What does "in just a little while" mean in Hebrews 10:37 regarding Christ's return? Hebrews 10:37 In The Berean Standard Bible “For, ‘In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.’” (Hebrews 10:37) Literary Context Within Hebrews Hebrews was written to wavering Jewish believers pressured by persecution (Hebrews 10:32–34). The writer has just urged, “So do not throw away your confidence” (10:35) and warned that if any “shrinks back,” God “will not be pleased” (10:38). Verse 37 provides the positive incentive: the certainty and nearness of Christ’s return. Old Testament BACKGROUND The wording is drawn from the Septuagint of Habakkuk 2:3: “Because still a little while (μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον) and the coming one will come and will not delay.” Habakkuk waited for Babylon’s judgment; Hebrews applies the same assurance to the Messiah’s parousia, affirming prophetic continuity (Acts 3:18). Theological Significance Of “A Little While” 1. Imminence—Christ’s return is the next great event (Philippians 3:20–21). 2. Perspective—God is outside time; “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). A span that seems long to humans is fleeting in divine reckoning (Psalm 90:4). 3. Ethical urgency—Believers are motivated to persevere and evangelize (Matthew 24:45–46). Behavioral studies on delayed gratification confirm that an anticipated endpoint strengthens resolve—precisely the effect Hebrews seeks. Response To The “Delay” Objection Skeptics cite the two-millennia interval as evidence of prophetic failure. Scripture itself anticipated this charge (2 Peter 3:3–4) and answers: • God’s patience allows more to repent (2 Peter 3:9). • Chronos (sequential time) continues, but the kairos (decisive moment) is fixed by the Father (Mark 13:32). Manuscript reliability undergirds this text; 𝔓46 (c. AD 175) already contains Hebrews 10:37 verbatim, demonstrating no later editorial “rescue.” PARALLEL New Testament STATEMENTS • Revelation 22:7,12,20—“I am coming soon.” • James 5:8—“The Lord’s coming is near.” • Philippians 4:5—“The Lord is near.” All employ terms of proximity (ἐγγύς, τάχος) to cultivate expectancy, not to set calendars. Eschatological Timeline And Young-Earth Framework Accepting a straightforward Ussher-type chronology, history spans roughly 6,000 years. The Church Age, already two days in God’s thousand-year metric, fits Hosea 6:2: “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.” Thus the “little while” can coherently encompass the remaining sliver before the Millennial reign. Archaeological And Historical Corroboration • The Cyrus Cylinder (c. 539 BC) confirms Isaiah 44–45’s prediction of Cyrus, illustrating God’s precise timing. • The Ketef Hinnom amulets (7th century BC) preserve the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) centuries before Christ, demonstrating transmission accuracy. If God orchestrates history so minutely, His schedule for the parousia is utterly trustworthy. Summary “In just a little while” in Hebrews 10:37 affirms: 1. The Messiah’s return is certain. 2. From God’s vantage, it is imminent. 3. Believers must live watchfully and faithfully. The expression echoes Habakkuk, is preserved unchanged in earliest manuscripts, harmonizes with the whole scope of Scripture, and continues to shape Christian hope and conduct until the moment “He who is coming… will not delay.” |
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