A Better Covenant
An Exposition of
Hebrews 9
Christopher May
An Exposition of Hebrews 9
Ó2007 by Christopher S May
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard BibleÒ, Copyright Ó 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard BibleÒ, Holman CSBÒ, and HCSBÒ, are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Other versions sighted are NASB, the New American Standard BibleÓ, the Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995; used by permission. NIV, the Holy Bible New International VersionÓ by International Bible Society, 1973, 1978, 1984. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. KJV, the King James Version.
Hebrews 9:1-28
Introduction: In chapter seven the writer of Hebrews began an argument for the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus. He began by telling us that Jesus’ priesthood is superior because it is of a better order, the order of Melchizedek. Then in chapter eight he tells us that it represents a better covenant. Now in chapter nine he is going to expand on the argument from the last chapter by showing us that the new covenant is administered from a better sanctuary.
Again, we must keep in mind that this letter was written to a group of young Jewish Christians, and the things they are being told here go against everything that they have ever been taught; things that have been a part of their heritage for centuries. They have just been told that their priesthood has been replaced, their covenant has been replaced, and now they are about to be told that their sanctuary has been replaced.
This chapter can be broken down into 2 sections:
1. The inferiority of the sanctuary of the old covenant (verses 1-10)
2. The superiority of the sanctuary of the new covenant (verses 11-28)
The writer expands on each of these, and so will we as we move through this chapter. So with that as our introduction let’s look at Hebrews chapter nine.
1. The Inferiority of the Sanctuary of the Old Covenant.
In this section the writer is going to give us five reasons why the sanctuary of the old covenant is inferior to the Sanctuary of the new covenant. Before we look at these reasons in detail, let’s take a quick look at Hebrews 9:1-10 and get an overview of where we are headed.
Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary. For 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. Behind the second curtain, the tabernacle was called “the holy of holies.” It 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 rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. The cherubim of glory were above it overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.
These things having been set up this way, the priests enter the first room repeatedly, performing their ministry. But the high priest alone enters the second room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was making it clear that the way into the holy of holies had not yet been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. This is a symbol for the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience. They are physical regulations and only deal with food, drink, and various washings imposed until the time of restoration.
Hebrews 9:1-10
He begins his argument by reminding them that the first covenant had regulations attached to its ministry; rules that had to be followed, and that there was a sanctuary set up for this purpose. He then makes reference to the tabernacle of Moses letting us know that he is refereeing to that and not the temple in Jerusalem; the writer here “sees the temple as a continuation of the tabernacle”[1] and for this reason then looks in detail at the tabernacle to make his point.
He then takes the next four verses to give us a visual overview of the tabernacle, and in verses six and seven he talks about the role and duties of the high priest as they related to the tabernacle. Then in verses eight through ten he tells us that this was all done so that we would know that the way to the holy of holies was not yet opened to us, and that this was all a symbol for the present time. He goes on to say that the gifts and sacrifices offered in this tabernacle could not give us a clear conscience, because they were external in nature, and were imposed only until the time of restoration.
Now that we have a brief overview of the first ten verses let’s look at them in more detail. As I mentioned above these verses give us five reasons why the sanctuary of the old covenant is inferior; these are:
- It was on earth (Verse 1)
Verse one says, “Now the first covenant also had regulations for ministry and an earthly sanctuary.” As we already noted the earthy sanctuary that is being referred to here is the tabernacle of Moses. To truly appreciate what is being taught here we need to go back to the Old Testament and look at its commission and construction. In Exodus 25 Moses is given the blueprint for the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings. He is then told to make sure he follows that blueprint exactly in every detail.
“They are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them. You must make it according to all that I show you—the design of the tabernacle as well as the design of all its furnishings.”
Exodus 25:8-9
“Be careful to make everything according to the model of them you have been shown on the mountain.”
Exodus 25:40
Here we see that the tabernacle was God’s idea, it was His plan to have a place to dwell among His people, and it was built according to His design. But it was built by men, and built out of earthly materials. For this reason there are limitations that cannot be overcome. Warren Wiersbe says, “Being an earthly building, it had several weaknesses. For one thing, it would need a certain amount of repair. Also, it was limited geographically: if it was pitched in one place, it could not be in another place. It had to be dismantled and the various parts carried from place to place. Furthermore, it belonged to the nation of Israel and not to the whole world.” [2]
The fact that this tabernacle was on earth will be contrasted later in the chapter with the sanctuary of the new covenant, which is in heaven, but for now this is the only point that the writer is making.
- It only foreshadowed what was to come (Verses 2-5)
The next point that the writer makes concerning the tabernacle is that it was only a shadow of things to come. Here we are given a list of the furnishings and layout of the tabernacle; things that would have been very familiar to the readers of this letter, but that are not so familiar to us today. This is obvious by the way he ends this section in verse five where he says, “It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.” Because this is not so familiar to us we need to take a few minutes and look at what is just glossed over here.
From the description given here we can see that the tabernacle was made up of two rooms; the first room was called the holy place and the second room was called the holy of holies. Each of these rooms had a specific purpose, and each was furnished in a very specific way.
In the first room, called the holy place, there was the lampstand, the table, and the loaves. The second room, called the holy of holies and separated from the first room by a curtain contained the golden alter of incense and the ark of the covenant.
I want to take a few minutes to look at each of these in more detail, but you may be asking yourself why is it important that we spend any time looking at all looking at this at all? John MacArthur answers that question by saying, “Only two chapters in the Bible are devoted to the creation story, whereas some fifty chapters focus on the Tabernacle (see especially Ex. 25–40). The Tabernacle is important and demands attention in our study, because it is a giant portrait of Jesus Christ. Everywhere you look in the Tabernacle you can see Him.”[3] So for this important reason let’s look at each of these now in a little more detail.
Let’s begin by looking at the tabernacle itself. The Tabernacle was actually a large tent that was located inside of a fence that was made out of curtains and covered with animal skins, and would have looked something like this.
The courtyard of the tabernacle was approximately 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. There was only one door into the courtyard; a gate located on the eastern side, which was 35 feet wide and 7½ feet high. We have not even entered the courtyard and we have already encountered our first picture of Christ. Jesus said in John 10:9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” Just as there was only one way into the tabernacle there is also only one way to God, and that is to enter through the door of Jesus Christ.
As you can see from the illustration above there was a tent like structure in the back of the courtyard, which would be the west side. This tent contained the holy place and the most holy place, or holy of holies that the writer is referring to here in Hebrews.
The first of these two rooms was called the holy place. It contained a lampstand, and a table, which contained loves of bread called the presentation loaves. Again, just as with the door, each of these objects is a picture of Christ.
The lampstand is the first object the writer mentions here; it was positioned on the south side of the holy place opposite the table of showbread. We can see the instructions for its creation in Exodus 25
“You are to make a lampstand out of pure, hammered gold. It is to be made of one piece: its base and shaft, its ornamental cups, and its calyxes and petals. Six branches are to extend from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side. There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the first branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a calyx and petals, on the next branch. It is to be this way for the six branches that extend from the lampstand. There are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms on the lampstand shaft along with its calyxes and petals. For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a calyx must be under the first pair of branches from it, a calyx under the second pair of branches from it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches from it. Their calyxes and branches are to be of one piece. All of it is to be a single hammered piece of pure gold.
“Make seven lamps on it. Its lamps are to be set up so they illuminate the area in front of it. Its snuffers and firepans must be of pure gold. The lampstand with all these utensils is to be made from 75 pounds of pure gold. Be careful to make everything according to the model of them you have been shown on the mountain.
Exodus 25:31-40
According to this the lampstand was to be made out of 75 pounds of pure gold, and it was to resemble an almond tree. There were to be seven lamps on the stand, one in the center and three extending from either side. In Leviticus 24:2 we are also told that the lamp was to be filed with the purest olive oil, and that it was to be kept burning continually. Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the Light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” Just as the lampstand is the only source of light in the tabernacle, Jesus is the only source of light in the world.
The next thing the writer of Hebrews mentions is the table. The table was positioned on the north side of the holy place opposite the lampstand. It was approximately 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 27 inches high. It was constructed out of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. The table was used to hold the presentation loaves, which is the next thing he mentions.
The presentation loaves were twelve loaves of bread that were placed on the table and replaced each week. The priests that were serving in the tabernacle on the Sabbath day were given the bread to eat, and twelve new loaves were put in their place. There was one loaf for each of the twelve tribes of Israel and they represented God’s provision to His people. John MacArthur says, “This ‘Bread of His Presence’ was not set out in order to feed Israel’s God, unlike food placed in pagan shrines and temples, but to acknowledge that the 12 tribes were sustained constantly under the watchful eye and care of their Lord.”[4]
Again we see this as a picture of Christ, who said in John 6:35 “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who comes to Me will never thirst.”
Now in verse 3 we are taken into the holy of holies, or the most holy place. In the tabernacle, and later the temple, this was the place where the Presence of God dwelled. In verse 4 we are told that in this room there were the gold alter of incense and the ark of the covenant. The alter of incense was actually not in the holy of holies, but placed right outside by the curtain that separated these two rooms. It should be pointed out here that the word that is translated as “alter of incense” could also be translated as “censer”; it is the Greek word thumiaterion, which means “a vessel for burning incense”[5] and could refer to “the censer with which the high priest carried the incense.” [6] This is probably the better understanding of the word, and John MacArthur says, “Though it was outside the Holy Place (Ex. 30:6), the writer of Hebrews pictures the golden altar inside the Most Holy Place because uppermost in his mind is its role in the liturgy of the Day of Atonement. On that day, the High-Priest brought incense from that altar into the Most Holy Place (Lev. 16:12,13). The altar of golden incense marked the boundary of the Holy of Holies as well as the curtain. The High-Priest went beyond the altar of incense only once a year.[7]
Next we see that the holy of holies contained the ark of the covenant. We are told that the ark of the covenant was covered on all sides with gold, and that it contained a gold jar of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets that Moses broke that contained the Ten Commandments. We could do a whole study on just this piece of furniture and the significance of it. We will not do that here, but I do want to point out a few important things.
Verse 5 tells us “the cherubim of glory were above it (the ark) overshadowing the mercy seat.” This is all of the detail of the ark that we are given here, and what the writer is talking about can be seen in Exodus 25.
“They are to make an ark of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark. Make a mercy seat of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. Make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark. I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
Exodus 25:10-22
In this passage we can see that the ark was a box made out of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold both inside and out. It had poles, also made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, on either side of it that were used to carry the ark when the tabernacle was moved to a new location, and these were never to be removed. On top of the ark there was a lid that was called the mercy seat, it was made of pure gold and there were cherubim at each end facing each other with their faces toward the mercy seat. Moses was instructed on the exact dimensions of the ark, and he was told to place the tablets of the law inside of the ark. He was also told that the place that He would meet with him was above the mercy seat, between the cherubim.
Hebrews 9:4 tells us that in addition to the tablets of the covenant the ark also contained a gold jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded. We could spend some time talking about each of these, but what I really want you to get here is this picture; once a year the high priest would enter the holy of holies and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat. As we have already seen God would appear above the mercy seat, and the broken tablet of the law were inside of the ark under the mercy seat, so when God looked down from above the mercy seat on the broken law he was doing so through the blood of the lamb. This is a perfect picture of how God sees a Christian today; when He looks at us and He sees the broken law, He is looking at us through the blood of Christ, the perfect lamb.
This then brings us right into our next point:
- It was not accessible to everyone (verses 6-7)
In verse six we are told that the now with all of these things set up in the manner that God had directed the priests entered the first room repeatedly performing the ministry that had been given to them. Then in verse seven we see three things about the second room: only the high priest has access, he only had access once a year, and he was never to enter without blood which he offered first for himself and then for the people. This took place on the Day of Atonement; the high priest would enter the holy of holies and the sins of the people would be forgiven for another year. John MacArthur says, “The devout Jew longed for the Day of Atonement. He could not himself go into God’s presence, but the high priest would go in for him and he would be delivered.”[8]
- It was temporary (verses 8)
Now in verse eight we are told that the way into the presence of God had not been disclosed while the first tabernacle was still standing. Remember from the description earlier that the holy place and the most holy place were divided by a curtain or veil. The symbolism here is that there was also a veil between God and man, and that mankind did not have direct access to God. This verse points out that this was a temporary situation, and as we will see in the next section (verse 12), Jesus entered the holy of holies once for all, not with the blood of animals, but with His own blood, and He opened to all men the way to God.
The veil between the holy place and the holy of holies remained in place for hundreds of years. All the while the high priest was the only one with direct access to God. But at the crucifixion of Jesus the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom, showing us that the way to God was now open to all men. We can see this in Matthew 27
Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27:51
Of this verse John MacArthur says, “By rending the Temple veil, God was saying, in effect, ‘In the death of My Son, Jesus Christ, there is total access into My holy presence. He has paid the full price of sin for everyone who trusts in Him, and I now throw open My holy presence to all who will come in His name.’”[9]
- It could not perfect the worshipers conscience (verses 9-10)
The last point that the writer makes here is that all of this ritual and symbolism did nothing to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper. These were all just shadows of what was to come; verse ten says they were “imposed until the time of restoration.”
R.C. Stedman says, “The tabernacle worship, with all the provisions of bread, incense, offerings—even the ornate building itself with its altars—was all a kind of religious play. It was meant to teach the people what was going on in their inner life and what was still needed to truly free them from sin’s burden and give them unfettered and continuing access to the Living God. Their bodies could be rendered temporarily clean before God by the various ceremonial washings (v. 10), but their consciences remained defiled. Since they could find no heart-rest in the tabernacle ritual, they were being encouraged to look beyond the outward drama to what was important.” [10]
As we saw in chapter eight of Hebrews, God said that with the new covenant He would write His law on our hearts and would never again remember our sin. This is what we needed, not a series of rituals; the rituals only showed us how sinful we were, they did nothing to cleanse our conscience.
Now that the writer has taken the tabernacle and shown us that it was just a symbol, or a picture, of the more perfect one in heaven, he is now going to show us why that true sanctuary is superior.
2. The superiority of the sanctuary of the new covenant (verses 11-28)
As we now enter this next section the picture changes. From here on the writer of Hebrews will be showing us the superiority of the true sanctuary, the sanctuary of the new covenant that is in heaven. He will make four arguments here and each of these will once again show us that Jesus, His priesthood, the new covenant, and its sanctuary are all superior to the shadows that merely pointed us to them.
This is a fairly long section of Scripture, but I think it is necessary to read it all together to get the flow of thought from one argument to the next then we can break it down into more manageable pieces.
Now the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), He entered the holy of holies once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?
Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Where a will exists, the death of the testator must be established. For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in force while the testator is living. That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. For when every commandment 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, saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded for you. In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship with blood. According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Therefore 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. For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, that He might now appear in the presence of God for us. He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. Otherwise, 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, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment — so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.
Hebrews 9:11-28
The writer begins his argument here by reminding us that Jesus is our Great High Priest. We have already discussed in detail the priesthood of Jesus (chapter 7) so we will not get into that again here. The emphasis of this section is not on the priesthood of Jesus but the sanctuary from where it is administered, so let’s now look in detail at the four points that are made here; beginning with:
1. It is in heaven (verse 11)
Verse 11 tells us that there is a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, and not of this creation. We have already discussed how God told Moses to build the tabernacle and all of its furnishings exactly like the pattern that he was shown on the mountain. The pattern that Moses was shown is this sanctuary that is in heaven. What the writer is pointing out here is that the tabernacle, even though it was a replica of the one in heaven, had two major flaws: first, it was built by sinful men, and second, it was built with materials from this fallen creation that will grow old and wear out.
This is not true of the sanctuary in heaven; this verse tells us that it is a greater more perfect sanctuary. John MacArthur says, “The new sanctuary… is not made by men or on earth or of earthly materials. It is made by God, in heaven, and of heavenly materials. The new sanctuary, in fact, is heaven. Earth belongs to God, but heaven is His dwelling place, His throne, and His sanctuary [11]
The Greek word translated here in verse eleven as ‘perfect’ is téleios and it has the meaning that something has “reached its end” or is “complete, wanting in nothing.”[12] That is exactly the picture that the writer is painting here; he is making the point that the sanctuary that Jesus ministers from is superior to the tabernacle because it is complete, it was built by God Himself, and it is not subject to the deterioration of this creation.
2. It can change lives (verses 12-23)
The next point that is made covers verses 12-23, but we will try to look at it in a few smaller sections. Verse 12 begins by saying that Jesus entered the holy of holies once for all, not with the blood of sacrificed animals, but with His own blood, and His blood obtained eternal redemption. Verse 13 then goes on to ask the question that if the blood of animals could sanctify the flesh of those who are defiled how much more will the blood of Jesus cleanse or conscience?
The problem with the old covenant, which we saw in verses 9-10, is that the rituals and ceremonies were only temporary and they were not able to give us a clean conscience. By way of contrast, here we are told that the blood of Jesus does exactly that; it gives us a clear conscience before God. And, unlike the sacrifices made under the old covenant that had to be repeated year after year, when Jesus sacrificed Himself it was once for all.
Warren Wiersbe says here, “The high priest took another creature’s blood into the holy of holies many times during his life; but Jesus took His own blood into God’s presence once for all. The OT sacrifices brought about ceremonial cleansing for the body (v. 13) but could never reach into the heart and conscience. But the blood of Christ, shed once and for all, purges the conscience and gives the believer an unchanging and perfect standing before God. All Jewish ceremonies were but “dead works” in comparison to the living relationship with God under the New Covenant.”[13]
In verse 13, so that we can better understand the difference between the ceremonies on the old covenant, and the once for all sacrifice of Christ the writer turns to the illustration of the ritual of the red heifer. This can be found in Numbers chapter 19 and I would recommend that you take the time to read that whole chapter so that you will better understand what is being discussed here. What we find in Numbers 19 is that if a person came in contact with a dead body they were considered unclean, but they could become clean again in seven days by following the steps outlined in this ceremony. As I said, I recommend reading the whole chapter, but for now let’s just look at verse 17-19.
For the purification of the unclean person, they are to take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and add fresh water to them. A person who is clean is to take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, a corpse, or a person who had been killed. The one who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being purified must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and he will be clean by evening.
Numbers 19:17-19
The writer of Hebrews is now using this as an illustration to show us again the superiority of Jesus. This would have been something that was well known and understood by his Jewish readers in the first century. The point he is making is this; if the ashes of a red heifer could make one ceremonially clean then it stands to reason that the very blood of the Messiah will not only cleanse the body, but that it will cleanse the conscience as well.
Verse 14 also tells us that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from dead works to serve the living God. What we are being told here is that “it is not merely a physical purging or a ceremonial cleansing but a moral renewal that purifies the conscience. It cleanses from those dead works, which unbelievers produce in an effort to earn their own cleansing. It frees men from these lifeless works to serve the living God. [14]
Verse 15 then begins with the word “therefore”, which means that the writer is now going to build upon the argument that he has just made. Therefore, because Jesus is the high priest in a better, more perfect tabernacle, because He entered the holy of holies in heaven once for all, because the sacrifice that Jesus made with His own blood is far better than the sacrifice of animals, because He obtained eternal redemption for us, because His blood cleanses our conscience and not just our body; therefore, He is the mediator of a new covenant.
The word that is translated mediator here is the Greek word mesites, which literally means, “go between”. Dr Vine says that this word is used in two ways in the New Testament: first as “’one who mediates’ between two parties with a view to producing peace’[15] and second as “’one who acts as a guarantee’ so as to secure something which otherwise would not be obtained.” [16] The word is only used five times in the New Testament, and four of these refer directly to Jesus.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 8:6 NASB
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:24 NASB
Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary states it like this, “From the New Testament perspective, there is ultimately only “one Mediator between God and man” (1 Tim. 2:5)—Jesus the Messiah. He alone, being fully God, can represent God to man, and at the same time, being fully man, can represent man to God. He alone can bring complete reconciliation, because He alone can bring about complete payment for our sin and satisfaction of God’s wrath. He alone can bring everlasting peace (Acts 15:11; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 1:7).
A major theme of the Book of Hebrews is that Jesus mediated a new and better covenant, an eternal covenant (7:27–28; 9:15; 10:1; 12:24). Speaking the words of God (John 14:24), Jesus fulfills the prophetic office. As High Priest over the house of God (Heb. 3:1–6), He sacrificed Himself to secure our redemption and continues to intercede on our behalf (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1). Even our prayers are presented to God “through” His mediation (Rom. 1:8; Heb. 13:15). And He is also “King of kings,” having “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18; Phil. 2:9–11; Rev. 19:11–16).
The Christian never need worry about the certainty of His salvation. The Mediator ‘is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him’ (Heb. 7:25).” [17]
Now, in the last half of verse 15 through verse 23 he makes the argument that just as a will is not valid while the one making it is still alive, neither is a covenant valid without the shedding of blood. He begins the argument by saying that a death has taken place for the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Paul tells us the same thing in Romans:
They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. He presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:24-26
So what does all of this mean? The writer of Hebrews, as well as Paul there in Romans, are making the point that the Old Testament believers who were looking forward in faith to the coming of Jesus have now had their sins forgiven. As we will see in chapter ten of Hebrews, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin (Hebrews 10:4), so the sacrifices made under the old covenant did not remove sin it only covered it temporarily. This verse is telling us that a sacrifice has now taken place that brought redemption for the sins that were committed under the old covenant.
We now move into a new argument in verses 16-17 where the writer is now going to show us that just like a will, a covenant is not valid until a death takes place. This is obvious to us today just as it would have been to those who read this in the first century. Basically what is being said here is that if a person makes a will, the promises of the will become valid only after the death of that person. What is not as clear, either to us, or to the people this was written to, is the connection this argument has to the promises of the old covenant. John MacArthur says that the writer of Hebrews, by “Building on verse 15… is saying that God gave a legacy, an eternal inheritance, to Israel in the form of a covenant, a will. As with any will, it was only a type of promissory note until the provider of the will died.”[18]
In verses 18-22 we are going to see another aspect of the point that has just been made; in the previous verses we saw that the covenant is only ratified at the death of the person who made it, now he is going to show us that not only was there a death, but that the death was sacrificial. In verse 18 he says that is why the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. The writer here is referring back to Exodus 24
Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey everything that the Lord has commanded.” Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.”
Exodus 24:5-8
This leads us to verse 22, which is an interesting verse. This verse says, “according to the law almost everything is purified with blood…” This is telling us that there were exceptions in the law where the shedding of blood was not required for purification. One example of this can be found in the book of Leviticus:
But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring two quarts of fine flour an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. He is to bring it to the priest, who will take a handful from it as its memorial portion and burn it on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord; it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:11-12
So, it was possible for a sin offering to be made without blood under the old covenant, but remember, under the old covenant sins were not removed they were just covered. Hebrews 9:22 goes on to say, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” MacDonald and Farstad put it this way, “[This exception] dealt with atonement for, or covering of, sin, although generally speaking a blood offering was required even for atonement. But as far as remission of sin is concerned, there is no exception: blood must be shed.” [19]
Verse 23 brings up another interesting point. This verse tells us that the earthly tabernacle and all of its vessels needed to be purified by blood, which makes sense because as we have already seen the tabernacle was built and ministered in, by sinful men. But what is not so clear is that in the last half of verse 23 we are told that the heavenly things needed to be purified with a better sacrifice. This prompts an obvious question; how could the heavenly things ever become defiled? This could be because the first sin, Satan’s rebellion, occurred in heaven, or it could be because Satan still has access to the throne of God as the accuser of the brethren. I think; however, that what this verse is teaching us is that God, because He is holy, cannot overlook sin, and that just as it was necessary for the high priest to enter into the holy of holies with the blood of a sacrifice before he could meet there with God, Jesus, our High Priest had to also enter the holy of holies in heaven with His sacrificial blood to open the way so that we could meet with God there.
3. It is the fulfillment, not a shadow (verses 24)
In verse 24 we see again that the tabernacle and the Old Testament priesthood were mere shadows of what was to come. In this verse we are told that Jesus did not enter a sanctuary made with hands, which is only a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself. This is important for a number of reasons: first, we are no longer depending on an earthy priesthood who must repeatedly offer sacrifices and intercede on our behalf; we now have a High Priest who entered the heavenly holy of holies once for all. Second, anything made with hands will pass away; the tabernacle was replaced by Solomon’s temple which was destroyed by the Babylonians; the temple was eventually rebuilt only to be destroyed again centuries later by the Romans, but Jesus entered into the sanctuary in heaven that is not subject to the deterioration of this creation and will stand forever.
The Greek word used in verse 24 and translated “copy” is the word antítupon. This is a different Greek word than the one used in Hebrews 8:5 and 9:23 for “copy”, which is the word hupódeigma, and has a quite different meaning.
The word hupódeigma comes from two Greek words; hupo, meaning “under,” deiknumi, meaning “to show.” According to Dr Vine this word signifies, “a sign suggestive of anything, the delineation or representation of a thing, and so, a figure, copy, [or] pattern; an example for imitation”[20]
By contrast, the word antítupon, means antitype. This is also made up of two Greek words, antí, meaning “against”, and túpos, meaning “a type”. What the writer is saying here, by using this word, is that “Moses was shown a túpos, (model) of the heavenly realities and he made an antítupon on that model, “answering to the type.”[21] Dr Wuest says of the use of this word here, “[that it] speaks of the earthly tabernacle as a type which prefigures the heavenly one and corresponds to it.”[22]
This word (antítupon) is only used on other time in the New Testament, in 1 Peter 3:21
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 3:21 (NASB)
The word translated “corresponding” in this verse is the same Greek word, and this verse is telling us that baptism is a picture, or antitype, of salvation just as the tabernacle of Moses is a picture, or antitype, of the true sanctuary in heaven.
Verse 24 ends with the statement “that He might now appear in the presence of God for us.” The translated “appear” here is verse 24 is the Greek word emphanízō, which means to exhibit, to declare.”[23] According to John MacArthur the use of this word here “alludes to His official presentation to report to the Father on the fulfillment of His mission.”[24]
The reason that I mention this is because we will see the English word “appear” again in verses 26 and 28, but both of these are different Greek words with different meanings than the one used here. In verse 26 the Greek word is phaneróō, which means, “to manifest oneself, show oneself openly, [or] appear publicly.”[25] And the word used in verse 28 is horáō, which means “To see, perceive with the eyes, look at, implying not the mere act of seeing, but also the actual perception of some object.” [26]
So why is any of this important? Because what we see here in the use of these three different words are all three tenses of Jesus ministry: In verse 26 we see His earthy appearance to save us from the penalty of sin, in verse 24 we see His present intercessory ministry to save us from the power of sin, and in verse 28 we see His future ministry in the second coming where He will save us from the very presence of sin.
This verse is also telling us that Jesus is currently in heaven, in the very presence on God, interceding on our behalf. This is something that no earthly high priest could ever do, because they were required to offer up sacrifices for themselves, but because Jesus was sinless and the sacrifice He offered was “once for all” He is now in the presence of God for us. Warren Wiersbe says, “The high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat for the people, but Christ represents us in the very presence of God. What a tragedy it is when people cling to religious ceremonies that please the senses and fail to lay hold, by faith, of the great heavenly ministry of Christ.”[27]
4. It is entered with a better sacrifice (verses 25-28)
This brings us now to the last point; this sanctuary was entered with a better sacrifice. The very first thing we see here is in verse 25 where we are told that unlike the sacrifices made under the old covenant which had to be repeated again and again, this sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus Himself, was not done many times. The writer now takes the rest of this chapter to show us three practical arguments for why this is true.
His first argument is found in verse 26 where he says, “otherwise He would have had to suffer many times since to foundation of the world.” Then he adds a very important word, the word “but”; he says “But, He has appeared one time, for the removal of sin, by the sacrifice of Himself.” The NASB here says that He “put away” sin; this is telling us that the sacrifice Jesus made has replaced the animal sacrifices of the old covenant because they were not able to “put away” sin, and so had to be repeated year after year. But Jesus once for all sacrifice put away sin and rendered animal sacrifices unnecessary and useless. In other words, the sacrifices of animals under the old covenant only covered sin, but the sacrifice of Jesus actually removed it.
Next, in verse 27 he makes the statement that it is appointed to all men die once, and after this the judgment. This is a very important argument, because what this is telling us is that just as all men will die once, so Jesus being a man, was appointed to die once. But unlike us, Jesus did not face judgment. He actually took the judgment for everyone who puts their faith in Him.
He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
He now concludes in verse 28 by saying that Jesus, having been offered once will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him. Under the old covenant, the people would eagerly await the appearance of the high priest as he came out of the holy of holies. If he did everything right and the sacrifice was accepted by God that would mean that their sins were covered for another year, but if the priest did anything wrong he would die, so it was with great anticipation that the people awaited his appearance.
This is the picture that the writer has in mind here; our High Priest has entered into the holy of holies in heaven, and if the people of Israel eagerly awaited the rerun of their high priest, how much more should we eagerly await the appearance of our Great High Priest? Our sins are not merely covered for another year; they have been removed.
John MacArthur concludes this chapter with these words, “When the high priest walked out of the old sanctuary, the people knew that his sacrifice had been accepted. He had done everything right. Jesus Christ’s reappearing will be one more confirmation that He did everything right, that His Father is satisfied with Him. And because the Father is satisfied with Him, He is satisfied with us, for we are in Him. When He comes back, our salvation will be full. When He appears a second time to those who expect Him, it will not be to deal with sin. Sin only needs to be dealt with once, and this He did on the cross. When He comes again, it will be without reference to sin.”[28]
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
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[1]Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Heb 9:1). Downers Grove, Ill., U.S.A.: InterVarsity Press.
[2]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Heb 9:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
[3] MacArthur, J. (1996, c1983). Hebrews. Includes index. (221). Chicago: Moody Press.
[4]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Ex 25:30). Nashville: Word Pub.
[5]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:94). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[6]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (Heb 9:4). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[7]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Heb 9:4). Nashville: Word Pub.
[8]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1983). Hebrews. Includes index. (224). Chicago: Moody Press.
[9]MacArthur, J. (1989). Matthew (274). Chicago: Moody Press.
[10]Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Heb 9:6). Downers Grove, Ill., U.S.A.: InterVarsity Press.
[11]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1983). Hebrews. Includes index. (229). Chicago: Moody Press.
[12]Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G5046). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
[13]Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (701). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
[14]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (Heb 9:14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[15]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:400). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[16]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:400). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[17]Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
[18]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1983). Hebrews. Includes index. (236). Chicago: Moody Press.
[19]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (Heb 9:22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[20]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (2:129). Nashville: T. Nelson.
[21] Robertson, A.T. (c1932, c1960). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Volume V. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Pg 403
[22] Wuest, Kenneth S.: Wuest’s Word Studies From The Greek New Testament Volume 2, Grand Rapids MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004, c1973. Pg. 168
[23]Thomas, R. L. (1998, 1981). New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries: Updated edition (H8674). Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.
[24]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Heb 9:24). Nashville: Word Pub.
[25]Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G5319). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
[26]Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G3708). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
[27]Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (702). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.
[28]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1983). Hebrews. Includes index. (242). Chicago: Moody Press.