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

It had, indeed, then (even the first tabernacle) ordinances of service, also a 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 a tabernacle was prepared, the first, in which was both the lamp-stand, and the table, and the bread of the presence -- which is called `Holy;'

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

and after the second vail a tabernacle that is called `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.

having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all round about with gold, in which the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tables of the covenant,

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 cherubim of the glory, overshadowing the mercy-seat, concerning which we are not now to 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.

And these things having been thus prepared, into the first tabernacle, indeed, at all times the priests do go in, performing the services,

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.

and into the second, once in the year, only the chief priest, not apart from blood, which he doth offer for himself and the errors 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 this evidencing that not yet hath been manifested the way of the holy, the first tabernacle having yet a 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 a simile in regard to the present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which are not able, in regard to conscience, to make perfect him who is serving,

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

only in victuals, and drinks, and different baptisms, and fleshly ordinances -- till the time of reformation imposed upon.

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.

And Christ being come, chief priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands -- that is, 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 through blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, did enter in once into the holy places, age-during redemption having obtained;

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 goats, and ashes of an heifer, sprinkling those defiled, doth sanctify 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 age-during Spirit did offer himself unblemished to God) purify your conscience from dead works 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 because of this, of a new covenant he is mediator, that, death having come, for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those called may receive the promise of the age-during 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 covenant, the death of the covenant-victim to come in is necessary,

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

for a covenant over dead victims stedfast, since it is no force at all when the covenant-victim liveth,

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

whence not even the first apart from blood hath been initiated,

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 every command having been spoken, according to law, by Moses, to all the people, having taken the blood of the calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, he both the book itself and all the people did sprinkle,

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

saying, `This the blood of the covenant that God enjoined unto you,'

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

and both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the service with blood in like manner he did sprinkle,

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 with blood almost all things are purified according to the law, and apart from blood-shedding forgiveness doth not come.

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.

necessary, therefore, the pattern indeed of the things in the heavens to be purified with these, and 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 not into holy places made with hands did the Christ enter -- figures of the true -- but into the heaven itself, now to be manifested 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 that he may many times offer himself, even as the chief priest doth enter into the holy places every year with blood of others;

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.

since it had behoved him many times to suffer from the foundation of the world, but now once, at the full end of the ages, for putting away of sin through his sacrifice, he hath been manifested;

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 laid up to men once to die, and after this -- 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, once having been offered to bear the sins of many, a second time, apart from a sin-offering, shall appear, to those waiting for him -- to salvation!