1 Then, verily, the first covenant had also ordinances (rules; commands) of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first (the first place; the Holy Place), in which was the lampstand (candle holder), and the table (for the shewbread), and the shewbread (loaves); which is called the sanctuary (Holy Place). 3 And after (beyond; behind) the second veil (the inner curtain), the tabernacle, which is called the Holiest of all (Holy of Holies), 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark (chest; box) of the covenant overlaid with gold, in which was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod (staff) that budded (sprouted), and the tables (smooth flat-surfaced stones suitable for writing) of the covenant; 5 And over it (the mercy seat) the cherubim (two in number facing each other) of glory shadowing the mercy seat (where Jehovah God met with the high priest); of which we cannot now speak particularly. 6 Now when these things were thus prepared, the priests went always into the first tabernacle (for over 1400 years), accomplishing the service of God. 7 But into the second went the high priest alone once (one time) every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors (unknown sins) of the people, 8 The Holy Spirit thus signifying (showing) that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest (declared; known), while the first tabernacle was yet standing; 9 Which was a figure (parable; comparison) for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect (complete), as pertaining to the conscience (intellectual awareness); 10 Which stood only in foods and drinks, and various washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed (laid upon; pressed upon) on them until the time of reformation (restoration of order).
11 But Christ being come an 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, 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once (once-and-for-all-time) into the holy place, having obtained (found; ascertained) eternal redemption (deliverance as the result of a payment) for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying (purging; cleansing) of the flesh, 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge (cleanse) your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And 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 (law) testament, they who are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
16 For where a testament (covenant; will) is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is of force after men are dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator (will-maker; covenant-maker) liveth. 18 Whereupon, neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept (commandment) to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and (a little bit of) scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament (covenant) which God hath enjoined (commanded; charged)unto you. 21 Moreover, he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels (utensils) of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding (spilling; pouring out) of blood is no remission (deliverance; forgiveness; liberty).
23 It was, therefore, necessary that the patterns (examples; similitudes; copies) of things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly (super-heavenlies) things themselves with better (greater; superior) sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands (made not with human hands), which are the figures (patterns; replicas; copies) of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear (make clear; manifest) in the presence of (before) God for us; 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often (frequently; often times), as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others (strange; alien); 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world (the beginning of time). But now once in the end (completion; consummation) of the ages, hath he appeared to put away (disannul; set aside) sin by the sacrifice of himself (Christ offered Himself on an altar as an act of worship). 27 And as it is appointed (kept; set; placed; laid up) unto men once (one time) to die (expire; pass away), but after that the judgment (discrimination; condemnation); 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look (anticipate; wait) for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (rescue; redeemed).
1 "The chief obstacle in the way of the Hebrews' faith was their failure to perceive that every thing connected with the ceremonial law - the tabernacle, priesthood, sacrifices - was typical in its significance and value. Because it was typical, it was only preparatory and transient, for once the Antitype materialized its purpose was served" (Pink, Volume I, p. 460). The author of Hebrews continues a subject he began in 8:7 concerning the New Covenant. Although the Old Testament has been fulfilled or done away with, we are still to look to it for instructions regarding the New Testament. He deals specifically with the fact that the ordinances (dikaiomata from dikaios meaning regulations; rules; righteous commands) and the earthly (kosmikon from kosmikos meaning of the world as opposed to the heavenly) sanctuary (hagion from hagios meaning holy place) of the Old Covenant were mere types of the real ordinances and the sanctuary. Of course the author is describing the Solomonic Temple, as well as the tabernacle in the wilderness, which was its forerunner. Both these buildings were inferior to Christ's sanctuary in heaven, but they were types.
2 The word "tabernacle" here denotes the whole structure embracing the outer court, the inner court (Holy Place) and the Holy of Holies. Located in both of the earthly sanctuaries there were pieces of furniture such as the candlestick (luchnia meaning lampstand; candle holder) (Exodus 25:31 - 40; 37:17 - 24), the table (trapeza) on which the shewbread (Exodus 25:23 - 30; Leviticus 24:5 - 8) was displayed as well as the shewbread itself sometimes called the "bread of presence," pointing to the Divine presence in which the bread stood; "shewbread before Me always" (Exodus 25:30). The twelve loaves pictured the twelve tribes of Israel being represented before Jehovah God. Thus, in type, it was the Lord Jesus identifying Himself with His covenant people. Some think that the shewbread was to remind Israel of God's provision of the manna in the wilderness. These pieces of furniture were in the Holy Place which was inside the outer veil; that is, the first part of the sanctuary. The lampstand is referred to in Exodus 25:31 - 40. Instructions for the table of shewbread are given in Exodus 25:23 - 30. 3, 4 Behind (meta or beyond) the second veil (katapetasma meaning curtain) was the Holy of Holies (hagia hagion meaning the most Holy Place); behind this veil made of "...blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine-twined linen of skillful work; with cherubim shall it be made" (Exodus 26:31). The Holy of Holies contained the golden censer (thumiaterion meaning a utensil for burning incense) (Exodus 37:25 - 28) as well as the golden ark (kiboton meaning a wooden chest or box overlaid with gold) of the covenant or testament (Exodus 25:10 - 22) which contained the golden pot (stamnos meaning urn) with manna (Exodus 16:33), and Aaron's rod (hrabdos meaning staff) that budded (blasthesasa meaning to sprout) (Numbers 18:1 - 10) and the tablets (plakes from plax meaning a smooth flat surfaced stone for writing) (Exodus 34:1) of the covenant. In this Holy of Holies no man entered except the high priest; he went behind the veil only once each year on the Day of Atonement, there to offer blood for his own sins and for the sins of the people. The Holy of Holies was the most sacred place in all of Israel for it represented the Presence of Jehovah God. Over the Holy of Holies God manifested His presence by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
5 Over the ark of the covenant was the mercy seat (hilasterion meaning the place of mercy; where reconciliation or propitiation was made) with two cherubim (cheroubein meaning two golden figures of living creatures with two wings, fastened on ends of the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant with faces looking toward one another (Exodus 25:19 - 22) of glory overshadowing it. Jehovah God indicated that on the mercy seat, "...There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel." To elaborate on each piece of furniture in the holy place and the most holy place was not the purpose of the author, but he desired to remind the Hebrews that there was real meaning in the earthly sanctuary because it was typical of something greater. "Someone has raised the question: What do these details have to do with the main argument of the epistle? One may answer that in describing the interior of the tabernacle it was natural to mention briefly its chief object of interest; but the main purpose of the mention probably was -- by showing with what objects of sacred interest the earthly tabernacle was furnished, and thus with what dignity invested -- to enhance the glory which must invest the upper and true, the 'greater and more perfect' tabernacle" (Kellar Notes, p. 30).
6 Now the author goes on to describe the order of service by which the Aaronic priests carried out their priestly functions. The Levitical priests ministered daily in the outer court of the tabernacle and the Temple as they offered sacrifices that the people would bring each day because of their sins. Of course the tabernacle was built some 1400 years before the time of the writing of Hebrews, and all during those 1,400 years priests had performed their daily functions; they continued to do so until the Babylonian captivity and after the seventy years in captivity they began to carry on their daily functions, at least until A. D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the Solomonic Temple. It is difficult to imagine how many animals (bulls, goats, sheep) were offered up during those many years of the existence of the tabernacle and the Temple. During that time incense was burned, the lampstand lighted the outer court, the shewbread was replaced and various ceremonial washings at the laver and sacrifices offered on the burnt altar took place daily.
7 Into the second sanctuary; that is, the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies, the high priest entered alone once (apax meaning one time) each year on the Day of Atonement, not without blood which he offered first of all for himself, then for the sins (agnoematon from a privative plus agnoema meaning unknown sins; unwitting sins) of the people.
8 The witness of the Holy Spirit was signifying (delountos from deloo meaning declaring; indicating) that the way into the holiest of all was not yet manifest (pephaverosthai from phaneroo meaning to show; declare), while the first tabernacle was yet standing. On the Day of Atonement the high priest entered the Holy of Holies from the time that the tabernacle was assembled in the wilderness until the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. At Jesus' death, the veil in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom (Matthew 27:51). When the veil was rent in two pieces, God was making known that our High Priest Jesus Christ had made a way for sinners to enter into the Holy of Holies, a type of heaven, when they placed their faith and trust in Him. As long as the veil was intact sinners were barred from the Holy of Holies.
9, 10 Into the Holy of Holies, a figure (parabole meaning parable; comparison) of heaven, the high priest entered with gifts and sacrifices, yet these gifts and sacrifices could not make the people perfect (teleiosai from teleioo meaning complete; consecrated), nor their conscience (suneidesin meaning intellectual awareness) clear and clean. Yeager writes, "The entire Levitical system of worship, aligned with the Mosaic covenant, was to act as the paidogogue (Galatians 3:19 - 29) to bring us to faith in Christ. It was to serve in its own time as a type (parable, illustration, analogy, allegory) to make us understand the priesthood of Christ in this present time (eis ton kairon ton enestekota). Just as God gave the law in order to lead the Jews to grace, so He wanted Aaron to lead us to Melchizedek" (pp. 294, 295). The law under Moses was a system of meats and drinks, and different kinds of ceremonial washings and fleshly ordinances which were imposed (epikeimena from epikeiman meaning laid upon; pressed upon) until the time of the reformation (diorthseos meaning re-formation; reconstruction; restoration of order; a time of bringing things into proper relations).
11, 12 "But Christ being come..." Delitzch declares that this phrase is placed emphatically first, as marking, in Christ's coming, the goal of Old Testament prophecy and the turning point of two periods of sacred history standing related to each other as prophecy and fulfillment. The reference here is not strictly to the incarnation of Christ, but to His coming forth at the close of the Old Economy to inaugurate a New one, and to exercise all the functions of the High Priest. We may therefore look upon it as marking His whole course as Messiah, His incarnation, sacrificial death, and ascension. Robertson declares that "this is the great historical event that is the crux of history" (p. 398). Our Lord became a high priest of good things to come because He has a greater and more perfect tabernacle which is not made with human hands; that is, not this building (earthly tabernacle or Temple); nor is it by the blood of slain animals (male goats and calves), but with His own blood He entered into the Most Holy Place (heaven) once-and-for-all-time (ephapax meaning only one time ever) thereby obtained (euramenos from eurisko meaning finding; ascertaining) eternal redemption (lutrosin meaning deliverance as a result of a payment) for the saved. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, was efficacious. With our Lord as our High Priest we can expect better things. Elvina M. Hall caught the spirit when she wrote:
For Nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim-
I will wash my garments white
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain-
He washed it white as snow.
13, 14 The author poses a question in these verses. If the Jews thought their flesh could be purified (katharoteta meaning cleanliness; purged) by the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, how much more (poso meaning greater) did the (Divine/human) blood of Calvary's Lamb Who through the eternal Spirit offered (prosenegken from prosphero meaning presented) Himself without spot to God, purge (kathariei from katharizo meaning to cleanse; purify) our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God? With reference to "dead works" Owen states "...As they are dead in trespasses and sins, so all their works are 'dead works.' Other works they have none. They are as a sepulcher filled with bones and corruption. Every thing they do is unclean in itself, and unclean unto them" (Volume VI, p. 312). In Numbers 19 can be seen the description of the rites by which the ashes of a heifer, that was without spot or blemish and had not borne the yoke, mingled with running water, are sprinkled upon those who were defiled by contact with a dead body (verse 11) and how it would cleanse them. "The ashes of the heifer were to be gathered up and stored outside the camp to be used as occasion required for the preparation of me niddah meaning 'water for the removal of impurity'" (Bruce, p. 202). Isaac Watts put it this way:
"Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain:
But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away,
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they."
15 So Christ Jesus is a better mediator (meites meaning Atonemaker; Advocate; Go-between) of the new testament (covenant) (Hebrew berith) that by His death He obtained redemption of the transgressions that could not be blotted out under the old testament. He gave His children the promise of an eternal inheritance. Through His death on Calvary our Lord was given a position to mediate a better covenant (a new covenant in contrast to the old Mosaic covenant). He mediates between a condemned sinner and a righteous God. A holy God demanded righteousness and through His death for sinners Jehovah God credited His righteousness to the repentant sinner. Was anyone saved under the old covenant? They were saved only if they trusted God and took Him at His Word. If they were saved, they were saved by faith as others under the new covenant are saved. God has never had two plans of salvation; He saved those under the old covenant by faith, and He saves those under the new covenant by faith. The only difference is that those who were saved prior to Jesus' death on Calvary were saved looking forward in anticipation of His death; those saved after His death look backward to what Jesus has already done for them. In God's "roll call of the faithful" in Hebrews 11 (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, et. al.), these individuals will be in heaven because they trusted the same God in Whom we have trusted in the twenty-first century.
16, 17 The author gives a human analogy in these verses. Before a testament or a will can be enforced (bebais from bebaios meaning valid; dependable) the will-maker or testator (diathemenou meaning covenant maker) must have died and his death must be proven. For a testament or will cannot be probated as long as the will-maker or testator lives. As long as the testator is alive he governs his own affairs. The author persues the matter further in verses 18 - 23.
18 - 20 The Mosaic (law) covenant was not dedicated (egekeainistai from egkainizo meaning to consecrate; ratify; enforce) without blood. When Moses had read every precept (entoles meaning commandment) of the law to the people at Mount Sinai, he took blood, water, a small bit (eriou which is diminutive of eros) of scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people. When Moses spoke to the people he said, "This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." This a quotation from Exodus 24:8 which reads, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words." The word enjoined (eneteilato means to give commandment; to charge).
21, 22 Moreover (Moses) sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels (skeue from skeuos meaning utensils) of the ministry. Almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood (aimatekchusias - a combination of two words aima and ekchuno meaning blood poured out or spilled) is no remission (aphesis meaning forgiveness; deliverance). The sprinkling of blood was an instruction given of Jehovah God. Whenever anyone or anything was dedicated to God, it was a necessity to consecrate it by the sprinkling of blood. In Leviticus 8:11 "Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, both the laver and its foot, to sanctify them." And in Leviticus 8:15, "Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it." Whenever Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons, "...Moses took of the blood of it (the ram), and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon his thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot" (Leviticus 8:23). The blood shed in these cases was the blood of a bullock (Leviticus 8:14, 15) and the blood of a ram (Leviticus 8:22, 23). So these actions prove that almost all things were purified or cleansed with the blood of animals. The shedding of blood was of great importance in observing the law of Moses. Yeager writes, "When one is dealing with God he must remember that he, the suppliant, is a transgressor of the holy law of God whom He entreats. If God is to deal in righteousness with a sinner, and He Who is holy cannot deal in any other way, then somebody has to die, since the only attitude that God can take toward transgression of His law is an attitude of judgment. Otherwise God is not God and there is no absolute rule in the universe and we are involved in a random pattern, in which anything is possible and nothing is certain" (312). On certain occasions when a covenant was signed by two or more parties the signatories signed in blood indicating they would keep the covenant if it cost them their lives. The great D. L. Moody states concerning the blood, "The collector of railway tickets did not look to the character or education of the holder of the ticket. But to the ticket itself. In like manner the blood was a token which typically indicated the way they were to be saved" (B. I.,Volume LII, p. 40).
23 Since the things of the tabernacle and the Solomonic Temple and their accouterments were patterns (hupodeigamata from hupodeigma meaning examples; similitudes; copies) of things in the heavens (epourania from epi and ouranos meaning "super heavenlies"), it was necessary for them to be consecrated and dedicated here on earth. The things of heaven, however, are consecrated and dedicated by a better (kreittosin from kreisson meaning greater; superior) sacrifice than those on earth. The blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary is of far greater or superior value than the blood of bulls, goats and sheep. Symbolic cleansing was the result of animal sacrifices in the earthly tabernacle, while real cleansing is the result of the better sacrifice of Christ Himself. Because Christ's blood is superior it was not offered in the tabernacle or temple on earth but rather in the Tabernacle in Glory. Robertson says, "To us it seems a bit strained to speak of the ritual cleansing or dedication of heaven itself by the appearance of Christ as Priest-Victim. But the whole picture is highly mystical" (p. 403). Kistemaker (p. 263) writes, "...Christ's shed blood gives heaven itself added significance. Not only is heaven the sanctuary for God's people, but it is also the place where its inhabitants testify of Christ's redeeming love, his marvelous grace, and his sanctifying power. To Christ (the redeemed) sing a new song, recorded in Revelation 5:9, 10, "...Thou art worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God, by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth."
24 - 26 Our Lord entered not into the holy place here on earth, the ones that were made by human hands (cheiropoieta from cheir and poieo meaning of human construction and designed by Moses, Bezalel, Oholiab et al. - Exodus 35:30 and 36) are figures (antitupa from antitupon meaning replicas; antitypes) of the real, but He is entered into heaven there to appear (emphanisthenai from emphanizo meaning to manifest; signify; make clear) in the presence (prosopo from prosoton meaning before) of God for us. Our Lord is the Type - others and other things are antitypes. Our Lord appeared before Jehovah God for us (huper emon meaning in behalf of us or for us). Yeager writes, "The original, real, heavenly, eternal, God created tabernacle is the type; the copy, the replica, earthly, temporary, manmade tabernacle, destined soon to crumble under the battering rams of Titus was the antitype" (p. 316). It was not necessary for our Lord to offer Himself often (pollakis meaning frequently; oft times) as Aaron and his sons had to offer sacrifices daily in the outer court and into the Holy of Holies once each year at the Day of Atonement, and Aaron and his sons offered the blood of others (allotrio from allotrion meaning strange or alien blood). Our Lord Himself entered heaven offering Himself to Jehovah God, but only one time in contrast to Aaron and his sons offering blood repeatedly.
Had our Lord offered a sacrifice here on earth, He would have had to do so repeatedly year after year and to have suffered many times since the foundation of the world or the beginning of time to fulfill Old Testament requirements. "Our Lord would have had to make repeated descents to the earth and suffered repeatedly on the Cross and make repeated re-ascents and entrances into the heavenly sanctuary. No such things have occurred; no such repetition of the victim's sufferings have been made -- all has been deferred for one single, final, all sufficient offering, both on earth and in heaven" (Kellar Notes, p. 33). He has appeared in heaven, however, at the end (sunteleia from sunteleo meaning the completion; consummation) of the age to put away (athetesin meaning to disannul, repudiate or abolish) sin by the sacrifice of Himself (thusias autou meaning He offered Himself on an altar as an act of worship). Yeager writes, "His work of redemption is complete. There is only one other function to be performed. The Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25; John 5:22) must return to take His place as the Righteous Judge and Plato's Philosopher/King" (p. 319).
27, 28 Now the author takes the opportunity to remind his readers and us that man can never escape this world without dying (or possibly the Lord returning and rapturing us into His presence). As it is appointed (apokeitai from apokeimai meaning reserved; placed; laid up; set) unto men once (apax meaning one time only) to die (expire; pass away), but after this the judgment (krisis meaning discrimination; a separation by cutting; that is, a separation between the good and the evil), So Christ (the Messiah) was once offered (prosenexhtheis from prosphero meaning brought near; presented) to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for (apekdechomenois meaning wait; expect; anticipate) Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation (soterian from soteria meaning the culmination of salvation; deliverance; rescue).
| Heb. Intro. | Heb 1 | Heb 2 | Heb 3 | Heb 4 | Heb 5 |
| Heb 6 | Heb 7 | Heb 8 | Heb 9 | Heb 10 | Heb 11 |
| Heb 12 | Heb 13 | Heb Bib |