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The Story World of Hebrews

1. The Basic Plot

Prologue

The story world of Hebrews opens with humanity already under the power of the Devil (2:14). God had intended humans to rule the creation perpetually with glory and honor, but now death was their consistent fate (2:7). The circumstances by which this situation came about are not explicitly stated, but it is clear that the main obstacle to their intended status is sin (2:17; 4:15). As long as their sin remains, they will die and fail to attain the glory intended by God (2:8). This problem seems to have beset humanity from its earliest days – even “from the foundation of the world” (9:26) – although it was God who created the heavens and the earth (3:4).

Act I: Days of Anticipation

The principal setting is the earthly, created realm. The characters and events are numerous. People live their whole lives subject to the fear of death (2:15). There is no real atonement for their sins (10:4), but God enacts through angels (2:2) a covenant that points by way of example to the solution he has planned.

This first “covenant,” the Law, involved the continual offering of sacrifices in an earthly sanctuary (10:1). It was God’s “word” to that age, mediated by the angels (2:2) through Moses (3:5; 8:5) to God’s people (1:1). But it was never intended to be the solution to humanity’s problem. Rather, it was a shadowy example of what God was planning to do through Christ (8:5). Countless priests offered countless sacrifices, none of which was truly able to remove the consciousness of sins (10:2). Once a year, a high priest passed through the veil of the earthly tabernacle into the Holy of Holies with blood, a passage symbolizing that the way to true atonement was not possible until the first age passed away (9:6-9).

Among those who heard God’s word in this first age, there were two basic kinds of responses – those who heard the word with enduring faith and those who ultimately disbelieved God’s promises. Abraham serves not only as a prime example of someone who responded to God’s word with complete faith in the unseen (11:8-10), but also of the fact that God does indeed keep his promises (6:15). Hebrews 11 enumerates a host of others – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Sarah… – who demonstrated faith in God’s promise even though they died before seeing it come to pass through Christ (11:39-40).

The wilderness generation, on the other hand, serves as the principal example of ultimate disbelief in God’s word. Although they left Egypt with the promise of entering God’s rest (4:1-2), their corpses fell in the desert owing to their lack of faith (3:17). Esau is an even more startling example not only of someone who disbelieved God’s word, but of one who fails to regain the status of “firstborn” even though seeking it with tears (12:16-17).

Act 1 ends with the coming of Jesus to the earthly realm, his earthly life, and his climactic death. Since humanity has flesh and blood in common – making it prey to death and the Devil – God’s solution also partakes of them (2:14). A body is prepared for him as he comes to substitute a new covenant in place of the old (10:5-9). In the days of his flesh he demonstrates a sinless obedience (4:15; 5:8), despising earthly shame as he also obeys God with faithfulness (12:2). He prays to the one who is able to rescue him from the grave and is heard because of his godly fear (5:7). He was made lower than the angels for a little while, so that he might taste death for all humanity, so that just as he is crowned with glory and honor, he might also lead many sons with him to glory (2:9).

His death and passage through the heavens are the climactic conclusion of the first act. Not only is Christ’s death understood metaphorically in sacrificial terms as a decisive and final atonement for sins (10:14). The entire movement of the story from his death to his passage through the heavens metaphorically becomes the entrance of a heavenly high priest into the true, heavenly tabernacle (8:1-2). God’s definitive solution to the problem of humanity can now be put into effect.

Act II: The Consummation of the Ages

The second act of the story commences with a celebration of the enthroned Christ as God seats him at his majestic right hand. The angels worship him when God leads him into the heavenly realm (1:6) and crowns him as royal Son (1:5), king of the coming world (2:5). He is the one through whom God creates order out of chaos, the very wisdom through which God created the heavens and earth (1:3; 1:10). He sits at God’s right hand only waiting for his enemies to be subjected (10:13), after which he will return a second time to bring the story to its climactic conclusion (9:28). In the meantime, he serves as a heavenly intercessor for the sins of all that would approach the throne of God’s grace with boldness (7:25).

As in the first age, there continue to be two basic kinds of responses to God’s consummative word: those who respond in faith till the end and those who do not. Those who were eyewitnesses of the “word” spoken through Christ (2:3) and the former leaders of the community to which Hebrews is addressed (13:7) both stand as positive examples of endurance until the end.

The recipients of Hebrews are also a part of the story. The author/preacher places them on the brink of the choice that faced the wilderness generation. They have left “Egypt”; they have partaken of the Holy Spirit (6:4) and are God’s children (12:7); Christ’s atonement of their sins still remains (10:26). Yet “today” they are faced with a choice: will they harden their hearts as the Israelites in the desert (4:7-11) or will they continue in faithfulness until the end (10:39). The author is convinced that they will make the right choice (6:9).

The end of the story comes with the return of Christ to the created realm and the salvation of those righteous whose spirits have been made perfect by his sacrifice (12:23; 10:14). The created realm, both heavens and earth, are shaken and transformed by the consuming fire of God so that only that which is unshakeable will remain (12:26-29). Those who have responded with disbelief fall fearfully into the hands of the living God, the righteous judge (10:31; 12:23; 4:12-13), while those who have responded with faith finally reach their heavenly homeland (11:14), the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22).

Epilogue:

Christ reigns as king in the coming world, as do his “brothers” (2:5). It is an unshakeable kingdom (12:28), a true rest for the people of God (4:9). Hebrews does not enumerate the story beyond this point. It only implies that such a kingdom is worth the endurance necessary to achieve it and that those who respond in faith have every reason to hold fast.

2. The Settings of the Story

A story is made up of three basic components: the things that happen (events), those that participate in the things that happen (characters), and the times and places where those things happen (settings). The story that the Epistle to the Hebrews evokes is no different. The drama has events, characters, and settings. The only difference is that the author of Hebrews presents his[1] version of the story in the form of an argument, rather than in a narrative. He is thus able to make “the moral of the story” abundantly clear.

As we just mentioned, the times and places where things happen are the settings of a story. The times when things happen are called “temporal” settings, while the places where things happen are called “spatial” settings. In the story world of Hebrews, each one of these has certain connotations. The created realm, for example – the realm of flesh and blood – is a place where death reigns and where no fleshly sacrifice can truly take away sins. A spiritual “offering” in heaven, on the other hand, can be effective not least because it is done in the right place. Settings can thus help or hinder a character from reaching his or her goal in the story.

Heaven and the Created Realm

Hebrews makes reference to two basic realms where things happen in the plot. The one is the created realm, consisting of the created heavens and earth, while the other is the heaven where God’s throne is.[2] While Hebrews does not indicate that the earthly realm is evil, it is clearly inferior to the heavenly realm and its weaknesses may very well contribute to the power of the Devil. The primary relationship between the heavenly and the earthly, therefore, is one of contrast.

There are more specific settings within these two realms that could be mentioned – Mt. Sinai (12:18), the wilderness tabernacle (9:1), the heavenly sanctuary (8:1; 9:11), etc… But the most significant aspects of these places seem to be derivative from the fact that they are either in heaven or on earth. We would argue, for example, that the “heavenly tabernacle” in Hebrews does not even refer to a particular structure in heaven but for the most part is a metaphor for heaven itself.[3]

Hebrews does not explicitly say why the created realm is destined for God’s cataclysmic shaking (12:27) or why the Devil seems to hold power over humanity in this realm (2:15; 2:5). Nevertheless, the entirety of its argument associates the created realm with the inferior and with imperfection.[4] The earthly sanctuary, for example, does not effect true atonement and cannot compare with the greater and more perfect heavenly tabernacle, which is not of this creation or made with human hands (8:1-2,5; 9:1,11). The earthly Mt. Sinai cannot compare with the heavenly Jerusalem (12:18,22). Christ’s “heavenly” reign will last forever, while the created heavens and earth “will all become old like a garment” (1:11).[5] At one point the author almost implies that the need for redemption goes back to “the foundation of the world” (9:26).[6]

Related to the contrast between earthly and heavenly is an implied contrast between flesh and spirit.[7] There are several points in the epistle’s argument where the author implicitly associates humanity’s problem with its current existence in flesh. Since the children needing atonement share flesh and blood in common, Christ similarly partakes of them to defeat the one holding the power of death (2:14). The connection between the human body and death is of course fundamental to human experience. For Christ to partake of flesh and blood, therefore, is for him to enter the territory where the Devil holds sway.

The author interestingly refers to Christ’s earthly life as “the days of his flesh” in 5:7, implying that he now has a different form of existence, namely a spiritual one.[8] When he writes of God sending Christ to the earthly realm, the author uses a text of Psalm 40 that reads “you prepared a body for me” (10:5). Once again, the author uses language that highlights both the relevance of Jesus’ physicality for his earthly mission as well as his far superior state of existence now.

Hebrews thus seems to make clear distinctions between heavenly existence and earthly existence. In this contrast, it not only seems to associate the earthly with humanity’s susceptibility to sin and death, but it also highlights the inability of any earthly means to bring about atonement. The heavenly realm, by contrast, holds out both the hope and promise of true redemption.[9]

The Former Age and These Last Days

If there are two basic settings in space where the plot takes place, there are also two basic settings in time – the former age and the age that Christ inaugurates. As the first two verses of Hebrews say, “Although God formerly spoke many times and in many ways to the fathers through the prophets, in these last days he spoke to us through a Son.” These two periods of salvation’s history – the former days and these last days – correspond to Act one and Act two in the drama we presented at the beginning of the chapter. They also correspond in general to the two spatial settings we have just discussed – heaven and the created realm. The principal setting of the old covenant was in the earthly realm, while the heavenly realm dominates the new.

In the story at present, however, the two spatial settings overlap. God’s people are still on earth even though their heavenly salvation is secured. While Christ’s enthronement marks the decisive beginning of the new age, the earthly realm continues to exist in its old form, even if it is outdated and passing away (8:13). Nevertheless, the heavenly work of Christ is in force, enabling the human spirit to be sanctified (10:14; 12:23). Hebrews argues strongly that continued reliance on earthly models of atonement is not only ineffective (7:19), but it also constitutes apostasy from Christ (5:11-6:6).

The relationship between the two ages is one of promise and fulfillment. Those who are faithful in the old age realize all along that they are awaiting something in the future. “Faith is the substance of things for which one hopes” (11:1), the author says before enumerating a long list of faithful individuals from the age of the first covenant. “All of these died in faith, although they did not receive the promise. But they saw it from a distance, greeted it, and confessed that they were foreigners and aliens on the earth” (11:13). Moses similarly was a servant God sent to witness to the things that God was going to speak through Christ (3:5).

Hebrews also argues strongly that God never intended the earthly sacrificial system – or “cultus,” as it is sometimes called – to be the way of atonement. Rather, it was a shadowy example of the atonement Christ would truly provide (8:5).[10] Heb 10:4 notes that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Yet this was the method of sacrifice that God ordained in the old covenant. It is thus clear that God never intended the old covenant cultus to be the way of true atonement. It rather was a God ordained pointer toward that which he would eventually do through Christ.

“Today” and “Forever”

Even though Christ has effected a decisive atonement, the created realm has not yet been transformed, and God’s people still await salvation. This situation gives rise to two further temporal settings even within the age of the new covenant. On the one hand, there is the present time during which the earthly and heavenly realms coexist uneasily. Yet Hebrews also anticipates the coming judgment that will lead to the transformation of the created realm.

The Epistle to the Hebrews itself gives us categories by which we might label these periods when it notes that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8). I would argue that the “yesterday” here largely refers to the earthly life and faithful death of Jesus, although it could refer to some sort of pre-existence as well. The “today,” on the other hand, reminds us conspicuously of the author’s argument in chapters 3 and 4. There, the author speaks of “today” as every day of this present period, during which God’s people must reaffirm their commitment to endure in faithfulness (3:13). We can expand the meaning of Hebrews’ terms somewhat, therefore, and make a distinction between “today” – the period between Christ’s decisive sacrifice and his return – and “forever” – the remainder of eternity.

For the audience of Hebrews,[11] the main significance of these two periods is the hope of the future, on the one hand, and the need for endurance in the present, on the other. As one reads Hebrews, one is struck not only by the way in which the author skillfully holds his audience’s attention by alternating between teaching and exhortation, but also with the remarkable similarity between each of the exhortations he makes.[12] Over and over they emphasize the need for the audience to hold fast and endure.[13] The setting of “today” is thus the setting for the writing of the epistle in real time as well as in story time. “Today,” the audience must choose to affirm their faith in what Christ has done while they endure on towards the “forever” God has promised. Chapter seven will explore in more detail this situation in which the audience finds themselves.

3. The Events of the Story

The events of a story form the “backbone” of a plot – they move the story from one point to the next. An event can give rise to a plot; it can change the direction of a plot; it can bring a story to a close. Events are the dots through which the line of a plot is drawn.

There are several specific events that the author of Hebrews finds particularly significant in the story of salvation’s history. There can be no question, for example, that the focal point of the story for the author is the death and exaltation of Christ. He also finds certain kinds of events important for his argument, such as the yearly entrance of Levitical high priests into the earthly tabernacle. In each case, the significance the author finds in each event leads to the arguments he makes as he retells the story for his audience.

The Beginnings of the Story

The author of Hebrews was not greatly concerned to discuss the beginnings of the plot with his audience. He does not say much about the creation of the world or about whatever events might have led to the current state of humanity. He and the community he addresses find themselves in the last chapters of the story, so he is more interested in the solution to their conundrum than its origins. Chapter three will attempt to fill in some of these gaps by pushing behind Hebrews to the early Christian traditions on which the author is probably drawing.

There is nevertheless at least one, probably two events that form the beginning of the plot evoked by Hebrews’ argument. The one is creation, where God is clearly the ultimate creator (2:10; 3:4; 11:3), although Hebrews also at least figuratively speaks of Christ as an agent of creation (1:3; 1:10-12). Interestingly enough, the author almost implies at one point that the need for atonement goes back to “the foundation of the world” (9:26). If this comment were taken literally, it would mean that God created the world flawed from the very beginning.

In one reconstruction of the story’s beginning, for example, creation is God’s imposition of order upon already flawed matter – not creation ex nihilo, which was a relatively rare notion in the ancient world. The need for redemption was thus implicit in the stuff of which humanity was made. One might then see the final shaking of the created realm as its removal, rather than its transformation,[14] the elimination of the ultimate source of the problem.

In the light of other early Christian traditions regarding Psalm 8, however, it is perhaps more likely that a second event stands behind humanity’s problem, one involving Adam. Paul, who draws upon the same set of biblical traditions from the Hebrew Scriptures as Hebrews, implies that death came upon the world in some way through Adam (e.g. Rom 5:17). The Wisdom of Solomon, another book upon which Hebrews may draw,[15] also states that God did not create death, but that it entered the world through the Devil’s envy (1:13; 2:23-24 – compare Heb 2:14). There are good reasons, therefore, to see a second event in the background of the story – one in which God’s good creation is perverted through Adam’s sin and/or the envy of the Devil.

Events of the Former Age

The general nature of the former age can be inferred from several typical kinds of events that took place repeatedly throughout it. Countless humans died owing to their sin, and each such event typified the problem facing not only the children of Israel, but all humanity in general. Countless sacrifices were offered for sin, none of which was actually capable of taking it away. Each and every such event pointed forward in the story to the decisive sacrifice that Christ would offer. Countless humans, and Israel in particular, heard God’s word through the prophets. Some of them mixed their hearing with faith; others did not. Hebrews 11 presents a number of events of faith, each of which demonstrates the appropriate reaction to God’s word. Other events, such as the failure of the wilderness generation to enter God’s promised rest, underscore the consequences of unbelief.

In terms of particular events, the mediation of the Law through angels is one of the most significant in the former age. Heb 2:2 makes mention of a “word spoken through angels” that included commands to be obeyed. In the light of parallel comments in the rest of the New Testament (Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19), it is clear that this “word” was the Law, mediated through angels to Moses.

In Hebrews, “the Law” refers primarily to the old covenant cultus.[16] The author implies in 7:11 that the foundation of the Law was the Levitical priesthood and that any change in priesthood necessitates a change of Law (7:12). The mediation of the Law through angels thus stands in contrast to the mediation of the new covenant through Christ, which the author refers to at one point as the institution of a new Law (8:6).[17] This “law,” however, is written on the hearts of its people – that is, their sins are forgiven (8:10; 10:16).

As we have already mentioned above, the giving of the Law presents God’s people with a sketch – even a “parable” of what will later come through Christ (9:8-9). It holds only a “shadow” of the coming good things; it is not the “image” of those things (10:1). Its sacrifices and tabernacle only point forward to the death and victorious exaltation of Christ. In and of themselves they cannot atone.

Christ’s death does atone for sins in the climactic moment of the first act and the main event of the entire story. He has come to the earthly realm and has lived a sinless life. He dies a faithful death, believing that God can raise the dead (5:7; cf. 11:12,19,35). In response God exalts him to his right hand (1:13), enthrones him as royal Son of God (1:5),[18] and enables the rest of humanity to find atonement through him (2:10).

In Hebrews it is difficult to break down this saving moment in salvation history into separate events. On the one hand, the New Testament writings in general have no problem distinguishing the event of Christ’s death from his resurrection, ascension, or seating at God’s right hand. In Hebrews, however, the author integrates these separate events together by using them to construct a metaphor in which Christ’s death is a sacrifice offered in a heavenly tabernacle on a decisive “Day of Atonement.” The whole movement from Christ’s death to his “session,” or seating, at God’s right hand thus functions somewhat as a single event in the plot.

We would argue that when Hebrews speaks of Christ being a high priest (8:1) who enters a heavenly tabernacle (8:2) to offer his blood (9:12), the author is not thinking of a literal structure in heaven nor does he believe that Christ brought literal blood to the right hand of God. Christ’s death is an atoning sacrifice for sins[19] and Christ does pass through the heavens to the throne of God (4:14). But it is on a metaphorical level that the author understands this sequence of events to be the slaughter of an animal that is brought through a sanctuary into a heavenly Holy of Holies. There are several points at which the imagery breaks down if taken too literally.[20] References to this metaphorical event are thus a complex, yet relevant way for the author to argue not only that Christ’s death is an efficacious atonement for sins, but also that it is a replacement for the Levitical cultus.

Events in the Age of Christ

As a part of the author’s high priestly metaphor, Christ’s seating at God’s right hand is part of the conclusion of the first act of salvation history. When considered separately as Christ’s enthronement, it can also be considered the first event in the second. There is significant debate as to whether the chain of quotations in chapter 1 should be read primarily in terms of Christ’s exaltation to God’s right hand. The worship of Christ by the angels, for example, is often thought to refer to his arrival in the earthly realm. Nevertheless, G.B. Caird presented the key to unlocking Hebrews 1 when he pointed out its relation to the quotation of Psalm 8 in chapter 2.[21] Christ was made lower than the angels for a little while when he was on earth,[22] but he is now crowned with glory and honor.

Chapter one of Hebrews thus makes sense as a part of the author’s contrast between the old and new covenants for at least two reasons. On the one hand, the author associates the angels with the mediation and probably the administration of the old covenant. On the other, the exaltation of Christ above the angels indicates that he has paved the way for his “brothers” also to come to glory (2:10) in fulfillment of the psalm. The contrast of chapter one thus is an appropriate beginning for a sermon that holds out Christ as the promised solution to humanity’s problem. It pictures an event of celebration in which Christ is enthroned as king, awaiting for all things to be put under his feet (2:8; 10:13) as his servants bow in obeisance (1:6).

If the second act begins with an event of celebration, it ends with an event of judgment coupled with salvation. The epistle is not as clear about this event as it is concerning others. God’s judgment is spoken of in terms of fire (12:29) and in terms of the “shaking” of the created realm (12:27), but Hebrews makes only one or two allusions to the eternal fate of those who have never had faith (6:2) and is unclear whether the created realm is transformed or removed altogether. Its warnings are directed at those among God’s people who might “sell their birthright” (12:16), but we can infer that those who have never “partaken of the heavenly gift” will face God’s judgment just as assuredly as one who would scorn Christ.

Hebrews uses a number of images in reference to salvation. It is the “coming world” (2:5), “glory” (2:10), a “Sabbath rest for the people of God” (4:9), “the promise” (6:12; 10:36), “things hoped for” (11:1), a heavenly city and homeland (11:14-16), Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22), and “an unshakeable kingdom” (12:28). When Christ comes a second time, it will be an event of salvation for those who have held firm until the end (3:14; 9:28).

Before this final event, the audience of Hebrews faces an event in their own lives. It is the choice that they are currently facing. Will they take the path of faithfulness, a way trodden by countless examples of faith, or will they take the way of apostasy as Esau and the wilderness generation. “Today” is a time when the audience must decide whether to “enter God’s rest” and continue toward the promised land, or to fall away. The author is convinced that they will make the right choice.

4. The Characters in the Story

God

The most important character in the plot of salvation history is of course God. In a sense, he is the true “author” and initiator of the story. He is the one “for whom” and “through whom” everything exists (2:10). The plot moves at his bidding. He is not only the creator (3:4) but also the one who “has spoken” decisively in both acts of the drama (1:1-2). As judge of all things, he will bring the story to its final conclusion when he “shakes” and transforms the created realm (12:23,25-29).

Hebrews makes at least four clear affirmations that God is the ultimate creator of the world. Heb 3:4 states that he is the one “who has built all things” (3:4), and 2:10 notes that he is the one “through whom” all things exist (2:10). Heb 11:3 notes that the worlds were formed by the word (rema) of God. Even 1:3, which seems to speak of Christ as the agent of creation, affirms that it was God who was making the worlds through Christ.[23] One must therefore read Heb 1:10-12 very carefully. Even though these verses appear to describe Christ straightforwardly as the creator of the heavens and earth, the verses may be saying something subtler about Christ as the one God has used to create order in his creation out of chaos.[24]

Within the created realm, God is clearly the “speaker” of both salvation and judgment for the world and all in it. The Epistle to the Hebrews abounds with word and “speaking” imagery, which the author uses to represent God’s involvement in his creation.[25] For the author of Hebrews, the ultimate background against which to understand this language is probably the Hebrew Scriptures in passages such as Genesis 1. “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light” (1:3). God speaks and it is done. No word of God ever fails to accomplish its task (Is 55:11).[26]

God speaks often in the story and in each case his word is decisive. On the one hand, he speaks words of salvation for his people. In the former age, he spoke words of promise to his people through the prophets (1:1), while also speaking the Law through the mediation of angels (2:2). In these last days, God began to speak a word of salvation through Christ – a word passed on by those who first heard him (2:3). It is God’s speaking that installs Christ as both royal Son (1:5) and heavenly high priest (5:6), just as a previous “word” assigned angels the role of ministers in the earthly realm (1:7). Occasionally God guarantees his words of salvation with oaths, emphasizing their surety (6:13-18; 7:20-21).

On the other hand, God’s words can also speak judgment. He can make oaths that ensure the destruction of the faithless rather than their salvation (3:11; 4:3). “The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,” the author says (4:12). “Everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him whose word is for us” (4:13).[27] It is this “voice” that already “shook the earth” in judgment (12:26). When it is heard again, it will shake the entirety of the created realm.

Speakers of God’s Former Words

We have just mentioned the two main avenues through which God spoke in the former age – the prophets and angels. Since the role of angels in the story is one of the main concerns of chapter four, we can simply note here that the author’s references to them primarily relegate their significance in the story to Act one. Here they serve as God’s messengers and servants to his people while they are still on the earth. Not only are they the mediators of the Law, but chapter one describes them as “ministering spirits sent on behalf of those who are about to inherit salvation” (1:14). Clearly God’s people constitute “those about to inherit salvation,” implying that the role of the angels in the story is concentrated here in the earthly realm. The coming world, on the other hand, will not be subject to them (2:5), although they are clearly a part of the worship of God and his Son in the second act (1:6; 12:22). The contrast of Christ with the angels should thus be read as part of the contrast between the two ages and their respective covenants.

Apart from Heb 1:1, the epistle says little explicitly about the many and various speakings God made formerly through the prophets, but these words can be inferred through the author’s heavy use of the Hebrew Scriptures. No book of the New Testament is so saturated with references to the “Old Testament” as Hebrews, particularly to the Psalms. We can infer that the author considered every Scripture he used to be one of God’s words in the former age through the prophets.

The author does, however, single out Moses – whom he no doubt considered to be one of the chief prophets of the former age. Given the incredible reverence that was given to Moses by the Jewish people of this period, the “faint praise” of Hebrews is very noticeable. Aside from the faithful character of his life (discussed in chapter 11), Hebrews clearly considers Moses’ significance to lie in his testimony to what God was planning to do through Christ (3:5). When God revealed the construction details of the earthly sanctuary, for example, he was simply pointing ahead through Moses to the true tabernacle in which Christ would serve (8:5). Just as the angels were ministering spirits of the first age, Moses was also a servant in the household of God in that period (3:5). But Christ is a son (3:6), and he inaugurates the age of sons. He shows the true significance of the “words” spoken through Moses and the angels as he fulfills the words spoken through the prophets.

Earthly Priests and High Priests

Since God never intended truly to take away sins through the earthly cultus, it is clear that the earthly priests and high priests are simply shadowy illustrations of that which Christ truly brings to pass. Their ministry thus contrasts significantly with that of Christ.

Chapter 7 of Hebrews deals extensively with the question of Christ’s priestly qualifications in contrast to those of the Levitical priests. Their main point of inferiority is unsurprisingly the same as humanity in general – they cannot supercede sin or death. They must offer sacrifices for their own sin as well as for the sins of the people (5:3). They are unable to continue in their office permanently, since they eventually die (7:23). Christ’s priesthood, on the other hand, is based upon an “indestructible life” (7:16). He lives forever to intercede eternally for the sins of those depending on him (7:25). Finally, the sacrifices of the earthly priests are made in the earthly realm and are thus unable to atone for sins (8:4-5). They are fit for the washing of the flesh (9:10) but not of the conscience (9:9,14). Christ’s death, on the other hand, truly takes away sin.

Those Who Persist in Faithfulness

Chapter five will deal with the way in which Hebrews uses examples of both faith and disbelief in order to challenge its audience to be faithful, but we can briefly introduce this aspect of Hebrews now. Of the faithful, for instance, Abraham would seem to be the most important “type” or example of one who hears God’s word of promise with faith. Like the recipients of the epistle, he left his previous land for a land of promise. In the meantime, he lived as a foreigner and a stranger on the earth, looking forward to a heavenly city (11:9,13). He believed in God, even though he never saw God’s greatest promise come to pass (11:13).

Chapter 11 of Hebrews presents a long list of such examples of faith, a “cloud of witnesses” to urge the audience of the epistle on in their contest (12:1-2). A good number of these are commended for their choice to be faithful to God despite the persecution and shame they faced. Abel dies, but death was not his final word (11:4). Moses chooses to subject himself to the mistreatment of God’s people rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin (11:24-26). Some heroes of faith chose to be tortured rather than be released, since they looked forward to a better resurrection.[28] Abraham has faith for Isaac in that, though he is about to be killed, God will make it possible for his life to continue. The earthly Jesus is of course the consummate example of one who endures shame and dies in faith, believing that God can raise him from the dead (5:7).

Others in the chapter are more basic examples of those who believed God’s promises at a time when they were far from obvious. Their faith was “the proof of things that are not currently visible” (11:1). Noah built an ark before any rain was in sight (11:7). Joseph spoke of the exodus even before the time of Israel’s persecution (11:22). All of these examples reinforce the author’s urge to his audience to endure in faith despite how things appear.

Finally, we can note that in the age of the new covenant there are also examples of faith. Not only was the word of salvation confirmed through those who were eyewitnesses of Christ (2:3), but the lives of the former leaders of the community evidently also ended on an exemplary note (13:7). The author even uses the previous faith of the audience itself to encourage them to endure, reminding them of how they had previously undergone the confiscation of their property under the cloud of public shame (10:33-34). All of these examples reinforce the author’s central exhortation – hang on in faithfulness to what God has done through Christ, even when such faith leads to persecution and shame.

Those Who Ultimately Disbelief

If Abraham is the most important type of one who has faith in the unseen, then the wilderness generation is the supreme example the author brings forward of a group that responded in disbelief to God’s word (3:7-19). Like Abraham, they had started out on their journey toward the Promised Land, but unlike him they failed to attain it because of unbelief. If Abraham represents to the audience the benefits of enduring on till one enters the land, then the wilderness generation’s fate emphasizes the peril of unbelief. Their corpses fall in the desert (3:17). They represent those who do not hold onto the faith they had at the beginning (3:14).

Esau is another example of a godless person. He started out as the firstborn, a son, yet he threw away his inheritance for food. Later when he sought to regain his previous status, he could not – even though he sought a place of repentance with tears (12:15-17). Here is one of the starkest challenges the author makes to his audience.

Christ

The hero of the story is of course Christ. It is he who, through the initiation of God, brings about the decisive turning point of the story. Faithful in the days of his flesh, he became a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and atoned for the sins of God’s people. God has enthroned him at his right hand as the royal Son of God, the very embodiment of the wisdom with which God created the heavens and the earth. Christ waits for his enemies to be put under his feet, at which point he will return a second time to save all those who have been perfected through his sacrifice.

We have already mentioned that the earthly Jesus is the greatest example of one who responds to God’s word in faith. He lives his whole life without sin, although he was tested in every respect just as his fellow humans (4:15). Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things that he suffered (5:8). He prays to the one who is able to save him from the grave and is heard because of his godly reverence (5:7).[29] He is thus the paramount witness to faithfulness, the model example of all who would despise earthly shame as they look to the invisible (12:2; 13:12-13).

Heb 5:5-6 read like Christ’s resume beyond his earthly life. In verse 5, we are reminded of Christ’s “appointment” by God as royal Son, a fact the author has already discussed in chapter 1. God places him in a position of lordship over all things as he seats him at his right hand.[30] As we will see further in chapters four and six, this is language of enthronement, with Christ now in a position of glory and honor, destined to rule with all things under his feet.

Verse 6 then continues with another office Christ holds – that of high priest. As we have already noted, this language is part of the epistle’s high priestly metaphor and is used to pit the atoning value of Christ’s death against the entirety of the old covenant cultus. In the metaphor, Christ’s appointment as high priest also occurs at the point of his death and exaltation. He becomes a source of eternal salvation when he has been made perfect through sufferings (5:9). It is as one with an indestructible life that he is a priest after the order of Melchizedek (5:10; 7:16).[31]

Both “appointments” are based upon psalm texts in which God is thought to address the Messiah. Ps 2:8, quoted in verse 5, reads “You are my Son; today I have given birth to you,” while Ps 110:4, cited in verse 6 says, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Son and high priest, therefore, would seem to be the two primary categories in which the author thinks about Christ. Christ’s Sonship refers primarily to his office as Lord over all things, while his high priesthood is largely a metaphor for the fact that his death atones for all and provides a way of entrance to the throne of God.

Hebrews does not clearly associate Christ with the coming judgment. Instead, God is portrayed as the judge of all (10:30-31; 12:23,29). Christ’s role in his return, on the other hand, is discussed strictly in terms of the salvation he brings to those waiting for him (9:28). Beyond that point in the story we know that his enemies will finally be placed under his feet (10:13), and he will reign over the coming world (2:5).

The Audience of Hebrews

We have already mentioned several aspects of the audience of Hebrews as characters in the plot. We noted, for example, that the author considered their conduct in a previous crisis to have been exemplary. He encourages them to “remember the former days” (10:32) when they gladly endured the shame of Christ and the plundering of their possessions.

They have thus been Christians for some time when Hebrews is written. They are “partakers” of the Christ (3:14) and have been enlightened. They are partakers of the Holy Spirit (6:4), and the sacrifice of Christ remains in effect for them (10:26). Yet the author calls them “hard of hearing” (5:11) and needing to be re-taught the basics of Christianity. While they should be teachers by this time, they still need baby’s milk (5:12).

The recurring exhortations to endure indicate clearly that the author is concerned that the community hold fast to their profession of faith. They have started out on the journey of faith, but the author does not wish their corpses to fall in the desert, short of the land of promise. He wishes them to be like Abraham and the cloud of witnesses who died in faith even though the promise had not arrived.

If the author’s expositions are relevant at all to these exhortations, we must also conclude that the audience is tempted to rely inappropriately in some way on old covenant means of atonement. Given the character of the argument, it is logical to conclude that the recipients are Jews, but the data becomes more and more sketchy as one attempts to fill in details. Chapter seven will probe the possibilities in more depth. It would not be surprising, however, if the author’s warnings concerning apostasy (e.g. 6:4-8; 10:26-31) relate to some situation in which the author believes the community’s loyalty to Christ to have come into conflict with their loyalty to some aspect of their Jewish identity.

5. Conclusion

The Epistle to the Hebrews is not a narrative. It is a sermon sent to a community of faith in order to challenge them to reaffirm values and beliefs they have previously held about Christ. The author/preacher hopes that their faithfulness to God’s word through Christ will return to its former vigor and boldness.

Yet even if Hebrews is not presented in the form of a narrative, its arguments are made on the basis of a story that the author and his audience hold in common. It is the story of salvation’s history, with events, characters and settings. It is a drama in two acts, the first of which is set in the earthly realm, where death reigns over humanity and no earthly sacrifice can truly atone.

God does not allow the story to end there, but he finds it fitting to bring about salvation through the suffering and death of Christ. Christ partakes of flesh and blood and lives a sinless life. He dies in exemplary faithfulness to God and is brought forth from the dead. Exalted as God’s Son, he stands in waiting to rule over all things, a heavenly high priest whose offering to God definitively takes away sin. He will come a second time to rescue the faithful.

From this story the author argues for faithfulness on the part of his audience. They have started the journey toward a heavenly home. They have left Ur and Egypt. Will they follow the witness of the many positive examples of faith, who believed in God’s promises even though they died before they came to pass? The other path leads to the judgment of God’s consuming fire.