Used by permission. Christ is the actual object of the believer's hope, because it is in his second coming that the hope of glory will be fulfilled ( 1 Timothy 1:1 ; Colossians 1:27 ; Titus 2:13 ). To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future. God will "swallow up death forever" ( Isa 25:7 ), and the dead will rise again (26:19); this is the salvation for which the faithful wait ( 25:9 ). There are many Bible verses about hope that encourage us and remind us of how much we have to hope for! The reason is that we already have a taste of the future glory because of the love with which the Holy Spirit fills our hearts. ), but the form most perfected and with fundamental significance for the New Testament is the firm trust that at a time appointed God, in person or through His representative (see MESSIAH), will establish a kingdom of righteousness. This lack of a specific word for hope has nothing to do with any undervaluation of the virtue among the Hebrews. Again, there is no doubt attached to this word. Bibliography. At that point hope became more focused on the next world, especially on the resurrection. Hope will not disappoint us during our walk, nor will it disappoint us on that day when hope realizes its final fulfillment and we shall be like Him and see Him as He is. In other words, hope is the essence of the Christian life. Hope in the Old Testament. For the religion of the Old Testament is of all things a religion of hope, centered in God, from whom all deliverance and blessings are confidently expected (Jeremiah 17:17; Joel 3:16; Psalms 31:24; 33:18,22; 39:7, etc.). And, in contrast, the religion of Jesus cannot be reduced to a mere hope of ethical advance for the present world. Begin this Bible study lesson by reading through Matthew 27-28 asking God's Holy Spirit to speak to your heart right where you are in life...maybe in the midst of a blank space. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. In … And however far He may have taught that the kingdom was present in His lifetime, none the less the full consummation of that kingdom, with Himself as Messiah, was made by Him a matter of the future (see ESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; PAROUSIA). The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). ), with the certainty of admission to it for those who accepted His teaching (Luke 12:32, etc. From the above list it is apparent that, in contrast to the Old Testament, New Testament hope is primarily eschatological. Not only are these great verses to keep on hand throughotu the year, but also if you are looking for a Christmas Bible verse to include on a holiday card. Our hope is that after we have lived this life for Jesus we will be like Him and we will be with Him eternally. Toward the end of the Old Testament God made known his plan to bring his everlasting kingdom to earth ( Dan 2:44 ; 7:13-14 ) and to raise the dead ( 12:2 ). Just as the Old Testament emphasizes hope as trust, Paul writes about setting our hope on God ( 1 Tim 4:10 ) and on Christ ( Eph 1:12 ). Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) Job 4:6| For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. The biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Our hope, therefore, is sure. We who look expectantly for the return of Christ, knowing that when we see him we shall become like him, purify ourselves "as he is pure" ( 1 John 3:3 ). In particular, in 8:24 we have as the most natural translation (compare Ephesians 2:5,8), "By hope we were saved" (so the King James Version, the English Revised Version, the American Revised Version margin), only a pedantic insistence on words can find in this any departure from the strictest Pauline theology (compare the essential outlook on the future of the classic example of "saving faith" in Romans 4:18-22, especially verse 18). In the Old Testament hope has to do with waiting for, looking for, desiring. It is by faith in God that we come to the future that He has planned for us. For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. And I don’t mean that in Scripture hope is rejection of good … Only adventist bodies can use all the New Testament promises literally, and the translation of the eschatological language into modern practical terms is not always easy. Hope leads to joy ( Rom 12:12 ) boldness ( 2 Cor 3:12 ), and faith and love ( Col 1:4-5 ). Depending on the translation you are using, the root word “hope” is found somewhere between 142 times (KJV) to 182 times (NIV) 4 in the Bible, divided almost equally between the Old and New Testaments. This requires that we don’t have our focus on things of the earth, but that we have our eyes set in the heavenly places. The word “hope” in the Bible expresses confidence and assurance concerning the future because it’s based on God’s promises, character and faithfulness. 1 Corinthians 13 is evidently a very carefully written section, and the permanence of faith and hope cannot be set down to any mere carelessness on Paul's part, but the meaning is not very clear. As Jeremiah proclaims that God is the hope of Israel, Paul announces that Jesus Christ is our hope ( 1 Tim 1:1 ). 1915. It is joined to faith and love, and is opposed to seeing or possessing ( Romans 8:24 ; 1 John 3:2 ). Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. (Click to listen to an audio recording of this article: 30 Bible verses about hope for young Christians). ), is the substance of His teaching as to hope. That’s what we live for. E. Hoffman, Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 2:238-46; P. S. Minear, IDB, 2:640-43; C. F. D. Moule, The Meaning of Hope; W. Zimmerli, Man and His Hope in the Old Testament. We purify ourselves, are sanctified, and make progress because we have hope. Hope is the essence of the Christian faith. But no attempt is made in the New Testament to give a catalogue of the "fruits of hope," and, indeed, such lists are inevitably artificial. Example: Earthly treasures/heavenly treasures. A Bible Lesson of Hope - Matthew 27-28 “The stone wasn’t rolled away to let Jesus out. and so on. Hope is what causes us to take each step on the way. It is dynamic, active, directive and life sustaining. Notice the distribution of “hope” in the Bible: 5. But sometimes life can “get in the way” and it can be hard to hold on to that hope. Only those still living could hope ( Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 Ecclesiastes 9:10 ), as salvation was for this life. So most of faith is hope. The patriarch Abraham is held up for believers as a model of hope. Paul also parallels hope with trust. Hope in the Bible: A Few Observations. Psalm 40 is a psalm of thanksgiving that recounts the suffering of an individual whose hope was realized. God promises that those who wait for him will not be disappointed ( Isa 49:23 ). Looking with expectation is akin to hoping ( Job 6:19 ; Jer 8:15 ). But we know we have a better hope than that! Hope causes us not to get discouraged, not to give up, because we have something to keep going for. In the Bible, hope is never a static or passive thing. But those who hope in the Lord. (b) Specifically Christian, however, was the pledge given in the resurrection of Christ. In the Old Testament hope is linked with "putting confidence in" or "taking refuge in." Salem Media Group. Bible Dictionaries - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hope, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Bible Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - Hope, Encyclopedias - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hope, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Purchase or download Christian literature at Christian BookShop, the online bookstore for Hidden Treasures Foundation Publishers (HTFP)/Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatter Forlag (SSSF). “O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” Psalm 147:11 “The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” Read more about this verse. God is the true object of hope, but occasionally there are others. Similarly, the verb qawa [h"w'q] is parallel to batah [j;f'B], "to trust, " in Psalm 25:2-3. "Hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us" (Romans 5:5; compare 8:16,17; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14, etc., and see HOLY SPIRIT). Hope also stimulates good works. These promises are the "anchor of hope" that holds the soul fast (Hebrews 6:18-20). It's in the Bible, Romans 5:1-2, NKJV. They will soar on wings like eagles; they … Sometimes this can be hard to do, as the cares of this world threaten to choke out our hope and draw our sights down to an earthlyRefers to everything of this earth, as opposed to heavenly things. You may be interested in reading more on our topic page about God’s promises, or in the following articles: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, unless otherwise specified. If our hope is only for our present existence, it is most pitiable ( 1 Cor 15:19 ). He goes on to express his desire to leave this world to be present with Christ (1:23). When it comes to the topic of hope, Romans provides many verses to inspired you. "Entry for 'HOPE'". We have hope, knowing that we have salvation in Christ. Parallel to those passages in the Old Testament where those who hope are not put to shame, Paul says hope does not disappoint us ( Rom 5:5 ). Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Abraham heard these words and believed God (Genesis 15:6). 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