Hebrews 9:16-28
Once for All
16In the case of a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one who made it,
17because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.
18That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
19For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,
20saying, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”
21In the same way, he sprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vessels used in worship.
22According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
25Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,
28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
Berean Standard Bible
The writer explains that a will takes effect when the person who made it has died. He uses that legal image to explain why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood. Moses proclaimed the commandments, then used blood with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop to sprinkle the scroll and the people, saying it was the blood of the covenant.
The tabernacle and its vessels were also sprinkled. Under the law, nearly everything was purified with blood, and forgiveness was linked to the shedding of blood. Hebrews is not presenting violence as a human way to force God to be kind. It is describing the sacrificial system and showing the cost and seriousness of sin.
The earthly things were copies, but Christ entered heaven itself to appear before God on our behalf. He did not enter repeatedly with another creature's blood. He appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Human death leads to accountability before God, while Jesus' first coming dealt with sin through a single offering. His future appearing will have a different purpose: He will bring salvation to those who wait for Him, not repeat the sacrifice. His return completes the hope of the cross rather than correcting something it left unfinished.
Questions
1 When does a will take effect?
AnswerA will takes effect after the death of the person who made it, which explains the writer's legal comparison.
2 How was the first covenant inaugurated?
AnswerMoses inaugurated it with blood, water, scarlet wool, hyssop, the scroll, and the people under God's command.
3 Where did Christ enter on believers' behalf?
AnswerChrist entered heaven itself to appear in God's presence on believers' behalf rather than entering a human copy.
4 Why will Christ appear a second time?
AnswerHe will appear a second time to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
What This Means for Us
Hebrews uses the old sacrifices to show how seriously sin must be dealt with, then directs us to the offering Christ completed once for all. Let that reality make sin serious without making you believe you must keep paying for what He has already borne.
Waiting for Jesus is active hope, not a timetable we can calculate. Live honestly before God, repair what you can, and hold the future with expectation rather than fear-driven speculation.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for bearing sin completely and appearing for us before God. Make us honest about sin, confident in Your sacrifice, and patient as we await Your salvation. Amen.