College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Hebrews 9:23-28
Necessity and Adequacy of the Better Sacrifice. Hebrews 9:23-28
Text
Hebrews 9:23 It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:24 For Christ entered not into a Holy Place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: Hebrews 9:25 nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the Holy Place year by year with blood not His own; Hebrews 9:26 else must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath He been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for Him, unto salvation.
Paraphrase
Hebrews 9:23 Seeing God would admit sinners into heaven without shedding the blood of His Son, to make the Israelites sensible of this, it was necessary that the tabernacles, the representations of the holy places in the heavens, (see Chap. Hebrews 9:1, note 2), should be annually cleansed, that is, opened to the priests and people, by the sacrifices of bulls and goats, as types of the sacrifice of Christ; but the heavenly holy places themselves, by a sacrifice more effectual than these.
Hebrews 9:24 Therefore Christ, our High Priest, hath not entered with the sacrifice of His crucified body (Hebrews 10:10.) into the holy places made with the hands of men, the images of the true holy places; but into heaven itself, now to appear with that sacrifice before the manifestation of the Divine Presence, to officiate as the High Priest of these holy places on our account.
Hebrews 9:25 Though it was necessary that Christ should open heaven to us by offering the sacrifice of Himself, it was not necessary that He should offer Himself often in the heavenly holy places for that purpose, as the high priest entereth into the earthly holy places every year with other blood than His own;
Hebrews 9:26 For He must often have suffered death on earth, since the beginning of the world: But that this was not necessary, appeareth from the fact itself, for now once, at the conclusion of the Mosaic dispensation, Christ hath been manifested in the flesh, to abolish the Levitical sin-offering by the sacrifice of Himself.
Hebrews 9:27 And, for as much as it is appointed by God, that men shall die but once as the punishment of the sin of the first man, and that, after death, every one shall be judged and punished but once for his own sins.
Hebrews 9:28 Even so Christ, being once offered in order to carry away the guilt of the sins of many, justice required no more sin-offering for them: and therefore He will, to them who wait for Him, appear a second time on earth, without dying as a sin-offering, in order, as their King and Judge, to bestow on them salvation.
Comment
It was necessary therefore
The necessity is found only in the type. If the old is to picture the new, then cleansing is necessary.
that the copies of the things in the heavens
Perhaps the church is referred to. It was bought with blood. Acts 20:28: ... feed the church of the Lord which He purchased with His own blood.
a.
If the church is not meant here, then heaven is, and heaven then is cleansed.
b.
If the tabernacle is a picture of the church, then the church may be referred to.
The heavenly pattern was to be cleansed in a different way than the old.
Milligan: Copy is also translated pattern.
should be cleansed with these
McKnight says this refers to the cleansing of the tabernacle.
a.
See Leviticus 16:16-18 where atonement is made for the Holy Place.
b.
This made it ceremonially prepared for the worship services. The copies, or pattern, were made ceremonially clean to picture a pure church and a pure heaven.
but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these
Milligan says perhaps because of the sins of angels, Heaven itself must be cleansed.
Heavenly things do not necessarily have to be in heaven. Milligan: The heavenly things refers to both the church on earth and heaven itself. The church is a heavenly thing, the kingdom of heaven, so why believe he is talking about heaven itself?
Why would heaven need to be cleansed?
a.
Milligan says: Take this as a matter of faith, for we cannot give a satisfying answer.
For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true, but into heaven itself now to appear before the face of God for us
Does heaven have a tabernacle?
a.
Yes, according to Revelation 11:19.
So Hebrews 9:23 may refer to heaven.
Is heaven in need of cleansing?
a.
We would first answer no, for God does not dwell where sin is.
b.
Our answer is to be qualified, however. See Job 15:15; Job 25:5.
The important part of the verse for us is expressed in now to appear before the face of God for us.
a.
The cleansing of heaven may not be clear, but this surely is.
b.
Christ is before God for us.
nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not of his own
Christ's one sacrifice is contrasted with old covenant often. Christ entered once with His own blood. That one time is sufficient.
else must He often have suffered
The sacrifice of Jesus is necessary for atonement, but it comes in the midst of the generations of man. A constant sacrifice of Jesus is not needful when one brings absolute forgiveness
since the foundation of the world.
He was the Lamb. Revelation 13:8. His blood is still considered as in the act of being continually poured out.
but now once at the end of the ages
The conclusion of the Jewish dispensation is referred to. At the end of an age is sufficient, as much so as if it had taken place before or during the age. Some understand this to be future.
hath He been manifested to put away sin
Clarke says he was manifested to abolish sin offerings. This ended the Mosaic laws. The sin offering ceased, as foretold by Daniel 9:24. Others opinion:
a.
It refers to the putting away of the guilt, power, and being of sins from the souls of believers.
b.
Of course, sin offerings are ended, but to put away sin was the real purpose.
by the sacrifice of Himself
No blood of animals is involved here. God gave, but Christ came to offer Himself. Compare Hebrews 2:14 for the importance of this verse.
it is appointed unto man once to die
All are under the decree, Dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:19. Death and judgment are the appointments which the ungodly ought to dread.
a.
There are exceptions to the sentence of death: Enoch, Elijah, those persons who are alive at His coming. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Man makes the second-death appointment by his choice to live in sin.
and after this Cometh judgment
It is death once and judgment once, no second chance and no transmigration of the soul. No purgatory is alluded to here.
a.
A person's true character has been revealed while on this earth, and nothing can be done to change it after death.
b.
The rich man found out that nothing could be done, for a gulf is fixed. Judgment discussed: John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:11-15.
so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many
Isaiah 53:4-6: Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Our sin is borne by the Christ.
a.
This gives us peace.
b.
This gives us remission of sins.
shall appear a second time
He shall come out of the Holy of Holies
a.
b.
Christ's appearance this time will be that of a victor, and not a slain lamb.
apart from sin
He will not come then bearing the sins of the people. He will come as Saviour and Judge. All men shall then see. He is the Way, Truth, and Life.
to them that wait for Him
This is one difference between the godly and the unsaved.
a.
1 Thessalonians 1:9: How ye turned unto God from idols to serve a living and true God.
b.
1 Thessalonians 1:10: And to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, Who delivereth us from the wrath to come.
Them that waitFor what do we wait?
a.
2 Peter 3:13: We look for new heavens and a new earth.
unto salvation
b.
2 Timothy 4:8: Unto all them that love His appearing.
c.
This will be the final experience of the Christian, We talked about being saved now, but at His coming, salvation will be ours, The experience of the reward is referred to here.
Special Study On Hebrews 9:27
Judgment: Krisis
Often in the New Testament the word judgment ethically means:
(1)
To decide, give a verdict, declare an opinion: Krino. Luke 11:42; Acts 15:19.
(2)
To investigate, scrutinize, Anakrino:1 Corinthians 2:15; 1 Corinthians 4:3.
(3)
To discriminate, distinguish: Diakrino. 1 Corinthians 11:31; 1 Corinthians 14:29.
Since God's judgments are declarations of His divine justice with His own condemnations, justice, condemnation, and judgment sometimes are all the same, Cf. Romans 5:16.
In John 5:29 we read of the resurrection of judgment, which is also translated damnation.
The last judgment may be thought of as an act when God interposes into human history directly to bring this present course of the world to an end, and determines the eternal fate of human beings and places them in surroundings which fit their spiritual condition.
We have a different idea in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, where we are told that we must appear before the judgment seat (bema) of Christ. In Hebrews 10:30 we read that God will judge His peoplethe word is Krinomeaning to give a verdict. He will do the same for the adulterers, according to Hebrews 13:4.
The word krisis, translated judgment, is often used in the Word of God.
Matthew uses the word often in speaking of judgment, such as, the men of Ninevah will rise up in the day of judgment; the queen of the south rising up in judgment. Matthew 12:41-42.
The same word is used in Hebrews 9:27, ... once to die, and after this cometh judgment. Also Hebrews 10:27.
1 John 4:17 speaks of having boldness in the day of judgment.
In 1 Peter 4:17, we read that judgment must begin at the house of God. The word is Krima. It is the same word as in Matthew 7:2, With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.
In 1 Corinthians 4:4, Paul says, He that judgeth me is the Lord.Anakrino.
This verse, Hebrews 9:27, does not leave room for transmigration of the soul, purgatory, or repentance.
When the body returns to dust and man has his appointment, his death sentence or his commendation is fixed.
Study Questions
1652.
What was necessary as expressed in Hebrews 9:23?
1653.
What is meant by copies of the things in the heavens?
1654.
Is copies referring to sacrifice or tabernacle or both?
1655.
Was the tabernacle a copy of something in heaven?
1656.
Was heaven cleansed? If so, how?
1657.
Could it mean that He simply entered heaven with His blood?
1658.
What is referred to by the word these?
1659.
If the tabernacle was a type of the church, and it was cleansed, what should we expect of the church?
1660.
Do you know of any dirty churches?
1661.
What will cleanse the church?
1662.
Does heaven have to be cleansed? Cf. Job 15:15 and Job 25:5.
1663.
Does heavenly refer to a place or a kind of things?
1664.
If the church and the kingdom of God are the same, could it be considered the heavenly things referred to?
1665.
If heaven had to be cleansed, how could it have been cleansed by Christ's blood when it was shed on earth?
1666.
This verse teaches that Christ entered a holy place. Does heaven have a tabernacle? Cf. Revelation 11:19.
1667.
What is meant by appear before the face of God?
1668.
Why is He before the face of God?
1669.
How may we harmonize this with other passages where Christ is seated at the right hand of God?
1670.
How often does Christ offer Himself?
1671.
How often does Christ enter the Holy Place?
1672.
What is meant by blood not of His own?
1673.
Why did other priests have to offer blood often?
1674.
Why does Jesus not need other blood?
1675.
What is meant by Since the foundation of the world? Cf. Matthew 13:35; Matthew 25:34; Revelation 13:8.
1676.
Compare Revelation 13:8 in various translations.
1677.
Can it be true that Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world?
1678.
What is meant by end of the ages?
1679.
Discuss the word manifested.
1680.
What is meant by put away sin?
1681.
How did Jesus put sin away?
1682.
What appointment is referred to?
1683.
Does this mean that a date is set for us?
1684.
Name some who escaped that appointment.
1685.
Will others escape it? Cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
1686.
How soon comes judgment after death?
1687.
Is there room for purgatory?
1688.
Can anything be done according to the story of the rich man and Lazarus?
1689.
What is meant by judgment?
1690.
Compare John 5:28-29 and Revelation 20:11-15.
1691.
Is the Christian judged? Cf. Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 10:30.
1692.
Does the next verse read as though we are judged?
1693.
Discuss the expression, bear the sins.
1694.
Discuss this subject in comparison to Isaiah 53:4-6.
1695.
What is meant by appear a second time?
1696.
How will He appear in relationship to sin next time?
1697.
To whom will He appear?
1698.
What is meant by wait for Him?
1699.
Is waiting the kind of thing some have done by selling everything, then watching for Him to come at a given time?