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
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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