Under the old covenant there was neither the conscience purged nor sins forgiven. The holiest could not be entered by the people. All behind the veil which had to do with a holy God was concealed. There was no perfection of conscience by the blood of bulls and goats.
There was a worldly sanctuary and a tabernacle with candlesticks, table and shewbread, which is called Holy. Then the tabernacle after the second veil was called the Holy of holies. It had the golden censer, the ark of the covenant overlaid with gold, the golden pot that had manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant, "and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat."
The high priest entered the holiest once a year with blood for himself and the people.
We come now to the very essence of the subject of the book of Hebrews, "the way into the holiest." The work of Christ on the cross, which is the most important thing, is mentioned first, then—
•The opened way into the holiest (access to God Himself where He is).
•The purged conscience.
•Our eternal redemption.
It is through the veil, the flesh of Christ, rent, that we enter the holiest-a new and living way which brings us into the light of God's presence. Everything that would separate us from God has been removed by the work of Christ.
We have perfect, constant access to God in the holiest of all, because Christ has gone into the holiest in the efficacy of His own blood. A perfect conscience knows God, having been cleansed and having the knowledge of good and evil according to the light of God Himself, pure as Christ is pure. We also have eternal redemption (Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)).
For us Christ is the High Priest of good things to come and for Israel, the millennial day. We already have these good things (heavenly) and praise God for them. Everything provided for us is eternal and heavenly.
All sins committed by believers before Christ's death were purged by the blood of the new covenant, His precious blood. Sin, not only our sins, but sin itself which plagues this world, will be removed forever. The work of Christ "taketh away the sin of the world."
Christ has brought to us an eternal inheritance. God has given Christ the universe which we will share with Him.
There will be a Mediator of the covenant; He is already present in heaven. There must be a better sacrifice than bulls and goats to make the covenant sure with Israel. Without death a covenant is worthless. Christ in His death has made the covenant sure.
In the first covenant Moses sprinkled both the book of the law and the people with blood, also the tabernacle and vessels of ministry. Almost all things are purged with blood. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Christ will come again to make all of this good for Israel. There will be those who look for Him to come.
The world to come and all things there are founded on the blood of Christ.