Hebrews 7:12: Why were the Ten Commandments included?

In the arena of polemical theology and apologetics, few passages spark as much fierce debate as the Book of Hebrews, particularly Chapter 7. For defenders of Seventh-day Adventism (SDA), Hebrews 7:12 represents a massive theological threat. To preserve their core doctrine that the Saturday Sabbath and the Old Covenant Law of Moses remain binding under the New Covenant, SDA apologists are forced to invent an alternative interpretation.

Hebrews 7:12 explicitly states:

"For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well."

An SDA apologist offered this explanation: The "law" changed in Hebrews 7:12 isn't the Ten Commandments, but merely a specific rule in Numbers 18:6 that restricted the priesthood exclusively to the tribe of Levi. Because Jesus was born from the tribe of Judah, God simply had to "amend" the single regulation regarding Levitical lineage so our Lord could serve as High Priest.

At first glance, this explanation sounds plausible to those unfamiliar with biblical Greek, historical context, and basic hermeneutics. However, when we subject this claim to strict historico-grammatical analysis, sound exegesis, and logical scrutiny, it quickly unravels as a classic case of eisegesis, forcing denominational presuppositions onto a text that the original author never intended.

In this edition of Investigating Adventism, we will dismantle this argument point by point using solid exegesis, reductio ad absurdum, and three knockout cross-examination questions that expose the fatal flaws of this Adventist interpretation.

The Historico-Grammatical Context of Hebrews

To understand why the Adventist interpretation is hermeneutically dangerous, we must first establish the historico-grammatical foundation of the Book of Hebrews. A foundational rule of hermeneutics is that taking a text out of its context turns it into a mere pretext for false doctrine.

The Situation of the Original Audience

The Epistle to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians facing severe persecution and tempted to abandon Christ to return to Old Testament Judaism, its temple rituals, Levitical priesthood, and the Law of Moses. The author’s overriding objective was to demonstrate the transcendent superiority of the Gospel and the New Covenant over the Old Covenant system.

If the author’s intent was merely to teach that God made a tiny "policy tweak" to Numbers 18:6, that would completely fail to persuade these Jewish believers to stay in Christ! The author’s entire argument rests on the total sunsetting of the Old Covenant order to make way for a far superior New Covenant.

The Meaning of Nomos and the Adventist "Category Error"

The fundamental mistake made by Adventist apologists is treating the 1st-century concept of law (nomos) like a fast-food menu where one can pick and choose which items to keep. Adventists rely heavily on an artificial tripartite division of the Law:

• Moral Law (The Ten Commandments)
  
  
• Ceremonial Law (Sacrifices and Priesthood)
  
  
• Civil Law (National Judgments)

They claim the "Ceremonial Law" was abolished while the "Moral Law" remains intact.

From a New Covenant Theology (NCT) and historical perspective, this is a massive Category Error. Throughout the New Testament, especially in Paul's epistles and Hebrews, the Greek word nomos refers to the entire Mosaic Corpus (the Torah) as an indivisible, unit package deal. To break one part of it is to break the entire Law (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10).

As scholar F.F. Bruce famously observed, the Levitical priesthood was instituted under the Mosaic law and was so integral to it that a change in priesthood inevitably carries a change in the entire law. Under Ancient Near Eastern covenant structures, changing the mediator and priesthood meant replacing the entire covenant framework.

Exegesis of the Old and New Covenant Foundations

To thoroughly evaluate the SDA position, we must examine the Hebrew and Greek text of Numbers 18 and Hebrews 7.

1. Hebrew Exegesis of Numbers 18:6–7: The Levitical Barrier

The SDA apologist cited Numbers 18:6, where God gives the Levites as a "gift" (nethunim) to Aaron to serve in the Tabernacle. But notice the solemn warning in verse 7:

"And any outsider who comes near shall be put to death."

This was not a minor administrative detail; it was a matter of life and death under the Mosaic constitution. If Jesus, who descended from Judah, a tribe about which "Moses said nothing about priests" (Hebrews 7:14), became High Priest without changing the covenant structure itself, He would be classified as a lawbreaker under the Torah, subject to the death penalty under Numbers 18:7! The only way for Jesus to legally serve as High Priest is if the covenant that granted exclusive rights to Levi was entirely superseded by a Better Covenant.

2. The Melchizedekian Priesthood (Genesis 14 & Psalm 110)

The SDA apologist claimed that Jesus' priesthood doesn't depend on the Levitical law but belongs to a perpetual ministry. While true on the surface, they completely miss the covenantal implications. Melchizedek was the "King of Righteousness" and "King of Salem" (Peace) centuries before the Mosaic Law was given at Sinai. He was "without father, mother, or genealogy" (agenealogētos), meaning his priesthood was independent of ancestral bloodlines, a direct contrast to the weak, physical requirement of the Levitical line.

Feature	Levitical Priesthood (Old Covenant)	Melchizedekian Priesthood (New Covenant)
Covenant Context	Sinai / Mosaic Law (Nomos)	New Covenant / Pre-dated Sinai
Basis of Authority	Ancestral Lineage / Physical Rule	Indestructible Life (Hebrews 7:16)
Priesthood Scope	Temporary, Repeated Sacrifices	Eternal, Once-for-All Sacrifice
Tribal Origin	Tribe of Levi	Tribe of Judah / Heavenly Order
Covenant Outcome	Made Nothing Perfect (Hebrews 7:19)	Brings Complete Salvation (Hebrews 7:25)

3. Greek Exegesis of Hebrews 7:11: Nenomothetētai

Hebrews 7:11 presents a fatal challenge to the Adventist argument:

"Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law)..."

The phrase "received the law" translates the Greek word nenomothetētai (νενομοθέτηται), a perfect passive indicative of nomotheteō (to legislate).

A literal translation reads: "for upon the basis of it [the Levitical priesthood], the people were legislated."

The Greek text does not say the priesthood was merely a small sub-clause of the Law. Rather, it reveals that the entire Mosaic Law framework was built directly upon the foundation of the Levitical priesthood.

Analogy: Imagine the Levitical priesthood as the concrete foundation of a building, and the Mosaic Law (including the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments) as the structure built upon it. Adventism claims God simply swapped out a single window (Numbers 18:6). But Hebrews 7:11 teaches that God replaced the entire foundation. When you replace a building's foundation, the entire old structure resting upon it comes down.

4. Greek Exegesis of Hebrews 7:12: Metathesis vs. Allasso

In verse 12, the word translated "change" is metathesis (μετάθεσις). Adventists argue this simply means a minor edit or revision. However, the author chose metathesis rather than allasso or metallasso (which denote simple alteration).

Metathesis means a complete transposition, transfer, or removal from one order to another. The priesthood was transferred from earthly to heavenly, from carnal to eternal. Because of that fundamental transposition, there is of necessity a metathesis (transfer/overhaul) of the entire legal order, not just a single clause in Numbers.

5. Suppressed Evidence in Hebrews 7:18: Athetēsis

SDA apologists typically stop reading at verse 17, avoiding verse 18:

"For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside [athetēsis] because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect)..." (Hebrews 7:18–19).

The word used here is athetēsis (ἀθέτησις). In ancient legal Greek, this term denotes complete annulment, cancellation, or abrogation.

If Adventists insist that only Numbers 18:6 was altered, are they suggesting that the requirement for Levitical ancestry was the only thing that was "weak and useless"? Clearly not! Verse 19 explicitly attributes this weakness to the entire nomos (the Mosaic Law system). The whole Old Covenant framework underwent athetēsis (annulment) to make way for the "better hope" of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ.

6. Greek Exegesis of Hebrews 8:13: Palaioō

The final nail in the coffin for this SDA argument occurs in the very next chapter:

"In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete [pepalaiōken]. And what is becoming obsolete [palaioumenon] and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:13)

The Greek verb palaioō (παλαιόω) means to declare old, obsolete, or abrogated. Appearing in the perfect active indicative (pepalaiōken), it signifies a completed action with lasting present results. How can the Old Covenant be declared "obsolete and ready to vanish" if, as Adventists claim, the entire Mosaic system remains binding except for a single edit in Numbers 18:6?

Greek Term	Parsing / Lexical Form	True Meaning	Adventist Misinterpretation
Nenomothetētai (Hebrews 7:11)	Perfect Passive Indicative of nomotheteō	The Law was legislated upon/built upon the Levitical priesthood	The priesthood is just an isolated branch of the Law
Metathesis (Hebrews 7:12)	Noun, Nominative Feminine	Total transposition, transfer, or overhaul of legal order	A minor edit or clause amendment
Athetēsis (Hebrews 7:18)	Noun, Nominative Feminine	Complete annulment, cancellation, or legal abrogation	Temporarily setting aside ceremonial rules
Pepalaiōken (Hebrews 8:13)	Perfect Active Indicative of palaioō	Permanently declared obsolete and outdated	Still fully active and binding on Christians today

Investigating Adventism Q&A: A Point-by-Point Refutation

Here is how we evaluate the Adventist apologist's arguments directly, using sound logic and New Covenant hermeneutics.

SDA Apologist: "Blessed day! We are going to answer the question rooted in Hebrews 7:12. We often hear different sects use this verse to claim that the Ten Commandments have been changed, because the verse says, 'for when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.'"

Investigating Adventism: You begin your argument with a Straw Man Fallacy. Historical Christianity does not claim that God merely "edited" the Ten Commandments in isolation. The true issue is this: The entire Old Covenant, whose heart and central sign was the Decalogue and the Sabbath, has been superseded by the New Covenant sealed in Christ’s blood (Hebrews 8:13; Exodus 31:13–17). When Jesus transferred the priesthood, it resulted in both a metathesis (transfer) and an athetēsis (complete annulment) of the Mosaic legal system because that system lacked the power to purify the believer's conscience (Hebrews 10:1–4).

SDA Apologist: "So what law is being referred to here? Remember, not every law in the Bible refers to the Law of Moses or the Ten Commandments. We must ask: what specific law connected to the High Priesthood was changed?"

Investigating Adventism: This commits a Category Error and a False Dichotomy. You treat the Law like a cafeteria menu where you can keep what you like and discard what you don't. For a first-century Jew, and for the author of Hebrews, the Law of Moses was an indivisible package deal.

If you change the priesthood upon which the Law was legislated (nenomothetētai), you don't just change a line item; the entire covenant structure transitions. As Galatians 3 and Hebrews 7 demonstrate, the believer is no longer under the tutor of the Mosaic Law, but under the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

SDA Apologist: "We see in Numbers 18:6 that according to the law, only those from the tribe of Levi had the right to be priests. But our Lord became High Priest even though He was from Judah. Therefore, that specific rule is the law that needed to be changed."

Investigating Adventism: Let's apply a reductio ad absurdum to your logic. If the Mosaic Law remains fully binding and only Numbers 18:6 was amended, you land in severe theological absurdities:

1. Animal Sacrifices: If the ceremonial system wasn't abrogated as part of the Old Covenant sunsetting, animal sacrifices under Mosaic law would logically still be in effect. Yet Hebrews 10:14 states that Christ perfected for all time those who are sanctified through His single, once-for-all sacrifice.
   
   
2. Death Penalty for Christ: According to Numbers 18:7, any non-Levite who approaches the altar must be put to death. If the Mosaic Torah remains intact without a full covenant change, Jesus serving as High Priest would make Him a Torah-breaker worthy of execution! He can only serve legitimately because the Old Covenant structure was replaced by a New Covenant order.

SDA Apologist: "This means Jesus' priesthood does not depend on the Levitical law, but has to do with His perpetual High Priestly ministry."

Investigating Adventism: That fact is true, but the conclusion you draw from it is a non sequitur. Jesus serves under the order of Melchizedek, an order distinct from the Sinai covenant (Genesis 14). If our High Priest does not operate under the Sinai Law, why force New Covenant believers back under the yoke of that same Old Covenant legal code? We are under the New Covenant written on our hearts, not stone tablets (Jeremiah 31:31–34; 2 Corinthians 3:6–11).

SDA Apologist: "In conclusion, the law mentioned that needed to be changed does not refer to the Ten Commandments, but directly to Numbers 18:6."

Investigating Adventism: That conclusion relies on the Suppressed Evidence Fallacy. You stopped reading before verse 18! Verse 18 explicitly declares the athetēsis (complete annulment) of the former commandment due to its weakness, and verse 19 states that "the law made nothing perfect." It does not say "the rule on Levites made nothing perfect," but refers to the entire Mosaic Law system (nomos). The entire system was set aside to bring in a better hope through Jesus Christ.

Three Knockout Cross-Examination Questions for SDA Apologists

If you encounter an Adventist apologist attempting to isolate Hebrews 7:12 to Numbers 18:6, present these three cross-examination questions:

1. The Dilemma of the Collapsing Foundation (Nenomothetētai)

"Since Hebrews 7:11 explicitly states in the original Greek that the entire Law (nomos) was legislated upon (nenomothetētai) the Levitical priesthood, how can you dismantle and replace the foundation (the Levitical priesthood) without collapsing the entire Mosaic structure resting upon it, including its covenant sign, the Saturday Sabbath?"

2. The Trap of Absolute Abrogation (Athetēsis)

"You use the word 'change' (metathesis) in verse 12 to claim Numbers 18:6 was merely edited. Why then do you skip verse 18, which uses the legal term 'athetēsis' (complete annulment/abrogation) for the former commandment? Are you claiming that the requirement for Levitical DNA was the ONLY thing that was 'weak and useless' (v. 18), or will you admit that the entire Mosaic Law 'made nothing perfect' (v. 19) and was replaced by Grace?"

3. The Absurdity of Retained Laws (Reductio ad Absurdum)

"If the 'change of law' in Hebrews 7:12 applies strictly to Numbers 18:6, does that mean all other Mosaic laws remain binding? If you agree that animal sacrifices and Levitical purity laws are no longer in effect, aren't you admitting that far more than Numbers 18:6 was changed, proving that the entire Old Covenant has indeed been declared obsolete, just as Hebrews 8:13 states?"

Conclusion

A strict historico-grammatical reading and Greek exegesis of Hebrews 7 and 8 clearly refute the Adventist claim regarding Hebrews 7:12. Isolating Numbers 18:6 as the "only law changed" distorts the author's overall argument in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Scripture uses precise terms, nenomothetētai (legislated upon), metathesis (transposition/transfer), athetēsis (complete annulment), and palaioō (declared obsolete), to show that Jesus did not merely amend a clause in an old contract. As our Eternal High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, Jesus established a totally new and Better Covenant enacted on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Believers are no longer under the shadows of the Old Law; we live fully under the Grace and Law of Christ.

FORMER ADVENTISTS PHILIPPINES

​“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”

For more inquiries, contact us:

Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/formeradventistph 

Partner with me in advancing this ministry. Be part of this mission! Your support helps us continue gospel-centered outreach and resources.

• GCash: 0969-514-3944

• PayPal: paypal.me/formeradventistsph

• Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/ronaldobidos