HEBREWS Chapter 9 - Worship In The Earthy Tabernacle

Worship In The Earthy Tabernacle

Now the First Covenant had Regulations for Worship

And also and Earthly Sanctuary.

2 A Tabernacle was set up.

In its First Room were the Lampstand,

The Table and the Consecrated Bread;

This was called The Holy Place,

3 Behind the Second Curtain was a room

Called The Most Holy Place,

4 Which had the Golden Altar of Incense

And the Gold-covered Ark of the Covenant.

This ark contained the Gold Jar of Manna,

Aaron's Rod that budded,

And the Stone Tablets of the Covenant.

5 Above the Ark were the Cherubim of the Glory,

Overshadowing the Place of Atonement.

But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

6 When everything had been arranged like this,

The Priests entered regularly into the Outer Room

To carry on their Ministry.

7 BUT ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST ENTERED THE INNER ROOM,

AND THAT ONLY ONCE A YEAR,

AND NEVER WITHOUT BLOOD,

WHICH HE OFFERED FOR HIMSELF

AND FOR THE SINS THE PEOPLE HAD COMMITTED IN IGNORANCE.

8 THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS SHOWING BY THIS

THAT THE WAY INTO THE MOST HOLY PLACE

HAD NOT YET BEEN DISCLOSED

AS LONG AS THE FIRST TABERNACLE WAS STILL STANDING.

9 This is an illustration for the Present Time,

Indicating that the Gifts and Sacrifices being Offered

WERE NOT ABLE TO CLEAR THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WORSHIPER.

10 They are only a matter of food and drink

And various Ceremonial Washings--
External Regulations applying

UNTIL THE TIME OF THE NEW ORDER.

The Blood Of Christ

11 WHEN CHRIST CAME AS HIGH PRIEST

Of the good things that are already here,

He went through the Greater and more Perfect Tabernacle

THAT IS NOT MAN-MADE,

THAT IS TO SAY, NOT PART OF THIS CREATION.

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;

BUT HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL

BY HIS OWN BLOOD,

HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION.

13 The blood of goats and bulls

And the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those

Who are Ceremonially unclean Sanctify them

So that they are Outwardly Clean.

14 HOW MUCH MORE, THEN,

WILL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT

OFFERED HIMSELF UNBLEMISHED TO GOD,

TO CLEANSE OUR CONSCIENCES

FROM ACTS THAT LEAD TO DEATH,

SO THAT WE MAY SERVE THE LIVING GOD!

15 FOR THIS REASON CHRIST IS THE MEDIATOR

OF A NEW COVENANT,

THAT THOSE WHO ARE CALLED

MAY RECEIVE THE PROMISED ETERNAL INHERITANCE--

Now that He has Died as the Ransom

TO SET THEM FREE

From the Sins Committed under the First Covenant.

16 In the case of a Will,

It is necessary to prove the death of the one who mad it,

17 Because a Will is in force only when somebody has died;

It never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

18 This is why even the First Covenant

Was not put into effect without blood.

19 When Moses had proclaimed every Commandment of the Law

To all the people,

He took the blood of calves,

Together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop,

AND SPRINKLED THE SCROLL AND ALL THE PEOPLE.

20 He said,

'THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT,

WHICH GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU TO KEEP.'

21 In the same way,

He Sprinkled with the blood both the Tabernacle

And everything used in its Ceremonies.

22 IN FACT, THE LAW REQUIRES

THAT NEARLY EVERYTHING BE CLEANSED WITH BLOOD,

AND WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD

THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS.

23 It was necessary, then, for the Copies of the Heavenly Things

To be Purified with these Sacrifices,

But the Heavenly Things themselves

With Better Sacrifices than these.

24 FOR CHRIST DID NOT ENTER A MAN-MADE SANCTUARY

THAT WAS ONLY A COPY OF THE TRUE ONE;

HE ENTERED HEAVEN ITSELF,

NOW TO APPEAR FOR US IN GOD'S PRESENCE.

25 Nor did He Enter Heaven

To offer Himself again and again,

The way the High Priest enters The Most Holy Place every year

With blood that is not his own.

26 THEN CHRIST WOULD HAVE HAD TO SUFFER MANY TIMES

SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.

BUT NOW HE HAS APPEARED ONCE FOR ALL,

AT THE END OF THE AGES

TO DO AWAY WITH SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF.

27 Just as man is destined to Die Once,

AND AFTER THAT TO FACE JUDGMENT,

28 SO CHRIST WAS SACRIFICED ONCE

TO TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF MANY PEOPLE;

AND HE WILL APPEAR A SECOND TIME,

NOT TO BEAR SIN, BUT TO BRING SALVATION

TO THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR HIM.

(Hebrews 9)