The New-Covenant Priest

Thursday, June 3

The book of Hebrews places a heavy emphasis on Jesus as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. In fact, the clearest exposition of the new covenant found in the New Testament appears in the book of Hebrews with its emphasis on Christ as High Priest. This is no coincidence. Christ’s heavenly ministry is intricately tied to promises of the new covenant.

The Old Testament sanctuary service was the means by which the old-covenant truths were taught. It centered around sacrifice and mediation. Animals were slain, and their blood was mediated by the priests. These, of course, were all symbols of the salvation found only in Jesus. There was no salvation found in them in and of themselves.

Read Read Hebrews 10:4. Why is there no salvation found in the death of these animals? Why is the death of an animal not sufficient to bring salvation?

All these sacrifices, and the priestly mediation that accompanied them, met their fulfillment in Christ. Jesus became the Sacrifice upon which the blood of the new covenant is based. Christ’s blood ratified the new covenant, making the Sinaitic covenant and its sacrifices “old” or void. The true sacrifice had been made, once and for all (Hebrews 9:26). Once Christ died, there was no more need for any animals to be slain. The earthly sanctuary services had fulfilled their function.

Read Read Matthew 27:51, which tells how the veil in the earthly sanctuary was torn when Jesus died. How does that event help us to understand why the earthly sanctuary had been superseded?

Tied, of course, to these animal sacrifices was the priestly ministry, those Levites who offered and mediated the sacrifices in the earthly sanctuary on behalf of the people. Once the sacrifices ended, the need for their ministry ended, as well. Everything had been fulfilled in Jesus, who now ministers His own blood in the sanctuary in heaven (see Hebrews 8:1-5). Hebrews stresses Christ as High Priest in heaven, having entered by shedding His own blood (Hebrews 9:12), mediating in our behalf. This is the foundation of the hope and promise we have in the new covenant.

How does it make you feel, understanding that, even now, Jesus is ministering His blood in heaven on your behalf? How much confidence and assurance does that give you regarding salvation?

“A Better Covenant”

Wednesday, June 2

Yesterday we saw that regarding the basic elements, the old and new covenants were the same. The bottom line is salvation by faith in a God who will forgive our sins, not because of anything worthwhile in us but only because of His grace. As a result of this forgiveness, we enter into a relationship with Him in which we surrender to Him in faith and obedience.

Nevertheless, the book of Hebrews does call the new covenant “a better covenant.” How do we understand what that means? How is one covenant better than the other?

Where did the fault lie with the “failure” of the old covenant? (Hebrews 8:7-8).

The problem with the old covenant was not the covenant itself but with the failure of the people to grasp it in faith (Hebrews 4:2). The superiority of the new to the old lies in that Jesus — instead of being revealed only through the animal sacrifices (as in the old covenant) — now appears in the reality of His death and high-priestly ministry. In other words, the salvation offered in the old covenant is the same offered in the new. In the new, however, a greater, more complete revelation of the God of the covenant and the love that He has for fallen humanity has been revealed. It is better in that everything that had been taught through symbols and types in the Old Testament has found its fulfilment in Jesus, whose sinless life, His death, and high-priestly ministry were symbolized by the earthly sanctuary service (Hebrews 9:8-14).

Now, though, instead of symbols, types, and examples, we have Jesus Himself, not only as the slain Lamb who shed His blood for our sin (Hebrews 9:12) but who stands as our High Priest in heaven ministering on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). Though the salvation He offers is the same, this fuller revelation of Himself and the salvation found in Him, as revealed in the new covenant, make it superior to the old.

Read Hebrews 8:5 and Hebrews 10:1. What word does the author use to describe the old covenant sanctuary services? How does the use of that word help us to understand the superiority of the new covenant?

Think about this: Why would knowing about Christ’s life, death, and high priestly ministry on our behalf give us a better understanding of God than one would get merely from the earthly sanctuary-service ritual of animal sacrifices?

O amor de Deus por seu povo

Vi o terno amor que Deus tem por Seu povo, e é muito grande. Vi anjos com as asas estendidas sobre os santos. Cada santo tinha um anjo de guarda. Se os santos choravam de desânimo, ou estavam em perigo, os anjos que sempre os assistiam, voavam rapidamente para cima a fim de levar as novas; e os anjos na cidade cessavam de cantar. Então Jesus comissionava outro anjo para descer a fim de animá-los, vigiar sobre eles e procurar impedi-los de abandonar o caminho estreito, mas se não davam atenção ao cuidado vigilante dos anjos e não queriam ser por eles consolados, antes continuavam a se desgarrar, os anjos pareciam ficar tristes e choravam. Levavam as notícias para cima, e todos os anjos na cidade choravam, e então com grande voz diziam: “Amém.” Se, porém, os santos fixavam os olhares no prêmio que diante deles estava e glorificavam a Deus, louvando-O, então os anjos levavam as alegres novas à cidade, e os outros que ali estavam tocavam suas harpas de ouro e cantavam em alta voz: “Aleluia”, e as abóbadas celestiais ressoavam com seus belos cânticos. {PE 39.1}

Há perfeita ordem e harmonia na cidade santa. Todos os anjos comissionados para visitar a Terra, levam um cartão de ouro e, ao entrarem e saírem, apresentam-no aos anjos que ficam às portas da cidade. O Céu é um lugar agradável. Anseio ali estar, e contemplar meu amorável Jesus, que por mim deu Sua vida, e achar-me transformada a Sua imagem gloriosa. Oh! quem me dera possuir linguagem para exprimir as glórias do resplandecente mundo vindouro! Estou sedenta das águas vivas que alegram a cidade de nosso Deus. {PE 39.2}

O Senhor me proporcionou uma vista de outros mundos. Foram-me dadas asas, e um anjo me acompanhou da cidade a um lugar fulgurante e glorioso. A relva era de um verde vivo, e os pássaros gorjeavam ali cânticos suaves. Os habitantes do lugar eram de todas as estaturas; nobres, majestosos e formosos. Ostentavam a expressa imagem de Jesus, e seu semblante irradiava santa alegria, que era uma expressão da liberdade e felicidade do lugar. Perguntei a um deles por que eram muito mais formosos que os da Terra. A resposta foi: “Vivemos em estrita obediência aos mandamentos de Deus, e não caímos em desobediência, como os habitantes da Terra.” Vi então duas árvores. Uma se assemelhava muito à árvore da vida, existente na cidade. O fruto de ambas tinha belo aspecto, mas o de uma delas não era permitido comer. Tinham a faculdade de comer de ambas, mas era-lhes vedado comer de uma. Então meu anjo assistente me disse: “Ninguém aqui provou da árvore proibida; se, porém, comessem, cairiam.” Então fui levada a um mundo que tinha sete luas. Vi ali o bom e velho Enoque, que tinha sido trasladado. Em sua destra tinha uma palma resplendente, e em cada folha estava escrito: “Vitória.” Pendia-lhe da cabeça uma grinalda branca, deslumbrante, com folhas, e no meio de cada folha estava escrito: “Pureza”, e em redor da grinalda havia pedras de várias cores que resplandeciam mais do que as estrelas, e lançavam um reflexo sobre as letras, aumentando-lhes o volume. Na parte posterior da cabeça havia um arco em que rematava a grinalda, e nele estava escrito: “Santidade.” Sobre a grinalda havia uma linda coroa que brilhava mais do que o Sol. Perguntei-lhe se este era o lugar para onde fora transportado da Terra. Ele disse: “Não é; minha morada é na cidade, e eu vim visitar este lugar.” Ele percorria o lugar como se realmente estivesse em sua casa. Pedi ao meu anjo assistente que me deixasse ficar ali. Não podia suportar o pensamento de voltar a este mundo tenebroso. Disse então o anjo: “Deves voltar e, se fores fiel, juntamente com os 144.000 terás o privilégio de visitar todos os mundos e ver a obra das mãos de Deus.” {PE 39.3}

https://egwwritings.org/?ref=pt_PE.39¶=1957.329

God’s Love for His People

I have seen the tender love that God has for His people, and it is very great. I saw angels over the saints with their wings spread about them. Each saint had an attending angel. If the saints wept through discouragement, or were in danger, the angels that ever attended them would fly quickly upward to carry the tidings, and the angels in the city would cease to sing. Then Jesus would commission another angel to descend to encourage, watch over, and try to keep them from going out of the narrow path; but if they did not take heed to the watchful care of these angels, and would not be comforted by them, but continued to go astray, the angels would look sad and weep. They would bear the tidings upward, and all the angels in the city would weep, and then with a loud voice say, “Amen.” But if the saints fixed their eyes upon the prize before them and glorified God by praising Him, then the angels would bear the glad tidings to the city, and the angels in the city would touch their golden harps and sing with a loud voice, “Alleluia!” and the heavenly arches would ring with their lovely songs. {EW 39.1}

There is perfect order and harmony in the Holy City. All the angels that are commissioned to visit the earth hold a golden card, which they present to the angels at the gates of the city as they pass in and out. Heaven is a good place. I long to be there and behold my lovely Jesus, who gave His life for me, and be changed into His glorious image. Oh, for language to express the glory of the bright world to come! I thirst for the living streams that make glad the city of our God. {EW 39.2}

The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely. They bore the express image of Jesus, and their countenances beamed with holy joy, expressive of the freedom and happiness of the place. I asked one of them why they were so much more lovely than those on the earth. The reply was, “We have lived in strict obedience to the commandments of God, and have not fallen by disobedience, like those on the earth.” Then I saw two trees, one looked much like the tree of life in the city. The fruit of both looked beautiful, but of one they could not eat. They had power to eat of both, but were forbidden to eat of one. Then my attending angel said to me, “None in this place have tasted of the forbidden tree; but if they should eat, they would fall.” Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. On his right arm he bore a glorious palm, and on each leaf was written “Victory.” Around his head was a dazzling white wreath, and leaves on the wreath, and in the middle of each leaf was written “Purity,” and around the wreath were stones of various colors, that shone brighter than the stars, and cast a reflection upon the letters and magnified them. On the back part of his head was a bow that confined the wreath, and upon the bow was written “Holiness.” Above the wreath was a lovely crown that shone brighter than the sun. I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, “It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place.” He moved about the place as if perfectly at home. I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, “You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.” {EW 39.3}

https://egwwritings.org/?ref=en_EW.39¶=28.319

The Moment Of Crisis

"The moment of crisis: In this sermon we compare the reactions of God's people to the current events and the coming crisis with those of Jesus' disciples regarding the events and the moment of crisis associated with the arrest and crucifixion of our Lord. Are there parallels we can draw and what can we learn from them?"

Old and New Covenants

Tuesday, June 1

“Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, To serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, To be his servants, Every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, And taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, And make them joyful in my house of prayer: Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:6-7

Jeremiah states that the new covenant is to be made with “the house of Israel” (Jeremiah 31:33). Does this mean, then, that only the literal seed of Abraham, Jews by blood and birth, are to receive the covenant promises?

No! In fact, that was not even true in Old Testament times. That the Hebrew nation, as a whole, had been given the covenant promises is, of course, correct. Yet, it was not done in exclusion to anyone else. On the contrary, all, Jew or Gentile, were invited to partake of the promises, but they had to agree to enter into that covenant. It is certainly no different today.

Read the above texts in Isaiah. What conditions do they place on those who want to serve the Lord? Is there really any difference in what God asked them and what He asks of us today? Explain your answer.

Though the new covenant is called “better” (see Wednesday’s study), there really is no difference in the basic elements that make up both the old and new covenant. It is the same God, who offers salvation the same way, by grace (Exodus 34:6, Romans 3:24); it is the same God who seeks a people who will by faith claim His promises of forgiveness (Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12); it is the same God who seeks to write the law into the hearts of those who will follow Him in a faith relationship (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10), whether they be Jew or Gentile.

In the New Testament, the Jews, responding to the election of grace, received Jesus Christ and His gospel. For a time they were the heart of the church, the “a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5) in contrast to those who were “blinded” (Romans 11:7). At the same time, the Gentiles, who formerly did not believe, accepted the gospel and were grafted into God’s true people, made up of believers, no matter to which people or race they belonged (Romans 11:13-24). So the Gentiles “at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:12) were brought near in the blood of Christ. Christ is mediating the “new testament” (Hebrews 9:15) for all believers, regardless of nationality or race.

Heart Work

Monday, May 31

At the time when the southern kingdom of Judah was about to end and the people taken into Babylonian captivity, God announced through His prophet Jeremiah the “new covenant.” This is the first time this notion is expressed in the Bible. However, when the 10-tribe northern kingdom of Israel was about to be destroyed (some one hundred fifty years before the time of Jeremiah), the idea of another covenant was mentioned again, this time by Hosea (Hosea 2:18-20).

Read Hosea 2:18-20. Notice the parallel between what the Lord says there to His people with what He said in Jeremiah 31:31-34. What common imagery is used, and, again, what does it say about the basic meaning and nature of the covenant?

At moments in history when God’s plans for His covenant people were hampered by their rebellion and unbelief, He sent prophets to proclaim that the covenant history with His faithful had not come to an end. No matter how unfaithful the people might have been, no matter the apostasy, rebellion, and disobedience among them, the Lord still proclaims His willingness to enter into a covenant relationship with all who are willing to repent, to obey, and to claim His promises.

Look up the following texts. Though they do not specifically mention a new covenant, what elements are found in them that reflect the principles behind the new covenant?

Ezekiel 11:19

Ezekiel 18:31

Ezekiel 36:26

The Lord will provide “an heart to know me, that I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 24:7). He will “take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19), and will give “a new heart” and “a new spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26). He also says, “I will put my spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:27). This work of God is the foundation of the new covenant.

If someone came to you and said, “I want a new heart, I want the law written in my heart, I want a heart to know the Lord — but I don’t know how to get it,” what would you say to this person?