
Hebrews 8
Hebrews 8 provides a theological exposition on the superiority of Christ's priesthood and the new covenant He mediates. The chapter draws a comparison between the old covenant, represented by the earthly tabernacle and Levitical priests, and the new covenant, which offers a more perfect and spiritual access to God through Christ. This chapter emphasizes the obsolescence of the old covenant and its replacement by the new covenant that was promised in the Old Testament prophecies.
Hebrews 8:1-7 (NKJV)
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
These verses present Jesus as the ultimate High Priest, seated at the right hand of the Majesty in the true heavenly sanctuary, which the Lord, not man, established. This heavenly sanctuary is the actual dwelling place of God, containing the Holy Place and Most Holy Place, which were foreshadowed by the earthly tabernacle. The Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary represents God’s throne, where His presence is most fully manifested, symbolized by the mercy seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the earthly sanctuary. Here, Jesus ministers as our High Priest, providing direct access to God through His intercession. Jesus, as the mediator of a better covenant established on better promises, fulfills the role of offering the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for sin, unlike the repetitive and incomplete sacrifices of the earthly priests. The passage emphasizes that the first covenant, tied to the earthly tabernacle and its limited system of sacrifices, could not bring full reconciliation with God. The new covenant, mediated by Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, ensures eternal salvation and complete access to God’s presence, surpassing the limitations of the old covenant system.
Hebrews 8:8-12 (NKJV)
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
These verses describe the new covenant God establishes with His people, which is far superior to the old covenant. The key difference lies in the transformation it brings: God promises to write His law directly on the hearts and minds of believers. This signifies not just obedience to external commands but the impartation of a new nature that allows believers to understand and embrace the moral principles behind the written law. With this transformation, each believer can know the Lord personally, no longer relying solely on intermediaries to teach them about God. Instead, through the mediation of Jesus, believers can commune directly with God, experiencing a personal and intimate relationship. This covenant is also grounded in the assurance of complete forgiveness, as God declares, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Through Christ’s intercession, the new covenant empowers believers to live in harmony with God’s will and experience His mercy, making it possible for all to truly know Him, from the least to the greatest.
Hebrews 8:13 (NKJV)
13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
This verse concludes the argument of chapter 8 by stating the old covenant is now obsolete with the introduction of the new covenant. The use of the terms "obsolete" and "ready to vanish away" implies that the old covenant, while still in existence at the time of the writing, no longer holds the divine authority it once did, being fully superseded by the new covenant through Christ. This transition marks a fundamental shift from the temporal and external to the eternal and internal in the relationship between God and His people.