Hebrews 9
I. A Superior Person: Christ (1-6)
A. \\#Heb 1:1-3\\ Christ is superior to the prophets.
B. \\#Heb 1:4-14\\ Christ is superior to the angels.
C. \\#Heb 2:1-18\\ Explanation and Emphasis
D. \\#Heb 3:1-6\\ Christ is superior to Moses.
E. \\#Heb 3:7-4:16\\ Explanation and Emphasis
F. \\#Heb 4:14-5:10\\ Christ is superior to the High Priest
G. \\#Heb 5:11-6:20\\ Explanation and Emphasis
II. Christ’s Superior Priesthood (7-10)
A. \\#Heb 7:1-11\\ Christ’s Priesthood Is of A Superior Origin
B. \\#Heb 7:12-14\\ Christ’s Priesthood Is by A Superior Covenant
C. \\#Heb 7:15-23\\ Christ’s Priesthood Is by A Superior Promise
D. \\#Heb 7:23-28\\ Christ’s Priesthood Has A Superior Nature
E. \\#Heb 8:1-5\\ Christ’s Priesthood Has A Superior Tabernacle
F. \\#Heb 8:6-10:18\\ Christ’s Priesthood Is A Superior Ministry
1. \\#Heb 8:6-7\\ His ministry is based on a superior covenant.
2. \\#Heb 8:6, 8-13\\ His ministry is based on a superior promise.
3. \\#Heb 9:1-11\\ His ministry has a superior tabernacle.
4. \\#Heb 9:12-10:18\\ His ministry has the superior atonement.
a. \\#9:12-14\\ Jesus entered the heavenly tabernacle with a
superior blood.
b. \\#9:15-17\\ The New Covenant’s commission required the death
of Testator
c. \\#9:18-22\\ Biblical covenants require another step. They must
be commissioned with blood.
d. \\#9:24-28\\ Christ’s one time sacrifice is sufficient for all
mankind throughout all eternity.
II. \\#Heb 8:6-10:18\\ Christ’s Priesthood Is A Superior Ministry
A. \\#Heb 8:6-7\\ His ministry is based on a superior covenant.
B. \\#Heb 8:6, 8-13\\ His ministry is based on a superior promise.
C. \\#Heb 9:1-11\\ His ministry has the superior tabernacle. The point the
writer will make is that the very design of the tabernacle showed that God
was not finished in His plan to reconcile man to Himself. He will not
make that point until after he describes the tabernacle’s layout and
service.
1. \\#Heb 9:1-7\\ A description of the earthly tabernacle.
a. \\#1\\ The structure.
(1) "Then"-The writer continues to compare the superior
ministry of our new High Priest to the old. He has looked
at its superior covenant, and its superior promise. Now he
looks at the tabernacle itself.
(2) "the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and
a worldly sanctuary"-God gave commands in the Old Testament
for service, as well as, the design and upkeep of the
sanctuary.
(3) These commands make up the "ministry" of the Old Testament
priest.
b. \\#2-5\\ The sanctuary.
(1) \\#2\\ "For there was a tabernacle made… which is called the
sanctuary"-This verse describes the articles found in what
is commonly referred to as the Holy Place.
(a) "the candlestick"-A lantern fed by holy oil.
(b) "the table"
(c) "the shewbread"-Twelve loaves of bread, one for each
tribe of Israel, were set each week on the table.
(2) \\#3\\ "after the veil"-The veil separated the Holy Place
from the Holy of Holies.
(3) "the Holiest of all"-On the other side of the veil was the
Holy of Holies, so called because that is where the presence
of God dwelt.
(a) \\#4\\ "golden censer"-In the Old Testament, there is
no record of a "golden censer" being inside the Holy of
Holies. For this reason, there is confusion as to what
is being referred to here.
i. Some think that in order to fulfill the command of
given to the High Priest to burn incense in the
Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, a censor
was created and stored inside the Holy of Holies.
Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off
the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and
bring it within the vail:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of
the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
ii. Others think that the Altar of Incense which was to
be in the Holy Place was moved inside the Holy of
Holies after the death of Christ.
aa. We know that the veil was torn at the moment
Jesus died \\#Matt 27:50-51\\.
bb. However, it seems unlikely that the High Priest
would take this as a sign to rearrange the
furniture in God’s temple.
cc. Most likely, the veil was simply repaired or
replaced.
(b) "the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold"
The Ark was the centerpiece of the Tabernacle. It
contained the following three items:
(c) "the golden pot that had manna"-Collected from the
days Israel wondered in the wilderness.
(d) "Aaron’s rod that budded"-God’s method of showing
Israel the true leader of Israel.
(e) "the tables of the covenant"-The tables containing
the ten commandments \\#1Kings 8:9\\.
(f) \\#5\\ "And over it the cherubims of gold shadowing the
Mercy Seat"
i. The Mercy Seat was attached to the top of the Ark.
The blood from the sacrifice of the Day of
Atonement was placed on the Mercy Seat. This was
the spot where the presence of God was to rest.
ii. Towering over it were the two golden angels.
(4) "of which we cannot now speak particularly"-It was not the
writer’s purpose to teach on the furniture of the Tabernacle.
He was listing the articles to demonstrate that the earthly
priests had a designed sanctuary in which to serve.
c. \\#6-7\\ The service.
(1) \\#6\\ "when these things were thus ordained"-At the
appropriate times, the priests were ordained to take the
things already mentioned….
(2) "the priests went always into the first tabernacle,
accomplishing the service of God."-And enter into the
Holy Place as they needed to serve God.
(3) \\#7\\ "But unto the second veil"-However, their access
through the veil to the Holy of Holies was limited. That
meant the ministry of the Old Testament priest was limited.
(4) "the high priest alone once every year"-Only the High Priest
could enter into the Holy of Holies, the place of God’s
presence, but even he could only enter once each year.
(5) "not without blood"-And when he entered, he did not go
empty handed, but with blood. This meant that even the
High Priest’s ministry was limited.
(6) "which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the
people"-The High Priest first offered a sacrifice for
himself, then the blood from Israel’s Day of Atonement
sacrifice, which covered the sins of the people.
2. \\#Heb 9:8-11\\ The Meaning
a. \\#8\\ "The Holy Ghost this signifying"-The limitations placed
on the priests and High Priest in regards to access into the
Tabernacle was the Holy Spirit’s way of telling us that the Old
Testament system was not God’s final word in dealing with man’s
sin. The writer notes two limitations that are clearly seen.
(1) "the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest"
(a) The tabernacle’s design and the priest’s limited
admission showed that open access to God was not yet
granted to the saints under the Old Covenant. The
writer’s thought was based on deduction but it stood to
reason that if God wanted man to be in fellowship with
Him, a more open arrangement would have been provided.
(b) "while the first tabernacle was yet standing"- This
statement indicated that the writer expected God to
remove the tabernacle. The writer had already called
earth’s tabernacle an "example and shadow" of the
"heavenly things" \\#Heb 8:5\\. Now, he alludes to the
fact that the earthly tabernacle would not always be
"standing." These statements may be an indication that
the temple was already destroyed, giving the book of
Hebrews a later date than most allow. If not, this
writer certainly understood the mind of God.
(c) \\#9\\ "Which was a figure… in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices"-Still speaking of the earthly
tabernacle, the writer calls it a figure or a
representation of the real thing.
(2) "that could not make him that did the service perfect, as
pertaining to the conscience"
(a) "could not make him that did the service perfect"-The
writer begins with a statement that he will not fully
discuss until Hebrews 10; that is, that the law could
not make those who participated in it PERFECT or
sinless. However, that was a big statement to make to
these Hebrews, so he eases into that thought by first
discussing a smaller aspect of the Law’s limitation.
(b) "as pertaining to the conscience"-He will first discuss
the old system’s inability to remove the sinner’s
awareness of sin; that is, the Law could not take away
the sinner’s guilt.
(c) \\#10\\ Rather, it "stood only in meats and drinks, and
divers washing, and carnal ordinances"-The old system
only provided commands and ceremonies for the flesh.
These commands, if obeyed, would help keep the worshiper
out of sin and the ceremonies, when followed, would
provide a shallow, temporary covering for the worshiper
so that he/she could continue to come into God’s
presence. However, what the Law provided was only
"skin-deep" in that it did not remove the guilt the
sinner experienced.
(d) "imposed on them until the time of reformation"-
i. These laws were IMPOSED or FORCED on the Old
Testament saints until the reformation came. The
Old Testament saints had no choice but to
participate in this system, even with its
limitations; for it was the only means of
maintaining any kind of access to God, however
limited.
ii. REFORMATION means "to straighten things out."
iii. God always intended to straighten these limitations
out. He was simply waiting until the appointed time
came, the time when Jesus would provide a better
way.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,
made of a woman, made under the law,
b. \\#11\\ "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to
come"
(1) All of the limits of the old system were removed when Christ
became our High Priest.
(2) His ministry takes place in "a greater and more perfect
tabernacle…" one "…not made with hands." The heavenly
tabernacle does not have the limitations built into it, for
it required only one Sacrifice to be offered, forever
granting atonement and access to those who would believe.
(3) This makes Jesus the superior Priest, gives Him the superior
ministry, and has Him serving in a superior, heavenly
tabernacle.
D. \\#Heb 9:12-10:18\\ His ministry has the superior atonement.
1. \\#9:12-14\\ Jesus entered the heavenly tabernacle with a superior
blood.
a. \\#12\\ "Neither by the blood of goats and calves"-The blood of
goats and calves was the atonement of the Old Covenant, but it
would not due for the New Covenant.
(1) "but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place"
Jesus applied His own blood, taking it into the heavenly Holy
Place, thus Jesus is both our High Priest and our Sacrifice.
(2) "having obtained eternal redemption for us"-And with that
blood, secured an atonement for us that is eternal.
b. \\#13\\ "if the blood of bulls and of goats… sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh"
(1) Here we are told exactly what the Old Testament sacrifices
accomplished.
(2) Let’s repeat a list of the things we have seen that the Old
Testament system could not do.
(a) \\#Hebrews 10:1-4, 11\\ Although we have not studied
these verses yet, we have alluded to them. The Old
Testament sacrifices could not remove sin.
(b) \\#Romans 7:23-8:3\\ The Old Testament system could not
change the sinner’s nature.
(c) \\#Hebrews 9:8\\ The Old Testament system could not
provide open access to God.
(d) \\#Hebrews 9:9\\ The Old Testament system could not
remove the sinner’s guilt over His sins.
(3) With these major short comings, what is left? What did the
Old Testament system actually accomplish? It provided a
purifying of the flesh. What does that mean?
(a) The Old Testament system provided a temporary covering
so that the sinner could continue to come into God’s
presence.
(b) The term "FLESH" implies that the covering was shallow,
not able to change the heart or remove the guilt and
shame of sin.
(c) It was temporary in that the sin was never actually dealt
with. Jesus, the Lamb of God, had to come to make the
real Sacrifice for sin. This is seen in \\#Heb 9:15\\.
(d) \\#15\\ "by the means of death, for the redemption of
the transgressions that were under the first testament"
Here we are told that Jesus’ death was the means for
redeeming those under the "first testament," that is
the Old Testament.
(e) Had Jesus not have died, the Old Testament believers
would not have been saved.
(f) It is likely for this reason that God created a special
place, referred to as Abraham’s bosom \\#Luke 16:22\\,
in the heart of the earth. Then once Jesus had died,
He descended "into the lower parts of the earth
\\#Eph 4:9\\ and "led captivity captive" \\#Eph 4:8\\;
that is, He led the prisons to freedom, a phrase that
many believe means Jesus took the Old Testament saints
to heaven.
(g) So what is "the purifying of the flesh"? It was a
shallow temporary covering that allowed the Old
Testament worshipers access to God until the time came
for Jesus to atone for their sins, removing them
forever. This was all that the Old Testament system
provided.
c. \\#14\\ "How much more shall the blood of Christ… purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
(1) There is no question but that the writer has assumed that
Jesus’ blood had been offered in the heavenly tabernacle.
(a) Some what to make a point over the fact that no
definitive statement is ever made that Jesus entered
into the heavenly tabernacle WITH His own literal blood
and sprinkled it on a heavenly altar.
(b) They make this argument in an effort to diminish the
importance of Jesus’ blood in the atonement process.
(c) It seems to me that \\#Heb 9:12\\ is stating that Jesus,
like earthly high priests, entered into the holy place
not carrying the blood of goats and calves, but His own
blood. However, if that is not definitive enough, the
point the writer makes would still demand Jesus enter
the Holy Place with blood.
(d) The writer’s point is that what was done on earth was a
symbolic picture of a heavenly reality.
(e) This entire chapter is arguing that the real power of
the sacrifices was not in the symbolic earthly picture
but in the heavenly reality.
i. The writer has announced Jesus as a real, heavenly
High Priest \\#Heb 9:11\\.
ii. He has stated that there is a real, heavenly
tabernacle \\#Heb 9:11\\.
iii. And he has pointed out that Jesus entered into that
heavenly tabernacle only one time \\#Heb 9:12\\.
iv. He further states that the blood of Christ now serves
to provide eternal redemption \\#Heb 9:12\\ and to
even purge our conscience \\#Heb 9:14\\.
(f) None of this would make any sense if the High Priest
(Jesus) did not take the Lamb’s blood (His own) and
apply it to the heavenly altar to make atonement for
sin.
(g) If the application of the blood of Jesus in the heavenly
tabernacle is denied, the power of the heavenly reality
is also denied; thus leaving us with no atonement for
sin.
(2) "who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot
to God"-The superior efficacy of the blood of Jesus lies in
the superior Sacrifice made by Jesus. He was not a mere
animal sacrifice. He was and is the spotless Lamb of God.
How much more reasonable is it that His blood would
accomplish far more than the mere blood of an animal?
2. \\#9:15-17\\ The New Covenant’s commission required the death of
Testator
a. \\#15\\ "for this cause, he is the mediator of the new testament"
Because of Jesus’ role as the superior Sacrifice, He is the
mediator of the New Covenant.
(1) A "mediator" is one who stands between. In this case, Jesus
serves as the One who stands between the two parties of the
New Covenant, that is, between God and the sinner.
(2) So Jesus plays yet another role in our salvation. Just to
name a few….
(a) Jesus is the Sacrifice.
(b) Jesus is the High Priest.
(c) And Jesus is the Mediator of the Covenant.
(3) His multiple roles are made possible by His resurrection.
b. "that by means of death"
(1) One might notice that these verses do not literally state that
it was Jesus who died for our sins, but like the writer
assumed the fact that Jesus applied His blood to the heavenly
altar, so he assumed the fact that it was Jesus died for our
sins.
(2) "for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament"-All that Jesus accomplished for the
believers, both during the old and the new covenants, was
accomplished by His death. It was the death of Jesus that
gave the Old Testament sacrifices what limited worth they
had. If Jesus had not died, the Old Testament saints would
not have been forgiven.
c. \\#16-17\\ "there must… be the death of the testator"
(1) \\#17\\ "For a testament is of force after men are dead;
otherwise it is of no strength at all"-Whenever there is a
testament or a will, it’s enforcement only starts after the
death of the one who makes it.
(2) Therefore, Jesus had to die to make His covenant with us
active.
3. \\#9:18-22\\ Biblical covenants require another step. They must be
commissioned with blood.
a. \\#18\\ "Whereupon, neither the first testament was dedicated
without blood"-Not only was the death of animals required under
the Old Testament, but the covenant itself had to be ratified with
the blood of a sacrifice.
(1) As stated earlier, some would diminish the importance of
Jesus’ blood to the atonement process. Yet, the writer is
continually drawing a parallel between the events surrounding
the old covenant and the new.
(2) His point here is that "neither" covenant was dedicated
without blood, meaning that not only did a sacrifice had to
die to commission the covenants, but the blood of the
sacrifice had to be applied.
(3) In the case of the New Testament, the Sacrifice was Jesus.
b. \\#19-23\\ "when Moses had spoken every precept to all the
people… he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the
vessels of the ministry"
(1) This is a paraphrase of \\#Exodus 24:3-8\\, where Moses
dedicated the tabernacle and the tools to be used in the
tabernacle with blood.
(2) \\#23\\ "It was therefore necessary that the patterns of
things in the heavens should be purified with these"-The
writer emphasizes that the earthly patterns had to have
this application of blood.
(3) \\#22\\ "And almost all things are by the law purged with
blood"-The writer goes on to add that almost everything
created to be used in the old covenant had to have the blood
of a sacrifice applied to it before it could be used.
(4) The question those who want to diminish the importance of the
blood of Christ might ask is, "Did Jesus need to also apply
His blood in this fashion to sanctify the heavenly
tabernacle?"
(5) \\#23\\ "the heavenly things themselves" had to be purified
"with better sacrifices"-The Bible would seem to say, YES.
(6) Yet, we don’t know to what degree the blood of Jesus needed
to be applied to the heavenly temple. Since the heavenly
tabernacle was not constructed on a sinful planet by sinful
men with materials tainted by sin, it may be that it did not
need to be dedicated in the same fashion as the earthly
tabernacle with its ministry tools.
(7) However, there is no question that this passage does teach
that the new covenant, which serves to save sinful mankind,
did need to be commissioned, not only with a better
sacrifice, but also with a better blood atonement.
c. \\#22\\ "and without the shedding of blood is no remission"
(1) Just in case the writer had left any doubt in the minds of
his readers about the need of the blood to ratify the New
Covenant, he makes a plain statement that applies to both
covenants; that is, without blood, sins cannot be remitted
or removed.
(2) The limited power of the old covenant to purify the flesh
was only enabled with the believer brought a sacrifice and
the blood of that sacrifice was applied on the behalf of the
believer.
(a) It was not enough that the sinner gave his sacrifice.
(b) It was not enough that the priest slew the sacrifice.
(c) For the offering to have any effect, the blood had to be
applied as the Law commanded.
(3) So Jesus’ coming to the world was not enough. Neither was
Jesus’ death sufficient. His blood had to be applied before
His sacrifice had effect.
4. \\#9:24-28\\ Christ’s one time sacrifice is sufficient for all mankind
throughout all eternity.
a. \\#24-26\\ What Christ did not do.
(1) \\#24\\ "Christ is not entered into the holy place made
with hands"-He did not go into the earthly Holy Place,
"which are the figures of the true."
(2) \\#25\\ Nor did He "offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year."
(a) The Old Testament system required the High Priest to
enter the Holy of Holies each year to make a sacrifice.
(b) \\#26\\ If Christ’s sacrifice had no more efficacy than
those sacrifices, He would have "suffered since the
foundation of the world."
b. \\#24-27\\ What Christ did do.
(1) \\#24\\ "Christ… entered… into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us"-He went to the
heavenly tabernacle and NOW appears before God for us. The
word "NOW" means that this is Jesus’ present ministry.
(2) \\#26\\ He has "once in the end of the world… appeared to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
(a) "as it is appointed unto men once to die"-Jesus died
once, in part because that was all that was needed, but
in part because God has decreed that mankind must face
death only once.
(b) "but after this the judgment"-God has also decreed that
after man dies, he must face the judgment.
c. \\#28\\ A summary-"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins
of many"-His one sacrifice is sufficient for all who will come
to Him.
d. An encouragement
(1) "and unto them that look for him"-Those who are saved will
look for Him.
(2) "shall he appear the second time"-To those, He will appear on
His second coming to this earth.
(3) "without sin"-They, like Him, will be without sin for He has
paid the price to have it removed.
(4) "until salvation"-At which time they shall receive the
completeness of their salvation, a salvation not only of the
soul but of the mind and body also.
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