By this arrangement the Holy Spirit was showing that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing;
- KJV The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
- NKJV the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.
- NASB The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,
- NLT By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Holy Spirit taught through this arrangement that the way to God was not yet fully opened while the old tabernacle stood. The system itself signaled its own incompleteness.
Overview
The author reads the tabernacle's design as a Spirit-given lesson: the restricted access showed that the way into God's presence had not yet been disclosed. The old order was a barrier as much as a means of approach. This anticipates the new and living way opened through Christ's flesh, described later in chapter 10.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- Heb 3:7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,
- Eph 2:18For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
- Heb 10:19–22Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- John 10:9I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
- Gal 3:8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
- 2 Pet 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
- Heb 9:3Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
- Acts 28:25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
- John 10:7So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
- Isa 63:11Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them,
- Heb 10:15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:
- Acts 7:51–52You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Heb 4:15–16For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
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Original language
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