Hebrews 9:24

LITV ²⁴ For Christ did not enter into the Holy of Holies made by hands, types of the true things, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf,

When Hebrews was written (by a believing Hebrew to the believing Hebrews) Jesus was (“now”) face to face with God on the behalf of His people. He was definitely their active High Priest by that time. His first appearance as their high priest was in Hades, to those humans who had already left their biology and were in the spirit realm of “the dead ones”. And then on the third day, Jesus appeared to those still in the physical realm, by returning to His biological body.

The flesh realm is where you and I still are (in one sense but not another, if we have the Holy Spirit we are not in the flesh). Jesus appeared in both realms, still as His first appearance as High Priest. He was in a new spiritually living creation called the new covenant after being resurrected. Before He died, He was the only spiritually living one in the o.c.. He didn’t need resurrected. In anticipation of returning to the glory He had before He was given a human body, He appeared to His disciples for 40 days. That 40 (43) days was His first appearance as High Priest.

1 Peter 3:18-20 (Alive in the Spirit in the spirit realm)

LITV ¹⁸ Because even Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God; indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; ¹⁹ in which also, going in to the spirits in prison, He then proclaimed ²⁰ to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, an ark having been prepared in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.

Acts 1:3 (Alive in the Spirit in the physical realm)

YLT ³ to whom also he did present himself alive after his suffering, in many certain proofs, through forty days being seen by them, and speaking the things concerning the reign of God.

Jesus wasn’t bearing the sin of the people when face to face with God. He was bearing their sin on the cross. In his obedience the sky went dark and He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Bearing sin prevents a face to face in the most Holy Place. That is why the typical high priest had to expiate himself of sin before going ‘face to face’ with God on behalf of his people.

Jesus reversed the fall of Adam by taking the fall upon Himself as the sinless human. He died as the eschaton Adam. He was the sacrificial lamb taking the place of the firstborn. He did not die as the high priest offering the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice that was put to death outside the camp. He became high priest in the new creation. He was made alive in the Spirit before He preached in Hades. The same Holy Spirit had joined Him 3 1/2 years earlier before He began His ministry in Jerusalem; in the power of the Holy Spirit. That ministry was precluded with 40 days in the wilderness.

After 40 days on land (post-resurrection) He told His disciples (whom He had chosen through the Holy Spirit while He was in the o.c.) to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. The transition of temples that singly began with Jesus would continue with the disciples at Pentecost, in the temple complex. Then Jesus ascended to the most Holy Place and they saw Him no more in the flesh. They indeed started their n.c. ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

I used to think Hebrews 9:28 meant Jesus was coming out the second room from the real temple in heaven, because I translated the Greek into English in a word for word wooden-headed way rather than using the rules of Greek grammar. In the interlinear it actually does say, “He is coming out of second” and the word “time” is not there. And He really was coming out of the most Holy Place, also called the second room. But today I no longer think that is what Hebrews 9:28 says. Thanks to a brother’s challenge, I tediously compared scripture to scripture to reach another conclusion.

It seems obvious now, but every time Hebrews chapter 9 refers to the second room it puts the word “the” in front of it. Even if something is coming out of heaven, it is coming out of “the” heavens in the Greek manuscript. When speaking of an occurrence, the word “the” is not used. Acts 11:9-10 has a good example of both: a time and a place.

Acts 11:9-10

YLT ⁹ and a voice did answer me a second time out of the heaven, What God did cleanse, thou—declare not thou common. ¹⁰ `And this happened thrice, and again was all drawn up to the heaven, 

In the above interlinear “tou” (3588) is the word “the”. Here it is inconsistently left out by the translator before heaven in verse 9 but not verse 10, because we don’t usually speak that way in English. The word “time” is added for clarity, as indicated by the italicized words. Peter makes it clear here that he is counting occurrences (times) not places. Applying the same Greek grammatical rules to Hebrews 9:28 renders it a second “time” not the second “room”. Comparing what is very clear in Acts 11:9-10 to the less clear verse of Hebrews 9:28, makes verse 28 more clear. It’s called comparing scripture with scripture. We use what is clear to interpret what is not clear.

In Hebrews 9:1-3 there is an antecedent article every time they are counting places or things, however in verse 28 there is no antecedent article, which seems to indicate that verse 28 is referring to a second time not a second room. Both are true, but if this is the correct translation of 9:28 it makes me ask: when was His first appearance as High Priest?

Jesus’ sacrifice was unique in that He bore the sin of Adam (humanity) even though He didn’t have to. After taking the sin of humanity upon Himself there was no more need for a second sacrifice for the people. Usually the priest sacrifices for Himself first and then makes a second sacrifice for the people. Jesus sacrificed Himself as the people; in the place of the people. He rescued them from the whole fallen-firstborn system by sacrificing His o.c. life for them. Only afterwards did He became a high priest, in the new covenant, never to sacrifice a propitiatory life again. But He did ascend into the Most Holy place to represent His people to God, as the High Priest. And He was yet to make His second appearance as High Priest of the Hebrews. That God accepted His first sacrifice was obvious. He was alive after making His sacrifice. He sacrificed the o.c. dwelling place of God in the flesh.

Hebrews 9:28

YLT ²⁸ so also the Christ, once having been offered to bear the sins of many, a second time, apart from a sin-offering, shall appear, to those waiting for him—to salvation! 

He sacrificed Himself as the Lamb of God, then He appeared in a new covenant creation without the need for sacrifice, because He took the place of the firstborn in the o.c. and then He took the place of the firstborn in the n.c.. If the earthy firstborn hadn’t fallen, their would not have been the need for a sacrifice to begin with. The Adamic Hebrews were being called to leave their earthy city bearing the reproach of the new firstborn. The Hebrews (that the book of Hebrews was written to) were being falsely accused by those Jews who were still stuck on the terrestrial city. It was those Jews who tried to keep the old fallen firstborn who were projecting their death onto others. They persecuted the Hebrews who were in the new firstborn body. Jesus is the only High Priest of the one and only family of God today. The made new family of God will never fall into the need for propitiatory sacrifices again. When Hebrews was written their old tabernacle was still standing and their o.c. priests were still sacrificing animals. Not a verse was written after the transition from the body of Moses covenant to the body of Christ covenant.

Hebrews 13:10-15

YLT ¹⁰ we have an altar, of which to eat they have no authority who the tabernacle are serving, ¹¹ for of those beasts whose blood is brought for sin into the holy places through the chief priest—of these the bodies are burned without the camp. ¹² Wherefore, also Jesus—that he might sanctify through his own blood the people—without the gate did suffer; ¹³ now, then, may we go forth unto him without the camp, his reproach bearing; ¹⁴ for we have not here an abiding city, but the coming one we seek; ¹⁵ through him, then, we may offer up a sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, the fruit of lips, giving thanks to His name;

When the believers took up an offering to send it back to Jerusalem it was to help the believing Jews not the unbelieving Jews. The believers were clearly told to leave Jerusalem before Jesus’ second appearance as High Priest. Believers were waiting for salvation not destruction.

Judas (the brother of Jacob who wrote to the 12 tribes in diaspora) also saw the necessity to address those being called and kept in Christ. He warned them about some irreverent humans who were destined for destruction. They were creeping into the church body and creating doubts. Judas reminds the faithful ones of those who died in the wilderness after the first exodus. He also reminds them of the angels who left their place and were awaiting judgement. He compares the mockers to Sodom and Gomorra, brute beasts, sleepers who corrupt themselves in the flesh, to Cain, to Balaam, to spots at their love feasts, clouds without rain, trees without fruit, and raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame.

Then Judas quotes Enoch who was an exception to the rule that all humans die once and then the judgement. Enoch prophesied about these humans who were also an exception to that rule. These humans were already judged to second death. In verse 12 Judas calls them twice dead already. These were the last-time mockers the apostles warned of who don’t have the Holy Spirit. They were already judged dead into the age, which was the second death. Those Judas felt compelled to address were the ones looking for life into the age. I suppose these mockers were the same ones the apostle Peter refers to. They were mocking the believing Hebrews by asking, “Where is He?”. Why is He taking so long? Nothing has changed. In other words, we get to keep the o.c. land and your new covenant isn’t bringing you salvation after all.

Judas reminds them of their history as a warning to stay true. Jesus’ appearance was indeed near. Don’t let the unbelieving mockers who are not being saved to persuade you otherwise. He ends by reminding them that some still could be saved from the destruction. But the mockers were already twice dead. They were in the category of the irredeemable angels. But some doubters were still hanging in the transition. Jude ends his letter with concern for those in the balance and assurance for those who were waiting for the second appearance of their High Priest, unto salvation.

Jude 1:22-25

²² And of some have compassion, making a difference: ²³ And others in fear save ye, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment from the flesh spotted (The o.c. flesh-mode mockers without the Spirit were the ones spotting the love feasts.). ²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and cause you to stand faultless in the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ To the only wise God our Savior, is glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and into all the ages. Amen.