John Calvin 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)

The patterns, or exemplars, etc. In case anyone should object and say that the blood by which the Old Testament was dedicated was different from that of a testator, the Apostle meets this objection. He says that it was no wonder that the earthly tabernacle was consecrated by the sacrificing of beasts; for there was an analogy and a likeness between the purification and the things purified. But the heavenly pattern or exemplar of which he now speaks was to be consecrated in a very different way; here, there was no need for goats or calves. Therefore, it follows that the death of the testator was necessary.

The meaning, then, is this: as under the Law there were only earthly images of spiritual things, so the rite of expiation was also, so to speak, carnal and figurative. But as the heavenly pattern allows nothing earthly, so it requires another blood than that of beasts, one that corresponds with its excellence. Thus, the death of the testator is necessary so that the testament may be truly consecrated.

He calls the kingdom of Christ heavenly things, because it is spiritual and possesses a full revelation of the truth. Better sacrifices he mentions instead of “a better sacrifice,” because it was only one; but he uses the plural number for the sake of antithesis or contrast.