2025/08/18
209. From the Letter to the Hebrews to the Book of Revelation
The Letter to the Hebrews was an attempt to somehow place Jesus, the Son of God who now sits at the right hand of the Father, at the centre of the "assembly" of the Church community as the eternal priest, so that the believers whom Jesus calls his brothers and sisters would grow and eventually hear him say, "Here am I, and the children God has given me" (Heb 2:13). The writer wrote, "We have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us ... through his flesh" (10:19-20). There we see the meaning of the Eucharist instituted by Jesus and the image of the Mass liturgy in which the Holy Spirit, sent in the name of Jesus, works. We also see the image of a heavenly "assembly" in his description of "the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven" (12:23, cf. 12:22-24).
In this way, the writer relied on the "assembly" to guide the Hebrew Christians, who had strong ties to the Old Testament. At that time, when there was no New Testament, he had no choice but to say, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith" (Heb 13:7). He could not resort to the Old Testament, which did not mention the name of Jesus.
On the other hand, the Apostle Paul, who was involved with a community of Gentile Christians with ethical problems, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart" (Eph 5:18-19), commanding them to practise spiritual discipline based on the Psalms (cf. 4:17-5:14). In his letter to the Colossians, he also wrote, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Col 3:16). However, in the Psalms of the Old Testament, there is no mention of "the word of Christ," let alone the name of Jesus. Moreover, if Christians waiting for the second coming of Jesus were to drink the wine of the people of the Old Testament who were waiting for the Saviour, Jesus' words would come true: "And no one after drinking old wine desires new; for he says, 'the old is good.'" (Lk 5:39). However, Paul had nothing else to rely on.
The Apostles who shared Jesus' public ministry witnessed his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, and experienced the descent of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul, who was chosen by God at a completely different time, had no personal experience with Jesus. He did not have the memory of "that I have said to you" that Jesus said: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). That is the crucial memory for engaging with the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus. Paul knew that very well. He therefore went to Jerusalem on his own initiative and listened to the Apostles at length. His efforts flourished in the New Testament, benefiting not only himself but also future Christians.
Over time, as Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, some of the witnesses to Jesus' resurrection passed away (cf. 1 Cor 15:6). They had firsthand experiences with Jesus. Many of them had been taught directly by Jesus and had memories of "that I have said to you." The Holy Spirit added the Book of Revelation to the New Testament to infuse the memories of these witnesses, who knew Jesus personally, into the future believers in a special way. Revelation, which states, "Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near" (Rev 1:3), is a book of spiritual training that the Holy Spirit uses to store experiences equal to those of these witnesses in the depths of the memories of believers.
Revelation is closely connected to the other books of the New Testament and creates a significant memory within believers for the sake of the Holy Spirit sent in the name of Jesus. As if foreseeing this future, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews prayed as follows. "Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Heb 13:20-21).
Maria K. M.
