Hebrews 8:2 Commentary and Bible Study

Christ is a minister of the sanctuary [the holy things], that is heaven itself, the place where God dwells and where Christ has ascended following his resurrection: ‘For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us’ (Hebrews 9:24).What is the true tabernacle? True is used here, not, by contrast with false – something that is true, as opposed to something which is false – but it is used in the sense of the real tabernacle, as opposed to the typical tabernacle of Old Testament times. The tabernacle and then the temple that was later constructed: that was the sanctuary. But the inner sanctuary, the holy of holies, represented heaven. It wasn't heaven, of course, but it represented heaven, and it was veiled off to teach the people that the entry into heaven is enormously difficult; in fact, impossible, but for a Saviour. The tabernacle and then the temple of the Old Testament was only a picture, a model, a representation. It wasn't the real thing. It taught about the real thing. It pointed forward to the real thing. It was a kind of prophecy or illustration, but the true tabernacle, to which it points: that is Christ himself. How do we know that he refers to himself here? Well, Christ says so. He says to the Jews, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’ (John 2:19), and they thought he was referring to the building, but the text tells us in the Gospel of John, he was referring to his own body. He is the fulfilment of the ancient tabernacle, the place of worship, which had the holy of holies, where sacrifice was offered, where the people were taught of God: that represented him, bodily. ‘Which the Lord pitched [set, established] and not man.’ There is another tabernacle which God himself has pitched, caused to be constructed, and fixed in place. Some understand this tabernacle to be Christ’s human nature, in which he ministered, and in which ‘dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily’ (Colossians 2:9). The Old Testament tabernacle was the dwelling place of God, and the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ, bodily. After casting the merchants out of the temple, he was asked for a sign by the Jews, authorising what he had done. He replied that when they have destroyed this temple (and not just polluted it with their commerce), he will raise it again in three days. John tells us that by this enigmatic statement the Lord was referring to the temple of his body, so that he equates his body with the true temple or tabernacle. Christ is said to have dwelt among us (John 1:14), and the word John uses for ‘dwelt’ is literally, tabernacled. The tabernacle of olden times was a place richly decorated with all the symbols of peace and reconciliation, in which the sacrifices were offered, and the whole tabernacle and the temple of old represented Christ. The true tabernacle is the body of Christ offered up on Calvary for us. This human nature is prepared by God: ‘a body hast thou prepared me’ (Hebrews 10:5). The pitching of this tabernacle is understood by John Owen of the preparation of a human nature or body for Christ, referring to his incarnate state in which he accomplished our redemption. He carried out this high priestly work initially on earth, but then in heaven, to which he ascended and where he brings his people. At all times he was serving in the heavenly sanctuary. The principal reality of heaven is that it will be the place where God’s people shall see him face to face in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.Generally in the New Testament, the word ‘minister’ is a translation of the Greek word which indicates servant. Here the writer uses a more unusual word, which in Greek literature refers specifically to a public servant, or public official. In Scripture it is applied to angels, and Paul uses it of himself. It makes us think of Christ in this way: he humbled himself and came down to act like a public servant. It is through the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, that all things were made – he is the one to whom we owe our life and our breath – but our maker became, as it were, a public servant. What mighty condescension of Christ!