John 1:14 - And the Word (undiminished deity) became flesh (true humanity), and dwelt among us (the Incarnation), and we (James, Peter, and John) beheld His glory (the visual manifestation of the Uniform of Glory), glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Bible Doctrine).
In our previous lessons we reviewed the doctrines that relate to TLJC in his first advent when he was incarnated via the virgin birth.
We started our study with a discussion of the doctrine of the virgin birth that was necessary for there to be no transmission of the OSN and then took up the doctrine of the hypostatic union that explains the mechanics of how undiminished deity and true humanity reside in the person of TLJC and then discussed the doctrine of the kenosis that defines God the Father's protocol for the deity and humanity of TLJC in hypostatic union.
In the context of these doctrines, we have been looking at some of the names and titles for our Lord Jesus Christ in order to see more clearly what God has done for us through him, so we can more completely understand who TLJC is and what he has done for us, and from our knowledge of him have our confidence established in him by being occupied with him. Heb 12:2;
We are now discussing TLJC as the Royal High Priest and believers who are in union with him as members of the Royal Priesthood of the church age and eternity.
Previously in our study we noted that TLJC our Messiah is the Great High Priest Heb 4:14; and church age believers are believer priests 1Peter 2:5-9.
When we stopped last time we were discussing the fact that The temple and all of its functions were a shadow copy of our Lord seated in the Holy of Holies as was also the case of the Law Heb 10:1, NET
The reality of the shadow copy is our Lord's work of salvation on the Cross and His session in the third heaven as the High Priest of the royal priesthood.
Heb 8:6; Net note 8 "But now He has gained a more excellent high priestly office by so much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legally enacted on the basis of better promises."
Jesus Christ can only perform His high priestly office outside of and separated from Israel. Therefore, the high priestly function of Jesus Christ is only for the Church Age and the eternal state.
The superiority of the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ also explains why there must be a new covenant for the Church because he is the new high priest for the church.
He had to be a priest to offer an efficacious substitutionary sacrifice on the Cross and He had to be a mediator in order to reconcile mankind to God.
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and mankind, therefore, He is the only savior of mankind. Acts 4:12;
It was as mediator and royal high priest that Jesus Christ offered himself as the efficacious, once-and-for-all sacrifice, Heb 7:26-28; Heb 9:13-14; Heb 10:12-14; This sacrifice had to be offered by a qualified mediator-priest.
In the book of Hebrews, the new covenant to Israel is quoted twice (Heb 8:8-12; Heb 10:15-16;) to show that the royal high priesthood of Christ under the new covenant to the Church provided a superior spiritual life for the Jews living in the millennium under the new covenant to Israel.
This new covenant to Israel provides a superior spiritual life than was given to the Jews in the Old Testament because it is based on the protocols of new covenant to the Church.
The unique spiritual life of history belongs to the new covenant to the Church under the aegis of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, Heb 8:6; because it is based on the unique spiritual life of TLJC in hypostatic union.
It was the humanity of Jesus Christ as a royal high priest and mediator of the new covenant to the Church that provided the once and for all efficacious sacrifice for sin.
This same spiritual life was subsequently given to every Church Age believer to be used as the spiritual life of the royal priesthood of the dispensation of the Church.
It was this new covenant to the Church with its unique spiritual life that rescinded and superseded the old covenant to Israel resulting in the reality replacing the shadow.
When the new covenant to Israel is fulfilled in the millennium, the two power options of the spiritual life that are defined in the new covenant to the Church (the filling of the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine in the soul) will be given to every born again Jew in the restored client nation of Israel.
The blessing of the new covenant to the Church overflows to the new covenant to Israel in the millennium, Ezek 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Zech 4:6; Zech 12:10;
Jesus Christ is unique as a high priest because He is the only high priest who was appointed in eternity past, Psa 110:4; but this appointment did not become operational until the virgin birth. Gal 4:4;
Jesus Christ is the only high priest in history to be born in perfect true humanity as Adam was created. This was necessary for him to be the mediator between God and man and sets up the principle of the classes of humanity described in 1Cor 15:21-22;
Jesus Christ is the only high priest in history to be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth.
Jesus Christ is the only high priest in history to offer one efficacious sacrifice for sin, under three principles.
As a priest, His substitutionary atonement on the Cross resulted in propitiation, that is directed toward God.
As a mediator, His substitutionary atonement on the Cross resulted in reconciliation, that is directed toward mankind.
As impeccable humanity His substitutionary atonement on the Cross resulted in redemption, that is directed toward sin.
Jesus Christ is the only high priest in history to be both a priest and a mediator between God and man, 1Tim 2:5-6; Heb 8:6; Heb 9:15; Heb 12:24;
Our Lord made the decision to be a mediator. He was appointed as a high priest by God the Father. His priesthood emphasizes his work of salvation. His mediatorship emphasizes the way of salvation because he maintained impeccability in his unglorified humanity thereby becoming the only human who could reconcile mankind to God. Heb 4:15;
Jesus Christ is the only priest-mediator who is both perfect humanity and undiminished deity in one person forever. The purpose for His humanity was for him to be a priest, to be a mediator, to be a savior, and to be the greater son of David who would be King over Israel forever.
Jesus Christ is the only high priest in all of human history who has a resurrection body and who is living in the true Holy of Holies in heaven. Because of this his high priesthood is superior.
Heb 8:7, "For if that first (covenant) were faultless but it was not, there would have been no place sought for a second (the new covenant to the Church)."
The new covenant to the Church supercedes and rescinds the old covenant to Israel, Heb 7:18-19;
The first covenant was not effective because it was based on physical birth.
The Mosaic Law could not bring anyone to salvation. The Mosaic Law does not produce the filling of the Spirit, Gal 3:2; Gal 3,5; The Mosaic Law could not bring anyone to completion spiritually. It could only condemn us and show the way to TLJC. Gal 3:19-24;
The baptism of the Holy Spirit and indwelling of the Trinity bring us to completion through the execution of our spiritual life in the Church Age.
Heb 8:8-12; a quotation of Jer 31:31-34; from the Septuagint states:
v8 "For finding fault with them, He says `Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will bring a new covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
v9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not persevere in My covenant, and I neglected them, says the Lord.
v10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will be giving My laws for the purpose of their thinking, and I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
v11 And they shall not teach every one his fellow-citizen, and every one his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," because everyone will know Me from the least to the greatest of them,
v12 because I will be merciful with reference to their wrongdoings and I will remember their sins no more.'"
The spiritual life in every dispensation is always a system of thinking. The spiritual life is given for the purpose of thinking. It is not possible to think without prior cognition therefore without prior cognition there is no spiritual life.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is the basis for the cognition necessary for the spiritual life during the dispensation of the hypostatic union, the Church Age, and the Millennium.
All three dispensations have the filling of the Spirit and metabolized doctrine in the soul as the power options necessary for perception and application.
With their new spiritual life that is based on the filling of the Holy Spirit Israel therefore has a fresh start in the millennium.
Heb 8:13; "With reference to what is said, `New,' He declares the first (covenant) obsolete. Then becoming obsolete and growing old, it is near to the vanishing point."
The fact that the old covenant was ready to disappear or was near to vanishing at time the book of Hebrews was written indicates that the new covenant to the Church had already superseded it and it had already been rescinded and superseded.
The basis for rescinding the old covenant to Israel is the fact that the Royal High Priest is infinitely and eternally superior to any other high priest in history. The Royal High Priesthood of the new covenant to the Church has provided a unique spiritual life superseding any spiritual life before. Heb 8:6;
Jesus Christ as priest-mediator is perfect and impeccable humanity in hypostatic union.
As our High Priest, He offered Himself as the only efficacious sacrifice, the basis for eternal salvation.
As mediator in the conflict between God and mankind, He reconciles every human being in history who believes in Him.
Jesus Christ was the first High Priest in history to be filling with the Holy Spirit.
As our royal High Priest, Jesus Christ is the first person in history to be resurrected
Only in the Church Age does our High Priest- Mediator indwell the body of every believer, Col 1:27;
We have a better covenant, Heb 8:6,13.
We have a better temple,1Cor 6:19;
We have a better sacrifice, Heb 10:12,14; "But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right had of God,...For by one offering He has brought to completion for all time those who are being sanctified."
The second quotation of Jer 31:33; regarding new covenant to Israel is found in Heb 10:14-17;
v14 "For by one offering He has brought to completion for all time those who are being sanctified.
v15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us for our advantage; for after saying,
v16`This is the covenant that I will make face-to-face with them after those days,' says the Lord. `I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them. Both their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'"
Jesus Christ is the only one qualified to offer a sacrifice for sin. He is qualified because He was born perfect and lived impeccably in the prototype spiritual life enduring temptations that are beyond anything we will ever face and He remained perfect.
He was qualified by the divine decree, having been appointed as a high priest in eternity past. He was qualified by making the decision to become a mediator.
God the Father was satisfied with only one sacrifice for sin. He was satisfied because He imputed all of our sins to Christ for judgment.
Even though the believers of the millennium have the filling of the Spirit, they do not use their spiritual life to obtain tactical victory in association with our Lord's strategic victory in the angelic conflict as we do.
This makes the deployment of the spiritual life of church age believers unique.
All believers are ultimately brought to completion by resurrection, whether they take advantage of their priesthood and receive conveyance of their escrow blessings or not.
The quotation in Heb 10:16; shows that the spiritual life of Israel in the future is similar to the spiritual life we presently have under the filling of the Spirit, indwelling of the Spirit, and the faith-rest drill.
Every believer is sanctified or set apart unto God for the special purpose of glorifying Him, at the moment of salvation.
Verse 17 states that all past failures of Israel are blotted out forever and they get a complete new start in the millennium.
In every dispensation, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone, and restoration to fellowship is through the acknowledgement of known sins under the principle of 1John 1:9. because there is no spiritual life apart from the power of the Holy Spirit.