Aicanrubira rovg odpavods, “that is passed into the heavens.” So our translation; in which expression the thing intended is plain, but the difficulty that is in the words is as plainly concealed, and somewhat of their proper sense and meaning. Syr., “who is ascended into heaven;” laying the emphasis upon and directing our thoughts unto his ascension, and not to his present abode in heaven, which ours seem to point unto, “who is passed into the heavens,” LEthiop., “who came from heaven into the world ;” which kind of mistakes are not infrequent with that. interpreter. Avépyouas is “ pertranseo,” “to pass through;” that is, any one place into another, 1 Cor. xvi. 5: "Oruy Maxedoviaw diéAda~ Maxsdoviay yap dsépyoucur—* When I shall pass through Macedonia; for I pass through Macedonia.” So Acts xv. 41, John iv. 4. And no other signification can it have in this place: “Is passed through rods
Auanrvdora rods ovpavods,
~ VER. 14.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 395
obpavots,’ “the heavens.” Axépyeodas rods odpavods, is plainly to “pass through the heavens,” and not to “ pass into them.” Neither the sense nor construction of the words will allow any such interpreta- tion; nor will any thing else but his passing through the heavens answer the apostle’s design.
The “heavens,” therefore, are taken two ways:—First, and most frequently, to denote the place of God’s glorious residence, the holy habitation of God, the resting-place of blessed souls, and palace of the great King, where is his throne, and thousands of his holy ones stand ministering before him. This heaven the Lord Christ did not pass through, but into, when dveA4pdn év d6En, he was “taken up into glory,” 1 Tim. iii, 16. There he sits, “on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” and these heavens “ must receive him until the times of restitution” shall come, Acts iii. 21. Secondly, The “ hea- vens’ are taken for the air, as when mention is made of the “ fowls of heayen;” that is, which “fly above the earth in the open firma- ment of heaven,” Gen. i. 20: as also for the ethereal regions, the orbs of the sun, moon, and stars, which are set “for lights in the firmament of heaven,” Gen. i. 15,—the aspectable heavens above us, which “declare the glory of God,” and “shew his handywork,” Ps, xix. 1; which he “garnished by his Spirit” for that end, Job xxvi. 13. These are the heavens here intended. And concerning them our apostle says again of our high priest, bbyrérepog ray obpavéiy yevouevoc, Heb. vii. 26, “ made higher than the heavens;” he passed through them, and was exalted above them. These ethereal regions the disciples looked towards when he was “taken up into glory,” Acts i. 9,10. So Eph. iv. 10, “He ascended up, far above all hea- yens.” He passed through them, and ascended above them, into that which is called “the third heaven,” or the “heaven of heavens,” where is his blessed residence.
This being the sense of the words, we may nextly inquire into what the apostle peculiarly designs to instruct us in by them. And this will appear from the consideration of what it is that in this ex- pression he alludes unto. Now, it is the high priest peculiarly so ealled that he hath respect unto; and he designs an explanation of what was, in and by him, typically represented unto the church of old. Known it is, that he was the principal officer of the church in things immediately pertaining unto the worship of God. And the chief or most signal part of his duty in the discharge of his office, consisted in his annual entrance into the most holy place, on the day of ex- piation, with the services thereunto belonging. This is at large described, Lev. xvi. And herein three things were eminent:— 1. That he departed out of the sight of the people, yea, and of all the ministering priests also. The people were without in the court; and the priests that ministered in the tabernacle, when he was to
396 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. Iv.
open the veil to enter into the holy place, left the tabernacle, that they might not look in after him: Lev. xvi. 17, “There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement.” 2. In this entrance he passed through the second veil of the tabernacle, which received him and hid him by the closing of the curtains from the sight of all. 3. In the place whither he thus went were the especial pledges of the presence and tokens of the covenant of God, Lev. xvi. 2. How all these things were really and in a glorious manner accomplished in and by our high priest, the apostle declares in these words. For,—1. He had a holy place to pass into. He entered into the holy place not made with hands, even “heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for us,’ Heb. ix. 24; that is, the heaven of heavens, the place of the glorious residence of the majesty of God. 2. Hereinto he passed through these aspectable heavens; which the apostle compareth unto the second veil of the temple, because they interpose between us and the holy sanctuary whereinto he entered. Hence, when in his great trial and testimony he miraculously enabled Stephen to see into the heavenly place, where he is in glory on the right hand of God, these heavens were opened, Acts vii. 55, 56. The curtains of this veil were turned aside, that he might have a view of the glory behind them. 3. By these heavens was he taken and hid out of the sight of all men in his entrance, Acts i. 9,10. Thus, in answer to the type of old, he passed through the veil of these heavens, into the glorious presence of God, to appear there as our intereessor.