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| 1 Now a summary of the things of which we are speaking is, We have such a one high priest who has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens; |
On the right hand – In the position of favor and power. A92
Of the throne – Authority and rulership. A92
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| 2 minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man. |
A minister – A servant. R4511:4
The true tabernacle – The antitypical. B208
Typified by the Tabernacle in the wilderness. B208; R245:1*
Which the Lord – Jehovah, the author of the divine plan. E38
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| 3 For every high priest is constituted for the offering both of gifts and sacrifices; whence it is needful that this one also should have something which he may offer. |
Priest is ordained – Consecrated for the priestly work, after having been already consecrated as a Levite. F124
To offer gifts – The High Priest serves--is an offerer or sacrificer to God. R3265:3
Our Lord's consecration of his own life was a gift. Q609:4; R4915:1
The High Priest is ordained to make the ultimate offering of that gift as the sin-offering for the world. R4915:4
The gift of our Lord's consecration of his own life and our gifts of ourselves to God will constitute the great sin-offering which the High Priest gives for the world. Q609:5
And sacrifices – Thus typifying Jesus who offered himself as an acceptable sacrifice for sin--that he might be the Deliverer of men from the curse of sin and death. R4715:4
That this man – The man Christ Jesus. R3265:3
Also to offer – Our Lord had himself, the Perfect One, to offer--a sacrifice well pleasing to the Father. R3319:4
The sacrificial work was a necessity before Christ could enter the still higher work of blessing. R4511:4
It is expected of all the members of the Body that they shall be joint-sharers in the sufferings and sacrifices of this present time. R3265:3, 3319:5
The thing which each is to sacrifice is himself, his will, his life, his all. R2629:6
"I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies living sacrifices." (Rom. 12:1) R3844:5, 2629:6
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| 4 If then indeed he were upon earth, he would not even be a priest, there being those who offer the gifts according to the law, |
If he – Our Lord. Q551:6
On earth – Paul is contrasting the typical priesthood of the tribe of Levi, and the antitypical priesthood of our Lord, who sprang out of Judah. R161:1*
Jesus, being of the tribe of Judah, and not Levi, could not have served as a priest under the Mosaic Law, which gave this office to Aaron and his sons forever. R4759:5, 195:4, 161:4*
He should not be – Melchizedek was only one Priest, and therefore represented all our Lord's members. His antitypical work is in the future and is why Aaron is not so particularly referred to in the type of the Great Priest. Q552:1
Gifts – The Apostle puts the word first. There is a way the High Priest offers gifts now--the consecration of his own life and the bodies of his brethren. Q609:4
Of necessity – Jesus also must offer both gifts and sacrifices in order to fulfil his priesthood. Q610:T
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| 5 (who serve the representation and shadow of heavenly things, according as Moses was oracularly told when about to make the tabernacle; for See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern which has been shewn to thee in the mountain.) |
Shadow – Type. CR485:2
Example. T82
Picture. Q746:1
Reflection of future things, as the moon's light is the reflection of the rays of the sun. R5420:2
Many of the things done for fleshly Israel were shadows of better things for spiritual Israel--but only to those who discern them. R2504:6
Of heavenly things – Higher things. "The Law having a shadow of good things to come." (Heb. 10:1) B173; T11; CR485:2; Q746:1
Spiritual things. R294:5; T82
To the pattern – All the minutiae of the service: every jot and tittle had to be exactly performed in the type, because it illustrated something greater and more important to come afterward. T12
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| 6 But now he has got a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is mediator of a better covenant, which is established on the footing of better promises. |
Excellent ministry – More exalted service than the earthly priests. R4511:4
Our Lord's sacrificial work needs not to be continued throughout eternity; but he has been exalted to the heavenly plane, and has another work to accomplish. R4511:5
How much also he is – Accordingly, he is. R4511:4
For this cause he is made. R4321:5
Has acquired the right to become. E455
Our Lord had already begun the work necessary to his fulfilling this office of Mediator of the New Covenant, but he had not yet accepted to himself all the members. R4321:5
The mediator – The word Mediator is carefully and exclusively used in the Bible only in connection with a Covenant. R4560:6
Moses, the Mediator of the Law Covenant, was a type of Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant. R788:4, R4511:5, 2838:4
God's dealing with the world will be through the Mediator, the Priest. R4528:5
A better covenant – A better testament than the Law Covenant. R4511:5
The New Covenant. CR326:4
Under which all the people shall be blessed with restitution. T82
The blessing will begin with Israel; but every member of the human race will have an opportunity of coming to perfection. Q488:3
Not better than the Grace or Sarah Covenant, but better than the Law Covenant because of its better Mediator, the Messiah. R4321:5, 4320:1, 4309:6
All that the house of Israel had and did was typical, and was to be superseded by others--their Covenant pointed to a better Covenant. R518:3*, 3364:5
The contrast is between the Law Covenant and its Mediator, Moses, and the New Covenant, superior because of its better Mediator, the Messiah. R4321:5, 4309:6
At the end of the thousand years they are more directly in this Covenant relationship; each being required to stand for himself without a Mediator between. Q533:T
Was established – This Covenant was established eighteen hundred years ago. PT371:1*
Better promises – Than those to fleshly Israel. "Exceeding great and precious promises;" (2 Peter 1:4) heavenly instead of earthly. B207
Securing beyond the possibility of failure the eternal salvation of all his people. R174:5*
When the prince of this world shall be cast out. R518:3*
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| 7 For if that first was faultless, place had not been sought for a second. |
That first covenant – The Sinaitic or Law Covenant. PT370:5*
Of which the Ten Commandments were a part. R1732:1
Had been faultless – If that first Covenant had been faultless, it would have done the work that the second Covenant is going to do, but it would not have taken anyone to heaven. PT371:T*
The fault was a lack of any mediatorial provision to offset the weakness and inability of the people to keep it. PT371:T*
Moses could offer only imperfect sacrifices. R4321:5
No place have been sought – The second Covenant would have been unnecessary. PT371:T*
The second – That New or Better Covenant will accomplish restitution, and nothing of a spiritual nature at all. PT371:T
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| 8 For finding fault, he says to them, Behold, days come, saith the Lord, and I will consummate a new covenant as regards the house of Israel, and as regards the house of Juda; |
Finding fault – If God was not finding fault with the old Covenant, why make a new one? The unsatisfactory feature of the covenant was that it could not give life to Israel. R4961:2
The Apostle is endeavoring to prove to the Jews that they could gain nothing under the Law Covenant. R4319:6
He saith – In Jeremiah 31:31-34. NS443:1; R4321:6
The days come – The days will come. R4319:6
After the days of this Gospel age. R4321:6
The time when the price which our Lord laid down at Calvary will be made applicable to the world. R4998:6
I will make – Greek, sunteleo, complete (Diaglott). Rendered in Authorized Version: end; finish; fulfill; make. PT372:2*
I will covenant a covenant with the house of Israel as a result of the sacrifices cut off. PT373:2*
It will go into effect just as soon as the Mediator is completed. Q186:5
A new covenant – To be between God, and Israel and the world. R4388:6, 5226:3
Made with natural Israel first. R4998:6
As a measure for carrying out the blessings purposed in the Abrahamic Covenant. R5226:3
An unconditional covenant--without a solitary condition so far as the people to be blessed by it are concerned. R3108:6
The covenant is a conditional one, shown by the fact that it has a Mediator. Q187:2
Belongs exclusively to the coming age. R3916:4
Will proceed through the Ancient Worthies. R4389:1
The New Law Covenant cannot be introduced, sealed, made operative, until the Abrahamic Covenant shall have brought forth the seed of Abraham. R5301:6
To be a perpetual Covenant between God and men. R5000:4
The selection of the members of the Mediator of Israel's New Covenant is now in progress. R4388:6
The house of Israel – The whole twelve tribes. C293; R1341:1
Clearly this does not refer to spiritual Israel. R4321:6
The house of Judah – Which is mentioned by name, so that the prophecy might not be understood to refer to the ten tribes only. C297
The New Covenant belongs to Israel alone, including the two nations into which they divided at the death of Solomon. R4319:6
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| 9 not according to the covenant which I made to their fathers in the day of my taking their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because *they* did not continue in my covenant, and *I* did not regard them, saith the Lord. |
The covenant – The Law Covenant. R4319:6; NS363:1
The Law dispensation began with Israel the night they left Egypt. R971:6
In the day – The Passover was the first feature of the Law. R971:6, 1731:1
Out of the land – The Law Covenant is continually referred to as dating from that time. R1731:2
Regarded them not – The Law Covenant being a conditional one. R3108:5
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| 10 Because this is the covenant that I will covenant to the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: Giving my laws into their mind, I will write them also upon their hearts; and I will be to them for God, and *they* shall be to me for people. |
The covenant – The New Covenant provisions of the Millennial Age. R3649:1; Q189:T; NS363:2
After those days – Of this Gospel Age. R4321:6
Gospel days. R4340:6; Q189:T
After the Gospel age has intervened, between Israel's casting off and their being received again. NS363:2
In which they would be disregarded, in the cast-off condition. PT372:T*
After the "seven times" of chastisement. B92
The blindness that has been on Israel during the selection of spiritual Israel will surely pass away. R3649:1
I will put my laws – Gradually retrace and rewrite the divine Law. This re-writing in the characters of men is simply another method of telling us of the "restitution of all things." (Acts 3:21) F359
This is a description of what will take place during the Millennium, and not a description of what we see about us today. R4321:6; NS363:2, 290:3
Into their mind – They will have Messiah's assistance in regaining the perfection of mind and body and a "new heart," which will enable them to obey in every particular the divine Law. R4821:1
Contrasting the Law written on tables of stone, with the better arrangement of the New Covenant, which will ignore a written language entirely. R1717:4
In their hearts – When the Law has been written upon the hearts of all antitypical Israelites, there will no longer be any teaching, for none will be ignorant of the Lord. R1717:4
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| 11 And they shall not teach each his fellow-citizen, and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord; because all shall know me in themselves, from the little one among them unto the great among them. |
And they – Primarily the Jews, later the world of mankind. R3108:6
All shall know me – First to Israel, under Messiah's Kingdom; the blessing will be extended to every nation, kindred and tongue. R4821:1
They will have the assistance of Christ and of the glorified Church, the Royal Priesthood. R5639:2
"The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." (Isa. 11:9) R2610:3, 2314:1; E20
The way will be so plain "that the wayfaring man though a fool need not err therein." (Isa. 35:8) A215
Some will refuse and die the second death. SM172:1
This statement is not true now, and cannot be true until the Lord's Kingdom is established. A75
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| 12 Because I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesses, and their sins and their lawlessnesses I will never remember any more. |
Their sins – The Deliverer will do no more than merely regather them; he will take away their sins. (Psa. 85) R4892:2; NS443:5
The whole world's sins and iniquities will be blotted out as far as God is concerned and the whole world will be turned over to Jesus. CR148:5
And their iniquities – Which now rise up in judgment before them demanding their just penalty, death. R1654:1
I remember no more – Having blotted out past sins and iniquities. F359
Because of the merit of Christ, applied to the sealing of the New Covenant. CR148:5
A glorious Covenant, for Israel, and through Israel, for the whole world. Q189:1
The divine agreement to be merciful, to forgive, to cancel sins that are past. R3597:3, 2328:3
Through the better sacrifices the antitypical Mediator will have the power to start the people with a clean slate. R5292:3
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| 13 In that he says New, he has made the first old; but that which grows old and aged is near disappearing. |
A new covenant – Restoring that nation to the place of honor as the favored nation--through whom the blessings of redemption will extend to all nations. R4555:1
The Law Covenant was a foreshadow of the New Law Covenant.
Implying that a preceding (Law) Covenant had become old. R4319:6
The Apostle is not saying that the New Covenant is for the Church. R4321:6
It will become operative as soon as the Church has been glorified. NS443:5
The first – The Law Covenant. R4319:6; NS363:1
Old – Valueless. R4319:6
Unprofitable. NS363:1
Paul is disputing the Judaizing teachers insistence that they must be under the Hagar Covenant, as well as the Sarah Covenant. R4322:1
Ready to vanish away – Preparing to pass away. R4319:6
Be set aside, giving place to a new and better one. NS363:1
Paul saw the Law Covenant in Hagar's predicament, almost ready to die. PT372:1*
Lose its force entirely. But Paul did not say that it had passed away. R4505:2
The Law Covenant, not the oath-bound Covenant. R4440:4
The old Law Covenant would perish, and God would in due time provide a New Covenant to take its place with Israel. R4322:1
The Apostle is contrasting the New Covenant with the Law Covenant, which did vanish away. R3916:4
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