Introduction: We know, from the record in the gospels, about some of
the wonderful things Jesus did for us while He lived here on earth.
Now that He is back in heaven, is He vacationing? Is He taking a
well-deserved rest? Is He simply watching to see if we will take
advantage of His sacrifice for us? Our lesson today pulls back the
curtains on the windows of heaven and gives us a peek at what Jesus
is doing for us now. Let’s jump into our study!
- The Pattern
- Read Exodus 24:15-16. Why is Moses on this mountain? (Read
Exodus 24:12. God is giving him the Ten Commandments and
other instructions for the people.) - When does God come to Moses? (On the seventh day.)
- Is that important? (Yes. The Fourth Commandment
sets aside the seventh day as a time for us to
come near to God. This text reinforces the idea
of “special time” for God.) - Is there any significance to the fact that Moses
alone approached God? (We have the symbolism of
Moses being a type of intercessor for the people
with God.) - In Exodus 25:1-7, we learn that the first thing God talks
to Moses about is taking an offering! Let’s read on:
Exodus 25:8-9. What is the purpose of taking the offering?
(To build a sanctuary, a temple, so that God can dwell
with His people.) - Who is the architect of this temple? (God had an
exact pattern that He gave Moses.) - Read Hebrews 8:5. Where did God get the plans for the
temple that Moses build in the desert with the offerings
from the people? (We find that what they built is a model
of the actual temple in heaven! Do you want to have a peek
into heaven? Then study the sanctuary/temple that Moses
built here on earth.) - Why would God want the temple on earth to look like
the one in heaven? (He was apparently teaching His
people a lesson. We turn to that lesson next.) - The Lesson
- Read Hebrews 9:1-7. What happened in the temple that Moses
built? What was its purpose? (Priests administered the
daily sacrifices for the sins of the people. This system
of sacrifice was the method by which the sins of the
people were transferred from them to the temple. On the
Day of Atonement (which is the “once a year” event
described in verse 7), the temple was completely cleaned
of the sins of the people by transferring the sin to the
“scape goat.” You can read more about this in Leviticus
16.) - Notice that in Hebrews 9:1 this is referred to as the
“first covenant.” What does this suggest? (That there
is another edition, an upgraded version, an improved
model!) - Read Hebrews 9:8-10. What was the reason for God’s Spirit
to give Moses the pattern for the temple on earth and the
entire sacrificial system? (Verse 9 tells us it was an
illustration. It was a simulation of something else.) - Was there some deficiency in the “first covenant?”
(Even though Leviticus 16 tells about the transfer of
sin, Hebrews 9:8 says the “way into the Most Holy had
not yet been disclosed.” I think this means the
illustration of the temple on earth was not yet
completely revealed by the reality of Jesus coming
and of the temple in heaven.) - What is the “new order” referred to in verse 10?
- Let’s read on. Read Hebrews 9:11-12. What does the
sanctuary built by Moses and the sacrificial system
illustrate? (It gives us an understanding of what is
happening in heaven.) - How is the heavenly temple and sacrificial system
different? - Is that the “new order?” (This answers the
series of questions I was asking earlier. The
temple on earth, its sacrificial system, its Day
of Atonement, were all an imperfect illustration
of Jesus, as our sacrifice and our High Priest,
truly taking away our sins.) - Read Hebrews 9:13-14. How are our sins forgiven now?
(Jesus died once for our sins.) - Read Hebrews 9:15. What is the “new covenant?” Is it like
the “new order?” (This is further confirmation that Jesus
is what the sacrificial system was all about. He was not
only the sacrifice, He is also the High Priest mediating
on our behalf. He does not have to keep sacrificing
Himself. He died once, and that cleansed the sins of those
who repent and rely upon His sacrificial death.) - Read Hebrews 9:24-26. How is the new covenant better
than the old covenant? (The work of the new covenant
takes place in the heavenly sanctuary.) - Day of Atonement
- If you read Leviticus 16 you will find, as mentioned
above, that the sacrificial system for the Israelites
culminated in the Day of Atonement when all of the sins of
the people that had accumulated in the temple were wiped
clean. Let’s go back and pick up a couple of verses in
Hebrews 9 that we skipped. Read Hebrews 9:22-23. What is
this purification that needed to take place in both the
copy and the original? (That points to the Day of
Atonement.) - Is there a Day of Atonement for the temple in heaven?
- Why would the temple in heaven need to be purified
from sin? - We have been looking at Daniel’s prophecies. Let’s go back
and look at a text we looked at two weeks ago. Read Daniel
8:14. The word translated “reconsecrated” in the NIV
means, according to Vines, “to be made righteous.” Is it
possible that Daniel’s vision was about what the writer of
Hebrews describes ( Hebrews 9:23) as the purification of
the heavenly sanctuary? Is this the Day of Atonement in
heaven? - Read Hebrews 9:26 again and let’s add verse 27. What
should be our reaction to this event? - When does this event take place? ( Hebrews 9:26 says
“at the end of the ages.”) - Of what is this event (the heavenly Day of
Atonement)a part? (Verse 27 suggests that it is part
of the final judgment. Thus, the Day of Atonement in
heaven is part of the final judgment that takes place
at the end of the ages.) - The Return
- Read Hebrews 9:28. What is the end result of the Day of
Atonement in heaven? (Just as the Day of Atonement on
earth purified the camp (the people and the temple) from
sin, so the heavenly Day of Atonement will result in God’s
people and His heavenly temple being purified of sin. The
sin problem will be over and Jesus will come a second time
to bring salvation “to those who are waiting for Him.”) - Friend, Jesus says He is our sacrifice and our High Priest
in heaven. He is interceding on our behalf with His own
blood, just like the High Priest interceded in the Most
Holy place of the temple on earth on behalf of the people.
Will you repent and accept His sacrifice? Will you ask
Him to intercede on your behalf in the final judgment?
Will you be one of those who are waiting for Him to come
again? - Next week: Matthew 24: Jesus’ Sermon on Apocalyptic Prophecy.
