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Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:23-26 KJ2000)

When you read the Numeric Bible you will see that the word translated “faith” in the King James should actually be translated “hope.”  The Greek word is “elpis” and literally means “to anticipate with pleasure.”  What is our hope?  In Acts 23:6 Paul says it is “the hope and resurrection of the dead.”   In Romans 5:2 he says it is the “hope of the glory of God.”   Paul explains a little more to the Romans, saying, “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20-21 KJV)  “Our hope,” then, relates to our hope in our own glorification, that someday we will be even as He is. 

Hebrews thus exhorts us to hold fast this hope.  Why?  Because God is faithful and he promised this to us.  Therefore, he says, “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”    Hebrews 10:24.  This is a positive command.  Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that the greatest expression of Christianity is “love.”  F.B. has taught us in his commentary on the Book of Revelation that the Two Witnesses are “the Word and the works that follow.”  “The Word” is God.  God is love.  So, this verse basically tells us “to be” the two witnesses as we wait in hope.

Next Hebrews says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25  Consider the context.  We should hold fast to our hope of one day being glorified.  When will that occur?  At the parousia.  At this point you should recall or read all of 1 Corinthians 15 and especially, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53 KJ2000)  But, does Hebrews 10:25 itself somehow reference this glorification of our mortal body?  Indeed it does. 

The phrase translated “assembling ourselves together” in Hebrews 10:25 translates two occurrences of the Greek word “episunagoge.”  The word appears in only one other passage of Scripture, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, where Paul says, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.”  The words “gathering together” here translate the Greek word “episunagoge.”  The context here, just as in Hebrews 10:25, is the Lord’s second coming.  Both passages exhort us to be prepared for that.  The “gathering together” speaks of being gathered together with Christ at his coming; it has nothing to do with going to a church meeting.

Then Hebrews warns that the habit of some is to neglect this gathering.  What does that mean?  Well, just talk about the nearness of the LORD’s return and you will see what that means.  People simply do not want to be confronted with the fact that Christ is now on their doorstep, that the episunagoge is at hand.  And when is it that we should especially not neglect this profound doctrine of the episunagoge and the glorification of the saints and exhort one another?  As you see the day approaching!  Do you see the Day approaching?  Do you see that Christ’s return is near?

Why is this so important?  Because, “if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins.”  Hebrews 10:26.  This gets back to the crux of the issue again.  God calls his people to practice righteousness.  If we sin, we repent and confess.  We do not plan to sin and thus sin willfully.  If we do, then we will not be ready when Christ comes.  We will not be accounted an overcomer, and we will not be glorified with the saints at that time.  We will then have our part in the Lake of Fire…. (Eternal torment in hell?  No, but that’s another story.)

So, the gathering together of the saints is not quite what we have been taught, is it?

Lawlessness stands as the preeminent sign of the times, the most telling sign that Christ’s return and establishment of his Kingdom is near.  Nothing perhaps is more lawless than the pronouncements of leading evangelical Christians, like Rick Warren, proclaiming support for gay rights and marriage as he did this week.  Or, the blasphemous babblings of Jezebels, like Dean Katherine Ragsdale, who pander to feminists and gays and push abortion rights down every one’s throats.

“Don’t be so judgmental,” some will say, but forget that Jesus said, “My Word will judge you.”  Paul taught that the spiritual man judges all things.  Men like Warren and women like Ragsdale are not spiritual; they are carnal Christians wrapped in a robe of false spirituality which denies the power of godliness.  Jude the prophet speaks very eloquently of them, saying, “For there are certain men [and now women] crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying [contradicting] the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 KJV)

An important New Testament scripture regarding the timing of the LORD’s second coming deals specifically with this type of lawlessness we see in Warren and Ragsdale.  Paul said,

Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 ASV)

God gave us his law for a reason, so that we could learn to discern good and evil.  If there is no law, there is no evil.  If there is no evil, then Christ died for nothing because there is no need to repent of anything.  Likewise, Jesus did not die to “put away the law.”  Again, if the law is put away, there is no sin, no evil, and no need for repentance.  There mere fact that today we see prominent Christians defend the rights of others to sin without the need of repentingreveals the ubiquitousness of lawlessness and eminence of Christ’s coming.

“Forsake not the episunagoge,” said Paul.  He meant, forsake not the doctrine of Christ’s second coming, “especially as you see that day approaching.”  Brothers and sisters, let us be clear.  We see that day approaching!  Do not neglect to repent from sin and to preach repentance from sin until he comes!