Pseudo-Oecumenius

“made clear by the Holy Spirit.” For this reason, he says, the tabernacle was thus constructed, where the lampstand and the table of showbread are in the first sanctuary, and since the remaining priests ascend into the Holy of Holies, it is evident that heaven remains inaccessible. For the Holy of Holies is a type of heaven. But only the high priest enters there, which was a type that only Christ, the true high priest, has ascended into heaven. But thereafter, having ascended, he brought in the race of mankind, for before this it was inaccessible. Now, however, it has become accessible through Christ.
"not yet been made clear." It is not yet a path that is walkable and accessible to the heavens, which Christ first initiated.
"was still standing," he says, and in a certain way blocking the passage to the Holy of Holies.
"which was a symbol." He says, a type of those in the tabernacle, for the time then present, from which they are fulfilled, he says, and have an end. And justly. For if those were a type of Christ, it is fitting that with the revelation of Christ, the types are fulfilled, and they have an end.
"according to which gifts and sacrifices were offered." In which a symbol and according to which type the offerings of both giftsand sacrifices were offered,
"which could not perfect the worshiper in regard to conscience." As if he said, In which type, that is, in the priestly service according to the law, the sacrifices were offered, but they were not able to cleanse the soul and conscience. For being bodily, they cleansed the body.
"in regard to conscience;" or according to the soul.
"which could not perfect the worshiper." Not even those who offered the sacrifices could be purified.
"only." By hyperbaton [ὑπερβατὸν], the word imposed is to be joined:
"in foods and drinks." The sacrifices and worship offered, he says, could not render anyone perfect concerning the soul, but only had power regarding the flesh and carnal matters: and in this, they satisfied the offerers so that they would eat this and not eat that, and that they would be washed with water those who had communicated, or were made common and unclean; which are the justifications of the flesh, that is, purifying the flesh, and not at all the soul; not at all the inner man, but were exercised concerning the outer. But how did he say, "and drinks," although the law did not make a distinction concerning drinks? This, then, he says, concerns the priest not drinking wine when he was about to enter the sanctuary; or also concerning vows, that is, promises, concerning abstaining from wine; simply belittling such ordinances and ridiculing them, this is what he said.
“and various baptisms.” There were various baptisms. For if someone touched a dead body, or a leper, or someone became afflicted with gonorrhea, they were baptized, and in this way it was thought they were being purified. But these were just ordinances of the flesh, fleshly things cleansing the flesh, and nowhere the soul, nowhere the mind, nor concerning the inner man, but they were concerned with the outer. However, they were not meant to last forever, but only until the time ofrestructuring. And what is this time of restructuring? Clearly, it is the coming of the Savior, who would correct these things and introduce true and spiritual worship.
"Imposed." It is well said, "imposed"; for the burden was only those things in the law, as the apostles say; "Which neither we, he says, nor our fathers were able to bear." (Acts 15:10)

"not made with hands." Not according to the imitation, he says, of the tabernacle among the Jews. For here he called the tabernacle not made with hands the human nature that Christ the Lord took on. For it is not only a marriage chamber that is prepared for the marriages, but the most Holy Spirit has constructed the tabernacle.
And the phrase, "not of this creation," instead of "Not according to the law of nature as it is governed in creation." "Not of this creation." The body of Christ, and this was of creation, and not of this. Of this, inasmuch as it is and is similar to our body, but not of this, inasmuch as it possesses the divinity without confusion and without division. Therefore, what is said to the Apostle, "Not of this creation," accept as pertaining to the possession of divinity. As for the body itself, it was consubstantial with ours. The fact that it was not of this creation, he says, from which the tabernacle of the Jews came. For since he had called the body of Christ a tabernacle, it was necessary to prescribe words of this kind.
"nor by the blood of goats and calves." For it was Jewish, and through which the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies.
“He entered once and for all into the Holy Place.” That is, into heaven.
"having obtained eternal redemption." That is, having succeeded, he found eternal redemption. Not for himself, (for how could the sinless one?) but for his people.

“But Christ, having come as a high priest.” The old covenant high priests, Paul says, worship did not enter into the heavens; but Christ, having come, entered once for all into the holy place; for here the meaning is given. He did not say, “having become a high priest”, but having come as a high priest, that is, having come for this purpose. He did not come first, and then, after this happened, become a high priest; but the purpose of his coming to earth was the priesthood.
“of the good things to come.” He did not say, High Priest of those being sacrificed, but, of the future good things, the good things that have evidently come to us; since the word could not fully present everything precisely, he simply and vaguely called good those things that have come to us; but he said these are future, as to the time of the law. For just as he called that one present, so he calls those future things according to Christ, as in comparison to that one; or even of the mysteries that will be revealed to us in the coming age.
"through the greater and more perfect tabernacle." He refers to the body of Christ as the tabernacle, because in it all the fullness of deity dwells bodily. (Col. 2:9) “Greater”, because it is God; more perfect, because it perfects those who draw near to Him.

Then, since it seemed doubtful that a single sacrifice and the blood of one could provide eternal redemption, he prepares it and shows that it is plausible and not unattainable with the belief held by the Jews. For if you, he says, believe that you are cleansed by being sprinkled with the blood of a calf, and again with water poured on its ashes; (for the ashes were observed for the purification of those who had been defiled, that is, those who were contaminated;) how then does the blood of Christ not cleanse the souls?
"sanctifies for the purification of the flesh." It sanctifies not spiritually, but for the cleansing of the flesh. See it speaking precisely.
"who through the eternal Spirit." No high priest offered Christ, but He offered Himself; and not through fire, as the calves in the Old Testament, but through the Holy Spirit, so as to perpetuate both grace and redemption.
"without blemish to God." And the ancient priesthood that was presented sought to be without blemish. There was a place of the body of Christ, the unblemished and absolutely pure. "For he did no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth," says Isaiah. (1 Peter 2:22; Isa. 53:9)
"purify your conscience." For the blood of bulls and the ashes of a heifer, it said, for the purity of the flesh; but concerning the blood of Christ, it says, your conscience. See the difference in purification. What is your conscience? That is to say, it also purifies our soul, so that we may no longer be aware of any sin against ourselves from this time.
"from dead works." Of the wicked, those who defile the soul. For one who touches a dead body, among the Jews, is defiled, but among us, the strange [ἄτοπα] works defile.
"To serve the living God." This indicates that one cannot serve God unless they are pure from dead works. Thus, those who serve with them do not serve, but are condemned.

Since the death of Christ troubled many of the weaker ones (for they said, "If He died, how will He give what He promised?"), Paul now, healing this, shows that it is because this remains that His covenant is sure; for He died— for a covenant is not called valid while the one who made it is alive. Therefore, he says, "He died to cleanse us, and in the covenant He left us forgiveness and the enjoyment of the ancestral goods, becoming a mediator of the Father and us." The Father willed that we become heirs of the promises, but we could not, being enemies and having been at war with Him. What then? The Son interceded and reconciled us to the Father. But since it was necessary to also provide retribution for those on earth for what we had transgressed (for God is both loving and just), the Son himself endured this for us and made us worthy of the covenant, and henceforth the covenant became sure through the death of the Son, so that it did not send the inheritance to the unworthy.
“called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”For if the death of Christ did not deliver us from sins, through which we once fought against the Father, how would we receive the heavenly inheritance? But the term "called" shows this: that at first, God was related to us as a father to children, and we were called to the inheritance; but afterward, through our sins, we made ourselves unworthy of it.
"that by means of death," for the covenant is confirmed by death. Therefore, Christ died so that His covenant with us might be confirmed. This is set forth, since especially the death of Christ troubled the weak.
"for the redemption." Do you see that the death of Christ has become for our redemption? How then do you think this is weakness, Him who was so powerful as to heal even the transgressions under the law? How then do you run to the law, which is so powerless that it cannot even correct the transgressions against it? Not that it was evil, but that it was weak.
"there must also of necessity be the death of the one who made it," This is what disturbs them, the death of Christ. For how, he says, can the one who has died give us the promises? Therefore, he turns and shows that we can only receive the inheritance and the promise if Christ has died. For if he had not died, he would not have made a will, so that we might inherit; (for it is indisputable that a will is in force only after death;) nor would we be worthy of an inheritance at all, as long as the enmity remains unresolved.
"for it does not take effect while the one who made it lives." Read according to the question.
"even the first was not." And thus, he says, by death, the covenant is confirmed, for the first had the blood as a symbol of death; but the new has the actual death. As those were types, the truth is in the new.
"not dedicated without blood." As if he were saying: The blood has not ceased or been interrupted for a short time, but immediately as the covenant was dedicated, it also had successive blood.

“For when every commandment had been spoken.” For after he spoke the commandment, then Moses sprinkled the blood.
"according to the law." As He says, God legislated, according to the law of God. Or of every command according to the law, these, of the legislated one.
"taken the blood of calves." This blood was a type of the blood of God and our Savior, who cleansed us from all stain.
"with water." Water was the figure of baptism.
"and scarlet wool and hyssop." Wool and hyssop were used for their preservation. Indeed, hyssop, being dense and tender, retained and sprinkled blood, and wool likewise. Scarlet, however, was wool so that by its very color it would bear the type of the blood of Christ.
"the book itself." The book was a type of the faithful, those who have the law of God within themselves.
Saying, “This is the blood of the covenant.” But Christ: This is the blood of the new covenant (Matt. 26:28), for the forgiveness of sins; but there, neither new nor forgiveness of sins. Do you see then how he called the blood a covenant? For where a covenant is spoken of, death must be understood.
"the tabernacle and." And the tabernacle was a type of the faithful, because of, "I will dwell in them and walk among them." (Lev. 26:12; 2 Cor. 6:16)
"And almost all things." Almost, for this he said, because it was not being purified clearly and sincerely at that time. For then the purifications were physical, being types of those that now purify souls and bodies.
"and without shedding of blood is no remission." For even then, such purifications were thought to provide remission, but they did not actually provide it.
“Therefore it was necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens.” The heavenly things in the new covenant are said to be, since the initiation in it is heavenly, and the faithful are citizens of heaven, even if they are still living on earth. For the examples of the old covenant are types of the new covenant.
"should be purified with these." These have been mentioned, with the blood of calves and goats, and with the ashes of a heifer, and with the other things so lowly.
"but the heavenly things." Which are in the New Testament.
"with better sacrifices." Therefore, since it was necessary according to their values to have better sacrifices, the Son of God Himself was offered, so that the death of the Lord not only benefited and enacted the confirmation of the covenantbut also to affect the true purification of the soul. And in the preceding and following, it demonstrates that the death of the Lord worked salvation for humankind, because some weaker ones were offended because of the cross.

"now to appear." With the flesh, he says, it appears.
"in the presence of God." What do you say? Unless he had entered into heaven, he would not appear in the sight of the Father, who is present everywhere and fills all things? Do you see that these are humble matters of privilege?
"on our behalf." When the victim of his own body ascended to appear before the Father for us, this is to reconcile us to himself. Indeed, having made mention of the flesh, blessed Paul speaks boldly of all things humble.
"Nor was he to offer himself repeatedly," he says, this is what it means to ascend to heaven. For the offering of many sacrifices in blood is for those who enter into the copies of the true things, but not for the one who has entered into heaven itself.
"as the high priest." Do you see the difference? This one does it annually, but Christ once.
"with blood not his own." This one in the blood of others, of bulls and goats, but Christ in his own.
"For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly." For if it were necessary for him to offer a sacrifice more often, he would have had to suffer frequently since the foundation of the world was laid, as he would have to offer his own blood.
"he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages." Here something also is revealed concerning the mystery, why at the end of the ages, after many sins. For if death had come from the beginning itself, when sin was not yet so widespread, then no one would have believed, (there would have been no need to die a second time,) all would have been in vain. But now, since later the sins were many, it is fitting that at the end of the ages, that is, at the very fulfillment of the ages, and at the very end, it has been revealed; that is, with the flesh in the world; it has been revealed for the annulment of sin, that is, to annul and wipe out the sin of the world through His sacrifice, which He offered for us, that is, through the death of His flesh. Such a thing He also said elsewhere: "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." (Rom. 5:20)
"to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." That is, together with the flesh in the world.