The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1965 kc 15-1

Do you realize that if it were not for the Old Testament, the New Testament would be impossible to understand because so many of the words of Christ and Paul and Peter, etc., which were directs quotes from the Old Testament, would be gone!

Then too, Christ said in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 that if you want to understand about the "abomination of desolation" go read the Book of Daniel, so you'll need to read that book to come up to speed on what's happening, won't you?  Christ also referred to Genesis and Isaiah and Jonah and David and Abraham, etc., etc. The reason I mention this is because without the first covenant with its worldly sanctuary and laws of divine service you would have great difficulty coming to know and understand the true tabernacle.

To that end, in this ninth chapter of Hebrews Paul compares the details of the earthly tabernacle, along with the ordinances of divine service, to the true tabernacle, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us as our High Priest who entered into the Holy of Holies once and for all time. By teaching us in this manner, Paul shows us how perfectly the Old Covenant explains the New by letting us "see" how those shadows represent the true tabernacle, which is Jesus Christ. Col. 2:17 "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." For you see, the New Covenant is simply the fulfillment of, the reality of, the Old Covenant, that schoolmaster which brings us to know and understand Jesus Christ, the true tabernacle.

In our last study Paul quoted the promise of the new covenant from the Book of Jeremiah after explaining to us that the problem with the first covenant was not the covenant itself, for God kept His promises faithfully, but rather with the hearts and minds of the people. Hebrews 8:8 "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

Here's how the new covenant would work:

Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Paul then said in the last verse of chapter eight that in as much as God promised there would be a "new covenant", by the very fact of the declaration itself He made the old covenant obsolete and ready to vanish. Paul now continues his teaching by explaining the things pertaining to the first covenant.
Hebrews 9:1
Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.



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