Hebrews 10:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

NIV: but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

NASB: but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.

CSB: but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.

NLT: There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.

KJV: But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

NKJV: but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

The prior verse warned about a situation in which there was no longer a sacrifice for sins. This was framed in the context of those who have received the truth, but have persisted in some level of sin. Depending on how this passage is understood, this is either a reference to saved Christians mired in doubt and faithlessness, or those who never fully accepted the truth and instead rejected the gospel. The context surrounding this passage most strongly supports the first view.

Here, the writer warns about fear, judgment, fire, and fury. In the context of saved believers, this is not dissimilar from comments made earlier (Hebrews 6:7–8). Israel failed to "hold fast" to their faith in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19), and Christians are warned not to make the same mistake (Hebrews 4:11). Those who do can expect judgment, pictured using the symbolism of fire. God often rendered earthly judgment against His chosen people in response to their sin (Numbers 14; Judges 2:1–5; Lamentations 1:4–5). Given this background, it's not unreasonable to interpret this warning as one given to saved Christians about the dire consequences of their own sins. The language used later in this same warning also leans heavily in favor of it being directed toward those who are saved (Hebrews 10:29).

Though the context does not support it as well, this passage has sometimes been understood as a warning to those who "almost" accept the gospel. In other words, those who are given a full, complete, and thorough opportunity to submit to Christ, yet choose to "go on sinning" instead. In that case, they lack every possible excuse for their unbelief and will suffer all the more for it (John 9:41).

Hebrews 10:26–39 contains the letter's most dire warning against apostasy. This passage should be understood in the same context as earlier references to Israel's punishment in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19) and the dangers of a shallow faith (Hebrews 6:1–8). The concern here is not a loss of salvation, but of God's punishment on those who willingly rebel against His will. Since the new covenant is superior to the old covenant, we can expect those who ''profane'' the new covenant to suffer greater consequences for disobedience. This is followed by a word of encouragement and reassurance to those who have already survived hardship and persecution.

God's own words, found in the Old Testament Scriptures, declare His intention to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies, and all of the symbolism found in the system of priests, the tabernacle, and animal sacrifices. Knowing that Jesus Christ is, undoubtedly, God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. However, that same confidence means dire spiritual consequences for those who know Christ's salvation, but choose to act in defiance of His will.

Chapter 10 completes the long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Starting in chapter 7, the writer gave various arguments and Scriptures to support this idea. The theme of these points is that God had always intended to send Jesus, as the real fulfillment of the old covenant's symbolism. The second half of this chapter transitions into more practical ideas, including an extremely dire warning about the dangers of apostasy.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.