Is Jesus Christ The Man Jesus Christ Now ?

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Hey, look how much study I have put into this! (H2H, thanks for your kind words, btw). I am open for correction, but after seeing these points, what can one say?

The book of Hebrews was written to ward off the backsliding the Hebrew believers were experiencing in going back into Judaism. So Hebrews shows how the New Covenant is so much greater than the Old. And in that explanation, we read of Aaron's Levitical priesthood simply not cutting it when it came to what Christ was doing NOW.

Hebrews not only touched upon the backsliding Hebrews, but worked to convince the people they were on the right track with Jesus, and should they get hold of His PRESENT priesthood, they will also be so strong that they would inherit the blessings of Abraham... and many of which were for us in this life before we ever get to glory!

Heb 8:4-6 KJV For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest

This indicates HE IS PRIEST NOW, since He is not on earth.

..., seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Priests were already in earth in the early church days. So Christ would have no need of being so had he been in earth instead of having ascended.

(5) Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. (6) But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,

BUT NOW...

He is not in earth NOW. NOW He is in glory, so the only answer is that HE CAN BE PRIEST, which He is.

...by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

He IS the mediator... NOT WAS. That means He mediates NOW.

Heb 8:7-10 KJV For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. (8) For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Notice the change in the context. Hebrews speaks about how the old covenant had a fault in that the people involved could NOT CONTINUE. They failed personally. Law only told them how to live and never empowered them to do so. And if that was the fault that moved God to make a new covenant, the remedy was a covenant in which they COULD CONTINUE. And the way this is done is as follows:

...I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

By putting His laws into our minds and hearts, OUR NATURES are affected so as to be ABLE to keep those laws as if by NATURE.

This is all part of Christ's High Priesthood empowering us to have victory.

Hebrews 9 continues by saying the earthly priesthood of Aaron's line had a worldly sanctuary, but Christ PRESENTLY is in a heavenly one.

Aaron could not enter and dwell in the holiest on earth. So he cannto typify Christ's present ministry well enough. He covered the type of Christ's work on the cross, but Melchisedek's priesthood adequately typified that present ministry which is in the holiest. Nothing about Aaron's priesthood could provide POWER to for the people to "continue". But since Melchisedek was KING on the throne as well as Priest, he showed how Christ would dwell in the holiest throneroom as KING to empower us.

Hebrews 9 shows how Aaron's presthood could not dwell in the holiest, and how Christ is dwelling in the holiest now as Priest.

Heb 9:7-8 KJV But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: (8) The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Heb 9:11-12 KJV But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (12) Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Christ empowers us to LIVE and CONTINUE in our covenant.

Heb 9:14 KJV How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

HE IS mediator... NOT WAS.

Heb 9:15 KJV And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

We have to abandon all these references to IS if we say he is not priest still now.

Heb 9:24-25 KJV For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (25) Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

Jesus went far beyond anything Aaron could typify. He entered into HEAVEN's holiest and IS STIL THERE DWELLING, whereas Aaron could only enter for a few moments ONCE A YEAR.

He sat down in there, since the offering was done forever. Aaron had to go in and leave again only to do the sacrifice again next year. Not Jesus. He offered once, and sits DOWN IN THE THRONE IN THE HOLIEST! He is priest WHILE ON THE THRONE!