Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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By Faith We Understand

Hebrews 11:¹ Now faith is the (realization) substance of things hoped for, the evidence (Or confidence) of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:² For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

Hebrews 11:³ By faith we understand that the worlds (Or ages, Gr. aiones, aeons) were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

• This is THE verse for which “Quantum Study Bible is named”
• The things which ARE seen were made of things NOT visible. Therefore; those things we DO SEE testify of the reality of those things we DO NOT SEE.

Faith at the Dawn of History

Hebrews 11:⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

• Abel sacrificed a lamb. Cain sacrificed vegetables.
• Why was Abel’s sacrifice accepted and Cain’s sacrifice rejected by God?
• Cain’s sacrifice was a kinder sacrifice-before the flood they ate no meat. Abel’s sacrifice was cruel, wasteful, and seemingly senseless.
• And yet, Abel’s sacrifice was prophetic of the sacrifice God would make in the future. God would sacrifice the Lamb of God, His Son, who would take away the sins of the world.
• Abel sacrificed that which he did not see but trusted God that it would make sense.
• How many things do we see today that do not make sense? Do we trust God anyway?

Hebrews 11:⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Hebrews 11:⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:⁷ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham

Hebrews 11:⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;

Hebrews 11:¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:¹¹ By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

Hebrews 11:¹² Therefore from one man (Abraham), and him as good as dead (old in age), were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

• The stars of the sky are the children of Abraham, being the believers in the mysterious age of grace also called the bride of Christ. These are mainly gentiles with Jewish exceptions since the Jews are blinded in part.
• The innumerable sands are the children of Abraham; being the believers of the Jewish chosen.
• Both are the children of faith.
• Just like Jacob, God has two wives: The Old Testament Wife, the Jews, and the New Testament Wife, the Gentiles. See Topic: Jacob’s Two Wives.

The Heavenly Hope

Hebrews 11:¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Hebrews 11:¹⁴ For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

Hebrews 11:¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

• The country they had come out, Egypt, is symbolic of the world and worldliness.

Hebrews 11:¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs

Hebrews 11:¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

• A prophetic picture of God’s only begotten son. John 3:16

• This is the first Passover, even before the Passover was instituted with Moses.
  Abraham offered to sacrifice Isaac on the same day as the Hebrews left Egypt which was also Passover.
  
  • Exodus 12:40-41
    Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt (and Canaan LXX) was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.
    
  • Galatians 3:17
    And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
    
  • See Notable Events Timeline: scroll to 1876 BC for Abraham and Isaac, scroll to 1446 BC for the Hebrews leaving Egypt.

Hebrews 11:¹⁸ of (to) whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,”

Hebrews 11:¹⁹ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

• Abraham concluded that God would raise Isaac from the dead when he said to those who waited that “we” will return (there was only Abraham and Isaac who went on).
  
  • Genesis 22:1-5 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
    And he said, “Here I am.”
    ² Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
    ³ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. ⁴ Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. ⁵ And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”
    
• Take Note:
  • Moriah is the yet to be built temple mount, where Abraham offered up Isaac.
  • The Passover lamb is selected three days prior to being sacrificed. Jesus rode into Jerusalem and taught for three days in the temple prior to being crucified on Passover as God’s Passover lamb.
  • God stopped Abraham and provided a Ram (male sheep) whose horns were caught in the thicket (crown of thorns).

Hebrews 11:²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

• Isaac gave the birthright blessing to Jacob instead of Esau wherein the second replaces the first, even as Jesus was the second Adam.

Hebrews 11:²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

• Jacob gave the birthright blessing to the younger of Joseph’s children. Again the second replaced the first.

Hebrews 11:²² By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

• Moses took Joseph’s bones with them when they left Egypt as per Joseph’s foreknowledge with instructions.

The Faith of Moses

Hebrews 11:²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.

Hebrews 11:²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

Hebrews 11:²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the (temporary) passing pleasures of sin,

Hebrews 11:²⁶ esteeming the reproach (reviling because) of Christ greater riches than the treasures in (of) Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

• Moses knew the value of God’s intentions over man’s intentions.

Hebrews 11:²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Hebrews 11:²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

Hebrews 11:²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

• The Pharaoh dammed up the Hebrews in Egypt by not letting them go, therefore God broke the dam when the waters returned over Pharaoh and his army.
• No one Hebrew was lost, not one Egyption was saved.
• Every Hebrew was “delivered”, every Egyption was not.

By Faith They Overcame

Hebrews 11:³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

Hebrews 11:³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who (were disobedient)did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

• In the Christian New Testament, the Epistle of James and the Epistle to the Hebrews follow the tradition set by the translators of the Septuagint in using the Greek word “πόρνη” pórnē, which is usually translated to English as “harlot” or “prostitute” to describe Rahab.
• Porne is similar to the word Pornography in English.

• James 2:25, 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
• Hebrews 11:31, 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
• Joshua 2, Greek Septuagint (LXX)

Hebrews 11:³² And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

Hebrews 11:³³ who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Hebrews 11:³⁴ quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Hebrews 11:³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Hebrews 11:³⁶ Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.

Hebrews 11:³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—

• Note: Isaiah was sawn in two in rabbinic literature.

They were killed with swords – Urijah by King Jehoiakim who brought him back from Egypt where he had ran for his life then killed him.

• Jeremiah was afflicted and tormented such that he lamented his life. God had to hide him.

Hebrews 11:³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

Hebrews 11:³⁹ And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

Hebrews 11:⁴⁰ God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.