HEBREWS 8-9

The New Priestly Service

8 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, ^{A)"> ( A)} who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a Minister of ^{B)"> ( B)} the ^{a]"> [ a]} sanctuary and of ^{C)"> ( C)} the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

³ For ^{D)"> ( D)} every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore ^{E)"> ( E)} it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. ⁴ For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; ⁵ who serve ^{F)"> ( F)} the copy and ^{G)"> ( G)} shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ^{H)"> ( H)} “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” ⁶ But now ^{I)"> ( I)} He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a ^{J)"> ( J)} better covenant, which was established on better promises.

A New Covenant ^{K)"> ( K)}

⁷ For if that ^{L)"> ( L)} first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. ⁸ Because finding fault with them, He says: ^{M)"> ( M)} “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord , when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — ⁹ not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord . ¹⁰ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the ^{N)"> ( N)} Lord : I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and ^{O)"> ( O)} I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ^{11 P)"> ( P)} None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the ^{Q)"> ( Q)} Lord ,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. ¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, ^{R)"> ( R)} and their sins ^{b]"> [ b]} and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

^{13 S)"> ( S)} In that He says, “ A new covenant ,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The Earthly Sanctuary ^{T)"> ( T)}

9 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and ^{U)"> ( U)} the earthly sanctuary. ² For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the ^{c]"> [ c]} sanctuary; ^{3 V)"> ( V)} and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, ⁴ which had the ^{W)"> ( W)} golden censer and ^{X)"> ( X)} the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were ^{Y)"> ( Y)} the golden pot that had the manna, ^{Z)"> ( Z)} Aaron’s rod that budded, and ^{AA)"> ( AA)} the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and ^{AB)"> ( AB)} above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Limitations of the Earthly Service

⁶ Now when these things had been thus prepared, ^{AC)"> ( AC)} the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. ⁷ But into the second part the high priest went alone ^{AD)"> ( AD)} once a year, not without blood, which he offered for ^{AE)"> ( AE)} himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that ^{AF)"> ( AF)} the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered ^{AG)"> ( AG)} which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— ¹⁰ concerned only with ^{AH)"> ( AH)} foods and drinks, ^{AI)"> ( AI)} various ^{d]"> [ d]} washings, ^{AJ)"> ( AJ)} and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The Heavenly Sanctuary

¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of ^{AK)"> ( AK)} the good things ^{e]"> [ e]} to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not ^{AL)"> ( AL)} with the blood of goats and calves, but ^{AM)"> ( AM)} with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place ^{AN)"> ( AN)} once for all, ^{AO)"> ( AO)} having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^{AP)"> ( AP)} the blood of bulls and goats and ^{AQ)"> ( AQ)} the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, ^{f]"> [ f]} sanctifies for the ^{g]"> [ g]} purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without ^{h]"> [ h]} spot to God, ^{AR)"> ( AR)} cleanse your conscience from ^{AS)"> ( AS)} dead works ^{AT)"> ( AT)} to serve the living God? ¹⁵ And for this reason ^{AU)"> ( AU)} He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that ^{AV)"> ( AV)} those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The Mediator’s Death Necessary

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For ^{AW)"> ( AW)} a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. ^{18 AX)"> ( AX)} Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every ^{i]"> [ i]} precept to all the people according to the law, ^{AY)"> ( AY)} he took the blood of calves and goats, ^{AZ)"> ( AZ)} with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, ^{BA)"> ( BA)} “This is the ^{BB)"> ( BB)} blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise ^{BC)"> ( BC)} he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are ^{j]"> [ j]} purified with blood, and ^{BD)"> ( BD)} without shedding of blood there is no ^{k]"> [ k]} remission.

Greatness of Christ’s Sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that ^{BE)"> ( BE)} the copies of the things in the heavens should be ^{l]"> [ l]} purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For ^{BF)"> ( BF)} Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are ^{m]"> [ m]} copies of ^{BG)"> ( BG)} the true, but into heaven itself, now ^{BH)"> ( BH)} to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as ^{BI)"> ( BI)} the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— ²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ^{27 BJ)"> ( BJ)} And as it is appointed for men to die once, ^{BK)"> ( BK)} but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so ^{BL)"> ( BL)} Christ was ^{BM)"> ( BM)} offered once to bear the sins ^{BN)"> ( BN)} of many. To those who ^{BO)"> ( BO)} eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.