davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) (04/04/91)
WHAT DID CHANGE:
There are three key differences between the two covenants and the three are
really a single whole:
1) 1) Ratification by the blood of an Ox vs ratification by the blood of
Christ.
2) 2) The sacrificial system, a shadow of the cross to come vs Jesus death
on the cross, a singular sacrifice that has made sacrifices obsolete.
3) 3) The earthly priesthood which was an administration of the sacrifi-
cial system vs His heavenly priesthood where no earth bound priestly
ministry of atonement is needed.
We are all qualified to be priests in the sense that we no longer need any
earthly priest (or saint) to mediate for us (Rev 1:5,6; 5:9,10). Under the
Old Covenant you took your sacrifice to the priest who worked under the High
Priest and was the one who went before God in the Most Holy Place on the Day
of Atonement. Under the New Covenant, both the little boy and his father
can go directly to their High Priest, Jesus Christ. We need no priest
between us and Jesus. We are just as qualified as the Old Covenant priests
to go directly to the High Priest.
What was wrong with the Old Covenant?
"But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the
Covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is
founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with
that first Covenant, no place would have been sought for another." (Heb
8:6,7)
The Old Covenant with its administration of priests and its sacrifices had
to be set asside in order to introduce the priesthood of Jesus (Heb 10:8-
14). (Heb 7:11-17) makes it clear that there is no priesthood but Jesus.
If God was to continue an earthly priesthood it would continue to be the
Aaronic priesthood. Clearly Jesus alone is our High Priest and only advocate
with the Father (1 John 2:1,2; Heb 7:23-25, 27). From this passage of
scripture it is also made clear what law had to be changed, that is the law
that said that priests had to be Levites:
"Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for
under it the people received the law), what further need was there that
another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and
not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood
being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For He
of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no
man has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose
from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek,
there arises another priest who has come, not according to the law of a
fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
For He testifies: "You are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek."" -- Heb 7:11-17 (NKJ)
The law was changed from a Levitical priesthood to the Melchizedek priest-
hood of which only Jesus qualifies under the New Covenant. This passage
makes clear that the law that was changed was the law Moses gave that a pri-
est must be of the lineage of Levi. Also consider the following related
scripture:
"Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and
offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which
are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come
to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish
the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands min-
istering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time
waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering
He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." -- Heb
10:8-14 (NKJ)
Also - More faith was called upon under the Old Covenant because they had to
believe in both a Messiah yet to come, as well as the resurrection; before
their faith in salvation could be complete. They had a system of forshadow-
ing symbols. We have the reality that made obsolete the symbolic system.
We have Jesus Christ. We no longer need ask "is he the Messiah? What about
him over there? When will He come? How will we recognize Him? Has He
already come?" Knowing that He came we can turn and look forward to the
resurrection. Because of His resurrection we can have a greater confidence
in our own resurrection and salvation. The Eternal Covenant of salvation is
now built on such superior promises of salvation (Heb 7:19-22; Heb 9:11).
If His life and death had not been victorious, all that Old Testament faith
would have been for nothing. From God's perspective the only thing wrong
with the Old Covenant, is that it has been made obsolete by Jesus' victory
at the cross, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8).
We can believe in His return to take us Home to those mansions He said He
was going to build for us.
Let us be clear about the bottom line, the promise of salvation. That bot-
tom line promise is no different and is the Everlasting Covenant first given
to Adam. The promise of salvation did not change; it was simply updated.
The promise conveyed in shadowy symbols and ceremonies pointed to the cross
and salvation. The promise embodied in the reality of Jesus Christ is
founded on the cross and the gift of salvation salvation. The Old Covenant
promise of salvation has been secured by the blood of Jesus which offers us
a much superior promise of salvation. Some day those of us saved under the
New Covenant will get to embrace those saved under the Old Covenant at the
same resurrection and saved under the same essentials of salvation - Jesus
is the lamb slain for all generations. Jesus will return and the whole
earth will be filled with the sound of His trumpets, blown by the angels of
heaven. A call to take us home to the mansions that He has been preparing
for us. Adam, Abraham, you and I can stand side by side on that day, saved
because of Jesus' sacrifice.
Jesus offers the same plan of salvation under both Covenants except that the
ratification, priesthood and sacrifices have changed (Eph 2:20; Col 2:13-15;
Heb 3:1-6; 9:1; 10:1-4, 9-14; Rev 11:19). Instead of earthly symbols we
have heavenly realities, instead of sacrifices we have a singular sacrifice,
instead of an earthly administration (Heb 9:15-17) our priest and advocate
is in heaven. A more excellent ministry (Heb 8:1-6).
Peter makes it clear in (1 Peter 2:4-10) that Jesus is the rock and corner
stone upon which the church is built. Peter did not claim to hold the church
upon his shoulders; see also Col 1:18. Jesus has totally replaced the
earthly priesthood so that we can go directly to Him alone. We are all pri-
ests (Rev 1:5,6) only in the sense that no earthly priest need stand between
us and Jesus our High Priest (Heb 4:14-16; 5:4-6, 10 7:3).
My next post will show that in all other respects the two Covenants are
really the same.
Dave (David E. Buxton)
From the Silicon RainForest of the Northwest