Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

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.