Hebrews 9:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What does "ordinances concerning divine worship" mean? Signs or enactments. It is as though he says: then it had them, but now it does not have them.

By this he already declares that the Old Covenant has been abolished. He says "had," so that now, even if it remains, it no longer has force.

"And the worldly sanctuary," that is, "the earthly sanctuary." He calls it worldly because everyone was allowed to enter it. In one and the same building a place was appointed where the priests stood, and where Jews, proselytes, and Nazirites stood.

Since it was accessible even to Gentiles, he calls it worldly, κοσμικόν. The Jews, however, were not worldly.

"And an earthly sanctuary." He calls it earthly because entry into it was permitted. In one and the same building there was a known place where Jews, Nazirites, proselytes, and Greeks stood.

Since it was accessible even to the Gentiles, he calls it earthly, κοσμικόν, worldly.

The veil itself stood in place of the firmament. For Divine Scripture has taught us that there are two heavens. The first God created together with the earth. The second He made on the second day, saying, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters" (Gen 1:6).

Then Scripture added: "And God called the firmament heaven" (Gen 1:8). Thus blessed David also says: "The heaven of heaven belongs to the Lord" (Ps 113:24).

This heaven is the roof of the house for us. For the invisible powers it serves as the lower floor. Therefore, as it separates what is below from what is above, so the veil stretched through the midst of the tabernacle separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.

"Holy" means appointed for God and consecrated to Him. "Worldly" means open to all. For it contained one place where the priests and Levites stood, another where the rest of the Jews were placed, another for proselytes, and another for Greeks, that is, Gentiles.

Zigabenus reads τότε instead of τὸ τε, which in the Slavonic text is rendered by the particle "and."

Then you must strive in every way, after rejecting every care and earthly thought, to devote yourself diligently and constantly to reading Holy Scripture. Continue until continual meditation nourishes your spirit and, as it were, transforms it into its own likeness.

It will make it, in a certain sense, an ark of the covenant. Within it are the two stone tablets, that is, the constant firmness of the twofold covenant.

There is also the golden jar, that is, pure and unmixed memory. It should continually and firmly preserve within itself the hidden manna, that is, the eternal and heavenly sweetness of the angelic bread of spiritual meanings.

There is also Aaron's rod, that is, the saving standard of our most high and true High Priest, Jesus Christ. It is always flourishing with the freshness of immortal memory.

This rod, after it was cut from the root of Jesse, now flourishes after death with even greater vitality.

All these things are overshadowed by two cherubim, that is, by the fullness of historical and spiritual knowledge. For cherub means an abundance of knowledge.

This will always overshadow the peace of your heart and cover it from every assault of evil spirits.

Thus your spirit will be raised, not only into the ark of the divine covenant, but also into a sacred kingdom through an unbroken disposition of purity. As though absorbed in spiritual teaching, it will fulfill that high-priestly commandment of which the Lawgiver speaks.

"He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God" (Lev 21:12), that is, his own heart. In it the Lord promised to dwell continually, saying: "I will dwell in them and walk among them" (Lev 26:12; 2 Cor 6:16).

Therefore the books of Holy Scripture must be diligently learned by heart and constantly read with meditation. This continual meditation brings us a twofold fruit.

The first is that, while the soul's attention is occupied with reading and meditation on what has been read, it is not entangled in any snares of harmful thoughts.

The second is this. When, through frequent repetition, we tried to commit what we had read to memory, we could not understand it with a spirit then unfree.

Later, freed from all distractions of affairs and sights, especially while meditating in the stillness of night, we see it more clearly.

Thus, after repose and even after immersion in deep sleep, the understanding of the most hidden meaning is opened to us. We had not understood it even slightly while awake.

The tablets of the covenant in the ark signify everything in Christ: the knowledge of the hidden Father and the power of judicial decrees.

For on the tablets was inscribed faith in the eternal Divinity of Him who made the world and governed it. Through their giving, service to God is raised into law, and judgmental division is made.

According to this division, He rightly condemns those who hate Him, and in mercy worthily rewards those who are zealous for Him.

Such is the testimony which the Lord gave Moses to place in the ark. For us it signified the confession of Christ, the truth of flesh, soul, and Word.

It also revealed the flesh itself, glorified by resurrection after the suffering of death, and exalted by the eternal dignity of King and High Priest.

For He taught that He alone is initiated into the mysteries of the Father, and that He truly is, with the Father of majesty, the Judge of all ages.

One may also see in the image of the ark a type of the holy Church. It is built of incorruptible trees, that is, of the souls of the saints.

In faith in the holy Gospel, which has spread to the four ends of the world, it awaits for itself from God the eternal crown of life, cf. Jas 1:12.

It contains the tablets of the covenant in continual meditation on the law of God. The golden vessel with manna contains faith in the Incarnation of the Lord.

Aaron's rod blossomed through its participation in the Lord's kingdom and priesthood. The Apostle Peter says of this: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood" (1 Pet 2:9).

That is, it has received and possesses heavenly mercy. The Apostle mentions this so that they may remember this good and the grace of God so generously poured out upon them.

It also has above itself the cherubim of glory and angelic guardianship, by which it is upheld through the mercy of God.

For its defense there is mercy, or the covenants. Through them both the rules of life and the proper ways of asking for help in living rightly are established by divine mercy.

As the cherubim of glory are raised above it by mercy, so the city of Christ, that is, the holy Church, is founded and upheld upon the rock, that is, upon Christ Himself, cf. Heb 12:22.

This is said because His city cannot be higher than He is. Nor can that city grow except by His help and support.

The cherub is raised above the ark by mercy, because both the services of the angels and the word of God more surely assist the Church. They themselves serve as its support in the foundation of the highest truth.

Since the name κοσμικόν, which he applies to the sanctuary, is used nowhere else, it is thought that the Apostle gave it in a figurative sense, adapted to his purpose.

Namely, the tabernacle of witness, divided into two halves, represents the great parts of the Kingdom of God. The innermost part, the Holy of Holies, corresponds to Heaven. The front part, the sanctuary, corresponds to the earth or world, κόσμω.

For this reason the Apostle calls it worldly, and the Russian translation calls it earthly.