Hebrews 9:23

Hebrews 9:23. The patterns; rather, the representations, the heavenly things themselves being the original ‘patterns shown to Moses in the mount' (Hebrews 8:5), whence the earthly copies were taken: but the heavenly things themselves (heaven and the things therein, see Hebrews 9:24) by better sacrifices than these. How the heavenly things need purifying has been much discussed. The simplest explanation is that the heavenly things received purification through the blood of Christ, in the same sense as the tabernacle received purification through the blood that was offered in it. The tabernacle had no impurity of its own. It needed purifying because of the uncleanness of the people, and because of the uncleanness which the entrance of the people without atonement would have introduced. Forgiveness without atonement would have sullied the holiness of God. By the blood of Christ God is just while justifying the ungodly. The place that was unapproachable by reason of our sin, is made free to the guiltiest: but for this purpose there were needed sacrifices better far than those that Aaron offered.