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What is the significance of the ascension in the theology of Hebrews?

Hebrews’ homilist has written a ‘word of encouragement’ (lo,gou th/j paraklh,sewj)[1] to believers[2] threatened from without by persecution[3] but, even more seriously, by doubts and back-sliding from within.[4] The addressees are almost certainly Jewish Christians[5] who stood zealously for Christ in the aftermath of their conversion[6] yet now are in danger of ‘drifting away’ (pararuw/men)[7]. They have not progressed in the faith as they ought to have[8] but have instead been tempted to revert back to the old covenant,[9] their old priests[10] and their old cultic worship.[11]

Through a “balanced combination of doctrinal exposition and paraenesis”[12] the homilist exhorts his readers to faithfulness[13] – a renewed confidence (parrhsi,an)[14] in the Christian confession (th/j o`mologi,aj)[15]. This confession or hope does not simply concern Christ, but in a profound sense is Christ.[16] His Person and work is the central concern of Hebrews[17] for, in Him, the long-promised fulfilment and surpassing of the old has been won and offered. In Him, is the true mediation (not angels),[18] the true priesthood (not Aaron’s),[19] the true worship (not the temple cult),[20] the true covenant (not the obsolete first covenant)[21] and the true sacred space (not the promised land nor temple sanctuary).[22]

For the believer to partake (me,tocoi) in Him[23] is to partake in our heavenly calling[24] – our true and eternal destiny. This is because, wonderfully, He has partaken of our humanity, being made like us in every way[25] so to become our High Priest (avrciereu.j) and Brother (avdelfo,j).[26] Having ‘laid hold of’ us (evpilamba,netai)[27] and atoned for us,[28] He was also exalted to God’s right hand on our behalf.[29] Now we can enter the Most Holy Place,[30] in fact we have come to the place of God’s presence[31] – all through Him.

Jesus has not merely shown us the path, but as the ultimate Hero of faith[32] He is the Beginning and End[33] and the Way from here to there.[34] To have Christ is to have eternal salvation,[35] eternal redemption[36] and an eternal inheritance.[37] There is no need for an alternative or additional priest, pilgrimage, propitiation or perfection. Such a High Priest clearly meets our need[38] and meets it entirely, enduringly and exclusively.[39]

Yet these recipients of Hebrews were in danger of meeting their needs elsewhere, namely through the ‘shadows’[40] of old testament worship.[41] It ought to be clear that a co-ordination of Christ plus cultic supplements is impossible. Either Christ is such an all-sufficient Saviour, or the Christ presented in Hebrews is a fiction. The glorious encouragement of Hebrews is also its solemn warning – to have Christ is to have all. Yet the necessary corollary is equally true: to miss Christ is to miss all.[42] There can be no third way whereby believers claim allegiance to Christ and yet ‘meet their needs’ with earthly foods[43], and altars[44] and priests.[45]

We will now consider Hebrews’ teaching on the ascension.

A definition:

The Person of Jesus, having accomplished a once-for-all redemption, passed through the heavens into heaven itself, to sit at the right hand of God, entailing both a finished work and a continuing priestly function.

We will discuss these six aspects in turn.

The Person of Jesus…

The news of a man having entering heaven would cause excitement of a certain kind, but certainly not the confidence and hope the homilist intends. For this news to benefit us, we need to know who has ascended. Luther has said:

“…for Christ to have ascended profits us nothing, if he ascended for his own sake. But now our glory and joy is in this, that he went there to our advantage and not to our disadvantage.”[46]

More specifically, we need to know who He is to God and who He is to us.

We will briefly examine the homilist’s teaching in three sections: 1:1-4; 2:5-18; 4:14-5:10.

1:1-4:

To God, Christ is His Mediator of revelation, of creation and of His very glory and being. He is God’s ‘right hand Man’ – a position of honour, power and blessedness. To us, He is the universal Sustainer and the Purifier of sins.

It should be seen immediately that there is a certain priestliness to the very being of the Son. God’s glory radiates outwards (avpau,gasma) in the Person of Christ. God’s business of revelation, creation and providence all come through the Son. To the core of His being and even to the depths of eternity He is a Mediator.

That He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His being betokens an eternal effulgence. If God is light it is because of Christ, the true Light radiating outwards the Father’s glory. Here lies a breath-taking meditation on the over-flowing nature of the Triune God.

2:5-18:

It seems clear that the homilist (as with the seven-fold Scriptural catena in chapter 1) considers Psalm 8 to be directly concerning Christ. Since the direct application of all the previous Old Testament quotations was to Christ, it seems tortuous to read the ‘him’ of 2:8 as Adam and then 2:9 as Christ. There is a profound link between the ‘under your feet’ motif of Psalm 110 and this Psalm. The true Man and Ruler is also true Priest. Just as Psalm 110 has Christ as its unique Referent (1:13; Mark 12:35-37!) so it is here. Christ is ‘the Man’. He is not a footnote to Adam, rather Adam is a type (Rom 5:14) of the true and heavenly Man (1 Cor 15:49). Whatever application Psalm 8 has to Adam comes from Christ, not the other way around.

From Psalm 8 we learn that Christ is to God the true Man and object of His concern (mimnh,|skh|). He is the One entrusted as Ruler over creation. Yet this rule is not established by simple divine fiat but through the Father’s humiliation and, later, exaltation of Him.

To us, Christ is the Author (avrchgo.n) of our salvation who tastes death for us in propitiatory sacrifice. To make this, He becomes our Brother (avdelfo,j) who shares in our humanity in every way. In this way He becomes our merciful and faithful High Priest (avrciereu.j).

Yet as soon as this is said, we realise that Christ is not only Priest to us, but also to God (ta. pro.j to.n qeo.n).[47] Here we understand the vital importance of Christ’s priesthood. It is necessarily two-way.

“Is not ‘high priest’ the title which expresses most perfectly the mystery of Christ?… Other names express only this or that aspect of the situation and the being of Christ. ‘Son of God’ expresses only his relation with God; ‘brother of men’, only his relation with us; ‘Lord’ evokes only his glory; ‘Servant’, only his voluntary abasement. ‘High priest’ on the other hand gives an idea of the two-fold relation and evokes simultaneously both Passion and glory.”[48]

We see this again in 4:14-5:10: here our High Priest is ‘Jesus, the Son of God’. His humanity and particular historical existence is laid side-by-side with His pre-existent title ‘Son’.[49] The two-fold importance of Christ’s priesthood is again put in 5:1. Notice the three prepositions: Through incarnation, Jesus is from men (evx avnqrw,pwn), and ministers on behalf of men (u`pe.r avnqrw,pwn), in relation to God (ta. pro.j to.n qeo,n).

To put it even more succinctly, He is Man for men to God. The counter-part to this is His divine designation as recorded in 5:6. The ‘Lord’ from ‘the LORD’[50] is called[51] ‘priest’[52]. He is God from God[53] for men.

Our great High Priest mediates God to us and us to God. Therefore His ascension is not the journey of a lone victor but the fore-running[54] of our true Aaron[55] who has gone into ‘heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.[56]

…having accomplished a once-for-all redemption…

Just as the Person is crucial in appreciating the ascension, so is His work. In fact His coming is to the end of His redeeming work.[57]

The death of Jesus is never far from the homilist’s thoughts. (Heb. 2:9,14,17; 5:8; 6:6; 7:27; 9:12,14,15,26,28; 10:10,12,14,29; 12:2,24; 13:12,20) This death is certainly not natural for the Son (Heb. 2:14f) but one He graciously ‘tastes’.[58] It is explicitly a bloody,[59] sacrificial death. Blood was offered in the cult for (u`pe.r) sins[60] and we can identify four cultic functions of the blood as outlined in the homily. At Passover we see that blood shields the believer from the Destroyer.[61] Blood is also offered (especially on Yom Kippur)[62] for the forgiveness of sins,[63] though this forgiveness was expressly modelled through the blood not won by it.[64] Blood cleanses, at least outwardly.[65] Finally blood inaugurates (evgkekai,nistai) the covenant[66] through the redemption (avpolu,trwsin), that is, the ransom payment for, the covenant people.[67]

The blood of Jesus fulfills and surpasses all this. It is for the sins of the people. (Heb. 2:17; 10:12) It truly shields, (Heb 2:17)[68] truly forgives, (Heb 9:22 ó 26; 10:18) truly cleanses (Cleansed (kaqariei/): Heb. 9:14. Made holy (a`gia,sh|): Heb. 10:10,14; 13:12), truly redeems. (Heb. 9:15) Since it was offered by a sinless representative it was an unrepeatable, unimprovable, irreplaceable a[pax offering. (Heb. 7:27, 9:26-28; 10:10-14)

Regarding the link between Christ’s atoning work on earth and His ascension to heaven we could make two errors. On one hand, we might suppose that the mere entrance to heaven of a Fore-runner and Mediator entails our redemption. This would be to construe our predicament as simply one of estrangement and to ignore the question of sin. Hebrews tells us that this view is sorely mistaken. Our estrangement from God’s presence is a moral problem (Heb. 3:7-4:7) which must be overcome through the shedding of blood. (Heb. 9:22) Jesus must enter heaven through His shed blood. (Heb. 9:12) The cross is not an accidental embellishment to Christ’s work but the necessary path to exaltation.( Heb. 2:9,10)

The other error (more prevalent in evangelical circles) is to conclude our thinking on Christ’s Person and work, its superiority and cultic fulfilment, with Good Friday. Yet, it is striking that the homilist does not leave his exposition or paraenesis at the foot of the cross. The Yom Kippur model, which surfaces a number of times in the homily,[69] demands not only sacrifice but an entrance into the Most Holy Place. The crowning conclusion to atonement is entrance into the presence of God.[70] ‘By means of (dia.) His own blood’ Christ enters. The blood is essential, but it is essential in order to enter!

Atonement is said to occur when the parties are in fact at one. This is evidenced by the high priest’s actual entrance into the LORD’s presence. Could Christ ultimately and eternally remain ‘outside the camp’?[71] If that were His final condition, we could definitively conclude that His atonement was a failure. His exaltation to the right hand is a necessary conclusion to His cross-work and its true goal. It is His ascension that truly vindicates the Person of Christ as High Priest[72] and His work as finished.[73]

… passed through the heavens into heaven itself…

“Jesus our high priest first secured our eternal redemption by the sacrifice of himself in the ‘courtyard’ of this world, and then, by virtue of his own blood, passed from sight ‘into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf’.”[74]

Once a year Aaron would take a journey from the Holy Place, through the curtain and into the Most Holy Place.[75] The fulfilment occurs when Christ takes a journey from earth, through the heavens[76] and into heaven itself.[77]

Given the importance of sacred space in Hebrews, such a journey is extremely significant. The wilderness congregation of Heb. 3:7-19 fell short of entering (eivse,rcomai) the promised land – the sphere of God’s presence and blessing. The cause was their unbelief (avpisti,an). Subsequent generations, including the addressees of this homily, are urged to enter this rest[78] and, in Heb. 4:10, given the encouragement of ‘o` eivselqw.n’ – the One who entered His rest.[79] The rest which the true VIhsou/j entered was not the promised land but heaven.[80] So we see that the fulfilment of Israel’s geographical hopes is ultimately heaven itself.

In this light, Bruce writes on Heb. 8:1:

“This ‘real sanctuary’ belongs to the same order of being as the saints’ everlasting rest of chs. 3 and 4, the better country and well-founded city of 11:10,16, and the unshakeable kingdom of 12:28.”[81]

Jesus does not simply fill-full the cultic rites of Israel but their entire life, worship and hope. For the Jews, land was a fundamental concern. Therefore, a demonstration of Christ’s relationship to the promised land is crucial if the homilist’s case is to be made. His essential argument runs along these lines:

We are to enter (eivse,rcomai) God’s rest but cannot.(Heb. 4:11,18f) Christ enters (eivse,rcomai; Heb. 4:10; 6:19,20; 9:6,12,24; 10:19) the true rest, that is heaven itself, on our behalf. Thus our great High Priest guarantees our eternal and unshakeable inheritance through His ascension. Christ has passed through (die,rcomai; Heb. 4:14) so now we may draw near. (prose,rcomai; Heb. 4:16) When the Day has finally come we will receive in its fulness the unshakeable kingdom secured by Jesus. (Heb 12:26-29) In the meantime, we enter (eivse,rcomai) by hearing the gospel confession and believing. (Heb. 4:3,11. See also 10:19, ‘eivj th.n ei;sodon’) All this is possible through the entrance into rest of Fore-runner Jesus. (Heb. 6:20) He is the ‘pro,dromoj’ who, like the ‘pro,dromoi’ of Numbers 13:20, entered the promised land in advance of the congregation. His journey to heaven is the fulfilment of all our pilgrimages.

…to sit at the right hand of God…

His sitting is in the aorist (evka,qisen) in 1:3; 8:1 and 10:12 and the perfect (keka,qiken) in 12:2, denoting that it was completed for all time and has enduring present consequences.

Again, this tells us of Christ’s Person and work. First, as to His Person:

“Although no priest of Aaron’s line ever sat down in the presence of God in the earthly sanctuary, Christ has done so in the heavenly sanctuary.”[82]

Christ sits as One who belongs to the very centre of divine life. The right hand is “the place of highest honour and authority”[83]

Christ’s ascension is the installation of the Psalm 2 Son,[84] the crowning of the Psalm 8 Man[85], the enthronement of the Psalm 45 King[86] and the session of the Psalm 110 Priest.[87] To know that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God is to know everything we need to know about His Person. But it also speaks volumes about His work:

… entailing both a finished work…

“A seated priest is the guarantee of a finished work and an accepted sacrifice.”[88]

Nothing could better indicate the finality and sufficiency of Christ’s atonement than His sitting down. In temple terms He was meant to sprinkle the seat and leave quickly, trusting that the incense would hide Him from the LORD ‘that he would not die.’[89] Christ does not sprinkle the seat but sits on it as His throne.

The atoning work is done[90] and the race of faith is run.[91] Yet, Christ’s session does not only entail a finished work but also…

… a continuing priestly function…

While in one sense Christ’s ascension marks a finishing – the completion of His propitiatory sacrifice, in another it marks a kind of inauguration into eternal service.

We see on several occasions how the sitting of Christ signals an ongoing significance. In 1:13 it ushers in a time of waiting while the Father subdues Christ’s enemies. In 8:1 it begins a new aspect of Christ’s ministry (leitourgo.j), which we will discuss below. In 10:12 it again means waiting (v13), the sanctifying of the people (v14) and our ‘drawing near’ (v22ff).

Christ’s session is not meant to imply His inactivity but rather His “ceaseless activity… constantly sustaining the universe by his dynamic word.[92] He is active as, enthroned on high, he rules over history until every enemy has been subdued.[93] He is active on behalf of his chosen people as he dispenses mercy, grace and help to them in the hour of their testing[94] and as in heaven, whither he ‘has gone as a forerunner on our behalf’,[95] ‘he always lives to make intercession for them.’ (Heb 7:25)”[96]

Hughes summarizes Christ’s on-going ministry[97] under three headings: representation, benediction and intercession.[98]

His representation is perhaps the most contentious aspect of the ascension. Is there a continual re-presentation of the blood of sacrifice before the Father?[99] Heb. 9:12 is at the centre of this controversy. Does the preposition dia. mean ‘with’?[100] Certainly it means ‘through’ in the preceding verse which is by far the more usual meaning. But perhaps, as Attridge argues, there is a shift in meaning necessitated by the underlying Yom Kippur allusion.[101] We do not agree with this interpretation of 9:12,[102] however it is true that the purifying work of the blood of Christ did have to be applied to the heavenly places in a Yom Kippur fulfilment.[103] In saying this we should remember the cultic difference between blood shed – which is for sin, and blood sprinkled – which is for cleansing. Christ’s blood in heaven is not there in a sin-bearing capacity but for cleansing – Heb. 9:22. Further to this, the blood of Jesus continually ‘speaks’[104] in our defence.

It is not necessary to distance ourselves from every kind of literal understanding of this, as some have done.[105] Our evangelical forebears did not see the blood of Jesus in heaven as a catholic compromise.[106]

[Calvin on 13:11] “Christ took his own blood into the heavenly sanctuary” (quoted on p330 of Hughes).

[Calvin on 13:20] “God raised up his Son, but in such a way that the blood which he shed once in death, continues powerful after the resurrection for the ratification of the eternal covenant and brings forth its fruit just as if it were ever flowing.” (quoted on p330 of Hughes)

What we must insist on is the aorist participle ‘having obtained (eu`ra,menoj) eternal redemption’.[107] The evfa,pax[108] of Christ’s single (mi,an) offering[109], the perfect ‘perfecting’ (tetelei,wken) accomplished by the single offering[110] and the glorious truth that ‘there is no longer any offering for sin.’[111]

Jesus does not re-present Himself before the Father continually in atoning sacrifice. On the other hand, Jesus does not do less than the Aaronic sprinkling of the mercy seat. He does more. As the Lamb once slain He sits down for all time on the ‘i`lasth,rion’ – His once-for-all propitiatory sacrifice declared forever before the Father – thus He makes it a throne of grace.[112] With Ellingworth’s warning in mind,[113] we should not shrink from declaring an eternal presentation (not re-presentation) of the blood[114] in heaven.

More briefly we will consider His work of benediction and intercession. The former is not given great emphasis in Hebrews yet the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:22-27) finds some expression in Christ’s shining (1:3), in the ‘peace’ of God (13:20) and of His Priest (7:2) and in the grace to be found flowing from Him (4:14-16). His intercession (7:25) is a direct outcome of His Aaronic fulfilment and perfection. Christ is before the Father like Aaron, carrying the names of the people on his heart before the LORD.[115] Keeping this type in mind saves us from any crude thoughts about desperate pleas before an unwilling Father. As Swete has rightly said “Our Lord’s life in heaven is his prayer.”[116]

Conclusion

Alexander Nairne called his commentary on Hebrews ‘The Epistle of Priesthood.’[117] If pushed to encapsulate the theology of the homily with one word, you could do no better than ‘Priesthood’. Atonement is won through it,[118] the law is under it,[119] the covenant is inaugurated by it[120] and the Person of Christ Himself is known best in it.[121] The addressees are presented with the ultimate Priest and His ultimate work since, to appreciate this is to understand themselves, their Israelite history, the nature of true worship and the Lord Whom they confess.

The ascension fits into Hebrews as the ratification and fulfilment of Christ’s true priesthood. In the light of the seated and reigning High Priest, all attempts at perfection through the law[122] or cult[123] must evaporate. It is Jesus who is made perfect through His suffering, sacrificial death – the evidence of this is His exaltation to the right hand.[124] In Him and the grace He offers from on high, we are perfected.[125] This will be our encouragement and our warning – Christ has sat down on the throne of heaven. To know this, is to lay aside the cult, to confidently[126] hold fast the confession[127] and to draw near (prose,rcomai)[128] by the blood. Thus we see again, ascension and atonement cannot be divorced, yet when held together they explain the true priesthood of Christ and its implications. This is the concern of Hebrews.

Bibliography

Attridge, Harold. Hebrews. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1989

Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990

Davies, J.G. He Ascended into Heaven. Camelot Press Ltd, 1958

Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1993

Hagner, Donald. Hebrews. Hendrickson Publishers, 1990

Hanson, A.T. Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. London: SPCK, 1965

Heen E.M., Krey P.D.W. (Ed), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Hebrews, IVP, 2005

Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977.

Hurst, L.D. The Epistle to the Hebrews: Its background of thought. CUP, 1990.

Isaacs, Marie E. Sacred Space: An Approach to the Theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Sheffield Academic Press, 1992

Kurianal, James. Jesus Our High Priest: Ps 110,4 as the Substructure of Heb 5,1-7,28. Peter Lang GmbH, 1999

Lane, William. Word Biblical Commentary, 47a: Hebrews 1-8, Word Books, Publisher, 1991

Lane, William. Word Biblical Commentary, 47b: Hebrews 9-13, Word Books, Publisher, 1991

Metzger, Bruce. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition. United Bible Societies. 1994

Moffatt, James. Hebrews. T&T Clark, ltd. 1979.

Pink, A.W. Exposition of Hebrews. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1954

Toon, Peter. The Ascension of Our Lord. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984

Vanhoye, Albert. Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Roma, 1989.

Wallace, Daniel. Greek Grammar. Zondervan. 1996

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[1] Heb. 13:22

[2] In spite of the homilist’s warnings, he is assured of their salvation (6:9ff; see also 10:32-39).

[3] Heb. 10:32-34; 12:7-13

[4] Heb. 2:1-4; 3:12-4:13; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39

[5] F.F. Bruce helpfully lays out the arguments for and against a Jewish Christian readership (Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p3-9) Those who argue against Jewish addressees (e.g. Moffatt and Kasemann) point to 3:12 asking whether reverting to Judaism would be called turning away from the living God. They also claim that the writer is unlikely to describe the deeds of covenant people as ‘dead works’ (6:1; 9:14). In reply it should be noted that those who turn away from the living God are indeed Jews! (3:15ff). Furthermore, the ‘dead works’ of 6:1ff are a part of the ‘th/j avrch/j tou/ Cristou/ lo,gon’ most likely to be the Old Testament revelation! Having answered the Gentile Christian advocates we can further add to our consideration 9:15 where importance is laid on the sins committed under the old covenant (not a great concern for Gentiles). We notice also the practice of the homilist’s argumentation from the Hebrew Scriptures. His intention seems to be to cut the ground from under any who would reject the gospel and revert back to ‘more certain’ revelation, i.e. the Old Testament. The homilist can be seen to say, ‘You are sliding back to that which has always cast you forwards to Christ and His gospel accomplishment.’ Perhaps most compelling of all though is the urgency with which the homilist warns his audience regarding the shadowy nature of the cult. Would Gentiles Christians really be tempted to opt out of Christianity and into an equally foreign religion, Judaism?

[6] Heb. 10:32-34

[7] Heb. 2:1

[8] Heb. 5:11-6:12

[9] e.g. Heb. 8:6

[10] e.g. Heb. 7:11,28

[11] e.g. Heb. 9:7-10; 10:1,11f.

[12] Attridge, Harold. Hebrews. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1989, p21.

1:1-14 – exposition; 2:1-4 – paraenesis; 2:5-3:6 – exposition; 3:7-4:16 – paraenesis;

5:1-10 – exposition; 5:11-6:12 – paraenesis; 6:13-10:18 – exposition; 10:19-39 – paraenesis

11:1-40 – exposition; 12:1-17 – paraenesis; 12:18-24 – exposition;

12:25-13:25 – paraenesis

[13] “There can be no question but that it is a major and probably the major purpose of the book to warn the readers of a danger and to exhort them to faithfulness (thus the frequent applications, e.g., 2:1-3; 3:6,12-14; 4:1,11-13; 6:1-12; 10:26-31,35-39; 12:3-17; 13:9).” (Hagner, Donald. Hebrews. Hendrickson Publishers, 1990, p12). It is, perhaps, important to note that ‘pisto.j’ is never used of the believers faithfulness but always of the divine faithfulness worked for us. (Heb. 2:17; 3:2,5; 10:23; 11:11). For the Christian, faithfulness is holding fast by faith (Pi,stei) in Him who is faithful (pisto.n).

[14] Heb. 3:6; 4:16; 10:19,35

[15] Heb. 3:1; 4:14; 10:23. See also Heb. 2:1-3; 3:6; 6:1-3,19; 11:1

[16] Heb. 6:19f

[17] “The creative heart of the doctrinal reflection of Hebrews is clearly its christology, which is treated so explicitly and carefully. Other elements of the faith of Hebrews are in large measure the background of the christologically based paraenesis. They never become in and of themselves the subjects of thematic expositions.” (Attridge, Harold. Hebrews. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1989, p27)

[18] Heb. 1:5-14. The issue with angels does seem to be a mediation issue. The seven-fold scriptural proof of the superiorty of the Son over angels is preceded by an affirmation of His mediatorial role and followed (2:2) by an admission that angels had a mediatorial role in the old covenant. (see also Acts 7:53)

[19] e.g. Heb. 7:23f

[20] e.g. Heb. 9:11-14

[21] e.g. Heb 8:6,7,13

[22] e.g. Heb. 4:8-11; 9:24

[23] Heb. 3:14

[24] Heb. 3:1

[25] Heb. 2:14,17

[26] Heb. 2:17

[27] Heb. 2:16

[28] Heb. 2:17. See also 7:27; 9:12,14,15,26,28; 10:10,12,14,29; 12:2,24; 13:12,20

[29] Heb. 6:19; 9:24. See also 4:14-16.

[30] Heb. 10:19

[31] Heb. 12:22

[32] Heb. 12:1 is the climax of chapter 11. Not only was Jesus the object of faith for Old Testament saints (11:26) He was also the true and faithful Runner. (12:2)

[33] ‘avrchgo.n kai. teleiwth.n’ Heb 12:2

[34] Heb. 10:20. We disagree with Bruce who claims that the veil is Christ’s flesh, based purely on word order. (Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p252). To posit Christ’s flesh as an impediment to divine access seems to be a reversal of the whole argument of Hebrews!

[35] Heb. 5:9

[36] Heb. 9:12

[37] Heb. 9:15

[38] Heb. 7:26

[39] Heb. 7:27-28

[40] Heb. 8:5; 10:1

[41] “… [the writer’s] insistence that the old covenant has been antiquated is expressed with a moral earnestness and driven home repeatedly in a manner which would be pointless if his readers were not particularly disposed to live under that covenant, but which would be very much to the point if they were still trying to live under it, or imagined that, having passed beyond it, they could revert to it.” (Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p6). See the repeated warnings: Heb. 2:1; 3:12; 4:1,11; 5:11-14; 10:23,32ff

[42] Heb. 10:29ff

[43] Heb. 13:9

[44] Heb. 13:10

[45] Heb. 7:27f

[46] Quoted in Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977, p383

[47] See the Aaronic and Mosaic connotations of this term: Exod. 4:16; 18:19

[48] Vanhoye, Albert. Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Roma, 1989, p49-50.

[49] Heb. 1:2-3,10

[50] Psalm 110:1

[51] ‘prosagoreuqei.j’, Heb. 5:10

[52] Psalm 110:4; Heb 5:6

[53] see also Heb. 1:9 – ‘o` qeo.j o` qeo,j sou’

[54] Heb 6:20

[55] The purpose of Heb. 5:1-10 is to show Jesus’ Aaronic credentials even though He did not descend from Levi.

[56] Heb 9:24. See in 12:22 – we have come to Mount Zion!

[57] Heb. 2:14-18; 5:8f

[58] Heb 2:9. The ‘tasting’ of death is not at all intended to down-play the suffering of Christ but is, rather, a periphrasis equivalent to ‘suffer’ or ‘partake of’. Cf. Matt. 16:28; John 8:52

[59] Ai[ma is used 21 times in Hebrews – 12 times of the Old Testament cult, seven times of Jesus’ fulfilment in sacrificial death. Jesus’ blood: Heb. 9:12,14; 10:19,29; 12:24; 13:12,20

[60] Heb. 9:7

[61] Heb. 11:28

[62] The Day of Atonement is the context for Heb. 9:7-14

[63] Heb. 9:22

[64] Heb. 10:4

[65] Heb. 9:13,22,23

[66] Heb 9:18. See context, vv16-20

[67] Heb. 9:15

[68] Propitiation (i`la,skesqai) is the mercy through sacrifice offered by the LORD, as He turns away His wrath at sin. It is especially associated with the Day of Atonement (evxila,setai), Lev 16:30. On this day the mercy seat (i`lasth,rion) is sprinkled with blood for the forgiveness of the people. Were this not to happen, the LORD would break out against the people (Lev 16:1ff). In this sense the propitiatory sacrifice shields the people.

[69] Heb. 2:17; 4:16ff; 9:17-14

[70] We can see the similarity but also superiority of Christ’s ascension as Aaron’s anti-type through a comparison of 9:7 and 9:12. Christ is like Aaron in His unique right to enter God’s presence and His entrance based upon blood. He is superior to Aaron in that this blood is His own, it is not for His sins, and does not merely cover unintentional sins but provides eternal redemption.

[71] Heb. 13:13

[72] Heb. 5:5-6; 6:20, 7:16,28

[73] The intensive ‘evfa,pax’ is reserved for the once-for-all ascension in Heb 9:12. See also Heb. 1:3; 10:11-12; 12:2

[74] Heb. 9:24. (in Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977, p328)

[75] Heb. 9:1-14, 10:20

[76] Heb 4:14. Note that Christ’s seated position is now ‘above’ the heavens, (Heb. 7:26). We are not presuming any celestial knowledge regarding the three-fold or seven-fold nature of the heavenlies. Nor are we encouraging speculation about the meaning of singular and plural throughout the letter. However we are attracted to Lane’s suggestion that Heb. 9:24 uses the singular ‘o.n ouvrano,n’ because this is the Most Holy Place. (Lane, William. Word Biblical Commentary, 47b: Hebrews 9-13, Word Books, Publisher, 1991, p248). The place above (Heb. 7:26) the heavens

[77] Heb. 9:24. Heaven = singular in 9:24; 11:12; 12:26; Plural in 1:10; 4:14; 7:26; 8:1; 9:23; 12;23,25

[78] Heb. 4:1-11

[79] The greek is more literally taken as ‘the One who’ rather than the more eliptical ‘whoever’. Also, in the context of the failed rest-giver ‘VIhsou/j’ of 4:8 and the upcoming confession of the entering ‘VIhsou/j’ of 4:14, this verse seems best understood as a particular reference to Jesus.

[80] Heb. 4:14

[81] Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p182

[82] Lane, William. Word Biblical Commentary, 47b: Hebrews 9-13, Word Books, Publisher, 1991, p267

[83] Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977, p48. See also Dan 7:9,10; Rev 5:13

[84] Psalm 2:6; cf. Heb. 1:5; 5:5

[85] Psalm 8:5; cf. Heb 2:7-9

[86] Psalm 45:6; cf. Heb 1:8

[87] Psalm 110:1; cf. Heb 1:13; 5:6

[88] Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p245

[89] Lev. 16:13

[90] Heb. 1:3; 10:12

[91] Heb. 12:2

[92] Heb. 1:3

[93] Heb. 1:13; cf. 1 Cor 15:25

[94] Heb. 2:18; 4:14-16; cf. Acts 7:55f.

[95] Heb. 6:20

[96] Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977, p47

[97] Heb. 8:2 – Christ continues as a ‘minister’ in heaven

[98] Hughes, Philip Edgcumbe. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co. 1977, p349-354

[99] Peter Toon helpfully outlines the arguments and an evangelical response in The Ascension of Our Lord. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984, p58-66

[100] as is followed in KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, NASB and NJB

[101] The quotation in full: “On the level of the Yom Kippur imagery the preposition dia. obviously means ‘with’, thus indicating a shift in sense from its use in the preceding verse.” Attridge, Harold. Hebrews. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1989, p248

[102] Surely NIV and ESV do much better justice to the prepositions

[103] Heb. 9:22

[104] Heb. 12:24

[105] See Bruce who is eager to say “our author deliberately avoids saying that Christ carried his own blood into the sanctuary.” Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p213. There would have been much clearer ways of the homilist ‘deliberately avoiding’ the imagery of Christ presenting His blood in heaven!

[106]

[107] Heb. 9:12

[108] Heb. 10:10

[109] Heb. 10:12

[110] Heb. 10:14

[111] Heb. 10:18

[112] Heb. 4:16

[113] “It is essential to the thought of Hebrews that the blood should be understood as as standing for the voluntary sacrificial death (see 10:5-10) of Christ himself (v14).” (Ellingworth, Paul. The Epistle to the Hebrews. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1993, p77)

[114] see footnote above.

[115] Exod. 28:29

[116] quoted in Bruce, F.F. The Epistle to the Hebrews, revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1990, p174

[117] “…the priesthood of Christ is the main theme of the Epistle.” (Alexander Nairne, The Epistle of Priesthood (1915), quoted in Isaacs, Marie E. Sacred Space: An Approach to the Theology of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Sheffield Academic Press, 1992, p15)

[118] Heb 2:17; 9:12,24-26

[119] Heb. 7:11

[120] Heb. 8:6; 9:15ff

[121] “Is not ‘high priest’ the title which expresses most perfectly the mystery of Christ?… Other names express only this or that aspect of the situation and the being of Christ. ‘Son of God’ expresses only his relation with God; ‘brother of men’, only his relation with us; ‘Lord’ evokes only his glory; ‘Servant’, only his voluntary abasement. ‘High priest’ on the other hand gives an idea of the two-fold relation and evokes simultaneously both Passion and glory.” Vanhoye, Albert. Structure and Message of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Roma, 1989, p49-50.

[122] Heb. 7:19

[123] Heb. 7:11,28; 9:9; 10:1

[124] Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 7:28

[125] Heb. 10:14; 12:2; 12:23

[126] Heb. 3:6; 4:16; 10:19,35

[127] Heb. 3:6; 4:14; 6:13-20 and 10:23

[128] Heb. 4:16