The Shadowlands of Worship Text: Hebrews 9:1-5
Introduction: Copies of the True
The book of Hebrews is a sustained argument for the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. The author is writing to a group of Hebrew Christians who were feeling the immense cultural and familial pressure to drift back into the old ways of Judaism. The temple was still standing, the sacrifices were still being offered, and the aroma of that ancient liturgy was alluring. It was tangible, it was historic, it was glorious. And so the writer of Hebrews takes them by the hand and says, in effect, "You are tempted by the shadows, but I want to show you the substance. You are nostalgic for the blueprints, but the building is finished and the builder is here."
We live in a similar time. Our generation is not tempted by the Levitical system, but we are constantly tempted by lesser glories. We are tempted by political saviors, by therapeutic gospels, by the worship of self, or by a bland, moralistic religiosity that has the outward form of Christianity but denies its power. We construct our own little tabernacles, our own holy places, furnished with our own idols. And so the message of Hebrews is just as potent for us. Do not settle for the copy when you can have the reality. Do not prefer the earthly sanctuary when the heavenly one has been thrown open to you.
In this passage, the author begins to draw a sharp contrast between the earthly setup of the Old Covenant and the heavenly ministry of Christ. He does this not to denigrate the Old Covenant. God Himself designed it, and it was glorious in its time and for its purpose. But it was a glory destined to fade, like the light on Moses' face. Its purpose was to point, to foreshadow, to be a meticulously crafted scale model of a reality that was infinitely greater. To go back to it after Christ has come would be like an architect insisting on living in his blueprints after the house has been built. It is a form of spiritual insanity.
So, the author gives us a brief tour of the old tabernacle. He is not doing this to give us an antiquarian history lesson. He is setting the stage. He is arranging the furniture of the old system so that he can then show how Christ is the fulfillment and substance of every single piece of it. This is not allegory; this is typology. The Bible itself teaches us to read it this way. These things were patterns, types, and shadows of the good things to come. Let's walk through the shadowlands, so that we might better appreciate the light.
The Text
Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place. And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant. And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
(Hebrews 9:1-5 LSB)
An Earthly Blueprint (v. 1)
We begin with the foundational statement of this section:
"Now even the first covenant had requirements of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary." (Hebrews 9:1)
The author begins by acknowledging the divine origin and legitimacy of the Old Covenant system. It had "requirements of divine worship." The word for requirements is dikaiomata, which means ordinances or righteous regulations. This was not a system man invented. God Himself laid down the specifications. This worship was structured, ordered, and detailed because it was meant to teach Israel something crucial about the God they served. He is a holy God, and He cannot be approached casually or on our own terms. You don't just wander into the presence of the King; you follow protocol.
But notice the key qualifier: it was an "earthly sanctuary." The Greek is kosmikosa, worldly, belonging to this created order. This is the central point of contrast that will be developed. The Old Covenant had a physical address. You could locate it on a map. It was made of materials from this world: wood, gold, fabric, animal skins. This is its glory, but also its limitation. It was a tangible picture of heavenly realities, but it was not, and could never be, the heavenly reality itself. It was a copy, not the original. This is the first step in the argument: the old way was worldly, and therefore, it was temporary and preparatory.
The Outer Court: The Holy Place (v. 2)
Next, the author takes us inside the first room of this earthly tent.
"For there was a tabernacle prepared: the first part, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread, which is called the holy place." (Hebrews 9:2)
This "first part" was the larger of the two rooms in the tabernacle, and it represented the daily life of service and communion with God, mediated by the priests. Three items are mentioned here. First, the lampstand, the menorah. This was a seven-branched lampstand of pure gold, and it was the only source of light in the room. It was to be kept burning continually. What did it signify? It pointed to the fact that God's people are to be a light in a dark world, but more than that, it pointed to Christ, who is the true light of the world (John 8:12). In the new creation, there is no need for a lamp, "for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Rev. 21:23).
Second, there was the table and the sacred bread, or the "bread of the Presence." Twelve loaves of unleavened bread were kept on this table, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. They were a constant reminder of God's covenant provision for His people. They were to live in His presence and feast on His goodness. This too is a shadow that finds its substance in Christ. Jesus is the true Bread of Life who came down from heaven (John 6:35). To have fellowship with God, we must feed on Him. We do this by faith, and we celebrate it in the Lord's Supper, where we feast on the true bread of the Presence.
Behind the Veil: The Holy of Holies (v. 3-4)
The author then draws back the second, more formidable curtain.
"And behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant." (Hebrews 9:3-4)
This second veil was a formidable barrier. It was a thick, heavy curtain that separated a holy God from a sinful people. To pass through it unbidden meant instant death. This veil screamed, "Keep out!" It was a constant, woven reminder of the chasm that sin creates between man and God. We know from the gospel accounts that at the moment of Christ's death, this veil in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51). This was not a random act of vandalism; it was God's declaration that the way into His presence was now thrown open through the broken body of His Son.
Behind that veil was the Holy of Holies, the symbolic throne room of God on earth. The author mentions the golden altar of incense. Now, in Exodus, this altar is located in the Holy Place, just outside the veil. But its function was intimately connected to the Day of Atonement and the Holy of Holies, as the smoke from the incense was to cover the mercy seat. The author here links it functionally to the inner sanctum, because it represents the prayers of the saints, made acceptable by a mediator, ascending before the very throne of God. Christ is our great High Priest, and He ever lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). Our prayers only reach the throne room because they are carried in the censer of His merits.
And then we come to the central piece of furniture in the entire Old Covenant: the ark of the covenant. This was a wooden box overlaid with gold. It was called the ark of the testimony because inside it were the memorials of God's covenant relationship with Israel. First, the tablets of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. This represents the righteous law of God, which we have all broken. Second, a golden jar of manna, representing God's miraculous provision in the wilderness, which Israel grumbled about. And third, Aaron's rod that budded, representing God's chosen authority in the priesthood, which Israel rebelled against. So what do you have inside the box? You have the evidence of Israel's sin and rebellion, all right there before a holy God. You have the law they broke, the provision they scorned, and the authority they rejected. This box is a box of judgment. It testifies against the people.
The Place of Atonement (v. 5)
But the description is not finished, and this is where the gospel breaks in.
"And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail." (Hebrews 9:5)
On top of this ark, this box of judgment, was a solid gold lid called the mercy seat, or the atonement cover. And fashioned into this lid were two golden cherubim, angelic beings, with their wings outstretched and their faces looking down at the lid. This was the place where, once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice. The cherubim are looking down, as it were, at the broken law inside the ark. But what do they see? They do not see the law. They see the blood. The blood covers the sin. The mercy seat, sprinkled with atoning blood, is what stands between a holy God and the testimony of our rebellion.
This is a magnificent picture of what Christ has done. He is our mercy seat. The apostle Paul uses this very word, hilasterion, in Romans 3:25, saying God put forward Christ as a propitiation, a mercy seat, in His blood. God's justice is not set aside; it is satisfied. The law's demands are met. The penalty for our sin, our grumbling, and our rebellion is paid in full by the blood of the Lamb. The cherubim of glory, representing the host of heaven, look on in wonder at this transaction. God remains just, and yet He is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The author then says, "Of these things we cannot now speak in detail." He is not being dismissive. He is saying that the typological richness of this old system is so vast that he could write volumes. But he must press on to his main point, which is to show how Christ's ministry is superior in every way. The details are glorious, but they are not the destination. They are signposts, and every one of them points straight to Christ.
Conclusion: From Shadow to Substance
Why does this tour of ancient furniture matter to us? Because it teaches us the grammar of salvation. It shows us that God has always saved His people in the same way: by grace, through faith, on the basis of a substitutionary sacrifice. The Old Covenant saints were saved looking forward to the cross, trusting in the promise that was pictured in these shadows. We are saved looking back at the cross, trusting in the fulfillment that has come in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Old Covenant system was a world of barriers. A veil separated the people from the priests, and another veil separated the priests from the very presence of God. It was a ministry of "keep out." But in Christ, the veil is torn. The way is open. We are invited to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). The old system was earthly, made with hands. Christ has entered the true tabernacle, heaven itself, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with His own precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Therefore, let us not be tempted to go back to the shadows. Let us not try to rebuild the veil by erecting our own systems of works-righteousness or self-justification. The way is open. The price is paid. The mercy seat has been provided. Let us abandon our earthly sanctuaries of pride and self-reliance, and come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The blueprints were glorious, but the house is finished, and we are invited to come in and dwell with God forever.