Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Heb 9:1-2 and following. Indeed,Chapters 35 and 40 of the Exodus tell how the tabernacle was built. Leviticus gives instructions concerning sacrifices and then touching the priests. But all these ordinances of an earthly cult had demonstrated their tragic impotence. The tabernacle was shared by an impassable veil. The priest, a sinner, was obliged to offer for himself (Hb 5:1-3). Finally, the sacrifices of goats and calves could not “make perfect as to conscience”. Then God speaks to us of a heavenly sanctuary “greater and more perfect… who is not of this creation”(Hb 8.1-5). But what would be the point if there was not a priest capable of serving him?
And what good would a perfect priest do if the sacrifice were not also excellent? For our complete safety, Jesus is both. As a sacrifice, He gives us the peace of conscience. As a priest, He assures us of peace of heart and keeps us in communion with God. Under the old covenant everything was precarious and conditional. Now everything is eternal: redemption(Hb 5:5-11) as well as inheritance. Nothing can delight us or call them into question. “Without bloodshed there is no remission” (Lev 17:10-12). What every sacrifice of the old covenant proclaimed, which Abel had already understood by faith(Hb 11:4), is confirmed here in the most categorical way. For “the wages of sin is death,” and the blood shed on earth is proof that the wage has been paid (Deut 12:21-25).
The blood of Christ was “shed for many in remission of sins” (Mat 26:26-30). Who are these many? All those who believe! The precious blood of Jesus, continually under God’s gaze, protects them from His wrath. For “it is reserved for men to die once…”. They will not be granted a second existence. Yet not everything is over with it, and death is little compared to what follows it. What’s after death? One word is enough to reveal it: … “after that judgment” (2 Tim 4:1-4; Rev. 20:11-15). Man without God has before him these two terrible realities: death and judgment. But the redeemed possesses two blessed certainties: the forgiveness of all his sins and the return of the Lord for his final deliverance. God wants every one of us to be part of “those who await him”!
Christ’s work is sufficient for all; he gave himself as a ransom for all; he is the propitiation for the whole world (1 Tim. 2:6; 1 John 2:2), but he did not bear the sins of all, otherwise all would be saved. Only those who believe are to the benefit of his work. “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” is to all, but only“upon all who believe” (Rom. 3:22). For them, there is no question of death. They are waiting for Christ, and he will appear to them – this is his second coming – and how different it is from the first! In it, he appeared in humiliation, but then he will appear in glory. In His first coming, absolutely sinless in His Person, as we know (Heb. 4:15), he nevertheless had to deal with sin. Indeed, he who has not known sin has been made sin for us (2 Cor 5. 21); he was the victim for sin (Rom 8. 3); he bore the sins of “many”; he was charged with it on the cross.
But there he abolished sin, by his sacrifice; there he did the cleansing of sins; he has atoned for them and taken them away totally for the believers: this work is perfectly accomplished; the question is settled, and when it appears a second time, it will be “sinless”, apart from any question of sin, having nothing more to do with sin, relative to believers, to those who await it, because their sins have been completely taken away. He will appear to them, not for judgment, but for salvation,that is, to deliver them from all the consequences of sin. Let us note that this expression “to salvation” which applies in an absolute way to the Christian, also embraces the Jewish residue which, in the time to come, will wait for Christ and see him appear for his deliverance. It is not spoken here of the rapture of the saints, as we see mentioned in 1 Thes 4, but of the appearance of Christ for the deliverance of those who await him – the Christians today, the Jewish residue later. Nor is it his public manifestation in the world, while every eye will see it (Rev 1. 7), for then it will be for judgment. Here it is “to salvation to those who await it”. Two terrible realities await man because of sin, death “and after that judgment.” This is the fate of man as a child of Adam: it is reserved for him to die once, but not everything ends for him at this death which is the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23); what remains is even more terrible, that is, judgment. Death only introduces him before the God who judges him, and that is why death is the king of terrors (Job 18:14).
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
A better sanctuary:
- Divine prescriptions
Ex 18:20 Teach them ordinances and laws; and let them know the path they must follow, and what they must do. Ez 11:20 That they may follow my ordinances, and keep and practice my laws; And they will be my people, and I will be their God. Ml 3:7 Since the time of your fathers, you have departed from my ordinances, You have not observed them. Come back to me, and I will come back to you, says the Lord of hosts. And you say: How do we have to go back? Luke 1:6 Both were righteous before God, keeping all the Lord’s commandments and ordinances in an irreproachable manner.
- Sacrifices, insufficient to bring salvation
Ps 40:7 Thou shalt desire neither sacrifice nor offering, Thou has opened my ears; You are not asking for a holocaust or atoning victim. Is 1:11 What am I dealing with with the multitude of your sacrifices?” said the Lord. I am satiated with the burnts of rams and the fat of calves; I do not take pleasure in the blood of bulls, sheep and goats. Mt 9:13 Go, and learn what it means: I take pleasure in mercy, not sacrifices. For I have not come to call righteous, but sinners. Hb 9:9 It is a figure for the present time, where offerings and sacrifices are presented that cannot make perfect in relation to the conscience the one who renders this worship,
- Superior Dispensations
Hb 7:19 -for the law has brought nothing to perfection -and the introduction of a better hope, by which we draw near to God. Hb 9:23 It was therefore necessary, since the images of things that are in heaven were to be purified in this way, that the heavenly things themselves be purified by sacrifices more excellent than those. Hb 11:40 God having in mind something better for us, that they may not achieve perfection without us. Hb 12:22, 27 But you have approached the Mountain of Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the myriads that form the choir of angels, 27 These words: Once again, indicate the change of shaken things, as being made for a time, so that the unshakable things may remain.
- Christ without sin
Isaiah 53:9 His tomb was placed among the wicked, His tomb with the rich, though he would not have committed violence and there would be no fraud in his mouth. John 8:46 The Jews answered him: Are we not right to say that you are a Samaritan, and that you have a demon? Hb 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who by an eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your consciousness from dead works, so that you may serve the living God! 1 Pet 2:22 He who has not committed sin, and in whose mouth there has been no fraud; 1 John 3:5 Now, as you know, Jesus appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him.
From all the above, we note that for the believer, his fate is all changed; he no longer depends on Adam, but on Christ. And in Christ he finds two blessed certainties: first, Christ was offered once to bear his sins, and therefore they are entirely taken away; and second, Christ will soon appear and bring perfect deliverance to those who await Him. He therefore has no need to fear judgment and so for him death, if he is to suffer it, has no terrors. What a wonderful story of grace that leads us from our state of ruin, through christ’s sacrifice abolishing sin, to the final deliverance of the saints, already giving us an assured place in the presence of God where Christ appears to us! In the consummation of the centuries, Christ appeared a first time to abolish sin and bear sins; he will appear a second time without sin, for the full deliverance of those who await him; this is our hope. We find ourselves between these two comings, perfectly purified, without awareness of sins, before God, in whose presence Christ now appears for us. What a blessed position, what a happy expectation! This statement “will appear to salvation,” ends, and consumes a series of passages in the epistle where the phrase “salvation” is found. There are “those who will inherit salvation” (1. 14); “such a great salvation” (2. 3); “the head of their salvation” is consumed by suffering (2. 10); it is an “eternal salvation” (5. 9); excellent things are due to this salvation (6. 9); this salvation – operated by Christ – is complete, continues until the completion of the Christian race (7. 25); and this end of the race is when he “will appear to salvation to those who await him”. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “only Christ’s sacrifice is effective.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.