The Hebrew Epistles

Anybody who distinguishes the OT from the NT is a dispensationalist, whether they admit it or not. Everybody divides the Bible to some extent, but sadly most do not rightly divide it. For example, the far majority of professing Christians believe that Hebrews through Revelation is just as much written to them and about them as is Romans through Philemon. They would call those of us who disagree with them “hyperdispensationalists.” The prefix hyper means excessive and going beyond normal. Are we going beyond the divisions that God put in His word when we distinguish the Pauline epistles from the Hebrew epistles? There are certainly spiritual applications in the Hebrew epistles for us today (like Heb. 11:1 and 1 Pet. 2:2), but they make NO mention of the three major doctrines in Paul’s church epistles: justification by the faith of Christ, the spiritual Body of Christ, and the rapture of the Body of Christ to heaven. In fact, the teaching is different:

 Compare Rom. 3:28 with Jam. 2:24

 Compare 1 Cor. 12:13 with Heb. 3:6, 14

 Compare Gal. 3:28 with Jam. 1:1; Rev. 2:9, 3:9

 Compare Rom. 8:35-39 with Jude 20-21

 Compare 1 Cor. 15:51-52 with Rev. 1:7

James, Peter, John, and Jude were apostles to the circumcision and there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that ever changed! That is why these letters are addressed to the scattered twelve tribes (Jam. 1:1) and strangers (1 Pet. 1:1). The title of the first book in this section should be an obvious tip off (Hebrews)! The books of Hebrews through Revelation are written to and about the godly remnant of Israel who will suffer great tribulation as they look for the second coming of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom. They have both an historical application to the kingdom church in the book of Acts and a prophetic application to the tribulation saints. 

George Williams in his Student’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (published in 1926) wrote, “The closing Books of the Bible – Hebrews to Revelation – relate to the future, and will uphold the faith of the elect members of the Hebrew people and of the Gentiles who will love and confess the true Messiah, and brave the persecutions of the future false Messiah. These Books specially belong to them, and will be understood by them.” 

There must be scripture written directly to the multitude of tribulation saints that will be living in the time of the culmination of the prophetic kingdom program. Christ foretold of the Hebrew epistles (Jn. 16:12-13). Note the emphasis on the last days of prophecy in the Hebrew Epistles: Heb. 1:1-2; Jam. 5:1-11; 1 Pet. 1:3-13; 2 Pet. 3:1-4; 1 Jn. 2:18; Jude 17-18; Rev. 1:1-3, 7-9. 

The books of the NT are arranged dispensationally, not chronologically. James was probably the first NT book to be written, but it is placed after the Pauline epistles because it is written to the “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (Jam. 1:1). 

• The OT - The King and His coming Kingdom in promise and prophecy

• The Gospels - The King and His Kingdom offered and rejected

• The Acts - The King and His Kingdom re-offered & rejected, transition to the Body of Christ

• The Pauline Epistles - The Kingdom postponed, the King made Head of the Church

• The Hebrew Epistles - The King and His Kingdom once again at hand

• The Revelation - The King comes to establish His kingdom on the earth

There are three transition books in the NT:

1) Matthew – from prophecy to fulfillment (Matt. 11:13) 

2) Acts – from prophecy to mystery

3) Hebrews – from old covenant to new covenant, tribulation to the kingdom 

*note – there is no transition from Body of Christ back to Israel because this mystery age ends suddenly and abruptly with the mystery of the rapture 

Just as the nine church epistles of Paul are arranged according to the order of doctrine, reproof, and correction for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), so are the nine Hebrew epistles. 

 New Covenant in the Blood of Christ

Hebrews = doctrine about the superiority of the new covenant over the old covenant 

James =  reproof for not proving faith by works, pure religion 

1 Peter = correction – their suffering must precede the glory 

 The Godly Remnant of Israel 

2 Peter = doctrine – How to make calling and election sure and not fall 

1, 2, & 3 John = reproof – tests to distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil 

Jude = correction – exposing the apostate and false prophets 

 The Coming of Christ 

Revelation = primarily doctrine, reproof and correction in chapters 2-3

That the Hebrew epistles are a unit is proven by the fact that end of each one leads into the next one (Heb. 13:20-21; Jam. 5:7-11; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; 2 Pet. 3:17; 1 Jn. 5:19-21; Jude 22-25). The ending of Revelation does not lead into another book because it completes the group (22:21). The ending of Philemon is similar (v.25) because it certainly does not lead into Hebrews!