Jesus’ sacrifice never needs repetition. Verses 15–22 show that the old covenant demanded the use of blood for purification. Earthly things needed purification by external means. The hearts of believers demanded a special type of purification before God. Up to this point, we have seen the Old Covenant was established by blood, and so was the New Covenant. But the New Covenant was established on the basis of a better sacrifice, applied in a better place! The patterns (types) were purified by the blood of animals, but the original sanctuary was purified by the blood of the Son of God. This was a far more costly sacrifice.
Christ’s sacrifice was better than sacrifices made under the Mosaic covenant because Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary, which was a copy; instead, He entered the true sanctuary, which is in heaven – the very presence of God.
In Hebrews 9:25-26 Christ’s death is seen as a one-time necessity. Christ’s sacrifice was better than sacrifices made under the Mosaic covenant because He did not offer an annual sacrifice of animals, but offered Himself once.
A similarity and a contrast are presented in verses 27-28. Both people and Christ die once; however, a person meets judgment after death and Christ will bring salvation. As people die once, so Christ died once—not like the repeated sacrifices of the Levitical system. unlike people, Christ did not die and face judgment. He died once to appear a second time for salvation (Heb 1:14). Those who eagerly wait for Him are not necessarily all believers, but those who look for His return, those who are steadfast to the end.
23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these things, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made by hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. (NASB)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Christ now appears for us in God’s presence. He has constant access to God. Christ represents us, prays for us, and accomplishes what we could never do. You have the great High Priest ministering on your behalf
- We are not depending on a high priest on earth who annually visits the holy of holies in a temporary sanctuary. We depend on the heavenly High Priest who has entered once and for all into the eternal sanctuary. There He represents us before God, and He always will.
- The work of Christ is a completed work, final and eternal. On the basis of His completed work, He is ministering now in heaven on our behalf.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 23: Verse 23 is introduced with the discourse marker of prominence, “therefore” (or “then” or “thus”) to bring out the conclusion to 9:22. In connection with the New Covenant, the writer then enunciated their basic principle: the death of Christ “was necessary.” The phrase “It was necessary” is emphatic by word order, being placed at the front of the clause. This verse is another example of a lesser to the greater arguments. What was okay for the earthly tabernacle is insufficient for the heavenly one. The notion here is the necessity is grounded in God’s purpose. Mere “copies” (hypodeigmata; cf. 8:5; 9:24) “of the things in the heavens” might be adequately hallowed by animal sacrifices, “but the heavenly things themselves” required more than that.
The Greek word used here for “copies,” (hypodeigmata), by context must refer to the earthly tabernacle. Just as the earthly tabernacle was cleansed by the blood of animals, so also the heavenly Tabernacle demanded cleansing. So, we need to have the heavenly things be cleansed with better sacrifices than the animals.
Some problems are seen in verse 23. Why does the writer use the plural sacrifices for the one-time death of Christ? The better sacrifice was the death of Christ. Perhaps “sacrifices” is used is because the writer sees all of the O.T. sacrifices being fulfilled in Christ. The plural is used because the single sacrifice of Christ required a complete range of sacrifices to serve as copies.
A more difficult question arises from the cleansing of the earthly Tabernacle. Is it to be inferred the heavenly construction actually needed to be cleansed from defilement? What is meant by verse 23? Several interpretations are taken of this difficult passage. To put this in perspective, there are at least nine different interpretations on this verse.
(1) It may simply be totally figurative. No real parallels are to be drawn. Some say that “heavenly things” symbolizes the spiritual sphere in which believers enjoy atonement.[1] Some assert this should not be taken literally, but see the reference to spiritual reality as the realm where atonement is accomplished.[2] Christians who have their consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ can approach God in heaven. This does not imply that heaven itself needed cleansing. The idea of cleansing heaven is a symbol of the cleaning of believers before God. However, this seems to be the opposite of what the writer is saying. The writer affirms the two do have some kind of correspondence. Another could argue that if it is totally figurative, there is really not a foundation behind it, and so why even mention it? Why try to establish a comparison on something that is not happening.
(2) A second view says the heavenly construction was cleansed in the sense of being consecrated or dedicated. If you have a heavenly tabernacle, you are not thinking that there is a cleansing issue that needs to be involved there, because it is in heaven. So why do you need to cleanse it? Cleansing could involve consecration or dedication. It is not to clean it but just the way to dedicate it or set it aside as holy. However, the O.T. Tabernacle was not dedicated with blood but with oil (cf. Ex. 40:9).
(3) A third view, though difficult, appears to be more plausible. It appears this looks to the cleansing of heaven itself. Why this would be necessary is difficult to determine. It may be due to Satan’s defiling influence (cf. Zech. 3:1; Rev. 12:10; 1 John 2:1; Col. 1:20). Satan appears to have access into heaven at some points and when he gets there, he dirties up the place. So the heavenly tabernacle needs to be cleansed and needs to be cleaned because he has been there.
(4) Fourth, this view says it may be cleansing that is not due to defilement but simply be a corresponding counterpart to the Day of Atonement. Meaning, it maintains the typology. On that day the mercy seat, the Holy of Holies, the golden altar, and the brazen altar were cleansed by blood (cf. Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:11-20). The blood was applied, not because of sin intrinsic to the earthly Tabernacle, but because of humankind’s sin. So Christ applied blood to the heavenly Tabernacle. This seems to be the most plausible and maybe the best for those that take a literal approach. This is probably the view that most people from my seminary take.
These are probably the four most popular opinions on this, with options 1 or 4 having the least amount of problems and best case for their arguments.
The expression “heavenly things” referred quite generally to the new priestly arrangements, which have heaven as their focal point. These arrangements involve dealing with people’s sin and must thus be inaugurated with a sacrifice adequate to “do away” with that sin (cf. v. 26). The death of Christ meets this requirement.
Verses 24–26: verse 24 explains how Christ offered better sacrifices by pointing out the past and present missions of Christ. After His death at Calvary, Christ entered heaven itself.Christ was appointed as High Priest of the New Covenant to represent sinful people in “heaven itself,” that is, the term heaven here refers to the presence of God. So His sacrifice had to be greater than that which allowed entrance into “a holy place made by hands, a mere copy (antitypa) of the true one.” The presence of God was a reality of which the earthly tabernacle was only a copy. Christ accomplished salvation for believers before God. Aaron’s high priests could enter God’s presence only annually. Christ now appears for us in God’s presence. He has constant access to God. Christ represents us, prays for us, and accomplishes what we could never do (Heb. 7:25). I think that is very important for many of us to remember, especially as we go through trials and tribulations
Verse 25 emphasizes the finality and voluntariness of Jesus’ death. The final three verses of this chapter provide additional explanation of these ideas.
The Aaronic high priest made annual trips into the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle. Each time he carried the blood of a fresh animal sacrifice. Christ had no need to offer Himself repeatedly. One offering was final for all time.
The Aaronic high priests came with blood from animal sacrifices that had been slain involuntarily. No animal could consciously say, “I desire to do your will, O God.” Christ voluntarily surrendered His life for the sins of the world (Luke 22:42). Nor could Christ offer repeated sacrifices as in the Levitical institution, for that would have required Him to die (“suffer”) “often since the foundation of the world.” Instead, as is obvious, the heavenly ministry of Christ called for a thoroughly sufficient, one-time sacrifice. This is precisely why He appeared “once (hapax, cf. v. 28; also cf. ephapax in 7:27; 9:12; 10:10) at the consummation of the ages He has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself,” which the priests in the old arrangement could not do. By the phrase “consummation (end) of the ages” the writer evidently meant the climax of the Old Testament eras as well as the imminency of the climax of all things. The writer will shortly refer to Christ’s second advent.
Jews would be acquainted with a repetition of sacrifices. They would need to understand why the death of Christ was final and unrepeatable. With the high priest in the Mosaic Covenant entering with blood but it was animals blood, not his own, and it did not really cost him anything did it? The blood was not his own. It was the blood of an animal. And so you continue to see these kind of themes that weave themselves in and out of this superior sacrifice. So it is not a repeated sacrifice and not an animal sacrifice. Those kind of animal sacrifices are insufficient for the heavenly tabernacle. Verse 26 implies that a repeated offering would have involved Christ in continual suffering. If Christ’s death were repeatable, it would need to begin with the dawn of history when sin entered the world and to last throughout the ages.
However, the death of Christ could happen only once in history. There was only one incarnation and death. The timing of this event occurred in God’s perfect wisdom.
Several facts about Christ’s death are presented. First, it happened in history when He appeared on earth. Second, it was once for all and never needed repetition. Third, the effect of the sacrifice was to do away with sin. Fourth, the death was voluntary. Christ offered Himself.
Verses 27–28: These verses contrast the death of human beings and the death of Christ. The death of human beings was destined, and judgment followed after it. We cannot avoid death. God has appointed that death should visit every human being.With the observation about Christ’s second advent, eschatological realities come into focus. Humans are sinful creatures “destined… to die once, and after this comes judgment.” But this danger is turned aside by the fact that “Christ… having been offered once (hapax, cf. v. 26) to bear the sins of many.” The recurrence of “once” (9:26, 28; hapax) and of “once” (7:27; meaning once for all; 9:12; 10:10; ephapax) stresses the finality and the singleness of Christ’s sacrificial work in contrast with the repeated Levite ministrations. In addition, the “once”-sacrifice of Christ (vv. 26, 28) compares with the “once”-death of each person (v. 27). Now those “who eagerly await” (apekdechomenois; used seven times in the NT of the return of Christ: Rom. 8:19, 23, 25; 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28) for Him can look forward to His coming, not with a fearful expectation of judgment, but with the anticipation of salvation. The fact that judgment follows death does not mean that it occurs immediately after death. An interval separates death and judgment. The mention of judgment after death does not suggest that no judgment occurs prior to death. These verses speak of the final judgment which clearly occurred after physical death.
The death of Christ was voluntary. We saw this expressed clearly in 9:14, but verse 28 also implies it. The death of Christ was not only voluntary, but the malice of the Jewish leaders and the plan of God demanded it.
His first advent was to bear sins away—but His second will be “without reference to sins.” The phrase “without sin” in verse 28 means, “not to bear sin.”
Deftly the author implied that those who are eagerly waiting for Him constitute a smaller circle than those whom His death has benefited. They are, as all the writer’s previous exhortations reveal, the ones who “hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end” (3:14). The “salvation” He will bring them at His second coming will be the “eternal inheritance” of which they are heirs (cf. 9:15; 1:14).[3] At a time after His death, He will come again not to deal with sin but to bring salvation for His people. Jesus dealt completely with sin in His death. At His return, He will usher His people into the experience of eternal life. The idea of Christ’s appearance a second time reminds us of the reappearance of the high priest after he had completed his task in the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (see Luke 1:21–22).
Finally, notice how a visual (the word “appear” twice and “revealed” once) is used three times in Hebrews 9:24–28? These three uses give us a summary of our Lord’s work. He has been revealed (appeared) to put away sin by dying on the cross (Heb. 9:26; past). He is appearing now in heaven for us (Heb. 9:24; present). One day, He shall appear to take Christians home (Heb. 9:28; future). These “three tenses of salvation” are all based on His finished work.
[1] Thomas Lea, “Hebrews” in Holman New Testament Commentary – Hebrews & James, vol 10, edited by Max Anders (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), np.
[2] F. F. Bruce “Hebrews,” 228.
[3] Zane C. Hodges, “Hebrews,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 802.