Hebrews Chapter 8
Hebrews Chapter 8: A New, Better Covenant
A. Jesus, Our Heavenly Priest
1. Hebrews 8:1–2 (NKJV)
“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at 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 erected, and not man.”
The author now draws together the theological thread from chapter 7. The “main point” is this: We have such a High Priest — one that is totally unlike the Levitical priests in both nature and position. Jesus Christ is not ministering on earth, and He is not offering repeated animal sacrifices. Instead, He ministers in heaven, in the true tabernacle that God Himself erected — not man.
The phrase “seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” echoes Hebrews 1:3: “...when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” The seated position implies finality — His sacrificial work is complete. No Levitical priest ever sat down in the tabernacle because their work was never finished.
The “true tabernacle” is not a metaphor for the Church, nor is it symbolic of Christ’s earthly body. It is a literal, heavenly temple — the original of which the tabernacle of Moses was a shadow and a pattern (see Exodus 25:8–9, “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”).
This reorients our theology away from earthly rituals toward the heavenly reality, where Jesus Himself ministers as our eternal High Priest.
2. Hebrews 8:3 (NKJV)
“For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.”
The function of a high priest is incomplete without an offering. The Levitical priests brought gifts and sacrifices — bulls, goats, grain, incense — but Jesus brought something entirely superior: Himself.
Hebrews 9:26 says, “...but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Jesus fulfilled the essence of the priesthood not by offering something external, but by offering His own body and blood. That offering is singular, sufficient, and supreme.
Ephesians 5:2 affirms this truth: “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” This was not merely duty — it was love.
3. Hebrews 8:4–5 (NKJV)
“For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.’”
Jesus’ priesthood cannot be earthly because He is from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. The Mosaic Law only permitted Levites — specifically descendants of Aaron — to serve as priests. Therefore, if Jesus were ministering on earth under that system, He would be disqualified.
However, Jesus ministers not in the shadow, but in the substance. Earthly priests minister in a “copy and shadow” — Greek: hypodeigmati kai skia — meaning a visible outline or preview of the reality. The true reality exists in heaven.
This concept is reinforced by the command in Exodus 25:40: “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” The tabernacle was not an arbitrary structure — it was a precise replica of something in the heavenly realm.
Even the ornate and massive Second Temple (built by Herod) was merely a dim echo of the real sanctuary where Christ now ministers. Despite Jewish reverence for the earthly temple, believers are pointed away from the physical and toward the eternal.
Summary of Hebrews 8:1–5:
Jesus is not merely a priest — He is a heavenly High Priest.
He serves in the true tabernacle, not an earthly imitation.
His sacrifice is not an animal — it is His own body.
His priesthood is not earthly or hereditary — it is eternal and superior.
Everything Moses built was a replica of the heavenly reality.
The Levitical system, while divinely ordained, was only a shadow; Jesus is the substance.
4. Hebrews 8:6 — Jesus Presides Over a Superior Priesthood with a Better Covenant and Better Promises
Hebrews 8:6 (NKJV)
“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”
This verse serves as the apex of everything said in Hebrews 7: Jesus Christ is not only a better High Priest—He mediates a better covenant with far better terms and eternal results. Let’s break down the key components:
a. “He has obtained a more excellent ministry”
Jesus’ priesthood is not symbolic, ceremonial, or earthly. It is heavenly, eternal, and effectual. No Levitical priest ever took away sin. They could only cover sin temporarily, and that through the blood of animals. But Jesus “offered one sacrifice for sins forever” (Hebrews 10:12), and then “sat down at the right hand of God.”
Romans 8:3–4 says,
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son... that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.”
No priest under the Law of Moses could accomplish this. Their ministry was perpetual and incomplete. But Jesus has obtained a ministry far more excellent—finished, effectual, and exalted.
b. “He is also Mediator of a better covenant”
The term “Mediator” (Greek: mesitēs) refers to one who stands between two parties to reconcile them. A mediator represents the interests of both sides and brings resolution. In the Old Covenant, Moses was the mediator—he stood between a holy God and sinful Israel (Exodus 19–24). But Moses, too, was a sinful man, and the covenant he mediated could not bring lasting peace or transformation.
Jesus, however, is both sinless and divine. He is fully man and fully God—uniquely qualified to represent both sides and reconcile them eternally.
1 Timothy 2:5 states,
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
He brings us to the Father not by demanding obedience to the Law but by offering grace through His own obedience and sacrifice. Hebrews 7:22 affirms that Jesus became “a surety of a better covenant.” He guarantees the covenant’s success.
This New Covenant is not one of works, but one of grace. It is entered into by faith, not by birthright. It is received, not earned.
c. “Which was established on better promises”
The New Covenant is built on a completely different foundation. The Old Covenant promised blessing for obedience and cursing for disobedience (see Deuteronomy 28). It was conditional: if you obey, you’ll live; if you disobey, you’ll die. That covenant exposed man’s inability to live righteously apart from divine help.
The New Covenant, by contrast, is unconditional in its grace and transforming power. It promises a new heart, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and full forgiveness. Jeremiah 31:33–34, quoted later in Hebrews 8:10–12, describes these better promises:
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
These are not promises of conditional reward, but of sovereign grace. They are secured not by man’s effort but by Christ’s blood.
Titus 1:2 says we have “the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” That is one of the better promises of the New Covenant.
d. Additional Covenant Background:
Jesus’ New Covenant fulfills and culminates the storyline of all previous biblical covenants:
Eternal Covenant — Within the Trinity, securing redemption before time began (Hebrews 13:20).
Abrahamic Covenant — Promise of blessing to all nations through Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:1–3).
Mosaic Covenant — Law revealed, but unable to save (Exodus 24:3–8).
Davidic Covenant — Promise of an eternal King (2 Samuel 7:12–16).
New Covenant — The fulfillment in Christ: perfect priest, eternal king, spotless sacrifice (Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”)
All were steps in the redemptive plan of God, and the New Covenant is the goal toward which they all pointed.
Summary of Hebrews 8:6:
Jesus has a superior ministry because:
He is seated in heaven with finished work.
He mediates a covenant that guarantees salvation by grace.
That covenant is based on better promises: forgiveness, regeneration, intimacy with God, and eternal life.
No earthly priest, law, or sacrifice could ever offer what Christ now gives. As believers, we stand on an unshakable foundation: a better priesthood, a better covenant, and the best promises.
B. The Superiority of the New Covenant
1. Hebrews 8:7 (NKJV)
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.”
The very existence of a promised New Covenant in the Old Testament proves that the first covenant had shortcomings. This does not mean that the Law of Moses was flawed or evil—Romans 7:12 says, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” But it was insufficient. It revealed sin but could not remove it (Hebrews 10:1–4). The Law functioned as a mirror, not a cure.
God does not establish replacements unless they are absolutely necessary. Therefore, if God speaks of a “second,” it means the “first” was not sufficient to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
2. Hebrews 8:8–12 (NKJV)
“Because finding fault with them, He says:
‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
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 did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,”
for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”
This passage is a direct quotation from Jeremiah 31:31–34. The New Covenant was not an innovation of the apostles—it was foretold centuries earlier and rooted in Old Testament prophecy. In Jeremiah’s day, the people were in rebellion, and even Josiah’s temporary covenant renewal could not produce lasting faithfulness. So God promised a future covenant—a better one.
a. “Finding fault with them”
The fault was not in God’s Law, but in the people’s inability to keep it. The Old Covenant demanded obedience but did not supply transformation. Hebrews 7:18 notes this weakness: “For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness.”
b. “I will make a new covenant”
Unlike the first covenant, which was conditional (“If you obey...”), the New Covenant is unilateral. God says, “I will... I will... I will.” It is a covenant of divine initiative and grace. Ezekiel 36:26 confirms this: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”
c. “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers...”
The New Covenant is not a revision of the Old—it is a total replacement. The Old was based on external law; the New is based on internal transformation. It changes the heart, not just the behavior.
d. “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts”
Instead of tablets of stone, God now inscribes His will on the human soul. This reflects a relational covenant, not a ritual one. Romans 2:15 speaks of this internal witness: “...who show the work of the law written in their hearts.”
e. “I will be their God, and they shall be My people”
This is the core of covenant language throughout Scripture. The New Covenant restores intimacy with God that the Old Covenant could never fully accomplish. Under the Law, God’s presence was restricted to the Most Holy Place—now it dwells within every believer.
f. “None of them shall teach his neighbor... for all shall know Me”
This speaks to universal access to God under the New Covenant. There are no tiers of spiritual privilege. The veil has been torn. 1 John 2:27 explains, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you...”—not meaning we don’t need teachers, but that access to God is not through human intermediaries.
g. “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more”
This is the heart of the New Covenant: total forgiveness. No mere covering over of sin, as in the Old Covenant sacrifices (Hebrews 10:4), but complete removal. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Isaiah 43:25 adds, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
3. Hebrews 8:13 (NKJV)
“In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
The declaration of a “new covenant” automatically renders the first obsolete. This is not a temporary adjustment—it is a final replacement.
At the time Hebrews was written, the temple was still standing, and the Levitical priests were still offering sacrifices. But that system was already obsolete in God’s eyes. Within a few years (in A.D. 70), the temple would be destroyed by the Romans—ending the sacrificial system permanently.
To those Jewish Christians tempted to return to Judaism for safety or familiarity, the warning is clear: do not go back to what God has already set aside. The old covenant was fading. The new had already come.
Summary of Hebrews Chapter 8:
The New Covenant is superior in every way: in priesthood, promises, access, and results.
It is established by God, not man, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
It offers not ritual, but relationship; not shadows, but substance.
It is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan as foretold in the Old Testament.
It is written on the heart, not tablets of stone, and offers full forgiveness, not just ceremonial cleansing.
Differences Between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant
(An Enhanced Comparison for Teaching from Hebrews 8)
The writer of Hebrews has spent considerable time showing the superiority of the New Covenant, not just in its promises or priesthood, but in every facet of its nature. The following contrasts highlight key differences that emphasize how the New Covenant — sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ — is better in every possible way. This teaching is vital to any believer considering returning to ritual, Law-based religion, or any system of works.
1. Instituted at Different Times
The Old Covenant was established around 1446 B.C. at Sinai when God delivered the Law to Moses.
The New Covenant was instituted around 33 A.D., at the cross and declared at the Last Supper when Jesus said in Luke 22:20:
“This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”
2. Instituted at Different Places
The Old Covenant was given at Mount Sinai, a mountain associated with fear, fire, and separation.
The New Covenant was inaugurated at Mount Zion — the heavenly mountain of grace, as seen in Hebrews 12:22:
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…”
3. Spoken in Different Ways
The Old Covenant was declared with fear and thunder (Exodus 19:17–24), meant to reveal the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man.
The New Covenant was spoken through Jesus Christ with grace and truth, as John 1:17 says:
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
4. Different Mediators
Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant (Exodus 24:8).
Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6), standing between sinful man and a holy God, fully representing both.
5. Different in Their Subject Matter
The Old Covenant was a covenant of works — “If you obey, I will bless you…”
The New Covenant is a covenant of grace — the works are completed by Christ, not us.
6. Different in Their Dedication
The Old Covenant was dedicated with the blood of animals (Exodus 24:5–8).
The New Covenant was ratified with the blood of Jesus Christ — “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
7. Different Priesthoods
The Old Covenant had the Aaronic priesthood, limited to one tribe and subject to death and sin.
The New Covenant is under the order of Melchizedek, with Jesus as the eternal High Priest, and believers as a spiritual priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).
8. Different Sacrifices
The Old Covenant required continual animal sacrifices that could never take away sin (Hebrews 10:1–4).
The New Covenant offers one perfect sacrifice: Jesus Christ, once for all (Hebrews 10:10).
9. Different Locations of Writing
The Old Covenant was written on tablets of stone (Exodus 31:18).
The New Covenant is written on hearts and minds, transforming us from within (Hebrews 8:10).
10. Different Goals
The goal of the Old Covenant was to reveal sin and guard Israel until the Messiah came.
The New Covenant reveals grace, mercy, and eternal life, providing transformation and reconciliation.
11. Different Outcomes for Daily Living
The Old Covenant resulted in bondage, since it gave commands but not power.
The New Covenant brings liberty, as seen in 2 Corinthians 3:17:
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
12. Different Work of the Holy Spirit
Under the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit came selectively and temporarily for specific tasks.
Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit is given freely and permanently to all believers (John 14:16–17).
13. Different View of the Kingdom of God
Under the Old Covenant, the Kingdom was primarily national and earthly — Israel ruling over other nations.
Under the New Covenant, the Kingdom is both spiritual and future — already present in believers, but not yet fully realized (Luke 17:21; Revelation 20:4–6).
14. Different Substance
The Old Covenant was made up of shadows — pictures of greater spiritual truths to come (Hebrews 10:1).
The New Covenant is substance and reality — fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17).
15. Different Scope of Administration
The Old Covenant was limited to Israel, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The New Covenant is for all nations, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3; Acts 1:8).
16. Different Results
The Old Covenant could not perfect anyone — it only pointed forward.
The New Covenant is able to perfect forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).
17. Different Duration
The Old Covenant was temporary, preparing the way for Christ (Galatians 3:24).
The New Covenant is eternal (Hebrews 13:20):
“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead… through the blood of the everlasting covenant...”
