“Chief
above all the things which we have spoken—we have such a High Priest, who is
seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, the Minister
of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord erected, and not
man” (Hebrews 8:1,2).
Central
to the entire book of Hebrews is the concept of our High Priest—“We have such a
High Priest.” There could be no more basic element to the Christian faith than
the link between man and God. But, of course, Christ is much more than a
“link”—He is the High Priest presiding over every function of the relationship
between man and God; He is the Mediator, bringing into harmony the power of God
and the need of man; He is both Priest and Sacrifice; and He is the
Intercessor, bringing to God all the concerns of the people. But not only so,
He is also the tabernacle and the furnishings—all are types of Him and His
relationship to us. He is the altar upon which the sacrifice is offered; the mercy
seat upon which the blood is sprinkled in the presence of God; the altar of
incense, sending forth its perpetual worship; the lampstand, the Light of the
world; the loaves of bread, the Bread of life.
Thus
Christ not only represents the Mediator between ourselves and God, but the
indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, furnishing us with our complete worship
center.
Seated at the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty on high . . .
The expression—“At the right hand of”—signifies, not a secondary position
(there will not be two or three separate thrones), but rather the One who
wields the power of executing the divine will. It has also the idea of the
favored one, as in the case of Benjamin, the son of Jacob, whose name means
“son of my right hand.” As the last of the sons, he had, no doubt, a very
special place.
The Minister of the sanctuary [
In
Christ we have that worship center resident within us. The tabernacle—skene was a temporary structure. It was
replaced by the more permanent temple which was constructed exactly on the same
pattern. It was a temporary structure and was a type of Christ, whose dwelling
place with humans on the earth is itself temporary. Christ is the true
tabernacle. The Greek word—alethine,
means that which is “genuine” or “real.” The earthly tabernacle was only a
symbol. The dwelling place of God shifted from the earthly structure to the
inner spirit.
Thus, all who have received His Spirit have received within themselves a genuine worship center. That is why worship forms and rituals, so important in the Old Testament, are secondary in the New. In regard to these matters, Paul says, “Let each be persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14). In context, he is saying that some regard one day above another and some regard every day alike; some observe dietary regulations and some do not.
Thus,
the New Covenant provides us with a permanent process of worship within our
spirits. As the altar of incense was continually burning, so the Holy Spirit,
residing within us provides a continuous touch with the Spirit of God. The
daily sacrifice is continued, because we have the true “Lamb of God” within us.
The Mercy seat is within us, in the person of Christ, providing us with the
constant antidote to sin. Thus, Christ becomes Himself, the embodiment of all
the provisions of God for the relationship between Himself and His people.
Under
the terms of the New Covenant, the worship center is a perpetual process within
us providing perpetually the Sacrifice and the Mercy seat and the incense of
prayer and the lampstand and the loaves of the Bread of Life and the Altar of
atonement ceaselessly day by day. All outward forms, so prominent under the Old
Covenant, are now a matter of personal choice. And admission to the very
presence of God is no longer for the religious hierarchy, but for every member
of the family of God.
David
Morsey
March
1990
Next month “Part VII—The New and