CHAPTER 8 – THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE 

There can be no understanding of the heavenly tabernacle without the understanding of the earthly tabernacle. (This Epistle in particular should inspire all to study the Old Covenant.) The earthly copy, which is highlighted by the Holy Spirit in chapters 7–11, is the pattern presented for the purpose of drawing and attracting our attention to the original in Heaven. 

The 16th chapter of Leviticus and the Day of Atonement with its blood offering presented in the Holiest Place is brought into view in the opening verses of chapter 8. The realities reflected in the ancient rituals are brought to the forefront in Paul’s revealing argument of the heavenly tabernacle. He now begins to pull back the curtain of revelation as to the deeper meanings of the Mosaic priesthood and the tabernacle’s tri-part construction which is the shadowing of the High-Priesthood of Jesus Christ in Heaven’s tabernacle. Christ is presently in the Heavenly tabernacle, where He, once and for all. He has put away sin’s curse inherent to all mankind, being Adam’s seed, by the one–time atonement cleansing application of His Own Blood upon the heavenly things (Hebrews 9:23) that now He may mediate and intercede in the power of that Atonement.  

The essential principle to a Christian that is being presented here is to know Jesus Christ, where He is now, at the right hand of the throne of His Majesty and in what great capacity, and that in the greater depth of our understanding, that we might open our hearts unto Him. That is to say as an example, a man does not “trust” another man naturally, but over time in close relationship he learns that he may trust that man. He relaxes his fears and defenses and opens his heart to him; trusts him. So it is, in simple terms, Christ ever liveth, tirelessly, passionately giving Himself freely to maintain communion relationship with you. On the one hand, wooing you and on the other hand, defending you, that you may finally truly know Him. That is to say, open your heart fully to Him. This is the trust/faith that allows Him to finish the defining work on your sin nature, that He began in you with the atonement gift of the divine nature.   

Hebrews 8:1-2 opens with the introducing of the heavenly character or nature of the Priesthood as contrasted with the type, the more familiar earthly priesthood of Moses.  “We (Christians now) have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty….” (Some who scoff at the reality of a literal throne in heaven with a literal right and left side, have forgotten that Jesus is resurrected in a body, albeit spiritual, yet tangibly real and visible in time and space, And He is returning in like manner as He ascended (Acts 1:9) in the Son of Man’s body. (Matthew 26:64) Who is now in the heavens; (a) minister (He being now wholly engaged, in this the Age of grace and mercy, with the putting away of the sin nature in those who would inherit glory in His coming kingdom) of the sanctuary (the Holiest place; that which is represented in Moses’ most inner place of the tabernacle as the Holy of Holies) of the true (the original as opposed to Moses’ tabernacle copy) which the Lord pitched (*pitched with a view of it being portable) and not man (Moses in particular who pitched the movable tent in the wilderness).  That Heavenly Tabernacle was created by God and was necessary for Created beings that they might congregate together, in time and space with their Creator.  

(*It is not hard to see that this original Tabernacle, like its copy, was made portable by God, as seen in Ezekiel 1:4-28 & chapter 10 where when compared to what John saw in Revelation chapters 4 & 5, when he was caught up into the heavens associated with this World to see the prophetic happenings there in the end times, it then becomes evident that this place, its throne and its players are the same in these passages. And they are within the moveable Tabernacle wherein judgments are determined and pronounced. It is also what Job 1:6 may also reflect. This heavenly Temple Tabernacle, then moved within the first heaven, is replaced 1000 years later. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power…Death is swallowed up in Victory. (1st Corinthians 15:24, 54-55 with Revelation 20:9,10,14) As this Tabernacle journeyings are over, God’s Salvation plan, the restoration of all things is complete, now the heavenly tabernacle of old is set aside and that more elegant and permanent structure of the Holiest Place of worshipful congregating; the Holy Jerusalem comes descending out of the Heaven. (Revelation  21:1,10 with Hebrews 11:10) This having been shadowed, in that Moses’ Tabernacle was replaced by the more glorious Solomon’s Temple.) 

The High Priest of the Law, being the only one who could enter into the Holies, is the pattern for “Heaven’s tabernacle” wherein only the Son of Man/Son of God; the appointed minister of the Holiest Place (see Hebrews 9:24), as the High Priest, may enter. And none else may accompany Him (as it must be, yet, even unto today, for propitiation for the sin nature for those followers of Christ is yet being ministered) in that not only has He entered; but in consecrated glory sits at the right hand of the Father in never ceasing and loving intercession for us. And in that Ministry, He faithfully remains until that Heavenly Tabernacle descends into the heavens associated with this World, when the Age of Mercy and Grace will be then ending, when the fullness of the Gentiles come in, where He will then receive His investiture from the Father as King in this His Kingdom. And He will then shortly thereafter be joined in that Holiest Place before the throne of God, by the chosen overcoming Bride. The Bride being the faithful living, and also those faithful overcomers who have previously died, who rise in the first resurrection out from among the dead of Hades, who are then finally and forever rewarded for their overcoming service while on earth. They will be rewarded with being Christ’s appointed administrators as kings and priests in the heavenly realm over the earth and its nations.  

HEBREWS VERSE 6 Jesus is the Mediator of a better Covenant, with better promises. It is the fullness of salvation to man. Jesus unites in Himself that which in the Old Covenant was divided between Moses and Aaron; the mediator and the priesthood. As also the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthood mediator–ship are all now united in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The New Covenant is not the Gospel, but that which follows thereafter. When we make the statement that the New Covenant is not the Gospel, we are saying that they are both new relationships with God and part and parcel but “independent” one from another. As the New Covenant, to the most part here referred to, is with Israel (Judah and Israel) not with the New Man, brought into new relationship with God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This being understood leaves the New Covenant yet future (as the Gospel Covenant is present) that when instituted incorporates a new priesthood on the earth (David; see Jeremiah 30:9), a new tabernacle and renewed animal sacrifices. (Amos 9:11 with the last 8 chapters of Ezekiel) These all answer to the “New Covenant” prophetically promised by Jeremiah in 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-28 quoted here in verse 8 through 12. And although the High Priest and His Ministry in the Holiest Place in the heavens remains the same, (save now the ministry for the heavenly calling of a new man unto ruling with Him from there over the earth is complete) He now adds the ministry of a new dynamic; the “New Covenant” then manifest with restored Israel on the earth for a thousand years, in answer to those promises to bless Abraham’s earthly seed. (Genesis 15 & 22) This being the 2nd outpouring. The first was according to the Gospel / good news with the heavenly calling. (Acts 2:1-4) The second then in accord to the promises related to Jews. This new spiritual economy would then include the Millennial earthly kingdom of united Jews and the heavenly kingdom Gospel participants, who now will take the place of Angels in the administrating of the “New Covenant”.  (Joel 2; Hebrews 2:5 with Luke 19:17,19 and Revelation 20:4-6) 

The Mosaic “covenant” made at Mount Sinai, that is being referred to in Hebrews 8:13, is by God’s definition, that which parties had bound themselves together according to certain requirements. And Israel, having broken this covenant, was discarded. (See verse 9b Jeremiah 19:32; Leviticus 26 & 28 with Deuteronomy 27:26 & Galatians 3:10) From this fact, the spiritual Jew could have comprehended the inevitable; reliance of relationship should be upon the irrevocable Abrahamic Covenant, that is based upon being a descendant of his, that then he might be accepted as he walks in the faith of his father Abraham, then he would be accepted by God under the terms of that Covenant, as it could be even unto today. (Galatians 3:6-9 with Romans 4:9-17) 

We who have been brought into relationship with God through Christ are not in “covenant” with God. That is to say, an agreement whereby we are responsible and liable to owe up to perform lest we break that covenant and our relationship is subject to be discarded / annulled. For the Good News is that we are in Covenant with God in Christ with no possibility of annulment. “For ye are dead… (water-baptized which is typical of that death, and risen in newness of resurrection life, typical of our reckoning ourselves dead unto sin. Romans 5&6) and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Read Colossians 3:3 with 1st Corinthians 3:21-23) This is the substance of the Gospel relationship as contrasted with the “Covenant”. 

The vital need of understanding for Christians is: 

1) that the Gospel of Jesus Christ stands clear from a personal or corporate “covenant”, that of either the Old Mosaic Covenant or the New Covenant with Israel. 

2) that there are great and significant spiritual differences between the Old and New Covenants with Israel. And albeit the “New Covenant” does not rise to the perfection afforded in the Gospel relationship, as the earthly spiritual economy, being inferior to that of the heavenly, does not rise to that of the Gospel calling. 

The “New Covenant” is where the pre-payment of Christ the Messiah for the Jewish contingent is now realized as seen in HEBREWS 8:12… “For I will be merciful (the Greek word here meaning more than mercy but propitiated) to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” This now being the means by which a New Covenant with a fuller salvation may be extended (the better covenant which was established upon better promises…an eternal earthly inheritance and preeminence in the new Earth is in view Hebrews 9:15, and as opposed to the unattainable Old Covenant promises), and it is doable, as “I WILL  put my laws into their mind and write the Laws (of the “New Covenant” on the earth) upon their hearts…” This is the deeper internal experience afforded in their Messiah’s Atonement, as the Old was limited to the external and the Law alone could perfect nothing. But yet with all the blessings of the “New Covenant” extended to united Israel, in all its forms; its priesthood, its new tabernacle, its location, its rituals, its offerings clearly speak to its inferiority and temporality. 

The Gospel salvation stands alone in the building (a spiritual society) of a structure for Himself, wherein neither can there be a Jew or Gentile. Though they are Abraham’s SEED…they belong to Jesus Christ …(see Matthew 16:18; 1st Peter 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:20-22) 

(* It should be briefly mentioned here that this fullness of Salvation, this spiritual building to which we are joined by loving faith, and this heavenly inheritance, was obtainable by Old Testament saints, both Jew or Gentile, in the looking forward patiently and expectantly to the Atonement work of Jesus Christ…such are accounted by faith the seed of Abraham.) 

This is the great opportunity to which both Jew and Gentile are introduced to within the Gospel, and is gained or lost now in this the dispensation/Age of Mercy and grace freely dispensed from the heavenly tabernacle. Thereafter, that opportunity ceases in the Millennial Age and reign of justice in righteousness. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27 appears to be the same cleansing; the same new spirit (divine nature) and indwelling power as that of the Gospel; but obtained differently, yet by the same means. Christ, the ground on which the penalty is met is the same in both cases, their liabilities both discharged, in the merciful propitiatory application of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice; God’s Justice has been served— “every transgression and disobedience receives a just recompense of reward” (Hebrews 2:2).. *but the applications are different and are separated into two different Ages, to two different but Just ends. 

(*It is for the Gospel Believer to approach that Holy Place in Heaven for mercy (propitiatory), that is typed in the Old Covenant, in the Tabernacle, at the Ark, sprinkled with blood, that has in view the heavenly Tabernacle, where Christ is the personal propitiation for our sins as Christians, and whereas the blood stains on the Ark’s Mercy Cover were testimony of the atonement of sin, so the scars of Christ’s Crucifixion upon His hands and feet are our assurance of forgiving acceptance within the heavenly Tabernacle. And that as it relates to both the saving gift of grace, and then the ongoing sanctifying power unto the reward of suffering and enduring in loving faithfulness. “Their sins I will remember no more” (verse 12 and Isaiah 44:22 have both a future application to Israel and Judah as well as a present day atonement application to us the Gospel Believer obtainable on a daily basis through loving, obedient faith in Jesus Christ our High Priest.) 

Israel’s propitiatory appropriation is future and activated by seeing Him (Zechariah 12) “…whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for his (lost) firstborn.” The Lord said: “…because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”  

As the tax collector saw while in the Temple the propitiatory offering slain and laid upon the Brazen Altar and cried out “have mercy, (found in the propitiatory offering) on me! (Luke 18:9-14),  it is a picture of Israel who sees themselves then, “…after those days…” (Hebrews 8:10 Jacob’s Trouble/the great tribulation) as they behold Him. They look upon the sacrificed offering and sorrowfully accept Christ and receive His offering of Himself for them. This is the warrant for their salvation and the outpouring of the Spirit and answers to the promises of God to Abraham’s seed by Divine grant (this is not overcoming through loving faith in Jesus Christ). This then is the introduction of Israel to the New Covenant where a Jew does not just know about God through the Law, the Law being unable to work an internal work, yet it demanded obedience without affording any help to do so. It could frighten, it could threaten, it could but demand, it then did oppress, until the observer was weak and discouraged, that perfect climate for religious reasonings. BUT this New Covenant constitutes a new thing where God puts His laws into their minds and writes them upon their hearts, by the Spirit/spirit Who has granted an inward loving acquaintance with God through Christ their Messiah, that which allows open–hearted trusting God.   

Yet this stands in contrast to the Gospel believer who has believed without seeing, who patiently endures in loving faith, which then warrants the greater blessing; the heavenly inheritance, which the Gospel promises as a worthy overcomer (Revelation chapters 1-3)  “…over all things…” Not just an earthly inheritance, not just an eternal new earthly inheritance, but both an earthly and heavenly inheritance, as one who was dead and hidden in Christ with God. The difference again can be understood from comparing the statements of Hebrews 8:10 and Jeremiah’s words and Ezekiel’s…”and I will be to them a God, and….they shall be to me a people….” See John’s revelatory words of the future new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem … “ ….Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” He is referring to those who have an earthly inheritance…but to the Gospel overcomers He says: “He that overcometh shall inherit all things (both earthly and heavenly): and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”