Hebrews 9:23-28
Another oft-quoted verse: And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment… (v. 28) The quote typically begins with “…it is…” or some variant thereto.
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (v. 23) The verse that I have copied here is from the ESV translation. Two other translations that I read this morning (NASB, NKJV) are missing the word “rites”, having only the pronoun “these” twice in that verse. As I’ve said before, pronouns are often confusing for me – the “these” alone in other translations refers back to verse 22, the shedding and sprinkling of blood in the Jewish purification rites.
In that same verse, the “copies of the heavenly things” refers to the lampstand, the incense, the ark, etc. that were utensils associated with these Jewish purification rites (refer back to Heb 9:2,4 for a full listing of these items). The author makes a second reference to these items two verses later: …holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things… (v. 24a) Since the author has referred to these items as copies of the heavenly things and copies of the true things it must mean that each of these items has a parallel in the heavens. It is left to our imagination what heaven must be like and how these earthly instruments have heavenly connections. It’s a nice thought to dream on.
Slava Bohu!