Глава 9

Heb.9:1. And the first covenant had a decree regarding worship and an earthly sanctuary. “You already have the first tabernacle of justification for the service.” This is what the Apostle called the commandments, since their fulfillment was considered the service of God. This is what blessed David says: “Teach me by Your justification” (Ps. 119:124), and the Lawgiver Himself: “this... judgments and justifications, the Lord said to the sons of Israel” (Deut. 4:45). But the Apostle first of all talks about the tabernacle. “The holy thing of men” (κοσμικόv). This is the name given to the tabernacle, which represents the image of the whole world. For the middle veil was divided into two parts, and one part was called the Holy Place, and the other the Holy of Holies. And the Holy Place was likened to life on earth, and the Holy of Holies to being in heaven. The curtain itself replaced the firmament. For the Divine Scripture has taught us that there are two heavens, of which God created the first with the earth, and the second he created on the second day, saying: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters” (Gen. 1:6), and then added: “And God called the firmament the sky” (Gen. 1:8). So blessed David says: “Heaven is the heaven of the Lord” (Ps. 113:24). This sky is the roof of a house for us, but for invisible forces it replaces the lower platform. Therefore, just as it separates what is below from what is above, so the veil, spread out in the middle of the tabernacle, separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. Hebrews 9:2. For the first tabernacle was built, in which was the lamp, and the table, and the offering of bread, and which is called the Holy Place. “For the first tabernacle was built, and in it was a lamp and a table and an offering of bread, which is said to be holy.” The word άγια (holy) should be read with an acute accent on the third syllable from the end, and this lets us know that another name is implied here. Hebrews 9:3. Behind the second veil was a tabernacle called the Holy of Holies. Hebrews 9:4. She had a golden censer and an ark of the covenant lined on all sides with gold, where there was a golden vessel with manna, Aaron’s rod that blossomed and the tablets of the covenant. Heb.9:5. And above him are the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the purification; which does not need to be discussed in detail now. “By the second veil, the tabernacle is said to be the holy of holies,” “having a censer of gold, and the ark of the covenant is shrouded everywhere with gold, in which there is a vase of gold containing manna, and Aaron’s rod, and the tablets of the covenant,” “above all are the cherubs of glory, overshadowing the altar [purification place]: o They shouldn’t fly now and talk in detail.” By the “atonement” and “cherubim” the tabernacle showed that it had the image of heavenly things, and by the “lamp” and the “meal” it meant real life. Heb.9:6. With this arrangement, priests always enter the first tabernacle to perform Divine services. “Being thus arranged, I will take out the first slaughter of the tabernacle for those who enter” only “priests performing the service”: Heb.9:7. And in the second - once a year there is only the high priest, not without blood, which he brings for himself and for the sins of ignorance of the people. “In the second one summer, one bishop, not without shelter, brings for himself and about human ignorance.” He was commanded to “sprinkle” the blood “with his finger in the place of atonement” (Lev. 16:19). Heb.9:8. By this the Holy Spirit shows that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been opened as long as the first tabernacle stands. “I show this to the Holy Spirit, as the way was not revealed to the saints, even before the tabernacle that had the standing.” The Holy of Holies, says the Apostle, was inaccessible to many, because the service under the law still had power. You should know that since this was done according to God’s command, the divine Apostle said that the Holy Spirit revealed this, thereby showing the dignity of the Spirit. Heb.9:9. She is an image of the present time, in which gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make the offerer perfect in conscience. Heb.9:10. And which, with food and drink, and various ablutions and rituals pertaining to the flesh, were established only until the time of correction. “Even the parable has been established in the present time, in the tenderness of gifts and sacrifices are offered, which in conscience cannot be performed by the servant,” “exactly in food and drinks, and various ablutions, and the justification of the flesh, even until the time of correction.” Moreover, says the Apostle, we learn from the tabernacle that the law is useful in this life and is adapted to those who still have a mortal nature. That is why “the priests entered into the first tabernacle” and performed legal service, but they did not enter the Holy of Holies; “there is only one” “bishop”, entering, representing the image of the Lord Christ, Who first ascended to heaven and made it accessible to us. But with these also words the Apostle clearly taught us that he does not reject the whole law, but what is legalized about food and drink, about the woman who bleeds sperm, about the leper, about the woman in the birthing bed and the woman who is bleeding; for they were washed and cleansed by sprinkling. None of these means had the power to make a clear conscience, but each was given not without reason, but for some need that now is not the time to explain. However, all this was temporary, awaiting the time of perfection. This is what the Apostle said: “even until the time of correction.” Thus, having shown the weakness of this, he brings into comparison what is given in the New Testament. Hebrews 9:11. But Christ, the High Priest of future good things, came with a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of such a dispensation. Hebrews 9:12. And not with the blood of goats and bulls, but with His own blood, He once entered the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption. “Christ came as the bishop of the blessings to come, in a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, without sowing the creatures,” “not through the blood of a goat, below the calf, but through His own blood, having entered into the Holy One, having found eternal redemption.” Here the Apostle called human nature, which the Lord Christ took upon Himself, “a tabernacle not made with hands.” For it is not according to the law of marriage that one is born, but the All-Holy Spirit prepared the tabernacle. And the expression: “not sowing the creature” is used instead of the words: not according to the law of nature, which is in the creature. Christ offered for us not the blood of oxen and goats, but His own blood, and with this blood He ascended into heaven, not like the high priests “in one year, but in one eternal redemption”; because, having become the price of redemption for us, he freed us all from the dominion of death. Then the Apostle proves the truth of what was said by example. Hebrews 9:13. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, through sprinkling, sanctify the defiled, so that the body may be clean. “For the blood of goats and heifers, and the ashes of a youth sprinkling defilement, sanctifies the purity of the flesh”: Heb.9:14. How much more so will the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself blameless to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living and true God! “How much more will the blood of Christ, like the eternal (holy) Spirit, “offer yourself blameless to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, so that we may serve God?” If sprinkling the blood of dumb animals and ashes mixed with water cleanses the filth that apparently existed in the body, how much more will the blood of Christ free our consciences from evil deeds. For the Apostle called the foul and evil things “dead works.” And he said this according to human nature. For the Spirit of God has made the body of Christ blameless; Christ had all the gifts of the Spirit of God, “and from His fulfillment,” according to the words of the divine John, “we have all received” (John 1:16). It should also be noted that the Apostle called the Spirit of God eternal. And what is eternal was not created, because the eternal did not have a temporal beginning of existence. Heb.9:15. And therefore He is the mediator of the new covenant, so that through His death, which was for redemption from the crimes committed in the first covenant, those who are called to an eternal inheritance may receive the promise. “And for this reason there is an Intercessor for the new covenant, so that the death of the former, in atonement for the crimes of those who were in the new covenant, the promise of an eternal inheritance will receive the title.” For this purpose, he accepted death for everyone, so that for the crime under the oath of the law, those who had been cursed by the law would be honored with salvation and made partakers of eternal blessings. Hebrews 9:16. For where there is a will, it is necessary that the death of the testator follow. Heb.9:17. Because a will is valid after the deceased: it is not valid when the testator is alive. “Where there is a covenant, death must be made by the bequeather,” “for the covenant is known to the dead: nothing else can be done while the bequeather is alive.” The Apostle said this, consoling those struck by the Master’s death with the fact that during the establishment of the New Testament death was necessary, because upon the death of those who testate, they receive the power of a will. And he proves this from the Old Testament. Heb.9:18. This is why the first covenant was not confirmed without blood. “Nevertheless, not the first person was found homeless.” Heb.9:19. For Moses, having pronounced all the commandments according to the law before all the people, took the blood of bulls and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people. Hebrews 9:20. Saying: This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you. Hebrews 9:21. He also sprinkled blood on the tabernacle and all the liturgical vessels. Hebrews 9:22. And almost everything according to the law is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. “More than every commandment that was given according to the law of Moses, all people shall receive the blood of goats and heifers, with water, and with scarlet wool and hyssop,” “And sprinkle the same books and all the people,” “the verb: This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded to you.” “And the tabernacle and all the vessels of service, sprinkle the same blood.” “And almost all are cleansed by blood according to the law, and without bloodshed there is no abandonment.” The Apostle undoubtedly proved that what is of the Old Testament is an image of what is of the New Testament. Therefore, if in the type the lawgiver took the blood and mixed it with water, he sprinkled the covenant itself, and the people, and the tabernacle; foreshadowed reality? Of necessity, the Apostle presented the testimony of Moses, in which this is clearly expressed: “This is the blood of the covenant, which God commanded to you” (Ex. 24:8), since the nature of God is immortal, it depicted death through the blood of sacrifices and confirmed the covenant. since God the Word became man and had a mortal body, He no longer needed wordless sacrifices, but with His blood He established the New Testament. For the image is applied to the shadow, and the truth to the body. They served as an image: baptism - water, saving blood - the blood of the dumb, a new robe - a scarlet wave, the impassive Divinity - cedar wood, the grace of the Spirit of God - the warmth of hyssop and the suffering of humanity - the ashes of a young woman. Heb.9:23. So the images of heavenly things had to be purified with these, and the heavenly things themselves with the best of these sacrifices. “There is a need to be purified by these heavenly images,” that is, by the dumb; “the best heavenly sacrifices, more than these,” that is, a reasonable, immaculate and holy sacrifice. The Apostle called the spiritual “heavenly,” by which the Church is cleansed. Hebrews 9:24. For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made with hands, built in the image of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us. “For Christ did not appear in the holy place made with hands, contrary to the image of the true ones, but in heaven itself, now let the face of God appear for us.” The apostle proved the difference by the place itself. For the priests entered into a tabernacle made with hands, or into a church made with hands, but He entered into heaven. It is said: “today let him appear,” that is, as a man; because now human nature has ascended to heaven for the first time. Hebrews 9:25. And not in order to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the sanctuary every year with someone else’s blood. Hebrews 9:26. Otherwise He would have had to suffer many times since the beginning of the world; He once, towards the end of the centuries, appeared to destroy sin through His sacrifice. “Below and many times he brings it to himself, as the high priest enters the holy (of holies) throughout the whole year with alien blood”: “it would have been more fitting for Him to suffer in abundance from the creation of the world.” The priests under the law entered the Holy of Holies every year, and Christ made this “one at the end of the ages.” And they entered “with strange blood,” and He with His own blood. “Now, alone, at the end of the ages, in the sweeping away of sin, He appeared as His sacrifice”; because he completely crushed the power of sin, promising us immortality, since sin cannot disturb immortal bodies. Hebrews 9:27. And how it is appointed for men to die once, and then the judgment. Hebrews 9:28. So Christ, having once sacrificed Himself to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time not for the cleansing of sin, but for salvation for those who are waiting for Him. “And just as it was determined for man to die alone, then judgment”, “so having brought Christ alone to Himself, to bear the sins of many, the second without sin will appear to those who wait for Him for salvation.” Just as it is destined for each of the people to die once, and the one who has reached the mortal limit no longer sins, but awaits the consequences of everything he has done in life, so the Lord Christ, having once offered Himself for us and taken upon Himself our sins, will again appear to us when sin no longer rules, that is, when sin no longer has a place in people; because Christ Himself, while still having a mortal body, “committed no sin, lest flattery be found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). It should be noted that the Apostle said: “to take away the sins of many,” and not of all; for not everyone believed. Therefore, Christ only forgave the sins of those who believed. You might be interested in: