Questions From Readers

When did Jesus become High Priest, and is there a distinction between when the new covenant was validated and when it was inaugurated?

The evidence shows that Jesus became High Priest when he got baptized in 29 C.E. What is the evidence? At his baptism, Jesus presented himself for sacrifice on the altar of God's "will." (Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 10:5-10) Since that symbolic altar has been in existence from Jesus' baptism onward, the great spiritual temple-which represents the arrangement for pure worship of Jehovah based on the ransom-must also have come into existence at that point.  The altar is a key feature of that spiritual temple. - MATTHEW 3:16, 17; HEBREWS 5:4, 6.

With the great spiritual temple in place, a high priest was needed to officiate there.  To fill that need, Jesus was anointed "with holy spirit and power." (Acts 10:37, 38; Mark 1:9-11) Yet, how can we be sure that Jesus was appointed as High Priest before his death and resurrection?  We fin a compelling reason when we consider the example of Aaron and is successors who served as high priests under the Mosaic Law.

As required by the Law, only the high priest could enter the Most Holy of the tabernacle and, later, the temple's Most Holy.  This compartment was separated from the Holy by a  curtain.  The high priest passed beyond that curtain only on the Day of Atonement.  (Hebrews 9:1-3. 6, 7) Just as Aaron and his successors were anointed as high priests before entering  "through the [literal]curtain" of the tabernacle, Jesus must have been anointed as the High Priest of Jehovah's  great spiritual temple before he died and thereafter passed  "through the curtain, that is, his flesh" to heavenly life. (Hebrews 10:20) For this reason, the apostle Paul referred to Jesus as coming "as a high priests' and then passing "through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands" and into "heaven itself." - HEBREWS 9:11, 24. 

There is no distinction between when the new covenant was validated and when it was  inaugurated.  Why not? When Jesus ascended to heaven and offered up his perfect human life in our behalf, he set in motion a process that validated, or legalized, the new covenant, or put it into effect.  What steps were involved in doing so?

Next time: Conclusion of Questions From Readers

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