Chapter 13: The Book of Hebrews

Who authored the book of Hebrews?

Previously, in chapter 7, I pointed out that many scholars believe the book of Hebrews was not written by Paul. In spite of the fact that the message of Hebrews is somewhat similar to that of Paul’s doctrine in that the Law has supposedly passed away, I agree with them for a number of reasons. First of all, unlike every other letter written by Paul, the author of Hebrews does not identify himself. Second, Greek scholars tell us the author’s grasp of the Greek language is superior to Paul’s. They tell us the author of Hebrews is more eloquent and poetic in style. Third, Paul’s thought lines tend to run off on tangents. The author of Hebrews follows a systematic line of reason from start to finish. And four, As I have mentioned before, Paul’s style is to continually refer to himself with the use of personal pronouns like “I”, “me”, “my”, and “mine”.  The author of the book of Hebrews refers to himself only 7 times in the entire book. In the books of Romans and 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses 103, 175, and 103 personal pronouns per letter respectively. 

Of the possible candidates for the authorship of Hebrews, there are for the most part only two real possibilities. They are Barnabas and Apollos. Many scholars believe Barnabas was the author, and this is based solely on the testimony of Tertullian around 207 A.D. Then, some 20 years later, Origen claimed the author was anonymous! I personally tend to think Apollos is the most likely candidate for being the author of Hebrews for several reasons.  Apollos was a leader in the early Christian church and he is mentioned ten times in the NT. Twice in the book of Acts, and eight times by Paul himself. We are first introduced to him in Acts.

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord… 

Acts 18:24 NKJV

Bear in mind the comment that Apollos “taught accurately”, comes from Luke’s point of view.  The term “the way” is what Paul’s doctrine was called at that time. Luke was very familiar with the term …as well as Paul’s doctrine. We also know that Apollos was influenced by Paul through Aquila and Priscilla, who themselves spent much time with Paul and later, “explained the way of God more accurately” to Apollos. Acts 18:18-28  These facts about Apollos would fit the author of Hebrews like a glove.

Paul also speaks of Apollos as a prominent leader with a significant following. His name is mentioned right along with himself, Peter, and Yeshua. 

Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:12  NKJV

Note the order in which Paul places these names. Interestingly, this order would fit the flow of differences in doctrine as well. Apollos is the closest to Paul …who names himself first. Paul undoubtedly thinks highly of Apollos because Apollos generally agrees with his doctrine. Paul lists Peter and Yeshua last and they too would be virtually identical in their teachings.

If Apollos was the author of Hebrews, it would also make perfect sense why he didn’t identify himself as the author. Since the letter was written to the Hebrew people, it would be counterproductive to identify himself by his name, The Jews typically put a lot of significance on a person’s name. A name was expected to indicate something about that person. Apollos was born in Alexandria Egypt and named after the pagan god Apollo… the son of Zeus! A book written by someone named “Apollos” would have three strikes against it right from the start in the eyes of most Hebrew people. 

Is the doctrine in the book of Hebrews any better than Paul’s?

Regardless of who authored the book of Hebrew, it’s the subject matter and doctrine of the book that is the important issue. Thus far, we have established that Paul was a false apostle and his words are far from being the infallible word of God. But if Paul did not write the book of Hebrews, the question arises, is it any better? Since Hebrews is a favorite among many Christians, this question must be addressed.

Two things that need to be analyzed in Hebrews are the personal style with which the author paints his picture and the actual subject matter and doctrine of the book. First, let’s look at the style of thought.
  

The style of thought

Whether it was written by Apollos or not, the author of the book of Hebrews was unquestionably steeped in Greek philosophical thought styles. As mentioned in chapter 5, early in the first century, there was another Jewish scholar… a prolific writer and expositor of the Hebrew Bible known as Philo Judaeus of Alexandria. Interestingly enough, Alexandria Egypt is the same place Apollos was born! Alexandria was a Mecca for students of Platonic philosophical studies. It was complete with one of the ancient world’s most exhaustive libraries. The thought style of the author of Hebrews had a lot in common with that of Philo. In the foreword of C.D. Yonge’s translation of Philo’s works, David M. Scholer makes these observations: 

Philo has also often been considered especially significant for the conceptual background of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It seems clear that there is no evidence that the author of Hebrews had read Philo and that the author utilizes a whole range of Jewish traditions, some of which have remarkable similarities to the writings of Qumran and the writings of Philo. As the recent commentator on Hebrews Harold W. Attridge, observes:  “…there are undeniable parallels that suggest that Philo and our author (of Hebrews) are indebted to similar traditions of Greek-speaking and -thinking Judaism”. One passage in Hebrews illustrates the possible connections between the thought worlds of Philo and the author of Hebrews. In Hebrews 8:5 the author argues: “They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one”. The distinction between a “Heavenly reality” and the observable, phenomenal world as “Sketch and shadow” is a (Middle) Platonic idea, but bears much in common with Philo’s expressions of these ideas. 

foreword to C.D. Yonge’s translation of Philo’s works.

As a person reads the book of Hebrews it quickly becomes evident that the author views historical events as sketches, shadows, and figures of things that were to come. This way of viewing history is so predominant in the book of Hebrews that it has taken on a philosophical life of its own in the mind of its author. So strong is this view, that the historical events themselves begin to lose relevance concerning the actual people of history to whom the events occurred! History becomes viewed as having the sole purpose of teaching through allegory the only people who really mattered… themselves.  Largely due to the book of Hebrews, this allegorical way of viewing history continues to be alive and well in many corners of Christianity today.

The next thing that becomes painfully obvious as one takes an overview of the book of Hebrews is that there is no literal physical or earthly interpretation of any prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures. None! This is especially true concerning the many prophecies of the Messianic age. It is very important to note the fact that the writer of Hebrews makes absolutely no mention of a Messianic age to come. All prophecies are given a past-tense fulfilled, heavenly interpretation. There is a reason for this. From here, we now get into the subject matter of the book of Hebrews. 

The subject matter and the doctrine of Hebrews

Throughout all of Jewish history, believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have eagerly looked for the promised Messiah to bring the peace on earth that God had promised. But the early Messianics had a problem. Yeshua, the one who they believed to be the Messiah, was gone. And to add insult to injury, there was certainly no peace on earth. This sad fact was finally driven home and all hope lost in the year 70 when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. For a number of reasons, many scholars believe Hebrews was written sometime after the destruction of the temple around 80-85.  One obvious reason is that the author is strangely silent concerning the second temple. Up until the destruction of the temple, many Messianics believed Yeshua would return in their lifetime to set up the kingdom of God and begin fulfilling the remaining Messianic prophecies. These prophecies clearly indicated that temple worship, as well as the offering of burnt sacrifices, would continue to be performed during that time. 

After the destruction of the temple, the Messianics were left with only two ways to answer the problem if they were to continue believing Yeshua was the Messiah.  Either Yeshua would return and rebuild the temple at some later date (like he said he would) or the Messianic prophecies were not meant to be fulfilled in a literal physical way on this earth. Also, for many, there was one other pesky problem that needed to be answered. The question was, what did Yeshua’s sacrifice accomplish in the way of fulfilling any future need for animal sacrifices! This is where the book of Hebrews comes in. In short, the author rises to the occasion to answer these problems by reasoning that everything has been fulfilled in a heavenly sense by Yeshua’s sacrifice.

So here is the dilemma. Has Yeshua already fulfilled these prophecies in heaven, or will he literally physically return and fulfill them here on earth in the future?  The author of Hebrews himself borrows from some of these well-known Messianic prophecies and gives them a new spin to promote his doctrine of a new-priesthood, new-law, and new-covenant, all of which have supposedly been inaugurated and fulfilled in heaven. Here is his logic:  

Like Melchizedek…  how?

In the 5^th chapter of the book of Hebrews, the author uses a Messianic prophecy from Psalm 110 to begin comparing Yeshua to Melchizedek.  

So also Christ did not glorify himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to him: “You are My son, today I have begotten you.” As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”,…   And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him, called by God as High Priest “according to the order of Melchizedek,” of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.  

Hebrews 5:5-6,9-11 NKJV

Then, in chapter 7, the author begins his new-priesthood argument by stating Yeshua is like Melchizedek in some rather strange and abstract ways. For instance, Yeshua and Melchizedek supposedly had neither genealogical record nor the beginning or end of days!

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem ,… without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.”  

Hebrews 7:1-3  NKJV

This certainly would qualify as “hard to explain”! The author is correct in determining from Psalm 110:1-4 that the Messiah is to be like Melchizedek, but the connections he draws are bizarre and extremely weak arguments from silence. Does he seriously want us to believe that because we don’t have Melchizedek’s genealogical records, parent’s names, date of birth, or date of death written there in the book of Genesis for us… he had none?!  This is the weakest form of argument there is. To illustrate: Maybe, because there is nothing said about Melchizedek being married or having any children, we must conclude he was celibate! On the off-chance, some might actually consider this a good argument, let’s try another example. Maybe, because nothing is said about Melchizedek’s apparel, we must conclude he had none and was a nudist!  Our author’s style of logic is just this non-sensical. How absurd is the notion that Melchizedek had no father or mother? If Yeshua is like Melchizedek, would it not be far better to compare him to Melchizedek on the information we do have on him as opposed to information we don’t have on him? 

Hebrews then continues with another similarly weak argument stating that Yeshua was like Melchizedek in that Melchizedek was not of the tribe of Levi.

“Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?…    …For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.        

Hebrews 7:11, 13-14  NKJV

There is one question begging to be asked here. If Yeshua is like Melchizedek in that he has no genealogical record, how does the author know he is from the tribe of Judah?!

Of particular interest, is that within this text, he wants us to believe it logically flows, since there has been a change in the priesthood, there must therefore also be a change of the Law. 

“For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the Law.”   

Hebrews 7:12      

Question: Where is this supposed truth written? There is nothing in Scripture to support it. It doesn’t even have a logical footing. Granting the hypothetical for a moment that the priesthood has changed, we have to ask; why must the Law change? Do the priests determine the Law or does God? If there were a new priesthood to serve the same God, logic would tell us the new priests would continue to abide by the established Laws of God. But on the other hand, if any priesthood old or new served a new god, then it would logically flow that a new god would dictate a new law. The author’s logic simply does not flow. Nevertheless, this presupposition is fundamental to his ongoing argument.  And again, all this is assuming his assertion that Yeshua is not of the tribe of Levi is correct in the first place. I will address this issue shortly. 

Yeshua is indeed like Melchizedek as Psalm 110:1-4 prophesied, but he is like Melchizedek in ways based on information God has given to us that we do have on him. Very little is said about him, but everything we need to know about Melchizedek can be found in one single verse.

Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.  

Genesis 14:18 NKJV

There it is. He was king of Salem and priest of The Most High God.

Yeshua: King and Priest in one

A King, who is also a Priest, has never existed in Israel’s history. The kingdom and the priesthood were always separate. The kingdom was established forever in David’s descendants in the tribe of Judah, and the priesthood was established in the descendants of Levi and Aaron forever as well.  

 Here are some of God’s promises to David.

“My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David; His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me; It shall be established forever like the moon, even like the faithful witness in the sky.”

Psalm 89:34-37 NKJV

“For thus says the Lord; David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;”

Jeremiah 33:17 NKJV

“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt: and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.”

Ezekiel 37:24-25 NKJV

“He (Yeshua) will be great, and will be called the son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

Luke 1:32-33  NKJV

And here are some of God’s promises to the Levitical priesthood.

“And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute, So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.”

Exodus 29:9  NKJV

“You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and sanctify him, that he may minister to Me as priest. And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

Exodus 40:13-15  NKJV

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying; “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel .’”  

Numbers 25;10-13 NKJV

This is just the beginning of the story. Remember, God promised the Messiah would be both king and priest like Melchizedek in Psalm 110:4. God also spoke through other prophets on numerous occasions that He would indeed bring both offices into one person in the Messiah.

“Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah; In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called; ‘THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS’. For thus says the Lord; David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.” 

Jeremiah 33:14-18 NKJV

“Behold, the man whose name is the BRANCH! From his place he shall branch out, and he shall build the temple of the Lord; Yes, he shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; So he shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” (both offices)  

Zechariah 6:12-13 NKJV

“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return, seek the Lord their God and David their king, and fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. 

 Hosea 3:4-5 NKJV

Notice in the following Messianic prophecy that royalty will officiate at the altar!

“Then it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel .”  

Ezekiel 45:17 NKJV

The author of Hebrews argues that because Yeshua is supposedly not from the tribe of Levi, there is, therefore, a change of priesthoods and a subsequent change of the law. But God had said the Levites had an “everlasting” priesthood. The only way God could fulfill these promises that He made to David and the Levites is if the Messiah was from both tribes. What our author obviously did not know is that Yeshua is exactly that! Yeshua is without question a descendant and a perfect morphing of both David and Levi! The proof is in the Gospels. The author of Hebrews is simply wrong on a number of levels both in the logic that a change of the priesthood demands a change of the law, and, that there had been any change of the priesthood in the first place! 

I have yet to find where all the pieces of this puzzle have been put together and run with by another. One can’t help but wonder if this fact doesn’t stem directly from Christianities’ acceptance of the doctrine of Hebrews. After all, the elephant-sized fact standing in the middle of the room is that if Yeshua is a descendant of Levi, the book of Hebrews is totally discredited! Its fundamental foundation stone on which it builds its entire doctrine is kicked out from under it.   

Yeshua: A Blood descendant of BOTH David and Levi

Yeshua: A Son of David

There has recently been discovered in some ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew gospel of Matthew, information which takes this concept of Yeshua being a descendant of David to a whole new astonishing level. (Note: To give credit where credit is due, this information came from Nehemiah Gordon’s Hebrew Gospel Pearls and Micheal Rood.) It was believed by most scholars that the genealogy of Yeshua as given in the book of Matthew was that of Joseph, Mary’s husband, for obvious reasons that will be pointed out in a minute. The other genealogy given in Luke was believed to be that of Mary. But now it has become apparent that it’s the other way around! There is one serious problem with the record in Matthew. After giving the genealogy all the way from Abraham in verse 2 of Matthew’s first chapter, to Yeshua in verse 16, the author says this in verse 17: “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.” But if one actually sits down and counts the generations that are listed, they will notice that there are indeed 14 generations from Abraham to David, and there are indeed 14 generations from David until the captivity in Babylon, but there are only 13 generations listed from the captivity until Yeshua!

So did the author of Matthew make a mistake? Did he lose count somewhere? Or did something get lost or altered in the text over the centuries? It would seem doubtful that the author himself would have made such a glaring mistake. Recently, Hebrew scholar Nehemiah Gordon discovered two ancient manuscripts of the Hebrew version of Matthew where there is a slight one-word difference in verse 16 that clears everything up. Our modern versions read: “And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yeshua who is called Christ.” This verse is why Christianity has believed this genealogy is that of Joseph …Mary’s husband. But the ancient Hebrew Matthew says: “And Jacob begot Joseph, the father of Mary, of whom was born Yeshua who is called Christ.” !!! See video

There’s the missing generation! What apparently happened is that some early copyist saw “father of Mary” and thought it was a mistake because he knew that Joseph was the name of Mary’s husband and decided to fix what he thought was a simple one-word mistake. He apparently didn’t bother to see if his change caused any problems with the surrounding context …like the need for there to be 14-14-14 generations. Considering that many Jews in those days were named Joseph, it is not at all inconceivable that Mary could marry a man with the same name as her father. The really great thing in all this is the fact that Mary’s father was not only a physical blood descendant of David, but this genealogy in Matthew runs through Solomon and the royal heir-to-the-throne line!

Yeshua: A Son of Levi

This next part is my discovery and I believe equally exciting. It should be getting much more attention …and probably would be if it didn’t throw a major monkey wrench directly into the doctrinal workings of the book of Hebrews.

In the book of Luke, it is recorded that Yeshua’s mother Mary was a “cousin” (KJV) to Elizabeth who was “of the daughters of Aaron” (Luke 1:5,36). Aaron is the priestly tribe of Levi. The Greek word translated “cousin” literally means close blood (genetic), relative. The genetic connection can be easily seen by English-speaking people in the Greek word itself, “sungenes”. This literally means close kin (See Strongs 4773) This word could just as easily mean Elisabeth was Mary’s aunt, and Considering Elisabeth was significantly older than Mary, this would appear to be more likely the case. But it doesn’t make a difference either way because it works out the same as you will see.

In Leviticus, God commanded that the Levite priests, the sons of Arron, were to marry only virgin women of their own tribe. (Leviticus 21:1,13-14) Levite women, on the other hand, were permitted to marry outside the tribe. (22:12) Since we know that Mary’s father was a direct descendant of David and Solomon of the tribe of Judah, Mary’s connection to Elisabeth of the tribe of Levi then had to have been through her mother. So if Mary was either a cousin or a niece to Elisabeth, it must mean that Mary’s mother had to have been either a sister or aunt to Elisabeth, which also means that Mary’s mother had to have been a full-blooded “daughter of Aaron” as well! Here is the breakdown. If Mary and Elisabeth were cousins, as it says in the KJV, then Mary’s mother was a sister to one of Elisabeth’s parents, both of whom had to have been full-blooded Levites for Elisabeth to be called a “daughter of Aaron” and be legitimately married to Zacharias the priest. If Elisabeth was Mary’s aunt, as is more likely the case, then Mary’s mother was a sister to Elisabeth. No matter how one works it, it comes out the same. Mary’s mother was a full-blooded daughter-of-Aaron/Levite! She was then one of those who married outside the tribe when she married Mary’s father Joseph of the tribe of Judah. Mary, therefore, was a perfect blend of both the tribes of Judah and Levi! 

Now it also logically flows that if Yeshua had no earthly father and no new genetic material was introduced in his conception, his physical bloodlines must have been identical to his mother’s bloodlines! No other woman has ever conceived on her own like this without the seed of a man. Yet in the very first prophecy concerning the Messiah, God said the Messiah would be of the woman’s “seed”. (Genesis 3:15). Nowhere else is there any reference to a woman having “seed”. “Seed” was a term that was exclusively reserved for men. Go back and look again at the genealogy above where Mary is number 13 and Yeshua is 14. Notice that all the way from Abraham to her it’s all men. She is the only woman in the entire list, and she gave birth to Yeshua!

The fact that Mary’s DNA was female and Yeshua’s had to be male was no obstacle for God. Remember, He took Adam’s DNA and made a woman from it! God can certainly take of one gender and make another. That is HIS (and only His) prerogative.

There is also another possibility that makes this even better yet. Since God commanded Levite men to marry only Levite women, it stands to reason that the genetic markers He recognizes as the Levitical priestly markers are passed down by the mothers, thus making the tribe matrilineal. It could very well be that these markers are found in the mitochondrial DNA which is passed on to children exclusively from their mothers! The genetic markers of the remaining 11 tribes would be passed down from the fathers in the DNA of the cell’s nucleus. DNA in the nucleus of the cell and the mitochondrial DNA do not cross with each other and therefore do not dilute each other in the process of recombination at conception. This would mean that Mary, and subsequently Yeshua, carried ALL the genetic markers of BOTH tribes! It stands to reason that God could have intended for Levi’s genetic markers to be matrilineal for the very purpose of being able to bring all of Judah, and all of Levi together into one person.

The fact that Yeshua is indeed a descendant of the tribe of Levi, as God had promised the Messiah would be, is enough in itself to completely discredit the book of Hebrews. Hebrew’s assertion that Yeshua was not of Levi is a fundamental premise of the author’s ongoing argument. There is no “new” priesthood. God had established the priesthood in Aaron’s descendants forever, and Yeshua is just as much a descendant of Aaron as he is of David.  Furthermore, since, as I have established, there is no “change of the Law” even if there were a new priesthood, how much less is there a “change of the Law” when there is no new priesthood?! Nothing more needs to be said concerning the credibility of the author of Hebrews! We should discard the book as a nice try of purely human effort on this basis alone. But to further demonstrate the sad mistakenness of the author… consider his next argument.    

The New Covenant is new …how?

Again, the author of Hebrews is apparently completely unaware of the fact that Yeshua will physically return and fulfill the remaining Messianic prophecies. This becomes painfully obvious in his ongoing argument. Now he reasons that this new priesthood and new law fulfill the prophecies of a “new covenant”. Here, in chapter 8 and verses 8-12, he quotes the prophecy from Jeremiah. Please take special note of the fact that every time in the book of Jeremiah where God says, “Behold the days are coming”, He is speaking of the Messianic age yet to come. The actual prophecy reads;

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out to the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Laws in their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Hebrews 8:8-12 taken form Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV

Then after quoting this prophecy, the author of Hebrews makes this statement, from which comes the concept of an Old (obsolete) Testament.

In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 8:13 NKJV

Our author has come to another very mistaken conclusion. He believes that God’s covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai and His Law are one and the same. They are not! God’s Law is a list of do’s and don’ts. God’s covenant with Israel is a contractual promise to bless them if they obey His Law. Now of course if they broke the law, in so doing they would also be breaking their part of the covenant, but that does not mean the Law is the covenant!  It should be evident in the following passage that God continues to speak of His Law as though it will not change. Here it is again.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Laws in their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Hebrews 8:10 taken from Jeremiah 31:33 NKJV

It is only after the author of Hebrews has blurred the line between the Law and the covenant, and then drawn our attention to a new covenant, that he can then make the leap of logic inferring that when God said “My Law” in reference to a new covenant, He meant “My new law”! This is what he wants us to see here. Remember, he has already said there has been a “change of the Law”. But God did not say “My new law”. He is speaking of the same Law. The only difference is, when the new covenant is finally inaugurated, it will be the same Law of Moses that will be written on the hearts of the children of Israel. And herein is another point that is extremely important. This prophecy concerns only Israel. It does not concern Gentiles in any way! The only Gentiles who might be included in this are those individuals who have joined themselves to Israel through circumcision and obedience to God’s Law, in which case they would no longer be seen as Gentiles. The Christian church cannot claim this prophecy for itself… unless of course, one is of the persuasion that God has replaced Israel… and the Christian church is the new true Israel of God! As outlined before, this repulsive teaching is one of Paul’s lies that has been used as justification for the deplorable anti-Semitism much of Christianity has perpetrated on the Jewish people throughout history. But I digress. The point is, you can’t have it both ways. Either Israel is Israel, or the Christian church is Israel. The prophecies concerning Israel and the new covenant have either been fulfilled, or they haven’t.

Some might argue that Yeshua said the “new covenant” was established in his blood, suggesting the new covenant took effect at the cross. Yeshua’s sacrifices certainly paid the price for the promised new covenant, but to assert that it was inaugurated at that time is reading more into Yeshua’s words than what he said.  The prophecy from Jeremiah clearly indicates that the new covenant is with Israel only, and doesn’t take effect until the Kingdom of God comes during the Messianic age which is still yet to come. Read Jeremiah 31:31-40 again if necessary. This truth should also be clearly evident when taking Yeshua’s words in the fuller context of Luke’s account of the last supper.

Then he said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” …”Likewise he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you.”   

Luke 22:15,16,20 NKJV

Yeshua certainly paid the price for the new covenant with his blood, but it will not be inaugurated or “fulfilled” until he returns… and even then it will only be with Israel!         

There are numerous other parallel prophecies concerning the new covenant that prove God is speaking of His Law as given through Moses. What I have highlighted in bold print below includes the same new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah 31:33. Please read this quote one more time and dare to compare it to the following yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies! Also, please notice that these prophecies concern only Israel during the Messianic age yet to come. Notice also the fact that these prophecies could not possibly have been fulfilled yet! Here is the “new covenant” prophecy that the author of Hebrews uses first.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…   …this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Law in their mind, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.      

 Jeremiah 31:31,33 NKJV

Now compare.

“Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone. Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ “And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.”   

Ezekiel 11:16-20 NKJV

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and CAUSE you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.”  

Ezekiel 35:24-28 NKJV

“David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” 

 Ezekiel 37:24-28 NKJV

What more needs to be said? The new covenant is without question the same Law, only God will cause Israel to want to walk in His ways when His Kingdom comes during the Messianic age.    

The book of Hebrews simply cannot be reconciled with the picture that the prophets, the book of Revelation, and Yeshua himself have given us of the Messianic Age and the coming Kingdom of God. One picture has to go. One must choose to follow the author of Hebrews, or follow Yeshua, and Moses, and The Prophets. The “new covenant” is either already fulfilled in a heavenly mystical sense, or it is yet to be inaugurated with Israel and fulfilled when Yeshua returns and delivers Israel from all her enemies, ascends the throne of his father David… and as a son of Levi as well, begins his high priestly ministry before God Most High as King and Priest… after the order of Melchizedek.  

Extortive threat tactics of the author

The author of Hebrews is also well known for making fearful warnings to those who do not get in line with his doctrine. Many Christians have spent sleepless nights worrying about the implications of certain passages in Hebrews. The most infamous of them are these. 

“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it”. 

Hebrews 4:1 NKJV

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame”. 

Hebrews 6:4-6 NKJV

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His People’. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.

Hebrews 10:26-31 NKJV

Concerning this last quote, if the author of Hebrews is correct that Yeshua’s crucifixion was the final, end-all-sacrifice to make atonement for sins, then it might flow that there is no more sacrifice for a person who sins after coming to repentance. But the author is far from correct in his presupposition. This will be addressed in the next chapter.  

Conclusion

So is Hebrews better? The answer is no! The book of Hebrews certainly is not the infallible word of God. Because it also attempts to do away with God’s Law. If Hebrews is not the worst book in the Bible in the eyes of heaven, it’s right on the heels of Paul’s letters to the Galatians and Romans. 

There are many other logical problems with the lines of reason in the book of Hebrews. One could easily write another book on these errors in logic and philosophy alone. In the next chapter, we will look at the subject of burnt offerings. Much of the misunderstanding of this issue also comes from the book Hebrews. As this subject is addressed it will further establish the errors of Hebrews.  The issues I have covered thus far in this chapter are the main presuppositions on which the remaining doctrines and arguments in the book are based. These remaining arguments fall under the weight of the errors of the foundational presuppositions.

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