Father Mike Schmitz

Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.

Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties.

But into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people.

By this, the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary is not yet opened as long as the outer tent is still standing, which is symbolic for the present age.

According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

but when christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come then through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands that is not of this creation he entered once for all into the holy place taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood thus securing an eternal redemption

For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant."

For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it is established.

For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

Hence, even the first covenant was not ratified without blood.

For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats with water and scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people saying, this is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.

And in the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.

Indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood.

And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.

Christ's sacrifice takes away sin.

Thus, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites.

but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.