Hebrews 9:12, commentary and pictures

After His resurrection and ascension He entered by His own blood, not by the blood of animals, into the heavenly holy place itself, the true and greater tabernacle not made with hands. That entrance was once for all, not repeated every year like the earthly high priests, and by one sacrifice forever He obtained eternal redemption and everlasting deliverance from sin. The blood of goats, calves and bulls could not by itself save or satisfy God's demands against transgression, because the life of a beast is of less value than the offending sinner and cannot be a ransom for sin. At His death type met antitype in the great offering of His own life, the temple veil was torn, animal blood became valueless, and sacrifices and offerings for sin were ended. There He ever lives as great High Priest to plead His own blood before the Father for penitent believers, and at the close of the 2300 days in 1844 He entered the Most Holy Place to make the final atonement and cleanse the sanctuary in the investigative judgment.

Heavenly Entry and Priesthood

After death and resurrection and ascension He entered the heavenly holy place, which is heaven itself and the true, greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, by His own blood and not by the blood of goats and calves or other animal sacrifices. The earthly sanctuary and its sacrifices were types pointing to Him, and when the true sacrifice was made the earthly sacrificial service passed away and people were to look to Him as minister of the sanctuary and of the new covenant. His death fulfilled what the temple lamb represented, ended the need for sacrifices and offerings for sin, and opened the way into the holiest. The disciples' faith and hope followed Him where He entered as their forerunner, and there He pleads His blood for sinners and presents the prayers of penitent believers with the fragrance of His righteousness.

His entrance was once, once for all, not repeated every year as the earthly high priest entered with the blood of others. By one sacrifice for sins forever, by His own life offered as the atoning sacrifice, unlike the repeated animal offerings, He secured and obtained eternal redemption. His completed sacrifice is distinct from the stages of His ministry, for He ministered in the holy place from His ascension until 1844 and then entered the most holy place to make a special atonement and cleanse the sanctuary. His death opened access to God for everyone without a human priest or ruler, and opened a new and living way that removed the barrier between Jew and Gentile.

There He serves as great High Priest and Advocate in the courts of heaven, as forerunner, as minister of the true covenant with blood that speaks better things than that of Abel, and as the Branch who builds the temple of the Lord and is priest upon His throne, ever living to make intercession so He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him. He is the true High Priest, pure and undefiled without taint of sin and sinless, in contrast to the false and corrupted Caiaphas and the former priestly system that His sacrifice ended. He did not glorify Himself but was appointed by God, and having obtained eternal redemption He sat down on the right hand of God as representative, Advocate and friend who can be touched with the feelings of human infirmities. He remains a priest forever, while earthly priests died and could not continue their ministry, for the earthly sanctuary and its services were given as a pattern so Israel could grasp His work in heaven and lay hold of the merits of the coming Saviour.

The heavenly temple has a Holy Place and a Most Holy Place, where by the ark He presents the saints' prayers to the Father with incense. He entered the holiest of all with the blood of the atonement and sprinkles it upon the mercy-seat and upon His own garments and blesses the people. Having offered Himself a sacrifice, He entered still bearing the same humanity that was despised on earth as a Man of sorrows veiled in humanity, now triumphant and victorious, exalted and robed in glory. He has not entered into a holy place made with hands but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, having come as High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by human hands.

Blood and Eternal Redemption

Blood is sacred because atonement for sin comes only through the shedding of the blood of the Son of God. The blood of the slain sacrificial victim symbolized His blood, and the blood used to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins of the people typified the blood of Christ which alone can cleanse from sin.

Animal sacrifices and the Jewish priesthood represented His death and mediating work but could not save anyone by themselves, having no power to save apart from Him. The blood of goats and calves, of bulls and other beasts, could not satisfy God's demands in atoning for transgression of His perfect law, because the life of a beast is of less value than the life of the offending sinner and therefore could not be a ransom for sin. Their purpose was to point to Christ, whose perfect sinless offering alone met the demands of God's law, and the blood of beasts was acceptable only as a figure representing the perfect Offering it prefigured. Nor could the blood of bulls and goats wash away guilt where there was no genuine sorrow for sin, for a broken and contrite heart mattered more than many offerings without repentance, and those who rejected the mercies and warnings given in their own time were not cleansed.

The law forbidding the eating of fat or blood was given to keep clear and definite ideas between the sacred and the common. It was to impress the fact that if there had been no sin there would have been no shedding of blood.

By His own voluntary offering He obtained never-ending redemption and everlasting deliverance from sin. His passion is an eternal sacrifice of perpetual efficacy that heals and satisfies divine justice forever for those who rely on it with firm faith.

He could pay that price with His own blood because in Him the divine and the human were united, Creator and creature meeting together. In Him the nature of God whose law had been transgressed and the nature of Adam the transgressor met as Son of God and Son of Man. Having passed through human experience, having met and conquered temptation on man's behalf, and having borne shame and guilt and burden though Himself sinless, He becomes man's Advocate and Intercessor, giving assurance to the tempted and struggling soul and to the witnessing universe that He is a merciful and faithful high priest.

His offering was infinitely valuable, and His ascent presented His sacrifice to the Father for acceptance, waiting for the assurance that it was accepted before receiving heavenly honor. The atonement for His people was full and ample and sufficient, so that through His blood all may gain eternal life. The cost of His sacrifice at an immeasurable price is a divine mystery angels cannot fully comprehend. Through the shedding of the Son of God's blood Satan's murderous deceptive character was exposed and his own destruction made unavoidable.

Earthly Types Fulfilled

The earthly sanctuary with its priesthood, sacrifices and offerings was given as a pattern so Israel could grasp His work in heaven. Its sacrifices let the people lay hold of the merits of the coming Saviour and preserved faith in the Redeemer to come. They taught that sin separates people from God and that a mediator is needed, for they were symbols pointing to Him and had no power to save apart from Him.

All those animal offerings and priestly services pointed forward to Him and found their reality and fulfillment in His crucifixion and priestly sanctuary ministry as the perfect sinless offering. He is the foundation of the Jewish economy to whom all sacrifices and offerings pointed, and His voluntary sacrifice alone met the demands of God's law and restored communication between God and humanity. He entered the temple as His own place, unawed by its splendor, and proclaimed truth there, teaching even in the outer court so Gentiles might hear, while that temple was soon to become the tomb of a departed dispensation.

At His death type met antitype in the one great offering of His own life, which all former offerings had foreshadowed. The temple veil was torn, showing the earthly sanctuary services and sacrifices had ended, the blood offerings of beasts became valueless, and the Jewish sacrifices, ordinances and ceremonies were no longer accepted by God. His death terminated the value of all the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish law, and with His entry by His own blood into the heavenly sanctuary the old system of types and shadows ceased to provide access to God.

His death fulfilled what the temple lamb represented, ended the need for sacrifices and offerings for sin and for the former priestly system, and opened the way into the holiest. It opened a new and living way, removed the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, and opened access to God for everyone and for all mankind without a human priest or ruler, since He did not die for the Hebrews alone. The red heifer slain without the camp in solemn manner foreshadowed this whole and ample sacrifice outside the city walls and its cleansing application that remains in force at the present time. Its blood the priest in pure white garments cast seven times toward the temple and its body was burned to ashes with cedar, scarlet and hyssop to make cleansing water, and so as both priest and victim in spotless robes of righteousness He cast the virtue of His offering as a crimson current toward the Holy Place to reconcile man to God through the blood of the cross.

Unlike the high priest who set aside ornate robes to serve in a common priest's white linen dress, He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant to give Himself as both priest and sacrifice. The Lord's Supper commemorates that greater deliverance through the sacrifice of His life, of which Israel's deliverance from Egypt was a type.

1844 Closing Atonement

At the close of the prophetic periods in 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, He entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary by His own blood to make a final atonement and cleanse the sanctuary. That entry was what the sanctuary type warranted believers to expect on the tenth day of the seventh month in 1844, even though the event anticipated was mistaken. It was not a cleansing of the earth by fire, and the mistake was not in the reckoning of time but in misunderstanding the sanctuary and its cleansing. The earthly priests' animal sacrifices and yearly entrance into the most holy place prefigured this ministry, for after shedding His blood at Calvary He entered to obtain redemption, the temple veil having been torn to show the earthly services and sacrifices had ended. In this prophetic application His entry after the disappointment finished the atonement for human sin for those who could benefit from His mediation, and the investigative judgment began for the dead.

His completed sacrifice is distinct from the stages of His ministry. After resurrection and ascension He ministered first in the holy place, in the first apartment, from His ascension until 1844, presenting His people's prayers, repentance and faith before God, purified by His merits. Then, at the close of the prophetic periods in 1844, after finishing His ministration in the first apartment, He passed through the second veil in priestly garments to minister in the second apartment, in the Most Holy Place, to atone for sin and cleanse the sanctuary. His entry did not end His work as intercessor, for He continued to plead His own blood before the Father on behalf of repentant sinners. His high-priestly work thus brings the divine plan of redemption to completion through the final atonement for sin.

His entrance into the Most Holy Place in 1844 began the closing work of the atonement and the investigative judgment, corresponding to the earthly sanctuary's service on the Day of Atonement. There the cases of the righteous dead pass in review before God and then judgment is pronounced upon the living, each judged individually according to the deeds done in the body while He pleads in their behalf and the final irrevocable decision is pronounced upon every case. As Israel on that typical day was to humble itself and seek pardon while the high priest performed the atonement in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary, so now in the antitypical Day of Atonement sins must go beforehand to judgment by confession and repentance. God's people must afflict their souls and confess their sins that they may be atoned for and blotted out.

The high priest's yearly entrance, when Israel was to humble itself and seek pardon, points to the need to understand His work as High Priest and the duties it requires. The midnight cry was to prepare people to enter by faith with Him into the Most Holy Place, and those who rejected the earlier messages could not benefit from this sanctuary ministry or from His intercession there. In the antitypical Day of Atonement He, the great High Priest, ministers in the most holy place beyond the second veil, blotting out the sins of His faithful people throughout history. Believers are urged to enter there by faith through the open door while His work continues, and that door remains open until probation closes and the gospel ministry ends.

Light on His ministration in the heavenly sanctuary, especially the ministration connected with the holy place, is present truth and one of the great pillars of faith. The Holy Spirit has over and over in a marked manner endorsed the preaching of this sanctuary doctrine. Light on it comes when the Lord is earnestly sought for it, and a true understanding of it means much. Any teacher who presents theories that lead away from this light and deny these truths should not be accepted as a teacher.

Mediation for Sinners

In the sanctuary He pleads His own blood before the Father and before the mercy-seat on the sinner's behalf, joining God's justice represented by the law with mercy. After ascending He ministered first in the holy place, presenting the prayers, repentance and faith of penitent believers before God purified by His merits and with the fragrance of His righteousness and the virtue of His merits, having entered once by His own blood and not by animal offerings to obtain eternal redemption. He then entered the Most Holy Place to atone for sin and cleanse the sanctuary, and His high-priestly work brings the divine plan of redemption to completion through the final atonement for sin.

He ever lives to make intercession as representative, Advocate, friend, and merciful faithful High Priest who can be touched with the feelings of human infirmities, having met temptation on man's behalf. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him, and having entered once for all into the holy place above by virtue of His own blood He obtained eternal redemption and sat down on the right hand of God. Still bearing humanity, triumphant, victorious, exalted and robed in glory, He entered the holiest of all with the blood of the atonement, sprinkling it upon the mercy-seat and upon His own garments and blessing the people. His death opened access to God for everyone without a human priest or ruler, removing the barrier between Jew and Gentile by a new and living way, and He now appears before God for humanity as its interceding High Priest.

Through Him God justifies the repenting sinner, restores the fellowship and communication between God and humanity that sin severed, clothes the redeemed in His righteousness, and brings the blessings and pardon of His mediation to those who receive Him. Animal sacrifices and the Jewish priesthood represented His death and mediating work but could not save by themselves, and with His entry into the heavenly sanctuary the old system of types and shadows ceased to provide access to God so that those who rejected Him could not receive those benefits. His heavenly work completes the atonement, so that when He appears the second time He declares that there is to be no more sacrifice for sin.

Because of transgression of God's law He became man's sin-bearer, substitute and surety, the only begotten Son giving His life to satisfy justice and vindicate the honor of God's law. Himself undeserving, He took the punishment the guilty deserved to uplift fallen man degraded by sin, so that through faith in His sacrifice sins are pardoned, sinners are set free to return to allegiance to God through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, and repentant believers with contrite heart are reconciled to God. Understanding His atoning sacrifice and His position and work as all-powerful Mediator and great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary is necessary for the faith God's people need and for the work they are called to do.

Christian Life Response

Benefits of the mediation and atonement secured when He entered the heavenly sanctuary by His own blood after the great Sacrifice was accepted are received by faith as believers follow Him in His work as High Priest. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit turned the disciples' minds from the earthly sanctuary to His ministry in the heavenly one and brought them the benefits of His atonement, while the rending of the temple veil showed that Jewish sacrifices and ordinances were no longer accepted and the earthly sanctuary had given way to the heavenly. With His entry the old service of types and shadows ceased to provide access to God, and forgiveness and communion with God come only through His heavenly ministry as the true sacrifice and only Mediator. Those who rejected John's message and Jesus, and those who rejected the earlier messages including the midnight cry that was to prepare people to enter by faith with Him into the Most Holy Place, could not receive the Pentecost blessing nor benefit from His mediation and intercession in the heavenly sanctuary, but continued trusting in sacrifices and ordinances that could no longer avail them. The yearly entrance of the high priest into the most holy place, when Israel was to humble itself and seek pardon, points to the antitypical Day of Atonement and the need to understand His work as High Priest and the duties it requires.

Following Him by faith led believers to understand the church's closing work and to prepare to give the third angel's warning, for He undertook a further work of ministry as great High Priest who entered the heavenly sanctuary. Worshipers stand in a solemn relation to Him as great High Priest and Advocate in the courts of heaven, who has passed into the heavens and entered not a holy place made with hands but heaven itself to appear in the presence of God for us, and that relation must be understood for present and eternal good. His work there continues without ceasing as He presents His blood before the mercy-seat and pleads in behalf of sinners, and this solemn continuing intercession gives every moment great value and calls His followers to work diligently in a way that reflects their living Head.

Those redeemed and consecrated to service through His own blood and not through animal blood show conversion through faithful unselfish works of righteousness and the virtues of Christ. His sacrifice obtained a never-ending redemption and everlasting deliverance from sin as an eternal sacrifice of perpetual efficacy that satisfies divine justice forever for those who rely on it with firm faith, yet this grace does not permit continuing in sin, for faith in God brings a zeal that impels to good works and awakens zeal for good works. The converting power of God on the heart is needed, with the softening and subduing work of the Holy Spirit that removes faultfinding, brings unity of mind, binds those washed in His blood together in Christian brotherhood to love one another as He loved them, and makes people submissive so God can use them effectively in His great work.

His great atonement grounds confidence in God and the hope of eternal life. The cleansing power of His blood must be continually applied to hearts for salvation, and the Lord's Supper commemorates that greater deliverance through the sacrifice of His life, of which Israel's deliverance from Egypt was a type. His merits avail with the Father for sinful people, and through faith in Him as the only Redeemer together with repentance for transgressing God's law paradise may be regained. Now is the time to make sure work for eternity by offering self as a free acceptable sacrifice, confessing sins instead of covering them in order to find mercy and grace to help in every time of need, putting away and loathing the sins that caused Him such suffering, showing compassion, and pouring out the soul in repentance and contrition to receive a new heart.

Forgiveness comes through God's mercy and love in Christ, whose blood is the atonement for sin and who now pleads for sinners as the sin-pardoning Saviour, revealing God's measureless mercy and compassion. People cannot remove sin by trying to improve themselves or by promising to amend, but must repent, forsake sin, and come as they are asking Him to forgive, pardon and remove their sins. Children and youth should be taught to ask Him for forgiveness and pardon.