The Epistle of Hebrews Chapter 9

When God gave the Law to Moses while on the mountaintop, He also gave him instruction as to how the Law was to be obeyed (Ex 25-31 & 35-40). God was very specific in giving instruction to Moses, who then passed those instructions down to the six million Israelites whom he had charge over as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

As we enter into chapter 9, we do so by comparing the Old and the New Covenant's system of priesthood and sacrifices. While God's Law was perfect, we will see how the Old Covenant system of priesthood and sacrifices, which was right for the time, but over time became flawed. As we then compare it to the New Covenant's system, in which Jesus offered Himself up once and for all in order to clear the way to the Holy of Holies for everyone, it becomes very apparent the the New Covenant's system is better than the Old, as Jesus so perfectly replaced it. 

This chapter will show us the inside of the tabernacle in the wilderness, but does not center on the outer court where the heads of households could bring their sacrifices to be offered at the brazen altar. In the outer court also held the laver where the high priest washed himself before entering into the Holy of Holies once a year at Yon Kipper - the Feast of the Tabernacle to offer the blood sacrifices for himself and the people on the Mercy Seat that was resting on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies - behind the veil inside the tabernacle.

The Earthly Tabernacle

Hebrews 9:1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. ² For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 

Under the 1st Covenant, God instructed Moses to have His people build a tent tabernacle made from animal skins on the plains for worship. Within the tabernacle were two rooms divided by a closed curtain: The first room was where the Levitical priests entered, called the Sanctuary, or the Holy Place to do their daily duties. Inside that room contained the menorah (a golden lampstand with seven candles) that remained lit, and a table that held twelve sacred loaves of bread on the table, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These loaves of bread were replaced fresh every Sabbath and only the Levi priests were allowed to eat this bread.

³ and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, ⁴ which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; ⁵ and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Behind the closed curtain contained the second room called the Holy of Holies - or the Holiest Place. It was a very sacred place where only the high priest could enter, and could enter only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Within that room held the Golden Ark of the Covenant, in the form of a chest with a separate lid, which was entirely covered with gold.

Inside the Ark of the Covenant contained three items: First was a gold jar that held "manna," of which represented what the people ate on a daily basis, which God provided for them everyday as it was poured from the heaven upon the desert sand and used like flour. Second was Aaron's rod that had sprouted almond leaves, and last, and most important was the stone tablets of the Covenant that God has carved out of stone and given to Moses as Laws for the people to obey. Above the Ark, on the lid, were two angel's wings called cherubum (K-ruvim) and Sh-khinah casting their shadow on the lid of the Ark. This will be discussed in more detail later.

While not listed in this chapter, an incense table with candles and incense also sat within the sanctuary at the entrance of the veiled curtain where the high priest lit candles and incense as he entered into the Holy of Holies behind the veil once a year. 

Limitations of the Earthly Service

⁶ Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 

Regularly, on a daily basis the Levitical priest went into the first room performing their religious duties of oiling the lamps along with replacing the twelve loaves of bread with fresh one every Sabbath. 

⁷ But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; ⁸ the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. ⁹ It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— ¹⁰ concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

The inner room behind the curtain, however, was reserved only for the high priest who was only allowed to enter into once a year on Yom Kippur, or more commonly known as the Day of Atonement. With him, he brought the blood sacrifices for his own sins and the sins the people, represented in the accumulation of sins that people had committed in ignorance during the year.  Because death was always the punishment for sin, animals were sacrificed outside the tabernacle tent on the brazen altar. The animal's blood was then poured into vessels and brought into the Holy of Holies and poured upon the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant as an atonement for the sins of the people. The blood of a goat represented the sins of the high priest and the blood of a bull (red heifer) was for the unintentional sins of the people. Intentional sins; however, were taken care of immediately as determined by the Law of Moses. They were always in the form of restitution - from minor punishment to even death (Leviticus 16).

• These very private offerings done by the high priest in the Holy of Holies represented the Holy Spirit's way of showing that as long as this first tabernacle stood, the Holy of Holies was closed to the people. Only the high priest could offer those sacrifices before God and it was done privately behind the veiled curtain.
• Under this system; however, the gifts and sacrifices offered by the high priest was strictly a ritual ceremonial and could not cleanse the consciences of the people. It symbolically covered them in forgiveness until the next Day of Atonement, which wouldn't be for another year.

This ritual ceremony of cleansing involving the outer life that were in effect only until a better system could be established. It would remain that way until the time when God would reshape the whole structure and bring on a new structure. That happened when Jesus came to become the one true sacrifice.

A Heavenly Tabernacle

¹¹ But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹² Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 

A new system has finally come through Christ Jesus. He has become our High Priest, and will remain forever a perfect tabernacle that was not made with human hand and certainly not of this creation, but made by the hands of God Almighty. Jesus, as our High Priest, entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven once and for all the the redemption of mankind. This system is far more superior to the old with all its flaws.

Jesus, being sinless, entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven, not with the blood of goats and calves, but the shedding of His own blood, without blemish, once and for all times securing our redemption forever. His blood cleanses us from the inside and out. As such, we are free forever from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves look respectable in front of others. We are now free to serve the living God with a pure heart instead of outward performances.

¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

In addition to the slaughter of bulls and goats done for the atonement (covering) of sin, to meet the requirements of the Law, the ashes of a red heifer in water was needed to restore purity after anyone touched a dead body (Numbers 19).

The Mosaic Law specified that the "red" female heifer without defect or blemish, having never borne a yoke, was to be slaughtered outside the camp - overseen by the high priest. After the animal was killed, the high priest sprinkled some of its blood toward the front of the tabernacle seven times. Then he left the camp again and oversaw the burning of the carcass. As the heifer burned, the high priest added some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool to the fire. The ashes were then collected and stored in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp to be later used in water as a "cleansing for the purification from sin” for those who came in contact with a dead body. Out of the six million Israelites wandering in the wilderness, death happened continuously. The one who touched a dead body was considered unclean for seven days. To be purified, that person had to go through this purification process of having the ashes of a red heifer in water sprinkled over them on the third and seventh day.  

Why do Christians today consider the red heifer significant to end times?

This ritual remained in effect continuously except during the times of exile when the Jews were taken out of their land. When they were allowed to return home, this ritual was reinstituted and continuously used all the way to the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. According to rabbinical tradition, there have been nine red heifers sacrificed since Moses’ time. Since the destruction of the last temple in 70 A.D., no red heifers have been slaughtered.

• Only in recent days have "perfect" red heifers, having only red hair throughout, have been discovered. It has been prophesied by rabbis for centuries that a tenth red heifer would be sacrificed by the Messiah Himself in the new temple, which is yet to come. Many people view this event as a fulfilment of prophecy, since the acquisition of a red heifer is a major step forward in plans for a new temple.

According to Scripture, there will indeed be a third temple in Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period. During that time, the Jews will again go back to the Law of Moses with all its sacrifices and feasts. As such, they will need the ashes of a red heifer, mixed with water, for their ceremonial cleansing. Because blemish-free red heifers has been found and sent to Israel, this is one more piece falling into place for the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

Could this happen before the Rapture of the Church?  Possibly, but we know it will happen during the Tribulation Period after the anti-christ (disguised as a peacemaker) makes a peace treaty with Israel, allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple. Must a red heifer be found before the temple is rebuilt? Not necessarily, although temple advocates certainly want one now to prepare for ceremonial purposes.

Types and Shadows

The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of the New Covenant. The command concerning the sprinkling of the ashes in water of a perfect red heifer is one of them. This ceremony shadowed the real that would eventually come. This, however, symbolically represent an outward cleansing. 

Under the New Covenant Jesus became the real of the type and shadow of a red heifer.

• The red heifer was sacrificed outside the camp. Jesus was crucified outside of Jerusalem.
• In order to symbolically outwardly cleanse the people from sin, it was necessary to slaughter and sacrifice a perfect red heifer without blemish. The Lord Jesus was “without blemish,” just as the perfect red heifer. As such, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sins - not to cover up, but to cleanse us from our sin from the inside out. It wasn't a ceremonial observance required by the Law of Moses, but an inward regeneration that is real and changes one's life.
• Just as the ashes of the red heifer represented cleansing outwardly from the sin of the contamination of death, the sacrifice of Christ saves us in our heart from the penalty and corruption of death so we are free to worship and serve the Lord.

¹⁵ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

No long are God's people's sins covered only outwardly, and only for a year, Jesus, as the perfect sacrifice - without sin - became the Mediator between God and man. Our sins are not just covered, but cleansed from our heart outward. Jesus died so that we can be set free from the penalty of the sins we have committed under the first covenant.

1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

The Necessity of a Mediator's death

¹⁶ For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. ¹⁷ For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 

As long as a person is alive, his or her will is of no effect. When someone dies and leaves a will, however, it is first necessary to prove that the person is dead in order for the recipient to receive what was promised in the will. Only upon proof of death, which in most cases today, we rely on an official death certificate. Upon verification, the will can be put into effect and executed. 

Jesus' death marked the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, cancelling the old obligations and its sins for the heirs to receive the promises given in Jesus' will of eternal inheritance. As such, Jesus death and resurrection executed the will to take effect.

¹⁸ Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Even under the first covenant, an animal was inaugurated by slaughtering it and the shedding of blood was necessary for the ceremonial covering for their sins of God's people to be in effect.  On the yearly "Day of Atonement" the high priest read the terms of God's Laws to the beneficiaries - God's people.

Atonement = Making amends for wrong doing. 

The reading consisted on more than the Ten Commandments written on stone, but the 613 laws that God gave to Moses for the people to follow while living in the wilderness. After the reading, the high priest took the blood of the sacrificed animals, and ritualistic sprinkled it, along with water on the Book of the Law (on stone) using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. Sprinkling out toward the people he announced these words: "This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you for the forgiveness of your sins." Blood was sprinkled everywhere, He then went into the inner court of the Tabernacle where the Ark of the Covenant rested and sprinkled the sacrificial blood on the Mercy Seat, given as an act of worship to God for the completion of the covering of forgiveness for the sins of himself and God's people.

The greatness of Jesus' sacrifice

²³ Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴ For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; ²⁵ not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— ²⁶ He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 

Again, we are dealing with types and shadows. The Old Covenant was ritualistic, showing us types and shadows - copies - of the real true sacrifice in heaven.

• The sacrificial animal had to be purified by blood. Jesus's shed blood, on the other hand, as our heavenly sacrifice, was a far better sacrifice than the blood of animals. 
• The high priest of the Old Covenant entered enter into the holy place with human hands and it had to be repeated year after year throughout the course of history. Jesus as our heavenly sacrifice, however, offered Himself as a one-time sacrifice, once and for all, in these last days, never being necessary to be repeated. As the true sacrifice, Jesus became our final solution for sin.

²⁷ And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Everyone has to die once and then stand before God to face the consequences on how they lived their lives while on earth. Thus, judgment comes to everyone. That's why Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice to bear the sins of those who receive Christ into their lives. Jesus will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him. Are you one of those who are waiting for Him?

If so, let us then give Jesus praise, glory and honor Who is the King of kings, and the Lord of Lords.