A MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE by Ray Prinzing

“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.” (Heb. 9:11)

Not of this building – the Greek word for “building” is “ktisis” in all other cases translated as creature or reaction. There is a greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not of this Adamic, earthy creation.

“But I say unto you, That in this place is One greater than the temple,” (Matt. 12:6). For the Lord of the temple was in their midst, and they knew Him not. He offered a way of LIFE, a life in the Spirit which superceded all the ordinances and rituals of their systems of worship.

Greater – Greek, “meizon” from the root “megas,” a million times. This denotes the tremendous superiority of the “greater and more perfect tabernacle.” Just as the figure of speech would say it is a million times better. One cannot even make a comparison between the first order and the second, for one is of the flesh, earth, and the other is of the Spirit, heavenly.

More perfect – “teleios,” ended, brought to the full, complete. It is also the word that is used in Matt. 5:48, “be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” It is perfection that is required for the whole man, for “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless.”(1 Thess. 5:23).

2 Peter 1:14 says, “I must put off my tabernacle.” Not only must all of the flesh works, observances, rituals, forms, ceremonies have to go, but even the body itself, this first tabernacle must give way for a new, a greater, a more perfect tabernacle. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, age-during in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1).

“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” (Phil. 3:21). His body is the blueprint, the form and substance, the greater and more perfect, into which we are thus to be changed . To be “in Christ, a new creature (building).” (2 Cor. 5:17).