HEBREWS 7:23-25

FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW WE HAVE BEEN IN THE MIDST OF CONCLUDING THE FINAL VERSES OF THE VERY IMPORTANT CHAPTER 7.

THE OVERALL CONTEXT FOR THIS WEEK’S STUDY…

^NAS  Hebrews 7:20-28 And inasmuch as it was not without an oath  ²¹ (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘Thou art a priest forever’ “); ²² so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. ²³ And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, ²⁴ but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since always lives to make intercession for them. ²⁶ For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.  ²⁸ For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.

VERSE 25 WILL BE OUR FOCUS FOR THIS BLOG…

^ESV  Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

^NET  Hebrews 7:25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

^NKJ  Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

^CSB  Hebrews 7:25 Therefore, He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

^DBY  Hebrews 7:25 Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them.

^KJV  Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

“INTERCEDE” IS THE GREEK VERB ἐντυγχάνω (en-toog-ka-no). In various senses it simply means meet, turn to, approach, appeal to, petition. When I looked up the English word “intercede” on my computer, this was its definition: act between parties with a view to reconciling differences. The Greek verb is only found four times in the New Testament…

^NAS  Acts 25:24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you behold this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer.

^NAS  Romans 8:27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

^NAS  Romans 8:34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO EXPLAIN THE WORD, I THINK, IS TO SAY THAT WHEN WE PRAY FOR SOMEONE, WE HAVE INTERCEDED FOR HIM OR HER. Obviously, intercession is a very loving, Christlike act. When thought through, keeping what has been taught by the passage in chapter 7 thus far, I believe v. 25 confirms this.

I INTEND TO CENTER THIS BLOG ON INTERCESSION BUT, AS ALWAYS WANT TO REMAIN OPEN TO WHERE MY STUDY OF THE CONTEXT LEADS.

“ONE OF THE CENTRAL ISSUES IN HEBREWS IS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. The author reminds them that true fellowship with God, genuine access to God, is only possible through Jesus Christ.

“IN THE LAST PHRASE OF THE VERSE, THE READERS RECEIVE FURTHER ASSURANCE. Their salvation is complete and final because Jesus ‘always lives to intercede for them.’ The contrast with the Levitical priests continues, for their ministry on behalf of the readers can’t continue after they die. The benefits of Jesus’ priestly work endure, for He intercedes as the ever-living one, as the one who has triumphed over death forever, as the risen one.

“IT IS PROBABLE THAT JESUS’ INTERCESSION IS BASED ON HIS SACRIFICE, for Jesus’ priestly ministry is the theme here, and the subsequent verses (vv. 26-28) focus on His offering as a priest. His intercession, then, is linked with and based on what He accomplished in His death. Indeed, the drawing near (cf. 10:22) is only made possible through Jesus’ blood and sacrifice.

“AS KOESTLER SAYS, ‘THE STRONGEST REASONS FOR ASSUMING THAT INTERCESSION IN HEBREWS INVOLVES PETITIONS FOR FORGIVENESS ARE THAT HEBREWS 7:26-27 MENTIONS HUMAN SIN, THAT MAKING CHRIST’S PRIESTLY WORK INVOLVES MAKING ATONEMENT…

^NAS  Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

^NET  Hebrews 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

“AND THAT THE NEW COVENANT BRINGS FORGIVENESS…

^NAS  Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”

^NAS  Hebrews 10:17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

“THE PARALLEL TEXT IN ROMANS 8:33-34 ALSO PLAYS A CONFIRMATORY ROLE, FOR JESUS’ INTERCERCESSION, AS IS THE CASE IN HEBREWS, IS JOINED WITH HIS DEATH ANS RESURRECTION.” – Schneider

“AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS NO REASON INTERCESSION COULD NOT ALSO INVOLVE THE NOTION OF HELP AND ASSISTANCE SO THAT JESUS INTERCEDES TO HELP THOSE BEING TEMPTED…

^NAS  Hebrews 2:17-18 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

^NAS  Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

“JESUS’ INTERCESSION INCLUDES HIS HELP FOR THOSE IN NEED AND A PLEA FOR FORGIVENESS.

“THE LANGUAGE OF INTERCESSON IS ANALOGOUS LANGUAGE, AND THUS THERE IS NO IDEA OF THE SON LITERALLY INTERCEDING BEFORE THE FATHER FOREVER AND EVER.” – Ibid.

IN THE ABOVE DISCUSSION SCHNEIDER INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING FOOTNOTES:

“THE IDEA OF CHRIST’S INTERCESSION CAN BEST BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE AN APPLICATION OF CHRIST’S ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE.” – Koester

“INTERCESSION EMBRACES EVERYTHING NEEDED TO GIVE BELIEVERS ACCESS TO GOD.” – Hay

“LANE FOCUSES ALMOST SOLELY ON THE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE. BUT HENGEL RIGHTLY SAYS THERE IS NO NEED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN INTERCESSION FOR ASSISTANCE AND INTERCESSION FOR FORGIVENESS. BOTH ARE INCLUDED.” – Schneider

“THE PASTOR DESCRIBES CHRIST’S PRESENT, ENDURING, POSTSACRIFICIAL MINISTRY AS INTERCESSION FOR ‘THOSE WHO COME TO GOD THROUGH HIM.’ THE PRIESTLY CATEGORIES THE PASTOR HAS BEEN USING MAKE IT NATURAL FOR HIM TO SPEAK OF INTERCESSION, EVEN IF HE USES THIS TERM IN AN UNUSUAL WAY…

COCKERILL’S FOOTNOTE: “Hay calls the eternal intercession of the Son ‘somewhat of a foreign body’ in Hebrews’ theology. He suggests that the uses ἐντυγχάνειν (en-toog-ka-nine), ‘to intercede,’ of Christ because it was a traditional translation. Although the term is a bit awkward, Christ’s present eternal ministry as High Priest is at the very heart of the pastor’s thought and pastoral concern.

“CHRIST DOES NOT PERPETUALLY PETITION GOD ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE (CONTRARY TO MOST MODERN PREACHING AND TEACHING – TAR).

“HIS SACRIFICE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, AND HE HAS TAKEN HIS SEAT AT THE PLACE OF ALL AUTHORITY AT THE FATHER’S RIGHT HAND ‘ONCE-FOR-ALL’…

^NAS  Hebrews 10:11-15 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. ¹⁴ For by on, e offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us…

“HOWEVER, WHEN THE RECIPIENTS OF HEBREWS HEAR THAT CHRIST ‘INTERCEDES’ FOR THEM, THEY WILL BE ENCOURAGED BY KNOWING THAT HE REPRESENTS THEM BEFORE GOD. They will also remember that God is the ultimate source of their ‘great salvation’ revealed and made effective in His Son…

^NAS  Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,

“WHEN THEY DRAW NEAR AND RECEIVE THE ‘MERCY AND TIMELY HELP THAT CHRIST SO FREELY GIVES, THEY WILL NOT FORGET THE ULTIMATE GIVER…

^NAS  Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

“CHRIST’S INTERCESSION RESULTS IN HIS PROVIDING CLEANSING FOR SIN, ACCESS TO GOD, AND GRACE TO OVERCOME ALL TEMPTATION AND OPPOSITION…

^NAS  Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.

^NAS  Hebrews 10:19-25 Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; ²⁴ and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (cf. 2:18; 5:2, 7).

“THE PASTOR CONCLUDES THIS SECTION BY REMINDING HIS HEARERS THAT THE ETERNAL SON IS THERE FOR THEM AND THAT HE IS ALWAYS READY TO ENABLE THEIR PERSEVERENCE.” – Cockerill

I CLOSE WITH JOHN MACARTHUR’S LOFTY WORDS ON V. 25: “HERE IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VERSES IN SCRIPTURE. LIKE JOHN 3:16, IT CONTAINS THE WHOLE ESSENCE OF THE GOSPEL. (ACCORDING TO MOST ALL REFORMED BIBLE BELIEVERS – TAR) SALVATION IS WHAT THE TEXT IS ALL ABOUT.

“JESUS PRIESTHOOD NOT ONLY IS ETERNAL AND UNALTERABLE, BUT IS ALSO UNLIMITED IN ITS SCOPE. He saves forever. Although the meaning in the context of 7:25 can be that of eternal, the basic of the word is that of completeness or perfection. The King James translation (‘to the uttermost’) is therefore accurate and significant. Jesus’ priesthood is no halfway measure, as were the old sacrifices that only symbolized removal of sin. The symbol was important for that covenant. It was God-given and God-required, but still was only a symbol. But Jesus Christ is able to save both eternally and completely.

“WITHIN THE FEW WORDS OF HEBREWS 7:25 WE CAN SEE SALVATION’S BASIS, ITS NATURE, ITS POWER, ITS OBJECTS, AND ITS SECURITY.” – MacArthur

PRAISE THE NAME OF THE DEAR INCOMPARABLE LORD!

“CHRIST’S PERMANENT PRIESTHOOD PART 3.”

                                                                         – Professor Thomas A. Rohm