The Everlasting Covenant's Sacrifice and Alter

            In this article consideration will be given to items three and four sited earlier in this series. That is there must be a sacrifice that will be made to satisfy the justice of God, and there must be an alter on which the sacrifice will be offered.

            The Law of Moses had only a shadow of good things to come, and not the things themselves. These shadows were a preview of good things to come, since they were only shadows the view they afforded was shadowy and dark The shadows were of good things to come, they were shadows of Christ and  shadows of the his sufferings and death, and shadows of what was to be accomplished in his sufferings and death.

            The many sacrifices of the Old Testament were only shadows, pictures, types, and representations of the one and only sacrifice that put away sin forever. The rivers of blood on Jewish alters was witness and promise of him that was to come, and of what he would accomplish. This testimony is clearly set before us in the epistle to the Hebrews chapter ten verses one through eighteen, if it please the reader to turn to that portion of Holy writ and carefully study the things contained therein, please do so now, as it will prophet much the understanding of the following lines.

            The shadows of the Old Testament and the worship of God conducted there under could not make those who partook of that worship perfect in respect of the consciousness of sins. For if they could have made the conscience perfect by taking away sin forever they would not have ceased to be offered. Because the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins vs.2. But in those sacrifices which had to be offered every year, again and again, year after year, there is made a remembrance of those sins, because those sacrifices could not put away sin forever. The very sacrifices that were offered and the worship ceremonies that were conducted in the offerings were themselves a reminder of their sins. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should put away sins vs.4.

The Promised Messiah

           

Wherefore, when he cometh into the world he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body thou hast prepared me; In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure vs. 5&6. This is a quote of psalm 40:6. The reason that God had had no pleasure in the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings is that they could not put away sin and so could not perfect the children of God. The reason they were required is that they were “a figure for the time then present”, chap.9vs.9. The Old Testament church was the church in its infancy, the fullness of time not as yet having come that Messiah should be sent into the world Gal. 4:4.

Note carefully Dear reader the words of Messiah “ but a body thou hast prepared me” God had required the sacrifices of the Old Testament as a figure of Christ for the time then present, but had no pleasure in them as that which should take away sin. To take away sin required a sacrifice of infinite dignity and perfection a lamb without spot, the Lamb of God. That is the human nature of Jesus Christ. God required a perfect man to stand in the law place of fallen men and so prepared a body in the womb of the virgin. The Son of God took that human nature into union with himself “ the Word was made flesh” Jn.1:14 and thus was made the sacrifice that could and has put away sin forever.

In that body the God man died and thus standing in the law place of his elect, he satisfied the justice of God for them forever. The sins of all his elect were laid on him, Isa.53:6; Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree…1Pet.2:24. In so doing Christ Jesus put away the sin of the elect forever, as far as the east is from the west. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, Hebrews. 10:14.

            What ever the Lord Christ undertook, that he undertook in his whole person,  what ever he undertook in his person was attended by both natures. It was the human nature of the Lord Christ that was offered and it was offered through the eternal Spirit, Hebrews 9:14.  The debt for sin that was paid by the Lord Christ was the debt for sin owed by all the elect of God through all times; those persons are the sanctified that are referred to in Hebrews 10:14; they were sanctified in the decree of eternal unconditional election of God from all eternity. The Deity the Lord Christ upheld his humanity in his undertakings at mount Calvary, where he as the Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant offered the one and only sacrifice that was well pleasing to God for the expiation (taking away – removal) of the sin of his chosen people.

Christ the Alter

               It is clear from what has been said, that Jesus Christ the God man was the officiating Great High Priest, he was the sacrifice, he was the alter (which we have Hebrews 13:10).The Christian alter is not on earth made with hands, but is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high and he is our Sabbath (rest). He is our all in all, not pictures, not images, not statues of figures of angels and men, (Numbers 33:52) but the God man Christ the Lord. Believers worship God in spirit and in truth. The God man Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and he is God; he who in the beginning was with God is still with God and always has been, we worship him there by faith. Believers do not need objects, as statutes of angels and of Jesus; those things are obnoxious and abominable to God; Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image (any statute) or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, (Christ Jesus is in heaven above) or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Exodus 20:4. Many religious societies claim to be of those who worship God in spirit and in truth, but when first you walk into their place of worship, the center attraction in front of your eyes is a picture of one who is supposed to be a representation of Jesus Christ. What do the holy scriptures teach us about those things?  “ Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images,(all their statues) and quite pluck down all their high places; Numbers 33:52.  See: Exodus 23:24,33; 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12;3; Joshua 11:12. Some may object; we are not under the law! that is true, we are not under the law as an instrument of justification, but God has not changed nor has his law though we are not under the law, the law teaches us the mind and will of God in such matters. This is the New Testament lawful use of the law, 1Timothy 1:8. “But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully.”                       

It was the Son of God who up held and gave strength to the human nature of Jesus Christ while the billows of wrath from God the Father swept over him, It was the Holy Spirit of God that maintained the heart of him who died in a state of willing loving obedience to his Father while he was crushed to death for the sins of his elect. Thus it is the Deity of Christ that was the alter for his humanity while he paid the awful debt that he as surety of the New Testament paid for the elect of God. Ps. 42:7.                                                                                                    Those who would make use of the Christian alter must in truth and sincerity bow their heart and pray to him who is on the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high wherever and whenever they are given grace to approach the living God. For it is JesusChrist who ever lives to make intercession for his people, it is he who saves to the uttermost. Jesus Christ himself is the covenant of his people (Isaiah 42:6); he is the officiating Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant (Psalms 110:4); he is the sacrifice for (Hebrews 9:26) and he is the alter of his people (Hebrews 13:10).We (believers) have an alter, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

A.J. Ison

The Everlasting Covenant's Great High Priest : Part II

           In the most recent past article, this question was anticipated and posed; why was Melchizedek chosen to be a priest and to prefigure the Lord Jesus Christ? This is to be the subject of this article. I beg the reader’s patient indulgence as this important issue is addressed.

Why Melchizedek? Briefly it is because Melchizedek is in some respect better than Abraham. That principle is declared in Hebrews 7:7. There it is written” And without all contradiction the less (Abraham) is blessed of the better (Melchizedek)”. Now in Genesis 14:17-20 is the history of the event. “And the King of Sodom went out to meet him (Abram whose name was later changed to Abraham who is the patriarch of many nations including the nation of the Hebrews) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the Kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the King’s dale. And Melchizedek King of Salem brought bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” In the actions of both men (Melchizedek and Abraham) the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham was acknowledged. Melchizedek acknowledged his superiority to Abraham when he blessed him. Abraham acknowledged his inferiority to Melchizedek when he received the blessing from Melchizedek and when he gave him tithes of all. Melchizedek was superior to Abraham in the office he held, he was the priest of the most high God. In the office of priest Melchizedek stood as intermediary between God and Abraham.

Abraham acknowledged the superiority of Melchizedek in his priesthood as he stood the patriarch and head of the Hebrew nation, and so as the father of the family of Levi from whom came the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood. In that relation the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek to the priesthood of Aaron was demonstrated. Since Melchizedek was the acknowledged superior of Abraham, and Abraham the acknowledged superior of Levi and Aaron because the father of their nation, then it is clear that Melchizedek is the superior of Levi and Aaron.   

             It is because of the demonstrated superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham, Levi, and Aaron that Melchizedek was chosen to be the old testament type of  Jesus Christ the Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant of grace. Now to summarize what has been said before; Abraham was the patriarch of the Hebrew nation, he was chosen of God to be the progenitor of that nation and so most highly revered by the Hebrews. Both in Melchizedek’s blessing Abraham, and in Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek, in both actions, is shown the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham, for the less is blessed of the better Hebrews 7:7. And that is not all, for Levi also paid tithes to Melchizedek while he was yet in the loins of Abraham, Hebrews7:10, so that the Levitical priesthood is shown to be inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek.

Now the priesthood of Melchizedek was given to be a type of the everlasting priesthood of Christ, and the priesthood of Christ Jesus (who is the God-man) is infinitely more superior to the priesthood of Melchizedek than that of Melchizedek to the priesthood of the sons of Levi. For Melchizedek was a mere man and no more, Hebrews 5:1 “ For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins:” To officiate in the office of priest for men it is required that the candidate must be a man. In this it is certain that Melchizedek was a mere man and no more than a man. Now in the case of Our Lord Jesus Christ, He is one person who is God-man. This truth is made clear as we compare John1:1 with John1:14; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, John. 1:1. And the Word was made flesh, (and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth, John. 1:14. The Word being made flesh; is the act of The Son of God in taking the human nature prepared in the womb of the virgin into union with his divine person. In this act our Lord became man, antecedent to that he was God and remains God and as God-man is qualified to officiate in the office of the great high priest for men. The God-man is one person who has two natures, He is very God of very God, and he is very man of very man in one person. It is the person of Christ that is vested with priesthood as He is God-man; and in the person of Jesus Christ God purchased his church with his own blood. Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Now the time of reformation had come upon the Church of God, and that form of worship which was under the Old Testament was to be abolished, along with its priesthood and ceremonies. The Old Testament priesthood and form of worship had been God’s appointed way for fifteen hundred or more years, and now the time which was foretold in that testament was come upon the Church.

The Hebrew nation and that Church State was to abandon the mosaic institutions which they had followed for generations and worship God (the God of their fathers) according to the form of worship which should be declared by Messiah. This demanded alteration was far more extensive than we moderns can imagine, yet it was foretold in the Old Testament, they should have been aware of the change that was come upon them, and should have been willing to receive that which was ordained of God for the time to come. The Old Testament system of worship was “a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation, Hebrews 9:9,10.

The time of reformation was now come upon them, and now they must forsake the Old Testament institutions of divine worship, and worship God in spirit and in truth, which is the acknowledgement of the person and offices of Jesus Christ. They were called upon to forsake the weak and beggarly elements of the law and cleave to Christ alone for all of their salvation, Galatians 4:9.

To show the Hebrews the necessity of this change the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews points to the superiority of the priesthood of the New Testament as it is compared to the priesthood of the Old Testament. The Great High Priest of the New Testament is God in human flesh, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the high priests of the Old Testament were men, who were made priests by carnal ordinances of the law. In order to  show that superiority, the writer of the epistle lights upon Melchizedek and shows his superiority to Abraham, and his superiority to the  Levitical priesthood in Abraham (for Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek) Hebrews 7:9,10. By showing the superiority of Melchizedek to Abraham and to Levi, and by stating that the Priesthood of Christ (by oath of God the Father) is after the order of Melchizedek, he proves the superiority of the priesthood of Christ to the Priesthood of Levi. This is easily understood when it is considered that Jesus Christ is the God of Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Aaron and Levi. It is also clear from this that the Son of God, Jesus Christ is the eternal Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant of Grace.

A.J. Ison

           

           

           

The Everlasting Covenant's Great High Priest : Part I

            In our last article it was stated that there are four things required in the new covenant in order that the worship of God should be conducted under that covenant, those four things are:

1. There must be a covenant prepared of God, in the hand of a mediator, who is accepted of God and the persons interested in the covenant.
2. There must be a priesthood ordained of God for the mediation of the covenant.
3. There must be a sacrifice that will be offered to satisfy the justice of God.
4. There must be an alter on which the sacrifice will be offered.

In this weeks article we will be concerned with the second requirement; there

must be a priesthood ordained of God for the mediation of the covenant. That great high priest along with the nature of his priesthood was promised in the in old testament, in Psalm  110:4; “The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

After The Order of Melchizedek

            Now we must inquire; what is the meaning of: “after the order of Melchizedek?”

There are many particulars wherein the priesthood of Melchizedek and the priesthood of  Jesus Christ are similar. The similarities of the two make the one to be after the order of the other. The priesthood of Melchizedek was typical of the priesthood of Christ Jesus. In point of truth that was the greatest reason for the ministry of Melchizedek, that he should prefigure the Lord Christ as he is the great high priest of the everlasting covenant.

            There is that in Melchizedek (mystically) which is true in the person of Christ, in this Melchizedek is typical of Christ.

To begin our comparison let us look at the following verse. “To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that King of Salem, which is, King of peace;” Hebrews 7:2.

First: Melchizedek is typical of Christ in his name. The name, Melchizedek is by interpretation, King of righteousness, Hebrews 7:2. This name, King of Righteousness which is the interpreted meaning of the name Melchizedek, is in every way typical of Christ Jesus. For Jesus Christ is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jeremiah 23:6.

It is Jesus Christ who has brought in everlasting righteousness for the church of God’ Daniel 9:24. Instances of this kind could be multiplied, but one more will be enough to show this typical connection. The church of God is made the righteousness of God in him (Christ), II Corinthians 5:21. That is the church of God is made perfectly righteous in God’s sight by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to them.

 Second: After that also King of Salem, which is King of Peace; Hebrews 7:2. The order of the name and title of Melchizedek is here to be observed, He is first King of Righteousness and after that King of Peace, Isaiah 32:17, those who would approach God must approach in perfect righteousness and so shall find perfect peace, that is they must approach God in Christ. “For He is our peace who hath made both one” Ephesians 2:13-17.  “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross” Colossians 1:20. Our Lord Jesus is “THE PRINCE OF PEACE” Isaiah 9:6. The Lord Jesus is the author of our peace, it is he who maintains our peace with the Father, his kingdom abounds in peace, Psalm 72:3,7.

Third: Melchizedek was by the direct appointment of God, priest of the Most High God, Hebrews 7:1. That is God himself by direct and personal action had appointed Melchizedek to be Priest. This was before the levitical priesthood was established. By that action on the part of God the Hebrews could know that the levitical priesthood had had a predecessor and so might infer it was to have a successor. The superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood to the levitical was demonstrated by the personal appointment of Melchizedek to that office by God himself: while the levitical priests came to office by the “law of a carnal commandment” Heb. 7:16.The importance of that personal appointment of Melchizedek to the office of priesthood by God himself is brought to light when it is considered that even in the appointment of Melchizedek it is not said that the Lord sware, or hath sworn. But in the appointment of Jesus Christ to the office of The Great High Priest it is said “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”  The oath of God the Father in the appointment of his Son Jesus Christ to the office of priesthood shows the infinite superiority of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ to that of Melchizedek just as Melchizedeks direct appointment to the office of priesthood shows Melchizes superiority over that of the levitical priests who were vested with the office by natural generation being the sons of Aaron, that is being made priests by the law of a carnal commandment, Heb. 7:16.   

Forth: It is said of Melchizedek that he was without father, (Heb. 7:3) and so it is true of the Lord Jesus in his humanity, Our Lord Jesus had no earthly human father for God was his father.

Fifth: Melchizedek is said to be without mother, (Heb.7:3) so it is true of the Lord Jesus in his divinity, his divinity was from everlasting (in the beginning was the Word, John. 1:1) and so there was no place for a mother.

Sixth: Melchizedek is said to be without descent, (Heb.7:3) he had no recorded genealogy, that is Melchizedek had no successor nor had he any predecessor. This Melchizedek (in order to be the most accurate type of our Lord Jesus Christ) had no recorded beginning of his priesthood, nor had he any recorded ending to his priesthood, this was to type the eternity of the person and priesthood of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is a priest forever.

Seveneth: Melchizedek is said to be made like unto the Son of God, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Our Lord Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

Eighth: It is said of Melchizedek that he abideth a priest continually, Jesus Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and who has an unchangeable priesthood.

Now it is manifest in these things that what was mystically true in Melchizedek was presented to foreshadow or type the Lord Jesus in His office of the Great High Priest of the everlasting covenant. But why was this Melchizedek chosen to be a priest and prefigure the Lord Jesus. That question will be taken up in the next of this series of articles. 

A.J. Ison