Hebrews (written)

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:26

The previous verses said that Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, but heaven itself, and this was “not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another” (9:25). If this were so, “He then would have had to suffer often.” A repeated entry for purification from sin would necessitate a repeated sacrifice for sin. Thus, every time he entered for sin, he would have to suffer and die, even “since the foundation of the world.”

What this implies is that Christ’s sacrifice, which occurred four thousand years after the foundation of the world, was sufficient to cover the sins of those who anticipated Him in faith even back to the first sin committed since the world was founded. That is why Adam and Eve were covered by the Lord with the tunics of skin which He made for them (Genesis 3:21). It was a symbolic covering of Christ’s righteousness in anticipation of Christ’s coming.

Adam demonstrated faith through the naming of his wife Eve (in anticipation of the coming Messiah and the granting of life once again), and God covered Adam because of that act. Thus, even from the “foundation of the world,” faith in Christ was sufficient to atone for sin. This is then confirmed in the last book of the Bible where Jesus is called “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Peter states the same thing in his first epistle –

“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:20, 21

This logic is confirmed, and it is explicitly stated, by the author next with the words, “but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The author uses the term, “the end of the ages,” to signify the time “when the former ages had reached their moral consummation under the old Levitical economy. Comp. Hebrews 1:2” (Vincent’s Word Studies). This thought is explained by Paul in Galatians –

“Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, ² but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:1-5

In His coming in the fullness of time, Christ did not need to suffer repeatedly. God accepts the faith of those who anticipated the coming Messiah, and He accepts the faith of those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah who has come. His sacrifice on Calvary’s cross is a one time and for all time act. To think on what is being described, a review of several thoughts which led up to this verse would be helpful:

1) Blood must be shed before forgiveness can be granted; something must die for sin – the sinner because of his sin (this is implied), or a substitute in place of the sinner.
2) Blood was required to purify the people, the sanctuary, and all of the implements associated with the rites of the sanctuary.
3) Jesus’ sacrifice was not made to purify the earthly sanctuary, nor heaven (which is already pure). It was to provide proof of a substitutionary death on our behalf as a covering for man’s sin.
4) Jesus’ sacrifice is once for all time, and it provides eternal cleansing from sin.

All of this demonstrates the superiority of the New Covenant. It also clearly shows that salvation is eternal. No sin committed after salvation can separate the person from God because there is no imputation of sin for one who is in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). Once a person is purified, he or she is eternally clean, and thus free from condemnation. Were this not so, as Arminianism teaches, then Christ’s blood would be insufficient for any sin.

Life application: Christ suffered once, the godly for the ungodly; the righteous for the unrighteous. There is nothing more that can add righteousness to an individual. His blood, therefore, is fully able to perfect those who have accepted God’s offer of peace through Him. As this verse makes abundantly clear, He has appeared “once at the end of the ages … to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” As Paul jubilantly proclaims –

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36

O God, from the first sin of man, and throughout all of human history, there has been one, and only one, true Sacrifice for sin – Jesus. Your word is written and proclaims that nothing else is sufficient. The types and shadows of the past are fulfilled in Him, and it is by faith in His coming, or in His having come, that all sin is atoned for. Thank You, O God, that Christ’s suffering and death has released us from the penalty of sin, once and forever. Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Monday, 14 January 2019

…not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— Hebrews 9:25

The High Priest of Israel had to enter the Most Holy Place in the sanctuary once each year and follow the exacting details prescribed in Leviticus 16. Included in these rituals was the presentation of the blood of animals. One was to atone for his sin and one was to atone for the sins of the people. This ritual was absolutely necessary because, as verse 9:22 said, “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” As it says in this verse, He offered his own. This is the idea behind substitutionary atonement – one life is given on behalf of another.

With this understanding, the specific idea of this verse is that of entry into heaven. In other words, though not in the Greek, the idea is connected to the previous verse and should mentally bring to thought, “not that He should enter to offer Himself often.” The two verses, placed side by side, will show this –

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;

…not that He should enter to offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—

Christ gave of Himself once on the cross of Calvary, and at that time He entered into heaven. However, every entry into the Most Holy Place (which was a foreshadowing of Christ’s entry into heaven) required that the blood of an individual sacrifice be presented by the high priest. Therefore, if Christ was required to offer Himself every time He entered into heaven, He would have to “offer Himself often.” This will be stated explicitly in the next verse to come. Such was not the case though. Unlike the high priest who “enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another,” Christ’s entry was a one time and for all time presentation.

Life application: In contrast to the annual ritual conducted by Israel’s High Priest, Jesus did not enter heaven through a repeated offering of Himself. Please remember that life is forfeit because of sin – either your life, or that of a Substitute. And that Substitute must be acceptable to God. It is by Jesus’ death alone that we are reconciled to our heavenly Father. Be sure to receive God’s offer of pardon through Christ!

Heavenly Father, Your word tells us that Christ Jesus entered into heaven once for the forgiveness of our sins. He did not need to suffer many times for us, coming again and again with the proof of another time of suffering. He died once for our sins, and that one entry into Your presence was sufficient for all of man’s sins from Adam until the end of the age. How powerful is the blood of Christ! May we not fail to receive the gift of eternal life, granted through His one great act on Calvary’s cross. Amen.

Sunday, 13 January 2019

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; Hebrews 9:24

The word, “For,” explains what was said in the previous verse concerning “the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these” being purified. The purification that Christ brought about will be explained through the end of the chapter, but the final point of it is found in verse 9:28 which says that “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” This is the ultimate point of the sacrificial system. Sin is the problem, shed blood (proving the death of the covenant-victim) was what was ordained to atone for sin. The types and shadows of the Levitical priesthood in regards to this only looked forward to the actual work of Christ.

The Levitical priests entered into an earthly sanctuary, but it says that “Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands.” Thus, the earthly, physical sacrifices which were conducted by the Levitical priests were an inferior type of sacrifice conducted in an inferior place. What they did simply prefigured Christ. Year by year, the anticipation was that the Messiah would come and fulfill these types and shadows. Finally, He did come. But in the fulfillment of His work, His blood wasn’t presented in these places made with hands, “which are copies of the true.”

Again, the author reveals (as he has already done) that the earthly sanctuary was a copy of something greater, something heavenly. As he says, it wasn’t into these copies, “but into heaven itself.” It shouldn’t be supposed that the physical structures that were made are physically seen again in heaven. Rather, the physical structures represented spiritual realities found in Christ. The colors, shapes, sizes, etc. of all of the things of the sanctuary pointed to spiritual realities.

For example, the type of wood chosen for the Ark of the Covenant pictured the incorruptible nature of Christ’s humanity. This doesn’t mean the physical nature of His body, but the spiritual incorruption of sinlessness. It is true that the spiritual incorruption then translates into an incorruptible physical body, but it is the spiritually incorrupt nature of Christ which is being conveyed to us. The same is true with all of these physical things. They represented spiritual truths, not corresponding physical things in heaven. The thought then continues in the next words, which say, “now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

God is Spirit; He does not have parts. God is. Therefore, Christ’s death, in fulfillment of the Mosaic Covenant, conveyed a spiritual reality. The sins of those who anticipated Christ under the Mosaic Law were atoned for, once and forever. At the same time, a New Covenant was initiated for those who receive this atonement. All of this is done by Christ in the presence of God. As God is – without change of any kind – then this is a one time and for all time atonement; it is eternal. The author will continue to explain this in the coming verses.

Life application: Christ said during His ministry, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). People misinterpret this verse and teach that the law is still in effect for believers; it is not. The law is in effect for all persons until they come to Christ. When one comes to Christ in faith that He fulfilled the law on their behalf, the law is then set aside and a new law takes effect. This is the purpose of Jesus’ death. In one mighty act, Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, set it aside for believers, and also established the New Covenant. The cross then is God’s glorious way of demonstrating His infinite grace, truth, mercy, love, holiness, righteousness, and justice. All of these eternal and unchanging attributes are reconciled at the cross of Jesus. Without this moment, a tension between these attributes remains between God and man, resulting in eternal separation and condemnation. Ensure you understand this! If you misinterpret Jesus’ statement concerning the law, you will feel bound to it when in fact you are not. If you misinterpret God’s eternal nature, then you will miss the point, and you will flounder in an ocean of uncertainty. Instead, have faith in Christ and be at peace with God!

What an amazing gift, O God! That you would unite with Your creation in the Person of Jesus in order to reconcile us to You. It’s beyond comprehension how glorious You are and we can only shout praises and thanks to You for sending Jesus to reveal that glory in a way in which we can comprehend! Hallelujah and Amen.

Saturday, 12 January 2019

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:23

The word, “Therefore,” is given based on everything mentioned in the previous seven verses concerning the shedding of the blood of the covenant-victim and the purification of the things associated with the tabernacle, its implements, and its rites. Those verses ended with, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” With that understood, he says, “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens.”

Note: The archaic KJV incorrectly says “patterns” instead of “copies.” This is exactly the opposite of what is occurring. It is the heavenly which is the pattern, and it is the earthly which is a copy. See Exodus 25:9 and Hebrews 8:5. If you use this version, a margin note correcting the error is necessary.

These “copies of the things in the heavens,” meaning the earthly tabernacle and associated implements, “should be purified with these.” The word “these” is speaking of the blood of purification obtained from the covenant-victims. There was defilement in these earthly things, and they required a sacrifice of atonement to cover their defilement. However, this entire process was only typical of Christ’s greater work. As the author notes, “but the heavenly things.” That is referring to those things associated with the true and more perfect tabernacle in heaven which is the pattern for the earthly copies. These are purified “with better sacrifices than these.”

First, the word “sacrifices” is plural. Though Christ died once (see Romans 6:10 and Hebrews 9:26), the author’s intent is to show that His single sacrifice is the fulfillment of all of the various types of sacrifices found under the Old Covenant, and which were typical of His one-time sacrifice. Everything of the past which foreshadowed Christ is summed up in His one act. Secondly, this raises an obvious question – “Why would the heavenly things require sacrifices for purification?” Scholars debate this, and several interesting suggestions have been proposed, but which miss the fact that these are spiritual realities in heaven, not physical things.

Under the Old Covenant, the author has already said that all things were sprinkled with blood in order to purify them, including the people (9:19). As we are the purpose of Christ’s coming, meaning the redemption of man, then it is necessary that we be purified by Christ’s shed blood. Christ presented Himself before the Father to purify those things which will be accepted into His eternal realm – His people, who are being built into “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

Though Ephesians is written to the Gentile led church and Hebrews is written to the Hebrew people, the same truth applies to both. A purification is being accomplished in us which was only prefigured in the earthly sanctuary of the Old Covenant.

Life application: The Bible tells of the heavenly dwelling – perfect in all ways, but entrance to it comes at a cost – “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27). In order to be accepted into God’s paradise, one must be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. To reject His gracious sacrifice is to remain outside of God’s favor and outside of His eternal dwelling. Come to Christ, be purified through His shed blood, and be reconciled to God once and for all eternity.

Glorious! O God, You are glorious. You have given us access to You once again through the blood of the Lamb. If we are willing to accept the truth of Your word, and to come to You through Christ Jesus, we shall be reconciled to You for all eternity. You have done it all, and You ask us to simply believe. How gracious You are to Your people! Thank You, O God! Amen.

Friday, 11 January 2019

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

The idea is better expressed by the NAS, which says, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

There are exceptions where purification takes place apart from blood, but the overall idea of purification is that things “are purified with blood.” This is a general statement covering what has been said in the previous verses. The blood purifies because the blood testifies to the death of the covenant-victim. In such a case, that death must take place in order to ratify the covenant. Because of this, and because sin is dealt with through the giving of such a covenant, “without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

With this absolutely stated, it should be reexplained that though it is true that there is no remission without the shedding of blood, it is also true that not all shed blood can atone for sin. Rather, the blood shed under the Old Covenant (except for Christ’s fulfillment of it) merely anticipated Christ. Hebrews 10:4 will explicitly state that the blood of the animals sacrificed for sin could not take away that sin. Thus, it is an ineffectual, anticipatory, and merely typical system of sacrifices.

Further, no other shed human blood can atone for sins. This is because of the stain of original sin in man. All have sinned and, therefore, it is impossible that a sin-filled sacrifice could atone for the sins of another. This is true even with supposedly innocent babies which were sacrificed on altars throughout Israel’s history (based on the practices of surrounding nations). God rejected those sacrifices because original sin existed in them already. It was inherited from their first father, Adam. If these babies did not have sin, then they would have resurrected after being sacrificed, because “the wages of sin is death.”

But only Christ resurrected. This proves that only Christ’s blood can truly remit sins. To sacrifice another for sin, such as a baby, a young virgin, one’s own sibling, and etc, is simply committing an act of murder. They already had sin, they died in sin, and there was no atonement for the one who sacrificed that person in hopes of being purified from sin.

Life application: There are certain verses in the Bible that one would do well to remember because they carry key doctrine. When using such verses while discussing the gospel, salvation, sin, atonement, substitution, and many other major points, they will shed light on the subject matter. Hebrews 9:22 is one such verse. Many churches will no longer speak about the blood atonement mentioned in the Bible. But God’s word proclaims the necessity of shedding blood to atone for sin and – as clearly as could ever be stated – this verse avers “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” It is not those things cherished by many in today’s world which save. The bald guy on TV is completely wrong when he jangles a handful of gold and says, “This is the sound of security; this is the sound of gold.” When the gold is gone, those who trusted in it will be condemned for their misplaced trust. Rather, it is only through the precious blood of Christ that atonement for sin can be made. Don’t miss this key point. When God looks at a faithful believer, He sees the death of His Son and His shed blood – the Just for the unjust. Praise God! As is stated in Exodus, so the same truth carries through in us today, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

Lord God, how can it be that You would send Jesus to the cross in our place? We have failed you since birth, and each day we continue to fall short of Your glory. And yet, You opened Your heart to us, giving us the precious blood of Christ as our atonement. Thank You for having covered us with His perfect righteousness. Glory belongs to You alone! Amen.