Hebrews 9:23-24 Commentary

 

 

Home
Site Index
Inductive Bible Study
Greek Word Studies
Commentaries by Verse
Area Precept Classes
Reference Search
Bible Dictionaries
Bible Maps
It's Greek to Me
Bible Commentaries
Discipline Yourself
Christian Biography
Wailing Wall
Bible Prophecy

Search by Verse
Word or Phrase:

 

 

Study Tools

 
 

INDEX
PREVIOUS
NEXT

COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament

   
  

   

 

Searcj Every Word on Preceptaustin
PicoSearch
    Help

 

Hebrews 9:23-24 Commentary

Hebrews 9:23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: Anagke oun ta men hupodeigmata ton en tois ouranois toutois katharizesthai, (PPN) auta de ta epourania kreittosin thusiais para tautas.
Amplified:  By such means, therefore, it was necessary for the [earthly] copies of the heavenly things to be purified, but the actual heavenly things themselves [required far] better and nobler sacrifices than these.
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: So, then, if it was necessary that the things which are copies of the heavenly realities should be cleansed by processes like these, it is necessary that the heavenly realities themselves should be cleansed by finer sacrifices than those of which we have been thinking. (Westminster Press)
NLT:  That is why the earthly tent and everything in it—which were copies of things in heaven—had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: It was necessary for the earthly reproductions of heavenly realities to be purified by such methods, but the actual heavenly things could only be made pure in God's sight by higher sacrifices than these. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: It was therefore necessary on the one hand that the representations of the things in the heavens [the earthly tent] should be cleansed constantly with these [animal sacrifices], but on the other hand, the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these [the blood of the Lord Jesus]. (
Eerdmans
Young's Literal:  It is necessary, therefore, the pattern indeed of the things in the heavens to be purified with these, and the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these

References

Don Anderson
Albert Barnes
Brian Bell
Jim Bomkamp
John Calvin
Rich Cathers
Adam Clarke
Steven Cole
Steven Cole
Thomas Constable
Ron Daniel
J Ligon Duncan
Explore the Bible
F W Farrar
Dan Fortner
L M Grant
Scott Grant
Dave Guzik
Matthew Henry
F B Hole
Jamieson, F, B
S Lewis Johnson
S Lewis Johnson
Lange's Commentary
Lange's Commentary

John MacArthur
Ian Mackervoy
J Vernon McGee
J Vernon McGee
James Moffatt
Andrew Murray
Andrew Murray
Phil Newton
A W Pink
John Piper
A T Robertson
Gil Rugh
Speaker's Com
C H Spurgeon
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Today in the Word
Bob Utley
Marvin Vincent
John Walvoord
B F Westcott
Drew Worthen
Precept Ministries

Hebrews 9:11-28
Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9:1 -15 Hebrews 9:16-28
Hebrews 9 Notes
Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9:1-28  9:3-28   9:4-14   9:6-28 9:15-28  9:23-28

Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9:15-22 Forgiveness Through Christ's Blood
Hebrews 9:23-28 Judgment or Salvation?

Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9 Notes
Hebrews 9:15-28 The Work of the Mediator
Hebrews 8:1-2,6-10; 9:22-28 Tell the Truth

Hebrews 9 Commentary (Cambridge 1891)

Hebrews 9:13-28 The Blood
Hebrews Commentary
Hebrews 9:15-28 The Necessity of Sacrifice
Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews Commentary
Hebrews 9 Commentary
Hebrews 9:15-22 The Mediation of the New Covenant

Hebrews 9:23-28 The Last Legitimate Sacrifice for Sin
Hebrews 9:16-22 Commentary
Hebrews 9:23-28 Commentary

Hebrews 9:15-28 The New Covenant, Part 3
Hebrews Commentary: How can I get to Heaven?
Hebrews 9:1-5 Heb 9:6  Heb 9:7 Heb 9:8-10 Heb 9:11-12 Mp3's
Hebrews 9:13-14 Heb 9:15-22 Heb 9:23-27 Heb 9:28

Hebrews Commentary - Critical and Exegetical

Hebrews 9:14b Pg 307; 9:15-17 Pg 311; 9:18-22 Pg 315

Hebrews 9:23-24 Pg 319 Heb 9:25-28 Pg 323
Hebrews 9:23-28 What Did the Blood of Christ Accomplish?  

Hebrews 9:23-28 The Great Sacrifice
Hebrews 9:23-26 What Christ did at the end of the age
Hebrews 9 Word Pictures
Hebrews 9:15-28 The New Covenant
Hebrews 9 Speaker's Commentary
Hebrews 9 Expositional Comments
Hebrews 9:1-28 The True Tabernacle
Hebrews 9:15-28 Jesus' Last Will and Testament

Hebrews 9:11-14 Hebrews 9:15-28 Hebrews 9:15-28
Hebrews Commentary
Hebrews 9: Word Studies
The Present Work of Christ in Heaven - 8 part series
Hebrews Commentary
Hebrews 9:23-10:1-21
Hebrews Inductive Study Part 2

THEREFORE IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE COPIES OF THE THINGS IN THE HEAVENS TO BE CLEANSED WITH THESE: Anagke oun ta men hupodeigmata ton en tois ouranois toutois katharizesthai (PPN): (Heb 9:9,10,24; 8:5; 10:1; Col 2:17)

Therefore (3767) (oun) in context serves to introduce the idea of necessity.  The writer has made it abundantly clear in He 9:22 that blood must be shed in purification according to the law.

Steven Cole notes that...

Therefore” (He 9:23) goes back to the previous section, which made the point that forgiveness of sins is possible only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The blood sacrifices of the Old Testament all foreshadowed the supreme sacrifice of the Son of God. “The copies of the things in the heavens” (He 9:23) refers to the tabernacle and its furnishings. These things had to be cleansed by the blood of sacrificial animals. But these things were only earthly types of heavenly realities. The heavenly things themselves had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these, namely, the blood of Christ. He uses the plural to refer to the one sacrifice of Christ, which gathered up into one all of the Old Testament sacrifices. Christ’s sacrifice “is so many-sided that it required a whole range of sacrifices to serve as adequate copies” (Donald Guthrie, Hebrews: Tyndale New Testament Commentaries [IVP/Eerdmans], p. 196). (Hebrews 9:23-28 Judgment or Salvation?)

Wiersbe explains it this way...

Since God has ordained that remission of sins is through the shedding of blood, and since purification comes through the sprinkling of blood, it is necessary that blood be shed and applied if the New Covenant is to be in force. The “patterns” (the Old Covenant tabernacle) were purified by the sprinkling of the blood. But the “originals” were also purified! The blood of Jesus Christ not only purifies the conscience of the believer (Heb. 9:14), but also purified the “heavenly things” (Heb. 9:23, nasb). (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

It was necessary - In other words, there was no other way. There is no other "escape hatch". No secret/mystical passage. No asterisk or fine print providing an exception to the need for Christ's blood. He is the Way, the only Way (Jn 14:6). The Way into the Holy of Holies is by no other Name under heaven (Acts 4:12).

Necessity (318)(anagke [word study] from ana = up, again, back, renewal, repetition, intensity, reversal + agkale = arm when bent or agcho = to compress, press tight) refers to any necessity or compulsion, outer or inner, brought on by a variety of circumstances. It can mean necessity imposed either by external conditions or by the law of duty.

Anagke - 17x in 17v - Matt 18:7; Luke 14:18; 21:23; Rom 13:5; 1 Cor 7:26, 37; 9:16; 2 Cor 6:4; 9:7; 12:10; 1 Thess 3:7; Philemon 1:14; Heb 7:12, 27; 9:16, 23; Jude 1:3. NAS = compulsion(3), constraint(1), distress(3), distresses(1), hardships(1), inevitable(1), necessary(2), necessity(3), need(2), obliged*(1).

Copies of these things - the Old Covenant rites as in He 9:19 (see note).

Copies (5262) (hupodeigma [word study] from hupo = under + deiknúo/deíknumi = to show, to point to something, to make known the character or significance of something) means literally that which is shown below. It means an example, pattern, illustration. It  refers to a sign suggestive of anything, an outline, a delineation, a suggestion.

Hupodeigma - 6x in 6v - Jn 13:15 Heb 4:11, 8:5,  9:23 Jas 5:10 2Pe 2:6. NAS = copies(1), copy(1), example(4).

Barclay writes that hupodeigma means...

a specimen, or, still better, a sketch-plan

Paul has a similar statement in Colossians...

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Col 2:16, 17-note)

Heavens (3772) (ouranos) describes literally the expanse of space that seems to be over the earth like a dome. In the NT heaven and earth comprise all of creation, though the two are distinctive (Mt 6:9-note). God spoke both into existence and heaven is His realm. In Hebrew thought heaven was Jehovah's dwelling place and is the believer's true and eternal home. (see more detailed discussion) In the present context this word is a reference to the place where God dwells.

To be cleansed (2511) (katharizo [word study] from katharos = pure, clean, without stain or spot; English words - catharsis = emotional or physical purging, cathartic = substance used to induce a purging, Cathar = member of a medieval sect which sought the purging of evil from its members) means to make clean by taking away an undesirable part. To cleanse from filth or impurity. Click here (and here) for more background on the important Biblical concept of clean and cleansing.

Katharizo - 31x in 30v - Mt 8:2, 3; 10:8; 11:5; 23:25, 26; Mark 1:40, 41, 42, 7:19; Luke 4:27; 5:12, 13; 7:22; 11:39; 17:14, 17; Acts 10:15; 11:9; 15:9; 2Cor 7:1; Eph 5:26; Titus 2:14; Heb 9:14, 22, 23; 10:2; Jas 4:8; 1John 1:7, 9. NAS = clean(3), cleanse(5), cleansed(16), cleanses(1), cleansing(1), declared...clean(1), make...clean(3), purify(1).

Figuratively katharizo referred to cleansing from ritual contamination or impurity as in (Acts 10:15). In a similar sense katharizo is used of cleansing lepers  from ceremonial uncleanness (Mt 8:2-3, et al) Another figurative use in 1John 1:9 (cf James 4:8, Hebrews 10:2) describes the purifying or cleansing from sin and a guilty conscience thus making one acceptable to God and reestablishing fellowship.

The present tense of katharizo indicates that the cleansing had to be continual activity.

With these - By these OT rituals or by the different materials of cleansing depicted in Hebrews 9:19ff. All of these OT pictures pointed to the better sacrifice of Christ.

BUT THE HEAVENLY THINGS THEMSELVES WITH BETTER SACRIFICES THAN THESE: auta de ta epourania kreittosin thusiais para tautas: (Heb 9:11,12,14,24; 10:4,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; Luke 24:26,46; John 14:3; 1Peter 1:19, 20, 21; Revelation 5:9)

Heavenly (2032) (epouranios - used 5 times in Ephesians - Eph 1:3, 20, 2:6, 3:10, 6:12 see notes Eph 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12) encompass the entire supernatural realm of God, His complete domain, and the full extent of His divine operation.

Epouranios - 19x in 17v - Jn 3:12; 1Co 15:40, 48, 49; Ep 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12; Phil 2:10; 2Ti 4:18; Heb 3:1; 6:4; 8:5; 9:23; 11:16; 12:22. NAS =  heaven(1), heavenly(14), heavenly one(1), heavenly things(3).

What does it mean that the "heavenly things themselves" must also be cleansed with better sacrifices? As Steven Cole asks...

What are the heavenly things and why do they need cleansing? A number of views have been put forth (Leon Morris summarizes these in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], 12:91). We need to understand that the author is speaking spiritually. There is no literal altar or golden lampstand or table of sacred bread in heaven. But why would the spiritual counterparts in heaven (whatever they are) require cleansing? Some say that it is a dedicatory consecration, similar to the dedication of the tabernacle. Some relate it to the fact that Satan and the fallen angels have defiled heaven and that in His atonement, Christ disarmed them and triumphed over them, thus cleansing heaven.

But in light of He 9:24, which states that Christ entered the true holy place in heaven to appear in the presence of God for us, the author is likely referring to the fact that we, God’s people, are now His spiritual dwelling place (He 3:6). How can we be pure and free from defilement, so that God may dwell in us, not just individually, but corporately as His holy temple (Ep 2:21, 22; 1Pe 2:5)? The answer is that Christ’s blood alone can cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (He 9:14). (
Hebrews 9:23-28 Judgment or Salvation?)

Better (2909) (kreitton/kreisson from kratos = strong, which denotes power in activity and effect) serves as the comparative degree of agathos, “good” (good or fair, intrinsically). Kreitton/kreisson means more useful, more profitable more advantageous, greater, superior; greater advantage. In this case it speaks of the book of Christ, even the use of the plural (sacrifices) as a description of the single offering of Christ.

Kreitton - 19x in 18v - 1 Cor 7:9, 38; 11:17; Phil 1:23; Heb 1:4; 6:9; 7:7, 19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16, 35, 40; 12:24; 1 Pet 3:17; 2 Pet 2:21. NAS = better(17), better things(1), greater(1).

Criswell adds that...

The use of the plural to describe the single offering of Christ is a figure of speech known as the plural of majesty. (Criswell, W A. Believer's Study Bible: New King James Version. 1991. Thomas Nelson)

Jamieson writes that...

The plural is used in expressing the general proposition, though strictly referring to the one sacrifice of Christ once for all. Paul implies that His one sacrifice, by its matchless excellency, is equivalent to the Levitical many sacrifices. It, though but one, is manifold in its effects and applicability to many. (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)

Better sacrifices - Christ’s better sacrifice is a major theme in Hebrews 9:13-10:18. The many sacrifices of the Levitical system were to be superseded by better sacrifices that would be represented in the one perfect sacrifice of Christ.

Philip Hughes asks what are the "better sacrifices" especially considering that Christ was sacrificed only once for all time...

there is general agreement among commentators that the plural better sacrifices is not a precise but a generic plural, corresponding or accommodated to the plural "these rites" in the first clause of the verse: the inferior sacrifices of the Levitical system called, speaking generally, for better sacrifices. To be specific, however, they were superseded not by many sacrifices but by one, namely, the unique and fully adequate self-offering of the incarnate Son on the cross of Calvary (as our author repeatedly insists—see He 7:27; 9:12, 14; 10:10, 12, 14, so that he is not open to the charge of imprecision). His is the "one sacrifice for sins for ever" (He 10:12 KJV). Hence it is described here as better: it accomplishes once and for all that complete and eternal redemption which the imperfect sacrifices of the former system never could accomplish. (A Commentary On The Epistle To The Hebrews)

Better is a KEYWORD (see key words) in Hebrews. This repetition of "better" demonstrates beyond all doubt to the Jewish reader that the New is better than the Old system. Study the uses below. What is better? You will need to read the surrounding context to answer this question.

Hebrews - A "Better" Book
Uses of "Better"

Hebrews 1:4 (note) having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Hebrews 6:9 (note) But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

Hebrews 7:19 (note) (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 7:22 (note) so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Hebrews 8:6 (note) But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.

Hebrews 9:23 (note) Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

Hebrews 10:34 (note) For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.

Hebrews 11:4 (note) By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Hebrews 11:16 (note) But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:35 (note) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection;

Hebrews 11:40 (note) because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 12:24 (note) and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Sacrifices (2378) (thusia from thuo = to sacrifice or kill a sacrificial victim) (See all 15 uses of thusia in Hebrews) means that which is offered as a sacrifice. Webster's defines it as act of offering to a deity something precious! Here thusia is used metaphorically to describe their volitional offering of their words.

In the Old Testament there were two types of sacrifices, the first offered to deal with sin and the broken fellowship that resulted from the sin. The sacrificial blood was a picture of the bridging of the gap between the giver and God (although OT sacrifices for sin only covered over for a time, whereas Christ's sacrifice effectively and permanently removed all guilt of sin for those who believe in Him).

The second type of OT sacrifice was presented to God as an act of worship, the presenter having had his sins covered over by the blood of the sin offering, which resulted in his hearts being full of thanksgiving and praise to God which was reflected in the offering.

Than these - Robertson remarks that "To us it seems a bit strained to speak of the ritual cleansing or dedication of heaven itself by the appearance of Christ as Priest-Victim. But the whole picture is highly mystical."

A DIFFICULT
PHRASE TO INTERPRET

Steven Cole writes that...

verse 23 raises a question: What are the heavenly things and why do they need cleansing? A number of views have been put forth (Leon Morris summarizes these in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], 12:9 1). We need to understand that the author is speaking spiritually. There is no literal altar or golden lampstand or table of sacred bread in heaven. But why would the spiritual counterparts in heaven (whatever they are) require cleansing? Some say that it is a dedicatory consecration, similar to the dedication of the tabernacle. Some relate it to the fact that Satan and the fallen angels have defiled heaven and that in His atonement, Christ disarmed them and triumphed over them, thus cleansing heaven. But in light of Hebrews 9:24, which states that Christ entered the true holy place in heaven to appear in the presence of God for us, the author is likely referring to the fact that we, God’s people, are now His spiritual dwelling place (Hebrews 3:6-note). How can we be pure and free from defilement, so that God may dwell in us, not just individually, but corporately as His holy temple (see notes Ephesians 2:21, 22-note; 1Peter 2:5-note)? The answer is that Christ’s blood alone can cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14-note). (Hebrews 9:23-28 Judgment or Salvation?)

Leon Morris comments...

There is a problem in seeing in what sense things in heaven—where God is (He 9:24)—need purification. Some deny outright that they need it, regarding the expression as a way of referring to God's people. Thus Bruce (in loc.) reminds us that the author tells us repeatedly that it is people's consciences that need to be cleansed; and so the author can speak of God's people as his dwelling, his house (cf. He 3:6). Others make essentially the same point and hold that it is not something material but spiritual that is seen as needing cleansing—a fact meaning that Christ's work is effective in the spiritual life of men, not in some material sanctuary. The difficulty with such interpretations is that, while what they say is true, "the heavenly things themselves" is a strange way of referring to men and women here on earth. Other commentators see in He 9:23 a reference to Satan's rebellion and think of that as somehow defiling heaven so that heaven itself needs cleansing. Still others think of purification in the sense in which it is used here as meaning not so much the removal of impurity as a consecratory or inaugural process. This, they feel, is not out of place with "the heavenly things" any more than with an earthly sanctuary. Akin to that is the view that the earthly sanctuary needed cleansing, not so much because it was unclean, as because it was the place where sinners were restored. So with heaven.

On the whole, it seems best to recall that in the NT there are references to "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12); the "rulers of this age" (1Cor 2:8); the "powers" like "height" and "depth" (Ro 8:38, 39), as well as "angels" and "demons." Such references seem to indicate wickedness beyond this earth. And when Christ performed his atoning work, he "disarmed the powers and authorities, … triumphing over them by the cross" (Col 2:15). It was God's will "through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Col 1:20). This strand of teaching is not prominent in Hebrews. Nevertheless, the language used here seems to accord with it better than with other views. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing or Pradis = computer version)

Vincent addresses the question...

How can it be said that the heavenly things needed cleansing? It is not easy to answer. Various explanations have been proposed, which the student will find collected in Alford’s note on this passage. The expression is rhetorical and figurative, and appears to be founded on that feature of the Levitical ritual according to which the high priest was required, on the Great Day of Atonement, to make an atonement for the sanctuary, “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel.” He was to do this also for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the great altar. See Lev. 16:16 ff. The rite implied that even the holy of holies had contracted defilement from the people’s sin. Similarly, the atoning blood of Christ is conceived as purifying the things of the heavenly sanctuary which had been defiled by the sins of men. “If the heavenly city of God, with its Holy Place, is, conformably with the promise, destined for the covenant-people, that they may there attain to perfect fellowship with God, then their guilt has defiled these holy things as well as the earthly, and they must be purified in the same way as the typical law appointed for the latter, only not by the blood of an imperfect, but of a perfect sacrifice” (Delitzsch).

Criswell suggests that...

Perhaps a clue is found in Job 15:15, “the heavens are not pure in His sight.” Doubtless this is because Satan committed the first act of sin in heaven (Isa. 14:12-14), and because he still has access to the presence of God as the accuser of the brethren (see note Revelation 12:10). (Criswell, W A. Believer's Study Bible: New King James Version. 1991. Thomas Nelson)

Vine writes...

As to the question why the heavenly things should require to be cleansed, the subject before us is not only the remission of our sins, but our access into the presence of God as His worshipers, through the eternal redemption obtained for us. The sanctuary of the presence of God required the savor of redemptive sacrifice. Just as the high priests of old entered into the Holy of Holies with the blood of sacrifice, on behalf of the people as worshipers of God, so only by the cleansing blood of Christ on the cross could the very presence of God become the meeting place between Him and the believer. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)

Philip Hughes offers a lengthy discussion on this thorny passage...

In what sense are we to understand the affirmation that "the heavenly things themselves" needed to be "purified"? It is clear from the verse which follows and from He 8:5 above that the expression "the heavenly things" designates the sanctuary above which is "heaven itself," the reality of which the earthly sanctuary was but a shadow. The interpreter is faced with the problem of explaining how the heavenly reality, where the pure presence of God dwells, can be conceived as requiring any kind of purification. The explanation offered by Delitzsch and others, that heaven needed cleansing in the sense, first, that it had been darkened as the light of God's love had been replaced by the cloud of his wrath against sin and, second, that it had been rendered unapproachable to man because of man's sin, is unacceptable; for it is a serious misconception to imagine that the wrath of God is opposed to the love of God, or that these are two mutually exclusive motions or emotions in the Deity. God's wrath, no less than his love, is the expression of his holiness and purity, nor does he set aside wrath in order to display love; indeed, the cross is the supreme manifestation of the love and the wrath of God meeting together, for there the love of God absorbed the wrath of God as the incarnate Son enacted the love of God by taking both the sinner's place and his punishment. Moreover, the unapproachability of heaven to sinful man argues the need for the purification, not of heaven, but of the sinner: to redeemed mankind, cleansed from sin and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, heaven, previously closed, now lies open (He 10:19ff.).

Also unsatisfactory is the opinion of Héring and others that the purification in question was effected by the dismissal of Satan from heaven (cf. Lk. 10:18; Jn. 12:31; Rev. 12:7ff.) and with him the removal of all defilement. Appeal is made to Ephesians 6:12, which speaks of the powers of wickedness in heavenly places, and to He 2:14f. above, where Christ is spoken of as overcoming the devil who has the power of death and delivering those he has held captive; but, while the victory of Christ is indeed the death-blow for Satan and the vindication of his own supreme lordship, the judgment and perdition of the devil were sure even apart from what took place at Calvary. It is inconceivable, further, that the glorious presence of God should be in any danger of defilement because of the rebellion of Satan.

Another view, propounded by, among others, Spicq, Lünemann, and Owen, is that the "purification" of "the heavenly things themselves" means the "inauguration" or "consecration" of the heavenly sanctuary by reason of the "better" sacrifice of Christ. Support for this view is sought from our author's assertion above that the Mosaic covenant was inaugurated with blood (v. 18) and that under the law almost everything was purified with blood (v. 22), the conclusion being drawn that in the present context "to purify" and "to inaugurate" are equivalent terms. There is much to attract in this proposal, which has both simplicity and strength. In contrast to verses 19 to 22, however, which certainly refer to the inauguration of the former covenant, verse 23 is quite general in its scope, and this would seem to present a difficulty; but it could well be treated as a parenthetical comment.

Another interpretation, which can claim a long history and includes among its advocates Chrysostom, Peter Lombard, Herveus, Luther, Cornelius a Lapide, Estius, Teodorico, F. F. Bruce, and Montefiore, understands "the heavenly things" mentioned here, or "the heavenly sanctuary" (as the same expression is translated in He 8:5 above), to be the people of God who together constitute the church or temple of God, "a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1Pet. 2:5). Bruce explains that "in order to be a spiritual house of this kind they must have experienced regeneration and cleansing by 'sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ' (1Pet. 1:2, 19, 22f.)." This concept, it can be argued, corresponds as antitype to the action of Moses, recounted in verse 19 above, when he sprinkled all the people with the blood of the covenant. True though this is, it is difficult to see how, except in a subsidiary manner, an interpretation along these lines is suited to the exegesis of the verse before us, for it requires an identification between "the heavenly sanctuary," or, as the next verse defines it, "heaven itself" into which the risen Christ has entered, and the community of the redeemed. The new temple is indeed being built with the living stones of Christian believers within whom Christ dwells, but this concept is not the same as that of the transcendental sanctuary into which the risen Lord entered at his ascension. Nor is the situation clarified by the supposition that our author means that "by the removal of the defilement of sin from the hearts and consciences of the worshippers the heavenly sphere in which they approach God to worship him is itself cleansed from this defilement" (F. F. Bruce, and similarly B. Weiss); for to speak thus is to speak really of the cleansing of sinners, not of heaven. The heavenly sphere is in fact inaccessible to uncleansed sinners (cf. Rev. 21:27); therefore to postulate its cleansing from the defilement it would otherwise have contracted if access had been possible to uncleansed sinners is to postulate a situation which is not factual but rests upon an unfulfilled and unfulfillable condition.

There is no need to seek precise and detailed parallels and correspondences between the cleansing ritual with its multiplicity of applications under the old system and the purification which is made available under the new. The former is complex and repetitious, the latter simple and comprehensive in its uniqueness. Our author's main intention is to emphasize the absolute superiority of the blood of the new covenant over that of the old. The purpose of Christ's coming was "to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (He 7:26 below); and now, "holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens" (He 7:26), he has entered the pure sanctuary above. The blood-shedding and exaltation of him who is our fellow man and our forerunner (He 2:14; 6:20) have opened the way for mankind into the shrine of God's presence (He 4:14, 15, 16; 9:8; 10:19ff.); and the ultimate effect of the shedding of his blood of the new covenant will be the renewal of the universe, freed at last from sin, and filled with righteousness (He 12:28; Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1ff.; Acts 3:21; Ro 8:21). Such is the measure by which the former sacrifices are judged to have been surpassed by that better sacrifice which was offered once and forever by our great and eternal High Priest. (A Commentary On The Epistle To The Hebrews)

Andrew Murray in The Holiest of All writes that...

This is the great consummation to which all the teaching of the heavenly priesthood of Christ, and the true sanctuary, and the blood of the covenant leads up. Heaven itself is now opened up to us. Christ has entered, not simply on His own behalf, but entirely to appear before the face of God for us Yes, for us, His entering in has obtained for us boldness to enter in. His entering in was through the rent veil; there is no veil now between God and us. We are called to draw nigh in the fulness of faith. We are taught, Ye are come to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to God. Before the face of God, in the presence of God, is now the home of the soul. Heaven is not only a locality, with its limitations, but a state of life, that condition of spiritual existence in the full enjoyment of God's love and fellowship, into which Christ entered. Christ passed through the heavens, was made higher than the heavens. He ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.

Heaven itself, the Holiest of All, into which He entered, the presence of God, is now the sphere in which He exercises His heavenly ministry, into which He brings us in as an actual life and experience, in which we alone can truly serve the living God.

And what, we may well ask, what is the reason that so few of God's children can testify to the joy of entering in and having their abode here in the very presence of God? There can be but one answer, There is such a difference between being the heir of a promise and actually inheriting it. Each of the great words of our Epistle, as God's gift to each one of His children, has an infinitude of meaning and blessing and power in it. Christ a Priest for ever; the power of an endless life; He is able to sympathise, able to succour, able to lave completely; the true sanctuary, the new covenant, the blood cleansing the heavens, cleansing the conscience, wall these are divine realities, with a power and a glory that the heart of man cannot conceive.

It is only by faith and longsuffering that we inherit the promises. It is as we give up our whole heart and life to be just one act of faith, looking up and longing, praising and expecting, believing and receiving what God gives and works in Christ, that this life in the Holiest will be ours. It is as our faith sees the divine unity of the once for an and the for ever, that we shall be bold to believe that the for ever, the abiding continually, has in Christ been made ours once for all, and can be made ours in an entering within the veil as clear as that of Christ's. This faith will prove itself in longsuffering. First, as we diligently, perseveringly hold fast, and gaze and draw nigh and wait on God to take us within the veil; and then, as within the veil, in deepest humility and meekness and patience and resignation to God, we wait upon Him in service, to perfect us in the work for which we were admitted into His very presence.

But remember where all this begins, and wherein it all consists. Not without blood! With His own blood! How much more shall the blood of Christ! These words are the key to this blessed chapter of the opening of the Holiest to us. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, the Eternal Spirit, to testify to us how the way into the Holiest has been made manifest, and what the blood is by which it was done, and what the cleansing of our conscience in that blood to enter in and serve the living God, we shall in fulness of faith be bold to draw nigh and enter in and abide.

1. Think not that it will be too difficult for thee to dwell always with thy heart up yonder in heaven. When the sun shines on thee, thou dost not think of its distance; thou rejoicest in its warmth. It is so near to thee; thou enterest into it, and it enters into thee. Even so with Jesus and the heavenly life. Heaven comes down. The kingdom of heaven is come with power; the Holy Spirit gives and maintains it in thee. The veil is rent and the light and life of heaven is come down here where we serve in the Holy Place.

2. To open the way to heaven and to God, Jesus died to sin. He that hates and loses his life will find the way to the life of God.

3. Just as the cleansing of the tabernacle was part of the dedicating of the first covenant, so the sprinkling the heavenly sanctuary, the cleansing of the heavens with the blood of the new covenant, is our assurance that the sanctuary is open to us, and that the covenant is sure and will be fulfilled to us.

 

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us

Greek: ou gar eis cheiropoieta eiselthen (3SAAI) agia Christos, antitupa ton alethinon, all' eis auton ton ouranon, nun emphanisthenai (APN) to prosopo tou theou uper emon;
Amplified:  For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a sanctuary made with [human] hands, only a copy and pattern and type of the true one, but [He has entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the [very] presence of God on our behalf.
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: It is not into a man-made sanctuary that Christ has entered—that would be a mere symbol of the things which are real. It is into heaven itself that he entered, now to appear on our behalf before the presence of God. (Westminster Press)
NLT:  For Christ has entered into heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate. He did not go into the earthly place of worship, for that was merely a copy of the real Temple in heaven. (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: Christ did not therefore enter into any holy places made by human hands (however truly these may represent heavenly realities), but he entered Heaven itself to make his appearance before God as High Priest on our behalf.  (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: For not into holy places constructed by human hands did Messiah enter, which are the types of the genuine [holy places], but into heaven itself, now to be manifested before the face of God on behalf of us. (
Eerdmans
Young's Literal: for not into holy places made with hands did the Christ enter -- figures of the true -- but into the heaven itself, now to be manifested in the presence of God for us

FOR CHRIST DID NOT ENTER A HOLY PLACE MADE WITH HANDS A MERE COPY OF THE TRUE ONE BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF: ou gar eis cheiropoieta eiselthen (3SAAI) hagia Christos antitupa ton alethinon all eis auton ton ouranon: (Heb 9:11; Mark 14:58; John 2:19, 20, 21) (Heb 9:9,23; 8:2) (Heb 1:3; 6:20; 7:26; 8:2,5; 12:2; Ps 68:18; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; John 6:62; John 16:28; Acts 1:9, 10, 11; 3:21; Ephesians 1:20, 21, 22; 4:8, 9, 10, 11; Colossians 3:2; 1Peter 3:22)

In this last section of Hebrews 9 (He 9:23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28), all 3 aspects of Christ’s ministry of salvation/redemption are pictured - (1) His First Coming to save us from the penalty of sin ("better sacrifices" He 9:23-note). (2) His present intercessory ministry in heaven to save us from the power of sin ("now appear...for us" He 9:24-note) (3) His Second Coming (He 9:28-note) to deliver us from the presence of sin.

Vincent...

Under the old covenant, the bloodshedding was symbolical: the death of the institutor was by proxy. In the ratification of the new covenant, Christ himself was the covenant-victim, and a real cleansing power attaches to his blood as the offering of his eternal spirit.

For (1063) (gar) introduces an explanation of the preceding passage.

Wuest says that...

This verse is in explanation of the statement in the previous verse to the effect that the heavenly things had to be purified by blood superior to animal blood, and that Messiah did not enter the Holy of Holies on earth as High Priest, but the Holy of Holies of heaven itself. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos)

Leon Morris says that...

"For" introduces an explanation of what precedes. We have already had the idea that Christ's ministry was not in a sanctuary that is "man-made" (He 9:11), and here we come back to it. Not in such sanctuaries can the Atonement be made that really deals with sin. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing)

Jamieson writes that here the writer resumes...

Resumption more fully of the thought, “He entered in once into the holy place,” Hebrews 9:12.

Christ (5547) (Christos from chrio = to anoint, rub with oil, consecrate to an office) is the Anointed One, the Messiah, Christos being the Greek equivalent of the transliterated Hebrew word Messiah. Study the 12 uses of Christos in Hebrews = Heb 3:6, 14; 5:5; 6:1; 9:11, 14, 24, 28; 10:10; 11:26; 13:8, 21

Not (3756) (ou) indicates absolutely not!

Enter (1525)(eiserchomai from eis = into + erchomai = come) means literally to come into and thus to enter into. Notice that enter into refers to a single event, a past completed historical event (after His ascension), but consequences of this event are now (see "but now" in Hebrews 8:6) and on our behalf (He 6:20-note; He 7:25-note).

Holy place (39) (hagios)  means a place set apart from the profane or common and unto God and for the worship of and approach to the Holy God. Note that in this context the "holy place" stands for the Holy of Holies (the actual presence of God), even as the Ark of the Covenant in the earthly Holy of Holies represented the throne of God.

Holy place - This phrase occurs 60x in Scripture in NAS - Ex 26:33; 28:29, 35, 43; 29:30f; 31:11; 35:19; 39:1, 41; Lev 6:16, 26f, 30; 7:6; 10:13, 17; 16:2f, 16f, 20, 23f, 27; 24:9; Num 28:7; 1 Kgs 6:16; 7:50; 8:6, 8, 10; 1 Chr 6:49; 23:32; 2 Chr 5:11; 29:5, 7; 35:5; Ezra 9:8; Ps 24:3; Eccl 8:10; Isa 57:15; Ezek 41:4; 45:2ff; 48:12; Dan 8:13f; 9:24; Matt 24:15; Acts 6:13; 21:28; Heb 9:2, 8, 12, 24f; 10:19; 13:11

Made with hands (5499) (cheiropoietos from cheir = hand + poieo = to make) means manufactured by man or of human construction. Christ has not entered into a hand-made sanctuary.

Wiersbe makes an application warning us all to...

Beware of trusting anything for your spiritual life that is “made with hands” (Heb. 9:24). It will not last. The tabernacle was replaced by Solomon’s temple, and that temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. When the Jews returned to their land after the Captivity, they rebuilt their temple; and King Herod, in later years, expanded and embellished it. But the Romans destroyed that temple, and it has never been rebuilt. Furthermore, since the genealogical records have been lost or destroyed, the Jews are not certain who can minister as priests. These things that are “made with hands” are perishable, but the things “not made with hands” are eternal. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos)

The copy - The representation.

Copy (499) (antitupon [word study] from anti = against, instead of, corresponding to + tupos [word study] = a type, model, figure, form, impression, print) is an earthly expression of a spiritual reality. Thus it represents something which symbolizes some spiritual truth. In modern Greek antitupon means a copy of a book. In the present case the earthly tabernacle prefigured the reality of the tabernacle of God in heaven.

Barnes explains that antitupon...

properly means that which is formed after a model, pattern, or type; and then that which corresponds to something, or answers to, it. The idea here is, that the type or fashion--the true figure or form--was shown to Moses in the Mount, and then the tabernacle was made after that model, or corresponded to it. The true original figure is heaven itself; the tabernacle was an antitype of that--or was so formed as in some sense to correspond to it. That is, it corresponded in regard to the matters under consideration--the most Holy Place denoted heaven; the mercy-seat and the Shekinah (see notes) were symbols of the presence of God, and of the fact that he shows mercy in heaven; the entrance of the high priest was emblematical of the entrance of the Redeemer into heaven; the sprinkling of the blood there was a type of what the Redeemer would do in heaven.

Poole comments that this section

shows this to be a rational proof of the transcendence of Christ’s death and sacrifice; and this he demonstrates from the place of his ministry, far exceeding that of his type. The gospel High Priest did not, like Aaron, enter with his blood into the holy of holiest of an earthly tabernacle, frail and movable, and appear before the mercy-seat on the ark there, Heb 9:9.

But into heaven itself - "But" introduces a striking contrast between the heavenly substance and the earthly shadow.

Hebrews 1:3 (note) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 6:20 (note) where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7:26 (note) For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

Hebrews 8:2 (note) a minister in the sanctuary, and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

Hebrews 8:5 (note) who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."

Hebrews 12:2 (note) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jamieson says "into heaven itself" refers to...

the immediate presence of the invisible God beyond all the created heavens, through which latter Jesus passed (see on Heb 4:14; 1Ti 6:16).

Heaven (3772) (ouranos) is the expanse of space that seems to be over the earth like a dome. In context this refers not just to the atmosphere surrounding the earth but to Jehovah's dwelling place (see more detailed discussion).

Barnes notes that...

The Jewish high priest alone entered into the most holy place; and the other priests into the holy place. Jesus, being of the tribe of Judah, and not of Levi, never entered the temple proper. He had access only to the courts of the temple, in the same way as any other Jew had. See [Mt 21:12]. He has entered into the true temple--heaven of which the earthly tabernacle was the type.

True one (228) (alethinos from alethes = true, one who cannot lie) describes that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name and thus real, true and genuine not  spurious, fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended.

Alethinos - 28x in 26v - Luke 16:11; John 1:9; 4:23, 37; 6:32; 7:28; 8:16; 15:1; 17:3; 19:35; 1 Thess 1:9; Heb 8:2; 9:24; 10:22; 1 John 2:8; 5:20; Rev 3:7, 14; 6:10; 15:3; 16:7; 19:2, 9, 11; 21:5; 22:6. NAS =  sincere(1), true(26), true one(1).

The holy place is true in the sense that in its character it is all that is expected of it. In short, the thing described as true (the holy place) measures up to the specifications which a holy God would demand. The heavenly Holy of Holies is everything that could be expected of such a place. What delights await those God now calls "My beloved in Christ"!

NOW TO APPEAR IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US: nun emphanisthenai (APN) to prosopo tou theou huper hemon: (Heb 7:25; Ex 28:12,29; Zech 3:1; Ro 8:33; 1Jn 2:1,2; Rev 8:3)

1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world

Pastor Steven Cole writes that...

We, who are not used to the physical rituals and sacrifices of the Jewish temple, may not struggle with the spirituality of Christian worship. But the first readers of this epistle were having a hard time letting go of the physicality of the temple and the sacrifices. So the author emphasizes again (Hebrews 8:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 9:11) that “Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24-note). Under the Jewish system, the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies once a year to represent the people before God, but Jesus is in the true holy place permanently on our behalf! Furthermore, the high priest had to keep returning year after year with the blood of the sacrificial animals. But Jesus once for all offered His own blood. He didn’t have to suffer and die over and over again from the foundation of the world. His one sacrifice at the consummation of the ages put away our sin (see Hebrews 9:26-note). “The consummation of the ages” is similar to Paul’s phrase in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son….” It implies the preexistence of Christ before His birth. It also means that the cross represents the apex or consummation of God’s purpose of the ages, to glorify Himself. (Hebrews 9:23-28 Judgment or Salvation?)

Now (3568) (nun) means in the present moment. Even as you read these words, Jesus is in the presence of His Father and is there on our behalf. Amazing love.

Poole adds that the Risen Messiah...

now appears as our advocating Mediator, pleading His merit for the remission of our sins, and rendering of God’s face smiling on and favoring His clients, which was terrifying and affrighting to guilty Adam before: He 7:25-note, He 10:19-note Ro 8:34-note  Re 5:6-note. 1John 2:1, 2. Here He represents our persons to God’s face, fitting in the mean while us beneath for our seeing Him face to face, and being blessed in the enjoyment of that prospect forever.

To appear - More literally "to be made to appear". Jamieson adds that...

Mere man may have a vision through a medium, or veil, as Moses had (Ex 33:18, 20–23). Christ alone beholds the Father without a veil, and is His perfect image. Through seeing Him only can we see the Father.

Appear (1718) (emphanizo from  en = in, into + phaino = give light, illuminate, shine, shine forth) means to make apparent, to be manifested, to be shown. The aorist infinitive (infinitive expresses purpose) indicates that Christ has been "made to appear", the purpose of His presence there being to appear openly before God. Christ is made openly manifest before the face of God. The Levitical priest had to conceal the Ark of the Covenant and over arching Shekinah glory cloud (representing the presence of God) with the smoke of incense. Why? So that he might not look upon God face to face (see prosopon = towards the eye or face).

Emphanizo - 10x in 10v - Matt 27:53; John 14:21f; Acts 23:15, 22; 24:1; 25:2, 15; Heb 9:24; 11:14. NAS = appear(1), appeared(1), brought charges(3), disclose(2), make...clear(1), notified(1), notify(1).

Vine says that emphanizo

is here used in the middle voice (Ed: Note that some interpret it as passive voice), signifying, to present Himself; and indicating His interest in doing so.

Expositor's Greek Testament adds that...

the darkness and clouds of incense in the old sanctuary were meant as much to veil the unworthiness of the priest from God as the glory of God from the priest. Now Christ appears before God face to face with no intervening cloud. Perfect fellowship is attained by His perfect and stainless offering of Himself. All is clear between God and man. For it is ‘for us’ He enters this presence and fellowship; not that He alone may enjoy it, but that we may enter into the rest and blessedness that He won for us. (Nicoll, W Robertson, Editor: Expositors Greek Testament: 5 Volumes. Out of print. See Google Books)

Wuest...

This appearance of Messiah at the Cross, corresponds to the appearance of the high priest at the Brazen Altar on the Day of Atonement where the animal for sacrifice was slain. This is Messiah’s first appearance. He puts away sin. His second appearance, recorded in verse 24, is in the Holy of Holies of heaven, His present appearance. There He appears in the presence of God for us who are saved. His presence there, brings believers into the presence of God.

This same verb emphanizo is used in the Greek translation of Exodus 33:13 where Moses says to God...

Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know (Lxx = emphanizo meaning to reveal) Thy ways, that I may know Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight. Consider too, that this nation is Thy people.

In the presence of God - To the face of God!

Jamieson...

The saints shall hereafter see God’s face in Christ (Rev 22:4): the earnest of which is now given (2Co 3:18). Aaron, the Levitical high priest for the people, stood before the ark and only saw the cloud, the symbol of God’s glory (Ex 28:30).

Presence (4383) (prosopon from pros = towards + ops = eye, the part around the eye and so the face) means literally toward the eye or face and is the picture of Christ our Representative now being face to face with the invisible God our Father. Remember that the writer is speaking primarily to Jewish believers (and those who are being drawn to believe in Messiah) and thus the truth that Messiah appears in the presence of God would be a strong expression of Christ's nearness to God, something no Jewish high priest could ever hope to achieve. And again another reason for the struggling, tested Jewish readers not to doubt but to "Consider Jesus the Apostle and High Priest of our confession." (He 3:1-note)

Prosopon - 76x in 71v - Mt 6:16f; 11:10; 16:3; 17:2, 6; 18:10; 22:16; 26:39, 67; Mark 1:2; 12:14; 14:65; Luke 2:31; 5:12; 7:27; 9:29, 51ff; 10:1; 12:56; 17:16; 20:21; 21:35; 24:5; Acts 2:28; 3:13, 20; 5:41; 6:15; 7:45; 13:24; 17:26; 20:25, 38; 25:16; 1 Cor 13:12; 14:25; 2 Cor 1:11; 2:10; 3:7, 13, 18; 4:6; 5:12; 8:24; 10:1, 7; 11:20; Gal 1:22; 2:6, 11; Col 2:1; 1 Thess 2:17; 3:10; 2 Thess 1:9; Heb 9:24; Jas 1:11, 23; 1 Pet 3:12; Jude 1:16; Rev 4:7; 6:16; 7:11; 9:7; 10:1; 11:16; 12:14; 20:11; 22:4. NAS = ahead*(2), appearance(5), before*(2), coming*(1), face(37), faces(5), openly(1), outwardly*(1), partial*(3), partiality(1), people(1), person(1), persons(1), presence(11), sight(1).

Barnes adds...

As the Jewish high priest appeared before the Shekinah, the symbol of the Divine Presence in the tabernacle, so Christ appears before God himself in our behalf in heaven. He has gone to plead for our salvation; to present the merits of his blood as a permanent reason why we should be saved

David J. MacLeod writes that...

At His ascension Christ was formally installed as High Priest and began His present high priestly work. In the heavenly tabernacle today He represents His people (i.e., He secures their acceptance with God) (1Ti 2:5, Ep 1:6KJV); obtains free access for them into God’s presence (Ro 5:2); intercedes in prayer for them (Ro 8:34, He 7:25) and grants them help (He 2:18); mediates their prayers to God and God’s strength to them (2Ti 2:1); anticipates His return to earth to reign; and, at the end of the present session, will bless His people by bringing them deliverance into the kingdom. (David J. MacLeod, “The Present Work of Christ in Hebrews,” Bibliotheca Sacra 148:590 April-June 1991) (Theological Journal Subscription info) (List of 22 journals - 500 yrs of articles searchable by topic or verse! Incredible Online Resource!)

Of God - Literally the Greek reads "of the God", the definite article (the) emphasizing the exclusivity of God. He is not one among a pantheon of gods but is alone the true and living God.

I agree with MacDonald who remarks that...

It is difficult to understand why anyone would want to leave the reality and go back to the copy, why anyone would leave the great High Priest serving in the heavenly sanctuary to return to the priests of Israel serving in a symbolic tent.  (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos)

G Campbell Morgan writes that...

This is the fact which made possible the covenant. This was the supreme act of His priesthood, and it is continuous. In a former note we considered the statement that our great High Priest has "passed through the heavens" (Heb 4.14). Here it is said that He has entered into heaven. This is not a contradiction, but an interpre­tation. The heavens through which He passed are the created heavens. The Heaven which He entered is the uncreated abode of God Himself, the very Holiest of all. Thither He went "to appear before the face of God." The statement is appre­hended in all its fulness of meaning when we put it into contrast with the greatest hour in the life and ministry of Moses. In an hour of supreme need and highest com­munion Moses asked to see the glory of God; that is, to behold His face. The answer was, "Thou canst not see My face"; but in grace he was given to see the back of God. The Son of God, in His glorified manhood entered into Heaven to be manifested before the face of God! There, as man, God beheld Him, and He beheld God. And this was for us. In His humanity ours was represented, our sin covered by His com­pleted atonement, our imperfections can-celled in His perfection, our weakness ended in His strength. Henceforth we are accepted in the Beloved, and all the wisdom and might and love of God are given to us through Him in the covenant which God makes with us. (Morgan, G. C. Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible)

For (5228) (huper) in this context means in our place, as our substitute.

For us - While these are only 2 words in the Greek and English, what precious words they are to our sinful ears, for the Greek word "huper" means "on behalf of" or "in our place" (cp He 6:20-notewhere Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.) Just as the high priest appeared for a few moments before God in the incense filled Holy of Holies for (in the place of, on behalf of - as the representative of) the entire congregation of Israel on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:32, 33), our High Priest is now continually before the Father (at His right hand) on our behalf, and in that exalted position "He always lives to make intercession for" us (He 7:25-note).

For us - other uses of this glorious phrase with a similar sense of Christ "as our substitute" - Ro 5:8; 8:26, 34; Gal 3:13; Eph 5:2; 1Th 5:10; Titus 2:14; Heb 6:20;9:24; 10:20; 1John 3:16

As Guzik says...

It’s not hard to believe that Jesus does appear in the presence of God. But to believe that He appears there for us is glorious!

Matthew Poole...

“Now to appear in the presence of God for us;” where He now appears as our advocating Mediator, pleading His merit for the remission of our sins, and rendering of God’s face smiling on and favoring His clients, which was terrifying and affrighting to guilty Adam before: see Heb 7:25, 10:19 Ro 8:34 1John 2:1, 2 Rev 5:6. Here He represents our persons to God’s face, fitting in the mean while us beneath for our seeing Him face to face, and being blessed in the enjoyment of that prospect for ever.

Delitzsch writes that...

It is enough that Jesus should show Himself for us to the Father: the sight of Jesus satisfied God in our behalf. He brings before the face of God no offering which has exhausted itself, and, as only sufficing for a time, needs renewal; but He himself is in person, by virtue of the eternal Spirit, that is, the imperishable life of His person, now and for ever freed from death, our eternally present offering before God (Ed: And one which is indelibly irrevocably validated by His scars, the covenant marks in His hands and feet and side, the marks of His everlasting covenant - He 13:20-note)

Hallelujah! What A Savior
(Play hymn as you praise Him)

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood;
Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
         —Philip P. Bliss

DOWNLOAD InstaVerse for free. It is an easy to install and simple to use Bible Verse pop up tool that allows you to read cross references in context and in the Version you prefer. Only the  KJV is free with this download but you can also download a free copy of Bible Explorer which in turn offers free Bibles that work with InstaVerse, including  the excellent, literal translation, the English Standard Version (ESV). Other popular versions are available for purchase. When you hold the mouse pointer over a Scripture reference anywhere on the Web (as well as offline in Word for Windows, email, etc) the passage pops up immediately. InstaVerse can be disabled if the popups become distractive. This utility really does work and makes it easy to read the actual passage in context and not just the chapter and verse reference.

 

Home | Site Index | Inductive Bible Study | Greek Word Studies | Commentaries by Verse | Area Precept Classes | Reference Search | Bible Dictionaries | Bible Maps | It's Greek to Me | Bible Commentaries | Discipline Yourself | Christian Biography | Wailing Wall | Bible Prophecy
Last updated: 11/18/09.

E-Mail us