Hebrews 9
The tabernacle had two parts, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, with the latter being entered only once a year by the high priest with blood to atone for the people's sins. This system was imperfect and unable to cleanse the conscience, but it foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Christ. Christ, as the High Priest, entered the true Holy of Holies in heaven, not with the blood of animals, but with his own blood, obtaining eternal redemption for humanity. His sacrifice was a one-time event, and he will appear again, not to atone for sin, but to bring salvation to those who await him.
1Certainly, the former also had the justifications of worship and a holy place for that age2For a tabernacle was made at first, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the bread of the Presence, which is called Holy3Then, beyond the second veil, was the tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies4having a golden censer, and the ark of the testament, covered all around and on every part with gold, in which was a golden urn containing manna, and the rod of Aaron which had blossomed, and the tablets of the testament5And over the ark were the Cherubim of glory, overshadowing the propitiatory. There is not enough time to speak about each of these things6Yet truly, once such things were placed together, in the first part of the tabernacle, the priests were, indeed, continually entering, so as to carry out the duties of the sacrifices7But into the second part, once a year, the high priest alone entered, not without blood, which he offered on behalf of the neglectful offenses of himself and of the people8In this way, the Holy Spirit is signifying that the way to what is most holy was not yet made manifest, not while the first tabernacle was still standing9And this is a parable for the present time. Accordingly, those gifts and sacrifices that are offered are not able, as concerns the conscience, to make perfect those things that serve only as food and drink10as well as the various washings and justices of the flesh, which were imposed upon them until the time of correction11But Christ, standing as the High Priest of future good things, through a greater and more perfect tabernacle, one not made by hand, that is, not of this creation12entered once into the Holy of Holies, having obtained eternal redemption, neither by the blood of goats, nor of calves, but by his own blood13For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the ashes of a calf, when these are sprinkled, sanctify those who have been defiled, in order to cleanse the flesh14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit has offered himself, immaculate, to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, in order to serve the living God15And thus he is the Mediator of the new testament, so that, by his death, he intercedes for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former testament, so that those who have been called may receive the promise of an eternal inheritance16For where there is a testament, it is necessary for the death of the one who testifies to intervene17For a testament is confirmed by death. Otherwise, it as yet has no force, as long as the one who testifies lives18Therefore, indeed, the first was not dedicated without blood19For when every commandment of the law had been read by Moses to the entire people, he took up the blood of calves and goats, with water and with scarlet wool and hyssop, and he sprinkled both the book itself and the entire people20saying: "This is the blood of the testament which God has commanded for you.21And even the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the ministry, he similarly sprinkled with blood22And nearly everything, according to the law, is to be cleansed with blood. And without the shedding of blood, there is no remission23Therefore, it is necessary for the examples of heavenly things to be cleansed, just as, indeed, these things were. Yet the heavenly things are themselves better sacrifices than these24For Jesus did not enter by means of holy things made with hands, mere examples of the true things, but he entered into Heaven itself, so that he may appear now before the face of God for us25And he did not enter so as to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies each year, with the blood of another26Otherwise, he would need to have suffered repeatedly since the beginning of the world. But now, one time, at the consummation of the ages, he has appeared in order to destroy sin though his own sacrifice27And in the same manner as it has been appointed for men to die one time, and after this, to be judged28so also Christ was offered, one time, in order to empty the sins of so many. He shall appear a second time without sin, for those who await him, unto salvation
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