Responding to Dispensationalism, Installation #12: The Types & Shadows of Christ: A discussion of Hebrews 7:13-24, & 28

The Types and Shadows of Christ

Hebrews 7 (continued)

13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

In this portion of the passage it is apparent that Christ is made our High Priest outside of the normal ordinance; He did not come from the regular line of earthly priests.

17 For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." 18 On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'" 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.

The Oath

The “witness” mentioned in verse 17 is David, found in verse 4 of Psalm 110, and the oath mentioned in 21 we also find in a quote from that Psalm. This Psalm of David justifies the statement made later, in verse 28 that, “the word of the oath, which came later than the law”; the oath as stated in verse 21 came after the establishment of the ritual covenant stipulations of Moses, which pointed to Christ. The priests under the Old Covenant did not have an oath—in other words; they did not receive the promise to continue forever in their duties, not as individuals; neither did their office receive the promise of permanence.

The Former Commandment

The “former commandment” in verse 18 refers to the order of Levitical priesthood under the Mosaic Covenant. How is it set aside, well the preceding verses have quite clearly told us that when Christ came, this former commandment (because of its uselessness and weakness to accomplish the deeds of the Substance it symbolized) necessarily had to be trumped by the eventual establishment of the Permanent High Priest it shadowed—the “Better Hope” which was introduced to draw us near to God; though God’s wrath was stayed by those sacrifices, no one’s sins were propitiated by them, thus no one was drawn near to God by the rituals of the Old Covenant.

The Better Hope

The Levitical priesthood (in all its historical import and usefulness in pointing to the coming Messiah) was too weak to do what the real High Priest can do—mediate for us with clean hands, having no sin which needed covering; the High Priest makes us perfect but the Levitical priest only pointed out our imperfection, covering the people temporarily by their duties; the best they could do was to symbolize Christ in that office. On the other hand, the “Better Hope” was given an oath, a promise that He would one day become that High Priest forever.

Hebrews 7

28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Calvin again, on verse 28:

"28. For the law, etc. From the defects of men he draws his conclusion as to the weakness of the priesthood, as though he had said, “Since the law makes no real priests, the defect must by some other means be remedied; and it is remedied by the word of the oath; for Christ was made a priest, being not of the common order of men, but the Son of God, subject to no defect, but adorned and endowed with the highest perfection.” He again reminds us, that the oath was posterior to the law, in order to show that God, being not satisfied with the priesthood of the law, designed to constitute a better priesthood; for in the institutions of God what succeeds advances the former to a better state, or it abolishes what was designed to exist only for a time."

Christ was made a high priest by the Father, and his position is forever. Do you think it is proper to interpret the bible, and to systematize the theology of a Mediator between us and God in such a way that there will one day be an earthly high priest (for whom the offering must also be made) in the position of making offerings for Israel while the real High Priest is on Earth in their presence? I think it does great damage to the meaningfulness of the shadow and substance relationship to have both in concurrent operation. Certainly Christ will not put a moratorium on His high priestly activities in any future era so that the old ways can be reinstated; if Christ ever suspended His high priestly activities we would all certainly perish. As we have seen, through the contextual interpretation of the Word, and as we must conclude, the Levitical priest who assumes the old, cultic rituals of the Old Covenant after Christ has come in the flesh to put those things away, his "worship" and "mediation" will be a foul stench in the nostrils of God.

In the passages above there is no indication of a restoration of the type or the shadow which will work as an ordained memorial. Again, I must ask, how would the supposed future, human high priest view these scriptures in a millennium wherein his duties contradict the very meaning of these passages in Hebrews? Meditate on the dispensationalists claim that there will be a "cooperation" of the high priest appointed by the Law and the perfect High Priest made with an oath, and I will discuss that topic later as I plow through Hebrews 8.