What are the spirits of just men made perfect in Hebrews 12? And how are they (already) come to Mount Zion?
Brian Kelson of Acts28.net responds:
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,
which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, Heb.12:22-23
Question:
What are the spirits of just men made perfect in Hebs.12? And how are they (already) come to Mount Zion?
Answer:
When the Lord called Abraham out from his
country into the one the Lord had prepared for him, it was designated,
“a land I will show you”, Gen.12:1. When Abram arrived in the country it
was said “to your seed I will give this land”, Gen.12:7. Then when
Abram was invited to walk up and down in the Land it was said, “I will
give it (the inner portion) unto you and your seed”, Gen.13:15, 17. Then when the blood was shed, and God made an oath by Himself, the Land was given to Abram’s seed, Gen.15:18.
Thus the Land now belonged to Abram’s seed despite the fact the seed
was not born and Abraham dwelt in the Land content to live in tents,
purchasing only a burial place for his family.
All God’s promises are on resurrection ground.
There is suffering to endure before glory and Abraham walked a life of
faith and was rewarded because of it.
In our calling today, we have been raised and seated in the heavenly places where Christ is seated at the Father’s right;
But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come
he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:4-8
We have been raised and seated in our place of
inheritance so far as God’s Word is concerned. There is nothing
conditional about this, it is done so far as the Father is concerned and
so inspired Paul to write. However, “are we there yet?” Of course not,
Colossians tells us when the spiritual truths become a blessed reality;
If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Col 3:1, 4
When our Lord appears, then the power already given
us, will raise and seat us there just as it did our Lord. In this
following passage, please note the power is associated with hope and
inheritance;
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches
of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working
of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:18-20
To the malefactor it was said “I say unto you
today, you shall be with me in paradise”. The malefactor was not
instantly in paradise at his death, since the Lord was three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth, Matt.12:40 and after those three days had not ascended to the Father, see Jn.20:17. The malefactor will enjoy paradise of Revelation when he is resurrected and Revelation is about the coming of the Lord.
We
find the context of Hebrews confirms the truth that hope is on
resurrection ground. Context must include the immediate, the near and
the remote. We must also consider other letters written about the same
subjects, including Mount Zion, justification and spirit. Here is the
immediate context;
Heb
12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
Heb
12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Heb
12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb
12:15 Looking
diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb
12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb
12:17 For
ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing,
he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought
it carefully with tears.
Heb
12:18 For
ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned
with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Heb
12:19 And
the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that
heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Heb
12:20 (For
they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a
beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a
dart:
Heb
12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
Heb 12:22 But
ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb
12:23 To
the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in
heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made
perfect,
Heb
12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
Heb
12:25 See
that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who
refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we
turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb
12:26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
Heb
12:27 And
this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that
are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot
be shaken may remain.
Heb
12:28 Wherefore
we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace,
whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
We notice from verses 12 through 15 that the writer
continues his encouragement thread which has woven its way from the
beginning of the epistle. For those who like to compare Scripture,
notice the possibility of failing of the grace of God and compare
Gals.5:4. Failing of the grace may not be falling from it. To be
defiled, v15 is a term associated with the Temple and its services. The
lame man healed was able to enter the Temple, leaping and praising God.
These things encouraged the Hebrews not to fail of the grace of God, to
pick up weary feet and keep going.
This epistle is about leaving the basics and going
onto perfection, about striving; enduring like the OT saints listed in
chapter 11 and the Lord Himself in 12:1-2. See these verses for the
encouragement and warning theme of Hebrews, Hebs.2:1-4, 3:1-2, 12-19.
Note the IF and to the end here in 3:14.
This was to partake of Christ and His very near glorification, this is
not about initial salvation but maturity and being with Abraham in the
heavenly city. Also remember 1Cor.10 where the same failures of the past
are brought before the Corinthians.
This theme of going onwards with warnings continues in chapters 5:11-6:12,
and look at all the encouragement given in chapter 10. The inspiration
the list of overcomers gives in chapter 11 must have been a great source
of such for these Israelite readers. The writer is encouraging his
readers to keep going, to go on despite the obstacles. He then can’t
assure them in chapter 12 that they had come to Mount Zion in the real
sense or that others had already arrived there. Mount Zion and the New
Jerusalem, the very city Abraham stretched forth in faith and saw, is
what was in view for those Hebrew readers IF they endure to the end.
Chapter 4 is particularly helpful. Hebrews 4:3
assures them that they which have believed do enter into rest, but that
rest had not arrived; it was in view as verse 11 says. So while Paul
says they had believed and entered the rest, it was not yet upon them.
See also, 4:14
and 16. They were to strive to enter that rest. Yes they had come to
Mount Zion, this was their hope, but this was conditional upon their
endurance to the end. They were to observe the faithfulness of the
saints who had lived before them and the life of Messiah Himself. The
final chapter declares Hebrews was a “word of exhortation” and that
statement after the final appeal to consider the Lord Jesus, who
suffered outside the camp, see 13:10-13.
So what was the end to which they labored and when
was it realized? Did the end, the hope they eagerly expected, include Mt
Zion, the heavenly City and the spirits of just men made perfect? Of
course it did.
But these were not the only things they had “come
to”. They had come to an innumerable company of angels, God the judge of
all, to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant and the blood of
sprinkling. All these things relate to the earthly purpose which was in
operation during the Acts period and to these things they had come.
We have already seen in chapter 4 that they had not entered into rest despite the fact it was theirs by faith.
Mount Zion is a feature of the Acts period. Paul referred to Psalm.2 in Acts 13:33 and Ps.2 declares God has set His King on the holy hill of Zion. This was the hope of the Acts period as Roms.11:26
confirms. But when Hebrews and Romans were written, the Lord had not
yet descended to sit upon that throne, but it was the hope then.
The New Jerusalem was another thing those Hebrews
had come to, and the heavenly city is featured in Gals.4 where Paul
wrote, it was the mother of them all. Hebrews writes of Abraham who
looked for this same city, 11:10,
but he and others had died in faith, not having received the promises.
In Hebrews 13, the writer assured them they, like Abraham, had no
continuing city but they sought one to come. In other words the New
Jerusalem had not arrived but it was very near since the Lord was about
to come.
All this is rather obvious, but it sets the stage
for the other features in Hebs.12:22-23. Thus far we see in Hebrews that
the rest had not been entered, the King was not yet upon His holy hill
and the New Jerusalem was coming after He sat upon His throne.
Angels certainly ministered during the Gospel and Acts period, they had searched into the salvation of the Old Testament (1Pet.1:12)
and the Lord would descend from heaven with thousands of them in train,
2Thess.1:7. Then these Hebrews would enjoy the company of an
innumerable host of them. Just as angels were massed on Mt Sinai, so too
they shall be there in a general festive assembly when the Lord washes
away the filth of Zion and that marriage supper can take place. This was
in view; it was also to this they had come because it too was very
near.
The church of the firstborn is those who had been
justified by faith and were not despising their firstborn’s position
like Esau. Back in Hebrews 11 we read of many who died in faith, their
spirits returning to God who gave them, but they would be there in that
great general assembly of the heirs, the firstborn at the last Trumpet.
In Hebs.12:9 we see the Father of spirits
chastising; correcting resulting in peaceable fruit unto righteousness
of works and this results in the life, not of original faith, but life
with Abraham in the glory of the Lord and his reign.
There are contrasts here in chapter 12. The Old
Covenant and a mountain with a Trumpet descent of the Lord is contrasted
to the Trumpet coming of the Lord and Mount Zion. The carnal men in the
first incident trembled and could not endure the word spoken, but the
writer encourages the Hebrews not neglect the Word spoke to them at that
time, Hebs.1:1-2, 2:1-4. The author urges them to remain faithful to
the saving of the soul and thus would not only touch Mt Zion but
assemble there sharing the Lord’s glory. All of these things are in the
“world to come”, Hebs2:5.
The Old Covenant was linked to a mountain and the
New Covenant linked with another; Mount Zion. We know the New Covenant
had not been initialized since the Old was waxing old and ready to
vanish away, Hebs.8:13. So the Hebrews had not literally come to, the New Covenant.
The spirits of the just men made perfect were not
on Mount Zion when Hebrews was written. But in resurrection, those of
faith(fullness) would have those bodies of spirit as 1Cor.15 describes.
First that which is natural but in resurrection, that which is
spiritual. Thus the spirits of just men made perfect; mature would
include those of faith of the past AND the Hebrews should they not draw
back but go on to perfection, Hebs.6:1.
The Hebrews were reminded that it is a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God because vengeance belongs
to Him, Hebs.10:30-31, Roms.12:14.
The Lord would have judged way back then at His return and through Acts
the faithful were told not to judge before the time until the Lord
come, 1Cor.4:5. Thus while they had come to the judgment of God, it was
not yet upon them for the Lord had not come. So when was He to come when
Hebrews, Corinthians, Thessalonians and Romans was written? In their
lifetimes, the second coming had drawn very near.
Romans says that the night was far spent and the Day was at hand, 13:12. Corinthians says they would be confirmed to the end and not all die, 1Cor.1:4-8, 15:51. The Thessalonians would be those who would be alive and remain to the coming of the Lord, 1Thess.4:15,
17, Revelation declared things that would shortly come to pass and by
the time Hebrews was written, the time was very short, in fact it was
now only a little while;
Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of
patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the
promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and
will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who
draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the
soul. Heb 10:35-39
Notice these readers were urged to have patience
doing the will of God so that they might receive the promise? In the
very next chapter many justified people of the OT endured, not having
received them, but died in faith expecting them. These promises were on
resurrection ground which would take place when the Lord returned and
His return was in a little while, a very little as the original has it;
For, yet a very little while, and the One coming will come, "and will not delay." Heb 10:37 (Hab.2:3)
The coming of the Lord had indeed drawn very near
when Hebrews was written and the Hebrews were not to draw back unto
waste or perdition. They were to go onto perfection, and in faith they
had come to Mount Zion. Hebrews records that Christ suffered at the end
of the ages, 9:27 and at that Last Trumpet (anticipated in Ex.19 and recorded in Hebs.12:19),
all those who had died in faith, would be raised and the Hebrews who
kept going, would go with them to meet the Lord in the air.
The Hebrews were not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, 10:25,
which means they were not to forsake that meeting in air when the Lord
comes in the clouds to descend and sit on the throne of his father
David. Those who were asleep would rise and be taken with them to shine
as the stars, Dan.12, and that included all those of Hebs.11.
Here is something interesting, the word translated “come” in Hebrews 12:22 is also rendered “draw near” in 10:22.
It is mostly come or came, but it does not always possess the sense of
arriving, rather drawing near. The original word means to approach,
literally come near and these Hebrews were drawing near in two ways.
They were right there when the coming of the Lord had drawn very near
and as such were very near Mount Zion, the City of the living God and
they, as member of the church of the firstborn, were very near to
joining with angels and the spirits of all just, perfected people in
that great festive occasion at His arrival.
The Hebrews had not come to Mount Zion, they had
drawn near to it. They had not come to the spirits of just men made
perfect, they had drawn near to that wonderful time when they and the
other men and women of faith would be raised to meet the Lord and
descend with Him to Mount Zion. They would be also the spirits in that
place at that day.
This is how they had come to these things, they had
drawn near to them by their labors, and were living in the time when
the events had drawn near.
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