The Great High Priest;The Covenant:The Fulfillment

Hebrews 8:
1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." 6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8For he finds fault with them when he says:"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.11And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.12For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more."
13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Psalm 40:
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

Luke 22:
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

In my last post, the relationship between Abram/Abraham, the Israel of God, the Covenant given to Abram/Abraham, and the high priest according to the order Melchizedek shows us that all who exist in Abraham, even prior to their own earthly existence as his descendants, submit to the better covenant and to the one who is both high priest and king and without beginning or end, which is Christ. This is so, as we were in the "loins" of Abraham when he both received the promise/covenant, and when he gave tithe to Melchizedek, and shared the bread and the cup with him. All that follows after that, be it the Law (the sinaic/mosaic covenant), or those who are Abraham's heirs, Israel (jew and gentile) now submit to the superior covenant and superior priesthood/kingship. Hebrews 8 begins with these established facts, that I have just reiterated.

1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.

We have such a high priest. One who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The one who is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places (Eph 1:20). Therefore He ministers in the holy of holies, that is, in the heavenly places, the true tent erected by the Father in which the Son ministers.


Eph 2:
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.


The ministry that takes place in this divine structure is one of salvation, which is redemption, and reconciliation.
He is the one who forever lives to make intercession for us, and thereby provides a complete salvation. Nothing else needs be done. The one who is saved through Him, is saved completely. There is no other sacrifice necessary nor can one be given. This is the superior covenant, and priesthood. There is nothing better. (Heb 7:25; Heb 10: 18)

Hebrews 8 goes on to describe the duties of the high priesthood;

3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

and then this:

4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

Now while it must be noted that during the time that this book was written, there were still sacrifices being performed in the temple built by Herod, it can be said that even in the church today there are those "judaizers" who require adherence to a law, and certain sacrificial practices, things that Paul warned us of in his letters to the Galatians and Colossians, etc. So the conditions existing as described in verse 4 still exist in another manifestation.
The priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, is a heavenly priesthood, (it can only exist in heaven). The high priest of the Melchizedek order can only dwell in the heavenlies. This priesthood, and priest cannot dwell where the Law and religion dwell.

5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."

We hear the words "type and shadow" used so much, that they have little or no meaning to us.

The Greek, hupodeigma, (translated as copy or type) has as its' root the combining of two words, which literally mean "a means of showing".
In other words, the old covenant, along with its' ceremonies and implements, are showing us the new and better way.

skia is the Greek word for shadow, Now what is a shadow but the evidence of the existence of that which is casting the shadow?
For example; if a person is standing between the sun or other source of light, and the wall of a building, a shadow is cast, which can be seen by anyone who looks at the wall. However if no one is standing between the light source and the wall, no shadow is cast.
So, if I were to walk up and look at the wall, and see a man's shadow, that would tell me that, in reality, someone is standing there. The shadow, and whatever or whomever is creating the shadow, are part of each other, they are both " the reality".
Both offer prove that the other exists.

Now the writer of Hebrews is obviously referring to the Law, the covenant given to Moses at Sinai. It points to Christ alone.
So now it is easy to see the error in the doctrine of transubstantiation in the roman church, and the false practice of offering a bloodless sacrifice on a regular basis.
Not to mention the fact that there those jews who are awaiting a rebuilding of the temple in which to re-establish the sacrificial system.
Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again!
The One whom the Law and the prophets pointed men toward has completely fulfilled the Word, work, and will of God.


John 19:
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Hebrews 10:
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.


17 ....... "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The sacrifice of the Law was given so that men would look forward to the better covenant and priesthood.
The rebuilding of the temple, and the re-establishment of the sacrifices, as well as the "bloodless sacrifice" of the mass, are worthless, as everything has been accomplished. There is nothing to point forward to except the return of the King! This should give us a greater sense of urgency to proclaim the message of the Kingdom.

Hebrews 8:
6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

The new (second) covenant, i.e. the covenant of His blood is this, which the prophet Jeremiah foretold:

(Jeremiah 31:31-34)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more."

The new covenant promised to Abraham and to His seed, Christ, and therefore to all who are in Christ. Jeremiah speaks of both the house of Israel, and Judah. This is an important point. This is a united Israel;all 12 tribes, both jew and gentile, the remnant of the Goy.
The last verse of Hebrews 8 says it all.

13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

In this post I was hoping to go into Hebrews 9 and 10 also, but it is easily seen that they deserve a more in depth study. There is simply too much profound truth to be found in these passages.

Sola scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria