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The real subject of the book of Hebrews is God speaking in the Son. In other words, the whole book is the Son speaking God. God speaking in the Son means that the Son speaks God. The Son is the High Priest (8:1), and the aspect of the High Priest as the Son is speaking God. His being the Mediator of a better covenant speaks God (v. 6). His being superior to the angels speaks God (1:4). His being superior to Moses (3:3), Joshua (4:8), and Aaron (5:4-6) speaks God. Whatever He is speaks God, and the entire book of Hebrews is the Son’s speaking of God or God speaking in the Son.
Hebrews 1:1-2a says, “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in Son” (lit.). “In Son” is the literal translation from the Greek text. No article between in and Son indicates that God and Son are not two separate persons. God and Son are one. He is God, but He speaks in Son. I am Witness Lee, but when I speak, I speak “in brother.” Witness Lee and “brother” are one. It is not merely Witness Lee speaking but Witness Lee “in brother” speaking. “Witness Lee” is not my qualification to speak. “Brother” is my qualification to speak. God, in the last days, spoke in Son. God did not speak anything merely as God, but He spoke everything in the New Testament in Son. This is why the Son is called the Word. “In the beginning was the Word,...and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word is for speaking. Eventually, His title is the Word of God in Revelation 19:13.
God speaks in Son, and the Son speaks by what He is. Whatever He is, is His speaking. He is Jesus. Jesus is His speaking. He is Christ. Christ is His speaking. He is a man, and this man is His speaking. He is a slave, and this slave is His speaking. He is a carpenter, and this carpenter is His speaking. He spoke Matthew 5, 6, and 7. He spoke John 14, 15, and 16, and spoke in His prayer in John 17. He spoke a lot by words, but He spoke even more by what He was. The entire four Gospels were His speaking, either by word directly or by what He was. The entire four Gospels are God’s speaking in Son. Whatever He did, whatever He spoke, whatever He worked, and however He behaved were altogether His speaking. The Son’s speaking is God’s speaking in Son. This is a crucial point that we all must realize.
The Hebrew believers may have thought the Son’s speaking stopped when He went to the heavens. This speaking, however, is still going on. If we did not have Hebrews in the Bible, we might think that the Son’s speaking stopped when He ascended to heaven.
Hebrews and Revelation were the two main books of the seven books that were not recognized as part of the divine revelation until A.D. 397. (The other five were James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude.) The Nicene Creed was made in A.D. 325, and by that time Hebrews and Revelation, which both refer to God’s speaking in Son in the heavens, were not yet recognized as Scripture. This shows the subtlety of the enemy. It was in Carthage, North Africa, in A.D. 397 that these two books with the other five were fully recognized to complete the twenty-seven books of our present New Testament. Without these two books we could only realize that God spoke in Son while He was on the earth. Acts does not tell us what the ascended Christ is doing in the heavens. Without Hebrews and Revelation it would be hard for us to know anything concerning the speaking of God in Son in the heavens.
In the Son’s speaking God or in God speaking in Son, there are two categories of the word: the good word of God, that is, the word of the beginning of Christ, and the word of righteousness. Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ.” The beginning of today’s educational system is kindergarten. This may be likened to the stage of the word of the beginning of Christ, which is only good as milk for babes (5:12-13). Paul continues in 6:1: “Let us be brought on to maturity.” Paul is telling the Hebrew believers not to remain in the kindergarten stage but to go on to maturity, “not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith in God, of the teaching of baptisms and of the laying on of hands, of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment.” Many Christians are laying foundation after foundation. Sometimes they may think that a certain foundation is not so good, so they replace it with another foundation. Consequently, there is no building up. The foundation, which is the word of the beginning of Christ, is first repentance from dead works and then faith in God. A certain Christian may have repented and believed in the Lord Jesus. A year later he may have heard a revival message and gone back to repent and believe again. After another period of time another revivalist came and stirred him up again. This is the work of today’s Christianity. Every year there is a revival, and every year there is a stirring up. People repent again and believe in God again year after year. Is anyone, however, going on to maturity?
The word of the beginning of Christ also involves the teaching of baptisms, including water baptism and Spirit baptism. Specifically, baptisms here refers to the washing of utensils and vessels used in the tabernacle or temple for God’s service (Lev. 6:28). The washing of the priests is probably also included (Exo. 30:18-21; Lev. 16:4). This word, no doubt, also applies to the New Testament baptism. The word of the beginning of Christ, which is mentioned as the good word of God, also includes the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Paul says in 6:3, “This we will do if God permits.” This means that we will do what is mentioned in verse 1: “Let us be brought on to maturity.” Paul continues to say, “For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and yet have fallen away, to renew themselves again unto repentance” (vv. 4-6). Those who have once been enlightened and who tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come are those who laid the foundation already at the time they believed. Once they have fallen away and turned back, there is no need for them to lay the foundation again (v. 1) but only to go on, to be brought on, to maturity. There is no need to repeat their repentance, for it is impossible to renew again that repentance. Hebrews 6:1 indicates that this is not needed, verse 4 says that it is not possible, and verses 7 and 8 show that it is not right.
The good word of God is the word of the beginning of Christ in the kindergarten stage. Repentance, faith in God, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, and eternal judgment are all concerned and wrapped up with Christ’s earthly ministry. Without His earthly ministry you have no way to repent, to receive baptism, to lay hands on others, to receive resurrection, or to escape eternal judgment. Any word concerning Christ’s earthly ministry is the word of the beginning of Christ in the kindergarten stage. This is surely the good word because it is the glad tidings, the good news. The very good news preached by today’s Christians is the word of the beginning of Christ, the good word of God, the word in the beginning stage of the Christian life. In 5:12-13 the good word of God is considered by Paul as milk, not solid food. Even Peter says that as newborn babes we should desire the milk of the word (1 Pet. 2:2). This is also the word of the beginning of Christ, the good word of God, the word in the kindergarten stage.
With this enjoyment of the tasting of the heavenly gift, the partaking of the Holy Spirit, and the tasting of the good word of God, there is another tasting — the tasting of the powers of the age to come (Heb. 6:5). The powers of the age to come are listed with the good word of God in the kindergarten stage. The tasting of the powers of the age to come is the subsidiary tasting, not the main tasting.
The first category of the word is the word of the beginning of Christ, which is the good word of God, and in 5:13 there is another category — the word of righteousness. Verses 12 and 13 say, “When because of the time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you what the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God are and have become those who have need of milk and not of solid food. For everyone who partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.” The beginning of the oracles of God equals the word of the beginning of Christ. Milk in verse 13 refers to the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God mentioned in verse 12, whereas the word of righteousness refers to the solid food. The good word mentioned in 6:5 is “the word of the beginning of Christ” (v. 1). But the word of righteousness is deeper than the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of God because it embodies the deeper thought of God’s justice and righteousness in His dispensational and governmental dealings with His people. This word is more difficult to discriminate than the word of grace (Acts 14:3; 20:32) and the word of life (Phil. 2:16).
This is why very few Christians today understand the Bible in the way of God’s dispensations. Among all the different theologies, according to my study, only the theology of the Brethren has opened up the dispensations. When we come to the Word of God, we must take care of God’s dispensations. To take care of God’s dispensations is to understand the word of righteousness.
The word of righteousness comprises the entire book of Hebrews. God’s speaking in Son and the Son’s speaking God have two categories of word — the word of the beginning of Christ, which is for the babes, and the word of righteousness, which is the solid food for the mature ones. In this word of righteousness the heavenly ministry of Christ is unveiled. This is revealed only in Hebrews and in Revelation. Only in these two books can we see a clear picture of what Christ is doing in the heavens.
In Hebrews we are told that now in the heavens Christ is the heavenly Minister (8:2) and that He is also the heavenly High Priest (v. 1). Furthermore, He is the heavenly Mediator to execute the very will He made as a new covenant bequeathed to us (v. 6). In this will there are many bequests, and He is now in the heavens to carry out this will as a Mediator. Then in the book of Revelation we are told that He is now in the heavens as the Lord of lords and the King of kings (17:14; 19:16), and He is the One who is carrying out God’s governmental administration in the whole universe (5:5-6). Without these two books we would not know what Christ is doing in the heavenlies after His ascension. We would know only the speaking of God in Son concerning His earthly ministry, which is in the kindergarten stage.
There are at least thirteen crucial points in the book of Hebrews, which I consider to be thirteen “mountain peaks.” Every chapter has a peak, and we must have the view to see these peaks in Hebrews.
The crucial point in chapter 1 of Hebrews is that the very Son in whom God speaks is the very God (v. 8), the Creator of the universe (v. 10), the effulgence of God’s glory and the impress of His substance (v. 3), God’s anointed One (v. 9), and also God’s firstborn Son (v. 6). When God will send the Son back, He will be the firstborn Son of God. As all these items, He is superior to the angels (v. 4), who are merely servants.
The crucial point in chapter 2 is that this Son in whom God speaks is a man a little inferior to the angels (vv. 7, 9), a man with blood and flesh who destroyed the devil, who has the might of death, on the cross (v. 14). He made propitiation for the sins of God’s people (v. 17). He was made a little inferior to the angels, yet He destroyed the devil, and He was glorified, crowned with glory and honor (v. 7). He also produced many brothers, or many sons, in addition to Himself as the firstborn Son of God, and He made them the church (vv. 11-12). He is leading these many sons into glory (v. 10).
The crucial point in chapter 3 is that the One who speaks God, in whom God speaks, is the very Apostle sent by God to His people (v. 1) and the Builder of God’s house (vv. 3-4). In this sense, He is superior to Moses, who was also sent as an apostle from God to God’s chosen people, but he was not the builder of God’s house, just a part of the house itself.
In chapter 4 this One in whom God speaks is the real Joshua (v. 8). The Greek name Jesus is an equivalent of the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “Jehovah the Savior.” This Joshua brings us into the real rest of the Sabbath (v. 9). (To cover this point you have to study the Life-study messages on the Sabbath rest — Messages 18 through 24.)
In chapter 5 the crucial point is that the One in whom God speaks is the heavenly High Priest, much higher than Aaron as the high priest. Aaron’s priesthood was according to the order of Aaron, but this One’s priesthood is according to the order of Melchizedek (vv. 5-6). The order of Aaron was temporary, but the order of Melchizedek is eternal, so His priesthood is much superior to that of Aaron.
The crucial point in chapter 6 is concerning the good word of God as a part of the genuine enjoyment of the New Testament. But whatever is in chapter 6 as the enjoyment of the New Testament bequests as the blessing of the gospel is in the “kindergarten stage.” Therefore, in this chapter all the believers are encouraged to go on to reach maturity (v. 1), to go on to the heavenly ministry of Christ in the Holy of Holies in the heavens. To go on to this ministry we have to learn how to follow the Forerunner, the Pioneer, and this Christ has become the Forerunner within the veil (vv. 19-20). In order to go on to this heavenly ministry, we have to enter the veil. The way to enter the veil is fully explained in chapter 10.
In chapter 7 the crucial point is that this heavenly High Priest is ministering not by the commandment of letters but by a life of incorruption, an indestructible life (v. 16), which is the very uncreated, eternal life of God. Christ being the heavenly High Priest is not by commandments in dead letters but by the divine life, which is eternal, indestructible, and in incorruption. He is now interceding for us so that He can save us to the uttermost (v. 25).
In chapter 8 the crucial point is that this excellent One in whom God speaks, or who speaks God, is the heavenly Minister (v. 2) and the heavenly Mediator (v. 6) to execute the very New Testament, which is the new will bequeathed by Him in His resurrection and enacted by Him in His death. Now He is the heavenly Minister according to this New Testament, and He is executing all the bequests of this new will.
In chapter 9 the crucial point is that this very One in whom God speaks brings us into the Holy of Holies to enjoy all the riches within the Ark, where the two tablets of the law, the hidden manna, and the budding rod are (vv. 3-4, 8). This One is also the One who offered Himself as an eternal sacrifice through the eternal Spirit (v. 14). The Son’s death was not only in His humanity but also with His divinity through the eternal Spirit. His offering of Himself on the cross is an eternal sacrifice offered by the eternal Spirit, so it bears an eternal efficacy. The very redemption accomplished by this offering is an eternal redemption (v. 12).
Chapter 10 tells us that this One in whom God speaks replaces all the offerings of the Old Testament according to God’s will (vv. 4-12). He is the offering. He is the fulfillment, the termination, and the replacement of all the Old Testament offerings. Therefore, it says in chapter 10 that there is no longer an offering for sin (v. 18). By such an all-inclusive offering He cut the way through His death by crucifying our old man in the flesh for us to enter into the Holy of Holies. In the Holy of Holies we enjoy Him in His heavenly ministry (vv. 20-22).
Also, we have to be faithful; otherwise, we will suffer discipline (vv. 23-39). If we will be faithful to follow the Lord according to His New Testament economy, we will receive a reward (v. 35). For this reason we should not forsake assembling together that we may exhort one another to go on to enjoy Him in His heavenly ministry (v. 25). If we still remain in His earthly ministry, we will miss the mark and will suffer discipline because we did not go on to His heavenly ministry. This means that we did not know God’s word of righteousness concerning His justice and righteousness exercised in His dispensational and governmental dealings with His people.
In chapter 11 the focal point is faith. Faith is a reaction to the scenery of the New Testament. It is “the substantiation of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (v. 1). For us to enjoy all the bequests of the New Testament we should exercise this faith. We walk according to faith, not according to any appearance by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We have to take faith as our way. Faith is the way to enjoy the heavenly ministry of Christ bequeathed in the New Testament.
Since we have seen all that Christ is in His heavenly ministry and we have the way to go on, we have to run the race (Heb. 12:1). We have to run the race because we all have come to eight things. We have come to Mount Zion; to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; to myriads of angels; to the church of the firstborn ones, who have been enrolled in the heavens; to God, the Judge of all; to the spirits of righteous men who have been made perfect; to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks something better than that of Abel (vv. 22-24). Mount Zion is mentioned, not in a physical sense but in a spiritual sense. In a spiritual sense we have come to the church already. We do not need to enter the New Jerusalem, because we are in it already — “We have come.” Because we have come, we run the race. In the Bible it is not first to run and then to enter. In the Bible we first enter the gate and then walk on the way (Matt. 7:13-14) and run the race.
Hebrews 13 tells us that we need to follow Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach (v. 13). Before chapter 13 all the chapters are on enjoying the heavenly Christ within the veil. Now chapter 13 tells us to be outside the camp, outside religion, to follow the rejected Jesus. It is only when we enjoy the heavenly Christ within the veil (6:19) in the Holy of Holies that we are able to follow outside the camp, outside religion, the very rejected Jesus who was walking on this earth.
