Hebrews 9:26 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For then must he often have suffered— The apostle's design was, to shew the difference between the high-priest's offering once every year, and Christ's offering once for all;—that had frequent oblation been necessary, then Christ must have offered himself often since the foundation of the world. But, instead of frequent oblation, there was no occasion that he should suffer more than once, in order to obtain the end designed; so that here are two points in which the superior advantage of Christ is evident: First, whereas the high-priest took away the sins of the Jews only, and offered sacrifice in order to remove their offences; Christ died for the sins of all mankind. Secondly, whereas the high-priest was obliged to do his office annually, and sacrificed annually calves and goats; Christ did his office fully and completely, by one oblation of himself once offered. It is added, But now once, at the end, or completion of the ages,—he hath appeared, or is manifested. It is not at the end of the world, but at the completion of certain periods of time, appointed for certain purposes by the divine Providence. There was an antediluvian age, a patriarchal age, and an age during which the law of Moses was to continue: there were also four ages described in the prophet Daniel, under distinct periods, by a succession of four kingdoms, during the last of which the Son of man was to appear: each of these was properly an Αιων, or age. Christ therefore came not at the end of the world, for that is not yet ended; but at the end of the ages which God had appointed for certain purposes previous to the coming of the Messiah. See ch. Hebrews 1:2 Hebrews 11:13. It is no great matter whether the word αθετησις be rendered by putting away, or destruction, or laying aside, or rejecting,—to all which this term is applied: here it signifies to annul, or make void. Dr. Heylin renders it to expiat