A Shadow of The Good Things To Come

 

In the Epistle to the Hebrews there are four unique, descriptive words that should dramatically grab our attention. These words are used to clearly express the differences between the former things of God in the old covenant and the better things of the new covenant. These four words establish that the old things were earthly, temporary and simply representative. The new things here and now are heavenly, eternal and true.

 

For the law having a shadow (skia) of good things to come, and not the very image (eikōn) of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect.                   HEBREWS 10:1

 

     shadow (skia): A shadow indicates the shape, silhouette or outline of an object.

                    It may be a meaningful representation, but is only a form of the true object.

 

     image (eikōn): An image is the likeness and pattern which resembles a person or thing.

 

Many things of the old covenant law of Moses were only a shadow of the good things to come. The ‘old’ things included the sacrifices done by the priests in the tabernacle (and later the temple). The sacrifices which they offered day after day and year after year could never perfect, or complete, the people in need.

 

It was therefore necessary that the patterns (hupodeigma) of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures (antitupos) of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:                                                                                                                                          HEBREWS 9:23-24

 

    Some corrections of verse 24 need to be made here for clarification.

 

First, there is no ‘is’ in the text: ‘Christ is not entered’ = ‘Christ entered not’.

The words ‘which are’ are in italics because they were added to the text by men.

They could either be removed or be changed to ‘which were’ to be accurate.

There is also no definite article ‘the’ describing ‘figures’ in the text. Remove it.

Finally, the phrase ‘figures of the true’ is inserted as an explanation and could be put

into a parenthesis: ‘(figures of the true)’.

 

 Verse 24 should read:

For Christ entered not into the holy places made with hands (which were figures of the true) but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: figures (antitupos): The word figure here means an impression, or that which exhibits certain characteristics or qualities of the true and genuine object.

 

The tabernacle and temple were holy places made by the hands of men. Being hand-made they could only give an impression of the actual, true Holy Place which is the dwelling place of God Almighty.

Jesus Christ is the one, true high priest for mankind. He entered into heaven itself, into the one, true Holy Place, to appear in the presence of God to make intercession on our behalf.

 

     patterns (hupodeigma): The Greek word translated ‘patterns’ here is translated ‘example’ in the other five places it is found.

              An ‘example’ is a representation, or simply a glimpse, of the genuine, true item.

 

The sacrifices made day after day by the priests and the high priest were only an example, a representation or glimpse, of the true and genuine sacrifice that would be made by the lord Jesus Christ.

 

      HEBREWS 9:11-15A (From the Working Translation*)

     However, Christ has come and is a high priest of the good things that were to come. Through [the veil of] the greater and more excellent tabernacle (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered (not with the blood of he-goats and calves but with his own blood) once and for all into the holy [sanctified] places, having obtained eternal redemption for us. So, if the blood of he-goats and oxen and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are common, sanctify them to the purification of the flesh, then how much more will the blood of the Christ, who (because of the eternal Spirit) offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our ^{{Or your}} consciousness from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason, he is also the mediator of the new covenant.

 

    Jesus Christ offered himself. As our flawless high priest, he was the offeror. As our perfect sacrifice, he was the offering.

 

In the old covenant there was an earthly tabernacle where the priests and high priest offered sacrifices of goats and calves. These things were only a shadow, an image, a figure and a pattern (example) of the true and eternal things to come. Jesus Christ fulfilled every required detail of man’s complete redemption. His blood ratified the new covenant.

 

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.      
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.                                                             HEBREWS 10:12,14

 

                                                          *From the Working Translation, A Journey through the Acts and Epistles,

                                                                    Copyright © 2006 by Walter J. Cummins. All rights reserved.