23 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. 24 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; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—26 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. 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Commentary
Vs. 23 "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."
If the heavenly sanctuary needed to be purified with the Blood of Christ before it could go into service for God on our behalf. So too the copies of it, that is the earthly tabernacle and it's articles of service along with those who ministered there were likewise sanctified with blood, since the earthly tabernacle was a foreshadow of the heavenly Tabernacle and Sanctuary and Service. Thus Blood for our salvation, Blood for the Covenant, and Blood for the Heavenly Sanctuary and Service because of sin having entered the world through man.
Vs. 24 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;
When the Lord Jesus was on earth as a Man He did not enter the holy places made with hands, for those places were only copies of the true, but rather His High Priestly service takes place in heaven itself, in the Presence of God Himself, for us all who believe in Him (Heb 4:14-16).
Vs. 25-26 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—26 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.
Now unlike the the earthly priesthood that God commanded Aaron and his sons to serve in. The Lord Jesus Christ did not enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of another, that is with sacrificial blood of animals, as they were commanded to offer every year on the Day of Atonement (see Lev. 16). For then He would have had to offer Himself many times to enter the Heavenly Sanctuary on behalf of us. That's the first point the Superiority of Jesus Christ's Sacrifice which once and for all time paved the way for Him and Him alone to enter the Heavenly Sanctuary on our behalf. And so unlike the blood of lambs and bulls and goats whose sacrifice could never completely deal with sin, and thus needed to be repeated over and over again, Jesus Christ has once and for all, at the end of the ages, appeared as the Son of Man/Son of God on earth to deal with sin by the Sacrifice of Himself. The Atonement then that has been brought by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ exceeds and excels everything and anything that mere mortal sinful mankind could ever do for themselves or anyone else.
Vs. 27-28 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
We all are brought into this world by the hand of God (Psalm 139:13-16), and we are all return to Him when we die (Ecc. 12:7). And so how we return to Him is the most critical thing for us all in this life, whether we are reconciled to Himself by faith in His Son Jesus Christ or not. For after our bodies die our spirits go back to God who gave them, and at the appointed time we will all stand before Him and give an accounting of ourselves to Him. Therefore only those who are reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while in this earthly life will go to be with Him for eternal salvation (John 5:24), while those who do not repent and believe in Christ through the Gospel will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ before being sent to spend an eternity in the Lake of fire (Rev. 21:11-15; 21:6-8). And so first and foremost in this life is being reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 10:42-43; 2 Cor 5:21), who not only saves us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10), but He by His Spirit brings us to life and transforms our persons and lives, sealing and sanctifying and equipping us not only to spend an eternity with Himself, but also for living abundant and fruitful lives down here while we are sojourners with Him, being His witnesses and workers for His Name and Kingdoms sake so that through us who believe He can manifest the manifold the immeasurable wisdom and mercies of God who has not only reconciled and restored us, but through Christ, God's grace is being extended to every wayward and lost and sinful person who repents and believes in Him. For being reconciled to God not only changes our eternal destinies, but having been reconciled to God by faith In Christ we experience all the fullness of God who transforms our hearts and minds satisfying all the deep desires and longing that we could never satisfy by our own means, bringing us all of God's life, liberty, love, joy, peace and all the fruits of His Spirit that makes for having an abundant and abounding life which no one or nothing in this life could ever do for us, and so now rather than chasing after the false "gods" of this this life that promise much but deliver nothing, we now eagerly wait for His return, for then Jesus will end this present evil and violent and godless age before ushering in His everlasting Kingdom (2 Peter 3:13) where we will fully bear His image forever (1 Cor 15:49), and where He will wipe every tear from our eyes when He sets up His Everlasting Kingdom when He makes all things New! (Rev. 21:1-5). Therefore for everyone who repents and believes in the Lord Christ there is a glorious present and an eternal future without pain, without suffering, without sin and Satan and all of the ravages of it awaiting us all as the beloved children of God (Rom 8:16-17), whose destinies are certain and whose futures are assured. Something which is available to you as well if you seek the Lord Jesus Christ today He will be found by you because He is seeking for you (Luke 15). Therefore open your heart to Him and receive Him today and have God's reconciliation and life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 55:6-7; Rev. 3:20).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
We all are brought into this world by the hand of God (Psalm 139:13-16), and we are all return to Him when we die (Ecc. 12:7). And so how we return to Him is the most critical thing for us all in this life, whether we are reconciled to Himself by faith in His Son Jesus Christ or not. For after our bodies die our spirits go back to God who gave them, and at the appointed time we will all stand before Him and give an accounting of ourselves to Him. Therefore only those who are reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while in this earthly life will go to be with Him for eternal salvation (John 5:24), while those who do not repent and believe in Christ through the Gospel will be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ before being sent to spend an eternity in the Lake of fire (Rev. 21:11-15; 21:6-8). And so first and foremost in this life is being reconciled to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 10:42-43; 2 Cor 5:21), who not only saves us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10), but He by His Spirit brings us to life and transforms our persons and lives, sealing and sanctifying and equipping us not only to spend an eternity with Himself, but also for living abundant and fruitful lives down here while we are sojourners with Him, being His witnesses and workers for His Name and Kingdoms sake so that through us who believe He can manifest the manifold the immeasurable wisdom and mercies of God who has not only reconciled and restored us, but through Christ, God's grace is being extended to every wayward and lost and sinful person who repents and believes in Him. For being reconciled to God not only changes our eternal destinies, but having been reconciled to God by faith In Christ we experience all the fullness of God who transforms our hearts and minds satisfying all the deep desires and longing that we could never satisfy by our own means, bringing us all of God's life, liberty, love, joy, peace and all the fruits of His Spirit that makes for having an abundant and abounding life which no one or nothing in this life could ever do for us, and so now rather than chasing after the false "gods" of this this life that promise much but deliver nothing, we now eagerly wait for His return, for then Jesus will end this present evil and violent and godless age before ushering in His everlasting Kingdom (2 Peter 3:13) where we will fully bear His image forever (1 Cor 15:49), and where He will wipe every tear from our eyes when He sets up His Everlasting Kingdom when He makes all things New! (Rev. 21:1-5). Therefore for everyone who repents and believes in the Lord Christ there is a glorious present and an eternal future without pain, without suffering, without sin and Satan and all of the ravages of it awaiting us all as the beloved children of God (Rom 8:16-17), whose destinies are certain and whose futures are assured. Something which is available to you as well if you seek the Lord Jesus Christ today He will be found by you because He is seeking for you (Luke 15). Therefore open your heart to Him and receive Him today and have God's reconciliation and life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 55:6-7; Rev. 3:20).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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