Hebrews 9:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Likewise he did not say, “the priest of sacrifices has come,” but “of the good things to come,” because it is impossible to set everything forth in words. “And not with the blood of goats and calves,” because everything has changed. “But with His own Blood, He entered once into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption.” Here he means heaven. “Once,” he says, “He entered into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption.” The word “obtained” shows that this deed is most wondrous and unexpected, since by one entrance He obtained eternal salvation.

“And not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood.” Behold, everything has changed, and by as much as the Lord’s Blood surpasses the blood of animals, so much does it surpass that with which the high priest of the law entered. “He entered once into the sanctuary,” that is, into heaven. “And obtained eternal redemption.” This was not a temporary purification, like those rites, but the eternal liberation of souls from sins. Or else it means that, having entered once, by one entrance He accomplished an eternal benefit for us. Notice also the expression “obtained.” This expression is used as though the thing happened beyond expectation, for our liberation was doubtful to us. But He obtained it.

In this body, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood, revealed through the wounds of His hands, feet, and heart, He entered once for all into the sanctuary, that is, into heaven.

Through His death on the Cross He obtained eternal redemption for the believing world.

Ages will pass, generations will change, yet the sacrifice once offered on Golgotha is sufficient and saving alike for all times, tribes, and peoples until the end of the age.

It remains for men only to value the love for us shown by the Son of God, who died a most shameful and dreadful death on the Cross.

Imagine a living body hanging on nails. It is fastened to the Cross by the hands and feet.

One can imagine how tormenting this execution was, or rather, this slow death.

He did not come in order to enter like their priests with the blood of goats and calves. Rather, having come to earth, He entered with His own Blood. Our Lord did not enter as the high priest entered yearly. He entered once, not into that sanctuary which passed away together with their priesthood, but into the Holy of Holies forever. By His Blood He accomplished the purification of all nations.

Here by the “tabernacle not made with hands” the Apostle means the human nature which the Master Christ took upon Himself. He was not born according to the law of marriage, but the All-Holy Spirit prepared the tabernacle. The phrase “not of this creation” is used instead of saying, not according to the law of nature as it exists in creation. Christ offered for us not the blood of bulls and goats, but His own Blood. By this Blood He ascended into heaven, not like the high priests “once in the year,” but “once, having obtained eternal redemption.” For, having become the price of redemption for us, He freed us all from the dominion of death. Then the Apostle proves the truth of what he has said by an example.

“Neither with the blood of goats, nor of calves, but with His own Blood He entered once into the holy places.” Here he returns to the previous order of thought. Christ, having come as High Priest of the good things to come, “entered once into the holy places,” that is, He ascended into the heavens with His flesh. By “holy place” he means the Holy of Holies, and here the Holy of Holies means that which is in heaven. “Having obtained eternal redemption.” The high priest under the law, entering the Holy of Holies once a year, obtained a temporary redemption. Christ, however, obtained eternal redemption for mankind. Then the Apostle brings proof of this by the following reasoning.

He said "having come," not "being," in order to show that He was not High Priest before He came into the world, but became High Priest when He came into the world and became man.

"Therefore He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make expiation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:17).

Jesus Christ is called High Priest of the good things to come because the great and eternal good things He grants to men are not of the present age, but of the age to come.

Then, that is, at the resurrection of the dead and at the second coming of the Lord, He will grant incorruption, understanding of the divine mysteries, and inheritance of eternal glory and the Kingdom.

“Christ, the High Priest of the good things to come, having come with (διά, through) a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is, not of this order. And not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own Blood, entered once into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption.” Let us compare these verses with verse 24. Where it says: “Christ entered not into a sanctuary made with hands, fashioned according to the image of the true, but into heaven itself.” It is evident that by the tabernacle through which Christ passed, and by the sanctuary into which He entered with His Blood, the apostle meant heaven.

The Apostle's further reasoning concerns the need for better times to come, with a more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, and with better sacrifices.

It also concerns the necessity of another blood, truly cleansing and not the blood of goats or calves.

This reasoning may be briefly set forth in the following sequence of thoughts, each flowing from the other, and in connection with the Apostle's preceding remarks and interpretations.

The insufficiency of the Old Testament priesthood consisted in this: it could not open heaven for men.

It could not do this because it did not cleanse from sins. It could not cleanse from sins because ordinary animal blood was offered as the sacrifice for sins.

Thus the Old Testament tabernacle, by its very structure, clearly showed that the way to God had not yet been opened, and that Old Testament divine service did not cleanse a man's conscience from sins.

By contrast, δέ, Christ appeared in the world as High Priest, interceding for the eternal good things, or the eternal salvation, of men.

He entered the Holy of Holies through the greater and better tabernacle, which does not belong to the created world lying before our eyes, namely through heaven. Compare the expression in 4:14, "having passed through the heavens."

He entered the Holy of Holies in order, by His blood, to accomplish the reconciliation of mankind with God, a reconciliation that has eternal significance.