Hebrews 9
9
1The former system had instructions as to how to worship, and an earthly sanctuary. 2The first room in the Tabernacle housed the candlestick, the table, and the sacred bread. This was called the Holy Place. 3Past the second veil in the Tabernacle was the room called the Most Holy Place. 4This contained the golden altar of incense, the gold-covered “agreement chest.”#9:4. Traditionally translated “ark of the covenant,” a wooden box symbolizing the place of meeting, reconciliation, and agreement between God and his people. Inside this were the golden pot containing manna, Aaron's rod that had produced buds, and the stone inscriptions of the agreement.#9:4. Usually believed to be the stone inscriptions of the ten commandments. 5Above this were the glorious angel cherubim covering the place of reconciliation. We can't discuss all of this in detail now.
6Once all of this had been set up, the priests would go in regularly to the first room of the Tabernacle to perform their duties. 7But only the high priest went into the second room, and only once a year. Even then he had to make a sacrifice involving blood,#9:7. Blood is a frequent theme in the latter part of Hebrews. It is a shorthand symbol for life, and the shed blood of death, and while the original context of the sacrificial system is certainly literal, its use in Hebrews when applied to Christ is primarily as a symbol of what he accomplished by his life, death, and resurrection. which he offered for himself and for the people's sins of ignorance.
8By this the Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the true Most Holy Place hadn't been revealed while the first Tabernacle still existed.#9:8. The meaning of this statement is the subject of much debate. It could be generally concluded that in the light of the new revelation of God through Jesus, which is the focus of the New Testament and particularly the Book of Hebrews, that this passage is referring to Jesus as the full revelation of God, providing “access” to him, and that this had not happened under the old system (reference Jesus' statement in John 14:6). 9This is an illustration for us in the present, showing us that the gifts and sacrifices that are offered can't make the worshiper's conscience clear. 10They're just religious regulations—about food and drink, and various ceremonies involving washing—which were put in place until the time of God's new way of relating to him.
11Christ has come as a high priest of all the good experiences we now have. He went into the greater, more complete Tabernacle that wasn't made by human hands—not part of this created world. 12He didn't enter through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood. He entered once, for all time, into the Most Holy Place, setting us free forever.
13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow sprinkled on those who are ritually unclean make the body ceremonially clean, 14how much more does the blood of Christ—who offered himself in his sinless life to God through the eternal Spirit—clean your consciences from your past sinful lives so you can serve the living God?
15This is why he is the mediator of a new agreed relationship. Since a death has occurred to set them free from the sins committed under the first agreed relationship, now those who are called can receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. 16For a will to be implemented, the person who made it must be dead. 17A will is only valid when there's been a death—and is never applied while the person who made it is still alive. 18That's why the first agreement was established with blood.
19After Moses had given all the commandments of the law to everyone, he took the blood of calves and goats, and together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, sprinkled the book#9:19. The book of the law. itself and all the people. 20He said to them, “This is the blood of the agreed relationship that God has told you he wants with you.”#9:20. Quoting Exodus 24:8. 21Moses sprinkled the blood in the same way on the Tabernacle and everything used in worship. 22According to ceremonial law, almost everything is made clean with blood, and without shedding blood nothing is made ritually free from the stain of sin. 23So if the copies of what is in heaven needed to be cleansed in this way, the things in heaven needed cleansing by better sacrifices.
24For Christ hasn't entered a Most Holy Place constructed by human beings that is only a pattern of the original. He has entered heaven itself, and now appears on our behalf, speaking for us in God's presence. 25This was not to repeatedly offer himself, like a high priest has to enter the Most Holy Place year after year, offering blood that is not his own. 26Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. No: just this one time at the end of the present age he came to remove sin by sacrificing himself. 27Just as human beings die only once, and then are judged, 28so too for Christ—having been sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people, he will come again, not to deal with sin, but to save those who wait for him.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
Hebrews 9
9
1Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2#Exod 26.1-30; Exod 25.31-40; Exod 25.23-30. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. 3#Exod 26.31-33. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of all; 4#Exod 30.1-6; Exod 25.10-16; Exod 16.33; Num 17.8-10; Exod 25.16; Deut 10.3-5. which had the golden censer,#9.4 censer or altar of incense. and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5#Exod 25.18-22. and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
6 #
Num 18.2-6. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 7#Lev 16.2-34. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: 8the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: 9which was a figure for the time then#9.9 then not found in best early manuscripts. present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; 10which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
11But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13#Lev 16.15,16; Num 19.9,17-19. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; 14how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
15And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19#Exod 24.6-8. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, 20saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21#Lev 8.15. Moreover he sprinkled likewise with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22#Lev 17.11. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Sin Put Away by Christ's Sacrifice
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.