We will never understand the truth about Immanuel until we discern the truths revealed in the Book of Hebrews. I do not know who wrote Hebrews. Some believe it was Paul; I do not. But, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is what the book says, and virtually every Christian commentator misinterprets the book. First of all, the book was not written to Hebrews. It was written to Christians, many of whom at the time understood the ancient doctrines of the Hebrew people which we call Judaism. Judaism is the religion of the Old Testament which accurately teaches reconciliation to God without the knowledge of the sacrifice of Jesus. Because the canon of inspired Scripture includes the Book of Hebrews the book also speaks to every generation of Christians who lived after the book was written. The key point is this, the Book of Hebrews was written by a Christian to Christians. The book, therefore, does not address unbelievers at all. If you do not understand this, then you will always misinterpret the book. Second, the purpose of the book is to reveal exactly who Jesus Christ was. For this reason the author interprets many Old Testament verses in light of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Third, Hebrews explains that the purpose of Christ’s life is “to bring many sons to glory.” (Hebrews 2:10) Fourth, the book warns Christians with at least five solemn warnings that we must not “neglect so great a salvation.”
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4 ESV)
I have found that one must look up the many Scriptural references in Hebrews to really understand it. The first chapter, for example, quotes Old Testament Scripture no less than ten times. When you take the time to reference those verses and read the context of the quote as well as the quoted words you will begin to understand amazing things, that is, so long as God gives you ears to hear. Always pray for ears to hear God’s Word! His words are spiritual and can only be understood by Holy Spirit anointing.
Hebrews begins by quoting Psalm 2:7 in order to show that Jesus Christ is the Son of God which the Old Testament prophesied. Here is all of Psalm 2 with the quoted part highlighted.
Psalm 2
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed
1 Why do the nations rage[a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break[b] them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Can you think of any Scripture more applicable to the day we live in than this one? Each day before our very eyes we witness angry mobs of men and the rulers of this world casting off the restraints of God’s righteous laws. The people literally plot against the LORD and against the established rules of his ordered world. This manifests blatantly in such things as pornography, sex-change operations, homosexual marriages, genetic manipulation of God’s created things, and now the merciless slaughter of Christians around the world by Muslim fanatics. And governments and media around the world and especially in the United States usually applaud these things. Collectively the people of our world have raised their fists against God to tell him that they will not have him rule over them. But, our God sits in the heavens and laughs at them in scorn. He has another plan in mind.
It is now time for the Son of God, prophesied here in Psalm 2, to inherit the nations of the earth. Then, the psalmist says, he will break these rebellious nations with a “rod of iron.” With a rod of iron? Where have we heard that before? It is God’s promise to the overcomers in the Church of Thyatira.
25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’[j]—
as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.
29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ (Revelation 2:25-29 NKJV)
Notice that Jesus promises that the overcomers will receive “power over the nations” and will “rule them with a rod of iron.” Psalm 2 by itself appeared to prophesy this with respect to “the Son” only, namely to Jesus Christ. Jesus now says that this promise applies to his faithful servants as well. As we will continue to see as we explore the doctrine of Immanuel, the Gospel is much bigger than we have been led to believe.
… to be continued.
