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Y ET MORE , THIS TREATMENT WAS NECESSARILY SUGGESTED BY THE COMPARISON OF C HRIST ' S PRIESTLY WORK WITH THE TYPICAL SERVICE OF THE H IGH - PRIEST . C HRIST OCCUPIED THE PLACE BOTH OF THE VICTIM AND OF THE PRIEST , IN REGARD BOTH TO THE PEOPLE AND TO G OD ; AND IN THAT SYMBOLIC SERVICE THE DEATH OF THE VICTIM WAS SUBORDINATED TO THE UNBROKEN MINISTRY OF THE PRIEST ; AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE TYPE WHICH ANSWERED TO THE R ESURRECTION .

A DDITIONAL N OTE ON H EBREWS 8:1, 2. T HE PRESENT WORK OF C HRIST AS H IGH - PRIEST .

T HE PRESENT WORK OF THE G LORIFIED AND A SCENDED S ON OF MAN FOR MEN IS INDICATED TO US IN THE E PISTLE , IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT HAS BEEN ALREADY SAID , UNDER TWO ASPECTS , AS THE WORK OF A H IGH - PRIEST AND AS THE WORK OF A K ING . A S H IGH - PRIEST H E REPRESENTS MAN TO G OD : AS K ING H E REPRESENTS G OD TO MAN . I N THE LATTER RELATION H E IS EVEN NOW THE
S OVEREIGN OF THE NEW C OMMONWEALTH , HEREAFTER TO BE REALISED IN ITS COMPLETENESS ( COMPARE A DDITIONAL N OTE ON 11:10). B UT IN THE PRESENT PASSAGE THE THOUGHT IS MAINLY OF H IS H IGH - PRIESTLY WORK . T O UNDERSTAND THIS WE MUST RECALL THE TYPE . T HE SACRIFICES ON THE D AY OF A TONEMENT PROVIDED THE MEANS OF ENTRANCE TO THE D IVINE P RESENCE . T HE APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD REMOVED EVERY IMPURITY WHICH HINDERED THE APPROACH TO G OD OF HIM IN WHOM THE PEOPLE WERE SUMMED UP . S O CLEANSED THE REPRESENTATIVE OF I SRAEL WAS ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT AWFUL FELLOWSHIP FOR WHICH MAN WAS MADE . A ND SIMPLY STANDING BEFORE THE L ORD HE FULFILLED HIS WORK . N O WORDS WERE SPOKEN : NO UTTERED INTERCESSION WAS MADE . I T WAS ENOUGH THAT MAN WAS THERE ACCORDING TO DIVINE APPOINTMENT , TO WITNESS IN THE MOST EMPHATIC MANNER TO THE CONTINUED PRESERVATION OF THE ESTABLISHED RELATION OF MAN TO G OD . C OMP . P HILO , DE M ONARCH . 2.6 (2.227
M.);
DE VIT . M OS . III . § 14. T HUS WE READ IN A FIGURE THE H IGH - PRIESTLY W ORK OF C HRIST . B Y H IS OFFERING OF H IMSELF H E HAS MADE PURIFICATION OF SINS (1:3); H E HAS APPLIED THE VIRTUE OF H IS B LOOD , TO SPEAK IN EARTHLY LANGUAGE , TO THE SCENE OF THE WORSHIP OF REDEEMED HUMANITY (9:23); H E HAS TAKEN H IS SEAT UPON THE THRONE , ENTERING IN H IS HUMANITY UPON THE FULL ENJOYMENT OF EVERY PRIVILEGE WON BY H IS PERFECT FULFILMENT OF THE WILL OF G OD . H ENCEFORTH
H E APPLIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF MEN THE FRUITS OF THE A TONEMENT WHICH H E HAS COMPLETED .

T HIS WORK IS SHEWN TO US IN THE E PISTLE IN THREE DISTINCT FORMS , AND WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO GO BEYOND ITS TEACHING .

I . C HRIST INTERCEDES FOR MEN AS THEIR PRESENT REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE G OD : 7:25, 27; 9:24.

II . C HRIST BRINGS THE PRAYERS AND PRAISES OF H IS PEOPLE TO G OD , EMBODYING THEIR TRUE SPIRITUAL DESIRES , SO THAT AT EACH MOMENT THEY BECOME ARTICULATE THROUGH H IS S PIRIT AND ARE BROUGHT THROUGH H IM TO THE T HRONE : 13:15.

III . C HRIST SECURES ACCESS FOR H IS PEOPLE IN THEIR PRESENT STATE TO THE HOLY PLACE ,’ WHERE H E H IMSELF IS , IN H IS B LOOD THE VIRTUE OF H IS EARTHLY LIFE LIVED AND OFFERED : 4:16; 10:19-22.

T HESE THREE FORMS OF C HRIST ' S WORK SHEW UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF


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