Understanding God’s Word Ministry

Progressing in Faith to the Throne of Our High Priest

Hebrews 5
 
CHAPTER 5(A.D. 64)
MELCHISEDEC
FOR every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God (“from among men” pertains to the frailty of men), that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins (the “Gifts” referred to “Thank-Offerings, while the “Sacrifices” referred to certain animals being offered, all types of Christ):2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant (refers to having feelings for those on whose behalf he officiates), and on them who are out of the way (refers to those who have sinned, and who know they have sinned); for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity. (This refers to the condition of all men, even the High Priest in the old Judaistic economy.)3 And by reason hereof he ought (refers to the very purpose of his office, which is to offer Sacrifice for sins), as for the people (proclaims the High Priest serving as a Mediator), so also for himself, to offer for sins. (This refers to the fact that he was a sinful man as well, and had to offer a Sacrifice even for himself, which would make Atonement that would provide reconciliation with God.)4 And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron. (Under the Old Law, the only ones who could offer Sacrifices were Priests, who had to be sons of Aaron, and whose order was ordained by God and not man.)5 So also Christ Glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest (proclaims the fact that this was no personal ambition on the Messiah’s part that resulted in Him becoming a High Priest, but rather the fact that God called Him to that position); but He who said unto Him, You are My Son, today have I begotten You. (The Priesthood of Christ was planned by God from the very beginning, which meant the Incarnation was absolutely necessary.)6 As He said also in another place (Ps. 110:4), You are a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. (This is the distinguishing characteristic of this order of Priesthood, and proclaims it as an Eternal One.)7 Who in the days of His flesh (proclaims the Incarnation of Christ), when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him (presents the prayer-life of the Master) Who was able to save Him from death (presents the prayer for Resurrection), and was heard (proclaims the fact that God heard and answered His Prayer) in that He feared (the picture in the word “feared” is that of a cautious taking hold of, and a careful and respectful handling; it is Christ taking into account all things, not only His Own desire, but the Will of the Father);8 Though He were a Son (stresses Deity, but at the same time the role of Christ as “Son of Man”), yet learned He obedience (doesn’t mean He had to learn to obey, for that would mean He had sinned; it means He actively sought out the path of obedience, and then unfailingly walked therein) by the things which He suffered (concerned the entire course of His Life, but more so the Cross);9 And being made perfect (refers to being brought to the goal fixed by God, which had to be if He was to be the Perfect Sacrifice), He became the Author of Eternal Salvation (proclaims a perfect Salvation, because He was and is the Perfect Redeemer, because He was the Perfect Sacrifice) unto all them who obey Him (we obey Him by exhibiting Faith in the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work; this Truth was given to Paul [Rom. 6:3–5, 11, 14; Gal. 1:11–12]);10 Called of God an High Priest (the Title is conferred on Him by God the Father) after the order of Melchisedec. (Christ was not to be a great High Priest merely for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well; in order for this to be, His Priesthood would have to rest in something other than the Levitical Order; being after the Order of Melchisedec satisfied both demands, because Melchisedec preceded Israel as a people [Gen. 14:18–20; Ps. 110:4].)
Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (pp. 2124–2125). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

Our Great High Priest in His Person and Work

GREAT
Verse fourteen also says that Jesus, the Son of God, is a great High Priest. According to our experience, the word great here means excellent, wonderful, glorious, and most honorable. The Chinese version of the Bible says that we have an honorable and glorious High Priest. Christ today is such an excellent, marvelous, wonderful, glorious, and most honorable High Priest that no human word can fully describe Him. Although we cannot find the adequate word in any lexicon, the experience of being on His shoulders and on His breast in the Holy of Holies tells us that He is a great and wonderful High Priest.
In His Person
Our High Priest, Christ, is great firstly in His Person. He is the Son of God, God Himself (1:5, 8). He is also the Son of Man, man himself (2:6). He, being both God and man, has the divine nature and the human nature. He not only knows the things of God and the things of man; He is also in the things of God and the things of man. No other high priest has ever been like Him.
In His Work
Secondly, our High Priest, Christ, is great in His work. He has made purification of and propitiation for our sins (1:3; 2:17). He has taken away sin and has solved the problem of sin. He has tasted death, not only for every man but also for everything (2:9). By tasting death, He conquered and subdued it. Death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24, 27). He has also destroyed the Devil who has the might of death (2:14). By His death on the cross, Christ has annulled Satan, the power of death. By conquering death and destroying the [296] Devil, He has released us from the slavery of death (2:15). We have been freed by Him not only from the slavery of sin but also from the slavery of death. Through His suffering, He has been perfected to be the Captain of our salvation (2:10). He has fought the battle and has entered into glory. As the Pioneer, He is leading us on in the same way to glory. He is now taking care of God’s house as Moses did (3:5-6). As the Builder of the house, He surely knows how to take care of it. He is now also bringing us into rest, as Joshua did (4:8-9). He has given us the Sabbath rest in the church age, and He will bring us into the Sabbath rest of the kingdom age. As our High Priest, He is great in all these wonderful and excellent works of His, which no high priest in the Old Testament had ever accomplished.

The Wandering of the Saint in the Wilderness of the Soul

Christ Our Heavenly High Priest Hebrews 4:11-14

Entering Into God’s Rest, Causes You to Cease from Your Own Works!

Living a Christian Life apart from Natural Human strength.

In Order to Overcome, You Must Enter into His Rest

Hebrews Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
Entering Into His Rest Means entering into God's satisfaction, Christ, by faith.

Only Those Resting in Christ, Can Overcome

 
ISRAEL
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Spirit says (Ps. 95:7–11), Today if you will hear His Voice (presents words which were originally a warning to Israel not to provoke God, lest they be excluded from the “rest” He had promised them; this same warning is now given to Christians),8 Harden not your hearts (as Israel hardened their hearts against God in the wilderness, it is likewise possible for modern Christians to do the same), as in the provocation (Israel provoked God), in the day of temptation in the wilderness (the Lord didn’t tempt Israel, they tempted Him!):9 When your fathers tempted Me (they tempted God through unbelief and rebellion), proved Me (registered unbelief toward God), and saw My works forty years. (The proof was all around them regarding the miracle-working Power of God that was exhibited daily, even for forty years, but they still wouldn’t believe.)10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation (and because of their unbelief), and said, They do always err in their heart (proclaims the seat of obedience or disobedience); and they have not known My Ways. (They could have known, but had no desire to know.)11 So I swore in My wrath (is figurative, and denotes a determined purpose), They shall not enter into My rest.) (This refers here to a particular “rest,” which pertained to the land of Canaan, but was undoubtedly regarded as emblematic of the “rest” afforded by Salvation.)
Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (p. 2122). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

With Whom Did He Swear Should Not Enter His Rest? Those Who Were Disobedient.

 
ISRAEL
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Spirit says (Ps. 95:7–11), Today if you will hear His Voice (presents words which were originally a warning to Israel not to provoke God, lest they be excluded from the “rest” He had promised them; this same warning is now given to Christians),8 Harden not your hearts (as Israel hardened their hearts against God in the wilderness, it is likewise possible for modern Christians to do the same), as in the provocation (Israel provoked God), in the day of temptation in the wilderness (the Lord didn’t tempt Israel, they tempted Him!):9 When your fathers tempted Me (they tempted God through unbelief and rebellion), proved Me (registered unbelief toward God), and saw My works forty years. (The proof was all around them regarding the miracle-working Power of God that was exhibited daily, even for forty years, but they still wouldn’t believe.)10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation (and because of their unbelief), and said, They do always err in their heart (proclaims the seat of obedience or disobedience); and they have not known My Ways. (They could have known, but had no desire to know.)11 So I swore in My wrath (is figurative, and denotes a determined purpose), They shall not enter into My rest.) (This refers here to a particular “rest,” which pertained to the land of Canaan, but was undoubtedly regarded as emblematic of the “rest” afforded by Salvation.)12 Take heed, Brethren (proclaims Paul warning Believers by the examples of Israel’s failures in the wilderness), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief (the Greek order of words is, “a heart evil with reference to unbelief”), in departing from the Living God. (As stated, the problem is unbelief, and in modern terminology it refers to unbelief in Christ and the Cross.)13 But exhort one another daily (proclaims a constant frequency, which means the Preacher should preach the Cross, and do so constantly), while it is called Today (it must be done today; in other words, start now talking and speaking about the Cross, which is the only answer [1 Cor. 1:17; Gal. 6:14]); lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (This actually says, “the deceitfulness of the sin,” which refers to a rejection of the Sacrifice of Christ.)14 For we are made partakers of Christ (refers to Rom. 6:3–5), if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end (if our confidence remains steadfast in Christ and the Cross);15 While it is said, Today if you will hear His Voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (Vss. 7–8).16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke (should have been translated, “For who when they had heard did provoke”; all did except Joshua and Caleb [Num. 14:6–9]): howbeit not all who came out of Egypt by Moses. (This should have been translated, “Was it not all who came out of Egypt through Moses?”)17 But with whom was He grieved forty years? (This refers to God’s wrath continuing simply because their unbelief continued.) was it not with them who had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? (Unbelief caused the deaths of approximately two million people.)18 And to whom swore He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them who believed not? (They lost everything because of unbelief, and the modern Church is doing the same, which is the very reason that Paul wrote this Epistle.)19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (and if the modern Believer registers unbelief toward Christ and the Cross, the results will be the same as it was with Israel of Old).
Swaggart, J. (2005). The Expositor’s Study Bible (p. 2122). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.