HEBREWS 1


     Hebrews is a very interesting book obviously written before the
destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. In Hebrews chapter
10 verse 11 and in chapter 13 verses 10 and 11, we see the mention of
the temple. These both are not explicit, but certainly point to there
still being a temple when they were written.

     The person who penned the book of Hebrews is also something we
must guess at. Some believe Apollos, others believe Barnabus, others
believe Priscilla, someone else believed Phillip. The list goes on and
on about the speculations of who was the penman. My own personal
belief is that it was Paul. There are too many expressions that Paul
used that are in the book for there to be any doubt in my mind.

     I believe that Paul was trying to convey to his Hebrew brothers
and sisters that they should rely on Jesus alone as their perfect
sacrifice, and that it was not to their advantage to go back to their
Jewish customs. Jesus had opened the way to the Father when Jesus was
crucified on the cross. My own personal opinion is that God let the
temple in Jerusalem be destroyed to stop the sacrifice of animals.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the perfect Sacrifice for all sin
for all time. It was almost as if they did not believe in Jesus to go
to the temple and sacrifice. Jesus was either the perfect sacrifice or
we are all going to hell. We, as well as the Hebrews, must depend on
His sacrifice on the cross to be enough for all time for everyone.

     The main theme that I see in this book is Jesus Christ our High
Priest forever. This is one of my favorite books and bear with me if I
go into greater detail in this book.

     Now let us begin in Hebrews 1:1 "God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,"

     God in the Scripture above means the supreme Divinity. Luke 1:55
"As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."
This is saying that God all through the ages at specific times had
spoken to chosen vessels. Each encounter was different. He spoke to
Moses from a burning bush. God spoke to Elijah in a still quiet voice.
Many times His voice was mistaken for thunder. God can not be put in a
little category and say that He has to do it any particular way. Paul
himself found that God blinded him with His Light. God is God. The
best thing for us to do is not to try to figure out God. Whichever way
He communicates with you, just accept it. Prophets are men and women
who God has given a message to. Many times their message will be one
of warning of things about to happen. God sends the message by them to
give the offenders a chance to repent. If they do not repent, then God
sends His wrath.

     Hebrews 1:2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds;"

     We are requested of God the Father to listen to the message His
Son brings. Matthew 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."
Even when this was written in Hebrews, it was the beginning of the
last days. We know that God does not count time the same way that we
do. With Him a thousand years can be as a day and a day as a thousand
years. II Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day."  You see, the time table is not the same for God
and man. We see in the book of John that Jesus was creator God. John
1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God." John 1:2 "The same was in the beginning with God. John
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing
made that was made."  The Word of God became the Son of God for His
stay here on earth. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Romans 8:17 "And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so
be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together."

     Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the
express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of
his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;"

     John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with
you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath
seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?" John
14:10 "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in
me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." These Scriptures
leave no doubt that Jesus is the image of His Father. In fact, it is
difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. I believe they
are one in the Spirit. I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these
three are one." We see three personalities, but we can not deny that
something about them is one. Perhaps, this Spirit of God that took the
form of a man explains it. Their Spirit and their will were one.  The
flesh of Jesus sets Him aside from the others while He is on the
earth. Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godhead bodily." The word brightness in the 3rd verse above means to
shine forth from. Express image in verse 3 means exact copy. Upholding
means be in verse 3. Word in verse 3 is the spoken Word. Power is the
word dunamis that the word dynamite came from. This power then is
explosive power. Purged has to do with total purification. This is
saying that Jesus did it all for us and went and sat down at the
Father's right side. He sat down, because He finished the job. In
fact, it was finished when Jesus made that statement from the cross
[it is finished]. No one or nothing else purchased our salvation for
us, Jesus did it all. This brightness of His glory is speaking of
Jesus who is the Light of the world. God is spoken of as Father of
lights in James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning."

     Hebrews 1:4 "Being made so much better than the angels, as he
hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."

     Angels are created beings and Jesus is Creator God. There can be
no comparison. The Creator is always greater than the thing He
creates. Ephesians 1:20 "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised
him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly
[places]," Ephesians 1:21 "Far above all principality, and power, and
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come:" Ephesians 1:22 "And hath
put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over
all [things] to the church,"  We know that there is no greater than
Jesus. God the Father, on several occasions, called Jesus His only
begotten Son. We have discussed in the four gospels Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John how the Holy Spirit of God hovered over Mary and she
conceived of the Holy Spirit of God. The Baby within her was the
Spirit of God. We will see in the next few Scriptures that everyone
everywhere must bow to Jesus. Philippians 2:9 "Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:"
Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
[things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the
earth;" Philippians 2:11 "And [that] every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father." We see from
this that all the angels shall bow to Jesus. Lucifer [ the devil ] and
all of the demons [ who are the fallen angels ] have to bow to that
name.  That is the reason we have power over the devil and his angels.
Jesus has given us permission to use His name. It is the name of Jesus
that has the power.

     Hebrews 1:5 "For unto which of the angels said he at any time,
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be
to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"

     The angels are not sons of God. That lets us know that Jesus and
Lucifer were not brothers. I say again the angels [including Lucifer ]
were created beings and Jesus Is Creator God. Acts 13:33 "God hath
fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up
Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee." Matthew 16:16 "And Simon Peter
answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Notice Jesus is [the] Son not [a] son. When you specifically use the
it means only one.










                             Questions 1

1.  Hebrews was obviously written before what event?
2.  Name several people that were thought to be the penman of Hebrews.
3.  Who does the author believe the penman to be?
4.  What message was the penman trying to convey to the Hebrew people?
5.  When was the way opened to the Father for the believers?
6.  If Jesus is not the perfect sacrifice, what is the fate of all
    humanity?
7.  What is the main theme of Hebrews?
8.  In times past, who did God speak to the people through?
9.  In verse 1, what does the word God mean?
10. From what did God speak to Moses?
11. How did God speak to Elijah?
12. What was the peculiar happening when Paul met Jesus?
13. Many times the voice of God was mistaken for what?
14. Who are prophets?
15. What kind of message does a prophet bring most times?
16. In verse 2 God changed the way He sent His message, who did He
    send it by?
17. What request did God the Father make in Matthew 17-5?
18. What are we told to not be ignorant of in 11 Peter 3-8?
19. In what book of the Bible do we read that Jesus was Creator God?
20. John 1-14 says the Word was made what?
21. What does Romans 8-17 tell us we will share with Jesus?
22. What does express image mean?
23. How are Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Father one?
24. What is Jesus called in 1 John 5-7?
25. Colossians 2-9 tells us that what fulness dwells in Jesus?
26. What does brightness in verse 3 mean?
27. What does upholding in verse 3 mean?
28. Power comes from what root word in verse 3?
29. What root word does the word dynamite come from?
30. When was Jesus' work finished?
31. Where is Jesus now?
32. This brightness of His glory is speaking of whom?
33. Hebrews 1-4 says Jesus is better than whom?
34. What makes Jesus higher than the angels?
35. Who must bow to Jesus?
36. How do the Christians have power over the devil and his demons?
37. How do we know that Jesus and Lucifer were not brothers?
38. Notice Jesus is ___ Son of God not _ son.