STRONGS NT 1898a: ἐπεισέρχομαιἐπεισέρχομαι: future ἐπεισελεύσομαι;

1. to come in besides or to those who are already within; to enter afterward (Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, others).

2. to come in upon, come upon by entering; to enter against: ἐπί τινα, accusative of person, Luke 21:35 L T Tr text WH; with a simple dative of person 1 Macc. 16:16.

Strong’s Greek 1898 points to a single New Testament usage that captures a decisive moment in salvation history: “the bringing in of a better hope” (Hebrews 7:19). The term highlights God’s sovereign act of introducing something new, not as a mere supplement to the Mosaic economy, but as its surpassing fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Canonical Context

Hebrews addresses Jewish believers tempted to retreat to temple rites. The writer responds by contrasting the insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood with the eternal efficacy of Christ’s priesthood “in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17). Inside that argument, 1898 emerges to mark the turning‐point where the former covenant bows to the “better hope.”

Exposition of Hebrews 7:19

“The law perfected nothing, but a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” The verse has three movements:

1. Recognition of the law’s inability to perfect.
2. Announcement of a “better hope” now ushered in.
3. Immediate result—unmediated access to God.

The single occurrence of 1898 underscores the decisive nature of this transition: the better hope is not slowly evolved but definitively installed by divine initiative.

Historical Background

Under the old covenant, proximity to God was mediated through priests descended from Aaron, bound to the altar and hindered by mortality (Hebrews 7:23). The Day of Atonement granted only momentary access, reinforcing distance rather than eliminating it. By the first century, the temple still stood, yet its sacrificial rhythm proved powerless to cleanse the conscience (Hebrews 10:1-4). Into that setting the gospel proclaimed the inaugurated reality foreshadowed by the prophets (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27): an irrevocable introduction of a new order through Christ’s death and resurrection.

Theological Significance

1. Superiority of Christ’s Priesthood – The term marks the legal displacement of the Levitical system by a priest “who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement about ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16).
2. Perfection Realized – “Perfected” in Hebrews speaks of bringing to goal. What the law could not achieve, Christ secured (Hebrews 10:14).
3. Access Fulfilled – The veil is gone (Hebrews 10:19-20). The new hope comes with immediate relational nearness: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).
4. Eschatological Certainty – Hope in Hebrews is anchored “behind the veil” (Hebrews 6:19-20), already present and yet awaiting consummation. 1898, therefore, carries eschatological weight: the new age has begun.

Connection to the Priesthood of Christ

The “introducing” is inseparable from the oath of Psalm 110:4. By swearing Christ into an eternal priesthood, God simultaneously ushers in the new covenant. Hebrews 7 employs courtroom language—oath, covenant, guarantee—to portray Christ as both High Priest and Surety (Hebrews 7:22). Through Him, the believer’s hope is no longer hypothetical but judicially secure.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching – Emphasize the once-for-all nature of Christ’s work; invite hearers to forsake self-reliance and enter the introduced hope.
• Pastoral Care – Offer assurance to saints plagued by guilt: perfection is granted, not earned.
• Corporate Worship – Center gatherings on the finished work that grants bold access.
• Discipleship – Train believers to anchor their identity in the better hope rather than in performance or ritual.

Related Themes and Passages

Hebrews 6:18-20 – the “sure and steadfast anchor.”

Hebrews 8:6 – “He has obtained a more excellent ministry.”

Hebrews 9:11-14 – Christ enters “the greater and more perfect tabernacle.”

1 Peter 1:3 – “He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:1-2 – “Through Him we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

Conclusion

Strong’s 1898 captures the watershed between shadow and substance. In one inspired stroke, Hebrews declares that God has effected an irreversible introduction—the better hope embodied in the risen, enthroned Son. The church’s mission, therefore, is not to improve the former order but to herald and live out this inaugurated reality, drawing near to God and inviting the world to do the same.