Hebrews 13:10-11
We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Jewish worship involved specific sacrifices that priests could eat from, the Christian "altar" (representing Christ's sacrifice) offers a benefit – spiritual nourishment and acceptance with God – that is exclusively for those who embrace the new covenant. This means clinging to the old system, symbolized by serving the tabernacle, bars one from truly partaking in the profound spiritual sustenance found in Christ.
The author is contrasting the Christian faith with the Levitical system of worship. In the Old Testament, certain sacrifices allowed priests or worshippers to eat from a sacrificial meal, but the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, symbolized by "the altar," offers a benefit—salvation and spiritual sustenance—that those clinging to the old tent rituals can no longer access. This leads into the idea that Christ's sacrifice, made "outside the camp," calls believers to leave the old system entirely.
The Old Testament had many altars, but the New Covenant speaks of just one. What makes this Christian altar so unique and exclusive?
The writer of Hebrews is drawing a sharp contrast between the Old Covenant system and the New Covenant in Christ. In the Old Testament, the 'tabernacle' represented God's dwelling place and the center of worship. Its altars were where sacrifices were made according to the Law. However, these were temporary and preparatory.
Christ's sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate 'altar.' It's not a physical structure but the very place where God's perfect sacrifice was offered for humanity's sin. This sacrifice is singular and final, unlike the repeated sacrifices of the Old Covenant. While the Old Testament altars served a specific, ritualistic purpose, the 'altar' of the cross represents the finished work of atonement, access to God, pardon, and salvation itself.
Why can some 'eat' from this altar while others have 'no right'? What does it mean to 'eat' from the altar of Christ?
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The concept of 'eating' from the altar in the Old Testament referred to participating in the benefits of a sacrifice, often by sharing in the meal associated with peace offerings. It symbolized fellowship and partaking in the blessings God provided through the sacrifice.
In Hebrews 13:10, 'eating' from Christ's altar signifies experiencing the full benefits of His atoning sacrifice: forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, peace, and the spiritual nourishment that sustains our faith. This is a privilege exclusive to those who are 'in Christ' and have turned away from the old system.
Those who 'serve the tabernacle' are clinging to the rituals and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law. The verse declares they have 'no right' because their adherence to the old covenant excludes them from the new covenant's blessings. To partake in Christ's sacrifice means forsaking the old system entirely; you cannot serve both. This isn't about exclusion out of spite, but a declaration of the mutual exclusivity of the two covenants.
Understand the original words
thysiastērion · Greek Noun
A symbolic place of sacrifice and reconciliation between God and man. In a Christian context, it often refers to the efficacy of Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, which supersedes the temporary sacrificial systems of the Old Covenant.
skēnē · Greek Noun
The portable sanctuary used in the wilderness, representing the presence of God dwelling among His people and the necessity of mediation and sacrifice for atonement under the Mosaic Law.
thysia · Greek Noun
A slaughtered animal or object offered to God to make atonement for sin, appease divine wrath, or express devotion. In the Old Testament, these were shadows of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
This verse speaks to the radical newness of Christianity, contrasting the earthly, sacrificial system of the Jerusalem Temple—which eventually ceased to exist—with the eternal, heavenly sacrifice of Christ, available only to those who follow Him.
~1445 BC
Tabernacle and Levitical Priesthood Established
Following the Exodus from Egypt, God institutes the Tabernacle as His dwelling place among the people and establishes the Levitical priesthood to serve within it, performing sacrifices according to His laws.
c. 960 BC
Temple in Jerusalem Dedicated
King Solomon dedicates the First Temple in Jerusalem, a permanent structure replacing the Tabernacle, continuing the sacrificial system and priestly service.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, ending the centralized sacrificial system and leading to the Babylonian exile.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
Following their return from exile, the Jewish people rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, re-establishing the sacrificial system and priestly duties.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus Christ is crucified outside Jerusalem. His sacrifice is understood by Christians as the once-for-all atonement for sin, superseding the Levitical sacrifices.
c. AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple. This event marks the definitive end of the Levitical sacrificial system and Jewish priesthood as it existed.
This passage describes the specific rituals for peace offerings, including the portion that worshippers could eat, highlighting the ancient practice of partaking in sacrifices from which Christians, by adhering to Christ, now have exclusive spiritual sustenance.
1 Corinthians 10:16-18Paul draws a parallel between the Lord's Supper and participating in pagan sacrifices, emphasizing that partaking in Christ's sacrifice (our altar) sets believers apart from those involved in other forms of worship.
John 6:51-56Jesus speaks of His flesh as 'true food' and His blood as 'true drink,' directly connecting the spiritual nourishment Christians receive from His sacrifice to the concept of 'eating' from our spiritual altar.
Matthew 23:18-19Jesus critiques the Pharisees' emphasis on the altar and sacrifices in the Temple, pointing out that even the Levitical law taught that an offering made holy by the altar was more significant than the altar itself, subtly hinting at the superiority of Christ's sacrifice.
Exodus 20:24God's command to offer sacrifices on an altar of earth or common stone, but not to make altars of hewn stone, shows the ancient emphasis on God's designated place of worship and sacrifice, contrasting with the unique, divinely appointed altar of Christ.
wesleyHebrews 13:10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."
13:10 On the former part of this verse , the fifteenth and sixteenth depend; on the latter, the intermediate verse s. We have an altar - The cross of Christ. Whereof they have no right to eat - To partake of the benefits which we receive therefrom. Who serve the tabernacle - Who adhere to the Mosaic law.
vincentHebrews 13:10: "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle."
Those who persist in adhering to the Jewish economy can have no part in the blessing of the new covenant. The two are mutually exclusive. The statement is cast in the mould of the Jewish sacrificial ritual, and in the figure of eating a sacrificial meal.We have an altar (ἔχομεν θυσιαστήριον)It is a mistake to try to find in the Christian economy some specific object answering to altar - either th…
The verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Jewish worship involved specific sacrifices that priests could eat from, the Christian "altar" (representing Christ's sacrifice) offers a benefit – spiritual nourishment and acceptance with God – that is exclusively for those who embrace the new covenant. This means clinging to the old system, symbolized by serving the tabernacle, bars one from truly partaking in the profound spiritual sustenance found in Christ.
The author is contrasting the Christian faith with the Levitical system of worship. In the Old Testament, certain sacrifices allowed priests or worshippers to eat from a sacrificial meal, but the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, symbolized by "the altar," offers a benefit—salvation and spiritual sustenance—that those clinging to the old tent rituals can no longer access. This leads into the idea that Christ's sacrifice, made "outside the camp," calls believers to leave the old system entirely.
The author is contrasting the Christian faith with the Levitical system of worship. In the Old Testament, certain sacrifices allowed priests or worshippers to eat from a sacrificial meal, but the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, symbolized by "the altar," offers a benefit—salvation and spiritual sustenance—that those clinging to the old tent rituals can no longer access. This leads into the idea that Christ's sacrifice, made "outside the camp," calls believers to leave the old system entirely.
"We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp." — The verse highlights a crucial distinction: while Jewish worship involved specific sacrifices that priests could eat from, the Christian "altar" (representing Christ's sacrifice) offers a benefit – s…
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