save--His very name Jesus ([He 7:22]) meaning Saviour.
to the uttermost--altogether, perfectly, so that nothing should be wanting afterwards for ever [Tittmann]. It means "in any wise," "utterly," in [Lu 13:11].
come unto God--by faith.
by him--through Him as their mediating Priest, instead of through the Levitical priests.
seeing he ever liveth--resuming "He continueth ever," [He 7:24]; therefore "He is able to the uttermost"; He is not, like the Levitical priest, prevented by death, for "He ever liveth" ([He 7:23]).
to make intercession--There was but the one offering on earth once for all. But the intercession for us in the heavens ([He 7:26]) is ever continuing, whence the result follows, that we can never be separated from the love of God in Christ. He intercedes only for those who come unto God through Him, not for the unbelieving world ([Joh 17:9]). As samples of His intercession, compare the prophetical descriptions in the Old Testament. "By an humble omnipotency (for it was by His humiliation that He obtained all power), or omnipotent humility, appearing in the presence, and presenting His postulations at the throne of God" [Bishop Pearson]. He was not only the offering, but the priest who offered it. Therefore, He has become not only a sacrifice, but an intercessor; His intercession being founded on His voluntary offering of Himself without spot to God. We are not only then in virtue of His sacrifice forgiven, but in virtue of the intercession admitted to favor and grace [Archbishop Magee].
26. such--as is above described. The oldest manuscripts read, "also." "For to US (as sinners; emphatical) there was also becoming (besides the other excellencies of our High Priest) such an High Priest."
holy--"pious" (a distinct Greek word from that for holy, which latter implies consecration) towards God; perfectly answering God's will in reverent piety ([Psa 16:10]).
harmless--literally, "free from evil" and guile, in relation to Himself.
undefiled--not defiled by stain contracted from others, in relation to men. Temptation, to which He was exposed, left no trace of evil in Him.
separate--rather, "separated from sinners," namely, in His heavenly state as our High Priest above, after He had been parted from the earth, as the Levitical high priest was separated from the people in the sanctuary (whence he was not to go out), [Le 21:12]. Though justifying through faith the ungodly, He hath no contact with them as such. He is lifted above our sinful community, being "made higher than the heavens," at the same time that He makes believers as such (not as sinners), "to sit together (with Him) in heavenly places" ([Ep 2:6]). Just as Moses on the mount was separated from and above the people, and alone with God. This proves Jesus is God. "Though innumerable lies have been forged against the venerable Jesus, none dared to charge Him with any intemperance" [Origen].
made--Jesus was higher before ([Joh 17:5]), and as the God-MAN was made so by the Father after His humiliation (compare [He 1:4]).
higher than the heavens--for "He passed through [so the Greek] the heavens" ([He 4:14]).
27. daily--"day by day." The priests daily offered sacrifices ([He 9:6]; ; [Ex 29:38-42]). The high priests took part in these daily-offered sacrifices only on festival days; but as they represented the whole priesthood, the daily offerings are here attributed to them; their exclusive function was to offer the atonement "once every year" ([He 9:7]), and "year by year continually" ([He 10:1]). The "daily" strictly belongs to Christ, not to the high priests, "who needeth not daily, as those high priests (year by year, and their subordinate priests daily), to offer," &c.
offer up--The Greek term is peculiarly used of sacrifices for sin. The high priest's double offering on the day of atonement, the bullock for himself, and the goat for the people's sins, had its counterpart in the TWO lambs offered daily by the ordinary priests.
this he did--not "died first for His own sins and then the people's," but for the people's only. The negation is twofold: He needeth not to offer (1) daily; nor (2) to offer for His own sins also; for He offered Himself a spotless sacrifice ([He 7:26]; [He 4:15]). The sinless alone could offer for the sinful.
once--rather as Greek, "once for all." The sufficiency of the one sacrifice to atone for all sins for ever, resulted from its absolute spotlessness.
28. For--reason for the difference stated in [He 7:27], between His one sacrifice and their oft repeated sacrifices, namely, because of His entire freedom from the sinful infirmity to which they are subject. He needed not, as they, to offer For His own sin; and being now exempt from death and "perfected for evermore," He needs not to REPEAT His sacrifice.
the word--"the word" confirmed by "the oath."
which--which oath was after the law, namely, in [Psa 110:4], abrogating the preceding law-priesthood.
the Son--contrasted with "men."
consecrated--Greek, "made perfect" once for all, as in [He 2:10]; ; see on [He 2:10]; [He 5:9]. Opposed to "having infirmity." Consecrated as a perfected priest by His perfected sacrifice, and consequent anointing and exaltation to the right hand of the Father.
Chapter 8
He 8:1-13. Christ, the High Priest in the True Sanctuary, Superseding the Levitical Priesthood; the New Renders Obsolete the Old Covenant
1. the sum--rather, "the principal point"; for the participle is present, not past, which would be required if the meaning were "the sum." "The chief point in (or, 'in the case'; so the Greek, [He 9:10], 15, 17) the things which we are speaking," literally, "which are being spoken."
such--so transcendently pre-eminent, namely in this respect, that "He is set on the right hand of," &c. Infinitely above all other priests in this one grand respect, He exercises His priesthood IN HEAVEN, not in the earthly "holiest place" ([He 10:12]). The Levitical high priests, even when they entered the Holiest Place once a year, only STOOD for a brief space before the symbol of God's throne; but Jesus SITS on the throne of the Divine Majesty in the heaven itself, and this for ever ([He 10:11], ).
2. minister--The Greek term implies priestly ministry in the temple.
the sanctuary--Greek, "the holy places"; the Holy of Holies. Here the heavenly sanctuary is meant.
the true--the archetypal and antitypical, as contrasted with the typical and symbolical ([He 9:24]). Greek "alethinos" (used here) is opposed to that which does not fulfil its idea, as for instance, a type; "alethes," to that which is untrue and unreal, as a lie. The measure of alethes is reality; that of alethinos, ideality. In alethes the idea corresponds to the thing; in alethinos, the thing to the idea [Kalmis in Alford].
tabernacle--([He 9:11]). His body. Through His glorified body as the tabernacle, Christ passes into the heavenly "Holy of Holies," the immediate immaterial presence of God, where He intercedes for us. This tabernacle in which God dwells, is where God in Christ meets us who are "members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones." This tabernacle answers to the heavenly Jerusalem, where God's visible presence is to be manifested to His perfected saints and angels, who are united in Christ the Head; in contradistinction to His personal invisible presence in the Holy of Holies unapproachable save to Christ. [Joh 1:14], "Word ... dwelt among us," Greek, "tabernacled."
pitched--Greek, "fixed" firmly.
not man--as Moses ([He 8:5]).
3. For--assigning his reason for calling him "minister of the sanctuary" ([He 8:2]).
somewhat--He does not offer again His once for all completed sacrifice. But as the high priest did not enter the Holy Place without blood, so Christ has entered the heavenly Holy Place with His own blood. That "blood of sprinkling" is in heaven. And is thence made effectual to sprinkle believers as the end of their election ([1Pe 1:2]). The term "consecrate" as a priest, is literally, to fill the hand, implying that an offering is given into the hands of the priest, which it is his duty to present to God. If a man be a priest, he must have some gift in his hands to offer. Therefore, Christ, as a priest, has His blood as His oblation to offer before God.
4. Implying that Christ's priestly office is exercised in heaven, not in earth; in the power of His resurrection life, not of His earthly life.
For--The oldest manuscripts read, "accordingly then."
if, &c.--"if He were on earth, He would not even (so the Greek) be a priest" (compare [He 7:13], ); therefore, certainly, He could not exercise the high priestly function in the earthly Holy of Holies.
seeing that, &c.--"since there are" already, and exist now (the temple service not yet being set aside, as it was on the destruction of Jerusalem), "those (the oldest manuscripts omit 'priests') who offer the (appointed) gifts according to (the) law." Therefore, His sacerdotal "ministry" must be "in the heavens," not on earth ([He 8:1]). "If His priesthood terminated on the earth, He would not even be a priest at all" [Bengel]. I conceive that the denial here of Christ's priesthood on earth does not extend to the sacrifice on the cross which He offered as a priest on earth; but applies only to the crowning work of His priesthood, the bringing of the blood into the Holy of Holies, which He could not have done in the earthly Holy of Holies, as not being an Aaronic priest. The place (the heavenly Holy of Holies) was as essential to the atonement being made as the oblation (the blood). The body was burnt without the gate; but the sanctification was effected by the presentation of the blood within the sanctuary by the high priest. If on earth, He would not be a priest in the sense of the law of Moses ("according to the law" is emphatic).
5. Who--namely, the priests.
serve unto the example--not "after the example," as Bengel explains. But as in [He 13:10], "serve the tabernacle," that is, do it service: so "serve (the tabernacle which is but) the outline and shadow." The Greek for "example" is here taken for the sketch, copy, or suggestive representation of the heavenly sanctuary, which is the antitypical reality and primary archetype. "The mount" answers to heaven, [He 12:22].
admonished--The Greek especially applies to divine responses and commands.
to make--"perfectly": so the Greek.
See--Take heed, accurately observing the pattern, that so thou mayest make, &c.
saith he--God.
the pattern--an accurate representation, presented in vision to Moses, of the heavenly real sanctuary. Thus the earthly tabernacle was copy of a copy; but the latter accurately representing the grand archetypical original in heaven ([Ex 25:40]).