Art Toombs Ministries
Online Bible Commentary
The Superiority of Christ to High Priests
Hebrews 8:1 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. (NKJV)
In the preceding passage we learned that Christ was superior to the priesthood. Now, in this passage, we learn that Christ is superior to the high priest.
God gave instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai to name Aaron the first high priest, and the high priests were named from Aaron’s descendants. It was for this reason that they were called Aaronic priests.
The high priest was superior to the priesthood, the Levitical priests. The high priest alone was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, the abode of God in the temple.
He was permitted to enter once a year, on the great day of atonement. At this time he would sprinkle the blood of the sin offering on the mercy seat and burn incense within the veil. Also, the dress of the high priest was far superior to that of the Levitical priests.
The writer of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul, begins this passage with the help of his amanuensis, Luke, by writing “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest,” (v. 1a). He is referring to “the main point” of what he had been leading up to in the preceding passage.
This point is that we Christians have “such a high priest” as that of the Jews. The constant theme of this letter is for the writer to establish that Christianity is superior to Judaism, so that the Hebrew Christians will not return to Judaism. Paul continues with “who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (v. 1b). Christ, the superior high priest, sits “at the right hand of the throne” of God in Heaven.
Next, Paul writes “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (v. 2). So Christ is superior to the Aaronic high priest because His sanctuary is superior to that of the Aaronic high priest. Christ “serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle” that was set up by God in Heaven.
Paul continues with “For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer” (v. 3). From His sanctuary in Heaven, Christ offers “both gifts and sacrifices” like the Aaronic high priests. These gifts and sacrifices are not identified until chapter nine of Hebrews.
Paul writes “For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest” (v. 4a). Paul then reminds us that Christ, if he were on earth, would not be qualified to be a high priest.
This is because Christ was from the tribe of Judah, not from the tribe of Levi and the family of Aaron. In fact, Christ, while he was on earth, never entered the Holy of Holies.
Paul continues with “since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law” (v. 4b). There were already high priests on earth who offered the gifts prescribed by the law.
Next, Paul writes “who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (v. 5a). The high priests on earth served at the tabernacle, and later at the temple. It was a sanctuary that is a “copy and shadow” of what is in heaven, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.
Paul continues with “For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain"(v. 5b). God had warned Moses on Mount Sinai to build the tabernacle “according to the pattern” that He was giving to Moses.
This pattern for the earthly tabernacle was taken from the real thing in Heaven. It was only a “copy and shadow” of the heavenly tabernacle.
The heavenly tabernacle is far superior to the earthly tabernacle. Christ’s sanctuary is far superior to the earthly high priest’s sanctuary.
Paul writes “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry” (v. 6a). Verse six is a bridge to the next topic: the superiority of Christ’s New Covenant, “a more excellent ministry”, to the Old Covenant. Just as Christ’s high priest “ministry” is superior to that of the Aaronic high priests’, so also is Christ’s New Covenant superior to the Old Covenant.
Paul completes this passage with “inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises” (v. 6b). The New Covenant is better because it is “established on better promises”. The promises are better because of grace.
The Old Covenant promised blessings for obedience and death for disobedience. It required righteousness but did not give the ability to produce it.
The New Covenant promised an unconditional covenant of grace. It imputed righteousness, and teaches and empowers us to live righteously.
So, Christ is superior to high priests. His sanctuary and His ministry, grace over works, are superior.
His Heavenly sanctuary is far superior to the tabernacle, and later the temple, on earth. The earthly sanctuary is only a copy, a shadow. In fact, it is a poor copy compared to Heaven’s sanctuary.
It is difficult, if not impossible, for our finite minds to imagine the infinite beauty and majesty of Heaven. We can only imagine, as the song goes.
Someday, though, we will walk the streets of gold and see the majesty with our own eyes. Glory be to God on high.