Hebrews Chapter 9
- Hebrews 9:1 Then verily
the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service,
and a worldly sanctuary.
- 2 For there was
a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick,
and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the
sanctuary.
- 3 And after the
second veil, the tabernacle which is called the holiest of
all;
- 4 Which had the
golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round
about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna,
and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
- 5 And over it
the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we
cannot now speak particularly.
- 6 Now when these
things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the
first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
- 7 But into the
second went the high priest alone once every year, not
without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the
errors of the people:
- 8 The Holy Ghost
this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was
not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing:
So we see the first ordinances and
sacrifices signified a better way yet to come. The perfect way
had not yet come and the high priest had to return every year to
offer a sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of the people.
Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice only once. No more sacrifices
are necessary. We live now by the law of love. The law is
written in our hearts and we now can worship in spirit and in
truth.
Notice verse 8. The Holy Ghost was
showing all who will read and understand that the way of true
holiness was not yet made. It was yet to come. We in our
generation have lived to see that happen through the 1st coming
of Jesus Christ to usher in God's perfect holy plan of
salvation. Now we await the second coming of Jesus when He
returns to get His people, bring judgment upon the earth and then set up His
everlasting kingdom. Sin will finally be destroyed forever. That
perfect one that came the first time to make the final sacrifice
for sin, will come a 2nd time to deliver His people and set up
His literal kingdom that now can be within each and every one
that receives Jesus into their lives.
- Hebrews 9:9 Which was a
figure for the time then present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the
service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
- 10 Which stood
only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Since everything had to be done a certain
way and perfectly, it pointed to a perfect way that was to come.
Yet as holy as the ordinances were it could not change the inner
soul and spirit of men and women. We needed a savior that gave
us something so powerful that our lives would literally change.
One that hated would then be able to love. One full of sin was
set free from that sin. We were in bondage but through Christ we
are free.
- Hebrews 9:11 But Christ
being come a high priest of good things to come, by a
greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building;
- 12 Neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us.
The blood of animals could not remove sin,
but the blood of Jesus could. He entered the holy place once and
for all. There is now no other way of salvation. Jesus bought
eternal redemption for all who believe in Him.
- Hebrews 9:13 For if the
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the
flesh:
- 14 How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God?
We were once in bondage to the world
serving Satan without even knowing that he was the one we were
serving. Through Christ we are made free from dead works and
serve the living God.
- Hebrews 9:15 And for this
cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means
of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were
under the first testament, they which are called might
receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
- 16 For where a
testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of
the testator.
- 17 For a
testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of
no strength at all while the testator liveth.
This new covenant did not become sole
rule of law until Jesus literally died on the cross. The law was
still in effect while Jesus lived.
- Hebrews 9:18 Whereupon
neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
- 19 For when
Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according
to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with
water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the
book, and all the people,
- 20 Saying, This
is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you.
- 21 Moreover he
sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the
vessels of the ministry.
- 22 And almost
all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.
Jesus had to die because without the
shedding of blood no person can be saved.
We see many religions today. Most of them
are man's ways to try to get to God, please God or make the
seeker holy and illegible for a better afterlife or eternal
life. No matter how hard we try with religion,
we cannot free ourselves from sin and we cannot make ourselves
holy enough to enter heaven.
Sin can never enter heaven. God is holy
and sin will separate us from God but it will not separate us
from God's love. The law says, the soul that sins shall die.
This means naturally as well as spiritually.
Religion cannot get rid of the thing that
separates us from God. Jesus Christ became one of us and was
under the law. He did not break the law in any point. Yet when
He died, He died not for his own sins but for the sins of all
mankind. All we have to do is believe this and receive Jesus into
our lives. When we turn from sin and ask Christ to save us from
sin, we are "born again" by the spirit of God. Our sins are
cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We can now have eternal life and
be reconciled to God.
True religion will change a person's
life. He will not go about using force and trying to make
converts by force. He will not kill or attack anyone of another
faith. He will instead point people to the savior, Jesus Christ.
If the message of salvation is rejected we must keep a spirit of
love and not return to the bondage of sin which would cause us
to hate and curse those that oppose us. Many have made that
mistake and the gospel has been hindered because of cruelty of
so-called Christians.
- Hebrews 9:23 It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly
things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- 24 For Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are
the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us:
The true holy place is with God. Christ
ascended to God the Father, after His death and resurrection to present to
God a perfect sacrifice for sins of all.
I realize that it is hard for modern
people to understand sacrifices and shedding of blood for
remission of sin. Even animal sacrifices would appall us in
today's way of thinking. Yet, the only reason we are not
familiar with sacrifices is because here in the United States we
have mostly been influenced by Christianity. Because of Christ,
animal or even human
sacrifices are no longer necessary to free the soul from sin. So
we haven't been taught and brought up with any thoughts of
sacrifices since our sins have already been paid for through
Jesus Christ.
If, however, we would have lived in
countries where they are still trying to get rid of sins, you
might see a religion using sacrifices of animals. Some pagan
religions even sacrificed humans to appease false gods. Deep in
their hearts they knew that the shedding of blood was the only
way to get rid of sin. In their minds they changed the getting
rid of sin though to trying to please false gods by sacrificing
perfect child or animal. For some strange reason though they
knew something had to die to pay for sins.
God has always hated the sacrifice of
humans. No human could be illegible for such a sacrifice anyway.
That is why our loving God sent His own son to be the sacrifice
that would usher in a perfect way of salvation for all who would
just dare to believe it.
Why was a sacrifice needed? Because the
law of God says that the soul that sins shall die. God told Adam
and Eve that they would die if they ate of the tree of
knowledge. When God makes a commandment, it cannot change. God
didn't want us to die so He let His Son die instead but rise
again so that we who believe in Him will die physically but rise
again to live forever. The soul and spirit of Jesus and of us
will not die physically. Only the body dies physically but the
soul can die spiritually by going to a place where it can never
escape called hell. The reason for hell is to stop sin from
spreading any further after a person dies. Jesus saves us from
hell and grants all believers eternal life. The just died for
the unjust ushering in a way of salvation for all who believe.
- Hebrews 9:25 Nor yet that
he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth
into the holy place every year with blood of others;
- 26 For then must
he often have suffered since the foundation of the world:
but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
- 27 And as it is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
We are to die physically only once and
then face the judgment of God. We don't have to face that
judgment in fear but with assurance of salvation if we just
receive Jesus Christ while we still live. In verse 26 it says
Jesus appeared at the end of the world to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. So we are actually living at the time of
the end of the world as we know it. I know its already been over
2000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus but in the
mind of God that is just a couple of days. With the signs I'm
seeing now, storms, earthquakes and hate is increasing....it
could very well be sooner than we think.
Notice that He will appear to those that
look for Him. Since we know from other scriptures that the
Second Coming will be seen by all, there is a hint here that He
will gather His believers together just before His public
appearance.
Who will go with Jesus? Those that love
His appearing.
- 2Timothy 4:1 I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and
his kingdom;
- 8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
his appearing.
Even so come Lord Jesus.
DC
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