In Heb 6.1-5 it says, “Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Messiah, let us press on to maturity ,not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works (Teshuvah) and of faith (Emunah) toward God; of instruction about immersions (Tevilah) and of laying on of hands (Semicha) and the resurrection of the dead (Techiyah) and eternal judgment (Mishpat). And this we shall do, if God permits. For in the case of those who have once been enlightened (to their lost state) and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit (in an external way-Matt 7.21-22; John 11.51) and have tasted the good Word of God (Torah) and the powers of the world to come (Olam Haba) and have fallen away (deviate from the Torah; set it aside; not staying true to the tavnit), it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God (king) and put him to open shame.” All of this is not saying that you can lose your salvation, that is impossible. Just like in the physical, we can’t go back to an “unborn” position once we are born. What this is saying is that Yeshua died once and put to open shame and he doesn’t need to go to the cross again every time we sin. This alludes to Moses striking the rock in Exo 17, and then just having to speak to the rock in Num 20. The rock was struck once, after that, we speak to it and the water of life will gush forth.
In Heb 6.7-11, he is alluding to our labor in the present age (Olam Ha Zeh) and how the Lord will not “forget your work”, with our hope in the future age (Olam Haba) and where we will “inherit the promises.” In Heb 6.12-20 we learn that there is a heavenly court where God “swore by himself saying, “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you.” We have a heavenly court (Dan 7.9-10 where this oath took place in the Olam Haba. This court is a model for the Olam Ha Zeh (Matt 16.18, 18.15-17; 1 Cor 6.1-5). We have a heavenly Temple and we are moving to a mystical level of understanding here. Yeshua is the only direct descendant of the heavenly Temple there. There is an earthly Temple made after the tavnit (pattern) of the heavenly Temple, but it is limited because of man. Man is restricted by the age we live in, the Olam Ha Zeh. We are not in the Olam Haba.
Heb 7.1-3 tells us that the earthly Temple priests were from Levi and the family of Aaron. Melchizedek was not from Levi, nor did he have a genealogy from Aaron, he preceded them. As a result, Melchizedek is superior to the Aaronic priesthood because man is still in the Olam Ha Zeh. So, the Melchizedek priesthood predated Aaron, and Heb 7.4-12 begins to illustrate this. When Abraham gave a tithe of the spoils of war, Levi was still in Abraham’s loins (predated him). Melchizedek was without father and mother who descended from Levi, and having neither beginning of days nor end of life (v 3). This means there is no account of his birth or death. He was made “like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually “in type and shadow”, not personally. It goes on to say in v 4 how great Melchizedek was to Abraham, who gave him tithes. But Melchizedek is not traced to Levi by genealogy (v 6), and in this case Melchizedek is greater than Abraham and he “lives on” which means there is no record of his death. Now, if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, why is there a need for another priest according to the “order (likeness, manner) of Melchizedek?” For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity, there takes place a change in law also. But, this is not really a change but a “renewal” of what was already in the Torah. We know we can’t change the Torah (in the Olam Ha Zeh-Matt 5.17-18).
Heb 7.13-16 tells us, therefore, that the law of physical requirement from Levi in the Torah (v 16) is referring to the Olam Ha Zeh, but the “order (likeness/manner) of Melchizedek” is from the Olam Haba and it is better because it is based on an “indestructible life” in the Olam Haba. In Heb 7.17-18 we learn several things. If there is a setting aside of a commandment in order to say that Yeshua is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, it is because the former commandment was “weak.” Now, Yeshua said the Torah would not “pass away” until heaven and earth passed away (the Olam Ha Zeh). So if we have the annulling of a commandment, when must this be? In the Olam Haba, as we pass from the Olam Ha Zeh. In other words, if we have a setting aside of a commandment, it must mean that we have passed from the Olam Ha Zeh into the Olam Haba.
Is the Olam Ha Zeh weak? Yes, because of sinful human beings and our mortality living within it. Is it useless? Yes, because in a certain sense, it cannot bring us to the Olam Haba. It can teach about it, but it cannot promote you into the Olam Haba. Heb 7.19 tells us that the Olam Ha Zeh and the Torah cannot make anyone “perfect” as in the Olam Haba. Its very name “Torah” means “instruction” and it can’t make anyone perfect or “to full maturity” (as if in the Olam Haba). Rom 10.4 says that the Messiah is the “target and goal” of the Torah instruction and that is what it does. It teaches about the “Messiah” and “repentance” and how we can have a place in the Olam Haba in the “resurrection” through “faith”, having passed from “judgment” to life and being “immersed” into the body of Messiah (some of the elementary principles in Heb 6.1-2).
Heb 7.20-28 goes on to tell us that earthly priests are still in the Olam Ha Zeh and had to exist in greater numbers because they died. But Yeshua is in the Olam Haba (holds his priesthood continually) and he is able to save forever (in the Olam Haba) those who draw near to God through him. He lives on in the Olam Haba to make intercession for us (v 23-25). He does not need to offer daily sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the people because he offered up himself, once and for all (v 27). The Torah appointed men as high priests who are weak (they are in the Olam Ha Zeh), but the word of the oath in the heavenly court in the Olam Haba, which came after the Torah, a Son (king) made perfect forever (because he died for us in the Olam Ha Zeh, and now he is in the Olam Haba, interceding for us daily) forever (v 28).
In our conclusion, we will pick up in Heb 8.1-6
Leave a Reply