Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
Jesus Is Our High Priest In The True Heavenly Temple
8 Now[a] the main-point in the things being said is: we have such a High Priest, Who sat-down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 Minister of the Holies[b], indeed[c] of the true tabernacle (which the Lord pitched[d], not a human).
Earthly Priests Serve In a Copy And Shadow of The Heavenly Things
3 For every high priest is appointed that he might be offering both gifts and sacrifices. Hence it is[e] necessary that this One also have something which He may offer. 4 Now indeed, if He were on earth He would not even be a priest— there being the ones offering the gifts according-to the Law, 5 who are serving a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses has been warned, being about to complete the tabernacle: for “See”, He says [in Ex 25:40], “that you make everything according to the pattern having been shown to you on the mountain”.
But Jesus Has a Better Ministry As Mediator of a Better Covenant With Better Promises
6 But He has now obtained a more-excellent ministry[f], by as much as He is indeed the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises!
For God Promised a New Covenant
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second. 8 For, finding-fault-with[g] them, He says [in Jer 31:31-34]: “Behold— days are coming, says the Lord, and I will consummate[h] a new covenant for the house of Israel and for the house of Judah; 9 not in accordance with the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took-hold-of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not-care-for them, says the Lord. 10 Because this is the covenant which I will covenant with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: Giving My laws into their mind, I will also write them upon their heart. And I will be God to them and they will be a people to Me. 11 And they will by no means each teach his fellow-citizen and each his brother, saying ‘Know[i] the Lord’, because they all will know Me from the small[j] one up to their great one. 12 Because I will be merciful[k] to their wrong-doings, and I will never remember[l] their sins again”.
God Has Thus Made The First Covenant Old
13 In that He says “New”, He has made the first old[m]. And the thing becoming old and growing-aged is near disappearance.
The First Covenant Allowed Entrance Into The Holy of Holies Once a Year
9 Now indeed, the first covenant also had regulations of service and the earthly Holy Place. 2 For the first[n] tabernacle was prepared[o]— in which were both the lampstand and the table, and the Presentation of the bread— which is called the Holies. 3 And behind the second curtain was the tabernacle being called the Holies of Holies, 4 having a golden altar-of-incense[p], and the ark[q] of the covenant having been covered on-all-sides with gold, in which was a golden jar having the manna and the rod of Aaron having budded and the tablets of the covenant, 5 and above it were the cherubim[r] of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat[s]— concerning which things there is not time now to be speaking in detail. 6 And these things thus having been prepared, the priests accomplishing the services are continually going into the first tabernacle. 7 But into the second only the high priest goes once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and the ignorances[t] of the people—
God Was Making Clear That The Way Into The Holies Was Not Yet Revealed
8 ... the Holy Spirit making this clear: that the way of [u] the Holies has not yet been made-known while the first tabernacle[v] was[w] still having[x] a standing, 9 which[y] is[z] a symbol for the present[aa] time, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered not being able to perfect the one worshiping in relation to the conscience, 10 being[ab] only (in-addition-to foods and drinks and different cleansings[ac]) regulations of [ad] flesh being imposed until the time of reformation.
But Christ Entered The True Holy of Holies Once For All And Obtained Redemption
11 But Christ, having arrived[ae] as High Priest of the good things having come, entered[af] once-for-all into the Holies through[ag] the greater and more-perfect tabernacle not made-by-human-hands— that is, not of this creation; 12 and not through[ah] the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtained[ai] eternal redemption.
For Through The Spirit He Offered Himself Without Blemish To God
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the ones having been defiled sanctifies for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 by how much more will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit[aj] offered Himself without-blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we may worship[ak] the living God!
Thus Christ Mediates a New Covenant Inaugurated By His Own Blood
15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that the ones having been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance— a death having taken-place for the redemption from the transgressions committed under[al] the first covenant. 16 For where there is a will[am], it is a necessity that the death of the one having made-the-will be brought-forth. 17 For a will over dead ones is firm, since it does not ever have [legal] power when the one having made-the-will is living. 18 Hence, not even the first covenant has been inaugurated[an] without blood. 19 For every commandment having been spoken to all the people by Moses according-to[ao] the Law— having taken the blood of the calves and the goats along with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded to you” [Ex 24:8]. 21 And he likewise sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and all the objects of the ministry. 22 Indeed according-to[ap] the Law almost everything is cleansed[aq] with blood, and forgiveness does not take-place[ar] apart-from blood-shedding[as]. 23 Therefore it was a necessity that the copies[at] of the things in the heavens be cleansed with these[au] things— but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
He Entered The Heavenly Temple
24 For Christ did not enter into the Holies made-by-human-hands— copies of the true things— but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
He Offered Himself Once For All As a Sacrifice To Set Aside Sin
25 Nor did He enter in order that He might offer Himself often— as indeed the high priest enters into the Holies yearly with the blood belonging-to-another— 26 otherwise He would had-to-have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once-for-all at the conclusion[av] of the ages for the setting-aside of sin by the sacrifice[aw] of Himself.
He Will Appear To Us a Second Time For Salvation
27 And just as it is destined for people to die once and after this comes the judgment, 28 so also[ax] Christ, having been offered once so as to bear[ay] the sins of many, will appear for a second time without reference to sin to the ones eagerly-awaiting Him, for salvation.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing