ghravskon
adds a new thought. When that which is temporal has existed a long time it draws to its natural end. So Theophylact:
oujk ajkaivrw" katevpausen hJ neva th;n palaia;n ajlla; dia; to; gh'ra"
...
ejgg. ajfanismou'
]
nigh unto vanishing away
, Latt.
prope interitum.
The word
ajfanismov"
is singularly frequent in the LXX. of Jeremiah as the
representative of hM;v' , H9014 and hm;m;v] , H9039. It is used, for example, of
Babylon Jer. 51:2 ff. (28:26 ff.). The verb ajfanivzein occurs in several interesting connexions: Matt. 6:16, 19 f.; James 4:14; Acts 13:41 (LXX). F OR EJGGUV " SEE H EB . 6:8.
F
OR A TIME THE CONTINUANCE OF THE
T
EMPLE SERVICES GAVE TO THE
O
LD
O
RDER AN OUTWARD SEMBLANCE OF ENDURING REALITY EVEN AFTER IT WAS ESSENTIALLY ABROGATED BY FULFILMENT
.
A DDITIONAL N OTE ON H EBREWS 8:1. C HRIST THE H IGH - PRIEST AND THE
H
IGHPRIEST
-K
ING
.
T HE STUDENT WILL FIND IT OF DEEP INTEREST TO TRACE THROUGH THE E PISTLE THE GRADUAL UNFOLDING OF THE THOUGHT OF C HRIST ' S TWO OFFICES , CONCENTRATED IN ONE P ERSON , AND TO CONSIDER THE VIEW WHICH IS GIVEN OF THE TWOFOLD RELATION IN WHICH H E IS SHEWN TO STAND TO H IS PEOPLE AS H IGH -
PRIEST AND AS K ING . C OMPARE A DDITIONAL N OTE ON 2:17. T HE DOUBLE THOUGHT IS INDICATED PLAINLY IN THE I NTRODUCTION : 1:3 KAQARISMON TWN AMARTIWN POIHSAVMENO " EJKAVQISEN EJN DEXIA TH '" MEGALWSUVNH " EJN UYHLOI '" : THE COMPLETED A TONEMENT IS FOLLOWED BY THE ASSUMPTION OF THE R OYAL THRONE . T HE IDEA OF PRIESTHOOD AND HIGH - PRIESTHOOD IS THEN DEVELOPED ; AND IN 7:1 FF . THE TYPE OF M ELCHIZEDEK IS BROUGHT FORWARD TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT G OD HAD DESIGNED FOR MAN SOMETHING BEYOND THAT WHICH WAS REALISED IN A BRAHAM , AND STILL MORE BEYOND THAT WHICH WAS REALISED IN THE L EVITICAL ORDER .
T HIS TYPE OF M ELCHIZEDEK IS DECLARED TO BE FULFILLED IN THE ASCENDED C HRIST , 8:1 TOIOUTON ECOMEN AJRCIEREVA , O }" EJKAVQISEN EJN DEXIA TH '" MEGALWSUVNH " EJN TOI '" OUJRANOI '" ( COMP . 7:16 F .; 27).
A
ND
C
HRIST AS
K
ING
,
HAVING OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER
,
WAITS UPON
H
IS THRONE FOR THE COMPLETE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOVEREIGNTY WHICH
H
E HAS FINALLY WON
(
COMP
. J
OHN
16:33
NENIVKHKA
): 10:11-
14.
I N THESE PASSAGES THE TWO OFFICES ARE PLACED IN THE CLOSEST CONNEXION ; AND THE S ESSION OF C HRIST ON THE RIGHT HAND OF G OD IS , WITH ONE EXCEPTION (1:13), ALWAYS CONNECTED WITH THE FULFILMENT OF PRIESTLY WORK (1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2).
T
HUS IT IS PLAINLY SHEWN THAT AS
H
IGH
-
PRIEST
C
HRIST FULFILLED TWO TYPES
;
AND WE MUST THEREFORE DISTINGUISH TWO ASPECTS OF
H
IS
H
IGH
-
PRIESTLY WORK
: (1)
AS THE FULFILMENT OF THE
L
EVITICAL
H
IGH
-
PRIESTHOOD
;
AND
(2)
AS THE FULFILMENT OF THE ROYAL
H
IGH
-
PRIESTHOOD OF
M
ELCHIZEDEK
,
THE FIRST BEFORE
H
IS
S
ESSION
(
AS
H
IGH
-
PRIEST
),
AND THE SECOND AFTER
H
IS
S
ESSION
(
AS
H
IGH
-
PRIEST
-K
ING
).
A S H IGH - PRIEST BEFORE H IS S ESSION , FULFILLING THE TYPE OF A ARON , C HRIST (1) OFFERED H IMSELF (7:27 EAUTON AJNENEVGKA " ; 8:3; 9:14 EAUTON PROSHVNEGKEN ; 9:26 DIA TH '" QUSIVA " AUJTOU ; 10:10-12 DIA TH '" PROSFORA '" TOU SWVMATO " I. C. ... MIVAN PROSENEVGKA " QUSIVAN ); AND (2) H E ENTERED INTO THE