Turn with me to the book of Hebrews
chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9. We're going to consider verses
24 through the end of the chapter. Before we begin, let's ask our
Lord's blessing. Our Father, it's so good to be
able to call upon You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and to have a heart that wants to, that desires to speak to
You. Thank You for the glorious blessing
of allowing us to assemble ourselves together. Thank You, Lord, that
this candlestick of light is still here. Thank You that You've
maintained this place for these years. Lord, I pray if it be
your will, would you leave it here for the honor and glory
of our blessed Savior, the good and the comfort of your people.
Lord, would you bless the Word tonight and help us. We want
to worship and we struggle. Bless your Word, we pray to our
hearts. Give us understanding for Christ's sake. Amen. Because without the shedding
of blood, the Scripture sets forth, there is no remission. Because the Holy Spirit would
ever set forth the glory of what the Lord Jesus Christ did in
putting away the guilt of his people in putting away the curse of
the law for those that God everlastingly loved because the Spirit of God
so guarded the precious sacrifice of our dear Savior. Because that
sacrifice was so precious, so glorious, The Scripture says,
and we looked at this last time in verse 23, it was therefore
necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should
be purified with these. But the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these. Now, we looked last time in the
Scripture, we looked in the book of Numbers chapter 31, and we
saw where some things, according to the law, some things could
be purified with fire and water. Some things, according to the
law, could be purified with just water. But when it comes to the
putting away of sin, actually sin, not in type, not in picture,
not in shadow, but when it comes to the actual putting away of
sin without the shedding of blood, with no remission. Therefore,
the sacrifices in the Old Testament, blood had to be shed. Because
the book of Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11 says, ìIt is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.î God Almighty is
going to have to put away, truly, put away sin. And blood, and
not just any blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is demanded. the patterns of things in heaven. Some with fire, some with water,
some with fire and water. But the heavenly things themselves
had to be put away in the showing of the blood for the remission
of our sins. Because the things of heaven
of which the patterns on earth only pointed to. The things in
heaven, the Scripture says in verse 23, the last part, with
better sacrifices than these. It had to be a better sacrifice. It demanded a better sacrifice
than blood of animals and water and
fire. the actual shedding of the blood
of God's Lamb. Now, there were some things in
the purifying in the temple. You know that there were some
things that were purified. We look at this. Moses would
come in and he would take and the patterns themselves in the
temple was purified. The candlestick, sanctified,
purified. That candlestick that was in
the holy place, you remember we looked at that tabernacle
divided into two sections. In that holy place there was
a candlestick. The daily light of God's people,
the daily light that we need. Remember, that outer portion
of that tabernacle, all the priests could go in there. Only the high
priest could go into the Holy of Holies, but that outer tabernacle,
the priests could go in there, and there they would minister,
and there was that candlestick. Daily they went in. Daily, daily. That set forth that daily. We've
got to have light right now. I've got to see spiritually. Eyes to see. That candlestick
represented the Lord Jesus Christ. Our light right now. And God's
people do see. The light of the glory of God
has shined in our hearts. That showbread, that table, we've
got to eat right now. That's why we're here right now.
I want to feast right now. Tell me one more time. This feeds
my soul. Tell me of Christ. Tell me how
He put away my sin. That golden altar. Come in. The outer court, the priest would
come in. There was a veil. They would
come behind the veil. Now they're in the holy place.
And there's a veil that goes into the holy of holies. And
right before that veil, there was a golden altar. Every day,
they'd have to take coals. And they'd put that incense on
coals right now. He ever liveth to make intercession. for us right now, how you think
about the intercessory prayer of our blessed Savior. Think
of the way in which we fail right now. How our hearts are so prone
to just wander. Things that happened today at
work. Things you're thinking about tomorrow. Things I've got
to, well, I've got, you know, how quickly Thanks be unto God that He intercedes
for us right now. That sin, that transgression
right now, the blood covers that sin. That mercy seat, that pattern
on the inside, right now, the merit of our communion and union. I'll meet with you. That's what
the Lord told Moses. I'll meet with you right there.
I need Him right now, interceding for me right now, all things.
Back in the Old Testament, the people, they were sprinkled.
The book, oh, the blood of bulls and calves, water, scarlet, hyssop. We know that they represent the
totality of God's people and the glorious intercession of
our blessed Savior. But how little do we really know? How little do we perceive of
the patterns? The patterns of things that were
on the earth in the Old Testament that represent glorious things
in heaven that's happening right now. Right now. Our blessed Savior. But we do
know the Scripture sets forth, verse 23, but the heavenly things
themselves with better sacrifices than these." You know, when I
first read that, I'd go back and read it. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens
must be purified with these. But the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these. Sacrifices kind of threw me there
for a minute until I looked and realized that the wording in
the Greek there, it was a plural word used to magnify the dignity
of one sacrifice. See, back in the Old Testament,
you know, they'd have a burnt offering and a meat offering
and a peace offering, a sin offering, trespass offering, but then in
the wording here, just the words, because you know that there was
but one sacrifice of our Lord. But that word is used in the
plural to magnify the glory of that which our precious Savior
did. All of the sacrifices that were
required to purge the patterns of things in heaven were eclipsed. about one sacrifice, the precious
sacrifice of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. So now we
go in verse 24. Let's pick up there. It says,
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us. There was another
word. There was another plural word
right there. I'm wanting to bring these things
out because I'll be honest with you, when I read them the first
time, they were plural, and I was thinking, why is it plural? For Christ
is not entered into the holy places made with hands. Remember, back in the Old Testament,
there were two parts of that tabernacle. There were two places.
the holy place, which was actually the tabernacle of the congregation. And when I say tabernacle of
the congregation, I don't mean the whole nation of Israel. I
mean the congregation of the priest, of the priest other than
the high priest. They were called the congregation.
So when it says the tabernacle of the congregation, that meant
that first part, In that tabernacle where the priest could come in,
the candlestick, the showbread, the golden altar, that's the
tabernacle of the congregation of priests. The scripture says,
now Christ is not entered into the holy places, holy place and
holy of holies, made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us. Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ
was on this earth, now you think about this, He was of the tribe
of Judah. Only the tribe of Levi could
go into that holy place and holy of holies. Only those of the
tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe. Our Lord was of the tribe of
Judah. The kingly tribe. And while he was on this earth,
he never went in. He didn't go into those. No. Our precious Savior is our great
covenant head and surety. The Scripture says, Christ is
not entered into the holy places made with hands. Where has He
entered? He has gone into heaven. He is
going into heaven. itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us. Those patterns, beautiful patterns,
glorious patterns, ordained by God, but they were patterns. The things it purged then, water,
fire, blood of animals, but not the putting away of our sins.
No, that required the precious, glorious blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who has now entered into the presence of God for us. As God, our precious Savior is always
in His presence, always was in His presence, even
while on this earth still in His presence. Omnipresent, Almighty
God, all places, all times. and now is mediator and surety
and priest. In our nature, in human nature,
the man, Christ Jesus, is entered into the very presence of God
seated, the scripture says, at the right hand of the majesty
on high as our great mediator. That's where he is. Not the pictures
anymore. He's accomplished the work. He's
put away our guilt. Ascended up into heaven. Surely, we're going to behold
the wonder of this truth. But let me tell you something
that's more magnificent than knowing that even then we'll
behold it by sight. And I know we will. Right now,
we see Him by faith. And the scripture reveals that
one day, no more by faith, we'll see him as he is. Now, you know
that. You know that and you believe that. But let me tell you this,
as Christ is in the heavens right now, in heaven itself right now,
seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, sitting on the
throne of his glory, His people with Him right now. Right now. Part of His body. His body. Listen to this Scripture. Ephesians
2, 5 and 6, Even when we were dead in sins, have quickened
us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. And hath
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. The old writers called it as
part of His mystical body. We are with Him now. I'm telling you that we don't
see as we will. But one day, we'll see Him as
He is and know Him. You say, well, we're still in
this body right here. I know that. I understand that.
And we're seated right now in the heavenlies with Him. In Almighty
God's eternal purpose and will, seated with Christ. I don't understand
it. But I'll tell you this, my lack
of understanding doesn't make it not so. Seated in the heavenlies. Made us sit together. It's all in presence. If it would
have said, and shall make us sit together, I can understand
that. But has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ. Oh, the absolute safety of those
that God has everlastingly loved. Look at verse 25. Nor yet that
he should offer himself often as the high priest entered into
the holy place every year with blood of others." The little
phrase there, nor yet, it's easier for us to understand. It just
means not. N-O-T. Not. Read it like this. Not that he should offer himself
often as the high priest entered into the holy place every year
with blood of others. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. in the shedding of the blood. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ in the shedding of His own blood differed from the Jewish
high priest. Now, you know that. The Scripture
says that once a year the high priest in the wilderness entered
into the Holy of Holies. With the blood, the Scripture
says here of others What others? Well, it means of another. That
wasn't His own blood. When the high priest went in,
that wasn't His blood. That was the blood of animals. The blood that they offered was
the blood of bulls and goats. And the Scriptures said that
they went in, they sprinkled the blood upon the mercy seat,
and they came out of the Holy of Holies. after sprinkling the
blood on the mercy streets. But Christ offered Himself once
unto God. One sacrifice, the Scripture
sets forth, has forever perfected them that are sanctified, set
apart, holy in Christ. One sacrifice. That blood that
has always been seen by the Father was actually spilled. on that
day at Calvary. And He entered into heaven for
us, and there remains as our great High Priest and Mediator
before God, so not that He should offer Himself often as the High
Priest. He entered into the holy place
every year with blood of others or the blood of another, the
blood of animals. For then, verse 26, must he have
often suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself." Because of the efficacy of his blood,
you know that it was not necessary for him to offer himself often
as the Old Testament priest did. It was not necessary. The Scripture said forth that
that high priest had to offer yearly. They would go in every
year. If Christ would offer His blood
as they did, He would have offered His blood thousands of times
because He's been our priest from the foundation of the world
in multiple deaths. For him could not be because
it would have set forth that his blood had no efficacy. It
wasn't actually putting away sin. But now, the Scripture says,
once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. That phrase, in the end of the world, that
sets forth that the state or the administration of this world
now is the way that the administration is going to be at the second
coming. Let me explain it like this. In the Old Testament, there
was an administration. There was a dispensation. Let
me say it like that then. of blood of bulls and goats was
God's ordained means by which God would be approached. There
was a high priest. There was priests that would
go into the tabernacle. The sacrifice of those animals
would be shed, sprinkling on them. That administration, that
state of being has been put away by the appearance of the Lord
Jesus Christ. the state that we're under right
now. Christ has put away the sins of His people by the shedding
of His own blood. That's what it's talking about
when it says, now once in the end of the world, meaning there
will be no other save that which is right now. Christ has put
away the sin of His people by the satisfaction of God's justice
in His own blood. No other will follow this. And
as it is appointed, verse 27, unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment. As it is appointed for men in
Adam once to die because of sin, it is appointed for Christ to
die once in the putting away of sin. are appointed one time to die. Because of Adam's transgression
in the garden, men are going to die, all men born in Adam. Now, I understand that there
will be some, the Scripture sets forth in the appearance of our
Savior, that are alive, Paul says, on this earth. We won't
prevent them that sleep in the Lord. But it's appointed unto
men wants to die, and then the judgment. Our Lord died one time. And after His death, the judgment
of God, the tribunal acceptance. And when I say judgment, now
you understand something. You know, we talk about judgment
in a court of law when a judge hears the evidence and a judgment
is made. It may be for or against. But
it's a judgment. It's appointed unto men once
to die, and then the judgment. Our Lord died once, and the judgment
of God was seen. What was His judgment? Three
days later, He was raised from the dead. God accepted that sacrifice. He was pleased with that sacrifice. It was people's guilt. Atoned. Atoned for. Put away. The blood of His Son
cleansed us from all sin. And now all men are going to
die once. And then the judgment. Those that die in Him. In that
day, when we all stand, the Apostle Paul says, before the judgment
seat of Christ, All those found in Christ, all those found believing
Christ, all those found resting and trusting on God's Christ,
the sovereign Lamb of God, they will hear in that day, well done,
enter in. For those that are found apart
from Him, without Him, trusting in their own merits, Trusting
in their own works. Trusting in their own beings
and self and will. Depart from me, you workers of
iniquity. I never knew you. Death, by God's appointment,
is sure. Some shall die in Christ. Some shall die apart from Christ. but it's appointed unto man once
to die. And our Lord and Savior died one time. And then the judgment. Looking at verse 27 and going
into verse 28, and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment, colon, and what's getting ready to be said
is going to clarify what was just said before. So Christ was
once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look
for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
Having fully answered the divine law by dying one time, having
borne the sin of many one time, the sins of all of his elect
found in Him, on Him, bearing their guilt in His own body.
That's what Peter says. There's Peter. Peter or John.
Our Lord and Savior shed His own blood one time, and they
are surely redeemed by that blood, shall surely be regenerated by
the Holy Spirit, shall surely be given spiritual eyes to see,
and the Scripture says, and unto them that look for him." When the Old Testament priest
would go in on the Day of Atonement, he would go in, and the animal
had been slain, the goat. There were two goats, remember?
There was a goat that was dedicated unto the Lord, and there was
a scapegoat. And that goat that was dedicated unto the Lord,
lots were cast. that goat that was dedicated
unto the Lord, its blood was shed. And that blood of that
goat was taken. And that priest would go in to
the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. And he would sprinkle
that blood. And the people watched. And they
waited until that high priest every year would come out. They
expected That high priest is going to come out and bless them,
pronounce the blessing of God. The Scripture says forth, So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them
that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin and
salvation. That priest back in the Old Testament,
He came out. People rejoiced, thankful. God had accepted. The way they
knew that God had accepted that sacrifice is that the priest
came out. God didn't kill him. And for
those that expect and look and see, and that's what we're doing
right now. We're waiting, expecting. Look at Him. Lift up your eyes. Our Savior is going to come a
second time. Not as He came the first. Not
as a man of sorrows. The Scripture says He's going
to come without sin. He's not going to come this second
time to make Himself an offering for sin. He's not going to shed
His blood this time. He's coming to receive His own.
unto Himself that they might be with Him in body, united with
Him in spiritual bodies. He's going to come, the Scripture
says, the second time without sin unto salvation. The trump
of God is going to sound. Dead in Christ. I said, I'm going
to go. I'm going to rise. We're going to meet Him in the
air. Paul says, all of us that's with Him. He's going to come
that second time to deliver His own from the very presence of
sin in this evil world. Raising His own from the dead. Raising Him from corruption to
incorruption. From that mortality to immortality. Change, Scripture says, in a
moment. Twinkling of the eye. The Scripture
sets forth in closing, Ephesians 2, 7, this is the reason that
in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Beautiful as the picture was
in the Old Testament, it was a picture. It was a type. God ordained. of different means
of purging those patterns, fire, water, animals, blood. But Christ
Jesus the Lord, our great sacrifice, shed His own blood. The Father
said, When I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Thanks be unto
God that this evening that our salvation for those that He is
everlastingly loving. How do you know? How do you know
if He shed His blood for you? Do you believe Him? Do you believe Him? This is how
you know. You believe Him. All your hope
rests on Him. All your trust. No merit whatsoever in your profession
of faith, your baptism, your walking down the aisle, Christ saves. Believe Him. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sins. Thanks be unto God that we this
evening can hear that message one more time. Lord, save me
for Christ's sake. Amen.