The Mosaic Law & the New Covenant Contrasted

Transcript

GR 1722
04/27/2014
The Mosaic Law and the New Covenant Contrasted
Hebrews 12:18-24
Gil Rugh

We're going to Hebrews 12 and we will be talking about the kingdom and that some day it will come down on this earth. And the King of kings will come down to rule and reign in the fullness of His glory. Hebrews has been anticipating that, we look forward to the fulfillment and climax of all that God has promised in the salvation that He has accomplished for us in Jesus Christ.

The book of Hebrews was written to show the superiority of Jesus Christ and His ministry to everything that had gone on before, particularly in Judaism. The Mosaic Law, the priestly system, the sacrifices all associated with that have been brought to completion as God has sent His Son to this earth to be our high priest, to offer the sacrifice of Himself so that through faith in Him we can experience complete, full and final forgiveness of sins. The letter to the Hebrews is written to Jewish Christians, Jews who have professed their faith in Christ, were gathered together as a congregation of believers. But persecution has come, they have been through difficult times, they are facing more difficulties, persecutions and trials. As we have noted, they not only have to face the opposition of unbelieving Gentiles, but they have the severe opposition of fellow Jews who are opposed to their leaving behind the whole Mosaic system and becoming followers of the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 12 where we have been, in verses 4-11 Paul explained to them again as a reminder that God disciplines His children. When you place your faith in Christ you are born again, you are born into God's family. He becomes your heavenly Father. They need to realize that the sufferings and trials that they go through are to be seen as God's discipline, not to punish them for something but to refine them for something. He is preparing them for the glory of His presence and suffering of all kinds is part of that process that as a loving heavenly Father He brings us through as He matures us. Sometimes, and these Jews were experiencing that, the pressures, the trials, the suffering almost seems overwhelming and then fear sets in. We begin to become concerned with how we might avoid any further suffering and difficulty. For these Jews they could alleviate the immediate pressure by going back to Judaism. But that's not an answer. They need to realize God is accomplishing His purposes and there is a purpose even in the most severe suffering.

So in verses 12-17, you'll note verse 12 begins with “therefore,” he encourages them to endure. You see the hand of a loving heavenly Father in all that takes place in your life—the worst sufferings, the greatest losses, the most severe pain. My Father is working His perfect purpose for me. “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are feeble, the knees that are weak.” Encourage one another, for yourself and for other believers. God is gracious. We don't all go through the same trials at the same time. Part of our fellowship together as the family of God brought together in a local church is to be a help and an encouragement to one another. That's why he told us in Hebrews 10 that we can't forsake our getting together. That gives us opportunity for the personal contact. Other opportunities for personal involvement so that those who are struggling, we can come alongside and encourage so that the body is strengthened.

But in all of this there is a warning, verses 15-17, the warning is watch out for anyone who “stops short of the saving grace of God. Watch out for roots of bitterness that stir up.” Unbelievers may be in the midst of this fellowship of believers and their complaints, their readiness to turn back can have a negative impact on other believers. So you not only have to look out for yourself, you have to look out for one another.

Now he is not done, you'll note verse 18 begins with the preposition for. So he is going to go on and reinforce the encouragement and exhortation he has given by reminding them again of the contrasts that exist with the Mosaic Covenant and its laws and provisions, and the New Covenant and all that God has accomplished and provided for us in Christ. It is a further motivation for these believers and for us today to press on. Whatever comes into our path, whatever trial may come, we are moving toward the ultimate realization of what God has promised.

There is a contrast drawn in verses 18-24 which we are going to be focusing on. You'll note verse 18 begins, “for you have not come to.” There is a negative about it, you have not come to, then the contrast in verse 22, “but you have come to.” So that contrast is drawn. In verses 18-22, you have not come to Mt. Sinai where the Mosaic Law was given, the covenant associated with that event. “But you have come to Mt. Zion” and the New Covenant associated with that city. So that's the contrast. Mt. Sinai was the place that the Mosaic Covenant was given. We are familiar with the Mosaic Covenant, it had its priesthood, its high priest and its system of sacrifices, the Ten Commandments which give us a brief summary of the Mosaic Law, that covenant God established with Israel through Moses as they gathered at Mt. Sinai.

So he's going to draw, and really there will be seven contrasts drawn. First he'll talk about seven things associated with Mt. Sinai, the Mosaic Covenant; then he'll talk about seven things associated with Mt. Zion and the New Covenant there. Making the point, when he's done saying, why would anyone want to go back to Mt. Sinai, to the Mosaic Law? But we're constantly drawn to the physical things. These are heavenly promises that have yet to be realized. People like something they can see and touch, a system that has ceremony attached with it, that has physical events that you touch and you see and you sprinkle holy water and you wave incense and you go to an altar and you do all these things. Well, Israel is drawn to that. And now I have God's promises of heavenly things that will be mine. But the Jews are drawn back to the old system and the comfort and security of that.

“You have not come to a mountain,” and a mountain is in italics. That means it is not in the original text, but the context indicates clearly he is talking about Mt. Sinai and what happened there. You have not come to a mountain. And the characteristics of this mountain will be set out in verses 18-19 and then he'll pull it together in verses 20-21 before he moves to Mt. Zion. “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched,” we're not going to work through all the details. These Jewish believers were familiar. We'll go back in a moment and just put it in its context in the Old Testament to remind you of the characteristics he draws out. It's a mountain that can be touched, that was Mt. Sinai. You travel over there and it's the right time and events are such, you might get to visit that part of the world. It's a physical mountain. At least they have ideas of the possibilities of where it is. You get an atlas of Bible lands or something and they'll have a picture of Mt. Sinai. It's a physical mountain. It's a mountain that could be touched. “A blazing fire,” it is connected with fire, the awesomeness of that. “Darkness, gloom, whirlwind, blast of the trumpet, sound of words,” and then he elaborates on that sound of the words, was so awesome that the people begged Moses that God not speak any further to them, that He be their representative and go-between for fear they would die. It is an awesome, frightening experience to be at Sinai. It was so awesome and frightening, verse 21 tells us, “so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling.” Moses, the man who could speak with God face to face, the uniqueness of the privileges given him in communion with God, Moses said, I'm overwhelmed, I'm full of fear and trembling. What happened at Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Mosaic Law was not a welcoming event. It established the awesomeness, the fearfulness of the God of judgment and wrath who hated sin and would destroy sinners.

Come back to Exodus 19. Exodus 19 is the original event. Israel has come out of Egypt. They are meeting with God now at this mountain. Verse 10, God instructs Moses to “have the people prepare themselves,” and they had to go through the ceremonial cleansing. And let me just note, we sometimes think we Gentiles are not part of such a system as the Jews had but we pick up these elements. Ceremonies, we think of Roman Catholicism who are recognizing two saints as though somebody on earth decides they are a saint. They are in heaven. They can represent you. But we go to these traditions. And you'll note, they had to go through a ceremonial washing to remind them of something. All these things had a place in the Mosaic Law until Christ came. Galatians says “the Law was a schoolmaster overseeing Israel until Christ came.” When Christ came, the purpose of the Law was brought to fruition and fulfillment.

He goes on here then at Mt. Sinai on the instructions God gives and a warning. Verse 12, you shall set bounds for the people all around. Beware you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it. The picture here of the distance and separation. You cannot come up the mountain where God is revealing Himself. You better be careful not even to touch the base of the mountain, man or beast. Anyone or anything that touches even the base of the mountain has to die.

Then the end of verse 13, “when the ram's horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” Again not up the mountain, not touching the mountain, but they gather around the base of the mountain. And he tells the people then, wash yourselves, be cleansed. Verse 18, they come and they gather and here they are at the foot of this mountain, “Mt. Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. It's smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, the whole mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke. God answered him with thunder.” God spoke to Moses and told him, warn the people that if they press forward and touch the mountain, they will perish. The priests are to consecrate themselves. And on it goes.
Over in Exodus 20:18, “all the people perceived the thunder, the lightning, the flashes, the sound of the trumpet, the mountain smoking. The people saw it, they trembled, they stood at the distance. They said to Moses, speak to us yourself, we will listen. Do not let God speak to us, we will die.” This is an awesome event. And Moses tells them in verse 20, “the purpose of this is you recognize the seriousness of sin.” God will not tolerate sin. You better not sin. That's the message of Sinai. Sin brings judgment. But the Law could never bring salvation, No one was ever saved by keeping the Law. The Law could reveal how sinful they were and the condemnation and judgment that would come upon them. Their only hope was to cast themselves on the mercy of God, place their faith in Him and His promises. So that's Mt. Sinai, it's referred to over in Deuteronomy 4:10ff also.

Come back to Hebrews. This is the characteristic of what went on at Mt. Sinai and the covenant that was being given there. It is a message of judgment, of God's wrath to be poured out on sin. Fearful, even for Moses to be in the presence of a holy God, revealing something of His hatred of sin and the wrath that sin would bring.

Now the contrast, we'll spend more time with the contrast. But you have come to Mt. Zion. Now we've come through the book of Hebrews. He is writing to those who have declared their faith in Christ, who have suffered for their faith in Christ, but who are wavering. Time can tend to weaken us, to soften our resolve, wear us down. They are not talking about abandoning God. They are talking about just going back to what God had revealed in a prior time. But as we have seen through Hebrews, there is no going back. Jesus Christ has come, the purposes of God revealed through Old Testament history were to prepare Israel for the coming of His Son. To turn back from Christ is to reject God and all that He has promised.

But these have professed their faith in Christ. They have trusted in Him. They realize what they have now. They haven't come to the Mosaic Law and all that it contained. You have come to Mt. Zion which is further defined as the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Mt. Zion, this is the place of the fulfillment of all God's promises. You are familiar with it. We have songs that have Zion in them, we're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. It is the city of God.

Come back to 2 Samuel, this tells us when Zion became the focal point for Israel. David is king. We're going to 2 Samuel 5. David, God's appointed and anointed king, now rules over Israel. He told David in 2 Samuel 5:2, “the Lord said, you will shepherd My people Israel, you will be a ruler over Israel.” And we talk about the reign of David for 40 years. Then verse 6, “now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land.” So at this point Jerusalem did not belong to Israel, it belonged to the Jebusites, one of the Canaanite people of the land. So David comes up with his forces, the Jebusites view him with disdain. “They say, you shall not come in here. But the blind and the lame will turn you away,” thinking David cannot enter here. In other words what they are saying, the blind and the lame could keep you out of our city. They viewed Jerusalem as impregnable. This mountain, not one like the Colorado mountains, but you are familiar with the pictures, the high hill where they would build a city. Because any army trying to come up first has to come up the sides of that, we call it a mini-mountain, and then they build the city on top of it. So it just gets it up out of reach, hard for the forces to get up the sides of the mountain and then up the walls of the city. Nevertheless, verse 7, note this, “David captured the stronghold of Zion, the City of David.” Zion becomes a name for Jerusalem. It is here that the temple will be built under Solomon, the focal point of Israel's worship. So when we're talking about Zion, we're talking about the city that has been established as the capital and center of Jerusalem and is promised at a future time to become the capital and center of the world, the place from which the Messiah will reign.

While you are here in the Old Testament, come back to Isaiah 24. And Isaiah 24 talks about judgment God will bring on the world, but the ultimate salvation with the establishing of His king, His Son in Jerusalem. So down in verse 23, “the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mt. Zion, in Jerusalem. His glory will be before His elders.” The picture of the Lord of Hosts reigning on Mt. Zion, anticipating the coming kingdom that God promised to the nation Israel. That is a future event, but it is connected to historic Jerusalem. Some day the Messiah will return and Jerusalem will be His capital from which He will rule in His kingdom.

Come back to Hebrews, then we're going to move to another passage. You have come to Mt. Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. And what he does here is draw a contrast as we've noted between Mt. Sinai and the Mosaic Law or the Mosaic Covenant associated with it, and Mt. Zion the city promised by God and the covenant associated with it.

Now I want you to back up to Galatians 4. And Paul uses a similar kind of analogy in comparison. Verse 21, and the problem Paul is dealing with when he writes to the churches in Galatia is similar to the problem we are dealing with in Hebrews in that there were some saying you have to keep the Law to be saved. So there is a variation but the issue is the relationship of a believer to the Law. So he says in verse 21, “tell me, you who want to be under Law. Do you not listen to the Law? For it is written,” now he is going to draw an analogy or comparison. “It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bond woman and one by the free woman.” Remember Abraham fathered a son by a slave girl, Hagar. Then he later fathered a son by his wife. So the bond woman, the slave woman was Hagar and the free woman was Sarah. She was not a slave, she was his wife. “The son of the bond woman was born according to the flesh.” In other words that was not God's plan. That was not the son that God promised. He had promised a son through Sarah. So that was a plan that they came up with, that was just a physical action, could not fulfill the promise of God. So “the son of the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the son by the free woman through the promise.” This was according to what God promised—Sarah would have a son fathered by Abraham. “This is allegorically speaking.” And don't get carried away with some of our concepts of allegory. The word here just means figuratively, he's drawing a comparison. This is allegorically speaking, figuratively speaking. “These women represent two covenants, one from Mt. Sinai,” that would connect to Hagar. And those connected with Sinai are in slavery because the Mosaic Law could never bring salvation. It never was a way of salvation. So that represents those who are under the Law still enslaved to their sin.

But, verse 26, “the Jerusalem above,” here we are, Mt. Zion, the heavenly city is free. “She is our mother.” So verse 28, “and you, brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to” . . . So this context, and he is dealing here with the Jews trying to persecute believers in Jesus Christ. That's just like Ishmael tried to persecute Isaac. So he draws that comparison. It's a similar kind of comparison and as base we're comparing what happened at Mt. Sinai and the Law given there in that covenant with the covenant that comes through the work of Christ, the New Covenant associated with the heavenly city Jerusalem. Verse 26, “the Jerusalem above,” that's the promise. And all the promises of God center in that heavenly city Jerusalem. So you realize you go back to Sinai and the covenant associated with that mount, you have abandoned any hope of salvation. That has been the consistent message of Hebrews.

Come back to Hebrews 12. Now you've come to Mt. Zion. It is further identified in two ways—it's the city of the living God, it's the heavenly Jerusalem. They are all three identifying Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion became a name for Jerusalem because it is built on the mountain, that mount there, as we saw when David got the city. He went to Zion, Jerusalem. So Mt. Zion is the city of the living God. It is the place where God resides. It is the place that God has built. This is what all the Old Testament saints were anticipating.

Back up to Hebrews 11, look at verse 10, referring to Abraham. “He was looking for the city which has foundations, this is a real city, whose architect and builder is God.” That's what we're talking about. This is the city of the living God. This city is designed and built by the hand of God, if you will. Down in verse 16, all these Old Testament saints, as it is they “desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their Go; He has prepared a city for them.” It's a heavenly city, it's the city designed and built by God. It is the very residence of God. So that's what we're talking about.

You come over to Hebrews 12 again. It is the city of the living God. It's the heavenly Jerusalem. How awesome. This is not a figment of the imagination, this is real. But it is heavenly. It has not yet been realized. So he describes where believers are going, we'll see in a moment, whether Old Testament believers, whether the church. This is what God has promised, it is yet future. Look down in Hebrews 13:14, “for here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one which is to come.” So it is yet future. It is a city which ultimately will reside on this earth.

Let's go look at it now over in Revelation 21. I was going to do it at the end but I get long-winded and we have to get in the beauty of the city. This is where we are going. His point is who wants to go back to Mt. Sinai, that physical mountain associated with fear and trembling and terror and judgment, when God has prepared a city of beauty and wonder for those who love Him. In Old Testament prophecy we talk about the coming kingdom and what God has promised as we've talked about in our study. He doesn't break out the details. By that I mean he can be talking about things that are in the eternal portion of the kingdom or in the first phase of the kingdom. It's not until Revelation 20 that we find out that the first phase of the kingdom promised in the Old Testament will be a period of 1,000 years, after which there will be a judgment and then we will move on into eternity. And the kingdom will continue. And so after that first 1,000 year phase we come to Revelation 21. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It's the city of the living God. He is its architect and builder, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, He will dwell among them.” You see it's the city of the living God, it's the city that He has designed and built, it's the city in which He resides. There will be nothing unpleasant in this city—no tears, no sorrow, no suffering, verse 4. And he reminds us this is not just words, “these things are faithful and true,” the end of verse 5. And His salvation is available without cost, the water of life.

There will be people excluded from this city. They are described in the judgment at the end of Revelation 20, the Great White Throne where all unbelievers, including some people living today, multitudes of people living today. People anywhere from Cain on who have not come to the salvation found only in the living God will be sentenced to an eternal hell, called the second death in Revelation 20:14. “This is the second death, the lake of fire. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” So verse 8 tells us “there will be no unredeemed sinners in this city.” So verse 10, “he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the Holy City Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.” And something of this glory, I mean, if this is the city God has designed and built, a place suitable for Him to manifest the glory of His presence, it will have glory beyond what we can grasp.

And we have something of the description. It has a great wall around it, it has twelve gates, each of the gates is a single pearl. It has foundation stones and so on. I encourage you to read it. This is where you are going to live for eternity if you are a believer. When I was a younger person, my parents were moving to a new house and we went over there almost every evening. See, the foundation is there, see whether this is done. These are the pipes being put in for the heating and we watched with fascination every detail of it. We're going to live here. There are believers who are hardly familiar with Revelation 21-22. This is where you are going to live for eternity.

Verse 22, “there is no temple in it for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple, the Father and the Son. The nations will walk by its light, the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” I want you to note something here. We move into eternity and we're just not now floating around in the clouds, just spirits. We are living on a redeemed earth in a city described. I know what a pearl is. I've never seen one the size of a gate. We know what these precious stones are. This is a real city with foundations built by God. There will be nations. Interesting, we are in eternity here, living on a new earth and the nations have not lost their identity. They will still have their identity. The nations will walk by its light. The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it in the daytime. So these gates provide opportunity for people to come in and they can only do that in the daytime, which is all the time because verse 25 says, “in the daytime and there will be no night. Its gates will never be closed. And they bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.” In other words the nations come in to give honor and glory to God and the glory and honor that they have now is given to God. And you come into Revelation 22, they can come in and eat of the tree of life, where Adam and Eve were closed off from the tree of life. Indicates here these people will never die.

Come back to Hebrews 12, we have to fill in the gaps. Verse 22, “you have come to Mt. Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” Its origin is heaven. Now who are the residents in this city? He talks about some of that. Myriads of angels will be part of this city, myriads of angels, thousands upon thousands of angels. Remembers Jesus said, “I could ask My Father and He would send myriads of angels to deliver me.” The hosts of angels, unfallen angels reside in the New Jerusalem. And you'll note here, verse 23 starts, “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn.” That word, it's one word and this is the only time it is used in the Bible, if you go to a Greek lexicon it means a festal gathering, a gathering of celebration, festival. And I think it is connected to the myriads of angels here. Myriads of angels in celebration because there is rejoicing. The angels don't experience redemption, but there is joy in heaven over redemption. And to see the fulfillment of God's purposes and plans in salvation. The New Jerusalem is a place of celebration.

So the myriads of angels are there. The church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, they are there. That's what you come to when you come to the heavenly Jerusalem. You come to the myriads of angels. You come to the church of the firstborn enrolled there. That's us, we're the church, the church of the firstborn. The firstborn, the Jews grasped this, was the one who received the fulfillment of the promises. We are those to whom the promises belong. We are enrolled in heaven. We are part of those whose names are written down in heaven.

You have to come back to Luke 10. Jesus had sent His disciples out, seventy of them two-by-two and given them authority, even over demonic beings. And they are amazed. And He says in Luke 10:20, “nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” How about that? And the church of the firstborn, the church are those which will receive the promises God has given to us. Our names are recorded in heaven. This is the book of life.

Come back to Revelation20:12. We have come through the first thousand years of God's eternal kingdom on earth. At the end of that thousand-year period there is the last judgment of Scripture, the Great White Throne. Remember it is the book of Revelation that organizes all that God has said about future things and puts it in chronological sequence. So here we have the Great White Throne judgment. Verse 12, who appears here? “The dead—the great, the small standing before the throne. The books were opened, another book was opened which is the book of life.” This is the book with the names of those enrolled in heaven. Their name has been written in the book of life. “The dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their works.” And everyone who died, this is only unbelievers at this judgment, we've talked about the judgments of Scripture before. Everyone at this judgment is going to hell, but they are being judged out of the book of their works, all that they have done. I didn’t think salvation is by works. It's not. Everybody at this judgment is going to hell.

Look how it goes on. Everyone is judged according to their works, the end of verse 13, then death and Hades, all the dead that will appear here, all those who had died and been waiting judgment in the fires of Hades are” thrown into the lake of fire,” hell. “This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Note verse 15, “if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” The book of life here, the names of those enrolled in heaven is here to show their name is not here. The books of their works appear here to determine where in hell they will be sentenced. Everyone at this judgment is going to hell, but there will be degrees of suffering, even in hell. Those who knew the master's will and didn't do it will be beaten with many stripes, those who did not know the master's will and didn't do it will be beaten with fewer stripes. There will be fairness in judgment but hell is hell. So that's the point of the book of works here. But the book of life is here, your name enrolled in heaven. If not you are going to hell. I've done a lot of good. Well, you are going to hell. That's the point.

So you come back to Hebrews 12. That's the beauty of the city that we're talking about. That judgment has occurred, all those people are excluded. Now you have the unfallen angels, you have the church. When you come back to verse 23, when you come to this heavenly city, who will be part of it? The unfallen angels, the church of Jesus Christ, the bride of Christ, to God the judge of all, referring to the Father, the One who has brought salvation and the One who judges all. This has come up in Hebrews on different occasions. Back in Hebrews 4:13, “there is no creature hidden from His sight but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 10:30, for we know Him who said, vengeance is Mine, I will repay. The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

So this will be the residence of God, we saw when we read in Revelation. He will dwell with them, His people in this city. The judge of all. And you come to the spirits of just men made perfect. Some people just run some of these things together. I can't understand. They say the spirit of righteous men made perfect, that's the same thing as the church. It is not, and the church is not the same thing as angels. He is distinguishing out clearly and he has separated them. You have the myriads of angels. You have the church of the firstborn. You have God Himself. You have the spirits of righteous men made perfect. These are Old Testament saints. Remember we read in Hebrews 11 that Abraham was looking for this city; the other Old Testament believers were looking for this city. Hebrews 11 ended in verses 39-40, “all these having gained approval through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised because God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” Us, the church. But in the New Jerusalem it will be the residence of the redeemed who have been glorified for all eternity. So the spirits of righteous men made perfect, men anticipating the time because the city is yet future as we anticipate it, when we have the resurrection of our bodies and we are glorified, the church at the rapture and Israel later. Jesus said, I go to prepare a place for you. This is our dwelling place.

But we're not done. Hebrews 12:24, “and to Jesus,” he uses His earthly name here, Jesus. “And you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.” He is the mediator of a new covenant. In Hebrews 9:15 He was described as “the mediator of the new covenant.” He by His sacrifice has satisfied the demands of a holy God in doing what the Law could not do, provide a sacrifice to pay in full the penalty for our sin. He is the mediator of a new covenant. You see what happens. You go back to the Law; you're not going to the city that God has prepared for those who belong to Him. You are rejecting the provision of the New Covenant established by God's Son, mediated by God's Son. That's crucial to being part of the New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem. So you've come to Jesus, He will be dwelling there. We saw that in the verses we read in Revelation 21, the Father and the Son dwell there.

“To the sprinkled blood.” In other words this is the blood that has been applied to us. The Jews understand that, when they made a sacrifice unto the Law they would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat or on the horns of the altar and so on. The blood was applied. Well when we place our faith in Christ, that's what happens. The sacrifice of Christ now is credited to us and He is viewed as having borne our sins in His body on the tree ‘that I might die to sin and live to righteousness,’ as Peter wrote. The sprinkled blood and it speaks better than that of Abel. The blood of Abel, that takes us back to the first bloodshed, remember, when Cain killed his brother Abel. And what did the blood of Abel, his death, call out for? Vengeance. What did God say to Cain? “The blood of your brother cries out from the earth.” And here is your judgment. The blood of Christ speaks better, it speaks of salvation, redemption. That's that word better, when we started Hebrews we looked to see how many times and where this word ‘better’ is used because in every way Christ in His person and His work is better because He accomplishes what no one or nothing else could do.

That's the contrast. So you see it's an added motivation to them. This is what all believers throughout Old Testament history were anticipating, what is promised to us as the church, now, who have seen something of the fulfillment in the provision of redemption with the death of the Son of God. We're not yet residing in the New Jerusalem here, but we are citizens there. Our names are written there. We're going there. Anybody want to go back to Sinai? To its judgments, its condemnation, the awesome God who was to be feared and you had to keep your distance? When He has prepared a city for believers to dwell in His very presence for eternity? He lives in this city, as a believer you'll live in this city. I'll live in this city.

Come back to Revelation 21-22 and we will be done. I just want to clarify something here. We mentioned in Revelation 21, some of you have been through this when we have studied this. Revelation 21:24 says “the nations will walk by its light,” the light of Jerusalem, “the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it” and they'll come in and out because there will be saints that are raised and have glorified bodies—Old Testament saints, church saints, tribulation saints. They have glorified bodies, they live in the New Jerusalem. But there are people who will come through the thousand-year millennium having trusted Christ after the beginning of the kingdom, will be alive as believers when final judgment is brought upon the unbeliever. They will continue on into eternity in physical bodies, so they are the ones residing in the new earth, outside the New Jerusalem. They are saved people, as we've noted similar to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall. They are free to come into the presence of God, come through the gates to give honor and glory and worship to God. We will be free to go out because we will be ruling and reigning with Christ, remember

So the provision God has made. Who wants to go back to Sinai, condemnation and judgment? But how many people hear this message and reject it. This is serious business. That's why the next thing in Hebrews that we will come to for our next study, “see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking,” because if you reject the provision in Christ there is no escaping the condemnation of an eternal hell. People feel secure. You go out and share the Gospel, I have my church, my religion, I'm not open to talk about it. I'm confident because I'm Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish. So? There are a lot of ways to go to hell,, but there is only one way to go to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” Even if you attend Indian Hills, get baptized here, partake of communion here, give your money regularly every week here you can be lost for eternity. How tragic. Jews who knew what the Scripture said, Jews who would have been explained the truth of Christ and even had professed to believe in Him are now thinking maybe I can go back to Judaism. There is no salvation apart from faithfully following Christ, having your faith in Him for time and eternity.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the riches of your Word. How awesome it is to consider that time when You will bring to finality and completion the fullness of all You have promised in the redemption we have in Christ and Him alone. Lord, how privileged we are to live and serve You in these days, having been redeemed by Your grace. How privileged we are to know even the sufferings and trials and pain of this life, we are all part of Your loving hand in bringing us to maturity that will reflect the glory of Your own Person. Lord, may we live with our eyes fixed on what You have promised, which will give us strength and courage to go through whatever trials that may confront us in the days of this life. We give You praise in Christ's name, amen.