“The Day” of
Hebrews 10:25
By George C. Stewart
Introduction
The contents of the Book of Hebrews indicate
that it was written to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The entire thrust of the Epistle
is to encourage these Christians to remain faithful to Christ—who is superior
to the Law, Moses, Abraham and angels. If they drift away from their Redeemer
there is no hope.
One of the specific encouragements in the
Epistle is to not forsake the assembly (worship), but to encourage one another
(Hebrews 10:25a). Then the writer (most likely the Apostle Paul) adds: “and all
the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25b, NASB). What is this “day”
which is drawing near, or “approaching” (KJV)?
The Book of Hebrews was written around AD
61-63 according to the late Cincinnati Christian Seminary Professor Lewis
Foster, or as late as AD 67-69 according to Henry Thiessen (Introduction to The New Testament,
1971). Most other Bible scholars date the book just a few years before the
destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. This
means that the Temple
was still standing at the time the Jewish Christians received this letter.
There are several sections of this book which imply the same, as Paul speaks of
the priests, the Temple, and its services in the present tense: 7:14, 27; 8:4,
13; 9:4-5, 9; 10:1, 11; 13:10-11. This is an essential point in understanding
the meaning of “the day.”
There are also these critical words which
must not be ignored: “see,” “the (specific) day,” and “drawing near” (or
approaching).
Discussion
There are several interpretations of meaning
of “the day.” I will consider only those most often used.
Some—such as Adam Clarke and Matthew
Henry—believe the day refers to our day
of death. I believe this opinion can easily be dismissed from consideration
because most people do not “see” that day drawing near. Besides, is it more
important to worship in our later years than our early ones?
Another view is that the day refers to the day of final judgment. Adam Clarke
likes this explanation also, along with the Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Again, just
as there are no signs along the way that we may “see” the return of Christ,
there are no signs that the judgment day is imminent.
A third possible meaning of “the day”
offered by Expositor’s Greek Testament is that it refers to the future when the
Jewish Temple is rebuilt. Since the entire
Epistle to the Hebrews has the purpose of convincing the Jewish Christians that
the Old Covenant is fulfilled in Christ and a New Covenant has been
established—it would be a total contradiction to suggest that a physical temple
would be built again. Paul’s message emphasizes the end of the Old Covenant
(Hebrews 8:13), the blessings of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6), and that God’s
Temple is now
spiritual (Hebrews 8:12; 9:24).
A fourth suggestion is that “the day” refers
to the Lord’s Day, the first day of
the week. Don Earl Boatman, of the College
Press Commentary, subscribes to this idea. I believe this opinion also
lacks merit. The context seems to indicate that this “day” is uniquely
different from the weekly assembly for worship. The following verses (26-31)
emphasize the importance of faithfulness as the “day” approaches. Does this
mean one should be more faithful on Friday than on Monday? To insert the
“Lord’s Day” in place of “the day” would make no sense. To paraphrase this
would have Paul saying, “Don’t forsake the Lord’s Day assembly as you see the
Lord’s Day drawing near.” This is highly unlikely as a correct interpretation
of “the day.”
A view much more popular than all of those
above is that “the day” refers to the second
coming of Christ. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary says, “The primary
reference of this statement may be to the impending judgment of Jerusalem. But it is
evident that the fall of Jerusalem
can not completely fulfill this promise. So the statement seems to presuppose a
second or final judgment as well.” The writer then says this is “A direct
reference to the Second Coming.” This sounds like one who sees the obvious
(destruction of Jerusalem)
but due to a firmly-held bias, must insist that it refers to the second coming
of Christ. The Expositor’s Greek Testament acknowledges that “The Epistle was
written in all probability a year or two before the destruction of Jerusalem.”
Yet, the commentary concludes, “The day is of course the day of the Lord’s
return.” Here again is one who sees the obvious, only to return to a view
imagined in the mind but not found in the Scriptures.
In July of 2009 I heard a speaker at the Hillsboro Family Camp (Hillsboro, Ohio)
preach that Hebrews 10:25 is a reference to the second coming of Christ. And, a
few years ago I heard David Reagan express the same opinion in a lecture in a
Christian church in Lexington,
Kentucky. Of course he was speaking on his favorite
subject: “prophecy.” He used Hebrews 10:25 as “proof” that we will “see signs”
before the “rapture” and Christ’s return. Then—as dispensationalists always
do—he claimed that all the sins of our day show a fulfillment of Paul’s
prophecy. A very easy refutation of such fanciful “prophesying” is to note that
Paul was speaking of the event to be seen by the Hebrew Christians in the first
century. How could an event happening over 2,000 years after all those in
Jerusalem died, be a warning for them? Some try to answer this objection by
saying that Christians have always viewed the Lord’s return as possibly
happening at any moment. While that is true, there is that little word “see” in
Hebrews 10:25. And Jesus said there would be no signs of His coming since He
will come as a “thief” (Matthew 24:41-44). This warning to the Christians in Jerusalem is for them to
be prepared for a very significant event to take place in their lifetime.
It seems to this writer that the most
obvious answer to the question of “the day” is the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. This view
is held by a number of scholars. But the most compelling argument comes from
the New Testament. Remember the three central words of Hebrews 10:25:
1.
The Day: A unique and special day which rules out the Lord’s Day for the
reasons stated above, but is a fitting description of the events leading up to
and including AD 70.
2.
Drawing Near: This seems to rule out the second coming
of Christ, especially when associated with the word “see,” and the obvious warning
of an event to happen very soon.
3.
See: While Christ said there would be no signs of His return, He
said there would be many signs leading to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew
24:4-35). Although dispensationalists use these verses to describe their view
of events leading to the “rapture,” Jesus says in verse 34 that “this
generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
Consequently, I believe Paul is warning the
Jewish Christians that they can refer to Christ’s words and be prepared for the
terrible events of AD 70. These signs that the Hebrew Christians would observe
would be famines, earthquakes, and tribulations. But the wonderful news was
that “the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world (inhabited
earth) for a witness to all the nations” (Matthew 24:14). And before AD 70 the
Apostle Paul said this was accomplished (Colossians 1:5-6, 23). Another warning
with a promise from Jesus is found in Matthew 24:15-20. Jesus says when those
in Jerusalem
see the “abomination of desolation” (Roman armies) they are to flee the city.
Tradition says that all of the Christians safely escaped to Pella when the Roman general (Cestius)
retreated in AD 66.
Conclusion
The
destruction of Jerusalem
in the first century AD was a catastrophic event for the Jewish people. The
Jewish historian Josephus describes many details of the siege by the Roman
armies, the chaos within the city and the extent of the loss of life and
property. His description fits our Lord’s warnings of Matthew 24:4-22. He says that “Caesar gave orders that they
should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the
towers standing as were of the greatest eminency.”
With solemn finality Josephus writes: “This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those
that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of
mighty fame among all mankind.”
Josephus was
not a Christian, and could not have understood the significance of the event,
but when viewed in the context of the Old and New Testament writings his words
ring true. This destruction of the city and the temple is like one of God’s
great exclamation marks upon history.
Both the
tabernacle and its replacement, the temple, played a prominent role in the
spiritual life of Old Testament Israel.
When the temple was destroyed in AD 70, it marked the final act of transition
from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, from Law to Grace, and from national
Israel to spiritual Israel (the
church). We can more fully appreciate this change when we understand the
significance of the destruction of the temple.
I believe this
is the event Paul is warning the Jewish Christians to be prepared for as they
faithfully worshipped the Lord on His Day, and continued to encourage one another
as that day drew near (Hebrews 10:25).