Hebrews 9:25-26 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world had he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
‘Foundation of the world’ [Greek: katabole] overthrow of the world that Lucifer ruled before Adam and refers to the overthrow of the pre-Adamite world by the flood of Genesis 1:2; 2Peter 3:5-7; Psalms 104:5-9 and Jeremiah 4:23-26 and the defeat of Lucifer and his earthly kingdom before Adam (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-17; Luke 10:18).
Katabole is not the ordinary word for founding or foundation. A reference to the founding of the world would require the use of themelios, as in Luke 6:48-49; 14:29; Acts 16:26; Romans 15:20; 1Corinthians 3:11-12; Ephesians 2:20; 1Timothy 6:19; 2Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 6:1; 11:10 and Revelation 21:14, 19. This word is never used with kosmos, the social system, or used of ge, the earth. The verb, themelioo, occurs in Matthew 7:25; Luke 6:48; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:23; Hebrews 1:10 and 1Peter 5:10. This verb is used only once for the founding of the earth (1:10).
Katabole therefore, means the disruption, overthrow, or ruin of the social system before Adam. In Genesis 1:1 we have the themelioo, founding of the earth (1:10), and in Genesis 1:2 we have the katabole, overthrow of the social system on the earth by a flood. Note in the first scriptures above that “from” is used seven times and “before” is used three times in connection with the overthrow of the social world. Thus, the New Testament is very clear that the earth became desolate and empty before it was re-created in the six days of Genesis 1:3-31.
‘End of the world’ [Greek: sunteleia] closing time of one age and the beginning of another (9:26; Matt. 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; 28:20).
‘Sacrifice of himself’ – The perfect sacrifice at the end of the ages (the Greek for the world is aion, ages) of preparation for the Messiah, Christ has come to put away sin by His own sacrifice. The Greek: word for sin here is hamartia, missing the mark. It is used in connection with the sin offering in Hebrews 9:26; 10:6, 8, 18; 13:11. The meaning here is no doubt that Christ has come to do away with the sin offerings of the Mosaic system by His one offering which cleanses from all sin. It is a historical fact that after Christ died the sacrifices of the law ceased. Jews had no sacrifices for 1,900 years (Hos. 3:4-5).
Living the Word 