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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hebrews 9:23-29

In this last part of the chapter, the apostle goes on to tell us what the Holy Ghost has signified to us by the legal purifications of the patterns of the things in heaven, inferring thence the necessity of better sacrifices to consecrate the heavenly things themselves. I. The necessity of purifying the patterns of the things in heaven, Heb. 9:23. This necessity arises both from the divine appointment, which must always be obeyed, and from the reason of that appointment, which was to preserve... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Hebrews 9:23-28

9:23-28 So, then, if it was necessary that the things which are copies of the heavenly realities should be cleansed by processes like these, it is necessary that the heavenly realities themselves should be cleansed by finer sacrifices than those of which we have been thinking. It is not into a man-made sanctuary that Christ has entered--that would be a mere symbol of the things which are real. It is into heaven itself that he entered, now to appear on our behalf before the presence of God. It... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:23

It was therefore necessary ,.... On account of the divine appointment, and that types and antitypes might correspond; and especially it was necessary with respect to the Messiah, the substance and body of all types. So Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the text in Exodus 40:9 , "and thou shalt take the anointing oil, and thou shalt anoint the tabernacle, and all that is in it; and thou shall sanctify it, מטול , because of the crown of the kingdom of the house of Judah, and the King... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:24

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands ,.... The most holy place in the tabernacle of Moses, or in the temple built by Solomon, and rebuilt by Zerubbabel, and repaired by Herod, which are the figures of the true ; that is, the most holy place in the tabernacle and temple, was a figure of the truth of that type; see Hebrews 9:9 as follows. Josephus F13 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 5. sect. 4. & c. 7. sect. 8. suggests the same, when speaking of the most holy place;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:25

Nor yet that he should offer himself often ,.... Or at all again; which shows the perfection of his sacrifice, for justice was satisfied, the law fulfilled, sin done away, and complete salvation obtained at once; which lies against the errors of the Socinians, who say he offers himself now in heaven; and of the Papists, who pretend to offer the body of Christ daily in their mass: as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others ; not his own, nor other... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 9:26

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world ,.... For if it was necessary that he should often offer up himself now, which is the same as to suffer, since the sacrifice of himself, the same was necessary before; seeing sin was in the world from the beginning, and the saints from the foundation of the world had their sins expiated by the sacrifice of Christ; but the truth is, Christ's sufferings were but once, though the virtue of them is always, both before and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 9:23

The patterns of things in the heavens - That is: The tabernacle and all its utensils, services, etc., must be purified by these, viz.: The blood of calves and goats, and the sprinkling of the blood and water with the bunch of hyssop bound about with scarlet wool. These are called patterns, ὑποδειγματα , exemplars, earthly things, which were the representatives of heavenly things. And there is no doubt that every thing in the tabernacle, its parts, divisions, utensils, ministry, etc., as... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 9:24

Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands - He is not gone into the holy of holies of the tabernacle or temple, as the Jewish high priest does once in the year with the blood of the victim, to sprinkle it before the mercy-seat there; but into heaven itself, which he has thus opened to all believers, having made the propitiatory offering by which both he and those whom he represents are entitled to enter and enjoy eternal blessedness. And hence we may consider that Christ,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 9:25

Nor yet that he should offer himself often - The sacrifice of Christ is not like that of the Jewish high priest; his must be offered every year, Christ has offered himself once for all: and this sacrificial act has ever the same efficacy, his crucified body being still a powerful and infinitely meritorious sacrifice before the throne. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 9:26

For then must he often have suffered - In the counsel of God, Christ was considered the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8 , so that all believers before his advent were equally interested in his sacrificial death with those who have lived since his coming. Humanly speaking, the virtue of the annual atonement could not last long, and must be repeated; Christ's sacrifice is ever the same; his life's blood is still considered as in the act of being continually... read more

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