A Better Covenant & Priesthood (Hebrews 8)

Prayer meeting in Kansas City in 1992 where I heard Noel Alexander read Ezekiel 1 with great conviction. I saw the scene he read in an overwhelming experience, a vision, that imparted a firey desire in me to pray to Jesus. I saw a figure who was glowing white, like the figure of a man, on a throne far above the heavens. It was awesome. We will look at that passage in Ezekiel and it's parallel passage in Revelation a little this morning because it ties into the part of Hebrews we are studying today. Hebrews 8. But first, let's

rewind to the end of Hebrews 7.

23 ¶ The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 ¶ For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.


ESV Hebrews 8:1 ¶ Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

Such a High Priest


Throne of the Majesty

Ezekiel 1
22 ¶ Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 26 ¶ And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 ¶ Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

ESV Revelation 4:1 ¶ After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 ¶ and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

ESV Revelation 5:1 ¶ Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." 6 ¶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Jesus is not just a priest...he is a High Priest. Jesus is not just a High Priest. IN the Levitical order a priest could not be a ruler and a ruler could not be a priest. Jesus is on the throne. Jesus is a ruler. He is a king. He is the Lord. He is the ruler of rulers. He is the King of all Kings. He is the Lord of all Lords. He is the High Priest/King of Kings. He combines both the rule and the ministry of heaven into one role.


2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.

a heavenly sanctuary!!

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

Aaronic high priests offered their gifts and sacrifices in Jerusalem. They had to be Levites.

4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.

Jesus was not a Levite, he was of Judah's tribe...a son of David.

Jesus was not operating under the Mosaic law as a Levite, but under the order of Melchizedek...the King of righteousness and peace.

Jesus was not chosen a high priest out of his tribal birth, but because of his purity, holiness, righteous life and eternal standing. God the Father gave Him the high priesthood by a direct oath, which is far more powerful than being born into the priesthood.

5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."

Moses did this because there is a sanctuary in heaven which he was making a reflection of on the earth. The earthly temple reflects a true reality in heaven.
The earthly temple was temporary. The heavenly temple is eternal. Moses prescribed temporary high priests. Jesus, our High Priest in Melchizedek's order is eternal.

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

Christ's high priestly ministry is far superior to the Aaronic priesthood of Moses' law.


7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

Aaron's priesthood was in the law of Moses.
1 Tim 1:8 ¶ Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient,
The law was not imperfect. It was fine. The people had a corruption in their soul which kept them from obeying it fully. This corruption was proven by Israel and Judah's history.

Therefore God's original plan for redeeming mankind was to establish a second covenant after the first one demonstrated the sinfulness of all mankind. This second covenant was sealed by the very blood of God's perfect sacrifice lamb...Jesus Christ.

8 ¶ For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

THe second covenant is eternal, not temporary. The second covenant doesn't tell us what to do only, but it empowers us to obey.

9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.

The first covenant had the laws written on stone tablets, deposited in the ark inside the holy of holies. The new covenant has the law inscribed on the hearts of every follower of Christ.

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The first covenant had a thick curtain separating the people from God's presence. The second covenant opened up the presence of God on the people so they could personally experience His presence.

11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.

The first covenant required the people to flock to prophets and teachers because they could not understand the truth directly. The second covenant gives us the Holy Spirit who teaches everyone which way He should go. So we follow the law of the Spirit and we interact with Jesus Christ for our daily guidance.

12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."

The first covenant brought judgment, death and despair because people never lived up to it. The second covenant brings mercy because of the permanence of forgiveness of sins.

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The first covenant is being replaced, not because it no longer exists, but as Paul taught, we are no longer alive to the law.

ESV Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

ESV Romans 6:14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 ¶ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

ESV Romans 7:1 ¶ Or do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. 4 ¶ Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. 7 ¶ What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."



We are ministers of the Spirit, not the letter. We are ministers of life, not of death. We are ministers of the open access to God through Christ, not of separation from God by the veil.

ESV 2 Corinthians 3:6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 ¶ Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 ¶ Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

Andrew Murray said, "a heavenly sanctuary and a heavenly High Priest ask for a heavenly Christian and a heavenly heart. And this is what the new covenant promises and what the Mediator of the new covenant gives indeed.

1 Peter 2
¶ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, (this cannot be a Levitical priesthood, but must be of the order of Melchizedek-whom Jesus is the high priest of) a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 ¶ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.