Chapter 9

2022 - Chapter 8 established the need for a better covenant than the Law and concluded that the new covenant therefore made the old obsolete.

2022- This verse:

2 For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. [Heb 9:2 ESV]

Per Baxter,

Lampstand - Represents Christ the Light of the world, and especially of his own people.

Table and Bread - Spiritual Sustenance.  Christ the Bread of Life, the Holy Spirit, the water of Life.

Then, 4 having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. [Heb 9:4 ESV]

Altar of Incense - Acceptable Supplication, prayer in the name of Jesus

Ark - Access through covenant relationship, Christ as the covenant, ground of our access to God.

Still 2022 - I was hoping that a look at the furnishings in detail might give me some insight into the things the writer of Hebrews chose not to discuss here.  And perhaps give me insight into why the first section must "fall" before the second is accessible.  Along those lines, perhaps the lampstand looked forward to Christ's arrival, and until that happened, only the high priest had direct access to the Mercy Seat, the presence of God?  And the Table and bread are about the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Without the Holy Spirit to bear witness with our Spirit, and make interpretation to God that we in our flesh cannot make, we cannot have access directly to the Father.  This surely seems to make good sense.  The idea is that so long as the Holy Place was still prophetic, that is UNTIL Christ completed his work, the people could not have direct access to God.  Until Christ, there was no "qualified high priest" to so completely cleanse us as to bring us into His presence.  The High Priest under the Law could at best ONLY atone for unintentional accidental unknowing sin, which left a lot of sins still hanging out there.  The annual atonement delays the just punishment of the intentional sins by the symbolic shedding of blood.  But that sin is still there, and reckoning is delayed.  But the perfect high priest, Christ crucified, can also atone for intentional sins.  And only when he has accomplished his work - and fulfilled the promise of the Holy place - does the Holiest place become accessible. 

Oh my.  There is no way that man alone devised such an intricately interlocked plan for the ages.  Only the Living God could EVER come up with something like this!

I think this is ample explanation through vs. 14.

The Holy of Holies is described, but the writer says "Of these we cannot now speak in detail."  MSB says the writer says this because he does not want to obscure the main point by delving into details. (2022 - see above.  I think these are the things he means.)

All the priests go into the first section - the Holy Place, but only the high priest goes further, and that only once a year, and not without blood to offer for his sins and the "unintentional sins" of the people.  There is no MSB discussion of "unintentional" here.  That still seems like a big question that needs to be answered.  Atonement is for unintentional sins.  What do we do about the intentional ones?  Where can I find that?  Is that the sin offering as opposed to the atonement once a year?

2023 - So these first five verses are a sort of "picture" of the original tent of meeting, and the subsequent Temple.  He seems to be reminding his readers of how this all looked, of what was located in which section.  He's not going into deep dive detail about them, because his point here is not  discussion about furniture.

2023 - In vs 6, after a review of the furnishings, we get a review of the procedures.  We need to keep in mind all that was said in Chapter 8 establishing that this earthly tent was laid out - designed - by God as a representation of the heavenly layout.  None of this architecture is by chance.

2024 - The wording is very specific here.  The sacrifices were for UNINTENTIONAL SIN:

7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. [Heb 9:7 ESV].

2023 - Vs 8, "By this...".  We should see meaning in the fact that many priests often go into that first section, but the High Priest only goes into the second, and that only annually.  What is the meaning? 

I think it is saying that the first section of the tent was symbolic for the "present age".  About what "present age" would this writer be talking?  What could it be?  It could be the church age.  Does that make sense?  We would have to understand it as meaning that the first section is still there, and will remain so until the Millennial, when Christ is present with us again, and makes this outer section unnecessary.  If that is what it means, then the things spoken of in vs 10 are the only things the "priests of this present age" can do.  They are only complying with regulations for the body, washings, food and drink restrictions.  So I reject this as the meaning of "present age", but with reservations.  Remember that Hebrews is written to Jews, deeply committed to the Law at that time.  Maybe the reformation of vs 10 is the change of heart coming in Rev. 7.  Going on with this idea...remembering that the Temple was still in operation with priests daily going in and out of the holy place - this writer could be talking about those "old" practices.  Could be saying that as long as you continue to hang your hat on what the priests are still doing in say 50 AD, and not switching over - not reforming - to the New Covenant, then you CANNOT have your conscious cleared, you cannot "be saved", you cannot participate in the New Covenant.  BECAUSE, you are still focused on the rules and regs, and on the sacrifices of mere men, and as long as you keep doing this - putting your focus on the Holy place - you will NEVER enter into the New Covenant, which is about the Holy of Holies, and about the true tent in heaven.

Wow!  That is what it means!  The key is remembering that this is written to devout Hebrews, NOT to the church!  Note also that this means the reformation was the sacrifice of Christ.  That reformed forgiveness from earth to heaven, from flesh to will. (Later 2023 - This is not about the Millennial.  This present age was the age where the temple and the New Covenant existed together.  Essentially, I guess they still do, but there are no sacrifices.  In any case, the reformation referenced is, I believe, the New Covenant, not the Millennial.)

2024 - It may also be to show that only unintentional sin could be forgiven in those days, and that only by the High Priest's trip inside the veil.  What about today?  If all our sins are forgiven, are the intentional sins included?  Or do we still answer for those at the judgment?  Probably an heretical question...but it would be nice to know the verse that makes it so.

2024 - The Holy Place was about the present age.  Hmm...The first section represented the Law!  As long as these priests were doing their thing in the Holy Place, the way into the Holy of Holies remains sealed to all but the High Priest.  There can be no direct communication with God.  There are too many priests between He and us.  This arrangement is limited in what it can do.  And what it cannot do is "perfect the conscience of the worshiper". What does that phrase mean?  It means that the Priestly system could only deal with matters in writing.  It was about violating the letter of the Law.  About uncleanness when touching a dead person.  About eating the wrong food.  It could "fix" errors against the specifically enumerated requirements of the Law.  But it COULD NOT FIX THE INSIDE!!!  It was incapable of cleansing the conscience.  Only the indwelling Holy Spirit can do that!  The reformation then, is the Covenant change brought about by a NEW High Priest, not in a tent or a building but in the very presence of God!

(I would like to explore Apollos as the author of Hebrews.  He was eloquent, and he was convincing Jews that Jesus was Messiah even before Priscilla and Aquila informed him more perfectly.  Seems like Hebrews would be a nice "culmination" of all that information that he had.)

This verse, which is just another of many I do not comprehend:

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. [Heb 9:8-10 ESV]

As long as the Holy place stands, the Holy of Holies is closed?  And this is about the present age?  Does present age refer to the church age, or the wrath against the Jews period?  MSB is not much help...but seems to be saying that the Levitical/Law age is referred to.  Also, this isn't saying that this whole symbolism of Holy Place and Holiest Place is symbolic of the Law, in that God cannot be directly approached by His people.  The symbolism is not limited to "the first section" which is the way I read it.

Just going to keep moving....too much I don't get.

I get the feeling that the last part of this chapter is momentous.  I do not understand it.

2023 - Vss 11-14 make the case that Jesus, by his perfect sacrifice, entered NOT the earthly Holy of Holies up on Temple Mount, but the heavenly, perfect, unspoiled by human hands Holy of Holies in heaven itself.  The earthly priesthood could keep the body "clean", but it could not purify the conscience!  It could atone for unintentional sin, but it could not "fix" deliberate sin.  It just did not have that capability.  Men - as priests, confined to the Holy Place - could never atone for the sins of the will.  Such sins can only be overcome in the true tent, in heaven, by a perfect high priest who presents his own blood as the sacrifice for the willful sins of man.  That is what he's saying!

2022 - This verse:

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. [Heb 9:15 ESV]

Having accomplished what he did, Christ assumes the place of High Priest, and permanently so.  That redemption through his blood finally and at last covers the intentional transgressions that COULD NOT BE ATONED FOR under the Law.  He is the ONLY High Priest, the ONLY Mediator, the ONLY door of access to the presence of God which is in the Holy of Holies.  There is just nothing else like this!  (This section might be seen as a direct connection to Paul as the potential writer of Hebrews because of this verse:  5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [1Ti 2:5 ESV].)

2023 - 15 starts with therefore, and I finally think I see what it means.  The writer has established that the OC could only go so far, only cover sins of the flesh, only try to keep us sinless according to the sins of the body, but Jesus is High Priest in heaven itself, where all sins can be forgiven.  The New Covenant is centered in a new place.  In heaven itself, not in the Holy of Holies.

2023 - Look at 15b:

15 ...since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. [Heb 9:15 ESV].  NO ONE was redeemed under the first covenant.  Even the OT saints were not redeemed until Jesus shed his blood and presented it at the throne of God.  Looked at this way, I can see a case for the rapture including all the OT saints also.  They are redeemed by Christ, as we are.  If you want to say this is not so, I think you have to focus on the precise meaning of "in Christ".  Those in Christ will be raptured.  Are OT saints in Christ?  Is there any verse that puts them there?  (One we'll be seeing in Heb 11, that says they without us could not be made perfect.  Implies certainly that they WITH US, in fact WERE made perfect, putting us positionally in the same place with them

2023 - I am reading my way on out from 15.  Still have 2 long chapters in Jeremiah to read, and house cleaning to do.  I believe much progress was made this year!

I do think I get that in the same way that Moses "purified" the temple, the scrolls of the law, the temple utensils and vessels, so Jesus, by the shedding of his blood, purified the heavenly places, and He himself now sits in the presence of God, interceding on our behalf as the high priests did symbolically on earth.  As symbolized on earth, but now realized in the heavenlies.  His shed blood purified, but it was his actual death that redeemed us.  Is it that the blood covers unintentional sin, but only death can pay for the intentional?  Blood for mistakes, death for intention.  This is probably wrong.  Never heard anyone say it this way before. (2022 - not sure this is correct at all...I think now I was on the wrong track.)

2022 - Covenants must be sealed in blood.  Just as the Covenant of the Mosaic Law had to be sealed with animal blood, sprinkled on all the people, this New Covenant is also sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for all.

2022 - This vs:

23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. [Heb 9:23 ESV]

Everything "necessary" to the requirements of the covenant must be sanctified with blood.  So blood was sprinkled on the tent, the people, the scrolls of the law, the temple vessels - up to and including the Ark itself - and the priests.  Animal blood might be sufficient to purify the accoutrements of the Law, but the direct access to God accomplished by Christ took "better" blood, a better sacrifice, in fact a perfect sacrifice.  Again, the absolute superiority of the New Covenant is shown.

Reading some MSB notes and oh my...In the same way that each year, the High Priest reappeared from inside the Holy of Holies meant that God had accepted the atonement for another year, so the second coming of Christ shows that God accepted His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf, once and for all.  There is no meaningless nuance of the law - the shadow of heaven - or in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ!

2022 - 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. [Heb 9:25-26 ESV].  Christ died once, only once, and that is sufficient.  Jump back to Hebrews 6 and the argument that if one COULD lose their salvation, Christ would have to die for them all over again, and see the reiteration and further cementing in place of that axiom of perseverance of the saints!

2022 - Here is a little bit of a tangent thought:

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, [Heb 9:27 ESV]

I wonder if this is a different word for judgment than we usually see.  Clearly the Sheep and Goat judgment is about people who have NOT died.  It does seem to be a different word.  The word transliterates "krisis".  I did a quick look at where the word is used, and Matthew didn't use it either in 13 or 25 at all.  He used the word, but not in those chapters.  This little word is used 47 times in 46 verses in the mGNT, 48 times in 47 verses in the Textus Receptus.  This is an important word, and a possibly critical distinction in the judgments.  Moving this to my main judgment study page, and highlighting it.  Could be very crucial.

2022 - And now this too!  This chapter just will not end!

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. [Heb 9:28 ESV]

What does this mean???  His second appearance will have nothing to do with atonement for sin but instead be about "rescue" of the saved?  Isn't that a thought!?  He will come to establish the Millennial Kingdom for all those who persevere through t/gt.  Not to make a new covenant, but to make good the promises that came before the Old Covenant!  Promises to the descendants of Abraham, NOT to the Gentiles or the church!  A good "proof text" that the raptured will not be on earth during the Millennial.

Also a good proof verse for Limited Atonement here.