Hebrews 9:12

12. Neither—"Nor yet."

by—"through"; as the means of His approach.

goats . . . calves—not a bullock, such as the Levitical high priest offered for himself, and a goat for the people, on the day of atonement (Leviticus 16:6; Leviticus 16:15), year by year, whence the plural is used, goats . . . calves. Besides the goat offered for the people the blood of which was sprinkled before the mercy seat, the high priest led forth a second goat, namely, the scapegoat; over it he confessed the people's sins, putting them on the head of the goat, which was sent as the sin-bearer into the wilderness out of sight, implying that the atonement effected by the goat sin offering (of which the ceremony of the scapegoat is a part, and not distinct from the sin offering) consisted in the transfer of the people's sins on the goat, and their consequent removal out of sight. The translation of sins on the victim usual in other expiatory sacrifices being omitted in the case of the slain goat, but employed in the case of the goat sent away, proved the two goats were regarded as one offering [ARCHBISHOP MAGEE]. Christ's death is symbolized by the slain goat; His resurrection to life by the living goat sent away. Modern Jews substitute in some places a cock for the goat as an expiation, the sins of the offerers being transferred to the entrails, and exposed on the housetop for the birds to carry out of sight, as the scapegoat did; the Hebrew for "man" and "cock" being similar, gebher [BUXTORF].

by—"through," as the means of His entrance; the key unlocking the heavenly Holy of Holies to Him. The Greek is forcible, "through THE blood of His own" (compare Leviticus 16:15- :).

once—"once for all."

having obtained—having thereby obtained; literally, "found for Himself," as a thing of insuperable difficulty to all save Divine Omnipotence, self-devoting zeal, and love, to find. The access of Christ to the Father was arduous (Hebrews 5:7). None before had trodden the path.

eternal—The entrance of our Redeemer, once for all, into the heavenly holiest place, secures eternal redemption to us; whereas the Jewish high priest's entrance was repeated year by year, and the effect temporary and partial, "On redemption," compare Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Timothy 2:5; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:19.

1 Peter 1:19- :. PROOF OF AND ENLARGEMENT ON, THE "ETERNAL REDEMPTION" MENTIONED IN 1 Peter 1:19- :.

For His blood, offered by Himself, purifies not only outwardly, as the Levitical sacrifices on the day of atonement, but inwardly unto the service of the living God (Hebrews 9:13; Hebrews 9:14). His death is the inaugurating act of the new covenant, and of the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:14- :). His entrance into the true Holy of Holies is the consummation of His once-for-all-offered sacrifice of atonement (Hebrews 9:24; Hebrews 9:26); henceforth, His reappearance alone remains to complete our redemption (Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 9:28).