Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment
All men must experience the 1st death, but not all men will experience the 2nd.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
The passages, leading up to the passage under study, speak of the offering that Christ gave once, as a sacrifice for all. Likewise, the passage immediately following continues this same thought. We must give much attention to this context as we determine the meaning of verse 27.
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die” - This death cannot be circumvented. All men will experience this death. Therefore, this can only be referring to the 1st death, the same death which was appointed to all men by the transgression of Adam. On the other hand, the 2nd death (a.k.a. our physical death) which has no power over those who partake of the 1st resurrection, is not appointed to all men. This truth is proven when we consider that Enoch was translated, that he should not see death. Likewise, Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven, never to experience the second death. And finally, we must also consider that millions of God’s children will be called up in like manner on the last day, never to see a physical death.
“but after this the judgment” - The use of ”But“ means that an opposite is about to be introduced. Whether an opposite opinion, view, or event, it does not matter. It is used to inject an opposition or contrast to the previous statement. So I must ask, what judgment would contrast the 1st death better than the righteousness of one, which came upon all men unto justification of life? The word judgment could also be used to mean separation. This is very interesting, because at regeneration the person is translated into the kingdom of Christ and is thus, in this sense, separated from the unregenerate.
It appears that this passage conveys the same idea as Romans 5:18.
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life.
Note: You must allow popups for this to work.Thank you for taking the time to read this study. I hope you found this study to be a blessing, and that it has in some way increased your knowledge of our Lord and Savior. If you have questions, or would like to leave a comment, please do not hesitate to do so.
You may also email questions to barry@baptistcommentary.com
Grace to you,
Barry Laminack
Topical References: Hebrews, New Testament, Pauline Theology, Regeneration, Scripture Comment |
