Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

I have come to the conclusion that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, but I won't argue with you about it. The truth is that whoever the human penman was, the Holy Spirit "breathed" the Word into the author. This reality helps me to realize that God is the one speaking to me through this human scribe.

With that in mind, I now approach today's devotional reading, the key verse and the extended reading, with a heart that must be receptive to God's instructions, correction, doctrine and all that is good for me so that I can be the man of God He wants me to be in our world today.

I don't have to guess about how He wants me to live each day of my life. As I read this passage I am instructed, exhorted and encouraged as I read. I must continue in "brotherly love", verse 1. I could have the opportunity to entertain angels, thinking they were strangers, verse 2.

God has given me, and my wife of 61 years, something "honorable", marriage. I should not live a life of "wanting" but be "content" because all my needs are met by Him, the one who will not forsake me, verse 5.

I will not fear what man can do to me, verse 6. The Lord tells me to honor, remember those who have the "rule over me", verse 7. Those over me are responsible to God for their "watch-care" over me.

Verse 9 exhorts us to be not carried away by every whim of "doctrine". God uses "doctrine", in His Word, to teach me through His Word. Every instruction, exhortation and promise is because of verse 8.

The great promise of this chapter is that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, is the very same every day; yesterday, today, and everyday in the future.

There's one last verse to ponder, verse 14. This old world can offer us no great city; however, there is one that can do everything that "we seek to come", that New Jerusalem, Revelation 21.

I can't even begin to tell you of that "coming city", all that I can say is that the "New Jerusalem", the "city to come", is better than anything in this present world.

The instructions in our devotional reading for today are those activities that will help us make preparations for that "city to come".

Today, as I read through the extended passage for our devotional, I realized again how practical the Word of God is for us as we travel the pathway of our lives on our journey to go to be with Jesus Christ, forever.

This passage in Hebrews is especially practical and prophetic, as well. I'm sure you will be able to pick up on how many practical truths you can find in these fifteen verses. I'll only highlight a few so that we can rejoice together on how the Lord inspires men to record His Word for us to appropriate daily, for our lives to be lived in His power and His strength.

Verses 5-11 discuss how the "Lord's chastening" can be such a blessing to each of us. Seven times in these seven verses Paul writes about how the Lord will correct us, and in fact, he says in verse 8, that if we "be without chastisement then we are not sons we are illegitimate children".

The writer of Hebrews encourages us with the truth that "whom the Lord loves, He chasteneth", verse 6. Verse 10 tells us that the Lord's correction is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness".

However, at the same time, Paul tells us that "no chastising for the present seems to be joyous", but if we are exercised by the chastisement it "yields the fruit of righteousness", verse 11, within our lives.

Just reading this passage almost makes me want to be "chastised" because of the blessing it is to those of us who know Him as Lord and Saviour. Verses 12-15 details how we then live as a result of His chastisement.

Go back with me now to verses 1 and 2. What wonderful truth in these two verses. Paul's exhortation is for us to "lay aside every weight and sin which so easily besets us."

We then take off and run the race that is set before us, and we are to "run with patience", this race. I believe we run the race in front of the "heavenly grandstands" as the "witnesses" already in the heavenlies are watching, verse 1.

Then, we are to "look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who went to the cross with a 'joyful heart' even though He despised the 'shame of death' on the cross, and is now 'seated' at the right hand of the throne of God."

Notice, Jesus Christ is not on "His throne" but seated on the Father's throne, at His right hand. Jesus will sit on His own throne during the "thousand year Kingdom", a throne that will be located in the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in the future.

We are not today in the Kingdom Period, Jesus is not on His throne and God has not yet given Him dominion over all of Creation. That is yet to come. It is a prophecy of God's Word, Daniel 7:13-14, that will be fulfilled.

As we come to our devotional reading for today we will be presented with the "Hall of Fame" of men and women of "faith". I want you to notice that the first six men mentioned in the "Hall of Fame" have an interesting connection to Bible prophecy as well as to "faith".

Our passage starts with the definition of "faith", "it's the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", verse 1. This is a very important statement about "faith". Notice, it is the "evidence of things not seen".

We don't have to, and in fact, we should not see the things we are "hoping for". Many people say, "show me and I'll believe", the Bible says "believe without seeing". By the way, Romans says, "Faith cometh by hearing, not seeing, and hearing by the Word of God", Romans 10:17.

It's the truth of the Word of God that is the basis for "faith", not things seen. In our extended reading for today, verses 1-21, we see six men who were "men of faith" and also have a unique connection to Bible prophecy.

"Abel", verse 4, was a son of Adam that by "faith" offered a "more excellent sacrifice" looking into the future and the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ. "Enoch", verse 5, was a great preacher, Jude 14, and was one of two men who never died. This makes him one of the two witnesses during the Tribulation Period, along with Elijah.

I say this based upon the three and a half years of ministry for these two witnesses as detailed in Revelation 11:3-12. These two witnesses will die, be resurrected and taken into heaven. This truth from Revelation must be coupled with Hebrews 9:27.

"Noah", verse 7, was another great preacher, with not real good results, he only had seven people believe him. His wife, his three sons and the three wives of his sons. Jesus mentioned in His prophetic "Olivet Discourse" that the return of our Lord will take place at a time when it is like the "days of Noah", Matthew 24:37.

"Abraham", verses 8-19, the "father of faith" is a "man of faith" that plays a key role in Bible prophecy, as it relates to the Jewish people. The Lord promised Abraham, "in the Abrahamic Covenant" that the Jews would be a nation forever and have a land forever, Genesis 12 and 15.

Abraham's son and grandson, "Isaac" and "Jacob", are the "son and grandson of promise". It was through these three patriarchs that God focuses all of Bible prophecy. God made promises to these three, to be fulfilled, in the future. These promises must be fulfilled.

Notice how "faith" plays a role in "things to come", verse 20. I have barely touched the "hem of the garment" of blessings you can receive from this passage on "faith", and the "personalities of prophecy". Please spend more time in this passage, as we await the shout from Jesus for us to join Him in the heavenlies.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for these "men of faith" in the past. Help me to be a "man of faith" in the present, as I look to the future... by "faith".

The Apostle Paul, it has been said, wrote the book of Hebrews to help Hebrews quit being Hebrews. In other words, he was telling the new converts to Christianity, from Judaism, that there was a better way than the "law".

Basically that's how Paul starts this tenth chapter. Stating in verses 1-3 that the "law" was a "shadow" of the good things to come. Paul reminds these new converts that the blood of "bulls and goats" cannot take away sins. You can read his argument in verses 4-9.

Then in verse 10 he states that Jesus Christ was the "offering, once and for all". What a blessing verse 12 is to me, and each of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

After He became the "sacrifice for sins forever" the Lord went into the third heaven and He "sat down on the right-hand of God". Now our Saviour, the Son of God, is at the right hand of the Father, there to intercede as our special "advocate" with the Father, I John 2:1.

Jesus is there to represent us at the right hand of the Father. He is there to restore our fellowship with the Father should we sin, which we know we will after salvation. By the way, notice Jesus is not now on "His throne" but instead seated at the "right hand of the Father".

The Father will, in the future, give His Son, Jesus His "Kingdom", His "throne" and His "dominion". There is so much in this passage that is a blessing to each of us, Notice verses 19-22. Because of our "high priest", Jesus, we can enter the Holy of Holies in boldness, because of the blood of Jesus.

We can talk to the Father because of what the Son has done for us. When Jesus died on the cross, the "veil of the Temple" was rent from top to bottom, giving us access to the Holy of Holies. We can now approach the Father with respect, honor and with boldness, verse 19.

Paul exhorts each of us to come together for fellowship, prayer, study of His Word and encouragement, verse 25. We should do this even more so as we quickly approach the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Believing that the Rapture could happen at any moment doesn't allow me to sit down on my "blessed assurance" and do nothing but wait for the Rapture. I, and each of us that know Christ, must do His work, even with greater intensity as that day quickly approaches when He will call us to be with Him in the heavenlies.

The day on the Jewish calendar, which is the holiest day of their seven Jewish holy days, holy days that God gave to the Jews to observe on an annual basis, is "Yom Kippur," the "Day of Atonement."

During Biblical times, when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the High Priest, after much preparation, would enter the Holy of Holies of the Temple for the purpose of pouring the "sacrificial blood" onto the "Mercy Seat" on the "Ark of the Covenant".

This act would cover the sins of the Jewish people for one year until the next Yom Kippur. This annual holy day was to be marked by a twenty-five hour fast and was to be a very solemn day.

Today, without a Temple and the sacrificial system in place, the Jewish people must approach this holy day in a different manner. The ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are referred to as the ten "Awesome Days".

That's a period of time when the present-day Jews seek forgiveness from family, friends, loved ones and neighbors that they may have trespassed against during the last year.

They will also take a piece of bread to a body of water, that preferably flows into the ocean, and will cast the bread on the water. Then they quote, Micah 7:19, "I will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

Many Orthodox Jews will also cut off the head of a chicken and wave its body around over their own heads. They believe all these activities will help them be included in the "Book of Life."

Since there is no Temple and no "sacrificial system" the Jews today offer up prayers three times daily, do good deeds and give money to needy causes. These activities replace the "sacrificial system".

The holy day of Yom Kippur also has a "prophetic significance." Hebrews 9:23-28 reveals that prophetic aspect of Yom Kippur. The text tells us that in days past the High Priest, "entereth into the Holy Place every year with the blood of others".

Now look at what Jesus does, verse 26, "Once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." I'll explain that verse in a moment, but first let me remind you that Jesus Christ fulfilled the "spring feast" in the proper day sequences. Jesus Christ was crucified on "Passover", buried on "Unleavened Bread" and rose from the dead on "First Fruits".

Jesus will also fulfill the three "fall feast" in the proper day sequences. Jesus will return to the earth on a future "Rosh Hashana," followed by the ten "awesome days" when He builds up Jerusalem, builds His temple, goes to the Jezreel Valley for the Battle of Armageddon.

Then Jesus will gather the Jews that He will have protected for the last three and a half years of the Tribulation Period, in Petra, and bring them to Jerusalem by way of the Mt of Olives, the Eastern Gate and into the Temple, in fact, into the Holy of Holies, Ezekiel 43:7.

That will happen on the Holy Day, Yom Kippur. That's when all Jews get saved in a day, Zechariah 3:9. Passover was for "personal salvation" and Yom Kippur was for "national salvation." The Jewish feasts have always pointed to Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah.

In the reading of our key verse, we see where Jesus is today. He is seated "at the right hand of the Father on His throne" in the third heaven. Hebrews 12:2 also reveals the present location of Christ now seated at the right hand of God, who is on His throne.

I say, and repeat this because there are those who say Jesus is now on His “throne”. That is incorrect. Our key verse tells us where He is today. One day, Jesus will sit upon His throne in Jerusalem; however, that is yet in the future.

Notice also that Jesus is our "High Priest" after the order of Melchisedec, Hebrews 6:20. This Melchisedec is a very interesting personality. He has no father or mother, Hebrews 7:3. This same verse says he has no beginning and no end of life. Remember, he was the King of Salem (Jerusalem) who met with Abraham, Genesis 14:17-20. I believe he may well be a "pre-incarnate appearance" of Jesus Christ.

The reading for today is a rich passage that deserves more attention than it will receive. Spend time in reading it later. However, let me show you one more portion of our reading, verses 7-10. In this passage the Lord promises to give the Jewish people a "New Covenant."

This is a different covenant than the one God had with Moses and the Jews. This covenant, the New Covenant, the Lord gives to the Jewish people - the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not to Christians. Now, we Christians derive benefits from the New Covenant, but it is given to the Jewish people, Jeremiah 31:31.

This covenant is also referred to as the "Everlasting Covenant," Ezekiel 37:26. This covenant that God will make with the Jewish people will be given to them in the future. The Lord will put His law in their mind and write it upon their heart, verse 10. This verse also says the Lord will be their God and the Jews will be His people, all of this because their sins and iniquities the Lord will “remove and remember no more”.

This New Covenant is to the Jewish people and it is yet to be given to them in the future, evidence that the Lord does have a plan and program for the Jewish people in the future. God is not finished with His "Chosen People." God must keep His promises to the Jews if we expect Him to keep His promises to us, i.e. the promise of eternal life.

Though the New Covenant is for the Jewish people I must again remind you that we, as Christians, will also derive benefits from this New Covenant. We will have a relationship with Jesus, which will be very unique. We will be His people, in fact the "bride" of Jesus, and He will be our Lord, "husband." Our relationship with Jesus will be very unique.

I love the fact that He cannot remember our sins anymore. That is a derived benefit. By the way, the New Covenant is given to the Jewish people at His Second Coming, which seems to be quickly approaching.

Paul introduces "angels" in Hebrews 1 and tells us that "Jesus Christ is so much better than the angels," verse 4. He reveals that angels were actually created on the first day of creation in order to minister to those of us who are saved, the "heirs of salvation", Hebrews 1:14.

As we come to the second chapter of Hebrews, and notice that I believe Paul was the author of this book, the writer reveals how Jesus chose to dwell among humankind. Paul states that Jesus took on the form of a man, "made a little lower than the angels", verse 9. Christ did this so that "He by the grace of God should taste death for every man".

Then Paul reminds us that Jesus is the Creator, verse 10, and that He created Lucifer, the most prominent of all angels, who would rebel, and become the adversary, the Devil.

However, the Devil, who had the "power of death" would be destroyed, rendered inoperative, and would no longer be able to cause those who receive Christ to fear death and live a lifetime of bondage, verse 15.

Hebrews 1 & 2 speaks much about angels. Angels played a significant role in the first coming of Jesus; announcing the birth of Christ; ministering to Jesus in the wilderness; the evil angels inhabiting human bodies, which made them demons: and ministered to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to His death.

Angels will play a key role in the Second Coming of Jesus, both good and evil angels. Evil angels inhabit lost people today, especially world leaders and false teachers. Good angels act as "guardians" especially for the little children, as well as adults.

Jesus will be accompanied by a host of angels when He returns to the earth at His Second Coming. At that time He comes to defeat the Devil.

Antichrist and False Prophet, who are humans empowered and possessed by evil angels, will be defeated by Jesus at His coming when He is "crowned with glory and honor", verse 9.

These truths should cause us to rejoice over what He has done for us and what He will do for us.

I could hardly wait to get to the book of Hebrews for our devotional thought for today. Now having said that, let's look at the first chapter of this book of the unknown author, unknown but believed by many to be the apostle Paul. That is a debate for another time. We do know that whoever the human author was, he had the entire book "breathed into" him by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the person of the Godhead who inspired the human authors, some 40 of them, over 1,500 years. These men wrote 66 books that have no contradiction and all of the authors speak of the Lord's plan for humankind throughout all the ages.

God, in the past, did raise up the ancient Jewish prophets to speak His word to us. But, as the text says, "in these last days has spoken to us by His Son". Our key verse tells us where Jesus is, today. He is now seated at the right-hand of the Father in the 3rd heaven.

This is an important truth. It tells us that Jesus is not on His throne, which is yet to come, in an earthly kingdom that will be set up in Jerusalem. This is key to understanding what the future holds for our Lord. His kingdom is yet to come.

There is another precious truth in this first chapter of Hebrews. The reading today explains to us that Jesus is so much better than "angels", verse 4. The entire chapter tells us how superior Jesus is to angels who were created by Him.

However, there is a blessing for us with the creation of angels, they are all "ministering spirits", sent by the Lord to minister to us who are heirs of the salvation that Jesus provides.

These angels are to guard over us, to take us into His presence when we die, and to be "fellow servants" with us in our ministry for Him. By the way, when He does leave the right-hand of the Father to come for us to join Him, the angels will come with Him. I would love to see Him and His angels today.

It is true that there is no prophetic passage found in the book of Philemon. However, in this little New Testament book, I find Paul as our example of how to work towards a "crown" that will be given to some at the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is the "Crown of Glory" spoken of in I Peter 1:1-4.

The "Crown of Glory" is given to those who are always ready to step up to "feed the flock", to build them up in the things of the Lord. Peter reveals that we do not serve as "feeders of the flock" for filthy lucre and not by constraint, I Peter 5:2. Peter's exhortation is for us to be an example to the flock.

You know that is what Paul is doing in Philemon. Paul is showing Philemon, by example, how to deal with a former servant of Philemon, the person who stole from him and then fled to Rome, the servant Onesimus.

When Onesimus arrived in Rome, he made contact with Paul and was converted to Christianity. Paul knew the circumstances surrounding the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, and he is used of the Lord to develop Onesimus into a very profitable brother in the Lord.

Next, Paul having built into the life of the "servant", now wants to build into the life of his former owner, the one who had been violated. Paul writes to Philemon requesting that he take back his former employee, one who could be very profitable to him in the future, verse 11.

Paul is working towards that "Crown of Glory" Peter wrote about, as he works with both Philemon and Onesimus. Paul was ambitious for these crowns, II Corinthians 5:9, because he knew that these crowns would one day be presented back to the Lord Jesus in thanksgiving for what He has done for us, Revelation 4:10.

The "Crown of Glory" is only one of five crowns we can receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We receive a "crown incorruptible" for bringing our body under subjection, I Corinthians 9:27. We will be rewarded a "crown of rejoicing" for being a soul winner, I Thessalonians 2:19. There is the "crown of life" for not yielding to temptation, James 1:12. There is also the "crown of righteousness" for loving the appearance of Jesus Christ at the Rapture, II Timothy 4:8.

In Philemon, Paul, by example, helps us to understand how to receive the "Crown of Glory".

PRAYER THOUGHT: Lord help me to work towards attaining all five of the crowns so that I can give them back to you in thanksgiving.

Our key verse for today's reading is a very direct statement that is made right to the heart of the issue. At the time that Paul wrote to Titus, around 65 AD, the church had been in existence around 35 years. Already in that short history, heresy had crept into the church.

Paul wanted Titus to travel to locations that had churches up and operating, most likely churches that Paul had started or had at least helped in the "church planting" process.

Now Paul wants his young associate to travel to these locations and set them "in order", while at the same time, selecting and ordaining "elders" as the leaders of these new churches, Titus 1:5. Then Paul sets out for Titus the qualifications for the church leaders, Titus 1:6-9.

Throughout Paul's letter to Titus, this young partner in ministry to the now aging Apostle, was exhorted to challenge others to "sound doctrine". In fact, all of the "pastoral epistles" that Paul wrote, I & II Timothy and Titus, contained this exhortation that it was essential for the church to have "sound doctrine".

This same message is essential for churches today and for individuals in those churches. You and I must have sound doctrine. Notice Paul passed along this message to the churches and their leaders. God's plan is for the church, the local church, to be the "custodian" of sound doctrine.

Our key verse tells us how to deal with someone who comes with heresy, a person who is a "heretic", someone who propagates false doctrine. We are to confront the "heretic" once, and admonish him of his "false doctrine". If need be, we must do it a second time, and then reject that person.

In fact, the Apostle John, II John 10, tells us that we should not allow someone with false doctrine into our house and for sure don't bid them "God's speed", the blessings of God upon them as they travel.

This message is so important at any time in history but especially as we approach the time of the Lord's call for us to join Him in the "air" at the Rapture of the Church.

Time and time again Paul tells us that false doctrine, heresy in the church delivered by heretics, is a definite indication that the days when Jesus will take us to be with Him in heaven are quickly approaching.