Hebrews 9:9

Which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshiper perfect, being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

The use of the present tense in "is a figure" and "are offered" points to the temple and its services as still operative when Hebrews was written. The great weakness of the old covenant was its carnality. To be sure, the worshiper who offered the proper sacrifices, washed himself ceremonially upon required occasions, observed the regulations as to meats and drinks, etc., could have been, and was, admitted into the commonwealth of God during that period; but none of those fleshly, carnal ordinances did anything at all to cleanse the consciences of sinners. The blood of bulls and goats, the sprinkling of altars, the ashes of a red heifer, the burning of incense, the washings, the changing of clothes, etc., none of those things made the slightest change in people's hearts. That was the mortal weakness of the old covenant. Time would not allow in such a work as this a thorough study of all the rites and ceremonies of Judaism included in this general reference to them; but most of them, even the washings, are illustrated by the Day of Atonement ritual described above.

Until a time of reformation designates the times of the Messiah and the new covenant. Christ referred to those times as "the times of regeneration" (Matthew 19:28), and Peter called them "times of refreshing" (Acts 3:19).