Hebrews  ◦   Chapter 8

1 The point of all we are saying is this: We do have such a perfect ministering high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in heaven2 and who works in the true tabernacle–the genuine temple of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly-designed dwelling place of God–built by God, not by human beings, and composed of every loyal intelligent being throughout immensity.

3 Every earthly high priest is appointed to act out the larger reality by offering symbolic gifts and sacrifices, and so reality requires this high priest to have what the symbols point toward.4 If he were on earth, he would not be a theatrical priest in the little sanctuary theater, for there are already men on earth enacting the theatrical offering of symbolic sacrifices indicated by the script (which is the ceremonial law).5 They serve in the little theater sanctuary — which is a teaching tool, a mere representation of the heavenly realities — to reveal God's plan for healing the human mind and restoring unity in the universe. This is why Moses was told when he was about to build the tabernacle: "Be sure that you make everything according to the blueprint shown you on the mountain."6 And so the ministry of Jesus is far superior to the earthly priests' because he actually works in the human mind to heal and restore God's image within his Spirit temple — and thus perfects his heavenly sanctuary — while they only ministered symbols in a building made of stone.

7 For if the symbolic teaching tool could actually heal the mind and transform the heart, then it would not have been replaced with the actual Remedy.8 But God found the people infected with selfishness and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will offer anew my healing plan to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

9 It will not be in symbols–as I gave to their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them, like children, out of Egypt–because they did not understand the symbolic plan or apply its meaning, and therefore I let them have their choice and follow their own way, declares the Lord.

10 This is the healing plan I will renew with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord: I will recreate and cleanse them, and restore my law of love in their minds, and write my principles of benevolence on their hearts. I will be the God they love, admire and adore, and they will be a people who reveal my true character.

11 No longer will a person need to teach their neighbor, or tell their brother to, 'know the Lord,' because everyone will know me–from the least of them to the greatest.

12 For I will remove wickedness from their characters, and I will never need to think about their sin-sickness again."

13 By calling the healing plan "new," God was simply making it clear that the symbolic plan was no longer needed to help enlighten the mind about him; and what is no longer needed will soon disappear.