Hebrews 9:8-14

8: The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,
9: which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,
10: since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.

11: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12: and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13: For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14: how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

*** 

Paul said the Holy Spirit was comparing the old Levitical priesthood to the outer tabernacle, and the new priesthood of Christ to the Holy of Holies—the inner tabernacle. The way into the new was not revealed while the old was still standing, or still in effect. This is a symbolic way to say they couldn’t clearly see the way into the new covenant as long as the old was being adhered to. They needed to see that Jesus is the way into the place where God dwells, but could not do so while still looking at the old as the way. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51) which signified that God was no longer limiting Himself to dwell in the ark in the Holy of Holies. The way was made for God and man to meet in Christ—Jesus being the way (John 14:6).

The gifts and sacrifices offered under the old covenant could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper—the one offering them. They gave an outward cleansing pertaining to the body, but not an inner change of the heart and conscience which would cleanse away sinful desires. However, when Christ came as a high priest of the new and better covenant, He willingly entered into the Holy of Holies to sacrifice Himself and establish the new covenant which cleanses the conscience of those who believe in Him.

Jesus didn’t use the blood of goats and calves to enter in and establish the new covenant. He had no need to offer sacrifices for His own sin as the prior priests did, for He had no sin! He entered through His own blood—His perfect, unblemished, sinless blood—and went into the Holy place to establish the new covenant. He offered His blood once for all to obtain eternal redemption for us. Since the blood and ashes of the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament cleansed the flesh of the people, how much more will the unblemished blood of Christ cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? We have more than forgiveness of sin, under this new covenant. We have a cleansing of conscience, an inner change, which is what Jesus called being born again (John 3:3-8) and Paul called being new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).


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