This Chapter presents a detailed contrast between the Old Covenant sanctuary (tabernacle) and the New Covenant Sanctuary. Jesus Christ our High Priest now ministers in the heavenly sanctuary.
This contrast shows that the New Covenant is better, superior to the Old Covenant sanctuary.
In the last lesson, we saw areas of inferiority which the Old Covenant sanctuary had. It was an earthly sanctuary. It was a type of something greater. It was inaccessible to the people. It was temporary. Its ministry was external, not internal. These five areas of inferiority of the Old 140
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Covenant sanctuary are matched with five areas of superiority of the New Covenant sanctuary.
IT IS A HEAVENLY SANCTUARY
Verse 11: 11But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of
this building;
The writer has emphasized this fact before because he wanted his readers to focus their attention on the things of heaven and not on the things on earth.
The Old Covenant tabernacle was made by the hands of men (Ex. 35:30-35). The New Covenant sanctuary was not made with human hands (Verse 11). The tabernacle of Moses was made with materials that belonged to this earth. The heavenly sanctuary needed no such materials.
ITS MINISTRY IS EFFECTIVE TO DEAL WITH SIN
Verses 12-15: ; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for
us. 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15And for
this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which
are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Note the contrasts between:
Animal sacrifices and Christ's sacrifice (Verse l2). Christ's blood is superior to the blood of animals. His death was voluntary. He laid down His life. Animal blood had to be carried by the high priest into the Holy of Holies, but Jesus Christ presented Himself in the presence of God the Father as the final and complete sacrifice for sin. Animal sacrifices were repeated, but Jesus Christ offered Himself once for all. No animal sacrifice ever took away sin or purchased eternal redemption, but Christ did.
Ceremonial cleansing and conscience cleansing.
Verses l3-14: 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God?
Temporary blessings and eternal blessings.
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Verse l5: 15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first
testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
ITS MINISTRY IS BASED ON A COSTLY SACRIFICE
Verses l6-23: 16For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be
the death of the testator. 17For a testament is of force after men are dead:
otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18Whereupon
neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19For when
Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he
took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and
hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20Saying, This is
the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21Moreover
he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the
ministry. 22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission. 23It was therefore necessary
that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these;
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
The word "covenant" not only means "an agreement," but it also carries the idea of a "last will and testament." If a man writes his will, that will is not in force until he dies. It was necessary for Jesus Christ to die so that the terms of the New Covenant could be enforced. "This cup is the new
testament (covenant, will) is My blood, which is shed for you." Luke 22:20.
The Old Covenant was established on the basis of blood. Verses l9-21 are taken from Exodus 24:3-8, the account of the ratifying of the Old Covenant by Moses and the people of Israel. The book of the Law was sprinkled with blood as well as the people, the tabernacle, and the furnishings.
Since God has ordained that remission of sins is through the shedding of blood, and since purification comes through the sprinkling of blood, it is necessary that blood be shed and applied if the New Covenant is to be in force.
The New Covenant was established on the basis of a better sacrifice and applied in a better place.
The patterns (types) were purified by the blood of animals, but the original sanctuary was purified by the blood of the Son of God. This was a far more costly sacrifice.
ITS MINISTRY REPRESENTS FULFILLMENT
Verse 24: 24For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which
are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us:
The New Covenant Christian has reality! We are not depending upon a high priest on earth who annually visits the Holy of Holies in a temporary sanctuary. We depend on the heavenly High Priest Who has entered into the eternal sanctuary. There He represents us before God, and He 142
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always will.
Beware of trusting anything for your spiritual life that is "made with hands" Verse 24. It will not last. The tabernacle was replaced by Solomon's temple, and that temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. When the Jews returned to the land of Israel after the captivity, they rebuilt their temple. In later years, King Herod expanded and decorated it. But the Romans destroyed that temple in 70 A.D., and it has not been rebuilt.
ITS MINSTRY IS FINAL AND COMPLETE
There can be nothing incomplete or temporary about our Lord's ministry in heaven. The writer pointed out again the obvious contrasts between the Old Covenant ministry and the New Covenant ministry.
OLD COVENANT
NEW COVENANT
Repeated sacrifices
One sacrifices
The blood of animals
The blood of Christ
Covering sin
Putting away sin
For Israel only
For all sinners
Priest left the Holy of Holies
Christ entered Heaven and remains there.
Priest came out to bless the people. Christ will come again to take His people to heaven.
In short, the work of Jesus Christ is a completed work, and it is final and eternal. On the basis of this completed work, Jesus is ministering now in heaven on our behalf.
Conclusion
The New Covenant sanctuary is superior to the Old Covenant sanctuary. The High Priest who ministers there is superior to the high priest who served on earth. The New Covenant was established upon better promises. The New Covenant has a better sacrifice, a sacrifice which can take away sin.
Do you know the joy of sins forgiven? Are you serving the Lord through the Church which Jesus established while He was here on earth?
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