One word that characterises the Last Days, is CHANGE. Many societies, through war, famine, disease, population growth, new discoveries, have seen rapid and radical change. Our modern world too is convulsed by change. But in this lesson we are thinking about seven great foundation changes that took place centuries ago when Christ died.

"Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new" (2Co 5:17).

1. Change of Covenant
2. Change of Priesthood
3. Changed Jew-Gentile Relationship
4. Change to New Kingdom
5. Change from Type to Antitype
6. Change of Baptisms
7. Change of Ages

The Change Of Covenants

The writer of Hebrews points out that Jeremiah's statement about a new covenant rendered the old one obsolescent --it was "passing away", destined for replacement by a much more glorious covenant (Heb 8:13, Jer 31:31). Symbolic of this, the transfigured face of Moses began to fade as soon as he brought the first covenant down from the mountain (2Co 3:7-18).

Imagine you heard me say, "I really must get a new broom". What would you infer from that statement as to my existing broom?

If you heard me say, "I must get a new broom", you would take me to imply that my present broom was worn and needed replacing. The writer to Hebrews interprets Jeremiah as having said the same thing about the covenant that came through Moses.

This change of covenants is one of the most fundamental events in the unfolding of God's plan. This raises crucial questions:

• When did the change of covenants happen?
• How long did it take?
• Was it permanent or temporary?

The Change Of Priesthood

Next, we look at Hebrews 7:11, a commentary on Psalm 110:4.

"The Lord has sworn with an oath and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'"

The writer to the Hebrews argues that a change of the law-covenant implies a change of priesthood. God's oath meant that Christ would abolish the Levitical priesthood and replace it with a new order symbolised by Melchizedek who was greater than Abraham, the Levites' ancestor. Moreover, the old priesthood was not effectual in its own right. It was a precursor or foreshadow of the coming high-priesthood of Christ.

The only priest who could make a sufficient sacrifice once and for all was Jesus Christ the Son of God. Without him, we would still be locked in to the old system, and not a single great change would have been possible. The change of priesthood is the one on which all other great changes depended.

Jesus did all of these things and more. This raises fundamental questions too:

• Was the old priesthood still legitimate for a period following Christ's sacrifice?
• Could it ever become legitimate again in some future age?

If we get the answers wrong to questions like that, we will seriously distort the doctrine undergirding our faith. [Background Heb ch. 7-10]

The Changed Jew-Gentile Relationship

A "separating wall" divided Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14). Christ broke down this barrier. Among those baptised into Christ, "there is neither Jew nor Greek" (Gal 3:27-28).

The old differentiation between Jew and Greek (ie Gentile), was abolished. They are now all one (Rom 10:12).

The Change Of Kingdom

"They are not all Israel who are of Israel" (Rom 9:6). God's people are those who believe in Jesus Christ, whether or not they are descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob).

Hebrews 12:22-24 is a beautiful description of the new kingdom of God. The last five items above describe this kingdom. You should have skipped the first four.

The Change From "Type" To "Antitype"

Many things in the old system were symbols foreshadowing the new. "Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies (ie "types") of the true, but into heaven itself..." (Heb 9:24). The law of Moses had "a shadow of the good things to come, not the very image of the things." (Heb 10:1).

Once the antitypes became reality --as soon as the change occurred -- the types were taken away (Heb 10:9).

The Change Of Baptisms

John the Baptist was the herald of the coming great changes. He preached and baptised (Mrk 1:4). His baptism was not intended to be permanent however. The baptism of John was to give way to the baptism of Christ.

It is true of both baptisms that they were each "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mrk 1:4, Acts 2:38). However it is true only of Christian baptism that it was in the name of Christ and in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39 19:1-5).

The Change Of Ages

The Bible recognises two dispensations. The Hebrew writer (Heb 1:1) calls these...

• "times past" and
• "these last days".

The rest of the book of Hebrews shows that the seven great changes have taken place and that the last days have come. Beyond "these last days" (Heb 1:1) which he also calls "the end of the ages" (Heb 9:26) lies no other age but eternity.

The Greatest Change

Of the seven foundation changes, which is the cornerstone? Which is the change on which the others all depend?

Among all those connected things, the one upon which all the others depend is the change of priesthood. The only priest who could make a sufficient sacrifice once and for all was Jesus Christ the Son of God. Without Jesus and his death on the cross, we would still be locked in to the old preliminary system, and not a single great change would have been possible.

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