Hebrews 9: 27 Commentary

Ride on Baby Roland!

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/27/2011 11:12 am

Tiuche (Post #5): This verse has nothing to do with Chickens, Watchtowers, Bob Dylan and Prayer. Focus on the text.

By Roland G (wrote 1651 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/26/2011 19:25 pm

AS DEATH APPROACHES ARE YOU ALONE IN THE WATCHTOWER? Take hope…

See people around like chickens busy with their clacking, pecking,eating & nesting; while some of them are being butchered the rest seems unaware…am i alone in my thinking?It seems i am alone in the watchtower!
Bob Dylan sings: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Bd2W2XAo0&feature=related )

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief,
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.”

“No reason to get excited,” the thief, he kindly spoke,
“There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.”

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

Habakkuk(2:1) wrote:

I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what
He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/26/2011 07:53 am

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Note: That after we die is the JUDGEMENT and not outright condemnation!. Judgement is different from condemnation.

Some interpret judgement as:
divine punishment: a misfortune regarded as a divine punishment for folly or sin
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Or else think that this is condemnation:
To give somebody legal sentence: to make a judicial pronouncement stating what punishment has been imposed on a person found guilty of a crime, especially in the case of a heavy penalty or a death sentence
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Instead the term “Judgement” should be understood in the light of the following scriptures:

Revelation 20: 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

By TIUCHE (wrote 3264 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/26/2011 06:37 am

It is difficult to agree to the comments given in post # 2.

For Enoch it is written in Genesis that “God took him away.” Hebrew 11: 5 clearly says: “Enoch was translated that he should not see death.” But the commentator has, on the basis of Hebrew 11:13 (”These all died in faith,”), opined that Enoch did die, though the verse doesn’t say that specifically. It is an issue of inclusive or exclusive. Here according to Hebrew 11 all means all except Enoch. Hebrew 11:5 speaks about those of the persons who were given promises, but died before they could be realized.

Well, all are to die. If we take this to be absolute always, what about those of the believers who will be living, and transformed ( Who will not have slept in the Lord) at the time of the coming of the Lord? (1 Thess. 4) They too will not taste the death!

It is commented that God took Elijah in the first heaven. But there is no reference whatsoever to first heaven in the text. Again, that was also what the sons of prophets believed, but Elisha was sure that Elijah was not to be found (1 Kings 2:15-18). First Kings 2:11 clearly says that Elijah ascended to heaven.

The comments seem to imply that Elijah was taken away in the time of Ahab, but he lived thereafter on earth as Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram whose period is later than that of Ahab. But the Bible places the transportation of Elijah not only after the death of Ahab (2 Kings 1:1, but after his encounter with and death of Ahaziah and the time of Jehoram. (2 Kings 1:17-18) If we look at this reference we find that Ahaziah had no son and so Jehoram (the son of Jehosaphat) who already was reigning as the King of Judah from Jerusalem, started to reign from Samaria as the king of Judah. Why? Because he had married the daughter of Ahab and had therefore led even the people of Judah in idolatry
(2 Chronicles 21:6). Elijah was not taken away till the time of Jehoram and therefore Elijah wrote a letter to Jehoram. So Elijah was also taken away by God, ‘ to Him’ I would say.

By Jayant Christian (wrote 287 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 3/4/2011 16:24 pm

Paraphrased from “Shocked by the bible” by Joe Kovacs (I don’t have the book I read his article on this topic on World Net Daily). An interesting take on Enoch and Elijah “the only two that never seen death”.

Take it for what it is worth (wooden nickel).

Q. Who were the only two people to not see death?
Most would say Enoch and Elijah. But there is some question as to if this is true.

The bible says how many men are appointed to die?

1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

The writer of Hebrews says in 9:27 ” 27. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”

If these men were taken where did they go?

Jesus has said that no one has gone to heaven except for himself:
John 3:13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven–the Son of Man.

The account of Enoch being taken away is in Genesis.

Gen 5:22. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Does this passage say that Enoch died and went to heaven? What does it say?

Strongs word “for took him away” is : Strong’s Ref. # 3947
Romanized laqach
Pronounced law-kakh’

a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):

KJV–accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

Notice that this does not say that Enoch died. We are led to believe that Enoch was taken to heaven, which is the dwelling place of God. And that Enoch did not taste death. But the bible does indeed say that Enoch died.

Let’s go to the faith chapter Hebrews 11.

Heb 11:5. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

Q. Does this verse say that Enoch went to heaven?

Notice that this verse does not say that Enoch went to heaven.

If you continue reading you will see the faith hall of fame. Names like Abraham, Noah, Abel Enoch and so on. You will notice in verse 13.

Heb.11:13. All these died in faith……

Q. How many of them died in verse 13? All of them died.

What causes confusion is the words “taken up” in verse 5.

Strong’s Ref. # 3331

Romanized metathesis
Pronounced met-ath’-es-is

from GSN3346; transposition, i.e. transferral (to heaven), disestablishment (of a law):

KJV–change, removing, translation.

We can see that from v. 13 that Enoch did die.

So what does this mean where the bible says God “was taken from this life”?

It means God took him and transported him (teleported) from his location so he would not be found. The people at Enoch’s time were angry at him and wanted him dead.

Jude 14,15 14. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15. to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

When preachers preach against sin what does that make unrepentant people?

Enoch made people angry at him with his preaching. It is easy to understand why evil people wanted him dead.

Q. How about Elijah? Did Elijah go to heaven?

Elijah was transported to the 1st heaven, which is the sky. And then was placed somewhere on the earth. He even wrote King Jehoram of Judah after is Angelic chariot ride in the sky.

2 Chronicles 21
12. Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet…. ”

In the divided kingdom, Ahab was King of Israel when Elijah was “taken up” by the Angelic chariots . Ahab was king from 875-854 B.C. Jehoram, to whom the letter was addressed was king of Judah form 850-843 B.C.

By James Richter (wrote 536 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/7/2011 03:52 am

In the previous verses,the writer of Hebrews stresses the point of one time
offering of Jesus Christ to put away sin.In verse 28 also,he makes mention of the same point.The perfection of sacrifice of Jesus Christ is discussed.
In vs.27&28,two deaths-death of man & death of Jesus Christ- are mentioned.
In the case of man,after death,he has to face judgment.In the case of Jesus Christ,he will come again as Judge & King.
In the case of man,physical death results because of sin.Gen.3:19;Rom.5:17
Death is inevitable.
Eccl.8:8.there is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit;neither hath he power in the day of death.Read Job 19:5;Psalm 49:6-10.
There are exceptions:
Enoch & Elijah were translated without seeing death.(Gen.5:24;Heb.11:5;II kings 2:11).A widow’s child was resurrected by the ministry of Elijah.(I Kings 17:19-23)The son of Shunammite woman was resurrected by the ministry of Elisha.(II Kings 4:32-37).When a dead body of a man was cast into the sepulchre of Elisha,the dead man revived.(II Kings 13:21).
Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter.(Matt.9:18-26;Mark.5:38-43;Luke 8:49-56).He raised the son of a widow of Nain when his body was carried out for burial.
(Luke 7:12-15).He raised Lazarus from the grave.(John 11:11-44).When Jesus died on the Cross,many bodies of the saints which slept arose;and came out of the graves after resurrection and went into Jerusalem and appeared unto many.(Matt.27:52,53).
At the time of Rapture,the saints who are alive will be taken up to be with Jesus.(Phil.3:20,21;I Cor.15:51;I Thes.4:17).
Judgment is certain;no one can escape:
Rom 14;10..we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
II Cor.5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
Read Eccl 12;14;Acts 17:31;I Cor.4:5;II Tim.4:8;Rev.22:12.

By Alexander (wrote 499 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 8/8/2008 04:41 am