The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 240

without difficulty, be nuderst.ood; and heuce other views of what is meant by "the greater " the good things" mlly still be regarded and more perfect tabernacle." The most 88 such as have already come in Christ. On notable, as being that of Ohrysostom and the the other hand, there is no difficulty in Fathers generally, is that it means Ohrist's regarding them 88 still future. For the human nature, which he assumed before fall and final result of even Christ's per- passing to the throne of the Majesty on fected high priesthood is not yet come. high. This view is suggested by his ho.ving But what is "the greater and more perfect himself spoken of the temple of his body tabernacle," through which he ent~red the (John ii. 21), and calling it, if the "false heavenly holy of holies? It Sl'ems evidently, witnesses" at his trio.I reported him truly, in the first place, to be connected with ax••po1rol71Tov (Mark xiv. 58); by the ex- ,icr71>..6,v, being regarded 88 the antitype of pression (John i. 14), "The Word was made that " first tabernacle " through which the flesh, and tabernacled ( lcricf,vaurev) among high priests on earth bad passed in order us ; " by St. Paul's speaking of the human to enter within the veil ; 6«, having here a body as a tabernacl.e (2 Cor. v. I, 4); and by local, not an instrnmente.l, sense. The in- eh. x. 19, 20, where the "veil" through strumental sense of the same preposition which we have "a new and living way into in the next clause (6,?t. .,-oii lo(oo o.1µa-ro<) is the holy pla.ce through the blood of Jesus" not against this ,iew. In English, "through is said to be his flesh. There is thus abun- his own blood he entered through the dant ground for thinking of Christ's body as tabernacle" presents no difficulty, though signified by a tabema.ole ; and the expression " through" is used in two different senses. in eh. x. 19, 20 goes some way to counte- But what is exactly meant by the taber- nance such an interpretation here. The ne.cle through which Christ has passed? objection to it is that it seems neither sug- Bearing in mind what was said under eh. gested by the context nor conformable to viii. 2 of the prophetic visions of a heavenly the type of the high priest on the Day ot temple--co1Tesponding to the earthly one- Atonement. For, if the human body of and that the epithet ax<1po1rol71.,-o< is applied Christ assumed at his birth is meant, he also (ver. 24) by implication to the counter- entered into tbat before, not after, hb aton- part of the holy of holies, and also the ing sacrifice; and if, with Hofmann, we think expression (eh. iv. 14), "having passed rather of his glorified body, in what sense through the heavens (6iell.71>..v8&-ro. .,-ol,, ovpo.- in accordo.nce with the type can it be said 1100, )," we may regard it as denoting the that he entered through it? We should heavenly region beyond this visible sphere rather say that he ascended with it to the of things ( ou -ro.l,rq, 'T7J< ic.,-/cr«,,<), intervening right hand of God. The further points of between the latter and the immediate pre- contrast between Christ's entrance and that sence, or "face," of God. Thus "through of the earthly high priests are: (1) The in- the greater and more perfect tabernacle " •strumental medium was not the blood of of this verse answers t.o "having passed goats and calves ( specified ·here as having through the heavens" of eh. iv. 14; and been the sin offerings on the Day of Atone- " entered once for all into the holy place" ment), but hia own blood; he was both of ver. 12 to "entered int.o heaven itself" Priest and Victim. (2) He entered, not (the very heaven) of ver. 24. Thus also yearly, bnt once for all; there was no need the symbolical acts of the Day of Atone- of continual repetition. And the conclusion ment are successively, and in due order, is drawn that the redemption he thus wrought fulfilled.. As the high priest first sacrificed is consequently complete e.nd eternal. Tl.ie the sin offering outside the tabernacle, and first of these contrasts is enlarged on from then passed through the holy to the holy ver. 13 to ver. 24; the second (denoted by of holies, so Christ first offered himself in tci,cf1r110 is taken up at ver. 25. On the this mundane sphere of things, and then word "redemption" (71.6.,-pwcr,s: in some passed through the heavens to the heaven other passages a1ro>..{n-pwcri<) it is to be ob- of heavens. Delitzsch, taking this view, served that it means, according to its ety- offers a still more definite explanation; thus: mology, release obtained by payment of a " The forwe,- ( .,-& 8.-y,a) is that eternal heaven ransom (71.orpov), e.nd thus in itself iuvolves of God him.self (czp.,-os ~ oupavos) which is the doctrine of atonement according to the his own self-manifested eternal glory (John orthodox view. It is true that in many xvti. 5), lilld existed before all worlds; the Scripture passages it is used ( as e.lso 71.u- latter (11 uk.11vfi) is the heaven of the blessed, -rpoocrBa, e.nd 71.u.,-p=fi•) in e. more general in which he shines upon bis creatures in sense to express deliverance only, but never • the light of love'-' the temple of the where the redemption of mankind by Obrist tabernacle of the testimony in heaven ' of is spoken of. In such cases the ,d,rpov is Rev. xv. 5, which the apocalyptic seer beheld often distinotly specified, as in Matt. xx. 28 filled with incense-smoke from ' the glory and Mark x. 45, "his life;" in 1 Tim, ii. 6 of God, o.nd from his power.' '' There are and Titus ii. 14, "hiwself; " jn Eph. i. 7; 0B, IX, 1-28,] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 231