Hebrews 8 - the old, the new, the yet to come

This may be the Moreh's last Sabbath in our little synagogue. Seeming to need to stuff all of the last two Sabbath's wonderful, mysterious teachings about High King, Prophet and Priest Jesus into one nutshell, he says,

"The point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man."

Blessed be the maker of heaven and earth, I have seen with my own eyes the Great Temple in Jerusalem. I have prayed in its courts. No matter that it is a shadow of Solomon's temple, where once dwelt the Shekinah Glory Presence of God. When I pray in the temple I know that I am in a holy place, set apart for His praise and sacrifices.

What could be better than that? And still better than that which is better than the temple? My heart receives with a joyful witness of "Yes!" that in the new covenant of the High Priest and King Jesus, no longer need you and I say to each other "know the Lord" for we will ALL know him, the least to the greatest, as prophesied by sad, persistent Jeremiah. Even now in Word and Spirit he walks among us, and forgives our wickedness, and remembers our sins no more. Blessed be His name!

And what is to come - pardon my enthusiastic use of the vulgar tongue but Maranatha, Lord! - a place of worship not built by men limited by time, money, materials, skill, love, and vision, but a holy place built especially for us by the Father who possesses all these without limit, and pours them out unstintingly in the great mysterious work of the New Heaven, the New Earth, the New Jerusalem, and the Eternal Sanctuary! Blessed be His Name - Maranatha Lord!

In fact it makes me want to sing:

Maranatha Holy High Priest
Usher us into your new holy place
Maranatha Jesus our King
Now we see darkly one day face to face
Now I see darkly one day face to face