Hebrews 9:23 Meaning and Explanation
“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The earthly copies of heavenly realities had to be cleansed by animal sacrifices, but the heavenly realities themselves by a better sacrifice.
What Does Hebrews 9:23 Mean?
The writer now lifts the argument to its height. The earthly tabernacle and its furnishings were patterns, copies of heavenly realities, and they were rightly purified with animal blood. But the heavenly things themselves, he says, required better sacrifices than these. The greater reality calls for a greater offering.
The thought stretches the imagination: the very things of heaven, into which Christ has entered on our behalf, are consecrated not by the blood of beasts but by the blood of the Son. The whole sacrificial system was a shadow cast by something far grander. Christ's self-offering does on the highest level what every earthly sacrifice could only picture, opening for us the true and heavenly sanctuary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hebrews 9:23
What does Hebrews 9:23 mean?
The earthly copies of heavenly realities had to be cleansed by animal sacrifices, but the heavenly realities themselves by a better sacrifice.