Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2025
Sunday, May 25, 2025
He does not have to offer sacrifices daily (Heb. 7:27).
The high priest represented the people before God. Israel’s first high priest, Aaron, was appointed by Jehovah at the dedication of the tabernacle. But the apostle Paul explained: “Since death prevented the priests from serving, many priests succeeded one another” (Heb. 7:23–26). Moreover, because these high priests were imperfect, they had to offer sacrifices for their own sins. That is a huge difference between Israel’s high priests and the great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, “is a servant of the true tabernacle, which Jehovah pitched, and not man” (Heb. 8:1, 2). Paul explained that because Jesus “lives forever, his priesthood has no successors.” Furthermore, he said that Jesus is “undefiled, separate from sinners” and that, unlike Israel’s high priests, “he does not have to offer sacrifices daily” for his own sins. w23:10 26 pars. 8, 9.
According to Hebrews 7:23-27, What vast difference is there between the high priests of Israel and the great High Priest, Jesus Christ?
Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, “is a servant of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Heb. 8:1, 2). Paul explained that since Jesus “lives forever, his priesthood has no successors.” He further said that Jesus is “undefiled, separated from sinners” and, unlike Israel’s high priests, “does not have to offer sacrifices daily” for his own sins. And what about altars and sacrifices? Let’s look at the differences between shadow and reality.
What did the sacrifices offered on the copper altar represent?
The Shadow. Outside the entrance to the tabernacle was a copper altar on which animal sacrifices were offered to Jehovah (Ex. 27:1, 2; 40:29). But these sacrifices could not achieve complete forgiveness of the people's sins (Heb. 10:1-4). The animal sacrifices regularly offered in the tabernacle represented the sacrifice that would completely cleanse humanity from sin.
On what altar did Jesus offer himself as a sacrifice? (Hebrews 10:5-7, 10)
The Fact. Jesus knew that Jehovah had sent him to earth to give his human life as a ransom for humanity (Matt. 20:28). So, at his baptism, Jesus presented himself to do Jehovah's will (John 6:38; Gal. 1:4). It was as if he were offering himself on an altar. That altar represented God's "will," and Jehovah's will was that his Son sacrifice his perfect human life. Jesus offered his life "once for all" to atone for, or permanently cover, the sins of all who show faith in him. (Read Hebrews 10:5-7, 10.) Next, we'll talk about the interior of the tabernacle and what some of its features represent.
Who could enter each section of the tabernacle?
The Shadow. Inside, both the tabernacle and the temples built later in Jerusalem had a similar design. There were two compartments: “the Holy Place” and “the Most Holy,” which were separated by a curtain (Heb. 9:2-5; Ex. 26:31-33). In the Holy Place were a golden lampstand, an altar for burning incense, and a table for the shewbread. Only “the anointed priests” could enter the Holy Place to fulfill their sacred responsibilities (Num. 3:3, 7, 10).
In the Most Holy Place was the ark of the covenant, which was made of gold and represented Jehovah's presence (Ex. 25:21, 22). Only the high priest could pass through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. On the annual Day of Atonement, he entered with the blood of animals to atone for his own sins and those of all the people (Lev. 16:2, 17). In time, Jehovah used the Holy Spirit to reveal what these elements of the tabernacle really represented (Heb. 9:6-8).
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