The New Covenant

Since we have a great High Priest, not on the order of Aaron, nor from the tribe of Levi, but on the order of Melchizedek, who has a new priesthood, then it is appropriate for Him to serve in a new temple to offer a unique new sacrifice on our behalf.

Commentary on The Epistle to the Hebrews, by Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Hebrews 9: 1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All

Malaty takes these two parts of the tabernacle and considers the first part, “the earthly sanctuary” (which Malaty will refer to as the “Holy”), to represent the Old Covenant, while the second part, “the Holiest of All,” to represent the New Covenant.

Since the Holy refers to the holy present life in the Lord, or the ministry of the Old Testament, then the Holy of Holies refers to the heavenly life which the Heavenly Lord has offered us through His new covenant with us.

As long as the first part exists, the road to the heavenly part (the Holiest of All) cannot be manifested.

8(b) the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9(a) It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience

Christ’s ministry cannot be revealed as long as the rituals of Moses, like a shadow, remain performed. The ministry of Moses must disappear. The veil must be torn, thus removing the shadow with the manifestation of the Truth Himself, that is, Christ.

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

No longer is a yearly ritual required, as in the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, the eternal priest offers His own blood to secure eternal redemption – an eternal inheritance.

From St. Augustine:

“You are the Priest and the Sacrifice. You are the One who offers and the Offering Himself!”

The author, in comparing the two ministries, finds in the first a ministry that purifies the flesh; in the second, one that touches the conscience – the inner soul. In this way, the Kingdom of God is established inside of us.

The first ministry is based on the blood of animals which die and are consumed, but the second is based on the blood of the Son of God who offered Himself eternally, for He has no tendency to corrupt, nor can He be captured by death. He is the Donor of life and resurrection!

St. Athanasius:

“Since the Word is the Creator, who created everything, then in the fullness of time, He put on a body to sanctify the creation, for He is its Creator, and Cure. Creation cannot be saved with someone created, and the Creator is the One who brought it into existence...”

Why was this necessary, for the Creator Himself to have to die in order to make the covenant eternal? There are several reasons, including the one given by Athanasius immediately above.

Here is another:

A Roman Law indicated that as long as the testator is living then the will has no effect, and the father can change its conditions anytime. However, when the father dies, the will becomes in effect and no one can change it.

The testator Himself had to die in order for the New Covenant to take effect and for it to be eternal:

16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

The blood was the sign, the enforcement mechanism, if you will. In the Old Covenant, it was the blood of animals; in the New Covenant, it was the blood of the Creator Himself.

St. John Chrysostom compares the blood of the New Covenant to that of the Old:

“They were not sprinkled with scarlet wool nor with hyssop. Why? Because this is not a physical washing, but rather spiritual. The blood was spiritual (True blood which He took from St. Mary and shed on the cross, but the Holy Spirit prepared for the incarnation).

“Back then, the washing of the body was external for the purification was physical, but here the purification is spiritual and washes the soul...”

The blood of animals was unable to raise the people (it couldn’t even raise animals); only the blood of the Creator could do this. Unlike the Old Covenant, with His blood the sacrifice never had to be repeated.

From St. John Chrysostom:

“What a great difference! He is the Ransom, the Priest, and the Sacrifice! If this was not the case, then there would be a need for offering many sacrifices and for Him to be crucified many times.”

Now…I was about to raise a question, but Malaty anticipated this and offered an answer:

Perhaps some may question: Since the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus cannot be repeated, why does the Church offer the Eucharist, the Sacrifice of Christ, every day on the altar?

We answer that the Eucharist is not repetition of the sacrifice of the cross, but rather it is an extension of the one, real, eternal, non bloody Sacrifice which never stops.

Conclusion

24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another

We die once, subject to judgment. Christ died once, for those who eagerly wait for His return.