Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Hebrews 9:23

"It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." — Hebrews 9:23 (ASV)

“It was necessary” points to something more than expediency or the selection of one among a number of possible actions. There was no other way, because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (v.22). This cannot be ignored as merely Jewish, for the Mosaic system was set up by divine command.

It is true, the author reasons, that the Mosaic system was concerned only with “the copies of the heavenly things”; it was taken up with the external. But the fact that God commanded that system to be set up means that there must be something analogous in it to the way true forgiveness of sin was brought about. Where atonement really matters—i.e., in the heavenly sphere—better sacrifices are needed than were provided under the old system.

There is a problem in understanding in what sense things in heaven—where God is (v.24)—need purification. Some deny outright that they need it, regarding the expression as a way of referring to God’s people. After all, the author tells us repeatedly that it is people’s consciences that need to be cleansed, that the needed cleansing is spiritual and not material. The difficulty with such interpretations is that, while what they say is true, “the heavenly things themselves” is a strange way of referring to men and women here on earth. Other commentators see here a reference to Satan’s rebellion and think of that as somehow defiling heaven so that heaven itself needs cleansing. Still others think of purification as used here meaning not so much the removal of impurity as a process of consecration. Akin to that is the view that the earthly sanctuary needed cleansing, not so much because it was unclean, but because it was the place where sinners were restored. So with heaven.

On the whole, it seems best to recall that in the NT there are references to “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12); the “rulers of this age” (1 Corinthians 2:8); the “powers” like “height” and “depth” (Romans 8:38–39), as well as “angels” and “demons.” Such references seem to indicate wickedness beyond this earth. And when Christ performed his atoning work, he “disarmed the powers and authorities... triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). It was God’s will “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20). This strand of teaching is not prominent in Hebrews. Nevertheless, the language used here seems to accord with it better than with other views.

The author is fond of the word “better” , but it is unexpected for him to use the plural “sacrifices” (GK 2602), since he is insistent that there was but one sacrifice and that Christ suffered “once for all” (v.26). Probably we should take “sacrifices” as the generic plural that lays down the principle fulfilled in the one sacrifice.