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HEBREWS
Perfection or Perdition
No.40.
One sacrifice for sins for ever
(9: 23 - 10: 18).
pp. 1 - 6
The section of this epistle that lies before us is the last of the series that, step by step,
sets aside the Old Covenant with its types and shadows, and leads on unto perfection, and
opens with the words:
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus . . .
and having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near" (Heb. 10: 19-22).
This reverses the order in which the subject has been dealt with.
(1)
The perfect Priest (5:-8:).
(2)
The Heavenly Sanctuary (9: 1-24).
(3)
The once offered Sacrifice (9: 25 - 10: 18).
We are now to review the teaching of the Apostle on the last and perhaps most critical
element of both Old and New Covenants, viz., the sacrifice. The section 9: 23 - 10: 18
bases its teaching upon the contrast that exists between the repeated sacrifices of the law
and the once offered sacrifice of the New Covenant, the one a shadow, the other the very
image.
Hebrews 9: 23 - 10: 18.
A | 9: 23, 24. Patterns and figures of heaven itself.
B | 9: 25. The offering "often", "annually".
C | 9: 26-28. The offering ONCE.
A | 10: 1-. A shadow.
B | 10: -1. The offering "annually".
C | 10: 2-18. The offering ONCE.
The cleansing of heavenly things.
In what sense are we to understand that "it was necessary" that the "heavenly things
themselves" should be purified? The difficulty arises from the fact that we are not
Hebrews and have had no personal contact with the Mosaic economy. In verse 22 we
read that "almost all things are by the law purified by blood", and it will be observed in
verses 19-21 that inanimate and consequently unsinning things as "the book", "the
Tabernacle" and the "vessels of the ministry" were purified by the sprinkling of blood.
The dedication to God likewise of the heavenly realities can only be by blood, but this
time by the precious blood of Christ. The Tabernacle needed purifying on account of the
people (Lev. 16: 16). So "heaven itself" needed to be cleansed, not only because of