Hebrews 09
The Arrangement and Ritual of the Earthly Sanctuary
9:1 Now the first covenant, in fact, had regulations for worship and its earthly sanctuary.
Even though the tabernacle was man-made, earthly, and faulty, it was still valuable as a teaching tool.
9:2 For a tent was prepared, the outer one, which contained the lampstand, the table, and the presentation of the loaves; this is called the holy place.
The first room of the tabernacle was the Holy Place. It contained the lamp stand and the table of shewbread.
9:3 And after the second curtain there was a tent called the holy of holies. 9:4 It contained the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. In this ark were the golden urn containing the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 9:5 And above the ark were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Now is not the time to speak of these things in detail.
The other room of the tabernacle was the Holy of Holies. It was separated by a beautiful curtain. The golden altar of incense was not actually inside of the Holy of Holies, but its incense smoke penetrated into the room. The author is more concerned with its purpose, and not its actual location.
The ark of the covenant was the only piece of furniture inside of the Holy of Holies. Inside the ark of the covenant was a golden urn with manna, Aaron’s rod (which budded), and the ten commandment tablets. Above the ark were two golden cherubim who stood over the mercy seat. Most of this information was common knowledge to the Jews, but the author is going to enlighten them with some supernatural details about its true purpose.
9:6 So with these things prepared like this, the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties.
Notice that the priests entered the Holy Place continually, doing their work. Twice a day, the priest had to enter the tabernacle so that he could burn the incense, add oil to the Menorah, trim the wick, and make certain that the flame continued to burn. Once a week, the shewbread had to be changed. The Levitical priest’s work was filled with repetition and his work was never finished.
9:7 But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
Only one man, out of one family, out of one clan, out of one tribe, out of one nation, out of one race, out of all humanity, ever had access to the Holy of Holies. The High Priest could enter only this room on only one day of the year on the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur). He carried in a basin of blood to offer for the nation of Israel. He had to repeat this process every single year of his life.
9:8 The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing.
The Holy Spirit is the only true authority on teaching the typology of the tabernacle. It is wise to avoid all the speculations and typologies of even sound Bible teachers who often spiritualize the details of the tabernacle to make it fit their own human speculations. If the typology is not listed in Scripture, then it is man-made theology and should be ignored.
In this verse, the Holy Spirit taught that the earthly tabernacle was unable to provide a way of salvation to God because the Holy of Holies was limited only to the High Priest. Also, the Outer Court separated Gentiles from Jews, the Inner Court separated non-Levites from Levites, the Holy Place separated non-priest from priests, and the Holy of Holies separated the High Priest from all common priests. As long as the old, earthly, and temporary tabernacle existed, there was no eternal way to God.
9:9 This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.
The old tabernacle was simply just a typology for the present Jewish generation. It could not make the worshipper perfect in his conscience. It could not sanctify the Jewish believer.
9:10 They served only for matters of food and drink and various washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.
The earthly tabernacle was just a divine teaching tool for the Holy Spirit to use until the actual Christ came down to earth, spilt His actual blood on the cross, and then offered His own blood in the heavenly tabernacle.
Since the earthly tabernacle was inferior to the heavenly tabernacle, then the Messianic believers do not need to return to the old Levitical system. They need to grow and mature in the new system. Once they grow, then they can perform divine good works and earn rewards in heaven.
Christ’s Service in the Heavenly Sanctuary
9:11 But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,
Christ is the Greek name for the Messiah. Many Bible teachers attempt to spiritualize this passage, but if taken literally, then the Messiah entered not into the old earthly tabernacle, but He entered into the eternal heavenly tabernacle.
9:12 and he entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.
Notice that Jesus entered the heavenly tabernacle “once for all.” Catholics are wrong when they re-crucify Jesus every Sunday in their Mass. Notice that Jesus did not enter an earthly tabernacle with the blood of bulls and goats, but He literally entered the heavenly tabernacle with a basin of His own literal blood. Jesus was both the High Priest and the Lamb of God who shed His blood for the eternal removal of sins.
9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity,
The blood of animals only made the people ritually and symbolically clean for a temporary amount of time. The blood of bulls cleansed the priests only for this one ritual. The blood of goats cleansed the people only for this ritual. The ashes of the red heifer were used for those who made themselves ritually unclean by touching a corpse. The sprinkling of the water was for the unclean.
The blood of Christ was superior to the blood of animals, because it did not clean ritually and symbolically for a temporary amount of time. It cleansed the believer for eternity, providing eternal salvation.
9:15 And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.
Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, but the Mosaic Law could not bring anyone into heaven. The Levitical offerings only covered the sins of the people for one year. The Day of Atonement is Yom Kippur. It means “the day of covering.” Since the Old Testament saint only had his sins covered, then he could not enter heaven at his death. Instead, he entered Paradise, waiting for Jesus to offer His own literal basin of blood in the heavenly tabernacle. After Jesus offered His own blood in heaven, then He emptied Paradise and brought the Old Testament saints into heaven to be present with Himself for eternity. Those who die in the church join Jesus in heaven. Those who live when Christ returns will join Him at the Rapture.
9:16 For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven.
When a relative dies, a person cannot collect his estate until he proves that he is the beneficiary of the will.
9:17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive.
The will only takes place after a person dies. Jesus did not empty Paradise until after His death. Then, the beneficiaries in Paradise claimed their estate in heaven.
9:18 So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.
The Mosaic Covenant was the first covenant between God and Israel. It was an agreement that God would bless Israel for obedience and curse them for disobedience. It was signed not by human signatures, but by the blood of animals.
9:19 For when Moses had spoken every command to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,
Moses signed the covenant by sprinkling the blood of bulls and goats on the tablets and on the people.
9:20 and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.”
Moses was the mediator between God and the people.
9:21 And both the tabernacle and all the utensils of worship he likewise sprinkled with blood.
Since everything in the tabernacle had been touched by human hands, it was considered unclean. It was to be sprinkled with blood as well.
9:22 Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Sin is so terrible in the eyes of God, that the blood of Christ must be spilt to atone for it.
9:23 So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.
When Satan sinned in heaven, his rebellion made the heavenly tabernacle unclean. When man sinned on earth, his sin affected and polluted all of heaven. The blood of Christ is the only way to cleanse the tabernacle in heaven. As typology, the earthly tabernacle was to be cleansed by animal blood. The heavenly tabernacle was cleansed by the blood of Christ.
9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us.
The human high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, offering human blood to cover the sins of Israel for only one year. The incense of smoke covered the face of the high priest, so that he could not see the Shekinah Glory.
Jesus entered a better tabernacle. He entered the heavenly tabernacle. He entered with His own blood. He went directly into the presence of God. He did not need incense smoke to cover his face. Jesus could look upon God the Father face to face without dying.
9:25 And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own,
This high priest would have to repeat this ritual every year. When Christ offered His own blood, it was a one-time completed offer. The blood not just covered the sin of the Messianic believer for a year, but it removed the sin of the believer for eternity.
9:26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.
The Catholics continually crucify Christ in their human tradition of the Mass. However, Jesus was crucified once and for all, so He never needs to be re-crucified.
9:27 And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment,
Since Enoch and Elijah never died, some theologians use this verse to teach that Enoch and Elijah will be the two witnesses of the Great Tribulation. This is a general rule, and not an absolute rule. Some people have died twice, such as Lazarus, the daughter of Jarius, and those who came out of their graves after the resurrection of the Christ. All those who will be raptured in the future will also never die. Generally, the vast majority of people will die. After their death, there is no longer any atonement for sin. Judgment occurs after death with no second chance for repentance.
9:28 so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation.
On the last day of the Great Tribulation, Jesus will step out of the tabernacle, return to earth, eliminate all sinners from the world, and establish His literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom.
In conclusion, the heavenly tabernacle is superior to the earthly tabernacle, so the Messianic Jews do not need to return to Judaism.