Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 67:1 (Mar 2024)
Article: The Ark And The Blood: Jesus’s Body And Intercession In Hebrews
Author: Daniel Stevens

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The Ark And The Blood: Jesus’s Body And Intercession In Hebrews

Daniel Stevens*

* Daniel Stevens is assistant professor of New Testament interpretation at Boyce College, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: Over the past several years, there has been much debate on the nature of Christ’s intercessory work in Hebrews. At present, the most recent arguments are in favor of understanding it in view of a continuing Yom Kippur atoning liturgy or an atoning tamid sacrifice. This article argues that a continuing sacrificial framework of any variety does not best explain the presentation in Hebrews of Jesus’s ongoing work. Through an analysis of the passages in which Jesus’s body and intercession are related and through recourse to patristic and medieval interpreters, this article argues that Jesus’s intercession—and the role of his body and blood therein—is best understood through the frameworks of the ark and the paschal blood.

Key words: Hebrews, atonement, intercession, Jesus, ark, Passover, Theophylact, Melito

In recent years, a growing debate has emerged on the nature of Christ’s intercessory work in Hebrews. Of central importance have been the studies of David Moffitt and Nicholas Moore. Moffitt has argued that Jesus’s Yom Kippur work is not finished and will not be until he returns to bring salvation to his people.1 Moore has countered, arguing against a continuing aspect of Jesus’s Yom Kippur sacrificial work,2 and Moffitt has duly responded.3 With the republication of a selection of his articles in a single volume,4 Moffitt is the most recent to thoroughly present his perspective on the atonement, setting the terms for future discussion of the atonement in Hebrews.

This article steps into the discussion, agreeing with some of the analysis of both Moffitt and Moore, yet charting a separate course. It contends that while Jesus’s continual bodily presence in the heavenly sanctuary is necessary and salvific in Hebrews, the text does not allow any sacrificial understanding of Christ’s ongoing work. This article first argues that ongoing sacrificial metaphors are inappropriate for describing Jesus’s intercessory work in the context of Hebrews and then proposes

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an alternate way of framing Jesus’s intercession and the role of his body, drawing on both Hebrews itself and the broader theological tradition.