Hebrews 9
9
The Old Agreement
1The first agreement had rules for worship and a place on earth for worship. 2The Holy Tent was set up for this. The first area in the Tent was called the Holy Place. In it were the lamp and the table with the bread that was made holy for God. 3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place. 4In it was a golden altar for burning incense and the Ark covered with gold that held the old agreement. Inside this Ark was a golden jar of manna, Aaron’s rod that once grew leaves, and the stone tablets of the old agreement. 5Above the Ark were the creatures that showed God’s glory, whose wings reached over the lid. But we cannot tell everything about these things now.
6When everything in the Tent was made ready in this way, the priests went into the first room every day to worship. 7But only the high priest could go into the second room, and he did that only once a year. He could never enter the inner room without taking blood with him, which he offered to God for himself and for sins the people did without knowing they did them. 8The Holy Spirit uses this to show that the way into the Most Holy Place was not open while the system of the old Holy Tent was still being used. 9This is an example for the present time. It shows that the gifts and sacrifices offered cannot make the conscience of the worshiper perfect. 10These gifts and sacrifices were only about food and drink and special washings. They were rules for the body, to be followed until the time of God’s new way.
The New Agreement
11But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things we now have, he entered the greater and more perfect tent. It is not made by humans and does not belong to this world. 12Christ entered the Most Holy Place only once—and for all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats and calves. His sacrifice was his own blood, and by it he set us free from sin forever. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow are sprinkled on the people who are unclean, and this makes their bodies clean again. 14How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God.
15For this reason Christ brings a new agreement from God to his people. Those who are called by God can now receive the blessings he has promised, blessings that will last forever. They can have those things because Christ died so that the people who lived under the first agreement could be set free from sin.
16When there is a will, it must be proven that the one who wrote that will is dead. 17A will means nothing while the person is alive; it can be used only after the person dies. 18This is why even the first agreement could not begin without blood to show death. 19First, Moses told all the people every command in the law. Next he took the blood of calves and mixed it with water. Then he used red wool and a branch of the hyssop plant to sprinkle it on the book of the law and on all the people. 20He said, “This is the blood that begins the Agreement that God commanded you to obey.” 21In the same way, Moses sprinkled the blood on the Holy Tent and over all the things used in worship. 22The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without blood to show death.
Christ’s Death Takes Away Sins
23So the copies of the real things in heaven had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. But the real things in heaven need much better sacrifices. 24Christ did not go into the Most Holy Place made by humans, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself and is there now before God to help us. 25The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year with blood that is not his own. But Christ did not offer himself many times. 26Then he would have had to suffer many times since the world was made. But Christ came only once and for all time at just the right time to take away all sin by sacrificing himself. 27Just as everyone must die once and then be judged, 28so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
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Hebrews 9: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Hebrews 9
9
Old Covenant Ministry
1Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. 2For a tabernacle was set up, and in the first room, which is called the holy place, were the lampstand, the table, and the presentation loaves. # Ex 25:8-9,23-39; 26:1; Lv 24:5-8 3Behind the second curtain, the tabernacle was called the most holy place. # Ex 26:31-33; 40:3 4It contained the gold altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, covered with gold on all sides, in which there was a gold jar containing the manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. # Ex 16:33; 25:10,16; 30:1-5; Nm 17:10; Dt 10:2 5The cherubim of glory were above it overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now. # Ex 25:18-19; Lv 16:2
6With these things set up this way, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. # Nm 28:3 7But the high priest alone enters the second room, and he does that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. # Ex 30:10; Lv 16:15,34; Heb 5:3 8The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the most holy place had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. # Jn 14:6; Heb 10:19-20 9This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. # Heb 5:1; 7:19 10They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of restoration. # Lv 11:2-3; Col 2:16
New Covenant Ministry
11But the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. # Other mss read that are to come In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation # Heb 2:17; 8:2; 10:1), 12He entered the most holy place once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. # Dn 9:24; Heb 7:27; 10:4 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, # Lv 16:14-15; Nm 19:2,9,17-18 14how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit # 1Pt 3:18; 1Jn 1:7 offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our # Other mss read your consciences from dead works to serve the living God? # Ti 2:14; Heb 6:1; 10:2,22
15Therefore, He is the mediator # 1Tm 2:5; Heb 8:6; 12:24 of a new covenant, # The Gk word used here and in vv. 15-18 can be translated covenant, will, or testament. # Jr 31:31-34; 1Co 11:25; 2Co 3:6; Heb 7:22; 8:8; 13:20 so that those who are called might receive the promise # Gn 12:7; Rm 8:28; Gl 3:19; Heb 4:1 of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. # Rm 3:25; 5:6 16Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in force while the one who made it is living. 18That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. 19For when every command had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people, # Ex 24:6-8; Lv 14:4-6 20saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you. # Ex 24:8; Mt 26:28 # Ex 24:8 21In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the articles of worship with blood. # Ex 29:12; Lv 8:15 22According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. # Lv 17:11
23Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. # Heb 8:5 24For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model # Or antitype, or figure of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that He might now appear in the presence of God for us. # Rm 8:34; Heb 7:25; 8:2 25He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. # Heb 9:7; 10:19 26Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, # Mt 24:3; 28:20; 1Co 10:11 for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. # Heb 4:3; 7:27 27And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment # Gn 3:19; 2Co 5:10 — 28so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, # Is 53:12; 1Pt 2:24 will appear a second time, # Mk 8:38; 1Th 4:16 not to bear sin, but # Lit time, apart from sin, to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. # Mt 26:28; 1Co 1:7; Ti 2:13
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