John Wesley

The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in…

“We have such an high priest - Having finished his description of the type in Melchisedec, the apostle begins to treat directly of the excellency of Christ's priesthood, beyond the Levitical. Who is set down - Having finished his oblation.”

and who ministers in the sanctuary and true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.

“A minister - Who represents his own sacrifice, as the high priest did the blood of those sacrifices once a year. Of the sanctuary - Heaven, typified by the holy of holies.”

For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.

“This is the covenant I will make after those days - After the Mosaic dispensation is abolished. I will put my laws in their minds - I will open their eyes, and enlighten their understanding, to see the true, full, spiritual meaning thereof.”

By speaking of a new covenant, He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

“In saying, A new covenant, he hath antiquated the first - Hath shown that it is disannulled, and out of date. Now that which is antiquated is ready to vanish away - As it did quickly after, when the temple was destroyed.”

Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.

“The first covenant had ordinances of outward worship, and a worldly - a visible, material sanctuary, or tabernacle. Of this sanctuary he treats, ver. 2-5.”

A tabernacle was prepared. In its first room were the lampstand, the table, and the consecrated bread. This was called the Holy Place.

“This candlestick and bread seem to have typified the light and life which are more largely dispensed under the gospel by Him who is the Light of the world, and the Bread of life.”

containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant.

“Having the golden censer - Used by the high priest only, on the great day of atonement. And the ark, or chest, of the covenant - So called from the tables of the covenant contained therein.”

When everything had been prepared in this way, the priests entered regularly into the first room to perform their sacred duties.

“Accomplishing their services - Lighting the lamps, changing the shewbread, burning incense, and sprinkling the blood of the sin offerings.”

But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people…

“Errors - That is, sins of ignorance, to which only those atonements extended.”

It is an illustration for the present time, because the gifts and sacrifices being offered were unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper.

“Is a figure - Or type, of good things to come Which cannot perfect the worshipper - Neither the priest nor him who brought the offering.”

They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.

“They could not so perfect him, with all their train of precepts relating to meats and drinks, and carnal, gross, external ordinances; and were therefore imposed only till the time of reformation - Till Christ came.”

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve…

“How much more shall the blood of Christ. - The merit of all his sufferings. Who through the eternal Spirit - The work of redemption being the work of the whole Trinity.”

Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from…

“And for this end he is the Mediator of a new covenant, that they who are called - To the engagements and benefits thereof. Might receive the eternal inheritance promised to Abraham: not by means of legal sacrifices, but of his meritorious death.”

In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,

“I say by means of death; for where such a covenant is, there must be the death of him by whom it is confirmed - Seeing it is by his death that the benefits of it are purchased.”

because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.

“After he is dead - Neither this, nor after men are dead is a literal translation of the words.”

For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and…

“And the book itself - Which contained all he had said. And sprinkled all the people - Who were near him.”

According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

“And almost all things - For some were purified by water or fire. Are according to the law purified with blood - Offered or sprinkled.”

So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

“But the heavenly things themselves - Our heaven-born spirits: what more this may mean we know not yet. By better sacrifices than these - That is, by a better sacrifice, which is here opposed to all the legal sacrifices, and is expressed plurally, because it…”

Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world.

“That he could not have atoned for them without suffering. At the consummation of the ages - The sacrifice of Christ divides the whole age or duration of the world into two parts, and extends its virtue backward and forward, from this middle point wherein…”

Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

“After this, the judgment - Of the great day. At the moment of death every man's final state is determined. But there is not a word in scripture of a particular judgment immediately after death.”

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.

“When he cometh into the world - In the fortieth Psalm the Messiah's coming into the world is represented. It is said, into the world, not into the tabernacle, chap. ix, 1; because all the world is interested in his sacrifice.”

Then He adds, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second.

“Then said he - in that very instant he subjoined. Lo, I come to do Thy will - To offer a more acceptable sacrifice; and by this very act he taketh away the legal, that he may establish the evangelical, dispensation.”

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

“He had proved this before by a quotation from Jeremiah; which he here repeats, describing the new covenant as now completely ratified, and all the blessings of it secured to us by the one offering of Christ, which renders all other expiatory sacrifices, and any…”

by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body,

“By a living way - The way of faith, whereby we live indeed. Which he hath consecrated - Prepared, dedicated, and established for us.”

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure…

“Let us draw near - To God. With a true heart - In godly sincerity. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience - So as to condemn us no longer And our bodies washed with pure water - All our conversation spotless and holy…”