r of all the arrangements and
ordinances instituted by Moses is assumed throughout. Even the
purification of the tabernacle and its vessels with blood must be
symbolical of a spiritual truth. There is, therefore, in the new
covenant a purification of the true holiest place. To make the matter
still more evident, the author reminds his readers of a fact, which he
has already mentioned,[181] in reference to the construction of the
tabernacle. Moses was admonished of God to make it a copy and shadow of
heavenly things. "For, See, saith He, that thou make all things
according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount." It appears, then,
that not only the covenant was typical, but the tabernacle, its vessels,
and the purifying of all with blood were a copy of things in the
heavens, the true holiest place. And, inasmuch as the holiest place has
now, in Christ, included within it the sanctuary, and every veil and
wall of partition has been removed, the purification of the tabernacle
corresponds to a purification, under the new covenant, of heaven itself.

Not that the heaven of God is polluted. Even the earthly shrine had not
itself contracted defilement. The blood sprinkled on the tabernacle and
its vessels was not different from the blood of the sacrifice. As
sacrificial blood, it consecrated the place, and was also offered to
God. Similarly the blood of Christ made heaven a sanctuary, erected
there a holiest place for the appearing of the great High-priest,
constituted the throne of the Most High a mercy-seat for men. By the
same act it became an offering to God, enthroned on the mercy-seat. The
two notions of ratifying the covenant and atoning for sin cannot be
separated. For this reason our author says the heavenly things are
purified with _sacrifices_. But as heaven is higher than the earth, as
the true holiest place excels the typical, so must the sacrifices that
purify heaven be better than the sacrifices that purified the
tabernacle. But Christ is great enough to make heaven itself a new
place, whereas He Himself remains unchanged, "yesterday and to-day the
same, and for ever."

The thought of Christ's eternal oneness is apparently suggested to the
Apostle by the contrast between Christ and the purified heaven. But it
helps his argument. For the blood of Christ, when offered in heaven, so
fully and perfectly ratified the new covenant that He remains for
evermore in the holiest place and evermore offers Himself to Go