Hebräer 9

1 Es hatte zwar auch das erste seine Rechte des Gottesdienstes und das äußerliche Heiligtum.

2 Denn es war da aufgerichtet das Vorderteil der Hütte, darin der Leuchter war und der Tisch und die Schaubrote; und dies hieß das Heilige.

3 Hinter dem andern Vorhang aber war die Hütte, die da heißt das Allerheiligste;

4 die hatte das goldene Räuchfaß und die Lade des Testaments allenthalben mit Gold überzogen, in welcher war der goldene Krug mit dem Himmelsbrot und die Rute Aarons, die gegrünt hatte, und die Tafeln des Testaments;

5 obendarüber aber waren die Cherubim der Herrlichkeit, die überschatteten den Gnadenstuhl; von welchen Dingen jetzt nicht zu sagen ist insonderheit.

6 Da nun solches also zugerichtet war, gingen die Priester allezeit in die vordere Hütte und richteten aus den Gottesdienst.

7 In die andere aber ging nur einmal im Jahr allein der Hohepriester, nicht ohne Blut, das er opferte für seine und des Volkes Versehen.

8 Damit deutete der heilige Geist, daß noch nicht offenbart wäre der Weg zum Heiligen, solange die vordere Hütte stünde,

9 welche ist ein Gleichnis auf die gegenwärtige Zeit, nach welchem Gaben und Opfer geopfert werden, die nicht können vollkommen machen nach dem Gewissen den, der da Gottesdienst tut

10 allein mit Speise und Trank und mancherlei Taufen und äußerlicher Heiligkeit, die bis auf die Zeit der Besserung sind aufgelegt.

11 Christus aber ist gekommen, daß er sei ein Hoherpriester der zukünftigen Güter, und ist durch eine größere und vollkommenere Hütte, die nicht mit der Hand gemacht, das ist, die nicht von dieser Schöpfung ist,

12 auch nicht der Böcke oder Kälber Blut, sondern sein eigen Blut einmal in das Heilige eingegangen und hat eine ewige Erlösung erfunden.

13 Denn so der Ochsen und der Böcke Blut und die Asche von der Kuh, gesprengt, heiligt die Unreinen zu der leiblichen Reinigkeit,

14 wie viel mehr wird das Blut Christi, der sich selbst ohne allen Fehl durch den ewigen Geist Gott geopfert hat, unser Gewissen reinigen von den toten Werken, zu dienen dem lebendigen Gott!

15 Und darum ist er auch ein Mittler des neuen Testaments, auf daß durch den Tod, so geschehen ist zur Erlösung von den Übertretungen, die unter dem ersten Testament waren, die, so berufen sind, das verheißene ewige Erbe empfangen.

16 Denn wo ein Testament ist, da muß der Tod geschehen des, der das Testament machte.

17 Denn ein Testament wird fest durch den Tod; es hat noch nicht Kraft, wenn der noch lebt, der es gemacht hat.

18 Daher auch das erste nicht ohne Blut gestiftet ward.

19 Denn als Mose ausgeredet hatte von allen Geboten nach dem Gesetz zu allem Volk, nahm er Kälber-und Bocksblut mit Wasser und Scharlachwolle und Isop und besprengte das Buch und alles Volk

20 und sprach: "Das ist das Blut des Testaments, das Gott euch geboten hat."

21 Und die Hütte und alles Geräte des Gottesdienstes besprengte er gleicherweise mit Blut.

22 Und es wird fast alles mit Blut gereinigt nach dem Gesetz; und ohne Blut vergießen geschieht keine Vergebung.

23 So mußten nun der himmlischen Dinge Vorbilder mit solchem gereinigt werden; aber sie selbst, die himmlischen, müssen bessere Opfer haben, denn jene waren.

24 Denn Christus ist nicht eingegangen in das Heilige, so mit Händen gemacht ist (welches ist ein Gegenbild des wahrhaftigen), sondern in den Himmel selbst, nun zu erscheinen vor dem Angesicht Gottes für uns;

25 auch nicht, daß er sich oftmals opfere, gleichwie der Hohepriester geht alle Jahre in das Heilige mit fremden Blut;

26 sonst hätte er oft müssen leiden von Anfang der Welt her. Nun aber, am Ende der Welt, ist er einmal erschienen, durch sein eigen Opfer die Sünde aufzuheben.

27 Und wie den Menschen gesetzt ist, einmal zu sterben, darnach aber das Gericht:

28 also ist auch Christus einmal geopfert, wegzunehmen vieler Sünden; zum andernmal wird er ohne Sünde erscheinen denen, die auf ihn warten, zur Seligkeit.

Hebräer 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The Jewish tabernacle and its utensils. (1-5) Their use and meaning. (6-10) These fulfilled in Christ. (11-22) The necessity, superior dignity, and power of his priesthood and sacrifice. (23-28)

Verses 1-5 The apostle shows to the Hebrews the typical reference of their ceremonies to Christ. The tabernacle was a movable temple, shadowing forth the unsettled state of the church upon earth, and the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily. The typical meaning of these things has been shown in former remarks, and the ordinances and articles of the Mosaic covenant point out Christ as our Light, and as the Bread of life to our souls; and remind us of his Divine Person, his holy priesthood, perfect righteousness, and all-prevailing intercession. Thus was the Lord Jesus Christ, all and in all, from the beginning. And as interpreted by the gospel, these things are a glorious representation of the wisdom of God, and confirm faith in Him who was prefigured by them.

Verses 6-10 The apostle goes on to speak of the Old Testament services. Christ, having undertaken to be our High Priest, could not enter into heaven till he had shed his blood for us; and none of us can enter, either into God's gracious presence here, or his glorious presence hereafter, but by the blood of Jesus. Sins are errors, great errors, both in judgment and practice; and who can understand all his errors? They leave guilt upon the conscience, not to be washed away but by the blood of Christ. We must plead this blood on earth, while he is pleading it for us in heaven. A few believers, under the Divine teaching, saw something of the way of access to God, of communion with him, and of admission into heaven through the promised Redeemer, but the Israelites in general looked no further than the outward forms. These could not take away the defilement or dominion of sin. They could neither discharge the debts, nor resolve the doubts, of him who did the service. Gospel times are, and should be, times of reformation, of clearer light as to all things needful to be known, and of greater love, causing us to bear ill-will to none, but good-will to all. We have greater freedom, both of spirit and speech, in the gospel, and greater obligations to a more holy living.

Verses 11-14 All good things past, present, and to come, were and are founded upon the priestly office of Christ, and come to us from thence. Our High Priest entered into heaven once for all, and has obtained eternal redemption. The Holy Ghost further signified and showed that the Old Testament sacrifices only freed the outward man from ceremonial uncleanness, and fitted him for some outward privileges. What gave such power to the blood of Christ? It was Christ's offering himself without any sinful stain in his nature or life. This cleanses the most guilty conscience from dead, or deadly, works to serve the living God; from sinful works, such as pollute the soul, as dead bodies did the persons of the Jews who touched them; while the grace that seals pardon, new-creates the polluted soul. Nothing more destroys the faith of the gospel, than by any means to weaken the direct power of the blood of Christ. The depth of the mystery of the sacrifice of Christ, we cannot dive into, the height we cannot comprehend. We cannot search out the greatness of it, or the wisdom, the love, the grace that is in it. But in considering the sacrifice of Christ, faith finds life, food, and refreshment.

Verses 15-22 The solemn transactions between God and man, are sometimes called a covenant, here a testament, which is a willing deed of a person, bestowing legacies on such persons as are described, and it only takes effect upon his death. Thus Christ died, not only to obtain the blessings of salvation for us, but to give power to the disposal of them. All, by sin, were become guilty before God, had forfeited every thing that is good; but God, willing to show the greatness of his mercy, proclaimed a covenant of grace. Nothing could be clean to a sinner, not even his religious duties; except as his guilt was done away by the death of a sacrifice, of value sufficient for that end, and unless he continually depended upon it. May we ascribe all real good works to the same all-procuring cause, and offer our spiritual sacrifices as sprinkled with Christ's blood, and so purified from their defilement.

Verses 23-28 It is evident that the sacrifices of Christ are infinitely better than those of the law, which could neither procure pardon for sin, nor impart power against it. Sin would still have been upon us, and have had dominion over us; but Jesus Christ, by one sacrifice, has destroyed the works of the devil, that believers may be made righteous, holy, and happy. As no wisdom, learning, virtue, wealth, or power, can keep one of the human race from death, so nothing can deliver a sinner from being condemned at the day of judgment, except the atoning sacrifice of Christ; nor will one be saved from eternal punishment who despises or neglects this great salvation. The believer knows that his Redeemer liveth, and that he shall see him. Here is the faith and patience of the church, of all sincere believers. Hence is their continual prayer as the fruit and expression of their faith, Even so come, Lord Jesus.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 9

The apostle having, in the former chapter, taken notice of the first covenant, in this proceeds to show what belonged to it, that it had service performed under it, and a place in which it was performed, Heb 9:1 and he begins with the latter, which he distinguishes into two parts, and shows what was in each of them; in the first, which was the holy place, were a candlestick, table, and shewbread; in the second, which was the holiest of all, were a golden censer, the ark of the covenant, the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod, the tables of the covenant, and the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, Heb 9:2-5. And next he speaks of the service performed in these places; in the first, the holy place, the common priests entered every day, doing service, as offering sacrifice Heb 9:6 and in the second, the holy of holies, only the high priest entered into, and that but once a year, with blood of slain beasts, which he offered for his own sins, and the sins of the people, Heb 9:7 and this being shut up, and entered into but once a year, was an indication from the Holy Ghost, that the way into the holiest of all, which this was then a figure of, was not yet made manifest, while the tabernacle or temple was standing, in which sacrifices were offered, which could not perfect the offerer of them, or remove guilt from his conscience, Heb 9:8,9 which shows the imperfection of that priesthood, it consisting of meats, drinks, baptisms, and carnal ordinances imposed on the Jewish nation until the times of the Messiah, Heb 9:10 which are now come, and in which there is an accomplishment of all those types and figures; Christ was typified by the high priest; and he is come as such, and the good things, the law was a shadow of, are come by him; who came into the world by the assumption of human nature, a more perfect tabernacle than the type of it was; and now having obtained eternal redemption for his people, he is gone into heaven, the most holy place, not as the high priest, with the blood of slain beasts, but with his own blood, Heb 9:11,12 the efficacy of which blood is argued from the lesser to the greater, that if the blood of beasts, and water of separation, sanctified and purified externally, then much more must the blood of Christ purge the conscience from sin, that it may serve God, since Christ offered himself to God without spot, through the eternal Spirit, Heb 9:13,14. The necessity of Christ's shedding his blood, or of his death, is proved from his being the Mediator of the new covenant, which required the redemption of transgressions under the first testament, that called ones might have the promise of the eternal inheritance, Heb 9:15. And this is reasoned from the nature of testaments or wills among men, which make the death of the testator necessary, they being of no force while he lives, only after his death, Heb 9:16,17. And this is further illustrated by the first testament being dedicated by blood, and everything belonging to it purged by it, the book, the people, the tabernacle, and all the vessels of it; nor is there any remission of sin, whether typical or real, without shedding of blood, Heb 9:18-22 wherefore, as it was necessary that the patterns and types of heavenly things should be purified in this manner; it must be more so, that the antitypes should be purified with better sacrifices, even with the sacrifice of Christ, Heb 9:23 and accordingly Christ is entered into heaven itself, of which the holy places in the tabernacle were figures, there to present and plead his sacrifice on account of his people, Heb 9:24 not that it was necessary that he should offer up himself again, or often, as the high priest, his type, went every year into the holy place with the blood of others; for then he must have often suffered since the world began, of which there was no need, since his appearing once in the end of the world, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, is sufficient, Heb 9:25,26 for as it is the appointment of God, that men should die but once, and then come to judgment, so it was only necessary that Christ should be offered once to bear the sins of all his people, and then appear a second time without any sin at all upon him, to the salvation of those that look for him, Heb 9:27,28.