Part Three

John G. Reisinger

This is the third and final article on Hebrews 11:39, 40. We want to look especially at verse 40. "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." What is the 'better thing' spoken of in this text? In our last article we determined that in attempting to answer this question we would not cross certain, established guidelines. Our first stake is that Old Covenant believers did not experience, in the sense of knowledgeable experience, all of the blessings of the New Covenant. The stake at the opposite end is that whatever the 'better things' are, they do not include anything that pertains to true salvation. Working within these boundaries, let's now try to be specific in defining this 'better thing'.

A.W. Pink, in answering the question, "Exactly what are the 'better things' which God provides for us?" says, "The answer is a 'superior administration of the Everlasting Covenant." This is not a conclusion that can be drawn from the text itself, but must be imported from a pre-existing presupposition. As such it qualifies as eisegesis, not exegesis. Although Pink has written many excellent works and is appreciated for his careful study of the Scriptures, in this instance we must disagree with both his approach and his conclusion.

Henry Ironside says,

Old Testament saints could not be made perfect as pertaining to the conscience until the finished work of Christ had settled the sin question, but the moment the veil was rent, to them came the same blessedness that is now the portion of all who believe the testimony that God has given. Such are forever perfected in His sight.

In other words, we may say of Old Testament saints that their souls were all safe in God's keeping; their eternal salvation was absolutely assured; but the work upon which all of this rested had not yet taken place. They were, if we may so speak, saved on credit. In the cross their responsibility was discharged, and now they, with us, are made perfect. (Henry Ironside, Hebrews [Loizeaux Brothers, July 1932], 148.)

Ironside is correct concerning the settling of the conscience and the rending of the veil. He is also correct concerning the safety of the Old Covenant believer while he waited for the Messiah to come and offer the all-sufficient sacrifice. He does not, however, deal with the fact that neither the Old Covenant saints nor the Church today have experienced the "better things" in question.

Lenski has a very different approach.

By letting all the Old Testament believers wait as he does despite the grand testimony with which he voiced his approval of their faith God had in view something that was far better than not letting them wait thus, than letting the consummation, Christ's second coming, at once follow his first coming.

… God's having in view something better for all the Old Testament believers was an act that pertains to us. As far as those Old Testament believers are concerned, the consummation could have come immediately after Christ's redemptive work had been completed. But, then, what about us? There would then have been no New Testament era; the consummation would have been reached "without us" . . . . There would have no New Testament era, no worldwide reach of the gospel, no hosts of New Testament believers.

I Corinthians 15:6 speaks about the existence of only five hundred believers when redemption was complete. Would it have been a better thing to bring in the consummation soon after this? God is still delaying its coming; faith is still spreading to millions. Not without all these will the noble Old Testament saints be brought to completeness but will share this blessing in company with us. Many are coming from the east and the west to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom, Matt. 8:11. (R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Hebrews [Augsburg Publishing House, 1966], 422.)

John Calvin has an excellent exhortation based on these verses. He doesn't exegete the verse, but he does warm our hearts.

39. And these all. This is an argument from the greater to the lesser. If those on whom the great life of grace had not yet shone showed such patience in bearing their ills, what effect ought the full light of the Gospel to have on us? A tiny spark of light led them to heaven, but now that the sun of righteousness shines on us what excuse shall we offer if we still hold to the earth? This is the real meaning of the apostle. I know that Chrysostom and others have expounded this differently, but the context clearly shows that the reference here is to the difference in the grace which God bestowed on the faithful under the Law and which He bestows on us today. Since the grace bestowed on us is more abundant it would be absurd for us to have less faith. He says, therefore, that those fathers which were endowed with such a little faith did not have such strong grounds for belief as we have. He goes on immediately to give the reason, namely that God wished to bring us all together into one body, and therefore He bestowed a small portion of grace on them so as to put off its complete perfection to our time, that is, to the advent of Christ.

It is a singular evidence of God's loving-kindness towards us that although He showed His bounty to His children from the beginning of the world, He has so arranged His grace as to take regard for the salvation of the whole body. What more could any of us desire than that we should have a share in all the benefits which God bestowed on Abraham, Moses, David and all the patriarichs, prophets and good kings, so as to be united with them in the body of Christ. We should know that we are ungrateful to God two or three times over if less faith appears in us under the reign of Christ than the fathers showed that they had under the Law by such outstanding examples of constancy. The phrase that they had not yet received the promise is to be understood in reference to its final fulfillment which has been announced to us in Christ, and about which something has already been said above. (Calvin's New Testament Commentaries, Hebrews [Eerdman Publishing Co., 1963], 185-86.)

Calvin's comments certainly raise our hearts in worship and force us to cry for grace to live up to the light that has been given to us. However, I am not sure he has caught the heart of the text.

As is often the case, I found more help from John Brown's commentary on Hebrews than anyone else. Let me try to summarize what he says and give some quotations. First of all, the Old Testament saints waited in hope for the coming of the Messiah. That hope was not fulfilled in their lifetime. They died, and surely were in a state of joy and security, having been delivered from "sin, fear, and suffering," but nonetheless they did not at that time receive "the thing promised." If we today have not yet received the blessing promised, then neither have they. One thing is certain: both the Old Covenant believer and the Church receive the promised blessing at the same time.

They waited in heaven, some of them for some thousands of years, expecting the revelation of the mystery of mercy; but until that took place they could not have the full knowledge of the enjoyment of the promised blessing. We have no reason to think that the departed spirits of good men knew more of the plan of redemption than the angels did, who had to learn from the dispensations of God to the Church this "manifold wisdom of God."

On the finishing of the great work given to the incarnate Son to do, and on His taking possession of His mediatorial throne, a prodigious accession must have been made to the spirits of the ancient believers. But even yet they have not fully received the promise. The promise of a glorious resurrection, and an immortal restored life in their glorified bodies, remains yet unperformed. This is not a matter of enjoyment, but of expectation. Their "flesh rests in hope," and their spirits, looking forward to the glorious consummation, breathe out the words, "How long, O Lord, how long" (Rev. 6:10). Thus did all these ancient worthies, though celebrated for their faith, not receive the promised blessing. (John Brown, An Exposition of Hebrews [Banner of Truth] 593.)

Most commentators feel that verse 40 is the most difficult in the whole book. Specifically, they struggle to identify the "better thing" that God has provided for us. As we seek to understand the "better thing," we must realize first, that it is something we, as New Covenant believers, have also not yet received. In Hebrews 10:36 and 37, the wavering believers were encouraged to keep on persevering in faith.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. or yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

The promised blessing is tied up with the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ returns, both the Old Covenant believers and the New Covenant saints will experience the blessing for which we, and they, now wait. This cannot be referring to the first coming of Christ. The Old Covenant believer did not receive the fulfillment of that promise, but we have. Christ has come, died, risen from the dead, and ascended to the Father's right hand. The Holy Spirit has come, the true people of God have gone from immaturity to full son-ship in Christ. Hebrews 11:40 does not seem to be talking about any of these things. The focus seems to be an eternal inheritance not yet experienced. This is a promise that cannot be experienced while we are in this world in tabernacles of clay.

The answer to the question, what is the reference of the word "better" in the clause before us?¾with what are the things provided for Christians by God compared?¾which we would be disposed to give is this: The comparison is not between what the saints under the old economy enjoyed and what saints under the New Testament economy enjoy on earth, but between what the saints under the New economy enjoy on earth, and what they are ultimately enjoy in heaven. 'God has provided something better for us than anything we can attain in the present state. The ultimate object of their faith and hope lay beyond death and the grave, and so does ours.

The good things provided for us by God are thus described by the inspired writers: "We know that when the earthly house is destroyed, we shall have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." When we are "absent from the body," we shall be "present with the Lord." "We know that them who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him." "When He who is our life shall appear, we shall appear with Him in glory." "When He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see as He is." "We look for the Savior from heaven, who shall change these vile bodies, and fashion them like unto His own glorious body." "And so shall we ever be with the Lord." "For this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption; and then shall be brought to pass that saying, "Death is swallowed up in victory." These are the things provided for Christians by God, inconceivably better than anything they can enjoy here below. (Brown, Hebrews, 596.)

These "better things" provided for Christians will also be enjoyed by Old Covenant believers as well. We will be perfected at the same time they are perfected. They will enjoy the final and full experience of the complete salvation provided for them, equally with us. We shall enjoy the same thing and at the same time. The Old Covenant believer cannot be made perfect without us nor can we be made perfect without them.

It remains to discuss what "be made perfect" means in verse 40. Again, John Brown has said it better than I could.

To "be made perfect," is, I apprehend, just the same thing as "to receive the promise," or to enjoy the "better things" provided for us. This exactly accords with the representations in other parts of Scripture. The whole body of the saved are together to be introduced into the full possession of the "salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." There is to be a "gathering together unto the Lord Jesus at His coming." They are to be presented "a glorious Church," perfect and complete, "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." As one assembly, they are invited to enter into "the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." They are to be "caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; and so are they to be for ever with the Lord." (Brown, Hebrews, 597-98.)

I hope my readers have enjoyed these studies on Hebrews 11:39, 40 as much as I have. As I said at the beginning, I had no idea of the amount of light these verses throw on the relationship of the Old Covenant believers to the Church today. God's truth is an impressively deep well.

Copyright 2004 John G. Reisinger