The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 217

EXPOSITION. their ~oncep_tion of !ealities ~yond their CHAPTER VIII. ken. Thus m Pa. xx,x., where tho tbnndcr- etonn is described, the Lonn is conceived in CH. VUI. 1-x. 19. tl,e introductory and conclurlinoo vcrseR,' ne e?t(,rnncd above_ it in his heav:nly temple, THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF CnmsT YULll'ILS sitting there a Krng for ev:er, and worahi pperl THE SUIDOLISY OB' TIIE AARONIO, AND IS by the "sons of God." Thus in l Kin:::a ALONl!l AN ETERNAL REALITY. xxii. 19 Michaiah sees in vision "the L•Hw sitting on his throne, and all the boat of Christ's heavenly priesthood, shown above heaven standing by him, on his right han,l to be of a higher order than that of Aaron, and on his left." In Isa. vi. ti:iis throne ia destined to supersede it, :.a in this section of ~een as the di~tinct counterpart of the the Epistlo (us intinmt&"' in the concluding mercy-seat in the earthly temple, with the winged forms above it, and the "hous,-" verses of eh. vii.) set forth in full as the filled with the smoke of incense, nnd Ii ve reality foreshadowed by it. The two priest- coals upon the altar. Ezekiel's still more hoods are compared with respect to (1) their remarkable visions (eh. i., x., xi.) are in spheres, (2) their functions, (3) their effects; like manner enlargements of the idea of the and, in the couroe of the ei.position, the two Shechinah in the holy of holies (cf. also I's. xi 4; Micah i. 2; Hab. ii. 20). Then the covenants (6,a6111<a,) to which they respec- visions of St. John in the Revelation h:m; tively belong are explained and contrasted. the same basis; there is still seen a gloriuns Ver. 1.-Now the ohief matter in (or, in counterpo.rt above of the temple below; regard to) the things whioh are being said though now with new accessories, expres- is (or, to sum up what we are sayina)- The sive of accomplished redemption. But word 1<e~o.,\a1ov in itself may I1J.ean either that St. John's visions are meant only as " summary" or "chief point." It is not imagery representing the incomprehensible "the sum of what we have spoken," as in is evident throughout, and especially from A.V. "Caput, id est praicipuum . . . dum the ideal description of the holy city in hmc omuia de archis11cerdot;,, n08tro dicimus, Rev. xxi., in which ver. 22 is peculiarly caput totius sermonis, ordin.:. ita. postulante, significant: "And I saw no temple therein : oommemomndum venit. Conf. ~,,.1, ver. 6; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb eh. ix. 10, 15, 17; x. 28" (Bengel). We are the temple of it." In the ea.me way is have suoh a High Priest (i.e. such as Ims to be understood the "true tabernacle." bef'n described ; cf. eh. vii. 2G), who sat Ir, as we may snppose, the writer had beforn down on the right hand of the throne of the his mind the prophetic visions of such a Majesty (or, of Majesty) in the heavens (cf. heavenly temple, he entertains them only eh. i. 3, and what was there said). as imaging spiritual facts aud relations in Ver. 2.-A minister of the sanctuary (Tow the regions of eternity. "Which the Loni u-yfo», t1eulcr, as in eh. ix. 12, equivalent to pitched," etc., may have reference to Isa. "the holy places;" of. eh. ix. 8 ; x. 19), xlii. 5, ·o ,,..,~..... TOIi oupuov a:"2 1111!..s and of the true tabemaole, which the Lord uii.,.bv, LXX. pitohed, and not man. The sphere of Christ's Vers. 3, 4.-For every high priest is priestly ministration (,\uToup-yds, ,\e1Tovp-y,,v, appointed to o:lfer gifts and sacrifices : ,\<1Tovp-yla, being the recognized words in wherefore it is of neoessity that this one the LXX. and Josephus for denoting sacer- also have somewhat to offer. For (r-.ither, dotal functions,-hence Lituray) is thus in flay; the reading ,,_,., o~v being better sup- the first place pointed to as being a heavenly ported than the Textus Receptus µ.,v 'Y"P) one, symbolized only by the earthly sanc- if he were on earth, he would not even be a. tuary, But wh11t is tho true tabernacle, in priest, seeing there are those who o:lfer the which Christ ministers? Are we to suppose gifts acoording to the Law. 'l'hese verses are that an actual prototype of the e11rthly iu proof of the assertion of ver. 2, viz. tabernacle is regarded 11s existing locally that Christ has his ministry in the hea'l!enly beyond the sky? No; it is only implied tabernacle. He has beeu shown to be a that there are, in the suprasensuous sphere, High Priest: therefore he mast make some faote 11,nd rel11Lions which are symbolized offering, this being the very purpo~e of a and m11de level to onr oomprehension by high priest's office (cf. eh. v. 1). But where? local imagery. Still, there may be ooncei ved Not certain! v in the earthly tabernacle, RB present to the writer's mind an ide11l this bein"' served already, and. exclusively picture of b heavenly temple, such as w11s sn\'ed, by the sons of Aaron. 'fhere- 1et1n in vision by pt"ophets, and served to aid fore 1t must be in the he,wenly sphere Jll';DIIEWS, f  210 THE EPIS'l'LE TO 'l'HE 1rnurrnws. [cH. nn. 1-13,