THE FIRST COVENANT. To show that it was both right and proper that the Law or Moses and the Jewish priesthood were terminated and superseded, a contrast is made between the worship of the old and new covenants. The RULES FOR WORSHIP were a copy or imitation of Christ's work in heaven. The man-made P... [ Continue Reading ]
A TENT. The original setting up of the tent and the beginning of the Jewish worship which was to continue some 1,700 years (_Exodus 40) is_ used for this contrast (rather than the temple worship). THE OUTSIDE ONE. The Holy Place, where the priests served daily. THE LAMP. This lamp had seven arms or... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHIND THE SECOND CURTAIN. The Holy Place was separated from the Most Holy Place by this second curtain. Compare Hebrews 10:20. Both of these were built and furnished exactly like the pattern which God showed to Moses. No one was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place, except the High Priest, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOLD ALTAR. Much time has been spent trying to understand why this altar is mentioned as being in the Most Holy Place. Perhaps there were two??? Certainly the Jews to whom this Letter was written understood. INCENSE. See Revelation 8:3-4_ and notes._ THE BOX of THE COVENANT. [Ark is an old word... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOVE THE BOX. A cover over the box of the covenant, called the HILASTERION (place where sins are forgiven), was made out of one solid piece of gold and included two winged figures as part of it, facing each other over the area where the blood was sprinkled each Day of Atonement.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS HOW. There was constant activity in the outside tent. The ordinary priests came in and out as they burned incense at the morning and evening sacrifices, in keeping the lamp in working order, in replacing the bread offered to God (the bread of the Presence). All this was still being done in J... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST. He alone was permitted to enter the inside tent; only once each year (Day of Atonement); with blood. HE TAKES BLOOD. The _Expositor's Greek Testament_ says: "On that day the High Priest was to enter the Holiest at least _thrice,_ first with the incense, then with the blood... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOLY SPIRIT DEARLY TEACHES. The Spirit is the _author_ of the ritual used in the tent, and of the teaching _inherent_ in every part of the ritual, furniture, etc. Compare 1 Peter 1:11-12. HAS NOT yet BEEN OPENED. This limited access to the Most Holy Place in the tent, showed that worship and fel... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS A FIGURE. To the Jewish mind, _the present time_ meant the Age of Moses. See notes on Hebrews 2:5; Hebrews 6:5. This means that the arrangement with the outside tent blocking the way into the inside tent, was proof that the Mosaic worship could not produce union and fellowship with God. CANN... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY HAVE TO DO ONLY WITH. The ritual worship which formed the basis of the Law was only concerned with outward rules. These things apply only until the time when the New Covenant is put into effect. Remember, these Jews still thought in terms of the Law. Compare Colossians 2:20-23 and notes. WHEN G... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT CHRIST HAS ALREADY COME. "The time when God will reform all things is here already! Christ has already come! He is the High Priest of the good things (which the Law could not supply) that are already here!" This is the climax. The _historical Christ_ is the whole turning point in God's Plan! THE... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN CHRIST. The Aaronic high priest went through the outside tent into the Most Holy Place, taking the blood of goats and calves, and made atonement for one more year. Jesus went into the Most Holy Place once and for all, with his own blood, and eternal salvation is the result! He does not need to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BLOOD. This is the way people were made clean by the Aaronic priesthood. Continual sacrifices were offered to God by his direction in the Law. These came to a climax in the Day of Atonement. Blood, symbolic of both death and life (Leviticus 17:11), was very important in the ritual of the Law (He... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST! "If the blood of animals takes away ritual impurity, how much more will be accomplished by the blood of God's Son!!!" THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT. _MacKnight_ says: "Christ is said to have offered himself _through_ the eternal Spirit, because he was raised from the dead by the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS REASON. "Because the blood of Christ is so much greater than the blood of animals." CHRIST IS THE ONE. "He is the High Priest who _hands out_ the blessings of the New Covenant; and the sacrifice who makes the New Covenant possible by his bloody death!" See Hebrews 8:6-8 and notes. MAY RECEI... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE THERE IS A WILL. The same Greek word means both covenant and will. Now the explanation shifts to the _probation of a will._ "To show why Christ had to die to make the New Covenant possible, I remind you that a will does not go into effect until the man who made it dies.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR A WILL MEANS NOTHING. "During a man's lifetime, he may do as he pleases with his will, because it is not valid. His death is necessary for it to go into effect, just as an animal must die on the altar to become a sacrifice to God.... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS MADE GOOD ONLY. "From the beginning, God made good his covenant by the death of a sacrifice. Blood, of course, is a symbol of death.... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST, MOSES. This explains how the first covenant was made good with blood. Moses read the commandments (Exodus 24:3-8), and used scarlet wool tied on branches of hyssop to sprinkle the mixture of blood and water on the book of the Law and all the people.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE BLOOD. The blood ratified the covenant. Note that this covenant contained the Ten Commandments, and was the old covenant which was superseded by the New Covenant of Christ. [The tent for worship was not completed until about a year later.]... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SAME way. These things also were _ratified_ and dedicated to God by the use of blood.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALMOST EVERYTHING. A few things were made clean by water, a few by fire, and a few with the ashes of the burnt calf (red heifer). But in general, it was blood which was used. AND SINS ARE FORGIVEN. Jews understood this. The animal dying on the altar represented forgiveness which was imputed to the o... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS. The tent, all the things used in worship, and all the priests themselves. BUT THE HEAVENLY THINGS. Animal sacrifices are not good enough to make clean the heavenly things. This means that God would not admit sinners into the heavenly world by anything less than the blood of his Son!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR CHRIST. Christ did not offer his crucified body in the holy place of human construction. HE WENT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF. There in the presence of God himself, Jesus pleads for us! The High Priest does this in the earthly tent, but only in imitation of what Jesus alone can do in heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWISH HIGH PRIEST. He must go in each year with the blood of an animal. BUT CHRIST. Though it was necessary for Christ to open heaven to us by the sacrifice of himself, he did not need to offer himself many times.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEN. He would have had to die many times since the beginning of creation. INSTEAD. Rather than dying many times, he appeared once and for all! There is no need to go back to the _many sacrifices_ of the Law!!! What Jesus did is complete and has no need to be repeated again and again!!! WHEN ALL... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERYONE MUST DIE ONCE. Man dies only once, and the next thing for him is the judgment. [This makes the idea of reincarnation impossible.] Christ dies only once, and the next thing for him is the Second Coming.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONCE TO TAKE AWAY. He died only ONCE to _buy men for God_ (Revelation 5:9). BUT TO SAVE THOSE. See PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:8.... [ Continue Reading ]