Grace Bible Church

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." Heb 10 vs. 1

The word we want to focus on is shadow. There are a number of things regarding the nature of shadows that is extremely important in understanding the purpose of GOD in the old testament writings. Here the writer to the Hebrews calls the old covenant (law) a shadow. That is those things contained in ordinances given to the children of Israel to regulate their worship and duty to GOD, were but mere shadows of another reality.

(1) They served to cast an image or silhouette of a reality.  Col 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."

(2) The shadow pointed at something that was to come. Make sure you get that , to come!  In other word as long as the shadow existed and served a purpose, the reality of that shadow had not come.. This is infatically stated by the Holy Spirit using this phrase, to come twice, once in Col 2:16-17, and again in Hebrews 10:1.

(3) The shadow was designed to be repetitive. That is it was cyclical and constantly being repeated as with the old sacrificial system. Exodus 29:38 "Now this [is that] which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually." Hebrews 10:11 "And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:"  It was repetitive because a shadow has no spiritual or eternal value. No life no substance to it at all.

(4) Thus the law could not produce righteousness in the sinner, nor remove sin from the soul or conscience. Heb 10vs2 "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins".  Understand clearly what the writer is saying. Men and women who are under the law are bound to a system of shadows, which only intensify the guilt of their sin in the conscience. The law never relieves anyone of condemnation, nor gives assurance of salvation. Thus the worshipper under the shadow experiences nothing but emptiness and vain exercises of religious duty. READ the 10th chapter of Hebrews carefully.

(5) And most importantly, the shadow was temporary. Like the shadow cast in the morning preceding the radiance and beauty of the Sun itself, moves until it disappears.So it was with the old covenant. I call it "that temporary would not do covenant of works". It moved in cycles of new moons feast days and Sabbaths. But now that Christ, the end of the law, has come those shadows having served their purpose are done away. Christ is the reality. See article on date setting.