- We have a great High Priest. V14
- We need to understand what a high is and does: Heb word Levitical
chief priest, high priest – He above all others was honoured with the title of priest, the chief of priests. It was lawful for him to perform the common duties of the priesthood; but his chief duty was, once a year on the day of atonement, to enter into the Holy of Holies (from which the other priests were excluded) and offer sacrifices for his own sins and the sins of the people, and to preside over the Sanhedrin, or Supreme Council, when convened for judicial deliberations. According to Mosaic law, no one could aspire to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron and descended from a high priestly family; and he on whom the office was conferred held it till death. But from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the kings of Seleucideae and afterwards the Herodian princes and the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in the pontifical family nor was conferred on any for life; but it became venal, and could be transferred from one to another according to the will of civic or military rulers. Hence it came to pass, that during the one hundred and seven years intervening between Herod the Great and the destruction of the holy city, twenty eight persons held the pontifical dignity.
2) the high priests, these comprise in addition to one holding the high priestly office, both those who had previously discharged it and although disposed, continued to have great power in the State, as well as the members of the families from which high priest were created, provided that they had much influence in public affairs.
3) Used of Christ because by undergoing a bloody death he offered himself as an expiatory sacrifice to God, and has entered into the heavenly sanctuary where he continually intercedes on our behalf.
- We can find the description of the Lev. High Priest in Ex. 28:
- He was to wear priestly garment. (The ephod Aaron would
carry the names of the tribes of Israel before Yahweh Ex
28:12, 21, 29)
Look at:
Is 49:14-16 (He remembers our name)
Luke 10:20 (Names written in heaven)
Ph. 4:3 (Names written in the Book of Life)
Rev. 21:9-14 (Names on the Gates and foundation)
- The priest carried the Urim and Thummim over his heart:
1) This was for decision making. (It had to do with making
Decisions over the tribes of Israel, wisdom for that
Look at:
Is. 11:1-9 (Righteous judge before the throne)
Matt. 25:31-46 (Judges the sheep from the goats)
Rev. 20:11-15 (Great White Throne Judgement)
- He was to offer sacrifice for the Atonement of the people.
(Look at Lev. 16:1-10)
Look at:
Rom. 5:6-11 (Word reconciliation means atonement)
Heb. 10:1-14 (Atonement for us once and fore all)
- He passed through the heavens:
- This word to pass in the Gk has the same meaning in the Heb.
(Gk means to traverse, but also can mean to pass over
And the Heb. in Duet. 3:25 means to cross over but
Can mean to Passover)
- So the writer of Heb. in this passage means. (Yahsua has
already crossed over, or passed over as a leader
leading us)
- This goes along with Yahweh’s Rest being a done deal. (Gen.
2:2 and on the seventh day He rest, He is already in
The Sabbath Rest) Already exists
- Now look at these words “Pass through”. (These are
Important words, because we find them in Joshua
3:14-17 where Israel was to cross over or pass through
The Jordan into the promised land)
- Now we must look at the word “heaven”. (Gk it means
the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible
in it, but the root word is mountain or hill)
- Look at Duet. 3:25 Moses is asking to go into the land. (The
word Hill means Hills country so the writer of Heb. is
saying Yashua has passed over into the promised
land, In fact Lebanon in Heb. means White mountain)
Note: We need to have a vision for the “Hill Country”
Look at Proverbs 29:18 Heb for vision is sight or
Dream, but the root word is to gaze at. Deut 3:25 the
Heb. Word “to see” let me see it, is to gaze.
- It is for this reason we are to hold fast to our confession:
- The word “to hold fast” is interesting. (GK means to be
powerful, but it also means to be master of it, this
is in reference to our faith, or what we believe)
- This is very important, the word “confession”. (GK means
what we confess or profess about ourselves, but the
Root word makes reference to our covenant
Knowledge)
- We need to hold fast to our covenant knowledge. (To our
covenant relationship)
III. Look at Rev. 21, here is the vision:
- He sympathizes with our weakness. V15
- This is part of Him being relational with us and serving as High Priest.
- Intimate relationships require being able to relate to one another:
- This word “sympathize” in the GK. (To have compassion, to be
be touched with the feeling of)
- The root word for “sympathize” is. (To be mutually commiserative
or to feel compassion for)
- The word “weakness” in the GK means. (Means feebleness, moral
frailty, disease, infirmity, sickness and weakness) Root word is
strengthless, or impotent.
- This is our weakness that is being talked about. (And it is us who He
is able to touch us with understanding)
- This goes back to Him being the High Priest. (He ministers to us, in
the tabernacle in the heavens, from a position of understanding)
- And the writer takes us back to Is. 53:3:
1). He was despised. (Heb means to scorn or to think of one as vile)
2). He was rejected. (Heb means to be made vacant or to be made to
Cease, or to be looked upon as one who doesn’t exist)
3). He was a man of sorrow. (Heb. says of anguish or pain and the
Root word is to grieve)
4). It says he “Knew”. (Heb. word Yaw-dah means to learn from
Experience)
5). And the word “sickness or grief” means. (In the Heb. to be
Rubbed with or worn, as in worn through, also sickness)
6). We, “hid our faces from Him”. (Heb. we did not look on the one
We made empty or void)
- I went through all of this to show He relates to all of us. (I believe we
all have experienced at least some of these things)
- He had been “Tested”:
- The word “tested” means. (GK means to test, but also means to
scrutinize, and to discipline, but the root word means to test
or experience, but the base word can mean to pierce)
- Look at Ex. 21:5-6. (This is a reference to a man who has been a
a slave and wants to remain a slave based on His love for the
master, he will pierce the ear of the slave)
- Now look at Phil. 2:8. (He humbled Himself through obedience
even onto death)
Look at Heb. 4:12 (The Word pierces between soul and spirit)
Look at Heb. 5:8 (He learned obedience through what He
Suffered)
Look at Matt. 4:1-11 (Used the Word for victory over Satan)
Look at John 15:9-10 (If you love me you will keep My
Commands)
Look at Romans 6:16 (For us to follow as well)
- It comes down to a decision to place ones self under authority.
(Under His authority during the times of testing or discipline
And this is done as we submit to His authority through His
Word)
- So Yashua has been through the Testing and discipline. (And chose
His master (Father) and let Him pierce His ear, just as we are
To do the samething)
- The word humbled is tied to obedience. (Humility is about being
obedient to Yahweh, and His instructions)
- But it is about being obedient to Him. (Not just when things are
good, but in the time of testing and discipline)
- It is about making our chose to Him. (Because we love Him, to
allow Him to pierce us, or to remain His slave or servant)
- “Yet He was without sin”:
- Let’s define “sin”. (GK is to wonder away from, or to violate
Yahweh’s law)
- But the words “yet without” is interesting. (Gk it means to separate,
or to be without, the root word is to have an empty room)
- If you have a room in your house. (It would be empty of anything
that violate, or cause a wondering away from Yahweh’s law)
- Now if our bodies are our houses. (It is saying that His house was
free from anything that violated or wondered away or
would cause anyone else to wonder away from Yahweh’s law)
- We are able to approach the Throne with boldness. V16
- I think we need to understand what the throne is we are approaching.
- First we need to look at the covenant made with Abraham:
- Gen. 15:1-21. (This covenant was made between a greater and
lesser person, for instance, a King and a slave)
- The idea was the King would walk in first. (Saying if I don’t keep
promise to you, you can do this to me, divide me in half)
- The idea is the slave would then walk it. (By doing so made the
agreement if he didn’t carry out his side the king could do this to
him)
- In this case Abraham never walked that covenant. (Yahweh and
Yashua did signifying His death for us because we couldn’t
Carry out our end of things on our own)
- The smoking furnace is Israel’s affliction in Egypt. (Look at Duet.
4:20 Israel’s deliverance, and that is the definition of Salvation)
- Look at Ex. 14:19-20. (It appeared as a dark cloud to Egypt, but a
light to see to Israel, Yashua is known as the Word, or a lamp onto
our feet and a light unto our path Ps. 119:105 and look at John
1:1-5 he was a light unto man)
- So Yahweh knew we couldn’t keep it on our own. (So Yashua
the sacrifice for our failure to keep that covenant)
- Now let’s look at Ex. 25:16-22 the mercy seat:
- So this word mercy seat is something we need to look at. (The Heb.
word is “lid” but the root word is “to cover, to appease, to cancel,
to atone for” the Throne of judgment if you will)
- In the ark, or box below was the “tablets of testimony”. (Look at
Ex. 19:5-6 if you listen and keep, then you will be my Kingdom,
Also look at 1Peter 2:6-10)
- So this mercy seat represents the place of judgment. (His throne
or His rule based on His instructions, and His provision, look at
- Now understand , not just anyone could approach this place. (It was
only through the chief priest, we see this in Lev. 16 the Day of
Atonement and we saw it in the definition of chief Priest)
- Now understand, we still have a Chief Priest. (His name is Yashua,
look at Heb. 4:14, we still approach the Throne of Yahweh
our High Priest Yashua, no one can approach except through
Him)
- The idea is we can “come to” or “approach” the throne:
- But it is through Him. (He is the one serving before the throne of
Yahweh)
- We still have a mediator between us and Yahweh. (And it is through
Him, look at 1Tim 2:5-6 one mediator between us and the
Father)
- This has to do with the sin sacrifice. (Yashua became the sacrifice
for sin, His blood was accepted as our covering and cleansing for
our sin)
- So we are able to approach our judgment. (With boldness, or
confidence)
- This word “boldness” in the Heb. is made up of two words. (The first
is “with” or with boldness)
- But the second word. (Is “assurance” but also means openly and
without concealment)
- This goes back to Ps. 103:6-19. (He has removed our sins from us
as far as the east is from the West)
- The idea is when we stand before Him to be Judged. (We need not
approach our Judgment in fear based on His sacrifice for us)
- It is interesting to me that for those that keep His Testimony. (By
entering into a relationship with Him through Yashua, and keep
His commands it is never known as the judgment seat, but instead
Is known as the mercy seat or throne of grace.)
- It seems to become a judgment seat. (With those who do not enter
through Yashua and His blood and don’t keep His commands, we
find even in the wilderness it was known as the mercy seat)
- And this brings us into the last portion. (The reason for this
this discussion in the first place)
- The purpose is for us to be able to receive mercy and grace:
- Let’s go back to this word “approach”, KJV is to “come”. (GK
means to “draw near to” and can mean to “Worship”)
- This is very important for us to get here. (The writer implies in this
very that if we don’t draw close for the purpose of worship, we
will fail to receive something)
- In the original language “so that”. (Means “in order that” meaning
“in order that something may incur”)
- In this case to receive mercy and grace. (We must draw near to
mercy and grace, the idea, once again of worship)
- This leads me to believe that intimacy. (Is vital for us to be able to
receive mercy and grace)
- Now it get even more important for us to get a handle on this. (So we
will be able to receive help)
- My version says “proper time”. (But KJV says “in time of need” so
it is saying we need to draw near to mercy and grace, so we will
receive mercy and grace when we need it, or Him)
- The Aramaic says. (In time of affliction, or we could say when we
are going through trials and persecutions)
1). But appointed most likely is best. (Look at Heb. 9:26-27 which is
A reference to Gen. 3:19 We will return to the dust, and 2 Cor.
5:10 talking about judgment this GK word tribune is Judgment
Seat of Messiah)
2). The root word for appointed. (Is fixed and a definite Time, so
There is a fixed or definite time for judgment to occur)
- Let’s look a little closer at this time of need or affliction. (Let’s look
John 14:15-18 we see it is the Rauch or the Holy Spirit)
- Look at John 14:26. (He teaches us and reminds us of everything
Yashua said)
- Look also at John 15:26. (He will testify of Yashua, always gives
testimony of truth)
1). Also look at 1 Cor. 2:15-16. (We have the mind of Messiah)
- This word “comforter” in the GK. (summoned, called to one’s side, especially called to one’s aid 1a) one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate 1b) one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor)
- Even though we are given a free gift. (We must also
maintain our relationship with Him, as we said last
week, this is done through obedience and seeking His
face)