John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 10:19

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus," — Hebrews 10:19 (ASV)

Having therefore, brethren, etc. He states the conclusion or the sum of his previous doctrine, to which he then fittingly adds a serious exhortation and issues a severe threat against those who had renounced the grace of Christ.

Now, the sum of what he had said is that all the ceremonies by which access under the Law was open to the sanctuary have their real fulfillment in Christ, so that for the one who has Christ, their use is superfluous and useless. To explain this more fully, he allegorically describes the access Christ has opened for us, comparing heaven to the old sanctuary and presenting the things spiritually accomplished in Christ in typical expressions.

Allegories indeed sometimes obscure rather than illustrate a subject. However, when the Apostle transfers the ancient figures of the Law to Christ, there is considerable elegance in what he says, and considerable light is gained. He did this so that we may recognize as now truly exhibited in Christ whatever the Law foreshadowed. Since there is great weight in almost every word, we must remember that a contrast is to be understood here: the truth or reality as seen in Christ, and the abolition of the ancient types.

He says first, that we have boldness to enter into the holiest. This privilege was never granted to the fathers under the Law, for the people were forbidden to enter the visible sanctuary, even though the high priest bore the names of the tribes on his shoulders and twelve stones as a memorial of them on his breast. But now the case is very different. Not only symbolically, but in reality, access to heaven is opened for us through the favor of Christ, for he has made us a royal priesthood.

He adds, by the blood of Jesus, because the door of the sanctuary was not opened for the periodic entrance of the high priest except through the intervention of blood. He later notes the difference between this blood and that of beasts. The blood of beasts, since it soon turns to corruption, could not long retain its efficacy. However, the blood of Christ, which is subject to no corruption but flows forever as a pure stream, is sufficient for us even to the end of the world.

It is no wonder that beasts slain in sacrifice had no power to give life, as they were dead. But Christ, who rose from the dead to give us life, communicates his own life to us. It is a perpetual consecration of the way, because the blood of Christ is always, in a way, distilling before the presence of the Father to irrigate heaven and earth.