Hebrews 9:1

The Earthly Sanctuary

1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and ^athe earthly sanctuary.

2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the¹ sanctuary;

3 ^aand behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,

4 which had the ^agolden censer and ^bthe ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were ^cthe golden pot that had the manna, ^dAaron’s rod that budded, and ^ethe tablets of the covenant;

5 and ^aabove it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Limitations of the Earthly Service

6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, ^athe priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

7 But into the second part the high priest went alone ^aonce a year, not without blood, which he offered for ^bhimself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance;

8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that ^athe way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.

9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered ^awhich cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—

10 concerned only with ^afoods and drinks, ^bvarious washings, ^cand fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The Heavenly Sanctuary

11 But Christ came as High Priest of ^athe good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

12 Not ^awith the blood of goats and calves, but ^bwith His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place ^conce for all, ^dhaving obtained eternal redemption.

13 For if ^athe blood of bulls and goats and ^bthe ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean,¹ sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,

14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without¹ spot to God, ^acleanse your conscience from ^bdead works ^cto serve the living God?

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Hebrews 9:1 Mean?

Hebrews 9 opens with a description of the earthly sanctuary and its contents, relating to the first covenant's ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. The subject is the service or ritual, but the focus is on the sanctuary. It was earthy, material, and mundane in contrast to something else. Instructions from Leviticus 16 begin in verse 7 with the high priest entering the second part once a year, not without blood. Christ's fulfillment shows Him entering the Most Holy Place in heaven with His own blood, mediating the promise of eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:1-25

Hebrews 9 opens with a description of the earthly sanctuary and its contents. Instructions from Leviticus 16 begin in verse 7: “But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.” Verses 11-15 show Christ's fulfillment of the cleansing ritual and how He entered the Most Holy Place in heaven with His own blood. Verse 15 points out that our promise of eternal inheritance is based on His mediation; neither He nor we are awaiting Satan to fulfill any part of the sin offering. Verses 22-25 also explain Christ's cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary with His own blood, once for all, in contrast to the yearly purification of the physical sanctuary.

Comparing these explanations with the instruction in Leviticus 16, we see that both passages follow the same general order. Leviticus 16 begins with the instructions for the high priest on Atonement, just as Hebrews 2-9 presents Christ's superior High Priesthood. Next, Leviticus 16 proceeds to the slaughter of the first goat and the use of its blood to cleanse the sanctuary and holy objects. The bulk of Hebrews 9 explains Christ's role in fulfilling that.

David C. Grabbe
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Three)

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The Earthly Sanctuary

Limitations of the Earthly Service

The Heavenly Sanctuary

What Does Hebrews 9:1 Mean?

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning