Hebrews 8:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

NIV: Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,

NASB: Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

CSB: Now the main point of what is being said is this: We have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

NLT: Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.

KJV: Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

NKJV: Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

The first few verses of chapter 8 are a bridge between two ideas. The point just made, through the end of chapter 7, is that Jesus is given a greater priesthood than any other man. This included references to Melchizedek, whose priesthood embodied the traits which make Jesus a better, more perfect representative for mankind. The upcoming statement is that the Old Testament system was meant as a symbol—a "type"—of God's ultimate plan. Hebrews 7:22–28 is used as a springboard to introduce ideas which will be more clearly stated starting in verse 7.

This verse begins to condense the writer's description of Jesus into a few core ideas. Jesus is morally perfect, so His service as a priest is perfect—this is the meaning of Jesus being "such a high priest." Jesus is superior because His role is superior, in the same way that Melchizedek was superior to Abraham (Hebrews 7:1–10).

Jesus is described as "seated," which is often used in ancient literature as a symbol of completed work. A major point of the next chapters is that Christ's work is entirely done and does not need to be repeated as do the Levitical sacrifices. This seat is said to be at the "right hand" of God, which symbolizes power, authority, and acceptance. Further, this position is said to be "in heaven," which implies that Jesus is as exalted as possible.

Hebrews 8:1–6 foreshadows the idea that earthly things, such as the tabernacle, are meant to be symbols of heavenly things. In particular, Christ's role as priest is superior to the Old Testament system because it occurs in the ''true tent'' which God has arranged, rather than the earthly tent made by man. God's words to Moses prove this symbolic nature of the tabernacle. This also leads into a new reference from Jewish Scripture, proving that this was God's intention all along.

Hebrews chapter 8 indicates that the temples, rituals, and objects of the old covenant were always meant to be symbolic. They were real, and valuable, but their ultimate worth was in their symbolism. Those were always intended by God to point towards a better covenant. Rather than something repetitive, earthly, and limited, God planned to offer something completed, personal, and eternal through Jesus Christ. As further proof of this, the writer of Hebrews offers yet another quotation from the Jewish Scriptures, this time from the prophet Jeremiah.

Hebrews chapter 8 builds on the points made in chapter 7. Jesus' service as High Priest is superior, since He is given a better position and serves in a better location than the priests of the Old Covenant. This chapter sets up the idea of earthly things being shadows of heavenly things, especially when it comes to the temple and sacrifices. This leads into the focus of chapter 9, which is the superiority of Christ's sacrifice compared to those of the Levitical system.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.