Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
Hebrews 2 (ASV)
1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. Here the author of Hebrews is giving encouragement to the saints to hold on to the apostolic doctrine of the Messiah. It is popular in mainstream Christendom to minimize the importance of doctrine, however we are actually to be fervent for the teachings of the Messiah and His apostles. Bu not giving earnest heed to the doctrine of Messiah we risk drifting away from the faith. This verse comes off the exaltation chapter of the Son of God. The author of Hebrews is clearly telling his readers to always remember to honor the Son of God as the King of Israel and the only begotten of God. It’s also a call to remember the superiority of the Son over angels. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3 how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; Again, a reference to the superiority of the Son over the angels. Disobedience to Jehovah’s angels was a serious crime, how much moreso is disobedience to His only begotten Son deserving of punishment? The apostles confirmed the word (doctrine) spoken by Jehoshua to the early Church. 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. Jehovah God bore witness with His Son and then the apostles of the Son by working miracles, signs and wonders through them. This was according to the will of the Father, who is the initiator of salvation. It is God the Father that calls the elect, the Son redeemed the elect by way of the cross and the Holy Spirit sanctifies the elect. 5 For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak. The comparison between the angels and the Son of God continues as the Son of God has been covenanted the eternal Kingdom. This further shows us that Jehoshua is superior over the angels. Any effort to teach that Jehoshua was a preexistent angel is false to the book of Hebrews which makes sharp contrast between them. The angels now are under the authority of the Messiah and will continue to be in the new heaven and new earth. This passages proves that Michael is not the only begotten Son of God as no angel has been covenanted the kingdom of the age to come. Angelic Christology is taken apart in the book of Hebrews. 6 But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands: God the Father created man to have authority over the earth even though they were made a little lower than the angels. In the age to come, man will have complete dominion over the earth but instead of being lower than the angels will be made better than the angles through resurrection/translation. “crownest with glory and honor”, man was made in the image of God. Both male and female are made in the Creatpr’s image. 8 Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. Initially in the garden, man had all of creation subjected to him however due to the fall of Adam man lost this privilege. In the coming Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth man will once again have everything subjected under his feet. This was Jehovah God’s will since the beginning in that man was to rule over His creative works. 9 But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man. As believers we are to behold the only begotten Son of God, He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man in which we look up to as our example (Hebrews 12;1-2). Jehoshua like all men was made lower than the angels when He was born. However, when He was resurrected the Messiah was crowned with honor and glory receiving the eternal throne of David (Hebrews 1:8-9). Jehoshua was worshiped by the angels, four living creatures and 24 elders upon His ascension into heaven (Revelation 5:8-14). It was His death and preceding suffering that made Jehoshua worthy to receive the nations for His inheritance (Daniel 7:13-14). Jehoshua’s death provided the full atonement for anyone willing to come to the tree of life and receive the fountain of the Spirit that flows from Jehoshua’s substance. Jehoshua’s death as the spotless Lamb of God was for Israel and those from the gentile nations that would be grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. Jehoshua died so that we don’t have to (eternal death). 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Death became Jehoshua so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren, the first fruits of the resurrection. Everything was created by God the Father for and because of His Son Jehoshua. Creation was executed by God the Father with His Son being the reason to create all things. God created all things so that His Son would one day rule over it as the preeminent King of all of the Father’s creation. One could also understand this as the new creation being designed through Jehoshua, meaning all the saints of the Kingdom as well as the new heaven and new earth were designed through and by Jehoshua’s who is the literal beginning of the new creation. At the resurrection, all of the saints who have ever lived will receive immortality following in the footsteps of the first begotten of the dead which is Jehoshua. So all of the new creation including the new heaven and new earth will literally come through Jehoshua. The saints of old testament times and the saints in the new covenant receive immortality through the merits and blood of God’s first born Son which was prefigured in the old testament and realized in the new testament. It was by Jehoshua’s suffering that paved the way for us to come to glory by being regenerated in this life by the Spirit and further by our future resurrection/translation when the Kingdom arrives in its fullness. Jehoshua is called the author of our salvation and was made perfect through His sufferings which included the events preceding the cross and also including His death on the cross. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Jehoshua is the one who is the sanctifier and we as believers in Him are the ones sanctified by Him. By the shedding of His innocent blood, He sanctified us. We are made clean through the righteousness of Jehoshua Messiah and His blood cleanseth us from all sin. All we must do is trust in the merits of what the Son of God did at the cords and thus we are sanctified and made clean, 12 saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise. Quoting from a Psalm, the author of Hebrews attributes this to a Messianic prophecy. Like all Messiahs of the past, the ultimate Messiah Jehoshua declares and glorifies the name of the One God of Israel Jehovah. In John 1:18 it says that Jehoshua explained the Father or in other words came to properly reveal who the Father is, thereby declaring His name. 1 John 5:20 says that the Son came to give us an understanding of the One true God. Jehoshua was a true worshipper acknowledging the Father as the One true God (John 17:3) and that to belive such is the key to eternal life. Jehoshua told the woman at the well that the time was at hand that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. In Mark 12:28-34, Jehoshua acknowledged the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) as the greatest commandment which is that Jehovah God is One. Jehoshua when tempted told Satan that we are to worship Jehovah God alone and to serve Him alone. The Son of God also said that God alone is good. Unlike most professed Christians, Jehoshua did not worship a Trinitarian god nor a Binitarian god. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me. Jehoshua put His trust in the one God of Israel in believing in the inheritance and the glory that was predestined for Him before the world began (Hebrews 12:1-2). This is why Jehoshua was willing to endure the shame of the cross because He knew that throne of David awaited Him in the most holy place at the right hand of the Father. He also trusted in the Father during the time of His intense trial on His way to the cross as He leaned on the Father. Jehovah God gave the apostles to the Son as well as all subsequent believers (John 17:6, 9, 11, 12, 20). All who are in the Church today have been given to Jehoshua by God the Father showing that the Father is the author of salvation and the Son is the one by which one obtains salvation as the redeemer/reconciler. 14 Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; The cross is significant in that it was through what happened on that instrument that Jehoshua destroyed the works of Satan. Many people don’t realize that the devil is an already vanquished foe and they refuse to walk in the victory that the Son of God gave to all those who are willing to come to the tree of life. As children of God we share in flesh and blood as the Son also partook of the same during His earthly life. This passage shows that indeed Jehoshia was a full human being. 15 and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. When we were in the world we were subject to death because we didn’t have the hope of eternal life and therefore a natural fear of death took hold us. Jehoshua by His death reconciled us to the Father thereby delivering us from the power of Satan and his kingdom. 16 For verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham. Jehoshua as our High Priest gives us (His Church) grace in the time of need. By His Spirit Jehoshua comforts us as He is our advocate with Jehovah God (1 John 2:1). Advocate and comforter come from the same Greek word “paracletos”. Jehoshua is the two olive trees that pours its oil (Holy Spirit) into the Church (Menora). The Son of God ministers to the Church not angels. The Messiah sends for the Spirit of Jehovah into all the earth in order to comfort His body which is the Church (John 14:16). 17 Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Just as Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 18, the coming Messiah was fully human just like His brethren. The teaching of a God-Man or a hybrid divine-human in terms of nature is contrary to the scriptures. In order to be made like His brethren means that He had to be fully man. Because Jehoshua was tempted in all points as we are, He is able to bear witness with the struggles that we have being human and therefore is merciful to us knowing that the flesh is weak. The ministration of the Son of God’s priesthood is one of grace and mercy. Although we don’t seek to fall, as God’s will for us is to not sin, if we do fall then we have the Son of God as our High Priest who sympathizes with us and also forgives us. Jehoshua went through the same struggles that we do yet He was without sin. He therefore can relate to us and the trials that we go through on a daily basis. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Because He was made in our likeness and suffered temptation as we do, the Son of God is able to succor (invite) us when we are tempted. This is an invitation to overcome just as He did by bestowing His grace upon us. One of the meanings of grace is “a divine influence upon the heart to lead a holy life”. Titus 2:11 11 For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. The above passage in Titus sums up the intent of God’s grace given to the Church and also the purpose of Jehoshua’s death in that we are to be free from lawlessness and zealous of good works. Jehoshua purchased us so that we no longer would walk in the lusts of the world but rather in the righteousness of the Kingdom. Jehoshua’s High Priest ministration is not just so that we can forgiveness of sin in the time of need but more importantly we can receive grace to overcome sin just as He did.
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