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Commentary on Hebrews 9 verses 8–14
In these verses the apostle undertakes to deliver to us the mind and meaning of the Holy Ghost in all the ordinances of the tabernacle and legal economy, comprehending both place and worship. The scriptures of the Old Testament were given by inspiration of God; holy men of old spoke and wrote as the Holy Ghost directed them. And these Old Testament records are of great use and significancy, not only to those who first received them, but even to Christians, who ought not to satisfy themselves with reading the institutes of the Levitical law, but should learn what the Holy Ghost signifies and suggests to them thereby. Now here are several things mentioned as the things that the Holy Ghost signified and certified to his people hereby.
I. That the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while the first tabernacle was standing, Heb 9:8. This was one lesson the Holy Ghost would teach us by these types; the way to heaven was not so clear and plain, nor so much frequented, under the Old Testament as under the New. It is the honour of Christ and the gospel, and the happiness of those who live under it, that now life and immortality are brought to light. There was not that free access to God then that there is now; God has now opened a wider door; and there is room for more, yea, even for as many as are truly willing to return unto him by Christ.
II. That the first tabernacle was only a figure for the time then present, Heb 9:9. It was a dark dispensation, and but of short continuance, only designed for awhile to typify the great things of Christ and the gospel, that were in due time to shine forth in their own brightness, and thereby cause all the shadows to flee away and disappear, as the stars before the rising sun.
III. That none of the gifts and sacrifices there offered could make the offerers perfect as pertaining to conscience (Heb 9:9); that is, they could not take away the desert, or defilement, or dominion, of sin; they could not deliver conscience from a dread of the wrath of God; they could neither discharge the debts, nor resolve the doubts, of him who did the service. A man might run through them all in their several orders and frequent returns, and continue to do so all his days, and yet not find his conscience either pacified or purified by them; he might thereby be saved from corporal and temporal punishments that were threatened against the non-observers, but he could not be saved by them from sin or hell, as all those are who believe in Christ.
IV. The Holy Ghost hereby signifies that the Old Testament institutions were by external carnal ordinances imposed upon them until the time of reformation, Heb 9:10. Their imperfection lay in three things: - 1. Their nature. They were but external and carnal meats and drinks, and divers washings. All these were bodily exercises, which profit little; they could only satisfy the flesh, or at best sanctify to the purifying of the flesh. 2. They were not such as were left indifferent to them to use or disuse, but they were imposed upon them by grievous corporal punishments, and this was ordered on purpose to make them look more to the promised Seed, and long more for him. 3. These were never designed for a perpetuity, but only to continue till the time of reformation, till the better things provided for them were actually bestowed upon them. Gospel times are and should be times of reformation, - of clearer light as to all things necessary to be known, - of greater love, inducing us to bear ill-will to none, but good-will to all, and to have complacency in all that are like God, - of greater liberty and freedom both of spirit and speech - and of a more holy living according to the rule of the gospel. We have far greater advantages under the gospel than they had under the law; and either we must be better or we shall be worse. A conversation becoming the gospel is an excellent way of living; nothing mean, foolish, vain, or servile becomes the gospel.
V. The Holy Ghost signifies to us hereby that we never make the right use of types but when we apply them to the antitype; and, whenever we do so, it will be very evident that the antitype (as in reason it should) greatly excels the type, which is the main drift and design of all that is said. And, as he writes to those who believed that Christ had come and that Jesus was the Christ, so he very justly infers that he is infinitely above all legal high priests (Heb 9:11, Heb 9:12), and he illustrates it very fully. For,
1.Christ is a high priest of good things to come, by which may be understood, (1.) All the good things that were to come during the Old Testament, and now have come under the New. All the spiritual and eternal blessings the Old Testament saints had in their day and under their dispensation were owing to the Messiah to come, on whom they believed. The Old Testament set forth in shadows what was to come; the New Testament is the accomplishment of the Old. (2.) All the good things yet to come and to be enjoyed in a gospel state, when the promises and prophecies made to the gospel church in the latter days shall be accomplished; all these depend upon Christ and his priesthood, and shall be fulfilled. (3.) Of all the good things to come in the heavenly state, which will perfect both the Testaments; as the state of glory will perfect the state of grace, this state will be in a much higher sense the perfection of the New Testament than the New Testament was the perfection of the Old. Observe, All things past, present, and to come, were, and are, founded upon, and flowing fRom. the priestly office of Christ.
2.Christ is a high priest by a greater and more perfect tabernacle (Heb 9:11), a tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, but his own body, or rather human nature, conceived by the Holy Ghost overshadowing the blessed virgin. This was a new fabric, a new order of building, infinitely superior to all earthly structures, not excepting the tabernacle of the temple itself.
3.Christ, our high priest, has entered into heaven, not as their high priest entered into the holiest, with the blood of bulls and of goats, but by his own blood, typified by theirs, and infinitely more precious. And this,
4.Not for one year only, which showed the imperfection of that priesthood, that it did but typically obtain a year's reprieve or pardon. But our high priest entered into heaven once for all, and has obtained not a yearly respite, but eternal redemption, and so needs not to make an annual entrance. In each of the types there was something that showed it was a type, and resembled the antitype, and something that showed it was but a type, and fell short of the antitype, and therefore ought by no means to be set up in competition with the antitype.
5.The Holy Ghost further signified and showed what was the efficacy of the blood of the Old Testament sacrifices, and thence is inferred the much greater efficacy of the blood of Christ. (1.) The efficacy of the blood of the legal sacrifices extended to the purifying of the flesh (Heb 9:13): it freed the outward man from ceremonial uncleanness and from temporal punishment, and entitled him to, and fitted him for, some external privileges. (2.) He infers very justly hence the far greater efficacy of the blood of Christ (Heb 9:14): How much more shall the blood of Christ, etc. Here observe, [1.] What it was that gave such efficacy to the blood of Christ. First, It was his offering himself to God, the human nature upon the altar of his divine nature, he being priest, altar, and sacrifice, his divine nature serving for the two former, and his human nature for the last; now such a priest, altar, and sacrifice, could not but be propitiatory. Secondly, It was Christ's offering up himself to God through the eternal Spirit, not only as the divine nature supported the human, but the Holy Ghost, which he had without measure, helping him in all, and in this great act of obedience offering himself. Thirdly, It was Christ's offering himself to God without spot, without any sinful stain either in his nature or life; this was conformable to the law of sacrifices, which required them to be without blemish. Now further observe, [2.] What the efficacy of Christ's blood is; it is very great. For, First, It is sufficient to purge the conscience from dead works, it reaches to the very soul and conscience, the defiled soul, defiled with sin, which is a dead work, proceeds from spiritual death, and tends to death eternal. As the touching of a dead body gave a legal uncleanness, so meddling with sin gives a moral and real defilement, fixes it in the very soul; but the blood of Christ has efficacy to purge it out. Secondly, It is sufficient to enable us to serve the living God, not only by purging away that guilt which separates between God and sinners, but by sanctifying and renewing the soul through the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, purchased by Christ for this purpose, that we might be enabled to serve the living God in a lively manner.
For we now affirm: This is lawful to the Lord alone: may the power of His indulgence be operative at the present day! At those times, however, in which He lived on earth we lay this down definitively, that it is no prejudgment against us if pardon used to be conferred on sinners-even Jewish ones. For Christian discipline dates from the renewing of the Testament, and (as we have premised) from the redemption of flesh-that is, the Lord's passion.
It ought to be observed that the priest uses certain clothes while he is in the ministry of sacrifices and other clothes when he goes out to the people. Paul, the wisest of the high priests and the most knowledgeable of the priests, used to do this. When he was in the assembly of the perfect or, as it were, placed in the “Holy of Holies,” having put on the robe of perfection, he used to say, “Among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God.… None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” But nevertheless, after all these things, “going out to the people,” he changes his robe and puts on another one, greatly inferior to that one. And what does he say? “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” You see, therefore, how this most learned priest, when he is among the perfect ones as in “the Holy of Holies,” uses one robe of doctrine. But when “he goes out” to those who are not capable, he changes the robe of the word and teaches lesser things. And he gives to some “milk” to drink as “children,” to others he gives “solid food,” of course, for those who, insofar as they are able, “have their faculties trained to distinguish good from evil.” Thus, Paul knew how to change robes and to use one with the people, another in the ministry of the sanctuary.But the high priest of high priests, and the priest of priests, is our Lord and Savior, about whom the apostle said, “He is a high priest of the good things that have come.” Hear how first he did these things and so left them for his disciples to imitate. The Gospel refers to this, saying, “In parables he spoke to the crowds, and without parables he did not speak to them. But separately he explained them to his disciples.” You see how he taught that the high priest ought to use certain garments when he went out “to the crowds” and others when he ministered to the experienced and “perfect” in the sanctuary. So we must choose and do, lest Jesus find us so unprepared and bound to the cares of the world that he speaks to us as to the crowds “in parables,” that, “seeing, we may not see, and, hearing, we may not hear.” Rather, let us be worthy to be found among those to whom he says, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.”
All these things, as I have said, were performed according to rules by infirm priests up to the time when God made a correction. From that time “Christ” came “as a high priest” not of sacrifices but of “good things.” And he entered “the tent”—not a small one “made with hands” but a huge and perfect one, which is not the product of human work—“that is, not of this creation,” because it was made out of nothing, unlike that tent which was erected with the spoils of the Egyptians.
"But Christ being come an High Priest of good things that are come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands." Here he means the flesh. And well did he say, "greater and more perfect," since God The Word and all the power of The Spirit dwells therein; "For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him." And "more perfect," as being both unblamable, and setting right greater things.
"That is, not of this creation." See how it was "greater." For it would not have been "of the Spirit", if man had constructed it. Nor yet is it "of this creation"; that is, not of these created things, but spiritual, of the Holy Ghost.
Seest thou how he calls the body tabernacle and veil and heaven. "By a greater and more perfect tabernacle. Through the veil, that is, His flesh." And again, "into that within the veil." And again, "entering into the Holy of Holies, to appear before the face of God." Why then doth he this? According as one thing or a different one is signified. I mean for instance, the Heaven is a veil, for as a veil it walls off the Holy of Holies; the flesh is a veil hiding the Godhead; and the tabernacle likewise holding the Godhead. Again, Heaven is a tabernacle: for the Priest is there within.
"But Christ" (he says) "being come an High Priest": he did not say, "become," but "being come," that is, having come for this very purpose, not having been successor to another. He did not come first and then become High Priest, but came and became at the same time. And he did not say "being come an High Priest" of things which are sacrificed, but "of good things that are come," as if his discourse had not power to put the whole before us.
The tent built under Moses was to signify servitude [to the law]. Therefore, the more perfect tent is the dwelling of grace, the body of Christ whose head is Christ himself.
Here he referred to human nature, which Christ the Lord assumed. It was not made in accordance with the law of marriage: the all-holy Spirit was responsible for the tabernacle.
“The Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ ” They answered as they understood. But lest we too should perceive our Lord’s spiritual word in a carnal way, the Evangelist subsequently explained what temple it was of which he was speaking.… This number forty-six of years is most apt for the perfecting of our Lord’s physical body. Writers of natural history tell us that the form of the human body is completed within this number of days. During the first six days after conception it has a likeness to milk; during the following nine days it is changed into blood; next, in twelve days it becomes solid; during the remaining eighteen days it is formed into the perfect features of all its members; and after this, during the time remaining until birth, it increases in size. Six plus nine plus twelve plus eighteen make forty-five. If to this we add one, that is the day on which the body, divided into its separate members, begins to grow. We find the same number of days in the building up of our Lord’s body as there were years in the construction of the temple.And because that temple made by human hands prefigured our Lord’s most sacred body, which he took from the Virgin, and in like manner pointed to his body which is the church, and to the body and soul of each one of the faithful, as we find in quite a few places in the Scriptures.
"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.
Here a not-made-by-hand tabernacle called the human nature, which the Lord Christ took upon Himself. For it was not made according to the law of marriage, but the Most Holy Spirit prepared the tabernacle. And the phrase, Not of this creation, instead of, Not according to the law of nature, which is governed in creation.
Since the head of humanity deemed it fitting to be, the Apostle says that the things which were obtained for us were obtained by Him.
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SUMMARY
Hebrews 9:11 stands as a pivotal declaration, marking the profound superiority of Christ's priestly ministry over the Old Covenant system. It proclaims Jesus as the ultimate High Priest, not of earthly shadows, but of the "good things to come," having entered a "greater and more perfect tabernacle." This sanctuary is divinely constructed, "not made with hands" or "of this building," signifying its heavenly, eternal, and spiritual reality in stark contrast to the temporary, human-made structures of the Mosaic law. This verse introduces the climactic phase of the author's argument, demonstrating how Christ's redemptive work transcends and fulfills all that the earthly tabernacle and its rituals could only foreshadow.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The author of Hebrews employs several powerful literary devices in this verse to underscore Christ's supremacy. Antithesis is central, setting up a stark contrast between the old and the new, the earthly and the heavenly, the imperfect and the perfect. The "But Christ" at the beginning immediately signals this opposition to the preceding discussion of the Old Covenant tabernacle. The description of Christ's tabernacle as "not made with hands" and "not of this building" directly counters the implied human construction of the earthly sanctuary. Symbolism is also profoundly at play, as the "tabernacle" itself is a potent symbol. While the earthly tabernacle symbolized God's presence and the means of atonement, Christ's "greater and more perfect tabernacle" symbolizes the true, heavenly reality of God's presence and the ultimate, perfect means of reconciliation. The phrase "good things to come" uses Metonymy, where the "things" represent the entire spiritual blessings and realities of the New Covenant inaugurated by Christ. Finally, the use of Comparative Language ("greater and more perfect") elevates Christ's ministry above all previous forms of worship and priesthood, emphasizing His unparalleled efficacy and definitive work.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Hebrews 9:11 articulates a profound theological truth: Christ's high priestly ministry is not merely an improvement upon, but a complete transcendence and fulfillment of, the Old Covenant sacrificial system. It reveals that the earthly tabernacle and its rituals were but shadows pointing to the ultimate reality found in Jesus. By entering a "greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands," Christ signifies that His work of atonement is not limited by space, time, or human imperfection. He has opened a new, living way into the very presence of God, securing eternal redemption through His own blood, a sacrifice far superior to the repeated offerings of animals. This establishes the New Covenant as the definitive era of God's saving work, providing genuine cleansing of conscience and perfect access to the divine, all centered on the person and finished work of Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Hebrews 9:11 offers immense comfort, profound assurance, and a call to confident living for the believer. It reassures us that our access to God is not dependent on human effort, flawed rituals, or perishable structures, but on the perfect, completed work of Christ. We have a High Priest who has not merely entered an earthly sanctuary, but has passed through the heavens into the very presence of God on our behalf, securing "good things to come" – an eternal inheritance, perfect forgiveness, and unhindered communion with our Creator. This truth should inspire us to live with unwavering confidence in Christ's finished work, approaching God's throne of grace with boldness, knowing that our High Priest intercedes for us. It liberates us from the burden of striving to earn God's favor through works, inviting us instead to rest in the perfect provision of His Son. Our worship, therefore, is not directed towards earthly symbols, but towards the living Christ, who has opened the way to the true, heavenly sanctuary.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What are the "good things to come" that Christ is High Priest of?
Answer: The "good things to come" refer to the spiritual and eternal blessings of the New Covenant that Christ's ministry inaugurates and secures. These are not merely future promises, but realities that have broken into the present through His work. They include perfect and eternal redemption from sin (Hebrews 9:12), the cleansing of our consciences from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14), direct and confident access to God's presence (Hebrews 10:19-22), the promise of an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15), and the ultimate consummation of God's kingdom. These blessings are superior to anything offered under the Old Covenant, which could only foreshadow them.
What is the "greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands"?
Answer: This "greater and more perfect tabernacle" is not a physical structure, but refers to the heavenly sanctuary—the very presence of God in heaven—into which Christ, our High Priest, entered. Unlike the earthly tabernacle or temple, which were physical copies built by human hands (Hebrews 9:24), this heavenly tabernacle is of divine origin and spiritual reality. It is "greater" in its scope and efficacy, encompassing the true dwelling place of God, and "more perfect" because it is eternal, incorruptible, and provides ultimate, unhindered access to God. Christ's entry into this heavenly sanctuary signifies the definitive and final nature of His atoning work, establishing a new and living way for humanity to approach God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Hebrews 9:11 powerfully articulates the Christ-centered fulfillment of the Old Covenant system. The earthly tabernacle, with its rituals and Levitical priesthood, was a divinely ordained shadow, a pedagogical tool designed to point forward to a greater reality. Christ, in His person and work, is the very substance of this shadow. He is not merely a high priest, but the ultimate and eternal High Priest, whose "coming" signifies the definitive inauguration of God's redemptive plan. The "good things to come" are the realities of the New Covenant, perfectly embodied in Him. While the Old Covenant priests entered a physical, temporary tabernacle "made with hands," Christ entered the "greater and more perfect tabernacle"—the heavenly reality of God's presence itself. This means that Christ's sacrifice and intercession are not limited by earthly constraints; they are eternal, perfect, and universally effective. He fulfills the Aaronic priesthood by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice, once for all, and then entering the true Holy of Holies in heaven (Hebrews 9:12), not with the blood of animals, but with His own precious blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). Thus, Christ is the fulfillment of the tabernacle's purpose, providing genuine reconciliation and direct access to God, making obsolete the need for any earthly, temporary system. He is the ultimate reality to which all the Old Testament types pointed, the one through whom we now have confident access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).