Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 9:24

οὐ γὰρ εἰς χειροποίητα.… The connection, indicated by γὰρ, is “I say αὐτὰ τὰ ἐπουράνια, for it is not into a holy place constructed by man that Christ has entered, but into heaven itself”. Others prefer to connect this verse with κρείττοσιν θυσίαις. “Better sacrifices” were needed, for not into, etc. The humanly constructed tabernacle, being made after the divine pattern, Hebrews 8:5, is here called ἀντίτυπα τῶν ἀληθινῶν. According to Hebrews 8:5 a τύπος of the heavenly realities was shown to Moses, and what he constructed from that model was an ἀντίτυπον, answering to the type. But as here used with τῶν ἀληθ., ἀντίτυπα (in agreement with ἅγια) must mean what we usually speak of as a type, that which corresponds to and prefigures. In the only other instance of its occurrence, 1 Peter 3:21 Hebrews 11:4, πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἄβελ παρὰ Καὶν προσήνεγκεν τῷ Θεῷ, cf. Philo, De Agric. 1 M. 300 f., and Targ. Jer. on Genesis 4:7, cited by Schneckenburger, in which Cain is represented as saying “non est judicium, nec judex, nec est aliud saeculum, nee dabitur merces bona justis, nec ultio sumetur de improbis,” etc. There seems no reason why we should not regard Cain here as symbolising the absence both of faith and of love, cf. 1 John 3:23 Hebrews 9:28. ἐμφανισθῆναι τ. προσώπῳ τ. θεοῦ. The meaning of ἐμφανίζω is most clearly seen from such passages as Exodus 33:18; John 14:21. In the passive it means “to be manifest,” “to appear openly” or “clearly,” “to show one's self,” as in Matthew 27:53 of the bodies of the saints, ἐνεφανίσθησαν πολλοῖς. The infinitive is the infinitive of designed result common in N.T., as in classics, especially after verbs of motion, cf. Matthew 2:2; Matthew 11:8, etc. The aorist may here be used to denote that “the manifestation of Christ, in whom humanity is shown in its perfect ideal before the face of God is ‘one act at once' ”; but this is doubtful. The force of ἐμφαν. is strengthened still more by the emphatic τ. προσώπῳ τ. θεοῦ. In the earthly sanctuary the law was τὸ πρόσωπόν μου οὐκ ὀφθήσεται (Exodus 33:23) but ἐν νεφέλῃ ὀφθήσομαι ἐπὶ τ. ἱλαστηρίου (Leviticus 16:2). In Psalms 42:2 we find indeed πότε ἥξω καὶ ὀφθήσομαι τ. προσώπῳ τ. θεοῦ; but this is the non-literal expression of a poet. In the present passage the words are not the loose expression of the ordinary worshipper but are meant to be taken literally. And the intentionally emphatic character of the whole phrase is best accounted for by the fact that the darkness and clouds of incense in the old sanctuary were meant as much to veil the unworthiness of the priest from God as the glory of God from the priest. Now Christ appears before God face to face with no intervening cloud. Perfect fellowship is attained by His perfect and stainless offering of Himself. All is clear between God and man. For it is ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν “for us” He enters this presence and fellowship; not that He alone may enjoy it, but that we may enter into the rest and blessedness that He has won for us.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 9:24

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