A Copy and a Shadow

Hebrews 8 & 9

The True Tabernacle

An excellent writer (or perhaps, an excellent homeletician – a generally accepted theory is that Hebrews is a sermon that was circulated by letter) the author of Hebrews is always connecting what he has said with what he is saying, and that with what he will say. In our first passage (8:1-6) he connects us with his previous argument that had established Jesus as our High Priest. Such a High Priest is ours who enters into the inner sanctuary, there to continually intercede with God on our behalf (6:19-20; 7:24-25).

If Jesus were still on earth, he would not be such an High Priest. This truth of God’s plan was echoed by Jesus, who told us that his ascendance was to our benefit (John 16:7-8). The author tells us that Jesus now serves at the true tabernacle. Just as he is the true light, and the true bread (John 1:6-9; John 6:32-35) Jesus has become the true High Priest, serving in the presence of God. The tabernacle on this earth was only a copy and a shadow of that true tabernacle in heaven.

Paul told us that our existence on this earth is but a dim reflection in a poor mirror of the true life in heaven and he longed for the day when faith would become sight (1 Corinthians 13:12). The author of Hebrews had that day in mind, but he also spoke of something more.

Fault with the People

In the next passage (8:7-13) the author makes the simple but indisputable observation that, had there been no fault with the old covenant, there would be no need for a new one. But where was the fault? A covenant, or contract, is an agreement between to parties. The arrangement of the old covenant was that God would be our God and we would be God’s people (Leviticus 26:11-12). There was no fault with God or with the covenant itself, but God found fault with the people.

The author quotes from Jeremiah, where God reveals the New Testament in the voice of an Old Testament prophet. And even from the Old Testament our God has continually entreated us (Isaiah 65:2) and has continually called us back to the covenant (2 Chronicles 7:14).

The Way into the Most Holy Place

When the author says that the first covenant had regulations for worship and for the earthly sanctuary (9:1-10) he may be understating the case. The instructions for the building of the tabernacle begin in Exodus 25 (Exodus 25:1-9) and continue in elaborate detail through the end of the book (Exodus 40:33).

This tabernacle was the dwelling place of God. The tabernacle was replaced by the temple. The first temple was built by Solomon. This temple was destroyed, and the second temple was built after the Babylonian captivity. The second temple was essentially rebuilt by Herod the Great. Since the destruction of Herod’s temple, the Jewish diaspora has continued to worship in synagogues.

The point of this brief review is to establish the following question: with three temples to choose from, why does the author take us all the way back to the tabernacle?

We do not know when Hebrews was written. The issues the book addresses (the sufficiency of Christ and the encouragement of those awaiting his return) are contemporary with the ministry of Paul, but the book could certainly have been written some years later, possibly after the final fall of the temple. If so, the author may be avoiding reference to the temple that had been destroyed and relying instead on the tabernacle that still stood in the memory of his audience.

Whatever the main reason may be, the comparative simplicity of the tabernacle certainly serves the author well, as he conjures for us the image of that most holy place, the Holy of Holies, and that thin curtain that protects us from the presence of God.

How Much More!

Our High Priest went through that curtain and through the true tabernacle, not of this creation. He approached the true Holy of Holies, not by the blood of goats, but by his own blood (9:11-15). How much more will we gain through the blood of Christ, the true High Priest!

And our God is always offering us more! Jesus himself came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:7-11). In the next life, of course, but certainly in this life, as well, the promise is that what we seek we will find and what we ask will be given to us (Matthew 7:7-12). This is the promise of God, who gave us his own son. Will he not give us everything (Romans 8:32)?

In God’s Presence

As Chapter 9 concludes, the author reiterates for us that earthly things are only shadows and copies of heavenly things, but Jesus has gone for us into the only reality: the very presence of God (9:16-28).

The earliest record of our reaction to the presence of God is found in Exodus, in the account of the people at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18-21). Moses came down from the mount, from the presence of God, to deliver the law to the people. The people were afraid. They told Moses they would accept the law, but they wanted nothing of the presence of God.

Our sanctuaries, our praise, our gifts are all shadows of heavenly things. Even the Bibles we treasure are only copies of the true word of God. Our prayer lives, at best, offer us a brief glimpse of heaven, a dim reflection from a poor mirror. But our God offers us more – so much more that it was worth the blood of Christ!

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

(Revelation 21:1-6 KJV)