The book of Hebrews is commonly quoted off point and out of context to demonstrate that we have no current need of the Levitical Priesthood.  This simply is not true, rather, Hebrews proves that not only does the law of God still exist today, but so should the Levitical Priesthood.  To get a better understanding of  the Tabernacle and the Levitical Priesthood please watch my video "The Sacrificial System. 

          Hebrews chapters 8-10 are the main point of the previous seven chapters.  "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum" (Heb. 8:1).  The word for "sum" is kephalaion which means, "a principal thing, that is, main point" (Strong's Concordance - G2774).  Here is the main point, "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man" (Heb. 8:1-2).  This is a different priesthood than the levitical priesthood, which is what most people think about when they hear the word priesthood.  The "High Priest" this verse is speaking about is in the heavenly tabernacle serving His people in heavenly matters.  He is not in the earthly tabernacle serving in earthly matters, which is what the levitical priesthood is for.  Every priest is ordained to offer "gifts and sacrifices" (Heb. 8:3).  The levitical priesthood offered gifts and sacrifices for the people according to the law.  The heavenly High Priest also offers "gifts and sacrifices" for He offered Himself as an eternal sacrifice once and for all.  If He were here on earth He would offer sacrifices according to the law, but since He is in heaven He offers a better sacrifice in the heavenly tabernacle according to the promise of God (Heb. 8:4, Heb. 8:6).

A shadow of heavenly things:

          This earthly tabernacle is an "example and shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. 8:5).  Moses was instructed to make the tabernacle, "according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount" (Heb. 8:5, Ex. 25:40).  This pattern was given by God to Moses to foreshadow the heavenly tabernacle.  We are to model the heavenly tabernacle here on earth because the "less is blessed of the better" (Heb. 7:7).  Our lesser tabernacle based on God's law is blessed by the better tabernacle based on God's promise.  "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second" (Heb. 8:7).   This first covenant had fault because we could not perform our duties accordingly (Heb. 8:8-9).  We fell short of practicing God's law.  Keep in mind, this is not saying that the covenant of Law had fault, but that the covenant of Law "[found] fault with [us]."  We failed because we sought after it in the flesh (Rom. 7:5, Rom. 8:1, Heb. 7:16, Heb. 7:27).  God saw this problem and instituted a new covenant where God, "put [His] laws into their mind, and [wrote] them in their hearts: and ... will be to them a God, and they shall be to [Him] a people.  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know [Him], from the least to the greatest" (Heb. 8:10-11).  The end result is He "will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will [He] remember no more" (Heb. 8:12).  God recognized the imperfection to the first covenant, so He established the second.  This does not remove the law by any means.  Rather, it removes the first covenant.  The Law of God is still part of the New Covenant where God will write His Law on our hearts (Jer. 31:31-33).

          The last verse to chapter eight can be confusing.  It states, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away" (Heb. 8:13).  This new covenant has replaced the old.  The Mosaic Covenant is a marriage covenant (Jer. 31:32).  There are two ways to end a marriage covenant, divorce and death.  When God divorced Israel, the Northern Kingdom (Jer. 3:8), the covenant with Israel was ended.  When Judah killed God, the Messiah, the covenant with Judah was ended.  The Old Covenant is over.  Most assume that this ending of the Old Covenant is referring to the Temple and all the commandments, however, chapter nine will answer this question for us.  There is a commandment that has been abolished, but it is not the Law of God or the entire Temple service.  Though the Old Covenant is done, the New Covenant also contains the law of God (1 John 5:2-3).  In fact, the new covenant also endorses some aspects of the Temple.  Paul was asked to prove that he "keepest the law" by performing a vow with four men (Acts 21:24).  Paul's answer was clear, he kept the vow (Acts 21:26).  Some of the laws of the Temple still stand, at least for non Gentiles (Acts 21:25).  Keep in mind that the Gentiles were told to "abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood" (Acts 15:20).  This is not saying they are to only follow these laws for the next verse says clearly that "For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day" (Acts 15:21).  These Gentiles were to start with these four laws, but were to continue to listen to Moses Law taught in Sabbath service and learn God's Law and apply it.  This is Grace not to break God's Law, but Grace to learn God's Law.

          Keep in mind, that two of these laws refer to the Temple service.  When the Gentiles were told to abstain from "things strangled" and "from blood", this is referring to the Peace Offering from the Temple.  The Peace Offering was food regulation.  You did this offering "that ye eat neither fat nor blood" (Lev. 3:17).  For Gentiles to keep these four statutes they are required to keep the Peace Offering for the Peace Offering was the way prescribed to avoid things strangled and blood.  They were required to cut the throat of the animal and bleed out the blood before eating.  So if the Gentiles were still to keep some of God's Law, including some of the Temple Services, which law was replaced?  Chapter nine will answer this question for us.

A law replaced:

          Chapter nine continues the same thought as chapter eight.  A description of the tabernacle is given to clarify the different covenants.  The first tabernacle is described in Hebrews 9:1-5.  A list of all things associated with the Holy of Holies is mentioned in regards to the tabernacle and the High Priest's duties.  This is mentioned because it is this law that is replaced by the Messiah's High Priesthood.  The levitical priesthood, "went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God" (Heb. 9:6).  This first tabernacle, which was before the second (Holy of Holies), was for the levitical priesthood to accomplish the services of God on earth.  The second tabernacle (Holy of Holies), "went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people" (Heb. 9:7).  There is a distinction here between the duties of the levitical priests and the duties of the high priest.  The high priest had a special duty once a year on the Day of Atonement.  This duty was to offer sacrifice for himself and the sins of all the people (Lev. 16:24, 34) and also to cleanse the tabernacle (Lev. 16:15-17).  This commandment of sacrifice is the commandment that was "disannul[ed]" (Heb. 7:18).  We know this because the next verse states, "The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Heb. 9:8).  It was not clear under the law how this commandment would be fulfilled.  Now, under the new covenant, it is clear.  The Messiah Himself fulfilled this law by becoming this sacrifice once and for all.  To further demonstrate this God tore the vail from top to bottom which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the tabernacle (Matt. 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45).  We can be certain that the laws pertaining to the Holy of Holies are no longer needed for today, for the Messiah Himself has accomplished them and is in the heavenly tabernacle now making intercession for us.  The High Priest no longer needs to enter the Holy of Holies because the Messiah has entered once and for all.  The Messiah is fulfilling this commandment in the heavenly tabernacle as He makes intercession for us now and forever.  Once a year the High Priest would make atonement for the nation on the Day of Atonement.  This forgave the nation and people of their sins for the entire year.  This was done to picture what the Messiah would do in the future.  The Messiah died once and for all for the forgiveness of sins.  The Day of Atonement is what is referred to in Hebrews 7-10.

          This does not mean we should not practice the Day of Atonement.  We simply no longer need an earthly high priest to enter the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice.  This sacrifice is not needed because it, "was a figure for the time then present" (Heb. 9:9).  This earthly Holy of Holies foreshadowed the heavenly Holy of Holies (tabernacle) where the Messiah offered Himself.  We have the benefit of understanding the Messiah's sacrifice and how He fulfilled this law, but those in the past did not understand this.  The commandment regarding the Holy of Holies, "could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience" (Heb. 9:9) for it "stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and fleshly ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation" (Heb. 9:10, Num. 29:7-11).  Some might say that the Day of Atonement did not have meat and drink offerings because you were required to fast on this day, however, the scripture is clear that these offerings were so (Num. 29:9, 11).  The assumption can be made that these offerings were not eaten until after the fast was completed.  These offerings were made for the priests to break their fast.  The Day of Atonement meat and drink offerings, washings for the high priest, and all other carnal ordinances pertaining to the Holy of Holies are no longer needed because the Messiah has fulfilled these in the heavenly tabernacle.  The Messiah became "an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle" (Heb. 9:11).  He did not use the "blood of goats and calves", but by "his own blood he entered in once into the holy place" (Heb. 9:12).  By this He, "obtained eternal redemption for us."

The difference between the covenants:

          This is the difference between the two covenants.  The Old Covenant offered "bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean" to purify the flesh (Heb. 9:13).  This was done on the Day of Atonement.  On this day the High Priest would wash his flesh in water (Lev. 16:4, 24) and offer "bulls" (Lev. 16:6) and "goats" (Lev. 16:9-10).  This water was the water for purification, which came from the red heifer (Num. 19:9).  This was done year after year on the Day of Atonement because it was a yearly sacrifice and not an eternal sacrifice.  On this day all of Israel's sins from the entire year were removed.  This foreshadowed the Messiah's perfect sacrifice to remove sin once and for all.  The Messiah, "through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge[d] [our] conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14).  The Holy Spirit will take us from dead works (not practicing God's law) to serve the living God (practicing God's law).  This is what it means to "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16, Eze. 36:27).  This is why He is the mediator of the new testament (Covenant).  He offered "redemption" to those "under the first testament (Covenant)" so that we might receive an "eternal inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).  Which is why He had to die.  "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator" (Heb. 9:16-17).  This New Covenant is a covenant of faith, which comes from the covenant of promise with Abraham and involves our inheritance (Heb. 9:15).  Just as the first covenant was dedicated with blood (bulls and goats), so is the second covenant dedicated with the blood of the Messiah (Heb. 9:18-22).  It was necessary for us to pattern our earthly tabernacle (holy of holies) after the heavenly tabernacle and sacrifice with blood, but the heavenly tabernacle uses "better sacrifices" (Heb. 9:23).

          The sum of chapter nine is this.  There are two tabernacles, one on earth and one in heaven.  The earthly tabernacle patterns itself after the heavenly tabernacle.  The Messiah did not enter the earthly tabernacle, He entered the heavenly tabernacle to appear before God (Heb. 9:24).  The Messiah does not offer Himself year after year, but once and for all (Heb. 9:25-26).  This is because it is, "appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).  So the Messiah, "was once offered to bear the sins of many."  Those who, "look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9:28).  This in no way abolishes the law of God or the levitical priesthood.  Just as the Messiah said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matt. 5:18).  The Messiah's priesthood does not take away the levitical priesthood, rather, it is blessed by it (Heb. 7:7).  The levitical priesthood deals with our sins against each other, but the High Priesthood in the holy of holies was a picture of God dealing with our sins against Him.  Since we still sin against each other, a levitical priesthood (judicial system) is still necessary to mediate.  For example, if I were to steal someone's car I could not say, "Jesus forgives all my sins" and assume everything is even.  We still need a judicial system (levitical priesthood) to deal with our sins against each other, but the High Priesthood in the Holy of Holies pictured God's plan to deal with our sin problem with God.  The Messiah paid for all sin, but that does not alleviate me of the responsibility to make good on my sins to my brethren.  If I refuse to, the judicial system (levitical priesthood) is there to mediate for me.  To continue reading in chapter ten click here.

By Steve Siefken

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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV