HEBREWS 12:22, 2422But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (Hebrews 12:22)
24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24).HEB 12:22-2422But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22‑24)
THERE are two distinct chains in this passage; the first in verse 22, the second in verses 23, 24, the conjunction "AND" forming the link of connection in each. The former relates to the glory, namely, the millennial and eternal state, both earthly and heavenly; the latter to the condition of the saints, viewed both as an elect and as a redeemed people previous thereto.
Observe, the word "And" does not occur between verse 22 and the two following verses; the object therein being to define the two chains, to keep them distinctly apart from each other.
The order of the Holy Ghost in this passage is as follows,—as in common elsewhere in scripture, especially in the Psalms,—He presents, in the first place, the grand result of God's ways with His people, even the GLORY, both, celestial and earthly. He next turns back to glance at the eternal purpose of God in ELECTION; and then concludes by bringing in that which links election and the glory together—the great foundation of blessing, namely, the work of Christ in REDEMPTION.
Future (First Chain) Verse 22.
Ye are come into mount Sion
[EARTHLY GLORY. Mount Sion being the centre of the system]
and
Unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21, 22)
And to an innumerable company of angels
(Rev. 5: 11, 12.)
[HEAVENLY GLORY. The Church being the centre of the system; the company of angels its circumference.]
PRESENT (Second Chain.) Verses 23, 24
To the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven,
And
To the Judge who is the God off all, (cal Kptri eEfii iravrwv,)
[ELECTION. The saints at large (i.e., the general assembly, and the Church) viewed as an elect people, in connection with Him who is Sovereign, Judge, and, at the same time, OUR GOD—the God of all the elect. ]
and
And
To Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
And
To the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel
[REDEMPTION. The saints viewed as a redeemed people in connection with Christ as mediator, and with His blood cleansing the conscience]