avens, through which He
has passed into the immediate presence of God. But this introduces
confusion, adds nothing of value to the meaning of the type, and is
inconsistent with our author's express statement that the way into the
holiest was not yet open so long as the holy place stood.

III. A NEW COVENANT RATIFIED IN THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

"And for this cause He is the Mediator of a new covenant, that a
death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions
that were under the first covenant, they that have been called may
receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a
testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made
it. For a testament is of force where there hath been death; for
doth it ever avail while he that made it liveth? Wherefore even the
first covenant hath not been dedicated without blood. For when every
commandment had been spoken by Moses unto all the people according
to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with
water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book
itself, and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the
covenant which God commanded to you-ward. Moreover the tabernacle
and all the vessels of the ministry he sprinkled in like manner with
the blood. And according to the Law, I may almost say, all things
are cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is
no remission. It was necessary therefore that the copies of the
things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For
Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in
pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before
the face of God for us: nor yet that He should offer Himself often;
as the high-priest entereth into the holy place year by year with
blood not his own; else must He often have suffered since the
foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath He
been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And
inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this
cometh judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear
the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to
them that wait for Him, unto salvation. For the Law having a shadow
of the good _things_ to come,