Book of Hebrews, part 3 — New Covenant replaces temple & Torah? Mistaken about the temple?

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Today, we’ll answer three questions, which are all related:

1. Does the author of Hebrews replace the Levitical service in the temple with the New Covenant?
   • Yes, the New Covenant does, physically
   • No, it doesn’t, spiritually.
2. Did the writer make a mistake about articles in the Holy of Holies, or the Most Holy Place?
   • No.
3. Does Hebrews change or cancel our obligations to Torah?
   • No.

Hebrews 9 — The author of Hebrews is addressing only the tabernacle, not the other covenants such as the covenants God made with Noah, Abraham , Isaac, Jacob, David, or any other patriarch. The author is only discussing a very specific testament as referred to in Heb. 9:1. The author uses the word “ordinances” not “the statutes and the judgements,” specifically the divine services as performed in the Tabernacle. What’s the difference between statutes, judgments and ordinances (see the Hallel Fellowship recap of Deuteronomy)?

The “golden altar of incense” is not the altar of incense before the veil separating the outer tabernacle from the inner tabernacle, or the Holy of Holies. He tells us the different tools between the outer tabernacle vs. the inner tabernacle.

The functions in the outer tabernacle were not a function of life and death but the functions in the inner tabernacle were a matter of life and death. Yeshua’s service, like the High Priest once a year, is in the most inner tabernacle and was a matter of life and death.

What did Aaron do in the Most Holy Place once a year (see Leviticus 16)? What did he take with him? What did he sprinkle? Why?

The author is trying to encourage the Jewish believers who have been disfellowshipped from the temple and the synagogue services. The author is trying to encourage them to carry on in the faith.

Ex. 25:37 gives us the template of the candlestick and the golden tongs for the golden censer. This was only used once a year. The regular altar was brass. The golden altar, or censer, was not for sacrificial animals.

Num. 4:9 — Items stored to be moved which were a part of the most holy place were packed out and taken care of differently than the other tabernacle equipment.

What kind of understanding comes first, physical or spiritual? Why?

Lev. 16:12-13

Heb. 9:8 — How many “tabernacles” are there? Which one is the real focus of the Feast of Tabernacles? What is the purpose for the 70 bulls sacrificed during the Feast of Tabernacles?

Did the earthly high priest do his work in the Most Holy Place with assistance and help (see Leviticus 16)? Did the Messiah enter the Most Holy Place with many witnesses and helpers? How does this shed light on Messiah’s response to the accusation that He cannot be His own witness (John 5:31-32)?

Heb. 9:9 — The earthly tabernacles services do not “perfect” the conscience. What does that mean? What does “reformation” mean? What is Yeshua reforming?

Did God get rid of or replace the animal sacrifices? Is he going to reinstitute them in full in the future? Did the animal sacrifices make the people holy? (See Heb. 10:1-5; Psa. 40:6-8).

What is the promise of the New Covenant as spelled out in Jeremiah 31? How do we each become “living Torah”?

How do we know what pleases God (John 3:16-17)?

Next week: Does entering God’s rest (Hebrews 3-4) “today” mean that the seventh-day Shabbat (Sabbath) is no longer important?