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intercession, and our hearts are directed upward to the right hand of God, where the great
High Priest ever liveth to make intercession, having passed into the heavenly holiest of
all. We read in Lev. 16: 12, 13 that the high priest took a censer full of burning coals of
fire from off the altar and made a cloud of incense to cover the mercy seat, and this type
of the interceding priest penetrating beyond the veil is the feature seized upon by the
Apostle and emphasized in this way.
The Holy Ghost this signifying.
At Heb. 9: 6 the subject is resumed, saying, "Now when these things were thus
ordained". We have drawn attention in the structure to the fact that the words "ordained"
in verse 6 and "made" in verse 2 are the same in the original, and should read in both
cases "prepared". Immediately the great question of priestly service is brought forward,
and contrasts the typical with the true. Into the first Tabernacle the priests had continual
access, entering daily in the course of their office, 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" (Heb. 9: 7).
The particular period to which this passage refers is that section of Lev. 16: which
speaks of the Day of Atonement. There we read of the censer and its use (verse 13).
There we read of the blood:
"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his
blood within the vail" (verse 15).
There too we read:
"There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to
make an atonement" (verse 17).
From these and similar passages the Apostle draws a negative argument, then pursuing
the theme through into Heb. 10:, he rounds off the examination with a positive argument.
It will make the line of argument clearer for us if we place the two passages together.
The Negative.
"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" (9: 8).
The Positive.
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by
a new and living way" (10: 19, 20).
In these two passages lies practically the whole of the argument, and if we can keep
this well in mind, the details, instead of bewildering us, will lend point and force to the
glorious conclusion.