Doreen Lovell Supporter Evangelist and Prayer Intercessor

Hebrews 9--The difference between the First Covenant and the New Covenant

Verses 1-14 
The Tabernacle was a Sanctuary of this world: the true tabernacle, not made with hands, is heaven(9:1,11,24). The high priest entered once a year; Jesus entered once for all(7,12). The high priest obtained annual redemption; Jesus obtained eternal redemption (9:12). The high priest offered the blood of animals; Jesus offered His own blood (9:12). The high priest's sacrifices cleansed the flesh; Jesus sacrifice cleanses the conscience (9:13,14).

Verses 15-28 
The New Testament is referred to as the New Covenant. A testament is a will, bequeathing to heirs, effective only after the death of the maker. The New Covenant is the will which Jesus made for His heirs, which could not become effective until after His death when He had atoned for their sins.

The Old Testament is the story of the Covenant of the Law; the New Testament is the story of the covenant of Messiah Jesus. The abundant use of blood in the rites of the Old Testament prefigured the necessity of some great sacrifice for human sins (19-22).

ONCE FOR ALL 
Jesus offered Himself once for all (7:27). Once for all He entered the Holy Place (9:12). Once for all put away sin at the end of ages ((9:26). Men were appointed once to die (9:27) and Jesus once offered shall appear a second time for his waiting heirs.

September 21 2017 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that the author of Hebrews is describing here how the concepts associated with the first covenant were all temporary, transitory, limited, or symbolic in nature. The covenant applied to the descendants of Abraham. Priests had to be replaced as they died. Sacrifices had to be offered repeatedly in a continual process of atonement. The original Tabernacle was not a permanent structure, but a tent. (Even the later temple built by Solomon was a building made by the hands of man that could be destroyed.) The high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies only once per year. The separation of the Holy of Holies from the outer portion of the Tabernacle indicated that, as long as the first covenant was in effect, access to the presence of God was not open to all.

By contrast, in the second covenant that Christ initiated and achieved by His incarnation, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection, and ascension, He replaced all these temporary symbols with permanent realities. He was at the same time both the final High Priest who would never have to be replaced (since He was now alive forever) as well as the perfect Sacrifice, who (as both true God and true man) was able to enter permanently (eternally) into the very (not symbolic) presence of God (the tabernacle not made with hands), in order to atone once for all people and for all time through the shedding of His own innocent blood and the unmerited death of His own body, which had destroyed forever the veil separating man from God (as indicated by the ripping of the veil in the temple from top to bottom that occurred when He died (Matthew 27:51)).

September 18 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Simplicius Pereira Supporter Education Trainer & Trading Enterprenuer from Mumbai

I agree with Tim Mass when he says the earlier offerings of blood sacrifices were of temporary in nature and had to be repeatedly done for the atonement.

Here we must observe that our God always looked for the blood of innocent, without sin. He never asked for the blood sacrifice of human beings unlike other pagan so called Gods (for they are really not!) In old testament the lambs, goats, doves or even calves were offered as sacrifices for they were innocent beings. God never wanted the sacrifice of a human being since all of them were sinful barring his only son Jesus Christ who was sinless and upright. 

So God formed the new covenant by the innocent blood of his son for eternal redemption. Jesus Christ once for all died and redeemed the mankind from all their sins. And Christ lives in us and in all human beings who live a life of holiness and free of sins.

From our faith we know that Jesus' sacrifice is eternal for all the mankind that lived before him, during his life time and after his death and resurrection for all ages to come.

But since Christ lives in us, he continues to redeem those who still sin and die in their sin through the prayers of upright innocent suffering human beings. This is a startling truth how Christ is still among us and within us. This is the reason why numerous upright, innocent, holy people continue to suffer, get humiliated and even die for no fault of theirs. The suffering victim questions and wonders why this suffering exists even though they are not worthy of such injustice, torture and suffering. But Christ reminds them through their sufferings the redemptive act he carried on for the salvation of mankind and invites us to offer it to God thanking and praising him. That is why it is said suffering is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The suffering innocent and upright people have much to cherish about when Christ and his loving father reward them for offering their sufferings to God remembering God's redemptive mission. If Jesus while dying could reward the thief nailed beside him with paradise for his prayer to remember him when he went to his kingdom, wouldn't he reward and embrace us much more to be with him for ever when we offer our sufferings in memory of his new covenant with his father?

So, this new covenant made by Christ with God by his suffering, bloodshed and death is everlasting and dynamic giving us an opportunity to thank him and praise him in our lifetime!

September 19 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report