1 T here were special ways of worship and a special holy place made by man for the Old Way of Worship.

¶ Nevertheless the first had its justifications of worship and its worldly sanctuary.

2 A big tent was built and set up. It was called the holy place. It had a light and a table, and the holy bread was on the table.

For there was a tabernacle made: the first, in which was the lampstand and the table and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary.

3 B ehind the second curtain there was another tent. This was called the Holiest Place of All.

And after the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,

4 I n the inside tent there was an altar where special perfume was burned. There was also a large box made of wood called the box of the Way of Worship. Both of these were covered with gold inside and out. Inside the box was a pot made of gold with the bread from heaven. It also had in it Aaron’s stick that once started to grow. The stones on which the Law of Moses was written were in it.

which had a golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, in which was the golden urn that had the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the testament,

5 A bove the box were the cherubim of honor. Their wings were spread up and over and met in the center. On the top of the box and under the shadow of their wings was the mercy-seat. We cannot tell anymore about these things now.

and over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the seat of reconciliation, of which we cannot now speak particularly.

6 W hen everything was finished, the Jewish religious leaders went in and out of the outside tent to do the things which had to be done to worship God.

Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

7 O nce each year the head religious leader would go into the inside tent alone. He would not go in without blood. He gave this blood to God as a gift in worship for his own sins and for the sins of all the people who sinned without knowing it.

But into the second the high priest went alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for his own ignorance, and for that of the people:

8 A nd so the Holy Spirit is teaching that, with the Old Way of Worship, the people could not go into the Holiest Place of All as long as the outside tent and its Old Way of Worship were being used.

¶ The Holy Spirit signifying in this, that the way into the sanctuary was not yet made manifest, as long as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

9 T he outside tent is a picture of that day. With the Old Way of Worship, animals killed and gifts given in worship to God could not take away the guilty feeling of sin.

Which was a figure of that time present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience,

10 T he Old Way of Worship was made up of Laws about what to eat and drink. These Laws told how to wash and other things to do with the body. These things had to be done until Christ came to bring a better way of worship. The New Way of Worship Has a Better Gift

but in foods and drinks and different washings and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of correction.

11 B ut Christ came as the Head Religious Leader of the good things God promised. He made the way for man to go to God. He was a greater and more perfect tent. He was not made by human hands and was not a part of this earth.

But Christ being now come, high priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation,

12 C hrist went into the Holiest Place of All one time for all people. He did not take the blood of goats and young cows to give to God as a gift in worship. He gave His own blood. By doing this, He bought us with His own blood and made us free from sin forever.

neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the sanctuary designed for eternal redemption.

13 W ith the Old Way of Worship, the blood and ashes of animals could make men clean after they had sinned.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh,

14 H ow much more the blood of Christ will do! He gave Himself as a perfect gift to God through the Spirit that lives forever. Now your heart can be free from the guilty feeling of doing work that is worth nothing. Now you can work for the living God.

how much more shall the blood of the Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from the works of death to serve the living God?

15 C hrist is the One Who gave us this New Way of Worship. All those who have been called by God may receive life that lasts forever just as He promised them. Christ bought us with His blood when He died for us. This made us free from our sins which we did under the Old Way of Worship.

¶ And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, so that death intervening for the redemption of the rebellions that took place under the first testament, those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

16 W hen a man wants to give his money to someone after he dies, he writes it all down on paper. But that paper is worth nothing until the man is dead.

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity intervene the death of the testator.

17 T hat piece of paper means nothing as long as he is alive. It is good only when he dies.

For a testament is confirmed by the death: otherwise it is not valid as long as the testator lives.

18 T he Old Way of Worship had to have a death to make it good. The blood of an animal was used.

From which came that not even the first one was dedicated without blood.

19 M oses told the people all the things they had to obey in the Law. Then he took the blood of animals together with water and put it on the Book of the Law and on all the people. He used special branches and red wool as he put it on them.

For when Moses had read every commandment of the law to all the people, taking the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, he sprinkled both the book and all the people,

20 M oses said, “This is the blood of the Way of Worship which God said you must obey.”

saying, This is the blood of the testament which God has commanded unto you.

21 I n the same way, Moses put the blood on the tent and on all the things used in worship.

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.

22 T he Law says that almost everything is made clean by blood. Sins are not forgiven unless blood is given. One Perfect Gift

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

23 T he tent to worship in and the things inside to worship with were like the things in heaven. They were made clean by putting blood on them. But the things in heaven were made clean by a much better gift of worship.

¶ So that it was necessary that the figures of the heavenly things should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

24 F or Christ did not go into the Holiest Place of All that was made by men, even if it was like the true one in heaven. He went to heaven itself and He is before God for us.

For Christ is not entered into the sanctuary made with hands (which is a figure of the true), but into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us,

25 C hrist has not given Himself many times, as the head religious leader here on earth went into the Holiest Place of All each year with blood that was not his own.

nor yet that he should offer himself many times (as the high priest enters into the sanctuary each year with blood that is not his own);

26 F or then Christ would have had to die many times since the world began. But He came once at the end of the Old Way of Worship. He gave Himself once for all time. He gave Himself to destroy sin.

otherwise it would have been necessary for him to suffer many times since the foundation of the world; but now once in the consummation of the ages he has appeared to abolish sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 I t is in the plan that all men die once. After that, they will stand before God and be judged.

And as it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment;

28 I t is the same with Christ. He gave Himself once to take away the sins of many. When He comes the second time, He will not need to give Himself again for sin. He will save all those who are waiting for Him.

so also the Christ is offered once to take away the sins of many; and unto those that wait for him without sin he shall appear the second time unto saving health.