Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 9:23-28

"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. For Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us: nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own; else must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this [cometh] judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation." — Hebrews 9:23-28 (ASV)

Having shown what is common to the Old and New Testaments, the Apostle now shows the difference between them. He does two things in this regard: first, he shows that there is a better cleansing in the New Testament; and second, that this cleansing is more complete (see verse 25). Concerning the first point, he again does two things: first, he shows that the cleansing in the New Testament is better, both in what is cleansed and in what effects the cleansing; and second, he clarifies what he has said (in verse 24).

He says, therefore, that it was necessary for the patterns of heavenly things to be purified with these rites, that is, with the sacrifices. These patterns refer to the tabernacle, which is a pattern from our perspective, though strictly speaking it is the reality being represented and its figure. It is therefore of less value, because the reality represented is superior to its figure, just as a body is superior to its shadow.

The heavenly things themselves, however—that is, the New Testament—required better sacrifices than these. They are better because the Old Testament cleansings were with the blood of animals, but in the New Testament, the cleansing is accomplished with the blood of Christ. For it is a principle that better things are always cleansed with better things.

One might object that there is no uncleanness in heaven. I answer that according to one interpretation, "heavenly things" are understood as things pertaining to the state of the present Church, which are called heavenly. In this sense, believers bear the image of heavenly things insofar as they mentally dwell in heaven.

Alternatively, and better, "heavenly things" can be understood as the heavenly home itself. The Apostle is speaking here in the same way the tabernacle was said to be cleansed in the Old Testament. The tabernacle did not have any uncleanness in itself, but the rites washed away certain impurities that hindered the people from approaching the sanctuary. Likewise, heavenly things are said to be cleansed insofar as a sacrament of the New Covenant cleanses the sins that prevent a person from entering heaven.

But he says "sacrifices" in the plural, even though there is only one sacrifice of Christ: By one oblation he has perfected forever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). I answer that although Christ's sacrifice is one in itself, it was prefigured by the many sacrifices of the Old Law. This text also shows that the sacrifices of the Old Law were good, for something can only be called "better" in relation to something that is already good.

Then, in verse 24, he shows that heavenly things are cleansed by better sacrifices. The high priest expiated the sanctuary made with hands, but Christ has entered a sanctuary not made with hands. It was not a mere pattern of the true one, but heaven itself, which He expiated not in itself but for our sake, as has been said.

He did not expiate it with fleshly sacrifices, because Christ did not come to offer such things: Burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require (Psalms 40:6); With burnt offerings you will not be delighted (Psalms 51:16); For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, in which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests (Hebrews 7:14). Instead, he entered heaven itself: And the Lord Jesus was taken up to heaven (Mark 16:19); This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come (Acts 1:11).

But for what purpose? To appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Here the Apostle alludes to a rite of the Old Law according to which the high priest, who entered the holy of holies, stood before the mercy seat to pray for the people. Similarly, Christ entered heaven to stand before God for our salvation. But their standing was not the same, because the high priest could not see the holy of holies or any face on account of the smoke ascending from the censer. Christ, however, appears before the face of God—not that there is a bodily face or a cloud there, but a clear vision.

One might ask: when Christ was on earth, could He not appear before the face of God, since God sees all things? I answer with Augustine, who says of God, "You were with me, but I was not with You." This is because God is in all things by His essence, power, and presence, but the wicked are not with God through grace. Thus, Christ is said to have entered to appear before the face of God because, although He always saw God clearly as one who is perfectly blessed, the state of our earthly pilgrimage does not grant this vision, but only the heavenly state does.

Therefore, when He ascended perfectly blessed, He entered, body and soul, to appear in the presence of God; that is, He entered the place where God is seen clearly. And this He did for us, for He entered heaven to prepare the way for us: I go to prepare a place for you. But I will come again and will take you to myself (John 14:2–3); He shall go up that shall open the way before them (Micah 2:13). For the body should follow the head: where the body is, there the eagles shall be gathered (Matthew 24:28).

Then, in verse 25, he shows that the cleansing effected by the New Testament is more complete than that of the Old. He demonstrates this in two ways. First, the old sacrifices were repeated daily, but this one was offered only once. Second, he shows this by its effects: the former sacrifices could not remove sin, but this one can. He addresses the first point here and the second point in chapter 10. It should be noted that the Apostle had previously said three things about Christ: first, that He is a high priest; second, the dignity of the place He entered; and third, how He entered, namely, with blood. Having already explained these three things, he now explains how He entered only once, just as the high priest entered only once a year.

In the Old Testament, although the high priest could lawfully enter only once a year, the Law required him to enter every year with the blood of others, as it says in Leviticus (chapter 16). But Christ has not entered a place made with hands, nor was it to offer himself often, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with the blood of others.

Then, when he says, For then he ought to have suffered repeatedly since the foundation of the world, he proves that it would have been unfitting for the same repetition to occur in the New Testament, because a great absurdity would follow. Since Christ entered with His own blood, it would follow that He would have had to suffer frequently from the foundation of the world. This is not the case with the Old Testament sacrifices, because they were offered for the sins of the children of Israel, and that nation began when the Law was given. Therefore, it was not fitting for those sacrifices to be offered from the beginning of the world. But Christ offered Himself for the sins of the whole world, because He was made the propitiation for our sins and for those of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Therefore, if He were offered frequently, it would have been necessary for Him to be born and to suffer from the beginning of the world, which would have been most unfitting.

Then, in verse 26b, he shows what is done in the New Testament. He does two things here: first, he shows why the sacrifice is not repeated; and second, he explains his reasoning (in verse 27).

He says, therefore, that now at the end of the age, Christ has appeared: We are the ones upon whom the ends of the ages are come (1 Corinthians 10:11). The ages of the world are understood according to the ages of a person's life, which are distinguished chiefly by their state of progress and not by the number of years. The first age was before the flood, in which there was no written law or punishment, as in infancy. Another was from Noah to Abraham, and so on through the ages, so that the final age is the present one. After this age, there is no other state of salvation, just as there is no other age of life after old age. But just as the other ages of a person's life have a definite number of years, old age does not; it may begin at sixty, yet some live to be 120. In the same way, it has not been determined how long this age of the world will continue. Yet it is the end of the ages, because no other age remains for salvation.

Christ appeared once during this age, and the author gives two reasons why He was offered only once. The first is that sins were not taken away in the Old Testament, but this was accomplished by the offering of Christ. The second is that the high priest of the Law did not offer his own blood, as Christ did. Hence, he says, Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Therefore, the former sacrifices are repeated, but not this one: Christ died once for our sins (1 Peter 3:18).

Then, in verse 27, he explains these two reasons, addressing the second one first and the first one in chapter 10. He explains the second reason by drawing a likeness to other men. He first shows what happens to other men, and then what happened to Christ (in verse 28).

In every person we find two things: first, the necessity of dying; and second, that one should rise again, not to be cleansed but to be judged according to one's deeds. He touches on the first when he says, and just as it is appointed for men once to die.

One might object that death is not appointed by God, but that man brought it about by sinning, for it says in Wisdom, God made not death, neither has he pleasure in the destruction of the living ; and shortly after, But the wicked with works and words have called it to them. I answer that there are three things to consider in death. First is the material cause, and in this respect it has been appointed for men to die once because of the condition of human nature. Second is the gift that was bestowed, for man was given the gift of original justice, by which the soul sustained the body so that it would not die. Third is the obligation of dying; by sinning, man forfeited that gift and became subject to death. Hence, it says that the wicked called death to themselves by touching the forbidden fruit. Therefore, man is the cause of death by his failure, while God is the cause of death as the judge who enacts the penalty: The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Then, in verse 28, he shows how three things fit Christ. Regarding the first, he says, and so Christ having been offered once, in which He is similar to other men. But He differed in two respects. First, since Christ had not descended from Adam by way of human seed, but only as to bodily substance, He did not contract original sin. Consequently, He was not bound by that decree, For in what day soever you shall eat of it, you shall die the death (Genesis 2:17). Instead, He underwent death by His own will: No man takes it away from me: but I lay it down of myself (John 10:18). Therefore, he says that he was offered: He was offered because it was His own will (Isaiah 53:7); Christ has died once for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). He differs, secondly, because our death is the effect of sin: The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But Christ’s death destroys sin; therefore, he says, it was to bear the sins of many, that is, to remove them. He does not say "of all," because Christ’s death, even though sufficient for all, has its saving effect only in those who are to be saved, for not all are subject to Him by faith and good works.

Regarding the second point, he says, he shall appear a second time not to deal with sin. He says two things about the second coming. First, it differs from the first because the second will be "without sin." For even though He had no sin in His first coming, He came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). In the first coming, He was also made a victim for sin: Him who knew no sin, he has made sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). But those things will not be found in the second coming; hence, he says that He will appear without sin. Second, he states what will be unique to the second coming: He will appear not to be judged, but to judge and to reward according to merits. And although He will appear in the flesh to all, even to those who wounded Him, He will appear in His divinity only to the elect who eagerly wait for Him by faith for their salvation: Blessed are all they that wait for him (Isaiah 30:18); We look for the Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who will reform the body of our lowliness, made like to the body of his glory (Philippians 3:20–21).