Bible Studies

A BETTER SANCTUARY

by Luella Campbell
03/14/15
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A BETTER SANCTUARY

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. If He were on earth, He would not be a priest for there were already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. (Heb. 8: 1-4).

Having established by a careful argument, that Jesus is a superior high priest to the Levitical priests by virtue of His sinless nature and His indestructible life, the writer now moves to the work of this high priest. He does not serve in the earthly tabernacle which is only a picture of the true tabernacle in heaven but in the heavenly sanctuary.

The phrase, "He sat down" has far more significance than that Jesus merely sat next to His Father. The work of the Levitical priesthood was never complete. There were no chairs in the tabernacle. When priests had finished ministering in the Holy Place, tending the lamp, offering incense on the golden altar and replacing the bread once a week on the altar of Showbread, they left the tabernacle because there was no place for them to rest.

Likewise in the outer court there were no chairs. Their work of offering sacrifices was never complete. They had to offer the morning and evening sacrifices as well as those prescribed for every person and situation in the camp. There was no time or occasion to rest. Only when the high priest had sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement and had returned to the outer court did he sit down, signifying that God had accepted the sacrifice offered for the sin of the people for another year.

Jesus sat down at the right hand of God in heaven by invitation and because His work was complete.

The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet' (Psa. 110:1).

There was special significance in sitting at the right hand of the one who had high rank. The "right hand" is traditionally the strong hand. To sit at the right hand of a king was to be given equal authority, equal dignity and equal honour with the reigning monarch.

"The term "God's right hand" in prophecy refers to the Messiah who is given power and authority to subdue His enemies (Psa. 110: 1; Psa. 118: 16). . . The fact that Jesus Christ is at "the right hand Of God" was a sign to the disciples that Jesus had indeed gone to heaven." http://www.gotquestions.org/right-hand-God.html

After the Lord had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God (Mark 16: 19).

To sit down at God's right hand meant that Jesus was the Messiah as He claimed; His once-for-all sacrifice for sin had been accepted; His work was complete; He was given equal authority with God to reign over His enemies. He was, therefore, the true, legitimate and permanent high priest over the house of Israel.

But, as high priest, He had to have a sacrifice to offer. Since His priesthood was superior to that of the Levitical priests, His sacrifice had to be a better sacrifice than those of the Levitical priests. In what way? Better than the blood of animals which could only cover but not remove sin. Better than the blood of animals because they had to be offered over and over again.

His sacrifice had to be the blood of a sinless man and therefore able to remove sin once for all. Did Jesus qualify? Since He was not a priest in the order of Levi but in the order of Melchizedek, He did not offer animal blood in an earthly sanctuary but He offered His own blood in the heavenly tabernacle. Hence even the sacrifice He offered was superior to that of the earthly priests.

Everything Jesus did to deal with and do away with sin took place on a higher level than on earth. What happened on earth was nothing more than a picture of the real thing.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.