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