The Write Place

There are times when in divine providence, we happen upon the same truth in two places, illuminating it all the more. As I studied through scripture reading the book of Revelation then the book of Hebrews, many truths of scripture became more evident. Like a hidden image long displayed, the parallels of the two books and their moment in time through which God inspired them, burst into view. The book of Revelation and Hebrews are two authors providing the same message to God’s people in a time of terrible persecution.

Both books it is long noted, are likely written at times of intense persecution. The book of Hebrews appears to be before the fall of the temple, referring to it in the present tense. What is often lost is Revelation does the same. Both are pointing away from the earthly temple and the political ease submitting to the temple system provided. Only that is, if you rejected Christ. Let me elaborate.

Both books address the supremacy of Christ in their first chapter and what he has done. In Hebrews 7 Jesus is compared to the priestly melchizedek. This informs us as to the superiority of Christ as our priest, which is on display in Revelation 1 and throughout the book where he intercedes for his people (Hebrews 7, Revelation 1:9-20, 8:1-5).

The temple is called a copy of the heavenly realm by the author of Hebrews. In Revelation, we are shown the spiritual reality, now forever altered, in light of Christ.

⁴ Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. ⁵ They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But as it is, Christ^[a] has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 8:4-6

This Spiritual reality is the setting of the whole book of Revelation, which is a heavenly worship service. Should we be surprised the two books parallel so closely?

This same Jesus both authors extoll, sat down at the right hand of God, a position of all authority. This too is referenced in both works.

1 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 
Hebrews 8:1

And in Revelation

To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 3:21

The authors are telling us how much greater Jesus is than the things that came before, or by extension, anything else that could be offered. We are told and shown not to rebel against the king over all creation.

One description in particular comes to my mind.

¹¹ Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews 4:11

Look at John’s description of Jesus.

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, ¹⁵ his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Revelation 1:12-14

Let’s look at two pieces of the description that appear in both. Jesus’ eyes like a flame of fire displays their all-seeing nature. No creature is hidden from his sight. Out of his mouth comes a sharp-two-edged sword. From the one called the Word of God, comes the word of God. This is the one whom the Judaizer and open apostates are abandoning.

Notice in God’s presence, where Adam fled and needed a covering, or Isaiah needed purification for his lips, John needs nothing. Both explain why

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers,^[a] since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews 10:19

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 
Revelation 1:17-18

Hebrews tells, Revelation shows. John is in the Holy place with no reason to fear. What changed? Jesus already died for John, carrying the penalty for his sin. Risen again Christ our great high priest opened up the way into his presence where we can go without fear. This, in a manner of speaking, is a state we share with those departed. The living do so in prayer, the departed do so before the throne but by his Spirit we enter the heavenly place through the blood of Christ.

How could turn from that for anything?

Both books talk about the state of the saints in heaven. Hebrews 10 details the “cloud of witnesses” is a parallel to the throne room where the “witnesses” martyred for their faith stand in God’s presence. Both encourage the believer on earth to endure to the end. See the description in 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1

Now for Revelation’s description. We see the cloud of witnesses.

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:13

Those mentioned in Hebrews are no doubt among the martyrs in Revelation. The saints, Old and New Covenant are now washed in the blood of the Lamb are given free access to the presence of God.

Revelation 1 speaks of the coming judgment on the tribes of the land (a better translation that fits the Jewish expression to describe their nation).

⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth (land) will wail^[b] on account of him. Even so. Amen.
Revelation 1:7

John uses divine judgment language. In Hebrews 1, Jesus’ enemies are being put under foot.

 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”
Hebrews 1:13

The nation that rejected him is getting what was promised at Jesus’ show trial.

⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.

Matthew 26:63-65

The irony is lost on the high priest. He accuses God of blasphemy as he himself commits it, the guilty announcing the penalty of death on the righteous holy one. This of course is still in God’s ultimate purpose. We see how God took evil and used it for good as we go on.

Jesus is in both described as a sacrifice that removes our sins and opens the way to the holiest place. Hebrews 9:12-14, and Revelation 5

¹² he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify^[a] for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our^[b] conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:12-14

⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
Revelation 5:6-7

The blood of goats, bulls or a red Heffer could never accomplish it. But one who is called the lam of God did. John and the author of Hebrews are telling those tempted to return to the system what they are giving up by doing so. Whatever man may do to you, Christ is enough.

The Angels also become more and more under the authority of man, particularly one Angel who brings the prayers of the saints and appears to be Jesus. The temple/tabernacle is God’s house, a depiction of heaven. Read on.

Therefore, holy brothers,^[a] you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, ² who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s^[b] house. ³ For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. ⁴ (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) ⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, ⁶ but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.^[c]
Hebrews 3:1-6

Tell me, what is Jesus doing throughout Revelation but acting as this? The faithful servant in God’s house, his Holy temple, in a way infinitely more glorious. Christ, who is building a new Jerusalem (Revelation 21, 1 Peter 2:4-8).

These references to Moses are a direct shot at the “Judaizers” and the temple system that attempted to hold onto the older forms, the “Law of Moses.” These are false teachers pretending to be followers of God and offering an easy way out of the difficulties of persecution. They are depicted in Revelation as well.

⁷ In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, ⁸ their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; ⁹ they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. ¹¹ They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.^[a]
Revelation 9:7-11

Here they are likely depicted as judgment and judged, inflicting pain on the people of Jerusalem. They appear both as a curse and with the bizarre appearance of temple officials (human faces with their crowns and perhaps their breastplates signifying their priestly attire). All false teachings come from the depths of hell, and here we gain an illustration of this.

One time they are depicted clearly for what they would do, arranging the favor of Rome and the persecution of the church (an activity Saul was a party too).

And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly.

Revelation 17:6

It becomes clear then that the warning is against going back to Judaism to avoid persecution, often at the hands of the temple pretenders. Chapter 17 details her relationship to the pagan nations which made her (Jerusalem and the temple system) rich, money being the root of all sorts of evil they were willing to snuff out the Christian movement. In light of Revelation, we see the reality of judgment on those who do. The temptation of apostasy for an easy life for several decades over an eternity of heaven remains with us today.

Compromise is a strategy for judgment and destruction. Borrowing from a culture to win the culture is little different. No matter how we do it, leaving the faith for the things of this world, including a faux godliness is a patent absurdity that produces the opposite of it’s promise. Revelation and Hebrews are giving us this message, inspired by God, at a time when the church was vulnerable to falling away

This is all just a taste of what could be a book in itself. Take this and read the two together. I am sure you will see the glory of the Gospel, and the hope of Christ Jesus as you do.

I will leave you with one more reference. Hebrews 10 declares Jesus’ sacrifice is once for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ^[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10:11-14

⁶ and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
Revelation 4:6

The sea, the temple means of washing after sacrifices is shown in Revelation. And the water is pure, because there are no more sacrifices.

What riches we have in Christ, to have such peace with God.