I am motivated to explain these changes because I feel that there seems to be some confusion, some even asserting that God had some kind of unreasonable mind-change which is not true.
The book of Hebrews provides many allusions given to Old Testament scriptures as well as insight into the structure of the covenants. For those of you who read the word, you will recognize whole sentences which I have used but not given quotations for. Apologies for my laziness!
Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle (lesser/imperfect) Old Testament
1st Covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly physical sanctuary (tent/building)A two-roomed tabernacle was setup:
1st Curtain, followed by 1st Room – The holy place: lampstand, table & consecrated bread
2nd Curtain, followed by 2nd Room – The most holy place: golden alter of incense & gold-colored ark of covenant, containing gold jar of manna, Aaron's budded staff & stone covenant tablets. Above the ark were the cherubim of the glory (heaven) overshadowing the atonement cover
Under the 1st covenant, priests would regularly enter the outer room to minister, but only the High Priest could enter the inner room, and that only once a year with an animal blood offering for himself (his own sins) and the sins which the people had committed in ignorance. This resulted in ceremonial/outward cleanliness, but did nothing for the priests spiritually.
The holy spirit was disclosing that by still being in existence, the first room's ceremonial and external regulations made through physical gifts and sacrifices were not enough to clear the conscience of the believer. In other words not enough to forgive sins. We are stuck with the old testament worship style today, the only difference being that animal blood is not used – imagine the smell!
Worship in the Heavenly Tabernacle (greater/perfect) New Testament
Jesus' arrival as high priest culminated in his entrance into the non man-made tabernacle. It's is important to understand that this took place as a precursor to his ministry, long before his crucifixion. Instead of the sprinkling of goats and calves blood, he himself obtained eternal redemption by his own blood (sacrifice). In this way he offered his own spirit unblemished to God. Resulting in inner cleanliness. Christ is therefore a mediator of this new covenant because he, by his own sacrifice “brokered” the way into the heavenly tabernacle (heaven). By following the way pioneered and disclosed by Christ, we too are able to enter the greater tabernacle, receive cleansing from sins which defile the soul (conscience) and so are able to serve the living God - in the place where he exists.
This revelation was presented by Christ to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who sought to obstruct man's entrance into the new way of worshiping God. You can immediately see that the church we have today has through error reverted back to the old testament (worldly) style of worship instead of the new way which was ushered in by the head of the church (Jesus). How did this error creep in? Well, the middle-ages butchering of pious, truth-loving men, often branded “heretics”, proves Satan's desperate attempts at keeping a lid on the truth during those dark times. Since we are living in more enlightened times, we have little excuse not to understand what we have been told.
Jesus unveiled this new covenant so that those who are called by God today may also inherit the promises and blessed eternal inheritance which he inherited as the author of our salvation. Hebrews is very clear that Christ himself received redemption and in this way lives to intercede for those who are undergoing the time of sacrifice we must suffer on the way to receive our inheritance. The path walked by Christ is therefore the one we must also walk for our prize which is waiting for us in heaven - we cannot be anointed as fallen men. You can see now that just as Jesus prepared himself to enter heaven, so we too must undergo the same preparation. The bride of Christ (spirits of believers) must prepare herself if she is to enter the bridal chamber (heaven). While the copies of the heavenly things were to be sprinkled with animal blood, better sacrifices had to be made for the heavenly things themselves. When I say better, I mean a more powerful sacrifice...a human sacrifice as it were. To suffer affliction at the hands of the wicked one, is what amounts to being “put to death” for testing. Without testing, there is no approval, and without approval by God, there is no power to minister.
The high priest ministering in the earthly way would be making entrance into the earthly tabernacle once a year with animal blood. Christ entered heaven itself once and once only with his own blood sacrifice (suffering). While the high priest ministering in the earthly way would repeat the process once a year, Christ provided a way of redemption for all men by a one-time sacrifice. He will never again have to make this sacrifice because he himself received what was promised.
The old testament prophets were talking about the arrival of the redeemer, teacher, healer, savior because his appearance meant the dawn of the apostolic age where a new priesthood set to enter heaven directly would do away with earthly worship and also be able to lay on hands and provide remission for sins directly. The age of prophecy foretold this new priesthood who could offer forgiveness of sins (healing) whereas they (the prophets) did not have the power to offer healing themselves.
By understanding Jesus personal sacrifice, the truth in Heb 9:27 becomes clear. The path of the cross is to die once (face death) and then face judgment which happens when the soul emerges from sin and rises. It's got nothing to do with the soul having one life here on Earth and everything to do with making one sacrifice of yourself, then ascending into glory - which again, is the inheritance of those who undertake this sacrificial work. Heb 9:28 then paints a completely different picture of Christ's Parousia. What the church has failed to grasp are the spiritual sanctification rites of a priest, and this is what Jesus came to explain to the earthly ones who would listen. The message is clear: Clean the inside of the cup and the outside will be washed too. Be ye doers, not just hearers of the word.
Now we have a message being preached by the church which tells us that Christ's redemptive work on the cross has saved us from our sins and that by believing in Christ we are instantly washed and cleansed of all unrighteousness. Oh they make it sound so easy!! There seems to be a deliberate omission and reluctance to reveal the new covenant in it's full truth because that would mean having to face a period of suffering. How many believers would continue to go to church and tithe if they were told they must suffer? It's far easier to keep tithing and hope it absolves us of guilt. This is why the church is reluctant to explain things to believers - because a bunch of empowered priests could be a severe threat to the establishment which survives on donating churchgoers.
The law therefore is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. Old testament worship can therefore never make perfect those who draw near to God, as current church-goers prove. We need to understand that we have to now begin the upward journey into the heavenly tabernacle which is where we must worship (in spirit and in truth). The worshipers God seeks, are those that listen to Christ and by making clean the inside of the cup through their own atonement sacrifice, prove themselves to be his followers in deed. By setting aside the first covenant to establish the second, we begin to build the holy (risen) church brick by brick, or soul by soul.
Can you see now why God says, “this is the covenant I will make with them”. I will put my laws in their hearts (spirits). Once sin has been forgiven by this one-time sacrifice, no more sacrifice can be given. That means if we continue to sin after knowledge of the truth has been received, no sacrifice of sins is left, but only fearful expectation of judgement and raging fire. The reason why no-one is overcoming sin, is because knowledge of the truth is obstructed, not understood, or plainly ignored and the sacrifice leading to holiness is never actually made.
This warning is given to those who know the truth, become sanctified (sainted/holy) and then return to sin. For these people the punishment is very severe, because it amounts to the crucifixion of Christ all over again, subjecting him to public humiliation.
The purpose of the new covenant minister therefore, is to achieve sanctity by practical application of knowledge, thereby following Christ into heaven (entering the kingdom) receiving of POWER and also the reward of eternal life by the maintenance of that sanctity. Jesus ministry is superior because it promises the believer better and eternal things.
Why was the covenant changed? Because God found fault with the people who did not keep his precepts and didn't remain faithful. They forgot God and returned to their paganism. In the old covenant, God was known indirectly and physically to the priests who were given the task of giving instruction in the law. This was the reason for Moses bringing the 10 commandment tablets down from Sinai.
The new testament is called “new” because it makes the first one redundant. What is aging and obsolete we are told, will soon disappear. The new testament tablets are written in our hearts and minds and by the adoption of this new covenant with it's heavenly worship, all men will KNOW the Lord, in the way he wants them to. Right now, no-one KNOWS the Lord. They know his word, but they know nothing about the risen Lord as a spirit in heaven. They have not laid eyes on him spiritually, neither do they know anything about what the heavenly realms look like. When all men know God in this way, no-one will have to teach the other one, because ALL will know him (in spirit). By following Jesus, we will receive forgiveness of sins and also the blessing, power and immortality which are the rewards of the saved (holy) soul.
Our Earth is doomed to destruction because men are living their lives with fallen souls and therefore unknowingly cursing the ground on which they walk. When men rise up and collectively overcome their fallen natures, the earth will also inherit a blessing. Forget electric cars, global warming and carbon credits, this is the only way the planet can be healed.