Chapter Eight
Jesus is the High Priest of a Better Covenant
8:1 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.” 6 But 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.
Now that the author has identified Jesus as the High Priest, he notes His location, sitting at the right hand of His Father in heaven (see also Matthew 22:44; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 3:21), where He is a minister in the holy places, in the real Tabernacle that was set up by God, not by man (Jesus, being God, is omnipresent and is not limited in any way).
The law requires every high priest to offer gifts and sacrifices, including Jesus in heaven. If He was on earth, He wouldn’t be a priest at all since there are already priests there offering gifts as required by the law. But the author adds that they only serve in a replica of the real Tabernacle, reminding his readers that when God showed Moses what to build when he was on Mount Sinai, he was shown the real one in heaven as a pattern to follow (see Exodus 25:40).
The author notes that the ministry of Jesus is much more excellent than the covenant offered through Moses, as this new covenant is better since it is enacted on better promises. If the old covenant was faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant.
8:8 For 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, 9 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. 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. 11 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. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
The fault in the Mosaic Covenant was with the people of Israel, not God. Knowing they would fail; God gave Jeremiah the prophecy that promised a new covenant. The author now cites Jeremiah 31:31-34, which identifies the new covenant will also be established through the house (Greek ‘oikon’,[1] which does refer to a house, but here it is used as a metonym referring to the lineage) of Israel, the ancestry of Jesus. At that time (the fulfillment of the new covenant) God will put His laws in the people’s minds and hearts as He will be their God, and they will be His people. There will be no further need for anyone to teach about God and His Word as they will all know Him, as He will be merciful towards their iniquities and will forgive them of their sins.
8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The author clarifies that the new covenant makes the old one obsolete and is ready to vanish away. The law was never wrong or in error, but since Jesus fulfilled the law (see Matthew 5:17-20; Luke 24:44-45; Romans 8:3-4), even though the law was still valid it was no longer needed, it would soon vanish away. It is unknown when the epistle to the Hebrews was written, however the author regularly infers that the priests and the sacrificial system are still in operation, which would mean that it was written before 70 A.D. when the Temple was destroyed, and the sacrificial system stopped (which remains shut down today). Why would God allow the Temple to be destroyed? Because through the work of Jesus on the cross, the Holy Spirit now dwells in Christians not in a building. Christians are the temple of God (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:11-22). If the Holy Spirit is infinite, as the Bible clearly teaches about God, then infinite divided by the number of Christians is still infinite. Then every Christian is infinitely filled with the Holy Spirit!
Considerations
The New Covenant Did Not Replace All of the Previous Covenants
Many people have interpreted Jeremiah 31, and this chapter, believing that Jesus has fulfilled all the Old Testament covenants. But in reality, He did not, as this prophecy clearly identifies which covenant that is being replaced, “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,” referring to the Mosaic Covenant only.
This belief effectively undermines the unconditional promises given to the people of Israel, which are still in effect today. Usually known as Replacement Theology (or sometimes called Covenant Theology), it essentially teaches that the Christian church has replaced Israel in God’s plan. Its adherents believe that the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, that they forfeited that role when they rejected Jesus. They believe that the church is now the new "Israel" and God does not have specific future plans for the nation or people of Israel.
This concept is not a valid interpretation, as Israel and the Church are clearly taught in the New Testament as being distinctly different. For example, Jesus said that He was not going to permanently turn away from Israel (see Matthew 23:37-38), which is in alignment with what the apostle Paul wrote about on this subject in chapters 9-11 of the book of Romans. The two were never to be confused with each other nor are the terms to be used interchangeably.
Replacement Theology may be one of the greatest lies Satan ever devised. God promised many things to these people through unconditional covenants, which begs the question, if His promises to the Israelites are indeed broken, what prevents Him from breaking His promise to Christians that grants them salvation? This is dangerous territory and simply bad theology. We must remember that the term “elect” also applies to the people of Israel. Does that mean that they do not need a Messiah? No! All humans sin, and the only way to the Father (salvation) is through His Son, Jesus (see John 14:6). The Israelites, too, will need to accept Jesus like everyone else needs to, just as the author of this epistle is encouraging.
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[1] Strong’s Greek 3624.