(2) The fact that He offered, not bulls and goats, but that He offered up Himself.

One further item is necessary to complete the list of the distinctive features of the Lord's High Priesthood, and

that is:

`For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh

the Son, Who is consecrated for evermore (PERFECTED unto the age)' (Heb. 7:28).

There are two items here that demonstrate the superiority of the Priesthood of the Son. They are:

(1) The oath compared with the law as to immutability. The oath is more solemn, and its immutability is

indicated in Hebrews 6:17.

(2) The oath and the law as to sequence. The oath was made `since the law', and what this implies is explained

in Hebrews 7:11:

`If therefore PERFECTION were by the Levitical priesthood ... what further need was there that another Priest

should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?'

That question has now received its answer. Perfection could only come through the Priest after the order of

Melchisedec whose Priesthood is not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

All truth, whether dispensational, foundational or experimental, focuses upon the Person of the risen Christ. The

whole fabric of Mosaic ritual vanishes into the shadows before the face of Him Who could say, `I am the

resurrection and the life'.

With the `perfecting of the Son' by the oath, we reach the conclusion of the lengthy comparison commenced in

chapter 5. Before entering into a detailed examination of the Tabernacle and its sacrifices and seeing them as

shadows of the true, a short chapter is devoted to bringing the teaching of chapters 5 to 7 to a point:'Now of the

things which we have spoken this is the sum' (8:1).

The teaching of this passage is something more than a summary. The word kephalaion (sum) may mean the

summing up of a number as in Numbers 4:2, `Take the sum of the sons of Kohath', or it may be the principal part as

in Numbers 5:7, `He shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof'. The following translation seems to

convey the sense of the passage.

`The principal thing, however, amongst those things of which we are speaking is that we have such a high Priest Who

is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true

Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man' (Heb. 8:1,2).

It will be well to prepare the reader for the necessity of a certain amount of close attention. The arguments of

this central part of Hebrews are involved, and there are, as the apostle has said, some things `hard to be understood'

concerning this heavenly Priesthood. There is a wealth of detail and a formidable series of sub-divisions to exercise

our patience, but at the beginning the apostle would have us look away from these and let our hearts dwell upon `the

principal thing'. We have a seated Priest; that tells of a finished work. This seated Priest is the Minister of no

earthly Tabernacle; He has entered `heaven itself'. The consideration of this finished work and this heavenly

Tabernacle occupies the bulk of chapters 9 and 10.

Just as all the Tabernacle and its service revolve around the ark and mercy seat, so all that the writer has said

concerning the excellence of Christ is concentrated upon His once offered Sacrifice. This is the theme that is

immediately introduced in 8:3:

`For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this Man have somewhat

also to offer'.