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100 LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW XII Old Covenant tent, the exterior part of the Mosaic tabernacle, indicated the way into the presence of God in the Most Holy Place. However, the author of Hebrews notes this way to be “closed to the worshipper”—open only to the high priest—and open to all only by the coming of Christ (9:26), who Himself is the New and Living Way. Again the term fe,resqai is used to show that Christ “manifests and shows forth the way into the New tent” what is not manifested as long as the Old Covenant is in existence. The perfect tense pefanerw/sqai indicates, on the one hand, the “fixed”, “permanentlooking” nature of the closure of the Old Covenant, which nothing, it would seem, can open, along with the enduring fact of this for the Old Covenant worshipper. Also, on the other hand, it indicates the permanent fully accomplished once-and-for-all opening of the Covenant by Christ. The enduring quality of Christ’s opening expressed in the perfect tense of the verb fanero,w indicates a continuous state of an open sanctuary “contemporaneous with the author of the epistle.” 33 Therefore, the author to the Hebrews can in the present frequently invite His readers to “draw near” and enter the Most Holy Place already. 34 Although in a sense Christ is unseen, and “will be seen” ovfqh,setai only in the future (9:28), He is nevertheless “manifested” in an unseen way in the present. 35 Furthermore, it would seem that such a severe separation of “now” and “not yet” as suggested by Williamson does not do justice to the way in which the Hebrews text sees these two together. The enduring city which still “remains to come” me,llousan evpizhtou/men (13:14), is also the same “city of the Living God” to which the author of Hebrews tells his readers “have come” proselhlu,qate 36 (12:22). The perfect tense of this verb suggests that the author of Hebrews is telling his readers that they have already completely entered the city of God, and are at the moment experiencing its effects and blessings. That this city of God is expressed as a “festive gathering” panh,gurij amid “myriads of angels” further indicates not only that the believers have already experienced in the present the full presence of God in His glory, but have done so in the context of an ongoing established characterizes His resurrected body as “not made by hands”. Swetnam argues that the phrase “not of His creation”, though not applicable to Christ’s mortal body, is certainly applicable to Christ’s risen body, which is heavenly (cf. I Cor. 15:47) and glorified (cf. Ph. 3:21). 33 Swetnam, “Tent” 100. 34 4:16, 7:19, 10:22. 35 This paradox is the same as that expressed in LW 243 st. 1, “Here, O my Lord, I see You face to face; Here I would touch and handle things unseen” (emphasis added). 36 The perfect tense, of course, suggests this “having come” to be a completed action with enduring results.
WILLIAMS: THE EUCHARIST IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 101 well-known cultic ritual within their worship. 37 What is more, since the city of Mt Zion in 10:22 is set in contrast with the Old Covenant’s Mt Sinai, it is clear that the final eternal reign of God is to be seen in contrast to the Old Covenant, rather than with the present life of the believer. Swetnam further notes that in v. 8, the author of Hebrews states that the Old Covenant still “has relevance ‘for the present time’”, 38 What can such relevance be? Swetnam looks carefully at the peculiar reference in 9:8 which refer to the “matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings” which are “not able to clear the conscience”. Are these merely a random “loose and deprecatory reference to the purity laws of the Old Testament”, 39 examples of the “external regulations” of the old Covenant meant to illustrate the “burdensome” nature of the Old Covenant from which Christ sets us free (9:15)? Noting how such a conclusion does not seem likely from a skilled and polished writer such as the author of Hebrews, 40 Swetnam argues for a more precise reason for the 9:8 reference. He believes that “foods” and “drinks” and “cleansings” are mentioned because they are viewed as being the OT foreshadowing of Christ’s Eucharistic Body and Blood and of baptism. 41 He further notes that these OT ceremonies are in 9:10 described, “until the present” to be evpikei,mena. Taking this term to mean to “lay upon” or “lay athwart”, as a stone is over a grave so that entrance to it is blocked off, he interprets 9:9-10 to say: This is symbolic, pointing to the present time. According to the symbolism gifts and sacrifices are brought which cannot give the worshipper inward fulfilment, lying athwart (evpikei,mena) only foods and drinks and various cleansings as rites of the flesh until the time of the setting straight (me,cri kairou/ diorqw,sewj). In other words, Swetnam states the text to say that the OT rituals were “blocked off” by the Old Law rites of sacrifice connected with the day of Atonement”, and because the OT Day of Atonement was “unable to expiate sin, the various rituals of the OT which flowed from the expiation were powerless to give the worshipper ritual fulfilment, i.e., definite union with God.” 42 Such powerless cultic ceremonies are therefore not swept away by Christ to find fulfilment in a non-cultic New Covenant. Rather, Christ’s atonement unblocks, “sets straight”, and gives power to the food, drink, and 37 It is to be noted that in 10:28 the author of Hebrews tells his hearers, that since they have come to Mt Zion, they “are receiving the kingdom”, and that they are now to “worship God acceptably”. 38 Swetnam, “Imagery” 155. 39 Attridge 243. 40 Swetnam, “Imagery” 156ff. 41 Swetnam, “Imagery” 158. 42 Swetnam, “Imagery” 158.
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