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and the particular exercise of it seen in Numb. 35: that must be kept to the fore as we
read Heb. 9: 27.
The Day of Atonement.
The type of the city of refuge is now dropped and the great Day of Atonement is in
view. The return of the Lord "the second time" is to be understood in the light of the
action of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. There in the holiest of all the high
priest appeared in the presence of God for the people (Lev. 16: 23, 24); then putting on
his gorgeous robes he came out to bless the waiting congregation. The apostle could
hardly find a grander and more impressive moment in the whole levitical ritual with
which to impress a Jew than this. He however draws attention even here to the
surpassing excellence of Christ. When the high priest came out from the presence of
God, he made a fresh atonement for himself and for the people (Lev. 16: 24). This
shows once more the failure of the type, for when Christ, the true high priest appears the
second time it will be "apart from a sin offering"--"Christ dieth no more."
The second appearing of the Lord, in fulfillment of the type of Lev. 16:, will also be
His second coming, and as we have already indicated, at the time of the writing of
"Hebrews" that second coming was imminent. The Lord had ascended, had entered into
the presence of God, and had Israel repented and "looked for Him", He would have
returned in His robes of glory and beauty without sin unto salvation. Israel however
failed. The second coming is deferred. A parenthetical dispensation must now run its
course before that typical seventh month is fulfilled, and before every eye shall see Him,
and they also which pierced Him.
Perfected for ever.
We have already had brought before us the solemn fact that "the law made nothing
perfect", and this statement was not allowed to remain merely as a general remark, it was
particularized. The priesthood made nothing perfect, the tabernacle services made
nothing perfect, and now we are to have the final argument to show that the sacrifices of
the law made nothing perfect, but that the one offering of Christ did. Chapter 10: 1-18 is
devoted to this theme.
Heb. 10: 1-18.
A | 1-4. | a | The yearly offerings.
b | Not able to perfect for ever.
c | Those that draw nigh.
d | Argument from cessation of offerings.
e | Argument from remembrance of sins.
B | 5-10. | f | The prepared body.
g | No pleasure in sacrifices.
h | I come to do Thy will.
i | The first taken away.
i | The second established.
h | By the which will.