Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.” If the throne of grace is in the heavens, how can we come forward to it while we still live on the earth? Here again we need our spirit (v. 12). The throne of grace is in the heavens, but this heavenly throne is continually transmitted into us in our spirit. In spirit we can touch the throne of grace in the heavens.
In one sense, we may even say that the throne of grace is within us because the heavenly Spirit is within us. Within the temple there was the Holy of Holies, and within the Holy of Holies there was the ark. The covering of the ark, the mercy seat, signifies the throne of grace (Exo. 25:17, 21). The ark is a type of Christ, and the ark is in the Holy of Holies. Therefore, since Christ is in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22), our spirit today is the Holy of Holies. On the one hand, the Holy of Holies is in the heavens, but on the other hand, Hebrews 10:19 tells us that we must enter the Holy of Holies. If the Holy of Holies today were only in the heavens, how could we enter into it? All the heavenly things are transmitted to us in our spirit even while we are on the earth. In this way, our spirit is connected to the heavens. The all-inclusive Spirit is the current, transmitting the things in the heavens into us.
Christ as our High Priest in the heavens before God is constantly being transmitted into our spirit. We may also illustrate this with television. Although the scenes, the persons, and the places may be far away, television brings them into people’s homes. The scenery is far away, but it is transmitted to people by electricity. In a similar way, Christ is in the heavens acting and doing things as our High Priest, but this “scenery” is transmitted into our spirit. Day by day in our spirit there is a heavenly “television.” I do not care to watch television because within me is a better “television.” Many times when I close my eyes, I see something heavenly of Christ being transmitted into me. Day by day in my spirit I have a wonderful scenery. Christ is living, acting, and doing His job as the High Priest, and this scenery is being transmitted into our spirit. We simply enjoy Him in our spirit. Undoubtedly, the throne of grace is in heaven, but it is transmitted into our spirit. We simply come with boldness to this throne of grace in our spirit to receive mercy and find grace for timely help. We need to experience the Spirit in our spirit. This is altogether a matter in the spirit.
Hebrews 7:16 says that Christ “has been appointed not according to the law of a fleshy commandment but according to the power of an indestructible life.” Aaron and all the priests according to the order of Aaron served according to the outward rules and regulations. Today, however, Christ as our High Priest ministers according to the power of an indestructible life. He works not according to the regulations of letter but according to the power of an indestructible life, a life which cannot be destroyed.
According to the type in the Old Testament, God’s people were weak and sinful, under the conviction that they could do nothing to please God. When they came to the priests, the priests did something according to the regulations written in the books of Moses to help the weak and sinful ones, to care for them so that they could be reconciled to God. Today Christ is our High Priest. If we are under the conviction that we are sinful, weak, wrong, and doing things against God, Christ as our High Priest sympathizes with us and cares for us, not according to rules and regulations in letter, but by the power of an indestructible life within. This is a not an objective matter; it is subjective. The power of an indestructible life is the eternal Spirit, and the eternal Spirit is the reality of resurrection. The eternal Spirit is the very power of the indestructible life. In acting as our High Priest, Christ cares for our case by this very power.
I can testify that many times I was disappointed by my weakness, circumstances, and failures. However, I sensed and experienced that there was a living power within me, sustaining me, taking care of me, and reconciling me to God to bridge the gap between me and God. This was not by outward regulations or rules in black and white but by something living and powerful within. After only five minutes I could jump up and shout “Hallelujah!” because there was something living and powerful within me taking care of my case. This is our High Priest taking care of us by the power of an indestructible life, which is in the heavens but transmitted into our spirit.
We should have this kind of experience as Christians. If we offend a brother, we may not be able to sleep for the whole night. We may regret and condemn ourselves for being wrong with our brother and wrong before God. However, while we regret, there is something within us transmitting into us what Christ is doing to bridge the gap between us and God and between us and the offended brother. Something is transmitted into us from the third heaven, just as a television picture is transmitted from far away. Eventually we may say, “Praise You, Lord, You are my High Priest! You take care of my case.” Then we will have peace in our heart with God and the assurance that the problem between us and the brother is gone. This is the work of our High Priest, Christ the Son of God, who is actively taking care of our case in the heavens and transmitting into our spirit. There is no need for us to worry about anything. We must come simply and boldly to the throne of grace to contact Him, to look to Him, to receive mercy, and to find grace for timely help. We must learn to contact Him in our spirit and see the heavenly “television.” Then we will receive mercy and find grace.
Verse 25 says, “Hence also He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them.” Christ can save us to the uttermost because He is living not only in the heavens but also within us. While He is living in the heavens, He is transmitting Himself into us. He is living in the heavens to intercede for us and take care of our case, but the reality of this is transmitted into our spirit by His Spirit. We must learn to see the heavenly, spiritual “television” and enjoy our High Priest. Then we will receive mercy and find grace at the throne of grace for timely help. We will be delivered and saved to the uttermost. This is the work of our High Priest as revealed in the third section of Hebrews.
With every section of this book there is an exhortation and warning, either at the end or in the middle of each section. The first three verses of chapter one comprise an introduction. Following this, 1:4—2:18 is the first section, showing that Christ is superior to the angels. Within this section, 2:1-4 is an exhortation and warning. The second section is 3:1—4:13, which reveals that Christ as the Apostle sent from God is superior to Moses. At the end of this section there is a long exhortation from 3:7—4:13. Only six verses are used to tell us how Christ is the Apostle superior to Moses. The remaining verses are an exhortation. Then 4:14—7:28 forms the third section to show that Christ our High Priest is superior to Aaron. The exhortation and warning in this section extends from 5:11—6:20. In the coming chapters we will see the warnings in the following sections.
(General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church, A - Part 3: Hebrews through Jude, Chapter 3, by Witness Lee)