He Received Him in a Figure (Hebrews 11:19)

2023-07-30

Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19)

The word for “figure” is παραβολή. It is a true cognate meaning “parable” in most cases. There are only a few times it is translated something else. Here are some examples.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth (Mark 4:30-31)

Here, it is translated “comparison.” Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven can be likened to or compared to the mustard seed grain, a small seed that expands to a huge plant with branches that houses birds. Likewise, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, a poor and otherwise obscure Man from a city considered with disdain, died, but in His death and subsequent life, He made a kingdom of multitudes.

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. (Luke 4:23)

In this case, it is translated “proverb.” The proverb is “Physician, heal thyself,” and then it is explained in the following verse. They were saying, help your own people in Nazareth as you did in Capernaum. Apparently, this proverb was used commonly, that a physician could help himself, but does not. Likewise, the comparison and likeness here is that Jesus could help Nazareth as He did in Capernaum but wouldn’t.

Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience (Hebrews 9:9)

Here, the word is also translated “figure” like our verse of interest. (This was discussed here.) The original tabernacle was a figure with its sacrificial system and ceremonial cleansings, but Jesus Christ likewise was a sacrifice who made people clean, once for all, and was superior to that original figure.

When we get to the usage in Hebrews 11:19, Abraham “received him in a figure.” Because Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead, it was in this that He received Jesus Christ. Because all of Abraham’s seed would be through Isaac (cf. Hebrews 11:18), including the Christ, He received Christ here. The belief in the potential raising of Isaac was a figure, a likening, a comparison of the raising of Christ.