Hebrews 9:27

It is appointed by God unto all men once to die, as saith the Apostle, speaking of them in general; for neither do all die, nor did Lazarus and others whom the Lord raised die only once, but he refers to all men that are …

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the Judgment." He next says also why He died once only: because He became a ransom by one death. "It had been appointed" (he says) "unto men once to die." This then is the meaning of "He died once," for all. (What then? Do we no longer die that death? We do indeed die, but we do not continue in it: which is not to die at all. For the tyranny of death, and death indeed, is when he who dies is never more allowed to return to life. But when after dying is living, and that a better life, this is not death, but sleep.) Since then death was to have possession of all, therefore He died that He might deliver us.

Now he also states the reason why Christ died "once": namely because, he says, He appeared as the redemption of a single death. For it is appointed unto men "once to die." Therefore He also died "once" for all. What then? Do we not die …

On the day of atonement the high priest was commanded to expiate the sanctuary and the tabernacle of testimony, together with the altar, the priests as well, and the entire people. John showed clearly who that high priest was and what the expiation was when, …

473. – Then (v. 27) he explains the two reasons: first, the second one; secondly, the first one (chap. 10). He explains the second by reason of a likeness to other men; hence, he does two things: first, he shows what has happened to other …

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.

(2.) It is appointed to men that after death they shall come to judgment, to a particular judgment immediately after death; for the soul returns to God as to its judge, to be determined to its eternal state; and men shall be brought to the general judgment, at the end of the world. This is the unalterable decree of God concerning men--they must die, and they must be judged.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die,....

We must begin by noticing the parallel which the Apostle here draws. The words "as" and "so" suggest a comparison between two Truths of God, the correspondence of which he designed to set forth. The one a fact generally allowed, the other a fact he was anxious to inculcate. Now you will note that he says, "It is appointed unto men once to die," and only once. This is a truism. The rule is universal. The exceptions are inconsiderable. One or two persons may have died twice.

as--inasmuch as. it is appointed--Greek, "it is laid up (as our appointed lot)," Col 1:5. The word "appointed" (so Hebrew "seth" means) in the case of man, answers to "anointed" in the case of Jesus; therefore "the Christ," that is, the anointed, is the title here given designedly.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

We must begin by noticing the parallel which the Apostle here draws. The words "as" and "so" suggest a comparison between two Truths of God, the correspondence of which he designed to set forth. The one a fact generally allowed, the other a fact he was anxious to inculcate. Now you will note that he says, "It is appointed unto men once to die," and only once. This is a truism. The rule is universal. The exceptions are inconsiderable. One or two persons may have died twice. As, for instance, Lazarus, and those others who were raised from the dead by Christ. These, we cannot doubt, after living for a little while, returned again to the tomb. But for the most part, speaking of the race, "It is appointed unto men once to die." The greatest affairs of life can only be performed once. We are once born naturally—are once born spiritually. There are not two natural births, neither are there two spiritual births. We live on earth but once. We die but once. We shall be judged but once. We shall receive the final sentence but once, and then we shall once be received into the joy of our Lord forever, or once be driven from His Presence never to return. Now, a part of the Apostle's parallel lies here. As men die but once, so Christ has died but once. As the Law required but one death, so Jesus Christ, having offered that one death as the ransom for His people, achieved His task. "In the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die," was the penalty. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures," was the payment. "By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin." That is the first fact. "But now once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." This is the second fact. But you have not got the full weight of the comparison yet.

The two great links between earth and Heaven are the two advents of our Lord, or, rather, He is the great bond of union, by these two appearings. When the world had revolted and God had been defied by His own creatures, a great gulf was opened between God and man. The First Coming of Christ was like a bridge which crossed the chasm and made a way of access from God to man—and then, from man to God.

The two great links between earth and Heaven are the two advents of our Lord, or, rather, He is the great bond of union, by these two appearings. When the world had revolted and God had been defied by His own creatures, a great gulf was opened between God and man. The First Coming of Christ was like a bridge which crossed the chasm and made a way of access from God to man—and then, from man to God. Our Lord's Second Advent will make that bridge far broader, until Heaven shall come down to earth and, ultimately, earth shall go up to Heaven. At these two points a sinful world is drawn into closest contact with a gracious God. Jesus herein is seen as opening the door which none can shut, by means of which the Lord is beheld as truly Emmanuel, "God with us." Here, too, is the place for us to build a grand suspension bridge by which, through faith, we, ourselves, may cross from this side to the other of the stormy river of time. The Cross, at whose feet we stand, is the massive column which supports the structure on this side. And, as we look forward to the Glory, the Second Advent of our Lord is the solid support on the other side of the deep gulf of time. By faith we first look to Jesus and then for Jesus—and herein is the life of our spirits. We dwell between these two boundaries—Christ on the Cross of shame and Christ on the Throne of Glory—these are our Dan and Beersheba and all between is holy ground! As for our Lord's First Coming, there lies our rest—the once-offered Sacrifice has put away our sin and made our peace with God. As for His Second Coming, there lies our hope, our joy, for we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like He, for we shall see Him as He is. The glories of His sacred Royalty shall be repeated in all the saints, for He has made us unto our God kings and priests—and we shall reign with Him forever and ever.

As it is appointed - Αποκειται· It is laid before them by the Divine decree: Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. Unto men generally, during the course of the present world, not all men as some falsely quote; for Enoch and Elijah have not died, and those that shall be alive at the day of judgment shall not die, but be changed. But after this the judgment - They shall die but once, and be judged but once, therefore there is no metempsychosis, no transmigration from body to body; judgment succeeds to dying; and as they shall be judged but once, they can die but once.

A commonality of NDE stories is encountering a border or boundary that NDErs say they knew they could not cross and still come back to earth.