One of the most significant books of the New Covenant is the letter to the Hebrews, or Messianic Believers.  Hebrews touches the (Tanaka Older Covenant) more than any other book in the New.  

This letter was written in the 60’s of the first century.  Many of the Jewish people who had come to believe in Yeshua as Messiah were made homeless because of the stand that they had taken for Yeshua.

Though they were Jewish they lived as strangers and exiles in their own homeland.  They were mocked tormented, and imprisoned.  Persecuted by Rome and the religious leaders of Israel.

This letter was probably written by a Jewish believer who could identify and sympathize with the persecution they were experiencing.  If being cast off by the Jewish community wasn’t bad enough Nero had come to power and he hated the disciples of Jesus.  

In 64 A.D. a devastating fire swept through Rome destroying a great part of the city.  The emperor was the chief suspect.  In order to divert attention from himself, Nero accused Believers.  He then pursued them by subjecting them to the worst of tortures.

The Author of this letter is unknown, but key individuals attribute it to Paul, who they say he wrote it anonymously in Hebrew and translated by Luke. There are many others suggested by various scholars like:

Apollos, a Jewish believer, known for his speaking ability and knowledge of the Tenach and Jewish Halakah(Talmud and rabbinical interpretations of older covenant writings); Aquila the Jewish believer who led Apollos to a correct understanding of the New Covenant.  Or even Priscilla who they say wrote anonymously since she was a woman. Ultimately it was God through His Holy Spirit though His servants.

It was written primarily because Jewish believers were drifting from their faith because of their trials.  They were neglecting “so great a salvation” and falling away from the living God.  

What is written here applies to all of God’s children who are called to be priests of God. So, Hebrews helps in understanding the New Covenant based on God’s Holy Law given to a priestly nation, Israel. 

This letter was written to Jewish Believers who knew about Yeshua by the testimony of first-generation believers and the indwelling Spirit of God. But unlike us they did not have a written New Covenant as we do.

They were in a transition period as God’s Word was being composed and recorded by God’s New Covenant writers. The written New Covenant explains the Torah and the prophets. 

The New Covenant is the Biblical Talmud, or commentary of the Law and the prophets. The orthodox Jewish community holds the Talmud as the key that interprets Torah and the rest of Scripture.  

The Talmud and other authoritative Jewish writings reflect what Yeshua referred to as the traditions which in many cases nullify God’s Laws and how they point to Jesus as His Messiah.

Hebrews is a divine commentary on the Jewish Scriptures.  The theme is that the Messiah Yeshua is the Way, The only way to the Father. That He is what the Tanach points to. 

Chapters 1-4 disclose that Yeshua is greater in His person than the prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and the Sabbath.

Chapters 5-10 teaches that Jesus is our High Priest, greater than the Levitical priesthood, the older covenant, and the daily sacrifices.

Chapters 11-13 – That Yeshua is greater in giving Life.  Through Him and the Life He imparts we have faith to believe God, hope to endure trials, and empowered to love God and encourage others.

As you study this book you realize that though this letter was addressed to 1st C. Jewish believers it is God’s manual for God’s priests today.

The Rabbis taught that all the law and prophets were written for the days of Messiah.  They held the conviction that the World was created for the leadership and rule of the Messiah.

The writer of Hebrews understood this and expressed it to his readers. In v. 1 we are told that God has revealed Himself to His people in various ways but in v. 2 we are told that in this age God is speaking through His Son.

In Heb 1:1-4 This “Son’s” uniqueness is defined 7 different ways.  By doing this the writer distinguishes this “Son” from all other sons.  These 7 ways can be divided into 3 categories.

1. The first category is This “Son” is Sovereign Lord of the Universe.

• The Second He is the representative presence of the Father.

• The 3^rd category is He is greater in His Priesthood.

I.  The Son is Lord of the Universe and in this category, in v. 2 we see two things that point to His uniqueness.

1. v 2 God has appointed Him Heir of all things  This was done before creation.  Just as Abraham made Isaac heir of all his possessions, so did the Father of creation appoint Yeshua as His heir as opposed to Ishmael and his other sons through Keturah after Sarah’s death.

Psalm 2 and Psalm 8 attest to this fact concerning the Messiah.  Ps 2:6-8: 

But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (begotten does not mean that Yeshua, is a created being but points to his incarnation)

‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.  He is the heir of all things.

2. God through the Messiah created the World v 2- If we confess that Yeshua is Lord. We are saying that Yeshua is God.  This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah said in 9:6. 

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Yeshua said “He who has seen me has seen the Father”

3.  The Son is the creator of all things (John 1:1-3,10,14). Col 1:16 “For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

II.  The second category is that Yeshua is the Representative presence of the Father. We see 3 things in V. 3 to support this:

1. He is the Radiance of His Glory v 3 – This means that He is the visible Manifestation of God on earth.  This Word “Glory” is a reference to the Shekinah, described beautifully in 2 Chron. 7:1-3…

Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the House.  And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house.  And all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the House, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground.” 

• He is the exact represenative of God’s Nature. V 3- As a mold impressed in wax is a reflection of the dye that cast it, so are all the perfections of the Father found in the Son.  God is Echad.

• He upholds all things by the word of His power  v 3- The Son of God is not only the Creator, calling all things into existence out of nothing by His word; But He is also the Preserver of all creation.  Col. 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

III. The Third Category: He Is Superior in His Priesthood

1. He made purification of our sins v 3- In O.T. times before the sacrificial offerings in the Temple could be offered, the Temple itself had to be cleansed.  Ex. 29:36…”And each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it.”

Yeshua, who is the Greater Temple by virtue of the Spirit of God dwelling in fullness in Him, made this cleansing by Himself.  The priests could not do this on their own. Sin was covered but not removed.

What Jesus accomplished was the removing the barrier of sin that exists between God and man.

The work of Jesus made it possible for us to have personal atonement. Furthermore, He made it possible for man to be removed from the power of sin that causes us to be in bondage.

As a result of this work that He Himself accomplished He Sat Down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” – This means that His work of Atonement is complete.  It is finished.  

This is a reference to His superiority over the High Priest and the Levitical priesthood. The Day of Atonement was the only day that the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies.

This is where the Ark of the Covenant was and the dwelling of God’s Spirit on earth.  There was no chair there and the High Priest was not permitted to linger.  There were no chairs in the Temple

But as Hebrews tells us our Messiah has sat down in the Presence of God Himself and intercedes for us before His Throne. 

Eph. 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in our transgressions, He made us alive together with Messiah (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Messiah Yeshua. 

Our priestly ministry is one of restful service.  “My yoke is easy my burden is light and you will find rest for your souls.”

The last point made concerning the uniqueness of Yeshua is in v 4: “Having become as much better that the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

The wording “became” is interesting.  We would expect a statement that the Messiah was eternally superior to the angels, instead we have the statement, “becoming superior to them.”

This points to the work that God the Son did in becoming man and putting the sins of man away.  This work caused Him to inherit a more excellent Name.  HaShem.  A substitute word for יהוה

Which alludes to the words of praise (the Hallel) in Ps. 118:26 “Blessed be He who comes in the Name of the Lord.”  A reference to the Messiah.

Yeshua is the Name above all names.  We need to realize that this Yeshua we have come to believe in is Lord and King of the Universe,

Represents the image of the Father to mankind and is Far Superior to all men and and angels. And we are His priests interceding and serving a lost and dying world.

He is the messenger of the New Covenant spoken of by Moses in Dt. 18:18 

“I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.”