Bullet Point Bible

Christ: High Priest of the True Tabernacle

¹ Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven ,² a minister in the sanctuary and the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.

The author explicitly states the central argument: the nature and position of Jesus as High Priest.
Christ's position "at the right hand of the throne" signifies His completed work, supreme authority, and honored status (referencing Psalm 110:1).
Unlike earthly priests who continually stood to minister, Christ "sat down," indicating the finality and sufficiency of His sacrifice.
His ministry is located in the "sanctuary and the true tabernacle" in heaven, contrasting with the earthly Tabernacle/Temple.
This heavenly sanctuary is established by "the Lord, not man," highlighting its divine origin, permanence, and superiority over the man-made earthly structure.
"Majesty in heaven" is a reverent way of referring to God the Father, emphasizing His supreme sovereignty.
This establishes the setting for Christ's ongoing priestly work: intercession in the very presence of God.

Earthly Shadows and Heavenly Realities

³ For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. So this one too had to have something to offer.⁴ Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.⁵ The place where they serve is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, just as Moses was warned by God as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For he says, " See that you make everything according to the designshown to you on the mountain ."⁶ But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.

The fundamental role of any high priest involves offering gifts and sacrifices; therefore, Christ, as High Priest, must also have an offering (which Hebrews will later identify as Himself).
Christ's priesthood is not according to the earthly, Levitical system; He was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi (Hebrews 7:14), so He wouldn't qualify as a priest under the Mosaic Law if His ministry were earth-based.
The earthly tabernacle and its priestly service are described as a "copy and shadow" (Greek: *hypodeigma kai skia*) of the true heavenly reality. This suggests the earthly system was a divinely ordained, temporary illustration.
The quote from Exodus 25:40, where God instructs Moses `{{*See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain*}}`, reinforces that the earthly tabernacle was modeled after a heavenly archetype.
Jesus' ministry is declared "superior" (Greek: *diaphorōteros*) to the Levitical priests' ministry.
This superiority extends to the covenant He mediates: the New Covenant is "better" (Greek: *kreittōn*) because it is based on "better promises."
Christ acts as the Mediator (Greek: *mesitēs*) of this better covenant, bridging the gap between God and humanity under the new terms.
This section transitions the argument from Christ's superior priestly *status* (Hebrews 8:1-2) to His superior priestly *function* and the covenant associated with it.

The Need for a New Covenant

⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one.⁸ But showing its fault, God says to them,⁸ " Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah .⁹ " It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord .¹⁰ " For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people .¹¹ " And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying , ' Know the Lord, ' since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest .¹² " For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer ."

The author argues that the very existence of prophecy about a "second" or "new" covenant implies the first (Mosaic) covenant was insufficient or not ultimately effective.
The "fault" (Hebrews 8:8) was not primarily with the Law itself (which is holy, just, and good - Romans 7:12), but with the people's inability to keep it due to hardened hearts.
The extensive quotation from Jeremiah 31:31-34 demonstrates that the New Covenant was part of God's plan long before Christ's arrival.
God Himself initiates the New Covenant: `{{*I will complete a new covenant...*}}` (Hebrews 8:8).
Key features of the New Covenant highlighted from Jeremiah:
The phrase `{{*says the Lord*}}` is repeated, emphasizing the divine authority and certainty of these promises.
While originally addressed to Israel and Judah, the author applies these promises to the believers in Christ, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles.
This covenant addresses the core failure of the old: human inability and sin, providing internal transformation and true forgiveness.

The Old Covenant Becomes Obsolete

¹³ When he speaks of a new covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.

The author draws a direct conclusion from the Jeremiah passage: God's act of speaking about a "new" covenant inherently renders the "first one obsolete."
The Greek word translated "obsolete" (*palaioō*) means to make old or declare outdated.
The Old Covenant is described as "growing obsolete and aging," indicating a process leading to its complete cessation as the primary framework for relating to God.
"About to disappear" (Greek: *engys aphanismou*) suggests its imminent end. For the original audience, this likely pointed towards the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (AD 70), which would physically end the sacrificial system.
This verse provides a strong theological basis for understanding that the Mosaic covenant, with its specific laws and sacrificial system, has been superseded by the New Covenant established through Christ.
It serves as a warning to the Hebrew Christian readers against returning to the practices of the Old Covenant, as that system was fading away.
The finality here underscores the superiority and permanence of the New Covenant mediated by Christ, the High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.

The Bullet Point Bible

Hebrews 8