2) The First Assembly: Early Believers, the Temple, and the Message of Hebrews
The Early Gathering Place of the First Believers: Solomon’s Colonnade
Where did the first Christians go to church? Did they build a church in Jerusalem? When was the first steeple installed?
These questions are anachronistic. The first disciples were not "Christians" in the way we understand the term today; they were Jews practicing Judaism. In fact, Christianity, as a distinct religion, did not yet exist outside of the broader context of Judaism. The early believers did not attend a church but continued to gather in synagogues and other Jewish places of worship.
However, the Jewish followers of Yeshua (Jesus) in Jerusalem did have a regular place of assembly where they gathered daily for prayer, worship, and teaching. This was on the Temple Mount, in a place known as Solomon’s Colonnade—also referred to as Solomon's Portico or Solomon’s Porch.
This colonnaded courtyard was a portico of white-marble pillars with a cedar-beamed roof, running along the eastern wall of the Temple Mount, opposite the Mount of Olives. When the Hasmoneans and Herod the Great expanded the Temple Mount, the Kidron Valley on the eastern side prevented expansion in that direction, so the colonnade that faced the Mount of Olives marked the boundary of the original Temple Mount from the time of King Solomon. Hence, the eastern portico was called Solomon’s Colonnade.
Solomon’s Colonnade stood above a section of the original retaining wall of the Temple Mount. The historian Josephus described it as follows:
"These colonnades belonged to the outer court, and were situated above a deep valley, and had walls that extended four hundred cubits, built of square, white stones. The length of each stone was twenty cubits, and the height was six cubits. This was the work of King Solomon." (Antiquities of the Jews, 20:9.30)
The early followers of Yeshua anticipated the Messiah’s return, believing He would enter the Temple from the east. They wanted to be there to greet Him. The great eastern gate, the main entrance to the Temple, opened into this colonnade. The sealed gate known today as the "Golden Gate" likely marks the location of the Second Temple's eastern gate.
The prophet Zechariah foretold that the Messiah would arrive on the Mount of Olives and enter the Temple through the eastern gate. Ezekiel had a vision of the Divine Presence returning to the Temple through this same gate. When Muslims walled up the eastern gate in the ninth century, Christians remembered the prophecy in Ezekiel:
"This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore, it shall be shut." (Ezekiel 44:2, NASB)
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2—an event that likely took place in this very colonnade—the early disciples regularly assembled at Solomon’s Colonnade (Acts 3:11; 5:12). In a sense, this portico served as the first meeting place of the early church.
A New Perspective
The majority of this study on Hebrews is based on the book written by Daniel Lancaster. He mentioned that in the mid-1990s, his parents visited his family in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At the time, Daniel had three little boys, and naturally, his parent’s visit was mostly to see the grandkids. During their stay, his father, a pastor, and Daniel had a conversation about the historical context of the book of Hebrews. His dad had been studying the Epistle to the Hebrews recently—perhaps in preparation for teaching—and he shared some of his thoughts with Daniel.
One observation that stood out to him was in Hebrews 13:22, where the writer says, “I have written to you briefly.” They found this puzzling. After all, Hebrews is one of the longer epistles. He suggested that Hebrews might have originally been two separate documents: a lengthy teaching section and a shorter letter that begins near the end of chapter 13. This idea aligns with Daniel’s own studies. As mentioned in the previous lesson, most of Hebrews is not truly an epistle but a "word of exhortation," likely meant to be delivered to a first-century Messianic Jewish assembly. Only the closing remarks in chapter 13 fit the form of a letter.
During that same conversation, Daniel’s father also speculated about what might have prompted the writing of Hebrews. As he considered the context, he said, “I think those Jewish Christians had been kicked out of the Temple, and they were at a real loss, unsure of what to do.” Daniel gives him credit for this insight because it’s not a perspective you often hear. Many pastors and Christian Bible teachers assume that the early Jewish believers quickly abandoned the Temple, the priesthood, and the Levitical system—perhaps from the moment of Jesus’ resurrection or by the day of Pentecost. But as Daniel’s father pointed out, you can’t get kicked out of a place you don’t attend.
This assumption—that the early believers immediately distanced themselves from the Temple—is so ingrained in contemporary theology that it’s rarely questioned. After all, didn’t Jesus teach against the Temple? Didn’t he say, “Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father... The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:21-23)? Didn’t he predict the Temple’s destruction, and wasn’t his death meant to replace the need for animal sacrifices?
From this supersessionist perspective, the book of Hebrews is often viewed as a warning to Jewish Christians against reverting to Judaism and the Temple system. But consider my father’s suggestion: What if Hebrews wasn’t written to warn against “backsliding” into Judaism, but rather to console a community that had been forcefully expelled from the Temple and was struggling with their identity, now under pressure to renounce their faith in Jesus?
Throughout these studies, we will examine Daniel’s father’s theory in light of the text of Hebrews. His interpretation offers several advantages. It doesn’t impose an anachronistic view of an independent Christian identity separate from Judaism. It doesn’t require Jesus to have abolished the Torah or the Levitical system. It also helps make sense of the arguments within the epistle and aligns with what we know about the early believers’ relationship to the Temple.
The Apostles and the Temple
Yeshua’s disciples held the Temple in high esteem because their Master did. He referred to the Temple as his "Father’s house." As a boy, Yeshua was reluctant to leave its courts, and as an adult, he frequently taught and attended festival services there. He spent the last days of his life within the Temple, where he sorrowfully predicted its coming destruction. Yeshua even drove the moneychangers from its courts, quoting the Prophet Isaiah: “It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer’” (Matthew 21:13). His disciples remembered the words, “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17), recognizing his deep passion for the Temple. Yeshua also promised to return to the Temple when Jerusalem welcomes him with the words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 13:35).
The final verse of the Gospel of Luke tells us that after Yeshua’s ascension, his disciples “were continually in the temple, blessing God” (Luke 24:53). They were likely in the Temple, possibly even in Solomon’s Portico, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost. It’s no surprise, then, that the Temple became the center of the apostolic community.
The book of Acts describes how the early believers devoted themselves to the prayers that aligned with the daily times of sacrifice in the Temple (Acts 2:42, 3:1). Day by day, they gathered at the Temple (Acts 2:46). Acts 5 reveals that they regularly met in Solomon’s Portico, where “the people held them in high esteem” (Acts 5:12-13). Even when the Sanhedrin forbade them from speaking in the Temple, they continued. An angel of the Lord commanded them, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life” (Acts 5:20). Like Anna the prophetess, who “did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37), the early Jewish believers remained steadfast in the Temple (Acts 2:46), assembling in the name of Yeshua (Acts 5:42). Their constant presence had a profound effect, leading to “a great many of the priests becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
But what did these priests do when they became disciples? Did they abandon their roles? Did they say, “I can no longer serve as a priest because Yeshua is the true sacrifice”? On the contrary, they continued to serve as priests, fulfilling their sacred duties with renewed enthusiasm. Once, they had performed the Temple sacrifices without fully understanding their messianic significance. Now, they did so with spiritual insight, seeing in those rituals a reflection of the suffering of the Son of God. With this new understanding, they viewed the Temple services as a foreshadowing of the glorious hope of redemption for Israel and all mankind.
The Temple Sect
It is often taught that Christ despised the Temple and that the early Jewish believers abandoned it. However, the biblical narratives tell a different story.
Stephen was arrested and accused of speaking against the Temple in the name of Yeshua. Yet, the book of Acts clearly states that these charges, along with accusations against him regarding the Torah, were false allegations made by those who opposed the Master (Acts 6:13-14). Stephen himself denied these charges.
The early Jewish believers in Jerusalem did not build churches or even synagogues; their central place of worship remained the Temple. In fact, the name of their sect, ekklesia, may have originated from Temple-related terminology. Ekklesia—often translated as "church" in the Bible—actually corresponds to the Hebrew word kahal, which typically referred to an assembly within the Temple in the Hebrew Scriptures. This terminology likely developed naturally as the early Jerusalem believers gathered daily at the Temple, as described in Acts. It’s easy to imagine that they began calling themselves "the assembly" in reference to their frequent gatherings at the Temple.
To enable this daily worship, the Jerusalem believers practiced communal living, selling their possessions and holding everything in common. This allowed them to remain in the holy city near the Temple. This model of communal ownership may not have been replicated in Paul's congregations, as those communities were in the Diaspora, far from the Temple. Simon Peter, for instance, didn’t return to live in Capernaum, nor did James and John return to Bethsaida. James, the brother of Yeshua, didn’t go back to Nazareth, and Nathanael didn’t return to Cana. Many disciples relocated permanently to Jerusalem, including Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora, who wanted to stay close to the Temple, the apostles, and the "Father’s house." Joseph Barnabas, for example, sold his property in Cyprus and moved to Jerusalem to be near the Temple. It was the Temple that drew the early apostolic community together.
As the history of the early believers progressed, the Apostle Paul encountered the Messiah and eventually returned to Jerusalem from Damascus. Where did he go upon arriving in the holy city? Straight to the Temple, where he received a revelation of Yeshua. Throughout his ministry, Paul continued to visit the Temple whenever he could, until Roman soldiers ultimately dragged him out of it.
Apostolic Sacrifices
The early believers not only gathered at the Temple and participated in prayer services during the times of sacrifice, but they also continued to offer sacrifices. This continuity is evident in the New Testament. If they had stopped participating in the sacrificial system, such a significant departure from standard Jewish practice would surely have been noted. Instead, the New Testament remains silent on any such change, indicating that they continued their participation in the Levitical system.
If the apostles had rejected the Temple sacrifices, the writers of the New Testament would have highlighted it as a major shift from normative Judaism. However, the book of Acts describes their involvement in the sacrificial services without any suggestion that they had abandoned this practice. Nearly thirty years after the Messiah's death and resurrection, Paul "went up to worship in Jerusalem" (Acts 24:11) to celebrate the Festival of Pentecost and "to present offerings" (Acts 24:17). He even joined four other believers who had taken nazirite vows, a commitment that required the offering of multiple animal sacrifices to complete (Acts 21:23-26). Paul agreed to cover the expenses for their sacrifices, which involved the offering of ten lambs and five rams (Numbers 6:13-21).
The book of Acts recounts these sacrifices matter-of-factly, as though it was entirely normal for believers to continue offering sacrifices at the Temple. Moreover, James and the elders of the apostolic community pointed to Paul's participation in these Levitical rites as evidence that he was still living "in observance of the law" (Acts 21:24), demonstrating to other Jewish believers that he was not teaching against the Torah.
When Paul defended himself before Festus, he emphasized that he had only gone "up to worship in Jerusalem" (Acts 24:11). In the Jewish context, "worship" at the Temple inherently involved sacrifices, as prescribed in the Torah. Paul further explained, "After several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings" (Acts 24:17). The Greek word translated as "offerings" (prosphoras) specifically refers to sacrifices. Paul explicitly stated that he had gone to Jerusalem to present sacrifices.
James, the first bishop of Jerusalem and a central figure in the apostolic community, also maintained a deep connection to the Temple. He was known for constantly being in the Temple, praying on his knees for the people’s forgiveness. His dedication earned him the titles "The Righteous One" and "Bulwark of the People" (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History2:23:7, citing Hegesippus).
Supersessionist theology often claims that the death of Jesus was the final sacrifice and that it abolished the need for the Levitical system. Yet, the biblical evidence suggests that the early apostolic authorities did not hold this view. If the death and resurrection of the Messiah had indeed ended the sacrificial system, why did the apostles continue to participate in it? Why did Paul bring sacrifices to the Temple? Why did James spend countless hours there in prayer? These questions challenge the common interpretation that the early believers immediately distanced themselves from the Temple and its sacrificial practices.
New Perspectives
We've just taken a glimpse into the lives of Yeshua's earliest disciples, as described in the Bible—devout, Torah-observant Jews, deeply committed to the Temple and its rituals, while faithfully following the Master. The fact that we must devote an entire lesson to demonstrating the ongoing significance of the Temple for first-century believers shows how far modern theology has drifted from the perspectives of Paul, James, Stephen, Peter, and even the writer of Hebrews.
The Jewish disciples of Yeshua in the first century could be accurately described as a Temple sect. This description applies not only to the Jerusalem church but to Jewish believers across the region. The mother congregation in Jerusalem established the assemblies of Yeshua throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and the Diaspora. These assemblies looked to Jerusalem as their model, submitting to the authority of James and the apostles. Jewish believers from all over the Diaspora, whether from Alexandria, Antioch, Rome, or elsewhere, traveled to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals. Acts 2 lists many of the places Jews came from to attend these feasts, illustrating that Jews from all corners of the world viewed the Temple as the geographic and spiritual center of their faith. In this context, whether the Epistle to the Hebrews was written to believers in Jerusalem or Rome becomes less significant—all Jewish believers held the Temple in the highest regard.
You’re unlikely to hear this perspective outside of Messianic Judaism. Supersessionism, the dominant theological view, carries a strong anti-Temple bias. This bias is part of a broader anti-Torah and anti-Jewish mindset that underpins replacement theology. Supersessionism assumes that Christ has replaced the Temple sacrifices, the church has replaced the Temple, grace has replaced the Torah, and Christians have replaced the Jewish people. When we view Yeshua’s Jewish disciples as being opposed to the Temple and Torah, we distort our understanding of the New Testament. It's like trying to comprehend the role of the pope while denying his connection to the Roman Catholic Church—it’s completely backward.
The Torah commands the sacrificial system for Israel and calls these laws eternal statutes. Either the Torah is correct, or it’s not—and if it’s wrong, the authority of the Bible itself is called into question.
Plots and Schemes
In the previous chapter, I suggested that the book of Hebrews was likely written before the fall of the Temple, before the onset of the Jewish Revolt, and even prior to the Neronian persecution—placing its composition in the early 60s of the first century.
During this period, the relationship between the Jewish believers and their long-standing enemies, the Sadducees, grew increasingly strained. The Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, were responsible for much of the early persecution of Yeshua’s disciples. They were consistently at odds with the early believers. Around 62 CE, a Sadducean priest named Chananah ben Chananah rose to power. He was the son of Chananyah ben Seth, better known in the Gospels as Annas. Thirty-two years earlier, Chananyah ben Seth, his son-in-law Caiaphas, and the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate had conspired to put Yeshua to death.
In 62 CE, the Roman procurator of Judea, Festus (who appears in Acts 24), died unexpectedly. Before Rome could appoint a replacement, Chananah ben Chananah convened an illegal Sanhedrin composed of Sadducees. They arrested James, the brother of Yeshua, along with several other prominent believers. James was sentenced to death. They brought him to the pinnacle of the Temple, overlooking the Kidron Valley, and demanded that he publicly renounce his faith in Yeshua. When James refused, they threw him down. Miraculously, he survived the fall. However, they stoned him, and a blow from a fuller’s club finally ended his life.
James’ death was not just another martyrdom. He had been the leader of the entire believing community, serving as the nasi—the steward of the throne of David, the head elder, and bishop of bishops. As Yeshua's own brother, his death was a devastating blow to the early community of believers.
After James' death, the Sadducean chief priests devised a plan, possibly aimed at dislodging the community of believers from their regular place of worship. They approached King Agrippa I with a proposal. They pointed out that the massive Temple renovation project, originally initiated by Herod the Great, had been completed, leaving eighteen thousand laborers without work. The priests suggested a new phase of the project: remodeling Solomon’s Colonnade from the valley floor up. They even offered to finance the project using surplus funds from the Temple treasury. Conveniently, this renovation would also force the believers out of their customary gathering place.
However, King Agrippa vetoed the plan, stating, "It is easy to demolish a building, but not so easy to rebuild it." He uttered these words just a year or so before the outbreak of the Jewish Revolt. In hindsight, Agrippa’s words seem prophetic, echoing the Master’s own declaration, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).
The Ban
We’ve discussed how the book of Hebrews is often interpreted in ways that seem to contradict the Torah, the Jewish people, the Old Covenant, the Temple, the sacrifices, the Sabbath, and more. However, as previously mentioned, this approach feels out of place when we consider other biblical truths and facts. Hebrews has long been misinterpreted, largely due to the lens of Replacement Theology through which it is frequently read. If we set aside preconceived theological biases and focus solely on the facts presented in the Bible, we arrive at a different perspective. Unfortunately, when we begin with a fixed theology, we can force the Bible to fit whatever narrative we choose, often by disregarding or reinterpreting passages that don’t align with that theology.
Daniel Lancaster’s speculative interpretation, which was originally suggested by his father, takes a different approach. It doesn't ignore the historical evidence we have about early believers or the biblical truths we know. Instead, he proposes that this interpretation is key to properly understanding the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Lancaster remains steadfast in his commitment to biblical truths, firmly holding to the belief that the early believers were deeply rooted within Judaism, not forming a separate religion. The evidence supporting this view is compelling and rarely disputed by scholars when closely examined. When we come across texts like Hebrews or Paul’s writings that seem to speak against Judaism or the Torah, it is essential to interpret them in the context of the truths we already understand. Much of Christianity has historically approached the Bible through the lens of Replacement Theology, shaping its interpretation from that standpoint. While Lancaster presents a perspective on Hebrews that may seem novel compared to traditional Christian thought, it is likely the most accurate interpretation when we consider the broader historical evidence and the insights we have about the early followers of Yeshua.
Let’s imagine that after their plan to remodel Solomon's Colonnade and force the believers out of their meeting place in the Temple failed, the Sadducean chief priests resorted to using their ecclesiastical authority to banish the disciples of Yeshua from participating in the Temple rituals. This scenario seems plausible based on the content of Hebrews.
The community addressed in the epistle appears to be under increasing social pressure to renounce their faith in Yeshua. The author repeatedly encourages them not to "shrink back" but to remain steadfast in their commitment to the Messiah. The famous "hall of faith" in Hebrews 11 offers examples of biblical heroes who persevered through adversity, urging the readers to do the same. The writer exhorts the Jewish believers, “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3 NASB).
He also reminds them of earlier persecutions following the stoning of Stephen: “Recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward” (Hebrews 10:32-35).
It’s possible that the Sadducean leadership imposed a karet (ban), effectively cutting the disciples off from the people of Israel. Under such a ban, the believers would have been barred from access to the Temple and its sacrificial system. The leadership may have designed this ban to remain in place as long as the disciples continued to profess faith in Yeshua. To regain access to the Temple, they would only need to renounce their faith in the Crucified One.
For these early Jewish believers, being excluded from the Temple would have created an overwhelming spiritual crisis, far beyond the practical issue of where they would gather. How would they observe the biblical festivals or fulfill their Levitical obligations? How would they partake in the prayers and sacrifices? How could they expect to prosper under God's blessings if the priesthood no longer represented them before God? What would be the impact of missing the annual Day of Atonement ceremony? The entire religious life of the Jewish people revolved around the Temple and its Levitical services. To be shut out from the Temple would have felt like being cut off from God Himself.
The Heavenly Sanctuary
After being banned from gathering at the Temple, some disciples became discouraged, uncertain if they could continue meeting with other believers. The writer of Hebrews encouraged them: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful… not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some" (Hebrews 10:23-25).
To address the concerns of this disenfranchised community, the writer expounded on the spiritual priesthood of Messiah in the heavenly Temple. He reminded them that the Jerusalem Temple is a reflection of a greater, heavenly sanctuary, not made by human hands. He explained that the Aaronic priesthood mirrors a higher, angelic priesthood, and the earthly high priest corresponds to Messiah's position in the heavenly Temple, where He is seated at the right hand of God. Through their allegiance to Yeshua, the disciples had access to these superior heavenly realities, so they need not despair over losing access to the earthly Temple.
Supersessionist interpretations have often misrepresented the writer’s message as an argument against participating in the Levitical sacrifices or as a warning against reverting to Judaism. In contrast, Lancaster suggests that the writer was encouraging Jewish believers to maintain their faith in Yeshua, even though the Levitical priesthood had turned against them and excluded them from the Temple and its sacrificial system: "We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat" (Hebrews 13:10).
Contrary to popular interpretations, the writer did not invalidate the Temple or the sacrificial system. In fact, he acknowledged the value of the Temple rites, stating: "The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh" (Hebrews 9:13 NASB). Though his readers no longer had access to these sacrifices, he reassured them not to lose faith in Yeshua:
"How much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14 NASB).
In his theology, the earthly Temple, Aaronic priesthood, and Levitical sacrifices address atonement in this present world and within the earthly sanctuary. However, the heavenly Temple, Yeshua’s messianic high priesthood, and the power of His death, resurrection, ascension, and priestly ministry offer atonement sufficient for the resurrection of the dead and life in the World to Come.
Outside the Gate
The writer of Hebrews draws a comparison between his readers' situation and the sin offerings that are burned "outside the camp," as well as the suffering of the Master "outside the gate":
"For the bodies of thovse animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Yeshua also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured" (Hebrews 13:11-13).
He reminds them that earthly Jerusalem is only temporary, redirecting their focus toward the New Jerusalem of the Messianic Era and the World to Come: "Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14). He encourages them to offer prayers as a substitute for the sacrifices: "Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name" (Hebrews 13:15). After the Temple’s destruction, the rabbis proposed a similar idea of substitution, using the same proof text from Hosea 14:2. Lastly, he urges them to replace sacrifices with good deeds and acts of kindness: "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Hebrews 13:16).
The evidence from Hebrews suggests that shortly after the stoning of James the Righteous, the Sadducean priesthood excommunicated Yeshua’s disciples from participating in the Temple services. Our Master had foretold, "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue" (John 16:2 NASB), which struck at the core of the community and deeply unsettled the disciples.
This ban not only excluded Yeshua’s followers but also removed their intercessory prayers from the Temple, paving the way for its eventual destruction: "See, your house is left to you desolate" (Matthew 23:38).
This reconstruction of the theological and social crisis that led to the writing of Hebrews allows us to understand its content without resorting to supersessionism or the dismissal of the Torah. It upholds the integrity of the New Testament, which portrays the Apostolic-era disciples as actively participating in Temple worship, while offering an interpretation of Hebrews that aligns with Messianic Jewish beliefs.
The Remedy Before the Wound
Lancaster has argued that the Epistle to the Hebrews was likely written before the Jewish war with Rome began. However, from a spiritual perspective, it seems as though God intended the epistle to prepare His people for that event. By expounding on Yeshua's priesthood, His sacrificial death, the Temple not made with hands, and the heavenly Jerusalem, the writer unknowingly equipped his readers for a long and difficult exile—one without priesthood, sacrifice, the Temple, or the holy city of Jerusalem. The epistle warned the disciples of Yeshua against falling into despair and encouraged them to stand firm, even in the absence of the Temple. Remarkably, it appears to have been written only a few years before the current exile began, shortly before the seven-year period between the outbreak of the revolt against Rome and the fall of Masada. In the middle of those seven years came the destruction of Jerusalem, the demolition of the Temple, and the cessation of the priestly service. The Epistle to the Hebrews almost seems to anticipate these events and the tribulation that followed under Roman occupation.
Grant Luton, the teaching pastor at Beth Tikkun in Ohio, offered a profound insight into the spiritual function of Hebrews. He quoted the rabbinic maxim: "Before the Holy One, blessed be He, inflicts the wound, He prepares the remedy" (b.Megillah 13b). The Epistle to the Hebrews serves as this remedy, teaching the Jewish people how to endure in the absence of the priesthood, sacrifices, Temple, and Jerusalem. It provides not only comfort and consolation but also practical guidance for surviving the exile and even hints at a path to its eventual end.
This deeper purpose would not have been evident to the first readers of the epistle, nor even to the writer himself. But in the aftermath of the Temple's destruction and Jerusalem's fall, this word of exhortation became profoundly relevant. In hindsight, it seems as though God sent this message to the Jewish people on the eve of destruction—on the verge of the longest and darkest exile they would ever experience.
References
This lesson was curated and taken from teachings by Daniel Lancaster, author of the book The Holy Epistle to the Hebrews: Sermons on a Messianic Jewish Approach, Volume 1.