Christ’s Once-for-All Sacrifice in the Heavenly Sanctuary
Hebrews 9:11-28
11Christ then came as high priest of the good things that have come, through the greater and more perfect tent not made by hands—that is, not of this creation—12nor through the blood of he-goats and calves, but through his own blood he entered once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.13For if the blood of he-goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, by sprinkling those who have become profane, sanctify for the cleanness of the flesh,14how much more will the blood of Christ—who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God—cleanse our conscience from dead works so that we may serve the living God.15And for this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that a death has occurred that redeems the transgressions committed under the first covenant.16For where a covenant exists, the death of the one who made it must be established.17A covenant is made firm over the dead, because it never has force while the one who made the covenant is alive.18Therefore the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.19For after every commandment spoken by Moses according to the law to all the people, he took the blood of the calves together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people,20saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you."21He also sprinkled the tent and all the vessels of ministry with the blood in the same manner.22Indeed, according to the law nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.23It is necessary, therefore, that the copies of the heavenly things be cleansed with these sacrifices, but that the heavenly things themselves be cleansed with stronger sacrifices than these.24For Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true things, but he entered heaven itself, now to be made visible to the face of God on our behalf.25Nor did he enter in order to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy place year after year with blood that is not his own.26Otherwise he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world; but as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.27And just as it is appointed for humans to die once, and after that comes judgment,28so Christ, having been brought once to carry up the sins of many, will be seen a second time, without sin, to those who are expecting him for salvation.