The First and the Former: A Journey into What Precedes

Beloved, let us speak of a word that appears only once in the sacred Greek text, yet carries the weight of eternity within its single utterance. The word is próteros, a comparative form meaning "prior" or "previous," and its usage count of one invites us to pause and consider what the Spirit treasures in this solitary occurrence. When the apostle Paul writes of something "former," he is not merely marking time on a calendar — he is drawing a line between what was and what is, between the shadow and the substance, between the covenant of preparation and the covenant of fulfillment. The rabbis of old taught that every word in Scripture is a precious stone, and even the rarest gem shines with the light of the One who spoke all things into being.

The Root That Runs Beneath

This word próteros emerges from the deeper root pro, which in the Greek tongue speaks of that which is before — in time, in rank, in priority. In the language of Homer and the philosophers, próteros carried the sense of what comes first in sequence, often contrasted with husteros, that which follows after. But when the Holy Spirit breathed upon this word through the writers of the New Covenant, something shifted. The classical Greek mind understood priority as a matter of chronology or hierarchy; the apostolic mind understood it as a matter of covenant theology. Consider how the Septuagint uses this word to translate the Hebrew rishon — that which is first, chief, or foremost. In the Greek version of Isaiah 43:18, the prophet cries out, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old" — and here the LXX uses próteros to render the Hebrew word that speaks of what has passed away to make room for the new thing God is doing. The word becomes a bridge between the old creation and the new, between the exodus from Egypt and the greater exodus from sin.

The Solitary Voice of Hebrews

That single New Testament occurrence of próteros appears in the letter to the Hebrews, that great sermon of the sanctuary. In Hebrews 10:32, the writer calls his congregation to remember those former days when they endured a great struggle of sufferings. Here the word is not merely marking time — it is marking transformation. The early church understood this as a summons to remember the fire of first love, the courage of early faith, the brightness of that dawn when the gospel first broke upon their souls. The apostolic tradition teaches that memory is not merely recollection but resurrection of the heart. When you recall your próteros days, you are not meant to live in them but to draw strength from them for the journey ahead. The writer of Hebrews uses this word only once, and he uses it to remind us that what came before was preparation for what is now unfolding in Christ.

The Hebrew Witness in the Greek Tongue

When we trace this word through the Septuagint, we discover something profound. The Greek próteros most often translates the Hebrew qedem — that which is ancient, eastern, before the dawn of time. In Deuteronomy 33:27, Moses declares that "the eternal God is your dwelling place," and the LXX renders this with próteros, revealing that the God who is before all things is also the God who shelters His people. Jewish tradition holds that qedem speaks not merely of chronological priority but of ontological supremacy — the One who was before creation itself, whose throne was established before the mountains were brought forth. When the New Testament writers chose próteros for their singular usage, they were drawing on this deep well of Hebrew understanding. The word carries within it the echo of the ancient of days, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

From Philosophical Priority to Covenantal Reality

In the Greek philosophical tradition, próteros was a term of logic and order — the prior premise from which conclusions flow, the first cause that sets all motion in being. Aristotle spoke of that which is próteros by nature versus that which is próteros in relation to us. But the biblical writers transformed this concept utterly. For them, what is próteros is not merely first in a sequence but first in a covenant relationship. The former covenant, the former priesthood, the former sacrifices — these were not simply earlier versions of something better; they were divinely ordained shadows pointing to the substance that is Christ. The fathers of the faith observed that when the apostle speaks of something as "former," he is declaring that its purpose has been fulfilled and its season has passed. The próteros is not discarded but completed, not destroyed but transformed, not forgotten but fulfilled.

The Messianic Embodiment of the Former Things

Now let us speak of how Yeshua Himself is the meaning of this word made flesh. For He says in the Revelation, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." The Greek word there is prótos, the superlative form of our próteros. But consider: Yeshua is not merely the first in a sequence of saviors or teachers. He is the One who was before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The apostolic faith proclaims that He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation — not that He was created, but that He holds the priority of rank and authority over everything that exists. When Paul writes that He is the prótos from the dead, he means that Christ's resurrection is the firstfruits of the harvest to come. The próteros points to what came before, but Yeshua is what was before all things and what remains forever. He does not merely teach about the former and the latter; He is the living bridge between them, the One who makes all things new while honoring all that came before.

The LXX Bridge: From Hebrew to Greek, From Promise to Fulfillment

Let us examine more deeply what the Septuagint reveals about this word's journey. In Zechariah 1:4, the prophet speaks of the former prophets whom the Lord sent — and the LXX uses próteros to translate the Hebrew rishonim. These were the messengers who came before, whose words were not heeded, whose warnings were dismissed. Yet their testimony did not fall to the ground. The próteros prophets prepared the way for the final Prophet. In Malachi 3:4, the offering of Judah and Jerusalem is said to be pleasant to the Lord as in the former years — and again the LXX uses próteros, this time translating qadmoniyot, the ancient days of faithful worship. The rabbis of old observed that the return to the former was not a regression but a restoration — a return to the purity of first love, the simplicity of first faith. The LXX thus reveals that próteros carries within it the tension between judgment and restoration, between what was lost and what can be recovered in the mercy of God.

A Call to Remember and to Press Forward

And now, beloved, this word comes to you as a personal summons. You have former days — days of first love, of burning zeal, of tears of repentance, of joy in the Messiah. The enemy would have you forget them, or worse, would have you live in them as though the best days are behind you. But the Spirit who breathed this word through the writer of Hebrews calls you to remember your próteros days not to dwell in the past but to draw strength for the present. What was before was preparation. The former covenant was a tutor. The former struggles were a training ground. The former victories were a down payment. Now, you are called to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Messiah Yeshua. The One who was before all things is also the One who goes before you. He is your próteros and your eschatos, your beginning and your end. Walk in this reality: the best is not behind you, for the One who holds all things in His hands is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Remember the former days, but live in the eternal now of His presence.