“These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been established on better promises.”
Hebrews 8:5-6 CSB
When Moses gave the instructions as to the tabernacle and the Levitical service, he was copying what he saw happening in heaven. The system of a high priest standing between man and God was a shadow of what he saw happening in heaven. The presentation and sprinkling of the blood were but a shadow of what he experienced. The offering of an innocent, perfect lamb cast out of the community with the people’s sins laid upon him was a shadow of what he saw. Everything Moses saw and instructed the people to do was, but a copy of what he already saw was happening in heaven.
Because Jesus was crucified before the foundations of the world (Revelations 13:8), we can then establish that the sacrificial law laid out by Moses was a mere copy of Jesus. But now that Jesus has come and died on Earth, we can step into the better covenant available through Him. The reason that it is better is NOT that it is different. It is better since a copy is merely an imperfect attempt to replicate. For example, a fake copy of a Rolex watch looks the same and almost feels the same, but the quality, reliability and duration are limited. They tend to break within a few months compared to an original, which can last several lifetimes. The Mosaic system is just like a copy of an authentic Rolex. Now that we have Jesus, we get to step into the original, the perfected covenant set by God. It is without flaws or errors; it is the perfected system that God has filled with His love, grace and mercy.
Today take the step and embrace the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not settle for anything or a carbon copy. The Gospel of Jesus brings us peace, joy, self-sacrificial love and an ability to endure due to our faith in great things.
