Hebrews 9
the Mercy Seat):
8 The Holy Spirit this signifying (the Holy Spirit was both the Divine Author of the Levitical system of worship, and its Interpreter), that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest (proclaims the fact [and by the Holy Spirit, at that] that access to God was blocked while the Law was enforced, except in the most limited way), while as the First Tabernacle was yet standing (show the limitations of the Levitical system):
9 Which was a figure for the time then present (refers to the Tabernacle being a representation of Heavenly realities), in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices, that could not make him who did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience (portrays the weakness of the First Covenant, in that it was based on animal blood, which was insufficient; in other words, the conscience of the Jew was still heavy with realization that sin had only been covered, not taken away; only the Cross could take away sin [Jn. 1:29]);
10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal Ordinances (refers to the entirety of the Levitical system, which could only present types and shadows), imposed on them until the time of Reformation. (The Cross, to which all of this pointed, would address all of this once and for all.)
11 But Christ being come (the little word “but” is the pivot upon which all the arguments swing) an High Priest (presented by the Apostle to show how marvelously the one Offering of our Lord Jesus Christ transcends all the types and shadows of the old) of good things to come (should have been translated, “of the good things realized”), by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle (presents Christ Himself as the more perfect Tabernacle), not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building (Christ is not a flimsy structure like the Tabernacle of old);
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves (proclaims by the fact of the continued need of more Sacrifices that it was not properly effected), but by His Own Blood (presents the price paid) He entered in once into the Holy Place (presents Christ doing what no other Priest had ever done; He offered a Sacrifice that was complete, which means it would never have to be repeated; thereby, the Heavenly Tabernacle was opened to Him; and if opened to Him, it was opened to us as well), having obtained Eternal Redemption for us. (This proclaims what was accomplished by the giving of Himself on the Cross.)
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats (presents Paul turning again to the Levitical Sacrifices as an example), and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, Sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh (in these animal Sacrifices, Paul proclaims the effect of an external purification, a cleansing from ritual defilement, but that was as far as it went; as should be obvious, animal Sacrifices could not take away sins):
14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ (while the Sacrifice of animals could cleanse from ceremonial defilement, only the Blood of Christ could cleanse from actual sin; so that throws out every proposed solution other than the Cross), Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God (in this phrase, we learn Christ did not die until the Holy Spirit told Him to die; in fact, no man took His Life from Him; He laid it down freely [Jn. 10:17–18]; as well, the fact that Jesus “offered Himself without spot to God” shoots down the unscriptural Doctrine that “Jesus died Spiritually” on the Cross; had He died Spiritually, meaning He became a sinner on the Cross, He could not have offered Himself without spot to God, as should be obvious; God could only accept a perfect Sacrifice; when He died on the Cross, He took upon Himself the sin penalty of the human race, which was physical death; inasmuch as His Offering of Himself was Perfect, God accepted it as payment in full for all sin—past, present, and future, at least for those who will believe [Jn. 3:16]), purge your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God? (“Dead works” are anything other than simple Faith in the Cross of Christ, i.e., “the Blood of Christ.”)
The Expositor’s Study Bible (pp. 2131–2132). Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.
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