Hebrews 9:23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

It was therefore necessary— The sense stands thus: "It was necessary that these patterns of heavenly things, ch. Hebrews 8:5 should be purified with these sacrifices of calves, and goats, &c. but as the heavenly things themselves are unspeakably more noble and excellent, so if they are to be purified by sacrifices, the sacrifices must be more excellent and noble than those legal sacrifices were. Such a sacrifice is Christ, who, though but once offered, effectually answers this purpose." It seems that the apostle, from speaking thus in the plural number in this verse, takes occasion, in the four last verses, to shew that this one sacrifice of Christ was all that was needful; whereby he in a manner guarded against that ill use which some, notwithstanding his caution, have made of his word. It may perhaps seem strange, that celestial things should be spoken of, as needing to be purified and cleansed; but it as to be considered, that as the sacred dwelling and the vessels were esteemed to be polluted by the Israelites, who in various degrees had access to them; so heaven, if the blood of Christ had not intervened, would have been as it were polluted by the entrance of those who went into it, and had been formerly sinners, had it been possible for them to enter without his sacrifice; butthat would have been absolutely impossible without the vicarious punishment unto death of the eternal Son of God in our human n