The New Covenant - Part Two: New High Priest
The book of Hebrews delves into the concept of the High Priest and the establishment of the New Covenant, of which Jesus serves as the mediator. In Hebrews 8, it says: “He has made the first (covenant) obsolete. Now what is “Becoming” obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away”. Having ascended into Heaven and assumed the role of our High Priest, Jesus signifies a shift toward the New Covenant.
However, the author of Hebrews suggests that we are currently in a transitional phase, not yet fully immersed in the New Covenant. The aging and imminent vanishing of the first covenant are emphasized, indicating that we are gradually moving toward the complete establishment of the New Covenant. It is crucial to recognize that the author does not explicitly state that the first covenant is presently obsolete. Instead, the language implies a forthcoming transition into the New Covenant.
The full realization of the New Covenant will occur after Jesus' return, coinciding with the transformation of our hearts. At this juncture, as Hebrews 8:11 and Jeremiah 31 attest, everyone will unequivocally recognize the Lord. The author employs illustrative examples to depict how the future unveiling of the New Covenant will transpire. However, it is explicitly stated in Hebrews that we have not yet reached the stage of complete immersion in the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Previously in Hebrews 7, we hear how the law of God is transferred to Jesus and we get a breakdown of the new position in Heaven Jesus has obtained. The English suggest that the law and priesthood have been “changed”, implying the law is somehow different.
Hebrews 7:12
12 For when there is a change (metatithemi) in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change (metathesis) in the law as well.
The word used in English “changed” actually means “transfer” in Greek. The Levitical priesthood was in charge of the laws of God. The laws of God did not change when Jesus died, rather, the priesthood and the laws of God were both transferred to the administration of Jesus.
Reviewing Hebrews 8 line by line
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
According to Hebrews, Jesus could not be a High Priest on earth because there are priests “who offer gifts according to the law”. The high priests are compared to the earthly tabernacle Moses built. The tabernacle, just like the priesthood, was a copy and shadow of what exists in Heaven. Jesus is our Heavenly High Priest who mediates on our behalf according to the New Covenant which is “established on better promises”.
Reviewing Hebrews 8 line by line
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
The difference between the New Covenant and the Old Covenant is our New High Priest and “better promises” established by God. This does not mean we have a better law. According to Psalms, the law is already perfect: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” - Psalms 19:7. The law is also the path to righteousness: “Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.” - Deuteronomy 6:25. Again, the commandments are “perfect” and were never intended to be changed, therefore, the New Covenant did not add to or take anything away from the commands of God - Deuteronomy 2:4. to clarify what was just read, we are under a New Covenant, meaning better promises and a new priesthood. However, we will not transition into the New Covenant until we are brought together in the promised land at the return of Jesus.
“I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”
There are assertions suggesting that the Holy Spirit fulfills the promise of the New Covenant because of the mention of God giving His people a new spirit in Ezekiel 36. However, it is important to note that this claim is only partially accurate. When we faithfully follow God according to His intentions, we are granted the Spirit of promise. Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand that we have not yet fully entered into the New Covenant, and therefore, our reception of the Holy Spirit differs from the manner described in previous verses. Rather than receiving the Spirit in the same magnitude as Jesus did, we currently experience it in smaller measures.
Now, let us examine a selection of Bible verses that shed light on the topic of the Spirit. Click the link below to continue reading about the New Covenant promise.