With the Clouds
Revelation is not one of my favorite books. It can be read literally for its entirety, but I do not think that is the purpose and how it was intended to be written. I am not going to analyze every passage from Revelation, but I will pick something out from each chapter and write about it. For instance, the image of Jesus coming back to earth on a cloud or in clouds can be found in Revelation 1:7. It reads, " Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him." The word "clouds" here does mean an actual cloud as he ascended into Heaven with a cloud and he will descend from Heaven with the clouds (Acts 1:9-11). But the term "clouds" also has another meaning. It was used to describe the multitude of believers (Hebrews 12:1) and also to describe God's presence and glory (Exodus 13:21-22). My point is just because the Bible says it, doesn't mean that it means what you think it means. Do some research. Here is the source I use for clarification: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/revelation-1.html
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Faith, Substance and Evidence
Hebrews 11:1 is one of those verses that really describe what faith is for Christians. Faith is the "substance of things hoped for". That substance is what I hope for. This is not like hope for a new job or a better car, but we are talking about a hope in God and in our redemption to Him. "The evidence of things not seen" is the other part of faith. We have not yet seen the results. We have not seen the inner workings of what is happening as we hold on to our faith. We hope for things to happen as they relate to God's will for our lives and we have faith that they will.
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Encouragement Toward Love and Good
The writer is pointing out in Hebrews 10:24-25 what some/many are not doing. They are not meeting together and loving one another and encouraging one another to be loving in the Lord. When that is lacking from our lives, discouragement from the enemy sneaks in and pulls us away from God when we should be trying to draw near to God.
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Blood for Sins
The old covenant was solidified by blood (Hebrews 9:22). It was the blood of animals that were used as a sacrifice for sins of men. But when Jesus sacrificed himself, did that not hold more weight with sacrifice for sins than an animal? The writer makes this point once again by pointing what would be flawed logic for those that say Jesus was equal to or less than High Priests. Jesus shed his blood for your sins further solidifying his sacrifice. And that shedding of blood by Jesus was what we needed to be redeemed to God.
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Established New Covenant
The writer here does a great job through thorough explaining and evidence and logic as to why Jesus is the new covenant. The writer does not just give his opinion but also backs it up with truth and even scripture from the Old Testament. In verses 8-12 the writer uses direct quotes from the book of Jeremiah which is an Old Testament book which clearly states that God will be establishing a new covenant. When you read through the life of Christ, the authority he had over the church leaders and culture with evidence from Old Testament scripture detailing the birth of Christ and his life, it further cements Jesus as the new covenant and our Lord and Savior.
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Jesus the High Priest
Jesus was not equal to High Priests. If anyone sees Jesus as just another prophet then they are sadly mistaken. If you read the entire chapter of Hebrews (especially Hebrews 7:11-25) you will see how the writer explains in context how Abraham had a high priest to whom he would pay tithes and that priest was one of a number that would be named the High Priest (one at a time) and that also allowed for the belief that perfection could be attained this way (I hope I am understanding this correctly). Now, if that is the only way perfection can be attained then how did Jesus do it? He didn't go through the same process as the other High Priests. And it was written "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever'" in reference to Jesus. Therefore when we comes across Hebrews 7:27 we know that Jesus did not have to pay tithes or offer any kind of sacrifice to God for his sins (because he was sinless) we know that Jesus died for our sins so that we can be reconciled to God.
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Jesus is an Anchor
If you know even a little about nautical experiences then you know that an anchor has a purpose. It is not just the tattoo that Popeye or Navy guys have on their forearms. It is a tool to use when the seas get rocky and start to rock the vessel to and fro. When things get scary utilizing the anchor will keep the ship from sinking or from being overtaken by the waves created by the storm. Our lives have storms and those waves are the problems that come along with the storm. When the seas get rough and we want to keep from sinking in stress and being overwhelmed, keep anchored to Jesus. In Hebrews 6:19 we read "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain..." Jesus is more than a great guy. He is your Lord and Savior and your anchor when problems arise.
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Milk Not Solid Food
In Hebrews 5:12 the writer (probably not Paul) is telling the intended reader that they need more teaching. He refers to the teaching as milk as opposed to solid food. Why this way? Milk was intended for children to drink as infants (then and now) as opposed to solid food that they could not chew and swallow. Infants aren't ready to chew yet so they drink milk. They are not mature enough yet to eat solid food. That is what the writer here is saying to the reader, they they are not ready yet for a deeper look into God and Scripture. He says they needed to be taught again about the basic principles of the oracles of God. The writer saw that there was a correction that needed to be made and said something about it. Good move for a leader.
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Near to the Throne
Hebrews 4:16 can be broken down in several ways. First, we can have confidence when we draw near to the thrown of Grace. We have been tempted as Jesus was tempted, so since he has experienced the same as we have, his grace and mercy does not expire. He has empathy and understanding for us as our experiences have been his also. Second, when you draw near to the throne that is how you can receive mercy. You do not have to drag those sins with you throughout life. God's mercy and grace through Jesus has relived us of that if we desire to believe that and follow Jesus. Not only do we need grace in various times but we can also give grace when needed to others. I need it. You need it. They need it. We need it. God gives it.
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Daily Encouragement
One can look at Hebrews 3:13 and assume that encouragement means to just encourage others to do what ever it is that they want to do or that we want them to do. If we encourage others to do what they want that could lead to enabling. If we are encouraging others to do what we want then that could be manipulation. We need to encourage one another daily in what the Lord would want for us. We don't want to succumb to sin as the rest of verse 13 states. So if we fellow brothers and sisters in Christ encourage each other to follow after God's heart and serve His will and not our own, that will pull us closer to Him and push us further away from sin. Your Christian walk was not meant to be done alone.
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Know the Power of Jesus
Hebrews 2:18 reminds us of the power within Jesus for us when we endure hard times. Hard times will come, but focusing on the Lord will help us overcome. We have to understand who Jesus is though. The writer says "For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." That means, if anyone understands and can empathize with what you are experience when it comes to pain and hurt and just being overwhelmed, then it is Jesus. No angel can relate because no angel was sent to die for the sins of man.
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