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High Priest of their profession. In close association with the final reference (10: 23)
recurs the word "consider". This time, however, the exhortation is to "consider one
another" in view of the approaching day.
These holy brethren are addressed as "partakers of the heavenly calling". It is
essentially in harmony with the perfecting of the pilgrim character, that those addressed
should be called "partakers of the heavenly calling", and that heavenly calling needs no
further exposition than is given in Hebrews itself to make its scope and position clear to
us.
Heavenly
A | Partakers Now. |
a | 3: 1. Partakers of heavenly calling.
Now Christ not ashamed.
b | 6: 4. The heavenly gift.
B | Place: The Tabernacle.
c | 8: 5. The shadow of heavenly things.
c | 9: 23. The heavenly things themselves.
A | Partakers Then. |
a | 11: 16. The better country, a heavenly,
Then God not ashamed.
b | 12: 22. The heavenly Jerusalem (Holy City).
If we trace the teaching associated with this word, we are led on through participation
of the "gifts", which were anticipations of the age to come (ch. 6:), and from the shadow
to the real Tabernacle "heaven itself", to the heavenly country, and heavenly Jerusalem.
Heb. 12: 18-21 speaks of Moses, verses 22, 24 of "Jesus the Mediator of the New
Covenant". Connected with the latter is the perfecting of those who were sanctified.
There we see them, "the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven". These are
associated with "the spirits of perfected righteous ones" and the "innumerable company
of angels". How any can confuse such a description with the right hand of God above all
principality and power is beyond our understanding. So far as we are concerned we see a
decided difference from the words used, and keep it so.
It was the consciousness of this heavenly calling that supported Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, enabling them to "confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth". As
we have pointed out before, there is a close parallel of principle between Hebrews and
Philippians, and the consciousness of the high calling in Phil. 3: enables the believer
there to count all things loss, making the same confession of faith and to hold loosely
"earthly things".
Let us remember what is connected with "confessing to His name" (Heb. 13: 13-16)
and the many passages which link suffering with future glory.