Hebrews 8:1
"Now (on this side of the Cross) of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: (don’t you like that? I’m going to recap, Paul says. Now this is the sum of the matter. We still use the statement today. This is the sum of the matter) We have (not hope to have, we have) such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;"
I have to emphasize to people that Christ is not on a throne tonight. That’s why we don’t address him as King. He’s not a King on the throne. That’s still future, when He returns and sets up His Kingdom then He becomes King supreme. But He’s at the Father’s right hand and hid there with us IN Him in both spirit and in truth. Again, I always like to emphasize, don’t picture Him sitting on a little chair and God the Father’s up here on some big throne. That’s not what we’re to do, but positionally in the Heavenlies, we have God the Son, a Priest after the order of Melchizedek placed at the right hand of the Majesty on High on the same level. Now this is from a practical side but from a spiritual side He is seated at the Father's right hand, the side of power and Authority as He and the Father are one.
Now maybe Daniel chapter 7 will help a little bit in that. Again, this just points out that all Scripture dovetails together. None of it stands off by itself. But in Daniel chapter 7 we have a little different view and yet it’s all the same thing. You see, that’s the beauty of Scripture, we get all these different viewpoints, pointing up to the same thing. Let’s drop in at verse 9. I’m just doing this to show that Scripture fits with Scripture. And Hebrews has just told us again, that He’s at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Daniel 7:9
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, (that is all earthly thrones) and the Ancient of Days did sit, (now that’s a little different title, isn’t it? Which of course, is a reference to God the Father, the Most High God) whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne (that is His place of authority) was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire "
There again, that’s just beyond our natural or mere human understanding. Now verse 10, just to give us a little glimpse of this throne room of Heaven.
Daniel 7:10
"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: (now look at this next statement) thousand thousands (that’s millions. Millions) ministered unto him, (millions of what? Angels. The Angelic hosts.) and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened."
And then of course, we leap to the end of the ages, when the White Throne Judgment is set and the books are opened, but that’s beside the point for us today. Those books remain sealed with a wax kind of a seal. Now jump over to verse 13.
Daniel 7:13-14
"I saw in the night visions, and, behold. one like the Son of man (see here it is, way back here in the Old Testament. Here we have the Son) came with the clouds of heaven, (now whether those clouds are angelic hosts as I think, that’s probably debatable but) came to the Ancient of Days, (the same one he spoke of in verse 9) and they brought him near before him. And there was given him (the Son) dominion and glory, and a kingdom, (this of course, is leading up to His spiritual reign here on earth, that will be both spiritual and physical or material in nature by design) that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and a kingdom which shall not be destroyed."
Well, that’s not the point we’re making. What I want you to see, is this relationship between God the Father on the throne at this time and God the Son as He comes before Him.
Alright now back to Hebrews chapter 8, you’ve got this same picture of how this High Priest after the order of Melchizedek is seated at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens. Where’s Heaven? Well when you find out, you tell me. We don’t know, but it’s out there someplace, and it’s real. It’s visible, it’s physical, and one day, we’re going to be there and I think we’re getting closer all the time. Now verse 2 of Hebrews chapter 8.
Hebrews 8:2
"A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."
Now I’m going to take a two-fold approach to that. As a "minister of the sanctuary" it could possibly take the point that God the Son is at the very core of the Body of Christ. He is the Core of the true dwelling place of God, which is you and I as believers. When we've entered into His Salvation the core of our being is what then belongs to God for its from there that He does all and becomes the all in all. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Now maybe we’d better go back, and look at it in I Corinthians chapter 3. You know, I always have to keep remembering, I’ve taught it once everybody knows it, but on the other hand I have to realize that we have a lot of people who've only heard it once, and that’s not enough. So bear with me and we’ll repeat some of these basic fundamentals of the faith over and over.
1Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
Now just for kicks allow me this one exception to the rule, allow me to use another interpretation here to see if there's a difference and we'll make use of Weymouth's NT:
1Co 3:16 "Do you not know that you are God's Sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God has His home within you?"
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