Hebrews 9:24

Resumption more fully of the thought, "He entered in once into the holy place," Heb 9:12. He has in Heb 9:13-14, expanded the words "by his own blood," Heb 9:12; and in Heb 9:15-23, he has enlarged on "an High Priest of good things to come." not . . . into . . . holy places made with hands--as was the Holy of Holies in the earthly tabernacle (see on Heb 9:11). figures--copies "of the true" holiest place, heaven, the original archetype (Heb 8:5). into heaven itself--the immediate presence of the invisible God beyond all the created heavens, through which latter Jesus passed (see on Heb 4:14; Ti1 6:16). now--ever since His ascension in the present economy (compare Heb 9:26). to appear--To PRESENT HIMSELF; Greek, "to be made to appear." Mere man may have a vision through a medium, or veil, as Moses had (Exo 33:18, Exo 33:20-23). Christ alone beholds the Father without a veil, and is His perfect image. Through seeing HIM only can we see the Father. in the presence of God--Greek, "to the face of God." The saints shall hereafter see God's face in Christ (Rev 22:4): the earnest of which is now given (Co2 3:18). Aaron, the Levitical high priest for the people, stood before the ark and only saw the cloud, the symbol of God's glory (Exo 28:30). for us--in our behalf as our Advocate and Intercessor (Heb 7:25; Rom 8:34; Jo1 2:1). "It is enough that Jesus should show Himself for us to the Father: the sight of Jesus satisfied God in our behalf. He brings before the face of God no offering which has exhausted itself, and, as only sufficing for a time, needs renewal; but He himself is in person, by virtue of the eternal Spirit, that is, the imperishable life of His person, now and for ever freed from death, our eternally present offering before God" [DELITZSCH in ALFORD].

The apostle, having declared the Old Testament dispensation antiquated and vanishing away, proceeds to let the Hebrews see the correspondence there was between the Old Testament and the New; and that whatever was excellent in the Old was typical and representative of the New, which therefore must as far excel the Old as the substance does the shadow. The Old Testament was never intended to be rested in, but to prepare for the institutions of the gospel. And here he treats, I. Of the tabernacle, the place of worship (Heb 9:1-5). II. Of the worship and services performed in the tabernacle (Heb 9:6, Heb 9:7). III. He delivers the spiritual sense and the main design of all (Heb 9:8 to the end).

9:24 Under the new covenant, Christ did not offer his sacrifice in the earthly Tabernacle. Rather, he entered into the very presence of God in heaven to act on our behalf. His sacrifice makes him a much better mediator to bring us into a right relationship with God (2 Cor 5:19-21).