the Redeemer the savor of the Hebrews who brought Salvation. Then, through the Hebrew’s unbelief and rejection, Christ was crucified. Then we moved on up to the Apostle Paul. But now we want to take us back to Acts chapter 7 where Stephen, who was now in consort with Peter and the other eleven there at Jerusalem, approaches the religious leaders of Israel, and the whole idea is the same as what Peter has been trying to do, and that is to convince the Nation of Israel that the One they crucified was indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.(remember to that Israel was still under the rule of conscience, the restrainer the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and the Mosaic Law and still under that particular of God's economies) And that, through faith in Him, they could still have Him as their King, and He would bring in the Kingdom. What was required of a King? He had to be alive and living in the physical. Why? Because Israel as a nation could not see, touch, or feel Him any longer. They required this because of the materialism and external priesthood of the order of Aaron or the Levits and the hardness of their hearts and their unbelief was the result. So now in verse 1 we can get the idea where this is being preached or taught.

Acts 7:1-2a "Then said the high priest, are these things so? (in other words what Stephen had been saying up in chapter 6) 2. And he said, men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham,…" Now that doesn’t include a Gentile. Stephen is speaking to the whole nation, and in particular to the religious leaders. So he says:

Acts 7:2a "And he said, men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham,…" Stephen brings them all the way up through the Hebrew’s history, how that Joseph was not recognized the first time when his brethren went down for grain. But when they went the second time then they understood who Joseph was. He was their redeemer of physical things, as they needed grain. Then the next one was Moses. Moses, too, appeared to the Nation of Israel as their deliverer, but they rejected him the first time. Then he had to come back 40 years later, and then Stephen makes the point that the second time he came to them, they recognized that Moses was indeed the God-sent deliverer, and he led them out of bondage.

Then Stephen takes the story of the Hebrew's on up, and he tries to culminate his sermon with the fact that this One they crucified was the Christ. Now verse 57, and Stephen is coming to the end of this whole dissertation.

Acts 7:57-58 "Then they (these Jewish leaders in particular, and the Nation of Israel in general) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul."

Here we have now a high point in the Hebrew’s rejection of everything pertaining to Jesus of Nazareth, (this also marked God's turning point in His dealing now being changed from just the Hebrew's only to the nations this being the third rejection here in Acts) and we’re introduced to the next major player on the stage of God dealing with mankind and that was Saul of Tarsus. Now verse 59.

Acts 7:59-60 "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60. And he knelt down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (died, this is the state of all who are in Christ from this time forward they all are asleep awaiting His call to arise from whatever state they are in.)

Alright that was the Hebrew’s final act of rejection concerning Jesus of Nazareth. Now like we said, we were introduced to the next player on the stage and that’s the Apostle Paul - and we knew him first as Saul of Tarsus. Now we're not going to rehearse his conversion on the road to Damascus, as most of us are well acquainted with that, but we want to come down to see how definitively the Scripture points out that here is this fork in the road. Up until now it’s been all God dealing with His Covenant people the Hebrews. And remember they've broken the covenant more times and in more ways than can be described here. We know Peter appeals to the Hebrews, and Stephen appeals to them, but now after they’ve rejected them,(remember that the Hebrews refused the offer of the kingdom now three times) God does something totally different (humanity is under the rule of conscience, restraint of the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and now comes in Grace, God's special provision in this God's Grace economy). So let’s begin with verse 10 of Acts chapter 9. Here Saul is being dealt with just outside the city gate, and the Lord has appeared to him. But now the Lord appears to this Jew who was one of the leaders of the synagogue in Damascus: (Special note: Saul is caught outside the city gate and away from the religious influence that had held him bond for so long he meats the promised Messiah-Jesus Yeshua the risen Lord who he know as Yehovah and we're sure by His many other titles of office.)

Acts 9:10-13 "And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; (now you always have to remember that the word ‘disciple’ does not always mean one of the Twelve. A disciple was a follower, one of intimate knowledge of the Lord and so we know Ananias was certainly not one of the Twelve, but simply a believer that Jesus was the Messiah, he had the required intimate relationship) and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. (He gets his attention) And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11. And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prays. 12. And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight (this is more than what meats our eyes at first reading as Saul by now has been changed from an external sense driven priest to a person of the spiritual inward sensing or discerning ability). 13. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many things of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem:" He’s persecuting them. Putting them in prison, putting them to death if possible. Now verse 15, and what’s the first word?

Acts 9:15a "But…" It’s the flip side, as God’s got another side of the coin.

Acts 9:15a "But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he (Saul of Tarsus) is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,…" (to bear is to carry His name as a woman carries her husbands name and as we're to bear His name which is to be in Christ or to have the ability to pray as He would or in His name, reestablished as One with Elohim. To have the intimacy with Him.)

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXIV

Matthew 9:35a "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues,…" How many times have we heard it said, and we’ll keeping saying it as long as the Lord gives me time here on earth, "When Jesus made His appearance to the Nation of Israel, everything He said and taught was directed to the Nation of Israel because He was under the promises and the Levitical Law." And all we ask people to do is just stop and think, did He ever at any time tell the disciples or his followers to quit Temple worship. No, never! Did He ever tell them it was no longer necessary to bring sacrifices? Never! And everything that He taught is in accordance with the Law (first five books). Allow me give you an example over in chapter 19. Sometimes we start heading for a Scripture, and then we're not sure we're going to the right place, but this one we hit right. And this Scripture just confirms what we just told you about Jesus teaching according to the Law. Everything He said, was directed to the Hebrew people under the Law, and oh, that’s hard for people to understand. This is a whole different economy than where we are today. We’re not under Law, we’re under Grace and the promised New Covenant, but Jesus ministered under the law given to Adam by command spoken to him, and the promises given to Abraham and the Levitical Laws given to Moses with their statutes and ordinances. The very place God places us at our conversion, for what purpose? the same as it was meant for the nation of Israel. The teaching and training unto obedience even the death of all self will or disobedience and unbelief which is where Israel failed. Because of a hardness of heart or unbelief.

Matthew 19:16 "And behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Is that a good question to the One Who gives eternal life? Absolutely! But look at Jesus’ answer.

Matthew 19:17 "And He said to him, Why call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, (that is being born again by passing through the veil to enter eternal life) keep the commandments." We've come in beyond the cross, and when Christ was crucified then the law of commandment and the Laws (the Levitical Law as given to Moses) were crucified with Him, and He arose in resurrection power, and then He revealed to this last apostle, the Apostle Paul, all of these Grace revelations or secrets and mysteries, (we live under the rule of conscience, the restrainer the Holy Spirit, human government, promise, and Grace a special provision of God in this His economy of Grace) and through the work of the cross, the law and the Laws of Moses and the prophets have been satisfied and all the sins of the world were laid on Christ, and now we just take it by trusting/faith + nothing; it’s all done. Yes, it is, if you’ll just see the whole picture. But you see, too many people aren’t seeing the whole picture, they can only see Christ’s earthly ministry and what they don't see is it was to the Hebrews only. With His ascension back to the Father with His Blood He put an end to the old an inaugurated the New Covenant of promise (Jeremiah 31:33-34 and else where called by different titles but still the same).

Matthew 9:35 "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, (according to the Law) and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, (which had been promised all the way since Genesis chapter 12. That through the Abrahamic Covenant would come this Kingdom promised to the Nation of Israel. So He was preaching the good news of the Kingdom but not the Gospel of Grace as He had not yet been crucified, He could only allude to it) and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." Now to show how it was confined to the Nation of Israel, just come across the page to Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew 10:1a "And when he had called to him his twelve disciples,…" Then it names them. We know them, and we don’t have to read them, but then come down to verse 5:

Matthew 10:5a "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them,…" He commanded them, and He’s the Lord of glory, He’s the Creator, He’s the God of this universe, and He had every right in the world to command them, and look what He tells them.

Matthew 10:5b "…and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter not: 6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Do you see how plain that is? He commanded them not to have anything to do with anybody but the Hebrews. And then verse 7.

Matthew 10:7 "And as you go, preach, (the same thing He’d been preaching) saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand." And along with that they were to have the power of healing and miracles and signs and wonders. To prove that fact that the kingdom was in deed among them they bore witness of it. Now verse 8.

Matthew 10:8-9 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give. 9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses." My what a different scenario than what we’re in today, but that was the Gospel that Jesus was proclaiming to the Nation of Israel. Alright, the other one we like to use with regard to that same Gospel of the Kingdom is in Matthew chapter 16. This is all that Paul is referring to, how that at the beginning the Gospel as we understand it, even in our Gospel of Grace, began back here, but it’s a progressive thing. It began with the promises made to woman, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets (David, yes king David was a prophet). It began even further when Jesus appeared to the Nation of Israel, and we’re going to see in a little bit how it goes on into Peter’s preaching in the Book of Acts. Then it’s going to lead to the appearance of that last apostle, the Apostle Paul. This is a revelation of God's changing the course or direction that the Hebrews were to bring in as they as a nation rejected the offer of the kingdom at least four times, three in the Acts alone.

But here in Christ’s earthly ministry to the Hebrews, here is what Israel was to have believed under the Law, without giving up anything of the Mosaic system. This was an added requirement of trust. This is toward the end of His earthly ministry, they’re up there in northern Israel, and they’ll be making their way down to Jerusalem for the crucifixion. But look what happens.

Matthew 16:13-16 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14. And they said, Some say that you are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15. He said to them, But whom say you that I am? 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, you are the Christ, (the Messiah) the Son of the living God."

Now listen that’s all they were to believe. That under the Mosaic Law, keeping the commandments, they were to now simply to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. And that requirement runs all the way through the Four Gospels. Let us take you on to another one over in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and let’s come down to verse 23.

John 11:23 "Jesus said to her, (Martha) your brother shall rise again. 24. Martha said to him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in (into or believes) me, though he were dead (mans natural state of birth), yet shall he live (be born again): 26. and whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die (they have passed from death into new life in Christ as heirs of promise). Believe you this? (now look at her answer. It’s almost identical with Peter’s answer) 27. She said to him, Yes Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."

Now isn’t that obvious? This is all the Gospel now that began with the coming of Christ to the Nation of Israel in fulfillment of all those Old Testament promises and prophecies, but now this was their Gospel, and that’s what they had to believe. That He was the Christ, but under the Law. Nobody said anything about no longer keeping the Law. Now let’s go to the Book of Acts, and now look at how Peter approaches it in chapter 3. And how this Gospel just keeps moving on through the earthly external ministry, past the death, burial, and resurrection, and now we’re into Peter’s preaching still to the Nation of Israel. Here they’ve just healed the lame man, and Peter comes on down and reminds them again that they denied the Holy One in verse 14.

Acts 3:14a "But you denied the Holy One…"
In verse 15 you desired the murderer:

Acts 3:15a "And killed the Prince of life,…"
But now look at verse 16. Here is the continuation of that Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus began.

Acts 3:16 "And his name though faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by (in) Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of your all." How did that man receive healing? By believing that the One Who had been crucified, had risen from the dead, and now it was through trust in that name, that he could receive healing as well as his Salvation. This was what was required of the Hebrews until they had rejected Him three times, actually four. Now listen for the change...

Hebrews 2:3a "…which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, (Himself) and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him:"

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXIII

I Corinthians 1:22 ""For the Jews require a sign, (and we’ll be looking at that in a future section on Hebrews chapter 2. Oh, they were always saying, "show us a sign." And Christ did with wonders and miracles, but the Greeks on the other hand didn’t care about signs, and miracles, all they wanted was what?) and the Greeks seek after wisdom:"(Mans intellectualism and high degrees or doctorates) But for us God satisfies both sides of the coin, as He gives us the power of God, and the wisdom! He also gives us the robe of righteousness and the full armor to prepare us for that day of separation from Satan's power and influences. When we've learned the lessons for obedience which is what our first estate or as with Israel we're placed by God into the first covenant at our conversion. This as was its purpose for Israel is our training and learning to become dependent on the Holy Spirit who brings us through the first foundations of doctrine while under him as our tutor, the first oracles of God. These are to bring us to seeing our need for holiness and righteousness which the Law could not do or provide, it also by or through obedience reveals that for us to gain holiness and righteousness we've got to die. To become as dead to the worlds influence and our self-will or self life of sin and death.

Hebrews 2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, (that is by the Son, the One we’re emphasizing here in these first two chapters) and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him:" How through the written word, the eye witness accounts and Paul's first hand knowledge given to him by the risen LORD!

Now we guess the best place to start is, "What do we mean by this Salvation which was first spoken by the Lord Himself?" So turn back to Matthew, and we’ll go into His earthy ministry again. The Bible is a progressive revelation of Christ from cover to cover He is the central theme. They didn’t have everything back there in Genesis, and the prophets still didn’t know it all, though they did see a glimpse of the things to come. The Twelve didn’t get a grasp of it all, because it was a progressive thing and God had placed a veil over their eyes and ears, as He has done to all the worldly and those who don't seek or search the scripture for themselves. Remember that the Lord's name in Hebrew, EHYEH literally means (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 44:6) the ever revealing one or the communicator, but even this is still undecided among religious leaders.

So as we progress on up through human history, and we come up through the Scriptures, then we finally come to this place where the Apostle Paul becomes the number one player on the stage, and he reveals how that all of these things were coming to the place where Redemption and Salvation could now go to the whole human race. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by trusting/faith in what Christ accomplished in His death, burial, and resurrection and ascension. Alright, but we’re not there yet in Christ’s earthly ministry, He’s still in the Kingdom economy offered to the Hebrews, so come back to Matthew chapter 4, and let’s just drop in at verse 17.

Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Well, what was He talking about? He had come to them to present Himself to the Hebrews as their Messiah, their Redeemer, and their King. Now where do we get all that. Well let’s go all the way back to Genesis, even though we're sure Paul is making the original reference to the Lord’s earthly ministry there in Hebrews 2:3, but yet we think we can take the opportunity to go all the way back to when it all began in Genesis chapter 3, where we have the first prophetic utterance concerning the coming of a Redeemer and Saviour for the whole human race.

Genesis 3:15, a verse that most of us know forward and backwards, and this is just after the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve have just eaten of the tree, prompted, of course, by the adversary, the old tempter, the Devil himself. So God is dealing with Satan, and He’s making him a promise. A promise that He fulfilled when He finished the work of the cross and the resurrection. So God says:

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed (the forces of Satan, and his whole demonic system of power. It would be an enmity between that) and her seed; (or the Seed of the woman, this seed is the secret of God that Christ's seed is in all humanity held as a grain until the Light strikes it, and we know from Galatians chapter 3, that the Seed of the woman was Christ. And He came through the woman, she was the vehicle) it (the Seed of the woman, Christ, the incorruptible seed spoken into and received by Mary, as we'll see shortly as “a body prepared for Him”) shall bruise your head, (that’s where you defeat a snake, you kill it at it’s head. So that’s where we struck Satan his death blow at the cross in the Lord, but Satan got in his lick by making Jesus Christ suffer) and you shall bruise his heel."(the piercing of Jesus' feet on the tree/cross, this is to also be done as referenced as the footstool and the enemies of the cross of Christ)

The promises and Abrahamic Covenant are so fundamental to this great Salvation. Now verse 1 of Genesis chapter 12, and remember this is half way between Adam and Christ’s first advent:

Genesis 12:1 "Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you: (which of course will be the land of Canaan. This promised land is Christ and his abundant Grace.) 2. And I will make of you a great nation (called Israel), and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: 3. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curses you: (now here comes the promise on which our Redemption and Salvation rests) and in you (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed." This posses a great problem to all who follow the priesthood of Aaron's order an external religion based on works and a earthy or practical trust, a system from which this outline was taken. Point of note, how do we bless Abraham? Do we bless the nation of Israel or Abraham? Abraham. When God sees our obedience as that which was accredited to Abraham we have blessed Abraham by our trusting God just as he did. And it was counted to him as God's righteousness. How? When he turned his back toward his small world and fathers house and left it all behind him. He listened to God's voice and did as he was directed.

Abraham (Abram lived under the conviction of conscience, the restrainer the Holy Spirit, human government, and promise, in God's economy) had to wait a long time before he even got his first son, and how can we get a nation until you have a son? But from that one son, Isaac, there came another generation with one son, Jacob (remember that Esau was not counted as a son because he sold his birth right), then finally Jacob has the twelve sons, and the twelve sons and their families end up down in Egypt. Then, after the hundreds of years in Egypt, God raises up the next great character in Scripture, in Moses the deliverer. Note Moses' name in Egyptian means Mo or Mu which means water and shesh means to drawing out or rescue. A picture of Christ's redemption and salvation by drawing out or rescuing His people. And Moses leads the Nation of Israel out of bondage through the Red sea (a symbol of the worlds influence). And to the Nation of Israel, He now gives the Law.(The Hebrews now live under the conviction of conscience, the restrainer the Holy Spirit, human government, promise and now the Mosaic Law or Levitical Law in God's economy) The Mosaic Law was a whole idea of preparing that nation of people for the coming of a Redeemer. It was spiritual but they did not understand its purpose and goal. But according to the Abrahamic Covenant He was to be more than just a Redeemer, He was also to be a Messiah (Savor or one who brings salvation) and a King over an earthly Kingdom. Because the Hebrews were an earthy nation trusting concretely in the five senses because there were only a few who came to trusting/faith in God's word received in them by inspiration and revelation and acted upon what He revealed to them, as Abram and Moses did.

All of these things begin to snowball as we come up through human history, leading up to the day when Christ makes that initial appearance to the Nation of Israel, known as the last days or the day of the Lord. Now come back again to Matthew chapter 4, and we see He started His ministry crying:

Matthew 4:b "…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Now come on over to chapter 9, and remember the basis for us doing this. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord." Do you see where we're coming from? Alright then, how did the Lord come? By virtue of the promises made to woman, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets - and now here He is, and makes His appearance. All through the Old Testament Israel is told that they have broken God's Covenant with Him and what was to be its result? why death because of the curse which was upon it. Now let’s begin with verse 35, and this is the beginning of His earthly ministry to the Hebrews, as we call it.

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXII

Acts 2:22-23 "You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know: 23. Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" Why would they do this? They neglected to understand that He was the promised Messiah. He proved it for 3 years, but they spurned Him, and neglected even as those who were invited to the wedding feast we just read. Now let’s go over a little further, still in the Book of Acts. So come on over to chapter 24, when Paul has now come on the scene, and let’s drop in at verse 24. Here Paul is being accused, and supposedly being brought to trial.


Acts 24:24 "And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. (now you all know this, I know you do. But I want to give you another thought on it.) 25. And as he reasoned (Felix, this governor or whatever his title may have been, but as he reasoned) of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered. Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. 26. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him:…" What’s Felix doing? Neglecting Salvation. He’s putting it off to his own doom. Oh, the constant reminder in Scripture is, "Don’t put it off" because the Scripture says, "Now is the day of Salvation." Not tomorrow or next year, but now. Now let’s come back to Hebrews chapter 2, and we’ll go on a little further in the verse:

Hebrews 2:3a "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;…" How are we going to miss the doom of the lost and the lawless, if we neglect or spurn or postpone so great a Salvation. Now listen, we're afraid the average well-intentioned church member doesn’t realize what a great Salvation has been offered to the human race. It’s the inhuman understanding. It’s just totally beyond us. Alright now we're going to bring you back again to Romans and this time chapter 1. This is a verse that most of us probably know from memory. Let’s drop down to verse 16. And remember, "How can we escape, and how can the human race escape if they neglect, or treat lightly so great a Salvation.

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel of His Grace) is the power of God unto salvation to every one that (repents and is baptized? No! Your Bible doesn’t say that and neither does mine, or anything else we can put in there. This great Salvation has now become accessible to everyone that) believes; (It’s faith, it’s trusting this Gospel of God's Grace. So it’s to everyone that believes, or receives the illumination) to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Alright, so great a Salvation. Now let’s go look at Philippians chapter 2. We're going to wear your Bibles out, that we’re going to do a lot of page turning. And the whole idea that we want to keep in our minds is, "this great Salvation." These are verses we use periodically.

Philippians 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; 6. Who, (God the Son as we saw in Hebrews 1. Who) being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (He was God. He was the Creator of everything) 7. But (even though He was the Creator God, He) made Himself (He was forced into it, because of His great Agape Love) of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, (bond slave, the lowest level in the human economy in our humanity) and was made in the likeness of men (for a short period of time): 8. and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death (the ministration of death the final condition of the requirement of the Law), even the death of the cross." Now again our human intellectual mind set cannot comprehend all the depth of this. It’s just beyond us. We can put it together and get a full understanding of all that was in the mind of God when He pre-programmed that horrible death of crucifixion, by our renewing of our minds to spiritual things. We receive all by way of inspiration from within the heart once received we digest it and it then becomes revelation to our mind and understanding or knowledge of things spiritual. See, when we go back into the time of Moses, when the serpents were running rampant through the Hebrews, what did Moses put up in the midst of the camp. Well the brazen serpent. And the whole idea was that if the people would look up at that brazen serpent, then they would be healed of their snakebites. Then we come along to John’s Gospel, and what does he say? "The Son of man had to be lifted up." He had to be lifted up in order to fulfill the type of the brazen serpent. These are the types of spiritual Truths which when put together or eaten as the flesh of Christ and we drink in of the waters of the Holy Spirit the which not only cleans us but are a type of drinking in of the inspiration He then causes us to gain the insight or revelation. Now the Word begins to come to Life by imparting the Life (breath) of God as incorruptible seed received and allowed to grow within the fertile ground of our soul or awakened (quickened) spirit.

So it had to be the death by crucifixion, because no other death would have lifted him up. He had to be the cursed One, because again when we go back into the Old Testament economy, when there was a no good son, and nobody could do anything with him, what had to happen? Well they had to put him to death, but after they had stoned him, what did they do with his body? Hung it on a pole until just before night fall when it had to be removed (Deuteronomy 21:18-23). And again what was the whole picture? Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. So those were all prototypes of what Christ would fulfill in that horrible death by crucifixion. But we see in God’s Sovereign way of thinking, it had to be, as nothing else would have worked. This can only be comprehended by the spirit of faith and truth, with the mind of Christ renewed within in us. Which is only received through dead to sin and self-will in the flesh of man and this is a working of God's power and Authority to which we willing submit and are required to submit.

Now let’s go to I Corinthians chapter 1 and look at a few more verses. We also want to remember that Paul’s letters are directed to us as recipients of God’s Grace, in the Church Age. Not just for us, but rather to us. So in this passage, my, we can just sink our teeth into it, and say, "this is God speaking to me," even though it’s through the apostle’s pen, it’s still God speaking to us as through His Son. We know this throws a curve at a lot of people, but it’s what the Book says.

I Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, (in other words, not with some fast talking, whatever. We know, even Apollos was a great orator, but it took a couple of little Hebrew lay people to teach him the truth. So he doesn’t come with wisdom of words) lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." Listen, at the heart of everything is that work of the cross. Now verse 18, and remember what we're still harping on, "How great a Salvation." And for the most part mankind is neglecting it, and because they’re neglecting it,(the churches of Christendom [the denominational and nondenominational assembles] are neglecting this Gospel of God's Grace, they have a liberal theology and for years they have been in the throws of an humanistic gospel through the evangelistic humanism of the churches) they’re never going to escape their doom. So don’t lose sight of that.

I Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; (how true. The average person here in the Bible belt does not feel it’s the cross that makes the difference, they want to remove the word blood and Paul's letters from the Bible) but to us which are saved it (the preaching of the cross, the Blood, resurrection and ascension) is the power of God." It took more power to save this sinner, and us as a sinner, than it did to create the universe." Now we may think that’s a play on words, but listen, who held us chained to our lost estate? Satan did. Satan held every one of us, but Who alone could break that chain? The work of the cross! Now verse 22:

The Epistle to the Hebrews part XXI

Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." We do love to just see how much we can pull out of a particular statement in Scripture, by comparing it with other Scriptures. That’s the name of the game you know, building Scripture on Scripture. That is called by God as seeking Him and He requires us to do so. Why? To acquire the mind of Christ, having the spirit of our minds renewed. This is to change the way we see things ie. to reprogram our minds from worldly thinking to a heavenly mindedness.

Hebrews 2:3a "How shall we escape, (that is the wrath, and doom, and eternal state of being lost) if we neglect so great salvation;…" Now that word neglect, we think we all experience it. We know we try to tell my sons in our title business, you know you can’t get careless, you can’t cut corners or skip a step in the search, because just as sure as do, it’s going to hit you in the pocket book. So, neglect, you see is a word that catches us almost everyday of our lives regardless of what our lifestyle is. Neglect leads to carelessness and it means the same thing here.

Hebrews 2:3a "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;…" It isn’t that Salvation isn’t there. We mentioned it so often in John chapter 10, the chapter on the good shepherd - where is the door of the sheepfold? Right at ground level. Not up on some high cliff or across some raging river, but rather it’s right at ground level, and in front of every lost person throughout their life. All they have to do is step in by faith, but they neglect to do that. Alright, let’s just use a couple of Scripture verses to point that out. But first remember that for the Hebrews salvation was what they were to enter after having passed through the corral or tutorial period under the guidance of the Old Covenants Law. Now for us its no different like we've said before when we first come through conversion God by His power places us all into the first estate. One for our learning and training by the Holy Spirit and second where we're to also learn to listen and trust Him as our guide and trainer. Who points out our need for holiness and righteousness through the valley of the shadow of death because the first administration of that first estate only reveals our sin or undone condition and need for more of God. This was also to be Israels state but they did not get it, they remained blind to it because of their unbelief. Much the same as the worlds church of our day and time. Much the same as the worlds church of our day and time. Its through the passage of a death that we are to pass that we enter salvation's working in us and then through us to others.

Hebrews 2:3a "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;…" Alright we’ll stop right there and come back to Matthew chapter 22, where the same Greek word, in a little bit different form, nevertheless it’s the same Greek root word here in this chapter, and let’s look at verses 1-5. But in order to get the real meaning of the verse, I guess we should go to the beginning of the parable, because this is the Lord Jesus speaking during His earthly ministry, and remember these parables again were directed primarily to the Jewish people, and the Pharisees in particular. In fact while you’re in this chapter just go back a chapter to 21:45, because I always like to use this verse to explain to people what I mean when I say, that everything Jesus said, was said to Jews under the Law. So let’s look at that passage first.

Matthew 21:45 "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them." Do we see how plain that is? They understood that all His parables were directed to them, because they were the ones that were so guilty. Now you come into chapter 22, He gives another parable.

Matthew 22:1 "And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables, (So who do you think He’s directing it to? Well the chief priest and the Pharisees) 2. The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3. And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage. 5. But they made light of it, (they neglected it,(the Jews, no gentiles here) they didn’t pay any attention. They neglected their invitation to the wedding feast. So in their neglecting it, what was their response?) and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise;"

Now look at chapter 23

Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kills the prophets, and stones them which are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!" Why not? They neglected. They didn’t pay any mind. He’s making reference of course to the whole Old Testament economy when the prophets were constantly warning Israel of their chastisement, how that other nations would over run them, and then, he says: "You would not." So consequently because of their neglect He says:

Matthew 23:38 "Behold, your house is left to you desolate." Oh, what awful condemnation, but that wasn’t God’s fault. God pleaded with them, and pleaded with them, and pleaded with them. "But they would not!" So in 70 AD the Romans flatten not only the temple but Jerusalem as well. Now let’s turn to the Book of Acts, chapter 2 for a little bit and pick up this same thought. This is on the Pentecostal sermon that Peter is preaching. This vast crowd of Jews has gathered for the Feast of Pentecost. Remember this is just 50 days after the crucifixion and ten days after His ascension, and here’s the same response, total neglect.