The Two Priesthoods

Joshua Perez

10/4/24

The Levitical Priesthood or the Order of Melchizedek: which priesthood are modern day Christians under? 

The Levitical Priesthood as given to the sons of Aaron was first introduced in the book of Exodus when Israel was receiving the law from God,

“Have your brother Aaron, with his sons, come to you from the Israelites to serve Me as priest Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty. You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron’s garments for consecrating him to serve Me as a priest.” (Exodus‬ ‭28‬:‭1‬-‭3‬)

Aaron and his sons were chosen from the sons of Levi to be set apart as priests unto God, 

“And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” ‭‭(Numbers‬ ‭18‬:‭20‬)

Moreover they were told they would have no inheritance in the land of Israel, for Hashem himself is their inheritance. The Aaronic priests were tasked with several duties which included the following:

1. Offering Sacrifices: The primary role of Aaronic priests was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, including burnt, grain, peace, sin, and guilt offerings (Leviticus 1-7)

2. Maintenance of the Tabernacle and Temple: Priests were charged with the duties of the sanctuary ensuring everything was kept holy (Numbers 18:1-7)

3. Burning Incense: Aaron and his sons were to burn incense on the altar of incense every morning and evening (Exodus 30:7-8)

4. Blessing the People: The Priests had the duty to bless the Israelites (Numbers 6:22-27)

5. Making Atonement for Sins on Yom Kippur: Every Yom Kippur the high priest would enter the most holy place to make atonement for the children of Israel (Leviticus 16)

6. Teaching the Law: Priests were responsible for teaching the Law to the people (Leviticus 10:11)

7. Judging Legal Matters: They helped to decide legal and judicial matters, and acted as God’s judgment on earth (Deuteronomy 17:8-13)

8. Caring for the Holy Things: The priests handled holy items, such as the bread of the Presence and the lampstand (Leviticus 24:1-9)

These duties were committed unto Aaron and his sons as an eternal covenantal promise:

“You must also bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. Tie the sashes on Aaron and his sons and fasten headbands on them. The priesthood is to be theirs by a permanent statute. This is the way you will ordain Aaron and his sons.” (Exodus‬ ‭29‬:‭18-19‬)

There is no getting around this, Hashem gave the priesthood to Aaron and his sons for a permanent statue, to be priests unto him forever. This is made further clear by the prophets:

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-19)

Our Messiah said himself that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Yeshua sets up this dichotomy between abolish and fulfill as he intends for them to be viewed as opposites. This is confirmed by the Greek word used for "fulfill", which is plerosai. And it literally means "to carry out, uphold". So based on the context of how he uses this word in this passage, fulfill could mean "to cause God's will as made known in the law to obeyed as it should be, and God's promises given through the prophets to receive fulfillment". Moreover, Yeshua says that not the smallest letter or stroke of then pen will pass from the Law until all is accomplished(ie: when heaven and earth pass). "All being accomplished", and "until heaven and earth pass" are to be understood as one clause. The Levitical priesthood as given to the sons of Aaron, as well as the sacrifices they are charged to perform, will not pass away until heaven and earth do. This is an eternal covenant. 

“For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.” The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says: If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night so that day and night cease to come at their regular time, then also My covenant with My servant David may be broken so that he will not have a son reigning on his throne, and the Levitical priests will not be My ministers. The hosts of heaven cannot be counted; the sand of the sea cannot be measured. So, too, I will make the descendants of My servant David and the Levites who minister to Me innumerable.” The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Have you not noticed what these people have said? They say, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families He had chosen.’ My people are treated with contempt and no longer regarded as a nation among them. This is what the Lord says: If I do not keep My covenant with the day and with the night and fail to establish the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I might also reject the seed of Jacob and of My servant David — not taking from his descendants rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭33‬:‭17‬-‭26‬ )

Here Hashem explains that if you can break his covenant with day and night, an obvious eternal continuous cycle, then you can also break his covenant with David and Levi. This sets the precedent that God has no intention of breaking his covenant with the two families he has set apart, and that the Levitical priesthood is as eternal as day and night. 

"I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord. “For just as the new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord, “So will your descendants and your name endure. “And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord." (Isaiah 66:21-23)

“See, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to His temple, the Messenger of the covenant you desire — see, He is coming,” says the Lord of Hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire and like cleansing lye. He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by.” (Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬)

These prophecies foretell the first, and second coming of Jesus, as well as the messenger going before him who will "purify the sons of Levi". The same prophecy is repeated in the Book of Matthew and applied to John the Baptist:

“This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending My messenger ahead of You’ Who will prepare Your way before You.” (Matthew 11:10)

The prophecy in Malachi had an immediate fulfillment during the days of Jesus, but will also have a future fulfillment when this messenger purifies the sons of Levi so they can offer sacrifices as in the days of old, showing the ongoing validity of the Levitical priesthood. This parallels what we see in Ezekiel 40-48 where we read about a temple being built during the millennial reign, in which the Levites minister again unto Hashem:

“In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. On its southern slope was a structure resembling a city. He spoke to me: “Son of man, look with your eyes, listen with your ears, and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for you have been brought here so that I might show it to you. Report everything you see to the house of Israel.” Now there was a wall surrounding the outside of this temple.” ‭‭(Ezekiel‬ ‭40‬:‭2‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬)

“Then He said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord God says: These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be sprinkled on it: You are to give a bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are from the offspring of Zadok, who approach Me in order to serve Me.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.” (‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19)‬ 

“Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who strayed from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their sin. Yet they will occupy My sanctuary, serving as guards at the temple gates and ministering at the temple. They will slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and will stand before them to serve them.” ‭‭(Ezekiel‬ ‭44‬:‭10‬-‭11)‬ ‭

As the prophets explain, the Levites will continue to minister unto Hashem when Jesus comes back to establish the millennial kingdom. This simple fact of their return displays that Jesus’ atoning work in the heavenly tabernacle after the order of Melchizedek does not in any way undermine the legitimacy of the role of the Levitical priests on earth. As the scholar John F. Walvord writes:

"Though varied explanations have been given for Ezekiel 40-48 which unfolds these details, no satisfactory explanation has been made other than that it is a description of millennial worship. In any case, it is clear that the sacrifices are not expiatory, but merely memorials of the one complete sacrifice of Christ. If in the wisdom and sovereign pleasure of God the detailed system of sacrifices in the Old Testament were a suitable foreshadowing of that which would be accomplished by the death of His Son, and if a memorial of Christ's death is to be enacted, it would not seem unfitting that some sort of sacrificial system would be used." (John F. Walvoord, "Israel in Prophecy," p.126)

Similarly, the scholar Tim Hegg writes:

Since the animal sacrifices were never given to make the infinite payment for sin which God requires, a payment only the infinite and eternal Son of God could accomplish, we recognize that offering a sacrifice at the Tabernacle or Temple could in no way diminish the value of Messiah's death. Only if the Scriptures taught that animal sacrifices actually did make eternal payment for sin before the coming of Yehsua, could offering them after Yeshua's death signal a disregard for what He had accomplished. In fact, the offering of sacrifices, rather than detracting from Yeshua, point to His work of redeeming sinners." (Tim Hegg, "Why We Keep Torah: Ten Persistent Questions," p. 33)

So if the sacrifices in the Torah do not undermine Yeshua's work on the cross(which provided actual forgiveness for sins), then what was there purpose? To understand, we must first understand that our God is holy, and He cannot make his dwelling with the unholy. 

"Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.”  When the people heard this bad news, they mourned and didn’t put on their jewelry. For the Lord said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I went with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.” (Exodus 33:3-5)

"Next Moses set up the surrounding courtyard for the tabernacle and the altar and hung a screen for the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:33-34)

The above passages display how a holy God cannot dwell in the midst of sin and death. The clean cannot physically dwell with the unclean. So in order for man to be able to still "draw near" to God, the creation of a temporal terrestrial atonement system was required. This is why according to the Torah, the sacrifices governed by the Levitical priesthood were designed to purify the flesh and cover sin, so a worshiper could draw near to God in the temple in a state of ritual purity:

“Then the Lord summoned Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you brings an offering to the Lord from the livestock, you may bring your offering from the herd or the flock. “If his gift is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to bring an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting so that he may be accepted by the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the bull before the Lord; Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting." (Leviticus 1:1-5)

The Hebrew word for "offering" is korban, and it comes from a root word karav, which literally means to "approach, draw near". By offering these sacrifices, one can be "accepted before the Lord" so they can draw near in the temple. According to verse 4, one is to lay their hand on the head of the burnt offering when performing the offering. This gesture would allow the worshipper to spiritually identify themselves with the fate of this animal, so they could understand that this animal is receiving their punishment (death) for them. As the scholar William Craig puts it,

"The personal Levitical animal offerings were accompanied by a telling hand-laying ritual. The offerer of the animal sacrifice was to lay his hand upon the animal's head before slaying it (Lev 1:4). The Hebrew expression samak yado indicates a forceful laying of the hand: one was to press his hand upon the head of the beast to be sacrificed [..] this emphatic gesture is plausibly meant to indicate the identification of the offerer with the animal, so that the animal's fate symbolizes his own. Death is the penalty for sin, and the animal dies in place of the worshipper. This is not to say that the animal was punished in the place of the worshipper; rather the animal suffered the fate that would have been the worshipper's punishment had it happened to him. The priest's sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on the altar, whatever its exact meaning, indicates minimally that the animal's life has been offered to God as a sacrifice to atone for the offerer's sin." (William Lane Craig, "The Atonement," pp. 12-13)

"The sacrificial system functioned to facilitate the juxtaposition of the holy and the unholy. It did this, not merely by purging the Tabernacle and its paraphernalia of impurity, but also by propitiating God and so averting His wrath upon the people. The roasting of the sacrificial animals, in particular, is repeatedly said to produce "a pleasing odor to the Lord" (e.g., Lev 1:9, which implies that the sacrifices helped to cultivate God's favor (cf. Gen 8:21)." (William Lane Craig, "The Atonement," p. 11)

The final step of the atonement process was for Aaron and his son's to take this animal and "sprinkle it's blood on the altar". 

"He is to slaughter the bull before the Lord; Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar that is at the entrance to the tent of meeting." (Leviticus 1:5)

"As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven." (Leviticus 4:20)

"Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar [...] So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven." (Leviticus 4:25,26)

"And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven." (Leviticus 5:9,10)

The exact reason for this is stated later on in the Torah,

"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement. " (Leviticus 17:11)

By sprinkling the life blood of the altar, this provided the temporal atonement of the flesh needed for a worshipper to have physical fellowship with God. As the scholar Thomas Lancaster puts it,

"In the ancient world, people considered altars as touching points between heaven and earth. An altar worked like a gate, a sort of mystical portal between the realm of man and the realm of the divine. Whatever touched the altar became holy (ritually set apart) to God and entered his presence. From on top of the altar, the bodies of the sacrifices ascended in smoke to God. Through the medium of the animal's blood, the offer's soul entered the presence of God. In short, the soul of the worshipper came near to God in his holy place. The sacrificial substitute overcame the problem of approaching a holy God." (D. Thomas Lancaster, "What About the Sacrifices?" p. 17)

The Hebrew word for atonement is “Kippur”, and it comes from the root word “Kaphar” which simply means “to cover”. As in, to cover sin providing temporal atonement which would purify the flesh allowing the worshipper to draw near in a state of ritual purity.

“For the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,” (Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭13)‬ ‭

However, this Hebrew word for atonement does not have the implication of providing actual forgiveness for our sins. As ultimately, these sacrifices were never given to spiritually purify a person by taking away their sins, only to cover them so as to purify the flesh so they could draw near in the temple. They could not purify the conscience.

“But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬-‭9)‬

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭4)‬ ‭

And as the scholar Tim Hegg puts it,

"The sacrifices functioned to substantiate the method by which God forgives sins, but they did not provide the very means for this forgiveness." (Tim Hegg, "Why We Keep Torah: Ten Persistent Questions," p. 26)

This is why it was necessary for another priest to arise from a different priesthood, to provide the solution of forgiveness off humanities sins in the heavens, the world to come. Something in fact the Levitical priesthood, the earthly tabernacle, and all the earthly holy vessels testify of. As they are all shadows of their heavenly realities. 

“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, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 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.” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭1-2, 5)‬ ‭

“And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown to you on the mountain.” (Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭40)‬ ‭

It was a common belief in Judaism that Moses was taken into heaven when receiving the Torah, and saw the heavenly temple and its vessels which were the blueprint for the construction of their earthly counterparts.

“So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “See and craft” (Exodus 25:40). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, am I a god that I can craft [vessels] like these?’ He said to him: “In their form” (Exodus 25:40); with sky blue and purple and scarlet wool. Just as you see above, so craft below, as it is stated: “Acacia wood standing upright”; just as it is in the heavenly host. If you craft it below as it is above, I will leave My supernal entourage and rest My Divine Presence in your midst below." (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 35:6)

It was in the heavenly tabernacle and altar that Jesus eternally atoned for and provided forgiveness for our sins. Purifying the conscience. Not according to the order of Aaron, but according to the order of Melchizedek. We first see the order of Melchizedek in Genesis 14 when Abraham meets Melchizedek the king of Salem:

“After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley ). Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and I give praise to God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” ‭‭(Genesis‬ ‭14‬:‭17‬-‭20)‬ ‭

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭2)‬ ‭

The righteous Abraham, forefather of Israel and Levi himself, even paid tithes to Melchizedek. As the author of Hebrews explains:

“See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭4‬-‭10)‬ ‭

The author also makes the connection that Levi symbolically paid tithes to Melchizedek, as he was in the loins of his forefather Abraham when he did so. This also displays the superiority of the order of Melchizedek over the Levitical Priesthood, of which Jesus would later become the high priest.  In Genesis 14 we also see Melchizedek bring forth bread and wine, another symbol of the coming messiah from this order who would die on behalf of Israel. Symbolizing his body which was broken for us, and his blood we shall drink. 

“As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭26‬-‭28)‬ 

The order of Melchizedek is based on inheritance according to merit, as opposed to the Levitical priesthood which is passed on through genealogy. This is how Yeshua was able to be a priest in this order.

“He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues to be a priest forever.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭3‬)

As in, just like Yeshua, Melchizedek did not have a Levite father or mother, or genealogy back to Aaron. Yet they both remain priests forever. 

“For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭13-17‬)

“The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm‬ ‭110‬:‭1‬, ‭4)‬ ‭

However, despite the order of Melchizedek being superior to that of Aaron, this does not imply that the two cannot work concurrently: one in heaven and one on earth. This is made clear later on.

“Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well….For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬-‭12‬, ‭18‬-‭19‬)

Is the author of Hebrews saying that the order of Melchizedek has replaced the Levitical priesthood, and that it is a commandment which is set aside to be no longer followed? God forbid! And to say so is to miss the author's entire point. If the author truly believed the Levitical priesthood is no longer, then he wouldn’t have spent three chapters displaying how Jesus could be a priest without breaking the law, which states a priest must descend from Levi.

“Appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” (Numbers 3:10)

The author displays how the law itself testifies of the order of Melchizedek, which predates Aaron. What the author is explaining in this passage is that when Jesus ascended into heaven, the law concerning the earthly tabernacle and priesthood no longer applies to him (as it only has force on earth). So when he ascended into heaven, there was a change of the priesthood. And when there’s a change of the priesthood, there’s a change in the law that governs it. To give an analogy, if you are a 40 year old native born American citizen who’s living in Canada, the law in Canada prevents you from being the prime minister of that government. But if you were to travel back to America, the law preventing you from being prime minister in Canada no longer applies as it only has force and jurisdiction in Canada. When you went back to America, there was a changing of the government. And when there’s a change of the government, there’s a change in the law that governs it. Ergo, this law allows you to then become the president of the United States. This analogy applies to Jesus, as the law governing the earthly tabernacle prevented him from being a priest on earth as it demands one to be from Levi. However, this commandment lost its force on him when he left the earth and ascended into heaven. 

“For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 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.” (Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭4‬)‭

The above verse outlines this perfectly. If Jesus were on earth he couldn’t be a priest because the law concerning the earthly tabernacle prevents him from being one. This also shows that the Levitical priesthood still has force and a legitimate role serving in the tabernacle on earth. But it of course still has problems, as the Levitical priests are human. They have weaknesses, they sin, they grow old and die. Because of this, their sacrifices cannot truly deal with humanity's sinful condition and the purification of the conscience.

“For every high priest taken from men is appointed in service to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also subject to weakness.” (Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬)

“So Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant. Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. “For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭22-23, 28)

“But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬-‭9‬) ‭

Only the sinless and immortal high priest could achieve this and provide forgiveness for our sins. The former commandment in Hebrews 7:18-19 (which is set aside due to its inefficacy and un-profitableness) is the law concerning the Levitical priesthood. But it is not set aside on earth. It is set aside in regard to having jurisdiction over Christ, for from the moment he passed into heaven, the law concerning the Levitical priesthood no longer had any force on him since it only has force on earth. Thus Jesus could then be the high priest after the order of Melchizedek whose only requirement was the qualification of the power of an indestructible life, so as to atone for our sins by purifying the conscience according to the law of the heavenly tabernacle which exerts it authority in heaven. 

“Who did not become a priest based on a legal command concerning physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬)

“but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 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. 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.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭25‬, ‭27‬)

“But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation ), He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works (our sins) to serve the living God?.. For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that He might now appear in the presence of God for us. He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬-‭14, 24‬-‭26‬)

“Therefore, as He was coming into the world, He said: You did not want sacrifice and offering, but You prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said, “See — it is written about Me in the volume of the scroll — I have come to do Your will, God! ” After He says above, You did not want or delight in sacrifices and offerings, whole burnt offerings and sin offerings (which are offered according to the law ), He then says, See, I have come to do Your will. He takes away the first to establish the second.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭5-9) 

“In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” (Psalm‬ ‭40‬:‭6‬-‭8)‬ ‭

Again we see the author make this argument in Hebrews 10:9. When Yeshua ascended into heaven he took away the first (the law concerning the Levitical priesthood which required a priest to descend from Levi) in order to establish the second (Yeshua’s priestly ministry in the heavenly tabernacle). Again, Yeshua did not annul that law on earth. He merely ascended into heaven which took away that requirement of Aaronic descent from himself, thereby allowing him to be high priest in heaven, secure our eternal redemption once and for all, and inaugurate the new covenant founded upon his atoning work, which writes Hashem’s law on our hearts. This is a topic I will soon expound upon.  

“By this will of God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after He says: This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, He adds: I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (as in, Yeshua does not need to keep dying - Heb 9:25-26 ) .” (Hebrews 10:12-18)

“But now Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, insofar as He is the mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6)

The only difference between the mosaic covenant and the new covenant are the better promises, namely, our response to the law, for now it is written on our hearts with the Holy Spirit empowering us to keep it.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” ‭‭(Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬-‭27)‬ ‭

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭11‬:‭19‬-‭20)‬ ‭

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” ‭‭(Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭33‬-‭34‬)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭18)‬ 

This, however, does not imply the mosaic covenant is rendered obsolete because of the inauguration of the new covenant. Paul makes this clear in Galatians 3:15-17 when he states that the law (the mosaic covenant) which was given 430 years after God’s covenantal promise to Abraham cannot annul it so as to make the promises of no effect:

“Brothers, I’m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to even a human covenant that has been ratified. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. And I say this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not revoke a covenant that was previously ratified by God and cancel the promise.” (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭17)

This same argument which Paul is making can be extrapolated out to the new covenant. The New covenant, which was ratified over 1000 years after the mosaic covenant, cannot revoke that covenant so as to make its promise of no effect. All of Hashem’s covenants stack on top of each other, with the latter never annulling the former. 

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry (priestly ministry/priesthood), to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first had been faultless, there would not have been discourse seeking a second” (Hebrews 8:6-7)

Some translations insert “covenant” after “first” and “second”, but this is not what the Greek says. The Greek text does not quantify the subject of “first” and “second.” So it is important we use the surrounding context to understand what the author is saying. Based on Hebrews chapters 5-10, the author has been contrasting the 2 priesthoods, not the 2 covenants. It would be odd for him to change subjects in the middle of the book and begin speaking about the new covenant “replacing” the mosaic covenant. This is especially true when we consider such a claim would require much scriptural evidence, and the author never went about to prove such a notion. All he went about to prove in this book was that Jesus could be a legitimate priest without breaking the law, and that both priesthoods can work concurrently. I propose that the “first” refers to the Levitical priesthood/ministry, and the “second” refers to Yeshua’s priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Just like we see in Hebrews 10:9. 

“For finding fault with them…” (Hebrews 8:8)

Who is the “them”? None other than the Levitical priests and the earthly ministry. As the author explained, the Levitical Priesthood has a legitimate role serving in the earthly tabernacle (Hebrews 8:3-5). The issue is that Levitical priests are human. They have weaknesses, they sin, and grow old and die (Hebrews 5:2; 7:22-23, 28; 9:7). Because of this, their sacrifices cannot truly deal with humanity's sinful condition (Hebrews 9:9-10; 10:11). Only the sinless and immortal heavenly High Priest can accomplish this (Hebrews 7:11). And only the Messiah can inaugurate the New Covenant, make complete atonement for sins, and enable the Torah to be written on the hearts of God's people in accordance with the New Covenant promises.

“…He says, “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will inaugurate a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not remain in My covenant, and I did not care for them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put My Torah into their mind, and upon their hearts I will write it. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no more will they teach, each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because all will know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:8-12)

The new covenant promise of the law being written on our hearts through the Holy Spirit is contingent on Yeshua’s work on the cross in which he eternally atones for our sins in the heavenly tabernacle. This is the reason for the author mentioning the new covenant despite his overarching theme being about the second priesthood - the order of Melchizedek. The primary promises of the new covenant are that God would forgive our iniquities, indwell us with his spirit, and write his law on our hearts so we can live as obedient children. To restate:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬-‭27)‬ ‭

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭11‬:‭19‬-‭20‬)

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭33‬-‭34)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭18)‬

However, as scripture explains, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in something that is unclean. So, a cleansing of the human condition becomes vital. Just as the sacrifices according to the earthly tabernacle purified the flesh so we could physically draw near, Yeshua’s death on the cross according to the heavenly tabernacle purified the conscience so we could spiritually draw near and offer spiritual sacrifices. 

"You yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water." (Hebrews 10:22)

For his death was crucial for the inauguration of the new covenant, as his death actually provided remedy for humanity's sins: purifying the conscience, our inner self.

“So He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.” ‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭15‬)

The Hebrew word for 'sprinkle' is nazah, which denotes the sprinkling of blood on the altar to make atonement (Leviticus 5:9). Only this time the offering is made on the heavenly altar and tabernacle.

“Who has believed what we have heard? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to? He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him. Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth. He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people’s rebellion. They made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man at His death, although He had done no violence and had not spoken deceitfully. Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him severely. When You make Him a restitution offering (Hebrew word asham, as in the guilt offerings of Leviticus 5:15, though applied here to the heavenly tabernacle), He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and by His hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished. He will see it out of His anguish, and He will be satisfied with His knowledge. My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will carry their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him the many as a portion, and He will receive the mighty as spoil, because He submitted Himself to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭1‬-‭12)‬ ‭

“How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” ‭‭(Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭14)

Because of our sins (the dead works) we were preventing the holy spirit from fully dwelling inside us. And as Yeshua said, the Holy Spirit could not come until his work on earth was finished. 

“But now I am going away to Him who sent Me, and not one of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going? ’ Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;” ‭‭(John‬ ‭16‬:‭5‬-‭10‬) 

“Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” ‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭9‬-‭11)‬

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” ‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭59‬:‭2)‬ 

But because of the cleansing and atonement of our very inner being, the Holy Spirit can now dwell within us making us the temple of the Living God. With his spirit writing his law on the tables of our heart. 

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” ‭‭(1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬) ‭

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” ‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭18‬)

“It is clear that you are Christ’s letter, produced by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God — not on stone tablets but on tablets that are hearts of flesh. We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. He 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 produces life…We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” ‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-6, ‭18‬)

“Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭(Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38)‭

This concept is also echoed in the account of Solomon dedicating and cleansing the temple of God, in which afterward the Shekhinah (cloud of glory/God’s presence on earth) filled the temple.

“King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel, who had gathered around him and were with him in front of the ark, were sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered, because there were so many. The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place beneath the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim were spreading their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above. The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside the sanctuary; they are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Lord’s temple, and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Then Solomon said: The Lord said that He would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built an exalted temple for You, a place for Your dwelling forever.” ‭‭(1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭13)‬ ‭

This story served as a foreshadowing of the future son of David who would purify and cleanse the spiritual temple of the Lord (us) so that our bodies could be consecrated and purified unto Hashem, for him to make His permanent dwelling in us through His spirit. It is upon this eternal atonement that the new covenant is founded, allowing God to transform us from the inside out by writing his law on our hearts.

“In saying new, He has treated the first as old, but what is being made old and aging is close to vanishing.” (Hebrews 8:13)

Upon the ratification of the new covenant (only made possible due to Yeshua's atoning work in the heavenly tabernacle), the first priesthood is being made "old". Yeshua's priesthood is superior. Nevertheless, the Greek word for "old" in this verse is “palaioo”, and it does not imply obsolescence, but rather worn out, as in its purpose is not being executed as intended. We see this rendering in Hebrews 1:11,

“They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out (palaioo) like a garment,” (Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭11)‬ ‭

In this context the Greek word implies being worn out to time, and not obsolete. With the contextual understanding that the book of Hebrews was written around 70 AD - when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome, and the Levitical priesthood would have lost its ability to perform the sacrifices prescribed by the Torah, the author’s claim that the first priesthood is being worn out over time makes sense. However, if the temple were standing today. we would still be doing the sacrifices prescribed by the Torah to draw near to God. As the Levticial priesthood’s function is to purify the flesh so we can physically draw near in the temple, whereas Jesus’ sacrifice purifies the conscience so we can spiritually draw near. And as made clear in the prophets, the Levitical priesthood will return when Jesus does. As such, it is actually Torah observant to not do the sacrifices today.

“Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in all the sacred places you see. You must offer your burnt offerings only in the place the Lord chooses in one of your tribes, and there you must do everything I command you.” ‭‭(Deuteronomy‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬-‭14‬)

As the Torah explains, we are not to perform sacrifices in any place we wish, only in the place Hashem puts his name (that being the temple). To give an analogy, if you were driving a car while perfectly obeying all the laws of the road, but you didn’t have a license, you are still breaking the law. In this analogy, the license is being a descendant of Aaron, and the car is the temple. But in today's day and age, we don’t even have a car. So it is actually being obedient to the Torah to not perform sacrifices today. However, when Jesus was alive he actually condoned obedience to the sacrifices prescribed by Moses:

"And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him,"I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them." (Mark 1:40-44)

If one were to argue that this was before Jesus' death when he "took away the sacrificial law", there was a period of about forty years where the temple was still standing after Jesus’ death. And in fact, we even see the apostles continuing to do the sacrifices in the Torah to prove they were not in opposition to the teachings of the law in the book of Acts (years after the Messiah died), showing the Messiah’s death and atonement operated in a different priesthood in a different realm (heaven). 

“And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard about them, they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore, do as we tell you: we have four men who have a vow upon themselves; take them along and purify yourself together with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law.” (Acts 21:18-24)

“Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, namely, the vow of a Nazirite, to live as a Nazirite for the Lord, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall consume no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.....‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his consecration are fulfilled: he shall bring his offering to the entrance of the tent of meeting. And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb a year old without defect as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect as a sin offering, one ram without defect as a peace offering, and a basket of unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering. Then the priest shall present them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. He shall also offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, together with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering. The Nazirite shall then shave his consecrated head of hair at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and take the consecrated hair of his head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall take the ram’s shoulder when it has been boiled, and one unleavened loaf from the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair. Then the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. It is holy for the priest, together with the breast offered as a wave offering, and the thigh offered as a contribution; and afterward the Nazirite may drink wine.” (Numbers 6:1-21)

Plainly, the author of Hebrews is writing to encourage his readers to stay faithful to the Messiah (Hebrews 10:32-34), and is trying to reassure them that, even if the Temple is destroyed and the priesthood can't function the way it was intended, it's okay. We have a High Priest serving in the heavenly tabernacle (of which the earthly priesthood is a shadow), and therefore, regardless of what may transpire within the confines of the earthly Temple and priesthood, the Messiah's heavenly High Priesthood endures forever.