The 9-Epistles of Israel in the Tribulation

The 9-Epistles of Israel in the Tribulation

These 9 epistles, from Hebrews to Revelation represents a spiritual curriculum for the maturing and endurance of believers in the Jewish Kingdom program, through the tribulation, and into the Millennial Kingdom.

• Hebrews to 2 Peter are focused predominantly on being reeducated in the New Covenant and being reintroduced to the risen Christ.
• 1 John to Revelation is focused on sonship and sets sights on life in the Millennial Kingdom under the reign of Christ and in their priestly positions as the true Israel.

PATTERNS

• The 9 church epistles of Paul correspond to the 9 Hebrews epistles.
• These are TWO groups of books for TWO programs (Heaven and Earth; Prophecy and Mystery; Law and Grace; Israel and Body of Christ).
• It is interesting to note that the first book of each program is named according to the people group of that program. We have a book called ROMANS (for the Gentiles) and we have a book called HEBREWS (for Israel).
• These nine Hebrews epistles follow the same pattern and design that Paul's nine church epistles present.
• Romans to Philemon deal with the grace believer, to build them up and prepare them to live out Christ and persevere while we wait for the rapture and future glory ----- Hebrews to Revelation deal with Israel, to re-educate then concerning Jesus Christ as their Messiah, since they overlooked His identity in His first advent, and also to teach them to persevere while they wait for their Kingdom and future glory.
• Romans to Philemon fulfils our program ----- Hebrews to Revelation is the fulfillment of Israel's prophetic program.

Paul’s Epistles

• Paul's epistles are not organized in chronological order in the Bible.
• They're not meant to be in chronological order! They're in order of edification (education).
• Those books are for edification as they progress from milk to meat, from foundational to building up, from babes to fully matured believers.

The Hebrew Epistles

• Hebrews to Revelation follows that same pattern of Paul's books but for the nation of Israel.
• The nine Hebrew epistles are for the edification of the remnant of Israel as they go through the 70th week of Daniel.
• Just like Paul's epistles build you up upon the foundation of Romans and build you up from a babe in Christ to a fully matured believer in Christ, taking you from milk to strong meat ----- Hebrews to Revelation follows that same pattern with Hebrews representing the milk and Revelation representing meat.

1 John and Ephesians (the fifth or middle books in each program)

• First John and Ephesians are both the 5th epistles in the design. They're very similar in content and context.
• Ephesians 1-3 deals with our heavenly entrance, position and glory ----- 1 John 1-3 deals with entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, with their fellowship with Christ, and their high calling.
• Ephesians 4-6 deals with our manner of life and morality while here on earth ----- 1 John 4-5 deals with life in the Tribulation, endurance, and separation from idols and sin.
• In Ephesians, Paul says a lot about being in Christ, being joined with Christ ----- John says a lot about intimately knowing Christ in the heart and mind and through the law.
• Paul talks about wrestling against principalities and powers in the heavenly realms ----- John talks about overcoming the wicked one (antichrist in the Tribulation).
• Paul talks about God choosing us in Christ before the foundation of the world ----- John begins with “that which was from the beginning”.
• Paul talks about the fellowship of the mystery ----- John talks about their fellowship in the Father and the Son.

Romans and Hebrews

• These are very similar ---- they're both foundational books.
• Romans is laying a foundation for a group of people that God never spoke to before. (mystery)
• God never spoke to the Gentiles before, so there's no 'time past' for Paul to draw from. Paul can’t say, "remember what God told your fathers in time past."

Paul is laying a brand-new foundation for the Gentile people.

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

2 Cor.5:17 says, “Old things have past away, behold, ALL things are become new”

In contrast, the Hebrew people already have a foundation; all which was spoken in time past. In this regard, the writer of Hebrews tells them not to lay again a foundation of these things but go on to perfection. -----The foundation is already laid for the Hebrew people.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

• What the writer of Hebrews is doing is establishing them upon the foundation that's already been laid for them, BUT this time focusing on re-educating them regarding their Messiah, Jesus Christ, in chapters 6-10.
• There's no reason for a Jew who read his Old Testament scriptures to be ignorant of Jesus Christ in the scriptures, but they ARE due to unbelief. Hebrews addresses this.
• They knew the OLD COVENANT. Since they rejected Jesus the first time and know nothing of the NEW COVENENT, Hebrews teaches this again!

Jesus Christ in the Jewish scriptures

The writer of Hebrews is going to teach the Jews about the foundational doctrines of Christ again.

He says, you have need that one teach you again.

Heb.5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

This is very similar to how John points his readers to the same thing; something 'new' which is actaully 'old' news, 

1 John 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

The writer of Hebrews does this re-education in Hebrews chapters 6 to 10. The following outline is a list of key points, or topics, that describe the content in Hebrews. Notice how it focuses on Jesus Christ, His role, and His position in the Jewish religion. This is vital content for Israel to learn and know during the Tribulation.

• Spiritual Immaturity
• God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ, the King of Righteousness
• Need for a New Priesthood
• Greatness of the New Priest (Jesus, in the order of Melchizedek)
• The New Priestly Service (High Priest, seated at God's right hand, Moses is a shadow of the heavenly things, a more excellent ministry, Mediator of a better covenant)
• A New Covenant
• The Earthly Sanctuary
• Limitations of the Earthly Service
• The Heavenly Sanctuary
• The Mediator’s Death Necessary
• Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice
• Animal Sacrifices Insufficient
• Christ’s Death Fulfills God’s Will
• Christ’s Death Perfects the Sanctified
• Hold Fast Your Confession of Christ, the Just Live by Faith

What he does is he takes Israel back to the principles that God had taught them in time past and he shows them Jesus Christ in light of those principles.

• He shows them how that the Melchizedekian order of priests is higher than that of the Levitical priests.
• He shows them the earthly sanctuary versus the heavenly sanctuary (in Hebrews chapter 8 through chapter 9).
• He shows them the daily sacrifices offered often times versus the once and for all sacrifice that Jesus Christ offered.
• He shows them the veil of the temple (that veil testified that the way into God had not been made known. No man could come near to God and the writer of Hebrews concludes this section in chapter 10 where he says “having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus Christ".
• He tells them in chapter 11 the history of faith, how that faith is the evidence of things not seen. In regard to the New Jerusalem that will descend from heaven, they're going to have to put their faith in what they cannot see (that new city from heaven) versus what they can see here (on earth).
• Jesus Christ endured the cross and He got glory for it, and now he's telling these Hebrews to look unto this man, the author and finisher of their faith and endure the chastening of God during the Tribulation, and then they're going to receive the kingdom in the end.

1 Thessalonians is similar to Jude (the 8th books in each program)

• 1 Thessalonians has references on the rapture.
• Jude v.14 has reference to the second coming where Christ comes with 10-thousands of his saints (angels).

Hebrews to Revelation speaks of the SECOND Coming

• The book of James says, be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord.
• Hebrews says, for yet it is a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry, which is quoted from Habakkuk.
• First Peter says, gird up the loins of your mind and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
• They're looking for the second coming in these scriptures not the rapture. It is critical that one exercise right division in these instances to ensure correct context and interpretation here. There are two programs in the New Testament!
• Paul refers to the rapture. The Hebrews epistles refer to Christ's second coming.

Bible Study is systematic. It is best not to skip the MILK to get to the MEAT!

You don't just pick up your bible and go straight to the book of revelation! Doing this is foolish as one will have no context or insights into the visions of John. There's a process to learning God's Word.

Isa.28:9 whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.10 for precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

• You got to progress from milk to meat. You don't jump straight into the meat doctrines of God's Word.
• One has to learn the Word of God line upon line, precept upon precept, in order to understand the doctrine and context of God's Word.
• Skipping over the milk to get to the meat is doctrinally dangerous.
• You can't skip Hebrews and go to the book of revelation.