Montgomery - Hebrews - 9

9:1  Now even the first covenant had its ordinances of public worship, and its sanctuary, a material one.

9:2  For a tent was built, the outer one called the Holy Place, in which were the lamp and the table and the loaves of the Presence;

9:3  and behind the second veil was the tent called the Holy of Holies.

9:4  In it was the golden altar of incense, and also the Ark of the Covenant covered all over with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

9:5  while above it, overshadowing the mercy-seat, were the cherubim of glory. But I must not speak about these in detail.

9:6  Such then were the arrangements. Into the outer tent the priests enter continually in the performance of their duties;

9:7  but into the inner tent the high priest only goes alone, once a year, and that not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the ignorances of the people.

9:8  The Holy Spirit teaching by this that the way into the Holiest has not yet been disclosed while the first tent is still standing.

9:9  This is a parable, for the present time, according to which gifts and sacrifices are offered that are not able, as far as conscience is concerned, to perfect the worshiper;

9:10  since they consist only in meats and drinks and various ablutions, carnal ordinances, imposed until the time of reformation.

9:11  But when Christ came, a High Priest of good things to come, he passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is to say, not of this material creation,

9:12  not taking the blood of goats and oxen, but his own blood, and entered once for all into the Holy Place, obtaining for us an eternal redemption.

9:13  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleansing of the flesh,

9:14  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through his eternal spirit offered himself free from blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works unto the service of an ever-living God!

9:15  And because of this he is the Mediator of a new testament, in order that, since a death has taken place to atone for offenses committed under the first testament, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

9:16  For where there is a testament, there must also be brought forward in evidence the death of the testator.

9:17  For a testament is only of force in case of the dead, being never valid so long as the testator lives.

9:18  Accordingly we find that not without blood was the first testament enacted.

9:19  For after every commandment according to the law had been spoken by Moses to the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people.

9:20  saying, This is the blood of that testament which God commanded in regard to you.

9:21  Moreover the tabernacle and all the vessels of service he sprinkled likewise, and indeed, according to the Law,

9:22  almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.

9:23  While, then, it was necessary that the copies of the heavenly things should be cleansed by such sacrifices, the heavenly things themselves required nobler sacrifices than these.

9:24  For it was not into a Sanctuary made by hands, a mere type of the reality, that Christ entered, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the very presence of God on our behalf.

9:25  Nor did he enter to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest entered into the sanctuary, year after year, with blood that was not his own; (for in that case he would have needed to suffer repeatedly, ever since the foundation of the world;)but now, once for all, at the end of the ages, he has appeared to abolish sin, but the offering of himself.

9:27  And since it is appointed to men once to die, and after that the judgment;

9:28  so also the Christ, after being once for all offered to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who wait for him for salvation.