Hebrews 9:7, commentary and pictures

But into the second refers to the inner apartment behind the second veil, the Most Holy Place containing the ark and mercy-seat where God's glory dwells, entered in contrast to the daily ministry in the Holy Place and at the altar of burnt offering. Into it the high priest alone was permitted to go only once a year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement, after solemn preparation and carrying the blood of bulls and goats to offer for his own sins and for the errors of all the people as their mediator. The place was most sacredly guarded in solitude under penalty of death for unbidden intrusion, and while he made atonement before the mercy-seat amid incense and hushed courts the people waited outside in awe and prayer until he came out to bless them. That yearly entrance with blood was a type of the work of Jesus as great High Priest, who ministers His own shed blood in the true heavenly tabernacle where animal sacrifices no longer have value. At His death the temple veil was torn open and the earthly most holy was no longer recognized by God's presence, and in 1844 at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8 Christ entered the heavenly Most Holy to make final atonement and cleanse the sanctuary from sin by His blood before He comes forth to bless His waiting people.

Earthly Sanctuary Service

The verse belongs to the sanctuary of two apartments divided by a second veil, which marks the entrance into the Holiest, the Holy of Holies, the second part or inner section. Behind that veil stand the ark and mercy-seat with their mysteries, and the service connected with them is the great Day of Atonement. Before the veil in the first apartment stands the golden altar of incense, and the yearly ministry in the Most Holy Place stands in contrast to the daily service performed at the altar of burnt offering and in the Holy Place. Only the high priest enters that inner apartment, alone, once a year on the appointed day, the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. He enters after careful and solemn preparation, carrying blood of bulls and goats offered for his own errors and sins and for the errors of the people and of all Israel, acting as mediator. That annual service cleansed the sanctuary from the sins symbolically conveyed there during the year and removed what had been transferred to it.

The Most Holy Place is most sacredly guarded in sacred solitude and kept as God's sacred audience chamber where Jehovah meets the priest to communicate His glory. Its entrance veil inwrought with cherubim is to be lifted by no other hand than the high priest's, and to intrude unbidden into its sacred mystery is death. It is sacred to God's presence, for above the mercy-seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwells the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no man may look and live. The high priest approaches that awful presence with reverence and trembling to make atonement before the mercy-seat, where God meets him in the cloud of glory. Clouds of incense veil the glory from his sight as he ministers before the ark in the awful presence of God.

While he is within, every sound throughout the courts of the temple is hushed and no other priests minister at the altars. The people wait outside in silent awe and prayer for blessing and mercy, sending up petitions for God's mercy. If he stays longer than expected they fear that their sins or a sin of the priest has led the glory of the Lord to slay him, and that a prolonged stay or delay in return means he has been struck down because of his own sins or theirs. The bells on his garments reassure them when they hear him moving, and when he comes out he blesses them. Within the Most Holy before the ark the high priest inquires of God and God converses with him, often answering with an audible voice. When God does not answer by voice He answers by a sign upon the cherubim over the ark and upon the precious stones of the breastplate, with sacred beams of light and glory resting on the right meaning approbation and favor and a cloud resting on the left meaning refusal and disapproval.

In Eli's time this restriction still held: Eli alone had permission to enter the most holy place once a year alone, while his sons ministered only at the door of the tabernacle in slaying the beasts and at the altar of sacrifice.

Christ's Heavenly Ministry

The once-a-year entrance alone with blood to cleanse the sanctuary from the sins symbolically carried into it through the year is the pattern for the work of Jesus as great High Priest, and Aaron's yearly ministry represented that work of Christ. The cleansing begun at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8 is not a removal of physical impurity but a cleansing from sin by Christ's blood, taking away sins symbolically transferred to the heavenly sanctuary.

Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary by the offering of His own blood and ministers there as minister of the true tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not by man, continually standing at the altar and officiating in God's presence, moment by moment presenting His shed blood as a lamb slain for the sins of the world, the oblation for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner. Unlike the earthly priests who died, He remains a priest forever, and He has become priest and advocate in heaven by His own blood. The daily and yearly typical atonement shadows no longer possess virtue and are no longer to be made, and animal sacrifices for sin no longer have value, because the Lamb of God has died for the world's sins and constant commission of sin now makes the atoning sacrifice through a mediator essential.

At Christ's death, while priests were ministering in the temple before the veil separating the holy from the most holy, the earth trembled and the heavy veil of tapestry was torn in two from top to bottom, exposing to the common gaze and to curious eyes the most holy place that human feet had entered only once a year. From that time God's presence no longer overshadowed the earthly mercy-seat, nor did the light of His glory flash upon or the cloud of His disapproval shadow the precious stones in the breastplate, and the apartment lay open to every eye and was no longer recognized by the Lord. The tearing showed that the old separation had ended, that the way into the holiest was open, that the earthly most holy was no longer set apart as before, and that type had met antitype in an infinite sacrifice offered for the sin of the world, ending the earthly service the yearly entrance represented. The temple service nevertheless continued for a time until the temple was destroyed, performed by those who kept offering the old sacrifices without consciousness of the change, with conflicting feelings and a sense of strangeness.

In 1844, at the end of the 2300 days, Christ entered the heavenly most holy place to make a final atonement and cleanse the sanctuary, pleading His blood for sinners in the closing work of atonement for those who can benefit from His mediation. On the appointed day He accomplished all that the type justified expecting, even though the nature of the event was mistaken. When that work of atonement is finished He will come forth to bless His waiting people, as Aaron's yearly mediation for all Israel foreshadowed.

Faith and Final Preparation

The sanctuary is arranged in two apartments, with the ark and mercy-seat behind the second veil and the golden altar of incense standing before it, and the priest's prayer offered in the first apartment directed by faith toward the unseen mercy-seat portrays God's people directing their prayers by faith to Christ as Mediator before the mercy-seat in the heavenly sanctuary. Though they cannot see Him with natural eyes they see Him by faith and confidently claim the benefits of His mediation. This ministry is portrayed by the incense and the glory of God filling the sanctuary, at times filling both apartments so completely that the priest could not officiate.

While Jesus remains in the heavenly sanctuary He accepts prayers, confessions, and sacrifices and pardons sin. Before He leaves the most holy place the sins of those who have turned to Him will be blotted out and they will be sealed. His ministry there was nearing its close, with very short time left for that work and for preparation for the sealing. The work of rescuing people must therefore be done before He leaves. After He leaves there will be no Priest to present further prayers or confessions, and each person's character will remain unchanged.

When disappointed believers after the passing of the time in 1844 enter the heavenly most holy place by faith they find Jesus there and their hope and joy return. The sanctuary light explains their disappointment and gives certainty that God has led them. Only the high priest could enter the second apartment sacred to God's presence, and only on the one day of the year appointed for ministry in the most holy place. The veil inwrought with cherubim at its entrance was to be lifted by no other hand, and to intrude unbidden into its sacred mystery was death, because above the mercy-seat and the bowed, worshiping angels dwelt the glory of the Holiest, glory upon which no one might look and live. The high priest entered God's presence with trembling while clouds of incense veiled the glory from his sight, and throughout the courts every sound was hushed with no priests ministering at the altars while the hosts of worshipers bowed in silent awe sent up their petitions for God's mercy. These things happened by way of example and were written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the ages are come. The daily and yearly typical atonement were shadows that no longer possess virtue and are no longer to be made, for Christ is now minister of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, continually standing at the altar and officiating in the presence of God, offering His shed blood as a lamb slain for the sins of the world and presenting the oblation for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner, because constant commission of sin makes the atoning sacrifice through a mediator essential.