Hebrews 9 — Verse 7

But into the second went the High Priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the errors of the People.

The use and service of the second part of the Tabernacle or the most Holy Place, which the Apostle designeth principally to apply to his present argument, are declared in this present verse. And he describes them; (1) By the person who alone might perform the service which belonged to this part of the sanctuary. And this was the High Priest. (2) By that which in general was required to the other parts of it. He went into it. This is not here expressed, but the sense of it is traduced from the foregoing verse, The other Priests entred into the Sanctuary; and the High Priest into this; that is, he entred or went into it. (3) From the time and season of this his entrance, which was once a year only; in opposition to the entrance of the Priests into the other part, which was at all times, every day. (4) By the manner of his entrance, or what he carried with him to administer or perform the holy service of the Place, expressed negatively; not without blood; that is, with blood. (5) From the use of the Blood which he so carried in with him; it was that which he offered for himself and the errors of the People.

That which the Apostle here respects and describes was the great Anniversary Sacrifice of expiation, whose Institution, Rites and Solemnities are at large declared (Leviticus 16). And herein,

1. The Person designed to this service was the High Priest alone and no other Person (Leviticus 16:2, 32). And he was to be so alone, as that none were to attend, assist or accompany him in any part of the service. Yes, it was so far from it, that any person entred with him into the Holy Place, that no one was allowed to be in the other part of the Sanctuary where he might so much as see the vail opened, or look in after him while he performed his service (ver. 17). As all the People were kept out of the Sanctuary while the Priests entred daily into it and waited at the door; so all the Priests were kept without the Sanctuary, while the High Priest entred into the most Holy Place. Hence there was one always provided who was next in succession to that office, to perform this office in case of Sickness or occasional Pollutions of him who was actually High Priest. And he was called the second Priest (1 Kings 25:16). From where in times of disorder and confusion they had afterwards two High Priests at once (John 18:13, 24). Thus sacredly was the presence of God in the Holy Place made inaccessible not only to all the People, but even to all the Priests themselves.

Some say that indeed the High Priest went alone into the Holy Place once a year only, but with other Priests and on other occasions he might enter oftener. But this is weak beneath consideration. For the express institution was, that he should go alone, and go but once. And this was that great truth which in this ordinance God stated to the Church; namely, that there is no entrance into the gracious presence of God but by the High Priest. That the true High Priest should take along all Believers with him, and give them admission with boldness to the Throne of Grace, was as the Apostle declares in the next verse, not as yet made known.

2. The way whereby he ingaged into this service was that he went into this Holy Place. This, as we observed before, is not here expressed, but is necessarily traduced from the foregoing verse. And it is his entrance through the vail that is intended; which also was a part of his service. For it was a type both of the entrance of Christ into Heaven, and of our entrance by him to the Throne of Grace (ver. 24, chap. 10:19, 20). This was that vail which in the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom upon the death of our Savior (Matthew 27:51). For hereby the way was laid open into the Holy Place, and the gracious presence of God discovered to all that come to him by Christ.

3. The time of this service is expressed, that it was once only every year. The first order to this purpose was a Prohibition or negative precept that the High Priest should not come at all times into the Holy Place (Leviticus 16:2), that is, not every day, as he did into the Sanctuary; not at any time of his own choice. He might not choose, he might not appoint a time for the service of this Holy Place; whatever occasion he apprehended of it, or necessity for it. Times of sacred worship are the Lords, no less than the things of it. Our own stated times are no less disapproved by him, than any other parts of sacred worship of our own finding out (1 Kings 12:32, 33).

And as this time of the entrance of the High Priest into the most Holy Place was limited to once a year, which our Apostle observes; so the precise day of the year was determined by the Law. It was fixed to the tenth day of the seventh month or Tizri, which reckoning from Nisan the beginning of their ecclesiastical year answers to our September. This was the great day of Atonement, which with the fruits of it ensued thereon (Leviticus 16:29).

But whereas it is said that he entred once every year, the meaning is, that upon one day in the year only he did so, and had liberty so to do: For it is evident that on that day he went twice into it, yes, most probable that he did so four times. He had three offerings or sacrifices to offer on the day of expiation. The first was of a Bullock and a Ram for himself and his houshold (Leviticus 16:3). This the Apostle notes distinctly, which he offered for himself. Secondly, a Goat, for a Sin-offering, which he offered for the People, for the errors of the People, ver. 9. Thirdly, the service of the scape Goat, which also had the nature of a Sacrifice, ver. 10. Of the two first whose blood was offered on the Altar, it is said distinctly, that he carried of the blood into the most Holy Place. He did so, first that of the Bullock and the Ram, before he offered the Goat for the sins of the People. He killed not the Goat until he came out of the Holy Place, after he had carried in the blood of the Sacrifice for himself, ver. 11, 12, 13, 14. After this he carried in the blood of the Goat that was offered for the sins of the People, ver. 15. So that of necessity he must enter twice distinctly on that one day into the most Holy Place.

Yes, it is most probable and almost very certain that he entred into it four times on that day: For before he carried in the blood he was to go in with the Incense to make a cloud over the Mercy-seat. And it is evident that he could not carry in the Incense and the blood at the same time: For when he went in with the Incense, he had in one hand a Censer full of burning coals from the Altar, and he so carried it, 'that besides both his hands were filled with Incense, ver. 12. that he could carry no blood with him at that time. For when he carried in the blood also, both his hands were in like manner employed. For with the finger of one he was to sprinkle the blood upon and before the Mercy-seat; from where it is of necessity that he must have the blood which he sprinkled in his other hand. For he was to sprinkle it seven times, which could not be done with the blood that was at once upon the finger wherewith he sprinkled it. Therefore this once every year is on one day only; for that day he entred four times into the Holy Place within the Vail, as is plain in the order of the service according to its Institution.

When all this was done, that there might be a full representation of the Atonement to be made by the Lord Christ, and of the plenary remission of sins by his blood, the High Priest laid all the sins of the People on the Head of the scape Goat who carried them away into the wilderness of everlasting oblivion, ver. 20, 21, 22.

As these Institutions were multiplyed to typifie the one single sacrifice and oblation of the body of Christ, because of the imperfection inseparable from the nature of earthly things, whereby no one of them could absolutely represent it; so in this distinction and distribution of them, the condescention, love, and grace of God were adorable and glorious. For in the shedding of the blood of the Sacrifice, and offering it by fire on the Altar, he plainly declared the imputation of the guilt of their sins to the Sacrifice, its bearing of them and the expiation of their guilt thereby. By carrying of the blood into the Holy Place he testified his acceptance of the Atonement made and his reconciliation to the People. And hereon the full remission and pardon of all their sins, no more to be had in remembrance, was manifested in the sending away of the scape Goat into the wilderness. Hence the Jews have a saying that on the day of expiation all Israel was made as innocent as in the daies of creation. How all this was accomplished in and by the Sacrifice of Christ must be afterwards declared.

4. As to the nature of this service, the Apostle tells us that it was not without blood. He so expresseth it to shew the impossibility of entring into the Holy Place any otherwise. And from hence he takes his ensuing argument of the necessity of the death and blood-shedding of the Mediator or High Priest of the new Testament. Not without blood; as he might not do it otherwise, so he did it by blood. And this was the manner of the service. After the High Priest had filled the Holy Place with a cloud of Incense, he returned to the Altar of Burnt-offerings without the Tabernacle, where the Sacrifice had been newly slain: And while the blood of the beast was fresh and as it were living (Hebrews 10), he took of it in his hand, and entring again into the Holy Place, he sprinkled it seven times with his finger towards the Mercy-seat (Leviticus 16:11, 12, 13, 14). And there is, as was said, an emphasis in the expression, not without blood, to manifest how impossible it was that there should be an entrance into the gracious presence of God, without the blood of the sacrifice of Christ. The only propitiation of sins is made by the blood of Christ, and it is by faith alone that we are made partakers thereof (Romans 3:25, 26).

5. This blood is farther described by the use of it; which he offereth. Where or when he offered it is not expressed. In the Holy Place there was no use of this blood, but only the sprinkling of it: But the sprinkling of blood was always consequential to the offering or oblation properly so called. For the oblation consisted principally in the atonement made by the blood at the Altar of burnt-offerings. It was given and appointed for that end, to make atonement with it at that Altar, as is expresly affirmed (Leviticus 17:11). After this, it was sprinkled for purification. Therefore by [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], the Apostle here renders the Hebrew [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] used in the Institution (Leviticus 16:15), which is only to bring and not to offer properly. Or he has respect to the offering of it that was made at the Altar without the Sanctuary. The blood which was there offered he brought a part of it with him into the most Holy Place, to sprinkle it according to the Institution.

6. The Apostle declares for whom this blood was offered; and this was for himself and the People; first for himself and then for the People. For he has respect to the distinct sacrifices that were to be offered on that day; the first was of a Bullock and a Ram which was for himself. And this argued, as the Apostle observes, the great imperfection of that church-state. They could have no priests to offer sacrifices for the sins of the People, but he must first offer for himself, and that the blood of other creatures. But the true High Priest was to offer his own blood and that not for himself at all, but for others only. He offered for himself; that is, for his own sins (Leviticus 16:6). Therefore the Vul. Lat. reads the words, pro suâ et Populi ignorantiâ, very corruptly, changing the number of the substantive, but very truly applying [illegible] to the Priest as well as to the People. Others would supply the words by adding [illegible] before [illegible], and so repeat [illegible]. But the Apostle expresseth the words of the Institution [illegible] which for himself, leaving the application to the series of the context and the nature of the service: For himself, that is, his own sins.

2. The blood was offered also for the People, that is, the People of Israel, the People of God, the Church, the whole congregation. And as the High Priest herein bore the Person of Christ, so did this People of all the elect of God who were represented in them and by them. It was that People, and not the whole world that the High Priest offered for. And it is the elect People alone for whom our great High Priest did offer, and does intercede.

7. That which he offered for; it was their errors; or their sins. The Socinians, some of them, not for want of understanding, but out of hatred to the true sacrifice of Christ, contend from hence, that the Anniversary Sacrifice on the great day of expiation, the principal representation of it, was only for sins of ignorance, of imbecillity and weakness. But it is a fond imagination; at least the argument from these words for it, is so. For besides that the Scripture calls all sins by the name of errors (Psalms 19:12; Psalms 25:7), and the worst, the most provoking of all sins, is expressed by erring in heart (Psalms 95:10), and the LXX frequently render, to sin by [illegible] (2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Samuel 16:22; Hosea 4:16; &c.), besides I say this application of the word elsewhere to all sorts of sins, in the enumeration of those errors of the People which the High Priest offered for, they are said to be all their iniquities, and all their transgressions in all their sins (Leviticus 16:21). Therefore to offer for the errors of the People, it is to offer for all their sins, of whatever nature they were. And they are thus called, because indeed there is no such predominancy of malice in any sin in this world, as wherein there is not a mixture of error, either notional or practical, of the mind or of the heart, which is the cause or a great occasion of it. See (1 Timothy 1:13; Matthew 12:31, 32). Here indeed lies the original of all sin. The mind being filled with darkness and ignorance, alienates the whole soul from the life of God. And as it has superadded prejudices which it receives from corrupt affections, yet neither directs nor judgeth aright, as to particular acts and duties, under all present circumstances. And what notions of good and evil it cannot but retain, it gives up in particular instances to the occasions of sin. Therefore (1) spiritual illumination of the mind, is indispensably necessary to our walking with God. (2) Those who would be preserved from sin, must take care that spiritual light do always bear sway in their minds. And therefore (3) constantly to watch against the prevalency of corrupt prejudices and affections in their mind. And (4) when the light of the mind is solicited by temptations, to suspend its conduct and determination on present circumstances, to know that sin lies at the door; this is its last address for admission. And (5) If error grow strong in the heart through the love of sin, truth will grow weak in the mind, as to the preservation of the soul from it. And (6) Nothing ought to influence the soul more to repentance, sorrow, and humiliation for sin, than a due apprehension of the shameful error and mistake that is in it.