Long ago, in a city far, far away (in Wisconsin), I was a singer in a rock and roll band. I’m sure just by saying that I have drawn a few readers closer to my camp while driving others immediately to the comic/crossword section. But yes, I was in a garage band called the PH Factor. The guitarists could play the originals “lick for lick.” In other words, they sounded just like the records (if you don’t know what a record is, ask your parents) and I could imitate the singers note for note. One of my guitarists even redesigned his guitar to look like Eddie Van Halen’s (again, ask your parents). We were pretty good, but we were just an imitation.
In Hebrews 9, the writer reminds us of all the blood-letting that was necessary to cleanse the earthly tabernacle. He then reminds us that the earthly tent – and later the Temple itself – was only an imitation of the true presence of God in the heavens. Now, I’m not sure the writer means to say there is some sort of Heavenly Tent of Meeting out there somewhere, but the idea that the perfection of God’s being could be housed on top of a man-made arc in a man-made tent should, at the very least, seem suspect. While the artisans were commanded to make everything about the Arc according to the pattern that was delivered to Moses, they were still only human beings, enlivened by the Spirit of God, to make a replica – a temporary place holder – waiting on the real sacrifice to come.
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf”
(Hebrews 9:23-24).
I’m sorry you missed hearing the PH Factor back in the day. I would be much more pained if you missed out on seeing God in His perfect sanctuary, purchased and cleansed by the perfect sacrifice of Christ. See you Sunday.
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