Introduction

The early Jewish Christians were suffering. Many were being persecuted, and some were forsaking the Christian faith to return to the supposed safety of Judaism. It was during this time that the great apostles, Peter and Paul, are believed to have been executed in Rome by the most brutal Roman emperor, Nero.

The early church had suffered from Jewish persecution for thirty-five years but they had been spared Roman persecution. It had only been about two years since the Romans had come to the understanding, as the insistence of the Jews, that Christianity was not a part of Judaism, and therefore, it was an illegal religion under Roman law. The Jewish nation had failed to realize that Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism.

The Roman Empire permitted conquered nations to practice their original religions, but no new ones were allowed. Early Christianity had been able to grow under the umbrella of Judaism. However, all that had now changed, and Christians were now being severely persecuted by both the Jews and the Romans. The persecution that the church was experiencing was soon to become even more intense.

It was into this setting that the Hebrew writer urgently tried to convey God’s message of support. The year was A.D. 65. The Jerusalem church had been established, with Peter preaching, on the day of Pentecost in A.D. 30. It had been a challenging time for the infant church.

Within two years, in A.D. 67, Jerusalem revolted against Rome and those two former allies against the church became the most bitter of enemies. The Jerusalem church escaped, in A.D. 67, and settled beyond the Jordan river at Pella. Jesus had told his followers that when they saw Jerusalem surrounded by armies to get out (Luke 21:20-21). However, before their escape, the next two years, from A.D. 65 to A.D. 67, would be very difficult times for the Jewish church. The Hebrew writer desperately tried to get these persecuted Christians to remain faithful to Christ. However, the lure of Judaism and its supposed safety ensnared many of them.

The date of the writing of this letter is widely accepted as about A.D. 65. The date can be easily established in that (1) many of the first generation Christians had already died (2:3; 13:7), (2) the A.D. 70 destruction of the temple had not yet occurred as the temple worship was still being observed (7:8; 9:6-10; 10:1; 13:10), (3) the A.D. 67 Jewish war had not yet started, and (4) the persecution by Nero was the immediate problem but it had not yet reached its peak. These conditions focus in on A.D. 65 as the date that this letter was written.

In contrast to the ease of which the date was established, the author cannot be named. Even though the letter was written anonymously, the names of Paul, Barnabas, Apollos, Silas, Luke, Clement of Rome and others have been suggested as possible authors. There is nothing in this letter or in the records of historians that prove the identity of the author. Of all the possible authors, it is easy to eliminate Paul since the vocabulary in the Greek does not match Paul’s vocabulary in His other writings. The most likely author may have been Barnabas, as he was known as the Son of Encouragement. He, also, was of the priestly tribe of Levi. This book was written to encourage first century Christians and it deals extensively with the priesthood. Yet, this is not sufficient to prove authorship, so the author remains unknown.

The recipients of the letter were obviously Jewish Christians. Evidence appears to indicate that the letter was written to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem and Palestine. The book is centered on the contrast of Christianity to Judaism. There are no gentile (non-Jewish) doctrines or problems referred to in this great letter.

The Jewish Christians were in danger of apostasy (leaving Christianity) in favor of the supposed safety of Judaism. The early Christians were cut off from the majority of their countrymen who had rejected Jesus as their Messiah. The splendor of the temple worship, their discouragement due to persecution, and the delay of the return of Christ, became the basis for many of them to return to Judaism. However, within five years, in A.D. 70, this entire splendor would be destroyed when Jesus returned in judgment on the nation of Israel as foretold in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew.

The term “last days” parallels the term “end of the ages.” Both have reference to the final days of the old covenant age. When the complete new covenant age had come, that which was in part was to end (1 Cor. 13:10). Note that the term “end of time” is not found in the scriptures.

The author of Hebrews referred to “these last days” (1:2), but of what “last days” was he speaking? They are the “last days” of the old covenant age. Jerusalem, the temple, and the nation would be destroyed during that first generation of Christianity (Mt. 10:23; 24:34; Luke 21:20, 22, 32). The “last days” as used by Jesus were the “last days” of the temporary old covenant age that had lasted for 1500 years.

We, contrary to popular opinion, are not living in the “last days.” We are living in the new covenant age. The new covenant age is “the eternal covenant” (13:20) and an eternal age has no “last days.” We have Jesus as our eternal king (1:8). If the new covenant age extends throughout eternity and eternity still lies in our future, then, we are in the first days of this eternal age. Missing these important time statements cause people to misapply, by nearly 2000 years, many verses in the book of Hebrews and especially in its closely related book, the book of Revelation. The “last days” spoken of by the Hebrew writer were the “last days” of the Jewish, old covenant age which became obsolete and passed away in the A.D. 70 judgment and destruction of Jerusalem (8:13).

The author confronted two main problems. The Jewish church was in danger of becoming victims both of the seducing propagandists of Judaism and also of seeking to escape the present persecution by returning to Judaism. A special warning was given to them in chapters 6 and 10, that if they decided to return to Judaism, they would identify themselves with those who crucified Christ.

This letter was written to encourage those suffering Christians to persevere in spite of the persecution they were experiencing. First, the writer stressed that Jesus is better in every way compared to the old covenant system. Second, the new covenant is better in every way compared to the old covenant. He seriously tried to demonstrate to those struggling Christians that the new age that was dawning would bring to completion the new and much better covenant.

These words are very similar to that of Paul when he reminded the Christians in Corinth, “For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!” (2 Cor. 3:10-11). Paul’s contrast of these two covenants was very similar to the contrast as set forth by the author of Hebrews. At the time of this writing, one was in the process of passing away while the other was being fully consummated. The NIV translators chose to change the present phrase “is fading away” (present, passive, participle) to “was fading away.” The correct usage of the word is that, at the time of Paul’s writing in about A.D. 55, the glorious old covenant “is fading away.”

In a companion volume, “Revelation: Kingdoms in Conflict,” this author shows how the book of Revelation describes Christ with his new church as they stood in conflict against Satan and the old covenant world. That scene ended in the great victory of Christ with his church and the defeat of Satan including the destruction of the old Jewish world. This is visible in the A.D. 70 destruction of Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple. Jesus now reigns eternally in victory with his new covenant kingdom, the church.

In Hebrews, it is the contrast between the old and new covenants that is shown with Christ, the new covenant, and the new Christian faith being better in every way to the old system. God, through the writer of this letter, encouraged those Christians to remain faithful in spite of the great persecution that was coming upon them. He did not want them to take part in the great apostasy. It was into this crucial situation in A.D. 65, that the author was writing this magnificent letter of encouragement.

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Back Cover

I was delighted when Gene Fadeley informed me that he was planning to reprint his commentary, Hebrews: Covenants in Contrast, and asked me to write a few words for the back cover. This study guide continues to serve as a handy introduction to the Book of Hebrews from a fulfilled eschatological viewpoint.

Mr. Fadeley’s goal in writing this brief 13 chapter study guide was to lead today’s Christian toward a better understanding of what the inspired author of Hebrews, writing in about A.D. 65, intended to convey to his audience. With the climax of redemptive history about to swoop down upon the rebellious enemies of Jesus, as well as Jewish Christians of that generation, there was grave danger that some of these professing believers would regress from the fulfilled salvation in Christ and His New Covenant back into apostate Judaism with the ornate ritual of the Old Covenant temple worship system which could not remove their sins. It was a critical time in history—the time of redemption was at hand. The persecuted Jewish Christians needed comfort and encouragement. This Epistle surely provided exactly what was needed in that historical setting.

Following each of the 13 chapters are seven discussion questions that help to increase the effectiveness of the study. This makes the book ideal for use in Sunday school classes, as well as being a useful guide for individual study of God’s Word, the Bible. I therefore recommend this book without hesitation as a faithful guide to the Book of Hebrews.

Walt Hibbard
Former founder, president & chairman of Great Christian Books

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