The Holy Days of Hebrews 6

The Holy Days of Hebrews 6!

“The Elementary Principles of Christ”

Chapter 6 Preview: Does the book of Hebrews—directed to a Jewish audience—use “encoded language” to tie the “elementary principles of Christ” directly to Israel’s seven annual Holy Days? This article explores the likelihood, using a familiar apostolic text, and concludes that the Holy Days actually epitomize the ultimate objectives of our Savior!

Hebrews Chapter 6 begins by mentioning the “elementary principles of Christ”. It also mentions that they are directed toward the “enlightened”. They are also “the heavenly gift” and “the good word of God and the powers of the age to come”. This is definitely not concerning fringe areas! These topics are, “the foundation” of the Assembly of God—the trunk of the tree. The seven principles listed in Hebrews 6 seem to precisely define the meaning of the Holy Days and they are all in the right order!

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance of dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Now does this sound to you like a thumbnail sketch of the Holy Days? If it does, then dont bother with reading the rest of this chapter. However since it’s unlikely that anyone has ever explained these scriptures in this manner in recent centuries, let’s analyze these phrases one at a time with the Holy Days in mind.

1) “GO ON TO PERFECTION”: This is the very reason for the Passover. Jesus was the perfect sacrificial Lamb. We are to examine ourselves by comparing ourselves to the perfect standard, Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 5:8-9 Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been PERFECTED, [as in John 17:23] He became the author of eternal salvation...

Matthew 5:48 should read: Become you therefore PERFECT even as your Father in heaven is PERFECT. We certainly will not be perfect in this life but we can in the next!

Every year at the Passover we should consider the following words:

John 17:23 I in them and You in Me; that THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

The process of becoming perfect will not be completed until Jesus is “ONE” with us. (John 17:21) This is comparable to when “The first man Adam became a living being” but he was quite incomplete, or even imperfect, before Eve was created.

1 Corinthians 15:45 The last Adam became a LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT.

Hebrews 11:39-40 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, [that is the promise of eternal life] God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made PERFECT [actually born again] apart from [that is, ahead of] us.”

As explained in Israel’s Holy Days, all of the Holy Days foreshadow “the good things to come”—in the future, they picture seven prophetic events. These good things to come are about a perfect plan.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

Hebrews 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

God wants for us to be spiritual perfectionists!

2) “REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS”: During The Days of Unleavened Bread we remove leaven, symbolic of sin or “dead works” , from every part of our lives. At the Passover we made a binding commitment with God to strive for perfection. For the Saints, the next seven days picture our personal Exodus out of spiritual Egypt as we march toward the Promised Land. We make good on our sacred baptismal vows. During these seven special days of the year, we make an even greater effort to overcome sin.

Hebrews 9: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from DEAD WORKS to serve the living God?

The phrase “dead works” is similar to what is expressed by James:

James 2:20-22 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without WORKS is DEAD? Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

“Repentance” leads to “faith” which leads to “baptism”.

Acts 2:38 Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins [dead works]; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Consider this paraphrased version of 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 with only the symbolic terminology changed:

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a few dead works corrupts the whole person? Therefore purge out the old dead works that you may be a new person, since you are truly striving for perfection. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with our old dead works, nor with the sin of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

On a much larger scale, repentance from dead works is what God is going to cause the twelve Israelite nations to do just before they enter the New Promised Land during the Second Exodus. God will make a New Covenant with His people. Any rebels who will not repent will be purged out.

MAKE NO MISTAKE, the following passage is prophetic. It specifically says that it will be a time not unlike when God brought Israel out of Egypt thousands of years ago. God will plead with Americans, Brits, Aussies, Canadians etc. in a wilderness area of the Holy Land! Notice:

Ezekiel 20:34-38 I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness [As in Revelation 12:6] of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face. 36 Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you, “says the Lord GOD. 37 ’I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the [new] covenant; 38 I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The significance of the seven days is also associated with the seven millennial days in a perfect plan.

3) “Faith toward God”: Receiving the Holy Spirit is what the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2 is remembered for. But there is much more to the story!

Acts 2:1-6 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

Question: What was the difference between the Jews who received the Holy Spirit and the “devout Jews” who were confused? Answer: It was their “Faith Toward God”. Some of these Jews mockingly said that “They are full of new wine.” Peter assured them that it was only the third hour of the day and, unlike today, people patiently waited until the evening to get drunk. I believe that when Peter and John later healed the lame man on the ninth hour of the day, it was the same day.

Acts 3:16 And His name, through FAITH in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the FAITH, which comes through Him, has given him his perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Our faith should lead us to perfect spiritual soundness! The survivors of the Great Tribulation against Israel will have learned to have faith in God. You know what they say about foxholes. As was the case in ancient Israel, when the people enter the New Promised Land they will become “the people of the Lord”. Pentecost, for these early Christians was about Entering the New Promised Land—and it still is!

Deuteronomy 2:2-9 And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. 3 ‘You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the LORD your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the LORD God of your fathers promised you... 9 Then Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying, “Take heed and listen, O Israel: This day you have become the people of the LORD your God.

4) “Baptisms”: Baptism specifically symbolizes of our death and resurrection. When you are dunked you are being symbolically buried, as well as washing away sins, but when you are lifted up, that symbolizes your own resurrection. Baptism begins the chain of events, which, including the laying on of hands, will prepare you for your life long journey that leads us directly to The Feast of Trumpets! The “the resurrection of life” will enable us to be present for “The Great and Awesome Day of the Lord” described by Joel.

1 Corinthians 15:51-53 We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Furthermore:

Vs.35-36 But someone will say: How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown [buried] in corruption; it is raised [resurrected] in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

At baptism, a spiritual body is our future hope!

5) “Laying on of hands”: There are only a few references to the laying on of hands in scripture. The Day of Atonement is one of these instances. The lightly concealed symbolism of Leviticus 16 depicts an astounding event:

Leviticus 16:21 Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the LIVE goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.

Jesus is symbolized as a goat here, rather than as a lamb. Goats are often symbolic of evil. For a time our Savior was burdened with all of the evil of humanity, past present and perhaps into the future! His blood was shed for us. Some teach that the live goat represents Satan! What an appalling misinterpretation! Satan has nothing to do with the atonement of sin!

Leviticus 16:5-15 And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering...(v.5) He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. (v.7) Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, [and] bring its blood inside the veil...

The living Jesus is the Atonement for our iniquities!

1 John 2:2 And He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. WEB

Acts 3:26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.

Jesus died as an atonement for our sins—yet He lives. But leave Satan out of this.

The Day of Atonement alludes to Judgment Day concerning both “iniquities” and “mercy”! Breaking into the thought:

Leviticus 16:15-16...and sprinkle* it [the blood] on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins...

*Each of us is responsible for a sprinkling of Jesus’ shed blood. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said:

John 1:29 Behold! The LAMB of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Today, Jesus is pictured as a perfect Lamb.

There is a lot more to the comparison between Leviticus 16 and the dialog that that was begun in Hebrews 6. This chapter ends making reference to “behind the veil”. Notice:

Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Chapter 7 continues the comparison of the old covenant and the new one, with the emphasis on Melchizedek, (who became Jesus). There is a connection between the Day of Atonement, with the Azazel goat set free, and the Sacrificial goat—our Passover, which was killed. The bottom line is this:

Hebrews 7:26-27 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins [as in Leviticus 16] and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

There is, of course, contemporary instruction about the laying on of hands. The power of the Holy Spirit can be so dramatic that even an antichrist can become jealous:

Acts 8:18-19 And when Simon [the sorcerer] saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’

The laying on of hands is the next step following our acceptance of the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, preparatory to our future resurrection!

On a national level, the Day of Atonement is “a memorial” to the day when Israel makes atonement for thousands of years of rebellion!

Exodus 30:16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.

6) “Resurrection of the dead”: The high point of the year, for most of us, is the Feast of Tabernacles. Our goal is to be resurrected from the dead, and participate in God’s family plan. Unless we are among those fortunate enough to be alive when Jesus returns, then our prayer “thy kingdom come” will be accomplished for us by the “Resurrection of the dead”. This is the actual fulfillment of the process that was only symbolically begun at baptism. There is a “first [or better] resurrection” for the Saints but there is also a resurrection to judgment for everyone else:

John 5:25-29 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment [the next step] also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which ALL who are in their graves will hear His voice and come fourth—those who have done good, to the Resurrection of Life, and those who have done evil to the Resurrection of Condemnation.

Incidentally, the above passage spells out that on Judgment Day even the wicked will be brought back to life for that one day. It says that “the dead will hear” and that “ALL who are in their graves will hear”. These will not be disembodied spirits, they will be combustible humans! (Malachi 4:1-3)

The people of this general resurrection, who enter the Everlasting Kingdom, may do so during the Feast of Tabernacles. Others will experience everlasting condemnation (death). The dead will be sorted out no later than by this special Feast.

For the survivors of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, there is a final chance for repentance associated with “the Eighth Day” (see Eighth Day sub heading half way down). This annual commemoration will be well understood during the Everlasting Kingdom. For those who have survived this long, the final “warning shot fired across the bow” is made by the threat of starvation.

Zechariah 14:16-19 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

The righteous will soon have a glorious “Tabernacle”—the New Jerusalem, right here with us, putting the “TABERNACLE” in “THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES!” The seven days represent the entire seven millennia plan. At the establishment of the Everlasting Kingdom, people will be resurrected from the dead to become immortal Sons of God. Spirit born people from every past generation will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, and enjoying New Jerusalem together. And there will be good news for the righteous but ignorant.

The marriage of Israel to God is like in ancient legends. The Hero, riding on a white horse, shows up at the last minute to save the King’s virgin daughter from the dragon—killing it with a sword (Isaiah 27:1), after which he marries the bride.

Isaiah 62:4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called ‘Hephzibah’, [Literally “my delight is in her”] and your land ‘Beulah’ [Literally: to marry]; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married.

Our backsliding Israelite brethren from all twelve tribes will be singled out and spared!

Jeremiah 3: 14 Return, O backsliding children, says the LORD; for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

7) “Eternal judgment” is the very purpose of The Last Great Day. Jesus’ separating of the “sheep from the goats” in Matthew 25 is a synopsis of all of the preceding parables, but it is not a parable itself. While the terms “sheep” and “goats” are used, there is no room for misinterpretation.

Matthew 25:31-46 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate THEM one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the king will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…Then He will say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels ... (v.41). And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Jesus “finished all these sayings” with some powerful concluding remarks.

John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me ‘as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But He spoke concerning the Spirit [which] those believing in Him would receive ....

That was all He apparently said, which makes it of the utmost importance that it is recorded that Jesus spoke these particular words on the Last Great Day. This is a most relevant statement concerning the meaning of the day, it is, was, and will remain “meat in due season”.

There is a connection between the Passover, which began the salvation process and the Last Great Day, which ends it. “Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews was near.” (John 6:4) It is quite probable that the statements of John 6 were made on the actual date of the Passover, Abib the 14th.

Here is the common factor concerning both the Passover and the Last Great Day.

John 6:35-40 I am the [unleavened] bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger .... This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me, I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day... No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise Him up at the last day.

Why do you suppose that God referred to the resurrection in the context of “the last day”? Thruout the entire Holy Day cycle we should be anticipating the end result—the last day, or culmination, of this evil age, which prepares us for rulership starting on the first day or the first Passover of the next millennium! During the last three and one half years of this age, we will be preparing for rulership in the Everlasting Kingdom. We will have been resurrected on Trumpets of year 6000. God has waited for this resurrection since before the foundation of the earth. Those of us who diligently sought God, and found His grace, will serve as the leadership in the age to come—the age that begins when Jesus says: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink”. He who believes in Me ‘as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

This ends the first millennial week, but many believe in a “Big Bang Theory” concerning the physical universe, believing that it will be blown up after the Last Great Day. Is the seven thousand year plan only week number one of a much larger plan?

God, on three occasions in scripture, told of a One Thousand Generation Plan, all three of these scriptural passages are confirmations of the covenant which God swore in an oath to Abraham’s descendants.

Deuteronomy 7:6-11 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps COVENANT and mercy for a THOUSAND GENERATIONS with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. 11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments, which I command you today, to observe them.

This one thousand generation covenant is integrally involved with commandment keeping, physical blessings and continued destruction of the wicked.

1 Chronicles 16:12-18 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, 13 O seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! 14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. 15 Remember His COVENANT forever, the word which He commanded, for a THOUSAND GENERATIONS, 16 the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, 17 and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18 saying: To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance.

Psalms 105:8-11 He remembers His COVENANT forever, the word which He commanded, for a THOUSAND GENERATIONS, 9 the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, 10 and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 saying: To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance...

How long is a generation? Ironically or not, there are different “definitions” of “generation” possible within the scriptures. It is not a fixed time. Here is one definition concerning the covenant with Abraham. This generation is on the high side.

Genesis 15:2-21 But Abram said: Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless .... Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness... 13 Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years... 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete... On the same day the Lord made a COVENANT with Abram, saying: To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

A generation would have to exceed 100 years and be less than 133 years for this to have happened this way. To cram a “thousand generations” between Abraham’s time and the end of the millennium would make a generation only about five years long! Perhaps there is a 120,000 year plan. Or did God exaggerate His covenant oath to Abraham?

Here are more details of the contract that God made with Abraham. Over the years the covenant has had some major setbacks but that will change when the terms of the Jeremiah 31 New Covenant is implemented. Note that “everlasting” in the Hebrew means a very long time or eternity.

Genesis 17:1-9 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.’ 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, [1000 generations is the minimum duration!] to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’ 9 And God said to Abraham: As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their GENERATIONS.

Abraham’s descendants were to number as the stars of heaven, which are beyond counting. I believe that God’s, statement: “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars”, was also not an exaggeration but rather a clue that reveals where these descendants will eventually colonize the heavens, due to the extreme limitations of the earth!

Some scriptures are from the “New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.” “Bible text from the New King James Version® is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 372 14-1000.”