Reading: Hebrews 8
Anytime a speaker says, “Now here’s the main point…,” pay attention. The main point of Hebrews is right here: We have this High Priest in Jesus, seated at God’s right hand, ministering in the heavenly tabernacle. The first part of that is not a surprise; it’s what the whole first half of the book was about. But…heavenly tabernacle? That hasn’t come up before.
The hints are there in Exodus. God brings Moses and the elders of Israel up the mountain, and they see God standing on a pavement of sapphire stone, and eat in His presence (24:9-11). Then God takes Moses further up the mountain, gives him detailed instructions on the tabernacle furniture, and concludes with the instruction Hebrews quotes: “See to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” In other words, Moses didn’t just hear instruction, he saw the real tabernacle in heaven. When he had the earthly tabernacle made, he was copying what he’d seen.
And Jesus, who couldn’t enter the earthly copy of the sanctuary under the Law because He’s from the wrong tribe, serves as High Priest of an older, superior priesthood in the real tabernacle—the one God built, not the earthly copy—administering a new covenant, as the prophet Jeremiah once promised. The old covenant of external laws was always meant to go obsolete, to make way for a covenant that could transform the human heart. This—the complete renovation of the human heart—is what Jesus came to do. And He succeeded.
If you’d like to hear more about this passage, check out Episode Nine of my Hebrews podcast with Chris Morrison of Gulfside Ministries.
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