The Great Sacrifice Heb. 23-28 (98)
“In Heb. 9:23 the typical things being purged with animal’s blood, there must needs be a more excellent way of purifying and consecrating heavenly things, and that was by the precious blood of the incarnate Son of God Himself. The difference between the legal priests and Christ. Those priests entered only an earthly tabernacle, but Christ has gone into Heaven itself vv. 24, 25. The Israel’s high priest entered the holy of holies repeatedly year by year, but Christ entered heaven once for all vv. 25, 26. The fact that men die but once, the God-man could not suffer death repeatedly vv. 27, 28. He shall appear “without sin unto salvation” v. 28”
- “Therefore (it was) necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified… but the heavenly things…with better sacrifices than these” v. 23. The typical purification of all things under the law, and the spiritual purification which has been effected by the sacrifice of Christ. “Animal blood might expiate ceremonial guilt and secure temporary blessings, but in order to secure the expiation of moral guilt and the attainment of eternal blessings, a nobler victim must bleed” (John Brown). Since God ordained that the heavenly things should be purified, it was necessary that a superior sacrifice should be made, for the typical offerings were altogether inadequate to such an end. The “patterns” or “figures” v. 23 namely, the covenant, the book, the people, the tabernacle and all its vessels of ministry. The “things in the heavens” were the everlasting covenant, the Church, and its redemption by Jesus Christ. The “heavenly things” had been designed in the mind of God their order, causes, beauty, and tendency unto His own glory, from all eternity; but they were “hid” in Himself Eph. 3:8–10. The calling of Israel has the shadow. The law were the pattern of those heavenly things. They give a representation of all these things” (John Owen). Christ Himself and His sacrifice were typified by the legal rites.
- “The heavenly things.” “By heavenly things, all the effects of the counsel of God in Christ, in the redemption, salvation, worship, and eternal glory of the Church; that is, Christ Himself in all His offices, with all the spiritual and eternal effects of them on the souls and consciences of men, with all the worship of God by Him according unto the Gospel. So also all the spiritual blessings which His mediation has secured are “heavenly things”: see Jn 3:12, Eph. 1:3, Heb. 3:1. The Church too Phil. 3:20 and Heaven itself as the abode of Christ and His redeemed are included Jn 14:1–3. The term “purification” has a twofold sense, external dedication unto God and internal purification, both are included in the term “sanctification” as it is used in Scripture. Thus, the covenant, the book of the covenant, the tabernacle, and all its vessels were “purified” in the first sense, that is, solemnly dedicated unto God and His service. All the “heavenly things” were themselves “purified.” Christ was consecrated, dedicated unto God in His own blood: Jn 17:19, Heb. 2:10, etc. Heaven itself was dedicated to be an habitation forever unto the mystical body of Christ, in perfect peace with the angels who never sinned: Eph. 1:10, Heb. 12:22–24.
- Yet there was also an internal “purification” of most of these “heavenly things.” The souls and consciences of the members of the Church were really cleansed, purified and sanctified with an inward and spiritual purification: Eph 5:25, 26, Titus 2:14. It has been “washed” in the blood of Christ Rev. 1:5 and is thereby cleansed from all sin 1Jn 1:7. And Heaven itself, was in some sense purified. When the angels apostatized, sin entered Heaven itself, and therefore was not pure in the sight of God (see Job 15:15). And upon the sin of man, a breach was made, enmity ensued, between the holy angels above and fallen men below; so that Heaven was no meet place for an habitation unto them both, until they were reconciled, which was only accomplished in the sacrifice of Christ Eph. 1:10, Col. 1:20.
- “But the heavenly things with better sacrifices.” Again; under the law there were five chief offerings appointed unto Israel: the burnt, the meal, the peace, the sin, the trespass (see Leviticus 1–5), and in Christ’s great Sacrifice we have the antitype of all five, and hence His has superseded theirs. Thus, the plural, “sacrifices” here emphasizes the one offering of Christ, expresses its superlative excellency, and denotes that it provides the substance of the many shadows under the law.
