Heb. 8 Now, this is my main point. We have such a High Priest, and He sat down at the right of the throne of the Majesty in heaven to serve as Priest in the holy place and in the true tabernacle set up by the Lord and not by men. 3As every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices, this One, too, had to bring some sacrifice. 4If He were on earth, He wouldn’t even be a priest, because there are priests who offer the gifts demanded by the Law. 5They serve a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven, as God told Moses when he was going to make the tabernacle: “Be careful to make all of it like the pattern you were shown on the mountain.”
Well if you hadn’t known what the author’s main point was until now, at least for the last few chapters, you know it now. We have such a High Priest who is innocent, holy, and sinless who lives forever and serves forever. This High Priest is Jesus. He is the one who has sat down at the right of the throne of majesty. At the right hand of God, He serves as our High Priest, perpetually putting forth His blood before the Father’s eyes, covering our sins and declaring it to be the propitiation for our sins.
The Temple High Priest was appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Of course there were a number of “junior” priests who did a lot of the work of the temple and sacrificed the various sundry sacrifices brought by the people. These offerings, gifts and sacrifices were prescribed by the Law and were offered up by priests appointed by the Law. Jesus also had to bring some sacrifice, but not to the Temple on earth. He is not a priest for earthly service. The Law provided for those. He comes to be declared a High Priest by the oath of God to offer up heavenly sacrifices in the Temple above. He serves us and the Father as our High Priest in the true Holy Place and Tabernacle of God in Heaven, set up by God, not made by human hands. He offers up His body and His blood before the Father in Heaven who accepts them as the atoning sacrifice to make propitiation for our sins.
The priest below only serves a copy. The author brings to mind these passages from Exodus: Ex. 25, 40 “And see that you make them according to the model you were shown on the mountain.” Ex. 26, 30 “Set up the tabernacle according to the plan you were shown on the mountain.”
I’m reminded of the Monty Python movie, “Quest for the Holy Grail,” where Arthur’s servant replies to the comment of how awesome Camelot looks with, “It’s only a model.” Indeed, the Tabernacle Moses built, the Temple Solomon built, and the Temple after the exile were only models of what Moses saw in heaven above. They were only a copy and shadow of the reality above. It’s a little interesting that the Israelites were revealed this principle centuries before Plato and his cave were discussed. It was centuries before the idea of the logos from Greek philosophy came into being where the chair, the book, the lion and tiger etc., are just imperfect shadows of the real ones above.
Our High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the true High Priest who offers Himself in the heavenly Temple of the Almighty where He intercedes for us, for our salvation, presenting and pouring His blood upon the mercy seat of God our Father, declaring us innocent, justified, sanctified and glorified.
Merciful God the Father, always look upon the blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, listen to His intercession for us and have mercy upon us, pouring out Your grace upon us that we may be presented to You with clear and pure consciences. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.