The compatibility of Christ’s ascension  in the Epistle to the Hebrews  and the theology of pre-advent  judgement: Part 2

Lalnuntluanga  Ralte

doi:10.56487/dl.v23i2.1198

Autores/as

Lalnuntluanga Ralte Gate Adventist Theology College, Falakata, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56487/dl.v23i2.1198

Palabras clave:

Ascension — Santuario celestial — Dentro del velo — Juicio investigador

Resumen

Este artículo examina el significado teológico de la ascensión de Cristo y su papel como Sumo Sacerdote, especialmente en relación con el motivo del Santuario celestial, que se encuentra tanto en el Antiguo como en el Nuevo Testamento. Destaca la evidencia de un santuario celestial en el Antiguo Testamento y analiza pasajes clave de la Epístola a los Hebreos, concretamente Hebreos 6,19 y 9,12, para determinar si Jesús entró en el Lugar Santísimo o en el Lugar Santo en su ascensión. El estudio aborda el contexto histórico, la estructura literaria y las temáticas de Hebreos, mientras explora las implicaciones del juicio investigador divino. Al conciliar las distintas interpretaciones sobre el ministerio de Cristo en el Santuario celestial, este artículo pretende aclarar su función intercesora por la humanidad y mejorar la comprensión de su ascensión en el contexto más amplio de la narrativa de la historia de la salvación.

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Referencias

Elias Brasil de Souza, “The heavenly sanctuary/temple motif in the Hebrew Bible: Function and relationship to the earthly counterparts” (PhD diss., Andrews University, 2005). For a few examples on the biblical evidences of the sanctuary in th OT, see Mic 1,2; Hab 2,20; 18,7; Exod 25,8.9.

Leonardo N. Dunes, “Function and nature of the heavenly sanctuary/temple and its earthly counterparts in the New Testament Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles: A motif study of major passages” (PhD diss., Andrews University, 2020).

Gen 3,9-13.14-19; Ps 139,1-4; 147,5; 1 John 3,20; Isa 46,9-10; Dan 7,4-7.22.25; Matt 22,11; 1 Cor 4,5; Rom 2,5.7-8; 2 Thess 1,8-9; 1 Cor 4,9; Rev 14,6-12.

See Frank B Holbrook, “Christ’s inauguration as King Priest”, Journal of Adventist Theological Society 5, no 2 (1994): 136-152; and Jiři Moskala, “The meaning of the intercessory ministry of Jesus Christ on our behalf in the heavenly sanctuary”, Journal of Adventist Theological Society 28, no 1 (2017): 2-25.

Hebrews 3,1; 4,14; 7,25; 8,2; 9,24; 9,12; 10,12.

Τὰ ἅγια is the phrase used for sanctuary, Holy Place, Holy of Holies, Most Holy Place, etc., based on the version of the Bible. See Barbara Friberg, Timothy Friberg, and Kurt Aland, in Analytical Greek New Testament: Greek text analysis (Cedar Hill, TX: Silver Mountain Software, 2001), s. v. “Hebrews 9:12”.

American King James Version, Emphasized Bible, King James 2000 version, New Heart English Bible: Aramaic Names New Testament Edition and World English Bible translated the word as ‘the holy place; Darby Bible, Modern Literal Version, Voice in the Wilderness 2008 Bible, translated the word as ‘the holy of holies’; English Majority Text version 2011 Edition, the Logos Bible, Modern King James Version, and Smith’s Literal Translation translated the word as the ‘Holies’; New English Translation, Unlocked Literal Bible, New International Version and New King James Version translated the word as ‘the Most Holy Place’; Open English Bible translated the word as ‘sanctuary’; and Young Literal version translated the word as ‘the holy place’.

According to the interpretation of Daniel 8,14, Jesus entered the Most Holy Place only by 1844 and not in His ascension. See William Shea, “Supplementary evidence in support of 457 B.C. as a starting date for 2300 day-years of Daniel 8:14”, Journal of Adventist Theological Society 12, no 1 (Spring, 2001): 89-96.

Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A commentary on the Greek text, NIGTC (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1993), 21-22.

Matthew Black, The scrolls and Christian origins: Studies in the Jewish background of the New Testament (New York, NY: Scribner, 1961), 78.

Gareth L. Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012), 66.

“Daniel and Revelation committee report”, in Issues in the Book of Hebrews, DARCOM, 7 vols. (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1989), 4:1.

Ibid., 2.

Ibid., 21.

Ibid., 22.

Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 37, comment on the subject, saying: “There is very general agreement that the author drew is quotations, not directly from a Hebrew text, but from the LXX […]. There is no compelling evidence that the author had access to any Hebrew text”.

William L. Lane, Hebrews 1-8, WBC (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991), cxviii.

Steve Stanley, “The structure of Hebrews from three perspectives”, Tyndale Bulletin 45, no 2 (1994): 247.

W. Manson, The Epistle of Hebrews: An historical and theological reconsideration (London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton, 1951), 3.

J. H. Davies, A Letter to Hebrews (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1976), 2.

For Instance, R. Mc. L. Wilson, Hebrews, NCBC (Basingstoke, UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1987), 16-17; H . W Attridge, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Hermeneia (Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1989), 13; F. F Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991), 25-26.

J. Swetnam, “On the literary genre of the ‘Epistle’ to the Hebrews”, Novum Testamentum, no 11 (1969): 261. See also David Allan Black, “The problem of literary structure of Hebrews: An evaluation and a proposal,” Grace Theological Journal 7, no 2 (1986): 167.

Hartwig Thyen, Der Stil Der Judisch-Hellenistischen Homilie, FRLANT 47 (Gottingen, DE: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1955), 10-23; 43-50; 62-72, quoted in Stanley, “Structure of Hebrews,” 249-250.

David Aune, The New Testament in its literary environment (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster, 1987), 212-214.

J. L Bailey and L.D. Vander Broek, Literary forms in the New Testament (London, UK: SPCK, 1992), 193.

Merland Ray Miller, “Seven theological themes in Hebrews”, Grace Theological Journal 8, no 1 (1987): 131.

William G. Johnson, “Hebrews: An overview”, in Issues in the Book of Hebrews, 28.

George Rice, “Hebrews 6:19: Analysis of some assumptions concerning Katapetasma”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 25 (1987): 65-71. The idea of καταπετάσμα as possibility to refer to inner and outer veil is well known. For example, see Attridge, Epistle to the Hebrews, 184; Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 199; M. Dods, “The Epistle to the Hebrews”, in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. by W. R. Nicoll, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1956), 305. C. Schneider, “Καταπετάσμα”, in Theological dictionary of the New Testament, 10 vols., ed. by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964), 3:629. Early Adventist scholars agreed the same; see William G. Johnsson, “Day of Atonement Allusion,” in Issues in the Book of Hebrews, 105-120; P. Gerard Damsteegt, “Among Sabbatarian Adventists, 1845-1850”, in Doctrine of the sanctuary: A historical survey, DARCOM, 7 vols. (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald, 1989), 5:17-54.

For the scholars who concluded that the inner veil in Hebrews 6,19 is the Most Holy Place, see Attridge, Hebrews, 184; Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 155, 250-251; B. F Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews: The Greek text with notes and essays, 2nd ed. (London, UK: Macmillan, 1892), 163; G. W Buchanan, To the Hebrews: Translation, comment and conclusions, AB (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972), 116; Otto Michel, Der Brief an Die Hebraer, 12th ed. (Gottingen, DE: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1966), 253-54; H. Braun, An Die Hebraer, Handbuch Zum Neuen Testament 14 (Tubingen, DE: J. C. B Mohr, 1984); P. Gordon and W. Horbury, “Better promises: Two passages in Hebrews against the background of the Old Testament cultus”, in Templum amicitiae: Essays on the temple presented to Ernst Bammel, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 48 (Sheffield, UK: JSOT, 1991); Ellingworth, Hebrews, 347; Simon J. Kistemaker, New Testament commentary: Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1984), 176; Donald Alfred Hagner, Hebrews, NIBC (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 98-99; Lane, Hebrews 1-8, WBC 47a, 154; Thomas G Long, Hebrews (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), 78-80; Beverly Roberts Gaventa and David L. Petersen, eds., The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010), 12:81-82.

Rice, “Hebrews 6:19”, 70-71; George E. Rice, “Within which veil?”, Ministry, June 1987, 20-21. For the scholars who have the same idea about the metaphorical notion of the inner veil in Heb 6,19 as a figurative for heavens as a whole, see Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word studies in the New Testament (Charleston, SC: Nabu Press, 2010), 453; Long, Hebrews, 78-79; Kistemaker, New Testament commentary, 176; Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, Felix W. Gingrich, and Frederick W. Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press, 2000), 416.

Roy E. Gane, “Re-opening Katapetasma ‘(veil)’ in Hebrews 6:19”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 38 (2000): 5-8.

Norman H. Young, “‘Where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf ’ (Hebrews 6:19)”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 39, no 2 (2001): 165-173.

Gane, “Katapetasma,” 6; Ballenger, Cast out, 28.

Gane, “Katapetasma,” 6.

Ballenger and Bruce notice these differences in terminology; see Ballenger, Cast out, 20-27; and Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrew, 199.

Roy E. Gane and J. Milgrom, “ כֶתֶ�֥רֹּ֥פָּ”, in Theological dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, trans. by Douglas W. Stott, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003), 95-97. The Sumerian dictionary of the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania, ed. by Sjoberg (Philadephia, PA: Babylonian Section of the University Museum, 1984), 2:134-143.

Gane and Milgrom, TDOT, 96.

Gane, “Katapetasma”, 8. Young, “‘Where Jesus has gone”, 167, also affirmed that the word פָָּרֹכֶֹתֶ rendered for the phrase “inner veil” in MT for twenty-five times (Exod 26,31.33.35; 27,21; 30,6; 35,12; 36,35; 38,27; 39,34; 40,3.21.22.26; Lev 4,6.17; 16,2.12.15; 21,33; Num 4,5; 18,7; 2 Chr 3,14), in which, twenty two of these passages rendered καταπετάσμα in LXX.

Young, “‘Where Jesus has gone”, 168. Cf. George E. Rice, “Hebrews 6:19: Analysis of some assumptions concerning Katapetasma”, in Issues in the Book of Hebrews, 232-233.

For Example, in 1 Samuel 24,4, David and his men sit in the innermost part of the cave (ἐσώτερον τοῦ σπηλαίου), 2 Chr 4,22 uses the word as to describe the inner door of the Most Holy Place (ἡ θύρα τοῦ οἴκου ἡ ἐσωτέρα εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων), likewise the word ἐσώτερον is almost always employed as the inner part of the court (Esth 4,11; Ezek 44,27; 45,19; 46,1; 1 Macc 9,54; 2 Chr 23,20). See Horn, SABD, s. v. “temple”, 1098.

Young, “‘Where Jesus has gone”, 169. For the grammar, see Archibald T Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the light of historical research (London, UK: Hodder and Stoughton, 1919), 667-668; Friedrich W. Blass, Albert Debrunner, and Robert W. Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1961), 32-33.

Young, “‘Where Jesus has gone”, 171.

Ibid.

Young, “Where Jesus has gone”, 172. For the reference to chiastic parallel of Hebrews 6,19 and 10,20, see George E. Rice, “The chiastic structure of the central section of the Epistle to the Hebrews”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 19, no 3 (1981): 243-246.

For the articles by Young on attempting to provide evidence that the Day of Atonement as the background of Hebrews 6,19, see Norman H. Young, “ΤΟYΤ᾽ ἜΣΤΙΝ ΤΗΣ ΣΑΡΚῸΣ ΑΥΤΟΥ,’ Heb X. 20: Apposition, dependent and explicative?”, New Testament Studies 20 (1974): 100-104; Norman H. Young, “The Gospel according to Hebrews 9”, New Testament Studies 27 (1981): 198-210.

Richard M. Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’ in Hebrews 6:19-20: The Old Testament background”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 39, no 2 (Autumn 2001): 176

Ibid., 175.

Ibid., 177.

Young, “Where Jesus has gone”, 171-172.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 177.

Albert Vanhoye, Structure and message of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Subsidia Biblical 12 (Rome, IT: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1989), 40a-40-b. See also Albert Vanhoye, La Structure Litterairedel’ Epitre Aux Hebreux, 2nd ed. (Bruges, BE: De Brouwer, 1976), 228/29.

William Shea, “Literary and architectural structures in the sanctuary section of Hebrews (6:19-20 to 10:19-20)”, (unpublished paper), n. d., 2.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 178.

Ibid. Vanhoye, La structure, 228-229. See also George Guthrie, The structure of Hebrews: A text linguistic analysis, NovTSup 73 (Leiden, NL: E. J. Brill, 1994), 99-100.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 179.

Ibid.

Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v. “ἐγκαινίζω”.

For example, 1 Kgs 8,63 and 2 Chr 7,5 described about the dedication of Solomon’s temple, in which the verb ἐνεκαίνισεν is employed, 2 Chr 15,8 also dealt with the rededication of the temple after they had defiled. This passage uses the same verb. In Ezra 6,16.17, the noun form ἐγκαίνια is employed when there was a rededication of the temple in the postexilic period.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 179.

For Example, Erich Grasser, An Die Hebraer, Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar Zum Neuen Testament (Neukirchen: Neukirchener Verlag, 1997), 14-15; and Ellingworth, Hebrews, 518; N. A Dahl, “A new and living way: The approach to God according to Hebrews 10:19-25”, Int (1951): 401-92.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 180. See also, Dahl, “A new and living way”, 405.

Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v. “εἰσέρχομαι”.

Ibid., s. v. “εἴσοδος”.

Ibid., s. v. “ἐγκαινίζω”.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 181.

Felix Cortez rightly points out that the word “forerunner” has the same function to the word ἀρχηγὸν in Heb 2,10, meaning “pioneer”, and ἀπόστολος in Heb 3,1, meaning “one who is sent”. Thus, according to him, Jesus is the forerunner as a pioneer from humanity who leads “many children to glory”. See Cortex, “Letter to the Hebrews,” 301, n. 1.

Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v. “ἅγιος”. Ἅγιος occurs 230 times and distributed all over the NT except from Galatians, James and 2,3 John. It occurs 20 times in Luke, 53 times in Acts, 20 times in Romans, 18 in Hebrews. See Robert H. Balz, “ἅγιος”, in Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 vols., ed. by Robert H. Balz and Gerhard Schneider (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990-1993), 1:16.

Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 2000), 32.

Hebrews 8,2; 9,1.2.3.8.12.24.25; 10,19; 13,11. A. P. Salom in his article clearly portraits that different sort of translations had been done by different scholars. See A. P. Salom, “Ta Hagia in the Epistle to the Hebrews,” Andrews University Seminary Studies 5, no 1 (1967): 59-70.

For scholars who concluded that the author of Hebrews rely on the LXX as a primary source, see Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 469-480; R. A Steward, “The Old Testament usage in Philo, rabbinic writings, and Hebrews” (M. Litt. Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1947); F. C. Synge, Hebrews, and the Scriptures (London, UK: SPCK, 1959); Kenneth J. Thomas, “The Old Testament citations in Hebrews”, New Testament Studies 11 (1965): 303-325; Kenneth J. Thomas, Use of the Septuagint in the EH (Manchester, UK: University of Manchester, 1959); Susan E. Docherty, The use of the Old Testament in Hebrews: A case study in Early Jewish Bible interpretation (Tubingen, DE: Mohr Siebeck, 2009); Markus Barth, “The Old Testament in Hebrews”, in Current Issues in NT Interpretation, ed. by W. Klassen and G. F Snyder (New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1962), 53; George Howard, “Hebrews and the Old Testament Quotations”, Novum Testamentum 10 (1968): 208-216; Gert J. Stein, A quest for the assumed LXX vorlage of the explicit quotations in Hebrews (Gottingen, DE: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2011).

Salom, “Ta Hagia in the Epistle to the Hebrews”, 60; For discussion on the plural form of τὰ ἅγια, see Blass, Debrunner, and Funk, A Greek grammar of the New Testament, 78.

Salom, “Ta Hagia in the Epistle to the Hebrews”, 62.

Ibid., 59-70.

Ibid. Salom clearly supplied that there are specific terms used for the inner compartment of the sanctuary in the LXX, for example, the phrase τῷ ἁγίῳ τῶν ἁγίων in Exodus 26,34 is used only for the inner sanctuary, out of which four of them are (plural/plural) and the remaining seven are (singular/plural). For the biblical references see,1 Kgs 6,16; 7,36; 8,6; 1 Chr 6,49; 2 Chr 3,8.10; 4,22; 5,7; Ezek 41,4; Dan 9,24; Lev 16,33; Num 18,10. This clearly shows that LXX uses different terms for inner sanctuary.

Carl P. Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary in the Old Testament pseudepigrapha, Philo and Josephus”, Andrews University Seminary Studies 42, no 1 (2004): 91-103. See also, Carl P. Cosaert, “A study of Ta Hagia in the LXX, pseudepigrapha, Philo, and Josephus, and its implications in Hebrews” (M.A. thesis, Nazarene Theological Seminary, 2000).

Ibid., 92.

Sibylline oracles 3,308; Testament of Asher 7,2; Testament of Levi 8,17; 9,9.11; 18,2b.18.19.53; Psalms of. Solomon 1,8; 2,13; 8,11.

Sibylline oracles 3,308.

J. J. Collins, “Sibylline oracles: A new translation and introductions”, in Old Testament pseudepigrapha, ed. by J. H. Charlesworth, 2 vols. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1983), 1:369.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 93. For the concept of judgment that comes from heavenly sanctuary, he supplys reference such as Isa 26,21, Jer 25,30.32; and Ps 20,2; 19,3; which are taken from the LXX version.

H. C. Kee, “Testaments of the twelve patriarchs: A new translation and introduction”, in Old Testament pseudepigrapha, 777-78.

Baruch A. Levine, Numbers 1-20: A new translation with introduction and commentary, AB 4 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1993), 161.

R. B Wright, “Psalms of Solomon: A new translation and introduction”, in Old Testament pseudepigrapha, 639.

For more discussion on the inner sanctuary in T. Levi, see Kee, “Twelves patriarchs”, 789.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 96.

Leg., 3: 119, 125.

Post. 173; Her. 226; Somn. 1,207.216; Migr. 104; Fug. 93; Mos. 2,87.114, 155; Spec. 1,115.296.

Similar differentiation occurs in Mos. 2:87. Cosaert, “The Use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 97,n. 29.

Another possibility that Cosaert draws out was the work of Josephus which narrates that when Pompey had taken the city of Jerusalem, Pompey reported that “the lampstand and the lamps, the table, the libation cups and censers […] and a great heaps of spices and the sacred money” was all he saw in the sanctuary. Cosaert suggested that Josephus’ later description of the Holy of Holies can be related to the report of Pompey. Josephus states: “Nothing at all was kept in it; it was unapproachable, inviolable, and invisible to all, and was called the Holy of Holies”. Thus, according to Josephus, the only ritualistic material that had been there may be “the candlestick, the table, and the alter of incense”. See ibid. For the quote of Josephus and Pompey, see Flavius Josephus, The works of Josephus: Complete and unabridged, trans. by William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008); J. W.1.152; 5. 219. Note that all the translation of Josephus are taken from the translation of William Whiston. See also Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, trans. by G. A. Williamson, rev. ed. (Random House Tower, NY: Penguin, 1981), 491.

Legat. 306 and Somn. 1,216.

Leg. 2,56; Her. 84; Mut. 192; and Somn. 2,189.231.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 98.

Ibid., 99.

J. W. 1,26.152; 4,150.151.159; 5,194.195.385.394; 6,73.95.99.260.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 99.

Bellum Judaicum 5. 184-247. See also, E. Mary Smallwood, “Introduction, notes, and appendixes to Josephus,” in The Jewish war, trans. by G. A. Williamson (Random House Tower, NY: Penguin, 1981), 48.

For more reference on the usage of the singular form which refers to the entire sanctuary, see B.J 5,194-195; A. J. 3,125; 12,413.

B.J 1,25-26.

Whiston, The work of Josephus, 545; Williamson, The Jewish war, 30; and Josephus, B. J 1,26 (Thackeray, LCL).

Smallwood, “Appendixes to Josephus”, 409-410.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 101.

J.W. 2,341.401.539; 4,162.171 (2).173.182.183.191.201.242.323.397; 5,406.412;6,104.120.124.128. 165.267.346. See Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 101, n. 44.

J. W. 2,341.

Smallwood, “Appendixes to Josephus,” 432-433.

B. J 5,219; see Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 102.

Cosaert, “The use of ἅγιος for the sanctuary”, 103.

Σκηνή occurs 4 times in the Gospel (Matt 17,4; Mark 9,5; Luke 9,33; 16,9), 6 times in Acts of Apostles and Revelation (Acts 7,43.44; 15,16; Rev 13,6; 15,5; 21,3), and 10 times in Hebrews (Heb 8,2.5; 11,9; 13,10), in which most of it occurrences is in Hebrews 9 (Heb 9,2.3.6.8.11.21).

J. A. Buhner, “σκηνή”, in Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3:251.

The author explained that the tabernacle (σκηνή) has two compartments, and the first section contains the candlestick, the table and the shewbread, and the author called the first section as Ἅγια, meaning the holy place as NASB rendered (Heb 9,2), and the author identified the second compartment located after the second veil, which he termed as ἅγια ἁγίων, meaning the Holy of Holiest as NASB rendered (Heb 9,3).

Here the author introduced a σκηνή as a whole in Hebrews 9,2.

Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 220.

Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, A handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews (New York, NY: United Bible Society, 1994), 183.

Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v. “πρῶτος”.

Ellingworth, Hebrews, 434.

Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 223.

Hebrews 9,8 explained that the author employed a temporal particle ἔτι, meaning “while”, which renders a temporal significance to the passage. Thus, the author uses the first tent as a metaphor to represent the early sanctuary and its services. The first tent “showed the limitation of the Levitical system”. See Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, 4:478.

Ibid.

For discussion on Hebrews 9,12 as a Day of Atonement allusion, see “goats […] calves” [Heb 9,12], Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997); Lane, Hebrews 9-13, 238; J. J Moffatt, A critical and exegetical commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews,

; Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 260; Ellingworth, Hebrews, 452; Aelred Cody, Heavenly sanctuary and the liturgy in the EH (St. Meinrad, IN: Grail, 1960), 170-172; The SDA commentary also give a cross reference to Lev 16 suggesting the Day of Atonement allusion. See “Blood of goats and calves” [Heb 9,12], SDABC, 7:453.

For references on the word μόσχος usage in the inauguration services, see Numbers 7 and 8 (7,3.15.21.27.33.39.45.51.57.63.69.75.81.87; 8,8.8.12) which occurs 17 times in LXX, and for the Day of Atonement, see Leviticus 16 (16,3.6.11.14.15.18.27), which appears 7 times.

For reference of the word τράγος usage in Pentateuch, see Numbers 7 (7,17.23.29.35.41.47.53.59.65.71.77.83.88). There are other occurrences of τράγος outside the Pentateuch such as Jacob’s animals (Gen 30,35; 31,10.12; 31,15), the promises of God expressed in the song of Moses (Deut 32,14). Ellingworth, Hebrews, 452, rightly comment on this subject saying, “The only reference in the Pentateuch to the sacrifice of goats is in Nu. 7:17-88, of peace offerings (θυσίαισωτηρίου) at the dedication of the altar”.

Lev 16,5.7.8.9.10.15.18.20.21.22 (2).26.27.

Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v. “χιμάρους”. The other term for “goat” is rendered in the Gospel (Matt 25,32.33; Luke 15,29) which is ἔριφος,

however, this word can be translated as “kid” or “goat” alternatively according to the context and did not have any cultic background. See Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, s. v “ἔριφος”.

Davidson, “Christ’s entry ‘within the veil’”, 185.

Hebrews 9,13 and 10,14 also supported that Hebrews 9,12 have a context of inauguration service in the OT LXX. These two passages employed the phrase τράγων καὶ ταύρων instead of using τράγων καὶ μόσχων as in Hebrews 9,12. Here, there is a change in the term for bulls, that is, μόσχων is not employed anymore in Hebrews 9,13, instead, the author used ταύρων. Now, the phrase τράγων καὶ ταύρων occurs only in four places in the OT and NT. Obviously, two occurs in the EH (Hebrews 9,13; 10,24), one in Deuteronomy which is not related to cultic activity,

and the last one occurs in Isaiah, which says: “And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats” (Isa 1,11.12). In this passage, God used the blood of bulls and goats for describing the whole sacrificial services. Thus imply that the usage of this phrase τράγων καὶ ταύρων implicitly indicate the whole sanctuary sacrificial system and not the Day of Atonement.

For discussion on the transition of old covenant to new covenant, see Richard M. Davidson, “Typology in the Book of Hebrews”, in Issues in the Book of Hebrews, 179-183; Cody, Heavenly sanctuary,

-148; Dahl, “Living way”, 405; Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 194-195; Ellingworth, Hebrews, 438; Jean Hering, The Epistle to the Hebrews (London, UK: Epworth, 1970), 70-75.

John MacArthur, Hebrews (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1996), 229.

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s application commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1486.

Luder G. Whitlock et al., The reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of reformation to Scriptures (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1995), s. v. “Hebrews 9:13”.