The First Tent (Temple)

About the passages from Hebrews, I want to say, first, that, "A text without a context is a pretext." I have seen people lift a text out of its setting in order to prove all kinds of strange things. The context of Hebrews 9 does not stand alone; the writer doesn't open the chapter with "now on another topic…", rather, he is continuing a thought that he has been building, a thought that continues past chapter 9, and a thought that is a central theme to the whole book. Some of us view Scripture like a big garage sale with stuff lying all over tables with no order or pattern. Poetry books here, an old blender there, and, hey! Look at that beautiful watch. The Word of God did not come to us to say, here you go – if you see something you like, grab it. Inspiring the men who wrote these letters within His Word, God wrote to people and to churches, and thus wrote to record history and events, and with divine purpose. We must consider this when reading His Holy Word.

The title "Hebrews" tells us who it was written to. The letter can be difficult for us to initially understand because we are not first-century Hebrew, and do not have their heritage. I read Hebrews as an American, but am fairly clear on what the theme is and what the overall message is, because, as a Christian, I know about Jesus. I did initially wonder about some of the details. Who's this Melchizedek and what's all this "tithe paying" by Levitical priests through Abraham to Melchizedek? I needed to go to Genesis 14 and read up on the background of that story. The same for the sanctuary discussions – I needed to read in Exodus and Leviticus to understand that part. In other words, I needed to broaden my base of knowledge to understand the fuller context and concepts of Hebrews. The writer was undoubtedly Hebrew himself and a well-informed follower of Jesus Christ. His burden is to reinforce the teachings about Christ to Jewish Christians who were young in the faith, and possibly even nudge some of his unbelieving countrymen into the cause of Christ through some pretty sophisticated and well thought out arguments.

So, in considering the context for Hebrews 9 we need to step back and take a wide view to see where the passage fits into the broader picture. The letter was written in the early days of Christianity where most of the believers would have come out of Jewish backgrounds and may not have fully understood how these new ideas about Jesus related to their Laws, traditions and ceremonies. We today are not unlike those early Jewish Christians in that we also misunderstand the relationship between the earlier workings of God, and what happened in Christ around 34 C.E. There is, then, even for us a value in digging through the imagery of Hebrews to discover, or rediscover some very exalted themes of our Champion Jesus Christ. If we paraphrased the theme of Hebrews it would sound something like this: "Consider Jesus, our High Priest in Heaven who is the fulfillment of the ancient laws and promises, and who has taken His seat at the right hand of God, having entered within the veil as our forerunner, intercessor, and Champion." (Heb. 3:1;2:17;4:14-16;6:19,20;7:18,22,25;10,12-14)

Hebrews has a couple of recurring themes woven through it, but none is more obvious than the prevalent focus on exalting Jesus Christ. The whole first chapter is nothing if it's not a bragging session about Jesus and how great He is, yet, there is boasting also about what Jesus has done as well and this is the continuing theme through the book. He is this; He has done that as well. Not only is He, and has He done something, but more importantly (for us, at least), He has achieved something of great value. So, throughout the book there is this theme of "consider Jesus" and, hey, look at who He is (by nature), check out what He did, and hear what He has achieved for all of us.

The Hebrew mind is the writer's audience, so he approaches the problem of explaining about Jesus from their unique historical and cultural perspective. We, who grew up in the United States, heard about Paul Revere… or George Washington's little cherry tree episode. Who of us doesn't know that we dumped a bunch of tea into a harbor or found a ton of gold in California? Who didn't have to memorize when and how Columbus stumbled onto our fair land? These stories were told and retold, and they make up a part of our common heritage. The Hebrew reader would have been intimately familiar with the themes in the book of Hebrews. They may not have been experts on the subject, but they would have understood the broad strokes of what he is speaking of, enough so to have understood his point.

Other themes of the book that readers would have been familiar with included the Sabbath rest and the sordid history of Moses with ancient Israel, the imagery of the sanctuary and its services and positions of those within, and the fact that even though they had all those Laws, sacrifices and services… these didn't seem to make the worshipers and better. And, as the writer walks down through the halls of history displaying the pictures and stories known well to the mind influenced by the ancient writings, he points to each and highlights their faith and what they achieved through it (chapter 11). Finally, having put history, both ancient and recent, and teachings all into their proper perspective – that is, in Christ – he calls the hearer to fix their "eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him [saving you and I] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (12:2). And they are exhorted to let love continue, show hospitality to strangers, let character be free from love of money, etc. (13:1-5) Given all those neat things that we recounted and learned, and all that Jesus has achieved for us, here's how we should live

The letter to the Hebrews has a purpose and points to make, and the writer has a strategy of how to communicate those points. The strategy is detected as one navigates the flow of thought through the letter. Themes transition one into another, and as they build on each other, the progression of thought is seen. Today, as we study the letter, and as we educate ourselves on the historical context from the Old Testament, a few key thoughts emerge. First, as we mentioned, Jesus Christ is described for who He really is, and His works and His achievements are prominently displayed. His role in this salvation drama is clearly identified – He is our High Priest, Intercessor, and the Sacrifice as well. He is the ultimate one man band, playing a music that is soothing and healing to our souls.

A strategy in presenting the truths about Christ is to contrast between what the Hebrew would have been familiar with and the new teachings about Jesus. This strategy rises in volume in chapter 7 (v.11), but we begin to hear the melody much earlier in the description of details about the old and ancient. Moses is contrasted with Christ (chapter 3), ancient Israel failed to enter into God's rest, the Levitical priesthood is compared with the priesthood of Melchizedek, and the Levitical priests are shown to have paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham. Yet, the contrast between old and new crescendos into Hebrews 9 where the writer contrasts the laws and ceremonies of the old covenant with what Christ brought in under the new covenant. This, then, is a most important theme, or strategy, to keep in mind as we dive into Hebrews 9. Again, "text without a context is a pretext," so we approach Hebrews 9 slowly and with a broad vision so as to understand what the original purpose of that passage of the letter was.

The New Testament makes it clear there is only "one legitimate tent of meeting": Christ. Jesus, Peter, James and John ascended a mount in Mark 9; and Jesus was transfigured. During this event, Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking to Jesus. Here, three people who were God's authoritative spokespersons, stood on one mount. So Peter determined that they should build three tabernacles (tents of meeting). Why? So they would have three places they could go to enquire of the Lord. But what happened? "Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This My beloved Son, listen to Him!' And all at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone" (Mark 9:4b, 5). The phrase "listen to Him" alludes to Deuteronomy 18 and shows that Jesus is the prophet Moses predicted. God provides but one tent of meeting—Jesus Himself. And that tent would not remain pitched on earth (John 1:14 says Jesus "tabernacled" among us).

The book of Hebrews elaborates on this. God has spoken through Jesus Christ in full and final revelation (Heb. 1:1, 2; Heb. 2:1-3 tells us that His apostles gave us Jesus' authoritative words). Jesus is our High Priest who passed through the heavens and sits at the right hand of God where He carries out His mediatorial role. Hebrews 8:1, 2 claims that the true tabernacle is in heaven and was pitched by God, not man. This claim is repeated in Hebrews 9:11, 12. The entire book of Hebrews is about Christ's unique role and warnings against apostasy for those who think they can come to God by some way other than Christ (in their case going back to the temple in Jerusalem and the earthly high priest and the blood of animals).

Hebrews also tells us the only way to draw near to God: through Christ who is in heaven and can only be seen by faith (Heb. 10:22; Heb. 11:1). All believers have the privilege of access to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16).

Let us consider an important application of this truth of "God within His sanctuary", because many genuine believers have the misconception that they must come to a church building at a certain time with certain songs, etc, in order to truly worship the Living Lord. It is amazing how we can become fixated on systems, rituals, traditions, etc. In fact worship can be (and should be) our habitual, continual practice for we "carry the sanctuary of God" wherever we go, be it the kitchen, the school, or the workplace. If we would really come to grasp the depth of this truth, it would radically impact our daily lives and turn our mourning into dancing and times of drudgery into devotion? I believe from His Word this would certainly be the Lord's desire for His children. Later in this same letter in fact the writer exhorts the believers (and he includes himself in this exhortation)...

You see... in the first tent... we have the "material" sanctuary, a sanctuary made out of such things as this world contains. Under the old covenant, there were certain outward symbols, but now, under the new covenant, we don't have the symbols, but we have the substance itself, by the infilling of The Holy Spirit. The old law dealt with types and shadows, but the gospel deals with the spiritual realities themselves.

The term first covenant refers to the Old Covenant which God made with the nation of Israel at Mt Sinai after they had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. The first covenant was a temporary covenant as signified by the earthly character of the sanctuary. Likewise, the tabernacle (think of a tent) was temporary. Temporary yes, but worthless, no. In fact the tabernacle was intended to hold such a central place in the life of Israel that Moses was warned not to deviate one iota from the pattern given him when he had it constructed. Everything about the Tabernacle was intended to be a word picture ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.

Keep in mind that the two unconditional covenants, Abrahamic and New, are related, and both are entered into by grace through faith. The New Covenant while a distinct covenant is in a sense an expansion of the Abrahamic Covenant, and adds the features that the Law would be written on hearts (implying the desire and power to obey) and forgiveness for sins was granted (not mentioned under the Abrahamic Covenant). The relationship between the Abrahamic, Old and New Covenants can be summarized as follows.

ABRAHAMIC COVENANT - PROMISE of Jesus Christ
OLD COVENANT - PICTURE of Jesus Christ
NEW COVENANT - PERSON of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 4:6 "Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it and the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of disobedience, 7. Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts. 8. [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, He [God] would not speak afterward about another day. 9. So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God; 10. For he who has once entered [God's] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own. 11. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell]. 12. For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. 13. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. 14. Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already] ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him]."

Now consider again, (THE SPECIAL KEY) in part I of this study, that I said to hang onto, “the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom“. At the moment Christ died, God was showing us that, "He" was over (in charge of… authorizing) this one final act… this sacrifice on the cross of Himself… in the body of Jesus, His Son. This is the END of the first covenant between man and Himself... And what Jesus taught us was the NEW Covenant. And It is clear in verse 14 of Hebrews, that Jesus is more than capable… solely responsible for ending the business of ritual and of habit. Christ has fulfilled the law given to the world.

So, what does this mean for us today, what rules apply, what do we do and what does Christ do? We come to Christ out of repentance and accept Him as our Savior, and we still find sin raising its ugly head in our daily walk with Christ, AND WE DON’T LIKE IT! What do we do? This brings us to the last part of our study… “The Second Tent”.

I love you, Preston
Two Tents - Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV