THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 29, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 22.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

INTERNATIONAL SERIES

LESSON 9.—JUNE 2.—JESUS OUR HIGH PRIEST IN HEAVEN.

Lesson Scripture, Heb. 9:11-14, 24-28, R.V.

11 “But Christ having come a high priest of the good things to come, thru the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet thru the blood of goats and calves, but thru His own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who thru the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

24 “For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us; nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not His own; else must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages hath He been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for Him, unto salvation.”

Golden Text: “He ever liveth to make intercession.” Heb. 7:25.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) Of what is Christ a High Priest? Thru what tabernacle? Verse 11. Note 1. (2) What offering does our High Priest present? What does He obtain for us? Verse 12. (3) What did the blood of animals do? Verse 13. (4) How much more does the blood of Christ do? Verse 14. Note 2. (5) Into what has Christ not entered? Into what place has He entered? For whom does He appear? Verse 24. Note 3. (6) How is His offering contrasted with the offerings of earthly priests? Verse 25. Note 4. (7) What conclusion is drawn from this contrast? Verse 26. Note 5. (8) What is appointed unto men? And after this what follows? Verse 27. (9) For what was Christ offered? Verse 28, first part; Rev. 5:9, 10. Note 5. (10) For what purpose does He appear the second time? Verse 28, last part; John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:15-18.

NOTES.

1. Christ, a High Priest.—A priest is one who acts as a mediator. In ordinary usage it means one who acts between men and any “divinity,” whether it be the true God or an imaginary god. The Bible definition is given in Heb. 5:1: “Every priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” All the men whom God has ever recognized as priests were merely types of Christ, our real High Priest. All the “gifts and sacrifices” that human priests ever offered were types of the one effectual sacrifice of our antitypical High Priest. Since Christ began His mediatorial work in the “greater and more perfect tabernacle,” after His ascension from earth, He does not recognize any vicarious representative on earth. All His human representatives now are ambassadors, or messengers, directing sinners to the Great High Priest in heaven. In this sense they are priests to the world.

2. The Blood.—“Without shedding of blood is no remission.” Heb. 9:22. By the blood of “goats and calves” the people were kept in remembrance of the blood of Christ, which really cleanseth from sin. Offering the blood of animals in the obedience of faith, their sins were forgiven. But the virtue was in the Antitype. Without the shedding of His blood, there could have been no remission. But then, as now, faith was the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence [or assurance] of things not seen.” By the blood of those animal sacrifices there was an outward ceremonial cleansing; but by the blood of Christ, which those sacrifices typified, there was and is the cleansing of the life from “dead works,” and a fitting for real spiritual service. The blood of Jesus Christ signifies His life. “The life of all flesh is the blood thereof.” Lev. 17:14. So when Christ appeared in the heavenly sanctuary with an offering in our behalf that would satisfy the violated law of God, He presented a spotless life. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Rom. 5:10. His sinless life is presented as a substitute in lieu of the sinful life of every one who has purified himself by faith; and the righteousness of the Substitute is imputed to the soul that has accepted it.

3. “For Us.”—The lesson will prove futile unless we realize that Christ is now in the heavenly sanctuary, appearing for us. Who are meant by “us”? The writer of this epistle was addressing those who professed the faith of Christ. While He gave Himself a sacrifice for all, His blood avails only for those who come unto Him by faith. He appears before God in behalf of those only who seek reconciliation thru Him. In the type, the atonement was made only for those who had humbled themselves on that day and confessed their sins. So in the antitype, Christ, our High Priest, makes atonement by His blood only for those who accept His mediatorship, and acknowledge His priesthood. As in earthly courts advocates appear only for those who have employed them, so in the heavenly court Jesus Christ, the only admissible Advocate, pleads only for those who entrust their cases to Him.

4. “Year by Year.”—In the Common Version the expression is “once a year.” This has reference to the day of atonement, or cleansing of the sanctuary, which was the only occasion on which the high priest (and none but he) could enter the second apartment of the sanctuary. The expression “holy place,” in verse 25, refers to the “most holy” place. It is the same as “the holiest” mentioned in Ch. 10:19.

5. “Once.”—Christ offered Himself but once. If that were not sufficient, it would indicate that the offering was defective. It would be well for all to remember this fact. Especially should those who advocate a future probation remember it. Christ makes but one atonement; He is making that now; and when He closes His priestly work and puts on His kingly robes, He will maintain that position forever, and the sanctuary door will be shut. To provide a future probation and opportunity for salvation would necessitate another atonement, and that would call for another death. But Christ is “alive forevermore.” Rev. 1:18. “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2. This opportunity neglected or rejected, “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Heb. 10:26; also Ch. 2:1-3.

6. The argument in verse 27 is that men end their earthly work at death, but the first death does not end all. After death there is a general resurrection, and the final results of this probationary life will be manifested to all. There will be seen the punishment of disobedience and the reward of faith. The second death will be in consequence of failure to grasp the opportunities of the present life.