<p>7:12 <i>For the priesthood being changed requires also a change of the law</i>- This verse is a stubborn problem for those who consider that the Mosaic law has not been changed nor abrogated. The reasoning here is logically sound, but it depends upon the assumption that the Melchizedek priest has in fact come; and only in that case could it be reasoned that the priesthood had been changed from the Aaronic to that of Melchizedek, this requiring a change of the law. The argument only had and has force for those who accept Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. It is therefore highly relevant to the Hebrew Christian audience but would lack logical power with Hebrew non-Christians.</p><p>The whole Law of Moses is described as an everlasting covenant (Is. 24:5; Dt. 29:29), but it has now been done away (Heb. 8:13). The feasts of Passover and Atonement were to be &ldquo;an everlasting statute unto you&rdquo; (Lev. 16:34; Ex. 12:14); but now the Mosaic feasts have been done away in Christ (Col. 2:14-17; 1 Cor. 5:7). The Levitical priesthood was &ldquo;the covenant of an everlasting priesthood&rdquo; (Ex. 40:15; Num. 25:13), but &ldquo;the priesthood being changed (by Christ&rsquo;s work), there is made of necessity a change also of the law&rdquo; (Heb. 7:12). There was an &ldquo;everlasting covenant&rdquo; between God and Israel to display the shewbread in the Holy Place (Lev. 24:8). This &ldquo;everlasting covenant&rdquo; evidently ended when the Mosaic Law was dismantled. But the same phrase &ldquo;everlasting covenant&rdquo; is used in 2 Samuel 23:5 concerning how Christ will reign on David&rsquo;s throne for literal eternity in the Kingdom. In what sense, then, is God using the word <i>olahm</i>, which is translated &ldquo;eternal&rdquo;, &ldquo;perpetual&rdquo;, &ldquo;everlasting&rdquo; in the Old Testament? James Strong defines <i>olahm </i>as literally meaning &ldquo;the finishing point, time out of mind, i.e. practically eternity&rdquo;. It was God&rsquo;s purpose that the Law of Moses and the associated Sabbath law were to continue for many centuries. To the early Israelite, this meant a finishing point so far ahead that he couldn&rsquo;t grapple with it; therefore he was told that the Law would last for ever in the sense of &ldquo;practically eternity&rdquo;. For all of us, the spectre of ultimate infinity is impossible to intellectually grapple with. We may glibly talk about God&rsquo;s eternity and timelessness, about the wonder of eternal life. But when we pause to really come to terms with these things, we lack the intellectual tools and linguistic paradigms to cope with it. Therefore there is no Hebrew or Greek word used in the Bible text to speak of absolute infinity. We know that death has been conquered for those in Christ, therefore we have the hope of immortal life in his Kingdom. But God speaks about eternity very much from a human viewpoint.</p>