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HEBREWS
Perfection or Perdition
No.17.
What is meant by "tasting" death?
pp. 11 - 14
When we published this series on Hebrews in the early volumes of the Berean
Expositor, we had several communications with the Rev. George Parker, of Honan,
China, who wrote:
"You have not attempted sub-grouping of the seven-fold ascription of praise
(Rev. 5: 12), nor did Roe in 1834. I suggest:
Power.
Riches
Solomon--King.
Wisdom
Strength.
Honour
Aaron--Priest.
Glory
Blessing.
The second pair, honour and glory, gives the clue."
When these kingly and priestly functions are united we have no longer Solomon and
Aaron, but the King-Priest of the Apocalypse, the Priest after the order of Melchisedec.
The crowning with glory and honour (Heb. 2: 9) is the consecration of Christ as the Priest
after the order of Melchisedec. "And no man taketh this HONOUR unto himself . . . . .
so also Christ GLORIFIED not Himself" (5: 4, 5). We shall find an allusion to this
position in 3: 3: "for this Man was counted worthy of more GLORY than Moses,
inasmuch as He Who hath builded the house hath more HONOUR than the house." Thus
we find Christ superior in honour and glory to both Moses and Aaron, and when we see
Him crowned with honour and glory we are indeed considering Him Who is the Apostle
(Moses) and High Priest (Aaron) of our profession.
It will be remembered that immediately following the revelation of the Lord's
approaching sufferings (Matt. 16:), comes the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:). In order to
have "an entrance ministered richly into the aionian kingdom of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ", the apostle Peter bids the believers of the dispersion remember the
Transfiguration:--
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
For He received from God the Father HONOUR and GLORY" (II Pet. 1: 16, 17).
We pointed out previously that the "so great salvation" of which the Lord began to
speak commences with His rejection, and is related more closely to the testimony of the
second half of Matthew's gospel than to the first. Those disciples who saw the rejection