Christ's Superior Ministry in the Heavenly Temple (8:1-5)

Introduction:

One of my many hobbies is to put together models, especially of steam engines. I love the intricate parts and details, and try and put them together perfectly, each piece in its place and as I do, I imagine how that part functions in the overall operation of the steam engine. But no matter how good my imagination is, what I have in front of me is just a scaled down copy of the original and has no actual functionality. In other words, the model is only a type of the original.

Last week, Andrew John defined for us that a type was basically and earthly image that helps understand a heavenly truth, and used it to unpack chapter 7 with the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ being made after the order of Melchizedek, or, Melchizedek being a type or model of the authentic, real, permanent High Priest, Jesus Christ.

So why does God use these earthly types to explain heavenly truths? I believe it’s because we are sensual being, meaning, that we learn and respond to what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Therefore in order for God to reveal his truth to us, he does so using models or types that appeal to these senses. This morning’s text is another great example of how he uses types to explain heavenly things as we look at Christ’s Superior Ministry in the Heavenly Temple.

Text: Hebrews 8:1-5

Hebrews 8:1–5 ESV

1 Now 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, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They 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.”

Main Idea: Because our High Priest Jesus the Christ performed his priestly duties in the eternal heavenly temple, the redemption he secured for us goes beyond our early existence.

Up to this point we have scene how Christ is superior to all others, whether they be angels, or Moses, or Aaron and the earthly Levitical priesthood, but ultimately, why is he superior? These verses transport us from earth to heaven and answer’s that question.

I. Christ’s Superior Position (1)

Now (transitional conjunction) the point in what we are saying is this - logical transition, moving from the comparison between the earthly ministry of the levitical high priesthood and the High Priesthood of Jesus, made after the order of Melchizedek, to a heavenly scene which reveals what really happened behind the scenes.

the writer is pausing to summarize what has been said thus far, and provides us with a glimpse of the significance of what was said.

A. Position of Completion

one who is seated - shows that the activities of the one standing are now complete. In other words, Jesus is seated because his work is completed!

John 19:30 ESV

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

but also...

Hebrews A. The Heavenly Sanctuary (8:1–2)

Sitting was often a mark of honour or authority in the ancient world: a king sat to receive his subjects, a court to give judgment, and a teacher to teach.

B. Position of Honor

at the right hand of - the place of honor

the Majesty in heaven - this is not just any throne room which would have been honor enough, but the throne room of the Sovereign God in which he has designated that special place of honor solely for his Son, Jesus Christ! This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this,

Matthew 26:62–64 ESV

62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Colossians 3:1 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

II. Christ’s Superior Ministry (2)

minister (leitourgos)- a person working in the service of a deity, in this case, God Almighty!

A. Place of Ministry

holy places - places where only those who are set apart and anointed could go to serve.

true tent - the heavenly tent, in which the earthly one was just a model.

B. Design of Ministry

the Lord set up not man - The OT tabernacle and later temple, both were built by man and for man, whereas, the heavenly tent was designed and built be God and for God.

the earthly tent could be entered into by man and the function and service of it was performed by man.

the heavenly tent could only be entered into by God, and its service was to be performed by God alone.

III. Christ’s Superior Gift (3-4)

A. Gifts of the Earthly (3a)

the earthly tent was designed to have human priest serve in the offering of physical gifts as represented by the different offerings given.

These gifts were necessary for the presence of God to dwell with sinful earthly man.

B. Gift of the Heavenly (3b-4)

this (demonstrative pronoun referring to Jesus Christ) priest (3b)- the heavenly priest who gave a gift that could only be given by God and for God.

Hebrews 7:27 ESV

27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

if he were here on earth…according to the law (4) - as we learned last week,

the Levitical priesthood included only those from the tribe of Levi, and the high priest could only be a descendant of Levi’s son Korath, from whom Moses and Aaron were descendants.

we also learned that the office of priest and king were separate, and therefore, according to the law, Jesus would not qualify to be High Priest.

However, in the heavenly tent, of which the earthly was a model, Jesus was and continues to be both King and High Priest!

IV. Christ’s Superior Type (5)

A. Importance of the Type

shadow of the heavenly things - the earthly tent found its value in the modeling of the heavenly tent.

A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. Thus, the shadow is not the actual object, but a project facsimile.

as the heavenly light shone on the heaven tent, the shadow being created was the earthly tent though not the actual heavenly tent, but a projected facsimile.

B. Exactness of the Type

see that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you in the mountain - this of course refers to Exodus 25:1-9

Exodus 25:1–9 ESV

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. 3 And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, 4 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, 5 tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, 6 oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 7 onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. 8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

Note that the purpose of this earthly tent was that God might dwell with his people, and is mentioned again in Exodus 25:40

Exodus 25:40 ESV

40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

because the earthly tent was a shadow of the heavenly tent, it was of extreme importance that the instructions given to Moses were to be carried out to exactness.

that earthly tabernacle pointed forward to God’s plan of salvation that would be revealed in Christ!

How will it end? Here’s how John the last of the disciples puts it:

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

So What?

God’s revelation of himself to us is always provided through ways whereby we as humans can understand.

The physical tabernacle of the Old Testament was a shadow of the true tent in heaven, where Jesus , our High Priest entered once for all and offered his blood as the atoning sacrifice before his Father for our sins which were an offense to him.

That heavenly tent was and is an eternal reality of our eternal redemption and access to the presence of a twice holy God.

The ultimate end of all things is that God will dwell eternally with His people and we with our God…hallelujah!